Saturday December 20, 2014

Saturday December 20, 2014 Up at 0700 and walked to Sundance for ham and eggs. It was clear but cold this morning, 18. It was such a nice day that on my way home I added an extra 1.5 miles to the walk. Nancy busy doing chores so I decided to run errands. I am looking for a nice money clip and a pair of walking shoes. First stop Groskopfs to look for money clip. I showed the owner my magnetic clip. I told him I thought magnets would upset my phone. He gave me a lecture on the safety of my clip. He talked me out of getting a new clip. Mine was fine. I looked in Bill and Paul’s for walking shoes. Nothing. I drove to Woodland Mall also had no luck finding shoes. Same at MC and Gazelle. I did buy some swim goggles at Gazelle. I had a quick lunch and then resumed packing for the CA trip. I gave my old high school friend Tom Cassell a call. Tom retired to Alpena and is enjoying life. We talked for over an hour. At 1500 I took a walk around the block. Nancy and I had an early dinner at Rose’s in EGR. We arrived at 1600 and had no trouble getting a table. The food was great. It is now 1800 and I am going upstairs to watch the news. On these short days I hope everyone is finding time to get their 30 minutes in.

Friday December 19, 2014

December 19, 2014 Up at 0645, Nancy to MVP and I go downstairs to do the calisthenics. Today is the last day that I do calisthenics for two weeks. I looking forward to the break. Today I had coffee at Panera’s before pedaling to MVP for my swim. It was cold this morning but sunny and no wind. Ideal bike riding conditions if dressed right. The pool was cool this morning and the hot water at MVP was tepid. I was cold when I left MVP. I stopped at Starbucks to finish reading the WSJ. I think Sony made a mistake pulling their movie. Smart folks are suppose to be running the stock market. With all the yo-yoing this week I think the smart folks forgot to take their pills. I am alway amazed at how dumb smart people are! Speaking of pills, we are packing for our trip to CA. Can I get my bottle of pills through security? I will go online to check. Kim came to clean today. I got home about 1300 and I was surprised not to see her car. Nancy said she brought her daughter to help. Ms P is spending two weeks with Kim. Nancy said Ms P was glad to go with Kim. I was so cold when I got home that I turned up the electric blanket and took a warmup nap. I started packing this afternoon. I think I will take a break and go on a short walk. I walked around the block. The temperature had dropped to 30 so I walked briskly. Nancy is fixing beans and rice for dinner. Yummy! Yesterday I talked about my final day on Midway Island. Debbie told me that I can find anything on youtube. I searched for Midway Island and found several videos on Midway. I watched two. It brought back memories. On this date 52 years ago I was schedule to leave Midway on what was called the log flight. The log flights were twice weekly flights from Hawaii. They were scheduled for Monday and Friday. I think I was first in line to board the plane. It was 70 degrees when I left. About half-way to Hawaii I pinched myself to see if it was real. The Commander sitting across from me started to laugh. He said Ensign you are going home. I landed in Hawaii and immediately got on a flight to CA. The Navy paid for the flight to CA, but I had to pay for transportation to Alpena. At SF I changed into civilian clothes. I got into Midway Airport in Chicago early in the morning (Sunday). I then flew North Central to Alpena. We made about five stops in MI before getting to Alpena. It was -17 when I got off the plane in Alpena. Mom and Dad met me at the airport. And so ended Ensign Scotts first duty station. More to come!

