Seeing Favre in Purple

I was up on time – right at 5:30am - and there was little variation to a routine that’s become pretty much set in stone. I exercised, walked Ykraps, played on the PC, meditated, stretched and ran. It was quite cool during my run. I wore shorts and a thin, long sleeved running shirt, but I wished I had worn something warmer. It couldn’t have been even 50 degrees. Yikes! Back at the house, the kids and Mindy were busy in the kitchen. Bella complained about not feeling well but we made nothing of it. Soon Mindy was off to school leaving me to get Jacob and Bella on the bus. We hoped this would be the last week of the late bus schedule. After my breakfast I showered and dressed for work. Me and the kids headed out to the bus stop at 8:05am. The bus was parked at the end of our street but sat there until 8:18am keeping with the prior schedule. She mentioned that the change was coming, and hopefully this week. I headed off to work immediately after the kids were on the bus. I drove the BM’er. Work was fairly quiet. Busy, but well managed. I left for lunch around 1pm. I just needed to getaway but had no real agenda. I ended up visiting both Macy’s furniture & World Market just to browse. I was back at the office in something less than an hour. I left work for the day around 5:30pm. Mindy said we’d be having leftovers. And when I got home there were leftovers spread out across the entire island countertop. There was steak, chicken & noodles, pizza, mashed potatoes, cucumber salad, and baked beans. I opted for the chicken & noodles. Bella told me that she wasn’t feeling well. I touched her head and was surprised to find her on fire. Meanwhile, Mindy was on the phone with her brother Craig talking about our friend and neighbor, Amy Morgan, who passed away last Friday after a five year battle with bone cancer. Very sad. She was 38 years old. After Mindy was off the phone I suggested that she take Bella’s temperature. She did and found it to be 102.5. That’s warm. She called her brother back and shared the data. He suggested that she dose her up with Tylenol and Advil, and shared that he’s diagnosed a handful of Swine flu cases in the past week or so, but also mentioned that it could be a number of other things as well. He suggested that we monitor her for the next day or so to see what gives. We gave her some Tylenol and she went to lie down. Bella’s fever began to break within the hour but she continued moping around. Mindy was worried about the prospect of staying home the following day given that Monday was her first day with her full class after last week’s staggered start. I offered up that I might be able to stay home. After all, I brought my laptop home, which isn’t something I do that regularly. This was Monday, and the Minnesota Vikings were playing on MNF. I was psyched. Even though this was preseason, I was very eager to see Brett Favre in action. He was scheduled to play the entire first half. I hurried through kitchen duty and by 7pm I was on the sofa with the TV tuned to the ESPN pregame. Kick-off was at 8pm. The Vikings took the opening kick-off out to the 26 yard line. On the first play, Favre handed off to Adrian Peterson, who immediately ran for a 74 yard touchdown. Boom! Just like that it was 7-0. The game never regained that same level of excitement after the quick start, but I was quite pleased with the Vikings offense. Favre looked good to me, and a far better field general than anyone else they’ve had in that role for several years. Save for a rash of penalties, they looked ready to start the season. Mindy headed to bed just after halftime. I stayed up until it was over. They won 17-10.

Hayden Falls & Dairy Queen

I flirted with getting out of bed around 6am and then again around 7, but somehow I fell back asleep and didn’t wake again until I heard Mindy slipping quietly out the door around 9am. This was one of those rare mornings when she was out of bed before me. I laid there for a few more minutes but couldn’t sleep any longer. I got up and headed downstairs. I glanced out back into the sunny abyss then started to get my calisthenics underway. However, this was Sunday, the day I planned to rest my gut and arms. No calisthenics. Instead, I went directly for Ykraps’ leash then headed out the door. It was cool – only about 60 degrees. The walk was nice. I couldn’t help but admire how nice our lawn looked on the second to last day of August. By now, with out the irrigation system, it would be stressed to the max. Mindy said that Bella asked if we could go out for breakfast. I suggested that by the time I finished my run, showered and dressed it would be 11am. And, by the time we’d arrive at any restaurant it would be 1130am – well past the breakfast hours. Mindy said we didn’t have to necessarily do breakfast. I offered up El Vaquero, and Mindy liked the sound of that. I readied and left for my run at roughly 10am. My run went well. I was back at home by 1045am and headed immediately for a shower. In addition to lunch at El Vaquero, we planned to visit Hayden Falls and then stop at Play It Again Sports in Hilliard to get Jacob’s new soccer cleats. It was a tad chilly but I still wore shorts and a tee shirt. All of us took a light jacket just in case. By the time we pulled away from the house – 11:30am, the sky was clouded over pretty good. The forecast called for sunny skies so we assumed it a short lived fluke. We visited the Riverside Dr El Vaq. At first we thought we might sit inside, but in the end, both Mindy & I prefered their covered patio. We sat out there. Bella squawked a little but followed our lead. She didn’t really have a choice. It sucks being 6! The restaurant was uncharacteristically barren. It’s usually packed, and more often than not there is a wait for a table. We guessed ourselves to be just in front of the after church crowd. Our hunch was correct. They started arriving fifteen minutes later. Given the hour none of us ordered alcoholic beverages, not even Bella. :) We did eat three baskets of chips and salsa, though. Everybody loves them. For whatever the reason, the kids weren’t in the best of spirits, especially Bella. She was hard to please. But Mindy put her foot down and she eventually complied. We ate our lunch and left for Hayden Falls by 1230pm. Hayden Falls is a quick drive from the Vaq. Mindy had never seen the falls, and I hadn’t been there for a number of years, and never from the drive-in park entrance. Instead, all of my past visits were via the river/boat. On the other hand, our kids have been there numerous times with their daddy. Much like Old Man’s cave, there’s a boardwalk leading from the parking lot to the base of the falls. Then, there’s a relatively long break before the boardwalk picks up again and takes you back by the falls. I have mixed feelings about the boardwalk. Seems like too much human intervention, but I also realize it provides access to those that otherwise might never be able to see such a beautiful site. It’s also worth mentioning that there’s new lumber on-site to presumably complete the boardwalk all the way from the parking lot back to the falls. Mindy was blown away by the hidden gem. And I forgot just how gorgeous it is back there. It’s hard to imagine that little slice of heaven is resting there just off the busy road and just a few miles from our home. It looks and feels a lot like Cedar Falls (Hocking Hills). We stayed at the falls for about an hour, and I must’ve taken about 50 photos. Before departing the park, we ventured to the two new overlooks placed by the city. But it was difficult to see due to all the foliage. From there, we headed to Play It Again Sports on Hilliard-Cemetery Rd. Jacob ended up getting used cleats since they didn’t have new ones in his size – 5.5. The used were only $10 as opposed to $25 for the new. He grew out of his others in a year. Buying used is a good bargain. And aside from being a little dirty, they’re in great shape. From there we started towards home, but on the way we all decided to stop for ice cream even though the weather seemed more like chili or hot chocolate. We drove to the Dairy Queen in the Georgesville/I-270 shopping complex. As we passed Hugh White Honda I suggested we look at the new Accord’s. Mindy agreed, despite the kids’ insisting we not. :) I showed Mindy the fully loaded two-door version that I like – black/black. She deemed it a bit impractical but… We headed over to the Dairy Queen. We went inside to enjoy our tasty treats. And by the way, it was still completely clouded over – depressing given the overly rosie forecast for sunny skies. I had a chocolate cone dipped in chocolate. Bella had plain vanilla. Mindy & Jacob had blizzards – not sure what flavors. Finally, our family adventure was complete. We headed home arriving there around 3pm. My belly was full and I badly wanted a nap. I eventually stretched out on the family room floor to satisfy that need. In the meantime, Mindy had three big steaks thawing on the island. My dad was coming over around 6pm for dinner. At the time I wondered how I might muster the appetite. I napped only briefly – no more than 20 minutes. I spent the next couple of hours downloading the day’s pictures and watching the Barclay’s golf tournament. I watched golf until my dad arrived. I started the grill around 6pm and then took Ykraps on an evening walk. Dad was using a cane but seemed to be getting around much better. In typical dad fashion, he described in full detail what was going on with his back, nerves, and arthritis. It dawned on me right then that the days of dad running around playing volleyball, or crawling under his truck are most likely gone forever. I threw the steaks on the grill after my return. In addition, I put a couple hot dogs on for Bella and some Tilapia for Jacob. It’s hard to believe, but Jacob doesn’t care for steak. The key to the perfect grilled steak is the temperature. I cooked them on medium-high assuring that they’d be brown and crisp on the outside, yet remain pink and juicy on the inside. They were done in a hurry. However, after a quick slice, both Dad and Mindy asked that there steaks be put back on the grill for a little extra cooking. Dad serrated his all over to ensure that it would get cooked even more. I’ll admit, they all needed a couple more minutes. I put mine back on for another couple minutes too. It didn’t take long, however. And this time they were perfect! Along with steak, Mindy prepared baked beans and cucumber salad. Pretty simple dinner, really. After dinner, Jacob and Jake asked me to play football. I didn’t really want to but decided to do it anyways. After all, I don’t want Jacob to remember me as a ‘missing parent’. I played quarterback for both kids. It was difficult listening to their incessant complaining, especially Jake. In other words, if I don’t throw a perfect pass, one that lands softly and squarely in their hands, they complain. In fact, even when it hits their hands but then they drop it, they complain. The play ended with a mini-fight. Jake pushed Jacob hard from behind out of frustration. Jacob ran in the house crying. Jake soon came to apologize, but our Jacob was not feeling receptive to it. Knowing that our Jacob is more often than not the one delivering the aggression, I took a more understanding approach with Jake and offered him some cheesecake. He graciously accepted and sat with Mindy, dad, and I and while he ate his pie. Jake’s mom called for him to come home. He soon left. Dad left too. I was there for assistance as he walked to his car. However, he made it entirely on his own. After everyone was gone, Mindy started getting the kids ready for bed. I tuned into the preseason SNF game – Chicago and Denver. Chicago looked like the better team. Mindy headed to bed around halftime. I joined her a half hour later.

