Dis - stain

My objective was quite simple. I wanted to be up and going about my morning routine in total peace. To do this, I knew that I needed to be up well before 7:30am since Jacob and Bella generally wake about that time regardless of it being a weekend day. Too, my daughter Lindsey and lil’ Rocky spent the night, and they’re usually up at the crack of dawn. The outcome? I failed. I didn't wake until 7:40am. When I drug myself out of bed, Lindsey and Rocky were up and heading downstairs too. I went about my about my routine as always. I put on a pot of coffee then tucked my toes under the sofa and grunted my way through 55 sit-ups. As I finished my other exercises, I could see that the weather unfolding out of doors was less than desirable. It certainly wasn’t going to be a “Jimmy” kind of day – one that offers a plethora of opportunity. After walking Ykraps against a cool, damp, and gray sky, I returned for some coffee to lift my somewhat sinking spirits. By now all three of the kids were up and the house was alive with noise. I found a sliver of peace in the living room at my PC updating my Friday blog entry. I could still hear the kids running, playing, and fussing. Lindsey chimed in periodically by blasting lil’ Rocky for his antics. Mindy overlaid her much calmer, more adult like approach to corralling the kids exuberant behavior. Whatever the case, a peaceful, tranquil Saturday morning was no where to be found. By the time 9:00am rolled around, I had had all the fun I could take. I dressed for my run and off I went. But just before hitting the door, I asked Mindy if she would mind holding off on starting our Saturday breakfast for about fifteen minutes. That way I could enjoy a hot breakfast. She obliged. My run took me down the usual Trabue to Hague. Somewhat unexpectedly, I came upon my dad sitting in St. Margaret’s parking lot. Sometimes he’s very strange. And incidentally, I don’t think that I’ve seen him since before Glenn left town. But as I ran by his stopped mini-van he rolled down his window and began talking as if we had been talking for hours, filling me in on all of his recent goings on. He spoke mostly of what’s ailing him as well as what’s ailing Sheila. In fact, I’m certain he said he was on his way to pick-up a prescription for back spasms. We didn’t talk too long, though. I was in the middle of a run and another car was wanting to get around him. We said farewell and were on our merry way. When I made it back home the first thing I noticed was the sweet smell of maple bacon hitting my nose. Before sitting down for some food, I removed my sweaty shirt and whipped the sweat from my eyes. After breakfast wrapped up, Mindy hurried the kids upstairs to get them ready for a short shopping trip with their daddy. He was scheduled to show up around 10:30am to take Bella out for her birthday gift. He was taking Jacob too. While Mindy got them ready, Lindsey and lil’ Rocky rounded up all of their gear and left too. By 11am we had the house all to ourselves. We spent the next hour or so cleaning up the house. During that hour, the sky began to clear giving hope that I might be able to get in some staining after all. I checked the radar and it looked all but clear. Come twelve noon I began dragging out all of my stain stuff and by 12:30pm I was going at it full force. Given the weather & our tight schedule, I would be happy if I could just finish the pergola. I had to invent a method for straddling the hot tub to reach the cross beams of the pergola. I laid three 2x4’s across the hot tub cover then used an old door as my ladder platform. That worked well. And while this makes the third time that I have stained the deck, I haven’t done that good of a job on the pergola for it being so rough to reach. In fact, I knew that it would be a challenge when I built it so I stained the cross beams even before mounting them new. The wood was exceptionally dry and thirsty. It sucked in the stain. Half the boards were rough & splintery which made it tough to stain. Because of this, I went through several of the sponge brushes. While I toiled away outdoors, Mindy worked hard inside cleaning and decorating for Bella’s party. I felt kind of bad for Mindy because I could hear the kids vying for her constant attention all the while she tried to accomplish her goals. I could hardly believe my ears. Mindy informed me that it was already after 4pm, and I still had a little more staining to do and then some extensive clean-up. She was heading out shopping to pick-up some meat for dinner (steak). Originally, she was going to leave both kids with me, but Bella wanted to join her. As 5pm approached, I was able to finish my staining and put everything away. Despite the clear radar I saw earlier, I had to contend with a couple small cloud burst while staining. None were significant enough to thwart the project yet they were still quite an annoyance. I was happy to be done with the pergola. After a shower I felt much better. I poured myself a Columbus Apricot Ale to celebrate my afternoon accomplishment. Minutes later Mindy and Bella returned with some food. After we got everything together, it was after 6:30pm. I lit the grill on Mindy’s prompting. At about the same time, it began to rain and rain heavily. I hoped it would pass like the cloud burst earlier but it didn’t. Instead, it got worse and was joined by lightening and thunder. To continue the grilling I had to be resourceful. I dawned my running pullover and a ball cap and headed out into the rainy evening to cook our two porterhouse steaks and a few hot dogs for the kids. Each time I had to check the steaks it seemed the rain came down even harder. From a neighbor’s perspective, it had to look a little bit like a comedy watching me grill in the storm. Despite the shitty conditions, the steaks turned out remarkably well, and I even managed to burn a hot dog to Jacob’s liking. We finished our yummy dinner around 7:30pm. The Buckeye game kick-off was only 30 minutes away. Mindy took the kids up stairs for their bath & jammies while I cleaned the dinner mess. We all watched the opening kick-off together. Soon after that, however, Mindy put the kids to bed. They were tired. We spent the remainder of the evening enjoying watching the Buckeyes lay one on the Hawkeyes. I took a look out of doors during halftime only to find a clear crisp sky full of stars and a moon. Where’d that come from? Less than an hour later it was raining again. The game finished up just before 11:30pm. The Buckeyes, just as they have all season, really put the wood to their opponent in the final minutes making the game seem like more of a blowout. We went directly to bed after the game where we tuned into Mad TV. And just as she often does, Mindy snuck the remote from my grasp and killed the television once she thought I was done.

And On The Third Day...

I was up at 5:35am and felt extremely well rested even after staying up after 11pm last night. I noticed right away that the sky was more than partially clear giving way to what I hoped would be a bright sunny Friday. It’s nice to be headed into a weekend and not be on-call, sick, or with a ton of to-do’s. We do have a concert to attend tonight and Bella’s birthday party this Sunday, however. Additionally, I am hoping that the weather Gods will have erred relative to their Saturday forecast, and instead of rain, we’ll end up with non-threatening skies so that I might be able to continue staining the deck. We’ll see. I finished my exercise routine in no time flat and was out the door with Ykraps under a blanket of stars. I had a warm settled feeling about my life as I walked this morning. Despite all of life’s little bumps, I’ve got it pretty darn good. I couldn’t wait to get back home and get that first cup of coffee. I didn’t need to wake Mindy since she was taking a sick day today. She has a doctor’s appointment, several errands to run, and finally the closing on Echo Park to attend. She told me she didn’t need up until 7am. So, after some coffee, meditation, and a little internet surfing, I slowly began prepping my lunch and breakfast. Some time around 6:40am Mindy found her way down stairs with out my wake up revelry. She woke happy and chatty. I’m not used to sharing my morning space with anyone on work days. I just grunted and growled back. I sat for my breakfast at 7:00am sharp. Soon Jacob found his way down stairs and into his mother’s arms. He doesn’t have school on Friday’s so he’ll be going to Grandma Sharon’s while Mindy does her thing. That made him happy. I headed for the shower around 7:15am an emerged a new man. I dressed very casual today – stale blue jeans and a worn but clean brown t-shirt. I like to do that on Friday’s. It was a little different leaving for work with Mindy and the kids still home. I hollered up the stairs before departing in an effort to give Mindy a chance to hug the prince before leaving. She doesn’t like it when I sneak out. :() After a hug goodbye I was out the door and on my merry way. I arrived at work right on time and got right down to business. Within the first hour of work I was given some bad news from one of my best team members. He’s moving on. That dampened an otherwise happy day. I understand, however. I talked with Mindy just before my run. She was heading to Target to fill her prescriptions. She has a sinus infection. She told me that she’s going to lunch with her friend Teri. I encouraged her to ask Teri if she’d prefer to attend the Christian concert with her tonight. I don’t know that I’ll be able to tolerate two hours of music for which I know none. I hope they serve beer! She seemed sad that I stated that but also understood. I love Mindy but honestly, I’d have way more fun at Barley’s. I left for my run at 12:50pm. The temperature looked to be around 60 degrees and the sun was shining. I chose not to wear a wind shirt over my already long sleeved running tee. That proved a bit chilly. There was a rather brisk chilly breeze blowing out of the north. I was cold for the first time since spring time. I retuned to eat my lunch by 1:49pm. After eating I spent the rest of the afternoon catching up on a few dangling issues and then readied myself for a weekend. I arrived home before 5:30pm. Lindsey and lil' Rocky were already there, along with Jacob and Bella. Lindsey brought them home from Grandma Sharon's. I began tending to my Friday evening chores. Mindy arrived minutes later excited after completing the closing on her home. Today ends a long frustrating process for her. Tonight we're heading to the Schottenstein Center to see Third Day (Mindy's idea). Our plan is to stop at Barley's on the way to sneak in one drink with friends, and for me to prime myself before receiving a belly full of Christian rock music. I slipped upstairs around 5:55pm and jumped in my bed. I figured I needed some quiet, down time before launching head long into the night. I fell asleep even though I didn't really plan to. I slept for about 25 minutes. I woke more refreshed and ready. I got up and brushed my teeth and changed into appropriate concert type attire. I dug out my 25 year old Godz t-shirt and my 27 year old jean jacket. What's cool is that they still fit. The only difference is that I now have a much more muscular frame, so consequently my muscles bulge from the tight sleeves. Arrogance? We left for Barley's shortly after 6:30pm and arrived around 6:50pm. The concert wasn't set to start until 7:30pm so we had a hour or so. Barley's was packed beyond belief. In part because we're never there this early and because tonight is Oyster's and Stout, which routinely is a big draw for Barley's. It took Lee a while to get our drinks. Bob was gracious enough to put my beer and Mindy's wine on his tab making good on a bet he and I made about a month ago and one I had admittedly forgotten about. We bet on the first week's NFL game. If the Browns won & the Vikings lost I owed. If the opposite occurred, which did happen, then he owed me. The wager was two beers. If we both won or lost then the it would have been a draw. We stayed at Barley's until about 7:40pm. Mindy was comfortable with that because there was an opening act and how many shows start on time anyhow. Onto the Schott. Thanks to Mindy's poor navigation, we took a round about way of getting there but ultimately did. I was careful not to criticize, however. We arrived in the lot at 7:53pm - I checked. Parking was free and we parked rather close. I had wondered whether they'd be serving beer in the concessions, and hoped they would. Mindy thought not since it's a Christina show. Didn't or don't Christians drink beer? Have you not been to a Catholic festival? Upon inquiring about the availability of beer, I was denied. The taps were dry tonight. Just as well. We found our way to our lower bowl seats. Luckily we had to end seats so that afforded us easy access to concessions or even the restroom. But as it turned out, we took part in neither. Still, our seats were very good. The First band, The David Crowder Band, was exceptionally talented and very diverse - a little rock, punk, and blue grass. The lights were good too. The audience was doing a little bit of the Christian revival thing. You know, look up, close your eyes, raise your hands to the sky and sway. I found that amazing and even a little annoying, but whatever works! There was a break between bands (we learned there were three but we missed the first entirely - Hyper Static Union). The bass player for Third day came out before the start of their show and shared a story of the bands trip to Rwanda to help the children that are often kidnapped and made to fight and kill for the rebel forces. I learned from Mindy later that most of these Christian bands partner with a cause and use their captive audience to drum up some financial support during their shows. Good idea! Soon the show started. Just like any big name rock concert, they had lots of lights and video features. Musically speaking, the band was very talented and unless you listened attentively, you wouldn't know that each song carried a deep spiritual message. The show ended close to 10:30pm. Mindy and I hurried out an to our car only stopping to pee. Unlike many large concerts, there was no traffic jam to leave. We had to exit by the tour bus area and could see four very large, and high priced tour buses apparently owned by the three bands. There was also two semi's to haul the gear. Looks like financially they're a success too. We headed directly home opting out of more beer and fun. Lindsey and the kids were already asleep when we arrived home. The house was a little upside down with plenty of dirty dishes scattered about. While I woofed down some leftover pizza, I cleaned up and loaded the dishwasher. Before heading up to bed, I ran it. I like to wake to a clean house. We were in bed by 11pm almost guaranteeing a headache-free morning for no drinking.

