Just Days Before Xmas ... 2014 Ends

Highlights:

·         Xmas break for Mindy and the kids.

·         The kids spent the 20^th through Xmas eve evening with Jimaken and Molly.

·         Mindy and I spent our alone time readying for Xmas, working in the basement, and hanging with family and friends.

·         Painted doors and door trim over the weekend before Xmas and then the weekend after leading up to our HV ski trip. Took a lot more time than anticipated.

·         HV ski trip - Dec 28- Jan 2 - Wahoo!

Monday, Dec 22^nd  - Worked from the main office - 47 cloudy

Last day in the office for 2014.

Monday afternoon I got a call from Aspen Fireplace asking if they could stop by to fix the new gas logs. I let them know that I’d be working until 5pm and wouldn’t be home until 530pm. That worked for him.

He arrived just about that time. As he suspected, the wireless controller was simply wired backwards. After making the switch, the remote worked as designed; the on/up button turned on and raised the flame.  Yeah!

While he was there, I asked about more burning embers (looks like fiberglass wool). He agreed to add more, and did a nice job dressing it up a little better. Mindy and I were very pleased.

For dinner, enjoyed Chinese from the Dragon Palace. Plenty of leftovers to take home.

Tuesday, Dec 23 - Worked from home. 55 cloudy. Really quiet day.

Wednesday, Dec 24: Xmas Eve Soap Opera - All My Children ... and the grands too

Worked from home. Cloudy, rainy, 57 degrees, but cooler weather supposedly moving in.

Just as we have the past couple of years, we agreed to keep the boys on Xmas eve so Lindsey could work. She dropped them off near 645am on her way to work. After a 3 mile run and following Glenn’s flight tracker, near 945am, dad, Landon and I went to the airport to pick-up Glenn. We waited in the cell phone lot for his call. He landed a few minutes early, and I believe we had him in our clutches by 1030am.

As usual, Mindy and I were hosting the Wright family Xmas on Xmas eve. We told everyone to arrive near 330pm. We spent the hours ahead of that prepping the house and food for guests. I kept a loose eye on work too, since I was officially working. I checked in a couple times an hour until the evening hours.

Mom opted to not come stay with us this Xmas like she has the past couple years. Said she wasn’t feeling up to it. Her declination was striped with a little hard to miss bitterness. “you’ll be sorry”. Too bad she didn’t make it. All three of my daughters and all six of my grandchildren were there, not to mention brother Charles and Glenn. That doesn’t happen too often.

We had more than enough food including, honey baked ham, pasta salad, and lots and lots of finger foods. Lots and lots of festive holiday treats, too. Mindy made a Xmas run to CBC to fill a couple growlers. She made the run last Xmas eve too. I think she likes doing it.

Took lots of pics with my Canon D70 and got to put my Xmas present to myself to work– an external flash. Setup for a family shot from the balcony using the self-timer feature. One limit of the DSLR is a max 10 second timer whereas my Canon point and shoots have a customizable timer up to 30 seconds. Both shots required that I bolt from the camera to my prestaged position like lightning. I never got fully into either photo. J

After lots of food, gifts and Xmas cheer, most of the kids left before 530pm. Shelly, Kaileigh, Sienna, and Trppy must’ve showed up around 430pm. Dad, Tommy and Wally  hung around for a while after all the others left. Think it was near 730pm when they left. Before he left, Tommy intimated that he and Wally would more than likely stay at our place Saturday night ahead of our early Sunday departure for Holiday Valley to ensure a caravan.

Our kids arrived home around 7pm. Unlike years past, everyone was off to bed well ahead of midnight. The kids, I’ll bet, were in bed before 10pm, and Mindy and I before 11pm after placing all the gifts around the tree.

Thursday, Dec 25^th – Xmas! Partly cloudy 41 degrees – no white Xmas.

As usual, first one up, but not for too long. Mindy joined me downstairs a few minutes later. Shortly after opening the front door, dad was over. We enjoyed coffee and conversation until the kids were up. We proceeded with gift opening while Glenn slept in.

He joined us about 45 minutes into the ceremony. The kids went first, then dad. I usually go last, but this year Mindy insisted that I follow the kids. Late November, early December Mindy and I agreed on a $50-100 limit for one another. No going overboard this Xmas. After all, we buy pretty much whatever we want all year, and this past years that included new appliances, gas logs, a Holiday Valley and Utah ski vacation, not to mention our MRM season passes.

I got a gray cashmere sweater, one I recently considered buying for myself, an ASBCO gift card, a Macy’s gift card, and a few other things. I got (made) Mindy a photo book, this year using Shutterfly. It’s really no pricier than building a conventional photo album, more creative and a whole heck of a lot easier. I guess the only drawback, if there is one, is that you don’t have the individual prints. From the kids she got purple ski glove liners and a female skier nutcracker. Lastly, I got her/us a new blender even though she’s made it abundantly clear that gifts with cords are unacceptable. She burnt up our existing blender day after TG.

After gifts the others enjoyed her breakfast casserole while I headed out for a Xmas morning run. Ran three miles.

Dad left for home and a nap shortly after my return but not before we monkeyed around with Bella’s new inline skates, trying unsuccessfully to loosen the wheels for better spin. As they were, Bella said she could walk in them like shoes but not skate. I eventually deemed them defective. Mindy agreed to return them. Happens every Xmas, something doesn’t work as advertised/designed.

Mindy invited both Glenn and dad to join us at Gloria’s for the entire afternoon or simply for dessert later. Both declined. They made plans to hook up later that afternoon to make other family rounds. We left for Gloria’s near 120pm (most were planning to be there at 1pm).

We took a little booze – me a growler and Mindy a couple bottles of wine. However, I never did drink any. We took a honey baked ham, too, as well as a cheese plate.  Oh, we took the pug with us too. She was very excited to go to maw-mams, always is.

Lots of goodies on hand – sweets, meats, and appetizers. As usual, the Xmas gathering took place almost exclusively on the lower level. Far less chaos and mass to the gift opening ceremony. There was actually room to walk. I guess the gifts get smaller and smaller and the kids get older. The Thompson tradition is for one person or family to pass out gifts at a time. Next man up! Still takes a while.

This year, all the kids went in on a new flat panel TV for Gloria – a gift idea realized after TG’s TV debacle. J Good times!

Snacked on goodies all afternoon and was more than full. Must’ve been near 6pm when we headed upstairs to play the lottery game. Think there were 20 scratch-off lottery tickets contributed by all players.

The past couple years I was lucky early and pocketed tickets fast. This year I won two but not until near the bitter end. Not many winners this year either. I think Jacob had one of the few winners and that was just a buck or two.

After lottery tickets it was dessert time. I felt a little guilty for not finding time to bake a cheesecake, but it’s not like there wasn’t enough other stuff. I had icebox cookies – another long standing Thompson tradition.  By then about 645-7pm. Jacob and Bella were getting restless and ready to head for home. Before loading for home however, it was time to do the obligatory family Xmas photos. I brought my good camera and tripod but opted not bother. Too many other cameras and too busy. Maybe next year.

Gloria made mention of never seeing any of the photos anyway. J Took about 15-20 minutes to load our stuff for home. This was a far cry different than the first couple Xmas’s with the Thompson’s when Mindy’s minivan was loaded tip to toe with gifts for the kids. Ahh the gift card craze!

Not sure when the decision was made, but Lindsey had asked if we could watch the boys again Friday, and at some point we deemed it better for all if we simply had them over that night instead of having Lindsey drop them early AM. Turned out, Lindsey was in the ER with breathing issues related to a cold and asthma. And yes, she still smokes.! Brilliant, I know. Broke my heart to think that the grandsons spent the majority of their Xmas afternoon and evening in the ER with Lindsey. Said she’d been there for 6 hours. She dropped them off on her way home.

We watched a replay of Christmas tree lighting ceremony from Rockefeller Plaza and then an animated version of Elf – not sure which came first. To bed by 11pm after a couple Jack & Cokes.

Friday, December 26^th – warm again. 50 degrees.

Woke with an innocent tickle in my throat around 8am. Later, while doing a little painting in the basement, I began to feel ill, nauseous. Had to go lie down in bed. Felt like a cold was coming on. No, please, no!

Like most Friday’s, I worked from home, but also planned to take Glenn to see the Transfiguration exhibit at the Wexner center sometime that afternoon provided work remained quiet. Didn’t make it, but it wasn’t because of work being busy. Instead, he spent most of the day with dad and I wasn’t feeling that good.

Sometime after my run I fetched the Thule from the shed, placed it atop the Pilot then loaded the skis and boards for our Sunday trip to HV.

