Stain - a lasting impression

I didn’t sleep that good at all, but after yesterday I was excited just to be out of bed at a reasonable hour. It was 7:30am. I was up in the middle of the night craving food – something I rarely if ever do. That ill feeling that was so prevalent the day prior was almost completely gone. I was happy to exercise and make my coffee. The sky was clouded over – sort of what we’ve come to expect on Memorial Day in Ohio. As I walked Ykraps a large female deer came meandering out from our back yard and into the street. I was surprised at how nonchalantly she pranced around. Eventually she darted off between the neighbors’ houses and we lost sight of her. I hoped that the kids caught a glimpse of her. However, turns out that they didn’t. They were playing in the basement. The sky began to brighten as I sipped my coffee. It was looking more and more like a 'staining' day. I found my running shorts and hit the streets before 930am. I ran along Trabue thinking that it being a holiday and all traffic would be light. It was. I returned from my run hungry. Mindy warmed some French toast leftover from the morning prior. It was mighty yummy. After I ate I moved into staining mode. I rounded up the necessary tools and made my way to neighbor Pat’s to hopefully borrow his aluminum extension ladder. He and Lisa were up and sitting on their deck. After a brief conversation he fetched me the ladder and I headed home ready to get busy. I decided to stain the front side first. I wanted to ensure the color was to my liking and the front would take the most time with the double doors and all the trim. I figured, too, that after completing one whole side, Mindy and I would do something fun after the kids leave for the pool with their daddy. The staining took a little longer than I expected, but it was relaxing. The wood sucked that stuff up. Still, I bought quality stain that covered nicely in one good coat. It took a while to do all the grooves in the T-111 as well as all the 1X4” trim boards around the door and roof line. Brother Tommy stopped by for about an hour while I stained, He spent most of his time visiting and talking with Mindy. I was focused. I finished up around 2:00pm. Mindy and I talked. I offered up a couple of ideas. I thought we could hike Darby Park or possibly even Hayden Falls. Mindy was certain that Darby would be a zoo having spent a prior Memorial Day there, so she opted for Hayden Falls. After a quick shower we took the BM’er and and a few provisions and headed out the door for Hayden Falls. We exited Scioto Woods at the rear and ventured by my dad’s. We could see that Tommy and Uncle Kenny were visiting. Mindy asked if I wanted to stop in. I opted not for wanting to get on with our venture. We cruised up Old Dublin Rd toward Hayden. It was a fun drive. Once at Hayden we quickly realized how crowded it was, at least judging by the jammed parking lot. We nixed the idea of stopping. Instead of hiking we did the next best thing. We drove to the Mill Run Target to shop! I wasn’t sure what Mindy had in mind but we went. Once inside she began looking at girly stuff right away. I ventured off on my own offering that we’d meet up later. That worked for her. I found my way to the flip-flops after remembering that I needed a new pair. I found a pair I liked quickly. They’re a substantial upgrade from the $5 pair I bought some 7 or 8 years ago. I looked next at running shorts and tops. I ended up selecting one sleeveless sweat sucking shirt, as well a Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon t-shirt. Before looking for Mindy I found a new back pack that will better suit my travel needs over the one I already have. It will protect my laptop and leave plenty of extra room for books, camera, and other miscellaneous items. I found Mindy close to the check out area. She wanted to show me a few things. We ended up buying a new 4-tier shoe rack for the laundry room – one shelf per person – a very good idea! Sometimes our laundry room looks like a Pick-way shoe mart. We picked up a couple more ‘bubba cups’ for our trip too. Lastly, I bought a raspberry lemonade Icee on our way to the car. We headed towards home. There were scattered showers all around the area. We missed them all but drove through the remnants. We decided to stop in and visit my dad and Uncle Kenny as we passed. They were still sitting under the car port sipping tea. Tommy had already left for home. We visited for just under an hour. It occurred to me during our visit just how old these two are getting – both of them nursing various injuries and telling their stories. Note to self. It was a nice visit. UK is quite the conversationalist. We left just after 5:30pm. And just as we were leaving, Jamaken called indicating that he was already back at the house with the kids. I walked Ykraps as soon as we got home. Jacob joined me along the walk having his dad drop him at the corner to catch me. I lit the grill when I returned. We cooked burgers on the grill while the kids played with their new friends next door. After dinner I took to watering the flowers in the front yard giving them a good thorough soaking. I thought about sprinkling but was convinced we had a big storm coming after checking weather radar. Never did rain. Mindy spelled me for a few while I tucked in the kids. After watering and talking it was almost 9:30pm. Still feeling the effects of a wild Saturday night, I opted for an early bedtime.