Hand Eye Coordination

I woke around 410am after a less than restful night of sleep. I forced myself back asleep all the while planning to wake again somewhere close to 440am to make sure that Glenn was up for his departure home. I woke again at 430am and then again around 450am. I leaped nervously from bed worried that Glenn might’ve overslept. Mindy woke at the same time and shared that she heard Glenn leaving out the front door a few minutes prior. I went to verify. She was right. He was gone. I headed back to bed where I tossed and turned for another 30 minutes before starting my own ready.

I headed downstairs and hit the go button on the coffee maker. I then started calisthenics, completing both sit-ups and push-ups after a two day reprieve. We had Woody in Eiknarf’s pen through the night. He was whining profusely for his release once he heard me up. I let him out just ahead of push-ups. He kept trying to slip under each thrust to which I never stopped. He finally took the hint and waited for me to finish. I took him out immediately after. The weather was cloudy and mild. I’m thinking it was near 50 degrees.

I enjoyed coffee and internet until just after 6am which seemed to come around fast. Too fast. I then headed to the family room where I did a meditation and then a stretch ahead of waking Mindy with a cup of coffee. Like me, she shared having a poor night’s sleep. I felt as though I never got even a wink of deep, refreshing sleep. Not sure why.

I readied for a run and headed off before 630am. I ran 4.1 miles all the while keeping an ear towards the cloudy sky thinking I might hear Glenn’s plane jetting by overhead. I knew his scheduled take-off was 650am, or somewhere between mile 2 & 3. I heard a couple planes but because of an extra low ceiling, I couldn’t tell where it was in the sky. I got lost in other thoughts along the line too.

I was home and inside by 710am. I went ahead and walked Eiknarf, again saving Jacob the chore. Mindy had breakfast ready upon reentry. She told the kids to come home as normal. Since it was Trick-or-Treat, there wasn’t an after school meeting planned.

As usual, Mindy left for work around 730am, and I soon headed off to the shower. I took the time to iron my new washable wool dress slacks to reestablish a firm pleat. Worked well. I dressed sharply. Not entirely sure why.

I was ready well ahead of bus time and used the few extra minutes I had to fool around online. My laptop was still connected since I was on-call over the weekend. By the way, this might’ve been my easiest on-call in my new role yet.

The kids and I headed out at 810am. Bella took Eiknarf and I took Woody. Bill was at the bus stop with Makayla (her grandpa). She was very excited to see Woody. Bill laughed when the kids told him how much work Woody was. He knows. They kept the puppy, Annie. The bus arrived on time. Soon the kids were off to school and Eiknarf and I on our way back home. Left for the office after a couple minutes inside.

Work was quiet. Had a meeting with the account team for my new customer. I asked what I deemed as important questions, at least from my perspective. We might’ve gone on for 45 minutes. Other than that, it was a relatively calm day. I spent time working on a new project assignment. Not a big deal. Early on, I thought I might leave early afternoon and work from home the rest of the day. That never came to fruition. Just got busy with this and that and before I knew it was after 430pm. Neither Mindy or I had heard a peep from Lindsey. We weren’t sure if that was good or bad news regarding the apartment she applied for on Saturday. We were both hopeful that she’d get it.  Mindy went on record saying she had an awful good feeling about it. Really liked the manager.

I did leave for home about 45 minutes earlier than usual. In fact, I was home just after 5pm. Felt good to get home early for a change. It took a minute or two for me to figure out why Mindy parked along the curb. It was Trick-or-Treat and she didn’t want to block the drive-way. Good thinking, dear.

She was busy making sinner – stove top chili. Smelt terrific. We were expecting Jimaken too. He was coming to take the kids begging. Mindy shared that Jacob’s friend Josh was coming over to Trick-or-Treat too. Still weren’t entirely sure of the logistics. Jimaken was set on taking the boys, but Bella and the girls wanted to go with Chrissy, Mindy, or Teri. Chrissy had class that night, so she was out. By the way, they got home from the NASCAR race mid-afternoon. The kids promptly took Woody home to Kenny.

If Mindy would be taking the girls, that meant I’d have to stay home and pass out candy. Not my favorite thing to do. In fact, I volunteered to take the girls instead. Mindy liked the idea, but Bella didn’t.  Mindy phoned Teri after dinner to see what her plans were. Teri shared that Mike was planning to take the girls. Bella would join them. It sounded like Mindy & I would be home passing out candy together.

Jimaken joined us for dinner and then helped Jacob get his costume together. Both Josh and Evan were dressed as bananas. Mindy looked for a banana costumes for Jacob, but could only find one for $40. She said she wasn’t paying that. She expressed feeling bad after seeing the other boys in theirs. Not quite sure what’s up with the banana thing.

The kids all headed out right at 6pm, the official beginning. We had a few early birds. I think Mindy took care of them. I told her to shew them away. Mindy offered that we open the garage door and sit out there in lieu of continuously going to the front door. I liked the sound of that given that we could listen to music via my iTouch and Bose dock and then simply sit back in a chair and watch. And while there were brief showers rolling through at the start, the sky quickly cleared to a starry Halloween night. It was somewhere near 50 degrees too. Not bad at all.

Mindy and I got set-up in the garage. I let some Roger Waters/ A.K.A.Pink Floyd whirl in the background. Mindy felt it was a little loud, but it was Halloween. Why not? As usual, we had a lot of non-neighborhood kids, mostly of Hispanic origin. We didn’t’ mind. Most were very polite and gracious.

The kids came in waves. We’d have a whole bunch then a brief reprieve before another wave. It’s always been like that. A lot of really good costumes. Mindy texted Lindsey near her quitting time. We both were dying to know what came of the apartment thing. Lindsey finally called her back around 720pm. I listened passively while passing out candy. I wasn’t sure from the tone of the conversation what the verdict was. Mindy expressed some happiness but also some frustration. I had to wait until she hung up.

The news was in. The offered that she could move in as soon as Saturday provided the financial arrangements were followed through on. Lindsey shared that she was unable to get a hold of her advocate to seal the deal, but Mindy and I were confident they’d come through as agreed. And meanwhile, the YWCA agreed to let her stay through the week. The only real drama was that Lindsey found herself stuck on the elevator at work for 6 minutes earlier in the day.

I let out a huge sigh of relief after learning the news. There are other hills to climb, but this was a big one. According to Lindsey, Kelly wasn’t too pleased with the location and even dropped some idol threats. She wanted to her to follow-up on a duplex on Hague ave. 

Trick-or-Treat soon came to an end. I’m thinking it was near 750pm when Mindy and I headed inside. There might’ve another two or three hit the door, but that’s it. Years past, we’ve had stragglers for another 30 minutes. Soon our kids were home too. However, Bella soon headed down to Emily’s to make some Halloween gack – a family tradition. Jacob’s friend Josh phoned his dad to come fetch him. His mother showed up about 20 minutes later.

   By then, I was flat on my back in front of the TV taking a very brief nap. Felt awesome. I woke a couple minutes later and tuned into the MNF game – KC Chiefs and San Diego. The Chiefs took the lead early. None of us stayed up too long, though me longer than the kids and Mindy. I made some popcorn after they were off to bed. But I was off to bed even before 10pm. Good night half Halloween moon!

The Last Soccer

After a bunch of beer the night before., I wasn't so eager to spring from bed. Lucky for me, I had the wherewithal to choke down a few Advil before heading to bed, so that at least ensured a headache-free waking come 715am. I wanted to keep sleeping, but we needed to be at Jacob's soccer game at 905am.

I started coffee then leashed up the pugs one at a time for a walk. The yard looked like snow due to the thick covering of frost. The temperature was somewhere in the upper 20s. It was chilly! Both pugs went potty pretty quickly. Can't recall which went out first.

