Lincoln, Washington and Clinton

Shouldn't I be in Oregon?

I woke many times through the night often after hearing Mindy rushing off to the bathroom. Not sure what was up with that.  I slept rather lightly for the entire night but woke near 530am feeling fairly well rested. In fact, I think it’s fair to say that I was finally over the jet lag hump. After brushing my teeth I headed downstairs where I still had to prep coffee since I failed to take the time to do so the evening before.

It was 545am before I started sit-ups, and then after 550am when I finished push-ups and poured myself some coffee. I went immediately to the PC where I checked the temperature and forecast. It was a cold 25 degrees under partly cloudy skies. The forecast, meanwhile,  was calling for temps in the 30s under mostly sunny skies later in the day. As it was, Mindy was planning to take the kids to MRM. Looked to be a fairly decent day for playing in the snow.

I suppose because it was a holiday, there wasn’t a lot of new news beyond Sunday’s stale stories. Despite that, I managed to play around online until almost 610am when I headed to the family room for meditation. That went very well. I gave myself a hard stop at 620am. After meditation I headed in to bump up the heat a little. The house was chilly. I knew Mindy would appreciate it. Time to stretch!

The stretch routine went really well. Felt fabulous. And aside from a few very brief bouts with a stiff neck, I haven’t experienced any sustained shoulder or neck discomfort in well over a month. I consider myself fortunate. It was already 630am before I finished stretching and started preparing for my run. It was 640am as I pushed myself out the door. As I shared earlier, it was only in the 20s, but I was dressed for it and felt pretty comfortable throughout. I ran the full 4.1 miles with no trouble at all.

At home the house was quiet. No one else was up. I went ahead and a packed a lunch and fried two eggs and made some toast. I wasn’t finished in the kitchen until 750am. Just as I was starting to prep Mindy’s coffee, Eiknarf came down the stairs. She must’ve been whining at Bella’s door so she let her out. I stopped what I was doing and took her on a walk. After our walk I fed and watered her. I then returned to prepping and delivering Mindy’s coffee. It was just before 8am. She looked tired. I asked if she was sick. Told me her stomach was upset all night. I headed in for a shower.

I wasn’t too long getting ready. Thinking I was done and ready to go by 810am. Mindy remained in bed and didn’t appear to be getting up anytime soon. I gave her a good bye kiss then headed downstairs for final prep. I headed out to start the Accord to melt away a light coating of frost. I left the house at 822am which is pretty much on par with any other day.

Traffic was slow moving on northbound 270. Not sure why. It’s rare that there’s ever a traffic snarl impacting my way in to work. After all, it’s just one exit to the north. Arrived at the office near 840am. After getting situated and logged on, the first thing I did was fax in my January mileage expense report. And then about an hour or so into my day my boss stopped by to ask a favor. I agreed to pull together a quarterly report for a customer not owned by me. It would end up taking me the entire day to do it.

Mid morning, I received a call from Bella asking where I placed their MRM season passes. Chrissy apparently told Mindy that she gave them back to me last Monday morning at the bus stop. Wow! Given my mental state last Monday, I had no recollection whatsoever. I asked to speak with Mindy then shared where I might’ve put them if that were indeed the case. She agreed to look in the cabinet. She also shared that she started some chili in the crock-pot which would serve as our dinner late that evening. 

Mid afternoon, and after I had a better handle on the level of effort required or that report, I told my boss I’d most likely have it to him by day’s end. He then told me that the previous owner told him it takes 3 to 4 days to compile. Hmm?  I joked with a peer that I just bought myself a 3 day vacation. J I ended up taking a working lunch, eating while I continued plowing through the quarterly report. I sent a text to Mindy a couple of times during the day. One, to confirm that she found the MRM passes (she did), and secondly, I asked her to look for Darwin, who told me Saturday that he’d likely be there with his boys. Mindy advised that she expected to be home before me and that Lindy would be there around 6pm to cut my hair. Cool!

Finished up the report shortly after 5pm and sent it to my boss. There was more I could’ve done, but all cosmetic. That wasn’t my focus. Having earned my keep, I headed for home just after 540pm. I called Mindy not long after pulling out of my parking spot. They had just recently arrived home. Didn’t talk too long. I was below a quarter tank of gas and wanted to fill-up on my way home to avoid any further price increases since I saw that oil was trading up about $3 during the day. I stopped at the Thornton’s near home. Took 14.4 gallons. Averaged 22 mph last tank.

Arrived home at 601pm. Mindy was proudly sporting the Meadows t-shirt I bought her the day after her knee injury. Lindy showed up a few minutes later and while Mindy was putting the finishing touches on our dinner. We planned to eat before hair cuts. Lindy looked really nice. Says she’s feeling good and happy to be eating normal food again after her thyroid surgery.

The chili was pretty good, though purposely mild. Jacob spiced his up with some really hot habanera green sauce we’ve had for years. No doubt, the boy likes his hot sauce. Clean-up was a snap, thanks in part to using paper bowls. I asked Mindy if Bella was going to gymnastics. Nope. Since it was a holiday, Mindy opted not to send her.

We opted to have Jacob get his hair cut (trimmed) first. By design, she didn’t touch his bangs. Just took a little length of the back and sides and thinned it a little on top. Still quite a mop on the floor. Bella was next. We just wanted her ends cut. Before any cutting or trimming, Lindy had to get the many snarls out of Bella’s locks. That took a few minutes. The actual cutting part took no more than five or ten minutes. She did a really good job. I swept the hair trimmings from the floor before subjecting myself to the scissors.

Asked to have no more than about a half inch removed. That’s about the only instruction I gave, this being the third time having Lindy cut my hair. I think she knows what she’s doing. It didn’t take long. Never really does. If it takes more than about 5-10 minutes they’re over doing it which often spells trouble. J Bella asked if she could head down to the O'Connell's after seeing they had a bonfire going. Mindy granted permission but shared that she had to be home by 8pm or there would be consequences.

I took the time to sweep and vacuum the tile floor before heading upstairs to check out my new do.  I was really itchy from the many tiny hair fragments that managed to slip down my t-shirt. I planned to take a quick shower once Lindy left. I paid Lindy well, wanting her to look forward to coming over to cut our/my hair.

Lindy was sitting in Bella’s assigned dinner seat when I returned downstairs. I had just turned away when I heard a loud thud. Turned around to find Lindy about to fall over and the kitchen chair in three or more pieces below her. Holy smoke! That chair had a broken rib, pointed out to me a couple weeks ago by Mindy or one of the kids. I'd been meaning to glue it. As it was, my concern was for Lindy's well being, but she was fine. Somehow, she managed not to fall on her rear end.  I took the broken chair to the garage, though I gave one of the beefy struts to Jacob and told him to put it under his bed for use as a billy club. He seemed to like that idea.

Bella came bolting in the back door right at 8pm. Lindy didn't hang long after all that. Mindy sent her home with some chili leftovers.  As soon as she left I headed up for a quick shower to rinse away the hair. Felt good to shower. I took the time to blow dry my new frock. Looked good. It's rare that I can blow dry a fresh hair cut and have it look so nice, but there's a first time for everything. Thanks Lindy!

After a shower and changing into my PJs we watched and episode of Pickers and Pawn Stars. I think it was 940pm when I declared it my bedtime. The kids had been upstairs for just a few minutes prior. I tucked in Bella and made sure Eiknarf was comfortably in bed with Jacob. Mindy was already in bed reading a book. I was hoping for a easy crash and a good night of sleep.

