Lettuceless

Too much of a good thing isn't too good for you.

After a restful night’s sleep, I was up and at my usual morning routine by 5:40am. After flying through my exercise routine Ykraps and I were walking about the subdivision before 6:00am. The morning air was slightly cool and lacking any hint of the humidity that’s been so prevelant the past several days. The days high is only expected to reach 80 degrees.

After some coffee and a little internet, I was busy packing my lunch and making my breakfast. I made tuna fish and a lettuceless salad for lunch. I fried two eggs and piled a heap of fruit on my breakfast plate. I ate inside for the wet deck chairs. I took to watering the flowers by 7:00am. The watering went faster than usual due in part to the soaking my back yard flowers got the evening before from the pond sprinkler.

I was on my way to the shower by 7:25am. It didn’t take too long to ready for work. I was dressed and ready by 7:45am. I decided to drive the BM’er so I had to pull the Trooper to the street to clear my exit from the garage. I went back into the house to say goodbye, but it was such a beautiful morning that I decided to spend a few more quality minutes on the deck with Mindy and my guitar. We sat together for about ten minutes in the sparkling sunshine and 60 degree temps. It was lovely! Off to work I went.

I enjoyed my curve hugging drive in – invigorating! I arrived late due to my last minute stay. My boss and I walked in together. Work was busy – again – it always is. I left for my run at 12:45pm on the nose. It was exactly 80 degrees and completely sunny. There wasn’t a meaningful cloud in the sky. I measured the sun’s position knowing that tomorrow is the summer solstice. I love summer! It was a great run.

I spent the afternoon working on a handful of tasks all the while enjoying my packed lunch, which I didn’t finish until nearly 3pm. The remainder of the afternoon flew by. I left for home at 5:10pm. Mindy had just arrived home from the Anderson’s where she had picked up some filet mignon’s and a brochure on outdoor playsets. Her and the kids have been working me over pretty hard the last couple of days over this.

I learned when I got home that she had already walked Ykraps. So, after changing into comfy summer attire I got my sprinkler pump primed and began watering the difficult to water east side of my lawn. I had to extend the hose another 100’ to reach from the pump’s position in the pond. That reduced the water flow some, but it was plenty for the confined space. I fired up the grill as soon as watering was underway. Next, I pan seared the filet’s in olive oil and seasonings. At the same time, Mindy prepped some shrimp on skewers.

The steak and shrimp grilled up real nice. We had quite a meal for a Wednesday evening, not to mention the fact that I wasn’t all that hungry. I didn’t have the heart to tell Mindy, though. We ate our meal on the deck. I surprised myself by eating everything in front of me. I moved the sprinkler about four times to get the entire narrow east side of my lawn.

After dinner & clean-up I took a short little siesta on the chaise. It felt wonderful. Mindy woke me to tuck in the kids. I rejoined her on the deck afterwards. There we talked about a few things including the playset thing. In the end, I gave in her to demands for not wanting the kids to feel short changed, but how many kids can fish, canoe, or take a hike in the woods right from their back yard. Not many! We walked the yard looking for a place for a potential play set. My yard has zero flat terrain making the location of such a thing nearly impossible. We agreed to think about it more. As darkness enveloped us, we decided to get in the hot tub for the first time in quite a long while. The hot tub felt terrific! We headed to bed immediately after our starlit soak.

True to Form

I was hard pressed to get up & out of bed before 6am. Tommy’s late visit kept us up until after midnight. I’m definitely not used to that, especially on a work night. Dragging I was. I worked my way through morning calisthenics and finally made my way out of doors with Ykraps. It was 73 degrees and ridiculously humid even at 6:15am. They’re predicting strong storms later in the morning.

After our return I went through my usual morning paces. I packed food, ate breakfast, and watered the flowers front & back. The rear beds were still nice and wet from last evening’s lawn sprinkling, but I resoaked them anyhow.

I left for work around 8am in my impeccably shiny Trooper. During my short commute to the office I encountered giant dust clouds caused by freeway mowers cutting grass along the Hilliard exit. With little to no rain for over two weeks that stirred up quite a mess. So much for my clean Trooper. I didn’t go another half mile before I encountered mis-directed sprinkler heads shooting water into the road along Trueman Blvd. By the time I made it to work my once clean Trooper was no longer. Unbelievable. But fact is, the only reason I washed it on a work night was because of the appointment I had at True2Form for the hail damage estimate.

The first half of my work day went well. We were busy, of course, but when aren’t we. I left for a run at 12:40pm. It had rained like three times and was still raining when I left out the door. And for the first time in over a month, I wore a shirt on my run, albeit a sleeveless one. However, I didn’t get a mile before the sun busted out and turned my trail into a sauna. Granted, the temperature was no where near yesterday’s 96, but the humidity was the great equalizer. I was boiling in my skin tight wicking shirt. I didn’t bother stopping to remove the shirt. Instead, I just toughed out the run.

After a shower I headed to True2Form on Shier Rings Rd. I had a 2:30pm appointment. It was just before 2pm when I arrived. It’s not too far from my office. Dave, the estimator, greeted me and walked to my vehicle. Staring at it for a minute he looked at me and said, uh…hail damage? Yes, I replied. Tripping over a few of his words he apologized and said that they don’t do hail estimates until next Monday, and that they should’ve told me as much. Funny thing is my insurance company set this up with them - not me. He took a few minutes to explain how they’d go about the repair and all but guaranteed they’d have it back to me by Friday if I drop it off on Monday. I headed back to work.

Along my way back to work I stopped by Saturday’s Hair Salon to get a quick haircut. It’s been about four or five weeks. There was no wait. I got a ‘long’ cut in about ten minutes.

The afternoon blew by. I spent a little time chatting with my boss. I left for home around 5:10pm. This was a Mindy Tuesday. The kids were with their dad. I called Mindy on my way home. To my surprise, Bella answered. She wasn’t feeling well and decided to stay home with mom. Mindy and I discussed our dinner options. We opted for picking up carryout at Chipotle’s. I stopped at the Mill Run Chipotle and was in and out of there in five minutes. I was home by 5:40pm. Mindy & Bella were walking Ykraps when I pulled up.
We sat and ate our dinner soon after they got settled. After eating a giant burrito I was suddenly overcome with sleepiness. I launched myself onto the floor along with a sofa pillow. I’ll bet I was out in less than three minutes. I slept for almost an hour. When I woke Mindy & the kids were upstairs readying for bed I assumed. After gaining a little energy I went out back and did some light weeding of the flower beds after a day of much needed rain showers.

When I went back in Mindy called for me to tuck in the kids. I obliged. Together we agreed to do an early bedtime along with watching a movie from bed, The Notebook. I managed to see it in its entirety. I fell asleep soon after it ended.

Tommy & Wally

Feeling rather good, I bounced out of bed and made my way downstairs at 5:35am. By 5:50am I had completed my calisthenics and was looking for Ykraps. He was hanging near the door in anticipation of our scheduled walk. It was a balmy morning. It had to be in the 70’s still. For a brief minute I toyed with the idea of taking a day-off to go boating. The forecast called for clear blue skies and temps in the mid 90’s. It was gonna be a scorcher. But as I generally do, I chose to attend work.

