The Last Second of 2005 - The First of 2006

Here we are again, the start of the end, but there's more ... It's not that pretty of a day, but it's a vacation day just the same. Another day to live, love, breathe, eat, sleep, drink and be merry. But that's not it. No sir! Today is the final day of 2005, a year marked with plenty of change. Despite drinking only two beers the night prior, I didn't feel that good upon waking Saturday morning. My suspicion is that the stomach virus that Mindy's daughter Bella exposed on Thursday evening was catching up with me. I hadn't felt that great, stomach wise, since the movie Friday afternoon. I went about my morning as I usually would on a Saturday. I would exercise, walk Ykraps, coffee, then ready for a run. However, while walking with Ykraps I spotted my dad driving down the road. He stopped at the house and waited in his car to greet us upon our return. He joined us inside for some morning coffee and a little holiday catch-up. I hadn't seen him since Xmas Eve, which with our family isn't that long. Still, he hadn't stopped by my house since just before my annual Oregon trip in November. We chatted for a couple of hours. This delayed my morning routine as you might have already guessed, but I was happy to share some quality time with him. Regardless, being the creature of habit that I am, I was stressed a little internally. Some time around 1030am Mindy called, and that was about the same time my dad was departing. Dad and I exchanged Happy New Year's wishes and Mindy and I went about nailing down our days plans. Once off the phone I readied for my run. The run was a reflective one. While running I gave thought to the fact that I was closing the door on yet another year of running every single day. Upon my return to the house I went about completing some household chores. More importantly, I opened a late Xmas which was from my old friend, John Vidosh and family. I decided it was time to give ol' Jon a call. We used to talk at least twice a year, but I don't think that we've spoke in over two years. He was home and we talked for about an hour catching up on all sorts of things related to family, work, goals, and such. He's one of my favorite people despite the fact that he's a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. He and his family are doing exceptionally well. We ended our conversation by agreeing to get together sometime in January for dinner and drinks. As the early afternoon progressed, I continued to tidy up around the house, expecting Mindy to arrive anytime. We would be spending the afternoon together at my house then going to two different New Year's Eve parties later in the evening. She arrived not long after I'd showered. We were both hungry so we decided to make a late breakfast. We made sausage and French toast. It was 2pm by the time we were done. We spent the rest of the afternoon deep frying sauerkraut balls and making a chocolate chip cheesecake cookie to take to one of the parties. We still weren't certain how we'd manage our time between the two parties. The practical answer wasn't what either of us really wanted to do, which was to go to Barley's early, and then go to my neighbors annual New Year's Eve bash. The thinking there was that we'd be off the roads before 9pm or so and if we drank too much, we could walk home. After all, my neighbor, Pat lives only three houses over! We opted instead to reverse the order for wanting to ring in the new year with Bob and M.A. and friends at Barley's. We wrapped up the all he cooking around 445pm and I sorely needed a nap. Remember, I had been feeling queasy all damn day. I couldn't wait to stretch out on my bed. We retired upstairs for the next 1.5 hrs. And as it turned out, I never did fall asleep, but did lay with my eyes closed at length. After the rest I felt a lot better, not 100%, but still a lot better. After a quick walk of Ykraps, it was time to ready for a night out. And after a quick change of clothes, we were both set. We loaded the cooler with our favorite beverages, grabbed the sauerkraut balls and cheesecake cookie, packed our cameras, and drove four houses over to Pat and Lisa's. A knock at their door yielded the admittance by a group of young children. The bulk of the winter festivities were taking place in the finished lower level as usual. One of Pat's sons told me that some woman had just arrived before us and they thought it was my girl friend for the didn't know or recognize her. It seems she was lost and looking for a New Year's Eve party on Beaman Dr, not Beaman Ct. She saw all the cars and was sure she was at the right place. She wasn't. Just as the story was being unfolded to our ears, I could hear Pat in the basement telling her that she still have to stay and have a beer. That's my neighbor Pat. He's never met a stranger! We ventured down the stairs where I quickly introduced Mindy to Pat and his minions. You see, Pat had not yet had the pleasure of making Mindy's acquaintance. She quickly blended right in as I knew she would. Meanwhile, the lost woman remained for a spell laughing and joking about her situation. We're still not sure why they gave a court and street that are somewhat geographically separarated the same name and similar addressing. Perhaps a mean spirited joke? The uninvited guest soon left and we went about our partying. There were lots of goodies to complement the ones I had brought. Again, Pat's parties are always a sure bet for plenty of beer, food, and fun. We hung out for about two hours then had to head out if we were to keep our commitment to those at Barley's. To Pat's dismay, we left at 930pm, but promised to hook-up for dinner one night soon. At Barley's the lot was sparsely populated, but I did recognize Bob and Mary Ann's vehicle. Once inside we immediately saw our round of friends hunkered in and about the bar. There were only about ten patrons at the bar, but that was just fine for us. This atmosphere was a bit more subdued than that at Pat's, but then again, I hadn't been there to get everyone going yet. That took all of about ten minutes. Soon we had elevated the conversation from boring and mundane to borderline obnoxious, sexual, and silly. We were all having a wonderful time. Over the course of the evening at Barley's, I had one IPA and two St Nick's Winter Warmer's. Mindy had one more glass of wine (she had had three at Pat's and reported feeling no pain) and then water there out.. As midnight approached we all took notice of the ball dropping ceremony as Jersey, the bartender, poured each of us a glass of celebratory champagne. Soon 2006 was upon us! It was a fun but quick celebration. There were probably more Barley employees there celebrating than there were patrons, honestly, but we consider them all friends these days. As the evening began to wind down, Lee, the assistant brewmaster, invited us to meet the gang at Polly's by the tracks. A bar within 1/2 mile of my door. We obliged for feeling still a little like partying. Soon, Mindy, Bob & M.A. and I met up with the Barley's crowd at Polly's. It is a bit of a "hole in the wall" kinda bar with a dance floor and plenty of honky tonk music blaring through the sound system. Perfect for this kinda evening. I went to the bar to order drinks. They had no beer which I fancied. So, you know what they say ...When in Rome ... I ordered a Stroh's! Hadn't had one of those since my youth. After a little while Mindy and I found ourselves out on the dance floor being silly. I don't think that we had ever danced together before. It was fun, but a little stumbly! Come 2am we were exhausted and thought that we'd sneak out and head home for some ongoing revelry of our own. More specifically, we thought that we'd do some hot tubbing. Once we got back to my place and changed out of our party clothes and into our jammies neither one of us had the energy to do the hot tub thing (happens frequently). We played a snuggled a little then by default, called it a night - the first night of 2006.

