Gimmie some Candy, Dammit!

Not planning to run until Bella was on the bus, I allowed myself to sleep in a little, not getting up and out of bed until about 605am. Downstairs a few minutes later, I quickly stepped out on the deck gazing skyward. Nothing but clouds overhead and extremely warm temps. Back inside, I quickly breezed through calisthenics. It was near 625am when I delivered Mindy's coffee.

Like a handful of other recent mornings, I made it a point to meditate ahead of enjoying coffee and PC time. At the time I still planned on heading into the office to carry out my work day. When Jacob came downstairs for a quick bite ahead of heading out to the bus stop, he shared that it was 60 some degrees. Geesh! I wished him well at the final night of basketball tryouts since I almost certainly wouldn't see him until afterwards.

Mindy was downstairs shortly after 7am and already shouting out for Bella to get up. Mindy asked if I planned to work at home or at the Hilliard office. Hilliard office. She left for school a few minutes early. It was donuts with someone special day again. Bella and I did our usual stuff ahead of bus stop time. She disappeared upstairs and I toggled between pleasure and work.

I slipped into my running clothes and stretched ahead of bus stop time. We headed out at 757am. Even though it was warm, there was one heck of a breeze kicking up. Chrissy shared that Trick or Treat might be canceled, postponed, or moved up due to an impending storm, something I had no idea of prior. She went on to say that they were forecasting 40-50 mph winds and heaving rain for the evening hours. Apparently many surrounding communities had already changed their plans. Hmm?

The bus was there before 805am. I hadn't yet walked the pug, so she and I headed across the street before heading home. Back at the house I topped off my coffee and sat down at my PC for a few minutes contemplating my run. It was then that I decided that I might as well work from home. I was already set-up and in the middle of a few things anyway. I left for a run around 830am.

I ran the full 4.1 miles, opting to wear my light weight jacket but unzipped to the starter course. The cool breeze made it feel cooler than it really was. Just after the three mile marker, I decided to shed the jacket by pulling out my arms and tying it around my waist without missing a beat. I was soaked head to toe with sweat. In hindsight, I should've left the jacket at home. I felt a whole lot better by the time I made it home.

Back at the house by 910am, I was dripping sweat from head to toe so I toweled off with a beach towel then topped off my coffee again. The sweat kept coming for the next 10 minutes or so. Once I was settled in, I fried eggs for the pug and I. After breakfast, kept my nose to grind stone for pretty much the rest of the day. Mid day checked the web for any changes to our local Trick or Treat times. Sure enough, like a lot of surrounding communities, Columbus decided to move it from 6-8pm to 530-7pm. I guess that meant the worst weather was expected later.

Got two pieces of good news that day. One, the IRS let me know that my case was now closed. I was correct. Finally! Two, Mindy called to share that the extra day she requested off was approved meaning we can take an entire week off in February for our annual adult ski vacation. Wahoo! She asked that I not book airline tickets, however, until she receives written approval which would most likely come the following day.

During what I'll call my lunch break, I headed upstairs for a shower. As always, felt a whole lot better after.

As recent as Tuesday or Wednesday I had commented to Mindy how long the foliage was hanging onto the trees this season. Most years the maples are bare by Trick or Treat. Thursday's wind and rain, however, was taking its toll. The leaves were coming sown by the bushels, and we hadn't seen the brunt of the fall storm yet.

Soon Jacob was home from school. He seemed very eager but nervous about the evening's final basketball tryouts and ultimately the final cuts. Jimaken agreed to drive him to tryouts but I was supposed to pick him up. Bella was home about 10 minutes earlier than normal. In the door by 340pm. And then Mindy was home about 10 minutes later. She had several bags in her hand, apparently stopped to pick-up some stuff for dinner.

Ahead of Trick or Treat, Mindy whipped up chicken & noodles using a whole rotisserie chicken. That sounded good, though I would've been just as happy having the chicken and mashed potatoes. As the afternoon turned to early evening, the rain and wind picked up just as it was forecasted to do.

Jimaken arrived to fetch Jacob around 430pm. Because of tryouts, Jacob would miss all of Trick or Treat, but he didn't seem to care in the least. Bella on the other hand, was excited that gymnastics was canceled. She, Makayla, and Emily were heading out together, but not until after dinner. I asked Mindy if she wanted to hold off on having dinner until Trick or Treat was over. She said she was hungry and wanted to eat prior. Worked for me, though I could've waited.

Bella wanted only broth. Not sure what was up with that. Makayla had a bowl of chicken and noodles too. Mindy and I both had two helpings. I finished up clean-up just ahead of 530pm and the start of Trick or Treat. The first kids showed at our door right at 530pm. We can't complain, Bella and Makayla had already headed out too. The kids were rather fortunate. It was really windy, but the rain wasn't much more than a sprinkle.

Mindy answered the call from most of our ghoulish visitors. She genuinely loves to greet the children at the door, especially the little ones. While she passed out candy, I read by ebook from a recliner. The inclement weather helped stem the usual steady stream of Trick or Treaters. Mindy guessed we had about 50 kids, keeping in mind that most come in clusters, that's not too many. Time passed quickly. Mindy shared that Jacob privately asked if she would come get him after tryouts. She said he was really nervous, in fact, more nervous than she's ever seen him before. She believed he wanted her to do the pick-up just in case he was cut. I understand. At the end of the day, he's still just a young boy that needs things only his momma can provide.

While Mindy was off to get Jacob, the Trick or Treaters continued to come to the door despite the event formally ending at 7pm. I'm pretty sure we had kids come as late as 810pm. We had a couple kids actually open the door to come in. Yikes! Mindy & Jacob were back by 730pm. I knew instantly the news wasn't good. I could hear Jacob outside swearing like a sailor. He spoke not a word and went straight to his room. Mindy strolled in just behind him. She looked whipped. She quietly shared that Jacob had been in tears most of the way home. Said he was devastated. He wanted no one to console him. We left him to himself hoping he might get over it in a hurry. He made some outlandish comments. But I understand, his pride had been crushed.

Bella came in around 8pm with her pals. The pals stayed just a couple of minutes. Soon they were gone and Bella emptied her pillow case of candy onto the family room floor. Might be the most Halloween candy I've seen anyone garner in years. We pulled her aside and told her about Jacob, just so she didn't walk into a buzz saw. She was very mature about it, and expressed deep sorrow. I was a little surprised. She's a very caring sister.

Mindy sent Jacob a couple texts asking if he wanted anything to eat. At first it was an absolute no! Late, however, he responded that he wanted food but was not coming downstairs to eat it. Mindy laughed but responded that he'd have to starve then. Bella requested French bread pizza. I took care of that while Mindy did some Ava Anderson stuff. I prepped two even though Jacob said he didn't want one. I knew better.

Around 805pm Mindy dispatched Bella to the shower. At the same time, I tuned the TV to CBS and the newest Big Bang episode. I planned to watch TNF on the NFL Network -the Bengals/Dolphins game. Bengals have long been my fallback team. Big Bang was funny. I poured a Jack & Coke then tuned to the game at 830pm. Aside from about 5 minutes of the 3rd quarter when I tried unsuccessfully to go to bed, I watched the entire game, and most of it alone. Mindy headed up to bed around 9pm. I just wasn't sleepy. And even after the game, which was just after midnight, I still wasn't that tired. I enjoyed a bowl of Cap'n Crunch then headed for bed. I'll bet I laid there for a good 30 minutes before I finally fell asleep.

Pulmonary Sembolism

Slept in until 605am, which was a little bit later than I wanted but still enough time to carry out a normal morning routine without having to peel anything back. I would, however, have to be deliberate and disciplined with each pre-run phase.

I checked to make sure the coffee brewed and it had. I opened the deck door and took a sniff of the weather. Hmm? Cloudy skies overhead, but dry. It was also warmer than I expected. It was Wednesday which meant it was a push-up day. I whipped out sit-ups, windmills and push-ups. Already time to deliver Mindy's coffee. Woke her near 620am. Back downstairs I once again put meditation in front of anything else. Spent about 10 minutes meditating.

Around 635am I poured my own coffee then went to my PC. Learned that it was 47 degrees with an anticipated high of 67 degrees - easily the warmest it's been in the last 10 days. I wasn't on my PC long. Did my stretch then got into my running clothes by 7am. Called out to Mindy, who was out of the shower and dressed. She came downstairs to get a hug before I left on my run. Like the day before, I wouldn't be back in time to see her off.

705am when I headed out the door. I ran the full 4.1 miles, skipping the recent addition of hand and ear covers. I was comfortable start to finish and felt good throughout. Near 745am by the time I was back at home. I quickly leashed up the pug while Bella finished her ready. Eiknarf and I were back from our walk with just a few minutes to go before Bella and I would need to head right back out. We headed out at 756am.