I finished packing my lunch and eating my breakfast by 7:45am. I ate breakfast on the deck and then spent a little time playing guitar before beginning my watering chores. I spent an inordinate amount of time watering, making sure that everything was soaked really good. These extremely hot days dry the beds & pots quickly. I spent almost 35 minutes watering. It was 7:40am when I headed back upstairs to get my shower. I wondered briefly where all my time went. I left for work just after 8am.

I arrived at work expecting a couple new hires, but apparently we had our wires crossed. I later learned that they weren’t starting for a couple more weeks. I had a few personal goals to get completed sometime during the business day. I planned to file a hail damage claim for both my Trooper and home after last fall’s devastating storm. I’d put it off long enough. I had to pay a couple of bills, too.

I managed to stay on top of work and complete those goals before lunch. It felt good to have those issues behind me. MY insurance company promised to have two claim coordinators contacting me within the next day or so, and made an appointment to have the hail damage to the Trooper assessed tomorrow at True2Form Collision Repair. I left for my run at 12:45pm. According to AOL, it was already 96 degrees with about 40% humidity. I was taken back with how warm it was when I took off out the door. It was by far the hottest it’s been all year. It was down right oppressive. To offset the extreme conditions I slowed my pace a little taking it easy most of the way. I held up quite well given the conditions. And just as you might expect, the cool shower at runs end felt incredibly good.

The afternoon wasn’t as bad as I expected. I was busy but at least I wasn’t running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I managed to escape the office at 5:15pm. The kids and Mindy had alerted me that they wouldn’t be home when I arrived. Instead, they'd be swimming at a friend’s house. I had the house all to myself until approximately 7pm. We agreed to have a late dinner.

My plan was to wash the Trooper since I was taking her in to be evaluated tomorrow. Aside from that, I planned to water the lawn as well. After walking Ykraps I got the sprinkler pump primed and began watering the west side of the yard with the dramatic slope. While sprinkling I washed & detailed the Trooper.

Mindy & the kids arrived home just after 7pm. Immediately, Mindy began prepping dinner by thawing some Mahi-mahi. Jacob asked if I'd take him on a canoe ride. Yes. We took a lap around the pond in Diane’s canoe. It was fun. It was after 8pm when we got back. Mindy hustled both kids off to ready for bed. In the meantime, I began working on my blog, adding pictures from vacation (I’m way behind on pics).

After the kids were safely in bed, Mindy got busy making the Mahi-mahi along with some green beans and salad. Soon, we were enjoying our late dinner. It was still 90 degrees at just before 9pm. We opted to eat our dinner inside to avoid the stifling humidity. Dinner was just aabout history when brother Tommy called about stopping over. He'd just spent the evening at dad's and wanted to come by for a quick visit, just he and Wally.

Tommy & Wally arrived sometime around 9:30pm. I was in the middle of adding pictures to several recent blog entries, and I continued on after an initial greeting. Mindy entertained & fed Tommy. Finally, just after 10pm, I finished my blogging and briefly joined the two of them in the kitchen. The conversation was nothing more than familiar family gossip. Becoming increasingly tired as my usual bedtime came and went, I quietly moved to the sofa where I stretched out & tried closing my eyes. I could hear their muttled conversation the entire time. It kept me awake. I suppose I could've excused myself to bed, but didn't. Finally, shortly after midnight Tommy gathered up Wally & terminated their visit. By then I was more than eager to get to bed.

Father's Day for the 'Big Boys'

I got up at 6:15am. I needed to exercise, walk Ykraps, run and shower all before 7:50am. We were planning to meet Dad and brother Bob’s family at the Hilliard Frisch’s. I still made a pot of coffee despite our early breakfast plans. After completing my exercises I launched the sprinkler pump to begin saturating the front lawn. I walked Ykraps before heading out for a run. I was pushing the clock for every minute.

I dressed and left for a run at 7:06am. I woke Mindy just before heading out the door. I ran Trabue Rd, and because it was so early, traffic wasn’t an issue. I arrived back home at 7:35am. I headed directly for the shower. Mindy was all ready after skipping a shower. We were ready to depart by 7:50am. Mindy had another Father’s Day gift waiting for me on the island. She insisted that I open it before we left. It was a spare running kit to keep in my office. It included running shorts, a towel, and a vast assortment of shower supplies. Cute!

My dad was sitting parked in the Frisch’s lot when we pulled up. It was just before 8:00am. It didn’t take long at all for us to get there. Bobby & family arrived minutes later after giving dad a call on his cell. While waiting we took some photos posing with the Big Boy statue.

I haven’t eaten at a Frisch’s Restaurant since the summer of 1991. I remember that because it’s the summer that I bought my boat. Dad and I had been out boat shopping just prior to eating there last. Everyone but Dad ordered the breakfast buffet. It was really good, too, and there was plenty of everything. We’ll return. Bob was gracious enough to get the tab. Thanks Bob! We enjoyed the visit with family and the lively discussion. As we all departed, we headed straight for Lee’s boat storage to pick-up our boat.

It didn’t take long to get the boat attached and on our way home. I thought we hit the second of two speed bumps in their lot a little hard, but I figured the boat just bounced a little on the trailer. When we got home Mindy got to prepping for our trip while I made sure the boat was still water ready. But as luck would have it, it was not. The battery was completely dead. For this I was not too surprised. I really expected to replace the battery last year. I was surprised that it lasted. I jumped it and it started fairly easily. I let it run for a while I took care of a few more details and loaded all of our gear. We turned off the sprinkler before leaving. We pulled away at 10:45am. We were heading to Griggs since we had to be home to meet the kids by 4pm.

We arrived at the river by 11am. It was a little more crowded than I expected, but nothing close to what Alum would’ve been like. We were launch ready in about five minutes. There was only one boat in front of us. We put the boat in without any problems and after parking the trailer we were ready to shove off the dock. But a turn of the key netted negative results – only clicking. Dead battery! I took the dead battery in stride. I figured we’d pull the boat and go get a new one. It was over due anyhow. So, I jog back to get the trailer feeling a bit sheepish for holding up others waiting their turn at the dock. I return to pull out the boat and get right in. Just as we’re pulling out I notice one of the trailer boards that the boat typically rests on is floating off the trailer just under the boat. Glad I checked. Another gentleman nearby saw it too and advised that I better put the boat back in and pull the trailer out to check.. And honestly, I the potential for significant harm didn’t register at first. As I went to pull it out I thought about what he said again and took another look. His point was that if the boat failed to force the board back into place the boat’s hull could be speared by the steel mount for the board. Good catch! We talked about my options before I made my next move. I ended up placing a screw driver in the hole of the mount and the board therefore holding it in place as I pulled it up and out of the water enough to see it better.

