Hansel Eats at the Vaq

I was up at 530am feeling rested and ready for a new day. I started my morning routine, which now includes tending to my eyes by adding a series of eye drops. I sprinkled that in amongst my regular exercise regimen. Outside, there was a star filled sky and the temperature in the upper 30’s. I did my usual meditation and stretching before delivering Mindy’s coffee. It was just after 630am when I headed out for my run. I decided to run just three miles after doing four on Sunday and Tuesday. I had the benefit of the nearly full moon looming overhead through the run’s entirety, although darkness quickly gave way to daylight mid-run. It’s nice having the daylight back so soon. The kids were busy getting ready for school while Mindy was busy making my eggs. The weather was expected to be nice, highs in the 70s. Mindy reminded me about Jacob’s school play. I thought I might try to leave work and make it to the daytime performance at 1030am. She, Jimaken, and Gloria were already planning to go. We’d be going to the general performance later that evening, too. I saw the kids onto the bus at their usual time. Back home I prepped my gear for departure leaving in the BM’er around 815am. I talked with my boss early on about leaving for Jacob’s school play. He didn’t mind at all. Before heading out, I phoned Paul P., the backflow water meter inspection dude I used last year, to schedule an appointment. We agreed on April 17th. I want to have it out of the way, although I think that's a bit early. I left work destined for Jacob’s school play shortly after 10am. I ran into Jimaken in the school’s hallway. We weren’t exactly sure where to go but eventually found our way. Mindy, Gloria, and niece Lynn-Lynn were already there seated against the gymnasium wall. We joined them. I had trouble focusing on the stage – mid-distances. The fluorescent lighting gave me fits and caused my eyes to dry out quickly. The student body filed into the gymnasium one classroom at a time. They were quite orderly. Bella was happy to see us, but had to remain with her classmates. The principal's intro was loaded with over-the-top/manufactured joy. Soon the school play, Hansel & Gretel Eat Right, was underway. Jacob had the part of Hansel. He was obviously nervous, chewing on his jacket sleeve throughout and speaking his parts very softly. His face was red as an apple, too. I felt for him. And the truth is, I wouldn’t have done much better. To help ease his mind I stood up and shouted encouragement, but also orders for him to stand tall and proud and speak his parts loud and clear. The gymnasium quickly went silent. Jacob burst into tears running off stage. What? No – just kidding. :) The play lasted about 30 minutes. We hung out afterwards long enough to chat with Jacob and his teacher, Mrs. Anderson. Unbeknownst to me, Mindy offered to buy her lunch as well as Mrs. Valentine’, Bella’s teacher. She was going to Wendy’s for the kids already. I headed back to work. Mindy, Gloria, and Lynn-Lynn headed off to Wendy’s. Some time around noon Hugh White Honda’s internet sales guy called me on my office phone. He wanted to talk about the price he quoted me for a new CR-V days ago in an email. I took a few minutes to chat with him asking that he redo the price based on all the dealer installed options I wanted installed. Additionally, I asked for it to be priced two ways, with and without navigation system. I also threw in that I needed an update on our Pilot that was currently in their shop. He called back minutes later with the information. First, he said our Pilot would be ready by 5-6pm. Secondly, he gave me the numbers. I wrote them down without judgement. After we hung up I pulled up my spreadsheet to review his numbers against my own showing various discounts percentages and the overall price impact. Turns out, his newest quote was higher than his original. I don’t need a new car. I won’t pay top dollar – no way! I called Mindy to let her know what I learned about the Pilot. She really wanted it to be ready sooner. Later, that same afternoon Honda called Mindy to advise that they had received the wrong part and needed to reorder it. The Pilot would sit with its dash torn apart for yet another day. Oh dear! Mindy and I went back and forth a couple times late afternoon over how we’d deal with the evening play. We eventually agreed to meet there around 615pm. From my perspective, it made little sense for me to leave work at 530pm, drive home, and then turn right back around and drive back. The school is a just a mile or two from my office. With that agreement, we also collectively agreed, the kids included, to do dinner at El Vaquero afterwards. I stayed at work until 615pm then headed off to the kids' school. I was there by 625pm. I spotted Chrissy & Kenny, right away. Their daughter Lillian is in the play, too. Mindy was saving seats for me, Jimaken’s mom, and nephew Joe & Jerry. The play didn’t begin until 7pm. Bella took me to see some of her art work mounted for display in the school's hallways. I photo’d some of it. I also got a picture of Jacob’s weaving project. The play started at 7pm after another very fakey - over-the-top intro from the principal. Jacob did much better this go round, spoke his parts with more assertiveness. Seemed to go faster too, but that’s probably because we saw it once before. I was hungry. Lucky for me, Mindy had a baggie of Cheezits in her purse. She gave them to me. I ate them all. After the play, Mindy did her share of gabbing with the teachers and neighbors. Soon, however, we left for El Vaquero with Jacob choosing to ride with me in the BM’er. We arrived at El Vaquero at what had to be near 8pm. Driving in the twilight was difficult. Service was barely adequate, which is uncharacteristic of the Vaq. – slow and mistake prone. We overlooked the small troubles though. A guy doing balloon caricatures stopped by and asked the kids if they wanted a balloon. Then, after starting his creations, advised the two of us that he doesn’t charge for 'em but does accept tips. We tipped him $1. The only other option was $10 and that wasn’t going to happen. Our food was just OK. We headed for home around 845pm. Mindy got the kids ready for bed in a hurry. I checked email and a few other things on the PC, but didn’t dwell there. I did my eye drop regimen and then prepared for bed.

Wayne "Dryer"

Up just a couple minutes after 530am I quietly went about brushing my teeth then headed downstairs with my running clothes firmly in my clutches. I breezed through sit-ups before leaping to my PC where I did a temperature check. It was chilly – only 36 degrees. The good news was that the sky was clearing, and according to the weather gods, it was expected to stay that way through the Easter holiday while the temperature climbs into the mid 70s. Yeah! I didn’t spend too much time online. Next, I did 53 push-ups then started my eye drop regimen. I was ready for meditation and stretching early. It was just after 6am. Both went extremely well. I felt terrific, inwardly and outwardly. Before leaving for a run I delivered Mindy’s coffee. It was just after 630am. Feeling good, I ran the full four miles with not as much as a word from my once achy calf. That was especially good news. I was home by 710am. Mindy was just putting my fried eggs down at my usual place. I noticed she’d already started moving things (plants, books, chairs etc) off the downstairs carpeted areas in preparation for the carpet cleaners, who were scheduled to arrive sometime after 930am. Like most days, I saw the kids onto the bus at 805am. Back home I helped Mindy move more stuff off the carpet. In particular, I took care of my PC. That went easier than I imagined, but was still a pain. Mindy planned to have the entire downstairs along with the steps and upstairs hallway cleaned, deodorized, and scotch guarded. I was driving the BM’er to work leaving Mindy with the Trooper while her Honda is in the shop. They called late last night to advise that the new mirror was already on and that they’d be proving a new key fob to resolve the intermittent issue we’d been having with it. Unfortunately, he advised, the service guys quickly dismissed the heating vent issue as a non-issue, but said he knows it’s a real issue and would have to address it with them again in the AM. Said it should be ready by the end of the day (Tuesday afternoon). I left for work after moving the Trooper to the street. It was a cold drive in – only 36 degrees and under a shroud of fog. I turned the heater on and had it blowing on my hands during the entire drive in. Invigorating comes to mind!  The fog eventually gave way to sunshine some time early morning. That was nice to see. And speaking of seeing, my peepers were doing great. I could see really well at multiple distances. Mindy phoned early on to tell me that the carpet guy was almost done. He arrived early. Sometime around noon Honda called to share that the Pilot needed a part buried deep in the bowels of the dash and that they’d have to have it shipped in. Wouldn’t be ready until sometime Wednesday afternoon. Lovely! Mindy picked Rocky up from school for Lindsey and took him home. Got a chance to talk with Mrs. Dent, his teacher and our neighbor. At lunch time I drove to Lowe’s to checkout track lighting fixtures after Mindy & I both agreed that black track lighting would work over the fireplace. I found the ideal set-up but it came with only three light heads. We really wanted four. Fortunately, they sell extra heads. I picked another one up. I also bought a dimmer switch. Cool. It was a sunny afternoon, but still a tad on the cool side – only about 53 degrees. Instead of heading back to the office I drove across Mill Run lot to Jack’s Pet Shop where I bought two dozen crickets for Mr. Lizard. I was back at the office around 2pm and quickly got into my lunch, sliced veggies and a can of tuna. The afternoon went well. I talked with Mindy during lunch. She shared that the dryer was on the fritz. Turning and blowing, but only cool air. Excellent! I didn’t have the mind set to deal with it at the time. I took the bad news in stride doing my best to convince myself that having things also means things will brake. I left for home at 530pm. Mindy reminded me that Jacob would be at soccer. We’d be having burgers for dinner. Earlier, the choices were pizza and something else. Not sure what changed. But that was fine with me. The house was all out of sorts after having the carpets cleaned (things everywhere), and I was pretty much the same way - out of sorts. We have to wait 24 hours before putting everything back. Ugh! I took a quick look at the dryer while waiting on Mindy to finish the burgers. Yep, nothing but cold air. Figured it to be the heating element. I told Mindy I wasn’t even gonna screw with it. Instead, we’d call Sears after dinner. We enjoyed our dinner, just the three of us. Kind of quiet. Mindy was quick to finish her burger then headed down to Chrissy’s to fetch the load of laundry she put in her dryer. It’s good to have great neighbors. As luck would have it, Mindy was in the middle of washing our bedding when our dryer stopped. For some reason, there seemed to be a lot of dishes to clean-up. Took me a while. The house already cluttered, I hand washed and dried everything then put them away. While Mindy went after another load of clothes at Chrissy’s, I started scheduling our Sears dryer repair online via Mindy’s laptop. Set it up for Saturday morning. It would be $129 for the trip and labor plus whatever part needs replaced. Before clicking finish, however, I decided to take another quick look to see how easy it would be to replace the heating element after seeing that the typical price is only about $40 for the part. I was able to remove the front panel with ease ( 2 screws and two clips). The heating element appeared to be tucked neatly into a sheet metal housing with a handful of screws. I wasn’t sure how to get it out. Mindy returned and found me tinkering and just laughed. Not a minute later and feeling overmatched, I reverted to my earlier stance – have Sears deal with it. I finished the service request order online. Mindy asked if I wanted to walk down to Chrissy’s. According to Mindy, Kenny was busy removing his new Jeep’s hard top and installing the soft one. However, when we got there he was gone, off to get a part from the dealership. Apparently they gave him the wrong one. According to Mindy & Chrissy, he wasn’t too pleased. We stayed and chatted with Chrissy, but after only a few minutes I felt the urge to head back home and do some reading. I took the keys and walked back home and snuggled up in the family room chair with my latest Dyer book, Excuses Begone! Mindy wasn’t far behind. I expected her to stay there for a while. I read for about 45 minutes or until the urge for sleep overcame any other. I sat my book aside and threw my legs over the side and started into a glorious nap. Ahhh! Next thing I knew it was almost 9pm and Bella was asking me to tuck her in. I sat my book aside and headed up to tuck both kids into bed. Jacob was home from soccer practice by then too. I returned for a little more reading, and around 920pm I decided to pop some popcorn. Bella’s sniffer quickly sought me out asking if she could come down and enjoy some too. I begrudgingly agreed. She was pleasant throughout our snack. Mindy sent her back to bed and then we soon followed.

