Think I'm Done

Sunny Sunday

Bella-Fontaine

Livy B4 CBC

3 Dog Night

Smaller Boot

Water, Rocks & Beer in Yellow Springs

Happy 8th Birthday Olivia!

I slept in way later than usual. I wasn’t out of bed until almost 9am. As I slipped out of the room Mindy asked that I bring her some coffee. Since it was vacation day, I decided to skip Friday calisthenics. Immediately started a pot of Starbucks then stepped out onto the deck to get a sniff of the weather. Seasonably warm in the mid 50s under mostly sunny skies. Great to see the morning sunshine!

Coffee was ready in short order. I poured two cups then headed upstairs. Mindy wanted to snuggle. We snuggled in bed for the next 30-40 minutes. Quickly closing in on 10am, I knew I couldn’t do my run until after Ashley came and left. We were expecting her around 10am. Near 955am, I send her a text asking her ETA. She said about 20 minutes. Was more like 30 minutes but not a big deal. However, had I know she wasn’t going to be there until 1030am, I could’ve squeezed in my run.

Once Ashley showed up we sang Happy Birthday to Olivia and then let her open her birthday gifts. We went light on the clothes this year getting only base layers for skiing. In her bag was a Target gift card, some cool craft stuff, giant bags of candy, and those wicking layers. She seemed happy with it.

I teased Ashley bout our planned hiking event after balking about going to Yellow Springs with us. She and Olivia were instead heading home to spend the early afternoon with Steven before he needed to leave for work. Thinking they left around 1115am. Oh, before they left, Ashley gave us the stuff (me, a summer sausage, Mindy a Xmas ornament) we ordered from Olivia’s school sale a few weeks prior.

I headed out for my run as soon as they left. Haven’t run that late in the morning for a long, long time. Ran three miles in the lovely warm sunshine. Very nice! Mindy had some yummy scrambled eggs ready upon my return. She made them with feta cheese and spinach. Over breakfast, we discussed our afternoon plans. We both still wanted to go hiking, especially since it was so nice outside, not to mention the fact that I burned a vacation day. Neither one of the kids wanted to go, and Mindy had already acknowledged not making Jacob go since he’d been away in D.C. all week. He said he simply wanted to stay home and relax.

We offered to take neighbor Makayla with us too, hoping that would placate Bella, but she didn’t want to go. It seemed we would have to force Bella to come along with us alone. Neither one of us thought that sounded too good. We toyed with the idea of simply hiking Darby, but quickly nixed that idea. We were both set on another visit to Yellow Springs. We ultimately agreed to let Bella stay home too under Jacob’s watchful eye with specific rules. The kids were very agreeable. At least this way we could enjoy the hiking minus the incessant whining that she was ready to go.

We didn’t leave the house until 1pm after both of us got showers. Mindy made sure both kids had chores to do in our absence. Jacob pushed back hard at first but then agreed. His option was coming with us. 
Quick drive to Yellow Springs in what was shaping up as a gorgeous afternoon, by then sunny and 70. Expected peak color but to my eyes it looks like we might even be past it. Still pretty, though.

Arrived in Yellow Springs in just under 50 minutes, or very near 150pm. We got a premo parking spot in the small lot between the pizza shop and firehouse. In short order we were over the fence and hiking in Glen Helen. Most of the Glen Helen autumn foliage is yellow, and with the sunshine and breeze, made for an ideal autumn hike. We took the southern trail, much like we did last visit a few weeks ago. We stopped in the art gallery again too. This time, however, the small gift shop was opened. I bought myself a Glen Helen / Yellow Springs ballcap. Leaving the gallery, we opted a slightly different trail, and one that took us down along the water instead of up high like last time.

Very pretty down along the shallow river. About midway we stopped for a break on a rocky bed where I took a number of photos. Gorgeous! We hiked a little further south until deliberately making our way back up the hill. As we exited the preserve we happened upon an enormous granite monument which we later learned was the grave site for Arthur and Lucy Morgan, who both had their ashes spread there. Interesting pair.

Like we did a few weeks prior, we walked the popular bike path back into town, but this time we opted to go in search of the new Vitruvian Brew pub. According to Google maps, it’s very close to Yellow Springs Brewing – off Walnut St. However, from the minimal information, I wasn’t able to determine if they’re actually opened for business. Once near the parking lot, we opted to drive instead of walk.

We headed north on Walnut St until we happened upon the entrance to Yellow Springs Brewery which is essentially at the end of developed land. From there north it’s mostly old farm houses. Hmmm? I vaguely recalled the Vitruvian logo and there on the big sign at the entrance to the commercial complex where Yellow Springs Brewing resides was that same logo. Could Vitruvian be housed in the same complex?

We drove around the small complex looking, eventually Mindy suggested that she would get out and ask a kid working at this art foundry warehouse. While she did that, I got out and photographed some amazing giant dahlia’s growing in a fenced off portion of the complex. Only in Yellow Springs! Wow! I had no idea that dahlia’s could grow as tall as 5-6’.

Turned out, the kid at the art foundry had little knowledge of the new brewery, but guessed it going in just around the corner. We decided to head over to Yellow Springs Brewing. Perusing their beer menu, it looked like a host of new brews since our previous visit. Also noticed that their pricing is now more realistic – more in line with other brewpub prices. Guessing they’ve suffered a little.

There were two new IPAs on the menu. Mindy and I agreed to get one of each and share. We opted for some spicy beer nuts too. We took our two beers to the patio. Both good IPAs and both far better than their original IPA, at least to my palette. Out on the patio was a couple with a 4-day old baby resting comfortably on his mother’s chest. Awh! Enjoyed our beers and nuts from the patio. Pretty quickly, the brilliant sunshine was giving way to cloud cover. I wasn’t surprised. Unfortunately, the clouds and even a little rain was in the evening/overnight forecast.

Before we left, we bought a Yellow Springs ping glass. Pulled out of town near 5pm, or 4 hours after leaving the house. Easy drive home. Like the drive out, it took just under 50 minutes to get home. After a little downtime we discussed evening plans, which was staying in and making homemade pizzas. I took a brief nap before any of that. And while I napped, Mindy, Bella and Makayla whipped up an apple pie. Thinking it was near 730pm when Mindy made a run to Giant Eagle to pick-up some beer and pizza cheese.

While Mindy went after more pizza cheese I got started making the pizza dough – one thin crust and the other deep-dish. Once the dough was mixed the girls took over. Makayla worked on the deep dish while Bella addressed the thin crust. A time or two, Bella was a little out of control, but I quickly reeled her back in. By the time Mindy got back home, the girls had the pizzas almost fully decorated sans a little more pizza cheese.

While the pizzas baked, I got a text from Darwin inviting us over for a bonfire. Seems their Pumpkin festival plans got moved to Saturday. Let him know that we would likely join them after eating our late dinner. The pizzas were delicious, at least for homemade. Finished dinner around 9pm. Jacob and Lane came in just before we were ready to head to the McVey’s.

I had an issue with Bella just before we left for Darwin & Connie’s, essentially being incredibly disrespectful. It’s something that she’s been doing more frequently last few months. Decided to talk about it before we left for Darwin’s. Like a lot of 12 year olds coming in a split family, she’s got a lot of unsettled feelings about me, her mom, dad and now Molly. More specifically about why he and Mindy split up. Long story short, she badly wants her mom and dad to be together and apparently sees me as a problem to that end.

Believe it or not, I totally get what she’s saying/feeling. When I was little I wanted the same thing. Felt that would fix life. What’s different is that Bella was adopted so I’m guessing that only makes her feel more insecure. But on the other hand, I have been the ‘real’ father figure for most of her memorable life save for the daddy weekends. Truth is, that part hurts a little.

Pretend Halloween

Up near 630am, or once I heard the shower beating against the enclosure.
It was raining but only lightly. The forecast promised and end to the rain and clearing skies by evening.
Expecting a high in the low 60s. At the time it was in the low 50s.
Bella was out the door for school around 645am. Mindy a half an hour later.
Before she left we briefly discussed the evening’s logistics – picking up Olivia then meeting at her school for the fall festival.
I walked the pug around 720am.
Meditation, stretching and run were next

Just before heading out on a run around 745am, I checked my work calendar. Glad I did. Crap! I knew I had an early call but thought it was set for 9am. I was wrong. It was set to begin at 830am. I could either trim my run to three miles or wait and run after my call. However, waiting would mean not running until 915am at the earliest and then most likely not getting into the office until 1030am or later. I opted to trim the run to three miles.

Easy run. Back home by 810am.
Ahead of my 830a call, I sent Kurt, the drywall guy, an email letting him know that I signed the contract and then asked our next steps. I also whipped up a quick breakfast. I made a wrap with leftover roast beef. Man, was it tasty!

Call lasted about 45 minutes. Off to the shower near 925am after throwing together a lunch for later.
Out the door near 950am. Arrived at the office near 10am.

Immediately attacked an aggressive to-do list. Since I was scheduled off on Friday, I had a few other items on my list that would otherwise be completed on Friday.

