Spinny & Spittin'

 

Anytime I sleep past 8am I consider that late. As such, I wasn’t up and out of bed until 810am on Sunday morning. I quietly slipped out of bed and headed downstairs where I started some coffee to the pitter-patter of rain drops slamming against the skylights. It’s rained every day for the last week. Gettin’ old quick. Again, we’re seemingly stuck in this spinny weather pattern where the same rainy weather system is rotating around the upper Midwest.

I sipped coffee and played on the internet, taking time to add photos to the blog entries I posted the day prior. I didn’t head out on a run until almost 10am. Even then, everybody else remained sleeping. I ran three miles in spittin’ rain. The rain actually kept me cool, but at this point I would gladly exchange the rain for bright sunny skies.

Bella slept on the sofa all night and remained there even after my return. Mindy was finally up around 1045-11am. Said she slept well for the 2nd night in a row. I suggested we use the time before going to Jodi & Larry’s house to clean the pond. She agreed, but reminded me that she had a teacher’s retirement party to attend first. Figured she’d be home with plenty of time to spare. I am sure she told me about it at some point but didn’t really recall any such event.

Mindy left sometime around noon. By then Bella was awake. Mindy offered Bella the chance to go along. She declined. While Mindy was away, I puttered around the yard and inside the house. I played the guitar for a while too. At some point I headed out back with my sand wedge to hit golf balls. Bella soon came out and initiated a water toy fight. We had a good time.

By the time Mindy got home from the retirement party it was far too late to work in the pond. In fact, it was already near 330pm. We were supposed to be there at 4-430pm. I gave up and took a shower around 3pm. Bella was tasked with tracking down Jacob, who we hadn’t seen since about 11am shortly after he got up and said he was heading off to Lane’s.

Bella finally got a hold of him at 345pm. Said he was next door having a jalapeño eating contest with Jake. Insisted he needed to stay longer. Through Bella, Mindy relayed the message that he needed to be home instantly. He came running with his mouth apparently still ablaze. He was gasping for air, and quickly poured himself a cup of chocolate milk. Said he ate 30 peppers. We clarified, that was 30 slices, but still. Assured him that the following morning would likely not be too pleasant.  Somewhat hurriedly, Mindy cut up about 6 or 7 types of cheese for a platter and then a water melon she bought while she was out. She would’ve cut it later but she dropped it carrying it in the house.

We left for Jodi & Larry’s near 410pm. It started raining fairly hard just as we were leaving, but by the time we crossed West Broad at 270 the rain was completely nonexistent, again, the pattern we’ve been in for several days running. Arrived at our destination near 430pm. We arrived at the same time as nephew Joe and Rick. Already a house full, we quickly blended in on their lovely patio.

I hadn’t eaten much of anything all day. I was hungry and there were lots of snacks and grillin's to be had. I had a couple chips but waited for Jodi to declare it time to eat before digging into the main courses. For the 2ns afternoon in a row, I enjoyed a cup of lemonade. Yum!

I filled my plate full of the picnic type goodies. Opted for a brat as my meat of choice. I consumed my food from the comfort of a rocking chair on the covered patio. I must be getting old to appreciate a rocking chair so much 

We were celebrating four birthday’s: Lindy (May ??), Joe (6/28), Maw-maw (6/11), and Jeff (6/??). As a result, there were lots of cards and gifts. After the card sharing ceremony birthday treats were served – maw-maws chocolate peanut butter fudge and chocolate chip sheet cookie. Of course I don’t care for peanut butter fudge and opted for the chocolate chip sheet cookie instead. It was scrumptious!

We hung out with the family until 730 or so. Jacob quietly and sheepishly informed me that he needed to poop. Didn’t want to use his aunt’s guest bathroom. I thanked him for being considerate.  As usual, Mindy took forever saying goodbye and walking the car. Jacob was in pain! Just as I was walking towards the Pilot another SUV stopped and rolled its windows down. It was none other than Dan & Mary Elswick, my old friends from way back. They live just around the corner. I gave Mary a hug and took their picture. We need to hook-up and catch-up soon. Told them quickly about Jacob’s dilemma. That brought a laugh to everyone. We hustled home.

Jacob ran inside, disabled the security system then ran up to his bathroom. The rest of us unwound for the evening. When Mindy and I walked the pug, we rain into the island girls fishing form the bridge. Said they spent the afternoon at Alum Creek on Mike’s boat. Unfortunately, had some technical difficulties and had to be towed in. Bummer! Apparently the engine was smoking/overheating. Evan shared that the water intake wasn’t working.

One Bella caught wind of the girls being out front, she ran out to join them. She hasn’t spent a whole lot of time with them recently, but shared how much she was missing Makayla. I spent the rest of the evening playing on the computer and hanging out with my wife. I looked for available rooms at HV for our fast approaching Niagara Falls weekend getaway and was sad to see that the Tamarack no longer has availability.  Still a room or two at the Inn, however.

Bella somehow convinced Mindy to let her spend the night with Makayla even though Chrissy leaves for work early AMs. In the past that’s been taboo. But this time Bella promised to come home when Chrissy leaves for work. After she left for Makayla’s, Mindy, Jacob and I talked about all sorts of stuff. We had fun hanging out together. Somewhat out of character for me, I ended up drinking three beers before bed. Two of those were Founder’s Session IPA’s that aren’t very strong – only 4.7% Still very tasty, though. Headed to bed near 1030pm.

Jonsing for Barley's Real Ale

I was up reasonably early for Saturday morning. I thinking that it was somewhere close to 7am. I thought I'd have plenty of time to myself while the others slept peacefully, but while I was making coffee, I was met in the kitchen by Bella, who shared that she barely slept at all the night before. It wasn't ten minutes later when the Lindsey and the boys showed up. Oops! I forgot all about us volunteering to watch them so Lindsey could work OT.

I did my best to keep the kids quiet including making them some fru-fru coffee. I spent most of the early morning sipping coffee and updating my blog. I did a little work too. Mindy I don't think was up until after my run, which I didn't get started until almost 9am.
Despite a gloomy, rainy forecast, it was a mostly sunny and warm start to the day. I ran the usual abbreviated 3 miles without any problems. As soon as I was home I raised the garage door and grabbed by electric hedge trimmers so I could trim back the cranberry bush at the side of the garage and house as well as the Ivy, which is taking off like gang busters thanks to all the recent rainfall. I trimmed the ivy growing into the street around the mailbox, too. By then the kids were fishing out front in the pond.

Once I finished with the light yard work i retreated to the deck and installed the new black canopy over the still standing frame. I had Mindy give me a hand rearranging turning it 90 degrees so it was 8' wide and 10' out from the deck door. I had to move the deck table and umbrella over about 10" to allow for the move but it looks better, not to mention more functional that way. Of course, I checked the radar before taking the time to set it up. Like the day before. the weather was a crap shoot. There were scattered storms circling all around the Ohio.

While relaxing on the deck, I heard all sorts of commotion out front where the kids were fishing. It wasn't long before they came calling for my help. Said that Rocky caught a duck and needed my help freeing it. I grabbed my camera and rushed to the flailing duck's aid. Not only was he hooked, but he was freaking out. You'd think his peers would've shown some mercy, but they were trying to attack it, almost as if they thought it had gone mad. Meanwhile, the kids were in a panic. I dispatched Rocky to the deck to sit. I enlisted Bella's help to free the duck from the fishing line. I was admittedly a little over stimulated too. At first I asked Bella to grab the helpless duck while I slowly reeled it ashore. But she didn't appear to have the courage to handle it. We traded spots and I took over the rescue effort.

Honestly, I was a little concerned for my own safety too, never before handling a mallard duck. If it were anything like the geese, it would fight me with its webbed feet and claws, let alone biting me with its beak. The duck, however, seemed at ease once I had a firm hold of it. Almost as if it realized I was there to help. At the time, the fishing line was wrapped all through its wings. It looked like it was in its mouth too. It was soft and very warm. I ordered Landon to fetch Mindy and meet me on the deck.

Between Mindy and I, we were able to quickly untangle the fishing line from the docile ducks wings and then turned our attention to its mouth. It quickly became apparent that it had swallowed the entire hook. Mindy tried nervously to pry its mouth opened. When she did so, it seemed to be in pain. Mindy went for surgical tools, needle nose pliers and scissors. On even closer inspection, the barbed end of the hook was poking through its neck. It looked hopeless, but as I told , Mindy, that might be the best of all possibilities. If it was protruding enough, we might be able to pull it all the way through. We cut the fishing line at its mouth.

Unfortunately, the hook seemed to rescind into its neck, and prying its mouth opened far enough to attempt to grab it from the top seemed impossible, if not fatal. We opted to say a little blessing and release it. I put it down and it waddled away to the water like nothing happened. Mindy was in tears. The kids were very, very quiet. Rocky watched the surgery from the deck door. Once things calmed down I invited Rocky outside with the rest of us. After all, he didn't catch the duck on purpose. There's so many of them this year that when the kids fish with bread they attack it too, just like the carp.

