March 2015 - Break from Basement - Reading Brother Ben - Spring Ski

Brief recap

Spent the last day of February at MRM, just Mindy and I. The kids were with their dad. That was my first opportunity to wear my new, flat-neon orange ski helmet.

March was colder and snowier than most. In fact, the month was ushered in with a snow storm of about 4 or 5". Running streak continues, now 18 years and one month+. I hadn't worked on the basement since discovering issues with the acid stained floors after returning from Utah, though I did arrange to have our concrete stain vendor out to assess the problem. Promised to fix it. Said it was due to trapped moisture under the brown paper we rolled out as a drop cloth for three months. Also said resealing would resolve, but that would require us to vacate for an entire weekend once again, as well as extinguishing any gas pilots. Given how cold it was the last week of Feb and then the first week of March, we didn't plan on making that happen for a couple weeks or until more spring-like weather struck. Progress in the basement would have to wait.

We shopped for granite counter tops for use in the basement as well. Because our job is considered very small (less that 40 sq ft), most local granite vendors will only do remnant granite, meaning we have to choose from left over granite. The price break is however minimal. Two estimates came in almost identical - $1800 for roughly 18 sq ft of granite between the 6' basement kitchen counter and the bathroom vanity. That price includes fabrication, install, sinks, etc. Still, a lot of money for the purpose. But neither vendor had granite remnants we were head over heels for, or for that matter, granite we would have chosen given a full choice. What to do?

Purchased a new pair of running shoes, even before the prior pair wore out. They were killing my feet. Looked cool but not comfortable in the least. I went back to a tried and true model. Like medicine for the feet!

Got in a handful of March ski days, some at home and then a couple at HV to close out the season. Very fun.

March 1-15

Celebrated Mindy's birthday pretty much the entire first week of March. Did her birthday dinner at Wolf's Ridge Brewery  & restaurant. Excellent beer, excellent food. Must try! We spent her actual birthday - Thursday March 5th - at Bella's orchestra concert at H.D.H.S. Sat with neighbor Kenny and former neighbor Becky. Hadn't seen Becky for a really long time.

We stopped at Chipotle on the way home for a to-go order. At home, once we finished eating, we formally celebrated Mindy's b-day with cake and presents. We gifted her some chocolates, a Keurig 2.0 coffee maker and a couple boxes of K-cups.

Grandson Landon had his tonsils out Wednesday, March 4th. He spent the day with me, Friday, March 6th since he couldn't go to school.

First full weekend of March we attended Ashley & Steven's wedding tasting, where we met the new owner of Tall Timbers venue and sampled the food choices. We also reviewed the contract we signed a year prior. There were some significant changes to the contract, mostly surrounding the alcohol. Long story short, we will be supplying the alcohol, but they'll be serving it. The catch however was how that would be paid for. Agreed to work something out amicable to both parties. Met Joyce, the wedding planner. She's a young firecracker. Left all of us feeling good with the proceedings. She covered all the minute details and bases.

Hurried home after the tasting. Mindy called the kids on the way asking that they ready themselves and our gear for a late afternoon of skiing. We planned to meet all the peeps there, including Bob I., Tommy and Wally, and the McVey's. The kids resisted initially until Mindy made it clear they didn't have a choice. They were ready and had our gear by the door by the time we arrived home. :)

Arrived at MRM at 330pm. Great snow and another bluebird day, which 5 of the 6 days I skied there this winter were. We had a ball. The temp was around 40 so the snow was "corn snow" I loved it! Helped Darwin's two young boys board for the last hour or two. A fun way to give back. We left for home around 8-830pm.

The following weekend was our first real taste of spring. It rained on Saturday but was gorgeous on Sunday. It  reached well into the upper 50's but felt even warmer. Because it was so nice and because we couldn't really do much in the basement, we opted to cut down the last dead ash tree in our yard, out behind the shed. In comparison to the six mammoth ash trees we paid to have downed 18 months ago, this was a mere baby. Still, it was dead and a threat to my shed. Kenny must have seen me struggling to devise a wise plan to bring it down from his window. He came out to assist. We tied a rope about half way up (15") so he could pull it clear of the shed when I cut it with my chain saw. It's right along the pond too, and I certainly didn't want it falling in the water. Long story short, it fell flawlessly! I was very happy. For the next hour the three of us -  me, Kenny and Mindy - chopped it up into carrying pieces and hauled it back to the compost pile.

