Friday August 29, 2014

Friday August 29, 2014 Finally I woke up at a decent hour, 0630. Today I selected the long ride around the neighborhood. This ride takes about 1h40’. The weather was threatening rain but it did hold off until I got home. Nancy was already home from MVP. A warning light on the Taurus said to change the oil. I took the car in and the Ford man said that we did not have enough miles for an oil change. He reset the warning light and said come back in 1,000 miles. Last night while Nancy was looking around Talbots I looked around Fitzgerald’s and saw a pair of blue cotton pants that I might want to add to my wardrobe. Today I was in a spending mood so I stopped and purchased a pair. Why are pants called a pair? Finally I stopped at Panera for coffee and the WSJ. Today I read the WSJ on my Kindle. I used a large font and had no trouble reading. Speaking of eyes and reading today I increased my dosage for the drooping eye. It seems to work. Kim came today to clean. The house is now clean and ready for tomorrow’s guests. I spent some time this afternoon calling some magazines to make sure they have the new address. On our move from Mackinaw I lost several item. I lost the charger for the Apple Air, my Apple mouse and the charger for my fitbit. This afternoon I went online and tried to order a new fitbit charger. The site rejected both my credit cards. Bummer! Nancy got a new ipad air for her birthday. Thanks Debbie. We took both her old and new ipads to the Apple store to transfer files. The store could not perform the transfer but I was told how to do it at home. We had dinner tonight at Olga’s in Woodland Mall. It is now 2044 and Nancy is watching CSI, Las Vegas. I will head upstairs as soon as I finish this blog. We will watch a Netflix show. Last night we watched “House of Cards” and “The Politician’s Husband”, the BBC’s version of “House of Cards” or vice versa. Anyway we don’t like the “Politician’s Husband”.

Thursday August 28, 2014

Thursday August 28, 2014 I will have to start going to bed earlier. Our free HBO will end next month so that should help. I got up at 0700 and after the at-home stuff I pedaled to Panera for coffee and the WSJ. I have been reading the WSJ on my mini. It is great because it is in color with photos. However, with my recent eye problem I have problems reading the mini with the bright lights at Panera. Also the font is too small. So today I ordered the WSJ on my Kindle. The type on the Kindle is easier to read in a bright area. Also I can really increase the font size. After Panera I pedaled to MVP for my 30’ swim. The pool was nearly empty. I really like the MVP pool. I have had no nose or ear problems that I had at the old MAC pool. I really like the cooler water. MVP has a thermal pool for the old folks. Nancy and I went to Costco this afternoon. Nancy had to buy some supplies for Saturday night. Gas at Costco was $3.30. Last week I broke a pair of glasses. I drove downtown and picked them up. Later, I got out the ladder and finished washing the outside windows. I finished the afternoon with a 30’ nap. Nancy and I had dinner at Great Lakes Shipping. After dinner Nancy stopped at Talbots. She bought several items. Today was another perfect day. Temps in the mid 70s with blue sky. Can you believe it high school football season starts tonight. I recently read that students must pay $295 for season tickets to the UM games. I think when I was in school you got in with your student ID. While in CA recently I bought a bottle of single malt scotch. The scotch is called Springbank and is brewed in my GGF’s home town of Campbeltown, Scotland. I will have a sample later.

Wednesday August 27, 2014

Wednesday August 27, 2104 Today is my easy Wednesday. I slept in until 0715. I loaded up the bike and headed to Bill’s for breakfast. After breakfast I stopped at Martha’s Vineyard, my favorite wine store, and bought a bottle of red and white wine. Saturday we are having five folks over for dinner so we needed some good wine. Next stop was Kent County CU to get some cash. Finally I drove to Riverside Park. I rode the White Pine Trail to Rockford a distance of 22 miles. It took 1hr58’. Perfect day for a bike ride, temps in the mid 70s and clear and sunny. After the ride I took a quick nap. In recent days we had 50% of our outside lights burn out. I drove to GR Lighting and found a replacement bulb. Actually the existing bulbs are no longer legal. However, the store bought several thousand bulbs before they were banned. I bought 10 bulbs. Today is Nancy’s birthday. As I wrote in yesterdays blog I have known Nancy for 18,240 days. I bought her a gift card for $182.40. It has been a great 18,240 days. Happy Birthday Nancy. We had a light dinner. I am now sitting outside on our upper deck writing this blog. It is a perfect evening. It looks like it will be a Netflix evening.

