Talkin' Skiing

I must’ve woken three times during the night, each time convinced that it was time to get up. In fact, on one occasion, I even dreamt that I glanced at the clock and saw that it was time to get up. But when I actually did, I still had an hour or so left. Each time, I felt more than rested but took full advantage of the opportunity for additional sleep. Of course, as often happens when I play cat and mouse with the clock, I over slept by 15 minutes. Yikes! Although not good, it didn’t change my routine much if at all. I proceeded with a full complement of exercises: sit-ups, push-ups, and curls then headed out with Ykraps. It was a lovely morning. The sky was clear and the temperature about 62 degrees. It was well after 6am by the time I was back home. Coffee hit the spot. I enjoyed a cup while sitting at the computer, but not for long. By 6:30am I was into meditation and stretching. I spent more time stretching than I did meditating. I had to get my time back somewhere. It was 6:40am when I finished and dressed for my run. I was out the door by 6:45am. My run went well. So short into summer, I am already starting to pick-up on a declining sun. But, it’s either coming or going; there is no static sun. Back home and sweaty, I moved swiftly into food prep. I organized a lunch and fried two eggs. I was done eating and ready for shower by 7:40am – right on target. As usual, I delivered coffee to Mindy. She reported more struggles sleeping. She was already up, however. She and the kids were heading to the Der Dutchman with my dad and Glenn this AM. I was invited too, but didn’t plan to attend. Besides, I’d already eaten my breakfast. I left the shower running for Mindy. She was in seconds after I was out. I was down stairs readying to leave by 8:05am. Dad & Glenn showed up before I left. Asked if I would be joining them at Der Dutchman. No. I left for work soon after their arrival. Work went along as expected, and it was a busy day. I took a lunch break and drove to Colonial Music again. There, I bought three more bridge pins for my guitar. And just because I could, I stopped at Home Depot to browse the aisles but bought nothing. I was back at work after being out just short of an hour. At home, Mindy organized yet another Wright family gathering, which was supposed to serve as a farewell to Glenn, who would be flying home Tuesday. To that end, we decided to keep the eats simple and order pizza. Mindy and the kids, Glenn, Linzy & Co, and Tommy & Wally were already there when I got home. My dad was missing from the group. Turned out, he stayed home to work on a refrigerator issue. Mindy & I walked Ykraps together. Courtney showed up just as Mindy and I finished our walk. Mindy ordered pizza and subs from Sporano’s. She went to fetch them, too. The house was bustling with activity with all the wee ones running around. There was plenty of food to go around. While we ate, Courtney helped Lindsey complete her FAFSA forms. She’s planning to start at CSCC this Fall. Filling out the FAFSA form is always a big hurdle. It was nice to see Courtney helping her and being a positive role model. Mindy stopped by my dad’s after fetching the pizzas to encourage him to stop over for a visit. He did. Courtney was the first to leave, then Tommy and Wally. Dad & Glenn stuck around while Mindy ran Lindsey & the boys home. Once she returned we shared childhood stories that had everyone in stitches. Dad left just after 9pm. Glenn stayed for another beer, or until about 1030pm. We wished him well and gave him a hug goodbye. Just before he left, we made loosely discussed a possible February ski trip/visit, but couldn’t fully commit. We also extended an invite for him to join us at Holiday Valley next winter. Mindy & I headed immediately to bed. I was really tired.

Going on Safari - (more on the slip n' slide)

As planned, I was up Sunday morning at 5:30am on the nose. By design, it would very much mimic a work day morning. I started a pot of coffee then turned my full attention to exercise. Soon I was out walking Ykraps. I was thrilled to find completely clear skies and moderate temperatures just as forecasted. It looked like a beautiful day was in the offing. And just like a work day, I prepped and left for a run before 6:30am. I ran just three miles Though, through the subdivision, out Trabue, down Hague, and then back home. I was back home even before 7am. I moved quickly to shower and dress. I delivered coffee to Mindy bedside. After a shower I somewhat hurriedly whipped up an egg, brat, and cheese sandwich on wheat. A good breakfast is a must before golf. I proceeded to switch my clubs over from the BM’er into the Trooper. I was ready to depart by 7:40am. After saying good bye to Mindy I headed out. Perfect timing, Kenny was just walking down to meet me. We left right on schedule – 7:50am. We arrived at Tom Clark’s just after 8am. I loaded his clubs in the back of the Trooper and knocked on his door. In my subdivision you don’t dare leave your clubs out on the driveway, let alone leave your garage door open. Yikes! We left his place at 8:10am. On our drive up we passed what appeared to be a large dead animal in the road right at the stone fishing overpass. I also thought that I might get a speeding ticket compliments of Dublin just north of Rt 161. I wasn’t going but about 46 but the speed limit for a brief stretch is only 40mph. Turned out, the cop had more important fish to fry. He blew right by me. It didn’t take long to cruise up Riverside Dr to new Safari Golf Club. The new entrance is off of Powell Rd directly across from the Zoo’s new entrance. As we readied to head in to pay our green fees, I phoned Tommy. He was just turning in. Cool! Soon we were paid-up and ready to tee off. Sunday play was starting on hole #10. Not sure why exactly. Also, of note, today was cart path only after Saturday’s torrential rains. Understood. Hole #10 is a moderately long par 3 entirely over water tee to green. The starter pointed out that the heather/grassland hazards are considered protected environmental zones and not to be trampled. All player in turn get a free drop if their shots end up in the hazard. Hardly seems fair but OK. Three of us hit our tee shots into the water. Mine actually hit the edge of the green but trickled back into the water. Not a good start – took a five. Dammit! The next two holes my drives entered the grassy hazards on the left. The righthanders hit into the trees on the right and struggled mightily. I laughed off the free drop and bogeyed those two. My play didn’t improve and got worse. Finally, we hit the four new holes added to the course. And they are everything they said they’d be, beautiful but tough. They ate me alive, everyone else too. Undulating tight fairways, woods, & strategic water placement. Mid way through our round I suddenly found myself unable to hit my mid-irons. I was a mess. I played inconsistently through the round. I ended up with a 101. Sadly, that was tied for the lead, although there was a score keepers issue. We finished after 5 hours and 20 minutes. Ouch! We all, with the exception of brother Tommy, piled into the Trooper and drove home. We passed the same roadkill we passed earlier at the fishing bridge. On closer inspection, it appeared to be a huge beaver, and as big around as a basketball. I dropped Tom Clark at his place. Kenny & I were home by 2:30pm. I wasted little time readying to cut the lawn. I spent the next 1.75 hours whacking, edging, cutting, and blowing. Mindy notified me that it was almost 4:30pm Yikes. I needed to shower up for Sunday dinner. We left for dinner at 4:55pm. We arrived just after 5pm. Everyone else was already there. Hadn’t been to Sunday dinner since pre-Mexico. Dinner was ready sometime after 5:30pm. Sloppy Joe’s, pasta salad, & scalloped potatoes. All really good. After dinner, I snuck down to the lower level and took a satisfying nap on the love seat. I woke to the noise of Bella. Imagine that. I rejoined the family upstairs and eventually outside on the patio. Dessert was served around 7pm. Chocolate sheet cake. I had just one piece but really wanted more. Gotta watch my intake. We readied and left for home at 7:30pm. Gloria made another three references to the kids new slip n’ slide after I encouraged her to visit. I actually found it almost humorous, especially because she made a point to say it over in front of the entire family gathering, almost as if it’s an inside family joke. You know what they say? Can’t control anyone but yourself. I can only control how I respond. I chose to ignore it and let it roll of my back like water off a duck. We arrived home by 7:45pm. Collectively, we decided to have a family fire out back and roast marshmallows and make smores. We waited until about 9pm, however. It was cozy. Jacob and I split wood some logs from some trees I’ve cut down over the years. He was eager to use the hatchet and sledge. We hung out until dark when Mindy took the kids in. Kenny & Chrissy joined me while Mindy was in tucking in the kids. I lazily celled her to come back out and join us. She eventually did. I drank tow Honey Raspberry Ales. The first was better than the second. Not sure why? We stayed out until near 11pm. I got eaten up pretty good by mosquitoes. Mindy & I headed to bed promptly. I was really tired after getting up at 5:30am.

