Blowin' Chunks

I woke Wednesday feeling incredibly sleepy, foggy, and lethargic. I was still up before 5:30am purely out of habit. If left to my desires, I am almost certain that I would’ve slept another two hours. But there were mountains to climb. So climb I did. I completed my exercise routine all the while cursing my aching hamstring. I had been altering the Advil/Tylenol doses religiously but for one reason or another it seemed to stop working. Ykraps and I hit the door at 5:45am for our morning walk. It was a much nicer morning with the promise of more normal weather in the offing – sunny and low 60’s. It was still pretty chilly this morning. Nevertheless, our walk was an enjoyable one. Usually, by the end of our walk I have shaken any remnants of the sleepies. However, most of the time they don’t get a chance to persist that long. Today seemed to be a different story. No matter what I did, I felt incredibly drained – on empty. After my return to the house I was struck with a bout of diarrhea. Uh-oh! Am I sick? Crap! Though tired, I didn’t really feel sick, although my gut felt a little bloated. I figured it related to something Mindy fed me and shrugged it off. I delivered Mindy’s coffee before returning back downstairs to meditate and ready for a run. Once again, I used most of the meditation time to stretch and massage my hamstring. It ached enough to cause concern. I dressed semi-warmly to combat the chill, but skipped the hand and ear covers. I was quite comfortable in that regard, however, my leg was cramping considerably. I ran at a much slower pace than usual doing what I had to do to lessen the pain. When I returned from my run neither of the kids were up and moving about. When Jacob finally appeared he looked like death warmed over. He was begging not to go to school for being too sick. Mindy, since last week, has chalked up his symptoms to spring allergies. I wondered if there wasn’t something more to it. His pleading continued even as his mother seemingly headed off for school. He then turned to me and asked if he could phone his daddy and possibly stay home with him. Suddenly, Mindy made an unexpected return. I let her know that Jacob was too sick for school. She quickly called her mother to ask if Jacob could stay there today. As expected, she agreed to have him over. After all, she has Bella every Wednesday already. Today she’d have them both. Jacob seemed pleased. Soon they all three left. I took my time getting ready for work and enjoyed every minute of it. I remember beginning to feel a little queasy and still rather bloated. But like I often do, I shrugged it off and went about my business. I left for work around 8:10am arriving a short time later. The work day went as expected with the normal interruptions and meetings. I still couldn’t shake that bloated feeling deep in my gut, and began feeling a little feverish too, but not to the point of total discomfort. However, that all changed on a dime. Come staff meeting time, I went downhill fast. By 1pm I felt terrible! Now, not only was I feeling bloated and feverish, but also nauseous. Every joint in my body ached to high heaven. Whatever it was, it had me. Still, I went back to my office hell bent on finishing my day as normal. I worked for about thirty minutes as if nothing was wrong. Come 1:30pm I had little choice but to push my door closed and lay my head down on my desk. That, I figured, was the best way to spend my lunch hour. But no matter how or where I laid my head I couldn’t shake that nagging nausea. I was sure that I was gonna blow chunks at any moment. Searching for any relief, I pulled an old shirt from my filing cabinet to use as a pillow, and quickly stretched out across my two guest chairs. I must’ve slept for about 30-40 minutes. But instead of waking feeling better, I felt worse. Determined not to barf, I threw myself to the floor searching frantically for a position that would curb the spins. I never did vomit, thankfully, but instead wallowed in misery. At one point I mustered enough energy to get up and head towards the bathroom. Those that encountered me for that brief moment knew something was amiss. A couple of folks approached me and offered to call Mindy to come fetch me or even drive me home themselves. I declined their kind offers, but at the same time knew that I didn’t belong at work. After all, I wasn’t being productive by any means. But for lots of reasons, I really wanted to finish out the day as planned. I’ve always prided myself on not missing work. Like I view a lot of things, I see it as a slippery slope. Once one begins cutting corners, soon the entire essence of the product is totally gone. Funny thing, writing this I realize how over the top that thinking is, but I am who I am. Back in my office I tried to work on a few issues, and actually did make some progress, but no matter what I did I couldn’t get beyond the feeling that my belly was about to blow. It came in waves. By then it was just before 4pm. I couldn’t take it any longer. I grabbed my keys and gym bag and rushed out the door, down the elevator, and out to my car. I sat in my car for a few assessing my ability to drive myself home. I was confident that I could make it as long as I allowed some fresh spring air to slap against my face. The Trooper started rough, like it did when I was having the manifold gasket issues. As Ipulled out of my parking spot and glanced down at my dash I was astonished to find that my check engine light was on. Are you firkin kidding me? Not again! I couldn’t worry about it then, however. I felt terrible. My only goal in the entire world was to get home and get my putrid butt into bed. I made it home by 4:20pm. Like a marathon runner views the finish line that’s how I saw my bed. I was curled up and under the covers in no time flat. I didn’t bother to remove anything but my shoes. Mindy & the kids arrived home a short time later. Mindy, of course, had Olivia in tow, and I could hear her cute little bursts of words all the way upstairs. Olivia has a hard time differentiating the name “Mindy” from “mommy” and often uses the two interchangeably. I must’ve heard her calling for Mindy a hundred times. It was darn near constant. Mindy visited my bedside a number of times bringing me whatever my heart desired. But more than anything, I simply wanted sleep. She brought me meds, crackers, and orange soda. The orange soda was the only thing that sounded remotely good. I hadn’t eaten all day, and was also very thirsty. Mindy was in and out of the room a handful times through the evening. I lost complete track of the time. However, I did have CNN spinning on the TV, which I kept a loose ear towards all evening long – something I rarely do. I remember commenting to Mindy how much of a chatter box CNN has become. There’s just so much going on at the same time that it’s not even funny. TV news has sure changed! I’m guessing around 8:30pm, I finally pulled myself out of bed and made it downstairs wrapped in a comforter to help ward off the chills. I was determined to try and eat something. Mindy made me a bowl of chicken broth. It was good. Afterwards, I felt exhausted and once again craved sleep. Unfortunately, the weight of the chicken broth in my gut helped usher back in that uncomfortable feeling of being on the verge of blowing chunks. Mindy watched American Idol elimination night from bed. I turned an eye and ear on occasion, and saw Brooke get eliminated just as we both predicted. Neil Diamond was the guest mentor. During a commercial break his Columbus concert was smartly advertised. I mentioned to Mindy that I’d like to see him. You either like him or hate him. I like him! Idol over – lights out. More … I had a rough time sleeping. I’m not sure exactly the time, but I‘d guess before midnight, we were woken by the sound of Bella blowing chunks in the bathroom. Mindy’s motherly instinct took over and was there at her side in a flash. We were both impressed that she had the wherewithal to make it to the bathroom. Learning that she had diarrhea earlier in the day, we now knew that Bella had the crude too. In an odd way, it was somewhat of a relief for me to now know that we must have a bug rather than a disease.

