Another nice day

A little insight into the coming vernal equinox ...

The first day of spring arrives on Tuesday, March 20 at 8:07 p.m. EDT. And just as we're welcoming spring, the southern hemisphere will welcome fall. At this time the Earth is tilting so that for the next six months, the majority of the sun's light will give its longest and most direct rays to the northern half of Earth. The word equinox is derived from French and means "equal night".

And while we're at it, let's not forget about Easter, which is Sunday, April 8th. Remember, Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring. Read more about Easter here ... http://members.aol.com/MMichon/Easter2.html

I slept until 5:45am when I casually rose from bed and made my way down the stairs. My waking was timed closely to the sounding of Mindy’s alarm but not attributed to it.

Before I began my workout, I glanced out the deck door to witness sporadic cloud cover, but still a visible moon. Feeling the comfort of another warm day, I began my workout. It wasn’t long before my morning calisthenics were behind me & Ykraps and I were out the door. I wore a light jacket but even that felt a little too thick. Out the door I wasn’t sure of the temperature. It was unseasonably but delightfully warm.

Mindy was readying herself for school when I returned and delivered her coffee. She reported Bella now having a fever and complaining of feeling cold, and having a headache – similar symptoms to what Jacob reported days earlier. She asked if there was anyway I could work from home again today. I had to decline. Later, as I was doing food prep, she reported Bella having a 104 degree temperature. She called Jane, her principal, and begged out of school for yet another day. Jacob, as it turns out, was feeling a little rough again this morning, too. Holy Rota!

I carried on with my day while Mindy tried hopelessly to comfort Bella. She was doing what sounded like a winy chant. After eating our breakfast and heading up the stairs for a shower, Mindy asked that I try to comfort her. I tried but to no avail. I felt her head but didn’t think she felt all that warm. She continued her chanting.

I showered and dressed in short order. Mindy checked Bella again and thought that she still felt hot, but did conceded that the Motrin may have already kicked in. I gathered my gear & loaded the Trooper for the go. I had lots of extra stuff to take along today. First, I had to take the crock pot full of taco meat for the Mexican potluck, my passport folder, and our wedding photo CD. I had a lot of extra curricular activities planned.

As luck would have it, it began to rain, but not too heavy. I made it to the Upper Arlington Post Office by 8:05am. They are listed as a full-service passport agency. There was only one other gentleman in line. As it turned out, he was getting a passport too. When I heard them ask him for his birth certificate I knew that I wouldn’t be getting mine done today since I didn’t bring mine. I had forgotten about that part. But since I was there I asked for clarification on everything I would need and the total cost. I already have the completed application form. What I still needed were: passport photos, which they would do for $15. Yikes! Also, I would need to handover my birth certificate & another official form of ID (driver’s license), and $187.50 if I wanted it expedited (returned in 4 weeks). The alternative to the expedite was up to a ten week wait which pinches right up against our proposed travel dates. The recent passport rule changes have pushed the timelines out by about three weeks for each alternative due simply to volume. So, I didn’t get done what I intended but left knowing what I had to do.

I arrived at work by 8:15am. The sky was already showing signs of brightening and it smelt like rain and worms – a sure sign of spring. The morning went delightfully fast as runtime was upon in very short order. This was helped along by our regularly scheduled staff meeting. It lasted until 12:25pm. When I left for my run it was 62 degrees. I decided to wear my wind shirt in addition to my running short and long running pants. I didn’t get a mile into my run before the sun broke out and the temperature and humidity rose quickly. Suddenly it was very nice, and I was a bit over dressed. I managed, however.

I returned from my run to the smell of a Mexican potluck. But to my dismay, all 6 lbs of the taco meat my peer and I brought was already gone. Not to fret, however. I resorted to Matt’s chicken concoction. After woofing down a quick burrito I grabbed my keys and left for the Tuttle mall Cord Camera. It’s literally minutes away.

At Cord I asked about passport photos. They do them for $10. I conceded. Next, I gave them my wedding photo CD and asked for prints. I mentioned that I wanted all 4x6 prints unless the file was names 5x7. Simple enough, right? For the first time, the young lady told me that I am supposed to use their in-store PC to order them. We debated that back and for the to a point where she finally caved and said she’d do it. We walked over to the wall where the passport photo shots take place. She used a prehistoric Polaroid. I paid her the $10 and she boxed my passport photos in a cute little Cord folder for safe keeping. She said my wedding photos would be ready by 6pm, but would’ve been done earlier had I simply followed her original instructions & entered them myself at the photo kiosk.

I returned to work where I was 15 minutes late for a meeting. No panic, however. I got up to speed quickly. The rest of the afternoon went fast, too.
It was 5pm before I knew it. I left just after 5:10pm. My first stop was Wal-Mart to pick-up another bottle of Motrin for the kids – per Mindy’s request.
And since I was over three, I stopped in Best Buy to buy Mindy her MP3 player sports case. I found one that appeared more conducive to running and it was $7 cheaper than mine. I figured I’d negotiate a trade once home.
After Best Buy and Wal-Mart it was 5:40pm. I was at Cord five minutes later. It’s just down the road. My pictures were ready. The total cost was $70 some dollars – about $20 more than I anticipated. However, I didn’t dare complain after what I put that poor girl through. I paid and took my 160 photos to the Trooper.

Once in the Trooper I took a few minutes to check out a handful of the photos. First, I checked the 5x7’s. There were 14 of them. I found that strange since I was certain there were less than ten. In the envelope I found several were doubled for no apparent reason. Again, I didn’t dare go back in and complain since I refused to use the self-service kiosk. The photos I checked were nicely done. I took the back way home form Tuttle Blvd. after hearing of a fatal crash at I-70 & I-270 west. Traffic was said to be backed up all over the area. That choice was an effective one. I was at Trabue and Old Dublin Rd in just over 7 minutes. Unfortunately, Trabue was backed up all the way from that intersection to the light at Wilson Rd. It took another ten minutes to go the last mile.

Mindy had already eaten by the time I arrived home. Despite her preparing a nice meal, I just wasn’t hungry after eating a late lunch via the potluck. I had two large chicken & rice burritos. My tummy was still heavy from lunch. Mindy had already walked Ykraps. They were attacked by the neighbor’s dog, Duke. In his attempt to pull away, Ykraps escaped his collar.

I had several things to organize when I got home. I had to get my running clothes in the dryer, organize my passport folder for tomorrow, give Mindy her new MP3 case, and review the wedding photos. Wasting little time, I got moving on my to-do’s immediately. While I began reviewing the wedding photos, Jimaken showed up to visit the kids. Since they were ill, he opted to simply visit at our home for a short while in lieu of his usual Wednesday night dinner with them. That went well. I like to see the positive interaction between all of us. It’s very healthy for the kids.

After reviewing all the photos, I finally let Mindy have a peek. :) While she reviewed them more thoroughly, I went to the basement to finish tacking up the new electrical circuit I installed just the night before. That took all of about ten minutes. Soon I was back upstairs. Jim was already gone and Mindy was ready to bathe the kids. While they bathed I blogged. After the read 7 tuck Mindy and I reviewed several of the wedding photos together. We placed them in an extra photo album we got at Xmas time. In addition, we placed some of the doubles in the wedding album that her mother got for us.

At 9pm we tuned into American Idol to see who was getting dumped. The show was a quick half hour and featured Diana Ross. She’s 63 years old now. We watched a little of the lame comedy that immediately followed Idol. We headed to bed at 10pm. Mindy had to wake me after closing the windows and securing the home. But once we were in bed I was wide awake. I went down to read at 10:20pm. I read for almost an hour, or until I began falling asleep. Reading always works!

Sunny & 75

I was up at 5:35am even though I really didn’t need to be. Mindy had already planned to stay home with Jacob to allow him one more day to fully recoup from his illness. That translated into a time savings for me. But I was all about getting my morning going. A glance out the back deck door revealed a clear sky, a beautiful quarter moon, and lots of stars. The expected high was supposed to hit 75 degrees! You might say it’s late spring in early March.

Today, I expect, will be the end of the lingering snow still on the ground from all the way back to January 21st when we got the seasons first appreciable snow fall. And while we had a clean break between that and other snow falls, it never fully melted before another heap fell.

