Stubouts

I was up near 630am. The sound of the shower beating against the stall floor was enough to jar me from bed. Downstairs a few minutes later, I started calisthenics while the kids were putting the finishing touches on their school readies. I grunted through sit-ups, windmills, and curls ahead of them walking out.

At my desk with coffee by 645am. Rather than log onto my work laptop, I resisted the urge and instead got caught up on any goings on via my iPhone. Nothing required my immediate attention. I fooled around online until almost 745am. By then Mindy was long gone. I wasn’t feeling particularly motivated, but once I completed a meditation and a stretch I felt a bit more energetic. I’m guessing that it was just after 8am when I finally headed out for my run.

It was mostly cloudy and somewhere in the low 50s. At the outset I was a little chilly with just a thin long sleeved wicking shirt, but I didn’t want to wear a jacket since I’d be heating up in a quarter mile or so. Good call. Plenty comfy after a half mile or so. I ran the full 4.1 miles and was back at home near 840am. Without much hesitation, I headed outside again where I spent the next ten minutes watering all the deck flowers. They’re still looking pretty good and I don’t think there’s a freeze warming anytime in the near term forecast. Speaking of the weather, September rain was almost nonexistent. We got nearly half and inch on the 1st and only a sprinkle thereafter. A very dry month!

After another cup of coffee, a hearty breakfast, and a little more work, I was off to the shower. I wasn't in hurry up mode which bodes well for my psyche but not so much for the clock. It was 1030am before I headed across town. Arrived just ahead of 11am.
Had plenty to do, spending the first couple hours focused on a lingering problem. Then, come 1pm, we had our standing engineering meeting. Lasted the full hour. Back at my desk, I enjoyed my packed veggies, cheese, and yogurt.

Very busy afternoon and early evening. Didn't leave the customer's locale until 630pm. Very unusual. Last I talked with Mindy, she, the kids and my dad were at Jacob's last regular season soccer game. Sounded as if we might all get home about the same time. Mindy asked that I warm some canned veggies to go along with the pork ribs she left cooking in the crock-pot that morning. Turned out, though, she arrived home ahead of me. Got home around 640pm. Dinner was ready. Dad was there, too.

They shared how chilly it was at the soccer game - chilly wind, no sun, and steel benches. Yep, the same combination that sent chills through my entire body a week or so ago. The ribs cooked up nice and tender in the crock-pot. Very, very good! The others had mashed potatoes. Me, I enjoyed the leftover scalloped potatoes. I love 'em! We had peas, too.

I shared that I talked to mom again on my drive home. She went to see the hand doctor/surgeon for her broken wrist. Told her she'd need surgery to put the bones and to insert a pin. Predictably, mom was hesitant. Said she was going to wait 9 days before deciding. What? Deciding what? Her logic makes me laugh. Can you see me shaking my head in disapproval?

Mindy ran Bella to gymnastics while i managed clean-up. Dad stuck around until Mindy was back. I shared the story about our new gas range and how the scratches miraculously disappeared after I insisted they must go. :) Mindy gave dad a stereo she previously used in her classroom for years. We helped him carry it to the car.

It was my job to pick-up Bella from gymnastics. I left the house early, leaving myself enough time to stop at the West Broad St Home Depot to hopefully pick-up the sharkbite connectors I'd need to complete the basement plumbing. Much like the nearby Lowes, the parking lot and store both seem eerily darker than most others. Found exactly what I needed: tees, 90's, and copper stubouts. Until I learned about stubouts, I wasn't sure what I was going to do. The stubouts provide the ability to plumb in the new runs with active water ahead of drywall thus ensuring no leaks. Once the drywall's up and you're reading to attach fixtures you simply cut off the ends with a tubing cutter and attached the flexible water lines.

One rather small bag cost me $140. Sharkbite dramatically simplifies plumbing work but it is also expensive. Arrived at the gym with only a minutes to spare. Perfect timing. Bella and I headed for home. With her now in the front seat, one has to deal with the preteen music shuffle - station to station and crappy bubble gum pop. Comes with the territory. Makes her happy.

Mindy was already getting ready for bed. I played around online for a while then joined Mindy in bed near 1015pm.

D.C. Trip Rules

Up for work near 630am after hearing Mindy get in the noisy shower. It used to be that I would pop right out of bed. However, her in the last 6 months or so, I’ve definitely taken a turn for the slower, more methodical waking. I stumbled into the master bath where I brushed my teeth still with one eye closed. Not sure why I do that either.

Once downstairs, I stepped out onto the deck to drink in some morning air before engaging in calisthenics. I’d soon be back out to whip out push-ups. The kids, meanwhile, we in the kitchen having breakfast and packing their lunches, something do pretty much every weekday morning these days. Gone is the hour or more I had all to myself when I used to get up at 530am. I feel like I need that extra hour of sleep anymore. Finished calisthenics about the same time that the kids were on their way out to the bus stop.

Felt good to settle in at my desk with coffee and internet. Like most morning’s, come 715am Mindy left for school, but not before reminding me that we needed to be at Jacob’s school for a 7pm D.C. trip meeting. Ugh! I spent another 20-30 minutes enjoying the morning before seguing into meditation, stretching and finally my run. Hit the road near 8am and ran the full 4.1 miles. Nice, sunny and moderately warm.

Back from my run near 835am, I was prepping breakfast and lunch when a customer reached out needing my help with a critical issue. I had no choice but to set aside my personal agenda and jump head first into work from home. It must’ve been around 930am when I sent my boss a message letting him know that I’d be in as soon as I had this critical issue under control. Ended up working from home until 1030am. It was near 11am by the time I got to the office. By then, however, it felt almost as if I’d already put in a full day.

It didn’t take my boss long at all to inquire about my progress with the project he delegated to me while he was on vacation. And for the lion’s share of his two week vacation I worried about making enough progress to meet his expectations. I spent as much time as I could reasonably spend working on it. I put his mind at ease, sharing that I made significant headway and was eager to present him with my findings. He suggested we meet on Tuesday to review since he needed most of Monday to dig out of his vacation hole. I can definitely relate to that.

I spent most of my day working on the same issue I worked on earlier rom home, and then one other. I didn’t bother taking a lunch break. I had a scheduled 2pm call get canceled. I asked my boss if he had time to meet then to review project progress. After a bio break he was ready. After a brief meeting he was very pleased and thankful for what I was able to accomplish. His body language said everything. I could see relief all over his face. That in turn left me feeling good.

Not sure what time it was when I left work for home, though I know it was after 5pm. A buddy and former direct report stopped by to talk and show me some recent photos of his trip to Austria and Germany where he attended the real Oktoberfest in Munich, and he even got in some early season skiing in the Alps. Awesome pics.

Called my mom on my drive home after seeing I had a missed call from her from earlier. She answered in the most God-awfully sounding voice. And after a brief greeting she shared that she’d fallen earlier that morning and broke her wrist while mopping the kitchen floor. Said she was in a cast and still in pain. Looking at the positive side of things, I advised that it’s better a wrist rather than her hip. Said she was supposed to see a bone specialist the following day. Didn’t sound as if the attending doctor at the hospital had any idea if the bone was set correctly for healing. Oh boy!
We talked a bit more about this and that, but ended the call about the time I pulled up at the house.
Thinking it was near 540pm when I arrived home. The garage door was up but no one immediately around. The rear hatch on the Pilot was up too. It was soon obvious that Mindy was recently home from the grocery as nothing had yet been carried in. Once I set all my work stuff aside, I helped carry in the groceries. She confirmed that we’d be having rotisserie chicken for dinner, which sounded really good. Not only that, but we’d be enjoying some of those yummy Bob Evans scalloped potatoes too. While she put groceries away and got dinner ready, I spent a little time online. I also made a call to the GE appliance store advising that we no longer wanted/or expected a replacement range since we were able to make those purported scratches go away.

The chicken and taters were very good. Wrapped up dinner and clean-up around 635pm. We needed to be at Jacob’s school by 7pm for the D.C. trip meeting. Just before we were set to leave, Makayla came over. She seemed disappointed that all of us were going. I think she expected that Bella and I would be staying home. She asked if she could go with us. Sure.

We arrived at the school with no time to spare. They were just getting started by the time we found our way to the auditorium. Because there was such a large turnout, the principal changed the venue to the gymnasium. The meeting lasted about 40 minutes. We sat with Chrissy, Makayla’s mom, who was there with Lillian. Too funny. The crux of the meeting was to review the rules for travel, dress, and hoteling while the students are in D.C. for four days here in a couple of weeks.