Playin' in the Rain

I woke around 7:15am and headed downstairs. I feared that I might wake feeling hungover but did not. Perhaps the 2 Advil I took prior to leaving the house for Barley’s combined with adequate amounts of food and water protected me. I felt fine. However, I do admit feeling a little overwhelmed with everything I intended/wanted to accomplish Saturday morning and early afternoon. We were planning to attend brother Bobby’s cookout at 3pm. Before that, I wanted to fix the Trooper passenger window, cut the lawn, and prep our food contribution for the cookout. Adding to my apprehension was the fact that big rain was forecasted. I did my exercises, walked Ykraps, and sipped coffee until 8:30am. I left for a run soon after. It was sunny when I walked Ykraps but clouded over in a hurry. It was cloudy, warm and humid when I left for my run. Still, the four miles went well. I was soaked in sweat at run’s end. Mindy was still sleeping after my return. I didn’t bother waking her given her inability to get any good sleep of late. I checked the weather radar to help me determine my action plan. There was rain moving in alright, but still off to our immediate NW. I decided that I would work on the Trooper window, which I figured I could fix in 30 minutes or so. I gathered the tools I needed to remove the Trooper’s interior passenger door trim exposing the window track and glass. The biggest problem is the limited access one still has after removing all of that. Thankfully, I’ve taken it off a number of times past so I knew what did and didn’t need to be removed. But what I didn’t anticipate was just how boogered up it was after Glenn lowered it. Not only was it off the track, but now the track itself was broken. It took a while for me to figure out a means of getting it back to where it was. To make matters worse, the sky continued to darken and there were even a few lightning flashes and distant thunder. I worried that I might get caught in a storm with the window completely down and the door skin off. I did my level best to remain focused and not worry about the weather. While working away, a woman walking by with her dog greeted me by name. I didn’t recognize her until she identified herself as being Pat from Dr Monfort’s office. Dr Monfort is/was mine and Ashley’s orthodontist. After some idle chit-chat I asked her advice regarding Ashley’s misaligned bite. She offered that I should call Dr Monfort, but also said it’s not that uncommon for the lower jaw to keep growing, as does the nose, especially for girls. Of course Ashley and Kelly have dubbed Dr Monfort as a quack. Good grief! I managed to get the Trooper put back together by 11am. It was still threatening rain but at least for the time being still dry. I found Mindy sitting on the deck. I joined her after washing my hands. We chatted quietly for few, but I eventually got up to tinker/adjust the new gas grill. I was certain that I installed the grease drawer upside down and also wanted to look at the gas flow. For whatever the reason, the back of the burners get much hotter than the front. And for such a short period of duty, it was incredibly dirty. Just as I finished putting the grill back together, the rain started coming down, albeit only lightly. But a few minutes later it was raining cats and dogs. I checked the radar and was convinced that the rain would end before 1230pm. I still held out hope that I might get an hour to work on the already over grown lawn. That never materialized. It rained, and rained, and rained. We eventually resigned ourselves to an afternoon of rain. More rain seemingly came from nowhere. After a rainy afternoon nap, Mindy and I got busy making the food for Bobby’s cookout. We phoned him around 2pm to status the schedule. We agreed to delay the start hopefully after the rain moved out. Mindy ran to fetch ice and the kids from Jimaken’s around 3:30pm. While she was out I finished the chocolate chip cookie cake. Also while Mindy was out, Lindsey and the boys arrived. We were taking them to Bobby’s party. Kelly kindly agreed to drop them off at our place to save us the trip. Thanks Kelly! We left for Bobby’s at 4:30pm. Everyone was gathered indoors. Even though the lion’s share of the rain had stopped, it was still spitting and cloudy. However, all hope wasn’t lost. Over the next hour the sun began to break out for brief periods. All of us migrated outdoors for some fresh summer air. The wee ones even got in the pool. I spent most of my time playing with the grandkids, Olivia, Landon, Rocky, and Kaileigh. As Glenn pointed out, there were nine wee ones running around, and if our math was correct, six of them were born over a six month span from Oct ’06 thru Apr ’07. Bobby showed off his new-old boat which he currently has stowed in his garage. It’s a small red, runabout with an open bow. I think it’s a Chrysler. It appears to be in great shape even though it’s a 1979 model. As I understand it, it’s been garaged for most of it is life. The kids swam for most of the early evening taking time out to eat some of the summery food. After eating I headed inside and took a brief nap on the sofa. We left Bobby’s around 8pm, first to drop off Lindsey & the boys, and then to drop Jacob & Bella at Jimaken’s. It was almost 9pm by the time we had all the kids dropped off. By then the clouds had moved out entirely revealing a lovely sunset. I offered up a stop at Barley’s but Mindy claimed she was too tired. Truthfully, I was too. Last minute, we stopped at Tom Clark’s place just west of the river off Old Dublin Rd. He was kicking back watching a movie. He gave us the nickel tour. I’d seen it only from the outside prior. He got one heck of a deal when compared to the caliber of homes dotting the rest of the subdivision, not to mention the low price he paid. It needs a lot of work, however. We departed just as darkness set in. I’d be back at 8am to pick Tom up for golf. We were home just before 10pm. After changing into my comfy summer sleeping clothes I mixed up a Jack & Coke. I sipped that down over a twenty minute period and then headed to bed.

My Favorite Things

Happy 47th birthday Kaiuous was up at my usual time, 5:30am. In short order my calisthenics were in the bag and Ykraps and I were headed out the door. It was a lovely morning with clear skies and warm temperatures. We were expecting lovely summer weather through the day, but sadly, it wasn’t expected to stay that way even into Saturday. Instead, rain was in the offing. But for now… After coffee, meditation, and stretching I readied for a run. I was out the door near 6:40am. The run went about as well as expected. Nothing out of the ordinary. I was back by 7:20am and eagerly going about making my eggs and throwing together my lunch. Thanks to Mindy, there was little I had to do relative to lunch. It was all prepackaged the afternoon before. I was off to the shower by 7:40am. Mindy reported sleeping poorly once again. Thinking it might be related to her blood pressure and pulse, she took both soon after waking. Still much higher than she wants, especially her pulse, which has been hovering at or near 100 bpm. Mindy agreed to join me on the deck for a cup of coffee before I departed for work. The summer sunshine was warm and bright, the humidity about where one would expect it. From the deck, we talked mostly about the kids, and more pointedly about working with Jacob on his table manners. In kind, Mindy asked that I try a different approach since the current technique isn’t working. We talked far longer than I anticipated. It was after 8:25am when I checked the clock. Crap! I left for work in hurry. I drove the BM’er, again a very lovely drive in. The morning went along according to plan. We were busy. I easily could’ve worked straight through, but held fast to my plan to run a couple personal errands. First, I had to make a deposit at the bank, and then stop in Colonial Music, with in eye shot of the bank, to pick up a new bridge pin for my acoustic guitar. I found one broken this week. While there, I bought a guitar string winder too. Between the two, I spent a whopping $2.40. I stopped in Lowe’s before returning to work. I browsed but bought nothing. I was back at the office by 2pm. Mindy left a VM that she was headed to the pool with neighbor Kenny and his three kids. I returned her call an hour or so later. She planned to stay at the pool until the 4 o’clock rest period, the 4 o’clock rest period. The day wound down nicely. I was even able to leave a little early. I thought that I might mow the lawn once at home, but wasn’t fully committed to it either. As I figured, by the time that I arrived home, I didn’t want to mow the lawn. Mindy joined me walking Ykraps. We noticed many lawns beginning to brown out for lack of meaningful rain. Ours is nice and green but still showing signs of stress here and there. Nothing like a good summer rain storm to help restore lushness to the lawn. We were still planning a Barley’s outing, and also expecting brother Glenn to be joining us. He phoned around 5:45pm to firm up plans. He showed up at 6:30pm. In between his call and arrival, Mindy showered. I took a nap. Once Glenn arrived, he agreed to restring my guitar. I gave him all the supplies. He ended up snapping off a second bridge pin by trying to pull ‘em straight up and out. I showed him afterwards that they push up and out quite easily. Now I’d have to go buy a few more bridge pins. I should’ve bought more than one earlier. Heck, they are only $.10 each. Glenn restrung my guitar while I freshened up for a night out. Before heading out I retuned my guitar. As expected, the strings were slipping in and out of tune, but even still, the sound was much livelier than the old ones. We headed off to Barley’s at 7:00pm. We got a good parking spot, usually a decent indicator of the crowd, but not always. Turns out, not that crowded at all. Already eating barside were Bob & Mary Ann. Our neighbors, David & Becky were there too, but they were eating dinner at a table. Dan & Paul, at least early on, were the only other familiar faces sitting at the bar. Tom Clark and Tom Wright arrived a bit later. As usual, we yucked it up. Tom, Tommy & I firmed our intentions to golf Safari early Sunday morning. Bob couldn’t golf due to a family commitment. The golf gods weren’t pleased, but perhaps more importantly, Mary Ann was. :) We were at Barley’s until 11pm or so. Mindy was driving home; this we planned earlier. Over the four hour span, I drank five beers. Yikes! Good thing I ate some food. Earlier, we shared sauerkraut balls and a half chicken. We dropped Glenn at my Dad’s by design. We were home and in bed before 11:30pm.

