Friday February 27, 2015

Friday morning and the temperature is -7. I do the at home routine plus rowing, then shower, eat breakfast and walk to Panera. Nancy left early for a class at MVP. Today I had time to read the WSJ from cover to cover and cannot say I found anything worth reporting on. After Panera I took my two mile route home. Kim was her today and she was busy cleaning up after all the disruption caused by the painting. I was out of Pinconning cheese and apples so I drove over to Meijer’s. On the way home Nancy called and told me a should stop a Hallmark and get a retirement card. We are going to a retirement open house the evening. I took a short nap and then it was time to head out to Greenville. The retirement function was held at the historic Winter’s Inn. We took the back roads. It was a pleasant drive with blue skies, sun and a nice snow cover. Donni, an administrative assistant, is retiring from LSE/Scott Civil Engineering. She plans to retire to North Carolina. It was great to see Carol Smith and her crew. I was especially glad to hear that LSE/SCECO is very busy. I also found out that the starting salary for a young engineer is between $50,000 and $60,000. $60K is about 10 times the annual salary for CE graduate in 1960. The drive home was as pleasant as the drive to Greenville. Once home we watched several shows on netflix.

Thursday February 26, 2015

This is getting boring but the temperature was in single digits. I think it is cold in GR but after reading this morning’s GRP I had nothing to complain about. If the weather patterns hold this will be the coldest February since 1916 for Alpena. Their low temp was -27 and the monthly average will be 7. Yes the AVERAGE TEMP is 7. BRR! I could not get in the pool until 1045 so I plenty of time to watch CNBC, Bloomberg and read the WSJ. I cannot get over how stone headed some GOP House members are. They live in a different world from me. What is so difficult about funding Homeland Security. So far Jeb Bush is the only GOP person that I think I could vote for. The GOP’s only saving grace with me is that the Dems are in another world. Nancy said the pool was crowded when she went and I can say the same. I would think the cold outside temps would discourage swimming. Tuesday the Doctor gave me two booster shots. My arms were still sore this morning. It was noon when I got home. It was too early for lunch so I took a 2.5 mile walk. Except for hanging a mirror all the furniture has been move back into the living room. After lunch I took a nap. We are going to Russ’s for dinner. February 1962, Midway Island Navy Station: I wrote my Mother from Midway and told her that the rainy season was over and the temps were in the 70s with a lot of sun. Midway Island was covered with newly hatched Gooney Birds. As a young Ensign I was paid $222 a month. I was sending home $50 and putting the rest in the island bank. The Bank of Hawaii had a branch on Midway. Officers had to pay for their food at the BOQ. It cost me $35 per month for three meals per day. Cigarettes were $0.15 per pack. Yes I smoked. A mixed drink at the Officer’s Club was a quarter and a movie was also a quarter. We were paid in cash. We would stay in line and before getting our pay the Navy gave us a shot for some exotic disease. Pay day on Midway was the only time I saw stacks of two dollar bills. Food was provided free to enlisted sailors. Except for two female nurses there were no other female Navy personnel on the Island.

Wednesday February 25, 2015

Wednesday February 25, 2015 Easy Wednesday: I slept in this morning. First item of business is to get a lab test. I was in the lab at 0800 and out at 0810 and headed right home. I parked the C2 and walked to Sundance for breakfast. Had my usual oatmeal, scrambled egg and toast. The temperature was in single digits but with no wind walking was pleasant. The painter was done by noon. I started moved furniture back. After a quick lunch took a short nap. The cold weather has kept Ms P inside for several weeks. It was only 18 degree but with no wind I thought she could take a walk. We walked 1.25 miles with no problems. Spent the rest of the afternoon completing a questionnaire from 23&me. 23&me is the company that did my DNA testing. We had a light dinner, watched the news and then TV. I am getting Spring Fever. Yesterday I thought I heard a robin.

