Friday January 19, 2018

Friday January 19, 2018

Blog time 1145 at Panera

Windy but mild, mid 20s, when I first went out this morning.  We can expect sun and temps in the mid 30s this afternoon.

Nancy headed out to her class at MVP at 0800.  I had quick breakfast, then bundled up and walked to the Y.  The walk is pleasant because of the nice white snow cover.  I keep checking for critter prints in the clean snow.  I have not noted any.  Where are the deer?

For years I have belonged to health clubs.  Every January the club would be jammed with the New Year’s resolution folks.  Not so this year.  Are they in hiding like the deer?

In yesterday’s blog I talked about my visit with the Doctor treating my Myasthenia Gravis.   I asked about weather’s impact.  The Doctor said that most folks say thing are better in cold winter weather.  I tend to agree.  

Also at yesterday’s Doctor visit I picked up a People magazine.  I did not know anyone in the magazine.  Is this because of old age or the fact that I only watch Netflix/Acorn and listen to satellite radio?

Lunch and then I took Ms P on a short walk.  First time walking in about a week.

I took a short nap and after the nap Nancy and I started a dreaded task.  We polished the big brass table.  It took almost two hours but it sure looks good.

Nancy fixed sauerkraut, baked beans and a hot dog for dinner.  Sure was good.

This evening after the news we watched two episodes of Broadchurch before turning in.  Temperature will be in the 30s all evening.

Thursday January 18, 2018

Thursday January 18, 2018

Blog time 1115 at Panera

The days are getting longer so I am getting up earlier.  Go figure!

Nancy headed out early for her swim at MVP.  Breakfast then bundled up and walked to the Y.  Temps were in the mid 20s but the 21mph west wind created a wind chill in the teens.  Walking into the wind was not pleasant.  In fact walking through loose snow wearing heavy clothes is tiring.  I was wiped out when I got to the Y.  I did however complete my calisthenics and row in normal time.  It is only January and I miss riding my bike.  Walking is just too slow and to hard on the joints.

The new smart phones are great.  I pay for most things using Apple pay, I put my boarding passes and my pass into the Y on my phone.  Technology is great.  My Dad would go bonkers with all the tech toys.  

On this date in 1788 England unloaded a ship full of convicts in Australia.  They had unloaded their debtor’s prisons.  POTUS should note that this shipload of undesirables helped create a great country.

The UK is having a cold winter.  Today’s Telegraph had photos of small snow covered Villages.  Very attractive.

Not much time to read today because I have an appointment this afternoon with my Ocular Neurologist.  I have written several questions I want to ask the Doc on the notes app on my cell.

Maybe the Olympics will help cool tensions on the Korean Peninsula.  I would like to see a peaceful unification of the Koreas.

Quick lunch and then I headed downtown to the Doctors office.  Dr Santos checked my eyes and asked some question regarding my recent bout of double vision.  The conclusion was that the pills work.  However, the cause of my slurring of speech and difficulty chewing is still a puzzle.  Is it Myasthenia Gravis (MG) or a side effect of the pills I take to control double vision.  The double vision is caused by MG.  No conclusion was reached.  I will experiment with my pill dosage and time.

I asked several more questions regarding MG, including if smoking weed is a possible cure.  Conclusion no weed.

Stopped at Fitzgerald’s on way home to see if they had any ice gripping toe rubbers.  They had just sold out.

For dinner we headed to Shepard’s Grill.  The place was really crowded.  Is it cabin fever?  I had a fried perch sandwich and Nancy a bowl of soup.  I gave the food an A and Nancy gave the soup a D.  

Watched an episode of Inspector Lewis before turning in.  Warm up starts tomorrow.

Wednesday January 17, 2018

Wednesday January 17, 2018

Blog time 1730 sitting at dining room table

This was Breakfast Club Wednesday so up with alarm at 0515.  It was cold, 12, this morning with a very light snow.  The roads were clear.

Light turnout at today’s meeting.  The majority of those in attendance were over the age of seventy.  We have a problem.

Today’s speaker was the new president of GRCC.  He talked about ongoing programs at GRCC.  The most interesting new program is a local school district’s contract with GRCC.  Selected students in the district start taking a CC class in grade 10 and gradually take more CC classes in grades 11 and 12.  They program has a grade 13.  At the completion of grade 13 the student has an Associate Degree.  The beauty of the program is that all classes are at the local high school and it does not cost the student anything.  Sounds great for some kids.

After BC I headed to the Y.  My original plan was to go swimming but I chickened out.  I did light calisthenics followed by a two mile walk/run.

Stopped at Panera for coffee and a chance to read the papers.  Apple’s announcement that it is bringing back billions of dollars from overseas was a major story.  Congress has three day to fund the government and the clowns are still playing games.  I thinks folks are getting tired of these silly antics.

