Monday June 30, 2014

Up at 0630 and I had a quick breakfast. I met the drywall man at 0800. He finished sanding the walls in the lower level of the condo. The carpet installers arrived a little after 0900. They had the carpet installed in both rooms by 1430. Nancy likes the new carpet. At 1100 the window treatment man arrived to show Nancy his wares. Nancy picked new blinds for the entire condo. We also ordered Direct TV through ATT. They are coming Saturday to install the dish. We filled out change of address forms at USPO and Macatawa Bank.

Sunday June 29, 2014

What I did last week: It was a busy week for Bob and Nancy. The weather was warm with a lot of rain. All our activities were geared toward the move to our condo Sunday June 22: We went swimming this morning. After the swim we came right home so Nancy could fix Debbie some of her world famous scrambled eggs. After breakfast we headed over to the condo. The painter is coming tomorrow. We are painting two lower level rooms. One room will become the second bedroom and the other will be Bob and Nancy’s office. Our first job is to remove wallpaper. We bought a tool that puts small holes in the wallpaper at Home Depot on Saturday. I used the tool on one room. We had dinner at Kathi Kothe’s. Debbie liked her house and antiques. Kathi fixed a fine dinner. Monday June 23: Debbie and I spent all day stripping wallpaper. Nancy started cleaning the upstairs. Randy our painter started painting. This is Debbie’s last night in GR so we had dinner at the Green Well on Cherry. For a Monday night the place was jammed. Tuesday June 24: We continued stripping and Randy continued painting. About 1500 Nancy took Debbie to the airport. Debbie came home to sleep one more night in the home she grew up in. We put her to work and both Nancy and I appreciate her efforts. Wednesday June 25: This week I had to be at the condo early so no MVP. Today Kim came to help Nancy clean the main floor. The Condo’s maintenance people used the hose outside the lower level and we noticed a leak. I called a plumber and he found we had a frozen pipe. The plumber removed a section of the wall and fixed the problem. We were very lucky. Now we needed a Drywaller to patch up the wall. The Drywaller will be fix the wall on Friday. Thursday June 26: Nancy had picked out the final colors for the two rooms. The painter put the first coat on all walls. The security firm came this afternoon to reprogram the system. The nice thing about the new system is keyless entry. I no longer have to carry keys. Nancy and I had dinner at Great Lakes Shipping. Friday June 27: The painter finished most of his work. He will come back next Tuesday to finish. The Drywaller patched the hole in the wall. The new plaster will dry over the weekend. He will come back early Monday for a final sanding. Nancy continues to get the main floor ready. Every time we leave home we take a box or two. We were very tired so we ordered a pizza. Saturday June 28: I pedaled to the Omelette Shop for breakfast. First time this week I was on a bike. After the ride Nancy and I made several trips to the Condo. We had dinner a the Namy’s. Mary Namey fixed a great dinner. Sunday June 29: Nancy and I went swimming. We stopped at Meijer’s for supplies. Nancy fixed her world famous scrambled eggs for breakfast. I took an afternoon nap. We made one run to the condo. Tomorrow carpet will be installed in the lower level. Nancy fixed sloppy joes for dinner. We watched some TV before retiring.

Saturday June 21, 2014

I think today is the longest day of the year. We all slept in. We had breakfast at Anna's a new restaurant on East Beltline and the north entrance to Woodland Mall. The food was very good. Today was an easy day. We ran errands and Bob and Nancy recovered from the sale of the family home. We did go to Costco and Home Depot to get some supplies for our move. We had dinner at the Olive Garden. Finished the evening watch Midsomer Murders on Netflix.

Friday June 20, 2014

Debbie's plane did not get in until after 0100. For the first time in years Debbie checked her bags. Yes United lost her bags. Debbie and I did not get to bed until 0200. I slept in until 0800. I stopped by Hall Street Bakery and got some day old scones and coffee. At 1000 we were at Sun Title on Plainfield. We signed the paper to transfer ownership 1555 Mackinaw to the Mahers. After 41 years we no longer own 1555 Mackinaw. We were given the largest check I have ever held. We headed immediately to the bank. We had lunch at Russ's. To celebrate the sale of the house we had dinner at the Beltline Bar.

