The Hair Necessities

I was up about five minutes early. While brushing my teeth, I could tell that it was raining again. The wet streets were glistening under the street lights. I went to gather my running clothes but they weren’t in their usual place. Instantly I remembered tossing  them in the dryer after Tuesday morning’s extra wet run.

I headed downstairs to ready for my calisthenics. I finished my sit-ups and push-ups in short order. The neck pain I’ve been dealing with for the past couple weeks was about as good as it’s been. I think I found the epicenter on Tuesday while at work, a knot just below my left shoulder blade. I used my office door jam to apply pressure for several minutes. When I walked away the neck pain abated almost like magic. However, unlike knots in the past, this one was squishier, not as well-formed. I just hope I can keep it at bay.

It was nice to have my internet connection up & stable. I read headlines and checked the current and future weather forecast. It was only 43 degrees with very light rain, hardly showing up on the radar. That was good news. Chance of rain all day but only the light variety.  Not supposed to get much beyond 50 degrees, however. Thursday looked good, though. Expecting sunshine and 66. Unfortunately, rain for the entire weekend but with temps heading up into the low 70s by Monday.

Eiknarf and I headed out next. We walked in the light rain the entire time. No big deal. Gone about 10 minutes, I was happy to be home again where I could enjoy some coffee. I sipped coffee, meditated, and stretched all before 630a. I headed upstairs with coffee a few minutes later. Frankie came along too.

Next, I dressed for a run as if it were winter short of the ear muffs. First time I felt the need to wear gloves in a long while. It was only 43 degree and raining, not exactly pleasant. I headed out at 635a. It was raining but just barely.  And compared to the day prior, I was absolutely thrilled with that. I ran the full 4.1 miles. By run’s end the rain was nothing more than a light mist.

Inside, Mindy and the kids were up, but she wasn’t cooking breakfast, at least not for me. I clarified her intentions then proceeded to make my own. No worries, it doesn’t take that long anyhow. I also stirred the Mexican chicken that was still brewing in the crock-pot. Smelt  terrific – spicy! I went ahead and packed fruit, cheese and a banana for work. I didn’t want to gorge on pot-luck food if there was any way I could avoid it.

Mindy left for work at 730a. Not sure about Jacob’s soccer practice. Would have to wait until later in the afternoon to find out if the fields were open. He’s only had two practices in 5 weeks due to rainy weather.

I headed up for a shower just after 730a. I was frustrated to find my electric clipper/razor falling apart. Not sure how that happened. I did my best to put it back together but it barely worked. I’ve needed a new one anyway. It’s getting really dull. Perhaps at lunch.

I was back downstairs by 750a. The kids and I tinkered around in the kitchen until bus time. I headed out with my umbrella even though the rain was only light. I unlocked the Trooper on my way out to make loading the crock-pot easier.  I planned to tote it in a laundry basket. Met Chrissy and the girls at the bus stop. The bus came along quickly. Soon Frankie and I were heading back towards home. I let her sniff around a little but she only wanted to play. We headed back inside where I quickly prepared to depart. I loaded the crock-pot and then my back pack in the Trooper then headed off.

The sky actually had a few visible slivers of blue to our immediate north, but thick clouds still dominated the skyline. I arrived at work right on time. We had our weekly staff meeting via conference call at 9a. The call lasted about an hour. Meanwhile, I could smell all the scrumptious Mexican food around the corner from my office in the training room (potluck room). We didn’t plan to eat until 12noon.

I stayed busy until 1230p when I headed out to run a couple errands, including a stop at the Dublin Wal-Mart to look for new electric clippers/trimmer. I grabbed a chocolate chip cookie from the potluck on my way out. Man was it ever good – soft and chewy!

I eventually found my way to Wal-Mart. They had 6 or 7 different electric hair clippers/trimmer kits priced anywhere from $20-$43. After some hemming and hawing I settled on a kit priced at $32 that included both an electric clipper and battery operated beard trimmer. Came with lots of accessories too that I know I’ll never use. Typical Wal-Mart, only one line open as far as the eye could see. I waited patiently behind three or four others. I headed back to the office afterwards.

I took full advantage of the potluck offerings, making two small soft tacos using the spicy chicken that I made. It was almost gone, and everyone was raving about it. Lots of compliments. I avoided most of the other stuff, but everything looked incredibly good. I couldn’t resist having more of those soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies, however. They were downright heavenly. I had 4 in total. Yikes!

Mindy sent a late afternoon email indicating that Jacob’s soccer practice was canceled again. Unless I’m mistaken, that makes 3 out of the last 4 weeks. Funny really. I worked until 540p. Spent the last 30 minutes of the day talking with my boss. He’ll be out on vacation all next week. Lucky him! I need one too.

The sun was peaking out intermittently during my drive home. Officially partly cloudy skies. No immediate threat of rain. Called my mom. Haven’t talked for a couple weeks. She sounded pretty good, although a tad winded. Said she gets that way. Didn’t make it to Steve Smiths’ funeral, I gathered. Hasn’t heard from the brothers either. We talked about a number of things, nothing too important. She did share that uncle Chuck was home for the summer from his winter digs in Las Vegas.

Inside, Mindy was busy on her PC. We chatted briefly. The sky, meanwhile, brightened even more. Although still cool, I headed out to feel the sunshine and chat with the kids, who were out riding their bikes. Saw neighbor Nick at the bridge. Teased him about looking like Justin Beiber. The girls (Bella, Makayla, Lillian) didn’t agree. Too funny!

Headed back inside where Mindy and I chatted for a while longer. Basically talked about our relationship and how we both need to tend to it. I agreed. Both of us passed on dinner. I was still relatively full from the potluck lunch. Mindy had a bowl of cereal.  I was looking forward to some popcorn later. I did eat a few slices of Fontina cheese, my new favorite.

The kids played outside until almost 8p. Actually, even beyond. Mindy phoned Chrissy asking her to send them home. I did more proof reading of my late blog entries. I know it’s hard to believe but I am current. Just haven’t taken the time to publish, but I will.

Come 8p we tuned in to American Idol. I popped some popcorn too. Now that they’re down to the final five, they’re doing two songs a each. Haley tore it up on both. She did an unreleased Lady Gaga song and then the Animals, House of the Rising Sun. Awesome! Check it out on You Tube. Aside from Haley, I’d say they all had an off night. Jacob will most likely be heading home.

After Idol, Bella and I went to my PC and for the very first time ever, we voted for our favorites.  I voted for Haley twice. Bella voted for James. We watched Breaking In after Idol.  Love the show and its humor, but I still fell asleep before the 30 minute program ended. Mindy woke me at 10p to ask if I was coming to bed. Yes. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I could actually see a few stars in the sky while taking a quick glance out the back door. Good night moon … where ever you are.

Double Drenching

I was up about five minutes early. I slept really well all night long. I was downstairs even before 530am. I didn’t need to glance out the back door to know it was raining. I could hear it bouncing off the skylights. Ugh!

I completed my calisthenics (push-ups and sit-ups) and tried to check the weather forecast and headlines in between. What? My internet connection was down. I had to resort to my Droid for the weather. It was only 45 degrees and rain was predicted to continue all day and into Wednesday. I headed to the family to check the radar to know what I might be facing during my run. The storm literally ran diagonally from the Gulf of Mexico all the way up into Canada, and of course, right through central Ohio.

Eiknarf and I headed out for our walk around 545a. At the time, it was raining but not too hard. We got our business taken care of then hustled back home. We weren’t back five minutes when it really started to pour. I held out hope that it might slow down before my run. But if anything, it came down even harder as run time neared.

