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I slept about as late as I possibly could without throwing a wrench into my morning routine. It was cloudy which kept it darker than usual for being 5:30am. I was fooled into believing that it was earlier than it actually was. It sounds silly now, but I didn’t bother taking the time to move an eye towards the clock. I leaped out of bed to get my morning underway at 5:55am.
I was happy to see that it rained some overnight, but if the minimal amount of residual water lying on the deck was any indicator, we didn’t much at all. We could have used more. I could hear some distant thunder so I turned on the TV all the while I completed my exercise routine. A largest system was skirting just south of us, but we weren’t out of the woods yet, either. There was still plenty more moving in. All of it, however, looked to be tracking mostly south of I-70 & I-71.
It was dry during my walk with Ykraps. And it was a productive walk, if you know what I mean. By the time we returned home and I got through my coffee and Internet time, it began to rain hard. Not only was it raining but with lots of thunder and lightning, too. There was no way I could safely run in that stuff. I rechecked the radar and noticed that we were still on the northern flank, but we were under a brief red blob. But it would soon pass, and I was able to set out for a run. It was still raining but the dangerous lightning subsided. A mile or so into the run the rain stopped and the sky began showing signs of clearing. For this I was pleased. I truly expected the universe to answer my desire for such conditions.
By the way, as much as a hated to do it, I trimmed my run back to three miles. I felt a slight twinge in my hamstring and ass and didn’t see any value in pushing the envelope. Those that know me well, know that I am not one to slack or make excuses. I view such things as a slippery slope. I don’t like to tempt fate. I’ll be back to my full mileage on a routine basis soon, I am certain!
Back at home, I went through the breakfast/lunch prep routine, although Mindy made my garden salad and fruit the evening before. All I did was add the dressing and then pack some nuts. I made fried eggs for my breakfast. Mindy was still sleeping when I delivered her morning coffee. She kept sleeping, too. I showered and dressed as quietly as I could. Mindy was lying awake just before I headed back downstairs. I asked if she was joining me or staying in bed. She followed behind.
She had plans to meet her good friend Teri for breakfast at First Watch in Worthington. She gave her a call just before I left to make sure they were still on. They were. I soon left for work in the Trooper. As expected, work was bustling with activity. It was soon lunchtime. I left around 1:30pm headed for Tuttle mall. More specifically, I went to Sears to check out ½” drive sockets. I need a 13/16” socket for the boat trailer lugs. But you can’t go to Sears and only look at one thing. “They’ve got an awesome set of tools.” (Jeff Spacoli – Fast Times at Ridgemont High)
I hung at Sears for about 30 minutes. I bought nothing. You know you’re old when you drive to the other side of the mall. J That’s what I did. I drove around to Macy’s. There, I checked out their summer fashion collection. I did buy another two-pack of black t-shirts – my uniform.
I headed back to work a satisfied man. I got some much needed time away. I was back by 2:30pm ready for the last few hours. Things hadn’t let up a bit. In fact, it might’ve been busier and dizzier. I talked with Mindy. We made plans to drop the summer clothes off to Courtney. We discussed catching dinner while out and about, too. Mindy reported napping the afternoon away. In addition, my mom called and gave me a mild earful for not calling or stopping up to see brother Charles. I told her that I just might do so this evening. I left for home around 5:30pm.
I arrived home by 5:45pm. Mindy had already walked Ykraps. I shared the story of my mom’s call. We decided to visit Charles after dropping off Courtney’s stuff. Looked more and more like we’d be eating dinner kind of late. But I wasn’t too hungry anyhow.
We left the house at 6:10pm. We passed my boss just as we were entering the freeway at Wilson Rd. Neither of us had ever actually been to Maryhaven, but I knew exactly where it was. I used to work directly across the street at Time Warner. We didn’t know where to go once on site, however. I let Mindy guess. The buildings were quite a bit more modern than I remembered. I’m guessing they’ve reconstructed the facility. It resembles a small campus. The building Mindy lead us to, the Engagement Center, was not the right place. We walked in on what looked like some sort of 12 step program meeting. To a man, each person involved harbored a look of total despair. It was a bit of downer. Immediately we were approached by an apparent employee who quickly whisked us off to the side and directed us to the proper building. He was way over the top with the amount of detail he gave us. The building was right next door.