Kurt the drywall guy phoned around 1130am to discuss scheduling the drywall work. Explained that I still have some work to do, most notably, cutting in the plumbing feeds for the bath and kitchen. Kurt understood. Said he needs about 5 days lead time. Hoping to be ready for the last week in October.

Near 1pm I took a real lunch break and made a Target/Home Depot run.
At Target, I picked up a handful of birthday presents for Olivia. That’s always fun!
Next door at Home Depot, I picked up something, but right now can’t recall what it was.:)
Back to the office near 2pm.

Really busy afternoon knocking out everything on my to-do list. Just before leaving for the day, set my out of office and pointed my customer to a peer.

Agreed to meet Mindy at her school around 620pm after picking up Olivia at Al and Rosemary’s. They picked Olivia up from school and were having for a birthday dinner. They live within a mile of Mindy’s school so I didn’t have to drive too far out of my way.

Mindy, Bella and Josie (Bella’s friend) left the house shortly after I got home.

Checked email and played on the internet until 6pm, which is when I left for Grove City.

Passed Mindy’s school on my way to Al and Rosemary’s. Big crowd outside. Hmm?

Arrived at Al and Rosemary’s near 620pm. I waited because Ashley stated that Rosemary didn’t want to feel rushed through dinner. I totally understood. I don’t like that either. Hadn’t seen the two of them for about a year, and most likely Olivia’s b-day party last October. Gave both hugs and complimented Rosemary for how lovely their house is. Asked to check out some of her recent paintings, too. She‘s really good. While sharing, she said that she’s no longer painting. I guess she’s lost interest. While we visited, Olivia got changed into the witch costume I brought for her to wear.

Headed out near 630pm.
Parking was at a premium. Ended up making a parking spot in the north lot.
The event was inside and out. We stopped briefly at the petting zoo on our way inside where they had two or three lamas. Can’t help but think a lama is a cross between a goat and a camel.

We found Mindy just outside her classroom passing out candy to kids. Sort of like inside trick-or-treat. Olivia quickly bonded with Josie, Bella’s friend. The three of them palled around for the duration of the event.

I took the opportunity to try and familiarize myself with Mindy’s technology (smart board, projector, computer, etc), which hasn’t been working properly since the beginning of school. Based on her description of the symptoms, thought I might be able to correct it. Pretty much a wiring nightmare and one I wasn’t able to solve in the short amount of time I had to spend in her class room.

Mindy called my attention to Wonder Woman, who was hanging in the hall way with her. It was none other than Rene. Mindy extended an invite for she and her BF Vaughn to meet us afterwards at Barleys.

The kids took in a few of the indoor fall festival activities in the main auditorium. Meanwhile, Mindy was chatting it up with a couple older women and soon called me over and introduced me to the “lunch ladies”, Phyllis and Teresa. I didn’t immediately recognize her, but Phyllis was my Aunt Char’s bff from childhood. Hadn’t seen her for 40+ years. She told me that I looked like my dad.

We wrapped up at the festival near 745pm, agreeing to meet Rene & Vaughn at Barley’s. However, Mindy was headed first to Jacob’s school to pick him up from his D.C. trip. Expected him to arrive near 830pm. All three girls opted to ride with me (Bella, Josie, Olivia).

Arrived at Barley’s near 815pm. Rene and Vaughn had the long table along the south wall and Marisa was our server.
Ordered the kids soft drinks while I ordered a beer – a Three Floyd’s Pale Ale. Ordered two baskets of fries along with buffalo sauce for dipping. It was another 30-40 minutes before Mindy and Jacob showed up. While awaiting their arrival, I asked Vaughn to share the story of how he and Rene hooked up. Cute story!

Once Mindy and Jacob arrived, I ordered a 2nd beer – this time a Barley’s pale ale. Mindy couldn’t decide what to order, so I offered that she try the Three Floyd’s even though she’s typically not a pale ale fan. And just as I expected, she liked it. We ordered food soon after she and Jacob were settled, me being the lone exception. Figured I might snack off the other’s plates.

By the time we wrapped up dinner and conversation the servers had most of the stools and chairs on top of the tables in preparation for closing. Like the ride there, all three girls rode home with me. Mindy and Jacob were a minimum of 20 minutes behind us. I have no idea what they were doing, though they were chatting with Rene and Vaughn in the parking lot when we departed.

Olivia had a mini meltdown over wanting to open her birthday gifts. Originally, I told her she needed to wait until Mindy and Jacob got home but once they arrived, Mindy said she needed to wait until Friday morning once her momma arrived. She pouted for a good 10 minutes and even delivered a steady stream of tears. Proud of myself on two fronts, holding firm and supporting Mindy so she didn’t look like the goat.

The girls soon headed for Bella’s room, and I headed for bed near midnight.

A Peak @ Land Grant and Beer @ 229

Up near 630am
Another cloudy day but with only a slight chance of rain.
Worked, played, enjoyed coffee until 740am.
Mindy and the kids up and gone by 715am
Meditation, a stretch and run completed by 9am
Breakfast, packed lunch and shower over the next hour.
Out the door for Easton near 10am
Monthly presentation day, though the meeting got moved from 11am to 3pm.
Stayed busy from the moment I arrived until I departed near 445pm. No lunch, at least not a formal break.
Talk with Mindy, Ashley and Tommy on my drive home.
Mindy and I made loose plans to scope out new brewpub – Land Grant in the bottoms
Tommy confirmed his 2 night Holiday Valley plans with Glenn and Wally.
Ashley discussed having Olivia Thursday overnight and then Friday plans (Friday is Olivia’s 8th b-day)
Arrived home near 520pm. Bella already gone with Jimaken (Jacob in D.C. till late Thursday).
Spent maybe 20-25 minutes at home before taking off for Land Grant Brewing Co.
In that time talked with Ashley again about our Thursday plans.
Arrived at Land Grant just after 6pm. Closed to the public – private event. Hmmm? Learned the grand opening for the public is Saturday, October 18th. I mistakenly thought it was already opened.
We went with plan B – Milestone 229, just across the river.
Chilly evening so the patio was pretty much shut down. Seated at a tall 2-person table near the kitchen.
I believe Dominique was our server’s name. Opted for a Great Lakes Oktoberfest. Mind chose a White Rajah.
Ordered appetizer’s too – four snacks and their humus and pita. Both really good.
I had a 2nd beer, a White Rajah this time around. Mindy did just the one beer.
Wanted to be home before Jimaken dropped Bella since she was alone.
Ordered a slice of their yummy double-chocolate cake for take-home.
Arrived home just before 8pm. Bella and Jimaken were waiting out front in his car.
We changed into PJs then shared a little bit of the chocolate cake
After a little relaxation, it was off to bed near 930pm.

Ho-Hum

Was up and out of bed near 640am.
Warm start to the day – already in the mid 60’s, and expecting mid 70’s by afternoon.
Again slow to motivate but eventually did just that.
Completed exercises and was at my desk with coffee by 655am
By then Bella was already off to school
Mindy out the door near 715am. Shortly t hereafter I walked the pug. By then it was raining.
Near 8am I stopped work and play for meditation, a stretch and run.
Headed out near 830am. Ran 4.1 miles in the light rain.
A neighbor hollered as a ran by, sharing that I outta hurry before the heavy stuff arrives.
There were thunderstorms forecasted as a huge swath of rain moved NNE all the way from the Gulf of Mexico. I got pretty wet but never did hear or see lightning or thunder.
Back home I packed my lunch and made my breakfast.
Off to the shower by 930am.
Left the house near 10am, stopping for gas before heading across town.
Gas as cheap as I’ve got it in a long, long time - $2.92 per gallon. Accord took 11.4 gallon, which means I averaged about 25mpg last tank full.
Arrived across town near 1030am.
Stayed extremely busy up until our 1pm meeting.
The meeting lasted something under an hour. Got back to my desk around 150pm grabbing my packed lunch from the fridge along the way.

Knocked out all sorts of to-dos over the next couple hours ahead of our weekly staff call at 415pm.
The staff was quick. Done by 430pm. I took care of a couple dangling to-dos before heading for my car.
Surprise, surprise. Since I’d been in the lower level (below window level all day) I hadn’t any idea what the weather was doing. Well, let’s just say that it was pouring! Thankfully, though, I was fortunate enough to snag one of the few guest parking spots earlier, so my walk was short. But it was raining so hard that I still got good and wet.

Called Mindy on my drive home. She was very upset with school/work issues and obviously needed to vent. Basically needed to spend her entire evening working from home to address some teacher requirements that she doesn’t even believe in. I called her again as I neared Dublin asking if she wanted me to pick-up Chipotle for dinner, that way she wouldn’t have to cook. She and Bella both liked the idea and sent me their preference via text.

Still pouring rain as I exited at Mill Run for Chipotle. Haven’t been to that branch for a couple years. Changed their menu some, but nothing major. Looks simpler if nothing else. I placed our three orders and was a little surprised when the total was only $17. I expected it to be at least $25. I asked if I could check the bag first but the girl insisted it was right and moved me right along. OK. In the car I inspected the order. Yep, the order was right but they forgot to charge me for my burrito. My lucky day, I guess.

