Friday December 27, 2013

Friday Steve and family are heading home today. It took them a lot of thought and time to get their car loaded. Steve helped Debbie install her bluray. She now has netflix. I had my coffee at Starbucks. I read the WSJ on my Kindle. Later in the day I download the WSJ to my new mini iPad. Speaking of electronics I downloaded before I left GR the James Bond movie, Skyfall. I watched it on my Apple Air. I like watching movies on the air. On the home front when we left GR on Sunday we had no power. Power came back on Monday. Our neighbors to the west, Borst, did not get power until Tuesday. Our alarm folks at EPS called early Monday and said the battery on the alarm system was depleted so the alarm was not working. On Thursday I called Jim Borst and asked if he would check the house especially the basement. I was worried about a frozen water pipe breaking. I thought the alarm was off. Jim opened the door and quess what? The alarm went off. It took Jim some time to disable the alarm. I got a call from EPS saying the alarm was on and they had called the police. I told them to cancel the call. Anyway we are back to normal with no damage to the house. After Steve and family left about noon Debbie fired up her netflix and they started watching "House of Cards". I took a walk and nap. We had an early dinner at Rock Bottom. Later, we all watched Hunger Games. After Hunger Games, Debbie and I watched "Orange is the New Black".

Thursday December 26, 2013

I have conquered jet lag. Up at 0630 and walked to Starbucks for coffee, oatmeal and the papers. Later I went on a walk around the Willow Glen neighborhood. I met the rest of the family at the city park on Willow. We spent about 90 minutes at the park. We all had lunch at Chili's. The rest of the afternoon was spent playing games. Except for me, I took a nap and then another walk around hood. Steve and Veronica had a night out. They had dinner and then attended at movie, Hustle. Debbie and I went to Panda Express and got takeout for the rest of us. The grandkids watched the movie, Bolt. Debbie made popcorn. I also watched the movie and liked it.

Wednesday December 25, 2013

Merry Christmas! At 0700 the Grandkids were still not awake so I walked over to Starbucks to get coffee for Nancy, Steve and myself. We started opening presents about 0800. Debbie got me a mini iPad and Nancy bought me tickets to Red Green who is coming to GR in April. Love Red Green. I got a lot of great gifts from all the family. After opening presents, Steve and family went to church. In the afternoon I took a 6 mile walk on the Los Gatos trail. We did not have a sit-down meal today, but everyone got enough to eat. In fact we snacked all day. I have known Nancy for 50 holiday seasons. The first season was in 1964. It has been a great run.

Tuesday December 24, 2013

Christmas Eve 2013: I got up at 0600 and walked to Starbucks for coffee and to read the WSJ and San Francisco Chronicle. I was surprised that a lot of folks coming in Starbucks were going to work. Quick in and out. I bought Steve and Nancy a coffee. The kids seemed tired from all the activity yesterday. Nancy was fixing cookies and Steve and Veronica were getting ready for the big day. Nancy and I went with Debbie to Trader Joe's for more supplies. I like TJ and wish we had one in GR. Everyone was busy so I took a nice walk to the Willow Glen shopping district. Total walk time about one hour. In the afternoon Steve's family and Debbie went to Tech Museum. Nancy and I stayed home. It was such a beautiful day, high 60s and sun, that I took a walk on the Los Gatos trail. It is a great trail but I thought it was narrow for all the traffic. The trail passes under all the cross roads so it is very safe. Debbie fixed a ham for dinner. We had ham, mashed potatoes, beans and rolls. Cookies for dessert. Nancy got hit with a fast acting stomach flu bug. She went to bed early. Steve's favorite Christmas movie "The Christmas Story" was on a 24 hour marathon. I watched the movie and I can relate to Ralph, the star. I wanted a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas when I was 8 or 9. In fact I did get a BB gun. When I went to bed about 2230 Nancy was feeling much better. Merry Christmas.

