Go 4 2 @ MRM

I was up and downstairs just after 730am. As expected, David was already up, downstairs, and brewed coffee. Sweet! I enjoyed coffee, banter, and eventually some internet before heading out for a run. Mindy was up ahead of 9am and before my run. We let the kids sleep in. MRM wouldn’t open until noon. We planned to get there somewhere close to that. While Mindy packed some food and organized some of our gear, I left for a run. Thinking that was near 10am.

As forecasted, it was a little warmer than the previous few days, already about 30 degrees at run time. It was sunny, too. I ran the usual weekend three miles. Back at the house I enjoyed the scrambled eggs that Mindy whipped up. Can’t remember if that was before or after my shower. I’m thinking before.

After a shower, I remained in my base layer for a while so not to overheat. I took my time loading the Pilot with all of our ski gear. We opted to slip mounting the Thule. With 5 passengers I needed to be reconfigure the seating to accommodate our skis equipment while utilizing both back seats for passengers. While loading the skis, Theresa, a longtime neighbor, stopped by during her morning run to share some sad news about her daughter, Caroline. Caroline was apparently shot in the eye with a BB or pellet pistol by a male friend while playing around in a car. He apparently convinced her that it wasn’t loaded by aiming and shooting at his own face multiple times, but when he ultimately pointed it at Caroline it discharged and pierced one of her eyes. According to Theresa, the prognosis isn’t good. She believes that she’ll never see out of the eye again. My heart sunk. And as one might expect, Caroline isn’t handling it so well.

We talked about being on the road by 11am, but we didn’t actually backed out the driveway until closer to 1120am. Clear skies, clear roads, we made excellent time barreling up route 33. We pulled into the MRM parking lot near noon, and just before the Buckeye/Michigan kickoff. I dropped David at the ticket window before we parked since he needed to get a lift ticket and rentals. This being opening day and the fact that they’d just opened, the lines were longer than I’ve ever seen them. After parking, I decided to head into the ski shop to redeem my pass for a lift ticket. However, like last year’s opening day, they were having technical difficulties with the register and it wouldn’t process passes. Told me I’d need to go to the ticket window with all the others. Ugh! While inside the shop, I talked to co-worker Chris and then Bob C.

I walked over to the ticket windows looking for David. He was nowhere to be found. While over there, an employee advised that season ticket holders could proceed directly to window #5 to get their lift tickets. Sweet! There was only one person there in front of me. Once I had my lift ticket I headed back to the Pilot to get fully into my gear. By then, Mindy and the kids were ready to head up to get their lift tickets. I shared the process – window #5. They headed on up while I geared up.

The Cubra’s where parked just in front of us. I walked over to say hello to the family. Finally in my gear, I headed towards the Four Star lift. They had the OSU/Michigan game blaring over the park’s sound system. The Buckeyes trailed 7-0 and Michigan had the ball again. Oh boy! I looked around for David then called his cell. No answer. A few minutes later I hooked up with Mindy and the kids, and just before we were ready to head up the lift, along came David already geared up and ready to go. Sweet! We headed up the lift together. There were five of us. Can’t remember who rode with who.

Word had it that the park actually decided to open at 1145am to allow those wanting to watch the OSU/Michigan game to get a run in before going into the lodge. That was nice. And because the park had opened within the last half hour, most runs were still sporting corduroy. Add to that the brilliant sunshine, and the snow was just about perfect. My maiden run was down the face. I brought both pair of skis but wisely opted to ski my AC-30s, which are a carvers dream. Great first run! Saw some of David’s first run. Decent form and under control. Impressive, especially having not skied for 30+ years.

Introduced David to the Cubra’s. I rode up with Bob & Tina next ride up. Felt like it was just the other day that we last talked and skied. In reality it was last February. While catching up, we also talked winter ski trips. They’re going to HV mid-December and thinking about a family trip to Utah come spring break in March. Cool!

We skied nonstop for 2.5 hours before taking a break. By then the OSU/Michigan game was in the 3rd quarter. Headed into the lodge at 245pm. David and I finagled a small table near the window after standing around for a while. We were actually very lucky to get it. Someone just happened to be heading out while we stood nearby. The Buckeyes scored two quick touchdowns to take what appeared to be a commanding lead of 35-21 into the 4th quarter. The crowd only thickened. Soon Mindy, the kids, and the Cubra’s joined us. I fetched a pitcher of Sam Adams Winter Lager. Bob C. got a 2nd. I opted to stand as the game wound down.

With a 35-28 lead, the Buckeyes had the ball again and were driving. Carlos Hyde was seemingly running ram shod over the Wolverines. But struggling for extra yards he fumbled which resulted in a tying touchdown. Oh no! If the crowd was into the game earlier, they were really into to it now with the score tied 35-35 with 6 minutes to go. After receiving the kickoff, the Buckeyes looked stronger than ever, gashing the Wolverines for huge chunks of yardage via Carlos Hyde. We scored the go ahed touchdown with 3 minutes remaining. It was 42-35.

The ski lodge was packed for the finish, standing room only. There were several O-H-I-O chants. Michigan started at their own 16 yard line and drove the length of the field ultimately scoring the would be tying touchdown. However, instead of going for the almost certain tying extra point, they opted to go for a 2 pt conversion. Interception! The crowd erupted in jubilation. Buckeyes win 42-41.

Relieved, we geared up and headed back out to ski some more. I can only guess that it was near 4pm. With the game now over and most skiers on the hill, the lift lines were really long. The snow was still really nice as the sun began to sink in the west. And with each subsequent run, the crowd continued to thin as many folks left for home. Once the sun dipped below the horizon the sunbaked snow formed a hard, slick crust. Not ideal, but really fast. I was careful, not wanting to risk having a nasty wreck, especially day one.

We talked it through and planned to ski Sunday, too. With that in mind, Mindy suggested we leave no later than 7pm. That way we’d also have some time at home that evening to relax or whatever else. Sounded good to me. We skied until almost 6pm then took another quick break. The kids joined us a few minutes later. When I asked Jacob if he put his new board in ski-check he said no. Went on to share that he never puts his gear in ski check. What? Heck no! I just forked out $500 for the damn thing. New rule – always check your board. He headed out to check his board.

Unbeknownst to us, the kids said they were done and wanted a pizza. Mindy agreed, but Bella chipped in $10 of her own money. I wanted only some Gatorade, which we brought ourselves. Once I was hydrated, we headed back out. Since Jacob & Bella were staying in, the plan was for us to text Jacob when we wanted them to meet us at the Pilot. We were at the foot of the lift when the kids apparently had a change of heart and opted to join us for a few more runs.

The lines now small and the snow hard and fast, David was loving it. I cautioned that it’s wise to be extra careful on that type of snow. We did just a few more runs before bagging it. I felt very good about my ski day. Couldn’t ask for better conditions. We exited the lot for home around 720pm. Jacob, who ran into the lodge to pee, shared that Auburn beat Alabama on a fluke play. We tuned the XM radio to ESPN to get the details. In theory, since the Buckeyes won and Alabama lost, we would all but certainly move to #2 in the rankings. Sure enough, that’s what happened. Auburn beat Alabama by returning a missed field goal try 108 yards for a touchdown as time expired. We listened to the S.C. / Clemson game on the drive home. Mindy slept on and off. Said she was incredibly tired.

Arrived home near 8pm. Since we planned to ski again Sunday, we left our skis in the Pilot but carried in our ski bags. Mindy headed for a shower shortly after arriving home. David & I drank a couple beers. I polished off the growler of Centennial (one pint) then enjoyed a St Joan’s for my 2nd. Mindy rejoined us downstairs until about 9pm but then headed for an early bedtime. David and I stayed up to watch the end of the S.C. game. They won, but to be clear, he was routing against them.

David, St Nick, & UTI

Was up and headed downstairs by 615am. The TV in the guest room was blaring. I walked in to find the light and TV on and Landon laying there watching football with the volume way too loud. He asked if I knew where Rocky was. Nope. Last I knew he was in the guest bed with Landon. I agreed to leave the TV on but turned the volume down much lower then closed the door.

It was clear and cold. When I checked, it was only 18 degrees. I did my usual Friday calisthenics, which included 50 push-ups. Enjoyed coffee at my PC until 7am when I walked away in order to stay on course to be across town and at work by 9-915am. Landon came downstairs asking for something to drink. He actually wanted coffee but I nixed that but offered OJ instead. Yep, he wanted some OJ. After a quick gulp or tow he headed back upstairs to bed.

Took about 15 minutes to meditate and stretched. Felt great. Most of the snow was gone from the south facing homes and yards. Our backyard was almost completely green. However , our front yard was still completely buried in snow since it gets next to no sunshine once November rolls around. I headed out for a run around 720am.

Like most Friday's anymore, I ran just three miles. Back from my run near 750am, I headed up for a shower, but also taking Mindy a cup of coffee. I shared that Landon was awake and that Rocky was likely sleeping in Bella's room. Mindy was up and downstairs by the time I was out of the shower and about ready to depart. She made me some eggs along with some Honey Baked ham. By then both boys & Bella were up and asking for scrambled eggs. Just before I left the house I got a text from David sharing that he was just leaving his house for CMH. I had to scrape and defrost the Accord. The Windshield and driver's side were still covered in snow. Hadn't driven it since Monday night. I left the house around 840am. I had to make a stop for gas, too. Paid $3.14 per gallon. Took 14.1 gallons.

There was next to no traffic heading across town which made for a rather easy commute. The customer's lot was pretty full but I still got a decent parking spot in the upper parking area real close to the walking path to the building. It was a cold but sunny walk in.

Was settled in and logged onto the network by 915am. I've worked on site the previous two Black Friday's and both of those were rather quiet, and this one started out the same way. Mindy sent a text fairly early on sharing that she believed she had a UTI. Had a prescription called in for antibiotics. Said she was doubled over in pain.

I briefly toyed with venturing out at lunch either to Macy's or Target, or possibly even a haircut, but once noon and 1pm rolled around, I decided to skip running any such errands. The entire work day was quiet. I was even able to complete a required training class. Come 410pm, I left for home. Talked to Mindy once I was safely merged onto 270. Said her antibiotics were already working. She also shared that Jacob & Rocky were going at each other on and off all afternoon. While waiting at the light at the Roberts Rd exit ramp, I checked a recent text. It was David sharing that he was at the White Castle at Broad and Wilson. Got a text from David. Got home near 440pm. I was in the house just a couple minutes before David pulled up. I headed out to help him carry in his gear.

