Hop Slam & White Rajah ... a banner beer/calamity day

This time I purposefully overslept knowing that Mindy & the kids wouldn't need to be up for school. I figure that alone saves me roughly 15 minutes. I slept in until 550a. There was a little more accumulated snow overnight, but it had finally stopped coming down. In fact, the sky looked pretty clear with a few stars shimmering brightly in the predawn sky. It looked rather peaceful. I went straight to work on my sit-ups then checked the weather and headlines. It was a chilly 8 degrees. Next up were my 55 push-ups. They went well. Soon, I was enjoying a hot cup of coffee along with Frankie's company. We headed outback around 615a where she quickly took care of the necessary business. Back inside I did a lengthy meditation and then a five minute stretch routine. I'm not really sure what time it was when I finished. I left Frankie free run of the downstairs when I headed out for my run. I didn't want to unnecessarily wake Mindy since there wasn't school. It was an enjoyable 4.1 mile run. Initially, anyway, I could feel the extra chilly temps seeping in through every tiny gap, yet by run's end I had worked up one heck of sweat. Since it was later than usual, there was plenty of daylight when I finished. Before heading inside, I raised the garage door, got the snow shovel, and cleared the driveway and walk of the fresh snow fall. Best guess, there was probably another two inches. Looks like we got about 5" in total. Inside, everyone was still in bed, at least for a while. While starting my breakfast, I was briefly joined by Bella. She was very excited to learn that school was canceled after initially assuming a two hour delay. She headed back upstairs after getting confirmation. I enjoyed a couple fried eggs and packed a light lunch then headed upstairs for a shower. It was 820a. After my shower Mindy asked if I planned to stick around for a few minutes. She got up and had a cup of coffee with me while the Trooper warmed. Kenny was already out snow blowing everyone's walks and driveways. Both kids were up before I left for work, and already talking with Mindy about the possibility of going skiing. I was envious. I left for work at 840a. Mindy asked that I call her early morning to let her know how the major roads were. As expected, once out of our subdivision the roads were fine. Arrived at the office just ahead of 9a. Once again, the snow removal team did a fantastic job. My peer was off, and my boss was holed up doing some last minute studying for the same ITIL certification that I completed back in December. I kept the ship sailing. I called Mindy to let her know that the roads were fine, but she had already determined that she and the kids weren’t going skiing. Wanted to get some other things done. She & I were still tossing around a weekend trip to HV or Seven Springs. Our preference was to book only one night – Saturday – and either leave super early Saturday morning, or directly after work and then spend the first night in a nearby hotel on the cheap. While 100 miles closer, Seven Springs would only do a two-night minimum. With weekend lift tickets and a room, they wanted $850. Mindy asked that I recheck with HV. Even though they typically have the same two night minimum on weekends, they apparently lift it a day or two before the weekend if there are unrented rooms. They had a studio available Saturday night just like the one we’ve stayed in twice before for $284 + tax. Mindy wanted some time to think about it, plus, I needed to look for an inexpensive hotel nearby to address Friday night's sleep. I found a Comfort Inn in Jamestown, NY right by Lake Chautauqua and only 8 miles from the Southern Tier brew pub for $100. That would leave us a scant 35 miles into HV the next morning. I called Mindy back to see how that sounded. She said let’s do it. With her still on the phone, I pulled the HV website up again, but the studio room available earlier was now gone. All that was left was a one bedroom for $500– way overkill. About the same time, I got an email back from Bob I. declining a last minute invite to go along and share the cost. Crap! Now what? Again, with Mindy still on the phone I checked the Inn @ HV. They had a King room for $255 plus tax. A comparable deal to the Tamarack, but neither of us could agree to pull the trigger. Both of us kept urging the other to decide. No decision was effectively a ‘no’. In the back of our minds, I think we both knew that we’d have a lot of fun with friends and neighbors at MRM all weekend, and that’s already paid for. We talked ourselves right out of the trip. Not that the weather forecast made a huge difference, but the temperatures were expected to be bitterly cold at HV over the entire weekend with night time lows dipping well below zero. Burr! The afternoon was busy. Spent almost the entire time on a single issue. I was very eager and ready for the weekend as the day’s end grew nearer. I left for the day sometime just after 5p, and I arrived home by 530p. The kids were still at home waiting on their dad to show up. He was on his way back from a business trip in Cincy. I’m guessing he arrived around 6p. Mindy sent the kids off with their snow pants and jackets so they’d be able to play outside if the opportunity presented itself. Killing time, I worked on my blog for a bit and got it updated through Thursday. And while we planned on a visit to Barley’s, I didn’t want to head out too early. We hung out at home until almost 7p. Once there, the parking lot was once again packed beyond capacity making it necessary to use the adjacent lot just to the north. It was a cold walk in. Only a few regulars and not a full bar, although the restaurant overall was booming. We sat and chatted with banker Dan for an hour or more. Straight up, I sampled the dry-hopped bitter Dan being served on the firkin. I didn’t care for it enough to order a pint. On the other hand, I was very eager to have a pint of Bell’s Hop Slam, but wisely started with my old stand by, Barley’s own Centennial IPA. Mindy sampled and liked the Expedition Stout. She ordered one of those. I was surprised when Mindy told Katy that she wasn’t hungry. Mindy rarely goes without ordering food. Oddly enough, I did plan to order food having eaten only cheese and nuts after breakfast. I planned to wait a while, however. After my Centennial, I ordered a Hop Slam off the tower. It was quite good. I drank it slowly. At some point I ordered some K.C. wings extra-well done, and I’m thinking it was about the same time I ordered my third and last beer, a White Rajah. I told Mindy that some Barley regulars would almost certainly come in late. Sure enough, Jack & Leslie, Grandpa Tom, and little Bob & Carol showed up, all later than usual. We yucked it up with all of them for a while. I can’t be certain, but think we left for home around 930p. Mindy wanted to visit the neighbors. She called before we left the bar. At home we each grabbed a beer then walked down to the neighbors. Mindy was last out, and I could hear her drop what sounded like a beer bottle on her way out the door. She confirmed my fear and told me to go on. She had to clean up the mess. Frankie and I walked down a few minutes ahead of Mindy. Kenny & Chrissy were busy rearranging their basement family room to accommodate Kenny’s pool table. We hung out for maybe an hour before Mindy wanted to head home. I still had half of a 22oz IPA. I was a few minutes behind Mindy getting to bed after tending to Frankie. Mindy was already out by the time my head hit the pillow.

In the Bowels of Winter

Baby It''s Cold Outside

More Snow, And Just In Time For The Weekend

I woke initially around 330a. Unable to easily return to sleep, I started playing a game of cat and mouse with the clock. I got burned. It was darn near 6a the last of probably six times that I rolled over and glanced at the clock. Oops! I quickly leaped to my feet then rushed through brushing my teeth and gathering my running clothes. I was downstairs engaged in calisthenics in a hurry after glancing out back at the weather. As predicted, the soon to arrive snow storm hadn’t yet begun. I spent little time online, just enough to check the weather and give the Yahoo headlines a cursory review. I was busy with push-ups and coffee by 610a. I had already resigned myself to the fact that I would be behind in all phases of my morning prep. As luck would have it, Frankie was slow to take care of business once outback. I didn’t rush her. I was far more interested in having her take care of business. However, even after lollygagging around for 10 minutes, all she did was pee. Back inside I completed a relatively brief meditation (about ten minutes) then a full stretch routine. Mindy was already out of the shower by the time I delivered her coffee. I left for my run around 650a still bent on running the full 4.1 miles. There might’ve been a flurry or two, but it remained dry for the most part. If correct, we’d be buried in up to 5 fresh inches of snow by tomorrow morning. Since early December, we’ve been under snow pack for all but about 10 days. The pattern: a brief melt off followed almost immediately by another snow storm. I ran the full track without any problems or worries. Once again, I had to request Mindy’s keys. It was already 725a. My eggs were ready and waiting. The kids were excited about the prospect of more snow, but were disappointed that it didn’t start overnight, thus setting the table for a snow day. Mindy left at her usual time. I headed up for a shower a short time later. I was back downstairs working on my lunch by 749a. I had successfully made up for sleeping late. The kids and I headed out the door near 758a. Chrissy was out for the first time all week. We chatted for a while after the bus pulled up. Shared that I didn’t think we would be going to HV after all. Too much hurry and rush. Probably spend our kidless weekend at MRM. I walked Frankie out front but she didn’t go a second time. I took comfort in knowing that she did go when Jacob took her out after finishing his breakfast. I took care of some last minute business then headed out the door for work around 815a. By then, the first thrust of the snow storm was upon us. The flakes were small but plentiful and it quickly accumulated to around a ¼”. The main roads, of course, we still clear. I arrived to work just after 830a. The work day was quite busy. I spent a lot of time doing rumor control then some actual damage control after some unforeseen announcements. Oh boy! Once again, I didn’t bother taking a formal lunch delaying my haircut for yet another day. The snow fall remained steady all through the morning but with no more than an inch of accumulation. The heaviest stuff didn’t start coming down until about 2p. After that it really started piling up quick. Traffic on I-270 was at crawl, this I could see from the 5th floor windows. I missed a call from Mindy around 4p but called her back 30 minutes later. She was busy shoveling the drive after Kenny had already used the snow blower a little earlier. Said her Honda wanted to slide down the drive and into the road. Yikes! I left the office a few minutes ahead of 530p. It took a while to scrape the Trooper clean, but by the time I pulled out of the lot it was nice and toasty inside. The drive home was slow but steady. I think I was home just ahead of 6p. The snow was still coming down, and there was probably another good inch on the twice shoveled driveway. Inside, the house was extremely quiet. I asked Mindy if the kids left with Jimaken, this being his regular kid night. Nope, canceled due to bad weather. The kids, it turned out, were out back sledding with their friends. Mindy had our weekly leftovers warming in the oven (roast beef and rotisserie chicken). I wanted a little of both. She called the kids inside around 625p. They wanted to stay out and play but Mindy didn’t budge. Made Bella walk Frankie before coming in. Reminded her to keep the poop-scoop in hand, too. But even after reminding her not to drop it in the snow again, she inevitably did. Happens all too often. I had to chuckle when I heard Mindy send her back out to locate it in the 4 inches of snow. This time she was lucky, found it on the deck. When Bella & Frankie came back inside, so did Woody. He apparently got loose from Kenny, who gave up and decided to let him have a play date with Frankie. The chicken and roast were probably better than they were originally. I managed clean-up while Mindy helped Jacob with his math homework. The kids asked if they could head down to Kenny & Chrissy’s to play for a few. Mindy gave them until 8p. They took Woody back home when they headed down. I used the quiet time to update my blog. Mindy, I think, played on Facebook. The kids must’ve called right before 8p to ask for a brief extension. I heard Mindy say 810p. But not a minute later Jacob came home. Bella, however, did not. She stayed beyond 810p, but not by much. Mindy gave her no grief. Both kids wanted to watch American Idol again. This time they were in New Orleans, and the show was only an hour long. The kids got to see it in its entirety. We laughed a lot. Good stuff! Mindy and I tucked the kids into bed shortly after 9p. Bella saw the teaser from the following show, Bones. Not good. The decomposing body lying in the shower apparently stained her brain. She asked for help getting it out of her mind. I shared some techniques I use to clear my mind, but put them in terms I felt she could better understand. It worked. Mindy and I watched most of Bones, but with me dosing off a time or two. During the program, Mindy intently watched the school closing crawler running across the bottom of the screen. Sure enough, Southwestern City Schools announced that they would be closed on Friday. A few minutes later Hilliard announced the same. Mindy was excited. The kids wouldn’t find out until morning. I knew that they’d be excited too. I headed for bed at 10p sharp. I would still be going to work on Friday.

