Thursday April 30, 2015

Thursday April 30, 2015 April is over already. Time does fly. On this date in 1961, it was a Sunday and I wrote my Mother. I told Mom that I was no longer a civilian. On Wednesday, the 26th, I raised my hand and was sworn into the United States Navy. I was now Officer Candidate Seaman Apprentice Scott, USN. I already had my airplane tickets to OCS at Newport, RI. This will be my first flight on a commercial airline. I thanked Mom for my birthday present a pair of PJ. I then went on to complain that they were the wrong size. I was kind of a jerk. Friday night I went to see Mein Kauf. It was about Nazi concentration camps during WW II. I was interviewed after the movie by a local radio station. I did not give the radio guy the answer he wanted and we had words. Saturday night I went and saw “A Raisin in the Sun”. I liked it. I went on to say that by the time I leave for the Navy I will be debt free. The Navy recommended I have some money for the first month. I will have the amount recommended. I think my pay at OCS is $80 per month. Back to 2015: today is swim day for Bob and Nancy. The sun was out bright at 0640 today. Nancy left at 0730 and I stopped at Panera for coffee. At 0930 I got on my bike and headed to MVP. The pool was crowded this morning but I did find an empty lane. I swam my 20 laps. Nancy today swam a mile. Great Job Nancy. I used my iPhone holder on my bike handle and measured the distance home, 3.76 miles. I did stop at Starbucks so I could finish the WSJ. When I got home I looked for Nancy and found her asleep in a chair on the deck. The sun was beating down on her. I grabbed Ms P and we went on our walk. The dryer repairmen came this afternoon. They replaced some defective parts on the dryer. I got cold swimming so I took a short nap under the electric blanket. Both Nancy and I get very cold swimming even though the pool water temp is about 76. Water temp at the old MAC was in the 80s. I actually like the cooler water for swimming.

Wednesday April 29, 2015

Wednesday April 29, 2015 Got up at 0555 because today is Breakfast Club. It was daylight when I left at 0630. Very small crowd at BC. The group must be getting too old. The average age at the table I sit at is 83. The speaker talked about the new exhibit at the GR Public Museum. It is about King Tut. I really am not a big fan of ancient Egypt. After BC I drove to Breton Village for coffee and to read the WSJ. The troubles in Baltimore dominated the US News. The earthquake in Nepal dominated the World news. After coffee I walked over to Fitzgerald’s to look at blazers. My recent weight loss has made my sport coats much too big. I was looking for a summer blazer. They had just what I wanted but much too pricey. I will continue my search later this week. At home I assembled an iPhone 6+ handlebar holder. I can now place my iPhone on the handle bars and use it as a GPS device. Took Ms P on short walk and then did a load of laundry. I had my usual weekday lunch. I took another walk around the block. Nancy is working at the Gardens this afternoon. It is now 1618 and it is suppose to rain soon so I think I will take another walk. Have to get my 10,000 steps in.

Tuesday April 28, 2015

The sun was up at 0638 so when Ms P and I went out at 0700 I had a bright sun in my eyes. It was great. It was 39 when I headed to Panera but it is now 61 at 1650. The cool mornings and then rapid warm up make selecting proper clothes difficult. I do have a back pack so I can remove a layer if I get too warm. I left Panera and biked to MVP. I was worried that I might have a problem getting a lane in the pool. No problem I had my pick. I swam 20 laps but Nancy this morning swam 33 laps. That is over a mile. At home my first chore was to take Ms P on a walk. She is still under the weather so it was a short one. After a quick lunch I took a nap, mainly to warm up. The pool was cold this morning. I spent several hours scheduling appointments for service. We have dryer repair man on Thursday, EPS Security on Friday, Fox Ford and AC folks on May 5. My computer guy is going to email me for an appointment next week. Tonight Nancy and I are meeting the Horling’s at the Grove for dinner. Stay tuned. It was Tuesday but the restaurant was crowded. The food was excellent. I had the white fish and Nancy a beef brisket. The Horlings are great dinner companions.

Monday April 27, 2015

Slept in until 0700. Nancy to MVP and I did the at home stuff. At 0800 called plumber to tell him our drain he cleaned is plugged again. He arrived at 0830 and was done by 1000. I then headed to Panera for morning coffee. After I finished WSJ I got on bike and took 14 mile ride. Ate lunch and then walked Ms P. Spent until 1800 putting together glider. Took dinner break. Finished assembly at 2000. It works. It is now 2100 and we are watching Midsomer Murders on Netflix. High today 54 but tomorrow will reach 64. The warmup continues.