I invited the kids to throw the Frisbee again. Only Rocky & Landon were interested. Again, Landon is surprising good at it, especially for a 6 year old. We tossed it for about 30-40 minutes before we both were sweaty.

As it was, Lindsey was expected to get off work around 2pm and then come to our house to finish her laundry while me, Mindy and the kids headed to a wedding and reception. As planned, Lindsey showed up around 215pm while I was napping on the deck. Mindy headed off to the shower at some point. Not sure exactly what time. I napped and relaxed the whole time expecting Mindy to come out and tell me it was time to get ready for the wedding. By the time I headed in to shower and ready, everybody else was all ready to go. I checked the radar again, worried that a storm might be moving in. But once again, lots of scattered storms all around us but nothing appeared to be heading directly our way. I opted to leave the new canopy and umbrella up.

Mindy was pacing nervously as I made final preparations. She was worried that we'd be late for the wedding. At the time, I wasn't even sure where it was taking place. Just before we left the house I learned that it was being held at Crossroads church. I haven't been there for a number of years. I think Mindy's gone a time or two. We left he house around 305-310pm. The wedding, according to Mindy, was set to begin at 330pm sharp. I doubted it. They always start late.

We made it with plenty of time, but were in fact some of the last guests to arrive. We sat behind Jodi, Larry, Lindy and Maw-maw. The ceremony started maybe 5 minutes after we were seated & settled. The ceremony was relatively quick, about 35-40 minutes, and that included communion, which was served by the bride & groom. I didn't realize it at the time but the groom is a minister. The wedding ended around 410pm and all the guests were shuffled just outside the church doors for the ceremonial bubble blow ( no rice). The reception was slated to start until 6pm at the YWCA downtown. With about 90 minutes to kill, we headed home for a while. During our drive home it began to rain. We stopped by Darwin's place as we drove by. He and brother-in-law, Danny were out front. We chatted ever so briefly. I told him that I wasn't doing the reception and would be back shortly.

Lindsey and the boys were gone by then. I asked Mindy again if I could stay home from the reception. She wasn't having any of that. She insisted that I go with she and the kids. She knows all too well how I get when I don't have any down time to relax over the weekend. And this is one of those weekends with a packed agenda. Ugh! Not wanting to make waves, I cowered and agreed to go with the family. We left for the reception around 550pm. It was a rather easy drive east on 70 exiting at 4th St. The YWCA is located at 4th & State in direct view of the capital building. I'd never been there prior.

The reception was on the 4th floor. We took the stairs, which left me a little winded. We stepped out on the veranda overlooking the buildings just to the south. I sipped a lemonade while Mindy and the others enjoyed mojitos. I stayed out on the veranda after the others headed inside. Mindy was off talking to the other guests. Our table was #17. We were all sitting together.

Pretty much a traditional reception, lead in lock step by the DJ. There was the arrival of the wedding party, the toasts, then dinner and dancing. The dinner options were a bit different: pulled pork and a vegan entree, which included a very spicy tofu dish and rice. The salad was called carrot salad. I tried some. It had a funny, not so pleasant after taste. I'm not sure that anyone at our table cared for the meal, but then again, that's really not why we were there. Heck, who am I kidding, I was there to appease my wife. :) I have to say. though, Danielle is a super young lady - bright, charming & pretty. She and her new husband have a lot going for them.

Mindy and I did the wedding anniversary dance. We were in the third group to exit the floor - less than 10 years married. The winners were a couple that have been married for 67 years. She was in a wheel chair dancing with her husband whose shirt was untucked and amiss. Very cute. They looked to be in their late 80s- early 90s. We did a 2nd song, too, just because.

I tried to get Bella to dance but she was a no-go. I even jokingly asked Jacob for a dance. He declined too. :) Both kids were eager to leave, but not before having some wedding cake. More than once, Jacob shared how hungry he was. I was hungry too. Mindy agreed that we should stop at Barley's on our way home. Instantly I was in a good mood. :)

We left the wedding reception near 830pm. We had to wait in the car for an extra 5 minutes while Mindy went back inside to locate the black shawl she let Bella borrow but forgot. Knowing Mindy, Jacob and I both were worried we might be waiting an hour. Given the chance, that girl will converse with a wall. :) Surprisingly, she was back out, though empty handed, after just five minutes. We headed to Barley's.

All four of us were excited to be there. The lot was sparsely attended. As a result, we got a close parking spot. Immediately in the door I heard my name and a cheer. It was neighbors Pat & Lisa along with their sister-in-law, Lori and her new beau, Bill. They were seated at the corner of the bar. We bellied up to one of the small barside tables near them. I asked for a Centennial. Boy was it good. Mindy opted for a Hoptopus while both kids went with a Dr Pepper. Almost a tradition, at least when we go there with the kids, we ordered a basket of fries too. Yum!

Everybody but me ordered food. I was a little hungry, but more so craving a craft beer. I knew I'd have plenty of opportunity to snack on some of the kids food. Bella never eats even half of her meal. I ordered a 2nd Centennial about 30 minutes later. We chatted at length with Bill, Lori's beau. Seems like a great guy. I joked that until now I guessed him a myth since he's never at one of the family gatherings.

We didn't stay ay Barley's too long, but the neighbors left before us. I'm thinking it was near 10pm when we bolted for home. Once home, I fetched a 3rd beer from the garage fridge, a Founder's All Day IPA. Yum! Bella and I stayed up long enough to watch part of SNL. It was rerun. Bella was asleep on the sofa when I headed up for bed. It had to be near midnight.

ComFest '13

 

 

 

 

 

 

Was up at 615am and promptly downstairs eager to start my Friday. I prepped coffee then whipped out calisthenics. Was already logged onto my work laptop after finishing my workday from home Thursday. For the next 90 minutes I balanced work and play before heading out on a run. It was cloudy and 67 degrees. It’s rained every day this week and the near term forecast promises more of the same.

I ran 4.1 miles like most other work days. Went without a hitch. Back home around 845am, I poured a 2nd cup of coffee then got busy with work. Mindy and the kids slept pretty late. Jacob had a guest spend the night. They were completely quiet. I don’t think they were up until 1030-11am. The sun came in spurts. Checking out the radar, appears we’re stuck in one of those spinny weather systems with intermittent sun and thunderstorms. I still hoped to cut our lawn at lunch time weather permitting.

Mindy left to run a couple errands and to get a haircut mid to late morning. The kids still weren’t up when she left. She planned to drop off our tax returns to the City taxation department and have a growler filled with Bodhi at CBC. I wasn’t expecting her home for a while.

Work kept me busy through 1pm and a couple brief rain showers. Not sure what time it was when Mindy returned, but not only did she picked up a jug of Bodhi, but she also brought home 20 CBC wings. Finally, with a break in the action at work, I headed out to cut the lawn near 2pm. The grass was a little wet but not wet enough to prevent careful mowing. The sun was in and out of the clouds and it was very humid, so once again, I mowed shirtless. I headed inside after push and tractor mowing close to 3pm. I had a couple more calls I absolutely had to join, including one that didn’t start until 4pm. Jacob’s over- night guest left while I was mowing out front. I wrapped up my work week somewhere close to 530pm. I headed out to finish the yard work, including trimming, edging and blowing. That took until almost 6pm.

I headed inside for a shower, but not before checking the radar. We planned to visit Comfest. I wanted to make sure we weren’t walking into a severe thunderstorm. The potential was there but nothing imminent. We left the house with the kids near 630pm. Neither kid was particularly fond of heading to Comfest, but assured them a cultural experience. I told the kids I’d give them a dollar for every B they spotted.

Parking near Comfest requires patience. Sure enough, after patrolling numerous nearby streets we finally got a spot someone was vacation right behind the Thurber Giant Eagle. Not bad! Jacob began bellyaching as soon as we pierced the entrance gate. And of course Jacob’s negative outlook and attitude eventually poured over to Bella. I was a little surprised with Jacob’s social intolerance. He asked to leave several times. We largely ignored his complaints.

I bought four beer tokens initially, but had to exchange them for three microbrew tokens. It wasn’t until redemption time that I realized there were different tokens for beer types. I opted for CBC Pale ale. Mindy opted for wine but didn’t care for it at all. She eventually went for a CBC Pale ale, too. We cruised the street fair section the kids still complaining almost constantly. I heard someone call my name. She soon approached and asked if I was Jimmy. It was a young blonde girl with big sun glasses. Yes. Who are you? It was LeAnn Chillcote, my good friend Dennis Chillcote’s oldest daughter. She was there with her husband as well as another couple. Cute! Works as a dental hygienist. I introduced Mindy and the kids. She went on and on about how I still look the same as I did so many years ago. Thanks for the compliment! Said her mom was volunteering at a booth off of Goodale somewhere. Dennis didn’t come but she thought he might like it.