Celebrating Lindsey One Day Late

Like I have several other mornings this year, I woke well ahead of 530a and then had trouble getting back to sleep. By 523a it was apparent that a return to sleep wasn't in the cards. I decided to get up for good. I certainly didn’t want to risk falling asleep at that hour, and then end up oversleeping. Besides, I felt plenty well rested after more than 10 hours of good, sound sleep. Downstairs a few minutes ahead of 530a, I stared out the back door all the while slipping into my exercise tennies. It was spitting a little snow but wasn’t accumulating. After sit-ups I checked the forecast. It was 30 degrees, but not expected to stray too far from that all day long. I spent comparatively little time online, exhibiting the discipline I promised myself earlier this year. At 540a I headed into the kitchen to do my push-ups and then get some coffee. Psychologically, I felt much better than I did on Tuesday. I’m guessing the extra sleep helped as much as anything else. It was 545a when Frankie and I headed outside. She took her time relieving herself, taking a tour of the entire backyard. We headed back inside after she had only peed. I gave her a treat and then started morning meditation, which I was determined to dedicate more time towards. As a result, and for the first time in a while I was able to quiet my mind almost completely. Anytime a stray thought entered my mind I was able to dispose of it and return to the ‘gap’ in a hurry. Very nice! I finished meditation around 615a and moved immediately into my stretch routine. That went well, too. Felt terrific, and almost like medicine. It was 620a when I leaped to my feet, made Mindy’s coffee, and then delivered both that and the pug to Mindy, who had just cleared the bed on her way to a shower. I gave her a hug then headed downstairs to dress for a run. I was out the door before I saw the clock hit 630a, although I am sure it was a little after by the time I took the first step of the actual run. There were a few scattered icy spots but smooth sailing for the most part. I saw the same group of high schoolers that I see almost every morning making their way to the bus stop. The bus picks them up around 640a. I noticed one of the boys was wearing only a t-shirt. What an ass! I suppose he thinks it makes him cool (perhaps cold, but not cool). I ran the full 4.1 miles and felt really good doing it. I passed the trash truck towards the very back of the subdivision after noticing that he was about 6 houses down from ours when I first set out on my run. He’s pretty fast and efficient. I was a little surprised that I had to ask Mindy for her Honda keys. Generally, she has them waiting by the door. Inside, she was running around like a chicken with her head cut off, trying to prep breakfast, start dinner, and organize herself for work all at the same time. I did my best to help by finishing cooking the scrambled eggs while she prepped two roasts for the crock-pot. She asked me to remove the last bit of frozen plastic still attached to the roasts before I left for work. By then the plastic pieces whould come off much easier. Mindy, still noticeably stressed, woofed down her eggs then headed out the door a bit after 730a. I gave Frankie her own small plate of scrambled eggs just before heading upstairs. Boy was she happy! I flew through my shower and other associated activities. I was back downstairs by 753a packing my lunch. It was time to head out for the bus in no time at all. Yikes! I stopped what I was doing and headed out with the kids. I started the Trooper on my way to the stop. Kenny was out with the girls. Kenny asked if Mindy & I were still planning a trip to HV over the weekend. Apparently Mindy made mention of it. As much as I’d like to, I couldn’t say either way. We hadn’t yet firmed plans. Said they’d keep Frankie if we wanted. Cool! After the bus picked up the kids I walked Frankie again out front. A lot of sniffing but nothing else. We headed back inside where I picked up right where I left off earlier. I finished packing my lunch and then decided to unload the dishwasher knowing that would help make Mindy’s return home later that afternoon a lot smoother. She planned to pick-up Lindsey & the boys on her way home from school. By the time I finished unloading the dishwasher and prepping a to-go cup of coffee it was already 825a. I’d be a few minutes late but everything was in perfect order. The drive in went well - uneventful. I parked out front. I was in my office before 845a. Once again, I spent a lot of time working on 2011 performance plans. The work day went incredibly fast. I didn’t take a formal lunch break all day long. I thought about sneaking off for a haircut, but since Jacob needs one too it made little sense to have mine cut at lunch while still needing to take him. Hopefully, he and I can get out yet this week after work. I missed a call from Mindy around 3p. I called her back around 430p. She was at home with Lindsey and all the kids. Said things were going smoothly. Expected my dad for dinner, too. She asked if I could leave a little early. Said I would try. To that end, I made plans to try and leave by 510p. Turns out, my plan was a success. I pulled up in front of the house at roughly 530p. As expected, Mindy was busy with dinner, and Lindsey close by chatting. I kidded Lindsey about not knowing she would be there. I hugged her and wished her a happy birthday. I greeted the g-kids too. Dad pulled up in front of the house just as I was entering. Wasn’t sure why it was taking so long for him to come in. Bella said that she could see him talking on the phone. I did all of my routine chores ahead of dinner. It would drive me insane to wait. There were eight of us in total. To accommodate that number, I fetched one of our new folding chairs from the basement. We were able to get everyone around the kitchen table. Mindy served up the roast beef dinner plates. Landon is hilarious. You should hear him request roast. The boy loves his food! He sat by me at the table’s corner. During dinner we got on the topic of careers. The kids shared what they wanted to be when they grew up. Rocky first said he wanted to be a billionaire but then later joked that he wanted to be homeless. Nice! Landon said he planned to be a police officer, and went on to share that he already has the uniform. Too cute! I quipped that he could then put Rocky in jail. Dinner was delicious. As usual, the kids were done ahead of us and asked if they could play the Wii while we finished. No. Mindy insisted they remain at the table for more family dialogue. After everyone was finished with dinner we let the kids play the Wii while I managed dinner clean-up. At the same time, Mindy prepped Lindsey’s b-day cake with candles. No sooner had I finished the dinner dishes it was time to dirty more. The cake was double chocolate. I joked that it was no coincidence that we bought a devil’s food cake for Lindsey. Lindsey, however, didn’t seem to find my joke humorous. All four kids played Wii for the duration of the evening while Mindy, Dad, and I sat around the table talking. Dad shared a story about a suspected bad heating element in his clothes dryer. The dilemma that turned into a whole house power problem. Sounds to me like he lost one phase of the 220v feed. He didn’t quite follow my logic at first, but seemed to comprehend it after explaining some A/C basics. We encouraged him to feel welcome to use our dryer anytime until he gets the trouble resolved. I also offered to stop by and look at the issue myself, or simply let him borrow my volt meter. He declined both offers. Somewhat surprisingly, Dad seemed interested in watching the Buckeye basketball game. I told him I avoid watching most games anymore so to avoid the unnecessary stress. I did, however, agree to check the score online. Dad followed me into the living room where I pulled it up on my PC. The Buckeyes were up 40-24. While we were checking the score, an email came in from my mom sharing news that her upcoming surgery was canceled until she sees a pulmonologist. As she explained in the email, the surgeon believes she may have coronary artery disease, which would place her at high risk for the anesthesia. I am not too keen on her having the procedure anyhow, especially given her previously diagnosed osteoporosis, and the poor results after her previous back surgery. We chatted with Dad until about 730p when he readied to depart. We asked the boys to get ready to go, too. I agreed to drive them home. We left maybe 10 minutes later. Thankfully, the drive was uneventful. You never know driving through Valleyview and then the narrows of Hague Ave. Lindsey thanked us for celebrating her birthday and then headed in Kelly’s place with the boys. My eyes were already beginning to itch, presumably do to cat dander. I listened to the tail end of the Buckeye basketball game during my drive home. It was safe. They were up by 20+ points for pretty much the entire game. The house was deceptively quiet upon my return. Mindy shared that both kids headed down to Kenny & Chrissy’s to play for a while, but she expected them home within minutes. It was currently 810p. Before the kids got home, I asked Mindy her thoughts regarding a potential weekend at HV. If we were gonna go, we needed to have the logistics fully in place by the next afternoon. Mindy sounded as if she was on the fence. Granted, it’s a long way to go for such a brief stay, but if she seemed eager, I was more than game. She also made some reference to being just as happy staying home and skiing MRM with neighbors and friends. I like MRM too, but also have an insatiable need to ski longer, more challenging runs. I guess Oregon will be that much sweeter. The kids were home and readying for showers a short while later. I settled onto the sofa and tuned the TV to the Science Channel. Finding nothing of interest on, I eventually stumbled upon American Idol already in progress. I was most curious to see Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler as judges. The show didn’t disappoint. All four of us watched & laughed. Mindy let the kids stay up for the show’s entirety, or until 10p. We even caught the beginning of the local Fox news cast that followed immediately after. That’s something we never do. Mindy & I headed to bed by 1020p.