By the time the meeting ended it was dark. And like most mass exoduses, took a while to get out of the parking lot. Arrived home shortly after 8pm. I got changed into my PJs then around 830pm I tuned into MNF. Mindy headed to bed even before 9pm. Shortly before that, I made myself a bowl of ice cream, something I rarely do. I stayed up until halftime.

In the Schmidt's Tent

Was out of bed and downstairs near 8am. Another warm sunny day in the offing. I started a pot of coffee then played around online for a while. Mindy was up earlier than I expected. I am pretty sure that it was still before 9am. We had plans to meet Bob and Mary Ann for brunch at 115am at Milestone 229.
I wasn’t in a big hurry to get out the door for my run. In fact, I am pretty sure that it was after 930am by the time I finally headed out. Like most Sunday’s, I ran just three miles.

It was after I was back from my run when Mindy shared that she was unable to connect to the internet on her laptop. I asked if I could take a look while she showered for our brunch date. I checked several things, eventually determining that her battery had permanently failed after 6.5 years of life. I wondered if somehow the Wireless NIC might be powered only by the battery despite using house power. Further troubleshooting, however, convinced me otherwise. Something was amiss with the Wireless NIC. I tried all sorts of things to revive it but to noavail.

I had to leave it set as it was and head off to the shower. Though we talked the evening before about the possibility of riding our bikes to 229, we ended up driving the Pilot, leaving the house around 11am. Arrived very near 1115am. Bob and Mary Ann had just parked along the southern edge of Bicentennial Park, the last spot available, We found a spot just around the corner. Bob and Mary Ann drove their Mustang convertible.

Opted for a table on the patio overlooking the fountain park. Probably a mistake. It was overcast and cool most of the morning but even before we placed our drink orders the sun came out and stayed out, making it almost unbearable. None of us brought our sunglasses and Bob was in jeans and a thick polo. He was sweating!

All four of us started with bloody Mary’s and shared two plates of appetizers – the four snacks and pork bellies. All of it was really good. Ordered the brisket hash for my entrée’ and it was spectacular. Ordered a 2nd drink, this time around a guest porter. It was good too. By the time we finished our brunch all of us were a bit overheated in the bright sunshine now shining directly onto our table. Probably should’ve chosen to eat inside.

I offered up a walk along the promenade but no takers. I think everybody was eager to cool off and get home and into their Sunday afternoon routines. By the time we left 229, it was almost 1pm. Where had the morning gone?

We opted to take Town St west versus heading for a freeway. As we were crossing the river I remembered reading an article earlier that morning about a couple new brew pubs, and one of them, Land Grant, was located in the lower bottoms off Town & Rich. Just as I was sharing the story with Mindy, we spotted their venue just to our north. We opted to go around the block to get a closer look. Exciting to see new businesses sprouting up in the bottoms. Not only is there a new brew pub, but a couple other new pub/restaurants nearby too. Another 20 years that’ll be the new short north. We agreed to come back down and check out Land Grant sometime soon.

At home, tuned the TV to NFL football. Neither game interested me much. Both the Bengals and Browns had bye weeks, and the Vikings wouldn’t play until 430p. By then we’d be well on our way to the Octoberfest to watch Bella perform with her gymnastics company in the Schmidt’s tent. I thought I might make a Home Depot run but never did. I wanted to get the sharkbite connectors needed to complete the basement plumbing. Already have the PEX tubing. Ended up doing very little.

While Mindy was upstairs tending to laundry, I fooled around with her laptop again. I was able to get it connected to the internet by connecting it directly to the our AP via a LAN cable. I searched the internet for a new driver for her NIC card but she apparently already had the latest update. Hmmm? Bad battery, bad NIC, most likely not worth fixing. I left her directly attached to the LAN for the time being so she could print off her grocery list.

The kids were home from a weekend with their dad around 3pm. Left for the fairground and Octoberfest around 4pm. Jacob’s friend, Joey went with us. I hadn’t been to the fairgrounds since summer ’06. Prior to that I’ll bet it had been 20 years. With the fair not underway and the grand stand gone, it doesn’t seem as daunting/large these days. Looks like they’ve dumped money into the grounds. Most of the old buildings: Laushcee, Buckeye, Celeste Center buildings look like they’ve received face lifts. We parked just inside the 17th Ave entrance. Turned out, the event was at the south end of the fairgrounds so we had to walk it. No biggie. Again, not really that big.

We found the Schmidt’s Tent which is really a large, free standing old wood building near the Giant Slide. A handful of German activities going on, and lots of beer and food offerings, along with kiosk after kiosk of stuff for sale. Truthfully, you could change the placard and call it any festival in Columbus. You’ll see pretty much the same things. We dropped Bella off with her gymnastics company and were told she’d be performing at 6pm. Originally, they were to perform twice, once at 5 and again at 7pm. Ugh! Lucky for us, they changed it to one performance at 6pm.

Mindy gave Jacob some cash and he and Joey headed off to fool around. Mindy and I walked around for the next hour as well, checking out the natural resources area, which was drained and mostly barren, at least compared to what it’s like at fair time. We also checked out all the stuff people were selling. Nothing caught my eye. Just killin’ time.

Made our way back to the Schmidt’s tent near 545pm and took a seat up close to the stage. Brittany, one of Bella’s instructors and former OSU cheerleaders was emceeing the event. She did a good job, both presenting the kids but also marketing their gym. The gymnastics company performed various acts for nearly an hour. By then we were all eager to leave. Think it was near 650pm when it wrapped up and we made the trek back to the Pilot. I had to pee, and really should’ve gone there at the fairgrounds. Stupid me!

The kids were hungry and wanted dinner. They requested Cane’s chicken. So we drove to the Hilliard Cane’s at Robert’s and Hilliard-Rome Rd. Didn’t take that long – 71S to 670W to 270N to Roberts. About a 15 minute drive. By the time we got home it was after 7pm. And if I had to pee when we left the fairgrounds, I really had to go by then. Ahhh, relief!

Mindy and I didn’t order any food for ourselves, Instead, we microwaved the leftover chicken & noodle casserole. And just as I did Thursday, I topped it with more cream of chicken. It was delicious. I had two helpings. Near 8pm I finally decided it was time to check the final score of the Vikings. Last I knew it was early 4th quarter and they were winning 35-28 over the Falcons, who some believe are one of the best teams in the NFL. Happy to see that the Vikings won 41-28. It was Teddy Bridgewater’s first official start, too. By all accounts, he had a great game. I watched the coach’s postgame press conference live on the web. While watching that, Joey’s father came for the pick-up. Had to be around 815pm.

Watched a little of the SNF game between the Saints and Cowboys. Mindy and the kids were off to bed fairly early and well ahead of me. I don’t think I got to bed until 1030pm.

Fort Ancient

 

I was awake, out of bed, and downstairs by 745am. I started a pot of coffee then took in some fresh air from the deck. Another gorgeous morning. I played around online until near 9am when I headed out for a 3 mile run. After my run I romped around in the back yard with my camera snapping photos of our gorgeous flowers. It won’t be too long before they’re kaput!

Mindy was up around 10am and we spent about an hour outside on the deck with the pug. It must’ve been around 11am when we decided to visit Battelle Darby Park. Other options we discussed were a return to Yellow Springs, boating, or kayaking. The weather was ideal for just about anything – sunny with a forecasted high of 82. Before heading out, we both opted for showers, and while Mindy took hers, I whipped up some breakfast – cheese omelet and grits. Good eatin!

Left the house around noon and opted to take the back roads to our destination – Fisher Rd to Ammity to West Broad St. Arrived at Darby Park near 1230p choosing to park in the new Nature Center parking lot. That way we could attempt to get a peek of the bison. At the outset, we could see a couple bison off in the distance but also nicely camouflaged by the tall goldenrod. I joked by asking if this was the place to order a bison burger. Nobody but me laughed. Meh!! I thought it was funny.

Onward. Beyond hiking along the creek, we didn’t really set out with a specific target in mind. Heck, it was almost a mile from the nature center to the old hiking trailheads. Half of that is out in the full sun, while the other under the spread of large oaks.

We stopped to pee before heading off into the woods. Mindy ran into a student of hers in the restroom. The girl was very happy to run into her teacher. Her family was there having a reunion. We set out along the familiar trail along the water and hiked all the way to the confluence of Little & Big Darby Creeks. Just south of there is where we typically turn around, which is essentially at the intersection of Gardner and Alkire Rds. Noted a sign indicating that there was a canoe put-in right there. We scoped it out to see if that might be a good place to kayak. Water looked plenty deep and still. Noted for the future. But this time of year, you never know what the weather will throw at us. Hopefully we get some weekend weather similar to the current stuff – sunny and 80.

