1) My Charlie Brown Xmas tree
2) Door to door poinsietta vendors
3) Macy's Xmas shopping
There wouldn’t be much slack in my morning. I was up at 7:00am even though my body desired another hour of sleep. After all, priorities are priorities. Mindy needed to be at choir practice by 9am which translated into a 7am wake-up call for me if I wanted to run before she left. I would be staying home with Jacob, Kaileigh, and Bella.
Just the idea that I would have to postpone my run until sometime after 12 noon sent shivers down my spine. That’s all I needed as motivation to get up and moving.
While I pounded out my exercises the kids began to stir and mill about the house. Mindy remained in bed for a little while longer. By the time I returned from walking Ykraps everyone was up and about.
Mindy began making bacon and eggs just before I left for my run. For the first time in a long while, I was running before 8am on a Saturday. I took the Trabue Rd route, and the traffic wasn’t too bad at all.
I was back by 8:30am and breakfast was all but ready. I finished cooking the eggs so Mindy could put the finishing touches on herself before heading to choir. By 8:55am Mindy was gone and I was left to fend for myself with Jacob, Bella, and Kaileigh!
We ate our breakfast, played, and watched some television. The kids wanted to watch Elf. While the kids watched the movie, I blogged. I got out my saxophone out for a blow after blogging. Bella was not too amused. She insisted I stop playing. If wish you could’ve seen her eyes! I didn’t stop. Instead, I asked her to go play in another room if my booming tunes bothered her.
Time passed quickly and soon Shelly, Kaileigh’s step-mother to be showed up to picked her up. Earlier, I had tried unsuccessfully to get permission for Kaileigh to stay again tonight. Shelly had plans to get Kaileigh’s hair done, so she couldn’t allow it. I don’t see Kaileigh nearly enough.
Mindy was home in two shakes of a rattle. It was just after 12 noon. I took a fast shower then dressed for an afternoon of Xmas shopping alone. I thought that I might take in a movie too but didn’t have any firm plans. Just before leaving, we were solicited by a pack of young girls selling small poinsiettas for $4 each. Mindy bought one and gave them $5. I left for Tuttle Mall around 12:30pm.
Reality struck once I got within a mile of the mall. Traffic was backed up on I-270 for at least a mile as it often is around the holidays. The idea that it was a shopping weekend never fully dawned on me until that moment. I would soon be in the middle of all the Xmas shopping chaos.
Being a Tuttle mall veteran I was smart enough to know to avoid the foolish practice of circling in the lot waiting for a close parking spot. Instead, I drove around back and found a spot quickly, but even those were few and far between.
I shopped Macy’s first – my favorite store. After 1.5 hours and about six stores later, I left empty handed. I know myself all to well. I need to find that first gift before I start making measurable progress. My next stop was the Sawmill Rd area. I stopped in the Wine Vault to check for Honey Raspberry Ale. They had none. However, the stop wasn’t for not. I managed to find a hard-to-find gift for another.
Next, I shopped Target. This used to be my favorite Target in the city. Today, however, it was a bit picked over, but I did manage to drop a couple hundo on many small gifts for family. After Target I crossed Sawmill to shop Kohl’s and Dick’s. Most notably, I was hoping to find a Buckeye jersey for Jacoby. Kohl’s had no youth jerseys and Dick’s the lines were 25 deep in each lane. I wasn’t waiting and there was only one jersey close to his size. I put it back for another to purchase.
I felt OK with my limited progress. Realistically, this is a three or four major shopping day thing for me each year. One down, three to go. Before heading home I had a few more stops. First, I stopped at Strader’s after hearing a radio add for $5 poinsettia plants. I stopped and bought two.
Mindy called for about the fourth or fifth time. Honestly, I thought about not answering but ultimately did. Holy smoke! She asked me to pick-up the proverbial milk if I thought about it. On my way down Riverside Dr I stopped at the Big Greek Cuisina to get a gyro combo. They have the best gyros in town bar none.
My loop was almost complete. I had one or two more stops. I stopped at Kroger in lower Arlington/Grandview on Chambers Rd to pick-up some beer, wine, and yes, milk. I was going to stop at Gentile’s too but after Kroger there wasn’t a real need. For a grocery store, they have a most excellent beer selection.
It was nearly 5pm and I was finally headed home. I had pretty much circled the entire NW side, albeit efficiently with little or no back tracking. That’s always an indirect goal of such adventures. And even though I didn’t get some people taken care of as I had wished, I did get some good ideas.
At home I put things away and took Ykraps on his evening walk. The sun was sinking fast. Just as we got back home, Mindy and the kids returned form visiting her friend Tara. For the next couple of hours we tidied up around the house and the kids ate their Wendy’s dinner. Mindy picked herself up some Barley’s carry-out.
Mindy wanted the kids in bed by 7:30pm if for no other reason than their late night Friday. Jacob was understandably bummed about the potential of missing the Heisman announcement. I assured him that I would wake him up. He reluctantly bought that option. But realistically, he had little choice!
The Heisman show began promptly at 8pm. I pour myself one of my new Holiday Ales - Goose Island Christmas Ale. It was very yummy. ESPN milked the Heisman show for an entire hour, but did a very nice job.
Troy Smith, our OSU hero, won it! He beat out a local boy, Brady Quinn from Notre Dame. Troy Smith spoke with conviction and intent. I was very impressed. Seemingly, he’s become a good role model for our youth. I’m very glad he won.
After the Heisman, I had a couple more beers. I switched back and forth between Columbus Pale Ale and the Goose Island Christmas Ale. We went to bed just after 10pm. Another morning with pressing deadlines comes Sunday.
