Celebrating Bella - Vikings Win

I slept soundly sleeping for about 9.5 hours, waking just ahead of 8am. Mindy woke just as I turned to exit the room. She asked for a hug and then for me to bring her some coffee in awhile. Downstairs I prepped a pot of coffee then stepped out on the deck to enjoy the sunshine and cool morning air. It felt like the low 50s.

Inside, I checked the late college football scores and then checked on two work related issues. I spent more time working than I hoped. In fact, I didn’t really want to spend any time working over the weekend. As soon as it was ready, I took Mindy some coffee. Back downstairs, I enjoyed a cup of my own.

I can’t remember it Mindy was up before I headed out on a run. I do remember donning freshly laundered running clothes. That’s always nice. I ran the usual weekend three miles, and during the run I happened upon Leslie Dent running the opposite direction. She stopped and shared that Mr Palazzo, a teacher at St Mary Magdalene, collapsed on the football field two times on Friday or Saturday night while refereeing a football game. Learned that he needs a double bypass. Said it was scheduled for Monday, and then asked that I keep him in my prayers.

It was a lovely morning for a run -sunny and 50 something. Mindy was readying to head for the grocery store when I got back to the house. I had designs on running to Home Depot to get the replacement parts for the grill. I wasn’t at all happy about needing to spend over a $100 in replacement parts after just 3.5 years of use. Good thing our kitchen stove isn’t made that cheap.

At Home Depot I bought 4 new stainless steel tube burners and four heat (flavor) shields. Both replacement parts are made to fit grills of varying depths. I whined the a nearby sales associate about how cheaply made their grills are despite their somewhat lofty price. I expected her to defend but she agreed.

Lindsey and the boys were already at the house when I returned. They were there to do their weekly laundry. Mindy was off to the grocery store. Lindsey said they had literally just walked in. Before messing with the grill, I headed out to take care of a couple yard chores. I trimmed the ivy off the foundation and away from the burning bush trunks on the west side of the house. Essentially the same exercise I did on the east side of the house on Saturday. It didn’t take more than about 10 minutes, in part because I had already pulled it all loose from the foundation the day before and because it wasn’t as over grown as the other side was.
As soon as that chore was completed I filled my garden sprayer with another batch of Round-Up to spray on that pesky Canadian thistle in the front east flower bed. There were 20-25 new baby shoots emerging from the soil. The trouble with Round-Up, it only kills existing vegetation. It doesn’t prevent new growth. This Canadian thistle is one tough weed!

Once the sprayer was put away I headed out to the deck to repair the grill. I got to use my new drill that Mindy bought me for Father’s Day to drill out the rusted screws/bolts holding the old burner tubes to the back metal resting strip. I am pretty sure I ruined 2 drill bits in so doing. Hey, can’t dance! Can’t believe that my new drill batteries are still holding their initial charge from 3 months ago. Awesome drill!
Took me about an hour to fix the grill. Of course the proof was in the test. Drum roll … Voila! Cooking with gas – er, uh, propane! Mindy was back from the grocery. I could hear Lindsey inside talking with Mindy. I did my best to butt out of the conversation. The Viking game, by the way, wasn’t on TV. They were playing the Detroit Lions on the road. I decided early on that I wasn’t going to follow the game via TV or internet. Instead, I would catch the score once it was a final. That way I would feel a rush of emotion either way – good if they won, sad if they lost. 

Too keep busy, I decided to wash the Accord. And it was no doubt dirtier than it’s ever been. Landon and Rocky asked to help. The old me would have shewed them away, but this time I took a deep breath and let them help. I let them wash the tires and wheels, and more importantly, at least from their perspective, I let them rinse their work. Kids love to play with the hose. Rocky lost interest in a hurry. I know, what a shocker! Landon, on the other hand, stayed with it and did a darn good job. After we finished the Accord I moved it to the street and we washed Mindy’s Pilot.

The silver Pilot doesn’t show dirt nearly as much as the black Accord. So if you’re looking for a low maintenance car color, silver is definitely the way to go. I will say this, however. Once it’s clean and shiny it always surprises me how much better it looks. Landon did the lower level panels and wheels while I took care of the upper panels. His investment in time was only worth it if he got to do the rinsing. Of course he soaked me with the hose by accident. Mindy laughed and shared that he’ll remember these times for the rest of his life. Probably so. Jimaken dropped the kids at home around 3pm. Jacob had Bella in tears over some silly line he kept repeating.

While Mindy was out watching she shared that we were expected at her mom’s for Bella’s birthday dinner around 430pm. I remembered her talking about it as recent as Friday but never sharing that it was a done deal. Last I remembered was her and Bella discussing the pros and cons of having it Sunday or Tuesday, her actual birthday. Mindy’s bad for that, though she’ll undoubtedly tell it differently in her blog!  At some point Mindy shared that the Vikings were ahead 20-6 with 6 minutes left in their game. I know Mindy. Had they been behind, she wouldn’t have told me the score. I love that she cares enough to check. And by the way, she was wearing one of the Viking shirts I bought for her.

It was already after 330pm. I hurried to put away my things and head inside for a much needed shower. Lindsey and the boys were still at the house when we left near 4pm. Jacob took both a football and basketball. Unlike most Sunday dinners at Gloria’s, this one was only us. Felt a bit strange. I can’t recall the last time I was there for dinner of any kind. Was it Easter? I’ll bet so. At any rate, Jacob went straight from the car around to the back to shoot hoops. He’s not much of a social animal. :)

After a quick greeting inside, Gloria gifted Bella a porcelain tea set she said she bought for her many years ago and had been holding on to it until she was at such an age where she might take care of it. Bella wasn’t sure what it was as she opened the tightly sealed box and then the all the accessories tightly bundled in bubble wrap. She was genuinely excited to play with it.

Jacob finally came inside and asked if I would come out and shoot hoops or toss the football. Sure. We headed out back and did a little of both just ahead of dinner. Mindy came out after about 10-15 minutes to let us know that dinner was ready. The main menu item was meatloaf, but because Jacob doesn’t care for it, she made him a fried chicken breast. The rest of us had the meatloaf, Bella’s choice. The kid loves meatloaf. We had baked potatoes too, as well as kernel corn, salad, and rolls. I tried to be mindful of portion size so not to over stuff myself. For one reason or another I filled up fast.

After dinner and while Mindy and her mom chatted, I slipped off the lower level to catch my first NFL action of the day, including the final score of the Vikings game. It was 530pm and I still didn’t know the outcome beyond what Mindy leaked earlier and then Jacob telling me that the Vikings scored two TDs – one by a kick-off return and another on a punt return. That’s all he knew. Said he didn’t have any idea of the score. Tuned into the late FOX game, though can’t recall who was playing. Within the first minute I saw that the Vikings won 20-13. Wahoo! We’re 3-1 and in 1st place. Not going to hold my breath, however. Still, it’s good to be playing decent enough to win again.

I took a mini nap while enjoying the football. Bella came down around 615p to alert to dessert time. Iced Brownies were on the menu. Once again, I was careful not to over indulge. I had only one and a relatively small one at that. It had a funny taste, but I chose not to say anything. We hung out at Gloria’s until 635pm when Mindy declared it time for us to head home and ready for the coming work week. As usual, the weekend flew by. Seemed we were just at the Italian place in Bexley.

I asked Jacob to put the trash can at the curb as soon as we were home. He willingly complied. Eiknarf was extremely excited that we were home. It’s not uncommon for her to be happy but she was jumping all over us – odd! While everybody did their own thing, I went to the internet and read a little about the Vikings victory. It’s not like the blew out the Lion’s statistically, not by any stretch. Instead, the Vikings defense played well and they scored their 2 touchdowns on kick returns. I’ll take it!

Win Ugly - Barley's

I woke a couple times during the wee hours of the morning with a slight headache, and a number of times I considered getting out of bed and taking some Advil but never did. I got up for good around 830am, which is pretty darn late for me, but didn't have a headache. Felt pretty good, in fact.

It was sunny and cool. I stepped out on the deck for a minute or so before prepping a pot of coffee. As far as I knew, neither one of us had anything planned, or anywhere we needed to be. Felt great! While coffee brewed, I checked on that work issue I was involved with end of the day Friday. Mindy came partially down the stairs asking if I would bring her coffee in a little bit. Yes dear! I got busy with work over the next 15 minutes. And then about 20 minutes later Mindy came down to get her own coffee. I apologized and shared that I was still taking care of a work related matter.

I'm guessing it was near 930am when we headed out on the deck. It was still a little cool but the sunshine warmed things up considerably. At some point Mindy asked if I could look at the grill, sharing that the two far left burners weren't working properly. I took a look right then. I could see right away what the trouble was. The burners were broken - gaping hole in them. Not only that, but the heat (flavor shields) were almost completely corroded, too. The grill is only 4 years old, and in service for just 3.5 years. One would think a good gas grill should last longer. I commented that it was pricier than our kitchen stove which is still in fine shape after almost 20 years of service.

I walked around the backyard with the pug, eventually heading back inside where we hung out lazily drinking coffee, puttering around the kitchen until almost 1030am. Mindy headed up for a shower about the time I readied and dressed for a relatively later run. She also decided to make a trip into school to get caught up on some planning, I guess. Earlier she had talked about doing that on Sunday.

Mindy was just finishing getting ready when I returned from my run. I was glad that she was still there. I wanted to apply some super glue to a couple of the ski stickers that are peeling off the Thule. I took care of that as soon as I was back at the house. Seemed to work well, but only time will tell for sure. Mindy left for school sometime close to noon.

After Mindy pulled away, I pulled the Accord along the curb so I could easily edge and blow, finally putting the finishing touches on the lawn chores I started on Friday at lunch. Once the lawn was addressed, I trimmed the ivy back away from the burning bushes and foundation on the east side of the house. It's a task that needs to be done at least twice each growing season and always right before winter or else risk having the shrubs ringed by rodents. I've learned the hard way.

