Photo Oh-No

I woke right at 5:30am, almost as if my body was preprogrammed to get up at that time. Oh wait – it is! Actually, my Blackberry was setting on the PC table recharging and the chiming daily alarm woke me instantly. I hurried downstairs after brushing my teeth to quiet its annoying tune and to begin my day. It was still quite cold as confirmed during my walk with Ykraps. It was a very clear morning sky with a sliver of a moon resting just west of due south at about 30 degrees above the horizon. The sky was filled with lots of lovely stars, too. Because of the early hour, Venus & Jupiter were not yet visible in the E-S/E sky. Back inside I enjoyed my coffee and internet time. Once again I downloaded the Paint Shop Pro software from CNET. This morning it was transferring at 820kbps, a far cry faster than last evening when it locked up. After taking Mindy her coffee I tried installing it once again (probably like try #10). Failure! After meditation I readied for a run, bundling up warmly in anticipation of the cold. I was snug as a bug in a rug. The run went well. Once again, I was treated to the Venus/Jupiter star rise. Very lovely. After my run I returned home for some eggs. I was hungry. During the daily family feeding frenzy Bella and Jacob had a little tussle – not sure over what exactly – Bella got sent to timeout where she shared much displeasure. Mindy calmed her shortly after she sent her away. She returned to the kitchen in a far better disposition. Soon Mindy & Bella were history. Jacob lost Wii for the day after breaching our agreement the day before. He didn’t even ask to play. And as of yet, I don’t think he’d mentioned anything about his breaking the rules. We were early by a few minutes. But Jacob was already at the bottom of the steps shoes and coat on all ready to go. We headed to the bus stop. The bus pulled up earlier than usual. I, in turn, arrived at work a few minutes early even after spending a few more minutes after the bus came tinkering with my photo software. I worked really hard Thursday. Once again, I didn’t stop for a break even though I could’ve used one. I didn’t leave for the day until 5:20pm. I didn’t bother phoning Mindy on my way home. However, I did talk with her around 4pm. She mentioned having spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. For a brief second I toyed with the idea of picking up a bottle of Jack on my way home but didn’t. I arrived home. The kids and Mindy we seemingly in good spirits – Mindy generally is. I readied to walk Ykraps seconds after dropping my gear. Dinner smelt terrific. Mindy had just put the pasta on the stove. Our walk was a cold one. Before dinner was served I spent more time trying to download my photo editing software. But again, another failed attempt. Mindy called me to dinner. The spaghetti and meatballs were delicious. By 6:15 we were wrapping up dinner and cleaning up the mess. Mindy had apparently informed the kids that they’d be cleaning the playroom after dinner. They didn’t want to but Mindy forced the issue. She helped. I finished the kitchen. Mindy let me know that she needed to go to CVS for prescription drugs. Bella left with her. I returned to the PC trying more brilliant ideas for getting my software to stick. Still didn’t work. I spent the remainder of my evening toying with that damn software. I really need to end this madness. We went to bed a little later.

Bitter Cold Defiance

I woke a couple of times through the night to the sound of ferocious wind and rain pounding against the house. It sounded as though the roof might blow off. Word had it that we might even get a thunderstorm as we transitioned from warm back to cold. We never did get the thunder and lightning, at least to the best of my knowledge. But that wind! It was blowing so hard I wondered what my run might be like come dawn.

When 5:30am rolled around the rains had stopped but the winds continued to gust. After exercise I headed out with Ykraps. It was cold – only 12 degrees. And the wind, man, it was brutal. It made it feel colder than it’s been all year! It cut right through my two jackets. My back was facing the wind as we walked out, but on the way back it ripped the air right out from my lungs. It caught me off guard.

I was never more happy to be back inside. I did the coffee thing and delivered Mindy’s. Weatherbug said that we had overnight gusts of 54 mph. I believe it! Now they were a mere 30mph. Still very stiff! I prepared for my run as if it were zero after factoring in the wind. I wore my thickest winter running shirt and jacket. I was comfy after about a ¼ mile, but could feel some cold air penetrating here and there due mostly to the brutally cold, stiff wind. Each time my run faced me towards the west I braced for the shock. But by about the 3 mile marker I was numb to it as well.

It dawned on me during my run that I had a logistical problem on my hands this AM. Today was a late start day for Jacob, which I had planned for weeks ago, at least intended to plan for. Unfortunately, I had forgotten about it yesterday, and now had a conflict at work. Crap! I mulled over my options, which were blowing off the first two hours of work or possibly taking Jacob into the office with me. Neither idea felt perfect by any measure. When I finished and retuned home I shared my forgetfulness with Mindy. I was not in a pleasant mood given how much I wanted to please both sides. I struggle like this often.

Ultimately, she suggested that I take Jacob with me, too. Logically, that seemed the lesser of the two evils since I could accomplish both goals. The only impact would be leaving briefly to run him to school come 10:50am, but his school is effectively just around the corner. Jacob, however, was not happy. He threw a fit to the point of being defiant. This only aggravated me more. He downright refused to go into work with me. At that point I could only envision dragging an unruly seven year old into the office having him embarrass me with his cantankerous behavior. Mindy tried reasoning with him over it. It was clear to me, though, that given his outburst, I didn’t want to do that. I was figuring on calling my boss, falling on my sword, and staying home for 2 hours. Jacob kept on spewing his displeasure ultimately leading me to declare that the Wii was gone for the day (As predicted, taking away the Wii has become the ultimate disciplinary device).

Mindy was just leaving for the day. Jacob headed to the garage for some motherly intervention. Mindy, unbeknownst to me, contacted my father asking for his help with the issue. She reentered the house to let me know that dad would be coming over to tend to Jacob until 10am. I appreciated her finding a third alternative. I am not like that. I would not typically call my dad for help as much as she does. I wasn’t trained as such.

Mindy also tried refereeing the issue between Jacob and I. For obvious reasons, I didn’t care for that at all. Honestly, I couldn’t believe my ears. From my perspective – never in front of the kids should you dole out a motherly opinion. No way. In private only! Regardless, the immediate issue was under control. Dad would soon be over to spell me so that I could head into work on time.

Dad arrived while I showered. We chatted for a good 20 minutes before I had to depart for work. Jacob, as he often is, was excited that “grandpa” was over. His entire demeanor changed to a much more pleasant one. I reviewed the fire drill with dad so that he knew what had to be done then left.

Work went smoothly. My interview happened as did our staff meeting. It was like a normal day. Once again, I didn’t get away for lunch. I worked until 5:30pm. It seemed like a long day. I forgot that this was a kidless evening until Mindy mentioned it during our drive time chat. She also reminded me of choir practice. She hasn’t gone the past two weeks. I always forget about that. She divulged the big kicker! Jacob admitted to playing Wii this morning with dad even after I denied him access for one entire day. I wasn’t too surprised, but I was disappointed. She ensured me that there would be repercussions, and stated that he knew it.

After walking Ykraps I decided to use the quiet evening time to load my photo software onto our desktop PC. That turned into an all evening ordeal after getting a registry error multiple times just as it was about to complete. Crap! I fooled with it until the kids arrived home. At that point I had to make sure they got a bath. I took a much needed break.

After the kids bathed and were in their pajamas, I returned to the PC to continue my fight with the Paint Shop Pro software. Mindy arrived home around 8:30pm, and after a quick snack the kids were rushed off to bed. I popped some corn, which along with a couple pieces of two-day old pizza each served as my dinner. I never did get my software to load.

We headed to bed around 10pm.

REM Sleep

I woke excruciatingly tired. Once again, I slept a good 7 hours, but only lightly. After waking I found myself still craving some uninterrupted REM sleep.

I could hear rain drops tapping lightly against the sky lights in the family all the while I exercised. I wasn’t looking forward to a run in the rain. Thankfully, the rain let up for my walk with Ykraps. We walked the westward route. It was 43 degrees – warmer than it’s been this early in the morning for quite a while.

Mindful of the time, I moved through coffee and internet time in less than ten minutes. I delivered Mindy’s coffee just as she was exiting bed for the shower. I spent the next ten minutes or so meditating. I backed down a layer for my run. I went with winter attire, but my lightest-weight version. During my run I even had to peel off my gloves and later my ear covers due to the warmth - a welcome occurrence.

After finishing the run my eggs were still cooking on the stove. I had fried eggs this AM. They were tasty. Bella & Mindy departed gracefully. Jacob asked to play Wii while I showered. I had little need to warm the Trooper – no morning frost. I decided to drive to the bus stop. Jacob walked. He wondered whether Alanna was riding the bus today. She didn’t join us until 8:03am. Pat & I chatted briefly about counter top companies. He offered a couple names if I called him later.

