Turkey Day II

I knew that I had to be up by 8am in order to have the turkey in the oven no later than 9:00am. I woke a time or two after 6:00am but didn’t get up for good until 7:30am. Like always, I started a pot of coffee and completed my exercise routine. Unfortunately, I was still feelin’ queasy. But there was no time for slackin’. I’d simply have to battle through it however bad it got. I was frustrated to see that it had rained during the early predawn hours. Somehow I let five days of sunshine pass without getting the lawn furniture stowed. Now, I’d have to wait for another lengthy dry spell. Good grief! I may never get that stuff stowed. A check of the radar confirmed that even heavier rain was on the way. Hum bug! As soon as Ykraps and I were back from our walk, I had to get started on stuffing the bird. Speaking of the bird, it was 24 lbs and needed upwards of 5.5 hours to cook fully stuffed. My stuffing recipe calls for chunks of apple, sausage, celery, and red onion. Years past I’ve also added hot peppers and walnuts but left both out this year. It took about 45 minutes to get the ingredients cooked, sautéed, and mixed. It was 9:20am by the time the bird went in the oven. Ahh, a brief moment to relax! But realistically, I could relax for just a few short minutes. I still had to run, and do so much more prior to 2pm. As luck would have it, the rain began coming down much harder just as I was changing into my running attire. Given the way I felt, running in the rain didn’t excite me like it sometimes can. I checked the radar again. There wasn’t a break in site for at least an hour. I couldn’t wait. I chose to deal with it. My hi-tech gear keeps me fairly dry. Once I had a quarter mile under my belt my body temperature overcame the chilly, wet rain. Aside from being a little damp, I was fine. The rain began to lighten just about the time I finished. I was going to throw my wet gear in the dryer but opted to give it its weekly washing instead. Mindy seconded that idea. I belly ached about my upset tummy thru the rest of the morning an early afternoon. Meanwhile, the turkey was coming along just fine. We struggled with the logistics of feeding 16 comfortably. We have two folding tables in addition to our kitchen table, but wanted to avoid using our nice dining room stuff (don’t ask – that’s just how it is). Seating was the big problem. We were short about 4 chairs. Mindy eventually borrowed 6 from our neighbors. Problem solved. Mindy handled the mashed potatoes and green bean casserole while I managed the turkey, stuffing and gravy. We cheated on the gravy mixing store bought jar gravy with drippings from the bird. Tommy was the first guest to arrive. He and Mindy fetched the neighbor’s extra chairs even after I insisted she let me get ‘em. By then, things were falling into place. However, the final preparation is always the most stressful. The bird was done about 45 minutes early. I double checked by inserting our own meat probe. It was 175 degrees. Perfect! Not only was this the biggest bird that I’ve ever cooked but also the juiciest. Call me suspicious but I’m guessing my bird was secretly taking steroids. Everyone who was expected arrived within 30 minutes of one another. Unfortunately, I was feeling worse and worse. But bowing out or lying down just wasn’t an option. I had to suck it up and smile. I did my level best to maintain a happy, pleasant demeanor. All this lovely food and I wasn’t hungry in the least. We encouraged the parents to prepare their children’s plates first. That worked relatively well. Soon the adults were filling theirs. It was a bit chaotic but at the same time fun. Meanwhile, our house was trashed, at least from its usual state. We used festive paper plates so clean up was a bit easier. We served dessert after the initial mess was discarded. I ate none. Unable to keep on going, I retired to the sofa to stare off into space. I really needed a nap. Through it all, there were several dysfunctional moments, but nothing we weren’t prepared for. Courtney always gets antsy when Shelly comes to pick-up Kaileigh and then stays to visit. But we like Shelly and consider her extended family. But nothing tops Uncle Chucks hot purple ski jacket with bright orange and pink stripes. He and mom bicker like an old married couple. It’s cute, really. Stephen, Olivia’s daddy, was there with Ashley. He was pleasant, just as he often is around family. Guests started leaving around 6pm. But our fun was just beginning. This date also marked the arrival of Lil’ Rocky & Landon, who would be staying with us for an undetermined amount of time. Despite feeling poorly, I was much looking forward to the Vikings game kicking off at 8:30pm. I planned to be comfortably into my pajamas and lounging on the sofa by then. I helped Mindy best I could with organizing the kids. Meanwhile, we were expecting ex-Kelly to stop by to drop some old & new clothes for both kids. She seemed giddy to be getting her home back. But who could blame her. She must’ve shown up around 7pm. She agreed to give Courtney a ride home. The kids were settled into bed just before kick-off of SNF. I was hopeful that the Vikings would play well. You never know which version’s going to show up. The game didn’t begin too well. We found ourselves behind 7-0. Soon, however, it was 7-3 after an awesome Adrian Peterson 59 yard romp. But just like that the Vikings turned the ball over and allowed the Bears to drive to the one yard line. It looked like we’d be down 14-3 in a jiffy. Nope! After an incredible goal line stand, the Vikings offense scored on a 99 yard pass play to take the lead. Boom! They never trailed again. In fact, they kept playing stronger. Vikings won 34-14. Very nice! I went to bed happy!

Take No Lip From Punks

This was a silent Saturday, a Saturday when both Mindy & I could sleep as late as we wanted. For me, sleeping late is anything past 8am. For Mindy, I am guessing, that would be anything past 10am. The only hard coded morning event on either schedule was Mindy’s 11am haircut. I was up around 8am and still feeling queasy. As it turned out, I did most of my sleeping last night on the sofa after tossing and turning in bed. I was insanely thirsty too and must’ve drunk three or four full glasses of water through the night. Whatever was ailing me, was obviously dehydrating me too. Mindy was up before 9am. There were a handful of events that needed to take place today. For one, I had to bake two pies for tomorrow’s Wright family TG day feast. Secondly, I intended to hang that last set of icicle lights and finally put that project behind me. Plus, there was still the unfinished outdoor winterization needing completed. Most notably, the deck furniture cushions & umbrella needed stowed, and the fountain needed dismantled and stowed. These smallish tasks would’ve already been completed had I not been battling this ongoing queasiness. Lastly, something I’ve been looking forward to for about three months, Mindy & I would be going to see the Muff Bros/Money reunion show this evening at the Newport. Sick or not, I was determined to go. After taking a Tagament and some Acetaminophen I felt pretty good. In kind, it helped make my run more pleasurable. It was cold but also very sunny. Mindy was off getting her hair cut and running a handful of other errands. I had the home all to myself for a few hours. During that span of time, I started work on both pies. I sprinkled in a couple brief naps, too. I couldn’t finish the chocolate pie until Mindy got back. We needed another can of evaporated milk. I opted to forego the substitution thing this go round. Since I had some idle time, I hung the last set of icicle lights from the garage gutter return. When done, I powered everything off the timer. It was official. We were lit for the holidays. J Mindy got home around 3pm. She had another car load of stuff to carry in. I got immediately busy on the chocolate pie and finished just before 5pm. As often happens during stay-at-home vacations, the days are starting to slip by faster and faster. Where had the day gone? Darkness was setting in and I still hadn’t finished the yard winterization. I was ready to collapse. Not to be denied, I found my way to the sofa where I stole an hour’s rest. Meanwhile, I hadn’t yet showered, but needed one badly. That was my next task. The steaming hot shower felt incredibly good. It brought my tired body to life. Mindy took one after me, mostly just to rinse/wash those tiny hair clippings that inevitably remain after a haircut. Doors at the Newport opened at 8pm. I wanted to be there then. Neither of us had eaten much. In fact, the only thing I remember eating was some of the chocolate from the pie filling. Mindy really wanted to stop and eat first. Unfortunately, even though I was hungry, my appetite just wasn’t there. We decided to wait. We took 315 to Lane Ave to High St. Neither of us could readily recall the cross street for the Newport. It was further south than I remembered it being. All though we didn’t know it at the time, we parked for free in the student union garage. The doors had yet to open as we approached the historical venue. I hadn’t seen the inside of the Newport for several years. I’m going to guess that the last was when me, brother Glenn, and Joe Dooley went to see Todd Rundgren. If correct, that would’ve been Xmas time ’95. Mindy ran into an old friend waiting in line outside. After waiting less than five minutes the doors opened. I was a little surprised to find that they only accepted cash for tickets – no credit/debit cards. I was even more surprised to find a sign at the bar stating the same – cash only. It’s not uncommon for me & Mindy to be cashless. Lucky for us, we each had a cash stash. The place was largely unchanged. After a little sight seeing, I greeted Rusty Ranney, a guy I grew up with, who was managing the light show. Rusty now owns Live Technologies, a nationally recognized, full-service live events production company. Talk about somebody who made their life’s passion into a very successful business. I was happy to see that t-shirts commemorating the event were available for $15. I’d probably buy one, but not right away. I thought that I recognized the kids manning the t-shirt stand. They looked just like Tom Weisend, the band’s founder, guitarist and singer. Yep! They confirmed that Tom was their daddy. We were expecting my old buddies, John Vereb and Joe Dooley to arrive anytime. They showed after another ten minutes or so. Rusty had already confirmed for me that Steve Sines wouldn’t be part of the show. He apparently never followed through on contacting John D. as requested. For this I was bummed. The show began around 9:00pm. They opened with an old Money tune and then played a bunch of stuff off their newest CD, Money Killz. I wasn’t familiar with any of those songs, but a couple had that same Muff Bros sound that I loved so much. For readers that don’t know, they were big in Columbus in 1980 about the same time as the Godz & Rosie. Without question, they were the big three. I’d guess these guys are a bit older than me by a few years putting them in the early 50’s. They looked great and sounded good. At the outset, Tom said they’d be playing some Muff songs during the second set. That’s why I came! During break, I ran into an old friend, Amy Adams. First, I spotted a guy wearing a CompuServe jacket so I asked him if he worked there. He said he didn’t but that his sister once did. Who’s your sister, I asked. Amy Adams, he replied. I’ve known Amy for 20 years. He ushered Mindy & I over to her whereabouts. It was nice to hook-up with Amy. Her ex-husband, Mark Adams, became a very close friend of mine when the two of us worked together at Time Warner. He eventually left and went to CompuServe. He and Amy got me on at CompuServe. Sadly, Mark passed away last summer. Until tonight, that’s the last time that I had seen Amy. However briefly, Amy used to date Tom, the guitar player prior to meeting Mark. I’ve digressed... The second set was incredible! I loved every minute of it. The only thing that would’ve made it better would’ve been seeing/hearing Steve Sines doing the vocals like only he could. However, I must say, Tom did a damn good job of it. They played many of my Muff Bros. faves, Starmaker, With These Eyes, No Lip from Punks, and an old Tubes tune, White Punks on Dope – great show! I bought a t-shirt (cash-only) on our way out the door. Both of us were now literally starving. We passed the new Apollo’s (just north of the Newport) as we came in. We promised to stop in for a gyro if they were still open afterwards. They were. I assumed this was the same Apollo’s only relocated from 25 years ago after spotting what looked like the old owner but 30 years younger through the window as we walked to the Newport earlier. Inside, I confirmed as much. We laughed about it some, as did two of his buddies, who also worked there. Perfect campus evening – Muff’s concert and a gyro. Just like old times! We crossed the street to the parking garage and headed for home. I mentioned to Mindy as we headed off that I felt a sense of wholeness/completeness after seeing the show. Sometimes, it’s the little things. Musically, the only thing that could top this would be a Pink Floyd concert. Speaking of which, rumor has it that it just might happen in ’09, albeit without Richard Wright, who just recently passed away (Sept ’08).

