Thursday January 30, 2014

For the first time in what seems days I did not have to shovel this morning. MVP has a number of classes this morning so I cannot get in the pool before 1100. I ran some errands, money for our trip and purchased some small items like shaving cream, mouthwash, etc. I purchased these items at Meijer's. After my swim I drove to the New Balance store in Rivertown Mall. I returned a pair of walking shoes that were size 10 instead of 9.5. They did not have 9.5 in stock so I took a refund. I spent most of the afternoon packing for our trip. Roads Scholar recommends traveling light. That is easy for them to say, they don't have to take warm clothes for our trip to Chicago. Surprise at 1600 it started to snow. We had a very light dinner, read the GRP and then watched Wallander on Netflix. At 2130 I headed out to shovel snow. We had received about 2". It took 90' to clear the walks. I have to use the small shovel in order to get the snow on top of the high banks.

Wednesday January 29, 2014

The new norm: shovel before bed and before breakfast. Another cold day but we had sun. Sun is good. Today is my easy day. So after shoveling I walked to the Omelette Shop for an oatmeal breakfast. It was tough walking with all the snow on the ground. Walking (4.5 miles) to the Omelette Shop will be my only exercise for the day. When I got home I read some and then we all got in the Taurus to run a lot of errands. With the roads still being snow covered I do not like to drive the C2. Our first stop was the OH library. Nancy picked up her book. Ms P is getting a bath and her hair cut today. We dropped her off at the groomers. Nancy had to pick up a prescription at Costco. Gas at Costco was $3.12 a gallon. We stopped at the hospital gift shop so Nancy could get some paperwork. The groomers called. We picked up Ms P. I hope they did not take too much hair off with this weather. She looks good. All this running around made me tired so I took a nap. Tonight we are going to Houlihan's for their comfort food special. Meatloaf, pot roast and other mid winter fare at a great price. Not much on TV so I hope Netflix will download tonight. Think Spring!

Tuesday January 28, 2014

Happy Birthday Melissa! I remember her birth very clearly. It was a bitterly cold Sunday morning in Ann Arbor. Nancy told me that it was time and we better hurry. We had an old Volkswagen Beetle and I had a hard time getting the wind shield wipers to work. Half way to the hospital it was snowing so bad that I stopped the car and tried to get the wipers working. Nancy yelled at me to get going. As soon as I pulled into the hospital entrance the Nurses had Nancy in a wheel chair and headed upstairs. I parked the car and headed to the maternity ward. I checked in and before I sat down the Doctor came out and said it was a girl. Talk about a just-in-time delivery. Oh the things one remembers! We are having another very cold day. The temperature was -5 last night and presently, 1730, it is 9. All area schools have been closed both Monday and today. Road salt does not work below 15 so the roads are becoming snow packed. I am glad the Ford has 4 wheel drive. I was slipping and sliding in my C2. The cold weather is getting to Ms P. She slept in until 0630 and when she goes outside it only for seconds. If the cold continues we might have to get some booties. I did my normal routine today, calisthenics at home, coffee at Gaslight Village and in the pool at MVP by 1000. With no school I thought the pool would be crowded with kids. No kids, I had my pick of lanes. Nancy worked at the hospital today. I had a quick lunch and then spent some time looking over some info on our upcoming trip to Panama. I also worked on the family tree. I am having a problem adding to the tree and I just figured out why. The software I am using is called My Heritage. I view all my inputted data on my Apple Air. However, any modifications or additions to the program must be done on a windows machine. I just got my old HP working again and I will have to spend some time adding to the tree. Around 1600 I bundled up and walked to the post office to mail some bills. It was very cold. I needed this walk in order to get my 30' in today. It is now 1745 and I am writing this blog and sipping wine. Nancy gets mad at me whenever I tip over a wine glass. It happens about twice a month. I figure a normal wine glass is unstable so today I started drinking wine in one of my short, fat scotch glasses. They are more stable than a wine glass. Nancy is fixing scrambled eggs and sloppy joes for dinner. Sounds good for a cold winter's evening. We will watch the news and maybe the President's speech. Last night we tried to watch Wallander on Netflix. Netflix said the show was not available and to try later. Is this normal?