Rain & Warm

Happy 27th Lindsey I woke completely rested at 5a and unable to get back to sleep I decided to go ahead and get up. Having extra time could have nothing but a positive impact on my day. I hit the go button on the coffee maker, which is typically set to start at 530a. I grabbed my exercise shoes and gazed out the back door. It was still raining. I had no idea what the temperature was but expected to find it well above freezing. I completed my sit-ups before moving on to the internet. It was 36 degrees and expected to reach a high of 42 later in the day with plenty of rain. I was careful not to waste all of my extra time on the PC. I walked away at 525a to prep a cup of coffee and then tend to Frankie. While sipping coffee, I sat and stroked Frankie who seemed eager for some lovin’. We headed out a short time later. With all the rain coming down on the previously snow covered deck, I was very careful with my footing, not wanting to risk injury. Frankie quickly took care of business, but still wanted to survey the yard. I allowed her a few extra minutes to take in whatever scent she pleased. We ended up hanging outdoors for a solid ten minutes. Still well before 6a, I was looking forward to a solid 15-20 minutes of meditation and without the pressure of time. That worked out extremely well. I needed that. Stretching went well too, but it almost always does. Not sure if it’s all the recent skiing, but the ever present dull ache in my right hamstring seems to be fading. That’s fabulous news. I finished stretching at 623a and quickly prepared Mindy’s coffee then headed upstairs. Mindy was already midshower. I headed back downstairs where I dressed in my freshly laundered running clothes. Despite the warmer temps, the front stoop was still a bit slippery. I was very careful navigating down the walk and drive towards the road. It was raining but only lightly. I had to be very careful as I proceeded. There were small stretches of slippery pavement mixed in with the larger share that was simply wet. The city’s street lighting helped foreshadow any potentially dangerous areas ahead. I ran the full 4.1 miles a bit slower than most other days. That’s OK, though. Better to be safe than sorry. Mindy left her keys out for me to start the Honda. It was already after 720a when I headed back inside to sit for breakfast. Mindy hollered for Bella more than once. Not sure what she was doing in her room. She was being awfully pokey. Mindy reminded me and the kids that she intended to grocery shop immediately after school, so the kids would need to bus home with Noah. She asked if I planned to take Jacob for a haircut after work. He definitely needs one, but I couldn’t commit. Mindy departed ahead of 730a. I got about half my lunch packed before heading up for a shower. I planned to finish after my shower. Because I had to shave, I felt like I was running behind the entire time. I was surprised to discover that it was only 749a when I got back downstairs. Cool! I had time to finish packing my lunch ahead of bus stop time. The kids came down to prep for the bus on their own. We headed out the door at 758a. Kenny was out with the girls. I asked how long they stayed up at MRM on Monday. Stayed until 530p or so. Didn’t start raining until they were almost home. Worthy of mention, this was Jacob’s first day back to school since last Monday. Frankie took a dump in between the curb and sidewalk. I didn’t bother going for the scoop. Heading inside, I finally pulled the plug on the Xmas lights and took the timer to the garage for storage. The lights themselves will likely remain up until March, and I’ll change the red & green fluorescents back to the normal white variety soon. Oh, the wreath still needs to come down too. I left the Trooper warming even though it wasn’t that cold. I gathered all of my stuff and headed off to work near 815a. I walked into my office at 831a. It took me while to get situated having been off for three days. I took my food to the fridge, filled my water pitcher with ice and water, then logged onto my laptop. I spent the first hour of the day going through email and the morning’s workload. I stopped by my boss’ office, but he was holed up and busy. I didn’t stay or talk long. I wouldn’t see him again until mid/late in the afternoon. I didn’t bother taking a formal lunch break. Outside of needing a haircut, I had no pressing to-do’s. I spent a considerable amount of time working on 2011 goals and objectives as well as 2010 year- end reviews. The day went pretty fast. I returned a missed call from Mindy about the time she was arriving at Dena’s to fetch the kids. She’d already been to the grocery store. She sounded upbeat. Asked if I would pick-up her blood pressure meds on my way home. Yep. I left the office at 530p. It was raining steady but light. It was 39 degrees. Ugly, really. I stopped at the Mill Run CVS and went inside to get Mindy’s prescription. I would’ve used the drive-thru if my driver’s side window was operative. There was one other person waiting in line but just finishing up as I approached. They were quick and efficient. I was back in the Trooper and on my way home in less than five minutes. I decided rather than fight my way back to I-270 I would take the back way instead, Fishinger to Old Dublin Rd. Haven’t gone that route in some time. I arrived home around 6p. The Honda was gone. I wasn’t sure if Jacob was home or not. He wasn’t. Immediately after heading inside I got the garbage can to the curb for tomorrow morning’s normal trash pick-up. Then, before settling down, I checked email to see if I received a date for our requested bulk pick-up. We did, but it's not until Wednesday the 29th. The house was spiffy clean, this being a Rachel day. Always nice to come home to a sparkling clean house. Before Mindy & Jacob got home, I had my routine chores done and out of the way. I took a few of my personal effects up to our closet. Mindy & Jacob were home minutes later. It was about 615p. Mindy had rotisserie chicken that she picked up at the grocery warming in the oven. That would be our dinner. She asked if I planned to take Jacob for a haircut after dinner. I wasn’t too keen on doing so. I was actually pretty tired. Mindy plated dinner for the three of us while Bella was at gymnastics. The rotisserie chicken was good, and so were the Bob Evans mashed potatoes. I had a very small second helping. Clean-up was easy. We used paper plates for dinner since the dishwasher was already loaded to near capacity. Mindy left to fetch Bella a couple minutes later. Jacob decided to go along. Once again, albeit only brief, I had some time alone. I changed into my comfy Grinch PJs then snuggled up in the living room recliner with my book. I read about three pages before dropping it into my lap and allowing myself to drift off to sleep. It felt heavenly. I remember hearing Mindy & the kids come in, but I didn’t even crack an eye. Next thing I knew it was 9p. I woke to refill my water glass then said I was going to bed. Mindy wanted to go to bed early too. She headed up while I crated Frankie. She asked that I stop by and tuck in Bella, who was still awake and requesting my presence. I tucked in Bella, who for the first time in a long while, started falling asleep while I was in her room. Mindy was up reading from bed. She asked if the dull light would bother me. No. I put my face in the pillow and was immediately out.

