Be My Valentine

Alright! Okay! I'm really getting the hang of it now. I was up at my desired rise time of 5:30am. My morning calisthenics went much better than the day before as my tight muscles finally loosened after the weekend’s demanding labor. Ykraps and I set out on our walk by 5:45am. I returned refreshed and invigorated after breathing some fresh morning air. It was very wet, warm, & humid.

My morning routine included a little internet, meditation, and food prep. I finished breakfast by 7:05am and then found my way to the shower. Mindy reminded me that we had Jacob’s open house slated for 5:30pm where we would meet his teacher and see his classroom. The school is only a mile or so from my office. I would simply meet her there after work. Jimaken would be attending too.

I arrived to work on time. The morning was busy, but certainly not out of control. I left for a run around 12:45pm. The weather at the time was mostly cloudy and the temperature only near 80, but the humidity was sky high making it feel more like I was swimming. My hamstrings were still a little tight, too. I noticed the sun’s lower position in the afternoon sky. Just a few short weeks ago I would have to bend my head back as far as I could just to catch a glimpse of the 1PM sun. In fact, only 30 days remain of official summer, and much less than that if you close it out at Labor Day like many folks do.

I returned from my run soaked with sweat – a very common occurrence of late. After a shower I returned to my desk to eat my packed lunch. I worked until 5:15pm. I left and headed directly to Jacob’s school – Beacon Elementary. It was kind of hard to find since I didn’t know what street it was on. I had only a general idea. Eventually, however, I found it. It’s a older school, especially compared to most other Hilliard schools. I had little trouble finding Jacob’s classroom where Mindy, Jacob, Bella, and Jimaken already were. Mindy introduced me to his teacher. We chatted only briefly while other parents and students arrived.

At 6pm she was slated to begin a presentation. I decided to walk the halls and discover the rest of the school in part to kill time. I found the art room. There I met Mrs. Southern, a very chatty and interesting art teacher. She welcomed me in and gave me an overview of the first grade art curriculum that Jaocby might expect. I learned that Jacob will have art once a week. Right next door was the music room. Mrs Southern was prepared to introduce me to that teacher too but I declined stating an urgent need to move on. Eventually I found my way back to Jacob’s classroom where Mrs. Valentine, his new teacher, was already engaged in dialogue with all the attendees. She went over everything from where the bus drops the kids to the grading scale. There were some scary looking people amongst us. And what couldn’t be overlooked was the extreme diversity amongst the student population. This is somethign that Mrs. Southern already mentioned during our brief conversation in the art room. This school in particular is noted for it’s diversity on many fronts, most notably racial and economically. A look around the room only confirmed her point. Probably a good thing.

The open house wrapped up around 6:40pm. Mindy and I were hungry. Jimaken went on his way. We opted for dinner at the Vaq. The kids rode with Mindy. I drove by myself. I arrived well ahead of them by taking the back way - Walcutt to Trabue. I even made a bad turn onto Roberts Rd. which I later corrected. Traffic was a nightmare there even at 7pm.

I went ahead and got seated once I knew that Mindy was nearly there. As they always do, I was served with complementary chips and salsa. I dug in immediately. Soon the family was inside and we placed our orders. Our dinner was fast, hot, and delicious! Always tops on my list.

We headed for home around 7:30pm. Bella rode with me. Mindy rushed the kids to the bath tub with a goal to have the kids in bed by 8pm – their standard school day bedtime.

After the kids were in bed I did some reading. I am almost finished with the Tony Dungy book. Mindy headed to bed first. I soon followed.

New Eyes

I was able to wrestle myself out of bed at 5:30am despite feeling extra sleepy and fairly stiff. But I expected it. Mindy was kind enough to rub my shoulder in the middle of night easing the dull pain that woke me a time or two. Also, a severe thunderstorm rolled through prompting the kids to join us in bed through the night. It rained harder than it has in an awfully long time. After the storm passed, Mindy coaxed the kids back to their own beds. We were getting the remnants of hurricane Erin. And word has it that we’re gonna get up to 3 more inches of rain throughout the day. We haven’t had that kind of rain all season. I exercised and then walked Ykraps. The rain had stopped by the time he and I were out for our walk. I was looking very forward to a hot cup of coffee. After some coffee, internet, and meditation I was ready to make food. I packed tuna fish and some leftover tomato salad. There was no need whatsoever to water flowers. God took care of that. For that reason alone, I found myself ready for work very early. However, my new eye glasses were in and I committed to stopping by and picking them up on my way to work. I drove up Riverside to Lane Avenue to catch 315N. I arrived at Riverview Eye Care 10 minutes early. The door was open and a young lady, although unfamiliar to me, was waiting for me. She quickly fitted me to my new lenses and began trying to repair my old pair. She found the old screw stripped and figured it would take a while longer to fix. She asked if I could leave them there. I agreed and made arrangements to tentatively pick them up when my new contacts arrive in a couple of days. Cool! Off to work. I arrived at work by 8:30am. I was dragging butt all morning long. I even tinkered with the idea of going home to get some sleep. In the end, however, I didn’t. I remembered that Ashley was there watching the kids. I chose instead to tough it out. By the time 12:45pm rolled around I felt even more tired. I wondered where my running energy would come from. It came from the gut, because I certainly had nothing left in the tank. All that physical work over the weekend kicked my ass. But I’ve been there a time or two in the past. Usually, during and after my run, I get a second wind. Today was no different. After about three miles my legs loosened and the fatigue seemed to fade. But the fact that it was so warm and humid didn’t help much. The anticipated heavy rain had yet to arrive so the temperatures soared to near 90 mixed with awfully high humidity. My running shorts were so wet they were dripping as if I had jumped in a lake. I was back at my desk by 2pm enjoying my packed lunch. It’s never tasted better. I felt one hundred times better than I did this AM - still a little achy and tired, however, but far more peppy & alert. Soon it was 5:10pm and time to head home. I called Mindy as I drove that way. She said that it poured extremely hard this afternoon. In fact, it began raining all over Central Ohio around 3pm. The pond was swollen as I drove by and pulled up in the drive. I was reminded that I needed still to take the last trailer load of weeping willow switches to dad’s wood pile. But due to the rain, that’d have to wait. Mindy was tidying up the house after Ashley left with Olivia. The truth is, the house is always messy when we return. I couldn’t deal with daily childcare in the home. As it was, I couldn’t focus on anything until the mess was straightened up. That’s just my nature. Truthfully, Mindy was toiling with dinner but all I could think about was the mess. It made me sleepy. I did my best to remain mum about it. After all, Mindy didn’t do it. I ate my dinner – two chili dogs and leftover au gratin potatoes. I helped clean up the dinner dishes then collapsed on the sofa. I was really tired now after filling my belly. Next thing I knew, it was 8pm and the kids were exiting the tub. I’ll bet I slept for an hour and one half. Wow! I was still very heavy headed, too. Mindy asked that I tuck in the children. I did. Returning downstairs I tuned into the preseason Monday Night Football game which featured a Super Bowl rematch. Mindy went to bed around 925pm and asked if I cared to join her. I opted out. Instead, I wanted to watch the game from the reading chair. I watched until the middle of the third quarter. I headed to bed just after 10pm. I was very sleepy, still.

Timber

Like a freak, I woke again at 7:30am. Even I’m amazed that my body has two naturally occurring rise times - one for workdays and another for weekends - that sit largely independent of my bedtime. The sky didn’t look too friendly. And while there was a hint of sunshine, clouds were the dominant feature. I was very sore, my shoulders ached, especially the right, and my legs felt weary. All that climbing and sawing took its toll.