Wait for it - Wait for it - Snap!

I was surprised at the hour when I finally woke feeling rested. It was just about to strike 8am. I slept for nearly 9 hours. That’s rare for me. I felt good, though. I tried to be extra quiet going about my business not wanting to wake the sleeping children. It wasn’t long before the coffee was on and I was done exercising and headed out the door with Ykraps. It was quite evident that it rained more overnight. The stream/pond was swollen. The sky was full clouds, but there wasn’t much chance of any ongoing rain. In fact, the forecast called for improving skies. My alone time was brief. Soon all the kids were up and downstairs. Both Landon and Rocky wanted mini-muffins. Big surprise! Mindy was up not long after the wee ones. By then the sky was clearing and the sun was shining. Almost immediately, Mindy started making breakfast. She’d promised Rocky bacon the night before. Around 9:30am I set out on my run. It was a good run under mostly sunny skies and temps hovering near 70. I passed Rocky’s teacher, Mrs. Dent, also out running and just east of our home. Back at home around 1015am, the kids were just finishing up their pancakes. Meanwhile, Bella was very excited to share that she lost another tooth – the other top front. Now both are gone. Mindy had a plate of bacon & chocolate chip pancakes ready for me a few minutes after my return. They were good. Not long after I finished my breakfast, Shelly stopped by to pick up Kaileigh. She needed to pick-up Kaileigh early in order to make cheerleading practice. Mindy was still in her robe. While we visited with Shelly and Sienna, the older boys, Jacob and Rocky, were out back fishing with Bella’s Barbie fishing pole. Bella joined them soon after Kaileigh left. I stayed in playing with Landon, although he really wanted to go out, too. It didn’t take long for the boys to come running for my help with the fishing pole. Said they had a big carp on the line but that it was tangled up in the bushes along the pond. I headed out to assist. Sure enough, the line was tangled amongst the bushes. I wasn’t so sure about the fish, however. But once I got to the line I was surprised to find a big ol’ carp hanging helplessly from the fishing line, apparently tuckered from an earlier fight. He acted almost lifeless. Just as I reached for him he wiggled enough to get himself free from the hook. Just as well, I didn’t want to deal with removing the hook, anyway. Show over! It took some doing to get the fishing pole back to being operable. And by then, the kids were tired of fishing. Figures! Landon wanted to swing. I took him out to the toddler tree swing where we played for about 30 minutes. Mindy joined us briefly, but eventually begged off to head to her hair appointment. She took Bella along, who asked if she could be dropped off at her maw-maws (Mindy’s mom). Landon and I headed back inside shortly thereafter. I hung out with the boys for the rest of the afternoon. Jacob & Rocky played outside while Landon and I played inside. Eventually, the older boys got out their bikes and the ramp. I took Landon out to watch. He wanted to ride a bike too, so I went to the shed to fetch Bella’s old tiny playschool bike. That worked perfectly for Landon. He loved it! I put Bella’s bike helmet on him, too. Mimicking the older two, he tried riding over the ramp, albeit very slowly, but he couldn’t quite make it. Very cute. I got several pictures. He and I headed back inside while the boys continued playing out front. We had a snack and played guitar. Next thing I knew, Landon was sound asleep in the livingroom recliner. Mindy & Bella finally arrived home around 330pm. Bella had a surprise – the DVD, Bolt! She brought it home from maw-maws. I helped Mindy carry in the groceries. There was quite a load. As is often the case, the kids gathered around the bounty and began asking for this and that before it was even put away. But that’s what kids do. Mindy shared that Keri Ann & Kevin were planning to stop over later in the afternoon. I haven’t seen Keri Ann for a really long time, and only once since her wedding last summer. After the groceries were put away I took a brief nap on the family room floor. Mindy woke me just as Keri Ann & Kevin pulled up. We visited with Keri Ann & Kevin for the better part of 2 hours. Keri talked a lot about school, but I stopped her long enough to ask about Todd Elswick. Kevin said that he ran into him a few days ago. Apparently Kevin and Todd are no longer on speaking terms. Keri’s pregnant and is due on December 18th. For most of their visit, the kids played outdoors except for Landon, who was still sleeping soundly in the recliner. Someone alerted Mindy that Bella had been injured again. And once again, something to do with the Kenny’s putting green. Mindy ran outside to investigate. Apparently she and Makayla were tossing golf balls when Bella took one just behind the ear. Ouch! Like the day before when she whacked her with a putter, Makayla ran off crying and hid. Mindy returned with Bella. Just a big red mark, nothing too bad. Mindy had chicken and noodles cooking in a crock pot all the while we visited with Keri Ann and Kevin. And I was getting really hungry for some. It was after 6pm so I got up, excused myself, and took Ykraps for his evening walk. It was a gorgeous evening – mid 70s and plenty of sunshine. It definitely would’ve been ideal for golf. Our guests left just before 6:30pm. Almost immediately, Mindy started prepping dinner, which besides chicken & noodles, she was making mashed potatoes. Lindsey called just before 7pm to ask when we were planning to bring the kids home. Earlier we had said 7pm, but because of our guests, things got delayed. We told her for sure by 8pm. Jacob asked if Rocky could stay another night, and that wouldn’t have been a big deal but I think Mindy & I both wanted our Sunday to be a little more carefree from jump. During dinner, we were reminded how much Landon loves noodles. He ate three helpings. And it should come as no surprise, for dessert both he and Rocky requested mini-muffins. J Rocky wanted Mindy to drive him home for some reason, but I would be doing it. Mindy said she’d do it but much preferred it be me. I left with the boys around 7:40pm. Lindsey was out front yacking on the phone when I pulled up. Said she was chatting with Mindy. I stayed long enough to give both boys and Lindsey a hug then headed for home. I was eager for some quiet time, not to mention a drink or two. J Not long after arriving home I put in the Bolt DVD. All of us snuggled up on the sofa to catch the hilarious animated movie. I poured a rum, grape fruit juice, and Fresca. Mindy mentioned the desire to hot tub later. Maybe. Bella asked for a fire outside on our new patio. Admittedly, it was a perfect evening for it, but it was almost 10pm when the movie ended. We discouraged her at first, but I eventually caved and went out and started a quick fire. After all, it was so nice outside. The wood in the fire ring was still a little damp after Friday’s heavy rains. In kind, I had to use a lot of lighter fluid getting it to stay ablaze. Finally, after several applications of lighter fluid the fire held. Meanwhile, Bella was anxious for roasted marshmallows. I headed inside to fetch ‘em. And while I was in there, I poured myself another rum drink. J Bella really wanted a smore, not just a roasted marshmallow. Mindy headed in to get the rest of the fixins, but only allowed Bella to have one. We weren’t out there long. I let Bella douse the fire with the flower watering pot. They like that part too. Soon the kids were tucked into bed. Mindy headed to bed too.

Having the Grandchildren

It was Friday and time to return to work after an exciting Thursday off of work. I was at my routine by 5:30am, cranking out sit-ups and push-ups. The sky was mostly cloudy but the temperature was up near 70 degrees. I let the irrigation system run its course having adjusted the start for 430am. I must’ve woken Mindy sometime just after 6:00am. I delivered her coffee at the same time. I left myself plenty of time to do my thing: play on the PC, meditate, and stretch. I readied and left for a run by 6:30am. I ran shirtless, but looking towards the weekend and beyond, it doesn’t look like I’ll be doing that much longer. My run went well. Mindy had eggs ready by the time that I was back home. Before Mindy left for school, she said she made arrangements for Kenny to see the kids onto the bus so that I could leave for work by 8:10am. The pick-up time is supposed to be moved back to 8:05am just like last year. Until then, the bus isn’t showing up until 8:20am. I was showered and ready by 7:50am. I used the extra time to play on the PC. I called the kids down at 8:05am. I told them that I would see them onto the bus. The bus showed up at 8:18am. Mrs. Vanorder said that she’d be turning in the paperwork necessary for the pick-up time change today or Monday. We went through the same thing last year. I headed off to work at 8:25am and arrived around 8:40am. It was Friday so I expected it to be excruciatingly busy. However, turned out to be something less than that. But since I didn’t have any pressing errands to run, or anything I wanted to accomplish, I simply stayed at the office all day long. I ate my packed lunch, including a can of tuna fish, around 2pm. I called daughter Lindsey to ask about us having the boys for the night. She agreed but said that her mother promised to take them all to dinner, so it would have to be sometime after that. In turn, I asked if she could simply drop them off afterwards. She was hesitant to ask her mother but said she would. Lindsey called back a few minutes later and said her mother kindly agreed to drop them off. Figured it would be around 6:30 or 7pm. Mindy called after getting out of school to chat. Said that Grove City was hit with an incredibly heavy thunderstorm, and that traffic lights were out and that there was significant flooding in the streets. I put the phone down long enough to glance out the window. Dry in Hilliard, but threatening skies to our immediate south and east. I shared the news about the boys coming over. We also talked through the school bus arrival time thing and why I might be so yanked off about not being asked. I think I did a reasonable job of communicating my point of view. Lindsey called again before I left home and shared that her mom got off work early due to weather. Said they’d most likely be bringing the boys by our place earlier. She asked how early was too early. I asked that it be no earlier than 5:30pm. I shared that with Mindy, who also shared that G.D. Kaileigh would also be spending the night. We were missing only Olivia. We planned to order pizzas for dinner – most likely Sporano’s. I left work at 5:20pm after seeing everything under control. I didn’t make any stops and was home by 5:40pm. Mindy was busy working on school stuff. I leashed up Ykraps and took him on a walk. Judging by the depth of the pond, I could tell that it rained fairly significantly at our place sometime during the afternoon. Nothing like what was being reported in Grove City, however. I checked the weather radar. It looked like more storms were on the way but most would skip just to our north. Kelly & Lindsey dropped the boys around 6pm. I met them outside at the car. I took that opportunity to ask Kelly about Ashley’s planned move-in with Courtney. I expressed great concern over having my grand daughter living in that neighborhood, even though it is supposed to be temporary. Kelly said she was aware but then asked what I expected her to do. I asked that she use her power of influence over Ashley. After all, Ashley has always confided in her mother. That was the end of that conversation. I shook my head in disbelief and headed off with the boys. Even before heading inside, we took Landon to the bridge to feed the ducks. He loves doing it. After a few minutes we headed inside. Jacob and Rocky soon asked me to play football outback. After being begged, I agreed. We played for about 45 minutes. Because Chrissy was under the weather, Mindy ordered pizza for her, Jake, and Makayla, too. Just as we were finishing up our football, Bella got hit in the face with a putter head on Kenny’s artificial putting green by Makayla. She screamed to high heaven. Makayla ran off to hide and was crying too. Lots of drama. Mindy took care of the pizza order. We headed inside for pizza and subs. Soon after the pizzas were delivered, Shelly brought Kaileigh over. She also dropped off the frozen pizzas that we bought from her cheerleading group. Shelly didn’t stay for too long. The pizza and sub were good but I didn’t eat nearly as much as I thought that I might. After dinner Mindy got a bath going for the boys. Sadly, they smelt like cat piss. At first it was gonna be just Landon and Rocky, but Bella and Kaileigh asked to take a bath after the boys were out. While all that was going on, I tuned to preseason NFL football – Patriots vs. Redskins. I sipped a Jack & Coke while watching the game. The boys joined me on the sofa for a little while before Mindy declared it bedtime. Both boys, Landon and Rocky, were already falling asleep. Mindy also asked me to inflate the air mattress for Kaileigh & Bella. We had all the kids tucked into bed around 9:15pm. It went much easier than we thought. Mindy joined me downstairs in front of the TV and asked if we could talk more about the whole school bus thing, but I wasn’t up for any serious banter. I simply wanted to watch football and eventually drift off to sleep. Mindy headed up to bed before me. I probably joined her about 30 minutes later.

