FRIDAY

.........................The weather is improving little by little. Doggy and I walked to the river this afternoon and noticed that the water is clearing up. I may get back to the fishing hole before too long. In the  meantine I am enjoying the easy chair.

THURSDAY

.........................There were a few sprinkles today and I was happy to have spent a couple of hours in the bowling alley. My bowling results were certainly not good but I did come out with an average five points above my league average. That shows some improvement, which is good.   The river is very dirty so I am in no hurry to try that sport for a few more days at least. 

WEDNESDAY

.......................There was not a lot of rain today. In fact the roofers used today to put a new roof on Roy's house to the tune of 5,000 dollars. I had to keep Chi Chi inside most of the time because the little fella' just would not stop telling the world that strangers were on the property. This evening I went to Pizza Pete's for dinner with the Teigens. It was Colts fifth Birthday party and he opened gifts, ate cake and generally had the run of the place. Birthday parties for five year olds are a lot of fun!

TUESDAY

.....................I hit the bowling alley again today. My results were not the best I have done this past week but four of the games I threw were over 150. My average for the day was 137.5 and after really paying attention   on game 10 I turned in a high game of 165 for the series. It just goes to show that if I really get to concentrating I can become a decent bowler. The rains are continuing off and on on a daily basis. There is to be a break and some sunshine this weekend so perhaps I will get in some fishing time. The word is that there are no fish in the river at this time but who knows, a straggler might be out there waiting for me. It can happen.

MONDAY

............Today I was successful in talking myself into a two mile walk to the river. Doggy and I were expecting rain both ways but got very lucky, the rain did not make an appearance until we were returning and were within two hundred yards of the house. It was very light at first but became a gully washer later.
The rest of the day was spent goofing off and accomplishing nothing. Sort of like being retired.

SUNDAY

.....................The rains are still with us in the great Northwest. I have yet to see a drowned duck but I did find a mole that had surfaced and died on the dirt road ChiChi and I walk on. I drove into town to try my luck again at the bowling alley and came away a very happy boy. My low game for the ten lines was 130 and my high was 170. I averaged 149.6 for the ten lines. Four more pins and I would have made it to the happy 150 I have been trying so hard to achieve. After bowling the 154 at league last week and this 146 I am thinking that perhaps I will some day be a competitive bowler in the local Senior league. Nothin' to it but to do it. When I got home it was time to feed my dog but he did not eat a thing. I have a feeling he stole some food from Roy's dog, Lexie. After an hour I put the food away and will offer it to him tomorrow. I am watching the 600 mile NASCAR race this evening, lots of excitement if you like that sort of thing!

SATURDAY

....................This turned out to be a rain free day but it never looked like it. I decided early to not go fishing but there were enough breaks in the clouds for the occasional sunshine to invite the doggy and I out for a two mile walk. We made the usual journey down to the river and back. I could tell that Chi Chi was really excited about the idea because he pulled me for two hundred yards until we got to the road gong down the hill at which time I released him from the leash. It took a short time for him to realise he was not on the leash. When he did figure that out he became frightened of the big world and fell in line behind my right heel and stayed there for the rest of the walk. Whenever I look around to see where he is I have to look down and behind me because if I look only over my shoulder he is so close I can't see him. The only time he leaves that spot is when another dog is seen up ahead. He then stops and sits in one spot until I assure him all is well. Even then he is shy and walks on the opposite side of the rode from whatever he fears. I have to keep him on a leash while on a busy street because he would run in front of a car just to escape from whatever "gooses' him at the time. Funny doggy, that.

FRIDAY

..............Off and on rain all day, ChiChi and I did get in a two mile walk down to the river and back without having trouble with rain but that changed in the afternoon. Of course in the afternoon we were inside looking out so that was fine too. I made no effort to go fishing and I think the temperature never got over 60f all day.