The gentleman happened to have just the right sized stainless steel bolt, washers, and nut on hand and offered it up. I accepted. Thank God he was there to watch over me – angel of sorts. Mindy and I both figured that the bolt sheared off when we went over that speed bump and we heard that bouncing thud. We pulled out and along the boat prep area. We decided that Mindy would stay back with the boat while went after a new battery Tuttle Mall Sears Auto Center. I figured a 30-45 trip maximum. And that’s how long it took. I was back and ready to put-in by noon. Don’t think for a minute that I wasn’t stressed, however, because I was. Mindy will tell you that I was a butt! I tried being polite, but I was definitely short. It had already been a very taxing morning.

We had a little bit of struggle getting the boat away from the dock, but minutes later we were fully underway – at last. We took an enjoyable cruise up north as far as we felt comfortable heading – perhaps about a half mile north of the river island. It was hot and sunny and the water still. There’s something about that piece of river that calls me. It’s teeming with wild life and beautiful nature, and it’s so darn peaceful, too. We hung out up there for about two hours. We saw a deer, turtles, and countless blue heron. There very, very abundant up there. We saw some big bass jumping up out of the grassy edges to apparently get some grub also. Very cool! We pulled anchor and headed back at 2:45pm. Past experienced shows that it’s an hour or so from anchors up to home.

We went through our usual clean-up and took the boat back to storage before heading home. We arrived home just before 4pm – perfect timing. I watered the back yard flowers as soon as we got home. I purposefully skipped their morning watering. I could see first hand the stress that placed on many of the flowers. That proves that they need their water every morning to prevent any hint of dryness. They’re very demanding. Just as I finished the kids returned home from a weekend with dad. They both came out and hugged me and brought me a F.D. card. Thanks Jacob & Bella!

Soon my two youngest daughters showed up with their kids (Rocky, Olivia and Landon). They were over for dinner. It was nice to see them all. I must admit, however, that they turn our home upside down. Our home goes from a peaceful retreat to something far removed from that. Jacob & I took a canoe ride on the pond while everyone else played inside. Both of us were eager to get out on the water. Our neighbor Diane keeps her little canoe stowed at our place on occasion. Jacob and I paddled back to the main body of water and close to the damn. It’s so nice having he water level back to normal or higher.
Once we got close to the damn I now could see why the water level was up. Someone (the city I presume) rebuilt it. I could easily detect newly poured concrete walls despite not wearing my glasses. I thought a hike back to the damn might be in order later.

Back on dry land I started the grill at Mindy’s request. Soon we were grilling chicken and hot dogs. Olivia is really beginning to get around now. The chase officially begins NOW! We ate our dinner while the girls filled our heads with horror stories about daughter Courtney. It’s funny how they, especially Lindsey, like to share the stories but don’t want to deal with the real solutions. I guess they just want to vent. I want the issues fixed! It causes me untold heartache and stress.

I was watering the lawn all the while dinner was going on. There were isolated thunderstorms in the area, but they narrowly missed us. However, we did get a little liquid sunshine. The girls left sometime around 7pm. After cleaning up, Mindy, the kids and I had a brief water balloon fight. Mindy was a bit taken back with my zeal. J

I convinced the family to take a hike before calling it a night. We had done a similar family hike in May 2006, and Jacob and I were back there the first weekend of May 2007. We all put on our tennis shoes and hiked back through the woods and thicket. We were amazed at how tall the field grasses were. They were thick and probably 6ft. We followed the slightly beaten trails the best we could but eventually got off track due to the thick under brush, failing each attempt. Eventually we found our way to the original trail and found our way in to the damn, at last! We could hear the waterfall but struggled to get there. We tried a couple routes. My hunch was correct. The entire damn has been replaced. Looks like they did a very nice job too. We were excited to see the improvement. Perhaps we’ll buy our own canoe.

The sun was beginning to set. It was time to head home. We forged our way back though the high grasses and eventually through the thicket. We scared a young deer who was apparently nesting quietly just in font of us. You can just imagine how startled we all were when it up and took off right in front of our eyes. As we approached home and entered the thick under brush, darkness came quickly. Daylight has a very difficult time penetrating the brush. We were covered with sweat and grit as we exited the woods. We were happy to be back in our own yard, but also happy for the shared experience. Jacob and I took a rubbing alcohol bath with cotton balls before taking a shower to remove any poison ivy oil. We rubbed against several patches of the mean stuff along the trail. Mindy’s lucky enough to not get it. After four showers we tucked the kids into bed and eventually made our way there ourselves.

Class of '77

HAPPY 6th Birthday Kaileigh!

I woke at my preferred weekend rise time – 7:30am. I felt pretty darn good and got crackin’ on my exercises immediately after prepping the coffee maker. It was 8:07am when I sat down at the PC with my first cup of coffee. By then I had finished exercises and walking Ykraps. I didn’t sit there long, however. It was much too nice outside. I soon took to the deck with coffee and guitar in hand. I must have sat out there for 30 minutes or so. It was very lovely. Just before 9am I grabbed some clean running clothes from the dryer and took off on a run. I took my MP3 player at first in my hands but eventually placed it on my mid-arm area being careful not to place it too high where it would irritate my skin by rubbing. I ran inside the subdivision. I finished my run around 9:30am. Mindy was out on the deck when I returned enjoying coffee.

We decided to skip a heavy breakfast and instead opted for a plate of fruit. Around 10am I started fooling around with my new sprinkler pump again. It didn’t take long to get it working after finding a suitable spot to suck water from the pond. The only glitch in the process was that the oscillating sprinkler screen was clogged with pond silt from my Thursday experimentation. After removing the clog the watering worked very well. Well, that is, until Mindy blew the GFI breaker while blow drying her hair.

I was over visiting neighbor’s Pat & Lisa checking out their new shed and sharing vacation stories when Mindy began hollering for me. She was leaving for Target. I ran home when she told me she reset the breaker and the sprinkler was no longer running. I was afraid that my pump would burn up after running dry for several minutes. It didn’t.
She left while I was re-priming the pump. I just knew she was already regretting buying me this thing!

After getting the watering back underway I took to deweeding the flower beds. I did that for almost an hour. The most tedious part was removing lots of dead English Ivy still in the Westside beds. Mindy retuned home with Kaileigh’s b-day gift about that time. I finished up working in the yard while Mindy wrapped the gifts. I went in to shower for the graduation party at 1:30pm. We needed to leave at 2pm.

I was fully ready by 1:50pm. I suggested taking the BM’er until Mindy reminded me that we supposed to pick-up her mother and take her along. I changed my plans and drive the Trooper. We left the house at 2:05pm. We arrived at the party in Oakhurst just after 2:30pm. Amy just graduated from OSU and her parents were sponsoring a large gathering of friends and family. The house and yard were lovely with an abundance of shade out back making the soaring temps bearable. We hung at the party until 4:10pm. We needed to leave early, however, to leave ourselves plenty of time to get ready for the reunion which started at 6pm.