Up on the Roof Top...

After a decent night’s sleep I woke around 7:30am to begin my day. Still hanging on was that undeniable queasiness in the pit of my stomach. It’s been there for the past two days, but has yet to completely knock me down. I wanted it to simply go away, but would settle for it not getting any worse. For like the third day in a row, there were crystal clear blue skies overhead. Telling, was the blanket of frost covering everything. It was cold – mid 20s. I did what I normally do to begin each day. I started some coffee then began my exercise regiment. The sit-ups went OK but the push-ups and curls took their toll on my tummy. I had to take a few minutes of rest between the two sets. Ugh! Soon, Ykraps and I were out on our walk. He still didn’t seem to have all of his faculties about him. I knew, too, that he hadn’t eaten very much. I hoped that he’d snap out of it soon. He actually seemed to get better while walking. Perhaps the cool air helped him too. It sure helped me. Back at the house Mindy and the kids remained in bed. I was careful not to wake anyone sooner than necessary. While sipping some coffee I reviewed my mental to-do list. Despite feeling poorly, I really wanted to get those icicle lights up today. Plus, if I could squeeze in some yard winterization work that would be perfect. But feeling as I did, my motivation and energy were kaput. Even the thought of doing my daily run left me feeling uneasy. Of course, not running wasn’t even an option – unnegotiable! Eventually Mindy & the children were up. Meanwhile, I went back and forth between playing on the PC to lying on the sofa. I delayed my run until about 9:40am. As I told Mindy when I finished, I ran on pure will. There wasn’t an ounce of me that felt up to it. In kind, I worked up one hell of a sweat. I frittered most of the middle day away doing absolutely nothing. It’s really quite sad. Meanwhile, Mindy continued her indoor Xmas decorating project. After an afternoon nap I finally mustered enough energy to start on the icicle lights. Before heading out, I opened and stretched a set across the living room floor to see how much reshaping, if any, would be necessary. As suspected, they weren’t hanging gracefully at all. I asked for Mindy’s help. She’s far better at such painstaking tasks. After an hour or so I bundled warmly for the cooler than expected temps. Originally, they forecasted highs similar to TG day’s (mid 40s), but it definitely wasn’t there yet. Plus, being out front, there was no sunshine striking me making it feel even colder, not to mention being borderline ill. Eventually, I shook off the funk and the cold and got moving. This would be the first time in fifteen years that I would hang lights from the roof line. It’s something I’ve considered a time or two but never did. I bought special plastic clips that were designed to attach to gutters and/or under shingles. I paid a little extra for the higher quality clips ($10 for 75). I hoped they’d do the trick. Actually, I had already experimented with them when I hung the wreath from the apex of the garage. I did a run along the garage roof gutters first. That went better, easier than expected. In fact, I had the garage peak done in les than 30 minutes. However, working my way towards the electric source, I realized two things. First, I would be a half set short of making the full run. In hindsight, if I had worked from the electric source out, I would’ve had just the right amount of lights with two sets running out where the roof meets the eave. The second thing was that I had a female plug at each end. How in the hell did that happen? I was confused for just a second. I inadvertently plugged the end-to-end into the back of the male end of the second set without realizing it. I had no choice but to remove and turn around an entire set. Damn! That wasn’t so easy, and of course it would be the set intertwined in the English Ivy. For a brief second I contemplated taking both sets down to eliminate the need for an additional half set but didn’t. We’d just have to buy another set of 150 lights, or only ten foot long. I thought the upper peak/second tier would go smoother. After all, much of it is a straight gutter line. It didn’t. It was a harrowing experience to say the least. The only practical way to do it was to get on the roof. That meant lugging the ladder around to the deck and climbing onto the roof. No problem, right?. I filled my pockets with clips and had Mindy bring me two sets of lights that we pre-warmed and stretched. I carefully made my way up to the roof top and out to the gutter line. Because my house sits on a hill it seems much higher than two stories. Yikes! I went back and forth between adding a clip and installing a length of lights moving about four feet at a time. The biggest trouble was straightening the light sets while resting on the pitched roof. Plus, with icicle lights, you’ve got to straighten the individual strands with your fingers. That left me hanging over the roof, something I didn’t care to do. I asked myself more than once just what in the hell I was doing up there. Was it worth the danger? Hardly! Adding an extra element of excitement was the small but steep gable in the center of the roof line. That proved more difficult than any other. I had to skooch out there from the roof’s very peak, and then stretch to install the clips and lights. While at the very pinnacle of the roof, Jimaken arrived to pick-up the kids for their weekend with daddy. I eventually completed my task but not before reducing myself to a monkey and not before putting myself in harms way. I felt foolish. If I do it again, I would install all of the clips first. But before that, I am already dreading taking them down. The last part was powering up the lights. For this, I ran an extension cord up the back side of a gutter using tie-wraps. You could hardly see the power source. That went well. I then connected the icicle lights into the dusk-to-dawn timer. It was still daylight but I got a sense of how well it looked. As I mentioned earlier, we need to pick-up another 10’ set to complete the job. And since Mindy was heading out for some late Black Friday shopping, I asked if she would do the honors. I was originally planning to go along but was again overcome with nausea. She gave me a hall pass to stay home and rest. Bless you, Mindy. Mindy was gone for a couple of hours. She phoned once to let me know that she couldn’t find the150 light icicle light set. All they had were the 300 light sets. I asked if she was up for trying another Target. I spent time resting on the sofa but never fell asleep. Mindy got home around 7:15pm. While out, she decided to grocery shop. I helped carry in everything. She went to another Target after all. She found a 150 icicle light set. The only difference was that this set was a name brand & HD (heavy duty). That would work. Since it was already dark, I set them aside until tomorrow. Despite feeling poorly, Mindy & I still planned to spend our evening at Barley’s. Crazy, I know. Although, I knew that after a beer I’d feel pretty good. Plus, I was craving protein, and more specifically, a Barely burger. After the groceries were put away and after a change of clothes we left for Barley’s. Barley’s was thinly populated, but no thinner than expected for the day after TG. Diedra was working the bar. Steve Won was in, as was Tim and a couple of his yuppy biker peeps. I ordered an IPA while Mindy went with a Cup of Joe (coffee stout). We ordered some wings to share as an appetizer and then each ordered a burger. Just as our food arrived I noticed that I had a rare voicemail from ex-Kelly. And given the recent drama Mindy insisted I call her back right away. What could it be? She was very cordial through our conversation. Bottom line, she wanted to know if we would be willing to take Landon and Rocky temporarily, just as we had originally planned. Without giving it further thought I assured her that we would. There were many details yet to be worked out, and Kelly wanted a few assurances, which I agreed to discuss at length later. In the end, this entire scenario is unfolding much like I thought it might. After hanging up the call and returning to my seat I filled Mindy in on the conversation. I could see both a sense of joy & relief in her eyes. The burger hit the spot but I could eat only about a third of it. Despite the craving, I haven’t had much of an appetite since Tuesday. Through our visit, Mindy had one beer, I had two. Feeling content, we left for home even before 10pm. By the time we got home and into bed I was feeling nauseous again. I may have failed to mention it, but coupled with the nausea has been a lack of good, uninterrupted sleep.

