SUNDAY

........................I would like to say that I lost a couple of pounds and got proper exercise after not eating away the day, but I can't. The temperature outside is bouncing around 93, the doggy had a bath and I wasted tooo much time in front of the TV, is nearer the truth. I had to fight the dog to get him cleaned up even a little bit, he bit my left wrist pretty hard at one point. It did not break the skin but that blood thinner I am taking helped create a couple of nasty spots under the skin. No, I didn't kill the little sucker but I must admit the idea ran a lap or two around my head. I used my leather gloves but discovered that the leather is thinner than his teeth are long. I finished the afternoon with popcorn and a movie. 

SATURDAY

........................On my way to Beaverton today I stopped by the bowling alley for another ten lines and surprised myself by scoring 191 on the first game. I did not repeat that at any time during the next nine lines but I was able to leave the facility with a 133.6 average for the day. That average beat my League average by about three pins so I felt pretty good about things. . . . I left town about three o'clock for the hour drive to Beaverton to meet Terri. Needless to say it ended up taking much longer because highway 26 was blocked for some unknown reason. I took a 'shortcut' and you can guess how well that went. In any event we arrived at Jean and Ben's Canby place a few minutes late. That worked out well because Ben had not yet started the BBQ. Terri and I stayed there until almost 10 PM before I returned her to her car in Beaverton and proceeded home. I arrived shortly before 11:30 just in time to have the doggy great me with opens arms [paws]. I played with him for a couple of minutes before eating cookies and milk prior to getting to bed. It was a good day. Pretty warm too, over 90 at times during the day.

FRIDAY

....................I was at the lab at 10:30 for my Pro time check today. It came out OK so I then stopped by the bowling alley to see if I could do better today than I did yesterday. It turns out my ten lines brought home a 146 average with a high game of 194 and a final with a 170. I felt good about my results. It was very warm here today, around 80 and no clouds.  Terri and I are going to Canby tomorrow to a BBQ so I plan on washing the car as soon as the sun gets low enough for things to cool off. It was another nice day in the great Northwest. That makes three so far for the year.

THURSDAY

.....................This was a heck of a day. I arrived at the bowling alley at 11:50 and when I opened my wallet to pay my dues I noticed the reminder I carry with me of all my appointments said I was to be at the hospital lab at 11:30 for my Protime check.  I told one of my bowling partners about it and he was to let everyone know I would be a bit late. I then drove to the lab and was told I was too late to get in anytime today so I had to make an appointment for 10:30 tomorrow morning. I then rushed back to the bowling alley and got there in time to put on my shoes and begin the game. I started off OK with a 133 but then things fell apart and I got a 115 on the second game. After settling down for the third line I made a 138. That was 128 for the day, which is not a bit better than my present 130. Since I have to return to town tomorrow for my Protime check I suppose I will stop in at the bowling alley and try again. Not that I need it, you understand.........After bowling today I stopped by Safeway and gave away another $48 for a few groceries, I then drove home with the window down so I could enjoy the wonderful and humid 75 degrees we were experiencing today. It looked like rain all afternoon but that never happened. Goody, goody.

WEDNESDAY

...............Doggy and I got in our walk today. It was less than an hour getting down to the river and back. It is good exercise and I can tell he really enjoys being out. He does a good job of sticking right at my heels as we walk. I take him off the leash when we leave the main street. There are times when he finds something interesting to run down or to explore but he usually comes running when I notice he is not with me.

TUESDAY

.........................Happy day, Terri Lynn is in Beaverton for a few weeks visiting family so I drove to Beaverton this morning to run an errand with her and to have lunch. She paid. I love that girl! She has recently gotten back from Peru and Brazil so we had lots to talk about, She had tons of pictures so the lunch lasted many happy hours. The weather was nice today but it seemed to be threatening rain some of the time. I did get back to within Kelso City limits before having to turn on the windshield wipers. I arrived home about 7:20 and fed the dog, he was so unhappy that I was gone so long that he refused to eat for over an hour. While I had my cookies and milk he went to bed and ignored me. He came out after a while though, all was forgiven and he ate dinner. 

MONDAY

......................A couple of rain storms rolled overhead during the day. Doggy and I decided to stay inside and ride it out. I did get my laundry finished and put away by 8:30. That also includes the time I took to eat breakfast. I did a lot of reading and a little napping before it was time to turn on O'Rielly and settle in for the evening. Just another lazy day.

SUNDAY

......................Went bowling after lunch and averaged 136.2 over ten lines. What most pleased me was the fact that my best game was my last one. Once again I really buckled down and paid attention to what I was doing and came out OK. Perhaps that is the only way I can bowl, every shot has to be done perfectly. That is not the way I usually bowl. My attitude too often is that good enough is good enough. But that is not the case with bowling. It requires perfection. I was home in time to watch the end of NASCAR at Sonoma, a fun race. Now the high wire walker is preparing himself to walk the Grand Canyon. Talk about perfection!

