Mawmaw's Fudge

Measured against my typical weekend wake time, I slept really late. But I wasn’t at all surprised. After a day of skiing and then drinking several beers, I needed a solid nine. It was 9am when I rolled out of bed, brushed my teeth, and headed downstairs. Because it was a Sunday, I didn’t plan to do any sit-ups or push-ups. Instead, after starting the coffee I did some surfing. I felt great. While enjoying coffee, I got back to the business of editing music files. I also downloaded Saturday’s MRM pictures along with those taken on Bella’s adoption Day. Bella joined me at the computer. We laughed at some of the pictures. Bella disappeared for a few but soon returned coaxing me to make and deliver her momma’s coffee. It was now after 10am. Jacob was in bed snuggling with his momma. The night before, Mindy said that she was going to church, but given the hour, I knew that wasn’t going to happen. She confirmed what I already assumed. Mindy and the kids soon joined me downstairs. It was too long afterwards that I dressed for my run. It was only 16 degrees but the day’s high was expected to approach 30. It was very sunny out, too. I ran three miles and took the Trabue/Hague Ave. route. I found two golf balls along the golf course, which I found somewhat surprising. That meant some folks have been out there playing over the past couple of days, despite the cold temps. Traffic was very light the entire way. The run down Hague was quite lovely – always is. I was back at home before I knew it. I told Mindy that I planned to unload the ski gear from the Honda but figured I’d wait until it warmed up a little. Meanwhile, she had our breakfast burritos all ready to go. They were different this time, made with chorizo. Much wetter and more flavorful than usual. We all liked them better than her original recipe. In fact, so much so, Jacob ate three! After breakfast, Bella wanted to do some bird watching. To aid in her endeavor, I filled the bird feeder hanging from the deck, but cautioned that it might take a couple of hours for the birds to return. She got comfy at the dining room window with her little green chair, her bird book, and a pair of old binoculars. She was into it. While she sought out the birds, I got back to work on my music collection. She kept me abreast of the various birds she spotted. According to Bella, she spotted a bunting and a Chickadee. I didn’t argue otherwise, but assumed they were really sparrows, which look admittedly similar. Jacob left the house around noon to go to the OSU basketball game with Kenny and Jake. I worked on my music all afternoon, or until 3pm when Mindy and I headed out to unload our ski gear from the Honda. That didn’t take too long at all. The afternoon moved by at a good clip. At Mindy’s prompting, I headed for a shower around 330pm. Out of the 2300 titles in my online music collection, there were only about 200 more to edit. I was making progress at a much faster pace than I assumed I might. Mindy suggested we load the three giant bags of recyclables into the back of the Honda and drop them off at Westgate Park on our way to her mother’s. I was happy to oblige given the room they were taking up in the garage. We left for Gloria’s at 430pm. Dropping the recyclables went well. I helped an older gentleman get his stuff into one of the three large dumpsters while there. All three were nearly full. With the exception of one, we were the last to arrive at Gloria's. That’s rare. As we rolled through Holy Hill we recalled the last time we visited – Xmas day. That was true, but it seemed more recent. Was it possible that Xmas was almost 6 weeks (5.5) in our rear view mirror already? Yep, time flies! There were 18 of us at dinner. Hard to believe, but true. We had sloppy joe’s and fried potatoes – a Gloria classic. The food was good and the interaction fun. We retired to the livingroom after dinner for social hour, or until dessert time. The highlight might’ve been Bella sneaking off to hide. At one point about five of us went looking for her. I know Bella, she excels at being stealthy. She wasn’t found until about fifteen minutes had passed. Gloria called us for dessert around 7pm. It was fudge – two kinds – bad and good. The good being a traditional chocolate, and the bad being chocolate-peanut butter, a Thompson family favorite. Larry & I were the only ones eating the traditional chocolate fudge. Shameleesly, I ate four pieces. It was goooood. We couldn’t stay long after dessert. It was already after 730pm, and we still needed to stop by and see Lindsey and the boys. Kelly invited us over for coffee and crumpets – Not! We said our goodbyes and prepared to depart. Gloria offered up take home fudge. We threw our name in for some of both. We stopped by Lindsey’s on our way home. Lindsey and the kids came out to greet us. We were there to pick up some forms Lindsey asked Mindy to fill out relative to Rocky’s behavior patterns. We didn’t stay long. Both kids gave us hugs. Rare for Rocky to be so loving. We both took notice. At home, we quickly got ourselves ready for the following work day. We tuned the TV to the pro bowl, but I watched very little. I just couldn't see the point. However, Jacob & Bella watched intently. In fact, while I was on the PC editing music, Bella came running in to let me know she saw a Viking (Adrian Peterson). She was excited. Very cute! The kids headed to bed before 9pm. And after tucking them in, Mindy joined me in the livingroom and began filling out the Rocky form. I loosely participated all the while keeping at the music edits via iTunes. I finished my first pass through my entire music collection before 10pm. And to think, I thought it would take weeks to complete. I plan to do more fine tuning and then add missing album art another time, but for the time being, the project was completed. I wrapped up downstairs and followed Mindy to bed.

Mad River Mountain / Joe & Jerry

I almost got up at 530am but last second decided instead to try for more sleep. The next time I glanced towards the clock it looked like it hadn’t move at all. But that couldn’t have been so. I mean, there was already an obvious presence of daylight outside. I grabbed my glasses and realized and rechecked the clock. It was 730am. I won’t even try to explain why I have my bedroom clock set 3 hours and fifteen minutes fast, but that's just how I roll. I left Mindy sleep and headed downstairs. I started coffee then completed my exercises. I knew we’d be going to MRM but hadn’t targeted a specific departure time, although I got the impression that Mindy wanted to wake casually and not hurry. We had all day, so I didn’t worry much about it. I spent a good hour on the PC sipping coffee and updating my blog. At Bella’s prompting, I delivered Mindy’s coffee just before 9am. At the same time, Bella started playing Mario Bros on the Wii, and this time uninterrupted. Soon everyone was awake. I quickly dressed for my run but then stopped to stretch before dashing off. Glad I did! I ran just three miles taking into account all the skiing I’d be doing later. The run went fast. Still warm from my run, I immediately grabbed the Honda and Trooper keys then went out to load our skis into the Thule carrier. Inside, I saw that Mindy had everyone’s ski garb laid out in separate piles. The goal being to ensure the kids had the proper weather protection this time. After all, it was cold! She was also in the process of making breakfast and packing us a lunch. She made me two egg, cheese, and bacon-bit sandwiches on English muffins. They were good. I showered while Mindy finished up the lunches. It took me no more than ten minutes start to finish. She hopped in a few minutes after me. We didn’t get out of the house until just after 11am – about when I expected. We stopped for gas at Thornton’s, and paid $2.38 per gallon. We arrived at MRM just afternoon. Mindy volunteered to pick-up the day’s skiing fees. Great! It took us a good 20 minutes or possibly more to get ski-ready. It’s always an ordeal getting into the proper garb from the lot. But no one wants to drive/ride in their ski attire. Mindy and the kids found Bob, Scott, and Zach at the foot of the Four Star Express lift right away. I had to duck in and pee. They waited for me. The kids pointed out how unimposing MRM’s biggest, steepest hill looked after skiing HV. I agreed, but reminded them to always respect the mountain. In kind, we all skied a fun blue run first as our warm-up. We skied for a solid 90 minutes before stopping for a break. Both kids skied great, but Bella was a bit challenging to deal with. She kept falling while standing waiting to descend the mountain – not once actually skiing. She needed a break. Finding a table in the lodge proved to be a challenge, but our perseverance paid off. As soon a group got up we quickly claimed their prized table. While breaking, we happened upon our neighbors, Kapil, Poebina, and Isha. They told us that they might be there when they paid us a visit during last Sunday’s Viking game. One of Kapil’s friends was performing on stage while we chatted. Poebina took her first ever ski lesson and was intent on going back out to practice. Good for her! Bob picked up a pitcher of Amber Bock while I went to the Honda to fetch our lunch. We shared our catch with everyone. Scott fetched a second pitcher, only this time, Sam Adams. We had a fun break. The kids enjoyed themselves, too. Afterwards, we let Jacob head out ahead of us with Zach – a parental first. Zach, at 13, is an incredibly good skier, and also shows very good judgment. We weren’t too worried at all. Jacob needs that type of mentoring. We met up with the boys when we headed out and eventually made our way to the blue runs at the park's eastern-most edge, although I quickly had to break away for a restroom break. The seal was broken. I skied a few runs by myself unable to locate the group. I ended up phoning Mindy and locating them over at the Momentum lift. We skied until the sun went down then took another break. They boys were over watching the big air competition. Bob skied over there to advise them of our break status. Mindy, Bella and I finally secured another table and then a fresh pitcher of beer. Mindy got Bella a pizza sub and popcorn. We waited for the others for nearly 45 minutes. Bob and Jacob came in when Scott & Zach left for home. Bob had one beer but no more. He wanted to head home to greet Mary Ann, who had to work all day. He left around 7pm, or right after Mindy ordered a pizza. Jacob was hungry. He woofed down three big slices of our pizza. After the pizza, the three of us headed out for a few more runs. Bella was psyched and wanted to do eight more runs. We all took notice of the wolf moon (January full moon) – big, bright, and beautiful. I read recently where this would be the largest full moon of the year – 30K miles closer. After a few really good runs, we decided to bag it for home. It was 8pm. The kids skied really well and under control all day. I contemplated simply laying down the seats and throwing our skis in the back, but ended up loading them into the carrier as designed. It was really cold. Mindy phoned nephew Joe, who had called earlier in the afternoon about visiting later. Mindy shared that we’d be home around 9pm – the time he first thought they might be by. The drive home went fast. We arrived a minute or two after 9pm. Joe & Jerry were already there and waiting out front. We hadn’t seen them since Xmas. We hung out with Joe & Jerry until 11pm or after – kids too. They’re always a good time.