I spent about 15 minutes in meditation and stretching. It was 625a. I didn’t bother taking Mindy coffee or the pug since she was off school to take the kids to the dentist. They were planning to sleep in until 730a. Because it was raining so hard, I went to the basement and found my mesh ski pack. Inside I pulled out the rain slicker Mindy bought me Xmas 2009. I hadn't yet used it, but it seemed like a good day for it.

I wore regular running gear underneath, but opted for my older running shoes. It was gonna be sloppy. It was raining so hard that I was instantly soaked anywhere the slicker didn’t immediately cover. I’d wait until the run’s end to determine the slicker’s usefulness. My feet were soaked in a hurry, mostly from running on the sidewalks and hitting those inevitable puddles that form between lots. My thoughts turned inward a mile or so into the run. It was eventful and sorta fun. I ran the full 4.1 miles. Once you’re wet, you’re wet.

The slicker did a nice job keeping me relatively dry. It’s safe to say that it was a good buy. I put my shoes on the register vent again. They were dripping wet. It was 718a. With Mindy still soundly asleep, I had to prep my own breakfast. Actually, it was quite nice having the quiet. I prepped my lunch while my eggs cooked. I was off to the shower just a few minutes later than normal. But I’d get that time back,  and more for not having to do the bus stop thing. Mindy was up and downstairs just as I was heading up for a shower.

I was out of the shower and back downstairs by 8a. I was ready to head out the door by 805a. I took a few minutes to enjoy a little coffee then left at 810a. I took my umbrella. It was still raining at a fairly decent clip.

This time I had little choice but to stop for gas. I was just above E. My gamble cost me. The price was up from the day before by a few cents, now $4.17 per gallon. The Trooper took 18.7 gallons. Goodness gracious! At least I had the benefit of the overhang while pumping my gas and getting screwed. :)

Unlike Monday, where I had trouble getting motivated, I was a bit more engaged. That did nothing but help the day move by faster. I called the backflow guy and left a message around 11am. He called back leaving me a VM mid-afternoon. Set me up for Saturday. I was going to skip the inspection this year until I got a 2^nd threatening letter from the water department. It pissed me off a little considering that we’re not yet past the threat of a freeze. I could see if it was mid-June and I hadn’t yet had my backflow inspected.

I stayed moderately busy all afternoon. Short of a addressing a few personal to-do’s I didn’t take any significant breaks. I was reminded of Wednesday’s Mexican potluck late afternoon. I needed to stop at Kroger on my way home to pick-up meat and seasoning. Before heading out, I called Mindy to let her know that I would be late – about 630p, I predicted. While chatting with Mindy she shared that she wouldn’t be there. That’s right. This was Bella’s gymnastics night.  I asked if Jacob was going with or staying home. Staying home, according to Mindy.

I left the office at 525p. Walking out, I ran into a guy I hadn’t seen in and around the office for maybe ten years. Turns out, he’s back with the company after several years in Denver. I headed to the Hilliard-Cemetery Rd. Kroger. As it often is, the lot was full. I found a spot fairly close just being vacated.

I was in and out of Kroger in less than 10 minutes.  I picked up a 5lb package of boneless chicken breast and 5 packages of spicy-hot taco seasoning. The chicken was on sale for $1.99 per lb. Good buy!

I arrived home at 610p. Mindy was gone as expected. I hollered for Jacob but there wasn’t an answer. I figured her decided to go with his mom. I did my after work chores, including prepping Wednesday’s coffee, then turned my attention to my PC. My internet connection was still down. Earlier I assumed Time Warner had it down for maintenance. Obviously, with it still down, that wasn’t the case. I power cycled my RR modem and eventually my wireless router. Still didn’t recover.

Mindy was home a few minutes later. I asked where Jacob was. Said he was off playing. I asked if her internet connection was down too. Yep, all day. I power cycled both the router and the modem again then reset my PC. This time it recovered. At the same time the batteries in my wireless mouse died. Holy crap! Mindy checked the laptop. Her connection restored too. I’m guessing our DHCP didn’t renew as scheduled.

Mindy soon left to fetch Bella. With our internet connection now fixed, I started iTunes letting my new Muse CD whirl. I headed to the kitchen to make the potluck chicken. I cut the 5lbs of chicken into small strips then fried it in a extra-large skillet with olive oil and tons of seasoning, including garlic, salt, lemon pepper, and seasoning salt. Mindy & Bella got home around 645p. I made myself a burrito with Sunday’s leftover taco meat. Mindy commented that I should’ve cooked the chicken in the crock-pot. I shared that I wanted to let it simmer in its own juices for an hour or so, but would do the crock-pot thing overnight. That way, I figured, it would get really tender.

Mindy was still angry and reticent. As a result, I kept largely to myself through the entire evening. I read a few articles about Osama bin Laden and the subsequent fallout. Can’t say any of what I read surprised me. Pretty much what I expected. I’m guessing it was just before 830p when I moseyed into the family room and tuned the TV to the bank of knowledge channels hoping to find something of interest. Not a lot of choices. I fell asleep in a jiffy but woke to find a program detailing the 9/11 events. Very graphic, even showed bodies falling from 80+ stories up.

Jacob watched it with me. He was gripped by the horror of the event. Had lots of questions. Mindy made him head for bed at 930p even though the program ran until 1030p. I watched until it was over. Well documented and very well done. Condoleezza Rice commented that many governmental decisions made that day were by the seat of their pants. Kind of scary, but as she reiterated, our strategic planning never really considered an attack from inside our own country.

Mindy headed to bed around 10p. I stayed up until 11p. I was good and tired when I finally headed up to bed. Just the way I like it.

Bullet to the Brain

I was up near enough to 530a to declare myself on time. Outside the weather was much like it’s been for the last couple weeks, rainy. Getting darn right comical. I did my best to shake off the doldrums and headed downstairs to start my exercise routine.

My sit-ups and push-ups were completed by 550am. Sandwiched in between was a brief stint on the internet where I reviewed the current headlines and weather forecast. Wow! Practically jumping off the page was the lead story declaring Osama bin Laden dead, killed in a well planned raid by the Navy SEALS.

As for the weather, it was 52 degrees with light rain. And according to the radar, didn’t look to be ending anytime soon. Supposed to keep raining for most of the week. And there were no summer-like temperatures in the foreseeable future either. Blah!

I headed out in the rain with Eiknarf, which at the time was only a light sprinkle. However, during our walk it came down much harder. That’s happened a lot lately. We were back by 605a. I poured a cup of coffee then went to read the Daily OM. I then spent a solid 15 on meditation and stretching.

I delivered Mindy’s coffee next. Eiknarf came along too. On my way downstairs I turned around to tell Mindy about Osama bin Laden’s fate. Downstairs I readied quickly for my run. It was raining but only at a sprinkle. It came down at a more moderate clip a few times, but never too hard. However, at the run’s conclusion, I was wet to my core. I stripped out of my wet clothes as soon as I was back at home.  

Mindy had eggs ready. I put my wet running shoes on the register vent to help expedite their drying throughout the day. Bella had a donut. Not sure what Jacob ate. Mindy had an egg too. First time in a while. There was fresh fruit out as well: strawberries, pineapple, watermelon, and cantaloupe. In addition to enjoying some of it for breakfast, I  packed some for lunch, too.