We casually walked over. It turned out to be such a lovely evening. There was a reception desk as soon as we entered the door of building number two. On the walls were several pieces of homespun art. Most of it quite good, actually. We both took notice. We asked the young lady working the desk how we might get this bag of goods to Courtney W. She said that she’d get them to her. But first she asked us to describe what was in the bag. She gave us a receipt outlining the contents much like they might do in a prison setting. Mindy asked when we might be able to visit with her. She said Saturday. Noted.
We headed out the door already knowing what we would do next. We went to the large Maryhaven signage out front and took some pictures. I got one of Mindy proudly posing with it in the background. We laughed and joked about making it our 2008 Xmas card. The grounds were tastefully landscaped. We loaded back into the Trooper and drove off towards OSU hospital.
Pondering the evening’s events, I couldn’t help but feel that they were inspired by the Universe/God. Of our entire family, both Courtney & Charles are the two I feel most alienated from. Interesting that I was connecting with both, at least in some small way, on the same day, same evening. And it’s not like I worked hard to plan either. Rather, they simply unfolded. The art of allowing in real life.
I hadn’t been to OSU hospital since Landon was born. Mindy was here not too long ago (8 months ago) to celebrate the birth of a friend’s baby. We parked in the same garage I parked in last time. As we were walking into the hospital I heard a faint voice calling my name. I turned and spotted a gentleman that used to work for me. Turns out, he had just had surgery to remove a tumor from his right ear. The good news was that it was benign. The bad news was that they had to remove the hearing nerve. He could no longer hear out of his right ear. He seemed a little groggy but OK. I joked around a little with him. Usually, he’s an awfully funny guy. A nurse was right there with him while his wife fetched the car. When he asked why I was there and told him, I learned that his room was directly across from Charles’. Hmm?
After asking directions, we were up on the 9th floor in no time at all. We knocked before going in. Charles acknowledged. Mindy insisted I walk in first. She later told me that she could see what appeared to be his bare belly and it kind of freaked her out. I hadn’t seen Charles in over a year. Yep, he had some burn damage but thankfully most of it superficial. He was sun tanned, too. He later shared that he has Mom’s old tanning bed. He was drugged and his eyes rolled around in his head some while talking. He seemed to have trouble keeping his eyes opened. For our benefit, he gave us a blow by blow of the events leading up to the explosion. Scary!
Essentially, he was demonstrating for a close friend how just a minute amount of the homemade firecracker mixture ‘reports’ even in open air. Aside from doing any of it in the first place, his mistake was leaving the larger container holding his special mixture uncovered while lighting the sample. Just a few feet away, the residual report ignited the mother load. Kaboom! As he told it, it happened in an instant. His first instinct was to jump in the backyard pool. He was later told that likely kept his injuries much less serious.
He was perturbed that the ATF investigators turned his entire home upside down looking for ‘stuff” even though he told them exactly where they could find everything. According to his wife, the house was ransacked. Apparently, all of the ingredients were purchased legally via the internet, aluminum, salt peter, and sulfur, but once you mix them together there’s a legal issue. He referred to it as a stupid mistake. He’s already been told to expect a felony charge for manufacturing fireworks. He’s retained an attorney already too. What a mess!
I couldn’t help but shake my head over the irony. The impetus for making his own fireworks was driven by the desire to save money, but now it’s gonna cost him dearly, I’m sure.
Our visit was a relatively short one. He expects to go home by Thursday or Friday. Thank God he’s OK. As I understood it, aside from any emotional scaring, there won’t be any lasting trauma.
We left the hospital eager to find some dinner. We ended up driving across Grandview still deciding on a venue. In the end, we chose El Vaquero on Riverside Dr. We endured a lengthy wait to get a table on their patio. I ordered something I’ve never had there. That’s big news for predictable me. It was a ribeye steak smothered in cheese and shrimp. Mindy went with her usual, a sea scallop dish. We both ordered margaritas and ate two baskets of chips and salsa. Later, we ordered a half-pitcher of frozen raspberry margaritas. Their frozen offerings are pre-made and aren’t very strong.
