Bike Ready to Ride

Hello,

Leroy worked on his new bike today. He put on toe clips. The only problem was that it was only about 40 degrees outside and his fingers became so cold that he could not get the job done.

I encouraged him to bring the bike up to the kitchen. After coming in and warming up that is what he did. There he put on those toe clips with little difficulty. He had already put on reflectors and tail light. His head light clips to his helmet so he did not lose that on the stolen bike. Another little task was to attach a rear view mirror. The only thing that is lacking is a kick stand which he may or may not put on because he can manage without it.

Tomorrow he will ride to the museum on this bike. He is ready to do that. Leroy was a little disgruntled because the weather was more comfortable for riding, but he just did not want to be on that other too large bike.

I did not ask if he has a computer on this bike. I suspect not since it would not have a holder for it even if he had taken it off for some reason. This bike does not have a rack so he will have to carry whatever on his back in a backpack which is not as comfortable, but workable.

Even though I did not think three bikes could fit in our garage they do, but one will be leaving soon. As we have no need of it. Sometimes getting rid of something in a responsible manner can be a challenge. Leroy tells me he can donate it to the second hand shop where he just bought his. When and how to get it there is another issue, but solvable.

Paula

New Bike

Hello,

Today Leroy replaced his stolen bike. The bike that a friend had given him did not fit him. It was too big and he felt he had trouble reaching the brakes causing him to feel insecure or out of control while riding.

He went to a used bike shop looking or hoping to spend about $100. He only spent about $160 more, but he is quite pleased with it. Before buying he called asking for my permission or blessing, however he meant that. I was just happy that it was quite a lot less than a thousand. Hopefully it will stay in his possession for a longer time. Leroy still wants to get a recumbent, one that will fold up so he can transport it in the car when needed. Not sure when he will get that, but right now our garage is a bit small to accommodate three bikes. For the time being this will be his commuter bike. I like the idea of his sitting up a little higher when he is on the city streets. Hopefully that will give him more visibility.

I was out sweeping the garage when he came home with his bike crammed in the car. He asked for help getting it out. The handle bars were wedged in securely by the car radio speakers. I doubted that we would manage to free it without causing damage to the bike or the speaker. After taking off the front wheel he forced it free to our great relief. He has the wheels back on, but they will have ti be adjusted a little.

It is nice to have one thing squared away for a while. Now he can move on to the next concern, whatever that is.

We signed our tax papers so that is out of the way.

Paula

Concerts

Hello,

Last night Leroy and I went to a symphony concert. It was in conjunction with a ballet company from Davenport. It included Peter and the Wolf. That Leroy enjoyed because the narrated story helped him know what was going on. During some of the first fairy tales we were on our own or if we had read the program ahead of time we tried to remember what was happening. Some of those were quiet so Leroy had a little nap. I have tried to get over feeling embarrassed when he does that. After all, I do not think badly of others who might nap I just think they are tired. So I kept telling myself it was ok and I was not responsible for his napping behavior.

Today we walked to the nearby college where we attended a faculty recital. It was short so perhaps that is why Leroy stayed awake for it, or perhaps it was because he had a nap just before we walked there. This one had only three pieces. The first was a viola solo. I do not know that I have ever heard a viola play just by itself. It was quite beautiful. I was surprised that some of the notes were so high. The other two pieces were jazz. I am not a big fan of jazz, but I am becoming more in tune with it as I have been to more than one jazz concert. Soon, I might even say I like it.

The battery on my Fitbit needed charging so my steps to church and to this afternoon concert did not get counted. At least I know that it was likely to be the 10,000 steps that I want to do each day. It just will not add to my total steps. It is charging now. The irony is that tomorrow I work and will not have many steps.

Today at a church meeting we turned from important business to sing Happy Birthday to a man who will turn 103 this week. He looks to be in great shape. How much do you think he walks? Or what does he do to have such robust health?

Paula

Spring Outside

Hello,

I hung out all of the washed clothes today, not just the sheets. I like that smell as I bring them into the house. It will be refreshing to slip into bed and have that smell wrapped around me. It was a bit cool when I hung things out. My fingers were happy to come back inside and warm up. However, the sun and the breeze did their work and chased out the wet. As usual any thicker places took a little longer.

One good thing about living on the second floor is that I get a lot of stair climbing exercise. I feel that I have had a work out because I go up and down several times, both to hang the clothes as well as to check on the amount of dryness that has been achieved.