Before putting my chainsaw away, we headed next door and took down Trena's dead birch tree. With no obstacles, it came down easy. And the wood was so much lighter than the ash. Before going our separate ways, Mindy suggested we cookout with Kenny and Chrissy later that afternoon, which is something we hadn't done in a year I'll bet. Kenny and Chrissy were amenable to the idea. We settled on brats, beans, and potato salad. Yum!

By 2-3pm I was stiff and sore from all the tree work. I took some Advil and a shower and then watched a little golf from Florida. Headed down to the neighbors with our boiled brats around 5pm. Kenny agreed to grill. Since we last hung with the neighbor's, seems Chrissy's taken up cooking. Used to be, Kenny did all the cooking, but since graduating college, Chrissy's made it a point to learn how. She whipped up a mean pasta salad.

Josh stopped over, as did neighbor Teri and her kids. I think Mike was on duty. We had a nice time catching up. Before calling it an evening, Mindy asked if they would mind keeping an eye on Jacobella after school that coming Friday, since we planned to ask King concrete to come by and reseal our floor that day. They said yes. Jimaken would then pick them up after work before heading off to the Outer Banks for a week with he and Molly for spring break. At the time, we were unsettled as to where we might spend our Friday and Saturday night. We thought about skiing HV but there weren't any lodging options available and the weather forecast iffy. We thought we might ask nephew Joe and Rick if we could crash there.

The Work Week, Monday-Friday, March 16-20

The weather was nice again Monday - in the mid 60s with more sunshine. Very nice! After that, however, it returned to temps more normal for mid March. Tuesday evening, I think it was, while Mindy ran Bella to gymnastics, I was checking out Holiday Valley's website when I saw they now had one room available for Friday and Saturday night. Not only that, but it was at a significantly reduce rate. The entire prior week there was no availability for Friday. Someone must have canceled. Not only that, but the forecast for the coming weekend at Ellicottville looked good- high of 40 on Saturday and snow and cold on Friday and Sunday. They were expecting a few inches of snow on Friday too. I was eager to book it, but needed to Mindy's nod. Turned out their booking website was having issues so I called their reservation center. The woman I talked to shared that they were just about to close and if I needed to talk it over with Mindy I would have to wait until morning. I really didn't want to risk losing the last room, especially at that premo rate. Just then Mindy pulled up the drive and I hurriedly waved her in. I asked the HV reservation woman to give me just a second. She agreed. Mindy gave me the thumbs up! Book it!

So, just as our ski season began last November 20, we would be ending it the same way, same circumstances, same place. We both were very excited. Heck, the prior weekend I had laundered all of my ski attire for summer stowing.

The work week went by quickly. And because I  was helping my boss with another large account the entire week working well into the evening hours, he insisted I take some time off Friday in trade. That would work perfectly. I confirmed plans with King Concrete. They were coming out Wednesday morning to clean the stained basement floor then returning Friday afternoon to reseal it and promising much better results. Honestly, though, I was souring on the whole stained floor idea and already contemplating my next move, which would be to bite the bullet and have some sort of LVT/EVT put down over it. The thought of eating the $1250 we shelled out for the stain job was a bitter pill to swallow, believe me!

Logistically, we had to be crisp with our plan. Mindy made sure that the kids vacation gear was packed and ready Thursday night. And since Jacob missed the last few days of school with strep throat. she decided to take him to his dad's a day early. She took their vacation luggage too, making less hassle come Friday afternoon. Remember, we can't be in the house after they sealed the basement floor. The plan now called for Bella to get off the bus with Makayla. She would take her carryon bag over there Friday morning before catching the school bus.

Mindy left the Pilot home with me on Friday and instead drove the Accord, So after my run, I loaded all of our ski gear. I'd finished my exercise, run and packing the Pilot before 9am. I worked for the next few hours or until Terry arrived to reseal the floor. By then I was completely ready to vacate the home. As soon as Terry was done, I planned to pay a visit to the brand new Arlington/Grandview Rite Rug to look at flooring options just in case I want to bag the stained concrete look altogether. I would check out their carpet offerings, too.