Tuesday February 24, 2015

Tuesday February 24, 2015 Once again the alarm goes off at 0600. The painter is coming at 0800. Nancy left 0730 for a swim. As soon as Nancy gets home, 0915, I head out for Panera. I was in the pool at 1000 and swam my 30 minutes. I did not have time to finish the WSJ so I stopped at Starbucks. Ukraine, Greece, and the Middle East dominates the news. This afternoon I am having my annual physical. Each year I make a promise never to have another physical. My Grandparents and Great grandparents never had a physical and they lived a long life. However, when the year rolls around I sign up. It must be my engineering training. I finished the afternoon with a two mile walk. This winter I have had plenty of practice dressing for the cold. The painter is almost done. He said it will take about 3 more hours on Wednesday. He is doing a good job. Nancy fixed chili for dinner. It was great. We watched NCIS and a show on TNT. No netflix. The temperature this morning was in single digits. I don’t think the temp has been above 32 for the entire month of February. Weather folks say we are heading towards the coldest February on record.

Monday February 23, 2015

Monday morning and we set another low temperature record, -10. Below normal temperatures expected all week. Set the alarm for 0600 because I had to have all my at-home routine done by 0800. The painter is coming at 0830. Things your father never tells you: I was watching the Today show and they showed a weather man standing out on Lake Erie. Lake Erie is almost iced over. Ice thickness is about 12” thick. Three inches of ice can support a car. When my father was a young man his family would drive out on frozen Hubbard Lake and using crosscut saws cut a rectangle pieces of ice. The sawed area was about 10’ x 20’. The ice chunks would be placed on the truck and driven to the root cellar on the farm and covered with sawdust. You could keep the ice intact until almost the end of summer. The ice was placed in an ice box located in the kitchen to keep milk and other perishables cold. One day my dad drove the loaded truck into a recently cut hole. The truck sank and it was not removed until Spring. My Dad was the brunt of family jokes for years. He never told me this story. The painter arrived early, 0800, and did not waste any time. He had the hall and bedroom painted by 1200. Nancy left early for MVP and I stayed home with Ms P. When Nancy got home at 0930 I walked over to Panera for coffee. Nancy had a 1130 PT session this morning. When she returned I took the Taurus and ran several errands. I stopped at Meijer’s to get some Pinconning Sharp Cedar cheese. Pinconning is small community located on Lake Huron, north of Bay City. Next stop was Costco to buy some dried figs. I have been eating figs from Turkey. They are great. Costco no longer carries these figs so I bought CA figs. They are ok but not as good as the ones from Turkey. Gas at Costco was $2.09. The painter left about 1500 and will be back at 0800 tomorrow. I took a short nap and then bundled up and went on a 2 mile walk. It is now 2000 and we have turned on netflix. Nancy wants to watch Blacklist. We will watch blacklist.

Sunday February 22, 2015

16 degrees when we headed to MVP. All lanes were full. I think the cold weather is driving everyone inside. Stopped at Meijer's for gas and groceries. Nancy fixed world famous poached eggs for breakfast. Read funnies and sports page before taking nap. After nap finished removing glue from walls. We also moved furniture out of living room. Our role is now complete. Ready for painter. Needed to get 30 in so bundled up and walked 2.5 miles. Wind chill below zero. Nancy fixed pork sandwiches and chicken noodle soup for dinner. We watched start of academy awards. It is now 1730 and we are watching "Midsomer Murders" on Netflix. Low tonight -4.

Saturday February 21, 2015

Warm front this morning. It was 16 when walked to Sundance Grill. Read WSJ and had oatmeal breakfast. Took detour on walk home. Have to get my steps in early because more paint stripping today. Needed some tools for this afternoon so ran over to Ace. Still trying to figure out how to carry. iPhone. Stopped at Woodland Mall looking for iPhone holster, no luck. It took us three hours to remove all glue from walls. After we headed to Panera for soup. Watched a Jesse Stone movie on Netflix and then an episode of Life. We had nice talk with Debbie on FaceTime.

Thursday February 19, 2015

The cold snap continues, -4 at 0630. Nancy leaves at 0730 for swim. Can't get in pool until 1045 so have 90 minutes to read WSJ. A lot of groups use Panera as a meeting place. Today a book club was meeting. Pool was cool this morning. Swam 30 minutes. One degree when left MVP. Temperature is to decline during day so take walk as soon as get home. My nose got frostbite. Short nap and then started stripping wallpaper. Nancy helped. I swore when we moved that I would never strip wallpaper again. Circumstances change. Nancy fixed eggs and ham for dinner. Now watching final episode of "Island at War". -11 tonight. Think Spring.

