Chocolate Pie For Me?

My freshly injured right shoulder bothered me all through the night. In fact, it woke me around 230a, so I headed downstairs to play on the PC and then watch TV for a while. I eventually fell asleep on the sofa not waking again until 430a. Still tired, I headed back up to bed after choking down a couple more Advil. I got up for keeps around 730a and headed downstairs. Looked like a gorgeous day in the offing. The sun was just rising above the horizon and the temperature was already above freezing at 34 degrees. I enjoyed coffee and internet for about an hour before taking care of Frankie. We headed all the way out by the tree house for the first time in a while. She took care of business completely before we made our way back to the house. Mindy & the kids weren’t up until approximately 9a. I headed off on my run around 930a. It was gorgeous. Birds of all types were singing like it was spring. I ran just three miles. No problems. Before heading in the house, I fetched the square shovel from the garage so I could scrape away what remained of the tough ice on our sidewalk just to the left and right of our driveway. As soon as I got started Frankie and Bella came running. Frankie pulled away from Bella, who had her out in the back yard. The ice came up fairly easy once I created an exposed edge. The sun would do the rest. I headed inside where Mindy was busy making breakfast burritos, Jacob’s favorite. I had only one burrito. Mindy shared her plan to go grocery shopping but only for the weekly staples since we’d be heading out of town mid-week. I had nothing to add to the list. Around noon I took a nap on the sofa, and that was about the same time that Mindy left for the grocery store. Bella headed down to the neighbors. Chrissy was taking Makayla and Bella to see the new Justin Beiber movie. Bella was stoked! Jacob, meanwhile, found himself relegated to his room and grounded … again. He was giving his mom a lot of back talk even after being advised to stop. This was after bullying Bella. Just before she left, Mindy empowered me to decide when he could come downstairs. I suggested he read or do something constructive in the meantime. He decided to practice his recorder. Good plan! Mindy now gone, I got a much needed shower. Afterwards, I washed my running and ski clothes so I could get them packed later in the afternoon for our trip. I took the time to top off the hot tub, vacuum the family room, and retuck the sofa and chair covers. Mindy got back from the grocery just as I was finishing up topping off the hot tub as well as the vacuuming. After carrying in the groceries, I headed out on the deck to troubleshoot the electrical circuit feeding the deck outlets and shed. Over the last couple of weeks the breaker has tripped two or three times and now it trips instantly after reset. I isolated the initial deck outlet from the rest of the circuit then read the line’s resistance. I read a short towards the shed. I then reset the breaker and as expected the circuit remained active – 120v. I turned the breaker off again, then left the circuit isolated at the first outlet but proceeded to the second outlet, or just before it goes through the yard out to the shed. Still seeing a short towards the shed, I worried that the underground feed might be shorted. After all, I did have to splice it after they installed the irrigation system. I went to the outlet at the side of the shed and isolated it from the rest of the circuit that continues into the shed. Hmm? Read an open up to the shed, meaning that the feed was clean. On the other hand, I was reading a short on the line continuing into the shed. At first I suspected the security light, but on closer inspection the trouble was right there in front of me. It seems the shed has settled somewhere between a half inch and a full inch causing the power feed to shear from the entry hole to the outlet box. Wow! The shed could’ve caught fire given the right circumstances. I left the breaker off and the circuit isolated from the deck until the weather warms up and I have enough time set aside to make a permanent repair. Shouldn’t be too difficult. I went inside and shared the dilemma with Mindy. It was already 3p and time to start preparing for Sunday dinner at Gloria’s, our first such visit since Xmas day. I spent the next hour before we left for dinner publishing a couple blog entries. We headed for Gloria’s at 415pm. Must’ve arrived around 430p. We were mid arrivers, there later than some but earlier than others. We had Frankie with us too. She was excited to hang with her cousins, Ivan, Riley, and Ruby. Mindy nailed it. We were having lasagna. Said it’s the only recurring dish her mother makes that absolutely everyone likes. Dinner was served sometime just after 5p. I had one serving of lasagna and then a couple pieces of chicken. Both were good. After dinner everybody congregated in the livingroom, which is the norm. Jerry & Joe were there together after announcing their break-up just a week or so earlier. I felt bad for Jerry, whose uneasiness I could easily sense. It had to be 645p when Gloria called us in for dessert, chocolate pie, my all-time favorite. She made sure, however, to share that she made it for herself. I guess to make sure I knew that it wasn’t made with me in mind. I don’t know.  At any rate, the pie was to die for delicious. It was so good that I had two monster-sized pieces. In fact, I’m more than certain that I took in more than a day’s worth of calories in pie alone. Yum-yum. Thanks Gloria! After dessert, Gloria brought out a small box of family photos asking the sibs to make a valid attempt at dating each one so she could create a chronological album. It was fun looking at some of their old family photos, a brief look into Mindy’s childhood if you will. Approaching 8p, Mindy declared that we needed to go. It was a school and work night. Before everyone started leaving, Gloria passed out Valentine’s Day gifts to the children. She also had an adoption day gift for Bella as well as a Xmas gift from a woman at church. Bella cleaned up. She was smiling ear to ear. We arrived home around 815p, and I believe that Mindy had both kids take showers. I changed into my PJs and then asked Mindy to rub my shoulder. The prior dose of Advil was wearing off in a hurry. She used the vibrating massage gizmo to help stimulate blood flow in the area of my shoulder blade. Felt really good. We all headed for bed by 930p.

Big Air - Big Crash - Big Bummer

I was up just a little after 7a and quickly downstairs making coffee and preparing to exercise. It was partly cloudy and still below freezing. This I could tell by the firmly frozen snow still blanketing our deck. I completed my exercise regimen over the next 20 minutes or so. While enjoying coffee at the PC, I checked the local weather. It was 28 degrees, but with a forecasted high of 34 degrees under mostly sunny skies. After today, however, the weather takes a turn towards spring with highs reaching well into the 50s and lows near and above freezing. On the other hand, the weather in Bend is expected to turn more like winter during the coming week. It's as if the ski gods are smiling down on me. At some point, I took Frankie outside. She took care of business after plenty of sniffing around. Kenny called around 845a to let me know that we could borrow his extra pair of wrist guards if Jacob wanted to snow board. Also said he seriously doubted that their Jake would be going. The house quiet, I played around on the PC until just after 900a when I finally decided it was time to run. Mindy was still asleep in bed when I headed out the door. I ran just three miles just like I do most other Saturday and Sunday’s anymore. It was an uneventful run, and for the most part all done on dry streets and walks. Mindy & the kids were up a little after my return. Save for Bella, Mindy made everybody egg sandwiches. The plan still called for skiing. To that end, Mindy prepared sandwiches for later. We agreed that I would be in charge of snacks and the cooler. I headed up for a shower while she finished in the kitchen. I was out of the shower and in my base ski layers by 1030a. While Mindy headed up to ready, I loaded the Honda then prepared snacks and the cooler. I also mixed some lemon nip and buttery nipple for our pocket flasks. Lindsey called Mindy’s phone around 11a to ask if she and the boys could come over. According to her, Kelly had no idea that she was on the phone. I could hear her giving Lindsey the dickens about something. Lindsey later shared that it was over her broken down oven. I reminded Lindsey to try and remain calm. I also asked what plans she's made to move on with her life. Not much progress. I wasn’t surprised. Still waiting on Mindy and with an abundance of sunshine, I headed out to see how much of the ice I could scrape up from the drive and walk. Turns out, I was able to free most of what remained. I sprinkled some salt for good measure. No matter what we do, we rarely leave for skiing before 11am, and this Saturday was no exception. We didn’t get out of the house until 1130a. It was 36 degrees as we pulled away from the house. Mindy guessed that it would be 32 at MRM. We arrived 40 minutes later in what now seems like a short drive. Mindy nailed it. It was only 32 degrees under mostly sunny skies. The lot was packed to near capacity, but we were fortunate enough to get a spot up close to the lodge that was almost certainly only recently vacated. It was 1230p by the time we had our ski passes and were heading up the lift. It felt terrific in the relatively warm sunshine, and the snow pack was in great shape too. We might’ve skied for about 40 minutes before we found Scott & Zach. We knew they were there. Mindy sent him a text earlier. Scott shared that Bob was on his way, too. Bob showed up around 2p. I’m guessing that we skied for another hour before heading in for a break. I went to the Honda for the cooler while Mindy sought out a table. I stopped in the gift shop on my way to the cooler and bought Mindy one of the multi-colored MRM shirts she’s been admiring all winter. I stashed it in my mesh pack in the Honda planning to gift it on Monday, V.D. Mindy and the rest of the group got us a big long table. The only catch was that we were sharing it with Fallon, a 28 female who we ended up befriending. She was cute, smart, and quite articulate. She seemed to enjoy our company as we did hers. She & Mindy hit it off right away. Turns out, she graduated from Briggs HS and a got a full ride scholarship from OSU where she got her degree/s. Sounds like she may be heading to South Korea to teach English this spring. How interesting and fun that will be. Kenny & Chrissy arrived during our break. Whirling on all the lodge TVs was the OSU/Wisconsin basketball game. The place was rocking, too, especially after the Buckeyes went up by 15 points with about 11 minutes to go. Seemed to me that we had the game in the bag. I got us a second pitcher of beer to share. Mindy exchanged contact info with Fallon before we headed back out. Oh, and the Buckeyes managed to squander that 15 point lead and lost for the first time all year. Crap! It was about 430p when we all headed back out. As usual, we had a ball zipping around the mountain. Bob pealed off for home I’m thinking around 6p. Wanted to meet Mary Ann at home after she got off work. Kenny, meanwhile, pealed off too, but not for home. He went to the Acadia to sleep. His cold meds were kicking his butt. The rest of us kept after the hill. Some of us were bombing down the rollers, and they were lightning fast affording anyone with any speed at all to get plenty of air. On maybe the third run in a row, I went last and absolutely balls to the wall. On the third roller I caught more air than ever before. It seemed like forever. Kept waiting for impact. When my skis finally touched down I went head over heels taking one of my hardest falls ever. I landed on my ribs slightly right. I found myself gasping for air for several seconds. Some kids skied up with my gear and apologizing. The kid was at the top of the roller as I launched. Once I could speak, I assured him that it wasn’t his fault. I was immediately concerned that all my parts worked. My right leg and shoulder were smarting something fierce. I was light headed too. I quickly snapped into my skis and headed the rest of the way down. I remember seeing Mindy. She tried coaxing me inside the lodge with her and the others but I wouldn’t go. I headed back up the lift looking for Scott & Zach. I did one more run down the middle by myself. I was getting stiffer by the minute. I headed into the lodge to find Mindy. Mindy had a bowl of chili waiting for me. That sounded terrific. I drank an ice water too. We probably took another 15 minutes before declaring it time to get in a couple more runs before heading home. I was feeling a lot better but still quite sore, especially my right shoulder. I rode up the lift with Chrissy and her two girls. Chrissy fell getting off the lift. I skied back to help her up. Some bozo getting off the lift told us that we needed to exit to the right in a hurry. In reality, it’s the lift operators job to watch for fallen passengers and stop the lift as needed to prevent a pile up. The bozo and I got into a heated exchange after I shared that she fell and that I was only there to help her up. I dropped a few expletives I’m now not too proud of. Mindy ripped me for it, but also understood my aggravation. I realized my error in judgment and quickly turned away from any further unproductive dialogue. We skied down the middle then up again. This time we had trouble getting all the girls on the lift, and it doing so, I lost one of my skis while getting on. The base lift operator stopped the lift and brought it to me. I planned on putting it back on once at the top. With everything going a little haywire, we collectively declared this our last run of the evening. At the run’s base, Mindy took my skis while I went inside to fetch the two coolers, ours and Chrissy’s. My shoulder was hurting more and more with each passing minute. I met Mindy and the kids at the Honda. It was just after 7p. We systematically changed out of our outer layers and started for home. I drove. Aside from an achy leg and a very sore shoulder, I was in good shape. All four of us agreed that a Minelli’s pizza was in order. We called the neighbors to see if they were game. They were. We agreed to pick-up two pies and meet them at their place a few minutes after arriving home. Mindy ordered the pies as we neared the I-270 interchange. They quoted us 20 minutes. I went in to complete the purchase once we got to Minelli’s. Had to wait long enough for him to slice ‘em up. We’ve done the family ski day so many times now the kids know the drill well. To that end, we had the Honda unloaded in less than five minutes. We headed to the neighbors after another five minutes, long enough for Mindy to change out of her ski attire. I remained in mine. I took two cans of Coke One. I found myself craving soda pop. Kenny was lounging on the sofa. Didn’t really look excited for the company, but he was a gracious host just the same. We made quick work of the pizzas, finishing off all but about ¼ of the mushroom laden pie. Everybody was tired. Jacob was about to fall asleep on his stool. We headed home before 10p, and everybody got immediately ready for bed. I took three more Advil to help ward off any more swelling in my shoulder. Mindy also rubbed it on and off through the late evening. That helped considerably. It was lights out in a hurry.