The bus showed up around 805am. I hurried back home where I woofed down some cheesy scrambled eggs. I also dished up some for the pug. I was off to the shower a few minutes later. I wasn't long getting ready. I was back downstairs prepping a lunch by 835am and ready to depart a few minutes later. I left the house at 840am. I was a little worried that my new iPhone might die given that I hadn't charged it since Monday morning, and I left the charge cord in my regular office - duh! But checking the battery status, it was holding about 1/2 a full charge. My plan was to go ahead across town, but then stop at my regular office on my drive home and snag the charge cord from my office and charge it overnight from home.

Traffic was again very cooperative. I made it across town with no traffic delays whatsoever. Arrived just after 9am. By the time I walked into the building, logged onto my laptop, and stowed my lunch, it was 920am, or just 10 minutes ahead of our weekly 930am call. The weekly call went quick, no more than 10 minutes. I had a 2nd call set-up for 10am with most of the same folks. I took care of a couple other issues before it commenced. The 2nd call went about 30 minutes and more importantly accomplished the goals we had hoped for.

Still fairly early, I had plenty of time to work on my non-urgent to-do list. I stayed focused on my list and knocked more than a few things off by 115pm. I toyed briefly with heading out for a lunch break but in the end decided to simply keep plugging away. Still dealing with mouth pain upper left, I called Dr March's office to make another appointment. Turns out, he's on vacation for the rest of the week. Faith offered me an appointment with an on-call back-up but I declined. Instead, we made an appointment for Monday afternoon. Told her I would take Advil as necessary until then. A couple Advil, by the way, takes the pain away in a hurry. Talked with Mindy sometime during the afternoon, too. She planned to stop at Kroger after work to pick-up a gift card for Doug.

I planned to leave the office early so I could stop by the main office on my drive home and still be home at a reasonable hour for date night. I stayed busy through the late afternoon, packing up for home around 415pm. I decided not to call Mindy until after my stop at the Hilliard office. Arrived there near 440pm. I hurried up the elevator, to my office, and grabbed the iPhone power cord. Minutes later I was once again on my way home.

Arrived home shortly after 5pm. By then the kids had already left with Jimaken. He was taking Jacob to and from basketball practice thereby freeing Mindy and I to join our friends at CBC to celebrate owner, Doug's 50th birthday. While got ready to go, I checked home email. All I had to do was brush my teeth. Other than that, I was ready to go. We left the house near 530pm.

Took about 15 minutes to get to CBC via 70east. We parked across the street in the Kroger lot. A visible "50" sign hung proudly from the patio windows, a dead giveaway to the surprise party. We were some of the earlier guests to arrive, so Mindy and I helped the employees set up for the shindig. Emily & Beth were the dedicated servers for the event. They fetched Mindy & I each a Bodhi. Yum! Hard to imagine a better beer anywhere on Earth. Mindy proved a big help getting all the decorations together and hung. Aubrie was admittedly struggling.

They brought out appetizers a few plates at a time. Most I recognized from the standard menu, but there was one I hadn't seen before and was curious about. Turned out they were pork bellies and slaw, which they shared are to be eaten as a lettuce wrap. I think they're new on the menu at 229. Boy, were they ever delicious and addictive. Taste like pork ribs without bones. I had three or four and so did Mindy. We both enjoyed a 2nd Bodhi, too.

Not too long into the party a girl dressed as Marilyn Monroe arrived. Not only did she hang for the duration of the party, but she sang happy birthday to Doug, just as the original M.M did to JFK 50 some years ago. Cute! While Mindy chatted with the CBC girls, I stood pat near the appetizer table. Next to me was the silent partner in CBC discussing their success with another German Village/Brewery District businessman. I learned quite a bit about their success as well as their prostates. Oh the conversations one can pick-up on at a party. :)

Mindy and I prepped to depart near 745pm. We knew we didn't have to, but decided to tip both of the event servers, Emily & Beth $10 each - our way of showing appreciation for their hard work. They both thanked us warmly. As usual, it took a good five minutes to get Mindy out the door. After two Bodhi's you have to know that Mindy had quite a buzz. Me, I was more than fine. Hardened, I guess. :)

Bella called Mindy's phone not too long into our short commute home. Inferred that they'd been home since shortly after 7pm and apparently didn't have dinner. Mindy and I wondered if Jimaken might've had a hot date with Molly waiting in the wings. I suggested Mindy ask the kids what they wanted to eat. They agreed on Wendy's. We headed to the one right off the 70/Wilson Rd exit ramp and went to the drive-thru where we got Jacob a spicy chicken sandwich and Bella chicken nuggets. Both wanted fries too.

Needless to say, both kids were happy that we were home. Jacob shared that he survived the first round of basketball cuts. I guess they cut it down by half or about 25-50 kids. Said he had a really good night at tryouts. I believe Thursday evening will be the final cuts. We'll see. While the kids enjoyed Wendy's, I popped some popcorn. Aside from those 3 or 4 pork belly appetizers, I'd eaten nothing other than carrots, an apple, and a couple chunks of cheese all day. Saw that I missed a text a little earlier from Lindsey asking if Rocky could Trick or Treat from our house. I texted back asking if it was just him or both boys, not that it really mattered. She responded promptly sharing that they'd changed their minds. Bella tried on her new purple Halloween costume for me, too. I took a couple photos.

Bella and I plopped down on the sofa to watch Science Channel while Mindy ditched out for an early bedtime. It was only 845pm. Still hungry even after the popcorn was gone, I cracked open Mindy's box of Mini-Wheats and snacked on those while watching TV. Mindy made sure Bella knew her lights out bedtime was 930pm. Turns out, I fell asleep just before then, but when I woke just after 10pm, Bella was already off to bed. I shut down the downstairs and headed up to bed myself. I was surprised to find Mindy talking somewhat loudly on her cell phone to a teacher pal. I was also surprised to find Bella awake and stretched out in our bed. But even with those distractions, I was able to fall back asleep fairly easily. Good night moon!

Peering through the Window

I slept soundly and didn’t wake but maybe just once through the night. I was out of bed and downstairs by 555am. I stepped briefly out onto the deck to get a feel for the weather. It was clear and cold – about 34 degrees. I verified that the coffee brewed as programmed. Yep. I headed to the living room next where I whipped out 50 sit-ups, 40 windmills, and 40 curls.

Decided to use the time ahead of waking Mindy and before enjoying coffee doing meditation. I find I feel a lot better when I put meditation first. Was done with meditation by 618am and quickly poured two cups of coffee, one for me and the other for Mindy. I took Mindy’s upstairs and placed it on her night stand. She asked that I bump up the heat. Looking back, I now realize that I failed to follow through on that request. Oops!

Headed to my PC with coffee in hand. Noticed a rather negative email from my mom in all caps. Not exactly how I wanted to enjoy my quiet time.  I don’t think she realizes, but no one wants to read emails in all caps as it implies screaming. Though perhaps that’s her intent. Anyway, I brushed it aside.

Read the recap from the MNF game. Seahawks pulled out an ugly one. But that’s what good teams do, find a way to win even when they’re not playing their best. Must’ve been around 640pm when I got off the PC, into my running clothes, then completed stretching on the living room floor. Jacob headed out for the bus around 650am. I headed upstairs to say goodbye to Mindy since in all likelihood, she would be gone by the time I made it home from a run. I must’ve startled her. She was just out of the shower when I came barging in. 

It was cold enough that I wore the requisite attire – hand and ear covers. Numerous times during my run I gazed skyward towards the waning crescent moon located at about 11am in the clear black sky. Lovely! I ran the full 4.1 miles with no trouble whatsoever. I feel blessed to feel so good – powerful – even after all these years. Made it back home by 636am. Bella was surprised that I was home so early. Said her mom prepped for me being really late.

I made sure that she was on track then headed out with the pug. We walked to the east, our side of the street. Haven’t gone that way in a while. Back at the house Mindy had my eggs waiting in the microwave. She also had an egg fried and waiting for the pug still in the frying pan. Bella and I headed out at 755am. The pug had just finished woofing down her eggs when we were heading out. I called out to her to see if she cared to join us. She did. We joined the others already waiting at the bus stop. This time the bus was early, at least compared to what’s become the norm. Wasn’t even 805am. Sarah and her mom crossed the street and headed for home just opposite to Eiknarf and I. Spotted a deer in my backyard near the side entrance to our deck. Pointed it out to Anne and Sarah. It just stood there staring at us. Pretty.

Inside, I was quick to rush off to the shower wanting to be all the way across town at a reasonable time. I was out of the shower and ready to go by 830am. My plan was to leave the house no later than 845am. I didn’t want to leave much sooner either. I puttered around the house a little in preparation for departure. 845am came quickly and off I was to work.

Traffic wasn’t an issue. Made excellent time crossing town and then heading north. Arrived before 915am and even got one of the very few up close parking spots saving myself the long, ¼ mile walk from the deep parking lot. I set-up in a cube occupied with lots of tech gear. Not ideal, but functional. I didn’t really mind. Soon I was so engrossed in work that my surroundings were largely irrelevant.

Around 1140am a peer stopped by sharing that he and others were meeting in the cafeteria for lunch. I declined the invite just as I do 99.9% of the time, but after he walked away I had a change of heart and decided to join them after all. I took my bottled water and an apple along. Glad I joined them. We shared some ideas and discussed a few work issues. If nothing else, it’s valuable team bonding time. We headed our separate ways around 1250pm in order to prep for our standing 1pm tech meeting with the customer.

