Sunday January 31, 2016

1600: January 31, 2016 Weekend Update: Saturday January 30: We followed our new Saturday routine. We walked to the new Panera for breakfast. It was a very mild day with temperature above 32 all day. Not much wind so the walk was pleasant. I had the oatmeal and Nancy has a toasted bagel. Panera was starting to get crowded when we left at 0930. As soon as I got home I took Ms P on her walk. It was so mild we added 0.5 miles to the walk. I have never been in the Cascade Library which is about 0.7 miles for the condo. I grabbed my iPad and walked to the library. It is a nice modern library. I found an empty desk and read the WSJ. I also read several recent periodicals. I have found a new reading place. I took a long route home. After lunch I headed downstairs and started getting our tax info ready. No nap today. At 1730 Nancy and I got in the Taurus and headed to Charlie’s Bar and Grill on Plainfield. We met the Moleski’s, Linda and Tom, for dinner. Tom and I had the smelt basket. Charlie’s is one of the few restaurants that serve smelt. The Moleski’s had just returned from two back to back Caribbean cruises so they filled us in. We got home about 2030. We watched a netflix show. I should say Nancy watched the show because I fell asleep. I need my afternoon nap in order to stay awake at night. Sunday January 31, the last day of the month. At 0655 we got up and headed to the Y for our weekly swim. The Y was having an indoor tri today so Nancy and I shared a lane. We made a quick stop at Meijer’s. Gas today was $1.74. Nancy fixed her world famous scrambled eggs for breakfast. Nancy is helping her friend Kathi get ready for a show in the Detroit area so she left right after breakfast. Kathi sells purses at the shows. Ms P and I took a long walk today. I wanted to get a walk in before the rain. The weather folks said it would start raining around 1400. They were right. I read the sports page and funnies before taking my Sunday nap. After dinner we watch 60 Minutes and then a netflix show. We will have two more days of warm weather before winter sets in again. January is our coldest month but this year, except for several days, it has been mild. Every winter I enjoy reading my Great Grandfather Sanborn’s diary. Great Grandfather lived in Ossineke, Michigan. The diary I have is for the year of my birth, 1938. He was 82 in January 1938. It keeps me in touch with my roots. On this date GGF wrote that it was very cold in Ossineke with the temperature near zero. GGF worked in the Ossineke Post Office in the afternoon. He sometimes helped his daughter who was the manager of the PO.

Thursday January 29, 2016

Time 1800: For the first time in what seems like weeks the sun was out when I left for the Y. Temperature was 24. My Achilles is still acting up so after calisthenics I rowed 2K. The Y has four new rowing machines. I talked to several new Y members who have left MVP. They all like the new Y. Pleasant walk to Panera. The new Panera is having some growing pains. They are still trying to hire staff. I think success has created several problems. They are always running out of popular food items like bagels. The parking lot is undersized. They have an option of leasing space from an adjacent office building. I do not care if Donald Trump boycotted the Iowa debate. If fact I am tired already of the Presidential primaries. Speaking of primaries, Nancy and I got our absentee ballots for the MI primary. The stock market goes up and stock market goes down all because of China or the Japanese Central Bank or maybe the EUCB and finally the low price of oil. I still don't know the downside of low gas prices? With bright sunshine I took Ms P on a 1.25 mile walk. Nancy made me put her jacket on. After a quick lunch we all got in the Taurus and headed to Trader Joe's. I think Trader Joe's has the same problem as Panera, they underestimated their popularity. The store is too small as is the parking lot. We bought wine, bread and frozen Shepard's Pie and French onion soup. I took a quick nap. It is now 1833 and we are getting ready to attend a function at GR Art Museum. 2200: The exhibit at the Art Museum was pottery from the Sophie Newcomb School in New Orleans from the early 1900s. It was very interesting. We enjoyed the wine and snacks provided by the GRAM. I was surprised at the number of folks Nancy and I knew. We had a hard time getting in the parking ramp. We had to park on top floor. Downtown was booming tonight. Hockey game, car show and of course the GRAM show were all going on. Some folks were ice skating at the Rosa Park outdoor ice rink. It was great to see.

Thursday January 28, 2016

2220 January 28: Happy Birthday Melissa: I remember your birth vividly. It was a snowy Sunday in Ann Arbor. About 0600 Nancy announced that I had better get up and get her to St Joseph Hospital in a hurry. The baby was coming. We got in our VW Beatle and headed to the hospital. It was snowing hard and the wind shield wipers were not working properly. I stopped the car to clear the wipers when Nancy said forget the wiper and get to the hospital fast. I drove with the window down so I could see the road. We pulled up at the hospital and nurses rushed Nancy to the Maternity ward. I parked the VW and as soon as I got to the waiting room a Doctor met me and he informed me that we had a healthy girl. I think Missy was born within 15 minutes of arriving at the hospital. A happy day for the Scott family. It was snowing when I left for the Y. The temperature was at 32 so I thought it might turn into rain. I put on a raincoat. Today was another dark gloomy day in West MI. Temperature was in the mid 30s all day. Snow and rain all day. I did my calisthenics at the Y and then swam 20 laps. It was still gloomy and snowing when I left for Panera. At Panera I was lucky to get a seat near their fireplace. I quickly read the WSJ. At home I had a quick lunch and then headed downtown. Today I picked up my glasses. I had new lenses installed in my wire frames glasses. I also bought a new pair of sports glasses. These glasses are on a rugged frame. They are made by Adidas. At home I took a quick nap. At 1730 Nancy and I got in the Taurus and headed to the Cascade Country Club for dinner with some retired Naval officers. Ten folks were in attendance. I enjoy talking Navy. The food at Cascade was great. I had the white fish and it was outstanding. We left at 2100. We had a great evening. Remember to survive the dark, gloomy days of winter you must spend 30 minutes outdoors.

