Avoir 2007

Happy New Year!!!

I woke a number of times through the night never quite feeling like I got the deep sleep that I craved. But much like the Monday before, I still felt surprisingly good come 5:40am when I leaped out of bed. I purposefully didn't hold myself accountable for waking at or before 5:30am because no one else in the house needed to be up. I knew that I could easily breeze through my routine and be on time. I exercised and then headed out with Ykraps. It was chilly but still not as wintry as it's been. It was at or near 30 degrees.

Back at home I coffee'd, PC'd, and then did a nice long meditation. I left for a run around 6:35am wearing my new running jacket. It was another quiet run with little other life milling about. After all, it was New Year's Eve and many folks are still on holiday. I did pass a fellow runner just three houses from home and bidded neighbor Craig a Happy New Year as he departed for work. It was 7:10am when I returned home. I preheated the small egg skillet and ended up frying two eggs. I grabbed my nuts & fruit already packed in the fridge from a week ago to serve as my lunch. The two eggs hit the spot. I didn't bother taking Mindy coffee figuring that she didn't need to be up. I tried showering as quietly as possible. I dressed in dress slacks, a mock turtle neck and a sport coat. My plan called for spending an hour or so at work before heading off to John's (Melissa's father's) funeral.

As I was placing everything in the Trooper in preparation for work I remembered my laptop. I would've been really frustrated had I arrived at work with no computer. After fetching my laptop I departed for work. I arrived to an almost empty facility save for those in my center. I quickly reacclimated myself with all that was going on and then let my Lead Engineer know that I would be leaving for a funeral around 9:30am. That first hour went fast. I spent most of it cleaning up my email inbox. I had just under a thousand. I chatted online with a work buddy, Jay who's wife recently had a new baby. Seems baby and mother are doing fine.

I left for Christ the King church at 9:30am. The drive went fast taking I-70E most of the way. I expected to find a brother or relative there but I didn't see one familiar face. I sat at the back of the church. I also realized that the immediate family wasn't there yet, nor was the casket. I correctly guessed that they must be on their way from the funeral parlor. They arrived right about 10am. I spotted brother Charles and Melissa coming in. They had reserved seating up front. I stayed put at the back of the beautiful church.

It was a nice Catholic funeral mass. It must've ended around 11:15am. I really had to pee and thought a couple of times about getting up during the service to seek out the Men's room but didn't. Instead, once the service ended I made a beeline towards theTroooper and headed for the nearest Wendy's, which I knew was only a half mile or so down the road. After relieving myself I headed down the highway back to work. I arrived just after 11:30am. I worked straight through until time to leave. I left early - around 3:50pm. I was eager to get home and begin ringing in the New Year. I stopped at Kroger and bought Mindy some pretty orangish red roses to get the new year off on the right foot. I knew that she'd love them. I wasn't sure what to expect but Kroger was once again a madhouse! No biggie. I was in and out and on my way home by 4:15pm.

At home, Jacob had his friend and neighbor Jacob over playing Wii. Bella, in the meantime, was down playing with his sisters, Makayla & Lilly. While they played I collapsed in the living room recliner with Mindy's magic massage pillow. As expected, it put me right to sleep. I must've slept for almost an hour. I felt really good when I got up and proceeded to take Ykraps on his last walk of 2007. When I returned Mindy left for CVS where she had to pick-up a couple prescriptions. I asked that she pick-up a bag of ice for our cooler. She, of course, agreed.

Neighbor Kenny, Jacob's step-father, walked Bella home and checked on his Jacob. They were still playing Wii so we agreed to let them play longer. I offered him a drink but he declined. I returned to updating my blog. Mindy was back home by 6pm or so. It should be noted that she had taken down and put away a great deal of Xmas through the day leaving only the tree and about a fourth of the gifts still to be addressed. It was nice to have the house looking almost normal again. And just like last year, we haven't had the usual decor in place since a few weeks before Halloween. Mindy baked cup cakes to take with us to Pat & Lisa's. We agreed to order a Minelli's pizza too. We'd wait, however, to order it to ensure that it's piping hot upon pick-up.

It was a small ordeal getting everyone party ready. Bella was being a pill - over tired I measured. We ordered the pizza around 7:30pm and left about 20 minutes later. The pizza was done when we got there. They always quote 20 minutes but it's always done sooner. We arrived back at Pat & Lisa's by 8pm. We parked across the street from his house. If it wasn't for the cooler, kids, and pizza, we would've walked. After all, it's just three houses down around the corner. Others were there already having a good time. Most of the small children were upstairs playing the Wii or playing on a laptop. We headed to the finished basement where the party always takes place. At the party were Tom & Lori, Brian and Susan, and, of course, Pat & Lisa. Our kids stayed upstairs with the others having met them all before. I was eager to crack open a beer. Pat let the 2002 Buckeye championship game whirl on the big screen while we socialized. There was still a good 3.5 hours before midnight.

As time passed a few others arrived including Lisa's brother Steve and his wife, Stacey. Even later, Pat's old friend Joe and his new girlfriend made an appearance. We had fun playing an electronic music trivia game and then a Caddyshack trivia card game. Steve, Tom, and Brian seemed to have the entire Caddyshack movie memorized! Mindy and I finished in last place but still had fun playing. Midnight neared quickly - always does! The kids were all still awake and eager to ring in the new year. Pat readied the champagne goblets and fetched a bottle of Martini & Rossi Asti Spumante'. Meanwhile, we brought a bottle of fizzy grape juice for the kids. Midnight finally arrived and we toasted in the new year. I have spent many of the past ten or so New Year's Eve's with the Shultz's. We hung out another half hour or so. The kids were beat and Mindy wanted to head home. Mindy & Bella walked, and Jacob and I drove.

Mindy quickly readied the kids for bed. I took two Advil before leaping into bed myself to hopefully prevent any potential headache come morning. We were up until almost 2am.

Vikings Won't be Dancing

It was Sunday morning, a day to sleep in and one with little planned. I got up around 8:30am and went through my usual routine. Mindy didn't get up until darn near 10am. When she did, I asked if she planned on attending church. She didn't. Meanwhile, in no uncertain terms, I let her know how upset I was that she fell asleep on me last night. But I shrugged it off and readied and left for a run around 10:30am. It was a pleasant run in rather mild weather conditions.

Mindy got started taking down Xmas despite not feeling 100%. I fooled around on the PC and planned to watch some NFL action throughout the day. I had nothing significant on my agenda. Jim brought the kids home after a weekend with dad around 1:30pm. Jacob and I watched the Browns game and also snuck in a few games on the Wii. We baked the extra lasagna that I prepped almost ten days ago planning to take it along with us to Mindy's mom's. But after baking it, I decided against taking it since it sat idle in the fridge for so long (eggs and ricoota cheese). I didn't want to be the cause of anyone getting ill.

We prepared to leave for Sunday dinner at Gloria's but didn't leave the house until almost 4:30pm. We were a little later than usual. But even still, we weren't the last ones to arrive. Meanwhile, my football hopes rested in the hands of a Vikings victory over the Broncos and a Redskins loss to the Cowboys. Both games began at 4:15pm. The Viking game was NOT on TV. And the Browns, win or lose, could only hope that the Colts beat the Titans later on SNF to secure the last AFC playoff spot.

