Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 11:30 p.m. on this Friday evening in "The City.."
We had a great day today. We took a road trip to Newaygo to visit the New Ewe, a yarn and quilt shop. In what may be a first, Mary came away empty handed, not so much as a skein of yarn nor a single knitting needle. That was out first stop. Since we had decided to make a day out of our travels, we next visited Nelson's Farm Market near Newaygo and came away with a humongous head of cabbage, four ears of corn, and a large red, ripe tomato.
Since we were on the road, we next visited Coopersville and Off The Tracks, the grocery outlet there. We only came away with only a few items there too. All in all, we had a fun time and it was good to be on the road again. Say, that means I must include a couple of road songs from YouTube™. The first is a Willie Nelson tune entitled, not surprisingly, On the Road Again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k8W2avY0NY
The second tune that came to mind is another tune with the same title, but a different lyric by Canned Heat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRKNw477onU
Our final stop was in Spring Lake before heading home via the drawbridge that had traffic backed up, north, south, east, and west. Mostly it was the northbound traffic that was heavier than normal due to people heading out for the Labor Day holiday weekend. We didn't sit for too long, but we could see that the traffic heading north would be backed up for a while.
The fur-children had been waiting our return, but we held off their dinner until nearly 5:00 p.m., since we had come home a little before 4:00 p.m.
Tomorrow is our 45th anniversary. According to knowledgeable sources, the traditional gift is sapphire. Mary will have to make do with a card and all my love. Once we make 50 years, I think something gold is in order. However, there are a couple of songs that I like about love and marriage, so I'll add them here. My first selection, also courteous of the folks @ YouTube™ is another Ruth Bloomquist tune, I Don't Remember a Waltz.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWAF710hM3c
Then there is this traditional Irish song by an Irish band called Quilty, entitled Star of the County Down. It has long been our belief that Mary has some Irish in her background, so this seemed perfect to me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rc82kInq2rQ
I hope that you and Mary like my selections
I'm going to go out of baseball news very quickly, as it was not a good night for my teams.
The Cubs, my beloved Red Sox, the Tigers and the Caps lost or were losing when I last checked in. Nuff said.
The Spartans of MSU eked out a win over the Utah State Aggies, 38 - 31. The Aggies gave the Spartans all they could handle in the Spartans' home opener.
Michigan and Notre Dame play tomorrow night.
We have a current temperature of 73° under partly cloudy skies. The Beach Hazard Statement is once again in effect until tomorrow evening due to strong winds and high waves. Not good for the tourist trade.
The sun will rise tomorrow @ 7:09 a.m. and set later @ 8:49 p.m. In between the high temperature is forecast to reach 79 degrees with 85% relative humidity. Ciao.
Friday, August 31, 2018
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 6:00 a.m. in "The City."
Well, another birthday has come and gone, and I am none the worse for wear. In fact, I am probably better than I was yesterday, but not as good as I'll be tomorrow. Nothing is promised, but as I said to Mary, I'll be sure to see you back here in five years, just before our 50th wedding anniversary.
If you do the math, that means that our 45th anniversary comes up tomorrow, September 1, 2018. Plus, six years from now, Adam's 50th birthday will be happening. Wow, time flies when you are having fun.
Speaking of having fun, I did. Well, Mary and I did, along with the fur-children. We all walked to The Bookman after our brunch of vegan hot dogs and Cole slaw, and then Mary and I set out on our journey to Holland to resupply our roasted granulated garlic. We use that in many recipes.
However, back to the fun part of my birthday. We had a plan to go to Tunnel Park, part of the Ottawa County, MI park system, but we ran out of time. So instead of stopping there, we stopped @ Kirk Park on the way home to take some pictures of the flora, the waters of the "Big Lake", and the dunes on her shore. I'll include some pix here to try to give you the sense of serenity that comes from being in any of the parks after the kids are back in school.
Naturally what would one of my blogs be without a reference to a video from YouTube™. In this case, this is one from singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett, singing an homage to his adopted home, the Sunshine State of Florida. In this case, specifically to St. Pete Beach. This song is entitled When The Coast is Clear.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIVVEvKOOgc
However, we like to think that our own adopted home, the Great Lakes State, is just as nice whatever the season. So, why not another YouTube™ reference, this one from our own singer/songwriter, Ruth Bloomquist, as she sings Michigan Girl.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMVG4TJL0lE I hope you enjoy bit as much as I always do.
Meanwhile back to those aforementioned pix.
Oh well, since you can't fix stupid, you just have to enjoy what you can before the idiots mess it up beyond all recognition. Wait, that sounds like the military admonition, FUBAR, "Fouled up beyond all recognition." Some of you may recognize that phrase with a slightly different word at the beginning. I'll leave that to your imagination.
Baseball news yesterday was great for those of us who love the game as much as I do. All of the teams that I follow won, even the 54 - 80 in the AL Central Tigers, who defeated the 2nd place team in the AL East, the 84 - 50 Yankees, 8 - 7.
That loss puts the Yankees 8 1/2 games behind my beloved 1st place in the AL East, 93 - 42 Red Sox. J.D. Martinez got his 39th home run and his 114th RBI, while Mookie Betts got his 19th home run and his 70th RBI en route to the 9 - 4 win over that 53 - 81, back to 4th place in the AL Central other team from Chicago.
The 79 - 54 in the NL Central Cubs, once again eked out a win over the 74 - 58, 1st place in the NL East Braves, 5 - 4. The Cubs move on to Philadelphia to play the 2nd place in the NL East, 71 - 62 Phillies tonight @ 7:05 p.m.
The 67 - 68 in the MWL East Caps, defeated the 56 - 78, 8th place Dayton Dragons, 4 - 2.
I'd have taken a picture of the clear skies, but here in "The City" there is just too much light pollution for good sky shot at night. However, since I was downstairs, I took a pic of Mary's gladiolas in her "Flower Room" and also added this pic of her outdoor favorite, "Pink." She had my put my oversize paw in the picture to give some perspective of just how large the flowers are.
We have a current temperature of 58° under clear skies. Today's high will reach 80° with no rain in the forecast from the NWS.
Not true for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday though, as there is rain in
the current forecast for each of those days. The sun will rise this
morning @ 7:08 a.m. and set later @ 8:21 p.m.
Otherwise, just a few indoor chores, and perhaps another "Road Trip" today. Ciao.
Well, another birthday has come and gone, and I am none the worse for wear. In fact, I am probably better than I was yesterday, but not as good as I'll be tomorrow. Nothing is promised, but as I said to Mary, I'll be sure to see you back here in five years, just before our 50th wedding anniversary.
If you do the math, that means that our 45th anniversary comes up tomorrow, September 1, 2018. Plus, six years from now, Adam's 50th birthday will be happening. Wow, time flies when you are having fun.
Speaking of having fun, I did. Well, Mary and I did, along with the fur-children. We all walked to The Bookman after our brunch of vegan hot dogs and Cole slaw, and then Mary and I set out on our journey to Holland to resupply our roasted granulated garlic. We use that in many recipes.
However, back to the fun part of my birthday. We had a plan to go to Tunnel Park, part of the Ottawa County, MI park system, but we ran out of time. So instead of stopping there, we stopped @ Kirk Park on the way home to take some pictures of the flora, the waters of the "Big Lake", and the dunes on her shore. I'll include some pix here to try to give you the sense of serenity that comes from being in any of the parks after the kids are back in school.
Naturally what would one of my blogs be without a reference to a video from YouTube™. In this case, this is one from singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett, singing an homage to his adopted home, the Sunshine State of Florida. In this case, specifically to St. Pete Beach. This song is entitled When The Coast is Clear.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIVVEvKOOgc
However, we like to think that our own adopted home, the Great Lakes State, is just as nice whatever the season. So, why not another YouTube™ reference, this one from our own singer/songwriter, Ruth Bloomquist, as she sings Michigan Girl.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMVG4TJL0lE I hope you enjoy bit as much as I always do.
Meanwhile back to those aforementioned pix.
 |
| While not technically from my birthday, this is one I took out the front door is of our own front porch and sidewalk, just after the rains stopped on Tuesday. |
 |
| Nothing to add. |
 |
| I can't decide whether I like this one better. |
 |
| Or this one, though they both are pix of the same stairs. |
 |
| What can I add, this is the "Inland Ocean" from the beach at Kirk Park. The footprints are in one of the "DON'T WALK HERE! areas of the dunes that overlook the "Big Lake.": |
 |
| Nice contrast between light and dark, scrub grass and sand, and blue skies over Lake Michigan. |
 |
| So quiet and peaceful. |
 |
| As we were departing, we walked past the sign that read, "No Bicycles Past This Point." Of course, we had just been passed by two idiots riding their bikes toward the dune area. Comedian Ron White said it best in his quote, "You can't fix stupid, there's not a pill you can take, or a class you can go to." |
Baseball news yesterday was great for those of us who love the game as much as I do. All of the teams that I follow won, even the 54 - 80 in the AL Central Tigers, who defeated the 2nd place team in the AL East, the 84 - 50 Yankees, 8 - 7.
That loss puts the Yankees 8 1/2 games behind my beloved 1st place in the AL East, 93 - 42 Red Sox. J.D. Martinez got his 39th home run and his 114th RBI, while Mookie Betts got his 19th home run and his 70th RBI en route to the 9 - 4 win over that 53 - 81, back to 4th place in the AL Central other team from Chicago.
The 79 - 54 in the NL Central Cubs, once again eked out a win over the 74 - 58, 1st place in the NL East Braves, 5 - 4. The Cubs move on to Philadelphia to play the 2nd place in the NL East, 71 - 62 Phillies tonight @ 7:05 p.m.
The 67 - 68 in the MWL East Caps, defeated the 56 - 78, 8th place Dayton Dragons, 4 - 2.
I'd have taken a picture of the clear skies, but here in "The City" there is just too much light pollution for good sky shot at night. However, since I was downstairs, I took a pic of Mary's gladiolas in her "Flower Room" and also added this pic of her outdoor favorite, "Pink." She had my put my oversize paw in the picture to give some perspective of just how large the flowers are.
 |
| Beautiful! |
 |
| Yes folks, they are that big! |
Otherwise, just a few indoor chores, and perhaps another "Road Trip" today. Ciao.
Thursday, August 30, 2018
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 6:30 a.m. in "The City."
Well, another year has come and gone and I continue to go along for the ride. As I enter my 68th year, I can't help but think about all those who made that possible. Mary certainly is at the top of the list, as she has been here for all of my ups and downs with her love and support. There are many others too, like Adam and Steph, not to overlook the people in many walks of life and many locations who have also been instrumental.
As Joe Walsh sang with the Eagles, Life's Been Good to Me So Far. Naturally, I have to include a cut from YouTube™ to make this a complete reference. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=063LYBBlR3c
Of course, what birthday would be complete without a song from The Grateful Dead? In this case, another YouTube™ reference to to the Dead, and their song, Truckin'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pafY6sZt0FE&list=PLb952MoF5Q2I2LIYdWy3O2mOOnWRMkT6i
In both cases, I can only aspire to being as good on guitar as Joe Walsh is, or Jerry Garcia was, but like is often said, "If wishes was fishes, we'd all cast nets in the sea." There is an Irish folk tune that opines that same sentiment, and of course, I had to include another reference from YouTube™ for that one too. This is one version of that song from David Maloney.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNonIrtd3zE
But I digress in a very maudlin way. Life often takes turns we don't expect, but when you have the chance to let someone else drive once in a while, you learn many things along the way. Such has been the case with my life. Nearly 45 years ago, I put my faith in Mary's driving and I have never regretted it. Multiple careers for me, lots of educational opportunities, some medical issues, but most of all, the chance to just make it to retirement and sit back and try to relax. It's that last part that seems to be the trickiest, but I'm working on it. If I wait another couple of decades, I might perfect the formula.
We have a current temperature of 53° under clear, and sunny skies. Today's high has been forecast by the NWS to be a very nice 73° under those sunny-skies with low relative humidity. As was once said in a commercial for Old Milwaukee Beer, "It doesn't get any better than this." The sun will rise @ 7:07 a.m. and set later @ 8:22 p.m. In between, no rain is that forecast and that's a change from the last several days.