Skis Roses Chocolate & Stout

I got a decent night of sleep and was up on time. Hooray! It was Friday, something I was quite happy about. I brushed my teeth and gathered my running clothes then headed downstairs to get the day underway. I slipped into my running shoes then checked out the predawn sky – cloudy. I did my sit-ups then checked the weather online. It was a balmy 28 degrees. Expecting it to climb into the mid 30s by afternoon. I did push-ups next. Afterwards, I leashed up Frankie and headed outback. What’s become almost routine, she only pooped. We headed back inside near 6a. I made a cup of coffee then relaxed for a few more minutes in front of my PC. It was 610a by the time I got around to meditation, and then 625a when I did a stretch. Mindy was in the middle of her shower when I dropped off coffee and the pug. I asked that she try and get Frankie outside again soon. Dressing in the usual winter layers, I wondered if I might be too warm after Wednesday & Thursday’s arctic blast. All for not. I remained comfortable throughout. I guess that’s the beauty of wearing wicking attire. I ran the full 4.1 miles and was back home around 720a. I asked Mindy if anyone managed to get Frankie back out. They hadn’t yet, but she asked Jacob to do the deed as soon as he finished his breakfast. Before Mindy left, Jacob asked us again if he could snow board on Saturday. I suggested he ask Evan if they were planning to be at MRM on Saturday. For the time being, we left it up in the air depending on who else goes. If Jacob won’t have a boarding buddy, then in all likelihood, we won’t pay for the rental and lesson. At 730a Mindy left for school and I headed off to the shower. After a shower I put together a quick lunch. This time, instead of a salad, I packed some leftover tortellini. The kids and I headed out at 758a. Kenny was out with the kids. Sounded horrible with a cold, but still figured on heading to MRM on Saturday afternoon. I asked about Jake thinking of Jacob’s desire to snow board. Verdict was still out on Jake’s status. Frankie and I spent a few minutes out front before heading back inside. I threw my lunch in my back pack then headed off to work. It was roughly 815a. We had our routine Friday staff meeting that started 9a and then another meeting immediately after it that carried us up to noon. Those two meetings helped the morning fly by. At 1p I left the office to pick-up our skis at Aspen Ski & Board. Took care of me quickly. I was in and out of there in less than five minutes. They did a great job. The edges were as sharp as they’ve ever been. That made me really happy! I left there and headed to the Whole Foods on Lane Ave. There, I took care of Mindy’s Valentine’s Day. I bought her 20 red roses, some organic chocolates, a card, and two varieties of stout, her favorite beer. Still doing good on time, I decided to take it all home and set it up on the island for her late afternoon arrival home. The afternoon was sunny and seasonably warm, at least compared to earlier in the week. While home, I took Frankie out back for a quick walk. She did a lot of sniffing but nothing else. First time in a while that there was exposed grass. Gone now for almost 75 minutes, I hurried back to the office arriving sometime near 230p. The afternoon was crazy busy, but because it was Friday, I didn’t mind at all. I left the office for home at 530p. I missed a couple calls from Mindy late in the afternoon. I called her back on my way out of the building. She said she was excited and totally surprised to arrive home to find roses, chocolates and stout. We talked through most of my commute home. Discussed dinner options, too, but made no definitive plans. I arrived home around 540p. Taking my lead, Mindy had a Valentine’s gift on the island waiting my arrival. She and the kids insisted I open it. After emptying my backpack and rinsing my lunch dishes I opened my VD gift. Two tickets to see Todd Rundgren at the Southern Theatre, where he’ll be performing two albums cover to cover (Todd & Healing). Good seats, too, - row “A” in the lodge. Sweet! We discussed dinner options eventually deciding on Barley’s. The kids were uncharacteristically unenthused. Depending on the day, there are times when they literally beg to go there. Mindy said it was her call and that’s where we were going. Done deal. She also shared that she made reservations for V.D. dinner at the Big Fat. My dad will be joining us too, as will Jacob & Bella. We left for Barley’s at 630p. Happily, we got an up close parking spot, no doubt one that someone recently vacated because even the back 40 was chalked full of their overage. I let Mindy and the kids out before I backed in to avoid any possible door dings when the kids exited. I specifically asked Bella to not walk behind the Honda. She agreed, but immediately walked behind the Honda anyway! Good thing I was looking. Inside, the place was packed. Mindy put our names in for a table. Before heading into the bar area, we chatted with our old neighbors, Dave & Becky who were there with her brother Rick and his girlfriend Carol. David's mom was along too. Finally bellied up to the bar and ordered a beer, a CBC IPA. Mindy eventually got one too. Said she expected me to order hers when I got mine. I didn’t though because I didn’t know what she wanted. After about 20 minutes our table freed. Tina would be our server. Cool. We really like her. I wasn’t quite in weekend mode yet. I needed a beer and another 30 minutes to unwind. Plus, the kids were a little rowdy. They often need to be reminded of their restaurant manners, but usually come around in due time. Mindy ordered them a basket of fries as an appetizer. Getting some food in their bellies is always a good plan. We ordered dinner entrees after being there 45 minutes. Jacob ordered chicken tenders with gates of hell and blue cheese. Bella ordered mini cheese burgers and fries. And Mindy ordered the meatloaf sandwich. I ordered only a second beer, a Bitter Dan. I figured I’d snack off of everybody else’s food plate. The kids and Mindy rarely finish their entrees. The Bitter Dan was terrible (buttery). I decided to swap it out for another CBC. Tina was more than gracious. I ate just enough food to settle my stomach but not kill my buzz. I ended up having a 3rd CBC as dinner wound down. The kids often get antsy when I/we order another beer and their food is gone. They’re ready to go. We visited with some of our Barley peeps, including Bob & Carol, and then Darwin. Told him that we’d be up at MRM on Saturday. Like me, he guessed that it might be the last decent weekend with warm weather forecasted out as far as the eye can see. I took care of the tab and Mindy drove us home. Mindy texted the neighbors asking if they were up for company. Turns out, they weren’t home. They were out east to see a friend of theirs in a band. Just as well. We needed a mellow night at home. Mindy & Jacob were in bed before 10p. Bella and I stayed up playing on the laptops. I had two Jack & Cokes. We headed to bed at 11p.

