Good early morning GH. It is just past 3:30 AM in "The City" and the current temperature is 53 as we head for a high of 58 degrees. Sunrise will occur at 7:25 AM. On Wednesday the forecast calls for a 100% chance of precipitation. If that's the case, it should be a good day for baking.

I didn't get much accomplished on Monday. A walk with Mary and Sugar in the early afternoon and then a walk to our favorite watering hole for dinner. I am one of those people who likes to walk when the weather cooperates. So while it was windy, the temperature was pleasant enough. Since today promises to be more like an average November, I anticipate more walking.

We have the electrician coming in today to add a couple of outlets and to install the new ceiling fans. Probably about three or four hours of work for skilled people. For me, it would be several days and I wouldn't like the idea of going into the attic. Plus, the weight of the ceiling fans would be more than my aching shoulder could handle. So as Adam says, pay someone to do that which you can't.

That's much like the advice that Mary's mentor gives. She recommends that you waste no more than about five minutes of time before you call her for an answer to a conundrum. She also says that if what it costs to hire someone to do a particular job is less than you make in your business, hire someone. Sound advice from both parties. That's why we'll have someone installing the ceiling fans. We'll also have someone walking Sugar, and cleaning the house, and moving the snow during my convalescence. I can't do those things and Mary would be losing money in the process if she did. Adam put it this way, "Throw everything you have at it." So that's our plan.

Today with the electricians here, the house will be a bit busy. Sugar will have to be put into the downstairs hide-e-hole for her safety and that of the electricians. We'll walk, read, and once again try to play some music. I tried yesterday, but I found that my shoulder started aching almost immediately. That's a sure sign that scheduling the surgery sooner than later was  good idea. Dang, I hate getting old.

That's about it for now. The Bears won last night and the Packers may have lost their QB for a few games. I like to see good games, not bad injuries. These are after all human beings, and they should be able to play not spend their time on the IR list. Tea time awaits. Ciao.

P.S. I'm still up at 4:30 AM and a train is just passing. Two locomotives, many box cars, covered hopper cars, and a few assorted tank cars. Still no caboose. Alas, they are history as are the men and women who used to ride along. Too much weight and extra salaries I guess.

When I was a young man, the railroads called having a fireman in the cab of the locomotive featherbedding. The dead-man switch in the cab and the advent of automatic brakes on the cars negated the need for anything but one person driving the train. Progress I guess, but sometimes I think that it was just another way to get rid of working people. Maybe that's one of the reasons why the railroads can move freight at such a low cost per mile. I still wonder what they are hiding in those closed cars and tanks. Just asking.