All the Trimmings

I slept later than I had all week , not waking until close to 8am. I started some coffee then did sit-ups and curls. Enjoyed coffee in front of the PC for about an hour before my run. Ran three miles, just as I had all week. It was fairly comfortable, only 71 degrees with relatively low humidity (about 60%).

Mindy had a doctor's appointment set for 1010am. She was up and preparing to depart when I got back from my run. She asked why I didn't wake her. Not long after she headed off to her doctor's appointment I headed out to get started on replacing the master bath window trim. As it was, I thought I'd only be replacing the one vertical board. Because it's a bit higher I knew I'd need the fiberglass extension ladder. The older I get, the heavier that damn thing gets. :) I filled my Home Depot bucket with the tools I'd need to remove the old trim, including the oscillating tool with narrow wood cutting blade, then hoisted them up with a rope.

The oscillating tool made quick work of cutting around the nails. It took no more than 15 minutes to remove the board. Soon I was greeted by Bella, who asked where her momma was. I reminded her of the doctor's appointment. She headed back inside. Once I had the vertical piece removed, I noticed that the board below the window had a little bit of rot on it too. And since I was there and had enough new board to replace it, I cut it away too. The other two boards were still in decent shape.

I measured twice to ensure I'd be cutting only once. I cut the vertical board to length first and planned to try it out before giving it a coat of paint. It was just a butt hair too long, but also seemed to catch on the side in a couple places too. That could mean only one of two things, either the window wasn't installed perfectly square or the old board wasn't square. Sure enough, after shaving off an extra butt hair of length, I couldn't get it to seat easily in the recess against the window frame on one side and the stucco on the other. Crap. I'd have to rip a smidge off, which is no easy task with a circular saw. Mindy was home from the doctor and at the foot of my ladder at probably the most inopportune time. I wasn't in the best frame of mind after struggling to get the board to fit in the opening. On top of that, I was sweating like a pig (do pigs sweat?)

She offered help to which I quickly declined. I went even further to share that I didn't want an audience watching me toil. A few minutes later I came to terms with the need to rip about 1/16" off the board. I went for my rip fence then went inside to request Jacob's assistance. He willingly came to help hold the board steady. I calmly shared the goal and even went as far as to show him what it would sound /feel like so he wouldn't get too nervous. He did good holding the board steady as I ripped away the fine edge.

As expected, the board was now a tad loose in some spots while snug in others, but I was able to get it to fit into the recess and planned to caulk the edge against the window frame anyway. Cutting the bottom board was a bit easier. I took both pieces to the garage where I hit them with a coat of primer then let them sit for an hour. While the primer dried, I used the time to refill my grease gun with marine grade lube then filled the barring buddies on the boat trailer. Both sides were low and needing greased. That went a little easier than I expected. I headed in and made a little snack, a leftover hamburger. It was delicious!

Once the primer was dry I put a coat of paint on the trim boards. Still not wanting to waste any time, I decided to replace to the two stair treads on the deck that were splitting. The one on the high traffic middle step had been replaced twice before due to and excessive overhang (about 1.5 inches). This time i planned to tack up a narrow support board underneath. I had a 10' x 5/4" decking board stashed under the deck leftover from last summer's decking work when I decked over the hot tub recess. Mindy left to fill a prescription while I toiled on the deck. While removing the old, splitting boards, I was careful to preserve the angles of the old boards so I wouldn't have to recreate the pattern. One of the four cuts I made was a smidge long. I needed to re-cut the angle. Doing it freehand with a circular saw isn't so easy, especially when you're dealing with as little as an 1/8". I managed the cut but it as clean as the first, but I made do. I used the new 20volt driver and drill I was gifted for Father's Day to fastened the boards. They worked exceptionally well.

Back to the trim boards. The paint now dry, I headed again to the ladder to nail up the new trim boards. That went fairly well. I caulked all the gaps then let it set for a while before going over the caulk and boards with another coat of paint. Pretty much finished the job start to finish in just one day. So, to some up my completed chores, I finished the window trim. lubed the boat trailer tires, and replaced the worn deck step boards. Not bad!

A shower felt terrific. Our evening plans were to attend the baseball/t-ball games for the g-kids at St Mary Magdalene. We weren't entirely sure what time Rocky's game started but knew that Olivia and Landon's game began at 7pm. I think we got there close to 630pm, or early enough to see most of Rocky's game. We ran into Mrs Dent, who was there with all three of her boys as well as her husband, Bucky. She and Mindy talked for a while.

Lindsey left for a meeting leaving the kids temporarily under our watchful eyes. While watching the tail end of Rocky's game, Bella asked to site on my lap. When I pulled her back against my body it snapped my Oakley sun glasses right in half. I had them hanging from the middle of my t-shirt. Damn!

Ashley, Stephen and Olivia didn't show until just before their game started. They showed up with Stephens' father and step mom. I can't recall her name. It was our first such meeting. They also had one of Stephen's sister's kids with them. Olivia and Landon were too cute in their t-ball game. Landon was often distracted and off playing in the dirt, while Olivia was busy being the social butterfly. I snapped up a handful of photos.

As promised, Lindsey was back from her meeting before the t-ball game was over. It lasted no more than 3 innings or about 30 minutes. While the kids were waiting in line for their free snow cones, Rocky asked if he could spend the night. Why not? We offered Landon the opportunity too but he, at least initially, declined. But by the time that he and Lindsey were about to pull away he changed his mind. However, because we drove the Accord, Lindsey agreed to bring him by after stopping home for their PJs.

Meanwhile, Ashley, Stephen, Olivia and family were all headed to Minelli's. We were invited too. We opted to head home having eaten dinner before we came. Once Olivia caught word that the boys were staying, she pitched one. Ashley didn't relent. Stephen's dad drove for 5 hours to come see her.

As soon as we were back at home the kids all ran off to play. As hot as it was during the heat of the day, a comparatively cool breeze kicked in from the east making sitting on the deck more than enjoyable. It felt so cool that Mindy and I both opted for some long legged pants, something I hadn't worn outside of work since early June.
In fact, Mindy even donned a jacket. I checked the temperature. It was still 71 degrees.

We got a little lax and let Eiknarf out to play with the neighbors dogs at dusk. Eiknarf and Shamrock ran out back to eat goose shit. Darkness set in fast, and before we knew it the dogs were nowhere to be seen/found. We went on a hunt. While Mindy went towards the O'Connell's and Gardner's she happened upon Bella. Once Bella learned that Eiknarf was missing she started crying relentlessly. It was bothersome. I asked that if she wasn't going to help look then perhaps she should go inside. She headed inside. :) Based on past experience, those two dogs run off either in the woods behind the house. I headed back there in complete darkness but with my mini LED flashlight. Back behind Kenny's shed I called to them both then quieted down to listen for any movement in the brush. Sure enough, I heard something. And within a few seconds one of the dogs appeared. As hoped, it was Eiknarf. I carried her back towards the house. I could still hear Mindy calling for her out front. I put her inside then headed around to tell her.

Kenny saw me out looking and was now out looking for Shamrock. He found her back in the same woods, but down closer to her own home. Crisis averted. Needless to say, Bella was elated to learn that Eiknarf was safe and sound at home. Now after 930pm, we made the kids come in for the night. Jacob attempted to inflate the air mattress in his room for the two boys to sleep on but once again couldn't figure it out. I had to do it. He's definitely not the most mechanically inclined kid to come down the pike. :)

I enjoyed two beers through the evening but no more. I stayed up watching TV after Mindy headed to bed, but not for too long.

All the Grand Babies in the Water

I slept a little bit later than earlier in the week, but only by 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, it was yet another hot, sunny start to a vacation day. I whipped out 50 sit-ups then 50 push-ups then settled down in front of my PC for 30 minutes or so enjoying coffee and the internet. I headed off on a run sometime around 845am. I ran shirtless, just as I had done the entire week before.

Mindy was up when I got back from my run. We briefly discussed our boating day. Mindy reminded me that she wanted to be back by 6-630pm so she could run to the Jerry Spears to pay her respects to an old family friend.
I tried contacting Ashley all morning long but to no avail. I left a VM at some point. Like the day before, Mindy ran to Wal-Mart to get more boat snacks. While she was away, Rachel showed up to clean the house. It was a bit awkward us being home while Rachel attempted to clean. I promised we'd be leaving soon but it ended up being more than an hour later.

We finally heard from Ashley somewhere near 11am. Said she and Olivia slept in and wouldn't be joining us. I encouraged her to reconsider and shared that we would wait for them to get ready. We also asked if she knew where the boys might be. They were at base, or Magdalene preschool.
We offered that we would contact Lindsey to see if they could go boating too if she would be willing to pick them up. Mindy called Darwin to see if Lane wanted to join us again too. But Darwin nixed that idea, stating that Lane hadn't finished a summer homework assignment he was expected to already have completed. Yikes!

It was near 1145am by the time Ashley and the kids arrived. Mindy had swim suits ready for the boys to change into. All three, Olivia, Landon, and Rocky were stoked about boating/tubing. Ashley was excited too. We stopped at Thornton's to gas up the boat. It took 14 gallons. We headed up and around 270 then route 23 with ease arriving at the Alum Creek Marina around 1230pm. There were a few more trailers parked at the marina but no other boats putting in at the time. We took our time making sure we were water ready. We put the boat in with little trouble.

Had to review the rules of the boat more than once with the wee ones. They were wanting to move all about the boat while we were moving. We didn't wait long to get the tubing underway. We started directly across from the beach in the SE corner of the lake heading north. Jacob and Bella went initially Rocky chickened out. Eventually Olivia opted to give it a go, one upping all the other g-kids. She made me promise to go slow and I did. But not long into the ride she asked for more speed. Soon she was digging it. Ashley did some tubing before lunch, too.

I'm guessing it was near 2pm when we made our way to the swim cove. We anchored near the same spot as the day before. And not long after dropping both anchors the kids were leaping into the water to swim. Rocky and Landon were both reluctant to jump in. While Rocky toiled with his fear from the edge of the swim platform, Jacob unwisely shoved him into the lake. Mindy lit into him and made him sit in timeout while the rest of us swam. Everybody got in for a swim, even Landon, but he never strayed too far from the boat's ladder. Unless I am mistaken, this was his first time on the boat, so his apprehensions were somewhat founded. We ate, played and swam for about two hours in the swim cove. Rocky, Jacob, and Bella asked to tube out of the swim cove. Rocky got his first ride on the tube going extra slow. Only with a thumbs up did we go faster once out of the cove. He seemed to enjoy it and rode for a quite a while up and down the north end of the lake.