$290 Oil Change

I was up well before 5:30am. And by “well before” I mean about five minutes early. You may say that five minutes isn’t much, but at the day’s outset, five minutes can be a huge advantage. Anyway, I wasted little time getting my routine underway. My calisthenics went fine, but I didn’t feel completely on top of my game. For the first time in a long while, it was down right chilly outdoors. It was only 35 degrees. In fact, frost was predicted for low lying areas in the surrounding central Ohio region. I didn’t see any frost, but noticed many neighbors weren’t taking chances. Many flowering trees, plants, & shrubs were draped in sheets. At quick glance, they looked like monks standing quietly in their yards. Back home I readied coffee then took to the PC for a few minutes. I wasn’t there long. The leisure time, as it often does, evaporated quickly. I delivered Mindy’s coffee soon after. She didn’t budge. She was out like a light. I figured she was either too tired or bitter about something, although that would be unlike her. I dropped it off and ran for safety. J I spent much of my meditation time massaging my upper leg. I was determined to run quasi pain-free. I dressed quite warmly for my run with a heavy running shirt and thick fleece along with ear & hand covers – the first time I’ve worn those in a few weeks. My guess is that this will be the last go round with covers ‘til fall. We’ll see. I do know that warm weather makes its return on Wednesday and the ten day forecast looks good. As I darted out the door I felt that all to common ache in my ass and hamstring, but it was mild by comparison. I wasn’t halfway through my run when I had to shed the gloves. They were just too warm despite the late spring chill. I knew that out the door but was more than happy to err in favor of being too warm rather than too cold. My run finished nicely. Mindy had my eggs ready upon my return but didn’t stick around too long. Her and Bella were gone in a jiffy. I was out of the shower and ready to go by 7:44am. I did my best to tidy the kitchen some before leaving the house. Can’t recall if Pat & Alanna were at the bus stop. I don’t think that they were. After Jacob was gone I returned to the house to launch the Trooper. I arrived at work by 8:25am. Work was busy, of course. The day moved swiftly. Unlike the day before, I made sure not to skip lunch. I desperately wanted to get the oil changed in the Trooper and possibly stop at Home Depot. And then, if time permitted, stop and get gas for the mowers. I had one of my five gallon containers in tow. I finally had an opportunity to use the $10 Hilliard shopping card I bought from a direct report. To get the stated discount ($5 off), I had to go to the Hilliard Jiffy Lube. I’d never been to that one so I had to Google it. Turns out, it might be closer than the Bethel Rd shop that I often frequent. I left the office at 1:05pm. Unlike the Bethel Rd shop, this one looks like an old converted gas station, and the amenities not nearly as nice. But getting the oil changed at Jiffy Lube isn’t as much about the amenities as it is the convenience and speed. It took only about ten minutes soup to nuts. As usual, they tried the up sale.. Only now, the have a large flat panel monitor at the car’s side displaying all the recommended maintenance for your specific vehicle. If I would’ve allowed, they would’ve soaked me for over $200 bucks! No thanks, just an oil change, please! Thinking that enough, I turned to head back into the waiting area when he asked which type of oil change I would like. Their offerings were many. I could’ve spent upwards of $90 on having the oil changed alone. Geesh - Are you kidding me? Oh, and I declined the air filter replacement too. I can pop that out as easy as he can. I stopped at Home Depot on my way back to the office. I decided to forego getting mower gas until the trip home. I didn’t want the fumes to accumulate in the Trooper all afternoon. At Home Depot I browsed patio stones and then specialty bolts. I needed one for our pond side bench. I realized, however, that I didn’t know the specific size so after looking over their selection I decided a wiser move would be to pull an existing bolt and bring it along for matching purposes. I left empty handed. I was back to work in just about an hour. The afternoon went on as usual. I left right at 5:30pm. I don’t believe I called home first. At home Mindy was contending with Olivia, who is always on the move and needs a constant eye. It can be a bit overwhelming. I took Ykraps on his walk after greeting everyone. I had half baked plans to cut the grass after a quick dinner but found myself on empty. I had zero energy. Come to think of it, I haven’t had much energy after the weekend’s yard work. Ashley arrived around 6:30pm and that’s when we ate. We visited until 7:35pm or so when Ash & Olivia headed for home. The kids were in bed in a jiffy. Mindy & I watched American Idol from 8-9pm. We headed to bed almost immediately after. Mindy, as she often does, decided to hold a pillow conference, only this time the topic was a laundry list of the many things I haven’t been doing quite right. I quietly listened to them all biting my tongue for much of the time. After she was through I retorted to a degree, although I would’ve much preferred sleep. We ended up in one of our rare disagreements to put it mildly. Already feeling awash with worry about work, and then not feeling well, I was now agitated and couldn’t sleep. I got out of bed and returned downstairs to write in my blog. That always makes me sleepy. It worked. I wrote for about 45 minutes. It was 11pm or so when I headed back up for bed.

Time with Olivia

I was up right on time. As I made my way downstairs I realized that my Blackberry alarm wasn’t blaring. Odd, I thought. That could mean only one thing. The battery was dead. I hadn’t touched it since Friday afternoon – a good thing! I didn’t bother checking it right then. I figured I’d check it out later. I had my exercise routine to start and then finish. My buttocks ached, but would describe it only as a nuisance. It certainly wasn’t debilitating.

The roads, I could see, were wet but it wasn’t raining at the time. I checked the temperature wanting to know how to dress for my walk with Ykraps. It was far warmer than I figured. It was 45 degrees. The radar showed rain to our east but nothing directly overhead. Our walk was relaxing. I returned for coffee and internet by 5:55am. The next ten minutes went extremely quick. I could hardly believe that it was 6:05am. Damn! I delivered Mindy’s coffee at 6:10am. I crawled back in bed after feeling overwhelmingly tired. I laid there for only a few precious minutes before gathering enough energy to prep for my run.

I dressed in middle weight gear and headed out the door even before 6:30am. After a lengthy stretch I was off. My gait was slow. I was in moderate pain. Running with shorter strides helped contain the pain. I was only a little discouraged, already figuring I’d be this way after two days of rigorous yard work. I gave consideration to hot tubbing upon my return but didn’t. Mindy had scrambled eggs ready upon my return. She didn’t appear in the best frame of mind. In fact, I don’t’ remember her wishing my day well or even saying goodbye when she left.

Jacob & I carried on as usual. He wasn’t feeling well. His sinuses were clogged and he had an undeniably bad cough. Mindy chalked it up to allergies. I wasn’t so sure. Moving kind of slow, the next thing I know Jacob’s alerting me that it’s 7:54am. The problem was, I had just stepped out of the shower. In the same breath he said he was leaving for the bus stop. I quickly threw on my fresh underwear and pajama bottoms then hurried downstairs. I grabbed my jacket and dashed out the door. I met Jacob, Pat & Alanna at the bus stop. Pat figured I must’ve had the day off. I explained my dilemma. It wasn’t long before the bus arrived and I was headed back home to finish readying myself for work. It didn’t’ take but another five minutes or so. I was still out the door and on my way by 8:15am.

Work was pleasant but busy. I had hoped to get away for lunch but just as I was prepping to leave something came up requiring my attention. After a sigh, I rolled up my sleeves and dug back into work. The day went fast. I didn’t leave for home until 5:40pm. I already knew that Olivia would be at our house when I got home. I was anxious to see her. But after phoning Mindy on her cell, she asked that I stop and pick up a prescription she had called in for Jacob at CVS. I begrudgingly agreed to do it. I decided to phone brother Glenn during my commute. I hadn’t talked with him since our ski trip.

The CVS stop didn’t take all that long. I was in and out of there after only a few minutes. I didn’t get home, however, until almost 6:20pm.

The house was a smidge upside down with Olivia being there. There were toys in the family room and some food flung onto the floor. That, of course, was Olivia’s. She’s a very messy eater. Mindy put a ham in the crock pot before leaving for work. That’s what we had for dinner. But not before I walked Ykraps in a downpour. I was happy to return home.

Ashley arrived a few minutes later just as we were sitting down to eat. Good timing! The dinner was good. I played with Olivia throughout dinner. She’s a ticket! I did my level best to clean up the kitchen after dinner. It was a challenge, however. There were lots of dirty dishes for the dinner Mindy prepped. It hardly seemed worth the effort. It took me a good 30 minutes to get the kitchen back close to normal. I didn’t get that much help to be honest. Ashley & Olivia stayed until almost 8pm. Olivia was a little cranky by the time they departed. Plus, there’s little doubt that she knows how to play her momma.

After they were gone I took to updating my blog. Somewhere during that, Mindy snuck off to bed. I enjoyed my time on the PC and eventually found my way to the familyroom for a little hypnotic TV & stretching. I headed up to bed just after 11pm.

1000mg of Tylenol ... ahhh

It was Sunday morning and just before 7:30am. I felt well rested and more than ready to get up & get moving. I could see from bed that the sky was clear and sunny. That proved to be all the motivation I needed to get up and out of bed. Bella joined me while I did my calisthenics and then asked if she could go on the walk with Ykraps. Of course!

It was chilly but nice. It must’ve been something like 43 degrees. We returned to the house still before 8am. I poured myself some coffee then spent considerable time updating my blog and reading about the much ballyhooed NFL draft. The Vikings only had one pick in the first two rounds after trading several picks to KC for the league’s sack leader. I’m good with it. At least he’s a proven commodity versus a highly paid unproven rookie.

I delivered Mindy’s coffee some time around 8:45am. She planned to attend church and needed to be up. At first she asked for me to hold off on my run until after they departed for church, but that plan would have further put me behind with yard chores. Instead, I left for a run around 9:15am. I ran along Trabue and then south on Hague. It was a nice run, but once again, I was experiencing moderate discomfort. I managed.

Finally home, I helped get Mindy shoved off then returned to the PC where I wrote for almost an hour in my blog. At 11am I stopped and aggressively moved towards spreading Com-Til. I had hoped the hour spent updating my blog would serve two purposes. Number one, catch up on my blog, and number two, and perhaps more indirect, to rest my sore ass. It really didn’t help much, though. It was still tight as drum.

I got busy first by getting the tractor and trailer from the shed. Next, I started the arduous process of moving Com-Til. I started at the most difficult spot in the rear, the steep slope just west of my hot tub. I can only get my trailer so close and have to move the rest by hand with either the coal shovel or 5 gallon bucket. I used both. The more I moved the stiffer my buttocks became. At one point I looked up and saw two little bodies sitting quietly on the deck watching me. I was startled until I realized that it was neighbors, Jacob & Makayla. They talked with me the entire time hell bent on waiting out the return of Jacob & Bella from church. They had already been to their own church service.

