Decade Highlighted by Marriage and Grand Babies

It was just before 530am when I coaxed myself out of bed and head downstairs to begin my Thursday, the last day of 2009. It had snowed again overnight leaving, as best I could tell, about two inches of new stuff. The snow clung to the trees and shrubs beautifully. I completed my calisthenics (sit-ups and push-ups) then leashed up a tired looking Ykraps, and soon headed out for a snowy walk. It was 32 degrees on the nose, so fittingly, the snow was wet and heavy. It was still coming down, too, albeit lightly. It was an enjoyable walk, one that ended around 550am. I poured some coffee then took to my PC where I read the Daily OM and some recent headlines. I ended up adding photos to my blog for the first time using Adobe PS Elements 8 . It took some doing to figure out how to shrink the photos to a manageable file size for publishing. It's a bit more difficult that it was in Corel, but by no means am I complaining. Overall, Adobe gets the nod hands down. I had to be mindful of the clock. I can get lost in time pretty easily doing photo stuff. I wrapped up and moved onto meditation and stretching at 617am. I had some work related matters bugging me, so the meditation helped me release the negative tension. Reflecting back, the issue was really quite silly. Stretching went well, too. I am very pleased with my new found flexibility. Of course it's all relative - where I was versus where I am. Others may view me as not flexible at all. Like a lot of things in my life, took fear to motivate me to start a stretching regimen. I should've been doing it all along. Somewhere along the line, the universe knocked me upside the head and gave me this new gift. just one of 2009's many blessings! It was 640am before I was dressed for my run. I had to remind myself that it wasn't really that cold - 32 degrees. In fact, I really should've reduced my upper layers to two, but left with three. At the run's start, the snow had turned to a very light sprinkle - a chilly mist. And just like I often do when running in snow, I stayed close to the curb using the virgin snow as a cushion. With no more than two inches of accumulation, that's ideal. I ran four miles after briefly considering just three due to my cold. In the end, there's little room for excuses. I plowed on. It was an easy run. I transitioned from running to shoveling as soon as I got back home. I simply had to get the drive and walks cleared then, knowing that we're heading into the freezer for a few days. If I left it, it might be there for a week. Yikes! It didn't take all that long, but it was very wet and heavy - the kind that sticks to the shovel in massive clumps. I put down a light amount of ice melt afterwards. Inside, it was already 745am. I decided to make fried eggs for breakfast. I fried Ykraps' first, breaking his yoke and chopping it up almost like a scrambled egg. I sat it aside to cool while frying my own. I was done with breakfast and in the shower by 8:05am. Mindy stayed in bed. I didn't wake her until I was ready to leave. She asked me to bring her coffee. I did. Just before leaving, I asked if she knew where the vet's office was. I promised to send her directions later. I left for work at 8:30am. Gas tank on "E", I pulled in Thornton's for a fill-up. Gas was $2.67 per gallon. The Trooper took 19+. It must've been around 850am when I arrived at the office. I spent a good hour talking with my team before digging into the meat of the day. I knew I had a couple significant issues needing my attention. I worked diligently until just after noon. I left for lunch around 1215pm and headed to Aspen Ski & Board. I called my mom while driving and asked to speak with Glenn. We talked for a while. I confirmed his plans for New Year's Eve and day. He planned to spend New Year's Eve with mom and possibly have dad pick him up Friday mid-day and return to Columbus. Something I hadn't considered was his ride to the airport. He needs to be there around 330-4pm on Saturday. We may be skiing. Said he'd ask Dad. At Aspen Ski & Board, I bought Bella a ski helmet and goggles - both pink. At $10 a pop to rent one for a day, it made good economic sense to buy. I knew she'd be excited to have her own. Now, all of our heads are covered. Jacob has Mindy's 'old' gray helmet, which was new last year. For some reason, ski rental packages don't include helmets - they're extra. I'll bet that changes in the coming years, though. I bought myself another pair of hi-tech ski socks that are even thicker than my first pair. I asked about cargo carriers, too, but they didn't have any in stock. He suggested Bike Source as an alternative. From AS&B, I headed to Giant Eagle to fetch Mindy some beer. I picked up a four-pack of the Sam Adams Imperial Stout she likes so much. While there, I got myself a six-pack of CBC IPA. And by the way, Giant Eagle was packed! I was incredibly hungry even before Giant Eagle. I left there and drove a few hundred yards north to Burger King where I bought two double cheeseburgers. And it just so happens that Bike Source sits directly behind Burger King. I popped in there to ask about cargo boxes. They had them but not the model I needed or wanted. Of course, whirling around in the back of my mind was where I would store this thing when not in use, and also the garage door clearance. Not so sure the Honda will clear the door with a cargo box atop. However, it's almost a necessity for ski trips (pricey sport). It was 130-145pm when I got back to the office. Things were fairly quiet. For a fleeting moment I thought I might be able to sneak out really early, but that didn't happen. I kept busy up until 440pm. I tried calling Mindy before leaving the office inquiring about Ykraps' appointment. I asked that she call me to discuss his treatment options once diagnosed. She didn't answer her phone. I arrived home just before 5pm. Because Ykraps was with Mindy, obviously I didn't have to do the walk thing. I had to remind myself of that twice. :) Mindy phoned just as they were leaving the vet's. Pretty much learned nothing. Apparently Ykraps wouldn't allow him to look down his throat. He did con Mindy into buying an anti-inflammatory and pain meds. Good grief! She had a document with the costs spelled out for various exploratory options for me to consider. I just couldn't wait to see those. The kids and Mindy got home by 515pm. Before walking Ykraps I reviewed the estimate/options. $185 for blood work, $85 to knock him out and explore the throat, and $120 for xrays. I have questions. I need to call the vet to make sure I understand. For one, I am uncertain whether these charges would cover the surgery to remove anything found in his throat or if this was simply discovery. And here we go! I went to the garage for a cooler in preparation for the Shultz's New Year's Eve party. I decided it also a good time to switch the rechargeable batteries in my Ryobi flashlight. But ... I couldn't find my flashlight. It has its place. I was beside myself. Where in the hell was my light. I asked Mindy & the kids. Nope - nobody's seen it. Those that know me well, know that I am slightly OCD. I was befuddled and determined to find the damn thing. But really, I didn't need it for anything at the moment. Then why was I so obsessed with finding it? It was simply the need to have it. When things like that happen I get this overwhelming feeling of loss, as if part of me is missing. I guess that means that I identify myself by my rechargeable flashlight. Interesting introspection. Mindy made homemade chicken and noodles for dinner with Tuesday's leftover rotisserie chicken. We stopped and ate around 630pm. After woofing down some noodles I returned to my search efforts. Ugh! It was driving me bonkers. I know I used it for my hot water tank install and then my wall project. I searched high and low - upstairs, downstairs, the basement and garage. Where could it be. I wondered if I might have given it to the neighbors to aid in finding shoes or a toy in the yard. I seem to recall that happening some time back, but honestly, that seemed like summer time. I finally let it go after realizing how annoyed I had become. I was also concerned that we had nothing of substance to take to Pat and Lisa's party. Mindy was baking some slice & bake Xmas cookies but I felt strongly that we needed to take more. Mindy's idea was lame - an open bag of pretzels. No thanks. I decided that we should order a couple giant Michael Angelo subs from Sporano's. Mindy did the ordering; Jacob and I went after them. They were ready when we got there. We weren't back home for more than five minutes before we prepared to walk down to the Shultz's. We used our small vertical cooler to take some beer and champagne. Included in my beer selection was a growler of Barley's Centennial IPA. I carried the cooler and camera. Bella carried our subs. Mindy carried her plate of cookies. We arrived around 725pm. Aside from us, the only other guest there was Lisa's brother Tom. In what's become tradition, Pat had gyro fixins ready. He grills pita on demand. We hung out upstairs for a while, long enough to do some damage to the food. Soon others arrived. As compared to past years, there weren't that many guests. But like I always say, it's not so much about who doesn't show, but instead more about who does. We eventually moved to the finished basement. Time went fast. The new year came quick. We toasted in the new year at midnight with champagne. Pat & I drank most of it - two bottles. The kids had kiddie champagne. Not sure the time when we walked home but I'm guessing it was close to 1am. The kids were awake for the party's entirety. We all headed to bed within ten minutes of arriving home. I took 4 Advil in an attempt to skirt any potential morning headache.

