As John Denver used to sing, “Some days are diamonds, some days are stones.” Monday was the beginning of a “not-so-good” week for me. I was overbooked in that just about every hour of the day was scheduled (is this retirement?). Early morning hours were spent preparing items for warranty work and consequent returns. These included a pair of Smith Optics sunglasses purchased some 20+ years ago. It is the second pair (of three pairs) that had delamination of the lens coating. Though the glasses cost lots of $s, they are warranted for life. Filling out the warranty information was a necessary nuisance.

The Induro tripod I use for photography has two center posts; the short one will not fit as its diameter seems too large. This is no big deal, except that when used in lieu of the long post will help lighten the weight of the tripod. This is important when it is carried on one’s shoulder for miles and miles! I have successfully dealt with parent company, the MAC Group, previously. By the way, these tripods are not cheap.

The last warranty item dealt with this Monday morning was a pair of 10X42 Eagle Optics binoculars. These are really good binoculars and I use them for both bird watching and butterfly watching. They will focus rather closely to allow for identifying butterflies that are only a few feet away, an important asset for me. The problem is that over the last few months, the focus adjustment doesn’t work. Eagle Optics was absorbed by VORTEX, but they still honor the lifetime warranty—good company! The warranty forms were completed and emailed.

Then, the wheels began coming off. First, was a Christ of the Hills United Methodist Church Board of Trustees meeting. I thought it began at 10 AM, and was on time; however, it began at 9 AM and the closing prayer was just beginning when I arrived. At least I’ll be forgiven. Next, was an afternoon filled with golf, and double bogeys; and of course, the resulting score was not good—I bought the beer. Finally, a silver lining in the day’s cloud: the initial travel planning session with Kay in the evening for planning our summer trip to the Pacific Northwest in the July/August timeframe.

Kay had a great day, as usual; she always has great days, and it’s one of the many reasons I love her. She always has a great attitude. She used part of the day packing for a girls trip to Biloxi, Mississippi, in a few days.