Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 11:00 p.m. in "The City."

As promised in a previous blog, I am now in possession of a better picture of our Christmas tree albeit, without yours truly in the picture. Instead, Mary was kind enough to take a picture of our tree and in my stead is STWD (Sugar the Weather Dog) along with Ginger in the foreground. This is actually a rare picture, as Sugar doesn't like to have her picture taken. 

We had a great day, even if our search for a sewing basket during our trip to Holland went unrequited. Ginger went to daycare and we were off. We did get some spices and some veggies to make more broth while there, but that was about it. We tried several antique shops on the way home, but none had what we were seeking. Oh well, when you want something, you never see it and when you don't, there seem to be more than you could ever want. Worthy of note is that my yak allowed me to walk through several stores with minimal pain. I liked that part of our trip most of all. 

We have a current temperature of 35° under partly cloudy skies. There is a forecast from the NWS for rain showers after midnight. Tomorrow's high is forecast to be 46°, also under partly cloudy skies.

We have an appointment tomorrow afternoon for STWD to see her doctor for her annual "Senior Wellness Exam" and some updates on her vaccinations. We also have to get her to take some antihistamines one-hour before she gets those vaccinations as she usually has a bad reaction to the shots. The last time, she got very sick and I had to rush her back to get additional treatment. I was probably being overly worried, but Sugar is my baby and I am like that with her.

Mary has some things she wants to sew and I have rethreaded her sewing machine for her activities. For some reason, she has difficulty with that process. And yet, she knits and cooks with great aplomb. Go figure. Maybe that is because threading the machine is mechanical and that is something that she prefers to avoid.

We also have an appointment with the chiropractor too.

The sun will rise tomorrow @ 7:55 a.m. and set once again @ 5:11 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 1:30 a.m. in "The City."

In case you may have forgotten or if you never knew, I use the words "The City" as my homage to the late Jack Webb of Dragnet fame, both the radio and television versions, who intoned those words when he described the city in which he worked as a fictional police detective named Joe Friday. In this case, "The City" was Los Angeles, CA. So I say, why not use those words to introduce every one of my blogs?

At any rate, yesterday was a great day for me in my guise as a collector of National Park/America the Beautiful Quarters.We were out to pick up a few things at that nationally know drugstore chain and the cashier was low on singles. So, she offered Mary quarters in their stead. I/we received two promising coins, one a quarter that was for the Ozark National Scenic Railway in MO, and the other for Ellis Island in NJ.

Unfortunately, the Ozark quarter was a "D" which I already have represented in two books. The Ellis Island quarter was also a "D", but that meant that I had two possible places to use that coin. I chose the coin album I have for the National Park Quarters Collector's Map book over the other album I have for the America the Beautiful Quarters collection. In the case of the National Park Quarters Collector's Map book, I had an Ozark National Scenic Railway already in place and in the other album, I had the "D" quarter already in place. So, the Ellis Island coin looking bright and shiny became the representative of NJ therein. Choices, choices.

In other news, with some welcome assistance from our neighbor, Ron, I bagged up the excess leaves in the front of the manse. Actually, I raked some and Ron bagged all. My yak was not up to the task. Five bags and some nearby rosebushes later and the leaves were gone from the lawn.

As I noted earlier, we were out to get those things and to stop at an antique store in Spring Lake, to look for something that Mary wants to store her various yarn projects out of Ginger's sight. We were unrequited, so today we will be off to Holland to try stores there and to also check for some shoes in the bargain basement of a shoe store there and to pick up some needed spices for Mary's kitchen.

A nice way to segue into the fact that I made some vegan sausages yesterday after I had rested from the leaf activities. As usual, the sausages turned out great and we had some for dinner. That was/is enough for me for yesterday.

The current temperature in "The City" is 46° under clear skies. Laer today, after the sun rises @ 7:54 a.m. and well before it sets once again @ 5:11 p.m., the high-temperature forecast from the NWS is 43° under sunny skies. The NWS is also forecasting showers after midnight tomorrow. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 2:00 a.m. in "The City."