Monday December 23, 2013

I woke at 0500 PST. Jet lag. I dressed and walked to Starbucks. I purchased a coffee and oatmeal. I like this branch's oatmeal. Starbucks was busy with folks coming in to get a coffee before heading to work. I walked over to a local bike shop to see if they had a bike suitable for Debbie. It was 50 and sunny. They did. Lucas, Steve and I spent some time throwing the football around. In the afternoon we headed to downtown San Jose to attend Christmas in the Park. Nancy stayed home and made cookies. The park was jammed. Lucas and Alessandra rode on several rides. We had lunch at Johnny Rockets. The place was crowded and noisy. I called our neighbor Jim and he said the power was still out and it might be Thursday before it would be restored. He emailed me later that our power was on but his was not. I emailed him back and told him to stay in our house. He and his family were staying in a hotel. We all had a light dinner. When it got dark we took a walk around Debbie's neighborhood to look at all the outdoor Christmas displays. Several homes had gone all out. Nancy and I were really tired so we were in bed by 2030. I fired up the Kindle and immediately fell asleep. I woke up at midnight with the Kindle underneath me.

Sunday December 22, 2013

We slept in today. We had planned on going out to breakfast. I walked outside and found we had about 1 inch of ice over everything. We had also lost our power over night. We were able to peel off the ice on the driveway. We got in the Taurus and head to the Omelette Shop for breakfast. Breton Village had power. Apparently everyone without power headed to the Omelette Shop. The wait was 50 minutes so we stopped at D&W and bought some donuts. We heard that over 200,000 homes were without power. We are leaving for CA this afternoon. I talked to our neighbor, Jim Borst, and asked if he would check our house while we are gone. I worry about freezing pipes if the power is off too long. We checked on our flight status and everything was on time. I called a taxi and they said because of the weather expect a two hour delay. We drove to the airport and parked in the garage. It is more costly than a taxi but at least we got to the airport on time. Checkin was a breeze as was going through security. We were randomly selected for an easy pass through. The flight to Minn/St Paul was easy as was the flight to SFO. We got in on time and picked up the rental from Payless. We took the Bayshore to Debbie's home. We arrived at 2215 PST. Steve and family had arrived earlier and were already in bed. We went directly to bed.

Saturday December 21, 2013

First day of winter. One of my favorite days because the days will now get longer. Today we had 9 hours of daylight. In June we will have 15 hours. I prefer 15. We had a thin coat of ice on all our concrete. I salted the drive. Today I put on some steel ice grippers on my boots. They work great. I walked to Bill's for the oatmeal breakfast. I took a detour on my walk home to the post office. Later I drove Nancy to the MAC so she could empty her locker. A storm is moving in so we do not think we can go out tonight. We stopped at Breton Village and bought a pot pie and TV dinner. I spent most of the afternoon packing. Actually it did not take that long. We had an early dinner and then watched some news. It is now 2135 and I am watching the UM/Stanford BB game. Nancy went to bed early. Every radio station and retail store are playing Christmas songs. A lot of the songs have lyrics about snow, sleigh, and other cold weather items. When I was a boy most of the population lived in areas that had snow for Christmas. Now most of the population lives in warmer climes. Can young folks relate? A story of Christmas past. In 1957 I was on the UM wrestling team and the team was going to a Holiday tournament in Wiles Barre, PA. We were to leave on the 27th of DEC. I decided that it was too difficult to go home to Alpena for a day or two. I would have to take a bus. The bus trip was over 10 hours. UM closed most the the dorms over the holidays. They left East Quad open and I got a room. The first night it was so quiet that it was spooky. Finally I got so lonely that I got on a bus and headed home. I walked into the house about 2200 and my Mom and Dad were playing cards. My Mom looked at me and said what are you doing here. I told her I was not ready to spend Christmas away from family.