Mindy and the kids were up around 8:30am. By the time I was ready to run it began to rain pretty heavily. I was disappointed fearing that it might threaten my tree cutting project. A check of the weather radar showed scattered showers, and my hope for a quick ending was validated. Minutes later the showers ended. At 9:25am I bolted out the door. It was cool enough that I wore my sleeveless running shirt for the first time in many weeks. I returned from my run right at 10am. Mindy and the kids were doing their final dress check before departing for church.

About that same time the sun broke through and dried up any remnants of rain. However, I still had the radar whirling and could see more scattered showers approaching. Further north, they were getting pounded continuously. After Mindy & the kids left, I made myself a big sandwich to satisfy my morning hunger. I was expecting dad by 1030am, just as he and I planned. He showed right on schedule. Save for finishing my sandwich, I was ready to get started.

Before getting started, I showed dad the two tree swings we had hung as well as the work at hand. We spent a good fifteen minutes strategizing about how we were going to proceed with bringing down the tree. Dad felt that we should take one of the three main branches off before bringing the entire thing down. That’s what we did.

Dad manned the saw while I worked the rope. Eventually we got the 30’ foot long & 10” diameter branch to fall right where we hoped – out away from the shed. Next, we talked about our strategy for bringing the whole thing down. Eventually we agreed on a plan. We had to remove the tip guard to allow the saw’s entire length to disappear into the tree trunk. The saw has only a 16” bar and the trunk is close to 24”. We made our hinge cuts and then I proceeded to the rope’s end to hopefully influence the direction of the fall. Meanwhile, dad delivered the fatal blow. The tree fell, but stopped short of hitting the ground. Dad had to hit it a little more with the saw. Down it came with a very impressive thud! We were rewarded with applause from Mindy and the kids who were observing our antics from the deck.

After celebrating we headed in for some KFC that Mindy brought home after church. After dad enjoyed some food he gathered his gear and headed for home. I spent the next several hours chopping up the tree into burnable logs. I got a significant workout cutting up the wood and hauling it to dad’s backyard. I stopped only for dinner around 5pm (pork chops and au gratin potatoes) but was right back at it after. It took until dark to clear the yard of all the debris. I was completely exhausted by 9pm. I even worked through several bursts of heavy rain. I was determined to bring the project to closure. Around 9:15pm I grabbed a much desired shower and a cold beer afterwards.
I sat on the sofa enjoying my beers and the Sunday Night football game along with two bags of microwave popcorn. Mindy rubbed my aching shoulders. We headed to bed around 10pm. We got to witness Troy Smith in his NFL coming out party. He played well.

Hearing an Echo

New chain saw about to be put to the test

Cricket food - that's right! food for the crickets.

Olivia visits

More tomatoes

Without even trying I woke at my static weekend rise time of 730am. I was eager to get my day underway, and more pointedly, get on to the business of “chopping down the cherry tree”. I was surprised to find Bella already up and sitting on the sofa in the family room when I made my way downstairs. She said she wanted to be up to let Ashley in. :) Although we were expecting Ashley & Olivia to visit, we didn’t expect them until much later.

I fired up the coffee maker, exercised, walked Ykraps, and watered house plants all before 8am. And in a strange twist of events, Mindy & Jacoby were downstairs by 8:15am. Mindy often sleeps until 10 or so on Saturday’s. She said she felt well rested. It was a lovely morning. We all made out way to the deck where we enjoyed abundant sunshine and moderately cool temps. Mindy and kids wore jackets and/or robes. I was fine with a t-shirt. I strummed my guitar all the while enjoying my coffee.

Around 8:45am I left for a run. I wore my MP3 player and ran along Trabue and Hague av. It was a very lovely morning for a run. By the time I returned, Mindy had breakfast all but ready. She made maple bacon and pancakes. Jacob complained about his food multiple times saying it was disgusting. He got sent to his room for a few. He wasn’t a happy camper. He rejoined us after about 10 minutes much happier and hungry. And not surprising, there were no more disparaging comments about the food quality.

After breakfast I carefully put together my new chainsaw and then got myself organized and prepared to cut down the willow tree. I was careful and organized as I started the process. I carefully calculated where each branch I wanted to cut would fall. After thinking it through I slowly and methodically began sawing. The first branch about six inches in diameter hung precariously over the shed. I knew that there was a strong chance that it would fall on the shed no matter what I did. Long story short, it did. Lucky for me, it didn’t fall too hard. I was able to pull it away with nothing more than a scuffed shingle or two. Later, a larger branch leaning the shed’s way fell squarely on the roof when I cut it. The blow was softened only by the thick cover of over grown honey suckle bushes. It made an awfully loud thud, but again, no damage. All totaled, I must’ve cut out about six or seven large branches. There were only three remaining when I called it a day, but they’re the three main trunks reaching as high as 45’ tall and about 10” in diameter each.. I would need some expert help before carrying on any further. I spent the remaining time reducing the fallen timber to 18 – 24” logs.

I wrapped up around 3pm to give myself enough time to clean-up my tools, water flowers, and shower/ready for the volleyball party. We left the house right about 4pm. We stopped and picked up Gloria along the way. We arrived at the DeWood’s annual volley party at somewhere close to 430pm. Food was just coming off the grill as the party had been rolling along since about 2pm. There were lots of good eats, but no beer –something very foreign to me, especially at summer yard parties. Still, fun was had by all. After taking part in all the good eats we played five games of volleyball. My team won all five games. I hadn’t played volleyball in many moons.

We stayed at the party until about 8:20pm. We dropped Gloria on our way home. As soon as we hit the door I leashed up Ykraps who hadn’t been out since 8am. Mindy readied the kids for bed. After they were tucked in I couldn’t wait to crack a beer, pop some corn, and tune into preseason football. Mindy and I watched the unveiling of Brady Quinn. He was most impressive in his debut. Two drive – two TD’s. We went to bed immediately after the game. I was very tired after wrestling with the willow tree.

KCOR SGNIKIV

Four out of five isn’t bad! It was Friday morning and I was up once again on time. Perhaps I’ve turned that proverbial corner. Because it was Friday, I had that extra little skip in my step knowing that the weekend was in front of me. It wasn’t too long before I had my morning calisthenics and walk with Ykraps completed. The sky was just beginning to show signs of daybreak when we returned.

After some coffee and meditation I got busy with food prep. And just as expected, I was well ahead of schedule. I finished making my food and eating breakfast in record time. Like always, I headed out back to water the flower beds.

I arrived to work by 7:55am and immediately jumped on a conference bridge to discuss some weekend work plans. Although I didn’t expect to be involved, I wanted to be plugged in case they needed me. The day moved along nicely. Before I knew it, it was time to head out for a run. I turned out to be a very warm day with plenty of humidity. I ran with my MP3 whirling in my ears. I couldn’t help but notice that the arm band needed a good soaking. It reeked of old sweat. Great run!

The afternoon went by quickly. Soon it was time to head for home. I headed to Home Depot before going home, and talked to Mindy along the way. She had been at school most of the day working on her classroom and hanging with her peers. She told me that Renee’ was over, and asked if I would bring home pizza. I assured her that I’d call her after laving Home Depot.