Feels Like Phoenix

I slept pretty good, and because I wasn’t going to work, I didn’t get up until 6:20am. I probably would’ve slept longer, too, hadn’t the noise brought on by Mindy prepping for a shower woke me up. I hadn’t yet decided when I’d do my run – before or after seeing the kids onto the school bus. And come to think of it, I didn’t have a plan for my entire day. Short of exercise, run, and seeing the kids onto the bus, my day was wide open. Once I was downstairs it wasn’t much different than a work day. After killing the irrigation system already eight minutes into zone #4, I completed exercises and then headed out with Ykraps. It was a clear morning but with lots of low lying fog lingering about. Given the time when I got back from our walk (6:40am), I decided not to run prior to seeing the kids onto the school bus. If I did, they’d be spending measureable time alone since Mindy needed to leave around 7:30am. And I definitely didn’t want to feel rushed, not on my day off. Instead, I used the time to catch up on the Vikings and to download pictures. Mindy left for school around 7:30am. The kids retreated to their rooms to watch TV until 8:05am when I sounded the time-to-go horn. Soldiers, you will tie your shoes, you will stand at attention, you will smile and walk in tandem to the bus stop all the while singing the praises of your step-father. Let’s march! At the bus stop, we were soon joined by Kenny, Makayla & Lillian. I asked Kenny what he was up to today. He said improving his golf game. Hmm? Golfing? Said he was able to golf, and I wanted to, too. So, in kind, we made loose plans to golf at Phoenix Golf Links after my run and a shower. The bus picked up the kids at 8:18am. I headed home to ready for my run. It was quite warm – about 72 degrees. I didn’t make the mistake of wearing a shirt like I did the morning before. It was fairly humid, too. I completed my run in good time. I was back at home by 9:10am. I wasted no time getting a shower and ready for golf. Afterwards, I called Phoenix to see about a tee-time, preferably around 10-1015am. Katie said, ‘come on out.’ Great. I called Kenny to advise. He was washing his clubs. We agreed to head out in 15 minutes. I took his lead and cleaned mine real quick, too. I couldn’t let him have an advantage. J We left the houses just before 10am and arrived around 10:10am. I walked in and declared, “1015 tee-time for Woods, Tiger Woods”. Everyone got a chuckle. Phoenix is weekday/early friendly. One can play 18 holes with a cart for $25 before 11am. The course is real nice too. I love it! Nothing like being on a golf course mid-morning on a sunny, warm day when everyone else is working. I had a rough start. The opening hole is long, blind par 5. I was just off the green in four and after a poor chip up, I four putted. I took a nine. Yikes! Kenny pared. We played neck and neck through the rest of the front shooting fours and fives. Kenny struggled mightily on hole #8. I struggled on hole #9 and took a 7. I ended up with a 49 – Kenny a 47. I played bogey golf on the back save for one double-bogey before approaching number 18, which is a 400 yd slight dog leg left par 4 that takes a 200 yard drive just to clear a long pond. Kenny cleared it just fine. I hit my tee shot errantly and in the water. With no apparent drop zone, I had to hit shot #3 again from the tee. I hit a long drive easily clearing the water, but almost too long. Lucky for me, it came to rest on the rough just before rolling all the way across the fairway and into the woods/tall grass. I had 140 yards in. Next, I hit a decent 8-iron but it landed just short and rolled down the 3 foot embankment surrounding the green leaving me a short chip up. Frustrated still with my drive, I took an eight but actually think I had a seven. We had a good time finishing in roughly 3 hours and 40 minutes. Fast! We knew it had warmed up considerably into the early afternoon, but both of us were surprised to find that it hit 88 degrees. The forecasted high was only 80. I planned to cut the lawn once at home. It was 2:30pm after dropping Kenny and before I got outside to start on the lawn. I whacked, edged, cut, and blew. It took until 4:30pm to completely finish. Because of the heat and humidity, I worked up one heck of sweat. But I had the sweet satisfaction of knowing that the lawn was neatly manicured heading into the weekend. Just as I was heading up for a shower I noticed that Ykraps pee’d on the pink Queen Anne chair and carpet … again. I was furious. Up until now, I’d done nothing to punish him for his recent rash of indiscretions. He was relaxing over by Mindy’s glass armoire. I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and carried him over to his mess and rolled his face in it. This has to stop. We’ve tried controlling his water intake yet he’s still doing it. I cleaned up the mess quite thoroughly. Ykraps doesn’t bark, but he can cry. And he did just that while I punished him. That scared the kids. I understood. Mindy and the kids decided to take advantage of the nice weather and headed off to the pool, perhaps for the last time this season. The extended forecast leading up to next week’s closing ceremonies doesn’t look good. It’ll be sunny but with highs barely reaching 70 and lows falling into the upper 40s. But given our summer’s weather so far, that wasn’t too surprising. I haven’t gone to the pool even once this summer. Heck, come to think of it, we’ve only had the boat out once, too, although that was for a two-day camp trip. I stayed home, showered, and watered flowers. I took my time. I also finally got around to adjusting the start time of the irrigation system to kick on at 4:30am. That way it’ll be done by the time that Mindy wakes to shower. I used the rest of my alone time to write in my blog. I wasn’t far behind, but haven’t published since last Thursday either. Mindy & the kids were home around 7:15pm. She and the kids prepped and ate an evening snack while I finished up on the PC. She and the kids eventually made their way over to the neighbors. I tuned into the two NFL preseason games on Time Warner. Mindy and the kids came in around 8:10pm. She got them ready for bed in a hurry. I poured a Jack & Coke and grabbed a bag of pretzels to help curb my hunger. I hadn’t eaten anything of substance since early AM. I watched football until tuck-in time – about 8:40pm. I tucked Jacob in first. Bella and I did another ‘I Spy’ page. She absolutely loves those things and is pretty good at ‘em too. Mindy headed to bed around 9:30pm. I stayed up until 10:30pm, or until the Bengals game was over. I secured the house and headed for bed. I could hear it sprinkling outside.