As usual, it was a packed meeting room. We steered away from the usual agenda and instead spent the entire hour on one important topic. Excellent team dialogue. The meeting wrapped up around 2pm and I spent the next couple hours taking care of a couple urgent reactive issues. I wrapped up work around 415pm. I wanted to meet up with Jacob for his 1st basketball practice at his school. Practice started at 5pm. Jimaken was taking him. I would be bringing him home. I also planned to stop at the Dublin Best Buy on my way to get a cover for my new work iPhone.

Made decent time barreling around 270. Headed in Best Buy around 440pm. Lots of choices, but like most Best Buy visits, at least to their phone accessories, a confusing one. Had a young associate not stopped over to assist, I would’ve purchased the wrong case. Seems there’s a specific model for the 5C. Those for the 5 & 5S won’t fit. Yikes! Of course they were out of most 5C phone cases, including the black Otter Box cover I wanted. I briefly admonished myself for not stopping at the Easton Best Buy before getting on the freeway. Instead of the Otter Box, which is ridiculously beefy, I went with a silicone cover much like the one I have on my Galaxy III. It was less expensive, functional, and handsome. Perfect! I looked at nothing else and instead headed for checkout.

Passed my Hilliard office in route to Jacob’s school. Arrived around 510pm. Wasn’t sure where it enter the building but tried a couple doors that appeared to lead to gym. Nope! I tried the other end. Success! Wow! There must’ve been about 50-60 7th graders there for tryouts. A young coach – guessing about 24 – was hollering orders at the mass of adolescent boys. Just me and two other parents there watching.

I found the coach’s demeanor amusing, which had to be intimidating to some of the kids, and most likely on purpose. He barked order after order describing how he wanted the drill to unfold. I might’ve watched for 10 minutes when the wind bag meandered over towards me and the two other parents and somewhat graciously asked us to leave. Said he can’t have 60 parents watching practice. We laughed amongst ourselves after complying looking around for the other 57.

We stood/sat just outside the gym occasionally peering through the small windows in the gymnasium doors. The experience left me thinking about where I would’ve been slotted amongst the 50-60 boys competing for what we learned would be a max of 15 spots on the 7th grade team. While Jacob is one of the tallest kids in his class, I would’ve been one of the smallest. And about an hour into the practice, the coach separated the boys into 4 groups. It was pretty clear to me that he had all the big kids in two clusters and then the smaller ones in two others. The scrimmaged for the last hour.

While all of that was taking place, me and one of the other father’s chatted. He introduced himself. Learned he’s the Chaplin at Children’s hospital. I asked if he was related to Charlie, and then went on to ask if he wore a derby hat and carried a cane. He didn’t get it. He shared that he played college ball. His son was pretty tall, too, though not as tall and muscular as Jacob. From the little window peering I did, Jacob seemed to be holding his own and then some. He’s only recently acquired these basketball skills. Seems to be a natural.

Practice was set to run until 7pm. Dave & I talked sparingly while waiting its end. Around 630, the 8th graders showed up. They have their own team, too. And there is a huge difference in the size and maturity in these boys. There were far fewer trying out too. My guess because most of the team positions are likely spoken for by last year’s 7th grade team players.

7pm came soon enough. We weren’t sure how or when any cuts would be made. The night before, Jacob speculated that they would make cuts each night, including this one, through Thursday’s practice. However, as the kids let practice, Jacob learned that they won’t make any cuts until after he 2nd practice, Wednesday evening. Amongst all the kids trying out, the size varies wildly. Jacob and a couple others stand near 6’ while the smallest kids are about 4.5’.

Jacob and I were finally headed for home. He asked about dinner. I wasn’t sure what we’d be having, but reminded him that Mindy had to get Bella to and from gymnastics. She also planned to stop at Target to get Halloween candy as well as a few other items. We got home before Mindy & Bella. I think it was 725pm. While waiting on Mindy to get home, I snacked on peanuts and cashews while playing on my PC.

Mindy & Bella were home by 745pm. Jacob was disappointed to learn that Mindy hadn’t picked-up any food. Bella expressed her displeasure too. She cited more than once just how hungry she was. Only recently has she become a voracious eater come the evening hours. And it’s probably no coincidence that she’s grown ¾” since the start of school already too.

Jacob asked for a beef fajita made with prepackaged chunks of steak Mindy found at the grocery store. And then after lots of hemming and hawing, Bella eventually decided on a baked potato with some steak chunks over top. I took care of Bella while Mindy took care of Jacob. Mindy & I split the leftover Greek salad from Monday. I snapped down a couple chunks of steak too.

It was quickly after 830pm. Bella and I watched Oddities on the Science Channel. Interesting stuff. I soon fell asleep on the sofa and was none the wiser when Mindy and Bella headed up to bed. I woke around 1005pm to an empty downstairs. I topped off my water glass and stumbled upstairs to bed. Mindy appeared to be already out. Bella’s bedroom light was on but I didn’t bother checking. I heard Eiknarf come in our room a few minutes later. However, instead of her usual whining from the side of our bed while waiting to be picked-up and tossed onto our bed, she leaped up on the bedroom recliner. I was asleep within a few minutes.

Eye Fone Five See

Despite getting to bed late – around midnight – I was up and out of bed ahead of 6am. My plan was to exercise, meditate, and play as normal, but then delay my run until after Glenn was gone and Bella was safely on the bus for school. I believe Glenn packed and showered the night before. I heard him get up around 7am, or just after Jacob headed out the door to catch his bus.

I was already logged onto work from home but planned on heading into the office later, after a run and a shower. Dad showed up around 720am. The house was bustling for about the next 10 minutes while Mindy, Dad, and Glenn prepared to depart. Took care of all the goodbyes at the same time. Dad, Glenn and Mindy headed out the door at 730am sharp. Gave Glenn a hug while promising to hook-up again in a few months (actually closer to 4 months) in Tahoe.

Bella and I had about 20 minutes to ourselves before we needed to head out to the bus stop. It was a pretty morning, clear but chilly, the temperature only 35 degrees. I dressed in my running attire before heading out to the bus stop at 755am. There we met the others. Just like that, our life was completely back to normal after 10.5 days of house guests. The bus arrived around 805am. I walked the pug then headed back home. Back at the house I stretched then left for a run. Ran the full 4.1 miles. Therapeutic, for sure.

At home, I fried three eggs, one for Eiknarf, the other two for me. Enjoyed some fresh pineapple and apple slices too. Checked work. A couple hot issues begging my attention. I hustled through a shower and prep. Tried addressing at least part of that work issue before leaving the house, but experienced some technical difficulties. I headed out the door for work near 955am.

Nice, easy drive into the office. Arrived by 1010am. The first thing I did was address the issue from earlier I then joined our weekly recurring call at 11am. The call lasted about an hour. It was noon before I knew it. I walked down to the mailroom to retrieve my new work phone, an iPhone 5C. I was very eager to retire my old, antiquated blackberry. However, I was a little worried about getting it online and connected to the enterprise. It’s far different from activating a phone for private use. I simply unpacked it and put it on charge while I worked.

Met with my boss early afternoon. That went about an hour. After my meeting, spent time finalizing details for my upcoming Cisco training class. Will be in training for an entire week Dec 9-13. Looking forward to it. Around 4pm I decided to activate my new iPhone. The activation piece was a snap, but I still needed to get my work email synched up. Turns out, the process has been significantly streamlined since the last time I had to use it, which was 5 years ago. It was just a matter of figuring out where to find the process this time. No biggie!

I left for home around 510pm still waiting on a confirmation email for my new iPhone corp. email configuration. I planned to watch for the email from home. I didn’t order a case for the new phone, but in hindsight I should’ve. I was shocked with how slippery it is. I figured I would stop by BestBuy sometime the following day.

Called Mindy on my drive home. She & Bella were on their way to David’s Bridal off Sawmill Rd for a dress fitting. Bella will be a bridesmaid in cousin, Lindy’s April wedding. Mindy wasn’t sure what we’d do for dinner and asked for suggestions. I suggested Big Fat takeout gyros. She liked the sound of that and knew Jacob would like it too. However, Bella doesn’t like gyros. Would likely make a Wendy’s stop just for her.

I got home around 540pm. While Mindy & Bella were away, I played around online. Checked work email from home and saw that I received the info I needed to fully activate my new iPhone. I planned to work on it a little later after dinner.

Mindy called around 625pm to let me know that she and Bella were on their way home but stopping for food first. They were home by 705pm. Jacob, meanwhile was off playing with friends. He got home about the same time as Mindy and Bella. He was very excited to learn what Mindy brought home for dinner. In addition to the gyros, she got two large salads and three orders of fries. I passed on fries – unnecessary calories. She also picked up two baklavas for dessert. By the way, while we woofed down our Big Fat, Bella enjoyed Wendy’s. Thanks Mindy!

