Jack Daniels

I was up fairly early, somewhere between 7 & 8am. I quickly started coffee on what was a brilliantly sunny morning. However, not trying to fool anyone, I was really chilly again – only 43 degrees. I enjoyed coffee at my PC for nearly an hour before heading out on a run. I ran the typical weekend route of 3 miles.

After my run, Mindy and I enjoyed coffee on the deck. It was warming nicely – already near 60 degrees by 10am. However, as good as it felt, it wasn’t expected to get warmer than 70 degrees all day. Mindy and I agreed to keep the boys on Monday while Lindsey worked. At the time, there was still a chance that I might be golfing. Mindy sent Lindsey a text letting her know that we would keep them and to bring her laundry then, too. I suggested we spend some time planting the flowers we bought the day before.

We headed upstairs to change into attire more suitable for yard work. We headed out about a half hour later. Mindy’s job was to sink the flowers she picked out for the tree stump planter. My job was to do the patio pot. We finished that in a hurry. Next up, Mindy asked if I was going to plant the althea (rose of Sharon) that I bought two weeks ago. Once those were in the ground, all of our flowers would be in the ground.

The spot where we wanted to plant the rose of Sharon is severely sloped, so it was a challenge digging the holes and cutting a quick bed. The Idea being to eliminate having to cut the grass there in the future. Took about30 minutes to get them fully planted. I used the sod I dug up to fill a couple bare spots in neighbor Trena’s lawn. I planted a few more cannas bulbs there, too.

Watered everything we planted really well. Mindy headed for a shower and then out to run errands. I think she had planned stops at Target & Kroger. I suggested she pick-up some more beer, too. Though, beyond heading to her brother’s place around 430pm, we didn’t have any other plans solidified.

While Mindy was away, I played around online looking for available vacation homes in the Outer Banks, just as Connie and I talked about the night before. Geesh! All the houses I liked were several thousand dollars for one week. One in particular was $12K. Hell no! It was gorgeous though.

I spent a little time catching up with my blog, too. I hadn’t published or posted anything for more than a week. I had written everything through Wednesday, May 22nd. Mindy called to ask me what beers I wanted her to get. We agreed on some CBC IPA and some more Southern Tier XXIPA. Took a shower before Mindy got back home.

We heard from the kids. Jacob’s soccer team won the early game. Had another one coming up later in the afternoon. If his team won that game, then they’d be heading back again on Monday for the championship game. We left for Todd’s place near 415pm and arrived about 20 minutes later. He lives all way out near where Jennifer Eickel lived as a teenager – out near Norton & Grove City Rd. Nice place.

Several family members already there. Met Joe’s new interest, Rick, for the first time. Seems nice and a good match. At last year’s Memorial Day birthday event it was scorching hot – about 95 degrees. Todd had the misters running that day. This year was a different story. It was sunny but mild – close to 70 degrees. It felt really nice until a line of clouds moved in and blanketed the sun pretty much for the rest of the afternoon/early evening. Suddenly the mid-60s felt cool.

Food was good: hot dogs, pizza, chips galore, cookies, and pasta salad. I was ravenously hungry, just as I was pretty much all weekend long. I ate a lot. We visited, ate, sang happy birthday, and watched the girls open their gifts. We left for home near 7pm. Mindy talked with Jimaken. Jacob’s soccer team lost in the semi-finals. No Monday game. They were heading home. Planned to drop the kids by the house. Mindy made a pit stop at Lowes, wanting to look quickly for a hanging basket for our front porch. It’s a touch we’ve gone without the past couple seasons, but also one we wanted to reintroduce. I found what I deemed the perfect colors, a New Guinea Impatiens with dark purple foliage and pink flowers. In and gone.

I hung the new basket promptly, though wasn’t real pleased with how close it hangs to the garage wall. Not a lot we can do about, however, since we’re limited by the cedar supports just above. Thought I might lower it some the following day, but left it alone. Watered the front yard flowers while Mindy walked the pug. The kids arrived home while I was out front watering. They both seemed tired. Jacob still wasn’t speaking to Mindy. I guess he was still torqued about losing his phone. In fact, he ended up heading right back out with Jimaken. Only Bella was staying home with us.

Before we left Todd’s, Joe and Rick said they might be stopping by. Bella soon headed off to play with her peeps, something she’d been jonsing to do since she left on Friday. Mindy & I headed out on the deck in jackets and cracked opened a couple beers. By then the sun was out from behind the clouds that covered it for the past couple hours. It was still a little chilly, though.

Joe & Rick showed up a little while later. I heard Mindy inside greeting them while I remained on the deck listening to Pandora via my Kindle Fire HD through my Bose box. Joe snuck up behind m, completing startling me. Said it was paybacks for a few weeks ago when I did the same to him while he was cleaning with headphones on. Meanwhile, Mindy was still inside giving Rick the home tour.

They eventually joined us on the deck where we resumed the beer fest and tunes. Neighbor Chrissy & Teri had been partying all afternoon. And as a result, Chrissy apparently headed to bed pretty early. It was only 9pm when we saw Teri leave and pay a visit to Trena. Thirty minutes later she walked over to our place, to which we welcomed her with open arms and then learned that Chrissy was already in bed.
Bella, meanwhile, asked to have a sleepover with Kayla – big surprise.

Things were going swimmingly until I took Joe and Teri to see the framing work Kenny did in our basement. At first it was what I would deem as friendly banter, but soon it escalated into a curt exchange centering around Joe’s preferences and Teri’s inability to come to grips with it. Joe could take it no more and soon shared his not so polite opinion of Teri directly to her face. I did my best to mediate as we headed up and back out on the deck, but it only continued. Soon Teri up and walked away towards home. I talked with Joe about it some, but not for too long.

We cranked the music up a notch, and once the guys came off with their keys, I broke out the Jack Daniels. Rick was a bit more eager than Joe, but we all ended up doing our fair share. Mindy didn’t drink any Jack, but drank buttery nipples instead. Neared, our mini-fest ended up turning into a dance party. Aside from a couple buttery nipples, Mindy drank very little. I think she had just one beer.

Around 1am the guys asked if we would call them a cab or drive them home. Mindy agreed to drive them home. There wasn’t any way they were getting the keys, nor did they even ask. We all piled in the Pilot for Joe’s place leaving Rick’s SUV parked safely in front of our home. Agreed to come fetch them in the morning, too, since Joe’s car was back at Rick’s place. I fell asleep on the drive home waking just before we pulled into our subdivision. Now near 2am, we were immediately off to bed. Well, only after choking down three Advil to help ward off any potential headache come morning.