Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 2:30 a.m. in "The City." It is also just past 2:30 a.m. in the snow covered scene just outside the WW (Weather Window).
We are under a Winter Weather Advisory until 11:00 a.m. this morning. That advisory has the NWS predicting a total of 2 - 4 inches of snowfall accompanied by hazardous driving conditions and longer than usual travel times. Ya think? Michiganders are hardy souls, and they often pretend that they can drive a 4-wheeler drive vehicle better than most, but it won't be long before the reports of accidents start to appear on the Twitter™ site of WOOD-TV.
At any rate, the snow will fall and I'll watch it fall and then I'll wait until our neighbor does his snow removal tasks before I do mine. Today's high is forecast to reach 33° so melting will occur, The current temperature is 25° with snow stopping and starting off and on until the expiration of that Winter Weather Advisory. We did get out yesterday to pick up that salt @ the big-box home center nearby and so we have no need to go out today. The fur-children, STWD and GTTSD, didn't get a walk yesterday and it is likely that they won't get one today beyond the back-forty. Sorry girls. The sun will rise this morning @ 8:00 a.m. and set this evening @ 5:56 p.m.
Mary got a missive from the publisher of the last index that requires further revisions to the index from H E double hockey sticks, as Walter "Radar" O'Reilly of the television show M.A.S.H. used to say. Mary had other plans, but those are now put on hold.
I did bake yesterday after all. I made another loaf of my not unique but tasty beer bread. Mary made a vegan veggie omelet for our lunch using chickpea flour and various vegetables. It turned out more like scrambled eggs in actuality, but the taste was also great. Dinner was @ Tip-A-Few while we were out on our errand run. Today, I may do some cooking while Mary works on that index.
We have some phone calls to make to our various Congresspersons today. There are people who need to be opposed with a NO vote. We may not have much effect, but every call helps. So if you are of a mind to make calls, today would be a good day to get them done.
Otherwise, not much is on tap. Snow removal, fur-children ins, and outs, reading, playing with the girls and that should fill out my day. When you are retired, there is so much to do, so little time. : - ). Mary already knows what her day will be like. Ciao.
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Monday, January 30, 2017
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 5:30 a.m. in "The City."
I was just outside enjoying the wintry weather with GTTSD and STWD. There is no snow falling right now, but the NWS in GR is forecasting a return of snow from 6:00 p.m. this evening until 11:00 a.m. tomorrow. There may be a chance of between two and five inches of additional snowfall. Much of that depends on the location along the shores of the "Big Lake. Last night, we were in another "Sweet Spot" as the snows fell more heavily in northern climes, like Muskegon, and southern climes, like Holland. I'm okay with that. Today, the chance of snow is 60%.
We need to get out today and get some additional salt for the deck and the driveway areas. Our neighbor does a great job on the driveway, but the deck and walkways around it are up to me. If I can avoid shoveling/snow blowing and use the salt, I'll do it!
We have a current temperature of 21° that feels like 14° with the wind. I was fine when I was out, but GTTSD got cold feet, so to speak, and so I had to wipe her paws when we came in. She likes to dance around out there before doing her business and that packs the snow into her pads. She is smart, so maybe she'll learn.
The sun will rise @ 8:01 a.m. and set @ 5:55 p.m. Yes, the days are getting longer as we approach the start of Spring Training on February 13. In case I forgot to mention it, that's that's the day that the pitchers and catchers report for my beloved Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers. The Cubs begin to report the following day. If you're counting, that's only 15/16 days away. : - )
Once again, we don't have any plans. We need to get to the big-box home center for that salt, though. We'll try to get out with the fur-children and then I can settle in and read more. I want to take some time to play with the girls too. I may also find time to do some baking if the mood strikes me. I'm making slow progress on my latest jigsaw puzzle, but that's mostly because I am not giving it my usual focus. No hurry I say. Soon, spring will be here and then I'll be back outside.
So before I get a chance to say anything else. Ciao.
I was just outside enjoying the wintry weather with GTTSD and STWD. There is no snow falling right now, but the NWS in GR is forecasting a return of snow from 6:00 p.m. this evening until 11:00 a.m. tomorrow. There may be a chance of between two and five inches of additional snowfall. Much of that depends on the location along the shores of the "Big Lake. Last night, we were in another "Sweet Spot" as the snows fell more heavily in northern climes, like Muskegon, and southern climes, like Holland. I'm okay with that. Today, the chance of snow is 60%.
We need to get out today and get some additional salt for the deck and the driveway areas. Our neighbor does a great job on the driveway, but the deck and walkways around it are up to me. If I can avoid shoveling/snow blowing and use the salt, I'll do it!
We have a current temperature of 21° that feels like 14° with the wind. I was fine when I was out, but GTTSD got cold feet, so to speak, and so I had to wipe her paws when we came in. She likes to dance around out there before doing her business and that packs the snow into her pads. She is smart, so maybe she'll learn.
The sun will rise @ 8:01 a.m. and set @ 5:55 p.m. Yes, the days are getting longer as we approach the start of Spring Training on February 13. In case I forgot to mention it, that's that's the day that the pitchers and catchers report for my beloved Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers. The Cubs begin to report the following day. If you're counting, that's only 15/16 days away. : - )
Once again, we don't have any plans. We need to get to the big-box home center for that salt, though. We'll try to get out with the fur-children and then I can settle in and read more. I want to take some time to play with the girls too. I may also find time to do some baking if the mood strikes me. I'm making slow progress on my latest jigsaw puzzle, but that's mostly because I am not giving it my usual focus. No hurry I say. Soon, spring will be here and then I'll be back outside.
So before I get a chance to say anything else. Ciao.
Sunday, January 29, 2017
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 4:30 a.m. in "The City."
Let's start with a positive experience. We traveled to the stand-alone grocery store yesterday and when compared to Mary's experience @ the big-box grocery and most everything store, it was like night and day. The aisles were not clogged with zombies whose version of life revolves around walking aimlessly around a store, jamming up the aisles and using the experience as entertainment. Plus, there were shopping carts available inside rather than having zombies looking for carts outside in the parking lot. We found everything we wanted, the produce was fresh, and the entire experience was as good as any visit to a necessary stop can be.
On the way home, we stopped @ Sporty's for some adult libations and a chance to soak up the atmosphere in locals place not prone to tourist visits. Then it was home to brave the snow that was falling and to sit back and enjoy some sandwiches made with Mary's spicy tomato vegan loaf on her favorite store-bought bread French with poppy seeds.
I'd like to say that I accomplished something yesterday. I'd like to say that but I can't. We stayed in bed all morning just to pass the time...Oops, channeling Carole King there for a second. Well, actually we stayed in to listen to The Pet Files and The Flowerland Show actually a repeat of the latter, but still enjoyable.
We did learn from the veterinarians on The Pet Files program that GTTSD is a very typical terrier type dog. She is curious, likes to get into things, and also to randomly chew them up. In short, a perpetual state of impishness. So, it is okay and necessary to put her in a crate when we go out for her protection and for our sanity as long as she is free to share the family activities when we are home. We feel better about crating her now.
Today we want to stay in after the morning safari, assuming there is a morning safari. The current temperature is 28° although it feels like 21° with the wind-chill. Later today, the high temperature will be 29° with 11 mph winds that will make it feel much colder. A quick perusal of the information on the Weather.com site doesn't show a warm-up anytime soon. However, there is no prediction for significant snowfall beyond today's forecast for an 80% chance. Here in GH on the shores of "The Big Lake", only time will tell.
Did I mention that Coastal Living magazine recently named Grand Haven, Michigan one of the "Happiest Seaside Towns in America." We are on the shores of Lake Michigan, not an ocean. Here is a link to their rating.
http://www.coastalliving.com/travel/top-10/2017-happiest-seaside-towns/grand-haven-michigan-lighthouse
I'd like to do some baking and I know that Mary wants to try some new recipes, so I will probably defer to her activities in the kitchen while I read the weekend edition of the Grand Haven Tribune. I'll also be doing some pleasure reading.
Otherwise, after the sun rises @ 8:02 a,m, and well before it sets @ 5:53 p.m., we'll do whatever feels right. Like Mary often says to me, "You are retired and I am semi-retired, so take the time to slow down and just live." Good words to live by I guess.
I have decided that Mary and I need to travel to places that we haven't yet visited or to places that we have visited but which we would also like to see again. Like Adam has often opined, "Life is too short to not enjoy the ride" or words to that effect. Like I often do, I'll quote Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption, "It comes down to a simple choice, get busy living or get busy dying." I want to get busy living. Ciao.
Let's start with a positive experience. We traveled to the stand-alone grocery store yesterday and when compared to Mary's experience @ the big-box grocery and most everything store, it was like night and day. The aisles were not clogged with zombies whose version of life revolves around walking aimlessly around a store, jamming up the aisles and using the experience as entertainment. Plus, there were shopping carts available inside rather than having zombies looking for carts outside in the parking lot. We found everything we wanted, the produce was fresh, and the entire experience was as good as any visit to a necessary stop can be.
On the way home, we stopped @ Sporty's for some adult libations and a chance to soak up the atmosphere in locals place not prone to tourist visits. Then it was home to brave the snow that was falling and to sit back and enjoy some sandwiches made with Mary's spicy tomato vegan loaf on her favorite store-bought bread French with poppy seeds.
I'd like to say that I accomplished something yesterday. I'd like to say that but I can't. We stayed in bed all morning just to pass the time...Oops, channeling Carole King there for a second. Well, actually we stayed in to listen to The Pet Files and The Flowerland Show actually a repeat of the latter, but still enjoyable.
We did learn from the veterinarians on The Pet Files program that GTTSD is a very typical terrier type dog. She is curious, likes to get into things, and also to randomly chew them up. In short, a perpetual state of impishness. So, it is okay and necessary to put her in a crate when we go out for her protection and for our sanity as long as she is free to share the family activities when we are home. We feel better about crating her now.
Today we want to stay in after the morning safari, assuming there is a morning safari. The current temperature is 28° although it feels like 21° with the wind-chill. Later today, the high temperature will be 29° with 11 mph winds that will make it feel much colder. A quick perusal of the information on the Weather.com site doesn't show a warm-up anytime soon. However, there is no prediction for significant snowfall beyond today's forecast for an 80% chance. Here in GH on the shores of "The Big Lake", only time will tell.
Did I mention that Coastal Living magazine recently named Grand Haven, Michigan one of the "Happiest Seaside Towns in America." We are on the shores of Lake Michigan, not an ocean. Here is a link to their rating.
http://www.coastalliving.com/travel/top-10/2017-happiest-seaside-towns/grand-haven-michigan-lighthouse
I'd like to do some baking and I know that Mary wants to try some new recipes, so I will probably defer to her activities in the kitchen while I read the weekend edition of the Grand Haven Tribune. I'll also be doing some pleasure reading.
Otherwise, after the sun rises @ 8:02 a,m, and well before it sets @ 5:53 p.m., we'll do whatever feels right. Like Mary often says to me, "You are retired and I am semi-retired, so take the time to slow down and just live." Good words to live by I guess.
I have decided that Mary and I need to travel to places that we haven't yet visited or to places that we have visited but which we would also like to see again. Like Adam has often opined, "Life is too short to not enjoy the ride" or words to that effect. Like I often do, I'll quote Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption, "It comes down to a simple choice, get busy living or get busy dying." I want to get busy living. Ciao.
Saturday, January 28, 2017
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is 2:00 a.m. in "The City."
I confess. I was cold last night and so I overrode the programmable thermostat and set the temperature @ 70°. Mary said I should be sure to reset it when I went upstairs to bed. However, I overrode my frugal self and didn't change the setting. It is still set @ 70°. When the current outdoor temperature is 30° under cloudy skies and the wind is blowing @ 10 to 20 mph, I am going to override every time. Right now, I am very comfortable. I know that I often chastise Mary for trying to broil me by setting the thermostat @ 72°, but in this case, it was and continues to be my choice to stay warm. Sorry, Mary.
Today's high temperature will reach a zenith of 32° under skies that will continue to be cloudy. The winds will continue to blow at a steady 17 mph and there is a 60% chance of snow showers. The sun will rise @ 8:03 a.m., but I have no plans to be around to see it. The fur-children may get up and want their breakfast, but that will be the only impetus to change my mind. By the time that the sun sets @ 5:52 p.m., I will once again be enjoying the fine indoor temperature over which I do have control.
This is the weekend or the annual Winterfest in GH. Although most of the snow has melted and there is very little chance for additional snow, the events are going on as planned in the downtown area. The city has been moving snow to Harbor Island and so they are trucking it back into the city for some events. Plus, the setting for the annual Cardboard Sled Race, Mulligan's Hollow, near the YMCA, has snowmaking equipment and so that event should go off without a problem. It will go off without Mary and me.
GTTSD is lying near my feet right now. She was lying in the bed with us earlier, but once I got up, she got up. I will probably have to take her out and brave the cold temperatures and windy conditions in the back-forty in the not too distant future. Sigh. Well, we did go out and so did her sister, STWD. The winds were blocked in the back-forty, so it wasn't too bad. Ginger accomplished what we euphemistically call a three-peat. That's a #1 and a #2 combined. STWD, just a #1.
Yesterday, we traveled to the big-box tool store in Muskegon to get something that I wanted and we had plans to go farther to a kitchen store about seven miles north. However, the snow was falling just enough to convince us that heading home was a better choice. We will travel to the grocery store later today unless we don't. There are some produce items and juices that we would like to get and some cans to return, but they can wait.
I tried to order a book from the library that is in the new non-fiction pamphlet, but it is not yet available. I have inquired with the library staff. It may not be available yet although the paperback edition shows a publication date of 1/25/17.
We will have to take the morning safari with the fur-children after we feel it is time to rise. Not much can be done about their internal clocks. Mary read something that said that dogs internal clocks are regulated by their sense of smell. Maybe, but there is certainly something that causes them to get up and want their meals at the same time every day.
More time with the girls, more reading, more puzzle solving for me. More cooking and crafting for Mary, and more Hallmark Mysteries and Movies Channel for both of us later today. Ciao.
I confess. I was cold last night and so I overrode the programmable thermostat and set the temperature @ 70°. Mary said I should be sure to reset it when I went upstairs to bed. However, I overrode my frugal self and didn't change the setting. It is still set @ 70°. When the current outdoor temperature is 30° under cloudy skies and the wind is blowing @ 10 to 20 mph, I am going to override every time. Right now, I am very comfortable. I know that I often chastise Mary for trying to broil me by setting the thermostat @ 72°, but in this case, it was and continues to be my choice to stay warm. Sorry, Mary.
Today's high temperature will reach a zenith of 32° under skies that will continue to be cloudy. The winds will continue to blow at a steady 17 mph and there is a 60% chance of snow showers. The sun will rise @ 8:03 a.m., but I have no plans to be around to see it. The fur-children may get up and want their breakfast, but that will be the only impetus to change my mind. By the time that the sun sets @ 5:52 p.m., I will once again be enjoying the fine indoor temperature over which I do have control.
This is the weekend or the annual Winterfest in GH. Although most of the snow has melted and there is very little chance for additional snow, the events are going on as planned in the downtown area. The city has been moving snow to Harbor Island and so they are trucking it back into the city for some events. Plus, the setting for the annual Cardboard Sled Race, Mulligan's Hollow, near the YMCA, has snowmaking equipment and so that event should go off without a problem. It will go off without Mary and me.
GTTSD is lying near my feet right now. She was lying in the bed with us earlier, but once I got up, she got up. I will probably have to take her out and brave the cold temperatures and windy conditions in the back-forty in the not too distant future. Sigh. Well, we did go out and so did her sister, STWD. The winds were blocked in the back-forty, so it wasn't too bad. Ginger accomplished what we euphemistically call a three-peat. That's a #1 and a #2 combined. STWD, just a #1.
Yesterday, we traveled to the big-box tool store in Muskegon to get something that I wanted and we had plans to go farther to a kitchen store about seven miles north. However, the snow was falling just enough to convince us that heading home was a better choice. We will travel to the grocery store later today unless we don't. There are some produce items and juices that we would like to get and some cans to return, but they can wait.
I tried to order a book from the library that is in the new non-fiction pamphlet, but it is not yet available. I have inquired with the library staff. It may not be available yet although the paperback edition shows a publication date of 1/25/17.
We will have to take the morning safari with the fur-children after we feel it is time to rise. Not much can be done about their internal clocks. Mary read something that said that dogs internal clocks are regulated by their sense of smell. Maybe, but there is certainly something that causes them to get up and want their meals at the same time every day.
More time with the girls, more reading, more puzzle solving for me. More cooking and crafting for Mary, and more Hallmark Mysteries and Movies Channel for both of us later today. Ciao.