After Panera I headed to Ace Hardware.  I bought a new Yeti insulated coffee mug.  Also bought light bulbs and picture frame hangers.

Lunch followed by chores, trash and a load of laundry, before taking a nap.  Nancy is working at the Gardens this afternoon.

Finished the afternoon with a two mile walk.  Temp was in the mid 20s but the 25 mph wind put wind chill near single digits.

Light dinner tonight followed by some Netflix or Acorn watching.  A January thaw is predicted for the weekend.  Stay tuned!

Tuesday January 16, 2018

Tuesday January 16, 2018

Blog time 1220 at Panera

The snow and cold continues.  It was 12 and snowing this morning.  I had to shovel our little walk.  Snow to end and sun emerge about noon.  It did.

Put on 16 pounds of clothes and walked to the Y.  I know the weight because I weighed my self naked and fully clothed at the Y.  

Leaders in several counties, Turkey, Russia, Hungary and Philippines,  have become much less democratic in recent months.  Of course China had always denied free speech.  In the long run denial of basic freedoms can become counterproductive.  

POTUS continues to destroy any positive movement with his program with his speak first, think later attitude.

Walked home from Panera in bright sunshine.  Great time for a winter’s walk.

At home had quick lunch and then Nancy and I got in the 

Escape and headed to Woodland Mall.  The Mall was empty except for the Apple store.  I priced a new watch band for my watch.  It was over $100 so I will have Nancy order me one on Amazon.  Next stop Horrick’s to buy fresh fruit. We bought apples and grapes.  As a boy we could not get fresh fruit in the winter.  We ate fruit that my Mother and Grandmother had canned last summer.

Nancy is cooking a chicken breast in the crock pot for dinner.  It will be served with rice and lima beans.  Sounds good.  

Tonight will read the GRP and watch NCIS and Bull before turning in.  I have to get up early for Breakfast Club tomorrow.  Temp will get down to single digits tonight.

Monday January 15, 2018

Monday January 15, 2018

Blog time 1030 at Panera 

March 15 is an important date in the Scott family.  It is the birth date of daughter, Deborah.  I have fond memories of this date.  We were living in Redwood City, Ca.  On Friday afternoon, January 14, Nancy called me at work and said she had just been to the Doctors.  He said Nancy was ready to deliver and that she should pack her bag and check into Sequoia Hospital after dinner.  The Doc was going to induce birth.  

We checked in around eight and as soon as Nancy was settled I headed to an all night grocery store.  I cashed a check for $100.  We did not have health insurance so we had to pay in cash.  I paid the bill and rejoined Nancy.  Yes folks $100.  Around midnight they wheeled Nancy into the delivery room and I headed to the waiting room.  Fathers were not allowed in the delivery room.    Debbie was born in the early hours of January 15.  Great memory!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEBBIE

It was snowing and 15 when I first went out this morning.  Wind chill at 0.  Nancy headed out to a class at MVP followed by a visit to Dr Yurko our dermatologist.

After breakfast I bundled up and headed out.  I walked to the Y.  I lucked out because we had an east wind so I had to wind at my back on the 1.7 mile walk to the Y.  Noted a lot of school age kids at the Y.  I assumed their school was closed for the Martin Luther King holiday.

It was too cold to walk outside so several mothers brought their strollers to the Y and walked the indoor track.  Great idea and I am glad to see the Y is so accommodating.

Being a US holiday there was not much news.  Some news items I did read were:

The UK scrambled jets to encounter Russian jets near the UK border.  The Russian jets moved away from the border.  Is this a game of chicken?

Wolves are returning to Belgium.  After an absence of decades wolves have returned to Belgium and other EU countries.  Great to see.

The false missile alert in Hawaii, while a major blunder, is actually a great wake up call.  Changes will be made all to the good.  Let me explain.  During the height of the Cuban Missile crisis, Oct 1962, the entire US Navy was on alert.  This included Midway Island.  I remember leaving the base movie theater one evening when the alert sirens went off.  Sailors were scrambling everywhere.  I kind of remembered that my duty station during an attack was the public works garage.  Sailors in my division also remembered where their duty station was but none of us knew what to do.  A sailor asked me what should we do Ensign Scott.  I really did not know so I told him to make a pot of coffee.  Luckily the Chief Petty Officer knew where the manual was and we started reading.  It was a good manual so we soon knew what to do. Finally word came out that the alarm was false.  Some critter had chewed the cable.  The good thing about the false alarm was that we knew what to do in case of a real alarm.

Two weeks later the base was subject to an unannounced inspection of our alert procedures.  A team of Navy and Marine personnel from Pearl Harbor conducted the inspection.  We passed with flying colors.  In fact we were so good the Navy awarded the base a coveted E.  First time the base had ever achieved this rating.

As soon as I got home we piled in the Escape and headed to Costco.  We loaded up on paper products like paper towels, toilet tissues, and Kleenex.  We now have a years supply of paper.  Also bought peanut butter, wine, prunes and the Indian bread, naan.

