Cooler than a Cucumber

Friday was here and so was the end of July. This will undoubtedly go down as one of coolest July’s on record. Surprisingly, though, our monthly rainfall is significantly below average, yet it has rained seemingly every other day. I suppose that’s due to the lack of severe weather and heavy summer downpours. In their place, we’ve had a number of gentle fall-like rains. Even those homes that don’t water have lush lawns here at July’s end. Quite rare indeed. I was up and at my routine by 5:30am. It was partly cloudy and 61 degrees, although it did rain sometime overnight. But looking forward, there wasn’t a strong chance of rain forecasted for the entire weekend and even beyond. That was good news! The morning played out as expected. I ran comfortably and left for work around 8:10am. I hoped for an easy day leading into a weekend being on-call. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. I was ridiculously busy. Even still, I forced myself to head out for lunch thinking I would hit some golf balls, fixing my errant swing. No chance! I turned left on Hayden Run only to find it closed just west of Wilcox. Crap! Getting to the range was now a minimum of five miles out of my way. I eventually turned around thinking that I might go to the mall instead, but by the time I got in the vicinity I had already changed my mind. I decided to simply head back to the office. I took the back way through Tuttle Mall to Hayden Run but found it closed for paving between the Mall and Britton Rd. Suddenly I felt snake-bitten. I had to turn around and take Old Dublin Rd to Davidson just to get back to the office! All that did was burn gas and time. But on a positive note, the benefit of course being time away from the office. The afternoon moved swiftly due to an even heavier than usual Friday afternoon workload. I was much looking forward to the end of the work day even though it would continue on at home. Despite being on-call, we made arrangements to have Olivia for the entire weekend. We haven’t had her overnight since last summer if I had to guess. I left work at 5:30pm and made a brief stop at Kroger to fetch Mindy some roses. I found some healthy white ones. She loves those. I also bought a half-gallon of 100 proof Captain Morgan’s spiced rum. I’d need it later. :) I drove to straight to Ashley’s place in Grove City to pick-up Olivia. I arrived around 6:15pm. She wasn’t yet there. I stopped at the Burger King drive-thru at the corner and bought a whooper junior. I was starving for some protein. Ashley & Olivia emerged from between two apartment buildings around 6:30pm. We went inside to get all of Olivia’s stuff. She was excited to be spending the night and asked repeatedly for Jacob & Bella. They, of course, were at home with Mindy. Actually, they were out running errands. Once at home, it would be just Olivia and I for the first 10 or so minutes. Bella, Olivia, and I walked Ykraps soon after everyone arrived home. Mindy started making dinner, leftover meatloaf (from her stuffed pepper concoction). It was quite good, but also filling. By then it was almost 8pm. Mindy took the kids, Olivia included, down to the neighbors for a visit. I took a nap on the sofa. I was exhausted after a long, hard work day. I slept until 9pm or so. I woke to an empty house and gave serious consideration to heading up to bed. I laid back down on the sofa for a few minutes while pondering my next move. I eventually mustered enough energy to go be social. I checked in with work just prior, and made a stiff rum drink before walking down to the neighbors who were hanging out front of Chrissy & Kenny’s. However, because of mosquitoes, we soon headed inside their house. I ended up fetching another drink at home and returning. We hung out with the neighbors until 10:30pm best guess. We headed home to put the kids to bed, and eventually ourselves.

Stuffed Peppers and a Walking Cane

Picking up where I left off the night before, I went to bed extremely early and slept like a rock. Yet despite well over 10 hours of sleep I didn’t want to get up come morning. Consequently, I didn’t roll out of bed until almost 6am. What a slacker! I didn’t prep coffee the night before either, so I still had that task awaiting me after awakening. By the time I did that and exercised it was already 6:10am. It was 6:30am by the time I got back from my walk with Ykraps. By the way, I left the irrigation system off again last night after the more than ample rain received on Wednesday. Thursday’s forecast looked much better. Sunshine and low 80s. I pretty much skipped PC time to get somewhere close to my normal schedule. However, I still took the time to meditate and stretch, two things that are far more important than what the Vikings are or aren’t doing. But even after skipping PC time, I didn’t get out the door for my run until almost 6:55am. It was lovely, the temperature was in the upper 60s. I finished my run somewhere near 7:25am and immediately switched into food prep mode. I cut veggies and fried two eggs. Noticed we were running low on OJ, something I’ve been drinking every morning again after many years of not. Off to the shower. I left Mindy’s coffee on her night stand before getting in the shower. I was running a bit behind. I showered quickly though and was ready to go by 8:10am. By the time that I got myself out the door it was 8:20am. I thought about grabbing my golf clubs and heading to the range for lunch in an effort to correct what’s ailing my mid-irons, but that would’ve required another five minutes of finagling, so I skipped it. If nothing else, it was a lovely drive into work. I was about 8 minutes late – 8:38am. My day was underway in a jiffy. It was a fast mover, just like most others. I made a concerted effort to get away for lunch after skipping too much lately. I left at 12:30pm and drove to Home Depot. I took the cracked 3-way plastic elbow to our dining canopy hoping to find a conduit sleeve to ‘band-aid’ the break. No luck. The ¾” inch was a tad too small and the 1” was too large. It dawned on me while standing there that an automobile-style hose clamp should work perfectly, and perhaps even better. I have some at home. While there, I checked out hot water tanks. I need to be replacing ours very soon. I left Home Depot as I often do, empty handed. I headed directly back to work. I’d been gone almost a full hour. I listened to sports talk radio, who was busting on my Vikings for the Favre debacle – the same folks praising them weeks ago when it looked almost certain he would join up with us. That’s the media! The afternoon at the office went as planned. I left the office at my usual departure time – 5:30pm I called Mindy who let me know how Rocky’s dental appointment went. Bad news. He needs two or three root canals on baby teeth. Mindy placed a call to dentist friend, Scott, who specializes in pediatric dentistry. He agreed to see Rocky next week and will do the work if he deems it necessary. His regular dentist basically said Rocky needs to refrain from consuming any candy or juices. Like that’ll ever happen. Rocky seems to run the household on St Matthews. Mindy also let me know that my dad was over for dinner. She made stuffed bell peppers. Yummy! Dad was at the house when I arrived after work. There at his side was walking cane, a sure sign of old age. He hadn’t walked Ykraps as he normally would’ve either, but this I already anticipated. I walked Ykraps by myself. We were having stuffed peppers for dinner. I was looking forward to them. Dinner was delicious. I think we all had two stuffed peppers along with mashed potatoes. Later, when dad prepared to leave we had to help him out the door, down the steps, and to his van. He was in obvious pain and intimated as much. He shared that he had an MRI scheduled for the following morning, and then a epidural scheduled for early next week. We offered our services should he need them. The remainder of the evening played out like most others. Kids to bed around 9:30pm and us not far behind.

