Wednesday January 15, 2020

Wednesday January 15, 2020

Blog time 1730 sitting in office

The alarm goes off at 0515 and I get right up.  Today I have Breakfast Club.  Dressed, took out Ms P and then headed downtown.  I did stop at Panera to get a coffee to take with me.  I needed my morning coffee. Temperature will hover around 32 all day.  Rain this afternoon.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEBORAH LOUISE SCOTT.  I remember Debbie’s birth vividly.  Nancy went into Sequoia Hospital late on Friday the 14th and Debbie was born in the early hours of the 15th.  We had no insurance and so we paid cash.  It was not very much.

Interesting fact:  we left CA about 18 months after Debbie’s birth.  She grew up in MI and has worked in MI, Japan, Illinois before moving to CA.  She now lives a short distance from Sequoia Hospital.  What goes around comes around!

Good crowd at BC this morning.  The speaker was an old neighbor from OHNA who is now Director of World Affairs Council of West MI.  He talked about the upcoming programs.  Looks interesting.  Good talk!

Stopped at Y on way home and did calisthenics and a walk.  As soon as I got home I walked to the Post Box to mail some bills.  

At home I did my Wednesday chores, took out trash, load of laundry and corn for deer.  Lunch and then a nap.

As soon as Nancy got home I fixed our apple snack.  Spent an hour in office fiddling around.  Fiddling is what old folks do.

We had a light dinner and then our after dinner snacks.  News, Jeopardy and then started an episode of Hidden on Acorn.  We had previously watched several episodes, but this episode was too dark and gloomy.  Nancy headed to bed and I switched to Giri/Haji.  

Winter returns tomorrow.  Low tonight will be in mid 20s.

Blast from January 15, 1938, Ossineke, Mi.  Great Grandfather Sanborn wrote in his diary that it was 10 degrees.  His cow had recently died and he had a friend take the hide.  Life was simple in 1938.

Tuesday January 14, 2020

Tuesday January 14, 2020

Blog time 1145 at Panera:

This morning Ms P and I were up at 0500.  It was a damp 32.  Headed back to bed and Nancy woke me at 0700 to tell me she was heading to MVP for her swim.  Later she is having lunch with her Meijer work group.

After breakfast I drove to the Y.  Calisthenics/walk before shower.  The Y’s classes are filled to capacity but not many individuals working out. Light mist when I left the Y.  

At home Nancy was getting ready to leave for lunch with friends.  I decided no matter the weather today I would walk to Panera.  I needed my 30 minutes outside.  Put on waterproof pants and raincoat and walked to Panera.  I did stop at the mailbox and mailed my annual letter to the kids.

At both the Y and Panera I heard no discussion of last night’s football game.  Did anyone outside Louisiana or South Carolina care?

Despite all the bad news every day the economy still keep moving along.  Looks like the impeachment process will reach the Senate tomorrow.  I hope the entire process is short.

At home put out corn for deer.

 Then starting running errands.

First stop was Macatawa Bank to get money for Kim who cleans Friday.

Stopped at Printer and picked up address labels I had printed.

Next was the Chow Hound.  Bought a 35 pound bag of corn.

Bought a gift card at Starbucks.

Last stop was Panera.  I bought an empty bread bowl. Tonight Nancy will fill the bowl with her Navy bean soup.  Sound good?

Lunch and then I checked outside and saw two deer eating the corn I had just put out.  They stripped every ear.

Took a short nap and then fixed apple snack.  For dinner Nancy filled the bread bowl with her bean soup.  It was very good.

Tonight after our snack and the news we switched to Apple TV.  Both watched an episode of No Offence and I stayed up and watched Giri/Haji.  

Monday January 13, 2020

Monday January 13, 2020

Blog time 1145 at Panera

Temperature this morning was 32 with a rain/snow mix.  Nancy is picking up a neighbor and taking her to MVP.  They both take the same Healthy Living class.