Terry advised that he forgot his respirator but planned to do the job without it. Just before he got started, I turned off the pilot to both the hot water tank and gas fireplace. I also made sure the furnace was off. Almost forgot the new gas log fireplace. It was fairly mild, in the upper 40s. As such, I opened the front and rear door to get air moving through. Took Terry about 30-40 minutes, this time putting down a really thick coat of sealer. I had the Pilot loaded and ready once he walked out with his pail and roller. Holding my breath, I made one last dash to the basement to check out the results. Looked a shiny as it was advertised to us to be originally. I snapped a couple pics then made a beeline for the waiting Pilot. Off to Rite Rug. At the brand new Rite rug I met Kevin Wright. We got a huge laugh out of our surnames and the fact that it was at Rite Rug. Kevin was most helpful, pointing me to just the thing for our basement floor (covering the stain). It's EVT (Enhanced Vinyl Tile) and looks very much like hardwood with an excellent color, texture, and ease of install. I was encouraged. We checked out their carpet offerings too, agreeing before I left to set up and appointment for him to come by to measure the following Friday. Only 1pm, I had a full hour before Mindy was expected to meet me at the house. I opted to stop my dad's place.

First time in dad's house since the day Sheila passed away - some eight years. Speaking of which, dad only mentioned in passing that Sheila's sister (aunt Brenda) passed away the day prior. And just like Sheila, of lung cancer. Dad knew nothing of her being sick prior.

We visited for a while, me taking the time to show him how to operate his new smart phone - Mindy's old Samsung Galaxy 3. Tough transition going from push buttons to touch screen. He's getting slowly but surely. I give him lots of credit for giving it a go. Was there for about an hour, or something just shy of that.

Sat in our driveway for 5 minutes or so waiting on Mindy. She was a couple minutes later than expected. Said traffic was terrible. We parked the Accord then left for HV around 215pm. We made perhaps the best time ever heading up I71N to 271. Sun came out just north of CMH and it stayed sunny for the rest of the drive. Temps hovered in the mid 40s until we passed Erie. We stopped at the Wendy's in Macedonia like we often do. We used their facilities, got a to-go order then hit the road again. Made excellent time without speeding. No traffic jams. Exited onto 219N in Salamanca at 705pm and arrived at HV by 720pm - or 5 hours 5 minutes. Room 242, I believe which isn't liftview but easy access to the main building and directly across from the path to the lift. I was happy with it.

By 745pm we were settled into our room and ready to head off to dinner. I suggested we not eat at any of the places we typically eat. Instead, I offered that we do dinner that night at Dina's which is a local favorite and a bit upscale. It's on Washington Ave just before you get to Monroe St (the road EBC sits on).

Beautifully appointed, great service, and best of all, super good food. I had the crusted walleye with colorful Peruvian carrots along with two Southern Tier IPAs. Enjoyed some nice appetizers too - meatballs and ..... Finished up dinner just before 10pm. Both of us were incredibly sleepy after a 5 hour drive and now dinner.

Ellicottville, NY HV Saturday & Sunday, March 21 & 22

Save for the smallish bed pillows, I slept soundly, and certainly better than I did over winter break when I was also sporting a cold. Up at 7am, I quietly slipped into my prestaged running attire and tiptoed out of the room by 710am for the main Inn. There I enjoyed a cup of coffee and a small muffin ahead of my run. There was a dusting of fresh snow overnight with the temperature hovering near 30. Ran into town and back which I'm guessing is somewhere close to 3 miles.

Stopped back in the main Inn for two to-go cups of Starbuck then headed back to the room. Much to my liking, Mindy was already awake and playing on her phone. 20 minutes later we were off to enjoy their complimentary breakfast, featuring French toast and sausage. Quite a crowd. Back in the room near 845am, we readied for a day of skiing.

At the Sunrise lift by 925am, it was spitting a light rain with the temperature now around 34 degrees. Just before we headed out I checked the forecast which was calling for a chance or rain all day the best chance and most rain coming in around 1pm. Because it was cloudy over 32 degrees, the snow was nice and soft but not slushy. I opted to ski my Sick Day's. As for the snow coverage, 100%. Looked like midwinter form.

The skiing was incredible, soft and chunky enough for fun play but also rigid enough to hold an edge. We skied hard, taking on Eagle, Falcon, Independence and Champagne as well as a host of others.  Expected a larger crowd, but save for a few longer lines at Yodeler, that never really happened. We skied for only two hours before taking a break, but the skiing was some of the most aggressive all season. We opted for a break at the HV lodge ULLR bar which overlooks Mardi Gras and Cindy's lifts.