I am writing this blog in defiance of the automatic settings of my virus checking program which came on @ 2:00 a.m. I like the program, but when I first set it up to turn on in my absence, I was, well, absent at this time. Lately, I seem to be here @ this time. Oh well, I can pause the program whenever I want to allow me to finish my work.

It is official, the Christmas season is here! Much like how I decide when spring actually springs, ie, the first day of spring training for baseball, I use the set-up of our Christmas tree as my barometer to signal when the Christmas/holiday season has begun. Mary prefers that I wait until the Thanksgiving Day holiday is over before I start my celebrations.

I mostly agree, but I get excited about the seasonal change that comes with this time of year. While gift-giving is mostly for the children, I still love the feeling that comes with the holiday and the decorations. I can do without the snow part though.

In fact, I waited several days past Thanksgiving this year to set up our tree and then Mary took a picture of yours truly and Ginger as we sat next to this year's finished product. I say this year's because our tree display changes every year to allow me to add the places we have visited in the year since the last season. That's something that we borrowed from Steph and Adam, and we like it.

In fact, this year, we added some things that actually belong to our children but which they store in our basement, a model of a Christmas store and a trolley. Sadly, the picture quality is not up to my usual standards. We'll try again later today.

Blurry, but you get the idea.

We have a current temperature of 53° under clear skies with windy conditions. Later today, after the sun rises @ 7:53 a.m. and not all that long before it sets @ 5:11 p.m., the NWS is forecasting a high temperature of 53°. So, using my vast knowledge of meteorology, I can safely say that there will be no change.

Today, I plan to bake some sugar cookies, make some vegan sausages, and perhaps grate and prepare some Cole slaw too. As Mary says, I need to recognize that I have my limitations and so I use the word perhaps for the Cole slaw. If I am not feeling up to it, the slaw can wait for another day. Maybe in that way, I can also fit in the applesauce that I also want to make.

I might mention that we had a vegan version of "Meatloaf" with green beans for lunch yesterday. Mary prepared the loaf using an internet recipe, but while the taste is perfect, the recipe needs a few tweaks to make it a keeper. Dinner last night was the balance of the Thanksgiving leftovers. Not to worry, there is more loaf for today.

Later today, Mary has an appointment at her beautician for a haircut. I'll be busy in the kitchen much of the day. We didn't get up until late yesterday, so the only thing I accomplished was to set up the Christmas display and to work the crossword puzzle. Mary would say that I need to pattern myself after our former neighbor, Marshall, who did just a limited number of things, often just one thing, each day and saved other things for another day. I think he was right.

When you get to a certain age, you have to conserve your limited physical resources. I do have to bag up some leaves on the vast PE so I may have to limit my activities still further. The fact that rain is in the forecast for tonight makes the leaves a necessity. Or, they can wait until Thursday. Yes, that sounds preferable.

Otherwise, not much is happening today. Mary still has to walk the fur-children since my yak will not allow me to go any distance without aches and pains. I can ameliorate the pain with a non-NSAID painkiller, so that's what I am doing. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 10:30 p.m. in "The City."

Let's get to the point, college football is nearly as good as baseball, which everyone knows is life. But the truth about football, in general, is that on any given day, good teams win and lose. Today, I watched the Wolverines of Michigan get thoroughly outplayed on both sides of the ball as they lost to the Buckeyes of Ohio State, 20 - 31.

The other side of a similar scenario is that the Spartans of MSU were victorious over the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers, 40 - 7. In this case, the Spartans started out strong and never looked back en route to their thrashing of the Scarlet Knights.

In a stunning upset, the Crimson Tide of Alabama were upended by the Tigers of Auburn, 14 - 26. Now, the college championship series is in turmoil following the 12 - 0 Badgers of Wisconsin shutout of the Golden Gophers of Minnesota, 31 - 0 and setting up a huge Big 10 game against the Buckeyes next Saturday night. 

Speaking of anything being able to happen, the day was great for me. I finished the weekend crossword from the Grand Haven Tribune, without assistance, something that I am not always able to do. Mary successfully delivered a great English style breakfast of baked beans on toast and created a terrific dinner of leftovers from our Thanksgiving feast that tasted even better today than Thursday.

