Kayaks Leaving Home

I was up for work by 605am. And just like most Monday’s figured to be working from the Hilliard office. That didn’t come to pass. Instead, I ended up working from home after getting involved in the same work related issue that kept me plugged in Thursday evening, Friday, and then on and off again Sunday.

Dad stopped by the house shortly before I left for a run. I’m thinking it was near 845am when I finally headed out. Ran the full 4.1 miles. Dad & Glenn left for mom’s place around 11am. I helped them load the lime kayak into dad’s minivan. Made sure he had an oar and all the necessary safety devices too (pfd, etc). Wasn’t sure if he’d be coming back on Thursday or Friday. And at the time, we were unsettled on whether or not we’d be going to red, white and boom on Thursday evening.

The rest of the work day was fairly quiet. Mindy left to run errands and pick-up Jacob around noon. And I am fairly certain that she took a nap mid-day sleeping for about 2 hours. We didn’t have solid dinner plans though Jacob campaigned for Barley’s. That wasn’t in the cards. I was exhausted after a weekend chalked full of activity. We ended up warming leftover pizza on the stone. Fed a handful of neighborhood kids too.

I was off to bed fairly early. It couldn’t have been any later than about 915pm.

Family Fling

Up near 8am. Enjoyed coffee and internet for about an hour before anyone else was up. Dad stopped over shortly after 9am. I didn’t leave for a run until maybe 930am. By then Mindy was up too.

We planned to have the girls and grandkids over later that afternoon. Mindy and I agreed to keep it rather simple and order pizzas instead of grilling. Before that, however, I wanted to take the boat up to the river and see how well the idle adjustment translated into performance. The plan was to take Jacob, Tyler and AJ (Tyler’s younger brother) so they could wake board. Dad & Glenn were going too.

Thinking we left the house around noon, stopping quickly at Thornton’s for a fill-up and ice. We took only drinks – no snacks. Didn’t expect to be there but maybe two hours. And just like many of the past days, a chance of scattered showers.

The dock was unusually busy when we arrived, at least by Griggs standards. It’s uncommon for there to be any wait at all. As expected, the boat started and ran much better at the dock. No stalling transitioning between forward and reverse and our idle speed ideal. Like I often do at Griggs, we headed initially towards the damn before heading north. Showed Glenn the new Columbus Boat House venue. A dark cloud moved in directly overhead and dropped a few sprinkles. But thankfully it cleared a few minutes later.

Once north of the Fishinger Rd bridge and near the stone fishing wall, we prepared to board, Jacob first. Jacob makes boarding look really easy. Gets up with little to no effort. He boarded until he could no longer hold on. There were a handful of other boats and boarders so I had to be mindful of the area we covered. Due to its relatively small size, just a couple boats on the water makes for a choppy boating experience.

Tyler was up next. We were closer to the shore than I really wanted but still at a safe distance. Tyler tried as many as ten times to get up but without success. On one occasion late in his tries he got up for a split second. I did my best to keep him motivated suggesting that he’d likely get it next time. After Tyler’s failure. AJ didn’t even want to make an attempt. The board boots were too big for him anyway. I tried getting him to give skiing a shot but he wasn’t biting on any of it. That’s fine.

Glenn eventually gave skiing a whirl, having not done so in many years. He struggled four or five times but finally got up and immediately jumped the wake back and forth until he could no longer hold on in comfort. Once everybody had their fun I suggested we head up river past the Hayden Run Rd bridge. And because another boater occupied a favorite anchoring spot of mine, we opted to continue north anther ¼-1/2 mile or so. There we finally threw anchor and let the kids get in and swim for a minute. The water was unusually cold and muddy. Lots of small debris too after the numerous downpours over the past weeks.

Time was flying by. Our family get-together that was originally slated for 3 but now moved to 5pm was approaching quickly. It was close to 330pm when we pulled anchor and headed back. There was a line for the dock, something I don’t think I’ve encountered at the river – ever. And lo and behold, one of the boats putting in was none other than neighbor Mike and son Evan.

We chatted briefly then pulled out. I asked dad to drop me at the dock then take over the helm but he refused citing lack of confidence. I found that somewhat alarming. Getting out went without a hitch. By the time we were out, the boat wiped down and covered, it was well after 4pm. Where had the time gone? I celled Mindy to let her know that we were finally on our way home. Guests would be at the house at 5pm.

We took the boat to storage so I wouldn’t have to worry about it come Monday morning or later that evening. Got to the house around 5pm. Tommy, Wally, and Courtney, Zach and their girls were already there. Apparently we forgot to pass the time change along to Tommy & Wally. He showed up near 3pm.

Mindy was grateful for Tommy’s early arrival since she doesn’t feel that comfortable around Courtney & Zach. They haven’t exactly been warm and friendly the past few years. After a quick greeting I was off to the shower. Mindy had a nice spread of snacks laid out on the island.

By the time I was back downstairs after a shower most others had arrived. And soon as I was downstairs, Mindy left to run Tyler and AJ home. Jacob went along too since he was spending the night at their house. She was gone for about half an hour. Second visit in two weeks for Courtney and family, by the way.

The snacks Mindy prepared proved more than adequate, satisfying everybody’s hunger until later when we ordered pizzas. In the meantime, Zach made it known that he was going to devour the jarlsberg spread. Man, is he loud! It must’ve been around 630pm when we ordered four extra-large pizzas from Minelli’s – 2 pepperoni, one cheese and then one extra cheese, extra pepperoni. Opted for delivery. Wasn’t long before the driver showed up, walking in on his own.

The pizza was delicious but we obviously ordered too much. We had 2+ pizzas left once everyone finished. Suspecting that might happen, I purposefully left the extra cheese, extra pepperoni on the bottom. Before anyone left, we celebrated Courtney’s 32nd birthday with cake and a card. She seemed surprised that we were celebrating, but we were just one day removed from her actual birthday.

All three of the girls left around the same time. And we sent about 2/3s of a pepperoni pizza home with Lindsey and the boys. Once Olivia saw what they were taking home she came back in asking for some too.  We also sent Courtney home with the rest of her birthday cake. In a sense, it was a breakthrough day in that Courtney and company made their second visit to our home in as many weeks. That hasn’t happened in years.

Everyone but Glenn & dad departed for home by 730-8pm. The remainder of the evening was rather low key, enjoying conversation from the deck. Monday was a work day for me, but no one else.

Tarnation

Up near 745am the sun was already out in full force. Despite waking somewhat late, everyone else slept even later. As a result, I was able to enjoy an hour or so of alone time with coffee and internet before setting out on my Saturday run.

Near 9am I headed out shirtless. It was sunny, and already plenty warm and humid. About a quarter mile into my run I happened upon dad turning onto our street presumably to pick-up Glenn for breakfast. I acknowledged him but continued on with my 3 mile run.

Worked up quite a sweat! Mindy and dad were conversing on the deck when I returned. Glenn was up quite yet. It wasn’t too long, however, before he was. We hung out for a while before I headed up for a shower. I planned to join the two of them for breakfast at Bob Evans.

Thinking we left the house around 1030am, heading to the Bob Evans on Riverside Dr. just north of Trabue. The company was good, the breakfast just so-so. I ordered the “farm breakfast” which came with hot cakes, bacon, home fries, and eggs. The bacon was about as thin and small as possible. One would think they’d serve top notch meats. The staff was most pleasant, so I tipped well. In the spirit of offering constructive criticism, I think Bob Evans should reevaluate their breakfast offering lest they’ll be left for dead in the near future. Definitely nothing special about it.

Called Tommy during breakfast asking if he was up for a visit to his brands new sit-down Pickerington Domino’s store. The three of us were anxious to see it. He sounded eager to show it off. Agreed to call once we were less than 30 minutes out. By design, I called Tommy once we were on the road. We headed towards downtown first where we stopped at Milestone 229 so I could purchase a gift card for neighbors Pat & Lisa – a gift for their 30 year wedding vows renewal. Dad & Glenn waited in the car while I ran in. Our friend Mary was working the bar. Took just a couple minutes to complete the transaction. We headed off towards Pickerington.

Once on the freeway, the clunky vibrations I could feel in my Accord since having the tires rotated Thursday afternoon only got worse. In fact, they were so bad that I was almost afraid to continue driving it. Both dad & Glenn agreed that it was bad enough for concern. I called the Honda dealership from the car. They agreed to see the car right away if I could bring it back in. We actually continued towards Pickerington for another couple miles before I was convinced that driving it any further than I needed to was a bad idea. We got off I-70 at the Bexley exit and turned around heading back to the west. I called Tommy apologizing for not coming out. He understood.