Putting Away Xmas

Not getting to sleep until after 1130pm didn’t help me catch-up on my sleep. And with a stuffy nose and a dry, hacking cough I really needed some rest. When 530am rolled around I decided to ignore its call, choosing instead to stay in bed a while longer. A while longer turned in to 45 minutes. I finally drug myself out of bed at 615am, but even then I was still craving more sleep. I slowly staggered downstairs to begin my exercise regimen. It was tough sledding but I managed through it. Like the day before, I felt a whole lot better after. I bundled warmly for my walk with Ykraps. It was a few degrees warmer than I anticipated. It was 22 degrees. The walks and road were mostly dry by now, but a few patches of black ice remained scattered about. Back home I poured some coffee but really didn’t have the usual craving, thanks in part to my cold, I am sure. Because of my late awakening, it was already past 630am. I didn’t hurry myself. I simply accepted the fact that I'd be a little late to work. I did my meditation and stretching as usual, but didn’t finish up until 700am. And by the time I was dressed for my run it was 715am and on the verge of daybreak. I cut myself some slack and ran just three miles. I was back at home by 7:45am. All things considered, I felt pretty good. I whipped up some cheese covered scrambled eggs for Ykraps and I. I was careful not to give him too much cheese. Not sure if I mentioned it or not, but Ykraps has an appointment with the vet on Thursday at 4pm. Mindy kindly agreed to take him in. Breakfast was behind us come 8:05am. Soon, I was off to the shower. Mindy remained buried under the covers through the duration of my shower. She joined me downstairs, however, just before departing. As far as I knew, she had nowhere to be. Gloria was expected to visit mid-day sometime, though. I left for work at 830am, but not before taking a swig of Delsym to make sure and hold that nagging cough at bay. Once at work, I felt considerably better than I did on Tuesday, although sometime around noon I started to crash, but after a rare noon time cup of coffee I rebounded nicely. I was fairly busy all afternoon, and I didn’t bother taking lunch. Didn’t hear from Mindy all day long. I figured her busy with her mom. I left work at 515pm. On my way home I stopped in Target to buy yet another $25 gift card, this one for a friend we missed at Xmas. I was surprised to find them already pushing Valentine's Day with Xmas still in our rearview mirror. I phoned Mindy during my drive home. Her mom was gone, and so were the kids. This was a Jimaken night. He was keeping the kids until 830pm. We, in turn, planned an evening at Barley’s. The house was quiet upon my arrival. Mindy was busy in the kitchen, but she wasn’t cooking. I put my things away quickly then leashed up Ykraps. She asked if I noticed anything. No, not really. She seemed disappointed that I didn’t notice. She pointed out that most of our miscellaneous Xmas decorations were down and put away. But in my defense, the big items were still proudly up and on display. It was most of the knick-knack stuff. I could tell once she made it known. When I got back with Ykraps, Mindy was busy in the basement reorganizing our tubs and shelves. I updated an entry or two in my blog waiting on her to finish. I was eager to head to Barley’s. We left around 6:20pm.I took two empty growlers to have filled with IPA for New Year’s Eve and Day. The parking lot was sparsely populated. We parked close. Seated at the bar was Calvin. We sat next to him. I ordered a Centennial IPA and Mindy a St Nick’s. A few minutes later we ordered food. I went with a Cuban. Mindy went with a quesadilla. Calvin insisted on buying our second beers. I selected a Green Flash West Coast IPA. Mindy abstained. She’d be driving, plus, her St Nick was a high-alcohol beer. My Cuban was terrific. Doesn’t get much better than that. Pat Shultz phoned while we were barside. Mindy took the call. She confirmed the start time of his New Year’s Eve party along with recommendations of what to bring. Just before leaving, we had Janet fill our two growlers with IPA - $11 each. I picked up the tab. Mindy drove home. We arrived around 8:20pm. I quickly changed into my PJs then got busy on my blog, publishing all of my back logged entries. The kids got home a little after 830pm. Jacob brought in another U2 cd that he wanted me to load on his new MP3 player. I shared that we already have that music on the hard drive from before. Until then, I guess he didn’t realize that you only need to rip it once. The kids and I hung out in the family room while Mindy worked in the basement furthering her organizational efforts. I eventually fell asleep. Between dinner, two beers, and my cold, I felt completely zonked. I didn’t wake again until almost 1130pm. Everyone was in bed. I headed their myself.

Rotisserie Chicken & Wii Fit

As you might expect, I didn’t sleep that well after an emotionally draining Vikings game. I’ll bet I didn’t fall asleep until sometime after 1am. Even still, the call of work jolted me from sleep just before 530am. I felt OK, but was still battling a dry, hacking cough along with a stuffy head. I started feeling better once I completed my sit-ups. I checked the temperature via Yahoo weather. It was 19 degrees. After 53 push-ups, Ykraps and I did a cold morning walk. Once again, I wore my snow boots. The roads and walks were even slippery than Monday with the snow now a thin, but hard sheet of ice. I took extra precaution. The cold air seemed to exacerbate Ykraps symptoms. I resolved to calling the vet later from work. Finally back home, I poured some coffee then took to my computer. I broke away around 615 to do meditation and stretching. Both went well. I dressed warmly for a run and left the house at the usual 640am. I tried running in the road close to the curb where undisturbed snow still laid. That provided the best option for footing. However, that wasn't always possible due to the occasional oncoming car or parked cars. It’s during these transitions that accidents happen. I was mindful of this and took extra care when moving from the street to the walks and vice versa. I managed fine and don’t recall slipping much at all. The streets were loaded with black ice. I knew I was slower than normal with the ice and all but was still surprised to see that it was 725am once inside. Of course that was after broom sweeping the driveway to remove another thin coating of snow. I pulled three eggs from the fridge for scrambling – two for me – one for Ykraps. I didn’t finish up my breakfast until 750am, but given no bus duty, I had plenty of time to shower. I tried to be as noninvasive as possible. Not sure how well I did. Mindy was still in bed and remained there when I headed downstairs. She had little planned other than a late afternoon dental appointment for the kids. I warmed the Trooper then headed into work arriving just after 830am. I hoped my efforts Monday would mean an easier Tuesday. And thankfully, it pretty much worked out that way. Like I did Monday, I wholed up in my office for a short nap instead of taking a formal lunch break. I was still feeling the effects of a cold. The afternoon went well, and it also went by in hurry. One minute it was 2pm and 530pm the next. Mindy already implied that she and the kids wouldn’t be home until sometime after 6pm. They planned a stop at Kroger after their dental appointment for dinner supplies. I decided to make a quick stop at Home Depot and then Staples, essentially next door to one another. At Home Depot I bought some driveway salt. At Staples, I looked at new office chairs. As luck would have it, my mesh computer chair pneumatics gave out over the holidays. I feel like I am sitting on the floor. Mindy phoned just as I was exiting Staples. We talked most of my drive home. She was just passing Hilliard on I-270 when I pulled in the driveway. I was very surprised to find the house looking darn near pristine save for lingering Xmas. I walked Ykraps as soon as I was partially settled. Mindy and the kids were home when we got back. After unleashing Ykraps, I went back outside to salt the drive and walk. Wouldn’t you know it. Looks like I spent $16 I didn’t need to spend on more salt. The stuff I bought two years ago was still good below the two or three inches of crust. I guess I didn’t check it well enough before thinking I needed more/new. Mindy brought home a rotisserie chicken and Bob Evans mashed potatoes from Kroger. She whipped up dinner in no time. I have said before that rotisserie chicken is hard to beat, and fairly inexpensive too. Bella and Jacob had three and four helpings. During dinner, the kids asked if we could go skiing at least once more before our big NY trip. Hope so! Mindy and I got the Wii Fit configured after dinner. Like a lot of things, it didn’t go as easily as the directions implied. You have to sync it to each Wii Fit compatible game. And as luck would have it, the game we used had pieces/parts that aren’t Wii Fit compatible. I must’ve monkeyed with that thing for an hour before I figured it out. I was growling with anger. After getting it set-up, the kids and Mindy had more than an hours worth of fun playing Wii – Mario’s Winter Olympics skiing, snow boarding, and bobsled racing. I watched from the sofa where I went coma-like. For whatever the reason, my cold symptoms were kicking in big time again. I was too tired to move for meds. I was icing my knee at the same time. Me and the kids went to bed at around 1030pm. Once in bed I started having a coughing spell, and that was after choking down some Delsym. It got so bad I had to get up from bed and head back downstairs. Finally, after about 30 minutes my cough quieted and I headed back up to bed. Sadly, it was already 1130pm. Getting a good long night of sleep simply wasn’t in the cards.