Monday January 27, 2014

I shoveled 4" of snow last night before going to bed and I shoveled 2" of snow this morning. I have no problem shoveling because the snow is nice and light. My problem is finding a place to put the snow. The banks on both sides of the drive are at least 5' high. The temperature has been in single digits all day today. I got up at 0633 and after morning calisthenics I drove to Starbucks in Gaslight Village. I expected the place to be crowded but it was empty. All the schools in the area are closed today. On my new schedule I get to Starbucks about 0830 and leave at 0930 so I can get to MVP when open swimming starts at 0955. Today I did not have to share a lane. I swam 1,500 meters in 41'. On my way home I stopped at Mr Thang's to pick up my leather vest. Mr Thang had to sew up a rip. When I got home I found that Mackinaw had been plowed. I spent about 30' cleaning up our drive entrance. This afternoon Overhead Door Company installed a new opener for Nancy's side of the garage. I took a very short nap and then walked to the Post Office to mail a package. The sun came out and it looked like a dim 30 watt bulb. It is now 1745 and the temperature is 1. We will have a light dinner and then watch the News and maybe another episode of Wallendar.

Sunday January 26, 2014

We had a light dusting of snow overnight. So what is new! Temperature at 0800 was 11. The pool was crowded today. Nancy and I had to share a lane. After our swim we headed to the Meijer's at 28th and Kzoo. The place was crowded. We did not need many groceries this week. Gas was $3.33 today. I also picked up a nose drop prescription at Meijer's Pharmacy. Nancy fixed her world famous scrambled eggs for breakfast. After breakfast I headed out and shoveled the walk. About 2" of snow had fallen since 0600. I also did my weekly task of emptying my laundry basket. After these chores I took a short nap. Nancy and I finished watching an episode of Wallander on Netflix that we had started last night. I like this series. I think we have already recovered our initial investment in the blu-ray player we needed for Netflix. I took a 2.25 mile walk. Debbie just Facetimed us from San Jose. She had spent the last week in London and came back with a bad cold. She showed me how to get Closed Captions on our TV. Missy said that if I use this feature when watching a BBC series I will be able to follow the dialogue. Nancy has fixed her world famous chili for dinner tonight. A great cold winter's night meal. Speaking of Sunday night meals, when I was a boy we use to visit the Scott Grandparents on Sunday. They lived on a farm in Hubbard Lake, MI. We always had soft boiled eggs in a cup. The top of the shell was cut off and we used a spoon to get the egg out. The egg was placed in a special egg holder. We also had Grandmother Scott's freshly baked bread. Grandfather would go to the root cellar and get a canned fruit sauce for dessert. It was a great dinner. We talked to my sister yesterday. The surgery was a success and she is coming home today. We will call her later today. We will watch 60 Minutes this evening and finish reading the GRP. Maybe a Netflix TV show before heading upstairs.

Saturday January 25, 2014

I went out at 0600 and started shoveling. Nancy joined me several minutes later. We got about 8” of snow overnight. This is the deepest snow we had to shovel this year. It took us about 90 minutes to get the drive cleared. Our neighbor used his snow blower to clear our walk. I made Nancy a pot of coffee and then started on my normal walk to Bill’s. I got to Lake Drive and I said the heck with this. The deep snow had made walking difficult. I diverted to Wolfgang’s. I sat at the counter and had eggs and hash browns. Ten minutes after I sat down the entire place was filled. When I left Wolfgang’s all the streets had been cleared. Of course our drive entrance was plugged by the passing plows. It took another 30’ to clear the drive. Nancy wanted to work at the hospital so I volunteered to drive. When I got home I headed upstairs and spent time working on the family tree. Nancy called about 1400 and Ms P and I picked her up. We all shoveled the drive when we got home. I took a short nap. My Sister, Helen, called this afternoon and gave an update on her knee operation. Every thing went well and she is going home tomorrow. Her recovery period will be lenghty. We tried to view Netflix this afternoon but kept getting a message that the show we selected was having problems. No netlfix. It is now 1800 and Nancy is fixing sloppy joes for dinner. We will watch the UM/MSU game tonight. A cold snap is coming to GR. It is now 12 and the temp will drop to five overnight. Monday and Tuesday will have high temps in single digits. Despite the temps we all got our 30 in today. I hope you did too?

