Sounding Like a Skipping CD

I was up just before the clock struck 7:07am, which in my world translates into 5:30am (the bedroom clock is purposefully set 1hr & 37m fast). I slipped out of bed, brushed my teeth, and gathered my running attire before tip-toeing downstairs. After disabling my Blackberry alarm I began my exercise routine. It didn’t take me long. I felt pretty darn good. More importantly, my legs felt good – even rested.

Ykraps and I headed out around 5:45am. He’s been slow moving all week, and equally slow to do his business. I really hate to yank on the leash dragging him away from instincts but often there’s little choice. Left to himself, he’d stay in that one spot seemingly all day. Anyway, we were back just before 6:00am. After giving him his treat, I poured myself some coffee and took to the internet.

I spent ten minutes playing around before moving on to much more important tasks. I meditated for 15 minutes and then readied for a four mile run. The sun was just rising above the roof tops amongst a few scattered clouds. It was captivating. Once again, I had to tolerate the heavy woman that walks her obnoxiously loud schnauzers along my trail each morning. They were squawking to beat all get out. By the sounds of them, you’d think they were being slaughtered. Perhaps that’s wishful thinking! I take exception to owners that can’t or don’t control their animals.

Despite the Canine encounter, my run went well. I was back for food and fun by 7:15am. I packed some of the Greek salad that Mindy brought home from Rene’s place, along with fruit, nuts, and meat & cheese. I fried two farm fresh chicken eggs for breakfast.

I hit the shower at 7:40am immediately after delivering Mindy’s coffee. She stated that she wanted to be up and out of bed when I got out of the shower. She had a dental appointment schedule for her and the kids, including Lil’ Rocky, and a gynecology appointment for herself. Talk about both ends of the spectrum. I just hoped they didn’t get their tasks backwards.

I drove the BM’er to work again today. It was a lovely summer morning. As one might expect, it was supposed to be hot & humid on this last day of July. Work was busy, but when isn’t it? I ended up working straight through the day. I had no errands needing run. I did take a brief break to pay monthly bills, but that took all of five minutes. I talked with Mindy a couple of times through the day. Sounds like her patience was being tested on a couple of fronts, both with the dental office and by daughter Lindsey.

She was making tacos for dinner. I was looking forward to that. Our original plans called for me to hurry home and pick-up Jacob and take him to get a haircut all before dinner. However, turns out, I didn’t get out of the office until 5:40pm, and I didn’t get home until 6pm. We scraped the haircut thing. Mindy had already walked Ykraps, In fact, I think that she was walking him when I first arrived home.

I eventually spotted Mindy out back by the tree swing looking around. I asked what she was doing. She said looking for me. By the tree swing? Later, she said that neighbor David said he saw me go that way. No! I darted out to fetch and move the sprinkler around front. She must’ve come in just as I was around the side priming the pump. Too funny! We loosely discussed a couple more Lake Norris options I found on the internet today. Both houses looked nice, but one I found was off the beaten path and 15 minutes from a marina, which seems a little too far for me. The other I was still awaiting a call back from. Before dinner, I tried the owner again. This time I reached her. The place looked nice and was less than 20 miles off of I-75S. But like the other, a marina didn’t sound like it was that close. I didn’t like the sound of that. I was torn.

Dinner was good. I over stuffed myself with three large tacos and some Mexican rice. Ashley showed up around 6:30pm. We were expecting her. Olivia wasn’t in a pleasant mood. She wasn’t hungry and didn’t want to let go of her momma. She did peel herself away long enough to walk out and harass the geese, but quickly asked to go back in. Ashley enjoyed a taco, too. She didn’t visit for long. She was tired, and by the looks of it, so was Olivia.

After those two left, I moved the sprinkler then retuned inside for a nap. Mindy & the kids headed to the neighbors, who were grilling out and invited everyone over. But I didn’t feel up to being social. I was tired and overwhelmed. I was more than happy to stay inside and rest. After my brief chair nap, I updated my blog. Mindy came back in the house asking me to join her with the neighbors. I respectfully declined. I just wasn’t in the mood. After updating my blog, I took to the sofa after killing the lights for more sleep. It felt terrific. It felt so good that after only ten minutes or so I decided to head to bed for good.

Once in bed I felt a little more awake. I turned the TV to the Science channel where they were running a program about quantum particle theory. I absolutely love that stuff. Can’t get enough! Mindy eventually joined me. It must’ve been after 10pm. By then, the next program was on. It was about the ever expanding universe and the big bang theory. Again, I can’t get enough of it.

Sea Princess II

These are flowers from Kelly's front flower bed. Nice!

I was up at 5:30am. Mindy could hear my Blackberry alarm blaring from downstairs and mentioned as much. She could hear it because I left it charging by my PC. Usually it’s tucked into the cabinet where only my ears can detect its obnoxious alarm.

I felt pretty good after sleeping with my legs elevated once more. Some web research I did confirmed that doing so is a very good idea for tired (angry) leg muscles. It helps get the stagnant blood flowing and assists in removing lactic acid, which if left alone, results in pain and discomfort.

I completed my exercise routine with energy to spare. Ykraps and I set out on our walk under mostly cloudy skies. It looked and sounded as if my Wednesday golf might be in jeopardy. However, the forecast was far better than it was just one day earlier. Now the chance of storms was only 60% and those were of the scattered variety. We’ll see was the attitude I took.

Back at home I did my coffee, PC, and meditation before prepping for a run. I hit the streets after some stretching. It must’ve been about 6:40am. My run went well. I did four miles.

As soon as I was back home from my run I prepped my breakfast. I didn’t need to pack a lunch because we were having it provided by and with our VP. I fried eggs for breakfast along with some very fresh fruit. I headed up for a shower at 7:40am. I had Mindy’s coffee in tow, too. She was happy for the coffee. I dressed nicely on purpose due to the VP visit. I remembered to gather & pack a pair of shorts and t-shirt to change into for golf later on. Mindy measured my interest in a quicky before leaving for work. I couldn’t. I felt it important to be early given the work day’s activities.

Mindy asked if we could do a date this evening if golf were canceled. Sure honey!
I drove the BM’er. The golf clubs were already in the trunk.

Work went well. We still had our 11am staff meeting which flowed right into our VP luncheon. That lasted until 1:30pm. That in and of itself made the day go fast. Meanwhile, the sky got clearer as the afternoon wore on. I was fairly certain that there wouldn’t be any rain. Bob emailed mid-afternoon inquiring about golf. I was eager to play. Turns out, it would be just the two of us. Bob B’s wife was in the hospital. He was out. Not sure about Chuck. Unknowingly, we both called Thornapple to measure their ability to get two evening golfers out after 4:30pm. We were both given the same answer – sure, but not before 6:10pm. They have leagues front and back. No thanks! We agreed to make the 30 mile drive to Split Rock where they always leave one nine unleagued.

I left work promptly at 4:30pm. Traffic was slow for a short while on I-270S but it opened up nicely after the I-70 interchange. I made decent time arriving around 5:10pm, about five or ten minutes ahead of Bob I.

We went off the front nine for a change. I was happy for that. We’ve only played it one other time on a Wednesday evening. My round started much like I finished on Sunday. But happily, I quickly recaptured my form. After opening with a double-bogey I got it together, at least somewhat. Sure, I had a couple mishaps but that’s my game. I had only one really bad hole where I took an eight on a par 5. I finished with a 47, one stroke worse than Bob. I was happy because I found my putting stroke and recaptured my driver. Probably the most glaring failure was my ability to hit a 50-60 yard shot close to the pin. I must’ve had three of those. I’m typically better off being out 100 yards. Oh well. We had fun.

We finished fast. I was in my BM’er pulling away for home by 7:00pm. It took only 1.5hrs to play nine. I was home by 7:29pm. It was another lovely drive home. The house, meanwhile, was empty. I walked Ykraps not knowing if Mind had already done so. The house was tidy so beyond prepping the next morning’s coffee there was little for me to do. I chose to skip watering the flowers. I was exhausted and hungry. I snacked on some chips hoping Mindy would bring me food. I noticed that Mindy bought Bella a new 16” Disney bike complete with training wheels. I could tell it hadn’t been ridden yet. There was still plastic wrap on the tires.

