Red Faced on Heritage Trail

Waking tired all week long, I wasn't too surprised then that I slept in until 8am. In fact, I could've slept even longer but the desire never to sleep later than 8am superseded. I quietly started some coffee then played on the internet. Saw that the Reds won again, only this time over the Pirates who've been keeping pace despite the Reds awesome win streak.

Enjoyed a cup of coffee before I was eventually joined downstairs by mom, who was up around 9am. I expected her to be up much earlier. I headed out for a run around 915am. By then it was partly sunny, 75 degrees with humidity levels near 80%. I ran the usual 3 mile weekend trail, effectively clipping out the eastern most leg of the normal route.

Dad called the house around 11am asking if Mindy and I still planned to go on our bike ride, and if so, he offered to come by and hangout with mom. I handed the phone to her. They made plans to visit the cemeteries. I wasn't sure what else. Sticky from my run, I took a quick shower but didn't wash my hair. I knew I'd be taking another shower after our bike ride. Mindy passed on a shower as well. I loaded our bikes onto the Pilot soon after a shower while Mindy packed a cooler with water and snacks.

After checking out two Hilliard bike trails on the internet (Prairie Oaks & Heritage Trail), I opted for the longer Heritage Trail. It's a 7. 0 mile rails to trails initiative that runs from Old Town Hilliard all the way to Plain City. The first 3.0 miles is taken care of by the city of Hilliard. Dad showed up around 1215pm. He and mom were still at the house when we left. It felt a lot warmer than I expected, and certainly a lot more humid than two weeks ago when we did the Scioto Trail.

We headed to Old Hilliard, parking near the McCoy Center at the trail head. The bike trail is completely flat and straight except for a few very minor curves. We had a bit of a tailwind on our way out heading NW. Lots of other bikers out, most on road bikes dressed in their full biking gear. Mindy opted to wear Jacob's helmet this time. I donned only a ball cap. We stopped a few times on the ride out for a sip of water and then to take a photo or two. The trails a bit surreal in that within minutes you find yourself nestled between farm fields as far as the eye can see. However, the trail itself is separated from the farm fields by about 20' of brush and tree growth each side. There's also a bridle trail right alongside the bike trail once you leave Hilliard proper.

There were messages to riders scrawled in chalk all along the trail. Looked like there was some sort of event going on for 'Pete's org'. We reached the 7 mile turnaround point with little change if any to the terrain. By then it was really warm. Later learned that it was 93 degrees. Mindy looked a little too warm (red faced). Heading back, the breeze was in our face. For me at least, the breeze was welcome. I wasn't laboring much at all. However, for Mindy, it was a bit much. She went through her onboard-water in a hurry. At about the 12 mile mark I gave her the rest of mine. She was overheating. I was genuinely worried about her. We made it back to the Pilot around 330pm. Mindy quickly started the Pilot and the AC while I loaded the bikes.

We agreed to make a stop at Giant Eagle to pick-up grillables and beer after making the decision to dine in that evening. I didn't think mom would be up for dinner out again. On the drive there we talked about brats and Italian sausages, but once we were there I talked Mindy into steaks. By the time it was all said and done, I'd spent a $100 between beer, t-bone steaks, potato salad and a few other essentials.

Once we were home, Mindy headed upstairs for a nap. The bike ride zapped almost all of her energy. I lounged quietly in the family room eventually snuggling up in the family room chair with my book. Was just starting to dose when mom & dad returned from their afternoon adventure. Shortly after they got back I asked dad if he was going to stay for dinner. Dad quickly shared that they not only went to the cemeteries, Sunset and Linda's, but also to Red Lobster. Said he was full. Even still, he asked what time we might be cooking out. I figured around 7pm.

It was close to 5pm. I could hear Mindy up from her nap and in the shower. She joined us downstairs near 515pm, or just a few minutes before dad headed home. Not long after dad left I headed up for another shower. Felt great. Mindy called and invited Tommy over for dinner too, but he had to cover a shift in one of his shops. It would be just the three of us. I waited until 630pm to move a muscle towards dinner. However, I pulled the frozen 16 risotto balls from the freezer as soon as Mindy and I were home earlier. I planned to deep fry them as an appetizer. This time in fresh oil, which I hoped would make a huge difference.

Despite washing the deep fryer after using that rancid oil two weeks ago, it still smelt a bit like old paint. I decided to let the kettle soak in Dawn dish soap and hot steamy water for about 30 minutes. While the deep fryer soaked, Mindy seasoned the steaks. Around 645pm I got the balls ready for deep frying by rolling them in a fresh coat of bread crumbs. I deep fired al l16 before heading out to grill the steaks. I poured myself a CBC IPA, too.

The fresh canola oil made all the difference. This time I could taste the risotto and mozzarella instead of the nasty, overpowering rancid vegetable oil taste. Mindy concurred. Mom surprised me when she said she liked them better than sauerkraut balls. She's been a huge sauerkraut balls fan for 30+ years.

Because it was just the three of us, we opted to freeze the third t-bone. They were enormous, each weighing close to 22 ounces. Two, we figured, was more than enough for the three of us. I grilled the steaks medium rare, and they were delicious. We enjoyed steak, potato salad, and risotto balls. As expected, there was quite a chunk of steak left, even after grilling only two. Breakfast Sunday?

After dinner I enjoyed a couple more of the CBC IPA's I picked up earlier from Giant Eagle. We tuned into the Olympics, enjoying more swimming. Mom headed for bed early, somewhere close to 930pm. Mindy and I stayed up only a little while longer. Good night Olympic moon!