Thursday June 19, 2014

Lately I have been getting up at 0615 without an alarm. After the at home calisthenics I loaded the hybrid up and headed to Riverside Park. I could not get to the park because of road construction. I instead drove the the Muskatawa Trail in Ottawa County. I pedaled 22 miles. For coffee this morning I stopped at the Wealthy Street Bakery. I spent the afternoon calling the electric and gas companies to make the switch to our condo. We do not have to change Nancy's email address or our phone number. We had dinner at Great Lake Shipping. It was a pleasant evening so we ate outside. Debbie is coming in tonight around midnight. I will pick her up. Don't you love cell phone lots?

Wednesday June 18, 2014

Wednesday June 18, 2014 We had a major thunder storm roll through last night. It lasted for hours. Needless to say Ms P went bonkers. We put the thunder shirt on her and it did not work. Both Nancy and I spent time trying to settle her down. We finally gave her a pill that seemed to mellow her out. I do not ride my bike in a thunder storm so i drove to the Omellette Shop for breakfast. After breakfast I stopped at the Hall St Bakery and bought some day old cookies. Spent the rest of the morning wrapping coins. It has been over a year since I emptied the piggy bank. I had $109. Nancy is working at the gardens this afternoon. I took the coins to the bank. A heavy shower rolled through and I got soaked running to the car. I took Ms P around the block. Finished the afternoon with a nap followed by a two mile walk. I do not think I will get my 10,000 steps today. (It is now 2230 and my buzzer just went off saying I reached 10,000) This evening Nancy and I met with the Zweedyk to get the keys to our condo. They gave us a guided tour. We can start moving in on Sunday.

Tuesday June 17, 2014:

We did not have the heavy thunderstorms as predicted. Instead we got a nice shower early this morning. When I went out at 0630 it was hot and humid. Nancy told me that rain would arrive in 90 minutes, so I postponed my calisthenics and got on the bike and road around Reeds Lake. I pedaled 12 miles. It started to rain as soon as I got home. I did the calisthenics and then drove to Hall Street Bakery. The place was really crowded, in fact I think the recently opened Hall Street does more business than Wealthy Street. Obviously a good business decision. After coffee I drove to Meijer's to get some bandages and neosporin. My arm wound is healing very slowly. I also stopped at Macatawa Bank to get some cash. I have been using my neighbor's lawn service the past month and I want to continue using him until we move. I moved all the the boxes Nancy has packed out to the garage. I took Ms P around the block and then walked two miles. My Fitbit went off on my walk letting me know I have achieved my goal of 10,000 steps. I took another shower and a short nap. Nancy has fixed a chicken salad for dinner tonight. We will continue to watch some World Cup tonight and maybe a Netflix show. On this date in 1938 in Ossineke, Michigan my Great Grandfather Sanborn wrote that he drove to Alpena in the morning. He purchase $15 at Spen's. In the afternoon his son-in-law Guy Johnsom cut a small trailer of wood. In the evening He and GGM drove to the garden to get some onions.

Monday June 16, 2014

Up at 0620 and when I went outside with Ms P it was 72. We are having a hot summer day. It is now (1700) 85 and sunny but thunderstorms are coming this evening. The rain will continue through Friday. After my calisthenics I loaded up the single speed and headed to Millennium Park for a ride. I have an eighteen miles course that I like. No vehicular traffic and the course is relatively flat. I averaged 12.5 mph on todays ride. 12.5 is a good time for me. After the ride I stopped at the Wealthy Street Bakery. I used a gift card I got for Father's Day. Iraq still dominates the news. I guess the old Jewish saying "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" is holding true. We are meeting with Iran to talk about a plan to stabilize Iraq. How come when I start a new paragraph on the blog work sheet that the paragraphs do not show up on the final product. I have noticed lately that I transpose letters as I type. I must read the blog out loud in order to find these mistakes. I notice that a lot of news organizations make the same mistake. After a quick lunch I started carrying packed boxes out to the garage. Nancy said our goal should be 8 boxes a day. Today we did twelve. I will rent a van next week to move the boxes to the condo. I finished the afternoon with a shower and nap. We will have a light dinner and then watch the USA play soccer. I still do not understand the game. Have you ever seen a fat soccer player?