About the time we got settled with a beer - Southern Tier Live - we saw that it was raining a little harder. Perfect time for a break. Guessing we spent about 90 minutes inside. Skied for another hour before heading back to our room for a nap with plans to come out again for some later afternoon/night skiing. While relaxing in the room received notification from VzW that our monthly data allotment was about gone. What? With the available tools one can easily see by whom. It was Bella. She had eaten about 3/4's of our entire family allotment in just over a week's time. I quickly locked down her data. Thinking it was near 430-5pm when we suited up for another couple hours of skiing. By then the rain had moved out and clear skies were moving in along with much cooler temps. Best of all, the slopes were all but abandoned. Once again, we skied aggressively. We had a ball. By 715pm my legs were stiffening. As much fun as we were having, I knew I needed to call it a day or else risk injury. We headed back to the room and ultimately to the hot tub.

In the hot tub we met a nice couple from Pennsylvania. After about 45 minutes and a sauna we headed back to the room for showers. Around 830pm we headed into town for dinner, this time with designs on trying the new Cadillac Jack's. Just two store fronts down from the infamous EBC, we were anxious to give it a try. Save from a good server, we were both disappointed. Like their old place, crappy beer. They had a couple good ones on the list but of course those they were all out of. ...eye roll. I opted instead for an old standby - Jack & Coke, a double. Mindy went with wine after trying a chocolate porter recommended by our server. My Jack & Coke was actually Jack & Pepsi, which I abhor. Bleck! About then we toyed with the thought of paying for drinks and heading to EBC, but didn't. We stuck it out.

Enjoyed some appetizers and eventually dinner entrees. Mindy had pork chops while I had steak. May sound rough, but our dinners were slightly below average, and certainly nothing to brag about. Good bet we don't go back. Too many better options in EVL. Back to the Inn for a another good night's sleep.

Up just after 7am, this time it was much colder, only about 20 degrees and snowing, though there wasn't any significant accumulation. Off on my run by 730am. Delivered coffee to Mindy and headed out to move the Pilot closer for load and headed out to move the Pilot closer for loading. She was soon up and we were off to breakfast. Had to be around 845am. Once again, a good crowd on hand. This time they had my favorite- scrambled eggs and sausage. Got my fill then headed back to the room to pack and load for home. Out of the room by 945am and ready for a couple hours of skiing.

Before hitting the slopes, I checked out of the room, but not before asking and getting our AARP discount applied to the already discounted rate. Not bad, got two nights for $330 and that included taxes. Mindy covered our lift tickets.

Because it was well below freezing, and a windchill around 3 degrees, we expected the snow to be icy-crunchy. But that wasn't the case at all. Instead the snow was loose and again very fun to ski. Like the day prior, we skied aggressively. Best of all, there were next to no lines on most lifts.

Wrapped up our skiing by 1145am and headed back to the Inn where we changed into street clothes in the main Inn restrooms. Headed into town to fuel up for the drive home. We also agreed to do lunch in town before heading out. I suggested the rather new Armor Inn and taproom. I didn't plan to drink ahead of our drive but was eager to try their menu. 20 taps on hand and very nice inside. Service was good too. I ordered a combo of wings and brisket. Both decent. We both agreed a better choice than C.J's.

Before heading for home, we stopped in the EVL cheese company where I bought two blocks of cheese - some smoked Gouda and then some N.Y. sharp cheddar. Fast and easy drive home. Clear skies and dry road for the entirety. We made two pee stops, one just inside Ohio state line in I-90 and then I-71 about 80 miles north of home.

Opted to head straight to Gloria's where we picked up Eiknarf. Like the drive up, took us about 5 hours and 5 minutes. 24 degrees when we left EVL, but 45 degrees at home. During the drive, I'd been fretting the chore of relighting the pilots for the water tank mostly, but also the gas log fireplace. The water tank, you may recall, was problematic the last time and we had to reach out to neighbor Mike for help. Apparently the piezo igniter was frayed thus no spark, and in the case of the water tank, that is a sealed unit. Mike had to come over, take it apart, and fix.