Minus Four - 14th Anniversay

Happy 14th Running Anniversary to Me! (starting 15) On this day, February 10th, 1997 ( A Monday) I made the conscientious decision to start running every single day. That same day was my maternal Grandmother's (Ruth Lantz) funeral, too. Prior to that, I had been running at least every other day dating back to November 1996. I woke a little late, not getting downstairs until 539a. That’s not really a big deal, but given that I’m a creature of habit, it throws a wrinkle in my routine requiring certain cuts that would otherwise go on via auto pilot. And the very reason I've built a routine is just so I don’t have to think and worry about the clock each and every morning. I gazed out the back door to nothing but clear skies. I could feel frigid winter air seeping in under the threshold. I knew it had to be cold. After sit-ups I found out just how cold. At the time it was -1. Burr! There was a slight breeze, too, so that would make it feel presumably colder, -13 to be exact. I fooled around online for less than five minutes before moving on to my push-ups. Again, my wrists were a tad achy. Frankie already up and alert, the two of us headed outside. The deck creaked and snapped as we made out way into the backyard. Frankie wasn’t too excited to be out there but I could tell she needed to go. In less than a minute she pooped and then pulled me back to the deck. She was done! I poured coffee and sipped it at the PC while reading the Daily OM and then a few headlines. It was already 620a, which meant I was at least 10 minutes behind the eight ball. I hate that. I still did a meditation but trimmed it considerably. I barely had a chance to quiet my chattering mind. Stretching went extremely well, though. I took Mindy coffee and Frankie around 635a. By then Mindy was out of the shower. I shared that Frankie would almost certainly need to go out again before my return. I dressed for my run, but not before taking another look at the temperature. It was down to -4! Many don’t realize the coldest temps of the day often occur just before sunrise. Not entirely sure why, though. I bundled in my extra winter layer, both upper and lower. It’s amazing what one extra layer does. I wasn’t cold at all. The only thing was that initial gasp of frigid air when running into the brutally cold breeze. It sucked the air right out of my lungs. I ran the 4.1 miles without any trouble, and it really ended up being a beautiful run. Mindy’s Honda was already running. I remembered to grab Wednesday’s mail before heading inside. Everybody seemed in relative good spirits, even Bella who had a bounce in her step. She was more than eager to be heading back to school. My eggs were waiting in the microwave. Mindy asked if we were doing dinner out after work, this being a Jimaken night. Most likely. She left slightly after 730a. After breakfast, I quickly headed up for a shower and was back downstairs by 749a, and that was after a shave, too. I am fast and efficient. I had enough time to put together a lunch before heading out to the bus stop. The kids came downstairs on their own accord. Bella was more than helpful about leashing up Frankie and holding onto her while I started the Trooper. Chrissy was out with the kids. Said Kenny was inside and sick, sporting a cold. Bummer! After the kids were on the bus Frankie and I walked out front. It was still bitter cold. She didn’t go again, just a lot of sniffing. By the way, Jacob took her out while I was running. She peed then. I quickly gathered my things and then headed out the door for work near 815a. It was an uneventful drive in. There were numerous spots up front. I was in my office by 830a but I still had to fire up my laptop after working from home on Wednesday. That took a good five minutes. While my laptop booted I fridged my lunch and fetched a fresh pitcher of ice water. We had a meeting to discuss some departmental changes that lasted about an hour. Wow, a lot of information to absorb and sort through. Over whelming really. Sometime near 11a my boss sent out the email that everyone had been waiting for. We had the green light to release 2010 performance reviews along with raise and bonus info. I spent the lion’s share of my day from that point forward getting the information out to my team. I got my own as well. My boss was more than gracious. Mixed in with all of that was a bunch of daily work matters too. That did nothing but help the day go by extremely fast. I was energized by the pace and even felt a little extra enthused. I talked with Mindy once I left the office for home. We chatted through most of my drive home. We talked about the coming weekend, and whether or not we’d be skiing, and whether or not we would see or have the grandkids for an overnight. On one hand, I need a grandkid fix, but on the other hand, I didn’t want to plan too aggressively, especially since we need to be preparing and packing for our ski trip. Mindy was open to whatever I wanted to do. She only wanted to clarify everything we absolutely had to get done. I was undecided when we hung up, which was when I was a ½ mile or so from home. I was home by 550p. We chatted while I rinsed my lunch containers, or until Mindy took Frankie outside after she scratched at the back door. While she took care of that, I headed up to prepare for a Barley’s visit. I brushed my teeth and hair. I headed out to start the Honda while she fooled around with this and that. We left the house around 610p. During the relatively short drive, Mindy shared a very sad story about one of her first grader’s mother. She had a stroke and as a result is now brain dead. The family is planning to pull the plug come Monday. The boy is at least somewhat aware of situation. It’s all very, very sad. He’s had a tough life even before this latest tragedy. Barley’s lot was packed to the hilt. We had no choice but to park in the back 40. Getting used to that. It was still quite cold. We hustled to get inside. Just as we were settling at a barside table, two older gentlemen were vacating their stools at the bar. We snatched those instead. Janet quickly greeted us and asked our pleasure. Since they have no Centennial on tap, I opted for the CBC IPA. Yep, that’s right. They’ve got my favorite regular IPA on the guest tap. Mindy went with a St Joan’s Revenge. That’s no surprise. Claims it her all-tim favorite. We chatted briefly with Calvin, but he was pretty much on his way out shortly after we arrived. We also talked with Josh, another Barley friend and regular, and also my former guitar instructor. Talked about running and exercise. I didn’t realize that Josh was runner. Says he’s 41 now and needs a means of keeping the pounds off, especially if he wants to keep drinking good beer and eating reuben’s. :) I had to laugh. I often cite that as one of many motivators for exercising regularly, too. We eventually ordered food. I ordered the reuben (go figure) and Mindy their sampler plate. It took a long time for our food to arrive, but we didn't stress over it. I ordered a second beer, but this time a White Rajah. Food came around 730p, and my reuben was kickin' delicious! I avoided most of the fries that came with it savoring only the sandwich. I tried one of the riblets off Mindy's plate too. Soon it was 8p and time to head home. Actually, we were late. We headed out into the cold and to the back 40. I drove home. We might've been home five minutes ahead of the kids. I was happy that we hadn't kept Jim waiting. Mindy gifted Jacob her Barley's leftovers. He ate most of them. She also asked both kids to get showers. As usual, Jacob fussed about it, but lost. We asked the kids if they wanted to ski on Saturday. Yes, they did. Jacob asked if he could take a snow board lesson. We didn't commit, but didn't refuse either. Looking ahead to the 10 day forecast, this could be their last weekend to ski. Heading into the 50s most of next week. If that holds on and night time lows don't fall well below freezing, MRMs season could end in a hurry. Seen it happen before. We tuned into American Idol, Hollywood week one. They had collected nearly 350 contestants from their six or seven audition stops. They pared that in half Thursday night. After Idol, the kids headed to bed. Mindy & I watched Bones, a show that she really likes but rarely sees. I watched too, but dosed off a couple of times as well. We headed for bed at 10p.

Bella Fever

I knew the night before that I'd be working from home on Wednesday, so that I figured afforded me the opportunity to sleep at least 10 minutes longer than usual while still allowing enough time for exercise, coffee, meditation and a run before Mindy headed out. To that end, I rolled out of bed at 540a. It took just a few minutes to get organized with my running clothes and then into my exercise shoes. I completed my sit-ups then checked the weather. Burr! It was quite cold, 5 degrees to be exact. I spent comparably little time on the PC then completed my push-ups. Afterwards, I bundled up and took Frankie out. She took care of business in a reasonable amount of time. She kept lifting her from paws from the icy cold snow as if they stung from the cold. But heck, I would too if I were out there in bare feet. Inside, I warmed quickly with a hot cup of coffee then treated Frankie with a Milkbone. I took my dear old time with coffee and didn’t get around to meditation and stretching until 630a. I needed to be out the door for my run no later than 650a so I could be back before Mindy needed to leave for school. Speaking of 650a, that’s exactly the time when I headed out the door for my run. It was cold, but I was bundled warmly enough and didn’t fret over not using an extra layer. Less than a mile into the run I was sweating. I ran the full 4.1 miles on this the day that marks the completion of running every single day for 14 years. By the time I got back home not only was the Honda already warming, but Mindy was already walking out the front door to leave, too. She shared that Bella was still sleeping and that she left directions for me to take her temp and medicate her if she was still sporting a fever. Jacob, she said, was all but ready for school. Cool. Inside, I stripped off my outer most layers then topped off my coffee. It was 730a, so I used the next 30 minutes to proof read some writing for my blog. At 755a I called Jacob down in preparation for the bus. I reminded him to dress warmly. It was still only 5 degrees. Kenny was out with girls. I was freezing, now inadequately dressed for the biting cold. As you might guess, we didn’t hang out long at all after the bus left. I did, however, give Frankie the opportunity to go potty again and she went. Yippie! I headed back inside where Bella remained asleep. I didn’t bother her. Figured I’d let her wake naturally. I topped off my coffee then got busy with work. For some reason, the idea of working from home sat a little better with me than it did on Monday. More mentally prepared for it perhaps. We had a staff call around 11a, but that lasted only about 15 minutes. I am much more comfortable/effective working in the office where in a moment's notice I can have face to face interaction with my team. Just feels more natural. Bella must’ve gotten up around 10-1030a. She seemed in good spirits and said she was feeling much better. I took her temperature just as Mindy asked. It was 98.1. We nixed the whole Tylenol thing. No need. I served her breakfast, orange juice and fruit. Later, she asked for a warmed croissant roll while watching TV from the sofa while I worked at my laptop. Around lunchtime she headed up to get dressed and brush her teeth. Yep, she was feeling better. Mindy called mid-day to check on Bella’s status. She asked that I take her temperature a second tme. I did. This time it read even lower. Mindy said you have to add one degree, which made sense. That put it right at 98.6. Finally, during my lunch break, I headed up for a shower. Until then, I was in my once damp running clothes. That took all of 15 minutes. But bent on taking a full hour, I decided to start on our 2010 income tax return. And because I was using the same software as the previous two years, the data entry piece went really fast. most of it transferred seamlessly. Heck, I was nearly finished with the entire thing in just under 30 minutes. Would’ve been even faster if we didn't have so many charitable items to value. The day typically goes fast from the office, but not nearly as fast as it does when working from home. Seemed like Jacob was home in the blink of an eye, and then Mindy not too far behind him. However, there school day might've been over, but I still had more than an hour to go. I tried to stay focused, but with everything going on at home, it was hard. Mindy was happy to see Bella up and around, back to her old self. Mindy declared that we'd be having leftovers of one kind or another for dinner, either tortellini or pork tacos. I opted for the tortellini. Jacob and Mindy both had pork. She made an entire cookie sheet of pork nachos. Didn't look appealing to my eyes. I lead dinner clean-up, but Mindy helped as well. I ran the dishwasher earlier that day, so that needed unloaded first. Can't recall how we spent our after dinner time, but come 8pm we tuned into American Idol, the last night of auditions from San Francisco. It was just OK. We tucked the kids into bed at 9p. Afterwards, Mindy & I watched Modern Family & Mr Sunshine. Both good for a few laughs. We headed for bed at 10p.

