Market District

I woke a handful of times after 530a, but not for good until 730a. I felt well rested, and certainly better than I did Saturday. Before I could slip quietly out of the room, Mindy asked for a hug, and then asked that I return soon just to snuggle. Sure, dear.  I headed downstairs where I started a pot of Starbucks then headed to the PC. Because it was Sunday, I didn’t plan to complete calisthenics – just run baby! I got caught up on all the late college football scores, and then read some Vikings headlines hoping to get a sense of whether Favre would be playing or not. No word. I enjoyed a cup of coffee ahead of freeing Frankie. Like a lot of weekend days, she wasn’t real motivated to exit her pen, but she eventually did. I took her outside where she did nothing but play. I finally gave up and headed back inside. Not about to let the morning get away from me, I slipped into my running clothes shortly after 9a. I left my running ballcap upstairs. I opted to run without it so not to wake Mindy. I ran inside the subdivision but still kept the run to only three miles, my typical Sunday distance. It was sunny but chilly – maybe a hint of frost. Good run. I freed Frankie and took her out again after my run. Still didn’t go. I decided to attach her to the dog run and left out. It was a nice, crisp autumn morning, why not? I guess you could say that I started the painstaking yard winterization process next. I carried the twisted Hibiscus pot that rests on Mindy’s pondside patio up to the deck with plans to trim it up and take it inside for the winter. Last year we wintered over one of the large deck Hibiscus plants, but they’re both getting too large for the house. I topped off the hot tub too. It was down about 4 or 5 inches. Mindy was awake when I headed back inside to fetch some scissors. She came out on the deck while I trimmed the plant and took down the faux spider webbing that’s been up on the pergola since Bella’s early October birthday celebration. I didn’t plan to do too much more today, though. I’ll do most of the yard winterization in the next couple of weeks. But with the first hard freeze nearing, anything I plan to winter over needs to be addressed soon. Mindy helped me decide where to place her hibiscus. We opted to rid ourselves of two houseplants that were no longer adding beauty to our home décor (half dead). I was done after about 30 minutes outside. Back inside we enjoyed more coffee. We discussed the day’s plan, too. Thought we’d go to ABSCO to pick-up the kids’ snow skis and then stop at the new Giant Eagle Market District in Arlington (their answer to Whole Foods). It’s said to be unbelievable. Before any of that, though, we took a short nap then showered. We left the house some time around 1230p. Bella called at some point to ask if we were gonna fetch her skis. She’s very excited about getting them, which also makes me very happy. Mindy shared our plan. The ABSCO lot was packed, but most of the cars were patronizing the Asian restaurant or market right next door. It didn’t take long for them to retrieve the two sets of skis. I had them make sure that the bindings were setup properly for the boots. They were. Mindy sprung for those pricey Oakley goggles I tried on and liked last Wednesday. I doubt I would have bought them for myself. Said they would serve as my Xmas present. I picked up some fancy ski keeps for the kids too. The new Giant Eagle Market District is located in the Kingsdale mall. Talk about a renaissance, this is it. Two years ago, I would’ve thought it a goner. But now it’s been totally redone with lots of upscale tenants and a full parking lot. The Giant Eagle parking lot was packed too. And inside, it might’ve been the busiest I have ever seen a grocery store. Initially, Mindy talked about doing all of our grocery shopping there, but given the large crowd we thought not. Instead, we’d pick out some specialty items then head to the Grandview/Arlington Kroger on Chambers. Bob I. was correct. This store is absolutely fascinating. Perhaps three or four times bigger than the Arlington Whole Foods, and every bit as chic. We wandered all the fresh food aisles, including the salad bar, the deli, the butcher shop, as well as all the specialty foods. All very, very nice! The crowd was crazy though. It’s only been opened for about 3 weeks. It’ll die down soon, I’m sure. We ended up filling half a cart with stuff. We bought a number or specialty cheeses, some beer, and wine. Among the beers, we bought our first six-pack of holiday ale – Rogue’s Santa’s Private Reserve. Between wine, beer, and cheese I‘ll bet we spent $100, or darn near. Money doesn’t go as far at these specialty stores, that’s for sure. We left the Market District and headed further south to the Chambers Rd Kroger where we did the rest of our grocery shopping. By then, it was almost 3pm. I hadn’t been grocery shopping for quite some time. I wasn’t enjoying it too much either. Between the two stops, I’m sure Mindy dropped plenty of cash. She used her Kroger points to get a $.30 per gallon savings on gas. Paid $2.50 vs. $2.80. She called Jimaken on our way home. We were expecting him to bring the kids home anytime. They were already on their way. We wound our way through Arlington towards home. Jimaken and kids were there a few minutes ahead of us. Bella was excited to have her new snow skis. I think it’s fair to say that Jacob was too, although he kept his emotions in check. It was about 350p, or 25 minutes north of the Vikings kick-off. Our dinner plans called for a cookout with the neighbors at our place. We’d be having brats and dogs, nothing fancy. Mindy planned to whip up a tomato, onion and mozzarella salad, baked beans, as well as some coleslaw that we bought at Kroger. I forgot to mention that we bought a freshly baked apple pie at the Market District, too That would be dessert. The Viking game kicked off on time – 415p, and just as we expected, Favre was indeed starting despite the two broken bones in his ankle. What a tough son-of-a-gun. He played and managed the game well, I thought. We took a 7-0 lead but then allowed the Pats to tie it. Then, we had the ball on the one foot line with 4th and goal. We went for it and missed. Damn! The neighbors came down around halftime. I was tense over the game, and wasn’t that hungry after snacking on cheese, pita chips and hummus earlier. I eventually made myself a brat and sides and ate while watching the game. Like they have in almost every game this year, the Vikings allowed the Pats to come back and take the lead then had to fight their way back only to come up a day late and dollar short. Damn! I wanted to win. To add insult to injury, Favre took a brutal hit to the chin and had to leave the game in the final minutes. We later learned that they had to stitch him up. The neighbors left immediately after the game ended. Mindy was kind enough to handle kitchen clean-up, a duty usually reserved for me. I was appreciative of the reprieve. The day went incredibly fast, and for that matter, so had the entire weekend. Hard to fathom returning to work already. I tried one of Rogue’s Santa’s Private Reserve earlier. It was OK, but by no means my favorite winter warmer. I drank ice water for the remainder of the evening. Come 8p, we tuned into Sunday night football. It was Pittsburg vs. New Orleans. Mindy stayed up until her normal bedtime of 930p. Ahead of that she tucked the kids into bed. I stayed up until just after 10p, although like most night’s started dosing from the sofa even before Mindy headed to bed. All in all, a very lazy weekend.

Throw Away Day

I was up around 745a and with a mild headache. Nothing a couple more Advil wouldn’t take care of, however. I started coffee then finished my calisthenics. It was 815a when I poured my first cup of coffee. I felt OK but perhaps a little slow to motivate. Tired. I headed out with Frankie in the sunshine, although it was quite chilly and with light scattered frost. Afterwards, I fooled around on my PC until 930a when I decided it time to head out for a run. By then, Mindy was up. She started working on school report cards right away. I asked if she planned on attending yoga. She said she did. I dressed warmly for my run. The brilliant sunshine felt good in conjunction with the cool autumn air. As planned, I ran only three miles. During my run I pondered the day. I didn’t have anything of significance on my agenda, although thought I might work on leaves again. However, Kenny mentioned wanting his Billy Goat back to tend to his own yard when we visited last night. If I did work on leaves, it would be the old fashioned way – with a rake. I wasn’t excited about the prospect of raking, especially while the trees are holding tightly to their remaining foliage. That means another raking down the road. I wasn’t home long before I made myself a bowl or two of Wheaties. I was quite hungry. Next, I got busy replacing the toilet valve in the guest bathroom. It didn’t take long. The biggest problem was getting all water out of the tank before removing the old valve. I was going to put a bucket underneath to catch the last of it but the space proved too narrow for my bucket. I used an old bath towel to suck it up instead. Took no more than ten minutes beginning to end. Refilling was taking as long as three minutes prior to replacement, but only 25 seconds after. Looking inside the old valve, I could see that it was clogged with sediment. No wonder it was slow. After my plumbing work, I went for a nap on the sofa. I heard my Droid ring in the other room. It was neighbor Kenny. I figured he needed/wanted his Billy Goat. Without even returning his call, I headed out to deliver it. He was just walking up to get it as I opened the garage. I asked Mindy when she planned to go after her Honda. I thought she was going to yoga, but it was already approaching noon and she was still in PJ’s firmly planted in front of her laptop. I planned no other activities for myself. In addition to yoga, I thought Mindy might be going to the grocery. She finished up her school work around 1p and headed up for shower. We went after the Honda as soon as she was ready. I took my 5-gallon mower gas container with plans to fill it on my way back home. I dropped Mindy at her Honda at Barley’s then stopped at the nearby BP for mower gas. Because it’s so late in the season, I added just three gallons. I’ll need to add fuel stabilizer later at home. Mindy beat me home. She hadn’t mentioned it, but I assumed she wasn’t heading to the grocery. She asked if I planned to head down to Jake’s black belt party. For the time being, I didn’t. Mindy headed down by herself. It was about 230p best guess. I napped. I did nothing more than watch football and nap for the duration of the afternoon and early evening. And when Mindy got back, she took a long afternoon nap from our bedroom. That almost never happens. I took a shower at some point, but can’t recall exactly when. This was turning out to be a wasted Saturday, at least from a productivity standpoint. But every now and then, one can use a day of rest like that. Rare for me. I continued lounging on the sofa all afternoon/evening long. I watched Michigan State get trounced by Iowa. So much for their undefeated season. The Buckeye game was slated to kick-off from Minneapolis at 8p. Mindy & I decided to get a Minelli’s pizza just before kick-off. Mindy went after it. I stayed home and enjoyed a CBC IPA. The Buckeyes took a quick 7-0 lead, but Minnesota quickly tied it up. But that’s about where any resemblance of a close game ended. The Buckeyes really poured it on after that. They won 52-10. Sometime just after halftime, the neighbors came over along with Julie, Chirssy’s bff, to heckle us and make a little noise. They didn’t stay long, however. Heck, Mindy was already dosing from the sofa. In fact, after the neighbors headed home, Mindy headed for bed. At that point, it was close to the end of the 3rd quarter. I stayed up through the end of the game and some of the interviews after. I woke around 1130p and headed for bed. I was much looking forward to a good night of sleep.