I didn’t want to trouble dad & Glenn so I stopped at home first before heading to Germain Honda in Dublin. Before going on, I planned to visually inspect the tires once again and even check the lug nuts on all four tires. I envisioned one of them being excessively loose. But for that to impact the handling more than one nut would have to be loose.

One quick look at my driver’s front tire told the whole story. Stuck to the tread of the tire was a large glob of fresh pavement about 10” long and about ½” thick. I showed dad and Glenn. Surprised I didn’t see that Thursday evening when I did a quick visual in the Wal-Mart lot on my way home from the office. I fetched a scraper to attempt to scrape it off. Easier said than done. Very gummy- sticky. Dad suggested trying WD-40, which brought a smile as well as a nod of approval as I suspected that would indeed help.

Sure enough, after spraying a liberal amount of WD-40 the tar that remained wiped off with relative ease. All that remained was that in between the tiny water displacement grooves. Dad agreed to go with me for a test drive. Before that, however, we discussed how he and Glenn might transport one of our new kayaks down to Mom’s on Monday. We determined that with the passenger seat down that the kayak would fit in the minivan which meant they could avoid having to leash on top. Sweet!

Dad and I headed east on Trabue Rd. and I am happy to report that all obnoxious vibrations were gone. Opted to turn into the condos just west of the river and south of Trabue. They’ve been there for 5-7 years but I’d never taken an opportunity to check ‘em out. Quite nice! A couple lovely ponds back there too. There were a pair of mating white swans swimming about along with one baby. And within maybe 75’ feet of the swan family was a gaggle of Canada geese. That encounter should dispel the myth that swans will drive geese away.

Before heading back home, dad asked if I’d seen the single family homes just east of the condos but still west of the river. No, I hadn’t. We toured that small but luxurious subdivision too. Very nice homes that I’m guessing fetch in the neighborhood of 500-700K. Exceptional landscaping and lovely stone work.

Headed back to the house. Once back, I gave Germain Honda a call sharing what I found with the Accord. They were nice enough to offer immediate service, I owed them a call back.

Had a couple hours before the wedding vow renewal at the Shultz home. I decided to head out to the boat, which was still out front, and take a look at the idle adjustment. Dad offered to assist. Cool! By then it had gotten extremely humid if not hot. I wore just a pair of shorts. Dad looked on from the ground while boarded the boat after starting the engine. Started easy enough but we both agreed the idle too slow, almost to the point of stalling.

Using the engine’s manual several years ago, I adjusted (tweaked) the idle once before, but apparently not quite enough. I couldn’t readily recall where/how to do so. After giving the engine a once over it was fairly obvious where the adjustment could be me. There’s a rather large set screw at the throttle body attachment to the carburetor. With the boat in neutral, I turned the screw clockwise maybe an 1/8 – ¼ turn. Not much if any improvement. Dad suggested I turn it more, since it has no bearing on the fuel/air mixture. Sure enough, turning it another ½ turn or so made a huge difference in performance.

The real test however was transitioning between forward and reverse without stalling. Worked like new! Awesome! I was very pleased. Once small problem remained, and one that has plagued the boat on and off before. That was a loose v-belt, the one that turns the alternator. For some reason it often works its way loose. The early warning sign is a squeal coming from one of the pulleys and belt. The other belt just outside of it is never a problem.

Adjusting the problematic belt tension is that there isn’t an easy way to get decent leverage on the alternator. To provide greater access I removed the engine housing box which is pretty easy but still couldn’t get good leverage. Dad suggested I make something based on the problem which was fine but that certainly wasn’t the solution I needed right then, something quick. I ended up simply pulling the alternator as far as I could by hand and tightening the bracket. That worked, but I’ll need to come up with a better idea for next time.



Mindy came out to give me a time check. It was 130pm and we needed to be at Pat & Lisa’s before 2pm, or the start of the wedding vow ceremony. I was a hot, sweaty mess. I wrapped up the impromptu boat maintenance feeling really good with all I’d accomplished then headed in to get cleaned up. While I showered, Mindy saw to it that the kids got ready. Dad and Glenn offered that they were simply going to hang out on the deck while we headed to the neighbors. We had plans to go to Comfest later that evening and Glenn was going with us.

Good crowd at the Shultz’s, mostly family. Learned they were delaying the ceremony until 330pm due to some unforeseen travel delays for folks coming in from Norwalk and Canton. Enjoyed a couple beers while socializing with other guests, many of which I’ve met multiple times past. Pat wasn’t too happy that his antagonistic neighbor was mowing his lawn with the wedding vow event taking place. He felt it was an intentional provocation. The two of them have been feuding for two decades now.  Pat would get the last laugh however since the ceremony’s start time was delayed.

Pat’s best friend, Joe got ordained just for the occasion. He even got the shirt and collar. He was the real deal! Ceremony was really nice, taking place on the pergola Pat built just for the occasion. Their grandson. Oscar was a hoot, still just 1.5 years old. He joined them on and off in the pergola while the exchanged their vows. Very cute!

After the formal exchange we enjoyed lots of good food. I kept my consumption to a minimum so I wouldn’t be sluggish walking comfest later. Speaking of comfest, we headed home around 5-530pm to head there. Glenn was on the deck playing guitar while Jacob, Bella and a large contingent of friends hung in the backyard playing ball. They were staying home. Didn’t want any part of the comfest experience. Their loss.

There had been a lingering chance of scattered showers all day. Well, for that matter, every day for the last week or so. At the time we left there didn’t appear to be much of a threat though the brilliantly sunny skies of earlier had become a bit milky. However, by the time we got through Grandview and then into Victorian Village and in the general vicinity of comfest it began to rain. We must’ve circled looking for a parking spot for 30 minutes. By then the light sprinkle turned to a downpour. Frustrated with our inability to find parking and now the heavy rain, we opted to bag comfest in favor of a Grandview brew tour.

Our first stop was Zauber brewing, one of the newest microbreweries. Still in the process of installing their large brewing equipment so they’re existing on small batch brewing which we’re told is gone in one day. Until the new equipment is fully operational they’re relying on guest draughts. I had an IPA, but it wasn’t much to write home about. Each of us had only one before agreeing to move on.

Our next stop was the Ohio Tap Room where they sell growlers of Ohio beers – no pints - and literally just a stone’s throw from Bob & Mary Ann’s house. I sampled Brew Kettle’s latest – Black Rajah, a black IPA. Yum! I would’ve purchased a growler but they blew the keg.  Mindy conversed with a young mother there with her infant son in a chest carrier. Turned out being a nurse that did a turn working at brother Craig’s practice. And Craig’s their pediatrician.

It poured buckets while we hung at the Ohio Tap Room. Thankfully the storm was brief, 5-10 minutes tops. Before we left, I bought a growler of Bodhi. It was my best option. Woodland’s is within eyeshot of the Tap Room. I suggested we pop in there for one more beer before heading home. Reluctantly, Mindy agreed. Spotted our friend, Josh, sitting on the patio by himself under the canvas awning just barely avoiding yet another downpour.

Pints there were happy hour prices - $3 each. We each had one and joined Josh on the patio. He had been at comfest most of the day. Years past his bands played the festival but not this year. I think he was happy to get to take it in as a fan. He seemed to have a good buzz going too. Once our pints were drained we offered to give him a ride home, which wasn’t that far, just off NW Blvd and King. After dropping Josh we headed home. By then it had to be closing in on 830pm. Mindy and I poured ourselves a beer and then walked back to Pat & Lisa’s, just as we threatened we’d do after comfest. 

Of course the party was still raging on. We hung with them for another hour or so. I’m guessing until almost 10pm. Ours still back at the house with Glenn, we figured we should head home and check in. Jacob had an overnight guest, Tyler, who is Lisa’s nephew. We hung out for maybe another half hour before calling it a night. A good night’s sleep was a priority.

African Detour

I was up at 745am feeling a little rough after putting down 4 beers and a couple shots of Jack Daniels with Glenn and Darwin the night before. I didn’t get to bed until 3am or after. More than anything, I felt sleep deprived.

I was supposed to be on vacation all day Friday but a hot work issue kept me plugged in late into the evening Thursday and again Friday morning. I skipped calisthenics but certainly not my run. I headed out around 845am running 3 miles in sunny, warm and humid conditions. I felt a lot better after my run.