I went about my morning routine like most others. I was ready to depart for work by 7:35am. I left for work around 7:45am. The sun was blood red as it rose above the horizon. It was absolutely beautiful. And by the time I arrived at work and the first hour rolled by, the first 70 degree day of the year was officially underway.

Mindy was home with the kids and called on five different occasions for various reasons - all before 1pm. I don’t think she realizes how involved my work is, and I am definitely not used to having so much interruption in the flow of my work day. I encouraged her not to call so much and to get the kids outside since the day was so beautiful. At some point she did.

I left for my run at 12:45pm sharp! It was already over 70 degrees under sunny skies. I ran in shorts for the first time all year. The air even smelt warm, and there wasn’t a hint of a chill in the air. It was incredible! I found the huge mounds of snow in the Hilliard high school parking lot rather amusing given the supremely warm weather. But by the looks of those piles, they’ll be there for some time to come.

The afternoon went quickly. Mindy called a couple more times. Geesh! I left work right at 5pm. I stopped at Home Depot with plans to get a ceramic lighting fixture and junction box to extend the basement lighting over to the new shelf area. Currently the existing lighting is blocked by the I-beam (poor design). I found what I needed in short order. The materials cost only $5.

At home Mindy was busy cooking our dinner. She made pork chops. She would’ve preferred to cook out on the grill but we were, and remain, out of propane. I’ll have to take care of that another day, although today would've been a great grill out day. I walked Ykraps soon after my bags hit the floor. The kids seemed well this evening, although Jacob looked a little flush in the face again. Some kids, just like cock roaches, were in our backyard fishing in the pond. They tossed Mindy's gazing ball into the pond by accident - sorta. I let out a big ol' westside yell. They quickly scrambled to fetch it out of the murky water then scadaddled! Maybe they'll stay away for good! In addition to kids fishing, the geese were back. Ah, spring!

Mindy and the kids went for a little walk after dinner while I finished cleaning up the kitchen and started making the taco meat for tomorrow's potluck. I also enjoyed a piece of my cheesecake, and burned our wedding photos for print to CD. Of course, they were back well before I finished those tasks. After we got the kids tucked into bed I went to the basement to install the new porcelain light fixture over the new shelving. That took about 40 minutes, but I didn't fastened the electrical wire to the floor joists so to avoid making more racket that could wake the kids. The light was operative, however. I figured I'd fasten it down Wednesday evening.

I returned to the PC where I finished my work there including updating my blog. We watched American Idol until 10pm when we went to bed. And unlike the last few nights, I fell asleep in short order.

Mary Tyler Moore & the Rotavirus

I was up somewhere around 2am after hearing a faint wining coming from down the hall. I asked Mindy if she could hear it but she was unresponsive. After another minute or two I heard it again, only this time I followed up. I found Jacob huddled at the foot of his toilet moaning & groaning and readying to spew any moment. I attempted to comfort him and told him I’d get whatever he needed. He asked for fresh water. I got him some. I laid on the hallway floor until he told me that I might as well go back to bed. I did.

A while past before he was at it again. This time Mindy got up to comfort him. I think she gave him medicine, but I can’t be sure. Sometime between then and my get up time she asked if I would stay home from work with him, something I haven’t done – ever – for anyone! I went back to sleep. I slept till 6:15am when both Mindy and I rose to our feet at the same time. That was too funny.

I went downstairs to prepare for the morning like always. I exercised and walked Ykraps. After returning home I booted up my laptop and sent a message to my boss letting him know that I would be working from home while tending to Jacob. I also notified my team.

Mindy had already stated that there was no need to pack her lunch or make breakfast. I did pack her some nuts, however. She and Bella departed at their usual time – about 7:20am. For the time being, Jacob remained asleep in his bed. Mindy wrote him a note before leaving saying that she was sure he’d wake and want her. She knows him all too well.

I made good use of the time gathering all of my 2006 tax paperwork. Come 8am I began interacting with my team albeit remotely. Aside from the personal interaction, I can do my job rather well from home. On and off I pulled up my tax software of choice and began plugging in my numbers. The process went quickly.
About that time Jacoby woke crying for his momma! Uh-oh! No mommy here! I gave him the note and tried comforting him. He insisted on calling his momma. She instructed me to give him medicine – Oh no, not codeine!

After chilling on the couch he asked for water and movie, and eventually even some toast. I obliged. He mentioned having an awful headache. He went in and out of sleep. Around 12:30 I readied for my daily run. He was not happy about me running but eventually agreed but insisted I try to make it back in twenty minutes. I knew all along it would be thirty but didn’t want to upset him more. I told him I’d try.

When I returned he was upset stating that I was gone too long. He asked if he could call his momma. Sure. He called Mindy. She asked me to give him another dose of medicine in about 30 minutes. Thirty minutes passed and I gave him the second dose. Not too long after that he woke asking for more food – pop-tarts. I knew then that he must be feeling better. He was.

Around 2:30pm I took a break from work. I put up a mini-backboard up for our basement basketball hoop. While shooting hoops, Jacob came down. He wanted to play. Now I was certain that he was feeling better.

Not too long after we returned upstairs, Mindy came home from school with Bella in tow. Although feeling better, Jacob was thrilled to see his momma. I continued working until just before 5pm. At 5pm I took to my reading chair to read and nap. When I woke some time around 5:45pm I took a shower then walked Ykraps.

Mindy made herself a bunless burger and warmed my leftover Mitchell’s filet mignon & scalloped taters. It was still very scrumptious! For dessert I had a big piece of my cheesecake. It was much better today after spending the last 20+ hours in the fridge.

After dinner we played with the kids for over an hour. Later, while Mindy readied them for bed, I got started with editing the wedding shots to 4x6”. That took about two hours. Mindy picked about 110 pictures, and I created another 30 within those. At night’s end, I had only to burn to CD. I’ll do that tomorrow or Wednesday.

After exchanging back crackings via our feet, we headed off to bed. But after struggling to fall asleep, I got up and went back downstairs to read. That always helps me sleep. I ate a bowl of popcorn while reading, too.

Winter Goals ... all but done

The bedroom clock said 8:05am, but since it was thirty minutes fast I knew that it was really 8:35am. It was really 8:35am because of daylight savings time’s return. As much as I prefer the longer evening light, I often dread the return for the difficulty in waking. Plus, this year having it three weeks early seems so strange. Talk about being thrust from the grips of winter right into spring!

I had placed fresh water in the coffee maker but had purposely left the coffee out – not wanting it to set needlessly overnight. The only trouble with that was I didn’t suspend the auto brew feature so we had a pot of steaming hot water for the ready. Not fully convinced it was hot (don’t’ know what I was thinking) I poured some over my hand as I dumped it into the sink. Ouch! Yes, I burnt my fingers! Soon, a new batch of coffee was on the horizon.

I whipped out my sit-ups, push-ups, and curls. I was out the door with Ykraps.before 9am. The morning was beautiful. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. But there was a thin layer of frost about the lawn and covering the windows of my Trooper. It was chilly. Mindy expressed an interest in me attending church along with her but I declined, wanting instead to fetch the plywood and finish the shelving project mid-afternoon. She understood and dropped it.

Because of daylight savings time, it felt as though the morning was flying by. It was 9:45am before we knew it. Mindy begged off to the shower and I readied for a run. I asked if we could swap vehicle to make picking up the ply wood easier. She was more than willing. I would simply hope to avoid anyone I knew for her van being so incredibly filthy! I left for my run by 9:50am. I kept today’s run inside the subdivision for no other reason than change. It was a lovely run with music filling my ears. As I rounded third and was heading for home, I happened upon Mindy darting off to church. She stopped the Trooper and waved me over. She asked if I had been in the Trooper rummaging for anything. I had not. Then someone broke in, she stated, because she found the glove box open and all the storage cubbies contents strew about the vehicle. Nothing was missing, however. We both surmised that something must have spooked them away and that we must have inadvertently left it unlocked. I felt blessed to have nothing missing.

She went on and I ran the rest of the way home. Before going in the house I surveyed the drive looking for any clues of forced entry, but found nothing. I made quick work of breakfast and began sorting through my day. I had to make a cheesecake for later at Gloria’s and had to run to Home Depot to get plywood. In the end I decided it best to get the cheesecake in the oven before setting out on my journey. My decision was based mostly on the length of time the cheesecake needs to cool after baking.

