Nancy and I started the day shovelling snow. We got about 3 inches over night. The temperature today was in the teens. After shovelling I completed my at home exercises and then got in the C2 and headed for the MAC. I am pleasantly surprised how well the C2 performs in snow. After the MAC I go to Berger Chevy and pick up a set of floor mats for the C2. I end the morning at the Kava House.
Today's DFP continues its reporting on the recently released test scores for Detroit's 4 and 8 graders. Detroit has the honor of having the lowest test scores ever recorded for the tests. It is very discouraging. The DFP also reported that 52% of adults in Detroit are functionally illiterate. The bad news continued for the city. A deputy mayor under Kilpatrick was charged with taking a $50,000 bribe. It is sad because Detroit was a great city and I had many college friends who were graduates of the Detroit school system. Their high school education was considered superior to most high schools in Michigan.
After a quick lunch I checked my email and when Nancy got home for the hospital we head to Costco. The parking lot at Costco was jammed. It is the holiday season and they had plenty of free samples available.
I spent the rest of the afternoon on my community project. Tonight Nancy and I headed to Great Lakes Shipping for dinner. The place was jammed. Luckily we found a table. We sat next to a couple that Nancy knew from one of her classes at the MAC. They were fun to talk to. In fact I will have to tell Steve that they knew Jim Waybright from GRHA hockey. Max Waybright was on one of Steve's hockey teams.
It is not suppose to snow tonight so we will not have to shovel tomorrow. I cannot go for a bike or kayak ride so I think I will go for a short run. Tomorrow afternoon Nancy and I are going to the Hush Puppy store in Rockford. I hope everyone got their 30 in today.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Thursday December 10, 2009
It was 33 when I took Ms P out at 0230 to do her bidness. It was 13 at noon. Blizzard warnings have been up all day. Nancy and I started our day by shovelling snow. I thought the roads were too bad to go to the MAC. But Nancy decided that with her all wheel drive she would have no problem. She was right.
I did all my exercises at home and then walked to the Kava House. After my morning coffee I got in the C2 and headed to the eye doctor to pick up my glasses with a new lens. I then headed to the MAC and did my running and my dead lift exercises.
The squirrels are driving me crazy. They keep getting into the bird feeder. I decided that I would start putting out squirrel food and maybe that will keep them from the bird feeder. I put out the squirrel food and then shoveled the driveway.
I spent about 2 hours reading all the mail I got while on vacation. I am now caught up and have all the important stuff filed. It was snowing so bad at 5 that Nancy said we should stay home. She fixed tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. We did not get a GRP today so I read an article in Vanity Fair about Erik Prince of Blackwater fame. He is from Holland, MI and was an All State Soccer player at Holland Christian High School. One of our employees went to high school with him. The article was not very flattering. Before writing this blog I went outside and finished shovelling the walk. I think it has finally stopped snowing.
I did all my exercises at home and then walked to the Kava House. After my morning coffee I got in the C2 and headed to the eye doctor to pick up my glasses with a new lens. I then headed to the MAC and did my running and my dead lift exercises.
The squirrels are driving me crazy. They keep getting into the bird feeder. I decided that I would start putting out squirrel food and maybe that will keep them from the bird feeder. I put out the squirrel food and then shoveled the driveway.
I spent about 2 hours reading all the mail I got while on vacation. I am now caught up and have all the important stuff filed. It was snowing so bad at 5 that Nancy said we should stay home. She fixed tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. We did not get a GRP today so I read an article in Vanity Fair about Erik Prince of Blackwater fame. He is from Holland, MI and was an All State Soccer player at Holland Christian High School. One of our employees went to high school with him. The article was not very flattering. Before writing this blog I went outside and finished shovelling the walk. I think it has finally stopped snowing.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Wednesday December 9, 2009
It snowed last night so Nancy and I had to shovel. The snow was wet and heavy. Wednesday is my easy day so after shovelling I got in the C2 and headed for Bill's on Michigan. Bill's is the preferred dining establishment for all snow plow drivers. Therefore the food must be good. It was.