Despite not feeling well, I painted doors and trim in the basement. Midafternoon I was feeling so poorly that I really didn’t think that I’d be doing anything or going anywhere. But after lying down for an hour or so and then taking a shower, I felt well enough to join the rest of the family and head over to  Jodie & Larry’s for Camilla’s home coming.  Glenn opted to go with.

We knew heading over that Camilla’s arrival was delayed. Instead of arriving near 5pm, she would be in until 1030pm or so. Still, Jodie and Larry wanted us all to come over since they had a food spread laid out.

After taking some Naproxen and then cracking a beer or two the tickle in my throat abated, or so it seemed. I felt a whole lot better too. When we left the house we figured to hang with the fam for no more than a couple hours, but when we made the decision, I wasn’t feeling well.

We ended up sticking around until 1130pm, long enough to see Camilla after Jodie, Larry, & Joe picked her up at the airport. While they were at the airport Mindy ordered a couple pizzas from Joseppi’s.  Good to see Camilla – as animated as ever!

Saturday, December 27 rainy and mild

Throat back to feeling like the onset of a cough. Dang it! Please, no!

Ran 3 miles with my legs feeling like lumber (stiff). I attributed it to being dehydrated.

My primary goal was to be HV ready short of loading the Pilot. Which I planned to do early Sunday morning.

To that end, I had everything either in the garage or by the front door by evening. Glenn and I made a booze run later afternoon. We stopped at both Kroger and the new Hilliard Giant Eagle. Beer at Giant Eagle, Jack, Bailey’s, rum and ice at Kroger.

While we did that, Mindy and the kids headed to the Dublin Rusty Bucket to join the rest of her family to have dinner with Camilla. Tommy & Wally showed up around 7pm. Mindy and the kids got back from dinner around 8pm.

It was a no drink night for me. I wanted to get a restful night of sleep ahead of our week long ski trip. Not only that, but I made sure to drink lots and lots of water too.

The weather, meanwhile, was everything but wintry.  That was a letdown of sorts, but the Ellicottville forecast was still calling for cold and snow pretty much on cue with our arriving into town Sunday afternoon. That day, however (Saturday) they were dealing with warm temps (55) and rain. In fact, it was like that that last couple days. L

We watched a bowl game though can’t recall what teams. Everybody initially in bed by 1015pm. However, as sleepy as I was from the sofa, once into bed I just couldn’t sleep. I ended up back downstairs where I watched more football with Tommy and Wally. Rejoined Mindy in bed near 1130pm.

Sunday, December 28 – HV here we come!

Our stated goal was to be on the road as close to 9am as possible, but I also knew from past experience that motivating six others to be up, ready and out of the house by then might be a bit of a stretch. Still, to that end, I was up by 630am. I wanted to be out the door for a run by 7am. I delivered Mindy’s coffee near 715am, or just before heading out the door.

 I wore back-up everything for my run. A little rainy and a little cooler – about 36 degrees. Mindy was out of the shower about the time I made it back home. I wanted to load the Pilot before getting a shower of my own since I know all too well that I break into a serous sweat from such activity despite the cooler temps.

The others did reasonably well getting up and ready. In the back of my mind I had already told myself that if we were on the road by 930am we’d be doing good. And that’s about the time we backed out the driveway. Think it was 940am. As we often do, I shared our beginning mileage with the family, and then asked Bella to remember it – 79501. Would no doubt crack the 80K mile barrier on the drive home. We stopped at Thornton’s so Tommy could gas up. I went inside to see if they sold coffee creamer. They did not. L

The kids fell asleep early on – Bella more so than Jacob. Tommy, Glenn and Wally lagged behind several car lengths. We stopped at a rest area after about 80 miles for a bathroom break. We didn’t stop again until lunch about 3/4s the way through Erie, PA. Glenn & Tommy stopped just across the PA state line. We stopped at Wendy’s and I am thinking that it was near 115-130pm. Very popular time to stop. The place was packed.

We lunched quickly. My food was subpar – some of the worst Wendy’s food ever. Did the trick though.

Temperature was hovering around 34-35 degrees with drizzly rain. Very minimal signs of any recent snow along the freeway – both I-90 and I-86. Made excellent time considering two stops. We waited atop exit 46 (route 219N) for Tommy & Glenn since Tommy’s never been there before. The last 10 miles zig-zag a bit through Salamanca.

Pulled into the Inn at HV somewhere near 315pm. Check-in was a snap. I was very happy to get room #207 – one of the few that run perpendicular to the Sunrise run and are ski-in and ski-out despite being 2^nd floor. Took no longer than 10-15 minutes to be fully into our room. Right away, Jacob was on us about skiing yet that afternoon.

Speaking of skiing, more green than I’ve seen before in winter. Still, most of the ski runs were opened with snow down the middle. I took a pic and sent it off to some peeps. Most importantly, the temp was 30 degrees and falling and snow was forecasted for the overnight/early AM.

Tommy & Wally needed to get rentals and headed to the main lodge to take care of all that. Mindy ran to the HV Inn lobby to get lift tickets for Jacob and I. She didn’t get one for herself citing the desire to get organized and then rest. Would decide later if she was going to ski that night. Bella, since she hadn’t boarded before, planned to hang in the room on her Kindle.

Jacob and I were on the lift by 430pm. First run up! The snow was loose granular, but very nice for my liking. I was surprised how nice it was. It wasn’t the prettiest but effective. I could tear it up without fear of slipping or losing an edge. Mindy called texted near 530pm asking about the conditions and if we planned to stay out. Yes, I

Was really enjoying it. More importantly, the snow machines kicked into actions around 6pm signaling cold enough temps abound. We ended up skiing until 745pm or so and then planned to do dinner at the new Slopeside bar & grill located in the old Cadillac Jack’s.

After a brief grooming, we opted to walk over. It’s just across the street. Not many patrons, but it was Sunday night and up till then the weather hadn’t been too nice. We took a larger table on the lower level. Opted for a Ski Bum winter ale and their fish & chips. Mindy got the same thing and it was really, really good. Poor Wally, her ordered the mac &cheese but then pouted about not getting chicken tenders. I ordered him some tenders mild. That briefly made him happy until they arrived with sauce. J We learned that Wally is a very picky eater.

Back in the room and dosed up with a cough suppressant and Naproxen by 10pm. Asleep a short time later.

Monday, December 29 – HV Ski day!

Up a little later than usual – just after 7am. Disappointed that there was only a slight dusting of snow, but it was plenty cold – only 20 degrees. I was quickly into my running clothes which I had strategically placed for easy access in a dark room and off to the Inn for some coffee ahead of my run.

Not many folks in for the breakfast at that hour. I enjoyed coffee and a muffin. My head was in a fog even after the coffee, Felt like I needed another hour or two of sleep. Not in the cards. Ran into town and back, running past EBC and the new digs for Cadillac Jack’s. Noticeably missing was the coming soon sign. I wondered if the opening might be pushed back a bit. Doesn’t look close to being opened.

Back at the Inn near 8am. I made two cups of coffee to-go and headed back to the room. Everybody still asleep. After a few minutes I woke Mindy sharing that I was heading back to the Inn to hang out. She said she’d meet me for breakfast shortly.

Still in a fog, I worried that I was getting sicker, not better. Oh boy! Just felt as though I had no energy. I drank more OJ and ate another muffin while reading local papers and watching the weather forecast. Calling for snow during the day, but no real accumulation. By the time Mindy showed up I felt like a zombie. Tommy, Glenn and Wally were soon there too.

I filled up on waffles and sausage even while feeling off kilt. It was near 10am when we headed back to the room to supposedly gear up for skiing. I laid down in bed and promptly fell asleep for slightly more than an hour. And even then both kids remained sleeping. Mindy said I kept them awake through the night with unusually loud snoring, which no doubt was a byproduct of my cold. Sorry!

The nap did the trick. I still wasn’t 100% but far, far better. Mindy, Jacob, Bella and I geared up then headed out. Mindy opted to shuttle over to the HV lodge with Bella to sign her up for a private lesson. She could board over given that it’s brand new to her. Jacob and I lifted up Sunrise and skied over. I spotted Mindy and Bella after one run walking into the Creekside learning center. We walked over to meet them.

All signed up but her lesson wasn’t until 130pm. Wally was signed up for a group lesson which began at 1pm but ended at the same time as Bella’s private lesson – 3pm.Jacob agreed to work with Bella on some basics on the beginner hill while Mindy and I headed out for some runs. By then it had been snowing for more than an hour and at times at a decent clip. It was definitely making a difference especially given that it was light fluffy snow.

