A Classic Mid-July Day

1) A little piece of Sheila in our home
2) The dining room (learning to trick the flash into a sunny window)

I found it extremely difficult to motivate myself out of bed this AM. I didn’t get up until 6:10am. Perhaps it was the heavy dinner Sunday evening at Gloria’s, or the frequent tossing and turning through the night – not sure. Either way, it was a struggle. It was already 6:30am by the time I finished my exercises and found my way outdoors with Ykraps. By that time, I am usually well into food prep.

Since I was behind the proverbial eight ball, I spent a shorter amount of time on the PC sipping coffee, but I still took about ten minutes to meditate. By 6:45am I was aggressively into food prep and well on my way to catching up. I left the house to water at 7:10am. I watered just the back figuring that the front beds got plenty of water over the weekend and were still a little wet. I finished watering the back bed, baskets, and pots by 7:35am. I was caught up for all practical purposes.

By the time I showered and dressed it was just before 8am. I left for work right at 8am. Work wasn’t as busy s expected for a Monday morning. I was happy and thankful all the while knowing things could break loose at any time. Things stayed rather calm during the morning hours. I left for a run around 1245pm. It was a picture mid-July summer day. It was about 85 and sunny with a smidge of humidity. My run was practically effortless as I listened to my MP3 player.

I finished run, showered, then returned to my office to pick-up where I left off. The afternoon was busier than the first half the day but still manageable. I closed the book on the work day around 5:10pm and headed directly home. I thought about stopping for flower pots and crickets but didn’t. As soon as I arrived home we walked Ykraps together as a family. Once back at home I primed the sprinkler then lit the grill. We were grilling boneless chicken breasts. I threw some hickory chunks on the grill, too, to add some extra flavor.

The kids were playing noisily in the family room while dinner cooked. I found that a little unnerving. I kept to myself on the deck so I could unwind. We ate our dinner out there, also. Mindy knew I was tired and allowed me to nap on the deck while she cleaned up and eventually went out to play with the kids. I slept a little but was interrupted a couple of times preventing me from getting the peaceful rest my body craved. I gave up on sleep around 7:40pm and spent the next 20 or 30 minutes in a fog, or until the kids and Mindy returned from playing with neighbors.

I eventually made my way to the PC where I surfed a little before being called to tuck in the kids. They were watching TV from Jacob’s bed when I went up so they didn’t count that as an official tuck-in. I was asked up again about ten minutes later. I obliged their request. Mindy and I eventually found our way onto the deck to spend some quality time together. I made myself a Capt’n and Fresca. I decided to call my mom and check in. We talked for about thirty minutes getting disconnected once. She reported spending the day with my dad as he was kind enough to take her to her doctor’s appointment. She’s still suffering the same symptoms that caused her to have back surgery in early May.

Seconds later both kids were up & on the deck. They said they couldn’t sleep. A minute didn’t pass before Mindy ushered them back to their beds. I was being attacked by bugs – not bitten. Around 9:40pm we gave up on the deck and went inside. Before going in I went to retrieve the sprinkler pump not caring to risk it raining over night. Mindy opened the overhead garage door to facilitate my entrance. We walked back out to the front yard to view the large crescent moon in the northwest sky along with Venus. We retired to bed soon after.

A Lazy Sunday

I woke around 530am but that was just to pee. I went back to sleep rather easily waking for good at 7:15am. Mindy was still sleeping and asked that I wake her whenever I want her to be up. I went downstairs and prepped a pot of coffee and got busy with my daily exercises.

By 8am I had already finished exercising & walking Ykraps. I spent the next 1.5 hours sipping coffee, working on my blog, and editing photos. Around 9:30am I readied and left for my run. I ran along Trabue and Hague ave. It was already very steamy even at the relatively early hour. Mindy and I spoke of boating today, and I figured that would be at Griggs since we’d have to be home to greet the kids and head to her mom’s for Sunday dinner around 4pm, but as I sipped more coffee and watered flowers, the idea of simply staying home and relaxing sounded very appealing.

I got he sprinkler pump primed and began watering the difficult spots in the front lawn. At the same time, I watered the rear flower beds with city water. While watering away, Mindy came out on the deck to enjoy her first cup of coffee. It had to be nearing 11am.
We talked for a while and Mindy agreed with my sentiments regarding boating. We both needed some down time after our busy Friday & Saturday.

I figured I’d water the lawn and complete a few tinker projects like gluing the cracked mud flap on my Trooper. I ended up taking care of a couple other small tasks too, but it was done at a very leisurely pace. We spent time catching ants for the lizards, too. It’s very exciting watching them chomp their prey! At one point, while feeding them, Mindy looked at me and said, “we bought them for us didn’t we.” There seemed to be some truth to that, but we didn’t plan to share that with the kids.

Some time around 2pm I headed up for what I thought would be a short nap in bed, but Mindy hollered up that friend/neighbor Pat was over. I came back down. For whatever reason, we don’t see each other all that often. We talked for an hour or so. Like always, Pat had a few funny/interesting stores to share about his relationship (or lack there of) with his neighbor just to the west. He also had some surprising news about his brother-in-laws marriage. We agreed to tray & hook-up next weekend.

As Pat departed, I followed him out and once again moved the sprinkler. At the same time, Jimaken arrived with the kids. It was just after 3pm. The kids seemed excited to be home. Mindy took a shower while I did some more work on my weekend writing. Come about 335pm I rushed up to get my shower. We left for her mother’s around 410pm.

When we arrived I got right to work on installing the two gate hooks as well as trimming the Rose of Sharon bush blocking her trashcan. It was a small gathering as compared to most other Sunday dinners at Gloria’s. It was just us and her brother’s family. We had goulash, although not the traditional Hungarian version. Still, it was mighty tasty. For dessert we had ice cream sandwich pie. That was exceptionally good too, but I had only one piece. I ate so much that I could barely keep my eyes opened. I went to the living room where I fell asleep amongst the play of the kids.

I woke just after a short nap. We readied to go. It must have been just after 8pm. As soon as we arrived home Jacob and I took Ykraps on his evening walk. Mindy got the kids a bath while I addressed a few chores and downloaded the day’s pictures. It was after 9pm when we tucked in the kids. Afterwards we spent a few minutes on the deck while I sipped a beer. We didn’t stay out too long, however because the mosquitoes were vicious! We decided instead to go inside and sit in the aptly named sitting room. We headed to bed just after 10pm.

A Wedding, Reunion, and Skis

I was up a little after 7am ready to begin my Saturday. Missing at my bedside was Mindy. Out of bed, I assumed her to either be already up or asleep on the couch or in the spare room, which I would’ve bet was due to me snoring or her nagging, incessant cough. The weather outside looked just perfect. As I grabbed the coffee pot to begin the prep process I saw Mindy sleeping on the chaise lounger on the deck. She was under a comforter, so I understood it to be planned.

She came in and went back up to bed as I finished prepping coffee and began my exercise routine. I walked Ykraps, drank some coffee, and did a little web surfing before setting out on my run all the while Mindy stayed in bed sleeping. I left for a run just after 8:30am. The sky was crystal clear and the temperature was warm and humid. It was an enjoyable run. I made it back home just after 9:00am. I didn’t waste anytime getting the sprinkler ready and watering flowers. Mindy got up around 10am. We spent some time on the deck ironing out some Jimindy issues before planning the rest of our busy day.