PF Changs & Dropping the Honda

I must’ve woken three different times to pee through the night, most likely from all the water I consumed on Sunday. I was up and downstairs ready to begin my day before 530am. I completed my sit-ups before starting my eye drop regimen. After antibiotic drops I checked the weather and headlines then did my push-ups. After push-ups I dosed up with some prednisone drops. I had to wait 20 minutes before using the lubricating drops, otherwise I risk washing the other two away negating their benefits. I sipped coffee at the PC until 600am when I did my lubricating drops. Ahhh! They felt incredible. Mindy asked not to be woken up until just before my run, which wouldn’t be till just after 630am. I used the time to do a really good mediation and then a thorough stretching. I ended my alone time feeling incredibly blessed and close to God. I dressed for my run then delivered Mindy’s coffee. It was 620am on the nose. I was out the door a minute or so later. It was gloomy and chilly – about 40 degrees, but still warmer than I expected. I ran just three miles after running four on Sunday. Despite my calf feeling pretty good, I plan to ease back into my regular routine of four miles each morning. Wisdom comes with age. I was home just after 7am. Mindy was just starting my breakfast. Daylight is already making its comeback. Another week or so and we’ll be right back where we were before the time change. Bella enjoyed a blueberry poptart while I enjoyed eggs. Jacob was already off to his room. The plan called for me to see the kids onto the bus, I guess to save Mindy from having to get changed. I didn’t mind. It’s my routine. I was showered and downstairs just before bus time – 755am. We headed out one right after the other. The kids were dragging a little after Sunday evening’s late bed time. Chrissy joked that Mindy was the only one with a smile on her face this morning being on spring break and all. I returned to the house only briefly to gather my gear. Mindy had a list of appointments she planned to schedule in the morning including: carpet cleaning, eye exam, and a banking appointment – three things she’s had on her to-do list for some time coming. I left at 810am, driving for the first time with my lasered peepers. No troubles at all. I took notice of how well I could read all the gauges and stereo. That rocks! My mid & longer distance vision is still a work in progress, but certainly well enough for driving. Work went well. I was visited separately by two of my guys, both of whom have had LASIK in the past year, and both eager to see and hear how mine went. I was excited that I could comfortably work at my PC all day without feeling the need for glasses, although I did stop, get up and blink, and lubricate often. Mid-day I did my full eye drop regimen. Things were very busy in part because my peers were on vacation, both here and abroad. I talked with Mindy early on. She was excited to share that she had all of her appointments made by 930am. Her eye exam was set for this afternoon at 215pm. We made plans to do lunch at PF Changs around 1230pm. The carpet cleaning was set up for Tuesday AM and the banking later that afternoon. Honda called to remind/confirm our service appointment for Tuesday AM. Actually, we planned to drop it off Monday after work. Mindy and I met at PF Changs at 1230pm as planned. We both ordered their lunch bowl special, and both had the pepper steak and brown rice. We differed in our soup. She had hot and sour. I had egg drop. We ordered some lettuce wraps too. They’re supremely delicious. We enjoyed our lunch date then headed our separate ways at 130pm. I picked up the check. Mindy headed towards Dr Julie’s office for her 215pm appointment, although she thought she might stop at the Olentangy River Rd Kohl’s beforehand. If she did, she’d be pushing it. I headed back to work. The afternoon was busy. I chatted some with my boss and then received a call from Mindy around 330pm. Shared that her eye appointment went well, needs +1.0 readers. Ordered them from Julie. She also shared that Julie’s 8 months pregnant Wow! I had no idea. While there, she kindly made my follow-up exam for Friday, April 9 at 130pm. Cool! We planned to drop the Pilot off at Hugh White Honda for service after work. I suggested we simply meet there rather than me driving home first. Mindy agreed. In fact, they were already there when I arrived and browsing in the showroom. I had thought about talking to a sales guy about a new CR-V but it was chilly and raw outside, and I knew the kids would be beside themselves if I took longer than a few minutes, hardly the ideal circumstances for some friendly negotiating. I thought better of it and we all headed home. Mindy warmed the fried chicken she bought at Wal-Mart the day before. I suggested she bake it on the stone rather than microwaving it. That way it would end up crunchier. It turned out just OK. I didn’t complain, well, at least not too much.  Mindy baked some chocolate chip cookies after dinner. I thought we might start moving ‘stuff’ out of the way for tomorrow morning’s carpet cleaning, but Mindy never mentioned it. Without discussing it, I just figured we’d do it after the kids were on the bus in the morning. The kids were in bed by 830pm. Mindy and I headed to bed around 930pm.

Rain, Eyes, & Steak

After a solid eight I woke at 7am ready to get after my day. Sometime during the night I remember ripping the plastic eye covers off my face after determining that they were causing major discomfort. Soon after starting a pot of coffee I tended to my eyes, putting in the three drop series: antibiotics, prednisone, and finally a lubricant. As expected, my vision was incrementally better but still not perfect. I spent a bit of time on the PC sipping coffee and writing in my blog. Mindy got up just before 9am. Unfortunately, it was raining steadily and relatively cool – about 43 degrees. Because of that, I wasn’t in a big rush to run. Mindy printed off a grocery list remotely. I delivered it to her in the kitchen. I noticed we’re all but out of black ink. I’ll need to get a new cartridge soon. I’m guessing that it was near 1030am when I finally readied for a run. By then the rain had all but stopped, but the streets remained plenty wet. I did my stretch routine then hit the streets. Feeling really good, I ran four miles for the first time in a week. The funny thing was, my typical run is four miles with Sunday being a three mile day. This past week was the total opposite. Mindy headed off to grocery soon after I returned from my run. I took a quick shower then returned downstairs for some lunch and reading. It was unpleasant outside, and definitely a day to stay inside. Mindy got home just as I was getting comfy. I expected it, and leaped to my feet to help carry in the groceries. Suddenly, though, the weather began to tease. The sky cleared giving way to bright sunshine. However, because of all the rain earlier, we had what amounted to a small a stream moving slowly across the back yard towards the pond. It wasn’t too warm either – still only in the mid 40’s. Mindy and I planned to grill the steaks we thawed yesterday. We also anticipated the kids return somewhere near 330pm. I did some reading and napping during the middle afternoon. The kids arrived home on schedule. They were cheerful sharing that they went to see the new Alice in Wonderland movie that afternoon. The weather sunny, the kids headed out to play. I asked that they avoid playing in the upper back yard where the stream once was to avoid making a muddy, mucky mess. They eventually switched to bike riding. Sometime mid-afternoon, Kenny & Chrissy phoned to see if we wanted to grill out with them around 430pm. We went ahead and made plans to cookout with them. Peobina & Kapil would be grilling with us too. Mindy agreed to make a salad and to provide our steaks and hot dogs for all the kids. She walked our meat down around 4pm. The brief reprieve from the clouds and rain soon came to an abrupt halt. Clouds and drizzle moved back in around 415pm. Shortly after, we walked to the neighbors to do the cookout (eating indoors, however). We watched a little of the rain soaked golf tournament from Orlando. Peobina and Kapil showed up separately. Kapil went after dessert, while Poebina and Isha came right over. By 530pm the steaks were done. Nobody grills steaks as well as Kenny. They’re always pink and juicy inside yet grilled to perfection on the outside. We enjoyed baked potatoes too. While others partook in beer & wine, I did not. Instead, I drank ice water all day and evening. I would normally skip the ice cream but on this night I did not. I couldn’t resist the double chocolate brownie ice cream topped with some of the hot dipping chocolate Peobina provided poured over top. Yum-yum! After dessert, Kenny put in the Couple’s Retreat DVD that Kapil brought over, the very movie I watched on pay-per-view Friday. I was eager to watch it again along with others. The movie was even better the second time around. I caught a few parts that I missed Friday. Who knows what I was doing. Mindy wanted to head home 20 minutes into the movie but we ended up staying for its entirety. She loved the humor. In fact, everyone did. Ended around 930pm, I think. We walked home. Bella was very upset because we missed, Life, the Discovery Channel program we caught last Sunday. I mean, she was in tears over it. On one hand, I was happy she’s that passionate about that type of TV, but on the other hand, I think she was a bit over the top. We offered to watch it via PC Monday and then the next nine episodes as planned. She was a pill until tuck in. Mindy said she was over tired. After dosing my eyes, we headed to bed too.