It looked to be clouding up to our south but clear blue over top and to our north. Thought it might storm, but never did. It cleared almost as soon as it started. Over the next hour or so, Ashley and the kids, minus Landon, all tubed again. Can't recall if Mindy tubed or not. We headed back for the dock near 500pm after a fast loop around the south end of the lake. It was another fun-filled afternoon on the water. The kids shared how much fun they had. Because the dock was empty, there wasn't a need to drop me off then have Mindy take the boat out. Instead, Jacob held the boat in check while I went for the Pilot and trailer. Happily, the trailering went without incident. We spent about 30 minutes wiping down the boat and then stowing all of our gear for home. I'm thinking it was 530pm when we hit the road for home. I had to stomp the brakes a couple times to get the boat all the way up into the "V" saddle.
The kids harassed each other the entire drive home. Mindy wasn't at all pleased. Got home shortly after 6pm. Ashley and the g-kids stuck around for just a few minutes before heading for home. Ashley planned to drop off the bots on her way home. She reminded us that all the kids had baseball games on Friday evening. We made tentative plans to go watch them. Mindy took a quick shower then left for the funeral home. I'm thinking that she was gone for about 90 minutes. While she was away I heated up leftovers for the kids and watered all the flowers. Things are getting really dry in these parts. I poured and enjoyed a Bodhi or two before and after Mindy got home.

It was an extremely warm evening with temps hovering in the mid/upper 80s. We hung out inside until bed time.

Boating, Tubing, & Bodhi

I was up just after 7am. I exercised - sit-ups and curls - then enjoyed a quick cup of coffee before heading off on my run. It had to be about 8am when I ran off. It was hot, sunny and steamy once again. I ran just three miles again, and pretty much decided that I'd do that for the rest of the week.

After my run I took care of walking the whining pug then left to get the boat. By then Mindy was up. This time I remembered to take both the Pilot and Accord keys since the boat storage key in with the Accord keys. I'm guessing that I was back at the house with the boat by 930am, but not before stopping to fill both the boat and Pilot with gas.

I pulled off the boat cover then made sure it would start/run. Yep. Started right up. Cool! I let it run for about five minutes. My next objective was to inflate the new tube and then determine if it would fit in the boat with the cover snapped down. It's a 3-man or 70" round, one heck of a lot bigger than our older tube. I read the directions carefully, inflated it, then placed it in the boat. I learned that if I left the rear pole out from under the boat cover that it would fit. For the time being, I placed the old tube on top of the BM'er.

Darwin drove by with all the kids aboard while I was busy with the boat. Once the boat was water ready, I watered the flowers front and back. While I did all that, Mindy ran to Wal-Mart to get subs and snacks for the boating outing. Once she was back we spent another 45 minutes packing coolers for Alum Creek. Finally near 1115am we were ready to depart. Just as we were pulling away Darwin came by again. This time he stopped. Just back from taking Lane in for his 12 year vaccines. We asked if Lane was interested in joining us. He was. We followed them to their house while Lane went after his swim trunks. Off to Alum Creek!

It was a smooth drive around 270 to route 23 north. Arrived t Alum Creek near 12 noon. The marina docks were surprisingly void of any others - just the way we like it. We took our time prepping the boat for launch. Since my last visit they've completely redone the boat launch and docks. Very nice! Looks like teak wood. Much more efficient put-in lanes too. Noticed someone's nice bimini top lying in the parking lot as if they forgot it. Thought about picking it up but didn't. The plan all along was to meet Tommy and Wally at the dock. They were at Broad and 270 just as we were pulling in to the marina. We figured to launch and take a quick cruise before returning to get them.

No sooner had we got passed the no-wake buoys Tommy phoned to let us know that they were at the marina. We returned to the courtesy dock to pick them up. We took a quick cruise around the southern half of the lake then stopped to let the kids tube. Jacob, Bella, and Lane tubed together. They tubed for about an hour or so before we opted to pass under the Cheshire bridge to the north lake and ultimately the boat swim area. Tommy mentioned the swim cove possibly being moved, but it wasn't. Still there.

We were one of only two or three watercraft in the cover for most of the early afternoon. That is in stark contrast to the weekend when there can be 40-50 boats back there. The kids swam, jumped and played on the tube. Unfortunately, Wally wouldn't get in for nothing. He wouldn't tube or swim. The subs Mindy brought from Wal-Mart hit the spot. She brought three of them, and had them cut into small hand-sized portions. Meanwhile, it was hot and sunny. I'll bet it was 95 degrees. We hung out in the cove until 3pm or so when we headed back out to the lake for more tubbing and skiing. I let Tommy drive for about an hour, choosing to enjoy the ride from the open bow. The kids had more fun tubbing, this time being a bit more daring than they were earlier.

Once everybody had all the tubing they could take we deflated it and got out the skis. Can't recall who went first, Mindy, Tommy, or Lane. But Mindy was the only one who got up. Lane tried only once before giving up. Had the water been calmer I am certain he could've done it. For some reason, Tommy struggled. We cruised around the lake a while longer but then headed back to the dock. It was near 515pm. But by the time we were out of the water, had the boat cleaned and our gear stowed, it was after 6pm. Arrived home after 630pm. Dropped Lane at his place.

We made plans to boat again on Thursday. Ashley & Olivia would likely be joining us. We learned earlier in the day that she was off work all week on vacation. We also talked about taking the boys too. We all took showers then headed off to CBC for dinner. I'm thinking it was 730-8pm when we arrived. We opted for a table on the patio, a seating arrangement we hadn't enjoyed for more than 3 years. In fact, we sat out there only once before with Tommy and Courtney, the same night that we met Stella.

Robin was our server. Both kids ordered wings. Not sure what Mindy ordered. I ordered the Cuban burrito along with a Bodhi. And unless I am mistaken, I think I had only the one. It was near dark as we headed for home. We took up refuge on the deck after changing into more comfy attire. I enjoyed a couple more beers too.

Yellow Spring in my Step

I was up near 7am again. Another hot, sunny day was forecasted with little chance of rain. I whipped out 50 sit-ups and 50 push-ups for the first time since Friday, June 28th. Left for my run around 8am. Decided to do just three miles. Easy, enjoyable run.

The day's plan included a trip to Yellow Springs and most likely a hike at Clifton Gorge, the most easterly of the three adjoining parks. Before Mindy and the kids were up I watered all the flowers front and back. Mindy was up just ahead of 9am. The kids were up near 10am. She made cheesy eggs for all of us.

We left for Yellow Springs near 1130am, which was a bit later than I envisioned, but we didn't really have a schedule of any sort to keep, so we didn't worry too much about it. It's a pretty boring drive out 70 west (straight and flat). Got off at the route 72 exit in Springfield then headed south roughly 8 miles to route 242. The park entrance is less than a half mile on the left. We opted to take the south gorge trail first, a trail we hadn't hiked past. Glad we did. Saw some cool scenic views of the river, including deep gorges with narrow rapids. The trail, while lovely, was short by comparison. We back tracked to the trail head and then hiked west along the north gorge trail, the trail we took with Glenn two summers ago on our first visit to the Yellow Springs area. Mindy & Bella stopped by the Pilot to change shoes after Bella complained that her tennis shoes were too small/tight.

We hiked about a 1-1/4 mile along the water, both kids stopping frequently to look for crawl dads. We hiked to the John Bryan State Park entrance (the same point where Mindy and I turned around a month prior, only coming from the other direction). Hiking back to the Pilot, we took the north rim trail which hovers high above the river. It was about 230pm. The kids ran pretty much the entire way back stopping briefly at each fork in the trail and waiting for us to catch up.

Into Yellow Springs by 320pm, we parked just south of Ye Olde Tavern. Everybody was hungry and thirsty, but we didn't have a ton of time. We needed to have the kids back at the house by 5pm so they could spend time with Jimaken after work. In kind, Mindy and I had loose plans to visit Barley's at the same time. At Ye Olde Tavern we ordered soft drinks and appetizers - tie-dye fries and 12" pepperoni pizza. We were there no more than 45 minutes. It was close to 4pm when we hit the road for home. I had a difficult time staying awake. In fact, it was rougher than the drive home from the Outer Banks. Mindy slept most of the way home too.

Arrived home around 445pm. I headed directly to our bed without passing go. I slept for about 30 minutes. The kids were gone when I got up. I headed out to water flowers in the hot sun. At roughly the same time Mindy headed up to bed for a nap. An hour passed when I went to ask Mindy if she were still game for Barley's. She wasn't. I sent Darwin a text sharing my plans to head there. I never did hear back. I left the house around 630pm, I'm guessing. However, instead of heading directly to Barley's, I made a trip to Dick's and bought a new O'Brien 2/3-man tube. I also bought a new tow rope. On to Barley's.

April was tending bar. The place was sparsely attended. I enjoyed two Centennials while taking in the first couple innings of the MLB All-Star game. The NL scored 5 runs on the first inning. I ordered 20 KC wings to-go. Mindy texted me near 8-830pm asking my ETA. Soon! Arrived home near 845pm. Mindy was recently out of the shower, but shared that she still wasn't feeling a 100% - tired, diarrhea, etc. Like the evening before, we enjoyed some time on the deck before Mindy headed to bed around 10pm. Bella and I stayed up later than the others watching more of the All-Star game.

Vacation: Take Two

I was up near 7am. It was already sunny and very warm, or about 76 degrees. After enjoying a little coffee and internet I set out on my run. I ran just three miles like I would on most weekends. My legs were still stiff from beach running the week prior.

As I promised myself, once I was back home I started work on my monthly reports, spending about 90 minutes before Glenn was up. Mindy soon followed about 20 minutes later. I headed out to water flowers.

Jacob was all about getting a new tube similar to the one his friends Cody & Kyle have, an Airhead 3-man tube. Near 11am, Jacob and I headed to Dick's to look for one similar. No Airhead tubes on stock. They did have an O'Brien 2/3 man tube, but Jacob was hesitant. We left there and checked at Gander Mountain just across the street. None in stock there either. We headed back home. Jacob was disappointed. Jacob headed immediately to Cody & Kyle's planning to ask where they got theirs. Mindy told Jacob to be home by 1pm.

I puttered around the house and yard. Mindy, the kids and I firmed plans to visit the Whittier St. Audubon park, which is part of the Columbus Scioto Mile park system. Glenn spent most of the late morning packing for his flight home. Dad arrived around 1230pm.

We visited with Glenn before he needed to leave, but as it turned out, we left for the park before Glenn and dad departed for port Columbus. Shared goodbyes and loosely discussed possible winter ski trip and holiday visit.

Arrived at Audubon park near 130pm. Hot, dry and sunny. Checked out the climbing wall first. Sign indicates ropes and equipment are to be provided by climbers. However, there were a couple outcroppings small enough to climb/mount from the ground. Mindy and the kids climbed aboard. Near 150pm we gazed skyward thinking we might spot Glenn's plane departing Columbus skies. Didn't see one.