Sunday April 26, 2015

Weekend Update: Saturday April 25: We both slept in. It was too late for Sundance so I had a ham and eggs sandwich at Panera. I see that reporters are asking potential GOP candidates if they would attend the gay wedding of a friend. Several have said no. I certainly would attend a friend’s wedding. A friend is a friend. Enough said. After breakfast I took a bike ride on my standard route. I have said I ride the route backwards but backwards is now the new standard. It is just easier. Spent most of the afternoon setting up for our 1800 dinner party. Nancy left at 0930 to Costco to get a leg of lamb for dinner. She spent most of the day preparing the meal. The guests were all right on time. We opened several bottles of wine and Nancy fixed a cheese spread. It was a tasty before dinner treat. A little wine makes everyone more social. Nancy’s meal went over well. The dinner was also a birthday party for Ed Namey and Bob Scott. Ed was 77 on the 18th and Bob on the 22nd. We had chocolate cake and butter pecan ice cream. I indulged. In fact the chocolate was so good I overindulged. So much for the sugar free diet. I think it is ok for one meal. We retired to the living room to talk. The party ended at 2230. A great day. Sunday April 26: Up at 0655 and got ready for the pool. The pool is always crowded on Sundays so Nancy and I put on our swim suits before we leave. I put my socks in my backpack. We do this so we can be first in the pool. It does not alway work. This morning I shared a lane. However, we both swam 20 laps. Gas a Meijer’s was $2.50 this morning. We did not need many groceries so got home early. We watched some early morning news shows. Nancy fixed her world famous scrambled eggs for breakfast. I took my Sunday nap. After the nap I took Ms P on a mile walk. Aldi’s had a glider on sale today so I drove the Aldi’s and bought one. We got a phone call from our security firm telling us that our downstairs drain backed up. I checked and sure enough it had backed up. This is the same drain we had cleaned last week. The Drain Company said they back up their work for 30 days. Tomorrow we will check. I finished my afternoon activities with a walk around the block. Veronica called this afternoon and gave us an update on the Scott Team in Long Beach. It is now 1750 and I am sitting in the living room writing this blog. Nancy is fixing black beans, chicken and rice for dinner. We will finish reading the GRP and watch 60 minutes this evening. Maybe even a show on netflix. A busy weekend. On a weather note. It is now 56 with some sun. The coming week the high temps will be in the 60s and 70s. No more freezing weather. Good news.

Friday April 24, 2015

Friday April 24, 2015 Retired folks look forward to Fridays as much as working folks. Nancy headed out at 0710 for MVP. She walked a mile on a treadmill and then took the “Healthy Lifestyle” class. Nancy lately has been increasing her swimming distance. Yesterday she swam 1500 meters. I only swim 1,000. Way to go Nancy. This morning I did the at home calisthenics. For the first time in 60 years I did not do neck bridges. My neck has been sore lately so I decided to quit. It has helped. I finished the at home routine with a 15 minute row. I showered and then got on the bike and pedaled to Ada Village, five miles. I had coffee at Hubs. I took time to read the WSJ. I am glad Comcast backed out of the merger. I think Greece should be kicked out of the EU. Kim came today to clean. The house looks great, ready for tomorrow’s party. Nancy and I ran some errands. We stopped at the Cascade library to drop off a book. At Ace Hardware we bought a shovel, Roundup and Preen. Nancy wants to plant a small area in our backyard. The final stop was Costco. Bought a birthday cake and some supplies. Costco did not have a leg of lamb. They promised Nancy that they would have the lamb tomorrow morning at 0930. I have a pair of Merrell shoes that I really like. The model has been discontinued but I was told the Rockford Outlet might have several pairs. I drove to Rockford. The Outlet did not have any. Bummer. I took a short nap and then walked around the block. Ms P is still under the weather but slightly better.

