Feelin' a bit on Edge

Was up just after 540am and quickly downstairs for calisthenics. Actually, I had to prep coffee before exercise. Failed to do so the night before. It was another lovely morning with clear skies, warm temps, and lots of birds chirping. I knocked out sit-ups, windmills, and curls in all of about 10 minutes. Headed to my desk around 555am with a hot cup of coffee. I played around on my home PC for about 15 minutes before heading upstairs to wake Mindy. Once she was up I headed back to my desk and checked my work email.

Should've waited. Darn! Instantly, my morning was transformed from calm and peaceful to one loaded with stress. I started working right away dealing with a mini crisis of sorts. Ugh! I managed to reel myself in and walk away for a stretch and a run near 7am. I felt a heavy weight on my shoulders as I bolted out the door but also knew the run would bring some much needed relief.

As much as I hated to, I rolled my run back to just three miles, the first time doing so in almost a month. It was the right thing to do. I wanted to get back to the work issue as soon as i could without selling myself short. It was a gorgeous run, by the way, about 60 degrees under perfectly clear skies. Smelt awesome with all sorts of sweet flowering tree buds filling the air.

Was home again at 730am. Mindy wondered if I already had the work issue under control. She left for work in the Accord, leaving the Pilot just in case I was able to get away and go after the edger as originally planned. By 8am I felt like I had already put in a half day's work. :) I noticed Kenny out in his back yard. I walked out to share my dilemma since we planned on sharing the edger. Let him know that work demanded my time for near term but still hoped to find 30 minutes to go after the edger.

Nephew Joe showed up to clean around 8am. I let him know that I would be working from home but would do my best to stay out of his way. Joe opted to clean the upstairs and our master bathroom first. Mindy left him a note asking him to focus some extra time on our master bath tile floor. The grout really needed some attention.

I Walked Bella to the bus stop at 810a. The bus came along a couple minutes early. I headed home and reengaged in work. Called Sunbelt rentals to check the status of my online reservation. They said they had the edger ready to go anytime. I think it was near 835am when I there came a lull in the work flow so I took full advantage and headed off to Sunbelt in Hilliard.

No problems other than confirming what they loaded on my trailer was in fact a bed edger. Looked a bit more like a trencher or tiller, but after the gentleman explained how it would work it made perfect sense. I left for home. At home with the edger in the back of the trailer, I really couldn't afford to spend anytime unloading, let alone actually edging. Instead, I had to work. Stayed solidly busy for the next 90 minutes. Poked my head out front around 11am only to find the rear gate off the trailer and the machine gone! My heart sunk!

I immediately went to the back deck door where I noticed Kenny out edging his rear flower beds. That was relief. I went to check on him. He stopped briefly and shared how he decided to get busy without bothering me while I worked. The machine leaves a nice edge but will throw rocks and roots and also tear up anything in its path. While Kenny manned the edger, I did the back raking. We had a pretty good system down. All totaled, we edged three yards, his, mine, and the O'Connell's.

Like last year, Kenny mangled one of my sprinkler heads, but this time it was all my fault after steering him wrong when he asked me to point out where my at risk sprinkler heads were. The grass has grown so thick over the last week, I could easily see the sunken heads like I could just a week prior. We spent about an hour edging and raking. That's it. Granted, I still need to smooth the dirt it throws into the flower beds, but what we accomplished with the machine edger would take me a three, maybe four weekend days to complete.

More than once I startled Joe while he was cleaning with headphones on. Got to be a running joke. And several times I'd be talking to him completely oblivious that he was buried in headphone sound. He asked ot shower at our place before headng into school to do his final presentation before graduating with his Associates Degree from Columbus State. Congrats Joe!

I was hungry and thirsty. Chugged a cold cherry Power-Aid. Did some more work then left to return the edger near 130pm. Wanted to put that completely behind me. Was back home and working again just before 2pm. Stayed very busy all afternoon, but did manage a couple key breaks. It took me no more than 10 minutes to repair the mangled sprinkler head. I have three just like it that I replaced last season with alternative heads. I simply dub around and down to the rugged tubbing and removed the mangled body and screwed on a replacement. It's that simple, though I will have to fine tune its spray pattern another time.

Worked slowed down around 3pm ,and it was a good thing, I was tired after starting right out of bed near 6am. I headed out to get a start on the lawn, which really needed cut on Wednesday. In the back of my mind was whether or not the Toro would start, though as you may recall I thought I fixed the issue last week. I am happy to report that it started on the first pull. Wahoo!

I cut the front then checked in with work. Still quiet, I headed out again this time to do the slopes in the backyard. That didn't take long. Went for my tractor next. Between each remaining phase I checked in with work. Took care of a couple issues but was able to pull away and finish the lawn completely. I took my time trimming and edging. Looks sweet! And by the time that Mindy was home from school the lawn was completely finished. I accomplished much during the day, both at home and also for work.

Mindy reminded me that it was a Bella gymnastics day. Around 445pm I headed out to wash the BM'er, something that's on my list of things I need to do. It never takes long. small and easy. Took longer to get the front hose ready for use. It's been idle and detached all winter. I quickly lubed all the connections before attaching everything.

Had the BM'er clean and dried by 520pm. instead of putting everything away, I decided to was h the Accord next. Mindy drive it to school and it looked as if it took the brunt of somebody's gas powered trimmer. Grass clippings stuck all along the driver's side. But it was grimy dirty too. Hasn't been washed in more than a month. I washed the sides twice with super soapy water. Mindy popped her head out to let me know that she and Bella needed to leave in a few minutes. I acknowledged the need and was already mindful of that. By then I only need to dry it. They were standing at its doors ready to depart just as I wrapped up. The only things I didn't get to was the wheels, tires, and then the inside, but it's never that dirty inside.

While Mindy was away, I put away the hose and bucket then headed in for a shower. I was grimier than the cars. :) Felt awesome! Apparently i missed the dinner memo, which was self-serve. Mindy later told me she ate Monday's leftover cheese burger. I opted to make a sandwich with the leftover inferno chicken nuggets she made Tuesday. It was delicious. Mindy and I enjoyed a White Rajah from the deck. Man, what a gorgeous evening. I love the long shadows, both in the morning then again in the evening. That's when our backyard is the prettiest. Mindy shared that she needs more touches. I listened.

It was time to go after Bella in a hurry. Mindy asked if I planned to take the BM'er. Why not? It was gorgeous evening and the BM'er was sparkling clean. Grabbed my light-weight running jacket then rolled out the drive at 711pm. Took 270S jamming to the Blitz the entire way. Arrived a few minutes ahead of 730pm. Watched Bella do a few passes on the double-mini then a few back handsprings into back flips. Practice ended at 735pm and Bella and I met just outside the entry door.

She was elated to discover that I'd driven the BM'er - Big points! The cruise home was fun. She let her tied back hair fly. Told I need to pack an extra ballcap for such occasions. We weren't home long before Mindy suggested we get to work on Bella's homework assignment - a life timeline complete with pictures. She worked with Bella on the written piece while I sorted through my photo collection for photos that commemorated each of the major life events she spoke of in writing. I poured a 2nd White Rajah too.

After identifying 15 pictures charting Bella from soup to nuts I printed them off as 4X6" snap shots, which she would use at school on a poster board. Mindy & Bella watched Idol elimination night. I refrained and instead played a little guitar and then spent some time on the internet. I'm pretty sure that Idol was over at 9pm and that's when Mindy headed up to bed. I stayed up until 10pm on the nose watching How It's Made. Joined Mindy in bed, though she was already out cold.