Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 8:00 p.m. in "The City."
I forgot to mention in my previous blog, that I got a reassuring phone call from Mercy St. Mary's Hospital in GR Wednesday afternoon. Last Sunday, I spent about 35 minutes in the MRI machine there and the nurse from the office of neurologist, Dr. Ludders, at the Hauenstein Neuroscience Center at the hospital called to let me know that the doctor had had a chance to read the results of that MRI scan. Once again, the results showed that there was no change from the previous scan done two years ago. In other words, the tumor that I had removed from my brain in 2011 had no recurrence. The nurse there put me on the list for a followup in two more years. Adam would say that I am free and clear, but as someone who has been down that road once before, I am quite content to be reassured regularly.
I also forgot to mention that the first flowers of spring sprouted in our gardns recently. They are small and blue, but spring has sprung in the gardens.
Today, I spent a couple of hours in the kitchen making those two new recipes I mentioned yesterday, one for vegan pastrami and the other for bratwurst. We had some of the pastrami for dinner on Polish rye bread with sauerkraut topped with Russian dressing and the results were excellent. This recipe is definitely a keeper. We'll try the bratwursts tomorrow and we are hoping for similar results.
Right now, I am listening to the Cubs game on SiriusXM radio and the Cubs are tied with the Marlins, 1 - 1. I'd like to be able to watch on TV, but the game is not available on our system. Earlier today, the Tigers opened at Comerica Park against the Pirates, but the Tigers bullpen imploded and they lost the game, 10 - 13. My beloved Red Sox are also playing in Florida right now and they are tied with the Tampa Bay Rays, 0 - 0.
*** Update! It took 17 innings of ineptitude at the plate, but the Cubs managed to drop their second game of this young season, 1 - 2 to the Marlins. Oh well, better luck tonight. My beloved Red Sox were not much more effective at the plate, but they managed to eke out a win over the Rays in regulation time, 1 - 0 to go even with the league. David Price was masterful and he had to be with the bats asleep.
It is still cold here in West Michigan. The current temperature is a brisk 32° under partly cloudy skies. According to the long-range forecast from the NWS, it will be Saturday, April 13, before we break into the 50s. I want spring to spring and soon.
Tomorrow, we have no specific plans. TV news, more reading in Eight Men Out, for our history book club meeting next Wednesday and of course, watching the NCAA Final Four match up between Mary's Loyola Ramblers and the Wolverines of Michigan. Otherwise, we will play it by ear.
The sun will rise tomorrow @ 7:28 a. m. and set later in the day @ 8:29 p.m. Ciao.
Friday, March 30, 2018
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 12:30 a.m. in "The City."
Put the first "W" in the Cubs' record for the 2018 season, as they defeated the Tampa Bay Rays yesterday, 8 - 4. Lots of mistakes by both teams, but some clutch hitting allowed the Cubs to notch their first victory. Sadly, my beloved Red Sox didn't fare as well in their opener against the Marlins, falling 4 - 6. The Tigers, as predicted here, had to be postponed due to inclement weather @ Comerica Park in Detroit. The game is set to be made up today. Yeah, like the weather in Detroit will improve dramatically by later today.
STWD was walked over to the groomer yesterday and I walked along to get in some steps. In total, I made it nearly 3.600 steps yesterday. While that may not seem like a lot, it is a good beginning for me since I couldn't make it farther than the end of the driveway a few weeks ago. By the by, Sugar looks great and was relieved of a lot of excess hair. Mary picked up Sugar in the car because of the fact that Sugar is usually traumatized by being groomed and she would have been unable to make the walk back to the PE.
Ginger and I spotted both runs of the train on the RSTL yesterday. At 8:55 a.m., MMRR locomotive #2019 was seen heading south towing seven CHCs, three DBTCs, and one DWTC. Later, at 1:29 p.m., that same locomotive was seen heading north with a longer string of cars in tow that included eight DBTCs, one GTC (Gray Tank Car), one RTC (Red Tank Car), and one DWTC.
We also did all the bed linens yesterday. With the size of our washing machine and dryer, it was a five load process. Mary also washed the fur-children's bling and leashes.
Mary made it to her chiropractor's appointment and I met her at JWs for an afternoon libation. Mary had planned to make lasagna for dinner, but I convinced her to make linguini with garlic and olive oil instead. She did an excellent job once I was out of the way.
Today, I hope to get into the kitchen and try my hand at making some vegan bratwursts and pastrami. I haven't tried either recipe to date, but I believe I can pull it off. Mary plans to do more knitting and stay out of my way.
We have a current temperature of 36° according to the NWS. They are predicting that the high temperature of 40° today will be six degrees lower than yesterday. Saturday, there is a 100% chance for rain and the wind is forecast to blow at 26mph also with a high of 40°. Sunday's forecast has no rain in it, but the high will reach only 31°! As predicted, we anticipate that the high temperatures over the next eight days will be in the thirties and lower forties. Brrr. Ciao.
Put the first "W" in the Cubs' record for the 2018 season, as they defeated the Tampa Bay Rays yesterday, 8 - 4. Lots of mistakes by both teams, but some clutch hitting allowed the Cubs to notch their first victory. Sadly, my beloved Red Sox didn't fare as well in their opener against the Marlins, falling 4 - 6. The Tigers, as predicted here, had to be postponed due to inclement weather @ Comerica Park in Detroit. The game is set to be made up today. Yeah, like the weather in Detroit will improve dramatically by later today.
STWD was walked over to the groomer yesterday and I walked along to get in some steps. In total, I made it nearly 3.600 steps yesterday. While that may not seem like a lot, it is a good beginning for me since I couldn't make it farther than the end of the driveway a few weeks ago. By the by, Sugar looks great and was relieved of a lot of excess hair. Mary picked up Sugar in the car because of the fact that Sugar is usually traumatized by being groomed and she would have been unable to make the walk back to the PE.
Ginger and I spotted both runs of the train on the RSTL yesterday. At 8:55 a.m., MMRR locomotive #2019 was seen heading south towing seven CHCs, three DBTCs, and one DWTC. Later, at 1:29 p.m., that same locomotive was seen heading north with a longer string of cars in tow that included eight DBTCs, one GTC (Gray Tank Car), one RTC (Red Tank Car), and one DWTC.
We also did all the bed linens yesterday. With the size of our washing machine and dryer, it was a five load process. Mary also washed the fur-children's bling and leashes.
Mary made it to her chiropractor's appointment and I met her at JWs for an afternoon libation. Mary had planned to make lasagna for dinner, but I convinced her to make linguini with garlic and olive oil instead. She did an excellent job once I was out of the way.
Today, I hope to get into the kitchen and try my hand at making some vegan bratwursts and pastrami. I haven't tried either recipe to date, but I believe I can pull it off. Mary plans to do more knitting and stay out of my way.
We have a current temperature of 36° according to the NWS. They are predicting that the high temperature of 40° today will be six degrees lower than yesterday. Saturday, there is a 100% chance for rain and the wind is forecast to blow at 26mph also with a high of 40°. Sunday's forecast has no rain in it, but the high will reach only 31°! As predicted, we anticipate that the high temperatures over the next eight days will be in the thirties and lower forties. Brrr. Ciao.
Thursday, March 29, 2018
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 2:00 a.m. in "The City."
What a night. I was asleep when Ginger woke me because she wanted to go out. I had gone to bed around 9:30 p.m. and Ginger had joined me. We had left Mary knitting in the media room and watching news on the TV there. She had closed us in the bedroom as the radio was too loud and she couldn't hear the TV. There's a surprise, I usually just go in and turn down the radio so that I can hear the TV. Karma? I'll let you decide.
At any rate, I went down, let Ginger out, and turned off all of the lights that Mary had left on when she came upstairs to join me in the media room. I guess she had plans to go back down, but she never made it, instead, falling asleep in the La-Z-Boy in the media room, my favorite place.
Yesterday, we didn't accomplish much. I sat around and Mary ran around before we collectively traveled to Spring Lake to pick up a replacement for Mary's dressmaker's scissors at Field's Fabrics there. Those new scissors look quite sharp and we are both certain that the scissors that she couldn't find will now turn up. We also made a stop at our favorite watering hole on the other side of the bridge, Stan's.
Did I mention that today is Opening Day for MLB? Well it is! The Cubs open their season in Florida against the Marlins @ 12:30 p.m., while my beloved Red Sox also open in Florida, in their case against the Tampa Bay Rays @ 4:00 p.m. The Tigers begin a long rebuilding season today @ home in Comerica Park @ 1:10 p.m., at least that's the plan right now. Some teams have already canceled their openers due to inclement weather.
Speaking of the weather, the current temperature being reported by the NWS in GH is 38°. supposedly with rain occurring @ 40%. A quick glance out the WW when coupled with my visit downstairs with Ginger, gives lie to that forecast. However, the NWS is forecasting a high in Detroit, which is about 190 miles southeast of here, of 45° with a 100% chance for rain today. So, I'm expecting the Tiger's game to be postponed. Not surprisingly, since this is the earliest opening day in Comerica Park since 2008, the weather being cold and rainy there should come as no surprise to anyone who has ever been to Detroit.