Mary is downstairs knitting and watching a movie. I am relatively certain that we will be able to watch the weekend news shows tomorrow during which Mary will craft another brunch of old and new taste sensations. She never ceases to amaze me.

When we got married over 44 years ago, her culinary repertoire was mostly simple pasta dishes and variations on those. However, as is the case with almost anything she puts her mind to, she has refined her kitchen abilities and become a very good cook. When we decided to go vegan about four years ago, she had to expand her thinking and abilities. I had only to be open to vegan variations on my favorite foods. As long as I am honest about the outcomes, she is more than happy to experiment.
I make good pie crusts and pies, but those are relatively pedestrian when compared to Mary's efforts.

Tomorrow, I'll subject myself to more pain as I watch the Bears try to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles. The Bears have a record of 3 - 7, while the Eagles have a record of 9 - 1. Nuff said.

Otherwise, my yak is feeling better each day and I am hopeful that the progress will continue. I can spend a few hours in bed each night and that's all good. I find that I am more optimistic than in the previous weeks.

We have a current temperature of  34° as we drop towards the overnight low of 32° under cloudy skies. Tomorrow's high is forecast by the NWS to be 46° under partly cloudy skies. Monday's forecast is calling for 50° under mostly sunny skies. The sun will rise tomorrow @ 7:51 a.m. and set @ 5:12 p.m. Ciao.

Good evening and welcome to a special Thursday night edition of Friday's blog from "The City." It is just past 6:30 p.m.

Here in our household, another Thanksgiving celebration has come and gone. Once again, Mary has outdone herself. We didn't have turkey, but we did have dressing, which is not to be confused with stuffing, accompanied by scalloped potatoes Provencal, green bean casserole, sage and onion seitan loaf and of course my personal favorite, jellied cranberry sauce. Mary always reserves that treat just for me.

I pitched in along the way by washing some of the dishes that were accumulating in Mary's kitchen. As she worked, and I use that term loosely, since Mary likes to spend time in the kitchen, she took pictures of the various items on her menu as they progressed, along with the end product. I will include those pictures next with short captions to help explain.

A portion of the dishes I helped to wash.

More of the same.

Sauteeing the mushrooms for the gravy.

Everything in the oven, a real balancing act of temperatures and space.

Everything on the table and yours truly at the ready.

While she was waiting, she took time to prepare some snack foods such as vegan cheese, sliced pickles, sliced carrots, celery, and crackers all accompanied by vegan blue cheese dressing and barbecue sauce. I was busy watching the Lions lose to the Vikings, 23 - 30.

Mary took the fur-children for individual walks, with Ginger going all the way to Harbor Drive and Sugar not so far. I am feeling better, but I still have a long way to go before I can walk with STWD.

Speaking of Sugar, she was not feeling well yesterday, but she seems fine now.

I am now able to listen to Christmas music and tomorrow I'll be putting up the Christmas tree in the foyer. I have to remember the two ornaments that are in my office that I place on the tree.

We have a current temperature of 40° under partly cloudy skies. Tomorrow, the NWS is still forecasting a high temperature of 53° with strong winds. The sun will rise @ 7:48 a.m. and set @ 5:13 p.m.

Somewhere along the way tomorrow, I will be reading, playing with the girls and staying retired. Mary may be receiving our latest indexing project. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 1:30 a.m. in "The City."

Like most fall nights/early mornings in GH, it is quiet outside. Of course, the fact that today is Thanksgiving makes it more likely that the majority of the people are all snug in their beds awaiting the annual ritual of gathering with friends and/or loved ones to celebrate this day of thanks.

That being said, I wanted to take a few lines to give my own version of thanks.

First, I am thankful for Mary. She puts up with a lot from me, especially when I am not feeling well, and that is part of her strength.  With her vision and perseverance, we have a comfortable house in which to live. We have been here for a shade over six years now and the house is coming into shape nicely. In fact, Mary finally found time to organize her kitchen spice cabinet in a fashion that should allow her and me to find what we need when we need it. She sent me a picture of the final result, but I can't seem to locate it.

