GC, Spagio Cellars & Barley's

I was up and downstairs by 545am on what looked like another warm clear day. I slowly went about my sit-ups and push-ups then poured two cups of coffee. After delivering Mindy’s coffee and waking her, I checked to make sure Jacob was up. He was. I headed back downstairs for internet and coffee.

I fooled around online for about 25 minutes, or just after 630am. The forecast was calling for a high near 95 degrees under mostly sunny skies. The weekend, however, wasn’t expected to be that nice. The temps would remain fairly warm but there was a strong chance of significant rain everyday through Labor Day, fallout from Isaac.
I planned on working from home all day. And to that end, I gave myself a few extra minutes of leisure. I took my time with meditation and stretching, not getting out the door for my run until 645am. I wore just a pair of shorts, shoes, and a ball cap. It was about 73 degrees and very humid. First time in the 70’s that early in quite a while. Felt really warm. It was trash day, and they’d already been by as I headed out. Our empty can was left lying on its side on the apron. I stood it upright then headed off on my run.

I worked up quite a lather on the run and felt good throughout. I got back from my run in time to catch up with Mindy and Eiknarf out for a morning walk. Mindy left for work a couple minutes later. Before enjoying my breakfast I got my laptop fired up and quickly sent my boss an email sharing my plan to work from home. There wasn’t anything major requiring my immediate attention. I enjoyed my eggs with Bella. Instead of getting a shower between 730-8am I got busy with work. Just before heading to the bus stop with Bella I emptied the dehumidifier on the deck plants.

The bus arrived on time. Chrissy gave me a little grief for still being in my running attire. Back at the house I tidied up the kitchen, poured another cup of coffee, then settled in in front of my work laptop. My boss pinged me around 9am asking for me to give him a call. I didn’t know why but wondered if me working from home caused him some heartburn. That wasn’t it at all. He needed to get some career planning information from me. While talking, he went on to say that I could work from home whenever the need arose. Cool!

I stayed busy all morning long thanks in part to an escalation from one of the accounts I support. That proved to be quite the challenge. Mid-morning I took a break and stepped outside. I was surprised with how warm it was. In fact, it was hot! I spent about 15 minutes cutting back some of the blue May salvia as well as the English Ivy growing vigorously amongst it. The flower beds are looking bad already. In some areas the petunias look completely spent. Frustrating.

Poured myself some ice water and enjoyed a cheese stick or two as I jumped back into work. Spent another hour or so working on that escalation. Took a lunch break around noon and gathered the few tools I’d need to replace one of the broken kitchen floor tiles, something I’ve wanted to get done for a couple years. I planned to replace the worst one, the one that looks like it was smacked with a hammer about a foot in front of the fridge. And now that I have a grout blade for my oscillating tool, the hardest part, removing the grout and old tile, should be easy. I watched a YouTube video of a single tile replacement process. Looked super easy. Not wasting any time, I jumped into the mini-project.

Aside from the grout removal taking a little more elbow grease that I imagined, the removal went without a hitch. The oscillating tool made it so simple. Scraping away the residual mastic was more difficult than I imagined. I later learned that they make a more flexible scraper attachment for removing hardened adhesives. I used my shop-vac to clean up the dust I made from my removal work. I was ready to set the new tile not even 15 minutes into the job. Having never laid floor tile before, I was extra careful when applying the new layer of mastic. Too much might leave the new tile higher than its neighbors. Not enough and it might sit too low or even come loose. Thanks to M/I, I’ve had a box of leftover kitchen tile and grout from when they built the house 19 years ago. I set the tile then placed one of the kitchen stool over the area to prevent foot traffic from moving it. I planned to let it set for about 24 hours before applying new grout. I cleaned up my rather small mess and got back to work.

The afternoon went fast. Around 230p, or just before Jacob got home, I finally took a shower. His bus pulled up around 245pm. Mindy was home 45 minutes later around 330pm, and Bella off her bus near 4pm. I stayed busy at my computer until just after 5pm when I had my out-of-office set to kick in.

I was very much looking forward to the long holiday weekend. Mindy quickly fed Jacob then left to take him to soccer practice. After practice, Mindy was taking he and Bella to Jimaken’s parents to spend the night. This was a Jimaken weekend though he was at a Kiss concert in Cincinnati Friday evening. Jacob had a soccer tournament in Dayton all weekend long. Bella wasn’t looking forward to that in the least.
I headed out to water flowers while Mindy was away. I also spent a little time updating my blog. Mindy was home in between dropping Jacob at soccer and then picking him up and dropping them both at Jimaken’s parents but not for that long. She was back from both by 630pm. We planned on going out, but we didn’t have definitive plans. I suggested we do the Grandview avenue crawl, possibly stop at the Grandview Café, Spagio Cellars, and Matt the Miller’s. Mindy liked the sound of that. We left the house before 7pm.

We parked on Grandview Avenue about a block north of 3rd Ave. We fed the meter with enough change to carry us through 10pm, or when the meter’s become free. We hit Grandview Café first. Haven’t been there since late winter 2006 with Tommy, Bill Gray, and a bunch of Mindy’s teacher friends. It was an unusually warm late winter day. Mindy and I had been out exploring around the new Beach Bridge. She got a little hammered that night at GC.

This time we opted for the ground floor and took two stools on the west side of the wrap around bar. They have a better beer selection than I recalled, though still not spectacular. I opted for a Southern Tier Octoberfest. Sitting at the corner of the bar I noticed the same group of friends that used to come in the GC way back in the early ‘00’s. Like all of us, they’ve aged a bit. The bar still pulls in quite a crowd. Seemed to have a problem with flies. They were all over the place, both fruit flies and regular flies. Mindy and I shared a plate of potstickers. They were good. I had 2nd Southern Tier then suggested we get out tab and head elsewhere.

Instead of Matt the Miller’s I suggested we stop in at Spagio Cellars. I’d been there only one other time – New Year’s Eve – 4 or 5 years ago to look for some unique beers. That was way back when Barley’s fell victim to the hop shortage and wasn’t able to brew IPA’s. Spagio Cellars is more geared towards wine, but does have a nice selection of beers. It looks like a cross between a wine bar that serves tappas and a beer carryout. Mindy order a 3-flight of wine. After hitting the restroom I saw nothing in the beer coolers that jumped right out at me. Eventually, though, I ordered a Great Lakes Pale Ale. Mindy ordered an appetizer, a flatbread topped with roasted red tomatoes, arugula, olives, and balsamic vinegar. It was pretty good.

Unbeknownst to me, Mindy brought the $50 gift card that Rene gifted us 2 or 3 years ago. We finally used it. Mindy covered our tab and picked up a bottle of wine to-go. Instead of Matt the Miller’s, we opted to make a stop at Barley’s. I’m thinking that it was about 915pm. Mindy had a quick little buzz going after enjoying a beer at GC and then the 3-flight of wine.

The usual Friday crowd at Barley’s had already thinned, but there were still some regulars there. Banker Dan, Jim Bosch, and Jersey were sitting at the bar, although separated by many stools. Mindy opted for only water while I ordered a Centennial. Met Christina, a Barley’s server, who was on the customer side of the bar for the first time. Jim Bosch came over and bought shots for everybody – a total of 9. I was a party pooper and gave mine away after acting like I drank it. Mindy drank hers.

I ended up having a 2nd Centennial while Mindy stuck with water. Grandpa Tom and his partner Steve showed up late, which is normal for those two. I’m guessing that we hung at Barley’s until 1045pm or so. By that time Mindy was fine to drive and drove us home. I covered our $11 Barley’s tab. We weren’t up too late after getting home around 11pm. I made myself a snack before joining Mindy who was already in bed and all but asleep.

Cleaning House

I slept about as late as I could and still remain comfortably on track. I didn't get up and out of bed until 545am. I was downstairs a few minutes later ready to whip out 50 sit-ups. After sit-ups I glanced out back at the weather. There were clear skies overhead. I quickly did windmills and curls then poured coffee for Mindy and me. I delivered hers before taking the first sip of my own. She asked that I complete the usual tasks: ceiling fan off, temp up, and check on Jacob. Done.

Downstairs I played on the internet until almost 620am. It was a chilly 61 degrees. I planned to wear a long-sleeved wicking shirt for the first time in I don't know how long. I did a thorough stretch and meditation before dressing for a run. It was near 640am as I headed out the door. I ran the full 4.1 miles stressing over the predicament Mindy was putting me in later that morning. Our new cleaning woman, Carmen was coming over near 815am. Mindy wouldn't be there so I'd have to show her around. Neither of us have ever met this woman before. I wasn't at all looking forward to it.

Speaking of Mindy, I happened upon she and Eiknarf once again out front of the neighbors house doing the morning walk thing. I stopped when I caught them and walk the rest of the way home with the two. Mindy wasn't long in the house. She was off to school. Bella and I enjoyed our breakfast together. As usual, she took care of feeding and watering the dog while I dealt with the overflowing dehumidifier tank. I emptied its contents in the deck flowers.

Off to the shower around 740am. It didn't take me long to ready. I dressed nice but for no particular reason. I was back downstairs working on my lunch at 755 am. I cut some cheese, grabbed a yogurt and packed some almonds. I skipped the fruit tray since it looked nasty. I noticed that Mindy snagged the last ripe banana. Dang it!

Bella headed out around 803am. I tidied up the kitchen before meeting her at the bus stop. She took the pug with her. I met she and Makayla a couple minutes later. I noticed that Bella wasn't even holding the pugs leash. Instead, she had a loose arm around her neck. Another dog walker was about to come into Eiknarf's view from across the street. I asked that she hold the leash, knowing all too well her typical response. She held her still with half effort. No longer willing to allow her lackadaisical approach, I took over control of the pug. The bus arrived on time. Chrissy gave an update on their TV repair.