Tuesday August 26, 2014

Tuesday August 26, 2014 It was dark and gloomy when I got up at 0630 today. The weather app on the iphone said no rain but WoodTV said rain all morning. I decided that it would not rain on my parade. I got on the bike and headed to Panera to get my morning coffee and read the WSJ. At 0930 I got back on the bike and pedaled to MVP. Today I swam 600 meters in 30 minutes using the breaststroke. This is much slower that when I use the crawl. After the swim I pedaled home without getting caught in any rain. I had a quick lunch and then started washing some outside windows. As soon as I started we had a big thunder storm roll through. I did get the north side windows washed. It was so dark I thought I should take a nap. After the nap I emailed a spread sheet to WF. The stock market continues to baffle me. With all the problems in the world it still goes up. Go figure! I paid a lot of bills this afternoon. I grabbed Ms P and walked to the mail box. The mail box is exactly 0.5 miles from the condo. Nancy fixed a chicken breast and corn on the cob for dinner. It was tasty. It is now 1945 and I am sitting in my office writing this blog. We still have not had a 90 degree day this summer. Our DirectTV is about $30 cheaper than Comcast. However, when the thunderboomers rolled through this afternoon we lost TV for about 10 minutes. Tomorrow is Nancy’s birthday. Did you know that tomorrow I will have known Nancy for 18, 240 days. A little math problems for readers. I hope everyone is getting their 30 minutes outside everyday. This date in 1938, Ossineke, Mi. Today GGF noted that it was cool in the morning but started warming at noon. He let Lori B have 8 dozen corn cobs he had picked this morning. GGF worked in the PO in the afternoon. After dinner he drove with his grandson David Johnson to Poppinoills to look over some timber land.

Monday August 25, 2014

Monday August 25, 2014 I got up this morning at 0615. After a quick at-home routine I got on the bike and took a 90 minute ride. It was hot and humid. After my shower I got in the C2 and ran some errands. My first stop was Macatawa Bank. I have cannot open my accounts at Macatawa. The web site will not open. The folks at the bank gave me some ideas. After the bank I headed to Breton Village. Fitzgerald’s is having their after summer sale. I saw nothing that I liked. I stopped at Starbucks to get a coffee and read the WSJ. Ferguson,, MO is now old news but the Middle East still dominates. The folks in DC are talking about taking air strikes into Syria. If we strike ISIS in Syria we will be helping Assad the original Bad Guy. I think we should just hold up our hands and say we are outa here. That’s what I would do. After a quick lunch I downloaded some recent pictures from Nancy’s camera. It has been awhile since I did a financial report for Nancy and Bob. I spent some time assembling this data. We had a light dinner tonight. It is now 2022 and Nancy is getting all the photos I just downloaded arranged and modified. We have been running the AC all day. This is about the third time this summer we have had it on. The temperature is now 82 with a humidity of 84. That is very sticky. At 2100 we will watch another episode of Happy Valley on Netflix.

Sunday August 24, 2014

Sunday August 24, 2014 Up at 0700 and get ready for our Sunday swim. After the swim we did our shopping at Meijer’s. Gas was $3.45 per gallon. The Kraft Ave Meijer’s must be upscale because they do not have any National Enquirers on sale. Bummer, I alway like to read the headlines. Nancy fixed her world famous poached eggs for breakfast. I had my eggs on a waffle. I took my nap and then Ms P and I went on a mile walk. I spent the rest of the afternoon moving filing cabinets and getting my office just the way I want it. The news had a lot of coverage on the Napa, CA earthquake. I called Debbie to see if it impacted her house. Debbie spent the weekend in the LA area so she did not feel the quake. She talked with several friends and they said the impact in San Jose was very minor. Good News. Nancy fixed hot dogs and baked beans for dinner. I love both hot dogs and baked beans. After watching the news I headed downstairs and spent an hour rearranging my file system. It is perfect. It is now 2024 and I will take a short walk. Nancy and I like Unforgettable. It is on at 2100.