1) My Charlie Brown Xmas tree
2) Door to door poinsietta vendors
3) Macy's Xmas shopping
There wouldn’t be much slack in my morning. I was up at 7:00am even though my body desired another hour of sleep. After all, priorities are priorities. Mindy needed to be at choir practice by 9am which translated into a 7am wake-up call for me if I wanted to run before she left. I would be staying home with Jacob, Kaileigh, and Bella.
Just the idea that I would have to postpone my run until sometime after 12 noon sent shivers down my spine. That’s all I needed as motivation to get up and moving.
While I pounded out my exercises the kids began to stir and mill about the house. Mindy remained in bed for a little while longer. By the time I returned from walking Ykraps everyone was up and about.
Mindy began making bacon and eggs just before I left for my run. For the first time in a long while, I was running before 8am on a Saturday. I took the Trabue Rd route, and the traffic wasn’t too bad at all.
I was back by 8:30am and breakfast was all but ready. I finished cooking the eggs so Mindy could put the finishing touches on herself before heading to choir. By 8:55am Mindy was gone and I was left to fend for myself with Jacob, Bella, and Kaileigh!
We ate our breakfast, played, and watched some television. The kids wanted to watch Elf. While the kids watched the movie, I blogged. I got out my saxophone out for a blow after blogging. Bella was not too amused. She insisted I stop playing. If wish you could’ve seen her eyes! I didn’t stop. Instead, I asked her to go play in another room if my booming tunes bothered her.
Time passed quickly and soon Shelly, Kaileigh’s step-mother to be showed up to picked her up. Earlier, I had tried unsuccessfully to get permission for Kaileigh to stay again tonight. Shelly had plans to get Kaileigh’s hair done, so she couldn’t allow it. I don’t see Kaileigh nearly enough.
Mindy was home in two shakes of a rattle. It was just after 12 noon. I took a fast shower then dressed for an afternoon of Xmas shopping alone. I thought that I might take in a movie too but didn’t have any firm plans. Just before leaving, we were solicited by a pack of young girls selling small poinsiettas for $4 each. Mindy bought one and gave them $5. I left for Tuttle Mall around 12:30pm.
Reality struck once I got within a mile of the mall. Traffic was backed up on I-270 for at least a mile as it often is around the holidays. The idea that it was a shopping weekend never fully dawned on me until that moment. I would soon be in the middle of all the Xmas shopping chaos.
Being a Tuttle mall veteran I was smart enough to know to avoid the foolish practice of circling in the lot waiting for a close parking spot. Instead, I drove around back and found a spot quickly, but even those were few and far between.
I shopped Macy’s first – my favorite store. After 1.5 hours and about six stores later, I left empty handed. I know myself all to well. I need to find that first gift before I start making measurable progress. My next stop was the Sawmill Rd area. I stopped in the Wine Vault to check for Honey Raspberry Ale. They had none. However, the stop wasn’t for not. I managed to find a hard-to-find gift for another.
Next, I shopped Target. This used to be my favorite Target in the city. Today, however, it was a bit picked over, but I did manage to drop a couple hundo on many small gifts for family. After Target I crossed Sawmill to shop Kohl’s and Dick’s. Most notably, I was hoping to find a Buckeye jersey for Jacoby. Kohl’s had no youth jerseys and Dick’s the lines were 25 deep in each lane. I wasn’t waiting and there was only one jersey close to his size. I put it back for another to purchase.
I felt OK with my limited progress. Realistically, this is a three or four major shopping day thing for me each year. One down, three to go. Before heading home I had a few more stops. First, I stopped at Strader’s after hearing a radio add for $5 poinsettia plants. I stopped and bought two.
Mindy called for about the fourth or fifth time. Honestly, I thought about not answering but ultimately did. Holy smoke! She asked me to pick-up the proverbial milk if I thought about it. On my way down Riverside Dr I stopped at the Big Greek Cuisina to get a gyro combo. They have the best gyros in town bar none.
My loop was almost complete. I had one or two more stops. I stopped at Kroger in lower Arlington/Grandview on Chambers Rd to pick-up some beer, wine, and yes, milk. I was going to stop at Gentile’s too but after Kroger there wasn’t a real need. For a grocery store, they have a most excellent beer selection.
It was nearly 5pm and I was finally headed home. I had pretty much circled the entire NW side, albeit efficiently with little or no back tracking. That’s always an indirect goal of such adventures. And even though I didn’t get some people taken care of as I had wished, I did get some good ideas.
At home I put things away and took Ykraps on his evening walk. The sun was sinking fast. Just as we got back home, Mindy and the kids returned form visiting her friend Tara. For the next couple of hours we tidied up around the house and the kids ate their Wendy’s dinner. Mindy picked herself up some Barley’s carry-out.
Mindy wanted the kids in bed by 7:30pm if for no other reason than their late night Friday. Jacob was understandably bummed about the potential of missing the Heisman announcement. I assured him that I would wake him up. He reluctantly bought that option. But realistically, he had little choice!
The Heisman show began promptly at 8pm. I pour myself one of my new Holiday Ales - Goose Island Christmas Ale. It was very yummy. ESPN milked the Heisman show for an entire hour, but did a very nice job.
Troy Smith, our OSU hero, won it! He beat out a local boy, Brady Quinn from Notre Dame. Troy Smith spoke with conviction and intent. I was very impressed. Seemingly, he’s become a good role model for our youth. I’m very glad he won.
After the Heisman, I had a couple more beers. I switched back and forth between Columbus Pale Ale and the Goose Island Christmas Ale. We went to bed just after 10pm. Another morning with pressing deadlines comes Sunday.
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