Will You Remember September?

This was one of those rare mornings when Mindy leaped out of bed before me. It must’ve been just before 8am. I bounced out of bed myself around 810am. I made the bed before heading downstairs. It dawned on me while doing so that I haven’t made the bed more than a handful of times over the past several months.

Downstairs I quickly engaged myself in a round of exercises starting first with sit-ups and moving on later to a set of push-ups. Finally, after asset of curls, I was leashing up Ykraps for our morning walk. The sky was clear and blue and the air on the chilly side. It was only about 54 degrees. We took our dear old time walking the usual circuit.

Upon my return I poured a cup of coffee and then seated myself in front of my already running laptop. There were a couple of issues beckoning my attention from the outset. Ahh – on-call! Mindy and the kids played for a while before heading up stairs to ready for church. I dressed and left for a run around 9:10am. And since the sunshine was so bright I opted to run in just a long sleeved wicking shirt – no jacket. That proved to be a good choice. I ran along Trabue & Hague again this AM. Traffic wasn’t too bad. I must’ve accidentally timed my run in between church services. I made it back home by 9:45am.

The kids and Mindy were putting the finishing touches on their church prep. Bella was giving Mindy and hard way to go about picking up her room despite ample warning even before I left for my run. Still, Bella thought by throwing a fit she might get out of the chore. Not! Mindy asked if I would be joining them. I opted out for being on-call and needing to get the Trooper door put back together. I left it in disrepair on purpose last night allowing a full night for the epoxy to set-up. They left around 10:10am.

Home alone I got dressed in my chore attire. I made quick work of testing the passenger side window and putting it back together. Seemed to work fine but it did that before too. I made sure and greased the track before sealing the door back up. With my fingers crossed, I closed her up.

The next chore involved pulling the BM’er from the garage in preparation for a washing. With all the sawing and project work over the past two weeks it was very dusty. Wit the BM’er out of the garage I took an opportunity to reorganize a few of my tool hooks on that east wall. I hung my weed wacker vertically instead of horizontally taking up way less space. I moved the leaf blower a little, too, and then had room to hang hooks for my golf clubs and step ladder. Cool! Feeling satisfied with my progress there, I stepped out into the sunshine to wash the BM’er.

It didn’t take long to get the BM’er squeaky clean. I moved from washing the BM’er to watering the lawn. I hadn’t had the sprinkler pump out for a month or so. While the lawn was being watered I moved on to roof inspection. Mindy & the kids were back by then. It wasn’t long before Jimaken showed up to pick-up the kids and take them to the pumpkin patch. Meanwhile, up on the roof, the work looked good. I did uncover a few scars left behind but nothing to get worked up over. However, I probably will call and complain about the color they painted my chimney flashing and air stacks. They were supposed to match my gutters and valley flashing, which are clay brown but they painted them bluish gray, not to mention getting a little overspray on my stucco.

After coming down off the roof I took a much deserved break. I didn’t rest for long. Soon I was out trimming some of the honeysuckle bushes in the path of the kids’ tree swings. I bounced between inside and out a couple of times before hitting the shower. I followed part of the Vikings game. They are pathetic! Not only did we surrender the all-time touchdown pass record but we also lost the game. Good grief!

Mindy wanted to leave for her mom’s by 4pm. I showered up around 3:20pm and was ready to go with plenty of time to spare. I moved the sprinkler one more time before we left. Jacob was acting up during our commute. He earned himself a timeout and lost TV privileges after sassing his mother. I was not pleased with his rude, annoying behavior. Will he ever learn?

We arrived just after 4pm. Joe was there already with his two new Schnauzer puppies – Ivan and ... Meatball (?). They’re really cute! Others soon arrived. Craig drove his brand new Saturn Sky – an awesome bright yellow convertible! Soon everyone was there. It wasn’t long before we gathered for the feast. On the menu were meatloaf, au gratin potatoes, and macaroni salad. Later, for dessert we had ginger bread cake and/or chocolate cake with cream cheese icing.

We left for home just after 7pm. The sun was already beginning its fast descent. The kids and I set out to walk Ykraps as soon as we were home. Jacob, however, went immediately back after learning his mother wasn’t coming along. He’s been a pill all day. Bella rode her tiny bike while we walked Ykraps. Mindy got the kids a bath while I tuned into NFL football highlights. I had my designs on watching the SNF game pitting the NY Giants against Philly. Mindy went to bed way early. Even before 9pm. I stayed up watching the game. I felt bad for Donovan McNabb. He was taking a beating back there, being sacked or hurried on seemingly every play.

Eventually, I fell asleep in the chair and then on the floor. I woke and headed for bed just before 11pm.

On-Call Weekend

It was some where near 6:30am when my Blackberry began ringing. At first it didn’t register as I somehow allowed the ring to become intertwined with my dreams. It wasn’t until Mindy nudged me into reality that I rose to answer. But in the end I was too slow for the called which I assumed to be work. Still very tired I laid my head back down on my pillows for an hour or so longer. Surely they’d leave a message if it were that important, I rationalized.

At 7:25am I leaped to my feet to begin my Saturday. I was still a little put out by being awoken an hour earlier. I definitely didn’t care for that. I did my best to shake it off and begin my day in earnest.

Downstairs I started a pot of coffee, choked down a vitamin, and began my exercises. I fired up my laptop and listened to a message left on my personal cell phone before heading out with Ykraps. As expected, it was work bringing me up to speed on an overnight issue.

By the time that Ykraps and I returned from our morning walk Mindy and the kids were up & downstairs – something a bit out of character. Mindy made me a cup of coffee while I dug into a few work related matters. Nothing like beginning the weekend with a work issue. I talked to one of my engineers and got the issue straightened out. I spent the next hour or so getting a handle on the work day. I dressed & set out on a run just after 9am. Mindy agreed to make bacon while I ran.

I ran along Trabue & Hague for the first time in a few weeks. And like many days running that path, I found someone’s errant tee shot – a Nike soft/feel. Cool! The run was unbelievable. There’s something about running the stretch of road between Trabue & Western Run. It’s very serene and quite lovely. The birds were chirping in abundance this AM. The occasional but swift moving traffic keeps me very alert.

I was back well before 10am. Mindy & the kids were playing Connect Four on the family room floor. I asked who wanted fried eggs and tended to that chore. It’s been a few weeks since I have fried an egg. I fried four in all - two for me, and one each for Mindy & Bella. They were very tasty, and so was the maple bacon. I helped get the breakfast mess picked up before getting busy with my Saturday project list. I opted to skip a morning shower since I’d do nothing but get grimier during my day.

My list of weekend “to-do’s” was aggressive & long. And the lion’s share of my work was in the yard. For starters I badly wanted to trim the English Ivy growing on the house. I started on the ivy growing up the chimney trimming it away from the roof line. The ivy growing up the stucco needed trimmed too. Some of the aggressive growing branches begin to fall loosely away from the house. Eventually I wound my way around to the front where I trimmed ivy away form the window screens, and then removed four large bird nests. Next, got out the hedge trimmers to trim all the shrubs and groom the walkway to the house. I must’ve spent two hours with all that trimming. I raked all the trimmings onto a tarp before dragging it all to the mulch pile out back. Finally, I was able to begin working on the lawn. I took a couple of breaks to throw the football with Jacob.