I Know Barley's

I was up more than an hour early and there wasn’t any way I was going back to sleep. I got up and headed downstairs just before 430am. However, instead of starting my calisthenics, I went right to my PC. I received an email from brother Glenn just a few minutes prior to sitting down. I fired back a response right away. I doubt he was expecting a response at that hour. At roughly 5am I started my exercise routine. It wasn’t until my push-ups were completed that I realized I failed to add fresh water to the coffee maker the night before. I quickly took care of adding the water then manually restarted the brewing process. Among other PC related tasks, I got my blog near current. The time went fast. Before I knew it, it was time to wake Mindy and deliver her coffee. And don’t you know, I started feeling sleepy again just after 6am. I gave into the sleepiness too, and laid down on the sofa napping for ten minutes, or until 625am. Time to meditate, stretch, and then run. I didn’t head out until almost 650am. It was very cold. Only 7 degrees at run time. I wore my usual three layers, but my second layer was my thickest wicking shirt. I was very comfortable for the duration of my run. Back at home, I fetched Mindy’s keys and started the Honda. There wasn’t a lick of frost but I knew she’d appreciate a warm car. She had my eggs & English muffin waiting back inside. Before leaving for school, Mindy talked about staying home this evening in lieu of going to dinner at Barley’s or anywhere else for that matter. But I hadn’t really planned on it, so I simply nodded in agreement. Bella and I studied a few of her trickier spelling words just before heading up for a shower. I made sure the kids bundled warmly heading out for the bus. It was still very cold – less than ten degrees. I left the Trooper warming for a good while before and after the bus arrived. I must’ve left the house for work near 820am. Thankfully, work was a little calmer than it’s been in a while. I stayed focused all day long not bothering with a formal lunch break. I did, however, take a few breaks to talk with some of my work peeps. I talked with Mindy late afternoon. She asked about going to Barley’s after Jacob apparently expressed a strong desire to go. I reminded her of what we talked about earlier this morning, and then our plans to ski all day Saturday, I really didn’t want to got out. She agreed. On my way home from work I stopped at Kroger to buy Mindy some roses and myself a bottle Jack Daniels. I arrived home around 610pm. It was really cold outside. The hatchback was up on the Pilot when I arrived home - a sure sign they'd just returned from the grocery store. They had. Mindy was excited about getting flowers. I helped carry in the haul then went to my PC while she put away groceries. She warmed leftover pizza and enchiladas when she was done putting everything away. Before and after dinner I spent all of my free time editing my music collection for better organization. It’s a big job, one that can’t be done in one setting. It’ll take numerous hours to get it squared away, but I had to start somewhere. While I worked on fixing my digital content, Mindy and the kids played Wii bowling, and then later the new Mario Bros Wii game. The kids were going at each other all evening long. We finally tucked them into bed near 9pm. I poured myself a Jack & Coke and continued on with my organizing task. Mindy headed to bed near 10pm. I stayed up about an hour longer working on my music collection. I joined her in bed by 11pm.

Bella of Guacamole

I woke to the sound of Mindy’s alarm – a noisy radio station. Finding that peculiar, but not sensing the significance, I closed my eyes again returning to sleep. The alarm sounded again. I realized then that I was once again waking late. his time it was near 6am. Yikes! I went about my routine, not changing it up much. I did my sit-ups, took a break, and then completed my push-ups. I could see on the deck that it snowed a little more over night, but no more than ½ an inch. I poured some coffee then spent a brief spell on the PC reading the Daily OM and then responding to an email from Glenn answering a couple relevant questions about our trip, and also asking that he have our condo food all packed & ready for our trip the night we arrive. I shared that Mindy wants to stop by Council Crest (where we got married) and Multnomah Falls. That should also mean a stop at Full Sail Brewing Company at Hood River for lunch as we take the back way up to Mt Hood. Wahoo! Before I knew it, it was 620am. I delivered Mindy’s coffee then quickly returned downstairs to meditate and stretch. I was running about ten minutes behind schedule. It was 650am before I got out for my run. I figured I’d cut my run to three miles to get back the time necessary to see Mindy off to school. The snow wasn’t a problem at all, but the thin sheet of ice underneath was. Footing was tricky. I had to run with extreme caution, and a little wide and flat footed. I did fine. Although just a ½ inch, I didn’t dare skip shoveling the snow off the drive and walks. Knowing we'd be in the freezer for about a week, I didn’t want to risk having it freeze over. It didn’t take long to shovel. I also started Mindy’s Honda before settling down inside for eggs. This time Mindy made the cheesy scrambled variety – the first time in a couple of weeks. They were good. I’ve been eating an English muffin with my eggs of late. They’re addictive! This was a day to celebrate. It was Bella’s adoption day. We sang happy adoption day in celebration. Mindy left at her usual time, but not before reminding me that dinner would be at the Sullivant avenue Minelli’s, Bella’s choice. To keep it simple, I planned to meet them there near 6pm. I was off to the shower by 735am. I was showered and ready by 750am. We took our time preparing to head out to the bus stop. It was cold – about 20 degrees. It's supposed to get even colder overnight. They're talking near 5 above. I allowed the Trooper to warm for a good ten minutes before taking off for work. Work was a thrill a minute. I worked hard all day long, and didn't stop for a formal lunch break. I worked straight through to 530pm, but did eat my veggies and fruit while working. Bob Imber sent an email indicating that he booked a room at the Inn at HV for the same weekend we'll be in Oregon. I talked with Mindy around 520pm regarding our dinner plans. We once again agreed to meet at Minelli's. I asked that she bring my small camera. I left work at 535pm destined for Minelli's. I exited I-270 at West Broad St and drove past the run-down Westland Mall and closed GM plant. While driving by, I contemplated what the future might hold for the immediate area now that the site has been selected for the newly approved Columbus Casino. As opposed as I was to the idea of bringing gambling to Ohio, now that it's a done deal, I recognize that the chosen area can't get much worse, or at least I hope not. Should stimulate some growth - economic expansion. Mindy and her mom were already there & seated when I arrived. It was chilly in the dining room. ;) We chatted casually waiting for others to arrive. Mindy hadn't shared with me who else might be coming. It ended up being Jodi, Larry, Julie, Katie, Grandma Sharon and Dick. Bella was really surprised and happy. Most of us ordered pizzas, five to be exact, while others ordered subs and salads. Minelli's has been around for 43 years and draws lots of local, familiar faces. Someone in our group seemed to have ties to most of the other guests. One couple, a former fire captain and his wife, familiar, of course, to Larry. Shared that his wife was also from Guatemala. That helped strike up an interesting conversation about Bella's adoption. Among others, they shared a story about driving to Guatemala with five kids pulling a trailer many years ago. Now I'll bet you the ranch that no one else knows anyone who's driven to Guatemala. :) That's something! We shared Bella's adoption day cake with several other guests until it was gone. We were there until almost 8pm. It was fun. We hadn't seen most of the family since Xmas. Jacob rode home with me, Bella with Mindy. It was getting cold, already in the teens. Mindy hurried the kids through the bedtime prep. While they did that, I started editing my miserably organized music collection in iTunes. Some tunes had the artist and song title in the same box, which iTunes can't recognize and therefore can't find the artwork. I worked on that for about an hour. I stayed up a little later than Mindy but not by much. I was in bed by 1030pm.

