Good early morning GH.  It is just after 8:00 AM here in our snow covered city.  Currently, the temperature display on the desktop shows 37 degrees.  Sugar the Weather Dog is sleeping next to our bed right now, more about that later.  Yes, I said snow covered, because we finally have enough snow to cover everything and it has stuck for several days.  This is a good thing when you consider our low lake levels both here in Western Michigan, and across much of our nation. Currently, the Mississippi River is so low that barge traffic is restricted and it may even have to be curtailed.

Where the Missouri meets "Old Man River," they found a WWII minesweeper that must have been carried there in some past storm.  No one knew it was there.  On the other hand, parts of Oregon and California, are expecting full reservoirs from snow melt, so there is no consistency, unless you count inconsistency as being consistent.

Today, I have to edit an index for Mary and I want to do some cooking with the able assistance of my sous chef/ Weather Dog, Sugar.  We have no plans for New Year's Eve, except to go to bed early, which has become our new normal 

Last night, I was wide awake, so Mary and I watched Midnight in Paris, and I enjoyed it in its entirety.  A great statement on the city of Paris, and of course, on why everyone needs to experience the City of Light at least once in their lives.

Otherwise, not much is happening.  Sugar is back to her new odd sleeping habits, so I guess that I spoke too soon.  Is she being predictive in her job as Sugar the Weather Dog?  I doubt it, unless she is anticipating the fallout from going over the "Fiscal Cliff."  So, until next time, Ill just say Ciao and get ready for...Tea time.

Good very early morning GH.  It is just after 12:00 AM in the morning, and the view out the Weather Window is darker than not.  I got up because I awoke, and then rather than just lay there, I decided to blog a bit and then I could more easily go back to sleeping.  We shall see.

Good news, when I got up, Sugar the Weather Dog was in her bed, which for both of us is a good thing.  Maybe she is over whatever was bugging her.  It could be that Steph was right.  Or, it could be that we physically changed her bed. Or, it could be neither.  Sometimes, dogs are like those people whom they call inscrutable.  Whatever.

Right now, I am listening to the radio station from Battle Creek.  Typically, the station is playing a syndicated talk show, but that is the wave of the future I fear.  At least it isn't a political talk show. However, the station usually is dominated by right wing talkers according to their web site.  I have found that to be the case here in West Michigan.  In this case, there is a young lady talking about computers and security software.  She is recommending that the person to whom she is speaking get something to protect her new computer.  Good advice, but sometimes I think that the people who sell security software are the same people who write all those malicious viruses; create a market?  Just a thought.

Otherwise, not much is happening.  Mid-winter here in West Michigan is quiet, and that in itself is a good thing.  No bright lights, no shows, just snow and cold.  However, we do have gambling, so in that way we are like Las Vegas.  But here, the attraction is that the casinos are owned by the local tribes and they are warm.  However, I don't have the urge to go, so neither is a reason to compel me.  So, until next time, I'll just say Ciao and go back to bed and wait for Up and POTUS in the later morning along with...Tea time.

Good morning GH. It is about 4:20 AM. in the morning here in our fair city. Currently the temperature on the desktop and in the window display is 29 chilly degrees. The view out the Weather Window is dark. Sugar the Weather Dog is once again in the bathroom. Per Steph's thoughts, we did move her bed away from the window, and she did try laying in it, but that didn't last. Oh well, we'll have to try something else.

Late yesterday afternoon, we stopped at the Post to see Sally, and the other folks who were there. However, given the fact that we actually had our first real snow, we decided to drive. And speaking of driving, yesterday when I was out, I got to try out the anti-lock brakes on the car. Unfortunately, I still managed to slide through an intersection. Let's just say I was more careful after that. I was glad to make it home. Right after I finish this blog, I'm going to do a survey for the store where I bought my groceries and things, and I do have some comments for them. They need to get some can redemption machines that actually work full-time. I have asked, and they say that they don't get a response when they ask, but maybe if I mention it often enough in my surveys, someone higher up will pay attention. All of this could be avoided if the people of our state would recycle, but alas, that seems unlikely.

So this morning after I go back to bed, our plans are to get up and watch UP with Chris Hayes. Of course, we will be using our UP mugs during…Tea time. It has become our go to program on weekends. We'll probably repeat that effort on Sunday, except when we cut away to watch Meet the Press, where the POTUS is scheduled to appear and talk about the fiscal cliff. I think we spend way too much time talking. But that's one of the things that we do in this country, we talk everything to death.

So, until I decide to get up in the morning, I'll offer this on life.  Be kind to your friends. Be kind to others, and most of all, be kind to the people you love. Life will be a lot nicer that way. So, until the morning or tomorrow, I'll just say Ciao.

