Well…just got my top down day in for Feb on the run out to have a couple with K and it was just a little cold but with the sun out it was okay…and that makes every month since I bought the Miata that I have had the top down…and that is going on 7 years now…and I just made some bean dip for the game tonight with beans, cream cheese, salsa, and Frank’s hot sauce and it even tastes really good cold so I am hoping that holds after I heat it and slather it with shredded cheddar later this evening…that is going to be my dinner today along with some chips and cheese…I may even put some diced tomatoes on top since I have so many of them that need to be used before they spoil…oh, and maybe some onions, too…that would be good…so, no politics today..I’ll get back to it tomorrow….

Well…hey, made it all the way to 5:23 this morning and I’m going to take that as a win with not getting up at all and not coughing too much…and I don’t feel too bad this morning even with just one cup of coffee in me so far…I am a little late coming here today with waiting until I read the paper before getting started but that is more normal than doing this before the paper…I did get out to ride the bike outside yesterday but the trails are still ice covered so I had to do most of the 12 miles on the roads around here…and that looks like the plan for today…going to ride into town and just ride around there and take a look at anything that may be new since I haven’t been down there in years…other than for the SD concert that is…not sure how long I’ll do the roads, though, since it is going to be cold again and my feet were pretty damn cold when I got back here yesterday…but it is just so much better to be outside and getting fresh air…it is a little weird how sore I got from getting back outside but I’ll take it…didn’t even take anything for it last night since it kind of felt good to be sore again…not much to do today…I am going to wash the car this morning before I get on the bike and then I am going to meet up with K for a couple around 2 this aft then back here for the SB…need to make some bean dip for that since I have some cream cheese that has been in the fridge for a couple of weeks now and needs to be used…and that will be my dinner today so I only have to cook once….more later…

Well…no, this isn’t a political one….not yet anyway…just couldn’t take riding in the basement anymore so I took the bike off the trainer and took it outside this morning for my recon run of the trails…well…that didn’t work…the trails are still ice covered but I did a couple of miles in the old Butterworth dump before starting back..but, then it dawned on me that I could ride in the bike lanes on the streets around here and I did about 10 miles out there…it was cold and wet but outdoors is still just better than riding on the trainer…felt good to use the bike…shifting gears and using the brakes while leaning it and having to balance…so, I need to go out to HF and get some small zip ties so I can move the computer pickup back to the front wheel and just see how long I can ride on the streets…my head and lungs feel lots better after the fresh air cleared some of the allergens out and I hope that will help all day….more later…

Well…that really, really sucked…got to bed at the normal time last night but woke up to screaming heartburn at 2:20 and had to take something for it…broke into my last stash of ranitadine it was so severe but then had to stay up until almost 4 for it to work enough for me to be able to lie down again…and I had to take a red dot for my allergies too since they had flared overnight…but that only allowed me to stay in bed until 6:20…so, under 6 hours of sleep is just not going to cut it and I’ll need a nap later today…don’t feel too bad right now, though so maybe not…I did get out to have a couple with T yesterday and that was a lot of fun…hadn’t seen her since around t-day of last year with how busy she is…and she brought me my traditional bar of soap from the Bahamas that is scenting my living room right now and that is cool…but, I didn’t get anything else done and today looks the same with soccer on and I think I’m taking the bike off the trainer today to go out and take a look at the trails after it warms up some but I have to get that done before Man U plays at 12:30…going to leave the computer pickup on the back wheel for the next few days since I’ll be back indoors early next week…the temp is supposed to get to almost 50 Sunday and Monday…I can sure use some fresh air to help with my allergies and riding outdoors is a lot less boring than doing 10 miles staring at the basement walls….I do have a political one to do later but I am so depressed about what is happening to our country that it is going to take a while to be able to do it….more later…

Well…gave up even trying to sleep at 5:30 again today and feel pretty crappy, too…my allergies are flaring after the work downstairs yesterday and I am back to coughing and my head is plugged up, too…just feel miserable and can’t wait til I can air this place out in a month or so…I did sleep okay so I guess that’s something….I even took antihistamines last night and they may have helped since I didn’t wake up much but that has worn off and I am hesitant to take more today with how much they screw up my blood pressure…so I guess I’ll just endure it until I can’t….okay, that’s enough bitching…didn’t get a lot done yesterday but I’ll get to the last room today and at least clear it out…just need to start and it will go pretty fast after that….I did get a bike ride in yesterday and will again here in a few minutes…I may take the bike off the trainer tomorrow since it has been in the upper 30’s all week and it is going to be in the 40’s Sunday and Monday and I would like to see what the trail looks like….not going to move the computer pickup to the front wheel yet, though, since the bike will be going back on the trainer next week after I wash it…it will be nice to get out in some fresh air…maybe that will help with the allergies too? Not much to do today…I have to make a run out for some groceries that I forgot earlier in the week and I may have a meet up with T later but I’m not sure about that…whatever happens, I need to recover from these allergies and that is going to take most of the day….more later…