By the time Mindy & the kids returned, not only was I stiff, but I felt ill too. I was in very bad shape. I asked Mindy for two of her miraculous little 500 mg Tylenols. She gladly obliged my request. Less than twenty minutes later I felt like a million bucks. My ass stopped aching and the nausea went away. Hmmm? I figured it related. It’s made me feel that way before.

Eventually Mindy joined me, doing most of the spreading while I did the dumping/hauling. That sped things up significantly. We really do make a good team. After we finished the beds surrounding the deck we moved out to the old “willow-tree” bed. But it needed edged first. I hadn’t yet got to it. Mindy suggested I edge while she gathered the edgings. I had her place those on the low spot by our pond side benches. While we toiled away, the two Jacob’s professed being bored. We suggested that they might take a hike back into the woods. They gleefully darted off back into the woods with just a few rules. First and foremost, my biggest concern was for them to stay out of the pond. Number two was to avoid picking up any wild critters. There are deer, coyote, beaver, and snapping turtles all over back there.

We worked away until we had the bed edged and then topped with Com-Til. Mindy became a little concerned for the two hikers well-being after about 45 minutes. I offered to go searching for them, but Mindy wanted to. She was gone about 10 minutes after spotting the two boys coming out of the woods down by neighbor Mike’s. No sooner did Mindy return did Pastor Karen arrive with her son, Aaron. Mindy apparently made arrangements for Karen to drop off Aaron while she went to some ceremony. Aaron quickly joined up with the two Jake’s and played nicely the rest of the afternoon. In one area we had the girls, Bella, Makayla, and Emily playing together. In another, we had the three boys.

We finished the majority of the Com-Til with about a third of a trailer still remaining. We agreed to take it along with us to Mindy’s mother’s when we headed over for dinner. Mindy made me a sandwich. I was famished! I gave the girls a tractor ride first. They had been asking for the last two hours. The boys weren’t too pleased, so I gave them a ride after the girls were done. I was careful not to go for too long since I was low on gas.

Around 3:30pm I put everything away and headed in for a shower. As always, I would’ve liked to have gotten even more done but I was satisfied with the results. Next big job is mulch, and then the flowers.

We left for Gloria’s around 3:50pm. We wanted to arrive a little early to spread the Com-Til. And we wasted very little time getting started on it once we arrived. Mindy pulled last year’s spent flowers while I hauled the Com-Til. She also took responsibility for spreading it evenly. After filling the two raised beds we moved around to the east side yard that holds two very mature and very lovely shrubs. One’s a Butterfly bush, and the other is a Rose of Sharon. There’s some other perennials planted in their too. Over winter, the bed gets smothered in blown leaves from neighboring trees. I’ve seen them a foot deep! We raked out the bed just as we did last spring. I suggested adding some Com-Til and then later on some mulch. We got about half done before dinner. We took a break.

Dinner consisted of taco salad. It was a nice change. A handful of family members were missing. But as I often say, it’s not about who isn’t there as much as it is about those that are. As usual, we had a nice time, and the discussion was lively. As soon as we were done eating Mindy and I headed back outdoors to finish what we had started. Somehow we were able to cram all of the raked leaves into one large yard debris trash container and two paper grocery bags. I stood on all three to compact the load. I also edged the bed along the walk to provide a gutter-like valley to prevent dirt and mulch from running onto the walk during rain storms. We surrounded all the shrubs and plants with Com-Til. With just a little remaining, we placed it strategically around some of her back yard plants and trees.

Dessert time finally arrived. We had cheesecake and ice cream pie. I had cheesecake. I thought about having both but abstained. It was after 7pm, and we needed to get Aaron home, who also joined us for dinner. There was also an outside chance that Olivia and Ashley might’ve been coming to visit, but Ashley phoned to tell us that Olivia was already asleep. Just as well, we’d see her Monday night after work.

As soon as we got home I walked Ykraps. He was eager! Jacob went along on his scooter. After returning home I watered the grass seed I planted a week ago. We’d had some rain on Saturday but it was of the very light variety. It needed a good soaking. It still hasn’t sprouted either. After watering the grass seed, I left the hose running and topped off the hot tub. It needed about three inches. I hadn’t added any since the weekend before Mindy left for DC.

It was a long day. I was tired. We headed to bed around 9:45pm. Mindy professed being extremely tired. Suddenly, I was not. I got up from bed and headed downstairs to catch some trash TV and perhaps some popcorn. I headed back up to bed around 11pm.

Com-Til, Baseball, Steaks & Neighbors

It must’ve been about 3 or 4am when I woke and took two Advil for my aching head. I woke a couple more times before getting up for good around 8am. I took another Advil just after waking for good measure. Mindy asked that I bring her coffee in bed.

I completed a full complement of exercises before walking Ykraps. It was hard to get moving but once I did I felt considerably better. The weather was mixed. The skies were clouded but the temperature was plenty warm, especially given the early hour. It was already a balmy 65 degrees. And because it had rained over night, it was plenty humid.

I enjoyed my coffee and internet before entertaining the thought of delivering Mindy’s coffee. I delivered it around 8:45am. She was up prepping for a shower. She had an early hair appointment she had to get to. Bella, as I understood it, would be spending her morning at neighbor Crissy’s. Jacob, I wasn’t too sure about. I left for my run while Mindy finished primping.

I checked the radar just before heading out the door, and it looked clear despite the clouds. However, about half way through my run it began to rain. The temperature dropped too. In fact, by the time I was back home it was ten degrees cooler. Because I ached, I fired up the hot tub and soaked for ten minutes. That served as my shower, too. I was just going to get all dirty anyhow.

I slipped into my already seasoned yard work shorts along with a clean t-shirt. I grabbed a jacket, too since it was now officially chilly. The forecast, however, still called for clearing skies mid-morning. It was 10am. I expected that at any time. I gathered a few necessary items to take along with me to fetch another trailer load of Com-Til. My first stop was my dad’s to get the trailer.

I knocked on the screen door, his inside door was open. Just as I was ready to help myself, he sprung to the door citing napping as the delay. He helped me get it hitched up and watched me check the tire pressure. I will never leave with the trailer before checking the pressure. Nope- won’t happen!

Off I went. I talked with Mindy for most of the drive. She just finished a long talk with Ashley planning next week’s Olivia care. What a tangled web. I arrived at the Com-Til plant at 11am. The sign posted out front indicated the Saturday hours were 7am to 12noon. Wow! Good thing I hustled. They’re only open two or three Saturday’s each year in the first place (the last two in April and first one in May).

This time I remembered to photo the Com-Til dumping into the trailer. Cool pic! It was drizzling and cool – perhaps the first time that’s ever happened. The load cost me $16 compared to $13 last week. But this load was noticeably larger. I covered and tied the load down before driving off. You can get a ticket these days for driving with it exposed. The sky began to clear as I approached the I-71 & I-70 interchange from the south. There was nothing but blue skies looking west. I was home by 11:40am. I noticed the garage door just going down as I pulled up. That meant that Mindy just returned home too.



I left the Com-Til covered and the trailer attached while heading out back to begin removing the edge cuttings from the rear flower beds. I used my tractor and trailer to pick them up minimizing the physical impact as much as possible. I dumped the edgings on a low spot where we hope to place patio stones near the beaver damaged maple tree.

I finished up around 1:10pm. I left a few of my tools out but put everything else away. We needed to be at Hilliard Municipal Park for Jacob’s baseball scrimmage and pictures by 2pm. We left the house at 1:40pm. I needed gas so we stopped at Thornton’s. I paid $3.45 per gallon. Damn! We made it to the park just before 2pm. I dropped Mindy and the kids right next to the picture station while I went to park the Trooper. The park was a total zoo. There must’ve been have been five thousand people participating in the event. The only parking spots still available were manmade. I followed suit like so many others. I joined up with the family just as they were paying for the picture package. It looked like every team in the league was there for the same thing, and I was warned as much by neighbor Pat.

And speaking of Pat, I ran into his daughter Alanna there with her cousin. As crowded as the event was, it was very well organized. But then again, they’ve been doing this for years.

We made our way towards diamond #3 around 2:45pm. Our scrimmage time was 3pm. The entire complex is impressive. It contains the community center, the west swimming pool, several acres and ponds, as well as many well kept ball diamonds. So this is where all of my Hilliard City taxes go, I pondered. And yes, I live in Columbus, but in the Hilliard School district. I work in Hilliard so I pay my city tax to them. My ball parks!

I pulled up a chair while the prior teams finished their scrimmage. The Ray’s game started about ten minutes later. Jimaken arrived just after Jacob’s first at bat. Defensively, he rode the bench initially. I found myself becoming very aggravated wit the coach pitching. He was either hitting every kid or bouncing the ball five feet in front of home plate. After getting maybe one pitch close he’d give the kid the dickens for not swinging. Hell, the kid was better prepared to take cover! I embarrassed myself by calling for a relief pitcher. The game lasted upwards of 60 minutes, but it seemed to go faster. Jacob got to bat twice, and got a hit the first time and knocked in a run or two the second. Not bad!