Once we got a little fair food in the kids their behavior improved slightly. Still whined about wanting to leave. They both earned a handful of cash for spotting Bs.  They kept their distance when Mindy and I ducked into a small stage to watch a band perform. We saw two songs performed by Bella Ruse.

As the sun began to set in the west, we wound our way through the middle of the park. I talked Mindy into visiting the volunteer booth to try and buy a t-shirt. Can only get the official t-shirts by volunteering. She returned empty handed but did get directions to a booth supposedly selling commemorative shirts, though not with the official Comfest 2013 logo.

We found the booth, and I bought a shirt for $10. What the heck. A bit earlier in our visit, Mindy bought some jewelry from a place called Twisted Tines. They use old silverware to make bracelets. They have a brick and mortar presence in Yellow Springs.

We headed across the street to the Fresh Water house to pay a brief visit to Tom & Brett, who are friends of Craig & Jeff. We stayed only long enough to say hello and goodbye. The kids, especially Jacob, were chomping at the bit to head home. We stopped at a vendor booth just outside the main park where Bella redeemed her cash winnings for a $20 LED lighted hoola-hoop. I joked about stopping at Barley’s on the way home. My ill-timed overture was met with a resounding no! We headed for home. 

At home, I enjoyed a third beer while Mindy headed to bed within 20 minutes of our return. Bella and I stayed up. Actually, Bella was still up when I headed for bed at 1030pm.

Family of Hip Waders

Sleep came easy, especially after two Bodhi's the evening prior. I woke around 5am feeling fully rested but forced myself to get more sleep. I didn't wake again until 620am and that was smack dab in the middle of a weird dream. I was so groggy getting out of bed that I almost fell to the floor. I was out of it!

I was so tired that I decided to skip morning calisthenics. Instead, moved directly for coffee and internet. I still planned to run, That was a given. I started to get some energy after spending a solid 30 minutes online. I'm sure that the coffee played a big part in that.

I did a quick meditation and stretch then dressed for a run. I headed out the door close to 730am. I could hardly believe my eyes when Joe-Joe pulled up in his old Yaris. He was already there to clean. Yikes! Found it somewhat comical. I greeted him warmly then headed off on my run. Told him everyone else was still in bed asleep. It was 68 degrees and spitting rain. Didn't look to be any danger of lightning or heavy storms. I ran the full 4.1 miles. Felt good throughout. The light rain did a decent job of keeping me somewhat cool, though I am generally cool all by myself! :)

Back home I took Mindy coffee and shared that Joe-Joe was here. Started breakfast then threw together a couple things for lunch. I still had veggies, fruit and cheese in the fridge at my customer's campus where I planned to spend the lion's share of my day. I only needed to be there for a 10am meeting but it didn't make sense to drive there for 30-60 minutes then turnaround and drive back. Figured I'd work there all day.

I wanted to be in New Albany no later than 935am. Finished breakfast then headed up for a shower around 840am. Was all set to leave the house around 9am. I took care of a couple things before heading out. Joked with Joe & Mindy about needing to go to Comfest on Saturday just to keep an eye on Joe. Sorry, honey. Won't be able to go to that wedding!

Left the house around 905am. A dull, gray, sticky morning drive across town. Made good time. Breaking news on ESPN about Patriots Aaron Hernandez. Now investigating him for two other murders in 2012. Who the hell is this guy? We're all too quick to heap praise on these NFLers and overlook serious character flaws. The guy seemingly had it all. Now it's all down the tubes. Ego!

Arrived shortly after 930am just as I had planned. Was fortunate enough to get a good parking spot in one of the 20 minute spots. I headed in to see a peer that works there every day. She and I chatted for about 10 minutes. I headed for my meeting early and logged onto my laptop. The meeting lasted about 30 minutes. We accomplished quite a bit. Stuck around for another 20 minutes to have another impromptu meeting about another subject. Took care of an escalation before I left too. Man, was I productive!

Near 11am I drove over to the building where I spend most Wednesday's and got all set-up for the rest of my work day. Had a very productive two hours before taking lunch and heading to my bank where i deposited a couple of checks then headed across the lot to Home Depot. There I bought three inexpensive flower pots to repot our two mini-yuccas and an herb plant. All three have over grown their current pots. I forgot to pick-up a wax seal for a toilet. Dang it!

Headed back to the office at 150pm. Had an equally busy and productive afternoon. I worked hard to knock several items off my to-do list so not to go into Friday and even next week with too big a burden. After next week I am off for two weeks. I'm sure the week will fly by. Wrapped up my work day at 520pm and headed for my car parked deep in the back lot. It was a much nicer day weather wise than it was that morning. broken clouds and sun with temps in the mid 80s.

Decided to risk taking 670 home, and it paid off handsomely until I passed the Grandview exit. Traffic was almost at a standstill. Crap! I quickly exited on the rarely used 33 west ramp that takes one behind broadcast lake. Pretty drive. It dumps you out about a 1/2 mile NW of Barley's on Dublin Rd. Traffic was backed up there heading north too. All along my plan was to turn left on 5th Avenue cutting over to McKinnley since Trabue is still closed at the RR tracks. There is construction literally everywhere! I talked with Mindy until I exited 670. It was another 25 minutes before I finally arrived home.

Dinner was supposed to be leftovers and we had plenty of them. There was Sunday's Minelli's pizza, Wednesday's CBC pizza, 1/2 a burger from 3rd & Hollywood, tacos, as well as Barley's leftovers. Mindy had them all out on the island and some already warming in the oven on the pizza stone.

Jacob already laid claim to Mindy's leftover Walleye from CBC. I opted for my leftover Barley's quesadilla. Mindy had her leftover burger, and I am not sure what Bella ate, probably pizza. Speaking of pizza, I had some of that too. After dinner, I spent a whole hour playing guitar working on cord transitions mostly. After that I took 15 minutes to fully prepare our tax package for delivery to the city. Mindy planned to hand deliver it on Friday. I worked a little too, but for no more than an hour.

Around 9pm, me, Mindy & Bella tuned into the Big Bang where we watched two episodes back to back. Mindy headed to bed at 10pm. Bella and I stayed up for one more. I headed to bed at 1030pm.

Crowning Achievement

 

Often wonder how much time will pass before Jacob realizes this was a bad hairdo choice. I'm imagining one day when he'll look back and ask why we let him where his hair like this. :)

I was determined to wake earlier than I had over the past few days. I rolled out of bed around 6am. After brushing my teeth, I was downstairs engaged in exercise. Completed sit-ups, windmills, and push-ups. Felt good – well rested.

Headed to my PC with coffee near 615am. Enjoyed coffee and internet for about 25 minutes before heading to the family room for meditation and stretching. Still no word back from brother Glenn. My guess was that he was out of town. I hoped that his roommate, Stephen, was there and brought the package we had shipped inside.

Meditation went well. Stretching felt good, too. Dressed and left for a run by 7am. I felt good about getting out that early, especially given my recent history of getting out closer to 730am. It was warm and cloudy. We had a big thunder storm roll through during the overnight. Lots of lightning and thunder. I wasn’t sure how much rain though judging by the water level of the pond, I guessed fairly hard.

The run went well despite a light sprinkled through most of it. Predictably, I was sopping wet when I got back home but mostly from sweat. It was near 740am, not far from my school time return. I felt good about the clock. I quickly packed my lunch and cooked breakfast, making a 3-egg plain omelet. I sat a small section aside for the pug.

Bella must've let Eiknarf out of her room around 8am. I went ahead and took her on a walk. I had the time. Gave her breakfast upon our return. I headed upstairs with Mindy's coffee near 810am. My plan was to leave the house no later than 845am. Mindy seemed out of it. Didn't wake until I was halfway to the shower. Asked for a hug. I returned for a quick one. Said she wasn't going to get up with me. Wanted to sleep.

Left the house for work near 840am. I was thankful for Mindy filling up my gas tank the day before. Cross town traffic wasn't bad at all. Arrived near 9am and was settled and logged in by 905am. I didn't have a lot of time for much else other than prepping for our 930am call. It used to be at 10am which worked a heck a lot better for me, but not so well for the director. In addition to the earlier start, the customer opted for a more detailed format too. The call lasted about an hour.

I had a busy morning. Around 1pm I decided to call my dentists office to ask about my permanent crown. They said it would take about three weeks. Thursday would be three weeks. Sure enough, Colleen advised that it came in Tuesday. Said they could see me as early as 2pm that afternoon. I chuckled and thanked her for the prompt appointment but then shared that I couldn't possibly get away. The next best day/time wouldn't be until the next Monday at 1015am. We booked it.

As i was placing the appointment on my calendar it occurred to me that I could probably there for a 2pm appointment. I called right back and asked if that would still work for them. Yep, come on in! I hurriedly packed up my gear and headed for Arlington. Heading out the building, I wasn't exactly sure how I might best get there but quickly settled on 270 north & west to 315 south. I exited 315 at North Broadway then took Kenny to Fishinger. I was there in less than 20 minutes. Arrived at 140pm. Amazing!