We made our way back to Creekside in time to introduce Bella to Courtney, her snowboard instructor. She is a young 20 something and seemingly very sweet. She promised to have her Utah ready by day’s end. J The rest of us skied off for the next 90 minutes.  Morning Star and Independence were by far my faves. Light chunked up snow all over Morning Star made for some fun, fast runs, and Independence was loaded with some bumps and curves with several shallow powder caches along the edges which I always seek and destroy!

We held off on snacking/eating until Bella was done with her lesson. We headed in for a table at the T-Bar (3^rd floor HV Lodge) overlooking  the main ski area while Mindy went after Bella. The others soon met us there. Ashley was our server (cute). Enjoyed a Southern Tier IPA but only one. Must be getting old. Ordered a gyro, and then nachos and pretzel stix to share. Everybody loaded up. Really too much food. Break lasted till 415pm.

Skied and peed! For me, every beer is worth at least two bathroom breaks. Goes right through me when on the slopes. Snow kept falling and again at times really heavy. Yes!!!! Lovin it! Bella wasn’t long for the ski runs tired from her first lesson and then practicing for about an hour. We bagged the skiing by 530pm and declared it hot tub time ahead of dinner at the Depot.

Per the usual, the kids weren’t interested in hot tubbing, just the adults. Felt good, despite begin a tad crowded initially. Still feeling bit dehydrated, I opted for only Gatorade. Man, what is happening to me? Hit the spot!

Back in the room, we had originally talked about doing dinner at EBC but everybody was beat. Pizza and wings at the Depot sounded agreeable to everyone. Well, everyone but Jacob, who still wanted to visit EBC. I got a shower before heading over. It was close to 8pm by the time we arrived at the Depot – a very cozy bar &grill directly across the street, though too far to walk comfortably on a really cold night. We opted to drive, and everyone piled into the Pilot – all 7 of us.

We ordered wings pizzas. This time I had two beers – two Southern Tier IPAs. Pizzas weren’t nearly as good as they have been times past. These were more like a frozen variety. Wings were good. Stephanie was tending bar, the same girl we met week before TG. She seemed to remember Mindy and whipped her up one of those flaming holiday shots again.  This time she couldn’t get them to ignite, citing that the Bailey’s needs to be room temp. J

The shot: Bailey’s, Kaluah, and Gold Schlager sprinkled with cinnamon and whipped cream.

Back to the room and bed near 10pm. Like the night before, I dosed up on Naproxen and Tussin.

Tuesday, December 30 – Better but still not 100% - More Snow!

Up around 715am again, though this time feeling far more rested than the morning prior. Quickly into my running clothes and off to the Inn for pre-run coffee, juice and a muffin.

Run through town and back. A little surprised to find Mindy awake and playing on her phone from bed. A short time later she and I off to breakfast. I wrapped on Tommy. Glenn’s door as we passed to let them know we were headed to get food.

On the slopes by 1040am. I invited Wally to go with us since he was ready and waiting for Tommy & Glenn to finish loading up their car. They’d be heading back to CMH at day’s end. Wally ended up skiing with us for the whole day.

Another banner ski day with lots of fresh snow. The Tannenbaum lift was down for repairs. Bummer! That left that end of the park with only one lift – Yodeler. And just as you might expect, it was busy! Exchanged a few texts with Tommy and Glenn. They were skiing, beering together. We didn’t hook up with them until after our lunch break in the Yodeler lodge.

We got a huge kick out of Wally sharing what he wants to be when he grows up – an Indian. Wow, wasn’t expecting that one. And when asked why he shared that he’s already tracking coyotes. J Oh my gosh! Tommy, Glenn & Wally were leaving that afternoon, their passes good only till 430pm. And they skied right up until that time.

With snow all day Monday &Tuesday, we could now ski-in and out of our room with ease. We skied to the steps to bid Tommy, Glenn and Wally farewell. Wally pouted - didn’t want to bag the skiing. We’ve created a little ski monster!

With our kids already calling it a day, Mindy and I did a couple more runs down Sunrise before calling it a day ourselves. We figured to get showers and then head to EBC before the evening dinner rush. Heck, we still had 3 more ski days to look forward to.

Off to EBC by 6pm. We got the same parking spot on Martha Ave. that we got in November minus the large puddle of rain.:) Still quite crowded and many turned to leave after begin quoted a 1 hour wait. Our group of four was quoted 30 minutes which as always turned out to be just 10 minutes.

Seated in the older area for the first time in a few years, which was fine with me. Ordered the Stainless Steel Obsession IPA. Shared some spinach artichoke dip ahead of dinner, which for me consisted of a half chicken. Mindy went with that same unusual standing pork entrée she had in November. She loves it! Jacob tried it and liked it too, and he hates pork.

Dinner was good. We let the kids order dessert, too, a giant piece of chocolate cake. Back to the Inn by 8pm. We watched TV but I fell quickly asleep, but once again, not before dosing up on half a dose of  Nyquil and Naproxen. The Nyquil was Mindy’s suggestion. Holy smoke! That stuff got to me in a hurry. I made a Jack & Coke but could barely drink it for the hefty Nyquil buzz. I’ll bet I was down and out by 9pm.

Wednesday, December 31 – Last Day 2014 – Started my year at HV, ended it there too!

I like that. Not too many other places I’d rather spend the 1^st and last days of the year than at HV. I really enjoy the place. Up and off to the Inn by 730am. Got one heck of a night’s sleep. Ran into town and back. Estimating it to be about 3 miles tip to tail. Snowed plenty more overnight.

Days beginning to blend/merge, losing track of differentiation.

Not on the slopes until 1100am. Our plan was to set Bella up for another private lesson with Courtney. Unfortunately, they told us she was booked and wouldn’t be in until noon, but offered that we could check back once she arrived to see if she/they could rearrange things for her to take Bella on a private lesson. AS it was, they had her set up to run a group class. As an alternative, they offered that she might be willing to work later and do an hour long 3pm private lesson.

We skied for another 45 minutes before making our way back to Creekside where we hoped to find Courtney. She wasn’t in and this time they advised us to check back at 1:30pm. They said they would do all they could to hold her back at that hour. Cool.

We headed off to ski some more. Bella, by the way, was doing great. Far and away better than Jacob was after one lesson and one whole day to practice. But then again, Jacob had no one to help whereas Bella has Jacob to lean on.

We skied for 45 minutes before Jacob met us at the HV lodge. As it was, we left him sleep in the room until he was ready to join us. They went for food while I went for drinks – me a beer, Mindy a rum and Coke. We caught a little bit of the Michigan State Auburn bowl game. MSU was losing big when we headed out and back to the Creekside to check on Bella’s lesson.

I gave Mindy my credit card to pay for the lesson. When we met up after lunch at the ski rack, she shared that Courtney was able to take Bella at 130pm as hoped. They actually didn’t get out until 145pm so she said to expect them back around 315pm. Cool!

Mindy, Jacob and I skied off to play. We skied Champagne, Independence and Morning Star a number of times.

After Bella’s lesson, she and Jacob wanted to bag it early. We opted to head back to the room to catch some football and possibly even a nap. Mindy & I figured to head back out around 530-6pm.

The break was exactly what the doctor ordered. Got completely out of my ski clothes too. Mindy slept for almost 90 minutes. It was my insistence that persuaded her to head back out for more skiing. The kids both were sleeping and barely acknowledged our insistence that they join us. We gave up and just the two of us headed out. Turned out, however, that our night skiing was brief. Despite all the recent snow, all the runs were skied to solid ice. I struggled to get my edges to dig in on any of the runs. Mindy said I scared her more than once when I kicked an edge at a high rate of speed. Not only that, but it was downright cold, too- down around 10 degrees and windy. After maybe 30-40 minutes we headed back to the room.

We discussed our dinner options and eventually settled on the Slopeside. Looking back, I wished we would’ve gone to the new Armor Inn Tap Room. But I was exhausted, keeping in mind that I’d been skiing all day for 3.5 days and battling cold symptoms all week. We walked over to Slopeside near 730pm.

This time a larger crowd that our first night in town. We were seated in a booth on the main floor and our server a young cute girl, whose name I can’t readily recall. Bottom line, she was terrible. We didn’t get silverware. Instead, I had to fetch it from another table. She didn’t bring appetizer plates, she goofed up our orders, having it delivered to another nearby table and then letting them droll over it before declaring it ours. Grossed me out! When she brought it over I told her I didn’t want and then asked where our salads were since we usually get those BEFORE the main entrée.