I must’ve been home for a good 30 minutes before anyone arrived. Turns out, Mindy arrived the same time that Jim and the kids pulled up. Mindy went to Rene’s to have dinner with her family. The kids went with their daddy. Mindy brought me home some leftover Minelli’s pizza. I attacked the pie. Bella spotted the pizza and snagged one piece for herself. How could I deny her? She loves it more than anything. Mindy showed Bella her bike (the Sea Princess II) just as she settled to eat her pizza. She was more than excited zooming off right away.

Mindy soon got the kids into the tub and shower. I napped briefly on the sofa. I slept pretty good too. We talked a little about vacation plans but solidified nothing. We headed for bed at 10pm.

Elevation - My Two Feet

I was up at 5:30am just like I was supposed to be. With little hesitation, I jumped into my exercise routine and got my morning going in the right direction. A few minutes later I was seeking out Ykraps to facilitate his morning walk.

It was a gorgeous summer morning - warm & steamy. I was back home pouring my first cup of coffee even before 6:00am. It was just after 6:30am when I headed out for a run. The 30 minutes prior were spent on the PC and doing a morning meditation.

I ran four miles and felt good doing it -only some minor discomfort. Sleeping with my legs elevated seems to be doing the trick. Back home by 7:12am, I moved into food prep mode instantly. I threw together a quick lunch by grabbing the salad that Mindy had already prepared. In addition, I warmed the other half of my Monday morning omelet. Mindy must not have wanted it. Later, she said that I forgot to tell her it was there.

Meanwhile, Olivia was coming over to spend the first half of the day with Mindy and the kids. She exhibited a fever the day before at day care. They banned her from any reindeer games for at least 24 hrs. Mindy agreed to keep her until she left for Teri's.

I was showered and ready to leave for work just before 8am. I was driving the Trooper again today after learning there was a strong chance of afternoon storms. Plus, I was planning a lunchtime stop to look at bikes for Bella. Driving the Trooper would facilitate hauling such a beast home if I were to find one. I stopped at the “K” for gas. It was only $3.54 per gallon.

The work day went along smoothly until lunchtime. At 1:15pm I left for the Dublin Wal-Mart to look at youth bikes. Because they’re still in the process of a huge remodel, the store is lacking typical inventories. Wal-Mart doesn’t allow that to happen by accident.
They had few bikes and limited camping gear. I quickly exited and drove towards the Trueman Rd Target.

Target recently moved all of their bikes, but I eventually found them in back corner. They had no 16” inch bikes, which I found odd. Looking further, I found them on the shelf still in boxes in toddler toys. Hmmm? I would not buy a bike in a box without seeing one put together first. Lastly, I made a quick run into Home Depot to look at down spouting options for Gloria’s water issue. I was back at work after being gone 65 minutes. Very efficient trip.

The afternoon was busy but not overwhelming. Mindy shared her day’s antics sometime mid-afternoon. She’d pretty much been on the go all day long. She spent the day with pregnant friend Teri taking the kids to the Lakes Country Club to swim. According to her, they evacuated the pool twice in the short time they were there due to poop floating in the pool. Yuck! She was gone most of the day but had a pork roast in the crock pot. Dinner would be easy.

I arrived home around 5:45pm. While Mindy fiddled with dinner, I walked Ykraps. My plate was ready by the time we returned. The pork roast was outstanding. Very juicy! The kids, meanwhile, were chomping at the bit to get back outside with the neighbors. They’d been playing all afternoon in their sprinkler. While the kids dashed off to play, I got the pond pump going and began watering the back lawn. While the sprinkler watered the lawn, I watered the flower beds, front & back with city water. They really needed it. That took nearly an hour. I finished up around 7:30pm and then spent the next half hour sitting on the deck with Mindy. She had a glass of water while I had a Black Dog honey raspberry ale. Jacob came to the deck to ask if he could shoot his bow & arrow. Reluctantly, we allowed him to, but only if he shot it out back with no one else around. At one point he was bragging to us about how far he shot it. That’s when we realized he was shooting it towards the house. No! We had to redirect his target area. All the while we relaxed from the deck, Mindy complained of dizzy spells. She never let it impact her productivity. She still saw the kids through their bath and shower.

After getting the kids tucked into bed by 8:45pm, Mindy called it a night. It must’ve been no later than 9:15pm. I stayed up doing stuff on my PC. The first thing I did was buy the trial version of Corel Photo Album 6 software I had recently installed. That took some doing, but got it done by about 10pm. Next, I snacked on some chips and soda while surfing. I stayed up until 10:50pm.

G-29

It was 5:30am on Monday morning. I really could have used more sleep but drug my rear out of bed anyway. After brushing my teeth, I was down stairs by 5:35am.

It looked cloudy outdoors, although it was difficult to tell given that the sun had yet to rise. I started my exercise routine directly. After 18 holes of golf, running four miles, and then a batch of home repairs, I thought that I might find myself stiff as a board come morning, but that simply wasn’t the case. I felt pretty good. I breezed through my exercise routine then turned my attention to Ykraps. We walked leisurely toward the west. We encountered a few runners right out the door. The streets are getting busier and busier with early runners all the time.

I was back home and pouring my first cup of coffee by 6:00am. I spent the next ten minutes playing on the PC before starting morning meditation. I dressed and departed for my run by 6:35am. I felt pretty good and ran the full four miles. I was back home by 7:10am prepping my breakfast and lunch. Mindy had a salad already prepared in the fridge. I threw together some fruit and nuts to go along. I made a ham and cheese omelet for breakfast. Like usual, I ate only half and saved the rest for Mindy. I headed up for a shower at 7:40am.

I thought that I might be stopping at Home Depot for some project material so I planned to drive the Trooper. Mindy stayed comfortably in bed as I departed for work. I arrived by 8:15am after leaving the house at 8:00am sharp. The work day moved at a feverish pace. I never did leave for lunch. Instead, I worked straight through. I glanced outdoors a few times and saw that it was cloudy. I thought that it was going to be sunny and near 90. Oops! Something was amiss.

Sometime during the day Mindy heard back from the owners of the Norris Lake homes we contacted to rent. None of the homes were available the week we wanted. We were both a little disappointed, but decided we’d figure something out later in the evening, whether that meant finding other vacation homes or changing our plans entirely.

Mindy was grocery shopping during the late afternoon after her physical therapy appointment earlier in the day. She said we were having leftovers for dinner. I wasn’t thrilled by that but accepted it as an easy dinner solution, in part because I wasn’t that hungry anyway. In fact, I didn’t even eat my packed lunch. She called me back minutes later to ask if I would consider picking up Chipotle on my way home. We had a bad cell connection and the call dropped. I was against Chipotle and wasn’t eager to make any stops on the way home. I was tired.

I called Mindy back before leaving the parking lot for home, not wanting to leave our dinner plans dangling. She agreed to pass on Chipotle stating that she wasn’t too hungry either, and that Bella would eat leftover pizza. Jacob, however, would be disappointed.

Traffic was a mess heading home. There was some sort of gas leak in the Roberts Rd./Wilson Rd vicinity backing traffic up in all directions. And even though I took the alternative route, traffic was at a standstill on Old Dublin Rd because of the gas leak. I didn’t get home until 6:00pm. Mindy & I quickly set out to walk Ykraps. We walked towards Emily & Evans (east) in part because the kids wanted Mindy to talk with Teri (Emily & Evans mom) about a possible sleepover. As we passed by their home Mindy went around back to talk with Teri. I kept walking Ykraps. Mindy & I had peace and quiet back at the house. The kids stayed out playing with the neighbors. I snacked on cashews while browsing the internet for more Lake Norris vacation rentals. Mindy wasn’t in the best of moods. This is something she admitted to me. Just one of those days, I guess. I found a few more homes and made a hand written list before calling Mindy to see them. When she joined me, she had already called about three of them, and the others were a little bit more expensive than what we were willing to spend. In the end, this vacation week was supposed to be about spending time with the kids. I reminded her of as much. They, I figured, would be just as happy camping at Alum Creek or Sat Fork. Mindy agreed. I checked availability of G-29, or favorite campsite at Alum Creek. It was available for the four nights we discussed, but Mindy asked me not to book it until we had a day to sleep on it. Not a bad idea. After all, this was a rather drastic change of plans.