Eiknarf and I headed back home. We didn't even make it to the driveway when the new house cleaner and her peeps showed up in their Chevy Astro-like minivan. Three of them piled out. I felt more than a little out of sorts. Carmen introduced herself and then introduced Ray, who I believe she said was her husband. Unless I'm mistaken, he either had on no shirt or a 'wife beater'. He looked more than a little rough. There was another cohort too. Her name, I think, is Danielle. She was smoking a cigarette and stomped it out on our driveway. Yikes! I introduced myself to her as we made our way into the house. Suddenly I wasn't feeling so good about the move. I mean it's like I was turning our house over to a perfect stranger solely on a recommendation from neighbor's Pat & Lisa, who we love and respect dearly, but still.

I wasn't sure what to do. I had Carmen read the instructions Mindy left behind then asked if there were any questions concerns. She clarified that she's not a house keeper (doesn't do laundry and make beds). Right! She said they'd be cleaning Pat & Lisa's place that afternoon, or as soon as they finished at our place. To say I was a tad concerned as I left for work is a broad understatement. I let my imagination run wild on the drive into the office. I envisioned coming home later that afternoon and being cleaned out. Oh boy! What had we done?

Once at work I let go of the house thing. After all, it was spilled milk by then. Soon I was engrossed in work. My boss stopped by for his usual brief morning chat. I was supposed to stop by his office a bit later to see some more pictures of his new log home going up somewhere down in Vinton county, but I never made it there. I guess I got too involved in my work. For one, my back-up PC was being reimaged. That was just a minor inconvenience since I don't rely on it for any applications.

Like the rest of the work week, I shared my time between urgent escalations and to-do list tasks. I opted to skip a formal lunch break but did take time to fetch my food and eat all the while working. I did take my share of short internet breaks. Jacob called me from our back-up cell phone around 315pm to ask if we could go out to dinner. Sounded like a good idea. After all, we wouldn't see the kids from Friday evening until Monday since this was a Jimaken weekend. He called me again a little while later to confirm plans, put up to it, he said, by his mother. She needed to know whether or not she needed to make dinner.

We had our regular Thursday staff call at 415pm. That went smoothly and lasted no more than 20 minutes. I spent the rest of my afternoon fooling around with our revised time tracking tool and then a barrage of last minute escalations. Thankfully, they weren't too big a deal, though I figured I'd have to follow one of them into the evening via Blackberry. I left for home just ahead of 530pm thinking that I might work from home on Friday.

I called Mindy as I pulled out of the work parking lot. We talked for about 10 minutes, or until I was at the Roberts Rd exit. We pretty much narrowed our dinner options down between the Big Fat and Barley's. I pooh-poohed Big Fat at first but as I proceeded homeward after our call it was sounding a little better. Been a while since we've dined there as a family.

Arrived home around 550pm. Bella apparently wasn't too eager to go anywhere for dinner. I changed my shirt from a button up dress shirt to a black t-shirt, but stayed in dress slacks. I toyed briefly with the thought of watering our deck flowers before leaving but in the end opted not. I guess I tricked myself into believing I'd do it once we were back from dinner. Right! We left for Barley's around 610pm in the Pilot.

Traffic was extremely heavy on Riverside Dr heading north. It was backed up from Trabue all the way to Grandview Avenue. Jacob said there was a bus stopped in one lane with its hood up. Not good! The Barley's lot was packed. We had to park in the back 40, the first car to do so. No problem. Mindy stopped to chat with peeps on the patio while I waved hello but kept going. I headed directly to the bar and mulled over their beer selection. Jersey was sitting at the bar. He and I chatted briefly while I asked Janet for a pint of the guest draught, Ballast Point IPA. I saw it at the Anderson's earlier this week. Just as I received my beer, Mindy and the kids were being seated in the booth on the east wall of the bar. Sitting at one of the barside tables was Calvin, whom we haven't seen in at least three months. Last we knew he had to have emergency heart bypass surgery. He looked pretty good. Mindy and I both went over to say hello.

Justin ended up being our server. We waited to order dinner until my beer was almost gone, more because Mindy was off talking to a few folks. While she was yacking, Jacob, Bella and I ordered some fries for a snack. Mindy ended up drinking only water. For dinner she had the muscles, Bella the grilled cheese, and Jacob Buffalo chicken tenders with gates of Hell sauce on the side. I ordered a Cuban with bacon, and then substituted fries for green beans. The kids ordered a plate of smothered fries too.

My Cuban was good, but I ate only half. The green beans were really good (garlicy) but a bit cold. I didn't complain.
I ordered a 2nd beer, this time a Centennial. Bella and Jacob exchanged barbs all through dinner. Jacob constantly rides Bella about having a mustache. Bella usually doesn't fire back unless provoked beyond normal. She started to go after his zits but stopped just short of it. She's a very loving little sister. Jacob and I both needed to-go cartons for our leftovers. Mindy finished all of her. Bella had leftovers but demolished them. She later told me that she spit in them. Bella! I paid the check and Mindy drove us home.

Bella sulked through dinner expressing concern for having to spend the entire weekend with her dad and Jacob at a soccer tournament. I shared once again that she should ask her dad if a friend can spend the night. Mindy and I feel for her but we don't give her an out. She needs to spend that time with her daddy.

As soon as we arrived home Bella, no surprise, headed over to play with Makayla and Jacob headed out to play with friends. I think Mindy went for a shower. While she did that I tuned in to NFL preseason action already underway. I fell asleep in a hurry sitting, watching TV with a belly full of food and two beer under my belt. I slept through Mindy's entire shower. The kids were told to be back home by 800pm. Mindy declared it her bed time, or at least time to head up to read, at 848pm. She wondered if I would be coming up soon. Soon, dear. Both kids were told to shower before bed.

I napped and watched preseason football from the sofa. What a great way to spend the evening. I upped and checked the Vikings score online a couple of times. They were behind for most of the game but it was close. The last preseason game is all scrubs - nonstarters. They were losing 28-24 last I checked. I wasn't concerned about the outcome. Instead, just curious. Got my second wind around 930pm. Via blackberry, I followed up on a couple work issued from earlier. The Bengals and Browns both lost their final preseason games. After football I fell asleep and didn't wake again until almost 11pm when I finally gathered the energy to head up to bed.

New Season, Same Old Results

Almost an exact replica of the past several mornings, I didn’t roll out of bed until 540am. This time I woke feeling completely rested. I was downstairs a few minutes later engaged in calisthenics. I easily whipped out 50 sit-ups then 50 push-ups. I glanced out back seeing nothing but clear skies. . I enjoyed a little coffee and internet for about 5 minutes before I needed to wake Mindy. I had enough time to scope out the current temp and forecast. It was 64 degrees with an expected high near 83 under sunny skies.

I woke Mindy very close to 6am. Predictably, she asked that I turn off the ceiling fan, turn up the thermo stats and check on Jacob. I quickly did all three menial tasks then headed back to the PC. I read a few headlines, including an update on Isaac. Appears that it hit New Orleans but with nowhere near the strength and damage hurricane Katrina imposed 7 years prior. Saw that the Reds won again, too.
It must’ve been around 620am when I left the PC behind and headed to the family room for meditation and a stretch. I’d just finished meditation and was beginning my stretch when Jacob came down. He sat quietly on the sofa in the dark. I asked if he would be eating any breakfast. Said he would. I finished a god stretch then dressed and left for a run. I decided to wear a short sleeved wicking shirt given the 64 degree temp. Despite being really warm during the daytime, the mornings have been almost autumn-like chilly.

My legs felt about the same as the day before. They feel a whole lot better than they did two weeks ago. That’s for sure. I ran the full 4.1 miles and happened upon Mindy and Eiknarf out front of the neighbors as I finished. Mindy came back inside long enough to grab a few things and say goodbye. She reminded me of Jacob’s soccer match in Upper Arlington at 615p, his first official game of the season. I figured to meet her there on my way home from New Albany.

I enjoyed my eggs and a little morning banter with Bella. As usual, she took care of feeding the dog. It was 740am by the time I was off to the shower. I tidied up the kitchen a bit before heading up. It was a quick shower. My hair turned out better than the day before, but I was reminded looking the mirror that I am due for a haircut. Seems my hair has become less manageable in the last 6 months – drier/coarser. Age?
I was downstairs again near 755am where I quickly put together my lunch and then made sure I had everything I needed to work remote from New Albany. Bella headed to the bus stop a few minutes ahead of me. I met her there a few minutes later with the pug on her leash. Chrissy and I talked about the upcoming soccer tournament weekend. The bus was on time. Eiknarf and I headed directly home.

I enjoyed another half cup of coffee before heading off to work around 837am. I thought I was taking 670 but when I got near the entrance ramp I could see that it was backed up for miles. I turned around at the BP and headed north on Wilson to Roberts and 270N. It was an easy drive around 270. The change of plans cost me about 10 minutes. No biggie. I arrived near 910am.

It was an enjoyable walk into the building, sunny and warm, but without the humidity. I was quickly situated. I learned that our 10am meeting was moved back a half an hour. That was fine with me. The brief meeting went well. I kept busy all day with a good mix of reactive escalations and proactive tasks from my to-do list. The morning went by especially fast. I opted to take a lunch around 1pm. Heading to my car I still wasn’t 100% certain what I would do, where I would go. But as I exited the campus I decided to head on over to Saturday’s and get a haircut. What I didn’t have with me was my hair grooming kit for immediately after. Not a big deal. I’d just have to wing it.

