Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Monday January 30, 2017

Blog time 1045, sitting by fireplace at Panera

It was cold last night with temps in mid teens. Just a dusting of snow overnight.

Nancy headed out early for her exercise class at MVP. I decided to do all my routine at home. It is too cold to walk the two miles to the Y.

The double vision still persists.

After breakfast I walked to Panera.

The London papers have articles on Trump's immigration EO. The papers all say the President should not be invited to visit the UK.

I think the refugee crisis would not be as bad as it is if the EU and USA had taken action like a no fly ban in Syria. But no one listens to me and why should they. After all, I believe in the draft to fill our Army's rank. I also believe that most of our military intervention overseas starting with Vietnam were not in the best interest of the USA.

Speaking of Syria the Daily Mail in an article this morning said that Assad of Syria recently had a stroke. Should I believe a story in the Daily Mail?

Russia is actively working on expanding its activities in the Arctic region. The Arctic is suppose to have a huge reservoir of hydrocarbons. Also as global warming continues year round use of the polar route by ships is possible. The northern passage is much shorter than the Suez Canal. I have never heard the USA's position on this buildup.

I got a text message from my optometrist saying my glasses are ready. Because of my double vision I had a pair of glasses modified. The left lens is for distance and the right is just clear glass. I do not need correction for reading. I hope that when driving my left eye will be the dominate eye and when reading the right eye takes over.

After I got the message I called Nancy and she picked me up at Panera. I wore the glasses this afternoon with mixed results.

Took Ms P on a long walk. With snow on the ground I noted a lot of large deer tracks

Quick lunch. Our winter property taxes are due next week. I walked over to the Township office and delivered our check.

Spent several hours in my office reading and contacting tech support at the web site My Heritage. I hate talking to tech support. I was on hold for 30 minutes. However, once I got in the nice folks answered all my questions.

Light dinner tonight. We watched the news and it is now 0800 and we are watching Paranoid on Netflix. We liked the first episode so we are watching the second.

Sunday, January 29, 2017

Sunday January 29, 2017

Blog time: 1720, sitting in office

Nice to see winter return. The temperature all day as been in the high 20s. Snow started this afternoon and we now have a nice blanket of snow.

We both were up at 0630. Nancy decided that she would forego swimming one more day to make sure the surgery is totally healed. I agree.

This morning she removed the bandage and I think the surgeon did a great job. The scar is almost invisible.

We decided on the 0900 church service. Good attendance for a cold winters day.

After church we headed to Meijer's for some supplies. Trader Joe's and Fresh Tyme have cut into our purchases at Meijer's. Filled up the Escape and gas was $2.22 per gallon.

Nancy fixed her world famous scrambled eggs for breakfast. I bought a Fresh Baguette at Panera so I had several pieces.

Took Ms P on a walk around the block. Some folks put a jacket on their dogs when going outside. The only time I will use a jacket is if the temp is below 20.

I took some time today to read yesterday's WSJ and the headlines in today's London papers. President Trump's banning the entry of citizens of some Muslim countries is getting universal bad press. One paper called him Uncle Scram. We have lost the high moral ground with this action.

I did take a short nap this afternoon.

I am looking for an eyepatch that I can put over my glasses. Walked to Walgreens to see what they had. They had nothing.

Tonight Nancy is fixing clam chowder for dinner. I will also eat more of the baguette.

We will watch 60 Minutes, finish reading the GRP and then a Netflix show before turning in.

Saturday January 28, 2017

Blog time: 1710 sitting in office.

Happy Birthday Melissa. Today is our daughter Melissa's birthday.

I remember the birth clearly. We were living in Ann Arbor where I was in Graduate School.

It was early Sunday morning when Nancy said it is time. It was a cold blustery day, not unlike today. Nancy grabbed her bag and we headed out to St Joseph Hospital. It was snowing and the windshield wipers in our VW Bug were not working. I had to stop the VW periodically to clean the windshield.

Nancy told me to forget the window wipers just get her to the hospital. We were met at the emergency entrance by two nurses who hustled Nancy up to Maternity. I parked the car and headed upstairs to the Delivery Room. As soon as I walked in the Doctor came out and said it was a girl.

I spent some time with Nancy and then headed home. I told Nana, Nancy's mother, and Debbie that we had an addition to the family. It was a happy day in the Scott house.

This morning Nancy and I walked to Panera for breakfast. We walked into a 20 mph wind making the wind chill in the mid teens. Not very pleasant.

Panera was not crowded. I had the oatmeal with sourdough toast and Nancy had a bagel. With the wind at our back the walk home was tolerable.

Nancy had needed to visit Kohl's so she dropped me off at Woodland Mall. Sears is closing so I checked out their stock. Not much that I needed but if I was still working I might have bought some work clothes.