Thursday December 18, 2014

Thursday December 18, 2014 Nancy has a new alarm clock. She is up at 0645 and heading to MVP for a swim. No MVP for me, I have to take the Cobalt in this morning to get the paint sealer reapplied. Hard to believe that the Cobalt is five years old. It has only 22,500 miles on it and most of the mileage was on a single trip to CA. I did have time for coffee at Panera this morning. I do not agree with our President often but I think the Cuba decision was the correct one. It took about 45 minutes to get the Cobalt done. I got home about 1200 and took Ms P on her walk. Today is a dark gloomy day. Temps this morning were below freezing but soon warmed up to 33. It was misting most of the day. I think this week’s weather is what I would expect in London. Today we have nine hours (actual 9h01’) of daylight. LA has 54 minutes more. Edinburgh, Scotland has seven hours. I did take a short nap. I finished the daylight hours with a three mile walk. I stopped at the bank. We are having dinner at Russ’s and then we are going to Nancy’s friend Kathi’s house for wine and cheese. Stay tuned! Nancy and I could not get over the effort Kathi put forth decorating her home. It was great. We had snacks and opened a bottle of wine Debbie had sent us. We spent several hours talking. A great evening. Fifty years ago this evening was my last night on Midway Island. I had spent over a year on this small piece of sand in the middle of the Pacific. The Navy base was on Sand Island that had an area of about 1,000 acres. I had my seabag packed, Navy for suitcase, and could not wait to leave on Friday’s flight to Hawaii.

Wednesday December 17, 2014

Easy Wednesday Was going to walk to Sundance about one mile away. 20 mph winds and 28 degree cold changed mind. Had egg sandwich at Panera. Big news today, Cuba, no fracking in NY, Pakistan killings, oil prices and ruble. Stopped at SCECO, talked to folks, they are having good year. Fire place store in Gaslight said $3,000 to convert Ground floor fireplace to unit providing heat. Too expensive. Looked at Home Depot for electric space heater. Under $500. Lunch then started writing check to charities. Phone call from another fire place company. $3,000 to convert. Will buy electric unit. Nancy worked at Gardens this PM. Finished afternoon with walk around block. Light dinner, watched TV before early bed. Written on mini-iPad.

Tuesday December 16, 2014

Tuesday December 16, 2014 Up at 0645, no swim for Nancy because she has a foot doctor appointment. I do the at-home routine and pedal to Panera. It was warm, mid 40s, but very foggy. I had to turn my bike light on. Speaking of fog, when I was about 4 I kept asking my Mother what that noise was that I heard on foggy days. My Mom explained a fog horn to me and said that it was located at the entrance of the Thunder Bay River into Lake Huron. Its purpose was to warn ships. Mom said next time the fog horn was working we would take a field trip down to the river so I could see it. On the big day we got dressed and headed to the River. I saw the horn and also the search light that was located on the same tower as the horn. After the visit we walked downtown to Pickett’s Pharmacy and Mom and I had a hot fudge sundae. A great way to end a field trip. Today I did my 30 minute swim. I stopped at Starbucks on the ride home to finish reading the WSJ. The decline of oil prices and the collapse of the Russian ruble dominated the news. Did some work in my office before taking a short nap. At 1800 Nancy and I got in the Taurus and headed to Leo’s downtown. We met Hal and Karen Horlings for dinner. The food is always good at Leo’s. We had a fine time. Spent three hours eating and talking. I think Leo’s gave us regular instead of decaf coffee because Nancy and I had trouble sleeping.

Monday December 15, 2014

Monday December 15, 2014 You might have noticed that lately I have written some posts on my mini iPad. It is hard to type on the mini so I use what I call a list format. It is poor grammar but it sure is easy. Our alarm is broken so we overslept. Nancy hurried to MVP for a class and I did the at home calisthenics. I have noticed that since the loss of 15 pounds the calisthenics are easier. Not really a brilliant observation. I rode the bike to Panera. After a quick cup of coffee I headed to MVP. Our December, so far, has been a real pussy cat. The low temperature last night was 45. Today was mostly dark and gloomy. The mild temps make it hard to know what to wear. The pool today was very crowded. I had to share a lane but did get my 30’ in. As soon as I got home I got in the Cobalt and ran some errands. First stop Meijer’s. I bought some shaving and dental supplies for our upcoming trip to CA. I also bought some Win Shuler soft cheese. Next I stopped at Costco to buy some long underwear bottoms. Costco every years stocks winter underwear, top and bottoms. They are a wool blend and very inexpensive. They were sold out and no new supplies until next year. At home took Ms P on her 1.25 mile walk. I had a late lunch, 1400. Took a short nap and then walked around the block. Today on my walk I met a neighbor. He and his wife have lived in their condo for just a year. He is the youngest neighbor I met. Light dinner and then some TV. We will watch the new season of “Major Crimes” on TNT.

