Saturday December 26, 2015

Friday December 18: Today is our travel day. Our flight does not leave until 1600. Nancy and I walked over to Panera for breakfast. After breakfast we finish packing. I call Metro Taxi for a 1345 pickup. It starts to snow around noon. We are having concerns if we can get out. The taxi is late because of the snow. Check in and board the flight right on time. The plane is deiced and away we go. We arrive in Minneapolis on time. No snow on ground in MN but it is cold. The flight to San Jose was smooth. Both our flights today were overbooked. Debbie met us at the airport and she drives us to her home. Debbie has a home that is perfect for her. I really like it. Nancy heads to bed and Debbie gives me a glass of great wine and we talk until near midnight, 0300 in GR. Saturday December 19, Jet lag because I get up at 0530. Get dressed and walk over to the Willow Glen Starbucks. I have oatmeal and a chance to read the WSJ. Get Nancy a coffee and walk back to Debbie's. We had heavy rain this morning. Saturday is kind of a fog for me. We run some errands and I put a bar stool together. I did take a nice nap. We had dinner at a local restaurant. We watched Netflix this evening. Debbie has the first season of Doc Martin so we watched several episodes. We do not have the first season in GR. Sunday December 20: I am getting over jet lag because I sleep in until 0630. Had breakfast at Starbucks. No WSJ so I bought a copy of the San Jose Mercury News. Around noon we head out to Costco. As always Costco was packed. California Costco stores are great places to people watch. The diversity is amazing and reflects the future of the USA. I would recommend Donald Trump visit. Do you think Trump has ever been in a Costco? We also had lunch at Costco. Debbie and I had a slice of pizza and Nancy had a hot dog. Dining in style! I even had time for my Sunday nap. Nancy fixed scrambled eggs for dinner. We got a call from Stephen and his family is joining us for Christmas. The Girls are happy. Monday December 21: I am in a routine because I had breakfast at Starbucks. It looks like it will rain all day. Today is the Winter Solstice. Nine hours of daylight in GR. Seven hours in Edinburgh and nine hours and 35 minutes in San Jose. My biorhythms always go up after this solstice because the days are getting longer. Spring is not far away. To celebrate I took a 2.5 mile walk. Debbie drove Nancy and I to the Westfield Mall. We finished some shopping. The Mall was packed. We also walked over to the high end shopping district called Santana Row. I looked in Brooks Brothers and Orvis but did not buy anything. Debbie picked us up about 1500. It was pouring rain. I took a nap. Nancy did not want to go out to dinner so Debbie and I visited a local Italian Restaurant. We both had pasta. It was very good. We watched Major Crimes on TV before turning in. Tuesday December 22: Up at 0600 and yes I walked over to Starbucks. The young lady behind the counter already had oatmeal ready. Am I predictable? It is now 0759 and I am sitting in Starbucks writing this blog. It is raining hard outside. Stay tuned! Debbie and I had returned to Toys are Us and purchased a bike for Alessandra. We also ran errands to Food Max and Target. Took a late afternoon walk. We had a light dinner and watched Netflix until bedtime. Wednesday December 23: I am now on a schedule. Up at 0600 walk to Starbucks for oatmeal, coffee and a banana. Read the first sections of the WSJ. I developed a running nose overnight so I headed out to the garage to get some Kleenex. I shut the garage door so the cats would not get out. I forgot the door locks. So I opened the garage door and tried the front door. It was locked, rang the doorbell. Both Debbie and Nancy were taking a shower and could not hear the bell. I decided to take a walk. Walked to the Willow Glen shopping district, 2.5 miles. Yesterday I walked through the District about 1600 and saw a long line outside an Italian Deli. I asked what the draw was and was told it was the ravioli. This morning about 0930 the line was even longer. It is now 1048 and Debbie and I are heading out to Costco. Nancy is making cookies. Steve and family left Long Beach early this morning. They should be here about 1500. At Costco we had a slice of pizza. Nancy called and said Steve and family had arrived. We finished our shopping and headed back to Debbie's. It was great seeing the grandkids. It took some time for them to settle in. Debbie, Veronica and I drove to Toy's are Us to pick up Alessandra's bike. For dinner we all headed to Smash Burger. This was Bob and Nancy's first trip to Smash Burger. We gave it a C+. I was surprised to learn that the entire LB family watch the Food Network. We watched several shows. I will stick with Netflix. Thursday December 24, 2015: Christmas Eve. It was colder this morning in San Jose than in GR. The rain also continued. I know CA needs rain but I want a warm sunny day. Fifty years ago Nancy and I spent Christmas Eve at 875 Woodside Rd in Redwood City, CA. I checked on Apple Maps and our rental was exactly 25 miles from Debbie's. We walked to a local park but cut short our stay because it started to rain. We had a nice sit down dinner. Every one put on their best clothes. Alessandra had on her scotch plaid skirt and Lucas wore a white shirt with a bow tie and smoking jacket. The Grandkids looked great. Debbie had fixed a traditional ham dinner with potatoes and vegetables. TNT is running the movie "Christmas Story" continuously. The movie is set in a small IN town in the late 40s. The main character wants a Red Ryder Daisy BB gun for Christmas. I can relate because I wanted a RR BB gun. My parents got me one for Christmas in about 1948. I can relate to the movie. Speaking of little boys and Christmas gifts, Debbie asked me what was my favorite Christmas gift. That was easy. When I was about 11 I got a small white RCA radio for Christmas. I set it on the nightstand next to my bed. I have found memories of going to bed early on cold winter nights and listening to radio mysteries on my radio. Friday December 25, 2015: Merry Christmas. I got up at 0600 and walked to Starbucks to get three coffees. I was surprised that Starbucks was crowded. The Grandkids were really excited. We all opened our presents. I wish we could bottle the Christmas morning good feelings all year, We had a great egg dish and coffee cake that Nancy fixed for breakfast. Steve and family headed to Church and I took a nice 4.5 mile walk on a trail near Debbie's. Nancy and I had a nice talk with Missy and AJ. They also had a great Christmas. I am looking forward to spending time with them next week. We all attended the 1500 showing of Star Wars. The movie was crowded. I was surprised at the reaction of the crowd. Whenever an original cast member appeared they clapped. The grandkids loved the movie. We had ham sandwiches for dinner. Lucas and Alessandra were still fully energized at 2100. I wish I had that energy. My best present was to be with Nancy for our 50th Christmas. Saturday December 26, It is now 0800 and I am sitting in Starbucks typing this blog. This afternoon I am going with Steve and Veronica to LB. Nancy, Debbie and the kids are coming down on Monday. Stay tuned!

Thursday December 17, 2015

Finally we have some cool weather. Temps were in the mid 30s this morning. I took the 6, or is it 7, miles route to the Y this morning. I am winding down for our trip on Friday to CA. I did the calisthenics at 75%. I did run a mile. It takes me 11’ to run a mile. The WSJ had several articles on the failures of the Afghan Army. Young army soldiers are deserting at a record rate. We have spent billions of dollars training the army to no avail. When will we learn. I am alway amazed at how dumb smart people are. After a quick lunch I spent several hours writing checks to the various charities we give to each year. I needed to do some banking and mail the checks so I got on my bike and ran the errands. I took a short nap. Nancy fixed hamburgs for dinner tonight. We are now watching Doc Martin on netflix. I love this show. 1962: On the Thursday before Christmas in 1962 I spent my last night on Midway Island. I attended a Going Away Party for Ensign Scott (yours truly) at the Officer’s Club. After one year, two weeks, three days I was going home tomorrow. The flight to Hawaii leaves at 1400. I was two hours early. I survived one year etc on an Island in the middle of the Pacific with a surface area of less the 1,200 acres.

Wednesday December 16, 2015

Today is my easy day. It was 40 when I left this morning for the Y. I took the six mile route. Because it was my easy day I did all my routines at 50%. After a shower I headed to Panera. I quickly read the WSJ and then headed home. Nancy has to work at the Gardens this afternoon and Kim is stopping by to pick up Ms P. I got home too late. Kim had already picked up Ms P. Nancy headed out and I had lunch and did a load of laundry. I spent some time cleaning up my mail. I also started making our annual contribution to charities. I did take a short nap. At 1630 Nancy and I headed to her friend Kathi’s home for dinner. Kathi had her house all decorated for Christmas. It was very impressive. She fixed chicken, creamed spinach, mashed potatoes and salad. It was all very good. We had a great evening. We got home at 2130. No netflix tonight we headed right to bed.

Tuesday December 15, 2015

The rain has finally stopped so today I can ride the bike to the Y. We did not get up until 0700. Because I don’t like to ride in the dark I cannot start until sunrise which at this time of year is 0806. It was dark and gloomy when I started out with temp in the mid 40s. I took the 7 mile route to the Y. I did my calisthenics and then ran 1.6 miles. Showered, shaved and then headed to Panera. While reading the WSJ I got a text from Missy saying the LA Schools were closed because of a credible bomb threat. What does credible mean? The world is a confusing place. Are the Russians on our side and if so why are the fighting with our ally Turkey. Why is Turkey in Iraq? I listen to SOS Kerry and POTUS Obama and I think they are more confused than the average citizen. Speaking of confusing how come the GOP Governors running for President are not doing better in the polls. I could vote for any Governor but not the clowns leading in the polls. I got home at 1200 and immediately took Ms P on a two mile walk. Had lunch and then spent some time in my office. At 1430 Nancy and I drove to Kidder Safari. Originally we were to meet Trevor Shaw the owner of the safari lodge in South Africa. While we were in SA he sold Nancy her diamond. But Mr Shaw had to postpone his trip to GR because of a serious illness. The Kidders and Shaw are old friends. Nancy looked over the selection that Mr Shaw had sent. It was a large inventory but Nancy finally found the stone she wanted. It is a tanzanite stone and I think very pretty. Nancy fixed a pork chop and sweet potato for dinner. It is now 1937 and we are watching Jeopardy. It looks like a NCIS evening. We recorded a Major Crime episode Monday and we will watch it tonight.

Monday December 14, 2015

The rain continued all night. The temperature this morning was in the 50s. The Security Company is coming this morning to fix our alarm. They said some time between 0900 and noon. I did the calisthenics at home. Nancy is not exercising this morning because her foot is acting up. The Security folks put in the new mother board for our system. I hope this solves our problems. It looked like it had stopped raining so I decided to walk to the Y. It is 1.75 miles and I walked about 0.5 miles when it started to pour. I headed home. I was soaked so I changed clothes and drove to the Y. I ran two miles, showered and headed to Panera. I read the first section of the WSJ. I got home about 1430 and Nancy was just walking out the door. She had a Doctors appointment to have her pacemaker checked out. It was just sprinkling so I took Ms P on her walk. We made it with not getting very wet. The Doc said Nancy’s pacemaker is working fine. We will have a light dinner and then watch Major Crimes on TNT. Despite the rain I did get my 30 in. The temperature will start dropping tomorrow with snow predicted for Friday. Friday we leave for CA!

