The Pumpkin Ale is in!

Happy 46th Brother Tommy!

I slept a bit later than expected. I didn’t get out of bed until 8am. I had no particular place to be so there was no crisis. After some exercise and walking Ykraps I got the sprinkler running, taking care to soak the entire yard before our departure. Last time I checked the weather forecast there was nothing but sunny and 85 degree days lying ahead.

I completed my run before 10am and then watered the back yard flowers, pots, and baskets. I made plans to go fetch the boat and also stop at Giant Eagle to purchase some beer & wine for our coming trip. I called my dad around 11am to discuss our trip and to see if he’d be willing and able to tend ot the house and Ykraps. He was willing.

I stopped at Giant Eagle first, stocking up on Raspberry Ale, Flying Dog, and some Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale. I bought Mindy two bottle of her favorite wine. Before heading on to pick-up the boat I made a pit stop at Michael’s to discuss framing options for some art work. I learned a lot and found them to be very knowledgeable on the topic.

Next stop was Lee’s RV’s to pick-up the boat. After picking up the boat I stopped to gas up the boat and my two plastic five gallon containers that would serve as fuel reserves for the boat so that we could avoid paying the absorbenant prices at the marina. The boat took only two gallons. The Trooper had 3/4’s of a tank, and the plastic cans took 10 gallons between them – not too bad at all. It was now already approaching 1pm. Where’d my day go?

Mindy took the kids to the pool while I was out. I spent the rest of my afternoon getting our gear upstairs and ready for loading. Around 3pm I decided to wash the Trooper having not done so in a month or two. I had it extra shiny come 4pm. Mindy got home just before 4pm and whipped up the salad we were asked to bring to her mother’s Sunday dinner gathering. I took a quick but thorough shower. It felt great to wash away all the day’s grime.

We left for Gloria’s a tad later than usual. We arrived around 4:30pm. Everyone was there except for Mindy’s younger brother’s family. We had a nice dinner. I also got a great tip on a garage door repairman from brother-in-law Larry. I figured I call them once we were back from our camp trip. We left Gloria’s around 7:30pm and headed home where I began loading the Trooper with camping gear and firewood. I packed it neatly and efficiently. All that remained were soft goods like sleeping bags, food, coolers. It became painfully obvious that we’d have no choice but to take two vehicles. We’d pack all the coolers and food in Mindy’s van in the morning just before departure.

We sat on the deck and enjoyed a cold beverage. We called and left brother Tommy a voice mail singing him Happy Birthday. We went to bed early wanting to ensure ourselves a restful night’s sleep ahead of our trip.

Orient Express

Golf, Shop, Hang with Neighbors

I was worried that the four beers I drank the night prior might keep me from my goal, but it didn’t. I was up at 5:45am just as I had planned. I was eager to get through my exercises, walk, and run so that I could head to the golf course in time for our 8:30am tee time.

I finished everything with a little time to spare. I showered, dressed, and made myself a ham and egg sandwich on rye and pumpernickel bread. I was out the door by 7:45am in route to Split Rock, a little known, but beautiful golf course in Orient just east of the prison. I was meeting the Bob’s, Bob Imber and Bob Boyer. Lucky for me I printed off the directions from mapquest. I had been there before but had taken a different route. Even though mapquest said to take I-71S I decided to head out Norton Rd to Rt 62 – a scenic drive through the countryside.

I missed my turn onto RT. 762 by cutting through Harrisburg. It wasn’t until I passed my mom’s old access road (Ballah Rd) that I realized I had passed it. That delayed me a bout three or four minutes. I quickly righted my wrong and headed back to 762 where I passed the Orient Correctional Facility for the first time ever. It was very beautiful out there along Darby Creek. As I approached the golf course on Thrailkill rd I couldn’t believe my eyes. There in the yard of an old country home stood an old White Castle restaurant completely in tact.

I arrived a few minutes early and just ahead of Bob Imber. Bob Boyer was already there. It was a lovely morning for golf. It was about 65 degrees with clear blue skies. The high was expected to hover just below 80 degrees. In brief, my golf was good, especially tee to green. I had good command of my driver and perhaps even better command of my second shots. However, once again, holding back my scoring was putting. I left a number of birdies on the green only to walk away with bogeys. But in the end, that didn’t bother me so much because I know that I can putt fairly well most days.

We finished up before 1pm and went our separate ways. I took the scenic route home and stopped at the Rt 62 Ameri-Stop for an ICEE. It was goooood! I was home by 1:15pm. Mindy was on the deck reading her brand new Harry Potter book. It wasn’t long before we were out the door to the grocery to get camping supplies and our usual home groceries. We had to be swift as the kids were expected home from Deer Creek around 3pm. We made quick work of Wal-Mart and even made it back home just after 3pm. Jimaken was already there. Mindy asked that he pull out of the drive so that we could back in the with the groceries. We unloaded are haul. We had plans to dine with Pat & Lisa, our friends and neighbors at 6pm. We spent the hours leading up to that doing a little camp trip preparation. While all the prepping was going on, I was also watering the lawn, wanting to ensure that it got a good soaking before our Monday morning departure. I still hadn’t contacted Dad to arrange for Ykraps and the flowers, but I was almost certain that he’d do it.