Kids Ski - Vikes Lose

After an 11-day break it was time to jump back on the horse that got me here. As usual, the time away went incredibly fast. Long story short, it began with a visit to the dentist's chair and ended with a holiday celebration at Brother Bob’s. I woke a number of times after 4am paranoid that I might oversleep. Come 515am I decided it was time to get up and moving. I felt pretty good despite a dry throat and a clogged head. After brushing my teeth and gathering my running clothes I headed downstairs to begin my exercise routine. At a quick glance it didn’t appear to have snowed much more overnight, maybe a half an inch more than when I went to bed. After sit-ups I checked the temperature online. It was a cold 18 degrees. Next, I did 53 push-ups then bundled warmly for a walk with Ykraps. The drive and walk were incredibly slippery. A thin coat of ice lied just beneath the light snow cover. For the first time all season, I wore my snow boots. The lawn might have had about two inches of snow cover. The walks and road much less. Ykraps struggled to sniff out his favorite spots, a typical winter time problem, yet somehow he managed. I wondered if his recent breathing troubles might also impact his ability to smell. Thankfully, he managed through it. Even though he doesn’t eat them any longer, Ykraps still waits by the pantry door for us to toss him a Milkbone treat after a walk. Any more I simply pick them up and put them back in the box a few minutes later. This morning was no exception. Once the coffee was done brewing I poured a cup and headed to my PC. It was still early – about 540am. I had oodles of time to relax and play, or so it seemed. The time went fast. It was 610am and time to meditate and stretch before I knew it. Being the disciplined one that I am, I peeled myself away right on queue. It felt good to get back to morning meditation. For whatever reason, I rarely do it while on vacation. After a solid ten minutes of meditation I moved on to stretching, something I’m proud to say I kept up during my 11-day holiday break. There’s something about doing both (mediation and stretching) before daybreak that makes me feel so much better. It was 640am when I wrapped it up and readied for a cold wintry run. I decided to wear cold weather running tights for the first time all year. They’re significantly warmer than the looser variety – not allowing cold air to flow freely around my skin. Other than that, I wore my typical three upper layers along with hand and ear covers. I ran four miles, the entire time remaining mindful of the treacherous footing. The roads and walks were slick with the ice/snow combo. Happily, I completed my run without incident, although much slower than normal. Without hesitation, I moved from running to shoveling mode. I cleared the entire drive and walk, although I might’ve made it worse by revealing the icy layer underneath. Before heading inside, I took a few minutes to ready the Honda for a day of skiing. Not for me, but for Mindy, the kids, and uncle Glenn. I removed the child safety seat, and configured the seating to accept her skis. I also loaded her skis, boots and poles. It was already after 730am. I decided to take my time and prepare a healthy breakfast for Ykraps and I – scrambled eggs. At the same time I threw together a quick lunch: nuts, cheese, and a can of tuna and noodle soup. Ykraps loves eggs. They’re one of the few things he’s able to choke them down despite his throat issue. I headed up for a shower at 755am. I took Mindy coffee. She, Glenn, and the kids planned to go snow skiing at Mad River, otherwise I would’ve left her sleep. I was showered and dressed by 810am. I started the Trooper and left it thaw for a good 10 minutes before heading out. Not wanting to forget anything after being off for 11 days, I took a quick inventory of my necessary work belongings just before exiting the house. The roads were slick. I proceeded cautiously. Arriving at work it felt as though I’d been gone no more than a day or two. It’s funny how that works. On one hand, I was happy to be back at work after 11 days of gluttonous celebration, yet the holiday blues hovered in the background too. I spent the lion’s share of the morning chatting with my team and then catching up on administrative tasks. Mindy phoned late morning to let me know that they were on their way to Der Dutchman in Plain City and then ultimately Mad River. She sounded excited. I was at least somewhat envious. My day was a blur. Not only was I a bit overwhelmed with work, but I was also suffering minor cold symptoms. Instead of taking a lunch, I closed my door, turned off the light, and took a 30 minute siesta. I felt a whole lot better afterwards. Mindy phoned again during a ski break- just after the kids finished their lesson and while they gathered for beer and food. I guess Rene joined them as well. She said the kids did great, and more importantly, Jacob finally learned to snow plow and turn. They planned to take the kids up the real lifts after their food break. Wasn’t sure how long they’d last. I left the office around 515pm and headed straight home. And while I wasn’t sure when exactly Mindy & the kids would be home, I expected them around 6pm. I hurried through my chores: walking Ykraps, placing the Xmas trash at the curb, unloading the dishwasher, along with some general tidying up. I was finally able to relax come 640pm. Mindy phoned around 7pm to let me know that they had just finished skiing and were heading home. Honestly, I was surprised they stayed that long. It was pretty cold and windy, and I didn’t think the kids would want to ski that long. She shared that both kids did great and both skied lots of blue runs with relatively little trouble. That’s great news. She offered to bring a pizza home. That sounded good to me having snacked only a few Triscuits and cheese. The family didn’t get home until 8pm. I had just tuned the TV to ESPN in preparation for the big Vikings game. The kids looked totally whipped but also were eager to share stories about their skiing adventure. I listened and ate pizza at the same time. Glenn shared that the rental skies they gave him were poorly adjusted – came off easily when going over jumps/bumps. This also marked his first time skiing with a helmet - complements of Jimindy. Soon it was 830pm and time for kickoff. By then the kids had their showers and were at my side for kick off. I had all the confidence in the world that the Vikings would win the game. However, almost a mirror image of two of the last three games, the offense looked inept while the defense struggled even worse. With so much at stake, I was beside myself. Come halftime, we trailed 16-0 to the hapless Bears. Good grief! We received the kick off after halftime and it looked, at least temporarily, like we might have some fire power. That fizzled in a hurry. Crap! However, the defense dug in holding the Bears to a 3 and out. We got the ball back and finally scored a touchdown. Unfortunately, our extra point was blocked. That would prove big. It was 16-6. Then, my worst fears came true. The Bears returned the ensuing kickoff all way down to our 20 yard line and scored two plays later going up 23-6, pretty much recapturing any momentum we might’ve gained the drive before. Ugh! I didn’t lose faith, however. I knew that if we stayed focused we could turn this thing around, and turn it around we did. Brett Favre was simply amazing in the final 20+ minutes rallying the Vikings to a 23-23 tie, and then a 30-30 tie with a touchdown pass on 4th down with 12 seconds left. Overtime! I just knew this game was ours. The Bears won the OT toss and took the ball. The Vikings allowed them to drive all the way to the 25 yard line before the drive fizzled. They sent in the field goal team for a 45 yard attempt. Mindy was certain they’d miss, and miss they did. Just wide right. Holy cow! The Vikings got the ball on their 35 but couldn’t do anything. They punted. Luck y for us, the Bears had to punt back to us. Favre looked rattled on the next series, but somehow managed to get a drive going. Adrian Peterson caught a pass and scampered for a first down and then some. He was fighting for extra yards when all of the sudden he had the ball jarred loose. It looked at first glance like his knee was down. It wasn’t. It was a fumble. The Bears were already near field goal range. That was a dagger in my heart. One play touchdown – Bears win 36-30. I was speechless. Now after midnight, Glenn, Mindy and I all headed to bed. I knew I would have trouble falling asleep after that emotional roller coaster. Mindy rubbed my head to help bring on sleep. It worked only marginally. I know I was up until at least 1am constantly reliving the what if’s.

Let it Snow!

Up at 745am. No one else up - Yes!!! No exercise Sunday Walked Ykraps Sunny 33 degrees Mom up at 9am Take Mindy coffee at 905am – wake for church Mindy opts out of church Leave for my run at 930am Run three miles down Trabue & Hague – excellent run Eat Jacob’s leftover breakfast burrito Take a nap on family room floor Mom leaves for home around 1pm – doesn’t want to attend Bobby’s Xmas event Mindy had everything ready to go by the time I finished a shower Created two white elephant gifts – 1 from us, the other from Glenn Picked up Lindsey, Rocky, & Landon - drive to brother Bob’s Arrive around 230pm. Tommy & Wally, Dad already there Adam, Christy their too – along with the rest of Bob’s family I felt a little sick and tired – been that way since Xmas day Ate April’s excellent cheese ball/dip – drank only water Finally took a seat on the comfy sofa – watched remainder of the Bengals game They won 17-10 – clinched division and playoff spot Next up Philly vs. Denver. Rooted for Denver – Philly loss couple with Monday night Viking win seals #2 seed (1st round bye) for Vikings Begins to snow lightly White elephant exchange around 6pm. Tommy white elephant’s mom’s snowman coffee cups/saucer – we ended up with it. Mindy threatens to tell  Dad white elephant’s last year’s gift – glass chess set Glenn gets chess set Afterwards, Dad trades with Glenn, giving him his winning lottery tickets ($33) Dad keeps chess set for next year? Snow beginning to pile up – everyone excited Philly wins exciting game in final seconds 30-27 We depart for home. Scraped Tommy & Dad’s windows. No one else has a scraper. Drop Lindsey and boys Brief snowball battle with Landon and Rocky in Kelly’s front yard Count plastic Santa’s along drive home – 18 Walk Ykraps as soon as we arrive Mindy whisks kids off to the shower I help get the house in order Still snowing 9pm tune into SNF game – Cowboys vs Redskins Determined to get good night’s sleep – head to bed at 1030pm

Ho-Ho-Hum

The hustle and bustle finally over, I slept in until just after 8am. Mom heading downstairs at the same time as me - UGH! I hadn’t planned on that and felt uncomfortable sharing my early morning with anyone else in my presence. I started some coffee then completed my exercises in the livingroom. My mom sat quietly at the breakfast table. It was sunny and 31 degrees. After walking Ykraps I spent a considerable amount of time on the PC Aside from running, I had nothing planned for the entire day I ran just three miles. My legs were tight and I didn’t feel that good – dry cough Glenn slept until almost noon I took a lengthy nap after my run Planned to take Glenn to get new guitar strings but asked Mindy if she would instead. Again, I didn’t feel too well. Mindy started a crock-pot of chili before heading out They headed out around 2pm – gone about an hour. Jacob went too. Mom stayed back with Bella and me. Bella played Wii Mindy invited dad to dinner (chili and cornbread) – accepted dinner around 6pm. Neighbor kids ate dinner with us. Chrissy & Kenny joined us around 730pm. Watched football - tail end of one bowl game and then all of the USC vs. Boston College game. Kids played with foam dart guns & the 20 questions orb. Dad headed for home around 10pm. Neighbors stayed until almost 11pm. Chrissy falling asleep. Took Bella with them – spending the night Jake was going to stay with Jacob but decided against last minute Mom was off to bed soon after the neighbors left I poured Glenn a scotch on the rocks Mindy & I weren’t far behind – in bed before 1130pm. Glenn remained up playing on his laptop

XMAS Day '09

730am - I was first up - about 40 degrees & windy It was raining fairly heavily pretty much washing away the rest of the snow from earlier in the week. Go figure - snow everyday but Xmas! Started coffee, exercised, walked Ykraps Expecting Dad at 830am. I woke Mindy with coffee at 810am. Mom was up just before the kids. Soon the kids were on the stairs waiting permission to attack Mindy placed the breakfast casserole in the oven before calling in the kids Dad arrived just as we granted them access to the family room. We left Glenn sleep. The kids know the drill well. They gathered by the fireplace while Mindy coordinated their Xmas. ‘Santa’ gifts first. Each had about 8 of those. Next, there was a pile of 3 or 4 joint Santa gifts, which included a Wii Fit Plus and a new Wii game. The kids opened a few Jimindy gifts next. Mom & Dad were next. Sadly, they didn’t get any Santa gifts, but they still made out quite well. :) I was next. My stocking was loaded with ‘stuff’- new socks, boxers, gum, jacket, and two CDs. Amongst my Mindy gifts was an iTouch, Bose dock, Brett Favre MV jersey, and wicking long john’s. Mindy was next. She got black & silver dangly earrings from the kids. In her stocking was a pair of ski socks and Dove chocolates. Her Jimmy gifts included a Brett Favre MV jersey, purple cordless mouse, purple ski helmet, and diamond hoop earrings. While the kids played with some of their new toys, Bella was sent to wake Uncle Glenn. He joined us a few minutes later. It must’ve been near 10am. We had all of Glenn’s gifts in a big gift bag – a ski helmet, gaiter, helmet liner, and mesh pack. We threw in a big bag of mini-Reese cups too. We had him try on the helmet, liner and gaiter for a photo op. Dressed & left for a Xmas run between 1030-11am. Ran 4 miles. While raining earlier, it stayed fairly dry for the run’s duration We planned to be at Mindy’s mom’s around 1pm. Dad left for home shortly after my return from a run. Mindy invited my mom and Glenn to join us at Gloria’s but they opted to stay at our place. It took us a while to get ready. Plus, we planned a brief gift exchange with Kenny & Chrissy down at their place before hand. We walked down to their house at 1pm. We weren’t there long – about 15 minutes. We headed for Gloria’s around 130pm Jody, Joe, and Lynne-Lynne were already there when we arrived. We expected others. Spent time looking for Gloria’s new ring, which she said fell off sometime in the last hour or two. Never did turn up. The kids opened their gifts around 3pm. They cleaned up – lots of clothes and cool toys By 4pm, those that were planning to attend had all pretty much arrived. Craig phoned early evening to wish everyone well from sunny Florida Like our place the day before, there was no formal meal served. Instead, it was self-service (ham, cheese, cookies, meatballs, sausages and drinks). One of my favorites was the chocolate fudge (no peanut butter). Everyone opened their gifts by 5-6pm. We headed upstairs for the traditional icebox cookies afterwards. I had two helpings. Ugh! Mindy and I started gathering our things for departure around 715pm. While doing so, we noticed that the carpet in the back bedroom was soaking wet. Not good! I advised Mindy not to tell her mom – didn’t want to upset her. Turns out, she already knew. I loaded the Honda with our huge Xmas haul. It was raining again. There was hardly room for anyone or anything else. Thought we might have to leave a kid.  We headed home at 730pm. I really needed to walk Ykraps. I doubted Glenn would think to do it. We arrived home just before 8pm. Carried in all the Xmas packages Walked Ykraps in the rain. Tucked the kids into bed at 9pm Poured Jack & Coke Glenn, Mindy & I watched Hangover – very funny