Off to work just after 8:05am. Traffic was slow but steadily moving. I was off my exit minutes later and well on my way to work.

The work day was pleasant and moved by quickly. I didn’t bother leaving for a lunch choosing instead to work straight through and eat my packed lunch at my desk. The end of the work day arrived at 5:45pm. I got stuck working a couple of escalations. Mindy reminded me that it was “watch” night at the dance studio. Because of the relatively late hour, I agreed to simply meet her & Jacoby there around 6:30pm.

I drove straight there, taking an alternative back way down Leap to Walcutt and then to Atlas. I arrived very quickly. I was surprised at how fast. I was sitting in the lot at 6:03pm. I chose to relax and listen to the banter on NPR. The most memorable spot was a piece on the housing crisis and how roughly 20% of new home buyers are immigrants. Ultimately, those immigrants, they believe, will help lead our country out of the crisis. Interesting spin.

Mindy & Jacob pulled up just after 6:30pm. We walked inside together. We greeted Grandma Sharon and then proceeded to the gym where Bella and her classmates were already into their routine. Bella was joyous that we were present. All of the kids in her class must be no older than 6 and perhaps as young as 4. Their attention span wanders, just as you might expect. But that is part of the fun of watching them.

The practice went on until 7:15pm. By the time we left the wind had picked up and the temperature was dropping. Our mild weather was a thing of the past. At home, Mindy hurried the kids through a snack and then into bed. We didn’t have too much trouble getting them tucked in and asleep.

I stayed up only until 9pm, believe it or not. I figured an early bedtime was just what the doctor ordered. Mindy was game for that, too, having complained of feeling over tired herself. It took me a little while to fall asleep but I did.

Family Day - Adoption Day

I tossed and tuned through much of the night once again feeling certain that I wouldn’t reach the much coveted REM sleep. Despite the sleeplessness, I was up at 5:30am ready to begin yet another work week.

I began my exercise routine in earnest at 5:35am and finished by 5:50am. I was outdoors with Ykraps minutes later. The temperature, while chilly, wasn’t even close to the bone chilling cold we had last week. Ykraps seemed to appreciate the slightly warmer weather. When we returned home, I confirmed the temperature. It was a balmy 26 degrees. It was clear, too, and because of that, I was looking forward to seeing Venus and Jupiter rise in the sky while I ran.

After delivering Mindy’s morning coffee I settled in front of the PC for some of my own. I read the Daily OM and then headed off for meditation. I allowed time to pass freely, not getting up to run until it was 6:31am. I dressed somewhat quickly and warmly. I was out the door by 6:37am. As I headed east I could see the two planets mentioned earlier off in the E/SE sky just above the horizon. Venus was the brighter or the two by far. As I understand it, they should be visible for about a week with the moon entering the mix on Sunday & Monday of next week. Check it out!

My run went well. I was quite comfortable. I used my MP3 player listening to NPR all the while I ran. It really made the time fly. When I returned, Mindy was just dishing up our scrambled eggs. Perfect! Both children were up and in good moods. Bella opted for a Toaster Strudel and Jacob a bowl of Capt’n Crunch. Mindy & the peanut soon left. Jacob asked to play Wii. Yes, I said. I am, said I.

Oops! It was already 7:56am when I made my way downstairs. I quickly alerted Jacob to our tardiness and begged for urgency. He headed out the door while I stuffed my gear into the trooper and started the engine. I met him at the bus stop. He was full of energy. That poor ol’ bus driver!

I arrived for work just before 8:30am. I got settled in quickly and before I knew it was time for my afternoon errands. Today’s stops included Home Depot and Saturday’s. At Home Depot my mission was simple. Get an actual estimate on new countertops – granite and laminate. Heather helped me out. She seemed to know her stuff. I had already taken the time a couple weeks ago to create a precise detailed computer drawing complete with measurements, so I had a rough idea of the cost. However, I wanted to see the numbers straight from them. As I expected, there were hidden charges, but they were higher than even I expected. The total for granite was $4400 even after the $300 savings. Of that, $1500 was for the not so apparent extras like back splash, contouring an edge, prepping for an under the counter sink, and finally tear out and haul away of the old tops. That’s some bucks! For the HD laminate, the estimate was $1600. Before leaving I asked for the uninstalled price. That was only $780. Still plenty of money but compared to $4400 it sounded good. I figure I could easily install the laminate countertops myself. Dad and I did it on Valleyview Dr. with little trouble.

I was gone only 40 minutes. I figured I still had time to sneak in a haircut. I hurried over to Saturday’s just around the corner. Connie got me right in. Rare for it to be completely empty. It didn’t take her long – never does! I saw that the price just went up again. It’s now $17.95 for an adult cut. Gee Whiz! I remember it being $11.95 some years ago. I’ve been coming to this Saturday’s for years. Probably since 1994. Prior to that Colleen Chilcote often cut my hair. She always did a great job, but I had to schedule it in advance, and I tend to manage haircuts on a more impromptu basis. I was back at my desk by 2:15pm – gone just a smidge beyond an hour.

The afternoon moved swiftly. The day was over before it began (I just like saying that. It’s really impossible). I didn’t leave for home until 5:25pm. Mindy asked that I pick-up pizzas on my way home to celebrate “family day”, or Bella’s adoption day. Her mother was over to share in the celebration. I immediately called Minelli’s and placed an order for a large pep and a medium cheese.

Good timing. I actually had to wait a few minutes upon arrival there. That’s what I prefer. That way the pies are as hot as possible. As I so often do, I woofed down a slice during my travels home.

There was a strange vehicle in the drive when I arrived home. What bugged me was that they were blocking my parking path preventing me from using the driveway all together. I had to park along the curb. Turns out, it was Mindy’s jewelry party friend dropping off her order. She left soon after an introduction. I greeted Gloria who was already sitting at the dinette table. Mindy had already walked Ykraps making my evening just that much easier. Before settling down to enjoy more pizza I rinsed my lunch containers and prepped tomorrow’s coffee. Time to eat!

The pizza was especially tasty! We all enjoyed our fair share. After pizza, Mindy gave Bella & Jacob our family day gift to open. It was a new Wii game, Carnival. The kids naturally wanted to play right away, but we still had a cake to blow out and eat. Mindy lit the candles on the adoption day cake. Meanwhile, I grabbed my camera and took pictures while singing to the occasion.

That was fun! The kids were too excited about playing their new Wii game. Mindy got it fired up while I cleaned up the kitchen. See a pattern here? Jacob took charge being the assertive big brother. We had to pry the Wii remote out of his hands to get Bella a turn. Gloria was quick to point out that while we were celebrating family day, we wouldn’t be celebrating at all if it weren’t for Bella’s adoption. It was all in jest, however. In the meantime, I mandated that we reset and activate the 2nd Wii remote. But no matter what we did it wouldn’t take. I even changed the batteries. That still didn’t work. I figured it was dropped or abused in some fashion. I was frustrated. We resorted to having the kids play with a single remote. It was just after 7PM. Gloria was getting tired and wanted to head home. Mindy left with her mother. While they were gone I grabbed the Wii documentation and began researching the how-to-program the Wii remote to the console. Sure enough, we hadn’t programmed either of them correctly. After doing so, it worked just fine. I had a sneakin’ suspicion.

Mindy was back at home in no time at all. She immediately coaxed the children upstairs to ready for bed. Meanwhile, I downloaded new photos. I headed up for the tuck-in a few minutes later. After the kids were neatly tucked away, I shared the counter top estimates with Mindy. Afterwards, Mindy went back up to deal with beckoning children. I went back to the PC where I tinkered with photo editing tools. Mindy called it a night before 9:30pm She said she didn’t feel 100%. I eventually made my way to the family room to play Wii golf. I played several rounds, or for about an hour. I headed up to bed soon after only to find myself lying their awake … again.

Finishing Touches

Turns out, I slept, but not as soundly as I would’ve liked. In fact, I felt as though I never reached the deep sleep that my body craved. I got out of bed somewhere between 8-830am. Mindy remained in bed, at least for the time being. Exercise went much better than the day before. I actually had some energy. My walk with Ykraps was uplifting. I looked forward to some hot coffee upon returning home.

