Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 4:30 a.m. in "The City."

Let's start with a positive experience. We traveled to the stand-alone grocery store yesterday and when compared to Mary's experience @ the big-box grocery and most everything store, it was like night and day. The aisles were not clogged with zombies whose version of life revolves around walking aimlessly around a store, jamming up the aisles and using the experience as entertainment. Plus, there were shopping carts available inside rather than having zombies looking for carts outside in the parking lot. We found everything we wanted, the produce was fresh, and the entire experience was as good as any visit to a necessary stop can be.

On the way home, we stopped @ Sporty's for some adult libations and a chance to soak up the atmosphere in locals place not prone to tourist visits. Then it was home to brave the snow that was falling and to sit back and enjoy some sandwiches made with Mary's spicy tomato vegan loaf on her favorite store-bought bread French with poppy seeds.

I'd like to say that I accomplished something yesterday. I'd like to say that but I can't. We stayed in bed all morning just to pass the time...Oops, channeling Carole King there for a second. Well, actually we stayed in to listen to The Pet Files and The Flowerland Show actually a repeat of the latter, but still enjoyable.

We did learn from the veterinarians on The Pet Files program that GTTSD is a very typical terrier type dog. She is curious, likes to get into things, and also to randomly chew them up. In short, a perpetual state of impishness. So, it is okay and necessary to put her in a crate when we go out for her protection and for our sanity as long as she is free to share the family activities when we are home. We feel better about crating her now.

Today we want to stay in after the morning safari, assuming there is a morning safari. The current temperature is 28° although it feels like 21° with the wind-chill. Later today, the high temperature will be 29° with 11 mph winds that will make it feel much colder. A quick perusal of the information on the Weather.com site doesn't show a warm-up anytime soon. However, there is no prediction for significant snowfall beyond today's forecast for an 80% chance. Here in GH on the shores of "The Big Lake", only time will tell.

Did I mention that Coastal Living magazine recently named Grand Haven, Michigan one of the "Happiest Seaside Towns in America." We are on the shores of Lake Michigan, not an ocean. Here is a link to their rating.

http://www.coastalliving.com/travel/top-10/2017-happiest-seaside-towns/grand-haven-michigan-lighthouse

I'd like to do some baking and I know that Mary wants to try some new recipes, so I will probably defer to her activities in the kitchen while I read the weekend edition of the Grand Haven Tribune. I'll also be doing some pleasure reading.

Otherwise, after the sun rises @ 8:02 a,m, and well before it sets @  5:53 p.m., we'll do whatever feels right. Like Mary often says to me, "You are retired and I am semi-retired, so take the time to slow down and just live." Good words to live by I guess.

I have decided that Mary and I need to travel to places that we haven't yet visited or to places that we have visited but which we would also like to see again. Like Adam has often opined, "Life is too short to not enjoy the ride" or words to that effect. Like I often do, I'll quote Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption, "It comes down to a simple choice, get busy living or get busy dying." I want to get busy living. Ciao.