While I toiled outdoors I could see that Mindy was inside cleaning away. This pleased me much. Before cutting the grass I had to rake the hundreds of walnuts into the brush along the pond. It didn’t take all that long but took its toll on my shoulders. Raking always does. I finished the lawn around 400pm. It looked damn good! Lynne, Mindy’s niece, came over to cut Jacob’s hair. Mindy asked what I wanted for dinner. I wasn’t sure but knew I wanted a jug of Double Dog Dare IPA from Barley’s. She said she’d be happy to fetch the beer later along with some of their food via carryout. She didn’t feel like cooking. Soon, and after Jacob’s haircut, Mindy, Lynne, and the kids headed out shopping for groceries and Halloween costumes. But before they left, I spent about thirty minutes installing Mindy’s new side view mirror. That went well, having taken it apart a few weeks ago. After they left I got cracking on my Trooper window once more. I have taken this door panel off at least eight times so far. I am about tired of it, to be sure. I was surprised to find the two new clips I bought broken. Hmmm - how in the devil? OK – deep breath. I went in and took a much needed shower before driving off with the Trooper door half apart. I drove to Advanced Auto Parts to see if they have any more of those clips. They did.

Back at home I made quick work of mounting another set of clips and then gluing the glass in with epoxy. This will be it. No more fooling around for me, damn it! Mindy & the kids returned home while I was finishing up the job. They carried all the groceries in.
It wasn’t too long before Lynne set out towards home. Mindy then prepared to leave for Barley’s. In addition to the beer, I ordered brisket quesadillas. Being the constantly moving animal that I am, I spent the next 45 minutes in the garage working on my project center. I methodically cut the rubber mesh shelf liner to fit the shelves and drawers of my new cabinets. By the time I finished Mindy was back. Already, I thought?

I was hungry. My quesadillas were delicious, and so was the Double Dog Dare! Mindy got one of her favorite salads. After dinner I put a few more things away in the garage. It was time for the Buckeye kick-off from Minneapolis. The game started slowly for the Buckeyes but ended up going fairly well. We won 30-7 on a day when five of the top ten teams in the country had already lost. After Buckeye game I followed the USC game well into the second half. When I fell asleep the Trojans were ahead, but not by much. Our win, I surmised, would vault us up in the polls.

Clear Blue Skies

I was up on time and ready to initiate the weekend. It was difficult to believe that Friday was already here, but it was. It seems as though it was just Monday. I relish weeks like this one. The only downer to the week was the on-call ball & chain that I’ll be dragging around. Regardless, I was thankful that it was Friday. And after a couple of sorely needed rainy days, clear skies were back and expected to stick around for the foreseeable future. The moon was almost full in the western sky providing an unusual amount of predawn light. Captivating describes it best. I thought about driving the BM’er but that desire was competing with my desire to hit the driving range at lunch time. The driving range won! The work day went pretty darn well, especially for a Friday. And before I knew it, it was 12:45pm. I took that as my queue to head out to the driving just as I had planned early this morning. I stopped first at Golf Galaxy to buy a bag of tee’s. I arrived at Able golf center just after 1pm. I purchased a jumbo bucket of balls even though I think it’s a bit many. I made marked improvement over last week when I came out, and I was wiser this time, taking a breaks often. I finished up just before 2pm and headed back to work. Hitting the golf range was a nice diversion from work. I returned to the office fairly hungry. I grabbed my packed lunch from the fridge before returning to my office. The afternoon was busy. I was tuned into the activity more so than usual since I would be on-call over the weekend. I left for home around 5:20pm. I called Mindy along the way. She reported the roofers being there. She wasn’t certain if the roof was the “right” color – my question. She also reported picking up her mother, and asked if we could have pizza. I figured we’d order once I got home. We choose a shingle make/color from a house down the street. I had changed my mind a couple of times throughout the process. The color was driftwood, just like my old roof but this particular make/model looked significantly different. Therefore I was skeptical or nervous that the color name was correct. I had even knocked on the home owners door a few weeks back to ask. She gladly offered up the information and showed me the paperwork. My fears were laid aside when I rounded the corner. Sure enough, it was the color I hoped. They were just finishing up, but still had quite a mess around the yard. They are very efficient, often completing an entire roof in eight hours. Today was no exception. By the time I returned from walking Ykraps (Mindy went along) they were pulling away. Wow! After unleashing Ykraps I did a quick walkabout the yard checking out the work and looking for any obvious mistakes. None were immediately visible. I figured I’d get out the ladder and inspect the roof more thoroughly over the weekend. I ordered two pizzas with a coupon we received in the mail, and dashed off after them about twenty minutes later. Gloria stayed for pizza. After pizza, Jacob and I went to the back yard to throw the football – something we’ve been doing quite a bit recently. Bella took off for the neighbors. Soon Mindy was ready to take Gloria home. Jacob opted to stay home with me, and that was after chastising me for throwing the ball too hard. :) Mindy was back before 8pm. I poured myself a cold beer - pumpkin ale. And after the kids were in bed I drank a couple more. I stayed up watching a college football game until I could no longer keep my eyes opened.

Flowers for the Princess

By now Thursday’s almost a complete blur. I know that I was up on time and also remember running in the rain. There was even some thunder and lightning, although most of it off in the distance. Ykraps and I got pretty darn wet while on our walk even though I used the purple “dog walking” umbrella.

Mindy asked me to make a batch of tuna salad for lunch which I did just before setting out on my morning run. I enjoyed another helping of breakfast casserole along with a large helping of fruit.

Work went well. I didn’t go anywhere for lunch, and didn’t break into my packed food save for my mid-morning snack of mixed nuts. I did snack on a couple of snickerdoodle cookies brought in by one of my engineers who was celebrating his birthday.

I stopped at Kroger on the way home to buy Mindy some flowers. As she’ll attest, it’s been a while. I knew that she wouldn’t be home upon my arrival. She had an after school reading event scheduled and was taking both kids, too. I was excited about the prospect of having a little alone time after work – something that’s fairly rare these days. She had already let me know that the roofers didn’t show, but then again, they said it would either be today or tomorrow.

After arriving home I took care of my immediate chores. At first I felt like napping but that feeling faded as I got involved with a few miscellaneous chores. I decided to organize & file a stack of mail that’s been setting out since early June. What a relief it was to finally address that growing pile. Now energized, I decided to play catch-up on my blog – complete with pics.

Before I knew it, it was 7:30pm and Mindy returned home with the kids. And almost in one fell swoop Mindy had the kids settled into bed. Not having any official dinner, I opted for a bowl of popcorn for the first time in a couple of weeks. At the same time, I tuned into the Thursday night college football game on ESPN featuring Boise State – the team with the blue field.

Rain, Popcorn, & Golf

Golf Day - Yahoo!

I was up even prior to 5:30am. Certainly cause for celebration. I easily pushed through my exercise and then tuned into the weather radar. The sky was simply cloudy over head but more rain was projected. Of all days that I didn’t want it to rain today was that day. But even then I was torn. That’s how badly we need that rain

I exercised then headed outdoors with Ykraps. We walked to the east – our non-typical route. He lead. Upon our return I fetched him a treat and me some coffee. I naturally gravitated to the PC but caught myself – meditation more important. At 6:20am I headed upstairs with coffee for Mindy. She was up at her normal time despite taking a sick day for a doctor’s appointment. I returned dressed in my running clothes ready to get after it. It was still before 6:30am. I headed out into the dark where I stretched for a few minutes before running.

Slowly but surely the stretching seems to be helping my groin/hamstrings. I’m going to make it part of my pre and post running program. The run went well. I finished strongly.
I stretched on the front porch using the steps as an aide before going back inside. Mindy had strada again warmed once I got settled. Because she wasn’t going to school, she planned to do the bus duty this AM. That gave me a bit of a break. I was able to ready and leave for work about 15 minutes ahead of usual. I loaded my clubs and was down the road at 7:55am.