I couldn’t eat my full entrée. Like I often do, I filled up on their complementary chips and salsa. Mindy covered the tab. We arrived home around 10pm. There was still a tiny glimmer of sunlight resting on the western horizon. Amazing! After securing the home we headed for bed.
I was happy to see that it rained some overnight, but if the minimal amount of residual water lying on the deck was any indicator, we didn’t much at all. We could have used more. I could hear some distant thunder so I turned on the TV all the while I completed my exercise routine. A largest system was skirting just south of us, but we weren’t out of the woods yet, either. There was still plenty more moving in. All of it, however, looked to be tracking mostly south of I-70 & I-71.
It was dry during my walk with Ykraps. And it was a productive walk, if you know what I mean. By the time we returned home and I got through my coffee and Internet time, it began to rain hard. Not only was it raining but with lots of thunder and lightning, too. There was no way I could safely run in that stuff. I rechecked the radar and noticed that we were still on the northern flank, but we were under a brief red blob. But it would soon pass, and I was able to set out for a run. It was still raining but the dangerous lightning subsided. A mile or so into the run the rain stopped and the sky began showing signs of clearing. For this I was pleased. I truly expected the universe to answer my desire for such conditions.
By the way, as much as a hated to do it, I trimmed my run back to three miles. I felt a slight twinge in my hamstring and ass and didn’t see any value in pushing the envelope. Those that know me well, know that I am not one to slack or make excuses. I view such things as a slippery slope. I don’t like to tempt fate. I’ll be back to my full mileage on a routine basis soon, I am certain!
Back at home, I went through the breakfast/lunch prep routine, although Mindy made my garden salad and fruit the evening before. All I did was add the dressing and then pack some nuts. I made fried eggs for my breakfast. Mindy was still sleeping when I delivered her morning coffee. She kept sleeping, too. I showered and dressed as quietly as I could. Mindy was lying awake just before I headed back downstairs. I asked if she was joining me or staying in bed. She followed behind.
She had plans to meet her good friend Teri for breakfast at First Watch in Worthington. She gave her a call just before I left to make sure they were still on. They were. I soon left for work in the Trooper. As expected, work was bustling with activity. It was soon lunchtime. I left around 1:30pm headed for Tuttle mall. More specifically, I went to Sears to check out ½” drive sockets. I need a 13/16” socket for the boat trailer lugs. But you can’t go to Sears and only look at one thing. “They’ve got an awesome set of tools.” (Jeff Spacoli – Fast Times at Ridgemont High)
I hung at Sears for about 30 minutes. I bought nothing. You know you’re old when you drive to the other side of the mall. J That’s what I did. I drove around to Macy’s. There, I checked out their summer fashion collection. I did buy another two-pack of black t-shirts – my uniform.
I headed back to work a satisfied man. I got some much needed time away. I was back by 2:30pm ready for the last few hours. Things hadn’t let up a bit. In fact, it might’ve been busier and dizzier. I talked with Mindy. We made plans to drop the summer clothes off to Courtney. We discussed catching dinner while out and about, too. Mindy reported napping the afternoon away. In addition, my mom called and gave me a mild earful for not calling or stopping up to see brother Charles. I told her that I just might do so this evening. I left for home around 5:30pm.
I arrived home by 5:45pm. Mindy had already walked Ykraps. I shared the story of my mom’s call. We decided to visit Charles after dropping off Courtney’s stuff. Looked more and more like we’d be eating dinner kind of late. But I wasn’t too hungry anyhow.
We left the house at 6:10pm. We passed my boss just as we were entering the freeway at Wilson Rd. Neither of us had ever actually been to Maryhaven, but I knew exactly where it was. I used to work directly across the street at Time Warner. We didn’t know where to go once on site, however. I let Mindy guess. The buildings were quite a bit more modern than I remembered. I’m guessing they’ve reconstructed the facility. It resembles a small campus. The building Mindy lead us to, the Engagement Center, was not the right place. We walked in on what looked like some sort of 12 step program meeting. To a man, each person involved harbored a look of total despair. It was a bit of downer. Immediately we were approached by an apparent employee who quickly whisked us off to the side and directed us to the proper building. He was way over the top with the amount of detail he gave us. The building was right next door.