While sipping coffee I briefly checked the headlines. Mindy was now up and enjoying her own coffee prior to preparing for church. She was ready to go by 10am. She was presenting children’s time today. Soon after she left, I headed upstairs to dress for a run. I used my MP3 player for the first time in a month or so. I was gonna listen to NPR but the battery was low so the reception was poor. I opted instead for downloaded tunes. Two or three songs into my run the battery died completely – no surprise.

My run went quick. I was happy to be home and ready to get back to painting. I stripped out of my sweaty running clothes and slipped into my painting grubbies. I got some coffee and then dug into the painting. To get started, I used the last of the second gallon of Sands of Time. But that went fast. As expected, I had to open the third and final gallon soon after beginning. I started the second coat on the bay window area first. That was by far the most tedious, much like the first coat. It was already closing in on noon. I moved to the opposite wall and then around to the fridge area. That went really fast. I did have to get out the trim pad after spotting a few thin spots along the edges, but for the most part that part was behind me.

Mindy arrived home around 12:45pm - a little later than I expected. I was almost done with the lion’s share of the second coat but knew that I’d have some minor touch-up still to complete. I painted for another 30-40 minutes before declaring myself through. Mindy whipped me up a sandwich to quell my building hunger. I asked, too, that she look for thin spots. She did, but found none. I slowly began the clean-up process. After about an hour I began putting the fridge, stove, and wall plates back in place. Next, I cleaned the bay windows, detailing them for the first time in a long, long while. They were very dirty.

Mindy helped get the kitchen back in order. And it never fails, there are always items that never quite make it back to where you once had them stashed. Several things/items got trashed or moved elsewhere –forced clutter reduction. The kids arrived home around 3:30pm. By then we were all but finished. The kitchen looked especially nice. I am really happy with the “tan”. This puts to bed a project that’s been on the list since late summer/early fall. However, I can’t get beyond the color clash between the paint and counter tops. That’ll now need addressed. Always something. Next on the project list is basement prep!

I showered away the sweat & paint in preparation for Sunday dinner at Gloria’s. We left the house at 4:20pm and arrived at 4:31pm. It’s a fast drive, thankfully. We weren’t sure what to expect for dinner but my guess was lasagna. I was wrong, as pointed out by Jacoby upon our arrival. Instead, we were having baked pork chops, stuffing, and mashed potatoes. We were six members short of a full house – all with excused absences. :)

The food was great, the conversation lively, and the family bonding good. We had cheesecake for dessert. I had two pieces. Yikes!! Mindy declared it time to depart come 7:15pm. Again, she’s big on having the kids home and in bed by 8pm. Me too! I walked Ykraps as soon as we got back home. He was anxiously awaiting our return. I helped get the kids tucked into bed before settling down with a beer and my guitar. We headed up to bed even before 10pm. Once my head hit the pillow I no longer felt as sleepy. Uh-oh!

Painting, CBC, Dennis & Mary Ann

I woke a few times after 6:00am feeling unusually rough. I was still very tired yet couldn’t sleep – a classic hangover symptom. I remained in bed in & out of sleep cycles for another couple of hours. I had a mild headache, too, so I got up and took two more Advil around 7am. At 8:15am I got up for good fearing that I might sleep the entire morning away. I also figured that once I was up I’d start feeling much better.

The downstairs was quite chilly. I went about making coffee and even began my exercise routine. After sit-ups, though, I felt uncomfortably ill. Instead of finishing my exercises and walking Ykraps, I allowed myself to lay on the floor by the sofa. I laid there for about 15 minutes before getting up to go walk Ykraps who was pacing and whimpering around the house. The cold air felt incredibly good. However, once we were back the urge for sofa surfing returned. There, I cozied up to a pillow and a blanket and dosed lightly for another 30-45 minutes, or until Mindy finally got up. It was about 10am when I finally found my way to my feet and some coffee. I knew that I had to get my run in, but I wasn’t veryr motivated at all. I won’t try to kid ya! After some coffee and a leftover crescent roll I felt good enough to get moving. I dressed for a run and soon headed out the door. I knew once again that the cold air would do nothing but good things for my less than sunny disposition. I also took a Tagament for my upset tummy.

Turns out, the run was just what I needed. I felt great during and then immediately after. However, I know all too well that it’s the 30 minutes or so after when it typically strikes again. Sure, I felt a slight bit uneasy but all in all remained feeling pretty decent from there out. Thankfully!

It was already after 11am. My goals for the day included painting as much of the kitchen as possible. However, when asked by Mindy, I told that I’d be happy with finishing the dinette area. Having painted this area once before I knew how tedious it would be – all the trimming and detail, and very little rolling.

Mindy helped off load the plants collected around the bay window area to make painting in that area much easier. She commented more than once about my crabby demeanor. And the truth of it is, she was right. She figured it a far better idea for me to paint and for her to shop. How convenient! J Actually, that sounded good to me too. I like having the house to myself, especially when doing project work of this magnitude. You pretty much have to turn the kitchen upside down to paint it efficiently.

While Mindy showered and primped, I masked the wood work and gathered my materials. I decided to fill the CD player full of comfort music to help ease the tedious nature of painting. I loaded it with 2 Todd CD’s ( Todd and Wizard A True Star), David Gilmour, and then Ronan Hardin. I haven’t listened to any of my Todd music for ages.

Like always, once I got going I quickly found my groove. I was digging the Todd music, too! For the first time, however, I noticed how aged some of it was. But after all, it is 34 years old! I was trimming my ass off for the next 2+ hours. Mindy was long gone. I ended up trimming well beyond the dinette area but not quite the entire kitchen. Next, I rolled the bay window area and its opposite wall. That went really fast. Mindy got home about then. My guess is that it was 3:00pm-ish. We made a deal, if she helped me cleared the counter tops, I would finish the entire kitchen.

First, I went ahead and trimmed the remaining areas. That included pulling out the fridge and stove. While back there I cleaned the tile underneath, which always collects major grunge! After another hour or so I was ready to rollout the walls. But even that’s tedious
Work in the kitchen - lots of cabinets, wall outlets, and doors to work around.

I’ve got to tell you. The color choice looks awesome. It’s a very warm tan. I was very pleased as I wrapped up coat one. I could see thin spots surfacing as it dried, but I expected that and didn’t plan on addressing them until tomorrow. Mindy asked a couple times about dinner plans. At the time I didn’t feel like going anywhere. I was tired and very grungy. Mindy walked Ykraps while I cleaned up the immediate mess. I appreciated that. It was approaching 7pm. I took a quick shower emerging feeling somewhat refreshed and energized. I could tell that Mindy really wanted to go for dinner, so I offered up CBC (Columbus Brewing Company). Mindy chuckled and said that she was going to mention that, too. It was in stone then. We wasted little time getting out the door.

We arrived at CBC, my guess is just after 7:30pm. We sat at the bar. I had not interest in getting a table. Mindy ordered wine. I ordered a CBC IPA (go figure). Like Barley’s, you can order from the dinner menu while seated at the bar. But I wasn’t interested in a full, multi-course dinner. Instead, I wanted appetizers. We ordered their unique sweet & sour calamari, some crab bisque, and wings. Mindy sampled both their seasonal Java Porter and regular Porter. She decided on a pint of Java Porter. I had another IPA. J While enjoying our food and drink we met a another couple, Dennis and Mary Ann, who both sold their homes and moved to a new short-north condo. We later learned that Mary Ann lived in Scioto Wood prior to selling. They were a bit older than us and very eclectic. They told us that they walked to CBC from their condo – do it often, in fact. We enjoyed their company for the duration of the evening. Not wanting to make it a late night, we headed for home just before 10pm. I thought about getting a to-go jug of their IPA but didn’t.

Once home, we stayed up for a short time all the while I sipped yet another beer. We headed up to bed around 10:30pm. I really felt as though I’d go right out. But to my dismay, once my head hit the pillow I couldn’t sleep. My mind was racing as if I had just drank some caffeine. But my body was plenty tired, believe me. I just couldn’t drift off to sleep. Mindy, on the other hand, was out! After tossing and turning on the new bed pillows Mindy bought, I got up and headed back downstairs around 11:30pm. I spent about an hour on the PC before moving into the family room and some TV just for its medicinal powers. I watched some DVD’d episode of South Park. Next thing I knew I woke up at 1:30am. But I woke feeling wired again. I moseyed on up to bed anyhow where I once again tossed and turned until I eventually fell unsoundly asleep.

Not a Skirt... A Kilt

Only 11 months 'til XMAS

It was Friday morning. And one the best things about it was the fact that I wouldn’t be on-call. I was looking forward to a “Jimmy” weekend, indeed. I love all Friday’s but the one following an on-call is probably the best.