We're Talking Turkey!

Thanksgiving Day was ushered in with clear blue skies. And because I slept in until 7:45am, it was already daylight when I got up. Early on at least, I treated the day as any other. I put on a pot of coffee then began my exercise routine in earnest. Unfortunately, I still had that queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach, but it wasn’t anything that would allow to hold me back. I headed out with Ykraps around 8:10am. By any measure, it was a lovely TG morning. Sure, it was chilly but the brilliant sunshine more than made up for it. It was in the upper 20s. Bella was up and waiting for me at the door when the dog and I returned from our walk. She was bored given that Jacob spent the night with his daddy and her momma was still sleeping. Mindy wasn’t much longer, however. She was downstairs before 8:30am. We were expecting Jimaken and Jacob between 9:30-10:00am to pick-up Bella. They’d be spending the first half of TG day with Jimaken and his family. Mindy made some Pillsbury Cinnamon rolls. Around 9:30am we tuned into the Macy’s TG Day parade already in progress. However, I watched very little. Immediately noticeable was the sunny weather there too. I stuck around the house until about 9:50am when I finally dressed and left for my run. Jimaken & Jacob pulled up just as I was dashing off. I greeted them warmly before running. I ran along Trabue and Hague. I was surprised to see that there were a few hard nosed golfers out for some TG day golf even though the temperature was still sub freezing. The roads were barren. That made my run that much safer, easier. I didn’t see dad’s minivan in the drive. He must’ve been out to breakfast or something. I was back home by about 10:30am. Meanwhile, Mindy was busy decorating for Xmas. After a couple cups of coffee and a nap, I decided to put up more holiday lights. I wanted to get lights installed on the tall Blue Spruce out front. I bought 800 HD white lights exclusively for the job. I alerted Mindy that I might need her help after I got situated. Before getting started, I retrieved my homemade Xmas-light raising pole that I made probably 5-6 years ago. The only trouble with that was, the tree’s grown another ten feet sine. Needing more length, I had to think fast. What to do? Then it came to me. I fetched a 10’ piece of ¾” conduit from the shed. After a little duct tape the Xmas light raising pole was 8' foot longer (2' was overlapped for taping). That worked well except that the pole, when fully extended bent like a fishing rod. Not to be detoured, I stretched two sets of lights end-to-end (400 lights) with an extension cord temporarily powering them on while I installed them. I simply wanted to make sure that they worked prior to placing them on the tree. I also got my extension ladder out and strategically placed it against the house just east of the tree, and then placed my 6’ step ladder just to its west. I went to the door to ask for Mindy’s help. She came out and served as my hey-you, which is a job she does admittedly well. She does a excellent job of taking direct orders under pressure. We struggled at the outset as I tried weaving the lights with my 30’ pole fully extended around the top of the tree. It wouldn't quite reach, plus it kept bending. I ended up having to climb the extension ladder about ten foot up to harness more control. As one might expect, the job got easier as we moved lower on the tree. We purposefully avoided completely circling/wrapping the tree. Instead we zig-zagged back and forth. This not only made the job easier but conserved lights as well. We had just the right amount of lights to finish the job. I was very pleased with the outcome and our team work. Perhaps tomorrow we’ll work on the icicle lights. By the time everything was put away, it was time to get in the shower and ready for TG dinner at Gloria’s. We showered and readied for dinner over the course of the next 45 minutes. We left for Gloria’s about 15 minutes later than originally planned. However, as it turned out, we were still the second group to arrive. Our contribution was a chocolate pie and cheese tray. Brother Craig suggested we all bring our favorite beverage, which is something that doesn’t occur too often at Gloria’s. In fact, I can’t recall it happening ever. Mindy brought a bottle of Yellow Tail. I was going to bring my jug of Barley’s IPA but changed my mind last second. Instead, I poured some Jack Daniels into my ski flask (a used cough syrup bottle). This way, I could sip my Diet Coke like always & get a buzz at the same time all while staying off Gloria’s shit list. Of course this assumes I am not already on it. J Brilliant! Everyone eventually showed save for the two fireman who were on duty. Year’s past, they’ve managed to escape for an hour or two to eat but today they were said to be shorthanded thus wouldn’t be able to get away. Dr Craig showed up with flu shots. And since I missed last month’s opportunity, I took full advantage of this one. This would be my first flu shot ever. I passed up the opportunity last year and ended up getting the flu. I wasn’t willing to risk it again. In addition to the usual family members, Pat & Mel were there too. We typically see them each TG and Easter. They looked happy & healthy. Dinner was served somewhere near 4:30-5:00pm. Gloria did a wonderful job prepping everything. Having done it myself several times, I know it takes a lot of work. Her efforts weren’t lost on me. If I am not mistaken, there were 17 of us. Dinner was delicious. I was careful not to over eat. I had seconds of stuffing only. After dinner and clean-up we played Apples to Apples. There must’ve been 12 of us playing. That made it much more interesting. We had a lot of fun with it. In the end, Craig won. He and Joe were eerily in sync. After a little family time, it was time for TG dessert. We all returned to the dining room for our choice of nut bread, chocolate, or pumpkin pie. I had chocolate pie. It was quite tasty. Word had it that the pumpkin was good too. We stayed at Gloria’s until after 8pm – much later than usual. The kids were tired and getting cranky. But all in all, they were very well behaved. We arrived home to the first citing of our newly installed Xmas lights. They are on a dusk-to-dawn timer. They looked nice. Plus, it made the kids happy. Jacob & I walked Ykraps. It was quite chilly once again. Something was amiss with Ykraps. He didn’t seem to have all of his marbles. I suspect he might’ve had a seizure prior to us arriving home. He seemed lost and confused. Poor Ykraps. Soon the kids were in bed and Mindy & I had a chance to relax a little. We didn’t stay up too late, though. I’ll bet we were in bed by 10pm.