The Oregon Trail

I over slept after staying up kind of late the night before. However, given my reduced responsibilities, it wasn’t late enough to hamper my routine at all. I completed my sit-ups and push-ups with a little internet sandwiched in between. Afterwards I poured coffee and returned to my PC for a little while longer. I delivered Mindy’s coffee at the usual time. It wasn’t long before I was doing my morning meditation and then my precious stretching. I left for a run a tad later than usual. It was cold - about 21 degrees- and windy. I completed the run without incident. Mindy had eggs ready and waiting. Jacob was already off to his room. Bella and I chatted during breakfast, just like we always do. Mindy left for school at 730am. I was in the shower by 740am and ready a short time later. Just as she often does, Bella hurried me along. I’m not sure why. This was a ‘late-start’ day. They’d be heading down to Chrissy’s. She agreed to handle this one. Bella asked if she could head down there now. Why not. I walked them down. After getting a thumbs up from Chrissy I headed back home for a few minutes before ultimately heading off to work. Work was its usual busy self. Plus, we had a long, early staff meeting lasting well past noon. Afterwards, my boss and peer went to Chipotle. I declined the invite. Mid-day I received an email from Bob Imber, who was back home from their HV trip, sharing a little of their experience and also advising that two of the original eight set for the late Feb HV trip pulled out. At the same time, he confirmed the others were definitely in. Great, just when I was having second thoughts. I responded to him quickly advising him of our potential change of plans, but also emphasized that we hadn’t booked anything yet. Out of respect for everyone involved, I committed to putting closure on the issue by Thursday morning. I was waiting on a response from Mindy asking about some dates I threw her way. Before having her blessing, there was no way I could make reservations for Oregon. I also made sure Bob knew that they were welcome to join us in Oregon if that was indeed the final decision. He later responded that as much as they’d love to, they just couldn’t arrange for the necessary time off. I took lunch near 1pm and drove to Best Buy to look for an iTouch case and cables to hook my iTouch up to Mindy’s care stereo (3.5mm to 3.5mm) and another to my home stereo (3.5mm to RCA L/R). Turns out, they had everything I needed. I bought a gel-type case to prevent shock. It came with a screen protector too. I probably could’ve gotten the cables cheaper elsewhere, but I didn’t want to drive all over creation either. I ended up working late again – this time until 610pm. I guessed that Mindy would be making tacos for dinner. When I arrived home I was sure that I smelt taco seasoning. Turns out I was right – well, sort of. Mindy wanted it to be a surprise. I peaked in the oven while she was off addressing some miscellaneous task – enchiladas. Cool! Out of ear shot from the children, I sought her input on the Oregon trip versus HV. She was game for Oregon and had the necessary time-off at school and arrangements in place with Jimaken. She later emphasized that her preference was Oregon all along. We didn’t talk about it at dinner. However, we did discuss the possibility of skiing MRM Saturday. The kids were game, just as we expected them to be. It’s their Winterfest. Should be fun, but also crowded. It’s supposed to be cold, too. The enchiladas were OK – chicken. I was hoping for beef. She made them with flour tortillas instead of corn, and probably a little short on sauce. They were stiffer than ideal, but still good. She put corn, salsa, and beans in them, too. Come ot think of it, they were more like baked burritos. After dinner and the inevitable clean-up, I asked Mindy one more time if making reservations was a go. She responded with a positive nod. Done. I spent the next half hour booking our flight, rental SUV, and condo. Once done, I emailed Bob to let him know it was done, so he could proceed accordingly. I tried my best to encourage them to join us one last time. I also copied Glenn on our flight itinerary, and then phoned brother Tommy to let him know we’d booked our trip. We invited him, but last we knew, he was still up in the air. I asked Glenn earlier about inviting Tom Shepherd. He vetoed that in a hurry. I guess they’re having a bit a lover’s spat.  Too bad, we dig Tom S. Mindy & I both were excited to suddenly have our Feb ski plans in the bag. Incidentally, we booked flights on Southwest primarily because ours bags, skis included, fly free! Quite a savings! After getting our trip booked I went to the sofa for a little relaxation. I flipped the TV to FOX and caught, for the first time all season, a little bit of American Idol. Just don’t have the desire to follow it much these days. It was just the last ten minutes. At 9:00pm we stayed tuned in for Barack Obama’s State-of-the-Union address. It was a gripping presentation. In fact, I give him props for all the dramatic expression and flair. Not sure there was nearly as much substance, though. I view it as much for the entertainment value as anything else. The camera shots panning for facial expressions to his words were to die for. As gripping as it was, I drifted off to sleep for the last ten minutes or so, waking only when Mindy nudged me for bed. We headed up shortly after 10pm.

Bella a Bird Watcher?

Slept OK, but still not as soundly as I hoped I might. I was up at 530am anyway. I exercised and played on line before delivering Mindy’s coffee. It was colder turning much more winter-like. In fact, we had snow on the ground, albeit no more than about a half inch. After exercise I poured coffee and took to the internet. I played around online until 610am when it was time to wake Mindy. I did some more surfing before moving on to meditation and stretching. Both were just what the doctor ordered. Soon it was time for my run. It was back to winter outdoors, about 28 degrees and still snowing, albeit lightly. I ran four miles using the soft cushion of the new snow to my advantage. I shoveled the drive as soon as I was back at home. Some time ago, I stashed a snow shovel stashed behind a large bush at the top of our driveway saving me the trouble of opening the garage for its access. I made quick work of the snow then opened the garage to grab some driveway salt. I sprinkled it strategically then headed inside for my breakfast. I was going to start Mindy's Honda, too, but the kids advised that she was heading out the front at the same time I was coming in through the garage. Mindy was soon off to work and I was off to the shower. As usual, the kids were on the bus at 8:05am. Back inside I took a few minutes to further shop/review Oregon ski trip prices. I was leaning towards a switch of plans but still not 100%. Off to work. As you might expect me to say, work was incredibly busy. It was one of those days when there was little time to come up for air. I worked right through my typical lunch time, but did manage to eat my packed veggies and fruit. I used someone's Red Wine vinaigrette in the fridge to top my veggies. Boy was it delicious. Mindy called late afternoon/early evening. Jacob was going to the hockey game with his dad, so Mindy decided to make a date with Bella. They were going to shop for Bella's adoption day gift and then go to dinner. Mindy explained that she intercepted neighbor Makayla too, and that they were going to do Barley's for dinner. She asked if I wanted to meet them there. Nah. She then asked if I wanted her to bring me anything home. Nah. By the way, Bella asked for a bird watchers book for her gift. Peculiar for a 7 year old. I left work late - got home at 620pm. Mindy figured to be out of pocket until 730pm or so. I used the time to play on the internet and do some writing. I did more thinking about our February skit trip too. I was pretty much set on doing Oregon if we could make it happen. Mindy & Bella were home around 730pm as planned. Bella was excited to share her new bird watchers book/guide. They brought home leftovers, too. I didn't partake. I made a roast beef and cheese sandwich earlier and snacked on numerous chunks of cut cheese. I was full. While Bella and Mindy prepared for bed, I headed to the sofa and eventually fell asleep. I heard Jacob come in from the hockey game but remained sleeping. I didn't get up again until 930pm. By then I was wide awake. At the roughly the same time, Mindy was ready for bed. I stayed up. I eventually decided to watch the NFC Championship game again, which I had DVR'd. I knew that watching it might reopen wounds, but I couldn't sleep, and I was curious about a number of plays/situations. I watched the overtime period first, since it was recorded separately. Yes, still painful. I then fast forwarded through most of the first half until right before halftime when the Vikings recovered the Saints muffed punt and had the ball at their 4 yard line ready to score just before half only to fumble the ball right back. Ugh! I then fast forwarded to the last couple of drives in regulation. It was clearer than ever that everyone expected the Vikings to win it in the end. And it looked like it was gonna happen. Obviously, it didn't. I was surprised at how much more detail I caught watching it a second time, much like watching a movie for the second time. The drama was still there but already knowing the outcome gave me a chance to be more analytical. Final analysis: we left too many opportunities on the table. No one to blame but ourselves. I headed to bed after re-watching the game. It was nearing midnight.

The Day After ... licking my wounds

I slept poorly after the Vikings ugly defeat. I’ll bet I didn’t get 3 hours of shut eye, and when I did sleep it was broken up into several intervals. Without trying, I woke numerous times to a mind still mulling over the Vikings final possession and everything that went wrong. It was difficult for me to swallow the loss. I can only imagine how the players felt. I was up at 530am despite being tired. I had to get beyond it. I did my exercises then poured coffee. I was careful not to poke around the Yahoo! Sports, purposefully avoiding any articles related to my team’s unfortunate demise. Butting staring at me from their splash page was a picture of Brett Favre and a “were they robbed?” article. Mindy asked how I was feeling when I delivered her coffee. Tired and still a little shell shocked. After meditation and stretching I felt a whole lot better. I had things, at least temporarily, in their proper perspective. I ran four miles without incident. It was warm – almost 40 degrees. Mindy had fried eggs waiting for me at home. We talked about the game some. I shared this: no matter what, no one can deny that Brett Favre was an incredible warrior fighting through several malicious hits. I was still proud to be a Viking fan. Mindy soon left for work leaving me to shower and see the kids onto the school bus. We prepared to head out at our usual time – 7:55am. After the kids were on the bus I spent a few minutes on the PC looking at the HV weather to see if it was still raining or changing to snow as predicted. It was still raining. It wasn’t expected to change back to snow until Monday night. I could only imagine Bob & M.A’s disappointment. That only added to my reservations about planning another HV trip for late February. I’d be devastated if we booked five days only to have it rain on us. I was beginning to lean more favorably to an Oregon ski trip, especially after stumbling upon numerous 3bd rm luxury condos available at the beautiful Lake Collins Resort in Government Camp (at the foot of Ski Bowl & Timberline ski resorts). Not only that, but the prices were less expensive than HV accommodations, too. I had some things to sort out. I left for work. At some point in the first hour or so of my day my boss stopped in to talk about the Viking game. He jokingly said he half expected me to call off. He found himself rooting staunchly for the Vikings, and like many others, felt they were robbed. However, we both agreed the turnovers truly killed us, especially the two inside their 5 yard line, and then the one at our own 10. True that! I relived the loss several times while talking with my team. As the day wore on I tried to lose myself in my work and forget about the football game. At lunchtime, I decided to seriously price out an Oregon trip: flights, lodging, and rental car. I was able to put together a package for just a few hundred more than the condo alone at HV. That fact alone was almost enough to sway my decision. Of course, Mindy would hold some major sway, too. Wasn’t sure what she’d think. For the time being, I kept my change of heart to myself. The work day was busy. I didn’t get out of the office until almost 630pm. Mindy and the kids were busy at home preparing for our dinner – leftover beef noodles. I was OK with that. They’re one of my favorites. After dinner Jake and Makayla came over to play with Jacob & Bella. I bounced the idea of skiing Oregon versus HV off of Mindy. She seemed warm to it. I told her that I would explore it more thoroughly. But truth be told, I wasn’t 100% on board with such a significant change yet either. Plus, I’d feel bad about backing out on Bob and Mary Ann, Scott & Zach. I spent the evening hours searching for video converter freeware. I found several via CNET, a reliable download site. My objective being to convert AVI movie files to MP4 for viewing on my iTouch. I downloaded Movavi first, but quickly deinstalled it after learning it wasn’t really a free version after all. Instead, it was a free trial version that left a watermark super imposed over all converted videos until a full license is purchased. Nope. That’s a slimy tactic! Finally, I found a true freeware version – Any Video converter. It wasn’t as pretty as the prior but did the job I needed. I converted a handful of recent AVI files as a test then moved them to iTunes and ultimately to my iTouch. Worked flawlessly. Excellent! Mindy went to bed early – about 930pm. I advised that I was staying up for a while longer. I used the time to update my blog. I headed to bed around 1030pm.

