Good morning GH.  A quick glance out the Weather Window shows the sun on the rise and partially hazy skies.  Current temperature on the desktop is 69 degrees, so it is cooler outside than in right now.  I should mention that after running the A/C for a whole day, Mary and I were afraid that we would have to call a repairman in the middle of the hottest day.  Fortunately, I realized that there might be a circuit breaker in the box in the man cave, and sure enough there was, and it was set to the off position.  One quick flip and voila, the outside unit came on and the air began to cool.  Sugar the Weather Dog and the rest of us can now rest easier.  Sugar is once again in lazy mode, and of course, when she felt a slight switch in the outdoor temperature during her afternoon walk yesterday, she was ready to head home.  Now all I have to remember to do is to turn off that same circuit breaker this fall and cover the unit.  Had some difficulties with my new internet radio, and after being on the phone with the cable people for over an hour, (a part of my life I can never get back), I full realized that they were all incompetent boobs.  One even suggested that they would need to cut my speed back to 15 Mbps vs. 30 Mbps so that the radio could work with the network.  Finally, I used the online chat service for the maker of the radio who assured me that the cable people were softballs, something I had suspected, but had not confirmed.  The nice young lady at the maker told me how to do a factory reset which confirmed another suspicion, the unit was defective.  So, I arranged to ship the unit back to the people who sold it to me and since they would only reimburse $5.64 for shipping, the whole episode cost me $.66.  I will be getting a new one, and I hope it works.  Seems that Adam, Mary, Steph and I are not alone when it comes to defective products and incompetent boobs.  Meanwhile, it is...Tea time.

Good morning GH.  Well, another hot one is in store for Western Michigan.  However, the forecast from the Weather Window is for a clear day that doesn't show much promise of rain.   Current temperature on the desktop is 67 degrees.  Sugar the Weather Dog is still in her bed, an indicator that she doesn't have much planned that is outdoors, except for her morning/afternoon walks.  I had a good, then bad, then good experience yesterday.  I assembled my new poster into my new frame and then hung it on the wall.  That was good.  Unfortunately, one minute later, it fell to the floor and the glass cracked into several shards, the poster was ruined, and I was out about $50.00.  That was bad.  But, I sent an email to the company about what had happened and they got back to me within an hour and offered to refund my money, including the cost of the poster.  That was good.  So, if you are ever in the market for a poster frame from a company that stands behind their products, give me a shout and I can put you onto them.  This is a great example of excellent customer service, unlike the people at the cable company.  Today, I intend to relax more.  I want to stay out of the heat, and just do some puzzles and reading.  No long walks in the heat, no crashing poster frames, no corresponding feeling lousy in the PM.  I should mention, that the SCOTUS gave us all a surprise, especially the conservative news channel people and the people at the channel that is supposed to be really fair and balanced.  They were both in such a hurry to be first, that they were first to get it wrong.  Fortunately, they recovered quickly and blamed it all on the SCOTUS.  Also, the POTUS resisted the urge toi gloat.  So, until something else happens, it is...Tea time.

Good morning GH.  Well, as I gaze out the Weather Window at 6:15 in the AM, it is currently 73 degrees on the desktop and the sun is beginning its daily rise over our fair city.  Sugar the Weather Dog is still fast asleep, as is Mary, and the skies show no sign of cloudiness.  The National Weather Service is expecting the hottest day in Western Michigan this year, and of course, with that comes an "Ozone Alert" due to the heat.  There is a slight possibility of rain tonight, but that is slim, and the best chance, such as it is, is for tomorrow.  The radio news people are crowing about how super the weather will be for the Fourth of July, while at the same time bemoaning the fact that we must all be careful to not burn the state down with fireworks.  Funny how those two things seem to conflict.  Had a scare with the internet service yesterday, as after the cable guy had left, many of our internet devices didn't work properly.  We spent more than an hour on the phone trying to achieve a resolution, and of course, they wanted to blame our computers, our printer, etc.  Finally, they offered a small credit for the nuisance factor.  Anyway, in desperation, we turned off everything and rebooted, whereupon the equipment began to operate correctly.  Mary suggested that they should all have a sign in their cubicles that reads "Tell the people to turn everything off and that should solve the problem."  Today, my plan and that of Mary, is to stay indoors and out of the ozone alert area.  However, we must walk Sugar and water the new seed and other plants.  So, that pretty much sums up our day.  Meanwhile, it is...Tea time.