Thursday April 23, 2015

Thursday, swim day for Bob and Nancy. Nancy left at 0700 and after breakfast I pedaled to Panera. I left at 0930 and was in the pool at 1000. Swam my 1,000 meters in 31 minutes. Pedaled straight home because Ms P has an appointment with the Vet at 1220. Ms P has been under the weather lately. The Vet checked her over and concluded that she just had an upset stomach. Ms P got a shot and was given pills that start tomorrow. I took a short nap. For dinner Nancy and I headed to Shepard’s Grill. On the way we stopped at Meijer’s to buy some wine for Saturday’s party. We both had the salad burger for dinner. On the way home we stopped at Macatawa Bank to get some money for Kim. She is coming to clean tomorrow. It is now 2103. We are watching Midsomer Murders on netflix. Think spring!!

Wednesday April 22, 2015

Wednesday April 22, 2015 On this date in 1938, Ossineke, Mi my GGF Sanborn made the following entry in his diary. Friday Cold Wind AM Hauled leaves PM Cleaned chicken coop 3 loads Robert Hughes Scott born I think I was my GGF’s first male Great grandchild. Today was very cold and windy. My easy Wednesday so I pedaled to Sundance for their oatmeal breakfast. It was snowing on the ride. After breakfast I took my normal 15 mile ride, backwards. My Sister, Helen, and brother-in-law Don stopped by at 1330. Nancy fixed a great lunch, vegetable quiche and a salad. We had a great time talking. After lunch Helen and Don headed to Gaylord. It took a short nap and then we got ready to pick up Nancy’s cousin, Ann Kelly. Ann is visiting GR for a conference. We had dinner at the old Gibbons. It had been over 30 years since Nancy had seen Ann. They had a great time catching up. I spoke with all the kids and their families this evening. It was a great 77th birthday.

Tuesday April 21, 2015

Swim day for Bob and Nancy. Nancy left at 0700. After the at home stuff I pedaled to Panera. Temp was in 40s with winds above 20mph. I bucked the wind on the way to MVP. Swam 1,000 meters. Back to alternating crawl and breast. Had wind at back on way home, easy ride. Stopped at Starbucks to finish WSJ. Had to take Taurus in at 1400. Work done at 1700. Nancy and I went to Costco to get quiche for tomorrow. Also bought pizza slice. My Sister stopping by for lunch tomorrow. Also made stop at Alti's to get cheese for Saturday party. Watched news, NCIS and now Netflix. Busy tomorrow, lunch with Sister and dinner with Nancy's cousin. Happy 78th birthday cousin Betty.

Monday April 20, 2015

Monday April 20 at 1743: Up with first light, look out and it is raining. Nancy heads to MVP and I do the at home calisthenics. I needed some aerobics so I rowed for 12 minutes. After breakfast I walked to Panera for coffee. A lot of ink on the proposed Asian trade agreement. I support all free trade. After coffee it was just misting so I took a 2.5 mile route home. We are expecting a dryer repair man some time between noon and 1700. I took a quick lunch and then spent time in the office catching up on my reading. The dryer man came about 1500 and of course the dryer was working fine. We described the troubling sound we were hearing and he said we probably had some bushing failing. After his good explanation I told him to order parts. My fitbit had not gone off so I went to Woodland Mall and walked until it went off. I also stopped at the Apple Store and looked at the new watch. It is not waterproof so I will wait. The watch has some nice features. I have been using Apple Pay quite a bit. Today I bought coffee at Panera and a shirt at Macy’s and used Apple Pay. Light dinner tonight and then some netflix. The high today was in the high 40s. The rain will continue tonight. Low tonight will be in the high 30s but Wed, Thur and Fri nights will be below freezing.

Saturday April 18, 2015

Saturday: The weather folks said that today would be sunny and warm. They were right. For the first time this year GR was warmer than LA. High temp today was 74. However, the warm weather comes to an end tomorrow. Next week the high temperatures will be in the 50s and the low temps for several days will be 30. Bummer! Slept in until 0700 this morning. I biked over to Sundance for breakfast. After breakfast I took my 15 mile bike route. Only today I did it backwards. It is an easier ride. Nancy spent some time working outside today. We have a small area that we can plant. Nancy cleaned the area up and next week she will plant some rose bushes. We thought Ace Hardware was having a sale. Nancy needed a shovel and some chemicals. However, the sale is not until next week end. I took Ms P on our longer route today. It takes us 50 minutes for this walk. I took a short nap. For dinner we drove to Houlihan’s. A lot of folks were eating outside. We sat inside. I had a great salmon dinner. Nancy had quiche. It was such a warm evening that Nancy and I walked around the block, 1.5 miles. We are now watching CSI LV. It will be any early evening.

