The predicted high for next Monday is 53 degrees. Right now, that's difficult to believe.

March 3, 2017 - Friday

-1 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

I'm on the third day of my annual springtime diet. When you hear someone refer to Fat Tuesday, they are really talking about me.

I hear gaining weight and becoming saggy is a rite of aging caused, in part, by a slowing metabolism. Right now, if I were a member of the animal kingdom, I'd be a hybrid cross between a sloth and a slug. Even with walking between three and five miles daily, my belly insists on leading the way. 

Sargie and I were looking at old pictures, some from my high school and university days. At one point, I actually had a belly that resembled a six-pack along with some noticeable abs. My body had yet to sag and I remember walking around without a shirt during the summer months thinking how horrible it must be to be an old guy, someone whose body was saggy and baggy and not good looking at all.

So far, so good, with the diet. My goal is to lose ten pounds over the next six to eight weeks, to get back into my summer shape. I'll once again have a rippling six pack, well defined tan lines, and be able to walk around without a shirt. All my neighbors will want to be me... well, the guys anyway.

Oh wait, I don't have any neighbors. Never mind.

The weather on Thursday was a mixed bag. The day began as clear and calm. My morning walk was beautiful and I enjoyed hearing the crisp sound of my feet crunching through a skim of newly fallen snow along the shoulders of the road.

Snow squalls blew into the area later in the afternoon and at one point, a full blown gale raged for all of sixty seconds followed by immediate sunshine. 

Once home, I drove to town for a few errands. My last stop was to see Yooper Brother Mark at the plant. As usual, he seemed to have everything under control so I didn't bother to impart any sage wisdom.

The rest of the day was spent in the shop. My goal was to make three names, those of Sargie's great nieces and nephew who live in Texas. Trish and Donnie, Sargie's sister and brother-in-law, are flying down this weekend to visit their daughter, son-in-law, and of course, the grandbabies. I wanted to get the munchkins' block names finished so they could take them with.

Things went well until I misspelled little Caitlin's name. 

When I brought the block name in, initially, something seemed wrong. I'd left out the letter i. All that work for nothing.

I thought of asking Lisa, Caitlin's mother, if she might consider legally changing the spelling of her daughter's name, but finally decided to head back out to the shop, turn on the lights, crank up the heat, and make it again, this time correctly.

All three names are finished, covered with poly, and I'll deliver them to Trish this morning to be packed away and bound for Texas.

The dining room table is filling with names. I need to get them in the mail and deliver those that are local. I've calculated I still have about ten more to do, mostly my grand babies. 

How's that saying go... the carpenter's house is the last one to be built.  

Sargie was home early last night and we stood by each other chopping vegetables and catching up on the day while preparing salads for supper.

Sargie closes tonight. I'm going for my walk then will drive to Crystal Falls and deliver the block names to Trish. 

The high today is top out around twenty degrees, so most of it will be spent inside, either in the house or the shop. There's laundry to be done and names to be fashioned and I've been asked to turn a couple of items for people on the lathe. If only you had my life, you'd understand. 

After all, a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...