Wednesday February 18, 2015

Blog written on iPad. Breakfast Club Wednesday: up at 0600, temp was 6 and we got 1" of snow over night. Freeway only partially cleared, driving was a challenge. In honor of Black History month we had a leading black attorney talk about growing up in GR. Small turnout. Only the really old guys showed up. Stopped at Starbucks in Breton Village to drink coffee and read WSJ. World is a dangerous place, Russia using muscle in Ukraine, Greece is playing hardball and China is everywhere. The U.S. does not have a clue what to do. The sun was out so I drove to Hasting. Stopped at Bob's a Hunt and Fish store. Looking for wool rag socks, no luck. Nancy needed some money so I walked to bank. Created new walking route =2 miles. Nancy worked at Gardens. Lunch and a nap, then finished WSJ. Finished afternoon with walk around block. Wind chills below zero. Light dinner, watched news and Jeopardy, now 2000 and watching The Mysteries of Laura. Got 30 in today, low tonight -6.

Tuesday February 17, 2015

iPad blog Another cold day. Normal Tuesday, Nancy leaves early to swim and I do calisthenics. Today is Fat Tuesday, Nancy's friend Kathi is bringing paczki's over. No Panera today I stay home and wait for either Nancy or Kathi. Nancy gets home at 0930 and I leave for MVP. Pool crowded and I had to share a lane. Lanes are narrow so avoiding collisions is a challenge. Kathi just leaving when I get home. She brought lemon paczki's. We head to Costco for supplies. Speaking of stores, GR is getting a Trader Joes. Lunch, nap and a 2.5 mile walk. Nancy fixed pork and rice for dinner. Now watching NCIS and next MSU/UM BB game.

Monday February 16, 2015

Monday February 16, 2015 Another cold morning, 0 at 0700. Sunshine and little wind are scheduled for today. In fact that is what we had. No swim today, I did my calisthenics and rowed for my aerobics. After a shower and breakfast I did a load of laundry. I was out of long underwear. Kim came today to clean. Nancy headed out early for a class at MVP and then a doctor’s appointment. I bundled up and walked to Starbucks. Cascade Township does a great job plowing sidewalks. It was a no hassle walk. No WSJ today because of President’s day. I wanted to read a national newspaper so I checked the New York Times. Did you know that you can download just today’s paper and do not have to subscribe for a month? That is what I did and it cost $0.99, cheaper than the paper edition. The NYT does not have much of a business section but their world news was first class. As has been my custom lately I took a detour on my way home. I wanted to walk until my fitbit went off (about 4.5 miles). Although it was cold the bright sun and new snow made the walk very pleasant. I checked the mineral block I sat outside for deer. It has been about a month but the deer have finally found it. Kim was still cleaning when I got home so I decided to take the Cobalt for gas. On these cold days it is good to have a full tank to prevent condensation. I have hardly used the Cobalt this winter so I decided to take a drive on the freeway. I drove hard for 33 miles. The battery should now be fully charged. I did take a nap and then started working in my office. I have my electric heater on full blast. Without the heater the downstairs is about 5 degrees colder that the main floor. It is now 1755 and as soon as I finish this blog I am heading upstairs for dinner. I think it will be a netflix evening. I started reading U S Grant’s autobiography last night. It is pretty good. I just checked GGF Sanborn’s diary and found that it was cold, 10, in Ossineke on this date in 1938. He stayed inside all day until he and GGM attended an evening church dinner.

Sunday February 15, 2015

Bright sunshine and -10 degrees on drive to MVP. They overcompensated and made the pool too warm. Came straight home, changed clothes and headed to Moleski's for brunch. French toast, fresh fruit, sausages and spinach quiche was on menu. Tasted great. On way home stopped at Meijer's for weekly supplies. Took a short nap and then bundled up for a walk, 2.5 miles. Temp up to +7. Hot dogs and clam chowder for dinner. Will watch network TV before turning in.