Another more experienced server came by when we had to ask for other accoutrements and apologized insisting that she would have the owner stop by. We met Bob, the new owner Sunday, when we were first in town. Seems like a likeable guy. I told her his visit was unnecessary. Still, a few minutes later Bob showed up to chat. Went on and on about how he just opened on Monday before Xmas and that things were still rusty. I’ll say. He asked what was wrong, and while we explained in detail, we insisted that the food was good, decent. Never once did he offer any type of credit which he really should’ve. Can’t imagine that server will be around too long.

Back to the room where we caught another bowl game.  Both Michigan State and Wisconsin won doing right by the Big Ten this year. We planned to stay up for the ball drop  and festivities. I doubt we would’ve done the HV torch parade anyway, but given the extreme cold and icy ski slopes, Mindy and I had no desire to give it a try again this year.

They did have a very nice fireworks display on Fox Fire right next to the Cindy’s run. We managed to stay up for that as well as the NBC ball drop from NYC. By the way, the NBC hosts (can’t recall his name and guests) were terrible. Gone are the days of Dick Clark as well as his protégé, Ryan Seacrest. I may never watch again. What a waste. 

Sneaking Up on Xmas

"Where do you think you're going? Nobody's leaving. Nobody's walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no. We're all in this together. This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny fucking Kaye. And when Santa squeezes his fat white ass down that chimney tonight, he's gonna find the jolliest bunch of assholes this side of the nuthouse"

Wednesday, Dec 17 – Xmas Shopping with Mindy, Roosters

Cold! Temps in the 20s/30s – spittin’ snow all morning.

Up at 540am after a poor night of sleep. Ran 4 miles, heading out the door around 745am.

It was Wednesday and monthly service review presentation day, which meant that I’d be working across town. Arrived near 950am. On the drive in, saw gas prices as low as they’ve been - $2.19 per gallon. I stated a few weeks back that gas prices below the $2.50 mark would likely have an adverse impact on our overall economy. And that premise is proving true, as the stock market’s been falling this week due to oil prices continuing to plummet.

Did the monthly service review to a small customer audience. Finished around 1130am. Tied up loose ends before taking lunch and running Xmas related errands around 1pm.

I had about 50 Xmas cards in the car which I wanted to drop at a post office. Before heading out for lunch, I Googled post offices in and around Easton/New Albany. And since I wanted to stop in Home Depot, too, I opted for the one supposedly within eye shot of them. Perfect!

Driving towards H.D., the only thing I saw where Google said I would find a post office was a Meijer, and that’s been there for quite a while. Hmmm?  For the time being, I cast that task aside and headed on in Home Depot where I picked up a new Dremel wood blade for my oscillating tool. Now days, most manufactures are making their blades universal (will fit any oscillating tool head). $13.

From the H.D. lot, I Googled local post offices again only this time from my smart phone. Said it was right next door and offered turn-by-turn directions, which I enabled. The navigation took me around back behind H.D. and the Meijer. Said my destination was right there. Hmmm? The only thing I could figure was that there’s a P.O. mailing center inside the Meijer. All I wanted was a drop box. Geesh! Rather than continue on a wild goose chase, I figured to stop at the tried and true Hilliard branch on my drive home. Needed to stop at the Hilliard Target anyway to pick-up our 2^nd batch of Xmas cards. Back to work.

Worked through the afternoon, leaving for home near 415pm. Noticed that the stock market spiked a couple hundred points. Yes!!! Exited 270 at Cemetery Rd making my way to the post office branch a mile up the road. Dropped the cards in the outside drop box 10 minutes ahead of the 5pm pick-up. Cool! Onto Target.

At Target, picked up our 2^nd batch of custom Xmas cards, and then did a little shopping. Bought a couple more gift cards for Xmas presents. Headed for home. Mindy phoned just as I was getting on 270. She was just leaving school after a lengthy after class meeting. Still sounding rough but said she was feeling a bit better. Asked if I still wanted to Xmas shop (It was date night). Yes. Otherwise, we might not get too many more opportunities. I was provoking and joking, but Mindy wasn’t in the mood. J

I arrived home 5-10 minutes ahead of her. Enjoyed a couple handfuls of peanuts. Noticed another Shutterfly package showed up. Yeah! Helped Mindy carry in her school stuff since she had a couple bags of Xmas gifts that she picked up after school.

We took care of a few incidentals and both did some quick grooming before heading off to the Rome- Hilliard Target (not Millrun). Our main goal was to take care of Avery & Addison as well as Ashley. Of course Mindy can’t visit a Target without perusing the $1 aisle. We picked up a few stocking stuffer type items. Over the years, we’ve found that the wee ones love the stuff from the $1 aisle.

Took care of Avery & Addison next, picking out a few outfits and PJs (Courtney said they needed/wanted clothes). Got them each a toy too. We took care of Ashley next as well as a few more stocking stuffers. According to Mindy, this bill was mine. Set me back about $300. Yikes!

Both of us hungry, Mindy offered to treat us to dinner at the Roosters just up the road. Sounded good to me. Crowded – very crowded! Had to park way out in the lot and that was after driving around twice. Chilly and spittin snow.  They CBC IPA on tap but I wasn’t in the mood for beer, opting instead for a leaded Coke. Mindy went with only water. We shared some garbage tater tots and each ordered wings, me Donkey, Mindy medium.

Took a while. Asked our server if they happened to sale lottery tickets after seeing a screenshot of Lottery stuff on one of their numerous monitors around the bar. Sure do! I wanted to purchase a Powerball for Tuesday night’s drawing which was sitting at $80,000,000. I know I’m gonna win, just not sure when. Midway through dinner I waltzed over to the lottery kiosk and bought a single ticket. I struggled to figure out how to use it but managed on my own.

We both needed a box for our leftovers. Rooster wings are very large.  I managed to eat only 6 of the ten. Mindy even less. At home, we carried in the dozen or so Target bags just before the kids got home. Kids were both excited to see we had Roosters leftovers. Jacob loves Roosters wings. He ate just a couple. And I think that Bella had only one. J I joked that I wasn’t sharing the pink iced animal crackers I picked up in the $ aisle at Target.

Mindy wrapped Anita’s gifts and had me make a couple custom gift tags on the PC. Printed off a mailing label for a box that we planned to ship out Thursday. While Mindy and Bella were in the basement wrapping presents, I headed down to quickly try out my new Dremel wood blade on my oscillating tool. As advertised, it fit up nicely on my knock-off brand. More importantly, the new blade went through those darn “wet” shims like butter. Finally!!!I cut off three or four then stopped.

Upstairs, Jacob and I had the Buckeye basketball game whirling the background. They won by 40 some points. Mindy off to bed near 930pm. I stayed up watching a very cool TV program on WOSU, Nova – Making Stuff Colder. Very cool, and a must see. Headed to bed near 11pm but after 5-10 minutes it was clear that I just wasn’t going to fall asleep. I got up, headed back downstairs, played on the internet and enjoyed 2 bowls of Cookie Crisp. Headed back to bed near midnight.

Thursday, December 18 Going Postal and Krogering

Ran 4 miles. Cold.

Working from the Hilliard office

Planned two stops on the way in. First stop at Kroger where I bought a gift card for a friend. The second stop was at the nearby post office to mail that gift card along with one for my boss.

Arrived at the office near 10am. I was surprised to discover that I was the lone team member actually in the office. The others were working remote.

Stayed busy until 1pm when I left for lunch. I headed to the Hilliard Sherwin-Williams where I purchased another gallon of pain, this time for the actual door panels – dapper tan, same chip as the walls, though two shades darker.

Headed home where I finished out my work day.

A couple Xmas packages arrived mid/late afternoon.

Jacob fell asleep soon after getting home from school. His dad was coming by to take him to soccer practice, but that wouldn’t be until 8pm. Crazy, I know!

No formal dinner – leftovers – fend for ourselves.

Mindy, Bella and I left the house near 6pm for Olivia’s Xmas play at the Westgate recreation center. I hadn’t been inside there for maybe 30 years. They’ve dumped some cash into the place. Quite nice.

Kelly, Rosemary and Ashley were already there. We sat in the row behind them. Per the usual, Kelly barely uttered a word beyond a forced hello in response to my greeting. Rosemary, however, was very chatty with Mindy & I. Talked about her recent hip replacement as well as Al’s recent fall. She seems to be doing great!

Olivia’s play was cute. She was very excited that we were there. Came up and gave Mindy a huge hug! Though, she would dare give me a smooch in front of all her peeps. J

After the play we dropped Bella at her gymnastics Xmas party then returned home. Jacob was finally awake and waiting on his dad’s arrival. He asked Mindy to make him something for dinner. She begrudgingly whipped up a couple grilled cheese sandwiches. Jimaken showed around 730pm.