Purple Rein turns to Purple Pain

I woke near 8am feeling well rested after more than 8hours of precious sleep. I was immediately reminded that this was a football Sunday - championship Sunday. I was a anxious, excited, and nervous about the Vikings opportunity to play in the Super Bowl if they won. While prepping coffee, I remembered, too, that this was a no-exercise day - a reprieve from sit-ups and push-ups. Not having to walk Sparky, left my morning about as open as it possibly gets. I spent a lot of time on the PC. Mindy asked that I deliver some coffee once ready. I probably delivered it near 830am. I did some writing for my blog for the next hour. Mindy got up around 930am. She reminded me that she planned to head into school to get caught up on report cards, I think. She showered while I did my usual Sunday three mile run. It had been raining quite a bit overnight but stopped during my run. It picked up again soon after I finished. Not only was it a rainy day, but it was quite warm too, perhaps the warmest day of the year. I checked the forecast for HV knowing that Bob & Mary Ann were checking in later in the day. The HV forecast was as bleak as ours - rainy and warm - temps in the mid 40s. Anything but good skiing conditions. In fact, it doesn't look like winter-type weather will make a return until Tuesday. Speaking of skiing, I have my eyes set on a day of skiing at MRM the following weekend when temps are expected to be near normal for the end of January. Soon after returning from my run, I filled the bird feeder out on deck, then took the new bag of seed to the garage for stowage. While there, I decided it was time to start the BM'er for the first time in maybe a month. Started right up. I left it run for a solid 15 minutes while I replaced the holiday spots lights ( red & green) with white fluorescents. Mindy left for school while I was in the middle of those chores. With the house to myself, I cranked up the iTunes then decided to clean up some Sparky final remnants. For starters, I pulled the cover off the sofa and put it in the washer. For the last several months he had developed a habit of peeing on it as well as one of the legs of a recliner in the living room. As angry as it got me, I was quite sad cleaning up the last of his miscues. Both areas cleaned up fairly easily with a combination of Resolve and Clorox bleach spray cleaner. I also cleaned a few spots on the carpet near where he took his last breaths. After finishing up the spot cleaning, I got out the folder that contained all of Sparky's medical records and old license tags. Amongst the paperwork, I found the original receipt from his purchase and his birth certificate. It's little wonder that we were so connected, he was a Virgo too, born on September 7th 1997. I had forgotten his actual birth date until the review. I found the breeder information too just in case I decide to pursue getting another from his bloodline. While doing chores, I snacked on my Bone Fish leftovers. Mindy had frozen beef stock in the crock-pot to make beef & noodles later in the afternoon. That concoction smelt terrific. As the afternoon began to move along, I finished up all the chores I wanted to get done, including reviewing a large pile of mail - a task I invariably abhor. I spent some additional time on the PC fooling around with iTunes before finally heading up for a shower. I was prepared to wear my Favre jersey, but not until the game started much later. I had it out and ready however. I gave consideration to getting out all three of my Viking jerseys (Moon, Moss, and Favre) but opted for just the one. I didn't want To jinx 'em in any way. As 3pm neared, it was time to tune into the AFC championship game - the Colts vs the Jets. Mindy phoned around 320pm to let me know that she would be home sometime after 4pm, and that the kids would be home sometime soon too. They were home 15 minutes later. She in turn arrived home around 415pm. The Colts started slow and fell behind by as many as 11 points, but the funny thing was, one never got the feeling that the Colts were panicking. Instead, they mounted a methodical comeback and scored 24 unanswered points. They ended up winning rather easily. As the start of the Viking game neared, I became more and more anxious. All three of us, Mindy, Bella and I donned our Favre jerseys. I offered one of my others to Jacob. He didn't accept. Mindy advised that the neighbors asked if they were welcome to watch the game with us. Of course. I figured that I could probably use the diversion. Kick-off was just before 7pm from New Orleans. As I hoped and expected, the pundits overwhelmingly picked the Saints, which was good. I much preferred the underdog role. The phone rang just before kick-off. It was neighbor Pat calling to see how I was doing. He nailed it. "You're probably pacing the floor and totally nervous - yes, absolutely. A basket case to be sure. The Vikings got the ball first. The noise inside the superdome was deafening. But that didn't stop Favre and the boys. They mounted a long TD drive to set the tone early. We wouldn't be intimidated. 7-0 Vikes. I was impressed with their poise. The Saints, however, wouldn't go away. I didn't think they would. Instead, they mounted their own long TD drive and tied it at 7-7. Not to be outdone, the Vikings scored another TD on their second possession making it 14-7. Yes, and SKOL! The Saints eventually tied it at 14. And just before halftime, the Saints gave us the turnover I had hoped for. We had the ball on their 5 yard line with less than minute in the half. Wahoo! Score, score, score! But instead of scoring, the Vikings fumbled the ball right into the hands of the Saints. Ugh! The first half ended 14-14. The second went back and forth with the Saints drawing first blood two different times, first going ahead 21-14 and then 28-21. The Vikings answered with a score of their won and tied it up each time. The Vikings D shut down the Saints in the second half. If it weren't for a number of Viking miscues, the game wouldn't have been close. But we had the scenario we needed - the ball with two minutes to go and the score tied. The Vikings drove down the field to the Saints 33 yardline and into field goal kicker Ryan Longwell's range (50 yards). They took a time out with 20 seconds left seemingly to plan their strategy for setting up the field goal. I was feeling all sorts of emotion. I needed pinched to assure myself this was really happening. During the timeout I had all sorts of thoughts going through my head. It was short break, however. The Vikings huddled for what was a 3rd down play. All of the sudden Brett Favre calls another timeout and a penalty flag flies. Somehow coming out of the timeout they had 12 men in the huddle - a five yard penalty. Not only that, you can't call back-to-back timeouts either. Suddenly a realistic shot a winning field goal was in jeopardy. My heart sank, reflecting back to 1998 when we self destructed in the waning moments of that championship game. Still, there were 20 seconds left and it was 3rd down. A five yard gain and we were well within Longwell's range for the win and the super bowl. I could almost taste it. I glanced Mindy's way feeling good about the position we were in after all the unfortunate turnovers and tough calls. Brett takes the snap, rolls right. He has lots of options visible to everyone watching. He has two receivers wide open on the right - one about ten yards up field. Not only that, he could've run for 6-8 yards easily. Instead, he threw an ill-advised pass across his body and across the field towards Sidney Rice who was covered well. A Saint stepped in front and made the pick. Opportunity gone, just like that. I was in shock! But even still, all hope wasn't lost. Regulation ended in a tie, 28-28. Overtime ... again. The coin toss is paramount in NFL overtime. First to score wins. The Vikings got to make the call. They selected heads, just as I hoped. The toss came up tails. Saints got the ball first. If they scored - game over - season over. Ugh! The drive was too ugly to describe in full detail. There were a handful of questionable calls all favoring the Saints putting them in fairly easy field goal range. Sour grapes aside, they deserved their shot. Bottom line, they kicked a 40 yard field goal for the win. Game over. Saints in the super bowl - Vikings going home. I was numb. One could easily lay blame at the feet Brett Favre, but I dared not. Without his heroic performance that day and then many others throughout the season, they wouldn't have been in that position in the first place. Still, the sting of defeat was harsh. Having been there before, I knew the anguish would settle in later, once I had more time to reflect. For the time being, I was amazed and entertained by an incredible football game. The game had barely ended when my phone rang. It was Bob Imber calling from HV (Cadillac Jack's) to console me after the loss. He briefly described the less than desirable ski conditions they were contending with. It sounded like they were doing lots of the next best thing, drinking beer. It wasn't long before Mindy & I headed to bed. For the first time ever, Jacob told me he was sorry about the Vikings when I tucked him in. I think even he was moved by the heroic performance put on by Brett Favre. Purple runs through my veins.