Sunday April 19, 2015

Sunday April 19, 2015 Today is swim day. Up at 0700 and head out to MVP. It was bright and sunny but rain is forecast for this afternoon. The pool was crowded but we both got a lane. After the swim we head to Meijer’s. I had to put over 16 gallons in the Taurus. I think this is a record. Lucky gas is below $2.50. Saturday night we are having five folks over for dinner. Nancy had to stock up for this event. Nancy fixed her world famous poached eggs for breakfast. I had mine over a waffle with sugar free syrup of course. I read the funnies and sports page before taking my Sunday nap. Rain is forecast for later this afternoon. I took Ms P on our longer route. The route is 1.75 miles (0.5 longer than normal) and it takes us about 50 minutes. I had Nancy measure my chest today and found it is 4” smaller than several months ago. A downside to losing over 20 pounds is that your old clothes don’t fit. However, the up overshadows the down. It is now 1622 and I hear thunder. Ms P will soon go bonkers. The recent rains have greened up the grass and brought out flowers and leaves. We are sleeping with the bedroom slider open. It is great to hear the birds in the early morning. On this date in 1961: I wrote my Mother and asked that she send my diploma because the Navy wants to see it. In hindsight I was pretty demanding of my mother. I commented that I had just received a letter from my sister, Helen. Helen is attending Albion College. Helen said she is taking extra work and likes it. She said that she had a date this Saturday night. An employee of Dad’s, Doug Basil, is attending Wayne State and he called me and asked if I would help him with his concrete design class. I said sure. (As I remember Doug and I went to a local bar and did more drinking than studying). I sent Dad a birthday present and asked Mom if he liked it. My Mother sent me my old radio and I told her how much I liked it. I was doing some design work at my job. I liked doing design. Finally I asked Mom what she thought of the following items in the news: Cuban situation, President Kennedy’s performance, the passing of Con-Con and the Eichman trial. On this date in 1938, Ossineke, MI: Great grandfather Sanborn spent the morning burning leaves. The wind picked up at noon so he had to put the fire out. Guy Johnson, Dad’s uncle, was putting a new clutch in the old car. GGF worked at the Post Office in the afternoon. He got home at 1900. It started raining in the late afternoon.

Friday April 17, 2015

Today is a big birthday day. Alessandra Scott our grand daughter is six years old today. Happy Birthday Alessandra! Today is also my father’s birthday, Alessandra’s great grandfather. Dad was born in 1906 so he would be 109 years old today. Today is also the first day the temperature in GR reached 75. It is now 1730 and Nancy and I are sitting on the deck drinking wine. I look into our back yard and can see the buds coming out on the trees. We got up with the sun, 0645, this morning. Nancy headed to MVP and I did the at home stuff. After breakfast I put on my nickers and went on a 15 mile bike ride. It was in the low 40s when I started and mid 50s when I finished. After a shower I drove to Panera for coffee. I am a free trader. I hope that with GOP support the President get the Asian free trade agreement. Why doesn’t the EU let Greece go? As a civil engineer I think China’s goal to build roads and pipelines across Asia very interesting. It is kind of like restoring the Silk Road. After Panera I stopped at the car wash and got the Cobalt cleaned inside and out. I also picked up some clothes I purchased at Fitzgerald’s. Had a quick lunch and then Nancy and I headed to Costco. We bought cereal, peanut butter, eggs, fiber and a chicken for dinner tonight. Ms P and I went on a 50 minute walk.

Thursday April 16, 2015

Up with sun at 0645. Nancy goes swimming. At home routine then Panera. Raining so I drove. Swam 1,000 meters. At home took Ms P on walk, added half mile to walk. Nancy had doctors appointment, everything ok. We both got cold from swim. I solved problem by taking nap. Took a 2.6 mile walk. Dinner at Great Lakes Shipping. Stopped at Fitzgeralds. Bought vest and shirt. Now watching Midsomers Murders. Temperature might reach 70 tomorrow. Good News!