I was feeling a little stressed given that it was already 8am and I hadn't yet ran. Mindy came downstairs just before my run and didn't seem phased. I headed off on my run bundled warmly around 815am.

I ran the usual Sunday route of three miles. It was cold but sunny. Nice, really. Mindy was in the shower while I ran. We didn't bother waking Glenn. He planned to sleep in. After my run I simply changed into a fresh winter wicking shirt and my thick casual fleece jacket and a dry ballcap. We left for the game at 850am. And here I thought we'd certainly be late. Turns out, though, we arrived a couple minutes early for a change. But by the time we located field 17A the game was just underway.

It was so cold the field was still coated in frost. Aside from a thin long-sleeved wicking shirt under his soccer jersey, Jacob was ill prepared for the chill. Many of his teammates wore toboggans, tights and gloves. They never could get the spark they needed to win. They lost 1-0 to a really good Gahanna team. Jacob didn't seem to bummed. They still had another game at 330pm - the final game of the season. Let me have a big ol' HELL YES!!

Jimaken followed us to the house so he could pick-up Jacob's home work. Jimaken also shared that he planned to take Jacob to the soccer game later that evening. Mindy wasn't too thrilled about the idea since Jacob had done nothing but run around the entire weekend (4 soccer games, Buckeye game, and now a hockey game), but opted to not challenge it.

Glenn was up when we got home. After Jimaken and Jacob departed, Mindy left for the grocery. Enjoyed some more coffee and a leftover brat. Glenn had two leftover brats. As soon as my belly was full, I headed out to cut the lawn after letting it grow a full two weeks. If I'm lucky, I'll only need to do one more cut this year - two maximum.

Before cutting, I went for my gas blower first. I blew all the fallen leaves in the rear flower beds into the grass for mulching. Out front I blew them just off the curb for picking up later. I also took down the stakes and rope protecting my new grass. It's come a long way the past two weeks.

I set the push mower as low as I have all season and cut the back first. Looked great when I finished. Did the tractor stuff out back too. After finishing the mowing I gathered all the leaves from along the curb and drug them off to the compost pile. I even tarped those matted down around the storm sewer grate. All totaled, I spent 2.5 hours in the yard. It showed too, Looks really nice. Leaf management had gone as smooth as ever. I think because we had such a gradual leaf fall until this weekend that I was able to mulch all but the tarp load from along the curb. Still more to fall from the rear red maples though, then the honey suckles along the pond. They don't come down until early/mid December.

Mindy was back from the grocery. We didn't plan any major activities for the late afternoon or evening save for Jacob's last soccer game. Glenn was off to the Indian Mound off McKinnley Rd when we left for the soccer game. He planned to have dinner with daughter Courtney and her boyfriend. We weren't invited. Mindy picked up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery. Mindy invited my dad to the soccer game and then to dinner. We met him at the soccer field. He didn't show up at Jacob's game until almost halftime. Was at the wrong Spindler Rd field - one over. It was still chilly, but nothing like earlier that morning.

Jacob's team didn't seem to have much if any motivation to win. They got beat soundly. In fact, don't think they scored a goal in either game. Jacob was not pleasant. Bella, meanwhile, was over with the team when we arrived and without a coat. Mindy wasn't too happy about that. I walked over to see if she had it wither her. She didn't, but did have a sweatshirt handy. I made her put that on at least.

The plan was for Bella to head home with us since Jacob and Jimaken were going to a Blue Jackets game. As much as she pouted about spending the weekend with her daddy, she wasn't as excited as we thought she might be to see us.

I checked the NFL finals via my Droid while at the soccer tournament. The Vikings won 24-21 over Carolina. Wahoo! That was a nice spirit lifter. We headed home for dinner where Mindy left the rotisserie chicken warming in the oven.

We chatted while Mindy made dinner sides - Bob Evan's mashed taters and cooked fresh broccoli. Watched the Seattle Seahawks/Bengals game before, during, and after dinner. Somewhat surprisingly, they won rather easily. The chicken was good. Through dinner we discussed the plans for dad's knee surgery Tuesday. Still unsure of the time. Won't learn that until sometime Monday. Yikes. He left for home I'm  guessing around 630pm.

Mindy and I walked the pugs. She and Bella went one way with Eiknarf and I went the other way with Woody.

Glenn got home from dinner with Courtney around 815pm Honestly, didn't expect him back so soon. We tuned the TV to SNF. It was Dallas & Philly. From the outset, the Cowboys had their asses handed to them. It wasn't pretty and it wasn't close. Changes coming for America's team.

Glenn said his goodbye's to Mindy and the kids as they headed off to bed. I told Glenn we'd most likely be out sometime this winter to ski, and probably not over President's day weekend. I headed for bed at halftime. Glenn peeled off to pack for home at the same time. I asked what time he wanted/needed up. 440am.

Watchin' Woody / A Night at 229

I could hear the pugs making considerable noise through the night. At roughly 8am I got up for good and headed downstairs to start some coffee and then walk the pugs.

I had my blackberry at my side through the night since I was on-call. I checked for any urgent messages/calls. There were none. Yippie! I walked the pugs separately, taking Woody out first. I walked him in his own back yard figuring that the familiar territory would best suit his needs. He did a lot of sniffing around but did take care of business.

After about ten minutes I headed inside with Woody but then got Eiknarf. I walked her out front like usual. She went quickly too. Back inside, they continued going at it almost constantly. It’s really nerve racking. It was cold outside – our first killing frost of the season. The frost was so thick in some places that it looked like snow. All of our hibiscus and impatiens took some significant damage – severely wilted. Tis the season!

Mindy was up surprisingly early – just a little after 830am. She got up because my dad was there outside waiting on Glenn. I think I shared that when I delivered her coffee. I think she thought he was coming inside, but he didn’t. Glenn bolted out the door and he and dad headed off to breakfast.

Mindy planned on taking Lindsey to apply or an apartment but she wasn’t coming until about 1030am. It must’ve been around 915am when I dressed for and headed out on a run. I wore hand and ear covers. I was cozy during the 3 mile run.

Mindy was in the shower when I got back. Because my tire pressure light had come on the past couple days, I decided this a good time to check all my tires. All four were at or near 26lbs PSI, though the manual called for 32lbs PSI. I checked the Pilot’s too. They were low as well. I drug out my Craftsman compressor to add air to all eight tires. The compressor kicked off shortly after it kicked on. From experience, I know the front exterior shares a breaker with the masterbath. Sure enough, Mindy was blow drying her hair and popped the breaker. I reset and asked that she hold off for a minute while the tank filled. I think she thought I meant for a lot longer.

While I was adding air to the tires, Dad and Glenn returned. Immediately started looking for one of Charles’ keys he thought he heard drop off the key ring late last night. We scoured the ivy in the flower beds and then looked under both cars in the drive. No key. After about 5-10 minutes of looking, Glenn produced the key from his pant pocket. ???

Mindy came out front briefly to see if she could restart the blow dryer. Yes. She also greeted dad. As soon as I had the tires inflated I left to fetch Lindsey and the boys who projected their arrival at the Binns & Sullivant Massey’s pizza at 1035am.  I was a tad late. I grabbed the mower gas container just before heading out. Figured I’d stop and pick-up two gallons on our way back home.

Headed to Massey’s cutting through the Westgate Park neighborhood. Lindsey and the boys were already there waiting. As usual, the boys were running around at an uncomfortable distance from their mother. They quickly loaded in for the drive back to our house. We hadn’t gone even a block before the million questions began. Can we play Wii? Can we swing? Cute, but also overwhelming.