Friday, January 27, 2017
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 4:00 a.m. in "The City."
What a morning. I am using the internet now to publish this blog, but the service was out for over two hours prior to this time. I just got off chat with the internet provider and they told me that our service was "Degraded." by a general outage. However, they are not given any information beyond that. That means slow if it is working at all. I assured the representative that indeed, the service was back as I was using a live chat session. I asked for a credit for service time and they will call me in the morning to tell me what I already know, the service is back and what my credit will be. When you have one cable/internet provider, this is all you get.
At any rate, the current temperature is 33° as we head for today's high of 32° with a 60% chance of precipitation and 17 mph winds. It will be a wet and cold morning walk with the fur-children. The sun will rise today @ 8:04 a.m. and set later this evening @ 5:50 p.m.
Yesterday, we went over to Spring Lake to get my glasses repaired. It took about 10 minutes and there was no additional charge. There is an advantage to using a local business versus the internet or a fast glasses place. Other than that, we didn't do much yesterday.
GTTSD and I are awaiting today's train runs if any occur. Speaking of Ginger, she is repentant regarding her recent spate of mischief. Repentant, yes, but she must have a little voice whispering in her ear that says, "Go for it girl, you know you want to, so just do it." She needs to heed a different muse that advises against the mischief. Fortunately, she is cute, so it is easy to overlook destructive things that she does. Our only concern is that she will harm herself or chew up something that can't be replaced.
Today we have an appointment at the chiropractor and that is the only requisite activity. I want to play with the girls and do some additional reading, I should go to the library to return some books too. We want to walk downtown without the fur-children anyway. Since STWD is reluctant to go any direction that doesn't include a stop at The Bookman for a treat, she won't mind. However, if we go to the library, Ginger cannot go in. Since we can't leave her alone, she will have to be crated, which will not make her happy.
That looks like enough for today. Ciao.
What a morning. I am using the internet now to publish this blog, but the service was out for over two hours prior to this time. I just got off chat with the internet provider and they told me that our service was "Degraded." by a general outage. However, they are not given any information beyond that. That means slow if it is working at all. I assured the representative that indeed, the service was back as I was using a live chat session. I asked for a credit for service time and they will call me in the morning to tell me what I already know, the service is back and what my credit will be. When you have one cable/internet provider, this is all you get.
At any rate, the current temperature is 33° as we head for today's high of 32° with a 60% chance of precipitation and 17 mph winds. It will be a wet and cold morning walk with the fur-children. The sun will rise today @ 8:04 a.m. and set later this evening @ 5:50 p.m.
Yesterday, we went over to Spring Lake to get my glasses repaired. It took about 10 minutes and there was no additional charge. There is an advantage to using a local business versus the internet or a fast glasses place. Other than that, we didn't do much yesterday.
GTTSD and I are awaiting today's train runs if any occur. Speaking of Ginger, she is repentant regarding her recent spate of mischief. Repentant, yes, but she must have a little voice whispering in her ear that says, "Go for it girl, you know you want to, so just do it." She needs to heed a different muse that advises against the mischief. Fortunately, she is cute, so it is easy to overlook destructive things that she does. Our only concern is that she will harm herself or chew up something that can't be replaced.
Today we have an appointment at the chiropractor and that is the only requisite activity. I want to play with the girls and do some additional reading, I should go to the library to return some books too. We want to walk downtown without the fur-children anyway. Since STWD is reluctant to go any direction that doesn't include a stop at The Bookman for a treat, she won't mind. However, if we go to the library, Ginger cannot go in. Since we can't leave her alone, she will have to be crated, which will not make her happy.
That looks like enough for today. Ciao.
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 10:00 p.m. in "The City."
As you have already noticed, I skipped a day in my blog. Why you ask? Because I was sleeping soundly last night and I just didn't want to get up and get cold. When you have a setback thermostat, as we do, the temperature in the house drops to the mid-60s overnight. So it is a lot more prudent to stay under the covers. So I did. It was a one dog night, as Ginger was with us until 8:00 a.m. this morning when she decided it was time for breakfast. STWD was sleeping on the couch.
Speaking of Ginger, I feel as though it is time to change her acronym from GTWD, Ginger the Wonder Dog, to an acronym and moniker that is more in keeping with her new status as a trainspotter in training, So, from this point forward, she will be known as GTTSD, and acronym for Ginger the Trainspotting Dog. She is Ginger on the spot when a train rolls by on the RSTL. While she can only count up to two and since she can only bark and not speak, she cannot tell me how many cars or locomotives she sees. However, she is able to hear the trains approaching long before I ever can. So, with her assistance, I anticipate a better trainspotting effort in the future.
Speaking of transporting, @ 1:04 p.m., I was in the kitchen preparing a batch of cookies for baking. I didn't hear the approach of the southbound train run, but GTTSD sure did. I sprang to the window where she and I observed the passage of locomotive # 2019 at the head of a long line of cars. Locomotive #2057 must have been occupied elsewhere in the system. #2019 was towing 10 DBTCs, 34 CHCs, and four DWTCs. At 5:18 p.m. that same locomotive was observed and heard passing north as it towed 16 CHCs, one GTC, and three DTCs.
As I mentioned earlier, I was in the kitchen when the southbound run passed by making blueberry cookies. I used my new Kitchenaid™ stand mixer to thoroughly mix the flour, sugar, salt, egg substitute, vegan butter, baking powder, and vanilla before I added the blueberries by hand. By that time, I had to go to my orthopedist appointment and so I placed the dough in the refrigerator for later baking. When I got home, I rolled the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and then placed them on a cokie sheet and into the oven which I had preheated to 375°. 13 minutes later and my latest foray into baking had produced some very good looking and tasty cookies.
Since I had that doctor's appointment, Mary made a nice salad for lunch before we took the fur-children for a walk. Sugar was rewarded with a biscuit at The Bookman. Mary finished the laundry that I had started while I was away and then I sat down to read. Mary decided that we needed some onion rings, so we set out for the Tip a Few tavern, our favorite watering hole, for those and some adult libations. When we got back, Mary made a tasty vegan faux tuna casserole for dinner.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Ginger got into Mary's knitting kit while we were out and chewed her way through some rubber tips and a glass nail file. Fortunately, it appears that Ginger did not ingest any of the glass. However, it appears that Ginger will be in her crate when we go out in the future as her separation anxiety seems to get the best of her.
We watched Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy before Mary took STWD out for her final appearance and before I took GTTSD out for her curtain call. I went upstairs to watch Wheeler Dealers while Mary watched Chris Hayes on MSNBC.
Tomorrow, we have plans to walk with the fur-children, weather permitting, as well as a trip to Spring Lake for my glasses. Then we plan to settle in for some reading and crafting. I want to spend some time with the girls too.
Speaking of the weather, the current temperature is 36° under cloudy skies. That is also the forecast high for tomorrow. Right now the precipitation is in the form of rain, while tomorrow, it will be a combination of rain and snow.
I must get in a plug for the arrival of spring, that is spring as I see it. In 19 days, my beloved Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers pitchers and catchers report. The next day, the Cubs pitchers and catchers report. In 30 days, the first spring training game is scheduled for the 2016 World Series Champion Chicago Cubs.
The sun will rise tomorrow @ 8:05 a.m. and set @ 5:49 p.m. Ciao.
As you have already noticed, I skipped a day in my blog. Why you ask? Because I was sleeping soundly last night and I just didn't want to get up and get cold. When you have a setback thermostat, as we do, the temperature in the house drops to the mid-60s overnight. So it is a lot more prudent to stay under the covers. So I did. It was a one dog night, as Ginger was with us until 8:00 a.m. this morning when she decided it was time for breakfast. STWD was sleeping on the couch.
Speaking of Ginger, I feel as though it is time to change her acronym from GTWD, Ginger the Wonder Dog, to an acronym and moniker that is more in keeping with her new status as a trainspotter in training, So, from this point forward, she will be known as GTTSD, and acronym for Ginger the Trainspotting Dog. She is Ginger on the spot when a train rolls by on the RSTL. While she can only count up to two and since she can only bark and not speak, she cannot tell me how many cars or locomotives she sees. However, she is able to hear the trains approaching long before I ever can. So, with her assistance, I anticipate a better trainspotting effort in the future.
Speaking of transporting, @ 1:04 p.m., I was in the kitchen preparing a batch of cookies for baking. I didn't hear the approach of the southbound train run, but GTTSD sure did. I sprang to the window where she and I observed the passage of locomotive # 2019 at the head of a long line of cars. Locomotive #2057 must have been occupied elsewhere in the system. #2019 was towing 10 DBTCs, 34 CHCs, and four DWTCs. At 5:18 p.m. that same locomotive was observed and heard passing north as it towed 16 CHCs, one GTC, and three DTCs.
As I mentioned earlier, I was in the kitchen when the southbound run passed by making blueberry cookies. I used my new Kitchenaid™ stand mixer to thoroughly mix the flour, sugar, salt, egg substitute, vegan butter, baking powder, and vanilla before I added the blueberries by hand. By that time, I had to go to my orthopedist appointment and so I placed the dough in the refrigerator for later baking. When I got home, I rolled the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and then placed them on a cokie sheet and into the oven which I had preheated to 375°. 13 minutes later and my latest foray into baking had produced some very good looking and tasty cookies.
Since I had that doctor's appointment, Mary made a nice salad for lunch before we took the fur-children for a walk. Sugar was rewarded with a biscuit at The Bookman. Mary finished the laundry that I had started while I was away and then I sat down to read. Mary decided that we needed some onion rings, so we set out for the Tip a Few tavern, our favorite watering hole, for those and some adult libations. When we got back, Mary made a tasty vegan faux tuna casserole for dinner.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Ginger got into Mary's knitting kit while we were out and chewed her way through some rubber tips and a glass nail file. Fortunately, it appears that Ginger did not ingest any of the glass. However, it appears that Ginger will be in her crate when we go out in the future as her separation anxiety seems to get the best of her.
We watched Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy before Mary took STWD out for her final appearance and before I took GTTSD out for her curtain call. I went upstairs to watch Wheeler Dealers while Mary watched Chris Hayes on MSNBC.
Tomorrow, we have plans to walk with the fur-children, weather permitting, as well as a trip to Spring Lake for my glasses. Then we plan to settle in for some reading and crafting. I want to spend some time with the girls too.
Speaking of the weather, the current temperature is 36° under cloudy skies. That is also the forecast high for tomorrow. Right now the precipitation is in the form of rain, while tomorrow, it will be a combination of rain and snow.
I must get in a plug for the arrival of spring, that is spring as I see it. In 19 days, my beloved Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers pitchers and catchers report. The next day, the Cubs pitchers and catchers report. In 30 days, the first spring training game is scheduled for the 2016 World Series Champion Chicago Cubs.
The sun will rise tomorrow @ 8:05 a.m. and set @ 5:49 p.m. Ciao.
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:00 a.m. in "The City."
I was just outside with GTWD and the current temperature of 38° that is supposed to feel like 33° was not a factor in the back-forty. I once again assume that this is because of the way that the yard is mostly enclosed. Today's high is forecast to reach a zenith of 41°, just like tomorrow. However, the chance of precipitation for today is only 10% while tomorrow that rises to 80%, just in time for my trip to the orthopedist. The sun will rise today @ 8:07 a.m. and set @ 5:47 p.m.
Ginger and I once again engaged in some trainspotting yesterday. However, we only spotted the southbound run of locomotives 2057 and 2019 as they passed by on the RSTL. In tow were 29 CHCs, and that's all. Mary and I must have been out when the northbound run passed through. Or, that run may be later today. However, since yesterday's run happened @ 11:21 a.m., that seems unlikely.
We were out running some errands after about 2:00 p.m., so the chances of our missing the train are probably good. Those errands included stops at Home Depot, Chow Hound, Harbor Freight, along with stops @ Orchard Market, the Love Inc. Resale Store and Stan's Tavern in Spring Lake.
Prior to our departure and following our late rising, Mary made the PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) version of Beefaroni™ that uses a plant-based substitute for meat, in this case, Mary's perfectly extraordinary beest, elbow macaroni, low-sodium tomato soup, onions, and garlic. I think this version tastes fine and it is far healthier for both us and the cattle that didn't have to die.
I know that many people are moved by the saving of dogs from slaughter in many foreign countries, but they never seem to be moved by the plight of animals here or in other countries. A seemingly hypocritical and revisionist version of eating habits. We went vegan over two years ago for both the health benefits and the realization that animals are not here for our consumption. Just saying.
Dinner was cottage tofu and Mary's famous sauerkraut and faux Swiss cheese sandwiches topped with her version of thousand islands dressing all on San Francisco style sourdough bread. The bread was the reason for our stop @ Orchard Market in Spring Lake. I am still working on my own bread baking as previously noted.
We have an appointment today for the fur-children @ Paw Pros for baths, and pawdicures. We are doing that today since the weather forecast for tomorrow is more of the stay inside variety.
While we were running errands yesterday, we picked up a toy for GTWD to keep her occupied while we go out. This one had a squeaker that can be used or not at the discretion of the pet-parent. We opted to leave it out. However, our plans for Ginger's entertainment were thwarted by STWD when she grabbed the toy and chewed happily away, and in fact kept GTWD away from the toy. Sugar hasn't played with toys in many years. Who knew that she would want this one? Her desire to chew a toy may stem from Ginger's presence, but that is something that we'll have to address while we are out today for the grooming appointments by purchasing another toy.
I anticipate that the day today will be quiet once we have completed the dropoff and pickup of the fur-children at the groomers along with our purchase of another toy for Ginger.
Mary has plans to get to some of her craft projects and I have plans to read and work puzzles, both crossword and jigsaw. Ciao.
I was just outside with GTWD and the current temperature of 38° that is supposed to feel like 33° was not a factor in the back-forty. I once again assume that this is because of the way that the yard is mostly enclosed. Today's high is forecast to reach a zenith of 41°, just like tomorrow. However, the chance of precipitation for today is only 10% while tomorrow that rises to 80%, just in time for my trip to the orthopedist. The sun will rise today @ 8:07 a.m. and set @ 5:47 p.m.
Ginger and I once again engaged in some trainspotting yesterday. However, we only spotted the southbound run of locomotives 2057 and 2019 as they passed by on the RSTL. In tow were 29 CHCs, and that's all. Mary and I must have been out when the northbound run passed through. Or, that run may be later today. However, since yesterday's run happened @ 11:21 a.m., that seems unlikely.
We were out running some errands after about 2:00 p.m., so the chances of our missing the train are probably good. Those errands included stops at Home Depot, Chow Hound, Harbor Freight, along with stops @ Orchard Market, the Love Inc. Resale Store and Stan's Tavern in Spring Lake.
Prior to our departure and following our late rising, Mary made the PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) version of Beefaroni™ that uses a plant-based substitute for meat, in this case, Mary's perfectly extraordinary beest, elbow macaroni, low-sodium tomato soup, onions, and garlic. I think this version tastes fine and it is far healthier for both us and the cattle that didn't have to die.
I know that many people are moved by the saving of dogs from slaughter in many foreign countries, but they never seem to be moved by the plight of animals here or in other countries. A seemingly hypocritical and revisionist version of eating habits. We went vegan over two years ago for both the health benefits and the realization that animals are not here for our consumption. Just saying.
Dinner was cottage tofu and Mary's famous sauerkraut and faux Swiss cheese sandwiches topped with her version of thousand islands dressing all on San Francisco style sourdough bread. The bread was the reason for our stop @ Orchard Market in Spring Lake. I am still working on my own bread baking as previously noted.
We have an appointment today for the fur-children @ Paw Pros for baths, and pawdicures. We are doing that today since the weather forecast for tomorrow is more of the stay inside variety.
While we were running errands yesterday, we picked up a toy for GTWD to keep her occupied while we go out. This one had a squeaker that can be used or not at the discretion of the pet-parent. We opted to leave it out. However, our plans for Ginger's entertainment were thwarted by STWD when she grabbed the toy and chewed happily away, and in fact kept GTWD away from the toy. Sugar hasn't played with toys in many years. Who knew that she would want this one? Her desire to chew a toy may stem from Ginger's presence, but that is something that we'll have to address while we are out today for the grooming appointments by purchasing another toy.
I anticipate that the day today will be quiet once we have completed the dropoff and pickup of the fur-children at the groomers along with our purchase of another toy for Ginger.
Mary has plans to get to some of her craft projects and I have plans to read and work puzzles, both crossword and jigsaw. Ciao.
Monday, January 23, 2017
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 12:00 a.m. in "The City."