Still raining as I pulled in at home. Mindy was already busy working on her SLOs (don’t ask me what that stands for). Soon Bella laid out all of our food orders. Before a thank you, all she could muster was an ask for the guacamole that I didn’t get. Oops! First time ever, I think, that I ate an entire Chipotle burrito in one sitting. Funny thing is, it wasn’t that good – bland.

To further help Mindy, I agreed to run Bella to and from gymnastics. In between both runs, I played on the computer. Still raining at 845pm when I headed out for the pick-up. 

OK, funny story. So a little earlier I had changed into my flannel PJ pants with an oversized t-shirt for comfort. No worries. I’ve left to pick Bella up dressed as such a time or two past. Well, the flannel PJs bottoms I had on happened to have a grape fruit sized hole near the crotch. And don’t you know that as soon as I walked in to the gym, Brittany, the main instructor, was sitting in the doorway of the office, her eyes about crotch level looking right at me as I walked in. We exchanged pleasantries but I could miss that her eyes were zeroed in directly holy PJs.  Yeah! Even I was a little embarrassed but totally played it off.

I witnessed Bella practice a few runs before it was time to go. Bella and I were home again by 910pm. At the time of our arrival home, Mindy was still up and downstairs but just putting the wraps on her school work and then soon headed to bed. I stayed watching Big Bang and Chriswold’s while also enjoying some popcorn with Bella. We both headed for bed near 1030pm.

Warm Heart, Warm Home

Despite the autumn-like weather, our house was too warm, and as a result both Mindy and I struggled to find comfort all night long. However, despite a so-so night of sleep, I was still up at my regular time of 630am. And yes, I heard Mindy get up at 5 something to get Jacob to school in time to catch the D.C. bus.
By the time I was up and out of bed she was back and in the shower.

Downstairs, I completed calisthenics just as I would any other Monday – sit-ups, windmills, and push-ups. Bella headed out to the bus stop by herself around 650am. Mindy was gone at 715am. The weather forecast was calling for temps well into the70s. Month-to-date, that’s been a rare occurrence. Perhaps we’ll have a balmy November. ??

I felt OK but wasn’t in the mood to hurry. I ended up enjoying coffee, internet and work from home until 8am. It wasn’t until then that I finally got my rear in gear, completed meditation and a stretch, then headed out for a run. By then it was 63 degrees, which felt balmy. Ran the usual 4.1 miles, and by the time I got back I had all but resigned myself to working from home. It was just one of those days that I didn’t feel like getting out of my PJs.

Stayed busy most of the morning finalizing my monthly report. And then, come the noon hour, I joined a conference call that lasted until 245pm. It would’ve gone longer but I rushed those parties along since I needed a bio break and then needed to join yet another call at 3pm. Bella was home from school around 3pm, or just as I was joining my 2nd call. And during that hour long call, Mindy arrived home. I let her know best I could that I was on a conference call.

Stayed busy with work until 520pm when I pushed back away from my desk and headed up for a shower. Mindy warmed leftover stuffed peppers for dinner. They were just as tasty as they were fresh out of the oven. Quiet evening at home. Jacob as you may recall, was off to D.C. Mindy was anxious to get a text or call letting us know that he arrived safely. That didn’t come in until almost 9pm. By then Mindy was upstairs in bed while I stayed up watching MNF.

Knockout List

I woke initially near 7am and thought briefly about getting up and heading downstairs. Thought better of it and returned to sleep. Slept till 855am. This time I got up for good, slipping out of the room without disturbing Mindy. Downstairs, I started some Starbucks then went ot my PC where I downloaded pictures from the previous two evenings.

Enjoyed coffee and internet for the next hour or more. And for the first time in a few days there was sunshine aplenty. Expecting highs in the mid 60s but with low 70s coming in for the start of the work week. Thinking it was near 1030am when I finally headed out for a run. Ran three miles.

Back home it was already 11am. Holy smoke! Mindy was up by then, too. It was nice enough that one could slip out onto the deck and actually enjoy the sunshine. Did just a little of that. We had nothing planned all day. That sounded good. I thought I might work in the basement again, and knockout a couple more punch-out tasks along with the possibility of cutting in the plumbing lines. I headed to the basement simply to assess the day’s work.

What the heck? Right away, I noticed a large puddle by our hot water tank and water dripping down from above. Great! Now what? ON closer inspection it appeared that the water was coming from the cold water input line that goes into the water tank. And more specifically, the stainless steel braided hose, which are supposed to be the cats meow of water hoses.

I went upstairs to tell Mindy that I needed to shut off the water for the time being. She’d just started a load of wash so we let it finish filling. Once it was full I suggested she shut it off temporarily. I thought I would simply remove the hose and see if it just needed reseated, though the water seemed to be leaking from just above the crimp.

I seem to recall, and it’s probably no coincidence, that particular hose was a bear to get tight enough to stop any dripping during install some 4 or 5 years ago. Anyway, I backed it off completely then put it back on. Turned the water on again. Still leaking, and from the same spot. Appeared to be a hose issue. That being the case, I figured it would be a quick run to Home Depot for a hose and then a rather simple repair.

I opted to head for the West Broad Home Depot since they seem to have a better inventory. Both Lowes and Home Depot in Mill Run are like that. One has to be careful now with the stainless steel braided water hoses. They make three or four different types these days, including those with Sharkbite connectors on one end, and still another with threads on one end, and a sweat joint at the other. I needed dual threads. They had just one, which was all I really needed, but my intent was to buy two – a matching set and replace both. I settled for the one and then picked up some kick plate molding and caulk I needed in the kitchen counters. Missing just a one inch piece. For the job, however, I had to buy a 3’ foot piece.

Home again near 1215pm, I headed right back to the basement and our latest plumbing dilemma. I carefully installed the hose, first to the water tank and then up top. Now for the test. Drum roll, please! Fixed! Bam! No drips, seeps, or nothing. I took notice of the difference between the two – the old and new. Both the same dimmesions connector wise and made by the same company. The difference was the girth. The new hose is about 50% thicker. Guessing most of that the inner hose. Bet there have been other issues. I took a good look at the leaky hose and noticed that the hose felt as if it were cracked and broke right at the crimp ring. Hmm?

I let Mindy know that she could turn the water back on but to turn all faucets on slowly, carefully since there would be air in the lines. Anyone who’s ever shut off the water and drained it out, knows what I’m talking about. By 1pm my plumber hat was off. As you might guess, I wasn’t in any mood to try cutting in the new water lines.

I was, however, in the mood to get more work done. I decided to relocate the smoke detector from what will now be the bathroom and move it to the basement stair landing. Easy enough, right? To do so meant removing the alarm itself and then raising the existing junction box so it will reside above the new drywall ceiling and then extending the electrical wiring to the new box. I tried using an older bakelite box but while preparing it to receive new wires, I cracked the entire side out of the box. That was a waste of almost 20 minutes. I wasn’t pleased, but have come to expect those types of inconveniences. Took one heck of a lot longer than I expected but I finally got the alarm relocated per code. One major hassle was merging 12 ga, 14ga and the twisted 16 ga for the alarm. Anyone who’s worked with 12 ga wire knows it’s much more difficult to work with and doesn’t want to twist around the smaller wires. Doable, but just a hassle.

By the time I was finished with the wiring the kids were home from their weekend with Jimaken. Pretty quickly Mindy had Jacob working on packing for his D.C. trip. They made a run to the mall around 330-4pm to exchange some pants. I was home by myself for an hour or so. During that time I took a much deserved shower, made snack, and got caught up on the day’s NFL action. Vikings lost. Browns beat Steelers, Bengals blew a chance to win an overtime game as time expired. Mike Nugent missed a 37 yard field goal. Game ended in a tie.

Mindy was making stuffed peppers for dinner. Invited my dad over too. The timer beeped while she and the kids were off to the mall. She didn’t say anything about me tending the oven but I didn’t’ want dinner to burn. I set the temp on low to keep them warm. Good thing I did. It was another 30 minutes before they got home. Dad was over between 5-530pm. By then I was relaxing in the family room loosely watching football.

Soon after Mindy and the kids got back, Dad was over. After he asked and before dinner was served, I showed him my progress in the basement. The stuffed peppers were good and very much appreciated, though I would’ve prefer them with more zing and pop. Just saying.

Dad left around 7pm. Mindy helped Jacob ready himself for his early morning DC departure. He needed to be at school by 6am. I tuned into SNF around 8pm – Giants/Philly. Wasn’t close. Philly dominated from the get-go. Mindy and the kids were off to bed shortly after 9pm. I stayed up until 10pm. By then I had started to dose from the sofa, but once in bed I struggled to find sleep. Thankfully I did.