2nd to Last

It's official. Mindy thinks I'm crazy! I was up at a little after 6am ready to get the day going despite being on vacation. I quickly jumped to my feet, found my running shoes and began my exercises with my feet neatly tucked under the lip of Mindy's big comfy sofa. By 630am I had completed my exercises and had sipped my first cup of coffee. For the next half hour I would meditate and ready for a run. I hit the trail at a little after 7am. It was still pitch dark. I went directly to my new golf course running trail. It's a beaut! It wasn't until I hit the clubhouse (my turnaround point) that the daylight began to display itself. The run was invigorating. I would find myself back at Mindy's with my exercises and run completed by 755am. Her and the kids were now up. My next activity included hooking up Mocha, the larger of Mindy's two dogs, to Ykraps leash, which I had knowingly brought for the intended purpose of walking her dogs. I could tell immediately that Mocha was not used to being walked via a leash. She had a hard time understanding the tree/bush thing. You know, when the dog or master has to circle the tree to avoid tangling. We walked one block to the neighborhood park. There Mocha sniffed and pee'd but nothing else. It was a bit different than walking Ykraps. Back at Mindy's I proposed that she go on ahead and go to Target while I stayed back with her children. That way she'd have the opportunity to shop in solitude. She gladly accepted. Soon Mindy departed and the kids and I stayed back and played video games and watched Veggie Tales. Both were fun! And it seemed no sooner than Mindy had left, she was back. Later she'll learn to not rush when she has alone time. Instead, take the time to smell the roses and sniff the coffee! It was now around 11am. I had to get home and tend to Ykraps who I was certain was ready to bust at the seams. So home I went. He was good again. No accidents all week! After walking, I returned to playing around on the PC. Soon I decided that my afternoon would be spent going to see the new Jim Carrey movie, Fun with Dick and Jane. I showered then left the house at 130pm. Once at the Lenox AMC theatre, I purchased a ticket to the 235pm showing. I had 40 minutes to kill so I ventured over to Barnes & Noble as well as Bath & Body. The 40 minutes flew by. I hurried back to the theatre for the beginning of the movie. Once in my usual upper balcony - aisle seat, I fell off to sleep as I so often do in the movie theatre. I woke when the previews started. The feature presentation was OK, but certainly not great. Typical Jim Carrey. The movie ended sometime around 4pm. I called Mindy to discuss our evening. She was preparing dinner for her ex-in-laws. My plans included a stop at World Market for some beer and Kroger for some hot peppers to add to my New Year's Eve Sauerkraut ball recipe. While at World Market buying wine and beer, I saw the book case I'd been eyeing for the past few weeks. Today it was on sale - 20% off! Destiny, I say! It will be mine. And it was. At Kroger I bought some cream cheese, sauerkraut, and Jalapeño and habanera peppers. Next stop - home! Once home, I quickly walked Ykraps then lugged my new bookcase upstairs to begin the assembly process. I was able to put it all together in a bout 40 minutes. Not bad at all! I chalk that up to quality construction and good instructions. It looks great and will serve its intended purpose well. Next I went about the painstaking process of prepping my sauerkraut balls. I didn't deep fry any. I just prepared the mixture then chilled it overnight just as the recipe calls for. By now it was 8pm. I was tired but determined to do some Barley time. I readied myself in a matter of minutes. I was there by about 840pm. The bar wasn't as crowded as it typically is on a Friday, but still a good crowd just the same. Bob and M.A. were noticeably missing, but left a message for me to meet them at Byrnes Pub where Josh's band, the Shrunken Heads would be playing come 10pm. I had two beers and no food. I was really getting tired. Truth be told, I didn't feel to well either. Still, I couldn't blow off Josh and hoped to hook up with Bob so I headed up the road to Byrnes Pub. Once there I couldn't believe how crowded it was. It was jam packed! Too packed for my comfort. I stayed for about two songs. I didn't see Bob anywhere. After about 5 minutes, I left for home. Once back home I woofed down some party food leftover from Xmas and chased it with a diet Coke. I dozed off while relaxing in my big reading chair and woke feeling like I would be sick. Quickly, I found my way to my bed and fell fast asleep.

Puke, Vomit, Yak, Barf, Throw-up, Regurgitate, Ruminate

Who's bed is this? It's mine! Somehow I'd managed to sleep through the night in my own bed. I had not slept there since last Friday night, and alone since Thursday. More than anything , I think that Ykraps appreciated me being there when he fell asleep and again when he woke up. He actually got out for his twice a day stroll right on queue, both morning and afternoon. He was so grateful! Despite falling asleep sometime around 11pm the night prior, I didn't roll out of bed until 830am. That translated into 9.5 hrs sleep. You'd think that I'd have been100% rested given so much sleep, and an easy 2 hours more than usual. Nevertheless, I still felt a little tired. That's probably related to all the carbs I've been consuming. My goals for Thursday were simple, really. Deliver my remaining Xmas gifts and live the life of leisure. So, after some exercise and coffee, I took to the PC to do some journaling. I completed and posted all of Tuesday and began writing about Wednesday. Soon my attention turned towards my daily run. I was a little disappointed that I failed to seize the opportunity yesterday to run in shorts given the spring like weather conditions. Run time today was 11am and the temperature was 34 degrees. Nevertheless, I sucked it up, and ran in shorts. This means that my goal of running at least one day each month in shorts remains in tact. November was easy. December wasn't so easy. What I already knew, however ,was that if my hands, ears, and feet are warm, the legs aren't that critical. I was more than fine. After returning, I immediately hit the shower in preparartion for the arrival of Tommy. We had planned to exchange gifts and spend a couple of hours together this afternoon. While showering, I decided to scrub the shower stall since there was pink mold/mildew begining to rear its ugly head in the crevises and corners. When I was done, I noticed Tommy's truck out front and a quick holler down staris revealed that he was already inside making himself at home with Ykraps. I went down to greet him. Soon, we were exchanging gifts. Amongst my haul from Tommy & Shellie was a CD of Tommy performing many of his favorite hits including: Lady, Seven Bridges, Don't Let The Sun Go Down, and Brandy. We chatted for a spell then headed together to deliver Xmas gifts to Aunt Char, Aunt Margie, Connie, Dodie, and their kids. As it turned out, no one was home anywhere. We left Char's gifts in her front door and took a pic of me doing so for email purposes. We dropped the remaining gifts at my dad's inside his Blazer (he wasn't home either) and then returned to my house. Soon, Tommy gathered up his things and headed for home. I spent the next few hours doing some blogging, reading, and napping. Some time around 530 I headed to Mindy's for dinner. We were planning a simple dinner of grilled ham and cheese with tomato soup. Once we were all settled eating our sandwiches, Bella told her mommy that she was gonna throw up. And as it turned out, it was to be taken seriously! Down the hall I could hear her heaving her little guts out in the downstairs guest bath. EWH! Mindy's dinner was obviously interrupted, but I finished mine. Once done I went and helped Mindy clean up the vomit laden bathroom. Afterwards Mindy tended to Bella by giving her a bath. And you know what? I couldn't think of anything I'd rather have been doing other than cleaning up puke. :) That'll wake you up! After a bath and fresh jammies, Bella not only felt better, but smelt better too! She asked me to read her a bed time story and I did. Jacob, in turn, ask that I read him a story too. We read Jack and the Bean Stalk. After the reading Mindy and I both went downstairs to relax on the couch. Mindy had a glass of wine and I had a beer. After talking for a spell we decided to have another Euchre rematch. My memory is a little foggy but I think that I won. Or, no, maybe I'm wrong. Did she win one? No, that's right. I won! At least that's the story I'm sticking with. It was 1030pm. Both of us were tired and ened up going to bed sorta early.