Celebrating Ashley @ 26

I promised myself that I would sleep as late as my body wanted and not force myself out of bed even a minute before. That worked out pretty well, not waking until 815am. I calmly, quietly headed downstairs where I started some coffee then played around on the internet.

It was cold, about 28 degrees under mostly sunny skies. It was 10am n a hurry, and this far I hadn't given any thought to heading out for a run. In fact, it was almost 11am before I finally dressed and headed out for a run. It was truly a lazy Sunday morning. However, that would all change come early afternoon. Not only were we expecting Lindsey and the boys over to do laundry and play, but we were also expecting our own two kids home around 1pm. Then, around 230pm Ashley & Olivia were coming over.

I ran the usual weekend 3 miles without any discomfort and actually felt terrific. Mindy was in the shower by the time I got back to the house, and planned to head off to the grocery store in the very near term. To help her out, I loaded the recycling into the Pilot. Back inside, I made myself a roast beef and cheddar sandwich. It was delicious. Eiknarf watched me eat every bite with lustful eyes. J

I was still playing around on my PC when Rocky came knocking at the front door. I pretended not to hear him and then stared at him like I didn’t know who he was. I toyed with him until his mother was at the door with a loaded laundry basket. They weren’t in the door even three minutes before Landon asked to play Wii and Rocky shot his airsoft pistol inside the house. I heard him tell his mom he didn’t think it was loaded. I’m shaking my head even as I type.

Lindsey asked if she could go tanning. I suggested she wait until Mindy was home to assist me with the boys. As a diversion, I suggested the boys make birthday cards for their aunt Ashley. They were excited to do so. That kept them busy for a good 10-15 minutes. Jacob & Bella were home a little while later. As Mindy requested, I asked that they unload and put away their weekend clothes first thing. Jacob & Rocky soon headed off to Cody & Kyle’s. Landon hung out inside and eventually joined Bella and Makayla upstairs.

Mindy was home in short order. By then Jacob and Rocky were back, too. I asked for their help carrying in the groceries. Rocky was a big help save for the mud he tracked across the kitchen floor. Quickly, our freshly cleaned home was looking a bit overrun.

Once Mindy got the groceries put away, she and I took a brief rest together on the sofa lying at opposite ends. That lasted only until Ashley & Olivia showed up sometime near 2pm. Mindy planned to take Ashley shopping at Kohl’s for her birthday while we kept Olivia entertained with the others. I’m thinking it was near 230 when Mindy & Ashley left. Lindsey did her laundry and helped keep and eye on the wee ones. The girls played in Bella’s room and the boys played in Jacob’s room.

I relaxed from the sofa tuning the TV to the golf tournament sometime after 3pm. It always does me good to see the pro golfers playing in the sunshine and greenery this time of year. It won’t be long before spring is upon us here at home. Mindy and Ashley were back before 415pm. The only reason I remember that is because Mindy asked me what time I wanted her to order pizzas. It was 420pm when she asked. Mindy & Ashley showed off what they bought at Kohl’s.

Mindy ordered the pizzas just after 5pm. She let Ashley determine the toppings. We ordered two extra-large, one with pepperoni & sausage and the other with pepperoni and extra cheese. I agreed to fly and buy. As usual, they quoted her 20 minutes, but I’d leave after only 12. They’re always ready early. Mindy picked up some brownies from the Kroger bakery which would serve as Ashley’s b-day cake. We’ve had them before. They were terrible then. I expected the same this time, too.

I left to get the pizzas near 520pm. Not a big crowd at Minelli’s but an agitated crew. They were at each others throats from the second I walked in until the minute I left with our order. I had to wait about five minutes. Everybody was gathered in the family room and kitchen apparently anticipating the pizzas arrival. Mindy & the girls served up the kids then themselves. Best estimate, we devoured about 1.25 of the pies. Mindy packed up what was left of the pepperoni and sausage pizza for Ashley to take home.

Around 6pm Mindy got out the brownies and adorned them with a single candle. We all gathered round the table and sang happy birthday to Ashley. We ended up doing it three or four times, including once for each of both of the wee ones, Olivia and Landon. They’re so cute! As expected, the brownies were horrible. I think it was the icing more so than the brownies. But still.

After we finished celebrating Ashley'd b-day with brownies, Olivia asked if I would show the videos of her as a baby. She loves watching videos of herself. Many of the other kids gathered around too. I played videos of Landon and Rocky as well, each time Olivia whining that she wanted to see more of herself. She’s very much like that. It’s all about Olivia!

Chrissy brought over a rug to give to Ashley after buying if for her two girls but later discovering it too small for the space. It’s a pretty, colorful rug that should go well in Olivia’s room, though we bought her a similar rug a few years back. Ashley was a gracious receiver and gave Chrissy a hug and thanked for her taking such good care of her and Olivia all the time.

Everybody left around 7pm. Felt good to have our house back. I quickly took to mopping the floor, especially the entries where the kids tromped in mud from the outdoors. Spent about 30 minutes getting the downstairs back in order. Unbeknownst to me, Mindy agreed to have Chrissy kids spend the night. They, including Mindy, were all off school the following day in recognition of President’s Day. That made our kids happy. It wasn’t too big a deal, and they’re generally fairly well behaved.

I spent another hour or so playing on my PC and organizing photos. Mindy headed up to our bedroom to read around 9pm. I stayed up a while longer enjoying a bowl of Cookie Crisp. I heard Mindy more than once head to the kids rooms to ask them to keep the noise down. There was a lot of thudding and verbal racket going on.

I joined Mindy in bed near 945pm. By then she was already asleep. Like often happens when I get into bed, I got an unwelcomed second wind and couldn’t get to sleep. I tossed and turned for well over an hour and even considered getting out of bed and heading back downstairs. I never did get back up. I’m guessing I finally fell asleep near 11pm.

SWIX Wax & Creeper

I slept fairly well, but not as good as I had hoped. But what I didn’t reap in quality, I gained in quantity.  I finally got more than 8 hours of sleep. I rolled out of bed near 745am after sleeping for 8.5 hours. It felt amazing not having anywhere I necessarily needed to be. I spent the next couple hours luxuriating in the quiet sipping coffee and playing on the internet. I finally got around to publishing blog entries for the past ten days, including those from our ski vacation in Oregon. I opted to publish unedited knowing full well there were oodles of grammatical errors. I just didn’t have the time, or perhaps better stated, didn’t see the value.

I opted not to deliver coffee to Mindy’s bedside deciding her uninterrupted sleep far more important. I heard her stirring just after I used her laptop to forward my vacation blog entries to my RR email address.

Shortly after Mindy was up, I headed out back with the pug. Because of our warm winter, the geese have already returned and started their annual nesting ritual in our backyard. Unfortunately, that means goose poop. I wasn’t immediately attuned to Eiknarf's excitement. But it didn't take long for me to realize that Eiknarf was excited to be once again chomping on goose poop like it was a delicacy. She loves it. Cries for it, even.  Blah! I had to revert to walking her out front to get her to take care of business. Meanwhile, it was sunny and relatively warm for a late winter day - somewhere near 38 degrees.

I’m thinking it was near 1015am when I finally dressed and headed out for a run. I passed Pat Shultz in the first half mile out doing his daily walk. He shared that he offered to push Mindy around in a wheel chair should she need it. Said Jamie has started dilating. Won’t be long now. I think her actual due date is leap day, Feb 29.

Like most Saturday’s, I ran just three miles. It was a relatively easy run.  I was back home near 1045am. Mindy was already in the shower getting ready to head off to have her hair colored by niece Lindy. Still sweaty and in my running clothes, I gathered my ski gear from the basement and placed it by the front door. Now near 11am, I headed up for a shower. Mindy was still primping after her shower. She suggested I stay in the shower while she applied hair spray. Good call!