Sunday December 14, 2014

Swim day, in at 0800, out at 0845. Shop at Meijer's, gas $3.40. World famous poached eggs for breakfast. Read funnies then nap. At1430 drive to Moleski's for book club Christmas party. Ten folks attended. Home at 1900, finished GRP and watched TV.

Saturday December 13, 2014

Saturday December 13, 2014 This morning I pedaled to the Omelette Shop for breakfast. I left before the sunrise at 0800. I have a built-in light on the bike so I had to use it. The temperature has been above 32 all day. A fog seems to have parked over GR. I beat the crowd at the Omelette Shop so I had no trouble getting a seat. When I left at 1000 the wait for a seat was 20 minutes. I am looking for a nice full zip wool sweater. I stopped at both Jos Banks and Fitzgerald’s and they did not sell them. I will order one next week from Orvis. On my way home I stopped at Macatawa Bank to put our new condo deed in the safe deposit box. I wonder do any of our kids even know we have a safe deposit box. Probably should let them know. Nancy has been unhappy with the lights in the kitchen and living room. This morning we stopped at the Lighting Center and bought four new lights. In January we will have our electrician, Phil Dougherty, install them. Speaking of changes to the condo I have had a request in to a fireplace company to convert the ground floor fireplace to a heat generating unit. I stopped several times and he has said that we were next in line. I will stop Monday and if I get no response I will buy an electric space heater. At home I took Ms P on her walk. After a quick lunch I took a nap. It is now misting so I will not go on another walk. For dinner tonight we are going to Russ’s. Did you know Nancy’s friend Kathi who has lived in GR over 60 years has never been to Russ’s. Quick change of plans, we went to Panera instead of Russ’s. It was raining and Panera was much closer. Nancy had a cup of chicken noodle soup and I had a bowl of chili and half a tuna fish sandwich. Nothing on network TV so we will watch some netflix. We will make it an early evening because tomorrow is a busy day.

Friday December 12, 2014

Friday December 12, 2014 I might be retired but sure glad today is Friday. I look forward to some time off over the holidays. My routine is getting boring. I need to refresh. We got up at 0745, Nancy heads to MVP and I pedal to Panera after my at-home routine. I only had 30 minutes to read because I can get in the pool at 0955. Although the temperature was slightly above 32 the west wind was brisk. Heading west to MVP I got very cold. Heading home will be better because the wind will be behind my back. When I walked into the pool every lane was filled. I was about to leave when a swimmer said she was done. Bummer I really did not want to swim. However, I did my 30 minutes. On my way home, with the wind at my back, I stopped at Starbucks to finish the WSJ. The drop in oil prices and congress’s efforts to extend the funding limits have pushed the Middle East off the front pages. I think the drop in oil prices is driving the stock market down but low gas prices are great for the average folks. I like that our elected leaders had the good sense to finally compromise and extend the debt ceiling. They should do this more often. Compromise in either congress or a marriage is the only way to make the system work. As soon as I got home I took Ms P on her walk. It was miserable walking west on 28th Street. I told Nancy after the walk that I was in for the day. Nancy had done some laundry so I put mine away. Took a short nap and then headed downstairs. I am trying to get youtube on the MacBook Air. Speaking of the MacBook I finally can use my large monitor. I also bought a wireless keyboard. It is like a docking station. Debbie helped me get the system to work. Missy send us a text outlining her plans for Christmas. She is scheduled to have a medical procedure on the 23rd. Nancy and I will be able to watch AJ and help out. Missy also sent me a package. It contained a tube of special hand cream for men. It came at a perfect time because the cold weather causes my hands to crack and dry out. Nancy is cooking a special meal in her crock pot. It smells good. Tonight will be a netflix evening.