Bone Fish

I slept poorly after probably a little too much beer the night before. Yet despite my Friday night antics, I woke without a hangover, albeit a bit on the tired side. It was already nearing 9am when I headed downstairs and started some coffee. After starting coffee I completed my sit-ups and push-ups with some PC time sandwiched in between. I had oodles of alone time with Mindy doing one of her infamous Saturday morning sleep-ins. I don’t think she was up before 1030am. When she finally came downstairs she was sporting some serious bed head. She looked like Cindy Lou Who. After wisely leaving our car at Barley’s, we needed a plan to fetch it sometime during the day. Before any of that, however, I wanted/needed to complete my daily run. Mindy advised that she intended to do some shopping during the afternoon. I left for my run no earlier than 11am and ran four miles. It was pretty mild – about 43 degrees. The run went really well. It must’ve been around 1pm when I drove Mindy to Barley’s to pick-up the Honda. She decided to go inside and say hello before heading off shopping. I headed back home. Not 100% sure what I’d do with myself, I eventually settled on a few miscellaneous chores. For one, I tidied up the garage by putting the coolers back on the shelf and hanging up a garden hose that had been lying on the floor most of the winter. That aside, I spent most of my time playing around with my iTouch and PC trying to move my AVI movie files into iTunes. I eventually learned that the deed was impossible. I’ll need to convert them to MP4 files first. I also bought my first album from iTunes – Krokus – a late 70’s big hair band. A lot of my digital music collection is poorly labeled and consequently poorly organized. I could spend a good weekend on that alone. I also moved about 12 CD’s from my personal collection into iTunes. I must have about 150 CDs that I’ll eventually need to add. I didn’t pay too close attention to the time, but I’m guessing that Mindy got home around 4pm. She asked my thoughts on dining out – Bone Fish was her choice. Truth be told, I didn’t really feel like dining out, but I also didn’t want to rain on her happiness. Sure honey, that sounds terrific! We tentatively planned an early dinner and then possibly a movie back at home. I hoped to finally watch Inglorious Basterds. We left for the Bone Fish near 600pm. The lot was packed to the hilt, so I dropped Mindy and went and parked the Honda. Inside she placed our name and ordered herself a wine and me a beer. She claimed the wait would be 45 minutes. I wasn’t real excited about the wait, the beer selection, or the stuffy crowd. We finally settled into a couple of bar stools. I watched the NFL network whirling on their barside flat panels. The couple sitting next to us were Minneapolis transplants, the wife a longtime Viking fan. She sounded very excited about Sunday’s championship game. Hey, so was I. Our wait lasted nearly 1.5 hours, according to Mindy. I was getting sleepy and fading fast. I had all but lost my appetite when our table was finally ready. And even then, that wasn't until Mindy went back to the reservation desk to inquire for the second time. The slow service didn't stop there. Our server was a little slow too. But I must say, we ordered some bacon wrapped scallops for an appetizer, and they were excruciatingly delicious. They brought some freshly baked bread as well. It was equally pleasing. For our entrees', Mindy ordered their Chilean sea bass, while I went with a 6oz sirloin and shrimp special. The shrimp were gargantuous, and very tasty. Mindy loved her sea bass, too. The food was exceptional, the service, however, lacked expediency. We left for home around 825pm. I got the check. I thought we might watch that DVD but Mindy insisted on going directly to bed. I did manage to concoct and drink a rum, fresca, and grapefruit juice before heading up. We were asleep quite early for a Saturday.

Haircut, Crickets, Birdseed, & Barley's

I slept until 545am, waking at roughly the same time the coffee finished brewing. I was well rested and felt pretty good. I started my exercise routine right away. Both sit-ups and push-ups were completed before 6am. I poured coffee and spent the next ten minutes in front of the PC. According to Yahoo!, it was 37 degrees and cloudy. Not taking a morning walk leaves me relying heavily on the online weather as I prepare for a morning run. After delivering Mindy's coffee I returned downstairs to meditate and stretch. Both went well. Ahead of schedule by about five minutes, I dressed and left for a run early - 635am. It was a good four mile run. There were a few breaks in the clouds overhead revealing just a hint of daylight. However, clouds prevailed. Fried eggs were already setting on the table waiting for my return. I topped off my coffee then poured a glass of OJ for Bella and I. Mindy left at 7:30am. Bella still needed to study her spelling words and read two books, a tall order for the short amount of time we had left. We breezed through her spelling before my shower, and she did her reading while I was in the shower. I had to peak my head out on a couple of occasions to help with a couple tricky words, but she got it done. I dressed in an old raggedy Minnesota Vikings t-shirt over top a long-sleeved black t-shirt. Skol Vikings! We readied and left for the bus stop at 755am. Kenny was out with his kids for the first time in quite a while. We chatted briefly about the coming weekend. I was back at home by 8:05am. I enjoyed a little more coffee and tidied up the kitchen before heading off to work. I arrived at work near 830am. We were extremely busy, like most Friday's. My boss was working from home after a long night the evening before. I took a lunch around 1pm determined to get a much needed haircut. It had been nearly 7 weeks. I went to Great Clips in Mill Run. There was a small crowd, unusual for mid-day. The young lady doing the greetings said it would be only 5-10 minutes. I waited. I recognized Doug Windell getting up from having his haircut. We chatted for about five minutes as he was exiting. He's married to one of Mindy's best friends, Tara. He's the one that goes all out for Xmas placing thousands of lights on and about their house. He guessed that his electric bill was $140 higher because of the holiday lights. We shared a few stories about the fragility of the light sets and how many get pitched the following year. And I thought that it only happened to me. Before he departed, we chatted briefly about snow skiing, too. A cute little 20 something, Rachel Gary cut my hair. Turns out, she graduated from Central Crossing in 2007 - knows Joe and Lindy. While cutting my hair she shared that they never spent anytime using clippers in school, had to learn that after the fact. On the other hand, she shared they spent lots of time doing highlights. She did a decent job on me, probably not the best haircut ever, but certainly not the worst either. I tipped her well. After leaving Great Clips I drove a couple store units down to Jack's where I purchased some crickets for the lizard. I checked out the puppies they had on display too - un-AKC brindle boxer pups. Cute! After Jack's I headed over to Lowe's. I bought a new house plant to replace our spindly ivy. You skip one watering and they never recover. The one I intended to replace might be 5 or 6 years old. Lucky for me, they were on sale. I got a new 6" variety for $7.50. They're normally $11.49. What deal! I also picked up another bag of bird seed - 20lbs. Back to work. I thought about making one more stop at Kroger for a new bottle of Jack Daniels, but didn't. It was just after 2pm, and work was busier than never. I was admittedly on edge and irritable. Work can do that sometimes. I talked with Mindy late-afternoon. She planned on grocery shopping after Jimaken picked up the kids. I couldn't wait for the day to be over. I really needed a weekend. I worked hard up until 515pm when I packed my stuff and left for home. I was home by 540pm. The house was quiet and clean. I'd forgotten that today was a Rachel cleaning day. I had the house all to myself for nearly an hour. I can't recall what I did with all the time, although I remember trying to nap, albeit unsuccessfully. Mindy got home from the grocery near 630pm. I helped carry in her haul. We planned to leave for Barley's sometime between 7-730pm. Mindy was happy to learn that Doug H. emailed that he and Jamie would meet us there. We planned to take Bob & Mary Ann's Xmas gifts in case they showed up. We need to talk with Bob to nail down our late-February ski trip plans. We readied and left for Barley's at 715pm. We greeted Steve Won immediately in the door. I was surprised to learn that they were already out of the HopSlam on the tower. Crap! That went fast, but then again, it always does. I went with Centennial instead. After a brief time chatting with our friends around the bar, Mindy took a stroll around back to see if Jamie and Doug were in. While she was gone, which seemed like 30 minutes, Tom Clark, and then later, Bob Imber showed up. Tom C. shared the story about Victor moving out of his place. Sounds like Tom needed to get his life & house back. Bob was in without Mary Ann, who was working late. Among other things, we discussed their HV ski trip, which begins Sunday, although they're actually leaving on Saturday and heading north to Wadsworth to see family for a day. If correct, that'll cut nearly two hours off the HV drive Sunday AM. Bob was a little bummed about the weather forecast, which was calling for rain on Sunday. But what can you do? Mindy finally rejoined us at the bar. Right away, she gave Bob their Xmas gifts we've been toting around for nearly a month. At some point Christa offered to rub a kink out of back/neck. She's a massage therapist by trade. She found the culprit, a small knot, in seconds and did a fantastic job dispersing the pain. Mindy went next. She also marveled at her ability to find and relieve the pain's epicenter. Finally, Doug & Jamie joined us in the main bar area along with some of their friends they brought along. At some point Mindy & I decided it best if neither of us did any driving. We phoned Kenny & Chrissy, who were just leaving a concert at Nationwide arena. They agreed to pick us up on their way home. Perfect! They showed up less than ten minutes later. Kenny and Mike came in and hung out for a few minutes before we left for home. Mindy picked up our lofty tab. We agreed to meet at Kenny & Chrissy's house for some late revelry, but not before Mindy changed into her PJ's and I fetched a couple more beers - like I really needed 'em. :) Kenny fell asleep almost as soon as we got to their house. The rest of us partied until almost 2am. Mindy and I made our way home and to bed.