I got the sprinkler pump restarted as soon as we got home and watered for another hour or so, soaking the front lawn as much as possible. I pulled the plug just before changing clothes. Mindy wore her little black wedding dress. She looked awesome! I wore shorts and a nice summery shirt. We drove the BM’er just a short quarter mile to the Raymond Memorial Party House. I guess we could’ve easily walked.

We arrived just after 6pm. I was a little nervous walking in. I began spotting familiar yet strange faces immediately. What a throw back! It wasn’t long before I saw that David Waters and Sean Meehan were there – two of my closest childhood friends. I hadn’t seen David in probably 18 years and have only seen Sean once or twice in the same amount of time. There were many equally cool encounters through the evening too. I talked with all sorts of old school mates, including Rita Bell whom I went all through elementary school and high school with. I gave out lots of hugs! Dinner was pretty good, too. It was catered by Schmidt’s. As for drinks, they served only your run of mill beers like Miller & Budweiser. I detest them all. I drank only half of my first beer. I drank water the rest of the evening. It’s interesting to note that we invited the classes of 75 & 76, too. They each had far fewer attendees, however. But by far the most interesting twist was that Mindy’s older sister, Jodi was there too. I’ll bet they never dreamed they’d be attending the same reunion given that they’re eleven years between them.

After group photos and a couple good byes, Mindy and I snuck away for home. I often leave like that. I don’t like to make such a fuss. We were home by 10pm. After changing into comfy sleepwear, we sat on the deck for a few where I drank a Honey Raspberry Ale. It tasted great! We went to bed by 1030pm needing to be up awfully early Sunday morning for Father’s Day ceremonies.

Damn Glad it's Friday

I slept till 5:45am. I was very pleased that Friday was finally upon us. It’s been a tough work week. It was difficult to distinguish the day from all the others. It was already warm and expected to be sunny & hot. I quietly went about preparing for my day trying hard not to wake the others.

I finished all of my prep as well as flower watering by 7:30am. I left for work somewhere near 8am. I took my pump receipt along with me believing that I’d stop at Home Depot on my way home, but I decided to stop on my way in instead since I drive right past it.
I went to the service counter and explained my dilemma and that Wendy had promised to refund the $33 difference in pricing form the internet. They questioned it for only seconds but eventually carried out her promise. With tax I got a $36 credit. Cool! Before leaving the store I picked up a female to female adapter for a garden hose to help facilitate my new watering project. I arrived to work around 8:45am.

Work required my extreme focus. We were hitting on all cylinders. I managed to stay afloat all day long. I left for my run a little early (about ten minutes) wanting to be the heat as much as possible. My run went well.

The afternoon went quickly. It wasn’t long before the day was done. I was happy to have the work week behind me, and I was very much looking forward to a very summery weekend. I stopped at Ohio Mulch to pick-up three bags of Absolute Black for one of the front flower beds where I had to remove lots of dead English Ivy. I was home by 6pm. Mindy wasn’t home. She was still out for dental appointments. After walking Ykraps I took a nap on the upper deck chaise lounger. Mindy must have arrived home near 6:30pm. I woke just as she returned.

We chatted for a few and briefly discussed our weekend plans. This was a kidless weekend, but we had lots going on still. The weekend plans included Barley’s tonight, a college graduation party tomorrow afternoon, my class reunion tomorrow evening, a Father’s Day event with Dad on Sunday, and hopefully some boating. We readied and left for Barley’s at 7:30pm.

Barley’s, as expected, was sparsely populated. We already knew the Imber’s wouldn’t be there. Jeremy & Courtney were there, however, as was Steve, Jersey, and Lee. I enjoyed a few beers while Mindy sipped a couple glasses of wine. Through the evening Bill Gray made a rare appearence as did Thad & Monica, Rick, and Renee. We hung out until midnight.

Once home I enjoyed a couple slices of Minelli’s pizza leftover from last Monday then went to bed.

Water

I have yet to wake at or before 5:30am this week. This morning I crawled out of bed at 5:50am after a very good night’s sleep. Yet despite my later than usual waking, I have easily recaptured the time due mostly to Mindy having all of my lunch foods pre-cut and in handy containers. That saves me oodles of time. I pushed through my morning calisthenics with much greater ease than the days prior. I am slowly but surely debloating! My stomach is almost flat again after a weeks worth of complete over indulgence. I finished my breakfast by 6:50am and headed out for the morning watering. It was another beautiful morning in central Ohio. There is talk of mild drought conditions already for southwestern parts of the state, but our wetter than usual late winter has kept us in decent shape water table-wise. Our unwatered lawns are a different story. They’re turning brown. I soaked the flower beds good. It was 7:25am by the time that I returned inside for a shower. The kids and Mindy got up just as I was heading down stairs for the final prep. I decided to drive the BM’er since it was such a lovely morning. My neighbor informed me that his garage was broken into overnight via an unlocked SUV with a garage door opener. They stole his new power washer. Needless to say, he was not a happy camper, and neither was I. But for the grace of God there goes I. I left for work around 7:55am and arrived shortly after 8am. What a lovely drive. Due mostly to a positive outlook, my day went so much smoother than the day before. Sometimes I forget just how powerful the mind is. I left for my run at the usual 12:45pm. It was very warm, probably 86 degrees and sunny. The run went very well. My body responded positively to the good night’s sleep. I was back at the grind by 1:50pm. We were very busy but I managed though all of it. I left work at 5:10pm. I stopped at Home Depot to pick-up some miscellaneous pieces to make watering out of the pond more convenient. At home Mindy was there alone. I had forgotten that we didn’t have kids for the evening. They were with their father. We walked Ykraps and then Mindy called and invited my dad over for dinner. He accepted the invite. While waiting on his arrival I thought that I’d give the watering thing a go. I got all my stuff ready and headed out back by the shed & pond (that’s the deepest point). Time past, I was struggling to get my ‘back woods’ watering system working properly. Dad arrived and joined in on the fun. Soon I had Dad and Mindy on the job too. Good grief! With this kind of difficulty, I just wanted to throw the pump in the pond and order an irrigation system, because what I had here was an irritation system. I monkeyed around with the pump, hoses, and check valve for over an hour. It was time to fire up the grill. Dad & Mindy I could tell were growing impatient with my pissy mood. I lit the grill I tried ot shrug off the early misfortune with my new Father’s Day toy. Soon we were enjoying a steak dinner on the deck. The kids arrived home shortly before we began eating. Jacob began his taekwondo classes tonight. After helping rid the dinner dishes I excused myself to more attempts with my watering project, but still no joy. Dad entertained the kids and removed a splinter that Jacob got playing with a stick. He wouldn’t trust his mother or I. Dad left just as I threw in the proverbial towel and was making my way across the street to the neighbors for some helpful tips on pump watering. He’s been doing it since we moved in. Carl gave me a handful of useful tips, mostly about priming the pump and keeping the suction hose short and straight. He advised against a check valve. Mindy came across the street to visit for just a second. She said hello to Carl’s wife and daughter, who were relaxing on their shady deck. With the helpful tips I will try watering via my pump again Saturday. With that behind me I headed in for the night. I updated my blog and enjoyed a bowl of popcorn for the first time in probably two weeks. That’s a long time for me to go without popcorn.