No Rocky & Landon

I couldn’t wait to get up and out of bed Wednesday morning. There was just so much that I looked forward to getting done. Sadly, the only thing that stood in my way was an upset stomach, headache, and nausea. Ugh! I never did beat that sick feeling that hit me just after scaling seven floors of stairs the night before in the Ohio Theatre parking garage. I must’ve woken to pee about four times in the middle of the night. The last time I wisely took a couple of Advil. I felt considerably better come 8am when I finally rolled out of bed. Good thing, I was worried that I’d be ill the first day of having Lil’ Rocky & Landon, making Mindy’s day that much more difficult. Plus, there was the yard work and baking of pies I really needed to get done. There simply wasn’t time or room to be sick. After some exercise I felt a little better, but not perfect by any stretch. It wasn’t long before Mindy & the kids joined me downstairs. The cold air hitting my face while walking Ykraps did a world of good. Mainly, my stomach felt a tad uneasy, but the rest of me was fine. I survived the scare. Lindsey told us that she’d be dropping Landon at 9am. Mindy hurried with a few last minute prep things she wanted done before their arrival. Mindy was scheduled to pick Rocky up from school at 11am. She planned to talk with Mrs Dent at that time, and then run to Target to fetch some things to make the start of their extended stay that much easier. I chose to hold off on my run until Lindsey stopped by. 9:00am came and went. We checked our phones for messages around 9:10am. There was a message from Lindsey saying that her mother decided to keep the kids. Mindy and I were both disappointed. Not because the kids were with Kelly but because we both knew that would simply lead to more of the same. After all, this was go round number four. Furthermore, Kelly most likely did this not out of love but likely out of spite. Mindy called Kelly to measure the exact details. Kelly was her direct and her usual abrasive self. So, it now appeared that Lindsey would be in detox for three or four days only to return home to the same old routine – vindictive mother, kids to care for, no job, no time to heal. Soon, like before, she’d be right back at it. Very sad. We felt our plan offered so much hope. And ironically Lindsey seemed to think so too. She was eager to have the extended time to heal. I didn’t let it bother me as much as it bothered Mindy. She was sad. I hung my hat knowing that everything happens for a reason and everything in due time. If it’s meant to be then it will be - period! Mindy called Talbot seeking a conversation with Lindsey. I set out on my run. It was cold but warming. In fact, if the weatherman was correct, it would be the warmest day in a couple of weeks. We were expecting the mid 40’s with sunshine! Wahoo! I ran my normal route through the subdivision. My run went well. After my run I ate a few nuts and poured myself another cup of coffee. I was beat. I took a nap in the recliner with the heating massage pillow going. I didn’t have the energy or motivation necessary to carry out all of my tasks. That scared me because I had lots I needed to do. After waking, I forced myself outside to finish raking the backyard. I didn’t feel miserable, just tired, lethargic, and perhaps a tad queasy. Once I had the cool air and sunshine in my face I began to snap out of it. Before raking, I pulled all of the spent tomato plants. Next, I raked all the new leaf fall out of the flower beds surrounding the deck then raked the last red maple’s droppings lying in the yard into a heaping pile. I fetched my 9X12’ tarp from the back of my Trooper to carry the debris off to the compost pile. I made quick work of the leaves. Suddenly, my motivation was back. I decided to get out both mowers to give the backyard a once over – not so much to give it a cut but more to mulch any remaining leaves. By now the temperature had warmed into the 40’s, and with the brilliant sunshine it actually felt warm. I took this opportunity to add fuel stabilizer to both mowers so any gas left after today’s mowing wouldn’t turn to varnish. The mowing went exceptionally well. The yard looked deceptively summery afterwards. I took a couple of pictures. After dealing with the lawn, I topped off the hot tub using the hose used to water the new grass via the pond pump. I didn’t think to let the water run for a bit before sinking it into the tub. There was lots of dirt and debris from the pond in the long length of hose. Now, all of that was in my hot tub. Brilliant! I could’ve finished winterizing the deck furniture and deck pond but chose to move on to more pressing matters. I needed to get busy baking my chocolate pie for TG dinner. Mindy & the kids left for a while. I can’t recall where they went for certain, but I think Target. I rolled and baked the pie crust first since the chocolate pie is a no-bake. The crust turned out pretty good. I then turned my attention to concocting the chocolate mixture for the pie. I followed the recipe a bit more carefully this time making sure to add the right amount of sugar. Again, the key, I discovered is constant stirring. It worked! The filling turned out perfectly smooth and chocolaty. I let it cool prior to pouring it into the already baked pie crust. The end product, a completely from scratch chocolate pie. Mindy & the kids got home about that same time. Mindy licked the bowl. Jacob would be heading off to the hockey game around 5pm with his daddy. Mindy, Bella, and I would be going to Barley’s for dinner, or so we thought. Jacob left with his daddy as planned. Bella headed over to Emily & Evan’s to play. Mindy & I readied for an evening at Barley’s. We planned to fetch Bella just before leaving. However, the neighbors called to invite us down for some beer and a fire believe it or not. It was below freezing. We hadn’t hung out with Mike & Teri in a while so decided to stop there before Barley’s. We walked down with beers in tow. It was so chilly, I wore my running gloves. I saw no fire but hey, maybe they meant inside. Nope, no fire inside either. Mike was just returning from picking up pizzas from Sporano’s. Turns out, they planned a fire but a little later. We chatted for some time until another Mike, Mike Fetch, I think, came over with his kids. He’s a fireman too. Of course, he knows Larry & Todd quite well. He seemed very likeable. We turned down some pizza and readied to depart for Barley’s around 8:30pm. Bella begged to stay at Mike & Teri’s to play with Emily & Evan. Mike & Teri assured us it would be OK. Mindy agreed and we left. We wouldn’t be gone that long. Barley’s was marginally crowded, but we knew none of the patrons at the bar. That’s highly unusual. We expected at least some of our peeps to be there. Still, we made the best of it. I ordered an IPA, which I was craving all afternoon. We also brought a jug to fill before heading home. We ordered some sauerkraut balls to tie us over until we ordered dinner. While snacking, our friend Calvin, the psychiatrist, arrived. He’s a hoot. We talked for the better part of an hour. We never did order dinner. Mindy lost her appetite and so did I. The sad part is, I was craving some protein. I wanted/needed some read meat bad! We had Patty fill our jug with Barley’s Centennial IPA then headed for home around 10pm. Once home we walked back to Mike & Teri’s. They had a fire going by then, and it was a toasty one. The kids, surprisingly, were jumping on the trampoline. It had to be in the upper 20’s. We drank one beer and talked politics for a while. Mindy boldly broached the topic of abortion and gay rights, which never goes over well in mixed company. Everyone’s got a differing view. She seemed frustrated that no one was taking up her cross. But that’s why these topics are so controversial. We all agreed to be friends as we departed for home despite polar views. Happy Thanksgiving! Bella, Mindy, and I walked home and went directly to bed.