Wednesday January 27, 2016

1750 sitting in den writing blog: I made this Wednesday truly an easy day. Shoveled our walk last night and had to do it again this morning. The temperature flat lined at 28 all day. Dark and gloomy with wind speeds at 18 mph. Brrr! I walked to Panera for oatmeal, sourdough toast and coffee. Was lucky because got a seat near the fireplace. Toasty! The WSJ had a whole section on the Presidential campaign. I did not read any article. I think all this huffing and puffing is premature until several primaries narrow the field. I would like to see a GOP nominee who has experience as a Governor. The shooting in Oregon of a member of the anti Fed group received a lot of press. I don't think the protesters have a legal argument. Having said that I do not like Fed policy regarding use of Federal lands. I do not think the lands should remain fallow. I have a banana every morning and this morning I finished my last one. After Panera I walked to Meijer's to buy a bunch. The walk back home was not to bad because I had the wind at my back. I spend a lot of time in my office syncing my iPhone and iPad and checking accounts and charging all my toys. Ms P and I spent some time in our backyard spreading corn. The deer had eaten several piles that I located near their tracks. Piles away from deer activity remain uneaten. I took a short nap and then walked to Meijer's to pick up a prescription. Meijer's prescription call center is on the fritz so my prescription was not ready. We had a light dinner and now are watching Jeopardy. We will watch the Mysteries of Laura and then a Netflix show. I got my 30 in today. I am convinced that at this time of year when we can go days without seeing the sun, being outside helps get rid of the winter's blues.

Tuesday January 26, 2016

2045 sitting in den: Swim day for Bob and Nancy. Nancy left early so she can be in the pool by 0730. I left about 0830. It was 34 with a rain/snow mix. I put on my raincoat and walked to the Y. Wind speed of 17 mph made the walk unpleasant. The Y is having growing pains. The Y dedicated about 3 lanes for a water aerobic class. That means only five lanes are open to lap swimmers. Every lane had two folks. The Y had an empty thermal pool. They should move the aerobic class to the Thermal pool. I swam 20 laps. Walked to Panera and was lucky to get a seat by their fireplace. It is nice and warm. I quickly read the WSJ and did not find any article that interested me. I left early and walked home. The walk was pleasant because I had the wind at my back. I have a 1300 Doctor's appointment. Dr Santo's is an optical neurologist who is handling my myasthenia gravis. The pills I am taking seem to be working. The Doctor suggested I might want to decrease my dosage. I hate to change since everything seems to be working. At home Nancy and I got in the Taurus and headed out to run errands. First stop was the PO at D&W to mail a birthday package to AJ. We then headed to Costco. Nancy picked up a prescription. We also bought wine and cheese. It started snow about 1600. As soon as we got home I took a quick nap. Nancy fixed a great meal. Potatoes, apples and pork in a stew. It was great. It is now 2100 and as soon as Nancy gets off the phone we will watch a Netflix show. It is snowing hard outside so I might have to shovel in the morning. I am looking forward to Wednesday my easy day. Think Spring!

Monday January 25, 2016

1930: sitting in den writing this blog: Monday morning and it is a typical winter's morning. Temperature is 29 with warming later today. After breakfast I walk to the Y. The Y was very crowded and I could not find an exercise mat. This is the fourth time in a week that the Y ran out of mats. The mats probably cost less than $5 so they should be able to purchase enough to satisfy demand. I filled out a comment card. My Achilles is still acting up so I rowed instead ran. Walked to Panera for coffee and a chance to read the WSJ. The East Coast snow storm dominated the news. Most folks in the Midwest would laugh at the problems the sissy east coast folks have clearing snow. At home I took Ms P on her walk before eating lunch. I have a 1515 dentist appointment. Left early and dropped off some old running shoes at Gazelle Sport. They will recycle the shoes. I had my teeth cleaned and then checked over. I have a cavity on the tooth that anchors my bridge. The Doc thinks he can fill the cavity. If he can't we are talking major bucks for a remedy. Stopped at Ace Hardware on my way home. I bought a LED bulb for an outside light. Also bought 50 pounds of shelled corn to feed the deer. Changed the light bulb and then put out the corn. Needed a plastic can to store the corn so I headed back to Ace and bought a 32 gallon can. We had a light dinner. Watch the news and now at 2000 we will start watching Netflix.