Gifted Mindy & I a bottle of Bailey's. That'll come in handy this winter at MRM. Thanks David! We visited for a couple hours before deciding to do dinner at Barley's. Whatever we did or wherever we went we wanted to be in bed at a decent hour so we could be up and ready for the season's first day at MRM. Mindy felt better but planned only to drink water, which was a really good idea give her UTI. I let Mindy and the kids off at the door then parked in the back 40. David and I walked in together.

Chatted with Sarah who was tending bar while Mindy and the kids waited for a table. By the time a table was secured in Justin's section, Sarah had already poured me a St. Nick's nitro, which is between 10-11% and very creamy. While Mindy ordered only water, David got a Xmas ale. Both kids, I believe went with Dr Pepper. Ordered a basket of fries to serve as an appetizer. The first basket of fries went so fast that we asked Justin to bring a second.

Ordered dinner once my first beer was gone. David and I each ordered 10 wings, he Kansas City, me Texas. I asked for mine to be cooked a little longer than usual. And just before Justin walked away, I ordered a 2nd St. Nick's. David followed suit, getting a St Nick's nitro as well. Jacob and Bella went with their usual, chicken tenders and loaded fries. Can't recall what Mindy ordered.

My wings were as good as ever and cooked to perfection - no gooey skin to contend with. The St. Nick's was delicious and powerful. Good thing I ate! Once I had some food in my belly the buzz slowed. We didn't bother getting a growler. We still had two partials back at the house. One with Centennial and the other with St Joan's. Mindy picked up the check. Thanks dear! She also drive home after I went to the back 40 to get the Pilot.

At home by 9pm, I poured a half a pint of Centennial, but that's it. Switched to ice water after that. We called it a night pretty early. Headed for bed just after 10pm.

Takin' Balls, Havin' Turkey, Keepin' G-Kidz

I didn’t sleep that soundly but didn’t want to sleep the TG holiday away either. So despite waking a little tired, I pulled myself from bed near 730am. I don’t think Mindy even budged as I brushed my teeth, gathered my running clothes, then slipped out of the room and ultimately down the stairs. It was a lovely morning with the sun just about to pierce the horizon. I poked my head out the back door feeling a rush of cold air wintry air. I started a pot of coffee then headed to the living room to do sit-ups. After sit-ups, I knocked out windmills and curls. Headed to my PC with coffee at 750am.

I spent the next 90 minutes playing on my PC. The time went really fast. When topping off my coffee around 910am, I tuned the family room TV to Macy’s TG Day parade. I was just slipping into my running clothes when I was joined downstairs by Mindy and the pug. We didn’t have to be anywhere until her mother’s at 3pm. I hung out with Mindy for a few minutes ahead of leaving for a run.

I ran just three miles, treating it more like a weekend than a weekday. It was still pretty cold, only in the low 20s. Encountered very few folks out and about. Greeted everyone I saw. I raised the garage door as soon as I got back to the house so I could fetch the square shovel and again remove the ice from the front stoop and approach. At the same time, Mindy was just heading out to walk the pug in full winter garb, including a pair of Jacob’s old snow pants. She asked if I cared to join them. Just about done scraping away ice, I agreed to catch up to them as they headed on.

I joined Mindy and the pug a few houses down. Eiknarf was quick to relieve herself, both #1 & #2. Soon we were back at home once again topping off our coffee. By then it was already nearing 11am. While enjoying a little more coffee, I got a fire going, which along with the TG Day parade, it helped give the house that homey, wintry, holiday feel.

Mindy picked up where she left off the evening before with decorating the house for Xmas. In addition to decorating, she was giving the downstairs a thorough cleaning, too. It must’ve been near noon when I started making sauerkraut balls. It took about 45 minutes to shape them into balls, coat them in flour, egg bath, and finally bread crumbs. I did my best to clean up/rinse the dishes I dirtied along the way. Otherwise, making sauerkraut balls can be a messy game. Short of putting up the Xmas tree, Mindy had the entire downstairs decorated for Xmas by the time I was done making the balls. I placed the deep fried balls in a casserole dish in a warm oven until we were ready to leave. I also whipped up a dipping sauce using ranch dressing, horseradish mustard, and hot sauce.

Around 130pm, Mindy I headed upstairs for a nap and eventually showers. Napped for maybe 30 minutes. Time for a shower. Mindy took one first. Asked that she leave it running once she was done. Years of experience shows that we’ll be ready about the same time. Downstairs around 230pm, we still needed to cut up several blocks of cheese and prepare a relish tray. While Mindy cut cheese, I called my mom. April answered instead of my mom. As usual, she thought I was Glenn. Went on for a while until I finally shared that it was me, Jimmy. Silence immediately befell her.  We’re not close. She soon put my mom on the line.

Mom shared that she cooked a turkey with all the fixins’ and was celebrating with Charles, April, Ronald, and his parents. She asked about dad’s condition, and I shared what I knew. We talked for maybe 10 minutes. It was 310pm before Mindy & I were ready to head out, and ten minutes later before we actually left. We had to warm and load the Pilot. Oh, we opted to take the pug with us too. She was very excited to be going for a ride.

It was a cloudy and cold TG afternoon. Traffic was light, which is what I expected for a holiday. We arrived at Mawmaw’s near 330pm. We were the last of the 4 sibs to show up. That’s generally not the case. Meh! Eiknarf peed before we headed inside. I carried the laundry basket that held all the food. Mindy headed in with the pug.

And just as we do most holidays, we set up appetizers in the lower level. I was anxious to try one of our sauerkraut balls with dipping sauce. I poured myself a St Joan’s shortly after our arrival, too. The balls were well received as was the heaping tray of cheese, of which there must’ve been six or seven varieties. Dinner wasn’t for a while. Spent the next couple hours visiting.

Just about the time we were getting ready for dinner, Jimaken dropped the kids. Glad they made it in time for dinner. However, even though they were there in time for dinner, neither kid ate much because they’d eaten TG dinner at their aunt’s house just an hour or so earlier.

As for TG dinner, there were lots of options: turkey, chicken, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, corn pudding, and in/out-of-the-bird stuffing. I had a little of darn near everything. Despite not making a pig of myself, I was felt more than full. I’ll attribute that to enjoying too much cheese and one too many sauerkraut balls before dinner. We sat around the dinner table for an hour or more. Niece Lindy and fiancé, Josh arrived just as most of us were finishing up. Feeling incredibly nappy, I excused myself from the dinner table and headed immediately for the downstairs and a comfy chair near the TV. There I eventually stole a brief but restful nap. Ahhhhhh!

It was near 730pm when we shared dessert. There were a few options: pumpkin pie, Boston crème pie, cupcakes, and pecan pie. I had a small piece of pecan pie. It was good (very sweet) – just like the woman who made it.  Earlier that evening, and I believe it was even before we sat for dinner, we agreed to keep the boys overnight so that Lindsey could work. Once again, she apparently waited until the last minute to make Black Friday childcare arrangements. But we haven’t had them a lot of late, and they do behave pretty well. Of course, I was would be working so the burden would be mostly Mindy’s. Both of us wanted to do it. When given his options Landon always wants to spend the time with us.

By the time the Pilot was loaded for home, it was almost 820pm. Wished everyone well then headed after the boys. Mindy sent Lindsey a text letting her know that we were on our way. We arrived to get the boys within 5-10 minutes. Once at home, I walked the pug before heading inside. Mindy joined making sure I had everything out of the Pilot.

Once settled inside, I gave David a call to confirm his plans to drive to CMH the next morning. Said he was indeed coming. Looking forward to skiing with us. Should be fun. While Mindy toiled upstairs and down, Bella tried using their laptop, which hasn’t been fired up for a couple months now. In passing, I observed her dealing with multiple pop-ups and unable to get to the You Tube feed she was trying to access. After discouraging her from clicking on anything, I asked if I could take a look. Unexpectedly, I spent the next hour dealing with cleaning up the kids laptop. During my toil, Mindy shared that he laptop is running ridiculously slow too. I briefly took a look at her laptop too and suppressed a handful of unnecessary applications. That improved the performance considerably. I shared that I really need to spend an hour on it as well, but didn’t have the energy or time right then.

Mindy and I eventually headed to the livingroom while the kids played on the laptop and Kindles. I poured myself a Centennial from the growler setting out on the deck. Fresh and cold! Just prior, I took a Tagament after feeling a little heartburn or reflux. It usually starts working almost instantly. This time, however, not so much. In hindsight, I probably should’ve skipped the beer. Mindy declared it bed time around 1030pm and encouraged all the kids to shut it down and head upstairs. The boys asked if we could set-up the air mattress but we declined. Nope, you’re sleeping in the guest room.

Lying in bed by 1040pm, I wasn’t feeling that sleepy. But once Mindy started rubbing/scratching my head the sleepies quickly arrived. Good night turkey moon!

Make it Pretty For Me

 

Can't Wait !

Thanks in part to a holiday trade, I was officially on TG break. To that end, I slept in until 730am, and by then I felt 100% rested. Downstairs, I glanced out at the weather, which was nothing short of a winter wonderland. It was cold, snowy, and icy. I started coffee then slowly completed calisthenics. It was Wednesday which meant it was a push-up day. Exercise was complete and the coffee brewed by 750am. I settled down at my desk near 755am.

It wasn’t more than 30-40 minutes later before Mindy was up. Frankly, I was a little surprised. She had some errands to run, including a dental appointment and then a stop at her mother’s to help her get our TG turkey in the oven, but neither of those required her to be up so early.

Shortly after enjoying some coffee, Mindy started taking down TG decorations. I teased that it was almost sacrilege to do so. While Mindy headed off to the shower, I headed off on a run. Footing was downright treacherous. The walks and roads a blend of uneven ice and snow. I was extra careful. I ran the full 4.1 miles perhaps a little slower than usual, but made back home safe and in one piece.

Checked my work phone. Saw I had a missed call from a peer. I listened to the VM. Obviously, she didn’t remember/know that I was off. My bad, however, I failed to set my out of office the evening before. I went ahead and took care of that right then. I sent her a message, too, letting her know my status.

Mindy was just about ready to leave the house when I got back. I asked if she intended to take the kids with her. The night before, she told them that they were going, but she confided in me that she might let Jacob stay home. Nope, they were going. Had them both up a few minutes later. She planned to leave them at Mawmaw’s while she headed to her dental appointment. Said she most likely wouldn’t be home until 1pm. Oh!