We were happy to finally be heading home. Bella was not only tired, but also hungry. She wined at her mother more than once. I whispered Dairy Queen in her ear. She wanted nothing to do with it, at least at that point. But by the time we found the Trooper and were pulling out her tune changed. She asked if we could stop. I agreed.

DQ hit the spot. Everybody ordered something. Bella ordered a Dilly bar and I had a chocolate cone dipped in chocolate. Jacob had a blizzard and Mindy had a chocolate malt. We noticed a few other ball players had the same idea.


We arrived home around 5pm. I quickly changed back into my grubbies and set out to complete a bit more yard work. I got all the rest of the edgings out of the rear beds. They were officially Com-Til ready. Meanwhile, Mindy confirmed that we were planning to grill with the neighbors at 6:30pm. That left little time. I cleaned myself up around 6pm and then walked Ykraps. Mindy seasoned our steaks before heading to Crissy & Kenny’s. I grabbed a handful of fireworks just in case, and poured what was left of my Hoptopus Ale. I also grabbed my other jug of Pale Ale to take along as well.

Neighbors Mike and Teri were invited too but had other plans, although Mike said he’d be over later. Kenny did the grilling while the girls got everything else prepped. There was a mix of meats: T-bones, filets, and NY strip. I asked for a strip. Mindy, Crissy, and the kids opted for filets. Kenny and kids had t-bone. We enjoyed green bean casserole, a fresh garden salad, and a keylime baked dessert. Everything was good.

Mike showed up around 8-8:30pm. We sat around telling stores and drinking a few beers. Mindy opted to take the kids home around 9:15 or 9:30pm. I chose to stick around for a while longer. It wasn’t long before my cell phone rang. It was Mindy inquiring of my whereabouts. She wanted me to come home to tuck in the kids. The leash was short!
She called again ten minutes later using that tone that all guys despise. I bit my tongue and headed home.

Grilling with the Neighbors

Just eight short months 'til Xmas! I was up before the clock struck 5:30am. I bounced myself from bed despite a lingering desire for more sleep. I figured it was Friday, my favorite day of the week. And if it was sleep that I wanted, I could sleep extra long later that night. I started my exercise regiment right after choking down a vitamin and an anti-inflammatory. It wasn’t too long before Ykraps and I set out on our walk. It was another lovely morning with predictions of yet another warm sunny day in the balance. And speaking of the weather, we’ve had a two week stretch of absolutely beautiful weather with only one or two less than stellar days sandwiched in, and even then those days weren’t too bad. Back at home I enjoyed my coffee in front of the PC doing what I generally do each morning. At 6:10am I delivered Mindy’s coffee before returning downstairs to ready for a run. Once again, I was a little stiff but not as bad as Thursday morning. Having Mindy rub my rump before bed is paying huge dividends. My run went pretty well. My upper leg stiffened while running but nothing I couldn’t stretch out before heading back in the house from the front porch. Mindy made my scrambled eggs but was eager to hit the road and subsequently spent little time enjoying her own breakfast. She left with Bella still asleep in her arms. Jacob rushed out to steal a hug goodbye. After finishing up my breakfast I showered and dressed then returned downstairs by 7:49am. I spent the few minutes before bus time tidying up the kitchen. Jacob dashed off for the bus stop a couple minutes early. I didn’t chase behind. Instead, I took care of a few necessary chores and met him there just before the bus pulled up. Pat and I chatted only briefly before heading our separate ways. I was driving the Trooper for the first time since Monday. I felt kind of new and different after driving the BM’er for three days. I arrived at work just before 8:30am. It was busy – much like a spring time Friday. I planned a lunch sneaking away around 1pm. I drove up Sawmill stopping at Borders Books looking for the Classical Opera, Satyagraha by Phillip Glass. They didn’t’ have it. I was slightly bummed. By the time I made it back to the office and hour had easily passed. Again, we were very busy so the rest of the day soared by. I left around 5:40pm destined for home. I talked with Mindy along the way hearing the story of how daughter Ashley had to call off work because her sister Lindsey refused to watch Olivia lat minute leaving her in a bit of a lurch. What doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger. Ashley seemed to use this lesson to strengthen her independence. She worked out arrangements for Grandma Sharon to watch Olivia next week but is arranging her own private childcare moving forward, something Mindy and I have hoped for some time coming. We want Olivia somewhere safe, clean, and nurturing. Sadly, Ashley had to call off of work due to the predicament. Kids! Mindy made plans for us to cookout with neighbors, Kenny & Crissy, the newly weds. However, I still planned on visiting Barley’s but just long enough to pick-up a jug or two of brew and perhaps have one there with friends. But before any of that, I needed a nap. After walking Ykraps I found my way to the recliner where I snoozed hard for a good fifteen minutes. It felt terrific. I woke to the sound of Kenny talking with Mindy in the kitchen. They were talking about food – meat, buns, and fruit. I had to laugh to myself because that’s about the last thing I’d expect to hear Kenny talking about. I got up from the recliner around 6:55pm and headed upstairs for a quick grooming before setting out towards Barley’s. Just as I was grabbing my keys, Mindy came in from talking with the neighbors. I left around 7:10pm. The lot was moderately full. I had to park way in the back. I brought two jugs, which I wanted to fill with IPA but figured they still wouldn’t have any. They didn’t. Instead, I had one filled with Hoptopus and the other with their flagship Pale Ale. While waiting and visiting with friends, I had a Highland Hammer. It was good, but not exactly a favorite of mine. Steve and Mark were present. We chatted briefly. But after my Hammer was finished I asked for my check. I didn’t want to be rude to our neighbors. As expected, Mindy & the kids were already down at the neighbor’s house. I filled a pint glass and carried my jug of Hoptopus down to Kenny & Crissy’s. The kids were playing outside and the adults inside. I played with the kids before heading in to say hello. Mindy mentioned that she wasn’t expecting me for a while yet. We were grilling simple stuff, burgers, brats, and dogs. Mindy whipped up a salad, fruit tray, and supplied the buns. Kenny and Crissy supplied the meat. We had a fun time and hung out late. We stayed up, all of us, until after 11pm. The kids included. We stumbled home two houses to the west. We were all in bed in less than fifteen minutes.

League Night Returns

I slept in until 5:34am. I noticed almost immediately that my buttocks ached almost as much as last week. Like often happens, the second day after rigorous exercise/activity is when the pain sets in. I was exactly two days removed from the painstaking backyard edging, plus, I didn’t take an anti-inflammatory or have Mindy massage my ass prior to bedtime. You can bet that I regretted it now.

I exercised then limped along gingerly while walking Ykraps. I was more than a little frustrated about once again being sore. The realization set in that I would most likely be contending with this for some time to come. And just as one might expect, I spent a lot of extra time stretching my hamstring, upper leg and ass before setting out on my morning run.

Mindy reminded me that she needed to leave early – just after 7am to get to an early school meeting. In kind, Jacob was going along since he didn’t have school today.

My run went better than I expected but was still riddled with pain. I sucked it up and finished as best I could. Mindy was just loading to depart as I made my way up the drive. I kissed her goodbye and waved to the already strapped in kids. It was 7:10am.

After they were gone I wasted little time woofing down my food that Mindy prepared. Next, I prepped the hot tub for entry. I was determined to massage the ache away since I was expecting to play golf later that evening. The longer you allow the pain to set in the harder it is to loosen it up. I’m almost certain that it has something to do with lactic acid build up. The sun was up and the morning warm. It was a grand time to be in the hot tub. As I pressed my finger deeply into the tissue in my rear upper right leg the more evident it was that it’s actually related to my hamstring issues. One particular muscle strand felt like a thick banjo string with little, if any, flexibility. The jets and the constant rubbing eased the pain significantly. But the proof would be later, after getting ready for work and walking about the house.

Just what the doctor ordered! I felt ten times better after a shower and getting dressed. I could walk without a limp having just a very minor ache to serve as memory. The Bob’s and I planned to golf tonight after work. I was determined to see if I could somehow squeeze all of my golf clubs into my BM’er. Just yesterday I had a brainstorm. If I removed the long irons and woods from my golf bag and placed them in the trunk first independently of the golf bag, I might be able to get them all to fit. Experimenting with the idea, it worked flawlessly. I was able to load the clubs, bag, and shoes into the smallish trunk. Wahoo! That meant that I could now enjoy a top down drive to work and then to golf afterwards, as well as benefit from almost double the gas mileage. A win-win to be sure!

Because I planned to leave work at 4:45pm, I didn’t take a lunch. And because I didn’t have to get Jacob on the school bus, I actually arrived to work about ten minutes earlier than usual – 8:10am. As planned, I worked straight through eating my packed veggies and fruit all the while I worked. We were busy, too. Tis the season! Bob emailed around 3pm to inform me of a venue change. Seems Groveport Country Club mislead us about their Thursday evening availability. Instead, we opted for Split Rock, which is still quite a hall, but perhaps a little easier to get to.