Lindsey 911 - Rain - No Golf - Barley's

I woke when the irrigation system kicked on. I had been lying there anticipating it. The night before, I shut down zone #2 but decided to run the other five zones, but given Wednesday’s forecast I probably should’ve shut it down completely. We were expecting decent rain throughout the day. I completed my sit-ups and push-ups and then headed out with Ykraps. I could see that it had rained some already. After the walk, I checked the weather forecast and radar, and saw that more substantial rain was moving in soon. Yikes! Back to the cycle. I spent a few minutes doing the normal stuff, internet, coffee, etc. I moved to meditation and stretching at approximately 6:20am. I could tell that I wasn’t as limber after not stretching much over my week’s vacation. Not sure why I am less disciplined on non-work days, but I am. I’ll need to fix that. I left for my run at 6:45am. I ran shirtless once more. For the first time in a long while, it was well over 70 degrees. It was 73 to be exact, and it was humid too. It was spitting a little through much of my run, but all in all it felt pretty good. With about a half mile or so to go it started raining more significantly. It felt darn good, and because there was no lightning & thunder, I didn’t mind so much. I was pretty wet with sweat and rain when I got home. I toweled off before starting food prep. I remembered that Mindy asked that I wake her for coffee time before leaving for work. She also prepped fruit and cut up more celery. All I had to do was throw it all together and cut up the tomato. I made fried eggs for breakfast I was showered and ready by 8:00am. I woke Mindy as requested and we went downstairs together. While chatting, I gathered my monthly bills to take along with me to work hoping to find the time to pay them later in the day. Mindy had a big day ahead. She would be fetching Lindsey and the boys then delivering back to our house. She would then take Rocky to his dental appointment. We enjoyed each others company until 8:15am when I left for work. The work day went by in a flash, especially the morning. I had a team meeting and then a staff meeting to attend. That took me right up to 1:30pm. I didn’t bother taking a meal break, although I did eat my fruit and veggies at my desk. It’s getting to where my ass and lower backache a little form sitting all day. I’m gonna have to force myself to get up out of my chair for an hour even if I don’t leave the building. Mindy called me a couple of times early morning – smack dab in the middle of a meeting. She called me on my BlackBerry so instead of ignoring the call I took it. There was an emergency. Shortly after leaving the kids at our house with Lindsey, and heading to the dentist with Rocky Bella phoned to tell her that Lindsey had fallen and was unconscious. Mindy asked for Jacob to be put on the phone. He confirmed Bella’s story and couldn’t revive her. Mindy hung up and called 911. Immediately after, she called neighbor Mike, the fireman, and asked if he could run down to check on the situation. He did. He found Lindsey coming around but she had fallen, thrown-up, and had a black eye. The squad hadn’t yet arrived. Meanwhile, Mindy scrapped the dental appointment and was returning home. She promised to call me back as soon as she knew more. She called back minutes later. The squad had taken Lindsey to Doctor’s Hospital West. Neighbor Mike informed Mindy that she was largely together by the time the squad arrived, although her blood pressure was low and her sugar count extremely high with a faster than normal pulse. The afternoon went fast thanks in part to a challenging problem that consumed my entire afternoon. Mindy kept me posted with the latest developments surrounding Lindsey. Mindy had to fetch her form the hospital after they released. They weren’t sure what happened. Mindy reckoned it a seizure. She’s had them before. I arrived home from work at my regular time – 5:50pm. Mindy was already walking Ykraps and talking with neighbor David and his infant daughter, Lillian. This was a Wednesday – a Jimaken night for the kids. The house was still, quiet, and clean – a huge change from its earlier state, at least according to Mindy. She said I would not have been happy seeing it earlier. Mindy had a tough day full of drama. She was in the mood for a night at Barley’s. And that’s where we headed shortly after I freshened up. About the usual Wednesday crowd. I ordered a Centennial. Mindy tried their Cherry Porter, and the nitro Russian Stout. She didn’t care for either. She opted for a very stiff Cap’t Morgan’s and Coke. We ordered 20 KC wings well done for dinner. We split them. Neither of us cared for a second drink. Mindy had already asked that I drive. And I’m quite sure the stiff drink left her feeling a bit loopy. We left for home around 7:30pm. The kids weren’t due home until 8:30pm. Not long after we arrived home I parked my ass in the recliner and began reading from my Philosophy book. I’m getting close to the end – about page 990, and reading some Hegel & Kierkegaard. That didn’t last long. Soon sleepiness overcame me like a summer thunderstorm over taking the sunshine. I was out. I slept for a while, and when I got up I went straight for the sofa. I slept there until the kids were home. I woke briefly to here them request bike riding time outside. I was drained. I woke once more and tossed myself onto to floor where I could more freely stretch out my limbs. I slept there until 9:30pm. By then the kids were in bed and awaiting a tuck-in. I did the deed then went straight to bed. Mindy said she be up in a few. I started to wake a little once in bed and reached for the TV remote. From bed I tuned into one of those news documentaries doing a story on the doctor that allegedly gave Michael Jackson a toxic dose of Propofol. Sad. Mindy joined me during the show. I remember waking and her asking if she could turn off the TV. Yes.

No Favre

I allowed myself to sleep well past 5:30am on purpose. I finally pulled myself from bed at 5:45am. I felt well rested. I was happy to find more clear skies. That’s three morning’s in a row. Somebody wake me! After a quick bout of exercise I headed out with Ykraps. No matter how it was measured, it was a lovely morning. Not to spoil it, but the good weather is expected to fall apart Wednesday, like usual. Heavy rain is forecasted. For whatever the reason, Wednesday’s have been the crappy weather day this summer, that and Saturdays. I peeled myself away from the internet to meditate and stretch at 6:20am. Once into it, I felt a sudden sense of calm and relief. This is by far the best part of each day. I finished up around 6:40am and dressed for another run. I didn’t hit the pavement until 6:50am at the earliest. No worries. I ran shirtless. It was about 64 degrees and sunny. Bella requested an omelet when I tucked her in the night before. Her request wasn’t lost on me. I started making an omelet that we could share as soon as I was in the door from my run. She asked for bacon in it too but I couldn’t find the fresh bacon bits. I went with cheese instead. I took 2/3s of it for myself and covered the reaming third for Bella. I didn’t wake. She’s been sleeping well past 9am these days. I packed my lunch before heading up for shower. Mindy didn’t budge as I showered. That’s unusual. I was ready to go by 8:00am. I used the remaining minutes to check on my Amazon order/shipment. No updates. Hasn’t yet shipped. I left for work at 8:15am. Work went a bit better than Monday. No ugly, looming issues. I even managed to sneak away for lunch – a haircut at Great Clips and then a stop by the bank for cash. The same girl cut my hair that did it the last time. Her name escapes me. She was friendly. I returned to work feeling refreshed. I hadn’t had a haircut since just before Mexico. The afternoon went by at a reasonably fast pace. For that I was happy. I left work at 4:30pm determined to get home and cut the lawn. Rain was forecasted for Wednesday and even though I cut it last Friday, it was thick and long already again. Mindy and the kids were at Tara and Doug’s again tonight swimming. Because I planned to do yard work, they decided to stay later. That suited me fine – no distractions. So, as soon as I was home and had Ykraps walked, I donned some shorts and headed out to do the lawn. Mindy & the kids got home while I was mowing out front. Mindy planned to grill the brats she boiled earlier. She tried to time it with the completion of the lawn chores. Turned out, they were done about ten minutes before I was. But that’s OK. I took a shower before sitting to eat. I believe in being totally comfortable. Sitting down covered in grass bits is not at all comfortable. Feeling refreshed after a quick shower, I joined the family for dinner. I ate just one brat. Mindy made cucumber salad and green beans too. All of it was good. Clean-up was a snap. Courtney stopped over to visit sometime after dinner was cleaned up. She visited for about 30-40 minutes. After she departed, I spent the lion’s share of my evening working on my blog. News flash: Brett Favre decided NOT to join the Vikings this season. Just as well, I worried about the chemistry thing. He’s not exactly known for his locker room leadership. In fact, rumor has it that he’s more like a Diva. Feeling satisfied with my progress, I was off to bed well before 10pm.

Two In-a-Row

I was up just before the irrigation system kicked on. My body clock amazes even me at times, and that’s after a week’s vacation. I felt really good and completed a full complement of exercises after starting a pot of coffee. I was back from walking Ykraps by 5:55am. I was further invigorated by a pleasing weather forecast – sun and mid 80s. Something we haven’t seen much this July. So far, it’s been 84 or higher only four times all month, and 86 only once. After some internet time I went to the family room at 6:10am to meditate and stretch. It felt terrific to get back into my healthful routine, something that often slips while on vacation. I was ready to run by 6:30am. I dashed out the door shirtless in temperatures hovering in the mid 60s. I felt great, and the run went well. I was back home by 7:08am – the earliest I’ve made it back in sometime. I started my breakfast and packing my lunch in short order. I had to cut veggies and fruit myself. I guess Mindy forgot. That’s OK. Breakfast was good. It was nice to have eggs again after nine days without. I was off to the shower at 7:35am. Actually, I delivered Mindy’s coffee before getting in the shower. After a shower and getting dressed I returned downstairs to finish work prep. It was only 7:43am. I had a good bit of time on my hands. I used the time to order the three books I’ve been wanting from Amazon. In addition, I did some writing for my blog. I left for work at 8:10am. Work seemed foreign and very busy. It’s always a shock to the system returning to work and the feverish pace that’s a daily occurrence. I did my level best to jump in feet first. I had 2300 emails come in over vacation. Yikes! The work day moved incredibly fast, due in part to my laser-like involvement with one tough issue. I ended up working until after 7:30pm. I warned Mindy of my lateness. She understood. She & the kids were at Tara’s house swimming anyhow. Because I would be late, they decided to stay longer. Mindy was kind enough to run home and walk Ykraps. That’s my wife, always thinking of others. J Thanks princess! No one was home when I first arrived. The house was spotless. I love it like that. I snacked on some Triscuits and cheese before Mindy got home. She brought leftover Sporano’s pizza and sub. I ate three big pieces of pizza. I was hungry, and it was delicious! It was approaching 9pm in no time at all. Where had my evening gone? I changed into my summer pjs and spent the rest of my waking minutes working on my blog. I was about ten days behind. I added last Friday thru Sunday then headed to bed. Mindy was still up and said she’d join me soon. Good night moon!