Before they left, Bella asked if she could scrape my car free of the ice and snow. Sure, but only on the sidewalk side. We didn’t want her going out in the road. The kid loves playing in the snow. Soon after they left, I headed out to the shed to fetch the snow shovels and sleds. Winter snuck up on us this year. Still haven’t winterized the yard (I.E. stow flower pots, disconnect and blowout the hoses). I exchanged three rakes currently in the garage with snow shovels. I took a few minutes to clear the ice & snow from the stoop and walk leading the driveway. Afterwards, I sprinkled a little icy melt.

Back inside, I spent my time working on my blog and pictures. Exchanged a couple texts with David asking if he was serious about coming into town to ski MRM with us on Saturday. He was serious. Said he planned on arriving Friday evening – just him.

Mindy and the kids were home around 1pm. Jacob bundled warmly as was soon off to play with friends. Bella dressed for winter snow play and headed out in the backyard by herself. She came inside asking for a rope for one of the sleds. She kept busy outside in the snow by herself for about two hours.

While the kids were out playing, Mindy was busy decorating the house for Xmas, which is generally a job she completes on the Friday after TG. Her main focus was the living and dining rooms. I helped a little by carrying heavy totes stuffed full of our regular knick knacks to the basement. In a hurry, the afternoon turned to evening. The kids were scheduled to spend the night and then TG day with Jimaken. He arrived near 5pm, or shortly after I began making sauerkraut balls. Jimaken planned on dropping the kids at Mawmaw’s house around 5pm TG evening.

Mindy and I planned to go to Barley’s. Figured we’d leave the house around 630-645pm. I finished concocting the sauerkraut balls and then cleaning up my mess by 6pm. I headed for a much needed shower shortly thereafter. The shower felt terrific. By the time both of us were ready it was closer to 645pm. We took the Pilot because it was already scraped. As it was, the Accord remained partially packed in cold, icy snow. I asked if we had an empty growler on board. We did. Anymore, Mindy’s really good about keeping one in the Pilot for the ready.

Never sure what to expect crowd-wise at Barley’s on TG eve. Over the years, I’ve seen it standing room only, and then other times sparsely attended. Judging by the parking lot, it was very crowded at all. We got a parking spot in the main lot. The bar was about 2/3s full, and sitting at the corner was Steve W. along with Ben & Ryan. The three of them made room for Mindy and I to squeeze in.

Katie and Janet were working the bar. Mindy ordered a St Joan’s Revenge while I went with their flagship pale ale. We didn’t really plan to stay too long so we were pretty quick to order food. We ordered a carnivore sampler with a double order of St Louis ribs and brisket. With no preference, I let Mindy choose the sides: fries and green beans.

As long as I’ve been a loyal Barley’s customer, I’ve eaten their ribs only once, and that was just last month. They were delicious then and just as good or even better this go around. Impressive! While I ordered a 2nd beer – a Centennial, Mindy opted for ice water. Instead of beer, she ordered dessert - bread pudding. We agreed to take a growler of St Joan’s home, too. It wasn’t even 830pm when we asked for our check. I covered it. Ben & Ryan asked our plans. Suggested they would stop by and hang out for a few. Why not? Just before we left, I ordered a 2nd growler, only this one filled with Centennial.

Got home still a few minutes ahead of 9pm. Mindy & Ryan enjoyed some St Joan’s while Ben and I enjoyed some Centennial. We hung out until 1030pm, the evening culminating in the four of us playing cards. After Ben & Ryan, I was really hungry, so I raided the fridge eating a tub of veggies (carrots, tomatoes and celery) and then a bowl of chicken & noodles. Yum! While worked to satisfy my late night hunger, Mindy did a little more Xmas decorating. We headed to bed around 1130pm..

And Winter Came

After waking a couple times after 5am, I ended up sleeping in until 635am. By then I felt rested enough to get up and get my day moving. Outside, it looked wintry. Last night's snow still covering most surfaces. As I headed downstairs I could see my tracks into the house were covered with fresh snow.

I exercised then delivered Mindy's coffee. By then Mindy was already up and in the shower. It was near 650am. Back downstairs. I enjoyed a little coffee then poked around online but also checked in with work. Not a whole lot going on at that hour. it wasn't long before Mindy was downstairs and preparing to depart. I noticed she was wearing a Brighton ski resort hoodie. Didn't remember her buying it. Looked good. She shared that she would be bringing Laurel and Collin home from school again. I wasn't 100% sure of my work plan. I figured I'd be picking up dad from the hospital at some point. It made more sense to work from home.

I checked the weather forecast. Calling for more snow with 1-3" of accumulation coupled with dropping temps. Awesome! Mindy warmed her car then left for school around 730am. Bella and I hung out for the next 25 minutes then headed out to the bus stop. We took the pug along, this her first sniff of the crisp morning air. It was cloudy and near freezing. The snow from the night before was very packable. The kids played in it while waiting on the bus, this their last day of school until next Monday. Lucky them! The bus arrived near 8am. As soon as the bus pulled away the pug and I carried on with our morning walk.

Back at the house, I did some work, enjoyed a little more coffee, then prepared for a run. It was 9am by the time I headed out. It was spitting snow but the streets and walks were pretty clear - wet however. I ran the full 4.1 miles without issue. At home again, I got right to work. Spent most of the morning working on the same issue that's been on my plate since last week, but I think we were making some serious progress.

Called the hospital between 10-11am to check on dad's status. The nurse I gave my number to called around 115am earlier that morning but didn't leave a VM. As such, I still didn't have dad's room number. I talked with a seemingly knowledgeable male nurse - friendly, too. He said dad was doing great and explained that his issue was dehydration which caused his kidney's to show poor test results. Said all this was a byproduct of his meds. and more specifically the water pill he's been taking. Said they were adjusting his meds and he would be coming home sometime that afternoon. Took my number and would call when it was time.

I knew then that I would be working from home for the rest of the day. I would join the recurring technical meeting across town via conference bridge. Not ideal but still remaining plugged in. Around noon I made myself a pork wrap using leftover pork chops. Yum! It was snowing again, by the way, and at times coming down in ginormous snow flakes. Pretty!

The work day was moving right along. I sent a couple emails to family detailing dad's status. Midway through the afternoon it looked like that problem that I'd been working on for nearly a week was coming to an end. Hoorah! Kept snowing all afternoon. There was a fresh inch or two out there by the time the kids were home from school. Can't remember the last time we had a decent snow for TG. And it's supposed to stay chilly for the next week or so. I left a VM for Ashley, who at that point was the only person we'd discussed Saturday's Wright family TG dinner with any detail. IN the VM I let her know that we were canceling.

Bella and Mindy were home near 4pm. Of course, Mindy had Laurel and Collin with her. She agreed to bring them home and then take them to gymnastics when she drops Bella. Their mom is Kelly, the gymnastics instructor. I had to join our weekly staff call at 415pm. The call was brief. Lasted no more than 15 minutes. My boss asked me to remain on after the others left. We nailed down Friday coverage plans. Mindy asked if leftovers were going to be OK for dinner. Yes.

Mindy left to run Bella, Laurel and Collin to gymnastics. Said she was going to stop at Kroger for cheese, which is what we were asked to bring to the TG dinner at her mother's on Thursday. Planned to grab a few other things, too. I was expecting a call from dad or the hospital much earlier. Hearing not a word by 540pm, I called the hospital. This time they put me directly through to dad. Said he was just wrapping up and preparing to come home, but went on to share that Uncle Kenny was coming to get him. Oh! Well that made my life suddenly simpler. He sounded great and said he felt good too. I reminded him that his van was at my house. He knew it, but hey.

Mindy phoned around 615pm to share that she was simply going to hang out until gymnastics was over. She still hadn't made the Kroger run. Apparently Kelly was late getting to the gym and since Mindy was responsible for her kids, she didn't want to leave until they arrived. Of course that meant I wouldn't have to do the pick-up. I shared dad's status and that I didn't need to go after him. She asked if I needed anything else from Kroger. Wanted to know if I wanted more Jack. Always more Jack, yes! Came up with a few other things too, including ingredients for sauerkraut balls. Ended up, however, that we had most of the necessary ingredients already. I spent my quiet time working on a holiday project and listening to music.

Mindy and Bella were home around 745pm. I wondered if they'd have any trouble pulling up the drive and staying there. Nope, it didn't appear so. Not only had she made a stop at Kroger, but she stopped for Wendy's too. Although it was only Tuesday, it was my Friday (sort of). I'd be off Wednesday & Thursday (TG) but then working again Black Friday. Sipped a Jack & Coke before heading to bed.

Dehydrated & Down Low

I slept like a rock. Felt great getting a solid 8 hours of sleep. Was up at 605am. Downstairs engaged in calisthenics a few minutes later. I couldn't resist. I opened the back door just to get a quick sniff of the cold winter air. Yep, it was cold - 17 degrees! Did sit-ups, windmills, and push-ups. Felt even better after exercise.

Took Mindy coffee but by then she was already up and in the shower since she needed to leave for school about 30 minutes earlier than usual. I left on the dresser in the master bath. Back downstairs I enjoyed some coffee of my own while also poking around on my PC and then doing a little work.

Work started early, shortly after logging on and checking in. And the fact that I was working changed my spin on the work day. I was originally planning to work from the office, but the fact that I was firmly entrenched in work already, I decided that I would most likely just work from home. Mindy was downstairs and out the door early, though not as early as she originally stated. She left Bella's meds waiting at her usual place setting at the table. Thinking she was out the door near 710am.

Bella was downstairs a few minutes later to woof down her medicine. She headed back upstairs around 730am. I kept working right up to bus stop time. We headed out at 755am. It felt really cold with temps in the teens, a breeze, and then standing still. Of course, it didn't help one bit that I was still in my PJ bottoms. The bus showed up shortly after 8am and as soon as it pulled away, Eiknarf and I quickly rushed off across the street for the rest of her morning walk.

Back at the house, I enjoyed another cup of coffee ahead of a stretch and a run. Headed out the door near 850am. By then it was up to 20 degrees, still cold by any measure, but the brilliant sunshine helped warm me. I felt great and did the full 4.1 miles feeling good throughout. Back home at 930am, I already knew that I failed to place our trash can at the curb earlier, and the truck had already been by our house, but I could hear the truck coming up the street to get the other side. I can was only about a 1/3 full, but getting it emptied was probably a good idea given the coming holiday as well as the extra day between pick-ups. Last second, decided to wheel our can across the street next to Carl's. By the time I walked away the truck was only one house away. Rather than head back inside, I waited patiently at the foot of the driveway so I could wheel it back once emptied. I waved hello to the city refuge engineer as he emptied and passed.