Second, I am thankful for Adam and Stephany. As parents, we wished for a fine son who would make his mark in the world and I am thankful that Mary was able to raise Adam, who in turn, found Stephany and added her to our family. I know that I had a part in Adam's growth, but I think that Mary did the heavy lifting, so to speak.

Third, I am thankful that I have slowly begun to recover from my latest physical challenge, my aching yak. Each day and each step brings me closer to the desired outcome. Like I have often said, I don't do sick well and am not patient. In this case, I want the recovery to be more speedy. However, like most things of this nature, it will take time.

Fourth, I am thankful for the chance to enjoy the scrumptious meal that Mary will be preparing today. I plan to stay out of the way except when I am needed to reach something on an upper shelf.

Finally, I am thankful that I can enjoy this day by simply enjoying the day. Reading, crossword solving, and whatever else comes to mind. Oh yes, there is the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and football games too. I wish it were baseball season, but that has to wait until next April.

But I have digressed long enough. The current temperature is 38° under partly cloudy skies. Once the sun rises @ 7:47 a.m. and well before it sets @ 5:14 p.m., the morning will be cloudy while the afternoon should see the sun come out from behind those clouds as the temperature rises to today's high of 42°. Friday, the high temperature is forecast to rise to 52° with windy conditions.

Otherwise, I have nothing else to say. Life is good. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 2:00 a.m. in "The City."

As the saying goes, not much was or is happening. It is not a dark and stormy night, nor is there even a hint of either on the horizon. We have a current temperature of 32° and the high later today is forecast by the NWS to reach 35° under cloudy skies. The sun will rise today @ 7:46 a.m. and set @ 5:15 p.m.

About the only thing I accomplished yesterday was to get the vegetable broth started for the dressing that Mary plans to make for Thanksgiving. Since we are vegan, we don't stuff a bird, but we do enjoy dressing. I should mention that Mary is also planning to make the dressing from the bread that we picked up downtown earlier yesterday. I also know that Mary plans to make a vegan roast of some type. Along with some scalloped potatoes and a dish made of the last of our kale crop, she'll have her hands busy. Plus, just for me, she will be opening a can of jellied cranberry sauce.

I have been up and down with regard to my yak. Sometimes, I feel like I have turned a corner, while other times I feel as though that corner is out in the distance. Sigh.

Later today, I plan to keep myself out of the way. I know that at the end of the day I will have done all I can to be retired.

I finished the book on Ali and I have started a new book, Stingray Afternoons,: A Memoir, by Steve Rushin. I have just begun the introduction but I am already hooked. Mr. Rushin is a writer for Sports Illustrated and has also written several other non-fiction books. In this book, he is chronicling growing up in the 1970s, coveting a Schwinn Sting-Ray bicycle and just enjoying what being a kid in the 1970s entailed. More about that book later.

Otherwise, we have no specific plans for today. I plan to complete yesterday's crossword puzzle from the Grand Haven Tribune and also read today's edition of that same publication. Being retired is hard work sometimes. Mary will be walking downtown with Ginger to give them both a chance to get some delayed exercise. I plan to continue recovering. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:00 a.m. in "The City."

A sad note to begin this blog. A longtime friend and colleague, Ellen, lost her father yesterday. He had a long life, but there is never enough time to do everything we plan or hope to do. My condolences to Ellen and her family.

Here in the Tri-Cities area, the current temperature is 47° under partly cloudy skies. Later today, the temperature will stay about the same with similar skies. The sun will rise @ 7:45 a.m. and set later @ 5:15 a.m.

Good news, I am walking better without a cane each and every day. While I am not where I'll be in another week or month, I am improving and that is the goal. I'm just not a patient man. I want my yak to be better, NOW!

We took a long ride to Pentwater, MI yesterday. While most of the attractions were/are closed at this time of year, it was nice to get out. We made a stop at the state park there and viewed the waves breaking against the shoreline. On the way home, we stopped in Hart, MI, to pick up some apples for making applesauce. A pleasant day was had by all. While we were traveling, Ginger was @ daycare and having her face trimmed. She seems to like it there, with the exception of that grooming thing.

I tried to let Ginger out @ 1:00 a.m., but she didn't want to go, so I emptied the dishwasher and hand-washed the other dishes. Now the kitchen is ready for anything Mary can throw at it. I plan to read and do some indoor chores. Mary got started on those last night, but there are more.