Irony In The Air

I woke at Mindy's place again this morning yet being convinced that I'd fallen asleep at my own place. I'm all but certain that she's sneaking into my home and carrying me out into the cold night air, placing me in her van, and driving home where she carefully carries me once again to her room of sleep. There I lie still till the first break of day.Then, in an instant I wake and rise quickly to my feet in route to the urinal to which I'm certain is due right then quickly left. However, today on my trek, I crash solidly into a wall. Tired, confused, and now sore, I lie in pain wondering what has happened to my bathroom doorway. It's gone. It's sealed up! It's Kaput! Per usual, I pee, brush my teeth (usually at the same time), and ready for exercise. Once downstairs I tuck my toes under Mindy's comfy sofa and begin my morning round of 55 sit-ups and 50 push-ups. To complement my exercise, I also squeezed in a round of dumbbells, which I lovingly got Mindy for Xmas. Albeit much lighter than my personal set at home, they serve their intended purpose by stimulating the targeted muscles. Here's the Irony ... This was a day that Mindy and I had selected for a snow skiing date over two weeks ago. In kind, a few of her Xmas gifts were to support such an endeavor. Sadly, though, swirled up in a bit of irony, this was going to be the warmest day of December, and easily the warmest of the early winter season. The high today was predicted to be in the mid 50's. Skiing wouldn't be so bad had we had a cold night prior to aid in Ohio snow making, but that wasn't the case either. In addition, the forecast called for a 90% chance of fairly heavy rain. Since this would be her first attempt at skiing, I decided that we should resort to plan B or even C . Plan B was hiking at Hocking Hills & plan C was a visit to the Columbus Museum of Art. Because of the forecasted rain, we opted for the museum. I left Mindy's around 830am destined for home. Upon my arrival my goals were simple. Walk Ykraps, run, then ready for the museum trip. Mindy would join me at my home once her sitter arrived to care for the children. As I completed the first 1/4 mile of my run, Mindy came rolling down the road. She knew the house was open for her convenience so I went ahead with the remaining 3 & 3/4 miles of my run. Upon my return home, I showered and groomed for a day about town. We had discussed going to breakfast too, but by now it was 11am. We decided instead to visit the Thurman Cafe for an early lunch prior to the museum stop. We couldn't help but notice the clear blue sky overhead. Despite the bleak forecast, the weather was doing nothing but improving. One barely needed a jacket it was so damn warm and sunny. We thought that perhaps we erred and should've gone to Hocking Hills. Oh well, Mindy and I always have a good time regardless of the venue. We arrived at the Thurman Cafe right around 1110am. And because of our early arrival, we beat the lunch rush, which is always heavy given the popularity of this place. We both ordered burgers. Their burgers are all 3/4 lbs. and loaded with various toppings. I ordered The Jack and Princess ordered the Three Cheese along with a side of giant onion rings. Also, Mindy ran into two acquaintances that she recognized from her past. One was an ex-boyfriend's mother from about ten years prior and the other was the fire chief of station #10. I suck at remembering names, so we'll refer to the mother as Jane (Caroline?) and the fire chief as Dick (Mike?). Dick & Jane. Our food arrived after about twenty long minutes. We were both very hungry since neither of us had eaten much if anything yet today. We quickly attacked our food, but me with a little more caution than that displayed by Mindy. She ate quickly and ate a lot. This would be her demise later in the afternoon. Soon we were through. Because I had half a burger left, I ordered up a to-go box. Mindy had just a small sliver remaining, but still enough to throw on board with mine. Out the door to the Trooper, we couldn't help but notice how nicely the afternoon was shaping up. It was warm and sunny. But we had already committed to spending the afternoon at the museum and we gladly accepted our decision and moved forth. The museum was noticeably crowded upon our entry into the lobby. This was one of the final days of the Renoir exhibit. The admission was $10 each and $3 more to park. Not too bad! We took in the totality of the museum. We toured all the current exhibits: Eye Spy, Renoir's Women, Arthur Leipzig, Age of Armor, Michael Mercil's: for love or money, and finally the museum's permanent collection. Everything was good. What made perhaps the most lasting impression on me today was Renoir's determinism. Despite his waning health and rheumatoid arthritis he continued to paint up until his death, which was at the ripe old age of 91. As the story goes, his assistants would change the brush and colors and slide them into his hands where he would stroke away on the medium at hand. There were photos showing ropes tied to his wrists to keep them suspended on level with his canvas. That's passion! A few of his contemporaries included: Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, and Paul Cezanne. After our fill of the touring exhibits we embarked on a journey through the museum's private collection. Among them, we observed the Chihuly piece displayed prominently in the indoor courtyard. But what caught my eye was the painting I wrote about for a college humanities class back in 1991 or so. It was titled, Haymaking, by Winslow Homer-1864. I felt like I wrote a nice piece about the painting. Until now, the painting had always escaped me over the years on subsequent visits. Too, I had many times searched for it via Google but could never find it. It turns out, I was off a little with the search. I would search for Haymaker instead, and of course net nothing close. It turns out that there are numerous paintings titled Haymaking, too. Today, I found mine hanging in the lower level hall way. Truth be told, I selected this painting at the time more for its ease of access and simplistic form, thinking that I could easily draft a paper describing the artist's conveyance. Now, however, I look at it almost as my own - funny! Alas, we were done touring the museum. Mindy was tired from the all walking. I suggested we visit city center or perhaps even the downtown library. The library is a piece of history in and of itself. Mindy sadly reported not feeling well and having a tummy ache. It seems she'd had it all afternoon but was reluctant to rain on my parade. God Bless her. So, instead of more city scaping, we headed for my home. I was tired too, so no biggy! Once back at my house, Mindy headed right for my bed and slept for 2.5 hours straight. I used the time to download photos and to blog. Interestngly, I had the audio turned up on my PC, which I normally wouldn't do. But because it was up, I heard a Weatherbug weather alert. I usually don't click on them, but this afternoon I did. To my dismay, there was a severe thunderstorm warning for Pickaway and Hocking Counties, and more specifically, Hocking Hills. They were expecting torrential rains, lightning, and hail. Good thing we didn't go hiking instead!!!! Come 530pm I took Ykraps on his evening walk. He was more than happy to have both of his Wednesday walks at their usual times. Mindy got up some time around 6pm. We discussed going to Barley's but later opted for a quiet evening at home talking and sipping a drink or two. Mindy had a couple glasses of wine; I had a few Raspberry Vodka and Club soda's with a hint of lime and a dash of Splenda (yummy). Mindy parted around 845pm. This would be the first night we'd spend apart since last Thursday. After she left I played guitar and watched some Southpark. I fell asleep around 11pm.