After breakfast I stopped by the post office and mailed packages to Steve and Debbie. I was surprised but the post office was empty. I then stopped home and got Ms P to help me run some errands. I stopped at Auto Zone to see if they had seat covers for the C2. They did not but they did have a seat cover for the entire back seat. I bought it. The back seat is the preferred seat for Ms P. I also stopped at Gazelle Sport to see if they had any small backpacks. I looked over their selection and decided to keep using the one I have. I did notice some very cleverly designed running shoes that had a waterproof covering.
I wanted to be home by 1300 because the US Weather Service issued a blizzard warning starting at 1300. When I got home I took a 3 mile walk. The winds were brisk but the storm had not yet started. I spent the rest of the afternoon checking my mail and paying some bills. We did talk to Missy and Akerke on Skype this afternoon. Missy's new computer has a built in web cam. Video calls are great.
Nancy's book club was cancelled tonight because of the storm. She prepared a shrimp stir fry dish. It was great. Not much on TV so I headed upstairs at 8:30. It is now 9:20 and I want to read at least 2 chapters of my book. I got my 30 in today, did you?
After breakfast I stopped by the post office and mailed packages to Steve and Debbie. I was surprised but the post office was empty. I then stopped home and got Ms P to help me run some errands. I stopped at Auto Zone to see if they had seat covers for the C2. They did not but they did have a seat cover for the entire back seat. I bought it. The back seat is the preferred seat for Ms P. I also stopped at Gazelle Sport to see if they had any small backpacks. I looked over their selection and decided to keep using the one I have. I did notice some very cleverly designed running shoes that had a waterproof covering.
I wanted to be home by 1300 because the US Weather Service issued a blizzard warning starting at 1300. When I got home I took a 3 mile walk. The winds were brisk but the storm had not yet started. I spent the rest of the afternoon checking my mail and paying some bills. We did talk to Missy and Akerke on Skype this afternoon. Missy's new computer has a built in web cam. Video calls are great.
Nancy's book club was cancelled tonight because of the storm. She prepared a shrimp stir fry dish. It was great. Not much on TV so I headed upstairs at 8:30. It is now 9:20 and I want to read at least 2 chapters of my book. I got my 30 in today, did you?
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Tuesday December 8, 2009
I had trouble sleeping last night. So I got up at 0430, packed my bag, put Ms P in the C2 and headed to GR. I got to GR about 1030. I wanted to miss the storm and I did. When I got home I had to run some errands.
My new contacts were in at Dr Anderson's. I don't know if I commented on how great my new contact prescription is. My ability to read street signs has really improved. After the eye doctor I stopped by Berger Chevy and asked if they forgot to put floor mats in the car. They said the little C2 does not come with floor mats but I could purchase a set for $70. I said no thanks.
I stopped by the Chow Hound to purchase some food for Ms P. Also checked at Michigan Truck to see if they had seat covers for the C2. I struck out again. So I headed home and had lunch. After lunch I started going through the accumulated mail. This was very tiring so I took a nap.
I am now caught up on my blogs. Tonight I will watch NCIS and then head to bed. According to Debbie every hour of time difference requires 1 day to recover from jet lag. I have three days to go.
My new contacts were in at Dr Anderson's. I don't know if I commented on how great my new contact prescription is. My ability to read street signs has really improved. After the eye doctor I stopped by Berger Chevy and asked if they forgot to put floor mats in the car. They said the little C2 does not come with floor mats but I could purchase a set for $70. I said no thanks.
I stopped by the Chow Hound to purchase some food for Ms P. Also checked at Michigan Truck to see if they had seat covers for the C2. I struck out again. So I headed home and had lunch. After lunch I started going through the accumulated mail. This was very tiring so I took a nap.
I am now caught up on my blogs. Tonight I will watch NCIS and then head to bed. According to Debbie every hour of time difference requires 1 day to recover from jet lag. I have three days to go.