Same girl that cut my hair last time intercepted me immediately in the door. While she shampooed my hair I asked if she took care of those red light tickets she complained about last visit. Said she paid only one. Still sitting on the other. I asked that she take no more than a 1/3” off the length on top this time. It was too short to manage without gel for 3 weeks last time. She was fast. I asked for gel and then shaped my do myself. She commented that I must like the ‘messy’ look. Ahh, sure. I tipped her 20%.
Like I often do after a New Albany haircut, I ventured across the street to the Home Depot. There I bought a Dremmel grout removal attachment for my Genesis oscillating tool as well as an adapter that should make the blade fit. The oscillating tool is an amazing tool. The accessories are expensive. The grout blade was $30. I plan to replace a couple tiles in our kitchen. There’s one that’s a real eyesore. Looks like somebody dropped something super heaving dead center causing an ugly spider crack.
Back to the office. I was gone for nearly an hour. The afternoon breezed by. Mindy sent a text late afternoon advising that it wasn’t at the field she told me earlier. She texted the new address. I quickly pulled it up on my Droid Navi app. Found it, No problem.

I could’ve left earlier than I did, but because I planned on meeting Mindy at Jacob’s Upper Arlington soccer game at 615p, I stuck around until just after 530pm. I didn’t want to be sitting around idle for too long. My plan worked well. I took 270 to 315S to Henderson Rd. Easy drive. I arrived at the soccer park even before Mindy & Bella. I’m thinking it was near 6pm. Mindy & Bella brought me a snack and water. Also shared that my dad was coming too. He ended up lost. These Arlington soccer fields are tucked away nicely amongst neighborhoods. It was easy to understand how he missed it. He might’ve missed about 10 minutes of the first half.

At some point during the game I gave Ashley a call to ask about Olivia’s 1st full day of Kindergarten on Monday. Said it went well. Olivia asked if she could just be dropped off rather than having Ashley wait with her. And so it begins. 
Much like last season, it wasn’t pretty. Jacob’s team was behind something like 4-0 at the half. It didn’t get any better in the 2nd half either. The final was 9-1. Bella was all but begging her mom to stop for Frosted Flakes on the way home through most of the 2nd half. She was obviously craving them. Just before the game ended I suggested that I would leave then with Bella and take to get some at the nearby Kroger. Mindy asked that I pick-up some bananas too. OK. The game ended just as I stood to fold up my camp chair.

We headed to the freshly remodeled Henderson Rd. Kroger about a mile down the road. There we picked up Frosted Flakes and bananas. Bella suggested some candy and flowers for Mindy, too, but I opted to stick to our 2 item list. We headed for home. It had to be near 8pm by the time we arrived home. Geesh, where did the evening go?
Mindy offered to whip up leftovers, but I opted to take care of myself. I made a burrito with 6 day old taco meat and grilled peppers. It was good. The evening scooted by. Soon it was near bedtime. Mindy and the kids were off to bed well ahead of me. I stayed up until just after 10pm.

Big Numbers

7,000,000,000,000m
585,000,000m
93,000,000m
186,000m/s
240,000m
8 minutes
1.30 seconds

I woke from an extremely dreamy state near 540am and quickly headed to the master bath shaking my head along the way in an attempt to free the imaginary cobwebs. I felt like I needed more sleep and that was after already sleeping more than 9 hours.

Once downstairs, I decided to sofa surf for a while. I laid down and closed my eyes but couldn’t really fall asleep. Instead, I laid there resting my eyes for perhaps another ten minutes before getting up for good. I whipped out sit-ups, windmills, and curls. By then it was 6am and time to wake Mindy. I poured two cups of coffee and delivered hers upstairs. She asked that I turn off the ceiling fan, crank up the thermostat, and make sure Jacob was up. Check, check and check.

It was 605am when I finally sat down at my PC. I didn’t spend a whole lot of time there, perhaps about 15 minutes. It was 67 degrees under clear skies. We were expecting a high around 85 degrees. It was again warm enough to run without a shirt. I did meditation and a stretch over the course of the next 10 minutes. The stretching went particularly well. I wished Jacob a good day at school as I headed out for my run.

I ran the full 4.1 miles with little discomfort in my hamstrings. I was still somewhat careful about overdoing my stride. I’d call the sky transitory, the time between daybreak and sunrise. It won’t be long now before my initial mile is shrouded by darkness, probably by the end of September.

Was back home by 720am or close to it. Mindy shared that she’d already walked the pug. As I organized myself for breakfast Mindy was already heading out the door for work. She reminded me that it was date night and said she wanted to visit CBC. Yes dear!
I enjoyed some cheesy scrambled eggs. There were plenty left for Eiknarf too, but rather than give her those, I fed her the risotto ball egg bath leftovers that I microwaved then stored on Sunday afternoon. I stowed the cheesy eggs for the following day. During breakfast Bella and I talked about all the stuff we learned from the Science Channel the night before. I quizzed her on the distance from the Earth to the moon, the speed of light, the distance from Earth to the sun, and the time it takes for the suns light to reach Earth. I joked that she would likely get extra credit for billowing out these facts/stats in science class. Her only retort was that I was crazy!

Off to the shower near 740am. It didn’t take me long. Once again, I weighed myself right after a shower – 179.1 lbs. Dressed and ready by 755am. I spent the next ten minutes prepping my lunch and tidying up the kitchen. Bella ran out to the bus stop right at 805am. Like most morning’s, I was a few minutes behind. I headed out around 808am with Eiknarf. Met Chrissy at the bus stop. She asked about Jacob’s soccer season. We learned that both he and Makayla will be at the same soccer tournament over the weekend in Dayton, though at different times. Jacob’s first game is Saturday at 815am. That means they’ll need to leave the house by 630am. Yuck! It’s a Jimaken weekend so he’ll need to manage all that. Chrissy said she and Kenny plan to split up the duty since Makayla has two Saturday games, one at 945am and then 615pm. Seems like a bit much for youth soccer.

Bus was pretty much right on time. I let Eiknarf sniff out front before finally heading inside around 815am. I did some final prep and clean-up then enjoyed another quick cup of coffee before leaving the house for work around 830a.
Arrived at my office near 850am and was completely settled and logged on just after 9am. I walked down to chat with my boss but he wasn’t anywhere to be found. I sent him an email. Not 10 minutes passed before he showed up in my office. Said he was busy using the facilities. We talked through a couple issues and then he made me aware of a meeting taking place in one of our posh conference rooms with a VP. He asked that I make a showing. Sure.

I worked on a few small tasks ahead of that meeting. As it turned out, some of the parties weren’t in yet so there was little value in me hanging out. After about 15-20 minutes my boss must’ve read the angst on my face and excused me from the meeting. I thanked him on my way out.

Not sure what time it was when an unrecognized number rang into my personal cell phone. I didn’t dare answer. Whoever it was left a VM. I checked it a few minutes later. It was St Mary Magdalene calling about Rocky. They left no other word beyond asking me to call back. Nope! I needed to stay focused on work.

I tinkered with the idea of taking a formal lunch break around 1pm, but any hope of that was dashed when I was reminded of a 1pm call with a customer. Crap. The call went fairly well, better than expected. It ended, however, with me having a couple more to-dos. I took care of those new to-dos immediately after the call. I don’t like having too many dangling tasks hanging over my head.

I spent the majority of the late afternoon editing a 15 page support document. When I stopped for the day, there was only a couple more pages needing edited. I talked with Mindy around 4pm. Among other things she wanted to confirm our dinner date at CBC. Yes. I shared that I hoped to leave a little early for a change. She welcomed that. To that end, I finished up everything I was working on and left for home around 450pm. Traffic was surprisingly mild at that hour. I reckon I was just ahead of the 5pm rush. I arrived home at 505pm.

Jimaken’s car was blocking the driveway, there to pick-up the kids. Mindy and the kids were just coming up from the basement when I walked in. The kids handed their dad his belated birthday gift, which I presumed they had just finished wrapping in the basement. They were gone seconds later, and Mindy quickly dug into some school work laid out on the island counter. I asked what time she wanted to leave for CBC, because if she was going to be a while, I was going to water flowers on the deck. She said she was ready whenever I was. I brushed my teeth and hair and we left. It still wasn’t even 530pm.

I had a couple work issues on my mind and as a result, wasn’t in the best frame of mind. I’ve got to get better about clearing my mind of work and being present in the moment. I know this well. Doing it is another thing.

We purposefully diverted to I-71S due to a large back-up near the two downtown exits off 70E. That proved wise. Arrived at CBC a couple minutes later. The lot might’ve been as sparsely populated as I’ve seen in the past 5 years. We got a premium parking spot and pretty our pick of bar stools.  Vince and Katie were working the bar and both seemed eager to serve us. I could tell by their facial expressions that there was some bad news coming. They’re out of Bodhi! Oh no! Kate said she didn’t want to be the one to tell me. I took the high road and decided to try their Octoberfest. Mindy sampled it but didn’t like. I opted for a pint. Tastes very much like their Xmas ale if you ask me, perhaps not quite as many spices. Mindy opted for wine. Vince went on to share that it might be off the tap for a little more than a week. I only asked that they make sure and have some for my fast approaching b-day. Please!!!!!

After my beer we ordered some food. Mindy ordered the salmon and I ordered a plate of wings. We planned on taking wings home for the kids too. Bella specifically requested them. Mindy struck up a conversation with the guy sitting next to her. He was a Texas resident her working for the last year. Heading back home this coming weekend. Said he just found CBC as fell quickly in love with their beer.