A rather mundane day was had by all of the residents of the manse. The fur-children and their humans slept in. However, GTWD had an accident in the foyer and that caused Mary to scold Ginger. Ginger felt bad and so she came upstairs with her sister to escape Mary's wrath. GTWD and Mary made amends later.
Speaking of Mary, she made a lunch that was a vegan version of sweet and sour sauce tempeh over rice. I liked the taste a lot, but Mary believes that instead of tempeh, she will use tofu next time. Who am I to complain? I had my own adventures in the kitchen yesterday. I baked bread that didn't rise properly. It was my own fault, as I didn't allow enough room for the yeast and brown sugar mixture to expand in the bowl that I chose, as it was way too small, so I lost part of my rise. The bread tastes fine, but it looks more like a flat loaf than a puffy loaf that had risen properly. Better luck next time. I live and learn.
The sandwiches that Mary had planned to use my bread fiasco to make became just her world famous vegan perfectly extraordinary beest with my Coleslaw on the side. I liked it that way too.
We have a current temperature of 42° under cloudy skies which will be the case throughout most of the day. We'll have a 40% to 50% chance of precipitation. The sun will rise @ 8:09 a.m. and set @ 5:45 p.m.
We were going to count the stitches that Mary had cast on to her knitting needles, but we were both too tired to make an accurate count. We'll try again later today.
I found that in the process of cleaning the pink mold out of the humidifier, that I killed the machine. That machine and I have always had a bad relationship. Mary has determined that we don't need another machine because she can add humidity to the air through cooking and other activities of daily living. Now we have to find a use for the excess distilled water that we had purchased for the old machine.
I finished my latest pulp novel and now I have to get on to reading some serious tomes that I have checked out of the library. I like pulp fiction books because they are fast reads that I can finish in a few hours. My non-fiction books require concentration. I spent some time watching movies on the Hallmark Movie Mystery Channel last night along with my reading.
I was not disappointed to see the Green Bay Packers take a loss to the Atlanta Falcons by a final score of 21 - 44, but I wanted the Pittsburgh Steelers to beat the New England Patriots. The Steelers lost to the Patriots by a score of 17 - 36. So much for my wishes.
We have no specific plans for later today. With the expected precipitation, I would be happy to stay inside and not go out at all. I'm sure that the fur-children will have other plans. Mary wants to listen to one of her favorite morning radio programs, The Stephanie Miller Show, to hear what Stephanie's experiences were like @ the huge protest rally in Washington, D.C. on Saturday. I confess that I will find the descriptions interesting too.
That's enough for now. Ciao.
A rather mundane day was had by all of the residents of the manse. The fur-children and their humans slept in. However, GTWD had an accident in the foyer and that caused Mary to scold Ginger. Ginger felt bad and so she came upstairs with her sister to escape Mary's wrath. GTWD and Mary made amends later.
Speaking of Mary, she made a lunch that was a vegan version of sweet and sour sauce tempeh over rice. I liked the taste a lot, but Mary believes that instead of tempeh, she will use tofu next time. Who am I to complain? I had my own adventures in the kitchen yesterday. I baked bread that didn't rise properly. It was my own fault, as I didn't allow enough room for the yeast and brown sugar mixture to expand in the bowl that I chose, as it was way too small, so I lost part of my rise. The bread tastes fine, but it looks more like a flat loaf than a puffy loaf that had risen properly. Better luck next time. I live and learn.
The sandwiches that Mary had planned to use my bread fiasco to make became just her world famous vegan perfectly extraordinary beest with my Coleslaw on the side. I liked it that way too.
We have a current temperature of 42° under cloudy skies which will be the case throughout most of the day. We'll have a 40% to 50% chance of precipitation. The sun will rise @ 8:09 a.m. and set @ 5:45 p.m.
We were going to count the stitches that Mary had cast on to her knitting needles, but we were both too tired to make an accurate count. We'll try again later today.
I found that in the process of cleaning the pink mold out of the humidifier, that I killed the machine. That machine and I have always had a bad relationship. Mary has determined that we don't need another machine because she can add humidity to the air through cooking and other activities of daily living. Now we have to find a use for the excess distilled water that we had purchased for the old machine.
I finished my latest pulp novel and now I have to get on to reading some serious tomes that I have checked out of the library. I like pulp fiction books because they are fast reads that I can finish in a few hours. My non-fiction books require concentration. I spent some time watching movies on the Hallmark Movie Mystery Channel last night along with my reading.
I was not disappointed to see the Green Bay Packers take a loss to the Atlanta Falcons by a final score of 21 - 44, but I wanted the Pittsburgh Steelers to beat the New England Patriots. The Steelers lost to the Patriots by a score of 17 - 36. So much for my wishes.
We have no specific plans for later today. With the expected precipitation, I would be happy to stay inside and not go out at all. I'm sure that the fur-children will have other plans. Mary wants to listen to one of her favorite morning radio programs, The Stephanie Miller Show, to hear what Stephanie's experiences were like @ the huge protest rally in Washington, D.C. on Saturday. I confess that I will find the descriptions interesting too.
That's enough for now. Ciao.
Sunday, January 22, 2017
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 12:00 a.m. in "The City."
Sorry about all of those links in my last blog, but sometimes my fingers get to roaming the keyboard and seemingly take on a life of their own. At any rate, I promise that it won't happen again, well at least not for a while.
We had a great day in GH yesterday. The clouds cleared, the sun shone and the day was perfect for a walk to the library for my Irish Jam session and then later for a walk to the Double Deuce for dinner.
We had a solid turnout for the jam session and with several guitar players, some whistle players, a bodhran, and a couple of fiddles, we made some good music. I never cease to be amazed by the young people who can play most of the tunes from memory while I have to have my sheet music in front of me. A pity that youth is wasted on the young.
I spent the day reading both before and after the jam session and after dinner. Mary did some cooking and the laundry while I was out. I took some time late yesterday evening to remove the pink mold from our humidifier that we use in the bedroom. I got it all and so I was able to bring the humidifier back on line. Until Mary told me we had a problem with pink mold, I didn't know that it even existed. Live and learn I guess.
Mary made the mistake of going to the big-box most everything and grocery store yesterday. Judging by her description of the store, not much has changed. This store is part of a large Michigan-based chain and this one, in particular, is poorly managed. They are often out of desired products, the lines at the checkouts are long and slow and today, Mary tells me that there were no carts available in the store. Many people were looking for them. They didn't know it was their responsibility to bring a cart in with them when they came into the store.
Today we have no specific plans other than to read and finish a crossword puzzle. Mary is between indexing jobs right now and that's just the way she wanted it to be. Mary has some sewing to do and we will likely take the fur-children for a walk by a route that allows them to explore their environment as only dogs can.
The current temperature is 43° with cloudy skies. Later today, the skies will remain cloudy as the temperature rises to 46°. The sun will rise @ 8:09 a.m. and set @ 5:44 p.m. Ciao.
Sorry about all of those links in my last blog, but sometimes my fingers get to roaming the keyboard and seemingly take on a life of their own. At any rate, I promise that it won't happen again, well at least not for a while.
We had a great day in GH yesterday. The clouds cleared, the sun shone and the day was perfect for a walk to the library for my Irish Jam session and then later for a walk to the Double Deuce for dinner.
We had a solid turnout for the jam session and with several guitar players, some whistle players, a bodhran, and a couple of fiddles, we made some good music. I never cease to be amazed by the young people who can play most of the tunes from memory while I have to have my sheet music in front of me. A pity that youth is wasted on the young.
I spent the day reading both before and after the jam session and after dinner. Mary did some cooking and the laundry while I was out. I took some time late yesterday evening to remove the pink mold from our humidifier that we use in the bedroom. I got it all and so I was able to bring the humidifier back on line. Until Mary told me we had a problem with pink mold, I didn't know that it even existed. Live and learn I guess.
Mary made the mistake of going to the big-box most everything and grocery store yesterday. Judging by her description of the store, not much has changed. This store is part of a large Michigan-based chain and this one, in particular, is poorly managed. They are often out of desired products, the lines at the checkouts are long and slow and today, Mary tells me that there were no carts available in the store. Many people were looking for them. They didn't know it was their responsibility to bring a cart in with them when they came into the store.
Today we have no specific plans other than to read and finish a crossword puzzle. Mary is between indexing jobs right now and that's just the way she wanted it to be. Mary has some sewing to do and we will likely take the fur-children for a walk by a route that allows them to explore their environment as only dogs can.
The current temperature is 43° with cloudy skies. Later today, the skies will remain cloudy as the temperature rises to 46°. The sun will rise @ 8:09 a.m. and set @ 5:44 p.m. Ciao.
Saturday, January 21, 2017
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 1:30 a.m. in "The City." None of the names have been changed to protect the innocent.
Just a reminder about my opening lines. The "Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be" comes from the opening of Coast to Coast AM and its host, George Noory. That's how he opens his program each night @ 1:00 a.m. EST.
The much shorter, "The City" is from the opening lines intoned by Jack Webb as he introduced the latest episode of his long-running radio and TV show, Dragnet. Here is a link to that famous opening sequence and those lines. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6LprmdivN8
There was an alternate opening too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmqWaWuslNI.
And lest I forget, there was also a Dragnet movie released in 1987 starring Dan Ackroyd and Tom Hanks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZL7epLIyhA
In any case, I pay homage to the TV shows and Jack Webb and also to the movies that the show inspired. I'd also like to thank George Noory and I cannot forget to include the way that George closes the program every Friday/Saturday if he is personally hosting the program. This clip is from an artist named UFO Phil. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqWPCsNke24
There, that makes for a longer blog with little effort on my part and also because not much was happening yesterday.
Mary had gotten up early so that she could finish the current index and get it sent into the ether. I was blissfully sleeping when she woke me to share some OJ and tell me that she wanted to get the day started. She had already fed the fur-children and taken them out for their morning constitutionals. So, I was up too. We finished the index and sent it on its way. I never did get back to sleep.
To her credit, Mary made an excellent lunch of sweet potatoes and vegan roast beest. Later, after our visit to the chiropractor, she made what we long ago dubbed "Slumgullion" a name for any meal that combines ingredients into a tasty stew-like meal. Her's used her famous mushroom gravy combined with vegan roast beest and mostaccioli. There are other recipes that often use tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, spices., and ground beef. Here are two. Try either, I think you'll like them.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/19347/slumgullion/
http://www.cooks.com/recipe/l76o80oj/slumgullion.html
Trainspotting for GTWD and yours truly was relatively limited. At 10:10 a.m. we witnessed the southbound passage of locomotives 2019 and 2057 on the RSTL. In tow were two CHCs, five DWTCs, some with red stripes around their center, and four DBTCs.
At 1:42 p.m., Ginger and I once again heard that lonesome whistle blowing. We rushed to the front window to see locomotives 2019 and 2057 passing by heading north on the RSTL, sans cars.
I have my monthly Irish Jam session later today. While not Irish music, I decided to add another link to the song Jammin' by Bob Marley and the Wailers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFRbZJXjWIA What's one more link in an already link-heavy blog when it is thematic in nature?
I decided, since I have already laced this blog with links, why not add another to commemorate the fact that the pitchers and catchers for my beloved Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers report in 24 short days. So here goes with John Fogerty's song, Centerfield.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72ScIaJFJ0o
We have a current temperature of 37° as we head for today's forecast high of 54° with fog in the early a.m. hours. There is only a 20% chance of precipitation in the form of rain. The sun will rise @ 8:09 a.m. and set @ 5:43 p.m. Ciao.
Just a reminder about my opening lines. The "Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be" comes from the opening of Coast to Coast AM and its host, George Noory. That's how he opens his program each night @ 1:00 a.m. EST.
The much shorter, "The City" is from the opening lines intoned by Jack Webb as he introduced the latest episode of his long-running radio and TV show, Dragnet. Here is a link to that famous opening sequence and those lines. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6LprmdivN8
There was an alternate opening too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmqWaWuslNI.
And lest I forget, there was also a Dragnet movie released in 1987 starring Dan Ackroyd and Tom Hanks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZL7epLIyhA
In any case, I pay homage to the TV shows and Jack Webb and also to the movies that the show inspired. I'd also like to thank George Noory and I cannot forget to include the way that George closes the program every Friday/Saturday if he is personally hosting the program. This clip is from an artist named UFO Phil. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqWPCsNke24
There, that makes for a longer blog with little effort on my part and also because not much was happening yesterday.
Mary had gotten up early so that she could finish the current index and get it sent into the ether. I was blissfully sleeping when she woke me to share some OJ and tell me that she wanted to get the day started. She had already fed the fur-children and taken them out for their morning constitutionals. So, I was up too. We finished the index and sent it on its way. I never did get back to sleep.
To her credit, Mary made an excellent lunch of sweet potatoes and vegan roast beest. Later, after our visit to the chiropractor, she made what we long ago dubbed "Slumgullion" a name for any meal that combines ingredients into a tasty stew-like meal. Her's used her famous mushroom gravy combined with vegan roast beest and mostaccioli. There are other recipes that often use tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, spices., and ground beef. Here are two. Try either, I think you'll like them.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/19347/slumgullion/
http://www.cooks.com/recipe/l76o80oj/slumgullion.html
Trainspotting for GTWD and yours truly was relatively limited. At 10:10 a.m. we witnessed the southbound passage of locomotives 2019 and 2057 on the RSTL. In tow were two CHCs, five DWTCs, some with red stripes around their center, and four DBTCs.
At 1:42 p.m., Ginger and I once again heard that lonesome whistle blowing. We rushed to the front window to see locomotives 2019 and 2057 passing by heading north on the RSTL, sans cars.
I have my monthly Irish Jam session later today. While not Irish music, I decided to add another link to the song Jammin' by Bob Marley and the Wailers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFRbZJXjWIA What's one more link in an already link-heavy blog when it is thematic in nature?
I decided, since I have already laced this blog with links, why not add another to commemorate the fact that the pitchers and catchers for my beloved Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers report in 24 short days. So here goes with John Fogerty's song, Centerfield.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72ScIaJFJ0o
We have a current temperature of 37° as we head for today's forecast high of 54° with fog in the early a.m. hours. There is only a 20% chance of precipitation in the form of rain. The sun will rise @ 8:09 a.m. and set @ 5:43 p.m. Ciao.
Friday, January 20, 2017
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 2:00 a.m. in "The City."
Since yesterday was rather pedestrian, I'll start with the weather and then move on to the news of the day.
We have a current temperature of 38° that feels like 33° due to some light winds. In addition, the NWS is indicating that rain is falling, albeit lightly. A quick glance out the WW was inconclusive. Today's high is forecast to be 40° with a 90% chance of rain in the morning hours. Saturday, the forecast also calls for rain in the morning, but with a high temperature of 53°. I believe that it was the late Freddie Prinze who would have said, "Looking Good!" The sun will rise later this morning @ 8:10 a.m. and set this afternoon @ 5:41 p.m.
We took a short walk with the fur-children yesterday and our suspicions regarding STWD were confirmed. She made a beeline to The Bookman for a biscuit treat and she was rewarded with two biscuits. If you are a dog, what's not to like? In addition, Sugar has become reticent to use the area that I cleared in the back forty for the exclusive use of our fur-children. It appears that she feels as though there has been too much use and so she won't even leave the deck. She can be stubborn sometimes. A quick walk to the front parkway and all is well.
Mary worked on the latest index while I was at the barber shop. When I returned, she had already made a tasty lunch that consisted of her now famous, well at least with me, mushroom gravy, beest, and garlic smashed potatoes. She then went back to work. Dinner later was more of her vegan beest on buns with a side of the Coleslaw that I had made just a few minutes before the meal. Somewhere in there, I assisted with some editing duties after which I spent some time with the girls. I liked the time with the girls more.
Today we have little on tap other than a visit to the chiropractor in the afternoon. Mary will continue indexing and I may take to the kitchen unless I just spend time reading. The chiropractor visit takes about 30 minutes, not counting travel time. Currently, we are back to using the crate for GTWD when we go out, as she has that separation anxiety thing. We'll work it out.
That's all folks. Ciao.
Since yesterday was rather pedestrian, I'll start with the weather and then move on to the news of the day.
We have a current temperature of 38° that feels like 33° due to some light winds. In addition, the NWS is indicating that rain is falling, albeit lightly. A quick glance out the WW was inconclusive. Today's high is forecast to be 40° with a 90% chance of rain in the morning hours. Saturday, the forecast also calls for rain in the morning, but with a high temperature of 53°. I believe that it was the late Freddie Prinze who would have said, "Looking Good!" The sun will rise later this morning @ 8:10 a.m. and set this afternoon @ 5:41 p.m.