Fresh Aire

Up early, I was eager to get my Tuesday moving. I was even further motivated knowing that I didn’t need to be in the office until 12noon. I completed my exercise routine at a slightly slower than usual pace. In kind, Ykraps and I walked slower and further than we usually do. Back at home, I was careful not to relax too much. After all, I didn’t want to squander the time I had. In truth, I really needed to stay focused to maximize my work from home time. I sipped coffee in front of the PC reading the headlines as well as the Daily OM. After delivering Mindy’s coffee I returned downstairs to meditate. All along, I hoped through meditation to find answers for Lindsey’s intervention. Our original plan, which basically would’ve blindsided both Lindsey and Kelly was certainly warranted but would also cause a rift, something Mindy & I weren’t really interested in. Our number one concern is the grand kids, then Lindsey. Just as I hoped, mediation brought forth the answer. First, for this to be a success, we needed to act as a village. All of us, Lindsey, Mindy, me, and even Kelly needed to be on the same page and after the same end goals. I decided that we should ask Lindsey to give us temporary custody (six months) so she can focus exclusively on herself, first by getting clean, second by focusing on getting a job and finally out on her own. If followed, it would serve as a win-win for everyone. No losers! Lindsey gets her life back. Kelly gets her home back. But most importantly, the kids get a new lease on life with their mother. During the six month period, Mindy & I would focus on Landon & Rocky, and also on helping Lindsey the various hurdles. The challenging piece, I already knew, would be bringing Kelly on board. Lindsey already alluded to the fact that Kelly would kick her out if the kids weren’t with her. But this is exactly what she didn’t need now. To this point, only I knew the answer. I hadn’t yet shared it with Mindy. She was, however, hopeful and expecting me to discuss it after my run. I left for my run at 6:30am. During my run I gained strength in my answer. Even if Lindsey & Kelly refused, at least we’d know that we tried to do the right thing without hurting anyone along the way. I was eager to share my resolve with Mindy. I knew for certain that Mindy wanted to positively impact those two kids. At my run’s completion, Mindy had my breakfast ready for the go like always. While the kids attention was diverted to readying for school, I shared my thoughts with Mindy. She completely embraced the plan. We agreed that she would call Lindsey once she got to school and was on break – 9:30am ish. Even though Lindsey sounded more determined than ever to get her life together, I was skeptical that she would allow us custody of her children for an extended period of time. We would remain insistent on it, however, to ensure a real fix versus a quick one that always ends back where it started. Plus, custody would likely prevent any such change of heart. Mindy left for school at 7:30am. I logged into work as soon as she and Bella departed. Realistically, I knew I wouldn’t get all nine reviews completed but hoped to get four or five done. Before I knew it was time to get Jacob to the bus stop. As usual, we tossed the football with Kenny & Jake. We discussed the threat of an 11am snow storm heading our way and how it might force me to work form home all day long. After the kids boarded the bus, Kenny & I walked back to our homes after wishing one another a Happy TG. I wasted no time at all getting right back into work. My boss pinged me a time or two, the very thing I hoped to avoid by working from home. The phone rang around 9:40am. It was Mindy. I braced myself for the outcome of her discussion with Lindsey. Right off, she sounded upbeat. She shared that Lindsey was on board with our plan. I was happy but also surprised. Perhaps Lindsey really does understand the magnitude of her dilemma. She understood that she needs time to heal herself and that she can’t do it with the kids in tow. She also realized that a few days in detox wasn’t the ultimate answer either. Our plan would afford her the luxury of time just that as long as Kelly agreed to continue to provide a home for Lindsey during her personal remaking. Lindsey wanted assurance that the kids wouldn’t forget her. We assured that she could still see them. For that she was grateful. Mindy & I were both elated that she made what we felt was the right decision for everyone, especially the kids. Our attention then turned to the logistics. Lindsey really wanted us to pick up the kids Tuesday night. She was eager to get into Talbot as quickly as possible. She must be a mess. We couldn’t do Tuesday night because we had Mannheim tickets for a 7:30pm show. We agreed to get them Wednesday morning. Lindsey later said that she and her mother would drop Landon off after dropping Rocky at school. Mindy made arrangements with grandma Sharon to start watching Landon and Rocky as soon as next week. She sounded eager to have them again, too. I ended up completing my goal of five performance reviews by 11:00am. I promptly showered and left for work at 11:30am. The snow storm we were expecting never hit. We got a brief stint of flurries but that was it. It was cold, however. It hovered around 30 degrees all day long. I arrived to work just before noon and right before our staff meeting. After our staff meeting I was able to complete a couple more performance reviews leaving me with only two yet to complete before next week. I left work at 5:20pm feeling good about it. Tonight was the Mannheim Steamroller show at the Ohio Theatre. I was looking forward to it, and so was Mindy. The perfect start to the holiday season! Dad was already at our home interacting with the kids when I arrived, and Mindy already walked Ykraps. I talked with dad while Mindy got ready to go. I planned on wearing jeans and a comfy fleece pull over, but Mindy had other ideas. She came down dressed like we were going to the symphony. Figuring it not worth the debate, I went upstairs and changed into something more dressy, but all black. We left just after 610pm. Our plan all along called for a brief stop at CBC for a drink and appetizers. We arrived there around 6:30pm. Kate was our bartender/server. She was most attentive. I went with their seasonal offering, a winter warmer. Mindy went with a Shiraz. Hungry, I ordered their andouille sausage quesadilla. Mindy had a half salad. We left CBC at 7:10pm. The Ohio theatre is just a mile or so up the road. We parked on the 7th floor of the attached parking garage. It was a chilly walk over to the venue next door. We arrived with plenty of time to spare. We both had to pee, so agreed to meet by the women’s room. Her line was way longer. Lots of older folks at tonight’s show, I noticed. Mindy seemed a bit worried that I might do some hootin’ and hollering like Glenn & I did at the last Mannheim show. Mindy had a friend of hers go along with us as Glenn’s date. Boy was she surprised when Glenn barked like a dog and then topped that by falling over a row of seats after fetching a beer. Tonight, our seats were atop the balcony but in the center section. I was pleased with the locale. Sitting directly beside us were two of Mindy’ choir mates from church. I can’t recall their names but their very much hippy types. He wears a blonde wig and she resembles Sally Struthers. Of all the seats… The Ohio theatre is a spectacular place to see a show. I’d love to take a tour some day. Very ornate. The show began shortly after 7:30pm. Chip Davis, the band’s founder, wasn’t with the band this time. He’s back home in Omaha convalescing after neck surgery. They played a brief video with him explaining as much along with the 2008/2009 tour format, which this year includes two versions of the band touring at the same time – a maneuver similar to that of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The show was quite good, and split into the two halves. I recognized one or two of the musicians, who I might add are all very accomplished with their instruments. There were a few mistakes that I appreciated. That, more than anything proved it wasn’t a recording. At intermission I left to pee once more. Mindy went along. The show picked back up after a 15-20 minute break. The second half began with the whole Renaissance thing that they always do. It’s not my favorite but it’s growing on me. It gives one a look into the roots of our Xmas celebration. In fact, many of the instruments they play are from that era. The recorder, for example, was around prior to that but became wildly popular during the Renaissance. There was an accompanying video to illustrate how Xmas (winter festival) might’ve been celebrated back then. The show concluded with a three song encore. Very nice. I was pleased with the length, quality, and price. Mindy and I darted out of our seats for the ‘secret exit’. It was so secret that neither of us could find it. J We did find and use some secluded stairs to get out of the venue faster than most. Remembering the Xmas Pops show last year, the line exiting the parking garage can be grueling. We wanted to avoid it if at all possible. As we approached the parking garage elevator we stood there in line with about 25 others. After a brief discussion, we opted instead to take the stairs, something I usually wouldn’t consider and in hindsight shouldn’t have. After all, we were parked on the 7th floor. We darted up the metal stairs at a quicker than normal pace. The stairs, I noticed, sounded much like a percussion set. I took many extra & heavy steps just to accentuate the snare drum-type sounds. Both Mindy & I were laughing all the way up. Finally arriving at the 7th floor we were both tuckered. Even though I am a runner, stairs have always taken their toll on me. Tonight was no different. The line of cars exiting the garage was still long and winding. It made me dizzy going down the steep, twisting, narrow ramps. My stomach felt unsettled and queasy. We were outta there by 9:30pm – earlier than we expected. We took High St to Spring St. And since we would go right by Barley’s, we decided to stop in for a beer. Even though my tummy said no, I couldn’t pass up an ice cold Centennial IPA. Hot Katy was tending bar, although the place sparsely populated. We each ordered a beer. We talked with Katy the entire time. Turns out, Katy & Mindy know some of the same people. She went to the Maranatha school on Trabue. I asked if she knew my buddy Jay Pierce. She did. We left Barley’s around 10:10pm and headed home. Dad had the kids in bed and was watching Dancing with the Stars. I’d never seen it. Tonight was the grand finale. We watched them choose a winner prior to dad departing. Kids were well-behaved, he said. We’ll see dad again on Sunday. We headed to bed soon after he departed.

Truth be Told

It was Monday morning and time to return to work. I was happier than usual given that my on-call was officially over and that the short holiday work week was upon us. All I had to do was get through Monday and Tuesday and then I’d enjoy seven consecutive days off. Wahoo! After exercise I headed out with Ykraps. It wasn’t nearly as cold as it has been. It was near 30 degrees. Snow was predicted overnight but we got none. It was spitting rain and more was threatening. In fact, later, during my run, it rained lightly the entire time. It wasn’t a soaking rain but it was steady enough that all of clothes were wet. Happily, my body stayed mostly dry thanks to high-tech running gear. During the run, I thought I felt my feet slipping a time or two. It was nothing major but wondered if ice was forming. I knew that the temperature was teetering on the edge. Those fears were confirmed back at home where our front stoop had a dangerously thin coating of ice. It’s always the first area to freeze since it gets no winter sun. Mindy & Bella left for grandma Sharon’s and school at 7:30am. Jacob and I walked to the bus stop at 7:58am – just like any other school day. Kenny warned that the bridge sidewalk was very slippery due to ice. I avoided it all together and walked in the road. Kenny & I chatted briefly about the Michigan game, said they had a great time. Soon I was on my way to work. I stayed fairly busy all day long. I really wanted to get a jump start on my team’s year end performance evaluations but more urgent things just kept cropping up. These reviews are due by December 5th and I would be off for the lion’s share of the remaining time between tomorrow and then. At lunch I drove to Home Depot and Target. At Home Depot I bought an outdoor dawn/dusk timer for our Xmas lights, a clear plastic wreathe hanger, and some new mouse pellets. We’re starting to see them in the garage again. It’s little wonder with the extreme cold and all the ivy beds. Mid-afternoon I proposed working from home Tuesday morning or until the start of our rescheduled staff meeting. (Tuesday at noon). My boss agreed. I’d use this time to focus on performance reviews. However, with email, Blackberry and IM there’s never any real solitude. But still, there’d be far fewer distractions. Mindy and I discussed dinner plans. We’d have leftover roast beef. Sounded good to me. She walked Ykraps prior to me arriving home thinking that the rain might intensify by the time I arrived home. It never did. The roast was as good tonight as it was Sunday. During the early evening hours daughter Lindsey phoned asking for our assistance with the kids while she contemplated yet another extended visit to Talbot Hall to exercise her demons. Mindy did a nice job of comforting her but also explained that we’d have to call her back after carefully considering the matter. Incidentally, Kelly had apparently already refused to assist. Interesting, but not unexpected. After the kids were in bed we discussed Lindsey’s situation at length. As much as we want to help the kids and Lindsey, we both realize that what she needs is far more than a few days drying out in Talbot Hall. By itself, Kelly’s home is enough to drive one to despair. Quite frankly, it’s filthy, chaotic, and stinks to high heaven. As much help as the detox program offers, once she found herself back there with the kids she’d most likely be right back on the pain pills. During a recent phone conversation with Lindsey where we invited her to TG dinner, I could hear her mother in the back ground swearing and bitching at Lindsey even while she talked with me on the phone. It occurred to me then more than ever that they were fighting like teenagers. All of this going on right in front of the kids. But, it’s little wonder. Kelly fights with everyone. She has some deep seated issues of her own that really should be dealt with. She needs some meds and counseling. No more hiding! After all, no one in their right mind lives like she does (3 dogs, umpteen cats, and a house in total squalor). On the few occasions that I’ve seen the living conditions, I return home sick to my stomach thinking that my grandchildren are being raised in that kind of environment. What in the hell happened? Both Mindy and I feel strongly that what Lindsey needs is time to truly heal and get her life on track away from the kids she obviously loves but can’t express it when she has her own issues to deal with. With that in mind, we decided that we could help by taking the kids but for at least six months. This is something we’ve contemplated doing a time or two past. Conditions are so poor at Kelly’s place, we’ve actually called the county for intervention but Kelly/Lindsey never allow them in. The county’s given us suggestions of how to intervene during the next crisis – and there’s always a next. Not 100% sure how we’d handle this intervention, we decided to sleep on it and discuss again Tuesday morning. After watching some Monday Night Football we headed to bed around 10pm.

