Thursday October 31, 2013

It started raining after midnight and continued all day. It was raining at 0730 when I headed to the MAC. I put on my rain suit and turned on my bike lights and off I went. I will be glad when DST ends. It is pitch black at 0800. It was also warm, 61 degrees. I was sweating when I got to the MAC> Nancy was already in the pool when I arrived. The pool was full so I waited until Nancy finished and then took her lane. I swam my 1,500 yards in 40'04". It was raining hard when I left the MAC. I had my coffee at Breton Village's Starbucks. It was still raining hard when I left Breton Village. I headed straight home and was glad I had on my rain suit. My Sister emailed me this morning that my friend from the old neighborhood had died. Jack Gillard was a year younger and lived down the block. I played everyday with Jack and other friends in the hood. Jack was a book worm. He always had a book in his back pocket. In the spring of about 1952 Jack and I got on a Greyhound bus and headed to Saginaw. My Aunt Helen who lived in Alma picked us up. The purpose of our weekend trip was to spend time watching TV. Alpena did not have TV. My Aunt Helen and Uncle Harold were perfect hosts. We spent hours watching TV. On Sunday my Aunt drove us back to the Greyhound station in Saginaw for our trip home. It was a great adventure. I called Tom Collins in CA and told him the news. Tom was a also a playmate of Jacks. After lunch I checked my mail and then headed upstairs to take a nap. Today is Halloween. We bought two big bags of candy from Costco. Trick and Treat starts at 1800 and ends at 2000. I started handing out candy at 1745 and stopped at 1945. We had over 200 kids. Most of the kids were from outside the neighborhood. It is now 2142 and still raining.

Wednesday October 30, 2013

Breakfast Club Wednesday: Up at 0555 and get ready for the 0700 meeting. As usual the food was great especially the apple fritter. Today's speaker was head of the Red Cross in GR. His talk was interesting. After the meeting I headed to Starbucks in Gaslight to read the WSJ. An article on the rapid conversion of trucks to natural gas caught my interest. Last year I bought stock in Cummins Engines because they had developed an engine that runs on natural gas. I hope the stock goes up. On my way home I stopped at Bill and Paul's to look for a short, light winter coat. No luck. I think I will just buy a wool zip up sweater. Groskopf's had a small day pack that I would like for my bike rides. I bought it. Nancy worked at the Gardens this afternoon. I got out my hybrid bike and pedaled to Ada a distance of 18 miles. It was a great day for a ride. The temperature was in the high 50s. I took a quick shower and then started to take Ms P on her walk. She is still stiff from yesterdays ball chasing. We only walked around the block. I took a short nap. We had a light dinner and watched the news. We are now watching Nature on PBS. I got my 30 in today did you?

Tuesday October 29, 2013

Weekend Update: If I can remember! Saturday October 26: It was dark and gloomy with rain possible when I left for Bill's. I was glad I wore my rain suit because it started sprinkling. I had Bill's oatmeal breakfast special. After breakfast I pedaled around Reeds Lake. I spent most of the afternoon in my office reading "Total Immersion" a book on how to improve my swim technique. I did interrupt my reading to take a short nap. At 1700 Nancy and I got dressed and headed downtown. Tonight we are attending a concert performed by the GR Symphony. Before the concert we stopped at the Amway's Sports Bar and had a quick dinner. Downtown was very crowded. The first half of the concert was a Mozart piece featuring Harp and flute solos. The second half featured another Austrian whose name starts with S. Nancy was surprised that I really liked the concert. Sunday October 27: Up at 0700 and in the pool by 0800. We both swam our 1,500 yards. I practiced the "Total Immersion" strokes. I did lower my time by 30". We stopped at Meijer's for our weekly supplies. Gas was $3.25 per gallon. Nancy fixed her world famous poached eggs for breakfast. Nancy is having a colon scan tomorrow so she can not eat all day. I took my Sunday afternoon nap. I did watch the end of the Lions game. We watched 60' and read the GRP before heading upstairs. Monday October 28: Nancy had to be at the hospital by 0745. We made it and they immediately checked her in. I was impressed by their efficiency. Nancy's procedure was done by 0900. She was still feeling the effects of the knock out medicine. We did stop at the Kava House to buy a scone. Nancy headed upstairs and slept until noon. She was up and feeling much better. The Dr told her to take it easy today. At 1230 I headed to the MAC for a swim. After the MAC I headed to Best Buy and Costco to look at TV sets. Ours is going fast. I bought a 32" set at Costco. When I got home I took Ms P on her walk and then started installing the set. I was surprised but the new set fit our existing wall mount. I did have to make a run to Rylee's to buy some screws. Our set is fitted for the HMDI connection so I could throw all the color coded chords away. I had everything up and running but could not get a picture. I called Comcast and the nice lady had me running in 30". Tuesday October 29: Back to normal, both Nancy and Bob are going to the MAC. However, when I got to the MAC I found that the pool was closed. Bummer. I did some calisthenics and then headed to the Kava House. Nancy was still at the Gift Shop when I got home. I had a quick lunch and then headed upstairs to write this blog. It is now 1445 and the sun is out so I am going to cut the grass for the last time this year. I hope!