Spaghetti, Frogs, & Spills

I must’ve woken sometime between 530 and 540am, but by the time that I was downstairs and exercising it was 545am. No worries. Outside, the tell-tale signs of rain were evident, wet streets and wet walks. Even still, not enough to supplant the irrigation system. It was barely sprinkling when I headed out the door with Ykraps. Back for coffee by 6:08am (later than usual but nothing to worry about). I had to use Mindy’s hazelnut creamer. There was no ‘Jimmy’ creamer. What next? Ugh! I spent the usual amount of time on the PC before heading back to the family room for meditation and stretching. The stretching was extremely satisfying. I wore a long sleeve wicking shirt to counter the slight chill that hung in the damp morning air. It was only 60 degrees. That turned out to be just about perfect. The 4 miles went well. I was back inside the house by 7:22am and quickly transitioned to food prep. I cooked a cheese omelet and packed a typical lunch. I was off to the shower by 7:40am. I didn’t dare head upstaris without Mindy’s coffee. Once again, she reported poor sleep and bad dreams. I was ready to go by 8:00am. She stayed in bed, yet another indicator of how tired or sleep deprived she’s been. Off to work by 8:10am. The morning went by quickly. At lunch I headed toward Lowe’s to browse. I remembered along the way that Mindy wanted me to stop at CVS to pick-up a prescription. That took just about five minutes and $5 (her own little blue pills). At Lowe’s I browsed almost all the aisles, but went looking specifically for two things: a new flower pot and a rigid steel mesh screen to secure our garage entry door. I found neither. I still enjoyed my time away from work. Sometimes it’s simply good to get away. I was back at work by 2pm. Like the day’s first half, the afternoon moved swiftly, too. I didn’t bother phoning Mindy. I drove home in peace. It was sunny and warm – about 84 degrees. I passed my dad walking Ykraps. Mindy must’ve invited him for dinner. Inside I learned that he watched the kids while she grocery shopped. The kids were out back frog hunting, their latest favorite thing to do. It was evident by the cooking tools that we were having spaghetti and meatballs, not exactly standard summer fare but still quite good. It was a few minutes before everything was ready. Dad and I chatted while waiting. Mindy had me call the kids in to wash up. Jacob, I discovered, was covered with pond mud. I had him go around the house and meet me at the hose bib. We squirted the bulk of it off outside. During dinner, Jacob was being his usual careless-self, reaching, grabbing, and laying his head on the table – an accident waiting to happen. Seconds later- he spilled his mother’s ice water just as I was asking him not to reach but ask. He scampered away in tears. He rejoined us minutes later. Through the rest of dinner, he placed himself in still more accident prone situations. Table manners are not his strong suit. Mindy excused he and Bella well before any of us were done, and probably for the best. They headed out for more frog hunting. I was tired with a belly full of spaghetti but still completed kitchen clean-up. It wasn’t long before Jacob came to the front door reporting that Bella hurt herself and needed her momma. Apparently her foot slipped off the bike peddle causing a contusion on the back side of her ankle. She was streaming tears once inside. After some hugs, kisses, and a band-aid, she limped away back outside with friends. Not sure of the time, but after clean-up I snuck over to the sofa even while Mindy asked me not to. I was so tired. Dad soon left for home. Next thing I knew, It was 8:38pm and the house completely quiet. I’m guessing that I slept for almost an hour. After heading upstairs and slipping into my comfy summer bed clothes I returned downstairs to do a little work on my blog. And speaking of my blog, I got the last nine days published. Minutes later, Mindy emerged from the deck where she reported napping herself. Rare, indeed. A few minutes later she asked if I would corral the kids. I did as she asked meeting only minimal resistance. I had to demand they come in twice. She promptly sent them up for showers, which they did largely on their own. It was just after 9:30pm. Both of us were tired. After tucking in the kids I secured the house and headed up for bed. Unlike normal, Mindy stayed up a while longer. I vaguely remember her joining me 15 minutes or so later.

No Golf but Dinner with the Wife at Barleys

I woke around 5:10am and briefly contemplated getting up, but decided to try to fall back asleep instead. I slept until 5:25am and then got up for good. I beat the irrigation system. It kicked on while I was brushing my teeth. For whatever the reason, it didn’t sound as loud as usual. I completed my exercise routine and then headed out with Ykraps. I felt like my upper back needed to crack and/or pop. I could shake it. We walked to the east after one of the rare times I let Ykraps dictate our direction. It was trash day. Our can was already at the curb and stuffed beyond full. I stressed over the fact that Mindy already had another overstuffed bag in the kitchen. After walking Ykraps I took it out and forced in into the already full can. I felt much better after. J I spent the usual amount of time playing on the PC and stopped around 6:15 to meditate and stretch. I was finished with both early. I was ready to head out the door by 6:35am. Before launching, I noticed that the trash truck hadn’t yet been by. That’s unusual. My run went well. Another easy four miles under lovely summer conditions. I happened upon the trash truck apparently starting form the back of the subdivision. In all my years, that’s a first. Not sure if it’s one time thing or a permanent change. Doesn’t really matter to me. I was back by 7:17am. I threw the frying pan on the stove over medium-high heat. I decided on an omelet. I packed a lunch at roughly the same time. I was finished packing and eating by 7:40am. Off to the shower. I delivered Mindy’s coffee. She shared that the quality of her sleep was poor. I shared my thoughts about the fridge AEP was to pick up. It was still warm, by the way, even after running all night long. I suggested that we unplug it and play dumb telling then that we didn’t know it needed to be running and that we carried it up form the basement to make their job easier. Mindy agreed. I shower quickly. By the time I was out and getting dressed I noticed that Mindy was up and out of bed. After glancing out the window I noticed a large moving truck out front. I guessed the fridge guy was here early. He was. Mindy was dealing with him while still in her PJs and robe. I caught a glimpse of a big kid loading it onto the back of the rented truck. Goodbye Fridge! That’s a big relief. I’ve been fretting over getting rid of that thing for three years. It was still before 8am. I was slightly ahead of schedule. Mindy & Bella headed outside to sit on the patio and deck. I loaded my golf clubs into the BM’er. I forgot to mention that Lindsey phoned Mindy the evening before and asked if she and boys could come over on Wednesday since Kelly (her mother) was on vacation. In other words, she didn’t want to be at home all day with Kelly. I’m guessing the feelings are mutual – sadly. Mindy still wasn’t sure, however. She didn’t feel all that good after a poor night’s sleep. I understood. I left for work at 8:10am with golf clubs in tow. My new driver barely fits in the trunk, but I got it in. I arrived at work before 8:30am even after stopping to fill-up with gas. It took just under 10 gallons and set me back about $24. The morning went well. We had our usual Wednesday staff meeting that last until 1pm. I spent the entire afternoon meeting with my team members individually, something I’ve been doing all week. That consumed the lion’s share of my afternoon. I was preparing to leave for golf at 4:30pm. But late in the afternoon, Bob Imber emailed to let me know that it didn’t look good for golf. He was buried and expected it to remain that way until perhaps even 7pm. Yuck! I was a little bummed but also looked at the bright side. I knew my wife would appreciate a surprise dinner date. I let Mindy know for sure once I got another confirming email from Bob that he was definitely out just before 4:00pm. She was just prearing to leave the pool, where she'd spent her afternoon along with daughter Lindsey, Rocky, and Landon. I went ahead and left work at 4;30pm anyhow having arranged my schedule accordingly all day long. I don’t think anyone heard me enter the house. Jimaken arrived minutes after me to fetch the kids. I still had my back pack over my shoulder when he came to the front door. Mindy was upstairs. She was surprised to come down to see the kids off only to find me already sitting at the PC. After the kids left and after walking Ykraps together, Mindy headed upstairs to finish getting ready for our dinner date. I used the time to water flowers out back. I watered for a good 20 minutes. And even though I’ve got the irrigation system running everyday, I could easily see signs of stress in a few areas of the lawn. But that often happens after a drawn out cloudy, rainy spell. The first sunny, hot and dry weather takes its toll. I figured I’d hit those dry spots when we got home later along with watering the front flowers really good. We left for Barley’s at 5:40pm. It wasn’t very crowded but most of the bar stools were taken. Lucky for us, a couple patrons left soon after we arrived. Janet was working along with a new girl, Gina, who we later learned is the daughter of the folks that own Gentiles, a Grandview wine and beer cellar. Cool! Mindy wanted a glass of wine. I ordered a Centennial IPA. We didn’t place our food order until my first beer was almost gone. I ordered KC wings and Mindy ordered a mini-quesadilla. Both were $5 since it was happy hour. I ordered an Avery Maharaja IIPA for my second and last beer. And man was it good. Sitting beside me was a gentleman I’ve seen in more than a few times, Mark Bruck. I got to talking with him. He owns his own paving company and eventually shared his entire life story. He’s been in business for himself since his teenage years when his dad passed away. He grew up in Arlington but was quick to point out, “in the poor part.” He knew a few people that Mindy mentioned, both doctors and one her cardiologist. Went to high school with both. He took the cardiologists phone number since he has a friend with heart trouble but no money to have the trouble addressed. He held out hope that he might take on the case as service to his community. I found Mark entertaining. Shared a few stories about snow skiing in Utah with his wife, and then some that caused Mindy to sing La-La-La and plug her ears. We settled up and left for home at 7:25pm. As an extra act of kindness, Mindy slipped Janet an $20 bill to put towards Deanna and Sarah’s tab, two Barley servers who stopped in for beers on their day off. Paying it forward so to speak. We arrived home near 7:45pm. I took almost immediately to watering the front flowers. I chatted with cross-the-street neighbor Carl for a bit. I shared how much I liked the new colors used on his house trim. The painters finished a couple days ago. He shared what he had just learned earlier in the day about Gold Grill. Jim arrived with the kids near 8pm. Just before they pulled up, Mindy headed down to chat with Kenny. The kids spotted her and soon followed. Mindy returned to grab a glass of wine just as I was finishing the watering. I had her take me a cold Mojo IPA. I promised to meet her at Kenny & Chrissy’s in a few minutes. We hung out with the neighbors until 10pm. They were just eating dinner when I arrived, which would’ve been about 8:45pm. Just before Mindy, the kids and I headed home, David & Becky stopped over. I couldn’t stay. I had to be up at 5:30am in the morning. We all headed home and jumped into bed even before 10:30pm.