Just a Tuesday

Mindy's family room all aglow at dawn. Bella enjoying a healthy breakfast Mindy being a dear and checking the weather prior to my run. Forgive me if the days begin to blur, but that is exactly what happens when I am on a "stay at home vacation". The days begin to blur into one another and it is difficult to differentiate one from the next. The weather that greeted us this morning was no more palatable than it was the day prior. It was cloudy, chilly, and gray. Too, we slept a little later than usual. I don't think we rolled out of bed until sometime around 8am. My first goal was to brush my teeth, pee, exercise, and then some coffee. At first it seemed as though Mindy and I were going to be able to enjoy each others company in solitude for a spell before her children woke, but that lasted only about five minutes. Soon their small voices echoed from the upstairs hallway beckoning mothers attention. Not to worry, though; they are very pleasant children. Although I must admit, Bella woke in a bit of a sour mood this morning. Later in life she may read this in horror when she learns that I revealed to the world that she had a bout with diarrhea through the night as well as the ongoing accompaniment of "bad gas" through the day (sorry Bella). After a cup of coffee and a little breakfast casserole, I readied for my run. My plan was to do the golf course route again this morning. I did. The difference was that I took a different path today. I wound around hole #4 which swings right up against Mindy's subdivision and ultimately by a number of tree groves and ponds as well as another set of beautifully appointed homes. They all have a very nice, peaceful view. My run took about 50+ minutes again and I enjoyed every minute of it. I was noticeable stiff however. I suspect it 's for lack of normal hydration. You see, on a typical week , I drink about a gallon of water through the day. Since being on vacation I have not been doing so good about the water. I have no doubt, whatsoever that I'll be right back in the swing come next week. Hey, but that's what vacations are for. Back at Mindy's I was in somewhat of a hurry to ready for home. I had yet to tend to Ykraps whom I had largely ignored for the past two days. It was approaching 11am, and he's used to going out for a morning stroll no later than 8am. Thus far he's been doing very good at staying home and waiting. I'm so proud! Mindy and I made rough plans to regroup later in the day. I departed for home. At home was immediately greeted by Ykraps. We went on our walk as usual except this time I allowed him to take his ear old time since he had done the same for me. Once back home I went about some household chores (laundry, floor care, and dishes). Next, I resorted the remaining gifts I still have yet to deliver, and I have many (Dodie, Connie, Margie, Char and family, Tommy and family, Charles and family). I must get these delivered by weeks end. While journaling, the sun busted through the cloud cover and made the afternoon an absolute delight! It was beautiful. The temperature seemed to hover in the low 40's which seemed warm after what we'd been through the past few weeks. I spent the next couple of hours in my leisure mode which his what makes me, me. I guitared, read, and slept. And surprisingly, I slept deeply despite having slept 9 hours the night prior (it must be all the sex!). The afternoon expired quickly. Mindy and I talked a couple of times. I was planning to rejoin her at her home so she could run some shopping errands. The plan called for me to stay with Jacob and Bella while she went shopping. A gift of sorts given that she rarely if ever gets an opportunity to shop in peace. To me, shopping is a peaceful joyous experience; for Mindy, it is often nothing more than a necessary evil. Same experience viewed differently. The plans changed as they often do with family matters. Mindy had made arrangements to spend the afternoon/evening with her mother. She invited her over to see all the gifts her children received for Xmas. Plus,I don't think that she had seen Mindy's home all decorated for Xmas either. Mindy asked if I would pick her up on my way to her home. I would've but was admittedly a little nervous about the idea. Mindy understood and rescinded the request. Don't misunderstand, I was more than happy to visit with her mother, just a bit fearful of one on one time together. All in due time! So, to simplify matters, I headed to Mindy's and hung out with Jacob and Bella while Mindy went a fetched her mother. Soon, we were all together sharing a large Joseppi's Topper pizza. The kids showed their grandmother all their gifts and there were many - sinful almost. They have so, so many toys. The could open a small toy store - no doubt. Mindy's mother goes to bed quite early and by 730pm she was ready to go home, so Mindy whisked her off back home. I stayed and played with the children. Once Mindy returned and put the children to bed, we relaxed on the sofa against the warmth of a glowing fire while she enjoyed a glass of wine and me a beer. In addition, we played a game of Euchre which netted the same result as always. ... I WON! - sorry princess! Some time around 11pm we went to bed!

Day after Xmas ... with all the Trimmings

I woke this morning groggy and tired! Perhaps it was the obsessive over eating, the two beers, the Vikings loss, or maybe a combination coupled with all the running around over the last three days. What ever the reason, I was exhausted! What I thought I needed was a "do nothing day", but that wouldn't be productive, and besides, we'll all get plenty of rest when we die. I slept over at Mindy's again Xmas night. This morning looked a little less rainy but just as gloomy. The clouds hung low and the wind appeared to be blowing briskly out of the north. later my run would confirm the strong winds. I did my exercises, had some coffee, then played with Jacob and Bella before dawning my running attire and heading for the golf course cart path run. While I found it Xmas day, I didn't fully take in the terrain because I had already put a few miles on my shoes. Today, would be different. I would head directly there fro Mindy's driveway. My guess is that it's about a mile to the golf cart path from her home. The cart path is very curvy and undulating along with the terrain of the fairways. And the homes sprinkled around the course are just beautiful. Some with three story windows overlooking the gold course, ponds, and trees. This is how the drug smugglers must live! With all the eye candy, the run was almost effortless. I very likely went about 6 miles given the amount of time I was gone - 55 minutes. Upon my return to Mindy's we had some more of her breakfast casserole and coffee. It hit the spot. Mindy and my youngest daughter Ashley were scheduled to be at Penzone's by 130pm for Ashley's hair appointment, so I had to get packed and head home to walk Ykraps and tend to a few other things if I would be returning to watch Jacob and Bella. I did all I needed to do and made it back with plenty of time to spare. Soon, however, Ashley showed up and her and Mindy departed. Suddenly I was cast into the role of child care taker, a role I rarely play but do on occasion with my grand daughter Kaileigh. I was a little concerned not knowing how they might respond to me without their mother present. I made them lunch and then did my utmost best to play with each of them. They made it somewhat challenging by wanting to hang in different parts of the house. But as most things I do, it ended up working out pretty well. Before I knew it, Mindy and Ashley were back. Ashley's haircut and style looked really nice, but probably more importantly Ashley seemed to really like it. Soon she was gone and Mindy and I hung out for a while. This was still a Mindy Monday which meant that Mindy's ex would be coming over to spend time with the children and we would be playing at my house. I left in advance of his arrival and was home by 445pm. Mindy showed up sometime around 515pm. We hung out and looked at Xmas pictures then decided to head to the Greek Cuisina for dinner ( my big fat favorite Greek place)! We arrived there around 6pm. We both ordered a gyro platter, but Mindy added a tomato and feta cheese salad. Everything was top notch and the service, good! Neither one of us could finish our meals. The gyros were gigantic! Our next stop was back at my house. There we hung out and talked for an hour or so before Mindy had to head back home. We collectively decided that we wanted to spend the night together so I readied my stuff for another night at her place then headed that way. I arrived around 915pm. Her children were already asleep. We spent the next hour or so watching Comedy Central before heading to bed. We were asleep by 11pm or so.