My only purchase was a shot glass at the Michigan store, Michigan the State not the U, and an iPad stylus at Brookstone.

We also stopped at the Lighting Center and bought several replacement bulbs.

Took Ms P on a short walk, 0.8 mi. It was just to cold for a longer walk.

Put in a new bulb in our hallway chandelier. The glass enclosure was dirty so I tried to clean it. Bad move, I broke the glass. Spent about a hour picking up broken glass.

Quick lunch and then took a short nap.

No time to read the papers today.

We FaceTimed Melissa and wished her a Happy Birthday.

For dinner we drove to JT's Pizza. We split a ham/pineapple pizza.

Debbie FaceTimed us this evening.

On a happy note, I was rummaging through some old letters that I wrote while in the Navy. Found two letters written on this date.

January 28, 1962, Ensign Scott wrote his mother from Midway Island. I told Mom of my job and like most junior officers I complained of my seniors. I also mentioned that a recent war scare was over. I really can not recall of a war scare in early 1962. I was sending Mom a check. The Navy paid us in cash. There was a branch of the Bank of Hawaii on Midway. I would make a deposit and then send a check home. I saved money on Midway because there was no place to spend it.

January 28, 1963, I was writing Mom from Coronado, CA. I had just completed a survival school. The 28th was a Monday and I expected to fly to San Francisco later that day. On Friday I was scheduled to fly to Vietnam.

I never imagined that on January 28, 1963 that five years later I would become a father. Best decision of my life was to marry Nancy and start a family.


Saturday, January 28, 2017

Friday January 27, 2017

Blog time 1130, sitting at Panera.

It's Back! Winter returned last night. Temps got below 32. It was 29, snowing lightly and windy when I left for my walk to the Y.

The walk was unpleasant because I walked into the teeth of a 20 mph wind. I experience pain in my left eye walking into the wind on these cold days. The left eye was the eye I had Shingles in.

Nancy left early because she had to get to St Mary's Hospital before 0830. She is getting a shot in her foot. I think the shot inserts a tracking fluid in her foot. Nancy returns this afternoon for a bone scan. Nancy has been having pain in her foot probably caused by a damaged nerve. The bone scan will determine if she might have a hair line fracture.

Winter wildlife update: the geese are gone from the big pond near our condo. I still see geese but not on the pond.

Late afternoons we have noticed five deer in our backyard. First time we have sighted deer since late summer.

The birds have abandoned our feeder. Where have they gone?

This morning I noticed a muskrat swimming in the above mentioned pond.

Not much hard news in the London papers this morning. The Daily Mail did have some interesting trashy stories.

Why politicians hate papers. UK PM May is visiting the USA. She has a head cold so the Telegraph ran a photo showing the PM experiencing post nasal drip. Poor taste!

The President and Mexico's President are involved in a silly spat. Just sit down and talk guys.

As soon as I got home I took Ms P on her daily walk. We altered our walk to avoid walking into the wind. During the thaw all of the ponds in our area lost their ice cover. Noted today that a thin skim of ice is developing on all ponds.

Nancy had her bone scan this afternoon. She said the entire process was painless.

I fell asleep again in my easy chair. Nancy woke me up and said take a nap. Once again I complied.

I ironed several pair of khakis. Also put suspender buttons on a pair of khakis. I use Bachelor Buttons.

I think I have finally gotten my digital subscription to ENR straightened out.

Nancy is fixing chicken and rice for dinner. Sounds good.

The double vision continues. I will give the steroid pills one more week. I miss driving.
We watched Brokenwood Mysteries on Acorn. It is a NZ show. We liked it.

Snow predicted for tonight. Temps will remain in mid 20s. I am looking forward to the return to winter.

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Thursday January 26, 2017

Blog time 1045 sitting at Panera drinking coffee

Walked out this morning and was hit in the face by a snow/rain mix. The temperature was 33 and wind speed near 20 mph. I did not look forward to walking nearly two miles to the Y.

I did my entire routine at home. Had breakfast and then walked to Panera. Tonight the temperature will finally get below freezing. We have had a very long January thaw.

For the first time in my life I am being to think January in a warm clime is not all bad. Maybe next year.

Observations from Panera: why would anyone want to put anything into a cup of coffee. Real coffee drinkers drink their brew black. However, I have noted that the majority of folks at Panera add some disgusting products to their morning coffee. Milk, half and half and skim milk are the most popular. Panera also sets out squeeze bottles of honey and a lot of folks put it in the brew. Ugg!

As I have mentioned many times I enjoy reading the headlines in the UK papers, the Telegraph and Mail. The Mail is especially fun to read because of their trashy stories. The Telegraph is more serious.

