Passing on One's Birthday

Happy 68th B-Day, Jim Farrell

No, my care doesn't need fixed, well, at least right now. And no, I am not in trouble. Instead, I just want to take minute to thank you for touching my life in a positive way. I was never one to warm too quickly to anyone, and especially the next meaningful guy in my mom's life after my dad. Despite your repeated efforts, especially early on, I kept you at arms length. But never doubt for a minute the respect I had for the way you treated my mom, me, my brothers, and ultimately my children. You put up with our wild antics and always tried to coach rather than discipline. You were always there to fix our cars whether it 3am or 10 below zero. Didn't matter. When I decided I wanted to attend college you and mom were there with money in hand. And when I got in a little trouble with the law, you were there then, too. Yep, you took me to get that damn Oldsmobile from the impoundment lot, then took me to lunch at Schmidts, and afterwards you even gave me a little extra cash. Cool! I also won't forget who pulled me around tirelessly on Deer Creek, whether it was on water skis or that old yellow tube. You even insisted on swimming in the lake with Courtney, who was just one year old. Well, you were like a dad. Thank you.

Oh yeah, it wasn't me nipping at your stash of Jack Daniels. I think it was Glenn or Tommy. Well, maybe I took a little.

Love Jimmy I was up just a couple minutes later than planned – about 535a. Certainly not a big deal. My throat felt even worse that the morning before, and I felt a tad feverish too. However, as bad as I felt initially, I already felt ten times better after simply brushing my teeth and drinking a glass of water. It looked cold outside and the sky was extremely clear and crisp. I remembered the Geminid meteor shower so I looked towards the stars for while but saw nothing. Granted, though, I was looking from inside the house with lots of nuisance lighting. Without a lot of spare time, I slipped into my exercise shoes then whipped out my sit-ups. I checked the temperature next. It was a chilly 7 degrees, and well below zero with the wind chill, -7 to be exact. I checked a few emails then did my push-ups. After push-ups I poured some coffee and then freed Frankie. Frankie and I headed out into the cold a few minutes later. Burrr! I had to coax her out the door. For the first time, it appeared that the cold was a bit too much for Frankie. She was trying to keep her feet up and out of the snow. I walked her out under the tree house where there was significantly less snow cover. After a few minutes out there she took care of #2. She was ready to head inside but she hadn't yet peed. I walked her out front and along the shoveled walk by the bridge. She peed by the telco pedestal. What a relief! We headed back inside at record speed. After a treat, I sat for a few minutes to simply enjoy my coffee. Meditation was next. It was 613a when I started and 625a when I finished. I went just OK. Next up, stretching. That felt terrific. I remembered then that Mindy was staying home so I obviously didn’t want to wake her, take her coffee, or deliver Frankie. Instead, I planned to leave Frankie free while I headed off on my run. Once again, the only addition to my prior winter attire was another thin upper wicking layer. I was anxious to see how that worked out. I was a little chilly out the door, but moderated quickly. I was comfortable. The snow cover was still soft enough that it was more helpful than not. I ran the full 4.1 miles and felt good through its entirety. The house was alive with humanity upon my return. Mindy was up making breakfast for me and the kids. However, had she not needed to assist the kids in preparation for school, I am certain she would’ve remained asleep. She looked sick and sounded horrible. I wanted a photo. She curtly asked not. I made sure to get a couple of the snowy landscape before putting the camera away. Shortly after my return, she headed back to bed while the kids and I carried on with our morning like normal. I headed up for a shower a couple minutes later. Mindy was already asleep, or so it appeared. I tried being quiet, although that’s next to impossible. I heard Mindy advise the kids that it was bus time around 754a. They know the drill. They were downstairs a few minutes later and preparing for time in the cold. We headed out at 758a. We stood in the cold for about 7 or 8 minutes along with Kenny and his girls. Glancing towards the corner, I noticed that the bus wasn’t