A celebration was indeed in order. I rolled out of bed around 7:30am to begin my Saturday. I had just nailed down a full nine hours sleep for the first time since last Friday night. And that much coveted sleep left me refreshed and ready for a big day. Mindy said she’d join me in just a few minutes when she heard the coffee alarm go off. I had only to hit the ‘go’ button on the maker. She had it already prepped.
I exercised quickly and then leashed up Ykraps for our neighborhood walk. It was yet another gorgeous summer morning in Columbus. The birds were singing, it was sunny, and the temperature already around 70. Ahh, the summer!
Back home the coffee maker alarm had already sounded but still no sign of Mindy. The kids were up and already out playing on the deck. It wasn’t long before Mindy joined us. She made herself coffee and headed out onto the deck with the kids. I checked email, the weather forecast, and headlines. I readied for a run before 9am. While I’d be running, Mindy agreed to make pancakes and spicy sausage for our Saturday breakfast.
It was a very nice run. I ran down Trabue to Hague and back into Scioto Woods through Western Run. It was very, very steamy. As I reentered the house, the sweet smell of sausage permeated the air. It wasn’t quite ready so I spent the next five or so minutes trimming the Spirea bushes along the front entrance to the house. They’re all in flower but also growing like crazy into the flow of foot traffic. We were expecting my dad to stop by for a watering walk through, but we weren’t exactly sure what time. We had plenty of food in case he wanted breakfast.
We ate breakfast as a family. Both the pancakes and the sausage were mighty tasty. Jacob loved the extra spicy sausage- a boy after my own heart. We dipped it in our syrup. After breakfast we briefly discussed the day’s agenda. It would be a busy one. I wanted to complete the staining of the shed, repair the buried garden hose, pack, & run a couple last minute errands. Furthermore, the kids were leaving for their vacation with dad around 5pm, but even before that we had a 50th year wedding anniversary to attend in mid to late afternoon. And somewhere amongst all of that my dad was coming over. I didn’t waste any time. I changed into my painting shorts (a 23 year old pair of Jams) and gathered my tools and headed to the shed. It was already very warm and muggy. I started on the north side, the final side, although I still had to finish the pond facing side too. I did the trim and the grooves in the T-111 first. That takes the most time. Slapping on the rest is a snap. My dad arrived just after 11am, and by then I had no more than 20-25 minutes left of staining still to do.
Mindy & and the kids made arrangements to visit & swim with her friends Doug & Tara in the Glen. I spent the next 45 minutes with dad doing my watering routine. It’s nothing out of the ordinary but I wanted him to see my routine. Plus, some of the potted flowers & hanging baskets could easily die if they miss one key watering.
I left the hoses strategically placed in the yard so that he wouldn’t have to drag the hoses around. One benefit of the recent dry streak is that I wouldn’t have to mow the lawn before leaving. It hasn’t grown much at all in ten days save for the areas surrounding the flower beds that benefit from the daily waterings.
After dad left I quickly returned to the staining. I was eager to put the project behind me. I finished in about thirty minutes. By then it was very hot & humid. After putting everything away and taking a shower, I took to updating my blog. I was expecting the kids and Mindy anytime. They arrived home between 2:30 and 3pm. I still hadn’t packed anything but did have most things organized to where I could pack it in a matter of about thirty minutes. We left for Ray & Carol Wright’s 50th anniversary party at 3:10pm. It was being held at Crossroads United Methodist Church. The sky threatened rain just before we left. Along our way to the party it finally rained.
There were probably 100-150 people, most of whom I’ve a time or two, at the anniversary party held in the reception hall. Most of Mindy’s immediate family was there, too. It was good to see everyone since we would be out of pocket for Sunday dinner. We couldn’t stay too long. We had to be home before 5pm as Jimaken was scheduled to pick-up the children then for their trip. We arrived home by 4:50pm. Mindy asked that I organize our travel information to give to Jim in case of emergency. And while I took care of that, Jimaken showed up. Mindy was emotional as we hugged and kissed the kids goodbye. She did a good job of masking her heart break until after they left. They were excited about their trip, too.
After the kids were gone Mindy and I left to run our errands. I needed more multi-vitamins and wanted to get the decorative sun ornament for the side of the shed. We headed to the Georgesville Rd Lowe’s. I knew they didn’t have any left at the Mill Run store. Oh my gosh! What a difference 8 miles makes. The folks at this Lowes were quite the site. You could actually detect a change in accent and demeanor without even trying. It turned out that they didn’t have any left at Georgesville store either. Crap! I knew that I should’ve bought one last week when I got the stain. Oh well. Wasn’t meant to be.