 I also noticed that Lindsey was wearing tattered jeans and a flannel shirt. I asked why she was dressed like that when she knew she was going apartment shopping. Oh boy!  I had to listen to a lengthy discourse on discrimination and how it’s against the law to judge someone by their appearance, and then how she’s only allowed to have seven sets of clothing and that all the others are dirty. She just doesn’t get it.

I decided to lower the boom. I made it clear in no uncertain terms that she needed to stop talking and listen to me very carefully. I essentially told her that if she wants our help then she needs to listen and follow our advice. It’s either all or none. I prefaced that by asking where not following it had gotten her to date. That, of course, was more of a rhetorical question. I stopped at Circle K and got the two gallons of gas. That didn’t take but a minute.

At the house, Lindsey was practically in tears. The kids quickly went for the Wii, but also asked for some breakfast. Asked if we had any bacon. We did, and I was happy to bake some. While Lindsey went outside to phone her mom, I shared the conversation in brief withy Mindy. I asked if she could wrestle up some nice jeans and perhaps a sweater for Lindsey to wear. She whole heartedly agreed and took immediate action. Lindsey bucked the offer at first, but ultimately complied once she understood we were serious about helping with ground rules that weren’t negotiable.

Dad and Glenn were sitting at the table taking in our conversation. I apologized to them and then to Lindsey that they were going to hear our conversation but also asked that they not chime in, as at one point Glenn started to do. Lindsey agreed to wear the jeans and sweater, and actually looked nice in them. She and Mindy left after about 10 more minutes passed. Not only were they stopping by Twin Creeks, but also by Target and perhaps elsewhere.

Mindy wanted that additional time to talk with her about a few of our ground rules, which one I was sure would go over like a lead balloon. Specifically, that would be us managing her money for her for a defined period of time along with establishing a strict budget. Our end goal, to teach her good financial management skills and to show her that it was possible to have a car, apartment, food, and pay necessary bills on her salary. Right now, she blows a lot of money unnecessarily. 

While they were away I finished making the bacon and then made scrambled eggs for me and Rocky. Landon wanted only some bacon and chocolate milk. Dad and Glenn wanted nothing having just come from breakfast. Dad left after about 20-30 more minutes.

Lucky for me, work was completely calm. For that I was most pleased. After breakfast, I took the boys out back to play. Of course, Landon was all about swinging at the tree house. We did that for awhile, but then started launching walnuts with the giant slingshot. Both boys thought that was the coolest thing ever. I’ll bet we did that for an hour. Landon actually got the hang of that before Rocky. His lower center of gravity gave him an edge.

We collected more ammo (walnuts) along the pond’s edge where I’d been raking them all autumn long. At some point we got to talking about a troll living down the steps I built to the pond that are covered in thick growth a few years back. Both boys were obsessed with the idea and wanted to look for him. The troll then became the center of their interaction for the next 30 minutes. We tossed a football too, but the entire time Rocky kept asking about the troll. J

Mindy and Lindsey were back around 1pm. Said the visit to Twin Creeks was pleasant and sounded promising. Would call on Monday. Mindy said she had a good feeling about it. The manager and  her kids live there and go to the same school as our kids. 

More importantly, Mindy said Lindsey really liked the apartments too. However, the conversation about money management was left up in the air. Said Lindsey wasn’t too keen about giving up control of her own money. Again, it’s all or none. Lindsey headed out to play with the boys and actually was outback or down at neighbor Teri’s for at least an hour. Mindy and I appreciated that.

It was 3pm in a hurry. About that time, I got a work related escalation that I had to deal with. Turns out, that was about the same time we planned on driving Lindsey home. Mindy kindly agreed to do the deed so I could focus on work. We planned to take Glenn to dinner at Milestone 229 around 530-6pm and still hadn’t showered.

I was able to get the work issue under control over the next hour. I called mindy as soon as I was out of the shower to make sure she was safely on her way home. Said they were in a horrible traffic jam at the I-670/71N a split.

I walked the pugs before Mindy got back, taking one at a time. I had both of them out back for a better part of the afternoon too. One or the other managed to pee and poop on the carpet. We believe it was Woody but can’t be sure.

I’m thinking it was near 545pm when we left for Milestone 229. We didn’t head directly there, though. Instead, I detoured to the Brewery District to drive by the new World of Beers to see if it was opened yet. It wasn’t open for business but was ‘opened’. Glenn and Mindy got out while I waited. An employee opened the door inviting them in to look around. Said they’re opening on Monday October 31, Halloween day.

From there were drove back towards Milestone 229 parking right along the completely vacated fountain park. The sun was just beginning to set against a mostly clear sky. However, there were just enough clouds present on the horizon to make for a very picturesque sunset.

We walked along the new

Mound St

bridge first and took some suns set pictures. There was  wedding party out there doing the same thing. What a gorgeous autumn evening. All three of us were hungry/thirsty. We planned to walk along the Scioto Mile too, but not before having dinner at 229 first.

We noticed vinyl panels encircling their cool patio. Last we asked, they hadn't a clue how or if they would offer such amenities. The inside was only about half full. The onsite manager seemed eager to please us. He welcomed to sit at the bar while he fired up a few heaters on the patio. That made us happy. I ordered a CBC IPA, Mindy some wine, and Glenn a Magic Hat, but not sure what style.

A few minutes later we moved to the patio. Tina, who has served us before, agreed to bring our appetizers and tab out there. The sun was now setting making for some breath taking views despite the plastic windows in the vinyl panels. I slipped my camera past the panel at a nearby post and got the shot.

One other patron made his way to the patio, but that was it. With the heaters cranking, it was very cozy. It was most likely in the low 50s or upper 40s outside. We shared some appetizers and then ordered dinner. Both Glenn and Mindy went with their salmon special. I ordered a turkey reuben as well as a 2nd CBC IPA.

Tina was very attentive. We got to talking about her son, who we met there last summer. Turns out her other job is a judge for youth gymnastics. Mindy daringly asked if she might've been in Marysville two weeks prior. And it turns out she was. Remember Bella after Mindy showed off pictures. I ended up enjoying a 3rd IPA. Glenn had a 2nd, only this time a CBC pale ale. Mindy didn't have another wine - only water.

I picked up the check. We left for home just after the OSU/Wisconsin game began. It was 0-0 when we headed out. Took us a minute or two to orient ourselves to the whereabouts of our car. There it was, right where we left it. I drove home. The belly full of food had shielded me from any kind of beer buzz.

Arrived home and Glenn agreed to walk both pugs. I tuned into the Buckeye game. The Buckeyes were down something like 7-3 at halftime. Glenn and I cracked open the growler of Galaxy 500 I bought at Barley's the night before. We ended up drinking all of it through the course of the game. The Buckeyes played lights out in the 3rd quarter and lead 17-7 and then 26-12. And if it wasn't for a fumbled punt return, it wouldn't have been that close. Wisconsin turned up the heat with just over 4 minutes to go and quickly erased the 12 point deficit taking a 29-26 lead with just over a minute to go. Smelt like the Nebraska game all over again. Bang!

This time, however, the Buckeyes had a miracle in their own back pocket. They scored a touchdown within seconds - a 40 yard bomb to the endzone. We had the lead again with 20 seconds and held off a last second effort by the Badgers to pull off the upset. Very exciting finish. I even went to wake Mindy to tell her all about it.

Glenn and I stayed up talking well after the game. After we emptied the jug, I cracked open a White Rajah. We stayed up until almost 2am. That's got to be the latest that I've stayed up in a really long time. Good night waxing moon!