Friday January 24, 2014

Out at 0500 to shovel about a 1/2" of new snow. I went back to bed and got up at 0647. Today I did the calisthenics at home and then went to Starbucks in Gaslight Village for coffee. I could not get into the pool at MVP until 1000. I got in at 1000 and still had to share a lane. In fact I shared the lane with a neighbor Doug Vance. Doug told me he swam 20 laps. I asked what his time was and he said 15'. I do 20 laps in 30'. Man I am slow. Come to find out Doug did 20 lengths and not laps. So our times are identical. After my swim I headed home. I always hang up my wet swimsuit. Lo and behold, I left my suit at MVP. I had a 1320 Doctor's appointment. The Doctor's is close to MVP. I stopped at MVP and found the suit. I thought I had a sinus infection. The Doctor checked my nose and ears. I did have a sinus infection. The Doctor gave me several prescriptions. I have been using the C2 every day. I don't put more that 10 miles per day on the C2 so I thought I needed to put some miles on it to charge the battery. All this cold weather is bad for batteries. I got on I-196 and headed to Holland. I got to Ottawa County and the high wind was creating a lot of drifting. I got off at 44th St and stopped at the New Balance store. I like the New Balance walking shoes. They last forever. I bought a pair. I had to pick my prescriptions at Meijer's. Nancy went with me. I picked up my prescriptions and Nancy bought some dog food, English muffins, and grapes. We had dinner at Russ's. The place was empty. The weather must be keeping folks inside. As soon as we got home we headed upstairs to change into comfortable clothes. We plan on spending the evening watching movies on Netflix. I tried on my new walking shoes and saw that they had given me the wrong size. Bummer. Think Spring!

Thursday January 23, 2014

Up at 0515, and shoveled last nights snow. Nancy's garage door opener does not work so I manually opened the door and backed the car out. It will be very cold today but sunny. Sunny is better than cold. I did my calisthenics at home and then drove to MVP. Nancy was already in the pool and we shared a lane. After my swim I stopped at the Omelette Shop for oatmeal. Nancy had lunch with Kathi. The Overhead Door man arrived at 1330. He said that the opener's on-board computer was fried. He ordered a new one and it will be installed on Monday. I took a quick nap and then took Ms P around the block. The bright sunshine motivated me to take a 2.5 mile walk. I wore my steel grippers. Thursday dinner was at Great Lakes Shipping. I was very hungry and had their wet burrito. It was tasty. My Sister, Helen, fell and broke her knee cap. She is in a hospital in AZ. We talked to her last night. She will be operated on tomorrow. Helen will be immobile for at least eight weeks. Nancy and I are praying for a successful operation. Not much on TV so we watched the Swedish detective shop on Netflix. We headed upstairs at 2200.