Instead of driving to Target to get vitamins, we decided to hit the nearby Wal-Mart. And while we thought the crowd at Lowe’s was a bit different, we couldn’t believe what we ran into at the ‘Mart. The odd were out in full force, and these se folks looked scary. We perused the outdoor area looking for anything close to what we wanted from Lowe’s. And because of our clean living we found a sun ornament that we looked even better, and it cost less, too. I went to the health isle to grab my vitamins. There they had my usual One-A-Days for Men but also had the Wal-Mart equivalent right next to them for almost half the price. And if you’re familiar with the marketing, they even have a label that compares it to the targeted brand of competition. After studying the labels (identical) I opted for the savings – call me stupid! In each isle were shopped were both entertained by the shoppers. They were certainly different. As we exited the store with our purchases we realized to that this was the first of the month and that this was shopping day for most government recipients. I’m not passing judgment but instead merely pointing out the obvious.
After Wal-Mart we headed home both of us a little surprised at the time. It was already after 6pm. We both wanted to do something but we weren’t sure what. We thought about going to the short north and later seeing the Deanna Sweeny Band at the Short North Tavern. We haven’t seen Deanna in a long time (circa my birthday).
Once home we hung out just long enough to decide that we wanted to visit Barley’s for dinner. We called Bob & Mary Ann to see if they were up for joining us. They were home but cooking out on the patio. They invited us over. On our way to Barley’s we decided that we would take them up on the invite. We stopped at Barley’s bought a jug and wings to-go. We each had a beer while waiting on our order. We showed up at Bob & Mary Ann’s around 8:30pm if I were to guess. Bob & M.A. had some sweet corn & walleye fresh off the grill. We sat down to eat shortly after our arrival. We got to hear about the spur of the moment trip to Ocracoke last weekend. Sounds like fun a nice place.
After dinner and a few beers we retired to the front porch to relax. Their front porch reminds me much of my Grandma Lantz’s. They have a couple rockers and a dangling swing. We sat chatting until Bayla, their dog, escaped down the street. Bob, M.A. and I all took off looking for her in different directions. I was gone for a while following barking dogs. When I gave up and returned they had already recovered her. We hung out for another 45 minutes or so. Mindy was falling asleep. She asked if we could go home. We said our goodbyes and thanked Bob & M.A. for hosting a nice evening.
We went right to bed once we arrived home. It was about 11:45pm.
I exercised quickly and then leashed up Ykraps for our neighborhood walk. It was yet another gorgeous summer morning in Columbus. The birds were singing, it was sunny, and the temperature already around 70. Ahh, the summer!
Back home the coffee maker alarm had already sounded but still no sign of Mindy. The kids were up and already out playing on the deck. It wasn’t long before Mindy joined us. She made herself coffee and headed out onto the deck with the kids. I checked email, the weather forecast, and headlines. I readied for a run before 9am. While I’d be running, Mindy agreed to make pancakes and spicy sausage for our Saturday breakfast.
It was a very nice run. I ran down Trabue to Hague and back into Scioto Woods through Western Run. It was very, very steamy. As I reentered the house, the sweet smell of sausage permeated the air. It wasn’t quite ready so I spent the next five or so minutes trimming the Spirea bushes along the front entrance to the house. They’re all in flower but also growing like crazy into the flow of foot traffic. We were expecting my dad to stop by for a watering walk through, but we weren’t exactly sure what time. We had plenty of food in case he wanted breakfast.
We ate breakfast as a family. Both the pancakes and the sausage were mighty tasty. Jacob loved the extra spicy sausage- a boy after my own heart. We dipped it in our syrup. After breakfast we briefly discussed the day’s agenda. It would be a busy one. I wanted to complete the staining of the shed, repair the buried garden hose, pack, & run a couple last minute errands. Furthermore, the kids were leaving for their vacation with dad around 5pm, but even before that we had a 50th year wedding anniversary to attend in mid to late afternoon. And somewhere amongst all of that my dad was coming over. I didn’t waste any time. I changed into my painting shorts (a 23 year old pair of Jams) and gathered my tools and headed to the shed. It was already very warm and muggy. I started on the north side, the final side, although I still had to finish the pond facing side too. I did the trim and the grooves in the T-111 first. That takes the most time. Slapping on the rest is a snap. My dad arrived just after 11am, and by then I had no more than 20-25 minutes left of staining still to do.