Saturday February 14, 2014

Saturday February 14, 2015 Happy Valentines Day. I asked Nancy if any Valentines Day stood out during our marriage. She answered: they all stood out! Good Answer. I remember Valentines Day in 1964. There were four single LTjg’s in my outfit, DOICC Vietnam. We all got a Valentine from MOM, no one else. Good ol’ MOM. The temperature this morning was 10, but the wind chill put the temp at -10. I really bundled up and walked to Sundance Grill. I had an oatmeal breakfast and read the WSJ. I took a detour on my walk home so I could get my 30 in. My fitbit said I walked about 2.7 miles. Nancy needed to buy some items at Walmart so I drove her. Walmart is about .75 miles from the condo. When we got home we both decided that we were in for the day. I did take a nap this afternoon. I also finished a book that I have reading for about a month. I think tonight I will start U. S. Grant’s autobiography. It is now 1738 and I am in the office drinking scotch and listening to the howling wind. My iPhone weather says it is 9 outside with wind chill at -11. Wind speed is 23 mph. Nancy is fixing a pork loin for dinner. She also has sweet potatoes and beans. Sounds Good! I remember as a boy that Saturday night dinner was special. My Grandmother Hughes would bake bread and my Mother fixed Boston Baked Beans. On a cold February Saturday night I would take my weekly bath and then go to bed and listen to my radio. I would listen to “Hawaii Calls”. This was a show from the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. They would talk about Waikiki Beach and the gently sea breezes. The temperature was always in the 70s. For a boy freezing in Alpena it seemed a different world. Years later in 1962, Ensign Scott spent five days Hawaii. A Navy pilot on Midway Island fixed me up with a nurse working at the Navy hospital in Pearl Harbor. We had dinner at the Royal Hawaiian.

Friday February 13, 2015

Friday February 13, 2015 The alarm goes off at 0600. The Plasterer is coming at 0800. I do the routine plus a 12 minutes row, eat breakfast, shower and dress by 0755. The Plasterer arrives at 0800. It takes him about 90 minutes to sand all the patched areas. Good job and I was surprised at how reasonable it was. I did a load of laundry while waiting for the Plasterer to finish. Nancy attended at class at MVP and she got home at 0930. She has a lunch meeting at Roses with a friend from the gift shop at noon. I walked to Starbucks for coffee. Starbuck is about 1.8 miles from the condo. The temperature was in the teens with winds above 15. I was properly dressed so no discomfort. The Ukraine dominated the news. I say let the Europeans handle all the dealings with Russia. What is our interest? I did not want to do a late afternoon walk so I took a long detour on my way home. I wanted to walk until my fitbit went off. It went off just as I got home. Fitbit said I walked a little over 10,000 steps, 4.7 miles. I think the 4.7 miles was pretty accurate. On most week days I have lunch about 1330. Today was no exception. My weekday lunch consists of yogurt, hard boiled egg, apple and cheese. Nancy got home about 1400 and said she was in for the day. She changed clothes. I took a nap and then decided I was also in for the day so I put on my night time clothes. It is a typical mid winter day. It is now 1745 and I have spent the last hour catching up on some reading. I did pour a glass of scotch. We will finish the beans and rice for dinner. Nancy has fixed some sugarfree chocolate pudding for dessert. It will be a netflix evening. I checked my GGF Sanborn’s diary for this day. In 1938 most homes in NE MI were heated with coal. Coal was dirty and required continual stoking. The ash had to be removed daily. It was my job to fill the furnace and take out the ashes. I hated coal. On this day GGF got two tons of coal delivered. The Sanborn’s were homebound because of the weather. They read the Saturday Evening Post and listened to the radio.

Thursday February 12, 2015

Sun and temperature in teens all day. Up at 0600, completed routine before plasterer arrives at 0800. Nancy left at 0730 for swim. Nancy home at 0930 and I leave for Panera. Started swim at 1045, home at noon. Nancy and I head to Northwest furniture to look at Sofa. Bought sofa. Quick lunch and then nap. Finished afternoon with walk around block. Had dinner at Great Lakes Shipping, stopped at Talbots on way home. Now watching Black List on Netflix. Very cold tonIght.