Wednesday January 22, 2014

It was real cold this morning, 8. I had Breakfast Club this morning. I was surprised at the good turnout. Maybe everyone has cabin fever. The speaker, a financial planner, talked on the economic outlook for the coming year. A fellow BCer asked me if I would want to join a group of ex Naval Officers. I said yes. The group meets every other month. It is a social gathering consisting of telling Navy stories. After BC I headed downtown to the eye doctor's. The stems of my new sports glasses had several imperfections and so I got a new frame. After my visit I stopped at the East Bank Towers to see if they had any available condos. The office was closed so I left a message. Maybe Nancy and I might want to live downtown? I stopped at the Wealthy Street Bakery to read the WSJ. The place was crowded. It started to snow about 0900 and when I got home I shoveled the walk. Recently I purchased an external CD drive. I could not get it to work. I loaded up the Apple Air, new drive and a CD of Scottish folk tunes. Nancy went with me because she wanted to stop at several shops. The girl at the Apple store cleaned the CD and put it in the CD drive and it worked. She said it did not work because the CD was dirty. I downloaded the CD to the Air. I did not know I could put CDs that I did not purchase at the iTunes store on the Air. I must had got bum dope. When I got home I took a short nap. It is now 1630 and as soon as I finish this blog I will go on a walk. I will bundle up because the temperature is 12. I will also wear my steel traction shoes. One can't be too careful on snow covered walks. This morning one of the men that sits near me at BC said that he had fallen several times while on his daily walk. He had to have steel pins put in his back and hips. Needless to say he is not doing any winter walking. We are having a light dinner tonight. Not much on TV so we might watch a Netflix movie.

Tuesday January 21, 2014

It was a very cold day but we had brilliant sunshine, a perfect winter's day. I slept in until 0700. After the morning calisthenics at home I headed to Starbuck's in Gaslight for a quick morning coffee. I left Starbucks at 0930 in order to get in the pool at 0955. I swam my usual 1500 meters. The pool was crowded but I did not have to share a lane. I had not finished reading the WSJ so I stopped at Breton Village and finished reading. I had Nancy read an editorial on the California cancer labeling law. CA requires labeling on all product that contain materials that might cause cancer. This includes Starbucks coffee and most manufactured products. It is a silly law and has not reduced cancer in CA. Nancy in her role as a buyer for the hospital had purchased purses that had the CA warning. The manager of the gift shop would not sell the product even though you could buy the same purse at most major department stores. The WSJ was mocking the law. Only in CA. I took a short nap and walked Ms P around the block. It was too cold to walk a greater distance. I think her feet were getting cold. If the cold continues we might have to buy some booties. I took a quick mile walk. Nancy fixed soup and hamburgs for dinner. She had an OHNA Board meeting. I watched a rerun of NCIS and when Nancy got home we watched the last episode of BBC's The Fall on Netflix. It had a strange ending.

Monday January 20, 2014

Up at 0500 to take Ms P out. Back to bed and I slept in until 0800. I tried to download the WSJ but then remembered the WSJ is not published on a holiday. I had a quick breakfast and then dropped a leather vest off at Mr Thang's to get a rip repaired. I got in the pool at MVP at 1000 and had no problem getting a lane. I think the chlorine in the pool is getting to my sinus so I wore a nose plug. After the swim I got Nancy's car washed and then I filled it up. I had coffee at Starbucks in D&W. I started cleaning up my desk. As I have reported lately the weather has reminded me of my boyhood. This afternoon I called Lloyd Aikens. Lloyd for years was my Dad's best friend and accountant. In fact the only place he worked was Scott Engineering. My mother was his fifth grade teacher. Lloyd is now 90. During WWII he froze his feet during the Battle of the Bulge. We talked about old times for about 30 minutes. It was great. I did take a short nap. Ms P has been around the block. It is now 1715 and as soon as I finish I will take a two mile walk. Nancy's train arrives at 2200. I will pick Nancy and Jennie up and deliver them home. I am not thinking Spring so much I wish we could have some sun. The temperature has been falling all day and the high temps until Saturday will be in the teens.

