Buckeyes, Bodhi & Balls

I was up and out of bed near 7am in determined to have a good bit of alone time before the boys arrived around 8am. It stormed overnight and was still raining lightly when I got up. I started some coffee then played on the internet. I was surprised to see that it was 69 degrees even though the forecast has called for the temperature to dip into the 50’s overnight. The bulk of the rain looked to past us. In fact, the skies were expected to clear by midafternoon.

The hour went fast. Soon Lindsey and the boys were walking up the drive with their laundry baskets in tow. I asked Lindsey about Rocky’s impetigo and if he was on more antibiotics. Yes, he was. She headed off to work and the boys headed up to the spare room to get more sleep and watch TV. I insisted that they remain whisper quiet until the others were up.

Around 915am I did a thorough stretch in the family room then slipped out for a run. The three boys were just coming down the stairs as I headed out. I opened the door and asked that Jacob walk the pug. The clouds were already breaking up during my run, though it remained mostly cloudy overhead. The temperature seemed to drop, and it certainly didn’t feel anywhere close to the 69 degrees it was when I got up.

I did the usual three mile weekend run returning to the house near 10am. Immediately in the door I asked if someone – anybody – walked the dog. Yep, Jacob did. Great! I checked the temperature. It was already down to 61 degrees. Mindy was quick to start working on Lindsey’s laundry. The kids, meanwhile, were better behaved than they were the week before. Mindy apparently told Rocky he wasn’t allowed to go down to Kyle & Cody’s anymore. The kids asked repeatedly if they could go outside and play football. Up to that point Mindy had refused citing the wet, muddy conditions. I eventually came to their rescue sharing that it really wasn’t that bad, and besides, so what if they get dirty. That’s what boys do. As it was, they would drive us crazy if we kept them inside all day.

I finished updating my blog from the prior week then headed out on the deck where I dead headed the geraniums and refilled the bird feeders. I noticed that the squirrels were digging in one of the hanging baskets again, so I used some of the potting soil from the tomato plant pot to fill the void the squirrel left. I was outside for no more than 15 minutes. Inside again, I headed up for a shower somewhere near 11am. I wanted to be showered and dressed ahead of the Buckeye football game that kicked off at noon.

Mindy had Bella helping with chores around the house. She vacuumed the entire downstairs. By the time the game kicked off, all the kids were outside playing and Mindy was in the shower. With almost perfect timing, the skies cleared to a lovely blue just before kick-off making for a mostly sunny afternoon.

The Buckeyes were playing UCF, or the University of Central Florida. This time we scored first and initially it looked like we might dominate from start to finish. That wasn’t the case, however. UCF proved pesky enough to hang around and keep the score relatively close heading in to halftime. In fact, it was 10-10 until the Buckeyes scored another TD just before the half.

Sometime during the game Mindy suggested that we ask Lindsey to watch the kids after she got off work so she and I could go out to dinner for my birthday. She called CBC midafternoon to ask if they had Bodhi back on tap. They did! Hurrah!
The Buckeyes came out in the 2nd half and scored two quick TD’s to take away any chance of an upset. However, despite a lopsided score of 31-10, UCF wouldn’t go away and hung tough for the rest of the way. The Buckeyes won 31-16. The game was over by 330pm.
There was more football to watch through the afternoon but not before I took a brief nap. The afternoon moved quickly. Landon had been bugging me to take him out back to swing, or to help him fish. About the time I was ready to dedicate some one on one time to him, he fell asleep on the sofa.

At some point after the game, I suggested that we tote the 9’ Xmas tree up from the basement and set it at the curb with a ‘free’ sign attached. We used packing tape to keep the box closed and moved it to the curb. Not five-ten minutes later Mindy walked down to the neighbors for something and by the time she walked back home the tree was already gone! Bam!

Late afternoon Bella came in asking if her friend Aelena could spend the night. Having made other plans, Mindy told her no, not this time. Bella was in tears. I tried consoling her from the deck (lovely afternoon -lows 70s and sunshine) but she would have nothing of it. I’m thinking it was near 6pm when Lindsey showed up after work. Not sure if she ran her clean laundry home then or simply waited until later. Regardless, Mindy and I readied and left for CBC around 645pm after Mindy briefly reviewed instructions for the kids with Lindsey. Essentially told her that our kids needed to be home and inside for the night by 730-8p. We figured to be home between 9-10p.

Mindy packed two growlers in our Jimindy cooler. We arrived at CBC near 7pm. Mindy commented about the bike chained to the telephone pole directly across the street from CBC. I guessed that it belonged to Vince, the bartender. Mindy thought not. Once we were seated I asked Vince if that was his bike across the street. Yes! I quickly pointed that out to Mindy. My intuition was correct. Vince wondered what made me think that it was his. One, it’s there often. Two, I’ve heard him talk about liking to bike. I figured it must belong to someone that worked there, and he was a likely candidate – deductive reasoning.

The Bodhi was fresh and delicious. Both of us enjoyed one. Vince served us some bread and eventually some risotto balls. The GM, Jen, clocked out around 730pm and joined Mindy and I at the bar for a drink. Vince kept the Bodhi’s coming, never letting me go dry. Mindy and I went ahead and placed dinner orders. She ordered the scallops while I ordered the barrel cut sirloin.

All the while were hanging at CBC, Bella was busy texting both her momma and me. And she still hadn’t let go of the Aelena spending the night thing. It was cute at first but then bothersome. No simply means no. At some point, can’t remember if it was a call or a text, but we learned that Rocky & Jacob wanted to spend the night at Chrissy’s, Bella wanted Makayla to stay at our place. Mindy relented. Bella asked if we could have a fire out back once we arrived home and then wanted a pizza. I agreed to both.

Dinner was delicious. Mindy stopped drinking after one Bodhi, but did sip from a couple of mine for the remainder of our visit. All totaled, I drank four. Mindy had one of the two growlers we brought filled and then picked up the check and drove us home.

We weren’t in the door for two minutes before Lindsey & Landon headed for home. Bella and Makayla wanted a Sparano’s pizza. I Googled the number then gave them a call. Closed for a remodel or move. Can’t remember which. After sharing that news, the girl reluctantly agreed to a Minelli’s pizza. We ordered it for delivery. I gave Mindy a $20 and headed out to get a fire started in the fire ring by the water. The girls soon joined me. Just about the time we got the fire going Mindy shared that the pizza was there. Wow! That was fast. Couldn’t have been even 20 minutes.

The girls and I enjoyed some pizza then headed back outside where they planned to make smores once the coals were hot enough. I half expected the boys, Jake, Jacob, and Rocky to come join us, but they didn’t. Mindy, meanwhile, said she was going to bed. Still not 100% after battling a sinus infection most of the week. The girls made one smore each and were done with the fire just like that. Hardly seemed worth it, really. But I know this, Bella will remember these times however brief as they may be. I guess in that sense it was well worth it.

Now about 11pm, I suggested that I was heading to bed despite the girls still up and giggling. Didn’t sound like they were going to sleep anytime soon. I only asked that they turn off the TV and the lights before heading off to bed. Said they would. Good night moon!