Wednesday February 11, 2015

Wednesday February 11, 2015 Rope Yarn Wednesday: A Navy term for a day free of duty a chance to wash clothes, and do personal things. Every other Wednesday I have a rope yarn day. Today I slept in and then walked to Sundance Grill for breakfast. After breakfast I walked home and grabbed a big backpack and put three pair of khaki’s in the pack. I walked to a Tailor Shop on Thornhills. They are taking in the waist. Nancy is on the volunteer board for the new Japanese Gardens at Meijer’s Garden. She had an 1100 meeting. She will stay at the Gardens to work her Wednesday afternoon shift. Reames Dry Wall came this afternoon to do some patching prior to the painter. He arrived at 1400 and got most of the work done. He said he should be done by noon tomorrow. Actually he will have the patching done but he will return Friday to sand the patches. The painter is scheduled for Feb 23. Nancy has bookclub tonight. I am meeting with the husbands at Uccello’s for pizza. We will both be home by 2000. We will watch a Netflix show before turning in. We have a cold front moving in. It is now 1730 and the temperature is 30. The temperature will be 7 by 0900 tomorrow.

Tuesday February 10, 2015

Tuesday February 10, 2015 Alarm off at 0630, swim day for Bob and Nancy. Nancy leaves at 0700 and I stay home and do the calisthenics. Breakfast and then I drive to Panera for coffee. Today for the first time I use ApplePay on my phone. It is slick. Greece and Ukraine dominates the news. I left at 0930 and drove to MVP. I got to the pool early so I had to wait about 5 minutes for a class to end. I ended up swimming 30 minutes. The pool was cool so I spent a lot of time under the hot shower getting warm. My weight seems to have bottomed out. Today it was 143. I had not quite finished the WSJ so I stopped at Starbucks. The Starbucks I go to Is on 28th Street by Costco. The place is never full but they do a great drive thru business. I called the plaster repair company and they are coming tomorrow afternoon. I got home before my lunch time so I walked around the block. It was cold this morning, 9, but on my walk I had bright sun with temperature about 18. After lunch I took a nap. It is now 1636 and after I finish this blog I will take another short walk. I am reverting to my youth. I cannot sit still or concentrate. Walking or riding my bike seem to settle me down. This is the time of year when I do some family research. I found a post card that I wrote to my Sister in February, 1961. I addressed it to Miss Helen Scott, Albion College. Ms was not yet invented. It cost 4 cents to mail. I told her I started work last week and had just moved into an apartment. The apartment was at 194 East Grand Blvd, Detroit. East Grand Blvd ran into Belle Isle Park about a block away. I worked in downtown Detroit and I walked down Jefferson Ave to work. I did not have a car. The apartment cost $45 a month. I made $520 a month. I told Helen I might go in the Navy in May. I was waiting for a waiver because I wore glasses.