It was up just after 5:30am ready to start my day. After cruising through my exercise regiment I headed outdoors with Ykraps. It was frightfully cold! The temperature was below zero. It was -1! The good news was that it’s predicted to get warmer through at least the middle of next week. But for now, I’d just have to suck it up.

Foremost on my mind was readying myself for a run. After delivering Mindy’s coffee I got myself well prepared for a very chilly run. I wore my proven cold running attire, which once again served me well. I was perfectly cozy a few blocks into the cold morning run.

Eggs were ready for consumption a few minutes after my return. Jacob shared in our egg experience this morning. Odd! He commented about the fluffiness of his mother’s eggs as compared with my not so fluffy scrambled eggs. We determined that she uses more half & half than I. After Mindy & Bella departed Jacob asked to play Wii while I showered.

We left for the bus stop at 7:55am. It was a cold wait. Meanwhile, my Trooper warmed in the driveway at home. After the bus picked up the kids I walked back home and drove into work.

Work was very busy. I didn’t take a formal lunch break. However, one of my engineers left to pick-up Chipotle for everyone. It hit the spot quite nicely! Working straight through, the afternoon seemed to drag a little. Finally, 5:30pm arrived and I headed for home.

Mindy was at the grocery when I called during my travels home. I expressed how tired I was and how I would be attempting to steal a quick nap after walking Ykraps. She asked if I would complete a couple of chores, too. I was looking forward to the quiet time at home. After walking Ykraps I reclined with the massage pillow and eventually drifted off to sleep. I woke hearing Mindy pull into the garage.

This being a kidless weekend, our plans included a trip to Barley’s. I helped Mindy unload groceries and then played on the PC. Later, she took time to freshen-up and change clothes. I brushed up at the tail end of her gig. We left the house at 7:35pm.

Arriving at Barley’s, we got a prime parking spot. A glance around the lot didn’t bare either of the Imber’s vehicles. Inside we found Josh seated at the bar and one stool idle beside him. Few other regulars were within eyeshot. This was the night of the semi-annual Robert Burns dinner, so we figured others were attending that event in the back. We weren’t there long before Grandma Sharon & Dick arrived (they care for our kids out of school) and Mindy’s known her since she was a child. They usually frequent Applebee’s but decided to try Barley’s for a change. They hung with us for a good long time. I think that they liked it. Tommy showed up a bit later, too.

One gentleman came from the back to have a jug filled prior to leaving. He was dressed in a kilt to celebrate the occasion, as are many of the attending men. He wasn’t very happy when I complimented him on his skirt. He let out a quick sigh and a gasp, and was quick to point out my error. “It’s not a skirt”, he remarked! “Sure looks like one”, I quipped. I meant no harm. Others in my party defended my retort. Later, Mark, a buddy of ours, emerged from the back in his skirt (a.k.a. kilt). He took the ribbing much better than the other dude. What I don’t get is why one would be so offended. You’d certainly expect such banter, wouldn’t you?

We stayed at Barley’s quite late - 11pm or so. I had four Hopslam double IPA’s. Before we left we found ourselves discussing Lee’s abrupt departure with one of the assistant managers. We were dumfounded at his disparaging remarks towards Lee. It took a lot of resolve not to let him know how I really felt about it.

At home we were quick to bed. I had the wherewithal to take three Advil before hitting the sack.

Hide & Seek

Of course I was up on time and ready to get after my day. I had no idea that snow was coming overnight but I could see out the window that the streets and walks were lightly covered. There wasn’t a whole lot, however, only about a half an inch. Still, it was pretty. The temperature wasn’t too cold either. It was a balmy 17 degrees, but honestly it felt much warmer. I learned after my walk with Ykraps that the snow was expected to end soon. We already had the bulk of it. If nothing else, I knew that my run would once again be aided by the pad provided by snow. I woke Mindy while delivering her first cup of coffee. After fulfilling my early routine I dressed for a run. I reverted back to a lighter weight shirt and skipped a muffler and didn’t wear an additional layer of shorts. I ended up quite comfortable. My run went very well. I felt incredibly good afterwards. My eggs were already cooked and waiting. That doesn’t often occur. Mindy went to fetch Bella and to jostle Jacob. I heard Mindy searching and calling for Bella. I could even detect fear in her voice. After a couple of minutes, like another time recently, I decided to poke around the dark dining room corner. There, all hunkered up in a little ball, was Bella hiding in the dark. She motioned for me to be silent. I nonchalantly headed back to the kitchen all the while I could hear Mindy’s search continuing. Not having the heart for it to continue, I snuck to the base of the balcony and motioned for Jacob to fetch his mother. When she looked over the balcony I motioned her down. She played along nicely, eventually acting surprised when she happened upon in Bella still hunkered down in the dark dining room. Bella was laughing at her own little prank. Sadly her happiness didn’t last. When she requested a Toaster Strudel Mindy curtly replied that it was too late and time to leave, which she wasn’t kidding. And as Bella often does, she played the bull-headed card and lost. She ended up crying and leaving with no breakfast. Jacob and I were happy for the peace. He asked, as he does most days, if he could play the Wii while I showered. Yes. I returned downstairs at 7:50am to finish up prep. I hurried my gear into the Trooper and walked to the bus stop where Jacob was already waiting. The Trooper warmed nicely while I was gone. I left for work at 8:10am I really needed gas so I stopped on my way in at the Roberts Rd Thornton’s. Gas was $2.94 per gallon. She took 19.4 gallons! I arrived to work just before 8:30am. And just like the day before, I worked straight through. I left for home at 5:20pm. I called Mindy as I left the lot. She was busy making dinner and begged off the phone even before I hit the freeway. I arrived home around 5:40pm. As the sun set the temperature had begun to drop quickly. It was only 14 degrees! It felt even colder. Mindy, thankfully, had already walked Ykraps. All I had to do was enjoy dinner, at least for the time being. We had leftover beef & noodles & smashed potatoes – a real rib stickin’ dinner! For Bella’s earlier antics, she was cut-off from the Wii and Sponge Bob. Mindy really knows what buttons to push with her. It’s just too bad she doesn’t have the same magic with Jacoby. :) Jacob played Wii with his mother after dinner. Bella was allowed to watch. I cleaned up the dinner mess. While they played, I blogged and then tinkered with my PC. Since reinstalling all of my software I’ve been unable to watch DVDs. I ended up reloading Nero v.7 and resolved the issue. I was now able to watch the Family Guy movie that a friend gave me. I watched the entire thing but do admit to falling asleep through part of it, right there in my computer chair. Afterwards it was time to tuck in the kids. They went with out any fuss. Hmm? Mindy used the quiet time to do more work on her report cards. I used the time to play Wii golf. I played three 9-hole rounds and three 3-hole expert rounds. I was really tired in the end. It was already 10pm. I’ve really got to refocus my energy elsewhere. I’ve taken too long of a break from reading& guitar. It’s time for more insightful activites! Mindy & I headed to be together.

Mr. Droughtfire

I allowed myself to fall back asleep after waking an hour or so ahead of schedule. In the end, I didn’t wake for good until 5:35am. Right then, I leaped to my feet, brushed my teeth, and gathered my running clothes from the closet. I was downstairs by 5:37am beginning my many times repeated morning routine.

It was after 5:50am by the time I finally headed out the door with Ykraps. And for whatever reason, he was dragging tail wasting many valuable minutes. It was after 6:00am when we made it back to the house. I wasn’t comfortably in front of the PC with coffee until 6:05am. I felt a little hurried to get through the rest of my pre-run prep. And being hurried causes me great angst. I still took the time to deliver coffee & meditate.

I was late heading out for my run. I didn’t put one foot in front of the other until 6:42am. It was much colder than I anticipated. For some reason, I expected mid 20’s at the worst. Instead, it was only 6 degrees. I was comfortable, however, and enjoyed my run immensely.

By the time I was back and had shed my outer shell it was already 7:20am. Mindy needed to be out the door. I noticed a card propped up on the island, almost certainly a card recognizing our 11 month wedding anniversary. I had remembered and planned to stop for flowers on my way home. Jacob asked if he could play Wii while I showered. I saw no good reason why not.

I returned from the grooming experience refreshed. We had 5 minutes to kill before we had to bolt. I calmly went about loading the Trooper and allowing it to warm. We walked to the bus stop. There we greeted Pat & Alanna. Bus #10, I noticed, was back in service – Jacob’s original bus, but also the one that breaks down often. They were gone by 8:05am. Pat & I chatted only briefly before moving on. I was heading into work by 8:10am.