Our busy day would include a trip to Wal-Mart to grocery shop as well as pick-up the trainer water skis I ordered from Wal-Mart online. Later, we would be attending a wedding and then Mindy’s twenty year reunion. Mindy had already showered. I hadn’t. Finally, just after 11am I emerged from the shower dressed and ready to go. I printed off a copy of my Wal-Mart “Ship to Store” receipt for the skis as instructed. We left the house around 11:15pm.

Mindy headed to the drug & beauty section while I went to find the pick-up counter. In true Wal-Mart fashion, the less than educated woman working the service desk had no idea what I was talking about and said they hadn’t even begun the “Ship-to-Store” process. I waived my receipt that also indicated that it was in for pick-up. She told me in an angry tone that I’d have to wait. I made some comment about her having a bad day and moved on to find a friendlier Wal-Mart associate. I found one quickly. Carmen knew immediately what I was talking about and walked me back to the pick-up area. She retuned minutes later with my water skis. After asking me to inspect the contents I left with a smile on my face and set out to find Mindy.

On my way to find Mindy I found the perfect fishing net that Jacob and I have been seeking. I grabbed it. I found Mindy in the dairy department. It didn’t take too long to get all of our groceries. We had to back track to the pet department to get dog and lizard food. We were hoping to find crickets and possibly some prepackaged dry foods, especially for lizards. The closet thing we could find was dry food for amphibians (turtles, newts, and frogs). It smelt fishy. We figured we’d give it a try.

We headed home where we quickly unloaded our haul. I went out to and moved the sprinkler before getting ready for the wedding. I also snacked on a leftover brat. The wedding began at 2:30pm. We left the house in the BM’er at 2:05pm. The wedding was held at Our Lady of Victory in the quaint little village of Marble Cliff, just a few miles to our east. It’s a beautiful church nestled amongst the old but beautiful mansions.

The wedding ceremony moved along swiftly. We couldn’t have been in the church more than thirty minutes. The reception was held on the same property at the church’s own new reception hall. That made it really nice. The highlight of the reception had to be Sean’s 8 year old daughter, Ally singing him a love song of sorts. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. She did an amazing job! The reception was loaded with family tradition and moved along as quickly as the wedding itself. I couldn’t be happier for Sean. He deserves this. We left the reception just before 6:30pm needing to get home and ready for Mindy’s reunion.

I knowingly left the sprinkler running in one location for the duration of the wedding. We were gone for almost 4 hours. I moved it while we readied for the reunion. We weren’t home long, however. Essentially, we were home long enough to take care of a few chores, change clothes, and walk Ykraps. We left for the reunion at 7:10pm again driving the BM’er; it was a perfect evening for it. The reunion was held at the Makoy Center in Hilliard (central Ohio’s largest privately owned banquet hall). Mindy began reconnecting with her old school mates as soon as we were parked. I could tell that she was excited.

It took a couple of minutes to find our name tags and then get settled into the center. Funny, we talked with the same older women working the alumni association desk that were at my reunion last month. After that Mindy approached a couple of old teachers, Miss Fistik and Mrs. Crebbs. I remembered Mrs. Crebbs from my tenure at West ten years prior. Mindy chatted with lots of folks and introduced me to many of her old classmates. I wondered how I would fair amongst this “younger” crowd. With few exceptions, I don’t think that I looked much, if any, older than the lion’s share. In fact, there were a few there that looked much older than I.

I had one beer – Michelob. After dinner and some more conversation Mindy and I departed. It must’ve been somewhere just after 10pm. Both of us were exhausted after a long day of events. The drive home in the BM’er was awesome against a star lit sky.
I tuned into Mad TV from bed, but with Mindy’s insistence we watched only a few minutes. She was more tired than I.

Think of Laura

Nothing but good luck here...

Much like the day before, I slept later than I usually do. I slept until 5:55am. If there ever was a week to do so this was the one. Also, I knew that I needed to be fresh today at work since I would be the only manager in the center. Stealing a few extra winks of sleep could only help. I was busy with my morning calisthenics until 6:10am. Ykraps and I were out the door by 6:15am.

I noticed immediately that the trash collectors hadn’t picked up yet, which I found surprising. After all, you can almost set your watch by these guys. They’re usually at the curb within five minutes of 6:00am – either side. It was 6:30am when we made our way back into the house. It sprinkled just a smidge while we walked. I checked the radar and saw a green blob about thirty miles wide just barely crossing north of the I-70 barrier. Just to our south they seemed to be getting the majority of the storm just as it’s been most of the early summer. Winter and summer storms both often track along I-70 or I-71. Not sure why that is.

I went about the rest of my morning at home like any other. I watered flowers, made food, and showered for work. I left the house at 8am sharp. As I drove to work I saw clouds and rain to our south and clear blue to the north. I arrived to a sunny work place around 8:15am.I was eager to get on with my day with an eye towards the weekend. I tend to be all the more excited about the weekend after coming off an on-call weekend. I suppose it makes me appreciate them more.

The day didn’t begin so busy at all. In fact, save for a couple of pesky problems, it was eerily calm for a Friday. I stayed busy with some online leadership training & planning one on one meetings with my team. I left for lunch five minutes earlier than normal. I left at 1240pm.

It was 78 degrees and mostly sunny. It was an invigorating run. My legs were a little weary as I pushed through the last mile. I had brought my keys in my gym bag just in case I decided to run the Trooper over to Discount Tires for a free rotation. I chose to do just that when I finished my shower. I had put this off for almost a year now. Come September, I will have had these tires for two years. Last time I popped in they were too busy. Today they weren’t. The more than friendly gentleman working the counter assured me that they’d be done in less than 30 minutes. I chose to wait in the lobby even though I tinkered with walking over to Lowe’s to exchange our propane tank. I figured carrying full tank across the parking lot was to taxing and besides, it was Friday.

As promised, they were done in about thirty minutes. I walked about the Trooper before pulling away just to be certain that they tightened all of the lug nuts. Satisfied that they did, I drove across the street to Lowe’s. There, I exchanged our propane tank and then went back in to get to gate hooks for Gloria and some new super glue for around the house. I was careful to pick a rather new looking tank since the last one must have leaked. It lasted barely eight weeks. In fact, remembering back, I noticed when I exchanged for it that it looked old and worn.

Accomplishing each of my minor errands, I headed back to the office feeling fulfilled. The afternoon wasn’t as easy going as the morning. Something happened while I was away driving up our workload. It happens like that sometimes. There on out we were balls to the wall, so to speak. I wrapped up my day in the office by 5:15pm. I was eager to begin the weekend.

I took the back way home because I-270 was backed up and there were reports of two separate accidents, both potentially stifling to my travel. I made it home by 5:30pm. I walked Ykraps why Mindy mopped the tile floors. She was expecting her childhood friend, Laura to arrive sometime after 6pm, who was in town for their 20 year high school reunion. Laura currently lives in Jersey, right across the West River from Manhattan. Feeling tired, I went upstairs to take a nap while Mindy did a few other things. I must’ve slept for ten or fifteen minutes, and it felt great. I woke then changed into comfy Barley’s attire. While downloading some pics, a door-to-door salesperson arrived trying to sell Mindy something. It just so happened that Laura arrived at the exact same time, although I didn’t realize it. The salesperson seemed pushy so I told Mindy just to close the door, again, not understanding that Laura was on the porch, too. She must have found that exchange a bit strange after all, I hadn’t as much as met her yet.