It took almost an hour to get the cheesecake oven ready. Before placing it in I made sure I was well prepared for my trip to Home Depot. I needed to ensure that I’d be home before the one hour timer expired. I left for Home Depot and was there in a hurry (about ten minutes). And because I am blessed, I found the plywood I wanted for a more than reasonable price, found an attentive employee to make the necessary cuts, and was on my way after spending only 15 minutes, tops, in the store. I had them cut one 4x8 sheet in half making two 2x8 sheets. The other I had them rip like the first but then make cuts at 55” and another at 32”. If my calculations were correct, the pieces would fit on the shelf framing like a puzzle, and would require nothing but fastening with screws. I loaded the plywood pieces in the minivan and left for home. I was back sometime near 12:40pm. A quick check of the timer revealed 19 more minutes of bake time. Mindy pulled up the same time I did and offered to help carry the plywood. I did it myself. I made three trips, carrying each piece to its actual place on the framing. After I got it all unloaded, I turned my attention towards the cheesecake until it was out of the oven. I let it cool in the rack for a short while then placed it up on the stove where it needed to set for 30 minutes before refrigerating. I went to the basement to finish the shelves.

I fastened the plywood shelving in about fifteen minutes. I spent the next 45 minutes making the braces/legs for added support/strength. An hour or so later I had finished the project to design. Perfecto! I felt a sense of accomplishment as I wrapped up. My goal was to have the project done before the nice weather hit & I was successful. The only remaining major “winter” goal is to complete my tax return!

The kids arrived home from their weekend with dad around the usual 3pm. Jacob, as we already knew, was very sick. Apparently he’d been throwing up and had a fever. He didn’t look too good. Bella, on the other hand, was fine. The afternoon sunshine was strong and warmed things considerably, although it was only about 55 degrees. We hung out and played on the deck.

Around 3:30pm I topped the somewhat chilled cheesecake and placed it back in the fridge. It looked awesome! Everyone’s bringing a dish to Gloria’s. We were in charge of dessert. I took a shower and was ready for dinner at Gloria’s by 3:50pm. We left just after 4pm.

We arrived around 4:15pm. Craig & Jeff were already there. We hadn’t seen them in nearly three weeks, or since the “Family Feud” incident. They just returned from an eight day trip to St Barts, where they rubbed elbows with the likes of Ashley Judd, Jimmy Buffett, and Nicole Kidman. They told of a fabulous time. Jody, Larry, Lynn, and Joe soon arrived. They waited until halftime of the Big Ten championship game to come over. But we already figured as much. I hadn’t seen them for three weeks either, although Mindy had. Finally, everyone planning to attend was present.

Many of the dishes needed to be heated so we didn’t eat until almost 5pm. As a main course, we were finally having that baked chicken Gloria once cooked all day in a non-working oven (that’s the day we fetched pizzas last minute). Jody made corn pudding, Jeff made potato casserole, and someone else made scalloped potatoes. Everything was very delicious! After dinner Jacob convinced me to go out back and play a little basketball. We didn’t play too long because after he took a pass in the gut he returned to the house in tears. Oops! After all, He was still under the weather.

Back inside Mindy got dessert ready for everyone. It was good too, although the cheesecake wasn’t completely set and cooled. It really requires setting/chilling overnight. After dessert everyone retired to the living room until Bella had a bit of a meltdown. After a few minutes Mindy was convinced we needed to go. I tried to calm Bella but she was beyond repair for the time being. We opted to depart.

Even though it was already 7pm it was still very bright. The minute we got home I took Ykraps on his evening walk. He was more than eager to go. When we returned, Mindy was already getting the children into bed. After a family tuck, Mindy and I settled in the living room wing chairs where we talked a long while. We made calls to my dad, Lindsey, Ashley, Pat & Lisa, and then Tommy. Most notably, my dad reported Sheila still being in the hospital trying to gain enough strength to be moved to rehab.

Mindy headed to bed around 9:30pm. I read for short while before heading up myself.

Cellar Dweller

After four beers I slept rather poorly. In fact, I woke several times throughout the night tossing & turning. At one point I thought that I might wake awfully sick. But since I was wise enough to take a couple Advil before going to bed, I simply needed to rack up a few more hours of rest. By the time I felt good enough to get up & get moving it was 7am – still plenty early for a weekend day.

I started a pot of coffee and began my exercise regiment. After the sit-ups were completed I was wide awake and motivated. By 7:30am Ykraps and I were taking our morning walk. It was cloudy but very warm. The temperature was 51 degrees. I guess the clouds held all the warmth from Friday afternoon close to the ground. It was forecasted to remain warm through mid next week but today was scheduled to be rainy.

I had the next couple of hours all to myself while Mindy got her beauty sleep. While she slept, I got caught up on my blog. It rained lightly through the early morning hours. Mindy finally joined me somewhere between 9:30 & 10am. After hanging out over coffee, I readied for a run and left around 10:30am. I took the Trabue Rd route. I had a most enjoyable run.

I was back a little after 11am. Mindy had breakfast almost ready. According to Mindy, we were having maple bacon and Mexican eggs. But I couldn’t tell the difference between these and American eggs. My first thought was that the Mexican eggs might be brown, but that wasn’t the case at all. They were white, too. However, they did taste different. They were spicy! Although, that might have been due to the onions, peppers, and salsa, not sure! :)

It was nice to have a quiet house this morning, a stark contrast to those Saturday mornings when we have the children. I didn’t say for certain, but I thought I might finally get started on the basement storage shelves. The lumber’s been setting idle down there for at least three weeks. Meanwhile, Mindy marveled about having a “tabula rasa” – a blank slate. She talked of tanning, shopping, doing the church altar, and possibly stopping at Kroger. While she showered I headed to the cellar to see about getting started on my project. I wasn’t fully committed to spending my entire day down there, however.

The first thing I did was mark lines on the block where the lower supporting 2x4s would be mounted. That went well. I checked the markings with a level. Next, I removed the fiberglass insulation from the upper half of the basement walls where the upper shelf would mount. I rolled it up and carried it to the trash. I decided to move forward and try mounting the 2x4s to the block with 3” concrete sleeve anchors. This was the part I was most concerned about. The entire project rested on this working, andi had never used this type of anchor system before. The trick was holding the 2x4 horizontally while drilling the initial hole with a wood bit. My hope was to make enough of a mark in the concrete block to indicate where to drill with the 3/8” masonry bit. It worked well.
Having never used this anchor system before I wasn’t sure how to proceed but figured it out. As luck would have it, I stripped the first anchor rendering it useless. But without losing my cool I tried another and it worked flawlessly. The anchors, once bolted in, held the 2x4s tightly against the block wall and are specified to hold/support lots of weight. I proceeded to mount the remaining framing with little to no trouble. I was very pleased.

Phase two included hanging the supporting joists via hangers, and then the outer 2x4s making the framing complete. That went surprisingly well, too. The entire framing project took me about 4 hours. I’ll chalk it up to excellent planning.

While I toiled in the cellar, Mindy cleaned the house. And in addition to the routine stuff, she did the tedious tasks like dusting & washing the bedding. She left around 3-3:30 to complete her errands. She spoke of being gone for about 2 hours. I cleaned up my work area in the basement, did some reading, & took a nap. Mindy was home by 5:30pm. We had dinner reservations for 8:30 at Mitchell’s – plenty of time.

The weather surprised us. It cleared up mid-afternoon and the sun shined brightly warming us up well beyond the expected high. At 6:30pm I jumped in the shower to groom for a night out. Mindy showered earlier so all she had to do was change clothes. We enjoyed a beer & a glass of wine before leaving the house. We had plenty of time. We left the house just after 7:30pm.

We parked a couple blocks from Mitchell’s. The evening air was much cooler after the sun faded. Mindy was a tad cool in just a dress and light sweater. And I must say, she looked stunning in her black wedding dress!

We were seated immediately upon arrival – a full 25 minutes early. We were seated in the same area we’ve sat each time we’ve been there. We pretty much knew what we wanted but took our time perusing the menu and wine list. I ordered a Columbus Pale Ale & Mindy ordered a Shiraz – no big surprise! Our waitress returned minutes later asking if one of us was a doctor as a customer had gone unconscious. Mindy retorted, no, but my brother is. He wasn’t there! ??? In the end, I was simply hopeful that it wasn’t from eating their calamari!!!