Good morning GH.  Currently, the temperature on the desktop is 24°.  It is about 5:10 in the A.M. here in our fair city.  The view out the Weather Window is, wait for it, dark.  Sugar the Weather Dog is sleeping in the bathroom once again.  I still don't get it.

As I mentioned in my blog yesterday, my student canceled, so Mary and I went downtown to run some errands.  We went to the bank, and then to our favorite watering hole.  It is much quieter here in the off-season.  Some of the locals say that we have a tourist problem, but I think that we are just a small town that is off season right now.  Most of the people who work in the bars and restaurants will tell you that they have a need for tourism and the money they bring to our town, but that the tourists consume a lot of energy.

I was trying to decide if we are a suburb, or just a rural small town.  I don't think we are rural, because we are close to so many things and highways.  But, we really don't fit the definition of a suburb, because the nearest big city is Grand Rapids.  I guess that it just depends on how you define a suburb.

Today, I have to go to the pharmacy and pick up a prescription.  I had another message from the people who are making my eyeglasses, and they tell me they're just about ready to ship them.  One can only hope.

Otherwise, not much is happening.  I need to do some laundry today, again, but that's about it. So, until it is… Tea time, I'll just say, Ciao.

Good afternoon GH.  I made it, it is now just past 2:30 PM.  The view out the Weather Window is wispy clouds and the sun is trying to shine.  Currently, the temperature on the desktop display and in the Weather Window display is 35 brisk, but comfortable degrees.  Sugar the Weather Dog thought it was just fine outside.  I still don't know what is bothering her, but she still refuses to sleep in her bed at night.  We came back from our afternoon walk about 1/2 hour ago, and then I picked up the branches that were felled by the high winds the other day.  I hope that by putting them in a yard waste bag that the refuse people won't refuse to take them.  A nice play on word forms, I think.

Otherwise, I have nothing to do this afternoon.  My student called to say he wasn't feeling well, and that he had to cancel for this afternoon.  So, that leaves my day's end free. I am currently listening to internet radio.  I like this use of the bandwidth.  I will probably play my guitar some, and then read.  Tea time was good this morning, and the newly discovered vegetarian Italian sausages we discovered the other day were delicious for lunch.  Mary made them just right, and believe me, it is easy to make them wrong.  We had a salad with the sausages, and that made the meal complete.  I should mention that Mary made fried egg sandwiches on English muffins for breakfast, and they were also good.  So, until I have more to say, Ciao.

Good morning GH.  The view out the Weather Window is kind of bleak this morning.  The skies are gray, the temperature on the desktop display is showing 27 degrees, and other than that, not much is happening.  The kids are still off from school, so they aren't up to much either.

I simply have to comment on our Christmas day.  It was pure and simply, the best we have had in a long time.  As some of you may know, while I do like traveling, I also am quite the homebody.  I didn't get the traveling bug like Mary did when she was young, due I'm sure in large measure to the fact that her mother worked for the airlines.  They got to fly around the world for free. or at least at very low cost.  I remember when Mary and I were first dating, I asked about the Playboy Club in downtown Chicago.  She replied in a casual fashion, "Once you have seen the one in London, England, the rest are just a repeat."  I don't think she meant it in a negative way, it was just a matter of fact observation.  But, when I was a kid, I could honestly say that I had never been farther north than Minnesota, farther south than Springfield, IL, nor farther west than the Mississippi River.  My parents never traveled.  Maybe when my dad went to England for WWII, he got enough of traveling.  Or, maybe we just didn't have the money.  Whatever, I didn't feel deprived, nor even curious.

I still remember my first plane ride.  I was maybe eighteen or nineteen years old, and a friend and I took a quick flight with his flight instructor, something I never dreamed about.  We flew over Chicago, and when the my friend mentioned Wrigley Field, the instructor turned the plane on its side so we could get a better view.  I wasn't scared, just fascinated.  My next ride on a plane had to wait until I was in my thirties, when I flew for business to Indianapolis, IN.  Once I got on the plane and took off, it was cool.  Mary thought that people who flew on such a small plane had to be crazy.

But, I digress.  I got a way cool John Wayne ornament from his role in  Rio Bravo, Sugar got a package of biscuits, and Mary got something it turned out she really liked, a set of four prep bowls for her kitchen.  We both liked this Christmas more than most others we could remember.  We watched some movies, ate too much, and then finished off the evening watching National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.  When we all finally went to bed, Sugar still wouldn't sleep in her bed, and I doubt that she even knows why.  So, here we are at a new day, and I am satisfied that we spent some time as just us, our little nuclear family, Jack, Mary, and Sugar on Christmas.  So, now it is...Tea time.

Oh, as an aside, I registered both Mary and myself for an audition on a TV game show.

