As always, when opportunity knocks, the choice as to whether or not to open the door is always yours.  I like to think that whenever the door is opened there will be something good on the other side.  I guess that's one of the advantages of getting older, you recognize that there are only so many days to go before you don't have the strength or the will to open the door, so I find it best to open it.  I expect that one of these days I will find the "Evil Monkey" on the other side, but so far, that hasn't happened.  I often wonder if I am ready for a change in my lifestyle.  As my sister in law does, I think I should do new things all the time instead of worrying about my future.  What if my future is only so long?  How's that for an idea?  Oh well, I guess that I have to take it one day at a time.  This is my latest blog, and as such, I am stepping outside the box and getting a head start.  Tonight, Tuesday, I am going to go to the Historical museum for a presentation on the train lines of the area that were here in the past.  I think it will be fun and informative.    That's one of the things I want to do.  I can watch TV anytime, this type of thing only comes along once.  Oh well, time to do some reading.

Just a fast one this AM.  This is a good news/bad news kind of post.  Got the new tub for the wash machine yesterday, that's the good news.  Bad news, also broken.  Good news,  a new one was one was ordered.  Bad news, don't know if this will be any better.  Good news, we got our new bikes yesterday.   Bad news, our car was hit while parked yesterday.  Go figure.  Good news, the Florida GOP primary will be over after to day.  Bad news, the primaries and debates will continue.  It really is all about the money.  Later, Tea Time!

The opportunities presented by the dawn of each new day are myriad and exciting.  I find that each new day offers not just hopes, but expectations too.  Take today for instance.  Today, I get to pick up my new bike.  I had fears that I might never ride again, but it looks as though those fears were/are unfounded. I think that although I couldn't decide the other day, I do want a rack for the back.  Call me fickle, but I decided it made sense to have one for hauling small things.  I used to think that life was endless, but I know that life is both finite and precious.  You gain a different perspective when you face life altering and perhaps life ending medical conditions.  Still, I will be wearing a helmet when I ride, because I know that they are a simple way to prolong your life in case of an accident, kind of like seat belts and air bags in cars.  Passive, but effective.  Wow, I like that phrase, I think I"ll keep it.  Maybe I can incorporate it into my novel.  Special shout out to Stephany, my daughter in law, and really, the daughter I never had.  Love your outlook on life, always forward looking and never looking back.  As the immortal Pogo used to say, "Don't look back, something might be gaining on you." Adam, you too, remember inside of every cloud there really is a silver lining.   Rarely is life as bad as it seems at first, believe me.  So, in spite of the dire outlook most of the GOP would have us take, I think life offers more new chances for success everyday.  I intend to take mine.  Tea time.

What an opportunity.   When you get up early, you get the chance to sit down at the computer and review the things that you did yesterday or before and think about the things that you plan to do in the future.  I'm thinking about this, because on Saturday, Mary and I went to the local bicycle store and bought two new bicycles.  In addition, we bought helmets, locks, a basket for Mary's bike and a tire pump so that we wouldn't be in need and have no way to inflate the tires.  Mary got a "girl's" bike, a nice metallic pink and I got a "man's" bike, silver with a larger frame.  In both cases, we really liked the efforts of the young man, who was the only employee on hand and the fact that the store is just two blocks from home. Both bikes are aluminum and easy to lift and carry if necessary.  We could have taken them home yesterday, but we felt that there was no rush : - ) due to the time of year.  We will pick them up on Monday or Tuesday.  That way the store gets the chance to install the accessories and we got to do other things.  Therein hangs a tale.  I was privileged to go the Laundromat and handle the laundry.  As always, that is in itself an adventure.  Separate, place in large capacity machines, wait.  Remove from washers, place in several dryers, wait.  Meanwhile, try to read while all about you are banging, talking as though there is no one else one the planet, and in general doing the laundry for an entire city, or so it seems, while blocking access to the tables set aside for folding laundry after drying.  I guess that some people are just oblivious.  I have to say, that if the washing machine doesn't get repaired soon, I'll have to scream.  I should mention, that the lawyer on the radio this morning, someone I count on for all my legal advice, was talking about wills, power of attorney, and leaving people out of your will as either a beneficiary or executor or someone who would act as the one with the power of attorney.  I'm glad that our children were willing to accept the responsibilities that go with that.  Another thought, if any of the people out there care, why is it that there was such a rush to allow anyone who wanted to own every broadcast outlet that they could get their hands on the opportunity to own them all if they had the money?  Oh yeah, money.  With the Pac's running amok as people and the people being like ostriches, what do we expect to happen?  That's enough for today, tea time.