Headed to the water tower next where we climbed four sets of stairs to the observation level and took photos. Jacob was being difficult - mouthy. Mindy got very angry with him. We hiked a trail that took us along the Scioto river to a couple scenic overlooks. Dry but still nice, picturesque. Saw a large blue heron and white crane from stationary binoculars. Took a trail traversing the wetlands back to the parking lot. Kids turned around, not wanting to follow Mindy & I. They ran to beat us back to the car.

Left Audubon park and made a stop at the nearby river launch dock. Not much to see. Headed to Bicentennial park/Milestone 229. Bella and Mindy ran through the fountains, though Mindy stayed reasonably dry. Bella, on the other hand, got soaked. We didn't hang out long, 15 minutes tops.

Headed to Dick's Sporting Goods on Sawmill Rd to get the Airhead 3-man tube. Take 315 to Bethel to Sawmill. Turns out, despite telling us they had two in stock earlier on the phone, they didn't have one in stock. Oh boy! We checked next door at Sport's Authority, too. No airhead tubes, but they did have the O'Brien 2-3 man tube. However, it was $15 more than the same one at Dick's in Hiliard. By then, Jacob had a change of heart, wanted the O'Brien.

Headed home for lunch and nap. We showered up and headed for Phantom Fireworks and brother Charles' 50th birthday party at Tommy's house in Pickerington. Left the house near 5pm. Rush hour traffic backed up on I-70 east - slow going. Traffic opened up after 70/71 split. Easy drive to Phantom Fireworks. Made me sign bogus waiver. We bought M-88s, bottle rockets, roman candles, sparklers, etc. Spent $83.

Couldn't head west on 70 back towards Pickerington. The entrance ramp closed due to construction. Headed east hoping to turn around next exit out. Can't recall the route or exit number. Asked Mindy to activate navigation via Droid to get directions to Tommy's. We opted to take the back road route, but came upon another closed road. Crap! Used intuition until navigation rerouted us again. Took more back roads into Pickerington, eventually stopping at a Wendy's to get the kids some food. Both were hungry. Bella didn't eat with the rest of us at home earlier.

Found our way to Hill Rd S in Pickerington fairly easily. Didn't take long at all. Arrived at Tommy's place around 630-7pm best guess. Party was out back by his barn, stricken recently by a large fallen tree in one of the many recent storms. Mom, dad, Charles. April were there as were many other folks we didn't know. Tommy's ex, Shellie was there too, along with her kids Kamen & Kelsie. Kelsie has a two year old son now who took an immediate liking to me. Wanted me to pick him up. I obliged.

Jacob and I played a game of cornhole. I won. Hung out with the family for another hour or so. I drank only water. Charles and many others were drinking beer. Took a few photos of me, Tommy, Charles and parents then headed for home. Mst have been 8-830pm when we left for home. We took Hill Rd to route 33 west.

As we exited route 33 for I-70 west near Bexley I spotted two red foxes playing in the brush along the ramp, a first for me. Hadn't seen a fox in the wild before. Arrived home just before sunset. After getting settled I poured a Jack & Coke and relaxed on the deck. Jacob and I set off a couple fireworks (one M-88 and six roman candles). Headed in around 1030pm and immediately to bed.

Pricey Putter

I was up around 7am feeling pretty good after almost 8 hours of sleep in my own bed. I started coffee then played on the internet. I left for a run early in hopes of beating the morning heat. I was out the door just before 8am and ran the usual weekend 3 three miles.

The McVey’s vehicle was in the driveway. They made it home safely too it appeared. Surprisingly, Glenn was the next one up back at the house. That happened twice during his stay, which might be a first. He was up around 9am. Mindy was up a short time later. Both kids slept until almost 11am. They were tuckered out.

I spent most of the day working in the yard, whipping it back into shape. It was again near 100 degrees. Given my druthers, I would have chilled in the AC, but the yard needed attention. I mowed, trimmed, edged, blew and watered. I raked up all the fallen sticks from the big storms too.

Glenn’s friend Scott stopped by mid-afternoon to visit. The two of them left again soon after his arrival. After a shower, Mindy and I left for a trip to Whole Foods and the Market district to pick-up some cookout goodies. I wanted old fashioned grilled burgers.

I wasn’t happy with the limited meat selection at Whole Foods. We bought a six-pack of 400 pound Monkey IPA but nothing else. We headed just up the road another mile or two to Market District. Where we spent another $100 on meat, cheese, sides, buns, dessert, wine, and then some beer for Glenn. We happened upon Grandma Sharon passing out samples. It’s a role she plays often. We exchanged our Edwards Key Lime pie for a freshly baked version after trying her sample. Almost forgot, we bought the stuff to make risotto balls too. I plan to give that a try soon.

We headed home. Mindy asked me to handle prepping the burgers. I made sure to buy 85% lean meat. You really don’t want anything leaner for burgers, that is unless you like them firm and not juicy.

Fired up the grill around 545pm. Mindy boiled a half-dozen brats too for grilling. I grilled 8 burgers, 6 brats and a package of hot dogs. I cracked open a 400 pound Monkey IPA while grilling. Yum! Dad arrived near 6pm. We had the boys and Lindsey over again too.

Darwin and Connie stopped by while were busy putting the finishing touches on dinner. We offered them to stay but they declined. Darwin wanted to introduce Glenn to Connie. We chatted briefly. Dad and Darwin talked for a while too. Darwin confirmed that the church is eager to buy dad’s house/property for parking lot expansion. I encouraged dad to sell if the price is right and downsize now while he’s got quality year ahead of him.

Dinner was good, and the burgers were fabulous. Glenn confirmed plans for dad to give him a ride to the airport on Monday afternoon around 130pm. We in turn made plans to visit the new Whittier St. Audubon park that same afternoon. We also loosely discussed plans to attend Charles’ birthday celebration at Tommy’s place Monday evening. It felt awfully nice to have another week of vacation ahead of me, although still lurking in the back of my mind was that monthly report I needed to get finished and sent out by Wednesday.

After the others departed, we hung out on the deck sipping a couple more beers. And then after dark neighbors Teri O. and Kenny stopped down to say farewell to Glenn. Both had a good beer buzz going. Kenny shared that he had to be up and on the road for Indy by 430am. Yikes. That cant’ wouldn’t be good. Also, during his brief visit, we made a bet on the up coming presidential election. We bet a new putter. If Obama wins Kenny buys. If Romney wins, I buy Kenny one. We capped the limit to $300. Once again, the sleepies befell most us early. We all headed for bed relatively early, though I believe Glenn stayed up later than the rest of us.

My Own Bed & CBC

Despite not getting to sleep until just after 5am, I was up at 1015am eager to get my Saturday underway. It felt terrific to find myself at home with all the conveniences one might expect. I brushed my teeth then started some coffee and fired up my PC. I took a walk about the yard now that I could see it in daylight. All in all, looked like Glenn and Dad did a good job keeping our plats watered through the extreme heat.

I enjoyed coffee and internet for about 30 minutes before setting out on a run. It was already approaching 90 degrees, but after running on the beach in extreme heat and humidity, it actually felt cooler. My legs were weary, but I expected that. In fact, they’ll likely ache for a good week after running in the sand for a week. In sand I obviously muscles I wouldn’t otherwise use on pavement/concrete.

I ran three miles taking notice of the McVey home on the return. Still looking good, unscathed from the outside. Figured them already on the road for home. Once back at the house I immediately started to organize gear from our trip including heading out to the Pilot to unload the remaining luggage and what not.

Soon Bella and Kaileigh were up and helped carry in the gear. We unloaded the Thule and the Pilot. Kaileigh called Shelly who said she was out running errands and would soon be by to pick-up Kai. Mindy, meanwhile, was still sleeping. She didn’t get up until somewhere near noon, or right before Shelly got there. About the same time that Shelly showed, so did Lindsey and the boys to do their laundry. Like the others, Lindsey wasn’t expecting us to be there. And actually, Mindy wanted her to come on Sunday so we’d have a day to recover before any chaos in our home.

Mindy was grateful that I had the Pilot completely unloaded and some of the stuff put away. Gave Kaileigh a big hug and thanked her for sharing her vacation with us. It was nice to spend the extended time with her. Feel like I know her better now.

Called Glenn around 1pm to see what his plans were. Last we heard, he was coming back to our place that day. They hadn’t changed. Said he’d be leaving mom’s around 4-430pm. We made plans for dinner at CBC. Invited Dad to join us too. He was meeting my mom in Chillicothe to intercept Glenn. I watered flowers and talked with the neighbors but not much else.

Glenn and dad showed up around 5-530pm. Dad didn’t hang out too long. We made plans to have a family gathering on Sunday afternoon – a cookout. Dad agreed to be there. Lindsey finished her laundry then she and boys headed for home. Glenn, Mindy, the kids and I headed to CBC for dinner around 630pm. For the first time in a long, long time we asked for a table in lieu of sitting in the bar. We took a table inside out of the extreme heat. It was something like 102 outside. Kate was our server.

We left two growlers at the bar with Vince to have filled with Bodhi on our way out. Dinner was scrumptious. Jacob and I ordered scallops and Bella ordered wings. Not sure if Mindy had the scallops or the special. Can’t recall what Glenn ordered. We asked for the risotto balls as an appetizer even though they’re not on the regular menu. They’re so, so good! I picked up the dinner tab and Mindy paid for the growlers at the bar.

At home Mindy the kids and I walked next door to hang with the neighbors. Glenn opted to stay back and chill. Can’t be sure but he may have even headed to bed. We didn’t visit with the neighbors for long. I was getting sleepy in a hurry after driving for 12 straight hours and sleeping for only slightly more than 5.We were back home and in bed by 1030pm.

Corolla to Columbus

I was up at 7am after another restful night of sleep. And just like the last several days, I prepped coffee then cleaned up the kitchen from the evening before. I headed off on my run by 735am after taking Mindy a cup of coffee.

I ran south along the beach to the 5 mile marker then back. I ran a tad slower than usual, making sure to take it all in. Mindy met me at the beach access once I was heading back. We walked along the shore for about 15 minutes before heading back to the house. Among other things we firmed our decision to leave for home later that afternoon/evening. At first the plan was to drive no more than 4 or 5 hours just to get on the other side of any potential traffic snarls and then get a hotel. Our original goal being to be home Saturday by early evening.

We shared our plan with the McVey’s during breakfast. They were cool with it. We offered to help with any house clean-up before we’d be leaving. After breakfast and before getting into our swim suits, we packed most of our clothes and miscellaneous gear, that way all we’d have to do after a day of play was shower, eat, and load up. It didn’t take that long at all for me to get my stuff ready – no more than 30 minutes. We headed to the beach by noon.

Unless I’m mistaken, this marked the first time all week that all 12 of us played on the beach. However, we gave Jacob considerable grief for heading back to the house to hang out. Because I would be driving later that evening, I didn’t drink any beer or alcohol. Instead, I stuck with water and soda. Mindy headed back to the house and made sandwiches for everyone mid afternoon. All the kids, including Breck and Collin, played on the boogie boards in the surf. We had a good time.