Dys-fun-ction in XMAS

Up a little after 8am – a tad stiff and crampy. Exercised and walked Ykraps. Mindy was up by 8:30am. I left for a run around 930am. Ran 4 miles. Glenn slept until 11am or after. We were expecting family around 4pm. Mindy started prepping food. I left to fetch Kaileigh at 145pm Spent a few minutes visiting with Shelly, Kaileigh’s stepmom. Kaileigh and I headed for home, there by 215pm. Mom arrived sometime between 230-300pm. Dad wasn’t far behind. Kaileigh opened her gifts – no other kids there. I could tell she felt a little awkward. Joey & Shelly arrived to pick-up Kaileigh just before 4pm. They visited for a short time, and we exchanged gifts. They left at the same time I headed out to pick-up Linzy, Rocky, & Landon The boys were excited to be visiting. Tommy & Wally arrived as did Ashley, Olivia, and Stephen. Mindy had quite a spread laid out including meatballs, baby sausages, chips, cookies, cheese, crackers, and two beef roasts. The grand kids opened their gifts first. Always a delight to watch. Ashley & Lindsey opened theirs next We gifted Ashley a new microwave and a gigantic tub filled with household cleaning supplies We gifted Lindsey a Kohl’s gift card figuring she wanted/needed clothes. She was genuinely appreciative. We gifted both Lindsey & Ashley sterling silver necklaces too. Ashley gifted Mindy & I a photo collage of Olivia along with her hand prints. Very nice! We got nothing from Lindsey. She just doesn’t understand. A simple card/letter would mean everything. Everybody ate as they saw fit – no formal meal Ashley, Stephen and Olivia were first to depart Mindy ran Rocky, Landon, and Linzy home around 830pm, or shortly after Jacob & Bella got home. Dad left around 9pm. Mindy & I cleaned up the party mess as best we could. The house wasn’t perfect, but it was clean and functional. Mindy & I tucked the kids into bed between 930-10pm. Mom headed to bed around 1030pm. Glenn and I enjoyed a few beers while Mindy enjoyed a glass of wine before doing the Santa gig. It didn’t take long. She was done fairly quickly. I already had all of Mindy’s gifts under the tree. Mindy headed to bed just after midnight. Glenn & I stayed up watching some of the Xmas mass from the Vatican – a show I’ve missed only once or twice dating back to my youth. I peeled off for bed before 1am. Glenn stayed up.

Skiing our Asses Off

Busy day – up early – 7am Run 3 miles – plan to ski I packed sandwiches, cheese, water, candy Leave the house at 1015am – stop for gas at Thornton’s – Honda on “E” Stop by my office to drop off boss’ Xmas gift - $50 Big Fat gift card from my peer and I Visited with boss for a good 30 minutes 11am we’re on the road to Mad River Arrived just before noon – I pick-up lift tickets while Mindy peed Geared up and hit the slopes by noon. Took a green run to get started Skied for 1.5 hours then took a beer break Pitcher of Sam Adams and popcorn Kid at the next table over was having senior pictures taken on the slopes snow boarding. Photographers riding up lift with camera gear – cool idea! Mindy & I chatted with his mom for a good hour. – Springfield family – busy for holidays. Family coming in from all over. Mindy shares that we did too. Back to the slopes at 2:30pm. We took the gladed trail. I fell twice, each time going over a steep drop. Didn’t see it coming. We originally planned to ski until roughly 6pm, but ended up calling it a day just after 5pm. We were skiing well but didn’t want to push it, skiing three out of the last five days. We arrived home just after 6pm. Mindy showered while I walked Ykraps. I showered next. For the next hour Mindy wrapped Xmas presents while I worked on my blog. We left the house at 815pm needing to be at the airport to pick-up brother Glenn at 10pm On our way we planned a brief stop at Barley’s to drop off Xmas gifts for our favorite servers and to have two growlers filled. We sat with Rick & Paul sharing stories & sipping a beer. We left gifts for Janet, Deanna, Diedra, and Sarah. We still need to hook-up with Beth. We weren’t there long – about 45 minutes. We left for the airport at 9:25pm. We parked in short term parking ($2 per hour) 4-south. Inside we learned that Glenn’s plane had just landed. We headed to the northern most concourse –“C”, I believe. As usual, Glenn was one of the last off the plane, and was wearing his ski pants presumably to save room in his carry-on. With no checked luggage we were on our way home in a jiffy. Everyone was hungry. We stopped at the Hilliard Rome White Castle drive-thru. At home, Mindy headed back to the basement to do more wrapping. I believe she finished around midnight. Glenn and I sipped beers, ate food, and talked about family until 1 or 2am. Glenn would be bedding in Jacob’s room for the duration of his stay. With Mom expected to arrive on Thursday (Xmas Eve), the guest room was set-up for her.

Big Fat with Friends

Not sure the time when I got up, but I'm thinking it was between 730 and 8am. I do know that I slept really well. I exercised, walked Ykraps, and enjoyed plenty of alone time before Mindy made her presence known. My buddy Myron left a VM message around 845am suggesting we meet up so we could pick-up the cornhole boards he made for Mindy's teacher friend. After remembering to stretch, I left for my run around 930am. I ran four miles. I wondered how my body might respond after the three days of skiing, There were no ill effects whatsoever. For that I was pleased. After my run I returned Myron's call to arrange a meeting. I suggested lunch at Windchimes, a Chinese restaurant in Dublin next to the infamous Dub Pub near noon. By the time that Mindy and I both had our showers it was after 1130am. We headed out at 1145am. We left daughter Courtney yet another voicemail about Thursday's family Xmas celebration. We're starting to get the impression that she might be upset with us. :) We arrived at Windchimes just after noon. Myron was waiting near the door. After an introduction we headed in for lunch. Windchimes had quite the lunch crowd - always do - but they still found a table for the three of us. I can't recall what Mindy & Myron ordered, but I ordered their War Sue Gai combination and a bowl of won-ton. Mindy ordered won-ton with her lunch too. And after seeing how good ours looked, Myron asked for a bowl as well. We shared kid stories, and then talked a little shop. I didn't want to dwell on work related matters too much. After all, I was on vacation. We spent about an hour together before we headed out to move the cornhole boards from Myron's pick-up into the Honda. Myron headed back to work while Mindy and I headed out for more Xmas shopping. Our next stop was the Trueman Rd Target. Our primary goals was to exchange the PS2 Madden 2010 for the same only for the Wii console. But who can go to Target and get just one thing? We picked up a handful of other miscellaneous items too. Amongst them were a new pair of purple ski gloves for Mindy. We got Jacob some new gloves too, only his weren't purple. :) Mindy bought me an inexpensive yet functional waterproof outer shell that can be used for skiing or running. It was marked down to $25. What a deal! After Target, we shot down to Anthony Thomas chocolate factory for the annual Xmas stop. There we bought candy for a handful of folks still on our list. We dumped $50 in a hurry. Before heading home, we made a stop at Deena's house, just around the corner from ours. Mindy insisted that I head inside with her. Deena was a gracious host and seemed eager to show me around her finely appointed home. As she mentioned, it's small, but also functional and very nicely decorated. She's definitely got the 'Martha Stewart' touch. No detail overlooked. Lots of cool ideas jumping from her shelves and walls. We must've visited for 30 minutes. After leaving Deena's we were finally headed home. As we pulled in the drive, I noticed that my Bose iPod dock was left on our front porch. Actually, I was a bit discouraged that they left it without requiring a signature given its dollar value and the obvious detail on the box. After getting settled, it wasn't long before Mindy headed off once again only this time for the grocery store. She hadn't been grocery shopping for nearly two weeks. We were out of more than a few things. I used the quiet time to load the Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 software on my new PC. It didn't take long to load. I spent at least an hour fooling around and trying to learn some of the features that my Corel software so glaringly lacks. Mindy was home around 530pm. After helping her carry in the groceries I took Ykraps on his evening walk down towards Mike & Teri's house. On our way back I stopped briefly to chat with Kenny who was out shoveling their driveway. I felt bad for not getting to it while he was away. I asked if he and Chrissy wanted to join Mindy & I for dinner at the Big Fat. Chrissy came out seconds later. They agreed to join us for dinner. I told them about an hour. The neighbors came down about an hour later, and after a drink we left for the Big Fat. I drove. The Big Fat was crowded. For the first time I can remember, Johnny or Maria weren't there manning the restaurant. Alex seemed to be in charge. Despite begin crowded, Alex found us an open table near the back. Great! Kenny asked if they had Labatts. They did not, but offered a Greek substitute, Mythos Lager. He accepted. Mindy ordered a glass of Shiraz, and Chrissy a Corona. I went with Jack & Coke. We ordered some fried calamari and some of their pita bread appetizers, too. For dinner, Mindy & I both ordered their sizzling sea scallops. Kenny chose their leg of lamb special while Chrissy went with pasta. Our meal was good but the scallops weren't as tender as they usually are. They must've been over baked/broiled. More often than not, they'll literally melt in your mouth. Kenny wasn't that thrilled with how they prepared his leg of lamb either. Too well done for his liking. I picked up the check. Alex sent over free desserts. That's the Big Fat. Always making one feel special. Once in our subdivision, Mindy suggested we drive around looking at Xmas lights. We pretty much followed my running trail taking in all the holiday lights. Finally back at home we agreed to meet at our house for a night cap. Kenny & Chrissy walked home to fetch some beers, and also across the street to see if Kapil wanted to join us. They returned five minutes later beers in hand. Kapil said he was on-call and wouldn't be joining us. Too bad. We hung out laughing and drinking for another hour. Kenny started yawning first. We agreed to hook up again on either Xmas eve of Xmas day to exchange some small gifts. Mindy & I headed to bed soon after the neighbors left. We had designs on skiing again on Wednesday.

