Football Rankings

The latest college football polls are out. This is the final ranking before the end of all the Conference Playoffs and is, basically, going to be close to the final rankings. WMU is ranked #13 in the AP poll, and #17 in the NCAA coaches poll. It appears from the rankings that WMU will have clear sailing for the Cotton Bowl as the only real threat to them is Navy who is ranked behind them with two losses.  I hope that I am right. Patty and her family will be going to Detroit for the MAC Championship game on Friday night. The final bowl assignments will probably be announced next Monday following the Conference Championship games this weekend. Go Broncos!!

We had one last decoration that was added to the exterior of the Fifth wheel for Christmas. You can see the Christmas tree in the window which wraps up, finally, the effort to decorate the exterior:

It is really tough to decorate where we cannot attach anything to the rig and there are no trees on which to hang lights or attach lights. It looks pretty good anyway.

Josie is still in some pain from her injury she suffered at work but is working through the problems. Although the lower part of her leg is still swollen and painful, there is clearly improvement. The good news is that it did not require any visit to the doctor's office or Urgent Care facilities. She will work at the other shop on 19th Ave today which is her regular Wednesday location this season.

Oh, and today will wind up November, 2016...

Expanded Decorations

We are probably all set for Christmas as far as our outside decorations go. Yesterday, we set up the spiral trees we got as added lights for our space here at the Pioneer Resort. These are the latest views:

It isn't spectacular, but it is good enough and lots more than most folks have in this area. The point for us is that we are happy with it and that is all that matters.

Josie came home from work early yesterday as she banged up her leg on a piece of slate at the shop and had a hard time with the pain and trying to care for the gash she received. She is much better this morning and will recover in a few says to almost normal. In the meantime, she will be going to work as usual.

We are going through some swings in the weather as the rain has moved on and is replaced with cold weather and snow in the higher elevations. I guess you could say that winter is here for sure...

Flip Side

Going from the Friday and Saturday great college football games to Sunday's pro games was like falling off a cliff. Both of our favorite teams lost - the Cardinals and the Seahawks. It was painful watching the Cardinals loss and, thankfully, the Seahawks game was not televised locally. It appears that the Cardinals season may be over as far as having any chance for the playoffs. The Seahawks need to improve their offensive line configuration to advance in the playoffs. Enough said about those debacles.

We spent a good portion of the day yesterday sorting through our Christmas decorations and placing some outside. These are a couple of shots of how our deer family looks in the front of our rig:

We have a few more decorations that will be added and I will show those as we complete the additions. The problem we face this year is that we have no trees on which to hang lights and we cannot attach any lights to the fifth wheel without risking some kind of damage to the body.

It's the start of another work week for Josie, so our schedules are pretty much set for the next several days. This coming weekend will solidify the college football bowl picture so we look forward to that...

Just Great Football

The cream is rising to the top just in time for the college football playoffs and bowl assignments. Yesterday was a great day to watch some key games - the best being Ohio State/Michigan and Penn State/Michigan State.

Ohio State went to two overtimes to put away Michigan. That means that neither one of those schools can be BIG 10 Champions. There are two teams now with a single loss in the Eastern Division of the Conference and Penn State, by winning against Michigan State, owns the tiebreaker against Ohio State (who they beat earlier) and will play Wisconsin (West Division Champion) next week for the BIG 10 Championship. That will be an exciting game for us to watch, not only because of our ties to Penn State, but also because the tight-end for Wisconsin - Troy Fumagalli, #81 - is a best friend of Austin's who played together throughout their football careers while growing up. Penn State will have a chance to play in the Rose Bowl instead of the Cotton Bowl.  The bowls are still clouded as far as matchups, but we know that it is getting close to having a final decision on who plays who in those big games.

Today we switch gears to the pros. The Seahawks will play Tampa Bay and gain another win (hopefully) and the Cardinals will play the Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta - a tough game for them. The Cardinals are close to being eliminated from playoff contention and must win every game for the rest of the season to have a decent chance. 'Tis the season to enjoy good football...

Bowl Picture

Yesterday's WMU win against the University of Toledo (55-35) was, as this year has shown, a typical Bronco dominant performance. They struggled for a bit in the first quarter and then found themselves. It was such a dominant performance that Toledo only had the ball for about 25% of the game. The final score is no indication of how dominant WMU was. Toledo scored three meaningless 4th quarter touchdowns against mostly second and third string players from WMU. At 12-0, they only have to win next week in the MAC Conference Championship game against a team that should be clearly inferior. But, you never know.