Where's my Indian summer?

I was up at 5:45am. I felt better than ever! At least I’ll be able to enjoy the final days of September with a clear, snot-free head. It rained through the night. Mindy woke me once to ask if she should close the window. I said not. We don’t usually get rain in the north facing windows. I slept nicely through the night & felt like million dollars upon waking. It was raining steadily but not too hard. Once I was down stairs and working out, I could see that the water was beading up nicely on my newly stained deck railing. I grabbed my umbrella that’s stashed conveniently on the front stoop as I left for a walk with Ykraps. I took Mindy her first cup of coffee as always. I asked her not to fall back asleep. I returned down stairs and did the morning meditation thing as well as beginning food prep. I made Mindy’s snack, my lunch, and both of our breakfasts. By the time we finished eating it was after 7:15am. I had to get moving with my shower. I kissed Mindy goodbye and headed up. It was after 7:30am when I finished readying myself for work. I took a couple of minutes to hang up some of my clean laundry I found in the clothes basket at the top of the stairs. I know Mindy hasn’t been feeling well, and that any little thing I do helps. Before leaving for work I played guitar some and even preloaded the coffee maker for the following day minus the actual coffee. No need for it to sit all through the day and night. The important piece was rinsing out the old and loading fresh water. The clouds in the sky were very unique and many of the rain clouds stood out profoundly against a casual gray back drop. They were big, cold, cotton ball looking, gray rain clouds. The sky remained like that through mid-morning when it all began to clear out. My work day morning went fast and I stayed really busy. When I left for a run around 1pm the clouds were competing one for one with sunshine. By then, the temperature was hovering in the 60’s so the running conditions were next to ideal. After my run and shower I returned to my office for some lunch and some more work related fun. Work was steady right up until quitting time. I left somewhere close to 5:10pm. Mindy was at the grocery so I knew that I’d have a peaceful home for at least 30 minutes or so. When I arrived home I hurried to finish all of mundane tasks including walking Ykraps. I was up brushing my teeth when Mindy and the kids arrived home from the grocery. She had a van load so I headed out to lend a helping hand. She requested that I order a pizza from Minnelli’s for dinner. I did. I ordered an extra-large pepperoni with extra cheese - $13.25. They quoted me 25 minutes. Jacob asked if he could come along to pick it up. Of course! After about fifteen minutes of fooling around we left for Minelli’s. Our pizza was just coming out of the oven when we arrived. Perfect timing. Jacob waited in the Trooper. We all sat at the kitchen table to enjoy our pizza. The kids whined a little about not having a plain cheese pizza, but ultimately pulled their pepperoni off and were happy, although neither of then ate very much. But not to worry, Mindy and I did. After pizza the kids had a snack and I cleaned up around the kitchen. As usual, Mindy raced the kids upstairs for a bath. While she did that, I updated my blog and added some pics. After the kids were settled into bed, Mindy and I talked for a good hour. We went to bed around 9:00pm where we watched the rest of the Thursday Night football game between Auburn and South Carolina. Auburn won – 24-17. We fell asleep soon after the game ended. In fact, Mindy thought that I was asleep with a few minutes to go and snuck the remote from my hands and turned it off. I grunted and she turned it back on.

Work week resumes

I was up and down stairs by 5:40am. I finally felt really good upon waking. My sinuses were clear and my throat only a smidgeon dry – no cough. Wow! I forgot what it felt like to feel so well in the mornings. That’s what a month’s worth of cold symptoms will do. I whipped through my exercise routine like nothing noting once again how good it felt to feel well! My walk with Ykraps went great too. We pee’d on everything in site. There were dozens of stars visible this morning although it wasn’t nearly as clear as the prior two prior mornings. I did my usual food prep stuff and made it to the shower just before 7:15am. I was tempted to drive my BM’er to work but the weather, while clear now, was forecasted to take a turn for the worse very soon. Work was just about like any other Wednesday except for a job fair we held in the morning and afternoon. I attended a staff meeting and went for a run in between. That ate the lion’s share of my day. I headed for home at a little after 5pm. Mindy had been to the old house to grab a few last minute items and to drop the kids off to Jim. We spent about an hour talking and having our dinner on the deck. We had fresh El Vaquero chips and salsa covered with leftover taco meat and cheese. We talked once again about how we might help facilitate Lindsey’s integration into reality. We can’t escape the one missing key and that’s being on one page with my ex, Kelly. Much of the consternation seems to be fueled by Kelly’s unwillingness to work together with us to create a plan and goals for Lindsey to achieve. She sometimes implies as much, but always rescinds or changes her story. This leaves Lindsey feeling helpless and hopeless. To Hilliary Clinton’s credit, it truly takes a village. I tried to contact Kelly in an effort to establish a meeting where we all three could sit down and strategize together but to no avail. I left a message with Ash to give to her mother and also a VM on her home phone. I’ll keep trying. The kids returned at 7:06pm. They both greeted me quickly & kindly on the deck. After Jim left, we played for a short period of time before Mindy got them ready for bed. Incidentally, Mindy skipped choir practice again this week because she doesn’t trust me wit the kids any longer. J Not really. She’s been sick with a cold and only has half a voice. I spent a few minutes updating my blog. I’ve gotten a little behind. We went to bed kind of early – at about 9:15pm.

