Good evening GH. It is getting dark, too dark to see...oh yeah, that's a song lyric from Bob Dylan I think. Anyway, the current temperature is 71 degrees as we head for an overnight low of 62. I usually get it the other way around, but when you don't get to blogging until later in the day, that's what happens.

Today Mary worked and I made vegetable broth. That's about it for my day; except that I did manage to play my tin whistle on a song entitled  The Parting Glass, a traditional Irish song. That made me feel good. Since I have had my whistle eight days now, I was certain that I would be a virtuoso by now, not. Otherwise, it was such a nice day that Sugar the Weather Dog and I took two nice long walks. I don't know which of us enjoyed the walks more. I guess that it really doesn't matter.

Mary finished her work quota for the day and then we journeyed to the big box office supply store so that I could get a new chair for my office. My old one gave up the ghost and spilled its guts all over my chair mat. Fortunately I got that mat about a week ago and the oily substance that spewed forth was easily cleaned up. We found one that was on sale and Mary had a $25.00 dollar discount good on an online purchase over $60.00. The chair was on sale for $69.99 at the store and they honored the $25.00 off card. That made the chair only $45.00 plus tax. Now all I have to do is drag the new chair up to my office tomorrow and assemble it. With a little luck, that should only take a few hours.

Before I do that though, we need to journey north to the big box home store to pick up our new front porch rockers.They took a bit longer to be available because they had to get them from another location.  They have a bit of a problem with communication to customers.

I have to water as usual and of course, play some music. I'd like to get to the library too, but if I don't, there's always Tuesday.

In sports, the boys in blue fell to the Brewers in front of numerous fans disguised as empty seats, 2 - 3. The Tigers fell to the Royals 2 - 5, but they still have a 5.5 game lead over the Tribe. My beloved Red Sox took it on the chin from the Yankees 3 - 4, but have maintained a lead over the Rays of 7.5 games and 10 games over the Yankees. There is joy in Bean Town. The Caps in their final game of the A level season lost to the Lug Nuts, 4 - 9.

In football, the MSU Spartans shut down the South Florida Bulls, 21 - 6. The Wolverines handily downed the Fighting Irish, 41 - 30 last night as Devin Gardner wore his newly given # 98 jersey, in honor of Tom Harmon, the 1940 Heisman Trophy winner. That number has been on the shelf for many years. Mark Harmon, his son of and the star of the hit show NCIS was there to do the honors. The Northwestern Wildcats clawed Syracuse, 48 - 27 in their home opener. The Huskies of NIU had a week off after their win over Iowa.

In the NFL, the Lions dropped the Vikings 34 - 24. The Bears pulled out a win over the Bengals 24 - 21. The day was a trifecta as the Packers lost to the 49ers 28 - 34.

So that's enough for today and yesterday. Ciao.

Good morning GH. It is just past 7:00 AM, and the current temperature in "The City" is 72 degrees as we head for a partly cloudy high of 81. A 30% chance of precipitation brings the clouds. That same 30% chance has produced a few drops of rain now that I can see with the Sun is on the rise. I'll know how serious the forecast is when Sugar the Weather Dog gets up. If T-storms are going to be problem, Sugar will let me know when she won't leave her hide-e-hole. She has moved to my side of the bed already.

Yesterday, Sugar and I spent some time in the "Bone Zone." I read and listened to oldies radio and she chewed happily away. I don't know if I mentioned it, but my eyes checked out perfectly. So, my headaches may be due to the amount of fine print reading I have been doing for Mary the last few weeks. Mary seems to think so, and I have no reason to doubt her judgement. The reading I do for her is done at my desk, and the pages are in front of me and down. When I read a book, I can hold it in exactly the right position for my progressive bifocals. Mary is a person who never gets headaches and so she doesn't quite understand.

Today, we had plans to travel to the big box hardware/home center store to pick up our new chairs for the front porch. But I heard on the radio earlier that our main thoroughfare might be one lane as it goes through town Apparently, it will be closed between Madison and the draw bridge for resurfacing. If that affects the day traffic or just the nighttime traffic, I don't know. If that is the case, the chairs may have to wait for next Monday. You can't get anywhere in "The City" if that road is blocked or down to one lane, and you absolutely don't want to try going north. If Sugar and I go walking this AM, we can take a look.

Otherwise Mary has to finish some work and I have to play music. Sugar just has to be. Speaking of Mary, she made a great lunch of vegetarian Reuben sandwiches yesterday. Who needs corned beef when you have good Sauerkraut and great Swiss cheese?

I wanted to dig into my backlog of stories about my/our life. When Mary and I met, I was working full time at the gas station near her apartment. I was also working part time at the old station where I worked in high school.

