Where's Dick Clark?

I was up for good at 7:30am but not before waking an hour earlier to choke down three Advil. I felt better by 7:30am. I did my exercise routine, made coffee, and walked Ykraps. It was sunny and mild – about 62 degrees. Afterwards I logged onto my work laptop. I sipped coffee while reviewing several work related matters. Around 9:00am I went to check on Olivia. She was lying quietly with her eyes open in our guest bed. She smiled ear to ear when I walked in. I carried her into our bedroom where she laid with Mindy and Bella watching TV for a short while. I went back downstairs and did some work. Looked like a busy day work-wise. I headed out for a run around 9:30am. There must’ve been three or four dozen garage sales going on. Most of the homes in the back of the subdivision had no customers. I quipped that the crowds were coming, but for now they were all gathered at the homes closer to the entrance. Most were selling what I would categorize as junk. I also believe I spotted Gold-Grill, the neighbor hood con. Looks like he’s staying at Trixie’s house. Trixie is the dog that befriended Jacob and Bella almost two years ago. The owner was furious with me for letting it wander off from our yard. After returning home and checking on work I took Olivia outside to swing just as I had promised her I would. She loves swinging. We must’ve hung out outside for nearly an hour. During that time we swung and fed the ducks. Mindy begged off for her yoga class around 11am. She expected to be gone until 1:30pm, or possibly even later. Jacob and Bella ran off to play with Jake and Makayla leaving Olivia and I at home by ourselves. I recommended that the kids come home for lunch around noon. They never did. I divided my attention between work and Olivia all afternoon long. Mindy stopped at Gentiles and Giant Eagle in Grandview after yoga class. She found me some Spanish Peaks, Black Dog Honey Raspberry Ale – one of my all time favorite bottled beers. Cool! She was back home around 2pm best guess. Once she was settled and I had work under control, I headed outside to cut the lawn for the third time in eight days. It was thick, lush, and long. I lowered the blade another half inch this time even while knowing it would be tough sledding. It’s just growing so fast. It took me while to get the lawn whipped into shape. I whacked, edged, cut and blew. And for the first time this year, I sprayed the lawn weeds with Weed-B-Gone. I went through 2.5 gallons. It was 5pm when I returned to the house completed. Back to work. We were having a rough go of it. I was admittedly a little frustrated. Finally, I broke away for a much needed shower. I felt good afterwards. Work pretty much consumed my entire evening. Mindy ended up grilling the chicken, filling the role that I had agreed to earlier. I stayed busy through dinner and beyond, although I did take the time to eat with the family. The barbequed chicken was delicious. Earlier, Mindy walked Ykraps after seeing how busy I was. Hey, every little bit helps. She and the kids headed out to play while I continued interacting remotely with my team. I could see out the door that they were all playing kickball. Around 8:30pm I headed out to play some with them. Olivia even got in on the action. Too cute! At one point, I carried her around the bases. At the same time that we played kickball, Kenny & Chrissy’s karaoke party got going. It was supposed to be adults-only so we didn’t intrude since this was our kid weekend. We could’ve gotten a sitter but I asked that we not. Mindy, however, stopped over more than once with Olivia In tow to say hello to the gathering. They were all out back playing cornhole. Meanwhile, a couple early teen boys, Nick and Anthony, stopped by and joined our kickball game about the same time that everyone else quit. It was those two against Jacob and I. We had fun. We like Nick & Anthony. They’re good kids. Besides, it’s wise to stay on the good side of the teenage boys in the hood. We called it quits just before dark. I worked up quite a sweat. It wasn’t terribly hot, but it was humid. In fact, it even sprinkled a smidge. It didn’t last long, however. Mindy leaked off to Chrissy & Kenny’s party with Olivia again. Earlier, I told her that she could go and that I would watch the kids. Back at home I changed out of my sweaty t-shirt and freshened up a bit. I spent about another hour or so working up until 10pm. I then made myself a drink and headed down to the neighbors, too. Mindy and several other woman were busy doing the karaoke thing. It was entertaining. Even though it was supposed to be a kidless party, Olivia was a hit with almost everyone. She’s just so joyful and sweet. She spent a lot of time with Julie, Chrissy’s bff. Mindy and the kids headed home sometime between 11pm & midnight. I stayed after getting an approving nod from Mindy. Good. I really needed to unwind. The karaoke party eventually morphed into a dance party in the kitchen. And nearly everyone got in on the action, even me. All the neighbors were over. It was a really good time. Most had quite a buzz going as the wee hours approached. I peeled off at 2am even though the party was seemingly still going strong. I’d had enough and really needed some sleep. After checking in with work I headed to bed. Good night!