Friday October 25, 2013

Fall facts: The robins are gone. We had our first frost this morning. Leaves are falling fast. High temperature today was 45. Up at 0500 and in pool at 0615. Left MAC at 0800 and headed straight home. Today the OHNA planted 5 trees. We started at 0915 and were done by 1100. After changing clothes I headed to Kava House for coffee. Tree planting made me hungry so I had a cinnamon roll. The news media is really hung up on the health care web site. Who cares! Most folks know that most new software requires a break in period. After a quick lunch I took a short nap. For dinner tonight Nancy and I headed to Russ's for dinner. I had clam chowder in a bread bowl and cole slaw. Nancy had chicken rice soup and a salad. The chicken rice soup did not sit well with Nancy because she suffered a reaction. Not much on TV. I started watching Hawaii Five-0. I think this show is bad. I hate to see a man in a suit with stubble. They are not compatible.

Thursday October 24, 2013

I have a Grand Rapids Building Authority meeting at 0900. Got up at 0455 and drove to the MAC. In the pool at 0615 and left the MAC at 0800. The GRBA meeting lasted about 30 minutes. Stopped for coffee at Starbucks in Gaslight Village. Got home about 1100. Took Ms P on her walk. Nancy got home about noon. We immediately headed to Costco to get Halloween candy. Did I ever mention that I hated Halloween. I also bought a jar of pickled herring. I am hooked on herring. Nancy is a block captain for the OHNA. The OHNA published a Halloween newsletter and I delivered them. There are 21 neighbors in our block. Took a short nap after delivering the newsletter. Nancy and I had dinner at Great Lakes Shipping. Nancy had the bourbon chicken and I had a bowl of chili. We are now watching the World Series. At 2100 we will watch White Collar. Snow along Lake Michigan shore but no snow in GR. Frost expected tonight. Remember to get your 30 in each and every day.

Wednesday October 23, 2013

It got down into the 30s last night but no frost. Today is my easy day so I pedaled to Bill's for oatmeal. Bill's was nearly empty this morning. When I got home I got in the C2 and ran a banking errand. Despite the cold and wind I decided to take a bike ride. I loaded up the hybrid bike and headed to Millennium Park. The weather must have scared off a lot of folks because the lot was empty. The day was cold and windy but the trees were in full color. I rode 20 miles. I wore a windbreaker that did not breathe so I was covered in sweat. I have to get better at selecting layers. On my way home I stopped at Wealthy Street Bakery to buy a cookie. Nancy worked at the Gardens this afternoon. She got home about the same time I did. After a quick shower I took a 30' nap. We had a light dinner and watched the news. We spent some time looking at flights to Miami. We are going to Panama in February but we need to get to Miami first. I will be glad when DST ends. It is dark at 0800 and I need my bike lights. It might snow tonight. Happy thought.