Mindy & Mary Ann Ski, Olivia, Barley's, White Rajah

As early as 615a Started hearing some unusual noises emanating from down the hall. I suspected it Bella & Olivia, but was clueless as to what they might be doing. Woken numerous times, I finally decided to investigate near 640a. They were awake, and had gone downstairs and carried Frankie up to the room. Frankie was chasing the two of them around Bella’s room. I kindly asked the girls to keep it down while the rest of us slept then calmly removed Frankie and took her back to her pen before returning to bed. I tried going back to sleep but unfortunately without much luck. At 645a I got up for good and headed downstairs to get my morning started. From the outset, I was careful not to alert the girls that I was up. I wanted as much quiet time as I could get. I made coffee and exercised while Frankie remained in her pen. I had to sneak back upstairs to get the puppy gate that Bella left leaning against her closed bedroom door. I blocked access to the stairs ahead of freeing Frankie. Sure enough, she ran right to the steps apparently hoping to rush right back up to Bella's room. Nope! After making a cup of coffee and then a spending a few minutes online, I leashed up Frankie and took her out back. Frankie took care of business after nearly ten minutes romping around in the yard. It was sunny and in the mid teens, but it was expected to climb above freezing by mid day. I had a solid hour of alone time before the kids finally came down. The girls came down first, but quickly headed to the basement to play. Jacob soon followed. I’m thinking it was 830a when Mindy finally got up. I stretched before my run, something I didn’t do on Saturday or Sunday. It was a lovely morning for a run. I ran the full track, 4.1 miles in about 35 minutes. Mindy was in the shower when I returned. The kids were still playing in the basement. Mindy emerged from our bedroom donning her base ski attire. With a wide smile on her face, she declared it her ski day. Said she was going skiing with Mary Ann. I was more than happy for her. I figured she needed a day to herself. Before Mindy left, I asked that she locate some kiddie snow attire for Olivia. The kids wanted to go out back and sled with their friends. Mindy set out some of the old stuff we’ve accumulated over the years. Mary Ann came by sometime after 11a to fetch Mindy. Before they departed, we gave Mary Ann their Xmas present and her b-day gift. The kids headed out to sled soon after Mindy & Mary Ann headed off to ski. I was surprised to learn that they only figured to ski for a few hours. Frankie watched the kids longingly from the back door. With all the brilliant sunshine, it was warming quickly. I took Frankie out and put her on her lead. She seemed to enjoy being out with the kids. I took a few pictures of kids sledding then headed back inside. I spent the next 15 minutes straightening up the house. After about 25 minutes Olivia wanted to come back inside for a snack. I helped her out of her snow gear and got her a snack. Soon neighbor Mike hollered for his two kids. Jacob & Bella came inside minutes later. Bella and Olivia wanted to watch a movie. Jacob, on the other hand, gave me a rash of crap for never doing anything fun with them. He wanted to go bowling like the neighbors. Said all I ever want to do is take them skiing. Geesh, if other kids could be so lucky. Eventually, the three kids agreed to watch Home Alone 1. I was pleased to see that it grabbed their attention quickly. Olivia will often request a movie only to watch very little of it. I had the next 90 minutes or so to myself. I took a shower and then laundered my running clothes. Afterwards, I did some surfing and then a little reading. When the movie ended I made the kids lunch – chicken noodle soup. Bella had a sandwich too. At some point mid-afternoon, the kids headed back outside to sled some more. While they sledded, I refilled the hot tub. It was down about 8 or 9 inches. Yikes! The kids kept me hopping all afternoon. Not a lot of time for much else. I was gonna try and make dinner, and had my heart set on beef stroganoff. I was sure we had the Hamburger Helper mix in the pantry, but I couldn’t find it. After an exhaustive search, I figured Mindy threw it out the lat time she redid the pantry. I love beef stroganoff. About that same time Bella came to the kitchen advising that her momma texted me asking if we wanted to do Barleys for dinner with the Imber’s, and then that they were already on their way home. I gave Bella a little crap for reading my texts. Jacob and Olivia headed out back yet again. I’m thinking that Mindy & Mary Ann got back during that particular play interval. By then, I was nesting in the family room chair reading a book when they came in. Mary Ann didn’t stay long. I didn’t commit either way to whether or not I wanted to dine at Barley’s. I was in comfy jammie mode and feeling a little tired. Mindy seemed disappointed that I didn’t’ have more done, although I am not sure what she expected. I felt a little unappreciated. I chased after the kids all afternoon and did my best to keep the house in some semblance of order. I’m quite sure that Mindy was just a bit overwhelmed now with the long weekend in effect over. I eventually agreed to join the Imber’s at Barley’s for dinner. Mindy said 630p. Ashley arrived to pick-up Olivia around 5p. Olivia didn’t want to leave. Cute. I gave Ashley her box of Xmas’ past then offered some of the stuff we plan to give away to charity. She didn’t want any of it. She then asked if I still had any of the old Back Street Boys memorabilia. Just so happened that I had a plastic tumbler in one of the charity boxes. I dug it out and handed it over. After Ashley and Olivia left, Mindy headed for Target. We were out of laundry detergent. She was gone a little longer than I expected but still home by 6p. As I suspected she might, she stopped at Kroger, too, to get some essential grocery items that we were out of. We left for Barley’s at 615p. By then it was drizzling (icy rain mix). The temperature was 35 degrees. Expecting rain all day Tuesday before turning colder again Wednesday. Looks like another melt off ahead of yet another winter blast. We arrived at Barley’s just ahead of 630p. The lot was well attended but nothing close to what we experienced last Friday. We actually got to park in the regular lot. Mindy asked for a booth for six even though the Imber’s weren’t yet there. We were seated in Tina’s section (yeah). Out the corner of my eye I saw that they had the White Rajah on the guest tap list. That pleased me much. I ordered a Centennial to start. Never wise to begin with a Double IPA lest you desire your palette tainted. Mindy went with a guest winter warmer. I think it was a Goose Island but can’t be sure. The kids both selected Dr Pepper. The Imber’s arrived a few minutes later and joined us in our big booth. Mary Ann ordered ice tea. Like me, Bob went with a Centennial IPA. After some friendly banter Bob ordered a tray of mixed appetizers. I’m quite sure that Mindy placed the kids dinner orders at the same time. We weren’t quite ready then to order our adult entrees, but eventually did. Bob ordered fish & chips, and Mary Ann ordered a salad. She often eats healthy while the rest of us kill ourselves with the fat laden stuff. Mindy & I ordered two entrees we planned to share; a plate of KC wings and a brisket quesadilla. After our entrees arrived, Bob and I ordered our 2nd beers, a White Rajah. It comes served in a tulip glass signifying high alcohol content. It was quite enjoyable and pleasant to the taste buds. Yummy! I’m guessing it was nearing 745p as we finished up our dinners. Bob must’ve snuck off and took care of the tab. We certainly didn’t expect it, but appreciative just the same. It’s important to be a gracious receiver. Thanks Bob! Mindy packed up our leftover wings and quesadilla. Mindy & Mary Ann exchanged ski poles in the lot. I think both have the same make & size but Mary Ann’s are marked. Mindy drove home. It was raining fairly steadily. Let the melt off begin. At home somebody took Frankie out. Can’t be sure who did the deed. Happily, Jacob found the poop scoop shovel buried in the snow out back earlier in the afternoon while sledding with Olivia. That’ll keep the unexpected landmines to a minimum.  While the kids headed off for showers, I got into my PJs then got comfy on the sofa. I fell asleep in a hurry and probably before 9p. I woke to an empty downstairs then promptly caged Frankie before heading up to join Mindy already in bed.

Family Ski's Again Today

I woke Sunday morning at 7a after struggling to fall back sleep after waking first near 6a. I felt completely rested and ready to ski again. It was Sunday, and that meant no calisthenics. So, after starting coffee I went right to my PC. One of the first things I checked was the weather forecast and then the final score of the late NFC playoff game. It was 18 degrees and sunny. Oh, and the Packers won big, 48-21. I enjoyed some coffee then eventually took Frankie out back. Right away, I sensed something not quite right out back. First of all, it looked like a lot of foot traffic out around the tree house and swings that wasn't there the day berfore. Typically no big deal. As I looked around, I noticed that all the extra wood from the tree house was launched into the pond and half embedded in the ice. Not a huge deal, right? As Frankie and I made our way back up to the house I noticed that the kids sleds were missing, and I could see lots of foot prints on the icy pond between my house and John’s, too. I eventually found Bella’s sled about half way in the pond. Jacob’s sled was gone. I wasn’t too thrilled. There was also the tell-tale signs of urine on the snow covered ice. I guessed it the handy work of neighborhood kids. I figured I’d follow the tracks across the ice into John’s yard during or after my run looking for clues to Jacob’s missing sled. I finished my coffee then readied for a run. It must’ve been 845a when I headed out. Everyone else in the house was still sound asleep. As I made my warm-up lap I decided not to pursue those tracks until my run was complete. As I set out on my run I happened upon three young boys probably no older than about 11 or 12 playing on the ice in the creek. One of the boys was much younger than the other two and apparently the victim of their terror. He was pouting about frozen feet from stepping through the ice. I felt bad and stopped to see if he was OK. Said he was. One of the boys looked vaguely familiar. As I ran on I happened to see them again continuing their venture down along the creek. It dawned on right then that these might be the very boys who terrorized my yard and took Jacob’s sled. I figured they were likely heading back towards my house by the way of the creek. I finished my run eager to see if my hunch was correct. Lo and behold, I was right. They were busy playing on the frozen creek across from my home and tossing large sticks into the water. I causally walked over and struck up a conversation. They remembered me as the helpful runner whop stopped a few blocks away to see if they were OK. They had no idea I owned the house across the street. As we talked I casually asked if they were playing in that yard over there yesterday. All three agreed that they had. Oh? I then asked if they knew where my son’s sled was and how all that wood got tossed into the pond. In a bit of a panic their loyalty to one another waned. Finger pointing ensued. I quickly interjected that unless they made it right in a hurry I intended to call my buddy who was a cop. They all agreed to come get the wood and then retrieve Jacob’s sled, which they said now was halfway upstream along the creek. They debated briefly over who would do what. I said we all would go together. We went to clear the wood from the pond first. One of the boys asked if I knew his friend Jacob. Yes, that’s my son. Instantly, I remembered him as Jacob’s friend, Keith. He became even more apologetic then. None of the three boys were rude or ‘bad’. Just got a little carried away, I am sure. I shared that they were always welcome to come play in our yard as long as they respected our property and treated it like their own. They worked together to get all the wood from the pond, and then sent one upstream to get the sled. After returning the sled they asked if they could play out back. Yes, again, though, treat my yard with respect. They all eagerly agreed. I headed inside where Mindy and the kids were just waking up. I shared the story with Mindy and Jacob. A few minutes later one of the boys came to the door asking for Jacob to come out and play. Jacob didn’t want to play. Now about 10a, we discussed skiing and if everyone was still up for another day on the slopes. Everyone was in. We took our time getting ready. Most of our gear was already there in the family room. Our skis, however, still in the Honda. I had hoped to get an earlier start than Saturday but that wasn’t to be. Mindy replenished the sandwiches and snacks while I restocked the cooler and lemon nip. By the time we were leaving the house it was after 11a. We called Kenny & Chrissy to see if they were still heading up. They were, but not until later. Chrissy was at the hospital again with her former mother-in-law. Said they’d call once they were on there way up. I texted our new friend Darwin. I was surprised with his response a while later. Said their house was broken into while we all skied yesterday. Took a laptop, watches, and X-box. Had to stay home and deal with that mess. I hated hearing that. We weren’t sure what to expect crowd-wise: bigger, smaller, same? I guessed a bit smaller than Saturday. It was a gloriously sunny afternoon with temperatures in the low 20s. We arrived around 1205p. To my surprise, the lot was even fuller than Saturday. We lucked out and got a parking spot a bit closer than Saturday after someone unexpectedly pulled out. Cool! We geared up and had our daily lift passes before 1230p. While waiting on Mindy at the lift, we happened upon Bob I. Said he skied Snow Trails again the day before. He said Scott and Zach were here today too. We skied together for a couple of hours changing up the lift rotation every so often. The lines were long and the slopes dangerously busy. People coming at us from every angle it seemed. In fact, on my first or second run I collided with another skier entering my trail from my right side. He went down hard. I stayed up. I stopped to make sure he was OK. A ski patrol skied up and asked me to be careful. Sure. But truth be told, there was nothing I could do. He skied into me. The lift lines were a zoo, far longer than I’ve ever seen them and with little organization beyond the yellow plastic barriers. Several people were ditching almost at will. A few skiers passed Mindy, the kids and I. At some point two male skiers got ‘red’ with me after I called them out for ditching. One guy even put his finger in my chest and asked that I not touch him or his skies. Funny thing is, he was the one doing all the touching. It was all I could do not to defend myself. The two gents egos fed off one another. I thought it might come to blows. Somehow or another cooler heads prevailed. I ignored their inflammatory and derogatory remarks as we progressed through the line. Truth is, I was just as angry with myself for feeling so much angst inside during and after. We met up with Bob & Scott atop Four Star and skied for another hour or two before taking a break. Jacob eventually took off with Trevor, a friend he made a couple weeks ago. I’m guessing it was near 3pm when Mindy, Bella and I went in for break. I got a glass of wine for Mindy & a pitcher of beer for me. Mindy left Bob I. a VM, but later remembered that he left his cell phone at home. Mindy helped me with the pitcher, and we eventually finished it. It’s a sin to waste good beer, you know? Enjoyed our packed sandwiches too. At some point Kenny texted Mindy that they’d be up around 4p. We headed back out to slopes and skied hard well past dark. A work night for Bob I., I’m guessing that he peeled off around 6p. At some point, Scott and I decided to head in and get a beer. We got another pitcher after Mindy agreed to drive home. We watched the Bears beat the Seahawks earlier and were watching the Jets put a hurtin’ on the Patriots then. Mindy and the neighbors came in for a break and found a big table. She flagged Scott and I over. Prior, we were standing with our beer. Mindy excels and finding tables. She had no trouble at all asking folks if they’re leaving soon and then squatting until it’s hers. We spent the duration of our evening in the lodge having fun & listening to the live entertainment. Thought we might get in a few more runs but never did. It was 7p and we agreed to meet Ashley at our house near 8p to intercept Olivia. We’d be keeping her overnight. By the time we were packed up and heading home it was 730p. We called Ashley once we neared I-270 to let her know that we’d be home in 10 minutes. She took that as her queue to leave her house. We arrived home around 810p. Ashley pulled up a minute or two later, or just as we were carrying in the last of our gear. As always, Olivia was more than excited to be there. Heart warming! Ashley left after just a couple minutes. Mindy asked that I inflate and ready the air mattress for the girls to sleep on. Everybody readied for bed in a hurry. It was 930p when Mindy and I headed up. The girls wanted Frankie to sleep with them, but that was causing too much commotion. I upped and took Frankie back downstairs, but left her out of her pen since she’d been in there all day long. However, after a brief time, she cooked her own goose by howling and barking for attention. Determined to nip that in the bud, Mindy quickly leaped out of bed and put her in her pen. Good night moon!