After breakfast I drove to the Y.  Calisthenics and mile walk before showering and heading home.  Normally at home I would pick up my backpack and walk to Panera.  Not today I did not want to walk in the rain/snow.  I drove.  Stopped at Meijer’s on way home to purchase a package of Tums anti-acid pills.  Too much coffee!

At Panera I finished yesterday’s blog and read the news. 

This and That:

The weather still dominates the news.  After watching news clips of damage caused by tornados, I will never own a trailer.

Taiwan recently had elections.  The present Prime Minister got easily re-elected despite threats from mainland China.  Folks say the recent trouble in Hong Kong strengthened the anti China feelings.  

Big football game tonight.  I don’t hear many folks talking about it.

Enough about Prince Harry and the royals.  Who cares!

Got home at 1200 and Nancy and I drove to Tanger’s Outlet Mall.  We spent an hour shopping.  Nancy bought a sweater at Talbot’s and I bought some high tech pants at J. Crew.

Put out corn for deer before lunch.  After lunch I drove to the laundry to pick up shirts.  Also stopped at D&W to buy a Powerball and Mega Million ticket.  I always buy a ticket on the 13th.  Remember I won a Jeep with ticket #13.

I did take a short nap.  Just before dinner Nancy reminded me that I again forgot our apple snack.  Bummer!

Light dinner followed by Cheese/cracker snack.  Watched news and Jeopardy.  Tonight we watched an episode of No Offence on Acorn.  Good show.  Nancy headed to bed and I stayed up and watch another episode of Giri/Haji on Netflix.

Sunday January 12, 2020

Sunday January 12, 2020

Blog time 1130 Monday at Panera

We received just a dusting of snow overnight.  Our drive had been salted.  Tahoe Drive although snow covered looked negotiable.  Our paper delivery folks had delivered our paper.

The walks are ice covered so no Sunday morning walk.  I dressed had a quick breakfast and then drove to Panera.  I thought if I can make it to Panera then we can make it to Trinity  Lutheran.  Panera was empty.  Bought coffee for the two of us.

We left early for Trinity Lutheran expecting bad roads.  Surprise! the roads to Trinity had been plowed and salted.  Very small crowd at Church.

Stopped at Meijer’s for supplies.  Even Meijer’s was not crowded.  Filled up the Escape but cannot remember the gas price.  I just know it took only $15 to fill up.  $15 a week for gas is not bad.  

Before lunch I took a 1.5 mile walk with no problems.  Lunch and then a nap.

After all their strong denials the Iranians finally admitted to shooting down the Ukrainian plane.  I thinks the evidence was overwhelming.  

This afternoon we attended an open house at Kathi Kothe’s.  Kathi had fixed a great buffet.  Ten folks were in attendance.  Nancy and I forgot our diets and enjoyed the meatballs, cheese, lemon bars and cake.  Very good.  The champagne punch was not bad either.

We got home in time to watch 60 Minutes followed by The Heart Guy on Acorn.  I stayed up and watched Giri/Haji.

We were lucky the Storm of the Century passed us by.  

Saturday January 11, 2020

Saturday January 11, 2020

Blog time 1130 sitting in living room.

It rained hard all night.  Up at 0500 took Ms P out.  It was still raining, mild, 42, with wind.  Not quite the storm of the century.

This morning Nancy and I drove to Panera for breakfast.  The place was empty.  During our stay the temperature had dropped 10 degrees to 32.  We now have a rain/snow mix.

I dropped Nancy off at home and then headed to the Y.  The rain/snow mix spooked me so I turned around and headed home.  I will do calisthenics at home and maybe row 2K.

Nancy is multi tasking right now.  She is doing laundry and fixing bean soup.  The bean soup smells good.

Checked my email and read some headlines.  I have the electric fireplace going full blast.  The basement area is uncomfortable in winter without the electric heater.

I finally got motivated enough to do some calisthenics (50%) and a 1200m row.  The rowing machine is an excellent cardio machine.  After 6 minutes my average heart rate was 130.  

I shaved and showered upstairs because it is warmer.  Winter time so my skin is dry, dry, dry.  I had Nancy put lotion on the hard to reach areas on my back.  