444-4444

I was up at 530a feeling rested and ready for a fantastic Friday. Wahoo! It was another chilly start but still above freezing, clear and 36 degrees. I did my exercises ahead of freeing Frankie. She & I headed outside after some additional internet time. She took care of business in a reasonable amount of time. Meditation and stretching went well. I headed upstairs to deliver coffee and the pug around 630a. Mindy was in the shower. I headed out for a run just ahead of 640a. It didn’t take long to shake off the chilies – about a quarter mile or so. I ran the full 4.1 mile track without any problems. Mindy had eggs ready and waiting. She was in a hurry to get out the door despite it being only 720a. As I understood it, it was donuts with dad day. Bella asked her momma if she remembered to put two pieces of Halloween candy in her lunch. She did. I cut up some cheese to take for my lunch ahead of my shower. I headed up at 730a. The kids, the pug & I headed out for the bus at 758a. Chrissy was out with her girls. We were all glad that it was finally Friday. After the bus departed, I walked Frankie out front for a few more minutes. She sniffed around a lot, but did nothing in the end. I packed up my gear for work and departed at 820a. I listened to my Deepak CD on my drive in. After getting situated, I spent the first 30 minutes or so in the center with my team. Our weekly staff meeting was set for 9a, but we were about 10 minutes late getting started. The formal portion of the meeting lasted no more than 30 minutes, but we continued talking for almost another hour. I didn’t bother taking a formal lunch break, although I did take care of some personal stuff online mid-afternoon. As is often the case on Fridays, the afternoon got pretty dicey. But that only helped move the time along even faster. For me, the weekend couldn’t come soon enough. For one reason or another, it felt like an incredibly long week. I left for home around 515p. It was pretty chilly, barely 50 degrees, but sunny. It was a nice drive home. The house was quiet, and Mindy was lounging/napping on the sofa with the pug. At some point Mindy shared that her teacher pal, Kim was going to join us at Barley’s. I thought I might try and take a nap, but once I kicked back in the recliner I realized that I wasn’t tired enough. Instead, I got up and updated my blog, and stayed on the PC until 630p. About that same time, Mindy headed upstairs to ready for an evening at Barley’s. I freshened up once she was back downstairs. We left for Barley’s some time just after 7p. I talked a little about work during our rather short drive. The Friday crowd was much smaller than it’s been for some time. Mindy found her friend Kim and her husband dining at a table just south of the bar area and joined them there for a good half hour. I stayed at the bar and chatted with Dan the banker man while enjoying a fresh Centennial. Most of the staff was dressed in costume, Beth a nurse, Diedra a fish taco, Dan a fairy, etc. At some point someone informed me that Beth eloped here recently. A few minutes later I pulled her aside and asked. I noticed she was wearing a wedding band with her engagement ring. She confirmed, but asked that I please keep Mindy from posting anything about it on Facebook. I congratulated her then promised to make sure Mindy didn’t publish any reference on FB. As I understood it, her mother doesn’t know. Yikes! Mindy and her friend Kim, and her husband Charlie joined me at the bar. Mindy ordered food – prime rib. For the time being, I stuck only with beer. All totaled, I think I had five beers, and one of those a DIPA. And at some point I ordered a brisket quesadilla. Was feeling no pain! Mindy ended up drinking 3 Russian Nitros. Neither of us was in any condition to drive. I asked Mindy to call Kenny & Chrissy. Kenny agreed to come fetch us. Gotta love Kenny! Kenny called Mindy’s cell when he arrived. I had just ordered my 5th beer. Mindy went out to bring him in. Kenny came inside for a few while I finished my 5th beer. During that last hour, a few more of Mindy’s teacher pals showed up after an outing at Dewey’s Pizza just up the road. It must’ve been about 1030p when we left for home. Kenny dropped us at home. We were inside only a minute or two before I grabbed a couple more beers and we walked down to Chrissy & Kenny’s. No doubt, I was buzzed! Mindy hurried me through my second beer. My first, by the way, was a leftover from last Saturday night that I placed a wine stopper in. It remained fresh all week. We headed home and were in bed before midnight. I took 2 Advil before heading up.

Prayers 4 Soul Cakes

I was up a few minutes after 530a and quickly in the middle of exercise and internet. A check of the weather revealed clear skies and 46 degrees. Actually, I expected it to be cooler given that the day’s high wasn’t expected to top 53. After exercise I went ahead with meditation before taking Frankie out. She was slow to motivate. Couldn’t wait. It wasn’t one of my better meditation days. After 7 or 8 minutes I recognized it and got up and took Frankie out. Frankie was fairly swift taking care of her business. Back inside I finished my coffee then completed a stretch. The stretch felt terrific, and just what the doctor ordered. I delivered coffee and the pug ahead of getting dressed for my run. Mindy was already in the shower. I dressed in my light-weight winter attire including a pullover fleece. That proved adequate for the conditions. I was comfortable throughout the entire 4.1 mile run. A very bright half moon resided directly overhead providing an inordinate amount of light to an otherwise dark sky. Daybreak was just barely evident on the horizon when I finished. Mindy asked if she needed to start her Honda as soon as I entered the house. No. Not cold enough for frost. Mindy had eggs ready and waiting. This was Trick-or-Treat day. Bella was understandably excited. Jacob, on the other hand, seemed indiferrent to it. I asked Jacob if he had home work assigned for the night, just as he implied he would a couple days prior. Even bet me a $1.50. He didn’t. Tongue in cheek, I asked that he pay up. Mindy headed off to school at 730a. On her way out, she scolded me for being so pissy the night before. I simply listened. She also asked that I try to leave work a little early to help prep for Trick-or-Treat. I left my paper breakfast plate for Frankie to lick away the egg remnants, something she looks forward to now each morning. I headed up for a shower just after 730a. The kids and I prepared for bus departure at 755a. Bella managed Frankie. Kenny was out with the girls. Looked tired. Asked about his bow hunting adventure. Didn’t get anything. Going back out in a week or two, though. In a rare move, Frankie crapped out front of our house. She usually saves it for someone else’s yard.  We headed back inside where I prepped for final departure. I drove the Trooper after only briefly considering driving the BM’er. The first half of the work day was tense. Lots of issues to talk through. We remained huddled up for nearly three hours. I didn’t get back to my office to do real work until almost noon, and then stayed busy until 230p when I decided to make a trip to Target and Home Depot. I stopped at Target first for chewing gum. It’s rare that I find myself without gum, either in my pocket or in my office, but I was totally out. I bought a three-pack to keep in the drawer at home and then a canister for my office. I thought about picking up some additional Halloween candy, although Mindy already bought some. I was a little worried, however, that it might not be enough. I dismissed that notion last second. At Home Depot I was quick. I picked up a replacement toilet valve for the guest bath toilet. It’s been refilling ridiculously slow for a couple months now. I was back at the office after being gone about 45 minutes. I was just after 3p. Not much time left in the day, really. I spent about 30 minutes chatting with my boss before returning to my office for another hour or so. I talked with Mindy around 345p after seeing that I missed a call from her earlier. She was on her way home after picking up Lindsey and the boys. She had a turkey roast cooking in the crockpot. She also reminded me that Jimaken would be at our house to take Jacob & Bella Trick-or-Treating. He’d most likely be having dinner with us, too. She asked if I still planned to leave early. Yes – 5p-ish. To that end, I wrapped up my day just ahead of 5p. It’s been a long week already. I was ready for a weekend. I listened to my Deepak CD on the drive home. Good therapy. At home, the house was abuzz with humanity: Mindy, Jacob, Bella, Jimaken, Rocky, and Landon. But I was prepared for as much and subsequently didn’t allow it to overwhelm me like often is the case. The kids had already eaten their dinner and some were playing Wii. Mindy prepared my plate. The boneless turkey roast had a unique, truly overbearing flavor. Not sure how it was seasoned, but Mindy assured me it wasn’t by her. Most likely came that way. I couldn’t eat it all. Mindy shared that both boys ate a big dinner, something they rarely, if ever, do when dining with us. Must’ve been hungry! Trick-or-Treat was set to begin officially at 6p. The kids began getting into costume around 540p. They were pretty much ready ten minutes later and chomping at the bit to get out the door for their share of the sweet bounty. We had several early Trick-or-Treaters at our door. I told Mindy to send them away, but instead, she kindly granted their wish and placed candy in their bags. Just prior to all of our kids’ departure, I snapped a few photos of them in costume. By then, Bella had decided to abandon the idea of Trick-or-Treating with Jimaken and Jacob, and instead go with Makayla. Mindy, Chrissy, Lindsey and the boys. I’d be at home alone passing out candy. Darn! Everybody headed out at 6p sharp. Once the house was all to myself, I let the Wall blare from my PC’s sound system while writing in my blog. We had relatively few Trick-or-Treaters show up during the first 15-20 minutes. But when they came, they came in droves. At one point, we must’ve had 15 kids either on our porch or coming up the drive. I held tight to Mindy’s guide, only one piece of candy per - a guide designed to make the candy last the full two hours. Sometime shortly after 7p, the Trick-or-Treating really picked up, but like it had all night, the foot traffic was spotty – feast or famine. Mindy and the wee ones returned around 715p. Once they were home, I took Frankie out back to finally relieve herself. She’d been wanting out for a while and did a good job holding it. The little kids used plastic pumpkin pales as their treat bags. They were filled to the brim. Jacob, on the other hand, took a pillow case, We didn’t expect him home until near 8p. Bella and Rocky were just as excited about passing out candy to the remaining Trick-or-Treaters as they were about getting some of their own. I only asked that they remember the rule – one piece per. As the evening waned, it was apparent that we needed to follow the rule. Suddenly, our supply was diminishing quicker than anticipated. Even after agreeing to follow the guide, we discovered that Bella was handing out 3 & 4 pieces per. Said she felt sorry for the kids. She & Rocky resupplied the bowl with candy from their own coffers, and candy that they dubbed unfit for their liking. That tied us over nicely. Jacob got home around 755p. He had plenty of candy in his pillow case. By then, it was already determined that I would be taking Lindsey and the boys home. We got everyone ready to depart just after 8p. Even as we pulled away from the house, there were still a handful of Trick-or-Treaters walking their beat. The boys expressed gratitude for the invite to Trick-or-Treat outing. They both had a good time. Lindsey thanked us too. It’s just what grandparents do! It was a quiet drive back home. Nice! At home, in lieu of Halloween candy, I popped some popcorn. Bella asked if there was any Thursday night college football on TV. When I responded that there was, she joyfully went and found it. That’s my girl! It was Florida State versus N.C State. I eventually popped a second small bag of popcorn that Bella got Trick-or-Treating. We watched as a family for about 20-30 minutes, or until Mindy declared it bedtime. Mindy headed to bed shortly after the kids - 933p. She asked if I was joining her. I wanted to stay up and watch more of the football. I didn’t head up to bed until 1010p, but had fallen asleep on and off for most of that stretch.