Good early Christmas morning GH.  In spite of what the date setting shows, it is nearly 3:00 AM on Christmas morning.  In spite of all the help suggestions, I still can't find the right place to change the settings.  Maybe in the future.  Surprise, even on an early Christmas morning, when I look out the Weather Window, it is dark.  However, it is unlikely that there will be a side of train. Currently, the temperature on the desktop display is somewhere around 22 degrees, and the predicted high for the day, according to Weather.com, is 34 degrees.  As Mary often says, as long as we don't have snow covered sidewalks, this is still the place to be.  Sugar the Weather Dog is still sleeping  but once again, she is sleeping next to the bed. She gave that up last night, but now she is back, go figure.  Her predictive abilities are being skewed by some disturbance in the force. So, her input is limited.

We had a nice visit with one of our local bartenders, and we wished he and his fellows a merry Christmas.  Personally, I want to wish the entire planet peace on Earth.  Holidays have a way of renewing the spirit.  I am often reminded of that whenever I talk to the younger generation. So full of hope for the future, and so full of both anticipation and lack of regret.  For them, there is only tomorrow, and they know in their hearts, that it will be better than today.  I like that spirit.

For me, there is the joy of just being.  Mary is my raison d'etre, which roughly translated from the French, means my reason for existence.  It may not be my job to take care of her, but nearly forty years ago, I promised both Mary and her mother that I would do my best.  I like to think that I have, and she is easily my better half.  As someone might say in Spanish, Feliz Navidad, Prospero Anno Nuevo!!!  Sorry for the lack of diacritical marks, but I am not that skilled at the keyboard. But, the sentiment is there, I hope. For Stephany and Adam, I wish all the best in the coming new year. Stephany has that new job thing and that is all good, I hope.  To know them, is to love them. For a very special dog, I hope that all is good in your world.  It can be hard being adopted, just ask Mary, but we have tried to give you a good home.  I hope that more of your posse has a similar fate, and soon.

Today, is the day we celebrate life, and all of its promises.  Let the word go forth, that it is time to be good to each other, and hold hands more than we have in the past.  We truly are all in this together.  As Hillary famously said, and for which she was too often derided. "It takes a village." So, until the morning rolls around with...Tea time, Happy Christmas to all.  Ciao.

Good morning GH.  It is about 3:45 in the morning, and I got up because I did, no real reason.  A quick look out the weather window here on this early Monday morning, actually, Christmas Eve morning, shows me the usual, it's dark.  Currently, the temperature on the desktop is a brisk 23°.  Today was kind of interesting, we spent a good part of the afternoon reading the New York Times, and then went downtown for a quick dinner.

Yesterday morning for breakfast, I made one of my world-famous garbage potato dishes.  Like I told Mary, it's a secret family recipe, and just as soon as I find out the secret, I'll have it perfected.  Of course, that was following UP with Chris Hayes, which was accompanied by the usual… Tea time.  That we went for a walk to the local health food store along with Sugar the Weather Dog.  Speaking of Sugar the Weather Dog, she is currently sleeping next to the bed, for reasons known only to herself; perhaps a commentary on the weather, perhaps just a quirk, who knows.  The store didn't open until 12 o'clock, so Mary and I had to go back later without Sugar.  Since we were out, we went to the local bookstore to buy the New York Times, which I mentioned earlier.  Of course, Mary found a cookbook that she really liked, and we had to buy that too.  I probably have things a little out of order, but that's how I decided to write today, in a stream of consciousness style.  Well, actually just a disjointed style.

Not much on tap for today.  Maybe a little baking, probably some reading, and likely some guitar playing, and chances are, some laundry.  Of course, there will necessarily be… Tea time.  So unless something else comes up, I'll just say Ciao.

Good late evening GH.  It is approaching 12:00 here in GH, and I am up kind of late.  I fell asleep early, and then I awoke a few moments ago and decided I had to get up, or just lay there, so guess what, I got up.  As usual, at this hour it is dark out and the view out the Weather Window is limited.  But, that's to be expected.  Currently Sugar the Weather Dog is in her bed, and so her contribution to the forecast is to show by her inaction, that nothing big is on the horizon.  Last night, that wasn't the case.  Currently, our outdoor temperature is a not uncomfortable 34 degrees.

Mary and I visited the Post earlier and had a few Christmas cheers before coming home.  We had gone downtown to ship a package, so a stop at the Post seemed in order.   There was only one other person there when we arrived, but more trickled in, so Sally stayed open.  She was glad that starting next week, she can get back to her regular schedule of three days per week, instead of five.

I wish I had good news for Lions fans, but they succumbed to the Falcons tonight by thirteen points.  Just like the with Da Bears, I saved time by not watching.