Work was busy to say the least. Our staff meeting went two hours and I didn’t take an official lunch break. Mid-afternoon Bob Imber emailed about the evening’s golf plans. We both were game weather permitting. Meanwhile, outside it was raining light to moderate. A check of the radar revealed that the significant rain was tracking northeast on a line mostly to the north of I-71. Groveport would most likely be spared if it remained on that course. Somewhat selfishly, I wished for it to slide just a little more to the east to ensure that my lawn gets its share. But as far as I could tell that didn’t happen to any significant degree.

Come 3:30pm I sent Bob another email checking to see if he was for certain golfing as it was raining fairly steadily in Hilliard. And he was. I changed into my golf attire and left the office at 4:27pm. Traffic was slow from Cemetery Rd to I-70. But once I cleared I-70 I was home free all the way to Groveport. Bob & Bob were already there at 5:05 when I arrived. As expected, there was a very sparse crowd. We got right out on the front.

My opening tee shot was less than desirable but certainly playable. Bob I.’s was the best. I had an unlucky break just barely nipping a tree top thus slowing down my second shot. I ended up 6-ing the first hole. I played the next 5 or 6 holes reasonably well but still couldn’t find my groove with the driver. None had the power and slight draw I get when I am on. But for once, my putting saved me. I finished rather poorly, unlike Sunday when I finished in a flurry. Any thought of that carrying over was a big NO! I shot a 49. YUCK!

Clouds were bountiful throughout our entire round. But no rain hit us save for a few sporadic sprinkles. We thought that we might sneak an extra hole or tow in but we were promptly stopped by the cart boy. As we dashed back to the number 7 tee box he yelled at the Bob’s who were sharing a cart. I thought that I heard somebody shout but tuned it out. I was just about to the tee box when I turned to see those two making a beeline back. I felt stranded and alone. I turned around and headed back too. The tow young kids still working said they saw lightning and needed to get all the carts in. Whatever, they were just doing their jobs. Besides, darkness was coming on fast even though it was only 7:15pm. The cloud cover didn’t help much.

I was on the road for home by 7:22pm. I had a missed call that I didn’t recognize. I thought that it might be my roofer so I called the number. Ended up being brother Bobby. We talked for a few minutes. His main reason for the cal laws to let Mindy know that her jewelry was in. I promised to have her call April. I also talked with Mindy. She didn’t go to choir practice. She got new tires and an alignment instead. She also had to have a tie-rod replaced. She had the guy call me to discuss. I gave him the OK already having a hunch that something was amiss up front on her minivan. We talked about that outcome and how we were both glad that it was taken care of before winter. Ashley was over with Olivia & Lil’ rocky. I arrived home 20 minutes later.

As you might expect, the house was all abuzz when I arrived home. Not because of me mind you, but instead loud with little kids running around. Olivia was up to her screaming again. It’s not a cry it’s how she communicates that she wants something. She can’t yet talk so she just lets out a god awful scream. And she actually smiles when she does it. It was cute when she started it but now it’s somewhat alarming. I played with her for a handful of minutes before Ashley and the two little ones headed home. Mindy seemed a little stressed, I noticed.

After everyone was gone we both worked to restore peace to our home by picking things up that were strewn about as well as general tidying up. I purposefully didn’t plan any project work but instead just some relaxation. After tucking in the kids I popped some popcorn and passively watched the Reds baseball game. Mindy headed to bed after taking both Jacob and Bella a handful of popcorn. Both of them have a strong nose for popcorn and often come to the rail of the balcony begging for some when I pop it. It wasn’t yet 9pm. I was fading fast too but stayed up a bit longer. At 9:30pm, after I finished my popcorn, I headed up to bed. Mindy’s habit of an early bedtime is rubbing off.

A Pleasing Finish

Welcome to our world
Lil' Jump Bump (Porter M. Jump)

Up at 5:30am with no trouble whatsoever. Please! Mindy’s got me going to bed before the sun’s even gone down. The sky was clear and the air once again warm. We were set up for yet another 90+ degree day. I didn’t dare wear a long sleeved shirt. Instead I opted for the sleeveless version.

Mindy was preparing our breakfast strada just as I returned. It was so much better the second day after it had time to settle. Like clock work, she and Bella departed minutes later – around 7:20am. Meanwhile, Jacob and I went about the rest of our routines. He watched TV and ate while I showered and dressed.

I didn’t consider driving the BM’er because the forecast called for potential late day showers. It rain all day. Instead, it remained sunny. Mindy asked me to pick-up Chipotle for dinner on my way home. I agreed to do it. Bella was at dance, so dinner was incrementally quieter. Once we were through I went to the garage to work further on my shelves. Tonight I hoped to all but finish the construction, including hanging the support chains. First, I had to cut the ply wood shelves to size then screw them down. Next I had to line-up and drill in the eye hooks into both the ceiling and shelves. The final piece was attaching the chains to level the shelves. It went much easier and better than I even hoped. I finished up just before 830pm. I was a sweaty mess when I finished. A small part of it was stress, but the rest was the unbelievable humidity. And by the way, we had a quick little thunderstorm as I toiled in there too. I was happy to hear the rain coming down. We really needed it. Sadly, though, as hard as it rained it was only for a few minutes. We need so much more.

I went inside where I finally relaxed and changed into my bed clothes. I was very pleased with my project work. Now it’s time to put the project center to work. We watched the season premier of House after I updated my blog. Very good show! We headed to bed shortly after its conclusion.

Triangles

The pray mantis that reportedly bit Mindy

I woke rather easily after a solid eight hours of sleep. I began my morning downstairs by gazing out the back door towards the sky. There was a clear, star filled sky. I quickly tucked my toes under the sofa to begin my daily exercise routine. It wasn’t long before I was hunting down Ykraps for our morning walk.

The walk was pleasant. I was surprised at how warm it was. It was nearly 70 degrees – 69 to be exact. In fact, the forecast is calling for temps above 90 degrees with 92 being the all time record. It’s supposed to be warm through Tuesday and then rain. And with the rain our temps are expected to drop to near normal. We need the rain badly. It hasn’t rained since the 9th of September, and prior to that storm, we hadn’t had rain since August 22nd. It’s been a dry late summer.

Back home at home I made concerted effort to spend more time meditating and less time dinking around on the PC. That went OK. I remembered that Mindy asked me to preheat the oven for the breakfast casserole (strada). I took care of that before making her coffee. I took Mindy her coffee and the same time that I went upstairs to dress for a run. I put the strada in the oven just before dashing out the door. I put on a long sleeved running shirt but probably shouldn’t have. I was too warm. Not only was it warm, but it was humid too. The run was good. It’s getting darker!

The strada was done when I returned from my run. It smelt terrific. It really needs to set up for a while but neither I or Mindy had time for that. I cut us each a portion. We ate quickly. Mindy needed to get on the road. She left around 7:20am. I headed to the shower.

Jacob and I headed to the bus stop at 8am. I thought about driving the BM’er but didn’t. We met up with Pat & Alena just before the bus arrived. We chatted briefly about the weekend’s football after the bust departed. But work awaited, so I left a minute or two later.

Work went well, although I was very busy. My peer was out ill. I left the building at lunchtime hoping to find the fireplace store on Sawmill rd. My trip was success once I remembered it being north of the old Toys R Us. I was shocked to discover such high prices on customized fireplace glass screens. They cost anywhere from $600 – 1200. Not me! Bye-bye.

