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.

Sunday October 18, 2015

Sunday morning, we get up at 0645 and left for MVP at 0745. It was dark because the sun does not come up until 0800. I swam my usual 30 minutes or 20 laps and Nancy did her 25 laps. Today I filled the Taurus up for less than $25. First time this has happened in several years. At Meijer’s I saw a lot of MSU clothes but not any UM. Nancy fixed her world famous scrambled eggs for breakfast. After breakfast I took Ms P on her walk. I took a short nap. At 1430 we got in the Taurus and headed to the Moleski’s for supper. Linda fixed a hot apple/cucumber soup and beef stew. We headed home at 1830. Watched the end of NFL game on CBS and then 60 minutes and Madame Secretary. We headed to bed at 2200.

Saturday October 17, 2015

Get up at 0700 and intended to go on bike ride but it is pitch black. Checked the weather app and found the sun does not come up until 0800. I walked to Sundance for their oatmeal breakfast. It was 34 this morning but it did not freeze. Read the WSJ but did not find any thing I want to comment on. After Sundance I walked to Meijer's to buy some athlete's foot ointment. I then walked to the new YMCA at Burton and Kraft. The Y will open Dec 7 and we plan to join. I turned the pedometer on and walked home. It took me 30 minutes to cover the 1.5 miles. Nancy was busy doing the laundry and cutting back plants in the courtyard. I spent some time calling our computer guru. I need him to fix our wifi. Also called Phil Dougherty, our electrician, to have him replace the fan in the main floor bath. I took Ms P on her walk. We had a brisk wind today so the wind chill was in the 30s. I got chilled so I turned on the electric blanket and took a short nap. I watched some of the first half of the UM/MSU game. It seemed to be going well for MI. I took a 2.5 mile walk at halftime. Nancy cooked brats for dinner. We also finished the beans and rice. I was happy with the UM game until the last play. A muffed punt and MSU wins. Bummer. It is now 2035 and we are talking to Debbie on facetime. We are also watching a movie on netflix.

Friday October 16, 2015

I slept in until 0700 this morning. Nancy left before I got up. Our temperature gage said it was 39. After the at-home stuff and breakfast I bundled up and went on a 16 mile ride. The leaves are falling fast and soon the trees will be bare. Kim came today to clean. She said they had frost this morning in northern Kent County. After a shower I walked to Panera for coffee and a chance to read the WSJ. I wore a UM hat so I got all kinds of comments at Panera. Tomorrow is the big UM/MSU game. At home I took Ms P on her nature walk. After lunch Ms P and I got in the Cobalt and headed to Home Depot. I was looking for a weatherproof cover to put over our outdoor glider. They did not have one. I ended up at ACE Hardware and bought a cover and bird seed. Speaking of birds I think the Robins left MI in mid September but yesterday I did see a stray one. I ended the afternoon with a short nap. For dinner tonight Nancy and I drove to Shepard’s Grill about 0.3 miles. Nancy had beef soup and I had a lake perch sandwich. It was good. The place was crowded and I recognized several neighbors. Our internet kicked out today so I had to get it working. I usually just unplug the router for a minute and then plug it in. It usually works as it did tonight. We are thinking of switching from ATT to Comcast. In addition to cutting out about every four days, netflix usually conks out about every thirty minutes. I don’t think we have the bandwidth. I really don’t know what that means. I have my guru coming next week. The first frost is expected tonight. I am glad I have completed winterizing the condo. Also got my winter clothes out. It is 1942 and I am sitting in my downstairs office writing this blog. I have the electric heater working full blast.

Thursday October 15, 2015

Thursday morning and I get up at 0630. Nancy left at 0700 to go swimming and take several classes, step and yoga. After breakfast I bundled up and headed to Panera. The problems in Israel seem to be getting worse. Syria's problem are also out of control. I sometimes think that an old guy like me should just quit reading the news. I will let the younger generation solve the world's problems. On my ride to MVP it started raining. I was glad I wore waterproof pants and jacket. I swam my normal 30 minutes. At home I took Ms P on her walk and then had lunch. After lunch we got in the Taurus and headed Woodland Mall. Nancy went to Barnes and Noble and I headed to the Apple Store. I am thinking of upgrading my mini ipad to a standard ipad. I did not buy anything. I did buy a belt at American Eagle. Our last stop was TJ Maxx so Nancy could buy a yoga mat. Missy sent Nancy some photos of her repaired condo. She now has wood floors and they look great. I took a nap and then took a mile walk. Nancy fixed chicken with rice for dinner. We watched the news and now we are watching Midsomers Murders on netflix. The fall colors have peaked. I do not miss raking leaves. The weather folks say we can expect frost tomorrow night.