Sunday January 19, 2014

We got up early today because Nancy is taking the 0700 train to Chicago. Another buyer picked her up and on Monday I will pick them up. After Nancy left I did a load of laundry and then headed to MVP for my Sunday swim. I was surprised that I did not have to share a lane. Maybe the New Year's Resolution folks have given up already. After the swim I had oatmeal at the Omelette Shop. We have not taken the Taurus on the freeway this year. I headed home loaded up Ms P and took the Taurus to the freeway. We drove full speed up to Howard City. On the way home I pulled off at the Rockford exit. I drove around Rockford looking for rentals or condos. No luck. I read some of the GRP and then headed upstairs for my afternoon nap. It is another cold dark winter's day with no sun. I needed to get outside. I walked Ms P around the block and then walked to the Subway in Eastown. I bought a sandwich. I watched the Denver/NE game and right now I am watching the Seattle/SF game. I want SF to win. This might be the kiss of death for SF. Nancy just called and said everything is going great in Chicago. She and Jennie are having dinner at Harry Carey's.

Saturday January 18, 2014

Ms P must know it is the weekend because she slept in until 0630. It had snowed overnight so I had to shovel the walks. It is another cold winter's day. No sun. Nancy did not want to go out for breakfast so I walked to Breton Village and ate at the Omelette Shop. I had their oatmeal. I liked Peggy Noonan's editorial in the WSJ. She and I are on the same wavelength. The WSJ has written several articles on LBJ's War on Poverty which was proposed 50 years ago. They think it was a failure. I tend to agree. After breakfast I walked over to Macatawa Bank to do some business. I then walked home. I was almost home when I heard a big crash at the intersection of Gladstone and Alexander. The Honda going south on Gladstone was broadsided by a west bound Yukon. The Honda was driven by our neighbor, Chris. She and her daughter were ok as was the lady driving the Yukon. This is a bad intersection. I have had some close calls on my bike because the sight distances are bad. When I got home it had snowed enough that I had to shovel again. Nancy spent the day doing laundry and reading. I worked in my office and did take a nap. A perfect winter's day activities. I took Ms P around the block and then took a mile walk. It is now 1741 and I am drinking wine and writing this blog. Nancy is fixing soup for dinner tonight. We will watched Netflix this evening. Nancy has to get to bed early because at 0600 she is taking the train to Chicago. She is going with another Hospital buyer to a show. Ms P and I will have to suffer. It is very important that during these sunless winter days that everyone gets 30 minutes outside. I got mine. Did you get yours?

Friday January 17, 2014

Another cold gloomy day: We had received about 1/2" of snow overnight. Ms P and I went out at 0415 and I shoveled the walks. Today I changed my schedule so I slept in until 0700. I did calisthenics at home. I drove to Starbucks in Gaslight Village for coffee and a chance to read the WSJ. I left at 0940 and headed to MVP. I jumped in the pool at 1000 and as I had been told the pool was not crowded. After the swim I headed home. Kim came today to clean. Nancy got home about 1130 and we headed to Costco to pick up a prescription. I spent the rest of the afternoon hooking up the mini box for the basement TV. I did get it to work. I ended the afternoon with a two mile walk. I wore the steel grippers on the bottom of my boots. The grippers are great for walking in snow. Both Nancy and I had received gift cards to Applebee's from our dentist so that is where we had dinner. We ran into Jennifer Dougherty and family at Applebee's. She also had a gift card. We stopped at Toys-R-Us on the way home. No purchases were made. Nothing on TV tonight so we fired up Netflix and watched a BBC mystery called "The Fall". It takes place in Northern Ireland. It seems that all BBC productions are filmed in the dark. I also have trouble understanding the dialogue. They talk too fast. We headed to bed at 2130.

Thursday January 16, 2014

Either aging is causing Ms Ps urge to pee or she is just being ornery. Every morning between 0400 and 0430 she has to go outside. I oblige. I am still trying to find the right schedule at MVP. Today I left at 0645 and was in the pool by 0700. The pool was crowded but I did not have to share a lane. I did calisthenics after the swim. I drove home and then walked to the Kava House. I have to get my 30 in. MVP is very crowded and I think that I will change my schedule. Instead of doing calisthenics at MVP I will do them at home. I will only swim at MVP. Folks tell me the best time to get a lane is at 1000. After a quick lunch I drove to Comcast to get a mini box so I can get the TV in the basement to work. It being Thursday Nancy and I had dinner at Great Lakes Shipping. We watched an episode of Sherlock on Netflix before heading upstairs.