Family Ski Day with the Entire Neighborhood

I woke somewhat bleary eyed around 740a, but only after realizing that I wasn’t going to fall back asleep even though I felt like I could use another hour or so. Just as well. I needed to get moving. Any worry over a potential hangover was for not. I felt fine, especially after completing my calisthenics and then sucking down some coffee. A short time later I freed Frankie and took her out back to relieve herself. I was a bit troubled that I couldn’t locate the poop-scoop shovel. Heading back inside, I could hear the hot tub making a gurgling noise, an indication that the water level was down below the filter line. It’s been almost two weeks since I last topped it off. Crap! I sipped more coffee while relaxing in front of the PC. Mindy & the kids were up around 9a and just ahead of my run. At some point we discussed the day’s plans, which I assumed included skiing. Last I knew, Jacob was going to spend the day with his dad while we skied. Brother Tommy phoned around 945a to see if we were still going skiing. Yep. Said he planned to join us. I offered that he simply stop by and ride with us. Mindy later mentioned that we needed to be home by 5p to intercept Jacob. Crap! I hadn’t even considered that. As an alternative, I offered that Bella and I could stay later and ride home with Tommy. Mindy eventually decided that Jacob could go skiing with us, and something he wanted to do all along anyway. That settled, I headed out for my run. Mindy texted Jimaken to let him know that there was no need to pick up Jacob. I was back from my three mile run by 1040a. While I was out, Mindy prepared a nice packed lunch and had everybody’s gear setting neatly by the sofa. I prepped our ski flasks and then made an egg, bacon, and cheese sandwich while Mindy showered. I offered to make Mindy one too, but she declined. I headed up for a shower a few minutes after she was out. As is generally the case, I was showered and ready about the same time as Mindy despite giving her a 20 minute head start. I loaded the Honda through the garage. Neighbor Mike and kids passed by while I was loading. And if I understood correctly, they were heading up to MRM too. We were on our way by 1120a. We left Tommy a VM as we exited the house advising that we’d simply meet him there. He returned the call shortly after we hit the road agreeing with the plan to meet there. He was delayed slightly and also planned a stop in Marysville to check on one of his stores after skiing. At some point we heard from Kenny. They were already at MRM and had been even before 1030a. I was surprised to learn that they were up and out there that early. Said they left early to see the kids into an early lesson. We arrived near noon, or about the same time we arrive most other days. The lot was packed more so than ever before. We wondered if we’d be able to find a parking spot. We managed to create a parallel space at the lots farthest reaches and out towards the main road in. Given the crowd, we were happy just to have a spot. I got into my ski pants and boots and then helped both kids do the same. We walked up to get our daily passes together. As is often the case, we all headed to the restroom before heading to the lift. A right of passage if you will. Jacob and I are more often than not ready far sooner than Mindy and Bella. Hardly a wait, Jacob and I decided to head up the lift. We spotted Mindy & Bella after our first run. We hooked up shortly after. At some point I spotted Tommy. We skied a few runs together separate from Mindy & Bella. Then, Darwin, a new friend of ours, called out my name from the lift line. I didn’t immediately recognize him in his ski gear until he revealed his identity. He skied down the run with Tommy, Jacob and I. At some point, Mindy & Bella headed in for a break. Went to fetch the cooler too. After a few more runs with Tommy & Darwin, I begged off to hook-up with Mindy and Bella in the jam packed ski lodge. Tommy came inside a few minutes later and went immediately for a pitcher of beer. Then, it wasn’t too much longer before Kenny, Chrissy and kids, Mike and his two kids, and Darwin joined us. We had a big ol’ group. We eventually snagged one of the long cafeteria type tables, but kept the round bar-type table, too. We headed back out after a little more than an hour break. Kenny’s girls were eager to ski with Mindy & Bella. Jacob left with the three other boys, Jake, Evan, and Gavin. I was skiing with Darwin and Tommy. It wasn’t long before Mindy had Lillian skiing down the main face, which turned out being sooner than all the others, including her dad, Kenny. We took a 2nd break, at what time though I can’t be sure. I wasn’t watching the clock too closely. Tommy soon came to the table with another pitcher of beer. Soon everybody in our posse was in the lodge again. We enjoyed the live entertainment, the warmth, and the company for another hour. We headed out to get in a few more runs around 730-8p. Mindy & I collectively agreed to call it a day near 830p – the latest we’ve skied yet this year. During the last break, Mindy thought it a good idea to plan a pizza party with the neighbors once at home. However, by the time we loaded our gear and were heading for home, Mindy thought better of it and promptly called Chrissy to cancel those plans. We still planned to get a pizza, but one to enjoy quietly at home while in our PJs. We ordered our Minelli’s pizza just as we entered I-270 from rt.33. We had to wait maybe a minute or two once we arrived. Good timing. Mindy said they made a large versus extra large. No biggie. It would almost certainly be enough. We carried in all of our gear and then Mindy took Frankie out before tearing into our pizza. In fact, I changed out of my ski attire before sitting down to eat. It always feels so good to get out of tight ski clothes and into loose, comfy jammies. Jacob ate just a portion of his chicken sandwich before heading up to bed. He was tired. Bet he didn’t last five minutes after carrying in the gear. Mindy wasn’t far behind. After a couple slices of pizza she bolted for bed too. Bella joined me downstairs after Mindy headed off for a couple slices of pizza, but only after insisting I pull off most of the toppings. She didn’t last long either, though. Soon it was just me. I watched the rest of the Packers/Falcons game. The Packers were killing them. Not even close. I fell asleep on the sofa, but only for a brief stint. I headed up for bed around 1130p.