Saturday August 23, 2014

Saturday August 23, 2014 We had another hot humid day. Got up at 0700 and loaded the bike on the C2 and headed to Bill’s for breakfast. I had their super breakfast: eggs, potatoes, sausage and toast. It was great. After breakfast I headed to Riverside Park. Road construction this summer had made getting to the park very difficult. This was my first time on the White Pine Trail this year. I rode to Rockford a distance of 22 miles. It took two hours. The trail was very crowded this morning. The White Pine is one of the most scenic trail I have ridden. I took a quick shower and then a short nap. I was working in the storage room when I noticed water dripping from the main floor. After much prodding Nancy and I determined that the drip was from the refrigerator. The reefer is built into the wall so we could not pull it out. We did find the maintenance manual and determined that the ice maker was the problem. We turned the ice machine off and the dripping stopped. Next week I will have to call the service folks and see what can be done. We continue to move lamps around to get the ideal conditions. This afternoon I moved a lamp from the ground floor to the kitchen and a lamp in the master bedroom to the ground floor bedroom. It was a good move. Ms P is getting old. She does not like to climb stairs. I try everyday to take her on a walk of almost a mile. At her last checkup the Vet said her weight was ok but we must continue walking her. We took a walk this afternoon. Tonight Nancy and I are going to Panera for dinner. I have earned points so we both get a free bowl of soup. Tonight is a Netflix night. Last night we watched a new BBC show called Happy Valley. It is worth a second look. We still get the premier movie channels. Last night I watched parts of “The Heat”. I thought it was crude but funny. I also watched Wolverine and did not like it.

Friday August 22, 2014

Friday August 22, 2014 Another warm humid day but surprisingly no rain. After the at home routine I got on the bike and headed to Panera for coffee and a chance to read the paper. I left at 0930 and pedaled to MVP. The pool was empty today. I did 30 minutes of the breast stroke. It takes me 25 minutes to pedal from the condo to MVP. Recently I read that this year is the 50th anniversary of the Beatles first US Tour. The Beatles were in San Francisco on August 19, 1964. I remember it well because I had just landed in SF from Vietnam and needed to get a taxi or bus from the airport to the US Navy base on Treasure Island. Not a bus or taxi was to be had because they were tied up taking folks to the Beatles concert at the Cow Palace. Nancy had a appointment today with the surgeon who will remove her saliva gland. The surgery is scheduled for the end of September. After lunch I ran some errands. My first stop was ACE Hardware to get a new 4 ft long bulb for a downstairs light fixture. I then drove downtown to pick up three pictures that Chic’s had just re-framed. They are now ready for hanging in the kitchen. For dinner tonight Nancy and I had dinner at Brann’s. Brann’s is less that 1/2 mile from our condo. We both had a salad. The downstairs has been very humid lately so I turned on the dehumidifier. I was surprised how much water it has pulled from the air. It has made a big difference in just a short time. We will watch some TV before turning in. Last night we watched an episode of “The Politician’s Wife”. I think it is the British version of House of Cards.

Thursday August 21, 2014

Thursday August 21, 2014 Today will be my 1,835 posting. I am surprised I lasted this long. I slept in this morning until 0700. I did the at home routine and then took a 90 minute bike ride. After the ride I called Chic’s Frame Shop in the McKay Tower. The owner Larry (I called him Polish Larry) was still working. I showered and loaded up three pictures that Nancy wants modified so they will fit in the kitchen. Nancy’s mother had three antique flour bags from a local GR mill. Nancy had them framed and they hung in the kitchen at 1555 for many years. However, the background clashes with our condo’s kitchen. I wanted Larry to put a new background around the bags. He picked an appropriate color and will have the frames ready next week. I had not seen Larry in several years. He is now 65 but has no intention of retiring. We had a good talk. Larry did have one comment on my drooping eyelid. He said it might be caused by Agent Orange. Larry is active in the Vietnam Veterans local group. I will ask at my next appointment. I did take a short nap. For the first time this week Nancy and I will have dinner at home. We will read the GRP and watch some Netflix or TV.