I arrived slightly ahead of time. I had temporarily forgotten about the interview I had scheduled for 9:30am. I had to prep for that, but still had plenty of time. After the interview we had our regular staff meeting, which lasted beyond 12:30pm. Like most Wednesday’s, I chose to work straight through. I did sneak in some personal time, however. I searched for alternative vendors for the black entertainment cabinet I found yesterday online. Originally, I found it at some off the beaten path e-vendor with free shipping. Today I found the same exact item at Target.com (online only). The difference was that I would have to pay sales tax and shipping. That raised the price by almost $80. Later, I decided to check Walmart.com only to find it there as well. And not only was the retail price a bit less, they have free “ship-to-store” service. Cool! I needed to share this news with Mindy.

The afternoon wore on. I left for home at 5:10pm. I headed directly to Kroger to get Mindy some flowers and to pick-up some Diet-Coke with Splenda. I found some beautiful pink roses, but they were out of D.C. w/Splenda. I called Mindy on my drive home. She was grading papers. This was a Mindy Wednesday – the first in a couple of weeks. The kids were with their daddy. We briefly discussed dinner plans and ultimately decided on Barley’s. Go figure!

After arriving home, I presented Mindy with her flowers then immediately leashed up Ykraps for his evening walk. While we walked Mindy finished up the last of her paper grading. We left for Barley’s sometime just after 6pm.

We arrived to a surprisingly busy Barley’s. We found the last two stools at the bar. But to our dismay, no regulars at least within eyeshot. We each ordered a beer – Mindy a St. Joan’s Revenge and me a Droughtfire IPA. Moments later we placed our food orders. Mindy ordered the mini-burger special, and I ordered Gates of Hell wings. We engaged in conversation with Katy, the bartender and Matt, a patron, who we see there often but didn’t previously know. He works for the local document shredding company – a service I sorely need to use! We stayed until 7:25pm. We had to be home to intercept the children by 7:30pm. Jim & the kids called just as we exited the freeway. We were home a minute or two latter. I gave Jim our garage combo for future reference.

Mindy ushered the kids upstairs while I began updating my blog. Jacob asked me to play PS2 football. I stopped what I was doing and joined him. We played even past the time that Mindy allotted. I won – again! I helped get the kids fully into their PJ’s and tucked into bed. Mindy returned downstairs to watch American Idol while I finished updating my blog.

Mindy was ready for bed. She headed to bed at 9:40pm. I stayed up. I wanted to play some Wii golf. I headed to the family room and played two rounds. 2 over then a round of even par. I secured the home then headed up to bed at 10:10pm. Mindy was already out like a light.

A Fridge with a TV - What's next??

I woke just before 5:30am feeling nicely rested and ready for whatever the day offered. By the time I brushed my teeth, grabbed my running clothes, and made it downstairs it was 5:32am. I turned off my Blackberry alarm, took my anti-inflammatory & Prilosec, then began my exercise regiment. I leashed up Ykraps and headed out for a morning walk, next.

It was significantly warmer than Monday – somewhere near 20 degrees. The high was expected to flirt with freezing later in the day. I could tell instantly that it was much warmer than the day prior. We were back from our short walk by 5:55am. By the time that I removed my wraps and got to fixin’ coffee it was 6:00am.

I spent a good 5 minutes on the PC reading the Daily Om and headlines. I took Mindy her coffee before 6:10am.She was already up and making the bed. Back downstairs I meditated for a solid ten minutes before dressing for a run. I would’ve meditated longer but Mindy’s phone rang loudly jolting me from my trance-like state. It was 6:22am. I decided to move forward with my agenda.

Because it was warmer, I wore a regular wicking shirt and my running jacket. I felt pretty comfy heading out the door. It was a nice run. Meanwhile, it had just begun to snow prior to my departure, and it was coming down pretty heavily. The ½” or so of accumulation was just enough to soften the track giving my feet a much appreciated break. If nothing else, it was awfully pretty!

It snowed for the duration of my run. I really love running in snow. There wasn’t much more than 3/4” when I got back but still figured that I better shovel to prevent Mindy from sliding out of the garage. That didn’t take long at all. Mindy was loading up her van just as I finished. My eggs were all but ready as I re-entered the house. The kids were both up, and Mindy reported them waking on their own. And for the most part, they were in a good mood.

After Mindy left Jacob, laid on the sofa while I dashed off to the shower. I left the Trooper warming as he and I walked off to the bus stop. I left a few things back inside, too. By then the snow had all but stopped. I grabbed the rest of my belongings and scraped my windows before heading on down the road.

I arrived to work at 8:30am on the nose. Traffic was at a rare crawl. I guess because of the weather. But given that I’m just one exit north, it caused little delay. Work was as busy as expected. I planned a trip to Best Buy at lunch to check out their selection of TV stands/entertainment centers. Mindy & I saw one advertised on their webpage similar to the one at World Market. I left for Best Buy at 1pm. It’s less than a mile away.

I found the entertainment center in question straight up. I wasn’t bad but there was no denying that it wasn’t a piece of quality furniture – rather cheaply constructed. But honestly, based on what we’re willing to spend, most competing pieces will likely be similar. I looked it over good before decideding to use my amazing internet prowess to search for other options. Besides, we’re in no particular hurry.
While there, I decided to check out PCs, all-in-one printers, and appliances. There’s no denying that we’re gonna need a new PC, and possibly even two very soon. I was encouraged by the features, speed, and storage for the price. They carry Dell, HP, and Gateway. I was also impressed with the HP all-in-one printers. For less than I spent on my color photo printer I can get one that prints, copies, and scans, and it attaches via ethernet to a switch/router, which will enable network printing. Cool!

Before leaving I decided to check out kitchen appliances since we’ve been toying with the idea of going all stainless. I am always amazed at what’s new there, too. There were several refrigerator models with built in PCs and one with a plasma TV. That particular one was $3600. Ouch! I also saw front load state-of-the-art washer/dryer sets for $2500 - each piece. Geesh! And add another $1000 for the stainless stand available. Are you kidding me! They sure are pretty, but who can justify such an expense?

I guesstimated that if I bought the appliances that I liked without financial concern, I could dump $11,000 in the blink of an eye. And that didn’t include built-ins. Are you kidding me? Not today, anyhow. :)

I drove back to work and to my team gave a whistle and away they all flew like the down of a thistle. Oops! Wrong story. Anyway, back at work I grabbed my lunch and returned to my office. I enjoyed a salad topped with lean turkey and fruit – healthy food.
I worked until almost 5:30pm. I didn’t talk with Mindy until time to go home. She shared that Jacob already had eaten, having stopped on her way home to get him a Chipotle. He’d been craving one for a couple of days. We, on the other hand, were having beef & noodles, using leftover roast beef. She also made smashed red skin potatoes and peas. She also invited dad over for dinner. He was walking Ykraps with Jacoby when I called.

I was home around 5:40ish. I took the back way after getting a tip that a tractor trailer was over turned on I-270 south towards Grove City. It had traffic backed up both directions, mostly due to rubber neckers. Thanks Dee!

Dad was watchin’ the kids play Wii when I got home. It wasn’t long before dinner was served. Dad mentioned that he & Uncle Kenny might need a ride to the airport the Sunday after Brian’s wedding. I volunteered to do the deed. We enjoyed dinner and then enjoyed some conversation. Mindy left to pick–up Bella from dance around 7:00pm. At the time he wasn’t certain if he’d be there when she returned, but he was. Ultimately, dad divulged some negative news he had intimated earlier. Apparently, brother Shawn’s gotten himself into more trouble. As I understood it, he broke in his girlfriend’s house ransacking the place. For now he was in jail facing burglary charges. Sheila would be so disappointed, as are the rest of us.

The kids hung all over dad just before leaving. They’ve really taken a liking to him. He plays with them a lot.

After he left Mindy rounded the children up and rushed them up for bed. Meanwhile, I spent an hour or so updating my blog. After the kids were safely tucked into bed, I reemerged in the familyroom to play some Wii. Before hand, I rubbed Mindy’s feet at her request. Mindy watched my first game. She went to bed just after. I played two more games and watched part of the show, Office before heading to bed myself at 10:50pm.

Out of This Swhirled

It was no thing! I was up at 5:30am thanks in part to my Blackberry, which was beeping away while resting on the night stand. I have the alarm set for 5:30am each morning. Most mornings I turn it off when I get downstairs, but since I was on-call I had it by my side. The alarm startled me – the very reason I don’t use one.