Visiting the Anderson's

It was already Friday after what ended up being a very unusual work week (worked from home Wednesday then off on Thursday). I was up a few minutes ahead of 530a and quickly engaged in exercise. After sit-ups and push-ups I checked the weather. It was 18 degrees, pretty much the norm this winter. After enjoying some coffee and quiet time I leashed up Frankie and headed out back. She was quick taking care of business. We were back inside by 605a. Meditation and stretching went well. Sounded like Mindy was in the shower by 615a. She planned to leave a little earlier to give herself plenty of time to drop Jacob at her mother’s (still sick). I delivered a cup of coffee and the pug just ahead of preparing for my run. It was just after 630a as I headed out the front door for my run. I ran the full 4.1 miles without any trouble, although I might’ve been a tad stiff from skiing so hard the day before. No biggie. I felt good and loose when I finished. Mindy already had the Honda warming when I returned. She apparently had Jacob loaded up too. My eggs were ready and waiting in the microwave. Mindy left while Bella and I finished our breakfasts. It was just after 730a when I headed up for a shower. It didn’t take me long. I was back downstairs and ready to go by 750a. Bella and I headed to the bus stop at 757a. Kenny and the girls met us out there. Kenny shared that he and Chrissy were heading up to MRM shortly after the kids were safely on the school bus. Lucky them! Supposed to be a busy weekend up there. Frankie used her second opportunity to relieve herself wisely. After kenneling the pug and gathering all of my gear I left for work. The commute was brief. No traffic issues. I parked out front. In my office by 832a. Spent the first couple hours of the day in a meeting. Just before 11a I headed back to my office to get busy with 2011 objectives. I worked on objectives right up until lunch time, or 1p when I left for a trip to the Anderson’s. It didn’t take that long to get there, a quick drive around the NW corridor of I-270. I hadn’t been to the Anderson’s since they completed a remodel – probably mid-summer. I browsed their grocery aisles and picked up a few ski snacks for the weekend ahead. I eventually made my way over to the beer and wine department, which is still one of the cities finest. It's the only place where I have found Southern Tier’s XXIPA. I picked up a six-pack of that along with a six-pack of Bell’s Hop Slam. I picked out a couple 22oz rockets too, a Hoppin’ Frog Silky Porter and a Mean Manalishi. I picked up a pinot noir from the PNW for Mary Ann – a late birthday present. Back to work. I was back in my office by 215p. I spent the afternoon finishing up my team’s 2011 objectives. I got a call from Mindy sometime after 4p sharing that Jacob was feeling much better and wanted to know if we could go to Barley’s for dinner. Mindy thought it would be a good thing. We haven’t been there on a Friday with or without the kids in well over a month. I agreed to go. I left the office for home around 530p. The temperature felt fairly warm. It was somewhere in the upper 20s. Actually expecting it to push just past freezing on Saturday. I called my mom during my drive home, a call I make most Friday’s. She sounded in decent spirits. Shared that she goes in for a surgical procedure on her neck late January. Fusing a couple vertebrae, I guess. Also sounds like her financial wows may be over. That’s encouraging. I talked with Mom until I pulled up in front of the house. I carried in my Anderson’s haul in two trips. Gifted Mindy the Silky Porter. Carried it all to the garage. Mindy and the kids were eager to depart for Barley’s, but it wasn’t even 6p. I reiterated my need to decompress and relax for a few, and quite possibly even take a brief nap. I kicked back in the living room recliner and closed my eyes. I didn’t sleep but did relax. I’m thinking that we left for Barleys just after 630p. The parking lot was beyond full. We had to park in the adjacent lot, which was chalked full of cars too. Business is booming! Inside, we immediately greeted several of our Barley peeps. Amongst them, Steve W. and Bob I. Didn’t anticipate seeing Bob. I ordered a Centennial IPA and was happy to stand and sip. We found the kids two seats at a barside table. Of note, Katie M. is back working the bar on Friday’s replacing Beth who apparently quit to go be with her new husband in N.C. Katie hasn’t worked a Friday in maybe five years. Mindy ordered the kids and herself some food. I wasn’t hungry. Just wanted a couple beers. Mindy ran into a teacher pal and spent quite a while off chatting with her. We chatted some with Mie, too (the better half of Doomie). I ended up having three beers – two double IPA’s. Darwin, a neighbor of ours, stopped in just as we were preparing to leave. I had Diedra put two of his beers on my tab. We phoned the neighbors during our short drive home. Chrissy answered in an unusually somber tone. Quickly learned that she was at the hospital with her former mother-in-law after she suffered a mild stroke. She offered that Kenny was at home with all the kids and could probably use some company. We called Kenny and made plans to head down for a brief visit once home. We grabbed the pug and a few beers before walking down. Mindy wanted her Silky Porter. I took a Hop Slam and a Southern Tier XXIPA. We hung with Kenny for about 90 minutes, or until Mindy was ready to call it a night. We planned on skiing Saturday and wanted/needed a good night of sleep. I’m guessing it was after 1130p before I fell asleep.

Free Day is a Ski Day

I woke around 5a but quickly went back to sleep, and almost certainly with a smile on my face, after remembering that Thursday was my day off. I woke a couple more times leading up to 730a worrying that Mindy might forget to get up and get Bella ready for school. Remember, Mindy was staying home with Jacob again. I woke again at 730a to find Mindy already gone from bed. I didn’t even hear her get up. Stealthy! I brushed my teeth then made my way downstairs. Mindy was busy getting Bella ready for school. I started my exercise regimen from the living room. I asked Mindy if Frankie needed to go out. Nope. She had already taken her out. It was 755a in a hurry. Bella was getting ready for the bus stop and requested that Mindy take her out. Mindy, in turn, requested that I do the deed. She was still in her robe. I agreed to do it, but not before whipping out my push-ups. Bella and I headed out at 758a. At first, it looked like another day when only Bella would be boarding the bus. But last second Lillian and Makayla came running out with Kenny not far behind. According to Kenny, had a shoe mishap.  After the kids were safely on the bus, I shared in more detail my plans to head up to MRM later that morning. Kenny was anxious to try his new snow board and asked if 11a would be too late to go along. I told him that I would wait so he would have time to complete some paperwork. Besides, I still needed to run, shower, and prepare. Back at home, I spent about 45 minutes doing some writing ahead of preparing to run. At 9a I dressed and left for my run. By then, Jacob was up and apparently feeling much better. Mindy said his fever was gone and that he’d most likely be returning to school on Friday. I left for my run around 920a. I decided to run just three miles given that I’d be skiing the rest of the day. The run was easy and fast. I was back at home ahead of 10a. I shoveled the drive clear of any remaining snow before heading inside. There wasn’t a whole lot, but enough to cause footing problems if not removed. Mindy & Jacob were sitting at the kitchen table preparing to play some board game – Battleship, I think. After another cup of coffee and a quick check of email, I headed off to the shower to ready for my day of skiing. I was showered and preparing my gear by 1055a. I called Kenny to see how his morning was coming along and if he was still planning to join me. Said that he had more to do but would most likely meet me there later. Fine with me. I made and packed a sandwich, beer, pop, water, and snacks in the cooler. I started the Trooper then loaded all of my ski gear. I was ready to go by 1110a. Mindy asked that I call her mid afternoon when I had a better idea how long I might be staying. If Kenny or the Imber’s didn’t show, I figured to be leaving around 4p. I filled the Trooper at Thornton’s before jumping on I-270N. Took 14 gallons at $2.98 per gallon. I left the Imber’s a VM letting them know I was heading up before leaving the gas station.. I listened to ESPN radio the entire way up. Roads were clear for the duration of the drive. It was a fast drive up. I arrived near noon. Probably the least amount of cars I’ve ever seen in the parking lot. Cool! It didn’t take long to gear up and get my pass. I was heading up the 4 Star lift by 1210p. I was eager to ski alone and work on my technique and think through some issues. The slopes were sparsely populated. It was literally ride up, ski down, and then right back on the lift again. I’ll bet I skied 8 runs in 45 minutes. I was skiing well too. The snow was ideal – packed, groomed, and with snow flurries all day. Visibility wasn’t the greatest but certainly acceptable. I took a break around 115p. I’d been on the slopes for only an hour but had completed ten or more runs. Almost all were balls to the wall. During my break I fetched my cooler from the Trooper, which was as close as it’s ever been to the lodge. I sipped a Diet Coke and ate half my sandwich. No beer or Goldschlager. Kenny called at some point during my break to let me know that he wasn’t coming up after all. I wasn’t disappointed. I half expected it. In fact, I was a little surprised that he entertained coming at all given that he just got back from a week in Florida. Mindy would never have gone for that. I headed back out after a 30 minute break. I rode up the lift with two different boarders who I learned were in their mid 40’s. And since I was considering giving it a try, I asked them both some questions. Both encouraged me to at least give it a try or two. No question about it, this would’ve been the ideal day. Oh well. I skied my butt off again for another hour. They only had the 4 Star lift operating on the west side of the park. Momentum and Sundowner were open to the east, but I rarely ski that blue/green terrain. I took another break around 3p. Once again, I skipped drinking any beer or Goldschalger. My thinking being that if the Imber’s didn’t show by 4p, I would go ahead and leave MRM but stop at Barleys on my way home and have some wings and Centennial. Yum-yum. Long time no see! I talked with Mindy. Said her and Jacob were having fun. Once again, told her that I’d be leaving around 4p if the Imber’s didn’t show. I finished my break and then headed back out to the slopes for more runs, and maybe my last for the day. On my way up I thought I might’ve seen Bob skiing down Mary Ann’s Backside. I flew down the middle run and boarded the 4 Star lift again. No line whatsoever. As I exited the lift I spotted the Imber’s standing at the top of the hill. After a brief greeting we skied a bunch of runs together, probably for about an hour. We headed in for a break near 5p. I toted my cooler up to the bar area. Prior, I had only one nip of Goldschlager at Bob’s prompting. I phoned Mindy to give an update of my status. She shared that Jacob was once again sporting a fever over 100. Called Dr Craig. Said it’s not unusual to creep back like that a time or two. Mindy was bummed. Not only would he have to stay home from school again on Friday, but he wouldn’t be able to ski with us on Saturday either. Said her mom would likely keep him on Friday so we could go to work. She also called Jimaken to ask about keeping him Saturday. He could do it, but only till 5p. As much as I hated to, I offered to stay home with him on Saturday so she and Bella could ski. We’ll see. At some point I handed the phone to Mary Ann. She talked with Mindy for a few minutes. Once I got the phone back I told Mindy that I’d call when I was on my way home. Wasn’t quite sure how long we’d ski. After 1.5 beers each, we headed back out for several more runs. By then the ski clubbers were out in full force. Must’ve been 10 Lake Shore Tour buses in the lot. The lift lines were at times as long as they are on a busy Saturday afternoon. Slopes were suddenly dangerous and kids were cutting in front of us from all angles. Just ask Bob about ski clubbers. Ouch! We skied until just before 8p. I called it quits after almost biting it on the middle run. The Imber’s and I parted ways hoping to hook up again over the weekend. However, once again, not sure what our plans will be with Jacob sick. I had my ski gear loaded and was out of my ski attire by 800p. I phoned Mindy as I was exiting the lot. Figured it a 40 minute ride home. Said Bella was down playing with Makayla. Jacob, of course, still ill. Despite a lonely drive home, it went pretty fast once I passed the Honda plant. I did about 68mph the entire way. I arrived home at 840p on the nose. I called Mindy as I neared our street to have her open the garage so I could easily carry in my gear. I made quick work of unlading the Trooper, stowing all of my gear, and finally changing into my PJs. Bella seemed excited that I was home. Jacob was already in bed. I ate some leftover stuffed peppers and sucked down a Diet Coke. I was craving the anti-sugar. The rest of the evening was a blur. I know that I was in bed near 10p.

