Sunday November 30, 2014

Sunday November 30, 2014 Sunday morning so we are up with the alarm at 0655. Today is a swim day for Nancy and Bob. We each got a lane this morning. I swam 30 minutes and Nancy 40. Following the swim we headed to Meijer’s for our weekly supplies. I filled up the Taurus. Gas was $2.92. Nancy fixed her world famous scrambled eggs for breakfast. In addition I had whole grain waffles with sugarless syrup. Speaking of sugarless today I weighted 152 pounds. Way to go Bob. I read the funnies and then took a short nap. This afternoon I installed an indoor/outdoor thermometer in the kitchen. We also have one in the basement. I have not sold my old bike yet so to get it out of the way I placed two hooks in the garage and hung it up. I had to get my 30 in today so I took a two mile walk. Thursday night Nancy and I are going to an event at the Gardens. I have to wear a suit. When we moved I found an old three button I purchased around 1974. I brought it with me when we moved. I tried it on. It really fit well. I showed Nancy and she said it was ok. This means wear one of your two button suits. I thought three button suits were back in vogue. I googled 2 or 3 buttons and most sites said stick with the 2 button. It was 50 this morning. The temperature has steadily dropped all day and will be 21 by morning. I will return after dinner. It is now 1841. Nancy fixed me a turkey sandwich, lima beans and a great salad for dinner. We will finish reading the GRP and watch some network TV before turning in. On a sad note I was going to make mention of what Great Grandfather Sanborn was doing this date in 1938. GGF last entry was November 20. He passed away on November 29, 1938. He was a great guy and an inspiration. His Diary for the year of my birth, 1938, provided me with many pleasant memories. Did you know GGF Sunburn was born on St Pad’s Day, 1856. I hope my Great Grand kids will enjoying reading this blog.

Saturday November 29, 2014

Saturday November 29, 2014 We had a light dusting of snow last night. I got on the bike at sunrise, 0750, and headed to the Omelette Shop in Breton Village. Breton Village is about 6 miles from the condo. The temperature was near 32. I still am having problems figuring out how to dress on these cold mornings. I was overdressed this morning. The Omelette Shop was not very crowded. I had an oatmeal breakfast. Now that the election is over the WSJ is back reporting on business and what is happening in the world. I read all the articles on the OPEC meeting and the implications of an over supply of oil. As soon as I got home we got in the Taurus and headed to Lowe’s. We are looking for a new light in the kitchen. We did not find the light. Our next stop was Home Depot. No light but we did buy an indoor/outdoor thermometer and an orchid. At home I had a quick lunch and then watched the first half of the UM/OSU. I took a quick nap and was up in time to watch the fourth quarter. I should have stayed in bed. Ms P and I took our 1.25 mile walk. It is now 1716 and soon Nancy and I are going out to dinner. I think we will go to Sundance Grill. I was wrong we ended up at Brann’s. We sat in the Sports Bar and about 15 TVs were showing football games. The place was jammed and noisy. We both had salads. Brann’s has good salads. Watch some football and maybe Netflix before turning in.

Friday November 28, 2014

Nancy was up before 0700 and headed out to attend a class at MVP. I did my calisthenics at home. It was very cold this morning, 19, but no snow. I got out the bike and pedaled to Panera for coffee. At 0930 I pedaled to MVP for a swim. I was surprised but I had my pick of lanes. I swam for 30 minutes. On my way home I stopped at a Starbucks to finish reading the WSJ. As soon as I got home I took out the Cobalt and headed to Ace Hardware. I bought some hooks to hang up my bikes in the garage. Had a quick lunch. I was still cold from my bike ride so I turned on the electric blanket and took a short nap. I spent some time on the computer checking our accounts. I also bought some lined bike riding pants from LL Bean. Tonight Nancy is fixing left overs from yesterday's feast. Thursday night I think is a Netflix night.

Thursday November 27, 2014

Thursday November 27, 2014 Thanksgiving Day, 2014: Slept in today. Had a quick breakfast and then took out my bike with new studded tires. Pedaled around the neighborhood for about and hour. We had a dusting of snow on the sidewalks but the bike worked fine. In my 76 years I have spent only 3 Thanksgiving away from family. The first time was in 1961. I had Thanksgiving dinner at the Navy BOQ, Pearl Harbor. It was a feast. Heavy silverware, table clothes and the works, I was impressed. Next day I flew to Midway Island, I was sad. I should stop whining. In yesterday’s GRP photos of living WW II veterans was shown. One of the vets was Cliff McCann. Cliff was the City Engineer of EGR for about 40 years. I knew Cliff well, he is a great guy. Cliff spent over three years on Midway during WW II. I have nothing to complain about. I only spent 1 year, two weeks, and three days on Midway. We are having dinner at Ed and Mary Namey’s home. Tim Mast is also attending. At 1330 we head to the Namey’s. The Namey’s had just had their condo redone. It looked great. The meal was really good. We had a great time just talking. Nancy and I left at 1800. At home we watched the news and some network TV. Debbie, Missy and Stephen all called so we had contact with all the kids.

