Good early morning GH.  It has just passed 5:00 AM here in our little corner of the world, and it should come as no surprise, that at this time of the year, the view out the Weather
Window is...dark. Since we had enough snow in the last two days, I am very happy to report that the current temperature is 34 degrees, and that Sugar the Weather Dog is sleeping soundly. That's a good sign that no major weather events are on the horizon.

I don't anticipate that I have much to do today, and for me that is also good.

I got to thinking earlier, as I listened to a truck go by a bit before 5:00 AM, that very few of us know much about what our spouses do in their job, or for that matter what they do on a daily basis. Sure, we often know in general terms because of the company that they work for that they deliver things, account for things, teach things, build things, etc. But, we only know general things, not the specifics.  What we do know is often garnered from the things they say about their jobs, often in a complaint, but that is about it.   I taught school for a long time, I worked in the adult education area before I was a public school teacher, and about the only thing that I generally said was that I was there.  How do you really describe your daily activities.  Even when we think we know, do we really?  I know what Mary does in only general terms.  I have assisted her, but if she tries to really explain, my eyes start to glaze over and I get an "I wish I was somewhere else look" on my face. Maybe that's as is should be.  I don't mean to not be interested, but if I wanted to do her job, I'd be an indexer. We all have our own interests and unless, or maybe in spite of the fact that you work for the same employer, then you have other thoughts on your mind.  This might be a good place to insert  a few of the lyrics of that mid-sixties song by the Vogues, Five O'Clock World, if you are old enough to remember. But, that's an awful lot to think about. Raising children can be a tough daily job, but do we all want the daily details? Probably not.

So, I think I've said enough. Next time your spouse, partner, or significant other starts to talk about their day, try to listen, try to understand, but realize that they generally just want to vent, they aren't seeking a solution.  That's probably just as well. Most of us would take years to acquire the skills that our spouses, partners, significant others, or just our friends outside of work, spent a lot of years developing.  That's okay; just listen attentively, shake your head as you try to understand, but mostly, just listen and be there for them. Mostly, people are just working through their jobs and trying to get you to notice how an activity that consumes the majority of their waking moments has been trying, satisfying or something else.

I was just downstairs to finish my library book, and I turned on MSNBC only to find another host for It's Too Early. Let me say for sure, it was. Tea time is almost upon us, so I'll just say Ciao.

Good afternoon GH.  Well, it is nearly 3:00 PM, so I thought that good afternoon seemed appropriate.  I had an extended session with the heavy wet snow this AM, and so, my shoulders are achy.  Surprisingly, my back is not.  Go figure.  Currently, the desktop temperature is 36 degrees, so the areas where I removed the snow are showing signs of melting.  However, the skies are still leaden in color, and they look like more snow is possible. In fact, we will have to wait until Friday for the chance of precipitation to drop below 50%.  Plus, we will have to wait until later next week to see temperatures consistently above the freezing mark.  Sadly, Sugar the Weather Dog didn't get a walk this morning, because there was/is too much snow on the sidewalks.

My modified snowblower worked great.  The discharge chute rotated freely, and the deflector I made for the space that used to clog with snow worked as I'd hoped.  My clamping bolt also worked as I'd hoped. However, this snow was wet and heavy whereas the previous snow(s) were light and fluffy due to the colder temperatures.  So, I really didn't get an accurate test.  Like I always seem to be saying, time will tell.

I am working on another novel, one that is technically due today.  I hope to finish it tonight.  Then, I can return it in the AM as I walk Sugar the Weather Dog.  Maybe the library folks won't notice, since they can't expect it to be returned until midnight tonight, technically, which means that they couldn't check it in until tomorrow.  Gosh I love the word, technically.

I don't have further plans for today.  I got the snowblower "parts" down into the man-cave.  They are just like the current snowblower, light.  So before Mary freaks out, it didn't require too much effort. I plan to drink a bit of that wine Mary got the other day, and that will put me in a righteous frame of mind as I read that novel.

Sorry, no pictures. I just didn't feel like it.  Sometimes, to borrow from Dirty Harry Calahan, "A man's got to know his limitations."  I didn't fell lucky today.  So, until next time, Ciao.

Good afternoon GH.  Well, just as the National Weather Service predicted, the weather is quickly going from good to bad.  We are starting to see the snow falling, and the temperatures never reached their expected high of 38 degrees.  And, the wind is blowing in gusts of 20 - 30 MPH. Snow is expected to fall all night, and end in the early AM hours.  Predictions range from 2 - 6 inches.  Sometimes, snow is expected to fall at over one inch per hour. Of course, that is what the people in Kansas City thought too.  Only time will tell.