I took an abbreviated walk in the afternoon. Abbreviated because I had to come home and use the bathroom. However in the evening I walked to the grocery store. I was happy to feel the buzz on my wrist telling me that I had made my 10,000^th step. I knew I was close, but resisted looking because then I get hung up on them. A little surprise jolted me when I felt the vibration on my arm. It seems to take a nanosecond to figure out what is going on.

For some reason at the grocery store my credit card chip could not be accessed. After inserting the chip end, I tried sliding it, than the message was, “Please insert.”

When I inserted it again it informed me that the chip was bad even though I had used it in the morning without incident. Luckily I had enough dollar bills and four cents so I could make my purchases. When I walk to the store, I only carry one credit card. I did not want to put any purchases back, but that would have been the next step had I not found enough money.

Paula

Family Pictures

Hello,

I took family photo prints into the framer today. We are just replacing the old photos with the new ones. From the framer I learned that other people do this sort of thing. For some reason I thought we might be the only ones.

We had these taken at Christmas time, but I have put off getting them framed. The 8X10 almost cut off the side of Miriam’s face. It is apparently because the zoom was not at the right setting. I felt quite badly about it. The framer told me that they would have to come in 1/8 of an inch more so it will go just alongside her face. She also checked to see if we could put in a larger print instead. Because I have 8 5x7s in there, it will not work. This woman did comment that we have more than one good picture of Miriam there. Somehow that helped me feel much better. The top of Brian’s head is also compromised in the picture with just guys. Again she commented on how there are some other good pictures of him.

After that I decided to just go ahead with what we have. It will hang in our kitchen. I like having the faces of people I love best in the world in my daily space where I can think about them. We do not easily get back together to redo any of this. We will still enjoy having them close to us. Now there is just a big empty expanse on the wall where the 23 x 27 inch frame hangs. Another good thing is that this is quite inexpensive to have them switch the pictures. Last time it was a bit more, but then I bought new matting and better glass put in. That was all good this time.

It is a nice spring with plenty of sunshine.

Paula

Where are You?

Hello,

Leroy went on a bike ride this afternoon. I left sometime later for a walk. About two blocks from home I met him ending his ride. I asked if he wanted to walk. He said, “Yes, you just keep going and I will catch up or call you.”

I had told him briefly where I planned to go. I kept thinking I would see him, but nothing. Finally, I put my glove in my pocket and felt my phone vibrate. He did ask that question, “Where are you?”

After we got together I learned that he had thought to intercept me not realizing that I would walk quite a lot in the park close to us, before I headed off on the street part of the bike trail.

Seems to me our phones are most useful for that “where are you” question. At least we seem to use it from time to time. How did we manage before we had this assist? We had to be more precise in our talk and plans if we wanted to make connections.

At least I managed to get in my 10,000 steps. I am always pleased when that happens.

Today we got rid of our old laptop and phones along with cords and instructions. What a good feeling. We also got out our printer that has not printed for some time. Leroy found someone who wanted to use the scanning function on it. I have a few more things that I intend to take to a second hand store. I am hoping to get that done tomorrow.

Paula

Concert

Hello,

Last night Leroy and I went to a USAF band concert. I was impressed that Leroy stayed awake the entire time. When we go to the orchestra concerts he sleeps through a bit of it even though he assures me that he likes to go. Perhaps it is more soothing music. Certainly much of the sound last night was boisterous, even though much more in the classical bent than some band music that I have heard.

We both commented on how full the hall was. There was hardly an empty seat. Someone we sat next to told us that when they had gotten there at 6:30 the lower seats were already taken. It was not assigned seats so the best went first.

As usual, the majority of the audience was gray haired. Are younger people just not interested in this type of music? Or are they just too occupied with other things?

On our walk to the concert hall we cut through an alley only to disturb a urinating young man. Apparently he was expecting privacy because he kind of yelped when we saw us drawing my eye. I had not noticed him before that. He then apologized, but did not stop his activity. The real question is where does one look? I kept my eyes averted to my path. Somehow I think Leroy did as well.

After the concert, our walk was quite uneventful. We both noticed that people seemed to be parking in totally different places than when there is an orchestra concert. Even thought the crowd was large we got home in record time. We were grateful for that since we are not late night people.