Wednesday October 14,2015

Breakfast Club Wednesday and I left at 0630 in pitch blackness. We had a good turnout today. The young speakers talked about Advocates for Disabled Persons. They were young idealists but I still don't know what they did except apply for grants. After BC I drove to Cabelas to look around. They had all their deer hunting gear on display. I did not buy anything. At home I changed clothes and walked over to Panera for coffee. I took the long route home. I did a load of laundry and took out the garbage before taking Ms P on her walk. Today we walked a new route. I call it my nature route because we walk on the old golf cart path. I took a short nap and then swept out the garage. Tonight is book club night. I met Ed and Tom at Uccello's for pizza. The pizza and conversation were great. It is now 2111 and we are watching Glades on netflix. Bedtime will be 2200.

Tuesday October 13, 2015

Tuesday is swim day for both Nancy and Bob. Nancy left at 0700 and I headed out at 0830. It was misting when I left so I put a raincoat in my backpack before pedaling to Panera. Lately I have been talking to folks in the road and bridge construction business and they all say the inability to get workers is a big problem. Welders, truck drivers and carpenters are in big demand. The WSJ this morning had an article on the problems the home construction industry nationwide is having getting skilled workers. Maybe schools should forget about trying to get everyone into college and start teaching trades. I was bucking a strong cold wind on my way to MVP. The pool was nearly empty when I started swimming. Maybe the cool water is deterring older swimmers. I swam 30 minutes. Took the long road home. My speedometer said I biked 10 miles. As soon as I got home Nancy and I got in the Taurus and headed to Costco. We bought peanut butter, wine, rolls, grapes, eggs and bread. I bought two warm weather tees and Nancy bought lotion. After lunch I took a short nap. Took Ms P on her walk and then walked another two miles. I spent some time in my office reading mail and cleaning up. Nancy fixed a Trader Joe’s Steak and Ale pie for dinner. It was good. After the news I headed downstairs and finally got all my mail read. This Saturday is the UM/MSU football game. The week before the game has all the fans worked up. It has always been this way. My Dad went to MSU and my Mother, UM. They both were big fans. I can remember in the early 50s Mom and Dad would hector each other about the game. Dad would bet Mom that if UM won he would do the dishes for a week. In the 50s Dad usually won. If fact I think that during my undergraduate years at UM, 56-60, we never won.

Monday October 12, 2015

We both got up at 0630. It was pitch black, sunrise is not until 0752. I will be glad when DST ends. Nancy prepared some Halloween gifts for the grandkids so I put them in my backpack and headed to D&W. D&W is an official USPS substation. However, they do not open until 0900 so I got back on my bike and headed to Meijer's. Meijer's mailed the packages. The day started with bright sunshine and warming temps. I worked up a sweat on my 14 mile ride. At home I showered and walked to Panera for coffee. After Panera I took Ms P on her daily walk. I wanted to get our walk in because it was begining to look like rain. Nancy was having lunch today with some old gift shop friends. As soon as she got home we got in the Taurus and headed to the new Tanger Outlet Center. Nancy headed to Talbots and I stopped by Brooks Brothers. Tried on several suit jackets but they either did not have the color I wanted or the size. I did buy a cord sports coat that fit well. I took a two mile walk and then a short nap. It is now 1757 and I am heading upstairs for a light dinner. No GRP today so we will watch TV or netflix.

Sunday October 11, 2015

Swim day Sunday, we arrived at MVP ten minutes before opening and they let us in. We had our pick of lanes. I swam 30 minutes, about 19 laps and Nancy swam 25 laps. Nancy wins. At Meijer's we loaded up on Michigan apples. Premium gas today was $2.84. Nancy fixed her world famous poached eggs for breakfast. I had mine on a waffle. I took my Sunday nap and then walked Ms P before starting some chores. Took the umbrella off the deck table and stored it. I have been trying to trap some chipmunks but it has not worked. I removed the trap. Swept the lower floor concrete deck. Ended the afternoon with a two mile walk. Today was another warm sunny day. Temps reached 75. Nancy fixed soup and turkey sandwiches for dinner. It was good. Debbie facetimed us this evening. She sent some photos of Lucas's birthday and Alessandra's hockey practice. It is now 2142 and football games have delayed the evening TV so sleep will over rule The Good Wife.

