Ending August in the 90's

I slept about as well as I have in the past week. In kind, I woke on time and was downstairs exercising by 535am. Before the first sit-up, I glanced out back to see what the weather was doing. It was clear, dark, and warm. Expected to be sunny, hot and humid again today. At the present, it was somewhere in the low 60’s. I completed my exercises then headed out with Frankie. She took care of business fairly quickly but spent a lot of time wandering in the neighbors’ yards. I eventually coaxed her back inside. Mindy asked to be woken by 615am. By then I had my meditation completed. I took her coffee and the pug right on queue. I headed back downstairs to stretch and run. It was 632am when I headed out the door. I ran comfortably without a shirt, but probably could’ve worn the sleeveless variety. Late summer can be tricky - cool in the morning but warm/hot afternoons. I ran four miles without any issues. I was back at home near 710am. Immediately in the door, I toweled off the sweat then sat for breakfast. Mindy made fried eggs and fruit. Well, she didn’t make the fruit, but instead cut it up. The kids breakfasted with us. Mindy headed off early – around 715am. Apparently had a few extra things she wanted/needed to get done in her classroom. After finishing my breakfast and just before heading up for my shower, I reminded Bella what she needed to complete: bed, teeth, and hair. She was all over it. Jacob, of course, was already ready and was watching TV. He's really good about that. It was only 743am when I emerged ready. Lots of time to kill. I used some of it straightening up the house but also spent a little time online. It was time to head out in a hurry. We were expecting the bus 7 minutes earlier today for the first time – now 810am. That should enable me to get to work right on time. Jacob leashed up Frankie as we headed out the door. Frankie and her brother Woody played, fought, and tangled until the bus pulled up. She was right on time. I was back home by 813am making any last minute preparations. I put my golf clubs in the BM’er thinking I might go to the range at lunch and hit my two new clubs. I forgot my sunglasses. I felt almost naked.  Work was busy. I spent the lion’s share of the morning in a planning meeting that lasted until almost noon. Come 115pm I freed myself and left for the golf range. It was very warm. Had to be in the 90’s. As expected, the range wasn’t too busy at all. I bought a regular bucket for $8 resisting the jumbo upgrade for just $1 more. Too many balls. I found my way to the grass tees where I warmed up with my 60 degree and sand wedge. I hit my new Rescue 3 first. I blasted it between 190 – 210 yards consistently and with that familiar draw, but also with a lower ball trajectory than expected. After about 20 strikes, I moved on to my new 3 wood. I was hitting it 215-230 every time, and with or without a tee. My arms got fatigued halfway through the bucket, most likely from hitting too many too fast, which is always a problem for me at the range. I stopped hitting my two new clubs once the fatigue set in. After resting a short stint, I hit my 3 and 4 iron, the two clubs I have all but abandoned this year. But here at the range I was hitting them well - long and straight, just like years past. As one might expect, I worked up quite the sweat in the heat and humidity. I worried that I’d be returning to the office smelly. What could I do? Back at the office I ate the cheese chunks and fruit I packed. I didn’t feel like eating my veggies. My stomach was bothering me most of the morning, although not while I was up and active. The afternoon moved swiftly. Always does when I take a real lunch. Mindy called around 430pm to let me know that she was on her way to Dena's to get the kids and also wanted to discuss our dinner options. Her timing couldn’t have been worse. That gnawing sensation was back again and bothering me. The last thing I wanted to think about was dinner. Mindy’s two options were spaghetti and meatballs or dinner out at the Big Fat – both gut busters. She apparently didn’t like my response, which was neither. I meant no harm, just that there wasn’t any way I was partaking in either. I offered that she and the kids could go out if she pleased. I just wasn’t hungry. She actually hung up on me!  I left work around 540pm, and it was still sizzlin’ outside. According to the BM’er, 92 degrees. I was home around 6pm. Looked as if Mindy decided to eat at home. Was busy cutting up the leftover steak from Sunday’s cookout and making a wrap. She even offered to make me one. I passed. I planned to have only a few chunks of cheese and maybe a few slices of lean fat free ham. I still sat with the family however brief. The kids were out the door to play in a hurry. Mindy complained of the oppressive heat in her classroom all day (no A/C). After eating she begged off for a shower. At the same time, I headed out to water the backyard flowers. They were starting to droop. We’ve been in a dry pattern since Saturday August 21. However, I’ve been watering every few days. I must’ve spent a good 25 minutes out back watering. This late heat wave is supposed to break big time come Friday when the high will fall from the 90’s to the 70’s, and then only the upper 60’s on Saturday. Autumn is coming! After watering I headed in for some reading. Before getting settled, however, I checked the score of the Reds game. They were already up 3-1, but it was still early. I snuggled up with my book in the recliner for the next 1.5 hours. I eventually fell asleep waking to a dark and quiet house. It was just after 930pm. Thought it might be later. I put Frankie in her pen and checked the Reds score once again. They were up 8-3 in the 7th or 8th inning. I headed to bed.

Showing me his Stone

All night long, I didn’t sleep nearly as well as I hoped. I woke around 535am wishing I had another hour or so to sleep. Of course that wasn’t the case, so I stumbled my way downstairs, started coffee, then my exercise regimen. I didn’t take Frankie outside until meditation and stretching were done. And even then, she seemed largely uninterested in getting up. I prepped Mindy’s coffee and delivered it bedside. It was already near 630am. I left Frankie in her pen as I headed out for my run. It was once again warm enough to run shirtless. Had to be about 65 degrees. The day’s high was expected to reach into the low 90’s with an abundance of sunshine. I ran four miles with no trouble at all. Mindy was busy preparing our breakfast by the time I made it back home. It was 714am when I glanced towards the clock. The kids were dragging tail, although Jacob was outside with Frankie. Mindy had my veggies ready and setting on the island. I threw together some fresh fruit in lieu of taking yogurt. I also planned to cut up some cheese and toss some walnuts in a container but forgot to. Dang it! We ate breakfast together but somewhat hurriedly. Mindy was out the door for work by 730am. Bella ended up doing her own hair. Not sure if Mindy forgot or what. No biggie. Bella did a decent job. I headed off to the shower by 735am. I was ready to go by 750am, which left plenty of time to fool around before bus time. I used the time to tidy up the kitchen. The kids and I headed out at 805am leaving ourselves 12 minutes before the buses scheduled arrival. Jacob handled Frankie’s leash. She wrestled with Woodie until the bus came. Kenny was out with the girls. I handed over a check in an envelope for Chrissy. I assumed it payment for our OSU/Miami tickets. The bus arrived on time. I took Frankie back home and made final preparations for departure. I decided to drive the Trooper, although I wasn’t sure if I’d have to stop for gas or not. I had about an 1/8th of a tank. I decided to forego a fuel stop on the way in knowing full well I’d almost certainly have to stop on my way home. That worked better time-wise. I arrived at work around 839am. The bus schedule change goes into effect on Tuesday. That should get me to work on time or close to it. Work went pretty well, especially for a Monday. Me, my boss, and my peer spent considerable time brainstorming a new workflow process in hopes of creating some needed efficiencies. We agreed to table our ideas until Tuesday. I stayed busy all day long. I spent the lion’s share of the day cooped up at my desk and in my office. I ate my veggies earlier than usual – 1215pm. For some reason, I was really hungry. Didn’t have a mid-morning snack like most days. That had to be it. I ended up working straight through. At some point I searched our benefits page to make sure the gastroenterologist I’m seeing Friday is considered in-network. I couldn’t confirm 100% because I left the paperwork at home, but it looked like the overall practice was in plan. The afternoon went quickly. I got out of the office just a couple minutes late. I planned to stop for gas on the way home. I called Mindy while driving through Hilliard. Mentioned we were having gourmet burgers for dinner. Also shared that my dad was coming over to join us. In fact, he arrived during our conversation. As planned, I stopped at Thornton’s for a fill-up - $2.54 per gallon. It took about 18. I washed my windows while waiting. Mike O. was over when I arrived home. Mindy said he was trying to locate his kids, Emily & Evan. Greeted Dad after greeting Mike. Dad was quick to share and show me the kidney stone he recently passed. Had it in a pill bottle. Holy smoke! It was about a 1/3” in diameter, or about the size of a pea. While talking, I clarified the vault he wanted at his death – a "Clark" vault. Thankfully, the rest of our conversation was much lighter. The burgers were delicious. However, Jacob wouldn’t eat his, and was grading on his mother’s last nerve. She threatened room time if he didn’t straighten up and eat. Yikes! Mindy’s been a little more on edge the past couple weeks. She asked me to deal with Jacob. Once he shared that there was bacon in his burger, I caved and let him have cereal in its place. He likes bacon, but not on burgers. I baggied up his burger for another day. The kids soon ran off to play while I cleaned up the kitchen and Mindy served up dessert – cheesecake. I made odd squeaky noises to entertain Frankie all the while eating dessert. Everybody laughed at the way she tipped her head almost completely sideways in response. Dad hung around until it was near 730pm. He offered to take me to my Friday appointment, but Mindy’s already scheduled the day off. We’re also taking Frankie in that morning to be spayed. Hopefully we don’t get our procedures crossed.  After Dad left, I spent some time at the computer and then dd some reading from the livingroom recliner. I fell asleep around 830pm and didn’t wake again until 945pm. By then, everyone else was already in bed. I had to pen up Frankie before heading upstairs.