After dinner I changed into comfy attire then finished configuring my new iPhone. It was a very easy process. Instead of watching MNF, or any TV for that matter, I decided my time would be better spent catching up on some reading. Around 830pm I kicked back in one of the living room recliners with my Kindle HD and read about 20 pages of The Evolution of God, pretty much wrapping up the Chiefdoms phase. Per the usual, the reading left me sleepy, and rather than fight it, I let it come in and take me over. I woke around 10pm and headed up to bed.

Kohls, Dicks, & Sams

I was up and downstairs near 745am. I didn’t expect Mindy up for a while yet. I started coffee then played around online, mostly reviewing college results from Saturday. Mindy was up earlier than I expected. I think it was near 830am. Initially, neither one of us was sure of Glenn’s whereabouts. We didn’t know if he came back to our place or stayed with Tommy. I didn’t hear him come in. I headed upstairs to check and peeked in the guest room. Yep, he was there sleeping. The little noise I made woke him briefly.

I was still playing on my PC and Mindy was getting an early start on laundry when dad tapped on the front door. I wasn’t expecting him but wasn’t too surprised, either. Figured he was there to see if Glenn wanted to go to breakfast. We visited for a few before Glenn made his way downstairs. The two of them planned on heading off to breakfast. From the sounds of it, they planned to stop and see brother Bobby, too. Making a day of it. Shortly after they departed, I headed off for a run. I’m guessing that it was close to 930am.

Like most Sunday’s, I ran 3 miles. It was a good run, the weather chilly, but nice. Back from my run, Mindy shared that she was heading out to run some errands ahead of her Ava Anderson party, which was slated to run from 1-3pm. I planned on getting out of the house and doing something, just what exactly, I wasn’t yet sure. Just before Mindy headed off to the shower she asked if I would vacuum the downstairs. Sure. It was no big deal.

Mindy wasn’t gone that long, perhaps an hour. When she got back we discussed dinner. Talked about grilling steaks. I shared my tentative afternoon plans, which was to head out shopping. I thought I might visit Kohl’s, Dick’s, and Sam’s Club to get steaks. Mindy gave me her Kohl’s card and Kohl’s cash.

I headed to the shower around noon and was ready by 1215pm. Mindy’s mom showed up a few minutes later to help Mindy get things ready for her party. I left the house at 1245pm. I made my first stop at Kohl’s and reminded myself to take my dear old time, since I had 2+ hours to kill. The only thing I wanted to get from Kohl’s was a new lower base layer for winter. Tried on a couple sizes. In the end I went with a large. Between the sale price, Kohl’s cash, and the scratch off coupon the cashier gave me, my totals cost was only $1.40. 

I walked my purchase to the car then headed next door to Dick’s. If I took my time in Kohl’s, I really took my time in Dick’s. I looked at all sorts of stuff but really only planned to buy a few new long-sleeved running/skiing wicking shirts. I’ve learned quite a bit about wicking shirts over the years as the features vary significantly. I’ve decided that I want to avoid the compression fit – too snug for all day comfort. Plus, I’d rather wear two thinner layers then one really thick one. And lastly, a mock neck isn’t as critical as I once thought it to be.

I ended up buying two thin long-sleeved Nike wicking shirts and then two thin Under Amour ¼ zip long-sleeved wicking shirts. We’ll see how that works out for both winter running and skiing. I left Dick’s extremely hungry having eaten nothing more than a single bite of Mindy’s leftover walleye. I thought I would treat myself (or punish depending on your view) and visit the Wendy’s at the corner of Hilliard-Rome & Trabue. Took some doing to get there and was disappointed to find it closed for remodel. Ended up back tracking to the nearby Burger King where there was no line at all. Ordered a BK double stacker combo. Yum!

I ate my fast food lunch from my car in the Sam’s Club parking lot. Headed into Sam’s near 215pm. I didn’t want to arrive home until 3pm, so I wasn’t in a big hurry. I’m not a big Sam’s fan by any stretch. In fact, it’s lower on my list than a prostate exam.  However, they do have decent steaks at a fair price, and we absolutely love their large tray of fudge brownies, especially for parties. I walked down the main aisle towards the fresh food department looking at a number of products. After killing about 15 minutes I picked out a couple trays of steaks. I walked slowly toward checkout. On this occasion there was only a short wait at the checkout line. Wahoo! I was reminded of another short coming upon checkout – no bags! I carried the two trays of steaks in my bare hands out the entrance.

Exiting, I was reminded of another inconvenience, a door guard checking each persons receipt against their haul out of the store. This time I walked by without being stopped. Walking to my car I soon spotted familiar faces walking towards me. It was Kevin, Kerriane, and their two boys, Garrett & Sawyer. I stopped to chat. They’d just come from having lunch at the 101 Pizza Kitchen in Powell. I asked if they were at my house since Kerriane is the one that turned Mindy onto the Ava Anderson product portfolio. No, they weren’t. Soon I was on my way home. It was 250pm.

Arrived home just before 3pm. Several cars still out front, and almost all of them family. Joe’s partner, Rick, was sitting by the bridge apparently feeding ducks. At first I thought it was simply a neighborhoodie enjoying the view, but soon recognized him when he waved. Inside, the gathering was just wrapping up. Julie, Katie, Joe, Ricky left within 5 minutes of my arrival. Jodie, Lindy, and Mawmaw were there a bit longer. The kids got home from their overnight with Jimaken before the others left. Mawmaw gave the kids Halloween treats. The first thing Jacob did was shake it out for the cash. 

Everybody was gone by 330pm. We got to enjoy a couple hours of quiet in the late afternoon. Jacob and I tossed the football for about 30 minutes. Mindy got a hold of Glenn and dad around 5pm to measure their interest in having a grilled steak dinner. They both accepted. This would be Glenn’s last vacation supper.

Mindy suggested I grill around 630pm. It was already dark by the time I threw the meat on the grill. I lost track of the time on each side this time too. I worried that the two thicker steaks might be under cooked. I didn’t bother slicing them open to check. Sure enough, once I handed the steaks off to Mindy and shut down the grill, I learned that two of the four needed more grill time. I quickly fired I back up and threw them on for a few more minutes. Even then they weren’t cooked enough in the center. I put two helpings in the microwave for a minute to help complete the cooking process.

The filets were really good, and so were the accompanying baked potatoes and salad. We split 4 filets amongst 6 of us. I bought a total of 8, so we’ll have enough for another steak dinner again soon. After clean-up, Mindy laid out a hodge-podge of goodies, including a few leftover from her Ava Anderson gathering from earlier. I opted to avoid dessert entirely, having eaten a few of the small brownies earlier when I got home from my shopping spree.

Well before dad left for home, we confirmed that he planned to deliver Glenn to the airport the following morning. He & Glenn made plans to leave early enough to make a stop for breakfast at Spiro’s. Dad left for home shortly before 8pm. Glenn & I readied to watch SNF – the Vikings and Packers. After last Monday’s poor showing, at least I had my expectations set way low. And sadly, I wasn’t disappointed. The Vikings were once again pathetic. Our defense couldn’t get off the field. The bright spot was Cordarelle Patterson, the Vikings rookie receiver, who ran the opening kick-off back for a touchdown, his 2nd this season. Some will point to the Vikings scoring 31 points, forgetting or overlooking the fact that 14 of those came during scraps time, or once the game was completely out of hand. Fact is, the defense looked horrid and the offense nonexistent and unimaginative. Our special teams allowed a punt return for a TD, too.

The game ended near midnight. I headed to bed immediately after. Glenn promised to shut down the TV before heading to bed.

Boat in my Rearview until Spring '14

I heard Mindy's alarm go off I'm thinking around 730am. I woke and glanced her way and noticed her already awake texting from her phone. Really? I rolled over trying to steal a few more winks but couldn't sleep. A couple minutes later when I woke for good, she was again on her phone again, only this time she said she was reading my blog.

I brushed my teeth then headed downstairs where I started some coffee. It was sunny but cold. According to Yahoo, only 28 degrees. Mindy & Bella were heading to Bellefontaine while I went after the boat at Paul's Marine then took it to storage. The night before Mindy said she needed to be up by 8am. I took her coffee a few minutes later.

Downstairs I played on my compute while enjoying coffee. Dad wrapped at the door around 830-845am. He stopped by to see if Glenn or I was interested in going to breakfast. Glenn, perhaps, but me, no. I shared my plans to run and then pick-up the boat. Mindy & Bella were up, ready and out the door before 930am. And not too far behind them was Glenn and dad. Just like that I had the house all to myself.

I headed out for my 3 mile Saturday run. It was cold and breezy. The breeze made it feel much colder than it really was. Felt like winter. Still, the sunshine warmed things up a bit. Back at home i wasted little time readying myself to go after the boat. Saw no reason to shower first. Instead, I headed out still in my running attire. I was happy to find that the Pilot's gas tank was on full.

Made decent time around 270. Not a problem at all. However, once I exited onto Rt 23 north it was like rush hour traffic for the rest of the drive up - slow and pretty much bumper to bumper. Got to Paul's around 11am. By then the clear blue skies changed to partly cloudy but the chilly breeze remained. It was chilly enough that I wished I'd worn a thicker jacket. Paid my bill and waited for the guy to bring my boat around via tractor.