Kids Ski Too

I was up good and early eager to get a big jump on our ski day. It was 545am. Perhaps it was the Vikings ugly loss or my missing fleece, either way, I wasn't sleeping that well so I figured I might as well get the day started. I prepped coffee, exercised, then leashed up Ykraps before heading out into the chilly predawn air. It was about 25 degrees and snowing, albeit only lightly. There was about a half inch of new stuff on the driveway and walks. Back inside I poured some coffee then took to the computer to catch up on some blogging. I worked on my blog until 730am. I headed out for a run shortly after I heard the kids up and stirring. I had to pay Rocky a visit in Jacob's room. They were playing PS2 hockey and Rocky was hollering like it was noon. He was loud! I headed out for my run while Mindy remained in bed. We had already agreed not to rush getting to Mad River for the 1030am ski class. I ran just three miles knowing we'd be getting one heck of a workout on the slopes later. That worked out well. I was back home by 830am. Mindy was busy making the kids breakfast and us some eggs. She said I had enough time to shower before the eggs would be ready. Cool! I must've returned downstairs showered and ready for breakfast around 900am. We finished breakfast around 930am and then started readying the kids for our ski day. Mindy did a good job making sure all three had adequate clothing for a day in the cold and snow. While she addressed the kids, I packed a lunch for everyone and loaded it in a small cooler. After taking inventory of our gear, we were ready to go by 1040am. It was a fast drive to Mad River, this my third trip up in five days. Mindy paid for everyone's skiing. She & I lift tickets, the three kids lessons, rentals, and lift tickets. Final bill was something like $270. Yikes! We decided to leave our gear in the car and focus our attention on getting the kids outfitted first. That was a wise plan. It must've taken a good half hour to get them in boots, skis, and helmets. They looked good. After the kids were outfitted, Mindy took them to the foot of the bunny hill while I fetched my gear. She did the same once I returned. We had nearly an hour and a half yet to burn before the kids' lesson began. I helped the kids up to the surface (belt) lift and soon had each of them cruising down the bunny hill by the time Mindy returned in full gear. I worked up one hell of a sweat helping them scootch the last few feet up a slight incline to the surface lift after each run. That's one of the hardest things to teach a new skier - walking up a slight incline with skis on. Aside from our three kids, I must've helped three or four more somewhere in the learning process. Some of the kids looked as old as about 14. Most of them were struggling to get their skis back on after a fall. And in almost every case, the culprit was snow stuck to the bottom of their boots not allowing it to click into the binding. I learned that the hard way years past. It was hard work but also rewarding helping the kids learn to ski. Mindy worked closest with Jacob who was struggling more than Rocky & Bella. I likened him to Bambi on ice. Mindy laughed and agreed. Bella was doing great but had forgotten how to turn and stop - skills she learned during her lesson last February. Finally 115pm arrived. It was time to drop the kids at Adventure Camp. They encourage the parents to go ski while entrusting the kids to them. They simply asked that we return at 330pm to fetch our kids. They didn't have to ask Mindy & I twice. We were eager to do some skiing of our own. We headed quickly over to the Four Star Express lift. We skied for two solid hours getting in countless runs on their varying terrain. While on a run, we caught a glimpse of Bella, who was easily spotable in her pink snow suit and orange ski helmet. She appeared to be up the mountain with an instructor. Looked to us like she had ridden a lift and was skiing some green runs. We were excited for her. Of course we didn't let her see us. No sign of the two boys. We figured they were with another instructor. Mindy took a hard tumble on one of their more difficult runs. I saw her head bounce off the packed snow. It made a fairly loud thud. Good thing she had her helmet on. She skied on. As 315pm neared we skied over to the beginner area to meet up with the kids. We caught up with Rocky and Jacob right away. Both were rosy cheeked and grinning ear to ear. Both professed being hungry and tired. They'd been at it for 3.5 hours. Their instructor was a young kid, who seemed to have a few screws loose. He went on about how neither of the two would listen too well, and thus didn't learn much other than how to go straight down the hill, which isn't good or safe. They wouldn't snow plow or turn, which you have to do before they'll consider taking you up on the small lift. Quietly, and off to the side, he shared that he told them that people die out here skiing like that. Bella, he explained, was still up on the mountain with another instructor. He was tickled at how well she was doing. She skied up a few minutes later. And just like the boys, she professed being cold, hungry, and sore. We understood. I went to the Honda for our packed lunch and met the clan in the lodge a few minutes later. We must've spent a good hour eating, relaxing and getting warm. Mindy was eager to get the kids back out on the slopes. I was hopeful but wasn't convinced they'd want to having witnessed how tired they looked before lunch. But, sure enough, they wanted to try a lift. Mindy was convinced that we needed to head over to the Momentum chair lift to get to the newer green trails. I wasn't so sure having just reviewed the large map in the lodge. I wanted to go up Sundowner. Mindy won out. Momentum it was. We carried the kids skis as well as our own all the way to the Momentum lift. I was exhausted and started to sweat by the time we got there. I rode the lift with Jacob and Rocky. Mindy rode with Bella. The boys really enjoyed the chair lift. I worried that exiting might be a fiasco, but somehow we managed without incident. Mindy & Bella were waiting patiently. Once at the top we realized that I was right all along. The only way down from Momentum was taking one of two blue runs. Oh boy! All three kids were terrified. I had a strange Déjà vu feeling come over me. What were we thinking? Didn't we do something similar with Bella and Jacob last winter? Well, since we were already up there, it made little since to fret over our predicament. Instead, it was time to figure out a plan for getting down. My plan was to chop the run into tiny bits, where one of us would ski down and serve as a target while the other encouraged and coached, and gathered them if and when they fell. We agreed that I would be the first target. Mindy launched them. Well, it wasn't long before all three kids had fallen and were lying on the ground crying for home. We both did our level best to chop it up even smaller. At one point Rocky came right at me seemingly going 100mph. He hit me so hard that I practically fell over. Looking back it was quite comical. A ranger saw him slam into me and skied up and started dialogue with Mindy. Said that many folks make the same mistake, bringing their kids up this lift in lieu of the Sundowner. This one is closer to the bunny hill, but leads only to blue trails. He offered encouragement then skied on. I decided to scrap the target thing and ski Rocky down between my legs. After all, Bella enjoyed that last winter. Rocky responded almost in kind. He liked that. After one curving blue hill it pretty much turned green the rest of the way. Bella skied to me and then I skied with her between my legs. Both she and Rocky wanted to go back to the bunny hill. Meanwhile, Mindy slowly but surely got Jacob down the hill. Unlike the others, he struggled just to stay on his feet. He wanted to return to the bunny hill too. I was surprised after hearing their cries for home atop the mountain. We obliged. Gathered at the bunny hill, Bella insisted on doing the green trail with her mommy. Against my better judgment Mindy and Bella headed over to the Sundowner lift. I stayed with the two boys on the bunny hill. It wasn't long before Mindy & Bella skied up sharing that Bella wanted me to go up the same lift with her. According to Mindy she did great and wanted to show me her stuff. Bella and I pegged over to the Sundowner. Bella used the j-bar to get most of the way there. She managed that well too. Up the lift she and I went. She seemed to be in charge. I liked the attitude. Once we exited the lift Bella asked me to follow her. I chuckled to myself at her confidence. Keep in mind, it was now totally dark save for the lighted trails. One thing about Bella, her sense of direction is remarkable. She's been that way since I met her back when she had just turned three. And just like she did back then, she guided us down the winding green trail back to the lift's base. She fell once but popped right back up all on her own. She even did her first hockey stop! That, folks, was impressive! We skied back to the bunny hill to find the others. It was time to call it a day. Everyone was in agreement. It was 6pm. We had a fun day. I went for the car while Mindy helped the kids turn in their rental equipment. We were on the road by 615pm. Mindy phoned Jimaken, who was expecting to pick the kids up at our place around 630pm She apologized for running behind but it was worth it to see Bella tearing up the green slopes of Mad River Mt. Bella and Rocky were asleep almost as soon as we hit the highway. They woke as we hit I-270 south in Dublin. As planned, we stopped at Wendy's on Roberts Rd to get food for all the kids. Mindy & I planned to do dinner after dropping Rocky. We went through the drive-thru and were home by 705pm. While the kids ate, I walked Ykraps. Speaking of Ykraps. we noticed that he hasn't been eating his dry food for about the last three or four days. When he tries, he throws it right back up. It looks as if he doesn't even try to chew it. Plus, it sounds like he has a throat obstruction. I told Mindy I think his days are numbered. I'll be taking him to the vet soon if he doesn't start eating. This throat thing has gotten progressively worse over the last couple of months. Jimaken arrived to fetch the kids around 730pm. Mindy showered while I entertained Rocky. I showered after her. We delivered Rocky home around 815pm. We had designs on dining at the Big Fat but we learned via their website that it's closed on Monday's. We went with our old stand-by - Barley's. We arrived there around 840pm. Like always, a few of our peeps were on hand. We slid to the end of the bar and ordered beers. Mindy had a St Nick's while I enjoyed a Centennial IPA. She ordered a Barely burger while I went with my favorite - a Cuban with bacon. Between the skiing, beer, and food, we were both overcome with sleepiness as the evening began to wane. I managed a second beer, a Green Flash West Coast IPA. Because the St Nick's is a double winter warmer, I drove home. I felt fine. We had thoughts of crashing Kenny & Chrissy's house but both of us were toast, too tired for anything but bed. We were in bed before 1030pm. Not much different than a work day. I was up at 540am and to bed by 1030pm. Hmm?

