Sunny Mornings Are Getting Boring

7:36

8:52

I shouldn't complain about the weather, I know, since it's been amazing the past week or two, but I would like to see some rain. I was up at 7:30, made the coffee, gathered my stuff, and went out for a paddle, down to the Power Boat Club and back, and was out for over an hour. The ospreys have migrated, the herons are still sticking around as are the turkey vultures.

Kayak Morning

Woodlawn Turkey Vultures

Heron On Joe's Boat Cover

Yesterday was another fine day, and I kept busy through lunch. The day began with the usual coffee, but by 7:50, I was off to breakfast in Bemus at the Lake Life Cafe. I ordered a protein shake for the first time because I am not supposed to eat when wearing my retainer. If I don't wear it, I can eat but look like a Halloween pumpkin. I was home by 9:10, finished up the blog, and by 9:40, Evie was off to kindergarten, and I was off to Yin Yoga. It was good to get back to yoga, but I have to admit, I left class sore, with a backache, making me wonder if I should drop the class, or if I just exercised some muscles that I haven't used in a couple of weeks. 

A Leisurely Afternoon Paddle

I was home just before noon, and the lake was so inviting that I went out and paddled for a half hour, down to Sandy Bottom and back, on a lovely, windy afternoon. It felt enervating to just be out there enjoying the water. I then made my lunch, the leftover haddock, on a bun with mayo and hot sauce, and watched my show. My book has lost its appeal because he's inserted another novel within the novel, and I don't much like it because it stereotypes black culture, intentionally, as a contrast to the type of books the main character writes. Confusing, right? So I easily napped and woke, came downstairs, and Evie was home from school.  We talked about her day, which was more hectic than usual because of a fire drill and one little guy who refuses to follow directions.

The rest of the afternoon I spent reading, either out on the dock or inside on the couch until wine time. We listened to the news, talked about school, our great-grandchildren, until Evie went in and heated up our dinner, chicken in gravy with stuffing and mashed potatoes. We ate watching our usual show, All Saints, until 8:30, our usual routine. Then, I watched some NFL but got bored and returned to my show, Spooks, and watched the last episode of Season Six, and was tempted to watch the first episode of Season Seven but went up to bed instead to read.

45º , Sunny With Partly Cloudy Skies

Rhys, Tommy, And The Grandparents

9:47

9:10

It's 7:35 and Evie and I have been up for ten minutes. I have to be on my way to breakfast in Bemus in 15 minutes so I won't be kayaking this morning.  Later, at 9:30, I will drive to yoga and Evie to her kindergarten, her second day with a new class. It's 9:15 and I am home from breakfast and finishing up the blog, trying to find a place to sit where the reflection of the sun is not blinding me.

Yesterday was the best because I kayaked for an hour the first time in ten days. I then had a leisurely coffee and breakfast with Evie before driving into Jamestown, to Riverwalk, to get my blood drawn for a PSA test. I thought I had the request with me, but I had to call my doctor's office to get them to fax it over, so it took longer than I thought, about a half hour, which is not bad. It's teaching me patience. I stopped at both Wegmans and Sav-A-Lot on the way home to pick up our dinners and was home just after noon. 

Lunch was easy, the last of the leftover shrimp stir fry and my show. I was anxious to get back to my book, Erasure, so I went upstairs and read and took a nice nap for at least half an hour. Evie was watching her show and doing laundry, so I read for a bit, then decided to get a few more things done. I put the buoys up in the attic and took my wheelbarrow out to the dock, bringing in our benches. All that's left on the dock are a couple of Adirondack chairs, and it's ready to be taken out. 

Evie prepared our dinner around 4:30, some nice Icelandic haddock filets, and we settled down with our wine at 5:00 and some sushi from Wegmans for an appetizer. We had the fish, with homemade tartar sauce, coleslaw, and baked potatoes, and watched a couple more episodes of our series, All Saints. I think we are on episode thirty-two, and we still enjoy it. Evie went up to bed at her usual time and I watched another episode of Spooks, and I am almost finished with the sixth of ten seasons. So I have a way to go to finish the series. It was a really good day.