I planned to cut down the weeping willow tree over the weekend, and to accomplish this I needed to buy a chain saw. I’ve had my eye on a couple for the past year or more. Today was the day I decided to pull the trigger. I needed some other items too. I bought a new, more secure haps and lock for my shed, some specialty screws for a boat issue, some florescent light bulbs, and outdoor lighting fixture gaskets. That was plenty. I was excited to finally have the chain saw that I’ve needed for years. I would no longer need to borrow one from friends and neighbors.

As soon as I was back in the Trooper I called and ordered two pizzas from Minelli’s for pick-up. I called Mindy to let her know. I arrived at Minelli’s a little early, but convention says they always quote a longer prep time. I had to wait for about five minutes. Pies in hand, I headed home.

Mindy had a Honey Raspberry Ale waiting for me when I hit the door. It was looking forward to it. It was delicious. I hadn’t seen Renee’ for quite some time. She stayed and ate dinner with us. She’s always a pleasure to talk with as there’s always a good story or two! We sat on the deck eating our pizza. I went in just before 8pm to ready myself for the Vikings preseason game on Fox. Renee’ headed for home.

During the pregame, Mindy gave the kids a bath. Before they could even finish, the game was underway. And only minutes into the game the Vikings scored on an interception! I was most pleased. The Vikings took control of the game early with their defense – scoring twice before their offense ever really had a chance to play. The game went almost entirely our way. I was encouraged by what I saw, although I know it’s just preseason. We stayed up and watched the entire game, going to bed at it’s conclusion. Vikings 37 – Jets 20.

Rain & Gain

OK, so I am not back sliding after all. I was up again at 5:30am just like I wanted to be. I slept well save for being awakened by the kids around 4am when an unexpected thunderstorm rolled through. I was happy for the rain but also a little concerned for having my pump outdoors in the sprinkle-ready position. I knew, however, that it was under the protection of the clothes basket I rigged up to protect against such events, and it was up under a canopy of honeysuckle bushes. I didn’t worry too much.

I exercised then leashed up Ykrap for our routine morning walk. There was a smattering of leaves all over the front lawn, street, and sidewalks. They looked like walnut tree leaves. Those leaves always begin there descent in around this time – a sure sign that autumn is nearing. Just the very thought of autumn annoys me.

I returned from our walk eager to get some coffee pumping through my system. I used the caramel hazelnut creamer. It’s very good! I tried my best to avoid looking at the financial headlines since the market continues to plummet. I know that in the long run it always goes up but it’s still depressing to watch the bottom fall out of the entire summer’s large gains. I read the Daily OM and then turned my attention towards my morning meditation.

Like most days, I began my daily food prep right about 6:30am. I packed my usual menu items; lettuceless salad, turkey slices with chunks of cheese, nuts, and fruit. I made a cheese omelet for breakfast. I cut about a third of it off for Mindy and placed it on a paper plate covered with foil. I didn’t bother watering since it had just rained fairly hard an hour ago. And by the way, we got about a half inch.

I was in the shower by 7:10am – early by summer standards. I was ready to hit the door come 7:30am. Unless something unforeseen took place, I’d actually be at my desk before 8am. Damn!

I arrived at work well before 8am. The day went well, although I was very busy. I left for my afternoon run around 12:45pm. And even though the temperature wasn’t too high, the humidity was. I worked up quite a sweat. It was a great run, and I used my MP# player for the first time in a long while.

The afternoon was over seemingly before it had even begun. I had told Mindy I was stopping at Home Depot to possibly buy a chain saw, but a meeting kept me at work until darn near 5:30pm, so I headed straight home. Mindy was busy doing some character cut-outs for her class room. Once she reached stopping point she joined me on a walk with Ykraps. We could feel the humidity lessening as we walked – just like they predicted.

We didn’t make a formal dinner. Instead, we snacked. I ate nuts and some leftover cream cheese dip from her jewelry party, and I thought I might make some popcorn later. Mindy snacked on cheese. While updating my blog, the kids returned from their evening with dad. Word has it that Jimaken’s moving into his own place this weekend. I offered my help.

The kids got to play for about an hour before Mindy called them in for a shower and ultimately bed. She had them in bed and ready for the tuck by 8:15pm. We’re pretty close to a regular schedule, but they ended up staying awake for quite awhile longer. I watched the first few plays of the Thursday Night NFL preseason game with Jacob before settling in downstairs for the rest of the first half.

Mindy and I watched together from the family room. I drank a Jack & Diet Coke. I hadn’t had any Jack Daniels since Memorial Day weekend. We discussed, among other things, our weekend plans. Sounds like we’ll be taking a hall pass on Barley’s. Besides, the Vikings game in on TV and I’ll want to give it my undivided attention. We went to bed at halftime where we caught most of the third and fourth quarters.

New Habit? Not Quite!

Mindy bought both these vases at the Ohio State Fair.

The last time that I checked the clock it was 5:20am. I figured I’d sleep another ten or fifteen minutes. Wrong! The next thing I knew, it was 6:07am.I popped out of bed and headed downstairs to begin my day. The extra sleep was no big deal, however, because I had made plans to stop at my doctor’s office on the way in to work to pick-up a prescription, and they didn’t open until 830am. It did, however, remind me that I hadn’t yet beat this new habit.

I exercised, walked Ykraps, and still spent some quality time meditating. When I finished I jumped into food prep. By 710am I was done eating breakfast and back on schedule. I went out to water the backyard flowers.

After my shower and while Mindy repaired my glasses, she asked if I planned to golf after work. I’m glad she reminded me because I would’ve forgotten to take a pair of shorts as well as my clubs. I left the house at 8:10am.

I arrived at my doctor’s office sometime after 8:15am. Even though they don’t officially open until 8:30am the receptionist was nice enough to greet me at the door and tend to my needs. They had my script all ready to go. I simply had to have them modify it to reflect “90-day supply”. They did just that, and soon I was on my way to work.

Work went well. It was kinds quiet, at least for the first half of the day. I left for a run around 12:50pm. The sky was overcast preventing the sun from making it oppressive. I ran up a pretty good sweat even still. We had a meeting right after lunch that lasted until 3pm. And because of golf league, I readied for a moderately early departure – 430pm. But as luck would have it, things got really dicey from about 330pm until I left. Never fails!

Traffic on I-270 heading towards Groveport was quite a snarl for the first few miles. I called brother Tommy while driving to catch up on what he’s been up to. I got angry just listening to the antics that his soon-to-be ex-wife is pulling. What a mess! We talked for a while. In fact, we were talking as I zoomed right past my preferred exit- Alum Creek Dr. Instead, I had to take 33east to Hamilton Rd. I’m now convinced that it’s much further going that way. Still, compared to most weeks, I was making decent time. Bob called around 5:15pm checking on my whereabouts. He, Bob, and Chuck were already there. I pulled up moments later. Bob was waiting with cart in the parking lot. I didn’t take me long to prep. Five minutes later we were teeing off.

Like a broken record, I shot a 7 on the opening hole. My drive, a rather long one, went a little left and ended up actually inside of a large tree root cavity. I was already hitting number three. And like happens often, I shot bogey golf for the next handful of holes but leaving several legitimate scoring opportunities on the table. On hole number eight I hit a very poor tee shoot way right and into the creek. My next shot, another drive form the tee box, went only about 100 yards. Next shot, a duffed 3-wood. Nothing seemed to go right despite my willingness to shrug it off. I did hit a nice up & down (chip & putt) to save an 8!