Pretty Up the Junk Fridge

I slept like a rock and didn’t wake until almost 5:45am. By then the irrigation system was twirling away. It didn’t wake me, which is highly unusual. I hurried off downstairs to begin my exercise regimen and then to walk Ykraps who was whining by the door. He wanted/needed to go out. I did a full complement of exercises including curls. We walked west under clear blue skies and moderate temps - about 66 degrees. Because it was well past 6am when we got back home I spent comparatively little time on the PC. I moved to meditation and stretching at 6:20am. I got myself back on track. I left for my morning run at 6:40am. Once again, my run went well. I was back home preheating the frying pan by 7:20am. I packed my lunch and fried two eggs then enjoyed another quiet breakfast. I delivered Mindy’s coffee before my shower. She talked about staying home from the pool today since Jacob really didn’t want to go. I was showered and ready to depart a tad early. Mindy came down to enjoy another cup of coffee with me before I left for work. I headed off to work in the BM’er around 8:15am. The work day went along smoothly, but I never got a real break all day long. I must admit that was largely self-imposed. It’s just that it was almost 2pm when I looked up and by then it made little sense to take an hour. I drudged on through instead. Mindy went to lunch with her mother and the kids at Minelli’s. She said Jacob wanted Barley’s for dinner. Not me. Later, she changed her mind and grilled chops instead. I arrived home around 6:00pm after not leaving the office until 5:45pm. Things were dicey up until then. I walked Ykraps while Mindy finished prepping dinner. Mindy washed the old Fridgidare fridge that AEP was expected to pick-up on Wednesday morning. She plugged it in too. They left a VM on Monday evening indicating that it had to be working when the picked it up – something they had previously failed to tell us. It looked cleaner than I thought it could ever be. I checked the temperature. It was still hot. I really hated to leave it run, but no choice. Dinner was really good. The chops were juicy with just the right amount of seasoning. Bella was reluctant to try hers but eventually did and liked it. We had broccoli as our main side, and then some leftover coleslaw too. I ate two homemade brownies after dinner for dessert. They were delicious but made me very sleepy. I wanted nothing more than to take a nap. But for the time being I resisted the urge. While Mindy ran some brownies down to the neighbors, I cleaned up the dinner dishes. As soon as I was done I plopped down on the sofa. It was about 7pm. I was out! I woke briefly around 815pm and heard Mindy behind me on her laptop. I went right back to sleep for another good hour. I woke around 9:15pm still groggy but with a few aches and pains form sleeping on the sofa. That always happens. Just as I was gaining my second wind, Mindy was tucking in the kids and preparing for bed herself. I tucked in the kids but then headed back downstairs to do a little writing in my blog. I promised Mindy I’d come to bed soon. It was only 9:30pm. I stayed up another 40 minutes, or until 10:10pm. I wasn’t overtly tired but felt like I could go to sleep. For the past five or six days I have been denied myself the sleep I need.

Passenger Window

I woke feeling really good after about 7.25 hours of quality sleep. It was time to put the four-day weekend behind me and focus once again on work. I spent little if any time fretting over the return to work. I have a week’s vacation coming up in two short weeks. The coffee was brewing and my exercises complete. I walked Ykraps around 5:45am. After walking Ykraps I got my Trooper keys and removed my golf shoes from the back since I planned to let Glenn use it for the week.. Mindy left a note inside my cell phone reminding me but I didn’t need it. I remembered on my own. My routine went along as usual. Soon I was ready for my run. It was a good run, too. Nothing eventful to speak of. Instead, simply fulfilling. After my run I packed a lunch and made an omelet. I enjoyed a quiet breakfast alone. I delivered a cup of coffee to Mindy just before getting in the shower. I was ready to go by 8:00am. I hung out for another ten minutes before leaving. I drove the BM’er, again leaving the Trooper for Glenn. Work went along just fine. Around noon I thought that I should phone Glenn to remind him not to use the front passenger window even though I had it locked by the override. It was 12:40pm by the time I actually placed the call to his cell. Reception was choppy. He indicated that my warning was too late. He’d already released the lock and put it down. Crap! I wasn’t pleased, but what could I do. The call dropped. I tried calling him back from my office phone in hopes of walking him through getting it back up and on track and relocked. No answer. After the no answer I left a VM on my mom’s phone giving explicit instructions on how to get the window raised and secured. I left my cell in the BM’er when I stepped out for a lunch break. I missed his return call. I didn’t get the message until leaving for home around 5:30pm. Said he got the window back up. I felt significantly better. Prior, I was giving consideration to making the long 90 mile drive down just to fix it. Mindy & the kids spent the day at the pool. Mindy insisted on leftovers for dinner. They were delicious, although the kids weren’t to keen about them. After dinner I watered the front flowers while also contending with a pesky neighborhood kid lighting off firecrackers from the bridge. It was annoying, but I kept reminding myself that I did similar acts as a kid. I did little else through the evening. I played on the PC for a while, but that’s it. We headed to bed at 10pm. I was stiffer than usual, probably from playing kickball the day before.

Day of Leisure ... sorta

I slept until 8:15am. I could’ve slept longer after staying up until almost 2am, but I just couldn’t live with myself if I did. I felt fine. I started some coffee then my exercise routine. It was cloudy but clear skies were in the forecast, along with warmer temperatures. By the time that I was ready to run it was well past 10am. But I had no where to be so I didn’t fret over the time. I ran along Trabue and Hague and eventually past dad’s house. Looked like he was home. By the time my run was done it was completely sunny. I puttered around the yard for what remained of the morning and early afternoon. Mindy invited both her mom and my dad over for dinner, which would be Saturday’s leftovers. Mindy left for some alone time shopping around noon or 1pm. Bella dashed off to the neighbors. Jacob, Glenn, and I tossed the Frisbee and eventually headed off for a walk in the woods and back to the waterfall. At the falls, we spotted a huge bull frog resting peacefully in the spillway. I commented that his head must be the size of my fist. One of the largest I’ve seen in a number of years. We weren’t gone even for an hour. Mindy was back by the time we returned home. I decided to use the time to place the boulders I’d picked up from dad’s place the weekend before strategically along the pond in front of Mindy’s new patio. That went well. Afterwards, I moved some topsoil from my compost pile along the edging of the patio then threw down some grass seed. I watered it in well. I proceeded to water the rest of the rear flowers and eventually agreed to spray Bella and Makayla, who were prancing around the backyard in their swim suits. My Dad & Gloria showed up while I was busy watering. Gloria came out on the deck to present Bella with a new Slip N’ Slide in an overtly dramatic fashion. Not sure what that was about. At any rate, I kept watering until I was done. Mindy grilled a few more burgers to add to the pile of leftovers still around from Saturday’s cookout. Dinner was served around 6pm. Like the night before, there were brats, burgers, coleslaw, and fruit. I had a brat. After dinner I headed out to play kickball with Jacob. At the time, no one else showed much interest. Glennie went for a nap. Eventually, everyone trickled out. Mindy showed off her new patio to Gloria just before she departed for home. Apparently she wasn’t to keen on playing kickball. My Dad, Mindy, and Bella eventually agreed to play. It was Mindy, Bella and I against Jacob & my Dad. As usual, Jacob had a few outbursts but each dealt with appropriately. Glenn emerged from his nap and joined up with Dad and Jacob. He added some much needed kick into their game. We didn’t keep official score, but had we, Mindy, Bella & I crushed them! J We got perhaps the biggest laughs out of Bella’s determination. Several times she dove head first into the base to avoid being tagged out. Her timing was impeccable. Come 8:30pm everyone tuckered in the warm humid air. We called it a day. Dad soon left for home. Mindy sent the kids inside for baths/showers. I was in bed by 10pm eager for a good night’s sleep.