SATURDAY

.........................I knew early this morning that I would be pigging out in front of the TV most of the day so I forced myself to take the dog for a walk down to the river and back. We were back by 11:30 and I watched the 24 hour endurance race that is now going on and switching to NASCAR when commercials arrived. Back and forth like that all afternoon. That was all of the exercise I got so I am glad I went walking earlier. The endurance race ends at 6AM tomorrow, If I wake up early enough I will turn it on to see how it ends.

FRIDAY

.............The Kidney doctor appointment went will this afternoon, I am a bit anemic and my kidneys show that they are a bit more stressed than they were a year ago. My PSA has gone up a bit but I don't know if there is a lot to be done about that. Considering everything, the doctor said I am doing great. On the way home I stopped in and visited with the Teigens. They seem to be doing well and Colter is really growing. Give him another couple years and he will be big enough to go to work. He is five years old. I fed the dog before I left today but he still tried to talk me into feeding him again when I got back about 4pm. He thinks he is so smart. 

THURSDAY

..........Bowling was not good today 101-133-140. It came out to about a 124 average, about six pins below what I have been doing. It looks like I will need a few more weeks of practice before I turn professional. Of course I will need a sponsor too. It will be a while before I am making any real prize money. Dreaming can be so much fun! More rain today but the temperature was above 60, I'm sure.

WEDNESDAY

.......................I kept my Doctor appointment at 9am this morning. He had me leave a blood sample behind so my PSA could be checked. He told me I was very healthy and doing fine. I told him I was having difficulty with that because two weeks before my heat attack ten years ago my doctor had told me I was the healthiest man in town. He then turned to me and said, 'OK, you are a little sick'. I responded, 'Good, that makes me feel better'. I was home by 10:30 and gave some thought to going to the fishing hole but after lunch I laid down to read and woke up an hour later. It just turned out to me another lazy day. I don't mind lazy days at all. I will get exercise tomorrow at the bowling alley.

TUESDAY

..........................If I were to judge my bowling abilities by today's results I would jump off a bridge. I knew when I left the house that I was not really 'into' bowling but I had no idea that I would come back with a 115 average for ten lines. My foot was giving me fits and I am trying to blame the new Med. I am taking but find it hard to believe I could not have done better. Tomorrow I will see my Primary care Physician for the first time in 15 months and will at that time request that my foot be x-rayed to determine if there is anything short of cutting it off that can be done to stop the pain. It has been a problem for me since 1970 and now it is getting worse. It is getting in the way of my bowling and that really ticks me off!  We had off and on rain again today so I suppose the spring flowers will look great once they arrive. The lawns around here are getting pretty high too, I'm glad I don't have to worry about keeping them cut.

MONDAY

....................I was at the hospital in Beaverton a few minutes early and out by 3PM. The stress test results were good, as expected. However, I am now taking another Med. This one is called  Ranexa. 1,000 Mg tablets. I have to take one half of one twice a day. The Renexa is like a Nitroglycerin for the capillaries. The idea is to keep the blood flow to the cells in the heart open so the cells stop dying. I have a bit of scar tissue in the lower part of my heart and they don't want to see anymore form if at all possible. The doctor feels that the chest pain I noticed during the winter could be a sign that more cells in the heart muscle are dieing. Happy to say I have not had any trouble since getting home.....I arrived home shortly after 4PM just in time to keep the dog from starving to death again. He is very happy to see me any time after 3PM, his dinner time!

SUNDAY

........................I was able to drive into town today without running into rain. That was a pleasant surprise. My bowling results were also a pleasant surprise; I averaged 144.6 for ten lines. I was home in time to feed the dog before he starved to death. His words, not mine. This afternoon I enjoyed a good commercial free movie and a bowl of popcorn with apples and cheese. Tomorrow I will drive to Beaverton to get the results of my stress test from last month. I am expecting a good report because I can not imagine having to wait around for a month for bad news. I should be home in time to watch O'Rielly on TV at 5PM. 

SATURDAY

........................Doggy and I visited the fishing hole today. I actually landed a trout, it weighed less than my sinker. As a matter of fact I think it weighed less than the lure! I threw him back, he will grow up and become a big guy one day. The barometer is dropping today. The weatherman said that we should be taking a light jacket with us if we go out tomorrow. I guess that is a good sign, we don't usually get that advice until about middle August.

FRIDAY

..................Same o' same o' today. The weather did not excite me early enough to bother with fishing or walking. By the time that happened it was time to turn on O'Rielly and settle in for the evening. It was another lazy day with a good book. What more can I say!

WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY

.........................I discovered when I opened the blog this evening that I had not posted an entry yesterday. That is not like me. I can't remember yesterday too well, Mel came by for a few minutes, I did not go walking. I am reading a good book at the moment and perhaps I ran off to bed early and read myself to sleep. That sounds like something I would do. Today I bowled 131-161-136- for a 143 average. That pleased me to my bottom. We did lose to the other team though, that is always a bummer. I can be happy that I did much better than my league average. Have to keep it up!