'Maters

I woke Tuesday at 6:15, just before Mindy’s alarm went off. Since I didn’t have to work, she was afraid that I’d sleep in. I didn’t. I planned to do my morning routine as usual and even sneak a run in before leaving for my appointments. Once again, the sky was crystal clear and a beautiful autumn day appeared to be in the making. Even though I had a personal day scheduled, I still prepared Mindy’s snack and breakfast. I left for my run around 7:25am hoping to be back and in the shower by 8:00am. It was a very pleasant run with tunes. I determined Saturday that my headphones were the problem with my MP3 player. That’s the third set of head phones I’ve gone through, although the second set is still good. They just bounce off with the constant pounding of the pavement thus are only applicable with a headband to secure them. Since it was extra chilly this AM – only 45 degrees, I used my sweat headband. I was back home right at 8:00am and headed off to the shower. The sun had risen and began to warm the air significantly. After my shower I had several minutes before needing to depart. I played some guitar and tidied up around the house. I decided driving the BM’er was the right thing to do. Granted, it was cool & crisp, but it was awfully sunny, too. I arrived at Dr March’s practice a few minutes early. Still, they got me right in. They are very organized and efficient. They have a new state-of-the-art office too. I like that. Anyway, Faith was my hygienist. She is youthful, cute, and friendly. She seems to know her skill quite well, too. It took about an hour to x-ray, clean, polish, and examine my teeth. I only saw Dr March for a minute. He gave me an all clear and a thumb’s up for maintaining such good dental hygiene. I’ve paid him so much money over the years that I feel like part owner of the practice. I left there at 10:15am. His office is located at Fishinger and Tremont – right next to the Tremont Mall. I stopped in at Giant Eagle and bought Mindy some wine, and also bought a potted mum to honor and usher in autumn. I left there and drove over to Pets Smart, a few store fronts over. In there I bought some cracked corn to feed the ducks, and also bought Ykraps a new engraved ID with his name, address, and phone number. Leaving there, I drove off to my next appointment. I arrived home from my second appointment just after 3:30pm – record time. By the time I got settled, it was 4pm. Where had the day gone? I quickly changed into some grubbies so that I could begin on my deck staining project. I figured that I could at least complete the railing. I stirred the five gallon bucket of stain I bought almost 4 weeks ago until I felt it was to its desired consistency. I used a coffee as a ladle and filled my plastic painting pail with about a quart of stain at a time. I used sponge brushes to apply the stain. This is a very tedious process and one where you must loose yourself in time to tolerate the experience. Too, it seems like it takes forever to make any appreciable progress. After a few hours I completed the railing and began the clean-up process. Mindy had been home for some time and had brought a surprise package home – my grandson Rocky. He was more than excited to be there with us. He’s come a long way since going to a bay sitter each day. He’s much more social and very polite. He told me today that he loved me. That’s a first! While I cleaned up, the kids fed the ducks and played outside. Lindsey was over now too. As she was preparing to leave I reminded her to leave the baby sitting money she owes us. She flipped out and began uttering all sorts of excuses and reasons for not having the money. She became frantic and completely out of sorts. I was genuinely worried. Despite our efforts to help her, she doesn’t seem very appreciative or humble. She maintains an unusual strong sense of entitlement. Mindy chased after her to try and reason with her. From my perspective it’s not as much about the money as it is the discipline to meet obligations and responsibilities. We already pay her car insurance and half of her child care. We’re doing that to help her get a handle on life with the hope that after one year she can stand on her own two feet. Still, she left believing that I was unreasonable and mean. J Enough about that! After she left I carried out all the household good I had ready for the Kidney Foundation, who is coming by tomorrow AM to pick them up. Among those items was my kids old Fisher Price kitchen set. Until now, it’s been setting in the basement collecting dust and dirt. I sprayed it with hose. Bella helped wipe it dry. She also pouted about giving it away saying she wanted to keep it. This coming from a child that has every toy known to mankind. After we went in, Mindy got the kids ready for bed. I was not in that good of a mood after the Lindsey escalation. If I am guilty of anything it is allowing her out bursts to impact my own disposition. They always leave me feeling helpless and back at square one. We had spoken of making a late dinner, but we did not. I had no real appetite. Instead, I popped some popcorn. After finishing off the popcorn we got in the hot tub. We discussed Lindsey’s situation and how we might change our tactics if at all. But all that did was frustrate me even more. Mindy eventually got out of the hot tub and went in. I stayed in a few minutes longer. I had a sudden coughing spell that lasted about 20 minutes. I stayed up nursing my cough and eventually reading until about 10:30pm. That’s as late as I’ve stayed up on a work night in a long time, except for my birthday.

The end is near ... finally!

Kitchen splattered with sunshine lush as lush gets! Up and attem right at 5:30am. Holy Smoke! The sky was crystal clear. That was the first thing I noticed when I found my way down stairs and glanced out the deck door Monday morning. I hadn't seen such a clear sky in many, many days. I was in awe of the view but a little taken back by the crappy weather over the weekend and the suddenly beautiful weather upon us now. I still manufactured a snotty discharge from my nose and throat after completing my exercise routine. I was, however, marginally better than the day before. Hopefully my symptoms will be completely gone in a couple of days. I have been carrying cold symptoms through most of September save for my birthday weekend, although my body was still tired and run down from the first week's cold. I had a little skip in my get-along this morning knowing that I'd be off work on Tuesday to address two personal appointments. I went about my work prep as usual, and Mindy left the house at her normal time leaving me alone for thirty minutes or so. I should’ve driven my BM’er to work but I didn’t. The work day went as planned and without anything too exciting taking place. I did have a one on one with my boss but that too was rather uneventful. I spent a good 4 hours in some online training that ate up the middle of my day. Sandwiched in between, I snuck out for a run. The weather was supremely better than most days of late. It was sunny and 75. I could’ve run without a shirt but wore one. I left work around 5:10pm and bee lined for home. I had grand plans to complete my weekly lawn chores after getting settled in. While I worked in the yard, Mindy would be tinkering indoors. I finished my lawn chores by 7:00pm. The lawn looks absolutely fabulous thanks to lots of rain, cooler temps, and a timely application of fertilizer. Just a couple weeks ago the lawn was looking beyond stressed. All the bare brown spots have sprouted new growth. Provided we avoid an early frost, which typically stops the seasons grass growth, I should have a very healthy lawn headed into winter. The kids returned home just as I was finishing up. Before going in, I put the garbage out. Finally, my work was done. I played with the kids for a few and then ran to the shower to wash away the bits of grass and sweat that always accumulate about my body after a mowing session. After my shower Mindy had our warmed leftovers ready for dinner. We had Roast Beef and roasted red skin taters. It was even better tonight than the night it was fresh. I helped process the kids for bed and soon Mindy and I had an evening alone. We decided our time would be best spent watching the Monday Night Football game from New Orleans. The NFL and ESPN were milking this for all it was worth. Green Day and U2 did a pre-kick-off concert. The crowd was crazy wild. The game was played the same way. New Orleans, a perennial loser (save for a few years in the late 80’s) looked awesome. They won the game over Michael Vick and the Atlanta Falcons.23-3. We, however, only watched till halftime. We were both tired. What as most surprising to me was the fact that Vick could do nothing – run or pass.

Vikings = High blood pressure

It wouldn't be the weekend without Sunday. And right now, that's the only reason I can immediately call up to explain its existence. Like bookends, Saturday and Sunday represent the end of one and the beginning of the next.. Unlike Saturday, my level of optimism is tamer on Sunday for as sure as we're home enjoying our free time, we're also faced with the cold reality of the coming work week. Hopefully we've managed to flush out all of our yaw-yaws Friday and Saturday nights. I woke Sunday morning a bit earlier than on Saturday. And while still present, my cold symptoms were less significant and much less a factor in my early morning disposition. I rolled out of bed around 7:30 determined to begin my day. The sky was not as gloomy as had been predicted, at least not at the moment. I was hopeful for a weather faux pas in my favor, although I wasn't about to hold my breath. Last I heard we could expect more rain throughout the day. While exercising I tuned into ESPN to catch up on the late college football scores. To my surprise, I saw that Notre Dame came back and won that damn game against Michigan State. Impossible! Not only were they getting beat, they looked terrible, and M.S.U. was doing everything right. It was 37-20 when I fell asleep and I'm quite sure that was in the fourth quarter. Before I leashed up Ykraps and took to the neighborhood I had to tell Mindy the outcome. I knew that she'd be as surprised as me. She was. When I returned, I made some coffee and eventually was joined downstairs by Mindy. All morning long the sun kept trying to pop out at various intervals causing my mood to be somewhat elevated. Mindy agreed to make some breakfast while I got in my run. My run went well as I took my new weekend route. Again, the traffic was much heavier than usual. When I returned breakfast was almost ready. By then the sky certainly looked more clear than cloudy. I bailed on the deck staining because of the forecasted rain. That and the fact that the Vikings game would be televised and there was no way I was gonna miss it. After we enjoyed our eggs, Mindy and I hung another shelf in Bella's room directly above her bed. That went quick. My next objective was to make a key lime pie. While processing the pie, Mindy's ex called and asked if she would come get the kids in lieu of him having to run them over since he was in the process of moving all of his stuff out of the house, which is scheduled to close during the week. Mindy agreed to go fetch her babies. I stayed home and continued work on my pie. One of the keys to a tasty key lime pie is capturing the zest from real limes as well as fresh squeezed lime juice. Scraping the zest proved crippling after about 12 key limes (they're very tiny so it took a lot). Next time I'll use Persian limes. Soon Mindy returned with the kids. I made everything from scratch including the crust. Even after stripping more zest than I needed the mixture was yellower than I'd envisioned.I later learned that "real" key lime pie is more yellow than green. Other than the color, it went without a hitch. My first one! About the time the pie was done baking it was Viking game time. I watched the entire first half from the edge of my seat. The Vikings lead at half time 6-3 in an old fashioned black & blue division rivalry. At the half I hurried and took a shower so that we could head off to Gloria's where not only would be having dinner but Mindy and I would also be doing some chores. I was supposed to look at her drippy/leaky kitchen faucet. and possibly even edge her yard. Last minute we decided to not take the edger since the grass and ground was still saturated from all the rain we had the past two days. We arrived as the 3rd quarter wore on. I watched on Gloria's kitchen television all the while working on her faucet. The Vikings went down for a short stint but ultimately intercepted Chicago's highly touted quarterback and returned it for a touchdown. Wahoo! Up 16-12. We had dropped two other would be interceptions earlier, one was a sure TD, so I was very happy we'd finally made them pay. I got the faucet all back together and it looked brand new. Unfortunately, it still dripped. I resigned myself to the fact that we'd have to replace the faucet. Much like a tornado, suddenly, without warming , the Viking game went south. With time running out on the hapless Bears and with the Vikings driving on a third and 2. The Vikings fumbled the hand-off and the Bears recovered rejuvenating an otherwise dead Bears team. Seconds later the Bears drove into the endzone and took the lead. CRAP! With time running down (less than a minute) the Viking last hope, a 4th and 4, Brad Johnson over threw his receiver to seal the win for the Bears. I hate to lose! For dinner we had chicken, home fries, and baked beans. For dessert we had my key lime pie, cheese cake, and fudge. Mindy's family gets really excited when Gloria makes her fudge. Come 7pm we packed up the Trooper with our gear and kids and returned to our home where I immediately walked Ykraps. After the kids were in bed (after a much needed bath) Mindy and I chatted for a while as we watched a little of the Sunday Night NFL game. By 9:30pm we headed to bed.