Breaking

pic: Kaileigh & Sienna - new puppy I slept soundly and well enough that I woke at 530a feeling absolutely terrific. Downstairs a couple minutes later, I started the coffee maker then turned my attention towards exercise. I completed 55 sit-ups and 55 push-ups. In between the two, I checked the weather and a few emails. Among the emails was one from my mom thanking me for the money. She also alerted me to another new medical issue now plaguing her. I find it troubling that so much is going wrong in a relatively small window of time. But onto more positive things. I freed Frankie from her pen while enjoying my first cup of coffee. Like a lot of days, she didn’t seem interested in coming out until I went to the family room. Not sure what about that action serves as a trigger. In any case, after a few minutes of strokes and pets, she and I headed outside. It was much cooler than Monday and Tuesday morning, but still seasonal. It was 43 degrees under clear skies. We weren’t out long. Frankie did her business then hurried back towards the house. Inside, I gave her a Milkbone then moved on to meditation and stretching. Combined, I spent about 20 minutes. Afterwards I felt great and was ready to run. I took Mindy morning coffee and Frankie before heading out. I wore a pullover fleece overtop a long sleeved wicking shirt. That proved ideal. I was plenty comfortable throughout the run, and did the full 4.1 mile track. Like I have for the past few days, I did a full sprint from about a 1/8th mile out. I could go faster, but would risk injury. That’s just not in the cards. We practiced a few of Bella’s spelling words during breakfast. And while they seemed easier than normal to me, she struggled more than usual. The words were: cub. Cube, tub and tube. This was picture retake day, too. Bella wasn’t pleased with the attire Mindy selected for her to wear. And I guess it didn’t help when I told her she looked like a pirate. Actually, I thought the original pictures better captured her/their everyday look. I mean, come on, they’re not Olan Mills shots! The plan for after work was for the family to make a trip to ABSCO to get the kids outfitted with snow skis, boots and poles. We discussed the logistics before Mindy departed for school. Mindy helped Bella with her hair just before leaving the house. I headed up for shower at 735a. After my shower and just before I headed back downstairs, I heard Jacob giving Frankie holy hell. She took a dump on his brown/black shag rug ... again. Not sure what it is about it, but I am convinced she sees it the same as a patch of grass. Aren’t dogs somewhat color blind? We headed out for the bus stop near 8a – slightly later than usual, but no biggie. Bella controlled Frankie’s leash. Chrissy was out with the girls. Apparently, Kenny was still hunting. Hunting for what, I hadn’t a clue. Searching for the meaning of life? The pugs managed to get themselves tangled worse than ever. It took some doing to free them both. I took over Frankie’s leash. After the bus swooped up the kids, I walked Frankie around back again briefly, but she didn’t go – just did a lot of sniffing. It was a Rachel day, made apparent by the check Mindy left her on the island. I tidied up as usual then headed off for work. There wasn’t frost on my Trooper windows but they needed squeegeed just the same. I had to put the driver’s window down to wipe the moisture off the sideview mirror by hand a second time. I didn’t like the sound the window made during its descent. It was an all too familiar sound, the same one the passenger window made when it broke a few years back. Yep, same thing. Now my driver’s window is broken, most likely the clips and regulator. I could only chuckle at my misfortune. I stopped for gas at Thornton’s after deciding it a bad idea to run it all the way to ‘E’. I worked on getting the window back up while fueling. It took some doing but I got it. The Trooper took just under $50 worth of gas or 18.5 gallons. I arrived at work a couple minutes late. Work was busy from the second I sat down at my desk. A crazy morning for sure. I wanted to call the water company to finalize my water bill dispute at some point. I finally got some breathing room and called around noon. Lo and behold, Chrissy answered my call, the same gal I talked to the very first time I reported the problem on September 24th, and the same person that the others said didn’t exist. She was as kind Wednesday as she was the first day I called. I tried to get her to slam her peers but she wouldn’t. Chrissy reviewed everything that has taken place since my initial complaint and then consulted with a supervisor for advice. Returned minutes later to share that she couldn’t give me credit but would proactively open a dispute on my behalf and have a supervisor call me back within 24 hours for final resolution – good or bad. Fair enough. I made formal notes regarding our conversation like I have each time and added them to my timeline for future reference. I then took what amounts to my lunch break to pay my monthly bills online. After paying the bills I decided to call the XM radio folks again. This time just top make sure they had the billing correct. Even though they told me last week that they did, we received three more billing statements after that, and each one was different and wrong, and of course higher. They’re a mess! I got a hold of 'Ann' (definitely somewhere abroad). She assured me we owe only $24.61. Not sure why I got three errant bills. OK. TY. I forgot to mention that while gathering up my monthly bills from home this AM, I found my boat trailer 2011 sticker. It was the second envelope in my organizer. The same organizer that I riffled through sixteen times prior. Of course, it’s useless now. I already ordered and paid for a new one. Lovely! I’m only out $4.87, however. Once again, all I could do was chuckle. The universe loves me! Sometime during the work day, I snapped off an email to the three brothers sharing mom's numerous medical issues. Too, I posed a few questions regarding her long term care should that become necessary at some point. The afternoon got even busier than the morning. Mindy called around 4pm to discuss our evening plans, which included a trip to ABSCO and dinner. I offered that we simply meet there since it’s fairly close to my office and therefore made little sense for me to drive home then back. Mindy liked the idea. We kept our dinner options unresolved. My boss asked me to stop by late in the afternoon to discuss some changes. I was surprised at the scope of the change, but on board nonetheless. I didn’t get out the door until 535p, which typically isn’t a big deal accept for the fact that I told Mindy I’d meet her at ABSCO by 545p. I called to let her know I’d be running a few minutes behind. They were almost there already. No biggie. She knew what we needed and could get the whole process started without me. I was just the wallet.  I arrived at ABSCO just before 6p. Mindy and the kids were just getting started with the young female sales associate. Their selection for boys was much more limited than the selection for girls. And Jacob didn’t care for the ski design. All I could do was roll my eyes. Expected it. Bella picked a design right away. The only viable option for Jacob was to go to season rentals instead. He eventually opted for the new K2 skis, which honestly, I thought looked cool. Crisis avoided! While Mindy took the kids to be fitted for boots, I looked at their jackets again even though I already bought one at Dick’s. ABSCO has a much bigger selection. I tried a couple on that I liked, and even gave some consideration to returning my Dick’s jacket and buying one there. Fitting the kids for boots didn’t take long at all. Mindy had enough foresight to bring their ski socks to aid in the perfect fit. They both opted for poles, too. It’s not uncommon for wee ones to skip using poles, but this is their third year skiing, so why not? While paying, I looked at their designer goggles. I like the look of the mirrored Oakley’s, but no the price - $129. The sales associate offered that they were 20% off.  I didn’t bite. We left ABSCO, everybody in a good mood. The kids’ skis will be ready for pick-up on Sunday. On our way to our cars we decided to do dinner at Barley’s – big surprise! We took Old Henderson to Henderson Rd to Riverside then down to Barley’s. Traffic wasn’t nearly as tight as I thought it might be. Barley’s wasn’t that crowded either. We gathered at a barside table next to Calvin, who was there by himself. I was content to stand for the first 20 minutes having sat at my desk for most of the day. I ordered a guest draft – a Green Flash IPA. Mindy went with their Russian Imperial Stout - nitro. The kids each ordered a Dr Pepper. Jacob ordered a hummus plate and wings. Bella, a mini-cheeseburger. I had chicken tenders. Mindy, nothing, but planned tp do as I often do, which is to pick from everyone else's plate. Service was fast and the food tasty. I stuck with just one beer, yet another example of my portion control program. :) As agreed upon prior, Mindy picked up the tab. We were there for just over an hour. Jacob opted to ride with me. He asked me to try hard to beat Mindy home, but she was driving a bit faster, more erratic than I. She passed us on the freeway. I used it as an example of how not to drive, and also shared how it's far more important to drive carefully thus insuring safe arrival. At home, Frankie was excited to have her family back. Can't remember who took her out. I was working on my blog when Mindy beckoned me to the kitchen to take a look at the kids laptop. We were being challenged to provide our Windows 7 product key. The message implied our version was not genuine. What? I was not at all pleased. The wireless functionality was seemingly shut down too. I was beside myself for a while. Adding it all up, I had a crazy day. The car window, finding my boat trailer sticker, but too late to matter, work changes, and now a laptop issue. To be fair, I had a few positive things occur too. I couldn't let that pass without mention. Life is good despite the few undesirable mishaps. I feel bad because I snapped at Mindy while dealing with the laptop issue. At the time I felt I had reached a breaking point. I simply shared that I was better off being alone while solving the computer trouble. I didn't want her hovering over my shoulder. I knew instantly that she wasn't happy with my sour mood. I fixed the Windows 7 issue after about ten minutes, and then updated the anti-virus. Shortly thereafter, my peer called me via my Blackberry to discuss changes at work. We talked for about 30 minutes while I walked Frankie out back. Meanwhile, Mindy was already off to bed. It was maybe 930p. I stayed up for a while longer watching the Science Channel.