We opted to keep going eventually deciding to hike to the mound along fort ancient trail. I could tell that Mindy was getting tired as her eagerness to continue on was waning. We made it to the mound, which is somewhat unassuming – about 5ft higher than the surrounding grounds. Interesting story, though. Until I asked Mindy, wasn’t sure what the lovely golden yellow brush was – goldenrod – the hay fever, autumn allergy trigger for many. Sure was pretty and almost as far as the eye could see. In the sun, it was really warm. After a break at the mound we turned and headed back.

Took a while. Both of us were tuckered by the time we arrived at the Pilot. We’d hiked for 3 hours. During the last leg of our hike, we discussed dinner options. Mindy suggested steak at CBC. I suggested we stop and buy steaks for grilling, that way we could watch all of the Buckeye game at home. Odd kick-off time – 6pm. By the time we got to the Pilot Mindy agreed to grilling at home as long as I did the grilling. I was good with that and planned to stop at the Galloway Kroger to get some big juicy steaks.

Mindy wanted nothing of going inside. She opted to wait in the car in the AC while I headed in Kroger. I was very disappointed with the cuts of steak. The only cuts that looked good were the filets which were $20 a pound. Uh, no! I turned and walked out empty handed. Back at the Pilot, I told Mindy we’d be going to CBC after all.

At home near 4pm, we agreed to leave for CBC by 5pm. That way, I figured, we could enjoy a couple beers, dinner and the first half of the Buckeye game before heading back home for the 2nd half. We both took our second showers of the day and left for CBC near 5pm just as we had discussed. Can’t remember if we walked the pug before we left.

As a treat to Mindy, we drove the BM’er. Can’t remember the last time she got to ride in it. I’ll be it’s been a few years. As we suspected, the lot was sparsely attended. Not only was it early, but with the Buckeye game going on just to our north, expected a slow night. We found our way to the favorite corner of the bar where we took up refuge for the next couple hours. Had I thought it out a bit better, I would’ve opted for seats across the bar with a better view of the 2 TVs for watching the game. As it was I’d simply have to turn my head. No biggie. We stayed put.

I opted for a Bodhi after perusing their guest menu chalked full of autumnal offerings. Mindy ended up drinking wine, her CBC favorite – 3-3-7. Vince & Beth were tending bar and brought us bread and then risotto balls. Ahead of the Buckeye game kick-off, we watched the tail end of the Michigan game. Somewhat surprisingly, Minnesota kicked their butts.

At some point we ordered dinner, and I think it was after the game was underway. Mindy ordered the steak and last second I decided to go with the fish and chips special. About the same time we met the couple sitting next to us, Robin and Karen. Robin, we learned is the superintendent of Teays Valley school district, and Karen is the director or curriculum for Hilliard schools. Interesting pair. We know a few people in common. A peer of mine happens to be the president of town council in commercial point which feeds Teays Valley schools. And a former CIO is on the Hilliard school board. Karen knows him well. Mindy and Karen know a few folks in common too. Enjoyed their company and conversation.

We didn’t complain about our food but neither of us were impressed with our meals, My fish and chips was a real let down. I didn’t realize it when I ordered it, but it was fish and potato chips. Not only that, but the two pieces of fish were small and dry. We didn’t complain because 9 times out of 10 we are more than satisfied with our food orders. Through halftime of the Buckeye game, I enjoyed 2 Bodhi’s, declining a third since I’d be driving. Pretty sure the score of the game was 30-7 when we left for home.

By the time we arrived home and tuned back into the game, it had tightened up significantly. All of the sudden it was 30-21. I poured a Jack &Coke then settled in to watch the rest of the game. The Buckeyes kicked two field goals to start the 2nd half, which in my mind was still a close game. Mindy mentioned Darwin sharing that he was having a fire and listening to his son, Jordan’s band practice. Mistakenly, I though she meant it was sent via text, which to me implied it was an invite to join them. It wasn’t until we were driving over, me with a small cooler packed with Jack & Coke, that Mindy clarified that it was a FB message and not an invite.

We trekked back to his fire pit and settled into two of their Adirondack chairs. Could hear the band rehearsing in the basement and could see Darwin, Connie and their kids inside watching the game. After pulling my drink from the cooler, I sent Darwin a text letting him know that we were having a fire. Mindy apparently sent one too, only hers was a bit more to the point. I used the flashlight app on my phone to signal that we were out back. Soon Darwin and kids came out to see who was in their backyard.

As expected, Darwin was happy that we showed up. I did my best to explain how I misunderstood Mindy when she shared the FB news about the fire. We ended up hanging out with Darwin and Connie for more than an hour. While we were there, the Buckeyes scored two more touchdowns to extend their lead to 50-28, which was also the final score. Headed for home near 1030pm.

Into the Urban Woodlands

I woke near 630am feeling better but still not 100%. I completed calisthenics over the next 10-15 minutes whipping out my push-ups in the fresh air on the deck. It was supposed to be another gorgeous day with clear skies and temps near 80. And like most Friday’s, I planned on working from home.

Shortly after the kids left for school, I headed out for a walk with the pug. I was back by 705am. I planned to head out for a run somewhat early since our replacement range was expected to show up anytime between 8am and noon. I wanted to be on the road by 730am if at all possible.

Mindy left for school at her usual 715am. By then I was already in the middle of my stretch routine. I was out the door for my run by 735a. The appliance delivery company promised a call 20-30 minutes in advance. No call before I left. I ran 3 miles and was home by 803am.

Appliance delivery company phoned at 911am to let me know that they were on their way. Perfect. And before they arrived, I got a call from the glass block company asking if I was good with a slightly later arrival than originally promised. Yes. No problem.

Appliance guys showed up near 930am. I made sure they knew they were replacing an existing new range. They did. The driver suggested I watch them unpack the new and check it out for scratches even before bringing it inside. Sounded like a good idea to me. Without me saying a word, he pointed out numerous small but noticeable scratches on the new one. In fact, far more than were on the one we had. Told him that I didn’t want it. He went on to share that they deal with this all the time with stainless steel. Said he’s had to bring three or even four to finally get one without any scratches, which according to him are created often times by the manufacturing process itself.

Very pleasant, friendly fella. Had me sign a document indicating that I rejected the replacement due to scratches. Said they would be calling me back to schedule yet another delivery date. I was disappointed, wanting badly to get this resolved and move on. Although, I felt good that they would take care of me. They couldn’t have been gone even five minutes before their corporate office called me back to ask a few questions about the driver’s professionalism and to share that they were ordering a new one for delivery. Said they would call with a new date once it’s received.

I was really hungry having abstained from making breakfast while waiting on the range delivery. Opted to make a sandwich. And while doing so I decided to use the micro fiber cloth and hot steamy water on the range to clean it up like I do the new dishwasher. Imagine then my surprise when all the ‘scratches’ came off the range. Yeah, no kidding! Apparently those scratches were really remnants of that tight gripping plastic wrap. Only when I used steaming hot water with the micro-fiber cloth did it come right off. Hmm? I was thrilled to look at the range and not see scratches, which until that moment was what my eyes would immediately see.

Spent a considerable amount of my work time on a project. I think it was near 1pm when the glass block company showed up. There were two of them and they went right to work. One guy worked outside while the other inside. Had two of the windows in place and mortaring them in before I could even get my shoes on. They used what I’ll call a giant icing bag to mortar them in. Neato! I asked again if he thought he’d need me to crawl under the deck to do the third window. He said not, that the guy with him would do it. Uh, I didn’t think so. He was a pretty big fella.

Long story short, he tried but got stuck at the entry point. I told him that I was willing to do it, but just to give me a couple tips. I’d watched him mortar in the others. I was able to crawl in between the two deck levels without much problem at all. Guessing about 16” of clearance. Harder to squeeze the mortar bag than I imagined but soon got the hang of it. Took me two three times longer than it did Matt, and it didn’t look as pretty either, but then again, he does this every day. Finally satisfied that I had it as good as I could get it, I exited. I scribbled a check for the glass block company then told Matt that I was going back under with a wet towel so I could further smooth out the mortar lines and also clean up the glass block. He said I had a good 30 minutes before it would set-up. As soon as they left I headed back under the deck and did as I planned. Looked pretty good by the time I finished. I actually went back under a third time, that time to tack up the outdoor speaker wires draping down in front of the window. Figured it was as good a time as any since I had the access panel off and was already dirty.