Wednesday January 15, 2014

Happy Birthday Debbie: Today is Debbie's birthday. I remember the day she was born. It was a Friday afternoon when I took Nancy into the Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City, Ca. We did not have insurance and the hospital would not take a check. I went to a supermarket and cashed a check. The total cost was less than $200 or about 25% of my monthly salary. Eat your heart out ACA. Debbie was born early Saturday morning. Wednesday is my easy day. Ms P got me up at 0430. I did not mind today because Nancy is having Book Club this evening and I had to clear the walk. We got about 1/2" of snow last night. I shoveled the walk and then salted the driveway. After this chore was completed I went back to bed and slept until 0830. I walked to Bill's, 2.5 miles, for breakfast. Instead of healthy oatmeal I had the super special, eggs, potatoes, meat and toast. It was great. I spent an hour reading the WSJ but did not find anything worth commenting on. I am totally turned off by reports from the Middle East. The troubles in Africa seem tribal and not much we can do about it. I like my new rearranged office. This afternoon I continued working on the family tree. I also got Netflix on my iPad and Air. I did take a short nap. Just before 1800 I applied some more salt to the walk and steps. Don't want Book Club members slipping and falling. For dinner tonight I walked over to Harmony on Lake Drive. Harmony is located in an old hole-in-the- wall party store. They make their own beer and have a limited menu. I was surprised the place was jammed. I got one of the last tables. I had a porter beer and pizza. Both were very good. I took my Kindle with me and continued reading "Titiana", a very good book. It is now 2000 and Book Club is going full blast. I am upstairs in the office writing this blog. We had a typical January day today. Temperatures in the 20s with snow and no sun. Think Spring!

Tuesday January 14, 2014

Our January thaw has ended. It was in the low 20s when I left for MVP this morning. The pool was very crowded and I had to share a lane. The large influx of new members from the now closed MAC, East Hills and Orchard Hills has overwhelmed MVP. In addition to the crowded pool some folks have to wait to get on a treadmill. Nancy took two classes this morning and she said both were at capacity. I headed straight home after the workout. I dropped off my gym bag and walked over to the Kava House. I had a quick lunch and then started cleaning and rearranging my office. It took me two hours but I like the new layout. It started to snow this afternoon. We have had no accumulation on the ground yet, 1800. The sidewalks are still too icy to walk on so Ms P and I walked in the middle of the road on our walk around the block (twice). Nancy is fixing soup and hot dogs for dinner tonight. We will watch NCIS before heading upstairs.

Monday January 13, 2014

I am still playing catch-up. I hope to be on a standard routine soon. Sunday January 12: Today is the first time we did a Sunday swim at MVP. They open at 0800 on Sunday and that means they open at 0800. The MAC let us in early. Nancy and I had to share a lane. We did it without any conflict. The pool is much cooler than the MAC but I think it makes for a better experience. Nancy agrees. In fact Nancy liked the pool. After the swim we headed for Meijer's. Not the Knapp Corners Meijer's but the Cascade Meijer's. We had to restock our larder so our cart was full. Nancy fixed her world famous scrambled eggs for breakfast. I took my Sunday nap and watched some football. Walking is kind of treacherous because all the ice on the walks. If you want to take a walk the best place is in the street. Ms P and I walked around the block twice. She needed the exercise. At 1730 we headed to Kathi's house in Plymouth. Kathi is a friend of Nancy's. Kathi had set up a table with all kinds of good snacks. Beer and wine was also available. Kathi had invited several friends. Nancy and I knew the majority of guests. A good time was had by all. We got home at 2100 and watched some TV before heading upstairs. Monday January 13: Ms P is on a weird schedule. I took her out at 0430. The alarm went off at 0600 and I dressed and headed to MVP. I was in the pool at 0700 and did not have to share a lane. I also did some calisthenics. After MVP I drove to D&W to buy a lottery ticket and then to Rylee's. I bought some salt for use on the driveway. It was in the high 30s today but cold and snow are coming. I walked to the Kava Shop for my coffee and WSJ. The news media is really making a big deal out Gov Christie's problems. I understand that this is typical NJ politics. Both parties are guilty. I have given up on the Middle East. I just don't understand the interplay between tribes and sects. My advise: get out now. I did take a nap today. Ms P and I walked around the block two times. She does not like walking in the street. We will have a light dinner and watch some TV. My new schedule calls for a 2200 bed time. I did get my 30 in today. Did you?