Inside, I had 90 minutes before our recurring 11am Monday call. I decided to make breakfast, frying three eggs - two for me, one for the pug. The work day turned reactive, meaning there were urgent unforeseen issues begging my attention. That was pretty much the story for the rest of my day. Had a lull in the activity at 1030am. As such, I went ahead and put the string of large icicle lights up across the front porch overhang. It didn't take long at all since i permanently mounted clear plastic clips last year. All I had to do was string them along then come back with tie wraps. Finished with 7 minutes to spare before our call. I joined the 11am call but after that it was day filled with jumping through hoop after hoop. Sometimes that can be exciting, invigorating.

It must've been around noon when I got a text that changed my outlook for the rest of the day. Bob Imber sent a text sharing that Mad River has been busy making snow since Saturday and planned to open this coming Saturday, November 30th, or exactly two weeks early. That was very exciting news. I headed to their website just to make sure it wasn't a mistake. Nope! As happy as it made me, I knew it was exactly the kind of news my wife needed to hear too. I forwarded the text along to her. Immediately, my thoughts turned to our planned Wright family TG feast we planned to have on Saturday. Screw that!!! Canceled!!!!!! :) Hell, we can eat anytime.

Sometime shortly after 12 noon, I decided to take a lunch break. First thing I did was fetch my ski pants and jacket from the basement and washed them using powdered detergent, just like most breathable, waterproof ski pant makers recommend. Liquid detergents clog the pores that allow perspiration to wick out. Interesting read. Anyway, planned to spray them with a new coat of durable water repellant afterwards.

Next, I headed to the garage where I fetched the aluminum extension ladder so I could mount the wreath at the apex of the garage roof. That was no more than a 5 minutes job. Still with a belly full of energy, I spent another 20 minutes in the garage putting all the bikes up on the ceiling hooks and then stowed the wake board and water skis in the attic. I headed back inside feeling good with all I accomplished.
Back to work. Spent most of my afternoon working on those same two pesky issues, but finally it seemed my persistence was beginning to pay off. The kids & Mindy were home from school in their usual order, first Jacob, then Bella, and finally Mindy. All were home by 4pm. Should've heard Bella shrill when I showed her the MRM webpage announcing their weekend opening. She was stoked! Mindy invited dad to dinner. He was expected around 530pm.

What to have for dinner was already planned when Mindy bought two rotisserie chickens Sunday. We agreed to make chicken & noodles on Monday. Mindy boiled down the 2nd chicken Sunday evening right after dinner. All she needed to do Monday was bring the stock to a boil then add noodles. Dad arrived right on time - near 530pm. We chatted a bit just before dinner, dad sharing that he and Pete spent their day at the casino - lost. Dinner was ready shortly after his arrival. I added lot of salt to the chicken boil Sunday evening and then again to the stock even before adding the noodles. That made a big difference to my palette.

Dad was unusually quiet through dinner. He was eating really slow too. I sensed something was amiss. Jacob had basketball practice at 8pm. Mindy planned to take him. Naturally, I figured that meant that I'd be picking up again come 930pm. I was just wrapping up dinner clean-up when dad asked if we had a blood pressure gauge. Yep! He went on to ask Mindy if she would take his blood pressure. Said he wasn't feeling well - flush, tired. He looked awash too. Mindy took his BP twice, both readings lower than I thought anyone could register and still be alive and talking - 70/51 pulse 101. I wondered if it might be a bad reading, but our gauge works pretty well and when it does read off, it's almost always high, never low. Yikes! Dad went on to further describe the way he was feeling - almost wanted to lay his heavy head down. I asked if he wanted to go to the emergency room. Quickly, his answer was yes. Immediately I set aside my kitchen clean-up duties which by then we all but done. I headed upstairs to quickly freshen up. Was ready to go 2 or 3 minutes later. Mindy understood that she'd likely be doing the drop and pick-up for Jacob's basketball practice.

I was worried about dad getting down the steps and to the car. But he made it fine. I offered my arm for support.
We took 70 to West Broad St then Broad St to Davis. Dad knows the way well. Been there enough times of late.
I dropped dad at the garage door to the elevator then went to park - his idea. I met him a couple minutes later in a packed emergency room. Holy smoke! Must've been about 40-50 people there with some sort of affliction - the majority looked scary. and the smell unpleasant (stale cigarettes and old booze). Dad was called back just a couple minutes after we found two seats. Apparently his condition warranted priority triage.

He was back there for just a few minutes, long enough to gather his vitals and draw some blood from both his veins and wallet. :) Said his BP was near normal in triage. I guessed that would mean a much longer wait for the call back to see the emergency room doctor. I was prepared for a long wait, having enough foresight to bring a bottle of water and my Kindle. However, with a belly full of chicken & noodles and a warm emergency room, the sleepies soon befell me. I tucked the Kindle into my jacket then laid my head back. Bam! I was out just like that. Not 5-10 minutes passed before they called dad back again. No sooner had he got to the counter when I thought I heard dad calling my name. I popped up to see him motioning for me to come with him.

I headed back to observation room #17 with dad. There, a triage nurse questioned dad for his reasons for coming in. Part of me wanted to laugh, because I know that asking dad such an opened ended question can lead to an hour long answer. He didn't disappoint. He left no stone unturned. :) In great detail he shared the smell and color of his 5 most recent bow movements. While a tad embarrassed, I had to laugh because she hadn't even asked about them. OK ... I'm kidding. He did, however, take a while describing his condition. Soon they had him hooked up to the 'machine' that displays the vitals - BP, HR, RR, etc. His BP was 120/70 and pulse about 80. For 78 years old, that's awesome!

My gut told me that it might simply be a result of the meds dad's taking. And shortly after I asked dad if he had a list of all the meds he takes and encouraged him to keep such info in his wallet, another nurse came and pretty much asked the same questions. Wanted to confirm everything he's taking. I was shocked at the length of the list. Holy smoke! Must've been about ten different pills/meds for one thing or another. Before she walked out I asked if she would give me a copy of the list. Said she would after updating it with the changes dad described.

I'm guessing about 30 minutes passed before the emergency room doctor came in, a big man of German descent, I think. He was wise. He checked dad out then said he'd come back after reviewing the lab results from the blood he'd given earlier. Over the next couple hours, a few nurses were in and out, including Josh, who I learned through conversation is a fireman at firehouse #2. Asked if I was related to Eric Wright. No, but I know him. He used to work part time at Time Warner. We laughed at his size compared to mine (He's 6'8" and I'm only 6') :).

I asked if he knew Todd, Larry and Mike, Yep, knows all three. Said he was actually at Mike's house fire and most recently worked with Todd at #10's. I pointed out that he resembles Todd quite a bit (Bald and muscular). Said he's heard that before. We didn't see anyone for probably another 90 minutes. I was getting a little anxious sitting in the same stiff chair for so long. Around 10pm another nurse came in sharing that they lost one of the blood samples for testing and would have to draw more. They came in and pulled more blood but promised to have the results tested right away and then the doctor back to talk with dad about his prognosis. The nurse also shared that he was all but certain that dad would be going home once the doctor got those results.

Dad was off to pee when the nurse came in and told me that I would soon be able to go home but that they were going to keep dad overnight. Dad seemed surprised when I shared the plan with him a few minutes later.
It was after midnight when another doctor came in, this one on an achilles cart. I'm guessing he tore his achilles tendon. He asked the same questions the first nurse and first doctor asked. Really? Are we going to have to go through all this again? About 5 minutes into the dad's repeat story I interrupted and asked the new doctor why we had to describe the symptoms all over again, now for the third time. I could tell that he was a little put off, but so what? He curtly advised that he's the admitting doctor and needs to know the issue first hand. Look at you, you must be a south pole ER doctor!

After the new doctor got the information he needed first hand, he officially shared that dad would be staying. Felt that it was the smart thing to do. At the same time he also shared that his sudden drop in BP and subsequent nausea was almost certainly a byproduct of his meds which caused him to dehydrate and have kidney issues. Before walking out, the doctor asked dad his preference regarding resuscitation should the unexpected occur. It caught me off guard, and judging by the look on dad's face, it really took him by surprise.

Once the plan was clear, I begged off for home. The new overnight nurse took my cell number promising to call with his room number once it was learned. Probably 1220am when I got the parking garage. While in the hospital, it had been snowing. It was forecasted but I didn't think it was expected until Tuesday. Hmmm? Looked like an inch or more on the ground. Called Mindy once I had my cell plugged into my 12v charger. She was in bed but happy to chat.

Got home around 1240am. I headed up to greet Mindy but was quickly back downstairs needing to follow-up on a work issue, one of the same issues I'd been working on all day long. While working, I enjoyed two bowls of Fruit Loops. I headed to bed at 115am. Even though I was tired, I was also wired. Mindy was gracious enough to share in conversation with me. She also scratched my head which always helps me fall asleep.

Holiday Valley: Champagne.  Let it Snow!

Living with No Ragrets

Wired and still agitated, I didn't sleep much at all. After that football game, I blogged a little, but then watched the History Channel. I was surprised, but probably shouldn't have been, to learn that almost all of the knowledge channels have sold their souls to the infomercial world during the wee hours. It sickens me to think what I pay to Time Warner each month and for that? Please! Come 5am I watched local news. It was pretty much the same three or four stories over and over like a broken record - the weather, the Buckeyes, and then, of course, the tragic shootings from Friday.

My mind was oatmeal. Around 6am, I got up, brushed my teeth, made coffee then curled up in the family room chair to read with my Kindle. It was a cold, but beautiful sunrise - only 16 degrees. Around 830am I dressed warmly then headed out for a run. I was wired and tired but ran surprisingly strong. I think the cold air actually helped.

Back at home, I poured more coffee then read a few headlines. Mindy was up around 9am. We could've let our disagreement from the night before steep all morning and all day long , but that would hardly be beneficial or productive. Instead, we talked through it. I'm fairly certain that Mindy now sees the error of her ways. :)

I took a shower around 10-1030am. Felt great. I was still really tired - brain tired. Mindy suggested we watch a movie and take a nap. That sounded good. We decided to rent a Movie-On-Demand from Time Warner and watch from bed. We rented, We're the Miller's, a movie I'd been wanting to see for some time. Did a 48 hour rental. Fun, hilarious movie - a cross between movies RV & Vacation, but with an "R" rating. Holy smoke funny! Want a good laugh? Then watch this movie. As tired as I was, I didn't fall asleep. That alone speaks volumes. It was really that entertaining.