Friday December 20, 2013

The alarm goes off at 0455. I walked outside and nearly fell on my ass. The drive was iced over. Nancy had to be at St Mary's at 0645 for some X-rays. I got out a nearly empty bag of salt and had just enough to salt the top of the drive. I then filled a bucket with hot water and spread it on the steep portion of the drive. It worked. I applied five more bucket. The icing was really bad and all schools in the area were closed. I drove Nancy to St Mary's. The local roads were bad but the main roads had been salted. After the tests we drove home and got our gym bags. At the MAC I went swimming and did my calisthenics. Nancy took her body pump class. After I dropped Nancy off I headed to Rylee's to get a bag of salt. I bought one of their last 40# bags. I spent about an hour salting and scraping ice. I did take a short nap. Kim picked Ms P up about 1500. Ms P will spend the next two weeks with Kim. I finished writing checks to charities this afternoon. Nancy fixed hot dogs and soup for dinner. It was good. Not much on TV tonight but I did watch some of Woody Allen's "Bananas". It was funny.

Thursday December 19, 2013

I started the day shoveling. So what is new! Nancy and I left for the MAC around 0730 for our Thursday morning swim. After the MAC I walked over to Breton Village for my coffee. I took my time reading because Kim was cleaning the house. I got home about 1300 and had a quick lunch. Nancy is getting worried about the weather on Sunday so she wanted to see if we could change our departure to Saturday. We drove to the airport and were told that we had to check online. It does not look promising. When we got home Nancy checked with Delta and they said no problem changing to Saturday. It only costs an additional $400. We declined. We stopped at Costco so Nancy could pick up a prescription. I have never seen the store so crowded on a Thursday. Nancy and I had dinner at Leo's with Hal and Karen Horlings. We have never had a bad meal at Leo's. It is our favorite. On our drive home we noted that it had started to rain. If the rain freezes we are in for some deep trouble.

Wednesday December 18, 2013

We had an inch of snow over night. I had it all shoveled by 0530 and then went back to bed. Today is my easy day and I did not get up until 0730. I walked to Bill's for breakfast. I had their super breakfast. I just got started reading the WSJ when I got a call from the eye doctor saying my new glasses are in. I had to get to the Doctors by 1130. I walked home in record time. I bought new lenses for my wire rim glasses and a new pair of sport type glasses with transition lenses. I was surprised at the clarity of both new glasses. My eyes had really changed in a year. Nancy had a busy day today. She went to the MAC, had some lab work done, attended a meeting of the Meijer Japanese Garden committee and then worked at the Gardens in the afternoon. This afternoon I started doing our yearly gifts. In the past I have kept a record of our contributions using excel. This year I am using Apple's Numbers program. Nancy fixed French toast for dinner. It was a great meal for a cold winter day. I have been thinking about how to get our walk shoveled while were gone this winter. The neighbors I have used in the past are not going to be home. They recommended another neighbor with three sons. This evening I walked over and they were happy to shovel. This year I will do my Christmas Cards using e-mail. Is using the internet to send Season's Greetings tacky?

Tuesday December 17, 2013

The snow continues. I shoveled at 0500 and again at noon. I will shovel once again after the evening news. I am having a problem finding a place to put the snow. The snow banks are too high. Nancy and I drove together to the MAC this morning. I did my swim and calisthenics and then walked over to Starbucks in Breton Village for my coffee. The WSJ today had an interesting article about how childhood asthma and allergies might be eliminated if folks just had a dog. Interesting! Is nothing scared! I have been taking a multi vitamin for years. Now they are saying that they are useless. Whenever I read about a bankruptcy I am appalled how much the lawyers are milking this system. The Detroit bankruptcy is costing millions in attorney fees. Some fees are as high as $600 per hour. What man is worth $600 per hour. The Madoff attorney fees are over $100M. I once heard that attorneys are hired to resolve a dispute between two parties by depleting the resources of both parties. This afternoon I took the lights back to Rylee's that I purchased yesterday. A helpful employee explained to me the different colors that the lights come in. I got the right color. I also got some stop mail forms at the post office. After a short nap I started writing this blog. It is now 1744 and as soon as I finish I am heading downstairs for dinner. Nancy is fixing a chicken dish in the crock pot. It smells good. NCIS on TV tonight. We also got a paper copy of the GRP. Life is good.