Given the brilliant sunshine and an expected high in the low 40s, I dressed lighter than I have all ski season. I wore two wicking shirts but planned to skip the fleece jacket and only wear my light ski jacket. I packed a cooler with Gatorade, water, nuts, and slim jims. I didn’t bother filling a flask. IN fact, I didn’t plan to drink any alcohol, especially since Mindy & I planned to do dinner at CBC around 7 or 8pm. Before leaving for skiing, I made myself a turkey and cheese sandwich, which I offered to share with Mindy. She took just one or two bites.

Just after 12noon, both Mindy and I were ready to leave, her taking the Pilot, and me taking the Accord. I love the pass-through in the rear seat of the Accord. Works perfectly for my skis. I simply laid out a beach towel so they won’t scratch the leather seats.

It was a fast drive up 270/33 towards MRM. Called Darwin along the way and talked for a good ten minutes. He was too busy to ski but said he was up Wednesday with his oldest son, Jordan. Would likely be there again on Monday, too. Told him to look for Mindy and the kids since they planned to head up on President’s Day. Speaking of President’s Day, we’ve spent 4 of the last 5 in Oregon skiing, the exception being 2009, the year we bought our skis and went to HV instead.

As I got off 33 at the MRM exit, I was reminded that I wanted to get some SWIX roll-on wax for my skis. I stopped in Adam’s ski shop right at the corner. I hadn’t been there prior, so wasn’t quite sure how to get into the store. The lower level is a rental/ski repair shop. The ski shop is upstairs. Nicer than I expected. I browsed around quickly before going to the counter to get the wax. They had about ten bottles, none of them marked with a price. The girl working  the counter guessed it to be $15. After some searching and assistance, she learned that it was $16. The kid helping her had on a Windell’s t-shirt. I recognized that as the Mt Hood ski camp just outside Sandy. I asked him if he’s been there. Yep, four years in a row. Said he’s a competitive boarder, but currently down due to a torn ACL. We talked for a while, me sharing Mindy’s mishap at Mt Hood Meadows.

It was just after 1pm when I finally walked out and headed just down the street to the heavily populated parking lot.  Much larger crowd than I expected given the waning season and warmer than desirable temps. Even though it was crowded, I tried for an up close spot. And as usual, I found one only three rows from the front. Awesome! Didn’t take me long to gear up. Used my new SWIX wax before locking up. After temporarily stowing my skis so I could go after my lift ticket, I spotted Bob & Tina Kubra, apparently just coming off a lunch break. We talked for a while, them asking all about Mindy’s well being. After 5 minutes or so, I headed in to get my lift ticket and to pee.

They waited for me at the Four Star. The line was fairly long, at least compared to out west where I don’t think we waited even once in line for an entire week. The line moved quickly, though, and that might’ve been the longest line we encountered the rest of the day. Just like the snow out west for the 2^nd half of our week, the snow at MRM was cut up and mushy from the warmth (currently 40 degrees).

We waited at the top for the others (Scott, Zach, Bob & Mary Ann). We chatted atop the hill before I took my maiden run. Just before heading down, I spotted the guy that we met on the plane in Portland who is also a fellow MRM skier. He spent last weekend at Bachelor. We chatted briefly (he was racing). Introduced him to my peeps.

One would be wise to use caution with mushy rutted snow, but all in all, some really fun skiing. We skied until just after 3pm when everyone was ready for a break. I checked my skis then went to the car for my cooler. Bob I. went for a pitcher. I declined a beer as well as nips of Goldschlager or lemon nip earlier. I gave Mindy a quick call to see what was up. Mindy was visiting an old friend, Lori S, who lives in Grove City. Handed my phone to Mary Ann briefly, too.

Ran into a work compadre, one of the guys that spent last week in Steamboat, Colorado. Said he loves skiing in conditions like today’s. I am beginning to understand why. It’s definitely more challenging. Pamode took the stage around 330pm. Listened to a few of his tunes before heading back out for round two. I told Mindy I’d be home around 6 or 7pm.

As the sun began to set the snow began to crisp up. In addition, the groomer was out grooming the run they’d been racing on all day. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect for Scott and I. We hopped off the lift just seconds after they opened it to the public. We might’ve been the 5^th and 6^th skiers to ride the fresh corduroy. We flew down and quickly hit the MRM double lift to do it again. Because it was so warm, the snow was torn up in a hurry, but still nice and fast.

At 520pm I declared the next run my last to ensure I was home somewhere close to 630pm. Said my goodbyes atop the hill. Worthy of mention, the run prior to my last, was down the rollers, where Tina K went over two big jumps catching some wicked air. That girl is fearless ... or crazy!

Didn’t take long to get out of my gear and on the road. It was 540-545pm as I pulled out the lot headed towards home. Once I was safely on 33 east I gave Mindy a call just as she requested. She was still with her friend Lori but just getting ready to leave. Said she’d call me back once she was in the car. Called back a couple minutes later. Talked all the way to and past the Rt 42 Plain City exit off Rt 33. Said she was going to walk the pug and ready for our evening out.

I made great time heading home arriving near 620pm. I immediately carried in all my gear and put it in its proper place. Didn’t want to have to deal with it on Sunday. Even emptied the cooler so there were effectively no remnants of my trip to contend with. All that took about 10 minutes. Mindy was upstairs putting the finishing touches on her ready. I didn’t bother with a shower, but did rewet my hair and blow dry. Changed into comfy jeans and a sweater, tossing my ski attire into a laundry basket that I planned to wash on Sunday along with my running clothes.

We left for CBC just ahead of 7pm. I felt good and was much looking forward to a pint or tow of Creeper. Shared some skiing stories with Mindy during our short drive downtown. It was dark by the time we pulled in the lot. Was going to drop Mindy at the door and then go park, but the very first slot was available. Too cool!

Standing room only in the bar. About as full as we’ve seen it in a long, long time. We stood waiting for stools to free for about ten minutes. By then we had beers, both of us Creepers. Man is it good! Mindy must’ve eaten a big lunch not pushing me to order food, which is so unlike her. We eventually ordered some spinach artichoke dip and I had two more Creepers. Since Mindy was driving, she kept her consumption to only one, though she did take a few drinks from mine. Meanwhile, the Creeper keg must've went dry. Jamie left a fourth Creeper in front of me, but only about 3/4 full - the end of the keg. A kind gesture to be sure.

Mindy and  I both threw in $20 bills to serve as Stella's birthday gift. Mindy got up to go look for her and hand it to her. While drinking/dining, we befriended two couples standing directly behind us waiting on a table. One of the couples was from Toledo. Said their home city is a drag. Can't wait to relocate to Columbus, apparently planning to do so soon. We ended up buying them a drink once they were seated at a table.

Before the night was over I had one heck of a buzz. All that from only 3.5 Creepers. I picked up the check leaving part of the tip on the card and a little more in cash. Mindy drove us home where we headed pretty quickly to bed.

Comparably Easy Friday

Happy 26th Ashley!

Was finally beginning to feel human again. Although, after penning that statement, I realized that waking overtly tired is as much of a human experience as waking feeling bright eyed and bushy tailed is. Perhaps a better expression would be that I woke feeling almost normal again after four days of tortuous jet lag.