The Buckeye game didn't kick off until 330pm. Still with plenty of time, I manually trimmed back the honeysuckle that grows along the pond. Again, it's a chore that if done about three times each growing season it isn't such a big undertaking. It must've been about 2pm when I headed in for a shower. I'm guessing that I spent about 2.5 hours working in the yard. That was plenty.

After a shower I made myself a snack then got nappy passively watching other college football games on ahead of the Buckeyes. Mindy texted that she was still at school around 245pm. Leading up the kick-off and then even into the first half, I spent a little time in the basement looking at the obstacles I'll need to overcome during the framing phase of the basement project. I'm disappointed with the lack of care M/I Homes took when they had the gas line feed ran in the basement. Same can be said for the way they plumbed the AC condenser until too. The gas pipe makes it almost impossible to frame in and drywall and still access the widow, while they plumbed the AC condenser by fastening the tubes to the bottom of the floor joist rather than running it between the joists.

Both basement windows have never been cleaned in the near 20 years I've lived here. I decided to take care of that Saturday. As you might expect, there was a lot of debris gathered around the windows too. I used the shop-vac to suck up all that, and then used warm soapy water to clean the removable windows before using Windex. That worked well.

By then the Buckeye game was underway. The Buckeyes took the opening drive and scored a touchdown. But Michigan State took the ensuing kickoff down the field and kicked a field goal on their very first possession. Just like that it was 7-3. The game was nip and tuck for the duration. For my money, we were using Braxton Miller on the read option entirely too much. It wasn't fooling anyone. Numerous times I suggested we run the ball up the middle with Carlos Hyde. I don't think the coach could hear me. The Buckeyes managed to stay in front until early in the 4th quarter in what was turning out to be the low scoring affair most pundits predicted it would be. Michigan State scored a touchdown and took their first lead of the game. Thankfully, though, it didn't last. The Buckeyes scored again with a quick strike TD pass and lead 17-13. Michigan Stated kicked a field goal making it 17-16 midway through the 4th quarter. The Buckeyes eventually ran out the clock for the slimmest of victories to remain undefeated.

As for Urban Meyer, not yet sure whether I care for his coaching style or not. I've seen a few things I like but also a handful of things I don't care for at all. He's the antithesis of Tressel.

Ben & Ryan texted that they were going to dinner at J. Alexanders. Invited us to come along .Mindy and I talked about going looking at new livingroom chairs while out after invitations for Bella's Skyzone birthday party. Around 6pm, well before the Buckeye game was over, Mindy decided to run up to Skyzone to get them herself and leaving me at home to finish watching the game.

Mindy wasn't gone that long. But the game was over by the time she was back. She offered that we should go out for dinner and suggested CBC. Going out for an hour or two sounded good, but my preference was Barley's. Mindy agreed with my reasoning. They didn't have any Bodhi at CBC. The evening was going fast. It was already after 730pm. Holy smoke! We left for Barley's near 745pm.

Not a huge crowd but still well attended. We took a couple open stools at the bar. I Sarah #2 was tending bar. I opted for a Centennial while Mindy went with a Russian Stout. Katy, who is a longtime Barley's employee, came in with her husband Rich and took the two stools next to Mindy and I. We chatted with the two of them for a while. About 3/4s into my Centennial we ordered food. Mindy ordered a pasta dish of some sort while I ordered 20 wings: 10 Gates of Hell and 10 K.C. I ordered a 2nd Centennial too.

Across the bar was another school teacher. This I learned from her rather loud conversation with the girl next to her. It wasn't long before she and Mindy struck up a lengthy conversation. I stopped drinking after two beers. I was already sleepy and it wasn't even 930pm. Mindy and I headed home before 10pm where I headed quickly for bed and tuned into the Wisconsin / Nebraska game. Wisconsin was ahead when I fell asleep. I'm guessing I was asleep well before 1030pm.

Tom, Tatyana, Two Brothers, & Park St

I slept well and was happy to get up and get moving at what's become my new normal wake up time of 540am. Downstairs I quickly whipped out calisthenics: sit-ups, windmills, and push-ups. It was cloudy overhead. I went to the PC with coffee near 608am after first delivering coffee and waking Mindy. According to the forecast, the sky was expected to clear as the day progressed and the weekend was setting up to be really nice, at least if you like fall weather. Expecting highs in the low 70s with partly sunny skies with overnight lows around 50.

I did meditation and a stretch then readied for a run. It was cool enough that I needed my light jacket. I ran the full 4.1 miles in a comparable hurry and my legs weren't feeling that sore either, though still a little tired. Mindy was about ready to leave when I got back to the house, but the dog and I headed out the door with the dog before she left. She passed us as she departed for work.

Mindy apologized for not making me a lunch because she thought that I might work from home. Nope. I planned to head into the office but wasn't too worried about not having any veggies packed. I enjoyed a couple eggs then headed off to the shower. Bella and I headed out to the bus stop at our usual time of 810am. Chrissy was there with Makayla. By bus stop time, the sky was already clearing out. If things went smoothly at the office I thought I might fly home at lunch and mow the lawn.

I left for the office at 840am arriving just ahead of 9am. Took me a few minutes to get settled but once I was, it was full speed ahead. I knocked several tasks off my to-do list ahead of 12 noon. Felt good. At 1235pm I left the office and headed home determined to make a huge dent in my weekly lawn duties. Immediately in the door I changed into my running clothes then headed out to get on my tractor. Took me no more than 50 minutes to do both tractor and push mowing. I didn't really have time to whack, edge or blow, but thought I might take care of that on Saturday. As it was, I felt good about getting the basic mowing completed. Before heading back to the office I paid a couple bills online.

Got back to the office around 2pm. It was a fairly quiet afternoon with no big surprises or hot escalations. I was very much looking forward to the weekend. Somewhere near 4pm an issue cropped that had been hanging around for more than a week. I was more than a frustrated that it reared its ugly head again right at the end of the day, but sometimes that's just how it is. I did all I could do to get it back on track. Mindy phoned around 430pm to remind me about our birthday dinner date with Tom C. and his family. Said the reservation was for 6pm. He was supposed to meet us at our place and ride with us. At the time I was iffy whether or not I'd be out of work in time to make the reservation.

I got things wrapped up as much as I could from my office and headed out around 510pm. I did some more coordination from my work phone on the drive home. Nephew Joe was over when I arrived home. The kids, however, had already left with Jimaken. I kidded Joe about not forgetting his back pack that we've had in our hall closet since our ski outing the last week of January ( 9 months). Joe checked out my SketchUp basement drawings. Seemed to be impressed with the design and detail.

Tom showed up just after 540pm. We needed to bolt for the restaurant. Joe was still at the house when the three of us headed out. Mindy asked that he pull the door closed on his way out. Traffic was heavy and slow through downtown. It was rush hour, so pretty much to be expected. We were headed to Giuseppe's Ritrovo, directly across the street from Capital University. We parked on a residential side street. We were late, arriving at 615pm, or 15 minutes late. Tom's family was already there and enjoying a glass of wine. I'd met Tom's youngest sister and her husband before, as well as one of his nieces. All three of his sisters were there along with two of their husbands, his mother, and both nieces. They had three place settings saved for us. We quickly got situated and greeted everyone.

Tatyana was our server. According to Tom, she's of Russian descent. While Mindy poured over the wine menu, I asked Tatyana about their beer selection. She was quick to point out that they're more of a wine place as if I were a lesser begin for asking as much. I could only chuckle at her perceived arrogance. Really? I asked what beers they might any way. She handed me a beer list. I quickly decided on the Two Brothers Resistance IPA in bottle. Tom followed suite ordering beer, but wasn't sure. I suggested he do the Dog Fish Head brown ale. Mindy settled on a blend.

Tatyana was a busy server. Little wonder, the place was well attended. The staff brought us bread and appetizers - bruschetta. Most in the dinner party ordered their popular spaghetti and meatballs. I opted for something different, deciding to try the smoked chicken ravioli. Tom's sister, Kathy, I think, sat directly across from Mindy. She was really interesting, engaging and funny. She and Mindy chatted all through dinner. Mindy also chatted with Tom's twin nieces, Casey & Olivia, both of whom attend Mt Caramel nursing school. They are two very attractive young woman.

I enjoyed a 2nd Two Brother IPA with my smoked chicken ravioli. The ravioli was good - different. No complaints whatsoever. Mindy seemed to enjoy the spaghetti and meatballs too. We'll almost certainly make a return. The dinner party was in celebration of Tom's 50th birthday. The restaurant brought out a cake once our dinner dishes were cleared. Of course we sang the happy birthday song to Tom. His family bestowed gifts upon him next. He got few Lowes gift cards and clothes from his mother. His youngest sister and her husband gifted Tom a new Samsung Galaxy III smartphone. Wow! That was nice!

Tatyana split the check between the various groups. Mindy & I were on our own check. I'm guessing it was 815pm or so as we upped to depart. We thanked Tom's family for having us as part of the celebration then headed for out car. Tom was leaving with us. After discussing our options, we decided to head to the Park St Tavern. I took I-71N at the 70/71 split. Ended up not being able to get off until the 11th avenue exit. Hadn't been up that way in years! Exiting on 11th avenue afforded us the opportunity to go by the OHIO state fair entrance as well as the boarded up Sugar Shack from days gone by. We then took High St all the way in the Arena district where we parked in the North Market lot.