Sunday January 24, 2016

Weekend update: Sunday @1545 Saturday morning cold, 19, and cloudy, Nancy and I walked to the new Panera. Panera is still having growing pains. They has trouble getting our order right. Nancy did the laundry and ran some errands. I spent quite a bit time working in my office. It was warm enough to take Ms P on a 1.25 mile walk. After her walk I walked 2.5 miles. Took a short nap. At 1600 we got in the Taurus and headed downtown. We are going to attend a Pop Concert at DeVos Performance Center. The concert will highlight the music of Louie Armstrong. We had dinner at Flanagan's. We both had a burger. The concert was very good. At Intermission we met our old neighbor, Jack Lensink. We agreed to meet at Reserve, a Wine Bar, on Monroe near the Amway. First time at Reserve and we found it very nice but pricey. We had a nice talk with Jack. Jack lived across the street from us on Mackinaw. Headed right to bed when we got home. Sunday: Swim day at the Y and we left at 0745 and were in the pool by 0805. Only three folks in the pool a big difference from MVP. After the Y we stopped at Meijer's. Gas was $1.57 today. We bought our weekly supplies. Stopped at Panera to get Nancy a Hazelnut coffee. On Panera's first day they gave the first 200 customers free coffee for a month. I used our free coffee pass. Nancy fixed her world famous scrambled eggs for breakfast. I did some chores and read the funnies before taking my Sunday nap. After the nap I took Ms P on her daily walk. It was cool enough that we put a coat on her. I finished the afternoon with a solo two mile walk. Watched some of the Denver/NE game before dinner. Nancy fixed black bean soup and hot dogs for dinner. Reruns on 60 minutes so we are now watching Broadchurch on Netflix. Next I hope to watch Doc Martin. I got my 30 in today did you?

Friday January 22, 2016

Sitting in Den watching game shows: time 2000 Temperature in the mid 20s when I left this morning. No wind so the walk to the Y was very pleasant. My pedometer said it is 1.67 miles from the condo to the Y. I think the New Year's Resolution folks have finally given up the ghost. The Y was not very crowded. I did the calisthenics and finished with a 20 minute run. Walked to Panera and read several interesting articles in the WSJ. Everyone is interested in the Flint water crisis. Flint is a civil engineering failure. Nobody followed standard testing protocol. The professionals failed Flint. The life expectancy of folks with Down Syndrone has increased dramatically. Now they are finding that as many as 67% of older Down people are develop Alzheimer's. The medical profession is now studying this group and think it has an opportunity to get valuable data. Nine years after her death the estate of Leona Helmsley is under attack. The executors of her estate have billed the estate $100,000,000. That amounts to about $6,000 per hour. It seems steep as does NY State's AG. Greed prevails. I think Ted Cruz will self destruct. Also did Putin poison all the ex Russian citizens? After lunch I got in the Cobalt and headed to Berger Chevy to get my oil changed. I looked over some SUVs and decided I will keep the Cobalt. Stopped at Gazelle Sport and bought a pair of New Balance running shoes. I took a short nap. For dinner tonight Nancy and I visited JT's Pizza place. JT's is about 0.5 miles from the condo. We each had a nine inch pizza. The place was jammed. It has a nice neighborhood feel. It is now 2058 and we are watching Rosemary and Thyme on Netflix.

Thursday January 21, 2016

Thursday the 21st at 1330, sitting in the waiting room of Fox Ford: It was downright balmy, 21, when I started walking to the Y. My recent running has made my Achilles' tendon sore. I will get some good training shoes before resuming running. Today is my swim day but after doing some sit-ups I noticed blood on my towel. I broke open the sore on my back. On Monday the Y ran out of exercise mats so I did my sit-ups on the floor and wore some skin off my back. The Y did not purchase enough exercise mats when they opened. I hope they are getting tired of my complaints and will purchase a bunch more mats. No swim, no run so I got on a rowing machine and did 2K. The Y does have four nice new rowing machines. I walked to the new Panera. Will be glad when I can ride my bike. I have to take the Taurus in today so I had only time to read the first section of the WSJ. Several articles on the stock markets recent decline. I checked my phone and saw that the market had gone up. Go figure. I had a quick lunch and then headed out to Fox Ford. If they get the repairs done in time I will stop at Gazelle Sports and look at training shoes. I will also stop at Macatawa Bank to make a deposit. This afternoon we will pay a visit to O'Brien Funeral Home. An old OH neighbor passed away, Pat Mclauhlin. After the visit, we had dinner tonight at Forest Hill Inn. Not much on TV tonight so it was a Netflix evening.

Wednesday January 20, 2016

Blog started at 1750: Breakfast Club Wednesday and I was late leaving this morning. It was snowing when I left and the traffic lines were snow covered making travel difficult. I was 10 minutes late. Small turnout this morning. I think it was weather related. Today's speaker was from Legal Aid of West MI. He gave a good talk on the mission of Legal Aid. After BC I drove to the Y. I did my normal routine only at 50%. I did run 1.6 miles. Drove to Panera. The WSJ is still talking about the Flint water crisis. Can we blame China for the stock markets decline? I hear so many conflicting views. What about the price of oil! What is wrong with cheap oil? Nancy is working at the Gardens this afternoon. Wednesday I have to collect and take out the trash. I took Ms P out in our big back yard. The snow was too deep for her. She stayed out about 15 minutes. Got a call from our next door neighbor, Sonya, that her garage door opener was not working. The door was stuck in the up position. After lunch I checked out Sonya's door and cleaned the sensors. It worked. I am a hero. Took a short nap and then took our absentee ballots and check for our winter property taxes to Cascade Township. Total distance walked was three miles. On my walk the sun came out. At this time of year it is only a tiny spot in the southern sky. It has little warmth. We had a light dinner and now are watching Jeopardy. We will watch the Mysteries of Laura and then a hour Netflix show. Table talk at today's BC was what folks did in the 40s and 50s on cold winter's night. I said in Alpena folks played cards, listened to the radio, read a book or bowled. Do you know anyone who belongs to a bowling team? I got my 30 in today.