Hole number nine is a long par three over a creek, about 240 yards. Like the hole before, my tee shot was errant and went in the nearby creek. It was a terrible shot. My next tee shot was a low line drive about 40 yards short of the green. I salvaged a 5. Bob I. didn’t play that last hole well either. He couldn’t find his somewhat errant tee shot. After we finished, Bob I. and I were determined to play number nine over again. There was no one behind us for several holes. Bob B. took Chuck back to his vehicle.

I tee’d off first. My driver was back! I hit a relatively low and straight drive right at the flag. It bounced on the green and looked like it rolled possibly even in the hole. I doubted that it truly went in but figured that it could happen. Bob hit a tee shot similar to his prior. Bob B. returned after dropping Chuck to play it again too. We all went towards the hole. I couldn’t see a ball on the green, so as you might expect, I got excited about the possibility of striking a hole in one. But as I walked up to the green I saw my ball setting directly behind the pin - about nine feet out just on the edge of the green and thick cut rough. Wow! Still a great shot, and certainly an exciting way to finish.

Bob dropped me at my Trooper and we parted ways. We briefly discussed Friday night and whether or not either of us would be at Barley’s. Not sure. I checked a waiting VM on my phone. It was Lisa Shultz calling for Mindy. I called Mindy to let her know that Lisa called back. Mindy was in the middle of something – can’t recall. I arrived home around 8:15pm. I was prompted to tuck in the children who were patiently awaiting my arrival. After the tuck I attacked the Chipotle nachos leftover from Mindy’s dinner. I encouraged Mindy to have neighbor Becky pick some tomatoes. We have a large bounty of nice ones! It turns out that she was already doing so.

I thought about watering all night but opted against. There was a minimal chance of rain and quite honestly, I just didn’t feel like going out and getting that whole operation underway. Mindy and I sat and chatted for a few eventually succumbing to sleepiness and going to bed very close to 10pm.

An Ordinary Tuesday

For two days in a row I’ve managed to find my way out of bed by 5:30am. I attribute that to two things. First, a good night’s sleep, and secondly, a strong will. Once again, I used my time wisely not wanting to waste those valuable minutes. I was able to dedicate a full 15 minutes to meditation.

I packed my lunch, ate breakfast, and then headed out to water flowers. I didn’t bother watering the front. Instead, I watered just the back. It takes most of the hot afternoon anyhow. Besides, I planned to get out the sprinkler when I got home from work, and after the weekly lawn chores.

I prepped and left for work on schedule. I arrived shortly after 8am. The sky was overcast thus keeping the temperature under 80 degrees. It wasn’t even 80 degrees when I left for a run. That was at 12:45pm. I forgot my ball cap and subsequently ran without one. I felt darn near naked.

I talked with Mindy during the afternoon about her first day in the classroom this school year. Turns out, she stayed only a couple of hours arranging the classroom furniture. And by the way, she had her friend Teri watch the kids while she went into school. She took the kids to the grocery store during the afternoon. The only drama that ensued was Jacob telling her that he wasn’t carrying anything in. This was a Jimaken Tuesday. The kids were gone when I arrived home. Mindy and I walked Ykraps together.

My plan was to mow the lawn so I didn’t want to eat a dinner beforehand, knowing that it would make me more tired than I already was. Come 6pm I changed my clothes and headed outdoors. A few neighbors had their kids out front fishing in the pond while I mowed, so I did my best to avoid trimming and mowing in the immediate area.

I finished the mowing about 1.5 hours later. Before going in I drug out my lawn watering kit and got it all going. I started watering the strip of lawn between the street and sidewalk. It’s the only part of my front lawn that looks beat up form the summer heat and drought.

The kids were home when I finished. Bella came out to give me a hug. Jacob, on the other hand, was already off playing with the neighbors. I was eager to get in the shower to wash off the little bits of yard debris. Afterwards, I chose to enjoy my Friday night Barley leftovers, which consisted of sauerkraut balls and Gates of Hell wings. We all sat on the deck together before Mindy herded the kids inside to ready for bed.

I updated my blog and then sat down to read more of my new Tony Dungy book. I stopped to tuck in the kids but then returned quickly to resume my reading. Mindy headed up to bed around 9:30pm. I read until 1030pm.

... Shaking off any remnants...

I was energized and ready to go. Perhaps it was the extra-early bedtime, or maybe just a fluke. Either way, I was up and milling about just before 5:30am Monday morning. It was pitch dark, too, which wasn’t the case just a handful of weeks ago. The days are without a doubt growing shorter. I choked down my One-A-Day then hit the “go” button on the coffee maker.

I began my exercises in earnest and finished even before 5:45am. Under a star lit pre-dawn sky, Ykraps and I walked the neighborhood shaking off any remnants of a good night’s sleep. I noted the time of our return. It wasn’t yet 6am. I spent the next 15 minutes reading the Daily OM and checking out the headlines. But I was careful with my time and abruptly walked away from the PC at 6:15am wanting instead to spend the next 15 minutes in meditation.

The meditation went well. It was awfully nice to enjoy that peaceful part of the morning just before the sky lights up in contemplative silence. Come 6:30am I switched gears and got crackin’ on food prep. I didn’t have a lot to do. I remembered not eating my Friday lunch which consisted of a salad topped with turkey along with a fruit medley. All I had to pack was some tuna fish salad, which was already made, and some nuts. I finished eating my breakfast just before 7am. I headed outdoors to water flowers. Needless to say, the beds were dry not having been watered since early Saturday morning, and that after two hot and sunny days. I watered everything front and back. I was a little discouraged to see what appeared to be lots of rabbit damage in my petunias. But I wasn’t surprised. They do it each and every year, especially when it gets dry. I try not to disturb their nest. Rather, I try to co-exist with them, realizing that it’s next to impossible for them to eat them all.

I noticed too that the lawn is once again showing signs of stress in all the usual places. I’ll need to unleash the sprinkler again. But for now that would have to wait. I needed to get back inside, grab a shower, and head to work.

I left for work at 8am and arrived a few minutes later. It was a gorgeous summer morning with temperatures hovering in the mid 60’s with plenty of brilliant sunshine. The morning went by quickly. We were very busy. I planned to run at my usual time – as close to 1245pm as possible. This would be my first afternoon run since last Tuesday. When I left for a run it was only 84 degrees with 40% humidity – far cooler than the tropical afternoons of last week. The sun still felt very warm but I barely broke into a sweat. It felt really good.

I returned to my desk around 150pm where I ate my packed lunch. The salad from Friday was still very good. The afternoon went quickly. Before I knew it, it was time to go home. I left the office at 5:20pm and made it home by 5:40pm.Mindy shared that she had taken the kids to visit her friend Teri and Massimo instead of going to the pool. The kids were playing upstairs when I arrived home. We walked Ykraps together as a family. When we returned, Mindy made a simple dinner – hot dogs, green beans, and salad. She heated some chili sauce and diced an onion to top off the dogs. It was very yummy & hit the spot.

While waiting on dinner, I updated my blog. After enjoying some dinner I decided to spend some time weeding the flower beds and once again watering. Often when the beds get dry, two good soakings are necessary to help soften the soil so that water doesn’t simply run off. I also replaced the three spot lights that burnt out over the last week and a half. It’s funny how that works. I hadn’t had one burn out in almost six months, but three of the four went in that short time span. While outdoors I plucked a few more tomatoes, too. We have more than I know what to do with.