I suggested we stop for one beer at Barley's Ale house #1. All agreed. In Barley's, there wasn't much of a crowd at all. Surprised me. Even still, it was tough getting a servers attention. While Mindy and Tom chatted, I walked to a girl behind the bar and asked what color clothes I was wearing. She looked at me funny until I asked if they were indeed black. She agreed. Oh good, cause I thought I might be invisible! After a second or two she got the joke and quickly suggested that we migrate to the other side of the bar for quicker service. We politely complied. We waited again for , hmm, 5 minutes but still no service. Sorry, but we're out of here! There are too many cool bars in the area to wait like that.

We headed just up the road to our planned destination, the Park St Tavern. A band was just setting up as we entered through the front door. There couldn't have been anymore than 15 people in the entire bar. As hoped, Kayla was behind the bar and served us. Mindy & I both ordered Bodhi's. Tom ordered a bottle something or other. Kayla shared that we had prime seating, implying that they would be packed before long. Boy, was she ever correct. Probably within the next hour the place was packed to the walls, just as it was two weeks prior when we met nephew Joe there. Mindy stopped drinking after one beer. I enjoyed two more Bodhi's. Mindy made several female friends in and around the bar. Tom commented that he wished he could pick-up chicks as easy as Mindy. :) The live music was jazz, though what we saw of them left a bit to be desired. Still had fun though. Mindy was ready to bolt I'm thinking around 1030p.

We headed back to our place with Mindy convincing Tom to hang out, have a beer. We saw a crowd gathered at the O'Connell's. We walked down to their place with beers in hand. We hung with the neighbors for a couple hours. Mindy slipped quietly away for home at some point. Had to be around 1230am. Tom and I hung there for another 20 minutes or so. Tom didn't bother coming inside. He headed for home. Inside I was shocked to find that it was 1am. Where had the night gone?

Curing the Conan

Tickets to Todd & Mannheim

I was up and downstairs by 545am. Once again I woke feeling about as rested as I could. It rained more during the overnight and was still sprinkling a little. After calisthenics I checked the weather. It was 62 degrees and humid. Looked like another jacketless run.

I played around online until 615am when I broke away to meditate and stretch. Both went very well. I was on my feet and preparing for my run by 630am. It was just after 635am when I headed out the door. It was sprinkling still but it wasn’t enough to put much of a damper on my run. I chose to ignore it. I ran the full 4.1 miles and got a little wet but again, not enough to change any part of my routine. I was simply glad that it was fairly warm and that there wasn’t any lightning.

Back at the house, Mindy was wearing one of my Hawaiian shirts. Said it was Hawaiian shirt day at school. I headed out with Eiknarf a few seconds later where she quickly took care of business. Mindy left moments after out return. She had my cheesy scrambled eggs waiting in the microwave. I watched while Bella dished up Eiknarf’s. She made quite a mess in so doing. I didn’t say anything about it, though I almost did. In the end, I more appreciate that she takes the responsibility.

I was done eating and ready to head upstairs at 740am. It was raining steadily. Bella shared that her daddy called sharing that he planned on meeting her at school for the walkathon. I was back downstairs after a shower by 802am. Bella was downstairs too. We chatted while I finished packing my lunch. At 810am she headed out the door for the bus stop. The dog & I were a minute or so behind her. On my way out the door, I pulled my umbrella out of the hall closet. It was raining enough that an umbrella was a necessity. I saw that Bella dug hers from her book bag. I consider it a minor miracle, not only that she still has her umbrella, but that it is also still in good shape. It served her on this morning.

For all intent and purposes, the bus was on time. Eiknarf and I shuffled on back towards home. That same old beater white car was pulled up and stopped on the bridge with someone inside. This was like the third day in a row. Neither Kenny nor I felt good about its presence. I decided to casually walk Eiknarf close enough to get a glimpse and the license plate number. It looks like an old cop car though the make and model labels have been removed. The car left as Eiknarf and I headed back to the house. Inside, I quickly went to my PC and documented the license plate number along with a description of the car.

I enjoyed about a half cup of coffee before heading off to work. It was near 840am when I left the house. It was still raining and continued for the duration of my short commute. Once at work, I didn’t bother pulling my umbrella from the trunk since I parked in the nearest lot. I might’ve gotten a little wet walking in, but not enough to make a difference.

I already had my to-do list scrawled out. Did it before I left the office Wednesday. I had an 11am conference call on my calendar, but it got canceled near 10am. That left me clear to take the last class I needed to complete that 5 part series of online courses. I wrapped up the class around 1130pm and then the test a half hour later. I passed all five exams. Yeah! Noon came and went. Near 1230pm I decided to take a lunch and go get a haircut. I probably should’ve asked Lindy to cut it last Sunday when she was over but thought I might go another week or so. But it was looking more unmanageable by the day. Starting to look like Conan!

Arrived at the Mill Run Saturday’s around 1245pm. Noticed that the Quizzno’s that was next door had since been replaced by a new gyro shop. I may have to try it sometime soon. Inside, there were two folks having their hair cut but nobody else waiting. The manager, who I learned has been there for 23 years took me back right away for a haircut. We chatted about the new gyro shop, her tenure, and what if anything they plan to do with the large vacant store fronts there in Mill Run. I suggested a new Giant Eagle. But she quickly shared that they’ve already got a new slated for Britton and Cemetery Rd intersection. Hmm? That was news to me. Didn’t take long at all for her to cut my hair.

I left Saturday’s and ventured over to Lowe’s if for no other reason than to browse. Immediately in the door I remembered wanting to check their floor tile section to see if for some strange reason they might have a match to ours. I doubted it though since the manufacturer apparently doesn’t even make it anymore. Not only did I not find our specific tile, but I didn’t see any 8”x8’ floor tiles. I browsed for a good 25-30 minutes. I find it very relaxing.

Headed back to the office near 130pm where I enjoyed my packed lunch all the while digging back into work. Stayed busy on a number of items leading up to our 415pm staff call. Our call lasted about 30 minutes, and no surprises.

I left for home real close to 5pm. I called Mindy as I pulled out of the lot. I half expected her to shared that she was already on her way to drop Bella at gymnastics, but instead she was at home taking care of some routine chores. She reminded me that it was still a little early for that. True! Shared that we’d be having leftovers for dinner. I was OK with that. Thought I might eat the rest of the taco meat that’s now about a week old. Mindy & Bella were getting to leave for gymnastics by the time I got home. I suggested that Jacob should go with her and then stop at Wal-Mart on their way home to buy Evan a new pair of fishing pliers. He shared that his mother said pretty much the same thing just before I got home. 

As they were all leaving the house, I was taking care of my regular chores – putting my lunch containers in the dishwasher and prepping the following morning’s coffee. I’d have an hour or so all to myself. Just before leaving, Mindy confirmed that I would go after Bella. Said she was looking forward to getting home and changed into her PJs and then having a beer.

While they were gone, I fooled around online eventually deciding to go ahead and buy Todd Rundgren tickets for the upcoming Cleveland show. Booked a hotel room just two or three miles away. We hope to make a weekend of it taking in a couple Cleveland brew pubs and possibly even the nearby art museum. While at it, I bought tickets to the Columbus Mannheim Steamroller concert coming Saturday Dec 22nd. What a great way to kick off the Xmas holiday weekend!

Mindy & Jacob got home near 640pm. Jacob headed off to Evans right away presumably to give him the new pliers. I didn’t mention it, but enjoyed a burrito with the leftover taco meat while they were away. Around 650pm I headed to the family room while Mindy played on her laptop. Thought I might take a quick nap before heading off to get Bella. Mindy kept talking though, which pretty much put the kiboshes on any chance of a nap.

At 710pm I upped and left to get Bella. Happily, traffic was light through the 270 construction zone. Arrived at the Gotta Flip Twisters early. I headed in to watch the rest of practice I stood for a while until a seat freed. I got to see Bella do her trampoline routine again. Gets better every time. Good routine, good form. Great job, Bella!

It was spitting rain again as we headed to the car and ultimately for home. Bella asked if I would put the stereo on 97.9. It’s a kids right of passage to listen to 97.9 WNCI. She seems to know most of the songs. Makes me laugh. Not sure where she gets her fix. We NEVER listen to the radio station at home. Must be at Makayla’s.
It was 745-750pm by the time we got back home. Having changed into comfy lounging clothes even before going after Bella, I was eager to plop down in the recliner and do some reading. Mindy had other ideas. She soon joined and plopped down on my lap. Said she just wanted to spend a little time together. We talked for about 25 minutes or until it was time for Thursday Night Football on the NFL network. There was a college game on too – Stanford / Washington – but I was more interested in the NFL game – Browns / Ravens.

Browns played OK, but quickly fell behind 6-0 then 9-0. It was no surprise that the Ravens were the better team. Mindy and the kids headed off to bed near 9pm. I stayed up watching the game until halftime, or just after 10pm.

Heavy Rain, Midas, Tortilla Soup

I slept about as soundly as humanly possible, not waking for work until 540am. I felt refreshed as I proceeded to brush my teeth, grab my running clothes, and head downstairs. I slipped into my exercise shoes, glanced out back, then headed to the living room to whip out sit-ups. After 50 of those I headed to the kitchen where I completed both windmills and push-ups.

My exercises behind me, it was time for coffee, perhaps my favorite time of the morning. It was around 555am, so I gave myself about ten minutes before heading upstairs to wake Mindy. She said she hadn’t slept well at all. I kind of felt awkward then, sharing how well I had slept. I checked the weather. It was comparatively warm, about 64 degrees but with rain in the forecast. It had rained overnight but at the time only threatening. I also checked the Reds score from Tuesday night. They won. Still dominating the headlines was the bad call in the Seahawks/Packers game that supposedly cost the packers the game. Again, probably was a bad call, but putting themselves in that situation was of their own doing.