I noticed the boat bouncing dramatically on the trailer, but I figured it was because of the bumpy gravel drive. I also knew that the last pull out of the lake left the nose of the boat an inch or so shy of the "V" groove at the front of the trailer. I hopped out to attach the boat to the Pilot and immediately noticed that my winch strap was snapped, and not at the stitching. What the heck? I complained to the guy who brought it around. He apologized and no questions asked agreed to replace the winch strap on them.

While waiting, which wasn't too long at all, I got a text from Lindsey asking if the kids were home. Said the boys wanted to come over. Nope! I headed towards Hilliard with the boat in tow around 1140am. Traffic was almost as slow as the drive up, and it really slowed the closer I got to the 23/270 interchange. Made good time around 270 and arrived at Lee's RV just after noon. The main entrance was closed for work. Had to enter through the brand new exit, which is a new hi-tech gate. Very nice! Ed was out monkeying with it when I pulled in. We chatted briefly, him ask that I simply leave it near the boat warehouse and he would put it away. No problem. After detaching the boat I gave it a closer once over, actually crawling in under the cover. I checked to make sure the battery was there and disconnected. I also grabbed the old cap and rotor which they replaced and left the old on my seat. I made sure nothing of significance was missing then left for home.

By then I was very hungry , having eaten only a banana much earlier. Couldn't wait to get home and get something of substance in my tummy. Got home around 1245pm. By then it was mostly cloudy. So much for our sunny morning. Inside I whipped up a thick ham and cheese sandwich then checked a couple texts. Mindy sent a couple sharing that Bella finally got to compete but that they were about an hour behind. They left the school for lunch. Wanted to know if I was coming up. No. By then it was near 130pm.

After woofing down a sandwich I felt really sleepy so I took brief nap flat on my back on the livingroom floor. Felt great. I'm guessing it was near 215pm when I upped with new found energy, headed out to do some more work in the front flower beds - winterization. I picked up where I left off Friday when I had limited time. This time I cut back all the ivy and remaining summer flower remnants. Dad & Glenn pulled up while I was busy working. Glenn quickly dismissed himself and headed inside for a nap. Dad stuck around helping and chatting. We hung out for about an hour I am guessing. Talked mostly about retirement planning and mortality. Ashley called sometime in there too, Wanted to know if Mindy and I would watch Olivia two weekends from now so she can take Steven out for his b-day. She also shared that she was heading to an outdoor wedding in an hour or so at Darby Battelle park. Yikes!
Dad soon left which by then had to be near 330pm. Glenn was already up from his nap getting ready for the OSU tailgating event with step brother Kenny and family. Tommy was coming to pick-up Glenn. He arrived shortly after I got out of the shower. We talked for a while before the two of them left.

Mindy sent a handful of texts. It was 430pm and Bella was still waiting to compete in her final event. The drudgery! Mindy complained of her back hurting from sitting all day in bleachers. Ugh! We do the gymnastics events purely out of love, because it's absolute torture for the parents. You get to see your kids compete in three events that collectively take about 45 seconds, but often times stretched over 6-8 hours time. Not much else to do other than people watch, read, play on one's phone.

I watched a little football and wrote for my blog to kill time. Mindy and Bella didn't get home until about 615pm. Jimaken was on his way back from Jacob's Dayton soccer tournament and was supposed to pick-up Bella at our place. Apparently asked Mindy to bring her to his place so he wouldn't have to wait around at our house. Mindy refused after her brutal day in the bleachers. :) Turns out, he and Jacob didn't get there until 630pm anyway. I guess they made a pit-stop at Giant Eagle.

Mindy said she was tired but was still interested in going out to CBC. I suggested we make a visit to the brand new Wolf's Ridge Brewery & restaurant, which is in the heart of downtown. Mindy was game. We agreed to stop for just one beer. We both freshened up then left. Arrived at Wolf's Ridge near 7pm and got a parking meter spot right out front. Meter's down there are free that time of night, or at least I think so. I didn't really check. Didn't get a ticket.

Nice place. Mindy instantly said it reminded her of the Bridgeport Brewery in Portland. The restaurant seating was about 3/4 capacity. The bar, just a couple stools remained, We snatched them up. Could tell right away, more of an upscale crowd. We introduced ourselves to the bartender, who served us both their house IPA. The only have three beers on tap right now as well as a host of guests draughts.

We ordered from the small plate appetizers menu, which pretty much every option required us to ask what it was and meant (words I've never knew referred to food or had never heard or used). :) We opted for a plate with small breads, gourmet mustard, pâté, and meats. It was $13, so I was a tad discouraged when they brought it out. Key word, 'small plate'. However, as small as the portions were, the taste and quality was top notch! Very impressive. The idea, of course, is to serve as an appetizers before one of their tasty dinner entrees.

We held tightly to our plan, finished our beer and appetizers then asked for out check. We'll definitely go back for more of their beer and possibly even dinner. Thumbs up!! As good as it was, we were both eager to get to CBC, which feels as good as home for the two of us. We parked across the street just as we have since the lot break ins in July.

Vince and Emily were working the bar and they had Bodhi on tap. We both ordered one. Yum! Already, the Buckeye game was about to begin. CBC can never be accused of being a sports bar but they do have to 32" flat screens in two corners of the bar - subtle but functional. I advised Mindy not to ask or order risotto balls. Instead, I said we should let Vince do his thing. A few minutes passed and Mindy asked anyway. Vince, of course, said he'd already placed the order. A couple minutes later they were there. Yum-yum!

The Buckeyes took their opening drive and scored a TD. No doubt Urban has our offense clicking on all cylinders. But make no mistake, our defense will kill us. And just like almost every other game this season, Penn State drove right down the field on us too. However, from inside the 10 yardline the QB threw an interception in the endzone.

Jamie, an off-duty CBC server, and her boyfriend, took the two empty stools next to us. We talked with them for the duration of our visit. Hungry, I uncharacteristically ordered us a dinner entree to split - the pecan crusted walleye. It sounded really good. I also ordered a 2nd Bodhi, which would also be my last. They brought our dinner split on two plates. Thanks Emily/Vince! I ate all of mine in a hurry. Mindy barely touched hers. She was busy talking with Jamie and her boyfriend. Mindy offered her share to me. I took a bite or two but then had Vince box it up for home. We headed home at halftime. By then the Buckeyes had a comfy-cushy 42-7 lead.

I paid the dinner bill and drove us home. I'm thinking we were home by1030pm. Of course, we missed a little of the game in our transition from CBC to home. Mindy headed upstairs to change into her PJs while I cracked open a beer. We hung out and watched a little bit of the game from downstairs, but then the very end from bed. The Buckeyes gave up a cheap touchdown with just a couple minutes to go. Buckeyes won 63-14 in what was a complete blowout.

Witches, Punkts & Castles

I planned on working from home so I wasn't out of bed until just before 6am, and even that wasn't necessary. I was wide awake lying in bed thinking about my work day, so it didn't make any sense to remain there. I headed downstairs to exercise and enjoy coffee. It was Friday which meant it was a push-up day. They came easy on this occasion.

Before enjoying any coffee of my own, I took Mindy hers. She asked that I turn up the heat, but I already had. I headed back downstairs where I poured my own coffee then headed to my makeshift office and logged onto both my work laptop and home PC. I wasted little time getting busy with work, completing a recurring Friday report before 730am.

Mindy woke Bella well ahead of leaving for school. She asked for a hug before heading out the door. It was cold, and according to Yahoo only 28 degrees under crystal clear skies, easily the coldest morning so far this season. What Thursday morning's frost didn't kill, Friday's would likely finish the job. Bella did a better job preparing herself than she had the past two days. Her hair looked well managed. She opted to wear to two fleece jackets in lieu of her heavier winter coat. I was OK with that. She headed out at 755am. The pug and I followed shortly behind.

The bus showed up fairly early again. Couldn't have been much past 8am. Eikanrf headed across the street for our morning walk immediately after the bus pulled away. Was still plenty cold. Frost was scattered across all the lawns. It was just after 8am and the sun was just then beginning to pierce the horizon. Back at the house I made sure that work was in good shape before preparing for and leaving on a run.

Headed out the door near 840am. Wore hand and ear covers once again. Once the sun was above the roof lines it warmed quickly. I was comfortable throughout the entire run, and actually it was quite nice. Back at home near 910am. Enjoyed another cup of coffee while digging back into work.

Reflecting on the work week, it was difficult to believe how quickly it went. Had to ask myself if it was really already Friday. Yep, it was. Stayed busy up until 12 noon when I decided to take a break and head outside for a little bit of yard work. I didn't plan to cut the lawn, however. It still looked groomed from Monday's cutting. Instead, I used the time to trim back the ivy growing up the stucco on the side of the garage and then pulled the few weeds in the front flower beds. I might've spent 20 minutes outside - 30 minutes total by the time I was back inside, washed up, and back at my desk.