Ben, Ryan and David Gray

Up much earlier than usual on a Saturday. I was downstairs by 645am. Felt well rested. Why not?
Started coffee then played on my PC.
Headed out for a run near 830am. Mostly cloudy and near 45 degrees.
Ran 3 miles.
Mindy wasn’t up for a while.
We didn’t have anything planned during the day that I was aware of but we did have evening plans to join friends Ben & Ryan for the David Gray concert at the Palace Theatre.
Puttered around the house for most of the morning while Mindy did laundry and cleaned the house.
Near 11am I headed to the basement to knock out as much of the punch-out list that I could.
Of course the plumbing still needs addressed too, but I wasn’t ready to start that yet.
My first task was to add the nailer blocks to the stairwell just as Kurt suggested – 2’ on center.
The first one took the longest. I cut it a little too tight. IN hindsight I should’ve trimmed a little more off and found a way to hold it in place. Live and learn.
Installed six of those.
While I was busy with the punch-out work, Mindy headed off to the grocery store.
Next, I put in two studs Kurt recommended (again, he was very thorough).
The next task was cutting back the drywall on the existing stairwell wall 2 stud lengths to help solve for transition problem for the existing unplumb wall to the new plumb wall. That took an hour or so.
By then Mindy was home.
She shared that Ryan suggested we meet at their house near 6pm to have a few drinks before the show.
Only 230pm, I figured I might as well make some more progress in the basement
Ran the PEX plumbing lines after all.
Took far less than an hour to pull all the runs. Why not work on the stub outs?
I’ve been procrastinating the plumbing work only because I am a little intimidated since I’ve never installed PEX and push-on sharkbites before.
On the surface, not much to it, though the quality of the cuts and push-ons are everything. I was careful to cut at the premarked lines to help insure the proper depth.
Also a little tricky was mounting the sharkbite stubouts for functionality as well as not putting in unnecessary bind on any of the connectors.
Took maybe 90 minutes to get all the stubouts in. All that remains is cutting the feeds into the existing copper runs. That’ll be the true test.
Guessing it was near 445pm by the time I cleaned up my mess and headed upstairs for a snack and a shower.
By the time I was ready it was 530pm. We planned to headed out near 6pm. Before we left the house I packed a cooler with beer and Jack, and charged my phone and Canon S120.
Showed up at Ben & Ryan’s just after 6pm. Both Ben and Ryan’s moms were there, as was Ryan’s little sister, Victoria. They were just heading out for dinner.
Hopefully they weren’t bailing on our account.
Always good to hang with Ben & Ryan. Always something unique. This time was no exception. Ben went to the basement bar returning a few minutes later with a couple whisky sippin’ glasses with brown booze. Asked that I sip and enjoy then share what I thought it was.
Smelt like whisky or scotch. And it tasted the same. I guessed whisky then scotch. Nope. Ended up being Guatemalan rum. – Ron Zacapa Centenario. Good stuff!
After sipping my rum, I cracked a rocket of Gangster IPA from Hoppin’ Frog.
At the same time, Mindy and Ryan sipped wine. They put together some snacks of cheese and crackers too. Yum!
Checked out Ben’s latest retro stereo and then the new door Kenny installed in his garage. Nice!
Left for the David Gray show near 715pm. Ben drove.
Parked on level #2 in the Leveque parking garage which is just north of the Palace Theatre and very, very convenient.
Nice crowd – an older, more subdued crowd than, say, Edward Sharpe. 
After entry, I somehow got separated from the other three as we were making our way to the bars for drinks. I ended up standing in a rather long line at the bar just inside the door. Not sure that’s the best place for a bar – I mean right inside the door.
Kept an eye out for the others but no dice.
Two drink limit, so I got myself a Jack & Coke and Mindy a Merlot – both doubles at the prompting of the server. $24. Holy smoke! I headed in to find our seats thinking they might already be inside. Found our seats but not the others. Hmm? Slowly making my way back out to look harder, I happened upon them just coming in.
Soon at our seats – row “Q” seats 8, 10, 12 &14.
Warm-up act was David Kitt. Good. Played three or four songs, that’s it.
Pee break, 2nd drink break.
David Gray began near 820p, best guess.
Great show. Played for 2 hours. David Gray – a raspy, bluesy, Bob Dillon, Billy Joel, or Harry Chapin mix.
After the show, we headed north up Neil Avenue for Adriatico’s Pizza on campus. Had their pizza before but had never been to the venue. Thick, New York style pies. We waited for our pie outside the place. Ben bought two Cokes to mix with the two mini-bottle of Jack Daniels I brought along. Yum! Near midnight by the time we returned to Ben & Ryan’s home.
There we enjoyed the company, the Adriatico’s pizza, and another beer.
115am when we left for home. Where had the evening gone?
Off to bed almost immediately in the door.

Rainy Wedding and Dry Wall

Up near 635am

Another cool cloudy day with rain expected later in the day – 50 and cloudy to start

Working at home

Kids and Mindy gone by 715am

Began working near 7am and didn’t get out for a run until 9am.

Ran 3 miles

Decided to take an early lunch to mow the lawn ahead of the approaching rain

Push mowed first. Took about 30 minutes. Finished by 1035am

Back to work.

Near 1130am, I headed back outside to tractor mow. That took 15 minutes tops.

Near noon, Kurt, the drywall guy showed up.

I showed him the basement where we discussed the details of the job

He was very thorough confirming expectations and then sharing a few punch out items that will need done before hand. While he measured, I headed back upstairs to work

He wasn’t but a few minutes. Said he’d email me an estimate Monday

Before he left, I confirmed the punch out items so I could note them on my project list

Worked through the afternoon. Took a break before the kids got home and headed out to trim and edge, something I’ve ignored the past two mowings. Way overdue.

Felt a little stressed, due mostly to the wedding we were attending that evening. We needed to be there at 5pm.

Folks schedule weddings on Friday’s to save money.  I get it, but 5pm is still working hours.

Kids were home near 3pm.They’d be going with their dad for the weekend, presumably near 5pm.Mindy was home near 330pm.

 I stayed busy with work stuff until 415pm. By then Mindy was cleaned up and ready for the wedding. I still needed a shower. Didn’t take me long. Ready to go by 435pm.

Mindy asked the kids to clean their rooms before the left with their dad. Jacob was actually supposed to clean his before running off to play, but negotiated a deal that he’d do it after play but before his dad showed up. He promised. I listened to the negotiations and chose to hold my tongue.  I doubted he’d honor his end of the deal.

Mindy and I left for Pinnacle Golf Club at 440pm, just as she suggested. By then it was raining. Ugh!

Arrived at Pinnacle right at 5pm. The wedding invitation asked all guests to be there by 5pm for the 530pm wedding ceremony.

Waited in the lobby talking with some of the Mindy’s old friends – parents of former students.

We’ve been to a reception there before so were familiar with the banquet hall.

Originally supposed to be an outdoor wedding. Nice courtyard and set-up. Those plans were nixed due to rain and the ceremony moved inside to the banquet room, which is very nice.

They held off the decision to move it indoors as long as they could. Did a nice job retro fitting for ceremony. I’m sure the staff has done that a time or two. J

They seated all the guest – us included – at our assigned reception tables. We were placed with same folks we chatted with in the lobby.  Both families were former students of Mindy’s.

In fact, Tyler, the groom, was one of Mindy’s former students too.

Wedding was very nice – fast.

Cocktail hour after the ceremony.

I opted for Sam Adams Oktoberfest while Mindy enjoyed wine.

Enjoyed two beers before dinner. We snuck a few snap shots through the thick draperies temporarily separating the guests from the immediate wedding party.

Dinner was buffet style but good. I ate lightly – a spinach salad and two small beef medallions. I was saving room for a stop on the way home at CBC.

Hung out at the wedding through dinner, the toasts, and early dancing. Left near 9pm.

Headed up 71N to Greenlawn and made out way over to CBC. Got the first parking spot. Wahoo!

Bodhi on tap. Yum! I drank Bodhi. I think Mindy ordered wine.

Vince and Kevin tending bar. Kevin shared how tired his new teaching gig leaves him.

Enjoyed risotto balls with a twist. Served with ricotta cheese. Very good!

Enjoyed second Bodhi’s and wine.

Talked with another couple who came in late. Pretty sure it was just us and them.

Left for home near 11pm.

After changing into my PJs I checked Jacob’s room to see if he cleaned it up as he promised Mindy he would. Nope! Still the same way it was prior to us leaving.

Downstairs I poured a beer. Mindy noted that I seemed to be enjoying the fact that Jacob didn’t comply with his promise. Not so much that I was enjoying his broken promise as much as it was what I said would happen.

The ordeal caused a brief but ugly exchange between the two of us.

Mindy headed for bed. I stayed up listening to music, enjoying my beer, and then playing guitar. Headed to bed near midnight

Brainwashed To See It as Cheap Gas!

As usual, I was up and downstairs near 630am. Jacob was sitting at the kitchen table having his breakfast and playing on his phone. Bella was up and down the stairs a few times during her ready. It's pretty much the same drill everyday. After catching a wiff of morning air from the deck, I headed to the living room where i completed 50 sit-ups and after that, windmills. Before the kids headed out for the bus, I did 40 curls in the family room where the dumbbells lay in wait.