Most of the family showed up for Sunday dinner. We had much of what was leftover from Xmas day (roast beef, pasta salad, etc.). Everything was tasty. Jacob demonstrated a tad more control over his behavior than he has the past few times we've been to Sunday dinner. Mindy's threatened him within an inch of his life. Come dessert time we had cookies & fudge. We let the Redsins game whirl on the small TV over the dining area. Mindy's neice, Julie is a big Redskins fan. They were handily beating the Cowboys who were not playing most of their starters. Again, if they won, it didn't matter what the Vikings did. Still, as you might expect, I was pulling for my Vikings. However, the scoring updates revealed that they were losing 17-3 headng into the 4th quarter. I had to come to terms with the fact that my teams season was officially over. :( I was happy for Julie and the Redskins who have been through hell this season.

We left for home around 7:20pm. I immediately preared to walk Ykraps upon our arrival home. Jacob went along, too. I had to mentally prepare myself for a return to work come the early AM. Among other things, that meant getting up at or near 5:30am and running. Mindy got the kids bathed pronto. She was a litle perturbed that Jimaken hadn't bathed the kids all weekend. While Mindy bathed the children I played on the PC and then some Wii. I cecked the Vikings final score. They lost but in ovetime. They scored two late TDs and two 2-point conversions to pull even at the end of regulation. I later learned that they fumbled on the second play of overtime to essentially give the game away. We tucked the kids into bed just after their usual bedtime. Jacob was quick to fall asleep, but Bella was another story. Mindy asked me to make her an eggnog drink while she retucked Bella. I whipped up two - one for her and one for me. The eggnog was delicious by itself, but I mixed it with spiced rum, whipped cream, and nutmeg. It was very good. Sad to say, that was my first eggnog ever!

While checking email I remembered my mom calling on Thursday of last week to report that Melissa's father passed away (Melissa is brother Charles' wife). I phoned my mom to get the showing/funeral details. I was disappointed to learn that the showing happened earlier today, and that the funeral was taking place Monday morning. I gave my mom a little crap for not giving us the details sooner. I told Mindy that I would be attending the funeral service Monday. Mindy offered to rearrange her morning plans to come along, but I told her that it wasn't necessary and that I'd represent us both. We tuned into the SNF to watch the Colts & Titans. Again, if the Colts won the Browns were in the playoffs. Problem was, the Colts had nothing to play for and pulled Manning and other starters after two series. They lost. The Browns, much like the Vikings, were done! We played some Wii during halftime of the game and headed to bed around 10:45pm, but I struggled falling asleep. Not exactly sure why. I dont' think that I fell asleep until almost 12:30am and then the sleep was fragmented and light.

Front Runner

I was up by 8:20am. Mindy stayed behind in bed. I had a feeling that she would sleep a while longer, and I was correct. I tidied up the downstairs, exercised, walked Ykraps, coffee’d, and played on the internet. I even managed to down load photos and publish to my blog. It was a productive morning. I dressed for my run around 10am. Mindy still wasn’t up & about.
My run went well. I was very relaxed upon its completion. Mindy soon joined me downstairs after sleeping in until almost 11am. We briefly discussed the day’s plans which included a trip to Kohl’s, Sears, Macy’s & Victoria’s Secret at Tuttle Mall, and Front Runner. I needed new running shoes badly. My current pair are 5+ plus months old or about 650 miles. Around 2pm we headed out.

Our first stop was Front Runner (a shoe store for runners) on Lane Ave. I brought the gift card received from my work team. It was crowded like always. We looked at winter running pants for a full half hour before even taking a glance at shoes. I was impressed with their selection of thick winter running tights. In the end, however, I bought none. I already have three pair albeit two are very old. And granted, they’re not as thick as these new ones but my legs rarely if ever get cold save for my member! Yikes! While there, Mindy found a nice wicking ski shirt she really liked. It was black and purple. I liked it too. I looked at shoes and found none that I cared for. They try to emphasize shoe comfort while discounting the look. I want both. I decided that I could probably find the shoes I wanted at Finish Line at Tuttle. I let Mindy use my gift card for the shirt.

Before heading to Tuttle we returned home where I left my $10 off coupon to
Finishline. On to Tuttle Mall. We shopped first at Victoria’s Secret. There Mindy returned one of two night shirts I bought her Xmas. The only reason she kept the one was because she’d already washed and wore it. Turns out the mediums she requested wee way too big! The line in Victoria’s was long and the store crowded. I asked Mindy to meet me outside the store. I ended up heading after my shoes while she worked on her return/exchange.

She met me at Finishline while I was in line making my purchase. I bought the same shoe I had just worn out. They were on sale, and with my $10 off coupon I got them for $50. That’s great! While there I spotted a thick wicking running jacket that I really liked. I bought it too. Mindy paid for it since I had given her my Front Runner gift card.

From there we visited Sears where we casually looked at stainless steel appliances. Honestly, it’s kind of hard to justify getting new appliances when the ones we have work fine. But hey, it's all about style, color, and a modern appearance – all fleeting attributes. We left Sears and meandered back through Macy's where I convinced Mindy that I really should get a new pair black casual/dress shoes having not bought new in almost four or five years. A testament to buying good quality shoes. I found some new Borns I really liked. I bought them and a new black leather belt, too.

We still wanted to go to Kohl’s for Mindy, but we were both hungry as all get out. We decided on P.F.Chang’s directly across the street. Mindy had been wanting to dine there for a while. We arrived around 5:30pm. We were happy to be seated immediately. Jeff was out waiter. He was well trained and very courteous. I ordered a Sam Adams, and Mindy a glass of Shiraz. We decided to go all out. We ordered some chicken lettuce wraps, Won-Ton soup, and calamari. For our entrees, Mindy ordered their sea bass and I got Mongolian Beef. Everything was perfect! We had lots leftover to take home too.

As we exited for home it was quite apparent that we showed up just in the nick of time. There was a line out the door waiting for tables. We got home and went straight for our jammies. I enjoyed a Jack & Coke while playing some Wii bowling. I was giving Mindy a butt kickin’ too. She, uncharacteristically, spouted off some obscenities. Her mood changed for the better after our fourth game when she finally returned to form and beat me. :) After Wii Mindy reluctantly agreed to watch Mad TV from bed. Mindy fell asleep a short time into the show. So much for our romantic date! :(

Taken for Granite

Friday was a raw and rainy day. I was first out of bed right about 8am. It wasn’t long before both Bella and Lil’ Rocky were on my heels wanting some breakfast. Actually, they had been up far earlier than me but playing somewhat quietly.

Mindy was up a short time later seeking coffee - stat! A couple of times we had to quiet the kids as they played and ran around the house wildly. The movie we planned to see played at 12:40pm & again at 2:50pm. We had originally thought that we’d attend the earlier showing but after running and having breakfast neither Mindy or I was in the mood to rush around. We settled on 2:50pm.

Taking advantage of the later showing, Mindy snuck off for a long nap in our room. I hung out with the kids. They were playing nicely so it was no big deal. I took a nap in the recliner once again using Mindy’s new massage pillow. This time, however, I used it on my shoulders, lower back, and then my hamstrings. It felt so good! Jacob tried it after me. He liked it too.
Mindy was up showering around 1pm. I headed up after she was about done. We planned to arrive at the theatre around 2:20pm leaving plenty of time for snacks and seating. It was raining fairly moderately. Before we dashed off to the theatre we firmed Rocky’s return time with Lindsey as well as Jacob and Bella’s pick-up time with Jimaken.