Thursday December 11, 2014

Thursday December 11, 2014 Swim day for both Nancy and Bob. Nancy leaves at 0700 and I leave at 0830 after breakfast and calisthenics. At 0900 I rode the bike to Panera’s. On Thursdays I cannot get in the pool until 1045 so I have plenty of time to read the WSJ. Today is another sunny day. It was cold, mid 20s, but I was dressed in layers. The pool was crowded but I did get a lane. When I got home, 1230, I immediately took Ms P on her daily 1.25 mile walk. After lunch I took a long nap. I think all the cold fresh air conks me out. I spent some time rearranging my desk and filling my new cart. I like the present arrangement. It is now 1729 and I am heading upstairs to take Nancy to dinner. We are eating at Shepard’s Grill. We really like their salad burger. Stay tuned. The salad burger was great. Shepard’s Grill is within walking distance of the condo. We like the place because it has a neighborhood feel. In other words a lot of old folks go there. We watched part of the news and it is now 1930. We will watch “Big Bang” and then a netflix show before turning in.

Wednesday December 10, 2014

Up at 0545, head to Breakfast Club. Christmas program today. After BC stopped at office furniture store looking for cart. No luck! Credit Union also closed. Headed home, changed clothes and continued errands. Coffee at Panera and then mailed package at UPS. As last resort checked at Walmart and lo they had a cart. Nancy worked at Gardens this PM. Took Ms P on walk. Called Sprint, Nancy's iPhone 6 was in. Picked up phone. Nancy likes iPhone. Finished PM with walk around block. Light dinner, watched news, and then put cart together.

Tuesday December 9, 2014

Tuesday December 9, 2014 Swim day for both Nancy and Bob, Nancy left the house at 0700 and I left at 0830. I stopped at Panera for coffee and to start reading the paper. At 0930 I head to MVP. I can get in the pool at 0955. While dressing, after my swim, I overheard a man who had just recovered from a cellulitis attack. He was laid up for four days and went on about all the pain. He did not know what caused his attack. My cellulitis attack was confined to one leg and was uncomfortable but not painful. I know he takes a water aerobics class and is frequent user of the hot tub. Were both our infections caused by the hot tub? Since my attack I stopped using the hot tub and I bought a good pair of shower shoes. Continuing comments on MVP I think they have changed their chemical doses for the pool. My nose has been running continually the past week. Today i started using a nose plug. On my way home I stopped at Starbucks to finish reading the WSJ. Today was another great bike riding day, temperature in the mid 30s and cloudy. First thing I did when I got home was to take Ms P on her walk. Had a quick lunch and then a nap. We recently put up a bird feeder on our garage. The birds have been ignoring the feeder. Today I moved it. It is now hanging from our deck and we can see it from our ground floor slider. My fitbit had not gone off today so I walked around our block. The fitbit went off about 100 yards from the house. 10,000 steps is the magic number. It is 1.5 miles around our block. No netflix tonight. We will watch CBS and read the GRP. Yesterday I bought an external keyboard for the laptop. I am now using my big 22 inch monitor with the new keyboard. The big monitor allows me to use larger text.

Monday December 8, 2014

Monday December 8, 2014 Up at normal time. Nancy to MVP and I head downstairs. After calisthenics I Pedal to Panera for coffee. I left Panera at 0930 and head to MVP. The pool was crowded this morning. I got the last lane. Swam 30 minutes. Pedaled straight home. Temp were in 30s with no sun. Perfect riding conditions for me. I have several errands to run before lunch. First stop was Best Buy to see about getting a MacBook Air keyboard. They did not have so I headed to Woodland Mall. I stopped at Macy’s and bought a pair of chino’s. Next I stopped at the Apple Store and got the keyboard. Apple Store was crowded. At the Sprint Store I bought Nancy a new iPhone 6. Will pick up Wednesday. Stopped at Kentwood Office Furniture to see about buying a cart. They did not have any. Finally I stopped at Meijer’s to get milk. Nancy and I arrived home about the same time. Nancy had lunch with some friends from the gift shop. I had a quick lunch and then took a nap. It started to snow about 1600. No walk for Ms P today. I spent some time trying to get my new keyboard to work. Finally I gave up and had dinner and watched news. After the news I headed downstairs and tried to connect keyboard. No luck! Brought the Air and keyboard upstairs and the keyboard connected instantly. Maybe Nancy’s keyboard was getting confused with a new keyboard in the neighborhood. Debbie suggested I bring the computer up last night. I am a slow learner. Snow tonight and tomorrow morning and then the rest of the week is dry. Nothing on network TV tonight. It will be a netflix evening.