Prepping to Purge

Wednesday was my day to look after Jacob and work from home provided schools weren’t closed due to the snow storm. To that end, I got out of bed at my usual time and treated the morning like any other work day. Regardless of how the day unfolded, I wanted to have my exercise and run routine out of the way before Mindy left for work. A quick check of the local school closings revealed none that were relevant to us. It snowed a little more over night bringing our storm total to about 4 inches of new snow. Nice and fluffy too. The temperature was around 18 degrees, very familiar territory this winter. Exercise and Frankie were taken care of in a hurry. At 6a I poured a cup of coffee then relaxed for a few just ahead of meditation and stretching. At 630a I delivered the pug and coffee to Mindy, who was already in the shower. Five minutes later I was heading out the door for my run. I ran 4.1 miles on mostly plowed streets. No complaints about the city’s snow removal. They do a good job. The run was nice. Felt like a million dollars. Back at home Jacob was already on the sofa where he would ultimately spend most of his day. Bella and I enjoyed our breakfast time together like normal. After eating I contacted my boss, peer and team to let them know that I’d be working from home. I felt kind of dirty since I was scheduled off on Thursday. Not sure why I felt that way though. Work is work, regardless of where I am. Mindy left near her usual time. She asked that I take good care of Jacob. Of course! Because I didn’t need to shower immediately or drive, I actually got busy with work much earlier than most other work days. I was at it by 745a, although I still had to get Bella on the school bus. We were expecting Lillian around 745a. Mindy said I volunteered to get her on the bus too.  She never showed. Frankie and I took Bella to the bus at her usual time. It was odd being out with just Bella (no Jacob, no neighbors). I walked Frankie out front like I do almost every other day. She pooped a second time. Inside, I checked on Jacob who was sound asleep. I spent the next two hours working diligently from my home office. I was able to take care of some personal stuff on my home PC at the same time. The day moved swiftly. Around 10a Jacob woke and got a book. He remained on the sofa reading for hours. I’ve never known a 10 year old to read so voraciously. Despite being ill, he was still grounded from screens. Mindy made that very clear. Mindy phoned just before 11a to check on Jacob. She requested I take his temp and administer more Tylenol. I followed her directions giving him two adult Tylenol capsules. Sometime near noon I took a break from work and went to the basement determined to sort through the numerous boxes that have been resting under the steps since Kelly and I moved in now almost 17 years ago. I was certain that most of it was junk. I looked through every box making sure I wasn’t tossing out a family treasures. In the end, there was about half a box of trinkets that the kids made that I decided to save, and then a box containing my ancient album collection. Everything else was trash. During the process, I almost talked myself into keeping all of my Columbus State Community College degree work from 20+ years ago. In a single box I had every paper, every assignment I ever turned in. I read over a few then reminded myself of the larger goal. Purge! I decided it needs to go. What was I saving it for? Who would want it? That decision was liberating. After about an hour and then a shower, I returned to work the rest of the afternoon away. At some point I made some lunch and asked Jacob if he was hungry. Nope. He wanted nothing. It continued to snow through most of the afternoon, although without much additional accumulation. It was pretty though. The work day went incredibly fast working from home. Even after my shower, I stayed in either my running clothes or PJs all day long. I was dressed for comfort. Late afternoon I book our rental car for our Mt Bachelor ski vacation. I booked a minivan to ensure that we can tote all of our ski gear as well as five adults. Happy to have all that taken care of. Now we wait. Mindy got home shortly after 4p. Can’t recall if she got home before or after Bella got off the bus. Doesn’t matter. Since Jacob was still sporting a fever, Mindy decided immediately that she was staying home again on Thursday. I was already scheduled off, too, but planning to go skiing. Mindy brought home the leftovers from her potluck chili. I chose that as my dinner. At about 525p I pretty much detached my tether from work. Not too stressful of a work day at all, but also not as rewarding as a day in the office. I don't think I could work from home on a consistent basis. Mindy warmed me a big bowl of chili shortly after letting go of work. I topped it off with shredded cheese and sour cream. It was good, but also very spicy. Despite washing it down with a cold glass of milk, I could feel the heartburn coming on fast. After dinner, Mindy reluctantly left to fetch more milk after discovering that we were nearly out. She bought only one half gallon at the grocery on Sunday. When she returned, Bella asked if she could go down and play with Makayla. Mindy called Chrissy to see if that was OK. Mindy walked her down. While Bella was away, and while Jacob rested on the sofa, I read in the living room. The basketball Buckeyes were playing on TV, but since Jacob was grounded from screens and resting comfortably in the family room, I didn’t have the heart to relegate him to his room. I opted to keep reading, which was a far better choice for my blood pressure anyway. I did, however, pop up and check the score online a time or two. The Buckeyes were ahead by 2 points just minutes into the second half. Yikes – a close game! Kenny walked Bella home around 845p. He was fresh home from a week in Florida. We chatted briefly about his trip, but also about my plan to ski on Thursday. He was mixed about joining me. I was going regardless. He hurried back home to catch the end of the Buckeye game. I did a little more reading. After both kids were in bed I poured a Jack and Coke and went to the family room to watch some Science Channel. There I watched a program about earthquakes. Interesting perspective. Apparently the PNW is one of the most vulnerable corridors for a 10.0 magnitude quake. However, the Midwest is vulnerable too. Mindy headed to bed before 10p. I stayed up sipping the rest of my drink and getting nappy watching TV. I dosed off on the sofa, but not for too long. I woke and headed for bed around 1030p.