Sunday December 13, 2015

It rained all night and was still raining when we left at 0800 for the Y. This is our first Sunday at the new Y. The pool is not ready so we ran/walked. Nancy walked two miles on the treadmill and then walked a mile on the track. I ran two miles on the track. We stopped at Meijer’s and bought some supplies. The fill up today was less than $18. Nancy fixed her world famous scrambled eggs for breakfast. Watched some Sunday news shows and read the funnies before taking my Sunday nap. After the nap the rain had stopped so I took Ms P on a short walk. At 1430 we got in the Taurus and headed to the Moleski’s. They are hosting Nancy’s Book Club’s Christmas party. Every one showed up and the food and wine was good. We got home at 1900. Watched 60 Minutes and read the GRP. We also watched a show on netflix. It is warmer in GR than San Jose, CA.

Saturday December 12, 2015

Nancy and I head out and walk to Panera. It was 0800 and the sun would not come up for another 10 minutes. Panera was not very crowded. We both had a toasted whole grain bagel with peanut butter. I also had their oatmeal. It was very foggy when we left with the temp in the 40s. It remained foggy and mild all day. First thing I did when we got home was to take Ms P on her walk. Today we stayed on the sidewalks for our two mile stroll. Nancy had a package to mail so I drove to the mini PO at the Cascade D&W. I wanted to read the WSJ so I drove to Woodland Mall. I stopped by the Track and Trail store. I bought a pair of Merrill walking shoes. Had coffee at Starbucks and read the WSJ. Having just visited South Africa I read an article on their sagging economy. It is sad. Will the Climate Plan developed in Paris really impact global warming? At home I took an hour walk. It was starting to mist as I completed the walk. I spent some time paying bills and then took a short nap. I walked to the mailbox to mail our taxes to the IRS. Nancy fixed a pulled chicken sandwich and a steak and ale pie for dinner. It was great. We had a long FaceTime talk with Debbie tonight. We are now watching Doc Martin on Netflix. The warm weather will continue through tomorrow.

Friday December 11, 2015

December 11, 2015: A Christmas Story, 2015 will be the 50th Christmas Nancy and I have spent together. All 50 have been great but you always remember the first. We were living in Redwood City, CA in a two bedroom rented apartment located at 875 Woodside Road. Until just before Thanksgiving I was working for Clifford Engineering, a small engineering firm. I knew the firm was having trouble. Several pay days were missed or late. I headed to work the Monday after Thanksgiving and the office was locked up. Calls to my boss Watson Seeley Clifford went unanswered. Nancy did not like Clifford but I always thought he had a good resume. He went to the elite Hawaiian HS, Punahou, graduated from Stanford and was a US Marine Corps Officer. Nancy as usual was right. I started looking for a job. Nancy typed up my resume and away I went. I spent several week looking and traveling around the Bay Area. I had an interview with the cities of Redwood City and Santa Rosa. I even drove over to Livermore to interview with a National Lab. I stopped at all the Civil Engineering firms in San Francisco and along the Peninsula. I had no luck. On a Friday several weeks before Christmas I started out early stopping at Civil Engineering firms listed in the Yellow Pages. About 1600 on this dark gloomy day I decided to make one last stop. I stopped at Charles S. McCandles and Company, 1020 Corporation Way, Palo Alto. The firm’s office was at the end of a cul-de-sac. I walked in and was met by a surly secretary. I asked if they were hiring and she told me to sit down. She disappeared and about 15 minutes later a 5 foot five inch, 250 pound man appeared smoking a big cigar. We retired to his office. He looked over my resume and asked several questions. Finally he said what do you want. I was making about $3 per hour so I said what the heck and told him $3.80. He said could I start on Monday. Silly question. I got in the VW beetle and flew up the Bayshore Freeway to 875 Woodside. I told Nancy we had just gotten an early Christmas present. I had a job! The man who hired me was Marvin Nachetein (? sp). Marvin was from a German farming community in Oregon. He was given a football scholarship to Stanford. Marvin was a blocking back in the single wing formation. During WWII Marv was a bomber pilot flying missions over Germany. His plane was shot down and Marv parachuted to safety. Because he spoke German he was able to find his way out of Germany. He made contact with the Dutch underground and was picked up by a British patrol boat. Friday December 11, 2015. I had a quick breakfast and got on my bike with the snow tires and headed to the Y. The temp early this morning was in the mid 40s. The Y was not very crowded. I did my calisthenics and ran 2 miles. I achieved my running goal. Had coffee at Panera and read the WSJ. After Panera I pedaled to Macatawa Bank to make a deposit. Took a long route home. I had lunch and then spent some time paying bills and cleaning out my in basket. I took Ms P on another long walk. I did talk to my computer guru this afternoon and he said that he thinks my netflix problem is lack of data capacity. Netflix will conk out several times during a show. I will give ATT a call and see what additional capacity will cost. When I watch netflix on my iPad netflix never conks out? Nancy had lunch with her friend Kathi today. They stopped by the Two Scotts to get some pulled chicken for dinner. I took a short nap. Nancy fixed a pulled chicken sandwich with a sweet potato. It is now 1936 and I am on hold with ATT. Stay tuned! ATT could not fix my problem. They said I had their elite package with plenty of band width and capacity. Now were back to square one. Can anyone solve my problem?

Thursday December 10, 2015

Medical Thursday: I don't know if it is the nose spray or the fact that I am running again but I have been sleeping like a baby. Got up at 0710 and after breakfast got on my bike with the new snow tires and took the short route to the Y. I did the calisthenics and ran 1.8 miles. After the shower I headed to Panera. I only spent about 30 minutes reading because I have a 1120 appointment with the skin Doctor. The Doc sprayed my pre cancerous spot with liquid nitrogen. After I stopped at the credit union to get money to pay Kim for keeping Ms P while we were in CA. Next stop was Orvis for a Christmas gift and finally Costco for wine, prunes and grapes. Lunch and then I got back in the Cobalt and head to the Dentist. They added a tooth to my partial. I tried it on and it fit great. Ms P and I took our long walk. After a quick nap, Nancy and I headed to Sundance for dinner. We both had their eggs and ham. It is now 1945 and we are watching Jeopardy. It looks like a Netflix evening.

Wednesday December 9, 2015

Breakfast Club Wednesday: Up at 0545 and when I took Ms P out I noted that the temperature was in the 40s. It was pitch black when I headed to BC. Traffic on the freeway was heavy. Today's speaker talked on being happy. It was a Holiday message. We had a small turnout. Folks must be leaving early for warmer climes. Last year at this time we had 35 inches of snow. So far this year our snowfall total is 3.5 inches. Blame El Niño. After BC I drove to the Y. Did the calisthenics at 50% but ran 1.6 miles. I like the running track. Tomorrow I will run 1.8 miles and 2 miles on Friday. My goal is to run two miles every time I go to the Y. Stopped at Panera for a chance to read the WSJ. The big news was the proposed merger between Dow and DuPont. I hope the headquarters for the merged firms is Midland, MI. Dow has been a great corporate citizen. Midland is a great community. Nancy worked at the Gardens this afternoon. I took Ms P on our long route today. She seems to perform best when the temp is in the 40s. Had a quick lunch and then got in the Cobalt and ran errands. First stop was Macatawa Bank to make a deposit. My second stop was the Ada Bike Shop. They had installed winter tires on my bike. The tires have steel studs. The also put on a new chain and cleaned the gears. Final stop was at the Chow Hound. Bought dog food and also a block of salt. I will put the salt in the back yard for the deer to lick. At home I started out on a 2 mile walk. This morning I talked to a neighbor and asked who he had do his taxes. He said he used a firm located on my walking route. I decided to check out the firm. They greeted with open arms. I might use them this year. As soon as I got home I decided to take a nap. I laid down at 1715 and woke at 1840. I really must have been tired. We had a light dinner. Debbie called this evening and asked about Christmas suggestions. It is now 2115 and we are watching one of the last episodes of MidSomer Murders.

Tuesday December 8, 2015

1745: It was another cloudy mild day with temps in mid 40s. Started the day with a 6 mile bike ride to the Y. I did the calisthenics and ran 1.4 miles. My goal is two miles by the end of the week. After the Y I pedaled to Panera. I had less than an hour because I have a 1215 appointment with the dentist. At home got in the cobalt and headed to the dentist. They made impressions of my missing tooth. I had to leave my partial so they could add a tooth. For the next three days I will have a three tooth gap. I hope they can have it fixed by Thursday PM. The Ada Bike store has some steel studded tires waiting for me to bring my bike in. I loaded up the bike and drove to the store. They should the tires on tomorrow. Had a quick lunch and then took Ms P on her walk. Meijer’s called and said my prescription was ready. I walked over to Meijer’s and picked it up. Finished the afternoon with a nap. Nancy fixed spaghetti with meat sauce for dinner. It was great. It is now 2050 and we are watching NCIS. At 2100 we will watch Dr Martin on netflix.

Monday December 7, 2015

Pearl Harbor Day December 7, 1941: I was only 3 when the attack took place so I don’t remember it. I do remember on Dec 7, 1961 I was stationed on Midway Island Naval Base. I had the duty and I can remember talking to a Chief Petty Officer who was just a young seaman on the day of the attack. He was stationed on a destroyer in the Harbor. He started talking about 2300 and continued talking until 0300 the next morning. We did take one break. As the OOD I had to inspect 24 hour enlisted mess hall. I brought back a dozen fresh donuts and the Chief continued talking. It was very emotional. I regret that I did not take notes. In fact I had many late night conversations with CPOs. They told stories about the Naval battles in the Pacific. It was very foggy with the temp just above 32 when I got up this morning. The sun does not come up until 0800 but today the fog ruled all day. Nancy headed out early to go to MVP and walk on a treadmill. I headed out at 0815 and pedaled to the new Y. The route I used was 6 miles. The Y was sorting out some first day problems. I did get to pick my locker. The facility has all the exercise toys but no chin up bar. I did my calisthenics and then for the first time since Dec 2013 I ran a mile on the Y’s inside running track. I hope to be running 2 miles soon. The new Y meets all the environmental guidelines for an energy conservation. That means not much water comes out of the shower nozzle. I hate being PC. After the Y I pedaled the 1.8 miles to Panera. I had my coffee and read the WSJ. The San Bernardino attack dominated the news. Nancy attended a Christmas luncheon today. I took Ms P on a two mile walk. I think she likes the longer walks, as long as the temp is above 32. After lunch I got on my bike and headed to Meijer’s to get some supplies for my Y locker. I finished the afternoon with a short nap. It is now 1743 and I am heading upstairs for a light dinner. I got my 30 in today did you?

