Good morning Susan, Tina, Paul, and all.  Had my birthday party with family last eve.  Had a

bad day yesterday so was really great even couple weeks late.  The alignment shop knew they

caused me to lose those tires but not even sorry.  Then they tried to sell me tires that went out

of production 3 years ago for $185 each.  A company was selling them as used a year ago for

$50 each even though they were new, but produced much earlier.  Can't believe my tire store here

could even find some, probably paid almost nothing for them.  Might have not paid anything. 

Susan, seems like you don't live that far from Tina.  She is over there in western NY.  It's a long

drive through forest for me to get there, three or four hours of nothing after going by Corning

and Horseheads. 

Paul, strange you had those two choices.  I'm baffled why I was even able to select typing in my

little rural PA town.  Typing was a woman's job in the 60s.  Computers hadn't come about yet.

I fell badly short of Susan's speed.  Seems like I typed around 35 words per minute.  Some how

I passed, I think.  Seems like I remember some of the speed was deducted for mistakes.  I'm

amazed I remember anything from then, must have been around 1969, Woodstock year.  I even

have pictures in my mind from the class.  I remember typing some cards up during my Army

training when they couldn't find anyone.  I was in to become a mechanic.  I was going to build

race cars for a living back then.  Wanted a family to, though.

I wear a jean jacket out here early in the morning, then switch to a coat when I head outdoors.

The pups both have red sweaters for the cold.   I should get a picture of that before they out

grow them.

Have a great day all.  33 here this morn but snow and rain coming with the warmer air, today

and tomorrow.

Ernie

Thanks, Tina. I had an uncle and cousins in Hamburg. We visited them twice when I was young. Nice up there. 

Good morning, all,

If I recall correctly, it was one semester of typing. There was one non-academic class we had to take. Took Auto Mechanics, some electrical course where we built a lamp from a wine bottle :), and art. I was not good at art.

Enjoy the day. I go into the office on Thursdays, and it always seems to rain.

Pau

Good morning Paul and all.  Warm 43 and raining here.  Temperature drops into the teens tonight.

With the rain and cold can't walk the dogs for three mornings.  Belle is in some kind of pain, we took

her into emergency but they didn't find it, just prescribed some anti-inflammatory pain pills.  Charged

$189.  Enough for a week of groceries before the price rises with the virus.  We should probably drive

up to Ithaca to the Colonial clinic if gets worse or continues.  They cost even more but are also more

skilled.  My daughter managed to get her dog into Cornell but follow up is months away.  There was a

7 month waiting list when Brandy got the Cancer tumor.  

Paul, don't think we had auto mechanics or electrical.  I spent about two years in auto mechanics technical

schools while I was in the Army.  I didn't stay in it that long after the service.  Knew I needed some college

to support a family.  Was taking a college prep course before I got out of the Army.  Car dealers lie to their

employees as much as customers.  One told me one wage but when got my first check it was less, and on

and on.  wee have cashed in on my auto mechanics schooling over and over throughout the years.  We

couldn't have taken our cars in for work all those years.  Even if you change to wrong part once in a while,

it's still a worn part and the repair garages also change the wrong part sometimes.  They just cover it up.

We did have art.  I remember making pottery.  I was lucky enough to have art class with my girlfriend.

Girlfriend kept our pottery for her hope chest. 

We didn't get much rain yesterday but was gloomy all day.  Above average temps are better than below average

like we get lots of times this time of year.  I see it's forecast to stay above average until the 22nd now.  I would be

more than happy to have a below average Winter if it would save California from the floods.  Don't know if this is

climate change or not because that's an average over many years.  I sure feel bad for them.  I was up in Yosemite

National Park on my bike, where they got 4 or 5 feet of snow last I heard.  Did freeze and ride through a snow storm

on my way down the eastern side of the mountains.  Was wearing all the leather I took with me.  Just hours earlier

I was wearing a t shirt and sweating walking through that tree trunk that was in our school books showing a car 

driving through.  A neighbor tells me the tree had fallen when he visited later.  Strange with the tree being so old.

Enjoy the day all. 

Ernie

giant sequoias

Meant to say Paul, bottom of my jean jacket caught the edge of my coffee cup when I was sitting down and dumped a full cup in my lap.  Bad way to start the day.  Never did that before.  Just got this jacket 2022, still stiff.