The movie went without a hitch. The Starplex theatre located by Wal-Mart is priced nicely for taking the entire family. Tickets are only $3.50 before 6pm. That’ a bargain these days. It brings back memories of Great Western. I was more than a little disgusted, however, once we entered our theatre. The lights were on so the fella working could finish cleaning up after the last run. The theatre stunk and both the floor & seats were sticky! Suddenly I called into question my frugality. Perhaps AMC Lennox would have been a better choice. Still, the kids were oblivious to the conditions and after the lights went down and after the nose adapted there was little indication of anything being amiss. Bottom line we did five admissions, a large tub of popcorn, and a large drink for $27. That’s a deal! Last Xmas vacation the four of us (Me, Mindy, Jacob, and Bella) we went to see Happy Feet and spent something like $60.

The Alvin & Chipmunks movie was cute. I enjoyed it for what it was. Part of the lure for me was my fond recollection of the chipmunks of my youth. The kids belly laughed a number of times. That made it worth it! It was still raining as we left for home. It was 4:30pm. We weren’t home for five minutes when Jimaken arrived to get Jacob & Bella. I walked Ykraps and then Mindy and I delivered Rocky home. He had fun but was happy to see his momma. Truthfully, we were happy to have some alone time.

We planned to stop in Home Depot before heading onto Barley’s. Which one, we weren’t yet certain. We decided on the West Broad store given its proximity to Kelly’s and then Barley’s. More than anything, I wanted to look at countertop options. Our laminate counter tops are separating in a couple of places – one very recent by the coffee maker. What a perfect excuse to get new. I was eager to price out granite or Silestone. Home Depot was dead with a capital D. We found the counter samples with little trouble. The price of granite and/or Silestone is very high, but this we already knew. The samples we liked were upwards of $80 per sq foot. That makes the cost of replacing the counter tops about $3000 – 4000. Ouch! We grabbed a couple samples of the new laminates too. While there we looked at stainless appliances, cabinets, and tile. Just lookin’!

We left Home Depot and headed to Barley’s. Right off of I-270 the drive was quick We were at Barley’s just after 6pm. The crowd was thin, just as expected. Mark was the only regular spotted. No Bob & M.A., and no Jumps. Marks brother Scott and wife Linda were there too. Soon we were surprised to see Mark & Trudy come in. We saw them Wednesday and they said they’d come in on a Friday to see us. Prior to then, we hadn’t seen them in three months I’ll bet. We hung out through the evening together eventually ordering food. We all ordered Barley burgers, and they were tremendously delicious! I haven’t had one in a really long time. I drank Mean Manalishi. All totaled, I had three over about 3.5 hours. In fact, I emptied the keg! L No more Mean Manalishi for a while, I am sure. What’s worse, that meant that there wasn’t any IPA on tap right now.

Mindy & I headed for home at 10pm. We were tickled to be home so early on a Friday after getting our Barley’s fix on. We played a handful of Wii golf before heading to bed. I’ll bet we were asleep by 11pm.

Knocked Up

We woke later today than Wednesday. I didn’t get out of bed until almost 9am. What a lazy… Oh, wait. I’m on vacation! I’m allowed. Mindy was up first with the kids while I hung out in bed a while longer. She got the coffee started but didn’t walk Ykraps. I joined her after taking a Tagament and snuffing some Rhinocort. I woke with clogged sinuses.

I breezed through my calisthenics then headed out with Ykraps. It was another gray early winter day with temps just above freezing. Mindy made arrangements for her friend Teri and Masimo to visit. Later, we planned on having Lil’ Rocky over to spend the night and talked of going to see the new Chipmunks movie.

I enjoyed my first cup of coffee at the PC. There I continued learning the new Corel Paint Shop Pro software. Before I could get up, Teri and Masimo arrived. Mindy was just out of the shower. Teri brought Tim Hortons doughnuts and coffee – a tradition. The kids disappeared into the mass of toys and played for hours. We hung out and talked in the kitchen. It wasn’t until almost 10:30am that I pardoned myself and left for a run.

It was another nice run. Very comfy! I noticed that neighbor Mike was installing a trampoline in his yard as I ran by. I quipped that he’s the best dad ever! I shared the news with Mindy when I got home. I snacked on the Tim Horton’s doughnuts upon my return. Soon Mindy, Teri, and Bella headed off to Target for some after Xmas shopping. Jacob and Masimo played quietly the entire time. About two hours later the girls returned with two Minelli’s pizzas – one cheese and one pep, sausage, and hot peppers. That hit the spot. Teri eventually shared some big-big news. She’s pregnant! They’ve been trying for years for a second child. We both cheered in excitement for her.

Teri & Masimo left around 4pm. We enjoyed their visit. I called Lindsey a short time later to discuss our plans. Quite frankly, I was surprised that Lindsey hadn’t called earlier to discuss Rocky’s overnight. Turns out, she had lost track of the days and assumed it to be Wednesday. Are you kidding me? Well, that explains it. I made arrangements to pick-up Lil’ Rocky a short time later. She called back about 30 minutes later to confirm my arrival. I left to pick-up Rocky around 5pm. Bella rode along. It was beginning to rain lightly during our travels. Rocky was excited to be coming over. We had already decided that we wouldn’t be going to the movie now until tomorrow. We’d simply relax, play, and watch a movie together tonight.

After a bath the kids watched Shrek 3. I watched very little of it. Instead, I spent a lot of time playing with the new Corel Paint Shop software. The kids were a handful getting to bed. Rather, they went to bed fine, but staying there was another story. Rocky & Bella didn’t fall asleep until 9:30pm. Mindy & I played Wii golf after they finally fell asleep.

Day After Blues? Not me!