Tuesday October 22, 2013

Up at 0715 and in the pool at 0815. A hardcore swimmer in the lane next to me pointed out a flaw in my swim stroke. Usually I don't take kindly to unsolicited advise. However, today I think he was right. I will attempt to make an adjustment. Had coffee today at the Kava House. Free refill Tuesday! Lately I have been reading the WSJ thoroughly. However, I think I am saturated with all the whining and complaining by folks who make and report the news. Maybe they should all take a time-out. After the MAC Nancy headed to the Gift Shop. She worked most of the day at the hospital. They should get such devotion from their paid staff. After a quick lunch I got in the C2 and headed to the Chevy store for an oil change. I also stopped at Fitzgerald's to purchase another pair of Kuhl pants. I love these pants. They are rugged, comfortable and have enough leg room so that I can pedal my bike unencumbered. It is really cold and windy today. I wore plenty of layers for my bike ride but I needed a wind breaker. I left it home. Ms P and I took our afternoon walk. Nancy fixed sloppy joes and soup for dinner. It was tasty. It is now 1948 and as soon as I finish I am heading downstairs to watch NCIS. Tuesday's are the only night for must see TV. I also have a paper GRP to read.

Monday October 21, 2013

Early morning Monday: I left at 0530 and the temperature was in the mid 50s. By noon the temperature was down to 43. We might get some frost this evening. The pool was empty when I jumped in at 0615 and it remained empty during my swim. Where have all the swimmers gone? I had coffee at Starbucks in Breton Village. Today I have to get home before 0915 because the OHNA is planting 15 trees. We started about 0945 and by noon we had all the trees planted. After lunch I took Ms P on her daily walk. It was windy and cold. Nancy had a dentist appointment this afternoon. Cleaning only. I did take a short nap. We had a light dinner and watched the news and then "The Big Bang Theory". Why do I like this show?

Sunday October 20, 2013

Weekend Update: Saturday October 19. I slept this morning. Had my breakfast at Bill's. It was misting so I wore my rain suit. After breakfast I pedaled arounds Reeds Lake. It is suppose to rain all day. Nancy and I made a Costco run. Costco was super busy. Nancy filled a prescription and I bought a bottle of wine, a wool zip neck undershirt and peanut butter. We had dinner at Russ's. I had clam chowder in a bread bowl. Nancy had the chicken noodle soup. Watched some TV before turning in. Sunday October 20: Up at 0655 and got ready to go for our swim at the MAC. Nancy and I had the pool to ourselves most of the swim. We made our weekly stop at Meijer's. Gas was $3.34 per gallon. Nancy fixed her world famous scrambled eggs for breakfast. This afternoon I volunteered to help plant 17 trees in the neighborhood. Today we will dig the holes and tomorrow we will plant trees. We started at 1300 and were done in an hour. I still had time for a short Sunday nap. Nancy spent about an hour facetiming with Lucas and Alessandra. She had a great time getting caught up on their busy lives. After the nap I took Ms P on her daily walk. The leaves are falling fast. I bet in one week most of the leaves will be gone. Nancy is fixing soup and sloppy joes for dinner. We will watch some TV and read the GRP before heading upstairs.

Friday October 18, 2013

Friday is an early morning day. I am now getting use to putting on multiple layers on these cool mornings. I completed my routine and was out the door by 0800. I had coffee at the Kava House. Today is the first day this week without rain. It is also grass cutting day. The grass keeps growing. I hope I only have one more cutting. The furnace inspector from the City of GR stopped by approved the installation. My tooth is still bothering me so I went to Wendy's for a bowl of chili. Watched some TV before heading to bed. I am writing this blog on Saturday. I should never delay writing this blog because I can not remember over night.

Thursday October 17, 2013

It rained all day today. I put on my rain suit for my ride to the MAC. I was in the pool at 0815. Nancy beat me by about 15 minutes. She is swimming Thursdays and Sundays. I swim five days a week. After the MAC I had my coffee at Starbucks in Breton Village. The sprinkler company is coming today to drain our system for the winter. I left Starbuck at 1200 and it was pouring down rain. I was glad for the rain suit. When I pulled in the drive the sprinkle man was already at our door. It took about 30 minutes to drain the system. Nancy had an appointment this afternoon with our skin doctor, Dr Mary Yurko. She removed a spot on Nancy's cheek. Nancy also attended a wine and cheese party this afternoon so we are not going out this evening. I cleaned up my office and read about 10 back issues of ENR. I did have a bowl of chili at Wendy's. We had a short break in the rain and I took Ms P on her mile walk. Today is the first day since having my tooth out that I could have booze. I poured a glass of wine. The tooth extraction has limited my eating to soft foods. An upside of the extraction is that for the first time in about 15 years my weight is below 160 pounds. This evening I read the GRP, watched the news and I even watched the Big Bang Theory. I am beginning to like this show. Yesterday was the first day that we turned the furnace on this fall. The new furnace warms the house up fast. The forecast is for snow next week.

