Detroit

I just looked and it has been some time since I wrote a blogline.  I am in Detroit for and early morning meeting and since they were forecasting snow I did not feel like getting up at 0400 and driving through lots of snow and icy roads.  The trip back tomorrow appears like it will be a real joy.

Last Saturday Barry & I went out on the Fawn River kayaking.  We fought the current upstream for about 2 miles (2 hours) and stopped to talk and bask in the rare sunshine.  We decided enough was enough and turned around.  We were back in no time at all.  My boat is a short and wide recreational kayak – read entry level – but Barry’s is 14′ and only 24″ or so wide.  Besides being an expert kayaker his boat goes much faster than mine.

Sunday I was hurting from the strenuous exercise so out came the ibuprofen and I rested a lot after church.  Later in the day we got out for a short time to go to the church supper.  SAM wanted to stay but I had to pack and finish the clothes for the morning run to GR.

We have not been back to the boat and will not go this weekend coming up either.  This weekend the Dayton crew is coming up and Martha too. I will entertain as SAM has a church retreat.

Andy promises an early spring so I have to get the boat bottom painted and the stop cable installed.  I had Tower change the filters and install a shutoff valve for the diesel tank.  The shutoff will make me feel safer.  This year I want to kayak the Kalamazoo River at least 5 miles upstream from where we are with the new kayak I am looking for.

Lake Effect Snow

There was a blzzard of lake effect snow today and it was not anywhere near the 51 degrees of a couple of days ago.  This morning there was about an inch of the very light fluffy stuff on the truck and of course no matter how slowly you open the door the fluffy stuff flies into the vehicle and all over the seat.

 My work has been pretty slow and I expect the hammer to fall if it does not pick up pretty soon.  There are a few options to extend the agony but in the end $ earned fall to next to nothing pretty rapidly.

I went to Braun’s tonight and then on to B&N but I only read some more of a kayaking book.  I am fascinated by the Eskimo roll and how it is performed.  I am wondering if I have enough hip snap left to perform the roll.  The other thing I wonder is how to avoid losing my glasses when I roll over.  Fred had a clever idea that he uses on his skidoo’s.  He puts on a good neck band and then takes a carabiner of small size and clips it to the life vest and the neck band.  It would work but it does not seem too secure to me.  I guess I can try it but I’ll have to superglue the lens into the frames first.

51 degrees today

Can you believe it was 51 degrees today?  Well, it was and it rained and rained and rained.  Tonight snow, sleet & rain.  It will be a long drive tomorrow.

I went up on the roof today to get rid of the sticks dam that had formed in the valley.  While up there I picked up the larger size sticks that have fallen with each wind,rain,ice, and snow storms all winter.  I also walked down to the lake and there was ice half way up the beach 2″ thick – the water was really up high and still is higher than normal but the river volume and height gages show a steady decline with an upturn for todays rain. 

 Jess came home today and had a lot of interesting and funny stuff to tell about working in the big city.  We had a good long time talking all afternoon.  It looks like a trip to Denmark and training Brazil is coming up pretty soon.  We will have a whole new sequence of stories.

Late news

Jerry M called this am from FL and his boat.  He said his battery system has powered the boat overnight with no problem – this includes comfort heating on a 40  degree night and the hotwater system for the shower.  That takes a lot of power.

Later we went to the grocery store and had a lazy afternoon.  I scrapped some ice off the driveway for and hour so but it appears for naught since an ice storm will coat it again tonight.  If the forcast is right then tomorrow it will melt off with temps of 43 degrees.  All next week is cold with ice and snow.  Come on spring.

Stuck at the Excel Inn

Drat, the Excel Inn (now Super 8) offered me a rate I could not refuse.  Mind you, they said they were upgrading the breakfast and the high speed internet.  the price is $3 more than I paid before but then again a good breakfast would be worth it and so would the HSI.  We will see what happens.  The next nearest price was $45 but I would have to drive 15 miles round trip to work..  The Red Roof Inn, which is kind of shabby, was $37.99 and no breakfast.  I am happy with the results and have lived there for a long time.

Jess is supposed to come home this weekend and that will be nice.  We haven’t seen her since Christmas.  No, I take that back we went to her house once.  A marina is very nearby so maybe we can sail to see her come summer.

High Speed Internet vs Innflux

Innflux provides the service here at the hotel that just went from a nice private company to Super 8.  Innflux just plain s–ks.  Despite being just a few feet away from an access point I am in the low signal range.  It is just not me either it is everywhere.  I can pick up the Hilton 200 yds away better than inside this hotel.  For the Super 8 name they want to charge me 9$ more per day for nothing.

Sunshine

Basking in the sunshine my day was going ok for a while and then the treadmill issue came up again. The afternoon quickly became mired in intrigue and rumors of identity theft of an unnamed person. The meditation session did not go too well either. Man, I can’t wait for warm weather – I think cabin fever is striking everyone.

I ate at the Pita Place again tonight. Again, the price exceeded $10 so I guess I cannot eat there many times. Back to Braun’s and Russ’ . The hotel decided to raise their rates as well so I checked around for prices. I can get a better place for the same price as I will have to pay next week. I told the manager today I was going to have to leave. He said he did not want to loose me as I have been there for 4 years. He said he would see what he could do. It had better be less than $39 or I am out for better digs.

I need a few changes that is for sure!

Tuesday Blues

There was continuous snow over the area for the past two days.  It is sort of pretty.  I did not sleep too much last night for the most idiotic reason I had ever heard and believe me I have heard most everything over the last 25 years.  However, the real culprit must go unnamed.

On Monday, I sold the treadmill that had been collecting dust for the past 13 years.  I wanted $200 but settled for $150 when it was found the plastic base was cracked and the distance measurement would not show correct numbers.  I can tell you though it will probably be the last time I use craigslist.com.

 I am getting pretty fed up with the whole darn scene and don’t have that many years to enjoy life so I better get started.  How is it that when you think think things are pretty stable and you have things figured out that the rug is pulled out from under you leaving no support or anything to believe in? 

I guess it is the 1 in 10 theory.  Only about 1 in 10 people will do anything about their situation.  The other 9 just moan and when the 1 moves they get pounced upon saying they did not do it right.  Oh well, at least you get to see what a person is really made of.

Websites Galore

Well it looks like I will be doing two more websites.  Too bad they are non-paying jobs – one church and one relative.  Oh well, it is amateur stuff anyway so if it helps what the hey.  Two more for godaddy!

What’s Happening?

This winter has been characterized by lots of snow and periodic warm spells that melt the snow and flooding rivers.  The whole are from Grand Rapids to Detroit to Indianapolis are in the Water Triangle.  It would be fun to get out and kayak- more specifically I would like to get over to Barry’s and get in one of his kayaks and paddle up river towards Orland.  I might not make it but at least the trip back would be a breeze.  Maybe next weekend.  I am really keen on trying some different types of kayaks.

Tomorrow we have planned a trip to Saugatuck to look at the boat.  The batteries have to be charged, I want to remove the valve lifter shutoff cable and take one of the seacocks apart to see what king of shape they are in.  I suspect that all of them should be cleaned and re-lapped for a tight fit.  At least I want to identify the ones that are frozen in place.  They may not be but I know I have not shut off some of the valves since I have owned the boat.  As a matter of fact I think there are some that I do not know where they even are.  With two of us there and a wire to bang the thru hull I might be able to find them all.  At least I know where 6 of them are.  That leaves 3 in unidentified positions.

Assuming we get up early enough and get going by 0900 we should have sufficient time to  do all that needs to be done.  Here is hoping.