Good morning GH. It is currently 10:00 AM here in our fair city.  I am a bit later than usual, but that's because I had to wait for the cable guy to bring a new box.  All seems to be well, and I am supposed to have 30 vs. 15 Mbps.  Who knows for sure?  It is working better than it did.  Current temperature on the desktop is 71 degrees, and skies are cloud free.  The expectation is for 90 plus degrees tomorrow, and then back down into the 70s and 80s.  Who says that Global Climate Change is a hoax?    I dunno, just ask the people who live in Florida or Colorado, and of course, drought stricken Michigan.  Sugar the Weather Dog was herself a bit under the weather the last couple of days.  But, Mary thinks, and I concur, that too many bones are too many bones.  Our newly completed patio looks great.  Pictures on Mary's blog.  Now, Mary wants to finish putting in bark chips and a hydrangea in her flower bed out in right field.  This sounds more like work than I care to contemplate.  Now, for the real purpose of today's blog.   I just started a new book, entitled Engines of Change, by Paul Ingrassia, a former Detroit Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal.  He is a defacto car guy, and his new book chronicles A History of the American Dream in Fifteen Cars.  He devotes a lot of space to Corvettes, if anybody is interested in those cars.  I have just begun, but his introduction reached out to me, so it should be a good read, and a must-have for all car guys.  I checked mine out of the local library, but someone who was interested could get one at: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Engines+of+change.  Otherwise, not much to report.  I have already had my...Tea time.

Good morning GH.  It is closing on 6:00 AM here in our fair city and the truth is that it is still too dark to really see anything outside the Weather Window.  Sugar the Weather Dog  is still in her bed, and all is right with the world.  I can safely report that the desktop temperature is 54 chilly degrees this morning, quite a change from the ninety degrees plus of the previous week, but I think that I like this better.  Mary and I walked Sugar yesterday, but as the day wore on, I developed a strain or pull in my calf, which limited my mobility some.  I'd like to attribute it to age, but most likely it is due to improper warm-up stretches by yours truly.  I stopped down and started the dishwasher late last night, and I went to be about 11:30.  Otherwise, I read some, worked a few crossword puzzles and didn't accomplish much.  Our garden is looking great, and Mary and I mowed the lawn where we anticipate the cucumbers will be going next, in spite of their hanging beginnings.  Spent some time on the front porch, and Mary, Sugar and I all agree, it doesn't get much better than this.  Sugar chewed her bone for awhile, even though Mary told her she wasn't getting one, so even though Adam says that Sugar has me wrapped around her paw, Sugar also has Mary wrapped too.  Otherwise, not much is happening today.  I plan to go to the pharmacy to retrieve my pills and then not much else.  So, even though I risk repeating myself it is....Tea time.

Good morning GH.  Well, for the umpteenth time, this computer has frustrated my efforts to effectively blog. I thought I had published this blog, but apparently, the computer disagrees with me.  Of course, I am pretty certain that it is something I did with my overly large fingers, but that is how it goes sometimes.  As I gaze out the Weather Window, it is dawning as a clear, but cold beginning for what promises to be a beautiful day.  A cloudless blue sky is evident and the desktop temperature is showing 54 chilly degrees. Sugar the Weather Dog is still in her bed, and I probably should be.  Mary was up early, so I can't say that she caused me to arise early.  I think that when you wake up, it is time to get up sometimes.  After walking Sugar yesterday, I developed a pull or strain in my calf muscle, probably due to inadequate warm up exercises.  I will have to change that today.  I have to go to the pharmacy and pick up my prescriptions, and that is about all I need to do today.  Otherwise, I learned that property tax notices go out in July and taxes are due in September.  Mary and I mowed the grass under the garden, so that the hanging cucumber will have a place to go when it reaches the ground in the next few days.  All in all, not much else is happening here this AM, so it is...Tea time.