Wednesday October 16, 2013

Today is Breakfast Club day. The alarm goes off at 0555. It was pitch black when I headed to the Women's Civic Club. We had a small turn out. It might because we had a retired Amway marketing guy telling us how great Amway's marketing methods are. The Speaker is also a Club member so he was given soft ball questions. My tooth extraction is still giving me some pain. I could only eat the soft scrambled eggs. After BC I stopped at Starbucks in Gaslight to have my coffee and read the WSJ. I read articles on the efforts of Portugal and Ireland to rein in their budget deficits. They are being forced by the EU to make some drastic budget cuts. However, there is some light at the end of the tunnel. The USA on the other hand has taken a different approach by just printing money. No one knows which approach is best. It is my opinion that the European approach despite its initial hardships might be the best approach in the long run. Stay tuned. The weather folks said it would rain all day. It had not started when I got home so I took Ms P on her walk. Nancy is working at the Gardens this afternoon. It started to sprinkle about noon today. Fall weather is finally here. Morning temperatures are in the 40s. For the rest of the week the morning temperatures will be in the high 30s. I put the storm doors on our side and rear doors. I also took the downstairs screens off. I needed some exercise so I put on my rain suit and took a 4.5 miles walk. We will have a light dinner and watch some TV tonight. I might even watch some of the Tiger's game. The Dentist instructions were that I could not have any booze for 48 hours. I will drink up tomorrow.

Tuesday October 15, 2013

I got right up with the alarm at 0655. I did my routine at the MAC and then headed home. Today is my dental health day. Kim had dropped Ms P off and I think she was glad to see me. I changed from my bike riding clothes to civilian clothes. I drove to my dentist. Today I am having a lower molar removed. The problem is that the tooth to be extracted is part of a bridge. My dentist had to cut the bridge in half. It was pretty tough because it took him over 30 minutes to saw the bridge. After visiting my dentist I had an early afternoon appointment with an oral surgeon. He will extract the tooth and tell me if an implant is feasible. The tooth came out with some effort. In order to put an implant in the location of the molar they would have to remove a piece of my jaw and use this piece to build up an area suitable for the implant. I told the Doc that no thanks I will gum my food. On another health front Nancy had an appointment to have her goiter looked at. When I got home I took Ms P on a mile walk. After this walk I took a walk by myself. I read the recovery instructions from the Doc and he said soft food and no booze for 48 hours. Bummer! I was looking forward to a nice glass of single malt scotch. Tonight I not only have a paper copy of the GRP but it is also a good TV night. Both the NCIS shows are on.

Monday October 14, 2013

Today was a bright sunny day. It was cool, the temperature was in the 40s when I left for the MAC at 0530. It is now 1618 and temperature is 63. I got in the pool at 0615 and had the entire pool to myself for my entire 41' swim. Locker room talk centered on UM blowing the PSU game and the Tigers big loss in Boston. Read the WSJ and had coffee at the Kava House. The WSJ did not have any article that I would comment on. I got home about 1100. My first task was to move furniture and other obstacles that might be in the way of the furnace folks. The furnace folks started installing the new furnace at 1230 and were done by 1600. I think they did a good job. While they were working I took a mile walk. Ms P is still at Kim's so I made the walk in good time. Tonight we will have a light dinner. No paper GRP today. Will watch some TV before heading upstairs.

Sunday October 13, 2013

We stayed at the Holiday Inn, Express in Marshall. We had their breakfast and shortly after 0800 we headed home. Hal had learned overnight that his mother had passed. Our prayers go out to Hal and Karen. Not much traffic today so we got home near 1030. Hal and Karen immediately headed home. They will leave for Toronto before noon. We unpacked and then I took a 3.75 mile walk. It is about 20 degrees cooler today than yesterday. It is now 1755 and the temperature is 63. We will have a light dinner and read the GRP and watch 60 Minutes before heading upstairs.