Monday February 9, 2015

Monday February 9, 2015 Monday morning is still the start of the week even if retired. I was up several minutes before the alarm, 0630. This is a good sign that my body is getting in a Spring mode. I did the at home routine including rowing 12 minutes. No swim today. I decided to only swim on T/TH/SU. I walked to Starbucks. It was cold, 18, but I was dressed for it. The Ukraine and Greece have pushed the Middle East off the front page. I feel uncomfortable with the lack of respect Congress shows for the President and vice versa. Be nice folks! The Powerball lottery is up to $460M so I walked to Meijer’s and bought a ticket. Since I don’t think I will win I stopped at Macatawa Bank to get some walking around money. My fitbit said I walked 5 miles. Nancy had a doctor’s appointment this morning. Everything is ok. I had a quick lunch and then a short nap. We burned out a flood type light in the kitchen so I drove to ACE and got a new one. The new super duper lights are really expensive. I hope they last as long as they claim. Finally, I am looking out the downstairs slider and see we have birds at the feeder. I took about 4 weeks to find it. I also put a mineral block near the bird feeder for the deer. No luck so far. My Apple laptop located downstairs is very slow downloading an app with a lot of graphics like USA Today. On my iPhone it is almost instantaneous. I just checked my iPad and it was much faster than the laptop. I know an Apple computer guru, I will ask him take a look. Family History time; I just found a Christmas letter written by Robert Rayburn around 1979. My GGM Scott was a Rayburn. Robert was my Dad’s second cousin. He graduated from Alpena High in 1925 and graduated from West Point in the early 30s. He was a career Army officer. In 1968 he moved to Ferns, Ireland. He raised jumping horses. He stated he exercised two horses daily. During hunting season he is out with the island hounds two or three times a week. My Dad and Sister spent a month with Robert in Ireland. Missy also visited Robert. Robert provided this piece of information on the Rayburn/Scott family. Dad and Robert’s Great grandfather was born in Edinburgh in 1783. Their GGF was also named Robert. He fought with Wellington. GGF’s name was not Raeburn but Scott. He and the author Sir Walter Scott shared a GGF. My Mother’s family, Hughes, were mercenaries with Wellington in Ireland. The family history said the Hughes were Welsh and after the Wellington caper they stayed in Ireland. They moved to Canada when the Catholics made life difficult for Methodists.

Sunday February 8, 2015

Weekend Update, Sunday February 8, 2015 Saturday was an easy day. I slept in until 0700. I walked to Sundance Grill for breakfast. Saw an article that the Powerball lottery was up to 380M so after breakfast I walked to Meijer’s and bought a ticket. Just checked and no winners. Jackpot up to $450M. When I got home I started filling the Cobalt with all the lighting fixtures that we were going to trash. I decided to take them to Goodwill. I headed out to run errands. First stop was the Lighting Center. I bought a long stem flood for the track fixture. At Gazelle Sports and bought a swim nose plug. Goodwill gladly took the light fixtures. Next stop was Woodland Mall. I bought a high visibility jacket worn by utility workers who work in high traffic areas. When I walk around our block I have to walk in the street so I want motorists to see me. Last stop was Play It Again Sports to see if they had any used snowshoes for sale. No Luck. Took a short nap and then finished the afternoon with a short walk. Nancy and I had dinner at Brann’s. The place was jammed. I think most folks are having Cabin Fever. We watched the third of four episodes of a British Crime show on Netflix. We had a nice talk with Debbie on FaceTime. The temperature was near 32 all day. Sunday February 8: the alarm goes off at 0700. Today is our swim day at MVP. The club opens at 0800 and we were in the pool by 0805. Every lane was full but luckily we did not have to share a lane. We stopped at Meijer’s for our weekly supplies. For the second week in a row it cost less than $20 to fill the Taurus. A month ago I had several fillups over $40. I agree low gas prices are a middle class tax break. Nancy fixed her world famous poached eggs this morning. I had mine on a waffle. (with sugarless syrup) Read the sports and funnies before taking my Sunday nap. The news networks are making a big deal over Brian William’s big fib. I really don’t like their gloating. TV News is big business and I think generally drama over shadows objectivity. Nancy drove to a Talbot’s sale. After the nap I took Ms P on a short walk. I then took a 2.5 miles walk. It was 32 degrees, misty with 15 mph wind. I would rather take a winter’s walk on a sunny 16 degree day with no wind. Chicken noodle soup and ham sandwiches for dinner tonight. We will watch 60 Minutes and the last episode of the British Crime show.

Friday February 6, 2015

Friday February 6, 2015 I set the alarm for 0600 because we have the electrician coming at 0830 to install several lightning fixtures. I completed the calisthenics, showered and ate breakfast just before the doorbell rang. It took Phil four hours to install three new ceiling fixtures, and remove or replace four fixtures. The most notable impact of the new fixtures is in the kitchen. The kitchen is now nice and bright. Nancy hated the plastic chandelier in the living room so it is gone. We have a nice new light over our dining room table. A track lighting fixture in the living room was moved downstairs. All in all a very successful morning. A downside to the new fixture is that we have some holes that need patching. We decided to repaint the living room ceiling. I called our painter and he was in the area so he stopped by and gave us an estimate. The painter will start February 23. We must get a plasterer soon to patch up the holes before painting. It was a very productive morning. I took a nap. I put on my GPS and walked another route. It was exactly 2.5 miles. We met the Moleski’s at 0645 at Arnies for dinner. After dinner we headed to Belknap Arena to see a college hockey game, Aquinas vs Calvin. The last time I was in Belknap was when Steve was a senior in high school, 1991. It had not changed much. It was fun to watch because you are so close to the ice. Aquinas won 3 to 2. We got home about 2300. It was a busy but enjoyable Friday.