The biggest concern that comes to mind is heavy rain. Camping is no fun in the rain. Just revisit last year’s blog entry covering our family camp trip in late July for a refresher.

The kids came home excited that the sleep over at Emily & Evans was on. Mindy helped the kids gather their overnight gear and walked down to get the kids settled. After returning home, she made chili dogs for the two of us. They were yummy, but also very filling. I was really sleepy afterwards. After helping to tidy up the kitchen I collapsed on the sofa for a much desired nap.

I slept peacefully until I heard Mindy’s phone ring. I vaguely heard her talking to daughter Courtney, who I later learned was calling to make arrangements with us to visit with Kaileigh. After slowly rising, I mustered enough energy to take to my computer to blog. I spent about 30 minutes doing so, adding three days worth of history along with photos. It was about 9:45pm and both Mindy were beginning to turn our thoughts toward bed. The next thing we knew, Jacob came in the back door citing his desire to sleep in his own bed in lieu of staying over night at the neighbors. A call from fireman Mile soon followed to check on him. He was torn with his dilemma, but Mindy & I forced the issue and made him decided pronto. After all, the two of us were ready for bed. Incidentally, Mike said Bella was fine and happy. Mindy made Jacob take a quick shower before bed since he was all sweaty from play.

I was in bed even as Jacob transitioned from shower to bed. I was still tired. Mindy soon followed.

Golf Game Kaput

I crawled from bed just before 7am. I felt well rested and had little to no leg or groin pain. Downstairs, I prepped some coffee and started my exercise regiment. In between sets, I watered all the houseplants. Soon, Ykraps and I set out for our morning walk.
And what a lovely morning it was. I was impressed with just how nice our lawn looked after cutting it the day before and then watering all afternoon, not to mention the brief storm that passed through dumping some much needed rain.

I wanted to be back from my run no later than 8:45am and hopefully sooner. To that end, I was careful not to spend too much time on the PC. I left for a run at 7:55am. Once again, I ran along Trabue and Hague. It was a lovely run with little to no traffic to contend with. I beat the church traffic. I was back home by 8:30am. I took Mindy a cup of coffee before getting into the shower. She planned on attending church, so she got up with me as I headed back downstairs.

Before leaving, I made myself a breakfast sandwich. I offered to make Mindy one but she declined. I left for golf at 9:08am. Our tee time was slated for 10:22am. I wanted to be early to afford myself time to putt and swing. I arrived by 9:45am and took my time getting my gear all together. Tom wasn’t yet there. After practicing some putting and chipping I gave him a call on his cell. After cutting through his weak wrap I determined that he was close by. I found a bench in the shade where I sat patiently awaiting his arrival. He showed up with no more than five minutes to spare. I got a bit nervous, I’ll admit, with his lack of organization. He needed a hat, balls, and a towel all of which he purchased in the pro shop. They told us we were up next on the tee. Off we went!

I could tell that it was going to be slow play. There were several groups in front of us and they were struggling to get off the tee. They were rowdy too. No biggie! Tom and I hadn’t golfed together for more than three years – maybe longer. His game went about the same as always. I started out OK. I bogeyed the first two holes. Play was slower than slow. We had to wait at each tee. What’s worse, the group behind us was already waiting at our tee by the time we could hit. Meanwhile, Tom lost most of the expensive Titleist balls he bought on the front nine. I did my best to keep him upbeat. At the same time, my game began falling apart. I was struggling to get off the tee, pulling several iron shots, and putting poorly. I shot a fifty on the front and that was after finishing with two pars. Yikes!

We hoped that we could get in front of the two foursomes playing so slow in front of us. We didn’t take a break at the turn, at least not immediately. Turns out, we beat one of the foursomes to the tenth tee box, but were eventually joined by the other group who told us that those guys were their buddies. We let them play on and retreated to the clubhouse for a much desired snack.

Back at the tenth tee, the twosome that was behind us was already on the tee. They offered that we play the final nine together. We introduced ourselves to Bill & Marshall. Tom stopped keeping track of his score on the back nine. And honestly, I struggled too. I took a nine in there somewhere. And then on the finishing hole, I hit three in-a-row into the water on my approach to the green. I finished with a 103 – my highest score of the season. Tom apologized for dragging my game down. I quickly retorted with only I can drag my own game down. His play had nothing to do with my score. I certainly couldn’t blame another for my poor play. And besides, despite the poor showing, I had a decent time on a lovely Sunday afternoon. It was 3pm when we finished – 4.5 hours later.

After packing up my clubs and heading toward the exit, I tried phoning Mindy, who didn’t answer her phone. I was certain that she would be home from the birthday party her and the kids attended. Oh well. The drive home was fun in the BM’er. I took 104N all the way to Frank Rd. where I eventually jumped on I-71N and then I-70W. I was home by 3:30pm.

After woofing down half of a leftover hamburger, I headed up for another quick shower in preparation for Sunday dinner at Gloria’s. We left the house at 4pm. Once we arrived at Mindy’s mother’s I wasted little time getting on the drywall repair task. First, I trimmed away the rough edges from the work area resulting in a fairly clean rectangle. Next, I transferred the measurements of the opening onto the 2X2’ piece of drywall and cut the piece to size – 14”X16”. I had to remove some wood trim around the wall to expose enough of the floor joist to mount the patch. After trimming a ¼” off both sides of the patch it fit into the opening snuggly. Four drywall screws later, we were cooking with gas. Before taping and mudding I sanded the stippling away from the existing ceiling edges that surrounded the patch to make for better, smoother bonding. I brought my old roll of drywall tape. It has lost most of its stickiness. I should’ve brought the new roll but made do. I applied the first coating of joint compound quickly. Looking good. Mindy fetched her mom’s vacuum to suck up all the debris I left behind. Dinner was ready a short time later.

As I predicted, we had meatloaf. Somehow I can predict with uncanny accuracy what Gloria’s making most weeks. In addition, we had pasta salad, garden salad, cheesy potatoes, and rolls. Everything was delicious. As usual, I ate too much. Not wanting to sit around, I excused myself from the dinner table and headed for the basement to begin ripping down the paneling that is showing signs of moisture damage in Mindy’s old bedroom. I took down only one piece today, but plan to take it all down eventually. The bare block walls appeared nicely drylocked, but when rain water collects around a foundation and has no where else to go it will find its way in. I gathered that it’s been there a while, too. It’s already rotted away the bottom inch or two of the paneling and the bottom two feet of each furring strip. Jacob helped with the clean-up. We saw a couple big centipedes, which love moisture. Jacob sprayed for bugs. We washed our hands and then headed up for dessert.

Gloria made gingerbread cake with cream cheese icing. I love that stuff. I had two pieces! Before leaving, I returned to the basement to apply a second coat of joint compound to the ceiling patch. I’ll need to stop by my Dad’s to see if I can borrow his stipple brush so that I can attempt to blend the patch with the rest of the ceiling.

We left for home just after 7pm. The kids talked to Jimaken on our drive home. We all walked Ykraps, the kids on their bike and scooter. Bella hurt herself on the scooter. As usual, she screamed loud enough for God to hear. Once we were home, Mindy gave the kids a few extra minutes to ride/play before showers. Jacob came asking if he could join neighbor David for a bike ride. Apparently David invited him. But Mindy already had his shower running thus was completely against it. Besides, it was already after 8pm. Jacob threw a fit, to be sure. Oh the noise! He pouted through the entire shower process, and even some time after.

We tucked the kids into bed by 8:30pm and then took to the deck to sit quietly under the summer evening sky. At one point both kids got up and out of bed and came out to sit with us. Mindy sent them both back in after about five minutes. We stayed out for just a short time longer before heading in and to bed ourselves.

Exchanging Unpleasantries

I was up and out of bed before 7:00am. I had a slight headache but all in all felt pretty good. I took two precautionary Advil’s as part of my morning prep process. By 7:15am I had coffee going and a full round of exercise already under my belt. Ykraps and I were off and walking minutes later.