Saturday October 12, 2013

We all got up early. Today we are going to Albion College to attend the 50th reunion for the Class of 1963. Nancy, Helen and Karen Horlings were members of this class. It was a beautiful fall day. At 0815 Hal and Karen Horlings arrived. We put their bags in the Taurus and headed to Albion. Helen and Don drove their own car. We got to Albion before they started registering attendees at 1030. We walked around campus and even watched the Homecoming Parade. The College set up a huge tent for lunch. They had a great lunch. It was great day to eat outside. The football game started at 1300. The Albion side of the field was full. Unfortunately the sun was very hot. The temperature reached 80 during the game. In fact it was too hot for Helen and Don and they sought shade before half time. Nancy and Karen left at half time. Hal and I watched the whole game. Albion played Trine. It was a great game with several long runs and pass plays. Albion won by 14 points. In addition to being Nancy's 50 reunion today is also Debbie's 25th reunion. Debbie could not make it. One of Nancy's High School classmates was Andy Hess. Andy and his family lived two doors from us. Andy's son played TE for Trine. He had a lot of playing time. The Class of 1963 had dinner at Win Shuler's in Marshall. Shuler's is a well known eating place in Mi. The Class of 63 had over 150 folks for dinner. There were 250 members in the Class. We had prime rib and it was great. The Class had a short program and provided prizes for the graduate who traveled the furthest. the graduate with the most kids, grandkids, great grandkids etc. One questions that I thought interesting was about the folks who had met their spouse at Albion. At lot of hands were raised. When they asked how many had their 50 Wedding Anniversary this year. About 20 hands were raised. On a sad note Hal Horlings was notified during dinner that his mother had taken ill. She lives near Toronto and is 92. We plan on leaving early tomorrow so Hal and Karen can drive to Toronto on Sunday.

Friday October 11, 2013

Today is an early rising day. Up at 0455 and headed out at 0530 for the MAC. It is pitch black but at 0530 traffic is very light. I did have one incidence. I forgot that East Grand Rapids allows residents to put their leaves in the gutter. The City picks up the leaves free of charge. As I was pedaling south on Breton I moved over to the gutter to let a car pass. I drove through a big pile of leaves. Luckily, the pile was small and only leaves. I remember as a boy, my friends and I would ride our bike to school and whenever we found a pile of leaves we would ride through it scattering leaves. It was great sport. One day grouchy old Mr Bertran got tired of our sport so he buried a concrete block in the pile. Bob Oliver hit the block and went over his handle bars. It cured us. It was standard practice to burn the leaves in the gutter. A lot of folks liked the smell of burning leaves but environmental laws stopped this practice. After the MAC I had coffee at the Kava House. Friday is grass cutting day. As soon as I got home I fired up the mower and started cutting grass. At 1300 the salesman from Jacobson's arrived and gave me a price for a new furnace. The price was reasonable so we purchased a new furnace. It will be installed Monday. At 1400 Kim came and picked up Ms P. She will keep Ms P until next Tuesday. I finished cutting about 1500. I took a quick shower. As I was drying off my sister, Helen, and Don arrived. I gave Don a beer and Helen and I had a glass of wine. Nancy fixed a nice dinner for all of us. We spent the evening talking.

Thursday October 10, 2013

R H Scott's Forest Gump moment: Tonight on the news I heard that Astronaut Scott Carpenter had passed away. Navy Commander Carpenter made one space flight in May of 1962. He orbited the earth 3 times. I immediately thought that Ensign R H Scott was involved in the pick up of the Mercury Space Capsule. I was wrong. Carpenter landed in the Atlantic. I did further research and found that in October 1962 another Mercury capsule was launched and this flight was commanded by Navy Pilot Wally Schirra. The Sigma 7 spacecraft orbited the earth 6 times. The landing was near perfect. Astronaut Schirra did not have to exit the capsule but instead the Aircraft Carrier Kearsarge hoisted the capsule up to the flight deck and then Schirra exited the capsule. The Kearsarge was near the US Navy Base at Midway Island. Midway dispatched a tug to the Kearsarge and the capsule was loaded on the tug. When the tug reached Midway, Ensign RH Scott and his crack Seabee Team using a mobile crane unloaded the capsule and put it on one of our low boys for transfer to a waiting aircraft. The unloading, moving and loading of the capsule went without a hitch. This was a big event on Midway. Our team of Seabees were dressed in their dress whites and really showed a lot of spit and polish in making this move. The island was loaded with news folks and some of the guys thought maybe we would make Life magazine. No such luck. Anyway I was there 51 years ago. Today was another nice fall day. The weather was perfect. I slept in until 0715. Nancy is still under the weather so she did not go to the MAC. I was in the pool at 0815. My swim time today was 1 minute slower that normal. I don't know why. After the MAC I headed to the Starbucks in Gaslight Village for my morning coffee. I could not dawdle because the furnace man is coming some time after noon. I was home at noon. I had a quick lunch and then got out the trimmer and started trimming the grass. I want to get this work done because tomorrow I have to cut the grass. I want to be done with my chores before my sister comes in the afternoon. I was almost done when the furnace man arrived. He checked out the furnace and informed me that we need a new furnace. The existing furnace is 23 years old. The furnace man detected high levels of CO. Not a good thing. The sales man is coming tomorrow. In the past 12 months we have replaced our washer, hot water heater and now our furnace. Nancy and I had dinner tonight at Great Lakes Shipping. Not much on TV so I am going to bed early. Tomorrow I get up at 0455 so I can get in the pool before the old folks. I also have to cut the grass and get ready for my Sister' visit.