What An Amazing Morning

6:47

It's 7:05 and I have been up for half an hour, enjoying a coffee, waiting for the sun to rise so I can kayak. How lucky we are to see the sun rise each morning, watch it move back and forth, depending on the season. Not a boat on the lake, a light wind, and it should be a perfect morning for me to get back out on the lake. It's just about 9:00, and Evie and I are sitting here as I finish up the blog. I was out on the water kayaking just as the sun rose at 7:15. It was a gorgeous morning, sun, clear skies, empty lake, and moi. I paddled for an hour down to Sandy Bottom, then back along Woodlawn, spotting a couple of herons and a fake owl. 

Kayaking As The Sun Rises

Autumn Colors

Northern Cloudless Sky

Into The Sun

Yesterday turned out to be an expensive but busy day. We were both up early because Evie was starting kindergarten and usually arrives at 10:00. I was also taking my car in to get the battery checked or to see why it loses its charge. So, after coffee and Evie showered and got dressed, I went out to jump-start my Outback. But, just for the heck of it, I thought I would try to start it, and it started —a miracle. I tried it twice on Monday and nothing happened. I told Evie the good or bad news and drove off to a new garage, Swansons, since my usual garage was closed for the week. The guys were great, checked my battery, said I needed a new one, and best of all, they could do it immediately, so Evie did not have to pick me up. The best part of my experience was their dog, a huge, black, Newfoundland dog, let free to roam, and he immediately came to me to be petted, rubbed, then lay on his back for more affection. 

Heron Among The Mallards

Fake Owl

Heron In Woodlawn Trees

After they put in my new battery (300 bucks), I needed a coffee, so I stopped at Ryder's Cup and talked with Bob, one of the regulars. I didn't feel like shopping, so I came home to an empty house. I soon was bored and decided to get to work, so I put on my bathing suit, took the kayak, and pulled seven buoys, attached to a cement block, out of the water, and brought them to shore. It took me maybe half an hour at the most, and it's something I have to do each fall. By the time I was done, I was ready for lunch and heated up the leftover stir-fry and watched my show, Spooks. It was 1:30 by the time I was finishing, so I went upstairs hoping to take a nap, but I slept for only a few minutes. I had finished my book, The Nickel Boys, about black kids living in a reform school in Florida, and it was hard to read, the way they were treated by the white, racist trustees. I started a new novel, the much-recommended Erasure by Percival Everett, and I like it. 

Around 3:00, I went back outside and cut the rope holding the cement blocks to the buoys and hid the blocks in the bushes. I then filled a wheelbarrow up with water, added some bleach, and spent a half an hour scrubbing the mold off of the buoys, then let them dry on a bench. Evie was relaxing on the front porch so I joined her, read some until she had her Zoom call with her sisters. By then, I was ready to do something else, so I fired up our Honda and raked and mulched leaves around our garage and road. By 5:45, I was sitting on the front porch with Evie and a glass of wine as the day began to ebb. Around 6:30, Evie made a salad and heated up the leftover Salisbury steak and potatoes for dinner. Like Sunday, we both loved it and watched a couple of episodes of All Saints, the last episode bringing us both to tears. Evie went up to bed at 8:30, and I watched some news, depressing, as it was all about Trump's talk to the military, so I switched to Spooks, then went up to bed to read and sleep.

Evie was home around 2:00 and regaled me with her first day, being welcomed back by her teacher as well as other teachers from last year. The kids are all new, although she did get hugs from her students from last year. It was a good start to the year. 

I don't much like to talk about politics on the blog, but Trump scared me. If anyone who voted for Trump watched his speech to the military yesterday and would still vote for him, they ought to ask why they support him. Not only does he ramble, often incoherently, but he also seems possibly insane, and certainly vindictive, but he basically called the Democrats the 'enemy within' and considered sending military troops into liberal cities to control them.  We should all be afraid.

Up Early For A Busy Tuesday

6:47

6:54

7:47

It's early morning, and both of us are up earlier than we would like at 6:45. The lake has become increasingly foggy as we sit here. We were able to see Long Point when we got up, but now we can hardly see beyond the dock. It's a chilly 53º and will get up into the mid-70s with lots of sunshine.