The sun will rise today @ 7:32 a.m. and set later @ 8:07 p.m. In between, the NWS is forecasting strong winds and a high temperature of 49° with a 50% chance of rain. As of now, there is a forecast for Saturday of rain @ 90% and a high temperature of 44°. Sunday's forecast calls for a high temperature of only 31°!
Today, STWD has an appointment at the groomer for a thorough de-thatching. Springtime brings her annual shedding and although we have been using a Furminator™ on her and removing copious amounts of hair, but she still needs a professional's touch. She won't like it, but the vacuum will thank us.
Mary still has to get to work on the sink skirt for the mud room. With her new scissors and the sewing machine freshly re-threaded, she should be able to accomplish that task before turning her attention to the valances for my office. Ciao.
What a night. I was asleep when Ginger woke me because she wanted to go out. I had gone to bed around 9:30 p.m. and Ginger had joined me. We had left Mary knitting in the media room and watching news on the TV there. She had closed us in the bedroom as the radio was too loud and she couldn't hear the TV. There's a surprise, I usually just go in and turn down the radio so that I can hear the TV. Karma? I'll let you decide.
At any rate, I went down, let Ginger out, and turned off all of the lights that Mary had left on when she came upstairs to join me in the media room. I guess she had plans to go back down, but she never made it, instead, falling asleep in the La-Z-Boy in the media room, my favorite place.
Yesterday, we didn't accomplish much. I sat around and Mary ran around before we collectively traveled to Spring Lake to pick up a replacement for Mary's dressmaker's scissors at Field's Fabrics there. Those new scissors look quite sharp and we are both certain that the scissors that she couldn't find will now turn up. We also made a stop at our favorite watering hole on the other side of the bridge, Stan's.
Did I mention that today is Opening Day for MLB? Well it is! The Cubs open their season in Florida against the Marlins @ 12:30 p.m., while my beloved Red Sox also open in Florida, in their case against the Tampa Bay Rays @ 4:00 p.m. The Tigers begin a long rebuilding season today @ home in Comerica Park @ 1:10 p.m., at least that's the plan right now. Some teams have already canceled their openers due to inclement weather.
Speaking of the weather, the current temperature being reported by the NWS in GH is 38°. supposedly with rain occurring @ 40%. A quick glance out the WW when coupled with my visit downstairs with Ginger, gives lie to that forecast. However, the NWS is forecasting a high in Detroit, which is about 190 miles southeast of here, of 45° with a 100% chance for rain today. So, I'm expecting the Tiger's game to be postponed. Not surprisingly, since this is the earliest opening day in Comerica Park since 2008, the weather being cold and rainy there should come as no surprise to anyone who has ever been to Detroit.
The sun will rise today @ 7:32 a.m. and set later @ 8:07 p.m. In between, the NWS is forecasting strong winds and a high temperature of 49° with a 50% chance of rain. As of now, there is a forecast for Saturday of rain @ 90% and a high temperature of 44°. Sunday's forecast calls for a high temperature of only 31°!
Today, STWD has an appointment at the groomer for a thorough de-thatching. Springtime brings her annual shedding and although we have been using a Furminator™ on her and removing copious amounts of hair, but she still needs a professional's touch. She won't like it, but the vacuum will thank us.
Mary still has to get to work on the sink skirt for the mud room. With her new scissors and the sewing machine freshly re-threaded, she should be able to accomplish that task before turning her attention to the valances for my office. Ciao.
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, it is just past 4:00 a.m. in "The City."
Well, it is amazing what you can do with a grabber, "As seen on TV!" When you assiduously wash the tips in hot water and detergent to make sure they are scrupulously clean, you can remove dishes and other items from the dishwasher, one at a time, and move them to their requisite storage locations. How's that for an overuse of polysyllabic words?
Earlier yesterday, I did some baking following a new recipe for a loaf of quick beer bread that uses cheddar cheese. Since we are vegan, I used vegan shreds that served the same purpose as the dairy version and the taste is "Great", to borrow from Tony the Tiger of Kellogg's™ fame. Another nice tie in to Michigan, as Kellogg's is headquartered in Battle Creek, MI, or as we Michiganders like to call it, B'Creek. Here's Tony the Tiger intoning his famous line. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6EcMSWRpms
Of course, most of us grew up with some version of a Kellogg's cereal each morning, so I thought I'd add their Kellogg's "Good Morning" commercial jingle too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt5GQmNYt04
But I digress. I was describing my baking success from yesterday and Mary thought the result was so "Great!", that she took a picture of my efforts and here it is. Two slices even became part of our dinner.
But I digress once again. I'm listening to George Noory on his program, Coast to Coast AM, and he is speaking to his guest, Bob Roth, about transcendental meditation. However, they started out with some reminiscences of Detroit, Michigan and the schools that George and the father of his guest attended growing up there, including the University of Detroit and Wayne State University. It really is a small world.
We had to get out yesterday to pick up a fresh supply of food for the fur-children at Chow Hound™ pet foods and supplies, a local Michigan company. We also had get some new toys for Ginger to chew on and take to her hide-e-hole under the bed upstairs where STWD can't get to them. Sugar does get in a few chews before the toys "magically disappear." Our hope is that Ginger will have something to chew on when we have to leave her. However, I am of the opinion that Ginger only chews things that smell like her humans, so....
Today, I have no plans other than to play with the girls and to continue our reading of the selection for our History Book Club, Eight Men Out, by Eliot Asinof. Mary is only peripherally familiar with the story of the 1919 fix of the World Series by that other team from Chicago. I am, as anyone who knows me, a baseball fan and Mary is too, but for me, "Baseball is Life!" Therefore, I am more acquainted with the story line. It was from this scandal that that famous line came, "Say it ain't so Joe, say it ain't so!" that was asked of Sox player "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, the great outfielder, by a young fan.
I did some sewing yesterday, or was it Sunday, and affixed the elastic strap on the back support for my office chair. I had to change the thread on the sewing machine, twice, so that Mary can get to the skirt for the sink in the mud room and the valances in my office/music room/weather center.
Speaking of my weather center, my DTWS and the input from its FPMS, shows that we have a current temperature of 45°. A glance out the WW shows that the rain forecast from the NWS for rain is accurate. In fact, that forecast also calls for rain to continue this morning as the temperature reaches a high of 48°, which the NWS is also reporting. Our current temperature is 43° per their report. The sun will rise this morning @ 7:35 a.m. and set later tonight @ 8:05 p.m. Ciao.
Well, it is amazing what you can do with a grabber, "As seen on TV!" When you assiduously wash the tips in hot water and detergent to make sure they are scrupulously clean, you can remove dishes and other items from the dishwasher, one at a time, and move them to their requisite storage locations. How's that for an overuse of polysyllabic words?
Earlier yesterday, I did some baking following a new recipe for a loaf of quick beer bread that uses cheddar cheese. Since we are vegan, I used vegan shreds that served the same purpose as the dairy version and the taste is "Great", to borrow from Tony the Tiger of Kellogg's™ fame. Another nice tie in to Michigan, as Kellogg's is headquartered in Battle Creek, MI, or as we Michiganders like to call it, B'Creek. Here's Tony the Tiger intoning his famous line. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6EcMSWRpms
Of course, most of us grew up with some version of a Kellogg's cereal each morning, so I thought I'd add their Kellogg's "Good Morning" commercial jingle too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt5GQmNYt04
But I digress. I was describing my baking success from yesterday and Mary thought the result was so "Great!", that she took a picture of my efforts and here it is. Two slices even became part of our dinner.
 |
| It tastes even better than it looks! Mary gave it her seal of approveal. |
We had to get out yesterday to pick up a fresh supply of food for the fur-children at Chow Hound™ pet foods and supplies, a local Michigan company. We also had get some new toys for Ginger to chew on and take to her hide-e-hole under the bed upstairs where STWD can't get to them. Sugar does get in a few chews before the toys "magically disappear." Our hope is that Ginger will have something to chew on when we have to leave her. However, I am of the opinion that Ginger only chews things that smell like her humans, so....
Today, I have no plans other than to play with the girls and to continue our reading of the selection for our History Book Club, Eight Men Out, by Eliot Asinof. Mary is only peripherally familiar with the story of the 1919 fix of the World Series by that other team from Chicago. I am, as anyone who knows me, a baseball fan and Mary is too, but for me, "Baseball is Life!" Therefore, I am more acquainted with the story line. It was from this scandal that that famous line came, "Say it ain't so Joe, say it ain't so!" that was asked of Sox player "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, the great outfielder, by a young fan.
I did some sewing yesterday, or was it Sunday, and affixed the elastic strap on the back support for my office chair. I had to change the thread on the sewing machine, twice, so that Mary can get to the skirt for the sink in the mud room and the valances in my office/music room/weather center.
