Friday, Jan. 18

Up at 6:30 to get ready for water aerobics. This was one of those days when I had trouble launching, mainly because after I'd bundled up for the chilly morning, and started out to the van, I found that the windows of the vehicle were glazed with frozen stuff.

So back indoors I came to ask Hubbie where the scraper was. Of course, he hurried out to scrape them himself. Took a while, though, and I feared that by the time I arrived at the college parking lot, I wouldn't be able to find a space, and would have to turn around and come back home.

But I lucked out, and got there just ahead of the rush of student cars following close behind, so I was able to slip into a choice spot ahead of anyone else.

In the dressing room, I learned from another member that the pool was still cool, at 81 degrees. Oh well, it didn't kill me to get in it on Wednesday, and it wouldn't kill me today, so I showered and headed up to the pool.

Once I got used to it, the water felt fine, and I enjoyed my swim. Only seven of us showed up for the session today, though. Our leader decided that we would spend the entire session in aerobic mode, with no cool-down, because just standing in the water tends to chill the body, and we older ladies don't need that.

Today, we learned that the pool will be closed Monday for the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday, which is fine with me, since it means I will not have to miss aerobics when I go to the cardiologist's clinic to finish up my tests, including a treadmill stress test.

While I was gone, Hubbie met an appointment at the doctor's office for a fasting lab blood draw. His appointment was for 9:30, so his tummy was rumbling at breakfast time, since he couldn't eat. Water or plain coffee is permitted, though, so I suggested he have a cup of hot coffee to quell his hunger.

Back home, I put a cup of coffee in the microwave, and set the timer for the usual couple of minutes. When I took it out and added a teaspoon of dry creamer..FROOM!...Mt. Vesuvius! Spent the next few minutes cleaning up the volcanic eruption. I hadn't realized Hubbie had made a fresh pot before he left for the clinic, and it was still hot.

Tried again, this time just pouring a cup and adding creamer. Sat down then to enjoy it, and try to set the digital watch I wear in the pool. But it refused to take commands, and finally just died altogether. So I'll be looking for another one, I guess.

Got a second cup of coffee, and while I enjoyed that, the propane truck came and scared the cats with its backup warning signal. They scattered in all directions. I barely heard the signal, but they reacted to it as though it was right in the room with them.

Soon after, Hubbie returned home. Before he came in, though, he went to Mother's house to accompany her to our house. Before I went upstairs to get ready for the day, I helped her get another jigsaw puzzle to work on, since she finished the one she was working on yesterday.

After lunch, Hubbie shopped for groceries, so I could devote my time writing a first draft of the readers' theater article for the newspapers.

I finished the draft around 3:30, and headed back downstairs to begin supper preparations. Mother helped by dicing onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms for Ziplock bag omelets. Once the omelets were nearly cooked, I prepared a recipe of white gravy to have over biscuits.

Supper was tasty, and afterward, Hubbie accompanied Mother back to her house. Then he and I watched a 2004 movie borrowed from the library..."Miracle," starring Kurt Russell. It's the true story of how the 1980 ice hockey team triumphed in the Olympics against the formidable, and seemingly unbeatable, Soviet Union team. We'd seen this movie before, but it was still good a second time.