Sporting a Fever

It was just ahead of 530a and after more than 10 hours of sleep I rolled out of bed to start my Tuesday. I felt terrific after all that sleep. I must've needed it. Downstairs, I collected my exercise shoes then gazed out the back door to check the weather conditions. It was cloudy and frozen. Looked like an inch or more of fresh snow on the ground. I headed to the living room to complete my sit-ups and was quickly joined by Frankie who hasn't slept penned up for several days. Knock on wood, but she's been very good. No accidents for quite a while. After 55 sit-ups I jumped up and into my PC chair. The first thing I checked the weather. It was 20 degrees. The sky was clearing after the overnight snowfall. Next, I did 57 push-ups. Ouch! My right wrist was hurting. Not sure why. But I guess that just happens as we age. Mysterious little injuries seem to pop up out of nowhere. Frankie and I headed outside around 540am. She was quick to relieve herself after seeming somewhat anxious and waiting by the back door. What's more, she peed for like 30 full seconds. Inside, I gave Frankie a treat and some luvin' then poured myself a cup of coffee. I enjoyed the coffee at my PC where I also read the Daily OM and some of brother Glenn's journal. Come 6a, I stopped and turned my attention to meditation and stretching. Both went well. Mindy was staying home with Bella who at last report still had a fever. Didn't really matter though, she had to stay home regardless after sporting a fever Monday afternoon. Because of that, I didn't plan to take Mindy coffee, let alone wake her up. Instead, I dressed for my run and headed out the door at 635a. The fresh snow made for a nice cushion for the feet. I still had to be on full alert for covered ice. By now, I have a pretty good idea where all the treacherous spots are lurking. I ran the full 4.1 miles without fail. No slipping, tripping or falling. Wahoo! It was almost daylight by the time I got back home. At first I was a little surprised to find Mindy up, but I hadn't considered that Jacob still needed to be up and ready. She made he and I breakfast like normal. I ate then headed up to the shower. Bella was soon up and on the sofa. Mindy took her temperature. It was 100. something. Although not ridiculously high, Mindy added that that was after a steady dose of Tylenol through the night. I needed only cheese for my lunch having abandoned Monday's in the fridge when I left to get Bella. I headed out to start the Trooper and to see Jacob onto the bus. Kenny was out with his kids. Said he had a job in Cleveland planned but it was canceled due to cold weather. I loaded our skis in the back of the Trooper. If everything went as planned, I'd be taking them in to ABSCO at lunchtime for a mid-season tune-up (edge sharpening and hot wax). I headed in to wish Mindy & Bella well. I arrived at the office near 830a. It took a few minutes to get logged on after booting my laptop from scratch. The day was another busy one. I forewarned my boss that it was highly likely that I would need to work from home again Wednesday if Bella's fever worsened during the day. He had no issue with it at all, though he asked that I keep him apprised. Sure thing. He also shared some long awaited information regarding our team charter. I left for Aspen Ski & Board near 1p. It was a nice drive. It was cold, but also sunny. The brilliant sunshine made a big difference. I was one of only two customers in ABCSO. They took care of me right away. Promised to have the skis ready by Friday. I looked around for about ten minutes and even tried on a slick looking new ski jacket. I headed back to work. I was back after being gone no more than 40 minutes door to door. I ate my packed lunch then had another impromptu meeting with boss. While he was in my office, Mindy emailed that Bella's fever was still too high and as a result would need to stay home again on Wednesday. I shared the email with my boss. We continued our discussion at length and planned to discuss it more at greater length on a call tomorrow sometime. The afternoon faded into evening in a hurry. There was a lot going in during the last hour, and I couldn't get away until after 545p. I took notice of the lovely the sunset as I exited the building and hit the road for home. I watched the sun make its final descent below the western horizon just about one minute ahead of 6p. The days are definitely getting longer. Carrying that thought further, it's not at all unusual to get a few days up near 70 before mid March. On the other hand, it's not uncommon for us to get our biggest snow storm during that same time period, either. Who knows? For my money, it can remain snowy and cold through all of March thus prolonging our local ski season. At home, I unpacked my lunch containers while also greeting the family. I headed out to address the trash before I forgot again. I failed to place the can at the curb during last week's ice storm. Reflecting back, I thought about it but guessed they wouldn't come. I was wrong. Not a big deal, though. Anymore, thanks to recycling, our weekly trash is typically no more than two kitchen sized trash bags. It was already around 15 degrees and expected to drop as low as 5 degrees overnight. I was happy to get back inside. Mindy had dinner ready in a hurry, cheese tortellini and red sauce. It was quite good. What surprised me, both kids ate it and liked it. Bella was really warm to the touch, and Jacob sounded congested. Oh boy! It was after 630p by the time dinner and clean-up was behind us. Mindy & the kids put in a DVD, Happy Gilmore. I had little interest in watching a movie. I went to my PC while they enjoyed the flick. I only complained when they started squabbling and bothering me. I used the time to write in my blog and play on the internet. I thought about starting our 2010 tax return but didn't have the motivation. Mindy asked the kids to get ready for bed around 815p. They soon lost interest in the DVD, and was more than happy to shut it down and turn to something educational like Family Guy. :) OK, I'm kidding. I tuned to the knowledge networks but once again can't recall what we watched. Mindy headed to bed at 915p. I stayed up until 935p. Bella asked me to come tuck her in as I made the turn for our room. Oops! I tucked both kids into bed. Jacob was all but asleep. Bella almost wide awake.

He's a Family Guy

I started playing peek-a-boo with the bedroom clock just after 430a until I finally crawled out of bed at 535a. I didn’t feel fully rested, but wasn’t exactly sleepy either. Anytime I wake smack-dab in the middle of a dream, no matter how much sleep I’ve had, I feel like that. I brushed my teeth then looked for my running clothes, but suddenly remembered that they were freshly laundered and folded in the laundry room downstairs. I glanced out back while slipping into my exercise tennies. It looked wet, obviously above freezing. That was later confirmed shortly after sit-ups. It was 36 degrees. It started to rain/drizzle, too. After push-ups Frankie remained sound asleep in her pen with the door wide open. Instead of bothering her, I made coffee and did a little more PC time. Frankie still asleep, I went ahead and completed meditation and stretching. At that point I planned on leaving Frankie sleep while I ran, totally skipping our morning walk figuring Mindy or I would catch her on the rebound. Just then, while I started pouring Mindy’s coffee, she decided she was getting up. Great! I had to alter my plan and take her out. As fate would have it, she was pokier than ever. She eventually pooped, but no pee. Back inside, I rushed her and coffee up to Mindy. I let Mindy know that she’d almost certainly need out again as soon as they were downstairs. I went back downstairs and readied for my run. Despite warmer temps, I dressed in my usual winter attire. Glad I did too. I had to contend with precip for the duration, a mix of rain, sleet, and snow. Was migrating towards all snow as the run went on. I ran the full 4.1 miles. No slips, trips or falls. I was surely running behind schedule. And because of that, Mindy started the Honda herself. I was careful heading back up the driveway. It looked just wet, but there were a couple tricky little slick spots lurking. Mindy made cheesy scrambled eggs. Commented that both kids were grumpy and tired. Bella even complained of not feeling well. Mindy checked her temperature just before heading off to school. Normal. She finally ate donuts but still contended that she wasn’t feeling right. Reminded Bella to bus home to Noah’s. Jacob and Noah, however, would be staying late serving as school ambassadors and wouldn’t be on the bus with her. Instead, Tony, Dena’s husband, would pick them up and bring them home. I headed off to the shower while the kids did their normal routine. I hurried through packing a lunch ahead of the bus stop. It didn’t take me long – 5 minutes tops. We headed out the door at 758a. I could’ve used an umbrella. It was snowing, but it was the wet variety. Kenny & I didn’t talk long. He looked tired. Said he was heading back to bed. Bet he stayed up late. Frankie and I walked the walk out front. She did a lot of sniffing but no doing. Good grief. All that extra time netted me nothing more than a wet dog & do. I threw my pack together, including my laptop, then left for work at 815a. I got a spot up front arriving somewhere close to 835a. It didn’t take long for the Monday morning ‘pile on’ to begin. Work can be like that. I expect it. Can still feel overwhelming at times, however. I was busy all morning long. Sometime just before 1p I got a call from what looked like Mindy’s school. It was Mindy calling from the school phone. Bella was sick and sporting a fever. Her school was insisting that one of us come pick her up. I agreed to do the deed. And because she was sporting a fever, the rules say she’ll need to stay home the following day too. Mindy said she’d make arrangements to stay home Tuesday if I picked her up then. I pinged my boss but he didn’t respond. I sent him a note letting him know my predicament and left. He phoned my Blackberry just as I was entering the school office. Gave me the thumbs up to work from home the rest of the afternoon. Bella was sitting waiting. May have looked a little piqued, but not as bad as I expected. The receptionist reminded me that she’d have to stay home on Tuesday, too. I told her that we already had that covered. Bella was glad to be heading home. Described feeling nauseous, though not using that word. She’s rarely ill. We arrived home before 130p. Bella went immediately for the sofa and asked me to cover her up. She got up long enough to get the TV turned on. I went and logged into work via my laptop. I’ve expressed this before, but I simply don’t like to work from home. Sure, there are some upsides, like staying in your jammies and tinkering with home chores at the same time, but I can’t get past this feeling of hopeless despair. For me, I am mixing polar opposites; work, a place I don’t really think positively of, and home, my place of refuge and escape. After an hour or so I made a sandwich. I was really hungry. I checked on Bella again too. She was asleep but woke when I entered. Asked for a cup of water. Also wanted to know when her momma would be home. I wasn’t sure if she had a staff meeting or not. I later learned that she did. I worked through the afternoon without interruption. Soon that hopelessly depressing feeling I associate with working at home came over me. Blah! Mindy phoned around 4p to check on Bella and to let me know that Tony would be dropping Jacob at home sometime around 430p. Mindy had to spend extra time in her classroom preparing an agenda for Tuesday’s substitute. Just like most other work days, during the last hour things were coming in fast a furious. I wasn’t amused, though did my best to handle what was already on my plate. Tony dropped Jacob at 430p. Mindy arrived home maybe 5 minutes later. I stayed busy at my home desk but listened to the organized family chaos I typically miss each afternoon. Mindy was busy reviewing the kids school papers and homework, starting dinner, managing snacks, and dealing with Frankie. Jacob wasn’t pleased that Mindy denied his request to play outside with Evan. Though it was snowing, it was wet and sloppy, the temperature still hovering right around freezing. Relative to work, I went dark right at 530p. I wasn’t feeling that great, really tired. Mindy had dinner all ready to go by 545p. She made pork tacos using the leftovers from last week’s pork roast. Jacob had pork nachos, Mindy a pork taco salad, and me two basic pork tacos. Bella opted for Wheaties, dry. I managed dinner clean-up as fast as I could. And then as soon as I was done I went to the living room where I took to the recliner for a nap. It didn’t take long for me to fall asleep. And there I slept in the recliner until 830p. Crazy, I know. That’s almost two hours. After waking, I ventured into the kitchen to get some water then let Mindy know that I was heading to bed. I think she was surprised. Told me she just asked Jacob to head up for a shower. The relevance didn’t dawn on me immediately, but hit me as I scampered towards the stairs. Jacob and Bella shower in our bathroom. I offered that he should shower in their own bathroom. I quickly leaped into bed and drifted off to sleep. Felt terrific. Not sure why I was so tired. I vaguely remember Mindy coming to bed but have no idea what time it was. I woke around 1030p feeling well rested. That was after almost 4 hours of dreamy shut eye between the recliner and bed. I decided to get up and head downstairs until I was tired again. I played around online, both for pleasure and work, but for no more than 20 minutes. At 11p I went to the family room where I tuned the TV to a couple back-to-back episodes of Family Guy. I watched them in full. Now near midnight I headed back upstairs to bed. By then I was plenty tired again. Good night Stewie!