Wednesday October 9, 2013

Today is my easy day. I love my easy days. I woke at 0730 and then pedaled to Bill's for their oatmeal breakfast Since it is my easy day I had time to read all sections of the WSJ. How about those folks in DC? The news media is having a feeding frenzy. The media is really the messenger of bad dope. Stick with the facts! Today is another perfect fall day. Bob Condon who lives down the street from us is selling his house. For the past two days he has had an estate sale. The street has been lined with cars. When I got home I loaded up my road bike and headed to Millennium Park. I rode 19 miles in 1h33'. The trail was crowded with old folks like me. Nancy worked at the Gardens this afternoon. Tonight she has book club. I am meeting Tom Moleski for beer and pizza. Nancy and I have been looking at possible tours for this winter. We found a tour of Panama and the Canal that looks good. The price is reasonable and it is only a week long. We would like to take another overseas trip next fall. Rural England, Ireland or France are on my list. I would like to rent a car but driving in England has me worried.

Tuesday October 8, 2013

The weather folks said it was going to be a beautiful fall day. They were right. It was perfect. I slept in until 0715 this morning. Nancy still has her sore throat so she is taking it easy today. I was in the pool at 0800 but as soon as I got a few laps in my goggles started leaking. I put on the goggles I bought in Aruba and they fogged up. Since my routine was out of kilter I tried using the training swim fins I bought many years ago. The fins caused more stress on my knees and ankles than I wanted so I stopped using them after 10 laps. I ended up swimming 33 laps (1650 yards) in record slow time. My calisthenics went off without a hitch. On my way out of the MAC I stopped at their little store and purchased a new pair of goggles. They are identical to the ones I have been using for about 5 years. I had my coffee this morning at the Starbucks in Gas Light. The man behind me in line was impressed with the Starbucks app on my iPhone. I showed him how to download the app. Who says old guys are not tech savvy. Speaking of Apple I think at least 80% of the phones and computers I see at Starbucks and the Kava House are Apples. Young folks love their Apples. The WSJ today was full of interesting articles. It took me extra long to read. I did not get home until 1300. I notice that I use "I" all the time in this blog. A recent article stated that folks that use "I" a lot have low self esteem. After lunch today I took Ms P on her mile walk. Nancy read an article stating that one of the best things you can do for an aging dog is to take it for a walk. She also read that older dogs can catch cold easily. A dog sweater is advised. I ran some errands this afternoon. I stopped by the MAC to put a jar of skin lotion in my locker. I also brought home my swim fins. I have to have a tooth extracted next Tuesday so I checked on the location of the oral surgeon's office. Don't want to be late. Nancy fixed a great dinner tonight. I call it a stir fry with pasta, chicken and green beans. It was very tasty. Tonight is a great TV night. At 2000 I will watch NCIS and then NCIS LA and finally Person of Interest. Tomorrow is my easy day so I can sleep in. I don't like to watch shows that start at 2200. I have trouble staying awake and it is hard to get up in the morning. I would like to watch 2200 TV shows on my Apple Air during the day. I think it can be done. Maybe someone can give me a clue? Remember 39 minutes outside every day!