Monday December 7, 2009
Today is Pearl Harbor Day. I was 3 years old when the attack took place. This attack had a profound impact on the USA and my immediate family. Withing a year my dad who was 35 at the time of the attack was told that the US needed civil engineers. He was conscripted to work as a civilian for the army. He worked for about 2 years. In 1943 the city manager of Alpena was drafted and the army released my dad so he could take the city manager job. My dad's two younger brothers were drafted. Gas, sugar and other items were rationed. I remember walking one cold winter evening with my mother and asking what the flag with a star in the window meant. Mother said it meant the family had a son in the military. Nearly every home on our block had a flag. I can remember one evening, when dad was city manager, walking to city hall so dad could pick up some papers. Dad talked to an older gentleman who had a civil defense helmet on. Dad said that he had just completed a 4 hour watch sitting atop the city hall looking for German planes. Every one was involved.
Tobacco was rationed so my mother and her friends who smoked would buy bags of tobacco and filter paper. They would all sit around rolling cigarettes. They had a machine that would roll the cigarette.
Today I am going to Lakewood, OH to pick up Ms P. After a short workout I aimed the C2 to OH. The C2 averaged about 34 mpg on the trip. I did stop at Cabella's. The store was crowded but I did not purchase anything. I think Gander Mountain and Jay's are better stores.
All the girls in OH are doing fine. Akerke was very active and I was pleased how she and Missy have bonded. Ms P is a little jealous, in fact, she growls at Akerke when she feels threatened. We all went out to dinner. Akerke performed well. I had a hamburger and beer. In fact 2 beers. When we got home I feel asleep watching TV and Missy ordered me to bed. It is 290 miles from GR to OH.
Debbie visited Missy this weekend and she left early Monday. I was disappointed that I missed her.
Tobacco was rationed so my mother and her friends who smoked would buy bags of tobacco and filter paper. They would all sit around rolling cigarettes. They had a machine that would roll the cigarette.
Today I am going to Lakewood, OH to pick up Ms P. After a short workout I aimed the C2 to OH. The C2 averaged about 34 mpg on the trip. I did stop at Cabella's. The store was crowded but I did not purchase anything. I think Gander Mountain and Jay's are better stores.
All the girls in OH are doing fine. Akerke was very active and I was pleased how she and Missy have bonded. Ms P is a little jealous, in fact, she growls at Akerke when she feels threatened. We all went out to dinner. Akerke performed well. I had a hamburger and beer. In fact 2 beers. When we got home I feel asleep watching TV and Missy ordered me to bed. It is 290 miles from GR to OH.
Debbie visited Missy this weekend and she left early Monday. I was disappointed that I missed her.
Sunday December 6, 2009
In an effort to get our bodies back to normal Nancy and I head to the MAC and our Sunday morning swim. But before we go, the walk had to be shovelled. I had to get the shovels down from the garage. It took about 30 minutes to clean the drive and walk.
Instead of swimming 45 minutes we do 30 minutes. After the MAC we head to Meijers and start purchasing all kinds of goodies to fill up our depleted larder. We also have to purchase some supplies for Ms P who will be visiting us later this week.
I did take my Sunday afternoon nap. After the nap I took a 3 mile walk. Nancy fixed hamburgers for dinner. We watched 60 minutes and then headed for bed. Jet lag is harder on us old folks.
Instead of swimming 45 minutes we do 30 minutes. After the MAC we head to Meijers and start purchasing all kinds of goodies to fill up our depleted larder. We also have to purchase some supplies for Ms P who will be visiting us later this week.
I did take my Sunday afternoon nap. After the nap I took a 3 mile walk. Nancy fixed hamburgers for dinner. We watched 60 minutes and then headed for bed. Jet lag is harder on us old folks.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Friday November 27 to Saturday December 5, 2009
In case you did not know this blog has been silent for the past week. During the week Nancy and Bob have been in Germany soaking up the Germanic culture. It was a great trip. The following is a brief of our trip.
Friday November 27, 2009. We get to sleep in because our flight out of GR does not leave until almost 1. We are going to Chicago and then on to Munich, Germany. We are flying United all the way. Our flight out of Chicago left at 6 PM. The flight was smooth and we arrived in Munich at 0950 Saturday morning. We upgraded to Economy Plus and recommend it to all you folks that are taking a flight greater than 3 hours.