Monday December 16, 2013

It was 3 degrees when I left for my walk to the MAC at 0530. No wind so the walk was not that bad. After the swim and calisthenics I walked over to Starbucks at Breton Village. Does anyone know all the ins and outs of the problems in the Ukraine. I think the Russians are playing a good game of hardball. What is John McCain doing in the Ukraine? I am happy that congress finally showed some sense when they approved the budget deal. It was so cold that I thought my body had burned many calories just keeping me warm. So I bought two donuts. For the first time in a week we had bright sunshine. In the afternoon I got in the C2 and ran some errands. My first stop was Rylee's to buy some fluorescence bulbs for my office fixture. I bought two bulbs. I was going to stop at the post office to get some stop mail forms while we are in CA. The parking lot was full so I stopped at a small fitness studio to see if they offered a Body Pump class. They said that they did indeed offer this class. Nancy likes Body Pump but the MVP club we joined does not offer this class. I brought all the info home. I put in the new bulbs and they are the wrong kind. They give off a yellow light and the original lights gave off a nice white light. I will exchange them tomorrow. Nancy had a doctor's appointment at 1700. Traffic on the East Beltline is terrible between 1600 and 1800. Nancy wanted me to drive and I complied. We had a light dinner and they watched the news. Right now we are watching Major Crimes on TNT. We like this show. Tomorrow we are expecting a warm up. I hope it does not get above 32.

Sunday December 15, 2013

Weekend Update: Snow, snow, temperatures between 19 and 21 all weekend. Friday the 13th. Too much snow on the roads so I walked to the MAC. I over dressed because I really worked up a sweat. I had to dry my shirt with a hair dryer. I was in the pool at 0630 and did my 1500 meters. The main conversation at the MAC is where are you going? They mean when the MAC closes on Jan 5. A lot of folks are emotional but Nancy and I are ready to move on. No big deal. After the MAC I walked to Macatawa Bank to make a deposit and then to Breton Village. I spent several hours looking at some plans. It started snowing hard in the afternoon. I had to shovel. Nancy and I took her friend Kathy out for dinner at the old Gibbons. Kathy was a realtor and we wanted some advice on selling our house and finding a condo or apartment. I was surprised that Kathy favored renting. I am leaning this way. After dinner we stopped by Kathy's house for dessert. It being the 13th I bought a lottery ticket. No luck. I won a jeep in 1956 with the number 13. About this day in December 1962 I left Midway Island about 1400 and headed to Hawaii. It was 70 when I left. I never left an airport until I arrived in Alpena. I flew from Hawaii to SFO and then to Chicago. From Chicago I took the milk run. We stopped in Benton Harbor, Kalamazoo, Detroit, Flint and finally Alpena. It was -17 when I got off the airplane in Alpena. My Mother and Dad were there to meet me. Saturday December 14: I shoveled first thing. Nancy went to water aerobics and I walked to Bill's. We had a bad storm out of the east. The walk home, 2.5 miles, was brutal because I walked into the wind. As soon as I got home I shoveled. I did take a short nap and then spent some time in the office. At 1600 I went out and shoveled again. We had dinner at Houlhan's with Ed and Mary Namey. After dinner we went to the Namey's for dessert. It was a pleasant evening. Sunday December 15: I took Ms P out at 0500 and shoveled the walk. Today is Nancy and Bob's last Sunday swim at the MAC. After the swim we headed to Meijer's. Gas was $3.09. We did not buy much. Nancy fixed her world famous scrambled eggs for breakfast. I took my Sunday nap and right now, 1714, I am writing this blog. As soon as I finish I will head outside and shovel. Tonight we will watch 60 Minutes, read the GRP. A very typical Sunday in GR.