Well, the repairmen arrived, shortly after 9:00AM, and therein hangs a tale.  The first repairman took one look at the first of the large boxes that had arrived and said, "We better check this."  He proceeded to cut the packing tape on the rather beat up looking box and lo and behold, the large plastic drum inside looked as though King Kong had been using it for a toy.  Several pieces were broken off, and it was not close to being usable.  By this time the second repairman had arrived and was given the bad news (bad for us).  #1 called in an "Emergency" order for another part.  Good news, they had another in stock, bad news, they couldn't return to install it for another week after it was shipped to us.  Further bad news, they see this all the time. Says #1, "The shipper handles them rough."  At this point, Mary is rightfully upset, and says, "I doubt if the problem is with the shipper, looks more like the lack of packaging to me."  #1 said, "Oh no, it was well packed from the factory." Any fool could see that it wasn't.  He offered a small consolation prize.   If the part arrives and we call in, we might be able to get moved up in the repair queue.  Yeah right.  I am certain that I will open the next one, when it arrives and hopefully before the shipper can escape our porch.  Meanwhile, it's off to the Laundromat again.  Can't believe that if it is going to come broken, defective, or just incorrect in some way, it always seems to come to our house.  What's a father to do?  Tea time.

Well, here we are again, waiting for the repairman to arrive, sometime between 6 and 12.  I guess there is no way to predict with great accuracy how long a job will take, and I guess that everyone who comes after us will feel the same.  Still, I wish there was a better way.  I'm still trying to understand what the pig is saying in that commercial as he is sliding down the wire in the forest.  I actually understood it last night, but then I lost it when I fell asleep.  I listened to it again, but I still don't understand.  Just like the young woman climbing the mountain.  She is accompanied by a singer who's words are unintelligible.  Just like in the days of the Bandstand program, it has a catchy rhythm, but the words aren't much, I give it a 50.  Went swimming at the Y for the first time yesterday.  The experience was great in the mid afternoon and I plan to go again today.  I guess you can say that once you try something you'll like it.  Mary is out with Sugar for the morning walk.  Sugar got a new bed yesterday, and she finally slept in it.  As I think I noted, she was avoiding the one she had.  Who really knows, but if there is a dog whisperer, I would want him or her to tell me what Sugar's motivation was. Guess we will never know.  Oh well, time to return to my novel.  Later.

Here we are, one day past the last and ready for a new day to begin.  Like most days, the weather here in Grand Haven is not a factor when you are retired.  I often wonder how people who aren't retired find the time to accomplish all the things that they want to get done.  I want to go to the Y today for some swimming, but I also need to go to the doctor and to the hardware store for a lock and things.  As I look at it, one of the people from the R.E.A.D. program asked how anyone managed to work and still get things done.  Frankly, as I look back, I'm not sure.  I'm finding it difficult to fit in writing time, and Y time and reading time etc.  I guess that some people would be envious, but that I can't help.  I'm still concerned that the local congressman thinks the president erred when he placed the XL pipeline on hold.  I agree with Senator Sanders that the pipeline is not a good deal for the U.S. when the jobs that it does create will not be many nor long lasting.  In addition, the refined tar sands will not help the people of the U.S. Instead, the product will be sold to the highest bidder, probably China.  For the GOP, it's about defeating the president, not creating jobs for Americans.  Oh well.