Sunday December 7, 2014

Sunday December 7, 2014 Today is swim day for Nancy and Bob. MVP opens at 0800 and we are first in the door. When I got to the pool all the lanes were full. Luckily Nancy had a lane so we shared the lane. I swam for 30 minutes. We stopped at Meijer’s to replenish our larder. Nancy fixed her world famous poached eggs for breakfast. I had my eggs on a waffle with sugar free syrup, of course. Read the funnies and then took a nap. Ms P and I took our walk and then I took off on my own. Today I walked on golf cart lanes that are scattered throughout the condo complex. I often wonder why the golf course did not make it because it was in a nice setting. The weather was pleasant with temps in mid 30s and sun. We have not had any moisture, snow or rain, in a week. Tonight we are having chicken sandwiches and a salad. Will finish reading the GRP and then watch some network TV before turning in. Today is the 73rd anniversary of the Japanese attach on Pearl Harbor. This single event changed the USA forever. Every family was impacted. I was three years old. Within a year all my Uncles were in the military. My Dad worked for the Army in Chicago. Gas, sugar, cigarettes and other critical items were rationed.

Saturday December 6, 2014

Saturday December 6, 2014 Up at usual time, Bob and Nancy tried breakfast at “New Beginnings”. It is real close to the condo. We both gave it a C-. Today was another mild day with temps in the mid 30s. I rode my bike to Macatawa Bank near Breton Village to return Nancy’s jewels to the deposit box. Pedaled across the street to have coffee at Breton Village. Today’s WSJ had several articles on the Middle East. These articles only reinforced my belief that we should not in any way be involved. Iraq’s army which we trained is a failure. The Shite Militia’s which we consider the bad guys are now fighting ISSA another bad guy. Assad’s Syria, bad guy, is fighting ISSA. So is Assad now a good guy. I don’t think so! I say get out now but who listens. I want to be King for a week. This afternoon Nancy and I ran some errands. I stopped at Meijer’s to pick up my eye medicine. We then stopped at a strip mall and Nancy went to Dollar General and I visited Office Max. Nancy’s visit was successful and mine was not. At home I took a nap and then Ms P and I went on our 1.25 mile walk. Great day for a walk. We had dinner at Great Lakes Shipping. It was jammed but we got a table in front of a fire place. I had chili and Nancy had a beef dip. I think it will be a Netflix evening with brief stop to check on the OSU/UW game. I don’t like these conference playoffs. Last nights game between Oregon and AZ was a bust. Only 45,000 folks attended.

Friday December 5, 2014

Friday December 5, 2014 0645 is now our official wake up time. At least until Spring. Nancy heads to MVP and I downstairs for calisthenics. Arrive at Panera at 0900. Leave at 0930 and pedal to MVP. Perfect day for a bike ride. 10 degrees warmer than yesterday and no wind. Also no sun so my right eye stayed open. I was in the pool at 1000 and swam 30 minutes. On way home I stopped at Starbucks to finish WSJ. Arrived home at 1300 and after a quick lunch headed out to run errands. First stop was furniture outlet on East Paris. The sign said out of business. I am looking for a moveable cart to sit next to my desk. Next stop was Staples. They had a cart but not quite what I had in mind. Now that I can use my 21” monitor I am looking for a keyboard. Staples had an Apple wireless keyboard that was $20.00 cheaper than the Apple Store. Why? Stopped at Costco and bought peanut butter and a chicken for dinner tonight. Took a short nap and then because it was such a pleasant day took Ms P on a 1.25 mile walk. Nancy fixed the Costco chicken for dinner. Also had sweet potato and green beans. Tonight will be a Netflix evening. I am generally supportive of the police. I think the shooting in MO was probably justified. In the choking death in NYC I think the Police used excessive force. As I said before I think the English have it right. The police don’t carry guns and the bad guys get stiff penalties if they use a gun. I think unarmed police in GB is still the law?