It was the morning after Xmas. I was up later than I would’ve predicted, but then again I didn’t have a single pressing agenda item to serve as a motivator. It was like 8:20am. I woke relieved to finally be off of call and untethered from the office. It felt as though a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. I could now get some much deserved holiday rest. The house wasn’t a mess but it did look like Xmas – gifts galore taking up every nook and cranny. The idea of order was not being communicated by the home. I eagerly pushed through my exercises and then took on the gray morning air with Ykraps in tow. Gone was the brilliantly sunny weather we were so blessed with on Xmas day. I wore my new Viking plaid pajama bottoms while on our walk. I encountered no one while walking. The kids were up and joined me downstairs upon my return. Jacob was eager to play with his many new toys and insisted on opening the Wii. I asked that he hold off until later, although I understood his eagerness. Mindy joined us a few minutes later. She expressed feeling very tired. I shared the unfortunate news of more cold like symptoms. But it’s no wonder with all the flesh pressing over the past few days, and many around us were noticeably congested. I happily logged onto my desktop PC to check the performance if nothing else. We were still up & running! For this I was most pleased. Mindy offered to prepare a full blown breakfast while I ran. I think that she made eggs and ham. I returned from my run around 10:40am. Waiting was my breakfast served with a Mimosa. Yummy! After breakfast Jacob and I butted heads over his continued bouncing of a ball in the family room despite me asking him to cease. But instead of adhering to my request he continued on, citing his mother’s earlier approval. I asked that he stop, regardless of prior approval. He did not. I ended up taking his ball and launching it deep into the backyard. Problem solved. He wasn’t happy and let me know it. Turned out, Mindy wasn’t too pleased with my tactics either. I retreated to the PC where I focused on program/file restoral. I couldn’t find my Dell Image Expert software on any of the Dell supplied CDs. I once again contacted Dell for some help via Live Chat! This time the gentleman wasn’t as helpful. He stated that if it wasn’t on one of the CD’s supplied then I might be screwed since Dell has since broken ties with Jasc/Corel whose software program they had rebadged. He also stated that they don’t archive programs like that. I understood but wasn’t pleased. After all, managing my photos is the most significant task I use my PC for. I had already began surfing the net for new photo editing software when I decided to reinsert the CD that Dell insisted the original program should’ve been stored on for like the fourth time. This time, however, I selected a lesser model PC and presto - more applications were revealed including Dell Image Expert. This pleased me much! However, as I loaded it, I remembered upgrading to a more advanced version after 60days but never burnt the upgrade to CD. The version I had ordered with my PC amounted to little more than a photo downloader/organizer tool with next to no editing capabilities. Even with the upgrade their tools were very limiting compared with most "real" editing packages these days. Still, I reloaded Dell Image Expert. I tried it out but did not proceed with reloading any of my 20,000 photos. I wanted to shop around a little thinking that now might be as good a time as any to get a more robust package. I first checked out Adobe’s Photoshop Elements 6.0. If nothing else, it’s the most widely known/used package out there for amateurs like me. But honestly, I had a free trial copy last year and I wasn’t that impressed. I decided to Google and CNet. I happened upon Corel’s Print Shop Pro X2. It looked comparable to Adobe’s offering but also seemed to offer more bells and whistles. Plus, I liked their gooey better. Turns out, they’re the same folks that made the Dell Image Expert which is now called Corel Photo Organizer. However, before buying I was eager to try first. After all, I was just as concerned about having a package that downloads and organizes as much as the editing capabilities. Neither Adobe Elements or Corel Paint Shop Pro placed much emphasis on that piece with their marketing literature. I even tried calling their support line to ask, but after holding for twenty minutes I dropped the call. Mindy soon left for her chiro appointment. I stayed home with the kids. Jacob spent most of his time playing with his new PS2 in his room. They were no trouble whatsoever. Eventually, We all three went outside to play together. Jacob and I passed the football while Bella swung from the tree swing. After playing and making the kids a snack, I decided that I would do the Corel Paint Shop Pro X2 free 30-day trial. Couldn’t hurt! I downloaded the package – a large one – 375 meg. Next, I downloaded all the pics currently on my 1gig camera card. I quickly found that their organizer/downloader was built into the advanced software package. Very cool! In addition, there were hundreds of editing features that I’ve always wished I had. I tried a few of them prior to Mindy returning home. By then it was time to get off the PC for a while. I had spent countless hours on the PC the last couple of days. Late afternoon Jacob and I played Madden 2008 on his PS2. It was fun but a challenge for me. There are just so many buttons to push to get the players to do what you want them to do. Jacob either wasn’t very forthcoming or couldn’t explain it very well. What he did do, though, was kick my ass! :) Bengals over the Vikings. Yikes!!! About that time Jimaken arrived to pick up Jacob for yet another hockey game. My PS2 training class was officially over! After Jimaken and Jacob left Mindy, Bella, and I headed to Barley’s. Bella was looking very forward to her first dinner at Barley’s. There were a handful of regulars in for happy hour. We sat at a bar side table where we ordered dinner. I ordered a Mean Manalishi and the Wednesday special – 2 mini-burgers. Mindy had a wine and the same special. Bella had Honey Chipotle wings and soda. We stayed until 6:45pm then headed home. At home we played some Wii for the first time. Although, Jacob and Mindy played earlier. It wasn’t long before Jacob retuned home. I enjoyed a couple more beers throughout the evening. Mindy headed to bed before I.

Xmas in India

MERRY CHRISTMAS























It was 7:20am on Xmas morning and I was the first one up. I was careful not to make too much noise prefering instead ot get the morning started in peace and tranquility. The first thing I did was light the tree to make Xmas more colorful. I prepared a pot of Starbucks coffee and launched a round of calisthenics. It was difficult finding enough room to tucked my toes without banging m head on the numeroous gift piles/boxes scattered about hte family room yet somehow I managed.

It was a beautiful start to Xmas morning with the sun shining and temperatures hovering at or near freezing. Ykraps and I left for our walk heading east towards Mike's house. Upon renetry the house was still quiet but within a couple of minutes I could hear the children stirring and chatting with their mother. There was the elevated excitement of Xmas in their every word. Mindy was bent on them coming downstairs together. In the mantime i tried hopelessly to access the internet hoping for a miracle of sorts on my home desktop, but still n ojoy. Next, I logged into work ia my laptop to make sure thigns were quiet. They were.

Mindy & the kids were finally on their way down before 8am. They were pumped! As is their tradition, Mindy had them open their stockings first which Santa had filled with all sorts of goodies. He had evne filled stockings for Mindy & I. Next, we moved ot the family room where the kids launched a full assault on the their gift piles. Mindy was careful about the order in which their gifts were opened. First they opened their individual Santa piles. Next they opened their shared Santa pile, which included the PS2, an extra controller, and two games. They were really excited! After that they opened their Mommy & jimmy piles which included more fun stuff along with some a few Xmas staples like socks, boots, etc. They were difgging it! They got lots of cool stuff. We still had one moregift left for the two of them. They opened it together. It was a Wii! They were psyched, and laughed at Santa for bringing bot ha PS2 & a Wii. As you might guess, we got lots of Xmas hugs!

Mindy & and I worked through our own piles next. I got some Nike running clothes, which I really wanted, more running gloves, a facemask. I also got a Home Depot gift card, some Viking pajamma pants, some Barley's pint glasses along with their latest t-shirt, and a case of Xmas ales. Very cool! Mindy got a couple Vicotria Secret sleepers, a coffee mug, a 2007 photo album stuffed with 80 pictures of the year gone by, bright purple luggage, and some diamond ear rings. She was happy!

The kids were completely over stimulated. They wanted otplay with everything. Mindy did a great job managing their desires against logic. Givne the day's plan, she allowed only smallish toys to be opened and played with for the time being. Bella, however, managed to get some of her new make-up opened, and just as I expected it was everyshere in less than a minute. We had glitter dust flying throough the kitchen air and later powder all over the island counter. You really have to watch her closely!

Around 10am I left for my Xmas day run - a run I always enjoy! I wore on of my new Nike seal-skin mocks. It was very warm and very comfy.I also wore my new running pants. They're a bit lighter weight than my others. pairs. My run was most pleasant. When I returned the sweet smell of maple bacon permeated the entire house - that and the awesome smell of our Bath & Body "Tree" candle. It was surely Xmas! We sat to eat our breakfast together as family. And in what has become a tradition of ours, we served mimosas. The kids, of course, enjoyed theirs alcohol-free (Thanks Uncle Chuck).

After breakfast Mindy hooked up Jacob's PS2 in his room so that he could play Madden 2008. That kept him quiet up until we left for Gloria's. I continued monkeying around with my PC loading all the drivers off of a Dell provided CD that came with my PC some four year ago. I was hopeful that amongst them would be the driver that awakens my NIC. Despite all of my efforts the NIC was still not reconized. I was bummed. I tried coming to terms with the idea of replacing the entire machine. That would most likely turn into $2K. Yikes!

We left for Gloria's around 1:30pm after Mindy told her that we would be there close to noon. Oops! We had so much to do, though. While I showered Mindy loaded all the gifts, food, and camera in the Trooper making our exit smooth and easy. In the back of my mid I was concerned that we were holding up everyone;s Xmas there. However, that wasn't the case. We weren't the first to arrive but we weren't the last either. Too, I was nervous about being on-call and away from my laptop, although I did have my Backberry.

In what is tradition, the family was gathered in the lower level. There were more gifts than at our house. Holy smoke! The lower level was self contained in that all the food, treats, and drinks we needed were available. What's intersting in that Gloria uses her washing machine as a cooler to avoid needless trips upstairs. It works very well, too! We waited about an hour before opening gifts. We snacked on the goodies while waiting. The kids went first. Mindy's family has their tradition, which each gift giver takes a turn passing out their gifts. It makes so much more sense than having everyone passing out gifts at the same time. The kids got a ton of cool stuff. What comes to mind was Jacob's OSU football unifrom. And you just had to know that he put it on right away! You could see in his eyes that he felt instant fame donning the uniform of his beloved Bucks. He and I headed outside to toss the football in the lovely Xmas day weather. I must've been about 40 and sunny by then.