I proceeded to take my anti-inflammatory and then ran back upstairs to grab my Prilosec OTC. I skipped a vitamin for no good reason. I soon had my toes tucked under the edge of the sofa ripping out my sit-ups in no time flat. I finished my entire complement of exercise by 5:48am and headed out doors with Ykraps. It was 8 degrees which actually felt warm after the last two mornings. The good news is that the weather should be moderating over the next couple of days.

We were back inside for phase II of morning prep by 5:55am. By the time I got Ykraps a treat and poured my coffee it was 6:00am. I spent a few minutes on the PC before moving onto meditation. Once again, Mindy didn’t need to be woken since this was MLK Day – a holiday for her and the kids.

I dressed in my warmest running attire again today. One shirt and one jacket. And even though it was actually colder yesterday, there was no sunshine to counter the chill. I could only hope that I’d be as comfy as yesterday’s sunny zero run. Turns out, I was fine. I could feel the chill on my fingers through my running gloves for the first couple hundred yards but I warmed quickly. The weather was a non-factor. The streets were largely barren since it was a holiday for many. I didn’t mind. In fact, I enjoyed the peace and tranquility.

Upon my return I quietly went about preparing my breakfast. Lucky for me, I still had Friday’s lunch in the fridge at work. I headed upstairs just after 7:30am for my shower. Jacob was in my spot in bed with his momma. I went about my prep process all the while they relaxed from bed. I did my goodbyes from upstairs, too. Mindy didn’t bother getting out of bed.

Downstairs I warmed the Trooper for a good ten minutes before actually departing. It hadn’t run since Friday night. I left for work at 8:10am.

Traffic was a non-factor. I arrived at work by 8:25am. And because I was on-call, I really never let go of work mode all weekend long. That always makes Monday morning more palatable. We talked about the football playoffs while carrying out our usual tasks. On a more personal note, I contacted World Market at Easton & Polaris looking for the media stand I saw on their webpage. None in Columbus they reported. Crap! I decided that I’d drive to Target to see what they might have available during lunch. They had nothing attractive or that fit the bill. I did buy two storage containers – one for 2008 bills and another for CD storage. I also, bought some gum.

I headed back to the office being gone only 40 minutes total. I ate my lunch as I kicked off my afternoon of work. Ashley called around 3pm to give me an update on her apartment search. She’s looking for a place in Grove City. She also gave me a blow by blow of her latest doctor’s appointment. I talked with Mindy, who was taking all the kids, Lil’ Rocky included, to their 6 month dental appointments.

Work was fairly busy during the afternoon. I was determined to leave work as close to 5pm as possible wanting to stop at Michael’s Crafts to check-out & possibly buy a frame for our original “Out of This Whirled” by G. Wright. I left around 5:10pm and drove through old Hilliard. It’s always a slow drive down Hilliard-Rome Rd but the most effective way to get to Michael’s (just north of the Giant Eagle & Wal-Mart). There’s a lane widening project underway that’s been long overdue. I arrived by 5:30pm.

I’ve been there before. I found the 24X36” frames easily. I selected a solid black wood frame. It was normally $60 but on sale for $36. Good clean living! I also snagged some picture hanging hardware. I bought stuff to hang a frame weight of at least 50lbs. Mine would be no more than 20lbs, however.

By the time I left for home it was already after 6pm. I spent a good 30 minutes in there. I phoned Mindy to let her know that I was on my way and to see how the afternoon went at the dentist office. Turns out that she had her 6 month exam, too. She didn’t realize it before hand. She said the kids were cooperative. Jacob & Bella each had a one new cavity on their first molar’s – baby teeth. Rocky, surprisingly, was cavity free! Sounds, too, like Mindy had a very busy afternoon going here and there. She even made it to a chiro appointment.

I arrived home around 6:20pm. After unloading my stuff, I walked Ykraps. The kids were playing with the Wii – something they haven’t been able to do for about a week due to our ongoing painting project. For dinner, Mindy made leftover roast beef and scalloped potatoes, along with a fresh garden salad. The roast was crazy good, although a tad tougher than usual. It was nearly 7pm by the time dinner was over and the kitchen cleaned up. Mindy had a stated goal of having the kids in bed by 7:30pm since they both exhibited tired behavior earlier in the day. They all headed upstairs.

During my alone time, I updated Thursday & Friday on my blog. I have the weekend done too, but didn’t get around to posting. After I finished I decided to prep the frame for the wall. Mindy brought down our tube of art. I already had the frame opened and ready to receive the piece. I had already Windexed the inside of the frame, too. To my chagrin, the piece was about one inch smaller than the frame all the way around – 23X35”. If I knew it, I had forgotten. That meant that there’d be about a half inch gap around the frame without a frame border. You can’t buy 24X36” frame borders at most frame or photo supply centers either. I’ve looked. You can, however, buy them online. We decided to center the piece on a white background sheet cut perfect to the frame. It looked fine like that, so we decided to hang it that way. Although, before hanging, I still had to mount the clips and supporting wire. I took great care to do a professional job.

I had the picture ready for hanging by 8pm. I carried in and strategically placed the extension ladder against the high north wall. First I had to measure for its locale. Mindy agreed that it should be centered top-to-bottom as well as side-to-side. Not done easily as one might think. To accomplish this, one must take into account the placement of the clips and the slack in the wire. It’s certainly not rocket science but challenging nonetheless. I confidently calculated and found the exact spot to drive the heavy-duty picture hook. I was also careful not to mare the freshly painted wall with the ladder or the art. Mindy offered to assist by carrying the piece to the loft where she could then hand it to me already on the ladder. That was a much better idea than having me carry it up the ladder. And by the way, after much consideration, we decided to hand our piece horizontally (because of its abstract design, it could easily hang either way).

After much angst, I was finally able to snag the hook with the coarse wire. Good thing, too. My arms were growing weary! I did my best to eyeball level, but knew that I needed a level to finish the task. I spent a good five minutes getting it perfectly level to both the eye and the tool. That wasn’t easy either since the ladder had to be off to the side just enough to place the bubble out of an easy eye shot. But I made do.

After dismounting from the ladder, Mindy and I admired our work and the piece itself. Admittedly, I was a tad worried that the color scheme wouldn’t match as nicely as it did. I was most concerned with the blue and the lack of any purple, but that was unfounded. It looks awesome!

I put away the tools and carried the ladder back outdoors. By 8:20pm I was ready to relax. The kids, despite Mindy’s best effort, continued their recent string of repeated calls for her attention even after the tuck in. This aggravated me much. What to do about it, however, I’m not certain. For me, well, I poured myself a Jack & Coke. :)

We sat together on the sofa and further contemplated the idea of mounting our stored Plasma TV on the family room wall all the while the massage pillow massaged our feet. We both love that thing! We headed up for bed around 10pm.

Putting away the very last of Xmas

I was up & out of bed by 7:30am. Mindy told me to make sure she was up by 8am. I agreed, of course. Downstairs I prepped the morning’s coffee and started my exercises. I felt incredibly good after a full day of painting. Chalk that up to science (anti-inflammatories). I checked in with work, too. Things were going well.

Before heading out with Ykraps I noticed that the temperature had dipped to 0 degrees. I bundled accordingly. I was surprised at how peaceful and tranquil it was. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. It was really quite beautiful! Rocky and Bella came down seeking some juice upon my return. I obliged both. I got Mindy up with coffee at her requested rise (maybe a little after). Mindy got the kids breakfast while I worked and then helped them get dressed for church. My job was to keep an eye on them while she showered. Easier said that done! They were a handful.

10am came fast and Mindy and the kids left for church soon after. She planned to drop Rocky at home after church. We said our goodbyes then. No sooner did they leave did I dress for a run. For the first time, I wore the extra-thick Nike running shirt Mindy bought me for Xmas. This particular one is designed for extreme cold. With the temperature at zero I figured it extreme enough! To test its effectiveness, I would wear only it along with my new running jacket as upper cover. Of course I wore running pants with thick cotton running shorts underneath. I opted to skip the full-facemask and instead wore the usual ball-cap and ear muffs. And because it was so sunny, a pair of sun glasses.

There was a swift breeze blowing out of the west making running in that direction seem even colder. But believe it or not, I was very comfortable in my hi-tech gear. There was no part of me suffering whatsoever. I was quite pleased. In fact, it might as well have been 40 degrees running into the crisp sun. It was a glorious run, which I finished in a full stride just before 11am. All of my muscles felt incredibly good!