The real surprise to me this morning in looking at potential Bowl matchups for New Year's Day was to see the potential rivals in the Cotton Bowl which would be the Broncos designated bowl if they win next week. Take a look at this article which reviews the Bowl picture for New Year's Day and see who Western Michigan could face - Penn State. Wow! For Austin to finish out his college football career against the team I have rooted for most of my life is incredible. Of course, I would be cheering for Austin and WMU for this game.

There is nothing else, really, to talk about for this entry as we are so excited about how the football season is turning out for Austin and his WMU team...

Thanksgiving Day

Our Thanksgiving day started as most of them do - watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from New York. That was followed by watching the Westminster Dog Show which follows the parade each year. We were disappointed that a Greyhound won best of Show as it wasn't a pretty animal at all in our mind. The English Springer Spaniel, winner in the Sporting Group, should have won.

We went to George and Cheryl's house to meet together with Cot and Lois before driving to the restaurant for our Thanksgiving Dinner at V's Taproom near the clubhouse in Trilogy. It was an excellent meal that was served buffet style and we all sat outside and enjoyed our meal:

We had a very windy day yesterday and even though it didn't affect our Thanksgiving meal that much, it was windy at home and it stayed with us for a second consecutive night last night. We do have these periods of wind in this area and, for the life of me, I can't understand why it happens. At any rate, we all went back to George and Cheryl's house for some conversation and to watch some of the football game on TV.

We look forward to watching the "big" game today between WMU and Toledo in Kalamazoo, MI. Patty and her family are there, and we hope it is a win to complete their undefeated season...

Lead Up to Thanksgiving

It was a short day at work for Josie - off before 1 PM. The shop was very slow and they had plenty of help to handle any influx of orders, so she was allowed to leave early. I did my exercises at the fitness center and was home myself in time to have lunch together.

We made a trip to our storage unit the other day and picked up all the Christmas decorations that we plan to use this year. The problem we have now is that there is no room in the RV to keep the boxes and cartons that contain the decorations. We have them in the rear of the car right now, but I think I will transfer them all to the truck as there is more room there and we really won't be using the truck that much between now and Christmas. Josie suggested placing them under the RV outside, but with the rain, wind and security issues, I think the truck might be a better idea. Besides, it would look kind of "trashy" around our rig with all the boxes stored there.

Today we will celebrate Thanksgiving by meeting family and friends at the restaurant in Trilogy where George and Cheryl live. I believe that Patty and her family will have an early Thanksgiving dinner and then head to Kalamazoo for the big game between WMU and Toledo tomorrow. We are anxious to watch that game tomorrow afternoon and hope that Austin's team can complete the regular season undefeated...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING !!!

Fitness Center

The RV Resort has opened the new fitness center. I tried it yesterday and was pleasantly surprised at the equipment and amenities they installed. It is not the largest fitness center, but all of the popular exercise equipment is there, plus a TV and water cooler and other sanitizing equipment. I started early - before the new year - to get a good exercise schedule started. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and with all the other "big" meals and Christmas goodies coming in the next month, I didn't want my weight to get totally out of control. It is close enough to that unhealthy milestone. Josie is in pretty good shape with her weight control, but I let things get out of hand since the beginning of summer. Exercise is key - along with the proper diet. What else is new.

We are looking forward to a nice Thanksgiving dinner with George and Cheryl and Cot and Lois tomorrow at a restaurant in Trilogy where George and Cheryl live. It will be the first time that we can remember having Thanksgiving dinner in a location other than a home. The good news is that there is no mess to clean up afterward. The bad news is there will be no leftovers to enjoy. However, as in the past, we will cook our own small turkey with all the trimmings following Thanksgiving to enjoy for the next week or so. Thanksgiving is not Thanksgiving without the leftovers...

Thanksgiving Week

A big thing about the Thanksgiving week is all the Black Friday hoopla. It appears that the "biggest shopping day of the year" is losing its luster. Finally. I hear all over TV that this year is expected to see lower sales than last year which is a trend. Believe it or not, the best deals for Christmas occur in December as the merchants really sharpen their pencils when they see the sales falling short of forecasts. That's the time to buy. Of course, you don't know when that happens, so the whole business of finding the best deal on something is a crap shoot. It doesn't matter to us as we aren't big shoppers anyway. I just thought it was interesting that all the attention that Black Friday gets in the media overshadows the true meaning of Thanksgiving.