Paula

Snow Again

Hello,

I woke up last night to go to the bathroom. The light between the blinds seemed to be more than usual. The air was white. Without glasses I pronounced, to myself, that it was fog. This morning when I opened the blinds while wearing glasses. I could tell that it had snowed. Quite a different picture than what I thought was out there. Never make assumptions when one cannot see.

This was the type of snow that is beautiful. The trees and fences had a nice amount sitting on them. There was little or no wind. The sidewalks were not covered unless they were in deep shade. Our walk to church was quite pleasant. I did not even wear boots, but had on some good walking shoes. By the time we left church, most of the snow was off the trees and very much gone from the sidewalk. Now you would not know that it had snowed.

I took an hour nap this afternoon. For some reason I felt extremely tired in church and on the walk home. My lower back hurt and I felt a bit achy. Now I feel quite fine with no explanation for that short down turn.

Tonight Leroy and I are going to a concert of the USAF band. It should be good. We do like this small community and all of the opportunities that appeal to us. One plus is that we do not have to travel very far to enjoy. This one is probably only 2-3 miles from our house. We will drive, but not far.

Seven years ago today we moved into this house. We thought we were only staying 1.5 years. Shows we do not know much about the future.

Paula

Hang Clothes Outside?

Hello,

All at once it seems that it might be nice to hang clothes outside. There is no snow under the clothes line which is amazing. Would they dry when it is only 40 degrees? The wind blowing might do the job. I suspect that my mother would not have even questioned the situation and just hung them out. I know she hung out clothes when they would freeze on the line. Course the remainder of the job had to be done inside.

Right now Leroy is napping, but we are going to take a walk a bit later. I want to see what the progress is on a building that is being renovated and repurposed in our neighborhood. Seems to me there have been many changes in the seven years we have lived here. I see most of them as being positive.

It is so nice to see more people out and about. The dairy queen is even getting a bit more business. When they opened it was so cold that I did not see anyone stop there.

When it is drier I will go around the block and pick up all of the clutter that has blown in and been covered by the snow. Right now I do not want to touch it. I always wear gloves, but they are not much good at keeping my hands dry.

Leroy has not ridden his bike to work lately. Mostly because he has done a combination of church and museum work on many days which requires more driving time.

I am not ready to get on my bike, but I am going to hang some of the clothes. Only the larger items will go out so that I do not have to get cold hands.

Paula

Easy Come, Easy Go

Hello,

Ice and snow come and go without our control. Sometimes I forget that nature is indeed a strong force that I have no power over. Just two days ago there was still quite a bit of ice or snow on the ground. Today 80 or perhaps 90 percent of it has melted and caused many creeks and rivers to swell and go beyond their usual place. Our backyard still has a bit of snow and ice because the sun does not get to it so easily. That is certainly nice when we have a hot summer day. At least the sidewalk back there is clear making it easy to walk to the garage.

Material possessions do not come and go quite as easily. Certainly I am a player in that process. After getting a new laptop there was the question of what to do with the old. Finally this week, I called an organization to learn if they would like to take it. The organization does not need it, but they will put it out for some of the clients to take if they would like. I also asked about Leroy’s old phone and they will take that too. I hope that keeps two items out of the landfill for a time. Hopefully someone can figure out Leroy’s phone because he tossed the papers that go with it. At least it will be out of our house. Easy come, but not so easy to go.

Paula

Walking in the Rain?

Hello,

We have church tonight. I planned to walk as usual, however it is now raining. Unfortunately I can hear it hitting the windows. I do not mind walking in the rain, but not when there is a wind behind it. It can be quite uncomfortable ending with wet clothes, especially in the lower leg area. I do not consider it such a deal when I am walking home as then when home I can change clothes, discarding the wet feeling along with the clinging clothes.

I spent some time this afternoon walking around the block testing out the over shoe boots that we have. Leroy wears them quite often. They are a little big for me and they slipped slightly off the heel with each step. They stayed on my foot, but it made walking a bit more challenging as there was a constant movement where there should be none. I was planning to leave ten minutes early, but now I am thinking about driving and leaving quite a bit later. Leroy will be coming from the museum where he already has a car. People at church will be amazed that we would come to church in two cars when we typically walk. For a while some people even wondered if we owned a car. Not only do we own a car, but we own two of them.

Driving also means I will not get many steps today as I was planning on that two mile round trip to add quite a good amount of exercise. There is not so much positive about driving.  When walking, I like being outdoors enjoying the sounds around as well as the sights. When I drive I just try to pay attention to other cars and street signs, etc. which is not such interesting stuff as squirrels, twigs, and leaves. With the rain and the warm melting we are creating large puddles. Flooding is being talked about quite a bit. One weather condition creates another.