Somewhere over the Hindenburg

I slept a little late after an extra heavy dreamy period just before 530a. Whenever that happens, I wake feeling short slept. My head still in a fog, I was downstairs by 540a. I stumbled and fumbled my through getting my exercise shoes on. Finally set, I started exercises, not finishing until almost 6a. It was another warm partly cloudy morning with a temperature around 61 degrees. Like the morning before, the moon was still visible despite thin clouds. Frankie was fairly quick taking care of her business. At least fast enough that I didn’t stress over time. Back inside I finished enjoying my coffee before turning my attention to meditation. It was already 615a so I had to keep it brief. I didn’t have nearly as much time as I would’ve liked. I got around to stretching at 625a essentially getting myself back on track time-wise. I took coffee and Frankie up to the master suite where Mindy was already mid-shower. Like she does almost every morning, Frankie went right for the trash can, and Mindy scolded just like she does every other morning, too. You’d think she’d learn.  Back downstairs I readied somewhat hurriedly for a run. Because it was so warm, I didn’t bother with a jacket of any sort. I ran the full 4.1 miles without any trouble whatsoever. Felt good and finished extra strong effectively sprinting for the last 1/8th mile or so. Mindy had scrambled eggs topped with cheese already waiting. She left our English muffins in the microwave until I asked. Not sure what they were doing in there. The eggs and fruit hit the spot and were delicious. Bella enjoyed cinnamon toast, and Jacob had cereal but was already off to his room. Mindy left right at 730a. I saved the last few bites of my scrambled eggs for Frankie. She always appreciates me sharing. I headed up for a shower before 735a. Bella brought Frankie up a few minutes later. I was ready to go by 750a. Before heading out to the bus stop I rushed through a handful of tasks including prepping the dishwasher for a running. I had the kitchen looking pretty good before heading out. Chrissy was at the bus stop with the girls. Said Kenny was off hunting with friends until Tuesday night. Both she and Lillian said they had a good time at the NASCAR race. The bus arrived at 805a – right on time. You can set your watch by its arrival. The kids safely on the bus, I headed back home for some last minute stuff before leaving for work. I took my iTouch again today. Once again, I drove right past Thornton’s gambling that gas prices might be down further come evening. I had plenty of gas - just under a quarter tank. Work was busy, but not out of control. I was in a meeting for most of the early morning, and then immersed in escalations of one type or another through early afternoon. I headed down to my center around 2pm and was surprised to hear and learn about a coming storm complete with wind, ran, lightning, and even tornado warnings. I did notice white caps on our otherwise calm pond out back earlier in the day. The main storm was just to our immediate west. By 230p it was raining sideways. Someone shared that the tornado warnings were lifted just before it made its way to our parts. I ate my veggies & fruit around 2p. I ate a banana and cheese earlier. I was content. I talked with Mindy late afternoon. Said they had a tornado warning at her school and had to spend time in the boys’ bathroom. Ewh! She said it rained sideways there too. We planned to have leftovers for dinner – leftover roast and leftover chicken. This was Bella’s night for gymnastics and Jacob had a project needing attention. Fine with me. She reminded me that she wouldn’t likely be there when I arrived home but Jacob would be there doing his project research. I left work for home around 530p. It was still raining but only lightly. There were clear skies on the western horizon and dark clouds to the immediate east. No visible storm damage from what I could see. The pond at home was up about 5 or 6 inches, but otherwise unscathed. We needed the rain. I saw Mindy pass at the light at Trabue and Wilson. It was 550p. Jacob was busy at Mindy’s laptop as I entered the house. I kidded him as if he were Mindy. He knew I was joking. I did my usual chores before settling in front of my own PC and working on publishing my blog. Mindy was gone only 10-15 minutes. She warmed the leftovers as soon as she got home. I think all three of us opted for the roast beef. It was still delicious. During dinner Mindy shared that she made arrangements to have the boys over for trick-or-treat Thursday evening. Cool. During clean-up Mindy had to scoot out to retrieve Bella. That hour went fast. Just before she left, I spotted a brilliant rainbow in the eastern sky. I got a couple pics just before it faded away. While Mindy was out, I phoned Ashley to extend the same offer to her and Olivia that we extended to the boys. Turns out, though, they’re going to trick-or-treat in their own neighborhood. I talked with Olivia briefly. She shared that they got a new Shitzu puppy. Its name is Levi. Actually, Jacob remembered, I couldn't recall. Olivia was very happy about it. I helped Jacob set up a Word document on Mindy's laptop so he could start writing his paper. His topic, the Hindenburg. He'd already completed his research and had a rough draft written by hand. His typing was the one finger poke, but typing just the same. Mindy and Bella were back home in a jiffy. Bella asked for a hot dog for dinner. Mindy took care of that and then finished typing Jacob’s paper, but again, because he had written the rough draft, it was in his words. While all of that was going on, I watched a program on TLC about the origins of Halloween, and then come 9pm I tuned into the Boise State football game. That's right - a rare Tuesday night game. Mindy headed to bed around 945p. I shared that I figured to be up soon, but couldn't say exactly when. I stayed up until almost 1030p, but had already dosed from the sofa a few times.