Wednesday April 15, 2015

Wednesday April 15, 2015: Tax Day. I mailed our taxes late yesterday. Breakfast Club Wednesday. Up at 0545 and drove into GR. The sun was out when I got to the Women’s City Club at 0700. We had a good turnout this morning. Everyone back from warmer climes. Today’s speaker was the marketing director for the GR Symphony. She gave a good talk. I headed straight home because the sewer guy is coming at 0830. He was already working when I arrived. It took him about 45 minutes to unplug the line from the condo to the street. As soon as he finished I walked over to Panera for coffee and a chance to read the WSJ. I got home at 1030. Nancy left immediately for Meijer’s Garden. She has a Japanese Gardens Board meeting and then she has to work her normal shift. At 1100 Kim’s daughter, Brenda, brought Ms P home. It was such a nice day I took her on our normal walk. I spent several hours getting ready for summer. I put up all the screens. Brought the deck chairs from the lower level to the deck. It was 64 degrees so I turned off the heat and opened all the windows to let the condo air out. I did take a nap. It is now 1620 and I am sitting on the deck writing this blog. I enjoy sitting outside. As soon as Nancy gets home I will take a 3 mile walk. Light dinner tonight and then netflix. Peg and DeWight gave us some shows to watch. Our backyard is turning a bright green. I got my 30 in today did you?

Tuesday April 14, 2015

Long weekend report: I have not written since last Thursday. This is a brief report on what I have been doing. Friday and I decided to take it easy. Tomorrow we are driving to Oswego, NY to visit Nancy’s sister, Peg, and husband, DeWight. I did the at home routine at 70%. It was very windy today so I decided to walk to Panera. I did take the long walk home. Kim came today to clean. After completing the cleaning she grabbed Ms P and headed home. We are lucky to have someone like Kim to take care of Ms P when we are gone. Nancy finally got the forms she needed from her Mother’s trust to complete our taxes. We grabbed the forms and headed to Jerry Dykema’s office. Jerry has been doing our taxes since 1983. We waited while the accountant’s finished our taxes. Because we only lived in GR for part of a year the accountant’s computer program could not prorate the taxes. We signed all the forms and paid our bill but decided to pick up the completed taxes when we got home from NY. Our plans were to come home on Tuesday. After a quick dinner we watched some netflix before turning in. Saturday: The alarm goes off at 0530. We had a quick breakfast at home and then headed out. Nancy made a last minute check and could not find her passport. After searching everywhere we finally found it on the floor of the car. We left GR at 0700 and headed to Port Huron. We have been hearing horror stories of problems folks were having at the border crossings. We had no problems getting into or leaving Canada. We arrived in Oswego about 1700. Mapquest’s mileage was spot on. We stayed at a small 14 unit hotel. The hotel was a renovated KC Lodge. We only booked for one night but we liked the place so much we booked for another night. Peg and DeWight picked us up at 1800. We ate at a local Italian restaurant. The place was jammed. We had a great evening. Peg dropped us off at 2130. Sunday: We slept in and then had breakfast at Friendleys. We gave it a C. Got to Peg’s house 1000. It is an understatement to say that the house was crammed with things that Peg wants to sell. Nancy and Peg spent until about 1600 looking through all the items. Nancy picked about two big boxes of items she wanted. While Nancy and Peg were working DeWight and I headed out for lunch. We ate at a drive in cafe called Rudy’s. I had smelt and a beer. DeWight had a fish sandwich. We sat outside on the banks of Lake Ontario and ate our meal. It was sunny with temps in the mid 60s. The shoreline was covered with ice. After Nancy and Peg finished browsing they spent several hours just talking. DeWight and I watched several movies. We left about 2000. Nancy and Peg had a good time. Monday: We slept in and had breakfast at Maria’s in downtown Oswego. After breakfast we stopped at Peg’s to say our goodbyes. We did not go through Canada on our drive home. We took the NY, PA and Ohio Turnpikes home. The temperature in Ohio was in the mid 80s. We ran into very heavy rain near Toledo. I was feeling pretty good so we decided to drive home without stopping. We saved a night’s lodging. Got home about 2130. Tuesday: Back to normal. We got up at 0645. The sun was just coming out. Nancy left early to go swimming. I did my at home routine at 60% and then got on the bike and headed to Panera. It was warm and sunny when I left Panera for MVP. I was overdressed. I swam 12 laps. As soon as I got home I headed to the accountant’s to pick up our taxes. This afternoon Nancy informed me that our alarm company called and said our high water alarm went off. Nancy checked downstairs and found our sewer had backed up. I called the plumber and he came within an hour. The problem required a power rodder. Our plumber could not do this work. However, he gave me a number to call. I called and the repair man will be here tomorrow morning. I called the alarm company and had them put the high water monitor on standby. Glad the previous owner had set up the system to monitor high water. The troubles continued when our dryer started making funny noises. After several calls I found a repair man who can come next Monday. We had chicken pot pies for dinner tonight. It is now 2000 and we are starting to watch NCIS. The buds on the trees are coming out. I predict the leaves will be out by the beginning of next week.