The plan all along was to take the boat up to Alum Creek. While waiting on the others to wake up, I fetched the tube from the basement. Once Mindy was up she convinced me that it made more sense to go get the boat, gas it up, and bring it back home first. And considering that we’d have a full vehicle, that’s the only plan that would work.

I went after the boat around 10am, gone only about 25 minutes. Took only three gallons of gas since our last river outing was spent mostly anchored and floating. Mindy made sandwiches for our outing the night before. She packed a cooler while I got the boat ready. I filled the double tube with air and then packed the bearing buddies with marine grease.

Got a text from brother Bobby near 1030 sharing that the docks at the marina were closed. He used the Africa Rd put-in, and even that one was a challenge since most of the dock was under water. Dad was with him too. Thinking it was after 1130am by the time we left the house for the lake.

Mindy suggested we take I-71 to the Polaris exit in lieu of Rt 23 north where they’re doing significant construction on the 270 ramps that has traffic a total mess. Good plan, especially given that we were using the Africa Rd put-in. Unfortunately and unbeknownst to any of us, Africa Rd was closed heading north just below the dam. Dammit! We had to go west on Lewis Center Rd to Old State then north to Cheshire Rd then across the lake back to Africa Rd.

Pulling in the Africa Rd put-in I hit a pot hole that made the boat bounce enough that I later learned snapped our brand new trailer strap. Dang it! Brother Bob was right. The docks were more than half submerged making the put-in that much more difficult. We pretty much avoided the docks and instead simply backed in with Mindy at already at the helm with plans to move to the courtesy dock once in the water. That was a good plan other than the fact that the boat was slow to start and stay running. I had to jumped aboard to get it started and then navigate away from the submerged docks over to the courtesy dock, which was half underwater too.

With the boat’s poor idle speed it was a challenge but I managed. Unfortunately not without what I thought was an underwater strike of something. I was worried about the prop and lower unit. Turned out being nothing – no damage. Dad later said he thinks it was the metal dock itself creaking and bumping. Maybe.

Had to walk through 2-3 feet of water to get to the courtesy dock after parking the trailer. Just as we pulled away from the put-in brother Bob and dad pulled up. They had been there since 1030am. It was already 1230pm. I shared our dock drama then the fact that I wanted to run the boat to make sure it was functioning well. And it ran well once we opened her up.

Satisfied with the boats performance, I declared it time to tube. The kids wanted to tube together. We stayed exclusively on the north end of the lake ( north of the Cheshire Rd bridge. Just a couple other boats nearby. Bob and dad stayed near center lake in Bob’s pontoon. Watching us drag the kids around. Eventually put the tube on Bob’s boat so Jacob could wake board. That went well too. After an hour or so the consensus was to head over to the boat swim cove just south of router 36/37. Quite a few boats for a Friday – about ten or so. We anchored near the back of the cove and Bob pulled up alongside us where we sandwiched a couple bumpers between us.

Bob came without any of the kids. A little surprised. I guess they all had something going on. We hung out in the swim cove for a couple hours visiting. Sadly, haven’t seen Bobby in a year and one half, or at the El Vaquero Xmas gathering 2012.

The sun was hot but the water surprisingly cold. The cove is usually very warm, but with the water up a couple feet I suppose the colder than usual water was due to excessive run-off. Pulled out of the cove near 4pm pulling Bella behind on the tube. Once on the open lake I drug Bella around for 20-25 minutes. Later, before we left, Jacob & Bella double tubed again. Mindy was antsy, wanting to be at nephew Joe’s birthday party in Clintonville by 6pm if at all possible.

We pulled out of the lake near 5pm to a busy dock. Of course I had to rig the boat strap by tying it through the hook eyelet. Not too much drama pulling it out. By the way, I inspected the lower unit while in the cove. No damage to it or the prop. I felt a lot better about it. And after pulling out of the water that was confirmed. So the only damage from the day’s outing was the snapped trailer strap, which I’m guessing was due mostly to the boat not being all the way forward in the trailer pocket. That happens often when trailering at Griggs with their extra steep ramps. The boat will be in the pocket at the dock but by the time the boat sits down on the trailer when pulling out it slips back a couple inches.

We always take the time to put the boat away clean, which requires a manual and rigorous wipe down with a damp beach towel. By the time we had it under cover and were ready to roll, it was 530pm. We opted to take 36/37 to 71S hopefully avoiding the Polaris traffic jam. That was another good suggestion from Mindy. We had to pull off 71 to fasten a couple snaps that either came loose or that we failed to fasten before leaving the put-in. Opted to take the boat home rather than taking it to storage. That would save us time getting ready for Joe’s party and allow me to tinker with the boats idle adjustment possibly on Saturday.

Home near 6pm. Mindy and the others hurried through showers while I checked in on work and then watered all the thirsty deck plants. Everybody was showered and ready by 635pm. Mindy was verbally agitated by the fact that we were late. I guess that makes up for us being 2 hours early to the Memorial Day gig at Todd & Missy’s.  We arrived at Joe & Rick’s place in Clintonville near 7pm.

Better late than never. Rick was just finishing up the grillin’. Actually ran out of propane. Introduced Glenn to some of the family, most of which he’d met before but that was back in 2007. Wow, hard to believe that it’s been 7 years. Asked Rick for a brief home tour. Small but nice. Enjoyed a burger and a few sides.

Enjoyed some banter with brother-in-law Larry’s brother Terry as well as others. Also talked with Gary, the actual owner of the Clintonville home. Very nice landscaping and pond. Hung at Joe’s until about 930pm. About the time we left for home I was getting gnawed on by mosquitoes which only exacerbated the itch from my poison ivy. I couldn’t wait to get in the Pilot and wipe down my arms with rubbing alcohol. Ahh!

Got home near 945pm. Dad was sitting in his van out front of the house awaiting our return. The CFD was at the home of a distant neighbor. With our curiosity getting the best of us, we drove nearby to get a feel for the event that precipitated their arrival. Saw them wheeling in a gurney. Sad.

At home we hung out with Dad enjoying more of Mindy’s butterscotch pie. I cracked another beer or two as well. Dad didn’t’ stay too late. Guessing he left around 1030pm. The rest of us were off to bed by 11pm. After a late one Thursday night, we all needed a good night’s sleep.

Glenn Home

 

 

 

Kayaks and Steak

A gorgeous Sunday morning, I was up near 745am. By 9am I’d enjoyed coffee, stretched, and ran 3 miles. Mindy wasn’t up until almost 10am. We didn’t have any solid plans and we didn’t expect the kids home until about 8m that evening after they called the evening before asking if they could watch the USA soccer match with their dad & Molly.

Once Mindy was up, we talked about what we might do. Instead of going boating we decided to spend some time cleaning the debris from the pond, the stuff that’s lodged in and around the fallen ash tree. There was quite a bit, most of it small tree branches stuck after big rains storms, but there was some trash too.

I’m guessing it was around 11am when I slipped into my hip waders, this time without benefit of a shirt of any kind. Figured that would leave me somewhat cooler since it was so warm and sticky. Mindy got into some old shorts, a shirt and water shoes. Like the summer before, she stayed near and around the bank gathering what I pushed her way and placed it on the bank and tarp. Oh, we leashed Eiknarf too so she could be near us.

We spent a good two hours freeing, gathering all the trappings from the fallen ash tree. And just like the year before, way more than one might otherwise assume. One good thing, we were right there near the compost/brush pile, so dragging and stacking all the wet wood wasn’t too big a deal. Some of the wood was completely submerged but still trapping any passing debris, and some of the submerged stuff were the giant vines once climbing all the way up to the top of the tree. When handling it I remember telling myself that I hoped it wasn’t poison ivy. More on that later.

We finished up around 2pm, Mindy a bit earlier than me . I was out longer cleaning and putting away all the tools. Earlier in the day I was on the Dick’s website looking at Kayaks. Glenn sent an email earlier in the week sharing that he might buy one when in town to take down to mom’s, Lake Ruppert. Asked if he could store it at our house. Agreed to go halfsies on one.

Just so happens Sunday was the start of a big kayak sale. However, the only local Dick’s that had one that I liked was Sawmill. I offered that we drive up and check ‘em out. Figured we’d stop at the Anderson’s too and see if they stocked oak porch swings. On our drive up we agreed to pick-up some steaks at the Anderson’s as well. And since we didn’t want to leave fresh meat in a hot car, we stopped at Dick’s first.