Elevated Once More

It was Saturday and roughly 3am when I was jolted from sleep with a bad dream and a dull headache, no doubt a byproduct of the five beers I drank earlier. I choked down three Advil and jumped back into bed. I didn’t wake again until almost 9am. At that point I woke more out of fear that the day would slip away. Honestly, I was still quite sleepy. I was also confused about the whereabouts of my clear plastic eye covers. I was sure that I had them taped on before bed, yet they weren’t on my face come rise time. After brushing my teeth I proceeded downstairs to start coffee and my eye drop regimen. After a half hour of work on my eyes I did my exercises. Vision-wise, my up close was good but my distant still askew – about like Friday. I sipped coffee and then finally sat down at my PC, but only for brief spurts. I was able to function quite well without glasses. Very encouraging! Mindy got out of bed somewhere near 1030am. She was slow to get moving. It didn't sound like she was gonna go to yoga after all. We talked and laughed about our Friday night antics. We had fun hanging out at Barley’s with our peeps, and then later at Kenny & Chrissy’s. After a little cajoling, Mindy decided to head to yoga after all. I knew it would do her some good all the way around. She loves what it does for her physically and spiritually. She left just before I took off on my run. I’m guessing about 1130am. It was sunny and 40 degrees at run time with the day’s high expected to top out in the mid 50’s. It was a nice run. My calf pain was minimized to a very mild, dull ache, but I still kept my run to three miles. Throughout, I remained mindful of the sweat forming around my brow – a big concern after LASIK - occasionally wiping it away to avoid it rolling into my eyes. I was ravenously hungry after my run. To that end, I whipped up a quick turkey and cheese sandwich. That helped a lot. Before my body had a chance to go sedentary, I headed for a much needed shower then did another dose of eye drops. Mindy returned from yoga around 115pm. She wasn’t home long before she declared it necessary to have her hair colored/streaked by niece Lynn-Lynn. Figured to be gone a while. I was good with that. I had no plans beyond some reading, napping, and spreading fertilizer. Daughter Ashley phoned as Mindy was preparing to depart. She shared some disturbing, yet not too surprising news about her sister and mother. After reading some of “Excuses Begone!” I headed out to spread fertilizer. I wore sun glasses per doctor’s orders. I spent no more than 30 minutes doing the chore including the prep and clean-up. There’s a ton of other early spring yard work needing done but this wasn’t the weekend to do it. My eyes needed time to heal. They’re the priority and rightfully so. After the brief chore, I headed back inside for more reading and hopefully a nap. It felt awfully good to snuggle up in the big chair with my book and a blanket in complete peace. I was able to read, by the way, without any problem, something even Dr Beran didn't think I'd be able to do without reading glasses. Mindy returned home around 530pm with her hair highlighted in reds, browns, and blondes. It looked nice. We made dinner plans for the Elevator and readied to go around 700pm. This time we planned to get a table and enjoy a full blown meal. I remembered to take my camera this time too. Mindy drove, my vision still not ready for the roads. As I am sure Mindy would agree, I didn’t do too well as the passenger. I found myself giving driving lessons on the fly. And then, when Mindy did her version of parallel parking I about cried. She wasn’t pleased. We both got over it. The wait was stated to be 30 minutes. I didn’t mind. That gave us an opportunity to sit at the bar and sip a microbrew. This time I went with the Bear Ass Pale Ale. Mindy went with the Procrastinator Stout. Our conversation centered around what if anything we might be able to do to help with the latest daughter dilemma. I had enough time to order a second beer, this time an IPA. Mindy was still working on her first. Meanwhile, the Elevator was packed. Finally after about a 40 minute wait were taken to a table. No worries! We started with calamari. It was delicious, prepared similar to, but not exactly like CBC’s. Actually, I preferred it to theirs. Next, we ordered our entrée’s. We both went with dishes they’re noted for, filet mignon cooked at your table on soapstone. Mindy went with a 7oz filet. I went with a 4oz, but with shrimp and scallops too. Both came with a side and a salad. The idea is this. They bring you your meat branded with their logo and slightly warm, but still uncooked on a plate along with a soapstone measuring approximately 8”X10” and heated to 500 degrees along with a variety of sauces for dipping. You then cook your own meat one bite at a time, or to your personal liking. A bit unusual, but also cool. Mindy cooked and ate her filet so fast that our server quipped that she must've tossed it away. I had only just begun. Crap! Not too long into dinner I started having indigestion problems and struggled to eat my meal comfortably. It felt like the muscle at the entrance to my stomach was cramping and releasing over and over. It left me very uncomfortable. Somehow I mange to finish all but my mashed potatoes. For relief, I got up and walked around. Not sure what that was all about! As agreed earlier, Mindy grabbed the check while I waited just outside the front door for her. I stopped on my way out and read an article about the origins of the soapstones they use to cook the meats. It was posted in a frame close to the front door. We headed for home. I was anxious to get into my PJ’s and dose my eyes with drops. We arrived home just before 10pm. I had to stay up until 1020pm doing the eye drop regimen.

Unveiling a New World

I slept well until 650am when Mindy woke late for work. She failed to set the alarm on her clock. I felt a smidge guilty since I'm usually her back-up alarm clock. The guilt quickly abated. :) Once Mindy returned from starting coffee she primed the shower. The noise and light no longer tolerable, I rolled out of bed too. I brushed my teeth then eagerly headed downstairs to peel the plastic goggles away from my eyes that had been taped in place for nearly 18 hours. It took some doing, but I got them off. Before starting the prescribed eye drops regimen, I went to the back door to stare outside to check my vision. I could see fairly well without my glasses, although there was obvious haloing surrounding any bright light. Also worthy of mention was the three inches of snow we received overnight. First snow since our return from Oregon. Walking around the kitchen, I could easily read all the labels scattered about, something I couldn't do prior. That was exciting. Next, I went to the guest bathroom to start the eye drops. Both eyes were bloodshot, the left far worse than the right. First, the antibiotic, five minutes later, the prednisone, and finally, twenty minutes later, the artificial tears. While somewhat soothing, the drops, at least temporarily, blurred my vision. I had specific instructions not to get on the computer and/or read from a book for a couple of days. On top of that, I wasn't supposed to exercise to any great degree either. What to do? I simply enjoyed some coffee then paced around the downstairs. Soon after Mindy left for school, I headed up for a shower. I was expecting Dad around 830am. I was showered and downstairs watering house plants when dad rapped on the door. It must've been about 825am. We talked for about 30 minutes over coffee before time to depart for my post-op appointment. We had to use extreme caution walking down the front steps. They were covered in ice and snow and very slippery. I told dad that most of the snow would be gone by day's end given the brilliant sunshine. Dad countered that he didn't think so since the temperature wasn't expected to rise much higher than 40 and then slip back into the 20's overnight. He apparently failed to consider the strength of the warm spring sunshine. We made it to Columbus Laser by 9:35am. I had to wait no more than five minutes before being called back. I think the young lady's name was Lori. She asked how I fared overnight. OK, I responded. Then she asked how my vision seemed. I shared that my close up vision was hugely improved, even better than expected, but that my far vision was still a little blurry. Before I could finish she quickly shared that I must have forgotten what they shared about treating farsightedness. She went on to share that it would be a while before my far vision cleared, and that the immediate improvement in my close-up vision would likely revert a little. Come to think of it, I do recall Dr Beran saying it would take a while for my vision to settle at its peak. But as far as I was concerned, they never said anything about the close-up being better quick and then reverting. A quick check of my vision on the wall chart revealed that I was already 20/20 in my right eye and 20/40 in my left. She went on to share that the left eye, for whatever reason, is often the slower of the two to respond. It was also the more irritated of the two, a tendency I correlated to the lagging results. Lori left me, suggesting that Dr Beran wanted to check me too. While waiting, I grabbed a nearby eye booklet, one I needed my eye glasses to read just the day before. On this day, however, I could easily read everything, even the small copyright stuff on the back in tiny print. I was pleasantly surprised. Soon Dr Beran came in to check me out. He used the microscope and light thingamabob. Said I was doing great and reiterated the need to set up a follow-up appointment with Dr Julie, my ophthalmologist, about two weeks out. I again thanked him for his services and was on my way. I asked Jessica, the receptionist, to give Tanya my best as Dad and I departed. Dad dropped me at home and left immediately after. I headed inside and quickly readied for a run. I couldn’t bear the thought of having my run looming in the balance. And while the temperature remained below freezing and the ground still covered in snow, the brilliant sunshine was more than warm. I wore my regular sunglasses in lieu of the prescription variety. It felt awfully good to run. The cool air felt great against my eyes, too. I hardly broke a sweat, which keeping it out of my eyes was of utmost importance. I ran just three miles to aid in healing my sore calf as well as my eyes. I wasn’t back from my run long before I called my boss to let him know that I wasn’t coming into work – can’t drive. A few minutes later Mindy phoned to see how my follow-up appointment went. I shared the news and numbers. With nothing planned and the inability to play on the PC or read a book I decided to try watching TV. Bored quickly, I tried ordering a movie-on-demand. Still the same thing as before – a banner reading something like: call 481-5050 for Customer Service. This time I called. The kind young lady explained that I needed an HD box to get the M.O.D. in HD. Duh! But that’s what we have. She doubted it until she did some more research. She apologized and added a 'missing code' from our box. She let me watch “Couples Retreat” on them. It was funny. I enjoyed the light hearted humor. Just like that it was mid to late afternoon. I did some napping, which felt terrific and then puttered around the house mindlessly. Mindy and the kids arrived home around 430pm. But this being a Jimaken weekend, the kids weren’t home long. Jimaken arrived ten minutes later to pick ‘em up. By then, 99% of the snow had melted away. It was approaching 5pm when the kids left. Soon after, I asked Mindy if she wanted to go to Lowe’s on Georgesville Rd to look for the light fixture I wanted for over the fireplace. She did. She drove. We opted for the back way (down Wilson to Fisher, to Georgesville) hoping to miss the heavy I-270 rush hour traffic. Nope – heavy the entire drive. Honestly, we probably should’ve waited, but I was anxious to do something/anything given my visual restrictions. The lights and air in Lowe’s wreaked havoc with my freshly lasered eyes. Daggone! And what’s more, they didn’t have the light fixture in stock either. We couldn’t agree on another so we left empty handed. It may take time, but we both know that we'll eventually find a light fixture we both like. And that goes for the dining room fixture, too. Mindy wants it replaced as well. The old brass fixture just doesn’t cut it. After Lowe's, we headed to Target where I bought a large box of the preservative-free lubricating eye drops. From there we headed to Barley's arriving at close to 645pm. I did some drops just before heading in. Any significant light transitions screw with my eyesight. Once inside for 10 or 15 minutes it began to stabilize and adjust. Thank goodness! I enjoyed a Centennial to start while Mindy had a St Joan's, her all-time fave. We chatted it up with our friend Christa (the woman with magic hands). Bob & Mary Ann showed up for the first time in a while, and early too. We talked LASIK for a while, with Bob being a recipient 2+ years ago. Bob's one of those folks that had to wear eye glasses for most of his life. Without question, LASIK has had a profound impact on his active lifestyle. We talked skiing for some time too, although we both have put the skis up for the spring/summer. I made a mistake that would follow me into Saturday. I didn't order dinner along with Mindy. Soon nephew Joe and Jerry came in. We hadn't seen those two since the euchre tournament a couple weeks ago, and hadn't partied with 'em in months. We yucked it up for the next hour or so. Shortly after, Daniel showed up. We hadn't seen her for a really long time either, Xmas I think. She's always fun to talk with. We made two new friends too - Tara and Courtney. They were friends - not a couple. We left for home but not before I had finished four beers, the last being a Maharaja IIPA. Not sure when we made the decision to visit our neighbors, but we did soon after arriving home. I poured the last of my Centennial growler into a pint glass before we walked down. Neighbors Mike & Teri were there as was Uncle Mike (Julie's husband). We hung out for an hour or more. Chrissy was already in bed when we got there. I tried waking her but to no avail. According to Mindy, it was 1am when we headed home. I did some eye drops then taped on my plastic eye protectors before jumping into bed.