As planned, I left work at 4:45pm. Bob said we needed to be there between 5:15 & 5:30pm to get off. Traffic around I-270S was a little busy but not too bad. I took that to I-71S, and then I-71S to Rt. 665. Rt. 665 is under construction around Hoover Rd. Grove City is growing like wildfire. Traffic on Rt. 665 was nasty. And to think, ten years ago, Rt. 665 was about as country road as one could get.

I celled Bob in just the nick of time to get an alternative pathway into Commercial Point/Orient. I turned south at Hoover/Welch Rd instead of going all the way to 104. That took some distance off the remaining trip, but still didn’t land me there until just after 5:30pm. At the corner of Thrailkill Rd and Rt.762 I spotted the vintage White Castle in someone’s yard. I promised myself to get a picture on the return home.

Turns out, Bob I. was just five minutes ahead of me so it was no big deal. I was a little worried I would be holding everyone up, but that wasn’t the case. Craig (Howard) Coffman is the club pro. I grew up with him. It cost us $20 each to play nine with a cart. Not a bad deal. He gave us the choice of front or back. We opted for the back. We also inquired about the best evening during the week to get out and play nine without running into leagues. He said Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays were best. Noted!

The tenth hole (one for us) is a par 5. My tee shot was nothing spectacular, and a repeat of bad habits from last season. It was moderate in distance but had a fairly sharp hook at the end. However, it took a fortuitous bounce off of a tree and landed in the right fairway. OK!
Bottom line, it took me four shots to get on, and I had a long putt for par. I missed, of course, and ended up three putting for a seven. Pretty much like I started almost every week last season. I didn’t let it get me down, however. And besides, I still maintained the tee thanks to some bad luck for the Bob’s.

I quickly tuned my round around putting for birdie on three of the next four holes. I managed to make only one of the birdie putts and ended up paring two others. I was very happy with my play. I sprinkled in another six & seven but all in all I was striking the ball well save for a couple unlucky breaks. The finishing hole, a long par 5 that winds and has a few ups and downs, was perhaps my best all around hole in the last two years. I hit three gorgeous shots, with my last pitching wedge landing right next to the hole but rolling about fifteen feet out. Bob I. managed to play the hole equally well, and our upcoming birdie putts were resting just two or three feet from one another. We were both pleased to be finishing so strong, especially on a hole with a reputation of ruining an otherwise decent round in a snap! We both missed our birdie putts but followed-up with tap in pars. Not a bad start to the Bob-league season.

I was really looking forward to the drive home. The sun was getting ready to set on an absolutely gorgeous spring evening. I called Mindy as I was pulling out of the lot. She was at the neighbors enjoying a glass of wine watching the kids play. The drive home was everything I had hoped. As promised, I stopped along side the property housing the vintage White Castle and snapped a picture that should surely land on my blog.

I arrived home by 8:45pm. Mindy had just put the kids into bed. They were asking for me to tuck them in. I obliged their request. Next up, food! I returned to the kitchen where I devoured my leftover gyro form the evening before. I wisely asked Mindy to massage my buttocks and took an anti-inflammatory before bed. That seemed to make all the difference. We headed to bed early.

Baseball & Gyros

It was Wednesday and presumably another BM’er day. Once again the skies were expected to be clear and the temperature nearing 80 – an ideal spring day. I was a bit hobbled directly out of bed most likely due to the yard work from the evening before, but nothing close to last week. After exercise and walking with Ykraps it loosened nicely. After coffee, internet, and meditation, I readied myself for another run. It’s April 23rd. By now there’s full daylight at 6:30am, although the sun doesn’t show on the horizon for another fifteen minutes or so. I ran in shorts and a long sleeve wicking shirt – perfect for the conditions. I’m really going to appreciate running early mornings come summer. I’m used to running mid-day when the sun’s at its apex, and when it’s hot & humid. My run started and finished nice. While not fully healed, my leg/ass was in pretty good shape. Like usual, Mindy had my eggs ready and waiting along with the fruit tray laid out in all its glory. The fruit this time a year is much fresher & much tastier than it is in the winter months. We’re experts, being consumers of it year round. I’ve been eating fresh fruit every morning and also at lunch for over five years. It used to be that you couldn’t get strawberries, watermelon and cantaloupe in winter months. Now you can, but the quality deteriorates dramatically. The rest of morning rush shaped up much like the others. Mindy & Bella departed. Jacob played while I showered. He and I set out for the bus stop at 7:55am. Again, this was another BM’er day, and it was a beautiful drive in. This particular day I parked far removed from the ash tree island, which left a thin coat of yellow pollen both inside & out yesterday. This spring is said to be extra bad for spring allergy sufferers, and judging by the amount of pollen I’ve seen covering almost everything, there’s little wonder. I worked straight through the day stopping only to grab my packed lunch. I left work around 5:30pm aiming towards the Big Fat Greek, where Mindy & I planned to meet for dinner. From there we’d head to Jacob’s ball practice. I arrived before Mindy and waited inside. She arrived after almost ten minutes of waiting. We asked to be seated out of doors on the front patio since it was such a lovely evening. We each ordered gyro platters but replaced the fries with a small Greek salad. We drank only water. We finished our meal near 6:45pm then headed directly to the ball diamond just a few miles up the road. Jimaken picked up both kids since it was a Wednesday. They were already there. Mindy’s decided to keep Jacob’s glove, cleats, and cap with her since Jimaken has demonstrated a propensity to loose such things. Mindy didn’t stick around practice very long. She planned to take Bella for spring flip-flops at the nearby Target. When Bella ran up to us we were both shocked to see her swollen eyes. Never before had Bella shown any allergy symptoms, but as stated earlier, this has been a very bad spring for airborne allergens. Apparently something in Jimaken’s yard really tore her up. Jimaken stayed for almost an hour but had to leave to grade papers. He teaches part-time at ITT technical college. I toughed out the final half hour of practice alone. By then, the sun had set, and it was dramatically cooler. I grabbed a wind shirt from my gym bag to counter the evening chill. Soon practice was over and Jacob and I were heading home in the BM’er. He very much enjoyed riding shotgun. We arrived home around 8:45pm – well past his usual bedtime. He took a quick shower before jumping in bed but was out probably before 9pm. Mindy & I stayed up to watch American Idol’s elimination night. We were both surprised to see Carly get bounced. Too bad - off to bed.

Hard Leather Striking Flesh

Today was the kind of day when leaving the BM’er behind in the garage would’ve been downright sinful. The lovely weather had me aiming towards driving her to work for the first time in several months. But before all of that would happen, I still had a morning routine to chug through. After finishing my exercise, a walk with Ykraps, and coffee, I readied for a run. Meanwhile, the temperature was in the mid-50’s and the morning sky already making way for the sun. If the forecast was correct, we’d be close to 80 today with clear blue skies. I ran in shorts and a long sleeved running shirt. I was comfortable. Again, my leg/ass/ and lower back were feeling much better. I was very thankful for that. I completed the rest of my usual prep routine and found my self at the bus stop with Jacob by 7:55am. I chatted only briefly with Pat before heading back home. Before taking off in the BM’er I hitched the trailer to the Trooper and delivered it back to Dad. I got the impression he wanted to use it around the yard and I wouldn’t be needing it again until the weekend most likely. That went without a hitch! J Back at home I loaded my gear into the BM’er and headed off towards work. I had to stop at Thornton’s for gas having just under a quarter tank in reserve. Sadly, gas prices were high – about $3.55 per gallon, but the BM’er takes only 12 gallons and gets about 30 mpg on the highway. I was zipping towards work in no time. BM’er days are generally better mindset days. And there’s little wonder why. Generally speaking, it’s sunny, warm, and the tops always down. It would be hard not to have a good day under such conditions. Work proceeded as expected. I planned a drive to a couple stone companies during my lunch hour. I left around 1PM. The first place I stopped on Phillipi Rd was not a wall stone company at all. Instead, they sold cultured wall stone for stucco homes like mine. I had been by there hundreds of times apparently mistaken with their product line. I knew about the Columbus Stone Center located on McKinley Rd. I headed there next. I perused their selection first before going into the office. They had a much wider selection than Ohio Mulch. But inside I learned they had no pricing sheet. And what’s worse, she couldn’t give me any reasonable idea of the cost associated with my project even after describing it by size. What, I thought? What kind of racket is that? By now it was close to 1:50pm. I needed to head back to the office. Unfortunately, the stone thing was still unresolved. But it’s not a truly pressing matter. I kept it in proper perspective. The rest of the work day went on as usual. Mindy had hot wings ready when I got home from work. And it was a lovely spring evening – sunny & 76. Mindy left immediately after dinner to watch Bella at dance. I stayed home to edge rear flower beds. Jacob, last minute, decided to remain home with me. I managed to edge the beds in their entirety, at least the ones surrounding the deck, and even did the large red maple. It was quite a chore, and I was tuckered after. I still needed to do the weeping willow “no-more” bed, but that would have to wait for another day. Plus, I will need to pick-up all the edgings at some point prior to Com-Til. Still, I was happy with my progress. I next turned my attention to Jacoby. I fetched both of our baseball gloves and a ball. I wanted to work on catching and throwing for a few minutes. He was playing with the neighbor kids so I knew his eagerness for such an activity wasn’t as high as mine. Regardless, he still came back to practice when I emerged with ball & gloves. We hadn’t tossed the ball but once or twice when Jacob errantly allowed a throw to come crashing down onto his foot. He was wearing flip-flops so his error was a significant one. I could tell by the sound of the leather striking flesh. He immediately dropped to the ground wincing in pain. And as luck would have it, Mindy & Bella had just returned from dance and were making their way from the deck into the back yard where we throwing. I knew what was next. Jacob insisted to his mother that I did this on purpose and proceeded to throw a mini tantrum. He slammed his glove and ball to the ground citing that he’d never play ball with me again. Geesh! That didn’t last long, however. Mindy picked up his glove and started tossing the ball with me. Jacob soon took notice and returned. He still wasn’t in the best frame of mind and more than once tossed his glove stating that he was done. He knows I don’t care for that type of attitude which I am sure fueled his antics even more so. After two or three fits I was done. I collected our stuff and moved towards the house. Mindy & I watched American Idol, at least most if it. Like I normally do, I multitasked. We headed for bed soon after Idol was finished.