Saturday November 28, 2009. Our first problem was to find the best way to get to our hotel which is located 45 km from the airport. We took the train. We purchased an all day pass that allowed us to use all forms of public transportation for the day. The ticket machine was confusing but Nancy finally figured it out. When you purchase a ticket you have to validate it at a blue machine. The validated ticket allows you to get on any form of public transportation. There are no turnstiles, you just get on the train or subway. It is sort of like the honor system. If you get caught without a ticket you pay a big fine but we were never stopped. The train took us to the main railway station in downtown Munich. We walked to our hotel. We had a good map so we had little problem finding the hotel. We stayed at the Sheraton Four Points. The room were clean and we got a free breakfast every morning.
After we getting settled in the hotel, we got on the subway and headed to the Marienplatz which is the center of the old city. During the Christmas season all cities have Christmas festivals. The festivals are like food and craft fairs. Food booths and small stalls selling Christmas ornaments and other Christmas items are set up in the streets. The streets are closed and pedestrians can walk around and purchase everything from beer and brats to ornaments. On this Saturday it was so crowded that we had trouble getting around. In fact we tried to get into the Hofbrauhause (?) but it was so crowded we could not find a seat.
We took the subway back to the Hotel and then walked around another festival near the Hotel. Dinner was at a local establishment. I had a traditional Bavarian Dinner that included sauerkraut and beer. We crashed before 7.
Sunday November 29, 2009. We slept in and then had breakfast at the Hotel. The breakfast was buffet style. It was very good. I usually had several types of bread, scrambled eggs, sweet roll, an apple and coffee. Breakfast was our main meal of the day. Our first order of business was to get our Eurorail Pass validated and find out how long it took us to walk to the train station. We accomplished our mission. It took 20 minutes to walk to the station. We took the subway to the Munich Science Museum. It was really good. We took an afternoon nap and then walked over to the Christmas Festival near our hotel.
Monday November 30, 2009. We got up early because we had a 0700 train to catch to Zurich. It was too early for breakfast but a cook did give us some rolls to take with us. The train was scheduled to leave at 0712 and it left at 0712. We reserved seats on this train but it was not full so for the rest of the week we did not get reservations. It was a 4 hour ride to Zurich. We were delayed a hour because some one jumped in front of a train and it took the authorities some time to clear the site.
I really enjoyed riding the train and looking out the window. I was surprised how much of the land is farmland. The farms look well maintained and prosperous. The small towns also looked quite prosperous. All the homes were multi level. I did not see a single story home.
I thought that Switzerland was able to remain neutral because it was surrounded by mountains. However, I did not see any insurmountable mountains on our trip to Zurich. It rained and snowed during our stay in Zurich. We walked around the old city. Zurich like Munich appears very upscale. We saw all the high end stores. Nancy had read about a chocolate shop that had the world's best hot chocolate. We stopped and each had a cup. The hot chocolate was 3.0. The price was $26. Europe is not cheap. The Euro was trading for $1.56. We took the 6 PM train back to Munich and got back after 10.
Tuesday December 1, 2009. Today we traveled to Innsbruck, Austria. The train did not leave until 0915 so we had a leisurely breakfast. The train trip only took 2 hours. Innsbruck is in the Alps but it was so foggy that we only caught an occasional glance of the mountains. Again we walked around the old section of the town. Innsbruck has created pedestrian malls by closing large areas to cars. Christmas and food booths were everywhere. We caught the 4PM train back to Munich. We had dinner at a local beer garden. I had the goulash soup and sausages and boiled potatoes.
Munich is further north than GR so it gets dark around 4 PM. All of our return trips back to Munich were in the dark.
Wednesday December 2, 2009. We stayed in Munich today. Our first stop was the museum of modern art. Yes folks I visited an art museum. We were provided recorders that had canned talks about the major pieces of art. I found the recorders very helpful. We spent 2.5 hours in the museum. I enjoyed the tour. After an art museum it is only fair that we head to the Hofbrauhause for a glass of beer. This time the place was not so crowded. We sat down had a leisurely beer and listened to the German band. We had another traditional German dinner at a local pub.