Super Nappy Sunday

I woke a couple times through the night with a dull headache, but by the time 730a rolled around I felt whole. To that end I eagerly exited bed and headed downstairs to start some coffee and check in with work. It was Sunday so I didn't plan to do sit-ups or push-ups. Work was relatively calm. I was able to relax and enjoy some coffee before dealing with Frankie, who once again showed no sign of hurry whatsoever. The weather, meanwhile, was cloudy and 28 degrees. No precip. Frankie and I headed outside around 830a. I'm thinking that Mindy got up around 930am or a little after. At any rate, I hadn't yet completed my run, but was preparing to do so. After getting into the proper attire, I did a stretch routine from the family room floor. Felt really good. I'm guessing that it was 10am or after when I finally headed out for a run. I ran three miles without incident. It was quite apparent that we didn't get nearly the snow they got up by MRM Saturday. I'll bet it was less than an inch here in town. The main streets in the subdivision were void of any ice or snow, just a tad wet. After my run, but before heading inside, I picked up the numerous curbside papers left frozen in the snow banks and disposed of them properly. Next, I headed to the back yard where I carried the fallen branches from last week's ice storm to the compost pile out back. It took three trips to get all the big stuff. Still some smaller stuff lying around that will almost certainly remain until the initial phase of 2011 spring clean-up. Inside, Mindy was putting the finishing touches on the grocery list while I enjoyed a bowl of Wheaties. After breakfast, I asked Mindy to make sure that I had all of her 2010 tax information. I didn't plan to start our tax return this weekend, but wanted to be organized so that I can start at any time in the week or so. Mindy left for the grocery around noon. While she was away I laundered my running and ski attire, changed a burnt out bulb in our bathroom light fixture, and then took a shower. I sprinkled in a little work too. So far, not too bad of an on-call. Mindy called at some point during her shopping to share that she ran into two local celebrities; John Cooper and then Kirk Herbstriet & family. Go Bucks! Mindy was home from the grocery around 2p. I helped carry in the goods. She said the kids would be home around 3p. I did some reading and took a short nap beforehand. All four of us were planning on going to the neighbors super bowl party. I was going to make and take spinach dip, my first crack at the recipe. I ended up napping on the sofa later in the afternoon. Before dosing off I watched the final seconds of the Buckeye basketball game against the Minnesota Gophers all the while joking that I only watch the end and once the outcome is no longer in doubt. It's better that way. I have no idea how long I slept. I vaguely remember Mindy advising that she was heading down to the neighbors to visit. Asked if I planned on joining her anytime soon. Soon, dear, soon. It was close to 515p when I decided to get up from the sofa and start making the spinach dip. It was a simple recipe, one I gleaned from Yahoo and one using Velveeta (fake) cheese. I mixed all the ingredients then popped it into the microwave for a total of 8 or 9 minutes, but stopping it a couple of times to stir the mixture. I wasn't so sure of its success immediately out of the microwave, but it stiffened up a bit and seemed a worthy appetizer for guests. I split the dish into two bowls keeping one for home. I prepared a to-go bowl of the dip, three beers, and a bag of Tostito chips then collected my electronics (BBerry, phone, camera) and started for the front door. Just then, Mindy walked in apparently to check on my status. Good timing. I offered that she could help me carry the goods. We headed to the neighbors. Not too many guests, Chrissy's sister Missy and her family (Steeler fans), Jason & Wendy and their four kids, and another couple and their mother. Might've been a few others too. The game started a few minutes after we arrived. I plated some of the goodies, but was careful not to over do it. I cracked open one of my three beers, too. Christina Aguilera sang the Star Spangled Banner. I guess I missed the fact that she left out a line. Thought she did a damn good job. The Packers drew first blood and it looked for a while like they just might blow it open. I warned others not to count the Steelers out. Amongst the guests were many true blue Steeler fans. Given that it was a school/work night, Mindy suggested we head home at halftime, or about 830p. We watched the Black Eyed Peas halftime show then departed. I like Fergie, but wasn't very impressed with the show. Weak vocals. Once at home, all of us changed into our PJs then tuned the TV to the super bowl to catch the 2nd half. The Steelers scored to draw even closer making a real game of it. Then, a few minutes later, they had the ball on the Packers 35 down by only 4 points. I was sure that they would score and take the lead. Instead, they fumbled the ball, and Green Bay turned another Steeler turnover into 7 more points. Still not over, the Steelers answered with yet another touchdown of their own, and actually got the ball back again with just under two minutes remaining and 80+ yards to go for the winning TD. If anyone could do it, I figured it them. Surprisingly though, they looked out of sorts, confused even. They went four and out. The Packers won. I like Aaron Rogers. He a gutsy quarterback with an incredibly accurate riffle arm. For my money, he looks an awful lot like Favre back there in the pocket. We headed to bed soon after the final seconds ticked off the clock. I had no desire whatsoever to watch the trophy presentation.