After others arrived we exchagned gifts with Gloria, who presented her gifts to everyone last. Among our bounty, we got some really cool deep purple candle holders that will go nicely with our planned decor'. As the afternoon wanned and the kids played, the holiday glaze took over momentarily. Momentarily, that is, until Larry asked Julie to fetch her Wii from the car. That changed the entire energy of the room. Soon everyone, five to seventy-three, was cheering and enjoying themsleves as we played Wii bowling. This was our first glimpse into the action having not yet opened ours back at home. I am completely impressed. Nintendo has developed something that the entire family can enjoy at the same time that is both fun, challenging, yet easy for all. We had a Bowl! :)

After the Wii we headed upstairs for Xmas dessert, which again is stepped in tradition. Gloria always serves ice-box cookies topped withe her own blend of Xmas frosting on her Xmas plates. I find it quirky yet appealing. There's something about long held family traditions that I absolutely love. You cna tell that Mindy and her sibs are very rehearsed at this whole thing. Mindy had our family pile orgainzed and ready for easy transport home. We first carried it all to the garage where then we loaded it into the Trooper. It must've been near 7:30pm. As soon as we got home I walked Ykraps who was waiting pateintly my the door for our certain return. Jacob came running wanting to walk with us. Ykraps agreed.

The kids were still pumped but also exhausted. Mindy managed to get them settled into bed just after 8pm. We did a little organizing and I checked in with work. I tried again fooling with the drivers for my NIC but still no joy. Finally, at 9pm I deciided to surf Dell's webpage for support ideas via my laptop. Eventually I decided to try their live chat. Judging by the gentleman's name, Muthulaksham, I guessed him from India where many high tech Help Desks now reside.
This guy was so cool! Long story short. We worked together by PC and phone for the next five hours correcting the issue. He had me moving jumpers inside my PC resetting the BIOS to its original state. In addition, he pointed me to some new drivers via my laptop that I burned ot CD and then uploaded ot my desktop. Just after midnight, Xmas now behind us, he got me to Intel's website where we found anew NIC driver that revived my NIC and immeidately activated my internet connection. WAHOO! As you might guess, I was elated. And i let him know that too!
After gaining internet connectivity I allowed him to take control of my PC via remote desktop to remedy other missing drivers that conrtolled audio, video, and printing. He stayed with me until after 2am. We closed after he tried to load my printer to no avail. I knew how to do it and loaded it successfully just after he and I parted ways. Thank you Muthulaksham! You're the best! I was now ready for bed!

As I snuck under the covers Mindy asked how it went. I shared the good news and the kindness of my new friend at Dell. Whe nshopping for a new PC you can bet it'll be anotehr Dell. They were simply awesome!!

Twas The Night Before Xmas - replacing my HD

Twas The Night Before Xmas ...

I decided to sleep in until 6am after a rather late night. Besides, this was Xmas eve and work, at least I hoped, would be a bit more laid back than usual. I felt pretty good all things considered and went about my routine like any other day. I exercised and then walked Ykraps. It was a beautifully clear Xmas Eve morning with a full moon. I was looking forward to my run - likely the last under the guise of darkness for some time. But before headng out to run, I first relaxed with a cup of yummy coffee and then about ten minutes of meditation. During meditation I contemplated how blessed I am to have good health, family, and resources. There are many with much less.

I readied and left for a run around 7:05am. It was still dark but the pre-dawn sky was quick to brighten. It was a quiet run. There was little traffic or movement of any kind save for a bunny or two darting across the street. Mindy was awake whenI returned from my run preparing for a busy day of wrapping gifts. Already having wrapped several dozen, she still had the lions share of the kids gifts to do. Before I showered and dressed, Mindy had the kids piles organized in such a way that she/we could compare for equality. I reminded Mindy that the equality was more of her own doing rather than the kids. In all, There were five piles: a pile each from Santa; a pile each from us, and lastly a joint pile from Santa. Anyway you stacked it, it was a lot of Xmas!

I left for work just after 8:30am. The lot was almost empty save for the few NOC'ers working in our two centers. The work day was almost completely void of stress. I chatted with the the team about their holiday plans and about my dead hard drive. Lots of computer geeks on board. I was encouraged with the many options available for restoring my PC and possibly even my hard drive. In the end, though, I decided to simply replace my hard drive. I shopped Micro Center's webpage and found the perfect drive - 160 gig for $57.99. I figured come lunch time I'd drive over and pick one up. One of my guys said he had one at home and would charge me only $20. I opted for new. Come 11:45am I left for lunch. I drove east on Hayden Run/Bethel to Micro Center. Micro Center was bustling wiht shoppers. I went right to the hard drives where a gentleman helped me find what I was seeking. I found the one I had selected online. He tried up-selling me to a 250 gig for just another $15 but I opted not. I hindsight that might have been a good idea. Still, the 160 gig was 33% larger than my original.

On my way back to work I stopped at Giant Eagle to pick-up some IPA. I already had plenty of beer at home but most of it was Xmas & pumpkin ale. I was craving hops! Giant Eagle was even more crowded than Micro Center. The lines were all very long. With just two six packs, I opted for the self-checkout line. That was unusually slow too, but faster than the only other option. I was back at work by 1:15pm. The afternoon moved swiftly. I allowed staff to depart early as the workload dictated and as the mid-shifters trickeld in. I left myself at 4pm. I had hoped to leave closer to 3pm but had things to do. Either way, I was still on-call so it was either do at home or at work.

Mindy reported having a crazy day herself wrapping presents and running last minute Xmas errands. She had to replace the missing candy and return a couple of broken nutcrackers. She was home only minutes before me, and the kids weren't far behind. With quiet time running short, I took a much needed power nap in the living room recliner using Mindy's new neck massager. It was incredible, knocking me right out. Just before Jimaken retuned withthe kids, I got busy installing my new hard drive. It was very easy but I wanted to be careful just the same. I took my time. After only ten minutes I was powering up and loading XP. Jimaken brought the kids home a short time later after Xmasing with he and his family for most of the day. The kids were excited but also noticeably worn down. It was almost time to leave for church. Mindy would be choiring. Meanwhile, Windows was still updating when we left and the approximate load time was 2 hours. I figured it'd be finished when we returned.

We offered to pick-up Gloria but she opted to drive herself. We arrived at 7:15pm on the nose. Mindy needed to be 15 minutes early to prepare for choir. Mass was crowded but Gloria had saved us seats. The kids and I sat alongside her. The service was similar to most Xmas eve services where the story of Joesph and Mary's trek into Bethlehem was told. Karen, the local pastor, used an unusual amount of ethusiasm to help the story along. For me, it was bit over the top, but hey, who am I ?. She's added a bit of a baptist flavor to her ministry since her arrival. Still, the service was decent inspiring cause and relfection upon what's right in my life and what good I might yet be able to offer the world. Too, there was communion at the services end. All attendees were offered the opportunity, unlike a Catholic mass where only practicing members are supposed to participate. :) There was a candlelighting at the end as well where the electric lights were turned down. Not sure the intended message, but what came to my mind was how one turns into many having lit all our candles from one orignal flame. Perhaps the message was influence?

