Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 12:00 a.m. in "The City."

Wow, another day got away from us yesterday. We got up in time to eat lunch and take a phone call @ 1:00 p.m., that should lead us to a vacation in mid-May. We still have to arrange travel aboard Amtrak, but that will require a phone call to the Amtrak reservations people. However, we are nearly there. If all goes well, the trip will include a stop in Washington, D.C. and a stay in Williamsburg, VA. Along with that plan, the train trip east will be a fun experience that everyone should try, at least once. I know that most people don't have the time to take the train versus flying, but we do and so we shall.

I like being up late and listening to the repeats of radio shows from earlier in the day yesterday. That's because we generally watch too much TV and don't take much time to listen to the radio. In fact, I just finished watching a movie on the Hallmark Movies and Mystery Channel. @ 11:00 p.m. last night.

I did learn that there is an Amish mystery movie scheduled to run @ 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 12. I don't know much other than it is set in Ohio. It is based on a novel written by Serena B. Miller, who has written several books based on the Amish. I have to be sure to let Cate Reed, the coordinator of our book club meetings, know about this showing. Cate was surprised to learn that there is mystery book genre that follows the Amish and that I like to read those books. I like them because they are mysteries, a genre that I like to read. Pulp fiction? Probably, but that's the beauty of them. It's all Mary's fault, as she introduced me to the genre when we were in Florida last year.

I finished my latest pulp fiction novel, Below the Belt, by Stuart Woods. It was just released last month and chronicles the fictional rise of a third-party presidential candidate. It was a fast read. I am now reading a non-fiction book entitled The Black Presidency: Barack Obama and the Politics of Race in America by Michael Eric Dyson. I am just getting started, but so far, I like it. That's along with reading another non-fiction book that I referenced in my last blog, The Deluge: The Great War and the Remaking of the Global Order, 1916 0 1931 by Adam Tooze. This book is the one that I asked the members of our book club to read for our next meeting and discussion. It too is interesting, but a much longer and more difficult read.

Did I mention that since it is now February 3rd, that the pitchers and catchers for my beloved Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers report to camp in 10 days? The pitchers and catchers for the World Champion Chicago Cubs report the next day. Position players for all teams report two days later. The actual start of spring is still 46 days away on March 20, but for me, the opening of Spring Training is the start of spring.

Since we got up late yesterday, we didn't do much. Mary made a new version of her world famous sauerkraut and vegan Swiss cheese sandwiches. However, these included some of her extraordinary beest. Both sandwiches taste great, so I can't say that one is better than the other, they are just different.

Today, we have a chiropractor's appointment and Mary may have some indexing to do. If not, she will continue knitting her sock project and do some sewing for my office. I plan to read yesterday's Grand Haven Tribune along with doing the crossword puzzle, and if I can, I'll get in some time with the girls. Of course, the fur-children will need to go out too.

The current temperature is 21° but it feels like 8° due to the 16 mph winds, Today's high is expected to be 23°, also accompanied by 16 mph winds, so the temperature will probably feel much like it does now. The sun will rise @ 7:57 a.m. and set @ 6:00 p.m. Punxatawney Phil saw his shadow yesterday, so his prediction is for six more weeks of winter. The NWS doesn't agree, as they are forecasting above average temperatures for much of the country and average temperatures in the Great Lakes area during February. That's all folks! Ciao.