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.