We made a chocolate chip cookie cheesecake to take with us to the Shultz’s. We walked to their house at 6:15pm. We hung out with Pat, Lisa, Jamie and Alenna all evening. Pat grilled pork tenderloin and grilled onions. As always, everything was delicious. He’s quite the grill master. We hung on the deck drinking, eating, talking and laughing until about 11pm. The kids were tired when we got home, so Mindy put them right in bed. We were tired too and weren’t far behind. We had a lot to do the following day as well.

Damn Garage Door

The Jump Bump!!!

After lots of anticipation, Friday was finally here! It’s the last of a string of work days; the beginning of a much deserved vacation; the promise of an evening by the firkin with friends.

I was up by 5:44am after fighting off the new habit to stay in bed longer. I used the fore mentioned end and beginning as motivation to get up & moving. There was a lot to accomplish. I sped through my routine and readied and departed for work on time. It was a nice sunny day.

I worked through the morning hours with few problems. Runtime came and went. I had my final work week run in the bag by 155pm. Immediately after a shower I headed off to Tuttle Mall to once again embark on a running shoe quest. I spent little time picking my new shoes. I knew which pair I wanted, although I did have a difficult time finding help. However, eventually a store clerk helped me out and got a size 10.5 for me to try on. To my surprise, they were too tight. I had to bump up another half size to an 11. And yes, I remembered my $10 off coupon.


Back at work I finished off my day. Before departing I remembered to post my out-of-office message in email and to record a new out-of-office phone message – something I’ve forgotten to do a time or two. I left for home at 4pm – an hour early. Mindy asked that I stop and get crickets on my way home. I did. While at Jack’s they told me that we could bring the dead meal worms back for an exchange after I shared that the lizards wouldn’t eat them.

I called Mindy along my trip home. She informed me that the garage door wasn’t working for her. I told her that I’d take a look once home. The kids were already gone by the time that I arrived home. They were going camping for one night with their daddy at Deer Creek. I give Jimaken a l lot of credit for doing so. It’s not easy being the sole adult on a camping excursions regardless how simple. After tending to a few mundane chores, Mindy casually mentioned that one of the springs on the garage door was broke. Certain that she was somehow mistaken, I ventured out to take a look for myself. Ouch! She was correct. The left of the two springs was cleanly broken about 1/3 the way in. I tried raising both electronically and manually but to no avail. Shit! I wondered how such a beefy thing could simply break. Aside from the unknown cost of a repair, (I imagined the repair being about a $1000). I was frustrated because I would not be able to drive the BM’er to Barley’s, or worse yet, I wouldn’t be able to use the tractor to cut the lawn which I planned to do before departing for Barley’s. And looking ahead, I wouldn’t be able to load the vehicles for out camp trip through the garage.

Despite the door dilemma, I still wanted to cut the lawn to create golf time Saturday morning with Bob I. I tried not to worry much about the garage door and instead I got busy on the lawn. I carried the push mower and string trimmer out the side entry door and got busy manicuring the lawn. I hadn’t cut the entire lawn with a push mower for several years. It wasn’t a task that I looked forward to. Mindy napped while I worked in the yard.
I finished the lawn chores in about 1.5 hours. I moved fast with the push mower.

After a quick shower we left for Barley’s in the Trooper. It was just after 7pm. At Barley’s were many of the regulars; Jeremy & Courtney, Bob & Carol, Steve, Mark, Lee, & Janet. Bob arrived without Mary Ann about 20 minutes after us. Mary Ann was working. My buddy from work, Bill Gray arrived with a couple of friends a little later too. We hung at Barley’s until 10pm or so. Mindy drove home. I had four beers over the course of the three hour visit.

Damn Car Window

As with most any trend, the longer the pattern continues, the harder it is to break. My recent bout of sleeping late continued again this morning as I didn’t get out of bed until almost 6:15am. But once again, there was no need to water due to strong storms blowing through during the overnight, so the net effect of sleeping late had little impact on my departure schedule. A quick check of the Hibiscus flower pots confirmed there was no need to spend precious time watering. Their overflow bases were full to the rim. This pleased him much.

For the first time in a couple of weeks we had thunderstorms, something noticeably absent from this spring and summer. Moreover, the storms were intense. In fact, I learned later in the day that we had some 30,000 lightning strikes in the central Ohio area over the course of about two hours. They claimed that to be the most in these parts in some time.
That seemed like a ridiculous amount to me, but that’s what they said.