I played around on the computer until it was time to go after Bella. Left the house near 845pm. Arrived with just a couple minutes to spare. Open gym Xmas party. Bella seemed happy. Without her asking, I stopped at Steak & Shake to get her some food. She was very happy about that.

Watched some of the Thursday Night NFL game but quickly tired of it. Headed for bed near 10pm, or shortly after Jacob go home from soccer practice.

Friday, December 19 – Happy 79^th Dad

Working from home. Purposefully slower start to my day. Kids and Mindy off to school at their usual times.  Mindy was torqued at Jacob for refusing to take the gift he had her buy for one of his teachers – a 12-pack of Mt Dew. She followed him out to the bus stop with the gift hollering for him to come get it. He refused or ignored her. She returned angry. 

Ran 3 miles. Another cloudy day with morning temps in the upper 20s. Checked MRMS website. Opening for the season Saturday at 4pm. Excitedly sent a text to Mindy sharing as much. Figure we’d try to get up there either Saturday or Sunday.

Worked all day from home. Thought about making a run to L&E granite to checkout their showroom, but time was got away from me. The fireplace guy was set to return I thought around 2pm. However, once 2pm came and went, I went to my VM and listened to Dan’s message again. Said it would be last stop near 3pm. Actually didn’t show until almost 330pm.

Craig went right to work while I stayed busy with work too. By the time he arrived the kids were home from school. After about half an hour I asked how things were going. The look on his face said it all. He actually said fine but could tell that something wasn’t right. Sure enough, he called me to the family room to show me how to operate the fireplace. The variable remote function was backwards – on/raise turned it off or lowered the flame, and vice-versa.

Not a huge deal but I spent lots and lots of money on this, arguably the best in class. I told Craig that I was disappointed and wouldn’t pay until it is corrected. He understood but at the same time I could tell was a tad frustrated with me. Too bad. Deliver the goods, dude! Said he would get with their tech support – been doing this 20+ years and has never had this problem before. Blah, blah, blah.

I thanked Craig for his effort but then asked when I might hear back. Soon. Mindy arrived home from school just as Craig was pulling away. She was very excited to see the fire roaring. Certainly the sting was still visible on my face. I explained the quirk and that they would have to come back yet again.

I finished my work day while Mindy unpacked a bag full of Xmas gifts and goodies she reined in at school, some from her class and some from her peers.

The evening plans were as such. Bella was planning to meet friends and then go ice skating at the Chiller. Jacob, Mindy and I were planning to do dinner at the Rusty Bucket after dropping Bella. We’d figured to give her 1.5 hours or so before returning to get her.

Didn’t get a shower until almost 6pm. Ordered some gifts online for neighbors. Should be delivered before Xmas. Loaded up the family and left for Dublin around 7pm. Like the week before, Mindy headed inside the Chiller with Bella until she was satisfied that she was good to go. She was only inside a couple minutes before returning sharing that neighbor Josie was there too, and agreed to keep Bell under her wing (Josie’s a 7^th grader). Said we could text her if necessary since Bella doesn’t yet have a cell phone.

Down the road a couple miles to the Dublin Rusty Bucket where nephew Joe is the new GM. Waited just a couple minutes for a table. Yaya was our server. Nice kid! Ordered the same thing I had the Friday prior, fried pickles, White Rajah on draft, Italian torpedo sandwich along with a wedge salad. And once again, all very good! During dinner, I had Mindy snap a picture of me toasting with a beer. I in turn sent it to my day with a birthday wish (today was his 79^th birthday).

There for a solid 90 minutes. Headed back to the Chiller to fetch Bella around 915pm. Mindy headed in to find her. Jacob and I joked that they wouldn’t let Mindy in, but they did. She returned after about 10 minutes with the peanut!

Not too long after arriving home, Mindy headed for bed. I stayed up a little later, but was still in bed before 1030pm.

Saturday, December 20 – Paint trim, Return door slab, Soccer game in the cold – No MRM, CBC

Cloudy and cold – upper 20s all day.

Up and downstairs near 430am after waking wide awake. Played around online for about 80 minutes before feeling sleepy enough to head back to bed. Slept till just about 8am.

It was almost 10am before I headed out for my run. Ran 3 miles.

Mindy left to get her hair done around 11am. Kids didn’t get up until sometime after she was already gone.

While she was away, I worked in the basement. First thing I did was cut off the remaining shims with my oscillating tool and new blade. Worked much, much better. Next, I caulked all the door jamb nail holes and then got started painting the door trim. Tedious process, since there are three sides that need coated (top, bottom, face). Jimaken was over to pick-up Jacob for his 3pm soccer game near 130pm. Both kids would be staying with him Saturday through Xmas eve night. Bella, however, would wait and ride with Mindy and I to the soccer game. We planned to leave around 230pm. Mindy was home from her hair appointment around 145pm. I could hear Bella flipping out about her blonde hair. Later, she warned me that it looked bad but to play it off. Funny! J It doesn’t look bad, just different.

I painted 4 lengths of trim with two coats (black semi-gloss). All I had time for. Also touched up the walls where I did some minor spackling. Showered and ready to leave by 240pm. Neither one of us were sure where Westerville Central HS was until Mindy Google mapped it. Way north off I-71 and Polaris then north on Route 3. Haven’t been all the way up there since golfing Black Hawk some years ago with pal Tom Clark.

Made decent time around 270 and up 71N to Polaris. Arrived at 310pm. As usual, felt even colder on the soccer/football field. It was something like 28 degrees but felt much colder. I chose to stand versus sit on the cold aluminum bleachers. Jacob’s team went behind 1-0, which unless I’m mistaken ended up being the final score. I headed for the car after about an hour (the games go about 90 minutes with two 40 minutes halves plus halftime).

From the car, I phoned my mom checking in but just as important, asking if she planned to come up and stay for Xmas just as she’s done the past couple years. Nope. Not this year. She gave me an earful about this and that – mostly not coming to visit. Talked about her brittle bones a little too. Needs to take vitamin D to help build bone density, though that is/was an alternative to the costly injections her doctor offered, but her insurance won’t cover.

Mindy soon joined me. Apparently the cold was getting to her too. We could see the field from the car but not enough to be sure what was happening. Bella opted to stay in the bleachers with her daddy. She was in a short sleeved short and pullover sweat shirt. Said she wasn’t cold. Holy moley!

After the game ended, we waited an extra 10 minutes for Jacob to walk off the field. Mindy wanted to hug both kids since she wouldn’t see them again until Wednesday evening. By then it was 445pm and nearly dark.

About a 30 minute drive home. During our drive, Mindy shared that she’d be taking a shower before we headed off to CBC for dinner. While she did that. I planned to return one of the two 24” door slabs to Home Depot due to the fact that it is warped (sticks out more than an inch in one corner). And while it came in prehung jamb, I planned only to return the door slab since the jambs already nailed into place and the all the holes filled. I was concerned that Home Depot might insist that I return the jamb too. But my thinking was this: I could buy a new door and jamb, take it home, put the old slab in the new jamb and return it.

Turned out, they gave me no hassle whatsoever, though they weren’t real sure how to go about the exchange/return. I suggested I simply remove the new door slab from the prehung jamb. They agreed but had no tools to do so. I offered to go to their tool department and fetch a hammer and a thin screw driver. Not necessary. She found a rubber hammer and then a drill bit that worked just fine to knockout the door hinge pins. Even exchange.

At home, I marched the new panel straight to the basement. One of the hinges was off slightly from the other door but after a little wiggling I was able to get the new door slab set into the existing jamb. Not only that, but this one hung perfectly square, but because I had tweak the jamb placement a little bit in an attempt to mask the warped jamb, I had to retweak the jamb a little. Anyone who’s ever hung a door knows what I’m talking about.

Mindy and I left for CBC near 640pm. Took an empty growler just in case they had a yummy beer on tap. We were meeting friends John & Carolyn at CBC. In addition, it sounded like Ryan L. was planning to join us too. Got the first parking spot – almost as if it were held just for me. J Mindy carried in a bag full of “server gifts” to help spread some Jimindy holiday cheer.

John & Carolyn were already at the bar and held a couple stools for the two of us. Sweet! They’d been for an hour or so already. No Bodhi, but they did have Orthodox, Actual’s winter IPA (black winter IPA). I really like it. Ryan showed up about 30 minutes later, and we made room at our little corner of the bar.