Still Stings

After getting to bed approximately 90 minutes late the night before, I woke only five minutes later than normal. Not bad. I felt pretty good too, although the fact that the Vikings lost still stung a little. Like most fans, I love and appreciate it when they win. I hit the go button on the coffee maker then started my calisthenics, first 55 sit-ups then 55 push-ups. Once again I remembered to do my windmills ahead of push-ups. Helps big! I opened Frankie’s pen next, but she didn’t bother coming out. It’s not uncommon for her to remain there until I go to the familyroom to meditate. Then she comes out for affection/attention. I checked the weather. It was 61 degrees, far warmer than I expected. There was a thin layer clouds too, but not enough to block the moon’s warm glow. Frankie took care of business fairly quick. We headed back inside for a treat. I started stretching at 620a, which is slightly ahead of my usual pace. It was 630a when I handed Frankie and coffee off to Mindy. By the time I was fully prepared for my run it was 635a, and after another quick stretch of my legs from the front porch I set out for the 4.1 mile run. I felt really good and ran almost effortlessly. At times I became so immersed in thought that I lost track of where I was. The time seemed to fly. Mindy and Jacob were in the kitchen when I returned. Jacob was just finishing a bowl of cereal. Mindy had my fried eggs ready and waiting. Bella was slow to join us and even slower to decided what she wanted to eat. I named off 6 or 7 options all of which she nixed. If I recall correctly, she eventually opted for donuts. By then, I had to get them for her, because Mindy had already departed for school. I headed up for a shower at 735a while Bella ate her donuts. Bella tossed Frankie in the master suite with me on her way to her room to complete chores. I was downstairs readying to depart by 753a. The kids weren’t far behind. As usual, Bella was dragging behind. Bill was at the bus stop with Makayla. Kenny & Chrissy weren’t expected home from their weekend trip until later in the evening. Bill shared that Woody was stung by a bee over the weekend. Another nice day in store, I toyed again with driving the BM’er but opted not at the last minute. I took a few extra minutes to scribble a check for my mom and then straighten the kitchen before heading off to work. Trooper’s getting low on gas. However, I decided to pass on refueling before my drive in. Maybe on the way home. I listened to Deepak during the short commute. Work was tame, especially for a Monday. I brought a banana and cheese, and already had a couple cans of tuna fish in my office. I ate only the banana and cheese. I never got too hungry. I heard from Mindy late in the afternoon. Apparently Noah went home from school ill, so Jacob phoned to alert Mindy. That meant the kids wouldn’t be busing home with Noah. Mindy ended up calling my dad for help getting the kids off the bus again. He agreed and brought Tommy and Wally along with him. They were all staying for dinner too. Mindy was making inferno chicken. Back at work, things were quiet. I left for home at 525p. It was a calm drive home. And for whatever reason, traffic was half of what it typically is at that hour. Not sure why. It wasn't a holiday. The first thing I noticed was the garage door fully opened. That didn’t resonate too well with me. That’s a cardinal sin. All it takes is a few seconds for a thief to snatch our stuff. I entered the through the open garage and before even greeting anyone asked who left the door open. Given a do over, I might've greeted everyone first. Mindy admitted that it was her failure. Too busy with dinner I guess. Tongue and cheek, I shared mom's note that basically promised to give me her lottery winnings since I’m the only one who ever helps, her words not mine. The only problem is, she doesn't play the lottery. I hadn’t seen Tommy for quite a while. I’m thinking since Labor Day weekend. Dad shared more about his electrical work with Pete. The breaker he bought fit the existing panel box. Good news! Dinner was served by 615p. Wally sat between Tommy and I, but was careful not to get too close to me. He’s become very shy in that regard, a tad whiney even. The inferno chicken was delicious. The kids weren’t too keen on it, though. Wally and Bella ate hot dogs instead. And Jacob didn’t finish his. They headed out to the tree house and tree swings after dinner. Mindy & Tommy soon followed while I stayed back cleaning up the kitchen. Dad stayed in with me until I was done. Dad & I eventually headed out back to join the others. However, by then it was almost dark. We were only out there for five minutes before everyone headed back towards the house. Dad was soon ready to depart, and mentioned as much to Tommy, who rode over with him. They left around 730p. Mindy had the kids prepare for bed after our company departed. At the same time, I worked on weekend blog material. Just ahead of MNF, Mindy worked with Jacob on a school project. She also questioned him with baited breath about his interactions with Noah. It was apparent to me from her questioning that she had some inside info from Dena, Noah’s mom. Something must've happened. I didn’t butt in, but listened passively while carrying on with my own stuff. I listened to Bella's nightly reading aloud at the same time. After reading, she asked me to teach her how to play guitar. She ponied up beside me with her pink First Act axe. Too cute! I am seriously considering buying her a good used guitar and then talking to my friend Josh about lessons. I like the genuine interest she shows not only in learning to play guitar but also in golf and skiing. She’s definitely a free spirit. The Noah conversation continued. It was sounding more and more like Jacob has been purposefully ostracizing him among peers. My only interjection was that doing so is a form of bullying, something we talk about a lot. However, at the same time, I realize that Jacob’s only ten years old. Getting him to understand that it’s more important to be a true friend than it is to pick a winning team every time is probably a bit beyond his current moral development. But even still, I think communicating what type of behavior we’d like to see from him is important. And thinking back, I probably want to make sure he realizes that we weren’t finding fault as much as we intended to make clear the other options when encountering those situations. We all did similar things at that age. At one point, Jacob came to the balcony while Mindy & I were still downstairs and shared matter of factly that Noah was a ‘pussy’. He saw absolutely nothing wrong with his choice of words. I didn’t quite catch it, but Mindy did. He clarified when asked. Mindy & I both chuckled quietly after correcting his choice of words. This conversation went on until Jacob finally fell asleep for the night. Mindy headed to bed with Dallas seemingly in control of the MNF game. They were up 20-7. I stayed up about 25 minutes longer, long enough to see Tony Romo sacked and out of the game with a broken collar bone. The Giants trailed 20-14 just before half when I headed up to bed. It was just before 10p.

Billy Goat Gruff / Gunslinger

I slept late for me, not waking until almost 8a. Because it was Sunday, there wouldn’t be any sit-ups or push-ups. Instead, I started coffee and played around on the internet ahead of my run. While sipping coffee leisurely, I got caught up on all of Saturday’s college football scores as well as the scuttle regarding the Viking game slated for Sunday night. While out with Frankie I heard a gurgling sound emanating from the hot tub. A quick check revealed that the water level dropped just below the filter line. I threw the hose in and added several inches of water. Mindy got up around 830a, or while I was still out on the deck with Frankie. Scared me seeing her standing there in the door with coffee. I was surprised that she was up so early, and perhaps even a little disappointed, not so much in her, but because I didn’t get any (or much) coveted quiet time. She took my body language personally, I could tell. Not long after Mindy’s presence, Bella was up. I guess I should’ve gotten up earlier. I left for my run at 925a and ran along Trabue and down Hague. I ran three miles. It was much warmer than it’s been for at least a week. The temperature at run time had to be near 60. Supposed to approach 80 as the day moved along. After my run I planned to work on leaf management. Before any of that, however, I needed to eat something. To satisfy my growing hunger, I woofed down two bowls of Wheaties. I headed out to the yard in my running attire. I gathered two tarps, rake, gloves and the Billy Goat. Before using the Billy Goat, I raked the two large piles the kids created Saturday onto the tarp and toted them off to the compost pile. I decided to take Kenny’s advice and put them under the tree house. Next, I started the Billy Goat, although still unsure how productive it might be. Turns out, very. That thing sucks up every bit of leaf debris leaving the grass looking like freshly vacuumed carpet. Impressive. However, even though it’s got an extra large bag, it fills quickly, especially when going over heavily leafed areas. I had a plan for that. I left two tarps sprawled out off to the side for periodic dumping. What I didn’t realize was that the Billy Goat mulches them too. Nice! I spent the next hour or so running the Billy Goat around the entire backyard. By the time I finished, the area up around the deck was covered in leaves again. And more were coming down with each burst of wind. That I expected. After four or five dumpings, I had trouble getting the Billy Goat to run again. I tried to familiarize myself with its carburetor, oil, and filter. I added oil. It was a little low. I cleaned the air filter too. But it only began to run right after I primed it repeatedly, almost as if thee was a fuel line obstruction. I ran the Billy Goat under the front curb-side maples and then along the curb gutter, which was loaded with heavy leaves. No problem. The Billy Goat sucked 'em up clean. Before putting it away, I blew all the leaves from the deck and surrounding flower beds with my gas blower and then sucked them up with the Billy Goat. I’m a believer. I finished the leaves around 130p. Then, after taking a few minutes to water the sod, I decided to mow the front lawn. That took about 45 minutes. The back was passable without a mowing but the front was thick and long. I’m guessing only one or tow more mowings this season. It was now near 215p. Mindy shared that Jacob’s soccer game was at 330p. A filthy mess head to toe, I headed for a shower after two quick bites from my leftover Chipotle burrito. I returned downstairs 20 minutes later clean as a whistle. Mindy clarified that we’d be going to Sunday dinner directly from soccer. We managed ourselves accordingly. I was surprised when Mindy opted to leave Frankie at home. It was 80 and partly sunny when we left the house. I knew better, and took my fleece jacket. Jacob complained that we were late. In reality, we got him there five minutes ahead of kick-off. Sure enough, it was windy and about ten degrees cooler on the soccer field. I was glad I had my fleece. Mindy had hers too. We brought Bella’s fleece as well. She asked for it minutes after settling in. While the game went on, I kept up to speed on the day’s NFL action via my Droid X. Browns were whipping the Saints. Who saw that coming? Anyone? Doubt it! Jacob’s team won. This being the final game, Jimaken planned to take his team to Dairy Queen to celebrate and handout trophies. Mindy wasn’t too happy because, according to her, she asked Jimaken about this earlier and he wasn’t sure of his plan. Jacob ended up riding with his daddy after he agreed to bring him to Gloria’s after the event. We headed there directly. We took Alton Darby to Fedder to Phillipi Rd. First time I’ve been by the old GM site, which is supposedly the site of the new casino, provide a few more hurdles get cleared. Didn’t take that long to get there at all. It had to be about 445p when we arrived. We were all but last to arrive. Hadn’t been to Sunday dinner for a few weeks. It was nice to catch up with everyone. Bella nailed it, Gloria was serving meatloaf along with an assortment of sides (mashed potatoes, green beans, coleslaw, stuffing). I was careful with my portions not wanting to leave as a stuffed pig. And I was hungry too, so I had to be extra mindful. I stopped at one helping though could easily have eaten more. To take away the temptation, I left the table and went to the lower level to catch some NFL football. Smart! I watched about 30 minutes or more of action, or until dessert time. At the same time, niece Lindy trimmed Bella’s hair just around the corner. Bella shared that we were having cheese cake for dessert. I heard the call and headed up. I ate just one small piece. We prepared to leave immediately after dessert. We needed to prepare for tomorrow’s work and school day, and also get home to take care of Frankie, not to mention ready for the big Vikings Packers game that I was very much looking forward to. We left sometime between 7-730p. I walked Frankie while the kids readied for bed. Mindy agreed to let Jacob watch the first 15-20 minutes of the game, but kick off wasn’t until 830p. The Vikings went down 7-0 pretty fast but quickly evened the score. They then went down 14-7, but once again quickly evened the score. The Viking were robbed of a touchdown by the officials but still took a 17-14 lead going into halftime. I popped popcorn at the intermission. I also surprised Mindy with the receipt for our Sarah Mclachlan tickets. The Vikings held the Packers on their all important opening second half drive. It was nip and tuck all the way. Favre got a little careless and threw two picks in a matter of minutes – and one for a pick six - the other lead to a touchdown as well. It wasn't looking good, and almost hopeless save for the fact that we had Mr Favre. And just like he often does, he didn't disappoint. He drove us down for a touchdown getting us to within 4 points. Time was slipping away, however. Only a few minutes remaining in the game. The Vikings stingy defense managed to get the ball back, and in true Brett Favre fashion, he drove us down the field once again and into the Red Zone. I was anxious yet calm. I knew Brett would do it. An unbelievable pass to the endzone and between three defenders was pulled down by Percy Harvin for what would’ve been the winning touchdown. After an officials review the touchdown was taken away, and rightfully so. He managed to get only one foot down inbounds, the other barely out of the back of the endzone. Two plays later Favre slung a 4th down pass to the back of the endzone, but just out of the reach of Moss. In the end the Vikings came up short. Again, though, the entertainment value doesn’t get any better. Gotta love the gunslinger!