Pump Me Up

Feeling a bit more in sync, I was awake and on my feet at 5:40am, and it wasn’t too long before I had my toes tucked firmly under the lip of the sofa to begin pounding out my sit-ups. I realized during my exercise regiment that my pulled groin seemed to be gone. Funny thing is, I can't recall when exactly the pain subsided, but I suspect that it was just before leaving on vacation. For that I am thankful. Once again it was a lovely morning. It was only about 60 degrees but with oodles of sunshine. The day’s anticipated high is expected to peak near 86 degrees. After food prep and breakfast I took to watering my gorgeous flowers. These you must see. I’ve gotten several compliments. I drove the Trooper since I was expecting to hear from Bob, and in turn expecting to join him for golf later in the afternoon. Otherwise, I would’ve driven the BM’er. I arrived at work around 8:15am. The day was something short of hellish. I was busy beyond busy. I didn’t get out for my run until 2pm. According to the weather bug, it was over 90 degrees with about 40% humidity. My run was tough, the toughest by far of this young summer season. Since my return from vacation I have been dragging a little. I’m not for certain why, but if I were to guess I’d chalk it up to overloading on carbs, basking in the sun, & drinking daily. The thing is, I didn’t feel like this while running in Mexico at all. But if I have learned anything about my body over the years it is that there are good days and better days. I was eager for the work day to end. Lord knows I gave it everything I had today. I left for home around 5:15pm feeling somewhat beaten down. I stopped at Home Depot on my way determined to buy the sprinkler pump that I eyeballed last night. Mindy indicated that she’d gladly get that for me for Father’s Day. After checking it over once again I bought it. For some reason, though, it was $33 more than their internet add advertised. I had to stop at Lowe’s, too, to get the ‘foot stand’ for the suction hose. This little device is like a filter that prevents reverse water flow and blocks larger debris from entering the pump. It’s a must. They had just what I needed. I was home by 6pm and immediately walked Ykraps in the hot steamy early evening sunshine. I heard on the way home that we had a strong chance of evening storms coming at us from the Pittsburg area – the east. The sky darkened. I checked the radar and it looked scary. Sadly, though, all the storms missed us. They went just to our south. I fired up the grill around 7:00pm and grilled salmon filets. We ate on the deck under breezy, stormy looking skies. After finishing up with dinner I went out and took care of a few chores. I finally repaired the underground hose that feeds my rear water supply. After a few more chores I went in and updated my blog. In between, I tucked the kids in. They were waiting on me. Mindy and I went to bed at 10pm sharp.

Yard Fleck

I woke even later than I did on Monday. I didn’t get my butt out of bed until 6:10am. But that was after 9 hours of sleep so I felt very well rested. Just as I was exiting the master bedroom for downstairs Mindy, in a quiet voice, shared that she had some bad dreams through the night. I acknowledged the fact by asking about what. She told me that Jacob was missing and she couldn’t find him. I asked for clarification. Was this a bad dream or a fantasy? J Just kidding, of course. I headed downstairs after telling her that at least she knew it wasn’t true. I did my exercises then left with Ykraps on our routine morning stroll. It was beautiful. Once again, it was hovering somewhere in the low 60’s under brilliantly clear blue skies. I was looking forward to our return and ultimately some ‘Jimmy’ coffee. After a short stint on the PC editing more vacation pictures I got busy packing my lunch and making breakfast. It’s so hard to peel myself away from photo editing. I routinely think to myself just a couple more and then end up doing another twenty or so. I enjoyed my breakfast on the deck in the lovely weather. I took to watering immediately after finishing up. I took my time watering making sure to soak everything really, really well. I was surprised that it was already 7:50am when I finished. I delivered Mindy’s coffee before I showered. I tried to be somewhat quiet but that’s next to impossible. Jacob, I saw, had already taken up my position in bed. I readied for work and left by 8:15am – much later than I had hoped. I arrived at work just before 8:30am. My work day was beyond busy. At times I felt inundated. Yet despite the frantic pace, I was still able to escape for my run on time. It was lovely – about 84 degrees and sunny. My legs were a little tight but other than that I was fine. My afternoon was hectic, too. That had a lot to do with my boss and two of my peers being out. I left for home around 5:15pm. I stopped at Home Depot and Lowe’s to eyeball sprinkler pumps. Now that the pond has returned to its proper level I am giving serious consideration to using it as a watering source. Decent pumps range anywhere from $150-200 it seems. I looked at both home improvement stores. At home Mindy had dinner already on the table. We had broiled boneless chicken breast, green beans, and salad. As soon as I finished I headed out to cut the lawn. I managed to get it all done in just about 1.5 hours. After I finished I watered the flower beds again. They seem to have gotten a bit crusty while I was gone, but I expected that even though my dad watered daily. However, I don’t think he soaked them like I do. He kept everything alive and well, though. I spent a few minutes adjusting my tomato plants, too. They are almost three feet tall, bushy, and budding. They look great! I already have one jalapeño pepper ready for picking, too. I headed in the house just after 8:30pm. I took a quick shower to rinse away the yard fleck and then tucked in the kids. Mindy headed up to bed and I updated my blog minus pictures. I’ll add those another day. I headed upstairs between 10-10:30pm.

Back

I slept in until 6am. I had trouble sleeping the night before. I’d guess that it was the mega chocolate birthday cake I ate around 8pm. I had quite the sugar buzz. It was time to return to my usual morning routine. I whipped out my sit-ups, push-ups and curls in about fifteen minutes. Despite an awesome gym at the resort, I hadn’t touched a weight since last Sunday. I was slow packing my lunch and whipping up my breakfast. Except for the soft music, I had complete silence as Mindy & the kids continued sleeping. After eating my eggs I took to the yard to reinstate my daily watering regiment. It took a while to soak all of the flower beds, pots, and baskets. I noticed the pond being as full as it’s been in probably three years despite the ongoing lack of rain. It seems whatever work they’ve been doing on Wilson Rd has helped raise the water level of the pond. Finally, no more mucky mud islands. For this I was pleased. I showered and readied for work around 7:40am. I left the house with everyone still in bed just before 8am. It was a beautiful morning with temperatures in the low 60’s and brilliant sunshine. The forecasted high was 84 degrees. I arrived at the office just after 810am. Soon I was back in the groove. I had over 1500 emails in my inbox – ouch! Many stopped by to ask about my vacation, and I shared and handful of vacation stories. The morning went very quickly. It wasn’t too long before 12:45pm rolled around and I left for a run. The weather was ideal. It was 82, sunny, and next to no humidity. The run was tougher than I expected, but I finished in my usual 42 minutes. The afternoon brought more excitement. I was furiously busy. I couldn’t believe that the day was over so quickly. I left for home at 5:15pm. I headed straight home since we had dinner plans with Mindy’s mother, today being her 73rd birthday. Mindy had everything taken care of at home. All I had to do was change into some comfy clothes and brush my teeth. We picked Gloria up just after 6pm. We went to the original Minelli’s on Sullivant Ave. Dinner was good. Gloria and Bella both had spaghetti. Mindy had perch, Jacob chicken strips, and I had pizza. We were there just over an hour. We dropped Gloria at home around 7:30pm and then headed home ourselves. At home Mindy bathed the kids while I toiled in the flower beds. We spent some time on the deck talking after the kids were tucked in. The kids found their way back downstairs and out onto the deck, however, after complaining about having difficulty falling asleep. That didn’t last too long, though. We retucked them into bed near 9pm and then headed to bed ourselves. I was eager to get a good night’s sleep.