I left there and proceeded to Dicks’ where I checked out winter running gear. More specifically, I was looking for running tights. I found none I liked. I have to remind myself that it’s not a fashion show. No one should know this better than I. One could easily spend over $200 on one pair of pants, shirt and jacket. Again, not me! After Dick’s I headed back to the office. Once there I grabbed my packed lunch from the fridge. I enjoyed the fresh salad packed by Mindy.

I left for home around 5:15pm. The drive home took me down Old Dublin Rd. Traffic on I-270 was extremely backed up. Mindy and I walked Ykraps together. I fired up the grill when I got back. We were grilling the two filet mignons that we thawed on Saturday afternoon. They grilled up real nice, as you might expect. We enjoyed them immensely.

Clean-up went quick. Soon I was out in the garage working on my upper shelves. I wanted to construct a simple 2x4” diagonal support for the free hanging end. Figuring out the angle cuts proved challenging for both Mindy and I even being the math experts we profess to be. We eventually drew up the triangle created by the brace to scale on graph paper and used a protractor. I guessed correctly within two degrees. I went back to the garage to complete the duty.

I struggled a little with the cuts even after math proved beyond doubt the proper angles. What I failed to reason was whether to remove that at much or the opposite angle. Trust me – confusing! I was able to improvise as I often do, but in doing so I removed a little too much material. Oops! But as Mindy later pointed out, only I would know. You see, I strive for perfection. Probably more difficult than making the proper cuts was mounting the brace without any help. It didn’t help either that my ladder didn’t comfortably reach. But isn’t that how it always is? That’s how it often works for me! Still, I improvised and managed to mount the brace. Soon I was painting the brace to match the rest. It’s the only piece I mounted before painting. And since I had the paint out, I went ahead and touched up some of the framing too.

Believe me, I was still bugged over the imperfect cuts, but they are just rugged shelves for goodness sakes. Still, foresaken by my own madness, I pondered the math the rest of the evening. Mindy and I watched some of the MNF game before heading to bed.

City Chicken

The "real" city chicken

I woke at 6:15am and got moving like a man with a plan. Actually, I had a plan, and I needed to follow it closely if I were to remain on schedule. I knew that I wanted to be at Fox Fire by 9am so I got right to my exercise after throwing on a fast pot of coffee. I was out the door on my run by 7am – just like I had planned. I cut a few blocks off of my run in an effort to gain a few extra minutes to prepare myself.

My run went quite nicely. When I returned I found Mindy sitting on the deck in the lovely morning sunshine. She commented just how beautiful the morning was. Beautiful, indeed! I wasted little time. Before heading off to the shower I prepared my usual golf course snack – a bag of mixed nuts. After my shower I made myself a turkey, egg, and cheese sandwich on marble rye with lettuce and mayo. Yummy! I enjoyed that with another cup of coffee.

I was out the door headed for Fox Fire - Player’s Club by 835am. The drive was easy and there was next to no traffic on the freeway. Very nice! I exited 71-S at 104/Frank Rd. and took 104 South all the way down to Fox Fire – about ten miles. Bob B. was already there and Bob I. pulled in shortly after me. We were, uncharacteristically, still waiting on Chuck. Eventually he showed with several minute to spare. Green fees were a little high - $49 with a cart – ouch! Still, the course is awesome and quite a challenge. I shared a car t with Bob I. I sometimes wonder if he might get a little tired of carting with me thinking that I drag his game down. He always beats me.

My golf game started as it does all too often – poorly. I took an eight on the first hole. A bad tee shot, a duffed chip on, and a four putt. Crap! Don’t laugh, because the first green has three tiers and I rolled back down the slope three times! My game got marginally better as we moved forward. Once we hit the first par three I recovered. For whatever reason I played all four of them well this day. If nothing else, I seemed to find my missing swing on a fair amount of holes – at least enough to put together a respectable round. Three of the last four holes wind you back through some very narrow woods with two of holes being intimidating par fives. And I think that it’s fair to say that I saved my round on those three tough holes. I didn’t set the world on fire but managed to hold my own.

I felt good about my round. It was just before 2pm when we finished up. We bided our farewells before heading our separate ways. I called Mindy to see what was up at home. I let her know that I intended on stopping at Home Depot to get the plywood for my garage shelves. She was fine with it. I was home about 45 minutes later. Last I heard the Vikings were up 10-0 closing in on halftime. At home I saw that they gave up 6 points. The score was 10-6. Crap – here we go! I couldn’t take it anymore. I didn’t want to waste an afternoon sitting in front of the PC watching the gamecast. I headed to the garage to paint the plywood shelves. I tuned into ESPN radio where I learned that the Vikings went behind 13-10. Double Crap! It wasn’t too long after that, that they announced the final – Vikings 10 – Chiefs 13. Triple Crap! I was disgusted to say the least.

I shook it off. It was 4pm by the time that I had all of my painting stuff cleaned up and put away. I rushed off to the shower. As I entered the shower I overheard Bella having a serious meltdown with her momma. I haven’t heard her have one of those in an awfully long time. It was over by the time I was out – thankfully. We departed for Gloria’s at 4:30pm. Something feels so right about heading there for Sunday dinners. It must be the family thing. I went to the lower level to watch the Bengals game while waiting on everyone else to arrive. Around 5:10pm we sat down to eat. We had “City chicken”, which was actually pork on a stick. I liked it mucho! In addition, we had green beans and mashed potatoes. I ate second helpings of everything. After dinner and some socializing I went out back to throw the football with Jacob. The sun was very warm. We must’ve thrown the ball for 20 minutes or longer. Before dessert was served I returned to the lower level to see more of the Bengals game. They were up when dessert was called. We had chocolate sheet cake with chocolate icing. to be continued...

No Wake Zone

I slept late – I didn’t get up until almost 8am. I didn’t feel too bad at all, although I did feel like sleeping longer. But sleeping longer would only impede on my free-time plans. I so much more I wanted to be doing besides sleeping. I whipped out my exercise shortly after making a pot of coffee. I was surprised how chilly the morning air was after such a warm Friday and the warm Saturday forecast. It was only in the mid 50’s. By the time Ykraps and I completed our walk I was wide awake.

I drank coffee and played on the PC before committing myself to a run. I took Mindy some coffee at the same time I went upstairs to dress for it. It was a nice run. The sunshine warmed the air quickly. I could tell that it was gonna be a very warm day by the time I returned home. Mindy was up and on the phone chatting with friends. Our plans called for boating. The weather seemed most cooperative. It was 9:45am as we began getting things ready. I headed out back to water plants/flowers. They needed it sorely.

I retuned inside around 10:30am. I woofed down some fruit and then ate a leftover bunless cheeseburger. We were ready to hit the road by 11am. As far as I could tell, we had everything we needed – cooler full of food and drink, towels, keys, and tools. By the time we hitched & fueled the boat and Trooper it was 11:20am. I was almost certain that the lake would be near desolate. I mean, shoot, if it is anything like years past, after Labor Day the boating public goes back inside. I counted on it.

I was surprised to see so many trailers at the marina. Even still, there was next to no trailer traffic putting in. We took our stress-free time. The water level was down about four feet. That was obvious from the outset. I could see rocks and land where there is normally plenty of water. I could see that there were a number of boats just out from the marina. We had no trouble putting in and getting started. It went very well. Soon we were taking a cruise around the south lake. The water was choppier than we expected. I suppose that was due mostly to the light breeze. The beach is large, and it looked almost abandoned. Even still, I’ll bet there were 30 people on it. This late in September that was surprising. Surprising, save for the fact that it was 85 degrees and sunny. We headed northward towards the swim cove after retrieving my fallen, wind blown ball-cap.