We took a short walk with the fur-children yesterday and our suspicions regarding STWD were confirmed. She made a beeline to The Bookman for a biscuit treat and she was rewarded with two biscuits. If you are a dog, what's not to like? In addition, Sugar has become reticent to use the area that I cleared in the back forty for the exclusive use of our fur-children. It appears that she feels as though there has been too much use and so she won't even leave the deck. She can be stubborn sometimes. A quick walk to the front parkway and all is well.
Mary worked on the latest index while I was at the barber shop. When I returned, she had already made a tasty lunch that consisted of her now famous, well at least with me, mushroom gravy, beest, and garlic smashed potatoes. She then went back to work. Dinner later was more of her vegan beest on buns with a side of the Coleslaw that I had made just a few minutes before the meal. Somewhere in there, I assisted with some editing duties after which I spent some time with the girls. I liked the time with the girls more.
Today we have little on tap other than a visit to the chiropractor in the afternoon. Mary will continue indexing and I may take to the kitchen unless I just spend time reading. The chiropractor visit takes about 30 minutes, not counting travel time. Currently, we are back to using the crate for GTWD when we go out, as she has that separation anxiety thing. We'll work it out.
That's all folks. Ciao.
Thursday, January 19, 2017
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 4:00 a.m. in "The City."
I got a rave review on my recent whole wheat bread from an outside, unbiased source. Sadly, it is nearly gone. I may have to go back into the bread baking business this week. Or, I may try my hand at making bagels. But first, I intend to put in some time with the girls in the music room later today.
I was just outside with GTWD and STWD @ 3:00 a.m. and the current temperature of 38° was quite comfortable. I had spent some time in the kitchen prior to that getting it ready for any future cooking activities, either by Mary or yours truly. In either case, the kitchen is now ready for anything. Naturally, both of the fur-children were there to provide any assistance that I might need. All they got for their diligence was some oyster crackers and a trip to the great outdoors. Sugar never left the deck, but Ginger was ready, willing, and able to do her duty.
Speaking of STWD, we believe that the real reason that she doesn't like to walk west versus east is because she knows that we generally stop at The Bookman during our walk where Sugar gets a biscuit as a reward for stopping by. Who says that dogs don't have long term memory capabilities?
Speaking of kitchen activities, Mary made a great salad for lunch as our original plans to eat salad at the hospital cafeteria were changed at the last minute when the orthopedist's office called to tell me that the doctor was behind schedule and that my 1:30 p.m. appointment had to be changed to a 3:40 p.m. appointment. The cafeteria stops serving lunch long before then. Sigh.
Later, we ran some errands and then went to the hospital for my appointment. That went well and I am 2/5 of the way towards the end of my treatments for six months. When we got home after a stop at JWs, where my bread got that great review, Mary used my recently cooked Italian-style veggie balls with some pasta sauce and what I once upon a time called tubular pasta to make dinner. I believe the pasta was mostaccioli. In any event, I liked her efforts. Now I'll have to make more of the veggie balls too. That assumes that I have more tempeh for the recipe. A man's work is never done.
During the course of the day, I heard that lonesome whistle blow and rushed to one of my trainspotting windows. Spotting didn't take long, because @ 10:30 a.m. I watched locomotives 2057 and 2019 roll by heading south with no cars in tow. Both locomotives were clean, but # 2019 is looking a bit dull and shopworn as if the paint needs to be resprayed. That's what Ed China might say on my favorite car show, Wheeler Dealers when talking about some of the cars that Mike Brewer, his partner, had recently purchased.
We were just walking into the library @ 2:07 p.m. when I heard the approaching whistle once again. However, I did not see the actual train as it headed north. So while I could speculate, I cannot testify accurately as to the types or number of cars in tow.
I just checked and of all the quarters that I received in change yesterday, none was new to me or they had the wrong mint designation. Oh well, I'll keep looking.
So that looks like enough for one day. I am certain that the sun will rise @ 8:11 a.m. and set @ 5:40 p.m. Oh, we are just 25 days away from spring in Florida. That's when the pitchers and catchers report to spring training for my beloved Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers. Sadly, this is the first time in many years that the spring training camp will not be welcoming David "Big Papi" Ortiz to camp two days later as he is now retired and making commercials. The Cubs pitchers and catchers report to camp in Arizona the next day. Ciao.
I got a rave review on my recent whole wheat bread from an outside, unbiased source. Sadly, it is nearly gone. I may have to go back into the bread baking business this week. Or, I may try my hand at making bagels. But first, I intend to put in some time with the girls in the music room later today.
I was just outside with GTWD and STWD @ 3:00 a.m. and the current temperature of 38° was quite comfortable. I had spent some time in the kitchen prior to that getting it ready for any future cooking activities, either by Mary or yours truly. In either case, the kitchen is now ready for anything. Naturally, both of the fur-children were there to provide any assistance that I might need. All they got for their diligence was some oyster crackers and a trip to the great outdoors. Sugar never left the deck, but Ginger was ready, willing, and able to do her duty.
Speaking of STWD, we believe that the real reason that she doesn't like to walk west versus east is because she knows that we generally stop at The Bookman during our walk where Sugar gets a biscuit as a reward for stopping by. Who says that dogs don't have long term memory capabilities?
Speaking of kitchen activities, Mary made a great salad for lunch as our original plans to eat salad at the hospital cafeteria were changed at the last minute when the orthopedist's office called to tell me that the doctor was behind schedule and that my 1:30 p.m. appointment had to be changed to a 3:40 p.m. appointment. The cafeteria stops serving lunch long before then. Sigh.
Later, we ran some errands and then went to the hospital for my appointment. That went well and I am 2/5 of the way towards the end of my treatments for six months. When we got home after a stop at JWs, where my bread got that great review, Mary used my recently cooked Italian-style veggie balls with some pasta sauce and what I once upon a time called tubular pasta to make dinner. I believe the pasta was mostaccioli. In any event, I liked her efforts. Now I'll have to make more of the veggie balls too. That assumes that I have more tempeh for the recipe. A man's work is never done.
During the course of the day, I heard that lonesome whistle blow and rushed to one of my trainspotting windows. Spotting didn't take long, because @ 10:30 a.m. I watched locomotives 2057 and 2019 roll by heading south with no cars in tow. Both locomotives were clean, but # 2019 is looking a bit dull and shopworn as if the paint needs to be resprayed. That's what Ed China might say on my favorite car show, Wheeler Dealers when talking about some of the cars that Mike Brewer, his partner, had recently purchased.
We were just walking into the library @ 2:07 p.m. when I heard the approaching whistle once again. However, I did not see the actual train as it headed north. So while I could speculate, I cannot testify accurately as to the types or number of cars in tow.
I just checked and of all the quarters that I received in change yesterday, none was new to me or they had the wrong mint designation. Oh well, I'll keep looking.
So that looks like enough for one day. I am certain that the sun will rise @ 8:11 a.m. and set @ 5:40 p.m. Oh, we are just 25 days away from spring in Florida. That's when the pitchers and catchers report to spring training for my beloved Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers. Sadly, this is the first time in many years that the spring training camp will not be welcoming David "Big Papi" Ortiz to camp two days later as he is now retired and making commercials. The Cubs pitchers and catchers report to camp in Arizona the next day. Ciao.
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 1:30 a.m. in "The City."
Ginger and I had a good time trainspotting yesterday. At 12:17 p.m., we watched as locomotives 2019 and 2057 passed by on the RSTL heading south, In tow, they had 15 CHCs, and eight DBTCs that were bringing up the rear. At 3:35 p.m., the same locomotives passed through once again, this time heading north. They were towing eight CHCs, and two DBTCs, all loaded. This train run was moving more quickly and the passage did not take long.
I was busy in the kitchen all day yesterday. I baked, I boiled, I washed a lot of pots, pans, and dishes, some of them more than once. Mary had made another pair of her famous vegan roast beests, and had left me in charge of watching and then finishing them. I did my part by flipping them halfway through the cooking process, but she had neglected to tell me that the beests needed to be removed from the pan when they were done. She had assumed knowledge on my part that I didn't possess, and so I just left them in the pan and they continued to soak up the broth that Mary had used to give them their distinct flavor. She discovered my faux pas when she came down from indexing and pulled them out. Oh well, I am still learning sensei.
By then, I had already baked a loaf of beer bread, baked some tofu cubes with spices, and made Italian style tempeh balls. Tempeh is a derivative of soy beans and can be used to make vegan bacon and other dishes along with the Italian style balls that I cooked. I used the food processor, many knives, measuring spoons and cups, bowls and baking pans. That's why I had so many things to wash and put away. I also did the laundry while I was downstairs. GTSD and STSD were with me the whole time, just in case. However, since I made the Italian style tempeh balls using onion, they couldn't assist with cleanup. Instead, they got to share some of the baked tofu cubes that I had prepared. I think that was satisfactory.
The weather yesterday was just warm enough to thaw the snow and ice that has been accumulating on the streets and sidewalks nearby as well as on the grounds around the Palatial Estate. Naturally, the fur-children required a bit of cleanup themselves when Mary took them for individual walks around the block.
The NWS has forecast that rain would be falling right now, but I was just outside with GTWD and no rain was in evidence. The current view out the WW confirms that none has fallen so far. We have a current temperature of 36° under cloudy skies and later today we are expecting a high temperature of 38°, also with cloudy skies. The sun will rise later this morning @ 8:11 a.m. and set this evening @ 5:39 p.m.
I have an appointment @ my orthopedist later today for my second of five knee injections. So far, my knees are feeling better and the doctor is satisfied with the results and relief that I have achieved. I'll keep the treatments up, twice per year, as long as they can provide relief. I don't relish the idea of having my knees replaced since I have been in the surgical suite too many times over the last several years. So unless I have to, I won't be going down that road.
I got to thinking that the only problem with being of a certain age is that age isn't really just a number after all. Activities that used to be easily accomplished are now achieved more slowly if at all. Adam and I used to ride our bicycles from Palatine, IL where we used to live, to DeKalb, IL where Adam went to college. We dubbed our trips the "Tour de Kalb." I also rode my bicycle to Madison, WI one time when I was 47 years of age. Sometimes I think about purchasing an electric assist bicycle. I'm still a few years away from that, I hope.
One of the many good things about being retired, and there are many, is that Mary and I can take the time to travel by train rather than an airplane for vacations. We have the time to spare and so a train trip becomes feasible rather than having to fly. We actually get to see what other people never see as they fly over. Plus, the chance to talk to people in the observation car is another bonus. Leg room on trains is vastly superior to that which is available on an airplane for someone of my height.
I am still working on reading several books, playing with the girls, and whatever activities call out to me. I started another jigsaw puzzle, but I haven't made much progress. As my mother in law used to say, "I'm so busy."
Mary may or may not have to do a major revision on the recent index that we thought was done. The author has suggested that he wants an additional index that would require a lot of extra effort. Mary and I can do it. but it would necessitate additional costs that would nearly double the original price. It will depend on how much the author wants to give up out of his royalties.
I am off to bed now that I have finished my kitchen activities and taken GTWD out for her late night constitutional. Ciao.
Ginger and I had a good time trainspotting yesterday. At 12:17 p.m., we watched as locomotives 2019 and 2057 passed by on the RSTL heading south, In tow, they had 15 CHCs, and eight DBTCs that were bringing up the rear. At 3:35 p.m., the same locomotives passed through once again, this time heading north. They were towing eight CHCs, and two DBTCs, all loaded. This train run was moving more quickly and the passage did not take long.
I was busy in the kitchen all day yesterday. I baked, I boiled, I washed a lot of pots, pans, and dishes, some of them more than once. Mary had made another pair of her famous vegan roast beests, and had left me in charge of watching and then finishing them. I did my part by flipping them halfway through the cooking process, but she had neglected to tell me that the beests needed to be removed from the pan when they were done. She had assumed knowledge on my part that I didn't possess, and so I just left them in the pan and they continued to soak up the broth that Mary had used to give them their distinct flavor. She discovered my faux pas when she came down from indexing and pulled them out. Oh well, I am still learning sensei.
By then, I had already baked a loaf of beer bread, baked some tofu cubes with spices, and made Italian style tempeh balls. Tempeh is a derivative of soy beans and can be used to make vegan bacon and other dishes along with the Italian style balls that I cooked. I used the food processor, many knives, measuring spoons and cups, bowls and baking pans. That's why I had so many things to wash and put away. I also did the laundry while I was downstairs. GTSD and STSD were with me the whole time, just in case. However, since I made the Italian style tempeh balls using onion, they couldn't assist with cleanup. Instead, they got to share some of the baked tofu cubes that I had prepared. I think that was satisfactory.
The weather yesterday was just warm enough to thaw the snow and ice that has been accumulating on the streets and sidewalks nearby as well as on the grounds around the Palatial Estate. Naturally, the fur-children required a bit of cleanup themselves when Mary took them for individual walks around the block.
The NWS has forecast that rain would be falling right now, but I was just outside with GTWD and no rain was in evidence. The current view out the WW confirms that none has fallen so far. We have a current temperature of 36° under cloudy skies and later today we are expecting a high temperature of 38°, also with cloudy skies. The sun will rise later this morning @ 8:11 a.m. and set this evening @ 5:39 p.m.
I have an appointment @ my orthopedist later today for my second of five knee injections. So far, my knees are feeling better and the doctor is satisfied with the results and relief that I have achieved. I'll keep the treatments up, twice per year, as long as they can provide relief. I don't relish the idea of having my knees replaced since I have been in the surgical suite too many times over the last several years. So unless I have to, I won't be going down that road.
I got to thinking that the only problem with being of a certain age is that age isn't really just a number after all. Activities that used to be easily accomplished are now achieved more slowly if at all. Adam and I used to ride our bicycles from Palatine, IL where we used to live, to DeKalb, IL where Adam went to college. We dubbed our trips the "Tour de Kalb." I also rode my bicycle to Madison, WI one time when I was 47 years of age. Sometimes I think about purchasing an electric assist bicycle. I'm still a few years away from that, I hope.
One of the many good things about being retired, and there are many, is that Mary and I can take the time to travel by train rather than an airplane for vacations. We have the time to spare and so a train trip becomes feasible rather than having to fly. We actually get to see what other people never see as they fly over. Plus, the chance to talk to people in the observation car is another bonus. Leg room on trains is vastly superior to that which is available on an airplane for someone of my height.
I am still working on reading several books, playing with the girls, and whatever activities call out to me. I started another jigsaw puzzle, but I haven't made much progress. As my mother in law used to say, "I'm so busy."
Mary may or may not have to do a major revision on the recent index that we thought was done. The author has suggested that he wants an additional index that would require a lot of extra effort. Mary and I can do it. but it would necessitate additional costs that would nearly double the original price. It will depend on how much the author wants to give up out of his royalties.
I am off to bed now that I have finished my kitchen activities and taken GTWD out for her late night constitutional. Ciao.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 1:00 a.m. in "The City."
I never made it to my haircut appointment yesterday. Okay, let's get the jokes out the way about that maybe being the best thing that has happened to me lately etc. I would have gone, but when I stepped on the sidewalk in front of the manse, I couldn't walk due to the ice coating that had formed.
Mary had the fur-children out around 10:00 a.m. and there was nothing. However, when I was ready to go @ about 11:50 a.m., I had all I could do to just stay upright. Mary's plans to take GTWD for a walk were put on ice. Excuse the obvious pun that was too easy to ignore or skip. I did call the barber shop and reschedule for Thursday afternoon.
By around 2:00 p.m., the ice had abated enough to allow us to travel to the various stops we needed to make. I was going to order some traction cleats for Mary and me, but the ones that our chiropractor had shown us were not readily identifiable to me, so I am waiting until later this morning to ask Mary what she thinks.
We have a current temperature of 34° with a light rain falling. The rain is expected to continue until later this morning, finally ending around 10:00 a.m. The high temperature for today is forecast by the NWS to be 38° under cloudy skies. The sun will rise later this morning @ 8:12 a.m. and set later this evening @ 5:38 p.m.
I didn't accomplish much yesterday. I did some reading and that was about it. The book I am currently reading is by Adam Tooze entitled The Deluge: The Great War, America and the Remaking of the Global Order 1916 - 1931. As the designated "Book Czar", for March, I plan to make this my recommendation to our Tri-Cities Historical Museum book club. So far the book is interesting and in many ways prophetic.
Mary submitted a draft of a short index she has accepted to a client and now that she has approval, she will get to that job today. She does not anticipate the index taking too long.
GTWD is experiencing separation anxiety. We left her alone with just STWD for company and Ginger managed to chew both of the sneakers that I had left in the dining room and also one of my slippers that she had snatched from my office upstairs. We knew it wasn't a good sign when Mary spied the shoes and my slipper on the couch where Ginger stands sentry duty. A closer examination revealed the damage.