Phoenix - good, bad, and ugly

By design, I was up at 6am and eager to play golf. However, before the first swing, I had to make coffee, walk Ykraps, exercise and run. After making coffee I decided to nix the exercise routine which I figured would save my shoulders and arms for golf. I walked Ykraps then afterwards, dressed and left for my run. It was clear and warm – a good sign after a drippy Saturday. I ran along Trabue & Hague. At 6:45am in the morning it was very quiet with little to no traffic. Turned out being a very nice run. I was back home by 7:15am and moved quickly to the shower. We planned to leave at 7:50am. I was showered and ready by 7:30am. I used the next 20 minutes to make a breakfast sandwich & prepare my gear. Kenny pulled up in my drive right at 7:50am. I was just walking out the door. We were on the road minutes later, just as we planned. We arrived at the course by 8:10am. We had our fees paid and our clubs loaded in our cart prior to Tom’s arrival. We let Tom know that we’d be up at the practice tee and putting green. He joined us there while I putted and Kenny hit a small bucket of balls. Tom and Kenny each gave me a few balls to hit. I typically don’t like to hit any prior, but do like to putt. I don’t wan’t to waste all my good drives.:) The starter indicated that they were running about one tee time behind (8 minutes). We were next on the tee. We tee’d off at approximately 8:40am. I hit a lovely tee shot straight down the middle. The 1st hole is a blind par 5 (can’t see the greens form the tee box, and often from the second). I pared the hole. In fact, through 7 holes I was sitting pretty at 4 over par (three pars and four bogeys). I was playing well. Unfortunately, I shot a an ugly nine on hole #8. I simply couldn’t hit my mid-irons – typically one of most reliable shots. I’ve been experiencing this for a few weeks now. It comes out of seemingly nowhere to haunt my game and no matter what I do I can not correct it. It’s very frustrating. I completed the front nine with a double bogey. Crap – a 46. No excuses, but I wasn’t feeling well all morning long. Onto the back nine. My back nine went to hell in a hurry. Long story short, I shot a 57. No matter what I tried, my second shots were a disaster almost every time. My confidence was shot. Sadly, I was driving consistently into the fairway all day too. I wasted great drives a decent putting. Kenny shot a 92. We headed for home around 1pm. It was nice to finish seemingly early. Initially, I thought that I might nap immediately after golf but instead set the wet tents out back to dry in the sunshine. With the recent weather, hard to tell how long the sunshine will last. I took a nap afterwards. The kids arrived home around 3:30pm. I finally upped around 4pm to freshen up for Sunday dinner. We left shortly after 4pm. Mindy took it on word from her older sister that Sunday dinner was indeed on. Never did she confirm with her mother. Upon arrival, we were the only ones. Yikes! Turns out, dinner was on! We were simply first to arrive. Rare these days. Others didn’t arrive for sometime. We didn’t sit to eat until 5:30pm or so. On the menu was lasagna & salad. It was good. After dinner we spent some time socializing with the family. Dessert – chocolate brownies and strawberry flan cake was served at 7pm. I had three medium sized brownies. We left for home around 7:25pm. The realization that my vacation was just about over left me feeling a little blue. After arriving home the kids insisted on bike ride. That was just what the doctor ordered. All four of us did the bike ride. We took the long back way to the park. After hanging out for 20 minutes we rode home, only this time the short way. Fun fun! I spent the next hour or so readying for the work week ahead and then looking for any updates on the Favre thing. Nothing. I headed to bed at 9:30pm eager to get a good night’s sleep before a grueling work week.

Send in the Clouds

It was cloudy once again and it had rained overnight. The idea of getting more than two days of sunshine in a row has been next to impossible so far this July. Moreover, strong storms with hail and lightning were forecasted for the day and as of 8am the next batch of storms loomed just to our west. The winds were kicking up, too. Ykraps and I avoided much of the rain, but it came down shortly after our return. So much for getting our wet tents in the sun to dry out. They’ve been setting in the garage since Wednesday. While Mindy slept, I made dinner reservations at Mitchell’s at Polaris. She asked if we could do a real date tonight. I sent her an email invitation via the online reservation system. Cool system. I also checked the Rave movie theatre in the Polaris area to see if Bruno was playing and if then the show times hoping it would coincide with our dinner date. It did. The movie started at 4:50pm (1hr 21 min run time), and dinner at 7pm just around the corner. Perfect. I left for my run around 10am. I got caught in a couple brief showers but no lightning. Mindy got up sometime after my run was completed. She wouldn’t be doing her yoga today. Not enough time to prepare and get there. We did very little all morning and early afternoon. It was a lazy, rainy day to be sure. Around 3pm I got shower and dressed for our date. I asked Mindy to do the same immediately after. She didn’t realize that we needed to leave the house by 4pm. She suggested that I walk Ykraps before we left so he wouldn’t be left holding it until 9pm. Good plan. The only problem was that it was still raining. I used an umbrella to protect my lovely hairdo. :) We took I-270 around to I-71N then exited on Gemini Pl, the 2nd Polaris exit. That took less time than I budgeted. We found the movie theatre quickly and were inside with our tickets ($7 each) by 4:25pm. Mindy bought a large popcorn and soda for us to share. She had them smoother the popcorn in wet butter – later learned that was a mistake. Our theatre was number 16 of 18. This would be the first movie that we’ve seen together in a couple of years. In fact, I can’t recall the last time we movied together. We sat through a series of theatre commercials and then movie previews. They emphasized the use of new digital projectors. I could see the quality difference. Time to watch Bruno! Wow! The movie was far more over the top than I expected, and definitely more graphic. I won’t spoil it for any of you, but will say that it’s not a movie you’d take your kids to, or for that matter, your mother. But if you liked Borat I’m certain that you’ll appreciate this one. There are some incredibly funny parts. But if you happen to be a phobe, you probably won’t be able to endure it. Mindy seemed to get a kick out of it. I did. We got back to our car at right about 6:30pm, perfect timing for our 7pm dinner reservations just around the corner at Mtichell’s. We were shown to our table right away. Our waiter/server was Scott, a long time employee of Cameron and now Mitchell’s. He was very adept at making one feel important. He emphasized that we could pretty much have anything we wanted, even if it wasn’t seen on the menu. He implored us to simply ask. Mindy started with a glass of wine. I started with a CBC Pale Ale. We ordered our appetizers and entrées soon after – a bowl of lobster bisque and calamari served as appetizers. We each ordered their $33 special which included salad, 7 ounce filet, a side, and dessert. We both upgraded the simple filet to be ‘Oscar’d (that was $7 each). The food was all very good, but honestly, not as good as it was when Cameron owned – no offense. My complaints: the lettuce in my salad was slightly limp; the bisque barely luke- warm, and my filet, just decent. Mindy said her filet was excellent. Also, Scott brought me a second beer even after I declined the offer. That was between courses which I assumed was on the house. It wasn’t. Again, I‘m not complaining but instead sharing the honest truth. The overall service (attention and professionalism) was impeccable as always. They packed up our leftovers, including the second dessert we couldn’t eat, for take home. We headed for home. We must’ve arrived home near 9pm or just before. We quickly made drinks and then walked down to the neighbors, Kenny & Chrissy’s. Mike & Julie were over, still there after Jake’s birthday party earlier in the day. We had a blast hanging with our neighbors. Always do. Kenny and I firmed up our golf plans. He agreed to drive. We planned to depart at 7:50am. Mike & Julie disappeared intot he house around 10-1030pm. We hung out for another half hour or so then headed home ourselves. I didn’t want to be dragging come 6am, my self-imposed Sunday rise time.

New Albany & Hamden ... sister cities?

