Fire Screen

Once again it was Friday, by far, my favorite day of the week. I was up and out of bed around 5:30am. I breezed through my exercise routine before turning my attention to Ykraps and his morning walk. It was another lovely morning with the temperature hovering in the mid 50s. I sipped coffee in front of the PC before making and delivering Mindy’s coffee. I woke her up around 6:10am then returned for a little more PC time. By 6:35am meditation and stretching were in the bag. It was time for a run. I was out the door a few minutes later than I really wanted to be. The run went well. There was another one of those fabulous sunrises that turned the entire eastern sky almost totally orange. Due to the early autumn chill, I wore a thin, long-sleeved wicking shirt. I couldn’t wait to peel it off after my run. I was soaked in sweat. Just as I’ve come to expect, Mindy had my breakfast ready & waiting. I had to move a little quicker – more deliberate through my after breakfast routine - since the bus pick-up time was changing that morning. I was downstairs showered and dressed by 7:50am. The kids were heading out the door just before 8:00am. I found myself scrambling to get everything I wanted/needed done, including cleaning up the kitchen just prior to heading out. I also retrieved our snow skis from Jacob’s bedroom closet so that I could take them in for their annual tuning on my way to an eye exam during my lunch. The bus came even before 8:03am, but we weren’t complaining, just struggling to adjust. I loaded the snow skis in the back of the Trooper then left for work. I arrived before 8:30am for the first time in a while (since school started). The work day was busy but under control. I left for my 1:15pm eye exam at 12:15pm. I left early enough to allow myself time to drop our skis at Aspen Ski & Boards for their annual tune-up. You’d be surprised how nicked up the edges and bottoms got after only one abbreviated season. Before October 4th, ASBCO is doing winter tune-ups for $10 – a service that is usually $25. What a deal! I dropped the skis around 1240pm. I quickly browsed the store while I was there. Offered me 20% off anything in the store. However, I bought nothing additional. They promised a September 9th ready date. Cool! I took Kenny Rd south to North Broadway then east to Olentangy River Rd. I arrived for my eye exam early – 1pm. They got me in early too. Dr Julie greeted me a few minutes later. We chatted about our personal lives a little before she started the exam. She said she overheard me telling the new optician, JP, that I haven’t been using my newest pair of glasses much. I clarified why - because they weren’t fitted properly to my head and looked crooked. She assured me that she’d have JP fix that in a snap. It took about 45 minutes for the exam. I shared that I didn’t bring my contacts because I wear them so sparingly and didn’t plan to get more, that is unless there has been some new, exciting breakthrough that would make them more comfortable. She shared that there wasn’t. I did ask about the possibility of Lasik surgery to correct my vision problems. She promised to give me literature before departing, but also warned that she wouldn’t be recommending any of the ‘bargain’ Lasik centers out there. In fact, she said to expect to pay about $2000 per eye. Julie increased my prescription but only minimally. And furthermore, she said that given that my near and distant vision are both degraded, they’d most likely recommend doing one eye for reading and the other for distance. She left me with a couple packets on Lasik from two prominent Columbus Lasik surgeons, and then handed me off to JP. JP quickly fixed my newer glasses with the light-weight transitional lenses. I must admit, they’re far more comfortable than my older pair – much lighter. I saw no need to get new lenses, especially while I am considering Lasik. He offered sunglasses as an option too, and shared that my insurance would cover almost the entire cost. I stewed over it but couldn’t pull the trigger. No rush – no pressure. I left there at 2:10pm and headed back to work. The afternoon was unusually calm. At 4:00pm I asked my boss if I could get out of the office early to start my long weekend. Absolutely! Cool – I left the office just after 4pm. I decided to stop at Home Depot on my way home and buy that new black fire screen I have been looking at for two years now. I’d grown tired of the old brass screen we have in place currently. It doesn’t match anything and therefore has become an eyesore. If I were living right, the medium-sized screen would fit perfectly under the lip of our firebox opening (31”). I was in and out of Home Depot in less than ten minutes. From there, I proceeded directly to Great Clips for a shearing. I was greeted and seated instantly. The young lady cutting my hair went on an on about the ‘step-mom’ syndrome. She asked how me and my step-children get along. The conversation eventually morphed into how poorly she gets along with her ex and her significant others ex. Judging from her words, but certainly without expressing it (she did have scissors in her hand), I gathered that she’s the problem. I was out of there before 4:40pm. Jimaken arrived to pick-up the kids just seconds after I arrived home. Soon Mindy and I were all alone. Jim made arrangements to drop Bella off tomorrow morning before he and Jacob headed off to the Buckeye opener. We keep her for a few hours while they enjoyed the Buckeye game. Mindy was determined to get the grocery shopping done that evening before our Barley’ outing. To that end, she departed. After Mindy left for the grocery store I carried in the new firescreen. And after removing the old one (placed it temporarily on the deck) I started the assembly process. As usual, the enclosed directions left a lot to the imagination. I had to fumble with it for a good bit before I figured out how the mounting hardware was intended to be attached. And yes, I did my share of swearing. J It turned out that the new firescreen was just a smidge too tall to fit easily up under the firebox opening – probably less than a 1/16”. But I also knew a snugger fit was better than a loose one. I carefully used a little elbow grease to slide it against and under the lip. It went flush against the brick with little trouble really. I was pleased. It took about 45 minutes to complete the install – seemed like longer. I was sweating like crazy despite having the AC on – a sure sign of stress. The new black firescreen looks even better than I imagined. And because it’s black, the eye doesn’t gravitate towards it. It simply blends with the rest of our family room décor. Mindy got home after I had enough time to clean-up the small mess and take Ykraps on his evening walk. I helped carry in the groceries. Mindy caught a glimpse of the new firescreen without me mentioning it. She did nothing but rave about how handsome it was. While she put groceries away, I took a shower in part to rinse away any residual haircut clippings. Mindy talked with the neighbors (Chrissy & Kenny & David & Becky), who also made plans to join us at Barley’s. We left for there at 7:30pm. Barley’s wasn’t crowded at all. We bellied up to two open stools at the bar. I ordered a Centennial, and Mindy a glass of wine. Mindy ordered food quickly. I did not. She ordered a burger. Soon, Kenny & Chrissy showed up. And not long after, nephew Joe and his friend Jerry arrived. Meanwhile, David & Becky were already seated outside on the patio just like they usually are. Rene showed up, too. It’s been a while. She was sporting a sexy new haircut and shared that she’s dropped 14lbs, too. I could tell. I eventually ordered a Cuban, and just like the last time, it was delicious! I stuck with the Centennial all evening long. Apparently Mindy had more than one glass of wine and once the neighbors offered to drive us home she had a couple more. Mindy picked up the tab. We left the Honda at Barley’s and rode with Kenny & Chrissy. We left around 11pm. After arriving home, Mindy changed into comfy clothes and we walked down to the neighbors. I took two beers. It didn’t seem like we stayed that long, but Mindy said it was almost 1am. Geesh!