Thursday December 12, 2013

The snow and cold continues. I shoveled at 0500. I rode to the MAC with Nancy. We both went swimming. After the MAC I walked over to Starbucks at Breton Village. I read the entire WSJ but cannot remember anything of interest. I walked home. When I got home I shoveled the walk. The snow is beginning to pile up. I took a short nap. After some work in my office I headed out and shoveled the walk. Third time today. We had dinner at GL Shipping this evening. Nancy just finished booking our flight to Miami for early February. We will stay two days in Miami and then join our tour to Panama. Not much on TV tonight so we will head up early to read. I got my 30' in today. I hope you did too.

Wednesday December 11, 2013

This morning I had Breakfast Club. I got up at 0600 and shoveled the walk. With all the snow we had over the last 24 hours I expected a small crowd. We had a big turnout. Today the was speaker was a local actress who told a Christmas Story. It was good. We also had a raffle and I won a $10 gift certificate. The food was especially good this morning, scrambled eggs, a hot sweet dish, biscuits and gravy and tons of bacon. I think most of the members are limited in their bacon consumption by their significant others. After BC I stopped at the Wealthy Street bakery for coffee and a scone. I really did not need a scone but it looked so good. I had to limit my reading time because of cold feet. When I got home I shoveled the walk again. Nancy is working at the Gardens this afternoon. Costco sells a great pair of a wool blend long underwear. I needed several more pairs so I headed to Costco. Gas at Costco today was $3.09. I not only bought two pair of long underwear but also a pair of winter boots. The boots were cheap and had a weather rating of -40. I took a short nap when I got home. After the nap I went out and shoveled the walk. It is now 1630 and I plan at 1700 to take a two mile walk in my new boots. Tonight we are eating light. Not much on TV so I will head upstairs early to read my new Elvis Cole mystery. The weather will remain below freezing for the next week. Snow is expected for the next five day. It looks like Christmas.

Tuesday December 10, 2013

We had a light snow over night. I shoveled at 0500 and then went back to bed. I overslept and did not get up until 0730. I had some big packages to mail today so I did not drive to the MAC. After my swim and calisthenics I headed to the post office. For security I put the packages in the trunk. When I went to open the trunk it was frozen. So I got back in the car and headed home. I got out my long extension chord and a hair blower. It worked. I drove back to the post office and mailed the packages. It was snowing hard so I decided to put money in the meter and have my coffee at the Kava House. I am having trouble keeping my feet warm. So before I could finish the WSJ I headed home to warm up the feet. I have never had this big a problem keeping my feet warm. I know that my Grandfather Hughes had the same problem. He would heat a brick in the fireplace and then put it in a steel cage and put the cage under the covers at the foot of the bed. My Grandmother told me that once he had set fire to the sheet. My Grandfather's problem was diabetes. In the early afternoon I shoveled the walk. We had about 1" since morning. I spent some time before heading down for dinner. Nancy fixed beans and rice. It was very good. After watching the news we all headed outside to shovel the walk. The snow keeps coming. I watched NCIS. I started to watch NCIS, LA but headed upstairs at 2130. NCIS, LA is phony macho.

Monday December 9, 2013

We had about 3 inches of snow on the ground at 0500. I shoveled the drive and walk. The snow was very light so shoveling was a breeze. I drove to the MAC. After the MAC I drove to Breton Village for a quick cup of coffee. I took the car into Grand Rapids Chemical to have a new coat of paint sealer put on. Because of the snow they had a lot of cancellations. They put 4 guys on my car and I was done in 40 minutes. When I got home I shoveled the walk, again. This afternoon I had an eye doctor appointment. My eyes are healthy but my prescription changed and so I had to get new glasses. When I got home I drove Nancy to Costco to pick up a prescription. We had a light dinner and then watched some TV. We are now watching "Major Crimes" on TNT. I like this show.

