The mercury's climbing . . .

. . . up into the 90's for the next 5 days, and uncomfortably close to 3 digits for some of those days. I still can't complain about my apartment, which is cool day and night, but I don't like to be out in the afternoon which limits my mobility even more than it already is.

I baked the loaf of bread a couple of days ago and it was delicious. I have found that bread machines seem to make a more dense loaf, but maybe that is due to other factors besides the machine. Now that I'm developing some muscles in my arms, I am about ready to try making bread the old-fashioned way. It sure worked for me in the l970's, and I hope I can come close to the way I want it to be.

As for exercises, I've completed the week and now have a two-day period of R&R. Next week I will try the 2# weights and see how that works. I am very pleased with the results so far.

My recent post on the problems with buying a new GPS were meant half seriously and half in jest. If I can go back to RV living and traveling I will probably want an updated system, or at least will try again to get updated maps for the one I have. But most likely I will keep my old GPS because it has enough features I never use without adding a few dozen more that I don't want or need.

All I really need is someone to call out to me, "In 2 miles exit left and keep right". That gives me a good picture of what I will need to do without waiting until I get there and have to do a quick job of reading and mentally processing a dozen signs. For this purpose a GPS is a godsend to a solo driver.

It has been my practice for a number of years to travel with a box of maps - state maps, regional maps, US map, and many maps of the National Forests. Even when I traveled in my Jeep I would carry this box into the motel room with me in the evening and pore over my route taken for the day and what I expected to do tomorrow. I folded the appropriate maps and highlighted the route so that I could pick up a folded map and see exactly where I wanted to travel. I continued this practice with the RV, and I believe I took a picture of a campsite last year in Alabama with the box of maps sitting on the picnic table. In nice weather I love to sit outside and spread out the maps, and Lady always enjoyed being in the fresh air too.

So I could never abandon something that gives me so much pleasure as the stock of paper maps I keep, but I would be bull-headed to rely on paper maps alone at this time of my life when there is a device to assist me when I need a bit of assistance.

After a short period of time with little or no trouble getting connected to the internet, the past few days have been terrible. In the mornings the connection doesn't hold so I usually carry the laptop, antenna and mouse out to the patio where it is slightly better. But even then I have problems. This morning I couldn't leave comments on some of the blogs I read. I always think I'll go back and try later, but usually end up forgetting which ones I need to go back to.

If I can hold on until the beginning of January, my contract with AT&T will be up, and I can get something else. That something else looks to be the MiFi, although I don't expect good service from anything these days. What has happened to this country, when you can't count on things working the way they are supposed to.

I the end I will probably go with MiFi which will cost me close to $70/month with a 2-year contract. And then I will no doubt have to buy an antenna to get decent coverage with it. I sometimes wonder if it is worth it. I spend so much time on the computer every day I suppose it is well worth it!