I was up around 8am after a lengthy night’s sleep. The sun was shining, and that was all I needed to serve as motivation. Thus far, the week had been a blur, something I expected with the early week camping trip squeezed in. I went about my routine all the while being careful not to wake the sleeping kids. To our benefit, the kids are no longer up at the crack of dawn. They can easily sleep until 10am if left alone, and often times even later. That’s a big change. Mindy was still in bed when I left for my run. I was thrilled to be running in the sunshine. I ran along Trabue & down Hague. It was far busier than expected, but then again, it was a weekday. I won’t likely make that mistake again. Mindy was up when I got back and had already made bacon and chocolate chip pancakes. They were scrumptious. She and the kids were planning a pool date with Chrissy and her kids to help celebrate Jake’s 11th birthday. She called Chrissy to confirm their plans. She also sent leftover pancakes down. I showered then left to fetch and deliver my mom. At Mindy’s prompting, I took the Honda. She figured it a more comfortable ride for my mom. I had to stop and fill-up prior to jumping on the freeway. It was somewhere between 1030 & 1100am. I made good time to New Albany. Traffic was light and the weather ideal. It was sunny and already closing in on 80 degrees. Mom was ready but had just put down the phone after ordering a milk shake. I carried her belongings, including a new walker, while a nurse (can’t recall her name) escorted her out in a wheel chair. We were on the road to Hamden by noon. Mom said she was looking forward to spending some time with me. We chatted about a number of things along our lengthy drive – about 91 miles from New Albany. It was the nicest day that I’ve spent driving down to her place ever. Most all of the prior drives have taken place between Thanksgiving and early spring. First ever in the summer. Certainly was prettier. Ronald, his parents, and one of his younger sisters were sitting on their porch when we pulled up. Ronald and his sister came to greet and help get mom into the house. Can’t recall her name. She introduced herself as Ronald’s brother. That got a chuckle out of everyone. She was redfaced over her mistake. I often have that effect on women. I went inside for a short while. I had to pee. I didn’t stay too long, however. After brief goodbye, I hit the road. I wanted to get back home and do some yard work. During my drive home I cranked my Elton John CD. That helped the drive go fast. I was home by 3pm. Thankfully, it was still sunny. I enjoyed a quick sandwich then started on the yard work. Mindy called in there somewhere to let me know her intentions. As expected, she planned to leave the pool at the 4 o’clock rest period, the 4 o’clock rest period. By the time that Mindy & the kids were home, I had already whacked, edged, and mowed most of the front lawn. The rest of the mowing went quick with the lion’s share of the back done with my John Deere. While blowing off the walk and drive, Jimaken arrived to pick-up the kids. Bella gave me a hug. Jacob did not. It was 5:30pm by the time my chores were done and I was showered and dressed. We walked Ykraps together then left the house. We were heading to Barley’s but not before a stop at the Hilliard Wal-Mart. At Wal-Mart we leisurely walked around looking at their outdoor plant offerings. They had some great prices on what’s left. Inside, we went our separate ways for a spell. Mindy eventually met up with me in the camping gear. I wanted to look at new screen houses and dome tents, but just looking. I picked up some new Nike golf balls and some ball needles. In addition, we picked up a two-piece Pyrex baking dish set to replace the one we broke on the way to Alum Creek on Monday. Spent about $20. By the time we left Wal-Mart it was darn near 7:30pm – perfect time to head to Barley’s. We arrived around 7:40pm. We got a decent parking spot. This time of year Barley’s is less crowded than any other time save for major holidays. We were able to belly right up to the bar. I ordered a Green Flash West Coast IPA. Barley’s is said to have the only keg in Ohio. It’s good. Lots of our friends were present including Steve Wonn, who we hadn’t seen for about a month. We already discussed picking up his tab since we knew his layoff was coming. He reported his last day being next Friday and only a minimal severance compared to years of service. The good news was that he already had three job leads. Hopefully one will stick. Our neighbors, Dave & Becky were there too. They love Barley’s as much as us. Most regulars made an appearance, including Tom Clark, Thad & Monica, Rick, and Tom the Mary Kay dude. Cliff was back from Rwanda, Africa after a month long trip. We were eager to hear about it. We had a great time. We expected brother Tommy, but he never showed. We were gonna treat him for his b-day, which we missed on Wednesday. Before departing, Tom Clark agreed to make a Sunday morning tee-time and let me know on Saturday. We stayed at Barley’s until it closed. They were turning off the lights as we left. Wahoo! I had four or five through the night. Mindy had only two, but much earlier. She was more than good to drive. And just as one might expect, we went right to bed.

When the House Becomes a Zoo

Happy 6th Birthday Rocky - we love you!!! I was up around 7:30am to another cloud-filled sky. For the time being, however, it wasn’t raining. Yippee! I did my normal exercise routine and then headed out with Ykraps. It was wet & cool – certainly not very July-like. I took advantage of the quiet morning to relax and surf the internet. This was Rocky’s 6th birthday and we planned to take he, Landon, and Lindsey to the zoo to celebrate the occasion. Of course, Jacob & Bella would be going too. I took Mindy coffee after my run. She was up soon after. We discussed the viability of the zoo trip with the pending rainy forecast. Lindsey called mid-morning to see when we were coming to pick them up. Mindy headed out to shop for Rocky’s b-day gifts before stopping by to pick all of them up. While she was out, I took care of a number of chores, including unloading the dishwasher & dealing with the trash. I also downloaded all of our camping pictures. She was back by 1pm or so with the entire bunch. She brought home Wendy’s. The house went from quiet to noisy in a hurry, but that was expected. We made the decision that the zoo was out. It sprinkled and threatened even heavier rain. We still partied for Rocky, however. We did a cake and candles and then birthday presents. I took Landon outside to play on the tree swing. He could seemingly swing for hours. Mindy eventually joined us. We fed the ducks leftover buns. He enjoyed that too. Once we headed back inside I took a brief nap. I was awoken by Mindy saying that they were heading to Galaxy golf & games. It must’ve been near 3 or 4pm by then. Also, the sun began to show itself some. Yeah! I was still half asleep and begged out of the Galaxy golf & games. Mindy didn’t seem to enthused. While she was gone I contacted Denise, my mom’s friend, after seeing a missed call. She wanted to know if one of us boys could drive my mom home on Friday from the New Albany Surgical Center. I assured her that one of us would and most likely me. She’d already done plenty. I promised her a call back once I had firm plans. I got a hold of Tommy around 5pm or so. He said he could pick-up and deliver mom but had to be back in town by 2pm to run one of his stores. I couldn’t place that burden on him. I assured him that I would do it. I phoned Denise to let her know my intentions. Mindy returned home after dropping the boys and Lindsey around 6pm. After discussing my mom’s situation with Mindy, we decided it best to offer my mom a week’s convalescents at our home. Mom didn’t care for the offer. She was insistent on going home. Fine with me. It would be difficult enough with her willing. Having a unwilling crabby patty on our hands would only make it worse. I agreed to run her home. Mindy & the kids wanted to go out to dinner. I wasn’t that hungry after having Wendy’s earlier in the afternoon, not to mention the other junk I snacked on prior and after. But I was out numbered. Jacob really wanted Barley’s but Mindy & I were there Wednesday and planned to be there Friday as well. I couldn’t see going there three nights in a row. I offered El Vaquero instead. Everyone cheered the selection. The Vaq it was! We headed there around 6:30pm. Mindy got us an inside table while the kids and I parked the Honda. The patio was full with a 30-40 minute wait. Eating inside was OK by me. I refrained from drinking and alcohol. Mindy ordered a margarita. I stuck with water. I ate lots of the complementary chips and salsa – always do. I ordered beef nachos for my entrée. Bella didn’t want anything besides lemonade. Jacob and Mindy ordered combination platters. Everything was good and the service fast as usual. We got out of there for $38 plus tip. Not bad! We were back at home before 8pm. By then the sky was almost entirely clear – a precursor to Friday’s lovely weather, or so we hoped. This was Thursday, the evening we were supposed to talk with neighbor Mike about the Jake’s. Mindy headed down to Chrissy & Kenny’s while I read about Brett Favre’s intentions on ESPN.com. Mindy returned a few minutes to refill her wine and asked me to come down. I was just making a rum drink and planning to head that way anyhow. Apparently they had already discussed the issue and the lat thing I wanted to do was rehash it. Mike seemed happy and all the kids were playing nicely together. He was more than cordial. As I later learned, Kenny was very direct with his opinion as to how the whole thing came about. We both agreed that Shane, other boy’s father, might’ve fabricated some of this. He seems to be that type (slippery). We ended up having a grand time out front of Kenny’s garage hanging with all the neighbors (all five houses). We hung out until well past 10pm.