Wednesday November 26, 2014

Wednesday November 26, 2014 Up at 0530, no snow so took interstate to Breakfast Club. Small turnout, speaker from GR Public Museum. Stopped at Martha's Vineyard, bought cheese to take to Namey's on Thanksgiving. Fast coffee at Breton Village, no WSJ today. At Kohl's bought two tee shirts. Looked at Nissan Juke, did not buy. Picked up address labels at printers. Took bike to get snow tires. Told would take 20'. Stopped at new medical supply store for compression socks. Did not buy. Picked up bike. Nancy worked at Gardens. Took nap then Ms P on walk. Finished afternoon with hour walk. Light dinner and then Netflix. Did blog on iPad. Can you tell?

Tuesday November 25, 2014

Tuesday November 25, 2014 We had about one inch of snow last night. Temps this morning were in the high 20s. Nancy headed out early to swim. I did all my calisthenics at home. No bike today. I cannot get into the pool at MVP until 0955 so I spent 45 minutes reading the WSJ at Panera. I have been having some shoulder pain but I decided to swim anyway. I swam 1,000 meters with no pain. I stopped at Sprint to see if they could download all my music from the iPhone 5 to my new iPhone 6. They said no problem. The Sprint man showed me how to download the songs. He got it started and then showed me how to finish downloading when I got home. It did not work. Most of the song I downloaded from CDs and did not purchase from Apple. Apple apparently does not like none iTunes songs. I need a new swim suit so I stopped at MC. No swim gear this time of year. I will order on line. At home I finished reading the WSJ. I spent some time in my office before eating lunch. Debbie showed me how to connect my big monitor to the Apple Air. I like the big screen. Took a short nap and then took what I thought was a long walk. My pedometer said it was only 2.5 miles. I reached my 10,000 steps because my fitbit went off. As I was ending my walk four deer ran across my path. They stayed awhile in our side yard. I think I will buy some carrots tomorrow. Tonight after dinner I will read the GRP, watch the news and then NCIS. I hope to be in bed before 2230. Breakfast Club tomorrow and I have to get up early, 0530.

Monday November 24, 2014

Monday November 24, 2014 It was raining hard at 0700 and the weather folks said it would be raining all day. The snow is gone. Because of the rain I drove the Cobalt to MVP. Nancy went earlier so she could take an early class. It was hard to find a parking space. I also had trouble finding a treadmill. They must have 30 or more. I finally found one and walked 2 miles at a 15’ pace. I watch folks running on the treadmill but I am reluctant to try. I stopped at Groskopf’s looking for a leather holster to hold my iPhone plus. They did not have any so I bought a 7 port universal charging station. I have many toys that need charging. I had my coffee at Panera. After coffee I headed to the dry cleaner to inquire about my lost sweater. Lo and Behold they found it! After a quick lunch I headed down stairs to set up my charging station and get my office squared away. What else is there to do on a cold rainy day. Speaking of cold, the temperature has dropped about 10 degrees. Snow is expected for tonight. Did you know that we set a record for the most snow in November. And the month is not even over. The day started with temps in the high 40s. It is now 30, snowing with wind speeds over 30 mph. I went out at 1730 to get my 30’ in. I walked around our block and noted that a lot of homes had Christmas lights burning bright. We had a light dinner. Tonight will be a Netflix night.

Sunday November 23, 2014

Sunday November 23, 2014 The gloom continues. It is now 1740, raining and 48. I hate these yo-yo temperatures. One day freezing and the next 50. It is not healthy. If I were King I would order that the temperature between November 15, the first day of deer season, and March 17, St Pat’s Day, never get above 32 or below 20. The alarm goes off at 0700 and we head to MVP. Nancy went swimming. I walked 2 miles on the treadmill. After MVP we headed to Meijer’s. Gas today was $2.97. Meijer’s was jammed. Must be folks getting ready for Thanksgiving. Nancy fixed her world famous poached eggs for breakfast. I read the funnies and then took my mandatory Sunday nap. After the nap I went on a 2.5 mile walk. 1.25 miles was with Ms P. We had 29” of snow this week and it is almost gone. The remaining snow is yucky. Nancy is fixing ham, string beans, and sweet potatoes for dinner. Speaking of food, I recently reported that I am on the “SOS” diet (stop only sugar). I stepped on the scale this morning and I have lost 12 pounds. We will watch network TV tonight. I will finish reading the GRP. I am hooked on British Police dramas. British TV police are clean shaven and the detectives wear suits and ties. No stubble or jeans. Real British cops do not carry guns. Do you think US Cops would give up their guns?