Mindy was extremely excited to see Laura, whom she hasn’t seen a stitch of in a couple of years. They grew up right around the corner from each other and have been friends since early childhood. Laura has a very interesting story. She grew up with a broken family on the Westside in Holy Hill and had every reason to fall into the “sider trap”. Instead, however, she made something of herself. After college she moved to New York to become a television producer in New York for Today Show. There she met her eventual husband who now has a very successful company in Manhattan. She’s now a stay-at-home mom and seems to enjoy it. As we chatted over a glass of wine and me a beer, I couldn’t help but notice a distinct similarity to my step-mother, Sheila who passed just 3 months ago.

We hung out telling stories on the deck until 8:10pm when we decided to leave for Barley’s. Mindy & Laura rode together. I drove the Trooper. There was a moderate crowd and usual gang was present at the bar. Still missing were some of the usual late arrivers. They eventually showed. We had a fun time. Mary Ann had to work so Bob came solo (somewhat rare occurrence). Tara, Mindy’s teacher pal, showed up too. I hadn’t seen her since winter. She’s very interesting!

We hung at Barley’s until 11pm or so. We said our goodbye’s to Laura as she headed home to her mother’s, although we expected to see her Saturday evening at the 20 year reunion. We headed home too and went right to bed.

Critical Thinking

I was still tired when 5:30am rolled around, so I chose to sleep a while longer. A while longer turned into about 35 minutes. I didn’t find myself downstairs and at my routine until 6:10am. I didn’t walk out the door with Ykraps until 6:30am. Usually, I would be just starting food prep. I didn’t fret, instead I took my time but with focus.

By 7:05am I had enjoyed some coffee, read the Daily OM, packed my lunch and cooked my breakfast. I took to watering at 7:15am. I soaked everything good since I didn’t water the beds the morning before. That’s rare. I finished the watering up and headed to the shower by 7:40am. I half expected Lindsey to come barreling down the road with her kids looking for childcare. She didn’t. I was ready to leave for work by 7:55am.

Since the weather was so nice, I decided to drive the BM’er. I moved the Trooper onto the road and closed the mirrors to hopefully prevent an unfortunate accident. Mindy & the kids remained in bed as I pulled away for my Thursday.

Work was dicey from the word go. We had a handful of international issues requiring my direct involvement and most of my time. I eventually peeled myself away for a run at close to the usual 1245pm. My run went very well. It wasn’t too hot but it was fairly sticky. I worked up quite a sweat. I spent time after my run squaring away our cell phone situation. The goal was to get Mindy’s line on my plan before we upgrade our plan and get three new phones. That worked out well.

I left for home just after 5pm. I stopped at Jack’s Aquarium in Mill run to get Jacob the lizard we promised him at the end of the school year. There I bought two. I tried to get a male and female but they had only males. I bought a plastic terrarium, mulch, crickets, and two good sized Anole lizards. I knew that he’d be thrilled.

The kids weren’t home when I arrived. After Mindy and I walked Ykraps she got the lizards together in their terrarium. I readied for a couple hours of much needed yard work. While weed wacking, the weed wacker engine just stopped and wouldn’t restart. I wasn’t pleased. On closer inspection, the carburetor had worked itself loose once again. I was able to dismantle it from the mounts and tighten the two screws used to hold it firmly against the engine thereby resolving the issue. Within five minutes I was back up and working.

I finished the lawn chores just after 8pm. The kids were playing with the neighbors in their yard. For a brief stint, all the kids were on our deck playing with and admiring the Anoles. I finished the yard and moved quickly to install Mindy’s four new hub caps. I also trimmed the petunias away from the purple sage. They were beginning to cover them. Mindy took in some of clippings for house flowers. Mindy and I ate brats on the deck while the kids played next door (2 houses over). When she went to fetch the kids I proceeded to sew/repair my reading chair arm that had a split which I presume was caused by Ykraps.

After finishing up Mindy asked me to tuck in the kids. I did. I was already 9:40pm and I was becoming increasingly tired. I went directly to bed after tending to the children. Mindy soon followed with my traditional glass of water and after securing the home.

Wednesday Golf League Returns

I slept until 6:05am – about 30 minutes later than target. There really wasn’t a reason other than the lack of motivation to get up and get going. I made up most of the time, however, by not watering. With all the rain, clouds, and cooler temps, I knew that I could skip a day. I was ahead of schedule and in the shower by 7:10am. As I prepped to leave, I poured the sloppy joe’s I made the night before into the crock pot and carrier. I was taking it to work for our monthly pot luck. Lindsey dropped the kids off just as I was loading my gym bag. I caught wind of her and Mindy exchanging pleasantries about forgetting the diaper bag on the front porch at Kelly’s. Landon was brought without food and diapers. Great! She went on about how she’d loose her job if she went back for them.
I stepped in and said I’d drive to Kelly’s to pick them up. I left minutes later. Along my way I called there to make sure the bag was there for the nabbing. I didn’t want to be delayed more than I had to be. Kelly was there when I arrived. We chatted briefly before I headed back home with the goods.

I dropped the diaper bag with Mindy, gave all the kids a hug, encourage Lil’ Rocky to do well at his dental appointment, and promised him a fresh $1 bill if he didn’t cry. I left for work, late at 8:30am.

It was a cloudy morning but I could easily tell that the sky was brightening just as it was forecasted to do. I left for a run early – 12noon. By then it was sunny. It wasn’t nearly as warm as it’s been. In fact, it wasn’t even 80 degrees. It was very comfortable. Good thing, too. For whatever reason, my body was tired and I was exhausted at the run’s conclusion.

I took an early run to facilitate a few errands I needed to run. I had to run by the Hilliard Countrywide branch to have them endorse a check from the insurance company for the hail damage to my home. Secondly, I had to get a hair cut, and thirdly, I had to run by the bank to deposit both insurance checks. I was back to work by 2:00pm to take part in the potluck. Most everyone else had already eaten. I was told that my sloppy joe’s were the most popular. I figured they might be given the extra kick. These folks seem to like things spicy!

My afternoon was busy but short. This was golf league night and I planned to play after hearing from Bob Imber after my run. I planned to leave at 4:30pm. I hadn’t made it to Wednesday golf league in about 6 weeks – before Mexico, I think. The drive was clear until I reach the I-270/I-71 interchange. Traffic was slowed to a crawl until I hit Rt. 23, which is where an accident had occurred causing the back-up. I talked with Bob via cell phone just after I passed. Apparently our standing tee-time had been broached at Groveport Links. The fellas were checking availability at a couple other local courses.

Because of the Rt 23 issue, lots of folks proceeded to the Alum Creek exit. Unfortunately, that was my exit too. While it was too late for me to take an alternative route, I forewarned Bob. He went on to Hamilton Rd. Plans changed again in route. Westchester, our second choice, was full, too. We met at the Links of Groveport where we would ultimately decide the evening’s fate. After everyone arrived we decided on Homestead, another local course. However, unbeknownst to me, in route to Homestead, we learned that it was now full. Shit! I wondered why “just down the road a bit” turned into a ten mile drive through the countryside. After a turnaround, we ended up at The Landings, the old Officer’s club at Rickenbacker airport.