One thing about that station that made it fun was the owner, Bob. He had an interesting way of doing things. He kept the station's money in his "safe" in the back room. Sounds like a good plan until I tell you that the safe was actually a 55 gallon drum with a pile of rags on top under which we had to stash the cash at night.

Bob was the best boss I ever had. He fired us on a regular basis for being goof-offs, and when we got ready to go, he'd ask where we were going. He needed us so he could go to the race track and so we played along. He also instructed us to clean the place up when he was gone. He had a bad habit of taking out every tool in the station and leaving then on the workbench. Our pay for this "extra" activity was the key to the Pepsi machine. I think we drank four or five case per week. If there is anything better than ice-cold Pepsi in a glass bottle, I don't know what it is. That was before they put corn sweetener in and assured us that it tasted the same. That's why they sell a throwback product now I guess.

During horse racing season, Bob just had to go to the race track a few miles from the station almost every afternoon. You could almost always count on a daily call from his wife Pat, asking if Bob was there. Our instructions from Bob were simple. If Pat called we were to tell her that Bob had "just left." She always responded that she knew where he was, especially when he came in the door of their apartment about 10 miles away, as she was talking to us. We stuck to the story.

The "safe" room also had a small television which we watched until the station was closed at 9:00 PM. The customers were always apologetic when they had to stop for gas when we were watching one of our favorite shows. There are probably a thousand stories that go with that job, and if I get a chance, I'll add more in the future.

In sports, the boys in blue defeated the Brewers 8 - 5. The Tigers are now in KC, where a 26 hit effort produced a 16 - 2 final score. It got boring to watch after a while. They have a 6.5 game lead over the Tribe now. My beloved Red Sox moved on to NYC where they slam dunked the Yankees 12 - 8 to give them a 7.5 game lead over the Rays and 9.5 games over those same Yankees. The Caps lost to the Lug Nuts, 4 - 9.

Tonight, the Fighting Irish come to the "Big House" in Ann Arbor to face the Wolverines of Michigan. This will be their last meeting for the foreseeable future. The Spartans of MSU play in Florida at noon. So many teams, so little space, so I'll stick to the major college programs in Michigan until baseball season is over. Ciao.

Good morning GH. It has just passed 8:30 AM in "The City," and the current temperature is 55 degrees as we head for a sunny high of 79. No precipitation in the forecast or on Sugar the Weather Dog's personal radar until tomorrow at the earliest. That means that it should be a good day for a long walk with Sugar and for some serious deck sitting.

Mary says, and I think she is right, that Sugar can't expect to go to the "Bone Zone" each time we go out on the deck. Sometimes, well all the time, Sugar can be so cute in her needy way, that she can be hard to resist. Adam once said that Sugar has me wrapped around her paw. He's right.

So today, more music, more reading, more watering, and more work for Mary. I may have to do some highlighting if Mary gets the pages printed out for her new project. I don't mind that, as it is just adult coloring.

I was remembering myriad things from my past as I was reminiscing about the last 40 years. One event or incident came to mind from high school. Like many young men in that time period, you had two choices in high school. There was the college track and the work track. Fully 86% of my graduating class at least started college, that was what nearly everybody did. I started, but it took me years to finish. Along the way I had many careers or occupations. I'll talk more about those at a later time.

One period of time sticks out in my high school career. As someone who had never seriously considered college, I took numerous industrial arts classes. Not surprising considering my personal history and my dad's occupation and skill set.

So, I took metals, power mechanics, woods, etc. My personal favorite teacher was a man named Ed Wichman. He came from a working class family and his father had a welding/fabrication shop. It was logical for Mr. Wichman to go to college and get a degree in industrial arts education, the first one in his family to attend college. But, what stands out for me was another teacher in the industrial arts department, Mr. Etherton. The kids somewhere along the way had nicknamed him "Pipe." Some say it was because he walked so erect, some because he was a pipe smoker. I don't know, but I do know this.

During my years in high school, the bane of Mr. Etherton's existence was a kid named Haynes. I used to think that Haynes spent his days trying to think of ways to try Mr. Ehterton's patience. Haynes could roll up next to a VW Beetle and 15 minute later, he and his "crew" could drive away with the entire engine from that car. But I digress.

Haynes was most famous for spreading motor oil on the floor of the power mechanics shop. Kids used to run down the hall to the classroom, throw open the door and swing into the room and slide into their desks. It was around a slight corner, and Haynes decided that if they were gong to slide in, he would help them. So, just inside the door, he poured about 1/2 qt. of motor oil. As the late kids came around the corner and hit that oil, they slammed into the wall that was just inside the door. Funny, but as I look back, it was very dangerous.