Speaking of my weather center, my DTWS and the input from its FPMS, shows that we have a current temperature of 45°. A glance out the WW shows that the rain forecast from the NWS for rain is accurate. In fact, that forecast also calls for rain to continue this morning as the temperature reaches a high of 48°, which the NWS is also reporting. Our current temperature is 43° per their report. The sun will rise this morning @ 7:35 a.m. and set later tonight @ 8:05 p.m. Ciao.
Sunday, March 25, 2018
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:00 a.m in "The City."
Yesterday was a fascinating day. We started out with a light breakfast/lunch of vegan sausages and my world famous Coleslaw after we fed the fur-children. Since the noon hour was approaching, we decided that we should head over to Central Park to see our local version of the activities designed to encourage the Congress of the United States to enact more stringent controls over firearms.
It doesn't matter what your personal feelings are regarding that subject, what matters is that people all over this country and much of the world gathered yesterday to show solidarity with the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. What happened there was a tragedy that should and could have been avoided. As a retired teacher, I was saddened by the loss of so many lives, both young and old, lives that held the potential for many things, both great and small.
Due to my recent yak surgery, Mary and I couldn't join the march that moved through downtown GH and back, but we did listen and share with the young people and many adults in our community. While in Central Park, I took a few pictures to memorialize our early afternoon activities. For a small city, we had a solid turnout of young and old, including an exchange student from Germany carrying a sign of support.
We can also attest to the chilly temperatures that are holding tightly onto the West Michigan area this spring. We have a current temperature of 27° under clear skies. Later today, after the sun rises @ 7:39 a.m. and well before it sets @ 8:03 p.m., the high temperature is forecast by the NWS to reach 43° under sunny skies. Tomorrow, the high is forecast to reach a more springlike 51°.
I did take time to make a batch of my vegan chocolate-chip cookies after we returned from the rally. This time I used a cookie scoop to more precisely measure the size of the cookies prior to baking and they turned out terrific.
We went out last night to attend that Ruth and Max Blomquist concert at Seven Steps Up in Spring Lake that I mentioned in my last blog. We were gone long enough that Ginger just had to do a bit of damage to a box of tissues that I'd left on the small table next to my La-Z-Boy. So, rather than risk a repeat episode, the dog sitter will be coming in. That's because later this morning, we have to travel to GR for my MRI appointment. I don't anticipate any issues, but the trip to and from GR takes about two hours round-trip and with the actual appointment and a chance for lunch thrown in, we decided that Ginger and Sugar can't be left alone for another extended stay.
By way of information here are two versions of that husband/wife duo performing one of Mary's favorite songs, Michigan Girl, written by Ruth. Choose one or both and enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMVG4TJL0lEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY3EaBxYRE0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY3EaBxYRE0
Speaking of yesterday evening, for NCAA basketball fans, it was another surprising night. Mary's Alma Mater, the Ramblers of Loyola University of Chicago, stunned the Wildcats of Kansas State University in an Elite Eight game, 78 - 62. Later in the evening, the Wolverines of Michigan also eked out an Elite Eight win over the Florida State Seminoles, 58 - 54. The Ramblers and the Wolverines, two very similar animal mascots, will face each other in one of two Final Four games on March 31. This has been the year of upsets and stunners.
We had homemade pizza for dinner last night before going to our concert. That pizza required Mary to make her own sauce, as we had failed to buy ready made sauce during one of our visits to the grocery store. I liked the final product, but like much of our kitchen output, I think it needed more spice to satisfy my fading palate.
So today, we'll be off to GR for that appointment and then do lunch out, secure in the knowledge that the fur-children will be in good hands. Ciao.
Yesterday was a fascinating day. We started out with a light breakfast/lunch of vegan sausages and my world famous Coleslaw after we fed the fur-children. Since the noon hour was approaching, we decided that we should head over to Central Park to see our local version of the activities designed to encourage the Congress of the United States to enact more stringent controls over firearms.
It doesn't matter what your personal feelings are regarding that subject, what matters is that people all over this country and much of the world gathered yesterday to show solidarity with the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. What happened there was a tragedy that should and could have been avoided. As a retired teacher, I was saddened by the loss of so many lives, both young and old, lives that held the potential for many things, both great and small.
Due to my recent yak surgery, Mary and I couldn't join the march that moved through downtown GH and back, but we did listen and share with the young people and many adults in our community. While in Central Park, I took a few pictures to memorialize our early afternoon activities. For a small city, we had a solid turnout of young and old, including an exchange student from Germany carrying a sign of support.
We can also attest to the chilly temperatures that are holding tightly onto the West Michigan area this spring. We have a current temperature of 27° under clear skies. Later today, after the sun rises @ 7:39 a.m. and well before it sets @ 8:03 p.m., the high temperature is forecast by the NWS to reach 43° under sunny skies. Tomorrow, the high is forecast to reach a more springlike 51°.
I did take time to make a batch of my vegan chocolate-chip cookies after we returned from the rally. This time I used a cookie scoop to more precisely measure the size of the cookies prior to baking and they turned out terrific.
We went out last night to attend that Ruth and Max Blomquist concert at Seven Steps Up in Spring Lake that I mentioned in my last blog. We were gone long enough that Ginger just had to do a bit of damage to a box of tissues that I'd left on the small table next to my La-Z-Boy. So, rather than risk a repeat episode, the dog sitter will be coming in. That's because later this morning, we have to travel to GR for my MRI appointment. I don't anticipate any issues, but the trip to and from GR takes about two hours round-trip and with the actual appointment and a chance for lunch thrown in, we decided that Ginger and Sugar can't be left alone for another extended stay.
By way of information here are two versions of that husband/wife duo performing one of Mary's favorite songs, Michigan Girl, written by Ruth. Choose one or both and enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMVG4TJL0lEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY3EaBxYRE0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY3EaBxYRE0
Speaking of yesterday evening, for NCAA basketball fans, it was another surprising night. Mary's Alma Mater, the Ramblers of Loyola University of Chicago, stunned the Wildcats of Kansas State University in an Elite Eight game, 78 - 62. Later in the evening, the Wolverines of Michigan also eked out an Elite Eight win over the Florida State Seminoles, 58 - 54. The Ramblers and the Wolverines, two very similar animal mascots, will face each other in one of two Final Four games on March 31. This has been the year of upsets and stunners.
We had homemade pizza for dinner last night before going to our concert. That pizza required Mary to make her own sauce, as we had failed to buy ready made sauce during one of our visits to the grocery store. I liked the final product, but like much of our kitchen output, I think it needed more spice to satisfy my fading palate.
So today, we'll be off to GR for that appointment and then do lunch out, secure in the knowledge that the fur-children will be in good hands. Ciao.
Friday, March 23, 2018
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 7:45 p.m. in "The City."
Once again, my big fingers got me in trouble and I had to retype most of this blog, as one errant punch of a key and I wiped out all of my previous work. At any rate, we got up early, for us, and fed the fur-children before we had a brunch of vegan hot dogs and homemade applesauce. Once that was over, we walked the fur-children and made stops at the Bookman and Health Hutt. I needed to purchase an additional package of vegan chocolate chips so that I could make another batch of my world famous vegan chocolate chip cookies. Alas, I never got to making those today, hopefully tomorrow, but I did manage to make another batch of vegan sausages. I challenge anyone to tell the difference between my vital wheat gluten sausages and a meat-based sausage, they are, in this man's opinion, that good.
Once we returned home we finished our latest collective historical fiction novel, The Nightingale, by Kristen Hannah. This book had it all, great writing, superb detail, and terrific action. We laughed, we cried, and we reflected, You can't ask any more from a read.
Somewhere in there, GTTSD and I observed MMRR EMD GP 38-2 locomotive #2019 heading south on the RSTL towing seven CHCs, two GTCs, 12 DBTCs, and five DWTCs, with one of those sporting a green anti-corrosive stripe around its mid-section. In the early afternoon, we observed that same locomotive heading north towing four CHCs, and 11 DBTCs.
We had other plans, but we ended up at our favorite watering hole for a bean burrito for dinner. I was going to walk, but it was just too cold.
Tomorrow night, we are making a trip to Seven Steps Up in Spring Lake for a concert featuring Max and Ruth Blomquist. They play a mix of folk and pop music that is always a pleasure to hear.
Mary is downstairs knitting and I am here blogging. We have a current temperature, according to the NWS, of 38° under mostly clear skies. Tomorrow, after the sun rises @ 7:41 a.m. and long before it sets @ 8:01 p.m., the temperature is forecast to peak @ 43°. Sadly, it will be at least 10 more days before we see high temperature that break out of the low 40s on a consistent basis. I know this is Michigan, but it appears as though April will continue the cooler than normal temperatures we have been experiencing in March. Ciao.