After the movie Mindy finally opted for a shower while I headed to the kitchen to cook some food. I opted to make an omelet with leftover taco meat, fresh spinach, corn, cheese, rice. I timed it so it would be ready about the time Mindy was done grooming. Timing was good, and the omelet turned out excellent.

With a belly full of food, we headed to the sofa where we both napped. Might've slept for an hour or so while also watching some NFL action. We got up just before the kids arrived home, which was somewhere close to 3pm. By then, Mindy was already talking about dinner. Thought she'd go after rotisserie chicken. At the time I wasn't hungry but it still sounded good. The boys called and left a VM around 3pm asking if they could come over for dinner. After a brief discussion we said yes. Lindsey dropped them off a short time later, or just before Mindy left to go after rotisserie chicken as well as couple other items we needed for the coming work week. The boys were both excited to be at our place, but no sooner did they walk in the door when they headed out again with Jacob to go play football and basketball with some hoodies. It was brutally cold - still only in the upper teens and with a chilly wind blowing.

Mindy was back after something less than an hour. The kids played outside for the rest of the afternoon. The Viking Packer game wasn't televised, but when the early Fox game ended, they switched to the end of the Viking game that went to OT after the Vikings squandered a 16 point lead in the 4th quarter. Even after a period of OT, the game ended in a tie. Frankly, I was torn. I can't help myself from rooting for my team, but really wanted to chalk up another loss in the name of the 2014 #1 draft pick.

We planned to eat around 530pm. In addition to rotisserie chicken, we were having B.E. mashed potatoes, cooked carrots, and rolls. Pretty simple, really. Dinner was delicious, and like I've said before, it's really good to see the boys eat well. And eat well they did. Mindy noted that Rocky's behavior was good. That's two weeks in a row.

Clean-up was next. Most went into the dishwasher, though there were a handful of hand wash items needing addressed. Dinner was completely wrapped up around 630pm. We sent Lindsey a text asking that she come pick-up the kids at 7pm. That's what happened. She was there and the kids left very near 7pm. Like the week before, Mindy called the family meeting soon after the boys were gone.

Mindy asked both kids how they did with their chores. No real surprises. We did spend a little extra time with Jacob and his recent eating habits, asking that he make better, wiser choices. The meeting went about 10-15 minutes. After our meeting we agreed to play Wii bowling. We played two games. Mindy won the first, and I won the 2nd. yeah! After Wii bowling we sent Bella to the shower. I also tuned the TV to the SNF game - Denver/New England. And in somewhat of a surprise, Denver took a quick 17-0 lead thanks in part to fumbles by New England. Was a blowout in the offing?

I was really tired. At 9pm we all headed to bed. We tuned the bedroom TV to the football game but watched only a little bit more. It was 24-0 when we turned it off, and that was only mid way through the 2nd quarter. Good night chilly moon!

Soaring with an Eagle, Drinkin' lunch @ CBC, Rooting for the Wrong Team

I woke near 730am feeling well slept and ready to get after my day. Downstairs I started some coffee and bumped up the heat. It was chilly, only 27 degrees under mostly clear skies. As cold as it was, it was supposed to get even colder that night - teens cold! I enjoyed coffee and internet for only about an hour before Mindy was up. Folks, now that's a minor miracle. However, we were supposed to be at an Eagle Scout ceremony for one of her former students by 11am. And while that might seem like a ways out, it would almost certainly go fast, especially considering that I still needed to run and shower.

Before a run, I watered all the house plants while sipping coffee. I finally dressed and left for a run around 920am. I ran 3 miles with no problems. Actually quite a lovely morning for a run. I was comfortable throughout. Mindy was in the shower when I got back. It was close to 1015am by the time that I headed to the shower.

We didn't nail down the rest of the day's plans beyond Terri's 50th birthday party later that evening. We left the house around 1045am. In hindsight, we probably should've left at least 10 minutes sooner. The Eagle Scout ceremony was at a church in the southern end of Grove City. We did make excellent, however, barreling around 270 then south on 71 all the way to the 665 exit.

From 665 the drive was fairly simple with the aid of GPS. We arrived near 1105am. Mindy was hopeful that the start was a tad delayed but that wasn't at all the case. The ceremony was already underway and the sanctuary already near capacity. We stood for a few minutes but then excused ourselves after finding two chairs in the middle of the rear aisle.

Neither of us were certain how this thing would unfdold. Namely, wasn't sure if it was a ceremony for several Eagle candidates or just Mason. Turns out, it was specifically for Mason, a former student of Mindy's. It was about an hour long, with several speakers and presentations honoring his achievement. In addition to his older brother, who is also an Eagle scout, and flew in from Oklahoma, an Ohio House representative was there and spoke as was and did the Grove City mayor. Nicely done. Congrats, Mason!

After the ceremony, the family hosted a brunch in the church cafeteria. There was a mix of breakfast and lunch foods. But opted to eat lightly, thinking that we might stop somewhere else on our way home. During the brunch, I met a number of Mindy's teacher pals that were also invited, some from her school and some from others. As you might guess, Friday's shooting was still on the forefront of their minds.
We spent probably an hour at the brunch with Mindy talking with all sorts of folks and many I'd never met before. Some of her teacher pals joked about Mindy being quite the talker. Ugh, yeah. We left the Eagle Scout ceremony and brunch and decided to head into Grove City for some shopping. We knew we wanted to shop for a birthday card & gift for neighbor Terri, but Mindy wanted to stop at a clothing retailer, too - Maurice's.

We spent about 10-15 minutes in Maurice's. Just OK, but Mindy couldn't find anything she really liked or that fit. We left there and walked over to Pier 1 where we shopped for a unique birthday gift but couldn't settle on anything. However, we did find the perfect display stand for the purple tile bowl we bought in Yellow Springs in October. I suggested we stop at Bath & Body next, which was just across the street and next to Target.

At Bath & Body we picked up a Fresh Balsam 3-wick candle for Terri, which is by far our favorite candle scent ever. We picked up a handful of the same scent in fragrance bulbs for ourselves. We left there and headed next door to Target. There we picked up a birthday card as well as a couple other small items.

Mindy suggested that we stop at CBC for some afternoon beers and appetizers instead of going straight home. Why not? We didn't have anywhere we needed to be until 7pm or so. We got off 71N at Greenlawn Ave. From there it's a short jaunt to CBC. The lot was lightly attended, now about 2-230pm. We parked in the lot across the street where our car would remain in clear view from the glass fronted bar. Vince was working the bar and very happy to see us. Only two or three others presently there.

Vince shared that they'd just put a fresh keg of Bodhi on tap in the last hour. I had one of those while Mindy ordered a Winter Warmer. Figured we'd catch at least some of the Buckeye game from there. Shortly into our first beer, we ordered some of their new pretzel bread and dips. Yum! Later, we ordered a wood-fired pizza - olive oil, brisket, mushroom and cheese. I ordered a 2nd Bodhi too, and I'm pretty sure that Mindy had a 2nd Winter Warmer as well.

The Buckeye game started at 330pm. We watched most of the 1st quarter from there. And just like most Buckeye games this season, we lead 14-0 in the blink of an eye. Bam! Just before settling our tab, we ordered a growler of Bodhi to take home. Figured we would take it with us to the birthday party later that evening. We had to buy a growler since we failed to bring one. Lord, we have so many of them at home!
Not sure if he charged us for the growler or not. Meh!

As soon as we got home I tuned the TV to the OSU game. While I watched the game, Mindy spent all her time on her laptop and phone following up on the latest information about Jaiden, the student who was shot dead Friday morning. And while the game wasn't a huge blowout, they Buckeyes built a 42-0 lead before letting Indiana score a couple late 4th quarter TDs.

The game ended near 7pm, and Mindy and I headed out in the cold to walk the pug. By then it was 27 degrees with a breeze. With wind chill, it felt like 15 degrees. After our brief walk, Mindy and I freshened up and walked down to the neighbors. We opted to leave the pug at home. She was none the wiser regarding the party. Mindy carried Terri's gift while I carried the growler of Bodhi and a couple pint glasses, you know, the important stuff. :)

The party, while for neighbor Terri, was actually hosted at Kenny & Chrissy's house. Immediately in the door, we sat Terri's gift on a table with several others. Most of the faces were unfamiliar. I presumed many of them relatives of Mike and/or Terri. In the kitchen I recognized a few friendly faces, namely, Josh & Rachel. Said hello to many others while pouring pints of Bodhi for Mindy and I. There wasn't a lot of extra fridge space, so I placed our jug of Bodhi on the deck to keep it cold. That worked out well, especially given that the weather was turning increasingly colder. In fact, it was already in the 20s, snowing, and getting even colder.

Food for the party was provided by Olive Garden, and according to Chrissy, there was a ton of it. I wasn't hungry, but I eventually snacked on a bread stick or two. From the outset, Mindy wasn't herself. Instead of being the life of the party, she was largely withdrawn from the action and keeping to herself, her phone, and a jewelry catalog. However, she did talk with Rachel, Chrissy, and then a couple of Mike's sisters who also grew up in the Holy Hill area.

There was a big college football game on at 830pm, Baylor vs. Oklahoma St. It was big from a Buckeye football fan's perspective because Baylor was right on our heels in the BCS rankings. Buckeye fans needed an Oklahoma St. win. Happily, they took an early lead, but then again, the same thing happened in the Baylor game the weekend before, but they stormed back for an impressive victory.

About midway through the 1st quarter, Mindy casually mentioned that she'd prefer to be at home. I suggested we leave at halftime, Mindy agreed. I thought no more of it. Maybe 10 minutes later I was chatting with a couple party guests when I turned around and noticed that Mindy was no longer around. I glanced into the adjoining rooms but still no Mindy. I then asked a couple folks if they'd seen her. Someone, can't recall who, said they thought she left.

I went for my phone and was preparing to call her when I saw that she'd already sent a text. Really, a text??? What a shock! Said she headed home - couldn't take it. Well, needless to say, I wasn't too thrilled. I mean I was right there, a couple shoulders from where she last stood talking to Mike's sisters and then Josh. After finishing my beer, I grabbed my coat and walked home angry that she simply walked out without telling me.

