New Menu

I coaxed myself from bed again near 6am. It was mostly clear and comparatively warm considering the many chilly mornings over the past week or two. It was 53 degrees and expected to swell into the 80s by afternoon, our first stretch of true summery weather of the season. Completed calisthenics then played on my PC. It wasn't until Jacob was downstairs enjoying Pop-tarts or cereal for breakfast that I remembered that he asked me to make him scrambled eggs for breakfast again. Oops! I apologized.

It was near 7am when I headed out for a run. Jacob's bus had just scooped he and his mates up a few minutes prior. I ran the full 4.1 miles. Felt pretty good. Still a little stiff from the weekend's yard work but overall I felt stronger. Odd! Mindy was long gone by my return. Bella was already upstairs after breakfast. I leashed up the pug, took her on a brief walk then enjoyed a couple eggs Mindy left in the microwave. I took my time with a shower and final ready. Left the house to work across town near 9am arriving about half an hour later.

Gorgeous morning and lovely walk in from the depths of the upper parking lot. Had an impromptu meeting with one of the customer's managers whom with I frequently interact. Visited the Easton Target and Lowes at lunch. They're right next to one another. Bought nothing at Lowes. At Target, I bought a couple Mother's Day cards and some chewing gum.
Back at work near 2pm, and almost immediately, a mini-crisis ensued. Like I always do, I promptly switched gears and helped get things going the right direction. It was no small feat, either. I organized a conference calls with all interested parties, which was key. I wasn't thrilled that I had to cast aside my own agenda but in the end, we likely conquered a greater good. I wrapped up my day near 5pm and headed for home.

Gorgeous, sunny and 84 degrees. Felt like summer. I gave David a call during my drive around 270. Haven't talked with him for a month or so. As nice as it was here at home, he said it was 90 down there. Shared how poorly his golf game has been. Instead of shooting in the 70s & 80s, he's been in the mid 90s.

He also shared that he's recently purchased two electric guitars and an amp. Having fun learning to play. As I neared home I could hear old pal, Sean talking at the same time. David tried telling me that he just showed up down there. Truth, however, he called via landline. I could over hear David telling Sean the same thing about me. I said hello but then we got disconnected. I was just about to pull in the driveway so I didn't bother calling back.

The kids were leaving with Jimaken for dinner. Before they left, Jimaken asked if he could borrow my cordless drill. Sure. I gave him my good one along with my bit kit. I shared a little about my work day and then did a quick brush up before Mindy and I headed off to Barley's. We opted for Barley's in part because today was the launch of their new menu. And being a life-long customer, I've witnessed perhaps four of these menu changes.

Not too big a crowd. We were able to find a parking spot in the main lot and then grabbed two of the many bar stools available. Daniel was working the bar. Told us that she was leaving for Brazil with her school for three weeks. Cool! Noticed they had a CBC tap. It was Bodhi, heck, I ordered one of those while Mindy opted for the sampler. The Bodhi was good but filtered. I prefer it unfiltered. Not sure if the difference is real or simply perceived.

After briefly perusing the new menu with has been consolidated down to one page, front and back, we opted to try the pork belly sliders. They were good, real meaty! Lots of new stuff on the menu. In the end, Mindy and I opted to shared the battered fried chicken, the same dish we witnessed another customer just down the bar eating ahead of us. Looked fantastic! Our new pal Walt, the balloonist, was in and sat beside us at the bar. We talked with him for quite a while. I ordered a second beer, a Centennial.

The fried chicken was good. I noticed that the breading was the same used for sauerkraut balls. Came with mashed potatoes and corn coblets. Friends Ben & Ryan showed up around 730pm, or just as we were wrapping up our dinner. Stayed a little longer catching up with the two of them. Always interesting conversation. Ben shared that he just traded in his old Accura for a Toyota pickup. Talked about the concert we're taking in at Blossom M.C. end of the month. It occurred to me while sharing, that that's up in Walt's neck of the woods. He quickly began sharing some interesting parks we might want to visit while there. One in particular is very close to the hotel I think we'll be staying at. Sweet! I've never spent any time outdoors in that part of the state (NE quadrant) so I am looking forward to our visit.

We put in a to-go order for the kids, and Mindy also ordered some apple fritters for home. Ben & Ryan were still there when we left. Heck, they'd just gotten there. We didn't get home until almost 830pm. Bella called a little agitated that we were still not home. Jacob quickly took control of out take-home to-go order while I promptly changed into my PJs and brushed my teeth.

I stayed up watching American Idol with Mindy really for the first time all season. There's only four contestants left. Saw all three do their last song, and each of them were good. We headed to bed shortly after 10pm.