As with all dogs, there was no point in reprimanding Ginger since dogs live in the moment and only react to the sound of displeasure in your voice and have no idea why you are unhappy. Unless you catch them in the act, so to speak, they have no idea why you are scolding them. I should have put the shoes in the mud room and I guess that I can't leave my slippers lying about.
However, Ginger has chewed the corner of two rugs in the foyer and has also chewed the padded cushion from her crate. So given our limited understanding of canine psychology, our best bet is to keep her in her crate when we go out for any extended period. Ginger tries to let us know that she wants to be part of our pack when we are going out by pinning herself to the door in the mud room when we are leaving. But when we have stops to make, we can't take her along. Sigh.
I may get to that baking later today and also read yesterday's and today's Grand Haven Tribune's and work the crossword puzzles. There are other things I can do, but they can wait. It has taken me a long time to get used to having lots of time that allows me to put things off for another day. I spent so many years with a packed schedule and bells to regulate my time, that retirement is a different way to live. Ciao.
I never made it to my haircut appointment yesterday. Okay, let's get the jokes out the way about that maybe being the best thing that has happened to me lately etc. I would have gone, but when I stepped on the sidewalk in front of the manse, I couldn't walk due to the ice coating that had formed.
Mary had the fur-children out around 10:00 a.m. and there was nothing. However, when I was ready to go @ about 11:50 a.m., I had all I could do to just stay upright. Mary's plans to take GTWD for a walk were put on ice. Excuse the obvious pun that was too easy to ignore or skip. I did call the barber shop and reschedule for Thursday afternoon.
By around 2:00 p.m., the ice had abated enough to allow us to travel to the various stops we needed to make. I was going to order some traction cleats for Mary and me, but the ones that our chiropractor had shown us were not readily identifiable to me, so I am waiting until later this morning to ask Mary what she thinks.
We have a current temperature of 34° with a light rain falling. The rain is expected to continue until later this morning, finally ending around 10:00 a.m. The high temperature for today is forecast by the NWS to be 38° under cloudy skies. The sun will rise later this morning @ 8:12 a.m. and set later this evening @ 5:38 p.m.
I didn't accomplish much yesterday. I did some reading and that was about it. The book I am currently reading is by Adam Tooze entitled The Deluge: The Great War, America and the Remaking of the Global Order 1916 - 1931. As the designated "Book Czar", for March, I plan to make this my recommendation to our Tri-Cities Historical Museum book club. So far the book is interesting and in many ways prophetic.
Mary submitted a draft of a short index she has accepted to a client and now that she has approval, she will get to that job today. She does not anticipate the index taking too long.
GTWD is experiencing separation anxiety. We left her alone with just STWD for company and Ginger managed to chew both of the sneakers that I had left in the dining room and also one of my slippers that she had snatched from my office upstairs. We knew it wasn't a good sign when Mary spied the shoes and my slipper on the couch where Ginger stands sentry duty. A closer examination revealed the damage.
As with all dogs, there was no point in reprimanding Ginger since dogs live in the moment and only react to the sound of displeasure in your voice and have no idea why you are unhappy. Unless you catch them in the act, so to speak, they have no idea why you are scolding them. I should have put the shoes in the mud room and I guess that I can't leave my slippers lying about.
However, Ginger has chewed the corner of two rugs in the foyer and has also chewed the padded cushion from her crate. So given our limited understanding of canine psychology, our best bet is to keep her in her crate when we go out for any extended period. Ginger tries to let us know that she wants to be part of our pack when we are going out by pinning herself to the door in the mud room when we are leaving. But when we have stops to make, we can't take her along. Sigh.
I may get to that baking later today and also read yesterday's and today's Grand Haven Tribune's and work the crossword puzzles. There are other things I can do, but they can wait. It has taken me a long time to get used to having lots of time that allows me to put things off for another day. I spent so many years with a packed schedule and bells to regulate my time, that retirement is a different way to live. Ciao.
Monday, January 16, 2017
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:30 a.m. in "The City."
We had plans to travel to Spring Lake later today to get my new glasses repaired/replaced, but the weather forecast from the NWS tells me that other than my haircut appointment @ noon, we aren't going anywhere. We have a current temperature of 23° as we head for today's high of 36°. However, somewhere in that forecast is a 90% chance of freezing rain that begins in earnest around between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., and then continues as showers in the early afternoon.
In fact, the NWS has issued a severe weather alert from 11:00 a.m. today until 2:00 a.m. on Tuesday. Tuesday's daytime forecast calls for rain @ 80%, but the freezing rain part of the forecast has been mitigated or negated by warming temperatures. So perhaps we'll get out on Tuesday afternoon.
Yesterday, we did get out for a walk with the fur-children. GTWD and Mary went further than STWD and me because Sugar assured us that she didn't want to take an extended walk so I took her home. As dogs grow older they become very adept at letting their often obtuse humans know that they are not into walking too far, especially in cold weather.
I just got back from the back-forty with GTWD on her leash and STWD on her tether. Neither would have needed to go out, but once both Mary and I got up, GTWD got up too. When she gets up in the middle of the night, it is good idea to take her out. Sugar can take or leave a trip outside, but she will go if it involves getting a treat. I can't say as I blame her.
Mary made blueberry pancakes for breakfast yesterday accompanied by more of the refried black bean patties. I liked both. As I noted in my last blog, the available bread was just too dense for French toast. Dinner turned out to be a Tapas style meal of cheese and crackers, garlic smashed potatoes and various leftovers from the refrigerator. The potatoes cried out to Mary because they were beginning to sprout so she had to make them into a more usable form. I always enjoy potatoes, so I was good with them.
Otherwise, we mostly sat around and read, played with the girls, well at least I did. Mary attempted to cast on a new knitting project, but she was stymied by losing the stitch count. Apparently, I may have to help with that activity. Mary did manage to create some balls of yarn without my help because unlike her last attempt, she used her yarn swift. That saved both of us several hours of time that was needed after the last try without the yarn swift.
We also spent some time watching a movie on the Hallmark Channel™ that ended happily ever after. Surprise! What didn't go well for the Dallas Cowboys was the last second field goal by the Green Bay Packers that moved the Pack deeper into the playoffs and sent the Cowboys home til next year. Also going home for the season will be Seattle, Houston, and Kansas City.
As noted previously, we'll be staying in today. I may do some baking and also spend more time with the girls and reading. Mary will once again attempt to cast on a knitting project.
The fur-children were scheduled to go for another walk, but that weather forecast seems to say, "Not a chance!"
The sun will rise @ 8:13 a.m. and set @ 5:36 p.m. Ciao.
We had plans to travel to Spring Lake later today to get my new glasses repaired/replaced, but the weather forecast from the NWS tells me that other than my haircut appointment @ noon, we aren't going anywhere. We have a current temperature of 23° as we head for today's high of 36°. However, somewhere in that forecast is a 90% chance of freezing rain that begins in earnest around between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., and then continues as showers in the early afternoon.
In fact, the NWS has issued a severe weather alert from 11:00 a.m. today until 2:00 a.m. on Tuesday. Tuesday's daytime forecast calls for rain @ 80%, but the freezing rain part of the forecast has been mitigated or negated by warming temperatures. So perhaps we'll get out on Tuesday afternoon.
Yesterday, we did get out for a walk with the fur-children. GTWD and Mary went further than STWD and me because Sugar assured us that she didn't want to take an extended walk so I took her home. As dogs grow older they become very adept at letting their often obtuse humans know that they are not into walking too far, especially in cold weather.
I just got back from the back-forty with GTWD on her leash and STWD on her tether. Neither would have needed to go out, but once both Mary and I got up, GTWD got up too. When she gets up in the middle of the night, it is good idea to take her out. Sugar can take or leave a trip outside, but she will go if it involves getting a treat. I can't say as I blame her.
Mary made blueberry pancakes for breakfast yesterday accompanied by more of the refried black bean patties. I liked both. As I noted in my last blog, the available bread was just too dense for French toast. Dinner turned out to be a Tapas style meal of cheese and crackers, garlic smashed potatoes and various leftovers from the refrigerator. The potatoes cried out to Mary because they were beginning to sprout so she had to make them into a more usable form. I always enjoy potatoes, so I was good with them.
Otherwise, we mostly sat around and read, played with the girls, well at least I did. Mary attempted to cast on a new knitting project, but she was stymied by losing the stitch count. Apparently, I may have to help with that activity. Mary did manage to create some balls of yarn without my help because unlike her last attempt, she used her yarn swift. That saved both of us several hours of time that was needed after the last try without the yarn swift.
We also spent some time watching a movie on the Hallmark Channel™ that ended happily ever after. Surprise! What didn't go well for the Dallas Cowboys was the last second field goal by the Green Bay Packers that moved the Pack deeper into the playoffs and sent the Cowboys home til next year. Also going home for the season will be Seattle, Houston, and Kansas City.
As noted previously, we'll be staying in today. I may do some baking and also spend more time with the girls and reading. Mary will once again attempt to cast on a knitting project.
The fur-children were scheduled to go for another walk, but that weather forecast seems to say, "Not a chance!"
The sun will rise @ 8:13 a.m. and set @ 5:36 p.m. Ciao.
Sunday, January 15, 2017
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 1:00 a.m. in "The City."
Let's keep this one short and sweet.
The current temperature is 22° though it feels like 19°. The high later today is forecast to be 35° under clear skies. The sun will rise @ 8:13 a.m. and set @ 5:35 p.m.
We had a very productive day yesterday. We made that pilgrimage to Holland and everything went smoothly. We stopped and picked up the reserve CO2 cartridge for my soda maker. We picked up some almond butter for future use. We stopped @ the big-box home center and picked up some distilled water for our humidifier and some paper towels.
Next, we went to downtown Holland and picked up a new cooling rack and another small cookie sheet. We followed that with a stop at that shoe store that my chiropractor told us had some hiking shoes that would fit me. They did and since they were in the bargain basement, they were 40% off. Apparently, this store usually has shoes of various styles in my size or they can order them. Finally, a stop @ a grocery store in the Holland area and then home for a quick stop @ JWs for adult libations.
After all of our shopping, carrying things in was a long job. Mary had to calm GTWD down as she had been without human attention for nearly five hours. Ginger slept after dinner, as she was tired from being on sentry duty all afternoon.
Mary made spaghetti roll casserole for out dinner. She was less than ecstatic about her efforts, but I liked it. We spent some time watching an old movie on TV and then Mary read and I watched some football. We both ended our evening upstairs, but then I went back down and washed the dishes from dinner. I think since Mary does the majority of the cooking, it is only fair that I do the cleanup.
I thought I could go to sleep, but I couldn't, so now I am blogging.
Later today, we have nothing to do and all day to get it done, so I plan to play with the girls, read, and do a crossword, while Mary plans to read and veg out. She may or may not make pancakes for breakfast. But the pancakes could become French toast instead. That may be problematical, as the bread I made the other day is a dense whole wheat, which does not make good French toast.
To borrow from that famous cartoon pig, "That's all folks!" Ciao.
Let's keep this one short and sweet.
The current temperature is 22° though it feels like 19°. The high later today is forecast to be 35° under clear skies. The sun will rise @ 8:13 a.m. and set @ 5:35 p.m.
We had a very productive day yesterday. We made that pilgrimage to Holland and everything went smoothly. We stopped and picked up the reserve CO2 cartridge for my soda maker. We picked up some almond butter for future use. We stopped @ the big-box home center and picked up some distilled water for our humidifier and some paper towels.
Next, we went to downtown Holland and picked up a new cooling rack and another small cookie sheet. We followed that with a stop at that shoe store that my chiropractor told us had some hiking shoes that would fit me. They did and since they were in the bargain basement, they were 40% off. Apparently, this store usually has shoes of various styles in my size or they can order them. Finally, a stop @ a grocery store in the Holland area and then home for a quick stop @ JWs for adult libations.
After all of our shopping, carrying things in was a long job. Mary had to calm GTWD down as she had been without human attention for nearly five hours. Ginger slept after dinner, as she was tired from being on sentry duty all afternoon.
Mary made spaghetti roll casserole for out dinner. She was less than ecstatic about her efforts, but I liked it. We spent some time watching an old movie on TV and then Mary read and I watched some football. We both ended our evening upstairs, but then I went back down and washed the dishes from dinner. I think since Mary does the majority of the cooking, it is only fair that I do the cleanup.
I thought I could go to sleep, but I couldn't, so now I am blogging.
Later today, we have nothing to do and all day to get it done, so I plan to play with the girls, read, and do a crossword, while Mary plans to read and veg out. She may or may not make pancakes for breakfast. But the pancakes could become French toast instead. That may be problematical, as the bread I made the other day is a dense whole wheat, which does not make good French toast.
To borrow from that famous cartoon pig, "That's all folks!" Ciao.
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 1:00 a.m. in "The City."
As my loyal readers have already ascertained, I am trying to stick to my stated intent to cut back on my blogging and go for an every other day sort of thing. Now that could change as the days become longer and the sun begins to shine for more hours each day, but as of now, my plans are to be less frequent. We'll see.
Right now the NWS in GR is reporting an outdoor temperature of 21°, while the DTWS reading is 24° as determined by the FPMS that sends in the data. In either case, the skies are cloudy. I like the temperature shown on the DTWS better. Today's hi]gh temperature is forecast by that same NWS to be 33°, so what the DTWS will be displaying is unknown at this time.
Early Thursday morning, when I went outside with GTWD, the rains that had fallen in the early evening on Wednesday had turned to ice and the entire deck was slippery as glass to borrow that old saw. In any event, the walk to the back forty was an experience. By the time the I had spread some salt and after the sun had been shining for aq few hours, the surfaces became easier to navigate. However, the schools were closed throughout the West Michigan area and many car accidents were being reported. So discretion being the better part of valor, I called my internist's office and rescheduled my Welcome to Medicare appointment that was scheduled for 11:00 a.m. that day. The next available appointment was February 20, 2017, more than one month later.
However, I was able to use my extra time to employ my new stand mixer to make two loaves of whole wheat bread. The new machine made quick work of kneading the dough and while I should have let the loaves rise a tad more, the bread tastes great. I'm getting into this baking thing more each day.
Yesterday, Friday, I was able to do some trainspotting. I also learned that GTWD is a trainspotter in her own right, as she hears the trains approaching and races to the back of the sofa to bark them through "The City." Mary didn't believe me about Ginger's trainspotting abilities until Mary witnessed the phenomenon for herself.
But I digress. At 9:27 a.m., locomotives 2057 and 2019 rolled through GH heading south with two CHCs, two, DWTCs, one GTC, and two DBTCs, bringing up the rear. At 4:44 p.m., I was alerted to the approach of the northbound run by Ginger and so I witnessed the same locomotives passing through towing three CHCs, with two DBTCs, also bringing up the rear. I could tell that all of the cars were loaded by the shaking of the manse.
Mary had been hard at work revising that recent index and she finished that up around 4:30 p.m. So at 3:30 p.m., I went to the chiropractor by myself and then stopped @ The Bookman for the Friday Grand Haven Tribune, and then Health Hutt for some spices before returning home. We drove to our favorite watering hole for dinner. Since it was "Wine About Winter" night in downtown GH, parking was @ a premium when we arrived and by the time we left, there wasn't a spot to be found anywhere. I guess that the intended effect of drawing people to GH in mid-winter worked.
I spent the day reading yesterday and I have nearly finished my latest pulp-fiction novel. Not to worry, I have more books on the shelf and more on hold at the library, so I'm set to go. Mary has plenty of yarn in her various stashes, so she too has plenty to keep her occupied.
Today we have a few errands to run and a pair of fur-children to walk. It will be good to be able to walk the sidewalks that are now free of ice and snow. In fact, the forecast for the next 10 days and beyond, shows temperatures of 33° today, to 56° by next Saturday the 21st. It will be a superb day to walk to my next Irish Jam session @ the library after having the last session canceled due to the snow and cold.
I'd like to get to Holland today to check on some shoes that my chiropractor spotted in a shoe store there. They may or may not still be available, but in my size, if another person came along to buy them, I'll consider that karmic and chalk it up to that person needing them more than yours truly. All of the stores that we need to visit are duplicated in the Holland area, so I believe that I can convince Mary to make the journey south versus north. The distance is greater, but the end result may be better.
I'd like to finally get in some play time with the girls now that Mary is done indexing and I will no longer be a disturbance. That will be later in the day when we return from our errands.
The sun will rise @ 8:14 a.m. and @ 5:34 p.m. Ciao.
As my loyal readers have already ascertained, I am trying to stick to my stated intent to cut back on my blogging and go for an every other day sort of thing. Now that could change as the days become longer and the sun begins to shine for more hours each day, but as of now, my plans are to be less frequent. We'll see.