I was out of bed and downstairs by 540am. Coffee was ready by the time sit-ups and push-ups were behind me. I enjoyed coffee at the PC until well after 6am. Did meditation ahead of waking Mindy. Completed stretching after.  Woke Mindy near 620am. It was 650am by the time I headed off on my run. It was right at freezing under a completely clear sky. A crescent moon hung low in the SE. Quite lovely!

I ran the full 4.1 mile track and was back home near 730am. By then, Mindy and the kids were gone. This was the start of a four day weekend for the kids, and a three day for Mindy. Mindy took the kids with her to school where she planned to enlist them as class volunteers. Seemed like a good idea.

There was a note attached to the microwave letting me know that my eggs were inside and that Eiknarf had been walked. That helped a lot. I enjoyed my breakfast in the solitude then headed up for a shower. It was Friday so I planned to wear jeans. I wore a soft black cotton sweater along with my new running shoes. I did some online banking before leaving the house. Thinking it was 840-845am when I departed.

Arrived at the office somewhere near 9am and parked in the front lot near the entrance. I felt alert and rested perhaps for the first time all week. I was determined to have a really good day. I spent the first part of my day chasing a few customer problems all the way to resolution. Thinking it was early afternoon when all three were solved. That felt good!

Got a text from Bob I. asking about skiing MRM on Saturday. Shared that I would likely meet him there. At the time I wasn’t sure if it would be just him or M.A. too. The weekend weather forecast was calling for sunshine both days but a high Saturday in the low 40s. Sunday, on the other hand, wasn’t expected to be much warmer than 36.

All in all, it ended up being a productive yet easy Friday, and for that I was most grateful. I left the office for home around 520pm and called Mindy on my drive. Kids were already gone, spending the weekend with Jimaken. He planned to bring them home around 1pm Sunday afternoon. We, in turn, planned to have Ashley over on Sunday to celebrate her 26th birthday. I asked Mindy if she wanted to go to MRM on Saturday. She didn’t, but said I could. She thought she might get her hair colored.

The house was sparkling clean after Rachel spent the day there cleaning. OM. Mindy walked the dog soon after I arrived home and then turned her attention to prepping herself for an evening at Barley’s. She sent a broadcast text to lots of folks letting them know where we’d be if they cared to join us. I’m thinking it was close to 7pm when we left for Barley’s.

For the third Friday Barley visit in a row, the place was splitting at the seams with people waiting for tables, which is really good for business. Mindy and I found a couple friendlies at the far end of the bar, Steve Wonn for one. Of course Mindy ate up all the attention she received over her braced right leg. She must’ve told the story ten times. I drank a Bitter Dan while Mindy sipped an EPIC stout. My second and last beer was a Founder’s Double Trouble. Mindy wanted to drink a second so I nursed number two before eventually switching to water. I didn’t mind. I was really tired anyways. We ordered food, too, me getting a Cuban, and Mindy ordering a salad topped with chicken.

Caught up with Doug & Jamie later. I had to be somewhere near 830-9pm. Doug and I chatted briefly about the passing of Michael Walton, a former All-American Cablevision co-worker. Michael was one of the first co-workers in my life that openly admitted being gay. He was a lot of fun and also very smart. I believe he was 56 when he passed.. Sadly, hadn’t seen him in 20 years or more (wow!). The world was a better place with Michael around. He’ll be missed.

I was ready to go around 930pm. I picked up the tab. And even though both of us were really tired, we called the neighbors to see if they were open to some company. Hadn’t spent anytime with them in a really long while. Turned out, they were just on their way home from dinner at the Japanese Steak House. Agreed to hook-up shortly.

We were home near 945pm. Judging by home lighting, it didn’t appear that the neighbors were yet home. We hung around the house for a few minutes, me getting sleepier by the minute. The neighbors lights came on just before 10pm so after a couple more minutes we walked down with the pug. I was carrying two White Rajahs in my arms along with a pint glass. Eiknarf was so excited that she jerked the leash lunging forward. The beer I had tucked between my arm and chest dropped and busted on the sidewalk. Mindy picked up the broken glass all the while Eiknarf had a field day licking up the spilt beer. I quickly pulled her away for fear that she might ingest small shards of broken glass. My bad!

It had been a long time since we last hung with the neighbors on a Friday night after Barley’s. I’ll bet dating back to the Xmas season. We had fun listening to Chrissy telling stories of her interactions with Jimaken while we were off on our ski adventure. I’m thinking it was 1050pm when I reached for my fleece. I was fading fast. Mindy claimed the same. We said our farewells then hiked down two lots to our home. We were soundly in bed ten minutes later, Eiknarf included. Good night moon!

Spooning with Family

I woke around 445am and was happy to see that I had another 45 minutes of sleep time ahead. It seemed like I closed my eyes and opened them again, only to realize that it was time to get up. It was 535am in a hurry. I pulled myself from bed, once again feeling more like it was 2am rather than 530am. I brushed my teeth and grabbed my running clothes from the hooks inside the closet door then headed downstairs.

The coffee smelt great, and was only 50 sit-ups from being realized. I couldn’t wait! After sit-ups I happily poured a cup of coffee then headed to my PC. Before any surfing, I checked the status of Jacob’s iTouch we had soaking in a Ziploc baggie full of rice. It went on the fritz while we were gone. Said he took it skiing and when he pulled it out of his pocket it no longer worked. A buddy of his at school showed him how to do the reset but it was still acting funny after that. Can’t play music or access the internet. Back in the bag of rice.

I fooled around online until 610am or so when I broke free to meditate. That went really well. Delivered Mindy's coffee next. We both commiserated over our sleepiness. She asked about the heat. Foreseeing her request, I already had it cranked up.  

Back downstairs for stretching, which felt terrific. By then I was feeling more alive and ready for my run. I dressed happily and headed out the door near 640am. I was donning full winter attire minus earmuffs, but only because I forgot them. I was fine and ran the full 4.1 miles comfortably despite a steady but light rain. It was wet enough that my running clothes were wet through and through. I stayed in them, however, through my walk with Eiknarf, which went pretty quick. As soon as we were home I stripped out of my wet stuff and reverted to PJs. I would've tossed them in the dryer but there was a load already in there. That's rare. Instead, I hung them over a kitchen chair.

Mindy soon left for school advising all of us that this was a normal day, no appointments.

I enjoyed my eggs then headed up for a shower. Bella was already groomed and filled Eiknarf's bowl without being asked, which is something I reminded her to start doing just the day before. Her follow through wasn't lost on me.

I was out of the shower and downstairs throwing together my lunch by 8am. Because it was raining, we opted to wait for the bus from our garage. Kenny and the girls joined us. First time seeing Kenny since before out trip. Been two weeks. We chatted about Mindy's knee and about them having their carpets cleaned later in the day. Both he and Chrissy were scheduled off Thursday. Lucky them!

The bus arrived on time. Kenny and I chatted for a few more minutes before I needed to bolt for work. Destine for downtown and the Arena district, I took 670east. Just after the 670/70 split traffic in three of the four lanes came to an abrupt halt. The far right hand lane still seemed to be moving. Reluctantly, I moved over that way, still not 100% certain where that lead. I knew there had to be a reason it was moving while the others weren't.

That lane dumped off at 33/315 south while most of the traffic obviously needed to go elsewhere. Lucky for me, the 33 exit would work fine though I typically take 670 all the way to Neil Ave. exit. Initially worried that I might be late, that was all for not.  I made it with a few minutes to spare. I had to park on the seventh floor of the parking garage. My peer with the access badge and meeting room location must've spotted me and called my blackberry just as I was descending the stairs sharing the details.  I waited for him at the entrance.