Sunday December 6, 2015

Sunday morning and Nancy cannot swim for another two weeks and I am no longer a member of MVP. The pool at the new Y won’t be open for another month. I decide to take a walk. It was sunny but cool with temperature about 28. I walked 3.6 miles in one hour. After the walk we got in the Taurus and headed to Meijer’s. Gas prices remain low. Last week we put 200 miles on the Taurus and filled it up with premium for under $25. Nancy fixed her world famous scrambled eggs for breakfast. Watched some morning news shows and read the GRP. I took my mandatory Sunday nap. Ms P and I went on our daily walk. It was such a pleasant day that we doubled our normal walk distance. It was sunny with temperature in mid 40s. It is now 1608 and I am sitting in my office writing this blog. So many distractions this week that I just completed going through the accumulated mail. I forgot to mention in yesterday’s blog the encounter we had yesterday with three deer. Nancy and I were walking just about sunrise yesterday when three deer walked across the street just in front of us. They had emerged from behind a big office building. Yesterday evening about sunset the same three deer walked across the street in front of me. Wildlife in the suburbs! As soon as I finish this blog I will walk over to the mailbox on Tahoe. I am sending my IRA check to the credit union. Nancy is fixing salmon burgers for dinner tonight. We will watch 60 minutes and then some netflix before turning in. I think the President will talk at 2000. The days keep getting shorter. Today we will have 9h08’ of daylight. On the 21st it will be 9h, our shortest day. All the forecasters say we will have a mild winter. I hope so last winter was too cold.

Saturday December 5, 2015

Catch Up Saturday: Once again I am writing several day’s blog in one. It has been a very busy week for Bob and Nancy. Thursday December 3, 2015: Today I head to the Y for this first time this week. I took the long bike ride to the Y. I timed my routine and found that I can complete my calisthenics in 21 minutes. After the Y I head to Panera for coffee and a chance to read the WSJ. I am still surprised at the popularity of Donald Trump. He is a bully, rude and not what I want in a leader. Didn’t Mr Trump ever go to Sunday school? The Middle East, terror attacks and whether Assad should stay still gets a lot of ink. Of course all the pols have easy answers. I say if you can’t tell the good guys from the bad stay out. I had a 1300 dentist appointment. The dentist was going to add a tooth to my bridge to eliminate the gap cause by my recent extraction. They wanted me to leave my bridge for several days while they added a tooth. That means I would have a big three tooth gap. I told them that next week was ok but for the next two days I do not want to look like a minor league hockey goon. She said ok so we rescheduled for next week. At home I spent some time in the office. Tonight Nancy and I are attending a Christmas Gala at Meijer’s Garden. I have to decide whether to wear my 58 year old tux or my 40 year old three button blue suit. Both are in good shape and fit well. I decided on the suit. We picked up Nancy’s friend Kathi at 1800 and drove to the Gardens. The place was packed. Nancy estimated 500 folks were in attendance. Free booze and food, what is not to like. It was a sit down dinner with an after dinner show. It was a great evening. Friday December 4, 2015: Today I biked to the Y. This is my last day at this Y because on Monday a new $30M Y will open 1.5 miles from our condo. I do the calisthenics and end up at Panera. I have a quick lunch and then get in the Taurus and head out. I stop at the Y to unload my locker and then head to my ENT doctor. The doctor checks my ears and nose and declares they are working fine. He did give me a prescription for some nose spray to stop my dripping nose. This evening Nancy and I head out at 1730 to Leo’s restaurant downtown. We are meeting the Horling’s for dinner. We had a great dinner and then walked over to DeVos Hall for a Holiday Concert. It was a great show. Nancy and I got home at 2200. Saturday December 5, 2015: This morning Nancy and I walked over to Panera for breakfast. Nancy had a toasted whole grain bagel and I had oatmeal with sourdough toast. Nancy really liked the toasted bagel. We walked home got in the Taurus and headed to the new Y. They had an open house for the new facility. It was like old home week. We met about 15 folks who were old members of the MAC. They all have joined the Y. I start using the Y on Monday. After the Y we dropped off some dishes at Kathi’s home. Our final stop was at Breton Village. Nancy bought several items at the Loft and I bought a barn coat at Orvis. At home I took Ms P on a long walk, two miles. I had lunch and then took a 3.5 mile walk. Nancy fixed soup and a fried egg sandwich for dinner. It is now 1954 and Nancy is talking to Debbie on netflix. We are waiting for the MSU/Iowa game to start. It has been a busy week. Nancy had a major procedure that was successful. She looks great and is on her way to a full recovery. Next week the dentist will make me a new partial. We are looking forward to our Christmas break in CA. I got my 30 in today did you?

Wednesday December 2, 2015

Catch Up Wednesday: It has been several days since I have written my blog. And a busy few days it has been. Monday November 30: Last day of November and I get up with the alarm at 0645. No Y today, I do the calisthenics and row 2K before breakfast. After breakfast we get in the Taurus and head to the West MI Heart Center. Nancy wore a monitor last week for 48 hours. We returned the monitor so they can read the results. I spend some time at Panera and then had an early lunch. I had a 1300 appointment with an oral surgeon. The surgeon pulled one of my front teeth that was decayed beyond saving. At home I took Ms P on her walk and then took a 3.5 mile walk. About 1600 Nancy gets a call from the Heart Center. They had read the monitor. The monitor showed that Nancy’s heart would stop periodically for about 5 seconds. This is not good so they had checked Nancy into Butterworth Hospital. She will have a pacemaker installed first thing Tuesday. By 1630 we had checked into the hospital. Nancy got her marching orders. Tests were taken and forms filled out. Once Nancy got settled I headed home. I contacted all the kids and told about their Mom’s pending operation. Tuesday December 1: I got to the hospital about 0800 and Nancy was being prepared. We were shown the pacemaker and told how it would be installed. About 1000 Nancy was taken to surgery. The actual operation takes less than an hour but a lot of time is spent setting up. At 1200 Nancy was wheeled into the recovery room and we were told everything went great. The pacemaker is set to keep Nancy’ resting heart rate at 60 bpm. Nancy’s heart rate before the PM would be as low as 40. I spent some of the afternoon telling the kids that everything went ok. Returned to the hospital about 1700 and Nancy was still tired from the operation. Nancy kicked me out at 1930. Wednesday December 2: We had arranged that Nancy would call me when she is to be released. I biked over to Panera had breakfast and read the WSJ. I called Nancy about 1000 and asked when she was going to be released. The Doc had not stopped by yet to sign the release papers. Nancy’s voice this morning was nice and strong. I finally got Nancy’s call and headed downtown. She was really glad to get out of the hospital and I shared this feeling. The Doc said for Nancy to take it easy today but tomorrow she can resume normal activities. I took a short bike ride before eating lunch. I took Ms P on her walk and then took a two mile walk. Nancy’s friend Kathi brought over some soup for dinner tonight. We will watch TV and netflix tonight before turning in.

Sunday November 29, 2015

Sunday morning but today we decide to take it easy. So no swim today. It was sunny and cold this morning, 20. I decided to take a walk before going to Meijer's. I walked 3.5 miles in 60 minutes. As soon as I got home we headed to Meijer's. Gas today was $1.54. I filled up for $12. I agree with the pundits that the low gas prices are the same as a middle class tax cut. Nancy fixed her world famous poached eggs for breakfast. I had mine on a waffle. I read the funnies and sports page and then took my afternoon nap. Ms P and I took our daily walk and then Nancy gave me some packages to mail to the grandkids. I walked over to Meijer's and mailed then. Nancy is fixing salmon burgers for dinner tonight. They look good. Just got off the phone with my sister. She said it is cold in Tucson. We will watch 60 minutes and Madame Secretary. I will watch a netflix show on my ipad to see if it keeps cutting out like on our TV. On this date in 1938 my Great Grandfather Sanborn died. He was born on St Pat's day in 1856 so he was 82. I am alway quoting from his 1938 diary. James Lee Sanborn was a real role model for me. During his life he was an owner of sawmills, State Legislator, real estate agent, farmer and speculator. He tried to plant peanuts in MI but they all froze. He was going to raise a special breed of sheep but as soon as they arrived at the RR Sta in Alpena they all ran away. My GGF was a joiner. I think my Dad inherited this trait. I am drinking a glass of scotch to toast GGF. The scotch was made in the hometown, Campbeltown, Scotland, of another GGF, Dr James McTavish. I hope GGF Sanborn forgive my scotch indulgence because he was a teetotaler. Remember to get your 30 minutes outdoors every day.

Saturday November 28, 2015

Saturday morning and Nancy and I really slept in. The sun was high in the sky when we got in the Taurus and headed to Sundance for breakfast. We had no problem getting a seat but within 10 minutes the place was filled. Nancy had their ham-d-scram and I had oatmeal. I needed to get some exercise so I took a 12 mile bike ride. The temp was in the high 20s when I started and it took some time for me to warm up. With the leaves off the trees I can see some big homes located off the trail. I checked one of the homes using Map and saw that they had a small golf course. I was very cold when I got home so I turned on the electric blanket and took a nap. After the nap I took Ms P on her daily walk. Watched some of the UM/OSU game. I ended the afternoon with a 2.5 mile walk. I did watch some of the MSU/PSU game. Good to see MSU win. Did you know that Nancy' father George Patton played football for PSU? For dinner Nancy fixed tamales along with a spicy rice. It was tasty. Not much on TV so we watched a Doc Martin show on netflix. Our netflix is driving us crazy. It keeps cutting off. I bring the show back by turning netflix off and then back on again. Monday I will call our computer guru.

Friday November 27, 2015

Some folks call today Black Friday but I think today should be called gloomy. It rained most of the night and I was going to take a bike ride but it was raining. I did the calisthenics at home. I also rowed 2K. I walked to Panera for coffee. The rain had stopped so after coffee I took a long walk home. Nancy had some errands to run so we got in the Taurus and headed out. First stop was Pet Smart for some items for Ms P. Next was Michaels for some grand daughter gifts. Finally we stopped at Meijer's. After a quick lunch Ms P and I took our daily walk. I took a nap and then finished the afternoon with a 2.5 mile walk. Nancy fixed beef and ale pie for dinner. Also had a sweet potato and green beans.

Thursday November 26, 2015

Thanksgiving Day 2015: It was unseasonably warm this morning with temperature in the 50s. I was going to walk to Starbucks for coffee but it started to rain so I took the Cobalt. I did stop to get gas because it was $1.84. Starbucks was very crowded. No WSJ today so I read Apple News on my ipad. It is a very good app. I was surprised when Jennifer Dougherty walked in. She and Phil had just finished running the annual "Turkey Trot" and were stopping at Starbucks for a hot drink. We had a nice talk. Jennifer was one of my favorite employees. Her husband Phil is my favorite electrician. We had a brief respite from rain so I took Ms P on her walk. I dropped her off and then continued walking for another two miles. At 1400 Nancy and I headed to the Namey's for Thanksgiving Dinner. Tim Mask was also invited. Ed and Mary are great hosts. We had all the traditional dishes, turkey, dressing, squash, mashed potatoes, and salad. Of course we had pumpkin pie for dessert. We had a great afternoon. Steve and family spent Thanksgiving week in AZ. They had their Thanksgiving dinner in Sierra Vista. Missy and AJ spent Thanksgiving with friends in Las Vegas. I called Debbie with no luck so I am assuming she is with friends. Around the mid 90s Nancy was still teaching so for Thanksgiving we took a special a long weekend in an European City. First we visited Paris followed in order, London, Berlin and finally Rome. We also spent a Thanksgiving, 2012, in Vietnam.