Wednesday August 20, 2014

Wednesday August 20, 2014 This morning I got up at 0600 and attended Breakfast Club. We had a good turnout. The Speaker today was a local business man who was part of the law suit against the ACA and it’s requirement that business owners must provide birth control pills to female employees. The Speaker, a devout Catholic, said this requirement went against his beliefs. He presented his case well. After the meeting I came home changed clothes and then at 1000 I headed to Dr Yurko’s office. I had a growth on my hand and she peeled it off and sent it to the lab. I will know if the growth is cancerous next week. I stopped at Panera for coffee and to read the WSJ. This afternoon Nancy worked at the Gardens and I took a 70 minute bike ride. I finished the afternoon with a short ride. Nancy got home at 1600 and we immediately got in the Taurus and headed to Nancy’s friend Kathi’s house. We picked up Kathi and headed to Founder’s Brewery downtown. Founder’s introduced a new beer today. The introduction was also a fund raiser for Art Prize. The event was held in Founder’s upstairs meeting room. We listened to presentations and drank the new brew. Snacks were also provided. We sat outside on a beautiful summer’s evening. I had never been to Founder’s and was very impressed. The place is huge and it was very crowded. I did notice that Founder’s attracts a younger crowd. We dropped Kathi off and when we got home watched an episode of House of Cards.

Tuesday August 19,, 2014

Tuesday August 19, 2014 It was raining when I stepped out the door so I drove to MVP. On my way I stopped at Panera to get some coffee and read the paper. Ferguson, MO and the Middle East still dominate the news. Today I swam for 30 minutes. I only did the breast stroke with no shoulder pain. We had some heavy thunder storms rolls through this afternoon. Ms P went bananas. I could not even take my nap. Debbie called this afternoon and said our phones were out. We called ATT and got the phones back in service. I spent about two hours getting rid of a lot of old files that I have had for years. I put all the old files in a storage bin. I now have plenty of room in my file cabinet. I really don’t file too many items. Tonight Nancy and I are working at the concert at Meijer Gardens. I hope I don’t get too wet. Stay tuned. It rained all around us but no rain for the concert. We did not stay for the concert. We had our picnic dinner at home.

Monday August 18, 2014

Monday August 18, 2014 The TV folks say that we will have a pleasant day. They were right. After my at-home routine I loaded up my bike and headed to Millennium Park. I rode for 90 minutes. The bike trails today were flat and I was able to use the big front chain ring. In Ada or Cascade I never use this ring. It was a great day for a ride. After the ride I stopped at the Wealthy Street Bakery for coffee and to readi the WSJ. I did take a short nap. Nancy and I met the Horling’s at Charlie’s Crab for dinner. We had the restaurant week special which included a Sander’s hot fudge sundae. After dinner we came back to our house. The Horling’s had never seen our new condo so we gave them the grand tour. After the tour we had coffee in the living room. This is the first time we have had friends over. The condo is starting to shape up.

Sunday August 17, 2014

Sunday August 17, 2014 We did our normal Sunday swim. First time in several weeks. Gas today at Meijer’s was $3.35. Nancy fixed her world famous scrambled eggs for breakfast. I read the funnies and then took my afternoon nap. After the nap I got in the C2 and ran several errands. I stopped at Home Depot and purchased some mulch for a tree in the front yard. I also purchased more picture hangers. At Staples I purchased some file folds and a storage box for old files. I will get organized yet. Yesterday I mentioned that the big mirror in the living room was hung too high. I bought some extenders and now the mirror is just right. We hung some more pictures in the living room. I glued the glass leg back on Nancy’s favorite lamp. This lamp is one of a set of two. We also now have a clothes line in the storage room. Nancy fixed a chicken salad for dinner. We watched some TV and read the GRP before turning in.

Saturday August 16, 2014

Nancy and I went out for breakfast this morning. We ate at the Gathering Place located at the corner of Cascade and Thornapple River. Being a Sat morning I thought the place would be crowded but it wasn’t. The food was good. Nancy ran errands while I spent some time hanging pictures and putting the new cabinet for the downstairs bathroom in place. It was noon before I got all the at-home chores done. I got on the bike gear and took another 90 minute ride. The temperature was in the high 70s so all the hills got to me. I took a 50 minute nap. Nancy and I spent some time hanging the large heavy mirror in the living room. When we finally got the mirror hung Nancy said it was two inches high. Tomorrow I will correct this problem. This evening we had dinner at Panera. Nancy just had a bowl of soup but I had a bowl of soup and half a sandwich. I am sitting outside on the deck writing this blog. It is very pleasant. Lataer we will watch a movie on one of the premier channels that we still get from Direct TV or a netflix show. Funny when I watch TV my eyelid pops open.