Turned the furnace on simply by the act of turning on the gas flow and turning the heat up ( no pilot). Floor, by the way, looked incredibly shiny just as we hoped. Next up, the water tank. Following the directions, we proceeded. Unlike last time, the piezo igniter sparked vigorously and the pilot lit easily. Load of my mind. Before any relaxing, we relit the gas logs. There was our problem. The piezo igniter on the log set wasn't sparking. Crap! It's brand new! I went ahead and lit it manually all the while professing that I would call Aspen Fire Place to come out and service it. After all, it's only 3 months old. Once we had the house functioning, we both unpacked, Mindy faster, sooner than I.

About an hour into our return home I finally got around to firing up my PC. Mindy mentioned that her WIFI connection wasn't working for both her laptop and phone. Hmmm? Upon investigating, I found that to be true for everything. No internet connection. Dammit! Cable TV was working so I had Mindy text Chrissy next door. Yep, there internet was working. On further analysis, after PCing our router and modem I determined that my router was the culprit. Internet worked when I ran an ethernet cable directly into my work laptop from the cable modem. Long story short, I had to reconfig the router from scratch. Somehow lost its entire config. Good thing I kept all the doco.

Was 9pm or after by the time I had all that taken care of. I was mentally, physically exhausted. Off to bed around 945pm.

March 23-29 - Monday - Friday

The work week would be a little less taxing on account of the kids being on spring vacation with their daddy. The week's weather was a mixed bag, snow flurries and cold Monday with a midweek reprieve all the way up to 61 degrees on Wednesday. Unfortunately, back into the low 30s and freezing Friday and Saturday. That's early spring!

We went out to dinner three nights: Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Tuesday, we finally made our way to G Michael's in German Village where we planned to redeem a long held gift card we received for Xmas more than a year ago. We arrived rather early - somewhere near 545pm. At the time we were one of only a handful of customers on hand. There we met a few folks: Alicia the bartender, Michael the asst general manager, and Brett, a single customer sitting next to us at the bar.

I was initially disappointed to learn that they were out of the IPA on nitro (Crap) but that forced me to try something different - Domaine Dupage, a French country ale. No question, I might otherwise never have tried it. It was ice cold and delicious. We enjoyed two appetizers as well: mussels and pork bellies. Originally, we were going to get a table but ended up staying and dining at the bar. Mindy ordered steak - a filet I believe. I went with the small plate shrimp and grits (only $7 during happy hour). The shrimp and grits were delicious, and served in a tomato based broth with andouille sausage. Great food and warm, friendly service. We'll definitely go back.

Since we dined out Tuesday, I offered that we stay home Wednesday evening, which is the complete opposite of our normal routine. I worked across town but only for about half a day. Traded Mindy vehicles. I went to Lowes on my way home and bought a toilet and laminate counter top for the basement. Also bought a real nice jig saw that would be necessary to make the cut-out for the drop in sink. We attended calling hours for aunt Brenda hosted at Jerry Spears on West Broad St. Mindy and I drove separately, me arriving about 15-20 minutes before her. With the exception of a couple times at brother Bobby's, I hadn't seen any of Sheila's relatives since her funeral. Talked to all of them, including Dodie, Connie, JJ along with their children who are all growing up so fast. Talked to Brenda's husband Frank, too.

Thursday, it was back into the low 40s with light rain. Raw is a good description. Worked from the Hilliard office. Headed to Wolf's Ridge tap room for happy hour and parked in the Weisheimer's parking lot next door. Popped in to make sure that it was OK. Invited the twins to come beer with us. No Stacy. If memory served, she was off to NYC with her boyfriend for a long weekend. Enjoyed a couple beers, nuts and chips. Twins met us after about 45 minutes. Met a tall woman who said I looked familiar and noted me as a runner. Was sure she knew me somehow.  Hmmm?

Just before she was to leave, she stopped over again. Kristen Watt is her name. Learned she was an environmental attorney for a renowned law firm while trying to discern how/why she thought she knew me. Both Mindy and I figured there had to be a connection since she was sure that I was a runner. After digging a little deeper learned that she was a former neighbor in that she lived in our subdivision some 10+ years prior. Used to see/pass each other while running. She invited Mindy and I to join her beering club. Maybe! Headed for home around 830pm. Never did eat dinner.