Grand Boys

I was up and out of bed somewhere near 730am. My stomach bothered me most of the night, nothing major, just that dull gnawing feeling. I quietly headed downstairs and started a pot of coffee. I left Frankie in her pen while I headed off to the PC. I was very anxious to read about the Vikings 3rd preseason game results after purposefully avoiding the score/stats before heading to bed the night before. They won, and from reading the storyline, it sounded like Brett Favre had a decent game. It was Sunday so I skipped the calisthenics. Mindy got up around 830am. She and I headed outside with Frankie. It was a lovely summer morning, and another cloudless start to the day. However, our September-like weather was a thing of the past. It was predicted to make it into the 90’s with high humidity. That’s summer. Expect it! While relaxing on the deck, I refilled the bird feeder and snapped a few pictures, including a macro zoom of a spider in his web. It was closing in on 10am. The kids were still asleep. I readied and left for my run. I ran along Trabue and south on Hague doing the typical Sunday three mile path. It was already starting to warm up but I wasn’t anywhere close to feeling uncomfortable. Mindy had bacon and French toast cooking by the time I returned home. The kids were up too. I played on the PC until the food was ready. I had one piece of French toast and three slices of bacon. Mindy and I agreed to have the boys over for the afternoon and evening. During clean-up, I suggested we call Lindsey early to discuss transportation arrangements. Basically, we asked that she and/or Kelly drop them off and we’d see them home just like the week before. Kelly agreed. I suggested 130pm – enough time for Mindy & I to run some errands. Mindy took a call from friend Rene soon after I hung up from talking with Lindsey. I headed off to the shower. I wanted to make a trip to Home Depot and Golf Galaxy. Mindy & I agreed that I would head out first. I figured to be gone between 1-1.5 hours. I left the house near 11am – drove the BM’er. I decided to stop at Golf Galaxy first. I remembered my $50 off coupon but not my gift card. Dang it! Oh well. It’s not like I can’t use it another time. I was determined to buy that new Taylormade 3-wood and 3 Rescue I’ve been looking at. Today’s the last day to use that coupon. I had my choice of the ’07 model or the ’08 model. They were the same price. I went with the ’08 model – duh! I picked up some new balls, a glove, and tees, too. Can’t wait to hit the new clubs. I drove by my office in route to Home Depot from Golf Galaxy. I wasn’t in Home Depot long, knowing exactly what I needed. First and foremost, I wanted to replace the dual water diverter/spigot that broke last week, and two, I wanted some more Miracle Grow and Weed Be-Gone with crab grass killer. It was 12:08pm when I started the BM’er for home. The kids were out in the driveway with their skateboards, rip-stik, and ramps when I got back home. Looked like they were having fun. I wasted no time at all installing the new water diverter. I put my new clubs in my bag then headed inside. It was starting to heat up and get humid. Mindy left shortly after my arrival. Had a few stops to make, including picking up a prescription and then Sam’s Club for steaks. I thought I might nap and read before the boys arrived, but didn’t get around to it. Instead, I used the time to download a bunch of pictures and then did some writing in my blog. For whatever reason, it seems like I’ve taken a boat load of photos this month. It was 130pm before I knew it, and the boys arrived right on queue. I headed out to intercept them. They both brought their skate boards, which worked out well, especially given that Jacob and Evan were out front riding theirs at that very moment. Rocky was stoked! Landon’s skate board might be the smallest board I’ve ever seen. Couldn’t be but about 16” inches long.  Very beat up, too. He rode it on his belly. At some point, Jacob did his best to ditch Rocky running off with Evan. I wasn’t too pleased. I hung out with Landon, eventually getting him set-up with Bella’s bike (training wheels) and helmet. I was surprised to see him go over the small ramp a number of times. Heck, he’s only 3. At some point, bless his heart, Kenny put up the bounce house. All the kids dashed over to play in it. Mindy got home around 2-230pm. She picked up some really nice lookin’ steaks and a cheesecake at Sam’s Club. She bought me some new razor blades for my Schick Quattro, too. With the kids off in the bounce house, I thought I’d take full advantage and do some light reading and possibly even steal a nap. Mindy thought otherwise. She asked for my help with a few chores, including unloading the dishwasher. I didn’t push back. While Mindy prepped a salad for dinner, I unloaded the dishwasher. Jacob helped as well. I did a couple other things too, although just what I can't readily recall. At some point I was finally able to do some reading while Woody was over playing with Frankie. Next thing I saw was Frankie sliding under the dining room table and squatting to pee – something we haven’t seen her do for a few of weeks. I rubbed her nose in it. Although, in her defense, I don’t think anyone had taken her out since mid-morning. Aside from the pugs, the house was quiet. I was all alone. Mindy headed down to the neighbors to deliver all the fixins’ for our cookout. I joined them about 10-15 minutes later after shaking off a case of the sleepies. Kenny started grilling soon after I showed up. While Kenny grilled, I sunk deep into their leather sectional and watched the end of the golf tournament. The color on their TV is absolutely incredible. It was an exciting finish to the Barclay’s with two mostly unknowns heading to a playoff. Mindy shared that Rene was supposed to join us. She had a steak grilled for her. We haven’t seen Rene all summer long. Yep, she showed up just before dinner. We chatted while Mindy prepped our dinner plates. On two separate occasions, Mindy asked if I wanted a present. Eventually she slipped me a card. I quickly searched my mental calendar curious what event I had apparently forgotten. Let’s see, it wasn’t our anniversary, her b-day, or even the anniversary of the day we met. What could it be??? It was a an early birthday card that contained two tickets to the Buckeye/Miami game September 11th at the Shoe – my birthday. I was thankful and surprised, but equally curious why she presented them to me now. Mindy shared that she caught wind of me discussing the game and possibly looking for tickets with Tom C. Didn’t want me to spend money unnecessarily. Made sense. Chrissy chimed in that she and Kenny would be joining us. Cool! We’ll make a day of it. Kenny grilled a Ribeye for me. It was very good. I ate every bite along with a baked potato, fresh green beans and salad. Like I often do, I did the dishes and cleaned up their kitchen afterwards. Mindy served me a piece of the cheesecake while I took care of the clean-up. To be fair, Mindy helped with the clean-up too. After dinner. I headed out with the kids and pugs. By then Kenny and the older boys were busy playing a game of football in Dave and Becky’s yard. I took Landon over to the tree swing. He had been bugging me to swing him all day – well, that and taking him boating.  Rene came down and said her goodbyes. Promised to hook-up with us again soon. A few minutes later, we corralled the boys and prepared to take them home. It was apparently my turn to drive ‘em home. I didn’t mind. I had been drinking nothing but water. We sent the boys home with a mini-care package containing a 7-up and Suzi-Q cake. We had a big bag of gently used clothing for Rocky, too. I dropped the boys just before 8pm. By the time that I was back at home Mindy had our kids in the house and in the shower. I plopped down on the sofa and tuned into the SNF game – Pittsburgh and Denver. Steelers couldn’t get out of their own way. They were losing when I headed for bed, which was just after 10pm.

Player's Club

With a fairly early tee-time planned, I was up by 645am. Downstairs, I started coffee then completed sit-ups but then decided to skip push-ups in order to give my shoulders and arms a much needed two-day break. Frankie didn’t act as if she was interested in getting out of her pen until I was mid-way through a cup of coffee. I took her out around 715am. She was pokey and spent a considerable amount of time laying casually in the early morning sunshine. Anxious to begin my run, I coaxed her back inside around 730am. We planned on leaving the house for golf at 9am, so, to that end, I left for my run around 745am. I wore a long sleeved running shirt to combat the morning chill. It was only 56 degrees under clear blue skies, but was expected to reach into the mid 80’s by mid afternoon. I ran three miles and was back home by 815am. Without much fanfare, I headed up for shower. Mindy got up as I prepped for golf. I made a sausage and cheese sandwich for breakfast using up the patties leftover from last Sunday’s family breakfast. Mindy asked what time she might expect me home. Around 3 or 4pm, I figured. She planned to grocery shop without the kids. Kenny pulled up in the driveway just as I was opening the garage to gather my gear. We arrived at Foxfire by 925am. Our tee-time wasn’t until 953am. I picked up our green fees - $43 each. We putted on the practice greens while waiting on the Bob’s. As expected, the greens were much faster than what we’re accustomed to playing. Both Bob’s were there and ready by 945am. We teed off just before 10am. I went first, and like I often, I hit one straight down the middle just outside the 150’s. The others had mixed results. My second shot landed in the right fringe just off the three-tiered green but pin high (same tier as the pin) and only 12’ out. I felt good about that. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get my putter to behave as planned. Don’t you know, I ended up rolling my putt down that second tier leaving myself a daunting 2nd putt. I ended up 3 putting for a bogey. Hole #4 ate my lunch. After chunking my ball all the way down the fairway, I topped that with some poor greenside play. We all played that hole poorly. In fact, so poorly that we let the twosome just behind us, play through. The weather and course was gorgeous. Sadly, I couldn’t match my play to the course or conditions. I didn’t whine about it though. What hurt me most was poor wedge play and then so-so putting – both aspects that had been treating me well of late. Through the afternoon, I spent an ordinate amount of time in green side bunkers. I struggled there too. I’ll bet I was in 8 greenside bunkers. I roared about it once or twice. Surprisingly, I played the three long, tight holes through the woods (14-16) pretty well, not once losing a ball out-of-bounds. We finished around 240pm. All totaled, I shot a miserable 106. We talked for a while before heading home. Kenny, Bob and Bob made plans to play Longaberger or Granville next Friday. As much as I would like to, I can’t due to a medical appointment. I arrived home just after 3pm to a house full of kids and Woody, Frankie's brother. Mindy had just finished baking chocolate chip cookies. I quickly scarfed down two. Mindy wasn’t home long. She bolted for the grocery as well as a couple other stops. Said she’d be gone at least two hours. The kids were in and out and ate constantly. It was a little more than I was prepared to deal with, especially when I needed a nap. I eventually gave up on that idea and headed outside to water flowers. Mindy finally got home from the grocery while I was outback. The kids constant eating continued even after Mindy was back. She gave me an earful for harping on her about it. Speaking of food, we had no firm dinner plans after discussing grilling or going out. I wasn’t that hungry and my stomach was burning and felt bloated. I definitely didn’t want to go out for dinner, but encouraged Mindy to take the kids and go. They ended up staying home alongside me. At some point, I’m guessing near 6pm, I discovered that the Brown’s preseason game was on TV. I pulled trump on the Big Screen dismissing Bella’s kiddie shows that had been running all afternoon. She wasn’t too happy about it but understood. After all, she could catch those shows from her room. Mindy had to lecture Jacob about bullying again. This time about his friend and Friday's overnight guest, Noah. We watched the Browns game together. They lost. The game ended just before 8pm, and just a few minutes before the nationally televised game between the Cowboys & Texans came on. While watching football, I drank three IPA’s from my Barley growler. I stayed up later than the others. The Texans put a smack down on the Cowboys.