The rain is done - for now - and we got about an inch between yesterday AM and this morning. We can always use the rain, but we are hear for the sunshine and warmth, right?

My visit to the doctor was a joke. I never saw the doctor as I have no complaints and all the lab results are normal - except for a slight increase in liver enzymes and cholesterol. It's nice that I have to pay a "co-pay" when I don't even see the doctor. We did schedule another Colonoscopy for April of next year, so it wasn't a total waste of time. Oh, well...

Another Good Football Day

We are getting to the point in the pro season where the elite teams are beginning to surface. It looks like the Seahawks will be in the hunt once again for the playoffs and beyond, while the Cardinals are beginning to get desperate as they lost again yesterday, 30-24 to the Minnesota Vikings. The Seahawks win against the Philadelphia Eagles yesterday, 26-15, was a gem. There is now a three game lead for the Seahawks (over the Cardinals) who are on a collision course with the Dallas Cowboys for the top spot in the NFC. There are about 5 games remaining before the playoffs, so a lot can happen.

I have a doctor appointment today while Josie goes back to work. This is Thanksgiving week for her, so it may be somewhat busier than normal for her. My doctor appointment is with my Gastroenterologist for a regular checkup. I don't expect anything but a normal visit and outcome.

It started to rain yesterday afternoon and rained throughout the night. We are watching for this storm to get through the area and for the sun to come out again sometime today...

Still Perfection at 11-0

What a day in Kalamazoo, MI. We wished we were there to enjoy it live, but watching on TV wasn't bad either. It snowed the entire day and the crew on the ESPN GameDay show struggled to keep warm during the show. It was an exciting show, a good show, and one that will be remembered in Kalamazoo. I hope that Patty and Mark and the boys were able to stay warm and dry all day.

The game between the Broncos and the Buffalo Bulls in the afternoon was nothing short of perfection. The Buffalo team never got in the Red Zone the entire game as the Broncos extended their consecutive winning streak to 13 games - second longest current winning streak in the country. Austin made several great tackles and the team was firing on all cylinders. Next week is the key game of the year against Toledo who is right behind the Broncos in the MAC conference. I'm hoping that with a win against them next Friday, a Cotton Bowl bid will be forthcoming.

Today is pro football day as the Seahawks take on the Eagles in Seattle and the Cardinals play the Minnesota Vikings in Minnesota. It should be another great day of football...

Cactus Down

The wind was so strong yesterday morning it blew over one of the largest and nicest saguaro cactus' we have here at the resort. Josie called me from the car as she was leaving for work to go see the activity to remove the cactus, so I snapped this photo:

There are several other large ones in the area, but they all survived - so far.

Today is the big day for Austin and WMU. ESPN GameDay  is about to start, so I will make this a brief post and get to the TV to settle in. Also, don't forget the game today which is also being televised on ESPN (ESPN2, I believe)...

New Coffee Pot and Wind

The most important duty yesterday was to replace our "dead" coffee pot. I went to Walmart after looking at Consumer Reports ratings to shop for one to replace our Mr Coffee. Of course, none of the ones I wrote down from the Consumer Reports comparisons were available. After looking at all of the available coffeemakers, I selected this Hamilton Beach Model:

This one has the regular 12-cup pot capacity with all the nice features, but also has something I had never seen before - a single cup maker on one half similar to a Keurig coffeemaker. What a great idea. There are many times when we finish a pot of coffee in the morning and would like just one more cup. This is the solution. We don't have to keep two coffeemakers on the counter and the single brewer makes coffee from K-cups and/or regular coffee grind. I hope it lasts forever.

The weather went south. We had strong winds all night long and we are expecting rain and cool temperatures ahead. Who said that Arizona is sunny and nice in the winter? Fortunately, it won't last long which is why we are here.

We are looking foreword to the weekend with all the exciting football that is scheduled. We expect WMU to remain undefeated tomorrow, and we also expect the Cardinals to stay on the winning track and the Seahawks to do the same on Sunday...

Cool Temps Arrive

The cooler weather that I thought would arrive before now has finally arrived. It was in the low 50's this morning and it looks like there might even be a chance for rain later this week or weekend. It sure makes for great sleeping when it gets cool. Of course, the daytime temperatures are still warm, so it looks like the Arizona winter is finally here.