Good morning GH.  It is nearly 7:00 AM here in the fair city and the current temperature on the desktop is a brisk 54 degrees.  Of course, Sugar the Weather Dog is still abed, and the view out the Weather Window is sunny and very clear; with not a cloud in the sky.  That's not a good thing unless you work outdoors for a living or if you are into other outdoor activities.  Yesterday was relatively uneventful.  We took Sugar the Weather Dog for a nice walk in the morning, going down by the Boardwalk, and then back through the city via Franklin and Washington.  I stopped off at the local bookseller and picked up the NY Times and the  Detroit Free Press and proceeded home for a morning of reading and resting.  Mary was working on the index, and when she finished, she walked Sugar and I edited the final draft.  No major problems were found, so it was sent to the publisher for printing.  In the afternoon, we had lunch, a fine effort by Mary and I actually did some good knitting and some not so good knitting.   I am improving though.  I can now get a knit and a purl correct, most of the time.  Now if I can just get rid of those extra stitches that Mary has to rescue me from periodically, I'll have it down.  (I think I coined a new meaning for the term double knit.)  In the late afternoon and early evening, we all went outside and enjoyed the view on the GH channel.  A few beers, a couple rum and cokes, and the channel looked great.  I started a new book about a guy who gets a minivan.  It is a humorous look at what happens to a man's life when he decides to stay home with his children and takes on the role normally assigned to the wife.  He finds that instead of a radar detector, that the electronic amenities in his minivan are a real boon.  If you like Dave Barry, Tom Bodett, or even Erma Bombeck, then you will like this book entitled Dan Gets a Minivan.  Now that I am not inebriated, it may seem different, but that remains to be seen.  Otherwise, Mary plans to sew my new skull cap today, and since it is already cut out and partially sewn, it should go well.  Me, it looks like a little watering, a little walking, possibly more knitting and guitar playing, and more reading.  Til then, are you ready, it is...Tea time.

Good morning GH.  It is currently 8:00 AM here in our fair city.  Current temperature on the desktop is 60 degrees, and Sugar the Weather Dog is bugging me to go out, though it is more likely that she really wants a biscuit.  Had a great afternoon in the Media Room watching the race from Road America.  The winner was less important than seeing the track to me.  Adam and Steph were there, but we didn't see them as the cars passed at over 100 MPH.  The front straight, Canada Corner, the Corvette Corral, Johnsonville Sausages, and of course, the bridge named for the race sponsor, Sargento Cheese, were all still there,  Life is good.  I had to wait for 10:00 PM for the Cubs to come on, so that meant that I couldn't stay awake.  You would think that I could, but sometimes you just have to give it up and go to bed.  Oh well, I guess that there are things about getting older that aren't as pleasant as I would want them to be.  However, I used to fall asleep when I was  younger, so maybe it isn't getting older, I am just staying the same.

I got my allergen report from the doctor's office, and lo and behold the unexpected, I am allergic to sesame.  I have been eating it for years and now this.  Who would have guessed.  Even the doctor was surprised.  Went for a bike ride in the PM, with the intent of going to the beach to see the sand sculptures, but too many people for the bikes to go around, so we went back to the art fair and looked around.  We didn't buy anything, but that meant we had money for other activities.  So, we stopped in at one of the watering holes on the main street in GH.  Later, as we were passing, we stopped in at the veterans club and had a couple of bottles of beer.  The folks there were nice, as always.  Thanks Sally.  Today, I plan to do nothing.  Maybe read the Times, but that is about it.  So, that being said it is...Tea time.

Good morning GH.  It is just about 6:20 AM here in our fair city, and the view out the Weather Window is still not all that clear.  Of course, the sun won't be fully up for nearly another hour, but the current temperature on the desktop is 63 degrees and Sugar the Weather Dog is still fast asleep.  I would be, fast asleep that is, but sometimes when you wake up it is best just to get up.  I did get to the Y yesterday, but it was still kind of crowded at 4:00 PM.  I guess that with the summer, comes more people.  I'll have to try various times during the open/lap swim times to see if there is any difference.   Today, I plan to finish my housework, vacuuming, and then do some crossword puzzles.  However, I think I first need to go to the butcher shop to get some new bones for Sugar the Weather Dog, so that when I am sitting out of doors, Sugar can join me and enjoy herself too.  I can't save the bones each day, because our intrepid Weather Dog likes to eat them in the grass and then leave them for the ants to find.  Recently, she quickly figured out that she doesn't enjoy trying to fend the ants off of her old rediscovered bone.  The other day, she was torn.  She was chewing away on her bone, when she heard the barking sound of a small dog.  It must have reminded her of Shelly, a dog who visited her in the fall of last year and who had tried to "steal" one of her old, dried up bones, and so she wanted to chase Shelly away, but also continue to chew on her current bone.  What a quandary she was in.  She finally decided to let the unseen "bone thieves" lie, and went back to chewing her bone.  It was worth the price of admission.  But I digress.  New bones are in order, and it is my responsibility to solve the problem.  Maybe I can combine a bike ride with a trip to the butcher.  There, I just solved two family problems,  Otherwise, not much on tap for the remainder of the day.  Perhaps a little editing or guitar playing, but those are pursuits of work and pleasure.  So now, wait for it, it is...Tea time.