After lunch, I checked outside.  Our sidewalk and drive were covered with a thin layer of ice.  Looks like I will not get my 30 minutes outside today.

Took a nap.  Watched some sports on TV.  For the second day I forgot to fix our apple snack.

The bean soup Nancy fixed for dinner was great.  Tonight we watched an episode of Midsomer Murder.  Debbie FaceTimed us tonight.  We got caught up.  

Below freezing when I took Ms P out at 2200.  The walk was treacherous so I spent some time salting the walk.  More snow predicted for tonight.  Winter Storm Warning up for our area.

Friday January 10, 2020

Friday January 10, 2020

Blog time 1150 at Panera

The temperature was in mid 40s this morning.  Very unseasonable.  However, all the weather folks are saying that later today the storm of the century will roll in.  High winds, snow/rain mix and cold.  Winter advisory up for West Mi.

Nancy has a busy morning.  After MVP she is having coffee with friends followed by her monthly Book Club.

Drove to Y for calisthenics and walk.  Showered and drove home.  Picked up backpack and walked to Panera.  Drank coffee, completed yesterday’s blog, read news headlines before walking home.

Afternoon activities included:

Lunch

Put out corn for deer.

Drove to Groskopfs and Bill and Paul’s to look around.  Purchased nothing

Took nap

Drove to D&W and bought bananas.

For dinner Nancy fixed me poached eggs and waffles.  Great winter dinner.

We watched news.  It was Friday so I like the segment on the PBS Newshour call Brooks and Shield.  I enjoy the give and take on the week’s news, especially comments of David Brooks.

Two of us watched Keeping Faith and I stayed up and watched the new Netflix show Giri/Haji.  It was starting to rain and 45 when I took Ms P out at 2200.  45 degrees in January!

Thursday January 9, 2020

Thursday January 9, 2020

Blog time 1145 at Panera

Nancy was up early and gave me a weather report, cold and windy.  She headed out at 0700 for her swim.  Today she is having lunch with her friend Kathi Kothe.

Quick breakfast and then I drove to the Y.  Where are the New Year’s resolution folks?  The Y was not busy.  Calisthenics/walk and shower before driving home.  Picked up my backpack and walked to Panera.

Brief comments on news:

Downing of Plane in Iran.  I think it was shot down.

Henry and Meghan, once again who cares.

Carlos Ghosn, clever escape from Japan.  What now?

The Vegan crazies are attacking beef and other meat products.  My Grandfather was a beef farmer and I would like to know his comments about the current debate?  I am a carnivore and proud of it.  Meat is a luxury in most third world countries and folks look forward to a nice steak.

Hong Kong, I don’t think most folks thought the demonstrations would last this long.  Free speech and democracy trumps a police state.  

I think bigness is bad.  Boeing, General Motors, Facebook and the Federal Bureaucracy are prime examples of organizations that are too big.  The Public Union strikes in France is another example.  One union can bring the country to it knees.  

I had a strong headwind on my walk home from Panera.  The temp might be above freezing but a headwind chills you to the bone.

At home I was going to put out corn for deer and saw that yesterday’s corn was untouched.  Tomorrow.

Before lunch I drove to Costco to get supplies, sandwich thins, prunes, cheese and mini naans.  Thursday afternoons are Seniors day at Costco.

Lunch, a quick nap and then I headed downstairs to clear my desk.  We are starting to get end of year tax info.  

Just checked the annual report for a annuity I purchased a number of years ago.  Annuities get a bum rap but I think in my case it was money well spent.

I am still amazed at how easy computers make banking today.  This afternoon I transferred funds between banks.  It was a breeze.  Still have some anxiety about security,

Nancy had pizza for lunch today and she only ate a small piece.  I gladly finished it for dinner.  

This evening after the news, Jeopardy and a snack we watched an episode of MidSomer Murder.  I made a mistake and used Prime TV.  The show had advertisements.  It was maddening.  After the show I checked and found I should have watched the show on Acorn.  No ads.