Saturday January 11, 2014

Catch up time! I am sitting in my office on a rainy Saturday afternoon in January (Jan 11). It is dark and gloomy outside but a perfect time to catch up. My last blog was January 1. Since then Nancy and I have been very busy. The following is a brief summary of our activities since Jan 1. Thursday January 2: Nancy and I loaded up the rental and headed to LA to see Missy and AJ. We took the I5 to LA. It is the fastest way to get from SF to LA. It goes through the San Joaquin Valley. The Valley is a huge agricultural area that requires a lot of water for irrigation. I always read about the water fights between the greens and the farmers. The sun was out but a haze blocked it. It took us 5 hours to get to LA. We are staying at the Sheridan 4 Points at the airport. We stopped by Missy's condo and they were waiting for us. It was great seeing them. We took AJ back to the hotel for a swim. She and Nancy went swimming while I watched. We all had dinner at the hotel. Friday January 3: We all had breakfast at a restaurant in Brentwood. Missy had some work to do today so we took AJ and headed to Century City Mall. AJ and I went to a 1100 movie, Walking with Dinosaur. Nancy went shopping. I liked the movie. After the movie we headed back to Missy's. We all had lunch at a place call Lemonade Cafe. I like the Brentwood shopping district within walking distance of Missy's. For dinner we all had frozen yogurt. It was not well balanced but tasted great. Saturday January 4: Today we headed back to San Jose. We took the 101 back. The 101 is a little longer but more colorful. We had breakfast in a small rural town along the 101. The place was called "Mother Hubbard's", it was next to a gun and knife shop. Not all Californians are liberals. I really enjoyed this ride. When we got back to San Jose we had put 800 miles on the rental. Sunday January 5: Today is an easy day. We did visit a Japanese Gardens in San Jose. Nancy took pictures to take back to show the folks on the Meijer Garden Japanese Garden committee that she is on. We watched some movies on Netflix. Monday January 6: It is back to work for Debbie and we are heading home. We got to the airport early and learned that our flight had been delayed two hours. This delay would put us into Minneapolis one hour after our flight to GR had departed. The weather in the midwest was miserable. After spending about an hour trying to see how we could get back to GR, we decided the heck with it we will spent the night in Minneapolis. As luck would have it our flight to GR was delayed an hour. We sprinted through the airport and made the flight to GR. It was very cold and snowing when we got to GR about midnight. We took our car to the airport because we could not get a cab. I was worried the car would not start. No need, the car fired right up. It was tough getting home from the airport but our driveway had recently been cleared so we got up the drive with no problem. Despite the cold and snow it was good to be home. Tuesday January 7: We slept in and then shoveled the walk. I decided to try and get back to my routine so I went for a swim at MVP. I had hired a neighbor to shovel the walk while we were gone. He did a great job. I settled up with him. I will use him when we go to Panama. Maybe he might want to cut the grass. I also bought Jim Borst our next door neighbor a bottle of wine. Jim checked our house several times while we were gone. When we left the power was out and temps were below zero. I was worried about a frozen pipe. The power was out for about 30 hours. Jim checked the basement and let me know every thing was ok. Wednesday January 8: Breakfast Club today. The temperature was still in single digits. The turnout was light. After the meeting I stopped at the Wealthy Street bakery for coffee and a chance to read the WSJ. I am now reading the WSJ on my mini iPad. I like the color. Nancy worked at the gift shop. Our internet went out so I had to call ATT and have them walk me through the steps I needed to take to get our service back. It took about two hours. In the afternoon we visited the SE YMCA to see what they had to offer. We will stick with MVP for the time being. Thursday January 9: Went swimming at MVP. The best time to get a lane is around 0700. Nancy had a Doctor's appointment. We also stopped at Costco so Nancy could get a prescription filled. I bought a Blu ray. We had dinner at Great Lakes Shipping. Friday January 10: Went swimming and did some calisthenics at MVP. Nancy also went to MVP. MVP is very crowded but so far it has been a positive experience for us. Ms P came home today. I tried to set up the Blu ray but got discouraged. Called my computer guru to come over and set it up. He is coming Monday. Nancy and I had dinner at Brann's. Lucas face timed us and I asked Steve how to install the Blu ray. Steve helped me set it up. It was easy. We got a Netflix account and watched a movie. Saturday January 11: It was raining hard this morning. Nancy and I had breakfast at the Omelette Shop. After breakfast we stopped at Mr Thang's so Nancy could pick up a pair of pants she had altered. I walked to the Post Office to mail a letter and then continued on a walk. I got in three miles. It is now 1600 and Nancy is watching Netflix's "House of Card" as I write this blog. We are having soup for dinner tonight. I will watch some football before turning in.