Last night, Mary got a jump on my birthday eating by making a delicious spaghetti and vegan meatballs dinner with garlic bread. Today, I have already asked for sauerkraut and Swiss cheese on rye sandwiches. What I haven't told Mary is that I'd also like Tater Tots™ as a side dish. Not quite as bad as Chef Boyardee™ Beefaroni with Tater Tots™. so I think she'll acquiesce. There's an inside joke in that reference.
Baseball news yesterday was about 50/50. The 1st place in the NL Central Cubs, finished their suspended game with the 4th place in the NL East Mets, with a tiny win, 2 - 1. Then the Cubs were crushed by the Mets, 10 - 3. Cubs' starting pitcher, Alec Mills, dug the hole in the 1st inning when he hung a fastball and the Mets' Todd Frazier sent it into the left-field bleachers. Mills settled in after that, but the damage was done and the Cub's bats didn't make any thunder as Mills's relievers kept on digging. The Cubs are off to Atlanta to play the 74 - 58, 1st in the NL East Braves tonight@ 7:35 p.m.
My beloved 1st place in the AL East Red Sox were losing early on in their game against the 5th place in the NL East Marlins, but the Sox bats awoke from their slumber and the Sox cruised to a 14 - 6 win. The Sox move on to Chicago tonight to face that other team tonight @ 8:10 p.m.
That other team moved into 2nd place in the AL Central and pushed the Tigers down to 4th, with a 4 - 1 win over the Yankees. The Tigers were crushed, 9 - 2, by the Royals as they sink slowly into the proverbial sunset, or is it the primordial ooze? The Tigers move on to NYC tonight to face the Yankees @ 7:05 p.m.
The 5th place in the MWL East Caps, took a game from the 8th place Dragons last night, 6 - 2. The Dragons have a 56 - 77 record, so the Caps should always win. The Caps and the Dragons play in Dayton tonight @ 7:00 p.m.
We got the fur-children groomed yesterday and they look and smell much better. Neither of them liked the experience, but we like the results.
We'll be walking them this morning and then getting on with our day. A couple of road trips are possible. Ciao.
Well, another year has come and gone and I continue to go along for the ride. As I enter my 68th year, I can't help but think about all those who made that possible. Mary certainly is at the top of the list, as she has been here for all of my ups and downs with her love and support. There are many others too, like Adam and Steph, not to overlook the people in many walks of life and many locations who have also been instrumental.
As Joe Walsh sang with the Eagles, Life's Been Good to Me So Far. Naturally, I have to include a cut from YouTube™ to make this a complete reference. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=063LYBBlR3c
Of course, what birthday would be complete without a song from The Grateful Dead? In this case, another YouTube™ reference to to the Dead, and their song, Truckin'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pafY6sZt0FE&list=PLb952MoF5Q2I2LIYdWy3O2mOOnWRMkT6i
In both cases, I can only aspire to being as good on guitar as Joe Walsh is, or Jerry Garcia was, but like is often said, "If wishes was fishes, we'd all cast nets in the sea." There is an Irish folk tune that opines that same sentiment, and of course, I had to include another reference from YouTube™ for that one too. This is one version of that song from David Maloney.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNonIrtd3zE
But I digress in a very maudlin way. Life often takes turns we don't expect, but when you have the chance to let someone else drive once in a while, you learn many things along the way. Such has been the case with my life. Nearly 45 years ago, I put my faith in Mary's driving and I have never regretted it. Multiple careers for me, lots of educational opportunities, some medical issues, but most of all, the chance to just make it to retirement and sit back and try to relax. It's that last part that seems to be the trickiest, but I'm working on it. If I wait another couple of decades, I might perfect the formula.
We have a current temperature of 53° under clear, and sunny skies. Today's high has been forecast by the NWS to be a very nice 73° under those sunny-skies with low relative humidity. As was once said in a commercial for Old Milwaukee Beer, "It doesn't get any better than this." The sun will rise @ 7:07 a.m. and set later @ 8:22 p.m. In between, no rain is that forecast and that's a change from the last several days.
Last night, Mary got a jump on my birthday eating by making a delicious spaghetti and vegan meatballs dinner with garlic bread. Today, I have already asked for sauerkraut and Swiss cheese on rye sandwiches. What I haven't told Mary is that I'd also like Tater Tots™ as a side dish. Not quite as bad as Chef Boyardee™ Beefaroni with Tater Tots™. so I think she'll acquiesce. There's an inside joke in that reference.
Baseball news yesterday was about 50/50. The 1st place in the NL Central Cubs, finished their suspended game with the 4th place in the NL East Mets, with a tiny win, 2 - 1. Then the Cubs were crushed by the Mets, 10 - 3. Cubs' starting pitcher, Alec Mills, dug the hole in the 1st inning when he hung a fastball and the Mets' Todd Frazier sent it into the left-field bleachers. Mills settled in after that, but the damage was done and the Cub's bats didn't make any thunder as Mills's relievers kept on digging. The Cubs are off to Atlanta to play the 74 - 58, 1st in the NL East Braves tonight@ 7:35 p.m.
My beloved 1st place in the AL East Red Sox were losing early on in their game against the 5th place in the NL East Marlins, but the Sox bats awoke from their slumber and the Sox cruised to a 14 - 6 win. The Sox move on to Chicago tonight to face that other team tonight @ 8:10 p.m.
That other team moved into 2nd place in the AL Central and pushed the Tigers down to 4th, with a 4 - 1 win over the Yankees. The Tigers were crushed, 9 - 2, by the Royals as they sink slowly into the proverbial sunset, or is it the primordial ooze? The Tigers move on to NYC tonight to face the Yankees @ 7:05 p.m.
The 5th place in the MWL East Caps, took a game from the 8th place Dragons last night, 6 - 2. The Dragons have a 56 - 77 record, so the Caps should always win. The Caps and the Dragons play in Dayton tonight @ 7:00 p.m.
We got the fur-children groomed yesterday and they look and smell much better. Neither of them liked the experience, but we like the results.
We'll be walking them this morning and then getting on with our day. A couple of road trips are possible. Ciao.
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is nearly 6:00 a.m. in "The City."
I started out with good intentions last night. I went to bed just before the T-storms began to listen to the Cubs' game against the Mets. I awoke a few hours later to hear that the game had been suspended in the top of the 10th because of a rain delay that showed no signs of being short. So, that game will resume again today @ 1:00 p.m. EDT, 45 before the start of today's regularly scheduled game @ 2:20 p.m. EDT. If you had tickets to last night's game, oops, you won't have a ticket for the resumption of that game. Such are the vagaries of climate change in the baseball world.
At any rate, the Cubs still have a NL best record of 77 - 53 as they try to win the suspended game and get seven wins in a row while increasing their NL Central 1st place lead of four games over the 2nd place Cardinals.
My beloved, 1st place Red Sox eked out a win over the feisty Miami Marlins, 8 - 7 last night. Things seemed desperate for a while, but a walk-off throwing error by the Marlins, allowed J.D. Martinez to score the winning run in the 9th to secure the win and avoid their first four-game losing streak, something no other team in baseball has avoided. Whew! At any rate, the Sox' bullpen imploded and nearly cost the Sox the game. The Sox and the Marlins play again tonight @ 6:35 p.m.
The Tigers, as usual, lost another game to the even more inept, Royals, 2 - 6. With 30 games left in their season, things do not look bright for the Tigers this year. They once again play the Royals this afternoon @ 2:15 p.m. EDT to attempt to salvage something of this lost season.
The Caps were off yesterday and they are in Dayton tonight to play the Dragons @ 7:00 p.m.
We had another set of T-storms last night that drove STWD to her hide-e-hole. They are over now, but the NWS has forecast a new round of storms for this morning, beginning anytime now. I have the blinds open on the WW to see what develops. This is the third day in a row of the storms that we needed all summer. Oh well, that's climate change for you. The sun will rise into stormy skies @ 7:06 a.m. and set later @ 8:24 p.m. In between, the skies will remain cloudy. We should remain dry for a few days.
It took two days, but the southbound train run that tool place on Monday with locomotive #2025 towing two DWTCs, one GTC, and six extra-long DBTCs, concluded with yesterday's northbound run @ 10:06 a.m., with that same locomotive towing six CHCs, nine DBTCs, and four DWTCs, one with a green anti-corrosive stripe around its mid-section. The way the manse shook with the passage, I could tell that the cars were fully loaded.
Today, I have another P/T appointment. My shoulder is feeling better, so next week's appointment, my last, should give me the relief that I sought. Like Mary oft opines, I have issues in most of my joints due to the stress and strains of my many careers and my own height.
We have an appointment to get the fur-children groomed today. STWD doesn't like it at all, and Ginger would avoid it if she could. However, Sugar is dingy and needs a pawdicure, while Ginger needs the same on her paws and also a trim, because as a terrier, she doesn't shed, so she is looking shaggy.
Otherwise, we'll run some small errands and then settle in. Ciao.
I started out with good intentions last night. I went to bed just before the T-storms began to listen to the Cubs' game against the Mets. I awoke a few hours later to hear that the game had been suspended in the top of the 10th because of a rain delay that showed no signs of being short. So, that game will resume again today @ 1:00 p.m. EDT, 45 before the start of today's regularly scheduled game @ 2:20 p.m. EDT. If you had tickets to last night's game, oops, you won't have a ticket for the resumption of that game. Such are the vagaries of climate change in the baseball world.
At any rate, the Cubs still have a NL best record of 77 - 53 as they try to win the suspended game and get seven wins in a row while increasing their NL Central 1st place lead of four games over the 2nd place Cardinals.
My beloved, 1st place Red Sox eked out a win over the feisty Miami Marlins, 8 - 7 last night. Things seemed desperate for a while, but a walk-off throwing error by the Marlins, allowed J.D. Martinez to score the winning run in the 9th to secure the win and avoid their first four-game losing streak, something no other team in baseball has avoided. Whew! At any rate, the Sox' bullpen imploded and nearly cost the Sox the game. The Sox and the Marlins play again tonight @ 6:35 p.m.
The Tigers, as usual, lost another game to the even more inept, Royals, 2 - 6. With 30 games left in their season, things do not look bright for the Tigers this year. They once again play the Royals this afternoon @ 2:15 p.m. EDT to attempt to salvage something of this lost season.
The Caps were off yesterday and they are in Dayton tonight to play the Dragons @ 7:00 p.m.
We had another set of T-storms last night that drove STWD to her hide-e-hole. They are over now, but the NWS has forecast a new round of storms for this morning, beginning anytime now. I have the blinds open on the WW to see what develops. This is the third day in a row of the storms that we needed all summer. Oh well, that's climate change for you. The sun will rise into stormy skies @ 7:06 a.m. and set later @ 8:24 p.m. In between, the skies will remain cloudy. We should remain dry for a few days.
It took two days, but the southbound train run that tool place on Monday with locomotive #2025 towing two DWTCs, one GTC, and six extra-long DBTCs, concluded with yesterday's northbound run @ 10:06 a.m., with that same locomotive towing six CHCs, nine DBTCs, and four DWTCs, one with a green anti-corrosive stripe around its mid-section. The way the manse shook with the passage, I could tell that the cars were fully loaded.
Today, I have another P/T appointment. My shoulder is feeling better, so next week's appointment, my last, should give me the relief that I sought. Like Mary oft opines, I have issues in most of my joints due to the stress and strains of my many careers and my own height.
We have an appointment to get the fur-children groomed today. STWD doesn't like it at all, and Ginger would avoid it if she could. However, Sugar is dingy and needs a pawdicure, while Ginger needs the same on her paws and also a trim, because as a terrier, she doesn't shed, so she is looking shaggy.
Otherwise, we'll run some small errands and then settle in. Ciao.
Tuesday, August 28, 2018
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 6:30 a.m. in "The City."
My original plan was to stay in bed and get some additional sleep. Alas, as is all too often said, "Plans change." I once again awoke to the sound of thunder and of course found STWD in her hide-e-hole. So I proceeded to the media room for some early morning TV and then I sprang to my desk for this blog.