Jacob & Bella were home from school near 3pm. Jacob said something I didn’t quite follow about soccer practice. Wasn’t sure if he blew it off or if it was cancelled. Either way, he needed the break. The kids had their friends over within a couple minutes, but not even five minutes later I witnessed both Jacob & Bella heading upstairs leaving their friends in the kitchen/family room without any word on their status. Hmm? A few minutes later I heard the neighbors leave. I had to join a work call so I didn’t have time to check on Jacob and Bella.

My called lasted a good 30-40 minutes. By the time it wrapped up it was 415pm. Mindy was home a little while later. Guessing it was near 430pm. She was surprised that Jacob was home. When she went up to check on the kids she found Jacob sound asleep and Bella lazing in her room. I let Mindy know too that they kind of abandoned their friends downstairs. We’ll need to talk about that for the future. Not good.

Mindy woke Jacob around 515pm, and Jimaken was over to pick-up the kids around 530pm. Mindy and I made plans to go to Woodlands to enjoy happy hour beer and music. We wanted to get there fairly early, too since it gets crowded in a hurry. I was showered and ready to go by 6pm.

We parked on 3rd Ave. about ½ block down from the venue. Not too bad at all. Lovely evening, low 70s and crystal clear. All the patio seating was taken so after getting a couple IPAs (Millersberg IPA) we stood at community table on the patio. There was ample seating inside where the one mad band was playing but it was a little too loud. Couldn’t talk. At the community table we met Eric and his dachshund, Rembrant. We stood since there weren’t any stools available.

On the western horizon, and just before sunset, a slivery moon hung in the crystal clear sky. I can still see it in my mind’s eye. We both ordered 2nd IPAs as well as a pepperoni pizza. Our server was attentive but perhaps not the brightest bulb in the batch. She returned with a single slice of pizza. We laughed and reiterated that we wanted a whole pie. She corrected the mistake but we had to wait for another pizza to bake. And she comp’d us the single slice.

Thinking it was near 820pm when we finished out 2nd beers and headed for home. Mindy had been exchanging texts with Bob I., who lives just around the corner. He was just getting home and heading our way via bicycle as we were heading home. Agreed to attempt a hook-up Saturday sometime.

For the first time in a really long time, Mindy and I walked down to visit briefly with neighbors Kenny and Chrissy. Missy & Guy were there too. I took a beer along. Once it was gone Mindy asked that we head for home. She headed to bed while I remained up playing my guitar and bongos, I had enough of a buzz that I thought I sounded good. 

Smelling of the Corn

Still not feeling 100%, I slept in until almost 640am, and by the time I was downstairs the kids were just about to head out the door to catch the bus. It was supposed to be another gorgeous sunny September day with temps near 80. I completed calisthenics which ended with 40 curls then retreated to my office where I enjoyed coffee, internet and a little work. I hung there well past Mindy's departure, and stayed busy with work until I mustered the energy to meditate, stretch and ultimately run. Oh, I walked the pug sometime after calisthenics and before Mindy left for school.

It was near 830am when I finally headed out for a 4.1 mile run. Somewhere in the low 50s at the outset but the rising sun's intensity warming things quickly as the run progressed. By the way, because no one picked up our old microwave from setting along the curb last weekend, I decided to pack it into the trash can on Tuesday. But sometime Wednesday evening, or shortly after I rolled the can to the curb for Thursday's pick-up, I saw a minivan pull up and snatch the microwave from the curbside can. Glad it will be repurposed rather than crushed/disposed of. It worked just fine.

Back from my run, I fried a few eggs, enjoying a quick breakfast ahead of a 10am call I needed to join. I had a couple tasks on my to-do list that have been eating at me for the past two weeks. I am happy to report that I finally took the time to address them. Dedicated a few hours to them on Thursday.
The workday moved along swiftly, and before I knew it Bella was home from school. And following her into the house was friend, Josie. And no more than 5 minutes later there were a few others over too. I let the girls know that I had a call to join at 3pm and to keep the noise to a minimum. They willingly complied.

It was curriculum night at Mindy's school, and as such, she didn't figure to be home until near 9pm. It would then be my job to make sure Bella was fed and delivered to gymnastics. I ended up working until almost 630pm. And when I asked Bella what she wanted for dinner she had no answer. I ended up stopping at Steak & Shake on the way, her request.

We arrived at gymnastics early. No problem. Bella said that would give her time to practice her Octoberfest routine. Back at the house near 730p, I reheated some of Mindy's chicken noodle casserole after pouring about a 1/4 can of cream of chicken overtop. It was good before, but even better with the additional cream of chicken. Because Mindy was at school so late, she planned to pick-up the peanut on her way home, thus saving the trouble of heading back out. Jacob got home around from soccer around 830pm. Said they lost 1-0, their first loss in 5 or 6 games.

As planned, Mindy was home with Bella around 915p and Bella soon off to the shower. I tuned into TNF on CBS - Giants/Redskins. I popped some popcorn and washed it down with orange soda, which had been craving all day. Bella smelt the popcorn and after her shower was downstairs wanting to partake. Mindy and the kids were off to bed even before 10p. I stayed up for another hour watching football and playing around online. Off to bed near 11pm.

Fillin the Gap

I slept in until almost 7am, and ever since Monday evening, still not feeling quite right. In fact, if nothing else, I was feeling worse. Despite the queasiness, I pushed through Wednesday calisthenics which included push-ups. More than once while sitting at my PC sipping coffee, I felt as though I might throw-up. Not a pleasant feeling at all!

Even before Mindy left for school, I pretty much knew that I was going to work from home. I sent an email to my customer letting them know that I wouldn't be on campus but would be available via email and cell if they needed me. At the time I thought for certain that I would end up back in bed but never did. Instead, I worked for about an hour in my PJs then headed out on a run. By the time i did meditation and stretch I felt a little better, though still a bit unsettled.

It was a gorgeous morning, sunny and near 50 by the time I left for a run. The day's high was expected to reach 75 - typical September weather. Felt even better after a run, but again, that uneasy feeling in my belly would come and go. Around 1pm I felt well enough to make a quick run to H.D. to return a box of decking screws that I bought Sunday but didn't use or need as well as picking up another piece of oak trim that I planned ot use to fill the 1/3" gap between our new dishwasher and the oak cabinet support next to it. Of course I'd have to match stain and urethane it first. I've done it before. No biggie.

Home again after maybe 35-40 minutes away and quickly back to work. Mindy sent a text asking if I was feeling any better. Marginally. Then later, she sent another text sharing that Molly would be coming over around 430p to pick-up Bella while Jimaken headed directly to Jacob's soccer game. I'd forgotten that it was a Jimaken night. Without me saying anything, Mindy already assumed that we'd be staying in since I wasn't feeling too good.

Like most work at home days, time seem to fly by and before I knew Bella was home from school. I let her know that Molly was coming around 430p and asked that she take care of her homework before that. She did as I requested without push-back. Mindy was home a little after 4pm and then Molly near 430p. I chatted with Mindy and Molly for a little while before heading back to my desk to wrap up my work day.

Mindy said she was making some comfort food for dinner, exactly what I wasn't really sure. It ended up being baked chicken and noodle casserole with stuffing sprinkled atop. It was really good, though perhaps a tad on the dry side. I suggested next time she add another can of cream of chicken or simply pour some overtop. Because it was just she and I, clean-up was quick and easy. Didn't do a whole lot after dinner either. I plucked on my guitar before and after the kids got home. I spent a little time online, too. I was off to bed around 945p eager for a quality night's sleep.

Punkt on Nitro

Clear early AM - cold, only 39 degrees
Sunny low 70s forecasted.
Didn't run until just after 8am. Ran 4.1 miles
Work at home early on but across town for most of the day.
Stayed very busy. No lunch.
Left work at 430pm
Called Mindy. Jacob came home after school on bus, skipped soccer practice. Wanted to go to Barley's for dinner.
Not feeling so well, I wasn't thrilled with the idea at first but conceded.
Unusual Barley's Tuesday with kids.
Enjoyed a Barley's Punkt on nitro. Mindy had one too
Jacob was excited to be at Barley's. Said it's been a while.
I ordered KC wings, Not very good. Came cold. Returned to be heated u. Small and somewhat dry. Unusual for Barley's. Mindy had the fried chicken. I tried it. It was good.
Lots of new servers at Barleys. Daniel was training our server that night. Can't recall her name.
After dinner we drove Bella straight to gymnastics.
At home and in my PJs by 745pm.
I reluctantly agreed to do the pick-up too.
I played guitar for about an hour before taking off to get her.
Was really tired. Felt drained.

And There it Began

Up near 615am.