Granville, The Big Fat, & Ghords

My plan was to be up at 630a. That, I figured, would give me enough time to do my typical morning routine and still allow me to leave the house for golf by 9am. To that end, I rolled out of bed closer to 640a. I had a hint of a headache that was quickly remedied with two Advil. I started coffee, exercised, and then walked Frankie. I spent some time online, but just enough to get the weather forecast and read a couple headlines. The forecast was far better than it was the day before. Now they were calling for partly sunny skies with a high of 75. Ideal golf weather. I headed out just after 750a planning to run only 3 miles. There was a nip in the air, but nowhere close to as chilly as it was on Friday. It was 43 degrees. The run went well. I was home near 820a. I chose to make breakfast ahead of a shower. I made an egg, turkey & cheese sandwich on whole wheat toast and topped with Grey Poupon. Tasty! I was showered and ready to go just before 9a. Mindy and Bella were just getting up as I prepared to depart. I gave a rough estimate on my return citing 5pm. It’s about an hour’s drive to Granville and our tee time wasn’t until 1020a. Despite the early morning chill I decided to drive the BM’er. I wore my Vikings pullover atop a thin long-sleeved wicking shirt. It’s a long, straight drive out I-70E. I haven’t been east of Picktown in a while. I exited I-70 onto RT 37 then headed NW for another 8 or 9 miles leading into downtown Granville, which is a beautiful little upscale hillside town. The golf course, Granville, is just around the corner from the main part of town. Bob B. was already there. He spent the entire week in L.A. visiting family. Shared stories of his travels while we waited on Bob I. Said the weather was better here, and barely saw any sunshine. Did spend three days at Disneyland. Bob I. arrived about five-ten minutes later. We headed in to pay our fees, which were discounted for fall at $29 each with a cart. The two Bob’s carted together. The day started sunny and the course seemed or looked rather benign, at least to my eye. I hit a perfect drive off the first tee only a SW out, but then hit my approach shot into the narrow bunker guarding the front of the green. Damn, and I was thinking birdie. I ended up with a bogey. The second hole went about the same. I hit a monster drive leaving myself about 100 out. I hit my second shot short of the green again, accept this time into some extra deep fringe. I ended up with a 6, or a double bogey. I was disappointed that I didn’t score better on both holes. The entire front played out pretty much the same, leaving all sorts of scoring opportunities in my wake. I was missing the greens just short and then 3 putting. The greens were recently aerated, too, which is just a fact of autumn golf in these parts. I wasn’t that worried about the errant putting. The course, by the way is quite lovely, built all the way back in 1924 and nicely maintained. Because of the hilly terrain there were holes where you could see for miles and most were dotted with beautifully vibrant fall color. Lots of very nice homes dot the course, too. When the opportunity presented itself, I snapped a few photos. Bob I., who thinks of everything, brought along a small radio to keep up to date on the Buckeye game. Before it began, I boldly predicted 42-7 Buckeyes. I kept a loose eye on the score via my smart phone. They were up 42-0 at halftime. The back nine went about the same as the front. Bob I. quietly got hot on the back nine, and if it wasn’t for one bad hole he would’ve been in the 30’s. If I recall correctly, he carded a 40 on the back. But then again, he was the one keeping score. :) Hole 18 is probably their signature hole – but only about 360 yards. The tee box sits high atop a steep hill overlooking the fairway and green. You can see for miles around. Sadly, 18 was my only par of the day.  I shot a 99 for the round. Just way too many three putts. The Buckeyes won 49-0. After golf we agreed to meet in town (1/4 mile up the road) at the Beer Café. I’ve heard good things about it but have never been there. Said to have hundreds of beers on tap or bottled. It started to spit rain as we headed that way, and this after the forecasters called for partly sunny. I guess we were getting the partly part.  I put the top up in the BM’er when we parked and headed inside. Nice place. Cool bar, friendly staff, and just as advertised, a monstrous beer selection. Believe it or not, I ended up skipping beer, and opted instead for a Coke and a bowl of their white chicken chili. I’m not a big fan of drinking beer mid afternoon – never have. The Bob’s each enjoyed a beer. While sipping our drink’s of choice, we got caught up on all of the college football results. We didn’t stay too long, maybe 40 minutes. Bob I. picked up the check. Cool – TY! We headed towards home, where I arrived right after 4pm, or a full hour ahead of my earlier estimate. Mindy and the kids were out back, the kids raking leaves. Mindy, I think, was giving instructions. Mindy and the kids spent their day cleaning and shopping. Mindy shared that the kids wanted to carve their pumpkins later. I suggested we go to dinner at the Big Fat and also make a trip to Aspen Ski & Board to get the kids outfitted for snow skis. That was our plan. We left the house for ASBCO at 540p, once again winding our way through Arlington and then up Kenny Rd towards Old Henderson. We arrived at ABSCO at 605p, or right after they closed.  Should’ve checked their hours. Crap! In reality, we weren’t that far out of our way. The Big Fat is only a handful of miles to the south. We headed there next. As expected, the Big Fat was boppin’, yet despite the big crowd, we were still able to get a table without wait. We were greeted by Johnnie, the owner, at the entrance, who’s always a gracious host. Katarina was our server. Mindy asks for her by name on most trips in. She knows our orders fairly well, too. I ordered a tall Jack & Coke – a double. Mindy ordered a cabernet. The kids went with sodas. We ordered a calamari appetizer as well as the complementary pita and olive dip. For dinner, Bella ordered pasta and sauce, and Jacob a gyro. Both Mindy & I ordered their to-die-for scallops. Johnnie visited us half way through dinner to check on our food. Excellent! He shared that they recently switched scallops to an organic variety. They were delicious and almost melted in my mouth. Mindy ordered a slice of their chocolate cake for take-home dessert. They also comp’d us a piece of their strawberry cake. The kids and Mindy shared it before we left. I picked up the check. The kids, especially Bella, were eager to get home and carve pumpkins. She was worried that it was getting too late. In reality, it was only about 740p. We had plenty of time. Mindy carried in the three pumpkins as we entered the house. After everyone got settled, Mindy got the table ready for carving by covering it in Hefty trash bags. Unlike years past, we let the kids do most of their own carving. However, we encouraged both to draw their plan on paper first keeping in mind the shape of their curcurbita. Bella did surprisingly well with little assistance. She seems to have that artistic flair. Jacob, on the other hand, not so much. Even still, we left him to himself only providing pointers when it seemed absolutely necessary or that he might be on the verge of hurting himself. Mindy carved one, too. I was there for assistance only. Jacob quickly became jealous of Bella’s gourd, and like he often does, began self-deprecation. Mindy tried her best to hold his esteem. Actually, though, his work was so rough and ugly that it was fittingly scary.  Like in past years, we held a lighting ceremony afterwards. Good job! Mindy made both kids shower after. I watched part of the late college football game. Can’t remember who was playing. I sipped another Jack & Coke at home. We headed to bed at 1030p. I was tired after a short night of sleep Friday and then a fairly active day.

Mother Do You Think They'll Drop the Bomb?