Saturday November 22, 2014

Saturday November 22, 2014 A dark gloomy day. Drizzle and temps above 32. Walked to Panera for coffee and a bagel. After coffee drove to Gazelle Sports to buy some compression socks. Picked up dry cleaning and a sweater was missing. The ticket said 3 but I was sure I took 4. Messed around office and then took an hour walk. Short nap. We had dinner at Great Lakes Shipping. Debbie face timed us tonight. I am glad did not watch UM game today. I used the iPad mini to write this blog. Tedious!

Friday November 21, 2014

Friday November 21, 2014 Using iPad Finally a bright sunny day. Still cold Did all exercises at home. Walked to Panera. Downloaded pedometer. Walked around Panera block, 0.96 miles. Walks were all shoveled by 0700. After Panera Nancy and I ran errands, put coat on Petunia. First stop Lighting Center. Looking for kitchen, living room and master bath lights. No purchase but good ideas. At fireplace store told we are on top of pile. Maybe next week Costco was super crowded. Made several purchases. Looked for bulletin board at Stables. No luck. Nancy picked up book at Cascade Library. Chow Hound. Bought treats and booties. Booties do not work. Must take back. Lunch and then took a walk in back yard. Snow was about 12". Lot of Deer tracks. Short nap and at 1730 drove to Euro Bistro for dinner. Excellent food, little pricy. Watching TV and will soon switch to Netflix.

Thursday November 20, 2014

Thursday November 20, 2014 I set the alarm this morning because the furnace man is coming between 9 and noon. I did all my calisthenics and rowing before 0900. It is still cold and snowing. Nancy went swimming at MVP. After breakfast I made coffee and read the WSJ. Nancy got home about 0900. Kim came to clean about 1000. The cold and snow has been tough on Ms P. Her joints hurt and the snow almost covers her. She must do her bidness on the drive. Our drive was shoveled about 1100. The furnace man did not come until 1200. I showed him our thermostats and he explained to me that they had been changed by the previous owner and were connected to our alarm company’s system. He could not help us. The previous owner worked for the alarm company and was big into toys. He could operate the furnace from his cell phone. I was surprised because one thermostat looked just like the one on Mackinaw. I now must call the alarm company. Maybe I should connect the entire alarm system to my iPhone 6. I had a quick lunch and then looked outside. It was snowing and our street still had not been plowed. Nancy cancelled our trip to Costco. I still had to get my 30 in so I bundled up and headed out. Our street was not plowed but the sidewalks near the house were. I took 3 loops around the block that Panera is on. It took over an hour. While I was walking I saw the Road Commission finally plowing our street. First time since the snow started. Nancy is fixing soup and a ham sandwich for dinner tonight. I have the GRP to read and we will watch “Big Bang”. At 2030 we will switch to Netflix.

Wednesday November 19, 2014

Wednesday November 19, 2014 Wednesday my easy day, no exercises and no breakfast club. Nancy headed to MVP and I bundled up and walked to Sundance Restaurant. It is still very cold and the snow continues to pile up. The weather folks say we have had over a foot of snow. Peanuts compared to Buffalo. In fact Tahoe Drive, a public road, has not been plowed. I don’t know if the Cobalt could make it up our little hill. No problem with the Taurus because it is AWD. Sundance was not very crowded. I had their scrambled eggs and ham item. It is really good. The WSJ is very good about covering the news outside the USA. Our local paper or TV never covers these stories. The nightly news is becoming more fluff than substance. It was still snowing hard when I left Sundance. The sidewalks had not been plowed. At home I gathered up all the sweaters that needed to be dry cleaned. I put them in a back pack and walked to “The Cleaner’s Place”. The nice Korean lady said that she has owned the cleaners for over twenty years. I then stopped next door at the print shop and ordered some address labels. The walk home was brutal because I was walking into the wind. I even stopped at our bank just so I could warm up. The Manager of the bank knew our son Stephen. They played LL Baseball and tennis together. His name is Kip Dozema. Nancy has a busy afternoon. I drove her to Meijer’s Garden so she could do her shift. Her friend Kathi is picking her up at 1530 and they are going to a paper sale. I am meeting Nancy and Kathi at Founder’s Brewery at 1730. On my way home from the gardens I stopped at the Apple Store. Despite the miserable weather the place was crowded. I bought a mouse for the Air. Ended the afternoon with a nap. At 1700 I got in the Taurus and headed to Founder’s Brewery. I choose surface street because I thought the freeway would be jammed. Bad choice. I took me over an hour to go about 12 miles. The event at Founder’s was for Art Prize folks. I had a pale ale of Founder’s and found it quite good. Nancy and I left about 1700. GR had not plowed the street where I parked. I was on a slight incline with a car right in front. I could not move the Taurus, even with the AWD. I walked back to Founders to borrow a shovel. Founders was really good they not only provided a shovel but also a shoveler. It took about 10 minutes to get out. At home we watched some TV before turning in.

