Wednesday September 30, 2015

Breakfast Club Wednesday and I had to get up at 0545. It was pitch black when I left at 0630. We had a good turnout at today's meeting. In addition to scrambled eggs they had biscuits and gravy. I had to sample the biscuits and gravy. It is my plebeian upbringing. The speaker today was the Kent County Drain Commissioner. He talked about his office. It was a good presentation. With winter coming I stopped at Mr Thanh to get some wool pants taken in. The weight loss is getting expensive. A new Orvis store has opened in Breton Village. I wear a lot of Orvis clothes so I thought I would stop by and see what they had. I arrived at 0930 and the store did not open until 1000. I did not want to wait so I drove to Woodland Mall. The stores were not yet open so I had a coffee at the Mall's Starbucks. I am looking for corduroy pants, pants not jeans. I stopped at Sears, J. Crew, Penney's, American Eagle and Macy's and none of the stores had cords. Bummer. On the way home I stopped at Costco to see if they had their wool blend long sleeve tees in. I love these shirts for cold weather. No luck. With Art Prize in full swing the Gardens has been very crowded with parking at a premium. Nancy worked this afternoon so I drove her. When I got home I took Ms P on her walk. After lunch I took a short nap. At 1600 picked up Nancy at the Gardens. She said over 2,500 folks visited the Gardens today. I ended the afternoon with a 2.5 mile walk. Nancy fixed poached eggs for dinner tonight. We are now watching Mysteries of Laura. We will end the evening with a short netflex show.

Tuesday September 29, 2015

Tuesday morning and I am up at 0645 which is my normal time. I do the at home stuff and then have breakfast. Helen left this morning around 0900. We really enjoyed her visit. Helen showed me some stuff about my iphone that I did not know. It looked liked rain so I packed my raincoat and headed to Panera. The new iphone operating system has an app called News. I have been reading sections of the Guardian and NY Times. The news is all about the UN meeting and Russia's intrusion into Syria. President Obama and SS Kerry seem very confused. It was not raining so I left the raincoat in my backpack and headed to MVP. Today the pool was empty. I swam for 30 minutes. It was raining when I headed out so I put on my raincoat and headed home. I changed my clothes and then Nancy and I drove to Kohl's. I was looking for corduroy pants but they did not have any. Nancy did buy some clothes. I had a quick lunch and then took a nap. It had stopped raining so I took Ms P on her walk. I spent some time cleaning my desk. Also got out my winter clothes and put away warm weather clothes. Fall weather has finally arrived. No 70 degree days in sight. We had a light dinner. Watched the news and then NCIS. Finished the evening watching The Glades on netflix.

Monday September 28, 2015

Monday morning and we all slept in. I did do my at home calisthenics before taking Ms P on her walk. I had my normal breakfast. We headed out at 1030 and parked in the Campau Square structure. We walked across the Blue Bridge over the Grand River and visited the exhibits at the GR Public Museum and the Gerald Ford Museum. Walked back over the Grand River and visited the GR Convention Center. We ended our tour at the GR Art Museum. We were all tired so we headed home. Our Heart App said we only walked 3.5 miles. I did take a nap. For dinner we headed to Panera for soup and a sandwich. We were all tired so we spent a quiet evening watching TV.

Sunday September 27, 2015

Sunday morning and first thing Nancy fixed her world famous scrambled eggs. My sister agrees the eggs were world famous. I took Ms P for her daily walk before we head out to Art Prize. We left at 1030 and our first stop was the Women's City Club. The club is located on top of the Fulton St hill. It was early but the City Club was very crowded. We walked down Fulton to Division and headed south visiting several venues along Division. In the past ten years south Division has gone through a major upgrade. New bars and restaurants have sprouted up. Nancy and I will have to try some of the new restaurants. At noon UCIS opened and we viewed all their entries. We also visited several venues on south side of Fulton. Every year the Bob is a must stop and this year was no exception. They did not have anything outside but the inside was crammed with entries. It was also very crowded. This was our last stop and we were all tired so we headed back up the Fulton St hill. Helen said that her pedometer on her iphone said we walked over 5 miles. The iphone 6s have a built in app called Heart and it measures steps and miles. I did not know this but I checked my phone and I got the same reading as Helen. Nancy fixed a pasta dish for dinner. We were all tired but after some pasta and wine we relaxed watching TV before turning in.

Saturday September 26, 2015

Saturday the last in September and it looks like another great day. We have a busy day today so I walk over to Panera for oatmeal and a chance to read the WSJ. The Pope and Premier of China dominates but Mr Putin is trying to insert himself into world affairs. After Panera I took the long route home. I took Ms P on her daily walk. Nancy and I got dressed up and headed to a Memorial Service for our long time next door neighbor, on Mackinaw, Edith Calloway. The Service was held at the A.M.E. church on James. This is the first time I attended a Memorial service at a Black Church. I was dressed business casual which is fine for Alpena but I should have worn a suit and tie. Every one was dressed in their Sunday finest. I think it is a sign of respect and regret I did not do my home work. Bob Calloway, Edith's husband, greeted us warmly and I think he was glad we showed up. I was too. After the service I ran some errands and did chores around the house until nap time. This afternoon my sister, Helen, is visiting us. We are all going to attend Art Prize on Sunday and Monday. Helen arrive around six and after some wine Nancy grilled hamburgs and corn. After dinner we spent some time talking. A very pleasant day.