Flora & Fauna 6/3 - 6/10

Sunday (continued)

We left for the airport with little fuss & right at 1:30pm. Fifty minutes later we were at our gate, which was temporarily quarantined off from the rest of the terminal while returnees were being processed through customs. To kill time, we found a pub upstairs overlooking the runway where we enjoyed a beer & margarita.

We departed Port Columbus at 4pm. It was a smooth 3 hour flight into Cancun. We landed at 6:05pm CDT. Unlike other times, we were quickly processed through Mexican customs, reunited with our luggage, and on the bus destined for our resort in 40 short minutes. The bus ride to the resort took an hour and ten minutes. It was 8pm when we walked up to the resort lobby.

Our room was nice, just a few buildings over from the lobby. We dropped our gear and took off on a self-guided tour of the resort eventually finding our way to the pool & the beach. After the beach we found an open buffet restaurant where we enjoyed some food. We didn’t realize it at the time but the A/C was broken. We didn’t stay out too late. I think we might’ve grabbed another drink at the lobby bar before retiring to our room and bed for the night.


































Monday

Morning came and when I threw open the drapes we were greeted with fairly thick cloud cover, not the bright Mexican sunshine I was expecting. I was only a little disappointed thinking that they’d surely burn off. I left for my run after a fast round of push-ups out on the balcony. I was a tad nervous about taking off into the unknown, but quite often that is how I discover the hidden treasures within a resort. This day was no exception. I couldn’t believe the beauty. I found crocodiles, beautifully flowered lagoons leading up to waterside bungalows, and thatched pathways winding through the twisting jungle. I was in awe. And just like most of the reviews I read, there was no sense of over crowding by any means. In fact, it seemed a little deserted.

After my run and a shower, Mindy and I set out to find breakfast. We ended up at the same restaurant where we had our buffet dinner the night before. Again, it was a bit stuffy in there even though it wasn’t yet that hot. The food was good, however. I always look forward to the breakfast buffets probably more than any other meal.

After food we stopped by the lobby to check-in with the Apple Vacations rep. We booked our three dinner reservations, too, and received an invite to the complimentary honeymooners dinner. We also accepted an invite to a beach party. Next, we asked Eduardo, the gentleman working the lobby desk, why we didn’t get the room upgrade advertised on the Apple webpage. He said in broken but understandable English, that it was only IF available, NOT complimentary. Fruit basket complimentary, room upgrade ONLY IF available. Keeping my cool, I told Eduardo that the resort certainly didn’t look full to me. Now a little perturbed, he responded by saying that they were not empty. Mindy then asked the next obvious question. When will an upgraded room be available? Eduardo said tomorrow you come back here with bags and we’ll move you to bldg nine – jr suite by beach. Cool!

We returned to our room where we readied for a day on the beach. Clouds hung over head most of the day but the sun broke through numerous times. And even though there were clouds, we could feel the hot Mexican sun warming our relatively pale Ohio skin. We hung at the beach most of the day.

Later, we did dinner at the Bamboo, the resort’s Chinese offering. The service was exceptional. And for quite a while we were their only customer. The highlight of the meal was dessert. Our waiter insisted we try the strawberry flambé. And what a spectacle that was. After dinner we moseyed back to our room under a star lit sky.










Tuesday

We were greeted with sunshine shining in through the draperies Tuesday morning – a very welcome sight. I chose to run the beach in lieu of the resort trails – beautiful. Just as planned, we moved to a bigger/nicer room much closer to the beach. Snorkeled the local reef. Sunny skies all day. Honeymooners dinner hosted by the resort. It was very nice but very warm and humid. Couldn’t wait to get back to our room and remove our clothes and sleep in A/C.

Wednesday

I ran along the beach. Morning clouds gave way to sunshine by 9:30am. Ate breakfast at the White Sands buffet. Visited the crocodile pond along the way. Drank three Mimosa’s with breakfast – very tasty! Beach sunny but breezy. Red flags – no snorkeling. We hung out at the Rocas salt water pool all day – very lovely! Clouded over around 4pm. Beach Barbeque at 7pm. There we met Dave & Rela from Chicago. They were friendly and interesting folks. We shared a table. Drinks at the lobby bar. Met a couple whose names escape me from Germany on their honeymoon. She was a lawyer and he worked for Citigroup. Back to our room by 10pm, again hot & sleepy.

Thursday

Wake to sunshine! Ran the beach. Mimosa’s at the breakfast buffet. Rocas salt water pool all day. Mindy drank margaritas and I drank mimosa’s most of the day. Walked along the coral beach – very, very beautiful. Couldn’t snorkel due to red flags – high surf. Canceled dinner reservations at El Dorado steak house. Ate instead at the buffet. Very good! Back to the room and in bed early – before 10pm.

Friday

Wake to sunshine & cloud mix, but eventually gave way to full sunshine. Ran the beach and meditated to the rolling surf all the while the warm sunshine beat against my sweaty body. Breakfast at the buffet. I drank mimosa’s with breakfast. Wanted to snorkel again today but again red flags. No resort sponsored water sports. Assured us there would be no red flags tomorrow. Hung at the Rocas pool drinking mimosa’s all afternoon. On our way back to our room we made an unplanned stop at the main pool for the first time all week. Met Al & Gale from Tucson, Arizona. We drank at the swim-up pool bar for about 2 hours. We were both way buzzed! We also met two nineteen year old boys from Pennsylvania that were partying very hard and flirting with all the girls. Mindy thought that they were cute. We took an hour nap before heading to dinner. Still buzzed, we dined at the buffet. Back to our room before 9pm and in bed.













Saturday

Beautiful sunshine. Up at 6:30am. Ran the beach & meditated immediately after from the same secluded coral rock as the morning before. Breakfast at the White Sands buffet. Stopped by the Colonial lobby to arrange for airport shuttle tomorrow AM. Requested we be at the lobby by 6:20am for departure! What??? Beach by 9:30am. Mindy secured snorkel gear for the entire day for $5. Stopped to have her hair braided and beaded on the beach while I took a long walk. Snorkeled the same coral formation that we did on Tuesday. Thousands of beautiful fish. After snorkeling we hung at the Rocas salt water pool for a couple hours. After burgers at the beach bar we visited the main pool for our last blast of Mexican sunshine. Around 4pm a thunderhead exploded from nowhere, but we were ready to bag the day anyhow. We retreated to the room to grab some cash for souvenir shopping. We shopped at two shops- one open air vendor on the beach and then the Kantenah lobby gift shop. Returned to our room to pack for early Sunday departure. We dined at the Brazilian Restaurant – lots of skewered meats – rabbit, lamb, pork, chicken, sausage, beef. No dessert – too bloated and too full. Returned to our room for early bedtime – 8:30pm.