Finally, we were teeing off just before 6pm. Once again, I couldn’t score on the first two holes. I had my proverbial 7 and then an 8. I didn’t have too many bad shots, however. Instead, I just couldn’t putt on the less than stellar greens. I played decent through the next 7 holes and finished with a 50. Sadly, I was putting for birdie on three of the final seven holes only to bogey each. Three putting was the story of the day for me. It was a gorgeous evening for golf – sunny and in the mid 70’s. After our initial nine holes, the two Bob’s and I decided to play several more. And since we already played the back nine, we proceeded to the number one tee. We played holes 1 through 4, and then 8 & 9. I bogeyed each of them.

We finished up around 8:45pm. I returned a missed call to Lindsey, and then called Mindy in route to home. It was a beautiful sunset. I didn’t get home until 9:25pm. Darkness was just setting in. The kids had just finished their baths and asked to be tucked in. After tucking them in, Mindy made the two of us hot dogs. We used the remaining sloppy joe concoction to top them. Bella got up and asked for a snack. Mindy allowed her to join us.

I read a few headlines while Mindy tucked Bella back into bed. We chatted only briefly before heading to bed ourselves. I put my running clothes in the washer.

Dad for Dinner

Happy 45th Kaiuse (brother Charles)

I was a little slow getting up, and I guess it was simply laziness. After all, I got plenty of sleep. I choked down my One-A-Day knock-off and had my toes tucked firmly under the lip of the sofa by 5:50am. I pushed out my sit-ups, then push-ups and curls before 6:00am. Ykraps and I were walking about the subdivision until 6:15am.

Back at home, I made some coffee and then relaxed in front of the PC for a short while reading the Daily OM and catching up on a few headlines. After packing my lunch, but before making my breakfast, I spent about ten minutes meditating. It was 7:00am when I got to frying my two eggs. I ate inside. Soon I was outdoors watering flowers, front and back.

Work went well, although, as usual, it was an extremely busy day. I stayed in close contact with Mindy throughout the day. She was grocery shopping and taking the kids to the pool. We had some unexpected storms blow through mid-morning/early afternoon. It was still sprinkling during my run, but the heavy stuff was already beyond us. Mindy advised that it rained hard at home, and judging from the radar, that appeared to be the case. Mindy invited my dad over for dinner – burgers on the grill.

I left for home around 5:10pm. I stopped at boat storage to try the repaired boat cover. It snapped up perfectly. I am very happy with the repair. Boat Bonnets did a great job. Dad pulled up just as I was exiting the Trooper. He brought several indoor plants that had been cared for by Sheila but that he had little desire to maintain. I was happy to take them off of his hands.

We chatted for a bit before I started the grill. I lit the grill and then took Ykraps on a walk. Mindy grilled the burgers on the stove while I roasted corn-on-the-cob & zucchini on the grill. Everything turned out as planned, and everything was tasty save for the zucchini. It was mushy and bland. Mindy cut the last piece of butterscotch pie that we brought home from her mom’s into two pieces. Dad had one and Mindy and I shared the other. It was good.

Dad stayed for a while visiting and playing with the kids after their return from an evening with Jimaken. Jacob was a bit unruly. I didn’t really appreciate his poor behavior. Add to that, a call from daughter Lindsey where she pretty much read both Mindy and I the riot act over her current situation. After dad left and the kids were in bed Mindy talked for a short while about Lindsey’s accusations and situation. We’re at a loss with how to help without enabling or without taking more responsibility for her problems than she does herself. We went to bed on that note.

Put a Boat Bonnet on it

Monday morning came fast, but I was ready. I was up and well into my routine by 5:40am. I saved a little time since I didn’t need to pack a lunch. My Friday lunch was still in the fridge at work. I made myself an omelet and then enjoyed it from the deck. It wasn’t too long before I was in the yard drenching the flower beds. I soaked them really well knowing that it was going to get really hot this afternoon. We were expecting highs close to 95. Mindy agreed to watch the grandkids again today in part to get Lil’ Rocky to his first dental appointment. That should prove interesting. They were dropped off at the house by 7:30am. For some reason Lindsey brought a bike for Lil’ Rocky that was clearly to big for him to ride, and besides, who’d she think was going to watch him while he rode. Mindy’s tied up with all four kids. I showered and left for work just before 8am. It was already a hot one as I walked into the building. The work day was moderately busy, but I was well prepared having served as the weekend on-call. I left for my daily run at 1245pm. It was steamy. I could feel the heat radiating from the blacktop. The run went well. My afternoon went well, too. Mindy reported both Bella and Rocky doing fine at the dental appointment. Rocky, she reported, needs to go back on Wednesday. Mindy was taking Lindsey and all the kids to a local Kinder Care on Norton Rd so that Lindsey could meet and tour the facility in hopes of getting the kids into the center. Thus, no one was home when I arrived. It wasn’t long before Mindy was home with the kids. She said that the appointment went well and that the ball was now in Lindsey’s court to get all the paper work done. That’s scary! The kids darted out the door to play with neighbors. Mindy soon left for her dinner date with Teri. They were doing Mitchell’s at Crossroads. I’d be doing nuts and cheese. J While the kids played with neighbors, I updated my blog and added pictures dating back to our Salt Fork trip. I called the kids in for a bath just after 8pm. They came running after only a little hesitation. But to be fair, Bella was way more responsive. Baths and jammies went far better than expected. We’ve come a long way in a year. After their bath the kids asked if they could watch TV downstairs. Seeing no harm I allowed it. Mindy phoned home close to 930pm to let me know that she was on her way. She also reported stopping at Boat Bonnets while she was up that way to get the completed boat cover. She said it looked good. She arrived home by 10pm. She was surprised that the kids were still awake and waiting. While she tucked the kids into bed, I went and checked out the boat cover repairs. I agree with Mindy. It looked awesome. The only question that remained was if the snaps would line up on the boat. I’d try it tomorrow. We went to bed shortly after. Must have been 10:30pm.

Pool Days

I slept later than I have in a long while. It was nearly 8am when I finally forced myself out of bed. As soon as I made my way down the stairs my Blackberry rang. It was work needing my involvement. That knocked me of course for just a few minutes. Before long, I was back in sync and well on my way through yet another morning routine.

It was darn near 8:30 by the time Ykraps and I were walking about the neighborhood. I could tell it was going to be a scorcher. It was already swelteringly warm. After our walk I poured myself some coffee and enjoyed a little time at the PC. I didn’t play too long, however. There were work issues I had to follow-up on.

By 9am Mindy and the kids were up. I readied and left for a run by 9:15am. Again, I stayed in the subdivision. There were several sprinklers to run through to help keep me cool. I avoided most but got caught in a few. I was happy to have the run in the bag just before 10am. After Mindy and the kids left for church, I heated my Chipotle burrito leftover from last Wednesday. It was still very good. After eating I made my way out back to get the sprinkler pump primed and running. First, I used the pond to water all the flower pots and beds. Then, I attached the sprinkler to further soak specific dry spots in the back yard.
I did some more work related stuff then did a few household chores to hopefully lighten Mindy’s load a little. She got home a little after noon. We readied as a family to go to the Hilltop Swim Club. The kids ate lunch before heading out. We loaded a small cooler with lots of water and light snacks and left just after 1pm.

This was my first pool visit of the year. Mindy’s been only a couple times. I had to pay $6 as a guest. Not too bad. It was hot and sunny – certainly a great day to be at the pool. I spent the first ten minutes playing basketball before heading to a poolside bench and ultimately into the water. As hot as it was, the water was chilly, at least at first. It was a lot of fun. I saw a few friends, too.