Player's Club and Backyard BarbQ

I got up at 6:30am on the nose. This time it was sunny and looked to stay that way. It was bit warmer, and much more humid too. After exercising, I headed out with Ykraps. We made quick work of our walk. The way I saw it, I had only 2 hours from the minute I woke until departure for Player’s Club. I sipped coffee then prepared for a run. I wasted little time fooling around on the PC. I did check the forecast. It called for a sunny morning but a cloudy afternoon, and there was even a chance of rain for late in the afternoon. Oh well. I left for my run around 7:30am. I ran just three miles again in the name of managing my time. Plus, I’d be getting plenty of exercise golfing. I finished my run around 8:00am. I went straight to the shower, although I took Mindy a cup of coffee. Like Friday morning, I used Thursday morning’s leftover eggs and bacon to make another breakfast sandwich. I used the last of it. It was good. I called Kenny to measure his status. He was going to meet us there after picking up his daughter. He thought that he might even be able to make it on time. I agreed to get his green fees up front. Worst case, they’ run him out to us where ever we were on the course. Mindy was awake & about when I left. She’d be spending her day shopping and preparing for our Saturday night cookout. I left the house at 8:30am. Traffic wasn’t an issue at all. It was the 4th of July. I arrived at the Player’s Club after Tom Clark. He’s usually one of the last to arrive. Bob wasn’t far behind. We walked in the clubhouse to pay together. I covered Kenny’s fee and also verified that they’d bring him to us on the course. He called to let me know he was about 15 minutes out. An old friend, Craig Coffman, was our starter. He used to do the same thing at Split Rock. We grew up together. We chatted for a while mostly about the struggle many local golf courses are facing with the economy. We chatted long enough for Kenny to arrive, and ended up getting off the tee in our original slot, albeit a few minutes late. I started OK, but just like Friday, I struggled a bit afterwards. But so did every body else. Player’s Club is quite the challenge. My worst hole was a rather benign looking par 3 with a green protected by water. I duffed my 8-iron off the tee leaving myself about 50 yards to the pin right in front of the water. I hit my sad wedge in the water. I dropped another and hit it in the water. Suddenly, I was lying in five and still wasn’t safe. I hit my next wedge off the back edge into a sand trap. I took a nine. I was steamed! Bob Imber caught fire on the back nine after a dismal front. By far, Tom Clark struggled the most, but this was only his second time out all year, Friday being his first. By far, the toughest holes, water aside, are 14-16. And 14 & 15 are both long, narrow par fives with undulating wooded fairways. I went bogey, par, bogey on the three. Not bad. I’d take that score any day on these holes. I didn’t shy away from my new driver on them either. I hit two really well and the other just good enough. Too, my new putter began to feel familiar. I finally had a few one putts on the finishing five holes, this just my second round of 18 using it. I was pleased. We won’t talk about my final score. It wasn’t good, but that’s OK. I had fun. We all headed our separate ways after golf. It was about 2:15pm. I phoned Mindy, who was home boiling brats and preparing other foods for the party. She reminded me to stop for ice on my drive home. I arrived home about 25 minutes later. One of the first things I did was stock a beer cooler then finished cutting the lawn (the section I overlooked on Friday). That didn’t take long, 15 minutes start to finish. Afterwards, I helped organize things inside. I grabbed a much needed shower too. We weren’t expecting any guests until 630pm or so. That gave us plenty of time. The Jumps phoned around 5pm to say they weren’t gonna make it. The wee ones were a bit fussy after a long drive home from Willard. We already knew that none of our neighbors would be able to make it either. Pat & Lisa already had other plans. Same with Kenny & Crissy, and also Mike & Teri. We never did hear from Dave & Becky. They’ve been gone a lot lately. I know this, Mindy had a lot of food prepped and ready. 6:30pm came quickly. My dad was first to arrive. Then not that much later, Bob & Mary Ann and Uncle Kenny showed up. Courtney came over too. And unless I am mistaken, that was it. We hung out enjoying finger foods, grilled meats, good beer & wine and scrumptious desserts all night long. We ended up out back lighting a fire in Mindy’s fire ring around 11pm. Dad left about the same time as Uncle Kenny a bit earlier. However, he returned with Glenn’s guitar not 30 minutes later. Bob Imber kindly taught Jacob how to catch frogs with only his bare hands and a flashlight. Impressive! Jacob was very excited when they finally caught one. Neighbor Becky stopped over. It must’ve been around midnight. They’d been at the Crew game. We hung out until 1am. I was getting tired. I doused the fire with two vessels of water making sure all the glowing embers were out. We probably didn’t get to sleep until 2am.

Golfing Phoenix then R.W. & Boom

As planned, I was up at 6:45am first exercising and then walking Ykraps. It was clear & sunny initially, but the blue skies gave way to grey with clouds rolling in from the north. Bummer! I’d already seen enough clouds the past few days. Despite a busy agenda, I still took the time necessary to enjoy coffee and internet but cut it short for the sake of staying on schedule. I wanted to be out the door for my run by 730am. Sometime during my run the sunshine returned and remained that way through its entirety. Quite lovely. Again, I ran just three miles to shave some time. I passed Kenny out in his driveway just as I finished. I stopped to firm our golf plans. He talked earlier about meeting me there but now planned to ride with me. He & Crissy needed to drop their new Acadia at the dealer for some recall work. We agreed to meet and leave from my house at 8:50am. It was 8:10am back at home. I took a quick shower then headed downstairs to load up my golf equipment. Back inside, I made a scrambled egg, bacon, and cheese sandwich with the leftovers from Wednesday’s breakfast. I ate that in a hurry. With a few minutes to spare, I sanded the storm door jam where I made repairs just two days prior. Kenny arrived right on time. We left for the golf course at 8:50am. It didn’t take too long at all. We arrived at Phoenix by 9:15am. Our tee time wasn’t until 9:42am, and we were still waiting for Tommy to show. I called. He was close. Kenny & I paid our cart fee and went to the putting green that sits well above the clubhouse. Tommy arrived about five minutes later. At the time it appeared that there were two foursomes in front of us still waiting at the tee box, but the starter advised that we were next, not the four old men. Cool! I love Phoenix, and it usually loves me, but this wasn’t my day. I started OK: bogey, par, bogey, but my game quickly unraveled from there. I shot a 54 on the front, my poorest nine of the season. We were backed up on the tee on five or six of the holes, too. No excuses, but that didn’t help much. I blew up on one hole in particular with an ugly 9. The course was in beautiful shape, by the way. Impressive! The back nine went a little better, but still not that great. I shot a 47. Among other things, I couldn’t sink my putts when given a chance. Kenny shot an impressive 83. Tommy, well, he was over 130, but he rarely golfs. He’s still learning. I drank beer for the first time on a golf course in many years. After my ugly front and the fact that it was Red, White & Boom day I felt a bit more carefree. We finished up around 3pm (long, slow round). Kenny & I phoned the wives, who were at the pool with the kids. They figured to be home around 4pm – just after rest period. Glenn was at the house writing quietly at the kitchen table. I woofed down some food then tried napping. Mindy arrived home a few minutes later and asked about our Red, Whit & Boom arrangements. I needed to coordinate the pick-up of Rocky. A few minutes later Courtney called and asked if she could tag along. Sure, will you pick-up Rocky? She agreed. Problem averted. While Mindy showered, I laid down on the sofa thinking that I’d try napping once more. However, while lying there, I got the urge to mow the lawn. I think it was the realization that it wouldn’t get mowed until Sunday otherwise. That would’ve left it too long. I headed out and started the process immediately. I wasted no time. At first I thought that I might just do the front, but I ended up cutting the entire lawn, and almost 2/3s of it with the push mower. I was practically running with it. Mindy seemed surprised to see me finishing up well before 5:30pm. I didn’t whack, edge, or blow. And turns out, I forgot to mow a pretty sizeable area in the front entirely No doubt, I was moving too fast. Courtney and Rocky arrived around 6-630pm. After a shower Mindy and I walked over to chat with Kenny and Crissy. Kenny & I had another tee time Saturday morning, but it sounded like he might have to pass for the sake of picking up Lillian, his daughter at her mother’s. He promised to keep me updated. We left for dinner and Red, White & Boom around 6:45pm. All of us, Glenn, Courtney, Rocky, Mindy, Jacob, & Bella piled into the Honda destined first for Barley’s, the overwhelming dinner choice. We asked for an indoor table in the bar area. Wes was our server. Turned out, Courtney recognized Wes from an old job. I was excited to find they had Avery’s Maharaja DIPA on tap. I ordered a Barley burger, Mindy the half chicken. Jacob ordered Gates of hell wings and rocky & Bella ordered mini-burgers. Glenn and Courtney shared sauerkraut balls. /dinner was excellent. Everyone was satisfied and full. I had tow beers. MY second was a Centennial. I easily talked Glenn into a Maharaja for his second. We left for Red, White & Boom around 8;20pm. It was a relatively short drive to the Arena district. We took Goodale Blvd a then a left on Michigan Avenue. Smart move it turned out. Within two minutes we were parked in the APCO siding lot for $5. From there we walked all the way to Long & Neil, right in the heart of the Boom zone and right next to the WNCI stage. Lucky for us, some vendors were just packing up from a large grassy area when we walked up. Just like that we had a cozy spot to view the fireworks from. It was 9pm. We hung out for an hour before the fireworks began. Most of us took a walk around the large vending area. I bought Rocky & Jacob lighted saber swords. Mindy got Bella flashing-lighted bunnie ears. Soon it was 10pm and time for Boom! The show seemed to have an unexpected delay, perhaps a faux pas. But soon it started. To my eyes, it was similar to last year’s show. I took about 20 photos using the photo exposure setting and even grabbed about 45 seconds of video. It was over after 25 minutes. Nice! We packed up and started the roughly 1.5 mile walk back to our car. There was a crowd but all in all fairly ruley and fast moving. We were on the road home by 11:00pm. We headed north on Michigan avenue to Third then west through Grandview. The only mentionable delay came at the Third Ave/Olentangy River Rd traffic light. We were easily home by 11:30pm. Courtney agreed to drive Rocky home, even after Lindsey called numerous times harassing everyone about our whereabouts. She can be relentless. We definitely had fun, and were surprised at the ease of access in and out of the downtown area. Good weather for it too. Not too hot, and not too cool. After one beer we headed for bed. I had another early wake-up coming.