The front door was locked and we didn't take a key, but thankfully Mindy unlocked the door after a brief knock. She was already in her PJs. Said she just couldn't take the party after Friday's events. Again, I was pissed - hurt even - that she didn't take a second to tell me that she was heading home. Had she, I would've most likely headed home with her. If not, at least I would've known what was up and where she was. What's more, seems her primary communication method has become her phone, whether by call, text, email, or FB. And while that might be perfectly acceptable with friends and co-workers, it's not OK with me, the husband. Whether we're out somewhere, driving, or even at home, she's always tuned into that damn phone. Frankly, I find it insulting and rude. I am a proud man. I absolutely refuse to compete for time with a phone.

We debated - OK, argued - for 15-20 minutes until I decided it fruitless/hopeless. Any further dialogue would only make it worse. Begrudgingly so, I headed to the family room to watch the rest of the football game and pretty much resigned myself to camping out on the sofa. The good news is that Baylor lost the game by a large margin.

Broken Hearts & Dreams

I think it was near 615am when I finally rolled out of bed, brushed my teeth, gathered my running clothes, then headed downstairs. I was really glad that it was Friday. For some reason the work week had already taken its toll on my energy & motivation. Downstairs, after slipping into my exercise shoes, I opened the deck door to check out the morning's weather. It was another cool, wet, and cloudy start.

Right away, I whipped out 50 sit-ups then 40 windmills. I took a minute to catch my breath then stretched my back ahead of doing 50 push-ups. It was 628am when I went to pour Mindy's coffee. Whoops! Nothing but hot water in the carafe. I'd forgotten to put coffee in the coffee maker. I thought about heading upstairs to tell Mindy but opted not. Instead, I poured the hot water back into the maker's reservoir then loaded the filter with fresh coffee then hit the go button.

I played on my computer for a few minutes while waiting on the coffee to brew. I checked the forecast, which was calling for rain and falling temps. At the time it was near 50 degrees. It took only about 5 minutes to brew. I poured Mindy a cup even before it beeped. Jacob was downstairs making his breakfast before I headed upstairs around 636am. By then, Mindy was already out of bed and preparing for a shower. I sat her coffee on the dresser then turned to head back downstairs. Mindy came out of the closet seeking a quick hug. I was back downstairs to make a cup for myself by 640am.

Again, very thankful that it was Friday, I sat down at my desk, sipped coffee, and played on my PC for a while. Around 7am I logged into my work laptop and then started a report I run almost every Friday. This week's report took a little bit longer than usual due to a larger than normal data sample. I was fussing with the report when Mindy came downstairs which wasn't before 715am. Just prior, she gave a shout out to Bella to wake up. I think she got up on the second call out which is pretty much the norm.

And just like she does most other morning's, she hollered down asking Mindy what the day's high and low was expected to be. It always makes me laugh. Mindy left near her usual time of 730am. I spent the next 25 minutes working on that report while also letting some tunes rip from my PC. Helped elevate my mood.

No problems getting Bella ready and out the door by 755am. The pug went with, this her first sniff of morning air. I planned to walk her after the bus picked up Bella. It was raining ever so lightly when we headed out the door but it picked up considerably once we were at the bus stop. I really should've taken the umbrella along. Kenny was out with Makayla, which doesn't happen a whole lot these days. He looked a bit disheveled. I asked where Chrissy was, and was a bit taken back by his answer. He shared that she was in the hospital after having severe migraines and then numbness in her left foot. Oh no! Said they kept her overnight and planned to do an MRI sometime that morning. Offered any help necessary before we parted ways.

The pug and I did our normal walk across the street before heading home. Back at the house, I got a text from Mindy. I found it unusual to get a text at that hour. She shared that her school was in lock down due to a shooting in the area. Asked me to check the news and let her know. I quickly scoured the local news web sites then called her cell. She answered quickly. At the time there wasn't anything online at the time. We talked for about 5 minutes with me promising to share anything once I knew something.

It wasn't too much longer before news broke about a shooting in Grove City. Apparently a young boy was shot. The details were sketchy but they went on to share that the shooter then drove out near Eastland mall and shot another person at a dentist's office. They had the make and color of his car as well as the license plate numbers. I made a mental note then typed myself an email with the tag number. I sent Mindy a text sharing what I learned then headed out for a run. It was raining lightly when I left the house but came down a bit heavier during the run. I really didn't mind though. I ran just three miles, which has pretty much become the norm on Friday's.

By the time I was back from my run the Grove City shooting was all over the TV new coverage. All four channels were covering the developing story live. By 11am the then the gunman had been found up by Easton at Wal-Mart and was in a shoot out with the CPD. At the time, the story was still a little sketchy but soon they revealed that he had been shot. And then, about an hour later, it was learned that he was shot dead. Meanwhile, the connections in the two shootings was still a bit of a mystery but he news teams stayed on air sharing bits and pieces as the story developed.

From what I gathered from the TV news coverage, it sounded to me like the 9 year old boy that was shot was a student of another Grove City elementary school just up the road from Mindy's. In fact, the home where he was shot was less than a block from another elementary school. Mindy, however, soon shared via text that she believed it was a kid from her school. She was basing her beliefs on the fact that all of the district's administrators and crisis intervention team were present and huddling in the principal's office. As you might guess, with all of that going on, it was difficult for me to focus on work. I couldn't imagine how Mindy and her cohorts were coping with it at school.

While all of that was going on, David and I were communicating via text, too. He was still at Chataloochee ski resort in N.C. I went out to their webcam then asked him to find the slush spot visible from the webcam and then do his pose so I could find him/ see him. It's a quasi live shot that updates every 30 seconds. There he was, initially about 300' away, but the pose undeniably him. I asked him to move closer to the camera guiding him in. The next refresh he was about as close as he could get while remaining in the frame. I captured a screen shot then converted it to a jpeg and saved it. I sent it to him on his phone. How cool is that?

The rest of the work day was a bit of a blur. I finally got a shower around 2pm, or about a half hour before Jacob got home. I talked with my boss midafternoon in hopes of nailing down how we might handle Black Friday. I offered to cover the day and take Wednesday as my holiday instead. After a short discussion that's what I am going to do.

Mindy called around 330pm still a wreck from the day's events. She had more details than what was available to the TV news. Per Mindy, the young boy that was shot was indeed from her school and wasn't expected to make it. In fact, he was said to be brain dead but on life support. The family planned to pull life support either that night or over the weekend. How terrible is that? She told me that she wanted to go to the hospital that evening with some other school peeps.

Bella was home shortly before Mindy. Both were home by 4pm. Mindy came in giving out hugs and then shared the tragic story with the kids. After getting her composure she freshened up then left for the hospital. My job was to see the kids off with Jimaken whenever he arrived, which I figured would be somewhere close to 5pm. Actually, though, he showed up a little early, getting to our house by 445pm. At the time Jacob was off playing basketball and Bella was still playing in her room. I sent Jacob a text then whistled out the back door. He came home shortly after Bella returned from walking Eiknarf. They left with Jimaken a few minutes later.

I was home alone for an hour or so. During that time I played on the internet and listened to music. Mindy got home around 615pm. We didn't waste too much time then getting ready for an evening at Barley's. We left the house in the Accord at 630pm. During our drive, Mindy shared how the hospital visit went. Very sad. Not sure how she managed to hold it together.

We got a parking spot in the front row, which is very rare. The lot was otherwise full. Someone must've vacated the spot just prior to us pulling in. Initially, there was standing room only in the bar, but soon enough a couple stools freed up thanks to a couple Barley peeps just on their way out. Mindy sat down while I chose to stand. I'd been sitting almost all day. I ordered a Seventh Son IPA. Mindy went with an Edmund Fitzgerald. I ended up talking with Rick C. while conversed with a couple folks sitting next to her at the bar. Rick and I spent most of our conversation talking about JFK, given that this was the 50th anniversary of his assassination. Many there were surprised that I could remember the day, but I was 4 then and remember bits and pieces fairly well.

While sitting at the bar, Mindy enjoyed a basket of fries, and then after her beer was gone, she ordered some chocolate mousse. I had three beers in all, the last two Centennials, or at least that's what I ordered. However, I think they may have slipped me a Galaxy 500 IPA instead. We didn't stay too late. Mindy was still a little shell shocked from her crazy school day. I'm thinking it was before 9am when we headed for home.

Once at home, I poured myself a Great Lakes Xmas ale. Not sure if it's from '111 or '12. Still tastes just fine. We didn't stay up too late whatsoever. Mindy wanted to head to bed by 10pm. I was tired too so we called it a Friday night early. Peace be with you, Jaiden.

Like Ridin' a Bike @ Chataloochee

sonbahar- Turkish


I think even Mindy was surprised that I didn't seem to be in any hurry to get up and out of bed. It was 625am when I finally upped from bed feeling fairly well rested. Out the master bath window there was that undeniable shine coming from the walks and streets. I could easily see that it was or had been raining. Downstairs, I checked the coffee maker on my way to fetch my exercise shoes. As expected, coffee was ready and waiting, but not until after morning calisthenics.

I glanced out back at the weather, though I didn't open the door. It was raining but only sprinkle at the time. I headed to the living room where I whipped out 50 sit-ups. I then headed back to the kitchen for windmills and curls. Already after 630am, I poured Mindy some coffee then took it upstairs. She was still in bed but awake.

Downstairs again, I poured coffee for myself then headed to my desk. It was already 640am. Minutes later Jacob was downstairs getting something to eat ahead of bus stop time. He walked out the door near 650am. It was a raw morning weatherwise - only 38 degrees with light rain. The temperature was expected to climb into the low 50s by mid afternoon. Looking towards the weekend, it's supposed to remain wet and warm through Friday but then cool down considerably by Saturday.

By the time that Mindy was downstairs, I was already engaged in work. As usual, she had to call out for Bella to get up and out of bed more than a time or two. But soon Bella was downstairs. Neither one us heard any coughing fits through the night, but it started up again once she was up and out of bed. Hey, at least she got a decent night of sleep. Mindy planned to dose her with cough medicine again before leaving for school. As she does almost every morning, she hollered down asking what the high and low for the day was. We think she's planning her wardrobe based on our answers.

As she does most days, Mindy left for school near 730am. Before leaving the house she asked my plans. It was a sure bet that I'd be working from home. The 20-25 minutes ahead of bus stop time went fast. And like I do every morning, I reminded her to do a good job on her teeth and hair. The results were decent. We walked out to the bus stop at 755am. I took the pug along, this being her first opportunity to get outside. The bus came along around 805am, and once the bus moved on with the kids, the pug and I crossed the street and did our usual walk.