Final Rest

I woke probably three or four times through the night to check the time. Going to bed at 650pm left me somewhat disoriented. I woke for good at 545am, or just as the coffee maker finished its brewing cycle. After 11 hours of sleep my body felt sluggish and tired, a common byproduct of too much sleep. Sit-ups and push-ups felt more like a chore rather than a gift, but I struggled through anyway. Still struggling to find comfort in my new morning routine minus Sparky, I spent extra time online. I stopped briefly, delivering Mindy’s coffee at 610am. I spent another ten minutes or so online before moving on to meditation and stretching. Both went well. My plan was still to bury Sparky before going into work, but I hadn’t yet informed my boss. I figured I’d email once I was back form my run. Aside from the emotional turbulence that accompanied burying my dog, I still hadn’t settled on spot. Ugh! It was warmer than the past two mornings. It was 30 degrees. I still wore two wicking layers, and a good thing I did. There was a chilly wind blowing in from the east. Aside from that, the run went well. During my run I settled on Sparky’s final resting place. It would be in the large flower bed north of our shed that once served as home to my weeping willow tree. And because we have electric running through the bed for uplighting, the spot would be just south of the old tree trunk where I was sure there were no obstructions. I felt much better about that spot than the other alternative, which was back by the kids tree swing, a low area that floods during heavy spring and summer rains. Mindy had my eggs ready and waiting upon my return. I sent a quick email to my boss and peer advising them of my status. Mindy went to the garage to pay her last repsects to Sparky returning in tears. Bella went with her. Jacob wanted no part of the tearful ceremony. As soon as Mindy left and my eggs were gone I headed out to get started. Ugh! Not easy. I asked Bella to holler out back when it was time to head for the bus stop. She agreed. I unlocked the shed to access a tarp, shovel, mattocks, and spud bar. Before taking the first shovel full of dirt, I cleared the area of the English ivy, ajuga, and zebra grass. All the ground cover must’ve kept freezing to a minimum. The earth moved rather easily. I had to contend with two major root stems from the old weeping willow but they chopped out easily too. Fearing it time to get the kids to the bus stop, I broke off from the task at hand and headed back inside. It was 7:53am. The kids and I headed to the bus stop, me with a huge lump in my throat. I was quite sad, but did my best not to show it in front of the kids. I felt much better about the prospect of finishing the burial alone, without the kids or anyone else around – affording me a few private moments with my dog. As soon as the kids were on the bus, I got back to work. However, before doing any more digging, I went in the garage and removed Sparky’s collar and got his favorite toy from his crate. Needless to say, it was an emotional few minutes. Back to the spot. I made sure to dig the area wide enough and deep enough the first time, so not to have lay him down then pull him back out. I must’ve dug about 24-30 inches deep and about the same in width. It was time. Time to carry Sparky to his final resting place. I knew I needed the closure but wasn’t looking forward to it at all. Sparky remained surprisingly soft and supple, still a beautiful dog really. I wrapped him carefully in the pale green beach towel along with his favorite cat toy then made the trek back to the flower bed. I kissed him and lovingly laid in the hole and said my goodbyes. I slowly added dirt, being careful and methodical. I stopped a couple of times to allow the lump in my throat to relax. Tears streamed down my cheeks. In fact, there doing it now as I write about it. It didn’t take as long as I thought it might, and I used all of the dirt I removed. It felt good to get it behind me. I paused briefly after putting away all of my tools to contemplate our time together. I’m glad he’s now resting in a peaceful place in our yard that offers an attractive vista almost year round. I think I’ll add a marker later commemorating his life. Inside I moved immediately to shower mode. It was 850am. I was ready to depart by 9:05am. I took a few minutes, however, to organize the kitchen and run the dishwasher washer – something we’d meant to do yesterday. I left for work at 915am, just after remembering to turn the temperature on the crock-pot down to low per Mindy’s instructions. My boss joked about the excuse I used for being late. I knew he was kidding. Work was crazy busy. Yikes! Most years this is our slow time, but not this year. Like most other days, I didn’t take a lunch. We had discussed celebrating Lindsey’s birthday this evening back on Tuesday, but considering what else the day held, Mindy and I forgot to discuss it any further this AM. I sent her an email asking if she could pick-up Lindsey and the boys on her way home. I would, in turn, stop for a cake and a gift. Lindsey must’ve called around 11am to confirm our plans. I promised to call her back after speaking with Mindy. Mindy called around lunchtime. She hadn’t yet seen my email about Lindsey but wanted to see how the burial went. We talked for a while. She agreed to pick-up the kids. Later, she emailed and offered to pick-up the cake too meaning I’d only need to make one stop for the gift. Cool! The afternoon was very active. I ended up attached to my office until almost 630pm. I called Mindy to let her know that I would be delayed. My dad was coming for dinner too. I stopped at Target to pick-up a card and gift card on my way home. That didn’t take long at all. It was pouring rain, the first rain I can recall in maybe a month. At home, the house was alive with little ones. The day’s one consolation was that I didn’t have to walk Ykraps in the downpour. Mindy remembered that there was a box on our front porch. We both figured it to be our new crock-pot. I carried it in but decided not to open it just yet. I greeted Lindsey, dad, and the boys. The little ones were already eating spaghetti, apparently not wanting roast beef. Fine with me, more for us!  Mindy began plating beef for everyone. I was extra hungry. The roast was especially juicy and tender. The mashed potatoes were yummy too. Everybody seemed to like the meal. Save for one small piece, we ate entire roast. I guess that means no beef and noodles over the weekend.  After clean-up we placed 8 candles on Lindsey’s cake - 2 representing the tens family, while the six others represented the ones. Hard to believe Lindsey’s 26! We sang, then sang again giving the kids an opportunity to blow the candles out a second time. We gave Lindsey her card and gift. She seemed appreciative. While others had cake, I had one of the giant double chocolate cookies Mindy picked up at Kroger. They were scrumptious! Others agreed. They were a hit. After the birthday celebration, the kids played Wii Fit. They were too rowdy for me. I slipped into the other room. I eventually rejoined them. Around 8pm Mindy ran Lindsey and the boys home. Dad pretty much left on their heels after a brief discussion about Sparky’s last days. Sparky loved my dad! Fittingly, dad got the chance to join me on Sparky’s last walk. The kids got ready for bed as soon as Mindy returned. I tucked them in around 840pm. Mindy and I retired to the sofa where we tuned into FOX network prime time programming for the first time all year. We watched Fringe. It was OK. I dosed off a time or two. We made a beeline for bed immediately after the program.

Over Slept ... Or Did I?

I overslept on Wednesday morning, not getting out of bed until 540am. But that wasn’t too big an issue given that I didn’t need to walk Ykraps. That itself is/was a 15 minute ordeal. I was slow to wake, even after exercising. I was in a not so good mood, thinking mostly about work related matters. Then, come 610am after delivering Mindy’s coffee, I decided to lay back down on the sofa for a tad more sleep. I don’t believe I fell completely asleep but did get some extra rest. I went vertical at 630am and did a brief meditation then a full stretching routine. I didn’t get out the door for my daily run until 650am. Because of the late hour, I short circuited my run to three miles. That got me back home at the usual time of 720am. By the way, it was a very chilly 20 degrees at run time. Where’d all this warm weather go we were expecting? Mindy had my eggs waiting at the table. Bella asked if we were still planning to do Sparky’s funeral after work. That was the tentative plan, but it was also dependent on the time I got home and the weather. Plus, I still wasn’t sure of his final resting place either. Mindy left for work and I headed off to the shower. Bella headed to her room. Like most other days, the kids and I met up downstairs at 755am and were soon at the bus stop. Chrissy asked if the funeral was still on for the evening. Apparently, they planned to attend. I may not have mentioned, Kenny phoned while were skiing in NY and offered to bury Sparky. Now that’s a good friend! But we, of course, declined. This was Wednesday, meaning a number of meetings to attend. I’d forgotten that my boss and I promised/planned to take Ken to lunch this afternoon for his 46th birthday. We opted for PF Changs. We must’ve arrived sometime around noon. We all three order one of their lunch bowls. Those two go the pepper steak. I decided to try something new, the crisp honey chicken. The bowl is about $10 and comes with rice and soup – a good deal for PF Changs. I picked up the tab. It was my turn. The afternoon went quickly. I was very busy. And as luck would have it, there was no way I was getting out of work early. I was there until 540pm. It was barely above freezing and pretty much dark when I arrived home. Burying Sparky just wasn’t in the cards. Bella expressed disappointment. I apologized but shared my reasoning. Worried that I wouldn’t have another chance until the weekend, I decided right then that I would simply do it in the morning before work, accepting the fact that I’d be late. After all, it was coming up on a week since he passed. Mindy was making spaghetti for dinner. I was upstairs hanging out and watching TV with Bella when Mindy hollered for us to wash up. But not ten seconds passed before she rescinded that call. At the time, I could only guess why. Later, my guess was confirmed. She accidentally dumped the entire pan of spaghetti down the drain. Oops! That delayed our dinner by 10 minutes. The spaghetti was decent but not her best. For one, we didn’t have meatballs, only meat added to the sauce. It was filling, though, and the accompanying salad was good, too. After dinner my belly was so full that I wanted nothing but a nap. After clean-up, Mindy, Bella, and Jacob walked down to Chrissy’s. I laid on the sofa. I didn’t wake again until time to tuck in the kids. But even after that I headed back to the familyroom only this time to the floor where I went out almost instantly. I was tired! I didn’t wake again until 11pm or so, and Mindy was already in bed. I secured the home and headed to bed. I must’ve needed the rest.

Dorthy, we're not at HV anymore

Being Tuesday, that meant heading back to work. I was up on time and quickly all about my typical work day routine. I was a little out of sorts after finishing my sit-ups and push-ups, and not having Ykraps around to walk. I found myself spending more time on the PC. I took Mindy coffee at 610am. It was time to meditate and stretch, something I hadn’t done too much of while off skiing. It was colder than expected, only 28 degrees. I bundled in my typical winter running garb and hit the streets at 640am. There were no ill effects from the four days of skiing, validating the type of shape I’m in. I give a lot of credit to my recent stretching routine. I ran four miles without any problems. I finished strong, but also hungry. I started Mindy’s Honda before settling down for the eggs and toast Mindy had ready and waiting. They were goooood. Mindy left for school at 730am. I hurried through my shower and prep. Bella called for me at 755am. We headed for the bus stop a minute or two later. I started the Trooper as we made our way that direction. After the kids boarded the bus I returned home for some last minute tasks then headed off to work. I arrived at work near 830am. Things were a little dicey to say the least. Not only was I buried in email after being out for four days, but the workload was way up too. It was difficult to get into the flow. Once things settled down a little I phoned daughter Lindsey to wish her a belated happy birthday and to plan a celebration at our place preferably on Thursday since she had classes both Tuesday & Wednesday nights. Rocky insisted on talking with me too. He asked to come over right away. As I alluded to earlier, the day was frightfully busy. I didn’t take a break for lunch. That made the day go faster than usual. Before I knew it was 530pm. And because it was a Tuesday – a Jimaken night, Mindy wanted to visit Barley’s. The kids were already off with their daddy by the time that I arrived home. It was already dark too. Mindy asked Jimaken to have the kids home by 745pm. We left for Barley’s at 615pm. It felt a bit awkward not having to walk Ykraps soon after arriving home, this our first work day since his passing. My thoughts briefly turned to him, and just how much we miss him. The Barley's sign advertised HopSlam on tap! That perked me up a little. The only down side to that was that it was Tuesday. Once inside there was never a question. HopSlam me please! Mindy ordered a glass of red wine. Oh, and Stephanie was our bartender. We ponied up next to Calvin, who was sitting at the bar talking with Shredder Matt and my old golf coach, Vince Disabato. We eventually struck up conversation with Vince. I haven’t talked with him in many years. Among other things, we discussed our friends in common, Chrissy Gardner, our neighbor. We didn’t hang at Barley’s long. We ate a quick dinner, however. I had a brisket quesadilla, and Mindy had a Barely burger. I picked up the check. We left for home at 730pm. The kids were home just a few minutes after us. After a greeting the kids headed off to ready for bed. Me, I plopped down on the living room floor, put my feet up on my office chair, and took a brief snooze. Then, after waking to tuck in the kids, I returned downstairs where I quickly crashed on the sofa. We headed for bed around 9pm.

