Sunday June 7, 2015

Sunday morning and we got up with the alarm at 0645. Today is swim day so we head to MVP. Nancy was the first person in the pool and I was the third so we each got a lane. I have been having some pain when I swim. If I do the crawl my shoulder gets numb after about 8 laps. If I only do the breast stroke, my favorite stroke, my neck gets very sore. I also think the chemicals in the pool are causing a sinus problem. I decided to take several weeks off. Whine, whine, whine! Got our weekly supplies at Meijer’s this morning. I forgot to check the gas price. I do know we put 127 miles on the Taurus last week. Nancy fixed her world famous poached eggs this morning. I had mine on a waffle. Read the funnies and watched some of the French Open men’s finals before taking my nap. We almost forgot that our quarterly tax payment are due soon so wrote checks. I walked to the nearest post box and then continued my walk so that I got three miles in. It has been threatening rain all day. I carried my raincoat on the walk but did not need it. Nancy is fixing chicken pot pie for dinner tonight. We will finish reading the GRP and watch 60 minutes this evening. I don’t know what is on at 2000 so it might be a netflix evening. On my walk today I saw a lot of goose feathers near a local pond. It looks like a fox or coyote might have been involved. I sure hope so! We have way too many geese. I think they might be a tasty meal for a fox or coyote.

Saturday June 6, 2015

Saturday Morning: Another great day is coming our way. I start the day by putting my bike on the rack and driving to Panera. I had oatmeal, bagel, banana and coffee for breakfast. The Saturday edition of the WSJ does not have much heavy news. I drove to Riverside Park and rode my bike to Rockford on the White Pine Trail, a distance of 11 miles. Unlike the bike paths in Cascade Twp the White Pine Trail is on an old RR grade so no steep hills. The trail was crowded as it should be on a beautiful day. Today is also the first day of summer vacation for school kids in the area. At home I did some chores around the house. I put up a shepard’s crook on our deck. I wedged the supports between deck boards. Nancy put a flower basket on the hook. I also hung another hook on the garage and put a basket on this hook. Nancy wanted to put a hook in our backyard so we can move the bird feeder out into the yard. I got in the Taurus and headed to Home Depot. On my way I stopped at Dick’s Sporting Goods to look for kid’s fishing pole. No Luck. I also struck out at Home Depot. No crooks. Finally I stopped at Fruitbasket Flowerland and found a hook. It is now in our backyard with a bird feeder suspended from it. For dinner Nancy and I drove to Sundance Grill. It was a pleasant evening so we sat outside. We both had their ham-d-scram. Debbie face timed us this evening. We talked for about and hour. We watched a show on netflix before turning in. I have been writing about my Grandmother Hughes and her 1927 trip to Europe. My Grandfather Hughes also took a trip that summer. Grandfather Hughes took a trip on a tramp steamer from the east coast of the US, south down to the Caribbean and then through the Panama Canal. The Panama Canal in 1927 was 12 years old and still owned and operated by the US Government. He went North on the Pacific to Seattle, WA. Grandfather had a sister who lived in Seattle. I think he then took a train home. I once asked my Mother where did her parents get the money. Lumber is the answer. NE Michigan had some of the largest stands of white pine. My Grandfather arrived in Alpena from Canada and started working in the sawmills. He ended up owning the Island Mill located in downtown Alpena. In the 1920s the NE MI timber was almost all gone so Grandfather bought 10,000 acres of southern pine in North Carolina. Of course the stock market crash of 1929 depleted all their wealth. Today, June 6, is also the anniversary of the D Day landing in France. I was six at the time of the landing and cannot recall the event.

Friday June 5, 2015

1658 Friday, sitting on deck writing this blog. Cloudy and 70. I had an easy Friday morning. Did not get up until 0700 and did the calisthenics at a relaxed pace. Left for Panera at 0900 about 45 minutes behind my normal time. WSJ was writing about Greece,the Middle East and Japan selling Navy ships to the Philippines. Japan just might be the buffer between the small nations in the South China Sea and the 500 pound gorilla, China. Is our Congress afraid of making decisions that benefit the USA? I really don’t think immigration and free trade solutions are that difficult. I keep reading that investment in infrastructure is good for the economy. Why not raise the gas tax? The gas tax is utility tax. If you don’t drive you don’t pay for roads but if you do drive you are paying for road improvements. Seems fair to me. Our Michigan legislators, especially the GOP folks, do not have the guts to raise the gas tax. They were elected to solve problems like funding roads but can not adopt a simple solution. Shame, shame! After coffee I got on the bike and headed out on a 14 mile ride. About mile 11 I stopped at Meijer’s to buy some yogurt for lunch. I got home about 1230. Kim came today to clean and the house looks great. After lunch I picked up Ms P and took her to the tendon and joint Vet. He took an X-ray of her injured knee. The X-ray showed a torn tendon. We will observe Ms P for two weeks and if she does not get better she will have surgery. I finished my afternoon physical activity with a 3.2 mile walk. Nancy has fired up our new grill. She is fixing chicken for dinner. Checking in on Grandmother Hughes on her 1927 European trip. On June 2 Grandmother was in Rome and had an audience with the Pope. On June 5, a Sunday, Grandmother saw a military review put on by the fascist Black Shirts. She spent the afternoon with a friend she met on the ship visiting museums and having tea and dinner in a fancy restaurant. On this date in 1938, Ossineke, Mi: GGF Sanborn commented on the heavy thunder storm that passed through in the morning. Morley and LaMay came over at 1000 and loaded oven mill sitis. (I have no idea what sitis is?) In the afternoon he attended a Alpena County League baseball game. Grange won.