Once again, my big fingers got me in trouble and I had to retype most of this blog, as one errant punch of a key and I wiped out all of my previous work. At any rate, we got up early, for us, and fed the fur-children before we had a brunch of vegan hot dogs and homemade applesauce. Once that was over, we walked the fur-children and made stops at the Bookman and Health Hutt. I needed to purchase an additional package of vegan chocolate chips so that I could make another batch of my world famous vegan chocolate chip cookies. Alas, I never got to making those today, hopefully tomorrow, but I did manage to make another batch of vegan sausages. I challenge anyone to tell the difference between my vital wheat gluten sausages and a meat-based sausage, they are, in this man's opinion, that good.
Once we returned home we finished our latest collective historical fiction novel, The Nightingale, by Kristen Hannah. This book had it all, great writing, superb detail, and terrific action. We laughed, we cried, and we reflected, You can't ask any more from a read.
Somewhere in there, GTTSD and I observed MMRR EMD GP 38-2 locomotive #2019 heading south on the RSTL towing seven CHCs, two GTCs, 12 DBTCs, and five DWTCs, with one of those sporting a green anti-corrosive stripe around its mid-section. In the early afternoon, we observed that same locomotive heading north towing four CHCs, and 11 DBTCs.
We had other plans, but we ended up at our favorite watering hole for a bean burrito for dinner. I was going to walk, but it was just too cold.
Tomorrow night, we are making a trip to Seven Steps Up in Spring Lake for a concert featuring Max and Ruth Blomquist. They play a mix of folk and pop music that is always a pleasure to hear.
Mary is downstairs knitting and I am here blogging. We have a current temperature, according to the NWS, of 38° under mostly clear skies. Tomorrow, after the sun rises @ 7:41 a.m. and long before it sets @ 8:01 p.m., the temperature is forecast to peak @ 43°. Sadly, it will be at least 10 more days before we see high temperature that break out of the low 40s on a consistent basis. I know this is Michigan, but it appears as though April will continue the cooler than normal temperatures we have been experiencing in March. Ciao.
Thursday, March 22, 2018
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 4:00 a.m. in "The City."
Well, this is a new experience for me, at least new by current standards, two blogs in a row. I wouldn't be here now, but I woke up and had to get up to let my head clear. However, that's a good thing, as I am finally at the end of this seemingly everlasting cold. This is just about two weeks and Mary seems to think that I had a mild case of the flu or a not so mild cold. I think I had a combination of the two. Whatever, the end is in sight. As Hawk Harrelson, longtime announcer for that other team from Chicago would say, "Put it on the board, Yes!" In fact, here he is with that famous call.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfeOitqzPXU
What a great way to segue into baseball. We are getting nearer each day to the opening of the Major League™ baseball season. The Detroit Tigers have their home opener at Comerica Park, the earliest opening day in the park's history, set for March 29, 2018 against the Atlanta Braves! My beloved Red Sox have their opening day set for Tampa, FL against the Rays that same day, coincidentally, their earliest opener since 2008. The Cubs, also open the 2018 season in Florida against the Marlins, also on that day. Also coincidentally, the West Michigan Whitecaps, AKA The Caps, open their 2018 season on April 5, 2018 against the South Bend Cubs. So far, I've not been able to pin down a schedule for the Grand River Loggers, the team that is supposed to play in Grand Haven this year @ Sluka Field. I'll keep trying. When does that other team from Chicago open? Who cares.
Somewhat worthy of note are the Spring Training records for my favorite teams. The Cubs are sporting a 16 - 10 record in the Cactus League. My beloved Red Sox have a 17 - 8 record in the Grapefruit League, and the Detroit Tigers are @ 9 - 14, also in the Grapefruit League. Oops! Well, as any manager will tell you, spring games are a time to find out what you have in the way of talent at the Major League Level. Because the Tigers and the Sox have new managers and the Tigers are in rebuilding mode, all bets are off. Still, I am seeing the Cubs in the World Series™ once again this year, maybe against my beloved Red Sox? The Caps, being the "A" level team for the Tigers, have to wait until April to have any record of note at all.
Had a great day yesterday, well we humans did anyway. Mary walked Ginger to the groomer, a place that Ginger doesn't like very much, before Mary went for her own grooming. When the groomer called to say Ginger was ready, I walked over to the groomer with Mary to pick up Ginger. All told, I made it past the 3,000 step mark yesterday. I'm feeling good about that.
I also made applesauce yesterday from those apples we purchased several weeks ago. Some of the apples had gone over, but with careful selection, I made a nice batch. Part of that batch became the side dish for our dinner of vegan chikn' salad sandwiches.
Today, we hope to rest and relax. I'll help with unloading the top half of the dishwasher so that I don't have to bend over or lift too much, and leave the rest of the dishes for Mary. I might try my hand at a dinner meal of vegan stroganoff too if the mood strikes. Mary has an appointment at the chiropractor later this afternoon. Both of us also want to read more in our collective book.
The NWS is reporting a current temperature of 27° under clear skies before we reach a temperature zenith of 40° under sunny skies later today. The sun will rise @ 7:44 a.m. and set later @ 7:59 p.m. Ciao.
Well, this is a new experience for me, at least new by current standards, two blogs in a row. I wouldn't be here now, but I woke up and had to get up to let my head clear. However, that's a good thing, as I am finally at the end of this seemingly everlasting cold. This is just about two weeks and Mary seems to think that I had a mild case of the flu or a not so mild cold. I think I had a combination of the two. Whatever, the end is in sight. As Hawk Harrelson, longtime announcer for that other team from Chicago would say, "Put it on the board, Yes!" In fact, here he is with that famous call.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfeOitqzPXU
What a great way to segue into baseball. We are getting nearer each day to the opening of the Major League™ baseball season. The Detroit Tigers have their home opener at Comerica Park, the earliest opening day in the park's history, set for March 29, 2018 against the Atlanta Braves! My beloved Red Sox have their opening day set for Tampa, FL against the Rays that same day, coincidentally, their earliest opener since 2008. The Cubs, also open the 2018 season in Florida against the Marlins, also on that day. Also coincidentally, the West Michigan Whitecaps, AKA The Caps, open their 2018 season on April 5, 2018 against the South Bend Cubs. So far, I've not been able to pin down a schedule for the Grand River Loggers, the team that is supposed to play in Grand Haven this year @ Sluka Field. I'll keep trying. When does that other team from Chicago open? Who cares.
Somewhat worthy of note are the Spring Training records for my favorite teams. The Cubs are sporting a 16 - 10 record in the Cactus League. My beloved Red Sox have a 17 - 8 record in the Grapefruit League, and the Detroit Tigers are @ 9 - 14, also in the Grapefruit League. Oops! Well, as any manager will tell you, spring games are a time to find out what you have in the way of talent at the Major League Level. Because the Tigers and the Sox have new managers and the Tigers are in rebuilding mode, all bets are off. Still, I am seeing the Cubs in the World Series™ once again this year, maybe against my beloved Red Sox? The Caps, being the "A" level team for the Tigers, have to wait until April to have any record of note at all.
Had a great day yesterday, well we humans did anyway. Mary walked Ginger to the groomer, a place that Ginger doesn't like very much, before Mary went for her own grooming. When the groomer called to say Ginger was ready, I walked over to the groomer with Mary to pick up Ginger. All told, I made it past the 3,000 step mark yesterday. I'm feeling good about that.
I also made applesauce yesterday from those apples we purchased several weeks ago. Some of the apples had gone over, but with careful selection, I made a nice batch. Part of that batch became the side dish for our dinner of vegan chikn' salad sandwiches.
Today, we hope to rest and relax. I'll help with unloading the top half of the dishwasher so that I don't have to bend over or lift too much, and leave the rest of the dishes for Mary. I might try my hand at a dinner meal of vegan stroganoff too if the mood strikes. Mary has an appointment at the chiropractor later this afternoon. Both of us also want to read more in our collective book.
The NWS is reporting a current temperature of 27° under clear skies before we reach a temperature zenith of 40° under sunny skies later today. The sun will rise @ 7:44 a.m. and set later @ 7:59 p.m. Ciao.
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 1:30 a.m. in "The City." Oddly enough, I just listened to George Noory sign on for the night on his show, Coast to Coast AM, with his own signature sign-on, "Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. I added my own twist a long time ago by borrowing from one of my favorite cop shows, one that was on both radio and later television, Dragnet, as produced and starred in by the late Jack Webb, that being "The City" which Webb intoned before every episode when he described the city in which he worked, Los Angeles, CA. Just to remind my faithful followers, here is that opening. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj-qhIGTXdU. however, unlike Webb, I don't change the names to protect the innocent.
At any rate, yesterday in "The City", not much was happening. We got up in time to have a quick lunch before I set out on my personal quest to get my hair cut. Yes, I know, I should get a discount, but I like the experience of going to the barber shop to get my hair cut and my beard trimmed.
