Friday February 2, 2018

Friday February 2, 2018

Today is Ground Hog Day.  Breaking news said Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow.  Six more weeks of winter.  Based on my calendar winter will end on St Pats Day.  Big deal, I have always used St Pats Day as the end of winter.

As a boy February was always a busy month.  In school we would all make cutout facial profiles of President’s Washington and Lincoln.  The profiles were posted on the room’s bulletin board.  We had special units in class on these two presidents.  Every year in elementary school we would exchange Valentines with all our classmates.  My Mother would help me pick out the cards.  All the cards were single page and probably cost a nickel for 30.  I remember I would like to give the best card to a cute girl in class.  (Is this sexist?)  I always hoped the cute girl would give me a special card.

In February Alpena always had its big Winter Carnival.  The state’s outdoor speed skating finals were held in Alpena.  Speed skating was one sport that girls could participate in.  In fact my fourth grade teacher’s daughter, Mona Donnelly, won the North American title.  She was the town’s hero.  All the elementary schools in Alpena got an afternoon off so they could participate in the District’s Speed Skating Races.  I owned a pair of speed skates but I was not very fast.

The temp was 10 when I went out this morning with wind chill in single digits.  I did all my routine at home.  Today I broke 9’30” in the 2K row.

I walked to Panera and had an oatmeal breakfast.  Spent time writing yesterday’s blog and reading the news.

The stock market tanks but profits are up and more folks are employed.  Bonuses and raises have been declared by several large companies.  Confused, I am.

China’s citizens and businesses are becoming more under the control of the communist government.  Today’s article on the Chinese Government appointing Catholic Bishops instead of the Pope is disheartening.  Religious and individual freedoms do not exist in China.

Took the long route home.  Lunch and then retired to my office.  Spent time on gathering tax data and reading.

At 1630 we headed out to Metcalf and Jonkhoff Funeral home.  Our long time neighbor Jill Beute had passed.  We had the opportunity to give our condolences to the family.  Jill’s son Eathan was a classmate of our son Stephan.  

For dinner we ate at the Sundance.  Nancy had the eggs and ham and I had a burger and glass of wine.  

Speaking of wine I am back drinking my nightly glass of red wine.  I had stopped because I had read in the AARP magazine that red wine could cause swelling of my tongue and thus my slurred speech.  After a two week trial I concluded the wine had no impact on the slurred speech.  On tonight’s News they reported that a glass of wine is good for the brain.  It reduces inflammation that could cause dementia.  Go figure!

Watched an episode of Call the MidWifes before turning in.  The cold weather continues.