Buckeyes Dominate Florida

It was Tuesday, and once gain I was up a little early, but only by a few minutes this time. The stove clock, which is fairly accurate, said 527a, but the coffee maker had already kicked on. That means it must be set a little fast. Oh well. I cranked out my exercise routine then bounced up to the PC to check headlines and weather. It was cold – about 32 degrees with clouds and rain predicted on and off throughout the day. For the time being, however, the skies were only partly cloudy. I could see a number of stars when glancing out the back door. I also saw that the Eagles put a big hurtin’ on the Redskins. Michael Vick had maybe his best game ever accounting for 6 touchdowns (4 passing – 2 rushing). They won something like 59-28. The financial pundits were predicting a down day on Wall St. Bummer. I put coffee, internet, and dog walking behind me by 600a and quickly turned my attention to meditation and stretching. Both went well. My focus and thoughts were much more others centered than usual today. Just sayin’. Next up, I delivered coffee & the pug to Mindy, who was already mid-shower. I dressed for a run then headed immediately out the door. It was 631a as I turned for the door. I ran the full 4.1 mile track. I was much cooler than I expected it to be, but I was comfortable for the duration. Mindy had eggs about ready upon my return. Jacob was just finishing his breakfast and on his way back upstairs when Bella, mindy & I sat down to eat our eggs. Mindy reminded Bella to take her Guatemalan items to school again for show and tell. She was originally supposed to share them on Monday but they ran out of time. Mindy wasn’t looking forward to her school day. This was parent teacher conference day, and she expected it be a 12 hour day all totaled. That meant that I’d not only have to pick the kids up from Dena’s, but also take Bella to and from gymnastics. Mindy expected to be home around 730p. Mindy headed out at her usual time. Bella gave Frankie the remnants of our eggs. She likes doing the deed. After a couple more minutes, I was off to the shower. I was downstairs after grooming by 750a. I spent the next 5+ minutes preparing a lunch that included cheese, fruit, banana, boneless chicken breast, and nuts. The kids and I headed out at 757a. I opted to skip starting the Trooper. Chrissy & I chatted after the kids were safely on the bus, but only briefly. I walked Frankie for another five minutes before heading in. I think she went again. Can’t recall for certain. I made a to-go cup of coffee then headed out the door. It was 815a. I arrived at work just after 830a and parked out front. I’m liking that better than out back, I think. If nothing else, it’s just different. I spent the first couple hours of my day in meetings returning to my office for a mid-morning snack around 1030a. I stayed busy all day long and didn’t bother taking a formal lunch break. I spent most of the late afternoon working on some administrative tasks. Mindy phoned some time around 5pm sharing that she finally had a break from conferences. We didn't talk all that long. She reminded me of my after work responsibilities, which included picking up the kids and taking Bella to gymnastics. I remembered. She gave me the last 2 digits of Dena's address - 37. I left work at 515p to give myself enough time to make it to Dena's, then home, then to gymnastics before 6p. Turns out, Mindy was incorrect with the address, but I guess correctly. Dena was as pleasant as ever. We chatted only briefly before the kids and I bolted for home. Tight schedule! As soon as we arrived home I dispatched Jacob outside with Frankie and Bella to get changed into her gymnastics attire. We were home just five minutes before heading out. I gave Jacob the option to remain home but he opted to go along. We dropped Bella five minutes early, or at 555p. Jacob asked if we could get dinner out. He even suggested a venue, El Vaquero. That would've been my choice too. Yes. We headed to the Vaq. It took about ten minutes to get there due to heavy traffic on Rome-Hilliard. What's new? They were quick to seat and treat us to chips and salsa. We both ordered the same entree, #127, or the Speedy Gonzales (burrito, taco, rice or beans). The only difference was that Jacob chose the beans and I the rice. Our food was slower than usual to arrive, but still faster than most other restaurants. Jacob kept me apprised of the first Buckeye basketball score, a TV he could see from his seat that I couldn't. It didn't take long for us to finish our meals. Jacob inhaled his. We left the Vaq at 640p. We arrived at the DCW studio to fetch Bella at 650p. The class was still underway. We waited outside and listened to the Buckeye game on the radio. They were behind by three points at the half, but quickly took the lead after halftime. It was still pretty close though. Bella's class ended a minute or two after 7p. We headed inside to fetch her. Jacob went in the office to say hello to grandma Sharon. We left right away. Jacob bragged about our dinner out, which prompted Bella to whine for dinner out too. I agreed to make a stop at Wendy's. We stopped at their drive=thru and got a chicken nuggets kid's meal with fries and Dr Pepper. We were home for ten minutes before Mindy called to tell us that she was on her way home. We tuned into the Buckeye game. There was about 12 minutes remaining in the 2nd half. The Buckeyes caught fire and grew their lead to as much as 18 points. They looked really strong, perhaps the strongest team in years. Mindy got home around 730p. While the game came to an end, a thunderstorm rumbled outside. In fact, the power flickered a few times causing the cable box to reset. Bella, meanwhile, was beside herself with fear over the lightning and thunder. She's been that way ever since Mindy casted her out into the tornado in September. We had to calm her more than once. After the game, we tuned to Fox primetime TV and caught part of Glee and then Raising Hope. We watched a NatGeo program called Great Migrations - Behind the Scenes from 930 to 10p. We headed to bed after.