This time I threw the barber, Laura, a curve when I asked for her professional opinion on a change I was considering making to my mustache. I decided a few days ago that I'd like to make my mustache more luxuriant and full. So I asked Laura to make that subtle, but significant, change. Great barber that she is, she agreed. We both agreed that if I didn't like it, I could always cut it shorter in the future. I like it and that's what matters.
Before I left for the barber, I saw the southbound run of MMRR locomotive #2019 as it plied the rails of the RSTL towing 12 CHCs, two of those very rusty, two DBTCs, and one DWTC. The other day, I watched the passage of that same locomotive as it headed north, with a long string of those DWTCs in tow. This being spring, the cars were laden with anhydrous ammonia, which is used as fertilizer by the farmers here in West Michigan. I have no idea about the northbound run yesterday because we were on our way to Rockford, MI. Mary had decided she needed to visit the yarn shop there. Surprisingly, she didn't buy anything, but did come away with some good ideas for her stash.
While we were in Rockford, we made a short visit to their river-walk, but quickly turned back to the car as the wind made it feel much colder than the sun made it appear. The first day of spring yesterday was chilly, to say the least. We drove past the site of the Corner Bar in Rockford to note that not much progress has been made in their rebuilding since a fire devastated the building nearly one year ago. We don't believe that they will be ready for the tourist season there.
On the way home, we stopped at the grocery outlet in Coopersville, MI to pick up a few items. We selected some garlic bulbs grown by the Amish farmers of the area and also some green peppers and canned goods. In addition, we picked up a package of whole-wheat spaghetti noodles that weighs 10 pounds and should last us for the next year, if not longer.
Finally, a stop at our favorite watering hole on the other side of the bridge in Spring Lake, MI, Stan's. In addition, we reminded ourselves that since we will be in town on Saturday night, that we could make the appearance of Max and Ruth Blomquist at Seven Steps Up in Spring Lake. Mary purchased tickets on line when we got home
For dinner, Mary tried a new recipe for vegan pasta with some of the faux chicken I'd made the other day. I liked the final product, but we both agreed that our aging palates needed more spice. Next time, Mary plans to add some pepper flakes which should be all that is required to make the recipe perfect.
I almost forgot to mention that we had dropped Ginger at daycare before we left town. She likes it there when she doesn't have to be bathed or groomed. We had hoped to get that done for her yesterday, but they were fully booked. She doesn't know it yet, but she'll be going back today.
I'll be peeling apples for applesauce today while Ginger is out and Mary is at her hair appointment. Ginger won't like it, but she needs to be groomed so that she can look her best.
We have a current temperature of 29° according to my DTWS. The NWS is forecasting a high for today of 42° with mostly cloudy skies. Thursday, the high will only reach 40°, but the sun will be shining brightly. The sun will rise this morning @ 7:46 a.m. and set later today @ 7:58 p.m. Ciao.
At any rate, yesterday in "The City", not much was happening. We got up in time to have a quick lunch before I set out on my personal quest to get my hair cut. Yes, I know, I should get a discount, but I like the experience of going to the barber shop to get my hair cut and my beard trimmed.
This time I threw the barber, Laura, a curve when I asked for her professional opinion on a change I was considering making to my mustache. I decided a few days ago that I'd like to make my mustache more luxuriant and full. So I asked Laura to make that subtle, but significant, change. Great barber that she is, she agreed. We both agreed that if I didn't like it, I could always cut it shorter in the future. I like it and that's what matters.
Before I left for the barber, I saw the southbound run of MMRR locomotive #2019 as it plied the rails of the RSTL towing 12 CHCs, two of those very rusty, two DBTCs, and one DWTC. The other day, I watched the passage of that same locomotive as it headed north, with a long string of those DWTCs in tow. This being spring, the cars were laden with anhydrous ammonia, which is used as fertilizer by the farmers here in West Michigan. I have no idea about the northbound run yesterday because we were on our way to Rockford, MI. Mary had decided she needed to visit the yarn shop there. Surprisingly, she didn't buy anything, but did come away with some good ideas for her stash.
While we were in Rockford, we made a short visit to their river-walk, but quickly turned back to the car as the wind made it feel much colder than the sun made it appear. The first day of spring yesterday was chilly, to say the least. We drove past the site of the Corner Bar in Rockford to note that not much progress has been made in their rebuilding since a fire devastated the building nearly one year ago. We don't believe that they will be ready for the tourist season there.
On the way home, we stopped at the grocery outlet in Coopersville, MI to pick up a few items. We selected some garlic bulbs grown by the Amish farmers of the area and also some green peppers and canned goods. In addition, we picked up a package of whole-wheat spaghetti noodles that weighs 10 pounds and should last us for the next year, if not longer.
Finally, a stop at our favorite watering hole on the other side of the bridge in Spring Lake, MI, Stan's. In addition, we reminded ourselves that since we will be in town on Saturday night, that we could make the appearance of Max and Ruth Blomquist at Seven Steps Up in Spring Lake. Mary purchased tickets on line when we got home
For dinner, Mary tried a new recipe for vegan pasta with some of the faux chicken I'd made the other day. I liked the final product, but we both agreed that our aging palates needed more spice. Next time, Mary plans to add some pepper flakes which should be all that is required to make the recipe perfect.
I almost forgot to mention that we had dropped Ginger at daycare before we left town. She likes it there when she doesn't have to be bathed or groomed. We had hoped to get that done for her yesterday, but they were fully booked. She doesn't know it yet, but she'll be going back today.
I'll be peeling apples for applesauce today while Ginger is out and Mary is at her hair appointment. Ginger won't like it, but she needs to be groomed so that she can look her best.
We have a current temperature of 29° according to my DTWS. The NWS is forecasting a high for today of 42° with mostly cloudy skies. Thursday, the high will only reach 40°, but the sun will be shining brightly. The sun will rise this morning @ 7:46 a.m. and set later today @ 7:58 p.m. Ciao.
Monday, March 19, 2018
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 12:00 a.m. in "The City."
It was noted by an old friend of mine, Dennis, that I haven't been blogging regularly of late. Well, the truth is that my yak recovery has been slowed by a cold that I seem to have picked up shortly after my last visit to the yak doctor's office two weeks ago. That was the follow-up visit to have the sutures removed from my yak, and whether the cold was a result or a coincidence, I'll never know. At any rate, the energy that my yak is requiring to recover makes getting over the cold, which is still hanging on, more difficult. I am just now recovering my hearing. Hopefully, I'll be back to full normal in a few more days.
However, I was able to accompany Mary and Ginger on a walk to the waterfront early yesterday afternoon. The total distance there and back is approximately one mile, so that is a decided improvement over recent walks. While we were out, I took some pictures of the waterfront to memorialize our trip. I'll include them now.
We weren't supposed to get up until noon yesterday to allow us to get in some much needed rest. The fur-children decided it was time to getup earlier, so Mary took them down for their breakfast around 9:30 a.m. Somehow, Ginger decided it was a good idea to wake me from my slumber in the media room where I had fallen asleep in my upstairs La-Z-Boy, by launching herself into my chest while I was asleep.
I decided it was time to get up too. I got dressed only to learn that Mary had hopes of staying in bed until noon. Generally, the fur-children have settled into our routine and so they were OK with sleeping in too after they had their breakfast and morning constitutional. While we were downstairs, Mary made us a quick breakfast snack of cheese and spinach sandwiches and then we returned to the boudoir to rest once again. I fell asleep and didn't awaken again until nearly 11:30 a.m..
We took that aforementioned afternoon safari after Sugar and Mary had gone to the The Bookman and picked up the weekend edition of the Grand Haven Tribune and a biscuit for Sugar, who stayed behind when we safaried to the waterfront.
Once we got home, we planned our trip to GR for my periodic MRI to check on whether I have any brain cells left. We made a hotel reservation for Saturday night to stay over until my Sunday appointment. Our plan was to hit a few pubs and see an exhibit at the Public Museum, but we realized later that afternoon, that there is an anti-gun march scheduled for the entire downtown area of GR during that same time on Saturday. So, we'll make my appointment and then have a leisurely lunch after that.
Speaking of meals, I mentioned to Mary that I'd like to have a homemade pizza for dinner last night and so she set to work making the dough and some vegan bacon for a topping. When coupled with pineapple, it was delicious.
I also sent some time reading my latest novel and I am nearly done. I am liking this one, Night Moves, by Jonathan Kellerman, very much.
Today, John will be by to do some additional tasks here in the manse. I find that I can accept his doing what I can't or don't want to do very easily. Mary will run some errands while I rest. She is much faster when I'm not in tow.
We have a current temperature of 32° under clear skies. Today, the high is forecast by the NWS to reach 45° under sunny skies. However, we will be hovering in the upper 30s and lower 40s for the next 10 days or so. Winter is letting go slowly here in West Michigan. The sun will rise today @ 7:49 a.m. and set later @ 7:56 p.m. Ciao.