I could see that Mindy was up and in the shower as we made our way back towards the house. I couldn’t remember for certain but figured she must have had a breakfast date planned with her friend Teri. Once back, I poured my coffee and took to the PC. Most of that time was spent catching up on Glenn’s blog and viewing many of his recently added vacation pics. Unlike me, he documented our vacation blow by blow. I read most of it.

Mindy was up, downstairs and sitting on the deck when I finished reading. I let her know that I was going to head out for a run. She advised me that she was thinking of going shopping. But before either of us did our own thing we talked through a couple of issues. Before I knew it, another hour had passed. When I left for my run Mindy still wasn’t certain whether or not she’d be going shopping even though I encouraged her to do so.

I ended up running along Trabue and Hague. Until then, I had forgotten that the annual St Margaret’s festival was going on this weekend. As I ran by my Dad’s place, I took special notice of the missing large trees and the storage he’s providing the county as they widen the road and add new storm sewers. I was back home around 10:30pm. Mindy was indeed gone.

I wasted little time getting busy. I sorely wanted to get a handful of lawn chores completed. However, before heading out, I mounted a wallplate around the bundle of wires protruding from the family room wall destine for the plasma TV. I made myself a big ol’ ham, bologna, and cheese sandwich, too. Yum-yum. Soon, I was out working on the lawn. I did it all. I trimmed, edged, cut, and blew. That took about 1.5 hours. Mindy returned home sometime during the cutting. After a short break, I drug out the fiberglass extension ladder and raised it against the brick chimney to trim back the fast growing ivy making its ascent upwards. I eventually moved the heavy ladder around front to trim the thick wall of ivy growing over our bedroom window, too.

Just as I was cutting ivy from the front windows, the kids arrived back home. I knocked on the bedroom window to make sure that Mindy was alerted to their return. She was taking a nap last I knew. And since I was in trimming mode, I used the hedge shears to give the crimson barberry bushes their mid-season trim. By the time I finished, it made sense to fetch the 9X12’ tarp to haul away all of the trimmings/clippings. It would’ve taken several trips with my 5-gallon lawn pail. I started the sprinkler just as I finished up the trimming.

Next, I got out the Miracle Grow sprayer and filled it with fertilizer and began watering all of the backyard beds, pots, and baskets. That took about 30 minutes. Next on the agenda was filling the car wash bucket with a water & bleach mixture to soak all of our sea shells. There’s a couple that still stink. The bleach, I knew, would stop that in a hurry.

In the meantime, Mindy took the kids next door to the birthday party. After doing so, Mindy set out on yet another solo shopping spree, only this time to Target. While she was away I continued moving the sprinkler every 45 minutes to an hour, and then got out the long tree pruners. I pruned some hard to reach honey suckles growing up & over the shed as well as the two red maples shading the lower tier deck. They’ve needed it for some time. By the time I was done Mindy was once again home. She helped me carry all of the tree debris back to the compost pile. There was quite a bit. By then it was time to fetch Lil’ Rocky. Mindy volunteered to go get him while I finished up and showered.

I could’ve kept going with more and more small chores, but knew that a break in the action would do me good. No sense working myself to the bone. I was showered up by the time that Mindy returned with Rocky. She quickly turned him loose on the kids who were still busy playing at the neighbor’s. We collectively started dinner, but Mindy did most of the prep. I grilled burgers while she prepared Rice-A-Roni. After enjoying our burgers we celebrated Rocky’s 5th birthday with cupcakes. He tore through his bag of gifts in a hurry. Like any five year old, he didn’t even look at the three outfits in the bag. He was concerned only with the toys. :)

During our dinner, a quick storm moved through. It rained fairly hard but moved out of the area as fast as it came. Soon the kids were back outside riding bikes and playing in the front yard. They insisted on heading back to the neighbors but Mindy and I put a kibosh on that. They deserved break from all the kids. Mindy used the time to instill bike riding skills in Bella using the same technique my dad used on Jacob. She did OK, but was fussy. The new bike helmet Mindy bought her seemed to serve as motivation. We’re planning to get her a new bike in the coming days.

As the evening wound down, we prepared to take Lil’ Rocky home. Everyone went along for the ride. We dropped him near 8pm. Kelly wasn’t home. Lindsey said that she was out walking her two big horses (dogs). Mindy held Landon who seemed very eager for her to do so. He likes Mindy quite a bit. We didn’t stay too long. Just as we were pulling away, we spotted Kelly turning the corner off of Rosedale. I wanted badly to get a picture of her walking those two dogs. In kind, I altered our route to head north. I rolled down the window to say hello and compliment her on her lovely flowers all the while snapping a picture. She spotted my camera and quickly uttered some unpleasantries my way. Sadly, the picture never took. Damn it! Of course the kids repeated a few of her unkind words.

Back at home, Mindy & I got the kids ready for bed as much as they wanted to continue playing. They were in bed sometime near 9pm and were quickly asleep. We stayed up until no later than 10pm. Mindy was especially tired, and I worked awfully hard in the yard and had to get up early Sunday for golf.

Green Flash

I was up with plenty of time to spare Friday morning. Like usual, I exercised, walked Ykraps, and played on the PC prior to meditation and running. I woke Mindy while delivering her coffee come 6:30am. She needed to be up for her annual summer retreat. In fact, this was going to look an awful lot like a regular school day. The kids and Mindy would be departing the house by 7:30am.

I left for my run shortly after waking Mindy. I ran four miles on what was a lovely summer morning. My legs felt terrific again today. This by far has been the best they’ve felt in months. Mindy had eggs on the stove by the time I made it back to the house. I didn’t need to pack a lunch, either since I still had Thursday’s setting in the fridge at work. Mindy and the kids shoved off on schedule, but not before Jacob did his share of bellyaching. Getting up early didn’t come easy. Mindy viewed this as a dry run for the first day of school, which is only a smidge more than three weeks away for Jacob. Didn’t go so well.

I had the house to myself after 7:30am. It was nice. I took my time with a shower and my ultimate departure. The weather was ideal. I drove the Trooper since I knew that I needed to make a Home Depot stop for some drywall repair supplies. The work day moved swiftly. We were busy. I took a lunch break around 1:30pm. I made two stops: the bank and Home Depot. I got the stuff necessary to patch Gloria’s lower level ceiling. And incidentally, the afternoon sun was quite toasty. Also, while out, I placed call to Tom C., who left me a message last evening. We made tentative plans to golf Sunday AM and to meet at Barley’s later this night. I was back at work by 2:30pm.

The afternoon moved as fast as the morning. I left for home around 5:15pm. I took I-270S to I-70E and again got off at Wilson Rd. That worked well. I guess that I startled Mindy when I got home – not sure why. It was 5:35pm. The kids had already left with Jimaken but would be home mid-day Saturday instead of the usual Sunday. Mindy & I walked Ykraps together. We were back a little after 6pm. After dilly-dallying around for a few minutes, I finally settled into the recliner for a much needed nap. Mindy later stated that I slept no more than 5-10 minutes but it felt like a whole lot more. I woke feeling quite refreshed. Mindy talked with her friend Leiyah about the possibility of joining us at Barley’s later.

We were ready to depart for Barley’s by 7:20pm. We drove the Trooper. The place was quite crowded throughout. Lots of regulars were present and accounted for. It was good to see them. I was happy to see that they still had a few guest IPA’s left over from IPA-Looza as well as their own Centennial IPA. That’s what I drank. Mindy bravely ordered a Dragon’s Milk. She ordered sauerkraut balls, too. I eventually had one or two, but wasn’t all that hungry. As the night wore on, Tom C, brother Tommy, and Leiyah eventually arrived. We were also joined by our neighbors, Pat & Lisa. I thought that Rene was coming too, but she never showed.

After a couple of Centennial’s, Beth urged me to try a Green Flash, a guest bottled IPA. It was exceptional. I ended up drinking two. We hung at Barley’s until just before 11pm. Mindy drove home. At home, I was still wide awake. I opened a raspberry ale and headed for the neighbors’ hoping they’d be out on their deck. Mindy went on to bed. Turns out, the neighbor’s weren’t up. I sat on our own deck for a few and then checked baseball scores before heading up to bed myself.