The Aussies, The Crows & Jeff Smith

I was up on time in fact a few minutes early. I glanced out back before doing calisthenics. It was cloudy and looked cold – frosty even. I promptly completed both sit-ups and push-ups and then spent a little time enjoying coffee and internet. It was supposed to clear up and be sunny later in the day but the temperature wasn’t expected to get out of the 40s. The weekend was supposed to be mostly sunny and chilly all the way through Trick-or-Treat on Monday.

Just after 6am I did meditation and a stretch. Delivered Mindy’s coffee next. It was close to 615am. And like I did most days that week, I left for my run still ahead of 630am. I wore hand and ear covers and felt comfortable throughout. I ran the full 4.1 miles. It remained dark for the duration of my run. We set the clocks back in another 10 days or so. For a little while, anyway, I’ll get some daylight back.

Once inside the door, I asked for Eiknarf and Pilot keys. I went to start Mindy’s car while she leashed up the dog. This marked the first time that her car needed a thorough defrosting this season. I walked Eiknarf. She was quick to relieve herself. We were out there 5 minutes.

It was 720-something by the time we were back inside. Mindy was already prepping to depart. My eggs were ready and waiting in the microwave. Mindy was soon off to work and I was soon off to the shower. I gave Eiknarf the remnants of my eggs.

It was Friday and that meant jean day. I wore black t-shirt, too (my old uniform). Felt good. The kids, Eiknarf, and I headed to the bus stop at 810am. Started the Honda before walking the bus stop. Bella was shivering and stood close for added warmth. The bus arrived early. As soon as the kids boarded Chrissy and I headed our separate ways, but not before I confirmed the time she’d be bringing Woody down – 630pm. Still planning to leave Annie (new puppy) with Bill & Marilyn (her in-laws).

I briefly walked Eiknarf out front again before taking off for work. She pooped a 2nd time. Had the Honda warming, but still needed to squeegee the side windows. The car was nice and warm, and it was a quick drive into the office.

My boss stopped by early on, this his last work day before a two week vacation. I thought he was kidding when he shared how challenging of a day it was gonna be. In fact, I expected that he’d work from home all day.  I asked if there was anything I could do to make his last day easier. Nope.

All in all, it was a fairly calm Friday. I received a call from the XM folks for like the 10^th day in a row. And for the third time, I had to explain the recent changes we made to our account. They’re really starting to get on my nerves. Mid-morning my old peer, Ken stopped up to share some recent changes impacting his team. Let’s just say I’m glad I made the move that I did back in June. He visited for nearly an hour.

I didn’t leave the office for lunch. In fact, I don’t think I took a formal lunch break even once during the entire work week. Although I could’ve, I simply chose not to. I talked with Mindy mid-day. She asked if I had heard from Glenn or my mom. I hadn’t, but took note of the question and planned to call and find out, one, if my mom was coming up for the weekend, and two, if Glenn was coming to our house or going straight to Bobby’s Halloween party.

After talking with Mindy I called Twin Creeks Apts seeking information on Lindsey’s behalf. Both Mindy and I feel that’s the best place for Lindsey and the boys to get a place, especially after learning that other apartment complex seems to be stringing her along. Not only is this place close to us, but it’s well-maintained, and has a lot of amenities you’d only expect to find at a higher end complex. The young lady on the phone was quite pleasant but wasn’t able to give me much information. She asked that Lindsey stop in on Saturday to fill out an application. I ran the numbers. Lindsey qualifies financially. But like a lot of places, her past track record could harm her chances.

I called my mom and Glenn next. My mom sounded good but shared that she wouldn’t be coming up to stay for the weekend citing being in too much pain. Talked with Glenn, too. Said he’d meet us at Bob’s. Not interested in an evening at Barley’s.

The rest of my afternoon went smoothly. Tied up a few loose ends before my on-call weekend and then headed for home sometime near 515pm.

The kids were gone and the house was quiet. Mindy poured herself a glass of wine while she tinkered. Bella called soon after I got home to share that Jacob was going to the Wisconsin game with daddy Saturday night and she would be staying at home with one of Jim’s friends and his young son. Actually, we already knew, but were waiting for Jimaken to tell her. She wasn’t happy but not distraught, either.

We planned to head to Barley’s before Bobby’s Halloween party, but because we were watching Woody for the neighbors, we had to wait for them to bring him down. I think it was near 630pm or just after when Kenny brought him down. Meanwhile, Mindy was decked out in her costume, a 60s era dress and go-go boots. I was decked out in, well, jeans and a t-shirt. We left for Barley’s shortly after Kenny headed back home.

Barley’s was fairly crowded - standing room only when we first arrived - although that’s not too unusual. Mindy got lots of compliments on her costume. Talked with Calvin and one of his peeps, Chuck. We’d seen him before, and may have actually met him, but I couldn’t recall his name. Met his wife, too. Her name is Becky. They live on Lake Choctaw. Talked with Chuck and his wife for a while. Mindy had another glass of wine. I had two beers, a Centennial and then a Galaxy. Mindy ate a salad. Me, nothing. Jim Bosch paid for our first drinks again.

I ordered a jug of Galaxy to-go. Planned to take it to Bob’s party. Weren’t at Barley’s much more than an hour. On our drive to Bobby’s party, Lindsey phoned crying that her and boys were still at the bus stop waiting for the bus to take them home. As much as it pained us, we opted to stick with our plan and went straight to brother Bobby’s. I’m thinking it was near 830pm when we got there.

Lots of decorations both in the yard, on the roof, and then, of course, in the house.  Most were in costumes. In fact, Glenn and I might’ve been the only two without. Bobby was Jesus. I think he said he got the idea the night before when April hollered his name by mistake. J

Met Bobby’s friends in town from Australia. Word had it they were much looking forward to attending an American Halloween party. Apparently not too big a deal back home in the Outback. A few of Bobby’s work friends showed too. One of his co-workers is married to a guy, Jeff Smith, that I went to high school with. We talked for quite a while. Turned out, he worked for CompuServe form 81-85 in accounting. Knew lots of old peeps. Ended up meeting a 2^nd guy that worked there only for much, much longer. He knew several folks that I know. Think his last name was Edwards.

I drank only one beer a Bobby’s. Not only was I driving, but I was on-call  and tired too. Had one heck of a spread of food, all of it done up in some sort of  Halloween theme. His buddy from Australia is a GM for an Australian rules football team, the Crows, I believe. Can’t recall the town. Bob was taking he and his son to the Buckeye/Wisconsin game on Saturday. Said he’s been to two other big college games in the US over the years, one at the Rose Bowl stadium and then one in the Orange bowl.

I’m guessing that it was 1030-11pm when we left for home. I was getting sleepier by the minute. One by one, I walked the pugs once home. They were going wild. Mindy and I were in bed 20 minutes later.

Holiday in the Valley

After almost 10 hours of sleep, I was up right on time. Missing was the grogginess that typically accompanies such an extra long session of sleep. I felt great. I completed only sit-ups, this being a skip push-up day.

I was enjoying coffee and internet by 540am.  I spent the first 10 minutes paying a few recurring monthly bills online. Might’ve spent another 10 minutes doing fun stuff. Among them, I checked the weather and sports. It was 50 degrees with light rain. Supposed to be a rather dreary day.  Saw that the Rangers beat the Cardinals Wednesday night to go up 3-2 in the World Series. But probably most important, the European Union approved a bailout package for Greece’s financial woes, which has been an ever present drag on the stock market for the past few months. As a result, they’re predicting an up tick in markets. That was some welcome good news.

Did meditation and stretching over the next 15-20 minutes. Took Mindy coffee at 620am. I readied for my run next, wearing a light weight long-sleeved wicking shirt under my pullover fleece. I skipped hand and ear covers. I headed out the door near 630am. The rain was light and intermittent, but wasn’t much of a concern. I ran the full 4.1 miles with my thoughts drifting all over the place. Happily, none of them were negative.