We ordered the calamari appetizer along with a bowl of lobster bisque, which we planned to share. For our entrees, we both ordered the filet Oscar. I ordered the 12 ounce and Mindy the eight. And for a side, I couldn’t pass on the jalapeño scalloped potatoes.

The arrival of our food and the attentiveness of our server was top notch – just as expected. Mitchell’s rarely disappoints! But truth be told, both of us thought that our filets were slightly over cooked. We didn’t complain. All in all, it was a very good meal. Because we we’re celebrating Mindy’s birthday, she received a dessert of her choice – gratis! Mindy selected chocolate lava cake. An older couple next to us overheard Mindy mention her b-day and wished her well. Of course Mindy saw that as opportunity to open full dialogue. And by the time I returned from the bathroom, they knew everything about one another. They wished us well on our marriage too! They were celebrating their 18th anniversary.

We left for home just before 10pm, but not before having Suzzane box up our delectable leftovers. It was an even chillier walk back to the Trooper. We were home about 8 minutes later – a quick drive. Good thing, too, because I had to pee! We secured the home then headed off to bed with our bellies full of food.

A Delightful Friday

I woke in unison with Mindy's alarm. My ego won't allow me to become its victim. I'm just too proud. I felt great and even had an extra little jump in my step. It was Friday and if the weather prognosticators were correct, it was going to be a lovely spring-like day.

I did my usual round of exercise and chores. And by the time it was coffee time, Mindy was just making the bed. I placed her coffee on her lingerie dresser & gave her a quick hug. She reported feeling much better. Back downstairs.

I read the Daily OM, checked email, and read the headlines.. It was 6:33am - time to get on food prep. Food prep would once again be brief since on Mindy's direction, I wouldn't be packing her anything but fruit and no breakfast. I was done my 6:50am and sat to eat my eggs. The kids were up and in good spirits. I had promised Jacob that I would play basketball Thursday night but we never did. To help make up for it, at 7:05 I told him we could play for about 8 minutes. He was excited about it. So play we did. We played until 7;15am. Mindy called to let us know it was time. We tied 14 -14. ;)

Mindy looked a lot better and was wearing a warm-up suit to work. Her eyes still looked a little sleepy, however. I hurried off to the shower. I was back downstairs all ready to go by 7:37am. Decision time! I grabbed the BM'er keys and went to the garage. If the BM'er started, I was driving it to work even if it was only 29 degrees. It was expected to reach 55 and remain sunny & clear all day. It was beautiful. The BM'er started right up. I let her warm in the garage for a while. In the meantime, I took several pictures off the back deck. I left for work at 7:48am. With the seat warmers and the heater vents aimed at my hands, It was a fun & comfy drive into work.

Work was much better than I envisioned. We maintained the edge over the workload all morning long, something that doesn't always happen, especially on Friday's. Mindy emailed mid-morning to let me know that she was getting sleepy and would be taking a nap in the teachers lounge. The spring-like day continued to unfold. It was 55 and sunny when I left for a run. I scrapped the middle layer for the first time in a long, long while. And while running I realized I really could've scrapped the jacket too. It was warm and sunny! There wasn't the slightest hint of chill in the air for the first time in an awfully long time. When I got back to my office I saw that it had topped 60 degrees. In fact, it was 63. Everyone was abuzz over the weather.

We worked hard to stay on top of things all afternoon. I saw that the Buckeyes beat Michigan in the Big Ten basketball tournament quarter finals this afternoon. Wahoo! Come 4pm my attention turned toward the weekend. I was excited about the prospect of a quiet, relaxing, kidless weekend coupled with decent weather. Incidentally, the forecast calls for spring-like warmth through mid-week next.

I left for home just after 5pm. I was eager to get out in the sunshine and in my BM'er. The drive home temperature was 64 degrees! I took the scenic drive home down Old Dublin Rd - just west of the river. It was nice. The house was quiet and clean when I arrived home - the makings of a good Friday evening. Mindy and I walked Ykraps together. She reported that her and the kids had a ball this afternoon playing in the backyard. However, she pointed out that Bella cut her hand on Ykraps' dog leash. Only Bella!

Mindy wanted to sneak in a nap before heading out for the evening. That was fine with me. I thought that I might do the same but instead, spent the time reading, writing, and guitaring. A young adult dropped by requesting our help with a campaign to get Georgia Pacific, who operates chemical plant on the Southeast side, to update their handling of toxic wastes and take care of nearby residents whose water supplies have been tainted with chemical seeping into the ground. We didn't give money but agreed to write a letter. I wrote the letter while Mindy napped.

At 7pm I woke Mindy for the ready. While Mindy primped, I spent a few minutes reviewing my tax documents. Holy Shit! I might have to hire a professional given all the financial maneuvers I made this past year.

We left for Barley's at 7:25pm. We wanted to get there a little earlier than usual since Mindy was still tired. That way we could enjoy ourselves and be home around 10pm. The place was moderately crowded but not too bad. Mindy got a seat at the bar right off. I stood. I had firkin - ESB. The new 42" flat panels were up as was the new 10' projection screen. They had nothing but basketball whirling. Mindy ordered food right away. I held off for not being that hungry. She had potato & herb encrusted cod served with broccoli.

Bob Imber arrived somewhere close to 8:30pm. Mary Ann was working and his in-laws were in town. He invited them along but they declined. They spent their Friday night party energy at Bob Evans a bit earlier. :) As the evening wore on Rick showed. Mark had been there all along. Courtney & Jeremy were again missing in action, although Mindy knew why. They were in Florida/Georgia for a conference. We met some new folks - Ann & Josh who just moved here from Minneapolis. They seemed to fit in well. Over the course of the evening I had three or four beers. I was feeling no pain come 10pm. I had the firkin ESB and two IPA's. About 30 minutes before leaving I ordered a chicken quesadilla. I needed to eat!

We left for home at roughly 10:20pm. Mindy drove. At home Mindy insisted on a hot tub. Hot tub we did. I felt great. It was an ideal night for such activity. We went to bed at 11:30pm.

Vomitous Night

I was up Thursday morning at what's quickly becoming my new standard rise time - 5:45am. I have been sleeping more soundly than ever but seemingly requiring more sleep too. I have always assumed less sleep with age, but who really knows. What I do know is that I feel very rested.

Mindy, on the other hand, had a bad night. She was up at least three or four times throwing up, and she already declared this a sick day. From the sounds of it, she felt miserable - similar to how I felt last November. As I got out of bed she asked if I would take Jacob to school and Bella to Grandma Sharon's. I agreed to do the deeds. The one bright spot was that I would be able to save lots of prep time since I wouldn't be packing Mindy a lunch or making her breakfast.

I went through my usual paces - exercise, walk with Ykraps, and morning coffee all before 6:20am. I spent a little time on the PC and began making my food at 6:30am, just like always. I was finished eating by 6:45am and headed up for an early shower. I was a little worried about being incredibly late for work after dropping the kids but I was 30 minutes ahead of my usual schedule. I just did the right thing.

I left the house with Jacob and Bella in tow at 7:20am. The first stop was Grandma Sharon's to drop the peanut. Mindy scrawled rough directions for me to follow, but Bella assured me from the back seat that she'd guide us there. Somehow that wasn't comforting. :) First turn out of our subdivision she began exposing directions from her car seat, although leaving out key operatives relative to meaningful directions (right, left, west, east, and street names). instead, Bella guided me with, "turn here, go that way, etc". I found it amusing. Truly, I relied more heavily on Mindy's crude directions. Jacob pointed out the particular house once we were on her street.

It was 7:45am as we pulled out of Holly Hill in route to Monterey Elementary. Strangely, I was living Mindy's life, or so it seemed. The directions had us taking the back way in and I trusted that it was quickest since Mindy has done this for the better part of 12 years. I dropped Jacob at school between 7:55 & 8:00am. Done, now onto work!

I took Stringtown Rd to 71N then to 270W. Mindy called to inform me that we left Bella's clothes at home. She wasn't naked so I saw no harm. She'd simply have to remain in her pajamas all day. I arrived at work by 8:20am. Not too bad given all I had done this AM. I wouldn't sign up for this everyday, though. Geesh!