As we approached the first bridge three marina patrols came cruising through. Uh-oh! Once we made it to the swim cove we cruised further north for the first time in years (Mindy never). As we passed under the bridge I was shocked to see what looked like tens of boats anchored just to our immediate north. Also, there was a sign indicating that the area to the north is “all boat swim” – idle speed only. I knew of the idle speed only but didn’t realize you were now allowed to swim. Cool! We decided to escape the crowded area and keep trudging northward. I was curious just how far we could go.

We did our best to stay close to the middle as there were many tree stumps protruding upward from the depths all around. A mile or so further we encountered yet another bridge. We crossed under and kept heading north. We decided to turn around after another mile or so. The geography was very attractive. There were trees turning colors cast against all of the shale rock cliffs lining the cost. Most impressive! As we returned towards the lakes main body we once gain passed through a maize of boats anchored just north of rt 36. Finally on the other side we pulled into our favorite swim cove.

Geesh! There were about ten or more boats back there too. Late September and full of boats. We anchored about two thirds of the way back. The boats already anchored were being very loud. Not only were kids swimming, yelling, and having fun, but they had yelping dogs too. Of course that often comes with the territory but I wanted badly to nap. I tried my best. Mindy pointed out a group of about six very large boats all anchored together who floated a satellite dish to shore to apparently link up to the Buckeye game on the water. Those were some dedicated fans. We had our radio tuned to the pre-game action. Around 3pm or so the sky became almost completely overcast. I was ready to head out. I think Mindy was too. But truthfully, I felt the urge to be at home all day long, But I went boating knowing that opportunities in the immediate future might not exist.

As luck would have it, getting out was tight. There were a crowd of boats either pulling out or putting in. I did my best to remain calm. Mindy did a more than admirable job of dropping me at the dock so that I could retrieve the trailer. We were out and covered by 345pm. The Buckeyes were already up 14-0 by the time we got on the road and the game was only five minutes old. Wow!

We made good time heading home. And while the sky seemed to clear towards home, we could see darker clouds to our north. Good call heading out when we did. At home we tuned into the Buckeye game on the television. By then it was already a blow out. We were up 35-0, I believe, when I got up from the sofa to start working on my storage shelves. I worked on the shelves for the next three hours. Mindy walked Ykraps for me. She wasn’t pleased that I was spending our “alone time” working on my project, however. In hindsight I can understand, at least to a certain degree. At 8pm I called it a night. I got much further than I imagined I would. I pretty much had the entire thing framed. I headed in to shower. We had talked of grilling steaks but they weren’t thawed thoroughly, and besides, it was late. I asked Mindy if she felt like doing Barley’s again tonight. She did. After a fast shower we headed out.

We ran into Jeremy and Courtney at Barley’s dining with his parents. They were there Friday night, too. This, we surmised, would be the last time that we’d see them before baby Jump arrives. Later, while we were enjoying our meal, Thad and Monica showed as well. We laughed it off. I had a Cuban and fries that were to die for delicious. Mindy had the Saturday special – brisket. I had only two beers – a Mean Manalishi & a Double Dog Dare IPA. Both were superb. We headed for home around 10pm and pretty much went straight to bed. I had to be up early for golf!

Buckeyes won 58-7 over Northwstern.
Michigan beat Penn State.

Double Dog Dare Ya!

I was feeling incredibly good this morning and for good reason. This was Friday and the weekend outlook was spectacular. I put myself through the usual paces finding myself back home for coffee just after 6am. The morning air was warm for late September with temperatures hovering just over 60 degrees. The day’s high temperature was expected to reach well into the mid 80’s under clear skies. Furthermore, the weekend outlook calls for more of the same.

I delivered Mindy’s coffee then dressed for a run. I wore shorts and a sleeveless running shirt. I was quite comfortable. I’ve noticed a significant change in the morning sky this week as I set out on my run. No longer is the sky orange at the outset. That doesn’t happen until I am almost half way home.

I was back from my run by 7:10am & stretching my hammie’s on the front porch. Mindy and Bella departed after woofing down a quick breakfast. Before heading up for a shower, I filled a medium sized container with some of my homemade salsa and grabbed a fresh bag of Lime Tostitos to take to work.

I drove the BM’er. It was such a nice day. I left the office around 1pm with a planned stop at Lowes and then The Big Greek Cuisina. I left Lowe’s empty handed. I drove to The BGC to fetch myself a gyro. It smelt terrific but I didn’t take even a bite until I got back to the office. Ahh – that gyro was so good!

I left for home around 515pm. This was a kidless weekend. We had plans to visit Barley’s Friday night, go boating on Saturday, and golf on Sunday. Somewhere amongst all of that I wanted to make significant progress on my garage storage project too. Mindy was at the grocery when I arrived home. I had the house to myself. After walking Ykraps I decided to sneak a brief nap. Later, just before Mindy got home, I painted the remaining side of the framing 2X4s.

Mindy arrived home around 7pm. I helped her carry in the groceries. By the time things settled down it was after 8pm. We didn’t leave for Barley’s until 8:30pm. We were most likely already marked tardy or possibly even absent. J We got seats at the bar readily. I was happy for that. I was eager to drink a few good beers and eat some fine chicken wings. That’s livin’! They had St Joan’s Revenge on the firkin, too! And while I had one, I was more excited to see the Double Dog Dare IPA back on the tower!!!!

We had a wonderful time. This was Janet’s last night. We gave her a card and an extra tip. She’ll be missed. Everyone was present sometime through the evening. Even brother Tommy made a rare appearance. We didn’t leave until it was almost midnight. Mindy drove home. I think that I had five beers – more than ever! I didn’t feel that buzzed, however – just happy!

After taking three Advil we/I headed to bed.

Turn About's Fair Play

I was up at the expected time – 5:30am. Not only was I up, but I was ready to get a move on, too. I could see some stars as I glanced out the window but it certainly couldn’t be characterized as crystal clear like many other recent mornings. It wasn’t long before my exercises were complete and Ykraps and I were strolling east on Newell Dr. Upon our return, I readied myself a cup of coffee and then made my way to the PC. I wondered for a second if there weren’t folks strolling by my home about the same time each morning predicting when they’d see a silhouette of a man sitting down at the PC. The thought of it humored me. Doesn’t the world revolve around me, I wondered? I tried to hurry to allow myself a chunk of minutes to meditate, but it was hard. Something will have to give if I’m to meditate as I have in the past. And I know too well what should be back burnered. It’s the PC time. After all, I can catch-up on that anytime during the day. It’s just another habit that needs a fixin’. Come 6:30am I poured Mindy’s cup of coffee and headed up stairs to grab my running attire. I was out the door by 6:35am. Because my hamstrings have been stiff, I’ve been making a concerted effort to stretch ‘em really good before setting out each morning. My run went well, and just like other days, I marveled at the merry-go-round. The sky was incredibly beautiful as the sun made its way above the horizon. I returned to the house around 7:15am to find the scrambled eggs cooking on the stove and Mindy making her last preparations to depart. I dished out the eggs while she loaded the van. Talk about eat and run. Man! Jacob and I chatted a little, but for the most part I leave him alone for the final twenty or so minutes we have each morning. I showered, shaved, and dressed in fifteen minutes. I was ready by 7:47am. I prepped the BM’er for my departure. I didn’t mention it to Jacob because we were a little behind the eight all. I knew he’d want a ride to the bus stop. I had other things to grab in the house after he departed for the bus stop. Within two minutes I was there at the bus stop to join him. There we greeted Pat & Alena. The bus was there a minute or two later. It was a lovely drive into work. How many people describe their morning commute as such? Not many I’d bet. I’m blessed! Work went well. For the first time in a long, long while I didn’t have a Home Depot stop or even a trip to the driving range planned. I worked straight through until 5:20pm. The day went incredibly fast. I headed straight home after work taking the back way since I-270 was backed-up all the way to Tuttle. Mindy had a roast in the crock pot that smelt terrific. I walked Ykraps by myself. Dinner was served almost immediately after we returned form our walk. It was delicious. Pot roast is one of my all time favorites. Not sure if it was the food or the long day without a break, but either way I was suddenly overcome with sleepiness. After cleaning up the kitchen I crashed on the sofa. There I snoozed for a good 20 minutes. When I woke I was the only one in the house. I laid there in a daze for few minutes chewing on my options. I decided to rise to my feet and get moving on my garage organization initiative. I plan ot build one large drop-down shelf above my tool center. I carried the 2x4’s up form the basement and then grabbed the black paint and painting tools. My objective is to paint the framing black so that they match everything else out there. I figured it easier to paint the wood while on the ground and before sawing and mounting. I painted 5 – 2x4’s on three of the four sides. I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to do the other side lest they’ll stick to my make shift stands. When I finished cleaning my paint brush I went upstairs to help Mindy tuck in the children. They were in bed by 8:20pm. Down stairs I once again found my way to the sofa and the Thursday Night ESPN college football game. Mindy asked to be excused and went to jammie herself. I dosed off yet again. I woke up just as she came back downstairs. Meanwhile, Miami was crushing Texas AM. I relaxed and played a little guitar all the while enjoying some football. Come halftime we headed up to bed. It must’ve been close to 9:30pm. We watched part of the game from bed. Good night moon!