Enjoyed some risotto balls, good company and beer for the next couple hours. I had three Orthodox’s but switched over to water 2 hours before we left so Mindy could “enjoy” herself. She had three Holly Jolly’s Xmas ales from Fat Heads. She was feeling zero pain, at least until the next day. Three beers for Mindy always spells trouble. She ended up ordering a steak dinner pretty late. I resorted to earing only some of Ryan’s nachos. But just before we left, I put in a to-go of wings.

Mindy disappeared for a while returning several minutes later with a Charlie Brown Xmas tree.  It looked authentic. Press a button and it played Vince Guaraldi music. Thought she was going to try and bring it home. Fun times! We pretty much shut the place down, not leaving for home until after 11pm.

Ryan decided to stop by our place before heading home. She popped in the drive-thru in route to get some beer. Beck’s dark. Mindy, Ryan and I hung out in the kitchen together talking for an hour or so while I enjoyed a couple more beers (an Upheavel and a White Rajah). While playing around on my PC I think I might’ve dosed off for a few. Thinking it was approaching 1am when Ryan opted to head for home.

We headed for bed shortly thereafter.

Sunday, December 21 – 1^st Day of Winter ‘14/15

Up near 8am. Clear skies and sunny. Still cold – only 27 degrees.

We planned on going to MRM sometime Sunday but based on the way Mindy was feeling the night before I sensed that was in jeopardy.

I played on the computer, drank coffee and then headed out for a run around 930am. Ran 3 miles.

After my run I whipped up an omelet and baked potato. Left Mindy’s share in the microwave, choosing not to wake her any sooner than necessary. At one point I headed upstairs to peak in. She was out cold. However, just a few bites into my breakfast, she was up and downstairs. Said she felt OK after taking some Advil earlier and getting more sleep.

During breakfast, Tina Cubra sent a text from MRM sharing that only a few runs were opened and one of them wasn’t the face. We briefly discussed our plans and quickly decided to nix a ski day. We had plenty we could get done at home if we didn’t ski, and neither one of us was eager to make that drive and not have the conditions we’re accustom to experiencing.

Shortly thereafter, I headed to the basement to get busy painting more door trim and door jambs. Mindy, in turn, said she would soon be off to the grocery. I painted 7 more door trim pieces and then put a 3^rd coat on those that I painted Saturday. Next, I moved on to the door jambs, painting the entry to the storage area and then the pantry jamb. Talk about tedious!! Oh yeah, lots of nooks and crannies. I used a small paint pad and a narrow brush. Ended up putting 2+ coats on the two jambs.

After finishing the two jambs, I put a 2^nd coat on the newly painted door trim pieces. I know it doesn’t sound like a lot, but up until them I’d already spent 3+ hours painting. Before wrapping up for the afternoon/evening, I painted two door slabs (the pantry and storage area) one side and then the edges. All that took me until almost 5pm. By then I was done!

I headed up for a shower, but not before searching and finding Windle’s Lake Choctaw mailing address for Mindy. We talked about going to Ding Ho for dinner, but once we were pulling out of the subdivision, I suggested Barley’s instead. I found myself craving an El Lupulo Libre!! J Mindy agreed. We can do Ding Ho one evening during the coming week.

Katy & Marrisa were tending bar. We grabbed two open stools behind a set of taps, not ideal but they’d suffice. Walt the balloonist was in. First time we’d seen him in a really long while. Introduced us to his wife, Deb and then shared pictures of their Macy’s TG parade balloon handling. Cool pics!

At the bar, Marrisa had my Lupulo Libre waiting. Mindy opted for only ice water. No beer for her. Said it didn’t even sound remotely good. J We enjoyed a basket of fries with buffalo sauce. Enjoyed a little conversation with Josh T. Eventually ordered dinner, me an order of K.C. wings, and Mindy a Barley burger. I ordered a 2^nd beer, this time a Barley’s Double Dog Dare (a DIPA). Very good!

I ate a few of the wings before asking Marrisa to take then back and have them grilled more. After all, I ordered them well done. If you don’t order them as such they can (the skin) be a bit gelatinous.  Less than five minutes later … perfect! We finished our dinner and beer then headed for home.

Arrived home near 8pm. Mindy retreated to the family room with a fire. I headed to the basement to flip the recently painted doors and put on a coat of paint. Down there about 45 minutes. Mindy headed for bed ahead of me, though I dosed off from the sofa however briefly. Watched a little of the SNF game but it was boring. Headed up to bed around 1020pm. Surprised to find Mindy in bed but still awake playing on her phone and watching SNF. We watched a little more football before lights out near 1045pm.

Mid-December - Where'd All the Snow go?

webcam shot from Thursday, Dec 18 near 7am of  MRM making Whoopi!

Sunday, Dec 7 – More painting though this time with color

Up near 8am. Run three miles by 1030am. Cloudy – 42/27.

To the basement to paint with color. Always a little shocking to see the color you’ve only looked at on a chip or worse yet on a computer monitor actually splattered on a wall. Pretty quick – once the initial wall dried – was pleased with the result. Mindy joined me after an hour or so. She picked up where she left off in the closet and pantry, effectively burning through an entire gallon for no more than 100 square feet 93 coats). She used every last drop.

She soon left for the grocery while kept at it until getting an initial coat on all the primed walls. The Sherwin Williams Duration covered quite nicely with one coat. Burned through just under two gallons. Planned for another coat sometime in the coming work week.

Mindy put a beef roast in the crockpot earlier that day.

Buckeyes voted into the initial college football playoff at #4. Will play Alabama on Jan. 1.

Kids home from weekend with Jimaken & Molly near 4pm.

Vikings win.

Monday, Dec 8 –  Slummin’

Up near 545am. Run 4 miles. 47/33.

My big rock was studying for the ITIL OSA test which I planned to take Tuesday morning.

Worked from the Hilliard office.

Studied in and around all my other tasks, meetings & calls.

Leftovers for dinner.

Too tired to paint. Didn’t work in the basement at all.

Tuesday, Dec 9 – Passing Grade! Paint 2.0

Up near 6am. Out the door for a run by 7am. Ran 4 miles. Cloudy, rain, 43/37.

Back home by 745am. Woofed down a banana and another cup of coffee.

Made a conscious effort to collect my thoughts and get my mind in a positive place before beginning my cert test.

Started near 830am. The set-up went without a hitch. Took roughly 70 minutes to complete. Once you finish the last question and click the submit button you know your results are instantaneously. Nervously I clicked completed and learned that I passed! What a relief!

Needless to say, passing left me in a good place for the rest of the work day.

Fireplace guy showed up for our gas logs install right on time – 2pm. After a short meet and greet I left him alone in the family room to do his business while I continued with my work day. After about 30 minutes I went in to check on him. Said everything was going well. Great!

Perhaps another 10 minutes passed before he came calling for me. Said we needed to talk. Uh-oh, that couldn’t be good! And it wasn’t.  Apparently the remote adapter into the gas regulator was the wrong part for the given burner. Said he could easily retrofit but would void warranty, or worse yet leave him liable for any potential mishap. Uh, no. Said he’d have to have Aspen order the correct part and he would come by and finish perhaps as soon as the following evening.

Not his fault. He didn’t order the wrong part. He left all the stuff, including the gas logs, which were still boxed. Of course I wouldn’t pay until it’s fully installed and operational. Needless to say, I was a little disappointed but stuff happens.

After dinner, Mindy agreed to run Bella to and from gymnastics affording me the opportunity to do another coat of paint. Said she was going to Xmas shop in between the drop and pick-up.  I failed to mention that I painted everything save for the stairwell Sunday. I opted to do the stairwell before moving onto the 2^nd coat elsewhere. Frankly, wasn’t so sure how I would go about reaching the highest places.  I ended up using the aluminum extension ladder on the steps making multiple trips up and down with both the paint pad for the trim and the roller for the main wall areas. Turned out quite nice with only a few thin spots I would need to recoat another day.

Before Mindy got back home, I made it about a 1/3 the way around the main basement family room with a 2^nd coat. Knocked off at 830pm to leave myself plenty of time for clean-up.

Wednesday, Dec 10 – Date Night  @ CBC

Up around 545. Run 4 miles. Cloudy and brisk. 30 degrees early on but felt much colder with a stiff, chilly breeze blowing in from the north.

Worked across town at my customer’s campus. Arrived near 930am.

Took lunch and headed to Menard’s and Target. Only 2^nd time ever in a Menard’s. Checked out their selection of bathroom vanities. A couple that I liked, though pricier than I guessed. On my way back to the office, I picked up a couple things at Target.

At the office until 5pm. Kids already gone with Jimaken by the time I arrived home. Decided to do dinner at CBC, Mindy’s choice. Arrive d around 610pm.