Tuesday November 18, 2014

Tuesday November 18, 2014 It snowed all night with 6’ on ground this morning. Temperature was 17 with a wind chill near zero. The condo folks had not cleared the drive yet. I shoveled the walk in our court yard. No MVP for either Nancy or I. All schools are closed. I did all my calisthenics at home. I got out my winter boots and walked to Panera. I was surprised that all the sidewalks in the area were shoveled. It made walking easy. In fact after Panera I walked around the block. I order to get my 30 in I walked around the block again. When I got home our driveway was cleared. The sidewalk, including the courtyard, was also cleared. I had a 1340 appointment with my skin doctor, Dr Mary Yurko. I took surface streets because I thought they would be safer than the freeway. Most streets were only partially cleared. The Doctor froze several spots on my face. She said my leg was healing. On my way home I stopped at the Sprint store to see if my iPhone 6 Plus was in. It was, in fact it had been in almost a week. They said they were too busy to call me. Anyway I now have my new phone. The first thing I noticed was how easy it was to read. I like the larger print. Nancy is fixing her chicken noodle soup for dinner tonight. I will download some apps to the phone while watching TV. Busy night because we have a paper copy of the GRP to read. Think Spring!

Monday November 17, 2014

Monday November 17, 2014 I had to set the alarm this morning because our electrician, Phil Dougherty, is coming at 0830. I got all my calisthenics and rowing done before he arrived. Phil installed a new light in the entry. He also provided suggestions for improving lightning in the kitchen and living room. Nancy arrived from MVP and she was in agreement with the suggestions. We must now find time to pick out several new fixtures. Our condo is wired kind of funny. We thought several outlets in the living room were not working. Phil checked the outlet and said they had power. We plugged lamps to these outlets and found they can all be turned on from one switch. Why didn’t I figure that out? We have a heater in our main bathroom floor. We found out how to program the heater. We still don’t know if we need a heated floor. After Phil left I walked over to Panera for coffee and my morning paper. Coffee at Panera is now part of my weekday ritual. It was so cold Nancy said she was in for the day. I wanted to do the same but I had to get my 30 in today. I got my wool coat out and went on a three mile walk. It was like a February day. The temperature today has not been above 23 and it has snowed all day. The snow on the ground allowed me to see deer tracks. I think after deer season I will put some carrots in the back yard. Took a short nap and then headed downstairs to clean my desk. We need an electric heater in our ground floor office to be comfortable. We have not spent Christmas with Missy in several years so this year we will get a hotel near LA. Nancy bought the tickets today. We will have enough time to all see the Scott Team. We will leave December 22 and come home January 6. This and that: Saturday night we had a great FaceTime talk with Debbie. Technology has really improved our lives. I remember in the late 40s my Grandmother Hughes every month would want to talk to my Uncle Fred in Philly. It took about two hours to make the connection. Of course in the 40s we had no TV, no dial phones or gas heat. We burned coal to keep the house warm. Little Bobby Scott had to put coal in the furnace about every two hours. In the morning we only had some embers left so I had to refill the furnace and take out the ashes. I mentioned on the 15th that it was the first day of deer season. I checked my Great Grandfather’s log for Nov 15 and he mentioned the start of deer season. GGF on the 15th, 1938 finished hauling chicken manure, 26 loads. He moved stones for Robinson and shut up the chickens. Life was simple in 38.