Friday August 15, 2014

Friday August 15, 2014 Today was sunny and cool. We have had a cool week. Night temperatures have been in the 40s and 50s. Fall is coming, our sunrise is now 0649. Today I slept in until almost 0700. I did the at home routine and then got on my bike and rode for 90 minutes. I did the Thornapple River, Fulton, Spaulding, Cascade route. My legs still are having trouble with the hills. Next week I will bike on the White Pine Trail and see if I have better times than earlier this year. White Pine is a flat trail. After the ride I showered and then headed to a local coffe shop to sample their coffee and read the WSJ. The place was small and the coffee shop is combined with a ice cream store. I will try it again. Today I had some errands to run. I stopped at “Bed, Bath and Beyond and bought a cabinet that sits ove the toliet. It is for the downstairs basement. I then stopped at Home Deport and bought some more shelves for the storage room. I also bought hangers so I can put up a clothes line in the storage room for Nancy. Nancy bought a chicken for dinner. We sat outside on the deck. Outside is good. I spent a lot of time putting up the shelves in the storage room and the cabinet for the downstairs bathroom. I did not finish the cabinet until 2300 last night. I am taking pills to get up right eyelid to stay up. Sometimes I get double vision. I had a tough time using a screw driver. However, I did get the cabinet assembled. Instead of going directly to bed I turned on the TV and watched an old Coen Brother movie. I finally turned in at midnight.

Thursday August 14, 2014

Thursday August 14, 2014: In yesterday’s blog I forgot to mention all the work we have been doing getting lamps and tables for the condo. Yesterday afternoon we met with our finance guy and he said we are ok at least for the next year. Today I woke up at 0600. I did the in home routine and then pedaled to Panera for coffee and a chance to read the WSJ. I hope we don’t get bogged down again in the Middle East. All the inter tribal fighting and the conflict within Islam make it too complicated for most folks. At 0930 I got back on the bike and headed to MVP. Today I had to share a lane. MVP’s lanes are too narrow for sharing. I think I over extended my shoulder when using the crawl stroke. My arm fell asleep probably indicating a pinched shoulder nerve. Next swim I will use only the breast stroke. When I got home Kim was cleaning the condo. Nancy and I got in the Taurus and ran some errands. (yes Ms P was included) Our first stop was Gorman‘ furniture. We are looking for a kitchen table and chairs. Gorman’s did not have any thing that met our needs. The same for Watson’s our second stop. After a quick lunch I spend most of the afternoon cleaning my desk, and getting my files in order. I also spent some time talking to the gas and electric companies. They got all mixed up on our July bills. What should have been charged to Mackinaw was instead charged to Tahoe, etc. I was on hold for over an hour. I think we finally got things squared away. We had dinner at Great Lakes Shipping. We ate outside. After dinner we stopped by GR Lighting and bought a ceiling lamp for our foyer. Next we stopped at Art Van’s and bought a kitchen table and chairs. Nancy had a productive evening. Last night the temperature dipped down to the 50s. It was sunny today but the high was only 73. Next week the temps are suppose to be in the 90s.

