Hop Odyssey - Creeper

Acknowledging the day that the EX turns 51 I slept rather soundly and woke pretty much on time. It was a little easier getting out of bed simply knowing that it was a Friday. Glancing out back, I could see clear skies overhead. I knew from the forecast that it was expected to be pretty darn cold, however, and it certainly looked that way. I completed calisthenics then spent some time on the PC. It was definitely cold. Only 12 degrees, but expected to climb into the low 30s later. Frankie and I headed out around 550a. I proceeded cautiously down the icy deck steps and then over the slick snow pack. Footing was once again at a premium. I stayed out with Frankie long enough for her to take care of business. We were both anxious to get back inside, me for coffee, and her for a treat. The coffee was quite good and it did its job waking me up. Come 605a I sat the coffee aside and moved on to meditation and stretching. Both went well. I took Mindy some coffee and the pug around 625a then headed out for a run just a few minutes later. Footing was touch and go depending on the street. Some were dry while others remained a solid sheet of smooth ice. I had to concentrate on the road immediately in front of me. I ran the full 4.1 miles with no issues (no car problems or falls). Mindy already had her Honda warming in the driveway. I gazed in just to make sure she had all the settings correct for a quick thaw. Inside, Mindy had my eggs ready and waiting. It was already time for her to depart. Our time together was brief. She reminded the kids to bus home as normal then left. I hustled off to the shower right after Mindy departed for school. I was ready seemingly in record time. I was back downstairs at 749am and quickly threw together my lunch just ahead of hollering for the kids. Mindy had apparently told the kids, especially Jacob to wear their snow boots. However, given that we had no more than a half inch on the ground I told them that they could skip the boots. Jacob, of course, was more than agreeable, but also shared that he would blame me if he got in trouble later.  We headed out for the bus at our usual time. Chrissy that she didn’t think they’d be skiing on Saturday. Have a lunch to go to that afternoon. While I certainly wanted ski, being on call would have to take precedence. After the bus left, and while the Trooper warmed, Frankie and I walked the sidewalk immediately in front of the house. She took another dump before we headed inside. I packed my gear and left for work at 815a. I listened to ESPN radio during the drive in. They were broadcasting from Dallas, the scene of Sunday’s super bowl. Sounded like they were hit with a decent snow storm overnight. They’ve already had to deal with the same ice storm that hit the Midwest. Probably not the weather they had hoped for, but what can you do? I parked out front. On the way to the elevator, I stopped by the reception desk to ask for my badge security code. After using the front entrance for past couple months, I have forgotten my access code once thought to be tattooed on my prefrontal cortex. The work day started off somewhat slow but picked up as the day wore on. I thought about Bob & Mary, who were starting their Utah ski vacation today. Lucky them! Since I’d be on-call over the weekend, I had to be keenly tuned into whatever could bite me through that same period. That always takes some of the shine off the weekend. I didn’t take a formal lunch break and ended up working until 6p. I talked with Mindy at some point during the afternoon just to let her know that I was running late. When I finally got out of the office I tried calling Ashley. Same as the time prior – got her generic VM. It was near 30 degrees as I made my trek home. The house was tidy and quiet, and the kids already gone with Jimaken. Mindy & I chatted briefly about our day as well as any evening plans. I suggested we pay a visit to CBC. After all, we were just at Barleys the night before. I didn’t want to hurry, however. I suggested we relax for an hour or so. I needed that. We readied and left around 720p. My hope was that the happy hour crowd would be nearly gone. It was a quick drive downtown to the brewery district and to CBC. The lot was packed, a sure sign that the bar would be the same. In fact, I could see that the bar was nearly full as we entered the lot (think glass front). Mindy spotted Kevin, perhaps the first CBC bartender we befriended some years back. We hadn’t seen him for at least 6 months, maybe longer. He’s a teacher by day. We spotted a couple open stools on the opposite side of the bar that we usually sit. We seized them in a hurry. Kevin was very busy but eventually greeted and served us. I went with their latest Hop Odyssey entry, Creeper, a triple hopped IPA. Mindy was bummed that they were out of the seasonal oatmeal stout she’d come to love. They were out of their 1859 Porter, too, her back-up. She went with a glass of wine instead. Kevin comp’d us a plate of their nachos. Not sure what happened, but I’m guessing someone ordered them then ditched. Nonetheless, they were quite good. Between the two of us, we ate the entire plate. Mindy didn’t stop there. She ordered their Walleye dinner special a few minutes later. I had a second Creeper and then a few bites of the walleye. It was very good. I think we left before 9p. Mindy picked up the tab. Like we often do, Mindy contacted the neighbors and asked if they were up for company. Chrissy was expecting Kenny home anytime. He apparently drove some important work equipment down to Alabama for repairs in preparation for a big upcoming job. I had no idea that he was out of town. He was home by the time we showed up. We took Frankie with us. Mindy and I both took a beer, me a Hop Slam, and Mindy one of her black chocolate stouts. I rode along with Kenny to fetch a pizza from Sporano’s. Of course, we ate none of it, having eaten earlier at CBC. We visited with the neighbors until 1030p or so. It wasn’t that late. We headed home and to bed. I checked in with work before heading upstairs. Things were fairly quiet.