Bud Baker

Here's a photo from yesterday of our own KW Judy and Annette.

Good morning, everyone! It was 42 degrees as I rode to work this morning. Forecast high is 81. It's the first day we've had with the wind not howling in a while. Pass some of that retirement around when you get it, Eric. I could sure use a little. Back to work for me. Have a great day, all!

Good morning, everyone! It was 64 degrees as I rode to work this morning. We had storms during the night, and even a tornado warning just west of me, but the storms cleared out just before time for me to ride to work, so I watched the lightning off in the east as I rode in. Forecast high is 79, a lot cooler than the 90's of the last few days. I went crappie fishing at Lake Aquilla on Saturday, and caught lots of shallow crappie on a jig and bobber rig. I caught more than a 25 fish limit, but just kept 16 of the better ones. Yesterday, I spent the day doing my taxes. It was the earliest I've done them in quite a few years, a result of the deadline being on a Friday this year. Daughter Marie and granddaughter Chloe came over for a fish dinner. KW Judy, there are induction furnaces at the plant where I work. Does Stan ever get to Fort Worth? Time for me to get back to work. Have a great day, all!

Good morning, everyone! It was 71 degrees as I rode to work this morning. It felt like a summer morning as I rode. Forecast high is 92. It's supposed to be windy, but not as windy as tomorrow and Sunday. Don't click links in email, Eric. Most viruses will come from infected friends computers. I have a friend who's computer sends me a virus or two every week, but I've never opened it. The anti virus software is almost as bad, interferring with everything. I don't run it, either. I've surfed the internet way too much for 17 years now without it, and only gotten two viruses in that time, because I'm careful what I click. If you send me a link to a greeting card (like some did for my birthday), I'll never see it because I don't click that stuff. Beware of fishing email, too. It often looks like something official, from your bank or whatever, but if you hold your mouse cursor over the link, it won't be a bank link. Don't click it. If all the kids who spend their time hacking, spamming, and other malicious computer stuff would just spend their time on positive stuff instead, they'd probably solve all the world's problems. It's less than six and a half hours until my weekend begins. I'm not sure what my weekend plans are, but I'm thinking I might ought to get started on my taxes. Have a great day, all!

Big congrats on six years, Carol!

Good morning, everyone! It was 64 degrees as I rode to work this morning. Forecast high is 88. It's partly cloudy and the wind is still howling, but it's supposed to ease up a bit by this afternoon. MI Judy, there's nothing about me that especially likes getting up early. It's just that I've worked in manufacturing for 40 years, and the latest starting work time I've had is 7:00 am. The starting time where I work now is 6:00 am. So I'm used to getting up early. I do like the earlier traffic better. If I had to ride to work in 8:00 am traffic, I'm not sure I'd be riding to work at all. Ron, I'm reminded of my uncle who had hearing aids. Once, my aunt and I were teasing him about something, and he said, "I don't have to take this abuse!", and yanked out the hearing aids. I laughed and laughed at that. Have a great day, all!

Good morning, everyone! It was 53 degrees as I rode to work this morning. Forecast high is 83. It will be a strong south wind to ride against on the way home this afternoon. When I got home yesterday, I hopped on the bike and rode 25 miles, since I hadn't ridden to work. Rose made carrot cake, my favorite, for my birthday. Don't tell anyone, but I had carrot cake for breakfast this morning, rather than my usual oatmeal. I had lost one pound each of the last two weeks, but I don't think that's happening this week.......LOL. Sounds pretty chilly where you are, KW Judy. The forecast here is calling for highs in the 80's every day for the next 10 days. Works for me. Annette, on the mornings I ride to work, I get up at 3:55 am. If I drive, I get to sleep in until 4:40 am. Have a great day, all!

Happy anniversary, Judy. Thanks for joining us.

Good morning, everyone! It was 35 degrees when I got up this morning. Forecast high is 75. After driving to work yesterday, I forgot to reset the alarm clock to get up earlier today, so even though the big winds are gone now, had to drive to work again. My riding mileage this week isn't looking too good. Sorry you're having gout issues, Lillian. I agree, getting old isn't for wimps. And I have to call myself old now. You can say middle age or whatever while you're in your 50's, but I'm thinking that 60 is officially old........LOL. I'm with Judy, Annette, and Judy, Eric. It sounds bad, but losing her job might have helped Sally in the long run. My father was another alcoholic who was able to hang onto a job in spite of it, and never hit bottom bad enough to quit the drinking. I hope you have a better day on the road today, KW Judy. Another busy day at work for me, I better get back at it. When can I retire? Have a great day, all!