Sometimes it is hard to remember just what is really important.  Take yesterday for example.  No, for all you people who have a snicker on your face, I mean the events of yesterday, no the actual day, but the events that happened yesterday.   Wait, that still isn't coming out right.  I mean the things I did yesterday are fresh in my mind.  Whatever.  Mary and I traveled to Grand Rapids to see the neurosurgeon.  He turned out to be very much like the doctor I left behind in Illinois. Not physically, but in his outlook and conversation.  Anyway, I got a clean bill of health for another year, and that really was good news.  Through all this ordeal, which started with the surgery last April, Mary has been there for me, and I have never really found a good way to say thank you.  Maybe I just did.  Adam and Stephany were there too, but it was Mary who had to endure my emotional swings and the moodiness that comes with uncertainty.  If ever anyone epitomized the marriage vow of  "In sickness and in health," it has been Mary.  And yesterday, she wasn't feeling all that well herself, having succumbed to the negative effects of the common cold. As I've probably intimated, I don't do sick well, and so I'm not good at empathizing with someone else's illness.  Today, I am off to the orthopedist for another knee treatment.  My knees are feeling better, it is just a long process.  Tomorrow, I'll be off to the internist, for a check on my medicines and their doses.  It is time for a change, because my pulse, while in the range that even Lance would appreciate, it was commented on by the medical assistant at the neurosurgeon's office, due to it being so low.  Plus, I want to get all of the scrips rewritten for a 90 day supply to take advantage of that opportunity.    Like I said yesterday, so much to do, so little time.  Oh, today I am going to check out the Y for its facilities.  Time to get back into shape for bike riding season etc.  Oh well, time to go.

Well, once again I had that radio station on and once again it set my blood to boiling. One of the more famous commentators was opining about the reasons for that major maker of computers and tablets and phones doing most of their manufacturing in China.  He claims to have read the article in the NY Times, that detailed the entire story and claims that nowhere in that story did they explain why the jobs are in China.  Well, if he had actually read the story, he would have read that the real problem isn't the ability of American workers, it is the access to raw materials, the quick changeover time for a new process or product, and the "willingness" of workers to live in company owned dormitories ready to work twelve hour shifts, six days a week.  Sure, the patent for the glass screens is held by a company in New York state, but the lax environmental and labor laws in other countries makes it cheaper to manufacture overseas.  Plus, when they want to bring all the pieces together, each factory is just down the road from another and so on.  If that famous commentator wants to have American workers continue their rush to the bottom, then let him have his political cronies make that case.  There was also another discussion on the local public radio station regarding super pacs and the pervasive influence they are having on elections.  The senatorial candidates in MA have an agreement that says if a pac runs an ad that is rife with falsehoods, the candidate whom the ad was intended to help, must give $900,000 to charity.  Or, as another option, the local media can refuse to run the ad.  So far, no station has implemented that form of economic suicide.  Surprise!.  All in all, it is still about the money.  Since that computer company stock just continues to rise, I am betting that savvy investors are buying it.  So much for American jobs.  As for the media outlets, maybe it is time that the politicians remind the stations that these are the "Public" airwaves on license from the government.  If the stations don't like it, they can give back those valuable licenses.  Not likely to happen anytime soon.  Thanks for reading.