Thursday December 4, 2014

Thursday December 4, 2014 Up at 0645, Nancy goes swimming and I do the calisthenics at home. Very cold, 19, but sunny so I go on a 100’ bike ride. Winter sun is so low in sky it is difficult pedaling south. Need a billed helmet. After ride, walk over to Panera for coffee. At 1300 we all get in Taurus and head to Costco. Costco has quit carrying Pinconning Cheese. Bummer. Took a nap and then took Ms P on short walk. Too cold. Our internet went off line so I called ATT. After many trips between computer and modem we finally got it back online. Second time this week. Nancy and I got all dressed up for the Meijer’s Christmas Gala. I wore a suit and tie. Nancy looked great. We pick up Kathi Kothi and head to the Gardens. Nancy has to drive because headlights are making it difficult for me. The Gala was well attended with a lot of men in Tux. Did you know I still have my tux from the 50s and it fits? We took a horse and carriage ride around the gardens to see the Christmas lights. On way home EPS called and said our ground floor motion alarm went off. I told them to call the sheriff. Nancy drove like a banshee and got us home in record time. The sheriff department had already arrived. We checked the house and could find no intrusion. False alarm. The Deputy thought Ms P might have set off the alarm. I told him EPS had assured us that small dogs could not set off the alarm. We headed to bed at 2330. Interesting day!

Wednesday December 3, 2014

Wednesday December 3, 2014 I set the alarm for 0645 so Nancy could attend an early class at MVP. Today is my easy day. I slept in. For breakfast I pedaled to the Omelette Shop in Breton Village. We had a light dusting of snow last night. The ride was brutal because of a strong wind. I had oatmeal and eggs. Tomorrow night Nancy and I are going to a Christmas Gala at Meijer’s Garden. I have to wear a suit so I stopped at Fitzgerald’s to see if my three button suit is in style. It is not. I have several two button suits and they are still acceptable wear. I think I will wear my gray suit. I stopped at Macatawa Bank to get into our safe deposit box. Nancy needed some jewelry for tomorrow night. It was a pleasant ride home because I had the wind at my back. Nancy is working at the Gardens this afternoon. I got in the Cobalt and ran several errands. I am looking for a short book case to set along side of my desk. I stopped at Art Van. They had one but it was too pricey. I stopped at Sears to get a key made and then the Apple Store. I checked out a keyboard for my MacBook Air. I am now using a 22” monitor and would like a free standing keyboard. Had a late lunch and then took a short nap. Took Ms P on a short walk. She does not like these cold days especially with a strong wind. We texted several times with Missy. She is having nose surgery on Dec 22 or 23. Nancy and I will arrive in LA on the 22nd. We hope we can watch AJ while she recovers. It is going to be a Netflix night. I got my 30 in today did you?

Tuesday December 2, 2014

Tuesday December 2, 2014 We both get up at 0645. Nancy heads to the pool and I head downstairs. After breakfast I pedal to Panera for coffee and read the WSJ. The drop in oil prices has caused a lot of chatter. I really think it is a win-win situation. After coffee I stopped at home to drop off the Kindle. I took a 90 minute bike ride. It was cold and sunny but I was dressed warm. The ride was refreshing. I ran several errands before lunch. Took a short nap and at 1500 I headed to the eye doctor. I have a very red left eye. The eye I call my shingles eye. The doc said I only had a broken blood vessel. Nothing I can do except wait for it to heal. Nancy fixed a great chicken stir fry for dinner. We read the GRP and watch NCIS before switching to netflix. We headed to bed at 2200.

Monday December 3, 2014

Everyone up at 0655, Nancy heads to MVP and I head downstairs for calisthenics. The sun does not come up until 0800. The days are really getting short. It was cold, 25, and sunny. Arrived at Panera at 0900 and had to leave at 0925 in order to get in pool at 0955. The wind was strong and hard pedaling. Glad I layered up. I tried using a face mask to stop my runny nose. It is either pool chemicals or cold weather. I got very cold on the ride home so I stopped at Starbucks to warm up and finish reading the WSJ. Got home at 1300. After lunch drove to bike shop to get two bike lock cables. I can now lock up all my bikes. Afternoon nap and then walk. Light dinner, news and now Netflix. Temps in single figures tonight.