The routine is fairly well set now. Josie worked at the 19th Ave store again yesterday where she will be working every Wednesday. There is a chance she may work more days at that shop each week. It is about half the distance to that shop versus the Glendale shop where she works the other days. I think she would be happy if they could schedule her for more days there.

Out coffee pot is dead. We recently put the Keurig away to make brewed coffee with our Mr Coffee machine. It is cheaper to make it in a pot if you drink several cups a day which we do. It looks like I will buying a replacement today.

We have changed our schedule a little bit for the weekend so that we can enjoy (on TV) all the fanfare in Kalamazoo at WMU on Saturday. We are excited for the town and especially WMU and Austin. I'm sure that Patty and Mark and the boys will be there in what promises to be a huge tailgate party and packed stadium. Wish we were there...

RV Wash

Our "big" project for yesterday was washing the fifth wheel. It hasn't been cleaned on the outside since we returned from our summer in Wyoming, so it was sorely needed. We did have a detailing company lined up to give it a wash and wax but cancelled that a couple weeks ago. There really was no need to spend $380 to do a job that we can do for free with a little bit of physical effort. We cleaned it, but did not wax it. Maybe we will do that before we leave again for our summer in Wyoming next year. Or, maybe we will have that part done by an outside company as that is a major physical effort that requires the right tools.

We returned some items to Home Depot in the afternoon and that, basically, rounded out the day.

The big college football TV show - ESPN's College Football GameDay Show - will be telecast from Kalamazoo, MI on Saturday so make sure you tune in to watch the show featuring the undefeated WMU Broncos...

Tying Up Loose Ends

The repairs done to the truck required our paying the $500 deductible from the insurance which should be reimbursed to us when they collect from the at-fault party. I sent an email to my insurance company asking when we might expect to see that. I'm sure it will take at least a few weeks.

I also researched other insurance companies to make sure we are getting the best rates. It turns out that we are not getting the best deal with Liberty Mutual, so we will most likely change companies when all is done with our repairs situation.

The landscaping modifications have been completed at our rental home. The agave has been removed and the lantana planted. That was an $85 charge from our landscaper which sounded reasonable to us.

We took care of a few other minor situations that needed attention and we are about ready to go for the rest of the winter. Oh, and just when I say the weather is getting cooler, we get a forecast that we may have another record high temperature today. The record is 90, and the forecast is for 89. Sheesh!...

Another Nail-Biter

Last night's game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots brought back memories of their Super Bowl battle. The game went back and forth, but this time, the Seahawks held on to win 31-24. There was a last second goal line stand by the Seahawks to hold back the Patriots just as the one in the Super Bowl where the Patriots won on an interception at the goal line. It was a nail-biter to the very end.

Another football story is that the largest college football show on TV - ESPN's The Game Day Show - will originate from Kalamazoo and the WMU campus this weekend. With only two undefeated teams remaining - WMU and Alabama - it is a fitting choice. They are getting the attention they deserve.

We are happy that the weather is finally getting to a comfortable level where the highs are going into the low 80's and high 70's. The better report is that the temperatures are now getting to a comfortable number at night making sleep a lot easier.

We're still scheduling some appointments that need to made around Josie's work schedule, but it appears we are getting there and we hope to have them all done within the next month...

EarlyThanksgiving

We enjoyed an early Thanksgiving dinner last night at Amy and Brian's House. They will be traveling to Amy's parents' home in Bloomington, IL for the "real" Thanksgiving, so this gave us an opportunity to be together and catch up on the last 6 months. George and Cheryl, Cot and Lois were also there and we had a great time talking about the election and all the fanfare surrounding the election results. Of course, everyone there was a Trump supporter, so it made for a fun exchange without hurting anybody's feelings or causing any arguments. Below is a shot of the group (minus Josie who snapped the picture) in conversation prior to having dinner:

We will still celebrate Thanksgiving as planned with George and Cheryl and Cot and Lois on Thanksgiving Day at the restaurant near George's home in Trilogy.

There were several upsets yesterday in college football that will result in movement within the rankings. Clemson lost and so did Washington and Michigan which reduces the number of undefeated teams to two - Alabama and WMU. What a season! If the Broncos win out, they will surely be among the elite playing in a New Year's Day Bowl game.

It looks like today will be a resting day. That's what Sunday's are supposed to be, right?