Remember yesterday when I said that Mary shouldn't leave me alone with the radio program?  Well, last night, she didn't exactly leave me alone.  Instead, I got tired and went to bed before the end of the game between New York and San Francisco.  So, I had the radio station that she likes on for awhile, but I had to turn it off, because of the right wing.  I swear, if the guy being interviewed had been any farther to the right, he couldn't have driven on a road course, because he lacked the ability to turn left, even a little bit.  He was bashing public schools, instead touting home schooling as the best alternative.  He was bashing teachers and their unions for not doing a good job with children, never once mentioning how he got an education.   He was also lambasting the federal student loan program as the major cause of the price hikes in college tuition.  As an example, he described the grades that his daughter was now achieving at one of the prestigious Ivy League schools with a tuition north of $30,000 per year.  He says that if it weren't for student aid, this school would cost something like $20,000 to $25,000 while a conventional public university would cost maybe $10,000.  If all schools are equal, then how does he account for the disparity in the amounts?  Plus, why was his daughter matriculating at that particular school?  In addition, he is overlooking the most basic point of economics as demonstrated by the price of any service or product.  That price is not dictated by having a surplus of product available, it is determined by the scarcity of product or service, meaning more product or service, lower price and vice versa. Thus, the Ivy League school gets to charge more because people want to go there, not because it is necessarily better.  The university both created the mystique and benefited from it.  In this case, both his perception and that of the general public was skewed.   I know someone who went to one of the finest finance programs in the country, and it wasn't at an Ivy League school.  Last time I checked, he was doing fine.   Also, since I am on a roll, it would be nice if we all had the time to home school our children, but we don't.   I heard that one of the GOP candidates home schooled all of his children.  God bless him, but some of us were earning a living and couldn't take time off to stay home with the children 24/7.  Oh well, I've probably ranted enough for one blog session.  Much to do today and as I've said before, I never knew what made my mother in law so busy, now I know.

I hate it when Mary leaves me alone with the radio.  I imagine myself with all forms of dread disease and with every imaginable kind of financial disaster about to befall us.  The reality isn't any where near that, but the half asleep mind does strange things to you.  Sugar was being a weird last night.  I borrowed that phrase from my father in law, Frank, who passed away many years ago.  He always used that to tell you how he felt about people or pets. He also used the phrase in a couplet as in: What are you doing being a freak and a weird?  I like to think that he would have loved Sugar as much as we do.  He had a thing for animals, even going so far as to get a wild squirrel to eat out of his hand.  Animals know when you are real and when you are a real threat.  This morning is my weekly pilgrimage to the bookstore for the  NY Times.  I can spend hours on a Sunday reading the things that are written in that paper.  I especially like the book review, the front section and the magazine.  Well, time to go down and watch Up with Chris.......... An excellent program with a lot of interesting people as guests.  A little political discussion to get your heart started.  I should mention that if my BP gets any lower, I will be in the Tour de France.  108/66 with a pulse of 48.  Actually, I plan to return to bicycle riding this year after a long absence.  Once my knees are better and I drop a few more lbs, I'll be set to go.  No more competitive riding for me, but it will be good exercise.  Did I mention that the wash machine fell ill the other day.  It will be repaired this coming Friday once the parts arrive.  It will be $390.00!  But, compared to $800.00 for a new one, that's not so bad.

Surprise, it snowed in Michigan yesterday.  I was shocked to see that happen.  As I often do, I awoke at about 4:00 AM this morning and listened to the radio station that Mary likes.  I can't change it, because if I do, she will wake up and tell me she was listening to that.  Who knows, maybe she was, in her sleep.  At any rate, I was listening to the host describe his relationship with his pets and heard him comment about the relaxation that comes when people step back and go out on the porch for a smoke or a little conversation.  I got to thinking about Sugar, our Corgi/Beagle mix that we call a Corgle.  Yesterday, she hopped into my lap as she often does, and I began to laugh out loud.  I'm sure that she thought I was nuts, but I can honestly say that I have never felt more relaxed than when she is in my lap.  She has a sense about the needs of people that is second to none.  I remember that when I was in the hospital, the service dogs that came to visit produced an almost euphoric effect.  Sugar produces that effect, but to a greater degree.  My son says that I spoil Sugar, and I'm sure he is right.  She is my baby now, and I worry all the time if she isn't in my sight.  Like I have said, what's a father to do.  I remember when she was in for her training and there was a thunderstorm that first night. I was a basket case.  Go figure.  Well, it is time to go and do some of the chores that I put off until today.  Later.