Mindy reminded the kids that they had dental appointments on Tuesday. Also asked Bella to go to Noah’s after school. Too, Jacob had Beacon ambassadors after school. Mindy shared that Tony or Dena would almost certainly be picking he and Noah up. All of this because Mindy had an after school staff meeting. I failed to mention, Mindy had her keys by the door when I returned from my run. I started the Honda even though it was 50 degrees. Felt cooler than that due to the rain. As soon as Mindy left I headed up to the shower.

I wasn’t long with my grooming. Very deliberate. Back downstairs by 750am. Both kids were already downstairs. That’s unusual. They started to ready for departure while I was busy packing my lunch. They headed out ahead of me and Eiknarf. I grabbed my umbrella on my way out the door. Bella had hers too.

At the bus stop, Eiknarf started barking at a passerby and his dog across the street. I blocked her view of the dog with my umbrella. Drove her crazy. J As soon as the kids were off to school on the bus I rushed back home. Chrissy did the same.

At home I took a few extra minutes to enjoy more coffee, load and start the dishwasher, and then read more about the Osama bin Laden hit. I didn’t leave for work until 820a. I must admit that I felt good about the hit. I look at his death as being more symbolic than anything else. By no means will his death end terrorism. It was almost like the SWAT team storming a hostile home to take down a dangerous killer.

I really needed gas but decided to keep going hoping that the price would fall later in the day or overnight. It was, $4.09 per gallon. Yikes! I had just under a ¼ tank. I could go a couple days on that. It was a rainy drive in. Didn’t get settled into my office until 845a. A couple team members said that my peer was beginning to worry about me. Awh, how sweet!

The morning moved quickly. We were insanely busy. I thought I might leave for a lunch break but never did. Instead, I closed my office door and took care of some personal business. I also ate my packed lunch.

The afternoon was busy too, but pretty much what I expected. I missed a call from Mindy towards the end of the day. I was heavily involved in a work related matter. I did call her back on my way home. And once again, it was raining. She was busy making dinner, tortellini. I was expecting leftover tacos. She begged off the call to get the door. Thought it was Tony brining Jacob home.

I arrived home just before 6p. I hurried into the house so to avoid the rain. I was just getting settled when Tony & Jacob came to the door. I guess it wasn’t them earlier after all. I was busy completing my after work chores – prepping coffee and rinsing lunch containers. Mindy & Bella went on and on about the most recent invasion of piss ants. I’ll need to spray, but want to do it right – remove everything from under the counters as well as moving the plants.

Tony didn’t stay long. He and Noah departed after less than 5 minutes. Dinner, meanwhile, was all but ready. Mindy served up everyone's plate. She made garden salads and crescent rolls too. While fishing through the fridge to get some salad dressing, I found some cottage cheese way in the back. That sounded good. I got that out too. I ate all my salad, some cottage cheese, and about ½ my tortellini. Mindy had my plate heaping. I knew I couldn’t eat all that. She didn’t seem pleased that I couldn't finish.

Mindy headed upstairs to sort laundry while I handled the kitchen clean-up. Jacob tormented Bella the entire time that I was busy in the kitchen. The kids finally calmed near 7pm. Both kids asked if they could head down to Chrissy’s to play. Mindy agreed. At the time I was busy on my PC proof reading several late blog posts. She asked for my undivided attention. Wanted to chat.

I agreed and headed to the Queen Anne chair next to the recliner where she sat. We talked for about 20 minutes uninterrupted. I don’t think she cared for one of my responses. She eventually upped and left in a huff. I didn’t know it at the time but I guess she left in the Pilot though only briefly. I thought she walked down to Chrissy’s. I did more proof reading. Did that until almost 9p. By then the kids were back home, and so was Mindy. I went to the family room and watched TV with Jacob. We watched a couple episodes of How It’s Made. Mindy watched while playing on her laptop.

I eventually fell asleep sitting upright in the corner of the sofa. The sleep felt terrific, blissful even. I didn’t wake again fully until almost 11p. I got up, filled my water glass to the rim and headed up to bed. Everyone was sound asleep. Still raining, too.

Playing in the Street

It was almost 8am by the time I rolled out of bed and made my way to my toothbrush. I gathered my running clothes and tip-toed out of the room. Don’t think that Mindy budged or flinched.

It was cloudy again and the deck wet. Must’ve rained over night. And even though Saturday was supposed to be rain free, we got brief but hard shower while we were at Barley’s. The good news was that it was fairly warm – 60 degrees. I started some coffee then took to my PC. I was anxious to read about all the players the Vikings drafted on Saturday.

Back at home I downloaded the pictures I took on Saturday, all 140 of them, while also enjoying some coffee. Sometime near 930a I prepared for a run. The sky brightened a bit giving me hope for sunshine, but that never fully materialized. I ran three miles like usual. No problems.

Mindy and Eiknarf were up when I got back home. Mindy said they had just come back in from a walk. Shortly after getting back, I started a pan of bacon. I was bent on having an eggs and bacon breakfast. Once the smell of bacon permeated the house, Mindy wanted some too. I knew she would. While the bacon fried, I headed out to the garage to get Bella’s bike down from the ceiling. As expected, the tires needed inflating. I was gonna remove the training wheels but opted not. We’ll see how she feels about it.

Mindy and I enjoyed our eggs and bacon breakfast. Hit the spot. Honestly, I was still super hungry. I didn’t eat that much at the wedding on Saturday. I cleaned up the kitchen then asked Mindy when she wanted to go fetch the Honda. Said on her way to the grocery store. That’s what I figured. While she finished her grocery list and took a shower, I headed out to cut the back lawn. This marked the first time I recall cutting the entire back lawn with the push mower in about 10 years. Looked really nice when I was done even though the back hasn’t thickened up like the front quite yet.

Before stowing the mower I decided to try starting the tractor again. This time it started, although just barely. To be fair, I didn’t get it out and drive it around after charging the battery a few weeks ago like I should’ve. But as soon as I went to back it out of the shed it started to pour. Just my luck! I stood in the shed waiting it out. I was hopeful that it would stop quickly. It did. Lasted no more than five minutes. I drove the tractor around the back 40 for about five-ten minutes. We’ll see if it starts like normal next weekend. If not, it’s time for a new battery. 

After securing the shed I topped off the hot tub. I was hopeful that Mindy was already out of the shower. Assumed she was. Even though the weather wasn’t at all conducive for yard work, I kept at it. After the hot tub was filled I did a little edging around part of our rear flower beds. Kenny and I still plan to go in on a power edger soon, but I really wanted to get the western section done before then so I can over seed the grass in that same area without disturbing it again later.

Mindy was ready to leave for the grocery store near 1230p. I drove her to Barleys in the Trooper. It started to spit rain on our drive there. Said she was gonna go inside and say hello to Monica, who we haven’t seen in a long time. I headed back home.

It rained the entire drive home but stopped just as I pulled up out front. After a few minutes inside I headed back out to finish more yard work. I spent another 90 minutes weeding and clipping dead growth from the rear flower beds. Jacob’s soccer game was set to begin at 330p. Mindy was back from the grocery around 2pm. I needed to be in the shower no later than 245p. I worked up until the last minute. Freshly showered, we left for Jacob’s soccer game at 315p.

By the time we arrived his game was already underway. I wore my thick new fleece jacket knowing how much cooler it always is at the soccer field. It felt almost silly when we left the house – too warm – but as sure as I am typing this, it was necessary. It was chilly and windy. Darn glad I had my jacket.

Jacob’s team had their way with the opponent, although they let them score three goals in the last few minutes. I think they won 8-4. Headed for home at 430p. I decided to detour through Mindy’s old subdivision to see how nice her old yard looked. Not very good.