It was noted by an old friend of mine, Dennis, that I haven't been blogging regularly of late. Well, the truth is that my yak recovery has been slowed by a cold that I seem to have picked up shortly after my last visit to the yak doctor's office two weeks ago. That was the follow-up visit to have the sutures removed from my yak, and whether the cold was a result or a coincidence, I'll never know. At any rate, the energy that my yak is requiring to recover makes getting over the cold, which is still hanging on, more difficult. I am just now recovering my hearing. Hopefully, I'll be back to full normal in a few more days.
However, I was able to accompany Mary and Ginger on a walk to the waterfront early yesterday afternoon. The total distance there and back is approximately one mile, so that is a decided improvement over recent walks. While we were out, I took some pictures of the waterfront to memorialize our trip. I'll include them now.
 |
| This is taken looking south down the channel, from the intersection of Harbor Drive and Franklin, near our favorite watering hole. |
 |
| This one I shot near the studios of WGHN radio, our local radio station here in "The City", also looking south. |
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| This one was also taken near the intersection of Franklin and Harbor Drive, and it shows Dewey Hill and the cooling tower at our municipal power plant, looking north. |
I decided it was time to get up too. I got dressed only to learn that Mary had hopes of staying in bed until noon. Generally, the fur-children have settled into our routine and so they were OK with sleeping in too after they had their breakfast and morning constitutional. While we were downstairs, Mary made us a quick breakfast snack of cheese and spinach sandwiches and then we returned to the boudoir to rest once again. I fell asleep and didn't awaken again until nearly 11:30 a.m..
We took that aforementioned afternoon safari after Sugar and Mary had gone to the The Bookman and picked up the weekend edition of the Grand Haven Tribune and a biscuit for Sugar, who stayed behind when we safaried to the waterfront.
Once we got home, we planned our trip to GR for my periodic MRI to check on whether I have any brain cells left. We made a hotel reservation for Saturday night to stay over until my Sunday appointment. Our plan was to hit a few pubs and see an exhibit at the Public Museum, but we realized later that afternoon, that there is an anti-gun march scheduled for the entire downtown area of GR during that same time on Saturday. So, we'll make my appointment and then have a leisurely lunch after that.
Speaking of meals, I mentioned to Mary that I'd like to have a homemade pizza for dinner last night and so she set to work making the dough and some vegan bacon for a topping. When coupled with pineapple, it was delicious.
I also sent some time reading my latest novel and I am nearly done. I am liking this one, Night Moves, by Jonathan Kellerman, very much.
Today, John will be by to do some additional tasks here in the manse. I find that I can accept his doing what I can't or don't want to do very easily. Mary will run some errands while I rest. She is much faster when I'm not in tow.
We have a current temperature of 32° under clear skies. Today, the high is forecast by the NWS to reach 45° under sunny skies. However, we will be hovering in the upper 30s and lower 40s for the next 10 days or so. Winter is letting go slowly here in West Michigan. The sun will rise today @ 7:49 a.m. and set later @ 7:56 p.m. Ciao.
Wednesday, March 14, 2018
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It has just passed 1:30 a.m. in "The City." Yes, just this once, I have changed my opening. But why not? It is my opening after all.
I had a relatively average day. I spent some time in the kitchen making another batch of vegan sausages. My endeavor was interrupted by a power outage that lasted approximately one hour. That in itself would not have been a bad thing, but part of the process is steaming the sausages in an electric steamer. I had just placed the sausages in that steamer when the power went out. Fortunately, since Mary's work was also interrupted, she went down when the power returned and restarted the steamer.
I retired to the bed across from her office and with the able assistance of our fur-children, I took a much needed nap. Unbeknownst to me, Mary took our picture to show what we had been doing, so here it is. I think we look very comfortable.
Otherwise, Mary worked while we slept. I am still in recovery mode, so I need all the sleep I can get. My stint in the kitchen wore me out and apparently going out also did the same to the fur-children.
By the time we awoke, it was nearing dinner time, so Mary fed the fur-children and offered me two choices for dinner. Behind door # 1, was vegan sausages with a salad or, behind door# 2, was a pasta dish that also used the sausages with my choice of linguini or thin spaghetti topped with a bolognese sauce with a side of garlic bread. I opted for the linguini and then sat in my chair to watch the evening news with one of the fur-children in my lap.
After the news, followed by Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, we tuned in NCIS and saw Mike Wolff of American Pickers, do a cameo on NCIS that featured an old case that was closed by the identification of an old mace-type weapon that had been used as a murder weapon 16 years prior. Mike just happened to be available withe weapon and verified how he came to possess it. We liked it. I was ready for the media room by then and I journeyed up to my chair there, where I will soon return.
Today, I plan to do very little except help Mary finish the index. Since we will have few spare moments, that salad from yesterday may make its appearance today.
We have a current temperature of 26° under partly cloudy skies. Later today, the high is forecast by the NWS to reach 38° after the sun rises @ 7:56 a.m. and well before it sets @ 7:50 p. m. Ciao.
I had a relatively average day. I spent some time in the kitchen making another batch of vegan sausages. My endeavor was interrupted by a power outage that lasted approximately one hour. That in itself would not have been a bad thing, but part of the process is steaming the sausages in an electric steamer. I had just placed the sausages in that steamer when the power went out. Fortunately, since Mary's work was also interrupted, she went down when the power returned and restarted the steamer.
I retired to the bed across from her office and with the able assistance of our fur-children, I took a much needed nap. Unbeknownst to me, Mary took our picture to show what we had been doing, so here it is. I think we look very comfortable.
Otherwise, Mary worked while we slept. I am still in recovery mode, so I need all the sleep I can get. My stint in the kitchen wore me out and apparently going out also did the same to the fur-children.
By the time we awoke, it was nearing dinner time, so Mary fed the fur-children and offered me two choices for dinner. Behind door # 1, was vegan sausages with a salad or, behind door
After the news, followed by Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, we tuned in NCIS and saw Mike Wolff of American Pickers, do a cameo on NCIS that featured an old case that was closed by the identification of an old mace-type weapon that had been used as a murder weapon 16 years prior. Mike just happened to be available withe weapon and verified how he came to possess it. We liked it. I was ready for the media room by then and I journeyed up to my chair there, where I will soon return.
Today, I plan to do very little except help Mary finish the index. Since we will have few spare moments, that salad from yesterday may make its appearance today.
We have a current temperature of 26° under partly cloudy skies. Later today, the high is forecast by the NWS to reach 38° after the sun rises @ 7:56 a.m. and well before it sets @ 7:50 p. m. Ciao.
Sunday, March 11, 2018
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 5:45 p.m. in "The City."
I've been off the blogosphere for several days, as I have had a very severe cold that also seemed to exacerbate my baking yak. Fortunately, I am now on the mend which allowed me to go to the local cinema earlier today to see one of my all time favorite John Wayne movies, The Quiet Man. For those of you who don't know, and there shouldn't be many, this movie was director John Ford's fourth Oscar win for best director. Having seen the cinematography in the big-screen format, I understand why. I've watched this movie on TV many times, but the big screen experience provided by the Flashback Cinema service of the Goodrich Quality Theater chain was not to be missed.
What can I say, I needed to include a clip, courtesy of YouTube, to illustrate my point. I hope you like it. I am now longing to visit Ireland once again, but in order to do that, I'll have to spring for first or business class seats. My old yak and my height make that a necessity. We shall see, as that means about $4,000 per person in airfare.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-dF_L2aT2Q
Otherwise, I have been doing very little of late. Mary has been sallying forth solo to do the shopping and the fetching of the various OTC drugs to aid in my recovery. I have managed to finish the highlighting for the index, which Mary is working on as I type. Like I often say, I don't do sick very well. Hopefully the worst is past.
We have a current temperature of 40°, according to my DTWS with its FPMS, while the NWS with its station in GR is reporting 36°. They are also forecasting a high for tomorrow of only 37°, with snow showers in the a.m. After all this is Michigan, and it is only the first part of March.
Tomorrow, I'd like to go to the library to pick up some books I have on hold. I feel as though a short walk in the afternoon should be both possible and beneficial. Mary will continue the index, I'll continue to recuperate, and by the end of the week, I should be ready for some baking and cooking in preparation for the Irish Jam session at the library on St. Patrick's Day, March 17. I plan to make another loaf, or two, of my Irish Soda Bread which I understand was well received at the History Book Club session I was unable to attend.
The sun will set tonight @ 7:46 p.m. and then rise again tomorrow @ 8:02 a.m. before setting @ 7:47 p.m. Ciao.
I've been off the blogosphere for several days, as I have had a very severe cold that also seemed to exacerbate my baking yak. Fortunately, I am now on the mend which allowed me to go to the local cinema earlier today to see one of my all time favorite John Wayne movies, The Quiet Man. For those of you who don't know, and there shouldn't be many, this movie was director John Ford's fourth Oscar win for best director. Having seen the cinematography in the big-screen format, I understand why. I've watched this movie on TV many times, but the big screen experience provided by the Flashback Cinema service of the Goodrich Quality Theater chain was not to be missed.