While those two chatted (believe me, Mindy can chat up a storm ) I watched some of the RNC whirling on the one of the corner TVs. Lots of thoughts crossed my mind while observing, but I’m not gonna make this a political post. My wings were good. Mindy apparently enjoyed the salmon too. She ate it all. It’s her fave. For my 2nd beer I enjoyed a regular IPA. It was delicious. It’s the predecessor to Bodhi.

Mindy confirmed that I would be able to drive after my two beers before agreeing to a 2nd glass of wine. Yes. I drank ice water for a good half hour after finishing my IPA. Mindy agreed to pick-up the tab. We placed our to-go order for wings at the same time we requested our check.

Arrived home around 810pm. As I expected, Jimaken and the kids were already at the house. Jimaken was sitting on the front porch while the kids rode their scooters and skate boards. He left as soon as we were out of the car.

The kids squabbled over the wings, Jacob attempting to take over the whole batch. Mindy reminded him that Bella requested them, but she also reminded him that Bella rarely eats more than 3 or 4. That’s indeed how it played out. She ate just a few. What surprised me, Jacob ate only a few as well. There were 3 left when they both said they were done. Hmm?

By then I was already changed into my comfy lounge/bed clothes and relaxing in the chair and snacking on a handful or two of Life cereal. There wasn’t anything decent on TV. We watched a show in the History Channel called Hard Time, a program documenting an inmate’s life. Depressing.

Mindy was off to bed before 9pm. She wanted me to come to bed right them too. I resisted, wanting to stay up until I felt somewhat sleepy. She and the kids headed up while watched another program similar to the one we had just finished watching. I ended up dosing off, waking to Mindy calling my name and asking me to come to bed from the railing. I slowly shut down the house and made my way to bed.

Although I was ridiculously sleepy just before heading up, I couldn’t sleep once in bed. Mindy fell asleep lying on my chest, and when she sleeps she’s hot to the touch. I was sweating to all beat out. After 30 minutes I rolled out of bed trying my best not to disturb her sleep. I headed back downstairs and to my computer. But having surfed the internet to the end a bit earlier, I opted to watch more TV. I watched another crime show on the History Channel again until I felt sleepy. I headed back to bed around 1140pm.

Pleasurable Interaction

I was up on-time and then downstairs a few minutes later. It was still before 540am when I settled in for sit-ups. A few minutes later I whipped out 50 push-ups. Both were completed with relative ease. I stepped out onto the deck to check out the morning. It was warm enough to run without a shirt and still fairly clear. By the time I was back inside coffee was ready.

It was already 6am and time to wake and deliver Mindy’s coffee. I didn’t drink any of my own until I was back downstairs. Mindy asked that I turn off the ceiling fan, make sure Jacob was awake, and then turn the thermostat up a few degrees. Yes dear!
Downstairs I relaxed at my PC for a good 15-20 minutes, checking out the weather & headlines. There was a storm coming our way, but just so many this summer, it already appeared to be separating into two halves – one heading north of I-70 and another to the south. We’d likely get a little rain but nothing close to our friends in the north/south suburbs. It was at least a 100 miles to the west. I wasn’t at all concerned about my run being interrupted by a storm. Started a meditation and a stretch around 620am. Finished around 635am. Jacob was already downstairs as I dressed for my run. He was just sitting quietly in the dark.

I left for my run at 638am. Our recycling was already at the curb. I ran the full 4.1 miles, my hamstrings both aching a smidge. They loosened up about a ¼ mile in. Unfortunately I know this about hamstrings, when strained/pulled, they don’t heal overnight. I try not to dwell on the discomfort.

By the time I was back from my run the recycling had been emptied. I pulled the empty can back to the top of the driveway. Eiknarf was watching me at the front door. I headed inside where Mindy already had the leash ready and waiting. I took her on a quick walk across the street. She took care of business as expected.

Mindy was already on her way out the door by the time the dog and I were walking back up the drive. Said that my eggs were waiting in the microwave. Bella took care of Eiknarf while I enjoyed my breakfast. We interacted pleasurably throughout our morning meal.

I headed up for a shower around 740am. At the same time Bella headed off to her room. I was back in the kitchen at 757am organizing my lunch. Mindy prepped me a salad. All I had to do was cut up some cheese, grab a banana, some nuts, and toss some fruit in a small storage container. I reminded Bella that the bus would be there at 810am and that we needed to be out by 805am. She was on top of it and out the door right on time. Meanwhile, I was struggling to accomplish everything I wanted before bus time. I still needed to empty the dehumidifier and pour a 2nd cup of coffee. I postponed both until after seeing her on the bus. I headed out with the pug a minute behind Bella.
As promised, the bus was right on time. Chrissy and I chatted for a couple minutes before we headed our separate ways. I let Eiknarf sniff around out front for a few minutes before heading back inside where I quickly emptied the contents of the dehumidifier on the deck plants before enjoying another quick cup of coffee. Just before heading off to work, I loaded my back pack then loaded and started the dishwasher. It was near 835am.

It was a peaceful drive into the office arriving somewhere close to 850am. It was just beginning to cloud up overhead though the sky didn’t in anyway look threatening. I spent the first hour or two working on a weekly report. Once that was out of the way there were a few escalations crying for my attention. At 1pm I decided to take a real lunch break and headed out to my Accord. I was surprised to find it wet and raining, albeit lightly. My plan was to visit The Anderson’s up off Sawmill Rd. hoping to find a grout removal attachment for my Genesis oscillating tool. That’s where my dad bought the tool originally.

I made excellent time up 270 arriving at The Anderson’s 15 minutes later. I opted not to get a cart. I headed to their tools department first. Took a while to find their selection of oscillating tools. Like an old fashioned hardware store, The Anderson’s actually has folks in the department to help with questions. I asked the older fella that approached if he could guide me to the proper grout removal attachment for the Genesis tool. Sure, but he lead me to the Dremel attachments which clearly have a different footprint. He said he was pretty sure it would fit. The pretty sure wasn’t good enough for me, especially since the attachment is $35. I should have asked if we could open it to see if it would fit. I’m not certain, but don’t think you can return the blade if it doesn’t fit. I figured I’d check their website first.

I headed all the way to the other end of the store to the beer and wine department. The Anderson’s has had one of the best beer & wine departments in all of Columbus for a long, long time. Everybody has their Autumn/Octoberfest beer out these days. And there are more pumpkin ales on the shelves than one can shake stick. I asked if they had any White Rajah. Nope! Says it always goes as soon as it comes in. I left without buying anything.

It was a fast drive back to the office. I was gone for just about an hour. After eating my lunch I spent the remainder of my day managing those pesky escalations. I didn’t leave for home until after 540pm. By then the local rain had stopped but the sky still looked threatening just to the north. Down my way it looked rather benign. In fact, the closer I got to home any tell-tale signs of earlier rain were nonexistent - dry pavement and no puddles. Mindy called my cell just as I was turning into the subdivision. I didn’t bother answering.

Bella & Mindy were in the kitchen/family room when I walked in. Mindy was busy making dinner and Bella was playing on her Kindle. Jacob came in the front door a minute or so later. Mindy shared that dinner was ready and asked Jacob to wash his hand really good. I asked Bella if she still planned on going to gymnastics at DCW one last time. Said she was having second thoughts. I shared that I understood and as far as I was concerned it was her decision. Mindy concurred. We decided to table the decision until after dinner. Jacob chimed in numerous times on how he thought it should be handled. We asked him to butt out a couple times.

Mindy made cheese tortellini coated in pesto and mixed with leftover rotisserie chicken for dinner. It was decent, but even better once I added a handful of pepperonis to the concoction. I ate all of mine and then what remained of Bella’s after she cited being full. By dinner’s end Bella had decided that she wanted to skip gymnastics at DCW. Mindy agreed to text Emily with our plans to move on. She carefully crafted a text them shared it with me before sending. She drafted it so not to offend.
Soon after sending the text, Mindy, Jacob, and Bella headed off to Target to get Jimaken’s b-day gift. His actual b-day was last Thursday and the kids forgot – blamed their mother. Mindy willingly took the blame. I joked that there was only one birthday that she absolutely wasn’t allowed to forget – mine! Looked like I’d have some unplanned alone time on my hands.

Soon after they departed I changed out of my work clothes and into comfy lounging attire. Ahh! Felt great. I spent most of that time playing around online. I was disappointed to learn that there was no MNF game. Crap! I was so looking forward to it. Instead, I took my book with to the family room and tuned the TV to the Science Channel. I was pleased to see that there were a few programs coming up about the universe, and more specifically about the sun. I can’t get enough of that stuff. Mindy and the kids were back while I was lounging on the sofa. I remember hearing Mindy joke that it must be Monday night. I’ll bet I dosed off three or four different times during the course of the entire evening. In between the winks, I watched science programs about the sun and solar system, and then another about asteroids. Mindy bagged it really early, heading up to read at 830pm. Bella joined me downstairs but only long enough to get a quick snack of dry cereal. I dosed off a final time from the sofa soon after Bella headed off to bed. I woke ridiculously groggy around 10pm and headed up to bed. Ironically, as soon as my head hit my bed pillow I felt wide awake. I worried that I might not be able to find that grove again. The worry was all for not. I found it fast. 

What's @ Steak

I slept in until 8am and woke feeling great. I slipped quietly out of bed then headed downstairs to start some coffee. It was gorgeous and warm outside. Looked like a great day was in the offing. I spent about an hour drinking coffee and playing around on the internet. Mindy was up around 9am and promptly headed out on the deck with coffee where I eventually joined her. It wasn’t too much longer before Bella was out there with us. I was a little surprised that she was up that early.