TUESDAY

....................It rained today, of course, I was out running around and had to get the car all wet therefore dirty looking next time I drive it. It certainly is nice to have so little to complain about.  .  .  The lunch with the guys was a success, an even dozen showed up and a good time was had by all. After lunch I stopped by the bowling alley and bowled 15 lines. The final result showed a 131 average and a couple of good games made an appearance. I was doing a lot of experimenting and a couple of games barely broke 100. Altogether I felt it was a good session, now lets see if it pays off on Thursday.

MONDAY

...................I never got out of the house today. The weather looked very nice and I should have gone walking but it never happened. I'm feeling fine and looking forward to the '52' lunch tomorrow. Perhaps a few lines of bowling after meeting with the guys.

SUNDAY

........................Nice weather today, not exactly warm but not bad. I drove into town and bowled ten lines. The average for the first five was 136 and the second five came to 141. The actual average for the day turned out to be 138.6. I was pleased to note that my second set of five was better than the first. I am attempting to let go of the ball rather than using muscle to throw it. My accuracy improves when I do that. I plan on trying again on Tuesday. The river looks good and perhaps a couple of hours at the fishing hole might be on the agenda for tomorrow.

SATURDAY

....................I put off walking until after 2PM today, I felt lazy and thought I could convince myself to not walk at all but the habit is forming again and the dog reminds me when he thinks it is time to get the leash.
It was a nice day for the walk and I did change the direction a bit and returned after only 45 minutes but I will try to make it a bit longer next time.

FRIDAY

..............Doggy and I hiked down to the river again today. We were not as fast as last time and the weather was cooler, doggy did not get as out of breath as earlier in the week. The water looks very clean but the level is still a lot higher than usual for this time of year.Perhaps they are releasing more water from the dam to produce more electricity. I have also been told that high water allows a cleansing action that is good for wild life [fish]. I am all for that but at the moment there seem to be no fish in the river. I might take a good book with me and visit the fishing hole tomorrow anyway. Who knows, there is such a thing as fisherman's luck. Not that I suffer from that disease very often.

THURSDAY

.....................We had very nice weather today, I hope it never comes to an end. My bowling efforts were for naught, My average for three lines was less than 119. No excuses, even my left foot was not giving me any trouble. I stopped by Teigens place after bowling and examined their improved driveway and turnaround. It looks good and adds a bunch to the property. I wish I could say the same for that bad bump on Ron's forehead. He really took a dive that day. Luckily his nose was not broken but it is messy looking. He is a tough guy though, he will come bouncing back and be ready for another fall just like that one in a few more days. Gott'a stay off those skate boards though!☺

WEDNESDAY

....................Doggy and I left the house about 10:30 this morning and walked to the river and back in 44 minutes, that must be a record for me because usually the climb up the hill coming home slows me down but today I think I out walked the dog. The poor guy was panting very hard on the way home and I even stopped once to let him catch up and catch his breath. He was in the house [through the doggy door] before I was;  lapping up the water in his bowl. He was making hungry noises earlier than usual so I fed him and then had lunch myself. After lunch I decided to wash the car and did a good job of that. Tomorrow is bowling day and I want to have a clean car for the drive into town. Hey, it's 18 years old, it needs something going for it! It was a good day.

TUESDAY

.............I had a pretty good day at the bowling alley today, averaging 137.6 over ten lines. Not as well as Sunday but perhaps I can improve when league bowling arrives Thursday. My instructor was in today and offered a couple of tips that seemed to help. He arrived while I was throwing my tenth line and although his idea seemed to help I did not bowl an eleventh line to really check it out. I will try that on Thursday. Wish me luck. I am feeling fine but my left foot is killing me because of that old broken toe. I should get someone to cut it off and be done with it. The toe, not the foot.

MONDAY

.................I had my laundry all caught up and put away by 9:30 this morning. Chichi and I ran off to the fishing hole for three hours this afternoon. We caught no fish but the relaxing sounds coming from the water and wind made reading very enjoyable. The temperature was about right too; I was wearing my Blizzard suit but it was not zipped up all the way like it always has been the past few weeks. Summer is slow in arriving, as usual.  Did not get a lot of exercise but I am planning on returning to the bowling alley for a couple of hours tomorrow.

SUNDAY

....................Sharon and Virgil, my Canadian Cousins arrived at noon for a short one hour visit today. It was very nice seeing them again. They are nice enough to stop in each time they are passing by on I5....I had eaten lunch so as soon as they left I drove into town to try my luck at the bowling alley. I averaged 135 for the first five lines and 145 for the second set of five lines. My overall average turned out to be 140.6. I was happy with that and especially so because the ninth line [when I am most tired] turned out to be a 188. It was a good day and when I got home I settled in with a bowl of popcorn and watched a two and a half hour movie. Perhaps tomorrow I will visit the fishing hole and probably try the bowling thing again Tuesday. 

SATURDAY

...................I attended Donna Bishop's memorial service today. Rather than a service it was a family and friends gathering. Donna would have never wished for a funeral like atmosphere and this was not that. It was a quiet and loving way to remember her. I gave my God Daughter Becky a big hug; that was nice. I am happy I went. I am sorry Donna is gone, she was a friend for the past 60 or so years. She will be missed.