At home, the kids rushed out to play. Jacob was trying his best to get on everyone’s nerves. I went to the sofa for a nap while watching the Reds game. At the time I joined they were losing 3-2. Mindy started making dinner – tacos. Smelt good. I didn’t sleep long, but just enough to clear the fog from my head. We ate dinner around 6p – tacos and southwestern rice. I had three tacos and a bowl of rice. I put some of Jacob’s hot salsa on the rice. Good!

While I did clean-up, Mindy headed down to chat with Chrissy. After clean-up I spent a little time on the PC, or until Jacob came calling looking for help with his new bike. The peddle axle looked about ready to fall out. He’s had it for a little more than a week and it’s already falling apart. Cheap! After a fair amount of toil, I was able to get it fixed.

While messing with Jacob’s bike in the driveway I spotted Bella, Makayla, and Brooklyn up the sidewalk a ways and out in the street poking a dead rabbit with a stick. Jacob had earlier been telling them that it was a rabbit. They were certain that it was an opossum. I hollered for all three of them to get out of the road.  Read them the riot act.

Inside, I told Mindy about Bella and the others being the street. Mindy wasn't pleased. Both of us know how dangerous that is. We ended up tuning the TV to a program called Madagascar. Amazingly informative. I'd put it right there with the Galapagos & New Zealand.  Lots of cool critters and an interesting landscape, especially the lemurs and spiny forest.

Mindy headed to be just before me. I wasn't but a couple minutes behind. I was once again tired and achy.

Hoppy & Hoptopus

I woke near 530a only to realize that it was Saturday. Boy was I ever happy for that, especially given that I didn’t feel too well. I fell back asleep for another hour or so getting up for keeps at 645am. Mindy might’ve woken briefly as I slipped out of the bedroom and headed for the downstairs.

I started some coffee and took a few Advil. I decided to skip calisthenics to give my neck and shoulders some additional rest. I laid down on the sofa with Eiknarf until 730a. We got up and headed out for a walk a few minutes later. The weather wasn’t as nice as I hoped. Skies were partly to mostly cloudy. It was supposed to be sunny. The temperature was around 50 degrees.

I played around online and did some writing in my blog until 9a or so. By then it was time to get in my run. I headed out a few minutes later. Mindy was still upstairs asleep. I ran the 3 miles easily. Can’t recall for sure, but I think Mindy was already up when I got back home. It was between 930-10am. I had a lot I wanted to accomplish before leaving for Janet’s wedding, which was slated for 230p in Grove City. I made two slices of cinnamon bread with peanut butter and woofed them down in a hurry. Mindy was fooling with her laptop. Lost its internet connection. I asked if she needed my help before heading out.  I told her that I loved her too.

I went to the shed first, and gathered the things I’d need not only to plant the two new burning bushes, but also to remove the two dead root balls. I planned to haul the new ones to the site with my tractor and trailer, but the battery was almost dead and wouldn’t start. I opted instead to dig out the wheel barrow.

The two root balls came up easily, almost too easily. It’s like the roots never left the ball. Hmmm? I vacated both holes before retrieving the two new ones from the Trooper. It took some real umph to wheel barrow the two new bushes up the incline of the front yard. Aside from having to pull one of the bushes back out of its hole to make it slightly larger/deeper, the planting went smoothly. Not much to it. Done in less than an hour.

Next, I moved around front where for the second time in as many weeks, I transplanted several volunteer May Salvias (same ones as before) to make room for wave petunias in a couple of weeks.  Mindy came out to let me know that she was heading off to Target. I must’ve spent about 30 minutes transplanting the salvia.

One of my least favorite jobs each spring is clearing the flower beds of residual leaf debris. It’s a painstaking process, especially when it’s tangled amongst the English ivy. I took my time clearing out the same bed where I had just planted the burning bushes. I filled my collapsible yard debris can twice.

Mindy was home around 1230p. I asked what time we needed to leave for the wedding. She suggested no later than 145p. I asked that she alert me once the clock struck 130p. I still wanted to cut the front lawn. Before I did any mowing I put away all of my yard tools. I push mowed the front yard about as fast as I could. I didn’t bother doing any edging or whacking. Didn’t have time. Mindy came out with a time check just as I was finishing up. Good timing. All I had to do was lock the shed.. I decided to stow the mower in the garage since I’d probably use it on the back Sunday.

I headed in for a much needed shower. Mindy was already dressed and ready. I asked about proper attire. I didn’t want to wear a suit. I opted for Dockers and a sweater. I was ready to go by 145p. Mindy had me sign the gift card just before we left. We planned on going out afterwards, though we didn’t have a firm destination.

I tuned the Honda's XM radio to ESPN’s radio coverage of the NFL draft. Don’t you know, they were doing a story about the Vikings #1 draft choice, Christian Ponder.  Many are calling it a terribly risky pick. It didn’t take nearly as long as we thought to get to the Heimat Haus on route 104. We were there by 2p, a full 30 minutes early. We sat in the Pilot for a few minutes but decided to head inside a little early. Plenty others were already there too.

As we waited in the sign-in line, our old friend Lee joined up with us. Because we were early, we treated ourselves to premo aisle seating. We were soon joined by some of our Barley employee peeps, but still a rather small contingent. I took a bunch of photos from our perch. This marked our second event at the Heimat Haus. The last was for a wedding reception. And just like I did that time, I noticed a strong musty smell. It eventually goes away once you’ve been there for about 30 minutes.

The wedding started a little later than advertised, but I think that was intentional. The ceremony was quaint. The woman marrying Janet and Jacob had quite the sense of humor. There were more than a few laughs throughout. Ceremony lasted maybe 20-25 minutes. After the new couple was introduced to the crowd, everyone was invited into the adjoining banquet room for appetizers, wine and beer. The beer was provided Barley’s (Hoptopus and Scottish). Dinner was catered by Oscar Bickerdt. And as you might guess, authentic barbeque. Very good stuff!

Wasn’t long before the DJ got cranked up and the karaoke started. As I suspected, he had a plant amongst the guests, a starter if you will. The guy sang every other song for a while. During his first song I informed Mindy that he’d be singing Neil Diamond shortly. Sure enough, he did two or three. Too funny! Jimmy Cordle (former Buckeye) was introduced to the crowd and sang a song. Said something about the Giants drafting a tackle.

Most of the Barleyites, including the newlyweds, were said to be heading to Peddler’s, a local watering hole for more fun. Mindy and I opted not. It was near 6p, the very time we figured to be heading out. We decided to head to Barley’s. Mindy drove.

For whatever the reason, Barley’s has never been a crowded place on Saturday evenings. That was the case this time, too. The bar was only about half full. Tina was already working the bar after leaving the wedding reception around 5p. Justin had been at the wedding as well, and was serving tables.

We started having fun almost immediately. I ordered a Rogue Sublimely Self-Righteous black IPA. Mindy, a St Joan’s nitro. Zach was there (new manager). He texted his girlfriend Kate from CBC and then confirmed that she was coming in for a visit. He also shared that they went sky diving earlier in the day – thrill of a lifetime. Sounds like fun. Had a video and pics on his phone. Cool!

At some point some one, Mindy I think, decided to give some of the Barley employees seven dwarf nick names. That soon morphed into nicknames for everyone at the bar, even the strangers we’d just met. Soon everybody had a name tag with their nickname. There must’ve about 10-12 of them all totaled. I dubbed myself hoppy, and Mindy hoptopus. Tina was horny, and the other new manager, Jeff, goofy. She nick named Zach, spunky. We laughed our butts off.