MLK @ HV

Happy 26th B-Day Lindsey! Wake at 630am – get moving – gotta run and be checked out of the room by 10am Cloudy, drizzly, still warm – 38 degrees – UGH! Run off up the long hill meanwhile, my head still in a fog Back at 720am – everyone remains sleeping. Grab iTouch and return to lobby for complimentary starbucks and relaxation Via iTouch, read online articles about Vikings victory – lots of sour grapes from Cowboy players Returned to room – Mindy up and showered Packed and prepped for skiing Rain gave way to sunshine Loaded Honda for home with all gear save for skis Checked out at 1010am On slopes by 1040am. Skied runs we’d skipped prior: Independence – Moon Shadow – Cross Cut Kids ski easier black trails – do pretty good We do grilled hot dogs and brats atop mountain – very good Eventually get everyone on Champagne – too much for Bella – Jacob OK Like days prior, I stay back with Bella to get her down the mountain - I know what makes her tick One last run – Northwind – kids let it rip! 200pm – time to head home Load skis then head to mountainside gift shop Buy nothing Stop just before Rt86 for gas Stop in Salamanca McDonald’s for lunch – everybody happy Homeward – fast drive Drop Rene at home near 7:30pm We’re home before 8pm Kids help carry in our gear Check Sparky – still resting peacefully in garage Unpack – organize for Monday Bed by 10pm

SKOL 34-3 SKOL

Up at 8am – no ski school – foggy Same routine – running clothes in bathroom Run up the hill to Yodeler lodge and back Out of complimentary coffee at the door – crap! Back to the room – others still sleeping Change into swim suit for hot tub visit Only person out there – nice but foamy - turned off jets – stayed in ten minutes Back to room – eggs for breakfast On the slopes by 1030am – still foggy Started off on Tannembaum and Laurel – beautiful in the snow and fog – photos Kids wanted to do Northwind, but after countless runs there Saturday, we took them elsewhere. Skied until 120pm – to the room for a break I was nervous, knowing I’d see/catch some of the Vikings playoff game – thought it started at noon. It was still 0 – 0 with 7 minutes remaining in the 1st qtr. Vikings -3 yards from scrimmage – Dallas 80. Uh-Oh! But lightning in a bottle – Brett Favre - was awesome Seemingly in the blink of an eye it was 17-3 Vikings I hurried everyone through lunch and back to the slopes. There was 4 minutes remaining in the 1st half as we headed out. Did my best not to think about the game – just ski baby! We skied lots of varying terrain – I sent Mindy and Rene off to do blacks – I skied with kids Kenny texted Mindy score – I asked not to be updated until it was a final. I was giddy but also nervous! While skiing down a blue/black with the kids, Bob Imber phoned. Bob would not call to rub in a loss – not his character. I knew even before speaking, we must’ve won. We did – 34-3. SKOL! I was so excited I took a wrong turn on a run and ended up in knee deep snow with the kids. No danger – just difficult to move in. We quickly found our way. Phoned Mindy. She and Rene atop Mardi Gras. We meet. Mindy also shares updated score from Kenny. I was excited. I announced dinner at EBC to celebrate the victory in our Brett Favre jerseys. Started to drizzle around 530pm. We called it a night – headed to the room. Forecast called for a change over to snow later. If so, we’d ski more after dinner Drizzle changed to rain – Off to EBC at 7pm – packed – parking a challenge I drop gang at door – Jacob and I park Honda on Washington St Mindy has beer waiting Quickly befriend others – Ann, Ann, Skid, and ? from Buffalo. A lot of fun Also meet others from Ohio – have a condo local – have for 30 years. Love HV! Rene meets Topper, EBC employee/server/bartender We strike up many conversations while celebrating the Vikings victory! Watch Jets/Chargers game on the bar TV’s. Finally our pager goes off – dinner I order quesadilla, Mindy steak, Jacob loaded nachos, Bella mac & cheese, Rene quesadilla, too, but doesn’t eat any. Drunk! Rene wants to stay and hang out with Topper after hours – asks my permission I agreed but later regret – ask Mindy to advise against – Rene listens but isn’t happy We head back to the Tamarack Club Rene sad – Mindy & kids tired Rene & I go down to John Harvard’s for a drink Sit at bar – I order a Southern-Tier IPA draft – Rene a stiff Shirley Temple – Talk for about 30 minutes – back to our room Everyone agrees to watch Night at the Museum, but I fall asleep, of course

Ski School / Cadillac Jack's

Up early – about 645am I thought ahead and had my running clothes piled neatly in the bathroom making for an easy transition while not disturbing the others who remained sleeping Left for my run up Holiday Valley Rd towards Yodeler Lodge – all up hill - a gut buster! Mindy was up and in the shower upon my return. We needed to have the kids at the ski school next door by 9am even though class didn’t begin until 10am Mindy had bacon baking in the oven and was making scrambled eggs on the stove Started some starbucks coffee too Breakfast was filling. We had the kids at ski school by 915am. Yikes! We quickly learned why they suggested an hour early – it was packed Took 35 minutes to get them fully enrolled – they’re making a killing $85 per kid for all-day ski school (10am – 3pm) but worth every penny We didn’t waste too much time, although Mindy, Rene and I enjoyed a coffee with Bailey’s before hitting the slopes We were on the slopes by 1040am. With Jack & Goldschlager in tow, we were off! We did a couple warm-up runs off of Mardi Gras but after fighting a huge crowd decided to head to the less crowded Eagle lift and do the fun black runs it affords ( Falcon, Eagle, Hoot Owl, and Raven). We skied over there for about two hours before heading back to the condo for lunch Rene went to John Harvard’s for a while to give Mindy and I some ‘alone time’. Back on the slopes by 2pm, we did a few more black runs on the main face and then did Spruce Lake – their newest cruiser. Time to fetch the kids Mindy left Rene and I to ski while she went for the kids. We agreed to meet over by ski school in 15 minutes We met Mindy and the kids at 315pm. The kids were hungry but also wanted to show us their stuff We ascended Mardi Gras and then Cindy’s. Jacob progressed handsomely. Bella improved too, but still skis fast Cindy’s proved a little much for both – the top was admittedly mogully, steep, and icy – tougher than some blacks Bella bit it. Knowing her typical response, I encouraged the others to ski on. I worked with her one on one. She did much, much better. After skiing down, the kids needed/wanted lunch. Mindy & Rene wanted a nap. Back in the room we watched football, snacked and napped. I wasn’t sure that anyone other than me would want to go back out. But after a nap, everyone did. The kids were stoked. We agreed to ski runs they had become familiar with in class – Mardi Gras and Northwind. We must’ve skied Northwind at least ten times! The kids found a big jump and started going over it on about the 3rd run. Rene too Bella actually caught some air and stuck her landing on one run – very cool! We skied until 7:30pm – everyone was having a ball We tried to place a reservation at John Harvard’s but the wait was long – about 1.75 hours – Hell no! We opted instead for Cadillac Jack's – no wait and just a one minute drive Jacob and I order hot wings, Mindy lobster bisque, Rene a salad, and Bella spaghetti. We shared a pitcher of Sam Adams Winter lager Kept loose eye on the Colts/Ravens game – Colts won rather easily Back to the room by 10pm – after another beer, off to bed

Concrete Jungle Where Dreams Are Made Of ...