Ohio Mulch & Straders

I was still tired when 5:30am rolled around, but got up and moving just the same. Mindy had me take two 500mg Tylenols the night before and they seemed to make a real difference with my stiff legs and ass. I did wake in pain in the middle of night, however, which is something that didn’t happen even once when I was in the worst of pain all last week. However, it felt a lot better come morning. Exercise and walking with Ykraps went well. It was a very lovely morning with clear skies, relatively warm temps, an almost full moon, and hundreds of stars. I felt grateful for the moment. This was trash day and our can was out. I had to position it differently as my Dad’s trailer was kind of in the path of the garbage truck. I held out hope that they’d still pick it up. Come 6am I heard the rumble of the garbage truck all the while sipping coffee at the PC. My trash was picked up without incident. I delivered Mindy’s coffee at ten after the hour and then promptly returned downstairs for meditation and run prep. And just as I have for the past week or so, I stretched my legs a little extra. And all that extra stretching seemed to pay off. You never know until you take those first few strides, but I ran as close to pain free as I have in the last 10 days. Finally! I burst back into the house after my run excited to share the good news. Meanwhile, Mindy had scrambled eggs ready at my place setting and the entire fruit tray laid out for the picking. While I was settling in for my breakfast Mindy was heading out the door with the peanut (Bella). Not a lot of overlap. I was out of the shower, dressed and downstairs by 7:49am. And just as he often does, Jacob rushed me out the door a few minutes early. Like usual, we met the Shultz’s at the bus stop. Pat & I chatted like we often do after the kids were gone, but I was off to work by 8:15am. My work day was chalked full of action, including a one-on-one with my boss. The weather was gorgeous, so I definitely didn’t want to skip my lunch. I planned a drive to Strader’s and Ohio Mulch, which are across the street form one another at Riverside and Hayden Run, and not too far form the office. At Ohio Mulch my goal was to price wall stone for one of my large rear flower beds that slopes naturally & dramatically towards the pond. They really couldn’t give me a total cost, but instead a simple price per pound for each type of stone. I thought that seemed lame, but what could I do? Strader’s was next. Given that’s it’s still April, there wasn’t much of a crowd, but the selection was fantastic. The trick is balancing buying too early against the weather (a potential freeze) not to mention having the beds completely ready. Typically, here in central Ohio, things get pretty picked over after Mother’s Day weekend. My goal is to buy the weekend prior, weather dependent, of course. Today I just did some looking. The afternoon diversion did exactly what I had hoped it would do – take my mind off of work and put it on topics I find more calming & relaxing. The rest of my work day went on as usual. Mindy emailed asking if I’d be willing to pick-up Greek on my way home. I wasn’t craving it at all and pleaded my case with her for something else. She agreed to simply make tacos. She also reminded me that Dad would be over after fetching Jacob off the bus. I guessed that he wouldn’t stay for dinner but he did. I was happy to learn that. When I got home I had little to do. Dad had already walked Ykraps and dinner was just about ready. I checked email and then rinsed my lunch containers. That’s about it prior to sitting down for dinner. I ate three tacos and then a piece of leftover cake from Sunday dinner. I asked Dad & Mindy to excuse me while I set out to cut the lawn for the first time all season. The front especially needed cut. While organizing the lawn tools, I sat Dad’s battery charger on the drive so that he wouldn’t forget it when he departed. I was pleasantly surprised that my weed wacker started right up after only a normal priming. Fact is, it started and ran better than it’s ran in the past few years. Hmm? I spent the next two hours cutting, edging, and trimming. The only task I didn’t complete was blowing. It took a little longer to edge since it was the first time. But the lawn looked even better than I thought it might afterwards. Lush is the first word that comes to mind. Just before calling it a night and going in, I secured the shed and watered my newly planted grass seed. It was 8:30 when I went in for a shower. After my shower I tucked in the kids. Mindy & I went to bed around 10pm just after another butt massage.

Spreading Com-Til

I woke a few times after 6am, but each time I convinced myself that sleep was a far better option than getting up. So sleep longer I did. Come 8:45am I finally pulled myself from bed minimally ashamed that I had slept for so long. Mindy asked for a hug as I quietly tried to tip-toe out the bedroom door. Brushing my teeth likely woke her. I asked if she planned on making Church. She didn’t. For the next two hours I exercised, walked Ykraps, coffee’d and played on the internet. The weather wasn’t as dreary as first expected. It was thinly cloudy, but not much of a chance for rain. It was fairly warm too. I left for a run around 10:15am. And while I was running a long stretch of blue skies crept into the picture from the south turning our cloudy skies sunny. I found Mindy sitting on the deck drinking coffee upon my return. She reported not getting up from her springtime slumber until 10:45am. She slept nearly 11 hours. I had plenty I wanted to get done before the day got away from us. Realistically, we had only until 1:45pm to do what needed done – that’s it. We needed to be at Jacob’s ball practice by 2:30pm and then to Sunday dinner immediately afterwards. Essentially that meant we had two hours to spread an entire trailer full of Com-Til. Mindy agreed to help. We hit the pile around 11:45am. I got the John Deere and pull behind trailer out to help move large quantities in closer proximity to the beds in question. While I addressed the larger flower beds, I asked Mindy if she’d spread about a half inch on all the bare spots in the lawn between the sidewalk and street. That worked out well. She also put some around the curbside red maples and then addressed a few of the smaller front beds. In record time, we managed to spread the entire trailer load. Mindy dashed off to the shower around 1:45pm. I finished spreading the last load, cleaned up the yard, and put the tractor and tools away. It was 1:55pm – cuttin’ it close. I hurried with my shower and was ready to dash out the door by 2:10pm. Mindy decided it best to take separate vehicles for a couple of reasons. One, she made arrangements to pick-up Olivia this afternoon and take her to Maw-maws for dinner. That made me incredibly happy! And secondly, she could leave when Bella gets board with the 1.5 hour practice. We left at the same time. I took the back route. She took I-270N towards Mill Run. She beat me there by a few minutes. Jimaken met us there with the kids. We were just in time as the team practicing before us was just finishing up. Jacob got to wear his brand new cleats and new team cap. He seemed excited. Practice went well. Jimaken left after Jacob got his at bat. Mindy & Bella left around 3:30pm. We’d meet them at Maw-maws after practice. Practice ended right at 4:00pm. My butt and legs were aching something fierce from all the yard work. I thought it best to stop by home to pick-up an anti-inflammatory. That I did. We arrived at Gloria’s just before 4:30pm. Olivia was already entertaining everyone. Of late, she’s been more tolerant of Mindy over me. She was a happy little thing today, interacting and playing well with everyone. Dinner was served around 5:00pm. We had baked pork chops, Au Gratin potatoes, and salad. All very good. After dinner, everyone eventually headed out back to drink in the evening sunshine. It turned out awfully nice. Jacob and I were playing baseball with a tennis ball and wiffle ball bat. During my turn at bat, I hit one right into an open window and on into the house. I cringed waiting to hear glass shattering. There was none – thankfully. The kids cheered thinking it one of the funniest things they’d seen. I hurried in the house to assess the damage. All it did was knock over Bella’s can of Fresca. I cleaned it up before returning back outside with everyone else. We played outdoors until dessert time. We had chocolate cake with chocolate icing. That is chocolate icing on everyone’s cake accept for Mindy. Gloria left two pieces unfrosted just for Mindy and her niece, Julie. Mindy ended up taking the other home since Julie & Katy weren’t available for dinner. We left sometime after 7pm destined for our home. Ashley called to let Mindy know that she was waiting for Olivia at our house. She had Brittany, her BFF, with her. After a quick greeting, I leashed up Ykraps for an evening walk. Jacob came along. Mindy and Ashley gave the girls a bath. I ran into some neighbors congregating on the bridge – happens often in the spring/summer. We talked for a while about all sorts of stuff. Ashley, Brittany, and Olivia were leaving just as we returned home. Before going in, I planted grass seed on all the bare spots between the sidewalk and curb where Mindy had earlier laid a thin layer of Com-Til. Lastly, I watered in the seed with Jacob’s help. Finally, my days tasks were completed save for tucking in the children and then putting myself to bed. I asked Mindy just before bed if she’d mind rubbing/massaging my rump. She gleefully agreed. We headed up to bed soon after.