Mindy was off to bed fairly early. I stayed up reading Ben Franklin's autobiography, which I couldn't hardly put down. Fascinating read.

Friday I worked from home. It was cold and didn't get any warmer than 32 degrees all day. Had two service calls arranged for my work from home day: Aspen Fire Place came by just after I got back from a 3 mile run and just after 9am. Same guy that installed it. He quickly fixed the piezo igniter. Said the wire was shorting against the gas pipe. Somewhat implied that maybe I did it. He's a nice chatty fella, but has a kanck for shifting blame. I don't like that characteristic at all.

Uneventful day. Stayed busy with work through the afternoon. Mindy sent a text sharing that she was going to Applebees with friend after school. Mr. Wright from Rite Rug called to let me know that he was running a little late for our 5pm appointment. No worries. He arrived near 50pm. Just as I knew she would, Mindy loved his strong U.K. accent. Referred to me as "mate" many times. He brought the EVT samples for Mindy to see, but his primary purpose was to measure. He had a handheld, laser driven device that not only measured the room but also sent it via bluetooth to his laptop. He wasn't there long. Gone by 550pm.

Mindy soon made CBC dinner  plans with neighbors Pat & Lisa. We were to meet there at 7pm. Mindy and I left the house near 620pm knowing we'd get there early and have enough time to enjoy a drink or two at the bar. Vince and Kevin tending bar. No Bodhi so I went with a guest IPA. Can't readily recall its name but it was good. Chatted with the bar peeps before our friends arrived. Mindy reserved a table for 715pm. Pat & Lisa got there very near that time. We still enjoyed a little more bar time before going to our booth.

Jamie was our server. She just got back from St Marteen's after a 2.5 week stay. Learned that her parents winter there. Wow! Must be nice! We shared risotto balls at the bar so we skipped any more appetizers. After another beer we finally ordered dinner.  I went with their spicy jambalaya. Mindy and Lisa ordered the salmon. Pat went with a chicken sandwich. The jambalaya was delicious. We carried in a growler and asked that it be filled with the same IPA I enjoyed at the bar. Jamie was sad to share that they ran out of that IPA even after we ordered it before hand. :( I ended up having it filled with their CBC IPA before we left. My third pint there was the Night Stick, a black IPA. Good enough.

Believe it was near 930pm when we headed for home. Mindy headed straight to bed. I stayed up watching a little TV while also pouring a pint from our growler. Drank but a few sips before covering it with plastic wrap and fridging it.

Saturday and Sunday, March 28 & 29

Very chilly start, somewhere in the teens. But at least it was sunny. I slept in until 8am. We expected the kids home from vacation around 3pm. They overnighted in Cincinnati because Jacob had two soccer games there. They left the OBX early Friday morning to get there in time for the start of the tournament.

After coffee and a run, I planned on working in the basement some. Specifically, I hoped to make the cross cut on the new laminate counter top and then cut the five pieces of trim necessary to trim out the bathroom. I planned to make a jog or a fixed edge to clamp against the back of the counter top to serve as a cutting guide to yield a very straight cut. During the set-up it became increasingly apparent that it wasn't as simple as the one I saw the guy so on Youtube. But fear not, our counter is 6' 1/8" thus the reason I had to forgo the 6' counter and go with the 8'. However, upon measuring , I noted that the 8' was actually 8' 1/2". Hmm? That meant that the 6' was probably 6' 1/2" I surmised. Why mess with a difficult cross cut if I could return the 8' and get the 6'. Cost less, too. Not only that, the 8' laminate was bowed in the middle too. Not good. This was already the 2nd one.

Before Mindy headed off to the shower and ultimately the Flower Factory and grocery store, I loaded the counter top in the Pilot and headed off to Lowes. Took my measuring tape just to be sure. No hassle with the return. Showed him that it was warped. At his request, I wheeled it back to the ins tock counter top aisle. I measured the 6's and found then to be just a smidge under 6' 1/4". Technically long enough but without any hangover to speak of. But Mindy both agreed that any hangover was really unnecessary. I loaded one on my cart. Only $53, which again is a far cry cheaper than granite.