Mindy texted nephew Joe soon after our arrival. He showed I’m guessing around 8-830p. Kate and Lawrence showed up just before Joe. Lawrence is from France and was quite entertaining.

Our intent all along was to hook Joe up with Justin, figuring them a good match for one another. At least initially, both seemed warm to the idea. At some point Mindy inquired about a ride home. Once Joe offered to be our DD, Mindy started drinking again. Not sure the time when we finally left for home, but I do know this, we were having a hoot of a good time. We left the Honda there while Joe drove us home.

Eiknarf was ecstatic to see us after being people deprived all afternoon and evening  I walked her out front before heading up to bed. I knew that she wouldn’t like being alone. I convinced Mindy that we needed to let her sleep with us.

Pesky Shih Tzus

I was up on time and downstairs a few minutes after 530a. The end of the work week couldn't come soon enough. When it did, it was ushered in by partly cloudy skies, but more importantly dry skies. I pushed through sit-ups and push-ups before hopping on the internet for about ten minutes. It was chilly, only 44 degrees. It was supposed to remain dry all day under partly sunny skies with a high only in the upper 50s. I’d take it. It’s been a very wet April.

Frankie and I took our morning walk heading out near 550a. I’m guessing we were out for about 10 minutes when she finallytook care of business. Back home I sipped coffee while reading the Daily OM. Time to move on.

Collectively, I spent the next 15 minutes meditating and stretching. That went reasonably well. Still dealing with a kink along the left side of my neck. Something’s out of alignment.

Took Mindy coffee and the pug. She was mid-shower. Headed back downstairs to ready for a run. Wore long running pants, thin long-sleeved wicking shirt and pullover fleece. Just about right. I was comfy/cozy throughout the entire 4.1 mile run. It was nice to see a splash of sunshine on the horizon.

Mindy made scrambled eggs again. I topped mine with a combination of peach mango salsa and green Tabasco sauce. Quite good. Before heading off to school, Mindy asked what our evening plans entailed, this being a Jimaken weekend. Barley’s, probably.

Off to the shower. I was back downstairs packing my lunch by 745a. I packed a banana, fruit medley, tuna pouch, and cheese. The kids and I set out for the bus stop at 757a. Chrissy was out with the girls, both of whom were wearing blue pea coats. Unusual for Chrissy’s girls to be ‘over coated’.

As soon as the kids were on the bus I spotted the older gentleman with the two yappy shih tzus was quickly coming our way. Instead of hanging out with Eiknarf, I opted to head directly back inside in hopes of avoiding the usual barkfest between our dogs. After a couple minutes I headed out to prep the Trooper for picking up shrubs at lunch. I put the rear seats down and its rear contents in the garage. With those pesky shih tzus now past, I took Eiknarf out for one last walk.

It was a pleasant drive into the office. I thought about stopping for a fill-up. The price of a gallon of gas was up to $4.09 at Thornton’s. That’s up $.35 over Thursday’s price.

Arrived at the office just ahead of 830a. The morning went smoothly, nothing out of the ordinary.

Meanwhile, the Vikings were atop the sports headlines for their questionable #1 draft pick, Florida State’s Christian Ponder. But really, who knows for sure how it will work out? Come 1p I left as planned for Darby Creek Nursery. Like the day before, I was the only customer in the lot. I went immediately to their stash of large burning bushes and picked the two I liked most. I then went to fetch an associate. They were fairly heavy so he called for assistance. I declared that unnecessary and offered to help load them onto a cart. Probably 60lbs each. He asked that I go pay while he and another guy loaded them into the back of my Trooper. In addition to the shrubs, I purchased 4 bags of peat/top soil that I plan to use for overseeding some thin areas in the back lawn. I was out of there in less than 25 minutes. Very efficient! Headed back to the office.

I was back ahead of 2p. I washed my hand thoroughly then went for my packed lunch. I was quite hungry. More than one person commented about the smell of tuna coming from my office. Like most Friday’s, the afternoon was incredibly busy, frustrating even. More than I could handle really. The saving grace was knowing that come 530p the weekend would be upon us, and I could let go for a couple days. 530p couldn’t come fast enough.

I ended up at the office until 540p. It felt great to be walking out with the weekend ahead. I talked with Mindy during the brief drive home. Discussed her day in brief then confirmed Barley plans. I arrived home just before 6p. Mindy asked what time I wanted to leave for Barley’s. I suggested 7p.

Until then, I was eager to rest, nap even. I decided to leave the two burning bushes in the Trooper until I was ready to plant them, which I hoped would be Saturday morning. I took a nap on the family room floor while Mindy changed clothes and tinkered around the house. I woke just before 7p and tuned to the NFL draft on ESPN. The Vikings were just about to make their 2^nd round pick. I was glued to the TV until the pick was made. Most pundits had them taking a defensive end. They surprised me and everyone else by picking a tight end from Notre Dame. We left for Barleys shortly after the pick.

The lot wasn’t full, especially surprising for a Friday. Inside, the bar was even less populated than the lot. I guess most guests were dining. We took refuge on a couple of bar stools facing north. Katy & Diedra were tending bar. I went with Rogue’s Sublimely Self- Righteous black IPA. Very good! Mindy had a St Joan’s nitro.

Friend Tom C. eventually joined us. Haven’t seen Tom since we golfed together in mid-March, or the day before our last ski trip to HV. Before forgetting, I asked for Hector the tree guy’s contact info. Tom swears by his work, and we have a large branch in one of our ash trees needing removed.

All three of us ordered food. I went with a Texas pile-it-on burger while Mindy went with the southwestern salad. Can’t recall what Tom ordered. The burger was absolutely terrific. I enjoyed a Centennial next. Darwin stopped in for carryout, and long enough to have a beer with us. Asked how long we’d be there. Mindy wanted to leave between 930-10p. Not long enough for him to return home with food, eat, then rejoin us. I had a 3^rd beer, another Centennial before heading home. I paid the tab. Mindy drove us home.

Mindy called Kenny on our drive home. Asked if they were up for company. Said they were, but not too late. Kenny had to catch a 6a flight to Florida Saturday (golf trip). We stopped home long enough to pee and corral Eiknarf. I grabbed my ½ full growler of IPA and a stout from the garage fridge for Mindy. We headed to the neighbors.

Visited with the neighbors long enough for me to drink two more beers. We talked about the royal wedding, which lead into a debate of the time difference. Well, given that I deal with various teams in the many time zones around the world, I was confident that London was on GMT and bet Chrissy $10 that I was right.  I lost because I didn’t account for London rolling to BST. Dammit!

Mindy and I walked home just after 11p. We didn’t stay up long before heading to bed. Mindy wanted to talk but I was ridiculously sleepy and wanted nothing more than my soft comfy pillow.  I rolled over and went to sleep.

Bones, Barleys & Rainbows

I was up on time. I was hoping I might see at least partially clearing skies but it wasn’t to be. Instead, nothing but clouds. At least it wasn’t raining. I proceeded with calisthenics.  I felt good after taking another 4 Advil just before bed. After calisthenics I spent about five minutes online. The forecast called for a chance of storms with the biggest chance yet that morning. At the time it was 50 degrees with a strong wind – about 20 mph. Expecting a high of 62 degrees.

Headed out with Eiknarf at 550a. We walked to the west. She did a lot of sniffing on the way out. Didn’t take care of her business until the walk back. Inside, I poured coffee and enjoyed it in front of the PC where I read the Daily OM and pre NFL draft scuttle. I checked my investment portfolio too. The markets have been performing well of late. Up, up, up!