Otherwise, the day started with UP with Chris, a scintillating two hours of talk and opinion.  We did in fact drink from our UP cups, and I had two Irish teas.  Some people like coffee, but I like tea in the AM.  Mary made French toast, and with real maple syrup, it was super.  Afterwards, she went to the grocery store while I walked Sugar, and I think I got the better part of the deal.  I like walking and I can live without the grocery store.  As usual, Mary reported that the can redemption machines were being cantankerous, but until they replace them, that is likely to continue.  I know they cost money, but since they have become a major headache to the customers, somebody has to take the bull by the horns and resolve the problem before the store loses customers to other "Big Box" grocery stores nearby.

So, until the morning and...Tea time comes, I'll just say Ciao.

Good morning GH.  Well it's coming up on 3 AM in the morning, and as usual the view out the Weather Window is dark.  Currently, the temperature on the desktop is 30°.  Sugar the Weather Dog is back in her bed now, having recently been in her hide-e-hole, which I discovered when I got up.  There must be something about the weather that changed.  That is usually the only reason she does that.  I came to bed before Mary, and I discovered that she had left on the television when I went downstairs.  Unfortunately, she didn't know I'd gone downstairs, so she turned off the light in the hall and then went back to bed herself.

Today was an interesting day.  I finished editing the index for Mary, and it didn't take much convincing for her to drive us when we went downtown to get something to eat.  I had been out earlier today with Sugar, and because of the cold winds I knew that I didn't want to walk anymore today.  Sugar did not stay out long, let me tell you. Fortunately for me, Mary was okay with that.  Otherwise, not much on the agenda for today.

We have plans to watch UP with Chris Hayes this AM.  At the moment, that seems like a busy day to me.  Of course, there will be… Tea time then too.  We will be using our UP teacups in solidarity.  So, that's about all for now.  Until next time, Ciao.

Good morning GH. It is just now about 230 in the morning, and I got up because I couldn't sleep. Right now, it seems to be raining pretty steadily, and of course, Sugar the Weather Dog is still sound asleep. Since there is no thunder associated with this storm, it is unlikely that she will get up. Currently, the temperature on the desktop is a very rainy 38°. A quick shout out, to everyone else here in this city of Grand Haven who's awake at this hour. Probably the only people who are up right now are just coming out of bars where they were working or drinking. I think I hear a train coming, and as I look out the window I see the lights flashing here at Columbus. Yes, it is a train being towed by a two locomotives, no it's just two locomotives. No, it was a whole train. Trains are not often affected by bad weather, unless it's heavy snow in the mountains. Today I have a meeting after 5 PM, with my student at the local library. One thing you can be sure of, is that if the weather is too bad, I will call him and tell him not to come. I don't want to walk in the bad weather and I don't want to have him drive. I don't like to lose time with him, but our health is more important. Mary told me yesterday, that in keeping with the Christmas spirit, that we should each buy a small gift for each other. I honestly don't know what to get, because she doesn't want jewelry or perfumes, so maybe I'll stop by one of the local stores downtown and see what I can find if the weather allows. Right now, I'm using my Dragon software to dictate this in a window that is allowed in this program. I'll have to transfer this to my blog when I'm done. I am getting the hang of the software. It is a learning curve for both me and the software. Otherwise, I am getting close to returning back to bed because I am getting sleepy.  But, I think I'll go downstairs first and get something to drink. So until my next blog, and until it is... Tea time, I'll just say Ciao.

Good afternoon GH. It is about 3:25 PM. A quick look out the Weather Window shows blue skies and the sun is shining. Currently the temperature on the desktop is a comfortable 44°. Sugar the Weather Dog is in the room with Mary, and she indicates there is no rough weather coming. I just received a call from the nurse at St. Mary's Hospital. She was calling to tell me that the doctor had read my MRI results and determined that there was no evidence of any growth in my brain. I was truly excited, as I have been worrying about that for a long time. Now I can get on with the rest of my life, at least for the next year. Mary and I plan to celebrate that piece of good news this evening. Now let me tell you about what the rest of my day has been like. Of course, I got up this morning, ate breakfast, and then fed and walked Sugar the Weather Dog. Mary walked with us for a while, and then Sugar and I went to the post office to mail a Christmas card. Then, we came home through Central Park. After that I took the bicycles out of the basement, and took them to Rock and Road bicycles for their one-year tune-up. Ian, the manager, said they will be ready Thursday afternoon. According to the weather report, it is likely that it will be raining very heavily tomorrow afternoon, so we may have to put that pickup off until Friday or Saturday. I hope it is not raining too heavily, because I have a session with my reading student at the library tomorrow afternoon. If it is raining too heavily, I may have to call to reschedule. We have not had a chance to meet for two weeks, and I really don't want to miss another session.  Then I came home, vacuumed, washed the floors, and that was enough for me, at least I thought that it was.  However, I also scrubbed the sink in the kitchen, because it needed it  As you can tell, I have had a busy day.  I should mention, that I dictated part of this blog on my new speech recognition software.  I am still getting the hang of it, but once I do, the sky is the limit.  Til then, I'll just say that it's time for a little more relaxation, maybe some guitar playing, and that should be about it. Until next time, Ciao.