Tuesday January 19, 2016

Writing blog while listening to Gov Snyder State of State address, 1950: The day started very cold, 12, but with little wind. Nancy headed out for her swim at MVP. After breakfast I walked the Y. Instead of swimming I ran two miles. I left the Y in bright sunshine. The new Panera seems to be doing ok. The Flint water crisis is dominating the news in MI. Even the WSJ had several articles. Both Hillary and Bernie say the Gov should go. The last thing the citizens of MI need is nickel-dime advice from politicians. As soon as I got home I had a quick lunch and then Nancy and I headed out to Tanger's Outlet Mall. I visited Brooks Brothers, Ralph Lauren, J. Crew and Under Armor. Did not buy a thing? Nancy on the other hand visited six stores and bought items at 3 stores. She wins. Tried to take Ms P on a walk but it was too cold. I ended up taking a quick two mile walk. I walked on sidewalks. Cascade Twp does a great job plowing sidewalks. I took a quick nap. Nancy fixed pasta with meat sauce for dinner. We finished the loaf of sourdough bread. Love sourdough and did you know that sourdough does not have sugar. We watched Gov Snyder's address and I thought he gave a good job explaining the Flint water crisis. Presently we are watching NCIS. As soon as it is complete we will switch to Netflix. The temperature will start moderating tomorrow. Think Spring!

Monday January 18, 2016

Fox Ford at 1400: The big chill continues, low this morning was 10 with wind chill at 0. Nancy headed out early to MVP and after breakfast I bundled up and walked the 1.75 miles to the Y. I was bundled up with multiple layer so no discomfort on the walk. The Y was jammed today. Was it because of MLK holiday? I did my calisthenics and then ran 2 miles. My mile time continues to go down. My goal is 2 miles in under 20 minutes. After the Y I walked to the new Panera. The new Panera is about equal distance between the Y and home. Being one of Panera's early customers I was given a coupon for free coffee for a month. I had a quick lunch minus the yogurt and then drove to Fox Ford. The heated seats are not working. I spent some time looking at the new Ford SUVs. I cannot get an AWD Ford for under 30K. Within Fox Ford is Fox Mazda. I was surprised that Mazda's SUV are about 10K cheaper. So much for buy America. The stock market is closed today so no WSJ. I read Apple News on my mini iPad. It must be the cold weather but I have been on a spending spree lately. I have been thinking of getting a regular size iPad to replace my mini. A new 50" TV also looks good. Just got word that Ford does not have the parts for the heated seats. They will be in Thursday. I was surprised at the cost. I like my Cobalt because it has no electronics and therefore cheap to operate. Of course I have to crank the Windows, manually lock the car, In some ways simple is good. Today has been the coldest day in a year. Single digits temps are predicted for tonight. Warming trend later this week. The Flint water crisis has been dominating the news lately. Why wasn't the lead discovered as soon as Flint cranked up their plant. All water plants have a chemical lab to check water quality. Some one screwed up big time. Despite the cold I go my 30 in today. I hope you did too.

Sunday January 17, 2016

Sunday afternoon at 1700: Bitterly cold this morning, 12 with wind chill below 0, but what should we expect for mid January. Today is the first time that both Nancy and I swam at the Y. I swam 20 laps and Nancy did 25. The pool was empty when we entered at 0800 but was full at 0900. Timing is everything. Today I filled the Taurus up for less than $20. First time in years. Meijer’s was not crowded this morning, must be the cold. Nancy fixed her world famous scrambled eggs for breakfast. I watched some morning news shows and read the funnies before taking my nap. Ms P did not want to take a walk. I bundled up and took a 2.5 mile walk. I got my 30 in despite the cold. Nancy is fixing black bean soup and burgers for dinner tonight, perfect winter evening meal. We will watch the football game and then 60 minutes before turning in. In 1956 we had a very cold winter in Alpena. I was very happy because that meant we could play hockey. The City maintained a large outdoor speed skating rink and also a hockey rink. In winter my life revolved around hockey. We started playing around Thanksgiving and the season would end, weather permitting, around St Patrick’s Day. On Tuesday and Thursday nights I would play in the City League. This recreation league was sponsored by the beer companies. Team names were Drewry’s, Strohs, Frankenmuth, and Goebel’s. Anyone over 16 could play. The city merchant sponsored two teams called Alpena Merchants and Alpena Junior Merchants. I played on the Junior Merchants. We would practice Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Games were played Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. We played surrounding towns. Midland, Petoskey and Traverse City all had junior teams. It was great fun and I have fond memories of Tommy Collins and I walking to the rink. It was about a mile from our homes to the rink. Tommy and I were on the same teams. There is nothing like play hockey outside.

Saturday January 16, 2016

Saturday at 1850: Up at 0700, first thing I check the temp and it was 30. It was 34 when we went to bed. For breakfast Nancy and I walked to Panera. I made Nancy wear a hat because of the high winds. The wind chill was in single digits. I had oatmeal and sourdough toast and Nancy had a toasted whole grain bagel. The walk home was pleasant because we had the wind at our back. I quickly changed clothes and headed to Eastminster Presbyterian. As I reported yesterday my high school classmate Gary Burns had passed. Gary was the No #1 singles player on the AHS 1953 team. I was a Freshman and played doubles. In the late 80s I had my office in McKay Tower and Gary had his business in a nearby building and we would run into each other at lunch. I had an opportunity to talk to Gary's wife and daughter. At home I changed clothes and then started some chores. I changed an outside light bulb and filled the bird feeder. I drove to Ace Hardware and bought some birdseed. Stopped at D&W to turn in a lottery ticket. I won $1. I checked out the Deli and bought some Pinconning soft cheese. I took a nap and then took a two mile walk. For dinner Nancy fixed some Trader Joe's enchiladas and beans and rice. It is now 1940 and we are watching a football game. It looks like a Netflix evening. The temperature tonight will drop to 10.