Sunday – Departure day

Up at 4:45am. Moon & stars still prevalent. I ran in complete darkness, although the sky began to show signs of day break as I ran. I ran the resort trails in lieu of beach. Kind of scary running the jungled trails. The sky was showing signs of day break just as I finished. I took one last run out to the beach. Mindy was all but ready. I showered and finished packing. We walked our luggage to the lobby as the bell boy phone rang busy after numerous attempts to call for a shuttle. No biggie! We departed for the airport at 6:50am. An hour and twenty minutes later we were through security and shopping the duty free store at the airport. We wanted a burger but they were only serving breakfast foods. We passed. We boarded and left 30 minutes early. Cool! Three fast hours later at 2:15pm we landed in Columbus.

Unfortunately, we were selected for a full search by US Customs agents. There was one other couple singled out as well. They had numerous bags and several illegal items, so we had to wait for several minutes. Both of us were anxious to get beyond the last check point and on our way home. Finally, after waiting about thirty minutes they searched all of our bags. Of course they found nothing. We were on our way to the Blue Lot by 3:30pm. We stopped at the Lennox Target before heading home. We picked up a card & gift certificate for Gloria and some much needed milk. We received a call from Jimaken indicating that their flight schedule had been altered and that they were stuck in DC. We arrived home around 4pm. Ashley and Olivia were there waiting for us. We visited with them until 5:30pm.

We arrived at Jody & Larry’s at 6:55pm – just in time to celebrate Gloria’s birthday. We visited until 8:30pm. Just after we arrived home Jim and kids arrived did too. We were happy to be reunited. They spent the entire week in the Outer Banks. After visiting for a few Mindy got the kids ready for bed. They went out right away. We went to bed around 10:30pm after I downloaded and edited many of our vacation pictures. I took about 350 shots.

It's Time to Go!

And We're Off!!














I woke at 7am to hug my pillow and roll over. But even before I could fall back into my slumber I heard the welcome rumble of thunder nearby. Later the thunder was accompanied by the pitter- patter of rain! Wahoo! I laid there enjoying the blissful sound and eventually turned on the TV to check out the radar. There was a front moving up from the Southeast - most unusual for these parts.

I hugged Mindy and told her that I was getting up. It was 7:30am - my natural rise time. I made coffee and exercised. I was eager to walk Ykraps in the rain and survey the amount. It smelt terrific - the summer rain and all. You could smell summer flowers in the air. Despite the rain, the pond was still very low.

After my walk I returned for some coffee and writing. It continued to rain lightly, but I could see that the sky was already brightening. I went to let Mindy know that I was leaving for a run at 9am. She said she had no particular rise time in mind. I kept my run within the confines of the subdivision. It went very well. I noticed as I ran by the stream feeding our pond that it was roaring with water. Iwas surprised upon my return to see the pond as swollen as it's been in weeks - perhaps even months. That made me smile.

Inside, Mindy was up having some coffee. She asked if I wanted breakfast. She warmed me two leftover pancakes. I made myself a bowl of Fruit Loops using half & half, too. Both hit the spot. After breakfast we had a quickie and then I headed outside to knock out some chores. I hung the new sun ornament on the north side of the shed, watered all the flowers front and back, and started to repair the hose. I decided to forego the repir until I get back. The worst that happens is that my pepper plants get a nice misty watering while dad waters the rest of the backyard beds.

I couldn't overlook the obvious difference in grass length around the flower beds, and especially after the early morning rains. I decided last minute to get out the mower and cut around the beds. It took about twenty minuntes to manually cut all the areas needing attention. I'm glad I did it because if we get the weather forecasted while we're gone, the grass will be knee deep upon our return. After lawn chores I returned inside for more last minute packing and blogging.

The time has come; the time is now. Marvin K Mooney you must go now!

Cause For Celebration

A celebration was indeed in order. I rolled out of bed around 7:30am to begin my Saturday. I had just nailed down a full nine hours sleep for the first time since last Friday night. And that much coveted sleep left me refreshed and ready for a big day. Mindy said she’d join me in just a few minutes when she heard the coffee alarm go off. I had only to hit the ‘go’ button on the maker. She had it already prepped.

I exercised quickly and then leashed up Ykraps for our neighborhood walk. It was yet another gorgeous summer morning in Columbus. The birds were singing, it was sunny, and the temperature already around 70. Ahh, the summer!

Back home the coffee maker alarm had already sounded but still no sign of Mindy. The kids were up and already out playing on the deck. It wasn’t long before Mindy joined us. She made herself coffee and headed out onto the deck with the kids. I checked email, the weather forecast, and headlines. I readied for a run before 9am. While I’d be running, Mindy agreed to make pancakes and spicy sausage for our Saturday breakfast.

It was a very nice run. I ran down Trabue to Hague and back into Scioto Woods through Western Run. It was very, very steamy. As I reentered the house, the sweet smell of sausage permeated the air. It wasn’t quite ready so I spent the next five or so minutes trimming the Spirea bushes along the front entrance to the house. They’re all in flower but also growing like crazy into the flow of foot traffic. We were expecting my dad to stop by for a watering walk through, but we weren’t exactly sure what time. We had plenty of food in case he wanted breakfast.

We ate breakfast as a family. Both the pancakes and the sausage were mighty tasty. Jacob loved the extra spicy sausage- a boy after my own heart. We dipped it in our syrup. After breakfast we briefly discussed the day’s agenda. It would be a busy one. I wanted to complete the staining of the shed, repair the buried garden hose, pack, & run a couple last minute errands. Furthermore, the kids were leaving for their vacation with dad around 5pm, but even before that we had a 50th year wedding anniversary to attend in mid to late afternoon. And somewhere amongst all of that my dad was coming over. I didn’t waste any time. I changed into my painting shorts (a 23 year old pair of Jams) and gathered my tools and headed to the shed. It was already very warm and muggy. I started on the north side, the final side, although I still had to finish the pond facing side too. I did the trim and the grooves in the T-111 first. That takes the most time. Slapping on the rest is a snap. My dad arrived just after 11am, and by then I had no more than 20-25 minutes left of staining still to do.

Mindy & and the kids made arrangements to visit & swim with her friends Doug & Tara in the Glen. I spent the next 45 minutes with dad doing my watering routine. It’s nothing out of the ordinary but I wanted him to see my routine. Plus, some of the potted flowers & hanging baskets could easily die if they miss one key watering.

I left the hoses strategically placed in the yard so that he wouldn’t have to drag the hoses around. One benefit of the recent dry streak is that I wouldn’t have to mow the lawn before leaving. It hasn’t grown much at all in ten days save for the areas surrounding the flower beds that benefit from the daily waterings.