Good morning, Ernie, Paul, Tina, Kitty and All,

A cold, but sunny, day here by the shore of Lake Erie.  27 degrees but feels like 15 with wind chill.  Reminder to self to get bird seed today.  The sparrows need strength to keep warm.

Paul,  my eldest daughter Molly, SIL and two grands flew into NYC for the week-end.  Each one has picked a certain venue they would like to see.  Molly chose Central Park.  It’s rather amazing to me how kids leave late on a Friday night and fly into the city for a brief two day week-end.  Eldest granddaughter back to Kent University on Monday and Molly back teaching on Tuesday.  Ah, to be young!

Ernie,  Sorry to hear about Belle.  Hope you see improvement. I must put Finn back on the Deramaxx against my better judgment.  Having difficulty getting up (especially on the hard wood floors).  

Tina, I didn’t realize you were so close to Buffalo.  At the other end of the Lake….Cold there…..and so much snow.

Off to wake up the one who rules the house….Finn likes to sleep in.

Enjoy the week-end.   ((Hugs)). Susan

One year ago today ~

I hope your family enjoys NYC, Susan. 

Stay warm everyone. 

Paul

Good morning Susan, Paul, and all.  17 here this morn.  If a little warmer would take the dogs out

for our run.  Belle has been better since early yesterday.  Paul, I drove down to the Delaware Water

Gap on route 80 yesterday afternoon / eve to get some wheels and tires for my Baja (4).  Awful close

to you.  Lucky the guy drove an hour towards me and lowered the price from $220 to $200 and gave

me a new Baja water pump he also had left over when he sold his.  When we were stationed at Fort Dix,

NJ in the 70s, we drove through there all the time.  Tires the guy had are the same as the ones on the

front of the Baja now.  Size, brand, model, everything.  If it wasn't so late in the day, I would've drove to

Browns Mills, NJ, just outside of Fort Dix and looked at our old apartment building, a house converted to

apartments.  Would've been dark when I got there.  I can see on the street view on Zillow real estate that

it's in bad shape and most of it is boarded up, our apartment is boarded up.  Looks like the main apartment

in the building is still being used. 

I will be able to get my Baja going again today and get down to the farm to help a little soon.  My sister just

was there on the 6th so no rush.  Have so much into the Baja will be happy to get it back into use.

Susan, glad Finn is doing fairly well.  Sad they get older so quick.  Have never seen him but love him.

Put my card into a PA welcome Center candy machine where I couldn't see a price.  Paid $5.00 for a little

pack of M & Ms.  My contribution to PA I guess, on the PA NJ border.  I knew PA was a thief of the poor

by their inheritance tax of 4% on children and 11% on anyone else, no matter how little the inheritance

is.  So if someone is inheriting a farm that only has a 30k to 60k income could easily be lost because the

sibling or whatever couldn't afford the hugh inheritance tax. 

Enjoy the day all.

Ernie

One of my bikes at Yosemite National Park, Calif years ago.

Hi Paul, 

The pictures so far have been Summit One Vanderbilt (a glass tower of some sorts, looks like glass floors and ceilings) and a storefront of Louis Vuitton.  I asked the granddaughter if she purchased a purse and she said ‘no’.     

Sunny but cold here.  Mass in the morning and errands this afternoon.  On we go into Martin Luther King Day tomorrow ~

Susan

Hi Erie,

Kudos on that beautiful picture.  Are Lakes in that area really that blue?   I am betting they are.  Daughter wants us to go to Ireland or England….. I told her my bucket list consists of one venue and that is the Lake Louise/Banff area.  Maybe we will plan that in a year or two.  

So you visited the Delaware Gap area?  My cousin lived in Mendham, New Jersey and I remember prices being so much higher than Ohio and that was years ago.  He was a corporate attorney for A T & T and took a train to work in the city, I believe.

Happy to hear that Belle is doing better.  Daughter’s kitty (15) very ill and will undergo a biopsy for pancreatic cancer.  I rather went through my Motherly lecture about God having a Plan and the cost of chemotherapy for a pet.  They are old enough to do as they and their funds allow.  There is a season for all of us…..

On we go into a holiday tomorrow.   Nothing special here……probably Monday washing.  LOL

Susan