Merry Xmas

Most of us, at least at one time or another, have cherished the arrival of Xmas Day, the one day of the year when every problem, worry, or fear is set aside while we enjoy the comforts and pleasures of family and commercialism combined. A day when all of our self-indulgent desires are often fulfilled. As children, many of us were buried in piles of toys and other gifts beyond belief, and some that we'd never actually use or play with. Unfittingly, the weather had taken a turn towards spring over the past two days (Xmas Eve & Xmas Day). Not only did our warming trend continue, but it also began to rain steadily and heavily ridding our lawns and drives of all but the most stubborn piles of snow. But still it was Christmas. And this Christmas was a new experience for me. I shared it in its entirety, except for a brief hour or two, with the new love of my life. I woke Xmas morning with Mindy at my side sometime around 7am. Her children were still sleeping so I asked if she'd mind if I went about my morning exercises then a Xmas run. After all, I didn't want to delay their tearing into Santa's bounty. Mindy thought that was a terrific idea. So, I jumped to my feet, brushed my teeth, pee'd exercised, grabbed a quick swig of coffee and hit the running trail. I hadn't run in Mindy's subdivision before but had scoped out a potential path a couple weeks prior. My Xmas morning trek took me through two adjoining subdivisions then ultimately through Heritage Lakes Estates which is a golf course community of some very nice upper end homes. The weather was mild and rainy, yet there were still several slick spots on the concrete trails. I had to watch my footing carefully. Good run! Back at Mindy's, the kids were just waking up and readying to open their gifts. Jacob had actually been up for sometime but waited patiently for his little sister, Bella to wake naturally. I don't know that I would've been so patient as a youngster. I would've woke my siblings with a hammer if necessary in order to get to the gifts left behind by the great red one! The kids began tearing into their individual piles with great pleasure, yet tempered with a little motherly organization (Mindy does a good job of that). In the end, it took them about 1/2 an hour to open all their gifts. Then, lovingly, they presented their mother with her gifts from them. It was a very touching moment! Once everyone was done opening gifts we settled down at the breakfast table for some of Mindy's breakfast casserole prepared the night prior. It was delicious! Soon I was readying to head home to walk Sparky and deep fry a batch of sauerkraut balls that I was planning to take to Mindy's mother's later in the afternoon. At the same time Mindy was getting the kids and herself ready for Xmas morning mass. We were all out of the house by 10am. At home the house was fittingly quiet, and there were still remnants from the Xmas celebration the day prior. I quickly grabbed Ykraps leash and went about taking him on his Xmas morning walk. He hadn't made much to-do over the holiday, and quite honestly, I didn't think that he even knew it was Xmas, but while on our walk it became abundantly clear that he knew it was Xmas. Ykraps made some Xmas tree do-do piles, complete with reds and greens. I thought to myself that he must have stayed up all night eating the crayons to create such a display. How thoughtful! Back at home I systematically prepared the coating for the sauerkraut balls: flour, egg, and bread crumbs, and then fired up the Fry Pappy. I was able to roll another 30 out of the original batch. About an hour later, I was done, and they looked and tasted fabulous. I then showered and loaded my Trooper bound for Mindy's mother's. In route to Mindy's mom's, I called my own mother to wish her well and to spread a little Jimmy Xmas cheer. She was having her sister Linda and her brother Chuck over for Xmas dinner. I arrived at Gloria's after just a few short minutes. Mindy greeted me at the door and lead me downstairs where her family was gathered around and going about their traditional gift exchange. Gloria had an entire room set up for all the food and there was plenty of it. I only added to the existing bounty with my famous sauerkraut balls and two varieties of cheesecake; one with walnuts and the other without. I like the way they go about their gift exchange. They isolate one individual that opens all their gifts from everyone. That way everyone witnesses all others rather than one big gift opening frenzy. This had gone on for a while prior to my arrival and continued at least an hour after I arrived. It was very nice and lots of fun. In fact, Mindy's family is always fun to be around. We went about the task of eating all through the afternoon. No one was going to go hungry. There was something to please even the most discriminating palette. As the afternoon turned to evening everyone gathered upstairs at the dinner table for some of the Thompson family's traditional Ice Box cookie cake ( just what we all needed - more dessert!) :) The treat was good! After filling our bellies it was time to begin loading Mindy's van with their Xmas haul, and what a haul it was. We literally filled her van from head to toe with Xmas gifts. After a half an hour of loading up, we were on our way. I had made arrangements to spend another evening with my princess. We had had such a nice weekend together I saw no reason to end it now. So, in route to Mindy's I made a pit stop at home to once again walk Ykraps.and to grab my over night bag. I arrived at Mindy's just prior to the Viking Game kick-off. I was somewhat anxious to see my team on TV Xmas night. Sadly, however, they ended up losing the game and kissing any hope of a post season birth good-bye. Maybe next year! At midnight or so I found my way to Mindy's bed and fell quickly asleep.

Silent Night, Holy Night ...