I hung out on the deck for just a few minutes. It was well after 9am and I still hadn’t completed my run. I stretched then headed out near 940am. It was already about 70 degrees and said to be heading into the 90s again. During my run I contemplated how my day might unfold. I really wanted to go after our skis in Lewis Center, but also wanted to cut the lawn and make risotto balls. Golf was a remote possibility too, but as it was, I didn’t have any firm plans or a playing partner. I ran the usual 3 mile track returning home around 1015am.

Once inside and toweled off, I tried phoning the ASBCO Lewis Center store but got no answer. Their Sunday hours are 12noon – 5pm. What to do? With at least an hour and a half before their opening I decided to head out and at least start on the lawn. Getting a jump on the day’s heat was paramount. Like the week before, I did the tractoring first and once again cut as much as possible with it. In fact, along the rear side I got stuck and had to run inside to ask for Jacob’s help. I had him operate the tractor while I pushed it backwards. It didn’t take me long to mow and blow the entire yard – no more than an hour. I skipped whacking and edging. I didn’t look as clean and crisp as it usually does, but it would suffice. Mindy was surprised that I was done so soon.

I thought about skipping a shower until later, but at Mindy’s suggestion I took one minutes after mowing and just before going to ASBCO. I must’ve stunk. I called ASBCO before driving all that way. A young girl naked Leah answered the phone. I asked if our stuff was ready. There was some confusion regarding how many pair of skis and then what boots of ours they had. Actually, I was incorrect too. I said 4 pair of skis, one snow board, and two sets of boots. In reality, we had 5 pair of skis. Finally, after several minutes of silence and checking, Leah said if there was an issue we’d straighten it once I got there. OK. I left for ASBCO around 1230pm.

I left knowing that Ashley was expected to come over around 1pm to show us her new car. I was hopeful that she’d wait /stay until I got home. It’s about a 20 mile drive from our house to ASBCO in Lewis Center. I made good time arriving near 1pm.

It wasn’t nearly as crowded as sale day two weeks ago, which was also opening day, but there was still quite a few customers there trying on new equipment. A different young lady than I talked with helped me as soon as I entered. She was very helpful, very cute. Couldn’t have been 18 years of age. Anyway, she said it would take a while for her to gather all of our stuff. I browsed the store while waiting. I was eager to make sure that all of our stuff was there and accounted for, but just as eager to see if they were able to get my Volkl AC30 edges cleaned up and sharp after finding them extremely pitted with rust. Yep, they had everything, and my edges looked great! I was impressed – better than new. The young lady went through the required binding check on Mindy and Bella’s new skis. I forgot to make sure the boots snapped in. If you remember, when I bought my AC30s they didn’t have them adjusted correctly.

Mindy’s new Volkl Aura’s look awesome. I am excited for her to give them a rub and a whirl. I was loaded for home by 115pm but headed back inside to finish browsing the store. I wasn’t long, not even 5 minutes.

I made it home before 2pm. I didn’t see Ashley’s car in front of the house or in the driveway. Either she didn’t show up or she’d already left. I backed into the drive and as soon as I opened my door Olivia came running out of the house and leaped into my lap and gave me a hug. I love that about her!

Said her mommy was giving Mindy a ride in her new car. Steven was inside and walking out to see me. Mindy & Ashley pulled up in the drive a few minutes later. Nice car! Looks like new. I noticed cigarette ashes on the back seat floor board. I asked Olivia if she’s smoking. Ashley claimed that no one smokes in her new car. Hey, I only pointed them out. I got the impression that they were from Steven. Oops!

Ashley and Co. hung out while we carried in all of our new and tuned ski gear. Everybody was excited with their new stuff. Made sure both Mindy & Bella’s boots snapped in as designed. Yep! We opted to store all of our gear under the guest bedroom bed this time to prevent the edges from rusting. I stowed them all in ski bags too, so they can’t be chewed.

Ashley, Steven and Olivia didn’t stay long. Although, long enough for Olivia to stop by Chrissy’s place for a quick visit. She was gone for no more than 5 minutes but returned with one of her flip-flops chewed in half by Tessa. We gave Ashley a little gift just before she left. She expressed much gratitude.

It was about 230pm and I’d completed two of the three items I wanted to get done. I decided to take a brief nap. I didn’t rest for long, however. By 3pm I was up and ready to make risotto balls. It’s an arduous process. First, you have to spoon the mixture into balls. Then, roll the balls in flour. Next, bathe the floured balls in egg. Then, roll them in bread crumbs. I made the balls a bit smaller this go round. I was able to make 4 dozen balls. It was 330pm by the time I finished shaping the balls and rolling all 48 in flour. Mindy entered the kitchen about then. I asked if she wanted to help. She did. That made the final two steps go much, much faster. I did the egg bath while she did the bread crumbs. We were a team.

It was 4pm by the time we had the 48 risotto balls ready to deep fry, but I cleaned the huge mess up before starting the deep frying. At the same time, Mindy started working on our steak dinner, though the steaks were already seasoned and ready to go. You may recall, she did that Saturday afternoon when we thought we were gonna have steaks then. We were expecting both my dad and her mom for dinner. I wasn’t sure what time exactly, but guessed around 5pm. While Mindy grilled peppers, I deep fried the risotto balls. I was very eager to taste my new spin – Asiago cheese infused risotto balls.

It took about 30 minutes to fry four dozen balls, 3 or 4 at a time. After the 2nd batch I gave ‘em a try. Good, but still not perfect. The Asiago made them very fragrant and flavorful but they still seemed to lack something. Next batch I’m going to add fresh oregano or parsley to the chilled mix. Mindy tried one then two. She really liked them. Of course we warmed some marinara sauce too.

We still had about 20 minutes before my dad and Gloria were expected to show up. I was actually napping briefly in the recliner when Gloria arrived. All that cooking wore me out. I napped for no more than 5 minutes, but it was 5 minutes well spent. I topped off my ice water then headed out to fire up the grill. It was still fairly warm from Mindy grilling the peppers a bit earlier. Five minutes later I called for the steaks. While waiting for the grill to preheat I noticed how dry all of our deck pots were after giving them a good soaking just the day before. Figured I would attend to the watering after dinner and company.

The Kroger steaks were t-bones but thinner than what we’ve been getting at the Market District. I kept that in mind as I grilled away. Mindy dispatched four hot dogs for grilling too. It didn’t take too long at all. Dad showed up mid-grilling. Joined me on the deck. Mindy served everybody’s plate, cutting up the four steaks into reasonable portions. To go along with steaks Mindy made garden salads, roasted green peppers, and macaroni. Of course we made risotto balls too.

Dinner was a hit! The steaks turned out even better than expected. Juicy and pink inside. Though as Jacob pointed out, there was an inordinate amount of fat running through them. The risotto balls were a hit with everyone as well, new both to Gloria and my dad. I failed to mention that we deep fried only 24 while stowing the other 2 dozen in Ziploc bags in the freezer. Two or three each is the usual serving size as an appetizer. They’re somewhat heavy.

Mindy actually helped with clean-up and offered up keylime pie for dessert. The four adults had some pie while the kids ran off to find and play with friends. Dad and Gloria hung out until just after 7pm. We spent the last 30 minutes or so chatting about the westside. Dad and Gloria both grew up in the bottoms and knew many of the same people.

After the parents departed, I headed around back to water flowers, and they were extra thirsty. It was 8pm and almost dark as I finished up outside. These late summer days are growing shorter and shorter. Soon the kids were back at home as we collectively began our wind down to the new work week. While the kids showered, I poured myself a Jack & Coke and tuned into the Sunday night football game on NBC pitting the Jets against the Panthers. Mindy headed to our room to read early. I’m thinking that it wasn’t yet 9pm. The kids weren’t that far behind either. I stayed up watching football until 1010pm.

To the Moon, Alice!

So tell me, is there wind on the moon?

I woke around 730am and was quickly reminded that the boys would be over by 8am. I popped out of bed, brushed my teeth, then headed to the kitchen. Before starting coffee I stepped out onto the deck. It was warm and sunny. It looked like whatever’s been eating our tomatoes and sweet potato vines was at it again. I headed inside more than a little frustrated. Seems that I am always battling critters of some sort.

Inside I started some coffee then emptied the dehumidifier. I think I forgot to empty it on Friday. I used its contents to water some of the flowers. I played on the PC before and after the coffee was ready. Lindsey dropped off the boys and her laundry near 8am. Said Landon was throwing up earlier, thinks he ate something bad. I asked Landon if he needed to go lay down. Nope! Rocky shared that he wanted to head back to bed and quickly dashed off to the spare room while Landon sat quietly on the sofa. Not five minutes passed before I heard him in the bathroom throwing up. I ran to his aid but the door was locked. Dang it! I asked him to unlock it but he was too busy tossing his breakfast. I tried unsuccessfully to pick the lock with a paper clip. I was scared and angry. Finally, Landon unlocked the door. Said he felt better.

I asked that he not lock the door again because I couldn’t help him if he needed it. I asked if he wanted anything to eat or drink. Nope. I played around online until almost 9am. By then Mindy was getting up. I could hear her upstairs. She was downstairs a few minutes later. Right away Mindy started some laundry. Not sure if it was more of ours or some of Lindsey’s. I left for a run just a few minutes after Mindy was downstairs.
I ran the usual weekend route of 3 miles. It was an easy run. As it was, I didn’t have much of anything planned for the day. Mindy was going to a wedding shower and the boys would be there until 5pm, so it looked like I’d be kid sitting all day. I tinkered with the idea of cutting the lawn but never did. After my run and well before Mindy left, I headed out to water flowers and pull weeds from the front flower beds. Here we are in late August and our petunias are withering inexplicably.