Friday January 15, 2016

Happy Birthday Debbie. I remember her birth vividly. It was January 14, 1966 a Friday in Redwood City, CA. I took Nancy to Sequoia Hospital about 1600. We did not have insurance so after I dropped Nancy off I headed to a grocery store to cash a check for $100. I returned to Sequoia and paid for the delivery. Debbie was born shortly after midnight on the 15th. In 1966 Father's were not in the Delivery Room. The Doctor came out and told me it was a girl and the baby and Nancy were doing fine. It was a happy day for me. Oh the happy things one remembers! The temperature was raising all night. It was in mid 30s when Ms P and I went out at 0700. Nancy headed out to MVP and I stayed home and did my calisthenics. No Y today because I am meeting Jennifer Dougherty at 1100 in Alto. We are going to attend the retirement party for the Engineer-Manger of the Hillsdale County Road Commission, Stan Klingerman. After a shower I dress and walk over to Panera for my morning coffee and a chance to read the news. No comment on today's news. I headed to Alto at 1030 and met Jennifer at a MDOT park and ride near Alto. The drive to Hillsdale took about two hours so we had a chance to catch up on what was happening in our families. It was nice to know despite 2,000 miles separation and many cultural differences. Jennifer and Phil are raising their kids the same as Veronica and Stephen. I approve. The retirement party was well attended. Stan Klingerman had worked for the Road Commission for over 40 years. He was well liked among his peers. I had a chance to talk to several retired Managers. Except for the retired folks I really did not know any of the younger folks. It rained hard all the way back to Alto. The drive to Hillsdale and back we very pleasant. We passed through some scenic rural areas. I always like driving in rural MI and I do miss these drives since I retired. While working my world was west MI. Today it is Cascade Twp. I got home about 1700. Nancy spent the afternoon with her friend Kathi. We had a light dinner and then watched some Netflix.

Thursday January 14, 2016

Thursday January 14, 2100: The temperature increased all night with the morning temp above 32. Today is swim day for Nancy and Bob. Nancy heads out at 0700 to MVP and I headed out to the Y after breakfast. With the temps above 32 I did not have put on many layers. The walk to the Y was pleasant. After my calisthenics I jumped in the pool and swam 1,000 yards in 30 minutes. I walked to Panera for coffee and a chance to read the WSJ. Everyone has an opinion on the reason for the stock market decline. Is it the poor economy in China or some other factor? A lot of different opinions but I have not heard any explanation that I agree with. Surprise, today the market goes up. Another question on my mind, why didn't the Navy patrol boats put up a fight? I like the Governor of SC reply to the SOU. She put Trump in his place. Got home about 1300 had a quick lunch. Nancy and I then headed to Costco. Bought wine, peanut butter and grapes. I took a quick nap. We had dinner tonight at Great Lakes Shipping. We both had the Prime Rib sandwich. It was great. We stopped at Talbot's so Nancy could check over their sale items. Yesterday I reported on the death of my second cousin. Today I noticed in the GRP that a high school classmate of mine passed away yesterday. His name was Gary Burns. Gary was the No 1 tennis player on the AHS team when I was a freshman and he was a senior. I played doubles. Gary's mother was in my Mother's Bridge Club. Gary was a Navy fighter pilot with many carrier landings. He had an office in downtown near my office. I use to see him during lunch hour and we would have a nice talk. Rest in Peace Gary.

Wednesday January 13, 2016

Blog started at 1740: The Arctic freeze continues with temps in the teens and wind chill in single digits. We also have had snow most of the day. Nancy is up early and headed out to MVP to attend a fitness class. This is a busy day for Nancy because she is having Book Club at our place. After MVP, Nancy must come home and prepare scones for the members. Today is my easy Wednesday. I start slowly this morning. Do some chores to help Nancy get ready. Chores included shoveling our walk. The condo association does a poor job clearing snow. After the chores I bundle up and walk to the Y. I do my normal routine at 50%. The walk to Panera from the Y was easy because I had the wind at my back. I read the WSJ and read all the comments about the President’s SOU address. I thought the talk was too long and whiny. Left Panera early because I will have to clear some more snow before Nancy’s guests arrive. I cleared the snow and had a quick lunch. This afternoon I took the Taurus in for an oil change. I walked around the showroom and spotted an Escape that I thought would be a good replacement for the Taurus. Fat chance Nancy would consent to this purchase. After the oil change I headed to the Orvis store to see if they had any new clothing items in. They did not. I walked around Breton Village until 1600 when Book Club is suppose to end. At home Nancy said the scones were a hit and the discussion on the book went well. We will have a light dinner and then watch some TV/netflix. Lately I have noticed a lot of deer tracks in the yard. I think they have found some tasty shrubs in the yard. On a sad note I was reading the on-line version of the Alpena News and saw that my second cousin Patrick Hughes had passed. Patrick is the son of my cousin William Hughes. I only met Patrick several times but found him very easy to converse with. He was very knowledgable on the history of the Hughes family. I called my sister, Helen, and told her this news. We both want to wish Patrick’s family our condolences.