What can I say, I needed to include a clip, courtesy of YouTube, to illustrate my point. I hope you like it. I am now longing to visit Ireland once again, but in order to do that, I'll have to spring for first or business class seats. My old yak and my height make that a necessity. We shall see, as that means about $4,000 per person in airfare.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-dF_L2aT2Q
Otherwise, I have been doing very little of late. Mary has been sallying forth solo to do the shopping and the fetching of the various OTC drugs to aid in my recovery. I have managed to finish the highlighting for the index, which Mary is working on as I type. Like I often say, I don't do sick very well. Hopefully the worst is past.
We have a current temperature of 40°, according to my DTWS with its FPMS, while the NWS with its station in GR is reporting 36°. They are also forecasting a high for tomorrow of only 37°, with snow showers in the a.m. After all this is Michigan, and it is only the first part of March.
Tomorrow, I'd like to go to the library to pick up some books I have on hold. I feel as though a short walk in the afternoon should be both possible and beneficial. Mary will continue the index, I'll continue to recuperate, and by the end of the week, I should be ready for some baking and cooking in preparation for the Irish Jam session at the library on St. Patrick's Day, March 17. I plan to make another loaf, or two, of my Irish Soda Bread which I understand was well received at the History Book Club session I was unable to attend.
The sun will set tonight @ 7:46 p.m. and then rise again tomorrow @ 8:02 a.m. before setting @ 7:47 p.m. Ciao.
Monday, March 5, 2018
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 8:45 p.m. in "The City."
As is almost always the case, not much is happening here in our little corner of the world. That's fine by me. We made it to my yak doctor's appointment and the doctor confirmed that my external stitches could be and were removed. In fact, the medical assistant who did the removal felt that they had been there a bit too long. I am already less itchy. The doctor checked my leg strength and confirmed that it has improved from just two weeks ago. I have a return visit scheduled for four weeks from now.
Will my yak ever be perfect? Was it ever? Unlikely, as the last time it may have been so was the day I was born. After that, everything is downhill. But. I'll take it the way things are going.
We made a stop at our favorite watering hole on the other side of the bridge to celebrate and then we headed home to feed the fur-children.
We spent more time today reading our history book club novel, The Nightingale, and it is as previously described, well written, detailed, features well-drawn characters and terrific suspense. In short, exactly what a novel should be.
Tomorrow, I am going to attempt to bake another version of Irish Soda Bread that we plan to take to the book club meeting on Wednesday. I have a good recipe that should produce a great outcome. If all goes well, I plan to replicate my efforts for my next Irish Jam session, which coincidentally takes place on, wait for it, March 17, 2018, St. Patrick's Day.
Mary needs to get to work on the index and I have more highlighting to accomplish. I still have been told to not do more bending, lifting, nor twisting, so that precludes my walking STWD or Ginger. I have another six weeks to be on the safe side before I can do that.
We had a high temperature today of 38°, but with the wind, it felt more like 18° Tomorrow, the high has been forecast by the NWS to reach 40°, but if the windy conditions continue, that will be a temperature that will be eclipsed by the windchill.
I was watching the TV news earlier, and I wrote something that seemed to apply to some of the people who were appearing. It is: "The fact that you can go to school and learn a lot, doesn't mean that you know anything." Not particularly profound perhaps, but it summed up my thoughts at the time.
The sun will rise tomorrow @ 7:12 a.m. and set in the evening @ 6:40 p.m. Ciao.
As is almost always the case, not much is happening here in our little corner of the world. That's fine by me. We made it to my yak doctor's appointment and the doctor confirmed that my external stitches could be and were removed. In fact, the medical assistant who did the removal felt that they had been there a bit too long. I am already less itchy. The doctor checked my leg strength and confirmed that it has improved from just two weeks ago. I have a return visit scheduled for four weeks from now.
Will my yak ever be perfect? Was it ever? Unlikely, as the last time it may have been so was the day I was born. After that, everything is downhill. But. I'll take it the way things are going.
We made a stop at our favorite watering hole on the other side of the bridge to celebrate and then we headed home to feed the fur-children.
We spent more time today reading our history book club novel, The Nightingale, and it is as previously described, well written, detailed, features well-drawn characters and terrific suspense. In short, exactly what a novel should be.
Tomorrow, I am going to attempt to bake another version of Irish Soda Bread that we plan to take to the book club meeting on Wednesday. I have a good recipe that should produce a great outcome. If all goes well, I plan to replicate my efforts for my next Irish Jam session, which coincidentally takes place on, wait for it, March 17, 2018, St. Patrick's Day.
Mary needs to get to work on the index and I have more highlighting to accomplish. I still have been told to not do more bending, lifting, nor twisting, so that precludes my walking STWD or Ginger. I have another six weeks to be on the safe side before I can do that.
We had a high temperature today of 38°, but with the wind, it felt more like 18° Tomorrow, the high has been forecast by the NWS to reach 40°, but if the windy conditions continue, that will be a temperature that will be eclipsed by the windchill.
I was watching the TV news earlier, and I wrote something that seemed to apply to some of the people who were appearing. It is: "The fact that you can go to school and learn a lot, doesn't mean that you know anything." Not particularly profound perhaps, but it summed up my thoughts at the time.
The sun will rise tomorrow @ 7:12 a.m. and set in the evening @ 6:40 p.m. Ciao.
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 2:30 a.m. in "The City."
Yesterday was unremarkable. We got up late, ate a nice lunch and then I made another in my long line of successful extraordinary beests. Mary seems to think that I've got the recipe mastered, just like my Italian balls and my apple pie. Perhaps. As long as I have a recipe to follow, I am the Kitchen King.
I also spent some time highlighting the first half of the latest indexing book for Mary. I only made a few comments in the margins, so it went relatively quickly. Later, we traveled to the grocery store for some staples, and then made a stop at the bakery on the other side of bridge. Naturally, we had to stop at our other favorite watering hole there too.
Home, where we greeted warmly by our fur-children who, though they had their breakfast @ 12:30 p.m., felt as though their dinner was late when we came back around 6:15 p.m. Dogs apparently have the ability to tell time, and no matter when they get their breakfast, they know when their dinner is late.
Today, I have that afternoon appointment at the yak doctor to have those pesky external stitches removed, That will happen in the late afternoon and Mary will be indexing before that. I plan to read and do little else before my appointment.
I get the strong impression that the nerves in my yak are readjusting to the lack of pressure and so sometimes I get a twinge in all those old familiar places. I'll ask the doctor today what is normal at this stage of my recovery.
We have a current temperature of 34° under mostly cloudy skies. Later today, the skies will remain mostly cloudy, but the temperature is forecast by the NWS to reach 43°. The sun will rise @ 7:13 a.m. and set later @ 6:39 p.m. Ciao.
Yesterday was unremarkable. We got up late, ate a nice lunch and then I made another in my long line of successful extraordinary beests. Mary seems to think that I've got the recipe mastered, just like my Italian balls and my apple pie. Perhaps. As long as I have a recipe to follow, I am the Kitchen King.
I also spent some time highlighting the first half of the latest indexing book for Mary. I only made a few comments in the margins, so it went relatively quickly. Later, we traveled to the grocery store for some staples, and then made a stop at the bakery on the other side of bridge. Naturally, we had to stop at our other favorite watering hole there too.
Home, where we greeted warmly by our fur-children who, though they had their breakfast @ 12:30 p.m., felt as though their dinner was late when we came back around 6:15 p.m. Dogs apparently have the ability to tell time, and no matter when they get their breakfast, they know when their dinner is late.
Today, I have that afternoon appointment at the yak doctor to have those pesky external stitches removed, That will happen in the late afternoon and Mary will be indexing before that. I plan to read and do little else before my appointment.
I get the strong impression that the nerves in my yak are readjusting to the lack of pressure and so sometimes I get a twinge in all those old familiar places. I'll ask the doctor today what is normal at this stage of my recovery.
We have a current temperature of 34° under mostly cloudy skies. Later today, the skies will remain mostly cloudy, but the temperature is forecast by the NWS to reach 43°. The sun will rise @ 7:13 a.m. and set later @ 6:39 p.m. Ciao.
Friday, March 2, 2018
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 10:30 p.m. in "The City."
Well, another day in paradise is wrapping up. Mary made a nice breakfast/lunch of roasted tofu and Tater Tots™ this morning after we arose around 12:00 p.m. I guess that I answered the breakfast/lunch question with that time reference. At any rate, I heard the train pass by heading south on the RSTL around 8:00 a.m., and Ginger and I actually spotted it heading north around 12:25 p.m. That passage was a mix of CHCs, and DBTCs.
I spent some time in the kitchen and at the dining room table yesterday, peeling apples and creating an apple pie. I overshot on the apple peeling for the pie, so some of that effort became applesauce. I have a lot more apples to peel to finish the bag and convert those apples into sauce. The pie tastes delicious and my crust was, as always, flaky and perfect. However, I am still working on the amount of flour to use for the thickening of the apple filling. A bit more would have been better for this pie.