There was a brief reception following the service where many socialized over Xmas goodies. We stayed only about fifteen minutes. I was anxious to get home to a cold IPA! :) Mindy was anxious to get home and get the kids in bed and help usher in Santa Claus. We didn't get home until after 9pm. Geesh! I cracked a beer and rebooted my PC. Everything seemed to be working fine save for my internet connection. At first I assumed it to be a Road Runner issue but after calling them they assured me that it was an operating system issue since Windows could not see my NIC. Crap! I tried everything that I could think of including looking for its drivers on the handful of CD's originally supplied by Dell. Meanwhile, Mindy played Santa. Exhausted, she headed to bed while I continued fooling with my PC. After she went to bed I figured that I better bag it for the night and get busy placing her gifts under the tree. I had them arranged in about five minutes. There was absolutely no room under the tree so I had to stack them on the chair. I took a couple pictures of the excess and headed up to bed. Turns out, Mindy was still awake. I talked her into watching the pope usher in Xmas from St. Peter's Basilica - something I've enjoyed watching for years and years.

2 Holiday Parties & Wii

After I got up once to pee, Mindy asked several questions making it apparent that she didn’t recall how/when we got home. After telling all, she had no recollection. By far, that’s the silliest I’ve ever seen her get. I was certain that she'd be hung over all day long. She said she didn’t feel so bad, however. Hmm?

I got up and went down to make coffee and begin my day at 8:15am. Meanwhile, the wind was still whistling loudly outdoors. If nothing else, it was fairly warm – 55 degrees. After exercise Ykraps and I headed out for our walk. I wore shorts! Back home I poured a cup of coffee then logged into work. After work was settled I got the ham out and into the crockpot.

Mindy was up and in the shower by 9am. She looked pretty good considering where she was ten hours earlier. She mentioned feeling only a little shaky! We once again had a lot to accomplish in a relatively short amount of time. We would have a house full at 1pm. Looking around the house, that seemed impossible. But somehow, in the back of my mind, I knew that we’d pull it off. We always do.

I left for my run before Mindy left for church. She asked that I finish the vacuuming when I got back. I agreed. My run was sheer joy. I was back home by 10:45am. The firs thing I did was vacuum the downstairs and finish watering house plants. I showered afterward, and then did a number of other preparatory chores. I carried in some firewood, heated some buffalo dip, made some little bay sausages, prepped a cooler, wrapped some last minute gifts, and spot cleaned the tile floor.

I had things looking pretty good by the time that Mindy returned. She got home around 12:30pm. She and I completed a plethora of other tasks to make the house party ready. Everyone arrived within five minutes of one another. A little funny how that works.
Once again, we had a really nice food spread and the house looked great, or as good as it could.
The kids ran around having fun while the adults gathered in the kitchen sampling the dazzling array of appetizers we tirelessly prepared. Meanwhile, I poured myself a cold beer to help take the edge off!

Gift opening cam after everyone had their initial fill of food. The kids, of course, went first. Unlike Xmas at Mindy's mom's, there weren't a lot of gifts for jacob & Bella. But son't feel sorry for them, they'll be spoiled plenty by Mindy's family as well as us. The grandkids had aball opening gifts and playing with their new toys. Next it was the daughters, who liked everything we got them, too. Next, we moved on to the adults (Mom, Dad, adn Uncle Chuck). Hey, where'd Uncle Chuck's gift go? We couldn't find it. Mindy recalled taking it to Bobby's the night before but apparently it didn't mae the trip home. In fact, we were missing two. I was a little embarrassed. Mindy looked everywhere thinking we had simply misplaced it (some Anthony Thomas chocolates). Eventually we retagged one we had for Gloria thinking that we'd get another on Monday for her. Still, the tension was high.

Sometime through ti all daughter Courtney phoned. We invited her over. We haven't seen Courtney for Xmas since 2004. We had her 2005/2006 gifts still thge basement. We didn't buy new ones this year, seeing that as follie. Just the same, it would be good to see her. Mindy and I fetched her old gifts and rebowed them - a tune up of sorts. Honestly, we half expected her to stand us up. We didn't mention it to Kaileight, saving her any disappointment. Mindy and I , feeling more accountable to Shellie, tried phoning her to give her a heads up. We certainly didn't want to risk losing her trust.

Courtney showed up 20 minutes later. I hadn't seen a stich of her since Sheila's funeral service. She was all skin & bones then. Today, however, she was plump - plumper than she's ever been. She seemed healtheir than I've seen her in years. Everyone welcomed her in and hugged her. We gave her the gifts and allowed her time with Kai. Kai was very warm to her despite not seeing too much of her. Kai is so sweet! Courtney stayed no more than 45 minutes. It was good to see her. I so hope that she continues her apparent recovery. We'll see.

Others began leaving soon after Courntey, leaving only brother Tommy & Wally behind. Shellie showed up to retrieve Kaileigh soon after. Tommy headed out soon after Shellie arrived. We played clean-up while chatting with Shellie. Sometime during the faternoon Jimaken picked up Jacoby to take him to the Blue Jackets game. I finally contacted Ken, my peer and friend from work. He had our Wii. Now, all we had to do was coordinate the pick-up. The plan called for us to head to Ken's home after Jacob & Jimaken returned from the hockey game. At that time Jimaken would pick-up Bella and take them both home to celebrate their Xmas. We'd then leave for Ken's. Jimaken and jacoby didn't get home until after 9pm. I was fading fast all the while watching the Vikings early collapse on SNF. Win & we were in. That simple! But nine minutes into the game we wre behind 9-0, despite numerous chances. Already tense and nervous, I turned the game off.

We finally arrived at Ken's at 9:40pm. He and his wife & kids were up and waiting. We visited with them for almost an hour talking about everything under the sun. We still had Rene's party to attend. Ouch! I was so tired and needed ot be up for work in the morning.

We stopped at the Grove City Wal-Mart before the freeway to Rene's. There we picked up some Vanilla Bean icecream as requested. We arrived at Rene's around 11pm. The party was well underway. We gave Rene her party gift - a bottle of Jack. I asked if she would mae me one. She, however, insisted on doing it as a shot. Not me! Not tonight, I exclaimed. Rene did a shot. I did a Jack & Coke. Mindy drank one glass of wine.

I met Rene's mom who Mindy taught with for a number of years. She was very interesting, and very Greek! We also chatted with two very hot young ladies, who we later learned were jail bait! Yikes!!! There were so many hot young girls there that I felt sorry for my single guy friends.:)
I had two Jack & Cokes in the 1.5 hours that we were there. Mindy drove home to be safe. It was chilly. We arrived home just before 1am and quickly headed to bed. It was offically Xmas Eve.

Xmas Holiday Celebrations Begin

We slept later than usual, me until 8:05am. I felt pretty good, though and was eager to get up and get moving. The coffee maker kicked on just like it’s supposed to. Trouble was, I forgot to add coffee. But generally, I don’t make coffee ahead of time on weekends. Truthfully, I forgot to disable the auto brew feature Friday evening.

I fixed the faux pas and whizzed through my exercise routine still bummed about my hard drive. It wasn’t long before Ykraps and I were outdoors taking in the neighborhood. He’s such a good dog!

I enjoyed some coffee and sat down at my Laptop tuning into work. Things were going fairly smoothly – thankfully. It wasn’t long before Mindy was awake and downstairs too. I can’t recall the exact time. I left for a run in what were dramatically windy conditions. We were experiencing gusts up to 50 mph. If nothing else, it made running interesting.

I was a little more relaxed after my run having come somewhat to terms with my broken hard drive. I feel a little ashamed at how reliant I’ve become of my PC and then why I didn’t take more precaution with a back-up system of sorts. You can bet that I’ll be looking into something like that moving forward.