Confronting Oneself

I was up just before 5:30am and once again feeling pretty darn good. It didn’t take long to get my juices flowing and get busy with my exercise routine. I took two Advil just to be safe after yesterday’s golf. Also, we slept with the windows opened as it was expected to be in the low 50’s over night. However, after checking the weather I saw that it never slipped below the low 60’s. Regardless, it was quite comfortable.

Due to our early start, Ykraps and I were back earlier than normal allowing me some flexibility. I did what I generally do. I spent time on the PC and then in meditation. I readied and left for my run at 6:35am. Because I felt good, I ran four miles without any trouble whatsoever. This pleased me much.

Back home I began prepping breakfast and lunch. I packed the remainder of the tuna fish salad that I made on Wednesday as well as a vegetable & fruit medley. For breakfast I fried two eggs. I headed for the shower at 7:40am, but not before delivering coffee to Mindy. I was dressed and ready for work by 8:00am. Mindy didn’t bother getting out of bed to see me off. According to her, she didn’t have to. She wasn’t being rude or even a smart ass. Instead, simply stating a fact.

I drove the BM’er to work and ended up working straight through never taking an official lunch break. I talked with Mindy during the mid-day. She hadn’t yet heard from the Norris Lake home owners. In fact, she reached out to yet another property she found online. She and the kids went to the pool mid-afternoon. I left for home just after 5:30pm. Before jumping on the freeway, I stopped at Kroger and bought Mindy some roses just because. I remembered the Wilson Rd closure but instead of taking Old Dublin Rd, I took I-270 south to I-70E and got off at Wilson Rd and headed north. That worked well.

Happily, Mindy had already walked Ykraps. Furthermore, she made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. Dinner was ready shortly after arriving home. The spaghetti was as good as expected. I purposefully didn’t stuff myself in an effort to avoid a case of the sleepies. She took over clean-up details after I initially started to enable me time to water flowers. I decided to use the pond pump to water the flower beds. I started out front. Even before I finished Mindy joined me. There were a handful of tasks I wanted to get done, so I eventually asked for her help. She agreed willingly, or at least seemed willing. Mindy trimmed the ivy around the flowers and rock walls edges that are growing almost wildly.

While she finished that, I moved around back where I watered all the beds, veggies, pots, and baskets. We almost filled the city’s 50 gallon trash can with all the ivy trimmings. I rolled it back to the compost pile to dump it. Next, we unloaded Monday’s Home Depot haul: fertilizer, bird seed, etc from the back of the Trooper. Before relaxing, I attached the sprinkler to the pump and watered a few dry spots. I didn’t really want to water heavily, however, since it needs cut again already.

We sat together for short amount of time on the deck. Mindy sipped a glass of wine and me a honey raspberry ale. At the sametime, Jacob was fooling around in the front yard on his bike and somehow ended up falling into the pond. He sent Bella to alert us. He wasn’t physically hurt but his ego was crushed. He was crying. Mindy and I both laughed under our breath, although, I wasn’t pleased with his less than brilliant idea. He could’ve been hurt.

Mindy eventually got the kids upstairs for a bath. I took to updating my blog. She called me to tuck in the kids just before 9pm. Mindy pointed out a little later than I hadn’t yet posted Tuesday even though I’d posted Wednesday. I had it written but had indeed forgotten to post it. I took care of that before chilling further. I popped a bowl of corn soon after and sat with Mindy in the living room talking. We discussed the Eckhart Tolle’s book, A New Earth. She really seems to be enjoying it.

We headed for bed just after 10pm. Good night moon.

Purple Birdies

Happy 5th B-Day Lil' Rocky!

Once again, I slept with my legs elevated on a double stack of pillows. And once again, I woke feeling incredibly good with minimal stiffness. It was still prior to 5:30am. Because of this, I was able to take my time working through my calisthenics and walking Ykraps. Even though it was clear when we first set out, a thin veil of clouds moved in while we walked. Literally, by the time we made it back home it was completely cloudy.

I took my time enjoying coffee and internet. I got around to meditation come 6:10am. Afterwards, I took a short nap before setting out on a run. I stepped out the door at 6:40am. My run was uneventful, which also means I was in little to no pain. This pleased me much. I ran four miles. I was back home by 7:10am and ready to prep my breakfast & lunch. Mindy had my fruit and nuts ready to go. In addition, I made some tuna salad. Keeping it simple, I fried two eggs for breakfast, complementing them with fruit.

I headed up for a shower at 7:40am. And, yes, I delivered Mindy’s coffee. She asked if I planned to golf this evening. I did. Later, after my shower, we reviewed her plans as well. She’d be heading to Riverside for her physical therapy appointment all the while her mother watches the kids. She mentioned the possibility of stopping at the Olentangy River Rd. Kohl’s to see if they had the bedding she wanted. They didn’t have it at either of the two Westside stores (West Broad or Hilliard).

I left for work at 8:10am driving the BM’er. It was still cloudy, but there was next to no chance of rain. In fact, I could see the clear blue skies coming our way glancing to the west. By the time I got to work it was indeed sunny. Work was busy, and we had our usual Wednesday staff meeting. It went for just over 2 hours. I didn’t take a lunch by design since this was a golf Wednesday. I was looking forward to it. I received an email confirming as much from Bob Imber mid-afternoon.

I left for golf come 4:30pm. As usual, it was a challenge separating from work but did. I was very pleased to find few traffic snarls in route to Split Rock. There was only one minor slow down between Hilliard and I-70 on I-270 south but that’s it. Today I remembered to set my trip odometer. It was 30.75 miles, and it took 34 minutes to get there.

As usual, Bob Boyer was already there. He gets off at 3-3:30pm. Meanwhile, Bob I. was still in transit. That gave me time to putt and swing a club or two. Bob I. arrived about ten minutes later. We headed directly to the #10 tee box.

I won the coin toss (tee flip). My drive wasn’t too long but it was straight and in the fairway. Good enough. I was on the par 5 green in three after three nice shots and just 7 or 8 feet from the cup. Alright! A birdie was well within reach. I hit my birdie putt firmly not wanting to leave it short. Unfortunately, it leaked just to the right of the hole and rolled a good 4 feet past. Damn! And yes, I missed the come back 4-footer as well. Crap! I blew and easy birdie opportunity, but also blew the par. Bogey.

Hole #11 is a par 4. I hit an OK drive, and then a nice second shot landing once again on the green in regulation albeit about 30 feet out. Same story, though – three putt bogey.
Hole #12 is a downhill/uphill 160 yard par 3 with a two-tier green. The pin was on the upper tier right. An errant shot right puts you in immediate trouble. In fact, if you’re not on, you’re typically in trouble. I hit a nice shot on the green but on the lower tier leaving myself a long 40 foot putt with a hill and multiple breaks. My birdie putt didn’t have quite enough gas to make it up to the upper tier hill and tailed off right leaving me another long putt for par. Sadly I missed two more for a four putt. Ouch! After three holes of being on the green in regulation, I had nothing to show for it.

I some how I managed to keep my chin up and held my own for the next five holes. Scattered in amongst them was a birdie and a par. As I’ve talked about before, the finishing hole is a treacherous par 5. I could feel tension in my body as I approached my tee shot. The results showed it, too. I topped it a little netting a very short shot. But at least it went straight. Because the hole’s a guaranteed lay up in three, I was still OK. My second shot was 3-iron, which is usually pretty good to me. Not today, though. I topped it too. It went only about fifty yards. Crap! Here we go! Shot three was another 3-iron. I hit it decent but pulled it right. Because of the holes contour, I had few options better than a safe PW layout to within 130 yards. That’s what I did. Having said that, I almost hit it too far putting myself in a real sticky situation yet again. So, there I was lying in four & still 130 yards out to a downhill/uphill green. I hit a 9-iron onto the right green just inside the fringe leaving myself a long 35 foot putt. Long story short, I made the long putt for a miraculous bogey. I was very pleased given the way the hole began. I finished with a 45 – not a bad score for my game. Still, though, I left easily left four strokes on the table. I could’ve and probably should’ve shot a 41 had I not choked.