Finally, I was at my PC with coffee in hand by 650am. The weather forecast called for cloudy skies, rain and temps in the upper 50s.The lack of repetitious sunshine is starting to get to me. I planned to work from the main office, and participate in a customer service week event at noon where lunch would be provided. And speaking of work, something came up to which I needed to respond to shortly after getting situated at my home desk. Over the next 45 minutes I balanced work and pleasure. Near 745a I walked the pug then shortly after that I completed daily meditation and stretching before heading out the door again for a run. By then it was 810am.

For a couple reasons, I opted to shave a mile of my otherwise 4.1 mile run and consequently ran only three. I felt the 9 minutes it saved me would help get me back on track time-wise. As soon as I was back home I followed up on that work issue from earlier. Oh boy! At roughly the same time I started my breakfast and packed a light lunch just in case I opted to skip the customer service luncheon.

Showered and ready to leave for work by 910am. Arrived just ahead of 930am. Gas everywhere under $3 and still dropping. I'd like to see gas prices around $2.50. That seems like a fair price. No real justification for that figure.

Blood Money & Moon

Shortly after getting out of bed and heading downstairs, I stepped outside on the deck to sniff some morning air and to check out the sky. It was completely clear. I remembered almost instantly that there was a lunar eclipse taking place. I hurried out the front door to see if I could see it unfold.

Yep, and it was awesome. In the NW sky at about 4 o’clock there sat the ‘blood moon” almost completely engulfed in the Earth’s umbra. Excitedly, I headed back into the house to grab my camera and alert the kids. At that very second Bella was on her way back upstairs and refused to come see it, which surprised me a little. She’s usually one who enjoys such things. Jacob, on the other hand, surprised me too, in that he was interested and followed me back outside to see it. I asked if he knew what caused such a thing, and he didn’t. I quickly explained. When Jacob headed back inside, I stayed out marveling at the view. I only wish I would’ve been in an area clear of artificial light to further enhance its beauty.

Inside I went about the task of completing calisthenics, including sit-ups, windmills, and push-ups. I did the push-ups from the deck. After exercises, I leashed up the pug and headed out for a walk. The kids were still at the bus stops and it looked as if some of them were stretching their heads in an effort to see the eclipse which was quickly falling out of our view simply because it was setting below the neighborhood trees and roof tops. It was still red and covered in the Earth’s umbra.

It was shortly after I sat down at my PC that I checked my phone and noticed right away that I had a rather lengthy text from Charles from 5amish, which I found extremely odd. It's not like he and I talk much. Anyway, it was a plea to get daughter Lindsey to stop blowing up his phone with texts asking for money. My emotional response ran the full gamut. I felt frustrated, angry, sad, and even somewhat hopeless. None of this directed at Charles, of course, but instead at Lindsey. I sent two responses, one right away and then another after having a couple minutes to process the data.

The bus pulled up and collected the kids just as EIknarf and I were making our way back up the driveway. Inside, I enjoyed more coffee, internet and a little work before Mindy headed out near 715am. After she left, I played around for another 15 minutes or so before doing meditation, stretching, and finally dressing for a run. As for my recurring headache, it wasn’t bothering me, and to help keep it away, I’d been practicing holding my nose and holding pressure against my ears and sinuses for an extended period of time – like 5-8 seconds. Seems to make a difference.

Headed out for a run near 8am. Wore a thin long sleeved wicking shirt along with a jacket. It was in the mid 40’s so while I was comfy for the first couple miles, I was a tad warm for the duration. Like most occasions, I used the zipper as a regulator. Ran the full 4.1 miles and was home after 35-36 minutes. Good pace.

Made breakfast and packed my lunch. Normally would've showered and left for the office near 930am but I had two calls I needed to join, one at 930 and the other at 10am. Figured it made more sense to join both from home and head into work after. Before the 930am, I did manage to shower so I'd be ready to leave for work immediately after the calls.

Calls wrapped up around 1035am and perhaps 10 minutes later I was out the door, on my way across town. Arrived near 11am. It was a nice, sunny morning with temps near 50 and expected to climb into the mid 60s by afternoon, one of the few nice days so far this October. In fact, sans Wednesday, it's rained everyday since Oct 2. And looking ahead, which I realize is sketchy at best, it's doesn't appear that the trend will be ending anytime soon.

Quiet but busy day at the customer's campus. And since I got there so late in the morning, I opted to plow straight through my work day. Shortly after I was settled, I sent Lindsey a text asking for the back story to her pleas for financial help, even though doing so left me uncomfortable and bracing for what she might share. Essentially short funds to cover rent for a host of reasons.

I sent Mindy a text near noon asking her to call me. I wanted to discuss the Lindsey dilemma and get her opinion. Bottom line, we decided to help. Forgetting the past, if this is a onetime thing then we wanted to help. In the same breath, I can't help but think how must waste is there. For one, let's cut out smokes, fast food, and convenience store purchases. But we've been down this road so many times past. Ugh! I also know it's not fun living on a shoe string budget when one minor setback throws your entire world in chaos. That's definitely no way to live. But there's only one person who can change that -one's self. The power of the universe resides in everyone, though dormant in many. Instead of harnessing this incredible gift, they unknowingly relinquish their power to false idols and institutions of religious dogma.

Via texting, I made arrangements to give Lindsey enough money to cover the dent in her rent (about half). I left for home around 430pm. I called Mindy on the drive home. She was on her way home too. I asked that she write a check for Lindsey and send her a text letting her know she could come get it. Lindsey and the boys were still at the house when I got home but just about to leave.

One last point ...so the age old struggle is help without enablement. Where does one find the incentive to climb out of the hole they've dug for themselves? I don't have all the answers, but I know for me, back when I was 21, I had this ever-present, gnawing voice in the my brain constantly telling me that I was better, smarter than the way I was living. It was time to buckle up and take the reins from Dr despair. Like many, I always knew better but didn't always listen to the voice. Nevertheless, the voice was constant, and I knew I was only letting myself down. The road to a better life, a successful life looked long and difficult. However, I knew that not taking action meant giving in and giving in. And those that know me know that I don't give up easily. I wasn't about to give my power away. I knew I had to take charge. because no one else was going to do it for me. I did just that. It started out small, but each small step towards success was more proof that I could do it. Setbacks? On yeah, there were many, but those will happen to everyone. Still have setbacks. Next goal, next target. Batter up!

Our plan was to visit Barley's for food and a beer or two. We left around 545pm. Not much of a crowd. And it's undeniable, Barley's is losing market share. Just a couple tables and bar stools occupied. Daniel was tending bar. I ordered pale ale. Mindy hemmed and hawed, eventually settling on a Punkt, their imperial pumpkin porter. They have it both on nitro and the tower. She opted for nitro.

Daniel pointed out that today was the unveiling of their new menu. While pursuing the menu, noticed an old familiar face walk by, Mark of Mark & Trudy. Haven't seen Mark but maybe one other time this year. We chatted for a few before he grabbed a beer and headed back out to the patio to rejoin his compadres.

Soon order food. Despite the new menu items, I went with the tried and true, Pile it on Texas burger. Mindy chose the meatloaf and greens. They haven't had greens on the menu for 3 or 4 years. I ordered a 2nd pale ale too. My burger was terrific. It might be my favorite burger anywhere. Settled up and left for home near 745pm. The kids called asking where we might be. Mindy debated ordering the kids carryout but decided not. After all, Jimaken is supposed to feed them dinner on Wednesday's.

Home near 8pm, it was long before I was stretched out on the living room floor and napping. Felt incredible good to drift off like that. I got up after maybe 30 minutes or so and headed immediately for bed.

Go Now

I woke several times through the night with a fairly significant headache, and by far the worst yet. Despite the discomfort, I was up and out of bed near 630am and brushing my teeth before Mindy was back upstairs to shower. She spends the first few minutes of her morning downstairs with the kids while she whips up her morning coffee. Downstairs I quickly whipped out calisthenics including sit-ups, windmills and curls.

At my desk with coffee by 640am. It was just a couple minutes later when the kids headed out the door to catch the bus. Shortly after the bus picked up the kids, I headed out with the pug. Pretty sure that Mindy was still in the shower. Mindy left for school at her usual 715am. And then, by 730am I was wrapping up my playtime and just about ready for meditation and a stretch. I got out for my run near 750am. Just before I headed out I popped a Naproxen to combat my nagging headache.

It was cloudy and 48 degrees with rain forecasted for most of the day. The high wasn’t expected to escape the mid 50s. As dry as September was, October has been extremely wet and chilly. Not too much of that glorious 60-70 degree weather with sunshine as of yet. I ran the full 4.1 miles without issue. Stayed dry throughout. The rain didn’t come until later in the afternoon.