Quiet Veterans Day

I put our flag out yesterday for Veterans Day and aside from a trip to the grocery store, it was a very quiet day. Josie was working and I did some research on the computer to make sure we are getting the best rates on our insurance and to find out some other areas where we can verify that we are getting the best deals.

We will be going to Brian and Amy's house tonight for an early Thanksgiving dinner with them and George and Cheryl and Cot and Lois. Josie was informed yesterday afternoon that she has to work for a sick employee, so we will be a little late to that function. We are looking forward to catching up with everybody from being apart over the summer.

It looks like a ho-hum football day on TV today. The SMU Broncos have a bye until next Saturday. They have two games left in the season and we are hoping they finish undefeated at 12-0. The games remaining are against Buffalo and Toledo. They should win both of those. Once the season ends we will find out where they will go in the bowls. We are really anxious to find out where we are going and believe that it will be one of the bowls that is played over New Year's. They just need to remain focused until the season ends...

Truck Repairs Complete

The repairs on the truck took less time than expected. I only needed the rental car for one day instead of the 3-4 days planned, so it was returned when I picked up the truck. Now, I have to make sure that the insurance impact is zero on my policy premiums. I had to pay the $500 deductible until my insurance company recovers the money from the party at fault. I hope they make it quick!

It is very disturbing to see all the protests in the major cities over the election results. It is not the unifying step that we need to see. The world is watching to see how President Elect Trump begins his term, and so far there is controversy springing up all over the place. Gosh, give the man a chance.

My hearing aids are back and I will return the "loan" set today. The bottom line on the new technology is that there is a measurable improvement in performance, but not worth the $5K cost at this point. I don't think I can justify them until mine are beyond saving, which I hope will not be for several years yet. And, who knows, by then there may be an even better set available.

Enjoy your Veteran's Day everybody...

Election Aftermath

I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but the news this morning is filled with stories of protesters, all over the country, over the results of the election. I have never seen such a reaction to any outcome of any presidential election in my life. I suspect that many of the protesters are illegals that see their future in America as short term. I hope their vision is right-on.

I picked up a rental car yesterday- Toyota Camry - to use while our truck is in the shop for repairs from our accident in Wyoming. The repairs are expected to take three days which is not a very long time. I really don't have to go anywhere during that time but it is nice to know I still have transportation if I do.

Josie worked at the 19th Ave store yesterday for the first time in years. It was a good day for her and she will be working there every Wednesday as part of her split schedule between the Glendale store and the 19th Ave store. It is about half the commute for her, so, maybe down the road, it will become her primary work location.

I hope that the negative reactions to the election outcome disappear soon as we all are anxious to see the positive results of the election which will surface in time...

Real Change

Yes, I helped. There were millions of voters like myself, or shall I say "no vote" folks like myself, who at the very end decided to vote for Donald Trump instead of not voting for one of the candidates. Almost since the beginning of this election year, I wasn't going to vote for any of the presidential candidates because of: Hillary's dishonesty, crookedness, support for Obama's policies and overall bad attitude, and Donald Trumps fowl mouth, lack of understanding of the issues and generally embarrassing actions. The final week of campaigning by both candidates made me realize that we had to "block" Hillary Clinton at all costs. I decided to vote for Trump. There are many other subtle reasons, but let me say that I believe the country got it right!

Here are a couple shots below of our "visit" to the polls in Glendale at 6 AM yesterday AM:

As we were standing in line, we guessed that Hillary had most of the votes that were about to be cast. The mix of blacks and Hispanics in the line certainly pointed that way. We knew that we were in the minority at this particular polling place, but our votes had to be counted. Right now, it is an overwhelming feeling about how things turned out and how Donald Trump pulled it out.

I will take our truck into the repair shop this AM for repairs. I also will pick up a rental car to use while the repairs are being made.

Lost in all of the hoopla over the election is the fact that Austin and his WMU teammates beat Kent State last night in pouring rain, 37-21, to remain undefeated at 10-0. This is the first time in the school's history that they have won 10 games in a season. Also, they are one of only five teams in the country that remains undefeated. GO BRONCOS!!

Physical Done for Another Year

I went to the doctor at 11:45 yesterday for my annual physical. Josie went with me to get the blood work done for her physical which is scheduled next week. Mine went well which is always good news. My liver enzymes are elevated - by one point - which is no concern according to the doctor. My cholesterol was also elevated - but not by much - so I'm good to go there also. With no major complaints, I am cleared for another year.