Up and adam before the sun broke the horizon. I didn't want to miss a single moment of Xmas Eve day. After all, for me, Xmas Eve day has become the "real" holiday -the fun day , the most exciting day of the holiday season. Mindy having spent the night, chose to sleep a little longer. My goal was to be exercised, coffee'd, have Ykraps walked, and have completed my run before 900am. The weather was absolutely gorgeous. Later I would comment to Mindy that it seemed like a spring morning as the sun was shinning in a clear blue sky while the air temp was comparably warmer than its been all month. And to add to the sensation, birds were singing brightly amongst all the trees nearby. Birds you don't typically hear this time of year. To that end, I was 100% successful. I was done by 830am. By that time Mindy was up and stirring about. First we enjoyed a cup of coffee quietly together, then found our way to the Xmas tree to do our own little gift exchange. Phase 1: For no real reason we decided that Mindy should open all of hers first. She did. I must admit, her pile was big and pretty. I always take great care to wrap gifts in such a manner that they themselves become part of the Xmas decorations but hers this year were extra beautiful done in all silver foils with silver ribbon and bows. They were lovely! Anyway, Mindy got plenty of cool things from me. I tried to touch on several key elements; things she's mentioned or I have observed that she needed/wanted, clothes, jewelry, and something made or crafted from the heart.. I thin I was successful, at least judging by her smiles! Next it was my turn to open gifts. Mindy did an incredible job. She had a Christian oriented picture made with countless elements from my life included in the picture including all of my siblings, my children and grand children, my passions, and hobbies. Certainly a gift that no one else could possibly have. The next gift I opened touched my heart like no other gift I have ever received. Mindy made a music CD where she sang me a love song, You are the Love of My Life. It almost brought a tear to my eye. It was/is beautiful, and she definitely has an angelic voice. Enter phase 2: The day moved on with as you might of guessed, more wrapping. We picked up where we had left off the night before. Mindy wrapped the remaining 20 or so gifts while took a trip to the Grandview Kroger to pick-up additional items need to pull off the perfect Xmas celebrations. I love going to Kroger on Xmas Eve, and I always have. Something about being at the grocery store lifts my spirits to higher highs. Upon my return I finished topping the two cheesecakes and deep fried the sauerkraut balls. The two delicious treats were for Bob's later in the evening and Mindy's mom's the following day. Phase 3: Next, it was time to ready some snacks for my own little family celebration that would mix Me, Mindy, Ashley, Lindsey, Lil' Rocky, and Kaileigh. I made meatballs, little baby sausages, and hot wings. Perfect!!! The girls arrived around 1pm and Kaileigh just a little later. We hung out together for about 3 hours. We had fun eating talking and opening gifts. Soon it was time to ready for phase three- Brother Bob''s Xmas Eve celebration. We loaded up all the gifts destined for the extended Wright family and headed that way. It was 5pm on the red nose. At Bob's we were the first one's there, but not for long. Soon Ash and Lindsey showed up, along with brother Shawn, Sheila, and Dad. Not long after,. Shawn's children, Lil' Shawn and Brooklyn arrived. Too, April's daughter Christie was there who I haven't seen in like three years. That was nice! Mindy and I couldn't stay long. We were committed to attending the 7pm Xmas Eve mass at her church, Cross Roads Methodist , which is located at the corner of Hague Ave and Briggs Rd. We passed out gifts for those that were present ( I didn't miss anyone!) then headed out by 630pm. We stopped briefly to pick-up her mother who lives in Holly Hill, along with her two children who had spent the day with her ex. Enter phase 4: We arrived at mass right on time. The mass was nice and the church even quainter. And boy do they love to sing on Xmas! In the hour long mass we must have sang 10 Christmas carols and every possible verse known to man. Did you know that Silent Night has about 23 verses? The last one goes something like this ( I couldn't quite make out the words for bad eye sight) ... Violent Night, Violent Night, ... and Away In The Manger, is like the song that never ends. It goes on and on my friends. After mass we retired to the Church banquet room ( I'm sure they have another name for the room- just not certain) for punch and cookies. These aren't Catholics so there was no alcohol! :( We hung out there until almost 9pm. We had fun and I met so many people from Mindy's life. They were all wonderful people and certainly very nice to me. Come 9pm, we headed to Mindy's house to get her children to bed in preparation for Santa's arrival. Once they were in bed and asleep, Mindy went about playing Santa while I prepared a breakfast casserole she had arranged earlier. Come midnight we were both exhausted from a day that consisted of running from here to there. ...Sleep in Heavenly Peace!

Let The Christmas Celebration Begin

Up at 600am, perhaps a little later than I even planned, but still not a big deal. After a pee, and moving a brush across my teeth with some minty cream, I was downstairs going about my normal business. After my exercises Ykraps and I took to the outdoors for our morning walk. The early morning sky was crystal clear and the temperature was a balmy 28 degrees. While Ykraps stared mostly at the ground, I stared off into deep space fixed on the many stars and the big beautiful half moon. And while I was star gazing my thoughts turned to the waning year 2005, and how we’ve just about made it around sun one more time. I’ve been around the sun a full 46 times in my life and am a little over 3 months into my 47th round trip. You’d think that after 46 trips, I would be bored or familiar with the scenery – but never! Just think, we’re actually being jettisoned through the universe at a mind boggling speed all the while spinning relentlessly. One would think we’d all need motion sickness medication. Too, another thought/question crossed my mind that I couldn’t readily explain/answer. Sure, because of the sun, gravity keeps us in our orbit. But what about the sun itself? Does the sun move, orbit, spin, or anything? My education tells me it doesn't, but if not, what holds it up or in place? Hmmm? Anyways, back at home I poured some much deserved coffee into my morning mug. Then, after my morning meditation, I took to the PC to upload photos to my last two journal entries. When that was done I went about preparing my lunch and breakfast the readied my body for a hard days work. Before leaving the house I ran the dishwasher for being almost completely out of clean plates and forks. And just before hitting the door I blew a few tunes on the saxophone. The drive in to the office was much nicer than usual. While traffic jams are not typical of my morning commute, heavy traffic flow is. Not today, however. I’m sure many folks have today off work. Good! Upon my arrival at the office I couldn’t help but notice the lack of vehicles in our lot as well. Probably 1/3 the normal number of cars. I hoped that the work day would be as light as the parking lot was on cars. Soon it was run time and run I did. It was very nice but still very breezy. There were gusts reaching as high as 30mph. After my run I lifted weights (dumbbells) as I have been doing every other day. After a shower I went to my office to grab m needs list and headed to the local Kroger to fetch those items. Kroger was surprisingly crowded for mid day, but then again, it is Christmas. Still, I was able to navigate just fine and was in and out of there in about 20 minutes. Back at work I resolved a couple customer related issues, then tied up a few loose ends. My goal was to leave at 4pm. We’ll see if that works! The afternoon died quickly as we assumed it would. I was out of the office at 4pm sharp. Let the Christmas holiday begin! My first stop was Kroger, again. I had to pick up some more sauerkraut and sausage having left both off my to do list earlier. This time Kroger was packed to capacity. Having navigated this Kroger many times in the past, I was able to get in and get out in about ten minutes. Not too bad! Before heading home, I had to get some holiday gas. I filled up for $2.11 per gallon at Speedway, where you are always "on your way with Speedway". Home! After arriving home and walking Ykraps I readied the home for an evening of gift wrapping at cooking. Soon Mindy arrived. She was my wrapping buddy for the night. Too, this would serve as our personal Xmas Eve. We went about our evening with Mindy wrapping selected gifts and me starting the sauerkraut balls & cheese cakes. I was a little tense and couldn't shake it. I always get that way when nit seems there's too much to do and not enough time. But, too, I know the thing about time. We have all there is so why sweat it beyond being mindful of our goals?? I don't know but have always succumb to time based stress. Our wrapping and cooking took us right up till 845 when the two of us were exhausted for 3 straight hours at our respective tasks. We decided we'd done enough for the night and readied ourselves for a couple hours at Barley's. More than anything, it would serve as a diversion from all the Christmas related chores. And a good call it was. We were there by 930 - about an hour or so later than we usually arrive. And although Bob & M.A. weren't there, Rick, Lee, Josh, and Janet were. These folks have become friends. Some are patrons while others are guests like us. I ordered a St. Nick's and Mindy ordered a glass of wine. Later Mindy ordered a Barley Burger and I ordered nothing. I wasn't too hungry having licked all the spoons and beaters from the goodies at home. My next beer was a Barley classic, "Jack DeFrost" on the Cask. Now the St Nick's has a kick but this stuff, WOW, it really has a kick and you can taste that distinctive Jack Daniels flavor. After a little more partying, Mindy and I called it a night with respect to Barley's We really wanted to go home and have a fire or get in the hot tub. We opted for the hot tub. It was very relaxing. We spent the remainder of the evening snuggling until we fell fast asleep.

That's A Wrap!