No end in site

I suppose this is Mindy's way of saying good-bye to summer. Even after a rather lengthy night's sleep I put off rolling out of bed until after 830am Saturday morning. My head was once again clogged with snot and my throat dry and coughy. I had a few beers the night before and would guess they didn't help my healing much. The prevailing weather could best be described as crappy. It was cloudy, cool, and drizzly. Not my idea of a mid-September Saturday. Mindy rolled out of bed pretty much with me. I had just begun my exercises when she came down the stairs. She started to make our morning cups of coffee but I requested she not make mine until I completed my exercise and returned from walking Ykraps. After a couple cups of coffee and some lazy chit chat, I readied myself for a run. I left somewhere close to 9:45am. I took my usual weekend route and faced a significant amount of traffic on Trabue Rd. By the time the run was in the bag and I triumphantly returned to the house, Mindy was already gone. She was meeting her mother at 10:30am at her house and then going shopping for Bella's birthday gifts. It was nice having the house all to my self for a change. I continued tidying up a little and then showered and dressed for a trip to Home Depot. I had to pick-up a few things but also wanted to some project idea shopping. I have about 6 or 7 projects i want to complete and need to get a firm grasp of the available materials. I left for Home Depot around 11:30am. I took my time there spending at least an hour. I bought only the rubber o-rings for Gloria's Moen faucet repair project and some felt cupboard cushions. However, I manage to find everything I would need to complete all of my projects and felt really good and finally settled about them. ididn't buy anyu of the material hoping that will help further push me to get the deck stained and the shed painted since I already have those materials. Problem is, good weather's becoming hard to come by. After Home Depot I drifted over to Kroger on Cemetery Rd. I was craving a beef roast in golden mushroom soup. I found the perfect roast, the soup, some gourmet chips, and a couple six packs of beer (a six of Columbus Pale Ale and another of Blue Moon's Pumpkin Ale). I got home sometime around 1:30pm. Mindy still was out shopping with her mom. After putting my stuff away and starting the roast, I went horizontal on the sofa and tuned int osome football. I thought for second about cutting the lawn seeing a neighbor doing the same out the window, But in the end I chose to slack and instead watch some football. I deserve the down time. And besides, the turf is soaked and more rain is predicted. I drifted in and out of sleep while watching Michigan beat Wisconsin. Sometime near 2:15pm Mindy and Gloria arrived. Mindy nad Gloria showed me all the "deals" and gifts they found for Bella. They were proud of their shopping prowess. We visited for about before Gloria asked Mindy to take her home. The Buckeye game was about to start too. Mindy arrived back just after kick-off. The sweet smell of a simmering roast was just beginning to to fill the home. Mindy began her autumn decorating and I begna putting together the new nightstand she bought at Target. It is handsome and black and will go nicely with our existing bedroom furniture. PRoblem is, we only have the one night stand right now and that's on my side of the bed. Mindy needs one too , hence the purchase. Putting the night stand together while watchign the game was a good strategy. It gave me something else to focus on besides just the game. I like ot keep busy doing something whiel watching my favorite teams, whether the Buckeyes or Vikings. Last week, you may recall, I scrubbed the master bathroom head to toe. These pieces of furniture come with so many pieces that it's a bit intimidating if you look at all the aprts. But provided there are clear directions, it generally goes together rather easily when taking one step at a time. This was no different. The game was developing into a nail bitter until the very end when the Buckeyes swarming secondary proved too much for Penn State's quaterback. The spread had the Buckeyes by 17 points, but with less than ten minutes remaining no one would've believed they'd cover, but they did. The final was 28-6. After the game Mindy showed me all the fall decorations she had placed. It looked pretty good,although I don't know how long I'll be able to tolerate all the orange, and this stuff typically stay s up until the Xmas stuff goes up - geesh! Soon the raost was ready. Mindy als omade some roasted red skin potatoes and a can of green beans. The roast was to die for delicious. I hadn't had roast beef in golden mushroom soup for years. Around 8pm we tuned into the Notre-Dame game. After about ten minutes I reminded Mindy that we talked about going to Kohl's to get me a new gym bag since they were on sale. I changed into some reasonably respectful attire and then we headed out.. At Kohl's we shopped the entire store almost. They didn't have the gym bag I wanted, but they did have some running gear I wanted. I picked up a running shirt and a winter fleece to replace the my old one with a broken zipper. Mindy picked me up a second shirt and a second fleece - both Xmas presents. At home we enjoyed a glass of wine and a beer while watching the second half of the Notre Dame game. When we fell asleep it looked hopeless for Notre Dame. We must hae fell asleep before 11pm.

Not a Firkin Friday

I woke Friday feeling much better than I had in several days. To say I was 100%, however, would be a stretch. Still, it was nice to feel a healthful rebound coming. My day began like any other work day. I was up and at it just after 5:30am and only mildly excited about the weekend ahead. I knew that I was on-call so forgetting completely about work wouldn’t happen. And too, the weather forecast was yucky at best. Saturday promised rain and much cooler temperatures. Today was expected to hit the mid 60’s but with rain moving in. The highlight of my morning was my coffee and making tuna fish for lunch. After Mindy left for work I breezed through my morning shower and then made sure to tidy up the house so it was all but spit shined before leaving for work. That way, coming home would be an absolute pleasure. My Friday work day went rather smooth, especially for a Friday. I attempted to time my run so that I would avoid the rain. When I last checked the radar it was well to our south. But when I got out the door it rained on me pretty much the entire way save for the first ¼ mile out the door. What’s worse, I wore my MP3 player for the first time in months. The battery died as soon as I crossed the street so it served no value and it ended up getting soaked from the torrential rains. Just my luck! I was back in my office eating my lunch by 2:30pm. The afternoon was somewhat uneventful with no pressing issues following into my on-call weekend for a change. I was happy for that. I left right after 5pm. I talked with Mindy since the two of us were planning to meet at her old house to pick-up a couple of things needing transported to Gloria’s house. This might be last time either of us ever steps foot in that house since the closing on the sale is scheduled to happen next Wednesday at 4pm. Mindy was running a bit behind so I opted to stop at Old Navy to look for a new fall/winter running jacket. They always have cool, functional clothing for just such activities at relatively cheap prices. I stopped in the Hilliard Rome Old Navy. I left disappointed, however. They had nothing close to what I needed. I’ll find it elsewhere I figured. No rush. I took my time getting to Echo Park. Mindy called and was just leaving the house. She had stopped home to get the kids stuff for spending the weekend with their daddy. I arrived at Echo Park still before Mindy. I sat outside awaiting her arrival. I got involved in a work related issue that took about 10 minutes to resolve – no biggie. We loaded what we were there to get in a hurry. The weather was crappy, rainy, and cold. Before heading home where we could relax we still had to make a stop at Gloria’s to drop of the articles we picked up. I must admit that I was more than anxious to get home and get my jammies on and relax. Barley’s seemed out of the question given my week of illness. Besides, as the evening approached, my cough and sinuses flared up again. We dropped an old bed frame and a bassinette off at Gloria’s. After we unloaded, we visited for about twenty minutes. We left for home just before 7pm. Mindy had walked Ykraps before leaving for the old house, so I didn’t have to worry about that. Once home and settled, I went through a whirl of tiny tasks then went outside to grab some firewood to grant Mindy’s wish for the season’s first fire. The conditions were ideals – no kids, crappy, chilly weather. I logged onto my laptop to follow-up on a work related issue and then cracked a beer. Actually, I drank the last of the Barleys IPA I had left in a jug from my birthday party. To satisfy my insatiable hunger, I whipped up some taco meat for some taco burritos. Mindy was feeling under the weather now too. Cold symptoms had us both. Good thing we didn’t have a whole lot planned for the weekend. While woofing down my burrito, sipping a beer, and enjoying the fire Tommy called. He was wanting to hang out for a while, so we opened our evening to his company. Tommy arrived around 8:30pm or so. He enjoyed a couple of beers and shared a little of what’s been going on in his world with divorce and his other drama. He’s got a lot to sort through in the near and long term. He mentioned almost immediately that he wanted to go with us to Oregon. I thought that he might. As a matter of fact, I had checked as recent as this morning for flight availability, and as of then, our flights were still there for the same price. We checked right then from my laptop but our fares and flights weren’t available. He also mentioned that Charles may want to go and asked if we minded. I don’t mind at all but then again, it’s not my call. It’s Glenn’s, but I am also sure he wouldn’t mind. They’ll have to find their own fares and flights. I promised to keep a watchful eye on them though. As the evening wore on, several logs later, I began to fade and fade fast. While Tommy continued sharing his family drama with Mindy, I snuck off to bed. I could no longer keep my eyes opened. When my body hit the bed I was asleep within minutes- possibly seconds.