On-Callski

I woke a couple of times in and around 530a but found my way back to sleep. I woke for good at 730a and headed downstairs to make coffee, exercise, and check in with work. It was cloudy and icing, the temperature around 30 degrees. Must’ve had warm air aloft. I love that term.  I didn’t take Frankie out for a walk until almost 830a. She was having quite the lazy morning. Work was going remarkably better than I expected. I wasn’t betting on it staying that way, however. I worked on my blog until 930a when I decided it time to run. During the three mile run it did a little bit of everything: snow, sleet, and rain. Quite ugly really. If it was gonna be like that all day, we definitely wouldn’t be skiing. The forecast was still calling for the precip to turn to all snow by noon. Mindy was still asleep when I returned from my run. Frankie wanted to head out again. I took care of that too. Mindy got up before 11a but not by much. Asked how work was going. Smooth at the time. We sat around through the rest of the morning, me working and playing, Mindy sipping coffee and playing on the internet, a rare restful Saturday. Mindy headed for a shower around noon, but before committing the day's attire she came downstairs asking if we were skiing or not. That answer would dictate how she dressed – obviously. In the meantime, the ugly sleet, rain, snow changed over to all snow, just as they predicted it would. Work was cooperating too. I decided that we should go skiing. A few more weeks may be all we have left in the season. End of February usually spells the bitter end for MRM. From that point forward, we prepared to ski and had ourselves and our gear ready and packed by 110p. I packed my work laptop just in case I needed it. I had my Blackberry, too, of course. It was 33 degrees when we got on I-270 but already down to 30 by the time we hit route 33. It was snowing pretty good, too. As we neared Plain City and Marysville, the weather turned into a full blown winter snowstorm. The road conditions were hazardous. Traffic slowed from 65-70 to 40-45 mph. We saw numerous cars off the road, and actually watched one heading the opposite direction go barreling into the median at a high speed spinning and heading near us. Thankfully it came to a stop in the valley of the median never making it into oncoming traffic. The last 10 miles in was white knuckle driving with Mindy clutching the oh-shit bar numerous times. MRM was more crowded than we guessed it would be. And they already had a good 2” of fresh snow on the ground and more coming down. We had to park fairly deep but directly behind the lodge making for relatively easy access to our cooler later. We ran into Zach, Scott’s son, at the entrance to the gift shop, where we pick-up our daily pass. Said his dad was somewhere on the slopes. I asked that he give Mindy Scott’s number so we could call/hook up with him. Just before we were heading to the lift, we passed Scott who had just come inside for a break. Agreed to hook up later. The snow was still coming down pretty good, although it was a wet snow. The conditions were loose granular over ice, which translated into medium speed. We skied several runs, or for about 90 minutes before taking a break. It seemed to be getting colder as the afternoon wore on, something we both appreciated. Mindy talked with Chrissy just before we headed in for our break. They were heading up to ski a little later. I expected them around 4 or 5 pm. At ski check we happened upon Scott, who was just heading back out after a break as long as our first ski session. Since we were heading in, he agreed to beer with the two of us. Cool! I went to the Honda for the cooler while Mindy & Scott headed in to get a table. Scott already had a pitcher of Sam Adams waiting by the time I returned with the cooler. We had a nice long break, probably about an hour. As you might guess, we all had a good ski buzz as we headed back out. By then the snow was no longer the wet variety, which made riding the lift much more enjoyable (think wet ass). We broke out the liquid courage through the evening –lemon nip and gold schlager. We had a ball! Kenny & Chrissy showed up near 5p best guess. The five of us skied together for about an hour or so before Scott called it an evening, sought out his son Zach, and headed for home. At the same time, Chrissy was ready for a beer so we all headed in for another break. I had a few beers in our cooler. I opened those during our 2nd break. My work peer, Ken was there again with his family. Came over to the table to say hello. Wasn’t skiing because his son left his ski pants at home, so Ken sacrificed his own. I’m thinking that our break lasted until 7p before we headed out for our final hour of skiing. We skied until 8p then made a beeline for the Honda. The snow had finally stopped. Guessing by the parking lot, they got 3-4” of snow during the day. I started the drive home but quickly decided it best if Mindy drove. We did a Chinese fire drill at the stop sign before getting on Rt 33 east. I fell asleep as we neared the Honda plant and didn’t wake until we were approaching I-270. That felt heavenly. Slept through the longest, most boring part of the drive. Mindy ate a bowl of soup and I ate leftover pizza as soon as we got home. I checked in with work and took Frankie out too. Sometime after 9p, the neighbors called inviting us down. Why not? We took my Jack Daniels and headed that way. We didn’t visit for too long. I’m thinking that we were home before 1030p.

Hop Odyssey - Creeper

Acknowledging the day that the EX turns 51 I slept rather soundly and woke pretty much on time. It was a little easier getting out of bed simply knowing that it was a Friday. Glancing out back, I could see clear skies overhead. I knew from the forecast that it was expected to be pretty darn cold, however, and it certainly looked that way. I completed calisthenics then spent some time on the PC. It was definitely cold. Only 12 degrees, but expected to climb into the low 30s later. Frankie and I headed out around 550a. I proceeded cautiously down the icy deck steps and then over the slick snow pack. Footing was once again at a premium. I stayed out with Frankie long enough for her to take care of business. We were both anxious to get back inside, me for coffee, and her for a treat. The coffee was quite good and it did its job waking me up. Come 605a I sat the coffee aside and moved on to meditation and stretching. Both went well. I took Mindy some coffee and the pug around 625a then headed out for a run just a few minutes later. Footing was touch and go depending on the street. Some were dry while others remained a solid sheet of smooth ice. I had to concentrate on the road immediately in front of me. I ran the full 4.1 miles with no issues (no car problems or falls). Mindy already had her Honda warming in the driveway. I gazed in just to make sure she had all the settings correct for a quick thaw. Inside, Mindy had my eggs ready and waiting. It was already time for her to depart. Our time together was brief. She reminded the kids to bus home as normal then left. I hustled off to the shower right after Mindy departed for school. I was ready seemingly in record time. I was back downstairs at 749am and quickly threw together my lunch just ahead of hollering for the kids. Mindy had apparently told the kids, especially Jacob to wear their snow boots. However, given that we had no more than a half inch on the ground I told them that they could skip the boots. Jacob, of course, was more than agreeable, but also shared that he would blame me if he got in trouble later.  We headed out for the bus at our usual time. Chrissy that she didn’t think they’d be skiing on Saturday. Have a lunch to go to that afternoon. While I certainly wanted ski, being on call would have to take precedence. After the bus left, and while the Trooper warmed, Frankie and I walked the sidewalk immediately in front of the house. She took another dump before we headed inside. I packed my gear and left for work at 815a. I listened to ESPN radio during the drive in. They were broadcasting from Dallas, the scene of Sunday’s super bowl. Sounded like they were hit with a decent snow storm overnight. They’ve already had to deal with the same ice storm that hit the Midwest. Probably not the weather they had hoped for, but what can you do? I parked out front. On the way to the elevator, I stopped by the reception desk to ask for my badge security code. After using the front entrance for past couple months, I have forgotten my access code once thought to be tattooed on my prefrontal cortex. The work day started off somewhat slow but picked up as the day wore on. I thought about Bob & Mary, who were starting their Utah ski vacation today. Lucky them! Since I’d be on-call over the weekend, I had to be keenly tuned into whatever could bite me through that same period. That always takes some of the shine off the weekend. I didn’t take a formal lunch break and ended up working until 6p. I talked with Mindy at some point during the afternoon just to let her know that I was running late. When I finally got out of the office I tried calling Ashley. Same as the time prior – got her generic VM. It was near 30 degrees as I made my trek home. The house was tidy and quiet, and the kids already gone with Jimaken. Mindy & I chatted briefly about our day as well as any evening plans. I suggested we pay a visit to CBC. After all, we were just at Barleys the night before. I didn’t want to hurry, however. I suggested we relax for an hour or so. I needed that. We readied and left around 720p. My hope was that the happy hour crowd would be nearly gone. It was a quick drive downtown to the brewery district and to CBC. The lot was packed, a sure sign that the bar would be the same. In fact, I could see that the bar was nearly full as we entered the lot (think glass front). Mindy spotted Kevin, perhaps the first CBC bartender we befriended some years back. We hadn’t seen him for at least 6 months, maybe longer. He’s a teacher by day. We spotted a couple open stools on the opposite side of the bar that we usually sit. We seized them in a hurry. Kevin was very busy but eventually greeted and served us. I went with their latest Hop Odyssey entry, Creeper, a triple hopped IPA. Mindy was bummed that they were out of the seasonal oatmeal stout she’d come to love. They were out of their 1859 Porter, too, her back-up. She went with a glass of wine instead. Kevin comp’d us a plate of their nachos. Not sure what happened, but I’m guessing someone ordered them then ditched. Nonetheless, they were quite good. Between the two of us, we ate the entire plate. Mindy didn’t stop there. She ordered their Walleye dinner special a few minutes later. I had a second Creeper and then a few bites of the walleye. It was very good. I think we left before 9p. Mindy picked up the tab. Like we often do, Mindy contacted the neighbors and asked if they were up for company. Chrissy was expecting Kenny home anytime. He apparently drove some important work equipment down to Alabama for repairs in preparation for a big upcoming job. I had no idea that he was out of town. He was home by the time we showed up. We took Frankie with us. Mindy and I both took a beer, me a Hop Slam, and Mindy one of her black chocolate stouts. I rode along with Kenny to fetch a pizza from Sporano’s. Of course, we ate none of it, having eaten earlier at CBC. We visited with the neighbors until 1030p or so. It wasn’t that late. We headed home and to bed. I checked in with work before heading upstairs. Things were fairly quiet.

