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.