By 11am Landon said he was feeling much better. The kids headed out back to play while headed off to the shower. I think it was around 1pm when she left for the wedding shower in Grove City. Expected to be gone most of the afternoon. Said she’s most likely stop at the grocery on her way home. She asked if there was anything in particular that I wanted to pick-up for grilling later. No. She also asked that I keep up with Lindsey’s laundry while she was out.

While she was away, I ended up processing three or four loads (wash, dry, and fold) until it was all done. I made myself a chicken burrito with leftover rotisserie chicken. It was good. With my belly full, I was overcome with a case of the sleepies and took to the recliner with a book. I might’ve slept for 10 minutes before popping up and deciding to be at least somewhat productive. I whipped up a batch of risotto, this time adding freshly shredded Asiago cheese to the mixture. It took about an hour to cook. Because I planned to make risotto balls with it, I poured the mixture onto a large baking sheet and placed it in the fridge to cool. Then after a quick shower I washed a small load of running clothes.

I’m thinking it was near 430pm when Mindy got home. I went outside to help carry in the groceries but couldn’t figure out where Mindy and the kids were. The Pilot was all locked up but still full of groceries. I went inside to ask Bella, who just minutes prior was lying on the sofa playing with her Kindle. She was gone too. Holy crap! Where did everybody go?

A few minutes passed before Mindy and the kids materialized. Apparently happened upon a stray dog out front when she pulled up and walked it down the street until someone claimed to know its owner. At some point Mindy shared that Lindsey texted wanting to know if we would keep the boys until 615pm so she could work some OT. I can’t remember if it was before or after the shower.

Earlier in the day there was an incident with Jacob’s pocket knife supposedly being used to put scratches on his desk. No one fessed up. Flash forward about 4 hours and Jacob’s pocket knife was setting opened on the kitchen counter. Mindy asked who opened it. Once again, no one fessed up. Jacob, of course, blamed it on Rocky. We went round and round with all the kids, Jacob even going after his iTouch and his lie detecting app. It gives the percentage chance that what you say is true. According to the app, Bella was the most likely fibber. Even Mindy and I played along. We never did get to the bottom of it. Mindy’s recently caught Rocky lying about a number of things. She explained that it’s hard to believe him about anything now. We’ve had similar conversations with Bella. On the other hand, Landon and Jacob are fairly trustworthy.

Lindsey came by around 615pm. Without being prompted, she brought me her car and insurance payment for the month, the first time I haven’t had to ask for it, and the first time it was taken care of before the end of the month. Lindsey carried her clean laundry to her car and left. Minutes later Mindy asked what time I wanted to grill the steaks. I suggested that we skip the grilling all together. I was actually thinking that we could go to Barley’s. I didn’t realize the boys were still over. They apparently asked to stay for dinner. Scrap that idea. I suggested Mindy simply grill the kids’ hot dogs and save the steaks for Sunday. I wasn’t all that hungry anyway.
Mindy texted Lindsey to let her know that our dinner plans changed but that we’d still feed the kids. She planned to put all the laundry away and then return for the boys. Not sure what Rocky ate, but Landon had leftover mashed potatoes. It must’ve been about 7pm when Lindsey picked up the boys. Mindy and I headed out on the deck to relax. It was a gorgeous evening for spending time out back. I poured a White Rajah and hooked up my iTouch and Bose dock.

Around 8pm neighbor Teri called Mindy and invited us down to celebrate Mike & Evan’s return from their Canadian vacation. We figured to head down in about 30 minutes. We hung out on the deck until about 9pm when we walked down to the neighbors. Kenny & Chrissy were there too. By the looks of it, Teri & Chrissy appeared to have been drinking all afternoon. Both were sporting quite the beer buzz. From the looks of it, appeared that Chrissy gave them their old red sofa and love seat. Said they sat the old furniture at the curb earlier that afternoon. The red stuff looks good with their dark hardwood floors.

Must’ve been about 930-10pm when Mike & Evan got home and a mini celebration ensued. And not too long after they got home, a few pizzas showed up. A minivan pulled up out front and was trying to load up all the furniture the neighbors had tossed. The Hispanic family struggled to get it all loaded. They decided to make two trips. They sped away but returned a few minutes later. It’s unclear to me if he needed more room or more help. Mindy later shared that she helped them figure out how to load it so both large pieces would fit. They eventually got it all. One thing’s for sure. If you sit something out front in our subdivision it doesn’t stay long.

At some point Kenny & Chrissy said they were heading off on a bike ride. Teri didn’t believe me when I told her as much. About 20 minutes later they came walking their bikes back down the street. Not sure how that ended. We corralled the children and pug then headed home around 11pm.

Snagging Some Rajah!

Artwork look familiar?

I was up and downstairs by 545am. Once again, I failed to prep coffee the night before so that was first on the agenda. As soon as that was taken care of I stepped out on the deck to measure the weather. It was clear and fairly warm, though a bit cool given the day’s expected high of 92. Gone are the early morning temps in the mid to upper 70s. It was more like 66 degrees.

I whipped out sit-ups and push-ups then poured coffee for both Mindy & I. I delivered hers and then made sure that Jacob was up before enjoying any myself. I checked the weather forecast and read a few headlines. Still expecting sunny skies and a high in the low 90s. In fact, it was supposed to remain that way through Sunday with no real chance of rain until Monday, and even then it’s a slim chance.

I did meditation and a stretch ahead of a run. Jacob was downstairs just as I was about to head out the door near 640am. I noticed right away that most of the stuff we carried to the curb for bulk pick-up was gone save for a few empty boxes. I reorganized the pile then dashed off for my run. I ran the full 4.1 miles again not seeing the sun until just before the 3 mile marker. And like most other days that week, I happened upon Mindy and Eiknarf out on their walk in front of the neighbors. I stopped and walked back home with them.

Mindy wasn’t long in the door before she was off to school. Bella helped me get Eiknarf fed and watered then headed up to her room to play. I didn’t need to pack anything for lunch since I had all of Thursday’s stuff, including my snack, at work. I was off to the shower by 735am. It didn’t take me long to ready. Just like I have every other day this week, I weighed myself right out of the shower. I dropped a little more weight and was down to 178.1. It was Friday and jean day at the office. I wore comfy worn jeans and a black t-shirt, just like the old days. Felt good.
I was back downstairs in the kitchen around 755am, right on schedule. I went ahead and paid the Time Warner bill, one of the few I don’t have set to auto-pay. I also renewed my vehicle registrations online. All that took no more than five minutes. I gathered my electronics and carried them to the kitchen where I loaded them into my back pack. Like many Friday’s, I included my iTouch.

Bella headed out what she thought was early- around 808am. I was a minute or two behind still tidying up the kitchen and then leashing up the pug. As we headed out, I could hear a bus barreling down the road. It was Bella’s bus already. The girls were nowhere in sight. They were off scootering. Chrissy was out and could see them from her perch. She hollered for them to hurry it up. Bella left her scooter for me to take back home. Mrs. Vanorder shared that this should be her new arrival time – 810am. Noted!

Eiknarf I headed back home but not before enjoying a few more minutes out front. I couldn’t help but notice how nice our front lawn looks – dark green and lush, though it really needs cut. I listened to a song or two via iTunes while sipping another cup of coffee. After pulling the Accord to the curb, I chatted briefly with neighbor Carl who was wheeling his garbage can back to the garage. He said this is the worst drought in 37 years. Chatted briefly about the hit or miss showers in and around CMH this summer, both of us noting that we’ve missed quite a few storms where some of the other suburbs have gotten pounded. And we haven’t had an all night/all day kind of rain since probably May. I headed off to work in the BM’er near 835am.

Arrived at work near 850am and went for fresh ice water first thing. I spent most of my day taking care of several required monthly tasks while listening to some tunes from my iTouch. I guy just down the hall stopped by and asked if I could turn up the tunes. Said he loved the music I had playing.

I left for lunch at 1230pm and headed to the Market District in U.A. to hopefully get some White Rajah. It was a gorgeous after drive in the BM’er somewhere close to 90 degrees. I didn’t see any White Rajah out on display. I asked one of the many attendants in the wine/beer department. Yep, took me right to it. I took the only 2 six-packs they had readily available. Cool! From there I headed to the soup aisle where I picked up there cans of chicken broth for risotto balls. Next, I headed to the cheese department where I picked up three types of cheese, some fresh Asiago, to put a creative spin on the risotto balls) some sharp NY white cheddar, and then an 18 month Beemster. Lastly, before checking out, I picked up a couple boxes of Crystal Light singles packets for Bella.

Because it was so warm, I didn’t want to leave the cheese and beer in my car all afternoon so I took a detour towards home where I sampled some of the Beemster cheese then fridged one of the White Rajah six-packs. I was home for no more than five minutes. In total, I was gone from the office for about 90 minutes. Back at the office I enjoyed my packed lunch while taking care of the afternoon’s to-do list. I toyed with the idea of cutting out extra early but like I often happens, I got wrapped up in a couple last minute tasks that took more time and effort than I planned for. I called Mindy around 445pm, shortly before leaving the office since I wouldn’t be calling while on the road since I was driving the BM’er.

I got home from work around 520pm. My blackberry was ringing while I was driving but I couldn’t get to it. I checked the missed call once I arrived home. Mindy was soon back from taking Jacob to soccer practice and shared that Jimaken was going to bring him home. While I did my best to unwind, Mindy began making dinner, Boboli pizzas. I was in a funk of sorts. I never do well on stay-at-home Friday’s. My mind is set on going out somewhere, with or without the children. Just doesn’t feel right staying in on a Friday – depressing. I shared the chance that I might be golfing Saturday afternoon. Mindy quickly chimed in that she had a wedding shower to attend. Add to that, the boys were coming over at 8am Saturday morning so Lindsey could work all day. Suddenly it felt like a no-weekend weekend.