Immediately in the door two of the kayaks I wanted to look at were going out the door with another customer, one in my color of choice – lime green, and the other purple. When asked how we might be helped, the store associate shared that he was afraid that those were the last two kayaks in stock in that
model. Shoot! Offered to show us a couple other models they had on hand as well as calling around to other stores to see if they might have more. He also shared that they may very well get more on Tuesday.

I didn’t particularly like the other models they had. Mindy went with him to search the inventory of other Columbus stores while I browsed in the life vest department. Selling neoprene PFDs 50% off. After 5-10 minutes I couldn’t find Mindy. Just about to ring her phone when mine rang. It was her calling to tell me that they actually found another Pelican in stock and that it was purple. In addition, they agreed to sell us the lime green display model hanging from the balcony. Cool! Walking in I was only committed to buying one, and then another later if we found that we liked it. But with them flying out the door we opted to buy the two right then.

To make use of the kayaks we also needed oars. We picked out two. And it made sense that we buy two new PFD’s as well. That way we wouldn’t have to borrow them from our boat and then possibly forget to put them back. All totaled, spent a pretty penny. I went to get the Pilot. The sales guy convinced us that we could get both in the Pilot without needing to leash one atop. Cool! He was right. To accommodate the kayaks, we left the rear glass hatch opened. The two kayaks protruded more than a foot.

On to the Anderson’s. Walked through the home & garden department. Inside, we asked if they had oak porch swings. No, however, they did have one unfinished in poplar. It was ugly. Out to the butcher shop and beer and wine department. Mindy offered that we should stock up on good beer. We bought a few six-packs and a rocket of Hoppin’ Frog’s Goose Juice.

I pulled a tab from the butcher shop - #6. Waited a few minutes until they called my number. By then I knew what I wanted – 4 - 8oz NY strips and 4 bacon wrapped filets. Turned out there was a price faux pas with the strip steaks. The sign said $7.99 per lb. but the butcher said it should have read $7.99 for each 8oz cut. I called them on it insisting that they honor the price posted. After some hemming and hawing they agreed.

By the time we left The Anderson’s I was very thirsty. I pulled in the 161 & Riverside Dr. Wendy’s and bought a lemonade. Boy did it ever hit the spot. The sugar and water left me feeling refreshed. At home we wasted little time getting the grill going. Opted to grill two of the NY strips and froze the others. While I grilled, Mindy steamed fresh green beans that we bought while at The Anderson’s. Good dinner. The steaks turned out perfect.

As soon as we finished dinner we agreed to head out and give our brand new kayaks a try in the pond. We put in near the shed, Mindy first. There was a little wobble while initially launching into the water but otherwise very stable. We paddled back to the four or five acre pond going just north of the center island. Really shallow there. MY kayak bottomed out. Took some doing to free myself from the much but eventually did. We did a couple laps. It was gorgeous and peaceful – like being in the middle of nature. We happened upon some herons and other large birds. Probably out there about 30-40 minutes.

We hosed off the kayaks before putting them away. Hosed myself off too. Walked the pug next. On our walk back to the house Jimaken and Molly pulled up to drop off the kids. Chatted with the two of them briefly. Back at the house Mindy and I walked down to talk with the neighbors – Kenny, Chrissy, Mike and Teri. I took a beer, Mindy a glass of wine. We visited for maybe 30 minutes before heading back home. Quick shower, we were off to bed early – by 915pm.

Here to Fore

Out tee time was set for 959am. Working backwards, I figured I needed to be up by 630am to allow plenty of time for a run as well as the rest of my usual morning agenda. To that end, I was actually up and out of bed by 615am, a full 15 minutes earlier than necessary.

Downstairs I started coffee then sniffed out the weather. It was foggy and looked like it rained more overnight, but according to the forecast the rain was gone and it was expected to end up sunny by noon. I don’t recall ever seeing fog produce rain, but that’s exactly what happened once I headed out on a run around 7am. It was pretty light but rain nonetheless. I wondered if my compadres would still want to golf. I hoped so.

The light rain continued even after I was back at home but it wasn’t even enough to keep the pavement and walks wet. I proceeded as if we were still on. Steven was supposed to be at the house by 845am. Before getting a shower I got my clubs down from storage and made sure I had enough golf balls.

In and out of the shower in a jiffy. Walked the pug quickly soon after. And then, not wanting to hit the course hungry, I whipped up an egg and cheese sandwich. I also threw a few waters and a couple Gatorades in my small cooler. It was 830am. Sent Steven a text making sure he was coming. Said he’d be there within 10 minutes.

Mindy and I agreed to a vehicle swap so I could drive. I sent Kenny a text sharing as much. While loading my clubs in the back of the Pilot I saw Darren pull up in front of Kenny’s, at least I figured that was him since he parked and got out his golf clubs. I’d never met him before.

I said goodbye to Mindy and then as soon as Steven pulled up and loaded his clubs into the Pilot I pulled down in front of Kenny’s where we loaded their clubs. Met Darren too. On the road for Split Rock a couple minutes later. Made decent time around 270, down 71S to the 665 exit. West from there to Young Rd, I believe. That’s a narrow (not even 2 lane) road. That connects to rt 762. You take that to Thrailkill Rd, which takes you by the unusual antique collectors property. I say unsuu7al because he at one time had one of the original white castle buildings on his property. Has a couple old rail cars too. In fact, his property has been featured on Pickers.

Anyway, arrived at Split Rock by 930am. It was still cloudy but the sky brightening if that makes sense. I covered Steven’s greens fees. After hitting about ten practice putts I was ready to go. I didn’t bother swinging my driver for practice. I actually seem to do better by simply following my pre-drive routine.

First golf swing since last July in South Carolina. Hit an OK drive but left but no real trouble. Topped my approach shot, which is the shot that makes or breaks my golf game. I wasn’t concerned. I knew I’d get it together. Bottom line, I took a 6.

From there it was bogey golf. In the back of my mind was something David mentioned last summer when watching my swing during a stretch of holes where I was struggling. Said my grip was severely open. I made an effort to correct it even though it didn’t seem as so from my view. That seemed to help. I was hitting all my shots fairly well, including my all –important approach shots. I played bogey golf for most of the day, just missing a few golden scoring opportunities. Still, I was undaunted.

My driving was very consistent – 260-270 and straight. I was most pleased. On the back nine I had a 7 on par 5 but also a birdie and a par. In the end I carded a 91, which I was more than pleased with. Kenny shot an 84, and honestly, he should’ve shot 80 or better. Missed a few short, short putts. Of the four, I came in second, but in the end I was competing only against myself. I just wanted to feel good about my swing which I did.

Decided to save the Darren story for the end. Must’ve been about hole #4 when I asked Darren what he did for a living. Shared that he was a fireman for Liberty Twp. Later, I decided to share that two of my brother-in-laws were also fireman except in Columbus. He asked their names, though I didn’t expect him to know ‘em. However, when I mentioned Larry’s name I could see that I had piqued his interest. It was a puzzling look and one that frankly I wasn’t immediately sure how to take. I let him drive the conversation from there. He then asked if Larry’s wife was Jodie. Yes. That’s when it got a little strange.

Turns out, Darren is/was the stepson of Larry’s older, estranged brother, Tommy. The look on Darren’s face said everything. I could tell that I had unwittingly struck upon sore spot. He went on to share how much he liked Tommy as a stepfather and at least from his perspective how well things were going until one day he inexplicably disappeared. Hasn’t seen him since. For a few minutes I felt awful for even bringing it up as I had obviously unearthed some pain.

A couple holes later I apologized but he would have none of it. Said he was happy to talk to me about it. I knew Mindy would appreciate the run-in so I sent her a cryptic text sharing who I was golfing with. I told her that I planned to invite him over after golf. Not only was she amenable to the idea but offered to have snacks out and waiting.

I didn’t mention the invite until we were a mile or so from the house. I sensed that he was curious to connect with the family earlier. And just as I had hoped, he was very agreeable to stopping over. Of course I invited Kenny to come on in too.

Darren and Mindy talked family matters for almost an hour. Mindy made sure to tell Darren that by no means should he harbor one iota of self-blame for Tommy’s abandonment. Said he’s done it repeatedly throughout his life including other marriages as well as with his parents and siblings. She made mention of Sarah, another one of Tommy’s kids though from another marriage that suffered the same loss. It was an eye opening discussion.

I hope we can connect with Darren and his family moving forward. We’ve unknowingly met his wife and daughter at Kenny & Chrissy’s before but weren’t aware of the odd connection.