Spent a solid 20 minutes in meditation and stretching. Both went fairly well. Delivered Mindy’s coffee next. Mindy shared, in no uncertain terms, that she needs more skin time. Yes dear. I left Eiknarf with Mindy and headed back downstairs to ready for my run.

I dressed warmly. Wore my pull over fleece. I ran the full 4.1 miles. Felt good. Time passed slowly, though, especially the first 3 miles. Back at the house, I rolled our trash can back to its home. Thanks to the strong winds overnight, lots of the giant green trash cans were lying over in the road this AM.

Mindy made scrambled eggs again. I topped mine with cheese and then some of that peach mango salsa. Jacob had eggs again too. He coated his in the hot salsa. Mindy left for school after giving Jacob some teacher-type advice for the OAA testing slated for later that day. "Don't doubt your first answer and don't change it unless you're absolutely positive."  Something like that.

I was off to the shower just after 730a. All clean and shiny, I was back downstairs by 749a. Jacob was busy pestering Bella. After several pleas for him to stop I had no choice but to interject parental control. It didn't cease until I threatened to take his airsoft guns away for an entire week. Aren't kids' toys great? You buy it. They get hooked. You then use it as a control device. I remember not so long ago, a teenage Lindsey espousing more than once that the only reason I ever bought her anything was just so I could take it away. 

Of course that's not true, but it does work out that way sometimes - OK, a lot!

We headed for the bus stop at our usual time. Can't recall whether it was Chrissy or Kenny out with the girls. Our wait was brief. After the bus swooped up the kids I headed back home with Eiknarf. I packed my iTouch, lunch, and phones then headed off to work. It was a Rachel day. She didn't make it on Tuesday as scheduled due to illness. This was the make-up day.

Not only was it Thursday, but it was NFL draft day too. I was excited to find out who the Vikings would select with the 12th pick overall. Of course it wouldn't start until 7 or 8p, but there was a lot of build up and scuttle leading up to it on ESPN radio .

The sky transitioned between clouds and sun for most of the day. The morning was slow to warm. Hovered in the low 50s all morning long.

Work, meanwhile, was busy enough that time whizzed by. I wanted to get away for lunch and held fast to that goal. I left the office at 1245p destined for Darby Creek Nursery, which is located directly across the street from the Hilliard soccer fields. I was curious to see if they had any large burning bush in stock. Strader's had some burning bushes but they were much too small to work in my mature landscape.

I might've been the only customer walking their grounds. That was nice. In a week or so, and once the weather breaks, all the local nurseries will be zoo-like. I found some burning bushes about the same size as the ones at Straders. Moving on, out amongst their trees, I found a cache of much larger ones, and equal to the size of my existing bushes. Perfect! They were priced at $50 each. Not bad considering the ones a 1/4 their size were $40. I contemplated folding the rear seats down in the Trooper and moving the few items I haul around to the front passenger seat so I could pick-up a couple of them right then. I thought better of it, thinking I'd come back possibly Saturday with dad's trailer. I definitely want to get them home and planted within the next week.

I headed back to work. My stomach was growling fiercely. During my drive back to the office I decided that I would almost certainly head back to Darby Creek Nursery on Friday to pick-up the two burning bushes, but only after stowing the contents of the Trooper in the garage before heading off to work. That way it would be bush-ready.

As big as they are, two of them will just fit.

Back at the office I washed my hands thoroughly. Not only had I touched lots of plants, but I handled several fertilizer type products, too. I woofed down my lunch, including the salad Mindy packed for me. Like most salads she makes, it contained as much meat as it did lettuce and such. It was very filling.

The afternoon went along as planned. Things quieted down a bit earlier than usual. I left for home around 520p, this a Jimaken Thursday. Mindy and I planned to dine at Barleys.

Got home around 540p. Mindy was out walking Eiknarf at the time. The house was sparkling clean, which is always a pleasant thing to come home to. Mindy & Eiknarf were back home in a jiffy. She and I readied for Barley's leaving the house just before 6p.

Barley's parking lot was no more than half full. Unusual. We parked near the entrance. Like the lot, the bar was equally barren. No more than 8 or 9 patrons around sitting around the bar. We bellied up to the bar with direct view of one of their flat panel TVs. We were both a little surprised that Janet was tending bar, now just two days before her Saturday wedding.

She poured me a Centennial and Mindy a St Joan's Revenge nitro. Sitting next to us was Tom the Mary Kay guy, and Rick and John, two older gentlemen that are frequently in on Thursday evenings. We talked with Stefanie, a newer manager. She introduced us to Zach, a brand new manager replacing tall Dan. Unlike many past Barley managers, he was very friendly from jump. We talked with him for at least 30 minutes. Turns out, his girlfriend is Kate, one of our favorite bar tenders at CBC. Zach's worked in a few of Cameron Mitchell's venues. Eager to try something new.

Mindy & I both ordered food. Me? I ordered the Thursday special, a smoked reuben and fries. Mindy ordered K.C. wings. Unusual for her. I had a second Centennial pretty quick but switched to water thereafter. I planned to drive home so Mindy could have a 2nd St Joan's.

We left for home around 8p. Jacob phoned just as we were leaving the parking lot. They were already out front at home awaiting our return. Inside, we immediately turned the TV to Idol elimination night missing the beginning. I fell asleep about 15 minutes in and didn't wake until they had the bottom three. Amongst them was Casey, which I found a little surprising since he may very well be the most talented of the entire bunch.

Yep, Casey was the unlucky one. Sent home. Again, you've got to consider who's doing the majority of the voting. Mindy sent the kids to bed after Idol while we stayed tuned to FOX watching Bones. We headed up to bed at its conclusion.

Here Fishy Fishy

I woke a few minutes late, or around 535a. It was 540a before I made it downstairs. I was greeted by trash spread across the entire kitchen floor. Looks like Frankie went berserk! I chased her to her pen out of frustration. I spent about 5 minutes picking up all the trash.

Meanwhile, I could hear the rain slapping against the roof. Sadly, a pattern all too familiar for the past couple of weeks. I slipped into my tennies then headed to the livingroom where I completed 55 sit-ups. My neck and shoulders felt 100 times better than they did at bed time the night before, thanks, no doubt, to the 4 Advil.

I checked the weather and headlines next. 61 degrees and raining. Looked like a break in the rain was just about upon us. However, predicting more strong storms throughout the day with strong gusty winds reaching as high as 40mph. Checked the Reds final too. They were tied when I headed to bed, but lost. Ugh!

Went to the familyroom to do my push-ups.  I freed Frankie from her pen and headed out for a walk. By then, thankfully, the rain had stopped. I couldn’t find the pooper scooper shovel. We left without it and walked across the street. She went in a reasonable amount of time. Started to rain again as we headed back to the house. I had to hurry Frankie along. I put her back in her pen afterwards.

Finally, I was able to enjoy a little coffee, but only for a few brief minutes. I was still behind schedule by about 10 minutes. As much as I hated to, I hurried through meditation and stretching. I headed upstairs with coffee at 630a. Mindy was mid-shower. I reported Frankie’s imprisonment and why.

 I headed back downstairs where I readied for a run. I wore shorts and a long-sleeved wicking shirt. It was pleasant, about 63 degrees. It stayed dry for the duration of my run. I ran the full 4.1 miles easily. Worked up a good sweat. Mindy was just putting the finishing touches on my fried eggs. I was happy to have them prepared as such after having them scrambled the previous two days. With them, I enjoyed some watermelon, strawberries and pineapple, the same mix I put in my lunch each day.