It was 60 degrees and storming when I got up this morning, so I drove to work. That proved to be a better choice than riding since I ran into hail and 60 mph winds on the way to work. Forecast high is 70, but it's fallen all the way down to 53 degrees right now from the front that followed the storms, to I don't know if we'll make 70. I got out and did a little fishing at Benbrook this weekend. I didn't catch a lot, but did more exploring of the lake. Welcome to the Air, Ronnie! Have a great day, all!

Good morning, everyone! It was 49 degrees as I rode to work this morning. Forecast high is 87. I was too busy last night to log my final miles for March, so I don't know exactly how many I ended up with, but I think it was a little over 600. It did become the first month that I've ridden to work every single work day. As much as I don't like riding in the rain, that's a testament to what kind of drought we're having. Yes, Friday is finally here. I'm thinking I'll go fishing tomorrow, and Rose and I are supposed to go out tomorrow night, an early birthday celebration for me. I'm not sure what I'll be doing Sunday. The Amazon books are on gardening. I hope you're feeling better and enjoy your trip, KW Judy. I'm keeping positive thoughts for Ned. Welcome to the Air, nikkala. Have a great day, all!

After facing challenging treatments as long as you have, doubt and worry are understandable, Judy. And I can't pretend to have good decision making advice for you. But I think you've done a great job of facing up to your doubts and worries, and handling every challenge that's come your way up to this point. I expect you'll make the decisions that are best for you now, too. All I can do is offer my support. I wish that was enough to help more. We all lean on you for support. We're here when you need it, too.

Good morning, everyone! It was 38 degrees as I rode to work this morning. Forecast high is 75. I did something last night that I never do. I ordered two books from Amazon. Can anyone guess what they're about? Here's a hint: it's all Stephanie's fault. What did you have at TGI Fridays, MI Judy? I hope you had a great anniversary dinner, Diane. Congrats! Have a great day, all!

Looks like fun, Judy!

Good morning, everyone! It was 40 degrees as I rode to work this morning. Forecast high is 63. As I rode to work wearing all my winter clothes, it was hard to believe that the forecast high for Sunday is 94 degrees. I won't reach the around the world distance until June or July. Annette was right with the first guess. If I ride to work tomorrow, March will become the first calendar month that I've ridden to work every single work day of the month. I'm finding myself checking for updates on Ned first thing when I get on the computer this week. I hope he's better today. Have a great day, all!

Good morning, everyone! It was 52 degrees with a light mist as I rode to work today. Forecast high is 59. There's a steady drizzle now, and they're calling for a higher chance of rain this afternoon. I rode anyway, though. If I ride to work the next two days, that would give me an accomplishment that I haven't done before on the bike. Can anyone guess what it is? I really should have gone to group last night, but just as I wheeled my bike into the garage after getting home from work, my cell phone rang, and it was Pat, the local crappie expert on Lake Benbrook, asking if I wanted to join him on the lake. So I gathered up rods and tackle and headed for Benbrook. His fish weren't hitting nearly as well as they had for him the day before, but I still got a good lesson on Benbrook. Eric, good to see you back. KW Judy, I hope you're feeling better by now. Annette, I seem to be in slow motion myself, today. I couldn't get my heart rate above 130 on the ride to work. Sunshine and 80 degrees sounds nice, Lillian. It seems to be staying cooler here this week. Have a great day, all!

Good morning, everyone! It was 48 degrees as I rode to work this morning. Forecast high is 66. I only caught a couple of crappie at Benbrook Saturday afternoon, but Rose and I went to Lake Aquilla yesterday and brought home 20 fish. MI Judy, you are right to be concerned about a cold that won't go away. If there's anyone around who knows to watch out for that, it's us. I hope it's nothing and clears up soon. Stephanie, I'll end up with just a small garden. If we had ended up with a large yard when we downsized, I probably would have tackled a large retirement garden, but this half-duplex has a small yard, the dogs need part of it, plus the privacy fence makes some of it not have great sunlight, so the garden will be small. There will be okra for sure. I love okra, and it does so well in the heat of summer here that you have to harvest it every day, else the pods will get too big, and tough. And there will be tomatoes because, well, home grown tomatoes are just so much better than anything I find in a store. Beyond those two, we'll see what I end up with. Have a great day, all!