Sunday December 8, 2013

It was cold but clear when we headed to the MAC. We had the pool to ourselves. After our swim we headed to Meijer's for our week's supplies. Gas was $3.19. Nancy fixed her world famous poached for breakfast. I took my Sunday afternoon nap. After the nap I took Ms P on her mile walk. it was cold and I probably should have put at coat on the dog. Nancy's Book Club is having their Christmas Party at the Moleski's. All the book club members were at the party. It was a pot luck dinner. The food was very good. The party started at 1600 and it was just starting to snow. When we left at 2000 we had about 2 inches of snow. Before going to bed I shoveled the walk.

Saturday December 7, 2013

Pearl Harbor Day: I actually worked with Navy men who were at Pearl Harbor during the attack. Before the attack the USA was a country with an isolationist bent. After the attack we became an international world power. It was in the teens when I got on the bike and headed to Bill's. I had the oatmeal and after I headed straight home. Nancy went to water aerobics this morning. We both got home at 1000. We changed our clothes and headed to Park Church. We are attending a Memorial Service for Dan Hess who passed away on Thanksgiving Day. Dan and his family lived two doors from our house on Mackinaw. We hired the girls, Ann and Mary as baby sitters. Andy the youngest was a classmate of Debbie. Mary's husband, Dave Kutsche, is our doctor. It was a great service. Nancy and I stayed for lunch after the service. Andy Hess said that he really enjoyed the e-mail Missy had sent. This afternoon I ran several errands. I stopped at Rylee's to purchase a large box for Christmas presents. I also stopped at the UPS store to get some info on shipping packages. Nancy spent most of the afternoon making cookies. For dinner we headed to Great Lakes Shipping. GLS was really jammed and the wait was over 30 minutes. We ended up at Forest Hills Inn. It is now 2200 and I am watching the MSU/OSU game. I am cheering for MSU.

Friday December 6, 2013

Today starts a cold spell for GR. It was in the low 20s when I left for the MAC at 0530. I was in the pool at 0600 and had the pool to myself. I have a lunch appointment today so I had my coffee at Breton Village and did not have time to finish the WSJ. I got home at 1100 and got in the C2 and headed to Lowell. I had lunch with Jennifer at Keizer's in Lowell. Jennifer wanted to discuss a project. However, she had done some research and found the potential problem did not exist. We spent the lunch having a pleasant discussion of family and friends. On my way home I stopped at Gazelle to buy a swim nose plug. When I start swimming at the MVP pool I will need the plug because of the chlorine in the pool. Nancy and I had dinner at Panera Bread. I watched the movie Forrest Gump before heading upstairs.

Thursday December 5, 2013

Thursday was a normal winter day. Bike ride to MAC, swim and coffee. We did have a special event to attend in the evening. Nancy and I got all dressed up (I wore a tie) and headed to Meijer's Garden for their Christmas Gala. The Gardens was all lighted up for the Gala. Inside they had Christmas trees from around the world. Outside they must have decorated at least 75% of the trees with colorful lights. It was a remarkable sight. Several Choral group walked around the building singing carols. We had foods from around the world. Free wine and beer was also provided. Nancy was all dressed up and she looked nice. We had a great time. Meijer's Garden is a jewel.

Wednesday December 4, 2013

My easy day did not start well. First the toilet backed up and I had quite a cleanup job. A light bulb burned out in bedroom and I could not find a replacement. It was almost 0930 when I pulled into Bill's. I had their oatmeal and spent some time reading the WSJ. The problems between China and its neighbors along the East and South China Seas could become serious. China is starting to flex its muscle and as the largest country in the world it has plenty of muscle. They are also trying to dislodge the US dollars as the world's currency. If this is accomplished it will have a serious impact on our economy. After breakfast I stopped at Rylee's and bought some light bulbs. I took the long ride home. I pedaled around Reeds Lake. Nancy had to work at the Gardens this afternoon. My feet get cold when I spend over an hour on my bike. This afternoon I turned on my electric blanket took my book and spent about 30 minutes trying to get the feet warm. It worked. It has been a dark, gloomy day. Ms P and I were just finishing our walk when it started to rain. We are having a light dinner and then will watch some TV. TNT has a new series starting tonight so we might watch that. Despite the gloom I did get my 30 minutes in today.