We parted ways agreeing to hookup again next Wednesday. Doesn’t sound like Bob and Mary Ann will be by the firkin this Friday. They’ve got a 25th H.S. reunion to attend in Wadsworth. It was 7:46pm when I jumped in the BM’er and headed towards home. It was a lovely drive into the sunset. I made it home in 22 minutes.

Mindy’s car was there but the house oddly quiet. Just as I was retrieving my backpack from the trunk a brand spanking new VW Beetle convertible pulled up in the drive with Mindy riding shotgun and the kids in the back. It was Rene driving. I didn’t recognize her at first. The car was brand new and very attractive. She just got it. Nice! Mindy gave me a hug and let me know that she brought me a gyro from the Big Fat Greek. Cool. That sounded awesome. I tore into the gyro all the while we talked about our day. Mindy was excited because she found the bedding she wanted and had it in the dryer ready to put on the bed. She didn’t want me to see it until it was fully made. I honored her request. Eventually, I made Rene and I a Jack & Coke. Mindy showed Rene the house we’re trying to rent at Norris Lake. It looks very nice and full of lakeside amenities. Sounds like Rene will be joining us.

In between prepping our new bedding, Mindy readied the kids for bed. Meanwhile, I went up to slip out of my work/golf attire and into my comfy flannel shorts. Mindy allowed me to view the bedding while I was up there. It’s certainly more feminine than what I had, but it does look nice save for the silky gray bed skirt. In my opinion, it doesn’t match at all. Mindy agreed and even spoke of looking for a better match. Rene came up to see, too.

Soon the kids were tucked into bed and Rene departed. Mindy and I stayed up long enough to chat quietly but called it a night just after 10pm. As we slipped into bed I noted that the new comforter was still a little damp around the edge near my face. I rolled it back away from my face, and once again propped my legs on a double stack of pillows. Hey, you don’t mess with what works.

Things That Go Bump In The Night

Happy 47th Birthday brother Tommy! Things got a little bumpy overnight. In turn, we had the kids in bed with us on at least two separate occasions. We had it all: vivid lightning, thunder, wind, and driving rain. This came as a total surprise to me. I don’t remember seeing or reading anything about it on the weather bug. Lying in bed, my thoughts turned to my poor little pump out there in the elements. Lucky for me, I had enough foresight to cover it with the clothes basket. That, along with the natural shield provided by thick honeysuckle bushes usually keeps it pretty dry. 5:30am came too fast. I was still sleepy. I didn’t manage myself out of bed until about 5:35am. Even then I was dragging. On a positive note, sleeping with my legs elevated for a second night in row seems to have paid off. At least I wasn’t stiff from my groin downward. I worked through my exercise routine and then walked Ykraps. Lucky for he & I, the heavy rain had all but stopped, although it was still sprinkling. However, the rain seemed to pick-up again just as we were closing in on home. I hurried Ykraps through his last few sniffs. I didn’t want to get too wet. It was 6:04am by the time I toweled off Ykraps and began prepping my first cup of coffee. I played on the PC and then turned my attention to morning meditation. That, as it turned out, made me extra sleepy. I gave into the sleepiness and took a brief nap right there on the floor. I slept for about ten minutes, which made a huge difference. At 6:40am I upped and readied for my run. After a quick stretch I set out on my run. Despite not being in any real pain, I cut the run to 3 miles. It was 7:10am by the time I made it back home. I still had to pack my lunch and make my breakfast. I made the same thing as Monday except, I packed half of a leftover pork chop too. By the time I’d packed my lunch, eaten my breakfast, and poured Mindy’s coffee it was 7:40am. She didn’t budge as I placed her coffee bedside. I headed off to the shower without disturbing her sleep. The kids had her up a few times through the night with the storms. After my shower I tapped softly on the bed to see if it would wake Mindy. It did. Despite being tired, she acknowledged my presence. However, she remained in bed as I headed downstairs and ultimately out the door for work. I drove the BM’er. By then, the skies had cleared and the sun was shining. I checked the forecast, too. It was going to be sunny for the rest of the day. I was almost certain that my BM’er was on empty, remembering the fuel light coming on as I made my way home from golf the Wednesday evening before vacation. However, I was happy to find the tank full. Reflecting back, I vaguely remembered filling the tank the following morning on my way to work. Cool! I arrived at work just before 8:30am. By then I was feeling pretty good and wide awake. The work day moved swiftly as is often the case. I didn’t take a lunch until nearly 1:30pm. I drove to Best Buy for no other reason than to simply get away for a while. There I checked out all sorts of stuff. I thought about buying the new Cold Play CD but didn’t. I browsed the aisles for a good 45 minutes. I could see that the remodeled Wal-Mart next door was nearly complete. It’ll be a Super Wal-Mart when done, complete with groceries. Once back at the office I enjoyed my packed lunch while working away. I talked with Mindy around 2:30pm, who informed me that we were having brats on the grill for dinner. She and the kids had just arrived at the pool. I didn’t leave work until 5:40pm. Things were still quite busy. This time I remembered the Roberts Rd/Wilson Rd lane closure and took the Mill Run cut-through instead. I was home by 6:05pm. As I pulled up at home I noticed my Dad’s Blazer curbside. I figured that Mindy must’ve invited him over for dinner. Turns out, she did just that. We hadn’t talked with him since we’ve been home from vacation. Inside, I greeted Dad and then Mindy & the kids. Dad walked Ykraps making my transition that much easier. After washing up dinner was ready. Just like that we were making our plates: brats, green beans, and potato salad. Most of our dinner conversation centered around our Florida trip and Dad’s dog watching. He pulled double duty over the weekend keeping an eye on Bob and April’s dogs too. Later, for dessert Mindy served ice cream. I had some leftover Jeni’s- black coffee and chocolate mixed together. Very yummy! After dinner I phoned Tommy. He was home. Collectively, (me, the kids, Mindy & Dad) we sang him Happy B-Day over the phone. Dad left around 8pm. Soon after, Mindy & Bella left for a Kohl’s shopping spree. Jacob and I planned a bike ride. Bella really wanted to join us, but eventually agreed to join her mother. Jacob and I rode to the park and back. The ride went fast. In fact, about three times faster than our first endeavor. Back at home, I took to watering the rear flower beds. Jacob sat in the neighbor’s yard staring off towards space bored to tears. Mindy & Bella were home a short while later but without the bedding she hoped to find. They were out of the style she wanted. However, the shopping event wasn’t a lost cause. She still managed to pick-up a few b-day gifts for Lil’ Rocky – clothes. She spoke of getting him toys tomorrow. The kids went for baths and soon were tucked in. Mindy and I were in bed again at 10pm. Like before. I slept with my legs elevated on a double stack of pillows.

Rested & Ready to Return to Routine

*NOTE* This is Emily (2nd from the right) just before she broke her arm.

I slept with my feet/legs elevated on a double stack of pillows all night long. I thought that it might help my aching groin and tired legs. It did. I woke feeling far better than I did prior to bed. I was up before 5:30am – 5:23am to be exact. Mindy was kind enough to prep the morning’s coffee before heading to bed the night before, but didn’t know how to set the auto brew feature. Knowing this, I hit the “go” button as soon as I made it downstairs.

My exercise routine went very well. I was completely done and heading out the door with Ykraps by 5:40am. We took our dear old time. For the first time this summer, I noticed a significant decline in daylight. The long summer days are surely waning. As we made our way back towards home and across the bridge over the stream, I spotted what looked like a dark figure lurking motionlessly in the water. Finally focusing in, I realized that it was the beaver! He quickly submerged himself and swam underwater towards me and ultimately under the bridge. I could see that he’s grown a bit since mid-spring. Given all the tree damage he’s caused, my thoughts turned to his eradication.

Anyway, our fun was over. Ykraps and I headed back inside. Due to my early start, I was able to carryout the rest of my pre-run morning routine at a very leisurely pace. I sipped coffee, read the Daily OM, and meditated. I had oodles of time, and felt terrific, too. Come 6:25am I prepped and departed for my run. I ran four miles easily. The stiffness I felt Sunday was all but gone. I was back at home by 7:05am.

With little hesitation, I started prepping my breakfast and lunch. I had to prep everything from scratch save raiding the community fruit tray. For lunch I cut some celery, tomatoes, and cucumbers. I didn’t pack any protein or carbs to speak of, although I did pack a fruit medley.