Late Bus Stop & Split Rock

Not only was it Wednesday, but it was also golf day, and my last day of work until Friday. I’ve got Thursday scheduled off. Wahoo! I was up just before 5:30am. The irrigation system kicked on just as I was brushing my teeth. I was down stairs by 5:36am and eager to begin my exercise regimen. Come 5:50am all were behind me and Ykraps and I were out the door for our morning walk. It was pitch dark, but with just a hint of daybreak on the eastern horizon. The weather was expected to be really nice – sunny and 85. After our walk I made coffee and sipped it in front of the PC with a few minutes to kill before Mindy needed waking. I woke her at 6:10am with a cup of coffee in tow. I headed back downstairs to begin meditation and stretching. I killed the irrigation 55 minutes into its 83 minute cycle to allow Mindy’s shower to be more powerful. I plan to change the start time to an hour earlier – 4:30am. That’ll eliminate the need for tinkering every morning. After meditation and stretching I dressed and left on my run. It was very nice, and just about right with my sleeveless wicking shirt on. It was in the mid 60s. The run went well, and I was home before 7:15am. Mindy was busy making fried eggs, and had everyone’s plates set at the table. I typically eat at the island. Bella took my seat at first, but Mindy quickly asked her to move. Bella was already dressed but her hair looked bad. It was in a self-done pony. I wondered if Mindy was gonna fix it. She was, but after breakfast. While I ate, Mindy woofed down her own food then took care of Bella’s hair. Mindy was ready to depart just before 7:30am. I asked what time to expect the bus after it was ten minutes late Tuesday. Mindy said 8:20am almost as if I knew, then she left. I wasn’t pleased. My work hours are 8:30-5:30pm. I finished up breakfast then bolted off to the shower. I made better time than I expected and found myself back downstairs by 7:43am. I used the next 20 minutes to load my golf clubs into the BM’er, and then downloaded photos from the first day of school. It was 8:05 in a hurry. I called the kids from downstairs still holding out hope that the bus driver might show up at 8:05am, or just after. We eventually met Chrissy and Makayla at the bus stop. They didn’t come out until 8:10am. The bus pulled up at 8:17am. Chrissy sounded awful. She was sporting a cold, but she was still going to work. I hurried off back home and loaded up the BM’er and left for work. I still needed to stop for gas, too. Damn! I pulled in Thornton’s at 8:23am. Gas was $2.38 per gallon. The BM’er took just over 10 gallons. It has a 12.-something gallon tank. I was in and out in a hurry. I was on the road by 8:27am. I arrived at work and in my office by 8:40am. I stopped down to talk with my team and then my peer. He was fresh back from a Disney family vacation. We chatted for about an hour. It was good to catch up. Later, I learned that my boss canceled our weekly staff meeting. Because it was a golf Wednesday, I already planned to work through lunch. I snacked on my nuts and cheese around 11am and never really got hungry for my veggies and fruit. But come 3pm I all but forced myself to eat to ensure I had energy reserves available for golf. I emailed Tom and Bob earlier in the day seeking their interest in golf. Tom was out. Bob was in. I was eager. I buttoned up everything I was involved in by 4:15pm and started prepping for my departure. I talked with Mindy as she drove towards home from school. She asked about golf and shared a little of what she planned to do. She said she didn’t know hat she’d do after Jimaken picked up the kids. I guessed she’d end up at Barley’s. I left the office at 4:30pm on the nose. I arrived at Split Rock at 5:06pm. I made excellent time. I had plenty of time to prepare and putt. It was quite warm too. Bob didn’t show up until just after 5:30pm. Apparently, he was held up a little at work. No problem, though. We tee’d off the front. There hadn’t been anyone on the tee for at least 20 minutes prior to us teeing off. We figured that would bode well for us. I hit a good drive and then a decent second shot but somehow I managed to botch the hole and took a 6 or 7. Can’t recall for certain, but I am quite sure that I four putted. Yuck! Number 2 is a par three. And ever since I’ve been mis-hitting my irons, I feel apprehensive when on the tee box. I hit an OK 8-iron just off the green. I missed my par putt and took a 4. The third hole is a long par 5. I pulled my drive right but was still in the fairway. The ball flight was ugly, however. Plus, I had a downhill lie. I hit a poor 3-wood. I was on in 4 and three or four putted again. Somehow, we had caught the three some in front of us already. They were playing slow. Without any hesitation, we drove back to the 3rd tee box to play it over. This time I was sitting 60 yards out in two, much better results. I still bogeyed however. I never did feel comfortable standing over my putter for the entire evening. Bob was playing darn well once again. He ended up shooting a 40. He was driving 270- 280 yards consistently. I ended up with a 46, paring two of the last three holes. Not bad after a shaky start, although, not once did I hit a solid drive, and I’m still battling errant iron shots. We finished up around 7:20pm. The late summer sun was sinking fast. We chatted only briefly before hitting the road. Sounds like no golf for Bob this weekend. I phoned Mindy as I left the lot just as she requested. She didn’t answer. I wasn’t too pleased. I headed towards home. Mindy called a few minutes later as I wound my way down rt 762. Our conversation was brief. Yep, she was at Barley’s. Said she was bringing wings home for me. I let her go. I had to get both hands on the wheel and be prepared to shift at the same time. The sunset was absolutely gorgeous. Perhaps one of the prettiest I’ve ever seen. A few sparse clouds only added to the beauty. I wished I had my camera but didn’t. I arrived home just before 8:00pm. I was ravenously hungry. I grabbed some chunks of cheese to snack on while I rinsed my lunch containers and prepped Thursday’s coffee. I was quite aggravated and didn’t want to converse much with Mindy. As a result, I kept largely to myself. We did, however, have a brief conversation about the time the school bus arrived. I asked if she’s even once made a call to get the time moved up. She hasn’t. I reiterated my need to be at work at 8:30pm. I was feeling used, in large part because she hadn’t even asked me if it would present a problem. And honestly, the way I see it, it’s her problem to solve, not mine. Either way, I expressed my frustration and was done discussing it for the night. Mindy eventually got the kids ready for bed. Like usual, I went up for the tuck-in. I made it brief and made my way back downstairs where I had just poured a CBC IPA. Again, I didn’t have to work on Thursday. I was much looking forward to a day off work. Mindy was off to bed even before 9:30pm. I enjoyed my evening alone watching the Big Ten Network replays of old OSU games. I watched the OSU vs. Illinois game from our national championship season, and then watched the OSU vs. Michigan game from 2006 when we were number one and two, respectively. Cool! I eventually dosed on the sofa and woke around 1am with the poison ivy on my knee itching like crazy. I soothed it with hot water then tried going back to sleep. I eventually gave up and headed up to bed where I knew I could and would sleep much better than I do on the lumpy sofa.

First Day of School (Cricket, is that you?)

Great! I slept like a rock, and didn’t wake until 5:45am. Of all days to oversleep. This was the first day of school, and consequently I needed to be punctual. However, I didn’t panic. I knew that I could easily regain the minutes lost. I’ve purposefully designed my mornings as such. Trim a little here, trim a little there, voila’! I did just that. I pushed through my exercise routine then took only a quick glance at my PC to get an idea of the current temp. It was 62 degrees. Nice. I didn’t bother with a jacket. Our walk took us west. Zone #1 was finished. We had an easy (dry) pass. Back home, I poured two cups of coffee, one for me and one for Mindy. This was day one of the normal school year routine – 2009-2010. She asked to be up by 6:15am. I woke her with coffee then headed back downstairs to continue with my routine. I read the Daily OM then headed to the family room for meditation and stretching. As I dressed for my run I realized that I should shut down the irrigation system so the plumbing system wouldn’t become over taxed with lawn watering and Mindy’s shower. In fact, I should really reprogram it to start an hour earlier for the reminder of the watering season. For now, however, I simply turned it off mid-cycle. I planned to restart it once back from my run. I headed out the door by 6:35am. It was a gorgeous morning for a run. It won’t be long before the start of my run is once again under the shroud of darkness. I’m about a mile or so into my run before the sun creeps up. The run went exceptionally well, and I finished feeling really strong. At home Mindy was busy in the kitchen, a seen I haven’t seen since last May. My lunch was packed and our eggs were on the stove. Everyone planned to enjoy some eggs. That made life easy. Today the pressure wouldn’t be as intense as tomorrow and beyond. Mindy had permission to be late so she could see the kids onto the bus for their first day of school. While Mindy finished cooking breakfast, I unloaded the dishwasher, in part to make room for more dirty dishes. We were all done eating by 7:35am. I was off to the shower. I did stress a little over the mess in the kitchen, something I haven’t had to contend with beyond what I make myself since spring. But Mindy ensured me that it would be taken care of while I showered. I was done and ready by 7:53am. Perfect! We spent the next ten minutes measuring & recording Jacob & Bella’s height and weight just as we have the past two school years. Jacob measured 58” and 76.5 lbs. Last year he was 55” and 68lbs. Bella measured 44.5” and 43.5lbs. They’ve both grown three inches in the last year, and about six over the past two years. Mindy entered the data in their ‘special books’. Time for pictures and the bus stop. We took pictures just outside the front door. The kids aren’t much for posing, however, especially Jacob. I did my best. Makayla hollered for Bella once she saw her in our drive. Both Kenny & Chrissy were waiting with her. They had their camera out too. I took a number of shots at the bus stop marking this momentous occasion. Soon they were off. Kenny mentioned being off work, and also asked if I was off and golfing. No. had to work. But I did request Thursday off as my on-call comp day. I was only home long enough to gather my gear before heading out to the BM’er. I wished Mindy well with her first day of school and then headed off to work. It was a lovely drive in. I arrived around 8:35am. Work was moderately busy for most of the morning, or the first half of my day. I planned to make a drive to Best Buy and perhaps even Golf Galaxy at lunch time. I wanted to take another look at the HP & Dell laptops and desktops. I headed there at 1pm. It’s not even a mile away. I spent a lot of time checking out the few models they have on display paying close attention to the additional bells and whistles. I left BB convinced that I’d need to custom order, which is fine by me. But I am still truly torn over whether to go with a laptop or desktop. I am actually leaning towards buying a loaded desktop and supplementing it with a lesser laptop. There are a few good reasons to do so. One, laptops are historical less reliable, perhaps a product of their mobility. They’re also prone to over heating, and most non-business laptops don’t provide true docking capabilities anymore. More and more, I like the idea and security of a fixed desktop along with a lesser laptop for my on the go needs. Plus, most of my use is at home – probably 95%. I am typically not one of those café surfers. After checking out PCs, I looked at wireless all-in-one printers and 1TB external HDs. I still had some time after leaving BB. I stopped in Golf Galaxy to see if they might have some new used left-handed wedges, more specifically, a 60 degree. They didn’t. I headed back to the office. The afternoon moved along fine. My boss stopped by around 5pm to let me know that taking Thursday off work was a go. Wahoo! That made my afternoon. I talked with Mindy shortly after to discuss soccer practice. We’d be meeting there at 6pm just like last spring. Since it’s so close, I stayed at work until 5:45pm. I arrived at the Hilliard soccer fields at 5:55pm. It was sunny and 82 degrees. Mindy and the kids were already there and on the field. I walked out to greet them. Bella ran up to meet me. Said her first day of school went well. The first thing I noticed was how strong, green, and lush the turf was. There’s no way mother nature was doing this. After a cursory glance around the huge facility, I spotted what looked like huge portable watering pumps. My suspicion was later confirmed. They water the soccer fields. Not a big deal except that there are about 25 soccer fields making up the complex. Mindy went to fetch a blanket from the Honda since she forgot the camp chairs. She didn’t bring snacks either. Shoot! I was starving, having eaten only veggies and fruit earlier in the afternoon. I laid down on the blanket and napped quite nicely while the boys practiced their soccer drills. They were down at the far end of the field doing boring drills. Not a whole lot to watch.