Work was swell, but nothing out of the ordinary. I left for my run at 12:45pm sharp. It was rather nice once again. I think it was about 40 degrees. The sun's moving ever higher in the sky. I had to really strain to catch a glimpse while running. I ran a bit faster than usual being pushed somewhat by another runner out on the trail.

The afternoon went fast, too. I talked with Mindy who was up around 3pm to got fetch the kids. She reported feeling a lot better but still very, very tired. No more vomiting or diarrhea.
When I got home from work the kids were anxious for my arrival. They let me know that their momma was back in bed all the while they played.

After addressing my chores I visited Mindy but kept my distance to avoid getting the bug. After all, I didn't want to spend my Friday or the coming weekend in a similar fix. She wasn't too pleased with my strategy. Instead, she wanted comfort & love. From my perspective she could have all the comfort & love she wanted but from fifteen feet! :) She had me pick up some chicken broth at Kroger on my way home. She asked me to make her some. I did.

She got up for a short while to eat & then bed the kids. She was back in bed herself just after 8pm. I had the evening to myself. I chose to blog, read, and play. I went to bed around 10pm.

Well Gee Wally!!!

The Vitals:

Born at 12:18pm
March 7th
18.5 inches long
5lbs 15 ounces
Mathew Joseph Wright (a.k.a. Wally)

Wally World

I hate to admit it but once again I was woken by Mindy’s alarm going off. But I was genuinely exhausted after such a long day Tuesday and really needed a full eight hours of sleep, so I wasn’t too hard on myself. I checked my phone, which I left bedside, just in case Tommy, my dad, or work called. Tommy was expecting a baby any minute, my dad at the hospital with Sheila, and work could’ve called to report winning the giant Mega Millions jackpot. Wishful thinking! There were no calls.

I quickly got moving with my morning by knocking out my exercise routine and Ykraps’ walk before 6:20am – 15 minutes behind my desired pace. Still, no reason for alarm. I decided not to check the lottery numbers until I got to work. And just as expected, Mindy was already well into her shower when I delivered her coffee, but she thanked me just the same.

I decided to make tuna salad for our lunches, and scrambled eggs topped with shredded marble cheese for breakfast. And just as I have all week, I headed off to the shower at 7:15am. I forgot to ask Mindy to walk on my back before heading up. Having her do so has dramatically improved the frequent spasms thus reducing the number of anit-inflammatories I’m taking – a classic case of treating the higher cause rather than the effect. I had plenty of time before leaving for work. I chose to play a little guitar.

I left the house at 7:45am and arrived right at 8:00am. It was spitting snow all the way into work. An hour later it was a total white out in Hilliard. We had an inch of snow on the ground when it cleared. But the high sun began breaking through around noon and it quickly melted. There was nothing but a few traces her and there during my run. My back was beginning to tighten something it hasn’t done in a handful of days. I made a mental note to be sure and have Mindy crack it tonight.

Tommy left a voice mail while I was out for my run that he and Heather gave birth to Mathew Joseph Wright (aka Wally) at 12:18pm. He’s 18.5” and weighs in at a paltry 5lbs - 15 ounces. I made plans to visit my step mom & now Tommy in the hospital tonight after work.

I left work ten minutes early to help facilitate the hospital visits. Mindy had already walked Ykraps and Jim picked up the kids as he does every Wednesday. The only change was asking him to keep them about a half hour longer. And as he often does, he willingly agreed. We left for the hospital by 5:30pm and arrived at Mt Caramel West at 5:39pm. I remember because we had to feed the meter enough coin to keep us legit till 6pm. We arrived at Sheila’s room to a closed door. We knocked and were told to com in. Her only visitors were her sisters. To our surprise, Sheila was gayfully chatting with someone on the phone and in much better shape than last night. Mindy and I both were completely dumbfounded! But this is what I intended last night. To see her last night then again this evening anyone would be astonished at the seemingly miraculous change.

Margie and Brenda ducked out while we visited. We had a comforting chat with Sheila who despite being a hundred times better was still drugged heavily. We were reminded of this as she frequently stopped talking mid sentence forgetting what she was talking about or that she was even talking in the first place. At one point she started taking off her clothes and apologized to us for it saying that she’s been doing that a lot for some reason. She laughed it off, and so did we. We were just happy she was coherent and cheerful.

We didn’t stay long. We left at 6:20pm for Mt Caramel East. It was 6:50pm when we parked at Mt Caramel East. What a difference a simple directional inference makes. This place is palatial compared to Mt Caramel West. We made our way to their room rather easily. They do have much tighter security, however. Wally was being held by his momma as we entered. Mindy quickly whisked him away. He was surprisingly alert for a new born, and seemingly looking all around following sounds and such. It was down right eerie. He looks exactly like Heather. There were no discernable ‘Wright’ features that I picked up on. But that often changes in short order. Come to think of it, he did have a miniscule member just like Tommy! :)

We snapped a few pics, gave them a gift, and each took a turn holding him. Heather looked like she needed sleep. We left at 7:15pm. It was 7:21 when we pulled out of the lot. Mindy called Jim to let him know that we were on our way. We gave him the garage code since he was already sitting in the drive. It was the least we could do.

We arrived home at about 7:45pm. It’s a relatively fast drive given the distance, but it is all freeway. After Jim departed Mindy and I quickly readied the kids for bed. We had them tucked in and lights out by 8:15pm. With a quiet house we each went about making ourselves a light snack. I hadn’t eaten again tonight. I was ravenously hungry, which his never good. While updating my blog I ate peanuts. But because I was so hungry I ate too many. While Mindy reviewed my jottings, just as she often does, I popped some popcorn which tasted so good.

We retired to our room a little after 9pm. As Mindy will atest, I was asleep in minutes.

Oh-oh - choose me - choose me

Here Jacoby's sporting his new short
haircut along with a variety of the
foods he had for dinner.



















If Bella comes at you with what
appears to be a fudge like substance
on her finger you'd better be askings
lots of questions and making some
quick observations.

It was a plain vanilla Tuesday – the second day of the work week. I was up before Mindy’s alarm and downstairs contemplating my day before 5:45am. I made quick work of my exercise routine and then leashed up Ykraps for the morning walk. I was surprised at just how cold it was. I didn’t where gloves since it’s been so relatively warm of late. Based purely on feel, I guessed it to be below 20 degrees.

Upon my return to the house I made coffee for both Mindy and I in our brand new coffee mugs. I took Mindy hers. She was just about to get in the shower. After returning downstairs I checked the actual temperature. To my surprise, it was only 13 degrees! No wonder my fingers were numb! I noticed too that the expected high for the day had been lowered since I last checked. Now, the expected high was only 28 degrees! So much for our mid-week warm-up. And now that I think about it, I guess it’s about that time of year when I start bitchin’ about the weather, especially now that I’ve gotten my winter vacation under my belt.

I went about my Tuesday like any other work day prep. I reminded Mindy, and myself for that matter, to stop and buy lottery tickets on the way to or from work, since tonight’s Mega Millions jackpot is over $350 million. I’ll already have a horse or two in race via a combined work pool but nothing like winning it all outright.

Again today, I headed up to the shower just as Mindy was loading the minivan with her stuff and the kids. I was ready to head out the door by 7:45am. I stopped by Thornton’s to buy lottery tickets. I spent $5. Once at work our lottery pool organizer was soliciting contributions for yet another stake. We won $150 back in November that already was carry forward with a list of about 90 contributors, plus, we won a few buck with last Friday’s 450 chances too. That meant we would have three lists of contributors from work each about with about 90 folks. That makes even the largest of winnings small by comparison. But who’s complaining!

Work was busy all morning long. I wasn’t able to escape for my run until almost 1pm. It had managed to warm-up to about 27 degrees by run time. But I figured with the sun shining I’d be just fine. To boot, there wasn’t much of a wind at all. And around these parts, that’s rare! My run went well. I thoroughly enjoyed myself on the trail.