All of that thunder I'd heard was accompanied by another gully-washer of a rain storm. I like it in that I once again won't have to water. However, my plan was to ride my bike today, but that may not be possible due to the forecast from the NWS. They predict that we'll see a cessation of the shower activity around 9:00 this a.m. and then only a 15% to 20% chance until 5:00 p.m. when the percentage changes to 50% to 65% for scattered T-storms.
The sun will rise this morning @ 7:05 a.m. and set later this evening @ 8:26 p.m. In between, the relative humidity will be 80% with a high temperature of 82°! There is not a chance that I'll be riding my bike today. Tomorrow doesn't look any better, with T-storms early and then cloudy-skies the rest of the day. However, the temperature forecast will be better along with the relative humidity tomorrow.
However, there is a side benefit/effect to the heavy rains of late. Mushrooms of various varieties seemingly pop-up out of nowhere. As you may recall, I took some photos in our neighbor's yard a few weeks ago of one variety. Yesterday's rains produced some additional varieties in our parkway garden. Naturally, Mary grabbed the camera and took some photos along with pix of her roses, one of which I think is stunning enough to be immortalized on the wall of her office. You decide.
It is now official, Mary's indexing business has closed and she is retired. Her contact at the publisher gave her a great testimonial that made her feel as though her work had worth and value. I'm somewhat ambivalent, as she did the hard work and all I had to do was highlight and comment on some very interesting books. Will I miss the long tomes? No, but the shorter and often more interesting ones were fun and educational.
As was always the case, I was once again paid in beans. We made a stop for dinner at our favorite watering hole for my final, well-earned, bean burrito. Somewhat bittersweet I think, but a new chapter in our lives awaits. Mary has a myriad number of craft projects to work on, vegan cooking recipes to try, excursions for photo-ops, and walks with the fur-children to be taken.
Me? I have an entire library full of books to read and numerous meetings with the "Girls" to attend. Plus, I still love to cook and bake and there are musical instruments that I want to play, if not master. So, I have plenty to do too. Mary's mother always used to say how busy she was in retirement and now I know why. As I like to do, I just had to go to YouTube™ for an appropriate song to fit my mood. I chose He Went to Paris, by singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett to help illustrate my feelings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyytp3Xf26I
I think Mary might have chosen this Jimmy Buffett song, A Pirate Looks at Forty from YouTube™ to illustrate her feelings. I'll let her correct me if I'm wrong.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZmbjopYUPc
Baseball news yesterday was okay, if you are a Cubs' fan. They defeated the Mets, 7 - 4 last night as Jon Lester contributed two RBIs, but didn't get the decision. He was relieved and his relief gave up the tying run. A powerful 425' home-run from Anthony Rizzo and some timely hitting by Ben Zobrist sealed the win. The Cubs now lead the Cardinals and the Brewers in the NL Central by 4.5 and 5.0 games respectively. The Cubs and the Mets play again tonight @ 8:05 p.m. EDT.
My beloved Red Sox had the day off, but a defeat of the 2nd place Yankees by that other team from Chicago, 6 - 2, gives the Sox a 6.5 game lead in the AL East. The Sox play in Fenway tonight against the 5th place, 53 - 79 Miami Marlins @ 710 p.m. EDT.
The 53 - 76, 3rd place in the AL Central Tigers, also had the day off yesterday. They travel to meet the equally inept, 40 - 91 Kansas City Royals tonight @ 8:15 p.m. EDT.
The 65 - 68, 5th place in the MWL East Caps, probably wish that they too had had the day off, as they fell to the 58 - 74 Loons, 2 - 6. The Caps do have today off before traveling to OH to meet the 56 - 76 Dayton Dragons @ 7:00 p.m. tomorrow night.
Well that looks like enough for one morning, so I'm outta here! Ciao.
My original plan was to stay in bed and get some additional sleep. Alas, as is all too often said, "Plans change." I once again awoke to the sound of thunder and of course found STWD in her hide-e-hole. So I proceeded to the media room for some early morning TV and then I sprang to my desk for this blog.
All of that thunder I'd heard was accompanied by another gully-washer of a rain storm. I like it in that I once again won't have to water. However, my plan was to ride my bike today, but that may not be possible due to the forecast from the NWS. They predict that we'll see a cessation of the shower activity around 9:00 this a.m. and then only a 15% to 20% chance until 5:00 p.m. when the percentage changes to 50% to 65% for scattered T-storms.
The sun will rise this morning @ 7:05 a.m. and set later this evening @ 8:26 p.m. In between, the relative humidity will be 80% with a high temperature of 82°! There is not a chance that I'll be riding my bike today. Tomorrow doesn't look any better, with T-storms early and then cloudy-skies the rest of the day. However, the temperature forecast will be better along with the relative humidity tomorrow.
However, there is a side benefit/effect to the heavy rains of late. Mushrooms of various varieties seemingly pop-up out of nowhere. As you may recall, I took some photos in our neighbor's yard a few weeks ago of one variety. Yesterday's rains produced some additional varieties in our parkway garden. Naturally, Mary grabbed the camera and took some photos along with pix of her roses, one of which I think is stunning enough to be immortalized on the wall of her office. You decide.
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| I like this one. |
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| But, I think I like this one the best. |
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| Oh yes, the aforementioned mushrooms. |
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| I was watching TV in the media room when Mary invited me to the front porch to enjoy the weather and a view of one of our roses. |
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| Even though the skies were darkening as the front that drove STWD to her hid-e-hole moved in, Mary got some great pix. |
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| Just because. |
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| Since we were on the porch, Ginger wanted to be there too. |
As was always the case, I was once again paid in beans. We made a stop for dinner at our favorite watering hole for my final, well-earned, bean burrito. Somewhat bittersweet I think, but a new chapter in our lives awaits. Mary has a myriad number of craft projects to work on, vegan cooking recipes to try, excursions for photo-ops, and walks with the fur-children to be taken.
Me? I have an entire library full of books to read and numerous meetings with the "Girls" to attend. Plus, I still love to cook and bake and there are musical instruments that I want to play, if not master. So, I have plenty to do too. Mary's mother always used to say how busy she was in retirement and now I know why. As I like to do, I just had to go to YouTube™ for an appropriate song to fit my mood. I chose He Went to Paris, by singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett to help illustrate my feelings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyytp3Xf26I
I think Mary might have chosen this Jimmy Buffett song, A Pirate Looks at Forty from YouTube™ to illustrate her feelings. I'll let her correct me if I'm wrong.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZmbjopYUPc
Baseball news yesterday was okay, if you are a Cubs' fan. They defeated the Mets, 7 - 4 last night as Jon Lester contributed two RBIs, but didn't get the decision. He was relieved and his relief gave up the tying run. A powerful 425' home-run from Anthony Rizzo and some timely hitting by Ben Zobrist sealed the win. The Cubs now lead the Cardinals and the Brewers in the NL Central by 4.5 and 5.0 games respectively. The Cubs and the Mets play again tonight @ 8:05 p.m. EDT.
My beloved Red Sox had the day off, but a defeat of the 2nd place Yankees by that other team from Chicago, 6 - 2, gives the Sox a 6.5 game lead in the AL East. The Sox play in Fenway tonight against the 5th place, 53 - 79 Miami Marlins @ 710 p.m. EDT.
The 53 - 76, 3rd place in the AL Central Tigers, also had the day off yesterday. They travel to meet the equally inept, 40 - 91 Kansas City Royals tonight @ 8:15 p.m. EDT.
The 65 - 68, 5th place in the MWL East Caps, probably wish that they too had had the day off, as they fell to the 58 - 74 Loons, 2 - 6. The Caps do have today off before traveling to OH to meet the 56 - 76 Dayton Dragons @ 7:00 p.m. tomorrow night.
Well that looks like enough for one morning, so I'm outta here! Ciao.
Monday, August 27, 2018
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 5:00 a.m in "The City."
In the immortal words of Ken "Hawk" Harrelson, the announcer for that other team from Chicago, "You can put it on the board, Yes!" In fact I am so stoked, to borrow a phrase, that this may be the only time in recent memory that I show a clip from YouTube™ that actually depicts that other team.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY6McvgeHAo
But, in this case I am only tangentially talking about baseball. I did it,! I finished my Knot Blanket yesterday. I had to detour around the fur-children who wanted to either help or sleep on the bed where I was working, but the end result is as I'd hoped it would be. Here is picture of my efforts.
One side is a fleece that features the logo of the 1st place Chicago Cubs™, while the opposite fleece features the logo of my beloved 1st place Boston Red Sox™.
Since I am on the subject of baseball, let me say that I have some good news, but mostly bad news. I won't ask the inevitable question, I'll just start with the good news. The 1st place in the NL Central, 76 - 53 Cubs, swept the last place, 56 - 75 Cincinnati Reds yesterday by a final score of 9 - 0. Kyle Hendricks recorded the win. Jason Heyward awoke from his hitting slumber to go 4 for 4 and help the team offensively. Kyle Schwarber and David Bote both rang the bell, while the newest Cub, Daniel Murphy, continued to lead-off for the Cubs and contribute to their recent string of successes. The Cubs welcome the NY Mets to the Friendly Confines tonight @ 8:05 p.m. when Jon Lester takes the mound against Noah "Thor" Syndergaard.
Alas, my beloved Red Sox are now down to a 1st place lead over the Yankees of only six games in the AL East, due to the Sox' loss to the 70 - 61, 3rd place Rays. Every team has a slump, but I am officially worried. The Sox have the day off before meeting the Miami Marlins with their 53 - 79, last in the NL East 5th place record. Here's hoping that Alex Cora's crew can right the ship then.
The 53 - 78, 3rd place in the AL Central Tigers, lost to that other team from Chicago yesterday, 1 - 9. That other team has a 4th place record of 51 - 79. Fortunately, the Tigers have the day off today too, before they travel to Kansas City to face the 40 - 91, last place in the AL Central Royals @ 8:15 Tuesday night.
The 65 - 67, 5th place in the MWL East Caps, lost yesterday afternoon to the 57 - 74, 3rd place Great Lakes Loons, 2 - 4. The Caps will get no rest, as they meet the Loons again tonight @ 7:05.
That rain that was supposed to wait until Tuesday came early last night and continued into today. Thunder booms sent STWD to her hide-e-hole around 9:00 p.m. last night, when the NWS issued a Severe Storm Warning. The thunder and lightning have continued throughout the night and they are forecast to continue today through Wednesday. The plus side is that I won't have to water for a few days. However, the temperatures are forecast to remain high as will the relative humidity. The sun will rise this morning @ 7:03 a.m. into rainy skies and the temperature is forecast to reach 85° before the sun sets this evening @ 8:27 p.m.
We didn't get the index into the ether yesterday. It must go out today. I will once again be walking the fur-children and then editing, some of which I began yesterday.
Otherwise, nothing is on tap. Ciao.
In the immortal words of Ken "Hawk" Harrelson, the announcer for that other team from Chicago, "You can put it on the board, Yes!" In fact I am so stoked, to borrow a phrase, that this may be the only time in recent memory that I show a clip from YouTube™ that actually depicts that other team.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY6McvgeHAo
But, in this case I am only tangentially talking about baseball. I did it,! I finished my Knot Blanket yesterday. I had to detour around the fur-children who wanted to either help or sleep on the bed where I was working, but the end result is as I'd hoped it would be. Here is picture of my efforts.
 |
| You can never get too much of a good thing! |
Since I am on the subject of baseball, let me say that I have some good news, but mostly bad news. I won't ask the inevitable question, I'll just start with the good news. The 1st place in the NL Central, 76 - 53 Cubs, swept the last place, 56 - 75 Cincinnati Reds yesterday by a final score of 9 - 0. Kyle Hendricks recorded the win. Jason Heyward awoke from his hitting slumber to go 4 for 4 and help the team offensively. Kyle Schwarber and David Bote both rang the bell, while the newest Cub, Daniel Murphy, continued to lead-off for the Cubs and contribute to their recent string of successes. The Cubs welcome the NY Mets to the Friendly Confines tonight @ 8:05 p.m. when Jon Lester takes the mound against Noah "Thor" Syndergaard.