I thought about trying to reach the IRS to check on the status of my faxed documents but never got around to it. I stayed busy through midafternoon. I think it was near 3pm or just after Jacob arrived home when I headed out to blow the grass clippings off the drive and walk. I finally got around to a shower after that. Mindy was home earlier than normal - somewhere close to 330pm and well before Bella. She and Bella planned to head right back to her school around 5pm, though, to participate in a Halloween themed event.

Glenn was expected back in town with my Accord in time for another Friday evening at Barley's. Mindy & Bella planned to meet us there after the school event. Glenn showed up shortly after Mindy and Bella left. He & I didn't plan to leave for Barley's until 630pm or so. Jimaken & Molly showed up to pick-up Jacob around 610pm. This was supposed to be the last weekend of fall soccer - a tournament in Dayton - but Jacob said his team accepted an invitation to play in another tournament next weekend too. Introduced Glenn and Molly.

Exchanged a couple texts with Darwin where I invited him to join us, We left for Barley's around 640pm. Also sent one to Mindy checking her status. She responded that they weren't ready to leave just yet. .If they were I would've waited on them. Barley's was packed. We had to park in the back 40. There was a line of folks waiting for tables, but happily more than a few stools available at the bar. We snatched my favorite two, then, after a brief peruse of the beer menu, we ordered a couple Punkts.

Chatted with twins, Kurt & Kent. A couple folks asked of Mindy's whereabouts. Shared that she'd be in after a little while. Darwin and coworker Rick arrived about 20-25 minutes later. They're partners in some side carpentry work. Haven't seen Darwin for several weeks. I ordered some fries and buffalo sauce for dipping to get something of substance in my tummy.
Glenn and I both ordered a Barley's pale ale for our 2nd beers. I like it a lot, but rarely drink 'em anymore, but back in the early years, it was my staple beer.

Mindy & Bella showed up around 8pm. Bella sat with Glenn and I at the bar - too cute - while Mindy socialized with several familiar faces scattered about the place. I had a third beer, this time a Centennial. I think Glenn had another Punkt. Darwin & rick left around 9pm. The rest of us didn't stay that much longer, either. I think it was close to 930pm when me, Glenn, Bella and Mindy headed for home.

Glenn suggested a stop at White Castle on the way home. I called Mindy to see if they wanted anything. Bella mustered only an 'ewh'. Could hear her in the background. Mindy declined at first, but then changed her mind and suggested a chicken sandwich. Glenn ordered 10 Castles just for himself. I ordered five. I got Mindy 2 chicken sandwiches.

At home, Bella quickly changed her tune and took two of Glenn's Castles. Woofed down the tiny treats in a hurry. Darwin sent a text asking if we planned to be up for a while. Suggested he'd come by if we were gonna be up and partying. Sure - come on over. He showed up around 1015p with a six pack of beer.

Mindy hung with us for just another 15 minutes or so before heading off to bed .She and Bella needed to be up early for the gymnastics event in Bellefontaine. Glenn, Darwin and I hung out for another hour or so before Glenn called it a night. Darwin and I hung out for another 10-15 minutes before he headed home, which is just a 1/4 mile or so around the bend. By then I was incredibly sleepy and more than ready for bed. When I crawled into bed, Mindy appeared to already be fast asleep. Good night half moon!

Hard Frost

Woke around 430am after many hours of restful sleep. I rather easily fell back asleep until 545am when I rolled out of bed for keeps. Downstairs, I slipped into my exercise shoes then glanced outside. It was clear, starry, and cold. Looked like our first hard frost. The smell of fresh coffee permeated the entire home. Over the next ten minutes I completed calisthenics (not a push-up day).

I was on a tight schedule, meaning I needed to be across town and at one of my customer's locations by 930am. With that as my goal, I moved steadily through the rest of my normal morning progression. As much as I wanted to, I simply couldn't afford to have a leisurely morning. Meditation, delivering Mindy's coffee, PC time, and stretching were all in the bag before 630am.

By run time it was 36 degrees. I dressed in the usual autumn attire but added hand and ear covers again. Hit the road before 640am. Enjoyable run. It might as well have been the middle of the night at the run's outset. By the three mile mark I could see the dawn of a new day on the horizon. Over the next 9 minutes the sky brightened significantly. Mindy was still at home, the Pilot warming in the driveway.

I leashed up the pug then headed out on a walk. Mindy was ready to leave just as Eiknarf and I made our way back up the driveway towards the house. Eggs, toast and fruit were waiting for me in the microwave. Bella was up and alert. Said she slept on her bedroom floor all night again. She said it's the best sleep ever. Not sure what's up with that, but hey.

Planned to shower immediately after bus time. We headed out at 755am. Chilly wait. Thankfully the bus showed up comparatively early or very near 8am. Back at the house I was quickly off to the shower. Wasn't too long before I was again downstairs and preparing to depart. Was ready to walk out at 820am but then considered that I would arrived around 845am and then have to sit idle until the start of our 10am quarterly meeting. In a perfect world I would get there around 920am. I decided to take a load and spent the next 15 minutes writing for my blog.

I noticed on Tuesday that the heat in the BM'er was slow to heat up. Stayed cool until I was almost to the airport and then came on like gang busters. I'll be it's the thermostat. Little wonder for how little it gets driven. I was hopeful that it would eat up a little quicker today. I left the house at 845am. This time the heat kicked into gear neat downtown. I'm just happy I didn't need it for the defrost feature.

Arrived near 910am but had to park at the very end of the deepest lot. It was long, cold walk up to the building. I didn't mind, though. Didn't plan or bother to go set up at an open cube. Instead, I parked my gear at a lounging area just around the corner from the conference room we were scheduled to meet in come 10am. It was occupied by others at the time. I sat there by my lonesome for about 10minutes or until several coworkers showed up, one of which was my boss. We talked strategy until 10am when the prior meeting's participants finally cleared.

we had an aggressive agenda and planned to run 90 minutes. I was slated to be the 4th presenter. I had about 10 slides to share. Those in front of me went a little long after some interesting banter. As usual, I got a little nervous as my time approached, but was calm and ready once the floor was turned over to me. My presentation went pretty well. And just as I expected, it provoked several questions. I wrapped up taking just one new to-do.
There were two presenters after me. The last guy by design went long. He was our guest speaker. His stuff was really interesting. By then we'd already gone over by 30 minutes. Hard to believe we'd been in there for 2 hours.

We huddled just outside the meeting room for another 30 minutes before I begged off for the office. My plan all along was to head back to Hilliard to finish my day. My boss soon shared that he had a couple follow-up meetings there so he planned to complete his day there. And since he was going to be there for the rest of the afternoon, it made little sense for me to head into the main office. I opted instead to head home to finish out my work day.

Arrived home just before 1pm and quickly got my laptop booted up . However, before digging into work, I took a 20 minute break, enjoying a mini ham sandwich, some cashews and water. Stayed busy with work through Jacob & Bella's return from school. Mindy was hosting an Eva Anderson party for teacher pals after classes at her school. She was still home by 430pm. I walked away from steady work near 5pm but kept a loose eye on my email well into the evening hours.

Jim came by to get Jacob for soccer practice after work. Can't remember if he came before or after Mindy left to run Bella to gymnastics at 530pm.

I guessed we'd be having leftovers for dinner. I wasn't hungry anyway. I spent a large part of my evening writing for my blog and keeping a loose eye on work. Around 630pm a case of the sleepies befell me. I plopped into one of the living room recliners and took a quality nap. Slept until Jacob returned home from soccer practice around 7pm, which by then it was already dark. He wasn't too thrilled that there wasn't any dinner waiting. I was all but certain that he'd ask to ride with me, conspiring for a fast food stop after picking up the peanut, but he didn't.

Still half asleep, I slipped into my running sweats then left to get Bella at 715pm. Easy drive. Arrived at 726pm. Got to see Bella do a few reps on the trampoline. We were on the road for home by 735pm. She asked about a stop at Dairy Queen. Not tonight. She didn't put up a fuss. She did, however, ask if she was able to watch TV again that night. Yes, her two day penalty was over. She was happy to hear that.

At home Bella asked he momma to prepare her some food. Not sure what Mindy made for her, but by then I was hungry too. I made a chili cheese burrito. It was just OK. Around 815pm I tuned the family room TV to the NFL Network TNF game. Bad pairing - Carolina Panthers vs. Tampa Bay. Who cares? I still watched for mind diversions sake. I poured a Jack & Coke, too. Bella sat on the sofa with me. Mindy was working on report cards from her laptop, or at least that's what I think she was doing. She was texting up a storm too.

All three of us headed to bed around 930pm. Jacob was already off to bed. Not sure what if anything he had for dinner. I asked Mindy if we could watch some of the 3rd quarter from bed. She agreed. It was still halftime so I tuned the TV to the Big Bang, a show I haven't watched in several weeks, and one we were addicted most of the spring and summer. Seen pretty much all of the episodes. We both realized that we missed the new episode that was on at 8pm. Oh well. While I watched TV, Mindy played with her phone from bed, though she kept a loose eye on the Big Bang rerun, too.