Well….that sucked a little…woke up at 3:30 and then went back to sleep for a while and woke up again at what I thought was 6:44 but when I jumped out of bed and hit the living room, it was only 5:44…checked the phone without my glasses on…darn…I did sleep okay so I guess that’s something…but I am coughing again this morning and just took the medicine for it again….at least it appears to be breaking up some and the coughing isn’t as bad so that’s progress…didn’t get anything done yesterday but the grocery runs and a little cleaning but I do have a bunch of stuff to do around here today that will keep me busy until noon or so…and I am going to try to clean a little, too…don’t have to cook today with needing to finish up the leftovers I have in the fridge but I do have some chicken breasts thawing downstairs and I need to figure out what to do with them….maybe some stir fry? We’ll see….maybe even bake a couple for chicken sandwiches….need to start emptying the freezer again so I won’t be buying any protein for the next couple of weeks….not much to do today…need to get started here soon but the coffee isn’t working yet and I do need to read the news to get topics for later…more later….

Well…running about on time this morning and the damn coughing is still here even with taking something for it…but, I think the medicine is starting to break up the congestion so I just took another one…I forgot to take something for the allergies last night so my head is pretty plugged up this morning and I may have to take it soon…slept okay last night and don’t feel too bad today but still feel pretty worn out and it may be a bit of work to get the grocery runs done…and I may skip riding today since I’m just not motivated at all…or, I may wait til this afternoon…didn’t get a lot done yesterday and probably won’t today either but who knows? Need to put a push on to finish the last room so I don’t feel guilty about just living for a while and not doing any work until I get after the outside of the house in the spring….my guilt about not being done is starting to grow enough for me to get motivated so I think I may get the final loads of stuff out of the last room today and then get patching and sanding in there tomorrow….do have to hit depot to get a new respirator before that but don’t want to do that today with doing all the grocery runs….more later….

Well…after another night of constant coughing and not sleeping, I have gotten to the point that I had to try something to clear up the congestion in my lungs and stop the coughing…so, I made a run out to Meijers this morning to pick up some OTC stuff that is designed to do just that…man, there is so damn much stuff out there to address every symptom of everything you may have but I didn’t want one that would take on a dozen symptoms, just the two that I have. Luckily, they make medicine that does address just the congestion and the coughing so I bought some…not cheap at 10 bucks but if it works, it will be worth it…took some and feel a little weird like an old time antihistamine but, after tonight, I don’t have anything to do other than the grocery run so I can take just feeling a little strange if it works…don’t see how anyone could take 6 of these a day…I may be able to tolerate 2 but that would be my limit…think I’ll save the second one for bed tonight and maybe I’ll get some sleep…

Well…that sucked….went to bed a little early last night but woke up at 2:30 and couldn’t get back to sleep until 4 or so…even got up to watch tv for a while….then 5:30 rolled around and I was awake again so I just gave up…and I was coughing all night again last night so I am going to go out to get something OTC for it this morning…there has to be something that will break up the crap in my lungs once and for all and get rid of this damn cough…so, I feel a little lousy and worn out this morning and that may lead to a nap later in the day…I did get invited over to my youngest son’s house for dinner tonight and that is the first time I’ve been there since they got married 4 years ago…talk to him all the time but this will be fun…I did have to fill the feeders yesterday with the sparrows emptying the round one in only three days once they found it but it is still weird that they won’t use the clear one at all…may have to replace that one with another hanging one if they don’t want to use it….think I’ll check how much another one costs at Meijers when I’m out getting the lung stuff later this morning…didn’t get much done yesterday but clean a little and the bike ride and today looks the same…I really should get at the last room some today and I may work on it a little but I’m not sure….have to start figuring out how to afford a new weight machine, grill and new summer tires for the Miata…that should come to almost 600 bucks but I do need to spend it since I am feeling flabby without doing weight work and spring is coming so I will need the new tires since the old ones are bald…I guess I could put off the grill but I do miss grilling chicken and smoking fish…hmmmm….more later…

Well…that wasn’t a bad night of sleep…I did wake up at 4:30 but went back to sleep until after 6 so I’m going to consider that a win…and I didn’t cough much overnight but it started up again just a few minutes ago but I can live with it….I now know it’s allergies since my eyes are scratchy and my head is plugged up, too…I know it’s a little weird but I am relived that it is allergies and not something else…can’t wait til it’s warm enough to open this place up and air it out….but then I guess the outdoor allergens will hit me then but what can you do? I am thinking about taking the bike off the trainer to take it our for a ride to look at the trails and see what condition they’re in…and the fresh air might help the allergies some…but I think I’ll wait til later in the week to give it a little more time to melt…I think I’ve started to count down to spring already since we’re only 5 weeks away from March and I can’t wait for this winter to be over…I know, it’s not been a bad one so far and it’s going to be above freezing for the next 10 days or so but I do want to get started on the yard and my garden…I may get some tomato seeds and get them started indoors so I can have tomatoes early in the summer….that would be fun…and I think I’ve been good enough not spending money that I can afford a grill here in a few weeks…not much to do today…still working on prep work for the last room and need to get moving on that so I can start on piecing the base trim together and get that painted…but not right now…need coffee and the news to find a topic for later today…okay, you know what it’s going to be….Bolton, Bolton, Bolton….more later…