After dad left I quickly returned to the staining. I was eager to put the project behind me. I finished in about thirty minutes. By then it was very hot & humid. After putting everything away and taking a shower, I took to updating my blog. I was expecting the kids and Mindy anytime. They arrived home between 2:30 and 3pm. I still hadn’t packed anything but did have most things organized to where I could pack it in a matter of about thirty minutes. We left for Ray & Carol Wright’s 50th anniversary party at 3:10pm. It was being held at Crossroads United Methodist Church. The sky threatened rain just before we left. Along our way to the party it finally rained.

There were probably 100-150 people, most of whom I’ve a time or two, at the anniversary party held in the reception hall. Most of Mindy’s immediate family was there, too. It was good to see everyone since we would be out of pocket for Sunday dinner. We couldn’t stay too long. We had to be home before 5pm as Jimaken was scheduled to pick-up the children then for their trip. We arrived home by 4:50pm. Mindy asked that I organize our travel information to give to Jim in case of emergency. And while I took care of that, Jimaken showed up. Mindy was emotional as we hugged and kissed the kids goodbye. She did a good job of masking her heart break until after they left. They were excited about their trip, too.

After the kids were gone Mindy and I left to run our errands. I needed more multi-vitamins and wanted to get the decorative sun ornament for the side of the shed. We headed to the Georgesville Rd Lowe’s. I knew they didn’t have any left at the Mill Run store. Oh my gosh! What a difference 8 miles makes. The folks at this Lowes were quite the site. You could actually detect a change in accent and demeanor without even trying. It turned out that they didn’t have any left at Georgesville store either. Crap! I knew that I should’ve bought one last week when I got the stain. Oh well. Wasn’t meant to be.

Instead of driving to Target to get vitamins, we decided to hit the nearby Wal-Mart. And while we thought the crowd at Lowe’s was a bit different, we couldn’t believe what we ran into at the ‘Mart. The odd were out in full force, and these se folks looked scary. We perused the outdoor area looking for anything close to what we wanted from Lowe’s. And because of our clean living we found a sun ornament that we looked even better, and it cost less, too. I went to the health isle to grab my vitamins. There they had my usual One-A-Days for Men but also had the Wal-Mart equivalent right next to them for almost half the price. And if you’re familiar with the marketing, they even have a label that compares it to the targeted brand of competition. After studying the labels (identical) I opted for the savings – call me stupid! In each isle were shopped were both entertained by the shoppers. They were certainly different. As we exited the store with our purchases we realized to that this was the first of the month and that this was shopping day for most government recipients. I’m not passing judgment but instead merely pointing out the obvious.
After Wal-Mart we headed home both of us a little surprised at the time. It was already after 6pm. We both wanted to do something but we weren’t sure what. We thought about going to the short north and later seeing the Deanna Sweeny Band at the Short North Tavern. We haven’t seen Deanna in a long time (circa my birthday).

Once home we hung out just long enough to decide that we wanted to visit Barley’s for dinner. We called Bob & Mary Ann to see if they were up for joining us. They were home but cooking out on the patio. They invited us over. On our way to Barley’s we decided that we would take them up on the invite. We stopped at Barley’s bought a jug and wings to-go. We each had a beer while waiting on our order. We showed up at Bob & Mary Ann’s around 8:30pm if I were to guess. Bob & M.A. had some sweet corn & walleye fresh off the grill. We sat down to eat shortly after our arrival. We got to hear about the spur of the moment trip to Ocracoke last weekend. Sounds like fun a nice place.

After dinner and a few beers we retired to the front porch to relax. Their front porch reminds me much of my Grandma Lantz’s. They have a couple rockers and a dangling swing. We sat chatting until Bayla, their dog, escaped down the street. Bob, M.A. and I all took off looking for her in different directions. I was gone for a while following barking dogs. When I gave up and returned they had already recovered her. We hung out for another 45 minutes or so. Mindy was falling asleep. She asked if we could go home. We said our goodbyes and thanked Bob & M.A. for hosting a nice evening.

We went right to bed once we arrived home. It was about 11:45pm.

June Bugs

I woke Friday around 6:15am feeling incrementally better than the morning prior despite another short night’s sleep. I had a lot of extra motivation today. First, it was Friday, my favorite day of week. But even more significant was the fact that after today I’d be on vacation for an entire week. I haven’t taken a full week off of work since Xmas. That couldn’t hurt my mood.

Mindy got up long enough to make a cup of coffee even though she had no purpose to be up so early. I guess she couldn’t sleep. I made very quick work of my routine and prep. I was able to recover my time fully. I was out watering the plants by 7:10am.

I readied and left for work around 7:55am and arrived around 8:10am. I was determined that this was gonna be great day. Out of the shoot we had a few call-offs that hampered our effectiveness some but I didn’t let that get me down. I made arrangements to buy pizzas for the team to help elevate the mood. I was knee deep in alligators all day. It didn’t help that my peer was off on vacation. In the end, we managed successfully.

I left for my run while everyone enjoyed the pizza. I wisely stashed a few pieces in my office for after run consumption. Too often I return only to find it all gone, and today I purposefully didn’t pack a lunch. It was another hot & steamy day – perhaps the steamiest yet. There was a very warm breeze out of the west. But just like the past several days, I paced myself and completed the run without any complications.

I was very hungry after my run. After shower I hurried back to my office to the awaiting cold pizza. It went down easy. I took care of several key issues and managed to prepare for vacation. I was hitting on all cylinders. I left the office at 5:30pm feeling like I had a very successful day and a well deserved break in front of me.

I stopped at Lowe’s to return the three new paint brushes I bought to stain the deck after finding that I had adequate used brushes already at home. While there, I bought a new 100’ garden hose to replace the back yard feeder hose that sprung a leak just this morning.

After Lowe’s I drove to my dad’s to firm plans for the care of Ykraps and flower watering detail. I found him napping under his carport with a box fan aimed directly on him. He woke when Archie (his dog) gave me the dickens! We visited for about an hour, and discussed his most recent flare-up of arthritis. He was feeling exceptionally well today and felt confident signing up for Ykraps’ care and flower watering in my absence. I left around 6:30 knowing that Mindy had dinner on the table. When I arrived home I found that Mindy had already walked Ykraps and my dinner was on the table. Everyone else had already eaten. I sat down to eat boneless chicken breast and pasta smothered in pesto. It was good.

Mindy and I sat on the deck enjoying another beautiful evening and sunset. There would be no Barley’s tonight. Instead, we opted to stay home with the kids and enjoy each others company. I also hoped & looked forward to a good night’s sleep. After the kids had their bath and were in their jimmies, we lit off some bottle rockets and sparklers. They went to bed soon after. Soon the kids were tucked away in bed and we retreated to the deck for another half hour. I enjoyed one Hop Devil. Mindy had a glass of wine. We headed to bed just before 10pm. I was worried that I might not be able to sleep again but after lying there for about 20 minutes I drifted off to never-neverland.