It was another clear but cold morning, our first official freeze, and only 29 degrees. I was up on time and feelin’ chipper. Not only was it Friday, but also the day of the Roger Waters concert, a show I’ve been looking forward to and bought tickets for almost 5 months ago. I did my calisthenics then turned my attention to coffee and Frankie. In the back of my mind was the thought of calling off. But I know myself too well. I knew I wouldn’t follow through. Still, the idea of being off on a banner autumn day was enticing. Frankie seemed to notice the chill in the air, but like me shrugged it off once we were out there a few minutes. There was a light coating of frost about the yard, a coating that would be more apparent come daybreak. I darn neared busted my arse on the hillside wearing my slippery dog walking shoes. Ahead of a run, I completed meditation and then a stretch. I was still a little torched over the Jacob thing. I barely uttered a word as I delivered coffee and pug to Mindy, who was already mid-shower. Downstairs, I dressed in my light winter attire minus hand and ear covers, although it’s getting close to that season, too. I ran the full 4.1 mile track feeling really good. I should’ve mentioned earlier that Oregon won that game last night by a landslide – something like 60-13. My eggs were ready and waiting upon my return. Breakfast was unusually quiet. Bella came down looking fully ready: dressed, hair done, and chipper. Hmmm? Mindy went out and started the Honda while I was busy eating. She departed for school sometime near 730a. Soon after Mindy left, I headed upstairs for a shower. The kids and I were at the bus stop at 8a. Kenny was out with the girls. Quizzed Kenny about their weekend NASCAR race plans. Wouldn’t be home until Monday night. Kenny agreed to let me borrow his Billy Goat over the weekend for gathering leaves. Said he’d bring it over later in the afternoon and leave it in our garage. I started the Trooper then walked Frankie around the back yard before heading inside to make last minute preparations. In addition to my daily work gear, I remembered to pack my iTouch so I could listen to The Wall while working. I scraped what remained of the frost off the Trooper windows before driving away. I listened to Deepak during the rather short commute. Just as I hoped, work was calmer than expected. My boss and peer joined me in my office for the first 90 minutes of the day. We held the staff meeting from there. Because I planned to leave work early, I didn’t plan to take a formal lunch break. I was disappointed to discover that my iTouch was dead, and I didn’t bring the USB charger. There would be no listening to the Wall. I listened to Pink Floyd Division Bell instead. I had that on my hard drive. I didn’t talk with Mindy until 415p or so. When I did, she shared that she worked late and asked my dad to get the kids off the bus. I shared my intentions to leave work early. I want to leave for the concert no later than 630p, or as soon as Kara (the babysitter) arrives. I left work at 430p. I was happy to be heading home and extremely eager for the Roger Waters show. I arrived home just north of 5pm. My dad was there, mid-story as I entered. We talked for while. He shared that he had been helping Pete with some electrical stuff, including removing his old hot tub circuit after they had the old tub hauled away. We Googled pushmatic circuit breakers. I found them at Home Depot. Apparently needs one for the new circuit he installed outdoors. Just before leaving, Dad shared that he was gonna make a drive up to Home Depot on Sawmill Rd. After dad departed I let The Wall play on my PC, and then WIKI’d The Wall. I printed the synopsis and handed it to Mindy for her reading pleasure. Mindy decided to enjoy a Stout while we waited on Ben, Ryan & Kara to arrive. I decided not to drink anything until later once we arrived at the venue. I had several beers ready for the cooler, including a selection of IPAs, stouts, and then some Yeungling. Ben & Ryan showed up around 6p as planned. Kara arrived around 625p. The kids were busy playing in a leaf pile in the backyard. After some simple instructions for Kara we headed off for the show winding our way through Arlington east on Lane Ave all the way to the venue. Best guess, I figure we parked 1/3 mile from the Schott. We sat in the Honda long enough for everyone to enjoy their favorite beer. Time to go! Time to go! Security entering the venue was minimal. The crowd, young and old, as well as a good mix of yups and old freaks and hippies was mostly well-behaved just as you might expect at a Floyd show. Our seats in the upper bowl, I wasn’t expecting them to be that great. I didn’t care. I was just happy to be there. While the girls used the facilities, I fetched a beer for me and a water for Ben. I opted for the best option available, a Gordon Biersch Ale. To our seats. I was surprised that our seats were as good as they were, just left of center. Neil Young whirled in the background prior to the show’s start. The show started just after 8p. It was everything I read and hoped it would be. Excellent musical performance with just the right amount of special effects – not over powering – but a good use of technology just the same. I took a number photos knowing that they wouldn’t turn out that well without flash or being any closer. But I didn’t care. The show lasted about 2hours and 45 minutes with a 30 intermission sandwiched in between album one & two. Interesting enough, I have loudly professed an allegiance of sorts to Pink Floyd since my early teenage years. But until recently I had never fully absorbed the story line behind The Wall. Back then, though, I guess I didn’t need to know. That’s one of the great things about Pink Floyd, the music, the theme, the story. Over the years I’ve listened to more than a few people share their opinion of Roger Waters with most saying he must be crazy after considering his Wall story. But then aren’t we all a little crazy? I’ll venture this guess, your life painted public would likely bring the same type of scrutiny. Throughout the show, I couldn’t help but consider the Wall I’ve built during my life. We've all built one. Where are you with yours? Have you given any thought to tearing it down? We arrived back home around 1130pm. Mindy settled up with Kara while I walked Frankie out back. Our friends, Ben & Ryan stuck around long enough to enjoy a couple more beers and snacks. I’m thinking they left around 1230p. I needed to be up early. We headed to bed shortly after they departed.

Dad Goes Missing in Action

I still managed to get up on time despite being incredibly short slept – only 4 hours of sleep, and even that wasn’t so good. However, often times the price isn’t paid until mid-morning or early afternoon once I am fixated to my office chair. I hit the go button on the coffee maker, still not ready to set it on auto pilot after the coffee debacle from ten days a go. I started my exercise routine soon after. I completed my sit-ups and push-ups with no problem. For the past few days I’ve started loosening my arms and shoulders prior to push-ups by doing what amounts to windmills. It’s definitely helping with the stiffness I will typically experience as I grind through the first few push-ups. I let Frankie out of jail after exercise and just ahead of coffee. I was looking forward to heading outside hoping to see meteorites. The sky was clear and the temperature crisp. It couldn’t have been warmer than 38 degrees. While Frankie sniffed about the ground, I started skyward and towards the NE. I didn’t see a single meteorite. Too much man-made light dulling the sky just above the horizon. Shux! Back inside for meditation and stretching. Both went reasonably well, although Frankie was all over me during both wanting attention. I dealt with it best I could. Stretching felt wonderful. I headed upstairs with pug and coffee near 630a. I laundered all of my running clothes on Wednesday while off. It felt good to put on fresh smelling attire. It’s funny, I have lots and lots of spares but find myself gravitating to the same old ones. It was 637a as I headed out the door, and after stretching my hammies from the stoop I was off for my 4.1 mile run. Remembered it was trash day after seeing the neighbors’ cans out. Pulled our can to the curb just ahead of taking off. It went well. No odd aches and/or pains. I finished my run around 720a. Eggs were ready and waiting. Mindy reminded the kids that my dad would be getting them off the bus. She had a haircut scheduled immediately after work. She asked me to take the styrofoam backing off the pot roast once it heated a little in the Crockpot. She left for work and I headed up for a shower. The kids and I headed out to the bus stop near 757a. I’m thinking it was Chrissy out with the kids, but can’t recall for certain. The bus was on time. Frankie took a second dump minutes prior with Jacob. Because of that, I wasn’t concerned with walking her again before heading in. Even though it was chilly, I decided to drive the BM’er. It was supposed to be sunny and near 65 later. With my fleece sipped to the neck and the heater blowing on my hands, I headed off. It was an invigorating drive into to the office. Quite nice, really. A co-worker who pulled in right behind me, asked in the elevator if my car had a top. Yes, of course. She guessed it too cold to drive without one. Now that’s funny! The work day was uneventful. Mid-morning I called the city water department hoping to once and for all resolve our water bill dispute. Nope! Still don’t have updated notes from the inspector’s visit ten days prior. Asked me to call back again next Tuesday. Having me by the short hairs, I don’t want to ruffle any feather, at least not yet. Our director was in for an all-hands meeting. We talked for about 45 minutes. My peer and I hung around after the others left and talked just the three of us. Lots of changes happening. I walked away pretty much unfazed. Change happens all the time. I opted to skip a formal lunch and instead used about an hour to write. Felt good. I ate cheese and veggies. Forgot to bring a banana. I failed to mention that I weighed in at 171 lbs Wednesday AM. That’s down 9lbs in roughly six weeks and that’s without starving myself or denying myself foods I crave. The biggest difference has been eliminating crap snacks like Cheezits and then portion control. I want to drop another 3 or 4 lbs by the end of November. 167lbs is a good weight for me. Anything less I would look gaunt. Mindy tried reaching me multiple times over the stretch of about 20 minutes mid-afternoon, but I was tied up with a handful of work matters. I called her back once given a chance. I was worried that something might be wrong. She shared that my dad was a no show at the bus stop. Kenny had the kids. She was worried that something might be wrong with my dad, but eventually reached him via his cell. Turns out, he simply forgot and was with his friend Pete. Forgot about the bus stop and dinner. Mindy assured him that it was OK and that she was more worried about his well being. I figured to be leaving for home on time but not early. I left for home just after 530p. I checked the weather before hand. It was only 55 degrees. A chilly drive home in store, for sure. Turned out fine though. Like the morning drive in, I blasted the heater on my hands. The chilly air actually felt good against my face. The house was quieter than usual. Jacob was off to soccer practice with his dad. Bella was malingering from the sofa. Said she felt terrible. She was a little whiney, too. Oh boy! Mindy shared that Jacob was a pill prior to leaving for practice and then showed me a page that contained some recent scribbles along with defiant and woe-is-me bantering. I could tell that it bothered her a lot. She went on to share that it was that, and other things she wanted to talk with me about later. OK … Dinner was soon served – roast beef. Yummy! It was just the three of us. Bella continued to whine even at the dinner table. The whining was annoying but I didn’t say as much. We eventually allowed her to have a hot dog in lieu of the beef. Mindy, I could tell, was a little tense. Oh, and by the way, she got her hair cut shorter than it’s been in a while. Just sayin.  My first serving was small to medium. I allowed myself another small (1/2) serving of beef. It was crazy good. Clean-up was fairly simple. Bella headed off to her room soon after dinner. Mindy wanted to discuss Jacob’s written ramblings and more importantly, the relationship he and I share. I sensed that she was blaming me for his written ramblings, which were pretty much ‘everybody hates me’ kind of stuff. She smoothly switched gears from his writings to our personal interactions. I wasn’t open to where she was taking the conversation and promptly shut her down. One, right or wrong, I felt I was being asked to shoulder the blame. And two, I wasn’t in the mood for any type of Jimmy bashing. I gave a brief defense but then went silent. But those that know Mindy, know Mindy doesn’t always stop talking even if the other party disengages. I might've listened but not receptively. I eventually headed to my PC to have some peace. I later shared that I was processing what she had just espoused. That’s a good thing for me, although she may not see it that way. A while later I rejoined everyone in the familyroom/kitchen area and turned on the TV. Bella and I watched the Science Channel ahead of the Thursday night college football game. Jacob arrived home from soccer around 745p. I began dosing off during the Science Channel programming and football. Remember, I had only 4 hours sleep the night before. I woke a couple of times hearing Mindy unsuccessfully trying to reason with Jacob about one thing or another, but once again, he was busy being his defiant self. I chose not to interject. Looked like I'd be watching most of the Oregon UCLA football game by myself. Everyone was off to bed by 9pm. I fell asleep just as the game started but woke midway through the 2nd quarter and saw that Oregon was kicking their butts 29-6. The little bit I saw, Oregon looks incredibly fast and efficient. Like last year, I think they might be the best team in the land. I ended up sleeping on the sofa until 1030p. I must be trained to wake then. Happens often. I headed up to bed where I slept much more comfortably.

