Hello , it's me . Had a pretty good morning , drove myself to the VA clinic , roads clear , traffic fairly light overall . Gave 4 tubes of blood and a cup of urine , was out in less than 30 minutes total . Saw the father of my sister's first husband at the clinic , a fellow veteran . At nearly 83 he is still quite able-bodied and genial . When I got back , picked our friend up from his work , and loaned them the work car again . It's still way too cold to have to walk or depend on others . I just don't like it out if the roads are slick , as wide tires and plenty of torque make it tricky to drive on frozen precipitation . I'm a professional and I find it unnerving at best on slick surfaces .
   My wife and I had been talking for a week or more about having a good , homestyle cheeseburger , but we didn't want to travel or pay too much . I resolved this by agreeing to cook if she ran (drove , actually) to the grocer's . With fresh tomato and onion , done in my inimitable fashion , with fries on the side , it was as good as any local restaurant , probably better . I have a shake mixer , maybe that will be my next course of self education . I wish my kitchen was roomy enough for a flat-top , so I could do more servings at a time .
   I know I'm kind of on a roll here but I really would like to catch up my rest before it gets to the tipping point again . So be good to each other , and kind , and may God bless you all .