Good morning GH.  It is just past 7:00 AM here in the city of Grand Haven, and the view out the Weather Window is still, dark.  However, what I can see still doesn't show any snow cover, yet.  It looks like we will have a rainy day tomorrow and then snow for Friday and maybe
Saturday.   So, there is still a chance of snow cover by Christmas.  While I am not a big fan of snow and ice, I am a big fan of snow cover that improves the levels of the Big Lake and the other small lakes that surround us.  Sugar the Weather Dog is still abed, but her prediction isn't for much in the way of scary weather, or she wouldn't still be quietly sleeping.  I recently discovered that Sugar now has her own blog every now and then, but for the life of me, I don't know how she does it.  If you are into what she has to woof about, you can find it @ sugargoeswalking.blogspot.com.  I found it to be most enlightening, so I suggest that you may want to make it a regular stop on your blog reading rounds.   Otherwise, I now will have a chance to finish the vacuuming that I have been putting off for several days.  With my eye doctor appointment yesterday, drilling the hole in Mary's shell, and just doing other things, I had several good excuses for not doing the vacuuming until at least today.  Like I said before, I love it when a plan comes together.  So, for today, my plans are...Tea time, walking Sugar the Weather Dog, vacuuming, guitar playing, reading, and a few other things as yet undecided.  Gosh, it will be a full day.  I am just so busy as Eleanore used to say.  So until the next time, Ciao.

Good morning GH.  To borrow a phrase, "I love it when a plan comes together."  Last night, Mary and I went to the downtown of our fair city to grab a little dinner and to view the Nativity scene on Dewey Hill.  You can get an idea form Mary's blog, and realize how nice it is to view.  I told Mary that I like "Schmaltz" sometimes.  I can't explain it.  I think it may be part of my artistic side, but I can't say for certain.  Whatever the cause, it is the thing that caused me to miss a Christmas tree and to want one again.  Our tree is shaping up nicely, and my thanks to Steph and Adam for their suggestions on how to decorate.  In my case, it took Mary to actually bring things together; she has an eye for those things.  I appreciate the outcome, but I can't always cause it to happen.  A vision is one thing, planning to reach the goal inspired by that vision, is quite another.  I should mention that the tree topper Mary and I agreed upon looks super.  A beautiful item from Germany in blue and silver.  Plus, Mary's vision for the tree skirt came together nicely.  But, more on that later.  We are experiencing a problem with mice this year, and the mice are laughing at the mouse traps, so I don't know what they find so amusing.  I didn't tell Mary, but the last traps I bought are the kind that are "silent killers."  They cause the death of the mice, but you may not see the death in person.  Better for all in that way.  I forgot to mention that Sugar the Weather Dog is still fast asleep, so no report from her.  The current desktop temperature is a brisk 30 degrees, but there still isn't any snow cover.  Our neighbor is predicting ice cover on the lakes by January 15, but we will see.  I was awake this AM, so I decided to blog.  Incidentally, the rail line that passes our house is about 22 miles in length, running between Lowell and Greenville, MI, home to several fests/events each year.  Today, I got to see three of that railroads locomotives; all of this before 7:00 AM in the morning.  I'd best be going now, because there is much to be done today.  So, until it is once again...Tea time, I'll be saying ciao.

Good afternoon GH.  It is afternoon, and I have been hard at work this morning. I dusted, did some  laundry, and cleaned the bathrooms.  I also baked some cookies for good measure this afternoon.  They are healthier and they taste okay, but this is not a recipe that I would save.  Of course, since they were supposed to be oatmeal, cranberry, and white chocolate chip cookies, and I made walnut and raisin cookies, that may have something to do with it.  Of course, Mary didn't want me to make chocolate chip cookies, because she doesn't like them, so I made this alternative.  But, she isn't really into cookies anyway, so I don't know why I bowed to her wishes, since I like chocolate chips.  Go figure.  I should point out, that Sugar the Weather Dog approves of my efforts, but being a dog, she isn't all that discriminating.  Next time I make cookies, I'll make what I want, not what Mary wants, but won't eat anyway.  Otherwise, Sugar and I took two walks, the first halfway with Mary and the second just Sugar and me.  I still like this town, and with the temperatures in the 40s and the sky gray, it is just fine with me.  I am certain that it will snow to last at some point, but so far, nothing.  Otherwise, I have just the vacuuming to finish along with washing the floors, and I am ready for the holidays.  Oh, I should mention that I don't do the dusting of Mary's desk, and it shows.  She has promised to do it herself, but I may be old by the time that happens.  Wait, I just looked in the mirror and I am old.  See, I was right.  Tomorrow, I have an appointment to see the eye doctor, to learn if my eyes are part of my headache issues.  My BP is well controlled now, so I know what it isn't, not what it is.  So, until tomorrow's...Tea time, Ciao.