It must’ve been close to 745pm when I went back inside. The Monday Night football game was about to begin. Mindy called the kids in from outside to get baths. She had them in bed by 8:20pm, although neither went to sleep right off. As the game began, I snuggled up in my reading chair with my book. I had the volume muted with soft music in the background while I read. Jacob came to the balcony complaining of a tummy ache. I really think that he just wanted some one on one attention. I asked if lying on the couch would help. He said yes. I let him come down with me for a spell. That, miraculously, made his tummy ache go away. :) Mindy jettisoned him back to bed about 30 minutes later.

It wasn’t too long before Mindy announced her own bedtime. I was still wide awake and enjoying my book, so I stayed up for another 1.5 hours reading. Come 10:40pm I finally caved and closed the book even though I wanted to keep reading. I knew that if I didn’t get to bed soon that I’d pay for it in the early hours of the morning.

A Tiger Atop the Food Chain

I slept rather well on the lodge bed. It was very comfortable. With the curtain drawn, it was hard to determine the hour or the sky’s condition without jumping up and peeping out the window, so I glanced at the clock setting on Mindy’s nightstand. It was 7:30am. I was really thirsty, had to pee, and was eager to get up and moving. A glance out the window confirmed what I assumed. It was morning and it was very sunny. After taking care of my personal hygiene issues I donned my running shorts and shoes and took off for a run through the immediate area.

Like before, there was light fog in the area making the scenery even more beautiful. This time I spotted a large buck prancing through the woods between the lodge and the cabins. He must’ve been a ten or twelve pointer. Further along, I took the cabin/dock side trail desiring to check on our boat while out. It’s mostly downhill to the lake but a long, arduous uphill back. I ran along the entire cabin/dock area and then up a maintenance- only trail that lead to the “buzzing” building one can easily hear from the lake. I assumed it to be some sort of pump house. I heard it the last time we were here and was curious about its origin but never made it down. Arriving at the locked gates I peered through glancing over the infrastructure like a curious reporter. Best I could determine was that this is the lodge’s own sewage treatment plant.

I made my turn and headed back to the lodge, the only difference was that it was all uphill. UGH! Along the way I spotted another buck, only this time it was a young one. He was bedded down along the road just off in the trees. I stopped and had a look. He didn’t budge. I ran on happy that he stayed put long enough for me to gaze his way. I made it back and up the steep incline completely winded. I just don’t run enough hills back home. I was back in the almost pitch black room by 8:25am after approximately 30 minutes of running. Mindy was obviously still sleeping. I grabbed my Tony Dungy book and went to the balcony to read and bask in the morning sunlight.

About fifteen minutes later Mindy got vertical and made us each a small cup of coffee in the one cup-at-a-time coffee maker provided by the lodge. I showered before heading off to breakfast. We thought when we left the room that we’d eat a hearty breakfast then take a hike, just like we did in July. However, the wait for the breakfast buffet was about thirty minutes long, and by the time we were seated and had eaten it was already 10:30am - time to check out of the lodge.

We headed back to our room only to find house keeping already inside preparing to clean our room. Damn! We asked that she give us a few minutes to actually checkout. After all, it was only 10:35am. It didn’t take us too long. Probably ten minutes we were out the door with our gear. I loaded the cooler with ice form the lodge then carried all of our gear to the Trooper. While I loaded the Trooper, Mindy took the keys back to the desk to officially check-out. By 11:00am we were at the dock refueling the boat for another day on the lake. The ten gallons of gas we brought was the perfect amount. That brought the tank to full. At the outset we headed south and took a nice long ride at a moderate speed. Eventually we pulled into the boat swim area where we inflated our Swimway rafts for a float. Mine was losing air fairly quickly. I got out after about ten minutes. Mindy stayed in for a while longer. Another boat pulled up within about 50 feet of us. They were a noisy bunch. After about fifteen minutes of that we bolted for the other side of the lake hoping for a bit more peace and quiet.

We cruised to the end of the north ski zone then back a little ways. There we discovered a deep cove that wound far back off the main lake. I nthe cove, we found a somewhat secluded little inlet off of it where we anchored and spent the rest of our afternoon. Mindy floated while I read some of my book. We pulled anchor around 3pm and made our way to the dock. The afternoon sure went fast. We had no trouble trailering the boat. Unlike early July, the boat took on minimal dirt. The light scum line rubbed off easily. We were on the road for home by 3:30pm – about the same time Jimaken called to tell Mindy that he was leaving the Reds game and headed home with the kids. She let him know that we might not be home still until 7pm. We knew that we’d be home sooner but looked forward to the hour or so before the kids arrive to settle in. We made good time on our travels home. We dropped the boat in storage and made it home even before 5:30pm.

The first thing I did was walk Ykraps. He seemed happy to see us. I spent the next 30 minutes putting everything away and watching the PGA championship. Tiger Woods was once again the man to beat. Bottom line, no one could catch him. He won! Mindy began making dinner as soon as she returned from taking a shower. We had Texas burgers on marble rye. They were scrumptious! The kids returned just as we were sitting down to eat. But to be fair, it was 6:57pm. We should’ve expected them. They sat with us while we ate. Both Jacob and I were looking forward to the night’s NFL preseason game pitting the Seahawks against the Chargers. The game came on at 8pm. The kids were allowed to stay up after a bath until 830pm. By kick-off, I was feeling extremely nappy. I watched the game from the family room floor all the while lying on two large pillows.

After the kids were in bed, Mindy suggested that we watch the game from bed. I agreed, but knew what would happen. I’d fall asleep. And after about twenty minutes of viewing, I fell asleep!

Jump Bump Goes Boating

1) Eye Spy - there was a peep hole in the side of our booth.
I took a picture of the unassuming folks on the other side.
2) Kennedy Rockhouse - notice the two-dimmesional sheep
on the hillside behind the house.
3) The Jumps
4) Me - accentuating my dimples
5) A lovely view of the lake from the lodge restaurant
6) Mindy at dinner - lodge

I had talked of leaving the house at 8am, but knew deep down inside that would be nearly impossible unless I rose at 5am. I certainly never intended to wake quite that early. Even still, leaving early was my goal. I ended up rising at 6:15am. I flew through my exercises and walk with Ykraps. I was eager also to learn how the Viking game turned out. Turns out they lost 13-10, but a lot of positive things happened. Thankfully it’s only preseason. I left for a run at 7:30am.

It was gorgeous outside. It was only about 67 degrees, but the humidity was still pretty high – about 80%. Despite the cooler temps, I ran up one heck of a sweat. It was a fruitful run. Mindy was up and about by the time I returned. It was just after 8am. After toweling off, I got busy with a few other tasks. First, I retrieved the 22lb bag of ice from the basement freezer and then went out to water the rear flowers. I took a shower before loading up the Trooper. By 9am we were loading our gear for departure. Only one minor mishap occurred. The quart of oil I bought for the boat hydraulics had somehow burst open while rolling around in the back of the Trooper. Lucky for me I had it in a bag. We were all loaded and hit the road at 9:15am. Mindy placed a call to dad. He didn’t answer either phone. We left a VM.

It occurred to us both that we hadn’t eaten anything. That’s rare for me. I was very hungry after running and doing all my chores this AM. I kept a close eye on the boat cover this time not wanting a reoccurrence of early July. It did fine. We stopped just east of Zanesville to get some food. We first tried McDonald’s but they were serving only breakfast. We wanted burgers. We walked from the McDonald’s lot to Wendy’s, which was right next door. It looked deserted, but they were indeed open and serving burgers, too.