One of the coaches assistants brought her pet terrior. It reminded me of Cricket (see below).

Practice went on for 90 minutes. The coach admitted being a first timer, and actually started to end it at 7pm. He caught his mistake and took the kids back out on the field for more action. Crap! We were all ready to go. I stood and chatted with Matt, the father of a kid that plays soccer but also goes to Grandma Sharon’s, until soccer practice was finally over. Jacob said he didn’t enjoy practice and seemed in a sour mood. Meanwhile, Bella was happy and asked if she could ride home in the BM’er with me. Up to Mindy. Mindy said up to me. Then, yes. Bella and I zoomed off, but not before Mindy and I agreed that she’d stop for a Minielli’s pizza along her way home. I also spotted four or five more of those giant watering machines placed around the complex. Still not sure what they use for a source though. We beat Mindy home by a substantial amount of time. During the quiet, I prepped tomorrow’s coffee and rinsed and loaded my lunch containers into the dishwasher. I even had time to change into my PJs and tend to my poison ivy. Still no Mindy. I was hungry so I broke out the chunk cheese and Sun Chips. Finally about 20 minutes later Mindy & Jacob got home with the pizza. She explained that they forgot to make her pie after her call. They treated both to drinks and took $3 off the order. Cool! We all ate some pizza even though the kids ate dinner before leaving home for practice. We ate the entire thing, too. That’s rare, but it was only a large. Generally, we get an extra-large. After pizza Mindy ordered the kids upstairs for showers. I heard Jacob sobbing after his shower but didn’t have a clue why. At first, I assumed it because Mindy made him turn in early. It was only 8:35pm. She later shared that Jacob was bothered by the fact that he’s the only third grader on his soccer team. Most of the other nine year olds were in the 4th grade. And to make matters worse, this team is comprised of kids up to age 12. I guess the stigmatism of being a third grader left him feeling inferior. In fact, he admitted feeling the same way on last year’s baseball team, which might explain why he faked the leg injury. He said he avoided the inevitable question regarding what grade he was in at all costs. I knew that must’ve been really hard on him. He pretty much cried himself to sleep. I tucked Bella in after spending ten minutes working on an “I Spy” book. The very book I mistakenly referred to as a “Seek & Find” book.

Meet the Teacher

I worried just a little that I might wake feeling less than stellar after drinking a handful of beers on a school night. The worry was all for not. I woke right at 5:30am and felt terrific. I failed to mention that I purposely ran the irrigation system Sunday evening after putting down fertilizer with insect control. The directions said to put it down on dry turf but then water it in good. So, because I ran it the night before, I canceled this morning’s watering in the two zones prone to over watering – zones 2 & 5. I soon had my exercises underway. I did curls too. Ykraps and I were off on our walk by 5:50am. I wore my fleece jacket to combat the slight chill hanging in the air. It was 60 degrees. That felt quite cool after a long streak of mornings in the low 70s. During our walk the sky was crystal clear. Lots of stars visible. I was disciplined with my PC time, pulling away around 6:15am. I needed to get back into school day mode. I finished my meditation and stretching before 6:30am. I dressed for a run then went to wake Mindy. She had to be at school like a normal school day only without students. And, since the kids were with Jimaken, the morning wasn’t much different for me. I left for my run at 6:35am. I was surprised to find the skies completely clouded over after such a clear start earlier. The forecast called for sun, so I didn’t concern myself with it. The run went well and really fast too. Mindy was in the kitchen organizing her stuff. She prepped my lunch the evening before so that saved me quite a bit of time. I wasn’t sure if she’d be making my breakfast. She wasn’t. Without batting an eye, I started the process and even offered to make her an egg. She gleefully accepted, but at the same time seemed a little stressed. But I can only imagine. I mean, hey, after three months of semi-leisure then suddenly being thrust back into rising early, work, and getting the kids going. That’s enough to put gray hair on anyone’s head. She ate her breakfast then departed. By 7:35am I had the house to myself. I took my time getting a shower and preparing for departure. I left the house at 8:15am. I drove the Trooper even though I could have easily driven the BM’er. The work day moved along quickly to start, but slowed as the day wore on. I had no specific agenda planned for lunch so I stuck around the office catching up on this and that. I expected to hear from Mindy but didn’t. I imagined her extremely busy in meetings and what not. A big day nonetheless. I left work right at 5:30pm. Mindy would be at school doing parent teacher meetings until 8pm. The kids, in turn, were headed to Hilliard’s version of meet the teacher with their daddy. I’d have the house all to myself until 7:30pm. Wahoo! I arrived home around 5:55pm. I let Ykraps out of his pen and then placed his water bowl down on the floor before tending to some routine chores, like making tomorrow’s coffee and loading my lunch containers in the dishwasher. I started the dishwasher before walking Ykraps. It was already 6:15pm. It was a gorgeous evening. I very much enjoyed my alone time. I played guitar and tinkered most of the early evening away. Jimaken brought the kids home from meet the teacher around 7:30pm. I let them play until 8pm or so, about the time that Mindy got home from her own version of the same. All I had for dinner was cheese and summer sausage. Mindy soon got the kids ready for bed, this being their first official school night. They were both excited, but Bella more so than Jacob. Bella was so excited that she couldn’t sleep. She woke a number of times between then and 10pm. I watched the MNF game on ESPN. I headed for bed around halftime.

Sam's & Steak

I was up at 7:15am only this time without a headache. Wahoo! I headed downstairs, started some coffee and began my exercise regimen. But on sit-up number seven I remembered that I intended to skip a day and immediately stopped. Of course, I would still do my run. Ykraps and I were back from our walk around 7:40am. The sky was mostly cloudy despite a star-filled sky the night before. The last forecast I saw called for a better day than Saturday. I re-checked immediately after our walk. Still calling for sunny skies and temps near 72. After checking in with work and getting a few issues in order, I played around on the PC for about half an hour. Just before 9am I readied and left for a run, but not before squeezing in some very beneficial stretching. I ran four miles staying within the subdivision after having run along Trabue the morning before. I expected to find Mindy up and in the shower come my return, but she wasn’t. At this point it’s just a guess but I believe she got up somewhere just after 10am. She needed to be at Katie and Julie’s wedding shower by noon. She figured to be gone until 3pm or so. Besides work, I wasn’t sure what I’d do with all my free time. After Mindy left for the wedding shower I headed upstairs for a shower of my own. I decided to make a stop at Sam’s Club to pick-up some steaks and then stop at the bank for cash. I drove the BM’er. The weather was exceptional. Like before, I browsed several aisles at Sam’s. I ended up buying a three-pack of giant Rib Eyes and a five-pack of giant NY Strip steaks. I also bought a pound of bakery fresh crescent rolls. All totaled, $62usd. I headed directly home to put the steaks in the fridge. I made myself a snack of cheese chunks and summer sausage. After my snack I whipped up another batch of guacamole, only this time adding a pinch of fresh Habanera. I cut back on the lime juice this time. Somewhere along the line I downloaded the Ting Ting song, That’s Not My Name. It’s another one of those songs that I can’t get out of my head. Neighbor Chrissy turned me on to it. Kenny called around 1:30pm to see if I could getaway for golf, even after Mindy gave me the stink eye the night before when leaving their house. Unfortunately, between work and Mindy, I had to decline. Instead, I tried reaching Ashley to see if she and Olivia wanted to come for dinner. I already knew that Courtney was coming over. I had a couple work related matters but nothing close to Saturday. I even snuck in a lazy afternoon nap, some guitar, and then started reading my Jim Tressel book, The Winners Manual. I did the reading from out on the deck. It was quite comfortable out there. Mindy got home some time after 3pm and joined me out on the deck. She shared some wedding shower stories, most notably how one family member didn’t bring a gift. She claimed that the reason it is called a shower is to ‘shower’ the bride in gifts. Prior to Mindy, the kids arrived home from Jimaken’s. This was his birthday. He dropped them off but planned to pick them up again around 8pm since he had Monday off work. In kind, he planned to take both kids to meet-the-teacher night at Beacon Elementary Monday evening. Mindy couldn’t go because she had to conduct similar meetings at her school. I decided not to go in part to allow Jim to feel more comfortable. Mindy & Chrissy eventually decided later afternoon that we’d be cooking our steaks and having dinner together. I asked Mindy to let them know that Courtney was joining us. They were having Scot and Jamie over again, too. Before the grillin’ started, Kenny & I played football with the boys, once again serving as their quarterbacks. At some point during play, Kenny discovered that his wedding ring was missing. He was certain that it fell off while playing football. I immediately asked Jacob to fetch his metal detector. Mindy kindly replaced the batteries then sent it out. We searched high and low, taking turns operating the detector. We tried hard to find it, but to no avail. We eventually gave up. While we toiled outside, Mindy started whipping up sides for dinner, scalloped potatoes and green beans. Courtney arrived around 6pm. The steaks were ready around 7:15pm. We all gathered at Kenny & Chrissy’s for dinner. Courtney left around 7:45pm. Then Mindy scooped up Jacob & Bella and headed down to our house to meet Jimaken. She was back in short order. We hung out with the neighbors until about 9:30pm. It was a work night so we didn’t want to stay out that late. I checked in with work before heading off to bed. Everything was under control.