Out with Autumn & in with Xmas

I have my Blackberry’s ringtone set to a Mozart melody. I heard Mozart while sleeping. It was only 3:30am. As much as I love his compositions, I woke knowing ths couldn’t possibly be good. Unfortunately, I missed the call but after gathering myself, I went downstairs to return work’s call. Suddenly, I found myself in the middle of a challenging issue for the next 1.25 hours. I headed back to bed at 4:45am. I didn’t wake again until 7:30am. After starting some coffee I checked the status of the work issue. Still going on. But perhaps what was worse, they now had my boss involved. He and I briefly discussed our options via IM chat. But before we could take further action the problem was resolved. Yeah! I went about the remainder of my morning like most others. I exercised, walked Ykraps, and then returned to sip and enjoy morning coffee. It wasn’t much longer before Mindy and the kids were up. Jacob was still convalescing from his illness so he had a natural pardon from church. Seeing this, Bella tried talking/crying her way out of going along. However, Mindy would have none of it. Her tears fell upon deaf ears. In jest, I uttered a few words about the trouble with church for kids. Why does it have to be painful? It should be extreme enjoyment. Perhaps if they taught them meditation skills… ? I dressed and departed for a run around 9:30am. It was again chilly but not nearly as cold as Saturday. My run went well. And just as I often do whilerunning, I contemplated my to-do list leading up to TG holiday. The tasks were many, including finishing up yard winterization, final raking/mowing, putting up holiday lighting, and making piecrusts. I realized there was little chance of getting all of that done today. However, I took solace in knowing that I’d be off work for seven straight days after Tuesday. I’d certainly find the time and weather to get it all done then. Mindy & Bella were just leaving for church when I returned from my run. After church, Mindy would run Bella to a b-day party in Grove City. Mindy would then detour by Ashley’s in an attempt to pick-up Olivia for a Sunday afternoon visit. While they were gone, I’d make the pie dough and possibly hang some lights. I figured I’d leave the raking until possibly Wednesday. Things went almost as planned. I made pie crust while Mindy & Bella were at church. I made enough for four pies. I stowed all of them in the fridge. I was asked to make a chocolate pie for TG dinner at Gloria’s, plus, I plan to make a pumpkin and chocolate pie for the Wright TG dinner on Sunday. Mindy & Bella returned around 12:30pm. They weren’t home too long before it was time to leave for the b-day party. During that time, Mindy took down some of the Fall décor in preparation for the Xmas stuff. Somewhat lazily, I watched NFL football through the early afternoon. Around 2pm I decided to get busy with Xmas lights. I knew I wouldn’t hang them all. So, I focused my attention on the new net sets exclusively for the shrubs. This was the first time I’ve ever used net lighting. I was anxious to see how well it worked. I stretched out the two colored sets and hooked them together. It was more than difficult to get them spread out. Not sure if they’re all like that or if the sets I bought were cheap. At any rate, I finally got it done after a little swearing . Swearing always works. :) I repeated the process with the two white light net sets. Since I have two layers of shrubs, I planned to place the colored sets on the larger, rear shrubs, and the white sets on the front layer. By design, these would be the only colored lights I would use. After confirming that all of them worked, I took them outside and strung them over the shrubs. The shrubs have gotten so large over the years they didn’t come close to covering them completely, but then again, I only had to be concerned with the side in view. I was able to spread them in such a manner that the exposed side looked completely covered. Again, I repeated the process for the front row, only in white. It was still daylight so I could only get a rough idea how it looked. It looked OK to my eye. Mindy phoned to let me know that she and Bella were on their way home. She also said she stopped by Ashley’s, but she and Olivia weren’t home. Stephen was, however, and told her they were at Kelly’s. Mindy called Kelly’s and made arrangements to pick Olivia up from there. She’d most likely be bringing Lil’ Rocky home too. I was OK with that. I kept a loose eye on the Viking game through the afternoon. They got a couple lucky breaks and found themselves ahead 14-0 only 1.5 minutes into the game. They held on to win 30-12. SKOL! Mindy & the kids got home a little after 4pm. We had a beef roast cooking all day in the crock pot. I was looking forward to eating it. It smelt terrific. Rocky was full of energy. Olivia seemed a little tired but still was a joy. Rocky, Jacob and I went outdoors and tossed the football for a while. Jacob roughed Rocky up pretty good but he took everything he could dish out. He’s got a certain toughness at 5 that’s a bit uncommon. Before dinner, all the kids were sitting around the kitchen table when all of the sudden Olivia started making faces at the others. She had all of us in stitches. I got a couple of pics. Dinner went well. It was very good. The neighbor’s kids, Jake & Makayla, were over playing as well. The house, as they say, was rockin’! Olivia was insistent that we watch Shrek III. All the kids agreed. After the movie, I took Olivia and Rocky home. I dropped Olivia first, taking I-270 around to the Grove City exit. That was a quick trip. From there, I headed north on Rt 62 to Briggs Rd where I headed west to Kelly’s place on St Matthews. Lindsey met Rocky and I out front. She was anything but pleasant – just like her mother. I remember feeling a little sad for Rocky. He had such a good time at our house with Mindy & all the other kids. At home he seems to lack the love and interaction little kids need. I was back home after being gone 45 minutes. It was 8:15pm. Mindy already had our kids bathed and in bed. I went up for the tuck. Jacob was already sleep. Mindy & I tuned into Sunday night football – Colts vs. Chargers. I popped corn. Bella smelt it and eventually joined us downstairs for some. Mindy retucked her 30 minutes later. We headed to bed around 10pm.

Pummeling Blue

Glad it was the weekend but because I was on-call I couldn’t fully appreciate the euphoria that usually surrounds it. I got my day started at 7:30am when I rolled out of bed and headed downstairs to make some coffee. Once the coffee was on I checked my Blackberry. Work was going smoothly. For that I was thankful. I was then able to turn my full attention to calisthenics. I completed the full cycle; sit-ups, push-ups, and curls. I was pretty stiff during and after. Afterwards I bundled warmly after checking the temperature. It was a cold 18 degrees. Ykraps and I headed westward. While on our walk, I pondered the day’s big game (Michigan vs. Ohio State), and I also gave thought to last year’s game. I remember the day well. It was hard to fathom that another year has passed so quickly. To be sure, I’ll be writing about Xmas day in the blink of an eye. This season’s early cold snap caught me off guard. I still have some outdoor winterization to do, like putting away the lawn furniture, stowing the hoses, and winterizing flower pots. I’m counting on an early December thaw timed nicely with one or two of my many days off. Mindy remained in bed while I enjoyed coffee and played on the PC. I was able to get my Friday blog entry written before anyone else was awake. Mindy must’ve gotten up around 9-9:30am. Bella was chomping at the bit for some maple sausage links. She even tried to get me to fix them. While Mindy contemplated starting breakfast, I dressed and left for a run. It was cold but sunny. I wore full winter gear. I ran the longer Trabue & Hague route. Traffic was a little heavy on Trabue. I guessed it due to the Buckeye game. Trabue provides an almost direct route to the campus. I finished strong. The sweet smell of maple sausage enveloped the house. My timing was impeccable. Breakfast was served. We had maple sausage links and chocolate chip pancakes. Mindy shared that she talked with her BFF, Teri through the duration of my run. That left her with a good feeling. It was just after 10am. The morning was moving fast. It would soon be game time. Unlike the past few years, we had no party to attend. Instead, we’d simply stay at home and watch the game as a family. Never heard from neighbors Pat & Lisa, and neighbors Crissy & Kenny were heading to the game. As cold as it was, I was very happy to be watching on TV from home. At Mindy’s prompting, I decided to get a quick shower before the game and before her. She’d be leaving for the grocery immediately after the game. I poured a beer – a Cols Pale ale – just before kick off. This might be the earliest I’ve cracked a beer all year long – 12 noon. The game started slow. Our defense looked phenomenal while our offense struggled. But just like he has the past two years, Beanie soon got things going in our favor. I think it was the fourth series when he hit a big one for a 59 yard TD. A few minutes later it was 14-0. Could a blow out be in the offing? It sure looked that way. The Buckeyes were driving for yet another score when we suddenly found ourselves facing a 4th and 1. We tried a long pass but our receiver couldn’t hold on, so we turned the ball over on downs. To that point, Michigan had -1 total yards. But Michigan had other ideas and eventually caught fire with the help of two different plays, a short swing pass and a run right that we just could seem to stop. They drove the length of the field for a touchdown. Suddenly the game was close. 14 -7 at halftime. Now we were getting serious! With just a 7-point lead, I suspect the entire Buckeye nation was feeling nervous. I know that I was. All the halftime talk was that Michigan had the momentum heading into the second half. In addition, they got the 2nd half kick off. After receiving the kick things started looking good again for Blue. They marched almost 40 yards but eventually stalled and had to punt. The Buckeyes didn’t waste anytime driving for another score. After that, Michigan was never really in it. We piled it on until the score was 42-7. The worst beating we’ve given them in 40 years. This made five in-a-row, something I doubted I’d ever see. The victory made the day extra-special! Soon after the game ended, Mindy darted off to the grocery. While Mindy was gone I got busy with a few chores. First, I started the BM’er since she hasn’t been run in a few weeks. Next, I hung the family bikes from the garage ceiling for winter storage. The end goal was to have the garage ready to accept Mindy’s minivan. All that’s left is to get the new grill out of there. Mindy wasn’t gone too long at all. However, she was gone long enough to gather a van full of food. She did her level best to fetch everything we thought we needed for our Wright family TG day celebration along with our usual weekly treats. We didn’t really have that much time left before we needed to ready for Buca di Beppo, (according to Wikipedia roughly translates to ‘Joe’s Basement’). We were headed there to celebrate two birthdays – brother-in-law Larry & Danielle, a family friend who just turned 21. Mindy readied herself & the kids while I walked Ykraps. It didn’t take me long to get ready. I changed my shirt, brushed my teeth, and grabbed a sport coat. We left the house at 6:45pm. We arrived in the arena district just before 7pm and quickly found a parking meter fairly close to the venue, but neither of us had enough change. We opted instead for the Arena Grand parking garage right around the corner. It was still very chilly. None of us looked too forward to the short walk to Buca. To our amazement, Bella emerged from the back seat of the Trooper sporting a thick application of hideous blue eye shadow. Neither of us had any idea that she put it on. She must’ve done it while we were in transit. Mindy wasn’t pleased at all after telling her she couldn’t put any on at home. I wasn’t pleased either but wanted a picture of the moment. She was also sporting a tiara. We knew she was wearing that. We were pleased to find the warmth of Buca after our short walk. Most of the dinner party was already there. We were given the usual guided tour back through the kitchen and eventually to our table. We weren’t sure how many others would be there. Holy smoke! I believe there were 20 of us all totaled. Their beer selection isn’t the greatest. I ordered a Sam Adams Winter Ale. I forgot that their beers come in a huge glass. Probably like 22 ounces or something close to that. Buca’s menu selections come in family sized portions – small and large. We collectively decided to allow one person to coordinate the selections, of course with input from everyone. That person was Cheryl T. She did a fine job. The nice thing about family sized portions is that one gets to try many different things. Halfway through my meal I ordered a second Sam Adams. It went down just as well as the first. Buca is a loud place by design. Tommy Petit announced to the world that it was both Larry & Daniel’s birthdays. He asked everyone to join him in singing happy b-day. And not too surprising, everyone did. I got a few cool pics. We finished up dinner around 9:15pm. The next big task was splitting up the check. We split the check according to adult bodies – young kids counted as a half. We were accountable for three units, but agreed to pick-up Jodie and Larry’s tab too. After all, it was his 50th b-day. Jacob and I walked to the parking garage to fetch the car while Bella and Mindy waited outside of Nationwide Arena. It took a while to get out of the garage and to settle up on our tab. I got out of there for just $3. Mindy & Bella must’ve gotten tired of waiting and met us at the garage exit. We were home before 10pm. Mindy quickly got the kids into bed. We stayed up and watched some Saturday night college football – Miami versus Georgia Tech.