Thursday February 5, 2015

Thursday February 5, 2015 Another single digit, 9, morning, Nancy goes swimming and I do calisthenics at home. I drive to Panera. I have 90 minutes until I can get in the pool so I read the WSJ from cover to cover. My retention is bad I can not remember what I read. I swam for 30 minutes. At home I grabbed my GPS and walked a new route, two miles. Took nap and then another walk. Got a call from Phil Dougherty, our electrician, he has a cancelation and wants to install our lights tomorrow. We hustled and cleared a path to our attic. Phil has to install five lights. We had dinner at Great Lakes Shipping. We started watching a British Crime drama on Netflix. We are hooked. I talked with my Sister, Helen, tonight. We both agreed that high school typing class served us well in recent years. I am writing this blog on my mini iPad using the hunt and peck method. I prefer using a keyboard. My worst grade in high school was in typing. I got a D.

Wednesday February 4, 2015

Happy 7th Birthday:Akerke! You are a joy to your Grandmother and me. The alarm goes off at 0530 because today is Breakfast Club. We got about 1/2” of snow last night. I took the expressway because it is the first road plowed. No problems. Despite the snow we had a good turnout. I know 3 members over 90 who drove this morning. The speaker talked about options open to seniors who need assisted living. I was surprised about the number of options available in West MI but one must be careful before making a permanent commitment. After BC I stopped at Berger Chevy and got my oil change. Chevy has a new AWD compact SUV. It looked good and the price was not bad. A good salesman could have sold me one this morning. I don’t think good salespeople exist anymore. At home I took a check and walked to Macatawa Bank to deposit it. I then walked to Panera for coffee. I like the WSJ on my iPad because unlike the Kendal version it has photos and videos. However, to get these features it requires a wi fi connection. Panera has a very weak wi fi system. Starbucks has an excellent wifi. Speaking of tech I wanted to pay for my coffee using Apple Pay. Panera says they accept Apple Pay but it is only on one of four registers. That register is usually not in service. Every day I find out new things to do with my iPhone. Last night we were watching a show on TV and they were playing a familiar song. Nancy asked what was the name of the tune. I called Siri on my phone and held the phone near the TV. Siri told us it was a song by Gordon Lightfoot. Missy sent me some info on the auto reminder feature on the iPhone. A good feature for us forgetful seniors. After Panera I took a 2 mile walk. I took a very short nap. I finished the afternoon with a walk around the block. I got my 30’ in and also my fitbit went off telling me I got my 10,000. Nancy worked at the Gardens this afternoon. She said they were not very busy. After a light dinner we will watch some TV. The temperature might get below zero this evening.

Tuesday February 3, 2015

Tuesday February 3, 2015 It was in single digits early this morning. Nancy headed to MVP for a swim. I stayed home and did the calisthenics and rowed for twelve minutes. I walked to Panera for coffee. I spent over an hour reading the WSJ. I cannot remember any thing important that I would like to comment on. After Panera I took a 2.5 mile walk. Cascade Township finally got the sidewalks plowed. We have a lot of new snow on the ground. I like to be outside in the winter if I am dressed properly. When I got home Nancy and I got in the Taurus and headed to Target. Actually Nancy went to Target and headed to Dick’s which is next door. For years I have been wearing WigWam wool socks. However, I have visited all GR’s sporting goods stores and cannot find them. I think they have been discontinued. I will call WigWam tomorrow. After lunch I took a short nap. What’s new! Every once in awhile I have to go out on our deck and clean our TV dish of accumulated snow. The snow on our deck is so deep that I decided to shovel a path to the dish. It was a bigger project than I thought. Our backyard is a beautiful white unmarked open space. I decided to take a walk in the backyard and mess it up with my tracks. The snow depth averaged about 15”. I did not see any human prints but I noticed several deer tracks. I trudged through the snow and thought this is perfect snowshoeing country. I might buy a pair. I followed what I thought was the old golf cart path. I made it to Charlevoix Drive and decided I had enough. I took plowed roads home. Nancy is fixing ham for dinner tonight. After dinner we will watch the news and NCIS. We also got a paper edition of the GRP. It takes about 15 minutes to read the GRP. We now have about an hour more of daylight. I also noticed that the sun is moving higher in the southern sky. Think Spring!