Jacob was home from practice well before 7pm. Pizzas were by then too. I wasn’t too quick to want some. Instead, I poured the last pint of Bodhi from the growler we brought home last Saturday. At the same time, Mindy poured a cold White Rajah and headed out on the deck with the kids. I ended up having just one slice of the Boboli pizza – pepperoni.

Near 730-8pm I tuned the TV to NFL preseason football. The Browns & Eagles were playing. The Vikings were playing too, but they weren’t on TV. I checked the score a time or two. Mindy was off to bed early. I’m betting it was before 930pm. I ended up watching the football game by myself, though Jacob peeked his head over the railing a time or two asking for the score. During that time I drank two more beers, both White Rajahs. I fell asleep on the sofa just after the game was over not waking until almost 1am when I finally headed for bed. Good night moon.

Bulk Pick-Up

 

I was up and out of bed near 545am, but it was closer to 555am by the time I was downstairs and in the kitchen. I hadn’t prepped coffee the night before so I made that priority one. I used a mix of Folgers and Starbucks. Finished sit-ups and curls in no time at all. I stepped out onto the deck to check out the weather and to stare at the beautiful stars. It blows my mind to think that most star light we see actually began its journey towards earth millions of years ago. That's so yesterday! And to think that we complained about the Olympics being tape delayed by a mere 4 to 8 hours.

Inside, I poured some coffee for myself and Mindy. She asked for me to start delivering near 6am. I remembered to put a hold on the whipped cream too. After waking Mindy, I checked to make sure Jacob was up. Yep. I headed down to enjoy coffee of my own and play on the internet for a spell. I played around longer than perhaps I should have. Jacob was already downstairs for breakfast when I left my PC. I’m going to have plan my mornings a little better to get the most out of my private time.

It was already 645am as I slipped into my running clothes but wasn’t out the door for another 5 minutes. Mindy came down to ask for a goodbye hug and kiss since she reckoned I wouldn’t be back before she needed to leave. It was a gorgeous morning, only about 64 degrees under completely clear skies. It was daybreak but still without a sunrise. That doesn’t happen now until about the three mile mark. I decided last minute to cut my run short to only three miles. I was OK doing so having ran 4.1 miles on Sunday, which is usually a 3 mile day.

As I neared home, I encountered Mindy and Eiknarf walking near Chrissy & Kenny’s place. I took over the dog walking so Mindy could leave for work. I was happy to learn that Mindy made scrambled cheesy eggs, and just when I was craving a change of pace. Eiknarf and I each enjoyed them. Bella didn’t know it, but Mindy planned on taking her to try out a new gymnastics facility and team later that evening. We both agreed that a change was in order.

I was out of the shower and back downstairs near 755am – right on schedule! I emptied the dehumidifier and then packed my lunch. I got a kick out of watching Bella pack her own snack ( a baggie of Cheezits) and mix up a drink for her water bottle. She headed out for the bus around 807am and to get in some scootering before its arrival. I moved the Accord to the curb to make way for the BM’er then met her at the bus stop with the dog. However, before I even got there the bus pulled up. Wow, she was early – 812am. Caught the girls off guard. They hurried their scooters back to the driveways then dashed to get on the bus. Not their fault. We were told 817am, and then she was at least 5 minutes later than that the first two days of school.

I walked Eiknarf out front instead of heading quickly back inside. She did nothing more than sniff-sniff. I was much looking forward to driving the BM’er in to work, something I’ve done little of this summer, especially given the hot, sunny weather. I’d venture to guess this to be only about my 10th drive this season. Though because it’s relatively rare, it is still very exciting. I like it like that. In fact, I don’t think I’ve put 10K miles on it in a little more than 8 years.

As hoped, it was a fun drive in. I arrived at the office somewhere close to 850am. I had a pretty quiet start to my day. For that I was grateful. However, I was still heavily involved in an ongoing problem for one of my customers. I met with my boss around 930-10am. It was refreshing to feel appreciated and to collaborate on a plan rather than feel at odds. It ended up being one of my best days in the past couple weeks. For the first time in a long while (pre vacation) I didn’t feel under the gun much at all.
Around 1130am a peer sent an IM asking if I wanted to do lunch with he a couple others, my boss included. They were going to the new gyro shop at Sawmill and Bethel Rd. I agreed to join them. The plan was to leave at 1230pm but we ended up heading out at 1215pm. The young woman working the counter at the gyro shop can’t be older than about 21 or 22 years of age. Let’s just say that she’s very, very attractive. Her name is Salena. We had her clean off our table twice just to make sure there weren’t any residual germs present. Hey, a guy can never be too careful!

Three of us had gyro platters while another guy chimed in with a burger. Instead of fries I went with the lemon potatoes. Glad I did. They were really tasty. We talked about football through most of lunch. Hard to believe that the Buckeyes season kicks off next Saturday, the 1st . Headed back to work around 1pm. It was good to get away with others, which is something I do no more than a handful of times each year.

My afternoon went smoothly. I spent a majority of it editing a 15 page support document, but also joined two internal calls, one of those being our weekly staff call. I didn’t leave for home until 535pm. The problem that I’d been dealing with all week finally cleared. That made me happy, but I wasn’t ready to call it a permanent fix. I called Mindy about 30 minutes before I left the office. She was in the middle of organizing all the kids’ school stuff. I asked if she’d shared the gymnastics plan with Bella yet. Yep, she had. Said she was crying and said she’d simply prefer to quit. But the truth is, that’s not too far off from how I expected her to react. It’s a quality of Mindy I respect. Just because the kids throw a fit, she sticks with the plan having thoroughly thought it through ahead of time and knowing it’s what’s best for the long run.

Arrived home near 6pm. I wasn’t expecting there to be a full-on dinner since Mindy said they’d need to leave for the gymnastics facility at 630pm, but she made one. We had rotisserie chicken, salad and mashed potatoes. It was yummmmmm-my! I could easily see that Bella had been crying. Her eyes were swollen and she remained weepy through dinner. Mindy insisted that she wouldn’t have to perform that night but instead just check it out. By dinner's end, she had somewhat warmed to the idea but was by no means committed. Mindy and I didn’t push it, knowing full well that she’d come around in due time.

The two of them left just after 630pm leaving Jacob and I to clean up the dinner mess. Jacob helped rid the table but then promptly asked to head off and play with friends. I reminded him that we had all that bulk pick-up in the basement to carry up, but that I wanted to finish cleaning up the kitchen first. He suggested that he would carry the stuff up right then while I did the kitchen. OK!

I still had to go down and show him what was going and what was staying. I was much looking forward to this particular purging. Not much left to rid after this. Ended up helping him carry the stuff up. There was far more than I initially realized. Some of the boxes were heavy too – old electronics, drills, wiring, etc. We speculated that more than half of it would be gone by morning – always is. Took us about 10-15 minutes.

As soon as we finished, Jacob dashed off with friends and I pulled the Accord back in the driveway even though I’d in all likelihood drive the BM’er again Friday. As it was, it was in the way of trash pickup. I finished the dishes then changed into comfy, lounging clothes then headed out back to water all the flowers. I watered everything front and back. Everything was starting to dry out again having not a drop of rain since Sunday. I took a few pictures of my watering prowess.  I finished up around 715pm and headed inside where I played on the PC for about 30 minutes. There were a couple NFL preseason games on, including the Bengals and Packers. I headed to the family room and tuned into the game. I also quickly checked the Reds score. They were up 1-0 in the 4th.

Mindy & Bella weren’t home until 850pm even though practice at the new facility only runs until 8pm. Mindy and Bella both raved about the people and the facility, which is said to be more like a full-fledged gym. Said she feels really good about it. Bella apparently warmed to the place after a short period of discomfort and even got out there and did her stuff. She was in a far better place once they were home. She shared that she still wanted to go back and say goodbye to her former teammates at DCW, which Mindy promised to facilitate by letting her go to one more practice next Monday.  That’ll be awkward for everybody. I am very proud of Bella for wanting to go and say goodbye. By the way, the new team is called something like the Flip Twisted Sisters.

Mindy and the kids all showered. Mindy said she needed one after a long hot day in her classroom without AC. They all headed to bed after. That had to be somewhere close to 930pm. I stayed up watching the entire football game. The Bengals lost by 14 points. Good night half moon!

Something on my Mind

I was up and downstairs at 548am, about 8 minutes later than I would’ve liked. I failed to prep coffee the night before, so I had to take care of that before anything else. While doing so, I was quickly reminded that Mindy asked that I not add whipped cream to her morning coffee any longer. We believe she’s lactose intolerant.

Once the coffee was taken care of it was off to the living room for sit-ups then back to the kitchen for push-ups. It was 6am when I finished calisthenics. While the coffee finished, I stepped out on the deck to check out the morning sky. It was clear and dark. Lots of interesting star patterns. Still fairly cool, only about 60 degrees. Expecting a high in the mid 8-s as we make out way back into the 90s for the next few days.

I spent about 15 minutes on the internet. The Reds beat the Phillies, scoring the winning run in the top of the 9th. Cool! They’re on a roll. I could hear both Mindy and Jacob up and showering, though I think Mindy waited until he was out to start her own. He was downstairs soon after I finished meditation and was in the middle of a stretch. He heads out for the bus around 650am.

I wore a short sleeved shirt for my run and headed out the door close to 640am. I ran the full 4.1 miles my hamstrings feeling incrementally better. I was beginning to think that wouldn’t happen without taking mass quantities of Advil.
Once again, I came upon Mindy & Eiknarf out for a morning walk near the O’Connell’s house. I walked with she and the pug for a few minutes before heading back to the house. Mindy left for school shortly thereafter. She reminded me of Bella’s 530pm open house. I planned to try and meet them there after work.