Paula*

Life Is Good

Hello,

Life is good for us. Leroy woke this morning to announce that his wrist was a little sore from falling. I consider that good. He also had me check for bruising around his hips, but they were perfectly clear. He did not complain of any discomfort there. Me, I felt normal everywhere. I did some more walking later and again managed to get my step goal completed.

Some of the ice and snow piles have diminished. Where have they gone? I am not sure where. There are some puddles on the streets and sidewalks. I suppose the storm drains are handling much of the load because I would imagine that the ground is still frozen and cannot accept water.

This morning Leroy commented, “I have not though much about the garden this year, especially the big community garden. But it might be quite a while before we can do anything there. Last year our raised bed did not do so well. He wants to change the soil while I just want to add some more on top because the bottom has settled. We will have more discussions about this issue before warm weather is here to stay. Gardening talk is surely a sign of spring on the horizon.

It seems to me that more and more geese are flying over the neighborhood. That should also be a harbinger of spring or are they just noisier now?

The icicle hanging from the roof close to our bedroom was about 10 feet long. After this warm spell it is now only about four or five feet. I miss being amazed by its length, but otherwise it can disappear without emotional distress.

Paula

Singing and Falling

Hello,

I realize that singing and falling do not have a lot in common, but for us they occurred within the same 24 hours.

Last night our church choir sang with an auditioned choir. We sang part 2 of Handel’s Messiah. It was great to be able to sing with this group and to do these selections. I was familiar with most of the selections, but Leroy went over much new territory. He diligently practiced with recordings as well as stuck with his partner from the church choir. He had never sung with a large group of such skilled performers. It was uplifting.

Today the walk to church took much concentration as the walks had clear spots, ice water, ice over water, and water over ice. We managed that without incident. Much of the time we walk in the streets, especially the less traveled streets.

The walk home was another story. Some of the most difficult spots are those where the snow plows have piled up barriers to the sidewalks. In some places people are helpful to walkers and clear our pathways between the piles of ice and snow. In other spots it is necessary to climb over them. At the first large pile we went over, Leroy was in front and just as he got down on the other side of the pile he fell, missing a large water puddle. He said, “It only hurts a little on my hand, luckily everything else is good.”

At another place we were walking on some sidewalk that had a thin layer of ice with water on top. Once again Leroy fell onto his back side. This time I reached out to maybe try to help him and fell too. I fell forward. Luckily neither of us was hurt by this incident. I went down quite lightly. Not even sure that I got a bruise. Walking on ice in the almost warm is much harder than walking on freezing cold ice.

Paula

Jobs done

Hello,

Yesterday, in spite of feeling a bit unwell, I got a lot done. I washed two loads of clothes. On indoor racks, I hang a certain amount of that because I like to hang clothes. However, I am waiting for the outdoor hanging which is not really possible now with all of the snow and ice in the vicinity of the clothes line.

I never leave the house with the washer or dryer running because once a long time ago we had a hose break on the washer. Another time, also a long time ago, we had a dryer fire. Fortunately I was home both of those times so I could tend to the situation even though I barely knew what I was doing. Guess I do not really trust these machines although I have not had anything untoward happen in the last 30 years.

Shopping was next on the agenda. That went off without a hitch. At home then I started to make granola only to find that I had failed to get oil. I grumbled, but with the warmer weather went out to chop ice in the alley. I do not really like to shop. Chopping ice seems to be my personal challenge. It was since to see my next door neighbor out doing the same. That gave us the chance to visit casually. I have always liked visiting with neighbors on an easy going basis as we see each other out and about.

Later Leroy and I walked to the closer grocery store to get the oil. We were happy to find some marked down rice cakes. We bought almost all of them. I also met my step goal for the day.

The granola got made along with some cornbread that we ate with the bean soup. Nice day indeed.

Paula

Snoring, who me?

Hello,

This morning Leroy said I was snoring as I spent the last part of the night on my back. Could that really be? Does he really know what he heard? Snoring is an activity that is beneath my dignity. Doesn’t he know that only men snore?

Our nights have a certain amount of drama to them. For instance, before I moved onto my back Leroy said, “It is almost time to get up.”