Cedar Point - Eight is Enough

I pretty much treated the morning like any other work day. I was up at 5:40am. I prepped coffee, exercised, and then walked Ykraps. The weather was cloudy and cool, just as the forecast predicted. I compared our local forecast to that of Sandusky (Cedar Point). They were expecting a 40% chance of rain and a high of 70, a bit worse than ours. Radar didn’t show anything of concern. Mindy asked me to put a pound of maple bacon in the oven before setting out on my run. I followed her directions but also alerted her so that she wouldn’t forget it was in there. I prepped and left for my run at 6:35am. I ran just three miles figuring I’d be getting a good bit of walking in later on at Cedar Point. I was back by 7:05am. Mindy was already out of the shower and blow drying her hair. Mindy advised that everyone was up and preparing to depart. I got showered in a hurry. I decided to go with contacts to avoid having to latch onto my eye glasses while riding on the coasters later. That went easily. I went with a brand new pair, too. Mindy had the scrambled eggs and bacon ready for consumption. It was yummy. We packed a back pack with all sorts of necessities: jackets, tissues, throw up bags, etc. Mindy, Glenn, and Jacob all took Dramamine. We were still awaiting the arrival of Ashley, Lindsey, and Rocky. They arrived around 7:45 – ten minutes late, but no biggie. We made everyone go potty before leaving the house. We left at 8:05am. We took I-270 north to Rt 23N. It was cloudy the entire way and began to rain once we exited onto Rt 4 around Bucyrus. It rained hard for a spell, but not for long. Regardless, it didn’t look or feel like Cedar Point weather. The drive went fast. We made it in just over 2.5 hours. We were in the gate and at the restroom in short order. Happily, the sky looked like it was clearing up. Yippie! We made arrangements for Mindy to take the two little ones, Rocky & Bella to kiddie land while the rest of us, me, Glenn, Jacob, Ashley, and Lindsey headed off to ride coasters. We agreed to meet at restaurant #18 around 1:30pm. It was almost 11am when we split up. The five of us were headed for Millennium Force, the 320 foot – 93 mph steel coaster. Last second we opted to hit the Blue Streak to warm-up. After all, the line was almost non-existent. Jacob had never ridden a roller coaster before thus he had no idea what to expect. He chose to ride with Ashley. The Blue Streak looks tiny these days, but in its day, it was quite the attraction. The ride was fun and rickety, just like you’d expect fro man old wooden coaster. At the rides conclusion Jacob complained of his arm hurting. Seems he left it dangle out of the cart and it subsequently took a real beating. He had minor bruising to show for it. He also declared that he wouldn’t be riding any more coasters even as we made a beeline for Millennium Force. I told him he wouldn’t have to ride if he didn’t want to, but still expected he would after waiting in the line with all of us. The line for Millennium Force was stated to be near 1.25 hours. It took all of that too. Through the mouse maze we went. During our wait, the sky cleared almost completely leaving us basking in warm sunshine. Very nice! I checked with Jacob and time or two measuring his interest. Still the same – no way. He worried how he might escape the ride. I assured him there would be a way to wait for us at the top of the line. Inside, however, I worried that I might have to wait with him given his young age. Oh well. We finally reached the deck. We opted for a mid-cart to expedite our ride. The line for the front car was about 20 patrons deep. I showed Jacob the escape route. He was able to wait just the other side of the front car. I strapped my small digital camera around my wrist and had it in movie mode to hopefully capture the thrilling ride. Last second a worker girl asked me to put it away. Crap! To oblige her, I needed her to release the safety bar. She rolled her eyes making me feel bad. Her idea though. Off we went. Millennium Force launches you up the initial hill with out the assist of the clinking chain most of us are familiar with. The ascent is fast. From high atop the first hill one can see for several miles. Even though it was blue over head, I could see clouds rolling in from Michigan. WOOOOOOOOOOOOSH! The initial descent is nerve racking. It almost seems that it will never end. When you think you’ve had enough you finally hit another incline. WOOOOOOOOOOOOSH! Great ride. One of my all-time favorites. We reconnected with Jacob at the rides conclusion. Everyone reported being happy with the thrill component. We offered some sympathy to Jacob for not riding, but he seemed at peace with his decision. We made our way back towards kiddie land to reconnect with Mindy who left me a VM indicating her disappointment with me for not kissing her goodbye when we initially split up. Never crossed my mind. I was eager to ride some coasters. We stopped and rode the bumper cars, Jacob, Glenn, and I. Ashley & Lindsey rode one of the ‘dangly’ coasters. Reported it being lame and over fast. Jacob struggled to get his bumper car moving. I tried giving instructions but he didn’t have time to figure it out. We met up with Mindy and the wee ones in Camp Snoopy. Together, we seemingly walked all over looking for our previously agreed upon lunch location. We finally found the Charlie Brown Grill back by Gemini Jr. Imagine my shock when I learned that a burger, fries, and small drink was $13.xx. Oh hell no! Not me. Mindy ordered food for the kids. I couldn’t get myself to pay the price. There was no way I was going to spend $50 to feed Lindsey, Ashley and I crappy burgers. I was hungry, but not that hungry. After the kids ate, we split up once again. However, this time, Jacob went with Mindy and the wee ones. The rest of us went to ride Top Thrill Dragster. The line was long, stated 1 hour. However, light rain stopped the ride after were stood in line for 45 minutes. If you leave you sacrifice your spot. We waited. The rain stopped after about 15 minutes and they reopened the ride. We finally made it to the ride’s deck and onto a car. We were about 4 or 5 cars backed up. Suddenly, without much warning, they made us exit the car and again stopped the ride, this time due to mechanical problems. Lucky for us, that delay was a quick five minutes. Soon it was out turn to ride. Top Thrill launches you from 0 to 120 mph in less than 4 seconds and then 420 feet straight up, over a hill and then straight down a twisting descent. The ride lasts only 17 seconds but kicks some butt, by far the greatest thrill in the park for my money. We all loved it. After the Top Thrill Dragster, we headed towards Magnum XL 2000, their 20 year old metal coaster. Still a thrill but nothing like the Millennium Force. Afterwards, Ashley & Lindsey took off to smoke. Glenn and I kept moving. We were both really hungry. Glenn opted for garlic fries. Yuck! I broke down and bought a burger combo. I needed something in my stomach. When I got back to Glenn he stated that Lindsey & Ashley went to ride the Raptor. After eating we rode Mean Streak, the huge wooden roller coaster. We sat in the rear car, the car that’s guaranteed to rattle every bone in your body. It shook us so violently that I thought my brain might turn to mush. It gave me a slight headache and left me nauseous. In fact, had it gone on any longer I might’ve tossed my lunch. That might’ve been my last Mean Streak ride ever, if nothing else, my last ride from the rear car. We walked through Frontier Land on our way to the front of the park. The cool weather helped, but still, I couldn’t shake the nausea. I eventually phoned Mindy to let her know that I was headed their way. We met in Camp Snoopy again. I waited/rested on a bench. Blah! Mindy and the kids did the gift shop. Afterwards, Glenn and the kids rode the sky ride while Mindy and I walked towards the exit. We left the park at 630-700pm. It didn’t take long to get to the Honda and on our way home. I took a Tagament about 30 minutes prior to heading home. It was my idea that Mindy bring them along. Good call! I was fine to drive. We talked about possibly hitting Barley’s after dropping Lindsey, Ashley, and Rocky at Kelly’s. Almost everyone napped on the drive home accept for me. We dropped the kids around 9:30pm. Jacob and Mindy were a go for Barley’s, but Bella and I were too tired. Glenn could go either way. We ended up nixing that idea and heading home instead. I still felt nauseous but figured a Jack & Coke might knock the edge off. I made Glenn & I one. One turned into three. I felt a whole lot better afterwards. No more upset stomach. To boot, I popped tow bags of popcorn to snack on. Mindy headed to bed well before me. I joined her 30 minutes later. With a 9:40am tee time, I planned to be up by 6:45am. I headed to bed before 11:30pm.

Glenn's Home

Up at 5:35am. Completed a round of exercises and then walked Ykraps. The weather was notable. It was cool and cloudy, very un-summer-like. The forecast was iffy relative to evening golf, but I was determined to play given half a chance. The morning went well, the run, breakfast & prep. Mindy asked me to have her up by 7:30am. Her, the kids, and my dad were planning a trip to Der Dutchman in Plain City for breakfast. My dad wasn’t expected until 8:30am. I left for work at 8:15am. Work was busy. We had our usual Wednesday staff meeting. The day flew by, thanks in part to an issue that consumed most of my attention. Luckily, I was still able to break away at 4:30pm to leave for golf. It was cloudy and cool but little, if any, chance for rain. I arrived at Split Rock at 5:10pm. Bob Boyard was there just before me. Bob Imber arrived a couple minutes later. I carted alone while the two Bob’s rode together. We tee’d off the front nine. My first drive with my new driver went a tad left but still well in play. I struggled to find my groove for most of the nine holes, but that’s how it is sometimes. I shot a 51. Ugh! We finished around 7:10pm. I phoned Mindy who reported sitting out on the deck with Dad, Glenn, and the kids. It seemed almost fall-like outdoors. I arrived home around 7:45pm. I was starving having eaten nothing more than a tub of nuts since breakfast. Mindy made a crockpot of chili of all things. But given the chilly weather, it hit the spot. I enjoyed two bowls. Just before dad departed, he offered to walk Ykraps while we did Cedar Point the following day. Good thing he offered. I forgot to make those arrangements. It was 9pm. Glenn and I enjoyed a beer from the deck. We had just one. We all were tired and needed to be up very early Thursday AM to be on the road by 7:30am. Mindy & I headed to bed at 10pm.