one one-one one-one

I overslept big time. I wasn't out of bed until almost 6a. But rather than panic, I simply accepted where I stood and moved on from there. There was no better solution. I did my exercises and walked Frankie like normal. I even took time to enjoy some fru-fru coffee. The snow we were expecting overnight never materialized, though the forecast was now calling for it to begin any time. The fact that Mindy was staying home with Jacob, who was still sporting a fever along with a headache, lessened the need for me to hurry/rush. Knowing that, it wouldn't be a big deal if I wasn't back from my run in time to see Bella on the bus. I didn't rest on that, however. I proceeded as normal. In fact, I still did a a full meditation and stretch routine. It was after 7a when I started to prepare for my run. It must've been close to 715a when I dashed off for my run. There was a spit of snow here and there but nothing like what was predicted. However, having glanced at the radar a bit earlier, it didn't seem possible that we would be spared. We were in the direct path of the coming swath of snow. I ran the full 4.1 miles and was back at home by 750a - in plenty of time to see Bella onto the bus. The only difference being that I hadn't yet eaten or showered. After seeing Bella onto the bus I returned home to eat my eggs that Mindy had waiting in the microwave. In retrospect, I probably should've warmed them some but didn't. They were OK as they were. Off to the shower. Mindy was busy online while I made final preparations for work. I sent an email to my boss and team letting them know that I was running 25 minutes behind schedule. I left for work at 845a arriving about 10-15 minutes later. No harm no foul. The work day wasn't too bad at all. Steady, but not over whelming. Sometimes it's just a matter of how one responds to it more than the work itself. Sometime during the day, I sent my boss an IM indicating my desire to take Thursday as my on-call comp day. He was agreeable. I wanted Thursday for a couple of reasons. One, it would be a nice segue into my 3-day weekend (working Friday) and secondly, because I thought it might be a good ski day. After an email exchange with Bob I., I learned that he and Mary Ann were off that day too and planning to ski. In addition, I knew that neighbor Kenny was due back from Florida on Wednesday and chomping at the bit to try out his brand new snow board. Mid afternoon I received an email from Mindy asking if I would be willing to stay home Wednesday with Jacob, who was still sporting a high fever. Damn! In the corporate world, it's almost taboo to take sick days, let alone the fact that I had just requested Thursday as a comp day. Mindy shared that she preferred me stay home over having Jimaken keep him, so I agreed to do the deed. I figured I could take my laptop home and work from there on Wednesday. However, because there was still an outside chance that school would be canceled, I decided not to mention it to my boss until it was a foregone conclusion, and most likely not until the following morning. The work day went fast. As predicted, the snow started coming down sometime around 10a and fell consistently throughout the entire day. We might've had 2-3 inches when I left for home around 540p. Mindy emailed sometime around 5p to let me know that she had already shoveled and salted the drive as well as clearing the garage in case I wanted to pull inside (the Honda can't be inside with the Thule on top). It was still snowing during my drive home and at decent clip. If the forecast was correct, we would be getting another 1-3" overnight. Mindy had already declared Tuesday a leftover night. In kind, I wasn't expecting much in the way of dinner. Tuesday is typically Bella's gymnastics night. This time, however, it was canceled due to the weather. made sense to me. Bad weather, and the commute traffic was at a crawl. We still had leftovers. Mindy had pesto chicken while Bella and I had leftover stuffed peppers. Still tasty. Mindy said Jacob's fever was 103 degrees. He looked as bad or worse than he did the night before. If there was any doubt about me staying home the following day, it was gone now. After dinner, Bella did her nightly reading near my side. She's reading much better these days. Earlier in the afternoon, I called Drew at 7th Mountain Resorts near Bend, Oregon inquiring about their lodging options on our specific dates. And even though bookings could be completed online, I found the online condo descriptions too vague to make an informed decision. Glad I called. Drew shared lots more detail and actually talked me into booking a one bedroom condo with a loft (has three queen beds). Said it has 2.5 bathrooms, and should meet our needs well. Said the 4 bedroom home I considered would almost certainly be overkill. His advice would save us $900 over the four days. After Bella's reading, I went ahead and booked the one bedroom condo w/loft online. Then, after receiving confirmation, I sent an email to the others sharing the details and final cost. The final total was $1451 dollars for 4 nights lodging and five 3-day lift tickets - a really good deal in my eyes! That amounts to $290 per person for top quality lodging and skiing. Not sure how we spent the remainder of our evening. Didn't do much. At some point I poured myself a drink; a vodka, grapefruit juice, and Fresca. I think we watched the Learning Channel but can't recall the actual program. Jacob was already off to bed, and Bella headed there a little later. Mindy wasn't far behind, either. I stayed up long enough to fall asleep on the sofa briefly, but I'm thinking I was in bed before 1015p.

Oregon Trails

I’m trained to wake at 530a. So, just as I expect myself to do, I woke just a few minutes ahead of 530a to start my Monday. I felt well rested after an incredibly nappy Sunday. I purposefully left Frankie out of her pen the night before and was shown gratitude by her leaving a pile of crap on the living room carpet. Can you say sleep in your pen every night? I stared out back into dark cloud cover while I slipped into my exercise shoes. I then headed for the living room where I quickly completed 55 sit-ups. After sit-ups I spent about 5 minutes online before push-ups and coffee. Meanwhile, my mind was still absorbed with the Infestation programs I watched the night before on Discovery Channel. Yikes! I checked the temperature a bit earlier. It was only 13 degrees. I bundled warmly before taking Frankie out back. I was surprised that she pooped again after the carpet cookie incident. Inside, I reluctantly gave her a Milkbone. She loves them. She hadn’t had one for a couple weeks thinking we were all out. I took a few minutes to relax and enjoy my coffee before moving on to meditation. It must’ve been near 605a when I finished the coffee and started meditation, which went really well. I am more determined than ever to get where I need to be. At 620a I moved on to my stretching routine. All in all, my body’s feeling pretty good these days, although my right hamstring is still the tightest spot in my body. I am determined to get that thing right too. At 625a I poured Mindy’s coffee. And like she often does, Frankie took that as her queue to go see Mindy. We headed up stairs where Mindy was already mid-shower. I put her coffee down, gave her kiss, then headed downstairs to ready for a run. I bundled warmly in freshly laundered running clothes. I smelt like a dryer sheet heading out the door. I ran the full 4.1 miles without incident. The first two miles seemed to drag, but the last two much faster. Mindy was making breakfast when I returned. As usual, I started her Honda then headed in and stripped out of my damp outer layers before sitting for breakfast. Jacob was at the table gobbling up some cereal. He went to bed the night before still hungry. He sounded grossly congested. He’s never been very good at evacuating his sinuses. Mindy left for school near 730a. She reminded the kids to bus home with Noah. Said she’d be there near 430p to get them. Bella seemed disappointed that she’d only have 30 minutes with Dena. It wasn’t long before I was off to the shower. I had to shave, floss and brush. The shaving thing isn’t an everyday thing for me. I was back downstairs working on my lunch by 753a. The kids weren’t far behind, and without any prompting. I like that. We headed out a tad later than usual. In fact, the bus was already wheeling down the road as I started the Trooper. Jacob and Bella both objected to my singing all the way to the bus stop. I disregarded their objection. I chatted only briefly with Chrissy, who quickly headed back home. I walked Frankie out front for a few minutes. She pooped again. Inside, I finished packing my lunch, prepped a to-go cup of coffee, then packed up my laptop for work. I left the house at 820a. I listened to ESPN radio during my drive in. Almost forgot that this was national championship Monday. I’d almost certainly watch, but the college football season was already over in my mind. I arrived to work and was in my office by 837a. It took me a while to get situated and logged in. I decided to wash my water pitcher, glass, and fork thoroughly before the day’s use. It was just before 9a once I was settled in and busy. I started feeling a bit feverish mid morning, and the feeling stuck with me for most of the day. I was still evacuating my sinuses too, but felt as though I was starting to hit bottom. Finally! I didn’t take a formal getaway lunch, although did take time to eat while working. It was a busy day. But then again, I say that almost every day, I know. Creating lots of office buzz was the substantial snow storm forecasted to hit overnight and through the entire day Tuesday. The alarmist mentality kills me! I stayed busy all day long. What really made the day go fast was spending the last couple hours in the center with my team. I enjoyed that very much. It was 530p in a hurry. I packed and left for home a few minutes later. I didn’t talk to Mindy all day long. I waited until I got home. I arrived around 550p. Mindy was busy making dinner, pesto chicken. Bella quickly shared that Jacob was ill. Glancing into the family room I could see him sprawled out on the sofa. Mindy said he was sporting a fever of 100.3. Likely staying home on Tuesday. Wanted to know if I could stay home with him. Could, but would need to return to work to get my laptop. I offered that she seek a second option. I shared that I felt feverish all day long too. I didn’t feel sick though. Mindy gave me the thermometer to check my temp. There was no way I was sticking that thing in my mouth. I stuck in my arm pit instead. My temp read 97.9. After adding a degree I was normal. Hmm? I played on the PC checking out lodging rates at the Seven Springs for this coming weekend. Thought about surprising the family and taking them there Sat-Mon. Found a good deal on a no frills room for 4 ($700 for 2 nights lodging and 3-day lift tickets). I quietly bounced it off Mindy while she continued cooking dinner. She cooked the pesto chicken in a covered frying pan. I insisted on broiling mine afterwards to give it a crunchier exterior. Don’t care for gooey chicken. I was surprised when Mindy let the cat out of the bag and asked the kids if they wanted to do Seven Springs this coming weekend. But I was even more surprised when both said no, and Bella emphatically. Hmmm? Jacob’s biggest concern was the length of the drive, and then if he'd be better by then. Bella admitted later that she wants to ski with her friends. Makayla told her that they plan on skiing MRM everyday this coming weekend. Fine, we’ll scrap the long family weekend at Seven Springs. Perhaps Mindy & I will go alone on a kidless weekend. It’s just a 3.5 hour drive, so it’s feasible that we could leave late afternoon on a Friday and return on Sunday. Dinner was good. Jacob, of course, didn’t eat. Instead, he remained under blankets on the sofa. He looked bad. After dinner and during clean-up, Mindy phoned brother Craig for advice. He recommended not having kids.  No, just kidding. I guess he’s seen several similar cases this week. Most likely not flu or strep. Lasting 7-10 days. Tylenol/Advil. Mindy walked Bella down to Chrissy’s so she could play with Makayla. She took Chrissy some of her pesto chicken. Kenny, her cook, is still out of town in Florida. While Mindy was down there, I snuggled up in the family chair with my book and did some reading and napping. I fell asleep but not sure for how long. I woke around 8p. Jacob, meanwhile, was still lounging on the sofa. I really wanted to tune the TV to the National Championship game but because Jacob was grounded from TV until Friday, I abstained until conferring with Mindy. She eventually asked him to go upstairs to his room and get in his jammies. That served as my queue to tune into the game. As expected, the pregame hype was crazy. Kick-off wasn’t for some time. I’m thinking close to 845p. Oregon’s uniforms were much to my liking, but not for everyone. I’ve heard others complain about them. Mindy watched most of the first half with me. Jacob was still awake but in his room organizing his football card collection. I consider that a productive use of his down time. He came to the railing to ask numerous questions about the ’91 NFL season’s best teams. I helped him the best I could from memory. The Vikings were the very best team, of course!  Relative to the championship game, both teams looked offensively challenged, especially early on. Oregon was fast and inventive but weren’t producing many points. It was something like 11- 7 at the half. I dosed through halftime, and Mindy went to bed. Auburn looked like the stronger team in the 3rd quarter, but couldn’t put the nail in the coffin either. It was 19-11 Auburn when I went to bed. I really needed some solid sleep.