Saturday October 10, 2015

Saturday morning and Bob and Nancy slept in until almost 0800. When Ms P and I went out we confronted a big doe standing in our driveway. Ms P barked and she took off. Later I looked out the back slider and saw two deer in the back yard. It is that time of year when the deer are moving. I would be moving too if I only got laid once a year. Today was a great fall day, warm temps and sunny skies. I rode my bike to Ada with plans to eat breakfast at Donna's, the place with the great oatmeal. Fat chance the place was jammed with folks waiting. I took the Ada Drive route to Panera. Had oatmeal and toast at Panera. Read the WSJ but it was so depressing that I won't comment. Saturday was our day to tittivate. Yes tittavate is a word. I first ran into it when I was in the Navy on Midway Island. My boss LCDR Tinklepaugh was a stickler for having our areas spruced up. He use to send me notes telling me to tittivate the grounds. I was known to the troops as Tinklepaugh's Ensign. Yes you can sing it to the Mickey Mouse song. I finished washing windows. Swept the deck and spruced around the house. We are having the Namey's over after dinner so Nancy wants every thing ship-shape. I did watch a little bit of the UM/NW game. Is UM for real? At 1800 Nancy and I headed out to the Euro Bistro to meet the Namey's. The Bistro has great food. As I said after dinner we all came back to the condo. Nancy fixed an out of this world apple crisp for dessert. We talked for several hours.

Friday October 9, 2015

Friday already, the weeks are just flying by. I slept in until 0700. On my way to Panera I took a detour to mail several post cards. WSJ is having a field day reporting on the GOP's power struggles. I don't think anyone has figured out Putin's game plan in Syria. After coffee I headed out on a 14 mile ride. Great day for a ride. The colors are peaking. At home I headed out to Ace Hardware to buy bird seed and a window washing squeegee. At home took Ms P on her walk and then lunch. Spent several hours washing the main floor windows. Tonight Nancy and I had dinner with Karen and Hal Horlings at the Outback. We spent several hour enjoying dinner and talking. It is now 2210 and we are watching Midsomer Murders on netflix. I got my 30 minutes in today did you?

Thursday October 8, 2015

Swim day Thursday and we are up at 0630. Nancy leaves first and then after breakfast I head to Panera. Has Russia made a big blunder or just outsmarted the US? I think Russia has made a big mistake. The GOP sure is getting good at shooting themselves in the foot. The ex chair of the Fed said he was a republican but is now an independent. Claims he did not leave the GOP but the GOP left him. I feel the same way. The pool was empty this morning. I swam my 30 minutes. At home I got in the cobalt and drove to Staples to buy a crate. I use the crate to store socks. Took Ms P on her walk and then had a quick lunch. I spent several hours this afternoon washing our outside windows. It was a great day for working outside. The temperature reached 75. Took a short nap and then Nancy and I headed out to dinner at Great Lakes Shipping. We did stop at several stores to buy a postcard with pictures of MI. Grandson Lucas’s class is studying states so Nancy is looking for a post card with a picture of MI. We both had the prime rib sandwich and it was especially good. Nancy recorded Tuesday’s NCIS and we watched it tonight. Nancy headed to bed early and I am watching Thursday night football. Is the NFL making a mistake by offering games on week nights?