Right now the NWS in GR is reporting an outdoor temperature of 21°, while the DTWS reading is 24° as determined by the FPMS that sends in the data. In either case, the skies are cloudy. I like the temperature shown on the DTWS better. Today's hi]gh temperature is forecast by that same NWS to be 33°, so what the DTWS will be displaying is unknown at this time.
Early Thursday morning, when I went outside with GTWD, the rains that had fallen in the early evening on Wednesday had turned to ice and the entire deck was slippery as glass to borrow that old saw. In any event, the walk to the back forty was an experience. By the time the I had spread some salt and after the sun had been shining for aq few hours, the surfaces became easier to navigate. However, the schools were closed throughout the West Michigan area and many car accidents were being reported. So discretion being the better part of valor, I called my internist's office and rescheduled my Welcome to Medicare appointment that was scheduled for 11:00 a.m. that day. The next available appointment was February 20, 2017, more than one month later.
However, I was able to use my extra time to employ my new stand mixer to make two loaves of whole wheat bread. The new machine made quick work of kneading the dough and while I should have let the loaves rise a tad more, the bread tastes great. I'm getting into this baking thing more each day.
Yesterday, Friday, I was able to do some trainspotting. I also learned that GTWD is a trainspotter in her own right, as she hears the trains approaching and races to the back of the sofa to bark them through "The City." Mary didn't believe me about Ginger's trainspotting abilities until Mary witnessed the phenomenon for herself.
But I digress. At 9:27 a.m., locomotives 2057 and 2019 rolled through GH heading south with two CHCs, two, DWTCs, one GTC, and two DBTCs, bringing up the rear. At 4:44 p.m., I was alerted to the approach of the northbound run by Ginger and so I witnessed the same locomotives passing through towing three CHCs, with two DBTCs, also bringing up the rear. I could tell that all of the cars were loaded by the shaking of the manse.
Mary had been hard at work revising that recent index and she finished that up around 4:30 p.m. So at 3:30 p.m., I went to the chiropractor by myself and then stopped @ The Bookman for the Friday Grand Haven Tribune, and then Health Hutt for some spices before returning home. We drove to our favorite watering hole for dinner. Since it was "Wine About Winter" night in downtown GH, parking was @ a premium when we arrived and by the time we left, there wasn't a spot to be found anywhere. I guess that the intended effect of drawing people to GH in mid-winter worked.
I spent the day reading yesterday and I have nearly finished my latest pulp-fiction novel. Not to worry, I have more books on the shelf and more on hold at the library, so I'm set to go. Mary has plenty of yarn in her various stashes, so she too has plenty to keep her occupied.
Today we have a few errands to run and a pair of fur-children to walk. It will be good to be able to walk the sidewalks that are now free of ice and snow. In fact, the forecast for the next 10 days and beyond, shows temperatures of 33° today, to 56° by next Saturday the 21st. It will be a superb day to walk to my next Irish Jam session @ the library after having the last session canceled due to the snow and cold.
I'd like to get to Holland today to check on some shoes that my chiropractor spotted in a shoe store there. They may or may not still be available, but in my size, if another person came along to buy them, I'll consider that karmic and chalk it up to that person needing them more than yours truly. All of the stores that we need to visit are duplicated in the Holland area, so I believe that I can convince Mary to make the journey south versus north. The distance is greater, but the end result may be better.
I'd like to finally get in some play time with the girls now that Mary is done indexing and I will no longer be a disturbance. That will be later in the day when we return from our errands.
The sun will rise @ 8:14 a.m. and @ 5:34 p.m. Ciao.
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 12:30 a.m. in "The City."
Good news, all 30 Major League™ teams have posted their spring training reporting dates. The Detroit Tigers pitchers and catchers report to camp on February 13, 2017, while the position players report on February 17. 2017. Full squad workouts begin on February 18, 2017. Yes, my friends, I'll be born again on February 13, when my beloved Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers begin spring training. The 2017 World Champion Chicago Cubs begin spring training when their camp opens the following day. What can I say, I just have to add a link to John Fogerty's song,
Centerfield. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72ScIaJFJ0o
We have a current temperature in GH of 32° under cloudy skies. The high later today is forecast by the NWS to reach 30°, so we'll lose two degrees overnight. We also have a 40% chance of precipitation today. Oh well, the days are getting longer as the sun will rise today @ 8:14 a.m. and set @ 5:18 p.m.
I had the chance to do some trainspotting yesterday, which is normal for a Wednesday. At 11:55 a.m., EMD GP 38-2 locomotives 2019 and 2057 rolled through our fair city heading south towing nine CHCs, three DWTCs, and three DBTCs. At 4:52 p.m., the same tandem of locomotives rolled through again, this time heading north towing three CHCs, seven DBTCs, and three DWTCs, all fully laden.
I had my first of five injections for my old knees yesterday. One down, and four to go. Today, I have my annual appointment @ my internist for what will be my welcome to Medicare initial examination. I don't anticipate any problems, but I will be asking some questions to be sure that all my bases are covered so to speak.
We tried a new recipe for burgers for dinner last night. It was a very simple recipe that consisted of refried beans mixed with bread crumbs and then browned in a cast iron skillet. Mary made homemade "Secret Sauce" as a topping and the burgers tasted great.
I got in a few minutes of time with Susannah while I was waiting for Mary to finish one of the myriad tasks that she had to do to make the index delivery a reality. We finished up the index @ 11:30 p.m. last night. It vanished into the ether on it's way to the publisher shortly thereafter.
Other than that doctor's visit, I don't have any specific plans for today, and I don't think that Mary does either. I do know that there are some things she has been wanting to get to, so she should now have time. That's all folks! Ciao.
Good news, all 30 Major League™ teams have posted their spring training reporting dates. The Detroit Tigers pitchers and catchers report to camp on February 13, 2017, while the position players report on February 17. 2017. Full squad workouts begin on February 18, 2017. Yes, my friends, I'll be born again on February 13, when my beloved Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers begin spring training. The 2017 World Champion Chicago Cubs begin spring training when their camp opens the following day. What can I say, I just have to add a link to John Fogerty's song,
Centerfield. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72ScIaJFJ0o
We have a current temperature in GH of 32° under cloudy skies. The high later today is forecast by the NWS to reach 30°, so we'll lose two degrees overnight. We also have a 40% chance of precipitation today. Oh well, the days are getting longer as the sun will rise today @ 8:14 a.m. and set @ 5:18 p.m.
I had the chance to do some trainspotting yesterday, which is normal for a Wednesday. At 11:55 a.m., EMD GP 38-2 locomotives 2019 and 2057 rolled through our fair city heading south towing nine CHCs, three DWTCs, and three DBTCs. At 4:52 p.m., the same tandem of locomotives rolled through again, this time heading north towing three CHCs, seven DBTCs, and three DWTCs, all fully laden.
I had my first of five injections for my old knees yesterday. One down, and four to go. Today, I have my annual appointment @ my internist for what will be my welcome to Medicare initial examination. I don't anticipate any problems, but I will be asking some questions to be sure that all my bases are covered so to speak.
We tried a new recipe for burgers for dinner last night. It was a very simple recipe that consisted of refried beans mixed with bread crumbs and then browned in a cast iron skillet. Mary made homemade "Secret Sauce" as a topping and the burgers tasted great.
I got in a few minutes of time with Susannah while I was waiting for Mary to finish one of the myriad tasks that she had to do to make the index delivery a reality. We finished up the index @ 11:30 p.m. last night. It vanished into the ether on it's way to the publisher shortly thereafter.
Other than that doctor's visit, I don't have any specific plans for today, and I don't think that Mary does either. I do know that there are some things she has been wanting to get to, so she should now have time. That's all folks! Ciao.
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:30 a.m. in "The City."
We are under a Winter Weather Advisory from now, well actually 1:00 a.m. EST until later today @ 2:00 p.m. EST. The NWS is forecasting a mix of rain/sleet/snow @ 100% with hazardous driving conditions, drifting snow with two to four inches of additional snow, and winds that may reach 27 mph. We were supposed to attend our book club this afternoon, but we are not into walking when the sidewalks are icy and walking becomes hazardous so we won't be leaving the house to do any walking beyond the back-forty with the fur-children. Even with temperatures in the mid-40s, the rain will make the streets and sidewalks too slippery for us.
Wednesday, the temperature stays about the same, but the chance of precipitation drops to 50% with showers in the late afternoon and evening. According to the NWS, January temperatures in the Tri-Cities area will be on the warm side.
I was just remembering the question once posed by the late science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov regarding the four most commonly used words in the English language that end in "dous." Two are positive and two are negative. The two positive words are tremendous and stupendous. The negative words are horrendous and ???. I know the final word and so I used to query my students regarding that word. Sometimes they got it, and sometimes they didn't.
If you aren't a Crimson Tide fan, the final score in the College Championship game between the LSU Tigers and the Crimson Tide of Alabama was a tremendous 35 - 31. The final score came on a pass in the final one second of the game to give LSU its first championship since 1981. I didn't watch the game, but there are people out there who are either ecstatic or despondent.
Since we were planning on going to our book club meeting today, I baked a batch of oatmeal/raisin cookies to go with the chocolate chip cookies I baked last time to take along. Since we won't be there, there are more cookies for Mary and me. The fur-children can't share any of the cookies I've made since dogs can't safely ingest either chocolate nor raisins/grapes as well as anything with onions. If Ellen were here, I'm almost certain she could easily handle the chocolate chip cookies. : - )
Sadly, I thought my new mixer would be here yesterday, but it isn't scheduled to arrive until later today. I'll know when it comes as GTWD will be on sentry duty atop the back of the couch and she'll alert us when the UPS truck arrives. Speaking of Ginger, she wants to go with us in the car and pins herself to the door in the mud room when we are leaving. When we return, she is so excited that it takes Mary a few minutes to calm her down. There really isn't anything better than the unconditional love of a fur-child.
Yesterday afternoon, we made stops at the grocery store, the library, and JWs for dinner since we won't be going out today. I have some cooking to do today just because Mary will be busy indexing and I can get unfettered access to her kitchen. My sous dogs will be there to assist.
Otherwise, I have no specific plans. The sun will rise @ 8:15 a.m. and set @ 5:29 p.m. Ciao.
We are under a Winter Weather Advisory from now, well actually 1:00 a.m. EST until later today @ 2:00 p.m. EST. The NWS is forecasting a mix of rain/sleet/snow @ 100% with hazardous driving conditions, drifting snow with two to four inches of additional snow, and winds that may reach 27 mph. We were supposed to attend our book club this afternoon, but we are not into walking when the sidewalks are icy and walking becomes hazardous so we won't be leaving the house to do any walking beyond the back-forty with the fur-children. Even with temperatures in the mid-40s, the rain will make the streets and sidewalks too slippery for us.
Wednesday, the temperature stays about the same, but the chance of precipitation drops to 50% with showers in the late afternoon and evening. According to the NWS, January temperatures in the Tri-Cities area will be on the warm side.
I was just remembering the question once posed by the late science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov regarding the four most commonly used words in the English language that end in "dous." Two are positive and two are negative. The two positive words are tremendous and stupendous. The negative words are horrendous and ???. I know the final word and so I used to query my students regarding that word. Sometimes they got it, and sometimes they didn't.
If you aren't a Crimson Tide fan, the final score in the College Championship game between the LSU Tigers and the Crimson Tide of Alabama was a tremendous 35 - 31. The final score came on a pass in the final one second of the game to give LSU its first championship since 1981. I didn't watch the game, but there are people out there who are either ecstatic or despondent.
Since we were planning on going to our book club meeting today, I baked a batch of oatmeal/raisin cookies to go with the chocolate chip cookies I baked last time to take along. Since we won't be there, there are more cookies for Mary and me. The fur-children can't share any of the cookies I've made since dogs can't safely ingest either chocolate nor raisins/grapes as well as anything with onions. If Ellen were here, I'm almost certain she could easily handle the chocolate chip cookies. : - )
Sadly, I thought my new mixer would be here yesterday, but it isn't scheduled to arrive until later today. I'll know when it comes as GTWD will be on sentry duty atop the back of the couch and she'll alert us when the UPS truck arrives. Speaking of Ginger, she wants to go with us in the car and pins herself to the door in the mud room when we are leaving. When we return, she is so excited that it takes Mary a few minutes to calm her down. There really isn't anything better than the unconditional love of a fur-child.
Yesterday afternoon, we made stops at the grocery store, the library, and JWs for dinner since we won't be going out today. I have some cooking to do today just because Mary will be busy indexing and I can get unfettered access to her kitchen. My sous dogs will be there to assist.
Otherwise, I have no specific plans. The sun will rise @ 8:15 a.m. and set @ 5:29 p.m. Ciao.
Monday, January 9, 2017
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 5:30 a.m. in "The City."
Let's start with what's really important, the official date for my version of the first day of spring, the day that the pitchers and catchers report to the Chicago Cubs training camp @ Ho Ho Kam Stadium in Mesa, AZ. It is now official, the date is set, February 14, 2017. Is it mere coincidence that this is also Valentine's Day? I think not my friends. The first workout for the pitchers and catchers is the next day and then the position players report on February 17th. The first full team workout is scheduled for February 18th.
My beloved Red Sox pitchers and catchers report to JetBlue Park in Ft. Myers, FL on February 13th, with workouts scheduled for the next day and then the position players report on February 16th, with full squad workouts set for the next day.
The Detroit Tigers have not yet announced the dates for their pitchers and catchers and position players to report to Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, FL.Stay tuned.
I was just outside @ 4:30 a.m. with the fur-children, and while the temperature was between 19° and 21° depending on the source of the information, the winds were strong in the back forty and so it felt cooler than that. Neither yours truly nor the fur-children were inclined to stay outside for an extended period. Today's high temperature is forecast to be 30° according to the NWS, Tuesday's high temperature is forecast to be a balmy 43°, but there is a 90% chance of rain/snow showers with winds of 23 mph when we walk or drive to the Tri-Cities History Museum for our book club meeting. Oddly, the NWS has issued a Gale Warning for any mariners who are willing to brave the conditions on The Great Lakes.
I did get in some time with Leilani yesterday. It felt good to sit and strum. My technique on a Uke is not great, but the sound is okay, so that makes me feel good about my efforts.
I waited long enough yesterday so that our shared driveway was mostly cleared by our younger neighbor. I finished up the section in front of our garage, and our front porch and sidewalk. I'm getting too old to do the whole thing myself with or without a snowblower. Our neighbor does his work with two shovels even though he has access to a snowblower.
Once the driveway was cleared, Mary and I journeyed to the grocery store for a few items and then to our favorite watering hole for dinner.
I'll be staying in and doing some indoor chores along with some cooking/baking and trying out my new stand mixer after it arrives later today. I'm looking forward to it. I may need to supplement our chocolate chip cookie contribution to the book club meeting that was rescheduled. Cookies are too tempting when they are in our range of vision. Mary will be indexing while I am in the kitchen or occupied elsewhere.
Otherwise, I have no specific plans. The sun will rise @ 8:15 a.m. and set @ 5:28 p.m. Ciao.
Let's start with what's really important, the official date for my version of the first day of spring, the day that the pitchers and catchers report to the Chicago Cubs training camp @ Ho Ho Kam Stadium in Mesa, AZ. It is now official, the date is set, February 14, 2017. Is it mere coincidence that this is also Valentine's Day? I think not my friends. The first workout for the pitchers and catchers is the next day and then the position players report on February 17th. The first full team workout is scheduled for February 18th.
My beloved Red Sox pitchers and catchers report to JetBlue Park in Ft. Myers, FL on February 13th, with workouts scheduled for the next day and then the position players report on February 16th, with full squad workouts set for the next day.
The Detroit Tigers have not yet announced the dates for their pitchers and catchers and position players to report to Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, FL.Stay tuned.
I was just outside @ 4:30 a.m. with the fur-children, and while the temperature was between 19° and 21° depending on the source of the information, the winds were strong in the back forty and so it felt cooler than that. Neither yours truly nor the fur-children were inclined to stay outside for an extended period. Today's high temperature is forecast to be 30° according to the NWS, Tuesday's high temperature is forecast to be a balmy 43°, but there is a 90% chance of rain/snow showers with winds of 23 mph when we walk or drive to the Tri-Cities History Museum for our book club meeting. Oddly, the NWS has issued a Gale Warning for any mariners who are willing to brave the conditions on The Great Lakes.
I did get in some time with Leilani yesterday. It felt good to sit and strum. My technique on a Uke is not great, but the sound is okay, so that makes me feel good about my efforts.