Golf & Dinner at the Big Fat

I woke a few times through the night with a very mild headache but did nothing to cure it. I should’ve taken Ibuprofen before bed. The four Friday night pints were my first alcohol since last Saturday night. When I finally got up at 7:10am I took three Advil before heading downstairs. The headache was gone somewhere between my exercise routine and returning from my walk with Ykraps. I sipped coffee at the PC for quite a long time not worrying much at all about the time. Just before 9am I figured I’d better log into work. Much to my dismay, there was plenty for me to get involved with. However, I decided to go do my run before becoming firmly entrenched. I ran four miles along Trabue and down Hague. It was a beautiful morning for a run. I was back at home after 9:30am and got settled in front of my laptop. I stayed busy with work for the next several hours stopping only to interact with Mindy before she left for her yoga class. She left around 11:00am having an errand to run before hand. She took her grocery list too, but was non-committal to whether or not she’d stop to shop before coming home. After getting work semi-under control, I headed out to cut the lawn. I lowered the blade another half inch since it was nice and dry. When it gets too long I have no choice but to cut it long. I’ve been able to reduce the cutting height by a half-inch the last two times. I stopped a time or two during the process to check in with work, but kept those delays to a minimum. I finished up around 2pm. I spent the remainder of the middle afternoon working. Mindy arrived home with groceries around 3pm. I helped her carry in the haul. I took a shower and then called Tom Clark to see if he wanted to try and play nine holes around 4:30pm. He was scheduled to work until 4pm but wanted to play afterwards. We made plans to meet at Thornapple. To that end, I was able to get work under control enough to where I could getaway. I arrived at Thornapple before Tom. And wouldn’t you know it, the sky clouded over and it began to sprinkle. Because their rates drop at 4pm, there was still quite a gathering at the number 1 tee box. By the time Tom arrived the four groups in front of us were already out on the course. We both walked, although Tom got a pull cart. Sissy! I went long and left. Tom went right off the tee. I was anxious to hit my new #4 Rescue from about 200 yards. I hit it OK, but slightly left and short. Two chips and two putts for a six. Hole #2 is a long par 4 with a creek about 70 yards in front of the green. I hit a decent drive, about 250 yds. We had a very slow foursome out in front of us. It looked to be two guys and their wives. The golf ranger drove up and said he was gonna tell them to sit and wait for us to play through. The group behind us played hole #1 three times while waiting. The ranger ended up being Doug Ruby, and old Westmoor Place peep from way back. Looked pretty much the same only 50-ish. Said brother David is well as is mom & dad. We talked for a while before we could consider hitting our second shots. I hit a lovely 3-wood just right of the green. I was most pleased, but did have to put one leg in trap to make my chip. I ended up two putting. Thanks to Doug, we played through the slow group on #3. As luck would have it, neither Tom or I hit decent shots. Good grief! He took a ten. I took a six. For the duration, I began to struggle a little but never completely lost it. And after that ten, Tom started shooting much better, too. I ended up shooting a 50. Tom shot a 51. He claimed me worried/nervous that he was gonna beat me on the front. OK, maybe a little. J We were making excellent time and moved onto hole #10 – the back nine. After all, the after 4pm rates are ‘play as many as you can’. I played really well on the back, but we could only get in 6 of the 9 holes before 8pm. I was 3 over (3 pars – 3 bogeys). I missed two makeable birdie putts (within 10’). I had to deal with two work matters during the back nine, too. I called Mindy who had just got home from visiting Laura at her sisters in Galloway. Mindy really wanted to see her new baby before she headed back to Jersey. Earlier in the day we had talked about grilling out, but ultimately settled on dinner out at the Big Fat. I was looking forward to it. Once at home, I took a quick shower while Mindy ran over to the neighbors to chat. And after my shower, I had to spend a good 45 minutes involved with work. It was now 9pm. We were getting a late start on dinner. In fact, we weren’t certain that the Big Fat Greek would be opened when we pulled up, but thankfully it was. As always, Maria was a gracious host. And Alexandra, who was our waitress, was as attentive as ever. I ordered the sea scallops and Mindy ordered their salmon, two of our favorites. I had two Jack & Cokes through the experience. The scallops were absolutely incredible. Do try them! It was after 10pm when we headed home. Mindy wanted to pay a short visit to Kenny & Chrissy. I poured a Jack & Coke and we walked down. Scott, an employee of Kenny’s, was there with his girlfriend, Jamie. She’s really cute – young. We had fun joking, talking for about an hour. I went home to make a second drink and to check-in with work. I was pleased to see the issue I had been dealing with all evening was finally resolved. Mindy and I were home before midnight and soon off to bed.

Think of Laura

Hooray! Friday already again. The work week moved pretty fast. I was up and at my routine by 5:50am. Late again. It was 71 degrees with an expected high of 80 under partly cloudy skies, not at all what one would expect for late August in Ohio. I disabled the irrigation system on Wednesday evening after all the rain, and didn’t plan to turn it back on until after the weekend. The lawn is still soggy in many places. I headed out for a run at 6:55am after doing my normal routine of exercise, walking Ykraps, meditation, and stretching. Judging by the forecast, the days of running shirtless might be coming to an end fast. Expecting lows in the mid 50’s over the weekend. This day, however, I was able to run shirtless again. After my run I prepared some lunch and eggs. Nothing different than any other day, really. In route to a shower, I took Mindy coffee. Mindy was not heading in to school today. Instead, she was planning for one last shot of summer with the kids. However, at the time she wasn’t sure what they’d be doing. I was ready for work by 8:05am. Mindy joined me downstairs for coffee prior to my departure. I suggested that she and the kids go to the zoo. She seemed a little distant, I recall. I wasn’t sure why. I left for work around 8:20am. I drove the Trooper. Work was mellow for a Friday. Good thing too. From a leadership stand point, we were operating lean. My boss’s grandmother passed away so he was out. In fact, I arranged to have flowers delivered on behalf of the team. I also gave Myron the go ahead to build the Viking cornhole boards for me. I didn’t leave the building for lunch, and didn’t eat my packed veggies or fruit either, though I did eat a container of nuts and a few chunks of cheese. The afternoon moved kind of slow. I would be on-call over the weekend so I spent a fair amount of time preparing myself – making sure I was aware of any potential time bombs. That’s always a good idea. I left for home at 5:15pm. I talked with an old friend, Sean Meehan, during my drive home. He invited Mindy & I to a Labor Day cookout at Randy Large’s place. I couldn’t commit for not knowing our plans, but promised to try and make it. Mindy and the kids went to the zoo, just the three of them. She reported having a nice time. But this being a kidless weekend, they were gone by the time that I got home. Mindy had plans to join her bff, Laura, who now lives in Jersey for dinner at Bob Evans. Laura was home for the weekend. She was expected to arrive at our place around 5:30pm. She arrived while Mindy & I were walking Ykraps. After a brief conversation the two of them left for Bob Evans. I was grateful for the alone time. I used it to nap and surf. Unlike most other days, I took a nap in our bed, and it felt great. I probably got up before I was fully rested, but still got about 20 minutes. Mindy got home around 7pm. I was playing on the PC and listening to music at the time. Laura didn’t bother coming in. She hopped in her car and buzzed off. Mindy was in good spirits after their visit. She was also looking forward to an evening at Barley’s. We left for there a short time later. Barley’s was fun. Lots of peeps and lots of good beer. I stuck with Centennial all night long. I think I had four over about 3+ hours. Bob & Mary Ann were there for the first time in a while. Neighbors David & Becky, too. Mindy reminded me to eat something somewhere along the way. She was right. I hadn’t eaten much of anything all day long. However, I did snack on some Cheezits while she was at dinner. After my third beer I ordered a Cuban. It was delicious. That might be my favorite sandwich in the entire world. We left Barley’s some time after 11pm. I was surprised it was that late. Mindy drove. I checked the results/details surrounding the Viking/ K.C. preseason game while Mindy hurried off to bed. They won, although it sounds like Brett Favre had a luck-luster debut. Mindy was already asleep when I joined her about 15 minutes later.

Self-Help for Late Sleepers

As early as I was up the day before, I was up that late and then some on Thursday. I wasn’t downstairs until 5:50am. By then the coffee was brewed and ready for my enjoyment. Before any of that, however, I needed to exercise and then walk Ykraps. Even under the shroud of darkness, I could see that lushness was restored to our lawn complements of yesterday’s heavy summer rains. Just in the nick of time. The street was wet, too, so I knew that it rained overnight. And there was still more rain forecasted during the day. Even more about the weather… Looking ahead, to the end of August, we may not touch 80 again. If not, that would be right on par with most of the ’09 summer. That’s OK by me. I’m ready for some 75-80 degree days with brilliant September sunshine. But the way this year’s gone, it just might snow in September! I did my usual after walk/pre-run routine. And by the time I headed out to run it was already 7:00am. I didn’t let it sway me much at all. And once again, like a broken record, it was 73 degrees. My run went really well. Even though my run was delayed a good 20 minutes, I still encountered the older couple I see out walking every morning come rain, snow, cold, or heat. We greeted one another as usual. I was home by 7:35am and moved quickly towards preparing my breakfast and lunch. I wasn’t off to the shower until 8:00am. I took Mindy her morning coffee and then got in the shower. I was ready for work by 8:20am. Downstairs Mindy joined me. Among other things, we discussed just how good of a job Rachel did cleaning our house on Wednesday. She cleaned things we rarely do, like scrubbing and polishing the kitchen cabinets, moving all the plants and furniture to vacuum, and dusting. In addition, the tile floors were sparkling clean, and the granite hasn’t looked so good since it was new. I’m impressed. I left for work at 8:35am. Mindy said she was taking the kids to grandma Sharon’s and heading into the school. I arrived at work around 8:50am. Received a message from my boss that he’d be out for the next couple of days due to the imminent death of a relative. The work day plodded along as usual. I made plans to leave for lunch – around 1pm. I went to Lowe’s simply to browse. I looked at new water heaters, aluminum extension ladders, and artificial decking. I’ll bet I was there for 35 minutes. I headed back to the office after being gone 45 minutes. I was ready. The afternoon stayed busy but under control. I left for home at 5:35pm. I talked with Mindy. We’d be having leftovers. I planned to have the rest of my steak from Monday. Mindy hadn’t walked Ykraps. Looked fresh out of the shower when I got home. The kids were in especially good moods. Not sure why. Mindy joined me walking Ykraps said they were at each other all afternoon. I joked with Mindy that the grass needed cut already. I just cut it Tuesday evening. Seriously though, it would definitely need cut by Saturday. We all had something different for dinner. While Mindy readied everything, I published the many blog entries I had written. As I said earlier, I had steak. Mindy & Bella had leftover spaghetti, and Jacob had cereal. Mindy asked the kids what they looked forward to the most about next week’s return to school. Bella said ‘riding the bus’ – her first such adventure. Jacob said ‘nothing’. But if you ask me, I think he’s looking forward to the girls. After clean-up, the kids were eager to play a board game. They wanted to play Chicken or the Egg. Meanwhile, I wanted/needed a nap. Mindy expressed a little displeasure with my resolve to nap. I grabbed a sofa pillow, tossed it on the family room floor and laid flat on my back. I conversed with them as they began playing the game. I even chimed in with an answer or two. They wouldn’t let me play remotely, however. Shortly after that I must’ve drifted off to sleep. I woke about 20 minutes later. I slowly reenergized and went mobile. I tuned the TV to NFL preseason football. There were two games on – The Bengals vs New England, and Philly vs Indy. I flopped back and forth between the two. The kids were apparently outside. Mindy eventually said she was going to go visit Chrissy. I think I got into some chiggers on the golf course Sunday as I’ve got some very itchy bites in the tell-tale places, plus some general itchiness along my belt line and behind my knees and armpits. I went upstairs to apply some rubbing alcohol and Benadryl. While upstairs, I changed into my comfy clothes. When I returned down stairs Mindy & Kenny were coming in. Mindy was fetching our pack-n-play for Chrissy to borrow, and Kenny was inquiring about any weekend golf plans. I explained that I’d like to golf but that I’d be on-call. About the best I could offer was possibly some after 4pm golf close by, but even that would be tentative, dependent on how work goes. They left, and I chilled on the sofa watching football. Mindy and the kids came back in around 9pm, and like most nights this week, Mindy rushed them up for showers. I went to tuck them in just as Mindy was heading back down. It was a quick one, no seek & finds. Back downstairs I watched more football switching back and forth between the two games. I was most impressed with the Bengal attacking/blitzing defensive scheme. Haven’t seen that from them before. I dosed off a time or two even before either game ended then eventually headed off to bed around 1030pm. Mindy headed up at the same time. I was still half asleep heading up.