Mindy & and the kids made arrangements to visit & swim with her friends Doug & Tara in the Glen. I spent the next 45 minutes with dad doing my watering routine. It’s nothing out of the ordinary but I wanted him to see my routine. Plus, some of the potted flowers & hanging baskets could easily die if they miss one key watering.
I left the hoses strategically placed in the yard so that he wouldn’t have to drag the hoses around. One benefit of the recent dry streak is that I wouldn’t have to mow the lawn before leaving. It hasn’t grown much at all in ten days save for the areas surrounding the flower beds that benefit from the daily waterings.
After dad left I quickly returned to the staining. I was eager to put the project behind me. I finished in about thirty minutes. By then it was very hot & humid. After putting everything away and taking a shower, I took to updating my blog. I was expecting the kids and Mindy anytime. They arrived home between 2:30 and 3pm. I still hadn’t packed anything but did have most things organized to where I could pack it in a matter of about thirty minutes. We left for Ray & Carol Wright’s 50th anniversary party at 3:10pm. It was being held at Crossroads United Methodist Church. The sky threatened rain just before we left. Along our way to the party it finally rained.
There were probably 100-150 people, most of whom I’ve a time or two, at the anniversary party held in the reception hall. Most of Mindy’s immediate family was there, too. It was good to see everyone since we would be out of pocket for Sunday dinner. We couldn’t stay too long. We had to be home before 5pm as Jimaken was scheduled to pick-up the children then for their trip. We arrived home by 4:50pm. Mindy asked that I organize our travel information to give to Jim in case of emergency. And while I took care of that, Jimaken showed up. Mindy was emotional as we hugged and kissed the kids goodbye. She did a good job of masking her heart break until after they left. They were excited about their trip, too.
After the kids were gone Mindy and I left to run our errands. I needed more multi-vitamins and wanted to get the decorative sun ornament for the side of the shed. We headed to the Georgesville Rd Lowe’s. I knew they didn’t have any left at the Mill Run store. Oh my gosh! What a difference 8 miles makes. The folks at this Lowes were quite the site. You could actually detect a change in accent and demeanor without even trying. It turned out that they didn’t have any left at Georgesville store either. Crap! I knew that I should’ve bought one last week when I got the stain. Oh well. Wasn’t meant to be.
Instead of driving to Target to get vitamins, we decided to hit the nearby Wal-Mart. And while we thought the crowd at Lowe’s was a bit different, we couldn’t believe what we ran into at the ‘Mart. The odd were out in full force, and these se folks looked scary. We perused the outdoor area looking for anything close to what we wanted from Lowe’s. And because of our clean living we found a sun ornament that we looked even better, and it cost less, too. I went to the health isle to grab my vitamins. There they had my usual One-A-Days for Men but also had the Wal-Mart equivalent right next to them for almost half the price. And if you’re familiar with the marketing, they even have a label that compares it to the targeted brand of competition. After studying the labels (identical) I opted for the savings – call me stupid! In each isle were shopped were both entertained by the shoppers. They were certainly different. As we exited the store with our purchases we realized to that this was the first of the month and that this was shopping day for most government recipients. I’m not passing judgment but instead merely pointing out the obvious.
After Wal-Mart we headed home both of us a little surprised at the time. It was already after 6pm. We both wanted to do something but we weren’t sure what. We thought about going to the short north and later seeing the Deanna Sweeny Band at the Short North Tavern. We haven’t seen Deanna in a long time (circa my birthday).
Once home we hung out just long enough to decide that we wanted to visit Barley’s for dinner. We called Bob & Mary Ann to see if they were up for joining us. They were home but cooking out on the patio. They invited us over. On our way to Barley’s we decided that we would take them up on the invite. We stopped at Barley’s bought a jug and wings to-go. We each had a beer while waiting on our order. We showed up at Bob & Mary Ann’s around 8:30pm if I were to guess. Bob & M.A. had some sweet corn & walleye fresh off the grill. We sat down to eat shortly after our arrival. We got to hear about the spur of the moment trip to Ocracoke last weekend. Sounds like fun a nice place.
After dinner and a few beers we retired to the front porch to relax. Their front porch reminds me much of my Grandma Lantz’s. They have a couple rockers and a dangling swing. We sat chatting until Bayla, their dog, escaped down the street. Bob, M.A. and I all took off looking for her in different directions. I was gone for a while following barking dogs. When I gave up and returned they had already recovered her. We hung out for another 45 minutes or so. Mindy was falling asleep. She asked if we could go home. We said our goodbyes and thanked Bob & M.A. for hosting a nice evening.
We went right to bed once we arrived home. It was about 11:45pm.
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