Thursday June 4, 2015

Thursday June 4, 2015, swim day for Bob and Nancy, also it is going to be one of the warmest day of the year. It was still cool,54, when I pedaled to Panera so I dressed in layers. Greece and Russia were the topics of the day. Why not let Greece exit the EU? They have my approval. Will both the President and Congress go down as totally incompetent? Riding to MVP I realized that I had too many layers. It had warmed up to 75. The pool was nearly empty this morning. I did the breast stroke with no shoulder pain but my neck was really sore. I have a snorkel that is built for lap swimmers. I will try it next swim. The snorkel will keep my neck straight. Took my new route home so my total miles are 11 vs 7 with the old route. Stopped at Cascade Meijer's and had a Starbucks while I finished the WSJ. Quiet afternoon at home, I did get an appointment for Ms P with the tendon and joint Vet tomorrow. Opened all the windows downstairs to let the warm outside air in. The lower level being below ground get real cool. It worked. Nancy and I had dinner at Great Lakes Shipping, We both had the prime rib sandwich. It was great. Took a quick walk around the block. We are now watching a Richard Gere spy movie.

Wednesday June 3, 2015

Post Number 2076: 1730: from the deck of Bob and Nancy’s condo Easy Wednesday: I had planned on taking the bike to the White Pine Trail. Before leaving, I walked to Panera and had oatmeal, bagel and coffee. China seems to be in the WSJ’s scope. Several articles about South China Sea. My Navy friends last night kind of downgraded China’s Navy. I am not so sure. Called the Vet’s office to see about an appointment for Ms P. Only time available was at 1220. So much for White Pine Trail. Walked home and put on my knickers and took my second favorite bike route. It is two miles shorter but has several steep hills. Took a quick shower and loaded Ms P into the Cobalt and headed to the Vet. The Vet said Ms P has either a torn tendon in her knee or knee joint injury and surgery might be required. Like people doctors she does not specialize in joints and tendons. She gave me the name of a Vet that does. I called the joint Vet but have not received a reply. I took a 30 minute nap and then put on my backpack and walked to Meijer’s. We needed milk. I got half way when I realized that it was 75 degrees so I must hustle home before the milk turns sour. Bought the milk and started home. I got halfway home when Nancy stopped and gave me a ride. She worked at Meijer’s Garden this afternoon. They cut the grass this afternoon and our huge backyard looks great. A Robin is chirping up a storm. Is their chirping a mating call? When the mating season is over do they stop chirping? Light dinner tonight and then some netflix. Just checked the weather and GR is warmer than LA or San Jose, about time. Remember to get your 30 minutes outside each and every day.

Tuesday June 2, 2015

Tuesday June 2, 2015: written at Panera Bread on June 3 at 0907 Swim day: at home routine and then bike to Panera for coffee and read paper. Beautiful sunny day but temps only in low 40s. Left Panera at 0930 for MVP. Pool was very cold this morning. I was blue when I got out. Did the breast stroke today. No shoulder pain but I have a stiff neck. Hustle home and then got in Cobalt and head to eye doctor. Doctor checked both eyes with all his toys. He said both eyes are healthy. Small cataracts in each eye but not big enough for surgery. Stopped at tailor shop and picked up my khaki jacket. Quick lunch and then cleaned my desk before taking a nap. Actually got under the covers to warm up. At 1630 I headed downtown. I attended a social gathering of retired Navy officers at the University Club. Six of us were in attendance. We sat around table and talked about our experiences. I was the only one who had never been on a ship. All were involved in Vietnam but offshore. I was the only one who had set foot on land. We broke up about 1900. Stopped at Subway on way home to get sandwich. Nancy attended a training section at Meijer's Garden this evening. She training to be a guide for the new Japanese Garden. We read the GRP and watched NCIS and a netflix show before turning in. Ms P is still limping and tomorrow I will call Vet.

Monday June 1, 2015

Bright sunshine woke us up before the alarm. We never need an alarm when the sun shines. On cloudy days we need the alarm. Typical Monday with calisthenics at home and then bike to Panera for coffee and to read the WSJ. After I finished reading I got on the bike and took the long road home. Total miles ridden today was 16. I will have to change my route because several of the roads are under construction. At home I set up a new compressor I recently purchased. I use the compressor to blow dirt out of my bike gears. I also attached a carrier to my seat post. The carrier has a bag that is easily detached. I will carry my swim gear and mini ipad in the bag. This will eliminate the need for a backpack. After lunch got in the Cobalt and ran several errands. Bought gas at Meijer's, $2.77 and then stopped at Jos Banks and bought a pair of button suspenders. Looked around Gazelle Sports but did not buy anything. Nancy and I sat on the deck and read our books for about an hour. I took a walk around the block. We had a light dinner. It is now 1943 and we are watching Jeopardy. At 2000 we will watch a netflix show.