I was back from my run near 830am. I needed to join an important call at 9am. Ahead of that, I enjoyed another cup of coffee. The 9am call went well. Lasted about 45 minutes. Once the call was over I made breakfast and packed a lunch. Off to the shower near 10am. Before packing up and heading across town for work, I sent a note to a peer asking if he could cover me Friday Oct 17 so I could take the day off to spend with family.

Arrived cross town near 11am. Parked in the far lot after unsuccessfully scouring an intermediate lot for empty parking spaces – something I rarely do. Because my temp space in the lower level I didn’t see the light of day until I left for home which wasn’t until 520pm or later. Very busy day!

Talked with Mindy shortly after merging onto 270. In three years, this was the first time I remember encountering a back-up east of I-71. We talked about a few things, One being how our evening would unfold. With soccer season now over, we only have to deal with Bella’s gymnastics schedule for the next month or so. However, “spring soccer” starts sometime in November. Yeah, that’s right – November.  I also let Mindy know that I had to run the dishwasher before leaving for work, and not so much because it was full but rather because Jacob’s been placing his chocolate milk cups in the dishwasher with a little milk still in them resulting in a horrible rotting smell after a day or two.

The initial traffic jam busted up between Cleveland Ave. and I-71. I had to contend with the usual slowdown in Hilliard next. Arrived home near 6pm. I’d forgotten that Mindy put a beef roast in the crockpot that morning. That’s what we were having for dinner.

Mindy said Jacob came home from school and immediately took a nap. He was still sleeping when I got home near 6pm. Dinner was soon on the table. The roast beef, potatoes, and carrots were really good, and so were the crescent rolls. Wrapped up dinner and clean-up by 7pm. Mindy left to run Bella to gymnastics around 715pm. Jacob went along with her too. Before returning home, she planned on stopping at the grocery store to pick-up a few items to get us through the week. While they were away, I finished up in the kitchen and then fooled around online. I changed out of my work clothes and into my PJs around 745 completely forgetting that I was committed to pick-up Bella.

It wasn’t until Mindy and Jacob got home around 815pm that I was reminded about my responsibility. No biggie. I’ve picked Bella up in PJs a few times past. I left to fetch her around 845pm arriving with 5 minutes to spare. The kids were doing nothing more than stretching when I arrived. Bella was ready to hit it right away. Barely had enough time to say hello to Kelly.

I let Bella take over the XM stereo, jumping station to station as she often does. She complained of being incredibly sore, though she wasn’t sure why. Already 915pm by the time we arrived home. Desiring some downtime before bed, I slunked down into the sofa and tuned into a couple Big Bang reruns. Started to drift off to sleep around 940pm, which was far sooner than I guessed. Rather than fight it, I went ahead and shut down the house and headed up to bed. Mindy was in bed playing on her phone. I tuned the TV to the Big Bang rerun I was watching downstairs. I fell asleep in a hurry

Tracing Headache's Origin and a Flu Shot

Mostly clear and near 50 when I stepped out onto the deck shortly after waking and heading downstairs. After some fresh air, I headed to the livingroom for Monday calisthenics . Whipped out sit-ups and windmills then headed back out to the deck for push-ups. The cool fresh air seems to make them easier. No kidding! It was just Jacob and I downstairs. Mindy took the day off to take Bella to a doctor’s appointment. Bella was originally planning to go to school and have Mindy pick her up around 11am but she apparently had a change of heart that morning. Now she wanted to stay home. Guessing she stayed up late in her room. Actually, Mindy tried convincing her to stay home anyway.

Still dealing with a dull, come-and-go headache. Failed to share that brother Craig brought his ear checker thing along Sunday and peered into both my ears. Said my ears were clean as a whistle but that my ear drums were sucked in. Bottom line, my headaches are likely due to sinus pressure. The thing is, no sinus congestion at all. Very odd! They’ve been hit or miss ever since my last haircut two weeks ago. I wonder if having my hair washed and rinsed with my head back in the sink bowl at Saturday’s allowed water to seep in behind my ear drums. It was that evening that I first got a throbbing headache while at Jacob’s soccer game in the chilly evening air.

Coffee and internet were next, perhaps my favorite times of the day. I planned on working from the office so my goal was to leave for a run before 745am. Jacob was soon off to school. Shortly after Jacob headed out I moved on to meditation and stretching. Per my targeted goal, I was out the door for a run by 740am.

Wearing my running jacket, I ran 4.1 miles and got a little warm about the midway point. I used the zipper for temperature regulation. I was fine and finished strong. Home ahead of 830am, I was startled to find Bella parked on the family chair watching TV after having a piece of apple pie for breakfast. I moved swiftly through breakfast and lunch prep. Off to the shower by 845am. Ready to head out the door by 920am. Arrived at the office just after 930am.

Mindy and I talked about meeting for lunch after Bella’s doctor’s appointment at the new Hilliard Rusty Bucket. However, when we made those loose plans, I hadn’t considered my work calendar, and I’d forgotten about a three hour meeting on my calendar from noon to 3pm. Once I checked my calendar I sent Mindy a text canceling my attendance at lunch.

Stayed busy all morning leading up to my noon call/meeting. Before my call, I stepped away from my desk and called the 2nd drywall guy that neighbor Pat referred. Kurt seems cool. Said he could come out any day this week to give me an estimate. I suggested Friday. Before heading back to my desk, I headed down to the lobby to get a free flu shot, something our company's been offering for the past couple years, but a convenience I've passed on. In fact, I've had a flu shot only one other year, and that was maybe 5 years ago provided my brother Craig at Sunday dinner. Ouchie! The stick stung! The guy giving me the shot was telling me a story about a fat woman last week that insisted he stick her in the buttocks instead of the arm muscle. Couldn't help but laugh. Still not sure what prompted him to share his story. :)

I joined my call at noon and waited on the call for 30 minutes before giving up. Dang it! I had plenty to do, so it’s not like the time got wasted. Still, I wasn’t pleased that I committed that time and the person leading the call/meeting was a no show. I stayed busy through the afternoon with a couple of meetings. At some point Mindy sent me a text asking if I planned to meet her at Jacob’s soccer tournament at the Wellington school. Yes. I still planned to go. Before I left for the day, I chatted with a peer, the guy who recently took the trip to the Oktoberfest in Munich. He was eager to share more pictures. Nice!

I left the office near 540pm and arrived at the Wellington School near 6pm for the start of Jacob’s game. Good thing I had a jacket in the trunk of the Accord. It was chilly, especially when the sun dipped behind the fast moving clouds. Wellington school is a private school in Arlington. Cost more than most private colleges. They have a beautiful soccer field with a hi-tech artificial surface and the stands integrated into the side of a hill.

Jimaken, Mindy and Bella were already there. Mindy was bundled in a winter coat. For 3/4s of the game it was 0-0. If Jacob’s team won then they would play on. However, a loss meant the end of the soccer season. As much as we wanted his team to win, I think all of us were eager for the season to be over. Bottom line, his team lost 1-0. He wasn’t happy. Because we drove separately, I headed home before Mindy and the kids left the school. Mindy asked that I start some macaroni once home. She still had to drive to the middle school to pick-up Jacob, who was required to ride the team bus back to the school with the rest of the team. I joked that since it was the last day of the season what could they possibly do. Still, Mindy followed the rules.

I got home at least 20 minutes before Mindy and the kids. Well, probably more like half an hour. Just as Mindy requested, I started the macaroni. Opted to heat up some green beans too. As soon as Mindy and the kids got home Mindy mentioned that she neglected to ask me to reheat the Canes chicken. Yeah, that would’ve been important to know. Not a big deal, she threw about 20 tenders on the pizza stone and tossed them in the oven for about 10 minutes.

By the time we finished dinner and clean-up it was after 8pm. Where had the evening gone? Tuned into MNF around 820pm for the Bengals/Patriots. The game was a mismatch from the outset. Despite the Patriots early season slump and the Bengals surge, the Patriots dominated. Wasn’t close. I stopped watching and headed for bed even before halftime. Turned the game on from bed but quickly fell asleep.

Bella's B-day Tilt

I was up Sunday morning just before 8am. Another cloudy start with chilly temps – only 43 degrees. Enjoyed coffee and internet for a while, and I wasn’t in any hurry to get out the door for my Sunday morning run. In fact, it was close to 945am by the time I was ready to run. By then Mindy was up and already beginning to prep the house for guests later that afternoon to help celebrate Bella turning 12.

Like most Sunday’s, I ran three miles. It was chilly enough that I opted to wear a jacket again, too. No warmer than about 45 degrees. By my return, Mindy had both kids fully engaged in getting the house guest ready. Jacob was responsible for vacuuming. Bella, once she was home from her overnight at Makayla’s, was responsible for cleaning her room.

I spent a little time in the basement drilling the rest of the holes for the PEX plumbing lines. All totaled, no more than about an hour. Otherwise, I hadn’t spent much time on the basement project in week. I plan to get some drywall bids this coming week.