Had a great time at tutor training last night.  The people are warm and it was refreshing to be able to recall some of the things that I had learned in the past.  With 26,000 people in need of assistance in this county alone, our nation has a problem.  I only hope that one of the politicians steps up to the plate and finds a way to bring the budget into line while not having to gut education to do it.  The problem is that teachers don't produce a product that can easily be measured or counted.  Sure, you can test the students, but that really is no measure of the efficacy of the classroom teacher.  There are too many extraneous factors that are outside the day to day control of the teacher or the school staff in general to use that as the only measure.  Plus, every time the politicians want to make a cut, the hue and cry doesn't go up from anyone other than the teacher's unions, ergo the push back against the bad legislation isn't heard beyond the small circles of the educated elite and the unions are labeled as activists.  Just how did all those leaders get educated.  Maybe they had their own personal genie.  Education and learning are both hard work, and both take a long time.  Often they can't be measured by a test, they have to be measured in the work a day world.  Oh well, I'm ranting.  I've often said that the next time your car is broken or you need a nurse, EMT, or other immediate assistance, call a politician.  Time for tea.

One thing I have learned living in Michigan, is that the weather forecasters here are just .like the ones in the Chicago area, at the mercy of the information supplied by the National Weather Service and the radar they use.  So, the forecasts are only as good as that information.  Still, I can't complain, this is still the best place I have lived in my adult life.  Yesterday, I had the second treatment on my knees.  Like before, some pain comes with the treatments, but overall, I feel as though I am improving.  Transferred one of my prescriptions to another pharmacy yesterday.  The pharmacist was very nice, the prices were excellent and the service was first rate.  Instead of using insurance, they offer generics at a reduced price and for a longer term.  One thing is for certain, the benefits will accrue to both myself and the insurance company, a win-win for both.  My novel continues to be written.  I'd hoped for it to be farther along by now, but I can't make the characters move any faster.  Maybe it is my typing speed, I don't know.  Tried the test for Jeopardy last night.  I think I scored between 70 and 80 percent, but they don't tell you and you don't know a thing unless they notify you that they want to schedule an interview.  That can take up to a year, so once again, it's hurry up and wait.  Oh well, tea beckons.

In spite of the snow cover that cam with yesterday's storm, this is still a great place to live.  I only went out once yesterday to walk Sugar and that was it. We had planned to go to the movies to see North by Northwest, but the weather was not good for driving, so we didn't go.  Oh well, there is always another day.  Today, I will have to walk Sugar this morning and this afternoon go to the doctor for my knees.  However, since the doctor is in the afternoon and Sugar doesn't need to walk until later in the morning, it won't be a problem.  I listened to the news this morning on the radio, and it is amazing that the politicians want to spend more on road repairs, but they 'won't' raise taxes to do it.  Instead, they want to raise fees for vehicle registrations and the like.  What would the Bard have said, "A tax by any other name still smells the same."  Just tell it like it is.  If the roads need repair, then tell people that that is one of the things that government does, and it has to be paid for, stop trying to hide additional revenues in 'hidden fees', call them what they are, tax increases.  Do they really think we are that dumb.  Yeah, I guess they do.  Oh well, time to go.

I awoke this morning about 5:00AM to the sound of a rather lengthy train rumbling by.  I don't think that there have been any trains the last few days, that or I am sleeping better.  A lot of the snow we got after the new year has already melted.  Not to say that it is all gone, but much of it has melted.  We did go out yesterday, to one of the last places Mary ever wants to go.  We are still looking for a shelf for my office and this was another futile effort.  Got some useful things, like new gloves for Mary and some things to mount the cord reel in the garage, but that's about it.  Did stop for lunch/breakfast and Mary had an egg salad sandwich, the best in Grand Haven she says, although as one who eats eggs in many forms, I personally find egg salad as likable as mushrooms are to me.   I had a short stack of pancakes that I couldn't finish, so they will be part of breakfast today.  By the by, if anyone has an idea how we will get into the garage if the power fails or if the door breaks a spring, I'm all ears, cause without a door or window, I 'm at a loss.  Worked more on my novel yesterday.  The characterless are starting to take on a life of their own.  I am always amazed by my writing.  It just seems to come naturally, the next step isn't obvious to me, but the characters always seem to know what to do.  I'm up to seventy 81/2  X  11 typed pages, so I sure hope they know what they are doing.  Sometimes I wonder just who is writing this novel.  Tonight is the first of two tutor training sessions for the R.E.A.D. program, a program that assists people in learning how to read.  Time to go down for morning tea now.