Wednesday October 7, 2015

Today is my easy Wednesday. Nancy headed out early, 0700, for her two classes at MVP. I took my time getting ready for a bike ride. I left the condo at 0830. Encountered heavy fog so I had to turn the bike lights on. I took my favorite route backwards because I wanted to check the mileage to the SE Y. This Y will close as soon as the new Y opens on Dec 7. We are thinking of joining in Nov so we will have a smooth transition to the new Y. It is 4.8 miles to the SE Y compared to 3.5 miles to MVP. Continued my ride to Ada Village where I stopped for breakfast at a small cafe next to Ada Bike. I had a bowl of oatmeal and it was great. As soon as I got home I got in the Cobalt and headed to the new Orvis store. I bought a pair of moleskin pants. The smallest size they had was a 32. I have been wearing 30 so the pants needed to be altered and Orvis has not yet hired one. I took the pants to Mr Thanh’s. The pants could not be altered. I took the pants back to Orvis. Stopped at Costco to buy some long sleeve winter tees. I now have a weeks supply. I had a quick lunch, took out the garbage and took Ms P on her walk. At 1530 I drove to the Twisted Rooster to have a beer with Rick DeVries. Rick was my first hire. He is now the Assistant GR City Engineer. We had a great time catching up. It is always enjoyable to see someone you knew when they were just starting their career become a success both professionally as well as a super family man. Had a light dinner and then took a two mile walk. Watched some TV before turning in.

Tuesday October 6, 2015

Today is swim day for Bob and Nancy. Nancy leaves early and I don’t leave until 0830. Biked to Panera for coffee and a chance to read the WSJ. The pool was crowded when I walked in. I waited a few minute and a lane opened. I am looking forward to the new Y which will open Dec 7. The Y’s pool will have nine lanes vs 5 for MVP. I swam my normal 30 minutes. Took the scenic route home, my iPhone said I pedaled 10 miles. Had a quick lunch and took Ms P on her walk. Called our GP’s office and found the flu shots were in so I drove to his office and got my shot. A lot of folks say flu shots don’t work and never get a shot. I get every shot recommended. Tonight Nancy and I attended a neighborhood dinner at Noto’s Italian Restaurant. Noto’s is less than 1/2 mile from the condo. Our neighbor Sonya joined us. The food was good and we had a chance to meet some neighbors. Finished the evening watching a netflix show. We are having some trouble with netflix. It cut out five time while watching tonight. I might have to call my computer guru.

Monday October 5, 2015

Monday morning and the alarm was set so Nancy could get to her early class at MVP. However, Nancy was up before the alarm so I also got up. It was foggy and misty this morning. Temps were in the mid-fifties so I wore my knickers. Pumped up the bike tires and headed out on a 14 mile ride. I turned on my front and rear lights because of the fog. I made one stop and that was to the SE YMCA. A new Y is opening in December at the corner of Burton and Knapp approximately 1.5 miles from our condo. This is about 2 miles closer to us than MVP. The facility is huge and has an eight lane pool along with a thermal pool. MVP has the same but their pool only has five lanes. Another feature I like is an indoor running track. The Y opens Dec 7 and the cost is the same as MVP. Nancy and I will join in November. After the bike ride I showered and walked over to Panera for my morning coffee. It looks like the Pacific Nations Trade Pact is coming together. I am all for free trade and am glad the President has strongly supported the pact. I also like the President’s overtures to Cuba. His efforts in the middle east, however, have been a disaster. Nancy made a trip to Trader Joe’s this morning. I took Ms P on her walk and took a quick nap. I ordered corduroy pants and wool rag socks from LL Bean. It it now 1709 and I am heading out for a two mile walk. Stay turned. I finished my walk just in time for dinner. We are now watching the PBS News Hour and at 2000 we will watch Big Bang. Finish our waking hours with a netflix show.