This morning the Mail published a memo that Piers Morgan wrote to PM May. He outlined how the PM should deal with our weird POTUS. It is very good and I recommend it.

Does anybody under the age of 50 know what a telegraph is or Morse Code? A lot of my childhood friends learned Morse code.

I love my Logitech keyboard for my iPad. It is great. The best class I had in high school was typing. I have used it every day since I bought my first computer in 1983. I should mention the only D I got in HS was in typing.

I read most of the WSJ but found no article I want to comment on. Our President seems to be sucking all the oxygen out of the news.

As soon as I got home we all got in the Escape and drove to Costco. We replenished our bread, peanut butter and cheerios supply. I also bought a year's supply of razor blades. Costco was not busy.

Quick lunch and then took Ms P on a short walk. I had just started reading the GRP when I fell asleep. Nancy woke me and said take a nap. I complied.

For dinner we drove to Shepard's Grill. I like this place maybe because most of the customers get social security. I had the lake perch sandwich and Nancy had a bowl of navy bean soup.

Nancy visited the dentist this morning and was told she needs a crown. We seem to be slowly falling apart.

Tonight will be a Netflix/Acorn viewing evening.
The temperature tonight will be below 32, finally. I did my 30 minutes outside today, did you?

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Wednesday January 25, 2017

Blog time 0930 at Panera

Today is my easy Wednesday. I slept in until 0700. Nancy is still forgoing exercise until the surgery heals.

The temperature last night still was above freezing. The weather folks say it will snow today but the temperature will be in the high 30s, go figure.

Walked to Panera and had an oatmeal breakfast. I took my steroid pill. Could I pass a sports drug test? The double vision still persists.

Read the headlines in the London papers. The UK is fascinated with President Trump and all his weird actions. I like the way PM May is handling BRexit. She is trying to talk Scotland out of another vote to leave the UK. I could never figure out why a tiny country like Scotland would want to leave? The Scots sometimes pursue self destructive actions. Maybe that is why my relatives left.

Panera seems to be a place where business is conducted. A lot of job interviews are held here. I know that because I am a first class eavesdropper.

A young lady wearing USAF camouflage uniform came in for coffee. I was curious as to her rank. She had an impressive patch. I asked her and she said she was a technical sergeant, E6. E6 is a first class Petty Officer in the Navy. E6 is a senior enlisted rank.

I asked about the camo uniform and she said it was the standard uniform. The USAF does not wear the blues or khaki of my generation. I think the Army has the same policy. I do not like a camouflage uniform. It looks sloppy.

Since I talked to the Sargent two more old guys asked her about her uniform and rank.

Light rain on my walk home. This morning Nancy took Ms P to the beauty shop.

Before lunch I started a load of laundry, took out the trash and finished reading the papers.

I totally disagree with President Trump's order to build the wall along the Mexican border. I also think hiring 15,000 more Border Patrol is not cost effective. The last thing we need are more Federal employees. The most ineffective government employees.

The Beauty shop called at 1400 and said Ms P's work was done. I drove with Nancy to pick her up. They did a great job.

Continued calling tech support to get my subscription to ENR up and running. I talked to five different technicians. Not my department is the standard answer.

It is now 2000, time for Bob and Nancy to have their evening cheese snack. Tonight will be a streaming evening.

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Tuesday January 24, 2017

Blog time 1145 sitting at Panera.

Got up at 0500, wide awake but too early so I decided to put my head down for an hour. Two hours later I woke up.

Nancy has a morning appointment with our Optometrist. She wants to get a cataract removed. Lots of luck!

I had a quick breakfast, took my steroid pill before heading out. It was damp but mild, high 30s. Dry pavement makes the walk pleasant.

The Y was crowded especially the running track. Today I did the routine at 70%. I still have double vision.

The London papers pushed the unpredictable Trump to the back pages. The decision by the UK Supreme Court to require a legislative vote on BRexit was top story. PM May will visit the USA later this week. I think USA and UK need each other.

What is the matter with the President. He won the election so leave it along. The big stink over the size of the crowd at the Inaugural is not important. President Trump should have spent some time in the Military.

I do agree with the President's action on the proposed petroleum pipe lines. We need cheap energy if we want to manufacture in the USA.

It was a pleasant walk home with temp in the low 40s. Got home grabbed Ms P and continued walking.

Since I have been retired, eight years, this January has been the mildest. I don't think the temp has been below 32 in the past two weeks. I just checked the daily averages for January. The average high is never above 32. The daily average low is in the teens.

Nancy said the eye doctor said she is not ready for cataract surgery. Instead she is getting some glasses for driving.

Spent some time in the office this afternoon doing chores. Finished the afternoon with a nap.

Nancy fixed meat loaf for dinner. It was great.

Read the GRP and watched the news before watching NCIS and Bull on CBS.