We casually walked over. It turned out to be such a lovely evening. There was a reception desk as soon as we entered the door of building number two. On the walls were several pieces of homespun art. Most of it quite good, actually. We both took notice. We asked the young lady working the desk how we might get this bag of goods to Courtney W. She said that she’d get them to her. But first she asked us to describe what was in the bag. She gave us a receipt outlining the contents much like they might do in a prison setting. Mindy asked when we might be able to visit with her. She said Saturday. Noted.
We headed out the door already knowing what we would do next. We went to the large Maryhaven signage out front and took some pictures. I got one of Mindy proudly posing with it in the background. We laughed and joked about making it our 2008 Xmas card. The grounds were tastefully landscaped. We loaded back into the Trooper and drove off towards OSU hospital.
Pondering the evening’s events, I couldn’t help but feel that they were inspired by the Universe/God. Of our entire family, both Courtney & Charles are the two I feel most alienated from. Interesting that I was connecting with both, at least in some small way, on the same day, same evening. And it’s not like I worked hard to plan either. Rather, they simply unfolded. The art of allowing in real life.
I hadn’t been to OSU hospital since Landon was born. Mindy was here not too long ago (8 months ago) to celebrate the birth of a friend’s baby. We parked in the same garage I parked in last time. As we were walking into the hospital I heard a faint voice calling my name. I turned and spotted a gentleman that used to work for me. Turns out, he had just had surgery to remove a tumor from his right ear. The good news was that it was benign. The bad news was that they had to remove the hearing nerve. He could no longer hear out of his right ear. He seemed a little groggy but OK. I joked around a little with him. Usually, he’s an awfully funny guy. A nurse was right there with him while his wife fetched the car. When he asked why I was there and told him, I learned that his room was directly across from Charles’. Hmm?
After asking directions, we were up on the 9th floor in no time at all. We knocked before going in. Charles acknowledged. Mindy insisted I walk in first. She later told me that she could see what appeared to be his bare belly and it kind of freaked her out. I hadn’t seen Charles in over a year. Yep, he had some burn damage but thankfully most of it superficial. He was sun tanned, too. He later shared that he has Mom’s old tanning bed. He was drugged and his eyes rolled around in his head some while talking. He seemed to have trouble keeping his eyes opened. For our benefit, he gave us a blow by blow of the events leading up to the explosion. Scary!
Essentially, he was demonstrating for a close friend how just a minute amount of the homemade firecracker mixture ‘reports’ even in open air. Aside from doing any of it in the first place, his mistake was leaving the larger container holding his special mixture uncovered while lighting the sample. Just a few feet away, the residual report ignited the mother load. Kaboom! As he told it, it happened in an instant. His first instinct was to jump in the backyard pool. He was later told that likely kept his injuries much less serious.
He was perturbed that the ATF investigators turned his entire home upside down looking for ‘stuff” even though he told them exactly where they could find everything. According to his wife, the house was ransacked. Apparently, all of the ingredients were purchased legally via the internet, aluminum, salt peter, and sulfur, but once you mix them together there’s a legal issue. He referred to it as a stupid mistake. He’s already been told to expect a felony charge for manufacturing fireworks. He’s retained an attorney already too. What a mess!
I couldn’t help but shake my head over the irony. The impetus for making his own fireworks was driven by the desire to save money, but now it’s gonna cost him dearly, I’m sure.
Our visit was a relatively short one. He expects to go home by Thursday or Friday. Thank God he’s OK. As I understood it, aside from any emotional scaring, there won’t be any lasting trauma.
We left the hospital eager to find some dinner. We ended up driving across Grandview still deciding on a venue. In the end, we chose El Vaquero on Riverside Dr. We endured a lengthy wait to get a table on their patio. I ordered something I’ve never had there. That’s big news for predictable me. It was a ribeye steak smothered in cheese and shrimp. Mindy went with her usual, a sea scallop dish. We both ordered margaritas and ate two baskets of chips and salsa. Later, we ordered a half-pitcher of frozen raspberry margaritas. Their frozen offerings are pre-made and aren’t very strong.
I couldn’t eat my full entrée. Like I often do, I filled up on their complementary chips and salsa. Mindy covered the tab. We arrived home around 10pm. There was still a tiny glimmer of sunlight resting on the western horizon. Amazing! After securing the home we headed for bed.
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