I guess that I should have learned by now, that I have larger feet.  Once again, those feet met a chair leg that they couldn't move, and so I have a bruised or broken toe.  Other than that, things are going fine.  Mary is off to her gym/workout place, and I have to fend for myself.  Not really, but sometimes you have to go for the sympathy vote.  Sugar is enjoying the snow here most of all.  She is always ready to play in the snow and while I can't figure out how she can be smelling things under the snow, she seems to be.  We went to or usual place for the morning paper and of course, Sugar wanted no part of some of the people she met.  In addition, the city was using a front end loader and dump trucks to move the snow, and when the trucks back up, she freaks out because of their backup beepers. Therefore, no joy on the morning walk.  I guess if it was really important, she would do her thing, but it wasn't.  I'm feeling great, the plan to lose some of my extra Avior du poise, lbs., is going great.  I have several goals in mind, and I plan to reach some of them before our trip to San Francisco in March.  Other than that, there is not much happening.  I edited for Mary yesterday, and the work just seems to keep on coming.  Time to go.

I used to wonder how my retired mother in law could always be so busy, since, after all, she was, retired.  Now I know.  If you have something on your schedule for the day, especially in the middle of the day, you have the anticipation of the event and the denouement that follows.  In my case, recent doctor's appointments for myself and Sugar, the upcoming edit I have to do for Mary, the need for snow removal, albeit not needed until midday, are just those kind of events.  They all need to get done and they seem to demand more of my time.  It may sound as though I'm complaining, but I'm not, really.  I just wanted people to understand that even when retired, your time isn't entirely your own.  Once again, the little electric snow blower showed its abilities.  If I can just learn to not step on the cord, I should be all set.  If it had batteries, I'd be complaining about those going dead and if it required gasoline, I 'd be complaining that it ran out and I had to go to the corner to get more, so all in all, I think it is the best choice.  How about the playoffs.  The pundits were wrong once yesterday.  In baseball, they would be batting  500.  In football, that is only half right.  Amazing what a change in sports does for your prognostication abilities.  Oh well, today they have predicted another set of games non Sunday.  At the end of the day, we'll see how they did.  Time to go.

I made it!  Yesterday it snowed, last might it snowed, and I made it.  Mary handled the bulk of the shoveling and I did the man's work of using the snow blower.  By way of information, a blower is usually one stage and simpler, whereas a thrower is usually two stage and more complicated.  As a rule, electrics are likely to be blowers rather than throwers.  Two stages means that they use an auger to pull the snow in and another fast moving part to throw the snow.  I know, more than you needed to know, but I got carried away.  Anyway, I cleared the driveway while Mary cleared the deck and front porch/sidewalk area.  A nice division of labor.  We get to do it all again today.  Met a nice guy yesterday and ordered some new shoes, long enough and wide enough to fit my feet comfortably.  Unbelievable, but this company actually goes up to size 20, 6E in many styles.  Mary was kind enough to go along, as she and I know what would happen if I were left to my own devices.  I'd get some funky style/color, or I would get nothing at all, because I would be too cheap to spend the money.  She knows me well.  That's enough for now, the tea is calling,