Tuesday January 12, 2016

Tuesday 2110 and we are sitting in our den watching President Obama's last SOU address. It is a cold, windy and snowy winter night and we are thankful to sit in a warm comfortable room. Today was a typical January day. We had snow overnight and many schools were closed. The roads were snow covered and slick. Temps were in the teens with wind chill at 0. Tahoe Drive at 0800 had not been plowed so Nancy decided to stay home. I bundled up and walked to the Y. Had to buck a 15 mph headwind and unplowed sidewalks. I did note on my walk that the plows were out and trying to catch up. The Y was not very crowded. I went swimming and the eight lane pool had four lanes in use. I swam 1,000 yards in 30 minutes. I like the Y's new pool. The walk back to Panera was not as bad because I had the wind at my back and the walks had been plowed. The WSJ has written several articles on the problems with young migrant gangs in Germany. This is a big problem and I sure don't have the answer. Maybe if early in the problems in Syria the EU had militarily removed Assad the folks would have stayed home and not become migrants. Just some hindsight thinking. I had a quick lunch and then got in the Taurus and headed downtown for an eye doctor appointment. My eyesight has changed significantly since my last exam. The Doctor gave me a new prescription. I ordered new lenses for my wireless frames. I also bought new frames and lenses for working out. Nancy has not had an eye exam in over a year so I made an appointment for her. Winter storm warnings are still on. We can expect another night of cold and snow. Nancy has her Book Club meeting at the condo tomorrow. I hope the condo's snow removal folks have the drive clear before BC. I got my 30 in today I hope you did too! If you want to survive winter in MI you must get outside.

Monday January 11, 2016

Today is our first really cold morning of 2016. Temps were in the low teens. We had some snow overnight. Nancy left first for MVP. I bundled up and walked to the Y. The Y was crowded. The only exercises that I do that require equipment are pull ups and chin-ups. The brand new Y has a zillion pieces of new exercise equipment but no dedicated chin-up bar. I have complained with no luck. I guess I will do these exercises at home. I ran 1.8 miles. Left the Y at 1030 for Panera. Next Monday Panera will open at its new location which is 0.4 miles further from the condo. I read the WSJ but really did not find any article I want to comment on. Had a quick lunch and then headed out to runs some errands. First stop was Meijer's. I bought several pairs of elastic shoelaces. Also bought several Power Ball tickets for Nancy and our neighbor Sonya. I picked up our Parson's Chair at Art Van. Finally I stopped at Sears and the Apple Store. Took a short nap and then put our Parson's Chair together. We returned to our light dinner Monday. We watched the news and then fired up Netflix. It would not work. Called Netflix and they made us reload. It works fine now. More snow and low temperatures tonight, looks like winter has finally set in. Watched part of the first half of football game. Trip down memory lane: In January 1963 I was ordered to attend an Escape and Evasion course at the Naval Amphibious Base, Coronado, CA. It was required for my Vietnam deployment. The course was two weeks and included what we called a Disneyland with guns section taught by Marines, a self protection section and an escape and evasion portion (E&E). The seven day E&E course was suppose to simulate a downed pilot who had to evade the bad guys. We slept in parachutes and had to hide from the bad guys. We were suppose to trap animals and eat bark. I was not successful at either. We did have maps and a compass. We were given a location that we had to get to before nightfall. As an engineer I was given the map and compass. I was surprised that most Navy pilots were not good at map reading. Finally about day four we were placed in a POW camp and spent several nights while the bad guys tried to make us talk. They concentrated on the senior officers and did not bother with a lowly Ensign. The E&E exercise was held in the mountains outside of San Diego. On a Sunday morning we were told the class was over. We were driven to a nearby cafe and told we could order whatever we wanted. We had not eaten in a week, except for some bark. Our stomachs had shrunk so everyone ordered more than he could eat. What did I learn from this course: I can go for a week without food. I have no skills in finding food or trapping critters. A parachute makes a good sleeping bag. I gained some confidence in my map reading skills.

Sunday January 10, 2016

Weekend update: Saturday January 9, 2016: Today Nancy and I walked to Panera for breakfast. It is suppose to rain and snow all day so I put on my raincoat. We had oatmeal and bagels. After breakfast Nancy walked home and I took a walk. It had not yet started to snow/rain so I wanted to get a walk in before the rain/snow. I walked 3.5 miles. A gloomy Saturday is a good day to run errands. We all piled into the Taurus and headed out. First stop was Art Van Furniture. We want a small chair to put in our entry hall so we can sit down and take off our boots. I think the proper name for this chair is a Parson’s Chair. We found one and will pick it up on Monday. Next we headed to Cabela’s. They were having a big sale. The place was jammed. I bought a pair of lined jeans and a fleece henley. Nancy bought a pair of shoes. At home I had a quick lunch and then we got back in the Taurus and headed to Walmart. Returned some bottles and bought some small grocery items. I took a short nap and then paid bills and cleaned my desk. I am finally caught up on my paperwork. Nancy fixed me tamales and rice and beans for dinner. Watched some football but both games were not very interesting. We watched an episode of Foyle’s War on netflix. Debbie face timed us this evening and we talked for 45 minutes. Love Face Time. It started raining in late afternoon and snow is predicted for tonight. Winter Storm Warnings are up. Sunday January 10, 2016: I set the alarm for 0650. We had snow last night and the temp was 24. Nancy did not go swimming today but I headed to the Y. Surprise the swimming pool at 0800 was empty. I swam 750 yards. Stopped for gas on my way home. Gas was $1.81 today. Picked up Nancy and we headed to Meijer’s for weekly supplies. Nancy fixed her world famous poached eggs this morning. I had mine on a waffle. Read the Sunday funnies and the sports page before taking my nap. Does anyone under 70 read the funny papers? Ms P has not been outside since Friday. We put a coat on her and headed out. It lasted about 10 minutes. I took a 2.5 mile walk. Winds were near 20mph this afternoon which means wind chills were in single digits. Walking into the wind was terrible but very pleasant with the wind at my back. It is now 1750. Nancy is fixing chicken noodle soup for dinner. Great for a cold winter’s night. I got my 30 in today I hope you did too.