Sunday November 16, 2014

Sunday November 16, 2014 Today we had our first significant snow fall. I had to shovel our courtyard walk. The condo had salted our driveway. The drive was nice and clean. I think we had about an inch of snow on the ground. For the first time in about a month I swam. I swam 20 laps, 1,000 meters, and Nancy swam 25. As I have said before Nancy is a great swimmer. Gas was $3.05 today. Nancy fixed her world famous scrambled eggs for breakfast. I read the funnies and then took a nap. I spent most of the afternoon cleaning up my laptop. I checked my junk mail and found I had an email from Fedex saying they could not deliver a package. I called Fedex and they told me it was a scam and to delete the email. Ms P had not been outside for several days so I took her on our 1.25 mile walk. She had no trouble plowing through the snow. I needed to get my 30 in so I repeated the walk. We had soup and sandwiches for dinner. Watched 60 minutes and then Madame Secretary and the Good Wife before turning in.

Saturday November 15, 2014

Saturday November 15, 2014 November 15 is a big day in MI. It is the first day of deer season. When I was in high school all the guys, yes just guys, got three days off school for deer hunting. When Dad was alive he belonged to the Doctor’s Club, a hunting club. Each year during deer season I spent a weekend at the Doctor’s Club. The food was great and I had a chance to talk to some Alpena friends. Hunting is not as big a deal as it was in the 40s and 50s. It was cold last night with just a dusting of snow. I walked to Panera for a breakfast sandwich and coffee. The WSJ made no mention of deer hunting. They did write about some of China’s moves in SE Asia. I think they are very good at moving their agenda. Our President seems confused by their actions. Not good! I walked home and then got on the bike and took a 90 minutes walk. It was cold and gloomy but no snow. I was really cold when I got home. I have to get out the winter mittens and boots. Nancy and I ran some errands. We headed to “Bed, Bath and Beyond”. We are looking for a big hand mirror and a waste basket. We bought a hand mirror. Home Depot was our next stop. We were looking for a Shepard’s crook to hang our bird feeder. No luck. I was still cold from my bike ride so I turned up the electric blanket and took a short nap. I found a hanger for the bird feeder and hung is on the garage overhang. Nancy fixed soup and hot dogs for dinner. We watched netflix and some of the MSU game before turning in .

Friday November 14, 2014

Friday November 14, 2014 No MVP today I have an early lunch appointment. Did the calisthenics at home. Walked over to Panera for coffee and to read WSJ. Spent over an hour reading and then walked home. Got in Cobalt and drove to Keizer’s in Lowell. I had an 1130 lunch with Jennifer Dougherty. Jennifer brought me up to speed as to what was happening in her world. Jennifer’s world is a busy one with four kids. Living in a rural she puts a lot of miles on her van driving the kids to appointments. All her kids ride the bus. A big advantage of living in GR was that all our kids could walk to school through the eighth grade. Ottawa Elementary and Iroquois Middle were only a block away. I did have time to take an afternoon walk. I also took a short nap. At 1730 we got dressed and headed to a retired Navy Officer’s get together at Cascade Country Club. I even wore a tie. Usually this group meets about once a quarter for drinks. Today’s event included Officers and their spouse. About 20 folks were in attendance. I was the only officer who had not been on a ship. It was a great evening hearing about all the places visited. The food was also very good.

Thursday November 13, 2014

Thursday November 13, 2014 Snow warning were up this morning. The worst snows were along the lake. For the first time this year the snow was sticking. 0700 Nancy leaves for MVP for a swim. I followed shortly. The snow made it difficult to ride a bike so I took the Cobalt. After MVP I drove to Cabella’s to look for lined chinos. They did not have any. Second stop was Dick’s Sporting Goods in Rivertown Mall. No lined pants. Final stop was Eddie Bauer. No pants. Took a two mile walk. I had to get my 30 in today. I walk at a 20’ pace. Nancy saw the skin doctor today. No problems. We had dinner at Shepard’s Bar. We each had the salad burger. Read the GRP and watched Big Bang. We are now watching Inspector Morris on Netflix.