Fresh Centennial

Even though short lived, having Thursday off work did me a world of good. I woke Friday morning on time and feeling fully refreshed. I tended to my exercise regimen then started into meditation and stretching, which I finished just after 6am. It was early, but then again I hadn't yet addressed Frankie, who didn't seem in any hurry to get up and head out. That didn't last. She and I spent about 10-15 outside after the rest of my morning ritual was completed. And boy was it chilly. It was very cool - only 50 degrees. The day's high wasn't expected to reach out of the 70's. It was just after 630am when I was dressed and ready for my run. I poured Mindy's coffee then delivered it and Frankie. Mindy was already up and alert. I set her coffee on the dresser then headed downstairs and out the door. I wore a long-sleeved running shirt for the first time since maybe early May. I ran four miles and felt great. I was back home by 715am. Mindy had eggs waiting at my usual place setting. I noticed something amiss with the pineapple. It looked like pepper or worse yet mold on the chunks. I decided to pass on pineapple. Mindy had fresh veggies ready for my lunch, but I had a container still in the fridge at work. They'd been there since Wednesday when I opted to skip 'em and eat only cheese chunks and yogurt. Mindy soon left for work leaving me and the kids to our all-too familiar school day routine. I headed off to the shower while the kids tidied their rooms and brushed their teeth. We were all ready well ahead of the bus schedule. With 20 minutes to burn, I took some photos of our lovely backyard that was splashed in brilliant sunshine. Kenny was at the bus stop with the girls. He was off again. Lucky him. After seeing the kids onto the bus I headed home and made final preparations for departure. I must've left the house around 820am. Almost forgot to mention, the bus driver gave us a form stating that starting next Tuesday, she'll be picking the kids up five minutes earlier, or at 812am. Works for me. I drove the BM'er. How could I not? It was superbly beautiful. I arrived at work before 840am. My peer came by to chat as soon as I was in the door. He was giving me an earful about some of my team members. I wasn't too happy about it. We eventually settled the matter. Within the first hour, our boss asked to meet with us. We talked until almost 1030am. I can only say this: Interesting news. We'll see how things unfold. The rest of the morning moved swiftly. I wanted to sneak away to Golf Galaxy at lunch to see about getting fitted for new irons. I waited until almost 130pm before leaving. I found Jeff, the store manager and talked about the fitting process. Said he'd have to charge me $50 but that would be refunded if/when I bought my clubs. For a lot of reasons, I didn't really like that idea. We eventually agreed to use the swing analyzer with a few of the club models I already liked. We couldn't do the thorough fitting because they didn't have the set-up in a lefty version. Jeff promised to have it in by next Wednesday. I've never been one to enjoy swinging a golf club indoors and especially in front of a stranger. I eventually got comfortable after hitting four or five club types. I must've hit at least 50-60 7-iron shots, and 90% of them were clustered in a small area which is good. All had a slight draw. Not until Jeff pointed it out did I realize they all went slightly right of the target line. What target I asked. I didn't realize I was supposed to be aiming at this arbitrary dull yellow line. Jeff gauged my swing speed to be mid/upper 70's, which is pretty slow. I know I don't swing that hard anymore but also know that I have a tendency not to swing as hard as usual indoors. After 45 minutes, we exchanged information. Jeff promised to give me a call early next week to let me know when the swing analysis equipment comes in. Here's the big thing, each person's swing is different, not to mention height and weight. Having clubs matched to your size and swing pattern is always a good, and it's also free. They will size and weight the shafts and grips according to my specs at no additional charge. The only catch is I won't be able to leave the store with them that day. That's OK by me. I can easily wait the 7-10 days Callaway and Taylormade require to custom make clubs. I headed back to the office feeling good about my decision. The afternoon moved along quickly, in part because it was already nearing 3pm when I got back. It felt good to have the weekend upon us and without any attachment to work. I left the office for home around 535pm. I talked with Mindy around 430pm. She said Jacob badly wanted to dine at Barley's. I wasn't sure that I wanted to, but also didn't rule it out. It sounded as if Mindy really wanted to go as well. What I did know was this, I was very sleepy, and consequently wanted a nap more than anything. As soon as I arrived home and was settled, I slipped into the livingroom recliner to take a nap. I read a few pages to help me get there. Ahhh! I probably slept no more than fifteen minutes but it was very satisfying. I was awakened by a Jacob/Bella incident out front. Mindy had to end their playing and sat them down at the kitchen table to discuss the matter. Bella ended up being sent to her room to cool off. She was furious! That's when her Latino temperament shines through and in no uncertain terms. Listening from afar, I was impressed how Mindy worked her way through the drama. In the end, both had to take some ownership. We left for Barley's around 7pm. By then both kids were in far better spirits. The lot was packed, however we easily found one of the few remaining spots. Inside, Mindy and the kids gravitated to the barside table we've grown accustom to sitting at. Meanwhile, I nestled up close to the bar to get a beer - a fresh Centennial IPA. Mindy ordered a Russian and the kids ordered sodas. I talked with Steve and Lil' Bob mostly. Mindy & the kids ordered food. I ate only from their plates, ordering nothing for myself aside from cold beer. I wasn't that hungry. We didn't stay too late at all, leaving for home near 900pm. I ordered a growler of Centennial for the go after having only two at the bar. Mindy picked up the check and drove home. We stopped to pick-up Noah on the drive home. We pulled around back where we loaded his bike into the Honda. Given that they live in the subdivision just to our south, we were home minutes later. After everyone was settled we walked down to the Chrissy & Kenny's. And yes, I took my growler of IPA. We hung out for about an hour with the neighbors watching football and talking. Mindy spent most of the time reading Chrissy's copy of the latest People magazine article about Tiger and Elin's recent divorce. I drank two pints of IPA while there. We headed home ahead of 11pm. I needed to be up early in order to accomplish my personal goals before making it to our 10am tee time at Player's Club.