I woke at my new holiday wake time which has been about 545am. Despite falling asleep the night prior at 1018pm, I was still a little tired. That might have had something to do with getting up and seeing Mindy on her way around 1145pm, or the three beers I had over the course of my evening at Barley’s. Regardless, I was ready to get the day going. I went about my morning exercises as normal then lassoed up Ykraps and went for a walk about the neighborhood. The morning air was noticeably warmer, probably somewhere in the mid 20’s. And that’s a far cry warmer than it’s been for the past couple of weeks. After our walk I did the usual thing which is to bless Ykraps with a treat and make myself a cup of coffee. Then, after my morning meditation, I sent my princess a good morning email. This was her first day of Christmas break/vacation. By the time I was done at the PC, it was 700am – time to get crackin’ on my lunch and breakfast. I gave a moments thought to doing another morning run. Reason being, I still had several Xmas gifts to fetch at lunch time. But in the end I opted not. I don’t know, call me lazy! When I finished readying myself for work, I took a few minutes to play the sax and then the guitar. Believe me, that elevated my mood! Soon, however, I was out the door on my way to the office. At work the day went as well as one might expect just a few days before Xmas. It was slow, which was good. Still, before I knew it, the morning had faded into afternoon and it was time for a run. The temperature was officially above freezing for the first day in some time. It was 33 degrees. However, it was quite breezy. After my run I showered and headed directly for the Trooper, intent on finalizing (or coming close) my Xmas shopping. My destination was the new Mill Run Target & Home Depot. My targeted (no pun intended) gift recipients were the younger sect of nieces and nephews (already finished the older group). I have them broken down into three groups, actually. My shopping spree was a success. I was able to find fun gifts for each of them. I felt relieved to complete that task given that there are only two shopping days remaining. That left me with only one person yet to gift and I planned to get that on my way home. My next stop took me next door to Home Depot. There I picked up outdoor light bulbs and furnace filters. It was time to get back to work. I completed my shopping task in just over an hour. Not bad! The afternoon in the office was for the most part uneventful, and soon it was time to depart. That moment was commemorated with a beautiful sunset observed from the fifth floor! My evening goals were simple. Wrap gifts! If I don’t do anything else, I must get a number of gifts wrapped. But for piece of mind, I had a bunch of little tasks that would need to be checked off the mental to-do list prior to starting the wrapping thing. I had to put the garbage out, replace an outdoor spot light, water the Xmas tree, and prep for Friday AM. By 630pm, I was ready to begin the painstaking process of wrapping. To help brighten the event, I poured myself a Barley’s IPA and warmed some left over pizza. For the next 2 hours I wrapped gifts with reckless abandon. Come 845pm I had had it with the wrapping thing. Over all, I wrapped about 20 gifts. That was quite an accomplishment given the amount of detail I put into the process. However, I still had about 40 more to go, but they would have to wait. I was spent. After cleaning up my mess, princess gave me a call. While chatting I uploaded Tuesday and Wednesday to my blog, minus photos (I’ll add them Friday AM). After exchanging good nights, I decided to spend at least a few minutes reading. After all, I can’t neglect the things that make me feel whole! I’m glad I did the reading thing, too. Not only does it relax my mind before sleep, but it settles my nerves and helps center my universe, the one I share with all God’s creation!

And The Sun Stood Still

Today's All About the Sun!

... but the moon showed up for the party too!

I was awake at 6am after about 6.75 hrs sleep. Today is the winter solstice, the beginning of winter, along with the shortest day and longest night of the year. To mark the occasion, I had planned a party for the sun. I hoped it wouldn’t be bashful and hide behind cloud cover. It didn’t and I photographed the occasion. At the party, as you’ll notice, was the Moon, although just half. But unlike the other stars, at least it made an appearance. I went about my morning routine as I would any other workday morning. I did all the usual stuff. Today I was back on my normal run schedule too. Today’s weather promised to be much warmer than the past few days. We were expecting a high of about 28 degrees. I left the house for work around 830am and arrived shortly there after. The sun was out in full force this morning making for a beautiful first day of winter. The morning went without incident and before I knew it, it was time for my run. I would not be wearing extra layers today as it was 25 degrees upon my departure, balmy by comparison. I felt even warmer in the direct uninterrupted sunshine. After my run and subsequent shower, I headed off to my ophthalmologists office to select new frames for my new bifocal lenses. That appointment took about 45 minutes – not too bad. Christie, one of Dr. Julie’s opticians helped me out. She’s been with the practice for seven years. On my way back to the office I remembered that I wanted/needed a new neck strap for my saxophone, so I stopped at Music Go Round in Bethel Center to get one. And for spending $20, I got a free t-shirt for the asking! Back at the office, the afternoon went quickly. No major events to disrupt an otherwise steady afternoon. My after work time would be spent hosting a holiday celebration with my tem of engineer at Barley’s Smokehouse. I did the same last year but with limited participation, but from the sounds of it, more engineers were coming this year. Maybe they like me more ! J I stopped home before heading to Barley’s to first and foremost walk Ykraps, but also to organize myself for the following day. I arrived at Barley’s by 550pm. And slowly but surely, ten of my team members began trickling in. We were seated at a table designed to accommodate a large group the size of ours. There we enjoyed some beverages, some food, and some fun conversation. It was really a lot of fun. Come 8pm everyone began to depart. In the meantime, I noticed my buddies, Bob and Rick, had trickled in and bellied up to the bar, so I found my way to a stool amongst the two of them. I bought each of them a beer as we exchanged a few holiday related stories. We hung out until nearly 9pm. We each had to run. I bidded them a happy Xmas and was off! Once at home I changed into my comfy flannels and readied for Mindy’s arrival. She was on her way from the Easton area. Ashley called just as Mindy arrived. She wanted to discuss, among other things, our time table for Saturday afternoon. She shared some stories about her new job and some of her latest accomplishments. After we hug up I realized that we never nailed down a specific time. Mindy and I spent the next few hours together in front of a cozy fire. It was very relaxing. In fact, it was so relaxing that we fell asleep. She woke just before midnight to head home and relieve her babysitter. I, in turn, went directly to bed. In astronomy, the solstice is either of the two times a year when the Sun is at its greatest distance from the celestial equator, the great circle on the celestial sphere that is on the same plane as the earth's equator. In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs either December 21 or 22, when the sun shines directly over the tropic of Capricorn; the summer solstice occurs either June 21 or 22, when the sun shines directly over the tropic of Cancer. In the Southern Hemisphere, the winter and summer solstices are reversed. Reason for the Seasons The reason for the different seasons at opposite times of the year in the two hemispheres is that while the earth rotates about the sun, it also spins on its axis, which is tilted some 23.5 degrees towards the plane of its rotation. Because of this tilt, the Northern Hemisphere receives less direct sunlight (creating winter) while the Southern Hemisphere receives more direct sunlight (creating summer). As the Earth continues its orbit the hemisphere that is angled closest to the sun changes and the seasons are reversed. Longest Night of the Year The winter solstice marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The sun appears at its lowest point in the sky, and its noontime elevation appears to be the same for several days before and after the solstice. Hence the origin of the word solstice, which comes from Latin solstitium, from sol, "sun" and -stitium, "a stoppage." Following the winter solstice, the days begin to grow longer and the nights shorter.

Oh Say, Can You See?

