December 15, 2012 – Saturday

33 degrees

Pentoga Road

With the fog and warm weather we’re currently experiencing, there’s no need to get my hopes up about going ice fishing. It appears it will be at least another four or five days before I can get out onto the ice.

We pulled off the road to look at this Christmas display south of Florence, Wisconsin

Friday was almost a carbon copy of Thursday. We were at the mall in Green Bay by 10 AM. I bade Sargie farewell and walked across the busy boulevard, making my way to Best Buy and other man-establishments.

Ice fishing shelters at Dick's Sporting Goods

I passed the next three hours by window-shopping. There were two Macintosh computers I’d like Santa to bring me. The first is a desktop model, a computer completely contained in a large screen. Someday, when we build our bedroom/den downstairs, I’d like to have one. The other Mac is simply their newest edition of the MacBook Pro. I like mine so much, the one I’m using now, and my biggest fear is this one will wear out someday. I’ve had it for almost four years. Hopefully, it will last another four … or more.

The pet store I visited had many cats and dogs, all from shelters, up for adoption. I called Sargie and left a message saying I’d adopted not only a kitty, but a puppy and parakeet as well! I figured we’d name them all Jimmy so we wouldn’t have to remember who’s who.

How can puppies and kitties… and parakeets, look so cute in a pet shop, yet when one gets them home, they turn the house into a giant chew toy coupled with a litter box and scratching post? Thankfully neither Sargie nor I harbor any desires to own a four-legged critter or one with wings. We’ll stick with Swam-the-Goldfish.

The next stop was at Dick’s Sporting Goods. I swung a few golf clubs, played with a bicycle, tried on a couple of pair of hiking boots, shopped the clearance racks, and inspected the portable ice fishing shelters. In the end, I purchased nothing, but definitely added to my list of things to buy when we win the lottery.

I ventured back to the mall to find Sargie. I was on my way to an area filled with grandpas dozing in easy chairs, when we met.

The mall was quickly filling with shoppers and I was getting on edge. I’ve got this thing for crowds; I hate them. I found a few square feet to call my own while Sargie dashed into a store for one last item. Soon, we were free of all Christmas shoppers and on our way.

People were actually standing in line to get into this store. 

There was another stop at Sam’s and again at a large grocery for cheap soda, but after a very pleasant drive north, the clock was chiming five when we walked into our home.

Last night was spent putting away, stacking, and preparing to wrap gifts. After, we watched a bit of television and played a round of Rummy. Diamond Lil is still the champion.

Sargie says she’s going to wrap presents today. I think I’ll supervise and possibly work on next semester’s classes. In reality, I’ll probably get in her way, try to watch some television, grow bored and go for my five mile walk, and in the end, sneak in a grandpa nap because you know, a man’s work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…