Wednesday November 12, 2014

Wednesday November 12, 2014 Breakfast Club Wednesday, up at 0600 and get ready for drive to BC. Luckily no snow on the ground. If we had new snow I would have had to take surface streets. I take the interstate and have some problems with bumper to bumper traffic traveling at 70 mph in pitch black conditions. We had a poor turnout. Our aging members don’t like driving in the dark. Today’s speaker was Tom Radimaker a GRP columnist who writes about every day folks. He gave a great talk. After BC I drove to Gaslight Village Starbucks for coffee. As always the place was jammed. I read the WSJ. My reason for Gaslight Village was that I wanted to buy lined chinos at the Woolrich Store. At 1000 I walked to the store and found that the space was taken over by a skateboard store. Apparently Woolrich clothes are not popular in EGR. I drove to Woodland Mall to look for lined chinos. No luck. Got a call from the eye doctor saying my glasses were in. I drove downtown and picked up my new glasses. When I got home I took Ms P on a 1.25 mile walk. It was 30 but she did not seem to mind the cold. I then took a two mile walk. I met a new neighbor, Bob Clark. He has lived in the condo unit for 30 years. Bob has a real gift of gab. He is 90 years old and sharp as a tack. Nancy worked at the Gardens this afternoon. We will have a light dinner and then watch some netflix. This day in Ossineke, Mi, 1938: It was a Saturday, Great grandfather Sanborn had an easy day. He worked in the Post Office in the morning and in the afternoon hauled four loads of manure.

Tuesday November 11, 2014

Tuesday November 11, 2014 Veteran’s Day 2014: Every Veteran’s Day I ask Veteran’s if they can remember their service number. Nearly 100% can remember. It is something you never forget. This morning the temperature was in the high 40s. In fact I over dressed for my bike ride to MVP. I took a layer off for my ride home. Since I changed my schedule I have met several MVP members that I had not seen in years. It is good to get caught up on what every one is doing. I had my coffee at Panera. It started to rain about noon so I hurried home. I made it home without getting too wet. I spent the afternoon catching up on my reading. All afternoon the temperature has been dropping. Low temps tonight will get down to 30. The UP of MI has 30” of snow. We will not get significant snow until Thursday. Nancy had book club this afternoon. They met at a local restaurant. I don’t like the new time because it eliminates pizza night for the husbands. I suppose we could go out for lunch. Beans and rice for dinner tonight. We will read the GRP and watch network TV tonight.

Monday November 10, 2014

Monday November 10, 2014 The cold weather will not hit us until late Tuesday. It was sunny and mild when I got on my bike and headed to MVP. It seems every day at MVP I meet someone I knew many years ago. Today I met an attorney (now retired) who grilled me during a depositions I gave in the early 80s. He remembered me. For an attorney he is not a bad guy. After MVP I pedaled to Panera for coffee. Today I had time to read the WSJ. I found interesting a story on China’s efforts to rebuild the silk road. They are spending billions on roads, pipeline and railroads to build connections from China’s east through east Asia, the Middle East and eventually to Europe. The travel time from China to Europe using surface transportation is half the time compared to using ships. I think it would be neat to drive from Europe to China. China has the resources to build this infrastructure while we fritter away our money on military actions in the Middle East where we still don’t know who the good guys are! Nancy had lunch today with some of her gift shop friends. When I got home the first thing I did was take Ms P on her 1.25 mile walk. I did several loads of laundry and then took a short nap. I spent the rest of the afternoon catching up on my reading. The move set me back many weeks. For instance today I had not read the weekly ENR magazine since May. I am now up to September. We had a light dinner and watched the news. It is now 1930 and I am finishing this blog. Nothing on network TV so it will be a netflix evening.

Sunday November 9, 2014

Sunday November 9, 2014 Up at 0700 and get ready for our Sunday swim. Nancy is faster than I am getting ready for the swim. When I entered the pool Nancy was swimming but there were no empty lanes. MVP’s lanes are very narrow so it is difficult to share. I decided against swimming. I bought a coffee and read USA Today on my iphone. Speaking of phones I should be getting my new iPhone 6 plus soon. Nancy swam 20 laps today, 1000 meters. That is a great distance, way to go Nancy. Gas today was $3.07. Our larder must be full because we did not purchase many supplies. Nancy fixed her world famous poached eggs for breakfast. I read several sections of the GRP before taking my Sunday nap. Several bushes and trees in our courtyard still needed trimming. I spent about an hour trimming. I took three yard bags to the curb. After the yard work I took a three mile walk. Nancy is fixing beans and rice for dinner. After dinner we finished reading the GRP and watched network TV. Turned in at 2200.

Saturday November 8, 2014

Saturday November 8, 2014 It was raining when we got up this morning. Nancy did not want to go to breakfast so I got in the Cobalt and drove to the Omelette Shop. The Omelette Shop was not very crowded when I arrived. I spent a lot of time reading. When I left they had a lot of folks waiting for a table. I was surprised that they let me just sit and read when they needed a table. It looks like an all day rain and I gave some thought to walking the mall. I decided against it because I think the rain will stop this afternoon. It is now 1121 and I am sitting at my desk writing this blog. I have a small heater going. The ground floor is about 5 degrees cooler than the main floor. It is raining and 40 outside. At 1200 I will drive Nancy to the Gardens so she can work at the big sale. Nancy is working with Mary Namey. At 1700 Ed Namey will pick up Nancy and Mary and drive to Marco’s for dinner. I will meet them there. To get my 30 in today I took a 3 mile walk. Even in bad weather we should try to get the 30 in. Marco’s is a great place. We rated it an A. When we got home we watched the first half of the MSU/OSU game. Starting a game at 2000 in November is dumb.