Breaking Camp in the Rain ... again

Happy 48th Tommy! I woke a few times during daybreak. I got up for good at 7:30am. I hustle through brushing my teeth and making coffee in hopes of beating the forecasted rain. But sadly, it was already beginning to sprinkle. I had coffee underway and started breaking down camp even before taking off on my run. Mindy was up and breaking down cap, too. She acknowledged my need/desire to run. I left for my run in the midst of a hard sprinkle. I couldn’t help but reflect back to two years ago same camp site, same symptoms – tearing down camp in the rain. To be fair, the conditions that time were far worse. It was pouring buckets and had been all night long. That time all of our gear was water logged. I ran for approximately 30 minutes. By the time I got back Mindy had the guts of the tents broken down and packed as well as most of the food stowed in the Honda. I was impressed with her progress. I jumped in and began tearing down the tents. Jacob enjoyed pulling tent stakes with the claw hammer. Both kids were a big help. Mindy helped fold the tents. They were wet enough, unfortunately, that we’d have to set them up to dry once at home and in sunshine. We had camp completely torn down and were on the road by 10am. Mindy lagged a bit behind. Jacob and I took Old State to Powell Rd. We weren’t on Rt 23 South for a mile before hitting a stand still traffic jam. And that traffic jam continued all the way to I-270 – about an hour. I phoned Mindy who I assumed was behind us. She reported passing Tuttle Mall. What? How? She took the back way through Worthington, her old stomping grounds. There was nothing Jacob and I could do but wait it out. We listened to sports talk. Finally, around 11:15 we broke free of the traffic jam and hit I-270 west. We exited Roberts Rd and headed to boat storage. It was noon by the time we arrived home. I wasted little time unloading our gear. The only thing I did was grab some hand to mouth food and pee’d. I spent the next hour unloading both vehicles, although Mindy had already unloaded some of the stuff from the Honda. Mindy made us pigs-in-a-blanket for lunch. They were delicious. The kids fought over the last one. Mindy and I made tentative plans to visit my mom in the hospital after Jimaken picked up the kids as usual late Wednesday afternoon. She had successful back surgery on Tuesday at the New Albany surgical center. Meanwhile, it rained steadily all day long. Never let up. It was dreary day, indeed. I took a shower around 330pm. Jimaken showed up around 4:30pm. Mindy asked if he could keep the kids until 8:30pm leaving us plenty of time to visit my mom and possibly stop for a quick dinner afterwards. He willingly agreed. Mindy and I left for New Albany after I walked Ykraps in the rain. It took about 45 minutes to get up to New Albany in the crappy weather. There were wrecks everywhere. Apparently the locals forgot how to drive in heavy rain. No kidding, between Alum Creek and the New Albany Surgical Center we must’ve happened upon 5 or 6 wrecks. We found the place much easier this go round. We visited my mom here tow years ago after her first back surgery. We got lost that trip. We didn’t make the same mistake. This time we followed the Google directions to a tee. J Mom was in room #204. She was conscious but in pain. Her friend Denise was there. She’s the one that drove her up and came back again Wednesday. Good friend. Mom said dad was up earlier. At one point mom had to move from a wheel chair back into bed. I saw something no son ever wants to see – her behind. AHHHH! I quipped that it was something I hadn’t seen since I was on my way out. We visited for about 1.5 hours. We left just after 7pm. I asked Denise to take my cell number in case she needed me. The rain slowed significantly but hadn’t stopped. Making good time, Mindy & I agreed on a quick stop at Barley’s. Ahhh Barley’s, we absolutely love this place. I ordered a Centennial and some Gates of Hell Wings. Mindy ordered a Crème Brule’ Stout and a quesadilla. I eventually ordered a second beer. We were fast and so was the service. We didn’t have a lot of time. We left Barley’s at 8:20pm. We were home in five minutes. Jimaken showed up with the kids shortly after us. It was still raining. We hung out for a while after the kids were home. We had plans to go to the zoo on Thursday so we got to bed at a somewhat decent hour.

I Didn't Want that Anchor Anyhow

I wasn’t up until almost 8am. I was surprised that I slept that long, I could’ve slept even longer but also didn’t want to sleep the morning away. As I exited the tent, Mindy asked that I make her some coffee. Poof, you’re coffee! The water spigot just across the ay was inoperable. I had to fetch water from the nearby restroom. While there, I brushed up/cleaned up. While getting coffee going I listened to a little radio. Mindy got up around 8:45 – about the time that I was ready to head off on my run. The temperature was a little cool, especially for mid-July. I’ll bet it wasn’t even 60 degrees. The sunshine warmed things in a hurry, however. My run went well. For the time being, it looked like it was gonna be a lovely day. After my run the kids and I took a hike in the woods, back around the cove and into the pine forest. It was quite lovely. Everybody found themselves a hiking stick. Back at camp, I phoned my dad to see if he was coming up as implied Monday morning. He was just preparing to depart his place and figured to be an hour or so. We decided to head out on the lake and advised ad to phone once near. We headed out for some boating fun. We cruised the south end of the lake – around the public beach – and then back to the camp beach a couple of times. Mindy & Bella tubed together for quite a while. Mindy tubed alone some too. Neither kid would tube alone. Dad phoned from the camp dock while were just the other side of the Cheshire bridge. We offered up that he meet us at the camp site. While waiting, Mindy and Bella tubed a little more. We pulled up to our campsite ten minutes later. While I was out looking for my dad Bella took a spill off the swim platform and hit her leg on the engine. She let out one heck of scream. Scared me. Thankfully, after a band-aid, she was fine. We pulled away from our temporary tie-up and once again hit the lake. Right away, Mindy skied. She did good, and after two bouts she called it a day. I went next. I skied for about ten minutes until my legs and arms were feeling stiff. The last thing I wanted to do was injure myself. I asked for a cut after doing some decent wave jumping. I had thought that I might try to slalom but decided against it. I had enough fun. We headed back to the swim cove just south of route 36. The kids swam and played on the tube while were anchored in the cove. They held their usual noodle battles. Afterwards, the kids fished. I helped Bella while my dad and Mindy helped Jacob. Bella caught two blue gills in a hurry. I was surprised that she was willing to try and remove the hook. However, each time I had to do the deed. Mindy eventually caught one for Jacob. He was a tad impatient doing it himself. We played until 4 or 5pm. Jacob said he’d tube out of the cove but one we got out on the open water he freaked and begged out. Mindy was miffed at her son’s lack of courage. Mindy & Bella tubed again before we had to pull in and cross under the Cheshire Rd bridge. Back at camp, Mindy started preparing for our meal. I lit the grill and then Jacob and I drove to the shower house to get cleaned up. Dad stuck around long enough to enjoy dinner- cheeseburgers, fruit and baked beans. He left for home, and to walk Ykraps at approximately 7pm. During the dinner hour we got hit with another light and brief shower. No harm, though. Our neighbors phoned soon after dad departed and advised that the forecast called for rain beginning early morning. They called again to share that the Weather channel just said the showers would move in around 9am. That pretty much sealed the deal. We decided to pull the boat in right then rather than wait until morning. Mindy & Jacob would meet Bella and I at the dock. Bella did a nice job helping me get the boat out of the cove. We showed up at the camp dock just as Mindy & Jacob were pulling up. Good timing. Mindy had the trailer nearly attached up by the time that I secured the boat to the dock. I left Bella on board. The pull out went as planned. The boat was dirtier than expected from lake scum. I also noticed a dangling rope behind the boat. Crap! That WAS our anchor rope. I forgot to pull up t he anchor before we left the cove. Somewhere along the cruise we severed it. We lost the anchor, but aside from that experienced no damage. My guess is that the prop cut the rope. The anchor wasn’t too deep at all. Probably no more than 5 foot. The depth drops off in a real hurry in the cove. Even though there was no damage, I was deeply bothered by the fact that I forgot to check the anchor. I just can’t be making such foolish blunders. Back at the camp site I pulled the Trooper with the boat attached into the camp site right next door since no one was using it. Jacob asked if he could fish. I figured why not, and fetched his pole from the boat. I didn’t say it, but pretty much expected something to go wrong in a hurry. He and Bella weren’t gone three minutes when they retuned with a tackleless pole. I went to try and find what they snagged and lost, but couldn’t locate it. Back at camp I replaced the tackle and handed him his pole. He no longer wanted to fish citing a likely repeat. OK. Earlier, both kids along with dad sought out some additional firewood to complement the wood we brought from home. We had about ten decent logs but no kindling. That changed. They gathered oodles of it. We had the fire ready to go once the sun set. We got a rip a roaring fire going. And once again, the kids were eager for some smores, but we made them wait for the good coals to develop. That didn’t take too long, of course that’s easy for me to say. :) After the kids had their smores and I had a few beers we called it a night. I couldn’t help but notice that our starry night had already turned completely cloudy. Yuck! Also, the kids at the neighboring campsite broke camp early in the morning, but unfortunately, another group of rowdies arrived. There must’ve been about 12 of them. This group was louder than the youngsters. Mindy and I had to deal with the kids getting in and out of their tent a couple of times after they were woken by the noisy neighbors. I couldn’t complain too much. After all, that was me 15 years ago. Good night clouds! BTW: We learned from brother Tommy that Mom's surgery went well.

