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.