Now for the good news.  My snowblower "parts" arrived today.  I am now ready for anything that might fall from the skies overnight.  I just have to find a way to get the "parts" down to the man-cave. 

I cooked more kale and squash soup today.  This one was a double batch.  I chopped and chopped, diced and poured, and made broth and chopped more kale and peeled squash and sauteed and boiled and simmered, and then I ate some.  I pronounce it good.  So does Mary. Best of all, the house smells like cooking went on here, so that is all good.  I don't feel a need to cover the smell in spite of what the marketing people would have us believe. I also saved some squash for Sugar the Weather Dog's breakfast. Of course, in her other role as the official Sous Dog, she was Sugar on the spot and got some of the fallout.  

Then I played on my guitar some, and read my email and noted that Barb is as proud as a peahen about the fact that her granddaughter was chosen to play with girls much older than she on the soccer team.  I'd be proud too.  I still can't believe that she is 12.  Time flies when you are having fun.  I heard that Barb and Ed are going to the time trials for NASCAR, because they got free passes in Vegas.  I guess that what happens in Vegas happens at the race track.

Now, it its time to read some, do a little cross word puzzle solving and reading. I also have to fit watching NCIS in there too.  Life is sure harder when you are retired.  So, until next time, when I may add some pictures, Ciao. 

Good afternoon GH.  Well, it is now nearly 6:00 PM, and Mary and I had a wonderful day.  Currently, the temperature here our fair city is a balmy 43 degrees, and so Mary and I went for a walk downtown earlier.  The sun was, and still is, shining brightly. So, since we are becoming more Michiganders every day, we decided to take the walk while the walking was good.  Of course, Sugar the Weather Dog and I took our morning walk too, and true to her breed characteristics, Sugar had to sniff at every set of animal tracks she came across.  I wouldn't have minded, but my knees were a bit on the achy side.  I took some ibuprofen before Mary and I took our walk, and then my knees were at least livable.  I am due for my twice yearly set of knee injections in about three weeks, so I am pretty certain that part of the aches and pains is due to this being the end of the cycle.

I also spent some time in the man-cave and the mud room, modifying the knuckle that moves the discharge chute on the snow blower.  I added a small bolt as a clamp to pinch the knuckle and used the grease that Adam recommended on the gears, before I placed my home made snow deflector on the spout/chute.  Using very basic hand tools, I was able to complete the modifications in a relatively expeditious fashion. I won't know how well these modifications will work until I use the machine again, but it was/is worth a try. I am still waiting for my snow blower parts to arrive, but like the proverbial slow boat, I'll just have to wait and use what I have for now.

Yesterday, I finished my latest book, A Higher Call, by Adam Makos and I found it thoroughly enjoyable.  It was told in non-fiction form, and the author used a writing format of mostly first person accounts as he delved into the relationship between a German fighter pilot and that of an American B-17 bomber pilot who crossed each other's path during WWII and then not again for over 40 years.  A fascinating story, and one that evoked memories of my dad and his service during that war.  Having been to the RAF/American Army Air Force base in Duxford, England,where my dad served during the war, I was able to get a better, albeit still incomplete, understanding of what his service was like. I heartily recommend this book.

So, I feel as though I accomplished a great deal today and still found time for this blog.  It really can't get much better than that.  I have a book I want and need to finish by the 27th, as it is one of their short term loans.  I think I can make it.

So, until next time, I will finish my ramblings and say Ciao.

Good afternoon GH.  It has just turned 6:00 PM here in our fair city and the current temperature on the desktop display is 34 degrees.  Sugar the Weather Dog and I went for a walk this AM, but she got scared by a snow plow, so that wasn't her finest hour.  However, the sun is shining in our partly cloudy skies and at last, I can say that the chances are that there will be no precipitation until Tuesday and Wednesday.  Not bad for this late in February.  However, at that time, it is likely to be significant, but mostly rain given the expected temperatures.

Looks like we have a winner in the Daytona 500, Jimmie Johnson.  And probably more important, we can dispense with the various firsts by a woman. Laps led under green, winning the pole, not crashing, working well with the crew, finishing the whole 500 miles, etc.  Enough already!

Adam clued me in to where to look for the grease for the snow blower. Now all I have to do is drag the snow blower into the mud room for some dis-assembly.

Adam and Steph had a small Daytona 500 viewing party, and I have included a picture of their little soiree. You will have to wait for Mary's blog for a picture of our afternoon.