Mindy was just coming downstairs when I made it back to the house. I asked that she bring Eiknarf to the door so I could once again save Jacob the trouble. Eiknarf was quick to take care of business. Chrissy was backing out of her garage as we passed by on walk back home. It was only 710am. I assumed that Jake missed his school bus. I didn’t stop and ask, just waved.

Inside, Mindy put the finishing touches on some scrambled eggs. They were a nice change of pace. Jacob was still under the weather so Mindy was taking him with her but then dropping him off at her mom’s place. They left around 730am or just before.

Bella and I finished our breakfast, with me dishing what remained of my scrambled eggs along with what was left in the frying pan into Eiknarf’s dish. I headed up for a shower next.

 I was ready to go by 750am. I spent the next 15-20 minutes organizing my work gear and taking inventory to make sure I had everything I needed to work off site at my customer’s location.  Mindy packed me a salad, but last second I opted to go with bagged veggies instead (carrots and celery). That way I wouldn’t have to worry about transporting salad dressing or clean-up. I packed cheese, fruit, and a banana, too.

Bella hung under my umbrella as we walked to the bus stop. Kenny was out with the girls. Had the baby pug, too. Neighbor Mike was out with his two Jack Russell puppies. They don’t use a leash. I asked if he was worried. Nope! I laughed when he brought up Darwinism. I knew what he meant. Kenny shared that Chrissy took herself, Jake and Makayla to a scheduled ortho appointment. Oh, so that’s why they were leaving so early.

Mindy and Kenny were talking about recent deer hunting near misses. I joked that I’ve heard that same “the one that got away” story ten times already from peeps at work. Me, I am not a hunter, at least with a gun or bow. I hunt with cash and good looks! J  We talked Vinton county and Hocking Hills some too. Mike’s got a cabin down there off route 50.

The bus was late. Figures. We got to spend more time in the rain. J I walked Eiknarf out front again even though she’d taken care of business a bit earlier. Good thing we did, too. She pooped again. We headed inside where I made quick work of securing the home and heading off for work. I toyed briefly with trying I-670 but in the end opted not. I went with the tried and true, I-270. Like 90% of all my recent trips around the outer belt, it was raining at a good clip.

We had a staff call at 9am. I knew I’d be pushing it. By the time I made it to the office and then to my desk and unpacked my gear it was 859am. I joined the staff call from my Blackberry and bluetooth headset while waiting on my laptop to fully boot up. The meeting wasn’t a long one, maybe 15 minutes. We’d be getting together again at 11am to discuss a more specific topic.

Compared to my recent days in the company office, the rest of morning seemed to drag a little. I wasn’t complaining. I needed a day like that. We had our 11am meeting/call. Not a bog deal. Next, I readied for my 1pm monthly presentation. I was set up and ready to go when the customer’s management team entered the conference room. Several of my peeps joined via conference bridge. The presentation & meeting lasted about an hour. Went well. I was pleased.

Afterwards, I went for my packed food. I was after 2pm in a hurry. The last part of my day was fairly easy for a change. Again, a very nice change of pace. I left for home at 505pm. I opted to take I270 around and made really good time. Didn’t hit the usual traffic jam in Hilliard. Not sure why. Arrived home near 540pm.

Mindy had dinner just about ready. We were having tortellini and red sauce. I’d talked with Mindy about it earlier. I suggested she cut up some of the leftover Italian brats and add it to the mix. She took my advice, and man was it ever delicious. We were both looking forward to one of those rare nights where neither kid needed to be at practice. For the last two plus months it’s been Bella at gymnastics each Monday & Wednesday, and then Jacob at soccer on Tuesday and Thursday.

But hope of a completely relaxing evening were dashed when Lindsey called asking if we could come pick her up from work, take her to get her kids, and then take them home. As much as it pained us, we worked it out given that she is trying so hard to get it together. Mindy agreed to fetch her from work. We asked baby daddy to deliver the boys, and I agreed to run them all home.

Sometime after dinner clean-up, Mindy headed Lindsey’s way up in Dublin. While she did that I updated my blog and then bought the family their Xmas present, a week at Holiday Valley. Mindy with Lindsey and the boys was back around 745pm. Mindy fed them dinner, the boys going for some of the tortellini. Lindsey opted for a reheated hot dog. After tortellini, the boys each had a hot dog too. We like it when they eat a hot meal. We asked if they ate at their dads place. Nope!

Lindsey tore open a package containing two new dart guns for the boys. Said she paid $5 for them. That’s not a lot but still, when you don’t have a home, every dollar should be spent wisely. I didn’t say anything at the time.

Near 830pm, I made the call for Lindsey and the boys to ready for home. We loaded into the Accord and  headed off. Lindsey was discouraged after being asked to change her work schedule to days and hours not too convenient to here situation. On top of that, the apartment complex that she plans to move into told her the unit now wouldn’t be ready until possibly Nov 12^th, something about the current owner being foreclosed on. Good grief!

It doesn’t take long to get out east via I-670, especially at night. I dropped Lindsey and the boys and was back at home before 9pm. Once inside, I promptly changed into my PJs and then grabbed myself a beer – a Widmere Falconer series IPA. I also tuned the TV briefly to the Thursday night college football game, but then to game 6 of the World Series, the first such game I’ve caught even a glimpse of. I watched a couple innings while Mindy worked on report cards. It was 3-3 and then 4-3 Texas.

Mindy headed to bed around 930pm. Just after she headed up, I headed back to my PC where I added pictures to a few recent blog entries. I also snacked on some chili cheese Frito’s. I headed for bed a little after 10pm.  I checked the baseball score just before. It was tied 4-4. Good night dark moon.

Dark Matters

Woke a little late after a really good night of sleep. I’m thinking it was 550am by the time I made it downstairs. I quickly completed sit-ups and push-ups after first glancing out back towards the weather. It was raining lightly on and off.

I went to pour some coffee only to discover that I didn’t set the auto program button the evening before. I went to the PC while waiting on the coffee to brew. I checked the weather first. It was 50 some degrees with light rain. Checking the radar it looked like it might be ending very soon. Temperature wasn’t expected to reach beyond 60 degrees, and supposed to reach only the low 50’s for the next several days. Not sure but figured those numbers seasonal.

Did meditation ahead of delivering Mindy’s coffee. Didn’t do a stretch until afterwards. The important thing was that I did both ahead of my run. I had fresh running clothes in the dryer. Because it was raining, I dressed slightly warmer than I might’ve otherwise.  I didn’t wear gloves or ear covers.

I ran the full 4.1 miles. The regular trash pick-up came by just after I darted off on my run. I noticed our can lying over on its side as I passed by the house after my warm-up loop. I picked it up and moved it completely out of the driveway’s path fearing that Mindy might run over it later.

I finished my run in the warm but drizzly conditions. I got a tad warm, but unzipping my fleece halfway through helped counter the warmth. It was still completely dark when I returned home. I dragged the can back to its resting place before heading back inside. Jacob was still sick and Jimaken was coming to get him and taking him back to his place. He was already on his way into work when Mindy called him.

Normally Jacob’s responsibility, I went ahead and walked Eiknarf since he was so ill. Jimaken pulled up shortly after we got back to the house. He and Jacob didn’t hang long. Soon they were off. Bella and I enjoyed our breakfast, this on picture retake day. Bella was having her school pictures retaken after her teacher temporarily lost her form. She emailed Mindy a week or so ago to apologize after finding it buried under a pile of other papers. No biggie!