Work kept me hopping for the next couple hours. Mindy formulated a grocery list to carry us through a rash of holiday events/parties as well as our usual food supply. What I knew for certain was that we had an incredibly busy agenda ahead of us. Mindy wanted to visit a sick church friend, grocery shop, make buffalo chicken dip, ready for Bob’s party. All of this had to happen in three hours. All of this, and I still had some Xmas stuff to do too. Yikes!

We left the house together headed towards Oakhurst Country Club. Annoyed with our ever expanding agenda, I suggested to Mindy that she just go alone. She agreed somewhat begrudgingly. No matter how I tried to disguise it, I was still raw over my crashed hard drive. Mindy left to see her sick friend, and I stayed at home working on a few last minute Xmas things. Mindy called close to 2:30-#:00pm asking if I wanted to meet her at the grocery store. We met at the Alton Darby Kroger. We got the Xmas party fixins and a bottle of Jack D. for Rene.

We didn’t get home until just after 4pm. We had a boat load to do before we were ready for Bob’s. After carrying groceries I got crackin’ on the buffalo chicken dip. I’ve got that recipe down to a science. It became apparent that we weren’t going to make the 5pm slated start but that’s OK. It was more likely that we’d make it closer to 6pm.

Somehow we got everything done that needed to be done. The house would need a good sprucing up first thing tomorrow am in readiness for our little get-together. We arrived at Bob’s around 6:30pm – maybe later. I had to get my laptop hooked up in the basement since I was on-call. Meanwhile, the place was jumping – a little crazy in fact. Lot’s of wee ones around.
We interacted with everyone eventually starting the gift exchange for kids. By far the best idea in years was to have the adult White Elephant exchange. That made shopping easy & fun - $20 limit. It was much more fun than the chaotic gift exchange, too. We ended up with $20 worth of scratch-off lottery tickets. I think that we won $2. :(

Most of the kids left around 9pm (Ash, Linz, Adam, Hilliary, Christie). Dad left soon after. But even before dad left the girls were getting’ a little wild. Mindy somewhere intimated that she wanted to party and asked if I’d be the designated driver. I began drinking soda only. On the other hand, she, Dodie, and April got fairly tanked!

Let’s just say that Mindy was feelin’ no pain by the time we departed. The kids were beyond cranky. Jacob cried all the way home. He was pissed that he didn’t get a turn with the Wii. Geesh! While Mindy tried helplessly to get the kids ready for bed, I got my laptop fired up at home. I guess I didn’t realize just how shit faced she was. Trust me! She was loopy! It wasn’t until I heard Jacob ask her why she was crawling and then Bella said she was throwing up because she ate so much food. When I went upstairs she was naked and the kids were crying. :) I was finally able to get them to bed. Bella, however, was pissed! I got Mindy of to bed after forcing her to take some Advil and Tagament.

I stayed up long enough to watch a little Mad TV and a Saturday Night rerun. I felt fine!

Unleasing the Manalishi - Losing my HD

I felt fine when 5:30 rolled around. I was glad it was Friday but also lurking in the back of my mind was the realization that I would be on-call. Somehow it’s just not the same when you know that you’ll need at least half your mind focused on work through the holiday weekend. But then again, it is what it is, I sucked it up and moved forward with my day. I was fairly warm, certainly not very wintry. After completing my usual rituals I took Mindy her coffee. She slept until 6:15am. Without much fanfare I realized that my light headedness seemed to be a thing of the past. Not sure if it was truly related to the stomach issues or not. Mindy readied the kids for a day at Grandma Sharon’s. Both were excited about that. Because I most likely wouldn’t see them until Saturday, we said our goodbye’s this morning. I left for work just a few minutes before 8:00am. I was at my desk by 8:10am. The lot was empty – almost like a weekend. My hope as that the day would be a breeze The day was bustling with activity. We were lightly staffed and had a lot of escalated issues to deal with. It kept me and my team on our toes all day. I sprung for Chipotle for the entire team since we were working so hard. One of the guys went to fetch. The chipotle was delicious and a nice change of pace from my usual lunch food. The day was busy up until 4pm or so. Things calmed slightly as the daylight withered. I moved towards heading home around 5:10pm. I was excited for the busy holiday weekend despite knowing that I’d be working through the weekend and back in the office again on Monday. I stopped at Kroger to pick-up some spiced rum, champagne, and beer. The place was packed! My next stop was Anthony-Thomas to pick-up some candy for a handful of relatives. I already called and confirmed their hours of operation. I knew that they’d be there and open. Stopping there for last minute gifts has become a tradition of sorts for going on 20 years. On my drive home a friend/co-worker phoned that he had my Wii if I was still interested. Sparing all the details, we planned pick-p arrangements for over the weekend. I knew that Mindy would be excited. At home we organized some Xmas gifts and discussed the many parties and events we’d be attending. I went to the PC after about 20 minutes only to find it down hard. Mindy mentioned that she had trouble earlier. As best I could tell, it looked/sounded like the hard drive. The BIOS indicated that it could not see the drive. CRAP! I panicked! I had never as much as opened the case although hit opens easily. I found the hard drive and took it out thinking that shaking it might be a good idea. I reset it at least ten times but the same issue. My mind was fixed on what might be lost if I can’t recover the data. Aside from the image, lots and lots of keepsake documents would be lost forever. But by far the most precious of all are my photos – some 20,000. All of those are backed up on CD’s. I have a regular habit of backing up before I delete off of my hard card. At least I’d be able to restore those. I couldn’t shake the loss. I was truly bummed! Never would it be opportune but why now, the weekend before XMAs. Plus, the more I thought about the more frustrated I became. For starters, my camera was just short of full having all of December’s photos on board. Unless I could download and back-up, I wouldn’t be able to take more Xmas picture. That was just unacceptable. Eventually, I downloaded my latest photos to my laptop and immediately burned them to CD so that I could format my hard card. All of that kept me at home much later/longer than originally intended. Mindy knew I was depressed over the dilemma and I’m sure that she wasn’t pleased with the way I was handling it. But being the loving wife that she is, she allowed me to wallow in pity for the duration of evening. We arrived at Barley’s just before 9pm. A Mean Manalishi Double IPA was just what the doctor ordered! Mindy had wine. Steve and Mark were there and allowed me to vent my frustration over my seemingly lost hard drive. Mark discussed my options and helped me to realize that I had the only truly irreplaceable files backed up – my pictures. All music, programs, and like can be retrieved via other means. Save for a few precious word documents like the letters I had written to my grand babies and was saving for their later years, Mark was correct. As the evening wore on and the beers kicked in, I began to snap out of my funk. And as time passed a few others arrived - Tommy, Rick, Rene, Bob and Carol. We wished one another a Merry Xmas. I enjoyed a plate of Gate of Hell wings. Can’t recall what Mindy enjoyed. Tommy, I know, had sauerkraut balls. We left just after 11pm. Mindy drove home although I was just as well suited to drive.