An evening at Phoenix

I was up as expected at 5:30am ready to get after my day. Looking ahead several hours, this would be a “golf day” and for that I was pleased. I quickly tended to my calisthenics and then headed out on my walk with Ykraps. Our morning walk went slower than usual. We didn’t get back until 6:03am. Other than Ykraps smelling everything, I don’t really know why we took so long.

Back at home I went through the usual stuff. I coffee’d, PC’d, and meditated. I coffee’d Mindy then dressed for my run. It was another spectacular late summer morning. My run went well. I saw the usual cast of characters out tending to their own habits.

Back at home I saw Mindy making a valiant effort to make fried eggs more like the way I am accustom to. I finished them up so that she could load the van. We only get about five minutes of together time in the mornings these days. Jacob wasn’t very jovial, so I left himself. Mindy asked that I ensure that Jacob had his hair groomed for picture day. As he and I prepared to leave for the day I brushed the mop top. Turns out, the hair gods were not cooperating today. His hair was wild, but I like it like that. And besides, that’s the REAL Jacoby. We headed to the bus stop where we greeted our neighbors, Pat & Alena.
Soon the kids were boarding the bus and I was headed off to work.

I worked straight through the day looking forward to evening golf. I sent Bob an email about the prospect of changing our Wednesday night venue to Phoenix but had yet to hear back. Finally, come about 3pm or so he responded. That was a go! We agreed to meet at Phoenix which is much closer and less familiar. I like the lay out. I left work promptly at 4:30pm. But as luck would have it, I-270 south was backed up due to a big accident at Roberts Rd. I opted for Riverside Dr all the way to downtown and then south on 315/71-S. That gamble paid off handsomely. I made decent time and was at the course by 5pm.

We were teeing off by 5:15pm. The first hole at Phoenix is a blind to the green. One has to know where it is to know where to place his second shot. I relied on Bob B to point the way. And in a rare display of accuracy I hit the ball directly where he said I find the green. I was most pleased with myself even after a rather poor tee shot. Uh-oh! Turns out the light pole he told me to aim lead me directly into the tall grass rough. The Bob’s granted me a free drop. I put my next shot on the green and two putted for a bogey.
I par’d two of the next three holes narrowly missing the other. But after that I went to pieces for the next three holes once again struggling off the tee. Where are my solid drives?? Finally, after grabbing my thang on the seventh tee box I blasted an awesome drive that both Bob’s were sure rolled up just short of the green. Turned out it was about 60 yards short of the green but still a very nice shot. I was happy even though I botched a birdie opportunity. More importantly, my driving was back. On the next two holes I drove like I knew I could – not perfect but definitely acceptable. We played holes number 17 & 18, too, just as the sun began to set in the western sky. We were all surprised at how quickly darkness was setting in.

We loosely made Sunday golf plans. Sounds like Players Club – Fox Fire. I love that course! Very challenging. I called Mindy as I pulled out of the lot forgetting that she was at choir. She answered even still but we chatted only briefly after she reminded me as much. I called Tommy immediately after hanging up form Mindy. We talked for a while and gave m an update on his doings. Sounds like he will join us at Barley’s Friday evening. I arrived home by 7:40pm. Ashley was watching the kids and had them all ready for bed. Olivia was once again cute as can be but in everything. She always seems so happy to see me.

Mindy arrived home shortly after me. The kids were happy to see their momma. Ashley soon left and we proceeded to close out the evening. After the kids were tucked neatly into bed we hung out and chatted for a few. Mindy shared a story about a neighbor hitting on her while she walked Ykraps. We went to bed shortly after 9:30pm. We’ve been getting plenty of sleep of late.

Very Able

Another gorgeous day in the making. The only difference was the morning temperature being a few degrees warmer. After my walk with Ykraps I returned for some much longed for coffee. I tried to meditate but couldn’t fully clear my mind as I battled the clock for the upper hand. It was 6:30am before I realized it and time to run. I delivered Mindy’s morning coffee before dressing in my running uniform. I wore my fleece pullover again although the temperature was in the low 50’s – tweener weather. The run went exceptionally well but varied little from those prior. It’s the same people in the same places each morning. It brings the “Ground Hogs Day” thing to mind. I tinkered with the idea of driving the BM’er to work but I also had designs on hitting golf balls at the driving range during lunch. Something would have to give. I can’t fit my clubs in the smallish trunk of the BM’er. In the end I chose my golf game! I’d drive the BM’er on Thursday and perhaps even Friday (Wednesday’s golf night). In addition to the plan above, I figured I’d stop and get Mindy some flower and/or a gift for our two year anniversary. She seemed pretty distraught over my skipping it. She’s so spoiled! Lunch time rolled around and I ditched out to the driving range – Ables on Avery Rd. I bought a jumbo bucket – my guess is about 100-120 balls. I hit the first dozen or so extremely well with my small irons, eventually working my way to the longer irons and onto my woods. However, after about thirty balls my hands got stiff and fatigued. I realized I bought too many. I didn’t leave them behind. No sir. I can’t do that. I took my time and worked on some strategic shots. I hit my 3-wood really well – the club I struggle with the most. The temperature was in the 80’s for the first time I a while. I was sweating good when I finished hitting balls. I left satisfied on many levels. If nothing else it was a great diversion from work – something I risk missing since I run in the mornings. But as long as I have projects planned a trip to Home Depot accomplishes the same thing. The afternoon went by swiftly. I left work around 5:15pm stopping first at the Hilliard Hallmark shop. I wanted to get Mindy the “Together” piece for her ***** collection. They had it. Cool! I got a gift bag and card, too. I was home by 5:50pm. Ashley was at the house for a visit with Olivia. The house was hoping. Rocky was there too. Mindy whipped up a simple dinner – hot dogs and baked beans. I was Ok with that. Mindy left around 7:30pm to pick up Bella from dance. While she was out Terri, the neighbor stopped by. She seemed a bit upset about something to do with the kids, although I wasn’t sure if she meant our kids or hers. She also commented about tough homework and needing Mindy’s help/advice. We exchanged phone numbers at her prompting. I let her know that I would be calling-in Jacob and Rocky in 7 minutes anyhow. She left. Mindy arrived home shortly after the kids came in. She and Ashley hurried the kids upstairs for a bath. I headed outside to water flowers. I have a tendency to throw in the towel on watering in late September, but shouldn’t. If I keep them watered well, they can last through TG some years. We’ve been very dry here since late August. And now with it warming well into the 80’s again, I need to water. I watered for the next 30 minutes taking my dear old time. I heard the kids crying/screaming upstairs. It sounded like Olivia. I later learned that it was both her and Rocky. She fell and hit her head, and Lil’ Rocky didn’t like getting his hair washed. Tough! :) Soon, Ashley left and the house returned to the quiet tranquil place I love. Mindy and I chatted for a spell before giving in to an early bedtime. Must’ve been 9:30pm.