Socialized Medicine, Education, & Marital Bliss

Wishing Marital Bliss to Kenny & Crissy

I woke at 6:50am to begin my Saturday. If I didn’t have plans, I certainly would’ve slept longer. I had plans to meet neighbor Kenny at Raymond Golf course for a 9:30am tee-time. Working backwards, I figured I should leave the house no later than 9:05am to give myself time to loosen up. In kind, I’d need to be back from my run by 8:30am to leave enough time to shower, gather all of my gear, and get some food. And to make all of that happen, I’d needed to depart for my run no later than 7:45am. That left an hour to exercise, walk Ykraps, coffee, and internet. Perfect.

I executed my plan precisely, and found myself back from my run by 8:10am. I felt more than a little stiff so I opted for a real quick hot tub. Ahhh, it felt terrific! I was showered and taking care of the final few tasks on my list by 8:45am. The forecast called for rain and temps in the 60’s. The sky teased us all morning with clear patches that when the sun shined through warmed the temperature considerably. I arrived at the golf course at 9:10am. Kenny & his buddy Mike arrived just after me. Ben, who I didn’t yet no, arrived then too.

As usual, Raymond was more than crowded. The first tee had at least three groups huddled around. Kenny unexpectedly picked up everyone’s green fees! Thanks Kenny! He’d be getting married here in the Party House later this evening. In addition to the four of us, he brought his soon-to-be stepson, Jacob with him too. Apparently Kenny knows Kelly Trent, the local pro so that wasn’t going to be a problem.

We were slow to start. Probably didn’t tee off until almost 9:50am (20 minutes late). But that’s OK. My front nine went about as expected. Tee to green I was holding my own, but my putting was atrocious. I had several four putts, and the thing is, most of my initial putts were from less than 20’ out. I didn’t let it bother me though. I was simply happy to be out there golfing.

We took a brief food break in between nines. We allowed the group directly behind us to play through. Hole ten is an easy hole but I made it very difficult struggling to get off the tee. I was hitting my fifth shot from this side of the creek counting penalty strokes Yuck! My game didn’t improve much and neither did the weather. It rained pretty good from about hole #11 – 16. I had a couple horrendous holes and no super good ones. Bottom line, my final score was 109. But on a positive note, I don’t think I lost a single ball! J

We didn’t finish until 3pm. All of us were weary and cold. The weather felt a heck of a lot different after the chilly rain. We all headed our separate ways, but ended up only two houses away from one another. You see, Kenny’s my neighbor!

I took my wet clubs from the Trooper and immediately placed them in the garage where I took them out one by one to dry them off. Mindy wasn’t home. I figured her out shopping. I was delighted to find the house sparkling clean when I went inside. It had been a bit upside down since Jacob’s b-day party last Sunday. Before doing anything else, I swept out the garage taking full advantage of Mindy’s van being gone.

While working away, I listened to an incredible opera, Satyagraha, by Phillip Glass on NPR. It simply struck a chord with me. In between my tasks I checked out Amazon.com to see if I could buy it on CD. Before Mindy returned home, I swept the garage, dried my clubs, and began repairing/spackling the small exposed wall around two pieces of our new granite counter tops. Mindy returned home while I was in the middle of the spackling. Meanwhile, my back was spasming badly. I decided to get back in the hot tub for the second time today, and the third in two days.

After hot tubbing I got back in my flannels and lounged around the house for the remainder of the afternoon. The wedding was slated for 6:30pm and we planned to leave at 6:10pm. I even tried taking a nap but didn’t/couldn’t fall asleep. I headed up for a shower around 5:45pm. I was ready to go by 6:05pm. Mindy reminded me that Ykraps needed walked. I opted to get it done now rather than make him wait.

We left for the wedding at 6:15pm. Again, the wedding was taking place at Raymond golf course. We were there in two minutes. As luck would have it, it was raining pretty steadily just as we pulled up. I let Mindy out at the door before parking. I met her inside a minute or two later.

The wedding moved very quickly. We weren’t inside ten minutes before the wedding was underway. And the ceremony itself moved swiftly too. By 6:50pm the wedding was over and the partying began. This is the third wedding we’ve attended in the last year where the ceremony & the reception were held at the same venue. If you ask me, that makes for a much better experience.

Not trying to be a snob or anything, but the beer selection was simply not to my liking. I tried to enjoy a couple Rolling Rock’s but they just didn’t cut it. Mindy drank wine, and enjoyed their selection. I found myself craving a Barley’s IPA. After hors d'oeuvres, dinner, and a little dancing, Mindy & I called it an evening. It must’ve been 9:30pm. We were invited to a surprise birthday party for Tracy Birch, but I opted out. I wanted to make a quick stop at Barley’s for an IPA. Mindy willingly agreed.

We found the bar sparsely populated as expected. Jersey, the usual Saturday night bartender, was seated as a guest enjoying a beer and some food – a vegan entrée. To my dismay, they were out of the house IPA. Instead, I ordered a bottled HopSlam. Perfect!
While seated at the bar, Mindy engaged Jersey into conversation. He’s very eclectic and thinks differently than most. We got to talking about politics and then the pros and cons of socialism – socialized medicine and education. It got a bit heated (OK- only luke warm) a couple of times. I ordered a second beer once the conversation got cooking. We stayed until 11:30pm. It was still raining but only lightly when we left for home. Mindy was very tired and headed to bed immediately. I joined her after checking baseball scores.

Sunny & 75

I couldn’t have planned it any better. It was Friday and I didn’t have to work. Moreover, the weather promised to be perhaps the nicest of the season – sunshine and mid to upper 70’s. I had been aiming at this day for some serious yard projects for quite some time. And to think that the weather gods were cooperating so well was almost uncanny. But then again, I expect things in my life to go this well.

I slept until 6:15am. I was surprised that Mindy wasn’t in the shower. But after making my own way downstairs, she said she was purposely working her routine backwards to avoid waking me with the shower running. Wasn’t that sweet! I got my exercise routine underway rather quickly. Now that I was up, I was hell bent on making the most of my day off. Mindy asked if I planned to run before or after getting Jacob on the bus. Given that it was already 6:30 the answer was after, although had I been a bit more aggressive I could’ve snuck it in ahead of time. But I chose not too.

Mindy & Bella departed at their usual 7:25am. I blogged while Jacob passed the time playing in the basement. We walked to the bus stop at 7:55am. It was gorgeous – clear, sunny, and 55 degrees. Pat and I talked for a few minutes after the kids were gone. He was expecting a dump truck load of mulch sometime during the day. Sounded like we’d have similar days. Back at home I readied for a run and hit the door just after 8:30am. My ass felt pretty good for as bad as it was all week. I was very excited about that. I ran in shorts and a long sleeved shirt. That was nearly perfect given the lovely spring weather.

By the time that I made it back home my buttocks was tight as a drum. There was no sharp pain but it ached enough to ponder the prospect of hot tubbing. And knowing what I had planned for the rest of the day I figured that a wise move. In lieu of a shower, I jumped in the hot tub for about ten minutes. It felt terrific and loosened my butt muscles significantly. Since I’d be digging in the yard I saw no reason to get a shower afterwards. Instead, I put on some shorts, t-shirt, and ball cap and headed out.

My first stop was Dad’s place to get the trailer. He had it all ready for the go. After last spring’s debacle, believe me, I checked the tire pressure. They were setting at about 30 PSI, but they’re rated for 60 PSI. I knew I had to stop for air. In addition, Dad left me his battery charger so that I could at least try to charge my BM’er battery one time before replacing it. Instead of spending money on gas station air, I drove home where I pumped up the tires with my little 12V air compressor. And since I was home, I went ahead and pulled the BM’er battery and placed it on the charger. It was low alright. I left it charging while taking off for the Com-Til plant.