Partly cloudy cool 48 at run time. Only a high of 64 and breezy

Ran 4.1 miles

Worked from home early on then at the office for the lion's share of the day. Arrived near 10am.

Haircut at lunch. Long overdue.

Jacob had a soccer game beginning at 6pm. I remained at work until 540pm. Made no sense to drive home then right back. The plan was to meet Mindy and Bella at the game. I beat them there by 10-15 minutes.

I was very cold, especially after the sun dipped below the horizon. It was in the upper 50s but it felt like the low 40s to my blood. Almost mind numbing. Mindy went for the blankets from the Pilot at the game's half. I was so cold it gave me a headache that I couldn't shake. In hindsight, I think I had the touch of something coming on. Didn't feel 100% the rest of the work week.

I left the game with something like 8 minutes to go. It was tied 1-1 when I left. Ever since the coach moved Jacob to defense playing the rover position, his team has been much more competitive. Not a lot of goals given up. He's fast and deflects a lot of otherwise shots on goal.

Mindy asked that I put mashed potatoes on the microwave once at home. She'd already put what remained of Sunday's roast back in the crock-pot when she got home from school. I did just as she asked. She, Jacob and Bella got home about 20-25 minutes after me. By then I was changed into my comfy clothes which felt terrific.

The roast was as good or even better than it was Sunday. Yum-yum! By the time we finished dinner and clean-up it was 8pm. I was tired and wanted nothing more than to lounge on the sofa and that's exactly what I did. I watched a good portion of MNF - Steelers/Panthers. Took a Naproxen before bed. Had a dull, throbbing headache - one I felt brought on by the unusual chilly air at the soccer game.

11 Step Program

The forecast was calling for cloudy skies and a significant chance of rain for Sunday, and before bed, I checked the radar and saw that a line of strong storms were sweeping south and east from Chicago. In fact, Michigan's Saturday evening football was postponed for several hours due to strong storms. However, all that said, not only did the storms fall apart during the overnight, the revised forecast was calling for partly to mostly sunny skies and only a 10% chance of rain. What's more, looking 10 days out, not a drop of rain in the foreseeable future. In other words, very Septemberish!

I played on the internet and enjoyed coffee for more than an hour before heading out on a run. By then it was almost 70 degrees. I even contemplated running without a shirt. Good run. Once Mindy was up, she worked on a grocery list. She put a roast in the crock pot for dinner, too. I asked if we could swap cars so I could make a Home Depot run to get the lumber necessary to add risers to our basement stairs. I'd also be going by my dad's to rip and cross-cut the boards. I left for H.D. & Lowes near 12noon.

I needed to stop at both places since Lowes had the brackets I wanted/needed for the project. H.D. had everything else. Bought 22 brackets at Lowes (two per riser). Bought six 1X10" pine boards which I planned to cross cut to roughly 33" and then rip to 8" exactly. I also bought screws and liquid nails. In addition, decided to go ahead and buy the PEX tubing I'd need to complete the plumbing for the basement.

Called dad in route to his place. He was there awaiting my arrival. Mindy called sharing some sad news about Ruby, Jodie & Larry's Giant Schnauzer. She died the night before after falling suddenly ill. I knew the two them would be hurting.

Arrived at dad's sometime after 1pm. He already had his table saw set-up in the driveway for easy access. After a little conversation we got down to business. Learned quickly that the rip fence was loose despite being fully engaged. A little WD-40 and it was fixed. I needed 11 boards that varied in width from 32-13/16" to 33" exactly. I cut them all to 33" planning to trim them to fit with my circular saw at home. Once we had all the boards cross-cut we started the ripping. Mindy pulled up unexpectedly. Said she was stopping by her sister's to drop off a card and flowers.

Ripped all 12 boards to 8" exactly. Once we got going it went really fast. Before heading home, I offered to help dad with a project he had going on, which was reinstalling about an 8' span of gutter on the north end of his house. He'd already painted the trim behind it. I pointed out how his power line in the same area was not only rubbing the roof shingles but also cutting into the corner of the house creating a very serious safely hazard. I insisted he contact AEP rightaway.

Took care of reinstalling the gutter then nailed down a few loose shingles and applied some roofing cement to some exposed nail heads on the flashing. Dad's been battling vertigo of late, so he was at least wise enough not to attempt the work himself. I helped him put all the tools we used away. And just before I left I shared that I would call AEP the following morning about the powerline issue. That way I could make sure it got addressed. We also invited dad for dinner - roast beef.

I headed home at what must have been close to 3pm. I headed immediately to the basement to get busy on the stairs. Mindy stopped home with groceries before heading over to her sister's. I signed the card before she left. Down the basement I got right to work. I'd already made a list with each board's exact width requirement. Not only did I write the number sequence on each stair tread, but once it was cut for that specific riser I noted the number on the board too. Smart!!! :) I then tediously installed two brackets to each cut to fit riser board. Before screwing into the stairs, I applied a bead of Liquid Nails. Took an hour or so to do all 11 risers. Went pretty much exactly as I planned. Very happy to have the task completed. It was one of the first dilemmas I contemplated shortly after Kenny framed the basement May '13.

Mindy was home shortly after I got everything cleaned up and put away. By then it was closing in on 340pm. I headed up for a shower, and at the same time I turned on the bedroom TV to check in on the NFL scores. It was after my shower that I learned that they were behind and on their way to losing. Not only that, but their starting QB, Matt Cassel was hurt and out. Teddy Bridgewater, our much ballyhooed rookie QB, was in. Bottom line, T.B. played well but they lost 20-9. :(

Das was soon at the house and dinner was soon on the table. I showed him my work in the basement. He was surprised that I had already completed the stair project The roast was outstanding and so were the accompanying carrots. I love fresh cooked carrots!

After clean-up Mindy served up the last of the chocolate pie. Just enough for the three of us to have a piece. Dad stuck around until near 7pm. Thanked him again for the assist earlier with the saw. After dad left, I changed into comfy attire and tuned into SNF pregame. The rest of the evening was spent lazing watching football.

Helenistic Day

I slept well and was up and downstairs around 745am. Mindy asked that I bring her coffee in a little bit. Sure dear. Downstairs I stepped out onto the deck to drink in some of the lovely morning air, which was slightly cool, though significantly warmer than the last few mornings. Inside, I started some coffee then headed to my PC where i spent a solid thirty minutes before taking Mindy coffee. She didn't wake when I entered the room with the coffee so I quietly set it on her night stand and tip-toed out. Rare that she didn't wake.

I played for a while longer before finally heading out on a run. Must've been near 915am when I headed out. Ran three miles. Mindy was sitting on the deck when I got back. I joined her there while cooling down after my run. Despite not being in the forecast, heavy cloud cover moved in over the next hour. Thankfully though, it didn't last. Around 1115am we made the decision to spend our afternoon in Yellow Springs. I actually offered that we do Darby Park instead, but Mindy was fairly adamant about Yellow Springs. We haven't been back since last October.

I took a shower. Mindy simply freshened up. We left the house near 1215pm taking the Accord. Ashley sent a text asking if we were brining the stove by. I shared that we were going hiking and would either bring it later that evening or possibly even Sunday. Took about 50 minutes to get to Yellow Springs. And like it did earlier at home, the skies bounced between sun and clouds. But by the time we got to Yellow Springs it was mostly sunny and somewhere in the 70s. We found parking along Xenia Ave. right outside the Twisted Tines. From there we walked to the public restrooms before heading into Glen Helen for a hike.

As fate would have it, we mistakenly took the wrong path once inside Glen Helen and instead of ending up along the name sake yellow spring and the all too familiar trail, we ended up heading almost due south on a lesser taken trail high above Yellow Spring Creek ducking in and out of steep out croppings or caves. Very unusual. We could hear those following the lower trail along the creek below. Lo and behold, we stumbled up a couple architectural gems. First we stumbled upon the Glen Helen Atrium Art Gallery in the middle of the woods. The building had a Frank Lloyd Wright feel about it. And then another 1/4 mile or so along the trail, we happened upon a nature center of similar architecture. Inside it was similar to the new Darby Park nature center. Cool! We stayed on that same upper trail hiking maybe 1.5 miles south of town. Almost purposefully, we aimed slightly west until we bisected with the bike trail - The Little Miami Scenic Trail. We walked that back into town, which proved to be a treat as well. Saw an enormous solar panel complex under construction, assuming it to power much of the university. Read about it here: http://antiochcollege.org/news/archive/antioch-college-breaks-ground-new-solar-farm

As we continued on we stumbled upon The Women's Park, a long narrow park nestled in between the bike trail and the college. It was loaded with greenery and lovely perennial flowers. We continued on the bike trail into town where we planned to have lunch. Though we love it, we agreed to try something other than Ye Olde Tavern. Decided to try Wind's Cafe.