Mindy reminded the kids to bus home as normal.  Proposed having fresh fish for dinner and planned a stop at Whole Foods to get it. I am not a big fan of cooked at home seafood. Never tastes right. I said that I would happily eat leftovers. Mindy left for school near 730a, the same time that I headed up for a shower and right after I fed Frankie some leftover scrambled eggs from the fridge.

The kids were in shorts again, though figured it to be the last time this week. The high  temperatures aren’t expected to make it out of the 50’s Thursday & Friday. I was downstairs after my shower ahead of 750a. I spent the next 7 or 8 minutes pulling together my lunch, including packing a salad. The kids and I headed out at 758a. Chrissy was out with Makayla. For the time being, it was lovely, sunny and upper 60’s. It wasn’t expected to last. In fact, by the time I got organized for work the clouds had rolled back in. I left for work at 810a.

We had our weekly staff meeting at 9am. Went well. Lasted about an hour. The morning moved by swiftly. I took a formal lunch break at 1p and headed to Lowes.

At Lowes, I bought two new 16” hanging baskets and a 100 pack of 14” black tie wraps. I went to the paint & stain aisle before checking out to look at deck stain color options. I’m seriously considering going with a solid stain this go round. While perusing my options, I spotted two familiar faces coming up the aisle, Joey & Mindy Watkins. Haven’t seen those two in years. We chatted for a while. They seem to be doing well. Said they are now the proud owners of Hilliard Dry Cleaners. I let them know about the ‘76-’77 combo class reunion slated for this summer.

After heading through the Lowes outdoor checkout I headed back to the office. I was gone something less than an hour but felt refreshed and satisfied with my break.

The afternoon brought a couple more bouts of heavy rain. Becoming rather common place. I joked that the drought may finally be over as I glanced out my office window with a couple of my engineers. The afternoon went by in a flash. I left for home at 530p. I called Mindy shortly after exiting the parking lot. She was busy with dinner. I’d forgotten about the fresh fish thing. Said she and the kids went to Whole Foods and bought an array of seafood, including sword fish, Chilean sea bass, and shrimp. Said she was baking it via the recipe/direction given by the guy working the fish counter.

It was spittin’ rain again as I pulled up at home. Even though I cut the lawn Monday evening, it was already starting to look long in the tooth. I carried in my lunchtime purchases then took care of my usual chores. I had my lunch dishes taken care of and coffee prepped for the following day before dinner.

I decided to have some fish after all. The Chilean sea bass looked good to my eyes. In addition to buying fish, Mindy picked up some peach & mango salsa, and then this corn veggie mix. Bother were good. She made fresh gardens salads too.

Dinner was good and not too heavy. Bella refused to try the fish Mindy put on her plate. Ended up eating a hot dog. Jacob, on the other hand, had three helpings of fish. Never known a kid to like fish as much as he does.

I took care of kitchen clean-up. Took a while, too. Lots of big pan clean-up. As I was finishing up in the kitchen, Mindy said she was heading down to Chrissy’s for a visit. I asked that she check and see if I might’ve left my Columbia fleece there. Not sure where the kids were. Think they were outside playing.

The house completely quiet and all to myself, I took to the livingroom recliner with book in hand. Read about two pages before sleep came over me. At the time it seemed the most important thing in the entire world. Felt great.  I woke when Mindy and the kids came inside. Could’ve slept longer. I heard Mindy say it was time for Idol. I eventually joined the family in the familyroom to watch it. I missed the opening performance, Jacob Lusk.

Only 6 contestants remain. All were pretty good. I guessed Jacob would be sent packing. If not he, then perhaps Scottie.  Better not be Haley, though this week’s performance wasn’t her best.

Breaking In comes on after Idol. Now 930p, Mindy told the kids they needed to go to bed. I watched all of it. It's only a 30 minute program. Very funny show. Mindy headed for bed at its end. Ask if I was coming. I chose to stay up and watch the weather forecast. Expecting more severe weather overnight.  I headed for bed just before 1030p. For my money, too much sensationalizing and not enough substance. 

Air Soft Landing

Up on time and downstairs by 534a. I was shocked to see the moon hovering fairly high  in the eastern sky, expecting instead to find more clouds. While happy to see it, I wasn’t foolish enough to think it would last too long. After all, last I heard we were expecting heavy rain for the remainder of the week.

I slipped into my exercise tennies and headed to the living room where I typically do my sit-ups. After 55 sit-ups,  I checked the current forecast next. As suspected, we were in between storms. Plenty more coming our way from the southwest – a pipeline from the gulf.

After push-ups I leashed up Eiknarf and headed out for our walk. She only peed. The moon remained visible but at the same time there were a few flashes of lightning – no thunder detectable. Back home, I poured some coffee around 6a. I took a few minutes to enjoy it before segueing into meditation and stretching. Wouldn’t you know it, a quick thunder storm rumbled through just ahead of my run complete with lightning and heavy rain. Lucky for me, it lasted only a few minutes.

I dropped Eiknarf and coffee off to Mindy, who was fresh out of bed and preparing for a shower. I headed out for a run by 635a. The sky was almost completely clear again and fully daybreak. However, those fast moving storms clouds to our immediate east prevented the sunrise from being visible until about halfway through the run. I ran the full 4.1 miles in shorts and a thin long sleeved wicking shirt. I would’ve been more comfortable in a short sleeved shirt. It was 64 degrees and very humid.

Mindy made scrambled eggs for the second day in a row thanks to a request from Jacob. Today’s, however, were covered in cheddar cheese. There were more in the pan for Eiknarf again too. Mindy didn’t know it, but I had some of Monday’s in the fridge still. I ended up leaving them there, instead thinking I’d give those to Eiknarf on Wednesday.

Jacob has achievement testing 4 of the next 6 school days. He didn’t seem too thrilled about it. Tuesday’s testing was reading comprehension. Mindy asked the kids to bus home as normal. Asked if I planned to take Jacob shopping for another airsoft pistol after work, an agreement he and I made Monday. The plan was for me to intercept him at soccer practice, this also being a gymnastics night for Bella. That way Mindy could bail to pick-up Bella. The one variable being the weather, there was a strong chance that Jacob’s soccer practice would end up canceled due to all the rain. Mindy left for school at 730a.

Mindy wasn’t out the door a minute before I bolted off to the shower. I wasn’t long either. I was back downstairs by 750a throwing together my lunch. I hollered for the kids at 755a. We headed out the door separately. Jacob was the first one out. At the bus stop I noticed right away that Bella was no longer wearing the pants that Mindy had her wear with here spring shirt. Looked like she decided to make her shirt a dress. However, on closer inspection, she changed into a pair of shorty shorts. I gave her an earful and asked what she thought her mother would think. She basically said she’d never know. I then asked what made her think I wouldn’t tell, Hmmm? How much cash do you have? J Again, Bella’s Achilles heel – deception.

Meanwhile, Makayla was sulking because her mom had her in jeans. She wanted to be in shorts like Jacob and Bella. Tomorrow, I heard Chrissy say. The bus arrived on time – 804a. Eiknarf and I walked back home after peeing again. Mindy reminded me that it was a Rachel day before she left earlier, and also asked that I run the dishwasher before leaving for work. I did as requested. I left for work at 810a. Thought I might take my golf clubs and head to the range at lunch but forgot the clubs.

Arrived at work around 830a as usual. The sky remained partly sunny but rain clouds hovered to the SW, the same direction all our weather’s been coming from. I stayed plenty busy.  The morning went fast. Heavy rain hit a couple of times. But we got a few intervals of clearing too. Around 1pm I decided to take a much needed break and drove to Strader’s for my annual spring walkabout.