Fixin' my Peepers!

Finally here, LASIK day, I rolled out of bed and reached for my eye glasses for what I hoped would be the very last time. As one might expect, I felt a little more incentive to get the morning moving. I did my sit-ups, checked the weather, then did push-ups. For the time being, anyway, it was clear and about 40 degrees. The forecast, however, wasn't as pretty, calling for rain to move in mid-morning followed by dropping temperatures and possibly even snow overnight. Yikes! More than anything, I just wanted the rain to hold out long enough for Safelite to finally replace my windshield while at work. I was guaranteed a first appointment given my need to leave the office by 11am for my LASIK appointment. I woke Mindy at 615am and then did my meditation and stretching. My calf felt better than the day before. I carefully massaged it during stretch time, employing Mindy's strategy (rubbing upward). Seemed to help. I ran just three miles for the 6th day in a row in an attempt to give myself a little break to heal. It's surprising how beneficial chopping off one mile can be for healing. The kids were eager to be heading to grandma Sharon's with a field trip to Anthony Thomas planned for the afternoon. Mindy figured to meet me back at home around 1145am. They left at 715am. I was showered and groomed by 750am. I took five minutes to make sure I had everything necessary for my LASIK even though I knew I'd be returning home beforehand. I did my eye drop routine as directed, too. Off to work. I arrived at work by 825am. Remembering I had my camera in tow, I snapped a photo of myself entering the building with eye glasses on for hopefully the last time. The morning in the office went incredibly fast. Safelite arrived at 900am after a call head. I must say, these guys have customer service down to a science - very good. I spotted Dan the Safelite man parked by my Trooper from my fifth floor office. He phoned a minute or so later to ask that I unlock the doors for access. I walked out and greeted Dan L.. He was very articulate and friendly, explaining the process and how it was his intention to be fully completed by 1015am understanding my need to be out of there by 11am. He phoned again around 930am, just after removing my old windshield, to advise of rust in the upper windshield bed. Needed me to come see. Dan pointed out the surface rust and advised of its long term effects, which included possible water leakage down the sometime road. His plan was to grind it out and then apply a primer before the windshield glue. Agreed that the likely cause was having four windshields replaced in seven years. Lastly, he shared that the rust control process would add about 15 minutes of work. I worked until 1035am when the call came that he was done and needed my $250 deductible. My boss happened to be in my office and shared that I could just plan on leaving for the day. I took him up on the offer, packed up my laptop and belongings and headed out. Just in the nick of time. It had begun to rain just as Dan finished up. The universe and I were in sync. For some reason, my debit card wouldn't take. I had to use my credit card instead. Homeward! I arrived home right around 11am. I made myself lunch, a cheese burrito, knowing I wouldn't likely eat again until late evening. Furthermore, since I'd be taking a Valium just before the LASIK procedure, I needed to have food in my belly. Mindy got home around 1155am. While waiting, I posted a couple days of text and photos on my blog. Just as planned, we headed towards Columbus LASER at 12noon. I drove. It rained for the entire trip up - about 20 miles. We arrived early - about 1230pm. After a warm greeting I was told to relax in the waiting room. I chose to read a magazine - Discovery - while Mindy chose to grade school papers. I read an article about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and how the symptoms closely mimic hyperactivity. Sad. Soon I was called back to begin the process, which for me included another eye exam since it had been more than 5 months since I was last in. Dr Pipo did the re-exam. Good news. No changes. Next, I was handed off to Lynda then Cindy, where we reviewed the pre and post-op instructions and then settled the financial aspects of the procedure. Lastly, Cindy gave me a Valium and loaded my eyes with drops. During the procedure review Cindy explained that contrary to what I might've been told early on, I won't be able to drive Friday. She went further to explain that treating farsightedness takes far longer to heal - several days - before distant vision adjusts, and then months for total correctness. She also reminded me that I should plan on needing readers. I already knew that. They sent Mindy & I both back to the lobby to wait. I wanted to pee before the process and headed out to the building lobby to address the need. Upon reentering, the Valium had already started kicking in. I decided to add a little levity. I did the ol' head smack into the corner of a wall as if I was stoned and couldn't see. Immediately silence and then despair fell over the few customers, receptionist, and Mindy who were quietly going about their business in the lobby. I quickly turned and said, just kidding! The place erupted with laughter. Another LASIK patient thanked me saying that she needed the levity. Finally, the call came. It was time. Time to get my eyes fixed! As it turned out, Mindy wasn't permitted to watch. Said they used to have an observation room but converted it to an office. Said I'd return shortly. She waited in the lobby. Here's goes nothing! They asked if I was nervous - excited. Not that nervous but excited. But then again, having full knowledge of the process, I wasn't exactly looking forward to having my corneas sliced and peeled back. In a dark room I was asked to lie down in what I would liken to a dental chair. There must've been about four people, including Dr Beran gathered round. My eyelids were taped back and then doused with more eye drops. Next, mini forceps were used to crank and hold my right eye opened. The laser machine hovered just overhead. Dr Beran calmly talked through the process explaining each step. The laser machine was pulled presumably within millimeters of my eye. I could see nothing but blue dotted lights in each corner and then a very bright green light in the center. Soon, hundreds of tiny red dots filled the area between the green and blue light. Dr Beran said I'd feel some vibration and only minor discomfort as they drug the slicer across the skin of my eye. That was the stressful part. Now the LASER, which takes no more than 30 seconds. Dr Beran warned that I might smell burning. I did. Smelt like burning hair. I hear an assistant nearby - 25%, 50%, 75%, done! Lastly, Dr Beran slides the cornea flap back into place then gently strokes it with what seemed like a paint brush while another adds more eye drops. Next eye! Wash, rinse, and repeat. The left eye was a bit more difficult since I knew exactly what was coming, but like the right, we were done in no time. Before walking out they taped the clear plastic eye shields over my eyes and ushered me out. I thanked and shook Dr Beran's hand as I exited. They confirmed my 945am post-op appointment and sent me on my way. I was advised to keep my eyes closed for the next 4-6 hours. I opened my right eye just enough to see my way to the Honda - just a slit. Mindy fumed when I insisted on driving. Who's in charge here, woman? Ugh ... kidding! Mindy drove us home. I tried sleeping but didn't, although I kept my eyes closed the entire time. Once home I hurried upstairs, stripped out of my jeans and slid into bed asking Mindy to bring ice water, Triscuits, and the TV remote. I was hungry. I had her bring me three Advil too. My eyes stung and felt sandy. I never intended to watch TV. Instead, I planned to find something interesting to listen to. I surfed blindly up and down the channel line-up stopping on ESPN then CNN, but neither suited me. I hate the news! I ended up on some program about crime solvers and stayed tuned in for the duration. I dosed off a few times completely losing track of the time. Mindy came up at some point advising that she was going after the kids and would be taking Jacob to get his new soccer cleats and possibly dinner. I wanted nothing. Next thing I knew, Mindy & the kids were home. Mindy shared that it was 630pm. Are you kidding me? Wow! How'd that happen? I decided that I wouldn't up until 715-730pm (5 hours). I napped a little and listened to more TV. Come 730pm, I was anxious to check out the results, although keeping my expectations in check after being advised that it will take days for the real results to flourish. I cracked open my right eye with the shields still in place. The first thing I noticed was the bedroom clock. I could actually read it. Nice. Next, my left eye. Problem! I couldn't get my eye lids to separate. Mindy came up and asked how it was going. Not good. I asked if Dr Beran's office had called like they said they would. Mindy said they had but that she missed the call, being busy with the kids. Great, thanks dear! I asked that she call and ask how I might get my eye opened. Tanya answered. Mindy handed the phone to me. Tanya asked that I remove the tape from the shield and use my fingers to pull the eye lids apart from the eye socket bones. That worked! I had a lot of crusty build up, especially on my left eye. I peered into the bathroom mirror taking notice of the labels on the nearby toiletries. I could read everything. Both eyes were blood shot, the left severely. I had to leave the shields on - doctors orders. I headed downstairs to eat some beef & noodles that Mindy warmed for me. I was really hungry. The food was good. The kids marveled at my eyes under shields. I had Bella convinced that I'd be wearing these permanently. I could see the confusion in her eyes. I turned on the TV just to help measure my eyesight. I could see plainly, at least as good as one could expect just hours after surgery and still wearing eye shields. Like many LASIK survivors shared, I was experiencing the halo effect around bright lights (the back yard spot lights). Mindy & the kids headed to bed around 9pm. I stayed up feeling wide awake. I ended up pouring a couple IPA's from my Barley's growler. It hit the spot, but I couldn't seem to get a buzz. I headed for bed around 11pm.