G29 ... A Camping We Will Go

I must’ve awoken near 7am. Because of the busy day ahead, I was a little stressed. Just couldn’t help myself. After exercise and a walk with Ykraps I began to calm. After all, our 10am departure deadline was entirely self-imposed. While out walking Ykraps I happened upon my dad driving by. Said he’d just been by the house. I invited him in for morning coffee. He accepted. I alerted mindy that my dad was over while delivering her morning coffee. After some brief conversation with Dad and Mindy I left for my run. Must’ve been around 8:00am. At the time the skies were clear & blue with few if any clouds mixed in, although I didn’t expect that to last. The temperature hovered near 60 degrees. The days high was expected to reach only into the upper 70’s once again. Part of me wanted to cut my run down to three miles in an effort to conserve time, but ended up doing the full four miles. Mindy was up and about soon after I returned home. And while she baked and served a fresh strada for breakfast, we planned to take the lion’s share of it along on our camping trip to serve as breakfast. That, we figured, would simplify our mornings. While Mindy started organizing the coolers, I showered up. I ate my strada soon after, and then began loading the Honda. While not optimal, I loaded the Honda in such a way that the coolers would go in last. That way, we could easily ice-up just before getting on the freeway. Turned out, we weren’t ready to depart until 11am. We pulled out of the subdivision destined for Thornton’s just up the road to get ice. I realized just as we pulled into Thornton’s that I would need to return home to fetch the camping reservation paperwork. Crap! We spotted Mindy already icing the coolers, or so it appeared. However, on closer observation she was picking up scattered pop cans that fell from the pop cooler. Geesh! Also in that cooler was the breakfast strada, and in a glass baking dish. Needless to say, it shattered rendering the strada inconsumable. I felt bad since I placed the coolers in the Honda. Mindy consolidated everything into the remaining three coolers. After addressing the minor mishap we both returned home, me to grab the camping reservation form, and Mindy to fetch some back-up breakfast eats (bacon and eggs). Neither of us said anything; the tension was high. After regaining our composure, we were soon back on the road. It was 11:30am. The drive up was simple. Somehow we beat Mindy & Bella to Alum Creek. We later learned that they stopped at Tim Horton’s. It was 12noon. Our camp site was still occupied, but then again, they didn’t need to vacate until 1pm. We decided to put the boat in first just like our original plan called for. We would simply boat the afternoon away and then return to set-up camp later in the afternoon. Thankfully, putting in the boat went well. Soon we were boating around the lake. No one wanted to tube so after a short ride we made our way to the boat swim area. We, or more accurately the kids, spent a couple of hours swimming. Aside from us, there was only one other boat in the swim cove. Gotta love week day boating. We pulled anchor and made our way to camp before 3pm. I dropped Mindy at the camp dock so she could drive the Honda to the site (G29). Jacob & Bella stayed in the boat with me. We cruised over to the cove just behind our campsite to tie-up. As expected, Mindy was already there. She met us and helped carry our boat cooler, towels, and food to the site. While she and t he kids unpacked the coolers, I walked back to the camp dock to fetch the Trooper, which held the tents as well as most of the other camp gear. It didn’t take long. I was back in less than 10 minutes. I detached and left the boat trailer at the dock area. We started setting up camp right away, three tents and the dining shelter. Mindy & I would share a tent, as would Jacob & Bella. Our third tent, a small dome, would serve as storage for our coolers. Camp was set-up by 5pm or slightly after. Mindy & Bella went to the restroom to shower. After they showered up, Mindy made dinner, chili dogs. After dinner, we took a family hike/walk on the nature trail. Always fun. Just prior to our walk we got a brief rain shower, and out over the lake was a partial rainbow. Just another to add to our 2009 collection. Our hike took us to the camp pond where we encountered a number of folks fishing, all of which looked quasi-homeless. Yikes! Not to be judgmental, but quite a few of the folks camping looked a little scary. Mindy & I quietly compared notes. When we got back to camp, the kids & I prepared the fire, but didn’t light it. We wanted to wait until dusk. They could hardly wait. They were very much looking forward to making/eating some smores. Meanwhile, off in the distance, thunder rumbled and the sky darkened. Not wanting to take any chances, I went to cover the boat. The last time we camped the boat filled with more than 6 inches of water. I quipped that it wouldn’t rain if we covered it. It didn’t, but just to our immediate southeast the sky looked ominous. We later learned that Worthington took a pounding. The sky cleared overhead and we got a real nice fire going. The kids eventually made their smores and went to bed around 10pm happy campers. :) After the kids were asleep, Mindy & I chatted around the fire. We witnessed a couple raccoons helping themselves to our trash. We caught one poking his head out the top of the bag while another chewed a hole in the bottom and ran off. Funny! A group of 20-something campers were next site over. They were extra noisy, up until 1am or so. They woke our kids a number times.

What's a Hen Weigh?

Up at 6:30am, I didn’t waste a single minute. I rushed through my exercise routine and then a walk with Ykraps. I was on the running trail sometime just after 7am. I ran three miles just as I often do on Sundays. I was back and in the shower in short order. I made an egg, cheese, and turkey sandwich for breakfast. I was ready by 8:15am and began loading my golf gear into the Trooper. While toiling with my golf gear, along came a familiar neighbor, although one I’d never formally met. He lives just cattycorner to us. He asked about the day’s golf then formally introduced himself. His name is Mike. He mentioned that he knew I worked for AT&T. I politely corrected his error as I introduced myself. He’s a liquor distributor and shared some of his big name clients. Seems like a good person to know. :) As Mike made his way to his home, along came Kenny right on time – 8:30am. We tossed his clubs in the Trooper and drove off. In hand, Kenny had hand-written directions to the golf course, Millcreek in Ostrander, the home of Ben Curtis. According to Kenny, it should take us only about 27 minutes to get there. We shot up I-270 to Rt 33 west towards Marysville. We took that to St route 42 north. From there we took what seemed like a labyrinth of turns until we arrived at Mill Creek. I phoned Tom Clark to make sure that he was close. He was. Just a few minutes behind us. The course appeared rather compact and simple but also nicely cared for. It looked crowded too. We tee’d off on time – 9:30am. I was just the three of us, Tom Clark, Kenny, and me. Not one of us hit a powerful opening drive but mine was clearly the best of three. The front wasn’t that tough at all, but did have some tight fairways. I experienced it all. The back was much more of a challenge, as if my game needed it. There was lots of water, blind dog legs, and trees. I missed a few birdie opportunities and had a couple blow-up holes where I took and 8 & a 9. I think my total score was 101 – certainly not very good, but about on par with most of my play this past month. We drove home after golf. Again, the labrynth of turns left me dizzy and confused, but Kenny guided us back to the highway via the written directions. It took about 30 minutes to get back home. There was little if any time for rest. Instead, I had to prep for our camping trip. Initially that meant fetching the boat from storage and beginning the painstaking process of loading up the camping gear. I worked most of the afternoon and early evening getting the Trooper loaded with camping equipment and firewood. For the time being, we held off from loading anything into the Honda but had most of the non-perishable stuff ready by the overhead garage doors. The Honda, by design, would be loaded primarily with the food, coolers, and bedding. At about the same time, I started the gas grill. And for the first time, we used the grill’s built–in rotisserie to roast two Cornish hens. It took about an hour or so for the hens to roast to the recommended 180 degrees. Not only had I pre-coated them with a garlic, olive oil, and seasoning base, but kept applying it every 20 minutes or so. By the time they reached the prescribed temperature, they looked mouth-watering good. Jacob didn’t partake in the hens. I found it somewhat unusual since he often asks for chicken when we’re having steak, burgers, or brats. Instead of chicken, he ate the leftover salmon from Saturday’s grilling. After dinner we did some additional organizing for the camping trip, but then tossed the chores aside in favor of relaxation. We sat briefly with the neighbors out on our deck while the kids played in the back yard. Jacob and Jake came back home after being turned away by neighbor Teri. Apparently their kids said that Jacob and Jake said/did something in appropriate in front of their younger kids and consequently didn’t want the two of them playing with Evan. Mindy & Chrissy were dumbfounded and walked down to Mike & Teri’s to learn more about the ban. They returned a short time later and calling for an impromptu family meeting with the two Jake’s. I listened but also kept busy cleaning up the gas grease from the gas grill and outdoor table. As the story goes, Evan and another friend of his told their parents that our tow boys made some inappropriate gestures while they played in the woods some time ago. It came out when the friend did the same thing while vacationing and when asked where he learned it by his parents he named Jake or Jacob. We ultimately quizzed both boys about the situation to which neither admitted any wrong doing or for hat matter, any recollection of the event. That was even after begin threatened with severe punishment should their stories be proven wrong later. After careful discussion, we pretty much sided with our kids and instead believed that the two younger boys likely fabricated their story. But, honestly, who could be sure. We stopped talking about it but still contemplated the idea. Teri said we could discuss the matter with Mike on Thursday, once we’re back from our camping trip. We headed to bed somewhat early in order to be fresh and ready for our Monday morning camping trip.