I walked away from my PC at 615am to ensure I had plenty of time for meditation and stretching before my run. Both went reasonably well. I dressed for my run and was out of the house somewhere between 635-640am – about normal these days. I opted to skip wearing a jacket. That proved a wise decision. I was plenty warm dressed as I was with a thin long sleeved shirt and long running pants. The mostly cloudy skies only prolonged daybreak’s arrival. Was dark for most of my run. I happened upon a former co-worker who volunteered for a RIF a couple years ago and bought then reopened the Drexel theatre in Grandview. He pulled over on his way to work to chat. Said that while the theatre is doing well, he’s since gone back to work as a contractor for a wireless provider developing/writing Java based apps. Wished him well then ran on.
Ran the full 4.1 miles with my legs feeling good for pretty much the entire run. I’m guessing the 4 Advil I took when I got home from work the evening before to stave off a rare throbbing headache helped with my legs some too. As soon as I was back at home I leashed up the pug and headed out for a walk. She took care of all her business.

Mindy was just leaving when the two of us got back home. Inside I noticed that Mindy had a concoction in the crock-pot. Wasn’t sure what it was. I opened the lid for a look and sniff. Smelt of cilantro and cumin. Looked like soup. I left it at that but turned the heat down from high to low, just as I would with any other crock-pot recipe that’s going to cook all day while we’re at work.

I quickly woofed down my eggs then headed off to the shower. Bella was having eggs too, but as often happens, she was only playing with it and not eating it. Since she wasn’t going to eat it, I suggested we stow it and save for Eiknarf. Bella headed upstairs about the same time as me. Because of my somewhat late start, I wasn’t back downstairs until almost 805am. Bella was already down prepping for her departure. I tossed together a few things for my lunch and then headed out to the bus stop where Bella, Kenny and Makayla already were waiting.

The bus pulled up right on time. After the kids were boarded I turned for home, but walked the pug for a few more minutes. Once again she was giving other dog walkers passing by an earful. I really didn’t mind. One was the women whose dog pees and burns up my grass. She used to leave the crap behind too, but has since gotten with the program.

Inside, I made last minute preparations then enjoyed another cup of coffee at my PC before heading out. I left the house near 845am. Headed to new Easton/Albany, I took 670. Traffic moved along fine without much if any trouble. Arrived around 910am. Took me a while to get situated and logged on. The customer sent a note that they didn’t have any issues to discuss on our 10am call. We still planned to have it, though. After the brief call, I spent the rest of my morning tweaking a support document. Lindsey sent me a text mid-morning sharing that her brakes went out completely again and that she needed help getting them fixed. These are the same brakes, mind you, that have been fixed three other times in less than a year, once at the dealership and another time at Midas. What the %^^&&!

She eventually called me already at Midas. Took it back to the last place that supposedly did a complete front brake job for $330 just 7 months ago. She said they agreed to look at it even after she shared that she had no money, but gave her song and dance about having only fixed one side – the left I think. What? You don’t fix one side. Besides, I reminded her that she paid for a complete front brake job. I asked if she had the receipt. Said she did but it was in the glove box and they had the car up on rack. I only followed that she should maintain a positive and professional demeanor while also being insistent that they fix their faulty work. Said she would. I didn’t hear back from her again.

I had already concluded that come lunch time, I was going to pay a visit to Macy’s at Easton. Been a while since I’ve been there. Headed there near 1240pm. As usual, got a parking spot in the small lot just outside the east entrance to the Men’s Department. Convenient! I looked a number of items, including leather jackets, dress shirts, shoes, and suits. They were having a good sale. I probably spent an entire hour there. If not, close to it. I ended up buying a new dark purple dress shirt that was marked down 65%. What a deal!

Headed back to the office arriving at my desk just ahead of 2pm. Ended up dealing with a couple escalated issues for the better part of the afternoon. The buzz in the cube farm was the weather. I heard several folks say that it was raining like crazy. Mindy attempted to call my personal cell around 4pm, but I couldn’t answer. I readied to leave around 450pm, and by the time I made to the exit, it was pouring rain, and harder than I’ve witnessed for several months. I got soaked on my walk to the Accord. There was some lightning too.

As I exited their lot Bella called. She was curious to learn what time I might get home. She had a vested interest because she didn’t want to ride with Mindy to drop Jacob at soccer practice. Said they planned to leave the house around 530pm. I shared that was the time I’d likely get home. That made her happy. I confirmed that with Mindy, but also shared that it was storming so badly that it was hard to imagine Jacob’s practice not being canceled. She shared that it stormed wickedly at our place too, but had since passed. Plus, they’re supposed to send an email if it cancels. She hadn’t received one.

I made great time around 270 once the rain cleared. Sure enough, the sky was brightening over Hilliard. There were even a few scant blue spots. However, looking to the far west, it looked like more storms moving in to me. Bella called again just as I was passing Wilson Rd golf course. I shared that I was only a minute or two away. She was happy. Mindy got on the line and shared that she and Jacob were just leaving the house. We’d be having dinner – tortilla soup - as soon as she returned.

I was turning in the subdivision just as they were turning out. At home, the first thing I did was change out of my still damp clothes and into my lounge clothes. I then rinsed my lunch dishes and prepped Thursday’s coffee. Bella shared that she and her mom planned to make another apple pie later that night after dinner. While awaiting Mindy’s return, Bella played on her Kindle and me on my PC. Mindy was home five minutes later. Dinner was essentially ready. All we had to do was dish it into a bowl. Mindy was very proud of her latest rendition of tortilla soup. I think this is the 2nd version. It was quite good, a mix of chicken broth, canned diced tomatoes, black beans, chicken, and seasoning. We added shredded cheese and sour cream along with tortilla chips. Bella would only have broth.

Finished dinner and clean-up near 640pm. I asked what time Jacob needed picked up – 730pm. Mindy reluctantly agreed to fetch him. Mindy got a text from neighbor Mike C. sharing that Jacob tossed Evan’s fishing pliers into the pond. Said Evan was upset. Reserving judgment I was still a little perturbed to hear that. Jacob continues to bully those smaller than him.

I was looking forward to digging into my book. While I did that, Mindy and Bella got started on the apple pie. I must’ve read about ten pages then fell asleep. I slept until just before Mindy left to go after Jacob. By then they had the pie in the oven. I woke hearing Mindy tell Bella that she was adding 20 minutes to the timer. Told her to take it out after that. I got up soon after Mindy left and went to the kitchen where Bella was hanging out. The thought of her working the oven unsupervised terrified me. While waiting on the apple pie to finish up, I did a little work on blog entries. We checked the pie as the additional 20 minutes neared completion. The crust showed signs of burning in a spot or two. I opted to let it complete all the time. Not even a minute passed after I pulled it out of the oven did Mindy arrive home. Just before that, Evan stopped asking if we had seen Shamrock. We had. She was over but left out the back door five minutes prior. I asked Bella if she would go help Evan find Shamrock. She willing did.

In the door I asked Mindy if she’d gotten to the bottom of Evan’s fishing pliers. Said she had, and that Jacob said they were just horsing around, both of them throwing them. It just so happens that one of his throws they ended up in the pond. Mindy said he planned to buy him a new pair. While Bella was still out looking for Shamrock, Jacob headed out to look for Evan’s pliers.

After Jacob returned and had eaten his dinner I asked him why he would be throwing Evan’s pliers in the first place. He immediately turned to his momma sharing that he knew I would chalk it up to bullying. My short and only reply was that he must’ve thought that because that is what it was – another example of bullying.

Mindy dispatched both kids to the shower. On her way up, I challenged Bella to try and set a record for her shower time without denying herself a completely clean body. Until just recently, a shower for Bella would last a full 30 minutes. She’ll often leave the water run for a good 10 minutes before even getting in. She was into the idea of a challenge. I only reiterated that it shouldn’t be at the expense of a thorough shower. She acknowledged and was done in record time. I’m guessing no more than five minutes start to finish.

Mindy headed to bed extra early. It wasn’t even 9pm. It was close to 850pm. Said she was going to read for a while. I planned to stay up until at least 10pm. I did some more reading too, getting through another 25-30 pages in my current book. Before going to bed, I enjoyed a bowl of Life cereal. Bella leaned over the rail and asked that I not forget to tuck her in. She met meat the top of the stairs as I headed to bed just after 10pm. Mindy was already asleep as I slipped into bed. It was raining again outside. The sound was very relaxing.

Cries from Wisconsin

I slept about as late as I could while also remaining somewhat on schedule. I wasn’t downstairs until 550am. I quickly slipped into my exercise shoes then glanced out the back door towards the sky. There were a few broken clouds but otherwise it was clear. I was still half asleep and remained that way until I completed my exercise routine. I whipped out 50 sit-ups, windmills, and curls.

I enjoyed a few sips of coffee before taking Mindy hers. It was roughly 610am when I woke her. Jacob I could see was already up. I didn’t bother barging in. Downstairs I played around on the internet checking the weather first and then the MNF results. At the time it was about 50 degrees and a really small storm cell was nearing our area. Otherwise, there was a chance of rain throughout the day with the high expected to reach the upper 60s. The MNF game I abandonned with 7 or 8 minutes left ended in controversy. I watched a video of the final play, Seattle scoring a TD and stealing the victory from the Packers. I was routing for Seattle, but the call was bad. But here’s what I say, score more points, and make the last play a non-issue.

I didn’t have a lot of time to spend online. It was darn near 630am even though I felt as though I had just sat down. The older I get the less I want to race around in the morning. Instead, I love to putter. I do, however, enjoy the structure that a schedule offers. Keeps me focused. I have a tendency to let my mind wander and thus letting time slip by.

I did meditation and stretching next. Gone are the meditations in complete and utter silence. Now I have to contend with Jacob’s ready noises. It’s not that big a deal, but it is a change. I guess I could alter my routine a little, moving meditation to right after exercise. Hmmm? Maybe.