Falling Down

I was up on time after another pretty good night of sleep. Downstairs, I glanced out the deck door and immediately noticed clear skies, bright stars, and a frigid landscape. No time to waste, I quickly gathered my exercise shoes then headed to the livingroom to complete sit-ups. After sit-ups I checked headlines and weather. It was a cold 12 degrees, but at least the wind was still. I checked for local school closings but there were none impacting us. I did push-ups then headed out with Frankie who was up and swarming, a sure sign that she was anxious to head out. Her eagerness swayed once she felt a blast of the cold awaiting us on the otherside of the deck door. I coaxed her on out. We both struggled with our footing. Now, even I wasn’t heavy enough to collapse the icy snow pack, which made for some very slippery maneuvering. Frankie managed to only pee. Both of us cold, we headed back inside. I briefly enjoyed some coffee then turned my attention to meditation and stretching. Both went well. My chronically stiff right hamstring felt as good as it has in a year. Encouraging! Next, Frankie and I delivered coffee to Mindy, a drill we hadn’t done together since Monday. Mindy was in the shower. I made sure she knew the coffee was there and told her that Frankie would almost certainly need to go out again soon. I headed back downstairs to dress for a run. I dressed in my usual winter layers, nothing extra, although briefly considered adding one more layer. I really like to save that for the really cold stuff, you know, zero and below. I headed out cautiously, still concerned with slick streets and walks. Wednesday's inch or so of fresh snow hampered my ability to judge the terrain effectively. I could no longer see the texture of the ice to determine my next step as I had on Tuesday & Wednesday mornings. I proceed with caution. As luck would have it, I encountered cars at all the most inopportune moments during the 4.1 mile run. The thing is, there are some mornings when I don’t see any passing cars beyond one or two school buses. This time I’ll bet I had to contend with 20 or more, and the fact that I planned to run only in the streets made it even more daunting. At a dangerous curve near the 3 mile mark, I had to stop and run in place while a school bus and two cars passed by. Wouldn’t you know, I fell and busted my ass on the ridiculously slick ice. It all happened so suddenly too - in an instant. One second I was standing, running in place, the next I was lying on the ice. I quickly leaped to my feet but busted my right knee and right shin pretty good. I wasn’t sure if I was hurt. I was moving on adrenaline alone. The cars quickly passed and I continued my run. At the same time, I turned my attention to my knee and shin. They ached a little from the impact but otherwise seemed to be in working order. I was thankful and angry all at the same time. From that point forward you best believe that I was even more careful as I made the trek back towards home. At one point, car traffic was so prolific, I had no choice but to bounce up on the crazy slick sidewalks, which I totally dreaded. Several times I could feel the soles of my tennies slipping on the extra smooth ice. As soon as the opportunity presented itself, I trotted back into the streets to finish out the last half mile or so. Mindy had already started the Honda, and upon reentry said she was a little worried that it was taking me so long. I then shared the story of my fall, and how I had to deal with so many damn cars. The nerve of them to be out driving on my streets. We both laughed, but believe me, I was still a little shaken and pissed. I heard Bella asking Mindy why I was so angry. Mindy shared that she would be upset too if she fell. I pretty much let it go after airing my anger, which after all, is part of the healing process. I checked my knee and shin more carefully now in the house. Just a small mark on my knee. No biggie. I sat down to enjoy my breakfast just as Mindy was leaving for work. She reminded the kids to bus home as normal. I was in the shower by 735a. It was a shaving day, too, so naturally it took a bit longer. Still, I was pretty quick. I was downstairs with a few minutes to spare. I started throwing together a lunch, including leftover beef stroganoff. I figured it would be OK to skip a salad one day. The kids and I headed out at 758a. We proceeded cautiously, the walks still extremely slick. Kenny was out with the girls. The bus pulled up almost immediately. We didn’t chat long at all. Frankie and I headed back home, but not before she took another dump in the snow between the walk and street. I let the Trooper warm for another 10 minutes. It was clear of all ice and nice and toasty inside when I finally departed for work. I’m guessing it was somewhere near 820a. The drive into work was slow but without incident. Nonetheless, I was still in my office before 840a. I had a crazy work day. Haven't been that busy in a long while. I believe it was Wednesday when the zipper blew out on my old work backpack, and my efforts to make the necessary repair only made it worse. Broke the zipper completely. It had to be 15 years old. I decided I would make a trip to Target at lunch in hopes of finding a relatively inexpensive replacement. I left for Target just after 1p. Once at Target, I knew approximately where to find backpacks and headed straight to them. I stumbled upon the one highlighted on the aisle endcap. It was Target's own brand and only $20. I picked one up, but continued looking. It felt cheaply made: the zippers, material, everything about it, really. Just around the corner I found many more options ranging anywhere from $24 to $50. I didn't need or want to spend $50. Just wanted something to serve as my 'murse' - my man purse. I found a black Jansport for $30 that appeared to meet all my criteria. But even that seemed a little pricey but I liked it. I bought it. I checked out and headed back to the office, gone for less than 40 minutes door to door. The afternoon was as crazy as the morning. Happily though, crazy equated to a swift moving afternoon and the end was soon upon us. I talked with Mindy later afternoon. As planned, the kids were going to dinner with their dad and she and I heading to Barleys. I often try to leave a few minutes early on Thursdays to facilitate our dinner date. To that end, I left at 520p and was home by 540p. Because there was sunshine for most of the day, our street as well as our driveway was mostly dry and clear. That was nice to see. Inside, I made quick work of my few chores then headed upstairs to brush my teeth and primp before heading off for dinner. I'm thinking we left the house even before 6p. It was close. There wasn't a lot of parking available in Barley's lot. We parked in the back 40. Mindy spotted Calvin almost immediately. We stood and talked with him. I ordered the Bitter Dan offered by Janet, who like most Thursday's was working the bar. Mindy had a St Joan's Revenge, perhaps her all time favorite. I later learned that they were out of Centennial, but did have it on cask. Yikes! We eventually slid down and talked with Tom, the guy we met 3 or 4 years ago that sells Mary Kay products. He had just befriended a 27 year old named Ashley, I believe, who was some sort of nurse. He was working it if you know what I mean. I tried to pull Mindy away so he could continue his courtship because Mindy was now dominating her time. Mindy didn't take my subtle hints, so I whispered as much in her ear. She didn't believe me. Tom's like 49. I think Ashley heard part of our whisper and asked if we were talking about her. I quietly apologized to Tom. Ashley eventually left without Tom getting her number. Kind of funny really. Mindy & I ordered food, me the Reuben special and Mindy a salad. I ordered a second beer too, a White Rajah. All during our meal Tom went on and on about his most recent break up with his girlfriend. I was convinced we were serving as his therapy, although taken on his word alone, you'd think that he dumped her. I got the impression, however, that it might've been the other way around. Undertones! Janet suggested a third beer, and Mindy offered that perhaps I should. So, against my better judgment I ordered another White Rajah. I don't think that I have ever enjoyed a 3rd beer on a work night. It was quite good. We listened to more of Tom's break up story. Before we knew it was 8p. Yikes, we needed to go. I picked up the check and tipped Janet well for her ongoing great service. Mindy drove home. Our timing was impeccable. We pulled up right behind Jimaken and the kids. Inside, one of us took Frankie out. Think it was me. We also quickly prepared for bed by getting into our PJs. Mindy & I tuned the TV to American Idol, who were holding auditions in L.A. Pretty good show. Both kids still grounded from screens, they weren't permitted to watch. This was the last night of their sentences, however. Mindy really wanted to watch Bones after Idol, but I didn't have it in me. As an alternative, I switched the channel to one of the knowledge networks catching a show about the Cincinnati police department. We watched for maybe 30-40 minutes but headed for bed before it was over.

What Could a Ground Hog Teach Me?

The call came in right at 530a. School was canceled for the second day in a row for both Mindy & the kids. I wasn’t surprised. The call also served as my queue to get up and out of bed. Mindy asked for a hug before I headed downstairs. By 535a I was gazing out the back door at the icy landscape. The wind was howling fiercely but the amount of ice coating the trees was much less than the evening before, a sure sign that the temps continued their climb overnight and the additional precipitation mostly heavy rain. I slipped into my exercise shoes then headed to the livingroom where I almost always do my sit-ups. Frankie soon joined me. Sit-ups done, I was anxious to get online and see what the weather forecast held in store. The temperature was a balmy 36 degrees but it was expected to drop throughout the day. In kind, the icy rain was supposed to change over to snow. After push-ups, I headed out with Frankie. Footing was once again wickedly treacherous. I had to help Frankie off the deck. The icy snow was now wet from rain making it slippery than ever before. Solid footing was at a premium. Frankie only peed, and I could see that her focus was as much on her footing as it was on relieving herself. We reluctantly headed back inside. After some coffee I divided the next 20 minutes between meditation and stretching. Both went well. I headed off on my slippery run around 630a. Footing was about the same as Tuesday’s. I ran with complete focus on my next step while keeping my eyes and ears tuned towards approaching obstacles (cars, trucks, buses, and ice). The wind gusted to 30mph and added a new twist and challenge. When at my back it literally pushed me. I had to intentionally resist it. Furthermore, it seemed one heck of a lot colder than the 36 degrees I saw online earlier. I noticed, too, that the wet ice at the outset was fully frozen by run’s end. However, despite winter’s angriest weather so far, I completed the full 4.1 miles without incident. I checked the temperature as soon as I was inside. The temperature had plummeted 10 degrees in only 90 minutes. No wonder it felt so much colder! Before preparing my breakfast, I decided to take Frankie out one more time, only this time out front. Home run! She pooped almost immediately. By taking her out a second time, I am certain that I prevented a carpet cookie. I prepared my breakfast and packed my lunch just like I did the day before. This time, however, I made three fried eggs, two for me, and one for Frankie. She woofed hers down in a hurry. I’m her favorite! Headed up for a shower around 730a. The kids remained asleep. Not even a stir. Mindy asked about my run. I shared how the temperature dropped 10 degrees in a hurry. Like the morning before, Mindy got up when I headed back downstairs. The kids were still sleeping as I prepared to depart. I left my Trooper thawing for a good 20 minutes, long enough to melt away all the ice from the windows. As cold as it was, and now with snow coming, I couldn’t see any way that school would be in session come Thursday. I shared as much with Mindy just before heading off to work. It was 825a when I hit the road. The main roads and freeway were fine. Getting to them was the problem. I arrived at the office around 845a. Plenty of upfront parking. Work was a bit crazy with lots of scattered weather related issues. But given the storms breadth (Texas to New York) there was little wonder why. It started snowing around 9a and continued throughout the entire day. The wind was blowing all day too, and gusting up to 40mph in some places. Looked cold and blustery. Word was that the ground hog didn’t see his shadow meaning that spring would arrive early. I had to laugh when I stopped by HV’s website and saw a note praying for Puxatawny Phil to see his shadow thus prolonging winter. Here, here! As one of my engineers put it, we have all this technology to help forecast the weather yet we still gather around a groundhog on Feb 2nd to figure out when spring will come. Good point! I didn’t even consider leaving for lunch. Worked straight through the day. Mindy sent a couple emails, including one telling me that Bella lied about brushing her teeth and consequently got herself grounded. Oh boy! Bella, Bella, Bella. Mindy followed that up with a phone call advising that my dad was coming over for dinner. She never shared what we’d be having, and I didn’t ask. I packed up and headed for home just after 530p. There was a coating of light fluffy snow covering the Trooper but that came off easily. The drive home went much smoother than Tuesday’s. Our subdivision, however, was a different story. Our street was its slickest yet, an ice rink. Dad’s Blazer was parked along the curb in front of the house. I pulled into our driveway, parking in the same spot that Mindy cleared of ice the evening before. Mindy opened the overhead garage door to make my entrance easier. I greeted everyone, including dad then unloaded my lunch containers. A pork roast was cooking in the crock-pot. The kitchen smelt terrific. Everyone seemed to be in a fine mood. I asked my dad how the electrical repairs went/were going. Said he ran a new circuit to his dryer from the other working breaker box (he has two since it used to be duplex), but he still hasn’t put the dryer itself back together. Hasn’t started on the actual repair of the bad power feed either. As we started dinner I asked if he planned a trip to Florida this February to visit UK. Nope, at least not in February. Not entirely sure why, though he may have said. Shared that he had some spikes that retro fit over his tennis shoes to help give him traction on the ice. I wanted to see them. I went to the front door where he left his shoes. Cool invention. Numerous friends have long told me of these and how they might help my running on ice. Mindy sent dad home with a small doggie bag of leftovers. I’m thinking that it was near 730a when he departed, ice spikes and all. After dad left, Mindy asked the kids to get showers. I started Jacob’s at his request. But no sooner had I returned to my computer he was already out. Couldn’t have been even 60 seconds. I told Mindy that we needed to send him back for a more thorough shower. She agreed after giving him a sniff test. She asked if he washed all of his orifices. He didn’t pass the sniff test and hadn’t washed all his parts. Back to the shower! He debated but lost. He headed back to the shower and promised to do a more thorough job, especially after I asked if he wanted me to get in there with him and show him how to get himself clean.  Bella went next. Now just after 8p, we tuned into American Idol. But because Jacob & Bella were now both grounded from screens, neither was able to enjoy it with us. Wednesday’s auditions were from Austin, Texas. They went only one hour. At 9p Mindy sent the kids to bed while we watched Modern Family, a funny sitcom on a competing network, I believe ABC. That program ended at 930p. Mindy headed for bed a short time later. I promised to be up shortly. Before I headed up, I switched over to some Learning Channel program but can’t recall what it was. I do remember beginning to dose off almost immediately, however. Once up in bed I don’t think I fell asleep until 11p. Good night moon.