Good morning GH.  Another beautiful day is dawning her in Grand Haven.  The current temperature on the desktop is 74 degrees, and the skies only have a few wispy clouds.  Sugar the Weather Dog is lying about on the floor this AM, so her contribution has been limited, unless you count the fact that she lent her belly for two belly rubs this morning, a significant contribution, I think.

I met with the young man I am tutoring last evening, and he is very nice and very eager.  It should be a productive association.

Today, I plan to ride my bike to the Y and do some swimming, although I have to try another time slot, because between the Day Campers exiting the building, and the lunchtime swimmers overwhelming the pool, it was a bit much on Monday.  I got my few hairs cut yesterday and also had my beard trimmed, but, that is a shorter process for me as some can imagine.  All of these plans are predicated on my completing my housework this morning.  So, it must therefore be...Tea time.

Good morning GH.  Well, it is 7:00 AM here in the city, and the breeze through the Weather Window feels great.  The current outdoor temperature, according to the desktop, is 77 degrees.  Sugar the Weather Dog is still just lying around, but that is just a sign that she is tired.  Today, she will get a workout as we walk to the post office and the farmer's market. Yesterday, Sugar the Weather Dog and I walked to the vet. She had to ger her bordatella booster. The young women in the vet's office thought she was so cute and soft. Amazing what a bath can do. I took a picture of their Arf Walk dog.

Last evening, we made dinner on the grill. Mary chopped, I grilled, a nice division of labor. Adam is right the natural charcoal is much better than those other kinds. I realized, that I hadn't grilled anything o a charcoal grill in years, so it was a new thing for me. Nothing that a pint of lighter fluid couldn't fix. Sugar the Weather Dog was enjoying her last bone in the grass. We will have to get more.

This evening is dancing by the river, but I have to go to my first session of tutoring. I thing that tutoring of another human being in the basic skills has great importance. I hope that we can agree on the best course of action so that he gets what he needs. Otherwise, not much on tap for the day, except for a haircut/beard trim, so it is shower time and then...Tea time.

Good morning GH.  It looks as though the National Weather Service is going to be right, at least this time.  As I gaze out the Weather Window, to paraphrase the words of the old cowboy song, "The skies are not cloudy all day."  Plus, the temperature on the desktop is already a sultry 73 degrees at 6:45 AM.  That is a sure sign that the day will be a warm one.  Sugar the Weather Dog and I have an appointment at her doctor this AM for her Bordetella booster shot. She is just like a baby, and I have to be sure she is properly cared for.  I took her for a walk yesterday in the AM, just before the storm, and when she heard the first crack of thunder, she was off to the races to get home and hide.  She had that same reaction in the evening to a thunder clap, but we didn't get much in the way of rain from that storm.    Had a long train go through this AM, about 5:00.  hey seem to be conscious of the tie-ups that can come from long trains.  For all of you car enthusiasts, here is a link to follow.  http://www.grandhavenjaycees.org/?p=427.  This is for our downtown Grand Haven car show, and it promises to be a good one, including a Classic Cruise as a fundraiser for the Grand River Greenway project.  I recommend it to all.  I need to mention, that Mary and I walked over to the cable office the other day and arranged to get the sports package that includes baseball, car stuff, and of course if comes with the NFL and college football.  I have already enjoyed two baseball games, especially the one last night in which my beloved Cubs beat the White Sox.  It doesn't get any better than that unless the my beloved Red Sox win and the Yankees lose.  Otherwise it is...Tea time.

Good morning GH.  I was greeted by cloudy skies this AM as I looked out the Weather Window.  Current desktop temperature is 66 degrees. Sugar the Weather Dog is still lying on the floor, so she hasn't any sense of impending severe weather.  Yesterday afternoon, she ran to the downstairs bathroom and we thought that it was weather related, however, upon further review, we decided it was fireworks.  I feel so sorry for her, because she knows she is scared and she doesn't really know why.  Today, I plan to go to the local dog food store for a collar for Ragus, and also to the local big box hardware and lumber store for a plastic trowel to do the cement work I have planned.  Then it is off to the Y for an afternoon swim session.  Both of these journeys are planned for a bicycle.  I may sneak in a stop at the beach, depending on the Y.  I also have to call my student for the reading program and set up a meeting with him for one evening this week.  I am excited that I can finally begin to be a help to the community.  Overall, my day is beginning with Cheerios and apples and a walk for Sugar the Weather Dog.  She needs the walk and so do I.  However, as ou can imagine, that is after...Tea time.  Oh, by  the by, I tried to include a picture of my horseradish garden in the blog today.  My first foray into picture posting obviously didn't go well.  Maybe tomorrow.