Yesterday went quickly, especially the morning. I slept in, didn't write the blog until after 9:00 and forgot to have breakfast, so I grabbed a banana. I wasn't doing much, just sitting around, having coffee, and trying to figure out what to so I went for a walk around Woodlawn and decided to make sure my Outback started. Well, it wouldn't, so I grabbed my battery charger. clamped the leads onto my battery, and it started. I drove it around for 20 minutes, hoping to charge the battery. I  then looked at the clock, and it was already 11:30, almost time for lunch. Evie heated up some chicken soup and made me a couple of cheese sandwiches, and I watched my show, feeling right at home. I forgot to mention that to make it a perfect morning, I wore my retainer for the first time. When I took it out and ran it under water, the tooth fell out, so I'm back at the dentist's office today. It's great to be home!

I decided I would take it easy in the afternoon and just stay home instead of going to the store. So I went upstairs, tried to take a nap, and changed my mind and went to Wegmans. I went out, tried to start my Outback, and it wouldn't start so I will be taking it in to a mechanic this morning if it starts. So, I took the Kia and drove to Wegmans, where I picked up my meds and Evie's, along with a few other things. Then, I drove to Ryder's Cup and had a fruit smoothie, chatting with Dave, one of the regulars I hadn't seen in a while.

When I returned home, Evie was just finishing up mowing the yard, taking time-outs whenever necessary. It looks great. I wanted to get a few things done and put away all the life jackets, having left them out in the morning to dry. Thinking ahead, I pulled down the snow shovels; you never know around here. I then got the wheelbarrow and took some chairs off the dock, and put our steel dining table next to the garage. Finally, I charged the mower batteries and got out my weed wacker and trimmed around the brick walk. Now the lawn is cut, and the brick path is trimmed. 

Evie was already on the front porch enjoying a glass of wine, so I joined her and we were back in our 5:00 routine. Around 6:15, Evie put together a shrimp stir fry with lots of veggies. We watched The Great British Baking Show while enjoying our stir-fry and ended the night for Evie with an episode of All Saints. She wanted to get to bed early because she starts kindergarten tomorrow, a big day. I stayed up and watched some football and my show Spooks before going up to bed to read and sleep. It was a groovy day for me, for sure.

Home Sweet Home

Son And Great Grandson

9:10

It's amazing to be back home. Everyone ought to spend a few days in the hospital because it makes you appreciate how lucky you are to be living a fairly routine, often boring, unexceptional, but wonderful life. It's exhilarating to walk outside, inhale the fresh air, take in the blue sky, and see the changing colors of fall trees. Enough gushing. 

Zinnias

Cosmos's

It's 9:20 as I start this, having slept in my own bed for eight hours until 8:20. I walked downstairs to a light-filled living room, the lake filled with the reflections of the sun's light,  Evie followed and we had to change coffee machines because our Keurig broke, a potentially disastrous way to start a day, without coffee. I did not kayak this morning, deciding to wait for a couple of days to get back in shape. My doctors have put no restrictions on my activity. 

Yesterday morning was another one of waiting, for my pill, EKG, talking with the doctor, and finally, signing a release from the hospital. There was some concern about the availability of my heart medication, but the nurse clarified the situation, sending me home with a two-day supply of medication and ensuring that my local pharmacy had some of the medication available for me to pick up today. The nurses were all amazingly helpful and caring.

Evie arrived just before noon as we bid goodbye to the nurses and hospital. It felt great to get outside after being inside for four nights. It was a beautiful fall drive home, the view on both sides of the highway  filled with the color of autumn foliage. We were home by 1:00, unpacked, and I quickly took my first shower in a few days. Evie heated up some chicken soup for my lunch, and we watched the first half of the Bills game before I had had enough and went upstairs and read and briefly napped. The rest of the day was spent watching too much football, but our two favorite teams were on TV, the Bills and Chiefs, and both won. Every hour or so, I would just walk outside and breathe in the fresh air, the view I had missed for days.

Late Afternoon Sunday

Long Point, Reminding Me Of Presque Isle Photo From Yesterday's Blog

Dinner was, at my request, good old-fashioned Salisbury steak with gravy and mashed potatoes. We both loved it and have enough left for tonight's dinner if we choose. We took time from football and watched a couple of episodes of our recent go-to series, All Saints on Hulu. Evie then went up to bed and I watched the first quarter of the Packers/Cowboys game before joining her, excited to be back in my own bed. 