Mindy left for school after asking Bella to bus home with Noah. Mindy had a meeting after school. Shortly after 730am I headed up for a shower. Before I could finish shaving and brushing my teeth for the 2^nd time, I heard the doorbell. It was dad arriving early to pick-up Glenn. By then, Bella was all but ready for school, so she entertained dad while I finished getting ready. Dad acknowledged being early, so I didn’t’ wake Glenn until 750am, or just before I headed back downstairs.

Dad, Bella, and I chatted before heading out for the bus. Dad was taking Glenn to brother Tom’s where he’d be meeting brother Charles and then heading down to mom’s place in Hamden.  Dad shared that all of his pre surgery checks came back in good order. His 2^nd knee replacement is a full go for next Tuesday.

As I was walking out the door for the bus stop, I noticed dad was parked blocking the bulk pick-up stuff. I kindly asked if he would move his van forward or back to enable pick-up should they show early. Last week they came just before we headed out for the bus stop. He quickly agreed and moved his minivan.

Chrissy said she heard that Lindsey got an apartment and had some box springs for her. Neighbor Teri heard the news as well, and said she had some stuff for her too. Wow, word travels fast. Woman and their web …

The bus arrived right on time. Soon Eiknarf and I headed back towards home. I didn’t let her sniff around too long since she did both when I walked her earlier. I headed inside where I quickly gathered my things, said goodbye to dad and Glenn and headed out the door.

Arrived at the office around 835am and parked in one of the two upfront lots. Took a while for my laptop to boot up. Fridged my lunch while waiting. Stayed busy all morning long, and all day for that matter. I noticed mid morning that the rain had cleared and the sun was out. I thought about what I could do during a lunch hour. Actually considered heading home to pay my bills online but opted not. Figured I could do that at night or in the morning in five minutes. I ended up not taking a formal lunch break. Instead, I ate my salad, cheese, and fruit while working. I did take a little time to take care of a few personal matters throughout the day.

I talked with Mindy late afternoon. She was on her way home from school and to fetch Bella. Thinking it was near 430pm. After my call with Mindy, I got to talking with a peer and the next time I glanced at the clock it was 6pm. Holy cow!

I called Mindy on my drive home. Jimaken was there dropping Jacob. He made plans to take and watch Bella do her gymnastics. He was still there when I got home. Mindy reheated a leftover burger for me. Mindy, Bella and I ate dinner together. Jacob was too ill to eat with us. He was lying on the sofa doing the moaning and groaning thing. I asked Mindy if she offered Jimaken dinner. She did but he declined.

The burger was really good. Had Mindy toast the bun. That makes a big difference. Didn’t get soggy. Jimaken and Bella headed out around 650pm. Mindy or I would need to pick her up afterwards.  While Mindy was busy doing something upstairs - I'm thinking it around 715pm - her cell rang, and then mine. It was Lindsey. I was so tired that I didn’t answer either call. I feel bad now, but just couldn’t see myself driving out to pick her up if that’s what she wanted/needed.

It must’ve been around 730pm when I took to the familyroom with Jacob where we watched the Science Channel program, Dark Matters, hosted by the dude from Fringe. Cool show.  I eventually fell asleep all crumpled up in the big chair. After waking in knots, I cast my body onto the floor and went right back asleep. I woke a couple times but pretty much slept the rest of the night away. I was overdue for one of those nice long sleeps. I woke around 10pm to a dark downstairs. I headed to bed where Mindy was lying in bed but reading. I’ll bet I was back asleep within 2 minutes of my head hitting the pillow.

Finding my Center

Almost a carbon copy of the morning before, I slept soundly up until about 430am. But from that point forward until 515am, all I did was toss and turn until I couldn’t take it any longer. I went ahead and got up and out of bed to start my Tuesday.

Downstairs 10 minutes early, I hit the go button on the coffee maker then glanced out back towards the sky. Nothing but clear skies. After sit-ups I checked the weather. It was a bone chilling 36 degrees but expected to warm nicely under mostly sunny skies through the day. Given that I’m doing push-ups every other day now, I didn’t do any.

I poured some coffee then returned to my PC at 530am where I did a little writing. Can’t say that I’ve done any writing that early before. I found it very relaxing. Read the Daily OM before carrying on with the rest of my usual routine. Headed to the familyroom to meditate near 6am. That went well. My outlook was a whole lot better about things after.

Like usual, did my stretch routine next. I was quickly reminded how much more positive I feel when following my work morning routine. As soon as I was done stretching I dressed for a run. It was 620am when I started out the door only to remember I hadn’t yet taken Mindy any coffee. I quickly headed back to the kitchen, prepared her coffee and took it to her in bed. I was off on my run before 625am.

I was prepared for the chill wearing both my running gloves and ear covers. I was nice and cozy throughout the entire 4.1 mile run. It occurred to me during the run that my attire matched exactly what I wear mid winter down to the mid teens. Obviously, and for good reason, I’m not adjusted yet this year.

Back at the house I can’t recall if the kids were already up. If they weren’t, they soon were. Jacob sounded awfully crusty, but he wasn’t about to miss school and subsequently soccer practice later that night. Despite being ill, he insisted on wearing shorts to school citing the day’s expected high of 68 degrees. Mindy trumped his insistence telling him to get changed into jeans. I only added that it was currently in the mid 30’s. After stewing for a couple minutes he headed upstairs to change and then took Eiknarf out.

Mindy had a professional development day planned at another school – essentially an all day class designed to grow her teaching skills. She expected to be home much earlier than normal. She asked me about the parent/kids soccer match and if I planned to play. I did. Mindy was off to work after reminding the kids to come home as normal.

Mindy now gone, I headed up for a shower. I was ready in short order, back downstairs by 750am.

The kids and I headed out at 810am. Though colder, it was a whole lot nicer outside than it was the morning prior. The neighbors brought the puppy bundled in a blanket. She was more alert than the other few times I’ve seen her, but also shivering. Chrissy and I chatted briefly, but about what exactly, I can’t recall.

The bus arrived on time – near 815am – and soon Eiknarf and I were headed back home. I wasn’t long in the house. I left for work by 822am. Glenn was still asleep upstairs. It was a quick drive into the office and a very busy and productive day once there.

Got most of the ‘big rocks’ on my to-do list taken care of. It was a far better day than Monday. In kind, my outlook was far more positive, too. I took a working lunch, but otherwise no meaningful or lengthy breaks. I didn’t pack a salad, which is rare. Instead, I enjoyed some tuna, cheese and fruit. By the end of the day, I was pretty hungry. I left the office at 505pm, or about 30 minutes earlier than normal.

We’d be heading to soccer practice sometime after 6pm to compete in the annual parent versus kids soccer match held the last practice of each season. But since we didn’t need to be there until the last half of the practice, I was hoping to have dinner before hand.

Talked with Mindy along my drive home. She shared that Lindsey got the apartment she wanted but with a small catch. She has to write/submit a letter explaining the dropped eviction from Kelly’s house. Also can’t move in until Nov 8, or 8 days after the YWCA’s drop dead date. Despite the delay, still another major hurdle she must over come - a car.

Can’t recall if Jimaken and Jacob were already gone when I got home or not. Think they were gone. Mindy was prepping dinner for herself and Bella. I offered to do my own. I reheated some beef and noodles. Ended up eating two bowls, though the 2^nd much less than the first. They were really good, but needed lots of salt. Mindy, Bella and I carried all the bulk pick-up stuff up from the basement to the curb. Bella, I could see, was digging through the boxes at the curb – trash picking in her blood. J  She pulled out two things asking to keep them both, a magnifying glass and a foam Viking brick. Mindy claimed she saw a small snake on the front porch while carrying out one of the many boxes. Wow, that box must’ve been heavy.

I dressed in running attire for our parent/kids soccer match. We left the house around 620pm. Glenn was still at the house waiting on dad’s pick-up. Said they were going to the Florentine for dinner.