I’m thinking it was near 315pm when we bagged the beach and headed to the house to shower and do final prep for home. If all went well I wanted to leave by 5pm. Darwin asked if we planned to drive straight through. Jacob thought that sounded good. Sounded good to me too. Mindy wasn’t sure but didn’t pooh-pooh the notion. I checked the weather. It looked like it would be a clear drive all the way home. In fact, it was forecasted to be above 100 degrees again in CMH on Saturday.

By the time we showered and did our final packing it was 430pm. It was near 100 degrees at the Brigadune too. Hot! Jacob helped me load the Pilot. I felt bad leaving all the stuff that Darwin would need to load in the U-Haul after we were gone (Bella’s bike, our large cooler, and a few big plastic tubs). I started the Pilot at 440pm to let it cool. The McVey’s walked out with us for a couple last minute group photos. Hugs for all. We had a fun time and would happily travel with the McVey’s again provided they’ll have us.

We pulled out at 450pm on the nose (Mindy’s Pilot clock is 11 minutes fast and read 501pm). As we hoped, we had next to no traffic jams leaving the island, though we did slow down a time or two traveling through Duck. We made it to the causeway after 40 minutes, which is about 25 miles from the beach house. And it only took a few minutes to traverse the causeway to the mainland whereas it took about an hour the Saturday afternoon prior. We were heading north up rt 158 to I-64 after 1 hour. We ran into some heavy liquid sunshine as we approached the NC state line.

After about two hours were passing over Chesapeake bay & Norflk VA. Seemed to be making good time. And we passed the place we overnighted the prior Friday after only 2 hours and 50 minutes of driving. Compare that to the 6 hours it took to get from there to the beach. Yikes! I felt good so we kept driving. Darkness set in about the time we picked I-64 up again after a 30 mike jog. We had 300 miles behind us after 5 hours and 20 minutes of driving. Most of Virginia is 70 mph. We stopped for a fill-up and food near 10 or 11pm somewhere in VA. Can’t recall the town. We had just under a half tank of gas but it didn’t make sense to stop again. Mindy asked if I was OK. Yes. We kept driving.

Mindy kept Darwin apprised of our progress until about 1130pm. By then we were resigned to at least trying to make it all the way without the benefit of a hotel stop. I would give it my best without putting the family in harms way. I got a little tired periodically but never where I felt it a danger. Mindy dosed several times but never for more than 30-45 minutes at a time. Each time she would wake and ask if I was alright. I knew she wouldn’t be able to drive through the middle of the night. I didn’t even ask.

Once we made it to West Virginia I found my 2nd wind. Good thing, too. It’s pretty much all curvy, mountainous terrain. I was focused on getting us home that night. West Virginia went quickly, passing through Beckley then Charleston. Once we passed through Charleston I knew we’d make it. It was near 1-130am.

You see the first Columbus Ohio sign just before you pass over the Ohio river on route 33. I believe it’s 124 miles from that point. Felt good to be on Ohio soil (pavement). Actually, the most harrowing roadway is the undivided two lane route 33 highway that goes for about 30 miles or so just SE of Nelsonville. The miles and hours passed quickly. After a while an hour would go by in a snap. Mindy remained awake for most of the final leg. With the gas gauge nearing E and the mileage remaining indicator showing 45 miles, I decided to stop and fill-up again near the Hill Rd exit to Pickerington. It was only 30 miles to home.

We pulled in the drive around 430am. We all made a beeline into the house with me carrying in my valuables (laptops, cameras, electronics). While everyone quickly readied for bed, I inspected the yard and home very quickly. It’s always a strange but good feeling getting back home after being gone for a spell. I couldn’t wait to slip into bed and snuggle up with my pillow. We were all in bed by 5am. Seemed almost surreal.

Full Day in the Sun

I was up near 730am to yet another bright, sunny morning on the beach. The forecast, meanwhile, was calling for clear skies and temps approaching 100. We decided the night before that Thursday would be a beach day.

I enjoyed coffee then left for a run around 8am. I ran north into almost no breeze with the hot morning sun beating against my right shoulder. It was hot, hot! I stopped for a break after about 3.5 miles and splashed some sea water on my shoulders and face. I continued on to the end. I took a few minutes to reflect/meditate at the shoreline sitting near a large tide pool before walking back to the house. Nice!

The house was fully awake and breakfast was on. Can’t recall what was served. I spent a little time working on monthly reports while enjoying my breakfast. The plan was to spend time on the beach, but folks were slow to motivate. I was anxious to get some sun so I headed out to the pool with my book around 11am. Mindy, Bella and Kaileigh headed off to do some shopping. Connie and Lane left to go after swimmer’s ear antibiotics in Kitty Hawk. Darwin took care of the wee ones in the house.

As it turned out, I spent about 2 hours in the sun at the pool by myself. I enjoyed the time immensely. Darwin joined me around 1 or 2pm and brought me a cold beer, my first of the day. Prior, I’d drank only ice water. The girls got home around 3pm and joined us around the pool. By then I was on beer #3 or 4. Mindy drank 2 or 3 White Rajah’s in little more than an hour’s time. Add the extra hot sun and she had quite the buss going. Pictures don’t lie!

I stopped drinking after beer #4. I’m thinking it was near 5pm when Mindy went in for a nap. Darwin prepped thick Shuman’s steaks for the grill around 6pm. Connie baked potatoes slowly all afternoon. While Darwin did the grilling, I did some more work on my monthly reports. Mindy and I tinkered with idea of leaving for home Friday evening instead of waiting for Saturday morning, when everyone else is leaving the island for home. We were having a wonderful time but the thought of sitting in traffic for 3 or 4 hours wasn’t appealing in the least. We shared our thoughts with the McVey’s. They were supportive but also sad that we might head out early.

The grilled steaks were nothing short of magnificent. I might have to buy a Weber charcoal grill. The hot sun had zapped everybody’s energy. We did a lot of relaxing inside the house. Once again, Mindy declared Friday a beach day in lieu of any pool lounging. We headed to bed earlier than most other evenings, asleep by 10pm.

Boom on the Beach

I was up again somewhere close to 645am. I started coffee then spent a little time working on monthly reports. I headed out the door for my run around 745am and ran south 2 mile makers then back. My legs and feet were feeling the effects of running on the beach. There’s no doubt that running in sand exercises muscles that don’t usually get stretched. The sun was hot. After my run but before heading back, I took a dip in the ocean. Mindy met me on the beach just as I was heading back.

Can’t recall what we had for breakfast, but it was no doubt a feast much like most other mornings. Mindy & I enjoyed mimosas. The day’s plan called for spending time at the pool and beach, and then heading to the Corolla fireworks later that evening.

I did a little blogging and then spent another hour or so working on monthly reports before donning my swim suit and heading out to the pool. Poolside, the day moved swiftly. Mindy, Darwin and I headed to the beach around noon with Kaileigh and Bella. Jacob & Lane didn’t want to join us. After about an hour at the beach we were joined by Jordan and Donnie. Kaileigh & Bella must’ve spent an hour or more in the ocean. I was a little surprised. We spent about 2 hours at the beach before heading back for lunch leaving our chairs and towels behind.

I got so sleepy after lunch that I decided not to head back to the beach with Mindy and the girls. I ended up napping in shade under the deck around the pool. Around 5pm Darwin and I headed to the Harris Tweeter a mile or so up the road and got more ice, beer, water and pop.

Back at the beach house the girls declared it leftover night. That made dinner prep go much faster. We packed a small cooler mostly with water but also the 2nd jug of Centennial then left for the fireworks near 7pm. The park was located near the end of the developed beachfront tucked back along the sound in a gorgeous setting. Signs everywhere warned that alcohol was prohibited. The parking process was busy yet organized. They’ve obviously done this a time or two.

We had to walk about an eighth of a mile along a walk over a bridge to an opening overlooking the sound where we set up camp. There was a large sound stage and a band playing just behind us. It was approaching 8pm by the time we were set up and relaxing. Darwin and I waited until dark to pour ourselves a beer in the plastic cups we brought from the house. Mindy and I allowed the kids to go off on their own to get food and drink from the concessions. That might be a first.

The band was good, playing top 40 stuff from both the past & present. They played until 915pm when the fireworks started. We weren’t sure what to expect, but I think everyone was pleasantly surprised with the firework display. The celebration had more of a festival feel than the over blown Red, White & Boom back home. I enjoyed it very much. The display lasted about 20 minutes. I set my small camera to the fireworks function for the first time. Took decent photos.

Darwin and I polished all but the last few ounces of the Centennial growler. We all agreed to wait a while for the crowd to thin before heading to the cars. The band played again after the fireworks and many of us danced. Connie organized a group photo using their nice DSLR Nikon. She asked a kid standing nearby to take the shot. We ended up posing for about 6 different photos. We hung out until the mosquitoes struck. It was an easy walk back to the cars. We sat in the AC cooling off and waiting for the line of traffic to thin before setting off for the beach house. Darwin and Connie shared that they were stopping at the Food Lion on the way back.

It took about 10 minutes to get out of the park. The traffic flow in and out was well organized given only one or two paths out of the park. We were back at the beach house before 11pm. We didn’t stay up too long after getting back home. I watched a few neighbors setting off their own fireworks. We watched fireworks from New York City on TV. I was in bed by midnight

Wilbur, Orville & Me

Up again at 645am, I repeated the same drill as the two prior mornings. I enjoyed my first cup of coffee in the quiet but then quickly readied for a run. I didn’t get out the door for my run until about 745am after washing all the dishes before heading out.

I ran to the north, once again to the nine mile marker and then back. Several families out on the beach presumably setting up for a 4th of July celebration. We had designs on doing he Wright Bros. museum as well as the giant sand dunes near Kitty Hawk. The hot sun and soft sand took there toll on my feet and skin. The four mile run took a lot out of me. I spotted Mindy walking up the steep steps to the board walk, but she turned around and joined me on the beach once she spotted me. We walked the beach together to the south probably going about a ¼ mile.

Back at the house we enjoyed breakfast burritos. Shortly after a shower my blackberry rang. I checked to see who might be calling. It was my boss. I answered. He asked that I set an out of office message on my desk phone. Said escalations were coming in in my absence. I shared that I didn’t know how to leave a message on my desk phone since we changed systems a couple years back. However, I agreed to try and address it. I spent the next hour taking care of my out of office recorded message. Left me feeling too involved with work.

Early on, we talked about heading to the museum around 1030am but weren’t ready to leave until almost noon. Jacob, having been there before, at first was set on staying back but ultimately changed his mind. It was Mindy, Kaileigh, Bella, me, Darwin, Lane and Jacob. The others opted to stay back. It took a good 30 minutes to get to Kitty Hawk, about 20 miles to the south down route 12. Before heading the museum, we wanted to stop at CVS to pick-up swimmer’s ear drops. Lane, Collin, and Breck were all suffering from water in the ear. Kitty Hawk was somewhat depressing, an over developed piece of the Outer Banks that has seen its better days.