Opted for the Orthodox, which is technically considered a holiday ale but missing are the strong spice notes. Really good!

Enjoyed a bowl of onion soup and a plate of wings. Had a 2^nd Orthodox, too. We talked with Jen. The first time we’ve seen her since her partner Keri had the baby. She looks good.

Arrived home around 810pm. Kids already home.  Soon off to bed.

Thursday Dec 11 – Cookies!

Ran 3 miles. All week long, I’d been planning to work from the Hilliard office but had forgotten about an important customer meeting mid-morning. Changed my plans accordingly and headed across town arriving near 930am.

Meeting went until 1130am. Lunched with my boss and a couple peers at the local El Vaquero. Decent but pricey - $14 for a two item combo and soda. For my money, they’re in danger of pricing themselves out of the market. During lunch, my boss asked when I planned to retake that ITIL OSA test. I hadn’t told him that I’d already done so and passed. He was very excited when I shared the good news.

Planned to head home to finish out my work day, however, before heading west, I stopped in the new Easton Dick’s (nice, larger than the one it replaced). Picked up a gift for Mindy. Next, stopped in Lowes. Don’t think I bought anything.

Home to finish my work day. Arrived near 215pm. Package of Cheryl’s Cookies on the front stoop from my boss. Yum!

On our own for dinner. Like Tuesday, Mindy agreed to drop and pick-up Bella at gymnastics and  Xmas shop in between. They left early to afford enough time for a stop at her sister’s as well as Maw-maw’s. While they were gone, I finished the 2^nd coat of color in the basement. Took about 90 minutes, and by the time I finished I was exhausted. Jacob, by the way, was off to Raleigh, NC for a soccer tournament. Jimaken took him.  Wouldn’t be home until the earliest, Sunday, depending on the results. 

Watched  a smidge of Thursday Night Football before bed.

Friday, Dec 12 – Happy 77^th Mom!

Ran three miles. Worked from home. Before leaving for school, Bella thanked me for convincing Mindy that it was OK to let her go ice skating at the Chiller later that evening with school friends without a parent. J

Ordered David’s Xmas present. Took care of a couple other folks too. Had a couple errands to run at lunch. Near 1130am I left the house making stops at Home Depot, Target and finally the post office. Picked up the doors for the basement project. Mailed mom’s b-day card and David’s Utah check.

Worked through mid-afternoon. Around 4pm I headed to basement where I installed the remaining trim rings on our canned lights. Only a couple minor issues.  Immediately after, I opted to move our base cabinets into place. Went through a bunch of shims – something one doesn’t have to use too many of when placing cabinets on the upper living quarters. But a basement floor is designed to slope towards the center in two directions.

I wasn’t really happy with the results once I had then all shimmed and in place. I wouldn’t worry or concern myself with mounting them until Saturday.

Mindy suggested we have dinner with Larry & Jodie at the Dublin Rusty Bucket ( Joe’s Bucket) after dropping Bella at the Chiller. Initially, Bella told me it started at 6pm. We and would end at 9pm. We arrived there around 610pm. Mindy thought it best to go inside with Bella to help her get paid in and outfitted in skates and hooked up with her peeps. Good thing we didn’t just drop her and leave. Turned out, none of Bella’s friends were there, but what’s worse, the public skating didn’t begin until 730pm. What??

Mindy decided that it was best scrap the skating and talked the fine folks at the Chiller into giving Bella a refund. She was bummed. She cried on her aunt Jodie’s shoulder for the first 5-10 minutes of our dinner at the Bucket. Thankfully though, she snapped out of it pretty quick.

Enjoyed the deep fried pickles, White Rajah on draft, and the Italian torpedo sub I ordered as my main entrée. Very, very good. GM Joe joined us about halfway through dinner. Joked around about partner Rick’s TG day buzz. Gave us an update on his home loan approval too.  Still pending.

Wrapped up dinner near 815-830pm. Mindy drove home, and I let Bella sit shot gun. First time ever riding in the rear of my car. Near collision where Golfview Woods empties onto Wilson Rd. Car pulled out without stopping. Mindy handled it well. Could have been ugly!

At home Mindy was soon off to bed, which it wasn’t even yet 9pm. I poured another beer – a bottled White Rajah and played on my computer. Bella, meanwhile, got a hold of Makayla and went down there to spend the night.

Saturday, Dec 13 – Cabinets and doors & Cousin Eddie

Up near 745am barely leaving myself enough time to enjoy a little quiet time ahead of the boys arriving at 815am so Lindsey could work some OT.  Right out of the shoot, the boys tested my patience. They’re a handful.

Ran 3 miles. Spent the morning researching cabinet installation online. Glad I did. Approached the install with a far better plan. The instructions on the boxes while vague, were pretty good, too.

Thinking it was near noon when I finally got started on the cabinets. As the online installation technique mentioned, I started with the wall cabinets since getting them up would be far easier without the base cabinets in place. Too, I penciled lines for the starting edge as well as the bottoms for wall cabinets and the top line for the base cabinets. Next, I located and marked the studs. Unfortunately, only one stud in both wall cabinets, and the 2^nd cabinet’s stud was at the very edge. Yikes! What to do?  I ended up driving a 3” cabinet screw at an angle into the top plate but also used a toggle bolts on the one. I was admittedly agitated and nervous throughout the entire process. Believe me, Mindy was none too pleased with my pissy disposition. J I used her help though sparingly.

Midway through the process of mounting the base cabinets I asked Mindy to make a Home Depot run for 2.5” decking screws which I needed to join the three base cabinets together via the face. She did so willingly. In the end, the cabinets mounted up pretty good, though I want to add a couple more toggle bolts to the wall cabinets for added strength.  I reinstalled all the doors and drawers last, choosing to flip one of the base cabinet doors for symmetries sake. Had a couple pencil marks to cover and tiny holes to patch but all in all, a good job.

Mindy headed off for some Xmas shopping with the boys, and while she was away, I gave hanging a door a shot. Decided to do the bathroom door first. I’ve hung two doors in my past – a simple closet door in our finished basement on Valleyview Dr. and then double French doors from our bedroom to our deck at the same residence. ON that job I had to actually cut the hole in the house too. Had my dad’s help for the French deck doors which went almost flawlessly.

For one reason or another, I am not nearly as daring - if that’s the right word – as I used to be. A little more concerned with my skills, or lack thereof. To gain confidence, I watched an online tutorial then read  the manufacturer’s directions ahead of time. Still, even after all that knowledge, no matter what I did, I struggled to get the frame plumb and the door’s reveal square. I eventually called Kenny, who was on his way up to Josh’s new place to get a haircut ahead of going to Chrissy’s company Xmas party. Said he would stop by however briefly on his way home from the haircut to give me a few pointers. By the time he got there I had it almost square. His few pointers were like nuggets of gold – more preventative than anything else. Once he left I finished the install successfully. I was pleased.

Opted to do one more before calling it a day. Started on one of the two 24” doors, this one into the water meter closet. The problem with this door install was that it opens out therefore access to the nailing area was from inside the tiny closet which is in a corner and no room for a person inside. I had to attempt to hang it from the outside in, if that makes any sense. Bottom line, I failed. No matter what I did the door rubbed the jamb at the top corner even though the framing and jamb were seemingly level and plumb. I must’ve have placed and nailed it in four different times, each with similar results.  I was pissed! Finally decided that it was best to bag it for the night.

Me, Mindy, Rocky and Landon opted to do dinner at Barley’s while Bella hung with her island peeps. Made sure Teri was OK with Bella under her watch. Both boys sporting cold symptoms, and Rocky going down hil in front of our eyes.  Mindy gave them both cough syrup just before we left the house. I enjoyed a Barley’s pale ale and then a Cousin Eddy from CBC. Not as good as I remember. Mindy opted for the El Lupulo Libre from Brew Kettle.

Enjoyed fries and buffalo sauce and a burger. Mindy had the brisket and greens. Rocky a burger and Landon chicken tenders. Home by 830pm.  With a tiny beer buzz and fresh perspective, I was motivated to try hanging that water meter closet door again. But once again, no matter what I did, I could alleviate the door slab rubbing the jamb in the upper right corner. Checked and double checked the plumbness and level. All good. I was convinced that the door slab or jamb was slightly out of plumb.

While I worked on the door, Mindy wrapped Xmas presents. Failed to share that Lindsey arrived to fetch the boys shortly after our return from Barley’s. We sent them home with cold meds. Once again, I gave up on the door. For the time being, I was at a loss, but figured to attempt it once more before declaring the door and/or jamb defective.