Celebrating Xmas part one

Because we planned to take Dad to breakfast at 9am, I got up & out of bed at 705am. That left me ample time to walk Ykraps, coffee, computer, run, and then shower. It was snowing ever so lightly and 28 degrees when I headed out with Ykraps - a typical day for late December. I took Mindy some coffee around 730am and just before heading out on my run. Like most Sunday's, I ran just three miles. The only difference being I stayed in the subdivision. I was home by 815am. Mindy was just finishing her shower. I really expected her to be further along. I asked if she fell back asleep. She said not. While she primped and prepped, I hopped in the shower. Not too unusual, I was ready to go well before she. Let's see ... jeans and a black t-shirt. :) I was busy organizing things in the kitchen when the doorbell sounded. Oops! The fact that dad was meeting us at the house slipped my mind. We chatted briefly waiting on Mindy to join us downstairs. Dad didn't do much on his actual birthday, which was the day before (Saturday). I agreed to drive to breakfast. Dad rode up front with me, leaving the venue up to us. We chose Perkins. It's just a quarter mile north of Bob Evan's on Rome-Hilliard Rd. We were there shortly after 915am. I dropped Mindy & Dad off at the door before circling the building and parking the Honda. I joined them in a booth moments later. Jessica was our server. She was sporting a southern twang. However, it wasn't detectable all the time suggesting that she's a recent transplant from the south - perhaps Grove City. :) We all ordered similar entrees, although not exact. One difference, I ordered pancakes. We talked about the family, whether Dad's heard from Uncle Kenny and whether he'd be home for Xmas. He would not -staying in Florida. Talked a little about brother Bob's Xmas party and how he might feel about Pauline joining us. Dad said he's already discussed that possibility with Bob and he didn't seem to mind. His only concern was that Mom and Dad didn't sneak off to one of the kids rooms, or worse yet, their master suite. Ewh! Dad shared that he bought himself a new 32" flat panel 1080P LCD TV along with a Blu-ray player. Did some bargaining with the sales dude and got a good deal. Honestly, dad's new set-up is far more advanced than ours. We overheard another family talking who was sitting at the booth just to our immediate west. The young woman in their company - looked to be mid-30's - was going on about how poorly she felt. We overheard her brother explaining all the different shots she did the night before. The next thing we knew, she was lying down in the booth. I half expected her to earl, although she never did. We finished up our breakfast just after 1030am. Dad shared that he'd be Xmasing with April's family later that evening. He left for home straight away once we pulled up at the house. Mindy did some holiday wrapping while I did a little reading in the familyroom. Reading slowly morphed into a much deserved nap. Ahh- felt terrific! I slept for only a few minutes, but that little nap helped a whole lot. Mindy made a run out for more Xmas gifts mid-day. I stayed home napping, watching football, and playing on the PC. Among other things, I emailed my sauerkraut ball recipe to brother Craig. I was going to load my new Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 software , too, but didn't want to spend much more time on the PC. I knew we were going to Gloria's to celebrate Xmas with Craig and Jeff, but I didn't know what time. When asked, Mindy said she wasn't sure either. Mindy was gone for a couple of hours. I don't recall the exact time she got home. The kids must've shown up with Jimaken around 3pm. They were excited to tell Mindy & I that they were getting hamsters for Xmas and would likely pick them up on Tuesday. We readied and left for Gloria's at 4pm. Mindy never did confirm the time everyone was expected. I worried that we might be extremely late, or possibly even early. That's just me. I worry about things I can't control. Craig and Jeff were already there when we pulled up. No one else. However, even as we were unloading our gear, the others arrived too. The afternoon's celebration took place in the lower level just like every other Xmas. Despite not calling ahead, Mindy somehow knew we'd be ordering pizza for dinner. Larry tried calling Jossepi's Pizza but got a ring no answer at each of their locations. I knew the Hilliard store closed but didn't think the others had. I suggested that they might be having their holiday celebration. We later learned that to be the case. In lieu of Jossepi's, we ordered from Donato's. They delivered five pizza's in a hurry - less than 20 minutes, or so it seemed. I hadn't had a Donato's pizza for years. Got sick on some ten years ago and haven't been able to enjoy it much since. The pizza was adequate but nothing like I expected. But then again, it's wasn't as much about the food as it was about family. We were there to celebrate Xmas with C & J, who were heading south in a couple days to spend Xmas at their vacation home in sunny Florida. And while I emailed my sauerkraut recipe to C & J, I also printed off a hard copy, too. Jeff had a few questions regarding the ingredients and the preparation process. Come 6pm, it was time to do Xmas presents. C & J passed out gifts for the little one's first. They do a good job, always finding the cutest clothes for Bella. Next, everyone gifted C & J (actually the kids). Gloria then gave them their gifts. Lots of red. Apparently that's their new color of choice. While Xmasing, the Bengals game whirled in the background. I watched the game fairly closely. And while I'm not a huge Bengals fan, I do root for them week in and week out unless, of course, they're playing my team, the Vikings. The Bengals tied the game late after trailing for most of it. But some or another they lost in the very end. I felt bad for all of Bengals fans out there. It was after 7pm and time to think about heading home. We still needed to pick-up Rocky. In fact, Lindsey called a time or two checking on our whereabouts. We left Gloria's around 730pm. Honestly, my biggest concern was getting home in time to get settled in for the Viking game, which was slated to kick-off at 8:20pm on NBC (bing-dong-ding). Rocky ran out to the Honda as soon as we pulled up. He was obviously excited about visiting the kids. I felt a little sad leaving Landon behind, but he didn't seem to mind. I played with him briefly through the window. The house was out of control, as always - dogs going bonkers along with that telling odor that permeates everything. Rocky was cranked up. he was talking a mile a minute sharing all sorts of troubling information about the goings on at their home. Mindy and I were concerned, but also mindful of his history of telling tall tales. We weren't home long before I was off walking Ykraps. I noticed within minutes that my black fleece was missing. Oh no! Not my favorite black fleece. I asked Mindy to phone her mother and ask if she saw it lying around anywhere. Rocky & Jacob chose to go along. Mindy had the kids in PJ's well before the game began. We let them stay up since there wouldn't be any school the following day. However, we still wanted them to get a good night's rest before our big ski outing Monday. The game kicked off before 8:30pm. The Vikings offense struggled from the outset, but the defense was stout holding the Panthers to 6 measly points through the first three quarters. We couldn't get out of our own way. In fact, it was very similar to their performance two weeks ago on SNF against Arizona. I'm sure the kids heard some choice swear words. I really need Mindy to watch that. I'll be talking to her about it. :) Despite the dsfunction, the Vikings lead 7-6 heading into the 4th quarter. Rocky & Bella asked to sleep in the guest bedroom. We obliged. Rocky, however, couldn't fall asleep. I eventually caved and let him rejoin us downstairs as long as he didn't talk. For him, that's an awfully tall order. Somehow he managed. Mindy headed to bed mid-4th quarter after the Panthers took a 19-7 lead. The game was all but over. I stayed tuned in to the bitter end. Always do. We eventually lost 26-7 in what was an ugly game for a Viking fan. But, I guess you'll have that on occasion. I decided to let Rocky sleep on the familyroom floor. He looked comfortable. Feeling sad and depressed, I headed for bed.