Good thing I met up with him. Our meeting was on like the 6th floor. I would never have thought it. The meeting was but contentious from jump, but most of the stuff wasn't of particular concern to me. My part was last, and like the others, I was raked over the coals certainly more so than anytime past. I took it in stride. The meeting lasted until almost 945am. I hung out for another 15 minutes with the account manager talking about our ski trips. He and another work peep were at Steamboat while I was at Mt Hood. Said they had a ball.

Walked out around 10am and headed to the 7th floor of the adjacent parking garage. Cost me $5 to park. Headed straight into work after contemplating a brief stop at home. I had no purpose so didn't follow thru.

Because of the customer meeting, I didn't make our weekly team meeting. I felt good to have both customer meeting's behind me. However briefly, I could place my focus elsewhere. I had plenty to do too, especially after being out all of last week. I spent the rest of my day balancing a couple escalations as well as some proactive stuff.  I felt really good about all I accomplished, including getting my new time reporting profile established.

Left for home near 530pm. Called Mindy along the way. Among other things, we shared how one another's day's went. She was busy making dinner but didn't want to share what we were having, though she let me guess wrong a few times. I told her as long as it wasn't a pasta with red sauce I'd be OK with anything.

Arrive home near 545pm. After a quick greeting, I saw our dinner broiling away in the oven. It was baked/broiled chicken quarters, chicken rice and green beans. The chicken skin looked especially brown and crispy, just how Bella and I like it. Made me hungry seeing it. While Mindy put the finishing touches on dinner I headed up to see Bella, who I learned was pouting in her room after withstanding the wrath of her mother for playing outside in the mud in her good tennies. I joked that it was my opportunity to play the good cop role. We chatted briefly. She was OK, but worried that she might be in bigger trouble. I didn't think so. It was just an oversight. Geesh!

It wasn't long before Mindy called us for dinner. I was hungry and flew down the steps. Bella was a bit slower but soon followed.

I cut into my chicken seeing blood run onto my plate. I didn't think much of it even after eating a few bites. The kids, however, complained that their chicken was bloody and not fully cooked. They were right. Apparently Mindy didn't bake it long enough before switching to the broil mode. She gathered up all the chicken quarters and put them back in the oven for another 20 minutes or so. I ate my rice and green beans along with a dinner roll to tie me over. Once my appetite is whetted, it's hard not to want the meat!

Second go around, the chicken was indeed done. It looked delicious, but wasn't nearly as meaty as we hoped. It was good, just not very meaty. Taking Bella's Wednesday night request to heart, I suggested this be family night. Jacob offered that we play Apples to Apples or Chicken & the Egg. Neither sounded good to me. I suggested cards, and someone, I think Bella, suggested spoons. That sounded fun. Haven't played that since the power outage last fall.

Before any of that, I needed to do clean-up. That took about 20 minutes, or until about 645pm.

After the kitchen was back in order we gathered around the table for a game of spoons. We must've played 9 or 10 rounds, long enough for Bella to amass all the letters (not good) and Jacob a few of his own. It was fun, and more importantly it was good family time.

Mindy and the kids were anxious to watch Idol. Me, not so much. While they tuned into Idol, I played around online but only for 30 minutes or so. I eventually caved and joined them after pouring Mindy & I one of the White Rajah's. We split it. This was group performance night on Idol, and they were paring it down to 40 contestants overall. The talent seems to be amazingly better each and every year. Once one starts watching it's hard to walk away.

Mindy asked me to DVR the rest of the show around 840pm advising that it would go until 10pm. I did as she asked, but we ended up watching in its entirety anyways. The whole family headed to bed just after 10pm.

Mindy Sees the Knee Doctor While Bella Sees Dr Seuss

Woke feeling sleepy again, and that was after almost 9 hours of sleep. It lasted beyond sit-ups, push-ups, & coffee. No doubt suffering from a bout of jet lag. It wasn’t until after mediation and a stretch that I began to come to life and feel alive again. The good news is that it’s getting better with each passing day.

I set out on my run later than I wanted to but still before 645am. It was 33 degrees under mostly cloudy skies.  I ran the full 4.1 miles. I felt good and noticed my legs feeling about as fresh as they have since before we left on our ski vacation.

I was back at home after 35 minutes or so and ready to walk the pug. Started Mindy’s Pilot too. There was enough ice and snow on the walk and drive in places that I felt the need to shovel it away, especially given Mindy’s knee situation. I was able to get most of it up but actually, it left it even slicker than it was prior in a few places. I insisted that Mindy exit via the garage for better footing.

Mindy left for work soon after I finished shoveling. She wouldn’t be teaching. Instead, she would be attending East Franklin to observe another teacher’s lesson structure. They do that a couple times each year. She also had her MRI follow-up visit with the orthopedic doctor scheduled for 330pm or so, and she planned on going to lunch with her mom and nephew Joe. Definitely, a busy day.

The kids and I carried on as usual, with me woofing down my eggs then heading up for a shower. We were all ready to go near 8am and headed to the bus stop at ten after the hour. Met Chrissy and the girls at the bus stop. Jacob asked Chrissy what Kenny got her for Valentine’s Day. Flowers and a Pandora charm.  Soon the bus was there and the kids off to school.

I’d be heading to my customer’s New Albany campus. I fooled around at home until 830am. I opted to take 670east which worked out pretty well again. No traffic snarls whatsoever. In kind, I made excellent time, arriving in their lot around 850am.

The managers had a team meeting that conflicted with our regular Wednesday AM call so we moved it out by 30 minutes. That just gave me more time to take care of other stuff. Not a big deal. The call went well and lead right into our monthly service review meeting. We had just a couple folks join remotely via conference bridge. That was over sometime just before noon making for a fairly easy morning.

I opted not to take a formal lunch break but ate my packed food while working at my desk. The afternoon went fairly smoothly too. And for that I was grateful. I spent a little time preparing for another customer service-review meeting scheduled for Thursday AM downtown. I always do better when I know the material and anticipate any questions ahead of time. Mindy called around lunch time and then after her follow-up orthopedic visit. Lunch with Gloria and Joe went fine but quickly. The orthopedic specialist confirmed what he originally diagnosed – torn MCL, but also a very slightly torn ACL along with micro fractures. Said it sounds worse than it is and should heel nicely in about 8 weeks. Change her to a black hinged knee brace that she’s expected to wear for the entire 8 week span.

We talked about a possible spring break ski trip the night before. She asked for his opinion about that given that will be about the 8 week mark. He said no way, but that she should be good as new by next ski season. That’s what I expected. I guess I’ll have to suck it up and go alone. J

We had a beef roast in the crock-pot and my dad getting the kids off the bus. We expected him to stay for dinner but didn’t have confirmation of that. I left New Albany for home near 510pm on what turned out being a fairly mild winter afternoon. It was in the upper 40’s and under partly sunny skies. I dared to take 270s to 670w until I noticed that all southbound 270 traffic at a standstill just before turning onto the entrance ramp. I quickly changed my plans and turned around near Easton and took 270n and west.

I called Mindy once I was safely on the freeway sharing my 25 minute ETA. Said my dad was there and staying for dinner. The drive home went smoothly, no traffic snarls, not even in Hilliard where the normal slow downs typically occur. Arrived home by 545pm which was really good.

Greeted dad and Mindy as well as the kids. Everybody seemed in good spirits. Dinner wasn’t quite  ready to be served. I used the five minutes before dinner to finally unpack our skis and ski boots and store the associated luggage in the basement. Felt good to get that done. Getting closer to normalcy.