Since my appointment wasn't until 2pm, I had time to linger in the lobby perusing magazines. I settled on a cool magazine about the history of Ohio. I also gave them my credit card number to cover Ashley's Zoom whitening treatment next week. I agreed to cover the Zoom and a cleaning. They were ready for me very near 2pm. The dental assistant promptly removed the temp crown, me not sharing that it popped off last Friday. She said she wanted to try the crown to check the fit before Dr. March came in to glue it permanently. Also threw in that they would X-ray it to checked the seal. I quickly shared that I wasn't interested in another X-ray.

When she put the cold crown on my bare tooth I almost came completely out of the chair. The raw tooth underneath was now throbbing with pain. Felt like she put an ice cube directly on the nerve. Yikes! Dr March soon came in to glue it on. He didn't want to numb me unnecessarily, and I didn't want him to either. They asked me to keep my tongue to the other side. Well, easier said than done. No matter how hard I tried, it would try to protect the bare exposed molar. He finally had to have the assistant hold it back with some sort of tool. He apologized for the ZING. He knew it hurt. Said it would go away once the new crown warmed to body temperature. Never before has a crown been that sensitive.

Finished in no more than 15 minutes. Asked if I was ready to have a small cavity taken care of too. I wasn't aware of that. Must've missed it. He showed me on the X-ray taken at my check-up. We agreed to schedule it for another date. My first cavity in at least 10 years, maybe longer. I was very excited when he shared that I could eat normally in about 20 minutes. Per their instructions, I've been chewing on the wrong side now for three weeks. Not easy.

I left Dr March's office then headed for home. Mindy and the kids were away. I quickly got organized and logged onto work. I worked from home for the rest of the afternoon. Spent most of the next 2 hours on conference calls. Wrapped up my work day around 515pm. Mindy &I had a dinner date planned for CBC while the kids were away with Jimaken. We left not long after the three of them. And while it was sunny and clear directly overhead, ominous looking storm clouds were moving in from the west.

Arrived at CBC at the peak of happy hour. The lot was near capacity. Kate spotted us walking in and conspicuously pointed to a couple recently vacated stools. Sweet! Mindy opted for wine. I opted for a Bodhi. Kate asked about appetizers too. Of course! We chose risotto balls and bread. Imagine our surprise when the risotto balls showed up and there were like 10 of them. This is an appetizer not on the menu and one that Mindy & I have helped popularize.

We eventually ordered dinner, Mindy going with the walleye and me going with a personal pizza. I had a 2nd Bodhi and Mindy had two more glasses of wine. During dinner we met Andy, who lives in Minneapolis but is here working on a project as an industrial engineer. Interesting fellow.

The kids called just as we were organizing ourselves to depart. Left for home around 8pm. I took care of the check and drove. While we were gone, another shipment arrived. Looked to be our instant up canopy from Dick's. Earlier in the day my hip waders arrived. They should come in real handy cleaning up the edges along the pond.

I played guitar and surfed the internet for the next hour or so. Mindy headed to bed around 930pm. Bella and I were up until 10pm. I headed up to bed once I started dosing from the family room sofa.

Dinner w/ Dad - a Salute to Glenn @ 55

Happy 55th Glenn .... damn you're old!

I slept in again, this time until 620a. Clear skies and 70 degrees. Expecting a high near 90 with thunderstorms possible. Completed calisthenics then went to my PC with coffee. Player around online until 715am. I sent Glenn an email wishing him happy birthday and sharing that a package should be arriving at his door later that day. I headed to the family room for meditation and a stretch near 720am.

Dressed for a run at 735am and headed out the door about 5 minutes later. It was steamy – 70 degrees with 95% humidity. I ran 4.1 miles and returned home drenched with sweat. Felt good, though. I ripped off my wicking shirt and walked back and forth out front for a few seconds before heading inside.

Poured some OJ, started my breakfast and packed my lunch. Finished breakfast near 845am. Poured coffee for Mindy then headed upstairs. Mindy shared that she slept poorly again. Still got up and joined me downstairs before I left. We even walked the pug together. The plan was for me to take the Pilot and return the boat to storage on my way to work. I reattached the boat while Mindy dressed to walk the pug.

She and the kids were having brunch with maw-maw at Bob Evans. Not sure what time they were supposed to meet. The boat drop went well. Took about 15 minutes from my arrival to departure. No problems whatsoever. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to work until 950am. Felt way late.

My boss stopped by right away asking about several emails the two of us were copied on that came in during the overnight. I hadn’t seen them so I couldn’t respond intelligently. I told him as much. He stopped by again later concerned with a meeting scheduled while I am off on my 2 week vacation. Assured him that it was covered by one of my peers.

I didn’t take a lunch. Worked straight through until 630pm. I spent the last 15 minutes making copies of our tax returns for the city. I called Mindy to let her know that I was running late after receiving a text from Bella asking if they could start eating dinner.

I called Mindy as I exited the lot. We didn’t talk long. Learned that my dad was over for dinner. Having tacos and they were waiting on me. That was nice! I was very happy to finally have those copies made. Still have to give some additional written detail but that’ll be easy.

Got home around 645pm. Everyone was already at the dinner table. Greeted dad then asked how he’s been feeling. Said he’s getting his strength & energy back. Endurance and strength seems to be the biggest hurdle since he hasn’t done much physical activity all late spring and early summer. I suggested he push mow versus using his tractor, but only in cooler temps (I.E. early morning or at dusk).

We all enjoyed taco/burritos for dinner. They were scrumptious! I ate one of each and then a few scoops of taco meat. I was hungry! Clean-up was a snap. Didn’t take long. Dad asked for a tour of our recently framed basement. Gave him the nickel tour. After that, he suggested we give Glenn a joint phone call/happy birthday wish. I called from my cell phone. Dad seemed eager and was smiling ear to ear. He sang the happy birthday song into the phone. Cute!

We hung out on the deck for while after that, but for no more than 15 minutes. Dad left around 8pm. Until now, I hadn’t really thought about how long he might’ve been there before I got home. I’m guessing around 530pm. After dad left, we hung out on the deck for a short while longer before Bella and I took off on a bike ride. Mindy didn’t want to go. Said she was tired. She looked tired too. The lack of good sleep no doubt taking its toll.

Bella and I rode down past Darwin’s then back. Probably about 1.5 miles. Not far at all. But she enjoyed it. We rode by Jacob, who was playing basketball on Evan’s home court with neighbor Jake. Already 830pm or after when we got back home. I poured some ice water then logged onto work for about an hour taking care of a lingering issue. Next, we watched a little Big Bang from the family room. I fell asleep in a hurry, not even catching one full episode. Mindy headed off to bed before Bella and I. Despite dosing, I stayed downstairs until 10pm. Bella and I headed up to bed at the same time. She went her way. I went mine. I laid in bed for about 10 minutes until it was clear that I wasn’t falling asleep anytime soon.

Around 1020pm I slipped out bed and headed back downstairs where I made a bowl of cereal – Life – then ate it in front of my PC. I played around online until almost 11pm before I felt sleepy enough to head back up to bed. Worked like a charm. Asleep by 1110pm.

Free Oil Change

After sleeping in until 620am I woke feeling well rested. I could see clear skies out the master bath window. Looked like another sunny summery day in the offing. Downstairs, I prepped coffee then started calisthenics. I whipped out sit-ups, windmills, and push-ups. Now 635am, the irrigation system cycle had just completed. I stepped out on the deck to take a sniff of the morning air. Smelt like summer!

Inside, I poured some coffee then headed to my PC. Good news. Received confirmation that the items I bought for Glenn shipped. Should actually arrive on his birthday. Played around online until 715am. Headed to the family room for meditation and a stretch. Both went extremely well. Felt really good slipping into my running clothes. Headed out the door near 735am.

I ran the full 4.1 miles trail. And even though I got started almost an hour later than usual, I still passed a few familiar faces throughout the run. Back at home near 815am, I walked around the yard for a few minutes while recapturing my breath. I also ripped off my wicking shirt. It was soaked with sweat and felt like seal skin. I headed inside to get busy making my breakfast.

Like most days, I packed my lunch and made my breakfast. It was 845am when I headed up for a shower and delivered Mindy’s coffee. I asked Mindy if she needed the Pilot, because I needed to take the boat back. Said we could swap. I then remembered that I had an oil change appointment for the Accord scheduled at lunch time. Dang it! Mindy simply suggested I detach the boat and let it sit in front of the house all day. I pooh-poohed the idea at first but the more I pondered the solution the more sense it made. I could simply chalk the trailer tires and place a traffic cone at its rear. Should be OK for a day or so.