It took a good 20 minutes or more to get down there. The Com-Til plant is located just south of Rt. 665 off of Rt.104. It’s a very organized process. You pull up onto the scales where your vehicle is weighed empty. You then proceed to be loaded before repeating the weigh-in process. The difference, of course, is the weight of the Com-Til, which is priced by the ton. I have been here on or about the same weekend every year many times over. It hardly seemed like an entire year had passed since my last visit. And who could forget? Remember? I got two flat tires on the trailer as the fella dumped the Com-Til in. Righting that wrong literally took my entire day. But that was last year. A year older and a year wiser, I learned my lesson. As stated earlier, I had the tires inflated properly before heading down. I was weighed, loaded, weighed again in less than five minutes. The entire load cost me $12. What a deal! This year I’ll be coming back for a second load, too.

I returned a missed call from brother Tommy as I exited the Com-Til plant. I hadn’t talked with him for two weeks. Among other things, we talked about his doings over the past couple of weeks and his plans for later. He spoke of meeting us at Barley’s later this evening. I was home in no time at all taking 71N to I-270W. That was a much faster route. Despite having a trailer full of Com-Til, my beds weren’t ready. I still had to pick out the edgings and then rake them smooth. Sounds easy, but it’s not. It’s tough, tedious work. I know all to well that the key to beautiful flower beds in July and August is good prep in April.

I must’ve spent a good three or four hours preparing the beds to receive Com-Til. In between, I grabbed some food and checked on the BM’er battery. It looked to be charging just fine. Around 2:30 or 3:00pm I put the battery back in the BM’er and gave it the go test. Vrooom - started right up! I took it on a nice little five mile drive. However, I knew the real test would be letting it set for an hour. Back at home and back to the flower beds. I edged and cleaned the side beds up until 3:45pm. My body was beat! This time, instead of placing all the edgings along the pond, I dumped them against the foundation behind the massive American Boxwoods out front. That’ll help force future run-off away from the foundation.

I hurried in for a shower in hopes of beating Jacob off the bus. If timed properly he and I would quickly dash off to Dick’s Sporting Goods, and then slip in a quick hair cut before returning him home to meet his daddy. I was showered and ready just as Jacob’s bus stopped in front of the house. He was hungry but I urged him to hurry and change so that he and I could dash off in the BM’er towards Dick’s Sporting Goods. He wasn’t in the most pleasant of moods at first, citing tiredness and hunger as the main culprits. But once we got to Dick’s and began checking out baseball pants and cleats, he livened up. They had baseball pants on sale for $5.99. And we found some Nike cleats for $29.99 that should last two seasons given their unique expandable design. When done, we headed across the street to the Great Clips just down from the new Target. There was a 15 minute wait, due mostly to several young kids getting haircuts all at once. Both of us needed a shearing. I promised Jacob he could get a Mohawk if he wanted. He opted not.

They called him first. I watched until another stylist called for me. We were both done about the same time. Neither of us took all that long. We both looked handsome! We headed home in the BM’er with our fresh haircuts blowing in the breeze. Jimaken was at the house when we returned. He was there to pick-up the children given that this was a Jimaken weekend.

Mindy & I had plans to meet some of my old work buddies at Cosmos Grille in Dublin & then head to Barley’s afterwards. We didn’t take long getting ready after Jim & the kids left. We left the house at 6:30pm. We arrived at Cosmo’s just before 7pm. Already there were Jeff G., Steve A., and Kevin B. Jeff G. reported that Tom C. was yet to make his customary late appearance. Mindy took that as her queue to call him. He said he was on his way and was bringing his sister Mary.

Mindy ordered a Guinness in a can. I had an Abita Purple Haze, a raspberry beer. We enjoyed the company of those present. Steve got to telling stories about some business trips to Amsterdam that had Mindy in stitches. Steve is one of the best story tellers this side of the Mississippi. Mindy called Tom yet again to check his whereabouts. He finally arrived with his little sister Mary in tow. Mary is very attractive. She doesn’t look a thing like Tom. J We stayed for another beer, or at least I had one more. Mindy & I left for Barleys around 8:40pm – guess.

We arrived at Barley’s near 9pm. Unlike most Friday’s the bar was practically empty. There, sitting all alone was Rick. I ordered my favorite - an IPA. Mindy ordered a stout. Not long after we arrived, brother Tommy showed up. Later, Tom and his sister Mary showed up. And even later Bill G. & and his friend Drew arrived. We raised a little hell for the next hour or two. I had three or four IPA’s all totaled. Mindy drove home.

Once at home Mindy & I headed for bed almost immediately.

Leave it to Beaver

I was up a few minutes late. It must’ve been 5:35am when I finally pulled myself from under the covers. I was eager to try walking/running after yesterday’s improvements. My buttocks ached, but not as much as days past. I was further encouraged. After exercise Ykraps and I were out the door for our morning walk. It was considerably warmer than the last several mornings, too. I was about 48 degrees and crystal clear. The day’s weather called for sunshine and temperatures near 72 – almost perfect. After our walk I enjoyed coffee and internet for only about five minutes. I was running a bit behind so I had to get moving. Like usual, I delivered Mindy’s coffee before returning downstairs to ready for my run. I was really looking forward to the day because this was essentially my Friday after scheduling a comp day tomorrow. I stretched aggressively before setting out on my run. My leg cramped up but not nearly as much as each day prior. I could actually raise rather than drag my right leg almost from the outset. I was very encouraged and relieved. Because of this, my run went very well. I reentered the house full of piss & vinegar. Likewise, Mindy was in a far better mood than she was last evening after baseball practice. She & Bella departed around 7:25am after reminding me about this afternoon’s doctor’s appointment, & that my dad would be greeting Jacob off the bus. In kind, he’d most likely be joining us for dinner, too. Jacob & I were at the bus stop by 7:55am. Pat & I chatted briefly all the while drinking in the lovely spring weather. I left for work around 8:15am. Work went very well. Eric came in my office mid-morning to ask if we were still doing lunch. Yes, I said, although I had actually forgotten about my offer from Tuesday. We decided on the Big Fat Greek Cuisina. Turns out Rich, another team member, would be joining us as well. He apparently owed Eric a lunch from some work done a few months back. We agreed to go to lunch when my peer got back from hers. We left for the BFGC around 1pm. It was incredibly beautiful – sunny & 74. We dined in, each of us ordering Gyro platters. Eric & Rich both ordered extra meat. When the meal arrived it was obvious that no one needed to order extra meat. They were stuffed full as it was. We laughed it off. The food was as good as expected. We headed back towards the office at 2pm. The afternoon went smoothly. I left for home just after 5:35pm. I was looking forward to my three-day weekend. I called Mindy who reported her appointment going well. She confirmed my dad’s arrival and also mentioned that her mother was over as well. They’d both be joining us for dinner – burgers, hot dogs, and salmon on the grill. Dad walked Ykraps, too, making my life that much easier once home. Thanks dad! According to Mindy, Dad & Gloria took a stroll down memory lane talking about their similar childhood surroundings growing up in the bottoms and just a year or so apart. They know quite a few of the same folks. Dinner was a hit. Everyone enjoyed their selections. The kids played outside while we sat around the table telling stories. Dad left around 7:30pm. Soon after, I gave Gloria a ride home while Mindy bathed the children. By the time that I returned it was time to do the tuck-in. I put a few beers in the fridge to enjoy through the evening hours. After we were all settled I took to the deck on what turned out to be a perfect night. Mindy joined me not long after. Still stewing over the beaver tree damage, I was hoping to see if I could happen across him or them at work tonight. While sitting quietly on the deck enjoying a beer and the starry sky I thought I heard some chewing off in the distant backyard. After turning to Mindy she thought she could too. I dashed inside for a flashlight then carefully meandered down by the water and near the tree already destroyed. I shined the light towards the damaged tree – nothing. But standing quietly, I could still hear some chewing and rustling of branches. I realized it could’ve been any number of different critters that call our backyard home. Still, I moved towards the sound, which seemed to be emanating from behind the shed. Behind the shed I’ve stowed the large stump from the weeping willow tree that I took down last fall. But just the other side of it, I spotted some beattie little eyes and redish brown fur. My pulse quickened as I worked to position the light to give myself the finest view. There it was, a beaver, all alone chomping on what appeared to be honeysuckle branches. He seemed unbothered by my presence. I crept closer wanting to get a better view since the stump was blocking a large portion of his body. He wasn’t that large, say 15-20lbs. To my surprise, they can get up to 80lbs, although most range anywhere from 30 to 40 lbs. As I got closer he turned towards the water grabbing on of the limbs he’d just chewed loose and swam away. I called for Mindy to come see. She got a glimpse of him swimming away, too. We enjoyed another ten minutes or so outside before moving into the house. Mindy headed on to bed while I stayed up another hour writing in my blog. I was determined to stay up a little later than I typically do on a work night. I headed to bed near 11pm.