Thumb Healing

Up at 530am exercise, PC, coffee wake Mindy, meditate, stretch, rub sore calf run 3 miles - calf still tender but appreciably better eggs for breakfast, kids and Mindy leave 720am shower, dress, call Ken (my work peer) ask for a pick-up at Aarrow Radiator & Glass Sunny 40's - supposed to remain sunny and low 60's Drop Trooper - give both parts: window regulator and clip. Ken picks me up Work: morning staff meeting Dr Beran's office: Traci calls. Dr says OK to run Friday- agrees important to maintain routine -COOL Dave (Aarrow) calls mid-afternoon - Trooper ready Ken leaving at 115pm for home - drops me at Aarrow. Dave says they replaced regulator and clips but that old regulator looked good to him. Asked that I not roll window down for at least 24 hours leaving time for glue to dry. Put the old regulator in a box in back seat. Afternoon goes by quickly - time to go home - 530pm Dad over for dinner again tonight - beef & noodles - one of my favorite meals Dad hangs out until 7-730pm. Wishes me well during LASIK procedure Mindy has both kids shower - watch TV (Science Channel) and pop popcorn. Bed at 10pm

Love in an Elevator

I woke from a deep sleep somewhere near 230am and worried that I might not be able to fall back asleep, but I eventually did. It was just after 530am when I next woke. My scheduled rise time, I leaped right out of bed anxious to start my morning routine. Like most mornings, I completed sit-ups then jumped up and into my PC chair where I checked the weather and a few scattered headlines. Not wanting to waste any time I swiftly moved on to complete my push-ups and then got a cup of coffee. Since we didn’t have the kids, Mindy’s wanted to sleep in. She even asked if I minded making my own breakfast. Nope, not at all. And although she never specified a time, I woke her at 630am, or just after meditation and stretching and just before heading out for my run.. She seemed good with that. Also, on Mindy’s advice, I took three Advil before bed and rubbed more Bengay into my sore calf in hopes of a pain-free run. In the end, I wouldn’t call it pain-free, but it went far better than Monday’s. Again, I ratcheted my run back to three miles. I was back home by 705am and promptly began to make my breakfast. With plenty of time, I asked Mindy if she wanted an egg. She did. I made both of us breakfast for a change. Mindy left around 730am as usual, and I headed to the shower shortly after. I knew Mindy planned to work late on report cards but failed to confirm plans for our evening – no kids, dinner out or in? I figured we’d sort it our later. I had a lot on my mind. I needed to fill a prescription for antibiotic eye drops and start dosing Wednesday in preparation for my Lasik procedure. To that end, I packed my surgery packet into my back pack. I also carried the Trooper’s new window regulator to the car. I needed to call Aarrow, once at work, to set up an appointment to have it installed. I wasn’t looking forward to it given the grief they gave me Friday. It’s fair to say that the whole window/windshield thing is causing me angst. I left for work at 810am with plans to make a pit stop at Advance Auto Parts in Hilliard before the office. I wanted to buy a package of window clips for the Trooper so that everything will be brand new. They had one package left. Cool! While there, I decided to buy three new wiper blades too. The one on the rear window has never been replaced. They put them on for free while I waited. It took no more than five minutes. My old wipers practically fell off they were so loose. Geesh, they were only a year old. Cheap, I guess. The Advanced Auto employee said they get that way after a rough winter. Once at work, I called Aarrow to schedule the Trooper in for window repairs. He said I could bring it in today but he couldn’t guarantee he’d get to it. Opting not to go that route, we planned for early Tuesday. With that he promised to get it back to me the same day. Cool! I shared that I had the new regulator and new clips already in my possession. I then called Safelite, the windshield people, to let them know that my Trooper wouldn’t be onsite tomorrow for the windshield replacement appointment. I had to leave Steve a VM on his cell phone. I felt better after getting those two things settled, at least for the time being. Come 1245pm, I left for lunch with plans to stop at Target to get my eye drop prescription filled. I checked our prescription benefits page before leaving the office. I already knew it would cost me $38. Wow! The pharmacist told me it would be a 20 minute wait, and that they’d be closing for lunch from 130pm to 2pm. My original plan was to head to Home Depot next door then return to pick-up my script, but given the lunch closing thing, I opted to wait. In addition to the Vigamox prescription, I needed two other types of eye drops as well, a steroid and a natural tear. I decided to phone Traci at Dr Beran’s office to confirm whether I needed to buy those or if they would supply them. Good thing I did, they supply them. While I had Traci on the phone, I decided to ask the question Mindy insisted I ask; can I run the following morning after surgery? I was surprised when Traci said no! Whaaaaat? I explained that I run everyday and really needed to. She then asked if I had to run in the morning versus later. Of course my answer was no, but only that it was important that I run sometime during the day. She went on to say that she understood my need for the endorphin rush but that I should plan on taking a couple days off. That was news to me. No! Long story shortened, I expressed that I viewed this development as a show stopper. No run – no surgery. She backed off a little and went on to advise that Dr. Beran was gone for the day so she couldn’t actually confirm her opinion. She promised to phone me on Wednesday to share Dr Beran’s thoughts. Before hanging up I emphasized how important it was for me to get an answer. Now I was panicky. Still waiting on my prescription to be filled, I decided peruse the aisles checking out a host of other Target products. I happened upon a set of junior golf clubs for 10-12 year olds that would be well-suited for Jacoby. They’re $69. Not bad. I may pick those up for his b-day. My prescription was ready when I returned to the pharmacy. I paid and was on my way still slightly deflated after my call with Traci. I headed next door to Home Depot where I browsed their lighting fixtures hoping they might have something similar to the black fixed-track fixture I saw at Lowes, but that was currently out-of-stock. The H.D. selection was far weaker than Lowe’s. Obviously not a point of emphasis for them. I also looked at their wall tile supplies. They had everything I need to finish our small tile project, but I still opted not to buy right then. Won’t have a real opportunity for the install for another week or so. I headed back to work. My mind was reeling over the Friday no-run thing. I wasn’t sure what I might do if Dr Beran says I can’t run the following day. After all, some day my streak will end, but this didn’t seem like the right time. However, I will listen to reason and consider my options carefully. I decided not to fret about it further. Mindy called late afternoon to measure my thoughts for dinner. I suggested the Elevator Brewery & Draught Haus, a venue I’ve wanted to get reacquainted with, but always seem to forget about until it’s too late and we’re somewhere else. Mindy was game. The rest of the day carried on as normal. I left the office at 535pm. I arrived home at 6pm sharp. I shared all of my day’s dilemma’s with Mindy. She understood my concern about running, and how I might want to skip the surgery if running wasn’t an option. I shared the results of my internet research during the afternoon, which was all over the place. Some eye centers said it was OK, while others lumped running in with other vigorous types of exercise and recommended a one week hiatus. I shared the vehicle repairs statuses too. We left for Elevator soon after I brushed my teeth. I couldn’t remember the exact location, just knew it was on High St close to Gay in the old Clock Restaurant. We found it with little effort. Parking, however, was a bit of a challenge. We ended up biting the bullet and parking in a nearby lot for $5. The building façade is probably as impressive as the inside. The building is registered as a historic landmark. Read about it here: The Elevator Brewery and Draught Haus finds its home in the historic Columbia building, built in 1897 by the Bott family to house the Bott Brother’s Billiards and a gentleman’s saloon. The beautiful hand-carved, hand-split Philippine mahogany bar was created to serve the whiskey distilled on the second floor. The saloon enjoyed a brisk business from the turn of the century until the advent of prohibition in 1920. The building, rich in history, is on the national registry of historic landmarks and has been restored to much of its original grandeur. Among the original architectural elements that remain today are the beautiful bar, intricate mosaic tile floor, much of the stained glass and of course the decorative ceiling. The luxurious back-bar won the coveted blue ribbon for craftsmanship at the 1893 World Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Many myths and legends surround this historic building, including the presence of ghosts and spirits. Perhaps during your visit with us, you’ll encounter the unexpected. Whether the ceiling, floor, or bar, I couldn’t help but marvel at the priceless décor from an era gone by, when attention to the smallest of details was obviously important to the builder. Lots of eye catching stuff. I ordered their Three frogs IPA. Mindy sampled their Procrastinator Doppelbock but didn’t care for it. She opted for a glass of wine instead. The IPA was OK, brewed for mass appeal. Our server agreed. For food, we opted to go with a couple appetizers: a hummus plate and their crab stuffed scallops. Mindy also ordered a Caesar salad and me a cup of beef stew. While waiting on our munchies, I wandered the bar checking out the art work and original décor. Very nice! I was bummed that I didn’t bring my camera, but I did have my blackberry. I snapped a few photos with it. Our appetizers were delicious, especially the crab stuffed scallops. Yum-yum! We chatted some with Chris, our server and bartender. I opted for just the one beer. Same for Mindy, just one glass of wine. Mindy got the bill – her turn. We left for home at 735pm. Mindy got a call from Jacob as we passed the Grandview exit on I-670 towards home. They were already there and waiting. We arrived home a few minutes later. The kids were in good spirits and happy to be home. Said they went bowling. Sounds like they had a fun day. Before bed we watched a Science Channel program about the sun. I fell asleep, of course! I woke on the sofa undisturbed around 10pm and headed to bed. Bella greeted me in the hallway and asked me to tuck her in. I did. She also was excited to share that she’d been awake in her bed reading her first chapter book. I was firmly planted in bed by 1015pm.

Squished Thumb

I looked down at my thumb last Friday evening after pushing the kids on the tree swing and found my thumb nail cracked and bleeding. The following morning the sides were black and blue. Frighteningly, I'm still not sure what happened.