After lunch I received a call from cousin Dodie detailing some not so good news about my step mother, Sheila. It seems she’s taken a turn for the worse. Apparently she’s been hospitalized since Sunday. She implied that I/we need to be getting up there to see her. It wasn’t five minutes and my dad called for similar reasons. Now when my dad calls you know it’s serious. He relayed similar news with slightly more detail. I called Mindy and asked that she secure child care so that we could visit the hospital after work. She ultimately got Ashley to do it, and picked her up on her way home from work.

As requested, I notified Tommy, Glenn, and my ex, Kelly via email. I called Tommy on his cell after sending the email. He had apparently just spoken with dad, too. He planned to be at the hospital this evening, but also warned that Heather might be going into labor. Holy crap!

After leaving work I stopped at Kroger to pick-up some beautiful flowers & a card for Sheila. Mindy walked Ykraps to minimize my to-do’s when I got home. That way we’d be able to leave sooner rather than later. When I arrived child care was already in place, the kids had eaten and the dog had been walked. I handed the flowers and vase to Mindy. She prepped the flowers minus the water. We’d add water once at the hospital. She showed me a card we received from our friends Courtney and Jeremy congratulating us on our marriage. They gifted us a $100 Mitchell’s gift card. Damn! That was awfully sweet!

Just as we were preparing to walk out the door my oldest daughter Courtney called, whom I haven’t talked to since at length for God knows how long. Although I did see her for a brief minute as we were entering the hospital last week to see Lindsey. She was looking for some financial help. I opted out for not wanting to enable her. The story gets weaker and weaker each time. I love her dearly but refuse to be a piggy bank. As nicely as I could I explained what I expected and what I would do. The call ended somewhat gracefully. I was a little surprised at that. Mindy and I left for Mt Caramel.

We arrived around 6:15pm. The meters are free after 6pm so we didn’t need to pay to park. We found her room with little trouble in the Palliative care wing in the tower. I was surprised how many folks were there (my brother Charles and his wife, Tommy, step-brother Shawn and his girlfriend, as well as Sheila’s two sisters – Margie and Brenda). Apparently my dad left for a little rest and dinner with my brother Bobby.

Sheila was happy to see us and everyone else. Although it was apparent that she was in a lot of pain. It was a little difficult to see truth be told. She had moments where she seemed coherent but often seemed completely out of it. We visited for almost two hours before leaving for home. We waited for my dad to return since we hadn’t seen him for quite awhile.

The kids were still up when we got home around 8:15pm. After tucking in the kids and resting for just a few minutes I took Ashley and Olivia home. I was back by 8:45pm, and you better believe that I was exhausted & hungry. Mindy was too. She warmed a couple pieces of leftover pizza & some sauerkraut balls. I ate 1.5 sauerkraut balls and one piece of pizza, but what I really wanted was popcorn, so I made some.

We ate popcorn and chatted. We called Tommy to see how Heather was coming along. They were just on their way to the hospital. We also called my mom to give her an update and learn about her recent EMG. She said she was finally diagnosed with a ruptured disc. Given the choices, that's not nearly as grave as she had envisioned. She's so dramatic! She's got an appointment scheduled with a surgeon on the 19th in Columbus, although she doesn't know for what. Hmmm? Perhaps she should've asked. For a moment I thought I was talking to one of my daughters.

Before retiring for the night, we called a left avoice mail for Glenn so he could be up to speed on everything that's taken place.

March Madness (not basketball)

(till death us do part)

Happy 38th Birthday Mindy!!

Could it be coincidence that Mindy, her older sister, as well as her older brother were all born the first week of March. I think not. Let’s dig into this a bit deeper – shall we?

Rolling the calendar back 38 weeks from the first week of March takes one to the second week of June. Perhaps their parents celebrated the spawning of summer with some spawning of their own. But on closer observation we discover that Gloria’s birthday is June 11th. Bingo! It seems the ol’ birthday sex beared fruit three different times.

Monday morning always comes round too quickly. And in what just might be a first, I was woken by Mindy’s alarm clock at 5:45am. I find it personally offensive to rely on some lame disco jockey’s morning shtick to wake me. I won’t allow that to happen again.

I rolled over and gave Mindy a hug & wished her happy birthday just before leaping out of bed with a fuzzy head. I had a fuzzy head after a rather restless night’s sleep.

Downstairs I quickly went about choking down a vitamin and prepping for my morning exercises. I didn’t leave the house with Ykraps until 6:10am. Out the door, I took notice of the ever brightening early morning sky. Although, this same sky won’t be revealed until about 7:00am next Monday (enter daylight savings time). Our walk proceeded without incident. We were back by 6:20am.

I made Mindy her coffee and delivered it to her still in bed. She was apparently still as tired as I and warmly tucked amongst the bedcovers. For a brief minute I jumped back in bed and gave her a kiss. I couldn’t stay long though as I needed to press on with my morning routine.

I read the Daily OM and quickly reviewed email. It was already 6:30am, so I had to get crackin’ on making lunches and our hot breakfast. I almost forgot that Mindy made the two of us Monday lunch salads while preparing our Sunday dinner salads. That shaved several minutes off of food prep. Before I knew it I was making our scrambled eggs.

After enjoying the eggs and fruit Mindy loaded the minivan. It was 7:15am. Rather than wait until she was out the door, I said my goodbye’s right then and headed up to the shower. This, I figured, would be a good way to ensure a more timely arrival at work. This was a good plan. I was downstairs and all ready to go by 7:35am. After fooling around the house for a spell, I left at 7:50am which netted an 8:05am arrival time. Not bad!

Work was moderately paced with lots of the usual trappings & happenings of a Monday. I kept my nose to the grind stone until 1pm when I left for my run. The temperature was hovering just below 40 degrees and the sun was shining. The strong wind out of the west was the only small drawback. But with the help of music in my ears the affects of the wind were minimal. And once again, I couldn’t help but notice the obvious warmth the sun provided as it shined down upon me – a sure sign that springs a comin’.

After completing my run and shower I returned to my office for some afternoon fun. I was careful to leave right at five given that today’s Mindy’s birthday. I stopped at Kroger to pick up a dozen red roses along the way. I left a card from me and another from the kids on the island before leaving for work. I called her as I pulled out of Kroger to get a feel for our evening. The kids had already left with Jimaken and Mindy was about to walk Ykraps. She foretold of a handful of wedding gifts and cards that arrived at our home today.

When I arrived home Mindy was just finishing off her walk with Ykraps. I gave her the roses just as we entered the house. She had already opened her b-day card from me but left the one from the kids for later. Together we opened a card from Barley’s via Tom Shepherd that contained a $50 Barley’s gift certificate. Thanks Tom! Also, arriving today was another card form Tom S containing a check for his share of the Govy Camp ski weekend condo. Again, thanks Tom. We also received a card from Mindy’s old friend in NY, Laura, and a gift from Mindy’s mother. Thanks All! Of course from Mindy’s perspective, I am the greatest gift of all. Yeah, just ask me!

After Mindy prepped and vased her roses we left for dinner. And yes, we went to Barley’s – her call. It’s hard to beat their menu and we only had a little over an hour before the kids would be home. Besides, I’m taking her to Mitchell’s this Saturday evening. We arrived to a more than full Barley’s – this being wing night. We said a few hellos and found our way to a barside table. We both ordered a beer. Mindy ordered a Stout and me an IPA. And in honor of wing night, Mindy ordered a dozen honey chipotle and I ordered a dozen Gates of Hell! And if that wasn’t enough, we ordered a full order of sauerkraut balls, too.

We said hello to a few more friends before our food arrived ten minutes later. It was delicious. We were rather quiet while we sucked down our smoked delights. We finished and left by 7:05pm. Mindy had already called jimaken asking that he bring the kids home a little later due to our late start. He kindly agreed.

Once back home we got settled in rather quickly. It wasn’t too long before the children returned. Mindy and I shared a piece of the chocolate pie, too. It was much better today. It was completely chilled, firm, and much less gritty. Lesson learned!
Because of the hour, Mindy readied the kids for bed the minute Jimaken left. I helped with the tuck in process. After that was complete I returned to the PC where I updated my blog and even added the actual script of our wedding ceremony to last Fridays entry. While I blogged Mindy played with her new MP3 player. After that we switched places. She read my blog while I read a little of my book. It was almost 9:30pm. We decided an early bedtime was in order. We could both use the sleep.