Mindy decided to join me walking the pug before I needed to leave for work. While waiting for her to join me, I headed out and detached the boat from the Pilot. She & I walked the pug down past Teri and Mike’s. It was already warm and steamy. Would’ve been a lovely boating day on Alum Creek. 

Enjoyed a little coffee with Mindy before I left. I also asked if she still planned to call Bridgett from the City of CMH tax department regarding the audit letter we received. She did. Among other things, she wanted to let them know that we can’t find the ’07’s tax return. She also planned to ask what the gist of the audit was about.

Arrived at the office near 930am. Once I was settled I walked over to chat with my boss. Looked and sounded a little frazzled. Had a lot of questions about the issue dominating most of my time the last month. Said he would schedule a meeting with one of his peers to discuss our overall progress. I let him know that I wouldn’t be available 1230-130pm, when I was scheduled to take the Accord in for an oil change.

I was busy all morning. And for a spell there I was worried that I might not be able to get away for my oil change appointment. Left the office around 1210p and took 270 around to Sawmill. Got there in 10 minutes. Was actually early! Quickly met my service advisor who was assigned via the internet. Very convenient. Asked if I wanted the recommended 24 month service. No. just an oil change and tire rotation. I did ask that they check the front driver’s side tire for any defects since I’ve had to add air 3 or 4 times in the two years. Presented my free rotation coupon, too.

I went to the showroom to see if my sales guy, Chris was in. Nope, but expected anytime. I looked at the new Accord as well as the newer CRV then headed to the waiting room where I grabbed a free bottled water then read several magazine articles, including one about Adrian Peterson. About an hour passed without hearing a word. I walked out to the service area. Jim, my advisor, was on a call but motioned that it would be just a little longer. Cool!
I sent my boss and email letting him know that I was running little late. Jim found me in the waiting room and shared that I didn’t need a rotation since I’d gone only 8K miles. Suggested I wait. Said they replaced a suspected faulty valve stem in the tire. Said it would be ready shortly.

Another guy came and got me a few minutes later and shared they were washing my car and that it would be around in a minute. He walked me out to intercept it. We talked about Comfest while waiting. He’s looking forward to going. His first time ever. It was spittin rain while we waited outside. I looked over the paperwork. They did my oil change for free. Hmmm? I didn’t complain. I guess it was free because they took so long. I headed back to the office.

I called Mindy but Bella answered. We talked for a while. She eventually put Mindy on the phone. Mindy shared that she completed the laundry room project. Wanted to know my thoughts about having dinner at Barley’s. Said both kids wanted to go. She also shared that she hadn’t yet called the city about the tax audit but still planned to.

Back at the office, I rushed to my boss’s office for our 2pm meeting. It was 210pm. He knew I was running behind. Three of us met for about 45 minutes agreeing on a new game plan out the door. I took away a couple to-dos and quickly got started on them one back in my office. Had our recurring 4pm call. Like most, it went well past an hour. Didn’t leave the office for home until 530pm.

Talked with Mindy again. She texted earlier that she talked with the city. Said they were cool with us missing the ’07 return, just add a note sharing that. She also said the reason for the audit was because my company sent them a note sharing that they don’t withhold CMH city tax. Duh - that’s because I work in Hilliard. Said it would all likely be a nonissue once they received copies of our tax info.

We talked through most of my drive home. It really didn’t take that long. Traffic wasn’t tight at all. I joked that many have likely given up on using 270S at rush hour. Arrived home ahead of 6pm. Jacob was still at home though wouldn’t be joining us for dinner at Barley’s. Instead, he was going to a soccer uniform try-on thing with his dad. Wanted us to bring him home his regular order. Mindy showed off the augmented laundry room shelving. Looks nice – more organized.

We readied and left for Barley’s 15 minutes later. There wasn’t a big crowd. We got a spot in the main lot, which is rare. Just the three of us, and since Justin wasn’t working, Mindy was OK taking a small barside table. Looking around, we didn’t recognize many of the employees. Rachel was working the bar. I think we were introduced a couple visits back. Mindy went up and ordered our beers. I asked for a Centennial. She went with a Hoptopus and Bella ordered Dr. Pepper. We ordered a basket of fries too. They came quickly but weren’t quite up to expectations. More often than not, they’re right out of the fryer fresh. Not this time.

We ordered food about 10-15 minutes later. Mindy ordered flat iron steak. I ordered a brisket quesadilla. Bella ordered chicken tenders. I ordered a 2nd beer, another Centennial. I actually ordered a Pale ale but they were out. Mindy placed a to-go order for Jacob about 10 minutes before we left. Mindy drank half my 2nd beer. We headed for home around 720pm.

We were expecting Jacob to be gone when we got home but he wasn’t. Not quite sure what the issue was. He woofed down his to-go order quickly despite it not being prepared quite right. I was changed into my comfy lounging attire within 15 minutes of arriving home. And not long after that, I was on the sofa relaxing. I tuned into The Worm Hole, with Morgan Freeman. Haven’t caught any of the new episodes lately. Interesting. Mostly about artificial intelligence and artificial life forms. Of course I fell asleep shortly after 9pm. I woke around 1025pm and headed up to bed. I expected to find Mindy sleeping, but instead she was reading or doing a puzzle. Bella was snuggled up with her, too. Mindy dispatched Bella to bed. I fell asleep with Mindy’s reading light still aglow.

Slip N' Slidin' Away

I slept in until 830am. Though still tired, I woke feeling 10 times better than I did the morning prior. I started coffee then stepped out on the deck. Once again, steamy and warm! Enjoyed coffee and internet for a while. Didn’t ready and leave for a run until 10am. I went to my Accord for my sun glasses. That helped. Ran the typical weekend 3 miles.

Back home just after 1030am. Mindy was still asleep, but not for long. I’m pretty sure that she was up within the next 10-15 minutes. As usual, we spent a little time enjoying the yard with the pug. By 11am, it was really warm and steamy. We talked about the day’s agenda, which we decided to leave up to the kids. Thought we might head back up to the river if they wanted to go boating. I doubted they would, especially to the river where you’re not even allowed to boat swim.

Lindsey and the boys were set to come over for laundry later too. Mindy asked that they not come until 1pm. Jimaken was supposed to drop the kids near noon. So before they got home, Mindy and I snuck a brief nap. Noon came around quick. The kids didn’t get home until closer to 1215pm. No worries. Mindy asked if they wanted to go boating. Both said no. Alrighty!

Figured we’d simply have a lazy afternoon at home instead. I was more than OK with that. Lindsey and the boys showed up right at 1pm. Landon handed me an envelope. It was Lindsey’s May auto insurance money. As usual, Rocky barely even said hello before running out the back door to find Jacob and Evan.
He came back within 5 minutes. Not sure if he couldn’t find them or if they shooed him away.

I invited all the kids (Rocky, Bella, Landon) to join me in the backyard for Frisbee. Only Landon and Bella accepted initially, but Rocky soon joined us too. All the kids throw the thing pretty well, even Landon somewhat surprisingly. In fact, he and I kept throwing it while the others ran off to do other things. We were using a pretty heavy Frisbee too – 165 grams.

By 2-230pm it was pretty hot – about 91 degrees. Mindy got the Slip-n-slide out again. The little kids had a blast, and I got several great splashy photos. Rocky left briefly to head down to Evan’s to play basketball with the older boys. He came running back 15 minutes later with a gushing bloody nose. He was crying too. Mindy remained calm and helped stop the bleeding and then asked how it happened. He quickly shared that it was an accident done by Jacob, who did it while trying to lam the basketball.

While Rocky relaxed on the deck, Mindy decided to walk down and ask all the other boys playing basketball what happened. She returned a few minutes later and shared that Rocky out and out lied. What? Why? According to all the others, Jacob wasn’t even playing basketball. He was refereeing one on one matches. And according to the others, Rocky took an elbow to the nose from Cody. Mindy & I concluded that Rocky lies simply to lie, even when there’s nothing to protect. In any case, Mindy was pissed. She had a long talk with Rocky in front of Lindsey about lying. And this is after we had the come to Jesus talk at our house last Monday. She made him sit on the deck for quite a while.

We all hung out outside until about 430pm when Mindy headed in to order Minelli’s pizza for our Sunday dinner. She agreed to go after it too. I think it was near 515-530pm when she returned with two pies and salad.

Everybody enjoyed the pizza. I complained a little about the pepperoni, hot pepper rings, and double cheese. There wasn’t very much pepperoni on it at all. Felt slighted. Lindsey & the boys headed for home shortly after dinner. It couldn’t have been but about 6pm. Once everybody left, I watered the flowers out back.

It wasn’t too long before I went vertical on the family room sofa. Felt heavenly. Mindy learned that Josh was down at Kenny & Chrissy’s. She walked down to say hello. Already half asleep, I opted to stay put and had the TV tuned to Fox Sunday night animation comedy line-up. I’m guessing it was around 8pm when Josh paid a visit. He and I chatted for a while, him showing me photos from his recent trip to Michigan to harvest Murrell mushrooms. Unbelievable the number he harvested. They sell for a lot of money too.