Wednesday January 1, 2014

Happy New Year! Another great day in CA. We are going to watch some games on TV today. Before the hockey game at the Big House I took a walk to Willow Glen and back. The hockey game was fun to watch. 100,000 folks watching hockey with temps in the teens. I also was watching the UW and Nebraska game. I took a time out and again went on a walk to Willow Glen. I missed the hockey game shootout. When I was a high school student I played hockey every day. We played outdoors. This is how hockey should be played. I watched the Rose Bowl and it was great to see MSU win. It was a great game. Debbie is now fixing a pizza. Nancy and I will pack this evening for our trip to LA to see Missy and AJ. We are looking forward to our trip.

Tuesday December 31, 2013

I bought a quick coffee at Starbucks and then headed home. We went to the Pancake House for breakfast. Today we ran several errands. Our first stop was Lowes to get house numbers for Debbie. We then stopped at Kohl's. Debbie bought two bar stools. When we got home I put the chairs together and then took a two mile walk. We watched Arbitrage with Richard Gere on Netflix. I did not like it but Nancy and Debbie gave is passing grades. Neither Nancy or I could stay up to midnight. Missy texted us today saying she and AJ would be home this weekend. This is great news. Nancy and I will leave Thursday morning.

Monday December 30, 2013

Today we are taking a drive to Livermore. They have a large discount mall. We spent several hours shopping. For lunch we stopped at the Claim Jumper. I had their Chicken Pot Pie. It was great. When we got home I took a two hour walk. We had a light dinner and then watched some old TV shows on Netflix. The weather continues to be great. Afternoon temps in the 60s with sun and clear skies.

Sunday December 29, 2013

Sunday is our easy day. I did go to Starbucks. Our major activity was to visit Santana Row in San Jose. Nancy and Debbie bought several items from the Loft. I bought a sweat shirt a Orvis. We had lunch at Pluto's. It was very good. I did take my walk. We had a light dinner. We watched a movie on Netflix.

Saturday December 28, 2013

I followed my new normal routine by having coffee at Starbucks. It is about 1/4 mile from Debbie's house. I am now reading the WSJ on my mini iPad. I like the color. This morning we decided to go to San Francisco. Debbie drove to Milbrae and then took the Bart into the city. The weather was perfect. San Francisco was jammed with tourists. Long lines to get on the Cable Cars. We spent most of our time at Union Square. We had lunch in the food court at the Westfield Mall. Every day I have been trying to walk at least 5 miles. I either walk on the Los Gatos trail or walk to the Willow Glen shopping district. On the trail I walk for two hours. The shopping district loop is 2.7 miles.