Lovely Day for Golf - Droid 2

The sound of Mindy's shower along with the bright bathroom lighting woke me somewhere near 645am. I was able to dose on and off but eventually gave up and headed downstairs near 715am. There, I started my exercise routine and got a cup of coffee. By then, Mindy was already prepping to leave. Mindy left for school around 730am while the kids and I finished preparing for our day. I played on the PC until it was time to leave for the bus stop. The weather was gorgeous - 56 degrees and sunny. The day's forecast - 80 something with clear blue skies - perfect for golf. Kenny was at the bus stop with the girls. We firmed up golf plans while awaiting the bus. Figured we'd leave around 1030am and play Phoenix Golf Links. Tom C. would most likely be joining us too. After the kids were safely on the bus, I headed back home to ready for a run. I wore a sleeveless running shirt. The sunshine was really warm. I ran just three miles in an effort to conserve some energy for golf. Back at home by 9am, I called Tom C. and the golf course. Tom was in, and the course said no tee-time necessary. Come on out! Cool! We planned to meet there just before 11am to take advantage of their early rates - $25 with cart. Kenny agreed to drive. Good thing, the Trooper needed gas. I didn't feel like stopping for fuel. I woofed down a pork burrito just before leaving the house. I also took a Dexilant after feeling that incessant gnawing sensation emanating from my upper stomach. Kenny was waiting in the driveway. We arrived at Phoenix early- 10:25am. Kenny insisted on picking up the green fees for all three of us. Tom got the last round. Speaking of Tom, he wasn't yet there. I called his cell. Still a good 15 minutes out. We headed to the putting green, which is far removed from the clubhouse. We chipped and putted for 15 minutes or more. Finally, Tom arrived and we headed to the first tee box. As he often does, Tom insisted we play the blue tees. I went first and hit a solid drive right down the middle . Tom shanked one hard left - almost parallel to the tee box. He hit another. Kenny went right of center but long. Somehow or another, I ended up struggling down the fairway taking a 9. Not a good way to start, although I didn't let it worry me much - too nice and I wasn't working! Like always, I had some good holes and then some bad. We played under cloudless skies all afternoon. The conditions reminded me of September. We finished around 245pm. I tried calling Mindy but went to VM. She asked me to call to confirm my ability to pluck the kids from the bus near 4pm. Kenny & I both wanted to cut our lawns once at home. Since fertilizing a couple weeks ago, it's needing cut every 4-5 days again. Plus, getting it cut on Thursday evening would free me for the weekend. That sounded appealing. I fooled around on the PC until the kids and Mindy were home from school. I headed out to the cut the lawn while Mindy went to pick-up her new Droid 2 case that Fed Ex tried to deliver earlier. Not sure why they wouldn't just leave it. She planned to order pizza for dinner, and shared that my dad would be joining us. I decided to skip whacking and edging. That alone knocked 20-25 minutes off the job. I was finished before 530pm. After finishing the lawn, and before Mindy got back and before Dad arrived, I watered the flowers out back. While watering, the water supply splitter exploded. I had to bypass it on the fly. At the same time, Kenny stopped over to let me know that he got Chrissy's blessing to golf with us on Saturday. We'd be playing the Player's Club at Foxfire. While waiting on the dad and the pizzas, I decided to activate Mindy's new Droid 2. I had to head out front as the center of our house is a deadzone. I passed Dad as I headed quickly out the door. It took a few tries to activate but I got it done. The Domino's guy showed up while I was outside. I snapped Mindy's new purple case on the phone just before sitting down for pizza. I was determined to have Mindy go through the painstaking configuration process on her own, that way she'd get to know her new phone intimately. And besides, the phone has a guided tutorial. We ate the less than delicious Domino's pizza. The toppings were scant, maybe one or two small pieces of sausage and a single pepper ring on each slice. Even worse, it appeared they cut back on the pepperoni just to make room for the other toppings. During dinner we chatted about the day: school, work, and my golf game. Dad, meanwhile, elaborated further on last week's discussion, his final internment. Apparently he's given it deeper consideration since we last spoke. Shared details with Mindy and I, such as where he's to be buried (beside Sheila) and a tree that is to be planted next to both. Said he recently paid for the actual excavation and fill of his grave. Said he wants a particular style vault, but I'll need to ask the name again. Also shared that he wants his service at Shoedinger's in Westgate. As dinner wound down, Mindy took over the operation of her new phone. Within ten seconds she handed it back with all the commands now appearing in Spanish. Good grief! I fiddled with it blindly for 15 minutes before excusing myself from the dinner table so I could get online and search the support doc for assistance. In less than 60 seconds I found simple instructions detailing how to switch languages. Wouldn't it be funny if it were that simple for us humans? As Dad departed, we headed out to walk Frankie and play with the kids, who were out front skate boarding and riding bikes. At the bridge, we struck up conversation with Carol, our across the street neighbor. Been walking lots. Talked about aches and pains and ways to cure - stretching. Talked dogs too. Her daughter and son-in-law got a new puppy, a bull dog, at roughly the same time we got Frankie. Said their puppy weighs 30+ lbs already. As Carol headed home, neighbor Mike bicycled down. His kids, Emily & Evan, were over playing with Jacob and Bella. We talked with Mike for at least 30 minutes. Before we knew it, Mike was giving Jacob's Rip Stick a whirl. He did pretty good. Mike also explained why he didn't golf with us earlier - played hockey at the Chiller. While Mindy & Mike talked, I walked Frankie. She pooped and peed. It was 8-830pm, and time to head inside for the night, this being a school night. I turned the TV to the Thursday night preseason game - Colts vs Packers. I watched well into the 3rd quarter. By then Mindy and the kids were long off to bed.

Under Slept

I slept like a log! I saw 530am come and go. I didn’t wake again until Mindy upped and started the shower process. Man is that loud and bright! How can anyone sleep with all the lights and shower running. It’s just not fair!  I ended up sleeping until 715am or so. I was still hugely tired but staggered downstairs to begin fulfilling my duties just the same. The first thing I did was send my boss and email indicating my expected tardiness. I predicted a two hour delay, or 1030am arrival. Next, I completed my sit-ups and push-ups. Mindy left for work a little after 730am. I spent the time between then and bus stop time sipping coffee and relaxing. The kids and I headed out to the bus stop at 805am. Bella asked if she could handle Frankie. Yes, but make sure and hold the leash tightly. OK, Daddy. We weren’t out the door 10 seconds when Frankie dashed off jerking the leash from Bella’s loose grip. Instant panic ensued as Frankie ran towards Woodie and the road. Chrissy, who had Woodie on a leash, went dashing after Frankie. I yelled for Chrissy to stop. I figured if Woodie stopped, Frankie would as well. Chaos at the bus stop. I took over the leash after Chrissy finally corralled Frankie. The bus arrived on time – 817am. Mrs. Vanorder told us that she’s trying to get the time changed (moved up). As it stands now, she’s getting to school just as the bell rings. I won’t hold my breath. I headed home and readied for a run. I got out the door at 835am. I ran the full four miles even though I thought about trimming it to three for being so damn sleepy. I made it on pure determination. Once home I cooked eggs even though I wasn’t all that hungry. I didn’t want to skip breakfast. That’s never good. I was ready to leave the house around 10am. I took Frankie out for one last hoorah before departing. I had a difficult time coaxing her back in. It was a lovely morning. I couldt hardly blame her for wanting to stay out. I coaxed her in by shaking her treat bag at the back door. Works every time! Off to work. I arrived at work just after 1030am. After quickly getting situated I sought out my boss to discuss last night’s conference call. Because of my late arrival, it was mid-day in no time at all. The day was flying by, and I was fading quickly. I could’ve slept on command. I was tired! I managed to stay alert and busy until 5pm. That’s when I packed it in and headed for home. Just before leaving the office I ordered the purple case for Mindy’s new Droid. I had already told her she couldn’t use the new phone until we had a case for it (protection). I also ordered more ink for our printer. I love HP’s website. More often than not, I get free next-day delivery. Can’t beat that even by making a trip to Best Buy or Staples. Mindy emailed that the kids left for dinner with Jimaken. I’m glad she sent the email because I was thinking he wasn’t taking them this week. She wanted to know if we were doing Barley’s. Heck, I had Thursday scheduled off - why not? Mindy and I headed off to Barley’s within 5-10 minutes of me arriving home. During the short drive, Mindy shared a recent conversation with Rene, whom we haven’t hung with in months. I miss her. By the sounds of it, we may be seeing much more of her again soon. The parking lot was about what I expected - half full. Janet was tending bar. I was surprised to see such a short list of Barley beers on tap, and no IPA! Janet teased by telling me that the IPA should be on in a matter of minutes. A minute later she told me that she lied. Oops! I went with a Pale Ale instead. Mindy ordered a Russian Stout. We ordered food too. Can’t recall what Mindy had, but I had a Texas Pile it On Burger. It was good, but not as delicious as the one I had last week. You’ll have that. While eating, I kept a loose eye on the Reds/Giants game. At one time, the Reds were ahead 10-1. It was 10-3 when I first joined from the bar. Long story short, by the time Mindy and I paid our tab to leave, the Reds had squandered their once big lead. They were trailing 11-10 in the bottom of the 8th inning. Mindy stopped to chat with a teacher friend as we made our way to the car. I must’ve waited for ten minutes in the car. I laid back and tried taking a brief nap. I gave her a little crap about making me wait. More than anything, I was crazy tired. To that end, I bet we weren’t home ten minutes before I collapsed on the sofa. I didn’t wake again until 11pm or so. I headed directly to bed.

First Day of School - Kids 2010

First day of school for the kids: Bella: 48” Jacob: 60” Up on time – 530am Once again, a cloudy start to the day Exercise, PC, Frankie duty Meditate, stretch, wake Mindy at 6:30am. Leave for run at 635am – skies cleared during run. Awesome deep-orange sunrise. Mindy had eggs ready and setting at my usual spot at the table. Gotta love that routine. I expected Mindy to bolt for school at 730am, but she quickly reminded me she had a ‘hallpass’ so she could see the kids off to school this their first day 2010. Mindy shared that Jacob sobbed to her the night before about how bad the school year was going to be. Didn’t want to be a 4th grader with all new students in his class. Hmm? In turn, he wasn’t very cooperative preparing for the school day. I measured the kids heights just as we have each year prior and then recorded those measurements on a nearby envelope. Turns out, they measured 4 and 5 foot exactly. What are the odds? Once everyone was ready (after my shower) we walked out front for first day of school photos. Jacob wasn’t very cooperative with pictures either. Bella, on the other hand, was a ham. While out by the weeping mulberry tree, I peeked in behind the shrubbery to see if the ground hog had yet returned to the holes he had previously dug around our foundation. So far, no sign of his return. This school year’s bus schedule states that the bus won’t arrive until 817am. That’s 12 minutes later than last year. Good grief! Each of the past two years Chrissy has called and fought with the Hilliard transportation department getting them to move the pick-up time much earlier. We’re hoping to have success again this year. In the meantime, we walked to the bus stop at 8:05am. We took more first day of school photos only this time with Lillian and Makayla present. We both had our pugs on their leash too. They wrestled and tangled as predicted. The bus arrived right on time. It was empty. I was surprised. I figured that because she was arriving 12 minutes later, she had other stops ahead of us. Nope! Still first to be picked up. After the kids were safely on the bus I headed home long enough to gather my work gear. I drove the Trooper. My day was insanely busy. And if that wasn’t bad enough, I learned of a conference call that I felt necessary to join. The problem? It was scheduled to commence at 9pm EDT. I'd be taking work home with me. Mindy had pork tacos planned for dinner. Once home, she reported that Fed Ex left a slip on our door indicating that two of our three new phones were in (all but mine). I planned to pick them up after dinner provided Mindy agreed to water the flowers. The pork tacos/burritos were scrumptious. Near 7pm I bolted for the Fed Ex depot on International Dr to pick-up our phones. I wasn’t gone but 20 minutes tops. I opened the box, Mindy’s Droid 2 and the new home phone, an LG Cosmos. My Droid X is on back order, but I already knew that.  I figured I would program/charge the new phones while tending to that conference call later. It was 9pm and time to join that conference before I knew it. I asked Mindy to try and keep the noise down and Frankie at bay. I expected the call to last the full two hours. Long story short, it lasted five hours or until 2am! I was crazy tired when it finally ended. I doubted seriously that I’d be getting up for work come 530am, especially considering I wasn't getting to bed until 230am. ZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

