Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be in, about, or around the Tri-Cities area. It is just past 1:30 a.m. in this part of "The City." Currently our temperature is 70° as we drop towards our low of 64°. As the day progresses. the chance for T-storms increases to 70% as we pass 7:00 a.m., and approach our high of 71 ° Only time will tell.

I was awakened by the southbound train run at about 12:45 a.m. The regular twin EMD GP 38 locomotives, followed by 26 covered hopper cars and five of those dreaded black tank cars. The covered hopper cars glistened in the street lights as they screeched down the rails. The black tank cars glided silently by, carrying their load, testimony to the industrial progress of our country.

In sports, the boys in blue were powered to a 4 - 1 victory over the Mets by home runs from Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez. My beloved Red Sox dropped to 22 games below .500, as they lost to the Angels 2 - 4. The Tigers mercifully had the day off to regroup from that 1 - 8 loss dropped on them by the Mariners on Sunday. The Tigers are two games behind the Royals whom they led by five just a few short weeks ago. That 10 games above .500 is looking like it will be dwindling further in the not too distant future. Shades of the 1969 Cubs. The Caps defeated the Lansing Lug Nuts, 7 - 5.

Yesterday I opted to give my baking yak a rest. The painting waited, and based on the weather forecast for today, it will wait until Thursday before it gets finished. I did run some errands in the morning and that was fine. However my usual comfortable ride in our car didn't give me any relief. My yak was giving me fits in the thoracic area. Right now, nothing. Go figure. Later in the day, Mary and I traveled south to Holland to exchange an item that I had gotten at the big-box hardware store in Muskegon earlier. When you have a receipt, no problem. Then we moved on to the spice store and got that spice that seems to be unavailable locally. Finally, we dropped off my guitar chord poster for framing at the frame store in Holland. Then homeward bound.

We watched some television news coverage, and then I was off to bed. I slept until the train woke me up.

Today I have an appointment at P/T. Yesterday I was hurting, right now, nothing. Go figure. I know that Adam can empathize with me. Which reminds me, I got the correct door sweep for the back door. I have to measure the door width, and when we see Adam later this month, or is it next, I can use one of his tools to cut it to the proper size. What a complete reversal. Now I get to use his tools. Fair play I say.

After I get back from P/T, I plan to work on more highlighting and then play the girls if I get time. Not much else appeals. If I get up early enough, Sugar the Weather Dog and I may avoid the T-storms. If not, she won't be doing an Elvis and leaving the building.

The sun will rise at 6:50 a.m. and set at 8:42 p.m. Somewhere in between, Sugar will have to go out. Ciao.