Boat, Golf & Beer

I woke once during the night, I’m thinking near 3am, only to realize/remember that I didn’t have to be up at 530a. That brought a brief feeling of euphoria as I drifted back to sleep. I woke again briefly when Mindy got up, and then for good sometime during her shower. I brushed my teeth and headed downstairs to get my day started. I finished my calisthenics then poured a cup of coffee. I took Frankie out a few minutes later. It was another clear morning with a temperature near 40 degrees. After taking care of Frankie, I took a more leisurely approach to my morning. And why not? I had nothing pressing until bus stop time. Mindy left for school around 730am. And while the kids headed upstairs to finish readying themselves for school, I played on the internet until 755a. Accept on rare occasions, the kids don’t often need me to alert them that it’s time. They typically come on their own. We headed out at 757a where we met Chrissy and kids. We chatted briefly after the bus scooped up the kids. Frankie and I headed back to the house where I enjoyed another cup of coffee and played on the internet. I checked my blackberry for any important work related emails. There were a couple, but I responded to none. I left for my run between 830-9a, and ran the full 4.1 mile track under blue skies and cool temps – really quite lovely. When I returned home I toyed briefly with skipping a shower before taking the boat in for winterization, but ultimately nixed that smelly notion. However, before heading up for shower, I touched up the trim around the tile where I smeared grout residue last spring. It was barely noticeable to anyone other than me, but it was one of those things I think about every couple weeks. I decided to nip it in the bud right then. It took no more than ten minutes, and that included prep and clean-up. I took a shower around 945a and was dressed and ready 15-20 minutes later. I thought I might head to Paul’s early saving myself time later in the day for more yard work. My appointment was set for 1140am, I left the house at 1010a. I arrived at boat storage a few minutes later. It’s not far at all. Just as Ed said on Tuesday, my boat wasn’t blocked in. I hooked her up and headed out. While hooking up, I remembered that my trailer tags expired in September but forgot to bring the new sticker with me. Crap! The question now became, do I head up north with expired tags or make the two mile drive home to get them? And given that I had oodles of time before my appointment, I decided to do the smart thing and drive home to get the sticker. I arrived back at the house by 1035a. I riffled through my recent pile of bills, paperwork and mail where I was certain the sticker was last left. I couldn’t find it anywhere. What I did find was the paperwork the BMV sent reminding me to order new stickers for all three plates (Trooper, BM’er, boat trailer). Now I was on a quest! Where did I put it? I searched in all the logical places but came up empty. Once considerably early, now I found myself pressed for time. I was frustrated beyond belief, and in becoming so, I swore like a drunken sailor. Now, not only would I have to risk getting a ticket, but also purchase another sticker unless it eventually turns up. Ugh! Now 11a, I had to head north for my appointment hoping not to fall under the discriminating eye of a cop. I made it around 270 without incident. Heading north on Rt 23 towards Delaware, wouldn’t you know, I got stopped at every traffic light, and there was an officer pulled over watching traffic go at two of them. Thankfully, I slid under the radar in both cases making it all the way to Paul’s Marine without incident. I pulled in just a couple minutes prior to my scheduled appointment. They were quick as usual. Took about 20-25 minutes. I perused the store while they worked. Because it was such a lovely morning, I strolled around the parking lot during most of the time. I had to fork over $169 when it was all said and done. The price goes up every single year. I passed a couple more officers on my drive back. I knew if I made it back around 270 that I wouldn’t have to worry much about it for 6-7 months. I was safely back at storage with the boat by 1235p. Just as I was pulling out of their lot, Kenny phoned. He asked, first, if I was off work. Yes. He then shared that he was finished for the day and eager to golf. Sounded good to me. I was more than willing to trade an afternoon of yard work for some fun golfing. Said he’d call once at home. I headed home where I made a quick meatloaf sandwich. Up to that point, I hadn’t eaten anything all day. I was hungry. Kenny called back to let me know he was home and to firm our plans. He’d drive down to pick me up in about 10-15 minutes. I used the rest of my time to change clothes, walk Frankie, and then go to the BMV website to see what the process/price is to get a new sticker. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it would be only $4.87 and that included postage. I decided not to do it right then, however, still wanting to look around for the original. Kenny showed up around 130p. Just before heading out the door I sent Mindy a text letting her know that I’d be golfing. We arrived at Phoenix about 15 minutes later. The course wasn’t crowded at all. Maybe 15 cars max. We tee’d off near 2p. It was much windier than I expected, but then again, Phoenix sits up higher than anywhere else in the city. There was no one out in front of us, at least within a few holes. Perfect! I started poorly scoring-wise. Started double, double, bogey, NINE. Ugh! Instead of having fun, I was agitated. Happily, I turned it around after putting together a few pars, but then butchered hole #9 with a four putt eight. The wind actually blew my ball backwards twice. Mindy called at the turn. It was almost 4pm. She asked if we could do Barley’s for dinner. I shared the results of my call earlier with Lindsey. It didn’t go well. I was genuinely concerned for her well being. Mindy shared that she tried calling her too, but she wouldn’t take the call. Thinking about it, I called Mindy back minutes later and asked her to please try again. I started the back playing fairly well, although I missed two birdie putts from less than 12’. I had a handful of pars on the back nine. But like the front, sprinkled amongst them were a couple more treacherous scores. Through 18 holes, I had three eights, a nine, and a seven. That’ll kill any hope of a decent score. Hurting my scoring more than anything was my putting. Just couldn’t get comfortable over the ball today. I can only think of maybe two really bad iron shots all day. And my driving was on the plus side of mediocre. We finished at 530p. Just 1.5 hours to play the back nine. I called Mindy to let her know that I was on my way home. She shared that she was able to get a hold of Lindsey and talk for a while, though Lindsey eventually hung up on her. Nice! We arrived home shortly ahead of 6p, my estimated arrival time. I freshened up ahead of us departing for dinner at Barley’s. I shared my boat sticker mishap too. Mindy found it humorous. By then, I did too. But not so much earlier. We arrived at Barley’s around 630p. The lot was once again quite full. We parked in the gravel lot. Not many tables available near the bar. Two guys were just leaving their barstools leaving four in a row. We took those seats instead. Mindy purposefully sat between Jacob and Bella to help quell any possible bickering.  They had a new beer, Very Special, ESB on the tower. I asked Janet for a sample. At the same time, however, she poured me a Centennial. The VSESB was quite good. Maybe my second beer. I happily drank the Centennial. Mindy, meanwhile, had a Russian. We then ordered food. Bella ordered min-burgers, Jacob and I wings; him Gates of Hell, and me, K.C. Mindy ordered the half-chicken. We actually ordered their hummus plate too but they forgot to bring it. We told them to forget it once the oversight was pointed out. I ordered a full VSESB for my second beer. It was good. Mindy asked if she could have a second beer. I was fine driving having only two regular power beers and eating a full meal. We were there for 90+ minutes too. Jacob was acting up a bit towards the end of our visit. I wasn’t at all pleased with his attitude and told him as much. In fact, I promised to kick his arse if he kept it up. Back home, Jacob took the dog out. It was apparently his turn. Bella never does it when it’s dark. At some point the kids, Frankie and I wrestled playfully on the family room floor. We settled in front of the TV watching the Science Channel, although our preferred programming, shows about the universe, weren’t on. We ended up watching How It’s Made again. I fell asleep early on. I woke to an empty downstairs – everyone already off to bed. I headed up around 1030p only to find getting back to sleep difficult if not impossible. I ended up getting up and heading back downstairs where I played on the internet and watched more Science Channel. I was really disappointed to discover that they were showing repeats already of what we watched earlier. In the back of my mind, I was worrying about Lindsey, too. I finally headed back to bed around 130a.