We arrived at the museum I’m guessing near 1-130pm. They charged us $4 per adult, or a total of $12. Under 14 were free. The museum is small but informative. I enjoyed the experience even more than I guessed I might. Lots of detail not only about the about the history of flight, but also about the Wright’s lives.

Outside the museum we walked the original flight paths noted by granite markers, and then checked out the replica hanger and living quarters. Above the flight field sitting atop an enormous sand dune sits a monument paying homage to the Wright’s. We climbed to the top where we were in awe of the incredible view – the sound to the west and the ocean to the east. Off to the south we could see Jockey’s Ridge (the giant sand dunes), which would be our 2nd stop after lunch.

We left the museum around 3pm and headed to the nearby brew pub, Carolina’s only wind powered brew pub. Darwin, Mindy & I ordered Rye IPA’s. The kids, soda and lemonade. The beer was good. The food, just so-so. No complaints. I enjoyed a 2nd beer before we left and had Mindy put her logo’d pint glass in her purse. She bought a t-shirt and was going to get me one but they didn’t have any in my size.

We left the brew pub and drove a mile or so further south to Jockey’s Ridge. The giant sand dunes look much like a dessert. In fact, they’re so large that they have a hang gliding school there. They have signs warning not to pass a given point without water. We didn’t abide, but wished we would’ve. The dunes were incredibly beautiful and provided an even better view than the monument. The kids rolled down the dunes. A surprise to us was how well sound traveled across the dunes. The day moved quickly. It was near 5pm when we loaded back into the Pilot for Brigadune taking old ocean rd north through Kitty Hawk.

Took about 45 minutes to get back. As often happens, I got really sleepy on the drive home. I thought I’d take a nap. Instead, Darwin and I headed to the grocery to pick-up beer, ice, and a few other things. We stopped at the Wings souvenir shop across the street too where I bought a t-shirt and a sticker for the Thule.

Tacos served as our dinner. Connie whipped them up earlier in the day leaving the meat simmering in the crock pot. Yum-yum! After dinner we drove back to the naked beach in hopes of seeing the wild horses. The sun had already set when we arrived. And it gets dark quick on the beach. Darwin expressed a bit of concern driving on the beach this time. For one, the tide was up making for a narrower channel for two-way traffic. About a mile up the beach we spotted a group of the wild horses – about 8 of them. Unfortunately, I had my ‘better’ camera with me, but it doesn’t take good low light photos.

We probably spent 15 minutes out of the car before heading back. It was completely dark when we left for the beach house. We arrived back at the house near 930-10pm. I poured a stiff Jack & Coke, which eventually lead to another. Most of us watched TV, though Mindy headed to bed. Darwin had quite the buzz going after making himself a Jack & Coke. Once I started to dose from the sofa, I peeled off for bed.

14lbs of Wings

Like the morning before, I was the first one up. I was careful not to make too much noise but soon after starting coffee, washed all the dirty dished piled up in the sink. There were lots of them. Twelve people make a lot of dirty dishes. I didn’t’ get out of the house for my run until after sucking down a cup of coffee and then serving Mindy one. I’m thinking that it was 735am or just after when I headed out the door. This time I headed south running two miles, or to the 5 mile marker. It took longer than I expected and by the time I made it back to the 7 mile and our beach access boardwalk I was whipped. I ripped off my tennis shoes then dipped my toes in the surf while also contemplating the unverse.

I was back at the house by 830am. This time most others were up and awake. Mindy was working in the kitchen making thick French toast and sausage, which proved to be a big hit with almost everyone. After breakfast Darwin and I headed to the Harris Tweeter grocery store just up route 12 a mile. There we picked up more beer, ice, flowers for the girls, as well as a few other items were already running low on. Back at the house everyone headed to the pool and soon the beach again after a filling lunch.

Meanwhile, it was another gorgeous day in paradise with sunny skies and a high temp in the low 90s. Inland temps were about 5 degrees hotter. Called home mid afternoon and chatted with Glenn who shared that he, mom, and dad were at Sunset cemetery visiting old family. He also shared that mom’s power wasn’t expected to be restored until July 9th, at least according to AEP website. With that prognosis, we expected that mom might be staying at our place for the entire week. Otherwise, he shared, everything else was going fine.

The day went by fast hanging by the pool and at the beach. Darwin grilled chicken wings for dinner, and whopping 14lbs! Holy smoke! While Darwin grilled dinner, I worked on monthly reports.. I’m guessing that I spent at least 2-3 hours throughout the day. We talked about doing the wild horse thing on the beach again, but by the tiem dinner was behind us and the kitchen cleaned, the sun had set. It gets dark about 45 minutes earlier than it does at home.

Instead of heading to beach we hung at the house and on the deck. We had a really nice time. I cracked open my bottle of Jack Daniels making two strong drinks through the evening. Mindy headed to bed near her usual bedtime of 10pm. I stayed up until 1030pm but fell asleep on the sofa. I woke and headed to bed before 11pm. Most of the kids were still awake watching TV.

No Wild Horses, but Incredible Sunset

I woke around 645am and quickly brushed my teeth then started some coffee. I sucked down a cup of coffee in a hurry then quickly dressed and left for a run at 722am. I ran south along the beach. They have mile markers located along the beach, our house located right at the 7 mile marker. I ran two miles south then two miles back. There were lots of folks out walking and running. I spotted numerous dolphins swimming just out beyond the breaking waves. They were big ones too.

After the run but before heading back to the house I took several minutes to meditate at the beach. That was really nice. I walked back to the beach house and immediately doused myself in the pool. Others were still sleeping but Darwin was up in short order. After some coffee we spent an hour or so trying to log onto the internet. Unfortunately, the homes network was secured, and we didn’t have the password, or so we thought. I tried all sorts of passwords but to no avail. Darwin eventually phoned the rental company for help. They gave us an incorrect password.

Later, they gave us an 800# to call for additional help. Darwin called it and left a VM. They called back after an hour or so sharing that the password was the home’s phone number. About the same time I found documentation in the home stating s much. Silly us! Once on the network I logged on my company’s intranet and downloaded monthly report data. To retrieve the report data I had to be on email too. Sifting through the many emails left my stomach a little upset. In a perfect world, I wouldn’t be thinking about work while on vacation.

We hung at the pool until lunch and then at the beach afterwards. It was really hot and sunny. We made plans for dinner,agreeing to grill burgers and dogs. Dinner was around 6pm. There were lots of sides too. After dinner and clean-up we decided to head north to Corolla proper where we drove out on the beach in search of the infamous wild horses. I had no idea what to expect, but opted not to drive the Pilot onto the beach, Instead, we all piled into the McVey’s Armada. Darwin’s done this several times past. We parked the Pilot and the McVey Camaro at the last parking lot prior to the each. They even have the beach fenced off heading further south, so the horses can’t wander north.

Darwin gave us a wild ride in the deep sand. Reminded me very much of driving crazy in deep snow. We never did find the horses but did park and get out ot take in the naked beach and lovely sunset. It was incredible. While I snapped photo after photo of the sunset, the kids played in the surf catching sand fleas. We had an incredible time. I’m guessing that we spent upwards of an hour on the beach before heading back to the lot and the other parked cars. Before heading back to our beach house we stopped for ice cream at town center. That was lovely too. Save for Jordan and Donnie, I bought everybody’s ice cream. Those two opted for yogurt instead. Spent $26 for two big bowls full. Yikes!

Back at the house all the kids got in the pool. We hung out until almost 11pm but then headed for bed. Mindy was in bed before anyone else.

Finding Corolla

I was up at 630am quietly slipping into the bathroom with my backpack that held my over night kit along with running clothes. I let Mindy know I was heading off on a run and locked the room door behind me. I noticed a complimentary breakfast buffet as I exited the hotel. Awesome! I planned to take advantage of that later. I stretched just outside the hotel lobby. I ran through a small neighborhood which was bounded by a Wal-Mart. I ran a couple loops probably logging about 3 miles in total. I was gone for about 30 minutes.

In the lobby I prepped two cups of coffee and woofed down some then returned to the room. Mindy asked that I draw the shades closed so to block the rising sun from waking the kids. After savoring my coffee I headed for a shower. By the time I was out, Mindy was ready to get up. I turned on the TV. The news was all about the storms that slammed an area from Indiana to the Virginia coast on Friday night. The kids were up by the time Mindy was out of the shower. Before we knew about the breakfast buffet, we talked about having breakfast at the IHOP next door to the hotel. Mindy gave the kids the option, eat from the buffet and be on the road sooner, or eat at IHOP. Mixed responses. Go figure. She chose for them – the breakfast buffet.

The buffet was better than expected: fresh pancakes, sausage patties, fluffy scrambled eggs, muffins, juice, etc. We were done eating and ready to hit the road by 9am. It was a warm sunny morning and everybody was in far better spirits than they were the night before during the harrowing storms. We weren’t exactly sure where we were, but knew it was somewhere close to Richmond VA. Turns out, we were in Oliville, VA. According to the GPS we were about 205 miles (3 hours and 31 minutes) from our destination.

As we neared the coast of Virginia along I-64east traffic was tight, but it loosened up a little once we lost those headed to VA Beach. We crossed over a couple large bays before entering N.C. Mindy pointed out the Outer Banks far across the sound. Soon we were within 60 miles of our destination. Unfortunately, the last 50-60 miles took 3 hours or better to navigate due to heavy traffic. Originally figuring to get there between 1230-1pm, we didn’t’ actually get there until sometime near 3pm. Crossing over the sound and then heading north on route 12 in the Outer Banks was a snails crawl for miles and miles.

As we passed through Duck a case of the sleepies had befallen me. Mindy graciously offered to drive the last few miles and let me take a quick nap. I slept for no more than 5-10 minutes but it did me a world of good. We remained in communication with the McVey’s all day. Because it took us so long to make it to Corolla, they went ahead and checked out of their temporary digs and were headed to the house. We planned to simply met them there. And actually, we were at the house ahead of them.

We opted to back track to the liquor store and donut shop we passed a mile or tow back up the road. I headed on for liquor (rum and vodka) while Mindy and the kids went to Duck donuts. We met the McVey’s at Brigadune house near 330p. Connie was off to the rental office to get the door keys while the rest of us waited. The kids were already in the pool. Connie was back from checking in near 4pm. By then we had already unloaded the SUVs but with our gear in piles near the home’s entrance. Excitedly, we toured the house then began the arduous task of carrying everything in. Mindy & Connie worked out the sleeping arrangements for everyone. Mindy & I were given the lone bedroom on the 2nd floor just off the kitchen. In all, it’s a three story home with four bedrooms and a large loft.