Orienting One's Self

Up on time. 530am Exercise, coffee, Frankie duty PC, meditate, stretch, wake Mindy at 630am for first day of school (no students) run 4 miles – supposed be ‘perfect’ day , but clouds prevail. (What?) Mindy prepares breakfast – eggs Mindy leaves at 730am for school Kids spending the day with neighbors, Mike & Teri. Frankie and I walk them down at 810am – off to work at 815am in the BM’er Work busy – carry over from on-call weekend. Boss agrees to Thursday comp day. Wahoo! Take a lunch break near 1pm and drove to Golf Galaxy to once again look at new rescue and fairway woods. Considered getting fitted/having my swing analyzed for the proper shaft, weighting, lie and make-up, but in the end opted not. Ate lunch at my desk. Worked late or until 545m Mindy had parent orientation and didn’t expect to be home until 830pm. Jimaken took Jacob & Bella to their open house – teacher meet & greet. I was told to expect them back around 7pm. I used the alone time to address the following day’s work prep along with writing in my blog. The hour went fast. The kids returned around 715pm Both, but especially Bella, were very excited about school starting the next day. As soon as Jimaken left I helped get the kids ready for showers. At 8pm I tuned into MNF – Arizona vs Tennesee. Mindy arrived home around 830pm just as we had planned. The kids got to stay up until 930pm. I eventually fell asleep on the sofa.

Mowin, Grillin, G-Kids & Vikings

I slept until just after 7am. Feeling well rested, I pulled myself from bed and headed downstairs to begin my Sunday. Without hesitation, I started coffee then freed Frankie from her pen. Because it was Sunday, I didn’t plan to do any push-ups or sit-ups. After taking Frankie out and with coffee in hand, I sat down at my two PCs to deal with work and play. Much to my surprise, I heard Mindy up and milling about around 8am. No way did I guess that she would be up for good, but she was. She came downstairs to get her day going early. I probably shouldn’t say it but I will. I felt a little put out that I didn’t get my usual 1-2 hours of alone time. She started printing school related documents while I was busy working away. The sound of printer running annoyed me. Mindy took Frankie out again around 9am. At about the same time I readied for my run. I’m thinking it was 915am when I headed out. I ran four miles and out along Trabue and Hague. I was home before 10am. It was a good run. Mindy cooked sausage and pancakes while I was out. The pancakes were still frying when I returned. Seeing the raw pancakes swimming in a puddle of cooking oil left me feeling unsettled. I made mention of it and it apparently offended Mindy. She gave me the dickens for being so negative. I apologized. You see, there’s more to cooking than simply following a recipe. Timing, temperature, and the pan type can make a big difference, too. The sausage patties smelt terrific, and we haven’t had them in months. I was craving eggs too. I offered to fry one or two for Mindy as well. She declined my offer. I promised to eat at least one pancake, simply to keep the peace. Breakfast was very good. It was 11am by the time we had finished eating and had the kitchen was cleaned up. Mindy planned on grocery shopping while I cut the lawn. I was excited that the forecast called for highs only in the low 80’s under partly cloudy skies. With those conditions, the chance of over heating while working on the lawn was dramatically diminished. Over the next hour or two, I whacked, edged, cut, and mowed. I had the lawn looking pretty good. Before blowing away all the clippings, neighbor Carl came over to chat. Asked me if I was interested in sharing the cost/labor of dethatching our lawns. I was not. I don’t have deep thick thatch like Carl does. We talked lawns and grass seed for about 30 minutes. During our conversation I asked him for advice on eradicating the ground hog digging three holes along our foundation. In fact, the other day, Mindy came home to find him nesting in the weeping mulberry tree right outside our front door. Yikes! Carl suggested dumping a small amount of used motor oil around the hole an along the foundation in and around the immediate area. Said they will avoid it like the plague. I liked his idea better than Kenny’s, which was to use gasoline.  Know this, the holes are massive and obviously destructive. He needs to go but i don't want to kill him! After blowing off the drive and walk, I did the used motor oil thing being careful not to use too much. As for the environmental damage, I figure it no worse than the tar-like substance they used to seal the block foundation of our home from water seepage. After taking care of the ground hog problem I turned my attention to the tomato thief. And for all I knew, it could be the ground hog taking off with all of our tomatoes too. The chicken wire I had in front of them obviously wasn’t full proof enough. What ever it is, it was still getting to them. I could see where or how it was getting in, pushing the chicken wire away from the deck steps. I took the time to secure it more effectively, this time with stainless-steel staples. Sometimes I feel like I am living in the wild fending off critters at every stinkin’ turn – flower beds, pots, bird feeder, tomatoes, and now the house. Geez-o’-pete! After taking care of the lawn and critters, I watered all the flowers then took Frankie out for a walk. Mindy returned from the grocery while I had Frankie out back. Most of the groceries were carried in by the time she and I got back inside. It was about 2pm. We were talking when my cell phone rang. It was Rocky asking if he could come over. Mindy gave an approving nod. That made me happy, but it made Rocky even happier. All we asked was that he have Kelly bring them over. We’d get them back home later. Lindsey called back letting us know that Kelly agreed. She also let us know that Kelly just bought a new car – a Nissan Armada. Lindsey spoke of it as a young teenager might. Kind of funny. Kind of sad. Our kids were still with Jimaken but due home within the hour. We planned on grilling steaks for dinner. After Mindy got the groceries put away, she and I took Frankie on a relatively short walk on her leash, never letting the house out of our site since we knew the kids and grandkids were due anytime. We were almost back home when Kelly, Lindsey and the boys pulled up at the house. Jimaken pulled up behind her no more than a minute later. The kids quickly rushed off to play five minutes after their arrival. Landon ended up odd man out. My heart ached for the way the other kids shewed him back home – too little. He didn’t complain, however. We did our best to keep him busy back at the house. He listens to Mindy & I pretty well. We’re very happy to report that Lindsey’s letting his hair grow out again. Looks good – curly. Mindy asked that I light the grill around 5pm so that we could eat by 6pm. The whole time she was thinking backwards from the Vikings kick-off, which was slated for 8pm. Our plan was to have the boys back home ahead of kick-off so we could watch our beloved Vikings as family. Just before grill lighting time, the boys, Jacob, Rocky, and Evan asked me to come out and help them get their bikes and ramps out. Landon wanted to go too. I set him up for Bella’s bike still equipped with training wheels. It was very cute. Mindy agreed to light the grill while I entertained the boys out front. I got some cool photos. Landon and I headed in to prepare for grilling by 515pm. He asked if he could help. Of course! We had three really thick steaks and 5 or 6 hot dogs to grill. I had the grill really hot by design - almost 700 degrees. The steaks cooked up fast – slightly crunchy on the outside but nice and pink inside. Everything was ready by 535pm. Mindy made green beans and a handful of baked potatoes and sweet potatoes too. She helped the kids get their plates together. The O’Connell’s kids ate dinner with us as well. Chrissy & Kenny, who we typically grill with on Sunday’s, were off to Tommy’s pizza for Makayla’s b-day dinner. They were nice enough to put up the inflatable bounce house before leaving, The kids love it! Dinner was delicious. I ate only half my steak. It was huge. Mindy made one of my faves, chocolate pudding, for dessert. She started dishing it out soon after clean-up. Makayla stopped over at just the right time - dessert time. She had some chocolate pudding with the other kids. Actually, though, a few of them had ice cream in lieu of pudding. After everyone was done we took the pug down to see Woody, her brother. The boys, Jacob, Evan, and Rocky started playing baseball while the rest of the kids played in the bounce house. I ended up being all-time pitcher for the boys’ ball game. Mindy was all-time catcher for a brief stint. Mindy had a hard stop time in mind to allow her enough time to take the boys home and make it back before kick-off. That was 715pm. She held strict to that deadline. The deal was that she’d drive the boys home if I’d see Jacob and Bella through their showers and PJs. I lived up to my end of the bargain, but not without a minor hiccup. After Bella was out of the shower, Jacob was no where to be found. Took off on his bike. Lucky for me, I tracked him down at Emily & Evans jumping on the trampoline. He gave me a little push-back until I asserted my will.  He came quickly. Both kids were showered and downstairs for kick-off before Mindy returned. Mindy was home with 5-10 minutes to spare. Mindy & Bella wore their Viking jerseys. I decided to skip it for being too warm. The Vikings elected to kick-off to the 49ers. That back fired. The 49ers marched down the filed and scored making it 7-0. Brett Favre lead the Vikings opening drive, and completed his first and only pass to Adrian Peterson. Unfortunately, he took a big ol’ sack a couple plays later. He never saw the field again. Not worth the risk. Hey, it’s preseason. The Vikings struggled for the game’s entirety. They lost 15-10. No biggie. I watched the entire game, however. Mindy and the kids were off to bed before the end of the 3rd quarter. Despite the loss, and the fact that I hate to lose, it was a fun game to watch.