Big Rain at Split Rock

I slept rather soundly and didn’t wake until 530 something. I knew it was after 530am after hearing the sprinkler system running. It was 542am by the time I was downstairs and preparing for morning exercise. I glanced out the back door into the dark sky and could see that it was cloud over. I went ahead and completed my sit-ups and push-ups then headed out with Ykraps. Zone #1 was still running so I diverted to the east. I noticed right away that neighbor Carl placed his trash can on our side of the road for an earlier pick-up. Figured he must have a double load this week. Inside, while sipping coffee, I checked the forecast. It was 73 degrees again, a very familiar temperature this week. The forecast called for rain but the radar looked pretty benign. I didn’t have to worry about dodging rain, or worse yet, lightning. I also spent a little time reading a handful of stories about the Brett Favre signing. Definitely causing quite a stir in Viking country. And given how poorly our other two potential starting quarterbacks have fared during training camp, I was excited. I didn’t have a lot of time, so I moved directly onto stretching. I skipped my usual morning meditation. Good or bad, skipping meditation afforded me the opportunity to head out on my run sooner than I would’ve otherwise. I was out the door by 632am, and actually running a few minutes later. It wasn’t hot but it was awfully humid. I was a sweaty mess after 35 minutes of running. Felt good though. I toweled off in the laundry room after my run. I didn’t waste a lot of time transitioning to food prep. Hopefully, once school starts next week, Mindy will once again start making breakfast and packing lunches. We’ll see. If so, that’ll be a huge time saver for me. I was finished in the kitchen and headed up for a shower at 7:40am. I had Mindy’s morning coffee in tow. I clarified her plans. She was heading into school again today and taking the kids along, too. Yikes! I was showered and dressed before 8:00am. Mindy joined me downstairs for coffee. I still had a lot to do before leaving, however. I had to load up my lunch and then load my golf clubs into the Trooper. I took a pair of shorts, too. The forecast was iffy but I wanted to be prepared just the same. Just before heading out, we talked about the young lady coming to clean our house today for the first time. Mindy planned on being home through most of it, but as I understood it, she’s already been over to review and make sure we’re both on the same page as far as what to expect. This whole idea of having some one clean our house has been in the planning stages since late last spring. We’ll see how it goes. I left the house at roughly 815am. I didn’t get out of the subdivision before the sky opened up with driving rain. I mean it poured, and it kept it up all the way into work. Thankfully, it slowed significantly before I exited the Trooper. I arrived at work by 830am. It was a rather quiet morning but I did have a team meeting scheduled as well as our weekly staff meeting to attend. But prior to both, there was an important conference call I needed to join as well. Needless to say, my morning moved swiftly. By the time all the calls and meetings were behind us it was 1pm. Several work related issues dominated the rest of my day. Meanwhile, the weather flip-flopped from sunshine to rain a few times throughout the day. One minute I was certain we’d be golfing but not the next. I did hear from Tom Clark that he was in, and later from Bob. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t be able to make it. If the weather held out, I was determined to go. Another rain storm moved in around 3:45pm, but just like earlier, it was gone 15 minutes later and the sun was again shining. I called Tom just to make sure he was still in. He was. I left the office at 4:28pm. As far as the eye could see the sky looked harmless, but as I got further south and deeper into Grove City another storm cloud formed moving out of the southwest. Come rt 665 it poured even harder than it did early that AM. But Split Rock is a good 7 or 8 miles south of rt 665, and I could see clearing to the immediate south. Sure enough, it was sunny south of rt 762, which is where Split Rock lies. I couldn’t help but notice a lot of heavy ponding in some of the nearby property but the roads were dry, and so were the skies. Tom was already waiting at the course and brought a cart to the rear of our vehicles, which were parked side by side. How cute! We laughed about how hard it rained during our drives down. And when I went inside to pay the young lady mentioned that they got three inches just a little earlier. Wow! From my perch, the course looked OK, though. However, the practice putting green was definitely soggy. We tee’d off the back nine with me hitting a drive straight down the middle. Tom was left, but still OK. I was eager to try my new Rescue hybrid and hit it gingerly but decent. It went a tad left but still OK and about 180 yds. Being a par 5, that left me about 90 yds in. I hit a PW, having to bend it around a large tree’s canopy. I left it just off the green. I chipped up and two putted. Drats! As we got out there, it became obvious how ridiculously wet the course was. Several sands traps were totally ruined by the heavy rains and some even held water up to 10 inches deep. Despite the water, we had a good time. I played like usual – near bogey golf. I missed every birdie opportunity and even a couple 3-4 ft par putts. And after about six holes I started the ugly slice thing again with my mid irons. And for whatever the reason, once it starts, I can’t correct it for quite awhile. It’s crazy! Tom ended up playing really good. At one point he was putting for his third par in a row. He shared that he took a $60 private lesson from the pro at Able’s golf center in Dublin, and that the guy fixed his swing. Certainly money well spent. However, as I expected, his old habits returned now and again. Tom doesn’t have much tolerance for his own short comings. On one particular hole, he hit at least eight drives off the tee trying to correct a glaring problem, all but one landed in the exact same vicinity, which wasn’t good. Good grief! I didn’t finish very strong at all. I started pushing all my drives, and then couldn’t hit a second shot to save myself. The one bright spot was my chipping. After finishing the nine holes we kept on going playing holes 1 through 5. Both of us frequently hit two balls on each hole trying to work through various issues. And while the temperature wasn’t all the hot the humidity was absolutely off the charts. I was dripping wet from head to toe, and the bugs were everywhere. All that rain made it almost unbearable. After hole #5 hole we bagged it and headed back to the clubhouse. It was 8:15pm. We headed for home. Tom followed me as I showed him the route I take. His GPS had him taking I-71S to the Orient exit. I called Mindy, who was at the Big Fat Greek waiting on a to-go order. She was fetching us some dinner ~ gyros. Just to my immediate west I could see another storm cell was forming. There was a severe storm warning broadcast on the radio too. But to the north, the direction I was headed, it looked OK. I arrived home by 8:45pm. Mindy indicated that she’d already walked Ykraps. She had my gyro and fries set aside. I took care of a few odds and ends before sitting down to eat. I also got out of my drenched black t-shirt. We tuned into the weather radar on the TV to see what we might be up against later. We could hear rumbles of thunder off in the distance. The lion’s share of the latest storm looked like it was going to miss us, although there was a lot more behind that one, and it appeared to be moving right at us. It got late in a hurry. Soon it was time for me to tuck in the kids. That was around 9:30pm. Afterwards, I did a little reading about Favre and the Vikings, and then did some writing for my blog. I excused myself for bed just after 10pm. Mindy said she’d join me shortly. OK.