Good morning GH.  Well, I made it, another Father's Day is here, and so am I.  No complaints from me.  Sugar the Weather Dog is still abed and Mary is downstairs working.  Current desktop temperature is 67 degrees and as I look out the Weather Window, the skies are cloudy and the ground is wet.  Just like my Weather Rock predicted, the rains came.  Of course, Mary and Sugar the Weather Dog had a good predictive capacity yesterday afternoon.  At the first sign of a pressure change, Sugar the Weather Dog was off to the bathroom for a hideout.  Mary looked for her, and found her there.  So, I guess that Mary was the first to know, right after Sugar.  Me, I was on my way back from the library following a nice session of trying to play some Irish music.  I kept up pretty well though.  Today, we pplan a little antiquing in Holland and then Mary has to work more.  Right now, it is...Tea time.

Good morning GH.  It is about 7:45 AM, and the Weather Window is reporting a sultry day afoot.  Sugar the Weather Dog is still dozing, but I think she may still be experiencing "Camp Lag,"  Currently, the temperature on the desktop is showing 67 degrees, and that leads me to forecast with the help of Sugar and my Weather Window a warn day.  I use Sugar's input in this instance because as a dog, she is attuned to the  weather and lays around more on a hot and humid day.  Our deck and porch work were completed yesterday and they look great.  I picked up some patch for the concrete around the outdoor exit to the man-cave, and I'll get to that when the weather is more comfortable next week.  Today, Mary and I will be walking with Sugar the Weather Dog to the "Farmer's Market: for some fresh vegetables and cheeses.  Additionally, I enjoyed the cheese that Adam and Steph left behind this past week.  As we pass the Masonic hall, we plan to donate some funds for Paws for a Cause, to benefit people who need service dogs.  I plan to go play some additional Irish music this PM at the library and return a book or two while there.  All in all, a busy day.  Right ow however, it is...Tea time.

Good morning GH.  Truly, it is a good morning.  A quick forecast update.  Outside the Weather Window, the sun is shining and the skies are only partly cloudy.   Sugar the Weather Dog is back on the job, and she is predicting a beautiful day in GH.  Currently, the temperature on the desktop is showing 64 degrees, and the National Weather Service forecast for Grand Rapids is a high in the upper 80s today and lower 90s for tomorrow.  That usually means that our temperatures are somewhat lower, due to the proximity of the "Big Lake."  Today, I have very little planned.  I have to take some time to work on my guitar playing, in preparation for the Irish music session on Saturday afternoon.  I found the lyrics for a couple of songs I wanted and I had Mary e-mail the links to my little corner of the server.  Stopped in at one of our favorite watering holes yesterday afternoon and discovered that Adam and Steph had also been there earlier in the week.  Sent off the item to Staph yesterday, and now all I can hope is that when they visit the race track, that they will remember to pick up a 2012 version of the T-shirt, size 2XXL that goes with my others.  I need to keep the set intact and continuous.  I can't be there physically this year, but I will be there in spirit, so I think a shirt is appropriate.  This year's shirts should be out by this time, if not, a generic shirt with this year's date would be good.  I need to ride my bike over to the pharmacy this AM and pick up a prescription, but that is the extent of my plans for now.  Otherwise, it is.....Tea time.

Good morning GH.  It sure feels good to be back after a long train ride from the East coast.  The weather report from the Weather Window says Beautiful!  Sugar the Weather Dog is still at camp, so her input will have to wait for tomorrow.  Current desktop temperature shows 53 degrees.  A short note on  our recent trip to Rockland, Maine, for a cruise aboard the J & E Riggin schooner.  Mary and I took a knitting cruise along the coast of Maine.  Wow!  I learned how to knit, at least in a newbie sense, and I also learned about the schooner herself and the people who sail her.  Meals were great, and we were accommodated in our vegetarian and allergy senses quite well.  I had considered trying lobster at the lobster bake we had one evening, but after my latest brush with a severe allergic reaction to what is likely chick peas, I decided that the idea of shellfish, a known allergen, was just too chancy.  Oh well, maybe in another life.  Took a nice tour of Boston while we were there for a few days, and found the pub with the cheap drafts along the way.  As always, Mary and I decided that Boston is a great walking city with its community gardens, great parks, the Freedom Trail, and the discovery of a place that serves killer breakfast food.  All in all, a great experience, except for some of the train delays.  Well, many things to do today, so it is...Tea time.