It was 645am before I was dressed in my running clothes and then a couple minutes later before I headed out the door. I talked with Mindy just before heading out, she asked if I thought I’d be back before her departure. Doubted it. Said our morning goodbye right then. Off I went. My legs felt better than they have the past couple days. I was thankful for that. That small storm cell I saw via radar earlier was moving over top our subdivision during my run. There was lightning, thunder, and a smidge or rain. Oddly enough, it was so small that the first half of my run (the northern piece) was under what I’d call partly cloudy skies. But the second half was right in the cells path. I could see bands of rain and more lightning. I didn’t want to take that risk. At the two mike mark I opted to turn around and run the first half over again back to the house. Those that know me well, know that I’m a creature of habit. It was hard for me to turn around and take a different route back home but I did it. I haven’t run that direction in our subdivision for several years. Felt odd.
As I neared the house, Mindy was just backing out the drive. She stopped in the road to say goodbye again. I didn’t bother explaining my out of the ordinary path. At home, Bella shared that Mindy had already walked the pug. I double checked because the pug certainly wasn’t acting like it. She was ready to go out again. Bella insisted. I nuked my eggs for a few seconds then sat down to eat. Bella asked if I got caught in the storm. Nope. I explained that I ran around it, instead.

I headed for a shower at 740am. By then that small storm was all but gone. The sky was once again a canvas of broken clouds and dappled sunshine. I was downstairs again by 802am packing my lunch. Bella and I headed out at 810am. We met Kenny and Makayla at the bus stop. I asked Kenny if they received their water bill. I then shared that ours was a whopping $666. He planned to check theirs later. The bus arrived on time. I walked Eiknarf out front a little more before heading in. I ended the walk abruptly when she started barking at everyone/everything she saw.

I ran the dishwasher before leaving the house and enjoyed another cup of coffee at my PC where I checked out the details for the Todd Rundgren concert in Cleveland at the storied Agora theatre. Of late, Todd’s been touring with a string quartet from NYC called Ethel. This show, however, will not be with them. He’s playing two nights – October 12 & 13. We may do a hotel, Ohio Brew Kettle, and Great Lakes.

I left for work around 850am getting to work sometime after 9am. I hadn’t even gotten settled when a peer stopped by to talk. Was eager for me to follow him back to his office so he could show me a compilation ski video of his trip to Colorado and then Bachelor last season. His buddy recorded with a Go-Pro and then used Apple’s video software to put it music. It was awesome! Both he and I get really excited when talking about skiing. He followed me back to my office where he then asked for some help with one of his accounts. I promised to take a look sometime during my otherwise busy day.

I spent the lion’s share of my morning taking course # 4 of the 5 course program I signed up for. After the online class, I decided to take a lunch and headed to Home Depot at 130pm. There I looked at pneumatic nailers, as I continue planning for our basement finishing project. By all accounts, using a framing nailer is the way to go. However, their price - $200- $300 - may be cost prohibitive considering that I may not ever use it again. I checked out the rental prices too. That may very well be the way I go, although I can always ask Kenny, too. I know he has one, if not two.
I walked around the Depot for about 30 minutes then headed back to the office. Felt really good to get a way for a while. While I was out it looked like more rain was moving into the area. However, just like the morning’s rain, it was the scattered variety.

I spent most of my afternoon pulling proactive reports for my buddy. Next thing I knew it was after 5pm. That happens to me often. I get so immersed in something and lose total track of the time. Left the office somewhere very close to 530pm. I called Mindy, who was also on the road, dropping Bella at gymnastics. It drizzled rain through the entire commute home. I had about ten minutes before Mindy got home. During that time I rinsed my lunch dishes and prepped Wednesday’s coffee. Noticed that Mindy fried burger for dinner. They were still in the pan on the stove with a glass lid. These were the same burgers she bought on Sunday that by Monday turned from red to gray while in the fridge. I wasn’t so sure that I wanted to eat one, though she insisted the meat was still good. I plan to research why that would happen so suddenly.

Jacob was home the entire time but lounging lazily on the sofa. Rare for him. Mindy was back at home near 610pm. She served dinner a few minutes later. I gave her crap about the gray meat, now indiscernible from those that were still red. I ended up giving it the once over, cutting into the body and giving it the sniff test. I was genuinely worried that something was amiss. I opted to eat it cautiously. Along with the burgers, Mindy made baked beans. Clean-up was quick. Done by 645pm. Mindy asked if I wanted to go after Bella. Said I didn’t really want to but would.

I had a good 20 minutes before I needed to leave. With my time I decided to play around online. I read a little bit more about the Packers/Seahawks debacle, but believe it’s getting over blow due to the NFL referee lockout. An article and image in the Science section of Yahoo piqued my interest. It was a photo of deep space showing numerous galaxies and distant stars, some thought to be as far as 13.2 light years away, meaning their light was sent that many years ago, and only 500 million years after the big bang. That’s some interesting stuff. I love to let my mind contemplate the magnitude of such revelations.

I left to go after Bella at 710pm taking the Accord. I took my camera just in case I had an opportunity to photo Bella in action. This time I was fortunate enough to get a seat after a women holding a baby got up for a second to quell the crying little brat. She turned around to sit again only to find me there. I looked her in the eyes and said, Too bad. On your feet, lose your seat! As you might expect, I garnered several ugly stares, not only from the tired mother but from the others too. I offered that they could get up and offer their seat. No one did. Uh-huh, that’s what I thought. I was making friends! 

Okay, just kidding. None of that happened. I did get a seat though. I took a couple photos without flash using my knee as a tripod. Seemed to work well. Bella was so far away, however, towards the back of the gym, she won’t be discernible. I did see her trampoline routine, which was really good. She’s now doing front and back flips, though I think they call them something different. Practice ended a couple minutes after I sat down. Bella called me to the coat room so she could show me the snack machine. I offered that we had crap like that at home. We quickly departed. It sprinkled rain all the way home.

Once we were home Mindy dispatched both kids to the shower, Jacob first. I changed into my comfy house clothes then grabbed my book eager to do some reading. I read for a good hour, falling asleep for maybe 5 minutes sandwiched somewhere in between the pages. Around 910pm I put my book down and went to my PC where I checked the Reds score and then finished writing Monday’s blog entry. Mindy headed for bed while I was writing. Bella stayed up enjoying some popcorn that she popped on her own, though I heard Mindy coaching her through the microwave process. Cute!

Bella ate perhaps half the popcorn then gave the rest to me as she hustled off to bed just after 10pm. Still wide awake, I opted to do more reading. I read for another 40 minutes or so, really getting into Mlodinow’s explanation of the mind at work– both the conscious and unconscious mind. Fascinating stuff! Headed for bed around 1045pm.

Water Pressure 666

I woke a time or two after 5am but didn’t roll out of bed for good until 540am. I quickly brushed my teeth then slipped out of the bedroom turning off ceiling fan on my way downstairs. It was chilly in the house despite Mindy closing the windows and setting the furnace to 60 degrees just in case.

Coffee brewing was already well underway as I slipped into my exercise shoes. I took a brief glance out the back door looking towards the sky. Completely clear and lots of stars. My legs felt looser than they have in a few days, no doubt a byproduct of having Mindy massage them and then lube them up with Bengay just before she headed off to bed. I hoped the looseness would carry over to the running trail. I whipped out 50 sit-ups, windmills, then 50 push-ups all in about the next 7 or 8 minutes. It didn’t take long. Before coffee and internet, I remembered that it was trash and recycling day but we had taken care of neither. I drug both cans to the curb before doing anything else.

It was 555am when I headed to my PC with a cup of hot coffee. Yum! One of the first things I checked was the final score of the SNF game. Ravens beat the Patriots on a controversial last second field goal. I checked the weather too. It was chilly, only 41 degrees. I temporarily left my coffee and the internet behind in order to wake Mindy and deliver her coffee. She asked that I close the bedroom window she left cracked open the night before. I walked by Jacob’s room and could see light emanating from under the doorway. I turned around and headed back downstairs. I then played around online for another 10 minutes or so until 620am.

Next up was meditation and stretching. Both went well. My freshly laundered running clothes were still in the dryer. I only pulled out what I needed for the day’s run leaving the folding and putting away for another time. I was ready to head out at 635am. Felt good to be on schedule. I headed off on my 4.1 mile run, my legs feeling pretty good, at least initially. The trash truck had just started into our subdivision as I completed my warm-up lap. I ran the first 2.5 miles or so in darkness though I could see daybreak was fast approaching. I completed the run feeling pretty good throughout.

By the time I was back at home both the trash and the recycling had been emptied. I drug the trash can back to its staging area and then the recycling can in front of the overhead garage door all before heading in. The pug hadn’t been walked and wasn’t even out of bed and downstairs. Bella brought me the leash then called to the pug. I could hear her coming. I waited just out of view, otherwise she often stops to play a game of cat and mouse. Not sure why.

Eiknarf was extra disruptive during our walk, barking at anything and everything that she saw. Very annoying. She never did poop, only peed. We were out long enough for her to take care of both and then some. We headed back inside where I enjoyed my waiting breakfast. Bella had a fresh bowl of Frosted Flakes apparently going to waste. She also had another pile of dry flakes on the table next to her bowl. She went on to describe an accident of sorts when she was refilling her bowl. Bella!

I headed up for a shower later than usual. It had to be near 745am. In kind, I wasn’t back downstairs until almost 805am. There wasn’t much time before we needed to head out for the bus. I used the few minutes I had to throw together my lunch. We headed out at the usual time of 810am. I wore my thick fleece jacket since it was the only one convenient. It was a bit overkill at that point as the sunshine warmed things up a little. The bus was by a couple minutes later. Chrissy and I chatted briefly before heading our separate ways.