Projecting

Back to my old antics, I was up at 5:20am chomping at the bit to get the day moving. I got my day started by choking down a multi-vitamin. Soon I was engaged in a full complement of exercises. I’m still experiencing some discomfort in my right shoulder, but then again, it’s not that unusual to have an ache or two. The end product - my handsome physique – is well worth the inconvenience. :) It was a mere 19 degrees outside. I bundled accordingly for my walk with Ykraps. In my long-term memory I can recall a couple instances where temps dipped well below freezing in November, but never can I remember a sustained cold streak such as this one. While walking, I wondered if any of our landscaping might suffer (die) due to an insufficient hardening process, which is critical to the survival of many perennial plants, especially those already teetering on our planting zone boundaries. Nothing I could do about it aside from worry, but I’ve got better things to do. I chose instead to hope for the best. Back at home I poured a relaxing cup of coffee then took to the computer. I am still digging my new coffee creamer – the chocolate caramel. It’s made by International Delight, if you're interested in trying it. If you do, try topping it off with whipped cream, caramel syrup, and then a light sprinkle of cinnamon. It’s sure to please! I skimmed the financial headlines, which pointed to yet another down day ahead on Wall Street. Yesterday the DOW sunk well below 8000. I can already feel myself numbing to it all. But believe it or not, this could, in fact, prove to be a blessing. If one can remain gainfully employed through this tumultuous time and keep contributing big bucks into a retirement portfolio the other side will be more profitable than if the markets hadn’t taken a dive. This, of course, assumes a lot. One, being that the market will recover, and two, that I’ll remain gainfully employed. I’m focusing only on the upside! Today’s OM struck a chord. It was about projecting. We all know someone who projects their misery and circumstances onto others. In fact, we’ve all done it at one time or another. How many times in the last few years have you heard that the world is a mirror? Read it for yourself: http://discuss.dailyom.com/cgi-bin/discuss/displaydiscussion.cgi?did=11870 Time moved quickly. It was 6:05am in the bat of an eye. I delivered Mindy’s coffee then quickly returned downstairs to meditate and prep for a run. Once again, I dressed warmly for a run. I knew how cold it felt outside. I tried something a little different this AM. I wore my ear muffs under my fleece toboggan. When it’s that cold (19 degrees) every leak in my attire is obvious. I can feel the cold air sweeping across those body parts. For me, it’s always the gap between my running pants and low-rise ankle socks. The cold snappy air bites a little but thankfully that’s not an area that causes overall body discomfort. In fact, 100 yards or so into a run it’s forgotten. For me, it’s all about the ears, hands, & chest. If they’re warm… I was surprised at the brightening sky. It somehow seemed lighter this AM. That’s most likely because of the recent cloud cover this time of day. Cloud cover masks dawn more than I realized. The run was very nice. I wasn’t too cold or too warm. Mindy made scrambled eggs this morning. They were delicious and satisfied my almost insatiable hunger. The house was unusually quiet without Jacob around to cause and receive torment. It wasn’t long before Mindy and Bella headed off for school. Having the house all to myself was really quite nice. I was ready for work by 7:50am. Because I didn’t have bus duty, I was able to spend some time playing on the PC. I left for work at 8:10am. I really needed gas but didn’t stop. It was still $1.62 per gallon. Work was a challenge. Two of my peers were off leaving most of the day’s escalated toil under my watch. I made a conscientious effort to keep my cool and operate effectively. That strategy served me well. I could’ve easily dismissed taking a lunch break for the work load but didn’t give in. I planned a lunchtime shopping trip and ended up keeping that promise to myself. I left the office just after 1pm. I was frustrated with myself for not getting gas this AM. I knew that I needed some and now I would have to get it nearer work, which often times means a higher price. Not only that, but I was cutting into my lunch period, too. I found gas for $1.67 on Tuttle Crossing. Not bad. I was gone just over an hour. By the time I returned to the office my third peer was in. That helped tremendously. The action slowed by mid-afternoon. I even toyed with the notion of leaving early – like 4-4:30pm. I would be on-call over the weekend, so I would remain plugged in regardless. But as luck would have it, I stuck around too long. A couple situations arose around 4:30pm that kept me at the office until after 5:30pm. Shoot! Honestly, though, leaving early would have served little purpose other than getting home early. We had no special plans. Mindy and I talked through most of my drive home. She asked how I felt about having leftover pizza. I was OK with that as long as it was reheated on the pizza stone. That sometimes leaves it tasting even better than it did right out of the box. I arrived home around 6pm. Jacob was back home after spending a sick day with his father. He was feeling much better but not 100%. I walked Ykraps minutes after walking in the door. I don’t like that false sense of relaxation. It was extra cold again tonight. Mindy already had a fire going. The plan, according to Mindy, was to eat and then watch a movie. I suggested a pay-per-view in lieu of an existing DVD. Jacob especially liked that idea. He and I searched the menu for an acceptable alternative. We all agreed on the Veggie Tales, Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything. I wasn’t that interested but it’s not always about me. I know that’s a shocking revelation. While Mindy and the kids watched intently, I sat on the sofa with Mindy’s laptop writing my Thursday blog entry. I don’t do that too often. While playing, I sipped on a stiff Jack & Coke. That was both nice and relaxing. After the kids were down I had another. I checked in with work a couple of times. Things were going swell. Mindy & I headed to bed at 10:15pm after watching an episode of Family Guy that I DVR’d nearly two weeks ago.