Friday November 7, 2014

Friday November 7, 2014 It was cold last night but no frost. Bright sunshine this morning. I pedaled to MVP for my calisthenics. Great day for a bike ride if dressed properly. I was dressed properly. I had coffee at Panera. Kim was cleaning today so I took my time reading the WSJ. Will China and Japan ever be friends? I don’t think so. When I got home I took the Taurus to get it washed, inside and out. At home I raked some leaves in our small courtyard. We are responsible for maintenance in the courtyard. I also trimmed a small fir tree. I took a short nap. It is now 1723 and Nancy and I are getting ready to attend an event at the Gardens. Stay tuned. The event at the Gardens was a pre-sale for tomorrow big sale. Members only. Nancy is working at the sale tomorrow. When we got home we checked the TV and found nothing on so we watched Inspector Gently on Netflix.

Thursday November 6, 2014

Thursday November 6, 2014 Today Nancy went swimming but I stayed home because I had to take Ms P for her annual physical. I did all my calisthenics at home. After breakfast I made coffee and started reading the WSJ. The Vet gave Ms P a clean bill of health. She got her annual rabies shot and several others. Owning a dog is not for poor people. We need a small space heater for our den. Nancy and I headed to Home Depot to look at heaters. They did not have what we wanted. Our next stop was Costco. We bought a small heater. We also bought some cheese and towels. I had lunch and finished the WSJ before taking a short nap. I finished the afternoon with a short walk. Nancy and I had dinner at Russ’s. We both had the pea soup and Nancy had a hamburg and I had fried clams. We are now watching Midsomer’s Murder on Netflix. We will watch Elementary at 2200. It rained all day today. Low temperatures tonight are in the high 20s.

Wednesday November 5, 2014

Wednesday November 5, 2014 Wednesday my easy day and also the day after the election. Today I am also hitting a milestone, post number 1,900 for the blog. The weather folks said that today would be bright and sunny and they were right. For breakfast I pedaled to the Omelette Shop a distance of 5.5 miles. I ordered a bowl of oatmeal and a scrambled egg. I put the egg in my oatmeal. I saw this being done when Nancy and I were on the Vietnam tour. Two Chinese women from San Francisco would do this every morning. I tried it and thought it was a great treat. I had forgotten about it until this morning. I read all the articles in the WSJ dealing with yesterday’s election. Although I was tired of all the negative ads I still must admit that I am a political junkie. I think most politicians underestimate the voting public. In Michigan despite a lot of misleading and downright mean ads our Governor got reelected. But the Republican running for Senate got soundly defeated. Folks were splitting their tickets and I think made the right choice. The Gal running for the senate was a very poor candidate. When I got home I immediately got in the Cobalt and drove to Costco. Twice a day I take a fiber drink and I was out of powder. I also bought eggs and a bottle of wine. Costco was empty, I did not have to wait in line. Nancy worked at the Gardens this afternoon. I did some chores and took a short nap. Ms P and I took our 1.25 mile walk. Light dinner tonight and then some TV. Snow is expected for the weekend. I did get my 30 in today, did you?

Tuesday November 4, 2014

Tuesday November 4, 2014 Nancy went swimming this morning. I just did my calisthenics at MVP. It was raining so I drove. After MVP I headed to Panera for coffee. WSJ had several articles on the Middle East. They seem more confused than I am telling the good guys from the bad. I am glad the election season is over. After coffee I stopped at ACE Hardware near the condo. I rented a small sander. I spent an hour sanding the top of large drawer located under the stove. I finally got the drawer to close without catching on the countertop. After I returned the sander I took a 1.25 mile walk with Ms P. It is really turning cold. This evening Nancy and I are going to and event at the GR Art Museum. Stay tuned. The function at the Art Museum was their annual meeting. The Director gave his annual report. The GRAM had record attendance this year. They ended the year with a surplus. It was an upbeat report. We watched NCIS and they I channel surfed to get updates on the election. It was fun to watch all the whining on MSNBC. I finally turned in about 2300.