Sunday June 15, 2014

Father's Day: today I talked with all three kids. They called to wish me a happy Father's Day. I appreciate it. I often think of my Father. Most of the time it is about small things we did together. Lately I have been thinking of my evening trips with my Dad when he had to attend a Road Commission meeting. In the 40s and 50s Road Commissions usually had evening meetings, especially in rural areas. One of my Dad's clients was Iosco County. The Road Commission office was about 80 miles south of Alpena. In the summer when I did not have school Dad would ask me to ride along. We would get in his big Pontiac and head south on US 23. Dad would drive about 80 mph. On hot summer evenings we would have the windows open (pre AC) and the radio on full blast listening to a Tigers game. We would talk usually about the game. The Road Commission office was outside of Tawas City. The office was located in a loft above the garage. I could smell the fumes from the trucks parked on the garage floor. The Office usually had a bug strip hanging from the ceiling. The Chairman got to hold the fly swatter. Dad was usually last on the agenda so I had to sit in the waiting room listening to the boring meeting. Dad was a good sales man and I think the Commissioner's respected his opinion. Dad would wear a suit and tie. Several Commissioners were farmers and wore bib overalls. He usually ended up with a contract for a road or bridge design. After the meeting we would stop in Tawas City and get a hot fudge sundae. We got home about 2300. Today we got up at 0700. Nancy went swimming and I did my calisthenics at MVP. We did the usual shopping at Meijer's. Gas today was $3.96. Nancy fixed her world famous scrambled eggs for breakfast. We also had waffles. I did take an afternoon nap. I finished the afternoon with a nice four mile walk. The great weather continues. We had BLT's, potato salad and corn on the cob for dinner. For dessert Nancy had sherbet and I finished the rhubarb sauce. We watched some world cup and then finished the evening watching Midsomer Murders on Netflix.

Saturday June 14, 2014

Saturday morning and I get up at 0630. For breakfast I pedaled to the Omelette Shop for pancakes and eggs. The Middle East still dominated the WSJ. After breakfast I stopped at Macatawa Bank and then pedaled around Reeds Lake. It was a cool morning but who cares when the sun was out. I spent several hours cleaning and packing my things. I also made a run to Goodwill. Nancy's overhead door will go up but not down. I stopped at the Battery Shop and got new batteries for the handheld openers. Batteries are not the problem. I will have to call the installer and have him fix it. I finished the afternoon with a two mile walk. Nancy and I had an early dinner at Rose's. We sat outside and because we went early, 1600, we did not have to wait. It was a great evening for outside dining. It is now 1910 and I have spent the last hour going over my mail and checking bank accounts. We might watch a World Cup game this evening. I love the 15h20' of daylight.

Friday June 13, 2014

Today is the last time in my life that I will see a full moon on Friday the 13th. The next time this will happen will be in 2049. After the morning calisthenics I loaded the single speed and headed to Millennium Park. I did the same route as yesterday, 18 miles. I had coffee at Wealthy Street Bakery. Although the situation in the Middle East is very dangerous, I am fascinated by all the tribal fighting. The Kurds, Sunnis and Shias. A lot of folks say the problem is the result of the US, France and UK establishing false borders after WW I. After coffee I showered and then Nancy and I headed to Sullivan's to get a patch of our new carpet. We needed a patch to give to the painter so he can select a color for the walls. We never got a patch but Sullivan's gave us some threads from our selected carpet. Sullivan's must be low overhead business. What company does not have patches. Our next stop was Costco. We bought an inflatable mattress and some vitamin D. Our last stop was the Paper's Plus store in Gaslite Village. I did take a short nap. We had dinner at the Brandywine in Eastown. We are now watching Sherlock on Netflix. I do not like the second season.

Thursday June 12, 2014

Slept in today because I can not go swimming. My skinned arm from yesterdays fall off my bike has not sufficiently healed. After the calisthenics I loaded the single speed road bike and headed to Millennium Park. The parking lot was full. i pedaled 18 miles in 90 minutes. It was a great day for a ride. On my way homeI stopped at the Wealthy Street Bakery for coffee. After all the money spent in Iraq it is alarming that the US trained army is abandoning their positions without a shot fired. I hope to spend some time watching the World Cup. I spent some time this afternoon packing my personal stuff. Nancy continues packing. She packed three boxes. We left home about 1600 to run some errands before dinner at Great Lakes Shipping. We sat outside this evening. It is now 2100 and we are watching Sherlock on Netflix. We got a paper edition of the GRP and it continues to disappoint.