I enjoyed another cup of coffee while packing up for work. I had to log off my laptop among everything else. There was frost on the Accord earlier but mostly melted by the time I headed out to leave. I had to squeegee the windows while the car warmed. There were small chunks of solid ice still clinging along the trunk and rear windshield. Wow! I wasn’t on the road until 845am. My boss sent me an email earlier that morning or possibly the night before asking me to stop by so we could talk about the weekend coverage thing. That, of course, was in response to one I sent to him.

I sort of wished I hadn’t sent it, though I still felt the same about the issue. I just didn’t want to make a huge deal of it. Just the same, it was probably a good idea to get a clearer understanding of the expectations. Arrived at the office near 9am but it was 915am by the time I was completely settled and logged on. Like a lot of Monday’s, I was quickly inundated with questions and requests for help. My boss ended up stopping by my office. He waited while I took care of the issue I was presently dealing with.

After some small talk he apologized for the misunderstanding. Basically said he owned the communication problem. He went on to share that I did far more than he ever expected with the issue that brought the whole thing on. The rest of my day wasn’t nearly as hectic as the first hour or so. And thank goodness! I was even able to squeeze in the 3rd of five part series of online classes I need to complete. If all goes well, I'll have the program finished by the end of next week, or possibly even sooner.

I didn't take a real lunch hour but did take some time for myself. I wasn't that hungry, so I ended up leaving my salad in the fridge. I did, however, eat the cheese and fruit that I packed. I decided to wrap up my work day about an hour early. At 430pm I started prepping for departure. I called Mindy once I was on the road for home. She was surprised that I was already on my way home. Admittedly, it's a rare occasion that I leave work before 5pm. Since Jimaken was coming to take the kids to dinner, she asked my preference for going out or staying in. I didn't really want to go anywhere and suggested we simply stay at home and enjoy leftover lasagna. She seemed OK with that too. We terminated our conversation when Jimaken showed up to get the kids.

Jimaken was still at the house when I got home but not for long. They left the house by 450pm. Mindy already had the lasagna out to be warmed. While she prepped our leftover lasagna I finally got around to opening our water bill that showed up in the mail last Saturday. I half expected it to be somewhere close to $500, which would be the highest ever, but when I opened it even that number paled in comparison to the $666 total. I about fell over. Surely there had to be a mistake. One thing's for certain, we ran the irrigation system hard this summer and with few 'turn-offs'. In fact there were a handful of days when I ran certain zones twice. I planned to dig out the last two bills to compare meter readings. We did have the main meter replaced in the spring. I thought that might account for a potential mistake. I opted to sit it aside and not worry about it. Our lawn certainly looks nice whereas those without irrigation systems now have ruined lawns. Nothing's free.

I had two small pieces of lasagna. I was anxious to try a piece of Mindy's homemade apple pie. She and the kids already had a piece when they got home from school. It was good, but probably not her best. For my money it needed way more sugar and perhaps flakier, sweeter crust. I'm just sayin'! Truth is, I've never been much of an apple pie fan away.

I finished kitchen clean-up then prepped Tuesday's coffee. It was only 540pm. Wow, now that surprised me. It's not that unusual for me not to leave work until 540pm. But here I was at home with dinner behind us, and the kitchen already cleaned. Now what do I do? While Mindy headed up to change into comfy clothes, I played around on my PC. While checking email, I came across one I over looked from Time Warner Cable announcing that they were finally launched the NFL channel. I headed to the TV to see if it was already coming through. Yep! That means Thursday night NFL games for the rest of the season. Wahoo!

With the NFL Network whirling on the TV leading up to MNF, I turned the volume low and got situated in the family room chair and did some reading. Of course my reading lead to a well deserved nap. And it turns out that I slept for much longer than usual, not waking until the kids came in the front door sometime around 8pm. It took a few minutes for the grogginess to wear off but once it did I felt fully refreshed and eager for some football. The game featured the Seahawks and Packers from Seattle.
Both kids readied for bed soon after the game kicked off. Jacob asked what channel the game was on in his room where he has basic service. Mindy & I watched most of the first half together. We both like Seattle's new uniforms. The Seahawks played unbelievable defense in the first half sacking Aaron Rogers a total of eight times. Unfortunately, they only managed to score 7 points and held a 7-0 lead at the half. I was afraid that slim lead wouldn't hold through the entire game.

As Mindy headed up to bed she shared that we could catch the rest from bed. I agreed to join her shortly but wanted to stay downstairs for a little while longer. I ended up watching well into the 3rd quarter where the Packers pulled to within 1 point, trailing 7-6. I headed upstairs near 1030pm. Mindy was still awake and agreed to let me turn on the game. She was betting I'd fall asleep in a few short minutes. I ended up watching for at least 30 minutes, or long enough to see the Packers score a TD and take the lead 12-7. It was near 11pm. I turned the TV off, rolled over and went to sleep.

Hold Your Tongue and Say Apple

I slept well and wasn’t out of bed until almost 8am. Our plan was to go apple picking that morning. I brushed my teeth then headed downstairs and started a pot of coffee. There were a number of drinking glasses on the counter top by the sink. I went ahead and washed all of those while the coffee brewed. It was clear, sunny morning. I stepped outside and realized how chilly it was. Next, I checked the temperature online. It was a very chilly 39 degrees! Perfect timing for the first full day of autumn.

Landon joined me downstairs after a few minutes of playing on the internet. He asked if he could remove his pull-up. Sure. He then asked if he could play on the kids laptop. Yes. Then, while I poured my 1st cup of coffee, he asked if he could have some coffee, too. I guess I’ve created a bit of a monster after giving all the kids some a few weeks ago.

I made Landon a cup with 2/3s chocolate milk, whipped cream and cinnamon. While he played on the Nick Jr site, I headed back to my own PC where I checked a few more college football scores. Earlier, when I left the bedroom, Mindy asked that I bring her coffee in a little while. I took her coffee just after 9am. She suggested I leave the bedroom door open as I headed back downstairs.

Not sure the exact time when I left for my run, but it wasn’t too long after heading back downstairs. I dressed warmly wearing a thin long sleeved wicking shirt, long running pants, and my new jacket and ball cap. I wore sunglasses, too. I peed at least three times after waking and before leaving the house, but still found myself having to go during my run. I was going to duck into the woods in our neighborhood park but just as I neared the entry point a gentleman was there walking his dog. Crap! Thankfully, I wasn’t about to bust so I simply kept going.

Aside from the duck into the park, I ran the usual weekend three mile trail. Of course the first thing I did upon my return to the house was pee. Ahh! All the kids were up and Jacob was still wearing his OSU beanie and swore he wasn’t taking it off until Lindy came over to fix his haircut. Perhaps because of his hair, he was being a pill, giving everybody a hard time. He wasn’t being pleasant to anyone. He accused me of giving him a mullet and swore he’d never let me touch his hair again. I laughed it off, but also reminded him that I told him I’d never cut anyone’s hair before.

Mindy was out of the shower and ready to go by about 1020am. I headed up for a quick shower next. We had everybody ready to leave the house near 11am. We packed a cooler with soft drinks and grabbed a bag of pretzels. The battery for my small Canon camera was dead and recharging. I opted to take my bigger, 20X zoom Canon. Jacob insisted he wasn’t going up until Mindy gave him the count of three to come down stairs and head to the Pilot. We left the house near 11am.

Lynz’s Fruit Farm is located on Morse Rd but way out in Pataskala. We took 70E to 670E to 270N to Morse Rd. My best guess is that it’s another 10 miles east of 270. It didn’t take that long really. We were there soon enough. Not sure, but believe it was Jacob who shared that we should expect a crowd. Oh boy! Having never been to a fruit farm, I wasn’t sure what to expect. There were picking orchards located on both sides of the road. You turn right or left based on your preferred apple type. We opted for Jonathon. We were directed back to a parking lot. What caught my eye right away was how small in stature the orchard trees are. I expected them to be huge like backyard apple trees.

As we parked, we were offered two different bag sizes – 10 & 20lbs. We opted for one 20lb bag. Each 20lb bag would be $20. Seemed pricey to me and the bag smaller than I expected. Most trees were anywhere from 6 – 10’ tall, though their trunks fairly large. It was obvious that they cut them back often. And while their stature was small, most of the trees were loaded with large, ripe fruit. Most of the kids strayed from Mindy and I, but Landon stayed close. We filled the 20lb bag quickly. I decided to eat one while we picked. Yum! It was delicious.

I’m guessing that we picked for about 20 minutes. During our walk n’ pick, we traversed at least two aisles but also wandered about 200 yards from the parking row. I was the sucker that had to carry the full bag of apples back to the Pilot. You don’t pay until you leave the orchard, and they ask that you open the trunk so they can keep the customer honest. Mindy flipped out a $20 to cover our crop. We left the back hatch open so he could see our haul.

As we exited, the kids excitedly asked if we could stop at the Lynz Fruit Farm corn maze and play area directly across the street. We agreed. They had all the bases covered: food, entertainment and restrooms. The three older kids (Jacob, Rocky & Bella) all wanted to do the corn maze. Landon wanted to do the tractor train ride. I funded the entertainment. After getting their wrist bands the kids rushed off into the corn maze. Mindy & I took Landon to the train ride line. While awaiting its return, we hit the restroom.

The tractor train was comprised of a small tractor pulling about ten cars made from blue water barrels on wheels. Landon took two rides and was very excited. Meanwhile, the older kids were lost in the maze for almost an hour. We say many others go in and come out, but not our kids. We climbed the tower to see if we could spot them in the maze below. Nope! We waited in a straw coral. Finally, after about an hour Bella came out. But after waiting a few more minutes, we sent her back in to see if she could find the other two. Ten minutes later all three came out.