Another rainy Saturday

I was up at 7:15am feeling pretty good about everything except the weather. It wasn’t even 60 degrees and under mostly cloudy skies. I did my level best to accept it as it was. Couldn’t change it. But perhaps what troubled me even more than the current day’s weather was the extended forecast for next Monday through Wednesday. Now, the forecast called for temperatures barely reaching 80 degrees with a slight chance of rain each day. I proceeded with my morning routine as normal. I exercised and ran even before Mindy was up and out of bed. She planned to attend a Yoga class with Rene around 11am and expected to be out until mid-afternoon after running some errands. She left soon after I returned from my 4-mile run. Meanwhile, the temperature barely made it above 60 degrees and the sky looked ugly. I could do little more than scoff at the absurdity of it all. I really wanted to get the lawn cut this afternoon since we’d be golfing Sunday and also preparing for our camp trip. Sometime near noon, Tony, Noah’s father brought Jacob home. While he was over chatting, the sky opened up and dumped heavy rain for about 30 minutes. So much for getting the lawn cut. L Bella and Jacob headed down to the neighbors to play even while the rain continued to dump on us. Me, I did some obscure chores, tinkered on the internet, and napped. I was feeling a tad blue for the ugly summer weather. Mindy must’ve got home around 2pm or there abouts. I helped her carry in the groceries. In her haul was most of our camping trip food. The lawn was wet after the heavy down pours, but not too wet to prevent me from at least trying to get it cut. Lucky for me, the sun shined for a few hours and dried it out some. I was able to whack, edge, and mow. I did most of the lawn with the push mower since the tractor would’ve torn up the gushy spots. I felt good about getting the lawn taken care of, especially after the earlier rains. During the brief afternoon sun, the temperature reached a whopping 70 degrees, but nothing higher. Later, for dinner, Mindy bought a wild salmon filet and asked that I grill it. I really wanted Cornish hens cooked on the grill’s rotisserie, but Mindy couldn’t find any while Krogering earlier. The salmon cooked up really nice. At the same time, I sautéed some veggies on the grill’s side burner. They were good too. Jacob loved the salmon, although I shouldn’t have been that surprised. The kid loves seafood. After dinner, we dubbed it movie night and decided to watch the original Vacation movie with Chevy Chase. I was surprised that the movie was rated “R” - lots of swearing and a few shots of T & A. Mindy made the kids cover their eyes during those parts. Everyone laughed hard. Kenny & Chrissy came over just as the movie ended. I was almost asleep in the big chair. I eventually upped to be more neighborly. We hung out until about 1030pm. Kenny and I confirmed golf plans and agreed to meet at the Trooper by 8:30am.

On the Brink of Vacation

It was finally Friday and my last day to work before a week’s vacation. That alone was enough to motivate me up and out of bed. I knew it would be a tough day at the office but I didn’t care, especially at 5:30am in the morning. I pushed through my exercise routine as normal then headed out with Ykraps. After returning home, I checked the weather forecast, mostly concerned about the week ahead and our even more pointedly, our family camp trip. Still looking good – low 80’s and sunny Monday through Wednesday. As for the current day, the forecast called for mid-70’s and partly sunny – not at all like one might expect mid-July, but then again, it hasn’t been ‘normal’ all month. I headed out for my run perhaps a little late – 6:50am. I ran my four miles like usual, nothing out of the ordinary. I enjoyed two fried eggs for my breakfast and then headed up for a shower. Mindy made arrangements to have Kara watch the children this afternoon so she could run errands and lunch with friends. I was off to work by 8:15am. Work was busy, and like most Friday’s a bit overwhelming. But somehow, I managed through it. Not only was I doing my job, but my bosses too. That made the day incrementally tougher. I maintained in part by looking forward to 5pm and my week’s vacation. We bought pizzas for the crew do to a heavy workload. In turn, I didn’t leave the office for lunch. I didn’t talk with Mindy until my drive home. She shared her day’s activities and some news about daughter Courtney. Seems she lost her job at the Grove City Applebee’s. Mindy discovered all of this after asking about Courtney while lunching there. More than anything, we were most disappointed that she purposefully was keeping the truth from us – lying. That troubled me, and wasn’t the way I wanted to start my week’s vacation. I chose to cast the problem aside, at least for the time being. Bella was the only child at home. Jacob was spending the night with his friend Noah. We planned dinner at Barley’s, Bella’s choice. We’ve no doubt created somewhat of a monster in the two of them. They want to patronize Barley’s almost as much as Mindy & I. We headed out earlier than usual. We were there even before 7pm. We found a table barside. Bob Imber showed up shortly after us. I was happy to spend a little time with him since we most likely wouldn’t see him and Mary Ann for at least two weeks, maybe longer. They’re heading off to Ocracoke next Thursday. I let Bob know that we had a Sunday AM tee time and still had a spot open for a fourth. I didn’t sound like he’d be able to join us, however. We hung at Barley’s until 9:30pm. We weren’t home long before Mindy contacted Chrissy and essentially invited us down to their house. We ended up hanging out at their place until well past 11pm. Bella was tired and cranky. Before leaving, I confirmed Kenny’s desire to golf Sunday morning.

Beisbol w/ the family

I was up just after the irrigation system kicked on. I laid there waiting to hear it start for validation that it was indeed time to wake. Once again, I slept incredibly well and woke feeling totally rested and ready for whatever the day had to offer. All the windows were covered with dew/moisture, so much so that it looked like it had rained. After exercises I checked the forecast. Sunny skies and mid 80s were predicted. It was currently 73 degrees, as warm as it’s been at 6:00am in quite some time. My walk with Ykraps went well. I knew immediately that it would be shirtless running day. Not only was it warm, but it was humid too. I was comfortable despite the sultry weather. Back at home, I whipped up a cheese omelet topped with pepper jack cheese. I still had Wednesday’s lunch in the fridge at work minus the nuts. That saved me a little prep time. After breakfast and a shower, Mindy joined me on the deck where we basked in the warm, wet sunshine. I left for work at 8:12am even though Mindy wanted me to stick around longer. She & the kids had plans to meet Shelly and Kaileigh at the pool later in the day. I drove the BM’er after Mindy agreed to move her Honda out of the way. Thanks dear! It was another lovely drive into work. The work day was a very busy one, but I still managed to escape for a stop at Best Buy. Actually, I wanted to get a haircut too but ran out of time. At Best Buy I checked out DVD players. I ended up buying a new one after my five year old Toshiba stopped working mysteriously. I looked at, but didn’t give serious consideration to Blu-Ray since our Plasma TV has only one HDMI input, and that’s being used by the CATV box. I settled on LG model for $88. I also perused digital cameras, HP printers, and external hard drives, but bought just the DVD player. By the time I was out of there my hour was just about up. I postponed the haircut. The afternoon was as busy as the morning. I barely had time to eat my packed veggies. I left for home at 5:30pm. Somehow I didn’t get a case of the sleepies like I often do driving home. Mindy was busy prepping dinner. I could see that she accomplished plenty around the house. For one, she organized the kids toys that are stowed in the garage on the new shelving she bought and assembled. She dropped off our recycling too. I left with Ykraps. Mindy soon followed. I didn’t expect it since she was busy grilling. We walked and talked. I noticed that our hanging geranium baskets were looking dry & droopy. They really needed watered. I wanted to water them right away, but Mindy said that dinner was ready, so I waited until afterwards. We had grilled boneless chicken breasts and leftover chicken & noodles. I really dig the chicken & noodles. We used paper plates, which helped clean-up go quickly. Soon after dinner I headed out to water the baskets, pots, and rear beds. Too, I committed to playing backyard baseball with Jacoby, but only with a tennis ball. I told him he’s getting too big to use a real baseball out back. But apparently he’s been doing so during the day along with his mother and other neighborhood kids. It took me about 20 minutes to water. By then, Mindy & the kids had the impromptu ball diamond already set-up. It was Jacob and I against Mindy & Bella at the outset. We were clobbering them. Later, a few neighbor kids joined in the fun, It was still girls against boys. We played for about an hour and worked a pretty good sweat. After the fun, the kids disappeared out back with friends. Mindy made her & I rum drinks. We sipped them from the deck. Later, Mindy went to check on the kids. I stayed back and enjoyed a second drink. To make it even more relaxing, I piped some tunes out onto the deck (Elton John Love Songs), and added to the mood by lighting the tiki torches and citronella candles. Just lovely! I sat there by myself for about 30 minutes. Very nice! Soon, both cell phones rang. It was neighbor Pat. I invited him over. Minutes later he showed up with his wife, Lisa. Mindy eventually rejoined us, too, after being at the neighbors for the last 30 minutes. Lisa shared that she lost her job earlier in the day and that it would be official as of 5pm Friday. The company she works for, Fitch, is closing down their architectural department here in town. Depressing. Another victim of the struggling economy. We hung out with Pat & Lisa for about an hour. Just as they were leaving I got Pat going about Obama’s agenda. He’s firmly entrenched in his conservative views, and more pointedly about the ‘risky’ spending by Obama. I tend to have a more moderate view. I’m equally concerned but also willing to spend to bring about positive, long-term change. It was getting late. We weren’t up much later. Soon the kids were tucked in and Mindy & I were both in bed, too. Good night moon!