My eggs were waiting in the microwave. Bella happily saw to it that Eiknarf got hers piled atop her regular dog food. She hung with me downstairs until it was shower time. I was fairly quick with my ready and back downstairs by 755am. I weighed myself right out of the shower and was already down to 179.1lbs, that’s almost 3lbs in two days without much change beyond being conscious of the recent weight gain. Must be mostly water weight gain.

Downstairs again, I finished packing my lunch then emptied the dehumidifier. I used the proceeds to water the deck flowers. Bella and I headed for the bus stop near 810am. She, of course, headed out to scooter ahead of me. I took Eiknarf along for the wait. She enjoys it.

The bus was at least five minutes late. I wasn’t back in the house until 827am. No big deal. I took the time enjoy another cup of coffee, start the dishwasher, and make double sure I had everything necessary to work remote, including the mouse and power cord for my laptop. I left the house near 840am knowing full well I’d need to stop for gas at Circle K. Gas was pricy. I paid $3.65 per gallon. The Accord drank 14.5 gallons for an average of 23.93 miles last tank full.

A big pick-up tried muscling me out of the way as we both exited the lot. I was cautious but still didn’t cower to him and his over-sized p/u truck. I took 670 and didn’t have any traffic issues. I made excellent time, arriving in New Albany near 905am. It was a lovely morning walking in from the back lot. I took special notice of the sunshine and warmth recognizing how fleeting the lovely weather really is. It won’t be long before the cold is here.

It took me just a few minutes to get situated. I was surprised when the customer suggested we cancel our regular 10am call due to no issues or concerns. Cool! I was able to focus on all the other to-dos on my plate full steam ahead. Sometimes a day away from the main office is just what the doctor ordered. That was the case Wednesday. I was able to take care of several things.

Stayed busy through the morning hours and up until 1pm when I opted to take a real lunch break. It was gorgeous and warm. I headed to the Easton Lowes and Target. I bought nothing while at Lowes, but instead only browsed. Next door at Mary Ann's Target I picked up two more bags of Blue Diamond almonds. I thought I might buy the Dictator DVD, (Sacha Cohen) but didn't. Figured I'd watch it on PPV first.

Headed back to the office still before 2pm. Had to park even further out in the back lot. That happens sometimes, especially this time of year when they start their holiday hiring spree. Again, it was warmer than it's been in a while. Felt nice!
The afternoon was pleasant. I was able to get caught up on several fronts and the time flew by. I left for Bella's school open house at 455pm. I called Mindy once I was safely on 270W. We chatted only briefly. She and Bella were just leaving the house. She was already exiting onto Cemetery Rd. as I was approaching Sawmill Rd. They'd be there far sooner than me. Traffic wasn't an issue. It was heavy but never really slowed down. I arrived at Beacon at 525pm. I had to park in a neighboring business lot as the school lots were full.

I found Mindy and Bella in her new classroom pretty quickly. There I met Mrs. Leahy for the first time. She seems well put together and certainly adult friendly. I wonder if she realizes she has a poor reputation amongst the student population. Probably. She & Mindy chatted for a while. The idea, I learned, was to socialize in the classroom for awhile (30 minutes or so) and then proceed to the cafeteria for the formal open house spiel. Half the kids headed to play on the playground while waiting. Mindy and I walked the halls, eventually happening upon the new art teacher. She was nice and friendly. As we left her room we encountered Mrs. leach, the principal. She was struggling to make the microphone and amplifier work. I took a look and quickly asked if she had the mike on. That was it! :)

There was another grade in there at the time and they were running over. The 4th grade parents and students waited patiently in the hallway. Seemed like an eternity. Finally, they finished up. I could only hope that ours wouldn't go on that long.
Mrs Leach went through her usual positive opening dialogue then she introduced all the 4th grade teachers. Then the teachers did an overview of the year's curriculum as well as covering some of the ground rules. It was all presented with a positive, collaborative spin. The entire presentation couldn't have lasted more than 20 minutes. Finally freed, we headed for home. Bella opted to ride with Mindy. Taking the back way, I called Mindy as I approached Scioto Darby and Leap asking if she wanted me to pick-up Jacob from soccer. As it was, it was 650pm and his practice was over at 730pm. She said she'd prefer I come home and work with Bella on her school project - printing pictures of their new bunny, Oreo. OK.

We were home together for no more than 10 minutes when Mindy headed off to fetch Jacob. Not wanting to waste an full sheet of photo paper on two small pictures, I ended up printing a full contact sheet of 10 photos featuring Bella, Oreo and Eiknarf.
Mindy & Jacob didn't get home until almost 8pm. I was still fooling around on the PC when they got home. Mindy headed for a shower while Jacob dug into some dinner. By the way, Mindy held Bella out of gymnastics to attend open house, a clear violation of their new ground rules. :)

We spent the rest of the evening watching TV. We were all off to bed before 10pm.

1st Day of School 2012/2013

First day of school 2012:
Jacob: 67.5” – 111 lbs
Bella: 51” – 61 lbs
Mindy: 63” – 105 lbs

I was up and downstairs by 545am, just in time to hear the coffee machine’s last gurgle before pronouncing the day’s batch done. I quickly whipped out sit-ups and curls then headed to the PC with a cup of fresh coffee in hand. I checked the weather first thing. It was 58 degrees under clear skies. We were expecting a high around 80. Supposed to hit the low 90s this coming weekend.

Checked the Reds results from Monday. They lost big. However, they’re still in first place by several games. Read a few Vikings headlines as well. Nothing big going on. Left the PC near 620am and headed to the family room for meditation and stretching. That went well. I could hear Jacob up and in the shower. Mindy, too. I took Mindy a cup of coffee just before heading out for my run. She was half way through her ready. She planned on sticking around the house long enough to see both kids onto their school buses. Got special permission from her new principal to do so.

I headed out for my run around 640am and ran the full 4.1 miles. It was a lovely morning for a run. My hamstrings were feeling much better, though still a little achy and taught, especially the left. The sun didn’t make its way over the eastern rooftops until about the 3rd mile marker. As I neared home I spotted Mindy and Eiknarf out on a morning walk. To be funny, I ran by as if I didn’t see them. Mindy thought it was funny. I stopped after passing and turned around to finish the walk with them. They were only two houses from home.

Mindy shared Jacob’s early bus experience. She walked out with him to take pictures of him and the others. Said all the other kids smiled but Jacob didn’t. She said she did head back to the house before the bus pulled up. She managed to snap a picture of them loading on the bus from across the street.

My eggs were waiting. Second day in a row that Mindy had them ready once I was back in the door. All I had to do was eat and pack my lunch. Had all of that out of the way by 740am and was then off to the shower. Didn’t take me too long. I was back downstairs by 757am. Bella was eager to head out to the bus stop, our first such trip this season. And while the bus wasn’t scheduled to be there until 817am, she asked to head out and scooter near 805am. Mindy and I headed out around 810am taking Eiknarf along too.

We snapped a handful of photos of both Bella and Makayla. The bus arrived about 5 minutes late. No biggie! Same driver, Mrs. Vanorder. We forgot to snap a picture of her boarding. As we walked back to the house I suggested we hang out front until they passed on their way out of the subdivision. Mindy concurred. Snap! Almost on queue, the sun ducked in behind some fairly thick cloud cover seconds after Bella boarded the bus. Our once sunny morning was now completely cloudy. It wasn’t supposed to rain and was expected to clear again soon.

Mindy left for school a couple minutes later after reminding me that she would be at school until 830pm doing open house. She would, however, come home right after school but needed to be back before 6pm. I wasn’t too far behind Mindy, heading out around 835am.
Arrived at the office near 850am. The halls were largely empty again. I took my time getting set-up and situated. It was another day chalked full of escalations. I got more than a little stressed out throughout the day. I didn’t take a lunch. Instead, I plowed straight through my day. I ate my packed food near 1pm. Lindsey sent me a text sharing that someone snapped the antenna off of her car in her complex. Too bad.

As is often the case, I was busiest at the very end of the business day. I did my best to wrap things up and head out a little early, and managed to do so around 450pm. But I was all but certain that I’d have to log in again once home. As it was, I’d be the only one there. Mindy was at open house and the kids with their dad for dinner until 8pm. Sure enough. My boss called me at 520pm asking me to take care of an escalation. Actually, I was happy to talk with him. He had been out of pocket all day at a customer visit. We talked for about 10 minutes. I ended up working until almost 7pm. By then I was feeling really stressed. I still managed to eat some dinner, leftover taco meat in the form of cheese and meat nachos.

At 7pm I headed out on a bike ride. If nothing else, it would help calm me down and take my mind off work. It worked fairly well, and it was a gorgeous evening for such a thing – about 75 and sunny. The kids got home a little earlier than I expected. I was writing in my blog when they got home at 745pm.

I asked about their school days. Said school was good. They both asked to go out and play. Wisely, I established a curfew of 830pm before they headed out. Both were back ahead of the curfew. And Mindy was home just after 830pm. She seemed to be in a good mood and headed up for a shower. When she came back down she asked if I would sit with her on the deck. I almost declined but then stopped myself and joined her. We chatted briefly about the work day, me sharing my most negative experience.

We didn’t hang outside too long, maybe 10 minutes. It was only 9pm but I was feeling bed-ready tired. We stayed up until 920pm or there abouts. Both kids were off to bed at the same time, too. I turned on the bedroom TV to a sitcom, The Big Bang Theory. From what I gather it's one of the most popular shows on TV these days. It was funny, and there were back to back episodes. As enjoyable as it was, I still dosed off about half way through the 2nd episode. Good night moon!