Lunching with the Wife/Empty Storage

The day’s objectives were simple: exercise, prep, run, work. Everything went as normal. Work went along just as it normally does. Mindy called mid-morning while out running errands to measure my interest in meeting up for lunch. We agreed to meet at P.F. Chang’s at Tuttle Mall around noon. The weather was a little cooler than expected, only in the mid 70’s. Mindy was sitting on a bench out front awaiting my arrival. We both ordered the pepper steak bowl with a cup of egg drop soup – a good bargain and very tasty. Mindy was excited to have her wedding rings back after 10 long days in repair at the Diamond Cellar. Apparently the two wedding bands were gnawing away at the setting of her engagement ring. The fixed it by soldering all three together thus eliminating the clash. Mindy shared that she had the guest room ready for Glenn’s use. We discussed dinner plans in brief, although she knows I’m never good at planning dinner with a full belly. She talked about grilling burgers. But perhaps weighing even heavier on Mindy’s mind was emptying the storage shed of the last few items. She made arrangements to meet b-in-law Larry there after lunch to give him an old dresser/mirror. She made tentative arrangements with neighbor Kenny to help me fetch the old refrigerator & table. We went our separate ways around 1pm. On my way back to work I stopped at Golf Galaxy to pick-up a bag of longer golf tees that are better suited to my new driver’s larger club head. The heavier than usual lunch hung with me all afternoon. And as it turned out, it hung with Mindy too. By late afternoon she called and asked if I minded skipping a formal dinner. Nope, not at all. When I arrived home, Mindy walked over to Kenny & Crissy’s to see if Kenny could still help us with emptying our storage unit. Mindy had already shared our intentions with the storage unit manager. We’d be vacating it that evening. Kenny was agreeable to helping. He and I left around 6:30pm, right after I finished printing off eight Cedar Point tickets ( 6-adult and 2-youth). On our way to the storage unit, I informed Kenny that I made us a Friday AM tee time at Phoenix. We really wanted to play Safari but it was booked for an outing. Maybe next time. It didn’t take long at all to get the fridge. We tipped and slid it onto his flat bed truck and strapped it down. Did the same with the old table. We sat waiting at the Fisher Rd railroad crossing for several minutes while they jockeyed some rail cars around. That took longer than the work. Kenny helped off load the fridge and table into our garage then headed home. Mindy and I didn’t stay up too late for busier days to come. We were in bed by 10:30pm.

Ginormous Driver

After waking, I spent the usual amount of time exercising, walking Ykraps, playing, meditating, stretching and running. Unlike the week before, it was considerably cooler. The temperature was only in the low 60s. It felt quite nice. And judging by the forecast, it would be even cooler on Tuesday & Wednesday. There was little to separate my run from most others, but it still went well. I took my time preparing to leave for work after being on-call all weekend long. I took my golf clubs and drove the Trooper. If my work day would permit, I wanted to hit the range at lunch. I was anxious to hit some balls with my new driver. Turns out, the morning went surprisingly well. I was able to leave at 12:30pm. Before the driving range, I stopped at Galaxy Golf to pick-up some tees. I was almost out. On to Ables golf center. I paid $9 for an X-large bucket of balls and headed to the grass tees. It was fairly crowded, almost too much so. But thankfully, three or four patrons were just finishing up as I walked up freeing up plenty of room for me. I hit four or five with my sand wedge before pulling out the big gun. I hit my driver really well. It was very easy to hit. I purposefully wasn’t making a full back swing and only following through at 2/3s speed. Making solid contact was my objective. Each swing produced a slight draw – very nice! Right away, I could see that Bob Imber’s tip to buy longer golf tees was an accurate one. Crap, I just bought regular 2-1/4” tees earlier. I found a long one at the range and used it for much of time with great results. Note to self. My new driver’s club face is ginormous. I hit the entire bucket working with all of my clubs. I mishit relatively few. I was pleased. I spent about ten minutes on the putting green trying out my new Odyssey putter. I felt good with it too. Back to work. There was an obvious cool down in the air. The remainder of my work day went along smoothly. I headed for home around 5:30pm. Mindy and the kids were playing kick ball in the yard when I arrived home. I took full advantage and went straight for a nap after walking Ykraps. For whatever the reason, I was real tired. Into the early evening I worked on my weekend blog probably writing for a good 2 hours. We talked in the living room before heading off to bed.

Celebrating Courtney at 27

Happy 27th Courtney! I was up a little after 7am eager to get the party started. I prepped a pot of coffee then completed a full complement of sit-ups and push-ups. Ykraps and I hit the streets a short time later. Lovely morning – lovely walk. Not wanting to waste any time, I quickly enjoyed a cup of coffee before dressing for my run. It must’ve been 8:30am when I dashed out the door. I ran my usual Sunday trail – just three miles out Trabue and down Hague. It was a good run. I was startled to happen upon Mindy as I re-entered the house. She was just stepping over the baby gate at the base of the stairs. I wasn’t expecting that. I suggested we have some coffee out on her patio in the warm sunshine. We sat out there talking for a good 20 minutes. It was almost 10am when we headed back inside. I suggested that she get a shower now if she planned one in the next couple of hours. Dad and I would be turning off the water in order to complete the plumbing job. Best case, it would be off for about an hour. Worst case, who knows. She agreed, and headed up for a shower. While Mindy showered, Dad phoned to say that he was on his way. He also shared a run-in he had just had with step-brother Shawn that could best be summed up as less than cordial. While waiting on dad’s arrival, I decided to do as much prep work as I could. From the garage, I cut and pieced together the CPVC on-off valve and hose bib feed with out gluing anything. Dad arrived just as I was finishing up. We carried our tools and supplies to the basement where I showed dad the work I planned to carryout. The first order of business was turning off the water supply then cutting the ½” copper pipe leading to the existing hose bib, which is fed from the original metered water feed. We would then sweat on a 1/2” copper cap formally sealing off the old feed. Sounds easy. The prep went fine. I was ready to sweat the cap on quickly. I carefully cut the pipe, cleaned it with emery cloth and a pipe cleaner brush, then coated it with flux. We knew there was water hanging around in the end so we created a sucking towel to pull as much away as possible. On the second try the sweating worked. The solder found its way completely around the pipe. A very good sign, but only time and a test would tell. We waited a few minutes before turning the water on. Time to test. I turned the water back and within seconds we knew that our work had failed. The cap was dripping. Dad quickly pointed out how difficult that would make things because now we’d have to try and sweat it off with water in it. Anyone that’s ever sweated copper plumbing knows that that is impossible. The problem was that there was no way for the water to drain away short of the utility sink. We had no choice but to use the pipe cutter to severe the pipe just behind the cap. Lucky for me, I left a little wiggle room with the first cut. But honestly, that was by happenstance. Dad suggested that he do the second attempt not wanting to risk another failure. I conceded. It didn’t take long to finish the second try. I held my breath as we turned the water back on. This time, thankfully, the cap held nicely. The hard part was seemingly behind us. Dad suggested this was the reason why most seasoned plumbers avoid doing any type of home repair jobs such as that one. They’re timely, riddled with issues, while also being low revenue generating as compared to working with all new. Before installing the new CPVC run, we removed the old hose bib spigot. That took just a few minutes. Next, I had to sever the ¾” inch CPVC feeding the irrigation system to add in a tee that would serve as the new hose bib feed. Then, add a separate new CPVC shut off just above that, thus enabling me to turn it on/off without impeding water flow to the hose bib. Simple! Well, to begin, Dad carefully held the wire meter wiring out of the way while I took a hack saw to the existing CPVC run. It doesn’t take long to tear right through the CPVC. Soon we had water spraying all over everything. Oops! We both forgot to turn off the water supply again. Yikes! We laughed it off and moved on. The trickiest part was cutting the CPVC to the proper length while allowing enough slack to slip the existing end into the new tee and shut-off valve. We remedied that by temporarily removing it from the new deduct meter. The CPVC joints need to be cleaned, primed and glued. That might sound difficult but it’s really simple. The primer and glue actually weld the plastic to together via chemical reaction. Once it’s on, it’s on. It’s not coming off. Done correctly, leaks are very rare. We carefully went about adding in the new pieces/parts until we were done. The final end simply threads on the end of the water spigot much like a hose fitting. I wasn’t so sure how well that would hold well but my research says otherwise. I chose not to test the new plumbing for a few hours. The directions say to let the glue cure for at least two hours before full pressure is applied. With an array of on/off valves, I was able to turn on the water supply to the house but keep it out of the new CPVC. Before I forget, another benefit of using CPVC is that unlike copper, you can weld it with water in the pipe. It doesn’t matter. I budgeted two hours. It took 2 hours and 20 minutes. Dad hung around for another 15 minutes before heading out. Said he’d return around 4:30pm. I used the time to whack, edge, and blow the walk and drive. That took no more than 20 minutes. Afterwards, I readied for a quick trip to Home Depot and Target. I asked Mindy if we needed anything while I was out. A first she said no but called me before I even left the house. She asked that I get some sort of cake/ dessert for Courtney’s b-day dinner. I stopped at Home Depot first. There I needed to buy hardware to mount the new support rails to the boat’s interior. I really wanted stainless steel to avoid any corrosion. Unfortunately, their selection of stainless steel hardware wasn’t nearly as complete as that of the zinc, which will eventually corrode. I went with the zinc. I was really happy to find the special t-fittings I needed. I also bought two stainless steel screws to secure the new water spigot I just installed. After Home Depot I cruised next door to Target. There I intended to replace the kids’ kickball that went flat last week. I ended up buying two. One old fashioned patterned rubber kickball, like in elementary school only in blue instead of pale red. The other was a large blue marble looking thing. While there, I checked to see if they had that purple v-neck t-shirt I liked in my size. Last time in (about a month ago) they did not. Today, however, they did. I grabbed one. Next, I headed just down the road to the ATM and then Kroger. I needed some cash and then the cake Mindy requested. I checked out all the cake options and settled on a tray of twelve cup cakes decorated for the 4th of July. I also bought 2 four packs of giant iced cinnamon rolls. They looked incredibly delicious. I thought the adults might like that option over cup cakes. While heading to the check out lane I grabbed Mindy a dozen dazzling reddish-orange roses. I haven’t taken any home in a few weeks. Finally, I was heading home. It was 3:30pm when I called Mindy to check her status. The kids were already there. She & Courtney had already run to the storage facility where Mindy offered Courtney her old book shelf. I greeted everyone at the house but then quickly turned my attention back to the boat. I was determined to get the new treated wood rails prepped, recovered in marine vinyl, and installed. To that end, I worked methodically. The project went almost perfectly with just a couple small snags. While finishing my work, Joey & Shelly dropped off Kaileigh. They stayed for about 30 minutes visiting. They’re good people. We like them much, much to daughter Courtney’s dismay. I needed a shower and headed directly upstairs to take care of business. I returned ten minutes later clean and refreshed. Mindy started the grill but asked that I take over. She was a bit overwhelmed. I went to the deck and put the steaks, chicken, and hot dogs on. Crissy came over and said that Kenny was too ill to join us. Got sick eating at Bob Evans after church. That’ll teach him to go to church. Soon, we had dogs, chicken, and steaks cooked by Jimmy. There were four or five filets and two NY strips. The kids ate out on the deck. Not long after dinner we gathered around a large cinnamon roll to sing Courtney happy birthday. It didn’t dawn on me at the time but this was the first formal birthday celebration that I’ve done for Courtney since her 17th (10 years ago). After blowing out the candles, we gave her gifts. Kaileigh gave her jewelry, and so did our kids. We gifted her a Kohl’s gift card. Crissy had to eat and run. She had to see her step-daughter off to her mother’s. Courtney left a short while later. She said she was really tired. Honestly, she looked down all afternoon. Summer quarter starts Monday. I felt it a good thing for her to go home and get some rest. Everyone else hung out. Eventually, the rest of us gathered out back to play kick ball in Dave and Becky’s backyard. Dad played, too. It was really fun. There were several dysfunctional moments, but still lots of fun. June 28th is nephew Joe’s birthday as well. He stopped over around 7:30-8:00pm. He joined us for the last inning or two or kick ball. He and Mindy had a beer afterwards. As the evening wound down, I got busy watering flowers. They all needed a good hand watering. And to that end, it was time to give my new plumbing a run for its money. To the basement I headed to put it to the test. Slowly, I turned the water pressure on to the new water spigot. No leaks! Wahoo! Landon and I watered flowers for the next 30 minutes out back. It felt liberating to now be hand watering for 30% of the normal cost. I let Landon play with the hose by himself for about ten minutes. Lindsey said Kelly never allows him to do so. Incidentally, Landon loves his paw-paw. Soon Joe-Joe left, and then minutes later so did Dad. We’ll see dad again Wednesday after he fetches Glenn from the airport. Mindy ran Lindsey, Rocky, and Landon home. Kaileigh, Jacob, and Bella stayed home with me. My job was to water the front flowers, but then also give the kids a bath. I proposed a shower in the backyard from the garden hose. Kai and Jacob were game. Bella was not. She opted for the inside variety. Our neighbor Carl came over while I watered the front flowers. We talked for a long time. Eventually his wife beckoned. I moved around back and gave Jacob and Kaileigh a cold, outside shower with the hose. They brought out soap and shampoo and wore their swim suits. Mindy got home soon after their showers were history. I helped carry in what few things were still scattered on the deck. What a day. I was beat. Mindy complained of the same. We tucked the two girls into the guest bed, then Jacob in his own. I made myself a Jack & Coke around 10pm. It served as an excellent night cap. Good night Moon!