Once More To The Lake

Lake Erie From Hospital

View Of Presque Isle Peninsula: Seven Miles Of Sandy Beaches, 25 Miles Of Trails

It's 8:20, and I have just spoken with the doctor. I should be able to go home sometime after lunch, depending on how long it takes to check out. I had another bad night, but I survived, thinking of tonight in my own bed. It's amazing how good that sounds. It's a sunny, blue sky day here on Lake Erie, a perfect day for a ride home, Inshallah. I just talked with the doctor and will be heading home sometime after lunch, with no limits on my exercise, good news

Yesterday was another long, boring day made bearable by Evie's visit. My days are basically the same, just like at home, but with a different routine. My morning routine was to write the blog, take my pills, have breakfast, then an EKG, and go for a walk around the halls. Evie arrived around 11:30, and she helped me decide what to order for lunch: mushroom barley soup and a cheese sandwich, not very original. After lunch, we walked, and by 3:00, I convinced her to head up because she was going to stop at Wegmans.

Nurse And Aides Lockers

My afternoon was taken up with watching football, the Ohio State/Washington game, reading, briefly napping, and going for a couple of promenades around the hospital wing. It's been a busy and interesting morning for the hospital staff because they were switching their computer system over to something called EPIC, so there were technicians from Pittsburgh in the halls, helping the nurses, doctors, and aides figure out how to get on the new system and use it. 

Learning A New Computer System

I had dinner around 6:30, pasta and turkey meatballs, and was looking forward to another football game, Penn State vs Oregon, which Penn State lost 30-24. I surfed various TV channels and ended up watching CNN's "Have I Got The News For You," with host Roy Wood and guests Lewis Black and Joy Reed. I had my penultimate EKG at 10:15, read some, and turned off the lights at 11:00. It's obvious that hospitals are not quiet at night, with bells going off, patients in stress, loud talking, things like that, so it's no wonder I had difficulty sleeping, but I persevered. 

What A Great Day

Our Newest Great Grandson, Tommy

Our Grandson Nick, Wife Aundraya, And Sons, Rhys And Tommy

Despite my situation, Friday was an exciting day for our family as my grandson Nick and his wife Audraya had their second son, Tommy, our second great-grandson. It's hard to complain and feel sorry for yourself when a great-grandson comes into the world. So I won't

7:44 Sunrise

It's 7:50 and I have been up since 7:00. I had a better night, although I was awakened three times when my door was opened. Supposedly, the hospital is undergoing a systems change to their computers, so much is being done today with pencil and paper until 6:00. So far, I have taken three pills and had 3 EKGs. They all show that I am tolerating the new drug. 

The second best part of yesterday was Evie's arrival around 11:00, bearing heart-shaped sugar cookies that I couldn't resist. She stayed for three or four hours until I made her go home.  While she was here, I had a decent lunch and we took a couple of walks, something I try to do every hour. We were excited about the news of our new great-grandson and couldn't wait for photos. She is excited about today, Saturday, because she gets to take my turn taking the trash to the Transfer Station. After she left for home, I talked with my daughter Beth for half an hour; she had just finished a busy week of teaching sixth graders in Dallas. It was fun to get caught up on her and her family. 

Room With A View Of Lake Erie (not mine)

The rest of the afternoon and evening was uneventful,  much the same as the day before, with watching some TV, reading, listening to podcasts, and napping. I continue to get texts and comments on my blog, wishing me well, which is great. And I try to walk every hour for five or ten minutes, a depressing walk down hallways filled with patients, nurses, and aids. 

I had chicken and mac n cheese for dinner, some vanilla pudding, and of course, Evie's sugar cookies. It was sports night as I switched back and forth between the Indiana/Las Vegas basketball game and the UVA/Florida State football game, both of which were fun to watch. Before I close, I want to mention my nurse from yesterday, Jamie, a Mom of four, including a one-year-old. I don't know how she does it, but she's always helpful and enthusiastic. I turned off the lights at 11:00, and continue to have a hard time falling asleep, making it even worse if they wake me up in the middle of the night.

Photo Of Heron By Evie

Just Another Day

Baby Tarzan

It's 8:50  and I have just finished my breakfast, an omelet with tomatoes, mushrooms, cheese, and spinach, not bad, and a cup of coffee. I had a hard time getting to sleep last night, due to the irritation on my chest from numerous EKGs, but I did manage to get six and a half hours, so I must have slept for some time. Since I don't have any interesting photos of the lake, I am including photos of my darling great-grandson. They give me pleasure, and I hope you like them.