Humbly Still Ill

A beautiful sunrise today. A plane in plain view overhead. I thought it would be blurry but no! A return to lushness. I slept decent but woke several times through the night uncomfortable & needing to blow my nose and cough up a lung. I still had a stuffy nose, a cough, and a slightly throbbing head. I suppose it didn’t help that Mindy had the bedroom window cracked and the ceiling fan going. She’s obsessed with that scenario – even in the dead of winter. I got up during the middle of the night and turned off the fan. It was bothering me more than the chill. Truly, I looked forward to wake-up time. I knew that once I was up and on my feet that my sinuses would likely drain and my throat would feel better. Brushing my teeth was more difficult than usual. I had a thick, wallpaper paste-like film coating the entirety of my mouth. I had to break through that to hack it up and out. After several minutes I accomplished the goal. It was 5:50 when I got up. By the time I finished exercising and walking Ykraps it was 6:14am. I delivered Mindy’s coffee as normal and she was up shortly thereafter. I published my Wednesday Blog entry before meditation and food prep. Food prep went rather well and I sat for breakfast sometime around 7:00am along with Mindy. The kids were up a little late too. Bella was in an extraordinarily good mood while Jacob was not. He did all he could to get under his mother’s skin. After a little back and forth he looked to me for some lovin’. That’s a first. I backed his mother but also gave him a hug and personal reassurance. It seemed to help as they left for the day. It was 7:20am and I was just getting in the shower. That would’ve been late any other day, but I didn’t fret, however, because I was planning not to leave until just before 8am anyhow. I had planned to stop at the Hilliard license bureau on my way in to hopefully beat the rush. I left as planned just before 8am after snapping a few sunrise pics and playing guitar. It was a brilliantly sunny but chilly morning. I arrived at the license bureau around 8:14am. By the look of the lot there wouldn’t be much of a line and by witness of a look-and-see, there wasn’t. I walked right up to be helped. $150.50 later I had all three of my new stickers. I made it to work by 8:30am and got down to business. I was hoping to meet with our new HR rep who was in town but that never materialized. Regardless, I stayed busy all morning. I left for my run just before 1pm under beautiful conditions. It was about 67 degrees and very sunny. According to the weather forecast, this might be the last sunny day until the beginning of next week. The temperatures are expected to approach 80 over the weekend but with thunderstorms and rain the entire time. So much for staining the deck! After my run I returned to my office to enjoy my packed lunch. After about 3pm the cough syrup I had taken began to wear off and I coughed the rest of the afternoon. The Delsym Mindy gave me works very well and seems to last almost ten hours. I left for home right at 5pm. I took the back way seeing that 270 was at a stand still. This once again turned out to be a good gamble. I arrived home at about 5:25pm. At home I was immediately greeted in the garage by Bella. She’s been very warm to me lately. After settling in at home we left as a family to walk Ykraps in what’s become somewhat routine. It’s a nice way to catch-up on each others day. Back at home we got down to dinner. Mindy had already boiled some brats for grilling and had picked up some sauerkraut and buns on her way home. We had a fresh garden salad too. By the time dinner was history and things were all cleaned up it was nearly 6:45pm. Mindy wasted little time getting the kids ready for bed. While she did, I hung another fish net in Jacob’s room that we decided to add last minute. It’s really done now and looks very nice! I joined Mindy as she read the kids a quick story but then hurried back downstairs to finish blogging. Just as I was adding pics my I.E. crashed and wouldn’t load regardless of what I did. I even rebooted twice. I was frustrated to say the least. I ran a virus scan and Spy ware software. They found 19 harmful files but all were nothing but ‘trackers’. I deleted them but still had the problem. I changed my internet properties and finally was able to get I.E. to load and stay up and stable. I felt much better. I ran another virus scan across my entire C:/ drive hoping to catch even more stuff lurking about. It would take over an hour so I left it be for the night. Mindy now has the cold symptoms I accused her of giving to me. She was exhausted and feeling ill. She made herself a cup of tea and then wanted to go to bed. I really didn’t want to but did anyhow. She agreed to let me watch football from bed while we snuggled. I took a full dose of NyQuil because we were out of the Delsym. The NyQuil would knock me out too. We were in bed by 9:00pm.

The Buckaroo!

Still plenty of beauty left in our growing season as witness above. Bag of key limes. It wasn’t until 5:40am did I make it downstairs to begin my day. My sleep was continuously interrupted by my persistent cold symptoms. My throat was dry and sore, my sinuses clogged, and my head in a fog. I tossed and turned most of the night. Once downstairs I did my best to shrug off the illness and began my workout. I felt weak in all of my joints but that’s to be expected. I finished by 5:55am and quickly leashed up Ykraps for our morning walk. I wore my fleece jacket due to the autumn-like chill still lingering in the air. Upon our return I made Mindy her coffee and delivered it bedside as I most often do. She fell back asleep and didn’t get up until almost 6:30am. Oops! I, on the other hand, was a busy bee prepping her mid-day snack, my lunch, and our breakfast. As usual, I finished the prep by 6:55am. I had to cover Mindy’s eggs so they wouldn’t get cold. She was running behind due to her desire for more sleep. She made it down by 7:05 and pretty much woofed down her food. The kids slept late too and went form bed to mini-van in a matter of minutes. I enjoyed my alone time again this morning. Today’s weather was expected to be the coldest of the season. We weren’t expecting to exceed 61 degrees today – a far cry from the same day a year ago where I boasted of summery like weather. Save for a handful of days, this September has been mostly chilly and gray- something you know I disdain. I left for work around 7:45am and arrived right at 8:00am. It was cloudy and cool. I worked hard and had a couple of meetings to attend. I left for a run around 12:55pm. My intentions when I left for the run were to hurry and run, then drive to the Hilliard license bureau for tag renewal. I had to be back for a 2:30pm so timing was everything. I finished my run and was out of the shower by 1:40pm. I had time to make it to the license bureau and complete my goal if the line wasn’t ridiculous. I drove there in less than five minutes. As I approached the door I could see feet backed all the way up to the doorway from inside. Crap! I opened the door to confirm what I thought I saw. Yup, nothing but a long line of sad, sad faces waiting like pigs going to slaughter. Not me! I turned and left. I took notice of their hours of operation, which indicated that they open at 8:00am. I’ll try this again on my way to work tomorrow. Back at work I had enough time to enjoy my lunch before the 2:30pm meeting. Our meeting went until almost 4:00pm. I spent the last hour of the day wrapping up several key issues before shutting down for the night. I didn’t get out of the office until 5:30pm, however. Mindy and I were planning to enjoy dinner together at El Vaquero’s, but she does have choir practice on Wednesday’s and needs to be there by 6:45pm. I questioned whether I could get home in time to make dinner out worthwhile. I tried to call but Mindy was too busy to talk. I arrived home close to 5:45pm. After unloading my work gear Mindy indicated that she was still anxious to go to the Vaq. and thus would forego choir practice citing that her angelic voice needed no practice. J We left for El Vaquero after walking Ykraps. We arrived just as they were firing up their new patio heaters – just like the ones at Tucci’s Saturday night. El Vaquero has canvas walls and plastic windows to further block the inclement weather from ruining an otherwise good time on their patio. Because of this, We asked to be seated out there. I ordered number 26 and Mindy number 117. It didn’t take long as usual. While waiting we enjoyed two baskets of chips and salsa. Our food was good, and our bill reasonable. We both love this place. We left there somewhere just before 7pm and were home minutes later. We weren’t home long when Jim returned the children to their rightful owner. Jim was there long enough to say hello and bid the kids ado. After his exit, Mindy began the jammie process which ended with the kids going to be by 7:45pm. Mindy was exhausted herself and indicated that she would be going to bed early too. She asked me to join her at 8:15pm but that was just too early for me. Went she went to bed I spent the time blogging and reading. I read until 10pm when I could no longer keep my eyes opened and focused on the page. Each time I would try I would go from reading comprehension to dream in an instant. That feels so good, too! By 10:05pm I had the house secured and was in bed along side Mindy. I had taken a dose of cough syrup and another Theraflu an hour or so earlier. I didn’t take NyQuil. That stuff is too strong for me.