For breakfast I made a ham and cheese omelet. I ate only half and saved the rest for Mindy. Shower time. I remembered to take Mindy her morning coffee. Despite being woefully sleepy, she mustered enough energy to interact a little. She asked how I felt. Well, thank you. Soon I was in the shower.

I chose to dress a bit snappier but for no particular reason. I was ready to head out even before 8am. But before heading out, I switched my “carry-on” over from the large gym bag to my old blue back pack. I’ve been lugging that big ol’ gym bag to & from even though I no longer run at work/lunch. But as of today that would be no more. I loaded up the Trooper and departed. Just as I was beginning to back out the drive my cell rang. Thinking it Mindy, I stopped and dug it out of my back pack. I missed the call but could still see that it was daughter Ashley. Given the hour I figured she must’ve really needed something so I went back inside to see if in fact she tried Mindy, too. Yep, she was already on the phone with her. She asked Mindy to come pick-up Olivia because she was too sick to go to work and needed to sleep. Without hesitation, Mindy agreed. That’s Mindy, always willing to help someone else.

Back to the Trooper and off to work. As I passed Thornton’s on Wilson and Roberts Rd I noticed the lower gas prices – $3.73 per gallon. Let’s hope it keeps declining. I didn’t stop. I arrived at work early by about five minutes. As it turned out, my peer was ill and left promptly after I arrived. No biggie!

My first order of business was getting caught up on email and administrative tasks after being out for ten days. That took most of the morning. I didn’t take a significant break until 2pm when I left for Home Depot. I had a short, mental list of things I wanted/needed for the home. I ended up spending $100 on flood light bulbs, fertilizer w/insect killer, bird seed, humming bird nectar, and a new measuring tape. Ouch!

Back at work, I fetched my packed lunch and headed back to my office. There I ate and worked through the rest of my day. I left for the day just before 5:30pm. I first phoned brother Tommy to wish him a happy birthday but got no answer. Next, phoned Mindy who updated me on household matters. She was in the midst of making dinner. She said they didn’t make it to the pool since Olivia slept for over 3 hours. She was out swinging in the new “baby” tree swing as we spoke. Without thinking it through, I took I-270 and got off at Roberts. Oops! Since July 7th, you can’t go south on Wilson from Roberts. It’s expected to remain that way for 60 days. Crap! I was stuck in a long line of traffic detouring to Old Dublin Rd. It took another fifteen minutes to get home from there.

Mindy was running around like a wild woman at home. The kids were outside playing. She was manning the grill and prepping something on the stove at the same time. Soon Olivia came running. I chose to take her with Ykraps and I on our evening walk. Mindy understandably declined joining us. She needed to tend to dinner. Jacob wanted to come along, too, although he grabbed his bike. Right off the bat I found it difficult to manage Olivia and tend to Ykraps at the same time. Each had their own agenda. I won’t make that mistake again. Still, somehow I managed.

Dinner was ready by the time we made it back inside. We had grilled pork chops, roasted corn-on-the-cob, and Mindy’s potatoes salad. It was all very good. Olivia didn’t eat much. After dinner I became increasingly tired. And given my druthers, I would’ve went down for a nap immediately. Instead, I fought through it and helped with kitchen clean-up. In fact, I did most of it. I felt obligated. Mindy still helped. After the kitchen was back in order, I went out to get the sprinkler going. Even after two days of watering, the lawn was showing signs of stress once more. That’s what four days in the 90’s will do.

As soon as I had the sprinkler up & going, I excused myself and went back inside for a much needed nap. I slept in the livingroom recliner for nearly an hour. I slept deeply, too. I didn’t wake until all the kids, neighbors included, came barging into the house making all sorts of noise. I gave them an earful. I was tired and grumpy! Meanwhile, Mindy was oblivious to their antics since she was upstairs giving Olivia a bath before taking her home. While she left to take Olivia home, the kids dashed off to the neighbors. I got up to get busy on updating my blog.

Mindy wasn’t gone even a minute before I saw an emergency squad cruise by all the while pulsing its siren. I popped outside quickly to make sure it wasn’t stopping at Crissy & Kenny’s, where I assumed the kids to be playing. It didn’t. I went back inside to continue my toil. About ten minutes later Jacob and Bella came back home. Bella was being unusually clingy and timid. She eventually got around to telling me that Emily broke her wrist. What? Jacob verified her story. The emergency squad was at Mike & Teri’s where all the kids were jumping on the trampoline. It seems Emily fell while exiting the trampoline and landed oddly on her wrist subsequently breaking it. The kids seemed shell shocked. Mindy soon arrived back home after dropping Olivia. I shared the news with her. She said she saw the squad pulling into our subdivision. She phoned Teri & Mike but got no answer.

Eventually, Mindy lead the kids upstairs for a shower. They needed it, too. They stunk from all the vigorous play. They were tucked in by 9pm like the night before. Jacob was asleep even before I tucked him in. Bella was a different story. Meanwhile, I stayed busy posting to my blog. I had our entire vacation already written in bullet point format. I didn’t change it, either. I figured the pictures would tell the story better than any writing ever could. However, I did cover in greater detail after our arrival home until the present in usual format. I was able to post photos back thru Wednesday. I hope to add a few more later.

Come 9:40pm I was again tired, but also hungry. I wanted some popcorn but found none in the pantry. Mindy offered to go fetch me some. I declined her offer. I settled on a couple fists full of chips and a diet soda. We headed to bed at 10pm sharp. I was eager for a good night’s sleep. Just before heading up, I went outside and powered off the pump.