A Spring In My Step - Yellow Springs

I slept in until just before 730am. For some reason I was thinking it was later. Thankfully, I woke feeling good after dreaming/thinking I was hungover. It didn't take me long to get the coffee brewing and my exercises started. Frankie seemed in no hurry to get out of her pen, so at least for the time being, I left her resting quietly. The sky was overcast and the temperature moderately warm when I finally freed Frankie and took her out. While enjoying coffee, I split time between work and play, with the edge going towards work. There was plenty requiring my attention/intervention. By 9am I had a firm grasp on work and decided it time to do my run. However, before heading out I did my usual stretch from the family room floor. I ran just three miles knowing that we planned a hike later in the day weather/work permitting. Even though it was quite humid, the run went well. By the time Mindy was up, I was reengaged in work. It must've been near 10am - about when I expected her to wake. For the next couple of hours I stayed plugged into work. As noon neared things started to loosen. Mindy and I discussed a trip to Yellow Springs. And provided work stayed as it was, it seemed like a go. I checked the radar. There was a relatively thin line of showers moving at us from the Dayton area, but nothing significant lingering behind it. However, the forecast called for a chance of pop up showers through the entire afternoon. Because she showered last night, Mindy opted to shower after hiking. Me, on the other hand, I needed a shower badly after recently completing my run. Sometime after 12 noon we packed a quick cooler and headed off for our new favorite place to hike, Yellow Springs. It rained on and off during the entire drive, but never too heavily. The sky, while gray, looked to be brightening to the SW, or the direction I approximated to be near Yellow Springs. This being our third trip out in the last 6 weeks or so, the drive went fast. We pulled into the parking lot of Clifton's Gorge just north of 1pm. The lot contained at least 10 other cars, and that was 10 more than our last trip there with Glenn and the kids. Mindy & I quickly decided instead of starting off in Clifton's Gorge, and hiking what we've already hiked, we'd drive a bit further out Rt 343 to John Bryan State Park. The park's entrance was only two more miles further up the road. The park's entrance was a winding road similar to that of Alum Creek's campground. We stopped at the camp office to learn where to go to get access to the hiking trails. The young girls working the camp office were kind and gave us a quick briefing on where to go. We grabbed a trail map on our way out the door. We wound our way through a mostly open-campsite park to what I assumed was the far east end parking lot near a stone shelter house with signs pointing to the trails. Mindy pee'd in one of their open pit toilets before we set out. She came out citing never again. Hmm? They looked ultra modern on the outside. Off we went. We followed what we assumed was the main trail out along the Little Miami river to the right of the plaque marking the trail. The trail quickly shrunk to something much smaller than what we had become accustom to after the last two times out. Not only that, but soon the overcast sky turned into brief showers. Suddenly we were winding along a trail with weeds as tall as us in a steady downpour. We used the thick canopy of trees above as an umbrella, but that only works so well. Somewhere along the line we assumed we had lost the main trail as we hugged the river's edge. We were on a trail but definitely not one frequented by more than just a scant few. We kept referring to the map but couldn't get our bearings. We (mostly me) asserted that the trail map had to be incorrect. We weren't overly concerned. In the end, all we needed to do was go back the way we came. We eventually spotted what we assumed was a foot bridge crossing the river about 200 yards up ahead. We snarled our way through thick trees and man high weeds until we came upon an old washed out wooden bridge (not the one we spotted along the river) that rested by two trails that were wide enough for vehicles. We followed one of those trails even though they didn't appear to be on our map, and was taking us farther away from the river. We even passed a sign that said, private drive - do not enter. Hmmm? In a State Park? In reality, it was no longer than an 1/8th mile. It lead us to an old restored mill, something like Grismer Mill, just off a main highway. We turned around and headed back to the trail along the river. We eventually found what we thought was the foot bridge I spotted earlier. It was an old homemade damn now ravaged from torrent waters past. You could walk out about 3/4s of the way, the rest now completely washed away. We hung out there for a while as we watched a couple guys and their dog pass by. I was willing to drudge onward, but Mindy wanted to turn around. I could tell she was ready to head back. She cited hunger as her main drive. Fine. We turned around and made our way back, only this time finding a more well-traveled trail that wound well above the river with a lot of uphill hiking. We passed some interesting stone structures along the way. Much to our surprise, the trail brought us out back close to the camp office. Once again, glancing at the trail map we were perplexed. How'd we end up there? We wound our way through the park campgrounds and eventually back to the lot where we parked our Honda. We stopped a few times to check out some huge old trees and a pond loaded with wildlife. Finally back at the Honda we couldn't bear to drive away without first walking back over to the trail head to try and sort out the map. We eventually guessed that we must've been heading west when we thought we were heading east. That would explain why the trails didn't jive. We left John Bryan state park and headed into Yellow Springs set on finding lunch, and most likely at the tavern. We parked along the main road through town and just a stone's throw from the tavern. Mindy quickly darted off to the pub to pee while I called out for my camera. I wanted a shot of this Socrates poster. I caught up with Mindy in the tavern a few minutes later. We asked to be seated on the north patio. I ordered a Red Eye IPA. Mindy drank only water. As an appetizer we ordered some of their deep fried green beans. For her entree, Mindy ordered their French dip and a salad. I ordered their Reuben. The food was excellent. The Reuben was absolutely terrific. The Red Eye IPA, just OK. We mulled over that trail map a few times while eating. I declared there an easy way to determine where we actually were with 100% certainty - Google Earth maps once back at home. Mindy paid for lunch. After leaving the tavern we walked next door to look at the purple bowl Mindy talked about buying. We didn't make the purchase. We decided to walk part of the town's business district we hadn't yet seen. While walking along the shops I spotted what looked like money. It was. I found $6 lying on the sidewalk all folded up. We eventually made our way back to the Honda after winding our way through the downtown neighborhood. Time to head home. It started raining just as we got into car. The drive home went by quickly. Meanwhile, the sky bounced between sun and rain. As we neared home it looked like they got hit with heavier rain than we experienced. Lots of big puddles. It was just after 5pm when we arrived home. Frankie was very excited to see us. We walked her out back right away. I was eager to kick up my feet, do some reading, and possibly even take a nap. While I did that, Mindy wandered down to visit the neighbors. I read for about an hour, but couldn't fall asleep, although I might've dosed for a few minutes here and there. I stopped reading around 7pm to get ready to watch NFL Saturday Football - the Browns and Rams. I ended up drinking a couple Jack & Cokes during the game. Mindy watched passively from the kitchen table and her laptop. I shared a bowl of popcorn with Frankie. Mindy headed to bed before me.

Hanging with Doomie

It had to end sometime. I over slept big time not waking until 605am. That was after waking around 520am and figuring I had another ten minutes of sleep I could sneak in. Oops! In order to get back on schedule I hurried through sit-ups and skipped push-ups entirely. That only happens a few times each year. I took Frankie out then immediately turned my attention to stretching totally bypassing meditation. After making the difficult cuts, I was back on track time wise. I left for my 4 miles run by 640am. Once again, it was well into the 60’s and quite sticky. I completed the run with no trouble. But then again, I didn’t really expect any. Back home I whipped up a cheese omelet accompanied by fruit. I was done eating and off to the shower by 740am. Frankie was a total spaz. As soon as she heard me pouring Mindy’s coffee she was overly eager to head upstairs. Mindy was planning to head into school taking the kids along with her. And unless I’m mistaken, she was taking the neighbors, Emily & Evan too. I left for work in a remarkably good mood. After all, it was Friday, although I’d be on-call through the weekend. I drove the BM’er. The work day started slow, especially for a Friday. My boss and I went for an early lunch at the Big Fat. I drove. We both ordered gyros. Alex was our server. Very kind. Katarina stopped over for a brief visit too. The afternoon got really busy. Long story short, I ended up at the office until 9pm – That’s not a typo – 9pm! I talked with Mindy more than once. She was waiting patiently for my arrival home. She wondered if I still wanted to do Barley’s – yes, and more than ever! To that end, I readied for an evening at Barley’s in a hurry. All I really needed to do was brush my teeth. We left around 915pm. Mindy shared how her day unfolded. Said the kids, Jacob, Bella, Emily and Evan, were well-behaved while at school with her. Took them to the Grove City skate park afterwards. Said Jacob and Evan were overwhelmed with its complexity. That apparently turned Jacob into a bear – unruly. The crowd at Barley’s was sparse. Thad & Monica were there and jokingly gave us and earful for being late. Apparently Mindy urged them to come in but told them we’d be there around 730pm. Any other weekend that would’ve been true. Oops! We laughed it off. Thad and I talked for a while not only about this being his 17th year of teaching but about his Management of the Governor’s Art Show. Just before he and Monica left, he went to the car to fetch me this year’s official shirt. Cool! Said that he and Monica bought this year’s winning piece, which is featured on the shirt. Not long after Thad and Moncia departed our friends Doommie arrived. We hadn’t seen them in a long time. In fact, Mindy had been on me to send them an email earlier in the week. As always, we had a fun time hanging out and catching up. Through the evening I drank 4 beers – one Pale Ale and three Sumpin’ Sumpin’s. Daggone, they’re good! It was getting late. Not too many patrons remained when we departed. I have no idea what time it was, but I’m guessing near 1130pm. We didn’t visit the neighbors once home. Looked like everyone was in bed. We headed there ourselves are taking care of Frankie.

