Good morning or good evening, wherever you maybe. It is just past 2:30 a.m. in "The City."

We're almost there. The dining room is all that is left before we get the PE back to whatever serves as normal around here. Painting can be so disruptive. However, the results are stunning, so the disruption is worth the time and effort, especially when I can watch instead of paint.

All I had to do yesterday was to watch John paint, watch the Cubs parade and celebration on TV, and play with the fur-children. Mary and I did some laundry, but that was/is a necessary part of life around here, seemingly on a daily basis.

Speaking of the Cubs, Adam texted the pictures of the parade in Chicago that were available on WGN-TV. Although he works downtown, he was unwilling and/or unable to attend the celebration that is said to have swelled to over 5,000,000 people! I discovered that I have WGN on our local cable system, so I was able to tune-in and watch the activities on our TV. It was an incredible sight, including the Chicago River which had been dyed blue for the occasion. My thanks to Adam for his early input. After 108 years of waiting for a World Series win, and to paraphrase the late "Mr. Cub", Ernie Banks, "Let's win two!"

I was able to train spot yesterday. At 9:24 a.m., EMD GP-38-2 locomotives 2019 and 2057 passed by on the RSTL heading south, towing six CHCs, two DBTCs, and three DWTCs that were bringing up the rear. At 12:20 p.m., I was busily peeling apples for apple sauce, so I had to rely on my apprentice trainspotter to record the afternoon passage of locomotives 2057 and 2019 as they headed north on that same RSTL. She had a short spot because only the aforementioned locomotives passed by with no cars in tow.

My applesauce turned out just fine, thanks for asking.

We took the morning safari with the fur-children and that went off without problems. We walked to their doctor's office to purchase more of the special food that keeps Ginger's and soon, STWD's, teeth clean. Ginger's weight is doing fine, but the intrepid one is getting too many snacks and not enough exercise. I know she is getting older, but then who isn't? It is up to us to keep her caloric intake down.

Mary was out for a walk with Ginger when I went to the basement and discovered that two of the mousetraps had been sprung. I disposed of those and then replaced them with new ones. We have to get more traps this morning at the big-box home center.

The chiropractic visits went well and then we walked downtown to drop off the used toner at the post office to be returned to the manufacturer and keep it out of the landfill. I like that part. We finally had to replace the toner cartridge in the printer. We got about 3,000 copies or more beyond the point where the machine generated a warning about low toner.

The current temperature is 50° under clear skies. We are anticipating a high later today of 59° under sunny skies. It should be a good day for walking, as there is only a 10% chance of precipitation in the forecast from the NWS.

Since John will be done with the painting of the dining room by early afternoon, we can get the dining room and the mudroom back to their normal conditions. Mary will wash the floor in the mudroom before we place the new rug we purchased for the area. We can then replace all of the items that take up the floor space in that room but which are currently taking up space in the dining room.

The sun will rise today @ 8:25 a.m. and then we will be off to run several errands that have been placed on hold in all the hubbub. The sun will set later today @ 6:30 p.m. Ciao.