Thursday December 3, 2009. Today we have our longest rail trip. We are heading to Vienna. The trip took over 4 hours. The train was super streamlined. They had monitors showing the next stop and train speed. On one stretch the train speed reached 120 mph (200 kph). I had another great time looking out the window and watching the countryside. When we got to Vienna we had to take the subway to get to the center of town. This was the only time the train did not stop in the center of town. We spent about 3 hours walking around the old city. We got back to Munich around 10PM.
Friday December 4, 2009. We still had time on our Eurorail pass. I checked the schedule and Nurnberg was only 50 minutes away. Nurnberg was the surprise on the trip. Both Nancy and I liked Nurnberg. We walked around town. Looked in several churches and visited a castle. Nancy bought presents for the grand kids. They have done a great job making the city pedestrian friendly.
Saturday December 5, 2009. We get up at 0430 and get ready to head home. We had a 0900 flight to London. We had a little over an hour in London and then headed home. The flight to Chicago was uneventful. We had a 4 hour wait in Chicago. When we got to GR we noted several inches of snow. The snow was too deep to get the taxi up the driveway. I lugged the bags through the snow.
We spent a week looking around southern Germany, Switzerland and Austria. I had never been in Switzerland or Austria. I especially enjoyed the train trips. We travelled through farm lands, pine forests and small towns. I think I got a feel for the area. I never saw a beat up car, in fact I never saw a car over 4 years old. This area appears to have survived the recent economic downturn better than the US.
The US has been criticized for putting too much emphasis on Christmas. We can't hold a candle to Germany. It looks like the stores have been pushing Christmas for weeks. It was funny to walk into a store and hear the PA system playing Christmas songs in English. I also noted that every kid had a cell phone and was totally engrossed in their phone. It is indeed a small world.
Friday November 27, 2009. We get to sleep in because our flight out of GR does not leave until almost 1. We are going to Chicago and then on to Munich, Germany. We are flying United all the way. Our flight out of Chicago left at 6 PM. The flight was smooth and we arrived in Munich at 0950 Saturday morning. We upgraded to Economy Plus and recommend it to all you folks that are taking a flight greater than 3 hours.
Saturday November 28, 2009. Our first problem was to find the best way to get to our hotel which is located 45 km from the airport. We took the train. We purchased an all day pass that allowed us to use all forms of public transportation for the day. The ticket machine was confusing but Nancy finally figured it out. When you purchase a ticket you have to validate it at a blue machine. The validated ticket allows you to get on any form of public transportation. There are no turnstiles, you just get on the train or subway. It is sort of like the honor system. If you get caught without a ticket you pay a big fine but we were never stopped. The train took us to the main railway station in downtown Munich. We walked to our hotel. We had a good map so we had little problem finding the hotel. We stayed at the Sheraton Four Points. The room were clean and we got a free breakfast every morning.
After we getting settled in the hotel, we got on the subway and headed to the Marienplatz which is the center of the old city. During the Christmas season all cities have Christmas festivals. The festivals are like food and craft fairs. Food booths and small stalls selling Christmas ornaments and other Christmas items are set up in the streets. The streets are closed and pedestrians can walk around and purchase everything from beer and brats to ornaments. On this Saturday it was so crowded that we had trouble getting around. In fact we tried to get into the Hofbrauhause (?) but it was so crowded we could not find a seat.
We took the subway back to the Hotel and then walked around another festival near the Hotel. Dinner was at a local establishment. I had a traditional Bavarian Dinner that included sauerkraut and beer. We crashed before 7.
Sunday November 29, 2009. We slept in and then had breakfast at the Hotel. The breakfast was buffet style. It was very good. I usually had several types of bread, scrambled eggs, sweet roll, an apple and coffee. Breakfast was our main meal of the day. Our first order of business was to get our Eurorail Pass validated and find out how long it took us to walk to the train station. We accomplished our mission. It took 20 minutes to walk to the station. We took the subway to the Munich Science Museum. It was really good. We took an afternoon nap and then walked over to the Christmas Festival near our hotel.