Ice Ice Baby

I heard Mindy’s phone buzzing/vibrating, but at the time I had no idea what it was. However, not knowing what it was wasn't really that important. What mattered most is that it woke me. For Mindy, though, it was the call she had hoped for. School was canceled. She learned that Hilliard schools were closed too, so both she and the kids would be home all day. I rolled out of bed and went to brush my teeth. It was 540a. Out the back door, I could see that we got the ice storm that the forecasters called for. Everything was coated in a thick ice. I proceeded with my sit-ups then took a gander at the weather via my PC. Temperature was hovering around 28 degrees, and it was expected to hold fairly steady throughout the day along with more icy rain. In fact, supposed to be under a winter storm warning through Wednesday. Next on the agenda, push-ups. I did 57. Not sure why I did the extra two – just because. Can’t remember if I poured my coffee before or after taking Frankie out. I do know this, Frankie wasn’t too thrilled to be out there. I had to carry her from the deck to the yard. The deck was like an ice rink, but so was the snow covered ground. IN some places, her weight was enough to break through the snow, while not at all in others. It was a tumultuous time for Frankie. I worried that she might not be able to focus on relieving herself, but happily she proved me wrong. We were both happy to get back inside out of the icy rain. Footing was treacherous for us both. I worried how my run might unfold. Oh boy! I enjoyed my coffee then relaxed with some meditation and later stretching. I was about 20 minutes behind my usual schedule but didn’t allow that to sway my approach. After all, with the kids and Mindy not going to school, I wouldn’t need the same amount of time to prepare for my day. I headed out for a run just a few minutes behind schedule, but still before 640a. The front steps and driveway were covered in about a 1/3” of smooth and solid ice. Not taking any chances, I sat on my ass to get off the porch in one piece. I then slipped under the weeping mulberry tree and through the yard eventually making my way to the street. The sidewalks were unusable, slicker than I’ve ever seen ‘em. Our street, being one of the main roads through the subdivision, had apparently been salted sometime through the night. It was iced over, but with the added benefit of being chunked up just enough to give me some traction. I kept my run exclusively to the roads. On the lesser and untraveled roads footing was tricky at best. At times my gate was reduced to less than one foot per step. The trick to running on ice is no sudden change of direction. Plus, I rely more heavily than ever on my eyes and ears to alert me of approaching cars or a sudden change of terrain. Somewhere along the trail, I decided to edit my run to three miles. Why push my luck? I arrived back at home no worse for the wear and quite content that I was able to finish a very difficult run without incident. I took a few minutes to cast some salt on the driveway and sidewalk to help melt off the ever mounting ice. In fact, it continued icing through the duration of my run. After stripping off my wet outer layers I started preparing my lunch and breakfast. I opted to make a cheese and bacon omelet for breakfast. I threw together a quick lunch that consisted of a lettuce salad, cheese chunks, and a banana. Bella came down while I was busy in the kitchen and asked if there was school. Once she got work that there wasn’t she quickly disappeared back up the stairs only to return a few minutes later with Jacob. Said they were going to the basement to play hockey. Wow! Not so fast. You’ll wake your mother, and trust me, neither of you want that.  They took my advice and went about their business more quietly upstairs. The omelet was terrific. I could’ve eaten more. Frankie wasn’t too pleased that there were no scraps left for her. Sorry, Frankie. It was about 740a when I headed up for a shower. Mindy woke as I entered the bedroom but remained in bed through most of my shower and prep. She got up just before I was ready to head downstairs. I took my dear old time organizing my gear for work. I went out to start and de-ice the Trooper first. I knew it would take a while for the ice to melt off. I had coffee with Mindy while waiting for it to clear. We chatted briefly about what triggered her outburst at HV last Friday night. At 830a I headed out knowing I’d still have to scrape some ice. Yep, I did. The ice came off easier that I thought it might. Apparently it rained before icing leaving a thin layer of liquid water underneath the ice. I scraped it clear then barreled down the road towards work. Once out of the subdivision the roads were clear. No ice. Of course the reason schools were closed had little to do with the condition of the main roads. Instead, they were closed because the walks and subdivision roads were iced over. It was still icing when I arrived at work. Wisely, I raised my wiper blades away from the windshield before heading inside. Didn’t want them buried in ice by day’s end. I was surprised that all but one team member made it in to the office. The one who was out was working from home. Midday the icing stopped, but only briefly. That was predicted. Unfortunately, it was expected to pick up again around rush hour, and according to some, get even worse than Monday night. I called mom some time in the afternoon to see how she was fairing after her surgery last Thursday. Sounded pretty good, upbeat even. Said she had a cold, however. We talked for about five minutes. I talked with Mindy a couple of times. She said her and the kids scraped the driveway clear of all the ice. Wow! I know first hand how difficult of a job that is. They left for a trip to Target late afternoon. Said there was no currently no precip. I shared that the forecast wasn't so promising, expected to start up again around 5p. The radar confirmed just that. It looked nasty just to our west. In kind, I asked if it might make sense to cancel Bella’s adoption day dinner at Minelli’s. Given the current weather, Mindy didn’t want to. I conceded. But not 30 minutes passed before she called back and agreed that we should cancel. Apparently the icing started up again just as it was predicted to do. It was a very busy late afternoon in the office. I ended up working until 6p. Mindy asked that I call just before leaving. I called as I was walking out the door, Bella answered. Told me to drive safe. Cute! I had to scrape away another thick coating of ice before heading home. It was still coming down, too, and even harder than that morning. I took my time driving home. Being in any type of hurry couldn’t end well. Like earlier, the main roads weren’t in too bad of shape at all. However, as soon as I turned into the subdivision that changed. Our street was a slick sheet of ice. And the down hill and bridge just before our home was the slickest of all. Mindy was on the driveway chipping away more ice when I pulled up. I was worried about parking along the curb, a sure recipe for disaster. Just asking for my Trooper to be side swiped. I quickly dropped my gear inside and headed back out to help clear the rest of the drive. She had it ¾ of the way done already. Jacob headed out to help too. I saw they ordered a pizza. I woofed down a slice of that on my way out the door. I showed them how a real man scrapes away the ice. Jacob commented that I made a lot of noise with the square shovel. Yep! We salted the crap out of it too. Once it was drivable, I pulled the Trooper halfway up the drive to get it out of the road. We all headed inside. Mindy & the kids were in good spirits after their snow day. Mindy eagerly warmed my dinner, leftover beef stroganoff. I snacked on another slice of that yummy Minelli’s pizza too. Dinner was good. I shared my thoughts about Wednesday school. No chance! Walks and side streets worse that earlier today. Expecting icing and heaving rain all through the night with temps hovering around freezing. But the forecasts varied source to source. Some said it was stay around 31 degrees while others said it would get as high as 36 overnight. As it was, some of our tree branches were starting to droop significantly, and other less fortunate neighbors were already dealing with downed trees and branches. In fact ,we had a 3" diameter branch down out back. More ice could spell doom for our trees. Then, once the ice and rain stops, it’s supposed to snow and drop into the teens. Great! After dinner we celebrated Bella’s adoption day with a sheet of brownies, a candle, and a song. That was fun. Afterwards, I published a few blog entries and then poured a Jack & Coke. I then went to the familyroom sofa where Bella was sitting watching a DVD, Bedtime Stories. Ugh! Seen it at least 10 times. We rarely let her watch programming on our TV, but no one else was watching TV at the time. Instead of insisting on changing the channel, I sat and watched with her. However, I quickly lost interest and dosed off. I woke around 1010p and headed up to bed. Mindy was already there but reading a book. The light was somewhat bothersome, but I dealt with it. I knew that I’d be asleep in a matter of minutes.