After my run I snacked on the roast beef still simmering in the crock pot from last evening. We consciously decided to allow it to continue cooking since it was still a little tough at dinner time. Now it was incredible! Blackened on the outside yet still pink in the center, and the juice was thick, dark, and full of flavor. Yummy!

I wasted little time preparing to paint. I was eager to put it behind me. The second coat went really fast. Sure, I made a few small mistakes allowing the roller to make contact with the ceiling, but all in all it went without incident. Besides, I had a remedy for such accidents. I simply restippled and knocked down the areas in question leaving the ceiling looking like new. I was proud of my work. As I finished with the painting, Jimaken arrived to fetch the kids. They were doing family time. Meanwhile, Mindy was invited to a former students Eagle Scout ceremony and left for that soon after the kids. I was once again home alone. Yippee!

I used the time to detail the familyroom cleaning the window frames thoroughly before reinstalling the blinds. I also replaced all of the wall plates and removed the masking. Mindy got home before the kids. Just as she pulled up I was taking the extension ladder outdoors to take the Xmas wreath down from the apex of the garage roof. Another task checked off the list.

Mindy’s family was slated to meet at Bob Evans for Sunday dinner. I was conflicted wanting to finish the task at hand. Mindy, surprisingly, offered me a hall pass from dinner. I accepted. I was now able to relax while I cleaned up & organized after the painting project. By the way, we plan to continue painting into the kitchen next weekend.

While putting my stereo system back in service I broke one of my Bose speaker stands. The stability of the entire stand is dependent on this small little nylon/plastic tip. It cracked as I attempted to tighten it. It would fall no matter what I did. I monkeyed with it for an hour or so eventually finding my product details (good to keep that shit!). I called Bose customer service, who in turn directed me to their technical support team. But because it was after 5pm EST, I would have to call tomorrow. He was fairly certain that they could get me the part. Cool. I went for a much deserved shower and then walked Ykraps.

The NFL whirled while I toiled. Despite a less than stellar performance by Tom Brady, the Patriots stamped their ticket to Super Bowl IVII by beating the Chargers 21-12. Next up was NY Giants versus the Packers. They were making much to do about the extreme cold temps. It was -1 degree at kick-off. Just before Mindy & the kid returned I took down the last piece of Xmas - the small tree in the living room ( the Charlie Brown tree).

Mindy & Bella didn’t get home until after 7pm. By then I had the kitchen cleaned up, the game on, and a fire roaring. It felt terrific to have our family room back. Jacob was with his cousin Joe-Joe. He brought him home on his way out for the evening. Joe stayed for a glass of wine. He must’ve left at or near 9pm. I kept the fire going the entire evening. I was very comfy on floor by the warm, roaring fire. Mindy put the kids to bed then returned to watch the final quarter of the game. It was an exciting finish. It went to overtime after the giants missed two field goals in the final minutes that would’ve clinched it, the last as time expired. In overtime Brett Favre threw an overly aggressive interception. The Giant capitalized and kicked a 47 yard field goal in the -4 degree temps to win it! I was pulling for the Giants all along.

Not long after the game Mindy & I headed for bed. I toyed with the idea of watching Sunday night comedy but didn’t. Right to sleep.

Sands of Time

I managed myself out of bed just a little after 8am. I probably could’ve used more sleep but the responsibility associated with being on-call weighed heavily on my mind. I prepped coffee, exercised and walked Ykraps before logging in to work. It was really cold this morning. The temperature was only 3 degrees. As one might guess, I was happy to get back inside. I spent a good measure of time checking in on work as well as fooling around on the PC all while sipping coffee. It was really quite nice. Mindy continued sleeping. The kids were up and playing in various rooms. I finally readied for a run around 10am. By then Mindy and the kids were downstairs enjoying a fresh batch of cinnamon rolls. Despite the cold, my run went well, but once again I was happy to be back inside afterwards. It was 10:45am when I got back. I quickly reengaged myself in work before changing into my painting uniform. There will be no work done out of uniform in my home! I wore some cut-off pajamas and a black t-shirt with a few holes and paint stains already on it. Like last week, I retrieved my paint tools from the basement. Once again, I did the arduous cut-in first. The north vaulted wall is in two sections – upper and lower separated by a jut out. I did part of the cut in with a brand new brush and that worked well but was very slow going. I really didn’t want to us the rolling pad as it too easily gets paint on the unmasked edge it is being rolled against, and in this case the opposite was is another color. Eventually, I switched to a small pad with a handle. That was easy to control and certainly was faster. I’d guess the cut in took upwards of 2 hours. By then, Mindy left to drop the kids at a bowling birthday party and to go grocery shopping. She asked what I wanted for dinner before leaving. We both thought that a beef roast sounded awfully good. Soon after Mindy & the kids left I got to rolling. That went fast. The Sands of Time (tan) went on much easier than the Blackberry (purple). I would need no more than two coats. I moved so swiftly that it seemed to make sense to finish the south wall, too, which would complete the family. Mindy helped move some of the clutter to facilitate that work. I had it fully trimmed and rolled before she and the kids returned from their time away. As it dried I could see lots of thin spots in need of the already anticipated second coat. That would have to wait until tomorrow, however. The grand kids were coming over this evening and I wanted to get a shower before they arrived. We’d be keeping Lil’ Rocky overnight, and watching Olivia and Landon through about 9pm so that Ashley & Kelly could take Lindsey out. The kids arrived while I showered. And after my shower I took Ykraps on his much deserved walk. The kids were a handful at the outset. Landon cried, Olivia hollered, and Rocky played. Couple that with the usual Jacob & Bella antics and you’ve got yourself a good old fashioned insane asylum. Mindy knew what to do, though. Landon was crying because he was tired. He rubbed his eyes continuously. She put him in the crib in our spare room along with the baby monitor. After 15 minutes of repeated crying he fell asleep pretty much for the duration of his visit. Olivia eventually calmed too. Mindy served dinner – roast beef. Rocky ate three plates full. He must’ve been starving! Olivia ate big people food too. She’s so darling! After dinner and dessert Mindy got all the kids a bath. Rocky doesn’t like to have his hair washed and repeatedly reminded Mindy that his mommy already washed it earlier. But as I understand it, he let Mindy wash it again. :) Mindy put the kids to bed around 8-8:30pm. Landon remained asleep and Olivia hung with us. She was most pleasant and a lot of fun. We saw no signs of the horrible behavior that Ashley often speaks of. Through the evening I stayed in contact with work in preparation for some big system maintenance taking place. I even thought that I might go in to help kick it off. But it got delayed about three hours making it unproductive for me to go in. Things started fine without me there. Lindsey & Ashley picked the kids up before 10pm. We gave Lindsey her birthday flowers & card before she left. We gave her cash last week, which served as her present. We didn’t stay up too much longer. We were in bed by 11pm. Mindy thanked me again for painting all day.

An Evening with Todd Rundgren

I was up a few minutes early and ready to get my day started. It was Friday and for that I was grateful but my optimism measured. After all, I couldn’t get too excited since I would be on-call this weekend. Meanwhile, I took the 7th installment of my Prilosec OTC before beginning my exercise regiment. By 7:43am I was finished with exercise and ready to head out with Ykraps. It was much colder than it was the day before. It was something like 15 degrees. It wasn’t expected to be too warm either. In fact, the temperature was expected to drop through the weekend bottoming out near zero on Sunday.

My run went well despite the chill. Once again I skipped wearing some thick under shorts. I was fine. It was very breezy. After my run I felt really good. Inside Mindy was putting the final prep on our eggs. As she often does, she asked me to take over so that she could begin loading the car. Meznwhile, Jacob was already up and dressed. He was in a surprisingly good mood. We studied his spelling words while we ate and just prior to Mindy leaving. We studied them again after Mindy left. He’s got them all. But what impressed me most was that he recognized the difference between their and there (their being on of his words this week). I know adults that can’t differentiate.

Jacob and I remained on the good side of the clock until we left for the bus stop. We drove. Pat & Alanna arrived about the same time. It was quite blustery with the cold and wind. The bus showed up around 8:02am. I was on my way to work by 8:10am.

A large part of my work day was spent in preparation of the weekend ahead. I needed to be keenly aware of a handful of system maintenance activities transpiring. For this I was a bit nervous. I didn’t bother taking a formal lunch break. I bought a chipotle for an engineer last week. He returned the favor today. Despite having a packed lunch in the fridge, I was looking forward to the big burrito. And it was delicious! My lips have been a little chapped of late. The hot sauce on my burrito irritated them. I searched my provisions for some chap stick, but had none. Yikes! Eventually, they simmered down on their very own.