We stayed at the pool until the 4:00pm rest period. We planned to be at Gloria’s for dinner by 5:30pm and still had to shower, walk Ykraps, and pick-up the pizzas. We left the house at 5:08pm after completing all of the fore mentioned tasks. We stopped at Minelli’s north along the way to get our order. It was all ready. We arrived at Gloria’s just before 5:30pm. We were the last to arrive yet on schedule – odd!

After a short little pre-dinner visit, we sat around the dining table and dug into the pies. We had three extra-large pizzas and an order of spaghetti. That was just about the perfect amount – leaving only two or three pieces as leftovers. Dessert was served about 30 minutes later. Gloria made two of her famous butterscotch pies. This was the first time I had even had it. It was so good that I had two pieces.

We stayed and visited until just after 8pm. We were the last to leave, which is very rare.
We arrived home shortly before 830pm. Mindy, still a little under the weather and perturbed by the kids lackadaisical approach to readying for bed, curtly called for their compliance. They followed the orders and jumped right to it! The kids weren’t in bed but about thirty minutes when Mindy decided that she needed to head to bed. I stayed up a while longer looking for a deal on water skis for Jacob. I joined Mindy in bed by 930pm. Another early bedtime!

The Wedding Day

Happy 49th Steve Wonn!!!

This was our original pick for a wedding date, 7/7/7. However, as time went on, we learned that many others picked the same date. In the end I'm glad that we changed our plans. That aside, it was a perfect summer day for just such an event.

One benefit of an early bedtime is the ability to rise the next day early. Meeting that criteria, I was up and ready to begin my Saturday at 6:30am. The house, of course, was very quiet. I proceeded to make a pot of coffee and begin my exercise routine without making too much noise.

Ykraps and I were walking about the subdivision just as the sun was rising over the roof tops. It was already steamy despite the early hour. I could tell that it was gonna be a hot one! After the walk I settled in front of my PC for some coffee while I surveyed work email and the status of several issues currently being pursued by my center.Satisfied that everything was under control, I readied and left for a run just after 8am. I decided to run within the subdivision. While it’s a little more boring, it’s far safer.

I returned from the run hot and sweaty. After toweling off and cooling off I spent some more time managing the day’s workflow. Meanwhile, Mindy and the kids readied for a day at the pool. After they departed for the pool and once I felt satisfied with work, I got to watering the flowers and sprinkling the lawn. I got the sprinkler pump started and used it for watering the beds, something I don’t often do. It doesn’t produce as much pressure as the home, but the water seems far better for the flowers.

I decided to water the lawn back by the shed, the section of our lawn that dries out the most. Previously, I had opted to skip that part of the yard, but since the storms of late last week, that’s the only section still looking truly stressed. Besides, the rest of the lawn already needs cut again so there wasn’t any reason to water it before cutting.

Mindy left a grocery list hoping that I would do the shopping while they played at the pool. Around 1pm or so I took a shower and readied for a trip to Kroger. I decided to drive the BM’er since the day was so gloriously sunny & warm. I drove through Arlington winding my way down Cambridge to Tremont & eventually to the Chambers Rd Kroger. I noticed right away that Mindy’s list was not organized like the isles. For example, she had produced sprinkled about the entire list. That made the shopping a bit more difficult. I was in and out of there in less than a hour. The bill was only $78 and that included a bottle of wine, a six pack of beer, and some lovely flowers.

At home I unloaded groceries and moved the sprinkler around a couple more times. I also cleaned up the kitchen. Mindy & the kids arrived home from the pool around 4pm. Mindy arranged the flowers I picked up at Kroger. I headed out to wash the BM’er. Around 5pm Mindy started dinner – chicken wings. She put them in the oven, although we’d finish them off on the grill. Sometime around 6pm Renee showed up. She was having dinner with us and was going to watch the kids while Mindy and I went to Steve’s birthday party. I threw the baked wings on the grill along with five ears of corn around 6:30pm. It didn’t take long before they were steeped in hickory smoke and ready for eatin’.

We ate our dinner on the deck. The wings and corn were delicious. Mindy and I cleaned up and left for Steve’s birthday a little after 7:30pm. We drove the BM’er. There weren’t many folks at Barley’s but Steve was. We gave him his gift – a six pack of Mojo IPA. We ordered drinks for ourselves. I had Centennial IPA and Mindy had Shiraz. Later we ordered some sauerkraut balls. We hung at Barleys till about 1030pm. We had a nice relaxing time. Renee was watching a movie on the couch when we arrived home. She reported the kids going to bed right after we left. We all decided to get in the hot tub. It felt very good. We soaked for almost an hour before we could take the heat no more. Soon after we got out Renee headed for home and Mindy and I headed off to bed.

Funeral for a Friend

I woke feeling completely rested just before 5:30am. Little wonder, however, given that I went to bed so early the evening prior. I put myself through the usual morning paces of exercise, walking Ykraps, coffee, food, and watering. We were expecting it to be a hot and sunny day with temperatures once again approaching 90 degrees. In fact, their calling for a bit of a heat wave over the weekend with clear skies and temps reaching 95. If I weren’t the on-call dude, we’d definitely be boating.

I left for work around 7:50am dressed slightly nicer than usual. If all went as planned I would be leaving work sometime near 2:30pm to attend my friend, Mark’s funeral. Mindy was planning to meet me there around 3pm.

Work was busy, and like most Friday’s we were struggling to stay on top of everything. Mindy phoned sometime near 10am to let me know that she dropped the boat cover off at Boat Bonnets as planned and that the estimate was $100, or two hours worth of labor. It would be ready early next week. She was headed to her friend, Teri’s after.

Lunch time came quickly. I left about ten minutes earlier than usual. As expected, it was very warm, but I was ready for it and held up nicely. I was back at my desk just after 1:30pm. I ate only the nectarine I packed the day prior leaving my packed lunch in the fridge. And as often happens, I had a flurry of activity hit all at once just before I was scheduled to depart for the funeral. Still, I managed to accomplish what I had to and turned the rest over to peers. I left right at 2:30pm.

Mindy dropped the kids at her friend Tara’s and then met me at the Trueman Rd. Target so that we could ride together. We arrived at Rutherford’s Funeral Home just before 3pm. I recognized a few faces from years past, but most folks were strangers to me. We observed the video tribute then slowly made our way up to see Mark for he last time. I met his father, who has buried both of his sons prior to their 50th birthdays. I felt awful for him.

John Vidosh, my longtime Time Warner buddy, called out to me as we walked away from Mark’s casket. I introduced he and his wife to Mindy and then chatted for the better a part of thirty minutes. Just before 4pm I made my way to see Amy, Mark’s ex-wife, who remained very close to Mark even after their divorce. She, as I understood it, made most of the funeral arrangements. I hadn’t seen Amy in years. She’s a former CompuServer, too. We decided not to stay for the official funeral service which began just after 4pm.

Mindy and I decided to stop at Dick’s Sporting Goods on Sawmill before picking up the kids. It was only a mile or so away. I wanted to look at wakeboards and a few other things. They had a junior wake board for $200. I decided not to buy just yet, however. We were there for a bout 45 minutes. And somewhat uncharacteristically, we left empty handed.