After Darren, Kenny and Steven left, I took a nap while Mindy headed outside in the yard. By then it was really nice – sunny and warm. At some point Mindy and I agreed to do dinner at CBC. It had to be around 6-630p when I took my second shower of the day. After golf I always feel like I need a shower.

It was pride weekend in Columbus, which meant a lot of the gay CBC staff asked for the evening off. Working the bar was Kevin. Lots of good beer options but I chose Bodhi. It was the cloudy, unfiltered Bodhi too, which is my fave. Unfortunately the keg blew before Mindy could order her second, but hey, at least I got one. They had another keg, but it was filtered.

We both ordered food. Me, I went with wings while Mindy went with the Cuban burrito, which is very unusual for her. We had some risotto balls earlier too. During our CBC visit, David and I batted a couple texts back and forth. Mindy and I had just two beers each. Around 830pm Darwin sent a text inviting the two of us to join them around the fire pit. We ordered a growler of Bodhi to-go.

We stopped at home long enough to pee but then moved quickly onto Darwin’s. I wasn’t sure if others would be there or not. Turned out, it was just the immediate family and they were just getting a fire going. Of course Darwin had his new Big Jawbone Jambox out there too. Me, Darwin, Connie and Mindy hung out by the fire along with the two little ones, Collin and Breck. Lane was out front playing with friends.

Had an issue with their neighbors who live behind them and share some woods. And it turns out the neighbor is a pal of mine, Diane. Anyway, apparently her son and friends were in Darwin’s backyard shopping trees and gathering wood in the dark. When Darwin shooed them away Diane came out of her house hollering. At that point it was immediately apparent to me who it was, or for that matter, the proximity of her yard to his.

And as the stories go, sounds like there’s some bad blood between them as neighbors. Sounds like Diane has some issues. As one story goes she took in one of their dogs then released it only to the the dog catcher and not the McVey’s. Another story goes that she went off on Darwin for Lane drinking a can of their soda. Really?

When Darwin and Connie explained who that was hollering at us in the woods I offered to walk over and help mend the wound. Diane and I met even before Kelly was out of the picture when she used to launch her canoe from my yard. Darwin grabbed a bundle of prepackaged firewood to offer her son, Ian as a peace offering, but when we knocked on the door only the daughter would come to the door despite my pleas for her to have her momma come out and chat. OK. Darwin and I walked around back to talk with Ian, who was on the deck at their make-shift fire ring with friends. We let him know that we brought them some wood, but that sneaking over in the dark into someone else’s property and chopping wood was not cool. We could see Diane standing in the kitchen but still wouldn’t come out to join us.

We hung with Darwin and Connie for a while longer, heading home around 11pm.

Clean Top 2 Bottom

Up at 615am

Worked from home

Cloudy, warm and muggy. 73 degrees at run time.

Headed out for a run at 840am. Ran 3 miles.

While I stayed busy with work, Mindy and the kids cleaned the house. Giving it a top-to-bottom scrubbing.

Able to complete a 2.5 hour online training class.

I had meetings scheduled from 1pm to 3pm. Around 1215pm I headed out to get a little yard work done. I did all of the push mowing, heading back inside to ready for my 1pm meeting around 1250pm.

The first meeting lasted only 30 minutes, Before the next one, I headed back outside to finish mowing, completing what remained with the tractor.

3pm meeting was relatively brief. Lasted only about 20 minutes.

Earlier in day I asked Mindy what plans we had for the weekend. Until then I assumed we’d have the kids all weekend. I was wrong. It was a kidless weekend.

Rained on and off through the midafternoon and early evening.

Finished with work around 5pm or about the time that Jimaken came by to get the kids. Shortly after they departed, I headed out front to cut back the still visible dead stems from the English Ivy. Even though it wasn’t killed to the root, most of the wood above ground is dead and now that the rebloom is evident, I want to get the dead stuff out of there Because of the rain, warmth and humidity, it was really sticky. Thankfully, though, not a lot of sunshine, which would’ve made it almost unbearable.

I spent about an hour trimming the dead ivy stems from the beds out front. Looks so much nicer with them out of there. Still a few stragglers.

While trimming, neighbor Kenny stopped over inviting me to golf with he and buddy the following morning at Split Rock. Cool. We had nothing planned, but I needed to get the OK from Mindy. Once I was done outside I asked Mindy what she thought about me golfing on Saturday. She was good with it. I sent Kenny a text letting him know that I was confirmed. He told me that I was good looking for a 4th player as well.

I sent future son-in-law, Steven a text asking if he was interested. He responded quickly that he was. Cool. He and I have talked about getting out and now it seemed we finally would.

As planned, Mindy spent the majority of her day cleaning the house. She even cleaned the tile grout in the kitchen. She employed the kids help too, but as expected, she did most of the work.

After both of us got showers we headed to Barley’s. Didn’t get there until 730pm or so. Shortly after we arrived Mindy sent John & Carolyn a text inviting them to join us. They’d been out and about most of the day but still agreed to come meet us. Cool.

I drank three beers through our stay, starting with a White Rajah from the guest draft tower and then two Barley’s flagship Pale Ales. Enjoyed John & Carolyn’s company. Mindy wanted to order some real food but I talked her into the hummus plate to start. That served me well. We never did order anything else.

While hanging out with John & Carolyn, friend Doug H. popped in. He & girlfriend, Jamie we partying in back with all of Jamie’s friends celebrating the end of her career at Battelle, Guess she got fed up with all the bull and decided to give something else (new) a try.

Shortly before we left for home , friends Tom and Steve came in. They more often than not come in late. We hadn’t seen those two since their European vacation. They shared a few good stories, but none of them as humorous as the misfortune that seems to come about in most of their travels. Probably a good thing.

Mindy and I home around 1130pm. Finally hungry, I woofed down a few leftovers before heading to bed.

Father's Day with Dad, Two of Three, Three of Three, Six of Six

Can't recall the time when I rolled out of bed. Lindsey had to work so we agreed to watch the boys. She dropped them off around 8am.

The sky was overcast but little chance of rain. I enjoyed coffee and internet for an hour or so..I ran three miles and was back home before anyone else was up and stirring. All the girls, including Courtney, were supposed to be coming over later for a cookout. If they all made it, it would be the first Father's Day that I've spent with all three in perhaps as many as 15-16 years. Courtney hasn't been over for a visit in more than 2 years. However, we've seen her a time or two at Ashley's place for Olivia's birthday parties. My Dad and Tommy were coming over too. We also invited Charles via text though he hadn't responded.

In addition to it being the first time that all the girls were with me on Father's Day in 16 years, it would be the first time that all six of my grandchildren were over at the same time, too.

Once Mindy and the kids were up they gifted me for Father's Day. The kids got me a nice card and noise machine just like the one in our Cuyahoga Falls hotel room. Cool! Mindy gifted me tickets to see Lyle Lovett and the LC in mid August.

The day moved quickly. Can't recall what I did with the middle part of my day. Most not of done anything too significant. As 3pm neared, Mindy suggested I grill the burgers, brats and dogs early before our guests arrived that way we could spend our time visiting instead of grilling. We put all the cooked meat the oven and microwave.

Everybody was over near 3pm as planned: Ashley, Steven and Olivia, Kaileigh, Dad, Tommy & Wally, Courtney, Zach, Avery and Addison. First time all four paid a visit to our home, though all but Addison have been over past. Shortly after all the others arrived, brother Charles showed up. He didn't stay too long though. In fact, I am pretty sure that he left before we served food, though Mindy tried to feed him.

Lindsey showed up around 5pm. We had a nice time and everybody seemed to get along OK. Near 530pm Mindy organized a Father's recognition reception complete with cards and gifts. We passed out lottery tickets to all the father's. I don't think there were any winners, well other than me. :)

As always, all the kids had a grand time playing ball in the backyard. Everybody left before 7pm. Tommy & Wally were the last to leave. We tossed the baseball with Wally out front. After Tommy & Wally departed, Mindy and I trimmed the dead away from the evergreen shrubs out front. Got very sweaty in so doing.

After getting the house back in order we called it an early night. I was in bed before 10pm.

Take Me to the River

Up near 8am.

Beautiful - cool. Only in the low 50s but expected to warm quickly and into the 80s by afternoon.

Mindy was up by the time I returned from my run. We hung on the deck enjoying coffee for a while.

Proposed we go boating at Griggs, the boat's maiden voyage 2014. We puttered around the house until 1230pm finally heading out near 1245pm. We picked the boat up on the way to the river, but since we needed boat gas, we opted to stop at Mill Run first. And since I wanted to pick-up a couple things at Lowes, figured we could make the stop then rather than returning later that afternoon.