We ate rather quickly and returned to the freeway for the final 35 miles in. The drive went much faster this particular trip. We were there before we knew it. It was 11:30am when we pulled up to the boat launch. There was no one in line making the put-in easy. Soon we were on the lake. We already knew that Jeremy & Courtney were on their way, and I figured them to be about 30 minutes behind us. We headed southeast on the lake towards the main marina through the large no-wake zone. As soon as we gave her some gas in the ski-zone Mindy’s cell phone rang. Jeremy & Courtney were at the lodge docks. We happily headed back to get them.

It didn’t take long to get back and board our guests. We were back out in the open waters by 12:20pm. This time we headed north. It’s a little quicker to the fast water. We were surprised at how crowded the lake was. There were an uncomfortable number of boats all seemingly going to the same place at the same time. I chose to decelerate a number of times to allow a crowd of boats to go on ahead of us thus avoiding the large wake. I wanted to keep my passengers, most notably the “jump bump”, safe.

We cruised up the lake almost as far as it seemed to go. The topography of Salt Fork is more like a river than a common lake, which typically looks more like a big puddle. The lake twists and turns through the foot hills of Applachia. We made our way by the famed Kennedy Rock House. It was pretty cool, built around 1840 as I understand it. We weren’t sure why but there were two-dimensional sheep placed all along the hillside behind the home. Perhaps had we docked and visited we would have learned why. Seemed kind of “sheepish” to me! :) Learn more about the Rock House at the link below. www.usgennet.org/usa/oh/county/guernsey/places/kennedyhouse.html

After a leisure cruise along the winding lakeside we went into action skiing and tubing. First, it was Jeremy taking a turn water skiing. He did well, getting up with no trouble and allowing us to pull him around a small section of the lake for quite a while. Mindy was next, skiing better than she has all summer. She had no trouble getting up and crossing the wake, however she did so cautiously. After skiing, Mindy and Jeremy each took a turn on the tube. Jeremy did a fantastic job controlling the tube all the while taking a wild ride side to side. Courtney looked a little panicked a time or two as she watched her husband, Jeremy being tossed from side to side. Mindy did a good job, too.

After the tubing we found our way to the official boat swim area right around the corner from the lodge/cabin docks. We sat in the hot sun and swam for about an hour before heading back to the dock. It was 5:40pm when we pulled into our dock slip. Jeremy & Courtney decided to head back home. Mindy and I went to the lodge to register and find our room.

It didn’t take long for us to register and find our room. This time we were on the top (3rd) floor overlooking the shuffleboard court just west of the outdoor pool. It was a slightly nicer room than the one we had in early July, but without a hillside/lakeside view. I cracked a beer and read while Mindy showered after making 8:15pm dinner reservations. I showered after her. We left for the Wildlife lounge around 7:40pm eager to get a couple of drinks in us before dinner. After our first drinks we were both feeling no pain. I tried talking Mindy out of going to dinner and instead going for a walk and an evening boat ride, but she wanted to eat. By the time we were seated we agreed that we’d go back to the bar after dinner. However, I knew that would likely not happen if we had full bellies. So, I proposed that we eat only light appetizers in lieu of a full fledged dinner. Mindy agreed. We each ordered a bowl of lobster bisque and then shared an order of crab cakes. That was plenty, and they were very good. As darkness set in we strolled out of the restaurant and back to the bar. We only lasted for only one more drink before Mindy wanted to return to the room.

Back in the room I cracked another beer, grabbed my guitar, and headed for the balcony. The noise & commotion coming from the shuffle board court below was deafening. But I didn’t mind as much as Mindy. I just played my guitar happily. I knew the noise wouldn’t last too long. After all, it was a large family at play – grandpa, mom, dad, and kids.

Sometime between 10 & 11pm we went to bed. Mindy could still hear the noise. I couldn’t, or at least didn’t let it bother me. I fell asleep quickly.

SKOL

Friday was a fantastic day. And just like the previous two days, I decided to run early from home even though the treacherous heat and humidity was expected to be somewhat diminished this afternoon. I packed a lunch but was leaning towards a lunch away from the office with a peer – most likely Jay Pierce.

Mindy asked to be woken early since she and the kids were planning to attend the 2007 Ohio State fair. She planned to meet her friend Teri and Massimo at the 17th St entry gate. I woke her at 7:25am just before entering the shower. I left for work around 745am.

The work day was a pleasant one. Despite it being Friday, things never got as hairy as they often do. As planned, I made arrangements to go to lunch with Jay. We figured we’d leave around noon. Before hand, I had a meeting scheduled with a U.S. government official seeking information about a former employee, Rich D. That went smoothly and was over after about fifteen minutes. We left for lunch at noon, just like we planned.

We ate at Bravo. I hadn’t eaten there in about a year, or the last time I tried recruiting Jay from the bank. We chose to eat outdoors on their patio. It was a tad warm, but I am a summer kinda guy. I had chicken parmesan. Very good! I left completely full.

Work was a little busy upon my return. That did nothing but ensure a quick afternoon. Things stayed that way – busy- until I left around 520pm. I stopped at Lee’s RV’s on the way home to pick-up the boat. I stopped again at Thornton’s on Wilson to fuel both the Trooper and boat. The boat took only 7 gallons; the Trooper took another 17. I still needed to fill-up my two five gallon containers to avoid paying the exorbitant marina gas prices, but that would have to wait until morning. That move will save me at least $1.50 a gallon, or $15.

I arrived home by 6pm. Mindy was home alone as the kids had already departed with their daddy. Mindy and I walked Ykraps together. Along our way back we encountered the strange man that walks his collie mix that likes playing in our pond. I wouldn’t mind so much but the guy’s in my yard almost twice a day with out fail. That’s annoying.

We spent the next hour organizing ourselves for our weekend getaway. By the time we departed for Barley’s we had everything ready to load into the Trooper come morning. The only major prep remaining would be loading the coolers. We drove the BM’er to Barley’s.

We arrived shortly after 730pm. It wasn’t too crowded at all. Steve, Bob & Mary Ann, and Jeremy & Courtney were already there enjoying a stress-free evening. We inserted ourselves as usual. They had Cup O’ Joe on the firkin. I didn’t care too much for it, however, and left what remained of mine for Mindy. Instead, I ordered a guest draft – Hop Juice. That was very good stuff – strong too!

Bob & Mary Ann were fresh back from their Ocracoke trip. I haven’t seen Bob since our camping trip. He brought me a gift. He found some Bridgeport IPA down there, and for cheap too. For the first time in a long, long while, I ordered some Gates of Hell wings. I ordered them well done. Mindy had a bunless pulled pork sandwich. We left Barley’s around 10pm. Before leaving, we invited our Barely friends to join us out at Salt Fork. When they left, it sounded like Jeremy & Courtney just might. They just recently had to have their dog, Molly of 14 years euthanized. She was like their child. They did everything with her. With the loss, they now have the freedom to come and go without worry – that is until baby Jump comes along.

We arrived home well before 1030pm. Mindy was tired and wanted to get some rest before our coming trip. I was still wide awake and was looking forward to seeing how the Vikings did in their pre-season game against St Louis. It was tied 10-10 when I finally went to bed.

Are You Ready for some Football?

I woke to another day of extreme heat and humidity. Just like the day before, I knew when I got up & out of bed that I would be running before work. The reduced stress on my body is well worth the trade-offs. So, after a quick round of exercise and a walk with Ykraps I donned yesterday's damp running shorts (forgot to wash anew) and took off out the door for a four mile run. I checked the conditions just before setting out. It was 77 degrees with 75% humidity. Once again, it felt like a warm wet blanket caressing my skin.