Mindy let us know that she bought a different cut of roast – rump versus English, which is her mother’s preference. She says it’s more tender and less stringy. She was right. It was tender and less stringy. Wisdom! Dinner was delicious – roast beef, salad, and mashed potatoes. Everyone enjoyed it. Dad asked about our ski trip despite Mindy’s accident. I quickly asked, “accident? That didn’t happen by accident. I pushed her down”. That drew a laugh. J Dad shared his most recent gambling boat visit with friend Pete. Neither won a thing.

Like usual, I managed clean-up while Bella readied for gymnastics. I had already agreed to do both the drop and pick-up so Mindy could relax. Dad headed down the basement to see Jacob’s catapult. The two of them hung out down there for a good 20 minutes, maybe longer.

Left to drop Bella at gymnastics near 650pm. Mindy handed me a check to cover her February classes. I needed to drop it off to the office. I talked to the office manager/owner. Can’t recall her first name. She let me know about the next competition, which is down near Gallipolis again. Not sure if we’ll be doing that or not. Need to pow-wow with Mindy. Headed home.

As soon as I got home I changed into comfy attire and then unpacked my suitcase still resting on our bedroom floor. Almost everything in it was ski gear of some type. I hung up the jackets and gathered the soiled under garments for laundering. While going in and out of the closet I confirmed that Mindy wasn’t going to be doing the same as she was contending with putting away clean laundry. Said not. That’s good, because I absolutely hate competing for the limited space.

But even though we discussed it, soon she was right on top of me in the closet. And when I asked about it she snapped. Yikes! I quickly finished what I had to do, which again felt really good to finally put vacation behind me. It was already approaching 8pm. My how time flies. I spent the time ahead of fetching Bella playing around online. I left to get her at 820pm.

Only three girls at practice that night, Bella and two others. Small crowd. Bella asked if we could stop at Wendy’s on the way home. I explained that we didn’t get so rich by making such fly by the seat of the pants decisions. J Not really. I just said no. We just ate dinner 2 hours prior. She pouted the rest of the way home, whining about having to spend the weekend with her daddy after we’d been gone all of the last week. Said we never have family time and that she never gets to ski with us. Says she’s always on the mountain looking for us. Right! This coming from the girl that says, by mom, going off to ski with Makayla. I could understand the weekend thing, but the reason is that both Mindy & Jim want to get back on the regular schedule. I joked that the next time we head to MRM I’m going to insist that she skis with us the entire day. 

She pouted all way in the door and quickly headed to her room. After briefly explaining to Mindy what was eating Gilbert Grape, I headed up to cheer her up. Figured we’d spend some daddy/daughter time. We laid there in her bed reading a couple Dr Seuss books, Hop on Pop, and One Foot, Two Foot. By the end of the 2^nd book she was in a far better place. Mindy hobbled up the stairs to join us, too.

Saw the very end of Idol that Mindy & Jacob had been watching but then readied for bed. I was excited about the possibility of an early bedtime. It’s not that I was feeling so tired, rather, just trying to put an end to the morning jet lag. In bed well before 10pm.

White Rajah, the Creeper & My Valentine

I woke a few times through the night please with how refreshing the sleep felt. But come 530am I was ready to get up. I was overcome with the desire for more sleep. I ended up sleeping until 540am instead. As a consequence, I felt a little behind the 8 ball immediately out of bed.

At least I had coffee staged the night before, so it was ready and waiting. I completed sit-ups then went for coffee. It was nice to have my full-on fru-fru coffee again, complete with whipped cream, caramel topping and cinnamon. I let the time get a way from me while at the PC. Didn’t head in for meditation until 610am or slightly after. My motivation (mojo) was nearly nonexistent.

I had to get cracking if there was any hope of getting back on track time-wise. I didn’t need to delver Mindy’s coffee until just before I left for my run. She had an MRI scheduled that morning and didn’t need to leave the house until 8am. It was 640am by the time that I was dressed for my run and heading upstairs with her coffee.

I was out the door for my run near 645am. It was 32 degrees and snowing, which was about 8-10 degrees warmer than the morning before. I wore full winter attire that was fresh out of the wash.  I was comfortable for the duration of the 4.1 mile run. By the time I was back, there had to be about a ½” of fresh snow on the ground.

Mindy had my eggs waiting when I got back, but I needed to walk Eiknarf first. Took care of that lickity-split. It was after 730am by the time we were back at the house. I needed to be quick with my breakfast. It was Valentines Day. Mindy opened her card and had one waiting for me on the island. Said she ordered me a gift but didn’t have it yet. I may have failed to mention the ID bracelet she got me for my 15 year running anniversary. It’s a rubber bracelet with my name, address and emergency contacts on it. “Just in case I collapse while running”, they’ll know who I am. J

I headed off to the shower and said goodbye to Mindy. She’d be gone by the time I emerged scrubbed and ready to go. I was downstairs just after 8am. Mindy was gone. I reminded Bella what she needed to do with the few minutes we had remaining before bus time. She hadn’t yet brushed her teeth. Oh boy! Both kids had giant chocolate bars on the breakfast table, VD gifts from Mindy & I.

The kids and I headed out near 810am where we met Chrissy and girls. Chrissy was curious about Mindy’s appointment. Shared that she was heading in for an MRI that morning, but the orthopedic specialist believes what we suspected all along, torn MCL.

The bus arrived on time. Soon the kids were off to school and me off to work.

It was 822am when I headed to the Accord and off to work. Arrived at the office near 840am. A bad case of the sleepies struck as I was driving in. I was so damn sleepy could’ve pulled over and slept along the rode. My boss greeted me just inside the 6^th floor door. Said he was sorry to learn about Mindy’s injury.  I didn’t bother asking how he knew but wondered. I only shared that she was a real trooper about it and having an MRI that morning. He & I had an 11am meeting to discuss my 2011 performance review, bonus, and merit raise. Wahoo!

I spent the early morning working on my monthly reports that I’d be presenting on both Wednesday & Thursday. Felt a tad under the gun, but made significant progress even before my 11am with my boss. I was getting acclimated to my work routine again too. 

11am meeting with my boss went smooth and quick. No rough edges. Also talked about a new customer I’m getting too. Says it’s only temporary, which is good. My plates pretty full as it is. Back to work. I spent the rest of my day working on monthly reports and getting them into power point presentations.

Talked with Mindy mid day on her way to school. MRI went well. Wouldn’t know the results until the orthopedic specialist evaluated the MRI on Wednesday. Never gave it much though but that made total sense. Was thinking she’d know leaving the place. Mindy and I spoke again mid/late afternoon. Confirmed out intentions of having a VD dinner at CBC. Jimaken was taking the kids for dinner as he does on most Tuesday’s.

I left work for home around 520pm. I’m pretty sure I called Mindy again. We didn’t talk long, however. At home, the kids were already gone. Resting on the island was a big box that I was familiar with. It was a case of White Rajah – my VD gift from Mindy. J Said she ordered it before we left for the Oregon trip. Nice!

We readied for our date and left the house near 6pm arriving at CBC about ten minutes later. We expected the place to packed to the walls. There was a decent crowd, but by no means was it packed to the walls. There were two stool available one on each side of two guys. They kindly moved down to give us two stools side by side. Kate was working the bar along with Vince. Without asking, Kate brought me a sample of their new IIIPA – Creeper. Wow, was it good! No, wait. Delicious! Twelve Hops of XMAS good!

