Good early morning GH. It is just past 4:00 AM in "The City" and the current temperature is 44 degrees under cloudy skies with high winds. The 44 is our high for today, and the winds should die back as the day wears on. Some precipitation is expected in the 20 - 30% range, but nothing to worry about. I wish I could say the same for those poor folks in downstate Illinois, as so many of their homes were damaged or destroyed and several people lost their lives. The damage was caused by a large number of tornadoes Sunday afternoon. Even the NFL had to suspend the Bears/Ravens game to await the passing of the weather front. Those tornadoes were spread across several states, but the maps show the greatest number were in Illinois.

Speaking of football, the Bears won their game in overtime, 23 - 20 under very muddy conditions. Somehow, the football game seems unimportant given what people were facing elsewhere in the Midwest. Here in Michigan, we had our share of heavy rains and high winds, but they seem tame compared to losing your home or your life in a sudden storm. Yes, there were forecasts and predictions, but the severity was beyond ken.

Otherwise, Sugar the Weather Dog and I went out for an early walk to allow us to stay in during the worst of the severe weather. We got back before the heavy rains, high winds, and thunder and lightning. Sugar was a trooper and didn't spend all that much time in her hide-e-hole. I did more highlighting after breakfast and some reading, and that was enough for the day. I didn't watch much television, except for a repeat of the almost classic movie, The Goodbye Girl starring Richard Dreyfus and Marsha Mason. I'm a sucker for those romantic comedies.

Today, I have to take our car in for its six month checkup and that will consume a large part of the middle of the day. Even though it has been nearly eight months, we haven't driven many miles, about 3,800. It never hurts to get an expert opinion. Plus, we somehow have deactivated the automatic headlight feature, so I need help with that. I know Adam will be amused by that.

Otherwise, that leaves little time for other activities. I have to place another call to the hotel in Elkhart Lake, WI to try for a reservation. They told me I'd get a callback last week, so I hope this isn't an exercise in futility.

The Spartans won their game on Saturday, over the Cornhuskers of Nebraska, while the Wolverines were defeating the Wildcats of Northwestern. The Spartans are now in first in the Big 10 Legends Division. Their next opponents are those aforementioned Wildcats. Too early to celebrate going to the Big 10 championship game against OSU, but things are looking good. Ciao.