Big Fat Saturday

I slept like a rock, not waking until nearly 8am. Mindy didn’t budge. I headed downstairs, made some coffee, and started my exercise regimen. After finishing my exercises I bundled warmly for a walk with Ykraps. It was only 26 degrees, and unless I’m mistaken, the coldest so far this season. There was a thin sheet of ice on the pond along with a thick coating of frost. Yet despite the chill, it was pretty nice given the brilliant late autumn sunshine. And speaking of sunshine, I couldn’t help but notice how far south the sun was coming up over the horizon – at least 45 degrees further south than its northern most ascension. I used the quiet time to write and update my blog, something I don’t often do on weekends or days off. Mindy didn’t get up until almost 10am. By then, I had already completed my four mile run. She was busy on her laptop when I returned. I asked if she still planned on doing yoga. She said she wasn’t sure. I continued to write and update my blog through 11am. Meanwhile, after starting some laundry, Mindy elected to head to her yoga class after all. I was glad she did. She tells everyone how much she loves it, and to think that she would blow it off kind of bothered me. In addition to yoga, she planned to get her hair streaked/colored immediately afterwards. Sounded like I’d have the entire afternoon to myself. When asked what I might do, I thought briefly about golf. Even though it was down right frigid early on, it was expected to warm to near 50 degrees with lots of sunshine. However, while considering golf, I also thought I might start the purging process in the basement, something I’ve been needing/wanting to do for a long, long time. After Mindy left for yoga I warmed some sauerkraut balls to cure my growing hunger. Until that point, I hadn’t yet eaten a thing. After my impromptu meal, I headed to the basement and began sorting through the pile of boxes I was most familiar with. I knew most, if not all, were empty, but still took the time to open them up and double check. I’m the type of person who keeps the box to everything I buy just in case I need to return it. So, the many boxes for my old, new PC, stereo, surround sound system needed purged. That amounted to about 15 boxes that can be tossed without batting an eye. Next, I moved to the west end of the basement where I knew the process would be much more difficult. There, I went through about 8-10 banker-type boxes, confirming most contained old bills needing shredded. However, among the same stack were boxes containing Cincinnati Reds 1990 World Series memorabilia, and another containing old family photos. All totaled, I spent about an hour in the basement. I spent the rest of my alone time reading, watching TV, and napping. However, I did a few chores too, like washing/drying the sofa cover. Mindy arrived home around 4pm. She was eager to get my opinion of her new hair color. It looked good. I was admittedly worried when she said she was getting blonde and red streaks/highlights added. Originally, we made plans to meet nephew Joe at Schmidt’s in German Village for dinner after which we were going to stop in at the Beck. However, Mindy mentioned the Big Fat and both of us agreed we wanted to eat there instead. Mindy texted Joe to let him know that we’d meet him at the Beck after dinner. We headed to dinner around 7pm dressed weekend casual. I was craving their scallops, which for my money are the best anywhere. The Big Fat was packed, but they had a table waiting just for us. Johnny and Maria were their typical gracious selves. Mindy started her dinner with a salad and a glass of wine. I did a salad and a Jack & Coke. Their drinks are always strong. Like creatures of habit, we ordered our usual selections: Mindy salmon, and me scallops. The service was exceptional and the food exquisite. I was a clean platter! As often happens after filling our bellies, suddenly neither of us was too keen on heading to the Beck. Instead, we decided to simply head home and possibly even walk over to the neighbors. Mindy notified Joe of our decision. Soon after arriving home, I filled my pocket flask with Jack Daniels & grabbed a can of Coke and then we walked down to the neighbors. I can’t recall what Mindy was drinking. We ended up playing euchre. It was fun. Mindy & I won. But to be fair, Chrissy just recently learned to play. She was a little overwhelmed. In between games, Kenny showed us his gun collection. I was impressed, and so was Mindy. We had an enjoyable time hanging out. And by the time we headed for home I had one heck of a buzz. That’s when the benefits of being right next door are paramount.