Thursday April 9, 2015

We had the first thunder storm of the year roll through early this morning. Ms P went bonkers. Nancy did not go swimming this morning because she thought the pool would be closed because of lightning. It was raining when I was ready to head out so I drove to Panera. In fact it rained hard all day. After Panera I headed to MVP. The pool was open so I swam my 20 laps. I stopped at Starbucks to complete reading the WSJ. I also stopped at Dick’s Sporting Goods to see if they had any heavy weight long sleeve tees. They did not. Nancy and I had dinner at Russ’s this evening. It is now 2034 and we are going to watch a netflix show. This day in history: 150 years ago Robert E. Lee surrendered to U. S. Grant. 54 years ago, 1961, young civil engineer, Bob Scott, wrote his mother in Alpena. I told Mom I had a busy week. Thursday went to an ASCE meeting, Saturday evening went to a Polish wedding. Sunday I took a bus to Detroit to visit my Grandfather Scott’s brother, John. John Scott was a great story teller. HIs son Johnny was also in attendance. Johnny is really hung up on the Scottish heritage. He plays in a bag pipe band and has a huge collection of Scottish memorabilia. I told Mom for my birthday I needed some adult type socks and pants. I don’t know what adult type means? I told Mom it snowed last night and was quite sloppy outside.

Wednesday April 8, 2015

Wednesday April 8, 2014 Easy Wednesday: went out at 0700 and it felt like the rain had ended. Nancy headed to MVP for a class. I got on my bike and was heading to Breton Village when it started to rain. It was only a light sprinkle but I did not want to get wet. I stopped at Sundance and had their oatmeal breakfast. After breakfast I went on a short bike ride. It was still sprinkling but it was very light. I ended up at Meijer’s and turned in a winning lottery ticket ($10). At home got out of my wet clothes and took a shower. Nancy had to work at the Gardens this afternoon. Because of spring break Nancy thought the parking lots would be full and she did not want the long walk in the mist. I drove her to the Gardens. On the way home I stopped at Ada Bike to pick up a holder for my iPhone. I will put the holder on my handle bars and use the phone’s GPS to track my rides. At home I took a short nap. At 1630 we picked up Nancy at the Gardens. Nancy said they had a huge crowd today. Had time to take Ms P on her daily walk before heading to Uccello’s for pizza. Tom is on a cruise so only Ed and I were attending. It is now 2000 and I am waiting for Nancy to come home. She has to decide what to watch on netflix.

Tuesday April 7, 2015

Tuesday April 7, 2015 Swim day for Bob and Nancy: Nancy left at 0700 and I stayed and did the at home stuff. I rode the bike to Panera. Is the Iran Nuke deal a good thing for USA? I don’t think we have many options. I have an opinion on why our congressmen are not civil to each other. I have been interested in politics since 1945. Until about 2000 almost all congressmen, (yes men) had been in the military. This shared experience created a congenial atmosphere for doing business. Now most folks in congress have not been in the military. They have no common bond with their fellow congressmen. On my bike ride to MVP it started to rain. However, the drops were big so I knew it would stop soon and it did. The big drop theory is the work of Nancy’s Grandmother. The pool was crowded but I did find a lane. I swam 20 laps, 1,000 meters, doing only the breaststroke. No shoulder pain. As soon as I got home I took Ms P on her walk. The temperature was in the 40s but a 17mph wind make the walk uncomfortable. After lunch I headed downtown to the eye doctor. I have developed a dislike for the transition lenses I have in my sports glasses. I had the transition lenses removed and clear one installed. I like the change. Drove to Rockford to WWW shoe warehouse. I did not find a pair of shoes I liked. At home I took a short nap. Nancy fixed soup and pork sandwiches for dinner. It was tasty. It is now 1945 and my agenda for this evening is: read the GRP, finish reading the WSJ, watch NCIS and then a netflix show. I hope everyone got their 30 minutes in today.