The day wound down. I left for home just after 5pm. It was still very cold. The temperature moved little, if any, all day long. It was still 15 degrees. I felt really tired by the time that I arrived home. I took the back way due to heavy traffic.

I was eager to get home and catch a little rest before our night out. Mindy ordered a pizza for her & the kids. Rene was coming over to watch the kids while Mindy & I headed out to spend an evening with Todd Rundgren. While Mindy and Bella prepped to go pick-up the pizza, I fell asleep in the recliner waking after they were gone. It’s funny, one minute my mind was going a million miles per hour and the next I am waking from a very satisfying nap. I probably didn’t sleep but for ten minutes but it was so satisfying. It was a healthy transition nap. I felt like a different person when I woke.

Mindy and the kids dug into their pie while I continued relaxing. Eventually I got up and made my way to the kitchen for a couple pieces of pizza. Mindy headed up to prep for our evening out around 6:30pm. Fifteen minutes passed before I headed up to change my shirt and brush my teeth. Rene arrived around 6:55pm. We left for the show around 7:10pm.

It’s a quick drive downtown these days with a couple options from these parts. We opted for Riverside Dr, or 33E, the entire way. We were there by 7:23pm. We parked just a couple hundred yards from the Life Styles Pavilion venue in the Nationwide Arena rear lot. The signage had a familiar ring – An Evening with Todd Rundgren. I had contemplated heading to Barley’s #1 for a couple pre-show beers, but the venue was so close and it was only getting colder. We opted instead to head directly into the show. We got right in and made a beeline towards the bar. Mindy had a Guinness and I had a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. As we weaved our way through the thickening crowd we happened upon my good buddy, Joey Dooley and company. I’ve been to many Todd Rundgren shows with Joey, so I wasn’t at all surprised to find him there. We hung through the show. We had a good 45 minutes to drink and chat before the concert began. Todd’s never been one to have an opening act.

Near 8:15pm the show began. It was Todd, Kasim, some guy named Prarie, and another dude. This was a slimmer, hard charging version of Todd. Without question he jammed, and jammed hard. Sometimes you just know what to expect. You might come expecting solid guitar riffs and some of familiar hits but end up getting mellow, piano bar music. Not tonight, though. He played some of his harder stuff and certainly played everything with an abundance of flair.

I was worried that Mindy might not enjoy herself for lack of familiarity but that didn’t seem to be the case. In fact, after returning to the group with drinks, Mindy professed herself a Rundgren Virgin. Todd played for a solid 2 hours. I was impressed with the wide selection of tunes he played. Definitely one of his more “jammie” shows. My favorite had to be No. 1 Lowest Common Denominator. Played as it was meant to be heard!

Sure, I left wishing he had played so many other favorites but that’s how it goes. Mindy said she enjoyed the show, too. Joey commented that it was one of his favorites, having seen a few duds just like me. Aside from running into Joey, I saw Lisa Large and her sister, Jim Darby (said his brother Mike was there too), and a host of other strangely familiar faces. The aforementioned are all known loyal Rundgren fans. I even ran into our new friend from Georgia, Tee-im (met Tim at Barley’s).

It was 10:30 by the time we pulled out of the Nationwide lot. Mindy drove. We decided that a fast stop at no other than Barley’s was in order. After all, we had to drive right by. We stopped. The bar was almost empty by then, but the folks that were there were our peeps. There, was Steve, Mark, Rick, Josh, Ed & Allie, & Christa. I had one of the new Droughtfire IPA’s. I found it tasty.

We didn’t stay long. We left for home around 11pm. We needed to get home and relieve poor Rene. In our hurry to get in, Mindy knocked me off of the porch and into the shrubs. I landed flat on my ass. Certainly wasn’t the five beers. Later, I returned there to fetch my Blackberry, which apparently fell out of my pocket while I was falling. Rene was on the couch resting when we got home. We chatted for a spell, mostly about her love life, before she left. Some lucky guy’s gonna catch a real prize someday soon! Mindy insisted on paying her for her work. I don’t know how much. We headed to bed soon after she departed.


I wanna see your number 1 lowest common denominator
You're so hot! what choo got?
On the outside i'm a good boy
Let me inside 'cause i'm full of joy
I don't want to shock you but i'm an electric eel

How's that make your denominator feel?
Think i'll surprise her
I can always depend on my great equalizer
I wanna grind, lose your mind
I kissed you once, but will i kiss you again?
Be certain with sex and you'll always have friends

Your glands wanna freak, your hands wanna speak

And your mind slips away at the peak

Recitation (a poem of love)

Time stops - the light goes on
A thundering head and no body
Washed up and woke up on the beach,
Seaside breakfast
A tender egg on white sand
Legs long and tan without a break, even to the neck
Suddenly, simultaneously, an eclipse and a snowfall
Flakes melt instantly on the shoulders like wet silver
Burning little holes all the way to the marrow
Puckered flesh like avocado sags into a green pool
All the birds leave turquoise ruts
Across the velveeta sky
It's time to scream

I wanna be your number 1 lowest common denominator

Amoxicillin - Wet Phone

I woke before 5:30am, and after tending to my teeth and tummy I was downstairs working out in no time flat. The day’s weather promised to be considerably warmer than the last few and the early temperature was already near the freezing mark making my walk with Ykraps largely unmemorable.

I was back at the house drinking coffee in front of the PC before 6am. I took Mindy her coffee around 6:10am and made sure she was awake. She was heading back to work after missing two days dealing with a sick child. Before my run I meditated for almost fifteen minutes.

The run went well. The elements weren’t a factor in the least. I was back home by 7:10am and helped Mindy finish preparing our breakfast and then made both of us tuna fish salad. I added mayo for Mindy. I actually prefer it without these days – just a phase.
Mindy left with Bella around 7:25am, which was considerably later than she would’ve preferred. Jacob was already up and asked for a Toaster Strudel. I accommodated his request. Soon, after eating, I was in the shower readying for work.

We left the house with plenty of time to spare. We drove to the bus stop. Jacob was his usual energetic self, once again stepping into the space of others with reckless abandon. I reminded him of the no touch rule. Thankfully, the bus showed up seconds later to whisk him away to school. I, in turn, headed off to work.

I arrived well before 8:30am. It was like a usual Thursday. We were busy. I didn’t leave for a lunch break until 1:15pm. I drove once again to World Market so I could measure the depth of the cabinet in the black buffet that I saw there yesterday. Holy smoke, it had already been moved elsewhere. I found it with the help of an employee. I measured the depth – only 15” inside, not deep enough to hold stereo equipment. I was there just a short time before heading back to the office. In total, I was gone only 25 minutes.

The afternoon was a blur. I left for home around 5:20pm. Mindy emailed/called asked that I stop at CVS to pick-up a prescription of antibiotics for Bella. Doing so meant that I’d have to alter my drive home. Instead of I-270 or the back way (Old Dublin Rd), I took Leap Rd from Davidson to Walcutt Rd. and eventually Roberts Rd., where the pharmacy sets.

The process was troubling. I had to call Mindy to get her member ID. Seems they didn’t have Bella in the system – another indicator of her healthy DNA. After a few minutes of back and forth they got her added and prepped the Amoxicillin script. I found a knee brace for Mindy, too. She wants one to take along on our ski trip.

On the drive home I was tuned to NPR. They were interviewing various presidential candidates – both democratic and republican. McCain was especially transparent as he played up his ties to South Carolina. It was ridiculous. Obama wasn’t much better. I just can’t see him in the White House. From my perspective, his strength is in his speech writing and orating, and that’s about it. Finally home I scurried to get the trash to the curb with all my gear in hand. It was raining moderately too. Inside, as I unloaded my gear, I realized that I didn’t have my cell phone. %^&*! I let out a very unpleasant expletive. I grabbed the flashlight and went back out to retrace my path from the Trooper to the trash can and then the curb. I found my phone about half way between the house and curb laying in the wet grass. My phone is most often in the vibrate mode making it impossible to track via a ring – something I might want to rethink.

Meanwhile, back inside, Mindy was serving up tacos. We haven’t had them in a really long time. I was craving them. As usual, the phone thing put in a bad place and I had a hard time recovering. Eventually I did, however. The rest of the evening was low key. I played some football & golf with Jacob on the PS2. We played up until time for bed. It was fun. It marked the first time that we played Tiger Woods golf.

Mindy & I sat on the sofa and chatted for a while before heading for an early bedtime. Must’ve been 9:30pm. We were both tired, and I had potentially tough weekend ahead.