Tuesday November 24, 2015

The weather was cool but dry this morning. It was thirty when I left for the Y. I took my 6 mile route. One wood bridge is still snow covered and I had trouble pedaling through the snow. My back wheel was spinning. I had to stop and walk the bike through the snow. I will be glad when I get steel studded tires next week. The big topic of conversation at the Y is the new facility due to open on Dec 7. The new facility will be much larger. After the workout and shower I pedaled to Panera. The total distance traveled was 10 miles. The WSJ lately has written several articles on declining birth rates in China, Germany and Japan. It is a serious problem. The USA also has this problem. Not enough young folks to support Medicare and Social Security. Several decades ago the problem was reversed. Folks were worried about the population bomb. The conventional wisdom was that the world could not support all the new folks. Zero Population Growth or ZPG was the buzz word. Couples should only have two children. Of course all the smart folks were wrong, big time. However, Bob and Nancy did not support ZPG we had our third child, Steve. It was a great move. My motto was 1,2,3 the Hell with ZPG. Take that you liberal, bedwetting, weenies. Before lunch I took Ms P on her walk. I spent some time in the office catching up on back issues of SI. With winter coming I need a walk route that is clear and away from vehicles. Cascade Township does a good job plowing sidewalks so I selected a route and turned on my pedometer. Two times around the route is 3.5 miles. I have found my winter route. Nancy fixed a pork and apple dish with rice and lima beans. it was great. On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving in 1961, Ensign Scott took a bus from Treasure Island NB to Travis AFB. I caught a four engine prop plane for the flight to Pearl Harbor. It was the first time I have ever flown at night. We flew for a long time along the coast of CA. I looked out the window at all the lights. I was fascinated by the miles and miles of lights. It was quite a scene. We landed in HI early in the morning and I checked into the BOQ at the Pearl Harbor Navy Base.

Wednesday November 25, 2015

Breakfast Club Wednesday so I am up at 0546. We had a small turnout today. The Speaker was Paul Regis a helicopter pilot for AeroMed. He provided a good picture of the operation of medical air lifts. After BC I drove to Woodland Mall and took a short walk before stopping at Starbucks for coffee and a chance to read the WSJ. At home Nancy told me the pie she ordered from Grand Traverse Pie Company was ready. I got back in the Cobalt and picked up the pie. Also stopped at Ace Hardware to buy a 20# bag of bird seed. Took Ms P on her walk before having lunch. Nancy had a 1430 meeting so I drove her. Usually I take a bike ride on my easy day but decided on a 3.5 mile walk. Ended the afternoon with short nap. We had a light dinner and watched the news. We are now watching “The Roosevelt’s” on netflix. Tomorrow is my 77th Thanksgiving. I have only spent three Thanksgiving away from family. Tomorrow Nancy and I are going to the Namey’s for dinner. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Monday November 23, 2015

It was cold last night, 23. We have been sleeping with the slider open. I am glad we have an electric blanket. Sunrise today was at 0745. I don’t like to ride my bike in the dark so I waited until 0800 before heading to the Y. The bike trail was 90% clear but the 10% was snow covered and icy. I was surprised that the Y was not very crowded today. I did my calisthenics, showered and was out the door in 35 minutes. As usual I had my coffee at Panera. The Paris attack still got a lot of space today but business and politics are moving back into prominence. I really have a problem with the Pfizer/Allergan merger. If the merger takes place the new corporate office will be in Ireland. Why can’t the clowns in DC just change the corporate tax code. Pfizer bought out a great Michigan firm, Parke-Davis. Parke-Davis was located in Kalamazoo and was a great corporate citizen, providing great jobs and support for the local area. I am of the opinion that bigness is bad be it government or business. As soon as I got home I took Ms P on her walk. It was still in the 20s so we did not dilly-dally. After lunch I took my studded tires to the Ada Bike shop to see if I should use them this year. The tires have some sidewall damage. After talking with the mechanic I ordered a new set and will have them put on next week. We have some warm weather coming this week so I won’t need the studs until the end of next week. Next Nancy and I headed to Costco. We bought wine, cheese, sandwich rolls and grapes. Costco was jammed today. Our last stop was Aldi’s so Nancy could buy some cheese. I ended the afternoon with a two mile walk. It is now 1754 and I am ending this blog. Remember no matter what the weather you must get 30 minutes outside every day. I got mine, did you get yours?

Sunday November 22, 2015

The cold weather continues. Temps today were in the mid 20s but with no snow. I have been having some strange sleep patterns lately. Today I got up at 0300 and decided to shave my face and head. I then went back to bed until the alarm went off at 0646. Today is Sunday so we were at MVP by 0800. Nancy went swimming but I just walked on the treadmill for 2 miles, 30 minutes. I decided not to swim because I have developed a sinus infection. Riding my bike into the cold wind really chills my left side sinus. This is the area where I had shingles. The shingles caused some nerve damage. The area is very sensitive to cold. At least that is my theory. Gas today was $1.94. For the first time in ages I filled up the Taurus for less than $20. Our weekly mileage is pretty constant at 130-150. Nancy fixed her world famous scrambled eggs for breakfast. I read the comics and then took my Sunday nap. After the nap I took Ms P on her walk. I see some folks have put coats on their dogs but the cold weather does not seem to bother Ms P. We forgot to buy milk at Meijer’s this morning. I grabbed a back pack and walked over to the store. I was surprised at how busy Meijer’s was this afternoon. Today starts the second week of deer season. Recent snow provides hunters with good tracking conditions. The Alpena News had an article on Friday saying that this has been a good deer season in NE MI. Thanksgiving week in 1961 was a busy week for young Ensign Scott. I completed the CEC Officer’s School in Port Hueneme, CA. A classmate of mine Ensign Duffy from MA gave me a ride up to the Treasure Island Navy Base. Treasure Island is located in San Francisco Bay. An ramp off the San Francisco-Oakland Bridge provides access to the base. Treasurer Island was the major demarcation for Navy folks going oversea. Ensign Duffy and I spent some time driving the steep hill of San Francisco. I think I left for Pearl Harbor on Tuesday or Wednesday because I remember having Thanksgiving Dinner at the Pearl Harbor BOQ. The next day I headed to Midway Island. Oh the things we remember.

Saturday November 21, 2015

Looked out the window this morning and all I saw was white, our first snow of the year. In fact it snowed most of the day. It stopped about 1700. I am writing this blog at 2033 while watching a netflix movie. I started the day by walking to Panera. I had their oatmeal and read the WSJ. It was snowing hard when I left Panera but I needed to get my 30 in so I took the long route home. My app said I had walked 3.75 miles. I spent some time today working on Nancy’s iMac. Finally I got it so she could send emails and print. I really don’t know what I did but it worked. I watched some of the UM/PSU game. I needed to mail a bill so I headed out and walked to mail box. The concrete walks were still passable so I walked around the block twice. Checked my app and saw that I had walked a total of 6.2 miles today. I thought this was pretty good for a snowy day. I took a short nap to warm up. Finished the afternoon watching the MSU/OSU game. Great to see MSU win. Nancy fixed home made chili for dinner. It was great. The snow has stopped but the temps will drop to 25 tonight.

Friday November 20, 2015

Finally the sun is out. I enjoyed my 9 mile ride to the Y. Sun beats cold and wind every time. It was in the mid 30s most of the day but I was properly dressed. After the Y I stopped at Panera for coffee and a chance to read the WSJ. ISIS still dominates the news. The GOP crazies still want to keep all immigrants out. Some are even saying all Muslims should be denied entry. Stupid. As soon as I got home Ms P and I took the nature walk. Quick lunch and then I got in the Cobalt and headed to the Mall. I am looking for a pair of lined khakis. Stopped at American Eagle, JCP, Hollister, and J. Crew but had no luck. Left the mall and stopped at JoAnn Fabrics to buy some big safety pins. I use the pins to tie up my socks. At Gander Mountain I purchased a pair of deer skin mittens. I took a short nap. Nancy and I had dinner at Russ's. I had a hot turkey sandwich and Nancy a bowl of chicken rice soup. We are now watching a movie on netflix. Our netflix keeps cutting out. I don't know what the problem is? I might have to call in my computer guru. Riding around town I noticed that the lawn cutting firms have put snow plows on their pickups. We have winter storm warnings in place. Six inches of snow is expected in the next 18 hours. Stay tuned!

Thursday November 19, 2015

This blog is being written at 2122 on Nov 19: It has been a very windy day. Wind speeds have been above 20 mph most of the day. No sunshine but it was not cold with temps in the 40s. I slept in and then got on the bike and headed to the Y. I took the 9 mile route. With the leaves off the trees I can see clearly all the fine homes along the Thornapple River. Several big homes already have great Christmas decorations up. Why are the lights on these displays on all night? It has to be expensive. I bucked the high winds going up Ada Drive. I also had to stop the bike and carry it over a tree that had been blown over the bike path. The Y was crowded this morning but not much activity in the area where I do my calisthenics. They had a big sign up saying only 18 days until the new Y is open. I cannot wait, it is only 1.5 miles from the condo. I stopped at Panera for my morning coffee. The Paris attack still dominates the news. It looks like Russia, USA and EU are going to cooperate in Syria. I do not agree with the GOP’s efforts to stop Syrian immigrants. The USA is a nation of immigrants and we should not forget this. First thing I did when I got home was to take Ms P on her walk. The high wind did not seem to bother her. After lunch I spent some time trying to get Nancy’s computer to connect to the printer. Not much luck! Finished the afternoon with a two mile walk. For dinner tonight we headed to Great Lakes Shipping. We both had their prime rib sandwich. It was very tasty. It is now 2153 and we are watching Midsomer Murders on netflix. I am signing off.