Mindy left to run some errands, including making a stop at Cane’s chicken to pick-up a few trays of their tenders (Bella’s request). She was stopping at Kroger too. She asked that I take care of a couple small tasks in her brief absence. One in particular was to fill the large steel pail with ice, water and juice bags. In addition to that, I dead headed some of the inside flowers and spot cleaned the kitchen floor. Earlier (before the basement), I cleaned a few spots from the carpet – some on the stairs and then the hallway just outside Bella’s bedroom. Big shock! I shined up the stainless steel appliances too. They smudge easily but also clean-up fairly easily with hot steamy water. On the other hand, our older stainless fridge doesn’t clean-up that easily at all.

Mindy was back around 2-230pm. And not a minute after Mindy got back home, Gloria was over. More often than not, she’s the first to arrive. Lots of food offerings. In addition to the Cane’s chicken tenders, Mindy laid out a host of hand to mouth snacks. She would be ordering pizzas from Minelli’s too.

Jimaken’s parents were coming over, first visit since Jacob’s b-day party. His mother was recently diagnosed and recently treated for breast cancer. To date, Jimaken hadn’t told the kids. Mindy was worried that the kids might flip out of she showed up in a wig or scarf from the chemo treatments. She told the kids beforehand so they’d be prepared. I heard her tell Bella. Mindy delivered the message well and in turn, Bella handled it well.

Guests piled in between 3-330pm. We had soon had a houseful though quite a few folks didn’t show. Most of the no shows were from my side of the family. I said more than once, it’s about who does show, not who doesn’t. We had fun, and more importantly, Bella had fun. She’s grown and matured so much in the last 6 months. Scary even!

The company and food was good. Mindy made sure to recognize nephew Josh’s birthday too. We sang happy birthday to him just before Bella. Just before our guests arrived, I was searching for cabinets and flooring on the internet. And on those Sunday coupon bags they hang from your mailbox was a full page ad for cabinets from Bargain Outlet encouraging a visit to their website for specific details. I typed it in verbatim and before I could stop it, their url downloaded adware (spyware) onto my PC. Dammit! My antivirus blocked the Trojan that attempted to ride in too, but not the adware. As a result, several of my regular websites were plagued with out of control pop-ups and my PC’s subsequent performance in the dumper. I was pissed!

I monkeyed with trying to remove it all the while our guests were over celebrating Bella’s birthday. The first thing I did was run my task manager to see what was popping up. But no matter what tasks or applications I stopped or deleted they would simply restart. Duh! I ran two security scans and even tried reloading my PC from an earlier date, but the adware remained. It wasn’t until I found the name of the program – Advance Elite – that I was able to go into programs install/de-install and removed it once and for all. I then searched on any and all items that installed that same day and deleted those too. Problem solved! Second time something similar had happened this year. One must always remain vigilant!

Bella got lots of cool stuff. Most of her gifts were either money or stuff for her bedroom redo. Going with a mint and black zebra stripes. Her room, not mine.  Most of our guests were gone by 630pm. Admittedly, Mindy did most of the clean-up. She let me know it too. By the way, it wouldn’t be right to not acknowledge the Browns who pulled off one of the most unlikely victories, coming back from a 27-3 deficit. Very unlike the Browns.

Spent the evening hours writing in my blog and then watching SNF on NBC. Off to bed somewhat early.

Snow, Boat, Roosters, Buckeyes and Apple Pie

Feeling fairly well rested, I was up near 730am. I could’ve slept longer but because I had the boat appointment at 1030am I really needed to get moving. The weather wasn’t attractive at all. It was chilly and gray – only about 40 degrees.

I started coffee then played around on the internet waiting for it to finish brewing. Landon joined me downstairs just after 8am. He told me that he and Rocky slept in Bella’s room. He asked for coffee like mine. We didn’t have any chocolate milk to add so I used more creamer than usual and lots of whipped cream. I asked if he was interested in going with me to take the boat in for service. Yes.

I headed out for a run around 830am. It was chilly enough that I wore a jacket. And for the first time since last spring, I turtled my hands up into my sleeves for the first half of my run. Once I warmed up I let them out. Ran the usual three miles. Started icing the last couple yards of my run. Brrr!

As soon as I was home Landon asked if he could walk the pug. Sure thing, though I made him wear Mindy’s purple fleece which he wasn’t too excited about. While he walked Eiknarf, I poured and delivered Mindy’s coffee. I let Mindy know that I was heading off to get the boat and that Landon was going with me. We left the house around 915am.

By the time we got to Scioto Darby Rd there was a mixed bag of precipitation: rain, sleet and snow. That’s right, snow on Oct 4th! I was concerned that my boat might not be accessible in the boat building but it was. There was a winterized boat and a couple jet skis off to the side blocking others but not me.
Before we pulled out I made sure that there was plenty of gas and a battery strong enough to run the horn and radio – routine check I do before any outing. Landon’s job was lowering the big overhead door using the chain. I forewarned him about the possibility of it getting away. He proceeded with caution once he a got a feel for just how rapidly it could get away. 

We headed around 270 and then north on route 23. Per the usual, traffic was heavy on rt 23 but not ridiculous. Lots of construction as they redo the 270 interchange and widen both directions for about the first mile north. Guessing it’ll be another year or so before they’re finished. Arrived at Paul’s Marine near 1020am, or about 20 minutes early. I parked our rig just outside the overhead doors and headed in to the counter to let ‘em know that I was there. Landon tailed me.

There was a fella just wrapping up paper work in front of me. Looked somewhat familiar, and once he turned around I knew why. It was Donnie Roberts, a friend and former co-worker. I met Donnie through his now wife, Jill. Haven’t seen either of them since our holiday party three years ago. Asked about the wife and kids. All doing good. We talked boats for a couple minutes then he was on his way.

Just a basic winterization this year. And about $20 more expensive - $225. They handed me a pager and Landon and I headed into the showroom to look around while waiting. I knew he’d enjoy looking at the new boats. We were in and out of a few of them. I had to temper his excitement a time or two as he was getting a little loud and fast. While scoping out the new boats, I enjoyed some complimentary coffee and pumpkin bread. Offered Landon some of the bread but refused it. 

Talked boat preservation with a familiar face around Paul’s. Like me, he keeps his boat inside year round too. Agreed with me that sun and water are a boats worst enemies. I’m guessing the boat was done 1110am. At the counter, they told me that our boat was running well and looked really nice. Complimented me for caring for it so well. TY.

Even before we left the house that morning, I agreed to treat Landon to lunch anywhere of his choosing. It’s something I don’t do enough with any of my grandkids. He first suggested Steak & Shake and I was good with that, but last second offered up Rooster’s instead. A boy after my own heart! Knowing that Jacob would enjoy Rooster’s as well, I asked what he thought about inviting Jacob & Rocky. He agreed. I wisely called Mindy instead of Jacob, realizing she was having her scho9ol kid event/party and might not want Jacob abandoning the party. Sure enough, when I asked if I could take them along too she gave me an emphatic no. I could tell that she wasn’t pleased that even Landon and I were going. Breaking my promise to Landon wasn’t an option.

Before heading to Rooster’s we dropped three pair of skis off at Aspen Ski & Board in Powell effectively killing two birds with one stone (trip). It’s just a mile or two off 23 to the east of Powell Rd. As usual, there was a decent crowd on hand. Since I had the boat in tow, I parked along the curb at the property’s side rather than try pulling in the small lot. I got a couple double-takes from passersby as we unloaded our snow skis from the Pilot all the while towing the boat. Inside, a woman laughed and said they’ve done the same thing years past.

Emily waited on me at the rear desk. She’s a very nice looking 19/20 year old. She shared that she sees me in there all the time but couldn’t remember my name. Story of my life.  We talked for a while, her sharing that she just started at OSU fall quarter. Said our skis will be ready for pick-up on the15th. Sunday’s the last day to take advantage of their $10 tune-up special.

We headed back down 23 to 270 then around to Robert’s Rd to drop off the boat. By the time we arrived it was time for the OSU kick-off. We made quick work of backing the boat into the boat building effectively saying goodbye until June of 2015. Now onto Rooster’s.

As expected, Rooster’s was at capacity with a few groups in front of Landon and I waiting on a table. They handed us another pager, our second that day. We watched the Buckeye game while waiting and saw them score their second TD of the game all within the first 6 or 7 minutes of the contest. They seated the two of us at a high barside. Perfect! They must have 50 or more TVs around the venue. You can watch the game no matter which direction you choose to look.

I opted for lemonade while Landon went with Coke. We each ordered wings, mine donkey, his mild. I also ordered a side salad and then some onion blooms to share. The salad came right away and it was really, really good. Didn’t take longer than about 10 minutes for our food to arrive. Neither one of us could finish our wings. We each ate 6 and asked for take-out boxes for the leftovers. We got out check and left for home at or near halftime. By then the Buckeyes had a commanding lead.