Mindy eventually came back to the house and joined Josh and I on the deck. We visited for about 30 minutes before Josh headed back to Kenny & Chrissy’s. For the remainder of the night, we locked in on Nik Wallenda’s tight rope walk across the Grand Canyon (1/4 mile). If nothing else, it was abundantly clear that Nik is a Christian.

Later, as darkness set in, Bella came running excitedly to share that the supermoon was ascending. She & I headed out into the yard to get a better glimpse. A lot of hype over nothing, really. To my eye, it looked the same size and luminance as any other full moon.

Mindy headed to bed before Bella and I. Guessing that was around 10pm. Bella and I stayed up to watch Naked & Afraid on Discovery Channel. Interesting program. Bella had lots of questions, but largely followed the gist of the program. Headed for bed as soon as the program was over.

Bob's Cajon & Jawbone

Not getting to bed until 3am certainly had an impact on my typical Saturday morning rise time. So there was little wonder why my head was still foggy when I rolled out of bed near 840am. Once I got the coffee started I began to come alive. I briefly stepped out on the deck to feel the weather. It was already warm and sticky. According to the forecast, it was supposed to top the 90 degree mark and be pretty humid too. OK by me.

I enjoyed coffee and internet for an hour or more before finally heading out on a run near 10am. I hadn’t heard a peep from Mindy who was still in bed when I left. I ran three miles and was back home near 1030am. Still no Mindy. It wasn’t long, however, before she was up and downstairs.

We hung out on the deck for a while, the heat and humidity already a big factor. We had no formal plans for the day, but discussed our options. We talked about heading to Yellow Springs, hanging out at home, or possibly even going after the boat. But since we haven’t yet pulled the boat out of storage, whether or not we could be on the water that afternoon was still an unknown. If everything went well, all I’d have to do is connect the battery and make sure it started. Worst case, Mindy suggested, we spend Saturday getting it water worthy and then head out to the river with the kids on Sunday.

Still undecided an hour or so later, I suggested that I go after the boat. What the heck. I figured if we didn’t get it out this weekend we might not get it out all summer. Before heading out, I thought through the process in my head. I remembered that I would need the Accord key ring since it holds the storage building key. The hitch was already mounted on the Pilot. All systems were a go.

Like most years, I had to try a couple different security codes to access the building but got it right on about my third try.  They had my boat in the first bay to my immediate right. Nice to be up front but impossible to attach and turn left out the building. I had to manipulate the boat and trailer around several times before I could hook up and pull it out. By then I worked up one heck of a sweat.

Home near noon, I wasted no time getting the cover off and hooking up the battery. A quick check of the horn, I knew I had connectivity. Next step was to attach the hose to the water muff and place it on the lower unit. Usually takes a few cranks to get it fire up. This year was no different. If you’re a regular reader you know that last year the battery was all but dead and needed to be charged before we could get it started. But that was after leaving it sit idle summer of ’11.

The boat started on the 3rd or 4th crank. Cool! I let it run for about 5 minutes revving the engine a time or tow to make sure the belts were all tight. Sounded good! I checked a few other safety items as well as the trailer tire pressure. All systems a go. I headed in to tell Mindy that we were good to go should we want to go boating. She was quick to say yes. We think it wise to make our maiden voyage each year up to Griggs. That way, should anything unforeseen happen, we’re just a few miles from home.

I called my dad to ask if he was up for an afternoon of boating. Appreciated the invite but declined. We were ready for an afternoon on the river by 1pm. We stopped at Thornton’s and filled the boat with gas. It took 11.8 gallons. Thankfully, gas prices dropped like a rock last week. It was down to $3.29.

Took the back way to Griggs – Roberts to Old Dublin to Fishinger and finally Riverside. Easy drive and a wide open dock. I put the plug in even before we left the house. One less thing to remember at the dock. Relatively easy launch. Mindy held us steady while I got it started and backed away. She jumped in and we were off.

Like last year, we cruised slowly south down by the damn and by the Scioto Boat club first, just to make sure all systems were operating as expected. Yep! We then headed north under both bridges - Fishinger and later Hayden Run. We headed as far north as I am comfortable going without a depth finder where the water is still and the wildlife abundant. It’s where we’ve anchored for years, even dating back to my youth with dad and family. As usual, several blue heron, turtles, ducks, and even those pesky Canada geese. We left the radio blaring for about 20 minutes until Mindy suggested we turn it off. I was way OK with that. I much more enjoy the sounds of nature. We dangled our feet from the swim platform soaking in all the sunshine and summer warmth.

At some point I enjoyed a piece of a Wal-Mart sub and a Gatorade we brought along. Hit the spot. Enjoyed some Pita chips too. We stayed anchored for nearly 2 hours, with me taking a brief nap around 3pm. Felt great. It had to be near 4pm when we pulled anchor and headed south. I gave it a full throttle for a spit. The boat ran really well. The engine purred smoother than it has in a few years. Last fall’s oil change made a difference. It was hot and steamy, but with an unusually stiff breeze blowing up from the SE. We needed to account for that as we pulled up to the dock. I quickly jumped out to moor us to the dock. Mindy took over while I went for the Pilot.

The vehicle parked next to ours had a Thule on top with countless ski resort stickers. I recognized a few. The pull out went without a problem. As we were getting out to cover our boat we recognized a guy who recently pulled up at the dock to pick-up two woman. I called him the squirrel man from MRM. He recognized us too. We talked for a few minutes then proceeded to wipe down and cover the boat.

We headed for home, opting to take the boat home rather back to storage. Thought we might boat Sunday, too. Had to take an unusual path home with all the road closures – Riverside to Trabue to McKinnley to Fisher to Wilson. 430pm by the time we arrived home.

We still didn’t have definitive plans for dinner, though we both sorely needed showers. I suggested we pay a visit to the Ohio Tap Room and then pick a yet to be named dining venue in Grandview. Mindy agreed. We showered, changed then walked the pug. We left for the Tap Room near 6pm.

Took the freeway since it was the easiest path to Grandview proper. The Tap Room is located within a couple blocks of our dear friends, Bob & Mary Ann. We didn’t realize it before then that one can’t order and drink a pint on site. Instead, they only fill and sale growlers – exclusively Ohio brewed beers. Must have about 25-30 on tap. We paid $.50 for 5 samples before settling on Jackie O’s IPA.

After a pic or two we opted to go find dinner, but not before making a quick pass by Bob & Mary Ann’s. We spotted Bob in his driveway so we went ahead and stopped. Felt a bit bad for just popping in, but what the heck! We chatted for a spell from the driveway with our windows down and then got out to meet their new dogs, Bullet and Brina. We ended up having a beer and then Bob went inside to find Mary Ann who was in the shower. We ended up spending our entire evening with them.

Once Mary Ann joined us, we moved to the front porch, but not before taking a gander at Bob’s 1965(?) Mustang convertible. Nice! We cracked open and shared our fresh Ohio Tap Room growler. Yum! Bob eventually broke out a few of his toys – a cajon he picked up in Yellow Springs, and then his mini jawbone jambox bluetooth speaker. What a must have!

Bob & Mary Ann’s neighbor Jeff stopped over for a visit too. Those guys are real close. We know Jeff, too. It wasn’t long before one of Jeff’s friends stopped over – Chris. We hung out on the porch until 9pm or so when Mindy & Mary Ann decided we should walk to Hollywood & 3rd for dinner. The restaurant is owned by their former neighbors, Kevin & Katy, and the same folks that own the Northstar Café.

We walked through the neighborhood and lots of families were either out in their front yards or sitting partying from their porches. For me, it seemed like a walk back in time when all neighborhoods were active like that. Felt very safe.
Haven’t been to Hollywood & 3rd before, at least not since it changed hands. It used to be the Grandview Gibby’s, which was a favorite hangout of mine back in the late 90’s after Kelly & I split. Still has the same charm and basic design, only a tad more upscale. We briefly hemmed and hawed over seating eventually settling on sitting at the bar.

The others ordered beers. I ordered ice water and stuck with that for the remainder of the night. We ordered appetizers – guacamole & chips and then pimento & chips, both made fresh right there in the restaurant and both fabulous!

Mindy & I went simple, ordering their much ballyhooed ½ pound burgers. I added bacon to mine. It was outstanding!! Bob ordered a steak salad. Mary Ann ordered blue trout special. Bob suggested Victory’s Golden Monkey. He & Mindy ordered one. At Bob’s insistence, I sampled his. Good – sweet.

As dinner was winding down, Bob inexplicably developed an inner lip bleed that wouldn’t stop. He left momentarily but soon returned with a bloody dinner napkin. Mary Ann shared that the same thing happened to him a week or so prior. The bartender gave him a new ice filled napkin. Had him throw away the other. No matter what he did it just wouldn’t stop bleeding. Mary Ann and I wrestled over the check. She won.  We happily walked back to their place.