At home I quickly got busy prepping the new counter for the end cap pieces. It was then that I noticed that the integrated back splash was tilted a bit forward. And on closer inspection, the intricate cut and laminate wrap was a little off. I could only shake my head but tried to move forward. It was about then that I realized using the end cap kit was not going to work. It assumed at least a 1.5" overhang. With the end cap kit attached, our counter would sit up and extra 1/2". Dammit! I knew with further augmentation I could make it work but it was more work, more tweaking. I showed Mindy the dilemma later that afternoon. She advised that we should remove the end cap kit and allow t he counter to rest as designed on the base cabinets and then modify the endcap laminates. Agreed. I painstaking removed the presswood filler kit that I glued on and then reset the top on the cabinets. More issues

As I alluded to earlier, the back splash was warped forward a bit which left an ugly and uneven gap between it and the wall. Would have to use a strip of trim or something to hide it. Again, shaking my head in disbelief. Not only that, but I also determined that this 6' top was bowed in the middle. When one end was seated squarely against the base cabinet, the other raised in the air more than a 1/2". OK, now I was pissed! This was already my third top. I opted to walk away from for the day. Before heading upstairs, I cut the five pieces of trim for the bathroom.

The kids got home from OBX and Cincy somewhere near 3pm. Both looked tired. Chatted briefly with Jim & Molly.

Mindy got home around 330pm. By then Olivia and Ashley were over. We asked to have the grandkids overnight. Ashley had an appointment and asked if she could bring Livy early. I of course agreed. Ashley brought over the wedding invitation list as well as the stamps. Mindy got home while Ashley was still there. We talked wedding stuff for a while. Ashley also shared a little story about Steven, his dad, and stepmom. Drama!

Lindsey dropped the boys near 430pm as we originally agreed. Mindy also invited dad to come over and join us for dinner, which we planned to have pizza. To satisfy all pizza preferences, Mindy ordered two pies from Joseppi's and one from Minelli's. They arrived within 5 minutes of one another. Both are good but I prefer Minelli's.

After a belly full of pizza, I headed out back to toss the baseball with Rocky. He's very passionate about baseball and pretty good. It was still quite chilly but beautiful. Can tell spring is in the air. Unbeknownst to me at the time, Mindy ran quickly to the Kroger pharmacy to fetch Bella some antibiotics for her impacted tooth. Her dentist and family friend, called it in while they were on vacation at Marco Island Florida. Said she got there just before closing.

Guessing it was around 630pm when I poured a Jack & Coke. Cadillac Jacks take notice. Real Coke! :) The kids played outside and then inside for the duration of the evening. And like most times when the gkids are over, we had some island kids over too. According to Bella, eight in total. Yes, it was noisy.

Mindy booted out the hoodies just before 10pm. Shortly thereafter she headed for bed while I did a little reading in the quiet. Ahh! Joined Mindy in bed a few minutes later.

Up again near 830am. I could hear little feet just outside our bedroom door. When I opened it I was greeted with ear to ear grins from Olivia and Landon. They followed me downstairs where I made both of them hot cocoa via the Keurig and myself a cup of coffee. It was near 10am before Mindy was up and making breakfast for the kids - pancakes. It was then that I readied and left for a  3 mile run.

Both girls came after the gkids between 1130am and noon. Shortly before they were set to depart, Olivia took a pop-fly to the left eye. I saw her coming running with tears. I figured she took one to the face. Yep, a shiner in the making. Ashley, Mindy and I consoled her while the tears slowly but surely rolled away. Mindy made her an ice pack which she kept fixated to her cheek for 10 minutes or so.

Once the kids left, I headed to the basement to give the latest countertop (#3) one more once over. Made the snap decision to once again return it for another. This time, however, I planned to not only take my measuring tape but also a level and square. On the short drive to Mill run, I thought it a good idea to stop in Home Depot first to check out their premade counter top offerings. Thought they might be straighter, of better quality than those of Lowes. Wasn't the case. Very similar in that almost all were somewhat warped. Not only that, they didn't have a color and pattern more pleasing than those at Lowes. Had they,  I would've bought there and then asked for a refund from Lowes.

Same guy at the Lowes return desk as the day before. Told him of my dilemma. Without any hassle, he offered that I go try and find a straighter top. If not, he promised a refund. I pulled out five and laid them out on the floor to check their level and width. Afterwards I checked the squareness of the backsplash. The last check was the quality of the contouring edges, as I witnessed several that were of poor quality. I found one that I was happy with. If it didn't work out, I figured to give neighbor Pat a call to get the name and number of his counter top guy.