Monday October 7, 2013

Fall weather is back. It was in the low 50s when I left at 0530. When I do the early morning swim I leave the MAC about 0815. A brief shower had passed through while I was inside the MAC. I wiped off my bike seat and headed to the Kava House. The WSJ today had several interesting articles. I always read about news from China. China is a major player in the world and what happens in China impacts the USA. I think our President made a major mistake by not going to the Asian trade conference. The WSJ's editorial today really savaged Bill deBlasio who is running for mayor of NYC. It appears the US Military is coming out with some rigid rules regarding tattoos. The end result is that the tattoo shops near military bases are very busy. If you get a tattoo before the rules are official you won't be disciplined. When I was in the Navy only a small percentage of sailors had tattoos. I don't know what the big attraction for a huge tattoo is? The Seal/Special Forces raids in Africa sent a message to the bad guys that you cannot hide. But will they deter other raids? It was raining when I left the Kava House. As soon as I got home I put my wet clothes in the dryer. We have to be careful this time of year because flu season is upon us. In fact Nancy woke up with a sore throat this morning. After lunch I took a quick nap. The sun was out when I got up so I took Ms P on her mile walk and then took another mile walk. The fall colors are in full bloom. The recent rains have caused the leaves to fall. Folks will soon be raking. This afternoon I voted and paid some bills. I also made an appointment to have our furnace checked out for winter. We are having a light dinner and then will watch some TV before heading upstairs.

Sunday October 6, 2013

It rained hard last night. The rain had stopped when we went to the MAC at 0730. After our swim we headed to Meijer's. Gas today was $3.21 per gallon. Since we had shopped at Meijer's yesterday we did not purchased many items. It started raining when we headed home. Nancy fixed her world famous scrambled eggs for breakfast. I read a few sections of the GRP before taking my nap. The rain stopped about the same time I ended my nap. I took Ms P around the block and then Nancy and I gave her a bath. Nancy said she stunk but I could not tell. It is now 1653 and as soon as I finish this blog I will go on a two mile walk. Nancy is fixing a seafood salad for dinner. We will watch 60 minutes and read the GRP. I hope everyone got their 30 in today. I am hooked on herring in wine sauce. I find it a great snack. Nancy thinks it is gross. I read everything about the "Afffordable Care Act" and I think that the law might result in lower health care costs. I think businesses will stop their insurance plans and give employees a lump sum to buy health insurance on the exchanges. Folks will now know how much health care really costs. I hope it would end the wide disparity between regions. Why should a hernia operation in LA cost $10,000 and only $2,000 in MN? The Republicans should give it a chance. The colors in GR have been great. The recent rains have caused a lot of leaves to fall. We will be getting the rakes out soon. Have you noticed all the typos in the e-editions of newspaper and blogs? I don't think folks are proof reading their articles. They rely on spell check.

Saturday October 5, 2013

We had some major storms blow through last night. A lot of thunder and lightning with these storms. I slept in until 0800. It was not raining on my ride to Bill's but the humidity was 90%. I had oatmeal for breakfast. It was not raining when I left so I pedaled around Reeds Lake. The trail around the lake was really crowded. It was so humid that I had to take a shower when I got home. Nancy was out of eggs so we all got in the Taurus and headed to Costco. Costco was jammed. We purchased eggs, facial tissue, V8 juice a pizza and a hot dog. Meijer's was having a special on grapes so we headed to the nearby store in Cascade. Nancy thought their grapes were poor quality so we left and headed to the Meijer's on Kalamazoo and 28th. She bought a lot of grapes. As soon as we got home we started putting the furniture on the breezeway away for the winter. Yes folks colder weather is coming. I watched the first half of the UM game. I took a nap. For dinner Nancy fixed the pizza we bought at Costco. It is now 2100 and we are watching the OSU/N game. We have the windows open and the humidity is oppressive.