Continued ... as promised

I was up at 5:20am once again feeling marginally under slept despite a solid seven plus hours. There’s obviously something up. My stomach continues to burn and I get mild dizzy spells. I moved past the ill feelings and completed my exercises. Soon I was outdoors walking Ykraps to the east. The sky was completely clear and the temperature moderately warm. Must’ve been about 37 degrees. Back home I spent a little time on the internet while enjoying my coffee before meditation. I got Mindy up at 6:15am – her preferred rise time. I had to make another trip upstairs after dressing for my run. I had to grab another running shirt off the rack. All my others were dirty. I wore my MP3 player, but unfortunately selected the wrong option. I opted for downloaded tunes instead of radio, but when I hit my selection I had only one song selected, and after it ended the player shut down. Crap! I didn’t bother stopping to try and correct it. I didn’t have my glasses on. I wouldn’t have been able to read the screen anyway. L I enjoyed the quiet, and the rest of my run went really well. Back home, Mindy had our eggs ready just like usual. Soon Mindy and Bella were gone and Jacob and readied as usual. Jacob was excited since today would be his lat before Xmas break. After Jacob was on the bus I headed into work arriving around 8:20am. Work went smoothly. I worked straight through until 4:00pm. We were having our leadership Xmas outing at Brazenhead in Dublin. My team presented me with a FrontRunner gift certificate just before I left. Very cool! Most of us arrived at Brazenhead within ten minutes of one another. We settled for the upstairs loft area after learning that the basement was reserved for the owner/manager this evening. There we enjoyed some libations and appetizers as well as one another’s company. We hung out until 7:30pm or so. I called Mindy on my way home and learned that she ended up asking my dad to pick Jacob up from the bus stop so that she could make another chiro appointment. My dad willingly agreed to do so and ended up staying for dinner and a mini birthday celebration. Sorry I missed it! I drank only three beers but two were fairly strong Xmas ales. I had a buzz! Mindy and I stayed up until 10pm. I took a couple Advil and a Tagament just to ensure and easy wake-up. Smart move on my behalf!

Burnin' Sterno

Happy 72nd B-day Dad!! Hard to believe that it was Wednesday already. The last week before Xmas is moving by so swiftly. I was up before 5:30am even though I felt like I wanted more sleep. I considered abbreviating my exercise routine but ended up doing the entire set. Glad I did! Mindy asked to be woke up at 6:15 despite having the day off work to attend a chiropractic appointment. She cited a couple of reasons which made sense. So, after exercise, walking Ykraps, coffee, and finally meditation, I took Mindy her morning coffee. Or maybe she came down to get her won. Yeah, that’s what happened. I put the second tray of lasagna in the oven before leaving on my run knowing that it would be all but ready upon my return. Anyway, I was just dressing for my run. I chose to skip the MP3 player and run in silence pondering my own existence and its relevance. It was a nice run – surprisingly a bit cool still. As I recall, the temperature was near 24 degrees even as high’s were predicted to be in the 40’s later on. My run went well and because it was clear, I could see the morning unfolding during. The lasagna had another five minutes to go by the time I made my return. Mindy was gracious enough to find the warming rack and trays. She volunteered to stop in the Flower Factory to buy some new Sterno cans and pass them off to me later at Bella’s school Xmas play. That would work. I left the two trays of lasagna in the oven on warm while I showered and ultimately dashed off to work. My plan was to stop by the house after Bella’s play and pick them up. So, after my shower, I walked Jacob to the bus stop. Mindy came rushing down, however, just before the bus arrived. Jacob forgot to take his Viagra. Soon he was off to school and me to work. I wasn’t at work but for an hour then I had to leave for Bella’s school Xmas play. I was one of the first parents there. I reserved a few spots up front ensuring select viewing and picture taking angles. Soon Mindy & her mother arrived. The play was short and sweet. Actually, it wasn’t a play at all. Rather, a singing recital. IT was over just after 10:30am. They wee having the parents in for cake after but because I had an 11am staff meeting I beelined for the door. Bella understood. Mindy handed off the two new Sterno cans before I left. I stopped back home as planned and picked up the lasagna. I placed both trays in an empty cooler and then grabbed the warming racks. At work I sat everything down and then hurried to the already in progress staff meeting. It was very brief. I was out of there before noon. Back in the office I set the warming trays up, filled with water, and lit the Sterno cans. Because we had only one warming tray, I alternated the two trays of lasagna. That worked well. My peer, Sandy, made a boat load of spaghetti and sauce with big hunks of sausage and meatballs. Another peer supplied the salad and breadstix. All said and done, it made for a real nice spread. Our teams had to nothing aside from eating! I forgot to mention that I brought some buffalo cheese dip and Tostitos too. The work day went by quickly. Soon I was leaving for home. Most of the lasagna was eaten save for about six hunks of the meatless. I took that home. Everyone was gone. Mindy had her Chiro appointment and the kids were with their daddy. I used the time constructively, of course. After finishing the necessary chores I did some catching up on my webpage. Mindy and the kids were home in no time at all. I got the kids in their jammies just before Mindy arrived. Bella was very excited that there was leftover lasagna. She digs her Italian food! Her and Mindy both enjoyed some. After the kids wee in bed (Mindy allowed them to stay up and watch network Frosty) I watched some South Park! :) Mindy headed to bed at 9:30pm. I wasn’t far behind.

Roast Beast & Lasagna

I was up before 5:30am after several fake wakes. I was a little paranoid after staying up so late watching the game. I was so amped up after the Vikings game that I couldn’t fall asleep until closer to 1am. Couple that with feeling poorly and one has all the ingredients necessary to feel even worse. But I felt pretty good all things considered.

No sooner did I start exercising did I get another subtle hint of nausea. I pushed through it and completed my entire set of exercises. Soon Ykraps and I were walking the neighborhood. I toyed for a brief moment with calling off once again but ultimately decided against it. It’s just not my nature. I returned for coffee, PC, and meditation. If nothing else, I figured I’d ride the “Viking victory” high through the day.

I delivered Mindy’s coffee at 6:00am just as she requested. But I noticed while meditating that she didn’t actually get up until her usual 6:15am. Too funny! I dressed for a run in moderate temps. It was expected to warm towards 40 later and hovered at or near freezing. My run went well. Any ill feelings were at least temporarily detoured during my run.

When I returned Mindy had scrambled eggs in the making along with fruit. Mindy & Bella soon left for school. I finished eating my breakfast then rushed up for a shower. I walked Jacob to the bus stop at 7:55am and then returned home for a few moments to finalize my own preparations. I arrived at work at 8:22am.

As expected, a handful of folks asked if I felt better. I did but also shared that the ill feelings lingered. I tried to keep my mind off of being ill and focused instead on work.
I caved and went for coffee with a buddy. That probably wasn’t the smartest thing given my less than happy stomach. Throughout the day I battled both fatigue and marginal dizziness. I swallowed a Tums or two. I wondered if my ill feelings might somehow be tied to the burning in my stomach.

I left to run some Xmas errands around 1pm. I picked up some pictures at Cord and then headed to Kroger in Dublin to get supplies for lasagna. I also stopped at the bank to get some cash. I was gone right at an hour. The afternoon moved swiftly. I anguished over my Xmas to-do list, but Mindy is doing all she can to minimize my stress. She did or is planning to take care of several key items/tasks still remaining.

I left work feeling much better about things. Mindy reminded me that she had a roast in the Crockpot. She let me know that she had dinner all ready. I’m pretty sure that she had already walked Ykraps but can’t recall for certain.

Dinner was awesome - roast beef, au gratin potatoes, and brussel sprouts. After clean-up, Mindy and Jacob left to watch/pick-up Bella from dance class. I would’ve gone, too, but had to get crackin’ on the two trays of lasagna I was tasked with making for our work Xmas party tomorrow. I made a big mess but got two trays prepped – one with meat and another without. I baked the meatless tray but then opted to bake the second in the morning. The trick will be delivering both piping hot tomorrow afternoon.

I finished the lasagna prep around 8:30pm. After tucking the kids into bed Mindy & I both agreed to an early bedtime. As poorly as I have been feeling, that sounded awfully good.