Just before checking out of Lowes I ran into neighbor John in the light bulb aisle. He told me that Pat and Lisa's cars and garage were broken into during the overnight and that the stole all sorts of expensive tools. I called Pat on my drive home to get the scoop. Pisses me off! Brazen fools! They live in the back of a cul-de-sac yet the car pulled into their driveway late night, broke into Pat's truck where he mistakenly left his garage door opener. They raided the door then waited 10-15 minutes to see if it roused the home owners or alerted the police. When neither happened. they pilfered the garage and cars and headed away with a car load. How did Pat know all this? The neighbor had it all on surveillance video. Unfortunately, couldn't make out the plates. As I've been told by many, all the videos do is show you the crime. Most prove useless in capturing the crooks.  Errrrrrr!

At home I quickly carried the new counter top to the basement. Before anything else, I checked it's plumbness against the wall. Almost perfect! Then checked it for level (anti-warp) setting on top of the base cabinet. Check! Lastly, I checked the end cap pattern to the form. Check! This one will do the trick. Pleased much, I headed upstairs.

I spent the rest of the afternoon reading and relaxing. Hard to put the Ben Franklin autobiography down. Mindy made a roast for dinner. Had me add carrots and potatoes around 3pm while she was out running errands. Dinner was served around 5-530pm. Jacob had friend Joey over for dinner. They spent most of the late afternoon playing basketball down at Evan's.

After dinner I headed to the basement where I painted those five pieces of trim for the bathroom. Afterwards, I did more reading until I finished the book. Good read. Around 815pm I joined Jacob in the family room where we watched the end of The Simpson's, Family Guy, and then back to back episodes of Last Man on Earth. All light and funny.  Rain moved in around 8pm. Rained hard at times.

Monday & Tuesday, March 30 & 31

The work week promised better weather. In fact, our first day above 70 is forecasted for Thursday. We'll see. Worked from the office on Monday. First day back to school for the kids. Jacob hadn't been to school since March 16th. He missed a boat load of school this year.

Ran 4 miles both Monday and Tuesday. It was warm enough to run without a jacket on Tuesday the 31st. A little breezy though.

Left work near 2pm and headed home to finish my day. Joined our standing 3pm call from home. Kids home from school just before the call commenced.

Mindy made tacos for dinner. Yum! And at my prompting, she bought soft corn tortillas this go-round. Interesting texture compared to that of flour tortillas.

Downloaded a new book to my Kindle Monday night - Thomas Paine's, Common Sense. Some say it helped spark the Revolutionary War. Read the first 30 pages or so that night.

Planned to work across town on Tuesday but shortly after returning from my run the 2 hour meeting we had planned got canceled do to too many out on vacation. Made little sense to drive across town otherwise. Opted instead to work from home. And besides, I had a significant amount of work to do for another customer project. Feel much more comfortable not doing that work from another customer's campus. :)

Joined a couple calls and took care of my project. At lunch time, I headed off to Home Depot to pick-up fertilizer. Got a good deal - buy  2 bags of Scott's, one with Halts and another with weed killer and get 20% off. also bought the plumbing pieces to complete the toilet (meshed hose and shut-off valve). Lastly, picked up a couple pieces of small specialty trim I need.

Gorgeous afternoon. Got up to 64 degrees under mostly sunny skies. Still a chilly breeze out of the NW. Saw Pat out front so stopped by to chit chat. Said he joined Next Door for subdivision and was interviewed by the civic association relative to his recent break-in. Home to return to work.

Stayed busy through the afternoon. Mindy left school early to pick-up Bella for an emergency dental appointment to evaluate her abscess. She sent me text near 2pm sharing that she'll be needing a root canal. Dr Scott's partner took and X-ray and said the cavity/filling is too deep and very near the nerve thus the pain and swelling. Sent the X-rays home. Mindy made the endodontic appointment with former neighbor Jennifer W.

Mindy made salmon patties for dinner. For her it's comfort food. They're really not much different than some crab cakes. For my liking, I would change the recipe up a little. With them,  I enjoyed a salad and macaroni & cheese. While Mindy helped Jacob with algebra homework and later ran Bella to gymnastics, I read more Thomas Paine. I left to fetch Bella near 845pm. After our return home, I did more reading before heading off to bed around 1035p.