I was getting very hungry having eaten just the nectarine since breakfast. Mindy talked about making wings when we got home but I didn’t feel like doing any cooking. We stopped first to pick-up her van then proceeded to Tara’s to get the kids. Tara wasn’t home but her husband, Doug was. Tara & Bella went to Sam’s Club. We visited for two hours. Tara eventually got back home around 6pm. We left just before 7pm. By then I was really hungry and needed to walk Ykraps. Jacob rode with me, and Bella rode with Mindy.

I walked Ykraps as soon as we arrived home. Mindy ordered a pizza from Minelli’s. She left to pick-up the pie while I got logged into work. We did some serious damage to the extra-large pizza. There were only about six pieces remaining when we finished. Bob I phoned from Barley’s some time just before 8pm to ask if we were gonna be by the firkin tonight. I told that we weren’t, but that we had a sitter for Saturday night so that we could attend Steve’s B-Day celebration.

Mindy, still feeling under the weather, was eager to get to bed. We headed up to bed around 9:30pm where we tuned into Larry King Live while awaiting sleep. I’ll bet I was asleep before 10pm.

Return to Work

I was out of bed by 5:35am ready to begin my work day routine. Mindy had reluctantly agreed to watch Lil’ Rocky and Landon so that Lindsey could return to work. She had to call off on Tuesday since no one would watch them. They arrived while I was in the shower. I was happy to see them but also happy to be heading to work. Hanging out all day with a house full of small children is not my cup of tea. Work was quieter than usual although we had a large amount of work. I suppose it was quiet due to so many people out on vacation. I quickly readjusted to my work routine. I left for a run around 12:40pm. It was very steamy. Strong storms were all around the central Ohio region but it was sunny overhead. I ran up quite a sweat. I returned to my office after a shower to finish my first day back at work. I left for home just after 5:20pm. I stopped ot pick-up the boat cover on the way home. Despite this being a Jimaken night, Bella, I learned, decided to stay at home with her momma. I chose not to eat a full blown dinner. Mindy agreed to drop the boat cover at Boat Bonnets tomorrow AM on her way to friend Teri’s in Westerville, so I went out to load it in her van and mark the areas needing repaired with white chalk. I was careful to point out all the areas to Mindy, too. Next, I decided to start the sprinkler pump, but to my surprise, it wouldn’t work. I tried repriming it but that didn’t work either. I was very disappointed. I went back inside to find the receipt and boxed the pump (glad I saved the box and packaging) and left for Home Depot determined to get another in exchange. I had to refuel along the way. Gas was up to $2.95 per gallon. It took 19 gallons to fill-up after only 250 miles, but most of that was pulling the boat. That’s a paltry 13 miles per gallon. I was at Home Depot for 20 minutes – most of that time waiting for help. They ultimately exchanged the pump with little hassle after some initial trouble. I was happy to have a new pump. Homeward! We spent the rest of evening relaxing on the deck and eventually getting in the hot tub. Once again we headed to bed even before the sky was dark.

Boom!

I was up at 7:00 like, just as expected, ready to get my regular routine underway. I readied some coffee and whipped a round of calisthenics before walking Ykraps. After the walk I enjoyed some coffee before waking Mindy, who asked to be up by 8am to prep the kids for a day with Jimaken.

I left for a run around 8:15am. Jimaken arrived a b it early and just as I was circling back past the house a quarter mile into my run. I went on. I was back around 8:45am. The kids were already gone. I watered all the plants front and back before beginning my day’s agenda. I planned to complete lawn chores, wash the boat, and plan for the boat cover repairs. I decided to do the lawn first. Because of my rather early start, I finished sometime before noon. Soon after finishing the lawn I got the pump out and began sprinkling not wanting to risk missing the predicted scattered storms and have the lawn begin to brown out. While sprinkling I started the boat washing process. It was pretty dirty, especially around the water line. Scrubbing with soap and water proved fruitless, so after a normal washing I got out my rubbing compound made especially for the boat and took to painstaking process of rubbing out the grit. It worked, but it took about an hour and a half. Plus, I had to get on the ground to reach the underside where most of the scum resided.

Just as I finished the sky was getting awfully dark in the northwest. A check of the radar showed a pretty significant storm heading our way. It wasn’t big, but it looked powerful. I hurried along with my plan to get the boat back to storage, especially since the boat top was tattered. I knew that any major wind would only do more costly damage. I left in a hurry.

I made it to Lee’s RV’s before the storm hit. There I met a gentleman stowing his boat after a week at Lake Cumberland. He confirmed the low water but said it was still heaven on earth – plenty of good boating water. He also shared that two people were killed during his one week stay. Both sounded as if they were due to negligent boat play.

The sky opened up just as I approached home. Not only was it raining heavily, but there was plenty of lightening and thunder too. I can’t remember the last big thunder storm we’ve had. I was happy. I sat in the Trooper in the driveway in no real hurry to get out as the rain pounded away on our property. Eventually, I got out and ran for the garage. I fell and busted my ass good as I hit the slippery garage floor. I slid under the BM’er. It’s a good thing I wasn’t hurt seriously. Once inside I realized that my pump was running still not thinking about the fact that it was getting wet, which it’s not supposed to. I ran onto the deck where I unplugged it from its power source. Looking out front it suddenly dawned on me that the pump was still being rained on. I dashed into the front yard in my bare feet to fetch it. I disconnected the out going hose and the power cord and ran back to the house in a hurry while the rain & lightening continued beating down. I slipped and fell putting on quite a show for the neighbors across the street who were observing the comedy unfolding before their eyes. I jumped back to my feet and ran back into the house. The rain cleared around 6pm. Jimaken picked the kids again this time destined for the Upper Arlington fireworks. Mindy and I headed to Barley’s for dinner. Lee was there but the crowd as expected was thin. We were there just about an hour. Back at home we hung on the deck and just relaxed the rest of the evening away. We were in bed even before the sun was down. I had to work the next day and was exhausted from several busy days all in a row.

Home after Floating

The sky wasn’t as clear as the morning before but it cleared off quickly while out on my run. Instead of detouring towards the cabins or golf course, I ran the road out to the main park entrance. Again I spotted several deer along my run. I noticed that most of the park deer allow humans much closer than what one might normally expect. I ran about two miles out before turning around. The road was full of ups and downs matching the hilly terrain. On the run back in I happened upon a mother deer and her fawn. The fawn resembled Bambi, and was full of the telling spots. She was very cute. Back at the lodge our room was once again completely dark with the curtains drawn closed. I quietly went about rebrushing my teeth and grabbed my water bottle. I asked Jacob if he wanted to join me on a walk about the grounds. He didn’t. Instead, he chose to snuggle in bed with Mindy. I left camera on yet another adventure.

Out past the outdoor pool I found a large bonfire pit, tennis & volleyball courts, and another hiking trail heading off into the woods. I decided to take it. I didn’t go too far at all. However, I found a beautiful off shoot that ended on a huge protruding rock. There I sat over looking the lake all the while sunshine dappled the trees and under growth. It was a spectacular view. I chose to meditate form that spot and did for about ten solid minutes. I couldn’t believe how peaceful it was. I felt blessed to have such a view this morning. I made my way back to the room there after.