Filled boat at the Mill Run Super America. Immediately after we popped in Lowes, me going after some soft rope for the tree tire swing, and Mindy for a Sports Authority gift card, a Father's Day gift for Jimaken from the kids. Arrived at Griggs near 120pm. Clear boat ramp.

No trouble getting the boat in and on the water, though it stalled a couple times in the process. Still on the chilly side, especially with the wind generated from our boat speed. Heck, it was still only 72 degrees. We cruised all the way north of Hayden Run Rd/Bethel Rd to the no-wake zone that's very natural looking and quite peaceful. It's where we always end up. We threw anchor just shy of the water grass and purple water irises. More boats on Griggs than we've experienced past. May a dozen or more boats on the water, which is a lot for the river.

The clear sky and sunshine helped warm things quickly. Soon into the 80s. I took my new Canon D70 as well as my 75-300mm zoom lens. Got some cool photos of blue heron, hawks, purple martin, and turtles. We took our jambox too, so we could enjoy some tunes without worry of draining the boat battery. Nice time. Actually took my Kindle too and did a little reading. Stayed on the river until about 4pm.

As we docked to pull the boat out I offered to help a young 20/30 something couple struggling to put their boat in. Turned out they forgot to remove their trailer straps. :) They were a tad embarrassed, despite me insisting that we've all done it. Took the boat back to storage on the way home. The river is very convenient. I wish it were bigger, more versatile (tubing, etc).
We were expecting the kids home from the Outer Banks around 630-7pm. Mindy stayed in touch with Molly most of the afternoon on their whereabouts via text. We planned to attend two parties that evening one the kids were home, one at Kenny & Chrissy's, celebrating her bachelor's degree, and then Darwin's family barbeque and bonfire.

Kids were home near 7pm while I was out walking the pug. Seemed happy to be home, especially Bella, who missed her momma. We headed down to Kenny and Chrissy's around 8pm. There we enjoyed a couple beers, some City Barbeque, and cornhole. Most of the usual family and friends there, including Ben & Ryan, Josh & Rachel. We love those guys!

We told Connie, Darwin's wife that we'd be over near 9pm. We left Kenny & Chrissy's around 915pm and drove to Darwin's even though we could have easily walked. I took a cooler of beers. Jacob stayed back at the house but promised to meet us later. He was playing basketball with Evan and Jake.

Lots of family from both sides at Darwin's. Darwin had an ice cold shot of Woodford Reserve waiting for me. Sat around the fire enjoying their company for a couple hours. Good times! Mindy declared it time to leave around 11pm. Once home, Mindy was quickly off to bed. Bella and I headed back to Kenny & Chrissy's as the party was still going on. We partied for another hour or two before I snuck off home. Bella was already back and in bed.

Quite buzzed, I wasn't ready to call it an evening. Instead, I strummed by gaily strummed my guitar. It wasn't until Mindy came down the stairs with the "buzz kill". :) Instead of bagging it, I took it out to the deck where I strummed for another 15 minutes or so. Not sure the time, but guessing near 2am when I finally decided that I ought to call it a night and head to bed.

Salty Caramels

Mix of sun and clouds, though mostly cloudy till about noon

Ran three miles.

Worked from home.

Mindy left to run errands fairly early in the day. She was gone for some time.

Cut the lawn at lunch. Mowed, trimmed, edged and blew.

Worked until 515pm.

Showered around 530pm with plans to meet Bob & Mary Ann at Woodlands Tavern Grandview around 8pm to see some quality local live music.

Left the house around 630pm.Gorgeous evening, by then completely clear and 72 degrees. Perfect evening! Expecting a full "strawberry" moon. It's said we won't have another strawberry moon on Friday the 13th until 2098.

Parked on NW just south of 3rd ave. Bob & Mary Ann not there yet. Mindy and I paled up with Barley peep, Josh, and also my former guitar instructor. Got a couple beers and found a table on the patio while a band played inside. We later learned that there were two stages inside, a paid stage and then the free music stage. The band playing with no cover was excellent, playing the likes of old Queen, Beatles, Paul McCartney and really well. Being a local musician, Josh knew most of them well.

Hungry, we eventually ordered a pizza. Bob & Mary Ann got there near 830ish. Prior to them showing up. a fella with an enormous telescope showed up on the patio to observe and share the strawberry moon. I enjoyed my brief conversation with him. Good to see Bob & Mary Ann. Don't see much of them outside of snow ski season these days. Turned out, there was a $10 cover to see the headliners on the paid stage, the Salty Caramels, who were having a CD release party. There was a warm-up band, too, the Dew Droppers. They had a 1940s swing sound about them, complete with a horn section. I really enjoyed them. Bob bought us one of the Salty Caramel CDs too. Thanks Bob! Bob did some printing for the band and they even gave him a big shout out early on during their show.

The Salty Caramels is a quartet of 4 girls that have a unique chici Lennon Sisters kind of sound though with a modern twist. I enjoyed it but not as much as the Dew Droppers. They did several songs off their new CD. Mindy was tired as it was near or after midnight in a hurry. Bob & Mary Ann walked with us out to our car. Mindy drove home.

Back to CBC

Up near 615am.

Cool day in the offing, expecting a high no warmer than 74 degrees.

Ran 4 miles.

Worked from the office.

Home from work near 515pm.

While Mindy was out walking the pug she happened upon Kate, one of our favorite CBC servers. She brought Kate back to the house along with a couple of her peeps. They were out on the westside house hunting.

Opted for dinner at CBC, our first stop there in a couple weeks.

Arrived at CBC near 630pm. Decent crowd but stools available at the bar. more than decent beer selection. Heck, they had three of my faves on tap: Their own Bodhi, Hoof Hearted's South of 11, and then White Rajah. I opted for a Bodhi. Vince soon brought us risotto balls. Seems they're back to the old recipe - no carrot chunks, which we prefer. Enjoyed a second beer, though this time a South of 11. We ordered the walleye dinner entrée along with a house salad to share. Very yummy!

Stuck around CBC until maybe 9pm. Home and in bed by 10pm.

80 revs around the Sun

 

 

Happy 80th, Gloria!

First day back to work after five days off, at least when counting the weekend.

I was up near 630am. Cool, cloudy and expecting rain.

Ran 4 miles and believe me, it went much easier than the runs at Lake Wateree which are naturally hilly and humid.

Mindy was good enough to get up make me breakfast while I showered.

Like most Wednesday's, I was working across town at a customer location. Arrived near 9am.

Early on a quiet day, not a great deal of interaction. Worked straight through till 415pm. My afternoon got really busy.

Our evening plans were to meet the family & friends at Minelli's on Sullivant Ave to celebrate Gloria's 80th birthday. Mindy wanted to be there at 530pm though the official party start time was set for 6pm.

Ended up having about 50 people show up for the shindig. Good time. My dad was invited but I didn't think he'd show but he did. Glad he did. Like Gloria, he grew up in the bottoms and they know a lot of the same folks. Verna, one of Gloria's child hood friends was there, too. Nice to meet her and to ponder the idea of having a life-long friend of 70+ years. I made sure to snap a lot of pics.

I don't think I've ever seen Gloria smile so much. She was really happy to have so many people come out to celebrate with her. By the end of the evening she had downed so many shots that I doubt she remembers much of it. And the table dancing was over the top. :)

We wrapped up the party between 8-830pm. I suggested to nephew Joe & Rick that we head to Barley's afterwards for a beer. Mindy concurred. As expected, not much of a crowd at Barley's at 9pm on a Wednesday. Still fun. We took our beers out to a patio table, which is rare for me. Think I've sat outside no more than five times in 15 years.

I enjoyed two beers during our visit. And since I didn't eat much at the birthday party, I ordered the pork-belly sliders as well. One of Joe & Rick's female friends joined us, too. Can't recall her name - sweet, cute! Our stay was relatively short and sweet but also fun. home by 1030pm.

Wateree in the Rearview

I slept a little later than I had the previous two mornings, not getting out of bed until almost 740am. After a quick cup of coffee I was off on my run, again taking the back way around. My legs felt strong on the hills. I was really happy about that.

Back at the house, Mindy was still in bed. She slept later than she had the entire visit. Don't think she was up until almost 9am. David whipped up some grits and eggs. Yum! He also gave me a container of instant grit to take home and experiment with.