I have one more appointment scheduled for the 21st with my Gastroenterologist. I had a Colonoscopy last year that was good, so I don't anticipate any problems with that appointment.

I called my insurance company to get a reservation for a rental car tomorrow when I drop off my truck for the repairs from the accident in Jackson this summer. It will be ready when I drop the truck off at 8 AM. It looks a 3-4 day rental for the repair time.

Watched the Seahawks game last night against the Buffalo Bills and I have very little left of my fingernails. The Seahawks won, 31-25, and the game ended with a Buffalo incomplete pass in the Seahawks' end zone. Whew! They are going to have to get their defense healthy again so they can stop some of these teams. They sorely miss a couple of their strongest defensive backs. The good news is that Russell Wilson is almost totally back from his injury dating back to game 1 of the season. Their schedule gets tough now with the New England Patriots up next.

We got up at 5 AM this morning to vote which is why the blog is late today. Don't forget to vote everybody. And also, don't forget to watch Austin's game tonight at 5:30 local time on ESPN2 against Kent State...

Nice Stay at Home Day

Yes, it was one of the rare days yesterday when both of us just stayed home and relaxed. Josie put in her first week at work and we had no appointments or errands to run, so it was a perfect day to stay home. The weather was beautiful and we sat outside for some of the time, watched a little TV and played our games on our phones for some of the day. You need to have these kind of days once in awhile.

Today will be a bit different as Josie has to have her bloodwork done for her physical exam which is scheduled next week. I have to go for my physical today, so we will go together as the lab is in the same location as our doctor for the physicals. My bloodwork was done last week and I got the usual report - high liver enzymes and high cholesterol. Everything else looked normal on the lab report. I have to figure out a way to keep those two negatives under control.

Make sure you tune in tonight to watch Monday night football - the Seahawks take on the Buffalo Bills in a game that the Seahawks should win, but you never know in the NFL..

Ho Hum Football Day

The football games that I watched on TV yesterday were mostly games that had no impact on the Bowls for which Austin and his WMU team would be considered. I must admit that I didn't watch any of the later games that were broadcast from the west coast, but I don't think those games are affecting the choices for WMU. I started a new cross stitch yesterday that I worked on while watching the games. The biggest upset I watched was a 6-1 Baylor team get crushed, 62-22, by a 4-4 Texas Christian team. The games are getting significant now.

Today is pro football day and there will be some good ones on TV. My teams, the Cardinals and the Seahawks have the day off. The Cardinals have a bye and don't play until next week, and the Seahawks play the Buffalo Bills tomorrow night on Monday Night Football. The Cowboys/Browns and Panthers/Rams games appear to be the best, but I will have a hard time selling Josie on watching any of them. Oh, well.

Other than football yesterday, it was a very quiet and peaceful day...

Good for Another Year

The Ultra Sound done at my doctor's office yesterday AM was good. The surgery last year to place a "sleeve" on the aneurysm I have near my lower spine is doing its job. I am good to go for another year until next November.

I stopped at my Audiologist to drop off the "problem" hearing aid that will be sent to the factory for some rework on the receiver. I was given the use of new hearing aids to test while mine is being repaired. They are new Phonak hearing aids that are rechargeable and do not use batteries at all. Instead of taking out the batteries at night, I just place them on the charger and they are ready to go the next morning. Actually, they fully recharge in about one hour. They are also waterproof and smaller than my present set. They contain all of the latest technology in sound management and circuitry that is available.

My initial reaction to them is positive - but not $5K worth of positive. I can tell the difference in some situations - especially in the car - but haven't really had an opportunity yet to test other environments. I doubt that they will be something I cannot live without right now. I expect to get another few years out of my present pair, but it is nice to keep track of new developments in the marketplace.

I haven't seen today's TV lineup for college football games, but I know that Austin's team doesn't play until Election Day (Nov 8) at 5:30 PM (EST) on ESPN 2. I expect to watch some of the key games today to see if they impact the bowls at all. They are getting closer to being announced and we should know in a few weeks where Austin - and his family and us - will be going. It will be exciting, for sure...

More Local Stuff

Much of the day was taken up with errands to Office Max to replenish some computer supplies and to Michaels to pick up some supplies for a new cross stitch I am starting. Josie worked and was informed that she had 70 hours of accumulated vacation time that is unused (from when she was full time over the last two years) and that she will split time during the week - every week, for now - between her normal location at the Glendale store and the store located on 19th Ave where she once worked a few years ago. That is something that she has wanted to do as the 19th Ave store is closer to where we are now living. We'll see how that goes.