The sun was still up but just barely as we made our way to the

Spindler Rd

soccer fields. It was sinking fast, however. No sooner had Mindy and I walked up to the field when Jimaken called the parents to the field. I quickly and wisely offered to be goalie. In my younger days that would’ve been the last position I’d want to play, but with age I get wiser. J

The game went back and forth, and was tied 2-2 for quite a while. It was pretty much dark for the last ten minutes. I made a couple good stops but also allowed a couple easy ones to sneak by me. In the end, the kids won 3-2. The one shot that Jacob took on me, I blocked. Jacob later claimed me lucky.

As we left the soccer field in complete darkness, Jacob asked if we could stop at Wendy’s on the way home. I only asked that he tell me who won the game. He wisely said we did. I agreed to stop at Wendy’s. J

Arrived home sometime before 8pm. I changed into my flannel PJs then spent a little time online. Mindy came into the living room to chat about how we might best help Lindsey through her 8 day transition from the YWCA to her new apartment. We chatted through a couple brief interruptions from the children. For one, we discussed the option of allowing her and the boys to stay with us for 8 days.  Don’t think we finalized our position, however.

Glenn got home from dinner at the Florentine around 830-9pm. By then Jacob and I were in the familyroom watching some auction house program on the Discovery Channel. We watched a couple back-to-back episodes. Glenn shared a little about his Florentine dining experience. Mindy and the kids were off to bed by 915pm. I stayed up until just after 10pm. Asked Glenn if he wanted to the TV to remain on. Yep. He’d be heading to mom’s come morning. I figured to be waking him just before leaving for work.

Tough Return

I woke around 430am after about 6 hours of really good sleep. Upon waking, work related issues quickly entered my mind and inhibited any further sleep. Frustrated that I couldn’t clear my mind, I got up at 505am to start my day.

I did sit-ups and push-ups then manually started the coffee maker before its auto-start time of 530am. Checked headlines and weather. The Saints destroyed the Colts by several touchdowns. The weather was clear and crisp – 42 degrees. Rain was forecasted for the day with thunderstorms early. Hmm? I checked the radar, and while it was completely clear overhead, there was a string of strong storms just to our northwest.

Because I was up so early I was able to everything I do early mornings before 605am. I stretched, meditated, and left for a run just after 615am. It was still nice and clear overhead through out my run, but as I neared home after the 4.1 miles I saw lightning off to the northwest.

It was still dark when I got back home around 7am. But the sky quickly brightened in the east. Still no threat of rain. Because I was home so early, I helped in the kitchen including frying my own eggs. I made sure my lunch was fully packed too. I went ahead and walked Eiknarf saving Jacob the struggle. The kids were up and downstairs by 715am. Mindy bolted for work while Bella and I finished out breakfast. Just before leaving, she told the kids to bus home with Noah.

I was off to the shower by 732am and ready about 20 minutes later. As usual, it didn’t take me long. I’m not sure what I did with all the time before heading out for the bus. But one thing’s for sure, it was storming (rain and thunder). Bella and I used our umbrellas at the bus stop. Jacob resisted, instead, employing only the hood of his jacket. Chrissy and the girls brought the puppy along with Woody. Had her bundled in a blanket.

After the bus left with the kids, I walked Eiknarf out front. She’d already gone so there wasn’t any action. I headed back inside to gather my stuff before heading off to work. Glenn was still asleep, but heading out to breakfast with dad near 9am. I didn’t bother waking him up before leaving, but later thought that perhaps I should’ve.

Gas was down to $3.09 per gallon. I was happy to see that, although at the time I didn’t need any. I was dreading my return to work after reviewing all the goings on via my blackberry. I had a lot of proactive report stuff to get done before Wednesday. That always causes me stress, but the stress was compounded by the fact of being off for a week. That first day back is always hell for me – a culture shock. I hate to admit it, but I let the worry of what might be, set the tone for my entire day. I was in a crusty mood.

After getting settled I quickly jumped in to the stuff I deemed immediately important, like completing my monthly report. I processed a few emails too, but there were several hundred more backed up after being out. But thinking back to my former role, I would’ve had thousands backed up after one week off. I was doing OK until our weekly call at 1pm. My attitude was still a bit protective and cantankerous. I’m sure it was apparent to those on the call when I was asked for updates on a handful of to-dos as well as a couple new ones.

After the call I ate my packed lunch never leaving the building for a formal lunch break. One bright spot, I was able to complete my monthly report, which was a significant load of my mind. Even still, I wasn’t able to shake off the Monday after vacation blues. I’m sure Lindsey’s seemingly hopeless situation wasn’t helping my disposition either.

You’d have every right to question why I wasn’t practicing positive thinking and the art of creating one’s own peace, and the very thing I speak of here from time to time. I’ll just say this, I subscribe to that whole heartedly, but I am human like everybody else. I have bad days too.

My boss popped in around 5pm. We chatted briefly about a couple things. Ended up working until 555pm. I might’ve felt a little better walking out the door simply because I survived my first day back in the office, but the funk was still there. I called Mindy once I was on the road for home. Neither Mindy or I had heard from Lindsey all day. Weren’t sure what to make of that – good or bad.

My dad was expected for dinner last I knew. Mindy was using the leftover pot roast to make beef & noodles. However, Jacob came home from school under the weather seemingly sporting the same nasty cold symptoms Bella was dealing with the week prior. Learning of Jacob’s peril, my dad wisely and abruptly turned around at the door and headed back home. He has his 2^nd knee surgery scheduled for Nov 1. Can’t risk getting sick now.

It wasn’t long before Mindy had dinner dished up and on the table for the rest of us, including Glenn, who spent the day with dad. The beef & noodles were good, but needed lots of salt. Mindy knew I was in a serious funk. I wasn’t shy about sharing it. J

Mindy already planned to drop and then pick-up Bella from gymnastics, in part because she thought she was gonna drive Jacob to his dad’s so he could stay home with him on Tuesday. Jacob, however, insisted on going to school despite being ill. His motivation, not missing soccer practice the following day. After thinking it through, Mindy decided to honor Jacob’s request. He didn’t have a fever.

By the time I was done cleaning up the kitchen, Mindy and Bella were heading off to gymnastics. I took that as my queue to change into my flannel PJ shorts and a t-shirt. Ahhhhh. Much better. Jacob and Glenn watched one of the Potter movies from the family room. I wanted no part of that, and decided the best thing for me was reading. Not only would it divert my attention away from a few work related issues currently eating at me, but would also relax me. Worked like a charm. Always does.

When Mindy got back from dropping Bella she came in the living room so we could chat. All in all, she did a good job of talking me down off the ledge.  I was feeling a ton better by the time she set out to pick Bella up from gymnastics. I spent a little time working on my blog and then having a late night snack – bite-sized shredded wheat. Mindy was back ahead of 845pm. I tuned the TV to the MNF already in progress – the Ravens and Jaguars. The game reminded me of the Cleveland game from Saturday. Lots of turnovers and sloppy play. Unable to keep my eyes open, I begged off for bed just before halftime.

Four Generations for Dinner

Up near 730am, I quietly slipped out of bed, brushed my teeth, then headed downstairs to make some coffee. Mindy stopped me just before I slipped out to ask for a hug and if I would bring her coffee. Yes dear.

Looked like another nice day in the offing. Supposed to be sunny and in the 60’s – a perfect autumn day. I took Mindy a cup of coffee before returning to pour one for myself. Just how I roll. Mr Considerate! I enjoyed coffee and played around online never in too big of a hurry to rush off on my run.