THURSDAY

...................This day turned out to be OK. The weather was lousy but that is to be expected in this part of the country but I did get a haircut that has been needed for a long time. I also surprised myself by really helping out the team while bowling today. My scores were 148-112-203. That turns out to be a 154 average and it put a big smile on my face. After the second line I knew I had to settle down and really pay attention to what I was doing and the 203 was the result of that. I will be getting back to the bowling alley sometime over the weekend and continue with the concentration thing, it certainly helps. I am a happy boy this evening!

WEDNESDAY

..............Hate to say it but this turned out to be a nothing day. I am not sure that the rain ever stopped at any time.  There were times when it was a very light mist but shortly turned into rain drops. Needless to say I was inside all of the time. Did make up a pot of chili.  As a matter of fact I made so much I had to use two pots to cook it. Most of it will be put in the freezer. The rest will be consumed in the next few days. I attempted to copy the 'Wendy's" recipe that I found on Facebook a few days ago. My result was not much like "Windy's" but it does taste pretty good. The information I got did not warn me of the amount that I was making. That's OK, it will all go to a good cause. I doubt the temperature ever got above 50f degrees here today. 

TUESDAY

        The Cardiologist office called today and asked me to make an appointment with her so we can discuss my tests from yesterday. I phoned to make an appointment and was told the next opening is June 17 at 2:30. I had to laugh, my wish it to live long enough to make it to the appointment. And I promise you, folks, Obama care is going to make things worse................. It was way too wet and rainy to go fishing today so I drove into town and bowled ten lines. My average turned out to be 136.8 and it pleased me to have bowled my high game on the tenth line. I felt tired after the 9th line so I really buckled down and concentrated on the tenth. It worked! I do believe that one day I will be able to keep up with the average bowler in the league. I stopped by Safeway on the way home for a bottle of Bacardi and ended up spenting over 60 bucks. I hate to go shopping.

MONDAY

...................This was a great day to drive to Beaverton for my Nuclear Stress Test. I arrived at 11AM and did not leave until 3:00. After the injection of the 'glow' fluid I was put under a machine that took a thousand pictures of my heart while I just laid there. That took 15 minutes then I was released for half hour to get something to eat and drink. A caffeine drink was suggested because it helped to neutralize the 'glow' fluid. I then returned to the lab for more pictures which took another 15 minutes. After that I was put on a walking machine at 1.7 miles per hour for two minutes while hooked up to some other recording device. While that was going on I was injected with more chemicals of some kind. All of this took a lot of time, mostly used up by getting me hooked to the various machines. It was some process, I kid you not. After a great drive home I arrived at 4:30 and fed the doggy. He was happy for that! It was nice to be on the road if only for those two hours. The weather was great and I certainly hope it continues for another 52 weeks at least. The results of the tests will be forwarded to my Cardiologist and she will contact me for further plans for treatment. The drive was very relaxing, I hope I am able to get out on the road for some more long range exploring this summer. Film at 11:00.

SUNDAY

....................The bowling alley was hosting a big deal of some kind today and no lanes were available at lunch time so Chi Chi and I drove to the fishing hole for a couple of hours. The weather was fairly nice but I was happy to have worn my blizzard suit. I stretched out in the boat that was tied up at the sitting area and watched the large, fluffy white clouds drift by with a very dark blue background. It was a very lazy couple of hours and I left earlier than usual because I wanted to get home and wash the car. I have a Cardiologist appointment in Beaverton tomorrow and no rain is expected so I want to make the drive with a clean automobile. The temperature at the river was above fifty degrees but not by much. And no fish.

SATURDAY

...................All day long it looked like it was about to rain so I sat it out, mostly in front of the TV but I did sneak in a nap too. Never went walking and the doggy was trying to remind me but I ignored him. NASCAR was on this evening and I used that as an excuse for not using the stepper. The short story is no exercise today.

FRIDAY

.................There was quit a bit of sunshine this morning so after lunch doggy and I grabbed the old fishing pole and drove to the river. Things were fine for a while but it did not take long for the sun to start playing tag with the dark clouds and the rain drops started producing circles on the river. We were sitting under a canopy of tree leaves so it was some time before things got really bad. We ran to the car and sat there for about twenty minutes before deciding during a short lull to gather up our stuff and head for home.  We were back by 2:30, just in time to feed the dog and fix myself a snack. The weather cleared pretty much shortly after.  