I returned from my run at 7:20am. Mindy was already up & had scrambled eggs cooking on the stove. She was preparing for her first day of work – an off-site retreat with all of her school teacher peers. I threw together a quick lunch while waiting on the eggs to finish. Mindy’s efforts reduced my prep time considerably. Truth is, I probably would’ve skipped breakfast as was the case yesterday. However, the difference was that I didn’t have a fixed appointment this AM. I enjoyed the eggs that were mixed with our fresh garden-grown tomatoes.

After woofing down my breakfast I dashed off to the shower. The kids and Mindy were gone when I returned downstairs – much like any other school day. I like that feeling!
I wasted little time and left for work around 8:15am arriving just after 8:30am.

Like the day before, I worked straight through having run at home, although I did retrieve & eat my packed lunch around 2pm. I liked the change of pace. I didn’t escape the grip of my office until 520pm. For the first time, I used the Bluetooth technology on my new cell phone to talk with Mindy along my drive home. I like the cordless/hands free thing! Very cool! She was making dinner as I drive. The kids were with Jimaken at Galaxy Golf once again tonight. I called my dad just before arriving home. I needed to check to make sure that he was available to tend to Ykraps this weekend. After some technical difficulties, we finally connected. He agreed to tend to Ykraps, and then shared a bit about his Argosy trip with the Simsic’s on Monday. Sounds like he had a good time.

I arrived home feeling good about having nothing really pressing to do other than relax with my family. Mindy and I walked Ykraps together before sitting down to dinner. She made chicken stir fry with low-carb pasta. It was very good. Most, if not all, of the veggies were garden grown. I picked another batch of ‘maters before sitting down to eat. After clean-up I quickly advanced to updating my blog. The kids returned home shortly after 7pm. Mindy was quick to rush them upstairs for a bath and jammies eager to get them back on a regular early bedtime as the school year draws nearer. Jacob pushed back a little being keenly aware of the upcoming pre-season NFL game kicking off at 8pm. He wanted badly to see it. Mindy agreed that he could watch from his bed. While she dealt with all of that I read more of my new book, Quiet Strength. She called me to tuck in the kids about twenty minutes later.

I tuned into the NFL pre-season kick-off in Jacob’s room. He didn’t want me to stick around long. He said he wanted ot watch it alone. Hmmm? I headed back downstairs eager to watch from the family room. Football season is officially underway! Wahoo! As I watched the game I strummed the guitar. Come 9pm Mindy headed to bed. I guess the early rise along with being OTR took its toll. I stayed up watching the game. I popped & enjoyed some corn all the while I watched the rest of the game. Sleepiness descended upon me near 10:30pm. I headed to bed.

Hot, Steamy, & Tropical

Pterygium

Hot, Steamy, & Tropical – again. But I’m not complaining. Rather, I am just sharing as well as documenting the event. Come the “ber” & “ry” months, I’ll be longing for such conditions.

I slept until 5:50am. My usual game plan would be altered today due to my ophthalmology appointment. I planned to head directly there before work. And to simplify the rest of the day, I also planned to run from home. The added benefit of that would be avoiding a run in the treacherous afternoon heat. To that end, I wasted little if any time exercising and walking Ykraps. After a fast cup of coffee I donned my running shorts & shoes and headed out the door. Sure, the air was very moist & thick but the lack of direct overhead sun made it seem like winter compared to the 1pm runs the days prior.

My frame of reference was so much brighter after a morning run. I noted that for future opportunities. Before heading up to shower I packed a lunch really quickly and then turned to make Mindy’s coffee. I delivered as usual and then jumped in the shower. It took me a few minutes to get my contacts in but I did it with little trouble. By the time I gathered all my daily necessities it was 5:52am. I left swiftly for the eye doctor’s.

The drive was most pleasant up Lane Avenue towards route 315. Dr. Julie’s office is on Olentangy River Rd pretty much across form Riverside Hospital. I arrived just a few minutes late. Even still, I was the only patient there. After completing an updated information card Julie came and fetched me. It’s been a year and three quarters since I have seen her. She’s still cute as a button! Our first order of business was testing my vision through my contacts. She learned what I already knew. I couldn’t read so well with them any longer. Because my prescription is multi-focal, she thought I might benefit from switching from low to high in at least one of my eyes. She opted for my left – the weaker of the two. Next, I removed the contacts and then we proceeded through the routine of what’s better game. What’s better – one or two; two or three, etc.

As I always do, I asked about advances in contacts or laser surgery for eye issues like mine. Further, she measured my Pterygium. They haven’t gotten larger. I asked about the option of removal which she recommended against. I asked lots of questions. She decided to tweak my eye glass prescription a smidge. Next, she sent me to see Christie to help me choose new frames. I had handed Christie my old frames upon arrival hoping she could fix the broken hinge. While she thought that she might be able, she couldn’t She said she’d have to order a new “arm”. That would cost only $18 – not too bad at all. They’ll serve as my back-up pair after my new set arrive. Dr. Julie gave me a complementary set of contacts to try out. They’re pretty much the same brand/type as before only with the fore mentioned high low change to the left and a quarter point increase in power in the right. I left for work.

Work moved swiftly, but it’s no wonder since I didn’t arrive until 9:35am. As the morning passed and it changed to afternoon the day turned strange. That was because I didn’t run at lunch. Instead, I worked straight through choosing to eat my packed lunch at my desk. Mindy had originally planned to visit the pool but according to her cryptic email, I assumed that it must’ve rained hard at home. Later she confirmed that it did. I was happy for that. I left work shortly after 5pm and headed directly home. Mindy and the kids opted for a movie in lieu of the pool. They were going to dinner after. I was happy just to go home and have some Jimmy time. After walking Ykraps and tending to my miniscule chores I dug into the new book Mindy bought me. It’s called, Quiet Strength, a memoir by Tony Dungy. For those that don’t know, Tony’s the coach of the Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts. He’s a principle centered man as well as a voracious Christian. Among other reasons, I admire him for his cool, calm demeanor as well as his moral character. I became familiar with Tony when he was the Defensive Coordinator for the Vikings. When Denny left I hoped that he would become the Vikings head coach. Obviously that never happened. Reading his book it sounds like he wouldn’t have accepted it even if it were offered. Besides, his lovely wife despised the bitter cold winters of Minneapolis.

Mindy and the kids returned home around 630pm. Mindy brought me a surprise – chips and salsa. I snacked on those after waking from a reading coma. J After eating a little, I got back to reading. I read more than 100 pages. I found the book surprisingly gripping.

Mindy headed to bed before me. This was a “school night” for Mindy. She has retreat in the morning, so she’ll be up getting ready just like a normal school day – and so will the kids. I headed to bed after securing the home. It must’ve been close to 1030pm.

Oppressive

It was Tuesday. It was hot. Any momentum I had gathered waking at my projected rise was a shattered as I didn’t get out of bed until 6:04am. I think it’s safe to say that I'm a slacker! But I tried not to think about it and did so successfully. I glided thru my usual routine as if I were on schedule. Once again, it was like a warm wet blanket outdoors. In fact, it was warmer this morning than yesterday. It was a balmy 77 degrees at 6:15am. The humidity, a sticky 75%.