By then it was nearing 3pm. Inside Wind's Cafe, which is newly renovated, we opted for bar seating. There they have a scaled down menu and a decent drink menu that includes a few good beers. I opted for a DIPA, Wanderlust from Nowhere in Particular Brewing in Dayton. Mindy opted for a glass of wine. We both decided on the lamb burger garnished nicely. It was top notch. Not wanting to sport a big afternoon beer buzz, I had just the one beer. Afterwards, we ventured out to hit a couple shops. Most notably, we wanted to check out the music store to see what they had in the way of drum boxes since we know two people who would love to own one. However, much to our chagrin, we were told that the guy who makes them found a real job and no longer has time to make the custom drum boxes. :( We ventured a couple more shops too, including the same one where we bought our large purple mosaic plate. There Mindy bought me a mini xylophone type thing. Too cool!

Before heading home, Mindy popped in Twisted Tines. There we bought nothing. We pulled out of Yellow Springs for home near 4pm. You wouldn't believe the crowd at Youngs Dairy. There must've been a couple thousand cars parked all along the road in all the makeshift parking lots. That time of year - the pumpkin patch.

Once on I-70, it's a very boring drive. I listened to the Alabama/Florida football game for most of the drive home. Just before arriving home I suggested we see if the old range will load up in the Pilot and if so, take it over to Ashley that evening to get it out of the way. I took some measurements before trying to simply cram it in and by all accounts it would fit on its back easily. We put the rear seats down, of course. I had to convince Mindy to come along, though she willingly helped load it up. I think she wanted to nap.

I sent Ashley a text letting her know that we were ready to bring it by. She called me back a few minutes later to let me know that they were home. I asked that she have the area behind her existing stove clean so all we'd have to do is slip the new on in. She shared that she'd already cleaned back there as recent as Thursday night in preparation for its delivery. Cool! We arrived to Ash, Steven and Olivia sitting out front. Ash & Steven were smoking. I gave them both a little crap about it. Always will too. Smoking is dangerous and will kill them if they don't quit! What Ashley may not realize is that Olivia will likely smoke just like the two of them. Odds are very, very strong.

Anyway, we wasted little time. First things first, Steven and I carried the old existing range to the dilapidated garage. And before carrying our old one, I had Ashley fetch me some cleaning supplies so I could "Jimmy clean" behind the stove. I joked with Ashley that I was going to come over one Saturday and teach her how to deep clean. I could tell that she swept and ran a sponge over the neighboring cabinet walls, but the sticky stove residue remained. I got most of it off with a lot of elbow grease and determination. Satisfied, Steven and I carried in the new range. Before moving to its final spot we leveled it up (brought a small level with me) and then installed the new drip pans. Looks like new! Ashley seemed excited. After all, it's far nicer than the one that was there and likely about 10 or 15 years newer.

We chit-chatted for a while, me visiting with Olivia who was busy watching kiddie TV, just like Bella does at home. Mindy and I headed for home near 6pm. We didn't plan to go out anywhere, agreeing early on to simply stay home, relax, and watch a little college football. Sometimes that the best plan of all.

While I cracked a beer and tuned into college football, Mindy headed off to the shower since she hadn't taken one earlier. She was upstairs for a while, emerging about an hour later all fresh, clean, and dressed only in a V.S. nighty. We watched a little football then lowered the lights for our own halftime show. :) Headed to bed near 11pm.

Shiny n' New and Zauber Too

Finding Myself in the Attic

In the basement, yard and attic.

Now Doesn't that Look Refreshing?

I was up shortly after Mindy and quickly downstairs engaged in calisthenics. It was a push-up day, and I opted to do them outside on the deck. It was clear and chilly, about 50 degrees. It was monthly presentation day so I planned on working across town and wanted to be there no later than about 930am. To that end, I was mindful of my morning playtime.

As a result, I walked the pug and completed meditation and stretching even before Mindy left for school. Actually, I was in the middle of my stretching routine when she left. A few minutes later I was out the door for a run. Despite and rain free forecast, clouds moved in turning our sunny forecast gray. I ran the full 4.1 miles.

Back at home near 810am, I headed out to water all the deck flowers since most were all but completely dry. Outside for about 10 minutes, made breakfast and packed a lunch. It was near 840 when I rushed off to the shower. Waiting at my washbowl was a greeting card from Mindy commemorating the nine year anniversary of the day we met, Saturday, September 17, 2005 - Bob & Mary's block party. Who says you can't have cheap sex on the first date and remain strong nine years later? Oh wait, maybe we didn't have cheap sex. :)

Headed out the door near 910am. Before getting on the freeway I needed to stop for gas. About as low as it’s been in a year, only $3.02 per gallon.

Arrived across town near 930am. The thick cloud cover that moved in earlier was already starting to thin. It was still a little on the chilly side but shaping up to be a nice day. One of the customer’s directors was leaving as I was walking in. Shared that he wouldn’t make the 1030am presentation. Ahead of my presentation, I procured a projector and took care of a couple quick issues.

All set up by 1025am. I like to be ready! A smaller than normal crowd, both in person as well as on the bridge. Presentation went well. Took the allotted hour to get through it all. Took care of a couple hot issues then sent myself a Lowes list via text and headed off to run errands around 1245pm. At Lowes I bought a new flower pot for our snake plant that’s grown considerably, now going on its 4th pot in seven years. The one I bought is a bit more decorative too. I also picked up a sconce light for the basement stairs, some new drip pans for our old range (giving it to Ashley), and looked unsuccessfully for some grout to match our existing floor tile.

Headed back to the office arriving near 150pm. Quickly back into work mode. Had a face to face meeting on my calendar for 3pm at another campus building, which I’d have to drive to. However, just before I was set to pack up and head over, I got a meeting cancelation notice. Sweet! I felt like I got some time back in my day. I used the time wisely to study for that certification I need to get before year’s end.

Left for home around 430pm. Called Mindy once safely merged onto 270. She was just leaving school. She sounded disappointed when I shared that I was happy to simply stay home and relax. I also thanked her for the card commemorating the 9 year anniversary of the day we met, Saturday, September 17, 2005. I had admittedly overlooked the date, though had remembered a few days prior. I guess I was consumed with my own birthday.  Not wanting to disappoint, I offered that we go wherever she wanted, and she suggested CBC. Got home near 5pm. The kids were soon off with Jimaken and Mindy and I on our way to CBC, but not before placing our garbage can at the curb. Guessing we arrived near 540pm and parked in the main lot.

Inside, the bar was near capacity but a few stools remained in my favorite corner. While Mindy chatted it up with a couple of the servers, I settled into my stool. Kate and Julie were working the bar. No Bodhi. Fine with me, I was happy to try something different. I eventually settled on their new hoppy red ale. Very tasty! Mindy went with a Pumking from Southern Tier.

We shared some risotto balls and bread and later order entrees. Mindy went with the special – crunchy fried chicken dish, and I ordered spinach artichoke dip. I had a 2nd Red ale too. Mindy wanted just the one Pumking though they’re about 8.5% abv. Despite ordering just the one, Julie or Kate, can’t remember which, brought her a Buffalo Bill’s pumpkin ale, which is touted as America’s first. I can vouch for that moniker as Glenn introduced it to me 11 or 12 years ago.

We left for home near 8pm arriving no more than 15 minutes later. I quickly changed into my PJs and brushed my teeth.

Livin in the Dog's Shoes

B-Day Behind Me

Thanks for all the love!

Playin Possum

I got a really good night of sleep. Slept for nine hours. Up just ahead of 8am, I was happy to see signs of sunlight out the window. Could really use some blue skies. It was chilly though, only 48 degrees. Autumn is in the air!

While coffee brewed, I glanced out the dining room window. And one of the first things I noticed was that the critter trap door was closed. Did I finally have that pesky groundhog? I was eager to head out to see. I slipped into my exercise/dog walking shoes then headed out back and around the deck. Caught a critter alright, but not a ground hog. Nope! Instead, I caught a juvenile opossum. He as all curled up by the door and when he saw me opened his mouth as wide as it would go apparently an effort to scare me. I assured him that I would be no harm but didn’t plan to release him until later once Bella was awake. I wanted her to see it.