Wednesday June 11, 2014

Breakfast Club Wednesday so I get up at 0600. It was raining hard so a rain coat was needed. The Chairman of the BC we in charge of the program and he talked about the Robber Baron, Fisk. It was not one of the better programs. After BC I came home and put on my bike riding clothes and headed to Kava House. I was almost through the WSJ when it really started pouring. I read several more articles. Most of the folks at BC read newspapers and so the talk this morning was about US Rep Eric Cantor of VA losing to a Tea Party candidate, Davis Brat. Did you know that David Brat is a graduate of Hope College in Holland? It stopped raining so I got on the bike and started on my ride around Reeds Lake via Fulton. I was pedaling through Aquinas when I encountered a barricade so instead of getting off the bike I tried to jump a curb. Bad idea. I fell. No broken bones but I had some bad scrapes on my right arm. The bike was ok so I continued on my ride of 9.5 miles. I tried to take a nap but the phone kept ringing. First I have a July 10 appointment with an Ocular nerve doctor. The second call set the date for closing on our house, June 20. Nancy spent most of the morning and afternoon at the Gardens. She is a member of the Japanese Garden construction committee. After this meeting she did her normal Wednesday shift. I just got back from walking to the OH Library to pick up a book for Nancy. Today is Book Club for Nancy. I am leaving right now for beer and pizza.

Tuesday June 10, 2014

June 10, 2014 Another ideal night for sleeping. No AC was required. The string of sunny days is ending. Today was cloudy. Rain is expected at sunset. Brazil is having their problems getting ready for the World Cup which I think starts Thursday. The Transport Union appears to be holding the Government hostage. The WSJ had several articles of Doctors ripping off Medicare for millions. I really doubt that the Feds can run anything. The MVP is really crowded now that school is out. They have a lot of camps and other programs. The noise level has increased significantly. I had no problem getting a lane and I swam 600 meters. On Thursday I will increase my distance to 750 meters. After my swim I pedaled home and had a quick lunch. I then headed to my appointment with an eye plastic surgeon. He checked me over and said that I should see a nerve doctor who specializes in eye problems. A blood test showed I had an autoimmune problem. The Doctor said that medicine is available for my problem. They are arranging a visit. This afternoon Clean Sweep came and took all the trash in the garage. Slowly we are downsizing. The big move is in early July. I finished the afternoon with a two mile walk. Nancy is fixing pork chops for dinner. We will watch some TV and read the GRP before heading upstairs.

Monday June 9, 2014

Up at 0630. Calisthenics at home, bike to Breton Village for coffee and then on to MVP. Swam 600 meters. Nancy also went to MVP for her stretch class and then she started cleaning storage room. She filled many bags. I helped her carry bags to the garage. I loaded the C2 up with cardboard and headed to the recycle station. When I got home I got the stepladder out and removed all tools and toys from the rafters. Our garage floor is loaded with trash. I called Clean Sweep and they will come tomorrow to remove the trash. I finished the afternoon with a two mile walk. We had a light dinner. We will watch the season premiere of Major Crime.

Sunday June 8, 2014

I love June. We had a gentle shower roll through this morning. A shower that farmers would describe as a million dollar rain. It was still sprinkling at 0730 when we left for MVP. I increased my swim from 500 to 600 meters. Nancy swam a little longer distance. After our swim we stopped at home to get Ms P and then we headed to Meijer's. Gas today was $3.95. Nancy fixed her world famous scrambled eggs for breakfast. I took my Sunday nap and when I woke the sun was out. The temperature rose to 79 degrees. Sunset tonight is at 2118. I took a 3 mile walk. It is now 1730 and as soon as I finish this blog I am heading downstairs. Nancy is fixing BLT's for dinner. She also made some rhubarb sauce. I love rhubarb. We will finish reading the GRP and then watch an episode of Sherlock on Netflix. June 8, 1938 in Ossineke, MI. Great Grandfather Sanborn wrote that it was a Wednesday and he spent the morning working in the garden. The Sunday School gave their play in the Community House. GGF thought it was very good.