Haynes also wired the spark plug testing machine output cord to the doorknob between the adjoining classrooms. Some kids would cheat and come from one room to another to escape the teacher's attention. Very high voltage, but very low amperage. Not dangerous I guess, but you would know that you had grabbed that knob. Unfortunately, Mr. Wichman had been next door conferring with Mr. Etherton, and grabbed the knob to get from the woods classroom to the power mechanics room for his next class. I think you can guess what happened. Mr. Wichman got the shock of his life, burst into the classroom and pulled the power cord for the tester from the wall, devastating that machine for the rest of the semester.

A final note on Haynes. One day, he did something to tick off Mr. Etherton. So, in his inimitable style Mr. Etherton intoned, "Haynes, the trouble with you, is that nobody stuck their foot up your a-- when you were five years old." Never one to be outdone, Haynes said the following, "Pipe, the trouble with you is that somebody did stick their foot up your a-- when you were five years old, and it's still there." At that point, Haynes bolted from the room as Mr. Etherton, shouted after him, "Haynes, get back here!" Of course, he never came back, but I have to assume that Mr. Etherton caught up to him later.

My only contribution to the Haynes saga was that Haynes was using all of those misappropriated VW parts to build a dune buggy. He also learned that the golf course behind my house had just the right kind of pipe to use for a frame for his buggy. So, he and his cronies came by late one night and picked up what they needed. My other contribution was my ability to use the TIG welder in the metals room. I could weld the shortened parts that Haynes needed so clean and smooth that they looked factory made. Oh well, that's enough about Haynes and high school for now.

No sports, today, I was just too long winded. Ciao.

Good afternoon GH. It is 65 very comfortable degrees in "The City," and Mary has goose bumps. Our expected high was supposed to be 73 sunny degrees. They got the sunny part right, but the 73, not so much. No precipitation in the forecast until Saturday the seventh, coincidentally Adam's 39th birthday. I am pretty certain that he will find something indoors to do.

Yesterday, we journeyed over to Marne in search of some new furniture for our front porch. Alas, while they had some nice things, none suited our desires. Well, we found some at our nearly local big box hardware/lumber/general store. Hopefully, we can pick them up on Saturday.

Also yesterday, we stopped in a post-prohibition era roadhouse on the way back from Marne and had a couple of PBRs and some hand battered mushrooms. I don't normally have a desire or need for mushrooms, whether fried, sauteed, or raw, but in this case, I have to say that they were super. We finished up our day at one of the local watering holes.

In about 30 minutes, I have an appointment at the eye doctor. My eyes have been playing tricks on me and I think that it may be that they are getting worse. It wasn't that long ago that I had them checked, but I just can't handle the headaches anymore. Too much reading to do. Mary is working and I have to help, so I have to get my raptor like vision back.

In sports, the boys in blue are up to their old ways, beating the Marlins with a home run by a score of 9 - 7. The Tigers got blasted by my beloved Red Sox 4 - 20. Yes, you read that right, 4 - 20. Home runs can do that for or to you. The Caps have a three game over 500 record.

So that's about it folks. I have to get going and that mean that I'll have more to say tomorrow. Ciao.

Good morning GH, I'm back. Since I like to go to bed early I also like to get up and write on by blog early. It has just passed 2:00 AM, and our current temperature is 61 clear degrees as we head for a high of 78. No precipitation is on the horizon and that's mostly good with me. However, that does mean that I have to water today. Not difficult, just one more thing in a list of things that need doing. Sugar the Weather Dog is sound asleep in the bedroom, so I am certain that the weather will remain calm for the foreseeable future.

Yesterday was one of those days where time got away. Sugar and I walked, I read the paper, and then we had dinner. Next thing I knew, it was past midnight. No guitar playing, but I did listen in on a Webinar about my computer software that lets me talk instead of type. I learned some things, but I am certainly no expert. I also spent some time with my Irish whistle and I am improving each time I pick it up. Mary thinks I am doing fine; I still think I sound like a pack of alley cats on the prowl. Oh well, that's my opinion and I am entitled to it.

In my quest to recall the past, I was thinking about the places where I listened to music when I was younger. Where I grew up, in Arlington Heights, IL, we had a place called The Cellar , a teenage venue where rock and roll was played. It only lasted a few years. Bands like the Byrds and The Shadows of Knight played there. We also had a place that was called the Shandellier that was in the local Knights of Columbus hall. The name came from a local band called the Shandells that was the de facto house band.