Good morning GH.  My thanks to Sugar the Weather Dog for filling in yesterday.  I decided at the last minute to take the day off, so Sugar graciously agreed to take over for the day.  I don't know about you, but I think she  did a great job.  A quick look out the Weather Window shows me that the skies are partly cloudy, and there there appears to be no precipitation.  Current temperature on the desktop is 51 degrees, a bit better than yesterday, but still cool.  Predictions are for improving temperatures in the coming week.  Sugar has decided to stay in bed this AM, but I doubt if much is happening, since she stayed there all night, showing no signs of impending storms.  Yesterday, I cooked lunch in Mary's kitchen, and even she had to admit with just a little assistance, I did a pretty good stir fry.  I even cleaned up after lunch, as Mary finished an indexing project she was working on.  I had already dusted in the AM, and then in the PM, we met with our local attorney to get our Michigan versions of our Powers of Attorney signed.  We followed up with a stop at Grand Haven's best kept secret, split a vegetable burrito, which we have proclaimed as the best in the city, and then headed home.  Of course, Sugar the Weather Dog  was impatiently awaiting her dinner, because as I'm certain she noted in her blog, she hasn't any thumbs, so she can't get it for herself.  We had a moment of pre-trip panic when we thought we wouldn't be able to make a bus connection, but, as it turns out, the terminal is just across the street.  Today, we need to go to the Farmer's Market for some cheese curds, then stop at Sugar's camp for a visit, and finally go to the landscaper and make the final arrangements for our new patio area.  A never ending supply of things to do.  I should mention that the price of gasoline continues to fall here in GH, with local prices for unleaded currently at $3.62 per gallon.  Meanwhile, it is...Tea time.

Woof!, Oops. I meant Good Morning GH.  Sugar the Weather  Dog here.  Jack is taking the day off, so in spite of my lack of thumbs, I am filling in this AM.  As you know Jack always starts out with a weather report, so I thought that I would do the same, although from a somewhat different angle.  It is 47 degrees on the desktop, although I really don't have any idea what 47 degrees are.  I did have a chance to look out the Weather Window this AM, and I can report that what the man on the radio says is true, it is raining in West Michigan today.  That puts a damper on outdoor activities.  I'm sure that Jack has told you how much I don't like anything that is wet, so I won't be into a long walk today.  However, I can safely say that it isn't making those loud noises that sometimes come with rain storms and scare me half out of my mind.  I know that it scares Jack and Mary too, but even though I need to be strong for them, sometimes I just end up in the bathroom shaking, and scaring Mary half to death herself in the middle of the night.  Some things just can't be helped.   Yesterday was a great day to be a dog.  Jack and I took a nice walk and of course we had to go through Central Park.  Our first stop was the Post Office, where Jack did some writing and talked to the nice lady behind the counter.  He seemed pleased, but I didn't get any handouts there.  Of course, I had to make a deposit of my own, at the outdoor spot I like, and then Jack, responsible human that he seems to be, cleaned up my transaction and we were off.  Next, we went to the bank, and let me just say that those people really appreciate my business.  I not only made a withdrawal, but they gave Jack an additional treat for later.  I think Jack got something too, but that isn't anything I care much about.   Afterwards, we had to find a place to get the morning newspaper, something that I help them do everyday.  That was hard.  Jack kept saying something about there being no papers int the boxes downtown.  I don't know, but it meant that we had to go all the way back to our usual store to get the paper.  A long walk on my short legs, let me tell you.  We set out for home after I tried several times to share thoughts with my townies.  Jack seemed to be willing to walk more, but I think he was getting tired of walking too.  I should mention how much that leash thing I have to wear slows my activities.  I once heard Jack say that he would be devastated if anything ever happened to me, so I guess that my urge to run across nearly every street in the city to meet my townies will always have to wait.  Whew, I have to say that not having thumbs makes using this keyboard much harder, sort of like trying to open a package of biscuits.  I think I am tired now, so even though I have more to bark about, I'll stop here and say that thing that Jack always seems to end with.  It is Tea time.