Bringing Home the Boat

After waking a couple of times and going back to sleep, I was finally up & out of bed at 7:30am. Mindy appeared to be out cold. I was careful not to disturb her. For the next couple of hours I exercised, walked Ykraps, logged into work, and played on the computer. I was in no hurry. In fact, short of cutting the lawn, I had little else planned for the day. After all, I was on-call. Mindy got up around 9:30am, about the same time that I was finally ready to run after finding a lull in the activity at work. At the same time, Mindy invited me to sit on her patio sipping coffee, but by then my mind was already running. I had to go. It was a warm run – about 75degrees, and by 9:30am the sun was high enough in the sky that it made a real difference. By run’s end, I was covered in a thick gelatinous glaze. While I ran, Mindy prepared a fancy omelet. She asked if I wanted mimosa. I did not. I stuck with straight OJ. I spent a little more time dealing with work matters then found another lull. I decided it a great time to visit my dad’s place to pick-up some of the min-boulders he said I could have. While there, I planned to invite him over for Courtney’s birthday celebration on Sunday and also ask if he’d help me do the plumbing work necessary to move my hose bib to the deduct water meter. I’ve had the material for about 6 weeks it seems. I headed over around 11am. Dad wasn’t home, but I vaguely remembered where he said I might find the boulders. Sure enough, I found about 13 of them. They were slightly larger than I envisioned but still ideal for my project. I planned to place them at the edge of Mindy’s patio and down into the pond giving it a more natural, rustic look. A couple of them were all I could handle alone. I worked up one heck of a sweat, too. It was heating up fast. Back at home, Mindy convinced me to wait until later to cut the grass. That way the lawn would be much drier, thus easier to cut. I agreed. In the meantime, I handled more work related stuff and then decided to go fetch the boat and give it the once over getting it water ready. Mindy suggested that I fetch it with the Honda but I didn’t want to do that just yet. I took the Trooper – a proven entity. I arrived home with the boat less than 30 minutes later. It doesn’t take long. At that point I still wasn’t sure how deeply I wanted to plunge into boat prep. After all, I was on-call and that remained my first priority. The first thing I did was remove the two rotted support rails that I was already prepared to replace. Next, I installed the battery and tried firing it up. It started on like the third try. I let it run with the water muff shrouding the engine for at least 20 minutes. I checked the oil and belts, too. All good. Sometime during my toil, Mindy prepared to leave for a shopping spree. For one, she was headed to Kohl’s. I suggested while out that she get Courtney a birthday card. She agreed to pick up a gift card, too. Just before she backed out, I offered to vacuum out the Honda since I already had the shop-vac out for the boat. The Honda really needed it. She waited while I vacuumed. It took no more than 5-10 minutes. She then left. After seeing that work was under control, I got more involved with the boat. I detailed/cleaned it inside and out. I put both the trailer and boat license stickers on too. In addition, I lubed the bearing buddies and checked the tire pressure on the trailer. Dad pulled up around 4pm best guess. He took an interest in what I was doing. Said he’d been out and about all day. I responded that I knew having been to his house earlier. I shared that I got the rocks I asked about. In the same breath, I asked for his help with the plumbing job Sunday morning, and then extended and invite for Courtney’s birthday dinner. He accepted on both accounts. We agreed to start on the plumbing at 1030-11am. Cool! About then, Mindy arrived home. She greeted dad with a hug. Always does. Shared with both of us some of the deals she got while shopping. Dad soon left agreeing to see us both tomorrow AM. Mindy hung out around the boat as I was winding down. She suggested that we order Sporano’s subs for dinner. We had earlier talked about attending Comfest but neither of us seemed up to the idea by then. I was on-call and looked forward to a more low-key kind of evening. Getting old, I guess! However, I still wasn’t done with all my chores. Nope! I planned to cut the lawn. I wasted no time transitioning from the boat to the lawn. I spent the next 1.5 hours cutting grass. I push mowed about half, maybe more. It looked great when I finished. Before putting the tractor away, I attached the trailer and hauled the 13 boulders I had in the back of Trooper out to Mindy’s patio. The tractor made it as easy as possible but I still had to lift them all. Ugh! The lawn still needed a whack, edge, and blow, but I decided to save that for Sunday. I was beat and needed a shower. After my shower, Mindy ordered those subs we talked about. She went and fetched them too. After seeing my way through a couple more work related matters the coast looked clear for a care-free & kidless summer evening. Wahoo! Mindy bought two subs, but we shared just one. We saved the other for Sunday lunch. While sipping a beer, Mindy suggested that I take my new putter down to Kenny’s and try it out on his putting green. Great idea, Mindy! She followed. While they ate their dinner, I putted. They eventually joined us. Meanwhile, neighbors Mike & Teri were out on their patio two houses down making some raucous. We eventually joined them. They were celebrating another neighbor, Katie’s, 37th birthday. Mindy shared the latest news on Gold Grill, the neighborhood menace. According to a SWAT officer friend, this guy is a convicted felon from Florida (robbery and murder), who was invited to stay with his aunt but later thrown out. He’s rumored to be living in the woods in our neighborhood park all the while praying on older house wives and befriending neighborhood kids. The local teenagers say he’s packing. I’ve talked to him a couple of times, extending only a casual greeting. We’re all concerned, especially if he’s packing. I made a couple beer runs back to the house. We hung out with the neighbors until almost 11pm. I checked in with work before heading to bed. Things were quiet.