I waited long enough yesterday so that our shared driveway was mostly cleared by our younger neighbor. I finished up the section in front of our garage, and our front porch and sidewalk. I'm getting too old to do the whole thing myself with or without a snowblower. Our neighbor does his work with two shovels even though he has access to a snowblower.
Once the driveway was cleared, Mary and I journeyed to the grocery store for a few items and then to our favorite watering hole for dinner.
I'll be staying in and doing some indoor chores along with some cooking/baking and trying out my new stand mixer after it arrives later today. I'm looking forward to it. I may need to supplement our chocolate chip cookie contribution to the book club meeting that was rescheduled. Cookies are too tempting when they are in our range of vision. Mary will be indexing while I am in the kitchen or occupied elsewhere.
Otherwise, I have no specific plans. The sun will rise @ 8:15 a.m. and set @ 5:28 p.m. Ciao.
Sunday, January 8, 2017
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:30 a.m. in "The City."
We have a current temperature of 14/15° in the great outdoors of the Tri-Cities area. I was just outside with the fur-children, and I can attest to two things for certain. One, we've had about two inches of freshly fallen snow since I cleared the deck late yesterday afternoon, and two, it is cold outside. With the 10 mph winds, the wind chill feels like -1°. Today's high temperature is forecast to be 21° under cloudy skies. By Tuesday, the high is forecast by the NWS to reach 43° with a 100% chance of rain.
Both STWD and GTWD can/could attest to feeling cold too. I have to work on the intrepid one's spatial relationship skills because she keeps getting her tether and thus herself, caught around the large flower pot on the lower patio area. I removed the old kale stalks that used to catch her, so she has found a new place to get entangled.
Mary spent the day indexing and I spent part of my day moving snow and watching TV. Like my Amish mysteries, I am addicted to romances on the Hallmark Channel™.
After we arose around 11:30 a.m., Mary made vegan chili while I cleared snow. Later, I made myself a sandwich for dinner after which Mary made another of her now famous vegan roast beests. I went upstairs to watch the Lions lose badly to the Seattle Seahawks by a final score of 6 - 26. Sadly, the Lions were never really in that game.
Today, Mary has to keep on keeping on with regard to the indexing project. I have no specific plans other than to watch car shows, play with the girls, and take the fur-children out to their play area after I clear more snow. I won't do too much, just enough to get the fur-children out, as the snow will be melting by Tuesday.
The sun will rise later today @ 8:16 a.m. and set @ 5:27 p.m. While a scant 11 minutes longer, each day brings us closer to spring/spring training. Ciao.
We have a current temperature of 14/15° in the great outdoors of the Tri-Cities area. I was just outside with the fur-children, and I can attest to two things for certain. One, we've had about two inches of freshly fallen snow since I cleared the deck late yesterday afternoon, and two, it is cold outside. With the 10 mph winds, the wind chill feels like -1°. Today's high temperature is forecast to be 21° under cloudy skies. By Tuesday, the high is forecast by the NWS to reach 43° with a 100% chance of rain.
Both STWD and GTWD can/could attest to feeling cold too. I have to work on the intrepid one's spatial relationship skills because she keeps getting her tether and thus herself, caught around the large flower pot on the lower patio area. I removed the old kale stalks that used to catch her, so she has found a new place to get entangled.
Mary spent the day indexing and I spent part of my day moving snow and watching TV. Like my Amish mysteries, I am addicted to romances on the Hallmark Channel™.
After we arose around 11:30 a.m., Mary made vegan chili while I cleared snow. Later, I made myself a sandwich for dinner after which Mary made another of her now famous vegan roast beests. I went upstairs to watch the Lions lose badly to the Seattle Seahawks by a final score of 6 - 26. Sadly, the Lions were never really in that game.
Today, Mary has to keep on keeping on with regard to the indexing project. I have no specific plans other than to watch car shows, play with the girls, and take the fur-children out to their play area after I clear more snow. I won't do too much, just enough to get the fur-children out, as the snow will be melting by Tuesday.
The sun will rise later today @ 8:16 a.m. and set @ 5:27 p.m. While a scant 11 minutes longer, each day brings us closer to spring/spring training. Ciao.
Friday, January 6, 2017
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 9:00 p.m. in "The City" on this cold evening in GH. I thought I could skip a day and still be able to report on what was happening in our little corner of the world.
We have a current temperature of 13° as we drop to our overnight low of 11° with snow showers in the forecast @ 90% That's okay by me because I'm inside where it is relatively warm and safe. The fur-children are somewhere nearby and they are desirous of any treat that I may have to offer. However, I have nothing to offer to them other than some vegan jerky.
I spent part of my day this morning baking two loaves of bread. One was a loaf of beer bread and the other a loaf of English muffin bread. Both turned out great, due in large measure to the use of the USA Pans™ that I used in the baking. I don't know why I didn't buy these baking pans sooner. Unfortunately, I burned out my $8.00 hand mixer in the process, so I had to send it to the great beyond. I gave it a proper sendoff by placing it in the trash bin under the kitchen sink.
Fortunately for me, since I am getting into this baking thing, Mary okayed the purchase of a Kitchen Aid™ stand mixer that should be able to handle anything I can throw at it. My old table saw was in excess of $800.00, so the mixer is a bargain by comparison. I should be able to mix anything that I desire in the future. My new mixer should arrive on Monday courtesy of Amazom.com. Mary has okayed a place for it in our shared kitchen.
I did some trainspotting today with the assistance of my apprentice train spotter as I was outside moving more of the snow that seems to be falling incessantly of late. I am trying to stay ahead of it so that the fur-children have a place to do their business. But I digress. The southbound morning passage of locomotives 2057 and 2019 went by on the RSTL @ 10:55 a.m. In tow were seven CHCs, two DWTCs and eight DBTCs with four of those bringing up the rear.
I needed the assistance of my apprentice train spotter for the afternoon run as I was outside shoveling snow when I heard that lonesome whistle blow. The passage of the same locomotives didn't take long as they were towing only two DBTCs as they plied the rails heading north.
In a tangential story, the former Harbourfront Hobbies is no more. On Wednesday, the demolition crews razed the structure leaving only a vacant lot. The Morningstar Cafe proprietors bought the property which is next door to their restaurant and they plan to build a storage area and kitchen addition where the hobby shop used to be.
I finished the highlighting of the latest book late last night. It is now up to Mary to do that voodoo that she do so well and finish the indexing. I never got to playing with the girls. I hope that I can do that tomorrow. I have been remiss in my practicing. My bad.
I saw something on Facebook™ recently that said I need to do that which makes my life more fulfilling and spend less time worrying about the dusting and other household chores. So, that's what I plan to do. That is similar to that speech made by Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption when he says to his buddy Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding, "It comes down to a simple choice, get busy living or get busy dying." I am going to get busy living, baking, and making music. Here is a link to that a trailer from the Shawshank Redemption when Andy intones that famous line. The line starts @ approximately 2:54 of the clip.
https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=opensearch&p=get+busy+living+or+get+busy+dying#id=1&vid=a40f32f9d481206bc2d4f374d9c353c2&action=click
I still have no dates for when the pitchers and catchers report to spring training for either the Cubs or the Tigers. I do know that my beloved Red Sox' pitchers and catchers report on February 13. However, the annual Cubs Convention takes place this month on the 13th through the 15th. The West Michigan Whitecaps season commences on April 6, 2017, with a home game against the Southbend, IN Cubs. The Caps are the "A" level farm team for the Detroit Tigers.
The sun will rise tomorrow @ 8:16 a.m. and set @ 5:26 p.m. Ciao.
We have a current temperature of 13° as we drop to our overnight low of 11° with snow showers in the forecast @ 90% That's okay by me because I'm inside where it is relatively warm and safe. The fur-children are somewhere nearby and they are desirous of any treat that I may have to offer. However, I have nothing to offer to them other than some vegan jerky.
I spent part of my day this morning baking two loaves of bread. One was a loaf of beer bread and the other a loaf of English muffin bread. Both turned out great, due in large measure to the use of the USA Pans™ that I used in the baking. I don't know why I didn't buy these baking pans sooner. Unfortunately, I burned out my $8.00 hand mixer in the process, so I had to send it to the great beyond. I gave it a proper sendoff by placing it in the trash bin under the kitchen sink.
Fortunately for me, since I am getting into this baking thing, Mary okayed the purchase of a Kitchen Aid™ stand mixer that should be able to handle anything I can throw at it. My old table saw was in excess of $800.00, so the mixer is a bargain by comparison. I should be able to mix anything that I desire in the future. My new mixer should arrive on Monday courtesy of Amazom.com. Mary has okayed a place for it in our shared kitchen.
I did some trainspotting today with the assistance of my apprentice train spotter as I was outside moving more of the snow that seems to be falling incessantly of late. I am trying to stay ahead of it so that the fur-children have a place to do their business. But I digress. The southbound morning passage of locomotives 2057 and 2019 went by on the RSTL @ 10:55 a.m. In tow were seven CHCs, two DWTCs and eight DBTCs with four of those bringing up the rear.
I needed the assistance of my apprentice train spotter for the afternoon run as I was outside shoveling snow when I heard that lonesome whistle blow. The passage of the same locomotives didn't take long as they were towing only two DBTCs as they plied the rails heading north.
In a tangential story, the former Harbourfront Hobbies is no more. On Wednesday, the demolition crews razed the structure leaving only a vacant lot. The Morningstar Cafe proprietors bought the property which is next door to their restaurant and they plan to build a storage area and kitchen addition where the hobby shop used to be.
I finished the highlighting of the latest book late last night. It is now up to Mary to do that voodoo that she do so well and finish the indexing. I never got to playing with the girls. I hope that I can do that tomorrow. I have been remiss in my practicing. My bad.
I saw something on Facebook™ recently that said I need to do that which makes my life more fulfilling and spend less time worrying about the dusting and other household chores. So, that's what I plan to do. That is similar to that speech made by Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption when he says to his buddy Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding, "It comes down to a simple choice, get busy living or get busy dying." I am going to get busy living, baking, and making music. Here is a link to that a trailer from the Shawshank Redemption when Andy intones that famous line. The line starts @ approximately 2:54 of the clip.
https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=opensearch&p=get+busy+living+or+get+busy+dying#id=1&vid=a40f32f9d481206bc2d4f374d9c353c2&action=click
I still have no dates for when the pitchers and catchers report to spring training for either the Cubs or the Tigers. I do know that my beloved Red Sox' pitchers and catchers report on February 13. However, the annual Cubs Convention takes place this month on the 13th through the 15th. The West Michigan Whitecaps season commences on April 6, 2017, with a home game against the Southbend, IN Cubs. The Caps are the "A" level farm team for the Detroit Tigers.
The sun will rise tomorrow @ 8:16 a.m. and set @ 5:26 p.m. Ciao.
Thursday, January 5, 2017
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 12:00 a.m. in "The City."
Let me start by saying that the winter weather advisory from the NWS has been a hit and miss advisory. We have had and continue to have snow showers that will extend the winter weather advisory through 5:00 p.m. Friday, with possible accumulations of 3 to 5 additional inches, or not. Temperatures will continue to be in the teens until Sunday before the cold begins to dissipate on Monday of next week. Windy conditions will also prevail for most of the next six days.
We have a current temperature of 15°, but it feels like 11° due to the 18 mph winds. The high later today will be 14°, but it will also feel colder due to the wind. The sun will rise @ 8:16 a.m. and set later @ 5:24 p.m. My outdoor activities will be limited by the snow covered sidewalks.
I have a trainspotting report for yesterday. At 10:08 a.m., locomotives 2019 and 2057 moved down the tracks of the RSTL heading south towing two CHCs, six DBTCs, and four DWTCs. At 3:12 p.m., those same locomotives were seen traveling north towing four CHCs, seven DBTCs, one GTC, and four DWTCs, all fully loaded and moving relatively quickly on those not so even rails.
I finished the Amish novel I started @ the laundromat on Tuesday late last night. My regular readers may recall that I have added this genre of novel to my reading list because I find it fascinating reading about murder mysteries set in Amish country. If people can read vampire novels or romance novels, I can read Amish mystery novels.
Today, I have no plans to leave the manse for anything that does not involve taking the fur-children out for their abbreviated sojourns into the back forty. It is too cold for my old bones. STWD is okay with not going out. but GTWD would like more activity. Oh well, winter will break by March and we can get back to our regular walking schedule.
I am nearly done with my highlighting chores and Mary is hard at work on the actual index, so I hope that we are on schedule. Mary took time from her indexing to make vegan hot dogs to accompany my world famous Coleslaw for lunch. She made vegan spaghetti bolognese for dinner that she felt was overspiced but which I felt tasted just fine. Whatever.
I just took GTWD out for her late night business trip, so I hope we are done until later this morning.
I want to spend some time with the girls in my office/music room/weather center, but I can't disturb Mary when she is trying to concentrate. I have plenty of things to do, but I need to play and sing like nobody is listening.
I would be remiss if I didn't give a shout out to my favorite daughter in law, Stephany, on this, her 30 something birthday. She is a remarkable person whom I love dearly and who also indulges Adam's hobbies. That in itself is a truly remarkable thing. So, Happy Birthday Stephany. I wish you many happy returns. We'll see you soon. Steph, here is a link just for you on your birthday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LhizYTDkRM
Love,
Dad
Ciao.
Let me start by saying that the winter weather advisory from the NWS has been a hit and miss advisory. We have had and continue to have snow showers that will extend the winter weather advisory through 5:00 p.m. Friday, with possible accumulations of 3 to 5 additional inches, or not. Temperatures will continue to be in the teens until Sunday before the cold begins to dissipate on Monday of next week. Windy conditions will also prevail for most of the next six days.
We have a current temperature of 15°, but it feels like 11° due to the 18 mph winds. The high later today will be 14°, but it will also feel colder due to the wind. The sun will rise @ 8:16 a.m. and set later @ 5:24 p.m. My outdoor activities will be limited by the snow covered sidewalks.
I have a trainspotting report for yesterday. At 10:08 a.m., locomotives 2019 and 2057 moved down the tracks of the RSTL heading south towing two CHCs, six DBTCs, and four DWTCs. At 3:12 p.m., those same locomotives were seen traveling north towing four CHCs, seven DBTCs, one GTC, and four DWTCs, all fully loaded and moving relatively quickly on those not so even rails.
I finished the Amish novel I started @ the laundromat on Tuesday late last night. My regular readers may recall that I have added this genre of novel to my reading list because I find it fascinating reading about murder mysteries set in Amish country. If people can read vampire novels or romance novels, I can read Amish mystery novels.
Today, I have no plans to leave the manse for anything that does not involve taking the fur-children out for their abbreviated sojourns into the back forty. It is too cold for my old bones. STWD is okay with not going out. but GTWD would like more activity. Oh well, winter will break by March and we can get back to our regular walking schedule.
I am nearly done with my highlighting chores and Mary is hard at work on the actual index, so I hope that we are on schedule. Mary took time from her indexing to make vegan hot dogs to accompany my world famous Coleslaw for lunch. She made vegan spaghetti bolognese for dinner that she felt was overspiced but which I felt tasted just fine. Whatever.
I just took GTWD out for her late night business trip, so I hope we are done until later this morning.
I want to spend some time with the girls in my office/music room/weather center, but I can't disturb Mary when she is trying to concentrate. I have plenty of things to do, but I need to play and sing like nobody is listening.
I would be remiss if I didn't give a shout out to my favorite daughter in law, Stephany, on this, her 30 something birthday. She is a remarkable person whom I love dearly and who also indulges Adam's hobbies. That in itself is a truly remarkable thing. So, Happy Birthday Stephany. I wish you many happy returns. We'll see you soon. Steph, here is a link just for you on your birthday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LhizYTDkRM
Love,
Dad
Ciao.
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 12:30 a.m. in "The City."
I just considered taking GTWD out for a midnight safari to the backyard, but then I remembered Mary's admonition about overdoing a good thing for Ginger. So we didn't go. She didn't seem to mind, so I'm guessing that I was the one overdoing the outings. not Ginger. I am betting that she will be back sometime soon with a real need.
Yesterday the weather started out nice, but when Mary and I decided to take a walk with the fur-children, STWD didn't want to go. We had heard on a recent program on WOOD radio called The Pet Files, that when older dogs, a group to which the intrepid one belongs, don't want to go, they are sending you a message that they don't have the energy nor desire to go for long walks like they did when they were younger. I can identify with that, and apparently, so can STWD.
At any rate, when we were walking, I too succumbed to a similar feeling and I wanted to head home before Mary and Ginger. Perhaps I too am showing my age. I came home and spent some time in the La-Z-Boy resting before GTWD arrived and took a flying leap into my lap. So much for resting. Sugar came up when Ginger got down and then Ginger tried to join the two of us and all bets were off. Sigh.