Monday November 30, 2009. We got up early because we had a 0700 train to catch to Zurich. It was too early for breakfast but a cook did give us some rolls to take with us. The train was scheduled to leave at 0712 and it left at 0712. We reserved seats on this train but it was not full so for the rest of the week we did not get reservations. It was a 4 hour ride to Zurich. We were delayed a hour because some one jumped in front of a train and it took the authorities some time to clear the site.
I really enjoyed riding the train and looking out the window. I was surprised how much of the land is farmland. The farms look well maintained and prosperous. The small towns also looked quite prosperous. All the homes were multi level. I did not see a single story home.
I thought that Switzerland was able to remain neutral because it was surrounded by mountains. However, I did not see any insurmountable mountains on our trip to Zurich. It rained and snowed during our stay in Zurich. We walked around the old city. Zurich like Munich appears very upscale. We saw all the high end stores. Nancy had read about a chocolate shop that had the world's best hot chocolate. We stopped and each had a cup. The hot chocolate was 3.0. The price was $26. Europe is not cheap. The Euro was trading for $1.56. We took the 6 PM train back to Munich and got back after 10.
Tuesday December 1, 2009. Today we traveled to Innsbruck, Austria. The train did not leave until 0915 so we had a leisurely breakfast. The train trip only took 2 hours. Innsbruck is in the Alps but it was so foggy that we only caught an occasional glance of the mountains. Again we walked around the old section of the town. Innsbruck has created pedestrian malls by closing large areas to cars. Christmas and food booths were everywhere. We caught the 4PM train back to Munich. We had dinner at a local beer garden. I had the goulash soup and sausages and boiled potatoes.
Munich is further north than GR so it gets dark around 4 PM. All of our return trips back to Munich were in the dark.
Wednesday December 2, 2009. We stayed in Munich today. Our first stop was the museum of modern art. Yes folks I visited an art museum. We were provided recorders that had canned talks about the major pieces of art. I found the recorders very helpful. We spent 2.5 hours in the museum. I enjoyed the tour. After an art museum it is only fair that we head to the Hofbrauhause for a glass of beer. This time the place was not so crowded. We sat down had a leisurely beer and listened to the German band. We had another traditional German dinner at a local pub.
Thursday December 3, 2009. Today we have our longest rail trip. We are heading to Vienna. The trip took over 4 hours. The train was super streamlined. They had monitors showing the next stop and train speed. On one stretch the train speed reached 120 mph (200 kph). I had another great time looking out the window and watching the countryside. When we got to Vienna we had to take the subway to get to the center of town. This was the only time the train did not stop in the center of town. We spent about 3 hours walking around the old city. We got back to Munich around 10PM.
Friday December 4, 2009. We still had time on our Eurorail pass. I checked the schedule and Nurnberg was only 50 minutes away. Nurnberg was the surprise on the trip. Both Nancy and I liked Nurnberg. We walked around town. Looked in several churches and visited a castle. Nancy bought presents for the grand kids. They have done a great job making the city pedestrian friendly.
Saturday December 5, 2009. We get up at 0430 and get ready to head home. We had a 0900 flight to London. We had a little over an hour in London and then headed home. The flight to Chicago was uneventful. We had a 4 hour wait in Chicago. When we got to GR we noted several inches of snow. The snow was too deep to get the taxi up the driveway. I lugged the bags through the snow.
We spent a week looking around southern Germany, Switzerland and Austria. I had never been in Switzerland or Austria. I especially enjoyed the train trips. We travelled through farm lands, pine forests and small towns. I think I got a feel for the area. I never saw a beat up car, in fact I never saw a car over 4 years old. This area appears to have survived the recent economic downturn better than the US.
The US has been criticized for putting too much emphasis on Christmas. We can't hold a candle to Germany. It looks like the stores have been pushing Christmas for weeks. It was funny to walk into a store and hear the PA system playing Christmas songs in English. I also noted that every kid had a cell phone and was totally engrossed in their phone. It is indeed a small world.
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