Mary took a picture of my pie to preserve it for posterity and so that I could share it on my blog.
We spent some time in the later afternoon reading more of The Nightingale and we are both enjoying the excellent craftsmanship of the author. We are taking turns reading as that has worked well for us in the past.
We have a current temperature of 30° under clear skies. Tomorrow, the high should reach 42° under sunny skies. Sunday, the high is forecast to reach 47°. Both predictions are from the NWS. The sun will rise tomorrow @ 7:17 a.m. and set @ 6:36 p.m.
Tomorrow, I may get into the kitchen once again and try a recipe that I have for Irish Soda Bread. I am also feeling well enough now following my yak surgery, that I want to sit on my stool and play with the girls again. I just didn't have the stamina required the past few weeks. That's a good sign with regard to my recovery. Speaking of my yak, we have to travel to Muskegon on Monday to have my external stitches removed. According to Mary, my "seam" looks fine. I just have to avoid doing any bending, lifting or twisting for six more weeks so as not to cause a problem with the internal, self-dissolving stitches.
Not much else to add at this time. Ciao.
Well, another day in paradise is wrapping up. Mary made a nice breakfast/lunch of roasted tofu and Tater Tots™ this morning after we arose around 12:00 p.m. I guess that I answered the breakfast/lunch question with that time reference. At any rate, I heard the train pass by heading south on the RSTL around 8:00 a.m., and Ginger and I actually spotted it heading north around 12:25 p.m. That passage was a mix of CHCs, and DBTCs.
I spent some time in the kitchen and at the dining room table yesterday, peeling apples and creating an apple pie. I overshot on the apple peeling for the pie, so some of that effort became applesauce. I have a lot more apples to peel to finish the bag and convert those apples into sauce. The pie tastes delicious and my crust was, as always, flaky and perfect. However, I am still working on the amount of flour to use for the thickening of the apple filling. A bit more would have been better for this pie.
Mary took a picture of my pie to preserve it for posterity and so that I could share it on my blog.
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| Aesthetically, very eye appealing, taste appealing too, but a bit runny. |
We have a current temperature of 30° under clear skies. Tomorrow, the high should reach 42° under sunny skies. Sunday, the high is forecast to reach 47°. Both predictions are from the NWS. The sun will rise tomorrow @ 7:17 a.m. and set @ 6:36 p.m.
Tomorrow, I may get into the kitchen once again and try a recipe that I have for Irish Soda Bread. I am also feeling well enough now following my yak surgery, that I want to sit on my stool and play with the girls again. I just didn't have the stamina required the past few weeks. That's a good sign with regard to my recovery. Speaking of my yak, we have to travel to Muskegon on Monday to have my external stitches removed. According to Mary, my "seam" looks fine. I just have to avoid doing any bending, lifting or twisting for six more weeks so as not to cause a problem with the internal, self-dissolving stitches.
Not much else to add at this time. Ciao.
I guess you could say that it is late for yours truly, but I didn't get up until around 4:00 a.m. having gone to bed before 11:00 p.m. last night. For me, that's a lot of sleep time. Still, given the fact that I don't regularly get more than a few hours of uninterrupted sleep each night, I consider that exceptional.
We have a current temperature of 29° as we struggle to reach today's high of 40° under sunny skies. It should be a great day to extend my walking time, either before I began to bake an apple pie, or after, I haven't decided yet. Either way, I still can't walk at the end of a leash, so Mary will handle that part of walking and I'll just amble along behind.
We have a huge bag of apples in the mudroom that we got a few weeks ago before I had my recent surgery. They will make an excellent pie and also excellent applesauce. I'll have to allow Mary to carry the apples to their peeling station since I can't lift anything greater than five pounds for several more weeks. Mary offered up an idea yesterday. She stated that I need to look for ways to avoid lifting things or bending at all times and thus avoid the negative effects on my yak from now on. She is right, I just hate to acquiesce to the"New Normal" of my advancing age. Maybe if I had thought things through earlier in life, I wouldn't be here now. Ah, but as the proverbial "They" has oft opined, "If wishes were fishes, we'd all have a basket full."
I nearly forgot to mention that Mary and I combined on that chili yesterday. I think it turned out great, albeit not as spicy as I would have expected. Mary thinks it needs to be sweetened. Neither of us have the palates that we had when we were younger. So who is right? I dunno.
So, you now have a primer on my day. Apple peeling, pie making/baking, and reading. Mary and I started that latest book for our history book club, entitled. The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah. It is a book that chronicles the lives of a once young, now elderly, French woman and her extended family, both before and during WWII. So far, it has been a spellbinder that drew us in from the first page.It's a great story when that happens.
I just took a picture of the glass mug that I received after I turned in scorecard from this winter's Loutit Library Cabin Fever Reliever. I try to get the "Free" gift every season. I have not been 100% successful, but I am doing OK. You know that I've been quoted as saying that "I"ll stand in line to receive free things, I don't like to stand in line to give up money." A quirk? Perhaps, but that's all I have to say about that.
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| Free is free! |
The sun will rise this morning @ 7:18 a.m. and set this evening @ 6:35 p.m. Ciao.
Thursday, March 1, 2018
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 2:00 a.m. in "The City."
At this early/late hour, the current temperature is 40° under cloudy skies. WE are anticipating showers this morning with a 60% chance according to the NWS. Today's high is forecast to be 41°. Friday's high is forecast to reach 39° under partly cloudy skies. Saturday, the warm weather returns with sunny skies and a high temperature of 46°! Ya gotta love it here in West Michigan. Our temperatures will bounce around in the early part of March.
Yesterday was a good day, yakwise. I went out with Mary and STWD without my cane. I am not strong, but I am improving. I just have to remind myself, as the doctor cautioned, that I can't do any bending, lifting, or twisting. I was told, and Mary rightfully reminds me, that I will feel better, but not to be lulled into a sense of complacency. I'll do better. I will use my new grabbers to pick things up that I drop and also be careful to avoid situations where I am tempted to "cheat."
Today, I plan to do some reading of the book for our History Book Club meeting that is set for next Wednesday. The book that was chosen is over 600 pages, so I'll have to both read fast and also try to be judicious in my reading. I also have some highlighting to do for Mary and I'd like to get into the kitchen today and do some chili making in the medium-sized Crockpot™ and apple peeling and applesauce making in the larger Crockpot™. I'll be busy, to say the least. I also would like to get out and walk more, but I won't go out in the inclement weather.
Mary has work to do in several fronts along with the indexing. I need to keep her out of the kitchen as she has a tendency to kibitz and interrupt the flow of my work. Sometimes that's good, but sometimes...
Otherwise, I have no plans for today. I am just trying to remain patient and let my yak heal properly. As I've noted before, patience is not my middle name. Come to think of it, I don't actually have a middle name, I have only a middle initial, "B." I have always allowed people to guess my middle name for that very reason and I can also choose to make that name anything I want it to be.
The sun will rise this morning @ 7:20 a.m. and set this evening, @ 6:34 p.m. Ciao.
At this early/late hour, the current temperature is 40° under cloudy skies. WE are anticipating showers this morning with a 60% chance according to the NWS. Today's high is forecast to be 41°. Friday's high is forecast to reach 39° under partly cloudy skies. Saturday, the warm weather returns with sunny skies and a high temperature of 46°! Ya gotta love it here in West Michigan. Our temperatures will bounce around in the early part of March.
Yesterday was a good day, yakwise. I went out with Mary and STWD without my cane. I am not strong, but I am improving. I just have to remind myself, as the doctor cautioned, that I can't do any bending, lifting, or twisting. I was told, and Mary rightfully reminds me, that I will feel better, but not to be lulled into a sense of complacency. I'll do better. I will use my new grabbers to pick things up that I drop and also be careful to avoid situations where I am tempted to "cheat."
Today, I plan to do some reading of the book for our History Book Club meeting that is set for next Wednesday. The book that was chosen is over 600 pages, so I'll have to both read fast and also try to be judicious in my reading. I also have some highlighting to do for Mary and I'd like to get into the kitchen today and do some chili making in the medium-sized Crockpot™ and apple peeling and applesauce making in the larger Crockpot™. I'll be busy, to say the least. I also would like to get out and walk more, but I won't go out in the inclement weather.
Mary has work to do in several fronts along with the indexing. I need to keep her out of the kitchen as she has a tendency to kibitz and interrupt the flow of my work. Sometimes that's good, but sometimes...
Otherwise, I have no plans for today. I am just trying to remain patient and let my yak heal properly. As I've noted before, patience is not my middle name. Come to think of it, I don't actually have a middle name, I have only a middle initial, "B." I have always allowed people to guess my middle name for that very reason and I can also choose to make that name anything I want it to be.
The sun will rise this morning @ 7:20 a.m. and set this evening, @ 6:34 p.m. Ciao.
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