Salsa & Football

After falling asleep on the sofa early the night before I netted upwards of 9 hours total sleep. I felt more than rested. Up at 530am, I started my day with exercises. It was mostly clear and near 60 degrees when Frankie and I headed out back. After coffee and internet I did my usual morning meditation and stretch regimen. It was 635am when I dashed off for my run. Home by 715am, I prepped breakfast and organized my lunch. Unfortunately, Mindy didn’t have vegetables cut and prepackaged. Not wanting to fool with it myself, I ended up skipping them for the day. Breakfast consisted of two fried eggs and fruit. Off to the Shower at 740am. I woke Mindy with coffee and the pug. Mindy and the kids planned to visit her friend Teri in Westerville. I figured it likely a golf day so I put a pair of shorts in my backpack and loaded my golf clubs into the back of the BM’er. Left for work at 810am Work day was very, very busy. I emailed the Bob’s mid-day inquiring about golf. Bob I immediately responded that he wouldn’t be able to partake. My day got crazy through the afternoon, and even though Bob B responded that he could make golf, I didn’t see his message until much later in the evening. In fact, It wasn't until I got home. I didn't leave the office until 600pm. Mindy called around 430pm. I advised her that I most likely wouldn’t be golfing. She was still in Westerville and warned that she hadn’t planned on making dinner due to golf. I didn’t really mind. By the time I got home from work Mindy and the kids were home. Mindy had a plethora of leftovers heated and ready for consumption. There was leftover Minelli’s pizza, chicken & noodles, and mashed potatoes. Aside from the pizza, which Bella also wanted, none of it tickled my fancy. I ended up eating about four or five small slices of the pizza and then made a soft tortilla filled with melted cheese. Mindy could tell that I wasn’t overly excited about the offerings. After clean-up, I headed out to water flowers. Things were drying out once again. I was frustrated to find that critters are still finding a way to our tomato plants, no doubt from under the deck. They/it had bitten into every single ripe tomato on the vines. While Mindy was down visiting the neighbors, I headed back inside and whipped up the season’s first batch of salsa using tomatoes we had picked days earlier. I purposefully used only one habanera to keep the kick suitable to a more neutral palet. I placed the entire batch in the fridge to allow it to settle. There was an NFL football game on, New England and Atlanta. I was eager to watch. For the remainder of the evening, I enjoyed football, chips and salsa.

A Little Sumpin' Sumpin'

Keeping with my recent streak I was up and downstairs before 535am. Like most mornings, I moseyed over to the back door to glance outside at the weather. Looked clear. The irrigation was still going. Runs until just before 6am. I grabbed my exercise shoes and then started my calisthenics – sit-ups first. As I often do, I jumped online between sit-ups and push-ups. There I checked the weather And then read a little more about Brett Favre’s return. It was 63 degrees with the high expected to reach into the low 80’s. There was an outside shot at showers too. I planned to drive the Trooper for the first time all week. After completing my push-ups I poured some coffee and let Frankie out of her pen. She and I headed out back a few minutes later. She was quick taking care of her business. We were back inside by 605am. Time to meditate and stretch. Both went very well. I dressed for my run next, once again wearing my sleeveless running shirt. Before taking off on my run I poured Mindy some coffee and headed upstairs with Frankie. Mindy needed to be up for a work related class. The kids would be spending their day with Gloria. Mindy wasn’t very receptive to the early call, but it was her idea. She needs to start getting used to waking up early. Life changes Monday. I left for my run by 635am and ran the usual 4 mile track. I felt really good and strong. Finished and was back inside by 715am. I half expected to find Mindy in the kitchen making my breakfast, but that wasn’t to be. She was still upstairs getting ready. I could faintly hear Frankie barking at her. I wasn’t sure why. I organized my lunch and started making breakfast. I made a three egg omelet figuring Mindy would want some. She did. I had her ask Bella too. Bella was a no. Both kids were up by 730am. Neither wanted breakfast. Would eat at Gloria’s. Mindy had one of them take Frankie out before they left. I headed up for my shower at 740am. Mindy & the kids were gone before I made it back downstairs ready to go. It was near 8am. I took my time leaving the house enjoying a few minutes of quiet. I drove the Trooper for the first time since last week. Arrived at work ahead of 830am. It was another frightfully busy day. At some point during the morning I finally reached the gastroenterologist’s office. Schedule my endoscopy for Friday Sept. 3. Let me know I be sedated and would need a driver. Great, because “I Wanna Be Sedated”- Ramones – circa 1980. Worked hard all afternoon. Ate lunch from my desk. As far as I knew, Mindy and I were doing dinner at Barley’s while the kids were doing dinner with Jimaken after spending their day with Gloria. I talked with Mindy on her way home from picking up the kids. Said the day went well. Loved her class. I left work for home near 515pm. Lovely evening drive in the BM’er! Turned out to be beautiful day – no rain. The Brett Favre story is dominating the sports talk radio. I’m eating it up! I noticed the freshness of our home immediately in the door. It was a Rachel day. I unloaded my lunch containers and prepped Thursday’s coffee before grooming for dinner out. Mindy was already ready to go. We left the house at 545pm arriving near 6pm. The lot and bar were equally packed. We stood for a while or until two stools opened. I drank a Lagunitas, Little Sumpin Sumpin Ale. Very good - hoppy! We spent considerable time talking with Calvin and Jim. Mindy knows Jim’s daughter and many of her high school friends. On most of the big screens story after story ran about Brett Favre’s return to the Vikings. Wahoo! All Vikings all the time! We eventually ordered food. I went with a Texas Pile-it-On burger. Mindy ordered their hummus plate. The food was delicious. That burger might be the best anywhere – ever. Do try it! The hummus plate was way better than the first night it was available. It’s almost as if someone read my blog and made the corrections I offered. I ordered a second Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale. Not sure if Mindy had a second, but knew she started a Great Lakes Elliot Fitzgerald while still at home. She asked me to drive home. She picked up the check. I was fine. We left at 730pm. We were home for 20 minutes ahead of the kids. Once home, they quickly threw down their gear and headed out with friends. I eventually plopped down on the sofa to watch the Science Channel, In Through the Wormhole. It was a rerun of the black hole episode. I fell asleep shortly after joining. I woke two or three times to Frankie’s whining and another time to Bella’s beckoning. The last time I woke it was 1130pm. Wow! I put Frankie in her pen and headed up to bed.

Favre is Back

I was up on time once again. That has to be like 7 or 8 workdays in a row. The coffee maker was already brewing, and the irrigation system off for the third day in a row. I grabbed my exercise tennies then got busy. I had my sit-ups and push-ups out of the way by 550am. By then, I had already checked headlines too. I saw that the Giants won that football game by 14 points. Wow! A big performance by an undrafted rookie receiver. It was only 57 degrees. I took Frankie out soon after. It was gorgeous – September-like. Frankie was relatively quick to handle her business. Back inside I finished my coffee then turned to mediation and stretching. Frankie wouldn’t leave my side throughout. Chewed my running hat and once again tried to eat the top button. I dressed for a run and was ready by 635am. I wore a sleeveless running shirt for the first time in several weeks. That proved just about perfect. I was very comfortable throughout. I ran the usual four miles without incident. I was home by 715am and immediately started organizing my lunch and making my breakfast. I made fried eggs, English muffin, fruit, and OJ. Yum! I couldn’t remember what Mindy’s day held in store. I thought she wanted up early. With that in mind, I poured her a cup of coffee and then Frankie and I headed up to wake her near 735am. Mindy shared her plan to visit her classroom, but not immediately. She didn’t seem to mind being woken with the pug, who was crazy excited – even more so than usual. I went back downstairs to find some chewies. I was showered and ready to depart for work before 8am. Mindy didn’t bother getting up, and I didn’t expect her to. I was driving the BM’er again. I couldn’t let such a beautiful day pass without doing so. Lovely drive in. I arrived early – about 823am. Work was busy. Mid-morning I received a VM from the Gastroenterologist asking me to call back. When I tried to call back 30 minutes later I received a recorded message that they were out of office for 3 hours. I never did try again. Too busy. I didn’t take a formal lunch but ate what I packed from my desk all the while working. At some point I talked with Mindy who shared that Mike O’Connell took our kids skating at the Chiller near Easton while she headed into school. I knew the kids would love that. I left work for the day around 545pm after another really busy late afternoon. My boss called while I was driving home to share news about Brett Favre heading back to the Vikings on a private plane. Thought I might already know given my good mood. Truth is, I had no idea. Too busy to check headlines. We talked about work matters as well, and our conversation lasted through my entire commute. I was excited to get home and read about the Favre rumor – confirm its truth. I noticed my dad’s minivan in front of the house. I wasn’t surprised. Mindy often invites him to dinner when we have chicken & noodles, which was on tonight’s menu. After greeting the family I went to my PC to check the rumor. Yep, pics of Brett Favre arriving at the Vikings headquarters. Flew in on the Vikings private jet. It wasn’t long before dinner was on the table. Among other things, Dad talked about Shawn’s progress in rehab. The chicken & noodles were good. The kids shared that in addition to ice skating, Mike took them on a bike ride at Griggs. More than once they raved about how much fun they had. Thanks Mike! During clean-up I shared Mom’s most recent status. Sounds like yet another surgery might be in the offing, only this time on her toe. Too many to count. In the same vein, I asked Dad if his post mortem wishes were documented anywhere – funeral arrangements and such. Said they weren’t but shared verbally. I need to document them just so I have them some years down the road. Need to pin Mom’s desires down too. As it stands now, her wishes are to have her ashes scattered over her Father's grave in Hawaii (Pearl Habor). Dad left around 730pm. As we walked out I noticed he delivered the life vest and water noodles we left on Bobby’s boat a month or so ago. As soon as Dad departed I headed out to water the flowers on the deck. The Hibiscus were looking especially dry (limp). I watered for about 20 minutes. I noticed the lawn showing signs of stress out back in the valley. I made a mental note to move the irrigation system’s control box to “on”. After watering, I headed inside for some reading. I read about ten pages. I’m almost done with Spontaneous Evolution – very good book. Got another 30 pages to go. I’ve got two more books on deck. I did some additional reading online too – more about Brett Favre’s long awaited return. I eventually fell asleep on the sofa upping for bed near 10pm.