I was up at 530am after what could best be described as a choppy night’s sleep. I felt rested enough, but between 230 & 500am I must’ve woken ten different times. My mind was racing, thinking about stuff that really wasn’t that important. I knew it then but still couldn’t shake it completely. I could see the shimmer of rain drenched streets out the bathroom window, and I could hear light rain bouncing off the roof, too. Gloomy. I pushed through my sit-ups then popped up to my PC long enough to check the weather and a few headlines. Even though it was raining, it was 43 degrees. However, the day’s high wasn’t expected to go much higher than that. In fact, it was supposed to cool off some. I did my push-ups then poured some coffee and returned to my PC for another 10 minutes or so. The time went fast. I delivered Mindy’s coffee early at her request – 600am. She wanted up earlier to help facilitate and earlier departure with the kids. Because of their spring break, she needed to drop them at Grandma Sharon’s on her way to work, a trip that takes her ten minutes out of her usual way. I proceeded as planned with meditation then stretching. I was ahead of schedule thanks to waking Mindy sooner. I was out the door for my run a tad after 630am. My right calf ached from the outset, but really tightened up just short of the two mile marker. It hurt like heck, which caused me to over compensate and work up one heck of a sweat. I decided then my run would be just three miles. Ouch! I was back home by 7:05am. I would’ve been home even sooner had I not slowed my pace some. Still, I was earlier than usual. Mindy had my breakfast all but ready. Both kids were already downstairs readying to depart. They both skipped an at home breakfast in favor of one with grandma Sharon. I worried that Jacob would get bored there, and thought about offering to take him with me to work but didn’t. They left around 715am. Mindy put a beef roast in the crock-pot just before leaving. She asked that I remove the cardboard bottom and then season it appropriately before leaving for work. It felt good to have the house all to myself for the next hour. I was showered & dressed, still with time to kill. I checked email before setting off for work. Safelite Auto Glass sent an email reminder for my windshield replacement set up for 8am -12noon in our parking lot at work. That’s cool. It even included a picture and a brief over view of the technician being dispatched. Nice touch! I left for work at 812am. It was still drizzling. My passenger seat was soaked from rain getting in the gap from the broken regulator. What a mess. I tried not to stress over it. Work wasn’t too bad at all. In fact, compared others, a very calm day. I wasn’t at work for five minutes when the receptionist emailed that Safelite was in the lobby. I hurried down to meet the guy. As expected, he wasn’t too keen on doing the windshield in the rain. I didn’t want him to either. I want it done right. Said he’d have to reschedule for Wednesday when the weather’s expected to be much nicer. OK with me. Work remained calm all day long. What a nice change of pace! I ate my veggies for lunch using all but the last of my raspberry vinaigrette. Note to self ... and Mindy. I didn't hear from Mindy until 420pm or so. She was on her way to fetch the kids after school. She shared that my dad would be joining us for dinner. I worked until 530pm. I called my mom during my drive home. Hadn't talked with her for about two weeks. Said she was feeling a little better. Also shared that my dad drove down for a visit and brought an "old persons" recliner (electric chair that rises to one's ass). She loves it. Said her back still hurts but that she's taking vitamin D capsules that are $4 each per doctor's orders. I asked for the full description since she advised that they're unavailable OTC. Said to be 50000UNTs - Wow! We chatted until I pulled into the driveway. On the porch looked to be the Trooper part I ordered last Friday evening. Now that was fast! Inside, dad was there interacting with the kids, and Mindy was already serving up dinner - roast beef. Mindy asked me to set the table. I did that while also prepping the following day's coffee. Soon we were settled down for dinner. The roast was especially tender and delicious. The mashed potatoes were pretty good, too. I opened what I thought was a fresh bottle of three cheese ranch dressing from the pantry and poured it over my garden salad. After a couple of bites I spit it all out. The dressing was bad! Checking the date on the bottle revealed the reason. It was expired, good through June of 2009. Mindy whipped me up another salad with my help. I wasn't fond of the remaining dressing choices but opted for the Greek vinaigrette. Only marginally good. Dad shared that Bob was having new laminate counter tops installed. He also gave us an update on the health of Pete & Vicky. Sounds like both are having some difficulties health-wise. Dad may be making a trip to visit UK in South Florida sometime soon, but at this point, he's still noncommittal. Oh yeah, dad got a clean bill of health from his back doctor. He looks good and feels good. Dad hung out until 730pm best guess. Mindy made plans to take the kids to Jimaken's since they were off for spring break and he had Tuesday off work. Driving them up tonight would make Mindy's Tuesday morning a whole lot easier. While Mindy carted the kids off to Jimaken's, I updated my blog from the weekend. I had just settled down in the family room chair to read when she returned home. I wasn't expecting her so soon. It was 845pm. We sat quietly on the sofa chatting while Mindy rubbed my very, very sore right calf. She insisted I take some Advil to help reduce any swelling before morning. Sounded like good advice, I took three just before we headed up to bed near 930pm.

Bloody Lip, Skinned Knees, and Broken Legs?

I woke with a mild headache in the middle of the night, but it was totally gone once I got up for good just before 9am. With everyone up so late, I expected the house to remain quiet for a while. I started coffee then played on the PC. It was Sunday, the one day each week that I skip calisthenics. Once again, I was very surprised to find a clear sky. As late as last night, they were still calling for rain and possibly even a mix of sleet and snow. It was only 37 degrees, although the high was projected to reach 66. Nice – another lovely spring day. Mindy joined me downstairs earlier than I thought she might. It was before 10am. The kids, however, remained asleep. Not wanting to wait too long, I readied for my run by 1030am. I was disciplined enough to stretch just before throwing on my running shoes. I ran along Trabue and Hague for the first time in quite a while. Unless I’m mistaken, not since before all that February snow. My lower right calf was absolutely killing me – cramping up like knot. I tried rubbing it out about a mile into the run, but that proved pointless. It tightened up again as soon as I dashed off. I continued my run, albeit at a slower pace. I worked up one heck of a sweat by the run’s end. Over the last mile I did my best to divert my attention away from the pain and instead on other things. That helped some. Boy was I happy to be back home. I complained about my calf to Mindy. I was walking with a painful, obvious limp. Again, I tried rubbing it out but with very limited results. I was determined to take advantage of the lovely weather. I hurried to gather my things and run off to Lowe’s. I wanted to get the Thule carrier stowed in the shed. To complete the project, I needed to buy some beefy eye-hooks. In addition, I thought I might pick-up some Scott’s fertilizer with Halts and quite possibly, the supplies I need to complete the kitchen wall tile project that’s been hold since before the holidays. At Lowe’s I fetched a cart then threw in a 15K sq ft bag of fertilizer. I checked out lighting fixtures next. Mindy & I want to replace the white track lighting in our familyroom with something more fitting to our current decor. I found one I liked, and would’ve bought it had it been in stock. Figures. Next, I sought out the eye-hooks I wanted. I needed four but bought a package of six. They come in handy. Lastly, I checked out the wall tile. I decided not to buy the supplies because they didn’t have everything I needed in stock, not to mention the fact that I wouldn’t be getting on it today anyway. I headed for the check out. I took the back way home down Old Dublin Rd just west of the river. I was home in a jiffy. I was surprised to find Mindy still in her PJ’s. I made a quick sandwich (starving) then headed out to the garage to gather the tools necessary to complete the Thule storage task. I mounted the eye-hooks about 28 inches apart side-to-side and 48 inches apart front-to-back. It didn’t take long. Not much to it. I hung the trailer straps from the eye-hooks with plenty of slack then went to fetch the Thule. I removed the Thule by myself. It’s light but bulky. Before stowing it, I replaced the broken cleat with one of the four replacements Thule sent me back in January. My make-shift repair held up all winter. I knew it would. I noticed Jacob outback moping around without a friend to play with. I asked for his help carrying the Thule to the shed and ultimately stowing it. He willingly agreed. We stowed it in minutes. It slid right into place. All I had to do was tighten the straps. The task went even easier than I had hoped. Before securing the shed, I pulled out the hose caddy and reattached it to the front water spigot. All ready for spring! After getting my tools put away, I asked Jacob if he wanted to hit some golf balls. He did. He doesn’t know it, but I want to find him a set of used clubs for his birthday. Hopefully, he & I can get out a few times this spring/summer. We grabbed a bucket of balls then headed over to Dave & Becky’s yard. Beyond a few casual swings, Jacob’s never swung a club with any instruction before. I gave him a few pointers then let him have at it. After a few misguided shots I offered a couple more tips keeping in mind the greater objective, which hopefully was to inspire a love of the game. I know from my own experience that it takes practice, practice, practice to hit solid golf shots. He must’ve hit 50-60 balls before he started getting the hang of it, and even then only about 50% went where he planned. Not bad at all. Bella came out while we were hitting balls, but she eventually left us alone and pushed herself from the tree swing. Not wanting to leave her out, I slid over between buckets and gave her a good push a time or two. We hit golf balls for almost an hour. It was good fun, and I think Jacob really liked it. I hollered over and asked Bella if she wanted another push. Yes! OK. I pulled her back high and tight and let her rip. Somehow her hands broke free from the rope causing her to fall while her butt/legs were still on the disc seat. Her knees, face, and hands scuffed across the coarse ground while she screamed. Then, as the swing headed back up she fell off completely from about three feet above the ground landing with a thud. Now, let me tell ya, when Bella gets hurt there’s no one anywhere that screams louder. No one! She screamed bloody murder. I was already scared, but with her blood curdling screams I was rattled to my core. She looked up with a bloody mouth. Once she realized her mouth was bleeding she screamed even louder. Oh dear! Jacob came running over to help. She yelled that her legs were broke, which caused me to laugh a little because she was walking. She didn’t appreciate the laughter. I picked her up and carried her towards the house asking Jacob to run ahead before me to fetch her momma. She screamed even louder when she caught site of Mindy. I expected that. That’s what kids do. In the end, she had nothing more than a few scrapes on her knee and foot and a bloody lip. Mindy assured me she had it under control. Jacob and I headed back out side. We hit golf balls for another 10-15 minutes before I went inside to check on Bella. She was on the sofa under a blanket. Told me she couldn’t walk. Mindy assured me that she was OK. Bella told me that she hated the swing and would never ride it again. I tried to lighten her mood but she would have nothing of it. After a brief break I headed back outside to do a couple more chores. My next task was to straighten our severely leaning mailbox. I wasn’t sure why or what happened. All I knew was that it needed corrected. First, I cut the tie-wrap helping hold the iron trellis against the mailbox used to support the Purple Clematis. The mailbox pulled up and out rather easily, in fact, maybe too easily. It wasn’t broken per se, but instead rotting away beneath ground level. It’s been there for about 15 years. Originally a 4X4", it wasn't much more than a 2X2" now. Unprepared to replace it right then, I decided to try and straighten and salvage what was left of it. For that I had to fetch my post hole digger and spud bar. I was careful not to damage the Clematis, which was already sporting some new growth. And because the mailbox post and Clematis interfere slightly with the arc of the nearest sprinkler head, I decided to move the post a little closer to the curb by a couple inches. That went well. To finish it off, I went to the compost pile to fetch a pail of top soil to tamp around the renovated post. The last thing I did was tie the Clematis vine a little tighter at its base to further help the arc of the nearby sprinkler head. Done! I thought seriously about washing Mindy’s Honda, or at a minimum vacuuming the inside before calling it a day. However, last second I chose to forego any more manual labor and instead headed in for a well-deserved shower and some rest. A shower felt terrific. I asked Mindy if the washer was free so I could wash my stinky running clothes. It was. So, after a shower I washed my running clothes. I decided to wear flannel PJ’s for the rest of the day. For the next hour or more I snuggled up with my book, Excuses Be Gone, in the living room recliner. I read some and napped some. It felt terrific! Mindy already had dinner started when I moseyed into the kitchen after my latest nap. She was baking pork chops with plans to grill them for the last 5-10 minutes. We were also having baked potatoes. Bella was a pill all afternoon/evening, milking her traumatic tree swing experience for all it was worth. She offered that she was bored, but also declined any idea we conjured up to help thwart it. It was getting under Mindy’s skin, and she let her know it. Dinner was ready around 530pm. Everybody ate chops except Bella. She had a grilled burger. Peobina and Isha stopped over to invite us to a birthday party sometime in early April (Isha’s 2nd). We were in the middle of dinner clean-up. Mindy started baking cookies and offered some to Isha when they were done. They were getting ready to head out on a walk. I asked Bella to walk Isha over to Emily & Evan’s where she could play with all the other kids. She agreed. Peobina, Isha, and Bella headed out back towards the O’Connell’s. As promised, when the cookies were done Mindy walked a plateful down for all the kids to enjoy. I finished cleaning up the kitchen. Next, I wrote in my blog and read about the Buckeyes big NCAA tournament victory from earlier in the afternoon. I didn’t watch the game – didn’t need the stress. I was, however, looking forward to watching the new series starting tonight on The Discovery Channel called, Life, an 11-part series sharing all sorts of fascinating stories about our world’s most fascinating creatures. I was reminded of it by an embedded Yahoo trailer. Mindy had Bella get a shower first. She didn’t take one Saturday when Jacob did. But Jacob still had to pass a sniff test to get a free skip. He didn’t pass. Mindy told him to shower too. He wasn’t pleased but ultimately complied. At 8pm I called the family down to watch the Discovery Channel program. This was such a big deal that each of the big four (Discovery, Learning, Science, and Animal Planet) were carrying the first episode. We weren’t disappointed. I would liken it to the Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom and Jacque Cousteau underwater adventures from my childhood except on steroids. I wasn’t sure how long the first episode would last – apparently two hours. The kids got to watch almost 1.5 hours worth. They were into it too. As much as I was enjoying it, I still managed to dose off a time or two. Never fails. But after the kids were tucked in I watched until the end. We headed to bed promptly at 10pm.