There was a place in Algonquin, IL called The New Place, that was similar in nature to the other teen clubs. We also frequented a venue called The Wild Goose that was the brain child of a Chicago area Disk Jockey named Dex Card. How's that for a radio name? The Wild Goose traveled around and was usually held in a high school gymnasium. Bands like the Ides of March, The Five Man Electrical band, and Dennis and Carl were often on the bill. The latter two were members of the Chicago area band called The Buckinghams. I once read that not too long ago, they were making more money now than they did in their heyday.

Speaking of Chicago area bands, when my friends and I passed the age of 21, shortly after Mary and I married, we went to a place in Schaumburg, IL called B'Ginnings. It was owned by Danny Seraphine, a founding member of the group Chicago. It was loud and smoky and was located in a strip mall. Bands like Survivor, famous for their song "Eye of the Tiger," played there. That venue is now an Illinois Secretary of State's office. We also visited a place called The Thirsty Whale in River Grove, IL. They featured mostly Chicago area bands. It was dark and perfect for just hanging out. Various incarnations of The Thirsty Whale still exist in the Chicago area.

I even spent some time in Milwaukee, WI at a place called Beneath the Street, but I don't remember much about it. I still remember visiting Milwaukee to see Summerfest. We saw the late George Carlin do his act that included the seven words you can's say on the radio. He was arrested after he came off stage for obscenity. One of those words is now commonly used on the radio.

That was in the days when Wisconsin allowed drinking at the age of 18, so many Illinois teens went there to get a "legal" drink. There was a part of the expressway between Chicago and Wisconsin that was the perfect speed trap for drunken 18 year old Illinois teens to be picked up by the police as they traveled back from Wisconsin. I once drove my 1969 SS Camaro at over 120 MPH through there on my way back south. A guy in an Oldsmobile passed me like I was standing still. I decided to slow down after I was passed. The next thing I saw, was a second Oldsmobile also passing me at a high rate of speed.

Fortunately for me, the first Oldsmobile had attracted the attention of that second Oldsmobile, driven by a member of Wisconsin's finest. I think the second guy had clocked me on his radar in the pea-soup fog, something that was and is common in that part of Wisconsin. He caught the first guy who passed me. That was probably a stupid thing to do, going 120 MPH in a thick fog, but when you are young, you do dumb things. In retrospect, those kind of things are not among the smartest things you'll ever do, things like walking across an open basement on the un-anchored steel beams of a house under construction. Best of all, you can tell your own children not to do those same stupid things. I was wondering the other day why Adam is a car guy who likes to go fast, but I think you can figure that out if you try. Enough for now.

In sports, the boys in blue found another way to lose last night, as they fell to the Marlins 2 - 6. The Tigers are now only 7.5 games ahead of the Tribe, having lost to my beloved Red Sox 1 - 2, which allowed the Sox to move to 5.5 games ahead of the Rays. I'm okay with the Tigers losing as long as the Red Sox are the winners. I was a Red Sox fan long before I came to Michigan. The Caps dropped one to the Lug Nuts 4 - 9.

So that's about it for yesterday and today. It will soon be...Tea time and time to get on with doing nothing. Mary still has to work, but until my time for highlighting or editing comes, I am free as the proverbial bird. Ciao.

Good early morning GH. I have to apologize to my numerous fans, but the crush of business got in the way. I had to take the day off to work at my other job. Well actually, I was just too tired to get up early Monday morning, and then the day just got away. Yesterday I had just enough time to let Sugar the Weather Dog take me for an early morning walk. My other job is the one where my slave driver of a boss makes me work for beans. About all I had time for was breathing, and that was the Reader's Digest version of breathing. But I digress.

Our current temperature is 62 degrees as we strive to achieve a sunny high of 72. No rain in the forecast, either from the Weather Channel app, or from Sugar the Weather Dog herself.  In fact no precipitation until Monday the 9th. 

Mary worked hard on Sunday, and then yesterday we both began working early and worked until late. But that was yesterday and this is today. Mary still has more work to do and I still have to let Sugar take me for a walk. But otherwise, my boss says I can legally have the day off. Since this is Tuesday, it must be laundry day, not Belgium. That's an obscure reference to an old movie title. 

I hope to find time to get to a few other things today too, like guitar and whistle practice, a long walk with Sugar, and some reading. Which reminds me, I promised a report on my last book, Drinking With Men: A Memoir, by Rosie Schaap. 