Over the next hour I showered and packed. It was a relatively short stay so not a big deal packing up. More than anything I had to round-up all of my personal electronics, chargers and guitar. After some hugs I am thinking that we were on the road just before 10am. However, before pulling away, I had David show me the google maps for the Lake Wateree to I-77 exit 48 path. Last time we took a wrong turn somewhere along the way, which is not really a big deal but it did take us about 7 miles out of our way (further south).

Despite looking at the map with David and him pointing out where we likely when astray, we did the same thing again, only this time we caught it as soon as we passed the correct fork. We did a quick u-turn and got back on course. Around a half tank of gas, we filled up at the Shell station at the I-77 interchange.

We made good time barreling homeward. I was careful not to speed, trying to avoid getting a ticket like we did during our last June visit. No traffic jams whatsoever. We stopped for lunch somewhere in West Virginia. Can't recall what town but believe we were technically still on the West Virginia Turnpike. Filled up our gas tank during the same stop and also peed. Efficiency!

We ran into one small traffic jam that broke up after less than 10-15 minutes. No biggie. The second leg of the trip always goes faster than the first. The day seemed to fly by. Crossed over into Ohio near 5pm. And while it was scorching hot in SC it was only in the 70s in Ohio. According to the forecast, calling for rain over the next couple days too. I didn't mind, Always appreciate summer rain to help the lawn and flowers.

We rolled into town near 630pm, stopping first at Gloria's house to pick-up Eiknarf. As good as felt to get up and stretch my legs, I was eager to get home. Thanks Gloria for watching the pug and headed for home after a short 20 minute visit. The following day was her 80th birthday, I wished her a happy b-day then. She made sure to point that out. :)

Everything at home was in its place. And just as we do when we get home from most trips, we moved instantly to unpacking mode. Neither one of us like to leave things sit. I was completely unpacked, had my electronics charging, and luggage put away before bed. Prepped Wednesday's coffee too. I sent David a text letting him know that we made it home safely.

A little wound up, I don't think I fell asleep until almost 11pm.

Hip-Hop

David & Anita were both up before me. Anita was already off on her walk. David left to be at his momma's side through surgery. I headed out on the run around 830am, this time taking the more familiar route south and west to the highway and back.

Mindy and Anita were enjoying time on the lower patio when I returned from my run. David was keeping Anita apprised of the goings on. No surgery as of yet. While the girls were down below, I took my Kindle and headed out the upper deck patio and did some reading. I did that for a while, but eventually decided that it made more sense to go inside and read in the comfort of the A/C. I soon fell asleep, but not for long. Must've been around 11am when I popped up and headed out to the Pilot to get my golf clubs.

I hit several balls into David's golf net, but that seemed a little shaky so I opted to use my 60 degree wedge and hit some balls from the immediate back yard towards the lake. I hit golf balls for an hour or so. David continued to provide status, which hadn't changed. Still waiting for the call to surgery. Remained that way into early afternoon.

The three of us eventually headed to the dock and boat where we enjoyed some liquid refreshments, music, sunshine and conversation. At some point we learned that they were finally taking Bootsie in for surgery. I'm pretty sure that her procedure was the last of the day. Near 5pm I think when he sent a text letting us know. David, of course, planned on staying until she was out and in recovery.
It must've been around 7pm when he finally got home. He was understandably eager for a beer. Me, however, I was all but done drinking for the day having enjoyed three or four beers in the hot sunshine earlier. We hung out on the upper patio, David eventually grilling up some burgers that turned out really well. Yum! We could hear thunder rumbling off in the distance, as there were pop-ups all around the area. The temps, by the way, were in the mid 90s with high humidity, which is typically of those parts.

Decided to have one ore drink only this time a Jack & Coke. I had just one, however while also enjoying another gorgeous South Carolina sunset. Our visit was all but over. We'd be headin' for home the following morning. And knowing that, I didn't want to party too hard.

We listened to that unmistakable sound of the Wateree that I've come to love one last time. We headed to bed even before 10pm. Light weights, all of us.

Unexpected visit to Downtown Columbia, SC

Already hot, sunny and humid, It was sweltering run in the South Carolina heat. I ran the lesser traveled direction, out towards bird island and beyond. It was a good run. Just before I left the house David celled his mom to see if she'd left yet for Pompano. She hadn't but was just about to.

Back from my run I noticed Mindy and Anita out enjoying the sunshine. I cooled off inside then eventually stepped out to chat. At the time I figured David was in the shower, but after talking with the girls I learned that his mother took an unfortunate spill so David abruptly left to go to her aid. They assumed it her hip. Can't recall with 100% certainty but know that the paramedics felt it severe enough to run her all the way into Columbia.

David followed not far behind and once he arrived at the hospital he kept Anita posted every 15-20 minutes or so. We encouraged Anita to go be with David. And for that matter, we happily agreed to go along too. All three of us eventually loaded into the Pilot and headed towards Winsboro where we agreed to meet Gordon and the other fella to unload Bootsies belongings. She wouldn't be heading to Florida anytime soon, and they were eager to get back on the road for home (Pompano). After quickly unloading Bootsies belongings we popped in the local Wendy's for a quick bite to eat. From Winsboro we headed towards Columbia and the hospital to hook-up with David and Bootsie. Thinking it was about a 30 mile drive.

Nice hospital. Bootsie was already checked into a room and soon the resident surgeon was there to go over the X-rays and talk about surgery. She had a broken hip, but at least according to the doctor, the break was not in the ball and socket which he said was a good sign. They'd be doing surgery to insert a pin most likely the following day, Monday. That was Mindy's first opportunity to meet Bootsie. They got along swimmingly. Thinking we were there for about an hour. Once her status was stable and she comfortable - well, as comfortable as she was ever going to be, we headed back to the lake house.

Anita rode with David. We actually were out in front of the two of them. We made it back fine with our GPS. I took Mindy the back way to the lake house so she could see the other side of the loop. It was a stormy early afternoon, but nice and sunny once we were back at the lake house. We opted to play, drink and swim from the dock. Had a grand time.

The weather cooperated for the rest of the afternoon and early evening. Later, David grilled yummy steaks and zucchini. Enjoyed the setting sun, getting a few incredible shots. We weren't up too late. Everybody was exhausted from the busy day and then the sunshine on the lake.

Seeing Bootsie

Like clockwork, I was out of bed by 715am and fairly promptly out in the family room with David & Anita. It was cloudy and warm – already in the low 70s with widely scattered showers forecasted for the day. I enjoyed a cup of coffee and conversation before heading out on a run. Mindy joined us sooner than I thought she might. It had to be somewhere close to 8am. David checked the local radar a couple of times advising that while there was a little rain nearby, nothing too substantial.

David asked if I’d make the trip into Winsboro with him to help him pack his mom’s car for Florida move. Sure, but after my run. Thinking it was near 815am when I headed out. Decided to run south. Thinking I got about a mile out when it started to rain. Unfortunately, the rain was accompanied by a little bit of lightning and thunder which left me more than a tad nervous. Thankfully just a couple strikes of lightning. The rain, however, got much, much heavier. Not only was it was raining hard, but giant drops too. Didn’t let up at all. In fact, if anything, it intensified.

Felt good once the house was in sight. David was waiting in the garage with a beach towel. Thanks David! We laughed it off. I took just a few minutes to get out of my wet running clothes and into street clothes for the drive into Winsboro. I opted to wear what I wore the day before driving in. We left the house near 930am. I asked Mindy if she’d mind putting my soaking wet running clothes in the dryer.

All back country roads into Winsboro, and at times driving at a high rate of speed which made me extremely uncomfortable. I eventually asked David to slow down. At one point we were going 77mph on the twisting turning tow lane road. Yikes! The drive took us through the little town of Ridgeway, which is literally a one traffic light town about 9 miles from Winsboro. Having lived in Winsboro for a number of years before moving to the lake house, David showed me the town before heading to his mother’s condo. Not only did he live in town for a while, but he spent many of summers there visiting family when he was young. His father’s family grew up there.

According to David, Winsboro’s economy is dying. The local mill/plant has long since closed and there’s nothing new or nearby to feed the labor market. Sad! The effects were quite evident. Showed not only his old house but also the one his father grew up in, which I later learned is now owned and occupied by his brother, Terry.

Bootsie’s condo is situated seemingly on the edge of town and in a lovely wooded setting. Certainly nicer than most of the old housing. Bootsie’s plan was to move back to Pompano, Florida. And to accomplish the feat, two of her pals drove up to caravan back down with her. I should probably mention that she’s 85 and soon to be 86. The gentlemen that drove up looked even older.