Good evening GH.  It really is evening here in GH, being nearly 10:00 PM.  The view out the Weather Window is, not surprisingly, dark, with only slight precipitation and the desktop temperature is 41 degrees.  However, with the wind chill, the temperature feels more like 33 degrees.  Sugar the Weather Dog is fast asleep, and Mary is watching Turner and Hooch for about the tenth time this year.  Both of us were kind of bummed out by the needless deaths in Newtown, CT on Friday.  I didn't use the overused word senseless, because any murder, is by definition, senseless.  I used needless, because if our politicians had any courage and weren't being cowards, they would tell the gun lobby to stick it.  But alas, that is highly unlikely, so the needless deaths will continue and the gun manufacturers will not be held to account   Oh well, I digress.  Today, I walked Sugar and then did some additional highlighting on the indexing project.  I was told to stop, because there is a problem with the page order, at least that is what Mary tells me.  So, instead of additional markups, I'll be doing some housecleaning tomorrow and getting ready for the Christmas holiday.  I like our tree, and our eclectic assortment of ornaments.  As I mentioned, when we were in Chicago last week, Mary and I picked out a super tree topper from the market in the plaza downtown.  Mary will place it on the tree when all of the cleaning and hanging of ornaments is completed.  Then, we will open the blinds and let the rest of the world view our masterpiece.  Until it is once again...Tea time, I'll bid you adieu.

Good early morning GH.  Well, I was up earlier, but I decided to use the time for highlighting on Mary's indexing project, so it is now 7:25 in the AM.  The view out the Weather Window is still on the dark side, but from what I can tell, this should be another nice day temperature wise.  Mary and I are still a bit sore from our walks in downtown Chicago, but that's to be expected at our advanced ages, well mine at least.  Currently the desktop temperature reading is a somewhat brisk 36 degrees, but the expected high for GH today is the mid-forties.  However, about that time, the chance for meaningful precipitation increases to 80%.  However, the good thing is that it will be of the liquid variety, not the flaky variety, so that's all good.  Sugar the Weather Dog is still sound asleep, but during the night, she spent some time in the upstairs bathroom.  Who knows.  Her prediction for wet weather is that it will be wet, something that she can live without.  Mary and I traveled to Grand Rapids yesterday for my annual MRI.  It won't get read by the doctor until nest week, so no news on that front other than the actual test is done.  Thank goodness for the headphones that deliver smooth jazz over the noise that the MRI machine makes as it goes about its business.  So this morning, it will soon be time for Up with Chris Hayes.  Mary and I have been speculating on his choice of topics and guests for today, given the horrendous events in CT yesterday.  I am not going to waste time restating the obvious.  As a former teacher, I think it is time that we recognize that guns do kill, and in this case, four guns killed 28 people, 20 of them babies, our future.  So, if a politician here in our home state, or in the U.S.A. as a whole, isn't ready to pass some meaningful legislation, then as Mary often says, "We're Doomed!"  I wonder how those people who think that everyone should be able to carry a gun into a school, a church, or a library, are feeling today?  Oh well, it is nearly...Tea time, so I am off to get myself ready face the day.  Irish Music Jam later and then more highlighting.

Good afternoon GH.  Well, I finally made it.  I have a few moments to spare here at the keyboard.  I have been working on editing an index for Mary and that was after visiting the USPS to mail some forms and receipts to the medical insurer and also to visit the bank to cancel my unneeded brokerage account before they began to charge me for a service I wasn't going to use.  Then, I did some laundry and had to rush out to pick up Sugar the Weather Dog from camp.  When I got there, she had already been bathed and was waiting patiently in her pen for pickup.  Once she knew I was there though, she set up a ruckus like I have never heard.  We were both glad to see each other, I think.  When she got here, I gave her her ear pills and then put her bed in the dryer.  She got new stuffing, well actually our old pillows, and now her bed is clean and fluffy once again.  Currently, the desktop temperature is 46 degrees, and there are wispy clouds in the sky.  The sun is beginning to set, but when I was out earlier, it was beautiful.  Once again, I am being plagued by my cold hands, that seem to be a hold over from my days in the gas station business.  I loved the job, but now, I am paying the price for my youthful joys.  Otherwise, I am getting hungry.  Haven't eaten since this AM, and that was the last of Mary's buy of the two huge boxes of Cheerios from the big box store.  Now, I can get to the Rice Krispies that I bought, something I have been impatiently anticipating. However, in her zeal to keep my healthy, more Cheerios have been purchased.  Speaking of keeping me healthy, I have an appointment for an MRI tomorrow in the AM.  I have my fingers crossed that it turns out well or negative or whatever.  I have had enough of hospitals and rehab for a lifetime.  Of course, I had my...Tea time this AM, along with some orange juice, so I was fortified for the day.  So for now, all is right with the world. Sugar the Weather Dog in in her bed, I am back on the blog job and the Irish music jam is coming up on Saturday in the PM.  Life is good.  Oh, by way of mentioning the last two days, Mary and I visited Steph and Adam in the big city, and that was all good.  We visited some Irish pubs, walked through Lincoln Park Zoo, and had lunch at the Goat and the second day at a place downtown that was excellent.  See Mary's blog for further info.  A nod to the the index I just finished editing.  So, until next blog.  Ciao