Saturday June 7, 2014

Another nice June day. I pedaled to the Omelette Shop for breakfast. I can get coffee, two eggs and a short stack of pancakes for $6.50. A bargain. After breakfast I pedaled around Reeds Lake. Today they had the Reeds Lake run so I had some trouble getting through Gaslite Village. When I got home Nancy was working very hard cleaning out the laundry room. We continue to pitch. We pitched two of my Navy Dress Uniform pants. They were in good shape, 100% wool, but a size 30. Yes folks a size 30. We made many trips up to the garage. We had enough material to make a Goodwill trip. We also have enough trash that I can call Clean Sweep to clean out the garage. Nancy says we still have a long way to go. After the Goodwill trip I took a two mile walk. I then showered and took a nap. Tonight we had dinner at Russ's. I had the hot turkey sandwich. I love mash potatoes and gravy. We watched the Belmont Stakes. It it now 1931 and as soon as I finish this blog I will head downstairs. We will watch something on Netflix. I hope everyone is getting their 30 minutes in. In fact in the Summer I should change it to 60'.

Friday June 6, 2014

June 6th, D Day. I did not know anyone in the first wave at D Day but I did know several in the 2nd and 3rd wave. I also had a friend who was on a Coast Guard ship in the English Channel. His stories were very interesting. We are having a nice string of good weather. Cool evenings with warm sunny days are making June very pleasant. Today is the last day of school in GR. I followed my normal warm weather routine, calisthenics at home, bike to Starbucks in D&W and at 0930 get back on my bike and head to MVP. The outdoor pool is now open and one lane is available for lap swimming. I stayed indoors today. It is a little over nine miles round trip to MVP. This afternoon I drove Nancy to seven different stores. She did not spent much time in each store. It was very warms so I stayed in the car with Ms P. I kept the AC running. Kim came today and cleaned the house. She has one more visit to 1555 Mackinaw and then it is on to 6174 Tahoe. I took a short nap and then a 2 mile walk. We had dinner at Houlihan's. I had a great hamburger. We watched an episode of Sherlock on Netflix before heading upstairs.

Thursday June 5, 2014

No rush on Thursday mornings because I cannot get in the pool until 1045. I had coffee at Starbucks in Breton Village. I have to take a different route to MVP because of work on Burton Ave. It add some distance. I swam 500 meters today. Tomorrow I will see if I can swim outside. The outdoor pool has several lap lanes. Nancy had lunch with several friends from the Blodgett Gift Shop. They ate at the new downtown market. I ordered a new bay window for our living room. The existing window has a seal leak so no charge for the window but we must pay for the installation. I wanted to get in our new condo for about 15 minutes so our painter can see what needs to be done. I called the old owners and they said that they are out of town so we cannot get in until the 14th. Our painter will be on vacation so we must move our painting and carpet installation back a week. I did take a two mile walk today. Lately when I take a walk neighbors stop and ask about our move. Dinner tonight was at Great Lakes Shipping. We sat outside for the first time this year. It was very pleasant. Today was a perfect summer day. Temps in the 70s with blue sky and sun. It is now 2000 and I am heading down to watch Big Bang Theory. We will also read the GRP and watch some Netflix.

Wednesday June 4, 2014

Wednesday my easy day and I have been looking forward to a day off. I slept in and then rode the bike to the Omelette Shop for pancake and eggs. After breakfast I rode around Reeds Lake. When I got home I got in the C2 and ran errands. I stopped at the Chevy place for an oil change and to see about when I can get the recall repairs made. It will take a month to get the parts. I also stopped at U Haul to see about renting a van. The folks said no problem if I order the van on a week day. I also stopped at the post office and Hall Street Bakery to see if they had any day old cookies, they did not. Nancy is working at the Gardens this afternoon. It started to rain about noon so I took a quick nap. After the nap I made some calls regarding our move. I called a plumber about moving the washer/dryer from the main floor to the walkout. I talked to our painter about stripping wallpaper. He cannot give me an estimate unless he sees the rooms needing work. I called our Realtor to see in we can get in the condo on Monday for about 30 minutes. I finished the afternoon with a two mile walk. The Buyers of our house had an inspection done and the inspector found our bay window had a seal leak. The window has a life time warranty so we had an installer stop by this evening to measure up the bad window and give us a price for installation. His price was reasonable. Tomorrow we will order a new window. It is now 2000 and the sun is out. We will watch the Stanley Cup before heading upstairs.