I finished packing my lunch and began cooking breakfast by 6:55am. I made a cheese omelet. I made an omelet big enough to share with Mindy, who asked to be woken around 7:15am in order to greet the grand children whom she agreed to watch for the day.
I woke her at 7:10am to let her know her breakfast was ready. She joined me for food for the first time, I believe, all summer long.

We enjoyed about fifteen minutes together before I had to surrender myself to the shower. The kids arrived while I was cleaning my teeth. After my shower I greeted both grand kids – Rocky and Landon. Mindy agreed to take Landon in for his 6 month vaccines. From Lindsey we learned that Grandma Rosemary was helping to get her paperwork submitted for her title 20 childcare, which we initially set-up and heard back from last evening. They called to tell us that they had openings for the children beginning September 1. We viewed that as good news provided Lindsey follows through, which is always the bigger concern.

I ran off to work and arrived shortly after 8am. The day was a pleasant one despite being a little busy. I left for my run at the usual time -1245pm. The run was largely uneventful but rewarding just the same. The afternoon went quickly. Soon it was time to head on home. I called Mindy. She reminded me that we would have Bella despite this being a “daddy” night. Jimaken was taking Jacob to see the latest Harry Potter movie. I planned to get new running shoes at Tuttle, so Mindy and Bella decided to go to dinner on their own. They went to Bob Evans.

At the FinishLine I found some shoes I liked but realized I didn’t have my $10 off coupon. I decided that it would be irresponsible of me to leave ten bucks on the table so I left without the shoes. I figured I’d stop back tomorrow after my run. I arrived home and quickly took care of the few chores I routinely address upon arrival. Determined to fix my broken down passenger window, I prepared to tear off the door panel and investigate the trouble a bit deeper. It was a bit of a challenge getting the panel completely off, but I eventually did. I could easily see that the window, just as I expected, was off the track, and the repair looked simple. There were even pads on the window were the clips for the track were to rest. I maneuvered the glass to the proper height for the track and got it back into the clips. Before putting it all back together I tested the up/down briefly. It worked. To say that the repair went smoothly and caused little angst would be misleading. It didn’t. I swore at the door and all the little nuances several times. Hindsight, as they say, is 20/20. I put the door back together and then tested it once again. To my dismay, the damn thing jumped the track again. Shit! Double Shit!!

I tore the panel off once again and investigated further. I determined that the pads, now separate from the clips on the track, were most likely one part but had somehow separated, thus allowing the window to easily slip out and off. Enter Gorilla glue! I fetched my glue from the garage and decided to drip glue into the clips and then reseat the glass pads. But during the somewhat tricky process of lining up the track and glass one of the clips broke. Shit, Double shit! Triple shit!

After calming down I figured worst case I could contact an Isuzu dealer on Friday and order/buy a couple of window clips. AFter all, there’s nothing to them. In the meantime, it looked like the glue would serve its purpose and hold the unbroken clip to the glass pad. Also, what remained of the broken clip was holding with glue, too. I put the door panel back together. I had an “extra” clip I found laying on the driveway when I finished. That might explain why one of the panel screws turned endlessly.:) I figured I would fix that when I get the new clips.

The remaining hours of the evening went quickly. We went to bed shortly after 10pm. What a light weight I am.