It was one of those autumn days when it was nice and warm while the sun was out and shining. But when the sun ducked behind a cloud it was chilly. Glad I wore a jacket. Mindy budgeted 3 hours for our excursion. It was near 1pm when we left the fruit farm for home. She called or texted Lindsey letting her know that we were on our way home and planned to drop the boys at their place on the way. The kids bickered all the way home. Mindy threatened Jacob’s well-being more than once.

We dropped the boys around 145pm and gave Lindsey an armful of apples. Arrived home near 2pm. By then I was feeling incredibly sleepy. While I went to the sofa for the NFL and a nap, Mindy got busy finalizing her grocery list. I caught a glimpse of the Vikings / 49ers score. I was more than surprised to see that the Vikings were up 14-3 in the 2nd quarter. I drifted off to sleep but woke when Mindy left for the grocery. I slept for a good 90 minutes. When Mindy got back I got up from the sofa and helped Mindy carry in the groceries. Instead of watching more football and watching the Viking score flash across the bottom of the screen, I decided to watch something else less stressful. I looked for something good on the any of the knowledge channels but found nothing of interest. Their daytime programming often leaves a lot to be desired.
I stumbled upon the Mark Twain award on PBS. This year’s recipient was none other than Will Farrell. There were several stars there to speak about Will as a build up to the actual presentation. It was quite entertaining. Made me laugh. Also, I should take this opportunity to clear up some bad info I’ve been spreading about Will Farrell. I’ve told numerous folks that his father was Mike Farrell from the comedy hit, MASH. I learned last week, however, that that simply isn’t the case. I’m guilty of spreading info that someone passed on to me without doing any fact checking. That’s always dangerous.

Of course as the program wrapped up Will Farrell came on stage and accepted the award. He was hilarious, poking a little fun at his lovely wife, who was in the audience. I watched the show to its end. It had to be near 430-5pm. At that point I knew the Viking game was over. I turned the channel to the late (415p) NFL game on FOX. It wasn’t but a minute or two before the Vikings final score flashed. They beat the 49ers 24-13. I was elated!

All the while I watched TV and napped, Mindy was busy making dinner. She whipped up a tray of lasagna and baked a fresh apple pie with Bella’s help. In fact, while they were making the pie dough, I suggested that Mindy make enough so I could make a chocolate pie at another time.

It must’ve been around 6pm when niece Lindy showed up to fix Jacob’s hair and then have dinner with us. Jacob seemed relieved to remove the warm, wooly beanie. Lindy laughed at the homespun haircut. Said we simply didn’t go up high enough. She fixed him up fairly quickly, leaving him with one of the shortest haircuts he’s ever had. Looks really nice, though. I vacuumed up the gobs of fallen hair while she trimmed & tweaked her work. Before putting her tools of the trade away, Mindy had her trim up Bella’s coiffure, too.

Dug into dinner soon after the haircuts were complete. The lasagna was quite good, but tasted more like pizza than authentic lasagna. I had two helpings along with a side salad. I’m thinking that it was just after 7pm when Lindy left for home, but not before Mindy paid her for her services. After Lindy left I changed into my PJs then did some reading about the Vikings big victory. Lots of praise out there for the job Ponder’s done so far this season. The press is so fickle and the season’s so young. I’m wise enough to know that two weeks from now they could just as likely be calling him the goat. Buy hopefully the Vikings can build on the day’s success.

Mindy and Bella continued their pie making efforts baking a fresh apple pie. Unfortunately, the baked pie wouldn’t be ready for consumption until Monday. Mindy shared that it needed a day to cool. As everyone else readied for bed, I tuned the TV to NBC and SNF – Patriots / Ravens. Mindy stayed up until about 915p. Jacob headed to his room even earlier but to practice saxophone and read. On the other hand, Bella stayed up until just after 10p with me. I stayed up until 1020pm, or well into the 3rd quarter.

Shearing the Mop Top

I woke around 4am after having some very peculiar dreams. I was wide awake and felt fully rested. I forced myself to go back to sleep anyway. I woke again near 5am realizing that I wasn’t going back to sleep again anytime soon. I quietly slipped out of bed. My waking and brushing my teeth woke Mindy. She asked why I was up. Told her I was wide awake then headed downstairs.

I started a pot of coffee then glanced outside. It was still raining but only lightly. Looked like we’d gotten quite a bit of rain during the overnight. I headed to my PC where I poked around aimlessly until the coffee was ready. During that brief time, I checked the weather. Looked like the rain was all but out of our area, and it was expected to clear throughout the day.

With coffee in hand, I returned to my PC where I searched YouTube for videos about framing a basement. I found a treasure trove of how-to videos. I must’ve watched how-to videos for almost 2 hours ranging from basic framing tips to design ideas. Near 7am I headed to the familyroom and sofa to watch a little TV and possibly a return to sleep. I managed to fall asleep but only for a handful of minutes. I was up again just before 8am, or about the same time that Mindy was up and downstairs.

Not sure her motivation for being up so early. To my knowledge, she had nowhere to be that morning. So for her to be up before 8am should be considered almost miraculous. By then the sky was clearing, though there were as many period of clouds as there were with sunshine. Mindy started laundry right away effectively ending the peaceful early AM. Something about the sound of a washing machine running ruins the peace and quiet. 

I eventually dressed and left for a run and completed my typical 3 mile weekend trail. Back at the house I inspected the flower bed nearest the drive where I sprayed another dose of Round-Up just the day before on yet another young crop of that pesky Canadian thistle. Everybody was up by the time I was back and inside. Jacob had a soccer game at noon that my dad agreed to take him to so that Mindy and I could go to a wedding for one of her former students. We were expecting dad to show up around 11-1130am. Before then, Mindy had Bella actively involved in household chores. She was vacuuming the entire downstairs. Mindy was giving her an earful for poor performance. I felt bad for Bella and tried defending her. Mindy got angry with me, and shared that it wasn’t so much the poor work as it was the back talk that I somehow missed. Yikes!

Jacob, meanwhile, asked if I was still willing to trim his hair. The sides are getting so long and curly that even he thinks it looks goofy. I agreed but also made it clear that I’d never cut anyone’s hair before, including my own. I fetched my electric clipper kit and we took an island stool out on the deck to do the shearing. I opted to use a #4 guard. I was a little nervous but tried not to act as much. My only goal was to shear off the long, curly sides. I did so somewhat successfully. Jacob went to take a look and returned asking for more to be taken off the back. Sure! Mindy eventually helped to by trimming his long bangs. He wasn’t thrilled with the shearing, but was happy to have the mop top gone.

Mindy soon headed off to the shower while Jacob and I awaited dad. While waiting on dad, I Windexed the front and back door glass. Dad showed up near 1130am. Jacob was ready to leave for the soccer as soon as dad walked in. Jacob was happy that his mother and I weren’t going, once again insisting that we’re bad luck charms. I wished them well as they shoved off for soccer.

The Buckeye game kicked off at 12noon. I tuned the TV to the pregame on the BTN at 1150am. We didn’t need to leave for the wedding until 1pm. I watched the first couple possessions for both teams. We didn’t look very crisp to say the least. In fact, we trailed early. I headed for a shower around 1220pm. By then Mindy was completely ready to go. Bella was back home again too, and getting ready to go to Uncle Larry’s, Aunt Jodie’s to watch the Buckeye game. Lindsey and the boys showed up just before we left by design. They were there to do laundry. By the time we left the house the Buckeyes trailed 9-0.

Arrived at Jodie and Larry’s around 1240pm. They had a house full of family there already watching the game. We had some time yet so we stuck around for about 15 minutes. By the time we left the Buckeyes had come from behind and lead 21-12. We left for the wedding just after 1pm. We didn’t have that far to go. Probably about 4 miles. We pulled up at the church, which is pretty close to Mindy’s school, around 130pm. Before heading inside I decided to check my blackberry. Had an email and VM from my boss asking that I call. He assumed I was covering for him over the weekend. Oh boy! This was a surprise to me. I agreed to shut off my out of office and headed into the wedding.

We sat in the last pew next to a friend of Mindy’s. They chatted quite a bit. As you might expect, several of Mindy’s former students were there for the wedding, including the bride. The ceremony was short and sweet, though nut the fastest one we’ve attended. Anymore, most go pretty quickly. I’m guessing it was no more than 25 minutes. Hadn’t given it much thought prior, but the last pew doesn’t exit the sanctuary until last. As a consequence, we were almost the last group to greet the new couple as we exited. Immediately outside the doors we were handed bird seed. I thanked them for the offer but shared that I ate before I came. :) Just kidding! I’ve seen rice, bubbles and rocks, but never before bird seed. Good idea though. We tossed the bird seed as the couple exited the church. How fun.

It wasn’t long before we were on our way to the reception just another mile or so up the road at the Grove City Elk Lodge. We listened to the Buckeye game on our drive there. They were still leading but only by a slim margin, 21-15. Geesh, that was almost a moral victory for UAB. Inside the Elk, I we quickly found our assigned seats. I was name tagged as Jim Thompson. While Mindy socialized, I got a plate of appetizers – cheese, crackers, and carrots. Mindy introduced me to a couple former students and their parents. Those sitting near us, I’ve met more than a time or two past. Been to many of their homes for graduation parties and what not. By the way, Mindy was sporting a little black dress that had more than a few people staring at her cleavage, including a few women.

A highlight of the wedding reception was a photo booth similar to what you would’ve found in the department stores back in the day. All guests, families, couples were encouraged to have their photos taken and were given a strip of proofs. Another copy was left for the wedding party scrap book along with a signature and well wishes. I thought that a novel idea.

There for about 30 minutes, I sent nephew Joe a text asking for a Buckeye score. He responded promptly 29-15. I didn’t ask if that was a final. Later, I checked the score via my Droid and saw that it was. That was a relief.