I returned to the football game, now already 10 minutes into the 3rd quarter. We might've watched 3 or 4 minutes before my eyes were too heavy to continue. Good night chilly moon!

Incredible Night of Sleep and the Season's 1st Snow

After 9+ hours of restful sleep, I was up near 6am. Haven't slept that good for a couple of weeks. Felt really refreshed. Downstairs I glanced out the back door seeing a rainy wet deck. I popped my head out the door revealing chilly temps again, too. The rain the last two mornings held back any potential frost damage. I completed Wednesday calisthenics, which included 50 push-ups, but even they came easy this go around. Amazing what a really good night of sleep can do for one's energy and mood.

It was 615am. Before enjoying any coffee of my own, I poured and delivered Mindy's. She asked me to bump up the heat a little once back downstairs. Once again, I opted to do meditation ahead of any PC and coffee time. I like that a lot. Was at my PC with coffee by 630am.

My VP was in town today, so my boss asked that I work in Hilliard so I could meet with her later that afternoon. Not a problem. I planned to work from home for the first couple hours again, though, especially after seeing the weather radar. It was 35 degrees and snow and sleet were quickly descending on the NW quadrant of the city. I took a quick gander out the front door side lights. Sure enough, there were snowflakes already mixing with the light rain. No way I wanted to drive the BM'er in that.

Mindy was downstairs by 7am and Bella was up a few minutes later. She was very excited to see it snowing. By then it was about a 50/50 mix, but starting to stick to the cars and bushes. Shortly after Mindy left it turned almost entirely to wet snow, and even started sticking to the warm lawns. And so it begins.

Headed out with Bella at our usual time. She was eager to get out there. I hadn't yet walked the pug so I left the bus stop and headed across the street with the pug. I joined up with the others after our brief walk. The bus was later than usual. I'm thinking it was closer to 815am when she finally arrived. It was still spittin' snow when the pug and I headed back home.

I spent a little time with work before stretching and heading out on a run. It was still snowing and even colder than it was when I first got up. It was 33 degrees and snowing harder than it had all morning. I opted to add hand and ear covers to my kit, which was another seasonal first. Running in inclement weather takes some of the monotony away. As a result, the run when by in a hurry. Of course I ran the full 4.1 miles. At times my black jacket was coated in snow, just like midwinter. I was comfortable for the duration, never too warm or chilly.

I was home by 910am. Had to prepare for a 930am weekly call. Thought about frying a few eggs before the call but soon realized I'd be pushing it close. Wanting no part of that, I simply left the oiled pan ready on the stove but with the heat off. The call went pretty well. Lasted maybe 25 minutes. Started my breakfast immediately after and the pug and I were enjoying eggs by 1005am. The snow stopped around 10am, or shortly before I headed up for a shower.

I was ready to go by 1025am. Before leaving the house, I took the time to call the IRS in hopes of resolving the 2011 SS tax issue once and for all. I had all the documentation I needed buried in email. For one reason or another, I struggled finding those all too critical documents. I dropped a few curse words while searching high and low while waiting in a seemingly endless phone queue for a rep to take my call. I eventually found the documents I needed and before Ms. Davis took my call. She was much friendlier than the first woman I spoke with, the night before the government shut down. She pulled up my case and concurred with my statement that all I needed to do to clear the whole thing was provide this document. I was hopeful simply reading it to her might suffice but at the same time doubted it. Of course not. My thinking was that they had to have a similar issue with others so why wouldn't me sharing the latter suffice. Anyway ...

She suggested I simply fax it to her, which I reluctantly agreed to do, but shared that I wasn't set up to fax from home. I could email it easy enough, but they're not set-up to receive such supporting documentation in that form. Of course not! I shared that I would fax it from work later. Ms Davis said she'd be watching out for it. Wrapped up around 1050am then put the folder in my work pack and headed off in the BM'er. By then the temperature was up to 38 degrees and the sky beginning to brighten. It was an easy drive in. Arrived just after 11am.

By all accounts, it was a pretty easy day. I had three calls/meetings on my calendar but all after 1pm. Until then, I was able to play catch-up on my to-do list with little interruption. I packed some nuts, a banana, and an apple. I enjoyed those through the afternoon.

Paul's Marine called my personal cell while I was on one of my afternoon business calls. Said the boat was ready for pick-up. The total was much less than I expected, only $421. Started going through a list of the parts they replaced. I had to share that I would call back once my work call was over. I had more questions I wanted to ask. Wrapped up the work call in about 10 minutes then called Paul's Marine back. I asked about the plugs and wires since I know that I haven't replaced them during my second ownership since summer '05. Said they were both in good shape. Did replaced points, cap and condenser, checked/adjusted timing, changed fuel filter, etc. Said it was running like a champ. In the end, that's all that matters.

Spent the majority of my afternoon in meetings of one kind or another. My last meeting, a one on one with my VP was supposed to start at 345pm. However, she was late getting back from another meeting. While waiting for her arrival, I called into the IRS abyss again, hoping to get confirmation of receipt for the fax I sent in earlier. Another long wait, but another nice rep. Unfortunately, this rep was in an entirely different location so she could only go by any notes left on the account. All that was there was a recap of my earlier conversation. No fax receipt confirmation. Drats!

VP didn't show up until 430pm.She has a reputation for being windy and going well past meeting end times. This one was no exception. These one on ones are often intended to be venting opportunities, but the older I've gotten the wiser I've gotten. I didn't plan to vent about anything. Our meeting still went far longer than intended. It ended abruptly when my boss ushered in one of my peers, who was scheduled to go after me. It was darn near 530pm.

Back in my office, I quickly wrapped what I had going then packed up for home. It was already after 530pm. Arrived home near 550pm. I'd already texted Mindy earlier asking if it was date night. It was, but she didn't want to go anywhere. Wanted to simply stay home and relax. Once at home she elaborated. Jacob had his dad take him to open gym at his school and Mindy would have to pick him up around 830pm.

For dinner we agreed on leftovers. I chose leftover fried rice from Sunday. That was pretty good but not entirely filling. I had a little bit of Anita's leftover chicken lo mein, too. Mindy had chili. After a quick dinner I spent considerable time writing for my blog. Mindy left to get Jacob around 815pm. I played around online until almost 9pm.

Once everybody was home I went to the family room eager for some educational TV. Watched How the Universe Works. This program explored long dormant volcano's - actually lowered scientists into the crater. Gorgeous stone and hardened lava formations. Mindy headed up to bed around 910pm. I stayed up until just after 930pm, not too much later than her.

A Return to Almost Normal

After staying up until midnight, I wasn't out of bed Tuesday morning until just after 6am. I felt fine but more sleep certainly would've been nice. Downstairs, I glanced out back seeing clear skies but a wet deck. It looked as if it rained during the overnight. It was cold too. In fact, there was ice in the puddles formed by the rain that collected on the deck chair cushions. I wondered if that might be the end of our deck flowers. Inside, I checked the coffee maker, which was set up but hadn't yet brewed. Forgot to preset the go button the night before.

Completed calisthenics next. Waited a few minutes then poured coffee. No need to wake Mindy, she wasn't going to school. She was taking a day off to catch up on her rest. Now near 620am, decided to do meditation before PC time thinking that might help quell the demons swirling madly in my mind.

Since I was left to driving the BM'er, I didn't plan on leaving for work until 10am or so. Figured I would give it time to warm up a little. At the time, it was only 33 degrees. In addition, I decided not to run until after Bella was safely on the bus. Spent the next hour or so at my PC and laptop enjoying coffee and digging into work. Despite the chill in the air, it was a beautiful morning and was expected to stay that way for most of the day. The day's high, however, was only expected to reach about 54 degrees.

Much to my surprise, Bella was up near 7am all on her own. That's a minor miracle. She told me that she slept on her bedroom floor, and well at that. Mindy slept through Bella's ready and our heading out to the bus. I dress for my run before the bus stop but hadn't yet stretched. I left for a run near 830am. By then it was a bit warmer but still chilly. I ran in the usual fall attire doing 4.1 miles. It was a good run.

Back home shortly after 9am, my dad was sitting out front in his minivan. He walked inside with me. I wasn't sure why he was there. Wondered if we might have our wires crossed. I was sure he said he couldn't take Glenn down to meet my mom due to a doctor's appointment. I asked. Nope. Just stopped by to see what was up. The house was quiet. Glenn & Mindy were still asleep. I started my breakfast then offered dad a cup of coffee. He accepted. Dad sat there with me through breakfast. Mindy came downstairs shortly thereafter. Said she thought she heard us talking. Glenn was up before I left for work. I confirmed that he expected to be back at our house sometime Friday. I'm pretty sure that dad left before me, though thinking back, I can't be certain. I didn't leave the house until almost 1030am,

It was an easy drive across town and into work. I don't really like driving the BM'er across town on 670. Often times a lot of stop and go, and that's never fun with a standard shift. But given the later hour the traffic was light. I checked the near door parking lot but it was full, which was what I expected. I ended up parking at the very back of the deep lot. Not kidding - about a 1/4 walk to the entrance. Meh!