Dinner plan were coordinated. We’d be having homemade pizza with Bobilli crust. Mindy and Connie took a run to the grocery while Darwin and I put the rest of the food away, started pizzas and cracked open a growler of Centennial. The girls were gone for about an hour. We made 6 pizzas: three pepperoni, one cheese, two pepperoni, sausage, red onion, and mushroom. It turned out that 6 pizzas was a bit too much. We had about 2.5 leftover. Better too much than not enough.

After dinner we went for a walk on the beach with flashlights. All the kids were excited. After Mindy broke out the glow sticks. Scattering everywhere were sand crabs. It was fun. We stayed up no later than about 1030pm. Mindy & I both wanted/needed a good night’s sleep.

Summer Vacation - a Stormy Start

Like most work days. I was up well before 6am. I felt fine and completed a full complement of exercises, including a meditation and a stretch all before 630am when I dressed and left for a run. It was a steamy 81 degrees at 530am, perhaps the first time it didn’t fall below 80 degrees during the overnight in CMH in well over a decade. Despite the warm and muggy conditions I set out on my run wearing a sleeveless running shirt and shorts. The humidity was about equal to the temperature.

The run wasn’t too bad at all, but I was happy to have it in the bag. Once back at home I got logged on and busy with work. My plan all along was to start my work early so I could end it early in order to get on the road to the Outer Banks around 3pm.

Mindy was up somewhere near 730am. Glenn and the kids, however, weren’t up until after 10am. Dad stopped over near 1030am. By then it was already 90+ degrees. I wanted to water all the plants but also wanted to allow Glenn to see my technique so he could model it somewhat closely during my absence.

We did the watering things around 11am. Dad watched on as well. With Glenn figuring to make a mid week run to my mom’s place, my dad agreed to pickup the watering responsibilities. Meanwhile, the geese were as persistent as ever. I must’ve ran them out of the yard four or five times in total.

The day moved fast with me balancing the demands of working from home along with any last minute packing. Shelly dropped Kaileigh off sometime after 12noon. She stayed about 15-20 minutes. She had Sienna and Trip with her too. She gave us $40 for Kaileigh to use as spending money.

We started loading the Pilot near 130pm. Went a lot faster than I expected. It was ridiculously hot and steamy, though. I was soaked head to toe. As usual, I was nervous and a little testy during the entire process. ON my mind was the extreme heat and the impact it would have on our landscape in my absence. Add to that all the goose damage and it was a recipe for disaster. I also got a IM from my boss asking me to join a last minute conference call at 330pm. I was frustrated because that conflicted with our departure plans. I agreed to join but from the road via blackberry.

The car fully loaded by 230pm, we opted to depart a little early pulling away from the house near 250pm. Glenn snapped pictures as we pulled away. Felt good to get on the road. I drove until we were just west of the Lancaster bypass where Mindy and I did a Chinese fire drill so I could join the conference call.

The call lasted about 45 minutes with my blackberry dropping the call on three different occasions as we wound our way down 33 toward Athens. Once the call ended I felt like I was finally on vacation. About an hour later, or near 530pm I set my vacation out of office. Ahh! That felt terrific! Outer Banks here we come!

It was nice riding shot gun. Mindy drove for about three hours leaving me to relax a little. We stopped in Beckley WV to pee but quickly hit the road. Instead of stopping for fast food Mindy brought subs she picked up at Wal-Mart (Italian and roast beef). They were really good. Somewhere into WV we got a text from neighbor Teri asking if we were OK after a wicked storm passed through the island (home). We learned that near 5pm a storm rolled through with 80 mph winds, heavy rain and hail. I worried about my car, house, and yard. We tried unsuccessfully to reach Glenn to get an status on our home. We eventually called brother Bobby who was going to the Clipper game with Glenn and dad. He said our deck table blew over in the initial gust but wasn’t damaged.

About 300 miles into our drive (mid-Virginia) and near 8345pm the same storm that blew through Ohio caught up to us. The gusty winds were so strong that they tossed the Pilot back and forth as we rolled down the highway. Soon there was debris and dust blowing everywhere. Bella was over the top with worry which eventually turned to tears. As darkness set in in only got worse. Still no rain though. In Virginia, trees hug and line the highway both sides. Soon we had tree debris along with an occasional tree branch in the road. Suddenly, just in front of a branch came down causing the traffic in the fast lane to swerve into the slow lane. Two cars spun wildly off the road just three or four car lengths on front us. Scared all of us. We pulled over to make sure those in the cars were OK. Mindy got out and walked back to confirm they were OK. They were.

Our objective from that point forward was to get to a hotel. Unfortunately, though, we were still about 100 miles from Richmond, Virginia. The tension was high. Everybody was on pins and needles. The heavy rains came during the last hour. We stopped at two hotels, both of which were without power. Damn! We stopped at a third, a Hampton Inn, but it was full. Lucky for us, there was a Holiday Inn Express right next door. Finally, just before midnight we had a room. We quickly crawled into bed and went to sleep.

Weather 101

Happy 30th Courtney ... where ever you are.
Happy 25th nephew Joe
I woke near 4am a little chilly. We had the AC on, the ceiling fan going, and a small window fan on the floor near the window blowing straight up at our bed. That was Mindy’s doing. Not sure why. At any rate, I fell back asleep not waking for work until 540am. I had the coffee already prepped and set to auto-brew. That enabled me to start exercises right away. I completed the usual 50 sit-up then a set of 40 curls.

I choked down a Naproxen just before pouring my coffee. Along with catching up on the Reds and Vikings doings, I read about the elusive Higgs particle and how the CERN team may very well reveal its findings as soon as next Wednesday. Cool! I played around online until nearly 615am when I headed to the family room for meditation and a stretch.

I chased the geese away once again with my bb gun. For some reason or another, the magnet that holds the ready-to-fire bb in place is letting got prior to getting a shot off allowing the bb to drop safely to the ground just before pulling the trigger. I suspect those pesky geese have somehow infiltrated my arsenal.  They fled the yard after seeing my presence alone.

It was 638am when I headed off on my run. Despite a high predicted to reach 101 degrees, it was only in the 60s with an abundance of sunshine. I wore a long sleeved wicking shirt again, more because I didn’t want to dirty a short sleeved shirt. It was trash day and our can was already at the curb. I made sure to place it there early last evening. I ran the full 4.1 miles, and once again accosted by Morgan, that unrestrained standard poodle. She charged out towards me at full speed and barking not stopping until I turned towards her. She circled me a couple of times then retreated to the whistle of her owner. I’m think I’ll take David’s advice and pick-up some pepper spray. I’ll talk to the owner one more time too. His dog is out of control.

I was back at home by 718am. Before starting breakfast, I headed out to water all the flowers. Because it was expected to top 100 degrees, I didn’t want any of my flowers to face the day without an abundance of water already cooling their roots. I watered thoroughly front and back. Took almost 30 minutes. As soon as I was back inside Eiknarf was crying for her release from Jacob’s room. I headed up to take care of her next.
She and I headed out for a walk, and we were out there for almost 10 minutes. It was 758am when we got back home. I quickly cooked three fried eggs and prepped a lunch. I was off to the shower by 825am.

I took Mindy some coffee and placed the pug up on our bed. She was excited to be in bed with Mindy. As usual, it didn’t take me long to shower and dress. I decided to wear jeans since this would in all likelihood be my last day in the office until mid-July. I plan to work from home on Friday.

Mindy headed downstairs with me. I made sure she knew that I had already walked the pug and fed her. I also let her know that I watered all the flowers. By design, she didn’t have a lot on the map for the day, instead, just some final packing. I brought two empty growlers and the Jimindy cooler up form the basement thinking that I might make two pit stops at lunch, one at CBC and one at Barley’s to have them filled. Mindy expressed worry over my obsession with the geese. I explained that I work so hard in the yard all spring long only to have those rats with wings destroy it. You’d have to see it to believe it. There are piles of shit almost every square foot and that’s after Mindy picked all of it up on Sunday. Not only that, but they eat our lawn down to nubs.

I shared that one of us should call my dad to confirm whether or not he’s picking up Glenn. In the end I agreed to call him. Need to call my mom too to see what her plans are for the coming week. I left for the office around 840am but not before once again chasing about 15 geese out of my front yard. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

The office was ridiculously quiet. I stowed my lunch and went after ice water. When I returned to my office I walked the nearby halls to see who else might be in the office. Out of about 30 offices, there was only me and one other guy. Yikes!

While getting settled in I called the water department after receiving another water bill after just paying one early last week. I reached Beth who explained that they sent a bill after replacing my meter, and then sent the regular cycle bill to get me back on the 90-day cycle. Said that my payment from last week has since posted so I only needed to be concerned about sending in another $7.38. OK.

I called my dad around 920am. He didn’t answer so I left a VM. He called back about 15-20 minutes later. He did get the word from Glenn detailing his flight itinerary and planned to pick him up. Said he figured to be bringing him to my house to stay. I asked if he planned to let Glenn borrow one of his cars. No. I offered that I would likely let him take my Accord but for local travel only. My dad mentioned that my mom would be coming in town to stay the weekend at my house with Glenn. Hadn’t heard, though we offered. I figured to call her sometime later that afternoon. Before hanging up, I told dad that I would keep an eye on Glenn’s flight and alert him if there were any significant delays.

I participated on a couple of scheduled calls and dealt with a few escalations. Before I knew it was 2pm. I went for my packed lunch enjoying it from my desk. I talked with Mindy too. She and all the girls (Bella, Makayla, Lillian, and Emily) were making a run to Target. I offered that rather than me running to CBC and then Barley’s for lunch that we simply plan on dining there. That way we can have the growlers filled with Centennial. That’ll make Darwin happy.

I spent the afternoon wrapping up a few things relative to my long vacation. I hoped to get out of the office a bit early and did. I left for home just after 430pm but not before taking one last look at Glenn's flight tracker. Looked like he was over northern PA, and already past our neck of the woods. I dumped my leftover ice water then turned the pitcher and my cup upside down. Again, I'd be working on Friday but from home. It felt good to be heading home.

Boy was it ever hot & steamy. Can't recall the last time it was that warm. The high temperature reached 100 degrees. There was a slight breeze blowing, but it felt like a blast furnace. The bright spot was that the humidity seemed to be baked away.

Mindy was surprised when I walked in right near 5pm. Wondered why I hadn't called. Instead of calling home I called and talked with my mom. Said she was planning to come up on Sunday to see Tommy sing locally with Glenn and my dad. Would almost certainly be staying at my place. Wasn't sure how long she'd be staying, but mentioned plans to see Red, White & Boom with Glenn, Lindsey and the boys too. I asked how she was holding up in the extreme heat. Fine after buying a large window air conditioning unit. She paid too much for it, but hey, at least she's cool and comfortable. We chatted until I pulled into the drive.