Wednesday August 13, 2014

Wednesday August 13, 2014: Catch up time again. Nancy and Bob have spent a busy past week. Wednesday August 6, We all get up at 0530. Today we are taking AJ back to LA. We are traveling United from GR to Denver to LAX. The flight went off without a hitch. When we got to LAX we headed to Fox Car Rental. We had to wait about an hour to get our car. We rented a Toyota Yaris, a really small car. We got to Missy’s condo in Brentwood around 1300. Missy and AJ had a happy areunion. Nancy and I are staying at an extended stay place called, you guessed it, “Extended Stay”. It is located in Torrance. Torrance is almost half way between Steve’s place in Long Beach and Missy’s LA condo. For dinner Missy and AJ drove down and we had dinner in a local pub in Torrance. Thursday August 7: Once again we get up at 0530. We take surface streets to Steve’s place. It took about 20 minutes. In fact we were very early so we stopped at Starbucks for a coffee. Today we are taking Grandson Lucas to Santa Catalina Island. Santa Catalina as in the song “26 miles across the sea Santa Catalina is the place for me. We are catching the ferry at Long Beach. It is about a one hour boat ride. It was a very pleasant day. The ferry was very crowded. The ferry lands at the small village of Avalon. Avalon is a small area of flat land surrounded by mountains. I would describe Santa Cantalina as Mackinaw Island with Golf Carts. Golf Carts are the main mode of transportation. We sensed that Lucas might get bored just walking around the Village looking at shops so we rented a Golf Cart. It was a great move. The rental place gave us a map showing a scenic drive. It was indeed a scenic drive. We started at sea level and climbed the hills surrounding Avalon. It think the peak is about 2500 feet. The view of the harbor and town was spectular. After our ride we ate at a local hamburg place. After lunch we had some time to kill so we played minature golf. Nancy won. It was a pleasant trip back to Long Beach. Veronica and Alessandra were attending a soccer dinner so Steve, Lucas, Bob and Nancy had dinner at Super Mex. Alessandra and Veronica joined us later. It was a great day. Friday August 8: Today is my sister, Helen’s birthday. Happy Birthday Helen. I remember when Helen and my mother came home from the hospital. My Dad picked my mother up in his arms and carried her upstairs. Quite a feat. Today is Alessandra’s day. We stopped by the house and picked her up about 0800. We went out for breakfast at Alessandra’s favorite place. After breakfast we headed to an amusement park. This park has rides suitable for the 5-10 year olds. The park opened at 1000 and we were the first ones in. Alessandra headed for the roller coaster. We had the coaster all to ourselves. We took two rides. During our stay we rode on every rides. Alessandra even got a special frozen lemonade. Yes I bought the cup. We left the park about 1400. Our next stop was Barnes and Noble. Nancy and Alessandra picked out several books that she wanted. Our last stop was Jamba Juice where Alessandra bought her favorite driink. For dinner we met the rest of the Scott family at a favorite restaurant of Steve and Vernocia. We sat outside and had a great meal. I love a relaxing dinner sitting outside and talking with family. The end to a perfect day. Saturday August 9: Bob and Nancy slept in today. We drove to Missy’s and had breakfast at AJ’s favorite place IHOP. It really was quite good. Missy and AJ are attending a birthday party so Nancy and I spent some time at the Century City Mall. We waited around Missy’s condo until they came home so we could say goodby. We stopped at a fast food place for dinner. Sunday August 10: Today is a travel day. We returned the car and left LA at 1300. We got home a little after 2200. Monday August 11, 2014: Back to the routine. I did the at-home and then because of possible rain I drove to MVP for my swim. All the lanes were full but the lifeguard recommended I swim in the outside pool. I did and I enjoyed the swim. Spent the rest of the day catching up. We had a light dinner at home. Tuesday August 12, 2014: Rain prevented me from riding my bike so I drove to MVP. After the swim I came home and Nancy and I ran some errands. Nancy fixed pork chop with dressing for dinner. Wednesday August 13, 2014: My easy day so I slept in and then because of the bright sunshine I got on the bike and headed to breakfast. Today I ate at a place called the “Gathering Place” on the corner of Cascade and Thornapple River. I had the cornbeef hash and it was good. After breakfast I took a two hour bike ride around the neighborhood. On every ride I find new points of interest. I did stop by the SE YMCA to check on their pool schedule. It is not as good as MVP. Nancy attended a Japenese Garden meeting at Meijer’s Garden this morning and then she did her normal routine at the fromt desk. Ms P and I ran some errands. I did take a short nap this afternoon. I also took a walk and met some folks who live in the neighborhood and were members of the old MAC. Every day I seem to meet some neighbors who I know. Nancy has book club tonight so I had pizza with Ed Namey. We met at Uccello’s.