Inside, I enjoyed coffee and internet for a little while before Mindy sent a text asking for coffee and a snuggle. Minutes later I headed upstairs with coffee and we snuggled for an hour or so. I could hear Bella up and romping around the house. I told Bella about the catch and encouraged her to get into her shoes and join me where we could venture out and get another look before releasing him. I took my camera along too. Took some very poor pics. Moved the trap near the edge of the honeysuckle bushes along the pond then opened the hatch and the little critter scampered quickly away.

After a three miles run, I decided it was time to mow the lawn even though I’d done so as recent as Tuesday. Not feeling any immediate time constraints, I took my time and moved the entire front lawn with the push mower. While I took care of the lawn, Mindy ran a couple errands. Spent about 2 hours on the lawn. By the time I finished it was NFL time, though once again I didn’t plan to watch. Instead, I took care of a few basement related tasks.

Mindy asked our guests to arrive around 4pm. We’d be ordering Minelli’s pizza then celebrating with chocolate pie. The boys and Lindsey showed up about 30 minutes early. Livy, Ashley and Steven were next, then Tommy, Wally, and Wally’s shadow, my dad, Larry & Jodie. Appreciate everybody coming over to celebrate with us.

Watched a little NFL action in the back ground, by then the 430pm games were on. The Vikings got a smack down at the hands of the Patriots. As good as they played the week prior, they played that poorly this week. No excuses!

The girls and grandkids gifted me the pug mask I’d had my eye on for a couple weeks now. Made me laugh. Ashley, I think, was over the day I was searching for it on the internet and must’ve taken that as her queue. Good job, Ash!

The Minelli’s pizza hit the spot, but the chocolate pie was even better -yum-yum! Our guests hung out until 630-7pm. Had a nice time. Again, appreciate everybody’s cards, well wishes, etc. Thanks to Mindy for organizing a handful of birthday related events.

Once our guests were gone, it was time to put the house back in order and prepare for the work week ahead. For me that meant little more than picking up in the kitchen and then slipping into my PJs and snuggling up in the family room chair and watching SNF.

Blood and Water

I got up around 715am no longer able to sleep. Somewhat surprisingly, I didn’t have a hangover, but then again, I did take a Naproxen even before we left for Barley’s Friday evening. That most likely saved me. Once I started coffee I started feeling sleepy again. I laid down on the living floor but soon headed back up to bed. Maybe I did have a hangover.

I slept for another hour or so, waking this time near 830am. By then I felt good and ready for whatever the day would bring. I enjoyed coffee and PC time until almost 10am. We also committed to watching the boys so Lindsey could work OT. Thinking it was near 910am when they showed up.

Mindy was up around 930am and seemed surprised that I was feeling so chipper. More than once she tried to get me to eat something while we were at Barleys.

I did wake ravenously hungry. And to satiate that hunger I broke with tradition and woofed down a bunch of Barley’s chicken tenders that Mindy apparently brought home last night for the kids. They were so good! Other than a few slices of pita bread, I hadn’t eaten anything substantial since lunch time Friday.
I left for a run around 10am and ran the usual Saturday route of just three miles.

I was messing around out in the yard when Mindy hollered out that she was leaving to run Bella over to Jodie and Larry’s for game day. Said she was coming right back home to get busy making chocolate pies for my Sunday family birthday celebration. Yum! While she was away, I did a few household chores, like cleaning up all the house plants in the bay window, vacuuming up dead debris, and cleaning the window sills underneath. That’s a tedious task. I vacuumed the family room while I was at it. Noticed that it was full and nearly clogged. Took care of that too.

By then it was noon and time for the Buckeye game kickoff against Kent St. The game was expected to be a lopsided win for OSU but after last week’s upset, who knew for certain what to expect? But it didn’t take long for the Buckeyes to turn on the jets. Just like that it was 21-0. And then by halftime, a lopsided blowout – 45-0.

Mindy was home working on the pies while bounced between the TV and the basement, spending my time down there removing the rigid fresh air ducting and then installing the new insulated ducting that I bought a couple days earlier. Unfortunately, I soon learned that I needed a duct part that I didn’t have. I needed a 4” double male splice. I couldn’t finish the job without it. Figured I would make a Home Depot run after the game. But like a lot of seemingly small tasks, this one too lead to more work than originally foreseen. For starters, right next to the fresh air intake duct to outside is the black plastic power disconnect box I installed 20 years ago for the hot tub which is no longer. And three or four years ago when I scraped the hot tub and subsequent power feed, I had no choice but to leave a one inch hole in the side of the disconnect box. In hindsight, I probably should’ve plugged it. Anyway, I didn’t and a mouse conveniently crawled in and made a nest. This I discovered while pulling out the “6 wiring that ran into the basement and to the electric panel from the disconnect box. Stunk to high heaven.

So now the change of the fresh air ducting had turned into something more. First, I removed the wiring despite the wretched smell, then headed in and immediately washed my hands. Next, I cleaned the inside of the now empty disconnect box and plugged the hole with a metal plug made just for such things. I should also mention that because I didn’t put insulation or caulking around the wire entrance, there were signs of water migration riding in on the wire sheath. Not bad, but enough to catch my attention. So naturally, I took care of all that too. Not only did I plug the hole in the disconnect box, but used packing clay to plug the entrance hole into the house. I then caulked all around the fresh air vent hood.

All this work I am speaking of is right next to the A/C compressor, and I couldn't help but notice the black rubbery insulation that protects the copper plumbing for the Freon was all but rotted away. Knowing I had some in the basement, I decided to replace that too. In other words, the ducting I couldn’t replace because I needed an adapter turned out to be 2 hours of unrelated work.

Once everything outside was completed I headed back to the basement where I took a couple minutes to run the power feed into the over the sink mini-can light fixture. While doing so - which is easy work - I sliced a finger on the fixture’s sharp edges. Ouch!! While dripping blood and dismounting the ladder, I couldn’t help but notice a small but suspicious puddle of water. What the ….?

So, while applying pressure to my bleeding finger, I inspected the puddle of water looking for its cause. I could see a little moisture (wetness) around an electrical wire directly above going up into the subfloor. The water wasn’t coming from the kitchen sink plumbing. That’s another joist cavity over. Instead, I surmised that it had to be coming from the dishwasher, which had run within the last hour. Oh boy!

Once I wrapped up what I was doing in the basement and fetched a Band-Aid for my bloody finger, I turned my attention to the water leak. At the same time, I informed Mindy that I needed to make a quick Home Depot run to get the part for fresh air duct. Before heading out, I fetched my ¼” nut driver and removed the kick plate from the dishwasher. And then after replacing the batteries in my LED flashlight which just so happened to fail at that very moment, I got down on the floor for closer inspection. Nothing obvious, and neither the water input or the drain connection appeared to be leaking, though the bare plywood flooring just beneath the dishwasher was damp. I decided I needed to run the dishwasher to see if it would leak.

Of course having recently run it, it was full. Mindy agreed to unload the dishes while I patiently waited. Once empty I dropped once again to the floor and put the dishwasher through a wash cycle. It’s mechanical so I could advance it through the various stages at will. Sure enough, once what I’ll refer to as a solenoid engaged, which appears directly attached to the pump/motor, it began leaking and not from the water input line or the discharge tube. Not good. And on closer inspection it looks like it’s been seeping very likely for years because the metal part in question, while still operation, had a build-up of corrosion. I ran it through that same cycle three or four times to be sure. Finally after about 20-30 minutes I gave up and shared that we simply need to get a new dishwasher. Makes no sense spending money on this one. It’s 20 years old!

I wasn’t too disappointed having gotten 10 more years out of it than one might normally expect. The only thing was the timing and inconvenience. But then again, when is convenient? I didn’t say anything to Mindy, but figured I would take a look-and-see while at Home Depot, though I am not a fan of buying appliances there. I’ve heard lots of horror stories. But if nothing else, I figured I could compare featured and prices.

Off to Home Depot. At Home Depot I went first for the ducting, and there I struggled to find the piece I really needed though after a little time I found a piece that would work however its intended purpose is the transition from the large duct box to the 4” starter. They didn’t seem to have the splice piece I had in mind (double male).

Eventually headed over to the appliance department taking in their somewhat limited selection of dishwashers. Relative to features, looks and price, none really caught my eye. Although there was a GE model I liked but it was too pricey. While there, I looked over their selection or ranges too. And just like with the dishwasher, the only make I liked was the GE. The features I had in mind were gas, cast iron cook top grates, convection, stainless steel, etc. Again,, though, a little pricey. Between the two, $2K. Ouch!

I never intended to buy new appliances at Home Depot anyway. Instead, just look and compare, But realistically, I’d need to address the dishwasher situation fairly soon. It dawned on me while in the checkout line that I get a discount with a couple/few appliance manufactures. I told myself that I would check into that later at home.