Back at the house, I wasn't in too big a hurry to get back out the door for a run. Instead, figured I would enjoy another cup of coffee and take care of a couple work related matters first. I must've been around 915am when I finished a non-rushed meditation and stretch then headed off on a run. By then it was in the low 40s. As such, I ran without the benefit of hand and ear covers. Nice run. Ran the full 4.1 miles and felt good throughout. Not a lot going on in the subdivision at that hour with people already off to school and work. Very peaceful.

Was home again by 10am. Instead of making eggs, I opted for a taco burrito instead. It was delicious. I apologized to the pug for not making eggs. :) Near 11am, I got a text from David sharing that he made it to the Chataloochee ski resort in NC, which I believe is somewhere near Ashville. Went by himself and planned to spend the night and ski Thursday & Friday. Still find it hard to believe that they're opened in Carolina but pretty much nowhere else.

Fairly easy work day, which is always nice. Didn't get a shower until mid afternoon. And when I did, I got into comfy lounging clothes in lieu of jeans. Much more comfortable. During what I'll deem my lunch hour, I worked on a Xmas project. Always feels good to get an early jump of any kind on Xmas. The day moved by swiftly. Soon, Jacob was home from school, which is a bit like the front door to the end of the work day, at least whenever I work from home. Bella was home about an hour later, just like most other days, and then Mindy not even 15 minutes later.

While I put the finishing touches on my work day, Mindy got started on dinner. Said that we were still having pork chops though she wanted to try a different spin on the old standard. She wasn't very specific, which she later shared was out of fear of me rejecting her recipe - a recipe she got from her teaching partner, Kim. We also jointly agreed to keep Bella home from gymnastics. With her cough still an issue and then instructor Kelly off on a cruise, it was the right decision. When we told Bella, she was happy. Not sure what that says. Hmmm?

I popped in the kitchen a time or two getting a look and whiff of dinner. Looked like she was cooking our chops in a concoction of apple cider and onions. Smelt great. Shortly before it was all ready, I helped by stirring what would become gravy - the apple cider concoction. Dinner was served around 6pm, which is a little bit later than we usually eat.

Mindy insisted both kids try what she prepared. Jacob is the worst about it, which is somewhat surprising given his adult-like palette. The chops looked great, though my preference would've been to cook them until they were browned and crispy on the outside. And once I added extra salt and garlic it was really tasty. Neither of the kids liked the recipe. Bella filled up on creamy noodles and crescent rolls. I think she ate about 5 of them. Jacob ate his salad, but that's about it. I noticed Mindy adding salt and garlic salt to hers as well. Hey, it's always fun to try something new, and I think we could tweak the recipe a little and make it even better.

Dinner clean-up was a bit more challenging than usual. Even Mindy admitted making one hell of a mess preparing dinner. She helped with the clean-up. Afterwards, she scrubbed the stove burner drip pans and even cleaned underneath the cooking surface. The plan all along was for Thursday to be family night. Mindy wanted to play Wii. Both kids put up a fuss, but by far, Jacob was the most vocal, especially when Mindy said we were gonna do the hoola hoop thing. She asked both kids to be back downstairs at 730pm for family night.

Before then, I spent a little time online updating my blog. I had several days waiting to be published. Since mid afternoon, David had been sending updates from Chataloochee ski resort. Said he was having a great time and that the skiing came right back much like riding a bike. That was good news as this was to serve as his gauge for whether or not he'd be joining all of us in Tahoe this winter. I encouraged him to take a lesson despite how well it was going. He responded that he took one as soon as he arrived. Good move!

Soon it was time for family night. Mindy hollered for Bella to set-up the Wii. Jacob shared his disgust with the game choice from the outset. But really, can you blame an adolescent 13 year old boy for not wanting to play the hoola- hoop game? But in the name of family fun, what the hell? I encouraged Jacob to do it. After all, I was doing it, too. Needless to say, he and I sucked at it. As he often does, Jacob tormented Bella throughout and even made a few disparaging comments directed towards his momma. He stopped once she threatened to take his phone.

Speaking of his iphone and Bella's Kindle, we took them both temporarily because they were trying to play on them while we were supposed to be enjoying family night. It must've been my third try with the hoola-hoops game that I had a respectable round. Wahoo! :) We all were given an opportunity to choose a game. Bella chose this flying game. It was fun. I chose snowboarding. That was fun, too. All of these options on one disc - Wii-Fit Plus. Bella killed all of us on the hoola-hoop and flying game, but according to Jacob that was only a testament to how much time she wastes on such games. :)

We wrapped up family night just before 830pm. And while Mindy dispatched Bella to the shower, I tuned the TV to CBS for Thursday night's comedy line-up. We'd already missed Big Bang, but we wanted to catch the three others: The Miller's, The Crazy One's, and then Two & a Half Men. At some point I cracked open a Brew Kettle Xmas ale from last year. Still pretty good, though I am not that into these spiced beers so much anymore. I sipped it over the next hour or so. At 10pm, Mindy and I headed up to bed. From bed, I suddenly felt wide awake, which is something that's plagued me much over the last year. Mindy offered to scratch my head which for me, works much like a binky. :) Good night moon!

Bodhi & Wings

 

demani - Swahili

If I was to be true to my plan, I needed to be up much earlier than I have most other days of late. As such, I was up and out of bed at 544am. I could've slept longer but felt pretty good. Downstairs, I glanced out back at the weather. It was clear but cold, just how cold I wasn't sure. I found out later that it was a chilly 28 degrees. To the living room for exercise.

I completed sit-ups, windmills, and push-ups over the next 10 minutes or so. Just before 6am I poured some coffee then headed to my desk where I checked the headlines and weather forecast. I played around online until 620am when I poured and delivered Mindy's coffee. She asked that I bump up the heat a couple degrees. Our visit was brief. soon I was back downstairs where I bumped up the heat then topped off my coffee.

Already 625am, I did meditation and stretching next. Both went well. Jacob was downstairs for breakfast a few minutes later where he enjoyed some chocolate milk and a nuitri-grain bar. I headed out the door for my run well ahead of he and his bus peeps gathering across the street at the middle school bus stop. Felt good to be getting an early start. Already the benefits realized from the fall back time change are fading. I wouldn't call it completely dark at 645am, but in another week it will be.

I wore two loose upper layers which proved ideal for the chilly winter-like temp. Of course, I wore hand and ear covers too. I ran the full 4.1 miles in just under 40 minutes. Was fully daylight at about the three mile mark. Noticed a handful of homes already adorned in Xmas decorations. Time's moving fast this year.

Mindy was still at the house but the Pilot already warming in the driveway. Before enjoying the cheesy scrambled eggs Mindy cooked, I leashed up the pug and headed out for our walk. I was back in time to witness Bella taking her meds and to say goodbye to Mindy, who left around 730am.

Spent a good 10 minutes at the breakfast table eating my eggs and then watching Bella enjoy the last of her powder sugar donuts. She couldn't finish the last one she started. While she was eating breakfast, she got a text on her Kindle from Makayla sharing that she was moved to a higher math group. At the time, Bella hadn't said a word to Makayla or anyone else about her own move. While she was upstairs brushing up, I put it back in the box with the one remaining hole donut. Like most days, I reminded her to do a good job on her hair and teeth.

Bella and I headed out at 755am. She did a decent job on her hair and teeth and also remembered to feed the pug. The bus didn't show up until 805am. It was a cold 10 minute wait, standing still and all. Headed for home as soon as the bus pulled away. Inside, I poured more coffee then started some music. I didn't hang out long, however. I was off to the shower by 815am and downstairs again ready to go by 830am. I started the Accord and let it warm for a few minutes while I made sure I had everything I needed in my backpack. Out the door and on the road just ahead of 840am.

From the Wilson Rd bridge looking over 70/670E, traffic looked tight but was still moving. I decided to take my chances. Worked in my favor. Once I merged far left for 670 it was smooth going all the way to Easton/New Albany. Split my time between listening to ESPN & Xmas music. Lots of talk on ESPN about a sack and subsequent fine. I hoped to see the video clip myself and then form an opinion. However, it sounded like the overwhelming majority felt it a serious injustice to the defender in question. Made excellent time, in fact. Parked at 9am sharp.

Was inside, logged on, and ready to go by 910am, or 20 minutes ahead of our recurring Wednesday morning call. Digging through email, I saw that our call was canceled. All that hurrying for nothing. Well, at least I was there, ready and prepared. I had plenty to do and take care of. I used my time wisely knocking out several to-dos ahead of 1pm, when I thought I might head out to Macy's for a mini shopping spree. However, once 1pm came around, I opted to maintain the momentum I had going and work straight through the day. I did walk over to the fridge to retrieve the cheese and carrots I'd left there last Wednesday. They were still nice and fresh.

Plowed straight through the rest of my day. And in so doing, I planned to leave early. Come 4pm I wrapped up for the day and headed for home. I called Mindy was I was safely merged onto to 270. She was in the checkout line at Kroger and asked if she could call me back. Thought about calling my mom but didn't. Mindy phoned about 7 or 8 minutes later once she had the Pilot loaded with groceries and was on her way home. Like the afternoon before, I was out front of most of the rush hour traffic. Didn't hit any slowdowns whatsoever between Dublin and home. Exited at Roberts Rd while still chatting with Mindy. She was about 5 minutes behind me. Just before we ended our call, she told me that she'd already forewarned the children to be ready to come help carry in the groceries.

My arrival home got their juices flowing, and a few minutes later when Mindy pulled up with groceries, they were already in their shoes and coats ready to help. Mindy was expressly thankful for all the help. She barely had to carry in anything. While she and Bella put groceries away, I booted up my laptop so I could close out my work day.
Mindy had the groceries put away by 5pm and a couple minutes later Jimaken was there to pick-up the kids.

Jimaken left with the kids around 515pm. Mindy and I planned to do date night at CBC. Said she'd been looking forward to it all day. We freshened up then headed out, leaving the house earlier than most other Wednesdays. Guessing we were there by 545pm. It was still daylight. The main parking lot as well as the restaurant and bar were full. However, like most evenings at CBC, it wasn't more than five minutes later when two stools cleared. We swooped in for the kill.

Mindy opted for their Winter Warmer, which had to just hit the taps. I'm not feeling the spicy holiday beers this year so I went with my all time favorite, Bodhi. Yum! Kate and Vince were working the bar. Chatted some with both, though a bit more with Kate. She's so daggone friendly. Mindy wanted some pretzel bread, but I suggested she wait and see if Vince brings it without us asking. I think it makes him feel good when he knows what we want and brings it without us having to ask/order. A few minutes later he stopped by to ask if we wanted some. Yes, please!