Monday November 3, 2014

Monday November 3, 2014 Up at 0700 and get ready for a bike ride to MVP. Daylight this morning was at 0720. I left home at 0800 with bright sunshine. The temperature was in the low 40s. I arrived at the MVP just as the folks who had jobs were leaving. After MVP I pedaled to Panera for coffee. I took a diversion and worked up a sweat climbing the hills on the diversion. All the experts are picking the winners in tomorrows election. I am surprised at how much I am out of touch with the electorate. I will be glad when the elections are over. I did not get home until 1300. I had a quick lunch and realized walking around in wet clothes was not a good idea. I turned on the electric blanket and jumped in to warm up. After the warmup I got in the cobalt and drove to Meijer’s. I won $100 in the lottery. I picked up my winnings. Finished my afternoon walking Ms P 1.25 miles. We had a light dinner. Nothing on TV so we are now watching an Aussie mystery on Netflix.

Sunday November 2, 2014

Sunday November 2, 2014 Up at 0700 and we head to MVP for our Sunday swim. Today is going to be a bright sunny day. It was light when we left at 0740 thanks to the time change. We get our suits on and head to the pool only to be told the pool is closed, bummer. We get dressed and head to Meijer’s. We know Meijer’s won’t be closed. Meijer’s had a lot of items on sale so our cart was full. Nancy fixed her world famous scrambled eggs for breakfast. I took Ms P on her 1.25 mile walk and then read several sections of the GRP. I always start with the funnies. Took my afternoon nap and then walked around the neighborhood for an hour. I did not see one person outside. On a beautiful day you would expect folks outside enjoying the weather. I am currently downstairs writing this blog. I have a small heater on to take off the chill. Our downstairs (walkout) is about 5 degrees colder than the main floor. We hope to modify our downstairs fireplace so it will produce heat. Nancy is fixing turkey sandwiches and spaghetti for dinner tonight. Sounds good! We will watch 60 minutes and Madame Secretary before turning in.

Saturday November 1, 2014

Saturday November 1, 2014 The alarm goes off at 0700. We are having breakfast at Anna’s and we have to be there before 0800 or the wait is very long. We arrived at 0800 and had no wait. Anna’s has great food. After breakfast we started running errands. Our stops included Pet Smart, Dollar Store, the Lighting Store, Talsma’s furniture in Byron Center. Final stop was Costco. We also filled up, gas was $2.95. A very busy morning. The temperature early this morning was 27. However, the sun was out and the sky blue. I bundled up and went on a 90 minute bike ride. I was really cold when I got home. I turned on the electric blanket and then took a quick shower. I read the WSJ in my warm bed. It took over an hour before my body got warm. Watched part of the UM football game. Speaking of UM I am happy with the new AD. He did a great job running Steelcase. Nancy and I had dinner at Shepard’s Grill. The place was crowded. The food was good. Nothing on TV so it is going to be a Netflix evening.

Friday October 31, 2014

Friday October 31, 2014 Nancy tried to take Ms P out at 0700 but she refused because of the rain. Nancy was heading to a class at MVP. After breakfast I put a leash on Ms P and dragged her out. It had stopped raining so she did her bidness. I put on my rain suit for my bike ride to MVP. It was cold but no rain. I did all my calisthenics and rowing at MVP. It started to drizzle on my way home. I stopped at Panera for coffee. I was getting ready to leave when I looked out the window and saw it was snowing. I got another coffee and waited until the snow let up a little bit. I made it home without getting too cold. It was a cold snowy afternoon a perfect time to stay inside and read a book. I am reading the third book of Ken Follet’s trilogy about the 20th century. Right now the book is centered on the Cuban Missile Crisis. The USSR had placed nuclear armed missiles in Cuba. President Kennedy wanted them removed. It was a pretty scary time. I was a young Navy Ensign stationed on Midway Island. I was due for a new assignment. I telegraphed the assignment Officer and asked about my new duty station. I was told because of the Crisis no new assignments for six months. I was frozen in place. No way did I want to stay six more months on Midway. Next day the assignment Officer telegraphed and said they had an immediate opening at the Deputy Officer in Charge of Construction, Southeast Asia. I had no idea where SE Asia was but it was a way off Midway so I telegraphed back saying get my ass to SE Asia. When my orders came I saw I was going to Saigon, Viet Nam. I headed to the library to get a map and see where Saigon was. I fell asleep reading. I asked several neighbors about the number of kids on Halloween. Our next door neighbor said in 21 years she had not had one kid. Nancy and I had dinner at Great Lakes Shipping. We both had the prime rib sandwich. We watched an episode on the Roosevelt’s. We headed to bed at 2200.