Sunday, December 14 – The Doors

 Felt great to sleep nearly 10 hours. Ran 3 miles. Made a Home Depot run to buy baseboard and door trim.

Back to the basement and hanging doors. Once again, unsuccessful hanging the water meter closet door. No matter what I did the slab rubbed the strike jamb near the top corner. Repacked it for potential return and then moved on to the two others. Those went in without much fuss, The last door – the 30” into the storage area went in without any struggle whatsoever. Felt I learned a little along the way, too, enough to give the water meter door one more try. This time I decided to shim the jamb on one side from underneath, accounting for the slight decline in elevation. Also split the top jamb board from the side jambs by about 1/8”. That did the trick. Voila! A little latex caulk and no one will ever know.

Next was what I figured the easy part, snapping off all the shims. Not easy! Seems the newest shims I bought were too green, meaning that the wood was still damp and bendable. You wouldn’t think it could be a problem but it was. Instead of breaking off flush with the jamb and/or drywall, they splintered and extended beyond the jamb and drywall. I’d have to figure out another means of trimming them clean without damaging the wall or jamb. Dammit! Really? I scored many with a razor knife but even that proved no match for the pliable shims. Only me! Tried using my sawz-all, too. It did OK but also scarred the wall and doors in a few places. Always something!

Finished with several still needing a little more trimming but I was done for the afternoon. Knocked off around 415pm. Day went fast. After a shower I learned that the Vikings lost to the Lions after leading most of the game. The Vikings missed a 68 yard field goal as time expired.

Mindy made chili for dinner, starting earlier that morning and cooking it all day in the crock pot. Jacob, she said, would be home from his North Carolina soccer tournament around 630pm.

The chili was delicious. She baked corn bread too. 730pm by the time dinner was done and the kitchen back in order. Got a somewhat scathing email from my mom regarding her delinquent b-day card. Geesh, mom! Relax! Mindy and I signed 50 Xmas cards. Mindy was sporting cold symptoms of her own. Headed for bed around 8pm. Later, after Bella got out of the shower, I had her sign all 50, too. Jacob said he was too busy with homework and would sign them Monday.

Monday, Dec 15 – Warming Trend

 Cloudy, warm almost 50 degrees. Ran 4 miles.

Worked from the Hilliard office.

Headed out to run errands at lunch. Made a stop at Lowes where I bought an assortment of trim nails.

Fairly calm work day. At the office until 5pm.

Noticed that the new Wendy’s on Cemetery Rd near the 270 on ramp is now opened. Tore the old one down to the ground and rebuilt a complete new, modern structure. Took only 2 months. Wow!

Chili again for dinner.

Needed a break from the basement.  I did nothing to progress the project. Had Jacob sign all of the Xmas cards after dinner and studying for his Algebra test. Mindy, Bella and I signed them the evening before. Several signatures were smudged when I stacked freshly signed cards. Crap! Oh well, I guess it gives them a more personal touch.

With cold symptoms weighing her down, Mindy made arrangements to stay home Tuesday. Headed for bed around 730pm.

Tuesday, December 16 – Rain, Pick-up Chipotle & Paint

Steady rain, wind. 53 degrees early on but cooled off by later afternoon. Beginning Wednesday, it looks like much cooler weather will be moving in (mid 30s/ mid 20s).

Ran 4 miles. Fried eggs for the pug and I. After a breakfast and a shower, I headed across town to the customer’s campus for our standing operations meeting. Since the meeting wouldn’t commence until 1pm, I went ahead and ran two Xmas related errands on my way in. Namely, stopped in REI at Easton to buy my boss a gift card.  Next, stopped in Target, just the other side of the mall to get a few things. And since Lowes is right next door, I stopped in there too.  I picked up a couple things there as well. Also checked the price of renting a finish nailer from Sun Belt tool rental, which is housed right there in Lowes. $29 to rent one for 24 hours. Hmmm? Could buy one for $80, but then again, can’t imagine when I might need it again. Not to mention the fact that I’ve already bought $12 worth of manual finishing  nails Onto the campus.

Arrived near 11am. Consumed with work related matters until the start of our 1pm meeting. Fairly light agenda, though we ended up using the full hour.

Work there all afternoon and enjoyed my packed lunch while putting the finishing touches on my monthly service review. Left for home around 410pm. Raining with wind. Only 43 degrees. Felt much colder, though. Around 330pm, Mindy sent a text asking if I would stop and pick-up Chipotle on the way home. Not my preference, but given that Mindy was ill, I agreed. I planned a stop at Sherwin Williams to get a gallon of tricorn black semi-gloss for the trim. Figured I would hit both in Grandview on the way home. There just a few blocks from one another.

Made great time cutting across town. 670 west moved swiftly, and I missed the usual back-up at the 670/70 converge since I exited at Grandview Ave. It was a fairly slow crawl up the hill to 5^th avenue, but then again, I wasn’t in a huge hurry. To make things easier traffic wise, I opted to stop at Chipotle first. It might be the busiest Chipotle in the world. The lot is always full and usually a line backed up to the entrance door. Tuesday evening near 435pm was no exception. I got the only parking spot just vacated as I pulled in. The line inside was almost out the door. Slow!

I had Mindy text me their orders, and since all the burritos are custom made, it’s never a pleasant experience. Can hear the folks behind me getting irritated with each additional order. Procey, too. $32 for our dinner. Headed a few blocks west to Sherwin Williams. I was the only customer in the place.

Order the paint then headed over to the glue, caulk and wood filler aisle looking into a product to use to backfill all my nail holes. Bought a small bucket of their own product. In and out of there in 8 or 9 minutes.

Stopped by two trains on the way home, one on the 5^th avenue tracks just east of Riverside Dr and then another on the double tracks on Trabue at Old Dublin Rd. I could only laugh at my fate. I believe that’s the first time I’ve ever see a train on those 5^th avenue tracks.  Thinking about it, I think there should be a law prohibiting trains from traveling inside the outer belt during rush hour, or between the hours of 4-6pm.

Arrived home near 530pm. Noticed that Mindy addressed at least half of our Xmas cards for mailing. We really need to get them in the mail. I was happy to see that, though concerned that she might’ve used too many. The Chipotle was good. The Grandview store rolls a much better burrito than the one in Millrun, by far. Bigger and more good stuff.

After finishing dinner and kitchen clean-up, I sent my Xmas card address list to Mindy via email so she could transfer all of them to labels and print them off. She worked on that before running Bella to gymnastics.

While she worked on the Xmas cards, I headed to the basement eager to try using my oscillating tool to cut off what remained of the shims. I guess I didn’t realize that both my wood blades are dull after using them a couple years ago to replace some tough exterior trim. Instead of cutting the shims flush, it simply caused more problems – namely scarring up the surrounding trim.  I was left once again to a razor knife though this time using a fresh blade. Still no joy. Those damn “wet” shims are like plastic. Not only that, but the bathroom door I successfully installed Saturday was now rubbing a little.  Not in the mood for more problems, I gave the jamb a good whack with the hammer. Problem solved. Could only shake my head. Not in a good place mentally, I bagged further frustration and headed back upstairs.

While Mindy was off running Bella to gymnastics, I ordered another 25 Xmas cards from Target. We could use a few more and what remains, Mindy suggested we could use at gift tags. Good idea!

I played around online until it was time to fetch Bella. Left around 845pm taking the Pilot. Mindy got gas for $1.23 saving a full $1 per gallon with her Kroger points.

Arrived at 855pm, enough time to see Bella do a few flips and passes. Bella asked if we could stop at Kroger on the way home so she could pick-up some candy necessary for a science project. After she explained, I agreed. We popped in the Georgesville Kroger. Along the way, Bella thanked me for picking up the slack while Mindy’s under the weather. Very cute! IN Kroger, we bought some fruit roll-ups and licorice for Bella’s science project, and then some baked Lays chips for her. In addition, I picked up a bag of chocolate covered pretzels for me. Very yummy!

At home Mindy was already off to bed but watching TV. I opened my pretzels and then took one to Mindy. She asked if I picked up bananas. No. Later, when Bella joined me downstairs after a shower, she shared that her momma gave her some grief for not calling her from Kroger. Still hungry, I popped some popcorn and watched the end of the Blue Jackets game against Detroit from Detroit. The game ended the OT period still 0-0. Went to a shootout, which the Blue Jackets won. In all these years I’ve never seen them play so aggressively. Nice!

Becoming increasingly disappointed with Cable TV. With no real science on the knowledge channels these days, there’s literally nothing I like to watch beyond Big Bang reruns, and occasional Southpark or Family Guy episode. I pay an awful lot for nothing – 99% trash!

To bed near 1030pm.