Wednesday November 18, 2015

Today is my easy Wednesday. Rain was predicted but my handy-dandy weather app said that I about 45 minutes before it starts. So I decided to walk 45 minutes before breakfast. Fat chance, it started to rain 10 minutes into the walk. I hightailed it to Panera and had a bowl of oatmeal and read all about the attack in Paris. Are Russia, US and the EU countries getting together to combat ISIS in Syria? After breakfast I walked home and started doing some chores. I did a load of laundry, cleaned up my in basket before having a quick lunch. At 1330 I got in the Cobalt and headed to Dr Yurko’s office for a 6 month checkup. She found a spot on my cheek and took a sample for testing. On my way home I stopped at Breton Village. Three stores in the mall sent me coupons worth $25. So I stopped at Fitzgerald’s, Jos Banks and Orvis. I bought a vest at the Orvis. I got home and realized that I forgot to stop at the bank. I wanted Ms P to go with me but she refused. Nancy had to work at the Garden’s this afternoon. She and I got home at the same time. It was sprinkling when I put the leash on Ms P. We got half way up the hill and she wanted to go home. I put on some rain pants and went on a 2 miles walk. We had a light dinner and it is now 1920 and we are watching PBS news. At 2000 we will watch the “Mysteries of Laura” and at 2100 a netflix show. Today was a warm gloomy day. Street lights went on a 1600. The temperature reached 61 but the temperature will drop tomorrow. Snow is predicted for Saturday. Stay tuned!

Tuesday November 17, 2015

The body woke up this morning at 0710. I have to be home by 1100 because Phil Dougherty, electrician, is stopping by to install a new fan and to rewire a fixture downstairs. I have to hurry to get home by 1100. I did the calisthenics at home and then took a short bike ride, 10 miles. Showered and drove to Panera for coffee. I had only 20 minutes to read the paper. Phil arrived on time and went right to work. He had to get up in our attic so I emptied the closet near the attic hatch. I also had to remove two shelves. The shelves were very difficult to get out. I borrowed a saw from Phil and sawed about 1/4” from an end. Problem solved. Phil had no problem installing the fan. However, it was impossible to rewire the outlet that we use for the electric space heater. The overhead ducts were full. We decided to abandon this project. Just as Phil was wrapping up the techs from EPS can over to fix our alarm system’s low battery. They spent over an hour fixing the problem. I had a quick lunch and then Ms P and I took our walk. I added about 1/2 mile to the walk. It was warm today but gloomy. In fact the street lights were on in the Gatehouse condo area. Gatehouse is next to our condo association, The Meadows. I took a short nap and was going on a quick walk when it started to rain. No walk today. Nancy fixed beef/potato soup and beans and rice for dinner. It is now 2100 and we are watching the news on PBS. Later we will watch NCIS before turning. We can not get on the internet. My laptop says we are connected but still cannot get online. I hope all the electric work done by Phil and EPS did not mess up the system. Stay tuned! I just went downstairs and unplugged the modem and router and after a minute plugged them back in. Hooray, we are back online.

Monday November 16, 2015

Monday at 1745: The second day of deer season and still no tracking snow. Bummer! In keeping with my new program I get up when my body says it is time. This morning the time was 0720. After breakfast I got on the bike and took my 6 mile route to the Y. It was a beautiful fall morning. Sunshine and morning temps in the low 50s. After the morning calisthenics and a shower I headed to Panera. This morning the Paris attack dominated the news. I got home at 1215. Changed clothes and took Ms P on her daily walk. The temperature at 1300 was 64. After lunch we all got in the Taurus and headed to Pet Smart. Nancy had to buy some joint meds for Ms P. Next stop was Costco. We each bought some clothes. Nancy bought a sweater and I bought a long sleeve tee and snow pants. Also picked up some photos. We stopped at Aldi’s to look at their dark chocolate. The Namey’s said the 85% coca was low in sugar. I found it too high. Nancy dropped me and Ms P off and she headed to the Dollar Store to buy some photo frames. I headed down to my office to make some calls. I have the Security firm stopping by tomorrow to check out a low battery alarm. Our auto insurance has increased over $100 in the past 6 months so I called and asked for an explanation. I tried on a 40 year old suit. It fits me well and although it is 3 button it still looks ok. I am glad I saved these clothes. I sent a $2 bill to each grandkid. I mailed the letters on my walk. I emailed 23&me and they are going to send a sample kit to Lucas. The original kit was lost in the flood. We are having a light dinner and then will watch some TV before turning in.

Sunday November 15, 2015

Weekend Update: Saturday November 14, 2015: I slept in until almost 0800 and after some morning chores I got on the bike and headed to Panera. I had their oatmeal, toast, banana and coffee. The terror attack in Paris dominated the news. After breakfast I got back on the bike and took my normal route. It was a beautiful day for a ride. With the leaves gone I can see a lot of homes that are back from the trail. I did make a diversion to see how the new apartment complex near the condo is progressing. They have two more buildings to complete. It is a huge complex. Our condo association fought the project. I took Ms P on her walk before lunch. I assembled all the family history data and walked over the Meijer's to mail it to CA. Showered and then took a quick nap. At 1730 we headed to Shariz Restaurant for dinner. We met the Namey's and Dancy's at Shariz. The Dancy's are friends of the Namey's. I had a lamb shank and it was delicious. After dinner we headed to the Namey's for dessert. The men watched the last 10 minutes of the UM/IU overtime game. Mary Namey fixed an apple cobbler and it was great. We left at 2030. A perfect fall day. Sunday November 15, 2015: Just a note that today is the first day of deer season. Deer season is big in northern MI. My dad belonged to a hunting club. The Doctor's Club was its name. They had a big lodge and mess hall. Every season they hired cooks to provide three meals a day. Dad would spend about a week getting ready for camp. It included buying a case of hard liquor. Dad would spend the first week at camp. Scott Engineering along with most business organizations would close for the first week. The wife's were called hunter's widows. My mother and her friends would schedule bridge games all week. Sunday, 2015: Up with the alarm at 0645 and get ready for our swim. The sun was just coming up and it looks like another great day. We both swam 1,000 m. Gas at Meijer's today was $2.17. We didn't buy much today. Nancy fixed her world famous poached eggs for breakfast. I had mine on a waffle. At 1200 I head to the bedroom for my Sunday nap. After the nap I took Ms P on her nature walk. We did not see any wildlife. Yesterday we saw a lot of geese and last night a very big raccoon. At home I wrote a check to pay our auto insurance. I walked over to the mailbox. Debbie facetimed Nancy this afternoon to help her getting photos to Costco. She said they had rain in San Jose which is good. Nancy fixed beans and rice for dinner. We are now watching a NFL game before 60 minutes. The days are getting shorter: 10h24' in Long Beach, 9h43' in GR and 8h31' in Edinburgh.

Friday November 13, 2015

It was another dark gloomy day with very high winds. On my bike ride to the Y I had to buck the winds. I used a low gear all the way. The Y was very crowded. It must be the cold weather that drove everyone inside. It was a good ride to Panera because I had a tail wind. It started snowing as I approached Panera. The first snow of the year. Luckily it did not stick. The WSJ is actively reporting on the unrest on college campuses. Are student protests trying to stifle free speech? I think they are. Being politically correct has gone too far. GM and the UAW just signed a big contract but a report today said GM will start importing Buicks from China. They also are making their economy cars in Mexico. Twenty years ago the UAW would not allow any GM cars that were not made by their members. As soon as I got home I drove to Costco. They had some lined waterproof pants on sale last week. I checked out their supply and found they did not have my size. Had a quick lunch and then headed down to the office. I finally completed my family history research. For dinner tonight we headed to Brann’s. The place was crowded. We got the last table. Brann’s have great salads so we both had one. Mary Namey called this evening and invited us to dinner at a Persian restaurant tomorrow night. We accepted. We spent some time watching the news reports from Paris. After the bad news we needed some relief. We watched two shows on netflix.

Thursday November 12, 2015

2130: I am late writing the blog. It has been a busy day. Slept in until 0700 this morning. It started raining early this morning and it rained most of the day. It was dark, raining, very windy and down right gloomy when I headed out so I got in the Cobalt and drove to the Y. Did the calisthenics and also rowed 2K. Showered and drove to Woodland Mall. I walked about two miles before stopping at Starbucks for coffee and a chance to read the WSJ. I think it is a bit early but the Mall has a Santa. I left the Mall about 1200 and it was still blowing and raining. It was so dark that I think my flash would go off if I took a photo. Ms P had an appointment at the groomers at 1230. As soon as I got home we got in the Taurus and headed out. The groomer said it would take about 2 hours. On our way home we stopped at Macatawa Bank to get some money for Kim. She is coming to clean tomorrow. Our next stop was the Cascade Library. Nancy dropped off a book bag from her Book Club. I got a library card. I started a load of laundry, had a quick lunch and then headed downstairs to check on family history. I am amazed at all the info I have. This afternoon I reviewed my Mother's family, Hughes. My Great Grandfather Hughes was from County Wexford in Ireland. The family lived in several small communities near Gorey. Ballylacey mentioned in several documents is not shown on modern maps. Apple maps puts a pin near Ballybacey but the aerial view does not shown any development. We do not have any proof but family lore has it that the Hughes family was originally from Hollyhead, Wales. Family members boarded a ship in late 1600s to head to North America when a terrible storm forced the ship to land near Wexford, Ireland. The women refused to get back on board so the Hughes family stayed in Ireland until 1818. In 1818 they settled along the Ottawa River in Quebec, Canada. Nancy picked up Ms P at 1530. The Groomer gave her a great cut. I finished the afternoon with a 2 mile walk. It had stopped raining but the winds were blowing about 22 mph. Nancy fixed chicken and rice dish for dinner. She also cooked an acorn squash. I love squash. We watched the news and Big Bang before switching to a show on netflix. Despite the gloom I got my 30 minutes in today.

Wednesday November 11, 2015

Veteran’s Day 2015 and every year I ask old veterans if they can remember their serial number. Surprising about 90% can remember. I have been a Veteran for 54 years. My serial number is 652654. During my time Navy serial numbers were sequential. John Paul Jone’s number was 1. As we all know JP Jones was the Navy’s first officer. Today was Breakfast Club Wednesday. I left home at 0630 and headed downtown. Today’s speaker was the recently retired Kent County Deputy Sheriff, John Hess. John was also a neighbor of ours on Mackinaw. He gave a great talk on problems facing law enforcement. After breakfast I stopped at Starbucks in Gaslight Village for a chance to read the WSJ. I also had to kill some time before the fireplace store next door opened. I was surprised that the WSJ did not have articles on Veteran’s Day. At 1000 I walked next door and asked for a price to install a gas insert in our downstairs fireplace. The cost was between $3,000 and $4,000. I decided that instead of a gas heater I will install a separate electric line to run the existing electric heater. The separate line will eliminate the problem of over heating. The line will only cost $300. On the way home I stopped at Meijer’s to buy some Schuler’s soft cheese. I was spending some time checking family history when I got a call from EPS our security firm. They were scheduled to come this afternoon but wanted to come early. I said ok. They checked out the system and installed a new transformer. As soon as the EPS man left I took Ms P on her walk. Nancy was working at the Garden’s this afternoon. As with most afternoons I took a short nap and walk. This evening I met Ed Namey at Uccello’s for pizza. Nancy was at book club. It is now 2115 and we are watching Midsomer Murders on netflix.