Tuesday December 3, 2013

It was misting when I left for the MAC at 0730. I was smart enough to put on my rain suit. I decided to use the MAC until we leave for CA. We will start using the MVP on Jan 6. It was raining hard when I left for Starbucks in Breton Village. It was raining so hard that instead of taking my 7 miles ride home I took the shortest route. After lunch we got in the Taurus and checked out the route to a home in Ada. Nancy will be attending a luncheon at the home on Thursday. We also stopped at the Red Robin to get a gift certificate and then the Dollar Store for some Christmas Items. We finished all the Thanksgiving food this evening. Read the GRP and watched NCIS. I like NCIS but not NCIS, LA. It is to macho.

Monday December 2, 2013

Today I am making a test run to MVP. I do my calisthenics at home and then at about 0715 I head to MVP. I took the back roads. It is 5.1 miles. The pool was crowded but one lane was empty. It is a nice 25 meter pool with one major drawback. They use chlorine for the disinfectant. My nose was clogged up by 1300. I will have to wear a nose clip or mask that covers my nose. Bummer. MVP has had a major influx of new members from the MAC. I heard that 150 MAC members signed up last Friday. I had my coffee at Starbucks in Gaslight. I find the political situation in the Ukraine and Thailand interesting but confusing. I think the Ukraine's problems stem from Russia exerting a lot of muscle not to join the EU. Thailand's problems appears internal. My bike brakes were acting up so on my way home I stopped at GR Bike to have them make an adjustment. It took them about two minutes at no charge. It was nice and sunny when I got home so I finished raking the lawn. Tomorrow is the last day that GR will accept yard waste bags. I also ran the lawn mover until it ran out of gas. Lawn mowers should be stored with an empty gas tank. I had lunch about 1400. My feet get cold when riding my bike so I took a quick nap with the electric blanket on. I must start wearing rubber boots when I take the bike out. We had a light dinner. We will watch Major Crimes on TNT before heading upstairs.

Sunday December 1, 2013

It has warmed up some. When we left for the MAC the temperature was 35. I remember December 1 in 1964. I had just got out of the Navy. I had spent my 3 year tour in warm climates so I was worried about working outside. I was working for RS Scott Associates in Alpena. My first assignment was to be the on-site engineer for a bridge in Big Rapids over the Muskegon River. December 1 was my first day on the job and the temperature was 70. I thought I can live with this. Several days later the temperature plunged to the low 20s. We had a very cold winter and I had trouble getting warm. I wore so many layers that I could barely move. Working in the middle of the Muskegon in January with high winds and temperatures in the teens was not pleasant. I moved to CA in June. Nancy and I swam our normal laps this morning. We have only two morning Sunday swims at the MAC. In fact tomorrow I am swimming at MVP. After the MAC we headed to Meijer's. Gas was $3.19 per gallon. We did not purchase many items because we had a refer full of left overs. Nancy fixed her world famous scrambled eggs for breakfast. I took my Sunday nap and after the nap took Ms P on her mile walk. Her first mile walk in about a week. Nancy worked at the hospital this afternoon. I cleaned a lot of items out of my MAC locker. It is amazing what you accumulate in 20 years. No lockers are available at MVP so I arranged my backpack to take what I need for tomorrow. I watched a lot of great football on Saturday. I missed the end of the UM/OSU game because I had to take Debbie to the airport. I saw a lot of replays. I agree with the decision to go for two. I loved the end of the Auburn game. Sabin is not well liked in Michigan since he bailed out on MSU. Left overs tonight and then we will read the GRP before heading upstairs. I hope everyone got their 30 in today.