Delaying the Inevitable

There should be little doubt about what time I woke for work. 5:30am, of course. I had a foggy head as I began my exercise routine, but that went away quickly. By the time I finished the fogginess was gone. I remained on pins and needles as to the outcome of the Vikings/Lions game. Last I knew it went to overtime. I decided to walk Ykraps and pour coffee before checking the results. I know, it’s sad how passionate I am about my beloved Vikings. But I guess that’s what you get when you follow a single team for as many years as I have – 37 to be exact.

Once again, I wore a fleece jacket on our walk. It was quite chilly again this AM. I was back home before 6am and pouring my first cup of coffee. I checked the hot tub for leakage. There was none. It was time to face the music win or lose. I checked the Viking score – they lost in overtime 20 – 17. Crap! Of course we fumbled the ball away in overtime enabling the Lions to have excellent field position. I was bummed for a few minutes but moved on.

I read the Daily OM and then meditated for 15 minutes. Afterwards I was in a better place mentally. I proceeded to make Mindy a cup of coffee then went upstairs to dress for a run. I left at 6:30am sharp! It was chilly. I am glad that I wore my fleece. But despite the chill, the run was excellent. Nothing like running the motor full tilt at 6:30am!

When I returned home Mindy was in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on our breakfast. I told her of the Viking loss. She already knew. Said she checked last night but didn’t want to tell me. Had they won, I am certain that she would’ve shared the news. I’m glad she let me learn on my own. Our breakfast was delicious. Hit the spot!

It wasn’t long before she & Bella blew outta there leaving Jacob and I to ourselves. I showered and readied for work just like always. We hit the door a little early. Jacob wasn’t feeling to swift and asked if I would drive him to the bus stop. Of course I did. Greeted Pat and Alena. Talked of weekend football. Soon I departed for work. I arrived just before 8:30am. Looked like a gorgeous day unfolding with an expected high of 75 degrees.

We changed some work flow procedures which had me and my peers on heightened alert. All in all the changes went incredibly well. We ordered pizzas for the team. I ran out to home Depot to pick-up a drain assembly wrench to hopefully removed the damaged tub drain. I also picked up some 3.5 inch deck screws to better mount my project center peg board. When I returned to work I caved and ate pizza in lieu of my packed lunch.

The afternoon went smoothly. I departed for home around 5:20pm. When I arrived home Mindy already had dinner cooking on the stove. She explained that she’d already completed so many tasks including her elliptical machine. She seemed jazzed. We walked Ykraps together. Jacob joined us on his scooter. Bella was none the wiser off playing with her friends. We all sat down to dinner. We had boneless chicken breasts smothered in a fresh garden tomato concoction along with reheated green bean casserole and a garden salad. It was good. I helped get the kitchen in order immediately following dinner. After which I sped off to the PC to get caught up on my weekend blogging. I stayed focus on the task at hand until 8:30pm stopping only once to tuck in the kids who went to bed at 7:30pm. Mindy wanted them in bed early since both exhibited tired behavior.

I retired to the family room after finishing up on the PC. Mindy was watching MASH reruns. She was sad because I had failed to formally recognize our two year “meeting” anniversary with a card, flowers, or gift. Honestly, I thought about it but figured I’d default to our new anniversary date of the 23rd. Geesh! She was really upset. She went to bed around 9:20pm. I was determined to stay up until 10pm and watch MNF. I began dosing off around 9:40pm but didn’t head upstairs until halftime – 10:05pm.

Lots Off the List - but more things to add

I slept later than I expected but the sleep felt awfully good. I didn’t get out of bed until 7:45am. Like the day before I put on a pot of coffee before beginning my exercises. I checked on the hot tub almost afraid of what I might find. Hmm - still full. After a round of exercise I donned a jacket and set out on a short walk with Ykraps. It was very chilly - only 43 degrees! Seems like autumn’s come early and struck quickly.

I wasted little time doing much other than playing in the internet and reading about college football results. I checked the FOX local programming guide to see if my Vikings game would be on. I was hopeful that it would be televised. To my chagrin it wasn’t slated. Instead, they were going to show the Cowboys. Damn it! Eventually everyone was awake. Jacob wasn’t feeling so hot and Mindy intimated that he would stay home with me while she and the two girls run off to church. But before leaving for church she made blueberry muffins and maple bacon. I quickly dressed for a run and headed out the door.

My run was pleasant – as usual. I was back before 10am. Breakfast was just about ready. Mindy made the two of us fried eggs in addition to the muffins and bacon. It was very good save for the fried eggs. She needs some help making frying eggs. At Mindy’s request I tried to help prepare the two girls for church by brushing and fixing Kaileigh’s hair. Mindy still had to do the hair brets. Soon the girls left for church leaving Jacoby and I home alone. No sooner were they out the door that I got cracking on my salsa. I decided to try Mindy’s handy-dandy chopper for all the ingredients this time. I always use it for the onion and peppers but have always cut up the tomatoes with a knife. And that takes forever! I thought the chopper might pulverize them, but it did a wonderful job. I just had to be mindful of the number of blows I applied to the compact chopper. Fifteen minutes later I had a large bowl full of Jimmy’s salsa!

I didn’t rest afterwards. Instead, I got busy making brownies. Jacob licked the bowl and loved it. While the brownies baked he and I threw the football in the back yard. And I’ll bet we threw the football for over an hour. The girls were back shortly after noon. They brought Rockie back with them, too. By then the salsa was in the fridge and the brownies cooling on the stove. While they all prepared for lunch, I dashed off to Home Depot to get even more project stuff. I wanted to get shelf liner, screws, and a couple 2x3’s. While there, as I often do, I got more stuff off of my project list. I bought a new hose for our shower head (it just started leaking badly). I bought a new drain assembly for the kids tub (needed for quite a while). And I bought a trouble light for the garage. I was gone for a good bit of time stopping at both Home Depot and then Lowe’s.

I got home around 2:30pm. I didn’t waste much time. I got busy cutting the grass and g all the other related tasks. I finished around 4pm or so. I took a shower and then walked Ykraps. I was pretty well beat. Mindy thawed the second of two NY strip steaks we bought at The Anderson’s a couple of weeks ago. She also made green bean casserole. I checked the Viking score on line and learned that they were tied 7 – 7. Joey and Shelly came to pick-up Kaileigh around 5:30pm to go to a family dinner. I wished Kaileigh could stay longer but understood. I started the grill shortly after they departed. I seared the two inch thick steak in high before lowering the temperature to cook the center a little. It turned out fabulously! The kids had hot dogs. J For dessert we enjoyed my freshly made birthday brownies.

