Tuesday December 19, 2017

Tuesday December 19, 2017

Blog time 1130 at Panera:  today is blog #2,820

It was 40 degrees when we got up this morning.  Sunshine was predicted and their prediction was correct.

Nancy was up most of the night with foot pain.  She finally got to sleep about 0800.

I debated whether I should ride my bike today.  I decided to take a trial spin around the block and if the roads were clear I would continue.  The roads were clear and I took my new short route to the Y.  The distance is 2.5 miles.  Calisthenics and then a 1.6 mile/run walk.

Christmas music is being played everywhere.  The Y and Panera play only Christmas tunes.  We are both tuned into the channel 70 on XM radio their Holiday music station.  I am in a Christmas mood.  In fact I have only been skimming the news because who wants to be depressed.

Two days before the winter solstice.  Our days are very short 9 hours.

I had a quick lunch and then took the Escape to the Ford dealer for an oil change.  After the work on the Escape I drove home and picked up the Taurus and drove back to the Ford dealer.  They changed the oil on the Taurus.  Both cars are set until spring.  

Chicken noodle soup for dinner.  Watched the news and read the GRP before switching to Acorn and watching the last episode of Brokenwood.

Someone asked me how did we spend our evenings growing up with no TV.  My main evening activities as an elementary school student, in addition to home work, was reading and listening to the radio.  My main reading material were magazines like Life magazine because of the great photos, Boys Life, and National Geographic.  I also read comic books.  I liked Captain Marvel, Bugs Bunny and his Looney Tunes friends.  We had a big unfinished basement with a concrete floor so I would spend hours roller skating and dribbling a basketball.

 A lot of my classmates were into making making model boats and airplanes.  This was not my thing.  As I got older I started reading books.  When I got to high school I would spend many evenings playing hockey.  The city had a great skating area that consisted of a speed skating rink and an adjoining hockey rink.  They skating facility also had a big warming shelter with snack bar. It was about a mile from our home.  Tommy Collins and I would walk several times a week to the hockey rink.  We played in a rec league.  The league was sponsored by beer distributors.  Team names were Strohs, Goebels, Frankenmuth,and Pfeiffer all Michigan beers.  

The city merchants also sponsored a Junior and Senior team.  High School kids played on the Junior team.  We played Saturday and Sunday afternoons.  Great memories.

There were four elementary schools in Alpena.  Every year the schools would compete in speed skating races.  It was a big deal School was closed for the event.

Alpena was a great speed skating town.  Each year the City would hold a winter carnival.  The Michigan speed skating championships were held during the carnival.  A big weekend with skaters from all over the state.