Monday April 6 2015

Monday April 6, 2015 It was cold this morning, mid 30s. When Ms P and I went out at 0700 the sun was just coming out. Sunrise today was 0714 and on Jun 20 it will be 0603. Nancy left early for a class at MVP. After breakfast I bundled up at went on a 15 mile bike ride. My longest ride of the year. It was 39 when I left and near 50 when I got home. After a shower I walked to Panera for coffee. I got home at 1330 and had a quick lunch. This afternoon Nancy and I ran errands. First stop was Macatawa Bank to make a deposit and then we stopped at the Cascade Twp Office to drop off our absentee ballots. We stopped at the Lake Mi CU so Nancy could make a deposit. Final stop was Home Depot. Our LG dryer is making funny noises and I wanted the name of a company that can repair the dryer. I took a short nap and then took Ms P on her daily walk. We had a light dinner and now are watching Charlie Rose on Bloomberg. He is interviewing Retired Adm Mullins the ex chief of the Joint Chiefs. Adm Mullins makes sense. We will watch a netflix show and then the UW/Duke BB game. Go Badgers!

Sunday April 5, 2015

Easter Sunday 2015: MVP is closed today so we slept in. We spent a relaxing morning drinking coffee and reading the GRP. We did take some time to go shopping at Meijer’s. It is nice to be able to fill up the Taurus for less than $30. Not too long ago we were spending over $50 each Sunday. Some folks say the cheap gas is a Middle Class tax break and I agree. We have a big vote coming up on increasing the sales tax. The majority of the new money will go to roads. A smaller portion will go to education. I support this new tax and think it is long overdue. Many of the Governor’s party (republican) are not in favor of the new tax. In fact these clowns don’t want to spend any money on either roads or schools. My Mom and Dad were very conservative but they always supported schools and roads. I have always told folks that I am a Republican. However, we have so many stone heads in the party that I am looking for a new party. The new party will not be Democrat. Nancy fixed her world famous poached eggs for breakfast. After breakfast I took Ms P on her walk. I did take my Sunday nap. I finished the afternoon with a 3.5 mile walk. My fitbit says I walked over six miles today. I think that is a little high. MSU’s loss was a big disappointment but what UW did to UK was great. I hope UW goes all the way. Nancy is fixing a pork tenderloin with sweet potato and beans for dinner tonight. We will watch 60 minutes and then a netflix show.

Saturday April 4, 2015

Saturday April 4, 2015 It was cold this morning, mid 20s. First thing Nancy grabbed her swim suit and headed to MVP. I bundled up and walked to Sundance for their oatmeal breakfast. After breakfast I took the long way home. The sun was out but the temp was still in the high 20s. I took Ms P on an early walk and then went on an 11 mile bike ride. I stopped at the Ada Bike Shop and bought a holder for my iPhone. I will attach the holder to my handle bars and use an App that will tell me distance, speed etc. Nancy did the laundry today and would you know it the dryer started making funny noises. I checked our files and the dryer was purchased at Home Depot. Next week I will get the dryer serviced. I did take a nap this afternoon. As soon as I finish this blog I will call either Jets or Pizza Hut and order a pizza. We will stay home this evening, eat pizza and watch the MSU and UW BB games. I hope both win.

Friday April 3, 2015

Post Number 2024 Friday April 3, 2015: Good Friday Memories of Good Friday: Our spring break consisted of Good Friday and Easter Monday. Two days. On Good Friday all the stores were closed from noon until 1500 so folks could attend Good Friday services. I remember one chore my Mother made me help her with during spring break. We burned coal and our walls would become dirty over the winter months. Mom would give me some wall cleaner. The wall cleaner was like silly putty. When rubbed against the walls it would remove the soot. When your ball of cleaner became black you would get a new one. It was hard work. My Grandmother Scott always said that you should plant your peas on Good Friday. Nancy’s Grandmother said the same thing. On this day in 1938 in Ossineke, Mi: It was a Sunday and my Great Grandfather Sanborn commented on how cold it was. His chickens got out at noon. My Uncle Jim Scott and family called in the afternoon. It was too cold to go fishing but a neighbor brought GGF a bucket of smelt from Cranberry Creek. The temperature was 40 when I took Ms P out at 0700. Nancy headed to MVP for a class and I did the at home stuff. After breakfast I got on the bike and took a 12 mile ride. I took a different route this morning. The route started at Tahoe to Cascade to Ada Drive to Buttrick to 36th Street back to Cascade and home. I keep forgetting how many steep hills there are on Buttrrick. I used my granny gear a lot. I showered and then walked to Panera for coffee and to read the WSJ. The Iran nuke deal dominated the news. I had a quick lunch and then headed to Meijer’s to pick up my MG medicine pills. I used my Apple Pay. Took Ms P on her walk and then took a nap. It is now 1644 and at 1700 we are going out to dinner. We will go to Brann’s this evening. Nothing on TV so it will be a netflix evening.

