Ride Like the Wind

The sun was shining brightly early Sunday morning. And don’t think for a minute that it didn’t help improve/enhance my outlook. I was quite happy to see the brilliant blue skies and long shadows cast across the backyard landscape. I wasn’t sure if Mindy intended on waking for church as she suggested last night, but held off asking for another hour or so.

Downstairs, I exercised, walked Ykraps, and then took to both of my computers (work & home). Work looked good, so I was able to dedicate about an hour to writing in my blog. After a couple of cups of coffee I was ready to run. However, before hand, I ventured upstairs with Mindy’s coffee to ask if she was going to church. She asked if the kids were up. They weren’t, so she said she wasn’t.

I left for my run feeling quite good, although my legs were completely out of gas. Once again, I ran just three miles. What a chump! I felt totally spent once I got back home. I definitely wasn’t myself, or my ‘old’ self. Back at home, I worked hard to tidy up some of last night’s clutter left behind after getting home late from Bobby’s. Mindy was up a short time later and we all spent a little time on the deck. Mindy & the kids spoke of heading to the pool. Once again, I didn’t feel so swift so I took it easy. Hoqwever, I did muster the energy to put another coat of paint on the front door and then lightly sand the drywall patching job.

Mindy & the kids left for the pool around 12:30-1pm. I took a brief nap before taking on more chores. I woke feeling much better. First, I drained and refilled the deck fountain. Not only was the water green, but there was so much bird seed in it that little plants began growing and clogging the pump. We’ll most likely have to move the bird feeder, no matter how entertaining it’s been. That was a quick job with instant dividends. It looks so nice all clean and fresh.

Next, I moved back inside to paint the drywall patch job. I needed only to add a smidge of texture beforehand so it wouldn’t look patched against the rest of the wall. I used the small 4” paint roller again. It worked perfectly. An hour later you couldn’t tell from any angle. Cool! Next, I did a light touch up of the front door against sun light. That should put closure to that.

I spent the next hour cleaning up project mess. I carried all my tools and supplies back to their respective homes and vacuumed up any remaining drywall dust. Now, once we get the HDMI cable, we can hang the TV on wall. Wahoo! I celebrated with a glass of lemonade. I listened to the Muffs CD while I toiled.

It was 3pm. I still had plenty of time. I decided to wash the BM’er. It needed it after driving it in the rain the last two times. While cleaning the BM’er, I listened to the Ric Edelman show. He always makes me feel better about the state of the fickle stock market, which is currently going the wrong direction. This, of course, impacts my pursuit of financial freedom, or more accurately stated, a care-free retirement. I enjoyed washing the BM’er in the sunshine and summery temps. Just before putting her away, I checked the tire pressure, something I hadn’t done in maybe two years. Good thing I did. I was running with 20 PSI in all four. Not sure how that happened. The manufacturer recommends 29PSI. I thought the handling had degenerated some, and now I knew why. I fixed that in a jiffy with my cheap little 12v air pump. My neighbor spotted me and quickly offered up the use of his ‘real’ air compressor. I thanked him but declined. I was fine using my little pump. She looked good when I put her away.

Next, I watered the front yard flowers. That didn’t take too long. I accomplished what seemed like a ton of nagging to dos. This pleased me much. The only other task that I really wanted to get done but didn’t was trimming the red maples shading the deck. That can happen later. For now, I was satisfied. I did one more special little task, which was getting Jacob’s old red bike down from the garage ceiling. The tires needed air and several of the nuts needed tightened. In addition, I lubed the chain and axles just for good measure. I hoped Jacob would be up for giving it a try later.

Mindy & the kids were home a short time later. I was excited for her to recognize all I’d done. But somehow it didn’t seem as big a deal once I shared all my news. She gave me the praise that I craved just the same. That’s another reason why I love her. Not long after she arrived, so did her mother, who was dining with us. She brought along her chocolate pie recipe. I’ll be making one or four very soon. We were grilling filets and corn-on-the-cob. I started the grill then ducked out onto the deck to rest my tired bones on the chaise lounger. My body ached all over once more. Geesh! I eventually caved and took an 800mg Ibuprofen. It didn’t take long for that bad boy to kick in. I feel like two different people when I take those. Mindy’s desire was that I pan sear the filets on the skillet first. That’s a trick we learned from Cameron Mitchell’s website. It makes a huge difference, sealing in the juices and creating a slightly crisp on the outer layer while leaving the inside very pink and juicy. Yum-yum! They turned out perfectly, our best in a while.

Gloria, as she often does, requested only a hot dog. And what’s more, she prefers them burnt. I honored her request. Bella is sure maturing if her eating habits are any indication. She insisted on filet, whereas just a few months ago, she wouldn’t touch it. Always pizza or a hotdog. Jacob, predictably, insisted on chicken. Mindy broke her rule, which says, if you don’t want what we’re preparing for dinner then one’s only other option is cereal. The kids know the drill well. This time, however, Mindy explained that she had promised him as much while they were at the pool. She simply forgot to defrost it. She did that just as the filets were coming off the grill. In fact, I had it shut down. I had to fire it back up to cook his chicken breast. No biggie, I guess.

Dinner was scrumptious! Enjoyed every bite. For my money, not a better steak anywhere. We cleaned up in a jiffy. Soon Mindy sliced up the turtle pie for dessert. We all partook, even one of the neighbors’ kids. Soon after, I asked Jacob if he was up to trying out his old bike. Mind you, this was the same bike that has foiled his every attempt in years past. However, I had a hunch that he might just be ready, especially after demonstrating balance on the tiny girls’ bike that Dad brought over. Mindy gave me a look of despair as he and I set out, almost as if she hurt for what she was certain would be yet another failed attempt. With little fanfare, Jacob hopped on his lil’ red bike and took off, at first just coasting. With very little prompting, I encouraged him to try peddling. He rode away like a pro ... well, not quite, but you get the picture. Before going for the others, I wanted him to feel more comfortable. I sat on the driveway and quietly applauded his biking prowess. He did it three more times before I encouraged him to head further up the slight upgrade for a better, longer ride. As he toted it up the walk, I retrieved Mindy & Gloria, who were still chatting on the deck. They came quickly but also quietly, being careful not to redirect his focus. As expected, he struggled with a crowd watching on, but only for an instant. Soon he was zooming further and further along, almost making it halfway up the slight hill towards Pat & Lisa’s court. Yeah, they own one!

Mindy was excited and eventually got her own bike out after Gloria left for home. She and Jacob were going to ride together, mother & son! Right! Mindy darted off in front of Jacob unaware of his situation, which didn’t work out so well. What’s worse, I wasn’t watching either. Oops! When I finally searched the horizon for his biking silhouette, I eventually saw him laying down crying and holding his knee. Uh-oh! I ran to his side in aid, but he seemed more disappointed than anything else. He threw his helmet aside in disgust just like many times past, but quickly regained his composure and returned for more biking. I was proud that he returned rather than throw in the towel. I mean, hey, a kid’s bound to fall a time or two. I did.

He biked for another 30 minutes. And when the night was called, he was eager to get inside to call his Daddy, my Dad (grandpa), and his uncle Larry. This was indeed a banner day for Jacoby – a passing into manhood

Mindy got the kids bathed. And by comparison, both kids were very well behaved and eager to please through the entire process. Jacob was still riding the high of learning to ride his bike.

I remember looking at the clock at 9:22pm and telling Mindy that I was going to bed. I really wanted her to come too, but she was glued to her laptop playing solitaire. She eventually joined me about 50 minutes later. I was still awake watching TV. Couldn’t sleep.