I spent some time in the bed yesterday and it was great. I am not able to lay in all positions, yet, but I did get in a couple of hours of bliss.

Right now, I am listening to Christmas music, shhhh, don't tell Mary,. I love it. I have a thing for the season, what can I say?

In sports news, I am awaiting the start of the most important time of the year, when pitchers and catchers report to spring training in early February. While the Tigers and the Cubs have not posted official dates, I was able to discern that the pitchers and catchers for my beloved Red Sox report on February 13, 2018, with their first workout the next day. The position players report on the 18th. with the first full workout the next day. As anyone who knows me can attest, I believe that the first day of spring will be February 13, 2018. I can't wait! A side note, the Red Sox, and the Tigers will have new managers and coaching staffs in place.

So, that looks like enough for one day. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 2:00 a.m. in "The City."

In keeping with my usual format, I will start with the latest weather report. We have a current temperature of 45° with rain occurring on and off all night @ 40%. Later today, the rains will continue @ 100% and the temperature will remain @ 45°. The sun will rise later this morning @ 7:41 a.m. and set later today @ 5:17 p.m.

Yesterday, Ginger and I did some trainspotting. At around 8:30 a.m., we heard the train roll through towing what I imagine was a long string of cars. However, while Ginger observed the entire train as it passed, she was unable to tell me more. The length of the train is based on my personal experience as a trainspotter who spotted from a comfortable spot on the bed. I was able to lie there for about one hour and then I had to give up and return to my chair in the media room. However, I think I am improving overall. I am eight days post steroid injection, so I have another two weeks to go before the full effects will be felt.

But I digress. I was able to spot the northbound run of the train @ 1:10 p.m.and with Ginger's help, I can tell you that locomotive #2019 rolled past on the RSTL towing two CHCs, three, DBTCs, and six DWTCs, with three of those having red, noncorrosive stripes painted around their mid-sections. Also worthy of note is that Ginger probably feels vindicated when she barks post-train passage. She must be certain that her barking made the train go away, just as she planned.

Mary and I traveled to the grocery store yesterday and I returned the cans that Mary loathes returning. However, the store itself was a disaster as the trash bins were overflowing, the can redemption machines were partially out of order, and the shopping carts were all in the parking lot. Let's just say that the store's condition is a far cry from what it was after it was remodeled two years ago when they had a huge staff on hand and everything was perfect. I know that Mary hates going to the big-box everything store, but it is no worse than the current state of the regular store that she prefers.

Before we traveled to the grocery store, I made more of the vegan sausages yesterday and they turned out great.

Sports news is limited at this time of year. Adam clued me into the NIU Huskies game against the Western Michigan Broncos. The Huskies defeated the Broncos 35 - 31 and their next opponent is the Chippewas of Central Michigan on Friday, November 24 @ 11:00 a.m. Then the Huskies play in the MAC Championship game on December 2, @ 11:00 a.m. Their opponent has yet to be determined.

The MSU Spartans fell hard last week in a game against the Buckeyes of Ohio State, 3 - 48. That means that bowl games may be offered, but a shot @ the national championship no longer exists. The Spartans are home today to play the Terrapins of Maryland @ 4:00 p.m.

Speaking of the Terrapins, the Wolverines of Michigan pummeled them last week, 35 - 10. Today, the Wolverines face the Badgers of Wisconsin @ 12:00 The Badgers are for real and the Wolverines will have their hands full.

A perfect segue to my activities for today. I plan to have Mary drop me at the library for the Irish Jam session @ 1:00 p.m. I changed the strings on Abagael yesterday and she is ready to go and sounding great. I have been working on a few new songs to sing while I am there.

I am nearly done with my book club read, Ali, and then I can get on to some other books for pleasure reading. I enjoyed the Ali book, but I am ready for some pulp-fiction. Mary will be doing something crafty now that the Christmas tree skirt is done. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 12:30 a.m. in "The City."

We show a current temperature of 24° under mostly cloudy skies. Later today, the NWS is forecasting a high temperature of 36°, also under mostly cloudy skies.The sun will be rising @ 7:32 a.m. and sunset will be @ 5:24 p.m.