Good very early morning GH.  It is about 12:00 AM.  Well, chalk us up as one of the places that didn't get much in the way of snow from that big storm that is hitting the upper Midwest.  Here in our fair city, we got passed over again, not that I am complaining.  However, if we don't get much snow now, that drought that we all felt last summer will just be extended by another year.  Ouch!  Currently, the view out the Weather Window is dark and the temperature on the desktop is 32 degrees, tight at freezing.  Sugar the Weather Dog is still abed, so she has nothing to add at this time.  I had a great day in the kitchen yesterday.  After an hour and a half of chopping, cutting, peeling, and cooking, I ended up with a fantastic pot of squash soup.  I'll leave it to Mary to add pictures to her blog about the final product and process, but I tasted it. and it was superb, even if I have to say so myself.  Mary can out cook me on most days, but when I put my mind to it, I can do okay.  Sugar the Weather Dog was, of course, an invaluable assistant sous chef when we got back from our morning walk.  I learned that she doesn't like raw kale, at all, but that she likes raw butternut squash, a lot.  She sure has a sweet tooth.  After I finished my journey through Mary's kitchen, we went downtown to see what was happening.  We ended up at our favorite watering hole for lunch, and that was all good, except that they had the unBearables on and they didn't fare so well.  Later, the Lions also didn't fare so well either.  I don't know what it is, but wherever we live, the sports teams tend to be less than adequate.  But, and this is the important thing, the unBearables did have their timeouts in their pocket when they left the field.  I guess that was part of the plan.  When we lived in Illinois, there was a guy who used to complain about the middle linebacker and his lack of ability.  Let's just say that without him on the field the unBearables were even worse.  So, I think we did miss his presence, just saying.  Otherwise, not much is happening here in our fair city.  I still have an appointment for an MRI on Friday, so that will consume a good part of that day.  Well, I am getting tired, so that is all good.  I think I can hear Sugar stirring, so I don't want her to get the urge to go out or something.  I'd best be going.  Until it is...Tea time, I'll say Ciao.

Good late afternoon GH.  Well, it has just passed the 5:00 PM mark here in our fair city, and it has been a pretty good day.  Mary and I walked with Sugar the Weather Dog this AM, and she proclaimed it to be a good day from her perspective.  She got to go to the bank and get a treat as her withdrawal, and I got to get some money which I promptly handed over to Mary for safekeeping.  Then, it was off to the big box stores for more fun.  We got a water heater blanket, a replacement for the shade in the bathroom, and then subsequently donated the old shade to the Goodwill store.  This was after a mostly non requiting trip to the big box retail store where we got new pillows and a few items in the pharmacy area.  Then it was off to another big box retailer where we got a nice little tree for the holidays.  All in all, it was a good afternoon, which required a stop at our favorite watering hole here in town.  The barkeep had his music playing, which was very enjoyable.  We got home, and lo and behold, a box arrived for Mary.  Turns out, that it was a calendar for my office and so that was all good.  Now, I just have to repaint the wall where the old one was hanging, because the stick on hook that isn't supposed to damage the wall, did in fact, damage the wall upon removal.  Oh well, I had to repaint part of the wall anyway, but this is a different color that requires my carrying two cans of paint up from the man cave.  At least, that's where the new hooks are located according to my locating system.  So, more work to be done.  Currently, the desktop temperature is a nice 42 degrees, and the view out the Weather Window is getting dark.  So, it is now time for dinner.   So, I'll be going down to watch some MSNBC and eat some Mac and Cheese.  Until next time,  Cioa.