Mindy tried their stout but opted for the Creeper, too. Perhaps I’ve created a monster. Though a triple, very flavorful without being overly powerful. Perfect! We took up conversation with the two guys next to us, both in town for a convention (can’t recall for what). One in particular was a brewpub head. Said he’s been to 330 or more. And once he learned we were recently in Portland was quick to ask if we visited this on or that one. The first he mentioned was the Bridgeport, which immediately piqued Mindy’s interests.

Time to order food. We asked about the special and it sounded scrumptious, filet, jalapeño mashed spuds, and a lobster claw. As we often do, we ordered it to share. We both ordered side salads, too. While awaiting our meal, I ordered a 2^nd Creeper. Again, superb. The meal arrived on two plates. They really treat us well at CBC. We love those folks! The food was fabulous. Mindy gushed about her half the steak.

We had to rush out since we needed to be home before 8pm. I settled the check though Mindy got the tip with cash. We tipped Kate handsomely then headed for home.

Arrived home ahead of Jimaken but not by much. He and the kids pulled up even before we were out of the Pilot. First thing Jacob asked for was our leftovers. Sorry, we had none. Still dealing with jet lag and then drinking two beers, I was really tired. I was out on the sofa in less than 30 minutes. I woke near 10pm and everyone was off to bed. I took 3 Advil then stumbled upstairs myself. Good night Creeper!

Jet Lag

Sleep I did, but none too soundly at all. 530am came around much too quickly. My head was in a fog and I felt like jumping right back into bed. Wisely, I fought of the tempting urge, brushed my teeth, then headed downstairs with the running clothes I wore the Saturday before we left town.

Downstairs, I glanced out back at the clear sky then prepped a pot of coffee. Was happy to find the pot clean and the filter emptied. Jimaken must have done that. Thanks Jim! Next up, sit-ups and push-ups. Completed both in about five minutes time. Felt good to get back on the horse. Still tired, I did a meditation then headed up to wake Mindy and deliver her coffee. She asked how I felt. SLEEPY!

Just uttering the word ‘sleepy’ was enough of a message to my brain to get more sleep. Instead of moving on to stretching and a run, I stretched out on the sofa sleeping for another 40 minutes or so. I woke still tired but knew I needed to get moving. Now after 7am I had a decision to make, should I head out for a run and then not be there for the kids after Mindy left, or simply wait and run once they were on the bus. Given our long absence, I opted to delay my run. Now with idle time on my hands, I stretched out again for more sleep. Sleep I did not, but I did close my eyes and rest.

I got up to see Mindy off then stayed up playing around on the PC until bus time. Bella was way out of synch once again, not taking care of the ‘big rocks’ before play. I had to remind her to brush her teeth then find her shoes then get out the door. Oh boy! At the bus stop in running attire, Chrissy asked if I was staying home. Nope, running as soon as the kids were on the bus.

Bus arrived on time. Soon the kids were aboard and gone. What a rush! Went from the PNW the morning prior to standing at the bus stop less than 24 hours later. I was physically present but mentally gone. I need more time to readjust. I could’ve used a day to unwind – reacclimatize.

I wasted little time before heading off on my run. I wasn’t real excited about the prospect of being late to work but it wouldn’t impact anything. I still would have to get done what needed done, which was quite a bit. For the time being, my focus was completing a run. I’m guessing it 830am when I headed out.

The run felt good and the first such run on home soil and mostly level ground in nine days. For the sake of time only, I cut my run to just 3 miles getting me back home ahead of 9am. Unfortunately, I didn’t bother with breakfast even though I was hungry.  Instead, I rushed off to the shower where I was all but ready to head out by 930am. I threw together a lunch of cheese and tuna then made a slice of peanut butter toast just before heading out.

I was so sleepy. I felt like I could sleep another 8 hours. The drive was difficult for being so sleepy, but I survived. Soon I was at the office. It was just ahead of 10am. After getting some water and stowing my food I shut my office door and got down to business.

I had a plethora of email to get through then I needed to get cracking on monthly reports for which I did most of the preliminary work before leaving for vacation (Thank Goodness). A couple peeps stopped in to ask about my trip to which I briefly shared. As tired and out of synch as I was, I pushed myself to get through the day.

As usual, the more I dug in the better I felt. And by mid-afternoon I began to come to life again. Mindy called soon after her orthopedic appointment to share the results. As expected, he believes she tore her MCL but ordered an MRI for Tuesday then a follow-up appointment for Wednesday. Said she WILL be skiing again. I know that made her happy. Me too!

I worked straight through my day eating a light lunch at my desk. With Tuesday being Valentines Day, I made a quick stop in Kroger to get Mindy a card and some roses. Typical VD crowd – men in the floral department looking lost and confused. I know the drill well and went right for the good roses checking the stem for strength, color, and girth. I know good roses! I found a fitting pug VD card too.

I called Mindy on my drive home to let her know I was on my way. She needed to go abruptly after spilling something. Arrived home just as Jacob was biking up the drive. I entered the house through the garage with him, though several seconds behind him. I presented Mindy her roses and card. She opted to hold off on opening the card until Tuesday (VD). She was busy frying chicken strips for burritos/tacos. Smelt good. I was really hungry and tired.  I prepped Tuesday’s coffee then snacked on nuts until dinner was ready.

Mindy served the kids and herself. I mad my own chicken burrito with Spanish rice and cheese. It was really good, though the chicken a tad tough. Had we planned, we could’ve prepared it in the crock pot for more tenderness – like me. J Mindy planned to grocery shop after dropping Bella at gymnastics. As soon as she finished her dinner she got crackin on the grocery list. At the same time, I managed dinner clean-up. Jacob asked if he could go along. That meant I’d be home alone for a spell. Wahoo! I planned to nap.

Mindy, Jacob and Bella left around 650pm. Mindy said she’d call if she needed me to fetch Bella, which hinged on whether or not they were out of the grocery by then. I hoped so, as I was ready to change into my jammies.

Before any napping, I felt the need to address our disheveled downstairs. I ended up spending a good hour getting it in order, including mopping the floor, redoing the sofa and chair covers. I put my running clothes in the washer, too. t was 810pm when I finished and went for the sofa to rest. Ahhhh! That lasted all of about five minutes. Just as I was starting to dose, Mindy called. I was worried that she was going to ask me to pick-up Bella. She didn’t. Said she was heading there after just leaving the grocery. Perfect. She only asked that I be ready to help carry in the grocery haul. Yes dear. That was the least I could do for my lame wife. J

I’ll be I napped for a good 20 minutes before the family got home. And boy did it ever feel good. While brief, perhaps the best I’d had since Saturday night in Oregon.

The noise level rocketed up as everyone entered. I, of course, sprang to my feet to assist. We carried everything in. I asked Jacob if he would help his mother unload and stow. He said yes. I thanked him and took up refuge on the sofa. I was still suffering from a lack of sleep and perhaps some jet lag. Inside, I was struggling because I still hadn’t unpacked my suitcase or skis. That’s so unlike me. Like to have that done as soon as I get home, typically.

It was shortly after 9pm when Mindy had the groceries stowed and the kids ready for bed. We all headed to be at the same time. In fact, I beat Mindy under the covers. I was much looking forward to a solid 8. Good night vacation blues.

Wake in Portland, Blink an Eye, Touchdown in Columbus

As planned, I woke at 630am. I quickly gathered my running stuff then headed out to start some coffee then dress for my run. It was still dark so I planned to wait until daybreak before setting out. I feel much safer running in the daylight.

There wasn’t enough of the Mt Hood gourmet roast to make a full pot so I had to grind some of the beans Glenn bought from Collins Lake. I enjoyed a cup of coffee while waiting on the sunrise. The coffee was delicious. Yum-yum!