Once home I quickly went from work mode to vacation prep mode. Most of my gear was laid out but still in need of packing. It didn't take nearly as long as I imagined, probably no more than 25 minutes. We received a mysterious large envelope in the mail. Mindy opened it. It was two t-shirts and stickers sent to us from David & Anita. One said Coexist while the other said Peacemakers all using symbols representing various belief systems. Brought smiles to both of us. We admired theirs while they were here visiting. Thanks David & Anita.

We had plans to dine at Barley's and as soon as my packing organizing was complete we headed that way. It couldn't have been later than 6pm when we left the house. Bella opted to stay back and play with her peeps under the watchful eye of neighbor Chrissy. It was Mindy, Jacob, and I. Throughout the day we received text messages from Darwin sharing their travels. I think they made it to Corolla NC near 630pm. Mindy let him know we were at Barley's eating and having jugs filled for the trip.

Janet was our server. Haven't seen her in a while. I ordered a Centennial and Mindy a Stone IPA. Jacob went with Dr Pepper. And before ordering dinner, we went through two orders of fries. It was Thursday, which meant it was Reuben night. It's not on the menu any other night. I haven't had one of theirs for months. Not sure what Mindy ordered. Jacob ordered a brisket quesadilla. I eventually ordered a 2nd Centennial. The twins, Kent and Kurt, showed up about 15 minutes before we left for home. As usual, we had an enjoyable conversation with the two of them. Mindy took our growlers to the bar to be filled. Janet said they weren't permitted to fill a CBC jug. Hmm? She let us borrow one of theirs. We have like 15 Barley's growlers at home. We paid for part of our tab with gift cards. I covered the rest. We left for home near 730pm. Man was it warm.
Arrived home still before 8pm. Did a little more organizing but then took a little nap in the family room chair while watching an episode of How It's Made. I slept on and off for 30 minutes. I finally mustered enough energy to check Glenn's flight status to CMH from Newark, NJ. He had already landed. Now 850pm, Jacob shared that Grandpa and Glenn were just pulling up out front. I was surprised they showed up so quickly.

We visited for a couple hours, though dad hung for only the first hour. Mindy offered up the Barley leftovers as well as Bella's entire entree of chicken tenders that she dismissed after having pizza with the neighbors. Glenn gladly ate most of the tenders and fries. I wasn't going to drink any more beer but went ahead and poured a White Rajah anyhow. It was good. Neighbor Teri stopped over to see Glenn and invite him to stop down for food and a beer while we're gone. That was awfully nice of her.

With a long drive ahead of us on Friday, I was anxious to get in bed and get a good night's sleep. We all headed to bed near 1045pm. Good night 90 degree night.

Damn, Forgot My Blackberry

I slept about 10 minutes later than perhaps I would’ve preferred, but didn’t let that alter my routine. Downstairs by 555am, I slipped into my exercise then started calisthenics. I wisely prepped coffee the night before saving myself the trouble that morning.

Sit-ups and push-ups were up next. Immediately after, I choked down a Naproxen. It was 605am when I headed to my PC with a cup of joe. I read about the Reds 4-3 victory and then a blurb or two about the Vikings. Football season (preseason). I checked the weather. It was still relatively cool as compared to the past couple weeks. It was only 56 degrees. Not to be fooled, however. The heat cometh! Thursday’s high is expected to reach 102 and then stay in the 90s for the next 10 days. Not expecting much difference in the Outer Banks either.

After meditation and a stretch I set out on my run. It was darn near 7am by the time I left the house. Once again I wore a long-sleeved wicking shirt and was reasonably comfortable throughout the entire 4.1 mile run. The geese were congregating in the front yard when I returned. I kept running right at them chasing them back into the pond, those filthy dirty beasts.

Inside, I started breakfast and prepped my lunch. I left a fried egg set aside for the pug. Took Mindy coffee when I headed up for a shower. It was approaching 8am. Didn’t take me long to shower and ready. I was back downstairs by 815am. Mindy was up too, and she and I walked the pug together, running into Chrissy just getting ready to depart for the office. I hadn’t seen her since her return from vacation. She showed us her peelie legs. Said Jamaica was a blast – beautiful.

It was 830am when we got back. I quickly organized everything I’d need for a work day at my customer’s site in New Albany. Mindy and the kids would be taking the Pilot in for tires and brakes at noon and then spending the afternoon with Gloria. Dinner would likely be leftovers. I didn’t mind. My goal was to pack and get the Thule atop the Pilot later that evening. I left for work at 840am.

I took 670 east and the traffic was almost nonexistent. Nice! I made it to the campus in record time. As I walked towards the building it dawned on me that I’d forgotten my blackberry and personal Droid. Damn! Without my blackberry I wouldn’t be able to get on the network since it holds my access e-token. I felt like a fool. I walked into my office and then by the manager’s office. I was going to tell him of my need to head back home, but he wasn’t in his office. It was 915am. Wasting no time, I headed back to my car and the freeway, only this time I took 270 around.

As I neared Dublin I figured it made more sense to simply head to the regular office where I could work without my blackberry. Not to mention, I would then be able to make our regular 10am call. Yep, that’s what I did. I got off at Tuttle and took the back way to the office arriving by 940am. And by the time I was in my office and logged on I had only about 5 minutes to spare before the call began.

The meeting was short. I fell on my sword sharing my dilemma, but also committing that I would get my blackberry and come back if they so desired. As expected, they insisted I not trouble myself. I appreciated that. I ended up working straight through the day, stopping only to retrieve my packed lunch from the fridge. I talked with Mindy around 1130am or just as she and the kids were leaving Wal-Mart after picking up some vacation food. They were on their way to the Honda dealership. She said she realized my faux pas when she heard my phone ringing and then saw my blackberry at my PC. Oops!

I asked that she call me if the dealership quoted her numbers much different from those they quoted me last week. I sent them to her email so she’d have them on her phone. Said she would. I called Mindy again later in the afternoon. Was on her way to pick-up the Pilot. Said she didn’t need brakes. I worked on a number issues right up to 5pm when I left for home.

As soon as I was home Mindy shared the details of the Pilot tires and brakes. Said the front brakes won’t close to needing replaced. I looked over the invoice confirming that they gave her the 15% discount on the numbers they quoted me. They did. Mindy picked up steaks to grill. While she preheated the grill, I headed out to install the Thule on the Pilot in preparation for out trip. Got it down to a science now. Went on fairly easily.

I had to shew the geese away again, only this time from the back yard. Took over grilling the steaks immediately after. Didn’t take but five minutes. They weren’t that thick – Kroger steaks, I think. Both kids are very much looking forward to our family vacation. Jacob’s eager to hand with Lane and Bella’s excited about having Kaileigh along. During dinner we talked about Glenn’s arrival Thursday and the logistics behind that. According to Glenn, Dad’s supposed to pick him up at the airport around 8pm. Glenn will be staying at our place while we’re gone. Good thing too. With all this extreme heat and no rain, the plants need watered almost every day. The steaks were just OK. Hard to be the prime beef we’ve become more accustom to of late.

After clean-up, Mindy ran Bella to gymnastics. She asked if she could have Makayla and Lillian spend the night afterwards. Mindy promised to check with Chrissy. They haven’t had much opportunity to hang out over the past two/three weeks. In the meantime, I started packing for our trip. Didn’t take me long. Our goal is to get most of our gear in soft packs so it will stow in the Thule thus freeing up space in the Pilot. Darwin/Connie left at 2pm that afternoon. Texted Mindy to bring grilling utensils and sharp knives. Even before Mindy left to run Bella to gymnastics I took a nap with my newest book from Wayne Dyer. I woke to find them gone and a note on my book cover saying to call if I thought of something we needed from Wal-Mart. I ended up going right back to sleep. I felt ridiculously sleepy.

Mindy stayed gone until it was time to pick-up Bella from gymnastics. They didn’t get home until 845pm. By then I was face down in the sofa. I woke around 9pm and stayed awake for another hour watching a program on History Channel about how the Great Lakes were formed – ice sheet/glacial movement and volcanism. Very cool program. During that time both Makayla and Lillian came over to spend the night. They ran back home twice, once to get swim suits, and a second time to get their American Girl dolls.

Mindy headed for bed near 930pm. I stayed up until just after 10pm. The girls were still giggling and playing in Bella’s room when I headed for bed. Mindy was out cold as I slipped into bed. No snuggling on this night.

The Chill Before the Heat

I was up near 540am after a very restful night of sleep. The bedroom was extra chilly after sleeping with the windows opened all night long. After exercise I learned that it was only 53 degrees. Hasn’t been that chilly for a while. I glanced out back from the dining room window. The irrigation system had only recently moved to zone #2 as a result of me lengthening the time spent in each zone to help combat the mini-drought.

I fooled around online for about 20 minutes enjoying a few headlines and coffee. I headed to the family room for meditation & a stretch around 615am. Between the two, I dedicated about 15 minutes. I threw on a thin and loose long-sleeved wicking shirt then left for a run near 640am. The cool air felt good. Once I was in the sun’s direct path I was instantly warmed. I ran the full 4.1 miles easily. I remember thinking that it won’t likely be this cool again for quite some time. The upper 90s are coming by mid week, and they’re predicting lows Thursday only dipping down into the low 80s! Folks, that’s warm!

I finished my run near 720am and quickly went about preparing my breakfast and lunch. I made three fried eggs, setting one aside for Eiknarf, but only after her morning walk. She slept with Mindy and I and was ready for a walk when I delivered Mindy’s coffee. I insisted that she wait for me to finish my shower.

I was ready near 8am. I walked the pug then joined Mindy on the deck for a 2nd cup of coffee. As I do every morning, I had a lot on my mind. Mindy asked briefly for my undivided attention. She and the kids were heading out to Tara’s to go boating/water skiing. I left for work sometime near 830am.

I spent the lion’s share of my morning reviewing monthly reports prepared by a peer hoping to familiarize myself with his methodology, with the end goal being to keep the transition between he and I less obvious to the customer. Near 1pm I left for lunch making a trip to Home Depot where I picked up two plastic threaded male hose ends. One of the back yard garden hoses sprung a leak last week just below the sprayer. I browsed several other aisles not intending to pick-up/buy anything else. Instead, just killin’ time.

Was back at the office by 2pm where I enjoyed my packed lunch. Took care of a couple escalations and continued work with the new reporting. Sent brother Glenn a belated birthday greeting, but also sharing how hot it was going to be during his visit. Hard to believe he’s 54.

All in all, it was an easy afternoon. I talked with Mindy at some point during the afternoon. I think they had just arrived at Tara’s. She said she expected to be there for at least 3 hours. I hoped to leave the office a little early and did, but not by that much. I left for home at 445pm. Time sometimes just gets away from me.