Sunday October 4, 2015

Weekend Update: October 4, 2015 Big weekend news, today October 4 Lucas A. Scott turned 10. Happy Birthday Lucas, Grandpa and Grandma think you are great. Saturday October 3 I slept in until 0730. It was cold and blustery all day. The temp was in the low 40s early with a wind chill of 36. Winds blew all day, with average speeds of mid 20s. I walked to Panera for an oatmeal breakfast and a chance to read the WSJ and some news stories on Apple’s new app called “News”. I have been reading articles from the Guardian and Economist. I like the UK point of view. After breakfast I took the long road home. We have a dehumidifier that is not working so I stopped by Sears and asked if they can repair it. They said yes. This was good news because today Cascade Twp was having their large item disposal day. I was planning to drop it off and buy a new unit. I buy a lot of clothes from the online Orvis store. Orvis just opened a store in Breton Village so I paid it a visit. They had a great selection of men’s clothing. I will stop by next week with the coupon they sent me. I especially want to buy a pair of moleskin pants. Since I slept in this morning I did not need a nap. Took Ms P on her walk and spent some time putting away summer items and getting out fall clothes. I did watch some of the UM and MSU games. I ended the afternoon with a long walk. It started to rain halfway through my walk. I was glad I wore my raincoat. The Health app on my iPhone said I had walked a total of 10 miles today. I like this app. Nancy fixed a sliced apple/pork chop dish with a sweet potato for dinner. It was great. Nothing on TV so we watched Philomena on netflix. Both Nancy and I liked the movie. Every time we go on a trip folks tell Nancy she looks like Judi Dench. I think Nancy is better looking. Sunday October 4, 2015: Lucas A. Scott is ten so it is a fine day. Alarm goes off at 0646 and are up and ready for our 0800 swim at MVP. Nancy and I were the first in the pool. I swam my 30 minutes and Nancy did much more. High test gas today was $2.94 at Meijer’s. Like MVP Meijer’s this morning was not very crowded. Nancy fixed her world famous scrambled eggs for breakfast this morning. We watch some morning news shows and I read the funnies. At noon we called Lucas to wish him a Happy Birthday. I took my Sunday nap and then took Ms P on her walk. It is now 1709 and I will take a short walk before dinner. Nancy is fixing beans and rice for dinner. We will watch 60 Minutes and then Madame Secretary before turning in.

Friday October 2, 2015

Friday morning and I set the alarm for 0640. Nancy has two classes at MVP this morning and she had to leave early. I did the at home routine and then bundled up for a cold bike ride. Temps this morning were in the low 40s. Despite the cold it was a great fall day for a ride. I rode 14 miles. The colors are still a week away from their peak. You know it is fall because all the sprinkler companies are driving around the neighborhood with their air compressors. They are blowing out the lines so they won’t freeze. Kim was still cleaning when I got home so I showered and headed to Panera. The shootings in Roseburg, Or have dominated the news. In the summer of 1956 I worked for a timber cutting firm that sold logs to the Roseburg Lumber Company. I have been to Roseburg many times. It is a beautiful area. In 1956 large stands of Douglas Fir dominated the landscape. It just shows you crazies are not confined to urban areas. When I got home Kim was still cleaning so Nancy and I got in the Taurus and headed to Costco. Costco had a lightweight down jacket for $20 so I bought it. I have been looking for a down jacket to wear on my bike rides during cold weather. Most of the jackets I looked at were in the $100 range. Time will tell if I made a good decision. Took a short nap and then walked to Macatawa Bank to get some cash. Nancy and I had dinner at Brann’s tonight. We both had a salad. Brann’s has great salads. We watched the news and then netflix. Missy FaceTimed us tonight. She and AJ are still living in a hotel while her condo is being repaired. Her condo was damaged by an upstairs water break.

Thursday October 1, 2015

October 1, the start of the last quarter of the year and it came in blustery and cool. High temp today was 61 but it was in the low 40s when I left for Panera after the at home stuff. I was layered up. Russia's actions in Syria has made the US and its allies look weak. However, I think Russia has made a big mistake by inserting itself in the Syrian quagmire. Assad is hated by the majority of the Syrian people. I have alway thought that we should not be in the Middle East, period. We have spent billions for failed policies. We have never had a plan. I watched Jeb Bush this morning on Morning Joe. He has some good ideas. My favorite is still the Ohio Gov. I encountered some high winds on my bike ride to MVP. The pool had one empty lane when I arrived so I took it. I swam for 30 minutes. Took a long route home. My iphone said I put 10 miles on the bike. With colder weather coming I spent some time getting my warm weather tees out and sorted. I was surprise how many tees I had. I like the lightweight wool/poly blends. They are warm without being bulky. After lunch I took Ms P on her walk. I was going to take a short nap but slept for over 90 minutes. Tomorrow Kim comes to clean so I walked over to Macatawa Bank to get some money. Nancy fixed a beef Irish pie frozen dinner from Trader Joe's for dinner. It was very good. We watched some TV and now are watching Rosemary and Thyme on netflix. Temps should get down to low 40s tonight. This date in 1938, Ossineke, MI. Great grandfather Sanborn said today was the first day of duck season. Great Uncle Guy and his son David shot six. GGF Sanborn split 33 bu of wood for his upstairs stove. It was a clear day but frost was expected tonight.