Alas, my beloved Red Sox are now down to a 1st place lead over the Yankees of only six games in the AL East, due to the Sox' loss to the 70 - 61, 3rd place Rays. Every team has a slump, but I am officially worried. The Sox have the day off before meeting the Miami Marlins with their 53 - 79, last in the NL East 5th place record. Here's hoping that Alex Cora's crew can right the ship then.
The 53 - 78, 3rd place in the AL Central Tigers, lost to that other team from Chicago yesterday, 1 - 9. That other team has a 4th place record of 51 - 79. Fortunately, the Tigers have the day off today too, before they travel to Kansas City to face the 40 - 91, last place in the AL Central Royals @ 8:15 Tuesday night.
The 65 - 67, 5th place in the MWL East Caps, lost yesterday afternoon to the 57 - 74, 3rd place Great Lakes Loons, 2 - 4. The Caps will get no rest, as they meet the Loons again tonight @ 7:05.
That rain that was supposed to wait until Tuesday came early last night and continued into today. Thunder booms sent STWD to her hide-e-hole around 9:00 p.m. last night, when the NWS issued a Severe Storm Warning. The thunder and lightning have continued throughout the night and they are forecast to continue today through Wednesday. The plus side is that I won't have to water for a few days. However, the temperatures are forecast to remain high as will the relative humidity. The sun will rise this morning @ 7:03 a.m. into rainy skies and the temperature is forecast to reach 85° before the sun sets this evening @ 8:27 p.m.
We didn't get the index into the ether yesterday. It must go out today. I will once again be walking the fur-children and then editing, some of which I began yesterday.
Otherwise, nothing is on tap. Ciao.
Sunday, August 26, 2018
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 5:30 a.m. in "The City."
I got up around 3:30 and Ginger asked to go out. She was followed by her sister, STWD. Since I was downstairs, I decided to empty the dishwasher and make myself a salad. That reminds me, I have to ask Mary to make some salad dressing after we are done with the index. I'm thinking vegan French or Thousand Island dressings, both of which she does well.
Speaking of the kitchen, I violated my own warning for yesterday and made some additional vegan Italian meatballs. They are Mary's favorite of the things that I make in the kitchen. In fact, she used some of them for a down and dirty dinner of spaghetti and meatballs for dinner.
I made the determination to violate my own admonition after I returned from the morning walks with the fur-children. STWD and I picked up the weekend edition of the Grand Haven Tribune while we were out. Ginger and I just had a nice walk.
Since I was already downstairs, I did some indoor chores and worked the crossword puzzle. I needed no assistance on this one and I feel good about that.
Mary had to put the index away for the day around 4:00 p.m. yesterday. Like most things, you can quickly go over the edge and do more harm than good when you get tired. I spent part of the time after my indoor chores, crossword solving, and my kitchen activities working on my knot blanket. I am now about half-done. Maybe today, maybe "Knot."
Baseball news yesterday was mostly bad. The only winners were the 75 - 53, 1st in the NL Central Cubs, who defeated the 56 - 74, 5th place Reds, 10 - 6 behind Jose Quintana with the assistance of home-runs from Daniel Murphy, Kyle Schwarber and Javier Baez. Next game, 2:20 p.m. EDT today.
My beloved, 90 - 41, fortunately still in 1st place by seven game in the AL East Red Sox, saw their bats once again experience slumber in the lumber. The Sox fell to the 69 - 61, 3rd place Rays, 1 - 5. That loss gives the Sox a very rare series loss even if they win today's game from the Rays starting @ 1:10 p.m. EDT.
The 53 - 77 Tigers, well, they are still safely ensconced in 3rd place in the AL Central, following a 1 - 6 loss to that other team from Chicago, who have a 4th place record of 50 - 79. Maybe nest year for the Tigers will start after today's game against that other team @ 1:10 p.m.
The 65 - 66 West Michigan White Caps fell to 5th place in the MWL East following their 0 - 1 loss to the 56 - 74 Great Lakes Loons. It is worthy of note that the Loons had a tough first-half of the MWL season, but they are playing solid baseball in the second half with a record of 32 - 30, while the Caps 2nd-half record is a sub-.500 29 - 32. Today's game against the Loons @ the Fifth/Third Ballpark begins @ 2:00 p.m.
We have a current muggy temperature of 70° under mostly-cloudy skies. According to the NWS, today's high will reach a sultry 85°, about eight degrees warmer than yesterday. That Beach Hazard Statement has been extended until Tuesday morning. Winds of 15 - 25 mph will produce 3 - 5 foot waves and hazardous swimming conditions, especially around places like Grand Haven's newly reopened South Pier.
In addition, the high winds will cause the waves to sweep over the pier and anyone venturing out there will risk being swept into the "Big Lake." It should come as no surprise, that there is also a Small Craft Warning in effect too. Yes, folks, the Red Warning Flag will be flying for several more days. Pay attention!
Today, we will get that index into the ether and then go about our business. I'll walk the fur-children and await my editing chores after that. If we get time, I'd like to go to Hemlock Crossing for that Prairie Wildflower Walk, scheduled for 3:00 p.m. today. It would make a great photo-op.
The sun will rise into those muggy skies today @ 7:02 a.m. and set tonight @ 8:29 p.m. The next chance for significant precipitation is Tuesday and Wednesday with a 60% chance for T-storms/showers. Ciao.
I got up around 3:30 and Ginger asked to go out. She was followed by her sister, STWD. Since I was downstairs, I decided to empty the dishwasher and make myself a salad. That reminds me, I have to ask Mary to make some salad dressing after we are done with the index. I'm thinking vegan French or Thousand Island dressings, both of which she does well.
Speaking of the kitchen, I violated my own warning for yesterday and made some additional vegan Italian meatballs. They are Mary's favorite of the things that I make in the kitchen. In fact, she used some of them for a down and dirty dinner of spaghetti and meatballs for dinner.
I made the determination to violate my own admonition after I returned from the morning walks with the fur-children. STWD and I picked up the weekend edition of the Grand Haven Tribune while we were out. Ginger and I just had a nice walk.
Since I was already downstairs, I did some indoor chores and worked the crossword puzzle. I needed no assistance on this one and I feel good about that.
Mary had to put the index away for the day around 4:00 p.m. yesterday. Like most things, you can quickly go over the edge and do more harm than good when you get tired. I spent part of the time after my indoor chores, crossword solving, and my kitchen activities working on my knot blanket. I am now about half-done. Maybe today, maybe "Knot."
Baseball news yesterday was mostly bad. The only winners were the 75 - 53, 1st in the NL Central Cubs, who defeated the 56 - 74, 5th place Reds, 10 - 6 behind Jose Quintana with the assistance of home-runs from Daniel Murphy, Kyle Schwarber and Javier Baez. Next game, 2:20 p.m. EDT today.
My beloved, 90 - 41, fortunately still in 1st place by seven game in the AL East Red Sox, saw their bats once again experience slumber in the lumber. The Sox fell to the 69 - 61, 3rd place Rays, 1 - 5. That loss gives the Sox a very rare series loss even if they win today's game from the Rays starting @ 1:10 p.m. EDT.
The 53 - 77 Tigers, well, they are still safely ensconced in 3rd place in the AL Central, following a 1 - 6 loss to that other team from Chicago, who have a 4th place record of 50 - 79. Maybe nest year for the Tigers will start after today's game against that other team @ 1:10 p.m.
The 65 - 66 West Michigan White Caps fell to 5th place in the MWL East following their 0 - 1 loss to the 56 - 74 Great Lakes Loons. It is worthy of note that the Loons had a tough first-half of the MWL season, but they are playing solid baseball in the second half with a record of 32 - 30, while the Caps 2nd-half record is a sub-.500 29 - 32. Today's game against the Loons @ the Fifth/Third Ballpark begins @ 2:00 p.m.
We have a current muggy temperature of 70° under mostly-cloudy skies. According to the NWS, today's high will reach a sultry 85°, about eight degrees warmer than yesterday. That Beach Hazard Statement has been extended until Tuesday morning. Winds of 15 - 25 mph will produce 3 - 5 foot waves and hazardous swimming conditions, especially around places like Grand Haven's newly reopened South Pier.
In addition, the high winds will cause the waves to sweep over the pier and anyone venturing out there will risk being swept into the "Big Lake." It should come as no surprise, that there is also a Small Craft Warning in effect too. Yes, folks, the Red Warning Flag will be flying for several more days. Pay attention!
Today, we will get that index into the ether and then go about our business. I'll walk the fur-children and await my editing chores after that. If we get time, I'd like to go to Hemlock Crossing for that Prairie Wildflower Walk, scheduled for 3:00 p.m. today. It would make a great photo-op.
The sun will rise into those muggy skies today @ 7:02 a.m. and set tonight @ 8:29 p.m. The next chance for significant precipitation is Tuesday and Wednesday with a 60% chance for T-storms/showers. Ciao.
Saturday, August 25, 2018
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 6:00 a.m. in "The City."
For most people, this is probably a regular time to get up on a weekday, and way too early for a weekend. For me, this is rather late, considering my regular schedule and the fact that I am retired. Mary has been thinking about retirement too, but every time she does, another interesting book crosses her path and she is drawn back into the world of professional indexing.
Speaking of indexing, Mary has more to go on the current index, so I have been doing some of my regular chores here on the PE as well as walking the fur-children and doing some of the cooking too. I just have to remind myself that standing on my feet for too long is not, repeat not, good for my yak.
Yesterday, I started my day with watering, as I just never know if the forecast from the NWS will actually mean what they say. Naturally, it rained later in the afternoon and into the evening. It was a good thing that I took the fur-children out when I did.
I walked with STWD to The Bookman for the Friday edition of the Grand Haven Tribune and then Miss Ginger and I walked downtown to the bank so that we could both make a withdrawal. Ginger waited patiently to receive hers until it was time to leave and then she wanted immediate access. Overall, she was a good walking companion.
I came home and started lunch. Once again, I made another of my kitchen "Bests". a large bowl of rice and a stir-fry of soy curls, julienned carrots, sliced celery, sliced portobello mushrooms, re-hydrated garlic and onions, and bean sprouts, mixed with with my "Secret Sauce." It tasted great and with the able assistance of my newly promoted Sous-Dog first-class, Miss Ginger, I had a great time.
Mary arrived for lunch and she enjoyed my efforts and "suggested" that since I was in the kitchen, I should consider making my famous vegan Italian meatballs. So after lunch, I did that too. All of that is a roundabout way of saying, I have no plans to do more in the kitchen today. I will have to walk the fur-children, but that keeps me in motion so that's a good thing.
We have a current temperature of 67° under cloudy skies. In fact, the NWS is forecasting a 60% chance of scattered T-storms this morning, followed by showers until about 3:00 p.m. EDT. The NWS has also forecast that today's high will reach 76° under cloudy-skies once the sun rises @ 7:01 a.m. and well before it sets @ 8:31 p.m.
Oddly enough, when I was walking the intrepid weather dog yesterday, the northbound run of the train came by on the RSTL. I think it was the second-half of the run that occurred the day before. On Thursday, MMRR locomotive #2025 rolled past heading south towing nine CHCs @ 12:50 p.m. EDT. Yesterday @ 11:15 a.m., that same locomotive rolled slowly past STWD and I heading north, towing four CHCs, seven DBTCs, and two GTCs.
In light of my interest in the passage of the trains and our shared interest in photography, Mary once suggested that I should call the railroad and ask them their schedule for the trains. Somehow, with the cargoes that they carry in those dreaded tank cars, I don't think that is information that they will share with a random caller.
We had our tickets for that Sunset Photo Walk in Muskegon yesterday, but with the forecast from the NWS calling for cloudy/rainy skies along the lakefront, we opted not to go. No sun, so no sunset. We may have to go to the Pere Marquette Park in Muskegon and do our own Sunset Photo Walk in the future. Unfortunately, as neophyte camera enthusiasts, we won't have the expertise of the Olympus camera rep nor Justin from The Camera Shop to guide us. However, we still plan to go to the Hemlock Crossing County Park on Sunday for the Prairie Wildflower Walk scheduled for the afternoon, weather permitting.