Sunday Dinner

Happy Birthday ???? I woke around 8:30am feeling much better than I did the day before. I glanced over at Mindy who was leering at me with reservation. I could hardly blame her given my mood the day before. I forgave her and told her that I felt a lot better. :) By the time I had pee’d, brushed my teeth, and found my way downstairs, it was 8:55am. Like always, I made a pot of coffee, took a vitamin and then got busy with my exercises. Once again, the kids were already up and playing, but hadn’t made nearly the mess they did the morning prior. Already I knew this would be a better a day. I was certain. Jacob decided to walk Ykraps with me. It was quite chilly. By the time I was back and making my first cup of coffee it was pushing 9:30am. Sometime between then and 10am Mindy got up. I was at the PC still editing the hundreds of pictures from our trip. Mindy and I spent a few minutes chatting about Saturday and more specifically my dismal mood. I explained the source of my frustration. As always, she was a good listener. Just before I readied and left for my run Lindsey called and talked with Mindy. She was coming over with Landon in an hour or so. It was just after 10am. Once again, I took the Trabue Rd trail. My run was a good one. I worked up a good sweat and listened to some good tunes along the way. Back home I set my goals relatively low for the day. I chose to make relaxation a priority. Lindsey showed up not long after I returned from my run. We hung out with her, Landon, and Lil’ Rocky for the next half hour. Bella & Lil’ Rocky were going at each other pretty much the entire time. Kinda funny. I had to give Lindsey some parental advice as I watched her allow Lil’ Rocky to defy her orders a couple of times – something he does with regularity. They left just before Jimaken came to pick-up the kids. They left around 1pm to spend some time with his family. In the meantime, Mindy was going shopping at Target. I would have the house to myself for a little while once again! Soon after I returned from my run I took a homemade pie crust out of the freezer. My plan was to make Mindy a chocolate pie for her birthday. I would make it while she shopped. Just before she left for Target, she put a roast in our new Crock Pot. I had never made a chocolate pie before, but thanks to the internet, recipes were aplenty. The recipes I found looked fairly simple. A little sugar, cocoa, egg yokes, and milk - wahla! I baked the unfilled pie crust first. That went well. I mixed the ingredient then cooked it as directed. I poured the filling into the baked shell, covered, and then chilled. I was hopeful that it would turn out half as good as Gloria’s. I spent the rest of the time that Mindy was away selecting pictures to add/upload to my blog. My goal was to get those pictures uploaded yet tonight. Mindy returned around 3pm and not too much later the kids did too. Based on the status of the roast in the Crock Pot, we figured we’d be eating diner around 6pm. I spent the next hour reading in my chair and taking a little nap. Around 5pm I got up and took Ykraps on his evening walk. Jacob went along with me once again. He seems to enjoy our time alone, and so do I. After we returned Mindy declared that diner would be ready a bit sooner than initially expected. We’d be eating at more like 5:30pm. I was very hungry so that was a good thing. Mindy made salad, green beans, and instant mashed potatoes to go along with the roast beef. Everything was a go by 5:30pm as she predicted. And the meal turned out pretty darn good. Even the instant potatoes were tasty in their own right. I couldn’t wait to try the chocolate pie. After we cleaned up the dinner mess we got the pie out of the fridge. We placed eleven candles about the pie, three representing ten years each while the remaining eight represented single years. After singing Happy Birthday we dug in to the pie. Mindy got the first piece. It was her birthday. A quick bite of my piece told the tale quickly. While the pie was tolerable, it certainly wasn’t anything close to Gloria’s. It was a tad warm, runny, and gritty. Still, it was chocolatety and sweet. And my homemade crust was very good, too. I think that I’ll ask Gloria for her recipe, and maybe watch her make it once – that is if she’ll allow me. After dessert I got busy adding pictures to my blog. That took the next hour or so. After I finished uploading pictures I printed a couple for framing at Mindy’s request. After finishing the pictures I opened Mindy’s MP3 player and downloaded a butt load of songs for her. We ended the evening by spending a good twenty minutes soaking in the hot tub. It was gloriously clear & cold, star-filled night. The hot tub was just what the doctor ordered. It was just after 9pm when we headed up to bed. We didn’t go immediately asleep, however. Instead, we tuned in to Family Guy. After watching Family Guy I couldn’t fall asleep. I figured too much sugar. I left the bed and went down stairs to read a little more. I read for about 30 minutes or until I fell asleep. I was back in bed by 11pm.

Extra Crab for me Please

Happy 49th Jodie! The kids must have begged our attention four maybe five times between 7 & 9am. Both Mindy and I resisted their advance and asked them to go play quietly. I figured we’d sleep late after feeling under slept all week long after our return from vacation. I woke feeling not so jovial. OK - more like crabby. Meanwhile, the kids in an attempt to address their own need for food managed to make a messy house messier. And while it’s not fair to blame them, I wasn’t too thrilled. Too, the girls that sat last night spilled a can of soda on the family room carpet. The stain was more than evident in the bright morning light. I exercised and walked Ykraps just as the morning’s coffee finished brewing. A look around the house made me even crabbier. It seemed no matter where my attention turned, there was something amiss. But what got at me most was the unnecessary clutter that I could see in every room. I strive to keep uncluttered spaces, which in turn lend themselves to peace of mind. What our home needs is a top to bottom re-org & cleaning. I returned from walking Ykraps and made myself some coffee. I was still in a crabby mood. I just needed to be alone. After a couple cups of coffee I l readied for my run. Mindy asked that I help ready the kids for church pictures upon my return. I agreed. I ran the Trabue Rd route having not done so for what seemed like a very long time. I hoped the run would ease my pissy mood but for whatever reason, it didn’t. Upon my return I loaded the boxes of clothes destined for the “free store” into Mindy’s van. In doing so, I couldn’t help but notice just how filthy her van was. Holy cow! There was food & stuff strewn everywhere – something I just can’t understand and never ever will. It looked to me that the kids rule that roost. I made brief mention of the mess. Mindy understandably didn’t care so much for the 'constructive criticism', but I couldn’t resist. She was on a tight schedule and needed to head out. After Mindy left I decided to get cracking on the downstairs in lieu of beginning my basement shelf project. My objective was to have the first floor in ship shape by the time Mindy returned which I budgeted for two plus hours. Sometimes when I am in that kind of mood it’s hard for me to start. Everything needed attention. First, I hand washed all of the dishes on the counter. There weren’t that many. Next, I vacuumed the family room and then the ceramic tile. Man was it filthy! Next, I vacuumed the living room dining room combo. All along, my objective was not only to clean but to remove some of the unnecessary clutter that has built up over time. Life has a way of doing that if you’re not determined about it. After removing some clutter my stress began to subside. After starting a load of wash I got busy scrubbing the entire tile flooring. I scrubbed the floor with Pine-Sol, an old dish towel, and a scrubby pad. I got the tile looking sweet! I did the kitchen, hallway, half bath and laundry room. Just as I was finishing up, Mindy and the kids returned. To my dismay, the kids weren’t that concerned with my clean floor. Not five minutes passed before Bella launched her first attack on my squeaky clean floor. I complained about crumbs, shoes, and everything else. They weren’t home long before Mindy turned around and left for the grocery store. She took Bella along, too. Jacob stayed home with me. Our plan was to head out & get hair cuts. We went to Great Clips in Grandview. They were having a $4.99 special. Can’t beat that! I was worried there’d be a long line at Great Clips. Nope. We got right in. And if that‘s not enough, we got parking right outside the door at a meter. Jacob went with one stylist and I with another. I asked for similar cuts. Ten minutes later we were both done. Jacob got whacked pretty good. Looks like they got a bit carried away with his bangs, but they’ll grow back. Mine looked descent. We were back home in less than thirty minutes after first leaving the house. Jacob asked if I’d play some basketball. I obliged. We went to the basement and played for about 40 minutes, or until Mindy returned with groceries. We had fun. When Mindy returned with the groceries both of us went up to help carry in the haul. It wasn’t long after we finished carrying everything in that I realized the book I took along to Great Clips was no where to be found. A quick call to Great Clips revealed that I left it there. Crap! Back to Great Clips. After returning with my book I snuggled up in the reading chair. I dosed and read until the Buckeye basketball game came on at 4pm. This was the final game of the season for the #1 OSU Buckeyes, who just happened to be playing Michigan. As stressed as I was today, I shouldn’t have watched this game. The Buckeyes genuinely played like shit. It was very stressful watching the inept play. I was hard to believe that they're the #1 team in the country. We were down by 6 with just a couple minutes left. I had enough, and soon left to walk Ykraps. It felt good getting out of the house in the fresh cool air. We returned about 8-10 minutes later. I was certain the game was over and the Buckeyes had lost. But to my surprise, they hadn’t. Somehow they pulled out the game in the final minute and won by 4 points. Strange! Mindy and the kids opted for pizza from Minelli’s for dinner. I wasn’t hungry. I spent my entire evening reading, something I don’t do enough of. Mindy readied the kids for bed early then took to our bedroom to watch a movie. I had the downstairs largely to myself, which given my crabby mood was probably a very good thing. I continued to read throughout the entire evening. I stopped once to tuck the kids into bed. Mindy went to bed very early even for her. I think she was in bed by 9pm. I kept reading. Finally, about 10pm I made myself a Jack and Coke and tuned into South Park. It was awfully entertaining. To my delight, there were like four episodes in row. After my Jack & Coke I made a Captain Morgan’s and Fresca. That did me in. I kept falling asleep as I watched a couple more episodes of South Park. At 11:30pm I caved and headed up to bed. I was more than ready for some bed sleep.