So, Mary suggested that we take a ride to a yarn shop in Wyoming, MI. I knew I could handle riding in the car, so I agreed. Mary picked up a couple of patterns, one for a sweater vest for yours truly, and a type of needle for her crafts.
We had a nice ride in the country what had been a sunny day but on the way home the skies looked threatening and some raindrops were falling on our windshield, so we simply headed towards home. Well, first we stopped @ the Tip-A-Few for some adult libations. The "Tip" was packed with people enjoying their last day of holiday revelry. I guess that means that GH will be back to the regular off-season pace by later today.
Trainspotting yesterday did occur, but the southbound run of locomotives 2057 and 2019 was a short-lived passage on the RSTL as the10:29 run was just those two locomotives, with nine CHCs, and two DBTCs in tow.
The northbound run with the same locomotives was even more abbreviated as those locomotives were towing only four CHCs and one DWTC. It must have cost more to move the locomotives and pay the crew than the Mid-Michigan Railroad made in profit.
I hope to return to bed shortly so that I can get that sleep time that I missed last night.
Today the sun will rise @ 8:16 a.m. and set @ 5:22 p.m. We have a current temperature of 36° under cloudy skies. Later, the high will reach 40° with a 40% chance of showers this morning and windy conditions. By tomorrow, Wednesday, the high will reach a more seasonal 23° with a 60% chance of snow showers and winds of 25 mph. I'll be inside baking cookies today for our book club meeting on that chilly and windy day. Ciao.
I just considered taking GTWD out for a midnight safari to the backyard, but then I remembered Mary's admonition about overdoing a good thing for Ginger. So we didn't go. She didn't seem to mind, so I'm guessing that I was the one overdoing the outings. not Ginger. I am betting that she will be back sometime soon with a real need.
Yesterday the weather started out nice, but when Mary and I decided to take a walk with the fur-children, STWD didn't want to go. We had heard on a recent program on WOOD radio called The Pet Files, that when older dogs, a group to which the intrepid one belongs, don't want to go, they are sending you a message that they don't have the energy nor desire to go for long walks like they did when they were younger. I can identify with that, and apparently, so can STWD.
At any rate, when we were walking, I too succumbed to a similar feeling and I wanted to head home before Mary and Ginger. Perhaps I too am showing my age. I came home and spent some time in the La-Z-Boy resting before GTWD arrived and took a flying leap into my lap. So much for resting. Sugar came up when Ginger got down and then Ginger tried to join the two of us and all bets were off. Sigh.
So, Mary suggested that we take a ride to a yarn shop in Wyoming, MI. I knew I could handle riding in the car, so I agreed. Mary picked up a couple of patterns, one for a sweater vest for yours truly, and a type of needle for her crafts.
We had a nice ride in the country what had been a sunny day but on the way home the skies looked threatening and some raindrops were falling on our windshield, so we simply headed towards home. Well, first we stopped @ the Tip-A-Few for some adult libations. The "Tip" was packed with people enjoying their last day of holiday revelry. I guess that means that GH will be back to the regular off-season pace by later today.
Trainspotting yesterday did occur, but the southbound run of locomotives 2057 and 2019 was a short-lived passage on the RSTL as the10:29 run was just those two locomotives, with nine CHCs, and two DBTCs in tow.
The northbound run with the same locomotives was even more abbreviated as those locomotives were towing only four CHCs and one DWTC. It must have cost more to move the locomotives and pay the crew than the Mid-Michigan Railroad made in profit.
I hope to return to bed shortly so that I can get that sleep time that I missed last night.
Today the sun will rise @ 8:16 a.m. and set @ 5:22 p.m. We have a current temperature of 36° under cloudy skies. Later, the high will reach 40° with a 40% chance of showers this morning and windy conditions. By tomorrow, Wednesday, the high will reach a more seasonal 23° with a 60% chance of snow showers and winds of 25 mph. I'll be inside baking cookies today for our book club meeting on that chilly and windy day. Ciao.
Monday, January 2, 2017
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:30 a.m.in "The City."
I can attest that @ 2:15 a.m., things in "The City" are quiet and peaceful, at least on the day following New Year's Day. GTWD and STWD and I were outside for the way too early morning sojourn, and with the temperature @ 27° per the NWS or 29° per my DTWS, and light winds in the backyard, it was very comfortable.
Yesterday was a tough day for me. Mary had taken the fur-children for individual safaris and I was home taking down our Christmas tree for another year. I confess that I always feel some pangs of melancholia when I have to undertake that activity. I'm always sad for the passing of the holidays no matter your personal religion(s). The Urban Dictionary does offer a word that attempts to combine the major world religions, Christmahanakwanzika, that attempts to avoid the phrase "Happy Holidays. So, I'll just say that to all of my faithful readers. In order to alleviate my feelings of melancholia, I will include some before and after pictures of our Christmahanakwanzika decorations, before, during, and after the holidays.
Oh well, the holiday season is only 11 months away, so I think I can make it through the ensuing months. Mary always says that I can't listen to holiday music where she can hear it until after Thanksgiving Day. Of course, I can sit in my office and listen to my heart's content before then.
We had a great holiday season, with visits to Muskegon's Hackley and Hume Houses and Museum along with enjoying the sights and sounds of the season in and around the Tri-Cities area.
Speaking of the season, Mary and I walked through the downtown area last evening and stopped @ the Double Deuce for a quick libation. We had left GTWD @ home and when we walked past on our way, she was @ her usual post on the back of the couch. When we returned, she was still there and greeted us as though we had been gone for days. Perhaps in dog time, we were, The winds were relatively calm and the temperatures were in the mid-thirties so that walking was very pleasant.
As previously noted, we have a current temperature of 27°/29° outside the WW and there is no precipitation. None is expected until Tuesday's 30% chance of showers in the evening when temperatures are near 40°. In fact, Tuesdays high should reach 41° with fog in the morning per the NWS.
Dinner yesterday was Mary's six-hour baked beans. It takes six hours in the oven with the beans in a Dutch Oven to produce beans that are a keeper. Mary made waffles for breakfast and salad for lunch. She wasn't satisfied with her waffles, but I found them totally tasty and satisfactory.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that tickets for the annual Cubs Convention™ go on sale Friday for the convention which takes place January 13 - 15. In case you are interested, here is a link to the website that describes the convention.
http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/chc/fan_forum/cubs-convention/
Plus, to remind you that spring is not very far off, here is a picture of Wrigley Field in the days before Jumbotrons™ and the major remodeling that took place en route to the 2016 World's Championship. This picture is from 2014. And yes, 2016 allowed us to party like it was 1914. Like John Fogerty describes in his hit song, Centerfield, I'm born again when there is new grass on the field. If you liked the bullpens on the field, they are gone now as the park is being remodeled to accommodate additional seating. The bullpens are being relocated to the area underneath the bleachers. Sigh.
http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/chc/wrigleyfield100/
And Hey, Hey, why not some Steve Goodman singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7Lcy0058MY
Today I have no specific plans. I want to spend some time with the girls and also do some additional highlighting. I'll probably do that highlighting after I finish this blog as I like to work without disturbances. I am currently listening to Coast to Coast AM and its host, George Noory. George is hosting his anniversary program that celebrates 14 years of his hosting the program. He has invited various renowned psychics, astrologers, and scholars to prognosticate 2017. Like most psychic predictions/readings, we'll soon forget the misses and celebrate the hits.
The sun will rise @ 8:16 a.m. and set @ 5:21 p.m. That extra one second has made all the difference in my world. : - ). Ciao.
I can attest that @ 2:15 a.m., things in "The City" are quiet and peaceful, at least on the day following New Year's Day. GTWD and STWD and I were outside for the way too early morning sojourn, and with the temperature @ 27° per the NWS or 29° per my DTWS, and light winds in the backyard, it was very comfortable.
Yesterday was a tough day for me. Mary had taken the fur-children for individual safaris and I was home taking down our Christmas tree for another year. I confess that I always feel some pangs of melancholia when I have to undertake that activity. I'm always sad for the passing of the holidays no matter your personal religion(s). The Urban Dictionary does offer a word that attempts to combine the major world religions, Christmahanakwanzika, that attempts to avoid the phrase "Happy Holidays. So, I'll just say that to all of my faithful readers. In order to alleviate my feelings of melancholia, I will include some before and after pictures of our Christmahanakwanzika decorations, before, during, and after the holidays.
 |
| Not yet a "White Christmas" |
 |
| Our tree in all its splendor during the holidays |
 |
| Post Holiday |
 |
| Our Christmas dinner |
We had a great holiday season, with visits to Muskegon's Hackley and Hume Houses and Museum along with enjoying the sights and sounds of the season in and around the Tri-Cities area.
Speaking of the season, Mary and I walked through the downtown area last evening and stopped @ the Double Deuce for a quick libation. We had left GTWD @ home and when we walked past on our way, she was @ her usual post on the back of the couch. When we returned, she was still there and greeted us as though we had been gone for days. Perhaps in dog time, we were, The winds were relatively calm and the temperatures were in the mid-thirties so that walking was very pleasant.
As previously noted, we have a current temperature of 27°/29° outside the WW and there is no precipitation. None is expected until Tuesday's 30% chance of showers in the evening when temperatures are near 40°. In fact, Tuesdays high should reach 41° with fog in the morning per the NWS.
Dinner yesterday was Mary's six-hour baked beans. It takes six hours in the oven with the beans in a Dutch Oven to produce beans that are a keeper. Mary made waffles for breakfast and salad for lunch. She wasn't satisfied with her waffles, but I found them totally tasty and satisfactory.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that tickets for the annual Cubs Convention™ go on sale Friday for the convention which takes place January 13 - 15. In case you are interested, here is a link to the website that describes the convention.
http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/chc/fan_forum/cubs-convention/
Plus, to remind you that spring is not very far off, here is a picture of Wrigley Field in the days before Jumbotrons™ and the major remodeling that took place en route to the 2016 World's Championship. This picture is from 2014. And yes, 2016 allowed us to party like it was 1914. Like John Fogerty describes in his hit song, Centerfield, I'm born again when there is new grass on the field. If you liked the bullpens on the field, they are gone now as the park is being remodeled to accommodate additional seating. The bullpens are being relocated to the area underneath the bleachers. Sigh.
http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/chc/wrigleyfield100/
And Hey, Hey, why not some Steve Goodman singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7Lcy0058MY
Today I have no specific plans. I want to spend some time with the girls and also do some additional highlighting. I'll probably do that highlighting after I finish this blog as I like to work without disturbances. I am currently listening to Coast to Coast AM and its host, George Noory. George is hosting his anniversary program that celebrates 14 years of his hosting the program. He has invited various renowned psychics, astrologers, and scholars to prognosticate 2017. Like most psychic predictions/readings, we'll soon forget the misses and celebrate the hits.
The sun will rise @ 8:16 a.m. and set @ 5:21 p.m. That extra one second has made all the difference in my world. : - ). Ciao.
Sunday, January 1, 2017
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:30 a.m. in "The City."
I've recently returned from a sojourn to the back forty with GTWD and STWD and all is well here in GH as the new year gets underway. The current temperature is 32° under mostly cloudy skies. The clouds will give way to sunny skies and a high temperature later today of 38° with windy conditions.
We are looking good until Wednesday when the wintry temperatures return and we see a high temperature of only 22°. Along the way, we'll have a 50% chance of showers on Monday evening and 41° and foggy conditions when the kids go back to school on Tuesday. We'll only have a couple of days in the next 10 when the temperatures drop into the teens and there is only a slight chance for precipitation, All good by me.
GH had its 2nd annual New Year's Eve Ball Drop last night. According to WOOD TV/Radio, everything went off without a hitch and the crowds appeared to be larger this year due to good weather and the cancellation of the ball drop in GR. In addition, the fireworks that accompanied the celebration were heard but not seen by Mary and I. At our age, we no longer need to see the festivities, as we know that the new year turns with or without us as witnesses.
I did get another quarter in change yesterday for my collections. This one was N. Dakota with the Denver mint designation for 2016 that depicts President Theodore Roosevelt. I am still missing both "D" & "P" quarters for South Carolina and the "D" quarter for Illinois from the year 2016, Oddly enough, I am still missing the South Carolina 2016 quarter and the 2015 Delaware quarter for my National Park Quarter collection. I'll keep looking unless some kind person in another location, like Chicago, finds these and sends them to me. Hint, Hint.
We had a nice dinner at the Double Deuce yesterday afternoon. We allowed GTWD to roam free for the first time since we adopted her. We were out for approx. one and one-half hours and when we returned, GTWD was watching from her regular station on the back of the living room couch. We discerned no wreckage from a scrum between her and her big sister, STWD, and the house seemed none the worse for wear. In other words, all good.
Today, regretfully, I have to take down our Christmas tree and pack the ornaments and other decorations away for another year. I'll also have to wave a fond farewell to the radio stations that have been playing Christmas music 24/7. Sigh.
I plan to do little else. I shouldn't read as I am experiencing some symptoms of eye strain from too much reading yesterday.
It is worthy of note, that as of today, the gasoline taxes and vehicle registration fees increase here in Michigan for the first time in many years. The gasoline taxes will increase by seven cents per gallon and the vehicle registration fees by 20% for both cars and trucks. Those increases are part of a package that the legislature in Lansing passed to help pay for road improvements. I'm okay with the increases as long as the money goes to the roads and not some pet projects of the various legislators. We'll see as the MI legislature is famous for misdirection of funds. Typically, the GOP-dominated legislature was willing to raise fees on vehicle registrations and taxes on gasoline but not on income. Hmm.
The sun will rise today @ 8:16 a.m. and set @ 5:20 p.m. In addition, the change to 2017 increased the length of the day by one second. I have to decide how I want to spend my extra time from now on. Ciao.
I've recently returned from a sojourn to the back forty with GTWD and STWD and all is well here in GH as the new year gets underway. The current temperature is 32° under mostly cloudy skies. The clouds will give way to sunny skies and a high temperature later today of 38° with windy conditions.
We are looking good until Wednesday when the wintry temperatures return and we see a high temperature of only 22°. Along the way, we'll have a 50% chance of showers on Monday evening and 41° and foggy conditions when the kids go back to school on Tuesday. We'll only have a couple of days in the next 10 when the temperatures drop into the teens and there is only a slight chance for precipitation, All good by me.
GH had its 2nd annual New Year's Eve Ball Drop last night. According to WOOD TV/Radio, everything went off without a hitch and the crowds appeared to be larger this year due to good weather and the cancellation of the ball drop in GR. In addition, the fireworks that accompanied the celebration were heard but not seen by Mary and I. At our age, we no longer need to see the festivities, as we know that the new year turns with or without us as witnesses.
I did get another quarter in change yesterday for my collections. This one was N. Dakota with the Denver mint designation for 2016 that depicts President Theodore Roosevelt. I am still missing both "D" & "P" quarters for South Carolina and the "D" quarter for Illinois from the year 2016, Oddly enough, I am still missing the South Carolina 2016 quarter and the 2015 Delaware quarter for my National Park Quarter collection. I'll keep looking unless some kind person in another location, like Chicago, finds these and sends them to me. Hint, Hint.
We had a nice dinner at the Double Deuce yesterday afternoon. We allowed GTWD to roam free for the first time since we adopted her. We were out for approx. one and one-half hours and when we returned, GTWD was watching from her regular station on the back of the living room couch. We discerned no wreckage from a scrum between her and her big sister, STWD, and the house seemed none the worse for wear. In other words, all good.
Today, regretfully, I have to take down our Christmas tree and pack the ornaments and other decorations away for another year. I'll also have to wave a fond farewell to the radio stations that have been playing Christmas music 24/7. Sigh.
I plan to do little else. I shouldn't read as I am experiencing some symptoms of eye strain from too much reading yesterday.
It is worthy of note, that as of today, the gasoline taxes and vehicle registration fees increase here in Michigan for the first time in many years. The gasoline taxes will increase by seven cents per gallon and the vehicle registration fees by 20% for both cars and trucks. Those increases are part of a package that the legislature in Lansing passed to help pay for road improvements. I'm okay with the increases as long as the money goes to the roads and not some pet projects of the various legislators. We'll see as the MI legislature is famous for misdirection of funds. Typically, the GOP-dominated legislature was willing to raise fees on vehicle registrations and taxes on gasoline but not on income. Hmm.
The sun will rise today @ 8:16 a.m. and set @ 5:20 p.m. In addition, the change to 2017 increased the length of the day by one second. I have to decide how I want to spend my extra time from now on. Ciao.
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