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.