Monday February 2, 2015

The snow stopped about 0400. I had to shovel this morning. The condo folks had our driveway cleared early. Most of the schools in the area are closed. Our street was not plowed so I decided to not drive to MVP. I walked to Panera in bright sunshine. However, the temperature was still single digits. I had time to completely read the WSJ. I hope Germany does not bend in its insistence that the new Greek government shows some fiscal restraint. It looks to me that the only group in the Middle East that deserves our support are the Kurds. Super Bowl commercials were all the talk on MSNBC and Bloomberg this morning. Lately I have been watching Bloomberg. I think it provides unbiased reporting. After coffee I was going to walk over to Meijer's to pick up a prescription. However, the Township had not plowed the sidewalks. I decided to take a two mile walk on less traveled roads. When I got home Nancy wanted to drive to Meijer's for some grapes. We got in the Taurus and headed out. Our four wheel drive Taurus is perfect for driving on unplowed roads. After lunch I took a quick nap. My fitbit had not gone off so I walked around the block and sure enough it went off. We will have a light dinner and then watch some TV. It looks like a netflix evening. I got my thirty in today did you? Yes the Groundhog did see his shadow so winter until St Patrick's Day.

Sunday February 1, 2015

Sunday February 1, 2015 It started snowing about 0400. I walked out at 0700. The high winds, cold temps and heavy snow convinced me that today would be an easy day. The weather folks say it will snow all day with winds above 15 mph. No MVP today. Nancy and I got in the Taurus at 0800 and headed to Meijer’s. We wanted to get our shopping done early. Gas today was $2.07 per gallon. Nancy fixed her world famous scrambled eggs for breakfast. We finished breakfast early so I almost finished the GRP before taking a nap. I did watch the 2nd half of the UM/MSU BB game. UM ran out of gas in overtime. It is now 1630 and the snow and wind continue. I have shoveled the walk four times today. I think the combined time it took to shovel the walk will give me my 30 for today. I will not reach 10,000 steps on my fitbit. Nancy is fixing chicken noodle soup for dinner. We will watch the Super Bowl. I really don’t care who wins. The snow is suppose to stop about 0400 and Monday should be sunny. The groundhog will see his shadow. That means winter will end about ST Pat’s Day. Who needs a groundhog. I have always declared St Pat’s day to be the end of winter. Today is the birthday of my sister-in-law Judy Patton. Judy would be 74 today. She was a great lady and an even greater Aunt. Judy was in the first class at Harvard Business School that graduated women. Today is also the birthday of my Great Grand Mother Sanborn. She was 81 in 1938 (born 1857). GGM Sanborn lived to be 93.

Saturday January 31, 2015

Saturday January 31, 2015 The last day of January and no snow until February. This January was noted for a lack of snow and sun. I think we have had less than 15% of available sunshine. Nancy and I had breakfast at the Omelette Shop. We drove home and Nancy ran some errands and I walked to Starbucks. Is it just me or all restaurants cold? It was bright sunshine on my walk to Starbucks and dark and gloomy on my walk home. We have winter storm warning starting this evening. In preparation of more snow I drove to ACE Hardware and bought a bag of salt. I had a quick lunch and then took a nap. Actually I turned the electric blanket on so that I could get warm. This evening we are meeting the Moleskis at Van Andel Arena to see a hockey game. We arrived at the arena at 0630 and the Moleskis were waiting for us with the tickets. The game we well attended but the home team lost. We got home at 2200. No snow yet!