Nurses Are The Best

Yesterday, I spent much of the morning waiting for a cardio conversion. They finally took me down to the lab at 10:30, and since I was in atrial flutter, they shocked me back to a normal rhythm. It took about five minutes, but I had to remain in the lab for half an hour. They took me back to my room and basically, that was it for the day. I ordered lunch, soup, and a hot turkey sandwich with gravy and ginger ale, lots of choices. The rest of the afternoon, I read, watched some TV, napped, and went for a walk around the floor every hour, just to keep myself in shape. My cardiologist came by around 5:00 and explained my next few days. The protocol for my new drug Tikosyn required that I take the medicine six times, once every 12 hours followed by an EKG to see how I am tolerating it. That meant, unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to go home until Sunday afternoon, after my Sunday morning pill and EKG. And so it goes.

View Of Erie

Lots of friends have texted me or commented on my blog, which was really nice. Once I found out I had to stay until Sunday, I was a bit depressed, but sucked it up knowing there are many people a lot worst off than me in my wing. I had soup and pot roast with mashed potatoes for dinner, not the best pot roast I have had. At 8:00, I took my first Tikosyn, then watched a documentary on Jim Valvano and his amazing ride to an NCAA title.  About 10:00, I realized the NFL game was on so I watched that until I received an EKG at 10:30, and then I could go to sleep. I watched the end of the game, then tried to sleep and eventually did drift off. 

A Morning In Erie, PA

A Morning Delight: My Great Grandson, Rhys

It's 5:30 in the morning, and I am in my hospital room at the UPMC Hamot on the waterfront of Lake Erie. I am awake, having slept poorly(four hours according to my Apple Watch) in the hospital bed, so I thought I might as well finish my blog before they take me away for tests this morning. It's 6:00 now, and I might try to sleep.  It's almost 7:00, and they just drew more blood. So I am up for good, waiting to be taken away. It may be a while. 

My View

Yesterday was a day of waiting to drive to Erie to see my cardiologist. We got organized in case I was admitted to the hospital, which we knew was a possibility. After breakfast and lunch, I packed my phone, computer, Kindle, and chargers, just in case. We arrived at 2:30, saw the doctor around 3:00, and talked for maybe five minutes before he asked if it would be okay to be admitted to the hospital for a few days because I was in atrial flutter. 

He wanted to administer a new antiarrhythmic drug, Tikosyn, which involved a hospital stay, to make sure I could tolerate it. So we checked in at the ER, waited in the lounge for half an hour before they took me to an ER room. I stayed there for half an hour before I was taken up to my hospital room. 

I am fortunate to have my own room and bathroom. I got settled in and talked Evie into leaving for home before it got dark. I had blood tests and an X-ray, again, the third time in less than a week. I ordered my dinner, ate, and watched some TV before turning off the lights around 10:30. I slept fitfully, and here I am at 5:50, waiting for them to take me for possibly a cardioversion before taking my new drug and having EKGs every couple of hours to see how my heart tolerates the new drug. And so it goes. 

Another Bad Day

 

8:10

8:05

It's a quiet morning on the lake, under gray skies. Not a boat is in sight, and rain is forecast for most of the day. It's 9:15 as I finish the blog, Evie is up, and so far, I feel fine. 

Yesterday started out well, with breakfast, my blog, and some hope for the day. I decided to see how I felt if I drove, so I drove over to the CI, walked for five minutes, and came home and felt fine. Chris, who takes care of my boat, called to say he would be over in half an hour. So I went out, started to take the cover off my boat, and suddenly, I was out of breath, my pulse racing. I sat down, and gradually I was able to walk into the house. Once he was here, I walked out to the dock to get a few things from the boat, put them in a wheelbarrow, and started back to the house, and it happened again. I relaxed on the couch in the house, and my pulse returned to normal. I learned my lesson and didn't try to exert myself again.

I had lunch, soup, and the leftover pastitio while Evie was at the store. When she returned, I got up to walk to the bathroom, and my pulse jumped again to 190. Once it stopped, I tried to go upstairs to lie down, and it raced again, and I had a hard time breathing. I almost passed out, so this time we called 911. They took me to UMPC Chautauqua this time, and during the drive, they administered a dose of medicine that calmed my heart. 