Thursday afternoon, Mary and I traveled to Muskegon for my appointment at the yak doctor. I received an injection in my spine to relieve the inflammation of one of the disks in my spinal column. I had been given a prescription for valium to make me more steady while lying face down on the table in the procedure room. Let's just say that the valium didn't do a thing. The injection pain was not as bad as the pain that I got from lying in a prone position,

However, I survived the pain of both lying down and receiving the injection. It has now been about 36 hours since the procedure and Mary says my speed of walking has increased. The discharge directions note that relief may take from two to three weeks. Here's hoping that the effects will last for a significant time period, otherwise surgery will be the only resolution.

Ginger and I did some trainspotting yesterday. At 10:11 a.m., MMRR locomotive #2019 passed by heading south towing five CHCs, 11 DBTCs, and five DWTCs, with red stripes around their mid-section and two DWTCs with green stripes in the same location.

At 1:55 p.m. that same EMD GP 38-2 locomotive was spotted by Ginger and I heading north towing one DBTC and four DWTCs.

Mostly, I read the book that I chose for our book club, the latest biography about the late prizefighter, Muhammad Ali. He was an interesting man and the book is offering new insights into his thoughts and character. I am about 1/2 the way through.

Today, I plan to watch the Spartans of MSU take on the Buckeyes of the Ohio State University, game time 12:00 p.m. Mary has promised a nice brunch and also some popcorn for my viewing pleasure. Later, she also plans to make a vegan pot roast with vegetables for dinner. I plan to put horseradish on my pot roast.

Otherwise, not much is on our agenda. I finished the laundry yesterday and between football and reading, I will have my day complete. Mary has nearly completed our Christmas tree skirt. It has been a long process since she doesn't work on Christmas items until after Thanksgiving. Ciao..

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 4:00 a.m. in "The City."

Recently, a friend queried me regarding my reference to my Yak. I guess the best way to remind my loyal readers about that reference is to reprise a variation of that old Tibetan Yak joke.

Once upon a time, a mountain climber came across a Tibetan husband and wife sitting outside their yurt in the Himalayas. He noticed an interesting aroma emanating from the yurt. He just had to ask what it was and he received the following reply from the wife.

"Well, while my husband was out hunting, I decided to make his favorite dinner. Yak. I basted, I rubbed and I put his favorite dish into our oven. However, if you don't watch the progress carefully, you can burn it and it makes an awful smell. But, since I did watch and tend the dinner carefully, what you smell is a well-prepared dinner of baking Yak."

So the answer to the query is that if you prepare the Yak well, the wonderful aroma is from the baking Yak. So, I like to refer to my aching back as my baking Yak.

But I digress. Yesterday, college football was very interesting, The MSU Spartans were home against the Penn State Nittany Lions. However, about halfway through the 2nd quarter, the game went into an extended weather delay due to an electrical storm that lasted nearly three-hours. Ultimately, the Spartans defeated the Nittany Lions 27 - 24 to move their Big 10 record to 5 - 1 and 2nd place in the Big 10. That loss dropped the Nittany Lions to 4 - 2 in the Big 10, behind the Spartans who play @ Ohio State next week @ 12:00 p.m.

Speaking tangentially of the OSU Buckeyes, they were drubbed by the Hawkeyes of Iowa, 24 - 55 in a game that puts the Buckeyes playoff hopes in peril.

The Wolverines of Michigan were also delayed in the "Big House" in Ann Arbor by that same electrical storm. They ultimately prevailed over the Golden Gophers of Minnesota, 33 - 10. That gives the Wolverines a 4 - 2 record in the Big 10 as they prepare for their next opponents, the Terrapins of Maryland next week @ 3:30 p.m.

Yesterday we mostly didn't do much as we watched the morning lineup on MSNBC and then did some reading and listening to music. Mary made a nice brunch of chopped vegetables and vegan cheese to accompany our morning's activities. In the early afternoon, I tried a new recipe for chocolate-chip cookies. They turned out OK, but the recipe is not a keeper.