We should be able to get the index into the ether today and then we can relax and enjoy the balance of our weekend. I will be editing after Mary finishes her efforts before a final edit by both of us.
I'm getting long-winded, so I'll just mention that the words that I wrote in my previous blog were prophetic. My beloved 1st place Red Sox lost to the 3rd place Rays yesterday, 3 - 10. The 1st place Cubs eked out a win over the last place Reds, 3 -2, on the strength of a home-run by David Bote and a walk-off, 10th inning home-run, from Daniel Murphy. The 3rd place Tigers fell to that 4th place other team from Chicago, 3 - 6. The 4th place Caps lost to the 3rd place Loons, 0 - 8. To use a very trite phrase, "That's the way the ball bounces."
Today, walks with the fur-children, indexing and editing, and more crossword solving from the weekend edition of the Grand Haven Tribune, which publishes the Sunday puzzle from the Los Angeles Times. I like Monday's easy puzzle the most.
By the by, I mentioned earlier that the NWS had forecast scattered T-storms for GH this morning. Well, the not far-off sound of thunder and the current view out the WW confirmed that forecast. By the by, this storm is another gully-washer and STWD is in her hide-e-hole. Ciao.
For most people, this is probably a regular time to get up on a weekday, and way too early for a weekend. For me, this is rather late, considering my regular schedule and the fact that I am retired. Mary has been thinking about retirement too, but every time she does, another interesting book crosses her path and she is drawn back into the world of professional indexing.
Speaking of indexing, Mary has more to go on the current index, so I have been doing some of my regular chores here on the PE as well as walking the fur-children and doing some of the cooking too. I just have to remind myself that standing on my feet for too long is not, repeat not, good for my yak.
Yesterday, I started my day with watering, as I just never know if the forecast from the NWS will actually mean what they say. Naturally, it rained later in the afternoon and into the evening. It was a good thing that I took the fur-children out when I did.
I walked with STWD to The Bookman for the Friday edition of the Grand Haven Tribune and then Miss Ginger and I walked downtown to the bank so that we could both make a withdrawal. Ginger waited patiently to receive hers until it was time to leave and then she wanted immediate access. Overall, she was a good walking companion.
I came home and started lunch. Once again, I made another of my kitchen "Bests". a large bowl of rice and a stir-fry of soy curls, julienned carrots, sliced celery, sliced portobello mushrooms, re-hydrated garlic and onions, and bean sprouts, mixed with with my "Secret Sauce." It tasted great and with the able assistance of my newly promoted Sous-Dog first-class, Miss Ginger, I had a great time.
Mary arrived for lunch and she enjoyed my efforts and "suggested" that since I was in the kitchen, I should consider making my famous vegan Italian meatballs. So after lunch, I did that too. All of that is a roundabout way of saying, I have no plans to do more in the kitchen today. I will have to walk the fur-children, but that keeps me in motion so that's a good thing.
We have a current temperature of 67° under cloudy skies. In fact, the NWS is forecasting a 60% chance of scattered T-storms this morning, followed by showers until about 3:00 p.m. EDT. The NWS has also forecast that today's high will reach 76° under cloudy-skies once the sun rises @ 7:01 a.m. and well before it sets @ 8:31 p.m.
Oddly enough, when I was walking the intrepid weather dog yesterday, the northbound run of the train came by on the RSTL. I think it was the second-half of the run that occurred the day before. On Thursday, MMRR locomotive #2025 rolled past heading south towing nine CHCs @ 12:50 p.m. EDT. Yesterday @ 11:15 a.m., that same locomotive rolled slowly past STWD and I heading north, towing four CHCs, seven DBTCs, and two GTCs.
In light of my interest in the passage of the trains and our shared interest in photography, Mary once suggested that I should call the railroad and ask them their schedule for the trains. Somehow, with the cargoes that they carry in those dreaded tank cars, I don't think that is information that they will share with a random caller.
We had our tickets for that Sunset Photo Walk in Muskegon yesterday, but with the forecast from the NWS calling for cloudy/rainy skies along the lakefront, we opted not to go. No sun, so no sunset. We may have to go to the Pere Marquette Park in Muskegon and do our own Sunset Photo Walk in the future. Unfortunately, as neophyte camera enthusiasts, we won't have the expertise of the Olympus camera rep nor Justin from The Camera Shop to guide us. However, we still plan to go to the Hemlock Crossing County Park on Sunday for the Prairie Wildflower Walk scheduled for the afternoon, weather permitting.
We should be able to get the index into the ether today and then we can relax and enjoy the balance of our weekend. I will be editing after Mary finishes her efforts before a final edit by both of us.
I'm getting long-winded, so I'll just mention that the words that I wrote in my previous blog were prophetic. My beloved 1st place Red Sox lost to the 3rd place Rays yesterday, 3 - 10. The 1st place Cubs eked out a win over the last place Reds, 3 -2, on the strength of a home-run by David Bote and a walk-off, 10th inning home-run, from Daniel Murphy. The 3rd place Tigers fell to that 4th place other team from Chicago, 3 - 6. The 4th place Caps lost to the 3rd place Loons, 0 - 8. To use a very trite phrase, "That's the way the ball bounces."
Today, walks with the fur-children, indexing and editing, and more crossword solving from the weekend edition of the Grand Haven Tribune, which publishes the Sunday puzzle from the Los Angeles Times. I like Monday's easy puzzle the most.
By the by, I mentioned earlier that the NWS had forecast scattered T-storms for GH this morning. Well, the not far-off sound of thunder and the current view out the WW confirmed that forecast. By the by, this storm is another gully-washer and STWD is in her hide-e-hole. Ciao.
Friday, August 24, 2018
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:00 a.m. in"The City."
In baseball news yesterday, all of my teams won! The 73 - 63, 3.0 games ahead of the 71 - 58 Brewers in the NL Central, 1st place Cubs, looked like world beaters as they upended the 56 - 72, 5th place Reds, 7 - 1. Of course, the Cubs are supposed to win those games, but on any given day, all of the teams in the Major Leagues™ are capable of winning.
Starting and winning pitcher, Cole Hamels, went the distance, recording his 4th straight win since joining the Cubs. This seems like the perfect place to insert a clip from YouTube™ from one of my favorite baseball movies, Field of Dreams. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yxzq9BLE5Hg,where
This is the scene where Kevin Costner as Ray Kinsella, and James Earl Jones as Terence Mann, are attending a Red Sox game in Fenway Park.
And don't forget, this other scene from Field of Dreams, wherein James Earl Jones, as Terence Mann intones the lines, "People will come Ray." "The one constant through all the years Ray, has been baseball." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SB16il97yw
What more could a Red Sox fan want, unless it is the movie, Fever Pitch, that shows Jimmy Fallon as a die-hard Red Sox fan and his new-found girlfriend, Drew Barrymore. So, I'll add that clip too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKaldffU02c
This was the first complete game by a Cubs' pitcher this year! Hamels got support from Javier Baez, who hammered a 481 foot home run that left the ballpark. In addition, Anthony Rizzo also drove one deep, that traveled 434 feet, and added two more runs to Rizzo's RBI total.
In other Cubs' news, Daniel Murphy got two hits and two RBIs in the game. Sometime starting pitcher,Yu Darvish, is happy to have a diagnosis on his sore pitching arm too. Darvish did not respond to questions about the 2019 season and evaded a question about a possible retirement at only 32 years of age. Cubs and the Reds play again today @ 2:20 p.m. EDT.
My beloved, 90 - 39, 1st in the AL Central, Red Sox, upended the 1st place in the AL Central, 73 - 54 Indians, 7 - 0. The Sox travel to Tampa to play the Rays tonight @ 7:10 p.m. EDT.
The 53 - 75, 3rd place in the AL Central Tigers, dumped the 4th place team in their division, that other team from Chicago, 7 - 2. They play again tonight too @ 7:10 p.m.
The 65 - 64 MWL East 4th place Caps, squeaked by the 55 - 73, 8th place Dayton Dragons last night, 5 - 4. The Caps welcome the 54 - 74, Great Lakes Loons to the Fifth/Third Ballpark tonight @ 7:05 p.m. Oddly, the Loons overall record of 55 - 73, still allows them to be in 3rd place in the MWL East because of their 2nd half record of 30 - 30.
I was busy yesterday. I walked both of the fur-children to allow Mary a chance to index non-stop. I came home and peeled apples to make applesauce and more importantly, another pie. I feel as though the best things I make in the kitchen come from the oven. After tasting my latest pie, I am certain. Here are some pix of the pie in progress.
Mary also took some pix earlier this morning., She was attempting to get the moon and Mars, but too many trees near the back-forty made that nearly impossible. Still, I'll share a couple of her pix too.
We have a current temperature of 64°, one degree greater than the anticipated low for this morning. The NWS is forecasting today's high to be 75° with a 70% chance for showers that may begin as early as 2:00 p.m. EDT. The showers taper off later, but return as T-storms on Saturday morning, I have my fingers crossed regarding our Sunset Photo Shoot, but I also would like to avoid watering too.
The NWS has issued a Beach Hazard Statement from 8:00 a.m. today until late Saturday afternoon. four to eight foot waves and 15 - 25 mph winds means that the Red Flag will be flying on the shores of the "Big Lake."
Otherwise, Mary continues to index, I will once again walk the fur-children and try to stay quiet while Mary works. I'd play with the girls, but when I do, I start to sing and Mary can't block out the lyrics of songs she knows.
The sun will rise today @ 7:00 a.m. and set later @ 8:32 p.m. Ciao.
In baseball news yesterday, all of my teams won! The 73 - 63, 3.0 games ahead of the 71 - 58 Brewers in the NL Central, 1st place Cubs, looked like world beaters as they upended the 56 - 72, 5th place Reds, 7 - 1. Of course, the Cubs are supposed to win those games, but on any given day, all of the teams in the Major Leagues™ are capable of winning.
Starting and winning pitcher, Cole Hamels, went the distance, recording his 4th straight win since joining the Cubs. This seems like the perfect place to insert a clip from YouTube™ from one of my favorite baseball movies, Field of Dreams. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yxzq9BLE5Hg,where
This is the scene where Kevin Costner as Ray Kinsella, and James Earl Jones as Terence Mann, are attending a Red Sox game in Fenway Park.
And don't forget, this other scene from Field of Dreams, wherein James Earl Jones, as Terence Mann intones the lines, "People will come Ray." "The one constant through all the years Ray, has been baseball." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SB16il97yw
What more could a Red Sox fan want, unless it is the movie, Fever Pitch, that shows Jimmy Fallon as a die-hard Red Sox fan and his new-found girlfriend, Drew Barrymore. So, I'll add that clip too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKaldffU02c
This was the first complete game by a Cubs' pitcher this year! Hamels got support from Javier Baez, who hammered a 481 foot home run that left the ballpark. In addition, Anthony Rizzo also drove one deep, that traveled 434 feet, and added two more runs to Rizzo's RBI total.
In other Cubs' news, Daniel Murphy got two hits and two RBIs in the game. Sometime starting pitcher,Yu Darvish, is happy to have a diagnosis on his sore pitching arm too. Darvish did not respond to questions about the 2019 season and evaded a question about a possible retirement at only 32 years of age. Cubs and the Reds play again today @ 2:20 p.m. EDT.
My beloved, 90 - 39, 1st in the AL Central, Red Sox, upended the 1st place in the AL Central, 73 - 54 Indians, 7 - 0. The Sox travel to Tampa to play the Rays tonight @ 7:10 p.m. EDT.
The 53 - 75, 3rd place in the AL Central Tigers, dumped the 4th place team in their division, that other team from Chicago, 7 - 2. They play again tonight too @ 7:10 p.m.
The 65 - 64 MWL East 4th place Caps, squeaked by the 55 - 73, 8th place Dayton Dragons last night, 5 - 4. The Caps welcome the 54 - 74, Great Lakes Loons to the Fifth/Third Ballpark tonight @ 7:05 p.m. Oddly, the Loons overall record of 55 - 73, still allows them to be in 3rd place in the MWL East because of their 2nd half record of 30 - 30.