Glenn 'Walker' Wright ... rumors confirmed

I was up well before 5:30am, but laid there for a few torn as to whether I should simply get up or try going back to sleep. I fell asleep the night before on the sofa watching football sometime near 9pm. I was completely rested. I got up going around 5:25am – the earliest I’ve pulled myself from bed in quite a while. I completed my exercises then headed out with Ykraps. It was 5:45am and well before day break. We walked eastward avoiding getting wet from the sprinklers. I was back home by 555am pouring my coffee. It felt good to be up on the clock for once. At the PC, I searched for any continuation of the Favre/Vikings rumors that were once again all over ESPN the night before. Admittedly, all the reports were speculation. I found nothing more. Moving along, I played on the PC until 6:10am and then moved to meditation and stretching. And for the first time in a long, long time, I was ready to leave for my run by 6:30am. It was daylight, but just barely. The sky was a mixed bag of clouds and smattered clearing. The temperature was warm, about 72 degrees. There was a significant chance of rain for the area throughout the day but nothing on the radar at the time. I ran shirtless and again had one of those fast moving runs where it ended seemingly moments after it began. Not sure where my head was. I was home in record time. It was only 6:13am as I approached the stove to begin preparing my breakfast. I went with fried eggs. I also prepped my lunch cutting up veggies – a garden fresh tomato, celery, carrots, and cucumbers. I took nuts, cheese, fruit, and a can of tuna, too. I made excellent time. I was done eating and off to the shower by 735am. As usual, I delivered Mindy’s morning coffee, and before getting in the shower I confirmed he plans. She was heading in to school and taking the kids to grandma Sharon’s. They were both excited to be heading there, especially Bella. I was ready for work by 7:55am but didn’t head out. I used the extra time to download weekend photos. I took more than I realized – 87 to be exact, and that’s not counting Friday’s that I already downloaded Saturday. I headed out the door at 8:10am. I drove the Trooper given the strong possibility of rain. I knew that I could use some gas but as I passed Thornton’s I decided to keep going. I still had just under a quarter tank. I was willing to gamble that the price would drop during the day given yesterday’s stock market tumble. Work was busy. And I know I almost always say that, but it’s true. Mid-morning, one of my engineers IM'd me to tell me that the Vikings signed Favre. Apparently ESPN made it official early morning that he had indeed signed with the Vikings. Before reacting, I confirmed the story. Yep - true! I made it a point to escape for lunch. I went to Best Buy to look at laptops as well as other state-of-the-art electronic gadgets. I wanted to look at laptops given that replacing my home PC is well overdue. I had been leaning towards another desktop but the freedom and convenience a laptop offers coupled with the ability to ‘dock’ at home seems to make far greater sense. But like anything purchase of that magnitude, I have to think about it for weeks, and perhaps even months before pulling the proverbial trigger. The last thing I want to do is spend money on a new PC only to have a feature I really want/need left off. For example, I am giving serious consideration to spending the extra bucks for a Blu-Ray burner. One can store up to 25 meg on a standard Blu-Ray disc. I also checked out some of the extras I want to get, like a new all-in-one wireless printer/scanner/copier as well as an external hard drive. They’re more expensive, but you can get the external hard drives with Ethernet connectivity so that all the PC’s on your home network can save to it. I like that feature. Oh the choices! While there, I looked at the new TVs again, too. Very cool. Prices have come down considerably. The new LED screens are only about ½” thick. Back to work. I was gone just over an hour. It was 2pm. Once back, I ate my packed lunch: veggies, fruit, and tuna. I was hungry. I left for home at 5:30pm. I called Mindy just before I got on the freeway. She said my dad was there and would be staying for dinner. We were having spaghetti and meatballs. As good as that sounded, I really needed to get the lawn cut. It’s long and thick and it’s expected to rain for the next couple of days. Dad was resting comfortably in a kitchen chair. There beside him was a walker, one very similar to the model mom brought home from the hospital only a few short weeks ago. That’s both parents hobbled and getting around with the aid of a walker. Quite sobering. I teased dad about not walking Ykraps for me. I headed out with Ykraps while Mindy finished making dinner. Everyone had already started eating before I returned. I was surprised they didn’t wait, although Mindy had my plate ready at the table. I topped my spaghetti with shredded cheese and sour cream. Mindy made cucumber salad to complement the man course. We were done eating our dinner just after 6:30pm. I let Mindy & Dad know that I wanted to get started on the lawn. Mindy agreed to do dinner clean-up to afford me more time for the lawn. I headed out through the garage to start cutting. I decided to skip whacking and edging thinking I’d be cutting it again this weekend anyhow when I have more time. I simply cut. I cut the entire front using the push mower and then the usual third out back. I cut the rest with the Deere. Dad came out to say goodbye just as I was finishing up with the push mower out back. I’m guessing it was around 715-730pm. After I finished the mowing I watered some of the dry spots in the lawn and all the rear flower pots and hanging baskets. I eventually moved out front to get the dry spots out there along with the large front porch flower pot. It was 8:30pm when I finished the chores. I was grimy and needed a shower. After my shower I woofed down a piece of cheesecake that I set out to thaw earlier before heading out to cut the lawn. It was good! Mindy had the kids shower and then turned the tuck-in process over to me. I tucked Bella in first and got roped into another one of those seek & finds. That took 15 minutes. She just loves them. By the time I made it in to tuck in Jacob he was already sound asleep. I spent a little time on the PC before becoming completely overwhelmed with sleepiness. I headed to bed just after 10pm. Mindy was right on my heels.

Rescue Me

I let the irrigation system serve as my alarm clock ... sort of. I was awake prior, but continued rolling in and out of sleep even after it kicked on. I finally got up at 5:35am and had my exercise regimen underway by 5:40am. I checked the temperature after sit-ups. It was a balmy 73 degrees. We were expecting another sultry summer day. I did 55 push-ups and then headed out with Ykraps. It felt like summer outside. Nice! I was back pouring coffee by 6:05am. I settled down in front of the PC for the next 15 minutes. I reviewed a handful of photos from Glenn’s Crater Lake camp trip sent to me via a Picasa web album invite. Looks like an incredible trip. At 6:20am I pulled myself away and moved onto meditation and stretching. Before heading out for my run, I did a full set of curls (40). Also, I was still really thirsty after eating lots of salty snacks Sunday afternoon at niece Julie’s b-day party. I think I drank two full glasses of water prior to my run. I headed out just after 6:45am. It was quite balmy. The sun was just coming up in the eastern sky, and it was a site to behold. It was dark orange and seemingly very, very large. I ran shirtless but still worked up quite a sweat. It felt really good. I enjoyed every step along the way to completing my four miles. I wasn’t back at home until 7:27am.I moved swiftly through food prep: making breakfast and packing a lunch. I made a cheese omelet for breakfast. For lunch, it was the usual: veggies, fruit, and nuts, and cheese. I finished eating then poured a cup of coffee for Mindy and headed up for a shower. After a quick hug I got my shower underway. I dressed casually in blue jeans and a comfy black t-shirt (my uniform). Mindy must’ve been tired. She elected to stay in bed as I did my final prep before leaving the house. I was out the door by 8:15am. I tinkered with driving the BM’er but opted not last second. There was a small chance of rain but that wasn’t really the deciding factor. I simply didn’t want to move the Honda. I arrived at work around 8:30am and after getting logged on I went to visit my team. Initially, any ways, it was too bad. But things did start to heat up as the morning wore on. I forced myself to take a lunch and headed out around 12:45pm. I planned a trip to Golf Galaxy to look at 60 degree wedges and perhaps a few different hybrids. I looked at Hybrids first. I was surprised at their weight. Heavier than I expected. The price tag is right up there with drivers and fairway woods. Ouch! I moved on. I toyed with the idea of buying myself a Cleveland 60 degree wedge but didn’t. I’ll probably buy one soon, though. From there I browsed their very limited supply of new left-handed irons, and eventually made my way to the used club bins. There I happened up on an older Taylormade Rescue #4 hybrid. They were asking only $24 for it. Hmm? I figured it worth that to try it out. I asked if they could install a new grip while I waited. Yes. It was ready in less than three minutes. Cool! I headed back to the office happy with my new toy. I was back well before 2pm. I was hungry, too. I fetched my veggies & fruit from the fridge and ate them at my desk. The afternoon kept me hopping, but it never got too ridiculous. For that I was grateful. I talked with Mindy. She was at the pool with the kids. Said we’d be having Tilapia for dinner. I nixed it, at least for me. Instead, I asked for steak. She willingly agreed. I left work right at 5:30pm and must’ve arrived home around 550pm. My first order of business was to walk Ykraps. That made him happy. He had to go! Meanwhile, Mindy was back and forth/ in & out working the grill and prepping sides. She confirmed that a steak was put on the grill for me but tilapia for her and Jacob. She whipped up a cheesy rice concoction as a side. It was very toasty outdoors, another day in the upper 80s with lots of sunshine and a warm breeze. We gathered for dinner only minutes after my return from the walk. My steak was delicious. Mindy’s getting far better at preparing them. The key for good steaks is high heat and turning only once. The idea being to preserve the pink center and sear in the juices. I ate only half. It was a big steak. Jacob ate two pieces of tilapia. He likes seafood, which I find unusual for a nine year old. After dinner, he and neighbor Jake were persistent about me joining them to play some football despite my repeated hesitation. I went out to check the tomato plats and was surprised to find several of them ripe. I picked about six but there were plenty more. I was surprised because there weren’t any ripe on Saturday. I guess the two hot sunny days since did the trick. I eventually agreed to play football (quarterback) with the boys. In kind, Kenny agreed to play as well. I played quarterback for Jake, and Kenny for Jacob. The two boys got into a couple arguments that got a little physical. This happens almost every time they play, mostly due to Jacob taunting Jake. I typically let them go at it as long as they’re not being too rough. I worked up a good lather simply playing quarterback. Plus, I was getting bit by mosquitoes. We stopped play around 8:10pm and I headed inside. The two boys were mad at one another. I tuned the TV to the Monday Night preseason football game on ESPN – Giants vs Carolina. While chilling on the sofa I caught a quick blurb scrolling across the bottom of the screen indicating that many Viking players were saying Brett Favre was coming to the Vikings after all. I wasn’t sure I read it right, so I went immediately to my PC to investigate the story. Turned out, it was just an unsupported rumor being spread by a few speculating Viking players. The ESPN casters later gave it less than a 50% chance of coming to fruition, but obviously didn’t rule it out given all the twists and turns the story has taken since late February. Hmmm? Mindy and the kids came in around 9pm. I shared the latest Favre news with Mindy, who was heading upstairs with the kids to get ready for bed. I ended up falling asleep on the sofa before the kids were done with their showers and subsequently missed my call to tuck them in. I woke around 10pm to head for bed. Mindy was playing on her laptop and requested I leave the game whirling on the TV. Like me, she likes it on as a visual diversion.