Finally, everyone was up by the time that I returned. I took a shower while everyone else readied. We left for breakfast around 8:45am. There was no breakfast buffet today. We each ordered entrees from the menu. To our dismay, the kids weren’t on their best behavior during our meal. They had to be corrected a couple of times. After our breakfast, which wasn’t nearly as good as the previous day’s, we set out on another hike despite Bella’s insistence against it. We took Big Buck trail, which is the same trail I ventured earlier in that morning. We all sat on the big rock hanging over the hill peering onto the lake through the heavy tree growth. It was totally cool. Bella seemed to enjoy today’s hike more than the prior day’s. Today she pointed out several spider webs seemingly without any fear. We hiked for just about 30 minutes. We had a bit of a time crunch. We needed to be checked out of our room by noon. It was about 11am upon our return to the room. We organized our gear still unsure of the day’s activities beyond checking out of the room. Mindy, Jacob, and I preferred boating all afternoon but Bella wanted to spend time at the outdoor pool. Mindy had promised her as much and wasn’t inclined to deny her request, although she did try reasoning with her, but to no avail.

In the end, we chose middle ground. After loading the Trooper, Mindy would take Bella to the pool while Jacob and I handled the checkout process and headed to the boat dock to ready the boat and fish. Actually, Jacob fished while I prepped the boat. Mindy and Bella swam for the twenty minutes it took to ready the boat for a day on the lake. Mindy called my cell about the same time that Jacob bored with fishing the unproductive waters. We drove to the lodge entrance where the two of them were just exiting – perfect timing!

We loaded into the boat and set out for what we hoped would be another happy day on the lake. Bella, once again, tubed out of the no-wake zone. Mindy skied right off the bat and until she took a pretty good tumble. She got in a couple good runs. Jacob opted against trying again. Instead, we decided to head to the north lake swim area. We hung there for about two hours all the while the kids played and we sunned. Around 2:30pm we pulled anchor and headed back to the dock to call it a trip. We got the boat out without nay trouble and had her road ready by 3:30pm. I was a smidge discouraged to find that the boat slipped back about 2 inches on the trailer as we pulled out, but that happens frequently, especially on steep docks. I fastened the trailer straps loosely in hopes of making a quick stop on a down hill. I tried unsuccessfully a few times as we exited the park. I stopped and tightened the trailer straps before exiting the park. The boat still sat about an inch from the desired rest. I figured that it wouldn’t be too huge a deal. Homeward!

We didn’t get too far before I realized that the boat was bouncing on the trailer making the Trooper bounce as well. It was concerning enough that after about twenty miles on the freeway I decided to exit and try tying it down more snuggly to the trailer. I found that even though my efforts to stop abruptly and bring the boat forward weren’t completely successful, it had moved forward enough to produce slack in the winch strap. I tightened that about a quarter crank and that held the boat tighter. Still, not wanting to risk having a major issue, I got some rope out of the boat and tied it through the winch hook and the trailer. Homeward … again.

That made a huge difference. I could no relax as we drove the final 80 miles home. It was a fast drive and an easy one. We didn’t hit any major traffic tie ups. However, 30 miles east of Columbus the traffic heading east began backing up and came to almost a complete stand still 5 miles outside of I-270. Yikes!!!! We arrived home between 530 & 6pm. We quickly unloaded our gear eager to get beyond the pain of unpacking. By 8pm we had everything unpacked, laundry started, and the watering done. Mindy and I sat on the deck sipping our favorite drinks leading up to Red, White, & Boom. Mindy went to bed just as it started. I stayed up ‘til 11pm.

A Big Hiking Stick

A chilly yet sunny boating day...

Monday morning was difficult to perceive from behind the thick curtains of 2nd floor room. But a quick peek out the sliding glass door revealed nothing but glorious sunshine. I quietly snuck off to the bathroom to change into my running clothes, brush my teeth, and choke down a vitamin. By 7:30am I was out the door leaving Mindy and the kids behind in the still darkened room.

I took off out the front of the lodge towards the golf course and cabins. There was a light fog setting on the lake yet the water was still visible. I could se several deer milling about while sunshine dappled the grounds about me. It was breathtakingly beautiful! And for the first time in a long, long while, I could see my breath. It was chilly but crystal clear. My initial run was up the steep hill to the golf course clubhouse to scope out the facility and the surrounding landscape. It was awesome! I left the golf course and ran towards the cabins and the lodge docks where our boat was moored. I saw a large buzzard resting in a tree watching me run by. It was an easy run down the hill but not so easy on the return up. The lake had small patches of fog scattered about and the water was as calm as a sheet of glass – certainly a site to behold. My run concluded at the lodge entrance where I returned, at least temporarily, to our assigned room, #261.

It was still very dark in the room and everyone was still sleeping. I found my water bottled and grabbed my book and sat on the balcony for a few minutes reading in the chilly but lovely summer air. Jacob eventually woke and joined me on the balcony. We decided to visit the game room on the lower level. I didn’t take money. I thought everything was free. We thought we’d play ping-pong but there were no balls to be found. I guessed that you’ve got to get them from the desk. Jacob insisted on playing some of the video games, but again we had no tokens or cash. We went back to the room where I grabbed my wallet then quickly returned. Jacob blew through a couple of bucks in a hurry. He tired of the games quicker than I thought he might. Again, we returned to the room.

Mindy and Bella were finally awake. Mindy had some coffee brewing. I shared the views I saw during my run and the hiking trail I found just beyond the lodge. We agreed to eat breakfast then take a family hike. It was a bit chilly for early boating.

We left for breakfast around 9am. We visited the lodge restaurant where the menu featured a buffet. We all took part. It was very yummy. They had lots of good eats. Our bill was $24 – not too bad at all. We left the lodge and set out on our hike. Mindy asked if the kids needed tennis shoes. I though not. We found our way to the hiking trail across form the golf course entrance. Soon we were in the woods on a hillside overlooking the pristine lake, which provided some amazing views. The trail was reported to be 2 miles long and ending up at the camp grounds. Bella wasn’t to thrilled with hiking. She whined for several minutes about this and that. At some point, after seeing a large spider web, she cried about the possibility of getting stuck in a web. It was sorta funny save for the incessant bitching. We took several pit stops along the trail taking in the spectacular views of the large rock formations as well as the lake. We took lots of pictures too. At one point we took a detour down to the water where we rested on a washed up log while Jacob snacked on wild raspberries. These kids are ALWAYS hungry! We hiked up and down the trails probably going a little over a mile deep. We decided to turn around realizing how traumatic this was on Bella. Jacob, being his silly self, found a very large log about 4 inches in diameter and about 8 foot long. He joked that it was his big hiking stick, since everybody had one. I quipped that I’d give him $20 bucks if he could carry it all the way back. I was sure that he couldn’t given all the hills and rough terrain we would have to traverse.

He made sure that if he made it back that I would give him the money. I agreed. Long story short, the little shit actually managed to carry the log back to the trails beginning. As hard as it was to part with the $20, I learned something about Jacob’s resolve. He told me along the way that it was killing him but that he was determined to earn the money. Hidden there within was a good lesson, I’m sure. I was proud of his perseverance.

We returned to our room where we quickly readied for a day on the lake. It was already 12:30pm. Finally, the temperature had warmed to a reasonable temp, but still there was an uncharacteristically chilly breeze. We pulled away from the dock with little fanfare and set out to explore the southern end of the lake and to ski.

We first cruised around the damn area where Mindy skied. I was sure that she was cold. After a couple of spills we then circled back through the no-wake zone and then south to the previously unexplored waters. We quickly found the landmarks we earmarked while hiking. Eventually we found our way to the campground beach where the kids & Mindy got out and swam. We anchored there for about an hour before moving on to the main Marina. There we refuel and checked out more of the lake, including the park’s main beach. It was now about 4pm. We pulled away from the marina with Bella in the tube going at idle speed. Once we got to the ski-zone Mindy plopped in the water for some more tubing. Jacob went after it again, too, but complained of pain. He didn’t last too long at all. Eventually we bagged the tube in favor of the skis. Mindy did a nice job once again. She even crossed the wake successfully a time or two before eventually falling.