After staying up until 3am Friday night, I was out of gas. In fact, I was really tired even before dinner. But Mindy absolutely loves spending time with Mary Ann, so I didn’t push the heading home thing. Once back at their place, we spent about 10 minutes looking for Bullet & Brina, after Bob let ‘em out as soon as we got back. We hung out on the porch again for at least another hour. Despite being sleepy, I was having fun too. We had an absolute blast hanging with our friends. We left for home at 1217am. Mindy seemed surprised that it was so late.

We got home 10 minutes later. It wasn’t 5-10 minutes later that I was in bed and under the covers. Sleep!!!

Summeruponus

My plan was to work from home. And with that decision I was able to sleep in until 650am without too much damage to my well-established morning routine. Outside, it was plenty sunny again and presumably warm. I could see that the irrigation ran a bit earlier by design. Haven't readjusted the watering schedule since setting it to every other day a couple weeks back. As such, I've lost track of which days it does and doesn't water.

I completed sit-ups, push-ups, and windmills then headed to my office with coffee. There I powered up my laptop and played on my personal computer. In all, I spent about half an hour plating around and setting up for work. I headed to the family room for meditation and a stretch near 750am. I dressed for a run shortly after 8am and then was promptly out the door.

Though really warm, I ran the full 4.1 miles without issue. I let my mind wonder pondering the fact that this was the first day of summer and the 172nd day of the year. It was a really good run. It was about 845am when I got back home. The first thing I did was pour more coffee and water and then settled down in front of my laptop and got busy with work.

Mindy wasn't up for a while yet. Think it was near 10am when she finally came downstairs. Said she slept a whole lot better than she has since coming home from S.C. She slept soundly for about 11 hours! She asked if I'd already run and walked the pug. Yes and yes. Like a lot of mornings, we spent a little time enjoying each other's company and coffee from the deck. I headed back to work after 10-15 minutes.

The rest of the morning flew by. Before I knew it was after 1230pm. By then Mindy & Bella left to run errands, including a stop at Mindy's school to look through her files to see if she might've stowed our '07 tax return there. As for the rest of their plan, I wasn't really sure what they were doing. I didn't see Jacob all morning or afternoon. It wasn't until much later that I went to his bedroom to check and see if he might still be asleep. Nope. He was gone, too. I only guessed he might be with Mindy and Bella and I just missed it.

Like a lot of Friday's, I headed out to cut the lawn near 1pm. It was hot, already about 90 degrees under completely sunny skies. Thankfully, though, the humidity wasn't as high as it could've been. Just the same, I opted to mow the lawn shirtless. I was a little frustrated when I realized that I was dangerously low on mower gas. I really didn't want to go fill-up my 5 gallon container. Turns out, I had enough to get the job done. I did the tractor piece first and a consequence, cut far more with it than usual. Between the two, the push and ride, I finished the cutting in about 45 minutes.

After toweling off the sweat I heated a piece of Wal-Mart sub in the oven while reengaging with work. Stayed busy through the rest of the afternoon leading up to a 4pm conference call. Jacob came in the back door around 3pm. Said he'd been down at Evan's for most of the day. Mindy &Bella got home just before my 4pm call was slated to start. I reminded them of the approaching call. Meanwhile, Bella was very excited to show off her just pierced ears. This was a big day for Bella. Not only did she get her ears pierced, but she got her first training bras too. Our little girl is quickly becoming a woman. :) Didn't finish up with work until after 530pm.

Jimaken showed up to pick-up the kids around 540pm. He shared that a new brew-pub is going in in Grandview at the corner of Olentangy and 3rd Ave, which at one point was a bank. Mindy and I planned to go to Barley’s after they left. I headed up for a shower around 6pm. Mindy sent a broadcast Barley’s invite to our peeps. We left for Barley’s around 630pm.

Pretty decent crowd. As expected, we had to park in the back 40. I spotted a couple familiar faces at the first corner of the bar. I stopped there to chat with Kent while Mindy walked on to talk with others. Ordered a ZIPA, Barley’s new zesty IPA. Not much different than Centennial to my taster. Good though.

While hanging out talking with Kent, a gentleman sitting at the barside table just behind me shared that I looked familiar. I echoed the same sentiments. It was Craig Coe, an old Valleyview Viking peer. He was actually a couple years older than me and was an assistant coach for the junior team that I that I played on. I always liked Craig and often wondered what ever came of him. We chatted for a few. He’s now a grandfather, step father, etc. Career-wise, I believe he said he was an electrical contractor. I remembered his father, too. He helped coach as well. Very animated. Craig shared that he passed away 35 years prior. Yikes! I wanted to introduce Mindy but she was busy talking with others.

A fella named Don walked by. I asked how his buddy Al’s doing. He pointed around the bar. There he sat. I walked over to say hello. Last he and I talked, he had just learned that his daughter was pregnant. He was distraught. Happily, he and his wife are handling it far better now, though he’s still very concerned with how his daughter and her beau will handle being parents.

While still chatting with Al, friends Ben & Ryan showed up. Haven’t hung with the two of them at Barley’s for a really long time, though we attended their crawfish boil a few weeks back. Good to hang out with them. Not long after Ben & Ryan showed up, Doug & Jamie (A.K.A. Doomie) came in. Jamie looks great. Said Doug has her running. They used to be Barley’s regulars but we haven’t seen the two of them in for months. We later learned that they had been boycotting the place after falling ill after a visit on wing night.

We hung out for couple more hours, Mindy I sharing a pita and hummus plate. Doug & Jamie left around 9pm. We made plans with Ben & Ryan to head back to our place. Must’ve got there around 1015p. I sent a text to Darwin as soon as we got home. He was still at work but scheduled to get off at 11pm. Invited him to stop by on his way home.

Mindy & Ryan took up refuge in the living room. Ben and I hung in the kitchen and plowed through several beers. Darwin showed up around 1130pm with a six-pack of his own. Sometime after midnight Ryan fell asleep in one of the recliners. Mindy covered her then joined us in the kitchen. Mindy lasted maybe another 30 minutes before heading up to bed around 1am. Darwin, Ben and I stayed up even later listening to some tunes, having some beers, and telling all sorts of lies. 

Before I knew it, it was 230am. We offered the guest room to Ben &Ryan, but they opted to drive home. Of course Ryan drove and said she was fine after sleeping for about 2.5 hours. Darwin hung out long enough to finish his beer. Thinking it was 245am when he departed – walked home. By then, I was crazy sleepy. I collapsed in bed around 3am. Boom boom, out go the lights!

Last Day of Spring a Real Gem

I woke around 5am but didn't get up and out of bed until almost 630am. And that was after snuggling with Mindy for a while. Downstairs, I completed Thursday calisthenics, which didn't include push-ups. The coffee had long since finished brewing. I poured a cup then headed to my PC. Nothing but clear skies overhead with a forecasted high of 84 degrees. Supposed to be similar on Friday only warmer. Appears we're getting more summer-like weather and perhaps even a pattern switch. Time will tell.

Played around online until 715am. Headed to the family room for meditation and a stretch. I'm digging the quiet house, which is something I haven't had dating back to the prior summer, or before Jacob started getting up for school around 6am. By the time I finished both meditation and stretching and then got out the door for a run, it was already 735am. Time flies. By then the sun was well above the roof tops, but still only about 60 degrees with low humidity. Felt really nice. I ran the full 4.1 miles without any problems.

The house remained still & quiet upon my return. I quickly started preparing breakfast and lunch. Opted for fried eggs. Set Eiknarf's egg aside since she remained cooped up in Bella's room, and I wasn't in a hurry to change that. Enjoyed my breakfast of eggs, toast and watermelon. The rest of the 'fresh' fruit had that spoiled hint about it. Still have one of the lemon poppy seed muffins Mindy got me for Father's Day. Not sure when I'll eat it. But I know I better eat it soon. One of the kids already ate the other.

I headed for a shower near 830am and at the same time took Mindy some coffee. After my shower she said she was going to remain in bed. Still not sleeping well. It was a perfect day to drive the BM'er. I was working in Hilliard and the weather forecast absolutely perfect. I moved the Accord to the curb to make room for the BM'er. At the same time, Mindy came downstairs to join me after all. We walked the pug together. Mindy brought coffee along.

We spent a few minutes on the deck before I wished her well. The night before she promised to spend some time looking for our misplaced '07 tax return. I didn't bother to remind her, but hoped she wouldn't forget. I left for the office near 850am. It was a slow trek north on Wilson to Roberts due to all the construction, but at least it wasn't at a standstill. I arrived at the office near 920am. Gorgeous morning!!

Once settled I walked over to my boss's office to say hello and catch-up. He was on a conference call. Just smiled and waved. He stopped by my office a few minutes later where we spent about 5-10 minutes catching up on things. Spent most of the day on a product issue that I've been working on for the past month or so. It's been both challenging and interesting, so the time literally flies by. As such, I didn't get a chance to escape for a lunch break. Instead, I worked straight through, not seeing the light of day again until 550pm. Hardly seemed possible walking out the office doors that it was already evening.

