Ire of the Tiger

I was  up at 530am, yet despite a healthy night's sleep I was craving more. That wasn't to be, however. I needed to get moving. I headed downstairs where I quickly started sit-ups then spent 5 or 10 minutes on the computer. No immediate threat of storms but a chance of rain later in the day. Expecting a high near 90. Saw the Reds dropped another one run game. That's been their achilles heel this entire season.

After push-ups I poured coffee and returned to the PC for another 10 minutes. I checked some work email as well as that from home. Read the Daily OM, too. After meditation and a stretched I prepared for a run. It was 640am when I headed out the door.

It was comfortable and cloudy. I ran the full 4.1 mile route without incident. Felt good and went quickly. I was back at home near 720am and started prepping lunch and breakfast right away. I looked for a salad but found nothing. I decided to skip a salad and go with tuna instead. I had a couple packets in my office. I cut up some cheese and packed some fruit. I made a spinach and cheese omelet using an italian blend of shredded cheese. I sprinkled in some real bacon bits too. It was superb!

With Mindy's coffee in hand, I headed upstairs. Gave her a hug then hurried off to shower. Ready by 8am. Mindy stayed in bed. Had nothing on the agenda. She sounded thrilled to have nowhere to be after a week of running here and there.

I left for work at 810am. It was a pleasurable drive in. Short - just seven miles. Got settled in fairly quickly. Felt good to be back in my regular digs. I wrote out a to-do list that included a number things I needed to address just in case I'd be leaving for NYC Sunday morning. Yeah, I was a tad nervous about that.

I kept real busy all day long, a day that included two meetings via conference bridge. I didn't leave for lunch, but did take some time to write, so it would be fair to say I took about an hour out for myself. I had a brief chat with my boss. He's been running around like a crazy person all week. I learned that, like me, he's taking Friday off. I had to prepare for that as well.

The day moved along quickly. Don't think I had a chance to chat with Mindy all day. Took me a while to get my OOO set up. I was very happy to have Friday off. I gave Mindy a call once I was on the road for home. She said the kids went skating with the neighbors but were already back and off again to have dinner with Jimaken. She did some laundry but not much else. We planned to have dinner at Barley's.

Mindy wasn't pleased when I shared my desire to golf on Friday afternoon. She felt because I leave on Sunday that I should spend my day off with she and the kids.  I argued that I need some play time before a potential long string of 12 hours work days. After all, I haven't been water skiing and/or going to Zoombezi Bay like they have all summer. Plus, I'd be spending the entire morning with the kids while she takes Ashley to OSU for a root canal. We ended our phone conversation just as I pulled into the subdivision.

As soon as I walked in the house I offered an alternative - that I could just as easily golf Saturday. Mindy quickly agreed that was better. I was fine with that, too - It's all about laying the ego aside and finding the third alternative. After all, I am a problem solver.

I was eager to get out of my monkey suit and into cooler casual attire. I changed into shorts and a t-shirt, brushed my teeth, and rounded up my personal electronics before heading off to Barley's. Barley's sounded really good.

Arrived to a parking lot about 3/4s full. Not bad for a Thursday. The bar, however, very sparsely populated. As she generally does, Mindy stopped to chat with her peeps on the patio. I headed inside. Save for three or four stools taken, the bar was wide open. I chose stools facing west. Mindy asked that we take the end two. Janet was tending bar and served us the 'usuals', me a Centennial and Mindy a Pint of Joe.

We talked at length with April, who was serving tables around back. We also chatted with Zack, one of the newer managers. His girlfriend works at CBC. We also talked with Justin asking if he's heard from Diedra. Guess she's not doing too well.

Saw that Tiger Woods shot a -2 under par 68 at the Bridgestone right up the road in Akron. His first tour appearance in 2.5 months. Hope he keeps it close. I ordered the Thursday special, smoked reuben. Mindy ordered the tuna steak with veggies. Didn't take long. The reuben was superb. Mindy said her perfectly square tuna steak was tasty too. I had a 2nd Centennial.

Weren't there that long. Left shortly after the kids called advising that they were already at our place waiting with their dad. Wasn't even 745pm. Mindy gave Jimaken permission to go in through the garage.

Once home, the kids ran off and out to play. Mindy shared that Chrissy was having a bad day. First, she had to leave work to take Lillian to the emergency room for an Xray after falling while roller skating, and then, she had no sooner pulled in the garage at home when she received a call that her dad suffered a stroke. Off to the hospital once again. Kenny was home with the kids. Enjoying the idea that I didn't have to work Friday, I poured another beer - a CBC IPA -  and headed down to chat with Kenny.

Jacob was down at Evan's. Saw me heading towards Kenny's. Waved me down telling me that Kenny was at Mike & Teri's. I headed over there instead. They were all inside sitting down to dinner - tacos. I joined them, though didn't eat. I was full from dinner. We chatted for a while before Mindy eventually came over. Said Bella was still bummed and sitting at home alone, apparently upset about my almost certain trip to NYC. Once we all headed out to the patio, I walked down to chat with Bella. Did my best to cheer her up. Poured another beer, too, only this time a Hop Wallop.

Bella said she wanted to stay back and watch TV. But once the girls caught wind that she was home alone, they all headed down to pull her out of her funk. She finally joined the rest of us down at Mike & Teri's. Chrissy came down, too, once she got home from the hospital. She gave us an update on her dad. Apparently doing a lot better. Talking normal even.

It was near 930pm when we called it a night and headed for home. Mosquitoes were getting ferocious. Kenny and I talked about golfing Friday afternoon after Mindy had a change of heart.

At home I tuned to another DVR'd Science Channel program, Wonders of the Solar System. Everybody else headed off to bed. Next thing I knew I woke on the sofa around 1030pm and headed up for bed. I tucked in Bella and Jacob. Mindy was still awake reading. Good night Brain Cox.