Bully Bully

Time to return to work. Like a good soldier, I was up at 530am and without a struggle. I had to start coffee before my exercise regimen after neglecting to do so the evening before. I slipped into my old running shoes, which have now become my exercise shoes, then whipped out sit-ups and push-ups, all in the next 15 minutes. Sandwiched in between those exercises I checked headlines and weather. It was 70 and clear. While sipping my first cup of coffee I took Frankie out back. She slowly but surely took care of business. Back inside I did meditation and then a stretch. I was still pretty stiff from Sunday’s golf. It was 640am as I headed off on my run. The run went really well, although, again, I was a tad stiff, at least at the outset. Thankfully it quickly abated. Back at home I organized my lunch then prepared my breakfast. I made an omelet. I woke Mindy with the pug and coffee at 735am. Frankie was very excited. I was out of the shower and ready for work by 755am. I spent a good ten minutes downstairs making final preparations. I had to move the Honda on the driveway to make room for the BM’er’s exit. As far as I knew, Mindy’s plans included a trip to the grocery store. Not sure if she planned on visiting her classroom or not. It was a gorgeous drive into the office. I arrived slightly ahead of schedule. My boss was out ill. The day was fairly busy, but not any different than I expected. Despite the busy day, I was determined to take a real lunch break. I left around 1pm and drove over to Golf Galaxy thinking I might buy myself a new 3-wood and maybe even a new hybrid. You know, if the swing’s broke, it must be the club – right?  Being a lefty is a curse at the golf shop. They might have 20-30 in a righty but only one or two in a lefty. Same hold s true for complete sets of irons as well. Discouraging. I wasn’t willing to pay for what looked like a demo – the only left handed Taylormade Burner 08 3-wood remaining. The Rescues weren’t much better. I ended up leaving empty-handed but figuring I could order from their online store should I choose. I headed back to work feeling good about getting away. Through the summer I’ll bet I am averaging no more than1.5 lunch getaways a week. I ate my packed lunch as soon as I got back. I called my doctor’s office to let them know that I hadn’t yet heard from the gastroenterologist. I was tentative, half expecting that witch to rip my head off again. She didn’t. This time, she calmly explained that they didn’t fax the request until Friday. Lame, yes, but at least she was kind. Geesh, I was there last Tuesday. The afternoon moved along quickly. Before I knew it, it was time to head for home. I ended up at the office until almost 6pm. As they often do, things got dicey close to quitting time. Mindy was still unloading groceries when I arrived home. We’d be having Kroger’s rotisserie chicken and mashed potatoes for dinner. While Mindy finished putting groceries away I took care of some stuff online. We sat to eat around 630pm. The chicken was especially good. Haven’t had it for a while. I ate too much, really. During dinner, I talked to Jacob about a recent bullying episode where he was the victim, thanks to neighbor Jake. I love karma. Now I’m not saying that I in any way advocate Jake beating on my Jacob, but given the bullying conversation i had with Jacob no more than a month ago where he was the aggressor, the stars couldn’t have aligned themselves better. We now had an “I told you so” moment to refer back to. All in all, Jacob seemed to digest the message well, understood where I was coming from. I did dinner clean-up. Mindy helped. She planned to boil down what was left of the chicken so she could make chicken & noodles on Tuesday. The kids, meanwhile, headed back out to play. Around 730pm Mindy headed off to Target at Graceland in hopes of picking up more classroom supplies that only they stocked. I stayed home eager to enjoy some quiet time reading and napping. However, before any of that I took Frankie out for a walk. She ended up at the neighbors playing with Woodie. I chatted briefly with Kenny who had his dogs outside at the same time. I headed back home after ten minutes. I had another 30 minutes of alone time. Instead of reading I found myself online looking for those golf clubs I spoke of earlier. I browsed both Galaxy Golf and The Golf Warehouse web sites. Still unsure. Mindy got home a little sooner than I expected. Had to be near 830pm. The kids were just coming in from their playtime with the neighbors. I headed in to join the Monday Night Football game already in progress – The Jets & Giants. Sanchez had just thrown an interception with his first pass of the season. The Giants were driving and scored. It was nip and tuck through the first half, which is all I saw. I eventually fell asleep. When I woke for bed it was 16-16.

Golf Day

I slept until just after 8am after waking numerous times between 6am and then. It was gray and sticky. I started coffee but skipped exercise. After all, it was Sunday, my day of rest. Frankie remained in her pen even with the door open wide. She, like the others, was exhausted from all the play the evening before. I spent a good hour or so on the computer reading about the Vikings 28-7 preseason victory over the Rams despite playing without most of their offensive stars. I stretched and left for a run around 10am. I closed Frankie’s pen door just before heading out. Still, no one else was awake. I ran along Trabue & Hague and only three miles. Once again, it was warm and really humid. I was a sweaty mess once back at home. I asked Mindy if we had any sausage we could fry up for breakfast. She brought up a roll form the basement freezer, but by then it was really too late for breakfast. It was already 11am. Mindy planned a trip to grocery. In preparation she printed a grocery list. I intercepted the list from the printer only to realize that the printer was once again out of ink. She hit print again while I was in the middle of replacing the ink cartridge. I wasn’t happy. Why, I asked? This time the page printed completely blank.  While Mindy showered, I watered flowers out back, topped off the hot tub, and picked ripe peppers and tomatoes. After spotting Kenny out back, I asked about our golf plans. He checked with Chrissy and called me back. He suggested we leave at 1pm. It was already noon. Mike O’Connell was going too. Mindy wasn't too excited about our earlier than advertised departure time. That meant the kids would have to join her at the grocery. She ended up nixing grocery shopping until Monday. I hit the shower and prepared to leave by 1pm. Mike O. agreed to drive. Mike & Kenny pulled up just as I was walking out of the house with my clubs. Perfect timing. Soon we were on our way to Indian Springs. The forecast called for a hot humid afternoon with a chance of pop up showers, and by the looks of the sky, one could have sprouted up at any time. It was about a 40 minute drive out I-70 and up Rt 29 to Rt161. And just as expected, we were able to get right on and off tee #1 after forking over $35 each. My game resembled that of my last few rounds. I started off bogey, bogey, bogey, par, bogey and was striking the ball pretty darn well. I double bogeyed hole #6, however, after one errant ball strike. The front nine kind of got away from me after that. I ended up with a 51 on the front. It was very hot and humid and a storm looked like it was moving in at the turn. We went inside to check the radar with Dan. Sure enough, there was a small but mighty storm cell moving towards us. We decided to stay inside, have a beer, and wait it out. Lightning was striking all around, but beyond a few sprinkles, the storm fizzled as it came overtop. Happily, after it passed the humidity dropped like a rock. I started off the back with a couple bogeys, but after that I struggled with second shots and ended up with a number of doubles. I never did see my final score but figure it was around 100. Most notably, I couldn’t/didn’t hit my 3-wood well at all. My driving, putting, and chipping were all pretty good. I can think of only one hole that I three putted. We finished around 7pm. Mindy called just as we loaded into Mike’s truck for home. They were just leaving the Happy Greek where they celebrated Julie’s 28th? b-day. I asked that she bring me home a gyro. She agreed. We took 161 east to Chillicothe Street south in Plain City through the countryside and eventually through the far west end of new Hilliard. We were home by 740pm. Mindy and the kids were already at home. Waiting for me was a gyro and fries. The gyro was excellent, perhaps even better than those at the Big Fat. It hit the spot. I walked down to the neighbors with Mindy around 815pm. She had to talk with Chrissy about a couple of things. We didn’t stay long. Kenny was getting ready to grill steaks. Back at home I remembered that Sunday Night football was on. We watched the Bengals and Broncos game already well into the 2nd half. The Bengals won easily. Tim Tebow took a pretty good beatin’. Because of the football game, I didn’t head for bed until 1030pm or after.