Weekend Upon Us

Happy 44th Craig!

Probably one of the coolest things about returning to work on Wednesday was that Friday came fast.

I was up by 5:45am eager to get moving with my day. I did all the stuff I usually do on a work day morning. Nothing too out of the ordinary took place.

I found myself at work by 8:00am ready for my Friday. Thankfully, we didn’t get bowled over. The day’s work came in at a nice steady pace. Come 12:45pm I left for my run. The weather, while a little on the chilly side, was very pleasant. The sun was shining even though the forecasters predicted clouds and even some rain. I was impressed how high the sun stood in the sky, now having to raise my head at an uncomfortable angle just to see the sun. Spring is right around the corner, indeed– just 19 days away!

Unlike years past, March snuck up on me. It just doesn’t seem possible. My theory is the relatively late arrival of winter weather helped cause that. February seemed more like a typical January. Hopefully the feeling will continue and spring will be here before we know it.

The afternoon went quick. It always does. Before I knew it was time to go. Before leaving work I called Ashley to see if she was still planning to watch the kids for a couple hours tonight. She begged out of it due in part to her car not running. I informed Mindy in case she wanted to make alternative arrangements.

Mindy reminded me that she and the kids were going to dinner at Red Lobster this evening with her friend Keri. I left work just after 5pm. And after a quick stop at Target I headed directly home.

I walked Ykraps, and then got busy with some chores. The first thing I did was get the hot tub in working order. It needed some water, so I grabbed the hose out of the shed. I raised the kitchen window and ran the hose from the kitchen sink to the hot tub. I used my handy-dandy kitchen spigot adapter to attach the garden hose and let her rip.

While filling the tub I began updating my blog, which hadn’t been updated since last Thursday’s departure. I had eight days worth of material. The tub took about 20 minutes to bring to full from the sink.

It was just after 6pm and Mindy still wasn’t home. I continued with my efforts to catch up my blog. Mindy and the kids arrived home sometime around 6:45pm. I enjoyed and appreciated the alone time.

Along with the kids, Mindy brought home two teenage girls she’s known for years to watch the kids while we go out to Barleys. As I understood it, these two have watched the kids before. The kids seemed very comfortable around them, too.

The kids insisted on readying for bed and being tucked in before we left. That would make the girls’ jobs easy. I kidded them about watching some of our scarier DVD’s. However, they talked about watching The 40 Year Old Virgin. We left for Barleys after the kids were tucked in – about 8:05pm. We didn’t plan to stay out too late. We figured to be home before 11pm.

Mindy wore her wedding tiara to Barley’s. Because of that, I kept a measured distance between us. :) It wasn’t too crowded at all. The 'marriage keepers', Bob & Mary Ann, were already there, as were Mark & Scott. Mark was celebrating his 50th birthday, which is Saturday, March 3rd. I ordered one of the new Highland Hammer’s, it’s considered “a peated bitter”, whatever the hell that is. Mindy had wine.

Bob printed some 8X10’s of some of the more picturesque Mt Hood shots he had taken. Many at Barley’s were in awe of the vistas. Mary Ann gifted Lindsey on the arrival of her new baby. That was awfully sweet. Bill Gray showed up into the evening as did Aaron and Steve, and Rick. We had a really nice time. Bob and I tossed around the idea of going back to Oregon for the Bend ski trip. More than anything, it was probably the beer talking. Both Mindy and Mary Ann gave their approval.

We left Barleys at 10:45pm. The sitters parents called on our way home to let Mindy know that they were on their way to pick-up the girls – perfect timing. After the girls left Mindy & I stayed up for just a short time longer.

Stuffed Mangos???

I rolled out of bed at 5:40am feeling slightly under slept. But even though I was a little tired I didn’t let it drag me down. Before I knew it, I had my toes tucked neatly under the lip of the sofa and was whipping out my sit-ups. After a brief rest I continued on with push-ups and curls.

Ykraps and I headed out the door for our morning walk well within the usual time window. The cool air in my face helped to further wake me up. We were back inside by 6:03am. All’s right with the world when I’m back before 6:05am.

As usual, I made coffee for Mindy and I then sat at the PC and read the Daily OM and the morning’s Yahoo headlines. At 6:35am I got busy making lunches and cooking breakfast. Today I made tuna salad. For breakfast I made scrambled eggs topped off with Monterey Jack cheese.

Mindy and the kids (Lil’ Rocky included) left the house just after 7:20am. I got in the shower and readied myself rather quickly. I left the house and was at work by 8:10am. Again today work was calm enough to afford me the opportunity to catch up on a number of things. I was most thankful for that little blessing. I left for my run around 12:45pm. It was warm - 45 degrees but it was also raining. I was surprised how chilly it felt with the drizzle and the breeze. It felt much cooler than the day before even though the air temp was in effect the same. Plus, there were lots of deep puddles that I could not dodge and ended up getting pretty wet after slogging my way through them.

I was back in my office and enjoying my lunch by 2pm. The afternoon went quickly. Mindy called to let me know that Lindsey was getting discharged from the hospital this afternoon and needed one of us to pick her up since we had the car seat. I agreed to do the deed directly after work.

Once 5pm rolled around I readied myself to leave. I left the building at 5:12pm destined for OSU hospital. It took a while for me to get there. I didn’t pull into the garage until 5:55pm. Lindsey was arguing with her mother on the phone when I walked in – something about not having any baby blankets. I wondered about that. Geesh! Poor planning – no two ways around that. Truth be told, my nerves were on full alert as they often are when I am around Lindsey. It takes all the restraint I have to contend with Lindsey’s negative energy – real or imagined.

By the time Lindsey and Landon were loaded into the Trooper it was after 6:30pm. It was raining pretty darn hard, too. We had to stop by my house to pick-up Lil’ Rocky. I asked Mindy to wrestle up some baby blankets since Lindsey had none. I dropped Lindsey & Landon at her apartment then headed home for good. I was tired.

It was after 7pm when I finally settled in at home. Thankfully, Mindy already walked Ykraps saving me a little time and frustration. The house smelt terrific. I guessed stuffed peppers (mangos), and I was right! We both muddled our way through a number of chores all before settling down for dinner. Also, Mindy put the kids to bed so that we could enjoy a quiet dinner together, something we hadn’t done in a while. They went right to sleep. They seemed exhausted. Downstairs we sat quietly and enjoyed our dinner. We each ate two stuffed peppers.

After teaming up on the supper dishes Mindy tuned into American Idol. I got busy updating my blog which hadn’t been updated since we left for Oregon last Thursday. I added text through up Tuesday but ran out of time to add the related photos. I’ll have to do that later. I played guitar just before we headed up to bed. Once we were in bed I couldn’t sleep. It’s that Pacific timezone thing, I am sure. I got up and went back downstairs to catch up on some reading. That did the trick. After about ten pages I was drifting off to sleep. I picked myself up and headed back to bed. It was 11:15pm. Tomorrow’s already Friday. Whaoo!