Resting My Eyes

I was surprised to wake feeling well rested. I even woke early but allowed myself to drift off back to sleep for an extra 30 minutes. I woke for good at 5:45am. It was 6:05 by the time that I finished my exercise routine and headed out the door with Ykraps. It was another clear morning with the temperature hovering around 62 degrees – cool for mid-July. I noticed how lush the lawn looked. That brought about an internal smile, especially given the mid-summer season. Years past, the lawn would’ve been showing severe stress by now, even when watering via the sprinkler pump. But this was the end goal, wasn’t it? I enjoyed coffee and PC time after our walk. I played on the PC until 6:30am. The Daily OM struck a familiar chord, folks using drama in their life almost as a validation of their existence/importance. I know people like that. I spent time meditating and stretching before readying and leaving on my run. Another fantastic 4-mile run in almost perfect weather conditions. After my run I fried two eggs, cut veggies and packaged up some fruit and nuts for lunch. I was off to the shower by 7:40am. Mindy elected to stay in bed versus get up and coffee with me before I left for work. Just as well. I didn’t have a lot of time. I remembered to bring shorts and move my golf clubs to the trooper. That’s right, it was a golf day. I was hopeful that unlike last week, Bob & I would be able to get away for nine after work. My work day plodded along as usual. I had a team meeting and a staff meeting to attend. Between the two, that consumed my entire morning and early afternoon. It was well past 1pm when our staff meeting ended. One would think that made the afternoon fly by. For whatever the reason, my afternoons have been dragging for the last couple of months. I emailed Bob around 3:30pm to measure his ability to golf. He responded within the hour that he was a go. Come 4:30pm I left for the office destined for Split Rock. The sky looked iffy, and thunderstorms were a possibility, at least according to Yahoo. But thankfully, that never happened. The clouds soon gave way to more sunshine. It was in the low 80s with relatively little humidity. I arrived at 5:00pm. I paid and got a cart. I did some putting and chipping before heading back to the lot to wait on Bob. He pulled in a minute after I got out there. Good timing. We tee’d off the front nine. More of the same… My opening tee shot was a push left. Happens a lot on this hole and for some reason, the tee box lines you up that way. But I can’t blame the set-up. I always counter it. Since putting it to use, I have sliced more often than not with my new driver, something that was previously a rarity in my game. Happily, I recovered with a decent second shot that left me just off the green. I pitched up to within 15 feet but three putted. Bob took a five. The next hole is a par 3. I miss hit an 8-iron, something that I’ve been doing the last two times out. Again, another swing result that hasn’t been a problem for a long time. Psychological I’m sure. There was a single playing behind us. We let him play through and returned for a second shot at the hole. I faired much better this time with a par. I played inconsistent for the entire nine. I had three pars, no birdies, couple bogeys, and a few doubles. I shot a 46. Honestly, my score could’ve been much worse. My new putter and driver are not helping my game at all. Still too many three putts and no confidence with the new driver. Bob shot a 43. Failed to mention, Tom Clark phoned while we were hitting our approach shots on the #3 par 5. I answered during golf because I thought he might be there and looking for us. He was not. Instead, he was measuring our interest in weekend golf. Bob is out, has a wedding to attend. As for me, I told him to book it for Sunday but that I’d have to discuss it with Mindy. Sunday would be the only opportunity. Mindy already asked me to keep the kids Saturday afternoon so she and Rene can attend a Yoga class. Bob leaves for his annual pilgrimage to Okracoke next Thursday. Sounds like golf’s out for next Wednesday. Just as well, I should probably take a break, but we’ll see. We finished up around 7:30pm and headed for home. I arrived just after 8pm. Jimaken was just leaving after dropping the kids. Rene was there, too. She and Mindy did dinner. They brought me a gyro from the Big Fat. Yes! I took care of a few small chores before digging in. I was famished having eaten only nuts all day long. Rene left minutes after I got home. Said she’ll be joining us next Tuesday at Alum Creek. The gyro was incredibly delicious. I ate the entire thing. It was a big one. I usually can’t or don’t do that. Afterwards, I crept to the sofa to “rest my eyes” for a few. Mindy laughed. She knew that I’d be out in a matter of minutes. She was right. Once I laid down sleep came over me like a freight train. I woke around 9:40pm still groggy and headed immediately to bed. Mindy said she’d join me soon. I must’ve fallen asleep instantly.

A Memorable Evening with Rockaday Johnnie & Bill Martin

I slept really well. I didn’t roll out of bed until 5:40am. By then the irrigation system was into full swing and the morning’s coffee finished brewing. I completed my exercises and headed out the door with Ykraps. It was a comparatively cool morning with clear skies and temps hovering at or near 60 degrees. The cool morning air felt terrific on my itchy eyes. Back home by 6:00am, I poured myself some coffee then took to the internet. I read the Daily Om as well as the morning’s headlines. Nothing new on Brett Favre coming to the Vikings. Many expect word this week. As usual, I did my morning meditation and stretching next. I was slightly behind schedule but didn’t fret over it. It was 6:45am before I headed out the door for my run. I did my typically outdoor stretch routine too. That takes no more than two minutes. My run went really well. I took my time and pondered mostly good thoughts. For one, I reviewed how my day might unfold, this being Elton John/Billy Joel night. After my four mile run I moved to food prep. I whipped up a sharp cheddar cheese omelet for breakfast and then cut up some veggies for lunch. After finishing my breakfast I headed up for a shower with Mindy’s coffee in tow. On rare occasions she won’t wake/budge when I place coffee on her night stand. This was one of those mornings. I didn’t try to wake her either. Figured she needed her sleep. I was ready to go by 8:00am. Mindy was awake by then but elected to stay in bed when I left for work. I confirmed my intentions to try and leave work a little early to be home with plenty of time to prep for the concert. I drove the Trooper being too lazy to move the Honda despite an absolutely glorious weather forecast – 82 and sunny. Just under a half tank of gas I didn’t stop. The price is down to $2.29 per gallon. I arrived at work around 8:30am. The work day was busy. I ended up working straight through until 5:15pm. The day went fast due to a number of conference calls. I left for home at 5:15pm and arrived by 5:30pm. Mindy was already ready to go and had already walked Ykraps. I brushed my teeth but decided to wear what I already had on. Kara arrived by 5:40pm. We left soon after she got there. We decided to stop at Barley’s for a beer and food before the show. The tickets said the show started at 7:30pm, but we figured it wouldn’t truly get underway until 8pm or so. We had oodles of time. We arrived at Barley’s before 6pm. This was ‘dirty old man’ Tuesday, or a Katy night. She’s a young attractive blonde that works only on Tuesday & Sunday. The guys typically pile in on her work nights. We ordered drinks: me a Centennial and Mindy a Pinot Noir. I didn’t notice until it was too late that they had Double Dog Dare DIPA back on tap. Maybe my second beer! After a few minutes we ordered some food. I ordered KC wings and Mindy ordered a salad. Calvin stopped in for a beer, just as he often does along his way home. We talked with him for about 30 minutes. I couldn’t wait to try the Double Dog. Katy brought me one straight up. Yuck! Sadly, it’s bad! The problem, that same butterscotchy taste that troubled many of their beers last year. I apologized to Katy but then and asked for an Avery’s Maharaja DIPA instead. She gleefully honored my request. Oh man, that’s good beer! We left Barley’s at 7:20pm. Mindy was determined to get down there, expecting that the show might begin promptly at 7:30pm. She drove the short distance in. I tried convincing her otherwise but she insisted on parking in the main Nationwide Arena lot. It was full. We ended up parking in the very lot we sued for Todd Rundgren and the Clipper’s home opener. That set us back $7. The lot’s right next door to the arena but requires a longish walk due in part to train tracks that separate it from the venue (have to walk up and around). As we entered the arena it sounded as if the show was already getting underway. Even still, we both had to pee, so took care of that problem first. It was 7:40pm. We hustled off to our seats, section #106, row #5, seats 1 & 2. The gentleman checking tickets said right section, wrong side. He sent us to the other entrance where a guest services employee guided to our seats - pretty nice seats. Elton & Billy had already gotten underway. The two had their grand pianos facing one another and the band playing behind them pretty much in the dark. They played several tunes, one of Elton’s then one of Billy’s with both singing the vocals. I was impressed with how complementary their voices were. That phase went on for roughly 45 minutes then Billy’s piano sunk into the stage leaving only Elton and his band to do an hour long set. He opened with a powerful rendition of Funeral for a Friend. During the hour long set he played most of his greatest hits including: Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me, Good Bye Yellow Brick Road, Daniel, Levon, & Crocodile Rock. He also did an extended version of Rocket Man. A very strong performance indeed. In fact, after Elton finished, Mindy stated that she felt we’d already got our money’s worth. The stage went dark for several seconds as Elton’s piano disappeared and Billy’s rose. Billy played many of his top hits over the next hour. He’s probably a better piano player than he is a vocalist but still quite strong. What surprised the two of us most was his ability to entertain. He was very funny, and spent time between each song talking to the audience, often making light of his self (failed marriages). After an equally brief break, both reappeared on stage for another 45 minutes playing another eight songs (4 from each). As an encore, they played Elton’s Candle in the Wind and Billy’s Piano Man. Both were powerfully delivered. All totaled, the show went on for a whopping 3.5 hours. I didn’t expect that. And while the music carried the night, the visual were top notch too. The lights and video were just enough to accentuate but not dominate the performance from the two piano playing icons. Next on my list of must sees, David Gilmour. No tour scheduled at this time. We were home by 11:30pm. Mindy settled up with child care provider, Kara. I popped a bag of popcorn and woofed it down quickly. We were in bed just after midnight.