David and I were to help load the some essentials into the small SUV, enough to get Bootsie going. David would then coordinate a moving truck with the rest of her stuff after a week or so. I hadn’t seen Bootsie for perhaps and many as 35 years. Wow, I can hardly believe it but it’s true! Anyway Bootsie looks great. I gave her a big hug. And she was most pleasant. We loaded both of her flat panel TVs into the SUV and then maybe 6 or 7 boxes, but not much more. David reminded her more than once to only take essentials. She, Gordon, and the other fella planned on sticking around Winsboro one more night and then leaving for Florida early Sunday morning. Gordon gave David a bag full of Florida mangos before we left. I’m thinking we were there no more than 45 minutes. We wished all three safe travels.

David and I made a couple more stops in town, one at the local True Value hardware store where David maintains and old fashioned account held only by his good name. There he picked up a spare condo key for his mom as well as a few tomato cages for Anita. From there we ventured down the road to the local Walmart where we picked up a few food items on Anita’s list. Back to the lake!

Happily, the cloudy skies were breaking up as we made our way back to the lake house, and by the time we got there it was completely sunny. I should mention that several enormous magnolia trees caught my eye on the drive to and from Winsboro. Gorgeous! The girls were sitting casually down by the lake. David and I quickly changed into lake wear, but before hitting the water we enjoyed some lunch. Until then I’d eaten nothing all day. I was ravenously hungry. Mindy warmed my leftovers from the Retreat – beef tips and grits. Yum!! Delicious!

Stocked the cooler then headed out to the dock and pontoon. David offered to head out on the lake, but both Mindy and I shared that we were happy to simply hang out on the dock, getting in and out of the water as we pleased. David and Anita were game for that too. Simple, fun, and relaxing.

We hung out on the dock, in the lake, and on the pontoon for 4 hours or more. Mindy made sure to lather me in spf 15 which served me well – no sunburn. Sipped beers and Jack all afternoon while enjoying tunes from our phones and jambox. Nice time! Headed in for dinner around 6pm, best guess. David whipped up a crawl fish boil in no time. He had a big bag of crawl fish, corn coblets and taters flown in from New Orleans.
Despite David’s insistence that the proper way to eat a crawl fish is to twist the fish at its neck, remove the head, then suck down the head’s contents before eating the meatier body. But neither me or Mindy could do it. However, what we ate was indeed good.

After dinner all four of us played cornhole. David got a little agitated when we beat them by a large margin in the first game. Didn’t matter a hill of beans to me. I was simply enjoying hanging out. They came back and won the second game then we called it quits – no rubber game.

Partied a bit more as the sun went down, eventually heading in and agreeing to watch a movie – Gravity. I was eager for Mindy to see it for the first time. Having seen the movie a couple of times, Anita was off to bed at the outset. And five minutes into the movie David was asleep. But I can’t be one to talk. I fell asleep too, but not until about halfway through, once the lovely Sandra Bullock made it to the Japanese space vehicle. I woke just in time to catch the final 5-10 minutes with Mindy.

Shut down the house and headed to bed.

Wateree Bound

We planned to be on the road for South Carolina at 9am and to that end I planned to wake at 6am. I came close, rolling out of bed at 610am. Not bad!

Since it was a vacation day, I opted to skip calisthenics. Still planned to run, though. Enjoyed coffee and internet for 30 minutes or so and then headed out for a run. It was gorgeous. Clear blue skies and cool – only 54 degrees. Since my two favorite pair of running shorts were packed, I wore a back-up pair. And like most Friday’s, I ran just three miles.

Back at the house near 730am, I took Mindy some coffee then went back downstairs to finish organizing my things for departure. More than once I went looking for Eiknarf, forgetting that she was with Gloria, Mindy’s mom. Habit! I headed to the deck where I watered a few of the thirsty flowers. In the garage, I moved everything needing to go to the edge of the overhead door, which included my golf clubs and stack of beverages. Inside, I packed our new cold storage cooler with coffee fixins, a few waters, and Gatorade. The beer, soda, and most of the water could ride outside the cooler. I used a small, dry cooler for drive snacks.

I double and triple checked my list. Last second I decided to pack my work laptop just in case something came up and we had to stick around another day or two. It was unlikely since David needed to be at the US Open and we needed to be home on Wednesday for Gloria’s 80th bday party. Even though unlikely, it was a smart move. Just ask!

We cut it close. Packed, showered and ready by 855am. We didn’t eat any breakfast though I did hurry to woof down a slice of bread slathered in peanut butter. The kids were still asleep. We headed up to say goodbye. The plan all along was to let them sleep in. My dad was coming over around 2pm to spend the afternoon with them or until Jimaken got there to pick them up for their Outer Banks trip. The plan was 6pm. Jacob didn’t want to be woken. Bella was a bit more loving. She mustered enough energy to wake and show us the pillow she made/sewed during the overnight. Holy smoke! She sewed a full sized bed pillow out of a t-shirt.

It was just after 9am when we did the final house check, keeping in mind that it was inhabited. We started to pull away but I stopped and asked Mindy if she would pull the Accord into the driveway. It was still on the street after moving it there the lawn the evening before.

On the road by 908am. We stopped at Circle K to fill-up. I made note of the mileage 70221. Wateree bound! We didn’t get out of Ohio before we needed to stop for a pee break. In fact, we stopped three times to pee. Meanwhile, the driving weather was ideal – clear blue skies and in the low 70s. Didn’t see even one cloud until we were well into N.C. Did my best to stick to the speed limit which varies from 55-70mph. We stopped for food and gas near the VA/NC border at a Wendy’s. Of course we turned that stop into a pee break too. 

30 or so miles north of Charlotte, NC we hit our first traffic jam, which was in a suburb called Mooresville and just north of Lake Norman. As it was, we’d be passing through Charlotte at rush hour which was why I really wanted to be on the road by 8am or sooner. But then again, it wasn’t like we had to be there at a specific time. In all, we hit four back-ups passing through the Charlotte metro area and it didn’t break up until we were 10 miles or so into SC. Took about 90 minutes to go 50 miles.

Once you cross the NC/SC stateline the drive gets rural in a hurry. Smooth sailing the rest of the way in. It was warm down there, too – 91 degrees warm! There were scattered clouds around too, but still sunny. We arrived at David & Anita’s lake house near 630pm. It felt good to stretch my legs and even better to finally be there. We both had been looking forward to the visit for a while, but I think Mindy needed it more than me this time. She’s been running around continuously for a few weeks now. As always, David & Anita were out the door to greet us and had snacks ready once in the door. There were a few gifts on the guest bed for Mindy too. David had a bottle of wine and a beer ready as well. Awesome!

We visited chatted for a while, me needing to decompress after a 9+ hour drive. The plan was to boat over to the Retreat for dinner. I’m thinking that it was close to 745pm when we boated on over. I didn’t bother freshening up.

As expected, a good crowd on hand. There was something like a 10 minute wait, which went by quickly sipping drinks out on the large deck that overlooks the lake. Crab cakes were the night’s special but I could resist the pull for beef tips and grits, a dish we tried last year that left a lasting positive impression. Before our dinner entrees we shared some Asian spicy shrimp. That was really good too.

My beef tips and grits were really tasty, though the first two tips I cut into were a bit too rare for my liking. In fact, one was almost purple. I showed David whom immediately and without restraint called out to Sean, the cook and owner of the establishment. I didn’t want to make a big deal about it. Sean came over and encouraged me to check others. I did and most others were fine. More than once he offered to take the dish back and recook the tips but I declined. It was still delicious. Furthermore, I knew I’d be taking at least half of it back to David & Anita’s for Saturday’s lunch. After a microwaving, any remaining raw tips would be fine.

It was completely dark when we left the restaurant but the sun had already set. The boat ride back to the house was quite enjoyable under a developing starry sky. David and I were just getting started. We sucked down a couple more beers then broke out the electric guitars. Thanks to David, he strung one of his two Stratocasters upside down to accommodate my left handedness. Prior to that, I’d never even once strummed an electric guitar. What a hoot! David has a small little amp that puts out plenty enough sound, as well as a distortion peddle and foot switch box. We made plenty of noise over the next hour.

The girls headed to bed around 10-1030pm. David and I stayed up a while longer listening to the frogs and talking from the back deck. Sweet time! Full on summer sounds back in the cove! To bed near 1115pm.