Mindy was up around 830 or 9am – a little earlier than I expected. She planned to have her hair done by niece Lindy around 11am. Everybody was up by 10am, and I believe the kids slept later than Glenn. I headed off on my run soon after everyone was awake.

I ran the usual Sunday track – just 3 miles. It was a good run, but my calves were stiffening up shortly after setting out – a sure sign of dehydration. Little wonder, however. My water consumption has been way down while on vacation and my beer consumption up.

Mindy left to have her hair done soon after I got back from my run. She had two roasts cooking in crock pots in the kitchen. We were having her mom, my dad, Lindsey and boys over for dinner. In fact, Mindy was bringing her mother home with her after the hair appointment.

While Mindy was gone I unloaded the dishwasher and tidied up the kitchen and took a shower. I tuned in to Sunday afternoon football at 1pm watching the Browns and Seahawks. It was a hard game to watch. Both teams made mistake after mistake.

Can’t recall who arrived first, Mindy & her mom, or Lindsey and the boys. Either way, by 2-230pm everybody was there save for my dad, who didn’t show up until somewhere closer to 4-430pm.

Gloria looked good, and you’d never know she’d recently had cataract laser surgery. That procedure has come so far over the last decade, almost miraculous. She and dad talked surgery once he arrived. Glenn engaged Gloria in conversation, too, even offered some of his pumpkin ale. She declined, of course. J

The kids spent a lot of time outdoors, initially having airsoft wars with all the neighbor kids. They complained of Landon being involved.  I deferred all Landon & Rocky issues to Lindsey. Told her I was visiting with the other adults and not being the parent.

I was much looking forward to the Viking/Packer game – the second of the Fox double-header. This would be the first start for rookie quarterback, Christian Ponder. As for a win, my expectations were low. Rather, I was simply anxious just to see what he could do.

The Vikings scored a TD on their initial drive, and almost on their first play, but that was called back to the 1 yard line. Nice! We lead 17-13 at the half. And Ponder, while making some rookie mistakes, showed signs of hope for our future.

Dinner was served between 530-600pm. It was a little tight in the kitchen. I ate from the sofa while also enjoying the game. The Vikings lost 33-27 but had a chance as time wound down to drive for the go ahead TD. A loss is a loss, but they played far better than most expected.

Mindy was taking Gloria home, and I was set to take Lindsey and the boys back to the YWCA. We left the house at about the same time. We arrived back home just seconds apart, too. Funny how that works. Lindsey’s situation is getting sticky. She’s been told that she has to find new housing by Wednesday. They won’t keep her any longer. Meanwhile, she has just a couple fragile options on the stove. None sound too promising to me. Believe this, it’s causing me a lot of internal strife. I could ramble for pages but won’t.

It was nice to have a quiet house again. My mood, if not dampened by Lindsey’s

situation, it was dampened by the thought of returning to work after a week off. I really wanted more time off.  In fact, I’d love to have a couple months off to play & think. Though, I’m certainly not wishing my job away. I like having a career too. 

Everyone was settled by the time the SNF game came on – the Colts versus the Saints. Mindy and the kids were in bed by 930pm. I stayed up with Glenn watching until half time. I’m thinking it was near 1015pm when I headed for bed. Glenn remained up.

Finishing the Season Strong

I was up somewhere near 8am and before anyone else. It was sunny outside, and something I certainly appreciated. I started coffee then spent a little time on the internet. I didn’t plan to exercise – sit-ups or push-ups.

Of course, I did plan to run and before Jacob’s soccer game. His game wasn’t until 1130am in Dublin. I had plenty of time. I think it was near 9am when I headed out for my run. Everyone else remained quietly in bed. It was a lovely three mile run under clear blue skies but slightly cool temps. It was somewhere in the upper 30s.

Mindy was awake shortly after my return. I took Eiknarf out for a walk as soon as I was back. Mindy shared that Jimaken agreed somewhat begrudgingly to come pick-up Jacob for soccer since the Dublin soccer field is so close to his residence. Mindy’s point was that she didn’t want us to be there 30 minutes early.

Glenn was the last up, waking about 15 minutes after Bella, I think. He agreed to keep and eye on Bella while we headed to the soccer game. That made her happy. I opted not to shower until after the game. I did change into a dry (non-stinky) running shirt and jacket, however. Mindy and I left the house shortly after I Googled directions to the soccer fields off Cosgray.

Neither of us had been to this soccer complex before. And boy was it nice – big too. Top notch. But then again, we were in Dublin. We arrived at the field shortly after the game was underway. Don’t think we missed any scoring action. The Dublin team had beat us prior on our home field. It was one of our first games as I recall.

This time we played a much better game, and Jacob scored three goals himself. I think we won 6-0. Our goalie had one heck of a game too. Made some absolutely dazzling stops.

Game ended near 1240pm. Traffic was ridiculous leaving the soccer complex and then turning onto Cosgray and 161. We told Glenn to expect us home near 1pm. It was just after that when we pulled up.

Mindy headed off to the grocery store shortly after arriving home. We made plans to host a cookout later that evening. The kids headed out to play with their friends. Still waiting on Kenny, Chrissy and the kids to get home with their new puppy pug. Drove to Michigan in their beater SUV : ) to get it.

While Mindy whizzed off to the grocery, I took an abbreviated nap on the sofa while enjoying some college football. Glenn was busy playing on his laptop both before and after. With such lovely weather, I decided to get up and head to the car wash to give the Accord a much needed bath. I gathered a few dollars worth of quarters and headed that way after making sure Glenn was OK handling the kids briefly in my absence, should they return home before me.

I hadn’t been to the spray car wash for a few years. Used to be that I would begin each Saturday there back in my pre-Mindy days. In those days one would be hard pressed to drive right up and find and empty bay. This time they were only about half full. I pulled up to the $.25 vacuum first. I was able to vacuum the inside on one quarter with plenty of time to spare.

Like I did years past, I took advantage of the already wet and soapy scrub brush to pre-treat my wheels and tires before using my own quarters to spray wash & rinse the entire car. I was able to wash and rinse the Accord for $2. But even after spraying it with powerful hot soapy water it was still dirty and difficult to dry with my shammie.  I really need to get a coat of polish on it soon – certainly before winter.

I had her gleaming beautifully in the sun before speeding off for home. Glenn was surprised that I was back so soon. Mindy got home from the grocery mid-afternoon. I was in the shower when she got back.

Mindy wanted me to start grilling at 5pm. She started baking potatoes and heating some corn in crock pot right away. I waited until I lit the grill to crack my first beer of the day. Truth be told, I was a little bummed knowing this was my last party night before heading back to work after a week off. I get to feeling that way with almost every vacation.

Mindy had me grill 8 burgers, 14 brats (5 hot Italian, 5 regular, 4 turkey cheddar), and 8 hot dogs. She invited all the neighbors, kids included. Teri said she was bringing cowboy beans. They were awesome too, and kind of like chili. We started eating around 6pm.

Teri & Glenn struck up a conversation and kept it going for an hour or more. Teri is a hoot. Between Teri’s conversation about bean induced gas and Glenn’s penchant for gothic organ music, we were all entertained.

Kenny didn’t come down with everybody else. According to Chrissy, he wasn’t feeling too hot. I walked down earlier to see their new black puppy pug. Cute as the dickens! Come 8pm we tuned to the Wisconsin vs. Michigan State game. Neighbors were gone by 830pm. Glenn, Mindy and I drank a few more beers while enjoying the game. Jacob hung with us too, although w/o beer. J Bella played by herself in her room - no interest in football.

Mindy peeled off to bed around 11pm after quipping that she was already well past her usual bedtime. Glenn and I stayed up till the bitter end. We saw Michigan State pull off a hail Mary TD pass for the win. I headed to bed soon after. How do you top that?