Check Engine

I woke a couple minutes early and because it was so close to 530am I went ahead and got my morning started. I slept good and finally felt that I got the rest my body craved. I was hoping for a much calmer, more tranquil beginning to my day. I completed my calisthenics then prepped a cup of coffee before sitting down in front of my computer. Time went by quickly. I woke Mindy at 610am with coffee in hand. The act seemed almost foreign after so many holidays and snow days the past week. Speaking of snow, there was more fresh stuff on the ground, something I’d have to deal with later after my run. I did my usual stretch and meditation ahead of my run. I never did pin-point my time of departure but believe I got out of the house for my run a few minutes ahead of schedule. I ran four miles slogging through the dry slush now covering most of the subdivision roads. It was hugely taxing on the legs, but I managed through it. Always do. Mindy was coming out to presumably start the Honda just as I was beginning the shoveling. I shoveled the drive and walks clear. Inside, a plate of scrambled eggs awaited. It was already 7:38am, so I had to hurry along if I were to get a shower and have the kids at the bus stop by 755am. I made it. The kids and I headed out at 757am. The Trooper was in the garage, so it didn't need warmed. The bus pulled up at 805am. Chrissy and I chatted ever so briefly after the kids were on their way to school. I shared a little about my Trooper dilemma. She shared a little about their MRM experience from Monday. Says she's gonna try skiing next season. I scurried on home to do my final work preparations. The Trooper started OK, but the check engine light remained on. It ran pretty well for the duration of my drive in. I was hopeful that it would be a fleeting thing, although I wasn't counting on it. Work went well, and it stayed rather calm through the day. My boss was off on vacation, so I had to take on some of his duties. That kept me hopping all day long. In fact, I had to close my door for the half the day just to stay focused on the task at hand. Around 2pm I finally left my office and joined our chili cook-off potluck already in progress. Now some of these guys can cook! I was partial to the beef stew-like chili, although it didn't win. I ate three brownies that someone picked up from Sam's Club of all places. They were delicious. A bit of good news. I called Immke Honda. They said they could/would take the Honda in while we're on vacation and said that they could replace the sideview mirror during its servicing, saving us the trouble of going to the body shop separately. We need the heating system looked at and the oil changed. The heat blows out of the wrong vents according to the selected mode. Mindy emailed around 4pm asking if we could do Barley's for dinner. Said it would make the kids very happy. I shared that I was full from our chili cook-off potluck. She wondered if I'd be happy going along just to sip an IPA. I could do that. With everything under control, I left work for home around 515pm. The Trooper ran very poorly, stalling at every stop and with each release of the gas pedal. Crap! I was really frustrated this being the third time in five years with essentially the same problem. I really don't want a new car, but I also don't want to throw good money at bad either. What to do? I was a little stressed and intense immediately in the door. I needed a few minutes to breathe - reflect. The Trooper thing had my goat. I did my level best to keep it in perspective. Soon I was freshened up and ready to head out for dinner. The kids and Mindy were in delightful moods. We hadn't been to Barley's on a Wednesday for quite some time. The lot was packed almost like a Friday. We did a make-a-parking-spot. Inside, we were seated at a table under the huge projection screen TV. A few familiar faces were sitting around the bar. Woofus to be exact. We chatted with him and his peeps briefly before settling in at our table. Janet handed me a Centennial from behind the bar. Mindy and the kids eventually placed food orders. Jacob went with Gates of Hell wings and onion straws. Bella chose KC wings & fries. Mindy selected their daily special, a strip steak with a red wine mushroom sauce and a side of braised greens. I almost changed my mind and ordered food but stopped myself just short. I wasn't hungry. The Olympics were whirling on one of the nearby flat panels - curling. I watched intently. I finally figured out the game's strategy. I commented to Mindy that my dad would be good at that. I sampled some of Mindy's steak. It was delicious except for it being a little over cooked. I ate two of Bella's wings along with a few of her fries. I drank just the one beer. By the way, Mindy enjoyed one of those Southern Tier Raspberry porters. The Buckeye basketball game was just getting underway as we were wrapping up our dinner. Our friend Rick walked in about the same time. He's flying down to Carolina this weekend to see his first grandchild. Very stoked! We headed for home just before 7pm. The kids started preparing for bed almost immediately. So did Mindy. We planned to watch the Olympics at 8pm. It was slated to be a big night, snow boarding finals, women's downhill, and both short & long track ice skating races. I did some writing in my blog leading up to the Olympics. In fact, I missed Shawn White's first run in the halfpipe. I joined the family a few minutes later. We watched Shani Davis win the gold in long track ice skating race, and then watched Lindsey Vonn win the women's downhill gold. She was amazing. Several women wiped out violently on the very fast track. While watching the exciting women's downhill race, Bella shared her desire to be a downhill racer someday. She asked if I would come watch her. Of course I would. Lookout world! I saw Shawn White's second run. It was darn near flawless. I tried holding out for his last but couldn't stay awake. We headed to bed around 1030pm.