Arrived home near 130pm. Kelly, Bella’s gym coach was there with her two kids. Only three former students showed up. The party, by the way, was in recognition to the students who did their summer reading from last year’s 1st grade class. One girl brought her big brother along. I’m thinking he was 10 or 11. He was very excitable and also a little wild. I wasn’t home but a couple minutes when me and all the boys headed out to toss the football. Tossing eventually turned into a touch football game with me being all-time QB. Neighbor Jake came out for a while but had to leave before we played our game. Their sizes and ages varied wildly (6 – 14). Grandson Rocky was a real pill. I am bothered by just how much havoc/trouble he causes. He can be very defiant and mean, and when he does so others end up treating him poorly too. Happens in all social aspects. He even does it to me. He’ll say and do mean things then beg for forgiveness but then turn around and do it more. Not really sure how best to deal with that in a positive manner for the long haul. He’s definitely a project. I just hope we can reign him in before he gets too much older and his behavior gets him in real trouble.

After about 45 minutes of football I headed back inside. By then Mindy’s former students had departed. However, Kelly and her two kids stuck around a while longer. She and Mindy have been friends for a few years. I talked with the two of them for a little while but then excused myself and headed upstairs for a shower. By then it was nearing 330-4pm. A shower felt terrific but left me tired. Rather than rejoin the group downstairs, I plopped down into our bed for a nap while also watching football, and more specifically, Alabama/Mississippi.

At some point during my nap, Mindy came upstairs and woke me to tell me that someone was at the door, Ted Miller. Still half asleep, I told her that I was too tired to get up. It was almost 6pm by the time rejoined the others downstairs. By then Lindsey was just leaving with the boys. Kelly and her two kids left a little earlier.

No sooner had all the kids left when Mindy said she was heading out to run a few errands in preparation for Bella’s family b-day party on Sunday. While she was away, I took care of a couple small tasks around the house. One, I finally got around to touching up a few dings in our kitchen and family room walls with paint. I hit them with some mud a week or two ago. A few of the dings have been around for a couple years. Glad to finally mark it off the mental list of to-dos.

While doing chores, I watched the rest of the Alabama game from the family room. Despite trailing for the entire game, Ole Miss managed to keep the score close, and almost miraculously came back and won the thing at the very end. And since they were playing in Miss. The crowd went bonkers afterwards. Fun game to watch.

Speaking of upsets, there were many. Even before any of the night games, 4 teams in the top 10 had gone down to defeat. And more top 25 teams dropped in the night games. All totaled, 10 teams ranked higher than OSU lost on Saturday. Not sure there’s been so much upheaval and chaos in college football in one day ever.

Enjoyed a couple Jack and Cokes while watching football. The game of the week was Michigan St/Nebraska. Michigan St was dominating from the outset. It was something like 27-3 when I went to bed, which I believe was at the outset of the 4th quarter.

Tractoring in the Rain

 

 

I slept reasonably well, and didn't even hear Mindy get up and out of bed. However, once she threw on the shower all bets were off. Soon I was up brushing my teeth and on my way downstairs to get Friday's work day underway. Both kids were downstairs going about their school day prep while I briefly stepped out onto the deck to drink in some of the day's early weather. It was still quite warm - somewhere in the 60s - but also cloudy. Expecting significant rain for most of the day long with a high near 70. So much for cut-the-lawn Friday's.

Completed calisthenics, doing push-ups from the deck. About the time I was settling in at my desk the kids were heading out the door. I walked Eiknarf soon after she was downstairs, which would've been somewhere close to 710am. Mindy was preparing to depart as the pug and I were headed back to the house. Mindy met us in front of the neighbor's house where I gave her a goodbye hug.

At home I enjoyed coffee and internet while also digging into work. I didn't have anything urgent on my to-do list which I was thankful for. And for the first time in a few weeks, I wasn't expecting any deliveries or service men at the house either. It was 815am before I stopped working and completed a thorough meditation and stretch, and then another 15 minutes before I headed out for my Friday run.

Stayed dry through my brief 3 mile run. I was thankful for that. Poured another cup of coffee and got back to work after my run. Checked the weather radar which showed the lion's share of the storm front missing Columbus to the north, but it wouldn't miss us entirely. In fact, rain was just to our immediate south and west. With things quiet around 10am, I decided to headout and try to mow as much of the lawn as I could ahead of the approaching rain. It's been 10 days since I last mowed and the front is especially long and lush - really too long for a tractor mow to leave pretty lines but at that point I wasn't too concerned about that.

I fetched the tractor from the shed and then in almost in perfect harmony with the start of my mowing the rain started. It came down slow at first but picked up in a hurry. Oh boy! By the time I made a couple swoops up and back it became a full-fledged downpour. Great! Already good and wet, I saw no reason to stop. Instead, I rode it out, completing all the tractor mowing in the rain. The only real harm was that the tractor tires flattened the tall wet grass rather than cutting it evenly. I'm sure the few cars passing by got a kick out of seeing my hapless self out mowing in the downpour.

It took no more than 25 minutes to finish the tractor mowing. Once done, I quickly put both mowers back in the shed and headed inside. I'd have to finish the push mowing later if the rain ever stopped. Sure enough, the rain pretty much ended once I was inside, dried off and settled back at my desk working. An hour or so passed and the threat of rain did too. Looked like another swath of rain on the way, but still a hour or so away. I headed back outside this time to push mow.

Did the push mowing in record time, trying my best to clean up the uneven cut the tractor left behind out front. It was perfect but it looked decent when I finished. Despite needing to trim and edge since I didn't do it last mowing, i didn't bother at the time. I thought I might get out later that afternoon for that. But as things turned out, there were intervals of calm then heavy rain all afternoon. I never did make it out to trim and edge. I did, however, take a few minutes to blow the wet grass clippings from the drive and walks.

Joined an impromptu call with a peer midafternoon to help solve a potential problem. All in all, a calm work day, just how I like Friday's to go. No fire drills. Soon Bella and her friend, Josie were home from school. Their exit from the bus to the house was timed perfectly with yet another heavy downpour. Jacob stayed at school for soccer practice even though the regular season is over. As I understand it, there's a tournament starting next week. Not sure of the particulars.

It was after 5pm before I heard anything from Mindy. She was waiting for soccer practice to end in the parking lot at Jacob's school. I wasn't surprised that their practice didn't end as scheduled. Nothing about their soccer season had been on schedule. In the meantime, all of Bella's island friends were over and they were making lots of girly noise. Sometimes it's a bit overwhelming. They headed to the park at some point. The quiet didn't last long. Soon Lindsey dropped of the two boys. We agreed to keep them overnight and then most of the day Saturday so Lindsey could work some OT. They were very interested in what we were having for dinner. :)
Prior to the considering the rainy forecast, both our kids planned to go to the high school football game. At the same time, Mindy and I talked about taking the boys to dinner at Barley's. But that was Thursday. Soon Mindy and Jacob were home. Joey was with them too. So to sum it up, around 6pm we had about nine kids in the house. Can you hear me screaming for mercy? When that occurs I can feel the walls pushing against my very core. At one point Mindy asked if I didn't find the joy in a house full of kids. It took just a second for me to find the answer ... no, not really!

Due to the weather, the football was out of the picture for our kids. Mindy soon asked if I was still interested in taking all the kids to Barley's. Uh, no way! Told her I couldn't find any joy in going to Barley's, dropping a hundred spot on two beers and an appetizer all the while being rushed by the kids eager to get back home. IN response to my emphatic no, Mindy asked if I didn't find the joy in having a house full of kids. It took just a second for me to find the answer ... no, not really! I get it that she does. Heck, she's a school teacher. That's right in her wheelhouse. I love and enjoy kids but in controlled doses of both quantity and time.

I was resigned to an evening at home. After a trying work week, I was tired too, and wanted nothing more than to kick back and sneak in a little nap. Good luck with that! While I chilled out, Mindy ordered pizza for all the kids from Poppa John's. And while she had them on the phone I heard her make arrangements for more pizzas to be delivered on Saturday for her school event at our place. That's right, more kids! My saving grace was the fact that I'd be taking the boat in for winterization around 1045am and would miss at least part of the kiddie event. Mindy wasn't too thrilled about that and even accused me of scheduling it that way on purpose. Truth is, I have so much to do and so many things whirling in my mind at any given time, I don't have time to scheme as such. It was simply a coincidence. I was happy to have the winterization scheduled for early in the month rather than letting it linger as a dangling to-do through all of October like years past.

Like most Friday's, I wasn't really that hungry at all. Instead, I was happy to chill a few beers. I already had a CBC IPA cold, but that's was about it, so I put two others in the kitchen freezer - a West Coast IIPA and then a Victory DIPA. I ended up having just two beers - the CBC and the West Coast. The kids enjoyed the pizza but ate something less than 2 of the four pies Mindy bought for them. Somebody came to pick-up Joey around 9-930pm. Bella and her friends played in her room until 930pm when Mindy made them leave. Landon fell asleep in the family room chair watching TV fairly early. Thinking it was near 830pm. Mindy cut off his liquids after dinner saving us the misfortune of him peeing the bed.

Mindy was off to bed before 10pm. I stayed up watching college football until about 1030pm. When I headed up to bed, Landon was still asleep in the chair and Rocky was back downstairs too. Said he was going to sleep on the sofa. I was OK with that.