Jean-Claude Killy

I was up Saturday before daybreak eager to get the day rolling. It snowed about two inches overnight and was still coming down, however only lightly. The winter weather couldn't have been more timely given that the day's big plans included snow skiing at Mad River. Mindy stayed in bed while I exercised, took care of Ykraps, and completed my run. I ran just three miles knowing I'd be getting one heck of a workout on the slopes later. Mindy was up when I got back. We didn't start preparing for our ski trip until 930am. While Mindy showered and primped, I whipped up scrambled eggs with chunks of ham. The eggs got a little crispy on one side but remained edible. At the same time the eggs cooked, and probably why they were partially burned, I made sandwiches for later and packed them in a small cooler. Too, I baggied chunks of cheese and a selection of chocolate candy (Reese's & Butterfingers). Finally, around 1030am, we left for Bellefountaine. Mindy was very excited. The weather seemed to be holding in a light snowy pattern, and the temperature hovered around 33 degrees. The forecast called for cloudy skies and a high of 34 with snow/rain ending mid-morning. We arrived at Mad River Mt. around 1130am. Just as we pulled in the lot Bob Imber called. He figured himself 20 minutes behind us. We planned to get in a few runs then seek him out. We did a Blue/Green run first, which is always a good idea. We planned to do all green but the trails aren't exactly marked well. Mindy did fine. Next run up we did the black. The snow was once again really nice, a combination of mother nature and man-made stuff. No sign of the old 'ice ball' stuff from days gone by. After 40 minutes or so we celled Bob and then eventually spotted him in his familiar red jacket and gray pants zooming down the main run looking a lot like Jean-Claude Killy (1968 Olympic gold medalist). We met up and skied with Bob & Scott, and eventually Scott's 13 year old son, Zach and his friend Nick, both of whom are excellent skiers. We had a ball skiing without a break for the next 3+ hours. During that time frame we polished off three flasks of 'liquid ski-joy' (two - goldschlager/one - lemon nip). All of the sudden we realized that Mindy was drunk. The first clue was when she fell getting off the lift and then a second time going down the mountain. Her form was gone - caput. I wouldn't let her go up/down again. She needed a break and some food. Bob fetched a pitcher of Sam Adams while I went to the Honda for our food. At the same time we took our break, Scott, Zach, and Nick left for home. After eating a sandwich and a few chunks of cheese, Mindy looked and felt a whole lot better. We must've rested for nearly an hour. Back to the slopes. We probably did another 6 or 7 runs at near full throttle taking in all of the parks terrain. Mindy stopped after 45 minutes. Bob and I did a few more runs including one taking us over by the wooded condos on the parks western edge. We hoped to find rental info for a possible getaway but found none. Bob needed/wanted to be home to meet Mary Ann after work. Mindy & I had no solid plans but did plan to do dinner somewhere. We agreed to call it a day near 545pm after one last balls-to-the-wall run. It's a quick transition from slopes to car. We were on the road five minutes later. As we drove, Mindy phoned my dad to follow-up on our earlier birthday phone call and to arrange breakfast Sunday morning. We agreed to meet at our house at 9am. We also called Lindsey to arrange for Rocky to join us Monday at Mad River Mt. We'd pick him up Sunday evening after dinner at Mindy's mom's. We arrived home just before 7pm, and by the time I got everything situated and Ykraps walked, the house was silent. 15 minutes went by without hearing a peep from Mindy. I found her sound asleep in bed. OK. It was just after 7pm. During our drive home she'd also made tentative arrangements for us to visit Chrissy & Kenny. Chrissy phoned around 8pm. I shared that Mindy was out. I wasn't sure if she'd be waking or not. Mindy got up just before 9pm. By then I was comfy and relaxed, not really up for any action. I was happy just to relax in my PJs. We headed to bed near 10pm - a good night's rest almost a certainty.

Xmas Shopping - CBC - Barley's - Snow

I slept really well, hardly budging until Mindy returned to the bedroom for a shower. This was the second day of my holiday vacation. It must've been near 715am when I finally rolled out of bed and headed downstairs for coffee and exercise. Just before leaving for work, Mindy asked if I wanted to meet her for lunch. I left it open ended but didn't think I would. I really wanted to do some more Xmas shopping and I was already getting a relatively late start. She left for work at 730am. With bus stop time fast approaching, I walked Ykraps while the kids toiled in their rooms. Before I knew it, it was 755am and time to head to the bus stop. On our way out, Bella mailed her letter to Santa in the north pole (see pic below). The kids were very upbeat given this their last day of school for two whole weeks. The kids had gifts for all their teachers crammed into their book bags. It hadn't crossed my mind until that moment that my sinuses were a non-issue giving rise once more to the allergy theory. Who knows? Back home, alone, I decided not to rush around. After all, those that know me well, know I hate feeling hurried, late, or under the gun. I spent my time blogging, catching up through Wednesday but capturing only each day's highlights instead of the full details. I threw in some photos too. Come 1030am I dressed and headed out for a four mile run. For mid-December, the weather was nice - about 30 degrees and partly cloudy. The run went well, suffering no ill-effects from Thursday evening's skiing. I finished my run around 1110am. Before doing anything else I phoned Mindy to let her know that I wouldn't be coming her way for lunch, which for her begins at something like 1130am. Sounded as though she was mid-lesson. I could hear lots of small voices in the background. She understood and said she didn't expect I would be coming. I didn't want to assume anything, feeling as though I hadn't closed the loop earlier. Soon after hanging up the phone, I hit the shower. I was ready to head out by 1215pm. As I gathered my gear for departure, I realized that the day was already half over. I hate that! I remember thinking this must be what the unemployed feel like- each day flying by faster and faster. What a terrible feeling - a loss of control. My first planned stop was Tuttle mall - Macy's. The mall parking lot was quite full, but I've certainly seen it worse. However, it was a weekday. I was a little bummed that I didn't have any coupons. The last sale mailer I received expired Wednesday. Crap! My goal was to pick-up gifts for my girls - necklaces and possibly the traditional Xmas PJs. I've been buying the girls PJs for several years running dating back 10-15 years. I was disappointed to find their style/patterns the same as last year and their selection picked over. All that remained of the more appealing styles were the 'big' sizes. Determined not to buy just to buy, I decided to forego PJs. I moseyed over to the jewelry aisle. The jewelry counters were crowded and busy. I did my best to remain patient. Finally helped, I selected three sterling silver necklaces with varying pendants. They were 50% off, plus, the young lady working the counter gave me another 20% coupon. In effect, I got all three for a smidge more than the regular price of one. Great! I ventured the lower level Men's department just as I often do. I needed nothing but still wanted to look. However, I do need/want a new pair of black dress shoes but none caught my eye. While there, I checked out kitchen wares too. After leaving Macy's I made a quick stop at the Finish Line to look at running shoes. Already near 2 pm, I left the mall and headed for the Hilliard-Rome Target & Dick's. I stopped at Dick's first. There I picked up a number of items, a couple gifts and a few skiing accessories for myself. I was shocked to look at my phone and see that it was 315pm. Crap! Mindy asked if I would be home to intercept the kids from the bus at 4pm. If I stopped at Target, I knew that I'd be rushed. I nixed Target for the time being. Then, just as I was battling my way down Hilliard Rome Rd towards Trabue, Mindy phoned. She shared that she was on her way home and really didn't need me to be there to greet the kids off the bus. Cool. I circled back around to make that Target stop after all. Mindy asked that I pick-up some more gift tissue. Target is a great store. One can take care of so many gifts there. I picked up the gift wrapping supplies Mindy wanted along with a couple toys for Wally, stocking stuffers, a couple new DVDs for us (Inglorious Basterds & Hangover) and four pair of gloves and two hats for Bella. Now, well after 4pm, I headed for home. At the entrance to our subdivision, there was what appeared to be a truckless UPS man standing with a push cart overflowing with packages. The packages kept falling off the cart as he attempted to push it down the sidewalk. Finding that very odd, I kept my eye on him as I drove to our driveway just down the way. I was troubled with the thought that some of those packages might be mine, and that he might be scamming folks -stealing packages after the real UPS driver leaves them unattended on the front porch. It doesn't take much to look like a UPS guy - brown shirt, pants and hat. I told Mindy about the experience as soon as I got home. She found it odd too. I decided to drive back down to the corner to investigate further. Sure enough, he was still there fumbling with packages. I pulled up alongside the guy and asked if he needed some help. No, he replied. Said the driver left him to deliver by foot while he made neighborhood pick-ups. I kept direct eye contact with the fellow through our brief conversation in an attempt to read any possible contempt looming in his eyes. Finding his story believable, but at the same time hokey, I decided to move on. Before heading home I tried to deliver a Xmas card that was left in our mailbox in error about a week ago. It didn't take long to figure out why. The address on the card didn't exist. Apparently the postman tried to guess and chose our address as a close second. As soon as I got back home I went to the county's property search website and pulled up the last name written on the Xmas card looking for a parcel on our street or in our subdivision. There it was. The sender was off by one digit. We'd deliver it later. It wasn't long before Jimaken was over to pick-up the kids. Must've been just after 5pm. While Mindy got the kids weekend gear in order, I hung Jacob's homemade pinecone bird feeders from the two red maples out back. I assumed he made them at school. The kids soon left with Jimaken. We wouldn't have them again until Sunday afternoon. We didn't hang that long at home. Mindy did Xmas inventory, but then readied for an evening out. As a change of pace, we planned a visit to CBC, and then maybe, a stop at Barley's on our way home. We hadn't been to CBC in quite a longtime. I reminded Mindy how crowded it might be given the happy hour time frame and being the last Friday before Xmas. We didn't care. To our dismay, it wasn't that crowded at all. The lot was only half full and there was plenty of seating at the bar. Hmm? And for the first time in nearly a year, Kevin was bartending on a night that we were in. In fact, all of our favorite CBC servers were in: Stella, Kate, Jamie, and Kevin. We met Stella in June of '08. She might have the prettiest eyes in the world. Last we knew, she was pregnant. Hadn't heard how that all turned out. We called her over to chat. She shared how well she and the baby are doing. She was glowing with happiness - easy to see. That did our hearts good. We also briefly chatted with Jamie, niece Julie's old gal pal from years ago. Kevin shared that he's got just one quarter left of school and has secured a fulltime teaching job for after. Excellent! I spotted a cute young lesbian couple sitting at the end of the bar. One of the two looked a little like Zach Efron from High School Musical. I dared Mindy to walk over and take their photo. Game on! Mindy walked over, asked and snapped. They were most gracious. Mindy and I both had a Xmas Ale to start, then I switched to their IPA. It might be my favorite bottled IPA, but it's even better on draft. We ordered a plate of calamari too. I wasn't hungry at all. Haven't been since Tuesday. Mindy cited extreme hunger. After confirming my soberness, she ordered their 1859 Porter next. I can't say with any certainty, but don't think we were there 2 hours. We agreed to stop at Barley's on our way home. Mindy wouldn't do any more drinking there and agreed to drive home. We both expected Barley's to be packed to the hilt. It wasn't. In fact, the bar was 1/3 full at best. It appeared we arrived just after the early crowd departed. Not long after we arrived, so did others. Much to my pleasure, they had a new batch of Centennial on tap. Of course I ordered one. Mindy went with water. Soon a handful of our peeps arrived: Rick C, Tom C, Bob & Carol, & neighbors David and Becky. During our brief visit, I probably had three Centennials. They were delicious. Mindy drove home just as we planned much earlier. It was snowing at a fairly good clip and accumulating too. Very pretty. We talked about visiting the neighbors, but Mindy nixed it in favor of alone time. I took Ykraps on a brief walk out back in the snow once we arrived home. I took a few snow pics too. We headed for bed around 11pm.