Tuesday November 10, 2015

I faced a light sprinkle when Ms P and I went out this morning. The weather folks said no more rain today so I believed them. They were right. After breakfast got out my trusty bike and headed to the Y. I took a shorter route today. The trees are nearly bare so I am surprised what I can now see. I see a lot of beautiful homes that I could not see with full foliage. The Y parking lot was crowded this morning. I did my calisthenics, showered and then headed to Panera. The WSJ had an article on the first city in the USA that has a city council with a Muslim majority. I was surprised because that city is Hamtramck, MI. Hamtramck for years was known for its large Polish population. In fact Hamtramck used to play Alpena in football mainly because Alpena also had a large Polish population. We had a home and home arrangement. 250 miles separate Hamtramck from Alpena so when we played at Hamtramck we got to stay in a hotel. For most players from Alpena it was their first time in an hotel. A highlight of the trip was when the bus stopped in front of the huge Hudson's Department Store in downtown Detroit. We were allowed to ride the moving stairs, escalator. I have owned a number of cars with a stick shift. The WSJ reported that it is almost impossible to get a stick shift. Time marches on. I got home a 1200 and Nancy was right behind me. We immediately headed out to Costco. We stocked up on wine, kleenex, cheese, eggs and Nancy's medicine. I had a quick lunch and then took Ms P on her walk. Next job was to run errands. Stopped a Sheldon Cleaners to pick up my laundry. Headed to Woodland Mall, I needed a big UK map for the family history project. Barnes and Noble had a great map. Also stopped at Sears looking for lined pants, they did not have any. J Crew had a pair but $120 was a bit steep. Took a short nap and then a walk around the block. For dinner had Trader Joe's Buttered Chicken. Watched the news and then NCIS. Early to bed because tomorrow is Breakfast Club.

Monday November 9, 2015

When I walked out with Ms P this morning it looked like we had a clear sunny day ahead of us. It was very cold when I got on the bike, mid 20s. I thought I was properly dressed but my hands got very cold, even though I wore mittens. Tomorrow if the temperature is still in the 20s I will get out my chopper mittens. TheY was crowded this morning. Most of the folks take classes. The members are all talking about moving to the new facility next month. When I left the Y the temperature has risen 20 degrees. No cold hands on the ride to Panera. I passed the new Panera and saw that they were paving the parking lot. Maybe they will make their mid January opening. Read the WSJ articles about the dam break in Brazil. It sure looks like bad maintenance. Is failure to maintain criminal? Nancy had lunch with her gift shop buddies today. I took Ms P on a 1.5 mile walk before lunch. I spent about two hours looking through the family history of the Sanborn clan. I found a family member who fought in the Revolutionary War. Also another spent of time in a Confederate POW camp during the Civil War. At 1500 Ms P and I got in the Taurus and headed to the Vet. The Vet gave Ms P a clean bill of health. I took a short nap and then walked around the block. We had a light dinner. Watched the news and then at 1915 I headed downstairs to read more Sanborn family history. The Sanborn's have kept good records. The Sanborn family was from England. I have the names of all the village's they lived in and hope I can talk Nancy into visiting them.

Sunday November 8, 2015

Up with the alarm at 0645, today is swim day. Temperature was 28 when Ms P and I went out. We had a heavy frost, the first of the year. The pool was crowded this morning. We both swam 30 minues. Gas at Meijer's today was $2.37. Our shopping list was small today. Grapes, apple, bananas, and yogurt topped the list. Nancy fixed her world famous scrambled eggs for breakfast. We watched some of the Sunday news shows and then I took Ms P on her walk. I took my Sunday nap. Spent some time in the office going over family history. I did find that the Hughes branch of my family started in Wales and then moved to Ireland before coming to Canada. I always thought we were 100% Irish. I ended the afternoon with a two mile walk. Nancy fixed beans and rice for dinner. It was great. It is now 1934 and we are watching 60 minutes. Facts about the year of my birth, 1938: the first passenger ship with radar made its debut In Los Angeles, March, floods and landslides caused over 200 deaths and leave over 20,000 homeless in Sep a hurricane in New England kills 700 people Japan and Russia are at war Kate Smith introduces the song "God Bless America", only folks over 50 would appreciate this FDR was president and John Garner was VP Life Expectancy 59.7 years Ball point pens and teflon were introduced A new house cost $3,900, Average income was $1,731, a new car cost $860, average rent was $27 per month, movie ticket $0.25. gas was $0.10 per gallon, postage was $0.03 milk was $0.50 per gallon, eggs were $0.18 per dozen, hamburger was $0.13

Saturday November 7, 2015

Normal fall weather returns with temps in the low 40s this morning. It was breezy with intermittent sun. I slept in until 0745 this morning. Bundled up and pedaled to Panera. I had their oatmeal and sourdough toast. On Saturday I have time to read most sections of the WSJ. Health care, Syria, plane crash in Egypt, China's economy, Keystone pipeline and of course presidential politics dominates. After breakfast I stopped at Macatawa Bank to make a deposit. The jacket I was wearing needed to be cleaned so Nancy recommended Kim's in a mall at the 28th and Cascade intersection. Kim's was closed so I pedaled around and finally found a Sheldon Cleaners. I pedaled around the neighborhood and got home at 1200. Nancy has to work at the Christmas Sale at the Gardens this afternoon so I drove her. Ms P and I took our nature walk and about 1/2 way through we encountered a hail storm. It lasted only about 15 minutes but spooked Ms P. I had lunch, put away my laundry, checked some family history before taking a very short nap. At 1630 I drove back to the Gardens. I met Ed Namey in the lobby and waited for Mary and Nancy to finish their shift. We all had dinner at Kitchen 67. It was very good. It is now 2000 and we are watching the MSU/Nebraska game. Did you know that the most successful Nebraska Football Coach, Bob Devaney, was the football coach at AHS? He left after my freshman year. His starting salary at Nebraska in 1961 was $17,000. My salary as a young engineer just out of college was $6,500. My how times have changed.

Friday November 6, 2015

What a difference a day makes, it was dark and gloomy this morning with high winds and temperature dropping all day. It rained last night but had stopped when I headed to the Y. I had to buck a 20 mph wind but I had a tail wind going home. I now do all my calisthenics at the Y. After showering I got back on the bike and headed to Panera. Everyone has an opinion what caused the Russian plane to crash in Egypt. I think a lot of the speculation is premature. I disagree with the President’s veto of the Keystone pipe line. However, I am for the Trade Agreement with Asian countries. I really get mad at GOP legislators in DC and MI. We all know money is needed for roads. The gas tax is a utility fee. Why not pay for roads by just raising this tax. No the GOP creates complicated funding using smoke and mirrors. As soon as I got home at 1230 I took Ms P on her walk. Had a quick lunch and then headed downstairs. I spent most of the afternoon going through all my family files. It was fun looking at all the photos that my Dad had taken over the years. Nancy and Kathi Kothe are attending a pre Christmas Sale at Meijer Gardens this evening. The sale is only open to members. Tomorrow the sale is open to the public. Nancy and Mary Namey are working at the sale tomorrow. For dinner tonight I walked over to Panera and had a bowl of clam chowder and a tuna sandwich. It is now 1925 and I am watching TV and writing this blog.

Thursday November 5, 2015

The great weather continues. We had another November day with temperature above 70. I have not figured out how to dress for this weather. I took off two layers this morning but still was dripping wet when I got to the Y. I did the calisthenics at the Y, showered and headed to Panera. The GOP folks have been talking about anchor babies and how folks are gaming the system to get US citizenship. Today’s WSJ had an article about wealthy Chinese coming to Costa Mesa, Ca to have their babies. The Women arrive on tourist visas and return after the birth to China. The babies have dual citizenship. During their stay in Costa Mesa the women spend lots and lots of money. It is all legal. After Panera I took Ms P on her walk. We did the nature trail. I spent a lot of time in the office paying bills and reviewing family history. I was surprised at how much data I have. I also upgraded Nancy’s iMac's operating system. It took over two hours. For dinner we headed to Russ’s. Nancy had split pea soup and I had their Hot Turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy. This evening we read the GRP and watched Big Bang and then Tuesday’s NCIS that Nancy recorded. Nancy also spent some time this evening talking with Missy. Despite our warm weather, folks are getting ready for winter. Cascade Township crews have been out putting stakes on the edge of the bike path so the snow plows do not rip up lawns. We are also getting a lot of Christmas catalogs. Today we got LL Bean’s.

Wednesday November 4, 2015

The great weather continues. The temperature today reached the mid 70s with blue skies. Today's temp is about 15 degrees above normal. Our peak fall colors have passed. The recent winds have left many trees bare of leaves. Wednesday is my easy day. I got on the bike and pedaled to Breton Village for breakfast at the Omelette Shop. I had their oatmeal and gave it a C. Read the WSJ but can not recall any thing I would comment on. I got home about 1130 and immediately took Ms P on her walk. At 1215 we got in the Taurus and headed to Holland. Nancy is going to pick up her necklace. Nancy tried the necklace on and determined some adjustments had to be made. The adjustments would take an hour so we walked around downtown Holland. Holland has done a great job fixing up their downtown. It is pedestrian friendly and has many nice small stores. Nancy checked the adjustment and declared it perfect. As soon as we got home I did some chores including taking out the trash. Had a quick lunch and then took a nap. Finished the afternoon with a walk around the block. We had a light dinner and watched some TV. Nancy headed to bed early and now I am watching Sons of Anarchy on netflix. On November 4, 1955 the Alpena High Wildcats football team played Bay City Handy in Bay City. Even after 60 years I remember the game. AHS won but the best thing I remember was that my Uncle Harold and Aunt Helen Woodley drove over from Alma to the game. Family was important.

Tuesday November 3, 2015

Tuesday morning and another warm sunny day is on tap. Quick breakfast and then biked to the Y. It is 9 miles from the condo to the Y on my preferred bike route. The Y was not very crowded. I did my calisthenics, showered and headed to Panera. Even thought I took off my jacket it had warmed up so much that I broke out in a sweat. I don’t know much about Common Core. Missy sent us a sample math problems that AJ had to performs. I thought it was a silly way to solve problems. Since my initial reaction I am having second thoughts. I actually use the same procedure outlined for AJ when I mentally solve problems. Maybe I was too hasty. Anyway the WSJ had an article on the problems school districts are having starting Common Core. It requires special training and computers. Common Core is expensive to get started so some school districts decline to use it. Another story caught my eye. The death rate for Middle-Aged Whites is rising. Suicide, Alcohol abuse and drug over doses are apparently rampart among the 45-55 age group. I have a hard time believing this because I think I was my most productive during this age period. As soon as I got home I took Ms P on her walk. I had a quick lunch and then headed downstairs to dig out some old family photos to send to my Grandson. We have a new printer and I found that I can scan old photos to my email address. Isn’t tech fun! I am waiting for Phil Dougherty, our electrician, to stop by. We are having problems with a fan in the master bath. I also want to know if it is possible to put a heat lamp in the downstairs bath. Phil looked at the master bath fan and ordered a new one. He also talked me out of a heat lamp. Phil is a great guy and electrician. Tonight Nancy and I are going to a condo association dinner. It is at Noto’s about 0.3 miles from the condo. Sonya our next door neighbor is riding with us. Stay tuned. Wednesday at 1945: About 30 folks attended the dinner last night. The food was very good and it is always nice to talk to neighbors. We got home about 2030 and watched a show on netflix.