Time for the annual eye exam with Dr Julie The Sunset viewed from my Center My office - this is where I go about earning a living. Purposefully, I slept in till almost 545am this morning. But since it was Christmas week I knew I had plenty yet to accomplish. To that end, I would attempt to be Mr. Incredible today. I went about my daily beginning as I typically do, but with one added wrinkle. I would complete my run immediately after exercising, walking Ykraps, and coffee-ing. Reason being, I planned to squeeze in some Xmas shopping over my lunch hour. It was all of 2 degrees when I left for my run. I did a 4-layer upper and a 2-layer lower coupled with my usual hand, head, and eye cover. I was supremely warm, and it turned out to be a really nice early morning run. There’s something about running early that just makes the entire day go better. I left for work around 830am and arrived by 845am. The first half of the day moved along briskly. Before I knew it, it was running time, or in today’s case, shopping time! I hit Best Buy, World Market, Macy’s, Bath & Body, and Target like a man with a plan. During this flurry, I checked 15 recipients off my list. I returned to work and breezed through a rather easy afternoon thanks to the efforts of our hard working engineers. As the work day expired, the third part of my day was just beginning. I had to cut across town to make a 545pm eye appointment with Dr Julie. My eyes are getting worse, especially for reading. I would be exploring my options. Dr. Julie is a hard working Ophthalmologist. She’s a professor at OSU and maintains a partnership in a private practice. She also looks like she’s 20! I like the fact that she takes the time to answer all of my vision questions and is patient with my inability to easily place my contacts for examination. She insists on trying alternative contacts but that proved fruitless. The script I currently have are admittedly difficult to put in but the most comfortable lenses I have had (I’ve tried numerous brands and models). You might say I have issues! J Instead, we agreed to try to correct my situation with different glasses instead of contacts. After several tests she recommended that I give careful consideration to the dreaded bifocals since the strength of my vision is varied with distance. She convinced me that with today’s technology, we can go with a no-line bifocal in a trendy style that will improve everything I complained to her about – well everything except the ex-mother-in-law. J Does any of this sound familiar… OK, which is better? Number one or number two … number 3 or number 4 … number 1 or number 2? And this goes on for about ten minutes. I am convinced that my answers were probably contradicting one another but she said not. Also, I hadn’t been dilated since my first child birth (no, that’s not accurate it’s really been about three years), so she was insistent on doing so. I did. Once I did, I couldn’t see a damn thing. And then in what seemed peculiar, she left me at the frames display to pick/choose my next pair of glasses. This wasn’t gonna work. Again, I couldn’t make head for tails of anything for being dilated. I’d have no choice but to return the following day to make an informed selection. I left the eye exam just before 7pm. Instead of heading directly home, I stopped at the Lenox Target to knock another recipient off of my shopping list. Goal accomplished. I got the last one! In the meantime, Mindy was patiently anticipating my arrival. We had made plans for me to visit her at her home that night. She knew I was a little behind but understood. It’s hard to stay on task the week before Christmas. I still had to stop at home to unload my bounty and walk Ykraps. Before heading to Mindy’s I purged new photos off of her Nikon digital. On my way, as luck would have it, I encountered a traffic snarl/accident in close proximity to Wal-Mart. Subsequently, I didn’t get to Mindy’s until almost 830pm. Sadly, her children were already in bed. Happily, though, Mindy had our Baked Nachos smothered in cheese all ready. After we shared our day’s stories and some about Christmas’ past, we retired to her comfy sofa for some snuggling. However, in short order we both fell asleep. I woke around 1045pm and headed home. Once home I secured the premises and then went straight to bed.

Dad's 70th Birthday!

I woke last night to the sound of thunder … No, not really! I got up at 545am. That wasn’t too bad considering I didn’t go to sleep the night prior until almost midnight. And the first thing I noticed when I rose was the big bright beautiful moon shining in through the aptly named half moon window in my master bedroom. And yes, I am the master, too. Once on my feet I relieved myself, brush my teeth, then headed down stairs to begin my morning. And what has become somewhat customary, the first thing I did was plug in my Xmas tree and give it a drink of water. In no time at all, I whipped out my exercises then bundled up in hat, gloves, boots, and parka for a walk out of doors with Ykraps. We had a jolly little stroll about the snow and ice. It was so cold outside that just the thought of a fresh cup of coffee was never more appealing. Upon my return I loaded up a mug with all the fixins’. After my morning meditation, I checked the temperature on the weather bug. It was reported to be 6 degrees! I thought it felt cold outside. As I prepped lunch and made my breakfast I did a mental walk through of my entire day. First of all, work should be rather easy as it generally is slow the week before and after Xmas. And my run, I thought, would be that much more comfortable if I added that extra upper layer to my gym bag (total of 4). After work I would be heading directly home to ready myself for dad’s birthday gathering at aunt Char’s home (it’s her b-day too along with my late Grandma Wright’s). All three were born on December 19th. That’s how it all unfolded too. It was a whopping 11 degrees when I left for my run. That extra layer did the trick. I wasn’t cold at all. In fact, if anything, I was just a tad warm especially on the return where I had the bitter winter wind at my back. Work was as slow as it’s been in an awfully long time. I like days like that. I deserve a few of those! At 505pm I hit the door and headed for home. I was in the garage by 522pm. I quickly but patiently went about my usual evening routine. After walking Ykraps I phoned Mindy to determine her ETA. She was reported to be leaving her home in 5 minutes. It was 540pm. I spent the next 15 minutes writing out three b-day cards (Dad, Char, and Sheila) and wrapping three token gifts. Ding-dong! Mindy arrived. She helped me finish up the wrapping. We spent the next ten minutes looking at the pics from our weekend via a slide show. We had time to kill because we were waiting on Tommy to arrive. He was planning on carpooling with us to Aunt Char’s. He showed up around 630pm. We chit chatted for a few then prepped ourselves for departure. The gathering began around 6pm but we didn’t leave my house until almost 7pm. Char’s house is only minutes from mine so we were there in short order. Present already were Dad, cousin Brian and his live in girlfriend Kimberly, Tawny, Char, and Bunky. I introduced Mindy to those present since they hadn’t met her before (everyone but my dad – he’d met her at Tommy’s Halloween party). Soon brother Bobby and his three youngest arrived without April (hmmm). We hung out and shared stories for about an hour and one half. Just before we were prepping to depart, Char’s oldest daughter, Misty arrived with her gal pal Alexis. Since it was a school night, Tommy, Mindy and I were ready to call it a day. We said our good-byes and left. Back at my house we all decided to have a drink. Tom and I had a beer, Mindy had water. In addition, I heated the leftovers from Mitchell’s for Mindy. I had leftover pizza from my mom’s b-day party. After his beer, Tommy left. We’ll see him again Saturday night at brother Bob’s. Mindy and I hung out until she had to leave. That was approximately 10pm. I quickly went about blogging and surfing. I felt a sudden urge to sleep and even fell asleep for a few minutes at my PC. That little nap gave me a new lease on what little time was left of the evening. I stayed up until midnight screwing around on the PC and playing guitar. I’m getting’ good!