Putting Santa on Notice

Bella placed Santa on notice. She's gotta long list of wants.

Let's Ski

I slithered into bed near 1am. I remember Mindy questioning my late appearance in a surprised yet sad tone. She apparently had no idea that I had fallen asleep on the sofa. I might've woken a couple of times through the night but all in all I slept fairly well. I didn't wake again until I heard Mindy getting out of bed and heading downstairs. It occurred to me then that I'd forgotten to prep coffee the night before. I felt bad but not enough to drag my ass out of bed. Moments after Mindy returned for a shower I woke with a sudden urge to sneeze. It felt as though something was crawling around in my left nostril tickling the very back of my sinus cavity. I woke, grabbed a tissue from the night stand and blew hard. That provided temporary relief at best. The tickling continued until I could no longer stand lying in bed. I got up and headed downstairs to start my day. By then, Mindy was already preparing to depart for work. It was 7:25am. I reached for another tissue to blow my stuffy nose. It just wouldn't stop running. On top of that, I still didn't feel 100% after waking Wednesday feeling bloated and slightly ill. I had a busy agenda planned and wasn't about to acquiesce to illness. The kids were busy preparing to depart for the bus. At the same time I exercised and walked Ykraps. Come 7:55am I headed out to the bus stop with the kids. Bella gave Mrs. Vanorder, her main bus driver, a Xmas gift Wednesday. She had a gift for her other bus driver today, the one that takes them to Noah's house once or twice each week. Off they went. I gave Chrissy her house/car keys. She left them at our house last night, and asked that I bring them this morning. Back at home I fooled around on the PC before heading out for my run. Among other things, I checked Mad River's website. They were touting excellent conditions having made 6" inches of fresh snow overnight. I figured I had to be back home by 915am if I were to make it to my 10am dental appointment on time. I ran just three miles. My sinuses continued to run non-stop. I kept sneezing too. My original plans called for snow skiing later in the afternoon, but judging by how I was feeling , I wasn't so sure. I was back home after my run by 9:10am. I sipped another cup of coffee before hitting the shower. I was ready by 9:40am. I checked my Blackberry before heading off to the dentist. I had an email from Bob Imber sent late last night citing himself as a maybe for Thursday afternoon skiing. Off I went to see Dr March. It's a quick drive though Arlington up Tremont to Dr March's office. Took no more than ten minutes. I was early. After a few minutes of reading the latest Sports Illustrated, Faith intercepted me in the lobby to do the panoramic Xray they've been dying to do for the past year. I finally agreed last visit. That went quick. Faith then handed me off to Laura, who's the dental assistant that helped Dr March prep my #14 molar for the crown two weeks prior. Laura whisked me off to another area that I'd never seen before, an open chair area set-up much like an orthodontist's office. I later learned that is what it used to be. There, Laura asked how the temp crown worked out. Painful, I shared. Took Advil twice daily for the first ten days or so. She asked if I wanted to proceed with or without numbing today. She explained that she had to scrape off the temp glue in order to assure a proper fit and adhesion of the new permanent crown. I opted for none citing my desire to ski afterwards without a numb face. She agreed to try, but she wasn't too hopeful given my declaring it hyper-sensitive earlier. Nope- stop. Almost as soon as she started using the scraping tool I raised my hand after feeling that familiar 'zing' of pain. I'd have to be numbed. Soon Dr March entered and numbed my upper left jaw. They let it soak in for a good ten minutes before trying again. They eventually moved back to the regular patient area. Dr March explained that because of a couple unplanned dental emergencies all the chairs were full. The actual work was brief. After scraping off the temp glue they made sure the new crown fit snuggly then took another x-ray to check for any gaps/leaks. There were none. Time to glue it on. I was on my merry way by 11am. Armed with a half dozen tissues, I was ready to empty my sinuses at the dentist's office, but happily that proved to be unnecessary. At least for the time being my symptoms had abated. I headed for home. Having eaten nothing, I could think of little else beyond food. I choked down some ham & chunks of cheese being careful not to chew near my new crown. Not long after returning home the door bell rang. It was Rachel, our friend and house cleaner. She was bearing a gift - a tin of goodies. She didn't stay long. She was heading down to Chrissy's to clean. I thanked her and verified that she was coming to clean our place next Wednesday. It was 1130am. My sinuses started draining again, and the incessant sneezing resumed too. I wondered in the back of my mind if I were allergic to something in the house. My plans still called for skiing later but before that I wanted to wrap Mindy's Xmas presents. I'd targeted this date long ago knowing I'd be home all the while Mindy worked. Before any wrapping, I had to unearth all of her gifts. The trick was remembering where they were. I literally had them stashed/ hidden all over the house - and some for several weeks. Finding them was like a scavenger hunt. It took longer than I expected, the first package consuming the most time. But once I got rolling the process went smoothly. I wasn't too thrilled with the wrapping paper, but I am committed to burning up our supply this year. We must have 25 rolls stashed away. I finished up just after 1pm. During the wrapping exercise, I must've burned through 25 tissues. It would've been easy to bag skiing due to my sinuses , but I also knew I'd regret it later. I decided to move forward with my plan despite not feeling too well. Carefully, I gathered all of my ski gear, and then hit the medicine closet looking for something to help ward off my runny nose, which was making my eyes water too. We must have 50 different meds - maybe more. Finally, after an exhaustive search, I found some tiny pseudoephedrine tablets. The only problem was they were out of their box, so I was without instructions. Ever since the codeine cough syrup incident, I am a bit more cautious. I decided to take just one. My plan was to leave the house at 3pm and arrive at Mad River just before 4pm. Happily, I managed to stay on course. Mindy phoned right at 3pm, just as I was preparing to exit the house. I shared my day and my plan to go skiing. I hadn't heard from Tommy or Bob. I planned on skiing alone. Mindy shared that she and the kids would most likely go out to dinner. Well prepared, I headed out of the house at 305pm. The drive is an easy one - straight up route 33 past the Honda plant by about 10-15 miles. The weather was pleasant - dry, sunny, and about 36 degrees. I arrived at Mad River 3:45pm. I bought an after 4pm lift ticket for $23. From the lot the mountain looked good - plenty of snow and only a few skiers. I've never been there on a weekday. I was able to park real close too. It took no more than five minutes to gear up. I was ready and stoked! After a quick self-portrait against a lovely sunset I headed up the lift. It was hard to believe that I was skiing again, although it's been almost ten months - Holiday Valley last February. The time has gone super fast. First run ... I was cautious heading down the hill for the first time. The snow was nice - not the little balls of ice I expected. I took three or four runs without a break. By run four I began to find my groove, and by six or seven I was feeling completely comfortable and confident. I took a few more pics then a time check. It was only 5pm. Time was going slow. I decided to take a brief lodge break and have a beer, a Sam Adams draft. While sipping my beer I snacked on the lil' baby sausages and cheese I pocketed. Hit the spot. I realized then that my sinus issue was a total non-issue. Hmm? Was the pseudoephedrine working that well? After my beer I returned to the slopes for another 30-40 minutes. The last four or five runs were awesome. I let it rip. I had found my mojo. All totaled, I must've gotten in 12-14 runs. Not wanting to push the envelope and knowing that we'd likely be coming up again Saturday. I decided to call it a day after only 2 hours. I was on the road for home by 615pm. Lot to driveway, the drive home took 46 minutes. The house was empty. No sign of Mindy or the kids. I quickly put away my ski gear, unloaded the dishwasher, and prepped Friday's coffee. I wanted to get sofa-ready. I was hungry for dinner but ate just a few chunks of cheese and crackers thinking that Mindy might bring me something home. She and the kids must've arrived home near 7:15pm. Mindy shared that they did dinner with her mom at Bob Evan's. They brought home a carton of extra rolls, that's it. While we talked, I warmed a Taco Bell leftover that was still in the fridge from last weekend. It was really good. Mindy asked that I help Jacob with his shower. I did. I also helped Bella practice her spelling words and had her read a book while Mindy contended with laundry. Once the kids were settled into bed we watched the Saturday Night Live Holiday special. It was entertaining. I enjoyed a Jack & Coke while watching TV. SNL ended at 10pm. We headed to bed promptly after. I was looking forward to a really good night of sleep.

Ham

Up at 530am - not feeling good - stomach bloated/dizzy/not hungry Prep and place ham in the oven for 95 minutes Cold - 18 degrees and crystal clear Exercise, walk Ykraps, meditate, stretch, and run - just three miles Eat eggs quickly Remove ham from oven Put together 12 holiday gifts bags for team - Mindy helps with the first one then leaves for work Took kids to the bus stop / head to work - last day - WAHOO! Move performance evals from Word doc to forms Still not feeling too good Team meeting Holiday potluck - good food: lots of meats and sweets Gave team their gift bags - team presented me with a gift too - Best Buy gift card. Sweet! Boss gifted me too. We plan to gift him next week. Worked until 530pm - left for home - cold 25 degrees Wasn't hungry - after walking Ykraps took a brief but fruitful nap on sofa Mindy puts in Miracle on 34th Street DVD. Neighbor Chrissy and kids stop over. Kids play while we watch the movie. Only the second time I've seen it. Drank two beers - A CBC Pale Ale and a Goose Island Xmas Ale. Mindy & I watch sitcom TV (rare) Very funny. Mindy to bed shortly after kids I stayed up but fell asleep on sofa. Didn't wake until nearly 1am. Headed to bed