Tuesday June 3, 2014

Up at 0630, I am still on my 50% schedule for calisthenics. I pedaled to Breton Village for coffee and the WSJ. At 0930 I pedaled to MVP. Today I swam 500 meters. After my swim I sat in the lobby of MVP and finished the WSJ. I got home at 1300. Nancy has been working hard filling boxes for our big move. She fills several boxes a day. After a quick lunch I took a short nap. I hired a lawn service to cut the grass for the next several weeks. They do not do as good a job as I did but I am done with yard work. I took Ms P around the block and then returned a book to the OH Library. Today was a perfect summer's day. Blue sky and temps in the 70s. I just finished filling out forms for condo insurance and health insurance. Tonight we are finishing the hamburg/baked bean casserole. We will read a paper copy of the GRP and watch NCIS reruns.

Monday June 2, 2014

It was really hot last night. We should have turned on the AC. It was 74 at 0630 when I got up. Did the at home calisthenics and then pedaled to D&W (Starbucks) in Breton Village. Nancy left early to attend some classes at MVP. Today's WSJ had an article on how China is being seen as the Big Bully by its smaller neighbors. Their claims in the South China and East China Sea appear excessive. They are even flexing their muscle towards the USA. They claim the USA is in decline. I think the USA should be happy to give up its role as the World's Bully. At 0930 I pedaled to MVP for a 500 meter swim. The pool was empty. I came straight home after the swim because rain was on its way. After a quick lunch I spent some time moving furniture around the condo using my ACAD program. I think we have reached an agreement on where our TV watching room will be and also my man cave. Nancy's first ideas proved valid. We got some more photos of the new condo. The photos are useful. I also took a quick nap. We have a painter lined up for the end of June. This afternoon we visited Sullivan's Carpet and bought carpet for the downstairs bedroom and family/office room. We turned the AC on this morning to cool the house down. We had heavy showers roll through this afternoon. The temperature dropped so we turned the AD off. Tonight will probably be a Netflix evening. Today I got my 30 in did you?

Sunday June 1, 2014

Weekend Update: Saturday May 31, 2014: Up at 0700 and since Nancy did not want to go to breakfast I pedaled to Bill's. I had their "Super Breakfast". After breakfast I took a quick ride around Reeds Lake. I put 12 miles on the bike. My longest ride since pneumonia. I am feeling much better except for my drooping right eye lid. Every one I meet asks what is wrong with the eye. Actually the drooping eye is only an inconvenience. I see a Plastic Surgeon on the 10th. I spent some time working on ACAD arranging furniture in our condo. Every thing is fitting. Nancy and I spent some time looking for carpets for the walkout. Our first stop was Home Depot. The nice young lady explained how their scheduling works. It does not appear that Home Depot can meet our schedule. Our next stop was Sullivan's. Nancy liked their selection and they can meet our schedule. We finished our carpet tour about 1700 so instead of going home we headed to Forest Hill Inn for dinner. Nancy had a burger and I had a tuna sandwich. We talked with Debbie on FaceTime this evening. She has a new kitten. We watch Midsomer Murders on Netflix before heading upstairs. Sunday June 1, 2014: Most weather folks consider June the first month of summer. I agree. We have had a string of sunny warm days. Up at 0700 and we headed to MVP. This is the first time is over a month that Nancy and I have gone swimming. I swam 50% of my normal. Nancy swam a little more. We did our routine weekly shopping at Meijer's. Gas today was $3.88. Nancy fixed her world famous scrambled eggs for breakfast. I read sections of the GRP before heading up to my Sunday nap. Instead of a nap I continue reading my book on the corruption in LA during the 20s and 30s. It is a great book. Nancy is fixing hamburger/bake bean casserole for dinner. My favorite. We will watch 60 Minutes and maybe a Netflix before heading upstairs.