My former cube was occupied by the new acct manager. I stopped by and said hello but then went and found a spot near the engineering team. It was a cramped work spot with lots of gear scattered about the cube but I made do. Soon I was lost in my work. I joined a biweekly call with another customer at 1130am. That went pretty well. At 1pm I headed to our weekly technical meeting upstairs. I had an important call I needed to join at 2pm as well. Our 1pm meeting often goes over. I had to watch the time. A couple others in the meeting were in my same situation. We had just enough time to get back to our desks before the 2pm call. That call lasted about an hour. It was 3pm in the bat of an eye. My meetings weren't done. Had to join our weekly staff call at 415pm. That lasted until 445pm.

Wrapped up my day by 520pm and made my way out to the waiting BM'er. Of course I was driving it with the top up, which is very rare. I used to say I wouldn't drive it with the top up. Only done it 4 or 5 times. I didn't bother calling Mindy. Too difficult to drive and chat. Made good time around 270. Arrived home to an empty house. Mindy was off running Bella to gymnastics. I was on the phone with Alarm Force squaring away a billing sanfu when she and my dad filed in. Wasn't sure what my dad was doing here. Mindy had a pot of chili simmering on the stove. She called and invited him to join us for dinner again.

I wrapped up the Alarm Force call then joined those two in the kitchen. If everything went well, I hoped to call the IRS later that night too. I'm itching to get all of my personal issues taken care of in the next couple of days: Alarm Force, IRS, and the boat. Got knock 'em down when I can so when new ones pop up I don't come unglued. :)
The chili was good. The sweet corn bread even better. I had 1.5 bowls of chili. I topped both with sharp shredded cheese and sour cream. We used paper bowls so clean-up was a snap. We left the pot of chili on the stove for both Jacob & Bella. Jacob was at soccer.

We chatted after dinner until I needed to leave to fetch the peanut. Dad wasn't sure if he'd still be there when we returned. Made good time arriving at the gym by 725pm. I got to see a little bit of her trampoline routine. I was sure she'd ask for a fast food stop but she didn't. Just as I told Mindy I was going to do, I addressed the back talking from the evening before. When I advised her of her bedtime she retorted that it was my bedtime too, or something like that. I jest, I told her that she would have to pay the consequences and that, I decided, would be sacrificing her iPhone. Of course she doesn't have an iPhone, and quickly reminded me as much. This I already knew. I acknowledged the faux pas then asked what her punishment should be. She suggested two nights without her remote (no TV). Good enough.

At home Bella & Jacob both enjoyed some chili. Bella not only enjoyed chili, but a host of other foods, too. Mindy thinks she's going through a growth spurt. Likely so, I can tell she's getting taller, but I think the real culprit of her insatiable hunger is her coming down off her meds each evening. Never know her to eat so much. Just after 8pm I plopped down on the sofa and tuned the TV to the Science Channel catching a program about the Universe, and more specifically about our expanded knowledge of galaxies. It was interesting but my eyelids grew too heavy and in a hurry. I woke from the sofa around 9pm and headed up to bed. I was the only one currently downstairs. Mindy was in bed playing with her phone, which becoming an all to familiar thing. Not sure what she's doing or playing.
Regardless, I was so tired that her nightstand light had no impact on my ability to go right to sleep. I was out in a hurry.

Lost Wallet, Pistol & Phone

I woke Monday at 535am feeling more than short slept, and I briefly toyed with rolling over and getting more sleep, in the end I did the right thing and drug myself out of bed. No one else was up. I exercised, enjoyed coffee and PC all before 615am. Before waking Mindy at 620am, I rolled out recycling can out of the garage and sat it there beside the regular trash can. It was a double pick-up day. Our regular trash day moves with each passing holiday whereas out recycling day in static. I moved directly to meditation and stretching. I was out the door for a run by 635am which is earlier than any other day in recent memory.

It was chilly, but I expected it to be cooler. It was about 48 degrees. I ran 4.1 miles and felt good. If nothing else the run helped shake loose the cob webs. Both cans were emptied by the time I was home. Mindy, David & Anita were up and downstairs by then, too. All along I had planned to work from home at least through mid-morning. I hadn't yet decided if I would simply work at home all day or head into the office.

I started working right away, taking care of a report I typically run on Friday's. Mindy soon left for school, but not before putting a pork roast in the crockpot and then saying goodbye to David & Anita, who figured to be heading out fairly soon themselves, though David said he wasn't going to rush. The three of us chatted while Bella readied for school. And by the time Bella was safely on the bus, David & Anita were packing the Solara for home. They decided to head out earlier than originally planned. They left around 830am. We'll likely hook up again in February at Lake Tahoe.

The house was suddenly very quiet. I poured another cup of coffee then got back to work. Got a call from David not 30 minutes after they left sharing that his wallet was missing. They were on route 23 and 270. Had me check around the house. Nope. Couldn't find it anywhere. Together we discussed the last place he used it. I know he had it at the Dragon Palace, but David was sure he had it even after that. I agreed to phone Mindy and have her check the Pilot. She didn't answer her phone so I had to call the school office and have the receptionist, Jan walk down and ask her. In the meantime, David called back remembering that he paid for the beer at the drive-thru, which meant his wallet had to be in Mindy's Pilot, or dropped outside on the way in the house. Mindy called back 15 minutes later sharing that she found his wallet. I called David back and shared the good news. They were standing pat at 23/270 awaiting word. It made little sense to come back to our house since her school was near their current location. I gave them Google map directions to her school. He sent me a text to let me know when they arrived and when they were back on the road. Crisis averted.

Glenn was up a little earlier than I would've guessed. I'm thinking it was 9am, or right at the tail end of the wallet chaos. He was soon off to the shower. Dad stopped over a few minutes later unannounced. Said he misplaced his cell phone but wanted to see if Glenn was up for breakfast at Bob Evans. He extended an invite to me as well, but I respectfully declined.

Just before the two of them headed out, we talked about arrangements for Glenn getting down to see mom. It ended with me suggesting Glenn take the Accord. I would drive the BM'er for next few days. My only real concern was if we got the freezing weather they're calling for.

I was busy working when David called again, this time sharing that Anita left her pistol in the guest room closet. Yikes! I am glad he called. They were very apologetic and concerned that we knew about it sooner rather than later. Suggested I get to it immediately and unload it. I checked, Yep, it was there. I didn't mess with it though. Not then. They weren't interested in coming back just to get the pistol. Instead, next time home.

Stayed focused on work for the rest of the AM. Around 1230pm I took lunch and headed out to mow the lawn, which is typically a Friday chore, but one I had to postpone for our day at Yellow Springs. We've had enough rain over the last ten days to leave the lawn long and lush over most of the yard, but I was still able to tractor cut about 90%. I took care of the tractor and push mower piece before heading back to work. Took about 45-50 minutes.

Made a chicken salad sandwich for lunch then turned the crockpot down to low. Stayed busy through the afternoon. And like most work from home days, or any work day for that matter, the day sailed by. It was after 3pm in a hurry. Chatted briefly with Jacob then dumped the jar of gravy over top the pork roast. And for good measure, I tossed in a half bag of raw baby carrots. In the past I am sure that I've shared just how much I love cooked carrots. Then, with a lull in the action, I headed upstairs for a much needed shower. Felt 10 times better afterwards.

My work day ended on a quiet note. By then Mindy and Bella were home. Around 515pm Mindy suggested I call Glenn and my dad to see if they were interested in pork roast for dinner. Called Glenn's phone. Yep, they were just getting ready to head our way. We planned to eat around 6pm.

The pork roast was scrumptious. Along with the pork roast and cooked carrots, Mindy whipped up some Bob Evans mashed potatoes and rolls. We darn near the entire roast - minimal leftovers. Kitchen clean-up took until 645pm. Mindy offered up frozen chocolate covered bananas for dessert. No thanks - not me.

David sent a text once they arrived home. I believe it was just after 730pm. The day flew by for me. I'm guessing it seemed long for them. They had a couple major slowdowns in VA. which always put a damper on ones mood. Dad headed for home around 730pm. The Minnesota Vikings were playing on MNF. I planned to watch but with very low expectations. Had about an hour before kickoff. I used at least some of that time writing in my blog. Joined the pregame around 810pm. Glenn watched, too, while enjoying more of that obscure brand of pumpkin ale.

If nothing else, I was looking forward to seeing the Vikings newly acquired QB, Josh Freeman, formerly a Buccaneer, start his first game. They were playing the surprisingly winless NY Giants. The Giants took the opening kickoff and drove about 75 yards taking more than 9 minutes off the clock. The good news, if any, they could only muster a field goal. They then traded 3 and outs, but the Vikings ran a punt back 75 yards for a touchdown taking the lead 7-3. unfortunately, those were their only points of the entire game. They looked horrid, and even the announcers uses similar adjectives to describe their play. But actually, their defense played pretty well. It was their dismal offense that stole the headlines. Despite the poor play, I watched until almost midnight. I think there was 2 minutes left when I gave up and headed for bed. They were losing 23-7 and had just fumbled the ball away to the Giants.