Jacob insisted on trying to ski even though I knew it would be fruitless. He never got passed getting the skies on and in the ready position. He freaked out once he realized that Mindy would not be able to stay in the water with him. He really needs smaller, lighter skis to learn on. Bella once again tubed all the way back to the dock form the ski zone going only at idle speed. She seemed to enjoy the ride. We had a very pleasant day on the lake. AS we docked and covered the boat we chatted with two different couples who were docking, too. They both shared their opinion of Salt Fork being one of the finest lakes in all of Ohio. Both had been to numerous state parks but found this the nicest, most pleasing for boating. We concurred, mostly for its character.

Back at the lodge we showered up in preparation for dinner in the lodge dining room. We must’ve got there around 7pm but were told there’d be a 20 minute wait for a table by window overlooking the lake. We agreed. To kill the time we moseyed over to the Wildlife lounge where we enjoyed a couple cold beverages. I had a Great Lakes Burning River & Mindy a glass of Shiraz. The kids enjoyed Shirley Temples all the while hitting a few pool balls around. The time passed quickly and before we knew it was time to go eat our dinner.

We were seated in a booth overlooking the lake just as we were promised, and what a breathtaking view it was. Seth, our server, was very sharp and attentive. We was very good at the up-sell. We enjoyed our dinner and dropped almost $80 with tip. Mindy was whipped so we headed back to the room where we all got ready for bed. The move Beetlejuice was just beginning. We all watched intently, this being one of my all time favorites. The kids were enjoying it, but Mindy was concerned that the kids, especially Bella, would have nightmares. She turned it off about half way through as the kids and I began to dose.

Go Cowboys - Go Cubs

Goodbye Mark A., you'll be missed

I got up & out of bed at 6:45am. Once again my throat was dry and sore and my head clogged. It took a few minutes for my sinuses to clear. Mindy asked that I get her up by 8:00am. It was a beautiful clear morning but the temperature a little cool, especially given that today’s the first of July. It was in the upper 50’s.

After exercise, walking Ykraps, and fast cup of coffee I got ready for a run. I wore back-up running clothes since my regulars were already packed. And because it was so chilly, I wore a long sleeved running shirt. It was a lovely run. I stayed within the confines of our lovely subdivision. By the time I returned Mindy had bacon in the oven and was in the shower. She let me know that Ashley called while I was running but that she missed it.

Jimaken dropped the kids sometime around 9am while I was out watering (soaking) the flowers. Ashley called again at which time Mindy informed her that I’d be on my way momentarily to fetch her and Olivia. Ashley couldn’t drive over as her new used car was broken down at a friend’s place. It’s always something! I took the van since the boat was attached to the Trooper. Jacob went along for the ride.

We were back by 9:50am. It looked like our planned departure time of 10am was in jeopardy, but that was never in concrete, just a target. I spent the next 30-40 minutes loading all of our gear. Most of it went into the Trooper save for fishing gear an tools which I placed in the boat. We were ready to leave by 10:45am. We left Ashley some cash, reviewed the watering routine, and exchanged some hugs. I walked around the rig before heading out just to double check that everything looked good to go.

As we waited for the light to turn at the freeway entrance, dad turned in front of us headed north onto Wilson Rd. We waved acknowledging each others presence. At my prompting, Mindy then gave him a call on his cell just to let him know that we would be out of town and to invite him out if he so chose. He thanked us for the invite but also let us know that he’d be busy tending to Uncle Kenny after his knee replacement surgery tomorrow. We were on our way.

Things went smoothly as we cruised east on I-70 across town and beyond. The morning weather couldn’t have been prettier. Somewhere just east of Newark I happened to catch a glimpse of the boat cover flapping like a flag out one of the side view mirrors. A rest area was just ahead so I calmly took the exit yet nervous about what I might find. I worried that the tube and other stored items might have blown out. At the same time, I wondered how such a thing could’ve happened. Mindy and the kids jumped out to take advantage of the rest area restrooms. I went back to check on the boat cover. First, all the gear was still in the boat. Unfortunately, the severe flapping of roughed up the rear edge of the cover quite badly. Still, I was able to make use of the snap fasteners and reattach it to the boat. It occurred to me that I had never fully reattached all the snaps before leaving home after placing a few items in there for the trip. My screw up would cost me yet another repair. I did my best to shrug it off for the remainder of the drive out. It certainly could’ve been much, much worse.

We arrived at Salt Fork around 12:45pm. It was 100 miles exactly to the parks entrance. We made out way to the lodge which sits 6 miles back into the park. As expected, our room wasn’t ready. We asked anyhow figuring there was no harm in asking. We verified that it was still OK to use the lodge marina. Down past the cabins we went where w pulled over to prep the boat for the water. I was just a bit nervous for having never navigated these waters and the topology appeared similar to Lake Cumberland in that it’s a winding lake cut into a valley of hills. And furthermore, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I was still a little burnt over the torn boat cover incident.
All that aside, we got the boat in the lake with little if any trouble. By 1:15pm we were pulling away from the dock into the great wide open!

Not knowing the our way we relied on instincts as well as other boats that seemed to know exactly where they were going. We found our way to the NE part of the lake after cruising through a large winding ski zone. We eventually anchored in a no-wake zone so that the kids could play and swim. We hung there for close to two hours before heading back to tube. After last Tuesday, I was certain that Jacob would be undaunted by the strange new waters, but that wasn’t the case. He hadn’t tubed for more than a minute before the tears came. He complained of a sore neck and begged out. Mindy let us drag her around a little before we headed back to the dock and eventually to the lodge. Judging from the lake map we had, we saw about one half the lake. We promised ourselves that we would explore the southern half on Monday along with letting Mindy ski. We docked the boat at the docks exclusively for cabin and lodge guests. We left the boat uncovered knowing that we’d be back down after checking in. We dropped the trailer along side the marina in the grass and headed up to the lodge.

Check-in was a breeze. We were given keys to room #261. The room had two double beds, a fridge, and a balcony that faced the woods and the southern portion of the lake – a very lovely view. Almost instantly the kids were treated to some of the parks wildlife. There were five does hanging out just off of our balcony begging for food. The kids took numerous pictures with their disposable cameras. After getting settled, Jacob and I took a drive back to the dock to fish and cover the boat. In the meantime, the girls went swimming and eventually ordered us a pizza. We fished for about an hour or until Mindy called alerting us to the food’s imminent arrival. We covered the boat and headed back to our room. We didn’t catch any fish.

The girls returned from swimming with a large pepperoni pizza. We each had two large pie shaped pieces. I sat on the veranda enjoying mine along with a cold frosty beverage. While relaxing my cell phone rang. It was my old friend John Vidosh. I hadn’t talked with John in almost a year. Unfortunately, he had some sad news to share. A longtime friend, Mark Adams, passed away over the weekend. The details were unknown. Mark and I were very close for a few years in the late 80’s early 90’s. In fact, he played a large role in my ultimate career change. He’ll be missed.

As the sunset and the evening wound down, we all hit the sack fairly early. We watched a little TV before heading off to sleep.