When I arrived home I was surprised to see that Mindy and the kids were already back home. According to Bella, Mindy was in the shower. Glancing out back I saw about 15-20 geese nesting/eating my nearly ruined back lawn. I headed out with my bb gun. This time, instead of one swift movement into the pond, the flock of geese scattered every which way. I went for an old 2X4 from under the shed and tossed it at a few of them trying to hide in the honeysuckle. I want them to fear and remember me, hoping they’ll think twice before resting and eating away at my yard.

It was a Jimaken night so we planned on dining at Barley’s as soon as he showed up. While waiting, I headed out to repair the leaky hose. It didn’t take me but 5 minutes. Not my first rodeo with hose repairs. Jim arrived around 520pm to pick-up the kids. I freshened up a bit before we left for Barley’s. I’m thinking that we got there by 545pm. I don’t think we’ve been in on a Jimaken Tuesday for at least a month. Jersey was tending bar, covering the shift for another.

I saw they had regular Centennial on tap. Not having had one for about two months, I was more than eager. Mindy, somewhat surprisingly, went with a Stone’s IPA. We ordered food after 20 minutes or so. Charlie showed up just after 6pm. We met he and his wife at Barley’s about a year ago. They live at Lake Choctaw right on the water. Mindy shared that she and the kids were just there that afternoon. Among other things, he shared the story of how they came about their first boat and ultimately deciding to move to Lake Choctaw.

We eventually ordered dinner, me going with KC wings, and Mindy ordering their daily special, chicken enchiladas. I asked for a 2nd Centennial and Mindy ordered a 2nd Stone IPA. Mindy talked to two Cols. Police officers who stopped in for food. My wings were perfect, cooked just the way I like them. Ten minutes before settling our tab, we ordered some chicken tenders with buffalo sauce and gates of hell sauce on the side to take home to Jacob. We paid our tab with a Barley’s gift card but left a cash tip.

We were on the road for home by 735pm. As soon as we got home I headed out to water flowers front and back. While I watered flowers, Mindy talked with Darwin and Connie. We were expecting them by anytime with the rented U-Haul to pick-up a few things we’d be taking with us to the Outer Banks. They’re leaving Wednesday morning (lucky them!).

The kids got home around 815pm. Jacob ran off to play with friends without even noticing the tenders we brought home from Barley’s. I finished watering then updated my vacation packing list with a few more items I thought of during the day. While on the computer I saw that the Reds and Bronson Arroyo had a no-hitter going against the Brewers heading to the 8th inning. I eventually headed to the family room where I tuned into the action on the TV. By then the no-hitter was gone and the score tied 3-3. However, the Reds scored another run in the bottom of the 8th inning to take the lead again.

I fell asleep until Darwin and family showed up with the trailer. We all headed out to chat. They had three of the four boys with them. The whole family was excited to be leaving the following morning for vacation. We chatted for about 15 minutes. Wished them safe travels. We’ll be catching up with them Saturday afternoon.

Back inside, I was eager to see if the Reds hung on and won. Yep, the 4-3 score held up. It was already after 930pm and Mindy was heading up to bed. I stayed up just a little bit longer but only until 10pm. I wanted a good night of sleep too. Good night half moon!

Fixin to Leave

I woke near 530am and despite feeling no where close to fully rested I rolled out of bed anyway. I wisely prepped coffee the night before so I was able to start calisthenics right away, or just after glancing out back at the weather. Looked clear and warm.

I completed 50 sit-ups then 50 push-ups. Felt good. I remembered to take a Naproxen before pouring some coffee. I read a few headlines but there wasn’t much going on in the world worthy of my undivided attention. I walked away for meditation near 605am. I did meditation from the livingroom for the first time ever. I finished up near 615am and moved directly to stretching. Stretching took little more than 5 minutes. I was dressed and ready for my run well ahead of 630am for the first time in a few weeks. I checked the temperature before heading out, it was a balmy 73 degrees. I was a little surprised that it was so warm since the day’s high wasn’t expected to leave the 70’s.

I ran the full 4.1 miles without incident and felt good head to toe. I finished the run and was back inside by 708am. David & Anita were already sitting on the deck enjoying coffee and tea while surfing the internet. I greeted them with a good morning but promptly headed back inside to start breakfast. Without asking I whipped up cheese omelets and whole wheat toast for all. They were both appreciative of the breakfast. They planned to head for home about the time I’d be leaving for the office.

I took Mindy some coffee after finishing breakfast asking if she planned to get up and see David & Anita off on their journey home. She looked exhausted, and I later learned that she’d been up most of the night feeling sick. It was near 8am when I returned downstairs after a shower. Mindy wasn’t too far behind.

We exchanged pleasantries & then goodbyes before seeing David & Anita off for home. We walked out to their car a few seconds behind them taking Eiknarf along intending to walk her immediately after they pulled away. We had a very enjoyable time but were both exhausted. We didn’t spend much if any of our time together simply relaxing. It was go-go-go Friday through Sunday.

Mindy talked about going back to bed as soon as I left for work. Said she didn’t fall asleep until 4am and was battling diarrhea. She blamed the raw tuna wrap she ate at the Rusty Bucket the evening before. Lovely! We figured to have a quiet house until Thursday when Glenn gets in town, but we’ll be prepping for vacation most of the week too. I enjoyed a little more coffee before heading off for work at 830am.

I stayed busy all day joining what seemed like endless conference calls. And when I wasn’t on a call I was dealing with escalations. I was really sleepy for some reason. At lunch time, instead of heading somewhere, I closed my door and took a 10-15 nap. The brief nap was good but I felt like I could’ve slept all afternoon.

I talked with Mindy near 1pm. She shared that she slept most of the morning away and still didn’t feel well. Said she’d likely nap some more. I reminded her about making an appointment to have the brakes and tires done at the dealership. Said she’d call later that afternoon.

I stayed busy at the office until 515pm when I finally left for home. In the back of my mind was the fact that the grass really needed cut. I was kicking myself for not finding time to get it done over the weekend. What’s more, I’ll most likely be cutting it again Thursday evening. I contemplated holding out until then, but it’s too long now. The one bright spot was that the temperature was only around 76 degrees with low humidity.

I arrived home around 540pm. Mindy was fresh out of the shower after sleeping much of the afternoon away. The house wasn’t a mess by any stretch, but I could tell Mindy hadn’t picked up. Looked pretty much like it did when I left that morning, the lone exception being the hand prints all over the back door glass, which is something that drives me through the wall. Almost on queue, Bella let the neighbors’ two Jack Russell’s in to play with Eiknarf. I wasn’t in the mood for the doggie chaos and opened the door to shew them as quickly as they dashed inside. Chester wasn’t happy about leaving. He was enjoying a doggie treat by the table. When I picked him to put him on the deck he proceeded to pee all over me and the tile floor. According ot Mindy, this is something he does frequently. Oh boy!

Both kids headed out to play while Mindy worked on wrestling something up for dinner. I opted for the other half of my leftover reuben. She shared that she received a text from David indicating that they were already home. I checked my phone and saw that I had a similar text. Both kids were back from play to have dinner. I noticed that Bella was wearing Jacob’s flip-flops. When asked why she shared that she left hers at Chrissy’s place, which is a habit that’s getting out of hand. I told her to stop eating and go get them. She then shared that she couldn’t because they weren’t home. We told her she’d be buying her next pair with her own money.

Still really sleepy, as soon as I finished my sandwich and helped clean-up the kitchen I stumbled to the chair for a quick nap. Mindy planned on running Bella to gymnastics and then stopping at Target to pick-up a few things. The verdict was still out on whether or not I’d be cutting the lawn.

Mindy & Bella headed out around 652pm just about the time I was dosing off after reading a few pages. I slept for at least 20 minutes, maybe a little longer. I woke and sat quietly for a few minutes but fell back asleep. I woke again around 740pm and finally mustered the energy to head out and get started on the lawn. I changed into sweat shorts and a t-shirt first. I was surprised at how cool it was. It couldn’t have been much more than 70 degrees with a cool breeze.

I was a little angry with myself when I realized that I was all but out of mower gas. I had enough to do all the push mowing, which I planned to do first. Jacob and Lane were out front playing on their scooters as I got started. I set the blade at the halfway point between the two settings I normally use and cut the entire front. I was further aggravated when I noticed how dry and spindly the front lawn looked despite watering every day. And then there were the numerous piles of goose crap. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

After finishing the front and the steeps out back, I grabbed my wallet, gas can, and Accord keys and headed off for the Circle K, but not before stopping by Alex’s house where Jacob, lane and AJ were hanging out. I asked Jacob to walk down to the pond and get our good football out of the pond. I also asked who/how the weeping willow stump got tossed in the pond. He blamed it on Evan.

I decided to fill the Accord while I was there. Gas was as cheap as it’s been in several months, only $3.25 per gallon. Between the Accord and gas can I bought about 20 gallons. I sat the gas can next to the garage side entry door and went for the tractor. It wouldn’t start. Completely out of gas. I had to go after the gas can and fill-up the Deere while it sat in the shed. I mowed with the tractor in a hurry.

As soon as I was done mowing I watered all the flowers front and back. They all looked thirsty. I soaked them good. Mindy and Bella were home around 840pm. They heard me hollering for Jacob – thought I was angry. I was hollering because I thought he was up in his room. His bike was in the garage. Mindy asked why I wanted him. I explained that I sent him for the football in the pond 20 minutes prior then left for gas. The football was still in the pond but Jacob no where to be found.

About that time along came Jacob. I walked back to point our where the football was in the pond. It was tucked neatly against some large rocks, admittedly hard to see. He fetched it. After the watering was complete and the football safely back home, I reprogrammed the irrigation system with 50% longer run times in almost every zone and then kicked it on for a manual cycle. Since the middle of May we’ve had only about an inch of rain. That’s about 5 to 6 inches below normal.

While the irrigation system ran its course, I decided to take the opportunity to adjust the arc and spray on a number of the heads out front in an effort to cure some dry spots. I spent about 20 minutes doing that. It was almost 930pm by the time I headed inside for the night. As cool as it was, it’s expected to get really hot as the week progresses. By some accounts, Thursday will top 100 degrees, and there isn’t any rain in sight through the 4th of July.

I felt a lot better after getting the lawn mowed and the irrigation system adjusted. I cleaned up a little then poured some ice water and headed to the chair to finish my newest book, The Drunkard’s Walk. Mindy talked with Darwin and agreed to let Jacob spend the night with Lane. She drove Jacob down after a quick shower. She shared that Darwin and family are leaving for the Outer Banks on Wednesday now, opting to spend two nights in a hotel before our house becomes available. Said he’s bringing the pull-behind U-Haul trailer by Tuesday night to get our bikes.

As soon as Mindy was back from dropping off Jacob she headed up for bed. Bella followed, but soon returned for snacks. I finished my book, not realizing how few pages I had left to read (long bibliography). I have two more books to dig into over vacation. I headed up to bed around 1030pm. Bella was lying in my spot snuggling with her momma. She headed for her own bed as soon as I jumped into bed. Good night moon!