As I was pulling down our street, Lindsey was just leaving our house with the boys. I failed to mention that Landon was originally planning to go to Home Depot with me but had a change of heart last minute. At home, I went straight to the basement to continue the insulated duct work. Took twice as long as expected but I got it done. Like a lot of little tasks, I had to do each end twice – forgot to install the hose clamps the first time. On a positive note, the new dehumidifier seems to be doing its job removing the heavy humidity and taking away that damp, musty basement smell as well.

Near 630pm I headed upstairs for a shower, and by then I was itchy head to toe, no doubt a byproduct of working with the insulated ducting all day. While I was showering, Mindy was making dinner, penne pasta, chicken and tomatoes, which is a family favorite (mine without the artichokes).

I was starving and the pasta hit the spot. The remainder of the evening was very low key. We watched oodles of college football. I think I drank one beer the returned to ice water.

My Name is Heimi. I Play the Bongos!

 

Up and engaged in calisthenics by 630am. Whipped the entire gamut by 645am, or about the same time the kids headed off to the bus stop. As soon as I finished, I headed out with the pug. It was another cloudy morning and the temperature near 60 degrees. Wasn’t expected to make it out of the 60s all day. Not exactly the kind of weather I was hoping for.

Mindy left for school around 715am. Her cough much improved. By the time she left, I was already engaged in work, though I enjoyed coffee and a little personal internet time in the background, too.

Once again, I spent a bunch of time and effort on my peer’s customer. It’s been a trying week taking care of his and mine. I knocked out some mandatory training sometime during the day too. Because I cut the lawn on Tuesday afternoon, I didn’t plan on any yard work Friday. I did, however, take a lunch hour working in the basement. Nothing big, but progress just the same. For one, I unboxed and plugged in the new dehumidifier. I also tacked down the two 20amp circuit for entry into the panel box, though I wasn’t ready to make them hot just yet.

I didn’t spend more than an hour in the basement. In fact, I had to join a call at 2pm. The call didn’t go so well. I was experiencing technical difficulties with some data that I was sharing/providing. The work day was quickly winding down, and soon the kids were home from school. And not too much later, Mindy was home too.

Our evening plans included Mindy and I going to Barley’s to celebrate my birthday with friends. And last minute, Jiamken’s weekend plans changed so he couldn’t keep the kids as scheduled. In turn. Jacob was supposed to stay home with Bella. Jacob wasn’t happy about that. He wanted to go to the Hilliard football game despite Mindy’s insistence otherwise. But later, when Bella was invited to go with the neighbors, Mindy acquiesced and let him go. She actually dropped he and Joel off at the game.

I stayed busy wrapping up a few last minute issues with work until almost 6pm. I got a shower shortly after that, and we left for Barley’s a little while later. Don’t think we showed up until almost 7pm. A handful of birthday well-wishers were already there, including brother Tommy who pulled in just in front of us. At risk of forgetting a few folks, I’ll just say that it was a great turnout. I very much appreciate those that took time out of their busy lives to come celebrate with me. That was nice. I had a really good time and probably one too many beers. Well, there’s that, and the shots of Woodford Reserve. I definitely wasn’t feeling any pain when we left for home, which I can only guess was somewhere close to 11pm.

Almost immediately in the door, Mindy headed off to bed. Me, however, I stayed up a while listening to iTunes music keeping time with my new bongos. I did that for nearly an hour.

Feelin' Spry @ 55

Happy 55th Jimmy!

As promised, I woke to light rain and cloudy skies. Not exactly what I had in mind for my birthday. It was 615am and everybody was up. Mindy greeted me with a warm happy birthday. Downstairs, I breezed through calisthenics. And both kids extending a birthday greetings as well. Like any other work day, I enjoyed coffee and internet ahead of work and run. The day's forecast was still calling for clearing skies as the day wore on. I held on to the promise the forecast offered.

Mindy asked if I wanted cards and gifts before she and kids bolted for school. No. I walked Eiknarf in the dreary weather and just about the same time that Mindy was leaving for school. I planned to work at the main office. Once again, my boss told me that he needed some help with a project. With that in mind, I was deliberate with meditation and a stretch, eager to get out the door for a run no later than 745am.

The temp was about 63 degrees with a fairly stiff and chilly breeze out of the NW. I ran 4.1 miles without fail. Felt great. During my run I contemplated my 55th birthday and just how good I felt. Consider myself blessed to feel so spry @ 55!

Arrived at the office near 930am. Quiet morning, but certainly not because there wasn’t plenty to do. Instead, just quiet. I took care of several to-dos before my boss and I talked about his big project and what he’d need me to do in his absence. No one mentioned or acknowledged it being my birthday and I didn’t share it. I prefer it that way.

Spent the lion’s share of my day taking care of issues for a peer’s customer. He was on vacation all week. I didn’t take a formal lunch break though I did eat my packed lunch all the while plugging away at my aggressive to-do list.

And while it was a gloomy, gray morning, the sky brightened as the day progressed. By midafternoon it was sunny. I remained at the office until 445pm. According to Mindy, Jacob’s soccer game got moved up by 90 minutes. It would now be over by 6pm. What she wasn’t sure of was whether or not the coach would make he and others stick around for the “B” team game.

Our plan was still to do dinner at Columbus Fish Market. I was very much looking forward to it. Jacob sent a text, first sharing that he was expected to stick around but later recanted and said he was coming home. Not sure if he mentioned our birthday celebration or not. Once Jimaken called to tell Mindy that they were on their way home, I headed upstairs to freshen up. Until then, I had been busy handling work matters.

Once home from school & soccer, it didn’t take Jacob too long at all to ready for dinner. We left the house around 630pm, cutting across Grandview via 5th avenue to Olentangy River Rd. It didn’t appear that Mindy made a reservation, but it didn’t matter. We were seated right away at a table.

I can’t recall our servers name but she was friendly. Mindy opted for a glass of wine while I went with a Jack & Coke. The kids enjoyed pink lemonade – Jacob at least 4 refills. Said he was super thirsty. We ordered a couple appetizers while we mauled over the menu dinner entrée options. I was pretty much set on steak and lobster. I ended up going with one of the summer specials – beef skewers and a lobster tail.
I know Mindy & Jacob both ordered seafood too. Bella went with a burger. We ordered a pound of King Crab legs to share.

Our server came by before our entrees were ready to clarify how I wanted the beef skewers cooked. I ordered them medium rare. She asked if I wanted them pushed more towards medium or more towards rare. Definitely rare! In the meantime, we enjoyed the appetizers: bacon wrapped barbeque shrimp and crab and spinach dip. I also enjoyed the Caesar salad that came with my meal.

The timing was perfect, Unfortunately, though, the skewers were way over cooked. There wasn’t even a hint of pink and that was even after our server came by to clarify. Yikes! Mindy called her over to show her. She quickly agreed and whisked my plate away to make them right. And while she was there, Mindy shared that they had also forgotten to bring the king crab legs we ordered. Oops!

Soon a manager intervened to apologize for the mistake with the beef skewers as well as the forgotten crab legs. To make it right he suggested that the crab legs would be removed from our bill and that they would give us a complimentary dessert. I asked only that they correct the errors but he insisted.

Soon they brought the crab legs and my dinner plate. This time only the smallest beef tip was over dine, the rest probably not cooked enough.  I didn’t complain again though. They’re obviously difficult to cook. In fact, our server implied as much and shared that they’ve had difficulty with others. And the thing is, they didn’t taste that good either. The lobster tail, however, was tasty and the king crab legs superb.

The manager stopped by again to make sure everything was resolved to our satisfaction. He then reiterated that desserts were on the house. But because it was my birthday, we planned to have dessert at home. Mindy had a cake there and waiting. We expressed as much, and the manager then agreed to remove one of the appetizers from the bill in addition to the crab legs.

On our way out, Mindy and our server were chatting. Sounds like they’ll be happy to see the beef skewer special go away soon – lots of issues. The seafood was delicious. The tips, not so much.

Arrived home near 830pm. I promptly changed into comfy lounging clothes while Mindy and the kids brought me cards, gifts, and a cake. The kids gifted me some cool tom-tom drums, and Mindy gifted me two bottles of Jack, a fancy single barrel and then a regular black Jack. She also gifted me Todd tickets for his November show. Sweet!

By design, I waited all week to open the birthday cards that came in over the past week. Lots of love. Lots of cool cards. Enjoyed some double-chocolate birthday cake along with another Jack and Coke.