Leaf me Alone

I planned to work from home for the entire day. And as I understood it, Mindy was staying home too, convalescing from the nagging cold that's plagued her for about the last week. I slept as long as I could. Come 615am my mind started whirling, thinking of some creative ideas relative to work. No longer able to sleep, I got up, brushed my teeth, then headed downstairs.

I scoped out the weather from the deck. Finally, a morning without cloud cover - a welcome sight to be sure. Inside I completed sit-ups, windmills, and push-ups. I also threw in a set of curls. Recently decided to do curls more frequently ( and even on push-up days) and also increased to 20lb dumbbells as opposed to the 15lbs I've been using for the last year. I'll be more careful this go-around, wanting to avoid causing chronic neck and shoulder problems.

Since Mindy was staying home, I didn't take her morning coffee. Instead, I opted to let her sleep as late and long as she wanted. Shortly after Jacob left for school, I headed upstairs to wake Bella. I used a technique that I learned from my dad, which was is a light tap on the bed post, curious if it would be enough to wake her from a seemingly deep slumber. And just as it worked on me, it worked on Bella, too. However, when she woke she said she didn't want to get up. I tapped ever so gently again, but then jokingly got in bed with her. That got her up and moving. :) She asked that I turn on her bedroom light and turn off her fan, apparently two things that Mindy does each morning.

I headed back downstairs to my coffee and computers. I'd already started working shortly after calisthenics hoping to make a serious dent in the day's to-do list. Bella was downstairs a few minutes later asking me to prep her medicine, which I sprinkled over a spoonful of honey. This time there wasn't any fuss. I asked if I could make her some breakfast. She declined. Instead, she headed back upstairs to finish her ready. She rejoined me downstairs near 753am. I was proud when she came over to ask how her hair looked. It looked nice, well-maintained - even the back! I told her as much. We headed out to the bus stop at 756am but without the pug, who as far as I knew, was still upstairs sleeping with Mindy.

The bus came early again - before 805am. Back at home I topped off my coffee then did a little more work ahead of my run. At 820am I completed a stretch then left for a run. It was sunny and chilly, only 35 degrees. I wore hand and ear covers. Like most Friday's anymore, I ran just three miles. My body seems to like this new routine - 4.1 miles M-Th and then 3 miles Friday, Sat, and Sun. Back home near 9am, I took notice of the heavy leaf cover on the stretch of lawn between the sidewalk and street. Both street trees have dropped their entire canopy over the last couple weeks. I haven't cut the lawn since Monday, October 21st or just a bit shy of three weeks. I hoped to get it cut later at lunchtime.

I got right back to work after my run. Mindy got up around 930am. She enjoyed some coffee but also started grading school papers. I let her know that I had two calls I had to join, one at 10 and the another at 11am. By the time both calls were over, it was near noon. The work day, like many, was going really fast. Around 1215pm I headed outside to work in the yard. My first order of business was to gather the fallen leaves from the curb trees. From past experience, I've learned that it's much more efficient if I simply rake everything from the edge of the yard, the walk, and easement into the street along the curb then collect all of them via the tarp. To that end, I unfolded a 9'X12' tarp in the street along the curb, then raked it full of leaves starting by the storm drain and working my way back towards the driveway and mailbox. Perhaps 30 minutes later I was done, raking, tarping and dumping all the front yard leaves.

Next, I fetched my blower and blew most of the fallen leaves from the deck and rear flower beds and into the center of the backyard. That way I could simply mow/mulch over them. Again, from experience I've learned that to be the most effective approach. My intent never was to get every last leaf. After all, there's still more leaves on the backyard trees, not to mention the honeysuckles, which typically don't drop their leaves until the first week of December. The blowing took little more than 10-15 minutes. Between the front and back, I'd already gotten a pretty good workout. Mowing was next.

I did the tractor mowing first, and just as I hoped, the mulching blades did a great job ridding the back lawn of leaf cover. There were a few stretches out back where I had to mow over 2 or 3 times to completely mulch the thickest piles of leaves, but that wasn't a big deal. By the time I finished, the back looked clean too. I did the push mowing before heading inside. That took no more than 15 minutes. All totaled, I'd spent something shy of two hours on the lawn. Time to get back to work.

While I was outside, Mindy did more school work and laundry. So much for taking a day off. I worked the rest of the afternoon, slowing down a bit after both kids were home from school, which would've been around 345pm. The kids were going on a Hocking Hills cabin trip with Jimaken & Molly. Mindy helped the kids ready their stuff. At the time we weren't 100% sure of the plans. Didn't know if they were heading there that night or early Saturday. At Jimaken's request, we pulled two of our sleeping bags down from the garage camp shelf. Mindy helped steady the ladder while went up after them. It turned out, however, that Jimaken didn't need them.

It must've taken Jimaken and Molly a bit longer to get ready than originally planned. They didn't get to the house to pick-up the kids until just after 6pm. By then, for all intents and purposes, it was already dark. Darwin sent a text shortly after the kids left asking if Mindy and I were going to Barley's. That was indeed our plan. I asked if he wanted to join us, and then a few minutes later if he simply wanted to ride with us. We left the house near 630p and drove around the bend to Darwin's place. Initially, I was just going to toot the horn and wait, but Mindy insisted on going inside to see Connie. While I parked, Mindy headed inside. After parking, I headed in too.

Talked with Connie and Jordan. Asked Jordan how he was adjusting to being back home from NYC. He was there for 2 or 3 months pursuing a modeling career. Soon we were on our way to Barley's. Must've been about 650pm when we arrived. The lot was chalked full of cars and the entrance filled with folks waiting for tables. Good thing we were heading to the bar. The bar was full, too, though. We stood for a while. A bit later we learned that there was an organized beer tasting underway. Probably about 15-20 folks. Once they left, the high tables in the bar cleared. Just before that, we were standing waiting for service at the bar when another regular, I think his name is Jim, barged between Mindy and I nearly knocking Mindy over just so he could order a beer from the bar. Talk about rude!

Once those high tables were cleared, Mindy asked if they were available for open seating since a reserved sign was still in place. They were now available for open seating. We took up camp there. Through the bar crowd, we were finally able to get beers. Mindy went with the Banshee (pumpkin porter) and I went with their flagship pale ale. I think Darwin ordered a Centennial. Early on, Mindy declared that she was having only one since she was still recovering from her cold. That meant I could have a few without worry. I ordered a 2nd pale ale when we ordered food. Mindy ordered brisket and mashed potatoes and I ordered wings and cheese soup. Darwin ordered a heaping plate of nachos. The wings hit the spot. Later, I had a third beer, this time a Centennial. And boy was it ever good.

Not so sure that Darwin was ready to call it a night, but Mindy was getting tired so we headed for home at 930pm. We dropped Darwin at his place before pulling up at home. Before calling it a night, I enjoyed another beer - a White Rajah. To bed by 1030pm.