Delivered some coffee to Mindy then headed out for a run near 7am. I ran to the river walk trail again and under partly sunny skies and the temperature near 40 degrees. It was really quite nice, and a far cry from many final day Vancouver runs where I’ve had to contend with pouring rain.

I was out about 34 minutes. Darwin was up shortly after my return as was Mindy, who was already in the shower. I asked that she leave it run so I could jump in to help save some time. I was out of the shower and dressed to leave by 8am. That left 45 minutes for any last minute packing, loading the car, and then goodbyes. That was more than enough time. Not wanting to pack sweaty running clothes, I tossed them into Glenn’s dryer for ten minutes.

Darwin was the last to shower apparently not remembering us saying we wanted to depart at 845am. Not a big deal. He was ready to go by 905am. By then we had the minivan loaded with our luggage and were ready to depart. Glenn asked for one more group photo before we said our farewells. That went quickly. We said out goodbyes, which I hate, then headed to the airport after confirming the best entrance ramp option. As he often does, Glenn snapped photos as we pulled away. Won’t see him again until most likely late June early July.

I’ve left Glenn’s place in a rental at least three times and have never had trouble finding my way to 14 east then 205 south. This time, however, I had all sorts of problems. Ended up going to far on the ramp and had to make a u-turn (didn’t see a sign prohibiting it), and then ended up on 5south crossing over the river. Dammit! Still not sure how that happened. Darwin had his GPS fired up and said we could pick-up 30 east on the Portland side so we took that all the way to the 205 north ramp.  That’s a first. As we exited 205 we almost went  the wrong way again but caught the mistake with just enough time to switch lanes albeit dangerously. Arrived at rental return by 925am (flight departed at 1120am). The return went smoothly. Had to wait about 10 minutes for a 2^nd shuttle. No biggie.

Had us to the airport by 940am. Southwest line was short. Got right to the counter. The friendly clerk helped check our bags. Shared something we hadn’t before realized. You can check an extra boot bag free if one of your checked bags is skis. Totally cool!  I love Southwest.

And because Mindy had a lame knee, we were ushered to a free line at the security check point where there was a fairly large crowd waiting. Cool! Mindy was poked and prodded.  I, on the other hand, was passed without incident. We shopped for a souvenir t-shirt for Jacob while waiting on Tommy and Darwin. That had to be at least 10 minutes. Having eaten nothing, we were all hungry. We opted for the Wendy’s near our gate – C15. Arrived their near 1020am. Service was slow but the food probably the freshest I’ve had from Wendy’s in years. I had a double combo. Yummy!

Given Mindy’s bum knee, we were given priority boarding passes and told that the flight was full. Again, totally cool. Tommy & Darwin had to wait. We still ended up taking seats behind the wing where we’d have an unobstructed view from the right side of the plane traveling east. That way I would be able to see and photo Mt Hood.

The flight was indeed full. We were fortunate in that Mindy was able to save the one seat left in our row for Darwin. She sat in the middle eventually removing her brace for added comfort. The sky was mostly clear above about 4000 feet. That meant I could see the top half of Hood. And because I was in a window seat, I kept an eye on the terrain for much of the 3.5 hour flight. The geography of Oregon, Idaho, Montana, & Wyoming is fascinating to view from 40K feet. I took a few pics.

The flight was a fast one for me, but not so for Mindy. She said it seemed excruciatingly long. Landed in Chicago right at 5pm CT. The sun was already descending which made for a really short day. Our flight wasn’t scheduled to leave Chicago until 755pm. We’d have almost 3 hours to kill. We deplaned on concourse C and our flight out was on A. It was about a five minute walk, but after sitting for 3.5 hours, I was looking forward to it. Understandably, Mindy was not. She was a little slow and used the conveyer whenever possible. Once we found our gate and confirmed our flight, we went for food.

I suggested the food court we passed about halfway back, but Mindy curtly objected. Instead, she stubbornly took refuge in a nearby bar. But after resting there for just a couple minutes she agreed to follow me to the food court. So did the others. Mindy opted for Greek. We both ordered gyros, with me getting the combo that included drink and fries. Mindy opted for the fruit instead of fries. Surprisingly good, especially for airport food.

The time went fast. Soon it was 7pm. We made our way back to gate A9 where the NYC flight was still boarding. They left shortly after 7pm. We had at least an hour wait ahead and at the time, no plane. We spent the time playing on our smart phones. Mindy and I headed up to the SW counter to see about getting another preboarding pass.  No questions asked. Sweet.

Our plane pulled up around 745pm from Houston, I believe. It was another 10 minutes or so before boarding. Over the intercom they shared that there were only 31 passengers taking our flight. Sounded like there would be tons of room. Mindy and I boarded early with her pass. We sat in row #2 left side of the plane, me in the window seat, she in the aisle. During general boarding, the passengers just kept filing in, and still no sign of Tommy or Darwin. There were some of the last to board, and by my estimation the flight was nearly full. It was more like 131 passengers. Mindy ended up sliding over to the middle seat next to me and allowing a woman to have the aisle seat. There was so much carry-on luggage that they had to take four or five pieces and have them placed with checked bags.

We were leaving late, not until 820pm or later. Pilot promised to make up time in the air. It was an incredibly quick flight from Chicago to CMH. I gazed out the window the entire time. Because it was clear, I could see the sites below easily. I could see Chicago fade into South Bend, Detroit, Toledo and Cleveland all at the same time. Couldn’t have been in the air more than 40 minutes. Just like that we were landing in CMH.

Took a few minutes for our bags to show up in claim but they were all accounted for. Out in the cold to catch the Blue Lot shuttle. It was colder than it’s been for a while. Had to be near 20 degrees. Said farewell to Tommy. He was expecting Kelsie to be there for the pick-up. At the Blue parking shuttle line, there were too many folks to board the first bus. We waited for shuttle #2. That one filled fast as well. Had luggage in the aisle even.

Mindy had our parking ticket – B14 - still from boarding upon departure, though when asked, she told the driver C14. There was no ‘C’. We tipped the driver well as he dropped us in the very spot he picked us up 8 days prior. I started the Honda then loaded our luggage. Scrapped the ice from the windshield too. Parking was $63. Not bad.

Felt good to be on the ground and on the road for home. It was already approaching 11pm. All three of us were tired. We took

the Hague Ave

exit and dropped Darwin at his place first. He must not have had a key. Had to knock and wait. We waited until we saw the door open before heading to our place.

Backed in the drive and entered through the garage. Told Mindy to head in. I’d carry in the luggage tossing the ski and ski boot bags to the garage floor. Jimaken was sitting on the sofa watching the grammy’s. Quickly carried everything inside then headed immediately to greet the kids, who were already tucked into bed. I even beat Mindy to the punch.

Bella was excited and rose to give me a huge hug. Told me that she missed me. Jacob only grunted. I promised Bella Mindy was on her way up. Jimaken left within minutes of our return. I thanked him for taking care of things. Seemed to work out pretty well for all.

I lugged our main suitcases up to the room then changed into PJs. It was 1130pm in a hurry. Before heading to bed I downloaded photos from my camera to my PC then put my Droid and Blackberry on charge. We were both in bed just before midnight. I was exhausted. Laid in bed but couldn’t sleep. NO! Mindy even rubbed my head, which works 9 times out of 10, but not this time. Now 1230am, I got up from bed and headed downstairs to my PC hoping that after reading a few stories or viewing vacation pics, I might get super sleepy. I hung downstairs until 1am but still wasn’t sleepy tired. I headed up to bed again anyways. Good night moon!