I was in a deep sleep at that point. When I asked him about it this morning he thought maybe he had been dreaming. Not to disturb his sleep, but to get comfortable I shifted to my back. Was my move a subconscious method of revenge?

Luckily, when my snoring disturbed him, he did not do much except jiggle the bed a bit which apparently caused the snoring to stop.

When Leroy is snoring, which really almost never happens, I just tell him to roll over and that works miracles. He thinks I treat him like a dog.

For some reason Leroy’s breathing is rather noisy. Sometimes I have trouble not hearing it. Can you imagine, Leroy tells me that he needs to breathe?

Peaceful sleep to you.

Paula

Cold Sun?

Hello,

Somehow the extreme cold does not fit with the warm looking sun. It looks inviting and delightful outside until the temperature is checked. It is 4 degrees F. or -15.5 C. With the wind chill factored in it is much lower from time to time. Our focus even when driving is what should we wear that will be warm? The cars have worked well with no break downs, but what if?

My job is quite fine. The biggest complaint that I might have especially this year, is that it is 12 miles away. I am grateful that the surface of that road has been upgraded and is very nice. The snow removal has also been much better than I remember from some past years. Perhaps it helps that the town of Ely has grown. When Leroy and I lived there in 1984 the population was about 400-500 people. It is now over 2,000 people. Many of those people work in Cedar Rapids and I meet them on the way when I go in the mornings. Consequently their side of the road is almost always in better shape than my side. Anyway I expect a good clear surface today as it has not snowed in a few days. Plus that amazing sun is able to give enough heat to melt any hold outs to the snow plow.

Once again I might wear my boots to drive to work. They are too warm to wear inside, but then I am prepared for any random snow that I might have to walk through. I am so glad that I found these good short boots last year. I did not wear them much then, but this year I have put quite a few miles on them. I do have a pair of emergency boots in the car if I should need them. Those boots are not so comfortable for a long walk, but they are even warmer than the new boots.

Paula

Flowers in Winter

Hello,

I know I keep talking about the flowers, but they do add a lot of beauty to my life. Yesterday Leroy said, “Those amaryllis are certainly beautiful.”

They are in the living room where we sit to read or possibly watch TV. Because they need support holding up their heavy blossoms I have them leaning against the rocking chair across from our reading chairs, consequently we can look at them often without trying.

We walked to church this morning. The temp was 3 degrees F. with a feels like -10 with the wind chill. We were grateful that many of the sidewalks were clear. If not we used the streets. Usually Sunday morning there are not many cars out. We are grateful that the college campus sidewalks are cleared with such regularity.

We walked right along to get the mile done before we felt too cold. I should take a picture of Leroy when he is all bundled. There is no skin to be seen. He got a pair of ski goggles at a garage sale and they have become his good friend. His nose can be covered and his glasses to not fog up. I on the other hand, have to keep my nose exposed so I can still see to walk. I rushed along and Leroy whose coat is more bulky complained, “I cannot walk so fast because I am so bulky and bundled.”

I showed no mercy and kept up the pace with a comment and a little laugh, “That is too bad.”

My nose wanted to be indoors. Leroy did manage to stay with me, course it helped if I had to wait to cross a street.

Paula

No Storm Weekend?

Hello,

We did not go to MN for Logan’s Birthday party because there was a predicted storm and because others had conflicts so the party was postponed. I feel a bit guilty for not going or saying we could not come because we have had no snow here for a few days. However Brian called to tell us that they got four or five inches with plenty on the ground. It might not have been so much fun to drive in MN.

We watched a kid’s movie from the library last night. We both laughed. Those are the best. Today Leroy has spent a bit of time working on his stamp collection. I do not really know what he is doing, but he is using quite a bit of space and is very happy. I am glad that we have space for him to use.

He also put air in his car tire. That turned out to be a hassle as the first station he went to had a non functioning air pump. After coming home and discussing with our downstairs friend where to go, he tried another that was successful. He was relieved. Now we are hoping that it is just the cold weather rather than a hole. Our alley has some serious ice hills and valleys so we slam down on them from time to time. I wonder about parts of the car being damaged. There was a bit more melt today so we cleared out a bit more by our garage. Grateful for these vehicles that operate in extreme weather!

I made gingerbread with no sugar and ¼ less molasses. Both Leroy and I thought it was sweet enough. Leroy even ate his with unsweetened yogurt. I know it is a little strange, but I put in a handful of frozen naturally sour cranberries as well.

Paula