Nyquil & Theraflu

The So you can rest combo!! I tossed and turned all through the night battling cold symptoms once again. The only thing that makes any sense is that Mindy’s the carrier bringing home from school a plethora of germs of which my body isn’t yet accustom too. I was up and downstairs by 5:35am feeling just OK once I began my work out regiment. I tuned into ESPN to get the score of the MNF game which pitted Pittsburgh against Jacksonville. To my surprise, Jacksonville won, and shut them out in the process. Jacksonville looked awfully good defensively prior to my falling sleep. Apparently they played that way through the entire game. After my exercises were in the bag I took Ykraps on his routine walk. The sky was fabulous offering a brilliant display of stars and a slivery crescent moon in the eastern sky. There was an unmistakable chill in the air as well. Autumn is here regardless of what the calendar says (the actual autumnal equinox is Sept. 23, 2006, 12:03 A.M. EDT). Watch for it – I will! When I returned I made Mindy a cup of coffee and took it to her bedside. I woke her without startling her. I headed back downstairs hoping she wouldn’t fall back asleep. Moments later I could hear her milling about. I proceeded to spend about ten minutes in meditation from my favorite spot. At 6:24am I completed my quiet meditative time and began prepping my daily food, both breakfast and lunch. Mindy joined me downstairs for breakfast around 6:50am and left for school with the kids at about 7:15am. I was already in the shower. Before I left the house I made sure that I had the three expired registrations for my vehicles so that I could possibly renew my tags after my lunch run. I left for work around &;40am after some light guitar playing. My morning at work went really fast. Nothing unusual or earth shattering happened. Instead, were just busy. I left for my run around 1pm. It was sunny and about 65 degrees. Perfect running conditions, many would say. Truth is however, that all sorts of conditions are perfect for running. Again, it’s a matter of how one feels mentally and how well one’s prepared attire-wise. I battled my cold symptoms through the early part of my run and in what is often the case, once at the mid-point, it was hard to detect any symptoms save for all my major muscles feeling a little bit tired. However, I was in a zone for the better part of my run and was back at the office without realizing I had even run. That happens sometimes. After my run and shower, I returned to the office for a nutritious lunch. I stayed very busy all afternoon and worked hard right up until quitting time – 5:05pm. My plan called for a quick stop at Target to pick-up a citrus zester so that I could make my first homemade key lime pie. I’m looking forward d to it. I called Mindy along the way and just before arriving at Target. Her ex stopped by to exchange some hockey tickets so I let her go to deal with that. I went on in to Target. In Target I got the zester, two tubes of toothpaste, and a new storage bin for old miscellaneous pictures. I’ve needed it for a long time. I was back on the road to home by 5:45pm. Mindy called, not knowing I was stopping at Target, wondering if I was lost. I don’t if she realizes it or not, but I drive this path almost every night. There’s no way I could get lost???? J I arrived home by 6:00pm. After putting down my gym bag, I was greeted by the kids and then by Mindy. The house smelt delicious. Mindy was baking wings. I quipped that we eat one heck of a lot of chicken. While the wings finished, we walked Ykraps together as a family. When we returned, the wings were all but ready. While Mindy cut up celery and mixed the wing lotion, I played on the PC and organized my photos into my new storage bin. We made 30 wings. It wasn't long ago that twenty was more than enough, but recently, Mindy's kids have taken an unusual liking ot them as well. They can't get enough. They're officially buffalo wing addicts! Bella at 4 years of age loves 'em. After dinner & clean-up we played for a while. While the children got their jammies on I hung the fish net in Jacob's room. It turned out swell! Mindy bought some cool butterflies to posture around Bella's room as accent decor. They're sure to look good too. As soon as the kids were in bed, Mindy and I prerared for bed too. I took some Nyquil and ten minutes later I was out of it. That stuff should be illegal! We went to bed at 8:15pm. I had a cold. Mindy was just worn out.

Turning away from summer

The alcove! Jacob's pirate room theme is finally coming together. Monday morning came fast and furious despite a ridiculously early bedtime the night before. I didn’t open my eyes until 5:45am and by the time I pee’d, brushed my teeth and found my way down stairs it was 5:50am. I made Mindy aware of my lateness before heading down so that she could decide whether to get up now, or sleep even later. I exercised to the sweet sound of digital cable radio channel 932 but uncharacteristically, tuned the television to ESPN so I could catch some NFL highlights at the same time. I wanted ot see the Viking highlights. I felt weak this morning as I whipped out my routine. I couldn’t possibly be coming down with something again, could I? Crap. I went years without even a minor cold, and now all of the sudden I find myself battling cold symptoms routinely. It’s likely rooted in being around small children every single day. Or, perhaps it’s actually Mindy, who is with 25 germ carrying rug rats each and every weekday. Either way, my immune system is being put to the test. I grabbed my fleece jacket to wear on my walk with Ykraps thinking it was going to be chilly. There was a slight chill in the air but nothing like I had imagined. That’s coming later this week. I was actually quite warm – a little too warm for the jacket I had on. We’re expecting rain by mid day today and the sky already looked mostly cloudy through the darkness. And just in case you were wondering, whatever was ailing Ykraps seems to have totally cleared. His stool is back to being firm, brown, and about ¾” in diameter. No more table scraps for him. Upon my return, I whipped up two cups of coffee and took one to Mindy, who I could hear was already up and stirring in the bathroom. It was already 6:25am. I was about 20 minutes behind schedule. Regardless, I took my time moving forward so not to rattle my world. Food prep went slow this morning for whatever reason. I didn’t finish making breakfast and lunch until 7:00am. Both kids had school today so it took Mindy a little extra time making sure they had what they needed to have happy and successful day. They left on time, somewhere close to 7:15am. After I showered and made my way downstairs I noticed the sun shining brightly albeit briefly over the eastwardly rooftops. Very pleasant! I didn’t leave for work until about 7:45am. Today’s trip to work would be a bit unusual in that I was taking the boat back to storage first. I took Trabue to Old Dublin Rd to Scioto Darby Rd and finally to Lee’s RV’s. I placed the boat in its private bay in the front building. That’s real nice! That took only about ten minutes. I took the back way into Hilliard further west on Scioto-Darby Rd to Leap Rd. On Leap I stopped at the UDF at Cemetery Rd for gas. It was only $2.05 per gallon. The lowest I’ve seen it anywhere. By the time I filled my tank and was on the road to work it was already 8:17am. I arrived to work minutes later. I had a lot planned for the work day and got busy fast. I had a couple of meetings and plenty of project work to complete. I didn’t leave for my run until 1pm even. As I left the office the sky looked to be brightening out west. For that I was happy. By the time I dressed and hit the back doors a light rain had fallen slightly wetting the walks. No rain falling when I left, however. Probably at about the 3.5 mile mark, it began to rain ever so lightly, but I wasn’t to be detoured. After a quick shower I returned to my office for some lunch and more fun at my desk. I worked hard for the remaining three hours or so and by its end, I had logged a very productive day. I finished up what I was doing and left for the day at about 5:15pm. Along my way home I stopped in Home Depot to pick-up some stainless steel screws for the boat and a few ceiling hooks to hang some decorative objects from Jacob’s bedroom ceiling. I found the perfect hardware for each application, and headed home a happy camper. Once at home I quickly unloaded my gear and got cracking on my chores. Mindy took much of the stress away by taking my lunch dishes. I took Ykraps for his walk while Mindy cleaned and began prepping for dinner. We agreed on Tilapia and broccoli with cheese. While dinner cooked, I caught up on my blog, pictures included. The fish was good. We baked and then broiled the fish. This helped keep it moist on the inside yet slightly crunchy on the outside. After dinner I headed upstairs to hang the ceiling hooks in Jacob’s bedroom. We successfully placed two hooks and subsequently hung two lamps in opposite corners. The kids returned home during my labor. Mindy prompted the kids to the bathroom for a bath while I tinkered in Jacob’s room. Lastly, I placed the two 3X5 pirate flags we bought at the fair over the two roll up blinds already hanging. It looks cool! As I finished it was time for the kids to go to bed. After the y went to sleep, Mindy and I went down stairs. She played on the computer and I tuned into Monday Night Football. I popped some popcorn to go along with the football. For whatever reason, it tasted so good! I popped tow bags. Mindy went to bed by 9:30pm after I rubbed a knot out of her neck. I must have fallen asleep before she went up. I don’t recall her leaving my side. I woke up around 10:30pm and headed to bed myself.