Good morning, everyone! It was 68 degrees when I got up this morning. Forecast high is 87. I'm going to hop on the bike in a few minutes and do 40 miles or so, then I'm thinking I'll take a short run over to Lake Benbrook and see if there are any spawning crappie to be found. Benbrook is less than 10 miles from home, but it's a tough old lake that I haven't had much luck fishing at, the few times I've been. With Granbury likely lost for the year to golden algae though, I'd like to find another close to home lake, so I'm going to keep trying to learn Benbrook. Good luck with the diet, Becky. Have a great day, all!

Welcome, Debbi, but sorry you need to be here. This is the scariest part, waiting to find out the details and treatment plan. You'll feel better about it all once there's a plan in place. Annette is right, asking lots of questions and getting all the information you can is best. Keep us posted.

Congrats, Michelle! Glad to see that you have recovered so well.

Good morning, everyone! It was 63 degrees as I rode to work this morning. Forecast high is 87. Our south wind is back, but not howling like it did Monday and Tuesday, at least not yet. Eric, it seems to be a tough time for workers here, too, as the Wisconsin state employee thing reminds us. I would really like to hear Libby's take on the whole thing, but she seems to have disappeared on us. Maybe she'll show up again after April 15? Lillian, that police helicopter with the spotlight reminded me of my ride to work yesterday morning. I passed a neighborhood with one over it, and police cars going in and out. I never did hear what it was about. Big surprise, I'm planning a little fishing and a little bike riding for the weekend. Annette, I've heard people refer to their spouses as "the old ball and chain", but never their nephew.....LOL. Congrats, Grandpa Bruce! Have a great day, all!

Good morning, everyone! It was 49 degrees as I rode to work this morning. Forecast high is 80 and sunny. And that's the day after a cold front, so I won't complain, considering how tough the weather is for some of us right now. What do you have in your vegetable garden, Stephanie? I kept one many years ago but can't seem to find the time to do it now. It's one of the things I want to get back to when I retire. How'd your cook-out go, KW Judy? Not much happening here, just another day of slaving at work. Have a great day, all!

Good morning, everyone! It was 62 degrees as I rode to work this morning. Forecast high is 85. I posted right after Lillian yesterday. I never did make it back later. If I had, I would have seen that my post wasn't there. Katie's "little windy" yesterday was gusts close to 40 mph at times by afternoon. It took me an hour and 15 minutes to ride the 12 miles home, a 10.2 mph on the bike average. That's the longest it's taken me to pedal home since I started riding to work a year and half ago, although Monday was almost as bad. I love the spring here, but sure get my fill of that wind some days. Stephanie, I know exactly what you mean about that incredible chemo fatigue. You have to experience it to really know what it's like, and I had my days with it. I called those my zombie days. One such day was Saturday, April 5th, 2008. That was my 57th birthday. My rbent friends were riding in Fort Worth, then having a picnic. I had already conceded that I wasn't going to be able to ride with them, but was planning on joining them for the picnic. Rose was taking off work early to drive me there, so I wouldn't have to drive. Unknown to me, she was going to pick up a birthday cake on the way home, and turn the picnic into a birthday party for me. But it never happened. I was never able to stay up for more than a half hour the entire day, so just stayed home. Nothing else I've ever done has made me feel even close to that kind of exhaustion. I hope you feel better today. I hope your ice has melted by now, MI Judy. Have a great day, all!

I'm so sorry to read this. Ellen was obviously very bright, and certainly never shy about taking her own view on things and going her own way. I miss her and miss her perspectives on things here, as she posted them. RIP, Ellen.

Good morning, everyone! It was 64 degrees as I rode to work this morning. Forecast high is 82. It's mostly cloudy, but not supposed to rain. Rose, along with her sister and Marie, headed to west Texas Saturday morning to visit her parents. She's supposed to be back some time today. I went fishing Saturday and brought home 12 Lake Aquilla crappie. Yesterday, I did a 65 mile bike ride from home. That gave me a total of 186 miles for last week, a good mileage week. With spring arriving, I need to start getting in lots of weeks with that kind of mileage. It will help me shed these winter extra pounds I'm still carrying. Have a great day, all!