Monday November 2, 2015

Monday morning and today I start a new routine. No calisthenics at home today, I ate breakfast got on the bike and started on my normal route. I stopped at the SE YMCA and did the morning calisthenics. The SE Y is getting a little long in the tooth. It will be replaced by a new state of the art Y on Dec 7. I found the Y clean and had everything I need. MVP does not have locker rental but the Y does. I like having a locker to keep lotion, shoes and swim gear. With a locker my backpack is lighter. The SE Y is about mile 9 on my 14 mile ride. On my way home I stopped at Panera for coffee. I have been skipping all articles on the presidential race. I did read several articles on the election in Turkey. The results will give President Erdogan’s more power. The Turks are our ally and a member of NATO. They want to get ride of Assad but also are fighting the Kurds. We are supporting the Kurds. It is so confusing that we should just get out. Lately there have been stories on the gold standard. I really don’t understand the pros and cons of the gold standard. Before lunch I took Ms P on her walk. After lunch I got in the Cobalt and ran errands. First stop was my skin doctor’s office. I made an appointment. At Rylee’s Hardware I bought a 20# bag of bird seed. Next stop was the Vet’s. I wanted to buy some heart worm pills but could not because next week Ms P must have her annual checkup. Finally I stopped at the Animal Shelter to renew Ms P’s license. Grandson Lucas has a school project on his family tree. I spent some time assembling family data. The weather man said we had the second warmest Nov 2 on record. The record was Nov 2, 1938. I checked GGF Sanborn’s diary for this day and he only stated that it was a summer’s day. It is now 1950 and at 2000 we will watch Big Bang and then a netflix show. I got my 30 in today, did you?

Sunday November 1, 2015

The first day of November and we are back on EST. Sun came up at 0716. Swim day and we left home at 0745. We both swam 20 laps. I filled up the Taurus for less than $25. Think the SS folks were right, low inflation and cheap gas makes a cost of living increase unnecessary. I returned bottles today. Now that I am drinking wine and not beer our bottle count is way down. Meijer’s has installed new recycle machines and they are real slick. Nancy fixed her world famous poached eggs this morning. I had mine on a waffle and Nancy had hers on an English muffin. Read the funnies and sports page before taking my nap. Ms P and I took our walk, 1.25 miles. I spent some time doing outdoor chores. Put the winter cover on our deck table, changed an outside light bulb on the garage and trimmed an evergreen tree in our courtyard. I filled a yard waste bag so I took it down to the curb. Finished my outside activities with a two mile walk. It was mild and sunny on my walk. A great fall afternoon. It is now 1750 and as soon as I finish this blog Nancy will have dinner ready. Pizza and black bean soup is on the menu. We will watch 60 Minutes and finish reading the GRP before watching some TV.

Saturday October 31, 2015

Halloween Day and today is also the end of DST. It was dark when I left at 0800. Tomorrow we will have sunrise at 0716 instead of 0816. I walked a mile before landing at Panera for oatmeal. It was such a dark, gloomy day that I dilly dallied eating and reading. When I left it was starting to sprinkle so I cut short my long route home. Nancy had a package she wanted mailed and I volunteered. I put on my rain suit put the package in my backpack and walked to Meijer’s. Nancy got a thorn in her thumb while working outside that had festered. This morning she went to an Urgent Care facility near the condo. They gave her a prescription. At Meijer’s I mailed the package, picked up the prescription, bought some epson salt and a cleaner for my partial. It was raining hard when I left but because of the rain suit I took the long route home. When I don’t ride the bike or swim I try to walk 5 miles. I just made it. This afternoon both Nancy and I spent time in our office cleaning our desks. Nancy also did the laundry. I also watched the finals of the World Cup of Rugby between New Zealand and Australia. It was fun to watch. The players are huge and they play the whole game, no commercials. I wonder do Pro Rugby players have the brain injuries that our football players do. About 1600 I took a nap. It is now 1800. We are having soup and ham sandwiches for dinner. Tonight I will watch some of the UM football game and a netflix show. Halloween night and last year at the condo no one showed up. When we were on Mackinaw at least 100 trick or treaters would show up. I remember in 1973 our first year at Mackinaw I took the girls out. It was a warm beautiful night. The streets were jammed with kids. I remember telling Nancy who stayed home with Steve what a great neighborhood we moved into. She agreed. We stayed 41 years.

Friday October 30, 2015

The rain stopped last night so I can ride my bike today. I did the at home stuff. During my workout I watched Morning Joe. They seemed fixed on the state of Jeb Bush. Does anyone really care about an election a year away. I sure don’t. I left for Panera about 0815 and it was still dark. It is 0.3 miles to Panera from the condo. In January Panera will move west to a new location on 28th St. The new Panera will be about 0.7 miles from home. My morning routine in 2016 will be different. I will be using a new coffee shop and health club, YMCA. I really was not in a WSJ reading mood this morning. The news around the world is depressing. I also have been drinking too much coffee and my stomach is rebelling. I took my long bike route today but only backwards. I stopped at Meijer’s and bought a Mega Million lottery ticket, $1. I buy one ticket for each drawing. Today I bought a multiple draw ticket. I will not have to buy another ticket for another 14 weeks. No wind today and the temps were in the mid 40s. Kim came to clean today. The house looks great. Nancy and I ran some errands. We stopped at the Teacher’s CU so Nancy could make a deposit. Our next stop was Trader Joe’s. The place was jammed. We purchased some frozen meals and loaded up on two buck Chuck. I had a quick lunch and then took Ms P on her daily walk. Spent some time cleaning up my desk and then took a short nap. Actually I sat in bed and watched Sons of Anarchy on netflix. For dinner Nancy and I headed to Vitale’s in Ada for pizza. Great pizza. It is now 2028 and we are watching Legends on netflix. This and that: Gas was $2.26 today. Six days ago, Oct 24, in 1929 the USA had the great Stock Market Crash. It was the start of the great depression. As a youth I heard stories on the impact the depression had on my family. Both my grandparents were heavily involved in the stock market. They lost a lot but still had a positive attitude. My Dad a graduate engineer ended up operating a dragline in a gravel pit. My Uncle Jim, Dad’s younger brother, also a graduate engineer had trouble getting work. It was not until President Roosevelt started the WPA that Dad and Uncle Jim had jobs. The WPA needed engineers. My Uncle always said he and my Dad were the only people in Alpena County that wore a tie to work.

Thursday October 29, 2015

We had heavy winds and rain last night. It was raining this morning so I took the Cobalt to Panera. Today is a swim day so I drove to MVP and hoped the pool would not be too cold. The pool was cold. After my swim I stopped by the membership office and told MVP to take me off their membership list. They did, however, I am still a member until 01 Dec. I joined the YMCA yesterday. Instead of going home I stopped at Woodland Mall. I bought a coffee at Starbucks and finished reading the WSJ. I am looking for a pair of lined jeans but American Eagle did not have any. They did have a lot of jeans with rips for sale. Why buy new jeans with rips? I was still cold when I got home so I had a quick lunch and then turned on the electric blanket. I took a nap and it took 45 minutes to warm up. Nancy bought some jewelry in South Africa. She paid the value added tax and was entitled to a refund. She got it today in the form of a MasterCard. I walked over to Macatawa Bank and used the ATM machine to get the money. Nancy is attending a volunteer’s dinner tonight at Meijer’s Garden. I walked over to Panera and had a bowl of black bean soup and tuna sandwich. It is now 1930 and I will fire up the netflix on my iPad and watch a cowboy show.

Wednesday October 28, 2015

Breakfast Club Wednesday and I am up with the 0545 alarm. It rained all night and was still raining when I left. Despite the health warnings bacon was served this morning and the members ate it with relish. BC has the best bacon, nice and crisp. The speaker today was the new President of Kendall School of Design. I don’t think she connected with members. After BC I headed straight home. Ms P does not go outside when it rains. Just light sprinkles when I got home so she did her bidness. I drove to Woodland Mall and walked several miles. I had coffee at Starbucks and had time to read the WSJ. Last week I was thinking of upgrading either my iPad or laptop. However, since we got the new router all my Apple machines work just fine. I did stop at the Apple store to ask how to remove the spotlight from my iPhone display. The nice young lady showed me. I like the Apple store because they are properly staffed. No waiting around. It was still sprinkling when I got home. I put on a rain suit and headed out for a 3 mile walk. (had to get my 30 in) It rained hard all during my walk. Nancy is working at the Gardens this afternoon. I had a quick lunch and then took a short nap. Nancy got home early today because the Gardens was not busy because of the rain. I checked outside about 1700 and it was not raining. Ms P and I took our daily walk. Ms P needs her 30 too. We had a light dinner tonight. Watched the news and we might watch some of the GOP debate tonight. Lately I have been surprised at the number of grammar and spelling errors I make in writing this blog. I sometimes write, road when I mean rode, here when I mean hear and write when I mean right. I try to proof read before posting but a lot slips through. Like most engineers I am sensitive about my grammar, or lack of. Be Kind!

Tuesday October 27, 2015

Tuesday as you all know is swim day for Bob and Nancy. Nancy leaves before 0700. I do the at home stuff. Lately I have been turning on the ground floor electric space heater. It takes the chill off the office. I either watch CNBC or MSNBC while doing the calisthenics. Most of the time I watch CNBC. After breakfast I biked to Panera. It is almost a year until the 2016 elections and I am already tired of all the talk. I think Donald Trump is a loud mouth bully but I do agree on his take on Russia in Syria. He says let Russia fight the war. We have wasted trillions of dollars in the Middle East with nothing but bad results. At 0935 I pack up and bike to MVP for my swim. Today I swam 20 laps. The pool was nice and warm for a change. Nancy told me that yesterday her friend went swimming and said the pool was super cold. I think this morning’s warm temp was because of all the complaints yesterday. At home I took Ms P on our nature walk. After lunch I got in the Cobalt and headed to the SE YMCA. I joined the Y because on December 7 a new Y will replace the one I just joined. The new Y will be state of the art with two pools. They will also have a 5 lap to the mile running track which would be perfect for me. The new Y is 1.5 miles from the condo vs 3.5 for MVP, a nice walk. After the Y I stopped at our travel agency to see how they are doing getting our flights to CA for Christmas. We are first flying to San Jose and then flying home from LA. We should hear in a couple of days. Nancy is fixing ham for dinner tonight. I know ham is a processed food but we will still continue to eat it. We will watch the news, read the GRP and watch NCIS before turning in. Yesterday I said that Gymnastics was the only sport girls could compete in at AHS. Nancy said that at her HS in Terre Haute the only sport was synchronized swimming. Nancy was the star swimmer. I sometimes forget how handy Siri is on my iPhone. I asked her how to spell synchronize.

