Good early morning GH.  Well, I got up this AM to do two things.  One, to burn off a little energy from going to bed too early and two, to watch the latest train go by.  Living where we do, is like living on a model train board.  The trains vary in size and the sound of trains is somehow soothing. Actually, this may have been the second train tonight, but I'm not certain.  Whereas we had both a very long and one medium in length train last night/early yesterday morning, this latest one was relatively short.  I am not sure what the railroad uses as a criterion for moving trains, but I still like it.  Maybe one of these days I can trace the trains to their source, (note, I avoided using the phrase, tracking the trains to their source as being too cutesy), but that is something that will wait for warmer weather.

Speaking of warmer weather, the view out the Weather Window is mostly dark, and the current temperature on the desktop is 42, very warm for January, degrees.  Sugar the Weather Dog has no opinion on the weather this morning, as she is sleeping next to the bed again.

Sugar the Weather Dog and I had a nice walk over to her doctor yesterday morning.  She has gained a few pounds, like her humans, and so Mary and I have to be more careful about indulging her begging.  Like many dogs of her size, she has refined begging to an art form, so it is up to us to resist those sad puppy-dog eyes.  That's hard to do, let me tell you, but it is something that we have to do for her.  Fortunately, the doctor didn't say much about her weight and pronounced her in very good health.  I asked the doctor about Sugar's new sleeping habits, and she offered some advice, but opined that sometimes dogs can be inscrutable.

I spent some time working for Mary yesterday afternoon after I played guitar for a while, but I am having trouble reading with my current glasses; I hope my new ones come soon.  I had to return the old ones for new frames, even though the vision portion was just right.  I have an idea how to improve my ability to see the text on my computer screen, and I'll try it today.  Gosh, I almost said tomorrow, but that would not be accurate at 4:25 in the AM.

In reference to my guitar practice, I am trying to reteach myself the reading of notes on the musical staff.  I'm not bad on keys like "C" that have no sharps nor flats, but when it comes to those keys that do have sharps and flats, I bog down.  It will just take time.  I have to get time to practice and, I have to get some help from the players at the Irish jam on how to follow the changes in patterns and the reading of eighth notes and their brethren.  Many of them have been playing this music so long, that they just do it naturally.  I need to assert my needs more.  Still, I do have a good time.

Otherwise, more work for Mary this day.  I will muddle through, but it is still hard to read the fine print.  I don't know if this a result of old age, too much reading of bad handwriting when I was teaching, too much reading of books now, or a combination.  I guess I will have to keep up on my glasses.  The ones I am currently using are not even one year old, but their effectiveness is already limited.  I was worried, because the last time I had vision problems, it was due to my brain problems.  However, since my latest MRI was clear, it seems as though this is just some natural change in my eyes.  Gosh, it is tough getting older, but I still like living only one and one-half blocks from our city library.  I can get them to put things on hold and order books that I want to read that are not in their collection etc.  They are very responsive, and I can't say enough good things about their level of service.

So, I probably have rattled on long enough.  While I am enjoying listening to Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and their ilk, it is time to get more sleep.  So, until the dawn actually breaks, I'll await...Tea time and just say Ciao.