I was busy yesterday. I walked both of the fur-children to allow Mary a chance to index non-stop. I came home and peeled apples to make applesauce and more importantly, another pie. I feel as though the best things I make in the kitchen come from the oven. After tasting my latest pie, I am certain. Here are some pix of the pie in progress.
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| I had already made the pastry-dough, following the recipe I like from Mary's copy of the Fanny Farmer Cookbook. I was ready with my rolling mat. |
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| Large enough for the bottom crust after rolling. |
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| Ready for the top crust, with all the apples, brow sugar, flour and cinnamon mixed in. |
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| My signature Pi symbol is now on top and the pie is ready for 50 minutes in the pee-heated oven @ 425°. |
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| Done and ready to be eaten once it cools. |
We have a current temperature of 64°, one degree greater than the anticipated low for this morning. The NWS is forecasting today's high to be 75° with a 70% chance for showers that may begin as early as 2:00 p.m. EDT. The showers taper off later, but return as T-storms on Saturday morning, I have my fingers crossed regarding our Sunset Photo Shoot, but I also would like to avoid watering too.
The NWS has issued a Beach Hazard Statement from 8:00 a.m. today until late Saturday afternoon. four to eight foot waves and 15 - 25 mph winds means that the Red Flag will be flying on the shores of the "Big Lake."
Otherwise, Mary continues to index, I will once again walk the fur-children and try to stay quiet while Mary works. I'd play with the girls, but when I do, I start to sing and Mary can't block out the lyrics of songs she knows.
The sun will rise today @ 7:00 a.m. and set later @ 8:32 p.m. Ciao.
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:30 a.m. in "The City."
The NWS is showing a current temperature of 63° under mostly clear skies. The high today is forecast to be 76°, very comfortable, especially in light of the 56% relative humidity that is also in that forecast. The low-temperature this morning s supposed to be 60°. I know that it felt great when I was out with the fur-children around 2:30 a.m.
We still have a beach hazard warning in effect until this evening, with five to nine foot waves and wind speeds up to 30mph! Today's high after the sunrise @ 6:58 a.m.is forecast to be 76° under mostly sunny skies. The sun will set later @ 8:36 p.m.
Speaking of the sun setting, the 71 - 53 in the NL Central Cubs, fell to the 52 - 74 in the AL Central Tigers last night, 1 - 2. The lone Cubs' run came on, wait for it, a solo home run off the bat of Anthony Rizzo while on his knees. As you may have noticed, there is a trend with the Cubs lately, they can't score runs. With that in mind, the Cubs acquired Daniel Murphy, a career .299 hitter from the Washington Nationals. He is expected to play tonight in Detroit when the Cubs and the Tigers play @ 7:10 p.m. The Cubs certainly need some punch in their lineup.
In that vein, the Cubs regular third-baseman, Kris Bryant took batting practice before the game last night and said his ailing shoulder fells much better. He should soon be ready for a rehab start or two in the minors.
Meanwhile, the Cubs regular shortstop, Addison Russell, is nursing a couple of injuries ofhis own, a bruised thumb and also a sore shoulder of his own. He is s tough kid who has been playing with the pain for a while this season.
Also on the injury front, the much-maligned, Yu Darvish, he of the $126,000,000 six-year contract, was finally diagnosed with regard to his ailing right pitching arm. He has a "Stress Reaction" in his right elbow, the one on which he had Tommy John surgery a few years ago and also a muscle issue. According to those in the know, it takes six-weeks of no activity to allow a "Stress Reaction" to heal. So, that means that Darvish will not pitch again this year. He hasn't pitched since late May. So much promise when he was signed last winter, so little reward. Maybe next season. Maybe.
My beloved, 88 - 39, 1st in the AL East Red Sox, fell to the 73 - 52, 1st in the AL Central Indians last night, 3 - 6. They play again tonight @ 7:10 p.m. in Fenway.
The 63 - 64, 5th in the MWL East White Caps, fell to the 55 - 71, 8th place Dragons last night, 4 - 7. The Caps and the Dragons go at it again tonight @ 7:05 p.m.
I espied the northbound run of locomotives 2019 and 2025 has they passed by @ 11:57 a.m. on the RSTL layout yesterday. I don't know if there was a southbound run earlier while I was out at the big-box everything store. At any rate, the passage included four CHCs, and six DBTCs.
Mary was outside with the fur-children earlier, and she took some pix of the moon. I don't know what they indicate/represent, but they are interesting.
As such, it is probably a good thing that we are scheduled for a class on Friday evening at The Camera Shop, but there is also that forecast for rain with accompanying cloudy skies that same evening. So this class, entitled Sunset Photo Walk with Olympus, is iffy at this time.
Today, I have my next P/T appointment for my left-shoulder. It is mostly feeling better, but more therapy is a good thing. I plan to ride my bike at this time since the temperatures will be much more conducive to that endeavor. I'll return home to continue work on that picnic blanket that I am making and read more of my novel. All of that after a walk with the fur-children. Mary will continue working on the index. Ciao.
The NWS is showing a current temperature of 63° under mostly clear skies. The high today is forecast to be 76°, very comfortable, especially in light of the 56% relative humidity that is also in that forecast. The low-temperature this morning s supposed to be 60°. I know that it felt great when I was out with the fur-children around 2:30 a.m.
We still have a beach hazard warning in effect until this evening, with five to nine foot waves and wind speeds up to 30mph! Today's high after the sunrise @ 6:58 a.m.is forecast to be 76° under mostly sunny skies. The sun will set later @ 8:36 p.m.
Speaking of the sun setting, the 71 - 53 in the NL Central Cubs, fell to the 52 - 74 in the AL Central Tigers last night, 1 - 2. The lone Cubs' run came on, wait for it, a solo home run off the bat of Anthony Rizzo while on his knees. As you may have noticed, there is a trend with the Cubs lately, they can't score runs. With that in mind, the Cubs acquired Daniel Murphy, a career .299 hitter from the Washington Nationals. He is expected to play tonight in Detroit when the Cubs and the Tigers play @ 7:10 p.m. The Cubs certainly need some punch in their lineup.
In that vein, the Cubs regular third-baseman, Kris Bryant took batting practice before the game last night and said his ailing shoulder fells much better. He should soon be ready for a rehab start or two in the minors.
Meanwhile, the Cubs regular shortstop, Addison Russell, is nursing a couple of injuries ofhis own, a bruised thumb and also a sore shoulder of his own. He is s tough kid who has been playing with the pain for a while this season.
Also on the injury front, the much-maligned, Yu Darvish, he of the $126,000,000 six-year contract, was finally diagnosed with regard to his ailing right pitching arm. He has a "Stress Reaction" in his right elbow, the one on which he had Tommy John surgery a few years ago and also a muscle issue. According to those in the know, it takes six-weeks of no activity to allow a "Stress Reaction" to heal. So, that means that Darvish will not pitch again this year. He hasn't pitched since late May. So much promise when he was signed last winter, so little reward. Maybe next season. Maybe.
My beloved, 88 - 39, 1st in the AL East Red Sox, fell to the 73 - 52, 1st in the AL Central Indians last night, 3 - 6. They play again tonight @ 7:10 p.m. in Fenway.
The 63 - 64, 5th in the MWL East White Caps, fell to the 55 - 71, 8th place Dragons last night, 4 - 7. The Caps and the Dragons go at it again tonight @ 7:05 p.m.
I espied the northbound run of locomotives 2019 and 2025 has they passed by @ 11:57 a.m. on the RSTL layout yesterday. I don't know if there was a southbound run earlier while I was out at the big-box everything store. At any rate, the passage included four CHCs, and six DBTCs.
Mary was outside with the fur-children earlier, and she took some pix of the moon. I don't know what they indicate/represent, but they are interesting.
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| The moon through the trees to the southeast. |
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| Same |
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| Same |
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| Mary was shooting southeast, but she doesn't know what this is. Neither do I. |
Today, I have my next P/T appointment for my left-shoulder. It is mostly feeling better, but more therapy is a good thing. I plan to ride my bike at this time since the temperatures will be much more conducive to that endeavor. I'll return home to continue work on that picnic blanket that I am making and read more of my novel. All of that after a walk with the fur-children. Mary will continue working on the index. Ciao.
Tuesday, August 21, 2018
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:30 a.m. in "The City."
I awoke last night to sound of thunder, how far off I sat and wondered, started humming a song from 1962. Oops, once again I was channeling, this time Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band and their hit song, Night Moves. That being said, of course I am going to link to YouTube™ for my enjoyment, and hopefully, yours too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFRVegQZ_r0
Speaking of night moves, I got up to find that STWD had repaired to her upstairs Hide-e-Hole due to that sound of that thunder. We have a current temperature of 69° under rainy skies. When I got up, we were experiencing what used to be called a "Gully Washer." The rain was pouring down on the manse and the entire PE, at what can best be described as a ferocious rate. No cars were plying the streets of GH and all that rain that hasn't fallen for weeks came in one big downpour.
After the sun rises this morning @ 6:57 a.m. and well before it sets @ 8:37 p.m., the NWS is forecasting additional T-storms. In fact, the NWS has also issued a Beach Hazard Warning through Wednesday evening. That means that the waves on the "Big Lake" will be high and the danger to swimmers has brought out the Red Flag that means that strong currents, especially near man-made structures, like our newly reopened South Pier will occur along with rip-currents that challenge the strongest swimmers, thus endangering their lives and the lives of any would-be rescuers.
Two foolhardy people lost their lives when they chose to ignore the Red Flag warnings and lost their lives near the South Pier. The Red Flag warnings have been the subject of several columns in the Grand Haven Tribune recently, with some citizens opining that although they are doing crazy things, the chances they take are at the their own risk. That would be fine if it wasn't up to the Grand Haven Dept. of Public Safety and concerned citizens to attempt their rescue due to laws and human decency. Alas, all we can do is warn people and move on.
Yesterday in baseball was a slow day. My beloved, 88 - 38, 1st in the AL East Red, dropped one to the 72 - 52, 1st in the AL Central Indians, 4 - 5. At least when the Sox lose, they lose to a solid team like the Indians. The Sox and the Indians play again tonight @ 7:10 p.m. EDT.
The 71 - 52, 1st in the NL Central Cubs, open a series tonight in Detroit against the 51 - 74, 3rd in the AL Central Tigers, also @ 7:10 p.m. The Cubs have been struggling to score runs lately, so perhaps the chance to feed off of the Tigers' pitching staff is just what the Cubs' hitters need.
The 63 - 63, 4th in the MWL East White Caps, took one from the 53 - 73, 6th place Lake County, OH Captains last night, 3 - 1. Tonight is 10-cent hotdog night @ the Fifth/Third Ballpark when the Caps welcome the 8th place, 53 - 73 Dayton Dragons @ 7:05 p.m.
I continued work on our picnic blanket yesterday. When we chose the fleece for the two-sided blanket, the Cubs on one-side and my beloved Red Sox on the other, the idea of no sewing required to put those fleeces back-to-back using knots was appealing. Unfortunately, even with Mary's assistance, it has been a struggle. I may finish tying the knots around the edges today if all goes well.
Mary continued to work on that index. It is hard work due to the subject matter and the numerous end-notes. She'd had enough by early afternoon and so we traveled south to pick up some additional flagstones for our back-forty path. This will be installed when John comes by to assist. I know my limitations. In addition, the remaining grass will be removed and the bare areas will be covered over with mulch to accommodate the needs of the fur-children.
Today, while Mary works, I am off to the big-box nearly everything store for some shopping. If I could index, I'd trade Mary. Oh well, a man's work is never done. At least I won't have to water. Ciao.
I awoke last night to sound of thunder, how far off I sat and wondered, started humming a song from 1962. Oops, once again I was channeling, this time Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band and their hit song, Night Moves. That being said, of course I am going to link to YouTube™ for my enjoyment, and hopefully, yours too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFRVegQZ_r0
Speaking of night moves, I got up to find that STWD had repaired to her upstairs Hide-e-Hole due to that sound of that thunder. We have a current temperature of 69° under rainy skies. When I got up, we were experiencing what used to be called a "Gully Washer." The rain was pouring down on the manse and the entire PE, at what can best be described as a ferocious rate. No cars were plying the streets of GH and all that rain that hasn't fallen for weeks came in one big downpour.