Friday January 8, 2016

Nancy left early for MVP but I slept in until 0800, so much for jet lag. Rain was predicted for all day. I put my raincoat in the backpack and walked to the Y. The Y was crowded. I did my normal but today at 66%. Ran 1.6 miles. It was raining when left the Y for Panera. Panera was very crowded. Panera is getting ready to move down the street. They will close next Saturday and move into the new place on Monday the 18th. Barb Richter from LSE, my old firm, stopped at Panera for bagels. We had a nice talk. Today was Kim's day to clean. She brought back Ms P. Good to see Ms P after three weeks. We grabbed Ms P and started running errands. First stop was the USPO so Nancy could check the status of a package. She had the tracking number. The PO said the package was in the system. Our next stop was Lowes. We are looking for new quartz counter tops for the kitchen. Surprise! we got to talk to a knowledgable person. Next we stopped at Home Depot and also got a knowledgable person to explain their products. We have enough info now to prepare an estimate. I called Jennifer Dougherty and told her that I wanted to go with her to Stan Clingerman's retirement party next Friday. Stan has been the Engineer-Manager for Hillsdale County Road Commission for years. He is also a Go Blu guy. I also called Tom Mayan an old engineering friend. I say old because Tom is my age. We had a long talk. I took a nap this afternoon. Tonight Nancy and I had dinner at Sundance. Prior to going I took Ms P out and three deer were in our yard. Ms P barked and they trotted off. Nancy had ham/scramble eggs and I had a big salad. We stopped at Hallmark store to get some birthday cards for the girls who have birthdays in January. It is now 2130 and we are watching Foyle's War on Netflix. I think to enjoy Foyle's War you have to remember WW II. Some observations on CA after 19 days: Traffic is terrible. Despite El Niño CA has the best year around weather in the USA. CA is diverse. Steve and Veronica live in a US census tract that is the most diverse in the USA. Diversity is good for the country. LA has great beaches. I love walking on the pedestrian paths along the beach. I seldom see a GM car or SUV but plenty of luxury German and Asia vehicles. Real estate prices are out of this world. A single story small three bedroom home in San Jose is over $1,000,000. I love going to CA because that is where our family resides.

Thursday January 7, 2016

This blog being written at 2109 while watching Netflix on our new Apple TV. Debbie gave us the Apple TV for Christmas. I had my computer guru help me install it. Today was a busy day. We got up and both headed out. Nancy went swimming at MVP. I walked to the Y. I was going to ride the bike but the trails were still icy. I did my normal routine but at 50%. The Y's pool was just opened and today I took my first swim. It is a great pool. I swam 10 laps in 15 minutes. I thought it was a great time until I found out the pool's length was not 25 meters but 25 yards. After the Y I walked to Panera for coffee and a chance to catch up on the news. I did text my computer guru and asked if he had Apple TV. He had a light day and was at the condo in 20 minutes. Nancy and I were given a guided tour on the operation. Had a quick lunch and then got in the Cobalt and headed to Meijer's to pick up a prescription. We were suppose to get our mail yesterday. Today we still got no mail so I headed to the PO. The nice lady told me I filled the hold mail form out wrong. She gave me our mail. Next stop was Macatawa Bank to get some money for Kim. She is coming to clean tomorrow and will also bring Ms P. I got my 30 in today. Did you? Think Spring!