They were serving City Barbeque, but I opted to pass on anything beyond the appetizers and M&Ms I snacked on earlier. Mindy and I ducked out of the reception after about 90 minutes. I’m thinking that it was near 430p when we wished the new couple well and headed for our car. We listened to the Buckeye recap on our drive back to Jodie & Larry’s. Mindy wasn’t sure if Bella would still be there or not. She was planning on going home with Gloria after the game. Gloria’s car wasn’t there, nor was any other. We went up and in anyway.

It was just Jodie and Larry sitting quietly in the family room. We enjoyed a pleasant 30 minute visit before heading on to Gloria’s. I took notice of an old wooden icebox they have in their family room. Larry shared that his grandpa was an iceman back in the day. I, in turn, shared that my great-grandpa was an iceman too, and did his deliveries by horse and buggy in the bottoms. Anyway, the old icebox is one’ cool’ piece. Essentially a stand-up cooler with two compartments – one on top and one like a refrigerator door below. They use it for storage and as a conversation piece.

We left to go fetch Bella near 5pm. Last second, I suggested we swing in Hugh White Honda to check-out the new 2013 Accord. They had a few out front, and lucky for us, the dealership was closed. We were able to take look without fear of being approached.  The new body style looks more elegant than mine, the most noticeable change is the rear end and taillight design. Otherswise, it looks very, very similar. We weren’t there more than 2 or 3 minutes before moving on. I didn’t realize it until then that one can take that road all the way to Hall Rd now. Hmm? Lindsey texted Mindy about that same time wanting to know if we would keep the boys overnight. We talked it over and agreed to keep them thinking that we’d take them apple picking with us Sunday morning, too. We showed up at Gloria’s place about 10 minutes later.

Gloria said that Bella was busy in her office, which is really nothing more than a storage closet in the hallway. Too funny. Sure enough, Mindy opened the door to find Bella in there up on a shelf coloring. We visited for a few minutes before heading home. As much fun as she may have had, I knew that Bella, was eager to get home to see and hang with her friends. By the time we arrived home, Lindsey was there again to drop the boys. She didn’t stay long at all, and the kids all ran off to play. I checked in with work since I was covering for my boss and got involved in an escalation. I wasn’t happy but also didn’t want to leave my boss in a lurch. While I was working, Mindy walked down to the neighbors, who were having a get together with friends. A few minutes later Ben & Ryan walked in with Mindy. We haven’t hung with those two in a long while.

I finished the work I was in the middle of but then joined Ben, Ryan and Mindy in the kitchen and poured myself a beer. After my first beer, Ben & I shared a rocket of Pumking, my first pumpkin ale of the season. We must’ve hung out for about an hour before walking down to Kenny & Chrissy’s place. Before that, however, both Mindy & I changed into jeans.

Chrissy had quite a spread going, brisket, ribs, meatballs, Ben’s spinach artichoke dip, and much , much more. I was hungry too! Hadn’t eaten much of anything all day. I tried some of everything and I especially fell for the Jason’s smoked brisket. Jason is Kenny’s ex-wife’s new husband. They were both there. We watched the Notre Dame / Michigan game that kicked off near 8pm. Score was 0-0 for quite a while. I must’ve enjoyed two more beers during our stay. Mindy and I agreed to head home with all four kids – Jacob, Bella, Rocky, and Landon just after 930pm.

We made sure Landon got into a pull-up and then made them comfy in the spare room with Eiknarf. After seeing the kids into bed I hung out downstairs just a little while longer, which included one last follow-up on that work issue from earlier. I headed up to bed not much after 10pm. Mindy agreed to watch the rest of the Notre Dame / Michigan game. We were probably awake until 11pm or so, but once again not late enough to catch any of SNL. Good night half moon and first day of autumn!

Running Low on Enlightenment

I wasn’t up on Friday until 550am. I planned on working from home but didn’t think that would alter my morning routine much if at all. Took about 10 minutes to get through exercises: sit-ups, windmills, and push-ups. Afterwards, I woke Mindy and took her some coffee. Downstairs I enjoyed some coffee of my own while playing around online. I hadn’t really planned to delay my run, but time was quickly slipping away. As 7am neared I decided I would hold off on my run until Bella was safely on the bus.
I was still at my PC/
laptop and dealing with work when Mindy came downstairs. She asked when I planned to run. I shared that I would wait until Bella was off to school. Mindy left for work around 725am. It was another chilly start with temperatures in the low 50s but with plenty of sunshine. I stayed busy with work until Bella and I headed out near 810am. Shortly before we headed out I slipped into my running clothes. I planned to run shortly after seeing Bella onto the bus.

Chatted with Chrissy who was at the bus stop with Makayla. She asked if I was working from home. Yes. The bus was there on time. I walked Eiknarf out front long enough for her to fully relieve herself since that was her first walk of the day. I made sure that work was peaceful before heading off on my run.

It was a gorgeous morning for a run, but unfortunately my legs felt ridiculously tired. It took more effort than usual to get through the run, especially early on. I didn’t check the clock, but I am guessing it was near 9am when I got back to the house. I topped off my coffee and dug into work. I double checked my calendar to make sure I didn’t have any scheduled calls. Nope!

I whizzed through a couple tasks I take care of almost every Friday. I also dealt with a couple new issues brought to my attention by a peer. There was rain forecasted for the overnight and into Saturday morning. Getting the lawn cut during the day Friday then was a priority. Near 11am I took a break and headed out to get started. However, before doing any mowing I opted to pick-up and rake away several hundred fallen walnuts. I then spent about 30 minutes mowing with the tractor. Had it been a real day off work, I would’ve kept going. Instead, I headed back inside and worked for another hour or so. But sometime around 1230pm I headed back outside to finish the mowing with the Toro push mower. That didn’t’ take long at all – no more than 15 minutes.

I didn’t plan to whack and edge, but did plan to blow. I wouldn’t do that, however, until a bit later. For the time being, I headed back inside and dug back into work. I stayed busy for another 90 minutes or so before heading out to blow-off the walk and drive. The lawn looked pretty nice, but I could see that it was getting a little dry. I’ve had the irrigation system turned off since last weekend.

Both kids were home from school between roughly 3-4pm. Mindy, however, didn’t get home until almost 445pm. I couldn’t recall for sure if she told me she’d be at school late. By the time she got home our sunny day was pretty much gone. It had cooled off some too. I still hadn’t showered but planned to get one shortly. I waited on purpose, using that as my opportunity to clearly delineate my work day from home life.

Mindy and I had tentative plans to go to CBC. Mindy was taking Jacob to soccer practice while Jimaken agreed to pick him up after wards. At the same time, Bella was going to the Hilliard Davidson football game with Chrissy, Teri and kids. I showered while Mindy ran Jacob to soccer practice. It must’ve been about 615pm when Mindy and I left the house for CBC. I was covering for my boss all day, so I took my blackberry with us to CBC. We also took an empty growler. It was still in the Accord from last weekend.

Traffic was heavy getting into downtown, but we expected it given the hour. There was some sort of marathon going on downtown on the Brewery District which made the short drive from the freeway to CBC slow. No biggie. CBC had a sizeable Friday happy hour crowd. That was expected too. Like most visits, we didn’t have to wait too long at all for a couple stools to clear. We ended up with two stools against the glass patio wall. Vince served me a Bodhi. And then after some hemming and hawing, Mindy went with wine.

Vince asked if we cared for any appetizers. Sure. He offered Risotto balls. Yes! He brought risotto balls and bread. I mentioned to Mindy that while my Bodhi was good, it seemed a little thick. Wasn’t going down as easy as usual. Mindy wanted a 2nd glass of wine so I agreed to drive. In agreeing to do so, I didn’t plan on having more than 2 beers. We ordered food pretty quick too. Mindy ordered calamari and I ordered wings. We also alerted Vince that we wanted another order of wings for take home. He wisely shared that they wouldn’t put the order for a while.

Jen, the general manager, came by and quietly shared that their last keg of Bodhi was about to blow and that they wouldn’t have more on tap for 2 weeks.  Mindy quickly asked Kevin, who was also working the bar, to fill our growler. Sadly, he got about 20 ounces in the jug before the keg blew. Dang it! Before I forget, Kevin is a musician and loves Todd Rundgren. Told me that he’s coming to Cleveland for two nights, Friday & Saturday October 12 & 13. Hmm? I suggested to Mindy that we make a weekend trip out of it.

Vince allowed me to pour the little bit of Bodhi from our growler into my pint glass. He promised to get us another growler of regular IPA to take home. Cool! Jacob was at home after soccer practice, so we didn’t plan to stay too late. I’m thinking it was near 830pm when Mindy asked for our to-go order of wings. I picked up the check. We had to take the back way home due to the marathon, which was still underway. We took the alley that runs from Short St just north of the Kroger to Front St and then took it to Greenlawn and eventually 71N to 70W. I saw a flash of light. Asked Mindy if that was lightning. Hmm? As we neared home it was apparent that some significant rain had moved through. Cool, we needed it.

Jacob was waiting patiently for his wings at home. While he enjoyed wings, I changed into my lounging clothes. While getting changed a storm whipped up, blowing wind, lightning, and fairly heavy rain. That lasted for at least an hour, and the rain kept coming down even after the wind and lightning stopped. Mindy had only two glasses of wine but sounded as though she’d drank an entire bottle. She headed to bed around 915-930pm. A few minutes later Bella came running home. Said the football game was canceled. Kenny called a few minutes later to confirm that she made it home.
Jacob, Bella and I were watching TV when my Droid rang. It was Sean & David calling. Obviously, Sean made it to David’s. We talked for about 10 minutes agreeing that the three of us should hook-up. Losing Geno out of the blue last summer was a sobering experience. The kids headed to bed around 1030pm. I stayed downstairs a while longer until I fell asleep on the sofa. I headed for bed around 11pm.