The truck work will be scheduled  now following a call from the body shop indicating that the parts are in. It looks like the repairs from the accident we had in August in Jackson will finally be made. I will take care of that today, following two appointments this morning. My first appointment is with the Doctor who inserted the device for my aneurysm last year, It is a routine check to make sure that the device is doing its job properly. The second appointment is back with my Audiologist who will resend my "problem" hearing aid to the factory for a major overhaul. I will be using the new technology hearing aids for the time that the hearing aid is being repaired. That will be an interesting experience.

We had some rain and heavy winds yesterday afternoon, but it seems that the storms have moved on and we will be back to nice, warm, sunny weather...

Chicago Cubs World Champions

You couldn't write a better script than the one that played out last night in Cleveland, Ohio. The Chicago Cubs ended a 108 year drought by winning the 2016 world Series in exciting fashion, 8-7, in game 7 of the Series. The game looked like a Cubs romp until the eighth inning when Cleveland tied the game and extra innings ensued. It took a short rain delay for the Cubs to regroup and they came out swinging and put the game away in ten innings. We are happy for the town and for Mark whose family had suffered - forever - to finally see this result. Enjoy it.

Our day was one filled with what is probably "normal" activities these days. Josie went to work at the flower shop to start her new year, and I did some repairs (refrigerator line) around the RV along with some computer work and research on various subjects.

Oh, and the truck was "repaired" in about 4 hours. The dealer gave me a rental car to use while the work was being performed, so I had the truck back home by 1 PM. I have some doubts about the fix, as all they did was reset the diesel programming module to eliminate the engine problem and, they believe, the intermittent instrument panel lights problem. We'll see how it goes.

It will be more of the same today as Josie goes to work and I have things to follow up on here at home...

Great Sports Night

There were two big games last night that we split TV time watching. The first one was Austin's game against Ball State University. They kicked butt again (52-20) and went to 9-0 on the season. They are in the driver's seat for a great bowl game, probably one to be played on New Year's Eve. Somehow, we are going to that game wherever it is played. What a thrill to be part of Austin's Senior year and final one playing football for Western Michigan University.

The second game was between the Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs in the World Series. The Cubs kicked butt in that game and have taken the Series to a seventh game which will be played tonight in Cleveland. It will be fun to watch that game as the Cubs haven't won the Series in 108 years. That is an incredible streak. In fact, even the Indians haven't won in 68 years which makes tonight's outcome special for them also. With all the marbles on the table, it will be winner take all tonight.

I have an appointment this morning to take the truck in for service. The two problems that need to be fixed are ones that shouldn't occur with this new vehicle. The instrument panel lights go out - for no reason - while driving, and they suddenly come on again after about 15 minutes of down time. The other one is an engine problem that I am told is known problem The engine runs rough and with tapping noises while accelerating between 50-60 mph. Evidently, there is a "reset" that needs to be done on the diesel engine to fix that problem. I hope that both of those situations are fixed today. If not, I will be pursuing "Lemon" avenues to get rid of the truck. I hope it doesn't come down to that.

Finally, Josie begins work today for her winter season. I'm sure she will be welcomed with open arms as her friends and coworkers have been looking forward to this day...

Beginning Appointments

Yesterday was the beginning of our appointments with Doctors and everybody else we need to see before getting too far into the season. My appointment was for bloodwork at my Doctor's office as a prelude to my physical exam scheduled for next week. Fortunately, it was an easy time as the nurses' aide - or whatever she is called - found the vein immediately and painlessly filled about 5 vials.

My next appointment is with my Doctor on Friday to do an Ultra Sound to check on the status of my aneurysm. In between now and then, I have to take the truck into the shop for repairs on the two problems I reported earlier with the instrument panel lights and the engine noise. I also had an appointment to get the RV washed and waxed which I am cancelling this morning - there is no reason why we can't do that project ourselves and save that money.

Josie also has appointments scheduled and also has to begin work tomorrow AM. With all that is going on right now, it will be hard to concentrate on any plans for the rest of our time here in AZ. One of our main objectives for this season is to eliminate our storage unit. There are several options that we will investigate to accomplish that objective, but none that we are ready to jump-on at this point. Maybe we will get lucky and win the lottery so that we can pitch all of this nonsense and get on with living life in the (very) fun lane...