Wake at 550am in preparation for our trip Half expecting to find Sparky waiting for me downstairs He’s not. Instead, still lying on the beach towel I laid him on last night Exercise, time to walk Sparky, over come with emotion, cry like a baby Grab Sparky’s leash and walk our usual route only this time without him – warm 34 degrees I wake Mindy before leaving on my run – coffee Meditate – stretch Carry Sparky to garage so kids don’t find him while on my run Ran three miles knowing we’d be skiing later Thoughts turn to Sparky during my run Back by 730am - Mindy out of the shower I decide to load the Honda & Thule carrier before a shower – wise move Shower at 800am. Mindy informs she told kids about Sparky Jacob crying – needs consoling – Bella taking it pretty well – asks to go out and see him I take Bella to see Sparky – Jacob doesn’t want to – I understand Mindy makes scrambled eggs for all – smell/taste bad. Toss ‘em out Load Honda with final gear Depart house at 910am for Rene’s place – Arlington Everyone slightly on edge Mindy phones dad to share the news about Sparky – he won’t need walked Space is at a premium- Rene has three or four pieces to shove in. We manage but it’s tight Off to Ellicottville, New York Exit off 271N near Mayfield Heights at Wendy’s for lunch – 1130am Rene calls car repair shop where she dropped her Navigator – check engine light on. They suggest catalytic converter - $1600. No! Back on the road by noon Rt 90 across NE Ohio to PA. Rt 90 to Rt 86 east of Erie – only about 30-40 miles in PA Rt 86 into NY – Southern-Tier Expy – across Lake Chautauqua to Salamanca Rt 219N 10 miles to HV resort – Wahoo! – 3:15pm Temperature flirting with freezing for the entire drive. Cloudy - no rain – no snow Drive-up to the concierge – check-in – 3 keys – Tamarack folks help tote gear to room – lots of it! Deal on 4-day lift tickets – kids pay for only 2-days – free Sun - Thurs We park in underground garage and take skis & poles to ski check Room #518 – hillside – not slopside Small but nice – just under 500 sq ft – flat panel, fireplace, full stainless kitchen, two Queen beds Relax – eat a snack – change into ski attire On the slopes by 430pm We take the kids to Tannembaum & Laurel trails (green and pretty) Bella is in awe of the differences – struggles a little initially. Does the ski-to-me thing for the first few runs. Rene stops in front of a tree waiting for Bella. Bella nearly crashes into it – tension high amongst all of us. I suggest everyone else ski’s off and I ski with Bella providing one set of instruction – Bella concurs I slowly show her the hazards that are non existent at MRM – trees, crevices, banks, creeks. She starts skiing much more controlled, following my lead. Once I asked her to follow the trail left by my skis she got the hang of it. Jacob was doing well, too. Bella admitted she needed a class. You might say it was a big ol’ ah-hah! Take an hour long break at Yodeler lodge – EBC Pale Ale for me – kids hot cocoa and pizza Ready to ski more. We skied until 830pm – the kids finally doing some easier blues comfortably. Ended our skiing on a very positive note. Let’s do the hot tub/pool then dinner! Hot tub was awesome – met some folks from Michigan – friendly – invited to their room Room to brush up – then the John Harvard’s brew pub for dinner. Only three Harvard beer’s on the menu, but many others. I went with their Pale Ale – decent. Ordered their Cuban for my meal – good but they got nothin’ on Barley’s. Sergio was our server – very attentive. Charge dinner to our room. Back to the room and off to bed – busy day ahead!

The Last Twango

August 1997 - January 2010

Today I lost a buddy, a buddy who has been there for me every single day for the last 12+ years. He was never one to put too many demands on my time, and rarely wanted to sit on my lap. That I always appreciated. He was always a gentleman amongst his peers, and a friend to almost everyone he met. Like with most friends, we went through a lot together. We must've taken over 8000 walks where we contemplated our troubles, although most were admittedly mine. Thinking back, I always did most of the talking. But in the end, he taught me much. I'll always remember our first encounter at the Lane Avenue mall pet store and just how spunky and friendly he was. Then there was our last walk Thursday evening. Something felt different about that particular walk from jump. Our hearts connected, I think we both knew. Sparky, you were my dog and my friend. You'll be missed. I'll never forget you. I love you. Your pal, ymmiJ

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Woke on time excited about the day ahead Still cold – about 20 degrees Exercise, walk Ykraps Return for coffee, internet, meditation and stretching Wake Mindy at 610am Ran four miles – no problems Breakfast: Eggs, toast, & OJ Kids to the bus Work rather tame – thankfully Tied up several loose ends in preparation for my four-day weekend Left early – 440pm Dad at the house – got kids off the bus – Mindy worked late I arrived home around 5pm Dad reports that Rene dropped off her skis – placed in garage Dad joins me walking Sparky – noticeably mild outside -above freezing for the 1st time all year Sparky does #1 & #2 – great job! Dad shares news regarding his latest health concern. Saw doctor – good results Mindy fetches Minelli’s pizza, chicken sandwich, and meatball sub. Review itinerary with Dad He departs around 7pm Finish packing - running clothes, electronics, decide to hold off loading Thule carrier until AM Relax, pop popcorn and enjoy TV with Bella. Sparky enjoys popcorn with family Tuck in kids around 845pm Return downstairs finding Sparky lying seemingly too still – eyes wide open He’s gone :( I calmly call for Mindy – share news – onslaught of emotion & memories Divert attention to TV but thinking only about Sparky Mindy & I discuss plan. We’ll place him in the garage (cold) while we’re gone and bury him upon our return We head to bed near 10pm – sleep very poorly

What to do with 6 Cradles?

I was up a few minutes early eager to get the day underway. There’s little question that getting more than 8 hours of sleep the night before left me feeling one heck of a lot better come morning. I started my exercise routine in the dark. As soon as my sit-ups were done I logged onto my PC to check the weather and a few quick headlines. I was really surprised to see that it was only 10 degrees when the forecast called for nothing lower than 20. I could see the sky was crystal clear. That must’ve been the difference. I also saw that the Buckeyes ended up winning that basketball game last night against Purdue after trailing by as many as 13 points late. Wow! Ykraps and I bundled warmly then headed out for our walk. He pee’d a lot more than usual. Good! It was cold alright. However, beginning tomorrow, we’re supposed to top the freezing mark, I think, for the first time all year. Because of our looming skit trip, staying tuned to the weather has been an everyday thing. If correct, it’s expected to top freezing everyday for the next ten here in CMH. Lucky for us, that’s not the case for HV. My preference is for it to stay in the freezer through at least February, and possibly early March. I had plenty of PC time after our walk, but like most days, the extra time went quickly. Soon it was time to wake Mindy. I did so with a hot cup of coffee. She predictably requested I turn up the heat. I did. I poked around on iTunes a little before bagging the PC thing and moving on to meditation and stretching. As expected, both went well. I was ready to run by 6:35am. I wore my usual cold weather garb – two wicking shirts and a pullover fleece. That’s it for the upper. I was maybe a smidge chilly for the first mile or so, but quickly got the internal furnace going. I thought that I might add air to Mindy’s tires after my run but decided not. Perhaps this evening. I did, however, start and warm it for her. Meanwhile, she had my breakfast ready and waiting. I was extra hungry. The fried eggs hit the spot. Mindy left for work at 730am, and I was off to the shower a couple minutes later. I was ready to go with a couple minutes to spare, although the kids were already out to the bus stop waiting. Chrissy and Makayla arrived the same time as me. Bella was eager to share that she and I saw two doe in the backyard this AM as soon as Mindy headed out door. We figured she scared them. I had the Trooper warming while at the bus stop. I went back inside for a couple minutes but was soon ready to leave for work. Darn it! I left the heater ventr blowing directly out instead of through the defroster. The windows were still caked in frost, plus, I was out of window juice. I arrived to work on time. We had our typical Wednesday staff meeting that lasted until almost 1pm. In addition, I had a team meeting at 3pm to accommodate some new additions to my team. That made the day go by quickly. Sandwiched in between, I ran out to the Sawmill Rd Giant Eagle to get windshield washer fluid, ski beer, and some crystal light drink mix, again for our HV trip. I was back in time for my afternoon meeting. The day went fast. It was after 5pm in the blink of an eye. I contacted the Thule customer service department about my broken cradle even though I had already ordered replacement parts the day before. I was surprised at how accommodating they were. Without any proof of purchase, the gentleman agreed to send me a set of four cradles free of charge. Very cool. Now, I’ll have to see about canceling my order. I must be doing something right! I left work just after 530pm. For the first time all winter, I could easily notice the sun moving back our way. No longer am I leaving in darkness. In fact, it still wasn’t dark when I arrived home close to 6pm. The clear sky made all the difference. I already knew that Bella and I were having cheeseburgers while Mindy & Jacob ate leftovers. While Mindy put the finishing touches on dinner, I took Ykraps on his evening walk. Mindy shared that she was able to get him to take his pill by balling it up in American cheese. My cheeseburger was really good. As a side, Mindy made cheese sticks w/marinara sauce. Those are really good for ya. Yeah! I had a few of those too. We talked about our coming ski trip through dinner. And to that end, Bella shared that she has to take her Friday spelling test tomorrow. She and I practiced the words through dinner. She does really well at visualizing the word. I am impressed. Her toughest words this week seem to be ‘could’ and ‘shadow’. But she’ll get ‘em right. After dinner I did clean-up, and after clean-up I moved to rough packing. At the same time, the kids went down to Chrissy’s to play with her kids for an hour, or until 8pm. Mindy apparently decided to do some additional packing too. I had to remind her that I can’t focus with someone right on my heels. I wasn’t trying to be rude, just frank. I prefer to pack alone, and don’t want to count on anyone else to pack my stuff. That way I only have myself to blame if something is forgotten. I got most of my stuff out and in piles. I felt pretty good about what I accomplished in about 30 minutes. Rene called to discuss travel logistics, and to share a few ‘special’ things that she’s bringing (Jack Daniels, etc). She’ll be dropping off her skies Thursday evening. Cool. I spent the rest of my evening updating my blog and editing some photos. I still haven’t figured out a real simple way to shrink photos for posting to my blog using my new Adobe Elements 8 software. I’m betting there is an easy way, though. Once the kids were tucked in, Mindy and I watched a program on TLC about the ‘Hot Earth’, and how a seemingly small fluctuation in the mean temp (+1 or 2 degrees Celsius) can cause catastrophic results – drought, fires, geographic change, and ultimately death. Interesting program. I tend to think the Earth does as the Earth does, with or without influence from mankind. In other words, the Earth’s climate changes over time regardless of what we do. A look back into the Earth’s history confirms my point. However, I also know that green house gases – carbon emissions are not helping the cause. We need to do our part too. Mindy was tired and begged off to bed around 915pm. I had just poured myself a Goose Island Xmas Ale. I wanted to finish it. I ended up falling asleep after sipping away only half. I headed up to bed at 1015pm.