After the sun rises this morning @ 6:57 a.m. and well before it sets @ 8:37 p.m., the NWS is forecasting additional T-storms. In fact, the NWS has also issued a Beach Hazard Warning through Wednesday evening. That means that the waves on the "Big Lake" will be high and the danger to swimmers has brought out the Red Flag that means that strong currents, especially near man-made structures, like our newly reopened South Pier will occur along with rip-currents that challenge the strongest swimmers, thus endangering their lives and the lives of any would-be rescuers.
Two foolhardy people lost their lives when they chose to ignore the Red Flag warnings and lost their lives near the South Pier. The Red Flag warnings have been the subject of several columns in the Grand Haven Tribune recently, with some citizens opining that although they are doing crazy things, the chances they take are at the their own risk. That would be fine if it wasn't up to the Grand Haven Dept. of Public Safety and concerned citizens to attempt their rescue due to laws and human decency. Alas, all we can do is warn people and move on.
Yesterday in baseball was a slow day. My beloved, 88 - 38, 1st in the AL East Red, dropped one to the 72 - 52, 1st in the AL Central Indians, 4 - 5. At least when the Sox lose, they lose to a solid team like the Indians. The Sox and the Indians play again tonight @ 7:10 p.m. EDT.
The 71 - 52, 1st in the NL Central Cubs, open a series tonight in Detroit against the 51 - 74, 3rd in the AL Central Tigers, also @ 7:10 p.m. The Cubs have been struggling to score runs lately, so perhaps the chance to feed off of the Tigers' pitching staff is just what the Cubs' hitters need.
The 63 - 63, 4th in the MWL East White Caps, took one from the 53 - 73, 6th place Lake County, OH Captains last night, 3 - 1. Tonight is 10-cent hotdog night @ the Fifth/Third Ballpark when the Caps welcome the 8th place, 53 - 73 Dayton Dragons @ 7:05 p.m.
I continued work on our picnic blanket yesterday. When we chose the fleece for the two-sided blanket, the Cubs on one-side and my beloved Red Sox on the other, the idea of no sewing required to put those fleeces back-to-back using knots was appealing. Unfortunately, even with Mary's assistance, it has been a struggle. I may finish tying the knots around the edges today if all goes well.
Mary continued to work on that index. It is hard work due to the subject matter and the numerous end-notes. She'd had enough by early afternoon and so we traveled south to pick up some additional flagstones for our back-forty path. This will be installed when John comes by to assist. I know my limitations. In addition, the remaining grass will be removed and the bare areas will be covered over with mulch to accommodate the needs of the fur-children.
Today, while Mary works, I am off to the big-box nearly everything store for some shopping. If I could index, I'd trade Mary. Oh well, a man's work is never done. At least I won't have to water. Ciao.
Sunday, August 19, 2018
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 10:30 p.m. in "The City."
Yes I know, I am early by my usual standards, but I am ready for bed, as I often am on a Sunday night, and so I am going to wrap up this blog quickly, I hope.
We have a current temperature of 73° under mostly clear skies. Tomorrow after the sun rises @ 6:56 a.m., the NWS is forecasting a high of 85°. They are also forecasting a 40% chance for showers in the evening. That may or may not lead to T-storms on Tuesday morning. At this time, the NWS has given that an 80% probability. If all goes well, the watering I did this morning should be enough until Thursday. The sun will set tomorrow @ 8:39 p.m.'
We had a great day today. We individually walked the fur-children and then I settled in to do some reading on my latest novel. Eighteen Acres, by Nicolle Wallace. Ms. Wallace worked as the Communications Director in the George W. Bush administration, and she is currently an anchor for MSNBC news. She has written more novels since Eighteen Acres was first published in 2011. So far, I like it.
Mary continued her work on the index and then we broke for a quick trip to the Weaver House, a part of the Ottawa County, MI Park System. The Weaver House was open today from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. for tours. The house was built in 1901 and has two stories with four rooms on each floor. The house was given to the Ottawa County Park System as part of the Grand River Green Way, with the stipulation that the house not be sold. It was extensively upgraded following a period during which it was allowed to deteriorate. Ottawa County had a decision to make, either raze the house, or renovate. Thankfully, they chose to renovate and the Weaver House is now available for gatherings such as luncheons and weddings. The home and the site are a wonder to behold.
While we were there, we took many pictures of the exterior and interior spaces. I'll add some of those pictures here.
I'll keep the sports news brief. The Cubs fell to the Pirates, 1 - 3 and they are off until Tuesday when they play the Tigers, who won, in their game over the Twins, 7 - 5.
My beloved Red Sox lost one of the few they have lost this season to the Tampa Bay Rays, 0 - 2.
The Caps took 10 innings, but they lost to the Lake County Captains, 4 - 5.
Otherwise, I grilled out today, making corn, zucchini, portobello mushrooms, and one of my vegan sausages. A great dinner to be sure. I did some indoor chores and then I sat down to watch inane TV.
Mary is doing what I believe is needlepoint right now. Ciao.
Yes I know, I am early by my usual standards, but I am ready for bed, as I often am on a Sunday night, and so I am going to wrap up this blog quickly, I hope.
We have a current temperature of 73° under mostly clear skies. Tomorrow after the sun rises @ 6:56 a.m., the NWS is forecasting a high of 85°. They are also forecasting a 40% chance for showers in the evening. That may or may not lead to T-storms on Tuesday morning. At this time, the NWS has given that an 80% probability. If all goes well, the watering I did this morning should be enough until Thursday. The sun will set tomorrow @ 8:39 p.m.'
We had a great day today. We individually walked the fur-children and then I settled in to do some reading on my latest novel. Eighteen Acres, by Nicolle Wallace. Ms. Wallace worked as the Communications Director in the George W. Bush administration, and she is currently an anchor for MSNBC news. She has written more novels since Eighteen Acres was first published in 2011. So far, I like it.
Mary continued her work on the index and then we broke for a quick trip to the Weaver House, a part of the Ottawa County, MI Park System. The Weaver House was open today from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. for tours. The house was built in 1901 and has two stories with four rooms on each floor. The house was given to the Ottawa County Park System as part of the Grand River Green Way, with the stipulation that the house not be sold. It was extensively upgraded following a period during which it was allowed to deteriorate. Ottawa County had a decision to make, either raze the house, or renovate. Thankfully, they chose to renovate and the Weaver House is now available for gatherings such as luncheons and weddings. The home and the site are a wonder to behold.
While we were there, we took many pictures of the exterior and interior spaces. I'll add some of those pictures here.
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| You can see why people choose to have their weddings at the Weaver House. The grounds are spectacular. |
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| Included in the modest rental fee, is a fully functional kitchen. |
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| Some of the fixtures are new, while some date to the early 20th centuryfor many years. |
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| The upstairs is open, but is not part of the rental. However, this room on the second floor contains items that belonged to the Weaver family. Mrs. Waver lived in the house for many years and these are examples of her crafting abilities. These and the one in the following picture are excellent examples of Crewel Embroidery. |
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| According to Mary, very nicely done. |
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| The Weaver House is actually situated on a dead-end road, and along the way, lives an artist who created this unique sculpture. |
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| Traffic is never heavy on this road, |
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| I nearly forgot. One of Mary's many photographic pursuits is a series she calls Jack on Bench. In this case, she unintentionally photographed me in a silhouette-style with the light coming from the window behind me. I like it! |
My beloved Red Sox lost one of the few they have lost this season to the Tampa Bay Rays, 0 - 2.
The Caps took 10 innings, but they lost to the Lake County Captains, 4 - 5.
Otherwise, I grilled out today, making corn, zucchini, portobello mushrooms, and one of my vegan sausages. A great dinner to be sure. I did some indoor chores and then I sat down to watch inane TV.
Mary is doing what I believe is needlepoint right now. Ciao.
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 7:30 a.m. in "The City."
The sun rose into partly-cloudy and foggy skies @ 6:55 a.m., before today's high reaches 81° and the skies clear to being sunny and bright. It looks like Tuesday is our next chance for T-storms, which the NWS has forecast @ 100% in the morning. We shall see. None of that precludes me watering again today.
Baseball news yesterday was .500, or 50/50. My beloved 88 - 36, 1st place in the AL East Red Sox, took another game from the 3rd place, 62 - 61 Tampa Bay Rays last night, 5 - 2. The Sox and the Rays finish off their series later today @ 1:05 p.m. EDT.
The 51 - 73, 3rd place in the AL Central Tigers, actually won a game over the 2nd place, 58 - 64 Twins, 7 - 5. Since neither team is going anywhere but their respective couches this fall, it was a meaningless win and loss for both teams. They play again today @ 2:10 p.m. EDT.
The still, 1st place in the NL Central, 71 - 51 Cubs, once again tried to win a game with a single home-run, this one off the bat of Ben Zobrist. Sadly, while that worked for the first two games, Cubs' starting and losing pitcher, Tyler Chatwood, gave up all the runs the winning Pirates would need in a 3 - 1 victory. Chatwood cannot seem to get the ball over the plate, so I wonder where he will be playing next season. The Cubs and the Pirates finish their weekend series today @ 1:35 p.m. EDT. The Cubs have Monday off before traveling to Detroit to face the Tigers on Tuesday night.
The 62 - 62, 5th in the MWL East Caps, dropped a 2 - 4 decision to the even worse, 52 - 72, Lake County, OH Captains, 2 - 4. Those two teams play again tonight @ 7:00 p.m. EDT.
I walked to my Irish Jam Session yesterday and had a good time. About one-dozen players worked our way through many favorites, with whistles, mandolins, fiddles, and guitars.
Once Mary had finished her indexing chores for the day, we walked to the waterfront to see the art show there. We didn't buy anything, but I did take some nice pictures, going, while there, and on the way back. Of course, the way home included a stop at our favorite watering hole for a pitcher of beer.
Before we left, Mary put some pizza dough in a bowl to rise and when we returned, she chopped up many vegetables and baked a delicious dinner. I just finished cleaning up the remains of our dinner a little while ago.
As I write this, I am looking out the WW into the patchy fog that is hanging over our fair city. The fog will burn off as the day warms. In fact, the NWS has forecast a five-degree warmer day than yesterday,
I plan to water this morning and then do some grilling while Mary has to keep indexing. Other than a walk with the fur-children, I anticipate a day of rest. Ciao.
The sun rose into partly-cloudy and foggy skies @ 6:55 a.m., before today's high reaches 81° and the skies clear to being sunny and bright. It looks like Tuesday is our next chance for T-storms, which the NWS has forecast @ 100% in the morning. We shall see. None of that precludes me watering again today.
Baseball news yesterday was .500, or 50/50. My beloved 88 - 36, 1st place in the AL East Red Sox, took another game from the 3rd place, 62 - 61 Tampa Bay Rays last night, 5 - 2. The Sox and the Rays finish off their series later today @ 1:05 p.m. EDT.
The 51 - 73, 3rd place in the AL Central Tigers, actually won a game over the 2nd place, 58 - 64 Twins, 7 - 5. Since neither team is going anywhere but their respective couches this fall, it was a meaningless win and loss for both teams. They play again today @ 2:10 p.m. EDT.
The still, 1st place in the NL Central, 71 - 51 Cubs, once again tried to win a game with a single home-run, this one off the bat of Ben Zobrist. Sadly, while that worked for the first two games, Cubs' starting and losing pitcher, Tyler Chatwood, gave up all the runs the winning Pirates would need in a 3 - 1 victory. Chatwood cannot seem to get the ball over the plate, so I wonder where he will be playing next season. The Cubs and the Pirates finish their weekend series today @ 1:35 p.m. EDT. The Cubs have Monday off before traveling to Detroit to face the Tigers on Tuesday night.
The 62 - 62, 5th in the MWL East Caps, dropped a 2 - 4 decision to the even worse, 52 - 72, Lake County, OH Captains, 2 - 4. Those two teams play again tonight @ 7:00 p.m. EDT.