Cheap Gas

It had to happen sooner or later, and today was the day. I didn’t get up until my delault rise time of 5:30am. Sleep felt so good . I headed downstairs feeling thoroughly refreshed. Aside from a dull ache in my upper-right back, I felt terrific. I finished my exercise regiment then headed out with Ykraps. I bundled warmly, but was surprised to discover that it was warm, at least compared to the past few mornings. I checked the temperature as soon as we returned from our walk. It was a whopping 33 degrees, much warmer than the day before. I spent the next several minutes fooling around on the PC all the while enjoying my morning coffee. I stopped at 6:05am but chose not to deliver Mindy’s coffee. She was staying home with Jacob today after he came down ill overnight. I figured she would want to sleep as late as possible. I used the extra minutes to meditate longer. At 6:25am I readied for my run. I dressed in my typical winter attire and headed out the door at 6:30am. My run went really well. I was a few minutes ahead of my usual pace. I returned home at 7:10am to a quiet house. Immediately my thoughts turned toward my breakfast and lunch. Because Mindy was sleeping , I had to fend for myself. I hadn’t made my own breakfast, at least fully, for quite some time. I didn’t’ mind at all. It was kind of nice. I fried two eggs just like I like them. Most of my lunch entrees were already prepackaged in the fridge. Mindy will often times have two or three days worth ready. All I had to add was cheese. My eggs were delicious. After a quick clean-up I headed upstairs with Mindy’s coffee in hand. I quietly placed it bedside then tip-toed to the shower. By the time I finished showering and dressing I could hear Mindy & Jacob talking. They were awake. They went downstairs along with me. Bella remained asleep. She didn’t have school so there was no good reason to wake her. I left for work at 8:05am. The bus was just approaching the bus stop where neighbor Jake stood all alone. I let him know that Jacob was home ill. I also signaled as much to the driver. Off to work. I was pleased to see that gas was cheaper today. It was $1.62 per gallon. Fantastic! I needed some but chose to wait. I still had slightly more than a quarter tank. I arrived to work by 8:25am. The same issue that I was dealing with last evening was waiting for me again this AM. Once again, I skipped a formal lunch. I worked straight through until 5:25pm. We originally planned to meet at Jacob’s parent teacher conference just down the road, but because Jacob was home sick, we had to alter our plans. I would head home to relieve Mindy who would head to the open house on her own. She did, however, plan to meet Jimaken there. I arrived home around 5:45pm. I took the back way for the first time in a while. I talked with Mindy the entire time. She said it was snowing hard at home. It was clear where I was. The closer I got to home the more signs of snow were visible. Another heavy dusting. I walked Ykraps prior to Mindy heading off for the parent conference. She decided to pick-up Minelli’s pizza on her way home. She figured ot be home by 7:00pm. The kids were busy/occupied with watching the Hannah Montana show. I spent most of the time on my PC updating my blog and viewing pictures. My timing was excellent. I finished up just as Jimaken and Mindy returned. Jimaken was here to take Jacob back to his house. He volunteered to take a sick day on Friday to stay at home with Jacob. Mindy brought in two pizzas. Jimaken and Jacob left before we ate any pizza. I offered Jimaken some but he refused. Meanwhile, I was really hungry. I ate about six or seven pieces of pizza. There was plenty leftover for another day. Mindy got Bella ready for bed after we ate. We tucked her in shortly after 8pm. Mindy & I tuned into Thursday Night college football on ESPN. We watched the Georgia Tech/Miami of Florida game. Mindy headed to bed at 9:30pm. I stayed up until 10:08pm. However, I dosed off a time or two before heading up to bed.

Baby It's Cold Outside

I was up at 5:15am feeling completely rested and ready to get after my day. I was so ahead of the game it wasn’t funny. I exercised and walked Ykraps all before 5:35am. That afforded me oodles of free time to relax in front of the PC. The stock market took a beating yesterday and figured to do the same today according to the headlines. I’m so frustrated with it. And then there’s the whole idea of an Auto industry bail out. Why? Why would we bailout a failing business model? This makes about as much sense as spending $20K to fix a $1K problem. It’s like propping up the dead? Granted, I’m no auto industry expert, but aside from their non-competitive products & inefficient plants (GM, Ford, Chrysler), it sounds like their inescapable financial troubles can be traced back to pricey pensions and medical coverage obligations. They’ve known this for years. I’m not saying that standing up to these obligations isn’t the right thing to do, because it is. They should. It’s what they negotiated in good faith no matter how foolish. My proposal would be for the Government to assist with the pension/medical burden piece only leaving the ongoing business model in their own hands. But no money for retooling old plants, no money for new designs. Let the market take care of that. If they fail then they fail. As a condition of the assistance, require both the company & the union to sit down and readjust. Let’s be creative. Hey, maybe it’s time to say goodbye to the concept of unions all together. They’ve had their time and served their purpose. But let’s be honest, they provide no real product. They’re nothing but a sucking sound in a capitalistic economy. If the company and union want to survive then they’ll have to sit down at the table and talk turkey – both sides. As I understand it, neither Toyota or Honda has such issues. And their employees are productive and equally well compensated. More within my span of control… I spent a relatively lengthy period in mediation. Felt terrific. I dressed and left for a run just before 6:30am. Once again, it was really cold. It was only 16 degrees – the coldest day of the season. The ground was covered in fresh overnight snow. It had the look and feel of mid-January. Despite the bone chilling cold, my run went well. I had trouble opening the front door as I reentered the house after my run. Having experienced this before, I pushed the door hard thinking I was moving Jacob’s book bag out of the way, just as I have many times past. This time it wasn’t his book bag. Instead, it was Jacob lying in front of the door. And now he was whining that I hurt him. Geesh! Are you kidding me. Who lies in front of the door, especially on such a cold morning? He refused to move choosing to simply lie there in the way. Alrighty! I went on about my business. Mindy thought I could’ve demonstrated more compassion and ask if he was OK and possibly even apologize. But I would have no part of that. I was more troubled with his thinking and then his grumbly disposition. In hindsight it might’ve been the right thing to do in that instant – demonstrate compassion - but I couldn’t muster it. Eventually, I asked him what he was thinking. He had no reply. Mindy & Bella soon headed out for school, this being the week that Bella has class on Wednesday. Like usual, Jacob and I met up downstairs at 7:56am and eventually made our way out to the bus stop. Even though it was cold, we tossed the football. Jacob had shaken off his disdain for me opening the front door into him earlier. He even joked with Kenny about it. Jake was back in the game today after being out sick on Tuesday. He looked much better. I left for work at 8:10am after sending off a quick email to Steve Sines, the former Muff Brothers front man, encouraging him to come participate in their reunion show next week. Gas was down again today – only $1.67. I’m getting low, too, but kept going thinking perhaps tomorrow or Friday. This was staff meeting day at work. Thankfully, I only had that one meeting on my plate. Our meeting started at 11am and went until 1pm. We covered quite a bit. Like most Wednesdays, I didn’t take a lunch break. I did, however, eat at my desk I ate my vegetable medley as well as a can of Mega Chicken Noodle soup. I also ate my fruit. The afternoon moved swiftly. I was knee deep in alligators the entire time. Mindy wanted to do a Wednesday date since Jimaken would have the kids. Once again, we agreed on Barley’s. I know it sounds excessive but generally speaking, you can’t go wrong with their food. And furthermore, given that they have authentic Centennial IPA on the tower, that sealed the deal for me. Sadly, I got hooked up at work until after 6pm. Tough break! I called Mindy at 6pm and discussed whether or not to skip the date. As a compromise, we agreed to simply meet there. That would save lots of time. Besides, she had already walked Ykraps. I could be there in about the same amount of time it would normally take to get home. It was a go! She arrived ahead of me. But I still made good time. Mindy was already there sitting at the bar having a beer when I walked in. I had to squeeze in between her and guy named Bill, who we later learned had just lost his job at a local bicycle shop for playing a foolish prank on a co-worker. As I understood it, he and several others conspired to place a tampon in a male workers tool box. He got fired since he was the manager. He said they considered it a form of sexual harassment. He seemed smart and spoke of having two degrees. Too bad. Without question, this isn’t a good time to lose a job. I ordered an IPA, of course. And because our time was limited, we quickly placed our food order. We both had wings – me Gates of Hell, Mindy Texas. I had a second IPA while eating my wings. It was so good. BTW, Lenny, the owner, was sitting next to Mindy. We left Barley’s at 7:30pm. Jimaken was bringing the kids home at 7:45pm. He was right on schedule. Jacob seemed tired and lethargic coming in the house. Turned out, he was feeling ill. Uh-oh. Perhaps he had what Jake had. Mindy sought the rectal thermometer soon after Jimaken left. Placing it under Jacob’s tongue yielded a 101 degree fever. And that was after an earlier dose of children’s Tylenol. Mindy promptly called Dr Craig seeking his advice. Jacob also complained of a soar throat. Minutes later Mindy was calling around for a sub after Craig suggested a Thursday AM doctors appointment. While Mindy addressed all of that, I helped Bella finish her bath. She’s almost self-sufficient these days. We simply need to make sure she’s rinsed her hair thoroughly. Both kids were in bed easily, especially Jacob. Mindy & I hung for a short while on the sofa, but I fell asleep. We upped for bed around 10pm.