After cleaning up the kitchen, Mindy gave the kids a much needed bath. I decided to work on my project center. I wanted to get as far as I could on my peg board tool rack. I was able to use my chop saw to make quick work of creating a 2x3 frame for the peg board. Soon I was mounting the peg board to the frame. It looked good. I placed it just above the tool cabinets/work bench and mounted it to the wall after some light leveling. I wished I had slightly longer deck screws for mounting the final product. I used 2.5” screws where 3 or 3.5” would’ve been ideal. I knew that by the time I went through the peg board, the 1.5” depth of a 2x3, and then the ½” drywall, I would be lucky to have any penetration into the studs at all. But I made do with what I had available.

I still have to build a storage shelf above the entire work center but it looks pretty darn good. Incidentally, the Viking game went to overtime after both teams missed field goals in the final minute. I couldn’t bear to watch/follow any more. I was on pins and needles! Combined, they had ten turnovers. I told myself that I would avoid learning the outcome until morning. Mindy and I got in the hot tub around 9pm. It felt terrific on a cool but clear late summer evening. We headed to bed soon after.

A Kaileigh Day

I swear I didn’t even try, but somehow I woke promptly at 7:30am. Like a trained puppy I jumped right out of bed and began my weekend routine. After making a pot of coffee and exercising, Ykraps and I hit the door. It was very chilly with clear skies. If I recall, the temperature was only about 45 degrees. I knew that I’d need more than a thin dry-fit shirt while running. Furthermore, the expected high is only 63 degrees.

After some coffee and internet fun I readied for a run. Mindy was up and already in the shower. She had to be out of the house just after 9am to make a 9:30am hair appointment. Also, Jimaken was picking the kids up for breakfast at 9am. He wanted to spend some quality time with the kids before an upcoming west coast business trip. I hung around long enough for everyone to leave before setting out on my run. When I did it was still rather chilly. I ran inside the subdivision. It was a good run, one in which I resolved several issues whirling about in my brain.

I was determined to chip away at several home projects this weekend, but before jumping headlong into any of them I felt compelled to tidy up the kitchen and take care of a few minor household chores. I spent about an hour watering house plants, unloading the dishwasher, windexing appliances and door glass, and putting away miscellaneous toys and junk. All of that was really getting to me.

I was torn like I so often am when I have a lot of items on my to-do list - almost to the point of paralysis. While many of my projects feed one another, I could start at various places. UGH!!!! In the end I chose to spend time assembling the second of two steel base cabinets for the garage. That went much faster than the first, which I suppose should’ve been expected. Meanwhile, the kids returned as expected from there short time with Jimaken. Bella wanted to help me with the cabinet. And honestly, she was a big help handing me screws and supplying that helpful third hand. Mindy arrived home about fifteen minutes later.

I was just about done with the cabinet when I realized that I had assembled it incorrectly. I used the black screws where silver were to go. And truthfully, it was only cosmetic but to leave it that way would’ve driven me nuts. I took all 24 out and replaced them with silver. Gee Whiz! I later learned that I put the drawer bottom on wrong too. Mindy had to make sense out of the archaic drawing.

Finally, I finished the cabinet. I moved the finished product to the garage still not sure what would be next on the list. Thankfully, the Buckeye game wasn’t kicking off for a few hours still, so there was plenty of time to squeeze in more projects. Almost by default I got to moving things around in the garage to facilitate the cabinets. I moved them into their assumed position and then took the time to level them with the adjustable legs to compensate for the slight fall towards the street. Next, I put the accompanying faux wood top into place. Looking good!

I was motivated now to move onto the black metal shelving. The directions stated that it should take no more than ten minutes to assemble. In reality that was about 25 minutes, but that was erring in favor of caution. Soon I had the shelves erected and ready to be placed right next to my new workbench. Eager to get a glimpse of the final project I put the metallic peg board into place with out actually mounting it (that would take more time than I felt I had). Cool! I like the look and the functionality. There was still about 30 minutes until kick-off. I decided to move forward with light fixture replacement. I replaced both fixtures out front even though only one was damaged. It looks like someone kicked the one closest to the walk on purpose. I had little trouble getting both replaced with standard outdoor lighting fixtures that handle full-size spots.

Kick-off happened while I cleaned up for the afternoon. I was done, to a great extent, with my Saturday project work, although I still needed to water flowers. While enjoying the Buckeye game, granddaughter Kaileigh finally arrived. I was very happy to have her over and to see her. She was spending the night. She’s always pleasant and is relatively low maintenance. Bella was as happy as me to have her over. The kids played outside during the game. Jacob and I threw the football at halftime all the while I made room in the shed for mowers. Meanwhile, the Buckeyes took control of the game in the third quarter. I returned outside to address a few other chores. I got the mowers secured in the shed and then reattached the hot tub access panel to the deck.

I got the grill going just after kick-off while Mindy walked Ykraps. Before long I got busy grilling Texas burgers & a few hot dogs. Mindy whipped up some A gratin potatoes too. I never did get around to making more salsa or the brownies I had Mindy buy for my birthday, but that’s often the case. I have too much planned. We kept a loose eye on football all evening long. The Wolverines beat Notre Dame rather convincingly. At 8pm we watched USC against Nebraska. USC spanked them. We went to bed early – well before 11pm.

Broken Brake

Friday was all about the coming weekend. Outside of that, there was little variation from any other work day. I was up on time, the day was sunny, and I ran before work. Jacob returned to school after a two absence. The week went incredibly fast due to taking Thursday as a vacation day.

I took the rest of my homemade salsa and birthday cake to work. I also stopped at Kroger on my way in and picked up a couple bags of Lime Tostitos. And before moving on to work I bounced over to Advanced Auto Parts to pick up a bottle of brake fluid. I noticed yesterday that my brake fluid is a smidge low. Not sure if it’s been like that or if there’s a small leak. One thing’s for certain, the brake light has been coming on intermittently for a couple of months, but only first thing in the AM.

During my lunch hour I drove to Home Depot to pick-up some weekend project materials. I bought a sheet of silver peg board for my garage project center & some light fixtures to replace the two front uplights. When I returned to the office I finally ate the lunch that Mindy packed for me on Tuesday.

Five o’clock came quickly. I was eager to get out of the office and head home for the weekend. I left at 5:25pm. I wasn’t home to long at all before Ashley and Olivia arrived. Olivia was walking as much or more than crawling. That’s cute to see but also a bit of a curse because she’s completely mobile meaning that she’ll be in everything. She was, too!

Jacob wanted to throw the football. I spent a good 30 minutes with him. Mindy joined us out back and so did Ashley and Olivia, eventually. I went in and changed in and washed up in preparation for an evening out.

We left for Barleys around 7pm – much earlier than usual. The bar stools were all spoken for upon our arrival. I wasn’t in that great of a mood either. I waited for a seat patiently all the while sipping an IPA. Eventually two seats came free and we sat at the bar to enjoy some dinner. I had some Gate of Hell Wings. They were most tasty. We spent a lot of time with Jeremy and Courtney, who were already there when we arrived. The big day is close. Courtney looks like she could pop any day. Check the picture.

Most of the usual characters were there minus Bob and Mary Ann, who were back home in Wadsworth attending her grandmother’s funeral. And in case you were wondering, that’s an excused absence. Sarah, who I hadn’t seen in quite some time, stopped in with her new “friend”. I worked with her at UUNET before she started working at Barley’s. She was as chatty as ever.


We hung out at Barley’s until 1030pm. We weren’t up too long at home. In fact, I think that we were in bed by 11pm.