One Year Anniversary Together - Vikings 2-0

Damn! I didn’t wake Sunday morning until after 9am. I was frustrated only because an early start nets a more productive day. For whatever reason, I have been getting 8+ hours sleep a lot lately, and seemingly needing all of it. Up until not long ago, getting more than 7.25 hrs sleep was almost unheard of in my world, and I never felt tired. Maybe it’s body chemistry, or maybe Mindy. By the time I rolled out of bed, Lindsey and lil’ Rocky were already gone. They left early for mass. It was just Mindy and I. After working through my exercises I leashed up Yrkaps for our morning walk. My throat had a twinge, or a frog, whatever you want to call it that I couldn’t seem to clear. It bothered me all morning. The coffee we had made smelt and tasted awfully good. We enjoyed our coffee on the deck as the thick morning fog was beginning to clear. By 9:45 it was completely clear – nothing but sunny blue skies. At about 10:30 I dressed for my run and took off out the door. Before heading out, Mindy and I decided that we would go hiking today in lieu of chores or watching the Vikings game. We selected Madison Lake. My run went well and the sun was warming the air quickly. The temps today were predicted to possibly reach the mid 80’s. I made quick work of the run, and was only slightly annoyed by the abundance of traffic on Trabue and Hague this morning. There was about three times more than usual, but it was admittedly later than when I usually run. Earlier, we had even tinkered with the idea of boating but never gave it serious consideration. It looked like it would’ve been a good day for it, regardless. After my return, Mindy had some scrambled eggs dressed up with fresh garden peppers, onions, and cheese. We also warmed the left over pancakes from the morning prior. It was good! After breakfast we took a shower. I was very smelly & sweaty from the run. We hit the door destined for Madison Lake at 1pm sharp. We took the BM’er. I had pulled up a map of Madison Lake and the surrounding area. We left having a general idea of how to get there. We assumed that there would be signage to assist once we got close anyhow. We were wrong. We took I-70 west to route 42 – fine! And we headed south through London (first time ever) to the rt 56/rt 665 junction. That’s where we got turned around. We took 56 instead of 665. I remembered the lake being sandwiched between the two. But after several miles heading back east on 56, we figured we had gone the wrong direction. That’s when Mindy decided to use our “phone a friend option”. She has a buddy at work that lives out here. She called her and requested guidance. She told us to turnaround and go back the 665/56 jct. but instead of taking 56 we should’ve taken 665, and then a few miles down the road there would be a sign to turn right headed to the park. We followed her guidance and found the park just as Mindy’s friend had advised. Still, the signage was poorly displayed and placed as if approaching from a single direction. Once we found the lake/park I think we discovered why it’s so poorly marked. NO BODY VISITS. It was pretty lame, although there were a few nice picnic grounds surrounding the smallish lake. But from a hiking perspective, it left a lot to be desired. We stayed for about thirty minutes walking both the east side then driving over to the west side of the lake. More of the same. By now it was 2:30pm and both of us had other things we wanted to accomplish this afternoon. We headed back towards home. Instead of going back I-70, we took 665 since we were right off of it. That was a beautiful cruise in the BM’er with the top down. You can see and feel the seasonal change in the air. It’s coming fast and furious, but I can hardly believe it. We eventually came upon Trapper John’s in Darbydale, and then took Norton the rest of the way into town to I-270 north. We were home by 3:00pm. We spent little time resting. After a quick snack, Mindy headed off to Schottenstein’s and I headed off to deal with the boat. They need it moved out of the storage warehouse so that they can pour a concrete floor in side. I am very pleased with that but a little bothered that I have to figure out what to do with it for three weeks. I did need to do a little preventative maintenance on it, however, so I was happy to get it done today. Ed, the manager of the facility was very kind, he said he would find inside storage in one the may building s on prem if I wee insistent on inside storage. He also he would credit me if I took it home for three weeks while they make the upgrades. Anyhow, when I arrived to get my boat the building was already empty. I couldn’t find my boat. I went in to speak with Ed to locate it. He took me out front to the private bay building. I think he assumed that I’d take it home. I asked to keep it there. Long story short, he gave me a key to the private bay for now. That will work out very nicely as the boating season winds down. I took the boat home to hopefully install the three rubber bushings I bought on my b-day. The tow for the ladder went really well. I had to modify the replacement bushing by cutting them down a little but that was easy with a hack saw. I drilled a pilot hole and then a counter sink hole in each. When finished it looked like new! I pulled the top back to replaced the windshield bumper. The one I bought by eye matched up perfectly. The problem was I didn’t have the stainless steel screw I’d need to install it. No worries, I’d simply pick one up at Home Depot or Lowes and install it next time out. But there won’t be too many more times out, I’m sure. Once, maybe twice if I am lucky. After putting my gear away and covering the boat, I began my yard chores. Since I fertilized last Monday, we have had oodles of rain. The grass is once again thick, lush, and green. Mindy arrived home just as I began. She showed me some of her “bargains”, but then I got down to business. While out back trimming, Jim arrived back with the kids. It seems I am either working on the boat or cutting the lawn whenever he returns the kids. I am always dressed the same too. J I finished cutting and grooming the lawn by 6pm. After I finished, I gave the kids a tractor ride around the yard and down the street. They love it! Mindy was making cheese burgers for dinner. We finished eating our dinner by 7:00pm. We all walked Ykraps together much like a family. After we retuned Mindy got the kids ready for bed while I watched foot ball highlights. I forgot to mention that the Vikings pulled off on hell of a comeback victory against the Carolina Panthers. Last I knew it was the 4th quarter and they trailed 13-6 and statistically had done nothing on offense. Regardless, I remained calm and carried on with my day. While cutting the lawn I had a surge of goose bumps and felt confident that when I went in and checked the scores that the Vikings would have pulled it out. And pull it out they did! Thanks in part to Chris Gamble (former Buckeye). Vikings won 16-13 in OT, just as I had hoped to hear. I helped tuck the kids into bed. They were tired. After they were settled Mindy and I got in the hot tub. It was a cool but beautiful evening. We both had aching bodies so the jets felt great and were just what the doctor ordered. Mindy went to bed immediately after we tubbed. I opened a Goose Island IPA so I stayed up enjoying it along with the Sunday Night Football game between Dallas and Washington. Dallas had the upper hand when I finally went to bed. I was in bed before 10pm.

Tucci's

We woke kind of early given that we didn’t go to sleep until well after 1am. I think that I was up and about by 8:25am. Mindy, however, was already downstairs with the kids tending to their needs. I stayed upstairs to complete my push-ups and sit-ups preferring to get them done without interruption. As I ventured downstairs the house was a rockin’ with three little ones having fun. I was hopeful that Mindy wouldn’t have Ykraps carpet bomb story to share. She didn’t. After whipping out a set of curls with my dumbbells, I leashed up Ykraps for a walk. When we returned I sipped my first cup of coffee. As I sat and contemplated the day ahead, Mindy began making breakfast for the kids. She made Maple bacon and pancakes. I didn’t eat any before my run. I never do. My culinary reward will be recognized after I finish. I left for my run just before 9:30am. I took my usual weekend route still shrouded under the blanket of thick fog. It had only begun to thin as I finished. When I returned, I was ready for some of that scrumptious food. Lindsey pointed out that it was hiding in the microwave. We were out of the ‘good maple syrup’, so issued honey, cinnamon, and Splenda. That was good too! By the time I finished eating and cleaning up the mess, It was nearly 11am. I had promised Mindy for some time that we’d hang Jacob’s shelves today, so that was next on the agenda. After gathering the right tools, Mindy and I got started. We hung all four via anchors and screws just before the Buckeye’s opening kick-off. Once the game started I headed down stairs to enjoy the game. Mindy stayed up decorating Jacob’s new shelves with all the pirate fodder she’s accumulated over the last month or so. The game didn’t begin well for the Buckeye’s. They looked a step slow on defense and a bit tentative on offense just s many faithful fans feared. The kids were being noisy and rambunctious so I decided to head up to my room where I could close the door and watch the game in peace. I was a tad stressed. Our room is like a retreat in itself, and thankfully quiet. I watched as the Buckeye’s slowly began to take control of the game. After sitting idle for about thirty minutes, I decided I’d get up and get cracking on scrubbing the master bath tile floor as well as the large soaking tub. For the next 1.5 hours I meticulously scrubbed the white grout with a narrow scrub brush after applying a generous coating of Clorox cleaner with Bleach and allowing it to soak in. Not only did it brighten the white grout, but it also restored the original matte finish to the tile. It literally sparkled when I finished. In addition to all the scrubbing, I trimmed the fern plant that sits in the large corner of the soaking tub. It was looking rather straggly but now it looks like new, too. And talk about the power of two. While I was scrubbing upstairs and enjoying the game, Mindy was downstairs scrubbing the kitchen and walkway tile floor. It’s white and shows dirt very easily. After we finished the floors, Mindy went to fetch her mother for a visit. I got busy right away on replacing three small decking boards that filled the corners around my hot tub. The originals were pulled in May of 2005 so that I could raise the hot tub for repairs. After resinking the tub this past May, I had yet to put full closure to the project by replacing those three boards. Today that would change. Although the pieces were small (each about 21 inches long), they had some tricky cuts & angles. This work required my circular saw, jig saw, and miter saw. It took about an hour to completely finish the job. I felt very good about getting it done once and for all. And since I was on a roll, after I finished that I grabbed the jar of white touch up paint that pretty much covers my entire house and touched up a few nicks and smudges around the house that have been bugging me all summer. After I finished, I sat down to relax and enjoy the rest of the Michigan vs. Notre dame game. Michigan was killing them something like 34-10 at halftime. Ouch!! Lindsey had called all upset and talked with Mindy. Out of the blue she showed up at our door thirty minutes later. She was fighting with her mother – again. We told her she could stay the night but that the kids wouldn’t be there nor would we. Lindsey and her mother fight constantly. Quite honestly, neither are very good at resolving conflict, but both are good at instigating. Of course that’s just my opinion. Mindy left to run her mother home sometime close to six o’clock. Lindsey asked if she could go along for the ride. I stayed home with the three little ones. At first they all fussed thinking instead that they were going to get to go along with Mindy. Thinking quick on my feet, I yelled, “fishy, fishy, cross my ocean”. They all came running after me into the back yard. Lil’ Rocky continued asking for his mommy about ol’ one hundred and fifty times until I was thoroughly annoyed. But he’s only three, and knows little else other than his mommy. We’re working on that. Kaileigh on the other hand, just loves spending time with me. We played for the entire half hour that Mindy and Lindsey were gone. The last ten minutes the kids gathered round while I played guitar. I was hoping that they’d sing but they screamed loudly instead. The day wound down and the evening wore on. Jim Manken arrived to pick-up the kids just after 7:30pm as planned. I jumped in the shower. Mindy had already done so. Tonight we were going to dinner to celebrate our one year anniversary. We had 8:30 reservations at Tucci’s in Dublin – the same restaurant we visited on our first ‘pick-me-up date’ last September 24th. Mindy looked even prettier tonight than she looked a year ago. It must be me that helps brings out the beauty. We drove the BM’er and arrived at Tucci’s 15 minutes early. After giving our name for an outdoor table, we sat in the bar, but didn’t drink. Our table became available close to fifteen minutes later. I caught a glimpse of Cynthia Hengeli, an old friend of mine, having dinner at the first table in the door. I saw her and she saw me. Neither of us acknowledged the other, however. We sat at a comfy table outside nestled between two warm patio heaters. We ordered key lime martini’s to begin our dinner and eventually two separate appetizers – blackened bay scallops, and crab cakes. For entrees, Mindy ordered filet mignon – just like last year. I ordered the crusted grouper. After about fifteen minutes the server returned to tell me that they were out of it. I changed my order to the BLT strip steak. After ordering second drinks, Mindy ordered a bowl of their tomato bisque. I had several spoonfuls. It was delicious! Everything was tasty. And even though I really wanted the grouper, the steak they brought looked out of this world delicious too. I must be a fair food critic, the steak looked fabulous but was tougher than nails. It was very rubbery and hard to cut even with a steak knife. Still, it was good tasting and everything else was above average. The night would have been ideal and the service rated superb had they not committed the heater blunder. The heater behind Mindy went out. When we informed our server she fetched a manger since she had no idea how to reignite it. When the manager came over he was very apologetic but instead of relighting he took it away and placed it by another table. What? I called for his attention and brought to light his blunder. He did some fast talking and had a good argument but that did little to address the problem. Choosing not to make a scene we graciously forgave him since our dinner was all but done. We left after receiving our bill, which incidentally included both the strip and the grouper. Mindy was wise enough to scan the bill for the proper charges and caught their third blunder of the night. This was a special night for us so we chose to focus more on the positive events rather than the mistakes. When we retuned to the BM’er the night air had chilled considerably. Rules are rules, however. We still drove with the top down. After turning in the heater and the seat warmers, the ride was very enjoyable. At home I thought that I was sure to get lucky. I mean, hey, Mindy wanted to hot tub and it was our anniversary, but she was crashing fast. Her pulse was soaring around 100 beats per minute. Soon she was asleep. I was OK with that. She was asleep before 11pm. I wasn’t too far behind. Perhaps a really good night’s sleep was in order.