Like We Never Left ... Almost

It always feels good to return to ones own bed after an extended absence. I woke at 7:15am feeling pretty darn good after a restful night’s sleep in my own bed. Our bed is so darn comfortable. I originally planned to leap out of bed, but Mindy had other ideas. She wanted to snuggle. We laid there in bed until just before 8:30am. She remained in bed after I got up and headed downstairs. Up until then, the kids remained asleep in their rooms. After prepping a pot of coffee, I got started on my calisthenics, which save for my daily push-ups, I skipped while at the beach. My legs ached and were stiff, but I expected as much after the travel and yard work on Saturday. It felt good to work through my usual routine. I leashed up Ykraps, who was waiting anxiously by the front door. We walked westward at a slow pace. I can always tell when he’s spent considerable time with my Dad. He always allows Ykraps to set the pace. I tend to be a bit more impatient. Go figure! After returning from our walk, I quickly poured myself some coffee and then headed back outside to get the pond pump fired up to continue watering my thirsty lawn. Mindy didn’t wake until 9:50am. During my remaining free time, I downloaded Saturday’s pictures and then did some August vacation investigation on the web. Just after Mindy & the kids came downstairs I readied for my run. At the same time, Mindy began making French toast and maple bacon. I already knew my run would be tough. Not only were my legs extra stiff, but the temperature and humidity were high, too. I simply accepted it and headed out hoping to make the best of it. I took my time and battled through the stiffness and heat. I worked up one heck of a sweat. I did the full four miles. I wondered if Mindy would try to meet me at the three mile marker but she didn’t. She spoke of getting in a run today. She never did run on the beach. Our timing was perfect. Mindy had breakfast ready just after I toweled the dripping sweat from my over worked body. The French toast was exceptional. She used real French bread, too. Mindy & the kids spoke of going to the pool. She & I had already discussed the day’s plans. I wouldn’t be going. Instead, I would be staying home tending to the lawn watering and a handful of other lingering tasks – nothing too demanding. In between relocating the sprinkler, I took to the deck in my running shorts to read the final 30 or 40 pages of my Eckhart Tolle book. Mindy & the kids departed while in the midst of reading. They’d be home around 4pm to ready for dinner at her mother’s. I read to within ten pages of being done. And after a short break I thought that I might head back out and finish it up. However, I really wanted to finish the Plasma TV wiring project, too. The HDMI cable I ordered arrived while we were gone. I chose to lay my book aside and finish the wiring. I spent the next hour fishing and attaching the new HDMI cable. It’s important to note, I got this high quality 10’ HDMI cable online for $6.99 + shipping (another $2.49). A similar cable at Circuit City or Best Buy was $80. J It was worth the wait. Not only did I get the HDMI cable attached, but also hooked up the DVD player feed, which I had inadvertently left off the last time I pulled the receiver out to hook up the VCR feed. I chose to kill two birds with one stone. I tested all the various video feeds before declaring the TV ready to be wall mounted. Everything worked! I made a mental note of the various TV/Surround sound receiver settings necessary for each feed, which I hope to document for others to more easily follow. I need to get a hold of a buddy to help me mount it on the wall another day. After finishing with the TV, I headed back out for a little more reading and to relocate the sprinkler. I took care of a few more minor tasks as well. I still didn’t get around to pruning the red maples, a task I’ve been putting off all summer long. Perhaps another day soon. Mindy & the kids arrived home about 20 minutes after 4. I was surprised that she was so late. We typically leave for her mothers by then. Regardless, I was already showered. I tinkered further while she showered and groomed. I sprayed new lawn weeds. It was 91 degrees and still very steamy. We left for Gloria’s by 4:45pm. Mindy said that her summer dinner hours are generally 5pm versus 4:30pm. In her mind, we weren’t late. But if we were late, then so were Jodie and Larry. They arrived just as we pulled up. I was happy to see that. I was good to see the extended family, having not gathered for Sunday dinner for several weeks running. Summer often ends up that way for one reason or another – mostly due to birthday parties, vacations, and other family events. We had chicken – KFC and some Kroger barbeque. In addition, we had pasta salad, cheesy potatoes, and rolls. Delicious! After dinner, Larry & I investigated the moisture problem in the lower level bedroom (Mindy’s old sleeping quarters). The house is a bi-level. The moisture in my opinion is the result of excessive rain water run off. We decided to rip down the old paneling at a later date to get a better view of what’s actually going on. On with dessert. Dessert included chocolate peanut butter fudge and strawberry flan cake. Unlike most others, I had the flan cake. Gloria’s chocolate peanut butter fudge was, and always is, a huge hit with Mindy’s sibs. We were there until 7pm or so. The kids were anxious to get home and so were we. Once we were home, all of us walked Ykraps. The kids had a small window of time to play with the neighbors, too. However, it wasn’t long before Mindy had the kids upstairs for yet another bath & shower. I assisted just like I did on Saturday evening. The kids were in bed by 9pm – late by most measures. Mindy played on her laptop while I watched Family Guy. I hadn’t caught an episode of Family Guy in many moons. This was a funny one! I wasn’t long for the TV, however. By 9:30pm I was dosing hard. I garnered enough energy to head upstairs to bed at 10pm. Mindy soon followed. From bed, I purposefully placed a double stack of pillows under my feet to help relieve some of the strain on my groin and lower back. It seemed to help.

Saturday on Clearwater Beach, CMH, & Barley's

Up at 4am to ready for trip home
crystal clear under a full moon
Run along inter coastal waterway through the lovely residential neighborhood
Mindy up preparing to depart upon my return
Search for rental car documents – Mindy finds in carry-on
Shower, final packing
Depart for airport – fill tank at Hess – barely takes one gallon.
At ticket counter by 5:35am – everything went smoothly
Through security and at gate by 6:10am
Get subs at Quizno’s across from gate C40
Depart at 6:55am
Take off towards Gulf – can see Clearwater beach as we bank northward towards home – take photos
Read & sleep during flight
Land in CMH at 8:50am (10 minutes early)
p/u luggage, head to Blue lot 40B by 9:30am
Home before 10am.
Unpacked, luggage stowed, kids home by 10:40am
Mindy starts laundry – I downloaded vacation photos

... It’s very hot & humid – As lush as the lawn was when we left, it was fading fast. I could tell that we had our first hot & dry week of the summer. Despite my Dad watering the flowers, things were looking mighty thirsty. Also, as predicted, the beaver-damaged maple tree along the pond was beginning to shed its leaves. L

After putting away vacation it was time to get back on the horse. The first order of business was addressing my fledging lawn. I wacked, edged, cut, and blew. Afterwards, I left the tractor out with the trailer attached after picking up on Jacob’s earlier request for a tractor ride. However, he never came calling. I spent the next two hours trimming/pruning shrubs and ivy. At the same time, I hooked up my pond pump and began watering the thirsty lawn.

I kept and eye on Jacob and Jake while Mindy & Bella went grocery shopping. Jake’s mom went shopping, too. Collectively, we elected to visit Barley’s for dinner. Jacob and I were craving hot wings, not to mention some homespun IPA.

After showering up, we left for Barley’s around 6:45pm. And just as expected, there wasn’t much of a crowd at all - probably ten cars in the lot. We selected our own table in the dining area, yet still within eye shot of the bar. I was happy to see that lots of the IPA-Looza guest drafts were still on tap along with Barley’s own Centennial IPA on the tower. I ordered one of those first. Mindy ordered wine, and the kids Sierra Mist and water. Soon, we placed our dinner order. Jacob and I shared 20 wings – ten Gates of Hell and ten K.C. Bar-BQ. Mindy ordered a Barely burger, and Bella, grilled cheese.

We were there just about 1.5 hrs. The kids suggested a bike ride when we got home. We all went. Bella rode neighbor Makayla’s bike complete with training wheels. Neighbor Jake joined us too. Bella did great with the training wheels. However, that’s not to say that she didn’t have a couple of meltdowns along the way. It’s hard to blame her though. She’s never done anything quite like that before. We rode to the neighborhood park and then back home, making a large loop. We got back home just before dark. Mindy and I agreed that it’s time to get Bella her own bike.

The kids informed Mindy that Jimaken hadn’t bathed them the entire time they were with him. Their last bath was on Tuesday, although they had been swimming a time or two. Still, Mindy was appalled and started a bath for Bella soon after we headed inside. At the same time, I got Jacob going in our shower. Soon the kids were tucked into their own beds for the first time since last Thursday, or July 10th. They were both happy about that.

Since this was my last vacation night, I decided to make myself a rum punch. Mindy was tired and subsequently denied herself the pleasure of joining me. She headed up to bed instead near 10:30pm. I stayed up for while sipping my drink and watching some mindless TV. In fact, I can’t remember what I watched. I fell asleep in the chair, but eventually woke and headed up to bed around 11:15pm.

Friday on Clearwater Beach

Up at 7:15am - sunny
Run at 8:20am
Run north far as I could go – private marina no beach access
Run back to access
Shelling on beach – legs stiff

Find nine sand dollars
Mindy & Glenn just up upon my return
Strawberries coffee breakfast
Beach early 10:30am
Bright sunny – the best beach day!
Glenn not on beach until 12noon.
He and I walk back at 1pm
Make sandwich for Glenn – water
Take Glenn to Sand Pearl Resort for airport pick-up 1:40pm
Said our goodbyes
Back to room make sandwiches for Jimindy – rum punch
Return to beach Mindy – still sunny!
Walk, beach, swim till 4pm walk back swim rinse
Pina coladas
Pack 4:40 – 5:45pm
Called Teresa arranged for deposit return
Headed to Frenchy’s Rock-Away Café for dinner
Mud Slide at bar
Dinner outdoors (crowded as usual)
Shared the grouper, shrimp, scallops, crab cake platter
Walk beach, photo last sunset, souvenirs
Return to room at 9:45pm – one last drink – to bed

Thursday on Clearwater Beach

Sunny AM – breakfast Clear Sky Big Bang
Run at 8am – run north
Beach by noon
Sunny – Sam Adams – Glenn gets ice
Jimindy go shelling gone 2 hrs – lots of good ones
Glenn drinks lots of beach beer
Mindy returns to condo early – reservation for Calypso Queen dinner cruise
Marina at 6pm – departs 7pm
Cruise Clearwater bay
Beautiful sunset, dinner, drinks, dolphins, pictures
Walk new beachwalk home
Pina colada’s

Wednesday on Clearwater Beach

Cloudy AM
Run
Clear Sky breakfast after trying Alex’s on south beach – very dirty
Cloudy most of the day – however, brief sunshine - still tanning on beach
Snorkel
Mindy sleeps until 2pm
Shells
Beach until 6pm
Dinner at Crabby Bill’s Bairdi crab ... again
Souvenir shops