I walked to my Irish Jam Session yesterday and had a good time. About one-dozen players worked our way through many favorites, with whistles, mandolins, fiddles, and guitars.
Once Mary had finished her indexing chores for the day, we walked to the waterfront to see the art show there. We didn't buy anything, but I did take some nice pictures, going, while there, and on the way back. Of course, the way home included a stop at our favorite watering hole for a pitcher of beer.
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| I'm not sure on the year of this Porsche, Adam may know, but it was a beautifully restored car. |
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| As usual, the arr fair was crowded, even at this late hour. |
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| Tomorrow is the day that a portion of our currently one-way street becomes two-way. Mary and I give it less than six-months before it reverts to one-way status. |
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| Adjacent to the art fair, is the Grand Haven Marina, million dollar boats were there in abundance. |
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| Parked in front of our favorite quartering hole, was this exquisite mid-50s Ford. |
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| No reason, I just liked the shot. |
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| I almost forgot, this is the flower memorial to the Gold-Star families, those families who have lost a loved-one in a war, and the Blue-Star for service members currently serving. |
As I write this, I am looking out the WW into the patchy fog that is hanging over our fair city. The fog will burn off as the day warms. In fact, the NWS has forecast a five-degree warmer day than yesterday,
I plan to water this morning and then do some grilling while Mary has to keep indexing. Other than a walk with the fur-children, I anticipate a day of rest. Ciao.
Saturday, August 18, 2018
Good morning, or good evening, wherever you may be, It is just past 3:30 a.m. in "The City."
I wish I could say that I got up for a particular reason, but sometimes you just become awake and then you might as well get up and not disturb your spouse. In our case, Mary has a unique ability to wake up, do some small thing, and then fall right back to sleep. I envy her ability to do that, but alas, I have never been able to accomplish that feat.
We have a current temperature of 68° under clear skies as we fall to the overnight low of 62°. Along with today's forecast high of 84°, there is a 20% chance for additional showers. That was true yesterday and we actually got some much needed rain. The sun will rise today @ 6:53 a.m. and set tonight @ 8:42 p.m.
Today marks day two of the reopened South Pier at the mouth of the Grand River here in GH. The pier has been closed for two years for renovations to the concrete structure that had eroded over many years. Constriction progress was slowed by the weather and sometimes high waves of the Big Lake. Part of the reopening celebration was a a two hour picnic time on the pier. No food was provided, but the chance to picnic there was offered anyway. No, we didn't go and "enjoy" the crowds that always descend on the pier in tourist season. We'll wait until after Labor Day for that opportunity.
In addition, our famous "Catwalk" will be reinstalled sometime this fall after it too was removed, renovated, and readied for re-installation. That part of the project called for additional funding, raised through generous local donations. Our pier and catwalk are major tourist attractions, like the coal scuttle.
Ginger and I witnessed only the southbound run of the train as it traversed the RSTL layout yesterday @10:00 a.m.. I don't think there was a northbound run later in the day. We saw MMRR EMD GP 38-2 locomotives 2025 and 2019 towing 17 CHCs, three DBTCs, and one DWTC with a green anti-corrosive stripe around its mid-section. As Jimmy Buffett intoned in his song No Plane on Sunday, with regards to a trip to the Caribbean Islands he loves so dearly, "No plane on Sunday, maybe one come Monday." Actually, he was describing the U.S. bound plane running on "Island Time." At any rate, he noted that there would be, "No plane on Sunday. maybe one come Monday." So, I'll just add this YouTube™ selection of his song here. Hope you enjoy my brief sojourn down memory lane.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJzXvK9niw4
Baseball news yesterday was eerily similar to Thursday's results. Well actually, that is only partially true, as the Cubs, my beloved Red Sox, and the Caps all won their games, while the Tigers, as usual, lost theirs.
The 71 - 50, 1st place in the NL Central, Cubs, took a 4.5 game lead over the 2nd place Brewers, with a 1 - 0 victory over the 4th place, 61 - 62 Pirates. Cole Hamels didn't have his best "stuff", according to Cubs' manager Joe Maddon, but with the aid of a home-run off the bat of Kyle Schwarber and a record-tying seven double-plays, the Cubs netted the win. While the Cubs' record in the NL Central doesn't rival the record of my beloved Red Sox in the AL East, I'll take it. The Cubs and the Pirates square off again tonight @ 7:05 p.m. EDT.
Speaking of my beloved, 71 - 59, 1st place in the AL East Red Sox, they too have a commanding lead over the 2nd place Yankees in their division, following a 7 - 3 win over the 3rd place, 62 - 69, Tampa Bay Rays. As usual, Jackie Bradley Jr., was a human highlight reel. He contributed two RBIs, and a spectacular catch in center-field, a ball that was hit by the Rays Tommy Pham and which had a 74% chance of being a hit. Bradley made the not-routine catch, look routine as he robbed Pham, like he has done to so many others. The Sox came from behind to win the game. The Sox and the Rays play again tonight @ 7:10 p.m. EDT.
The 50 - 73, 3rd place in the AL Central Tigers lost another game to the 2nd place, 58 - 63 Twins, 4 - 5. I'd like to say there was bright spot, but there wasn't. The Tigers and the Rays play again tonight @ 7:10 p.m. Nuff said.
The MWL East, 4th place Caps, got a 5 - 0 win over the 2nd place, 73 - 51 Lansing Lug Nuts last night. The Caps are off to OH to play the Lake County Captains. tonight@ 7:00 p.m.
I was busy in the kitchen yesterday, both early in the morning and later in the morning/early afternoon too. In the early morning, I was able to save our lives by clearing out some "science experiments" that were in the refrigerator, which I often refer to as the "Ice Box." I often call it that because that's how my depression-era father used to refer to the one in our kitchen many years ago. At any rate, I discovered some things in there that had a label from January of 2017, or which had been put away for future use/consumption and then forgotten. I even tossed out a failed experiment that I made in trying to replicate HP Steak Sauce™. While I didn't get all of the "Ice Box" cleared, I made a nice dent.
Since I was done with my highlighting duties, I decided to make some vegan sausages and vegan Italian meatballs. If I do say so myself, and I often do, these are my best ones to date. I'm not sure why, but they turned out better than past incarnations. Maybe it is just experience. We had some of the sausages for dinner along with some home-made applesauce that I had made and frozen last fall. I now have room for more applesauce in the freezer.
Mary too was busy, indexing another of those indexes from HE double hockey sticks and later doing some of those famous indoor chores that I often reference. I was upstairs in the media-room, too tired from my day's activities to stay awake for long.
Today is the third Saturday of the month, so I am off to my Irish Jam Session at the Loutit District Library this afternoon @ 1:00 p.m. Mary will be cursing and continuing her efforts on that index from HE double hockey sticks while I am jamming. I'm certain that Ginger and STWD will keep her company. Ciao.
I wish I could say that I got up for a particular reason, but sometimes you just become awake and then you might as well get up and not disturb your spouse. In our case, Mary has a unique ability to wake up, do some small thing, and then fall right back to sleep. I envy her ability to do that, but alas, I have never been able to accomplish that feat.
We have a current temperature of 68° under clear skies as we fall to the overnight low of 62°. Along with today's forecast high of 84°, there is a 20% chance for additional showers. That was true yesterday and we actually got some much needed rain. The sun will rise today @ 6:53 a.m. and set tonight @ 8:42 p.m.
Today marks day two of the reopened South Pier at the mouth of the Grand River here in GH. The pier has been closed for two years for renovations to the concrete structure that had eroded over many years. Constriction progress was slowed by the weather and sometimes high waves of the Big Lake. Part of the reopening celebration was a a two hour picnic time on the pier. No food was provided, but the chance to picnic there was offered anyway. No, we didn't go and "enjoy" the crowds that always descend on the pier in tourist season. We'll wait until after Labor Day for that opportunity.
In addition, our famous "Catwalk" will be reinstalled sometime this fall after it too was removed, renovated, and readied for re-installation. That part of the project called for additional funding, raised through generous local donations. Our pier and catwalk are major tourist attractions, like the coal scuttle.
Ginger and I witnessed only the southbound run of the train as it traversed the RSTL layout yesterday @10:00 a.m.. I don't think there was a northbound run later in the day. We saw MMRR EMD GP 38-2 locomotives 2025 and 2019 towing 17 CHCs, three DBTCs, and one DWTC with a green anti-corrosive stripe around its mid-section. As Jimmy Buffett intoned in his song No Plane on Sunday, with regards to a trip to the Caribbean Islands he loves so dearly, "No plane on Sunday, maybe one come Monday." Actually, he was describing the U.S. bound plane running on "Island Time." At any rate, he noted that there would be, "No plane on Sunday. maybe one come Monday." So, I'll just add this YouTube™ selection of his song here. Hope you enjoy my brief sojourn down memory lane.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJzXvK9niw4
Baseball news yesterday was eerily similar to Thursday's results. Well actually, that is only partially true, as the Cubs, my beloved Red Sox, and the Caps all won their games, while the Tigers, as usual, lost theirs.
The 71 - 50, 1st place in the NL Central, Cubs, took a 4.5 game lead over the 2nd place Brewers, with a 1 - 0 victory over the 4th place, 61 - 62 Pirates. Cole Hamels didn't have his best "stuff", according to Cubs' manager Joe Maddon, but with the aid of a home-run off the bat of Kyle Schwarber and a record-tying seven double-plays, the Cubs netted the win. While the Cubs' record in the NL Central doesn't rival the record of my beloved Red Sox in the AL East, I'll take it. The Cubs and the Pirates square off again tonight @ 7:05 p.m. EDT.
Speaking of my beloved, 71 - 59, 1st place in the AL East Red Sox, they too have a commanding lead over the 2nd place Yankees in their division, following a 7 - 3 win over the 3rd place, 62 - 69, Tampa Bay Rays. As usual, Jackie Bradley Jr., was a human highlight reel. He contributed two RBIs, and a spectacular catch in center-field, a ball that was hit by the Rays Tommy Pham and which had a 74% chance of being a hit. Bradley made the not-routine catch, look routine as he robbed Pham, like he has done to so many others. The Sox came from behind to win the game. The Sox and the Rays play again tonight @ 7:10 p.m. EDT.
The 50 - 73, 3rd place in the AL Central Tigers lost another game to the 2nd place, 58 - 63 Twins, 4 - 5. I'd like to say there was bright spot, but there wasn't. The Tigers and the Rays play again tonight @ 7:10 p.m. Nuff said.
The MWL East, 4th place Caps, got a 5 - 0 win over the 2nd place, 73 - 51 Lansing Lug Nuts last night. The Caps are off to OH to play the Lake County Captains. tonight@ 7:00 p.m.
I was busy in the kitchen yesterday, both early in the morning and later in the morning/early afternoon too. In the early morning, I was able to save our lives by clearing out some "science experiments" that were in the refrigerator, which I often refer to as the "Ice Box." I often call it that because that's how my depression-era father used to refer to the one in our kitchen many years ago. At any rate, I discovered some things in there that had a label from January of 2017, or which had been put away for future use/consumption and then forgotten. I even tossed out a failed experiment that I made in trying to replicate HP Steak Sauce™. While I didn't get all of the "Ice Box" cleared, I made a nice dent.
Since I was done with my highlighting duties, I decided to make some vegan sausages and vegan Italian meatballs. If I do say so myself, and I often do, these are my best ones to date. I'm not sure why, but they turned out better than past incarnations. Maybe it is just experience. We had some of the sausages for dinner along with some home-made applesauce that I had made and frozen last fall. I now have room for more applesauce in the freezer.
Mary too was busy, indexing another of those indexes from HE double hockey sticks and later doing some of those famous indoor chores that I often reference. I was upstairs in the media-room, too tired from my day's activities to stay awake for long.
Today is the third Saturday of the month, so I am off to my Irish Jam Session at the Loutit District Library this afternoon @ 1:00 p.m. Mary will be cursing and continuing her efforts on that index from HE double hockey sticks while I am jamming. I'm certain that Ginger and STWD will keep her company. Ciao.
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