Because I drove the BM'er, I didn't bother calling Mindy on the drive home, though I sent her text around 520pm letting her know that I was still at the office. Got home around 610-615pm. Sounded like another fun day for the kids. Mindy took all the kids that overnighted to Coldstone's for ice cream. Counting our own, that amounted to seven kids. Bella fished again too. I could see one of our fishing poles was in pieces on the deck table. No doubt a byproduct of Bella's fishing stories. :)

Mindy shared that niece Lynn-Lynn was joining us for dinner and cutting the children's hair. She also shared that she was grilling pork chops for dinner. Said she looked for our '07 tax return but no luck. Looked everywhere, including in previous and subsequent year's tax return folders. Nothing. She did, however, find the envelope that the accountant sent us copied of our tax return in. My guess was she needed to make copies for some reason but hen never put it back where it belonged. Before dinner was ready, I searched several storage tubs, both those where I might expect to find it, but then also some completely unexpected. No luck. I even grabbed a few back-up CDs that included all of our docs and files from that era The irony is its the only year we used an accountant to file our taxes as opposed to using Turbo Tax.

Dinner was served around 645pm. Lynn-Lynn wasn't there yet. We went ahead and started eating. She showed up 5 minutes into dinner. Mindy grilled chicken for Lynn, Jacob and Bella, none of which care for pork. Took me a few minutes to realize that we weren't eating the same thing. I would've been very worried had Mindy not been eating pork too. :) Lynn, Mindy and the kids headed out onto the deck for haircuts after dinner while I stayed inside handling kitchen clean-up duties. I spent another 30 minutes or so looking for the '07 tax return, but still no joy. More so that I, Mindy feels certain that it'll eventually turn up. The thing is, we need to find it by early next week.

Lynn left for home around 745pm. Afterwards, Mindy and I got changed into comfy lounging clothes. Mindy then suggested we watch The Life of Pi. Sounded good to me. It was 830pm by the time we got the movie started. Jacob watched it with us from the beginning. Bella was busy in her room and then in the shower. Despite being grounded from screens, Mindy let her join us about 30-45 minutes in. The movie was a little heaving for Bella. More than once she talked about how it was scaring her. I began to get sleepy about 80 minutes in. Fell asleep just as darkness fell over the mystical island Pi happens upon. I didn't wake until the movie was over and Mindy & Jacob were discussing its meaning.

Though I was physically awake, I was still mentally asleep. I struggled to fill my water glass, pee, then head to bed. In fact, I think I was asleep again even before Mindy joined me minutes later. Good night moon!

Perfecty Perfect

I was up and out of bed at 550am. And while the sun had yet to pierce the horizon, I was very excited to see nothing but clear skies overhead. We slept with all the windows opened, so the house was quite cool. Outside, it was only 57 degrees. I did calisthenics (sit-ups, push-ups, and windmills) then poured coffee and headed to my PC. Finally, a weather forecast built for me. Sunny and 80 on Wednesday, and then the promise of more sunshine and warmer temps heading into the weekend.

Played around online for an inordinate amount of time. I didn’t walk away for meditation and a stretch until almost 7am. Meditation and stretching went well. Dressed for a run at 725am. Went with a fresh running shirt. Immediately out the door I was a little chilly, especially whenever a house blocked the rising sun. I was wearing a bright orange shirt. A couple walkers/runners commented about it and how visible I was.

I ran the full 4.1 miles. I drug our emptied trash can back to its resting place before heading inside. In the kitchen I immediately switched gears to food prep. Made a plain omelet for breakfast and threw together my lunch. Mindy had freshly cut veggies already waiting in the fridge.

It was near 835am when I headed up for a shower taking Mindy’s coffee along too. Once again, Mindy reported feeling poorly slept. Despite all that, she still got up to spend a little time together before I needed to leave for work. We walked the pug and then enjoyed a little coffee from the deck. I left for work near 9am. Had I been working in Hilliard I would’ve deemed it a BM’er day, but as it was, I was working across town in New Albany so I opted to drive the Accord.

Pretty easy drive. My boss called my bberry just as I was parking. Wanted to know if I planned to join the weekly customer call. Uh, no. What call? There wasn’t one on my calendar. He and the customer’s director were on one. Funny thing is, one of the director’s team members cancelled it. Oh boy! That took some explaining.

Had an incredibly busy day. Didn’t get a chance to take a real lunch break, though did eat my packed food from my desk. Ended up at the office until 545pm. Spent the last part of my day chatting with the customer’s director of Ops. Good chat. Great guy!

Called Ashley who texted me earlier about her wrecked car. Apparently the body shop called her to let her know they found another $1K worth of damage. I encouraged her to call State Farm and insist that it be totaled. I also reiterated that she might want to seek legal help. So far the damage is more than $8K.

Called Mindy next. We talked for several minutes as I made my way around 270. She shared how her day unfolded. Said she had a house full of kids all day, as many as eight. Also continued with her organization efforts. Cleaned out the entry way closet. Needed me to go through some things. Ugh! She also shared that she went to the grocery store and grilled burgers for dinner.

I arrived home around 630pm. Sitting on the island was an envelope from the city. At first I assumed it our water bill, but on closer inspection it said something like city tax department. That piqued my interest. I opened it right away. It was a notice from CMH that they want to audit my tax returns from 2007-2012. Said I may have had income that was taxable by the city of CMH that they didn’t get proceeds from. Not sure what triggered the audit but guessed it the money I had to report in both ‘l1 & ’12 that was assigned to NYC since I worked there for 2.5 weeks. Oh boy! The letter is written to make one feel criminal. I wasn’t too happy about it. What’s worse, we’ve misplaced a given year’s tax return. I think it is ’07. This should be interesting. I’ll keep everyone posted. I have nothing to hide nor did I knowingly cheat. At least I have that going for me.

We were eating from the deck for the first time all season. If there ever was a perfect evening for it, this was it. Not a cloud in the sky all day long and temperature close to 80 with very low humidity. Mindy, Jacob and I enjoyed burgers while Bella had a hot dog and corn on the cob. She hardly ate any of the hot dog. Instead, she spent most of dinner complaining that her eye itched and hurt. I eventually found her some artificial tears eye drops and later an ice cube and paper towel. Once her eye calmed down she ran off with friends. Jacob was off to play, too. Mindy asked about a bike ride. I agreed to go on one after clean-up. I told her earlier that she needs to exercise vigorously and perhaps eliminate coffee to help with her recent sleep deficit.

Clean-up was complete by 715pm, if not a little sooner. Before taking off on a bike ride, I changed into comfy lounging attire. Mindy was sure I would fall asleep, but I didn’t. We left on a bike around 745pm. As usual, we stopped by the McVey’s after seeing both Darwin & Connie sitting in the front yard watching their boys play on their bikes.

We talked for a while out front, and later Darwin took us around back to see the pergola he recently constructed. Nice work, Darwin! Shared that he’s finally getting transferred from the Polaris Home Depot to the Mill Run store but not until Jul-8. With all the time and gas money he’ll save, he sees it as a big raise. We talked with the McVey’s for a while. Connie still trying to talk us into an Outer Banks vacation.  Like so many others, she’s addicted. She’s been going almost every summer for years and years. She also invited us to join them at Red White & Boom down along the river front. Darwin apparently goes down early, early and gets a premium spot. We just may do that.

After about a 25-30 minute break, we continued on with our abbreviated bike ride. Once back home, Jacob and his friends asked if they could sleep-out in the tree house. I didn’t mind as long as I didn’t have to do anything. I laughed only because he’s tried this a couple other times past and came in on both occasions. At the same time that Jacob was arranging for their tree house sleep-out, Bella asked if all the island girls could stay at our house. Well, actually, she initially she asked if she could stay at Makayla’s. Mindy immediately said no to that since Chrissy leaves the girls home alone with Jake in the AM so she can go to work. Mindy did agree to having all the girls stay at our place after conferring with Chrissy.

Now about 9pm, Mindy and I tuned the family room TV to Big Bang. We’re addicts! Mid-episode, Mindy headed out back to make sure the boys were getting settled in the tree house. Came back 5-10 minutes later sharing that she had to shoo away a wasp that had all four boys in a panic.  Bella and company got the bright idea that they were gonna sleep on the deck. But Mindy quickly nixed that notion too. Wasn’t going to give the kids even a chance at a civil war. 

In a moment of weakness, I made myself a Jack & Coke. We watched a total of 3 episodes of Big Bang, all of them funny. We didn’t head for bed until 1030pm. I think Mindy was taking my advice and trying to stay up a little later hoping that might help cure her inability to fall asleep. I didn’t fall immediately asleep but pretty darn close. I’m sure I was out before 1045pm.