When I arrived, they immediately found a room, put me on various machines, and I was diagnosed with both Afib and Supraventricular Tachycardia. My heart settled down, and I was in the ER for a couple of hours. They gave me a dose of  Metoprolol Succinate to slow down my heart rate, a drug I have been taking each morning, but they upped the dose. The doctor suggested that he would admit me for observation, but that would mean I would miss my appointment with my cardiologist today. Before I left, they walked me around the ER for five minutes to make sure I did not go back into Afib.

We were home by 7:00, and Evie made us fried eggs and home fries, and we watched our usual shows until she went to bed. I was anxious about walking upstairs, afraid it might set off my rapid heart rate, but I was fine and was able to read some and go to sleep.

This afternoon I meet with my cardiologist in Erie and hope he has some solutions. 

Overcast Skies And A Calm Lake

9:12

It's almost 9:00, and I have been up for an hour on my MacBook Air. Evie's up as well, and we are about to put on the radio and our morning show with Michael Smerconish. The lake looks perfect for a paddle, alas. I am finding it difficult to write my blog because I am not supposed to do much but sit around. 

11:46

12:39

12:40

Monday went quickly for some reason, maybe because of the change in the weather. My days have been the same recently, as I don't do much but sit around and read, get on my Mac, or watch TV. So by 10:00, I had finished my blog, had breakfast, and got back to my book, The Correspondent. It had yet to start raining, so I sat out in the side yard until it began to thunder. 

I have two things to look forward to...lunch and dinner. So about 12:30, I heated up  a bowl of potato and leek soup, compliments of Linda, and had a small portion of the pastitio. I watched an episode of Spooks and then couldn't wait to go upstairs and take a nap because Evie had changed the sheets. Nothing like a bed with newly washed sheets. For some reason, I have had a hard time getting to sleep, both at nap time and at night, maybe because of my lack of activity. 

4:32

It rained off and on most of the afternoon, and we received just about an inch, including overnight. I am lucky to have a book I really like, The Correspondent, so I can easily fill my afternoon with it. I did go for a walk to get the mail, and I felt fine, which is encouraging. We had our happy hour at 5:00, enjoying a glass or two of wine, listening to the thunder and drizzle. We had another Wegmans special for dinner, a pouch of Thai red curry chicken. Just put it in the oven for half hour and you have a pretty good chicken curry, served over rice, along with a salad. We watched an episode of The Great British Baking Show, then another episode of All Saints, before Evie went up to bed. I then watched the first half of Monday Night Football and then went up to bed to read. 

It's Raining!!!!

Clean Up Time For Our Great Grandson Rhys

7:50

Well, for the first time in weeks, we are getting rain —a half inch overnight — and at the moment, it's also raining, according to my weather app. The possibility of rain is forecast for the next six days. Right now it's 63 at 8:35, and both Evie and I are up after a restless night, enjoying our first cup of coffee.

Sunday Morning View From A Lawn Chair

Sunday was supposed to be football Sunday, but neither of us had much interest in the games on TV until the Chiefs game in the evening, so we spent little time watching the games. I had my usual kayak-free morning, alas, and sat around most of the morning in the yard either on my computer or reading, rueing my idleness. I did try to do some raking of dead grass, but immediately had trouble breathing, so I quit and went back to doing nothing.  Evie, however, is a busy beaver, cleaning, washing, and making sure I have something healthy to eat that won't bother my sore gums. 

For lunch, she made me avocado and tomato sandwiches on soft brioche buns, and I watched a bit of the first NFL game before returning to my series, Spooks, since I finished Season 8 of Shetland. I was happy to go upstairs and read and nap because I was tired and bored. I was hoping Chris would come over and take our boat out, but he wasn't able to make it. Maybe today if the weather cooperates. 

We were both looking forward to 5:00, when we could relax on the porch with a glass of wine. Evie was able to put together our dinner, a Greek dish called pastitsio, basically spiced beef, noodles, and tomato sauce. Since the bass tournament ended around 3:00, the lake calmed down, and by dinner time, hardly a boat was to be seen. I really liked our dinner, the pastitsio with a salad, and we watched a couple of more episodes of All Saints. We are on episode 22 of the first season, so we have lots of episodes to go. Evie went to bed just as the Chiefs' game was starting. I made it through the first half but was happy to get to my new book, The Correspondent, which I really like, thanks to my sister Ellen's recommendation. Finally, I found a book I am enjoying after trying a couple of thrillers.