Goo afternoon GH.  Well, it is 4:30 PM, so that qualifies as late afternoon, so I'll just lay claim to it being afternoon.  Currently the view out the Weather Window is clear skies and sunny with a desktop temperature of 50 delightful degrees.  Sugar the Weather Dog is sleeping of her trip to the "Bone Zone," which she completed about one hour ago.  She came in just in time to let me know that someone rang the ball and dropped off a package.  That of course, required a reward of another biscuit.  I think she has the best gig in the house.  We go out and come in, she gets a biscuit.  She goes out and comes in, she gets a biscuit.  Someone comes to the door, she gets a biscuit for pointing out the obvious when that someone rings the bell.  It is really a dog's life around here.  By the by, the package was our new UP with Chris Hayes mugs.  Mary will have more about those in a future blog.  I am feeling better now.  But last night, I was panicked enough to get Mary to take me to the emergency room.  My BP spiked and I have been having  headaches, so I was worried about a stroke.  But, a CAT scan, and EKG and blood tests all proved negative.  So, I went to my regular doctor today and got an additional prescription to help me control the spike.  I'll know more in the AM how well the new drug is working.  According to the doctors in Australia, or New Zealand, there is nothing in my head, oops, that came out wrong.  There is nothing going on in my head.  Oops that came out wrong too.  I mean that there is nothing organically going on in my head.  No evidence of a tumor growth, no evidence of an aneurysm, nothing.  So, that is one thing I can take off of my list of things to worry about.  I am going to call the neurologist in GR tomorrow, to see if I send them the latest CAT scan results, and ask if that will be enough.  Not that I don't want to get another MRI, but if I don't have to spend the time or money, well my time, Mary's time and the money from our insurer, I won't.  So, that's about enough for today.  Tomorrow, I have to put my editors hat on again and check the latest index for typos, spelling errors, etc.  Oh, if anyone out there gets a car calendar for 2013, that would look good on the wall in my office, feel free to send it my way.   I finished my...Tea time about 1/2 hour ago, so all is well.  Ciao.

Good very early morning GH.  It is about 12:30 in the AM, so it certainly is early.  I am going to keep this short and sweet.  Currently the temperature on the desktop display is 36 degrees.  There is a severe case of dark out the Weather Window.  The prediction for the early morning hours here in GH is for some fog.  We are expecting a high of 62 very nice degrees during the day today.  I hear that it will be even warmer in Chicago.  Sugar the Weather Dog and I have an appointment at the veterinarian this morning.  She needs to have her follow up on her ear problem and she also needs to have a pedicure.  She has been shaking her head again, so perhaps her ears are bothering her once more.  I know that mine are still not right and yet, the ENT has been unable to see anything in there, so I don't get it.  Otherwise, there is a good chance that Sugar and I will get in some time in the "Bone Zone."  It all depends on how accurate Sugar's forecast is.  She has a lot riding on her accuracy, that's for sure.  Otherwise, I just finished a book by James Patterson, after finishing that one, my next is The Generals, by Thomas Ricks.  My first perusal of the book, looked promising, as I mentioned in a previous blog, so I have hopes.  Then I have more fiction to read.  In addition, Mary has said that she is open to the idea of getting a Christmas tree this year.  We will check into one when she is done with the current indexing project.  That has to be finished by Wednesday, and so Thursday looks like the day to go out.  I have to get a water heater blanket that is on sale at one of the big box hardware stores, as well as a new shade for the light on the ceiling in the bathroom.  We also plan to get some replacement pillows at another big box store, so that should be perfect timing.  Actually, the pillows will allow us to place our older ones in Sugar's bed.  A twofer.  So, until it is...Tea time, I'll say Ciao.

Good morning GH.  Wow, although it is not real early, it is just after 7:00 AM here in our fair city.  For those of you keeping score, that's about 5:00 AM mountain time and 4:00 AM in the far west.  So, by any measure it is early.  I was awake, so I thought I would take advantage and shower and shave etc.  I even had to disturb Sugar the Weather Dog, and she didn't look happy about it.  She can be kind of grumpy when she doesn't get her beauty rest.  I mean she was sleeping while I was in the shower, so I don't get it.  Maybe it's that diet thing.  Yeah, that's it, she is grumpy from lack of food, not lack of sleep.  The view out the Weather Window at this early hour is still dark.  Currently the temperature on the desktop is 36 degrees.  That agrees with my Weather Station, and my indoor temperature readout, according to my highly accurate digital thermometer, made in China, it is a very comfortable 69 degrees.  We are looking for a high in the lower fifties today and any precipitation isn't expected until later tonight.  So, the GH Tree Lighting Parade should go off as planned, in very comfortable temperatures.  When Sugar the Weather Dog and I were downtown yesterday, we saw that Santa's Workshop was all ready to go.  I just hope they give the old guy a heater, because being an old guy myself, I know that you start to need warmth in the winter, especially when you spend most of your year at the North Pole.  In other news, I finished my yard work on the palatial estate yesterday.  I raked up the loose grass, put in some additional soil, including in my horseradish tulip pots, and then I sewed some grass seed.  I hope that some of it takes by next spring.  I am done for this year, I hope.  So, until the seed sprouts nest year, I won't have a clue.  I am going downstairs now for...Tea time and UP with Chris Hayes at 8:00 AM.  Sugar just poked her head in, I hope my Christmas music wasn't disturbing her.  Ciao.