Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 6:30 a.m. in "The City."

The current temperature is 53° under partly-cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 59°, still under partly-cloudy-skies. The sun will rise today @ 8:04 a.m. and set later @ 6:54 p.m. However, there is a future Gale Watch in effect from late Monday until Wednesday morning @ 8:00  a.m.

That watch was issued by the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids. WINDS, Southwest gales of 35 to 40 knots shifting to the west late Tuesday are likely. Those winds may cause  WAVES of 8 to 11 feet, north of Holland. A Gale Watch is issued by the NWS when the risk of gale force winds of 34 to 47 knots has significantly increased...but the specific timing and/or location is still uncertain. It is intended to provide additional lead time for mariners who may wish to consider altering their plans. Ya Think? Generally, when the NWS issues a watch, the chances are good that the local surfers will cry, Surfs Up!

Yesterday, it was quiet here in GH. Mary opted not to go to that presentation/hike @ Hemlock Crossing, owing to her recent bout of mold-induced allergies. Instead, she opted to go to the grocery store while I was at my Irish Jam Session.

Larry Halverson, Loutit Library's Director of the Public Relations, is also the coordinator of those sessions and he reminded us that it has been nearly  six and one-half years since the sessions started. I was there for the earliest ones, and I've learned a lot over those years.

Otherwise, I mostly did nothing. Sometimes, that's just, The way I like it uh, huh, uh huh", to borrow from K.C. and the Sunshine Band and their mega 1975 hit, That's the way I like it. Surprisingly, the band had a few more Disco-Era hits than I had remembered. Maybe that's because I wasn't all that into disco back then and we were too busy becoming new parents and getting started in life. However, I'd be remiss if I didn't add a cut from YouTube™ of that song. Of course, that's before the song became a part of an advertising piece for one of the chain fast-food restaurants in the 1990s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH2E6peFz3Q

Otherwise, I did more painting on my latest acrylic painting in my studio. I'm not satisfied with the current results, so I may start a small portion of that painting over. That's the beauty of acrylic painting, if you don't like how something looks, wait a short time, let it dry, and then paint over what you don't like. In fact, you can usually get a textured effect from the underlying layers of paint.

I also read the weekend edition of the Grand Haven Tribune. We took a walk with the fur-children after their dinner. Our dinner of spaghetti with vegan pepperoni-spiced sauce was served while we watched Harrison Ford in Air Force One. That movie is packed with action and the good guys win, albeit not without some casualties.

I nearly forgot to mention that the Nittany Lions of Penn State are for real, as they defeated the Wolverines of Michigan last night 28 - 21, to go to 7 - 0 on the season, while the Wolverines dropped to 5 - 2. The Huskies of NIU lost yet again, this time 24 - 27, to the Miami RedHawks.

In what had to be a surprise to many, the now 3 -2 Fighting Illini of Illinois, defeated/stunned the now 6 - 1 Badgers of Wisconsin, 24 - 23.

If anyone is paying attention, the mediocre 2 - 2 - 1 Detroit Lions, play the visiting 4 - 2 MN Vikings today @ 1:00 p.m. EDT. The equally mediocre 3 - 2 Chicago Bears, will be visited by the 5 - 1 New Orleans Saints today @ 4:25 p.m. EDT.

Today, we have nothing specific on tap. Mary stayed up late last night into early this morning, reading or rereading The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein. Perhaps one of the best-known lines/phrases of all time, TANSTAAFL is from that book. TANSTAAFL is an acronym for There ain't no such thing as  a free lunch." The book was first published in 1966, but much of its message still rings true today.

That being said, I'll just say fare the well, or Ciao. Oops, I was channeling once again this time the Dylan song, Don't Think Twice, a song covered by many disparate artists, from the well-known trio, Peter, Paul and Mary, to the more bland Lawrence Welk Orchestra. Talk about elevator music. I might as well leave my readers with on of the best known versions of the song, the one by Peter. Paul and Mary.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu-DWUngjhk

Now, Ciao for sure.