Winter Thaw Delayed Until Further Notice

Happy 49th B-Day Ex-Kelly Earlier in the week, they promised that Wednesday would usher in a warm-up, but as it currently stood, it was colder than the dickens. Once again, several Columbus suburbs were in single digits. My reading was +7. More than anything, I want the ice & hard pack snow to melt from the roads enabling a more leisurely run. But things were what they were. I did my exercises; sit-ups, push-ups, and curls. In no time I was out in the cold, me and Ykraps. It was cold but I guess that I’m jaded. Truth is, it hardly fazed me. I think Ykraps is getting used to it too. A guy I see running his dog most took an ugly spill right in front of us on the slippery ice. Lucky for him, he wasn’t injured, at least not seriously. Back home I poured coffee then played on the internet before delivering Mindy’s coffee. As usual, I meditated and stretched before dressing for a run. I bundled warmly to combat the cold. It was snowing ever so lightly but enough to coat the ground and cover the slippery ice. That was not good. I typically count on the street lights reflecting off the ice, and to help navigate a path. Now, with the snow concealing the shiny ice, I had no real guide posts. Solid footing was difficult to find. Extreme caution was the word. There were a few times when I considered bagging the run due to the unbearably slippery roads, but I kept at it. Eventually I caved and ran by way of the sidewalks. They weren’t nearly as slippery but had a rougher snow pack. It was a case of choosing my poison. I survived. I’d say about 70% of the walks were completely cleared of both snow and ice. Back home I shared with Mindy just how treacherous the roads were. I pleaded with her to be extremely careful navigating the side streets with the hidden ice. She and the wee ones left soon after I returned from my run. After a eating, packing my lunch, and a fast shower, Jacob and I headed for the bus stop. Jacob didn’t have his hat. Said he couldn’t find it. I made him put up his attached hood instead. My guess is that his hat is in the ski gear box. Anyway, the bus arrived on time. I walked home to my warming Trooper and scraped away the thin coat of ice and snow then departed for work. Wednesday was staff meeting day. It was also department meeting day. Our staff meeting went quick. We decided to continue our meeting over lunch at Spageddi’s in Mill Run. I hadn’t eaten there in maybe five years. I had their chicken & sausage sizzlini. It was as good as I remembered it being. I attended the afternoon department meeting put on by my boss. It was entertaining. The day went fast. Mindy phoned between 3 & 4pm and said her mother had been taken by ambulance to the hospital. At the time she wasn’t sure what had happened. She only asked that I come home early to keep an eye on the kids so she could go to her side. I agreed, but Mindy asked that I standby for an update. She called back a few minutes later with more information. She didn’t think she needed me to come home early, but still planned on heading to the hospital once I got home. Her mother apparently had something stuck in her throat all day and it was driving her blood pressure through the roof. Currently, she was waiting to be seen in the emergency room. That can be a horrid experience in itself. I left work at 5:30pm. I called Mindy to see what was up. She had no further updates regarding her mother but still wanted to head to the hospital. I understood but cautioned that she might want to contact her brother or sister to learn her status before hand. For all we knew, they may have solved the problem and discharged her. Mindy sounded as if she didn’t like my logic. I was only trying to offer some level thinking. When I got home Mindy already had the kids fed leftovers. Just as well, I was still full from lunch. Just as I suggested, her sister phoned to tell Mindy that her mother was indeed being sent home after removing a piece of chicken that was stuck in her throat from Tuesday night’s dinner. Yikes!! Afterwards, her blood pressure regulated just as one might expect. After that, our evening was run of the mill. I spent time updating my blog and then watching pieces and parts of American Idol. We watched Lie To Me afterwards. Another good episode. We headed for bed shortly after the program. However, we caught the opening couple minutes of the 10pm news. That was long enough for Mindy to catch an update on the lottery ticket bandit. They caught the guy after several days and many robberies. It was apparently Big Rocky’s brother. Good grief!