Friday September 25, 2015

Today was another great Fall day. We did start off with some fog but it burned off by noon. After the at-home routine I headed to Panera. The WSJ continues heavy Pope coverage. I am surprised that the visit of the Premier of China did not get more space. John Boehner's resignation was a surprise. Although if I had to deal with all the Tea Party stone heads I would resign too. After Panera I pedaled to Meijer's to mail a package to CA. It has to be there by 10/4. Today's ride followed my normal route backwards. It is great to be back to normal. It's boring but comforting. Took Ms P on her walk, showered and then had lunch. I have not yet weaned myself from an afternoon nap. I am blaming it on delayed jet lag. Linda Moleski called Nancy and asked if we want to join them at Charlie's Bar and Grill. Charlie's was having a smelt dinner special. We said yes. Charlie's has a great smelt basket. Tonight we watched a BBC Cop show on netflix. It was not very good. It is now 2139 and Nancy has headed to bed and I will soon follow.

Thursday September 24, 2015

Thursday the first full day of fall and a wonderful day it was, sunny and warm. Today is swim day for both Nancy and Bob. Nancy left before 0700 and I stayed and did my at home calisthenics. After breakfast I got on my bike and headed to Panera for coffee. The Pope has pushed even Donald Trump and the EU's refugee problems off the front pages. A welcome relief. Left Panera at 0940 and headed to MVP. The pool was crowded but I did find an empty lane. I swam for 30 minutes. It was such a nice day I took a long route home. Ms P and I are getting back to normal with our daily walks. The walk is 1.25 miles. I needed to resupply my wine supply so we headed to Costco. I was also checking to see if Costco got their annual supply of wool blend tees. I love these tees they are light, warm and very cheap. Each year I buy about six. They are not in yet. The African trip wiped me out and I still need my afternoon nap. I took a short nap. For dinner Nancy and I headed to Sundance Grill. Nancy had ham and eggs and I had their Michigan Cherry Salad. It was such a nice evening we ate outside. We started watching Heroes on NBC and decided it is not for folks of our generation. We are now watching Midsomers Murders on netflix. I got my 30 in today, did you?