Tuesday August 5, 2014

Tuesday August 5, 2014 Today was a taper off day. We have a big travel day coming up. AJ slept in until 1000. Did you know that LA schools start next week? Nancy wanted AJ to enjoy her last days of freedom. At 1100 we all got in the Taurus and headed to Alto. We visited the Boulder Ridge Zoo. The zoo is private and has a selection of animals appealing to six year olds. Nancy and I were impressed. AJ got to pet a lot of animals. She fed the camels and giraffe. Today must have been Grandparents Day. The old folks were everywhere. The past two weeks has reinforced my belief that parenting is a young persons game. The past six weeks have been hectic for Bob and Nancy. I have not had time to follow what is happening in the world. Next week I will start offering my ideas for solving the world’s problems. Stay tuned!

Monday August 4, 2014

Monday August 4, 2014 Nancy and Bob have a busy day scheduled. Up at 0645 and after the calisthenics I got on the bad boy and took a new short route today. It took only 50 minutes but had some first class hills. Nancy had a 1000 denist appointment. AJ and I got in the C2 and headed to the 4H fair in Lowell. The place was jammed I had a hard time finding a parking place. AJ liked all the farm animals. They had a petting area and she spent a lot of time petting all the animals. We walked through every barn. For lunch we had an elephant ear and pop. The big disappointment was that the midway rides did not start until 1700. After four hours we headed home. I was tired but AJ was still fired up. When we purchased the condo we inherited a charcoal filter. The filter was suppose to remove chlorine from the water. I like chlorine so I asked the supplier to remove the filter. The service man came this afternoon and talked me out of removing the filter. Instead he turned the filter off and turned on a bypass valve. The plumbing for the filter is complicated. When we get back from CA I will try to figure out the plumbing and maybe remove the filter. The weather continues sunny and warm. We need rain. Today is the 75th birthday of my childhood friend “Tommy Collins”. Tom now lives in San Clemente, CA. He returns to Alpena about once a year. Tom and his wife were in Panama the ssme time Nancy and I were. Kim came and picked up Ms P today. I think Ms P was happy to leave. She has trouble with competition.

Sunday August 3, 2014

Sunday August 3, 2014: Another nice sunny day in GR. The alarm went off at 0700 and I got up and headed to MVP for a swim. Nancy stayed home. After the swim I headed home and we loaded up the Taurus and headed to Meijer’s. Becuase of our trip to CA this week we did not need many supplies. AJ did get a donut. Nancy fixed her world famous poached eggs this morning. I took a short nap and then AJ, Nancy and I headed to a Cascade Twp park. AJ liked the park. After a short rest AJ, Ms P and I took a short walk. Nancy fixed fried chicken drumsticks for dinner. We also had fresh green beans and potato salad. Very tasty. We are spending a quiet night at home.

Saturday August 2, 2014

Saturday August 2, 2014: Another sunny day in GR. I slept in until 0715 and then got on the Bad Boy and took a 90 minute bike ride. After the ride I ran several errands. This afternoon we headed to the Riding Stables so AJ could take a vaulting lesson. Nancy bought AJ a toy dragon this afternoon. I guess Dragons are popular with six year olds. For dinner tonight we ate at IHOP. AJ said it was her favorite restaurant. It is now 1958 and AJ just finished talking with Missy. She is watching Frozen and Bob and Nancy are going to watch Midsomer Murders on Netflix.

Friday August 1, 2014

Friday August 1, 2014: This is my second attempt at today’s blog. I am having problems when I write the blog using the blogger template. I am now using Pages now to write the blog. This morning I did not go swimming but instead took a bike ride. I rode the Ada Drive route which took 1h20m. Later, Nancy and AJ visited the library and I make a bank run. This afternoon we visited the GR Museum. They are having a Lego exhibition. It is amazing what you can do with Legos. The Museum was very crowded. For dinner AJ, Nancy and Bob went to Russ’s on Plainfield. We met the Moleskis. Nancy found a piece of glass in her salad. She got a cut in her mouth. The girls have been complaining about Ms P’s smell. We all grabbed Ms P and gave her a good bath. Debbie facetimed us tonight and Missy called AJ. Our electronics are busy. AJ is watching a show on Once Upon a Time that Nancy recorded earlier. Nancy and I will watch Elementary that was recorded last night. Can you believe that today is the first of August. Summer is almost over and yet we have not had a 90 degree day. In July we had only 7 days with temperatures above average. I hope everyone is getting their 30 minutes outside in each day.