We ordered food around 630pm. Mindy went with the special which was flounder and shrimp over potatoes, served with cooked spinach and another veggie medley. I went with a 2nd Bodhi and wings, extra crispy. Mindy ordered a 2nd Winter Warmer and then asked for some regular bread, too. She loves the stuff. While waiting on our dinner, Mindy struck up a conversation with Aubrey and her boyfriend, Matt who is the owner's son and also a chef at CBC. Aubrey is a server. Somehow or another Mindy learned that Aubrey is pregnant. They talked about it at length. Aubrey shared how excited they are. She's actually still in college working on her engineering degree. Said she'll have two semesters remaining once the baby's born. I'm fairly certain I heard her say she plans to finish, which Mindy and I strongly encouraged her to do.

Mindy's special was really tasty. I had a bite or two. The wings were decent too, but I could only eat four after enjoying two of the pretzel bread sticks earlier. After dinner and two beers we asked for our check. It was only 730pm. Mindy picked this one up. I drove home. We got home well ahead of the kids. As such, we both had time to change into our PJs and relax a little. The kids got home around 8pm. Took Bella a while to gather her belongings from her dad's car, Turns out, she couldn't find her new stylist for her Kindle.

We offered Jacob our leftovers but he pushed them aside. That was a bit unusual. He must have filled up at Jimaken's place. After a little family time, Jacob was off to his room as usual. Bella, however, hung out with Mindy and I and watched a little TV. We ended up watching a couple rerun episodes of Modern Family between then and 9pm. At 9pm Mindy wanted to head to bed. Said we could watch something else from bed if I so desired. I was tired enough to go to bed, so I agreed. We ended up tuning into the Buckeye/American basketball game. And just like most other Buckeye basketball games I've seen the last couple of years, it was hard to watch. We were ahead but played poorly missing shot after shot. After a few minutes I could take it no more and turned the TV off. Fell asleep before 930pm.

Peppery Eggs

Tingdagdag - Cebuano

I slept about as late as I could without jeopardizing my morning routine. I got up and out of bed at 615am. A benefit of sleeping so late was feeling completely rested. Downstairs, I quickly glanced out back at the weather without actually opening the deck door. It was cloudy. I flipped on the spot lights briefly looking for any sign of the coyotes all the neighbors have reported seeing. Nothing.

To the living room where I whipped out 50 sit-ups, then 20 windmills each arm, and lastly 40 curls with 20lb dumbbells. By then it was 630am, well past the time I usually take Mindy coffee. I made hers and mine using the new creamer I bought at Kroger the day before – Salted Caramel Mocha. I took Mindy coffee. She woke after hearing me walk into the room. For whatever the reason, our bedroom floor creaks to high heaven just inside the bedroom door and seems to be more pronounced come late fall through winter each year. We chatted ever so briefly before I headed back downstairs.

I grabbed my coffee then headed to my desk where I had both machines up and running. I planned on working from home through the morning hours before heading across town for most of the afternoon, but then finishing my work day once again at home so I could meet the Orkin guy, who was supposed to arrive sometime between 4-6pm. And based on past practice, he’s often there and waiting even before 4pm. With that plan in mind, I wasn’t in a big hurry to get out the door for my run. Instead, I figured to hold off on my run until after seeing Bella onto the school bus. Speaking of Bella, despite having a horrible hacking cough, I didn’t hear but one brief coughing spell during the overnight. The cough syrup worked.

Like most days, I heard Mindy call out for Bella to get up shortly after 7am. She was compliant and downstairs a few minutes later. Said she slept really good. Probably as a result of the cough meds Mindy gave her just before bed. Mindy said she wasn’t looking forward to the long school day ahead, one that wouldn’t conclude until about 7pm due to another round of parent teacher conferences. And just as we did last Thursday, I planned on taking Bella to gymnastics and Mindy picking her up on her way home from school. Mindy left for school around 730am. She gave Bella her regular medicine as well as another dose of cough syrup. Bella was stoked about moving to a more advanced math team. I reiterated that she shouldn’t speak to her friends about it for fear of sounding boastful. She agreed.

The three of us, me, Bella and Eiknarf, headed out at 757am. It was a chilly 34 degrees and still under cloudy skies. Our wait wasn’t long at all. The bus arrived near 8am. As soon as the bus pulled away, the pug and I continued on across the street for her regular morning walk. Back inside by 810am, I poured more coffee then started breakfast. The pepper grinder we keep at the stove was empty. Then, after finding the peppercorn supply empty, I had to resort to using the regular ground black pepper that we keep in the spice drawer. Well, while giving the large container a good shake, the plastic lid that filters the pepper fell off and caused several tablespoons worth of black pepper to cover our eggs, so much so that they were completely buried. I did my best to scrape it off and in so doing, wasted a lot of good black pepper. One of the three eggs was unrecoverable. I had no choice but to pitch it and fry another. But even after scraping away the coating of pepper, they were the pepperiest eggs I’ve ever eaten.  And just in case you’re wondering, I fried the pug a new egg without any pepper.

I had an 1130am call I needed to join for another customer, which was the main reason I opted to work from home during the AM. I don’t like to be on calls with other customers from a customer location, especially in an open work environment. Ahead of that call I took care of several work to-do’s and then headed up for a shower around 1030am.

Joined the 1130am call. It went much faster than I expected, in part because many of the customer contacts were off this week. I left the house for New Albany near 12noon. By then it was nice and sunny, but still fairly cool – only 39 degrees. Tuned my XM radio to XMAS music – channel 004. I made excellent time driving across town. Arrived near 1220pm. Got a premium parking spot up front.

With 40 minutes or so before our recurring 1pm meeting, I went in search of a familiar cubical to get set-up in. On my way, I cut through their in-house Starbucks where I saw a former peer, who now works for another company but has the same customer. First time I’ve seen her since she left. Said hello and moved on. I got set-up in the same cubical I used the last time I was in. Not the coziest digs but functional. I had just enough time to take care of a couple emails but that’s about it. Off to our 1pm meeting.

The meeting was engaging and worthwhile. Glad I took the time to drive across town. Never underestimate the power of face to face encounters. The meeting went the full hour. Soon others were hovering just outside apparently awaiting the same meeting room. I headed back to my cubical where I spent another hour catching up on several other hot issues. Shortly after 3pm, I left for home. Once I was safely onto the freeway I called Jacob to, one, see if he was home from school yet, and two, to let him know that the Orkin guy might show up before I got there. He was at home (his orders are to remain home each school day until Bella gets off the bus).

Arrived home near 330pm. I was fortunate in that I beat rush hour traffic. Right away, I unpacked my laptop and logged back into work. I opened a jar of peanuts and took them to my desk. No sooner had I dug into work when Bella came in the front door. At the same time I could hear an adult voice out front. I stood and glanced out the window. It was the Orkin guy, Keith. I opened the door to let him know that I was home. He apologized for being early, and said the same thing he did last time – that he was planning to do the outside first. No worries. He ended up coming inside to knock it out first, which actually worked best for me since I needed to join our weekly team call at 415pm. By the way, Jacob bolted off to play basketball once he knew that I was home.

As usual, Keith asked if we’ve seen any bugs since last visit. Nothing more than the stink bugs that everyone in the midwest is dealing with. I asked about his next visit, which wouldn’t be until January. I then reminded him that the only pests we were dealing with repeatedly were those pesky piss ants and that they don’t typically come around again until late spring. If you ask me, winter treatments are worthless.
Keith was done and gone by 4pm. I had 15 minutes ahead of my team call.

Our team call lasted about 20-25 minutes. Spent the rest of my work day taking care of a few administrative things. Knocked off around 510pm. Asked Bella what she wanted for dinner ahead of gymnastics. I offered a plethora of leftover options. She chose Minelli’s pizza. I warmed two small slices for her. She and I left for gymnastics at 540pm. I sent Jacob a text letting him know where I'd be just before heading out the door. In hindsight, I probably should’ve insisted he be back from playing by 530pm so he could ride along. No harm though.

It didn’t’ take long to get around 270 to the Georgesville Rd exit. Dropped Bella at the gym near 550pm. Despite that nagging cough, Bella was in good spirits and still stoked about moving up in math. Was home again by 605pm. By then it was already completely dark. Jacob still wasn’t back. I took a few minutes to pull some leftovers from the fridge, placing several wings and a barbq sandwich on the pizza stone and warmed them in a 300 degree oven for 20 minutes. Oh, I warmed a leftover chimichanga, too.

While waiting on the leftovers to warm, I played on my computer, including doing some writing for my blog. Shortly after I pulled the leftovers from the oven, Jacob came in. He and I shared what I’d already warmed. I wasn’t really that hungry anyway. I ate three wings and then half of the smallish chimichanga.
While I headed back to my computer, Jacob headed up to his room, presumably to take care of his homework.
Mindy called around 715pm to let me know that she was on her way home, or actually to pick-up Bella. Said she was exhausted after such a long school day. I continued playing on my computer until she & Bella got home around 745pm.

Right away, Bella shared how hungry she was. She asked for cheese nachos at first, but ended up settling for some of Mindy’s leftover Minelli’s spaghetti from Saturday night. Meanwhile, Jacob made a brief appearance downstairs but disappeared again just as quickly. A few minutes later Mindy quipped that the only reason he likely came down was to see if she brought home fast food. I pointed out that he devoured that entire bag of chocolate donuts as well as a half gallon of chocolate milk in just one day.

Mindy warmed what was left of the spaghetti for herself. Watching everybody else eat made me hungry again, especially since I hadn’t eaten much other than those three wings earlier. I ended up having 1.5 bowls of Cap’n Crunch, probably not the best of choices. While hanging in the kitchen, I went ahead and cleared out all the older leftovers from the fridge and ground them up in the garbage disposal. Amongst them were more wings, the pesto bowtie pasta, and then the roast beef, carrots and potatoes from 9 days prior. All that remains now are the taco leftovers from Monday.

After dinner and clean-up, I headed to the living room to do a little reading. In two sittings, I read about 20 pages. At the same time, Bella was dispatched to the shower. At 930pm we collectively declared it bedtime and shut down the downstairs. Somewhat surprising, Bella was quickly in her bed and under the covers. I guess the cough meds Mindy gave her started working fast!