Wednesday September 23, 2015

We are back and settled in after our trip to South Africa. My last post was September 1 and the next day, Sep 2, Bob and Nancy started their big adventure. We left GR in the afternoon and flew to Detroit. We left Detroit at 1839 for our 7h30m flight to Amsterdam. We arrived in Amsterdam early Thursday we only had about 90 minutes in Amsterdam before getting on our plane to Johannesburg, South Africa, an 11h flight. Arrived in Johannesburg at 2100. Needless to say when we arrived in Johannesburg Nancy and Bob were zombies. Our travel folks knew that so they booked a room for us at a hotel located in the airport. We were met by the travel agency when we deplaned and they showed us the way. In fact we were given first class service by both travel agencies. They provided transportation to airports and hotels with a local agent escorting us. We spent a restful night and after a leisurely breakfast headed to our flight to Richard's Bay. We were flying on South African airlines. The flight to Richard's Bay was just over an hour. Richard's Bay is on the Indian Ocean and 3 hours north of Durban. We were met at the airport by a driver from the Zulu Nyala Game Reserve. The drive to Zula Nyala was 90 minutes. Within the Zula Nyala Game Reserve were two lodges the Heritage Safari Lodge and the Heritage Tent Lodge. The Safari Lodge looked like traditional African village dwellings complete with thatch roof. The Tent lodge as the name implies had a canvas roof and sides. We spent three nights in each lodge and enjoyed both. Our typical daily schedule included an early morning game drive of about two hours followed by breakfast. After lunch we went on another game drive. The vehicles used in the drive were open air with seating for nine. The vehicles were four wheel drive with large tires so we sat up high and had great visibility. Our package included three meals a day, buffet style. Our guide throughout our stay was named Peace. He was great finding animals. I grew up watching Tarzan movies and associated Africa as hot and tropical. After all Tarzan just wore a loin cloth. South Africa where we were is about the same latitude as New Orleans. It was still late winter during our stay. The mornings were cool, mid 50s, and it did not warm up until after noon. High temps were in the low 70s. The guides all wore North Face polar fleece. South Africa was in the midst of a long drought. The Zulu Nyala Game Reserve had large herds of Gazelles, Nyala, Cape Buffalo, Zebras and Wildebeest. Wart hogs were everywhere. They also had small herds of Elephants, Hippos and black Rhinos. My favorite animal was the Giraffe. I think they had over 30. The only cat the Reserve had was a single Cheetah. We saw a lot of the Cheetah including her feasting on a recent kill. A large tribe of Baboons also resided on the Reserve. We wanted to see Lions so one morning we took a special trip to another large Reserve. It was well worth the additional cost. In addition to a large pride of lions we saw large herd of elephants. Neither lodge has TVs in the rooms but they did have wifi. The afternoon drive usually ended about 1800. Dinner started at 1900. The food was very good. All the wines were South African and quite good. The only thing we had to pay for were the drinks. However, they were reasonably priced. A good bottle was about $9. Needless to say we usually had a bottle each evening. Each lodge had their own dining facilities. I think Nancy and I liked the Tent Lodge best only because we met some folks we liked dining with. After 6 nights at Zulu Nyala we departed on Thursday Sep 10. The lodge drove us to the Durban Airport. The drive was a little over three hours and we had a chance to see some of the countryside. We passed sugar cane plantations, large pulp wood forests and several costal cities. After six days on gravel and dirt trails it was great driving on a modern bituminous road. All the airports we used in SA were very modern. They had all been upgraded for the 2010 World Cup. Our two hour flight to Capetown went without a hitch. We were met a Capetown by the folks from the travel agency and driven to our hotel, Victoria and Alfred. The hotel was located on the waterfront. Capetown is Africa's answer to San Francisco, USA. It is very cosmopolitan. The waterfront is loaded with fine restaurants. On Friday we took an all day trip down to the Cape of Good Hope. We passed some of SA most affluent areas. White sand beaches and world famous surfing areas. The Cape is the confluence of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. The Cape also has a large colony of Penguins. Yes Penguins. I have the photos. We made a stop at SA's famous botanical gardens. We had dinner on the waterfront. On Saturday we took a tour of the City. The highlight of the trip was taking the lift to the top of Table Mountain. Table Mountain is Capetown's prominent physical feature. It juts 3,000 feet above the city. It was a clear day and we had a great view of the city and Atlantic. On Sunday we bought an all day ticket on a stop and go bus that circles the city. The bus stopped at a lot of points of interest. Our first stop was a green market. Monday Sep 14 and today we are leaving SA. However, our plane did not leave until 2255. Spent some time shopping before heading to the airport. The flight from Capetown to Amsterdam was 11h35m. We landed in Amsterdam on Tuesday Sep 15 at 1030. After a two hour layover we boarded our plane to Detroit. The flight was 8h48. Short time in Detroit before heading home. We landed in GR at 1836. It was a great two week. We flew over 20,800 miles. This trip was our first time south of the equator and we saw some incredible animals, met nice folks and saw a country that until last Dec was not on my radar. I am writing this blog on Wed Sep 23, the equinox. We have been home a week and we are finally back to normal. It took me awhile to get over jet lag. The past week the weather has been great. Temps have been above normal and we have had sunny days. The trees are starting to turn. Fall is great in MI.

Tuesday September 1, 2015

Nancy was up early and headed to MVP for her swim. I am winding down, so I will be well rested for our long journey tomorrow. I did the calisthenics at 50%. After breakfast I pedaled to Panera for coffee and a chance to read the WSJ. After coffee I got on the bike and stopped at Macatawa Bank to put some stuff in the safe deposit box. I then continued on a 14 mile ride. It was a gentle ride because I stopped at Ada Bike to look at fat tire bikes. I might want a fat tire so I can ride in the snow this winter. At home I finished packing and watched a You Tube video on Capetown. I was surprised but both our bags weigh less than 30#. Nancy is fixing spaghetti for dinner with corn on the cob. It was great. We have finished packing and I called the taxi for an 1100 pickup. It got up to 90 today. I turned the AC on. After dinner I took a 1.25 mile walk. We are now watching Glades on Netflix. I down loaded a Book for the trip. Still thinking about going to BC tomorrow.

Monday August 31, 2015

Last day of August and that means summer is over. Weather folks consider the months June, July and August to be summer. It was cool this morning but mid 80s is predicted for this afternoon. After the at home stuff I pedaled to Panera. Had coffee and read the WSJ before going on a 14 mile bike ride. From the WSJ I take, Joe Biden won't run, China has problems, Europe still has not solved it refugee problem. This afternoon I ran some errands. Took the memory card I bought for Nancy back to Meijer's for a smaller card. Meijer's said they did not have the right card but they gave me a refund. Next I went to Best Buy to see if they had a memory card. They laughed and said to camera is too old. I will down load all the photos on the camera to Nancy's MAC and then clean the card. I spent the rest of the afternoon packing and getting in ready for our trip. We had a light dinner and then watched the TV news. It was a nice warm evening so I took a walk around the block, a distance of 1.25 miles. We watched a movie on netflix, Amish Murder before turning in.