I found it the type of book that I couldn't put down. Rosie describes her travels through the United States and the world. She followed the Grateful Dead for a while, took time to go to high school, drop out and get her G.E.D., and then attend college. She worked at various jobs, some paying and some not, drank in various mostly dive bars with men, and a few women, and rediscover various religions, including the one to which she was born. She also worked in her native NYC as a chaplain during the time of the 9/11 tragedy, and get both ordained and married. In short, she both found herself and lost her way a few times in her roughly forty years. There is a lot more, but I suggest that if you have time to read, you get Drinking With Men: A Memoir, by Rosie Schaap from your local library and set aside some time to read it.

In sports, I am just going to pick it up with Mondays activities. The boys in blue found another way to lose, this time to the Marlins, 3 - 4, to fall a full 22 games behind the division leading Pirates and 21 games behind the Cardinals. The Tigers maintained an 8.5 game lead over the Tribe as they defeated my beloved Red Sox, 3 - 0. Fortunately, the Red Sox have a 5.5 game over the Rays. I was worried about the Red Sox for awhile, when their bats went to sleep. Now I have to both ache for my beloved team and cheer for the Tigers. A series split for one or the other would be good. The Caps fell to the Lug Nuts, 4 - 9. 

So that's about it for now. Sunrise will be here before I know it, as will my old friend...Tea time. I guess the trains are taking the day off. Ciao.

Good early morning GH. It is just past 2:00 AM here in "The City." The current temperature is 66 degrees, as we head for a high of 82 with a chance of T-storms set at 30% in the PM. Sugar the Weather Dog is sleeping soundly, so the prediction given by the Weather Channel app for T-storms in the afternoon is very likely.

On Saturday, Mary worked and I attempted to play tunes on my new Irish Tin Whistle. Right now I sound more like a pack of angry alley cats than a whistle player, but that's to be expected. I strummed a few quick tunes on my guitar just to remind myself that I actually have musical ability.

Sugar and I took two walks together in search of the local newspaper. Unrequited at first, we did better in the early afternoon. I think the predictions that the paper would be better and just as timely when printed north of here have proven inaccurate. Oh well, that's progress.

It wasn't until lunch time that Mary was able to join me for a sit down meal. We shared two bowls of soup, each of a different variety. Later, we were able to get the dinner on the table collectively. That dinner was supposed to be on Friday, but that rain thing delayed its launch. It was worth the wait. Our new Weber chimney for the grill worked as advertised and the coals soon took on a welcoming glow. My pork chop, Mary's veggies, and corn for both of us and we had a great birthday/early anniversary dinner. I actually stopped watching the Wolverines crush the Chippewas of Central Michigan because it had become a blowout. More on that later.

So, today is officially our 40th anniversary. Stephany and Adam sent birthday and anniversary cards from Chicago and they arrived on Friday. In our city, the mail arrives on time. I also got a letter that I didn't want. I had sent away to get my dad's DD 214 and I finally got a reply from the records office. His DD 214 was apparently destroyed in a fire back in 1972. That was my only plan, so I don't know where to go from here. Maybe Mary's dad's records weren't destroyed, because they were in a different location in the storage warehouse.

Mary has to work again today; she is way behind schedule. I'll help by being quiet at first, and then editing quickly later. So our anniversary won't be like our wedding day 40 years ago, but we'll make up for it on Monday. Otherwise, not much on tap for today.

In sports, the boys in blue slipped past the Phillies 4 - 3, following a late home run by the shortstop. Typical of the boys in blue. The Tigers blasted the Tribe 10 - 5, to open an 8.5 lead over those guys from Cleveland. My beloved Red Sox dropped that other team from Chicago 7 - 2, to open a full 4.5 game lead over the Rays. The Caps fell to the Lansing Lugnuts 4 - 5. They are winding down the season having had their last home game on Friday evening. We had planned to get there this year, but an alien conspiracy got in the way.

In other sporting news, the Spartans of MSU dropped the Western Michigan  Broncos 26 - 13 on Friday night. On Saturday, the Wolverines of Michigan jammed the Central Michigan Chippewas, 59 - 9. For those who follow them, the Fighting Irish handily dispatched the Owls of Temple 28 - 6. I am currently listening to the Northwestern Wildcat game from CA as they attempt to start off on a winning note with a victory over the Golden Bears. So, I don't know if it is a Saturday game or not. I guess in CA it is. The Cats defense has swarmed all over the Golden Bears, with three interceptions. For Adam, the Huskies of Northern Illinois rallied past Iowa 30 - 27. For Michael, the Fighting Illini beat the Salukis of Southern IL, 42 - 34. The final score of the Northwestern game was 44 - 30. They proved too much for the Golden Bears at the end.

So that's about it for Saturday and today. I had planned to watch college football and I did. I had planned to "play" my Irish whistle and I did. I had planned to have that dinner and I did. So all in all, the day went off as planned. A new day awaits . Ciao.