Well, its happened again.  The day started before I was ready.  I guess that when you don't pay attention, things can sneak up on you.  Wednesday was an eventful day.  As I mentioned in yesterday's meanderings, I took Sugar to her doctor.  The first visit went well.  Her weight was perfect as was her overall health.  She had her shots, the bill was north of $300.00 and she is good for another year, or at least so I thought.  By early afternoon, it was obvious that Sugar was having a bad reaction to the shots.  She was groggy, limping, and I felt like I had done her wrong.  I called the doctor's office and told them what was happening.  I was asked to return Sugar to their office for observation.  She was feeling better when we got there, but they still decided that she needed some Benadril and to be kept for a few hours of observation,  Meanwhile, I had a doctor's appointment of my own.  Got there in time with the help of Mary, had the x-rays of my feet and knees and I was off to the orthopedic doctor.  Got good news there.  Yes, my feet are old, but still functional.  Yes, my knees are old, but nothing is structurally wrong.  What I have is wear and tear of daily life for 60 years.  But, I will be getting shots for a few weeks to build up the good fluid in my knees.  I also got a referral to the orthotics  provider for some better shoes.  That comes up on Friday.  So, I would have to say that yesterday was a split decision.  I got good news and excellent treatment by Dr. Rick Baszler and the entire staff at Grand Haven Bone and Joint.   Sugar got excellent care from Dr. Bytwerk and the staff at Haven Animal Hospital.  Very caring people and now that the crisis has passed, Sugar is feeling much better today.  Well, I guess it is time to get on with life here in GH.  I'm retired and I feel as though I never have enough time.  What a city.

The Dawn of a New Day

Another day is about to dawn here in GH.  I'm up early today because I have to take Sugar to see her new doctor at 9:00 AM.  Mary said it could wait until the doctor came back to town late next week, but anyone who knows me knows that I treat Sugar like a regular member of the family.  Like most of us, she doesn't like going to the doctor, but I always tell her it is for her own good.  I doubt that she believes me.  Time for her annual shots, a check of her weight, and a regular checkup.  She also needs a pedicure and to have her prescriptions refilled.  There goes another two hundred.  Oh well. I think I should get her a healthcare plan too.  I wonder if the Republicans would object.  Snow has been basically nonexistent her in western Michigan.  A storm is expected tomorrow afternoon that will likely give us less than one inch of accumulation.  Today, the high is expected to approach 50 degrees.  Go figure, but I know that everyone is having a sale on snow blowers.  I see guys driving around with snowplows hanging off both ends of their trucks.  What's that old saying, nowhere to go, and lots of time to get there.  The cook at Tip -a- Few Tavern at Franklin and the River was talking earlier in the fall about getting his truck ready for the snow season.  Looks like it didn't need to be rush job.  I got to use my new snow blower once so far.  I doubt that this will be a lasting condition, but I do know that people here are saying this is the least snow since 2009.  It turned out to be a righteous decision to stay in town this winter.  Oh well, time to get ready to go.  Later.

Just Drifting

Well, another day dawns here in the city of Grand Haven, my new home.  Each day seems better than the last.  I guess you could say that the best things in life really are free.  Mary, my wife, my dog, Sugar, and I, moved to Grand Haven in the fall of 2011.  Having visited here before, we had fallen in love with this place and when it came time for me to retire, it was the logical choice.  Sugar and I will be walking this morning to the local independent book store, The Bookman, located at 715 Washinbgton in Grnd Haven, to pick up the morning paper.  Just getting the chance to enjoy being out on the town is joyful in itself.  Incidentally, The Bookman is like the local branch of the bank, a place that welcomes Sugar with a morning biscuit, something I know that she appreciates.  I met the local barber, Joe, the other day.  He is about one block from my house and he runs a one-man shop at Washington and Seventh, that is open three days per week.  It doesn't get much better than that.   Mary and I counted the other day, and we figure that there are between 20 and 30 places in which to grab lunch or breakfast within walking distance.  I know that this is the day of the first Republican primary in the nation, but somehow, that just isn't all that important right now.   Well, that's enough for now.   I'll see what the day has to offer.