THURSDAY

.............My schedule was all out of whack today so I wasted a bit of gasoline by having my Pro time Test two hours before the start of bowling. The Protime check was at 10AM so after I left the lab I stopped by Safeway to bring the refrigerator supply up to date then drove the stuff home. The extra time before bowling was spent in the lounge chair relaxing. . . . .  .I arrived at the bowling alley at noon and really did a lousy job with the first line by getting only a 90 score. The next one was more to my liking with a 149 and on the followup third line I walked away with a 153. That gave me a 135 average for the day which is a bunch better than my present league average of 126. The team I am on is in sixth place and we won handily today so perhaps that will make us look even better. My coach, Ernie, is on the team and watching my every move. He told me today that all I have to do is to continue with my present approach and delivery. He feels that with practice I will show improvement on a regular basis. I have found an approach and delivery that I am really comfortable with so we shall see. I am a spot bowler and it is not very easy to hit that same spot with each throw. The ball does go where it is supposed to when the spot is struck though so I guess I best continue and not give up. Practice, practice.

WEDNESDAY

...............It did not rain a lot today but you can be sure it started the minute I backed the car out of the garage. I had an appointment with the tire shop to get my tires rebalanced and rotated. The windshield wipers were on most of the way to the shop but it did let up while I was in town {Castle Rock}. I also visited the Credit Union and after getting the car back stopped at the grocery store in town for some sausage to add to my Prego spaghetti sauce. Most of that ended up in the freezer but the lunch I fixed was pretty good. The sauce is not the best I have ever made but it is edible so I won't be throwing it out...I was gone for only about an hour and never did go walking. My bad. Tomorrow is bowling again, that is a good thing.

TUESDAY

..................I had a nice lunch with the guys from the class of '52' today. About a dozen of us showed up. I ate a small salad and a bowl of soup, I am not able to put away a large meal any more. I get full much quicker than I used to, which is a good thing............. After lunch I drove two blocks to the bowling alley and threw ten lines. My average was 148. My lowest game was 128. I suddenly began to bowl about as well as I would like on a regular basis. I have made some changes on my approach and it appears to be working. At least that was true today, there is no telling what it will be Thursday while the team is watching. ...........After bowling I stopped by Safeway and got 20 cents off per gallon of gas then spent my savings on chocolate chip cookies. I was home by 3:40 and discovered I had not fed the hungry dog before I had left........ Of course he had dry dog food available but he was not about to touch that. Spoiled little snot! The river level looks good and if there is no rain or snow tomorrow I will take my book to the fishing hole and see what comes of that little trip.

MONDAY

................Rain was expected today but I was not told it would not happen until I left the house to do some shopping and making a stop at the Post Office. I was gone less than an hour but it rained all of the time I was gone and stopped the minute i put the car back in the garage.......I was getting in the mood to go for a walk when the sun finally came out but chickened out and used the 'stepper' machine for thirty minutes instead.  The temperature pushed toward the 70 mark but I am not convinced it ever got there.

SUNDAY

.................It looked like rain this morning so I decided to go bowling. I averaged 129 over ten games. It never did rain and the river looks great. Heavy rain is in the forcast for tomorrow so I doubt there will be any fishing then.     This evening I met Caren, Ron and Colt at Parkers Restaurant in Castle Rock to enjoy a Happy Mothers Day dinner with them and Ron's Parents. I was in school with her and have met them several times since returning to this part of the world. They were also celebrating their Wedding Anniversary and her Birthday. We all had a nice time and even Colt behaved himself, of course that is nothing new. He seems to be a nice little five year old. After dinner we all met back at Teigens for cake and milk along with  conversation. I was back home by 7PM and the car got rained on during that short drive. I was stubborn though and never did get to the point where I was forced to turning on the windshield wipers.