Sunny & Warm First Day of Spring

I slept well through the night waking for good around 745am and feeling great. I slipped out of bed and headed downstairs being careful not to wake the kids, or even Mindy for that matter. I was happy to see nothing but clear skies overhead and a temperature already near 40 degrees. Just a couple of days ago, Saturday’s forecast called for rain and temperatures struggling to get out of the low 40s. This being the first day of Spring, I was happy to see a much improved forecast. Now they’re saying mid 60s and partly sunny. Bella and Olivia joined me downstairs around 830am. I got them settled with donuts and juice. Mindy’s cell rang sometime near 845am. It was her friend Teri N. I knew that Mindy would want to take the call. I carried her phone up to our room, woke, and then handed it to Mindy. Mindy came downstairs a few minutes later to fetch coffee. She and Teri were going to meet for breakfast as long as I didn’t mind. I didn’t. Mindy hurried off to the shower. It didn’t dawn on me until a few minutes later that I’d have to defer my run until her return. Had we discussed it further, I would’ve run while she showered. No biggie. Best guess, Mindy left the house around 930am to meet Teri. Instead of going directly to the grocery after, she agreed to return home so I could run. The kids asked me to play my guitar. Bella got hers out too and started strumming and singing. She told me she just made up some words. I was totally impressed as much with the lyrics as I was with her little raspy voice. Very cute! I encouraged her to keep playing and to write her own songs. Soon she was penciling some lyrics on a sheet of paper. She kept it up until Jacob said some disparaging things about her lack of talent. Not very nice, Jacob! Meanwhile, it was shaping up to be a lovely day – sunny and 60 by 11am. Jacob & Bella headed outside to play with friends. A little later, I got Olivia dressed and sent her out, too. She was excited to get to play with the big kids. Mindy got home around 1130am. I was already in my running clothes and wasted little time heading out. I made sure she had an eye on Olivia before I dashed off. My right calf started to spasm again during my run. Dammit! And it only got worse throughout the run. Because of that, I pulled my run back to 3 miles. The kids were inside having hot dogs for lunch when I returned. They looked and smelt terrific, so much so that I made one for myself. The kids and I headed back outside to play. Jacob and I tossed the football for a little while with Olivia playing some too. She eventually asked if I would push her on the tree swing. Of course. Soon Bella and Emily came over to swing, too. Mindy was getting ready to go grocery shopping. She agreed to run Olivia home on her way. She came outside once she was ready. We hung out on the stone patio for a few minutes while Bella and Olivia tossed empty walnut husks into the pond. Olivia flipped out when a batch of ants quickly vacated one of the walnut shells she found and crawled all over her. She was officially done! Mindy & Olivia headed out. While they were gone I did some reading, relaxing, and napping. I thought about doing some yard work but nixed the idea in favor of an easy, carefree afternoon. Jacob asked me to get his bike down. A few minutes later I followed through and got it down from the garage ceiling and added a little air in the tires. Jacob was quite pleased. Bella wanted hers down too. I did the same for her. Five minutes hadn’t passed when Jacob came wheeling his bike back into the garage. I asked if he was kidding. Bella, on the other hand, was determined to ride on. Jacob, after hearing that Bella was going to continue riding, changed his tune and kept riding as well. While they rode bikes, I headed out back to hit some golf balls with my sand wedge. Probably near 3pm I headed back inside to do some more reading and napping. As usual, as soon as I was about to drift off, Mindy returned with her groceries. Just my luck. I made a quick return to the chair for more reading and a nap after helping Mindy. I verified the time she anticipated leaving for Rene’s birthday gathering at Barley’s. Mindy said around 7pm. While I napped, she walked down to Chrissy’s, who was having a family gathering. I headed up for a much needed shower around 530pm. While showering, Mindy let me know that she was running to Giant Eagle to fetch a bottle of wine for Rene. OK, but why don't you drive? :) After my shower, I spent the next hour or so writing in my blog. When Mindy got back she saw to it that Jacob got a shower. I overheard him giving his mother a hard time about what she wanted him to wear to dinner. Like most 10 year olds, he has no instinctual desire to look groomed. I was an exception at that age. Given the opportunity, I would spend an hour in front of the mirror primping and grooming. In fact, it wasn't uncommon for me to come to the dinner table in a tie. By the way, Bella opted to stay back at Chrissy’s in lieu of going to Rene’s b-day gathering. She loves hanging out with Makayla. We left for Barley’s a little after 7pm. Mindy knew that Rene and company wouldn’t be along until sometime around 8pm, but she wanted to eat dinner before hand. She and Jacob took a two-seat table just away from the bar. I took one of the few available bar stools almost within in arms reach. Unfortunately, they were out of the Green Flash already. I opted for a Troeg’s Nugget Nectar instead. It was quite good. We ordered food, me a Cuban. While waiting on my food, I watched the Kansas/Northern Iowa game intently. As it was, Kansas trailed and risked being eliminated from the NCAA tournament. They eventually lost. Oh, and my Cuban was outstanding. Rene arrived around 8pm with a new date, Ryan. She and Mindy chatted for a while about school stuff. Over the next 30 minutes or so a handful of Rene’s friends showed up to help her celebrate her 29th b-day. We stayed at Barley’s until 945pm. Jacob was having a dandy time hanging out with us. Rene’s friend Shane exchanged phone numbers with Beth, perhaps our dearest Barley’s server. They’d be a good pair. I ordered a growler of IPA for the road then picked up our tab. We were home just long enough to pour a beer then we headed down to Chrissy’s to fetch Bella. We hung out for a while listening to the details surrounding the conversation Chrissy had with Kenny’s ex the night before. Mindy gave me the times up signal two or three times. It had to be near 1100pm when we all headed for home. Bella complained of being hungry. We popped some popcorn and all of us shared it while chilling on the sofa. I told Mindy that I was gonna stay up and watch SNL. I didn’t make it past the intro. I woke at 1am and headed for bed.

