Good early morning GH. It is just past 5:00 in the AM, and the fact that I am up now isn't surprising. I went to bed about 8:30 last evening. I was tired, so I went to bed. One thing is certain, my days are all filled with an easy country charm, oops, I was channeling a John Denver song there for a minute. Our current temperature is 36 soggy degrees, and the the view out the Weather Window, is wet. In addition, the wind is blowing in great gusts right now, the kind that shake the windows and the house itself. We have a 100% chance of showers until about 6:00 AM. Then it tapers off for a few hours. Additionally, the high temperature is not expected to exceed 40 degrees today. By Sunday, we anticipate a high in the mid 50s, but not before we see 39 on Saturday. From then on, mostly in the upper 40s or lower 50s is the forecast. It is spring after all, and we sure can use the precipitation.

Earlier, I was having a half dream, that included a train, and low and behold, there was a train outside at that time, around midnight, when we let it all hang down. Oops, there's another of those song references again, this time to a J.J. Cale song made popular by Eric Clapton. Anyway, I digress. The train was about on time and although I didn't see it, it was lengthy and the house shook like it was caught in a tornado or something. Actually, given the way that the wind is blowing right now, it was very tornado like. Well not really, but it makes for a nice bit of imagery, don't you think?

As I was lying awake earlier, the talk host was referring to a study that showed the United States as having dropped out of the top 10 in being considered a happy place to live, the first time in history apparently. She asked why, and did her listeners feel less happy than they did two years ago. Personally, after my health issues of the last two or three years, I feel much happier. I am now retired, and the major issues of my health concerns have abated, as confirmed by my MRI last fall. So, I have nothing to feel unhappy about. In fact, I am thankful that I have a wife who was there for me through it all, and Sugar the Weather Dog, who is always glad to see me, and a fine son and his wife whom I am always glad to see. Also, I am now living in a great town where the people are great, the town is walk-able in the non-icy months and everything I need is easy to get to. Truly life doesn't get much better than this, to borrow from that old beer commercial.

I have another doctor's appointment this AM, but this one is minor. While I was going to walk, as it is only a mile, the colder temperatures coupled with the rain mitigate against that. Oh well, better luck next time.

Otherwise, I made a few home repairs yesterday, the type that can be done with a battery operated drill motor and a couple of screws.

I also made Cole Slaw too. I like the flavor I created, and Mary will get a chance to rate it at lunch later today. I might have added onion, but that is a taste preference. Since this was my first attempt at cooking from scratch, it is an evolutionary process.

I was just listening to the early morning radio show that told me what I already knew, the Navy's Blue Angels aerobatic flying team is grounded for the rest of the season. That is expected to save $28 million, as they will only be allowed to train at their base in Florida. I suspect that the Air Force Thunderbirds can't be far behind. I don't know what that will do to attendance at air shows across the country, like that in Chicago in late summer, as I've heard that attendance can drop by as much as 25% when the teams are not there. Plus, what will that do to the various vendors, hotels, restaurants etc? The law of unintended consequences rears its ugly head once again. No editorial comment from me at this time.

So, it is time to return to bed and get up in time for that appointment. Tea time will wait until I return. Mary has already told me that I will find her in bed when I get back. That of course assumes that Sugar will let that happen. I bet that if I can get Sugar to go out when I leave, she will be fine. She may be unwilling, due to the rain, the park and other things. Oops, another song reference there.

Ciao.