I think they hit most of the car sponsors, plus a few additions.

So, until I have more to say, or the middle of the early morning comes up, I'll say Ciao.

Good late day GH.  It is late, now after 9:00 PM.  I don't have a lot to say, but that's often the point of blogging.  The current weather conditions are a temperature of 31 degrees, and the view out the Weather Window is dark.  We had quite a bit of snow yesterday, and I have literally run out of places to pile it.  But, at least the parts for my snow blower should be arriving soon.  Since it has a four year warranty, the parts are free.  I have to ask Adam if we have any lithium grease here in the garage or man-cave that I can use to lube the gears on the discharge chute and thus repel the water/ice that builds up.  I still plan to make the flexible cover for around the discharge chute, but the grease would provide added insurance against future ice jams, I think.  I was thankful the snow blower is still partially functional, but it was still hot and heavy work.

Early this morning, a train passed with twin locomotives and multiple cars. I find the whole thing fascinating, but that's just me.

We plan to watch the Daytona 500 tomorrow, but today we caught part of the Nationwide series race, DRIVE4COPD 300, that was run today, and saw what had to be one of the most horrendous crashes on the very last lap.  The entire front end of Kyle Larson's car was sheared off and the engine and part of the suspension itself ended up in the spectator's laps.  I mean that literally.  It will take quite a bit of effort to repair the catch fence and get tomorrow's race in.  Tony Stewart won today's race, but he was very shaken and genuinely hoped that no one was severely injured.  As it turns out, there were several severe and/or critically injured people in the crowd of spectators.  I know that Hemingway said that it isn't a sport unless there is a chance of death, but I don't tune in to see either spectators or drivers die.  For those of you who are interested, just do a Google search and you can satisfy your curiosity.

I am still in search of some additional time for all of my activities, so I hope that I can get everything done.  I spent time today looking for a replacement mug that was a part of my father's 78th Fighter Group memorabilia, but so far, no luck.  Someday, my luck will change.

I enjoyed watching UP w/ Chris Hayes this AM, and I plan to watch again tomorrow, before switching over for the Daytona 500.  That will allow me to have...Tea time.  I must say that the tea tastes much better without all of the weird "goo" that was in the old pot.  So, until next time, Ciao.

Good early morning GH.  It is just about 3:15 in the wee hours of the morning here in our fair city. Currently, the view out the Weather Window is, dark.  The temperature on the desktop is 25 degrees, and the wind is blowing at 19 MPH according to the National Weather Service.  Also, according to those fine folks, for as long as they get to keep their jobs, we are expecting that precipitation will be peaking at 100% by 6:00 AM, as winds continue to blow at about 19 - 20 MPH. Driving will be hazardous as the temperatures and other factors allow for 1 - 3 inches of snow/ice to fall.  Like I've said before, "Enough already!"

We were speaking to some of the long term locals the other day, and they noted that the ice fishing on most of the lakes is doing well, but there have been a few rescues as people get too adventurous.  Some of that is apparently due to the rapid changes in the temperatures, and the fact that windblown rain acts like sandpaper on ice, eroding it very rapidly to unsafe thinness.  But that is the new normal I guess. Our local paper noted that there have been a large number of spin-outs on local roads recently, as people needing to travel have encountered icy and and blinding conditions.

Mary and I finished our shared and never to be named non-fiction book (due to its title) yesterday. The author wrote this book about 6 - 7 years ago, but it is right on target. Amazing how the more things change etc.

Otherwise, I plan to do some playing of guitar today, finish my next non-fiction book, one that details the reality of WWII from the airman's perspective, and start another fiction novel that I picked up the other day at the library. I love having a library so close at hand, especially one that is so responsive to my requests for new and already in their collection/system.  This really is a great town.

I hope that everything went well for Adam and Steph over the last few days. Steph is into week three of her new job and Adam had some long days of meetings. While I sometimes miss being young and ambitious, I don't miss the days of long hours and long meetings.  Ah, the price we pay for success.  But, retirement is always out there somewhere in the future.

So, until more is in need of my commentary, I'll just await...Tea time, which will involve our new tea pot, and hopefully some less bitter tea. Mary and I discovered the other day that our previous teapot had become unusable due to accumulated "goo" in the bottom.  It made the tea taste bitter and thus the pot unusable. The new pot being glass, won't allow those nasty buildups to remain hidden. A dishwasher will eliminate them very quickly.  The old pot was 2- 3 years old, and maybe that is just how it is, a lifespan of 2 - 3 years.  Ciao.