waiting as it usually is. Kenny suggested the kids follow him and wait just inside their front door. Great! I was released from my duties. I headed back home where I made last minute preparations then started the dishwasher and headed out. I hollered up another goodbye to Mindy. The Trooper was almost fully thawed after running for a solid 15 minutes. The drive in was a tad slow. Not sure what the deal was. I arrived near 830a and parked out front. I already knew my peer was scheduled off. Consequently, I was mentally prepared for a very busy day. Turns out, I was busy, but no where near what I expected. That was a welcome relief. I considered getting a hair cut at lunch or running Xmas errands. I opted for the latter and headed towards Alpha Sporting Goods in Arlington. I was hoping to find some of those ski helmet covers that a lot of kids are sporting. In route, I tried phoning Lindsey, but she didn’t answer. Reluctant to call my ex Kelly, I did anyhow. I was surprised when Landon answered her cell. After a brief conversation, he handed the phone to Kelly. I asked for an update on the Lindsey eviction. Confirmed the hearing scheduled for Wednesday and she expects her out no more than three days later. Missing, however, was the cooperative, I want to work with you and Mindy attitude. Instead, she was bitter and cruel taking unnecessary jabs at both Mindy & I. I wanted to retort but opted not, realizing it would do no one any good. Instead, I maintained my cool and tried ending the call at least somewhat gracefully. I am very worried about Lindsey and the boys. I found Alpha Sporting Goods easily in the old Henderson Rd Lazarus strip mall. They had only one helmet cover, their inventory apparently already picked over. I left and headed back to the office. I called Mindy along the way and shared my conversation with Kelly. I was back at the office by 2p. The first thing I did was enjoy my packed food, cheese and fruit. The afternoon moved quickly. It was time to head home in what seemed like the blink of an eye. Mindy called during my commute home. She was in traffic trying to deliver Bella to gymnastics. We already agreed that I would pick her up afterwards. Mindy said she slept until after 12 noon, her cold kicking her ass. She sounded marginally better but by no means perfect. The house was empty save for Frankie in her pen. I hurried through my menial chores then took to my PC. I received an email from my mom sharing the passing of Jim Farrell, her 2nd husband. He was 68 and died on his birthday, December 13th, just one day after hers. His passing was expected. He was suffering from brain cancer of some sort. Mindy and Jacob were home by 605p. Mindy declared that she was making grilled ham and cheese sandwiches for dinner and wondered if I wanted one. Yes, on rye please. My sandwich was ready fairly quickly, and also very good. She made mine first given that I needed to leave to fetch Bella in short order. The hour always goes super fast, and this time was no exception. I left to get Bella at 650p and arrived just before 7p. I waited inside just a couple minutes before she came out of the back room. We headed for home. Grandma Sharon was not there, but this I already knew. During our drive home they talked at length on ESPN radio about the Brett Favre’s streak and the dilemma the Vikings are facing with the dome collapse. What a mess. At home I looked for Tom Sheppard’s email address so I could alert him of our coming trip to Oregon. I couldn’t find it, so I decided to log onto my facebook account and get a hold of him that way. I know he’s linked to Glenn. I haven’t been on facebook but maybe three times, although I have a base profile. Just not my thing. I was immediately alerted at login that someone tried cracking into my account. Prompted a more secure password and security question. Not ten minutes later Mindy informed me that Tom Sheppard already responded favorably to our invite. That was good news! Haven't seen the doctor in a couple years. Offered up a Bend, Oregon lodging option, The St Francis School, a McMenniman's place. Mindy Googled it and explored their amenities. I poured myself a Jack & Coke then relaxed on the sofa where I tuned to one of the knowledge networks. All I really wanted was a means of meting into sleep, and it worked almost perfectly. I began to dose off almost too fast. Mindy woke me to tuck in the kids, which I did around 930p. I returned to the sofa where I remained for maybe another 30 minutes. Mindy headed to bed right after my tuck in.