Dinner was more pedestrian, consisting of vegan hot dogs on poppy-seed buns after we returned from an afternoon stop @ JWs.

We then repaired to the media room and watched Dirty Dancing for the umpteenth time and liked it once again. By the end, the fur-children had had their final out and Mary went off to bed as I fell asleep in my La-Z-Boy. I'm up now, as you can discern.

Today, Mary plans to spend some time in her kitchen while I watch pro football and read. I chose a book about the man who self-proclaimed himself, "The Greatest!", Muhammad Ali. I've just started, but it is a nice companion piece to the book we just read for our book club about Malcolm X. Mary is the book czar for our next book club meeting and she chose to have us read books about people who have done great or memorable things.

The current temperature is 48° under foggy skies. Today, the high is expected to reach 52° with a 50% chance of showers after the sun rises @ 7:24 a.m. and long before it sets @ 5:31 p.m. Mary and I suspect that the fur-children will take some time to internalize the change from EDST to EST and they will be expecting their breakfast and dinner on their old schedule. We'll see.

Oh, by the by, I mamaged to reset my Citizens Eco watch to the correct settings. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 8:30 p.m. in "The City."

Let's start with some good news. Mary and I traveled to Hackley Hospital in Muskegon so that I could get a sedated MRI on my aching yak. Fortunately, in spite of my size, I was able to fit inside the machine while sedated and the test went smoothly. I now have to await my appointment at the yak doctor on Monday to get a final diagnosis as to the cause of my aching yak.

I have to take a few moments to share something that I have been meaning to say for a few day. Mary has been a trouper throughout my yak ordeal. I think I have probably said on many occasions that I have not been to the easiest person to live with, as I don't do sick/pain well. However, Mary has been there for me and in spite of my being a pain in the patootie, she has taken care of me, driven me and put up with me. A man can't ask for more than that.

In fact, Mary was responsible for the first trainspotting of the day today. At approximately 10:30 a.m., I heard the train rumbling past the manse heading south. According to my apprentice trainspotter, EMD GP 38-2 locomotive #2019 was towing a long line of cars. Mary, in her expanded role as a solo trainspotting apprentice, recorded the following: 11 CHCs, six DWTCs, two with corrosion resistant stripes, six DBTCs, and five GTCs.

Later this afternoon, the same MMRR locomotive rolled by on the RSTL towing 10 CHCs, one DBTC, and one GTC with a black stripe. All in all, a good day of trainspotting.

Football news was less than great yesterday, as the 4 - 1 in the Mac 10 NIU Huskies football team, fell to the Rockets of the University of Toledo, 17 - 27. However, the Huskies are still in 2nd place in the Mac 10 West Conference. The Huskies play the Ball State Cardinals on November 9, @ 7:00 P.M.

The Spartans of Michigan State take the field again tomorrow versus the Nittany Lions of Penn State University @ 12:00. The Spartans are 2nd in the Big 10 with a 6 - 2 overall record, but a 4 - 1 record in the Big 10. The Nittany Lions are also in 2nd place in the Big 10 with an overall record of 7 - 1, but also a 4 - 1 record in the Big 10.

The 4th place in the Big 10 Wolverines of Michigan take the field tomorrow @ 7:30 p.m. against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, who are in 5th place in the Big 10. The Wolverines easily handled the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers last week, 35 - 14, after having been thoroughly outplayed by the Nittany Lions in their last game, 13 - 42.

The weather today was mostly sunny with a high temperature in the mid-forties. Tomorrow, the skies will darken and the rains will return with an NWS certainty of 100%. Sunday, T-storms are expected with a 90% chance. The high temperature is forecast to reach the mid-forties once again.

The sun will rise @ 8:23 a.m. and set @ 6:32 p.m. Since Daylight Savings Time is ending, I will once again have to set my watch back by one hour, a task I always dread. I'll also have to set back and clocks that are not connected to the internet. Don't forget to set all your clocks back by one hour before you go to bed.

In other news, Mary finished the last index last night and I edited her work and out it went. The next index comes in early December. Tomorrow, we have to watch the morning shows on MSNBC and then spend some time in the kitchen. I have some cookies to bake and Mary just wants to have some free time. Ciao.