Thursday April 2, 2015

It was in the high 40s when we got up this morning. Warmest morning this year. Nancy headed out first thing to go swimming. I did the at home routine and before I started breakfast Nancy walked in. MVP closed the pool because of thunder and lightning. I drove to Panera and started reading the WSJ for about 30 minutes. Every lane in the pool was full when I arrived but the life guard told me a lane would open soon. She was right. I swam 20 laps, 1,000 m, using only the breast stroke. My shoulder did not experience any pain. It was not raining when I left MVP so I headed home to take Ms P on her walk before the rain started again. We completed our 1.25 mile walk just in time. It has been raining steady since the end of the walk. We really needed this rain. Eat your heart out CA. Nancy had lunch today with her friend Kathy. I got back in the C2 and drove to Art Van furniture. We are still looking for a glider. Art Van had a glider that fit our needs but it was a little pricey. I also stopped at Design Quest and Woodland Mall. No glider. I did buy a coffee at Starbucks in the Mall and finished reading the WSJ. It was such a nice rainy afternoon that I took advantage of the weather and reclined for 45 minutes. Last year I bought several pair on Knickers for bike riding. I love them although Nancy says they look silly. This year I bought another two pair in a smaller size. Weight loss is pricey. Nancy is fixing hamburgs and soup for dinner. We will watch Big Bang and then netflix.

Wednesday April 1, 2015

Breakfast Club Wednesday: Up at 0555 and get in C2 and head to Women’s City Club for Breakfast Club. Our turnout recently have been in the low 20s. When I first joined attendance was in the 50s. Today’s speaker was a candidate for GR Mayor. He is a single issue candidate. HIs single issue is to get GR to quit putting fluoride in the drinking water. GR was the first city to add fluoride. Fluorides main benefit is to prevent tooth decay. The ADA is a big supporter. We have a number of dentists who belong to BC and they were almost booing the speaker. Several members asked about other issues facing GR and he did not have a clue. After BC I drove to Cabela’s. I bought a cap and a pair of wool rag socks. I keep forgetting what a vast collection of clothes Cabela’s has. Next I stopped at Eddie Bauer’s and bought a pair of canvas pants. I like them because they have a side pocket that can hold my phone. Nancy has to work at the Gardens this afternoon. I took Ms P on her walk and then had lunch. The temperature reached 64 today. Along with bright sunshine it was a perfect spring day. For the first time since Nov that I did not wear lined pants or long underwear. It was great. I took a 30 minute nap and then did some spring cleaning. Moved winter boots and coats downstairs. Brought up my spring coats and shoes. We needed milk for dinner tonight so I biked to Meijer’s. I bought milk, lotion with sunscreen and Pinconning Cheese. I used Apple pay to buy the items. Speaking of Meijer’s, I ran into Mary Tanis at the store. Mary use to work at Kent County when I worked there. She was a secretary but had a part time job working at Meijer’s. She worked in Security and would always talk about catching shop lifters. I think this line of work was Mary’s first love. She left Kent County and starting working full time at Meijer’s. Mary is now head of security for Meijer’s in the GR area. Mary said they were looking for someone my age to work weekend afternoon’s at the Cascade store. They are having a major problems with senior citizens shop lifting. Weekend afternoons were prime time for the crooks. Mary described the job and hours, noon to 1800, to me. After some talk I agreed to give it a try. I start on Saturday. I will tell Nancy after dinner. After I got home from Meijer’s I put the milk and cheese in the reefer and then got back on the bike and headed to ACE hardware. We had a recessed light in the kitchen burn out yesterday. I bought a replacement bulb. A single bulb cost $12. It took me forever to replace the bulb. We had a light dinner. Tonight we will watch network TV until 2100 and then finish with an hour netflix show.