I whizzed thru the rest of my pre-food prep time period in an effort to regain a little time. A quick look at the flower beds proved once again that there was little need to water. I suppose that’s one major benefit of such high humidity levels. Generally, when temps reach the low to mid 90’s, the flower beds could really use two daily waterings. I was surprised to find them still damp from Sunday’s rain.

In the end, I regained all my lost time. I even had enough time to help Mindy prep for her party a little. I emptied the bathroom trash can, Windexed the front and rear glass doors, the TV, and the dishwasher and stove. Those small minor messes made me antsy, anyhow.

I took Mindy coffee. She was still a little groggy but got up to sip away. She really needed to be up if she had any hope of being ready for guests at 11am. I finished my own prep and departed for work just before 8am. I wore my contacts today for the first time in over a year. I was able to install them on the first try. That isn’t always the case. I used a brand new pair. They felt comfortable but I could tell that the prescription wasn’t right anymore. I couldn’t read fine print!

I arrived at work just after 8am. It was tough for me to carry out my work at my PC with my contacts but I was able to do it. I could feel the muscle strain in my eyes. I tired adding my older pair of glasses but that proved way too much. I reverted to simply contacts for the remainder of the day. The temps were heating up outdoors. The heat index was approaching 100 degrees. I left for a run about thirty minutes early. The air was warm and close! There was a sharp breeze gusting out of the SW. It was somewhat comforting on the run out but almost nil on the run in. I began feeling extremely hot with a half mile to go. I wished I had run in the early morning hours. I survived it, however.

The afternoon went fast. I talked with Mindy around 230. Her party was over although a few guest remained. Sounds like she generated a number sales. I left for home around 510pm. I stopped at Target to pick-up a new boom box for Bella. I found one reasonably priced, and well equipped for $35. I bought. Mindy wondered why I was late. Gessh! It was only 5:38pm. I arrived home ten minutes later. The kids were gone with their daddy. Jimaken took the kids to putt-putt.- Magic Mountain. It was still very, very hot. I nibbled on some of the cheese dip, crackers, and veggies Mindy had leftover from the party. We walked Ykraps together.

I didn’t really want to but the lawn needed cut. After a short rest, I changed clothes and headed out doors to begin cutting the lawn. I took it slow to reduce the fatigue. The kids returned home after I finished edging and weed wacking. I was quite hot during the actual mowing. It felt great to get on my tractor where I could feel a breeze. The lawn looked nice when I finished – surprisingly green even during the hottest of weather. Thank God for my sprinkler pump!

After sneaking a few more snacks I headed up to shower away the yard fleck. Mindy watched a movie with Jacob while Bella played with a neighbor. Jacob claimed that his mother never spends any one on one time with him. That lasted about as long as it took for the neighbor to knock on the door asking for Jacob. He quickly tuned coat and headed out to ride their scooters together. Mindy worries of the day when he won’t want to spend any time with her.

I spent a little time updating my blog, and then customizing matting for our art work. I didn’t buy, however. I want to think it through first since once you buy custom cut mats you’re stuck. The kids finally came in and got their baths. They were sweaty! We tucked them in around 830pm. Mindy’s goal is to slowly wean them back, or at least close, to their typical school time bedtime of 8pm. School officially starts for Jacoby August 22nd – 2 weeks out. Yuck!!!

After the kids were in bed we talked for a while. We went to bed around 940pm but didn’t fall asleep until much later.

Swimmin' in 'Maters!

I was able to overcome my demon and get up and out of bed at my regularly scheduled time slot. By the time I was downstairs to begin my morning regiment it was 5:40am. It was noticeably darker – a sure sign that summer is waning and the days getting shorter. Although, in truth, I do realize that the days are constantly getting shorter or longer depending on which side of the solstice we’re on. In addition to the lengthening darkness, it was overcast and moist, which only served to accentuate the feeling.

The coffee was staged but not turned on. I pushed the “go” button after choking down my One-A-Day. I began my exercises pronto. By 5:55am I clipped Ykraps to his leash and headed out doors. Wow! It was humid & warm. It felt incredibly sticky yet it wasn’t even 6am! I can’t recall a more humid morning in years. When Ykraps and I returned I checked the official weather conditions online. It was 74 degrees and the humidity was 75%. Very sticky!

I burned up a lot of time fooling around on the PC. Finally, around 6:35am I got started on food prep. Because of the Sunday and overnight rain, there was no need to water. I did take a few minutes after breakfast to walk the yard and check out the tomato plants. Looks like we’ll be inundated with ‘maters any day now.

Like always, I poured Mindy a cup of coffee then delivered it bedside. Before showering I flossed, brushed, and shaved. I noted a much improved performance from my electric razor after cleaning the cutters with isopropyl alcohol. I showered and dressed next. I tinkered with the idea of wearing my contacts today but didn’t. I have an eye exam on Wednesday morning and they requested I wear my contacts in. I haven’t worn my contacts in almost a year. Maybe tomorrow?

I packed up my laptop and gym bag then left for work at 8:00am. I broke a sweat just walking into the building. It was really humid outside. Work was busier than ever. The net affect was that it made the morning go even faster than usual. I kept an eye on the weather. It was heating up quickly. Because of this, I left for a run about fifteen minutes early figuring every few minutes meant another degree in heat. It was 90 degrees with 75% humidity when I left for my run. Those humidity levels are almost unheard when it’s so warm because the sun usually burns it off to below 50% even on the most humid days. Today was different. There was a saving grace, however. There was a substantial breeze, albeit a hot one, blowing out of the southwest. Too, the sky was overcast keeping the direct sun from beating directly unto my skin. With about a mile to go the sunshine broke through the thick overcast and really heated me up. I was covered in a thick gooey sweat and I could feel my skin temperature rising fast. I was eager to get back inside to the AC.

Most of the afternoon hours were spent meeting with team members & following up on customer issues. I managed to wrap up by 5:15pm and depart for home. I headed straight home not making a stop anywhere. It was STEAMY! Now, the clouds had burnt off leaving the humid conditions in full sun. It was almost unbearable outdoors. I had toyed with cutting the lawn, but Mindy argued against cutting it this evening for a couple of reasons. Her number one reason was that she’s hosting a jewelry party tomorrow and doesn’t want the inevitable grass clippings drug into the house. I agreed, not at all regretting avoiding the intense heat and humidity. I walked Ykraps. When I returned I started the grill. We were having pork chops, corn on the cob, and salad. I soaked some hickory chips in water to add extra flavor. Like always, I roasted the corn first. Later, I added the pork chops along with some chicken for Jacob and two hot dogs for Bella. Dinner was fabulous. The chops were moist, tender, and very flavorful.

After dinner the kids headed outdoors to play with the neighbors. I used the time to update my blog and add pictures. I failed to mention that we reserved a night at Salt Fork lodge for the coming weekend. We’re looking forward to it. Also, the two replacement dining canopy poles arrived in the mail today. I opened the box just to make sure they were the right ones. They were. I took them to the basement where I added them to the existing kit. Issue resolved. I like that!

Later, after the kids were tucked in, I tried one last time to repair Bella’s CD player that was damaged during our wet camping trip - the sole remaining issue. But despite my best effort, I couldn’t get it working. We’ll have to buy her a new one. After giving up and putting it back together Mindy sat to read my blog. I, in turn, sat in the reclining Queen Anne chair and finished reading my current book. I was sufficiently ready for sleep thereafter. We headed to bed before 10pm. We laid there chatting for while before falling asleep.