Wednesday January 6, 2016

Vacation Log continues: Sunday January 3: Another nice California day, sun with temps in 60s. We decided to return to Huntington Beach for a walk along the beach. The pedestrian walk was crowded. I told Nancy if we ever moved to CA to be near the kids I wanted a place near the beach. I never tire of walking along the beach. After our two hour walk we stopped by Costco for a hot dog. I am alway amazed at how busy the Costco stores are in CA. Lucas and Alessandra start school tomorrow so we stopped by around 1730 to say goodby. I think they are ready to return to school. On the way back to the hotel we stopped at a Carl’s Jr to get a hamburg. We watched 60 Minutes but nothing much on regular TV. So we turned the TV off and read our books. We miss netflix. Monday January 4, 2016: Breakfast at the hotel and then I took my daily 2.5 mile walk. About 1000 Nancy and I got in the Jeep and headed to Brentwood to have lunch with Missy and AJ. The Los Angeles Schools have a three week Christmas vacation so AJ will be home all week. Missy had ordered a new bed and it was suppose to be delivered at 1100. They did not show and after Missy called they said it would be delivered tomorrow. We walked down to Wilshire and had lunch at a small hole in the wall cafe. We sat outside. Soup and a sandwich was everyones choice. It was very good. Foot traffic was very heavy on Wilshire so we could eat and people watch. The weather continues sunny and warm. Headed back to the hotel about 1600. Traffic on Interstate 405 was stop and go. I don’t know how CA folks can handle the heavy traffic. It is very stressful. Tuesday January 5: Travel day. I think Nancy and I are both glad to return home and resume our boring routine. We left the hotel at 0900 in pouring rain. Traffic as always was very heavy. We turned in the rental car and checked in for our flight to GR via Denver. The flights went off without a hitch. We got home at 2200, unpacked and then headed to bed. Wednesday January 6: Breakfast Club Wednesday. Because of jet lag I was up at 0530. It was 25 in GR but the pavements were dry. We had a good crowd at BC. Todays speaker was Jonathon Bradford, retired President of ICCF a local non-profit who talked about low income housing in GR. It was very good. After BC I drove straight home and changed clothes. Walked over to Panera for coffee and a chance to read the WSJ. Not much good news, stocks tumble, Saudi Arabia has made Iran mad, North Korea says they exploded a hydrogen bomb and Donald Trump continues to insult everyone. After Panera Nancy and I got in the Taurus and headed to Costco. We restocked our supply of peanut butter, wine, grapes, eggs and cheese. Had a quick lunch and then took a short nap. It is now 1640 and I am finishing this blog. I will clean my desk and pay some bills before dinner. Speaking of dinner Nancy’s friend Kathi had a dinner last night and since we were traveling and could not attend she is bringing us some leftovers. GR had some snow while we were gone. About one inch on the ground. The temp is now 34 with low tonight in the high 20s. The next couple of days will be mild but real cold weather arrives on Sunday. We have gained about 10 minutes of daylight since Dec 21. Think Spring!

Saturday January 2, 2016

Vacation Log continues: December 26 about 1400 Steve, Veronica and I leave San Jose for LB. Traffic was heavy going south. The big water reservoir near Los Banos looked nearly empty. The drought is really taking its toll. We drove through the Central Valley and we saw signs everywhere promoting agriculture over Gov Brown's big SF/LA train project. Farmers want the Shasta Dam raised to create more water storage for farmers. I always side with farmers. Stopped for dinner at a stop along the 5. It was late when we got to LB. I had a snack and glass of wine before turning in. Sunday December 27: Today is an easy day. I get up at 0600 and walk to a Starbucks near Steve's. I have oatmeal and read the headlines on Apple News. Steve drove me to the Avis Rental store at LAX. I upgraded to a SUV, Jeep Patriot, took a late afternoon walk on the Los Angeles River levee. The top of the levee has been made into a bike/pedestrian trail. We have dinner at Super Mex. I had the tamales. Monday December 28: Steve and Veronica have to work today. I get up, load up the rental and then walk to Starbucks. Nancy, Debbie and the kids are heading down from San Jose. After Starbucks I stop by the Hampton Inn in Carson and was told our room would not be ready until 1500. I drove to Brentwood and stopped at Missy's. She was not home. Walked around the neighborhood before heading back to Carson. The room was ready. Nancy called and said she was at Steve's. I picked her up and we headed back to the room. After a Walmart stop for supplies we headed to Denny's for dinner. Tuesday December 29: The Hampton Inn has a free breakfast. It was good, especially the oatmeal. I took a 2.5 mile walk. We took a ride to Huntington Beach and walked on the beach. Drove to Laguna Beach and then headed home. We had dinner with our niece Chandra. Chandra is living in Irving, CA and working on her PHD at UCIrving. We had a very pleasant dinner. It was great talking to Chandra. Wednesday December 30: After breakfast and my walk we headed to Brentwood to meet with AJ and Missy. Missy was working today so we took AJ and headed to the 3rd ST Mall. Had pizza for lunch and then AJ and I attended a movie, the Good Dinosaur. AJ liked the movie. AJ is staying with us tonight. We had dinner at the Olive Garden. Thursday December 31: AJ slept in. After breakfast we went to a park in Santa Monica. AJ played for 90 minutes. We then headed to Montana St. Bought AJ a frozen yogurt. Headed back to Carson. Missy picked up AJ about 1600. Debbie is leaving LB tomorrow so we stopped by Steve's to say our good bye. Steve also shared some food with us. We stayed until 2100, New Years in the Eastern time zone. Headed back to Carson and were in bed by 2200. Friday January 1, 2016: Happy New Year. Usually the breakfast line at 0600 is empty but not today. All the Iowa fans were up early so they could get to the Rose Parade on time. The day was sunny and warm, temp in 60s. Nancy and I got in the Jeep and headed to Manhattan Beach. We first stopped at a Mall and then headed to the Beach. We took a two hour walk along the beach. It was a great day for a walk. The walkway was very crowded. Cottages abut up to the beach walkway. I asked Nancy what She thought the cottages would rent for. We ran across a sign that was advertising month rentals for a 2 bed unit. Only $15,000 per month. We had dinner at a Panera near the hotel. Saturday January 2, 2015: Breakfast at the hotel and then my 2.5 mile walk. Notice a routine being established. Today we are meeting AJ and Missy for lunch at Jerry's Deli in Marina Del Ray. We took surface streets and made a stop at IKEA. Jerry's was crowded even at 1330. The food was great. After lunch Missy drove us to an eclectic shopping district called Abbot Kinney. We walked around for about an hour. We were so full that we had some snacks in our room and headed to bed early, 2130.