Stopped at Cascade Library so Nancy could pick up a book.  The book was lost in the delivery system so maybe next time.

I spent the rest of the afternoon in the office.  I framed some family photos and spent a lot of time reviewing data on my family history site, My Heritage.

Light diner followed by the news.  We watched a new show on Acorn before turning in.

Sunday January 14, 2018

Weekend Update:  Sunday January 14, 2018

Blog being written on Sunday: sitting in my office at 1720

This is our first weekend of 2018 in GR.  

Saturday January 13, the temperature was in single digits when we got up.  Wind chill below zero so we got in the Escape and drove to Panera for our standard Saturday morning breakfast.

After breakfast Nancy started doing laundry and I ran errands.  Stopped at Orvis and using a Christmas gift card I bought a pair of leather gloves.  

Got the car washed at a quicky drive through and then headed to Meijer’s.  I filled the Escape up and bought a multi draw lottery ticket.  I try to buy lottery tickets on the 13th because the only time I ever won anything I had ticket #13.  I won a Jeep in 1956.

Stopped at Bed, Bath and Beyond and bought a long round insulation thingy that you put near a door or window to stop cold drafts.  I think it is also called a snake.  Also bought some felt inserts for my boots.  Felt is a great insulator.

Stopped at Bank to get some two dollar bills.  Final stop was the Chow Hound to get a new pooper scooper.

I had a quick lunch, walked around the block and then spent time in the office doing odd jobs.  I watched for a short time the UM/MSU BB game.  I was surprised to hear that UM won.   MSU was wearing retro MAC uniforms.  As any one who has lived in MI for any time knows the MAC stands for Michigan Agricultural College.  My Dad went to MAC in the late 20s.

At 1630 Nancy and I drove to Houlihan’s for dinner.  We met Mary Namey and enjoyed good food and conversation.  Mary seems to be putting her health problems behind her.

Watched some football, FaceTimed Debbie before heading to bed.

Sunday the 14th

 The cold continues.  Up at 0615 and get ready for the Y.  For the first time since her cataract surgery Nancy went swimming.  I did calisthenics and rowed.

Headed home to change clothes and get ready for the 1000 Celebration service at Trinity Lutheran.  Noted a lot of young families and fewer old couples who are probably in warmer climes.

On the way home we stopped at Meijer’s for supplies.  We also stopped at Walmart to get fizzy water.  Final stop was the Cascade Library so Nancy could pick up a book.  The Library was closed.

Quick lunch and read the funnies before taking my Sunday nap.  After the nap I wrote the Grandkids a short note and enclosed a $2 bill.

I took a two mile walk stopping along the way to mail the note to the Grandkids.  The temperature was in high teens but no problem because I bundled up.  I had to get my 30 minutes outside.

For dinner Nancy is fixing her world famous scrambled eggs.  Tonight she is adding spinach to the eggs.  Sounds good.

Tonight we will finish reading the GRP and watch 60 Minutes.  If time permits we will watch something on Netflix.

During our recent cold weather I have not seen deer or geese.  I think the geese might have gone south and the deer are deep in the woods.  The corn I recently put out has not been eaten.

Friday January 12, 2018

Friday January 12, 2018

Blog time 1130 at Panera

It was 50 at bedtime and 26 and snowing when I went out at 0630.   Noted a lot of school closings on the TV this morning.

Nancy headed out before 0800 for a class at MVP.  She was back 10 minutes later saying the roads were icy and snow covered.  Who needs this stress.

I bundled up and walked to the Y.  The Y was not crowded.  Where are the Resolution folks?

The Y was empty but Panera was crowded.  Read the news and once again POTUS dominates.  Cancels trip to U.K., make disparaging remarks about Haiti and Africa and suspends military aid to Pakistan. I happen to agree with the Pakistan move.  The Haiti and Africa remarks were inappropriate.

The recent tax bill seems to be spurring companies to raise wages.  It will be interesting to see if average worker will have a larger pay check.

Nancy made it to her 1200 Book Club meeting today.  She said the roads have improved since this morning.

Presently I am doing a load of laundry.  Might take a nap this afternoon.

This evening Nancy and I are meeting the Moleski’s at GP Sports for a quick meal followed by the symphony concert.

We took the freeway to downtown and it was bone dry.  Great job by KCRC.  We parked at the City/County ramp and walked to GP Sports.  I was glad we had made reservations because the place was crowded.  The food was very good.

The concert was jammed with few empty seats.  At least 90% of those in attendance were over 50.

Last nights concert was entirely the music of Russian composer Peter Tchaikovsky.  The star of the program was the guest pianist, Gabriela Montero.  She stole the show especially her free wheeling encore.  Many standing ovations.

The concert was over at 2220.  We were in bed by at 1100.