Firkin Friday - Short North Tavern

It’s Friday once again, and I’d be surprised if anyone’s happier about it than me. My fast moving work week was aided by a four day work week, since I scheduled Monday off for my birthday. But still, I was eager for another weekend. I found my way out of bed right on time and was downstairs beginning my exercises by 5:38am. As I began to exercise routine I felt something was amiss. On closer inspection, I found three small piles of dog puke beside me as I laid to begin my sit-ups. After working through the sit-ups I jumped to my feet and headed to the kitchen for the Resolve carpet cleaner. On my way, I glanced into the dining room where I saw what appeared to be a pile of dog shit. I turned on the light and verified my fear. There it was – big, bold, and brown. Damn it! My eyes carried further into the living room where I saw nothing extra awaiting me – thankfully. But as I went to get some toilet tissue to start the clean-up, I found two more fresher piles of dog vomit lying between the dining and living room area. This was fresh, and nasty. Rather than freak out I went about cleaning up in between my individual exercises. After the initial clean-up and the completion of my exercises I leashed up Ykraps, although somewhat begrudgingly, to take him on his morning walk. All things considered, at least he didn’t piss on the carpet. That’s the most painstaking clean-up process on white carpet. I worried a little too that he might be really sick. I didn’t remember giving him anything that might have caused such a reaction. For now, though, he seemed fine and had a wet nose though. But during our walk he exhibited similar symptoms when he took a runny dump. I knew then that I’d be caging him while we’re at work. When we returned to the house I proceeded as normal with the coffee making. When Mindy came down stairs I told her of the mishap. It was then that I remembered giving Ykraps remnants of the Wal-Mart roasted chicken that Mindy had brought home for dinner the night before. I’ll bet the heavy spices or grease was too much for his system. Note to self. No more table scraps for Ykraps. I believe that I’ve been down this road before. After the eventful start to the morning, the rest of it went about as normal. Mindy left for school with the kids at 7:15am and I finished getting ready. I spent my free time before departure on the deck playing guitar under a lovely sunrise. I drove the BM’er to help start the weekend off right. I wore a jacket and I’m glad I did. Even though it was sunny, the air temperature was chilly – mid 50’s. The work day started off unusually slow especially for a Friday. Things picked up through the morning, however. I left for my run around 12:30pm. I took my usual route and felt a little heavy legged. Halfway through the heaviness subsided and I felt about as good as one could expect. After my shower I took a cruise in my BM’er to simply enjoy the fabulous weather. I should do that more. It helps put my head in a good place. Upon my return to the office I ate my lunch and then dug back into grind. At around 4:30pm I went about wrapping up the day and readying myself for a weekend. I left the building at 5:10pm destined for home. I made a stop at the Kroger floral shop to pick-up roses for Mindy since this weekend marks our one year anniversary. We met at the Imber’s clubhouse on Saturday, September 17th. I got her three dozen red, orange, and yellow roses. I knew that she’d love then and I wanted her to have a bunch! I arrived home somewhere close to 5:45pm. I unloaded all of my gear first then went back out to the BM’er for the flowers. Bella saw them first and told her momma. Mindy seemed surprised and happy with the gesture. She also reported having cleaned up a shitty mess left by Ykraps. But at least this one was confined to his pen and its surroundings. Apparently he spewed diarrhea on his many stuffed pets located in his pen and even squirted some out around the floor. All the tell tale signs were all but gone when I arrived. Good! It wasn’t long before Lindsey arrived with lil’ Rocky. She was planning to spend the night and watch the kids while Mindy and I went to Barleys and the Short North Tavern. Mindy readied herself for a night out first. I had nothing to do but change my shirt, brush my teeth and hair. I waited till the last minute. We left for Barleys around 8:10pm. The kids were already in bed for the night when we left. That was by design. That way the last face they see before bed and the first face they see in the AM is their mother. We drove the Trooper and arrived at Barleys just as darkness was setting in. The bar was fairly well packed but we would be without Bob & MA as well as Jeremy and Courtney. But then again, the night’s not about those that aren’t. Instead, it’s about those that are. J Steve, Mark, Scott, Scott’s wife (forgot her name), Rick, and of course Janet and Lee were there. I had but two beers (both IPA’s). Mindy had a glass of Shiraz and a southwestern salad. We left just before 10pm headed for The Short North Tavern. We cut through Grandview and through Victorian Village in route. Once at High St. we headed south until we got to our destination. We found a parking spot right on High St about a block north. We were lucky. Deanna’s band, No Such Fate, was already playing and on the last two songs of the first set by the time we arrived and were seated. I ordered a CBC on draught and Mindy ordered a Mike’s Hard Lemonade. During the first break, Deanna and Kevin came by. We ordered them shots of Absolut Citron. Mindy’s friend and co-worker Rene finally arrived with her beau, J.D. (word has it that he’s Mayor Coleman’s son). They didn’t stay too long and didn’t do any drinking except for water. We hung out through two more full sets, their third. We left just as they were taking their final break. By the time we arrived home (Mindy drove), it was nearly 1am in the morning. We pretty much went straight to bed. Before I dosed off, I took two Advil and filled my cup with ice water. Hurry to sleep – the kids will almost assuredly be up early!

On the border

Not a true representation of the actual 'chicken' border we hung for Gloria, but it should give you a good idea I woke Thursday at 5:35am and found my way downstairs by 5:40am. The weather today was slated to be much more conducive to my summery preference. With little fanfare, I whipped out my exercises and then walked Ykraps around the block and down the street. I made Mindy her coffee and delivered it to her beside (she’s so lucky). After the special delivery, I began the tedious process of daily food prep – both breakfast and lunch. I made tuna fish, which I hadn’t had in weeks. Mindy and the kids disappeared around 7:15am. I had the rest of my time at home all to myself. With that time I grabbed a stool and played guitar for a spell. I drove the BM’er today since I was going to Gloria’s after to work to hang wallpaper border. The ride to work was uneventful. Work itself, however, was extremely busy. But I don’t mind busy. I left for my Thursday run closer to 1pm for being so busy. The run was a happy one in that the temperature was fall like, the sky sunny, and the humidity low. My afternoon was spent working just as hard as I had in the morning. I was busy right up until the proverbial bell sounded. I left right at 5PM to ensure that I would be at Mindy’s mom’s by 5:30pm as planned. I arrived at 5:34pm.I talked to my momma along the way. She seemed most concerned with Tommy’s situation. Not be difficult, I told her she should talk to Tommy to learn more about what’s up with him. It’s not my place or my desire to gossip. Still, we talked about a number of things, including what I did for my birthday. Gloria wasn’t home when I arrived, but Mindy was already there and had fed the kids. We were having KFC. I have had it only one other time in the last ten or fifteen years. As soon as Gloria arrived home we sat down for dinner. After dinner we hung the drywall border. Mindy’s an old pro at hanging border. I was more like her slave and hey you. I quipped that I didn’t like being the employee. After finishing the border, Mindy gave the kids a quick bath. I took a look at Gloria’s drippy faucet. I think I could fix it by replacing the o-rings. We left and were home by 7:45pm. The kids chose to ride with me. I’m still like a ride at the fair when it comes to riding in cars. Otherwise, I’m old hat. I took the kids and Ykraps on a walk as soon as we arrived home. He’d been holding it all day long. Once Mindy arrived, she got the kids to bed in short order. After they were in bed, Mindy worked on my aching upper back with the some warming gel and massaging balls. They work very well. I have string of knots on my left upper back that flare up from time to time. She went to bed around 9:30pm. I stayed up and read for about fifteen or twenty minutes. Once I started drifting off to sleep, I got up and headed to bed myself.