Friday October 4, 2013

October 4 is Luca Scott's eighth birthday. Happy Birthday Lucas! The weather folks said it would be raining hard by 1000. I packed my rain suit and headed to the MAC. I was in the pool by 0615. Today is my lawn cutting day. On lawn cutting days I do my routine at 80% to save energy. Since it was going to rain I did the routine at 100%. I left the MAC at 0830 and no rain in fact the sun was shining. I had coffee at the Kava House. The Fed shutdown still dominates the newspapers. I got home at 1100 and the sun was still shining. After a quick lunch I started cutting the grass. I was done by 1530. After the lawn cutting I took a quick shower and nap. For dinner tonight Nancy and I went to Forest Hills Inn. Not much on TV so I am typing the blog on my Apple Air while channel surfing.

Thursday October 3, 2013

This morning Nancy had her stress test. She passed. I got up at 0730 and it looked like rain so I put my rain suit in the back pack and pedaled to the MAC. After the swim and calisthenics I headed to Starbucks in Gas Light Village. The sun was shining bright. I got home about 1330 and after a quick lunch Nancy and I took a drive to Belding. Our goal was to stop at several roadside stands and buy some apples, squash and pepper. We accomplished our goal including a jar of rhubarb/strawberry jam. We bought 1/2 peck of apples. Do you know how big a peck is? It was a great drive, the colors were great. It is Thursday so of course we are heading to Great Lakes Shipping for dinner. I don't think we will sit outside because we have been having intermittent showers. It is very warm with the temperature in the 89s. Not much on TV tonight so after we read the GRP we will head upstairs to read our books. Actually I will read my Kindle.

Wednesday October 2, 2013

Today is Breakfast Club day. They had a great turnout today. Maybe it was because the speaker was the founder of Founder's Beer. Founder's was started in GR about 15 years ago and it is now one of the largest craft beer brewers in the US. They sell their beer in 26 states. No free samples. The cooks at the Women's City Club prepared a great breakfast. Eggs, sausage, fruit and fresh scones made on site. After BC I ran errands. I stopped at Rylee's Hardware to get some parts for my bike mirror. Our GP started offering flu shots yesterday, so I stopped and got a shot. I had coffee at a Starbucks in Knapp's Corner. It is only one day old but I am already tired of reading about the Fed shutdown. Costco had some wool zip up shirts for cold weather, so I bought two. My last stop was Target to look at electric trimmers for my hair. They had some trimmers but they looked too complicated. I want simple. I think I will go back to shaving my head. It is important that old men looked neat and clean. I got home about 1200 and Nancy was getting ready to head out to work at Meijer's Garden. I decided to go on a bike ride. I loaded up my every day bike (urban) and headed to Millennium Park. It was a great day for a bike ride. The sky was blue and the temperature was in the high 70s. We are almost at peak fall colors. Fall in Michigan is great. Even Ms P did not complain when I took her on a mile walk. We are having a light dinner and will watch the TV news. Nancy has an early morning Stress Test so I just set the alarm. Don't want to miss this test. It was not so nice on Oct 2, 1938 in Ossineke, Mi. GGF Sanborn wrote that they had a light frost last night. A thin crust of ice was on all the water surfaces. GGF drove to Alpena to pick up his daughter, Laura. She spent 2.5 hours picking vegetables out of GGF's garden. GGF and GGM drove Laura back to Alpena and stayed for dinner. Oct 2 was a Sunday and GGF commented that they had 15 folks at the Ossineke Methodist Church service.

Tuesday October 1, 2013

Today is the first day of the last quarter of the year. At the start of each quarter I get a new tooth brush and change blades in my fusion razor. Today is also the first day the Fed Gov shut down. Idiots reign! Ms P and I got up at 0430 to answer "nature's call". I really don't know what "nature's call" means. I was up so I had my morning breakfast and then went back to bed. I had the pool to myself this morning. Every 10 weeks I buy a lottery ticket for the Mega Millions, etc. I buy 1 ticket for each draw and the ticket is good for 20 draws. About every two years I will win $100. I had my coffee at Starbucks in Breton Village so I could buy the lotto tickets at D&W. Nancy and I got home at the same time, 1230. We had a quick lunch and then headed downtown to visit some more Art Prize Venues. We spent about 90 minutes viewing the exhibits. Both Nancy and I were tired when we got home. I took a short nap. Tonight I will finish Sunday's "Baked Bean Casserole". Good TV tonight. The NCIS shows and "Person of Interest". I don't know if I can stay awake for POI. We also got a paper edition of the GRP. Today the high temp was 72. We will have three more days of 70s and then fall weather moves in.