Monday October 26, 2015

The sun did not come up until 0810 this morning. After breakfast I called my Dentist to see if he could look at a tooth I thought was chipped. Much to my surprise he could see me at noon. I quickly changed my routine. It was 36 degrees when I left on my bike ride. Despite the cold today was a beautiful day for a ride. The sun was bright and the colors were at their peak. I rode 14 miles and during the ride the temp increased to near 50. Showered and headed to the dentist. I made a quick stop at Panera for a coffee. The Dentist gave me some bad news. My problem tooth must come out. The tooth is next to my partial so unless I get a new partial I will have a big gap. I will have the tooth removed on a Monday and on Tuesday the Dentist will start making the new partial. For several days I will be toothless Bob. I didn’t have the guts to ask what it will cost. As soon as I got home we got in the Taurus and headed to Costco. Nancy needed to check on a prescription and pick up some photos. The photos were of our African trip. They were great. We also bought peanut butter, grapes and I bought two 32 degree long sleeve tees. The tees are great for cold days. Had a quick lunch and then Ms P and I went on our nature walk. I spent some time in the office reading the WSJ. One article dealt with the impact Apple and other tech companies are having on SF Bay real estate. The cost of a home in SF is astronomical. Last weekend elections were held in Portugal, Poland and the voters threw the party in power out. The winners are not big EU fans. Is the EU on shaky grounds? Voters in Europe are like those in the USA. They are fed up with the establishment. We had a light dinner and watched Big Bang. We are now watching Glades on netflix.

Sunday October 25, 2015

Sunday is swim day at the Scott household. MVP opens at 0800 and we were the first ones thru the door. I thought I was fast getting ready but I got the last lane. Swam my usual 30 minutes. My mind wanders when I am swimming. Today I was thinking about how male center my high school was. For example, Boys got two excused days for bird hunting and three days for deer hunting. Girls were not allowed hunting days. However, Boys and Girls both got five days for potato picking. The only fall sport was football. The only sport girls were allowed to participate in was gymnastics. AHS had great gymnastics teams and won the state in 1956. Most high schools in MI did not have gymnastic teams. Gas is back up to $2.38. Costco had gas at $2.06 earlier this week. Nancy fixed her world famous poached eggs for breakfast. I had mine on a waffle and Nancy had hers on a English muffin. I took my Sunday nap and then took the Taurus to the car wash. Ms P and I took our walk and then I took a solo 2.5 mile walk. Nancy is fixing Trader Joe’s Tamales for dinner. We are also having black beans. The tamales and beans were great. It is now 1846 and Nancy and I are in the downstairs office. Nancy is face timing with Debbie. Debbie is helping Nancy move her African photos to albums. I am writing this blog.

Saturday October 24, 2015

Saturday morning and when I looked out at 0630 it looked like rain so I went back to bed. I got up at 0800 and put on my raincoat and started walking. I walked a mile before deciding I would have breakfast at Panera. I had a bowl of oatmeal and read the WSJ. Panera was crowded. I think a lot of folks were going to East Lansing for the MSU game. They stopped at Panera for a coffee to take with them. They are building a new Panera about a block away. It will open in mid January. The Panera I go to does not have a drive thru but the new one will. The manager told me that restaurants like Panera must have a drive thru in order to compete. I have been checking out restaurants with a drive thru and they all have a long line of cars. Doesn’t anyone walk anymore. I took the long road home. Spent some time cleaning my desk and then took Ms P on her walk. It really started raining hard near the finish of our walk. I changed a wet shirt. Spent some time writing yesterday’s blog and updating files. It stopped raining late in the afternoon so I took another walk. My heart app on my iPhone said I have walked 11.45 miles today. I am not so sure how accurate this app is. I downloaded all the photos Nancy took on her camera during our African trip. She has some really nice photos. I also upgraded her phone to the newest operating system. I did the same for my iPad. Nancy fixed soup and hot dogs for dinner. It was great. It is now 2015 and I have all our iPads and iPhone updated so it netflix time.

Friday October 23, 2015

Friday morning and I decided to take the new sidewalk on 28th Street all the way down to Breton Road. So after the normal morning routine I did just that. It is a nice flat ride with no steep areas. I was disappointed that the new sidewalk is about 2 feet narrower than the existing one near our condo. I pedaled up Breton Road to Breton Village. Orvis and Fitzgerald’s are having sales. I bought nothing a Fitzgerald’s but did buy a shirt at Orvis. Saved $25 and it fit nicely in my backpack. My speedometer said I pedaled 14 miles. The new sidewalk means I have access to Woodland Mall, Trader Joe’s and other stores along 28th. Maybe I should sell the Cobalt. Before lunch I took Ms P on our nature walk. This walk is the same distance as our normal walked on paved surfaces. I had lunch and spent some time doing chores. About 1500 I took a shower and then a short nap. At 1630 Nancy and I headed downtown. We are going to the Symphony with the Moleski’s. We had dinner at GP Sports in the Amway hotel. We attended the pre-concert lecture on the concert. It was a good concert. It started to sprinkle when we left but made it to the car without getting too wet. We got home at 2230. Another beautiful fall day in MI.

Thursday October 22, 2015

Thursday and it is my swim day. After the at home stuff I head to Panera. It looks like another warm sunny fall day. I read the WSJ and I like their reporting on South America. Corruption in Venezuela’s and Brazil’s oil industry appear wide spread. Today’s article on the corruption in Venezuela was very interesting. I think that the press is muzzled in Venezuela provides a great environment for bad guys. The pool was not only crowded today but cold. I got the last lane. It was such a nice day I took the long road home. Ms P and I took our nature walk today. Nancy had some errands to run so Ms P and I also ran an errand. As soon as Nancy got home I had her endorse several checks and then walked to Macatawa Bank to deposit them. I took a short nap and then worked in the office. Tonight Nancy fixed a pork chop and prepared an acorn squash. I love fresh squash. Not much on TV tonight. CBS has a NFL game and ESPN has several college games. Thursday night football, good grief! Football should only be played on Saturday or Sunday afternoons. The pursuit of money is going to ruin the sport. I think it is called overexposure. It is now 2054 and I am watching netflix instead of football. In fact we are watching Midsomer Murder which takes place in rural England. I told Nancy that I want to take a tour of southern rural England. She said add it to the bucket list along with a River Boat trip down the Mississippi. Temps will get down to the high 30s tonight but no frost so far this year.

Wednesday October 21, 2015

We had some heavy rains roll through last night. Today is my easy day. I got on bike and was planning to take a short ride and have breakfast at Panera. However it was such a nice fresh day that I pedaled to Ada and had oatmeal at Nonna’s. They have the best oatmeal in the GR area. I was almost home when my iPhone rang and it was Ken Lotterman, our computer guru. As I have written recently our netflix keeps bombing several times during a hour show. We are also having problems with the wifi cutting out several times a week. Our netflix now uses a phone line instead of wifi. We checked it out and found we can now get a HD display. During our short test the system seems stable. Our router was getting old so Ken replaced it. I hope his visit solves all our internet problems. Every year Design Design has a big sale. Greeting cards, wrapping paper, gift bags and other paper products they make are sold at 70-80% off. I drove Nancy because of the difficulty finding a parking space downtown. Nancy bought a lot of stuff. At home I took Ms P on her daily walk. It started raining hard 500 feet from the condo. I ended the afternoon with a short nap. We had a light dinner and now are watching PBS news. At 2000 we will watch The Mysteries of Laura and then check out our reconfigured netflix. The temperature today reached 70, probably the last time this year. Cold front moves through tonight. I got my 30 in today I hope you did too.

Tuesday October 20, 2015

It is now 1313 and I am sitting on our deck writing this blog. If ever there were an Indian Summer day today is it. Bright sun with temperature of 70, perfect. Swim day for the Scott’s and Nancy left at 0700 and I left for Panera at 0820. I knew as soon as I started pedaling up the hill that I had too many layers on. Drank coffee and read until 0935 when I packed up and headed to MVP. I swam my 30 minutes. I put two layers of clothes in my backpack and headed home. On swim days my bike mileage is 10 miles. I am presently doing a load of laundry and waiting for the furnace man to stop by and make his PM check of our furnace. Later this afternoon I expect our computer guru to stop by and see what is the problem with our wifi. Nancy is at the Doctor’s getting a shot in her toe. Ouch! Lunch time so stay turned! The furnace man came while I was eating lunch. He checked out the furnace, replaced a part and said we are all set for the upcoming heating season. Our computer guru did not call so I took Ms P on our nature walk. After, I took a quick two mile walk. Finished the afternoon with a 30 minute nap. For dinner I had Shepard’s Pie from Trader Joe’s. It was good. We will watch NCIS and then a netflix show. We are finally getting some much needed rain tonight. I am looking forward to a rainy day.

Monday October 19, 2015

Monday morning and we get up at 0630. Did the at home routine and then headed out for a bike ride. It was only in the 40s but the winds were strong. We are at peak colors. In some areas the trail was hard to find because of the leaves. When in elementary school little Bobby Scott and his buddies would ride our bikes to McPhee School, a distance about a mile. The City had a policy of picking up all leaves if they were placed in the gutter. The home owner could either wait for the City or burn the leaves. The pile of leaves in the gutter could get very deep. It was great fun to drive our bikes through the pile scattering leaves all over the place. One crabby old man would always yell at us but we kept at it. Finally I think he got so mad that he buried a cement block in the pile. Tommy Collins hit the block and went over his handle bars. We learned our lesson and never bothered him again. I rode 14 miles today. Showered and then walked to Panera. I sometimes get confused about how the Federal justice system works, especially how it relates to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. A WSJ article today talked about an investigation of Walmart bribing Mexican officials to get favorable treatment. The article stated the Feds do not have much of a case. In the same article they mentioned that the Feds had fined Siemens AG, a German firm, $800 million for bribing folks in countries other than the USA. What business do we have fining a non USA company for bribes in another country? I got home at 1145. We all got in the Taurus and headed to Holland. Nancy has a 1300 meeting with Jewel-Tec. They are going to mount a diamond Nancy bought in South Africa. We were impressed with the owner. On our way home we stopped at Rivertown Mall. Nancy went to Younkers and I stopped at Eddie Bauer. We did not buy anything. We did stop at Kohl’s and I bought a suitcase. Had a quick lunch when we got home and then took Ms P on her walk. I ended the afternoon with a two mile walk. We had a light dinner. Watched the national news and Big Bang. Just finished watching Damages on netflix.