Thornapple in my side

I was up before 530am but made a conscious choice to get more sleep. I ended up getting out of bed at 545am. I was anxious to see the results of last night’s rain on the lawn and flowers. Other than overcast skies and a few puddles on the deck, one could hardly tell that it had rained. The streets and walks were already dry. But that’s often the case with summer storms. The residual effects don’t last long. As usual, I choked down a vitamin and began exercising. I left the house with Ykraps at 6:05am. As we walked by the Trooper and onto the sidewalk I remembered that I’d need to stow my golf clubs if I were going to golf after work. The lawn no longer had that “I’m thirsty” look about it. At least the rain had taken care of that more immediate need. But truthfully, we could use a few rainy days strung together to help resuscitate most struggling lawns. After checking my beds, pots, and baskets I was happily convinced that there was no need to water. Everything was soaked nicely. Weatherbug, if it can be trusted, indicates that we received 1/4-1/2” of rain on the westside of town. I read the daily OM and then spent a good ten minutes in meditation before getting a start on food prep. And since there was no need to water, I found myself with lots of spare time. I decided to shower and leave for work earlier than I have the last month or so. The mood today was cheerful. Everything seemed to be going swell. I received a golf email from Bob around lunch time asking my intentions. I responded after my run that I expected to play and would meet him at Thornapple Country Club around 530pm. Unlike other weeks, we made plans to hit a west Columbus course rather than drive all the way to Groveport. Thornapple informed Bob that we could get off just after 6pm. And since it’s so close, I wouldn’t have to leave work early and drive for 35 minutes. Wahoo! I worked through the day looking forward to an evening of golf. The only potential obstacle was the heavy storms predicted for our area for late afternoon/evening. But a check of the radar showed nothing but skies all the way back through Indiana. Along my way to Thornapple after work, I casually tried rolling down my front windows to allow airflow at least until the AC cooled down. In doing I discovered my latest problem. MY passenger window is either off track or broke. I’ll have to dismantle the door to inspect further this weekend. Damn it! It’s always something. I arrived at Thornapple right at 530pm. I put our names on the after 6pm list. We were to be 2nd inline. Bob didn’t arrive for another fifteen minutes. I spent the time putting and then walking about the clubhouse. We tee’d off just after 6pm on the treacherous back nine. Hole number ten is a 550 yard par 5 that looks a long way off. I hit an admittedly crappy drive but stil lout there about 180 yards. Blocked by a pine tree, I had little choice other than slapping it out onto the fairway to give myself a nice third shot. I hit a real nice 3-wood that left me still about 180 out. My fourth shot, a four iron, landed just shy of the green in the thick rough. Sadly, I hit a poor chip shot and left myself still in the fringe just off the green. From there I three putted and ended up with an eight. Fro mthis you can see how a break here or there can impact your score dramatically. If my fourth shot would have traveled 3 yards further I would have been putting for par and at worst, a bogey. That’s golf. After that, I played fairly well, playing bogey golf through hole #16. Hole #17 is a 81 yard par three. Oops! I hit my tee shot into the creek off the tee, but then recovered nicely by placing my drop within 14’. I scored a five (a double bogey). I finished hole #18 with a bogey 5. Bob beat me by 4 strokes. We discussed this coming weekend’s plans before parting ways. Hopefully we’ll meet by the firkin on Friday, and possibly Alum Creek one evening next week. I headed home. It was 830pm. It took just ten minutes to get there. Mindy already had the kids in bed and dinner on the stove. She asked that I tuck in the children. I did. We ate our dinner then headed to bed. It was almost 10pm.

Weather Radar

I woke a couple of times during the wee hours of the morning to pee. I knew then that I didn’t feel like getting up at 530am. I slept as long as I could. I didn’t get up until 5:50am and didn’t start my exercises until 600am. The biggest reason for my stall was that I didn’t get to sleep until almost midnight. I broke through the invisible veil of sleepiness as I pounded out my sit-ups. And by the time my push-ups and curls were in the bag I was wide awake. I had a watchful eye on the weather radar all the while I exercised. My thirst for rain has been reignited as we once again we find ourselves in a situation where we really need some. Somehow, the showers have managed to skip over us like so many other times this summer. It’s a trend we can’t seem to break. I plowed through the rest of my morning routine and found myself watering the flowers until 7:35am. By the time I grabbed a shower and dressed it was almost 8am. I left for work around 8:05am. The morning was hectic. We were extremely busy. I broke away for my lunchtime run at 12:45pm sharp! I failed to bring a pair of running socks in my gym bag. Lucky for me, I wore running socks with my jeans. I’d simply have to sacrifice wearing socks after my run. That’s what I did. It was another steamy run. The predicted storms were no where to be seen but the skies were very overcast. I finished my run in a sweaty glaze. The afternoon was busy, too. I was actively involved in issues right up until I departed. I walked out of the office at 5:10pm. This was a Mindy Tuesday, and I gave her a call once I was on the road. I let her know that I intended on stopping at Home Depot along the way. I wanted to get a few 8” terra cotta pots for our newly inherited house plants. I was going to stop and get crickets for the Anoles, but Mindy told me that she had just picked some up. Home Depot didn’t have any 8” pots. I left and headed to Lowe’s. They had plenty. I bought only two. Interestingly enough, they had dark brown terra cotta pots. I hadn’t seen these before. I also bought a spray bottle to hydrate their terrarium. Chipotle is directly across the street. I decided to surprise Mindy and take some home. I bought Mindy a Chicken bowl and got myself a shredded beef burrito. I got a couple bags of their tasty nachos and chunky mild salsa, too. I called to let her know I was brining home the Chipotle’s fearing that she might’ve been prepping dinner. She wasn’t and was happy to learn of the Chipotle’s. We ate soon after I arrived home. I decided not to water hoping instead that we’d get some rain like predicted. After dinner I got busy repotting several house plants, two of which were the ones given to us from dad. The kids arrived home shortly after 7pm. We spent the rest of the evening hanging out and playing together, including feeding the lizards a fresh batch of crickets. The kids were in bed and asleep by 8:40pm. Mindy and I sat in the sitting room talking. As we talked, Mindy noticed that it was raining. Yep! Finally, we were getting some much needed rain. It was coming down fairly hard, too. We went to bed around 9:45pm all the while the rain continued.

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.