Winter's Loose Grip

I slept solid until about 430am. From that point on, I remained awake after trying unsuccessfully to get back to sleep. At 515 I gave up on more sleep and got out of bed for good. I felt good and fully rested. I added some water to my bedtime water glass and then headed to the living room where I carried out my sit-ups from my usual spot. From there I bounced up to my PC albeit only briefly, long enough to check the weather forecast and a few headlines while waiting on the coffee to brew. I did my push-ups at 540am and poured coffee soon after that. My early wake-up afforded me extra time on the PC. I used it to finish writing most of Wednesday's blog. That's a little dangerous because it's so easy to lose track of time when writing. This morning proved no exception. I looked up and to my astonishment it was 6:07am. Damn! Time to wake Mindy already. I delivered Mindy's coffee then returned downstairs to double check the current temperature. It was 43 degrees - warm enough to cut back on my running layers some. I stretched and meditated over the next 20 minutes before heading out for my run. I went with a thin, long-sleeved wicking shirt and a fleece but still wore ear covers and gloves. I ran four miles without incident under a clear star-filled sky. With my calves almost as good as new, the run was easy and uneventful. Mindy was just placing my eggs at the table upon my return. Jacob was already upstairs. I quizzed Bella on her spelling words. Bella was a tad cranky - and certainly not in a joking mood. She hollered at me for something, which exactly what now escapes me. Mindy had to request she be a bit less dramatic. That did nothing to help her disposition. But as is often the case, she was happy-go-lucky soon after Mindy bolted for work. I wore jeans and a black short-sleeved button up shirt. I looked and felt snappy! The kids and I headed out for the bus stop at 757am. I had to help Bella tie her new tennis shoes. Chrissy reported that Kenny called early this AM complaining of a hangover. They had to be up at 6-something for an early tee time. Poor Kenny! I was gonna pay my auto insurance bill online before leaving the house, but that required adding the new policy number to my account. While preparing to do so I read the new bill that requested I pay the first installment via check. Then, if desired, I could set it up for auto pay and save an additional $4 a month. That's what I did. I was off to work at 815am. I arrived to work at 830am. Another lovely walk in. Spring abounds! By comparison, it was a rather easy day. I called Aarrow at 930am to discuss my broken passenger window. Dave said they'd call me back shortly and most likely get me in that day. I waited, waited, and waited. Never did call me back. Mid-day I called my auto insurance's auto glass claim service for my cracked windshield. They're set-up to come out to my office and replace it on Monday. I absolutely hate spending money on car repairs of any sort. But at the same time realize that the pain will only linger if I don't push through it fast. While chatting with my boss, Traci, from Dr Beran's office called to ask if I would consider moving my LASIK appointment up an hour. I agreed. It'll now be 1pm next Thursday. One of my engineer's overheard my conversation with Traci. Turns out, he had LASIK about 6-7 months ago. He raved about what it's done for him, being a former eye glass wearer with a severe astigmatism. He said it's one of the best things he's ever done for himself. He went on and on about it. Shared what I should expect pre and post-op. We talked for almost an hour. Early afternoon, another engineer took orders for lunch - take-out from the Big Fat Greek. I opted in and ordered a gyro. He brought my gyro to my office about 45 minutes later. It was delicious but also kind of cold. I didn't complain. I had an interview scheduled for 2pm. The candidate arrived 15 minutes early. I was really tired when the call from the front desk came. No doubt, the gyro did me in. I quickly got over it and headed down to greet my candidate. The interview went OK. I stayed fairly busy through the late afternoon. I waited for Dave from Aarrow to return my call until 445pm when I decided to call him. He acted as if he'd totally forgotten. Then said he didn't show record of working on my car since 2005. Good grief! I thought he was joking. After jolting his memory, we got to business. Seems he also forgot his pledge to replace the window regulator for part cost only. That pissed me off, but I kept my cool. We eventually agreed that I would order the part from the internet because I can get it way cheaper (they don't/won't buy from internet part providers). He'll do the install. However, his tune changed about the problem. He thinks it's the clips/window - not the regulator. One thing's for sure. I am damn tired of dicking with it! Mindy called around 5pm to see if I was on my way home. No dear. Still working. Wanted to know my thoughts for dinner. Still not sure. I shared that it was likely I'd be at work until 530pm. She was hoping I'd get out early. Before I left, I went ahead and ordered the window regulator for the Trooper. It was $133 - total. I left for home at 535pm It was a gorgeous evening - even prettier than I anticipated. I was looking forward to the weekend and Olivia's overnight visit. At home, Mindy had already poured herself a glass of wine. She shared her latest work story. Sounds like Mindy almost punched a 'mole' this afternoon. That's so out of character for her. The kids asked me to come out back and push them on the tree swings. I agreed. Why not? It was a lovely evening. I wasn't out there 5 minutes when I heard Olivia calling for me from the deck. Music to my ears. She's always so excited to see me. You can easily hear it in her voice. She ran out to see me smiling ear to ear. Ashley and Steven walked out too. We chatted only briefly. Ashley got angry and frustrated when I mentioned the conversation Rocky's teacher, Mrs. Dent had with her sister Lindsey about the cat odor permeating from Rocky every day at school. Apparently it's gotten so bad that other kids are complaining and making fun of him in class. Mrs. Dent had a hard time telling Lindsey that something needs to be done. Ashley didn't like what this implied - that it was her mother's fault. Like Kelly, she wants to blame Lindsey for it. She doesn't participate in or like to hear negative talk about her momma. I actually respect that quality in her, and understand how she feels. On the other hand, Ashley's very quick to blame it on Lindsey, and at least to some extent, she has a good point. She should be out on her own, and therefore avoiding the entire scenario. She and Steven left in a hurry. We played outside with the kids in each of the neighbors yards for the next 30 minutes. Mindy went to visit Chrissy to discuss dinner plans - pizza/subs. Mindy agreed to handle all the arrangements while I entertained the kids. We eventually decided to do pizza and kids at Chrissy's place since our place was just cleaned by Rachel earlier in the day. That made me happy! I just love a pristinely clean home. We hung out at our place until about 7pm when we walked down to Chrissy's. I poured some Jack Daniels into my ski flask (brown plastic cough syrup bottle) and toted a two-liter of Diet Coke along, too. Also in my pockets were my phone, camera, and iTouch. I need a frikin purse! Chrissy wasn't home by design, although her kids were. Her sister Missy was there watching over them along with her own three. As I understood it, Chrissy left to take Jake to some youth function at the Xenos church. The pizza guy showed up within fifteen minutes. Mindy covered the bill, which I'm sure was fairly substantial (4 pies and two large subs). We got the kids squared away first - all ten or so of them (some of the neighborhood kids were over playing too). Most of the kids ate their pizza on the deck. Molly, Kenny and Chrissy's large black lab, made quick work of any pizza left at eye level or below. The kids complained repeatedly. Olivia was the first victim. Jacob was next. I was irritated because I warned them not to leave there food low and vulnerable. Mindy called Molly inside where she then prowled for adult scraps. Unfortunately for her, she found tougher sledding inside. Chrissy was gone much longer than I anticipated. She didn't get back until almost 830pm. She ate some pizza then disappeared into the garage where she apparently had a lengthy phone conversation with Michelle, Kenny's ex-wife, no doubt talking about Lillian. The Buckeye NCAA tournament game started around 10pm. Chrissy was still in the garage and on the phone when we decided to head home around 1030pm. The Buckeyes were up early 13-3 last I saw. We put the kids to bed, Olivia with Bella. They all went to sleep rather easily, probably due to the hour, which by then was almost 11pm. We were right behind them.

Golf & Broken Windows

I didn’t sleep that well, tossing and turning numerous times after first waking around 230am. But thankfully, all the extra sleep I’ve gotten of late helped minimize any fatigue I might’ve otherwise felt come 530am. I pushed through my morning calisthenics then turned my attention to PC playtime. I surfed for pleasure until 607am when I stopped to pour Mindy’s coffee. By the way, it was again crystal clear with the temperature hovering just under 40 degrees – not bad at all. Meditation and stretching went as well as expected. I was ready for my run by 635am. I noticed the winter wicking shirt I planned to wear reeked to high heaven. I figured I’d get one more run out of it. Aren’t I Mr. Efficiency? Pewh! I ran four miles. My calves felt better than the day before – almost back to normal. While running, I settled on the idea of golf after work. No since wasting such a lovely day. We were expecting brilliant sunshine and a high of 64. I’d reach out to Tom C. once at work to measure his interest. Once home, I shared my intentions with Mindy over breakfast. She seemed OK with it. Mindy, I noticed, was wearing a little black dress to school. She quickly shared that it was spring picture day. She looked nice! Bella was having a dippy-egg right along with Mindy & I – rare. We practiced spelling words over breakfast: keeper, supper, easy, almost, and bourbon. OK, bourbon wasn’t really one of her words.  Mindy left a little after 730am and I headed up for shower. We regrouped downstairs at 754am. The kids were excited to be wearing their new tennis shoes. I really like Bella’s. They’re black but with a splash of bright color and shiny silver shoe strings. We met Chrissy, Makayla and Lillian at the bus stop. Kenny left for the airport at 430am. The kids were gone by 805am. I was off to work five minutes later with my golf clubs already on board from the day before. We had an executive in town for town hall meetings. I attended the morning session. Beyond my usual duties, I set up a couple more interviews for Friday, and tried catching up on my administrative tasks. I called and talked with Tom C. This was his normal day off, although he planned to work OT for a couple of hours mid-day. He sounded excited about getting out for golf around 430pm. Cool. We agreed to meet at Thornapple. I made sure my boss was OK with me leaving a little early for golf. No worries. Ashley called mid-day asking if we would keep Olivia overnight Friday so she could work OT on Saturday. I talked with Mindy about it around 4pm and also let her know that golf was on. She was somewhat reluctant about the Friday sleepover but eventually agreed fully. That made me happy. I left at 425pm. It was such a lovely afternoon. The sunshine was brilliant, and there was next to no chill in the air. Heading west, I decided it a great time to put the windows down in the Trooper, the passenger side for the first time since having it repaired. But right away, there was that familiar pop from the passenger window. Crap! I knew what had happened. The clips snapped. The window was again broken. Geesh. So, now here I am. Both my windshield and passenger side window broken. I felt unlucky- snakebitten. All I could do was chuckle at my predicament. I arrived at Thornapple ahead of Tom. That’s no surprise. I’m usually first. The lot was almost empty. Now that was a surprise given the exceptional weather. I changed into my golf shoes and threw on a thin, long-sleeved black wicking shirt for warmth then headed to the practice green. I chipped two or three balls up to the green before Tom arrived. Honestly, I expected him to be another 10-15 minutes. Great! The green fees were just $10 each - another pleasant surprise. Must be early season – pre-spring pricing. Cool. We both got a pull cart too. Tom picked up the fees. We tee’d off the front nine with no one insight in front of us. Neither of us took any real practice swings. It felt great to be in the sunshine and on the golf course. I battled a slice with most of my drives, but not all. Honestly, though, I prefer that over a severe hook. I simply need to get my timing down. I had my usual handful of ugly mis-hits, too. I’m determined to get to a pro this spring to get my swing fixed. The same thing happened several years ago, but after one lesson with a pro I was better than ever. Given my love of the game and frequency of play, it'll be money well spent. Tom played better than usual. We talked about all sorts of stuff. Among the topics, I shared that I was following through on plans to get LASIK. He talked about doing it too, but hasn’t yet committed. It’ll be nice to golf with out eye glasses. I invited Tom to join us at Barley’s this Saturday with the kids and Rene. Said he might show up. We played thirteen holes (1-9 and 10, 11, 17 & 18). It was 730pm when we finished. I called Ashley on my drive home and shared that we would happily keep Olivia Friday night. Ashley said that she would bring her over around 6pm. She also shared that there were massive layoffs taking place at her company and how worried she is that her group will be next. However, she’s already got an offer from another company, her mother’s workplace, but is reluctant to take the offer for various reasons. I listened and then offered a bit of fatherly advice. Once home, I was eager for something substantial to eat. Mindy and the kids were scurrying around doing homework and such. After a brief greeting, I warmed leftover meatloaf. It was awfully tasty. I filled up in a hurry. We all changed into our bed clothes. The kids headed to bed around 840pm. Mindy & I snuggled up on the sofa where we watched The Learning Channel – a program about the many invasive species introduced into South Florida that threaten to upset the fragile ecosystem. Among them, the Burmese python, Pouch rats, monitor lizards.