They didn’t disappoint. Had most of their annuals out and were well stocked. It’s so uplifting to walk around their expansive greenhouse. It's a'ways warm, humid and smells terrific. I must’ve spent about 45 minutes walking around looking at their offerings. There wasn’t a crowd either. That’s all gonna change here in a week or two. This up coming weekend would be best to make purchases ahead of Mother’s Day weekend when it’s routinely an absolute zoo. In no way am I anywhere close to ready to plant flowers in the beds. I could do my pots and baskets, though.

I headed back to work in a far better place mentally. Ahhh! Once back at the office I went for my packed lunch (tuna packet, cheese, and fruit). I made sure to wash my hands good after touching all sorts of fertilizers and stuff while at Straders.

The afternoon went by fast. Once again, our weather came in phases. When the sun came out the temperature would spring above 70 in a hurry. Still cool without it. Sent Mindy a text late afternoon letting her know that the Hilliard Soccer Complex’s website had a notice up indicating that the fields were closed for the day. No practice… again.

She sent an email a little later thanking me and also asking if I wanted to order pizza for dinner. No, I didn’t. We had oodles of leftovers in the fridge including inferno chicken, pork roast, and brats. I confirmed that I still planned to take Jacob shopping for another airsoft pistol.

Mindy & Bella were off to gymnastics when I arrived home. After addressing my immediate chores, Jacob and I headed off for Wal-Mart. Jacob was doubtful that Wal-Mart would have decent airsoft pistols. I knew different. I’d seen them there. There supply is every bit as good or better than Dick’s Sporting Goods. Less expensive too.

As luck would have it, traffic was at a crawl all the way west on Trabue. Took at least 20 minutes to make the usual five minute drive. But we weren’t in a huge hurry. I remained calm throughout the slow drive. We entered through the garden center and eventually made our way back to sporting goods. They’ve done a remodel since I was last in the Hilliard Wal-Mart. I like it much better. We compared the various models of airsoft pistols. I convinced Jacob that he didn’t need or want to deal with CO2 cartridges. I pointed him towards a pistol that had both spring and battery firing options. Like his rifle, it has an automatic mode too. It was priced nicely as well – only $21. We waited for the sports department dude to click the rack release. We made the purchase right there in the sporting good department.

We exited back through the garden center, which at the time was largely unvisited. As we exited the store a clerk came running our way shouting that she needed to check our bag. Those that know me, know how much I despise such actions. This time I chose to bite my lip and show her our purchase and receipt. I had a few smart ass comments whirling through my mind but opted to keep them to myself fearing I might influence Jacob negatively. We headed home. No traffic headed east at all.

We arrived home still in front of 7p. Jacob wanted to open his gun immediately, and understandably so. Forgot to mention, he paid me for the airsoft gun as soon as we got back in the car. It took a few minutes to figure out the operation of the gun but we finally did. Jacob took it out on the deck to put it to the test. A little kludgie at first until he figured it out fully.

Mindy & Bella arrived home while Jacob was out unloading his second chamber full of airsoft BBs. Bella quickly asked if she could run off to Makayla’s while Mindy, Jacob, and I whipped up our dinner, pork roast burritos. I did the whipping up. Mindy & Jacob had avocado on theirs. Not me.  Mine was just fine with cheese, red onion and sour cream.

After dinner Jacob asked if we could watch something interesting on TV. We ended up watching multiple episodes of Office back-to-back. For my money, it's one of the funniest TV shows out there. I continued watching Office even after the kids, and later Mindy, were off to bed. Mindy asked that I not be long. I headed to bed at 1010p. My neck was bothering me again. Couldn't get that kink to release. Mindy fetched me 4 Advil shortly after I crawled into bed.

Rain - Cut the Lawn - Pork

I slept better than I have in days. I was up on time and downstairs by 532am. A quick glance out the back door revealed more rain. Oh boy! I slipped into my exercise shoes then hit the ‘go’ button on the coffee maker.

Before heading to bed the night before, I took 4 Advil and also found a new way to stretch out my back by lying back first over the arm of the sofa. That single act cleared the lingering discomfort that had been plaguing me for days, weeks even. That painful kink in my left wrist was gone too.

I whizzed through sit-ups and push-ups. Frankie waited patiently nearby as if she was ready for our morning walk. I enjoyed a cup of coffee before hand. It was raining when we finally headed out but not enough to warrant an umbrella, though it picked up a bit as we walked along the sidewalk. She took care of business as expected. We hurried back home so to avoid the ever increasing rainfall.

I checked the radar. We looked to be teetering right on the edge of a big blob of rain. My hope was that it would quickly pass. Meditation and stretching went well. I delivered coffee and the pug to Mindy who was already mid-shower. It was still raining as I dressed for a run. I went with fresh running clothes after trashing others working in the wet and muddy yard Sunday afternoon. Since it was 57 degrees and rainy, I wore long running pants and a light weight wicking shirt along with a pullover fleece.

The rain continued through the run’s entirety, though the amount light. I ran the full 4.1 miles without any problems. I was good and wet by its end. Inside I stripped out of my wet clothes and tossed my shirt and fleece in an empty clothes basket. Jacob had just come inside from walking Frankie a second time. Said she did both again. Hmmm?

Mindy had plain scrambled eggs waiting. I knew instantly that I wouldn’t be able to finish mine. Too much. Mindy shared that there were some already set aside for Frankie too. Mindy reminded the kids to bus home with Noah since she had an after school staff meeting planned. Bella cheered. With an expected high near 70 degrees, we permitted the kids to wear shorts despite a forecast of rain. Mindy left for work after putting a frozen pork roast in the crock pot. She asked that I season it more thoroughly before departing for work. As it was, the lid wouldn’t close.

I headed for the shower at 733a and was back downstairs prepping my lunch at 750a. I packed a fresh lettuce-based salad, fruit medley, cheese chunks and a banana. The kids and I headed to the bus stop at 758a. It wasn’t raining as we walked out the door but started up again once at the stop. Kenny was out with the girls. Bella had her umbrella but wasn’t using it. I opened it up to use just as the bus pulled up. Bella wanted to take it to school. Kenny and I both scurried back to our homes as soon as the kids pulled away. I didn’t bother giving Frankie a chance to walk again. She’d already gone twice.

Inside, I packed up my work gear then tended to the pork roast. I still couldn’t get the lid to close, needed to thaw more.  I left the crock pot on high when I departed for work. It was 812a.

Not exactly a pretty drive into work. Spit rain most of the way. In my office by 830a. Not a bad start to the work week. The morning moved along at a good clip. Mindy called mid-morning just to chat. At the time I was in the middle of researching some data. Our conversation was brief.

It was a crappy day weather-wise. I didn’t bother leaving for lunch, but did close my door for a while to relax, write, and eat my packed lunch. Like the morning, the afternoon moved swiftly. A couple brief storms moved through the area mid-afternoon. It rained really hard during one of them. The sky began to show signs of brightening around 330p. If it stayed that way, I was hoped to cut the lawn after dinner.  The front could really use it. I left for home at 520p. The sky maintained its benign look. It wasn’t sunny by any stretch, but it wasn’t threatening rain anymore, either.

I pulled up at home at 535p. The family was gathered in the kitchen, Mindy tending to dinner, the kids doing their homework. I rinsed my lunch containers and prepped Tuesday’s coffee while interacting with the family. I went to check email while waiting on Mindy to put the finishing touches on dinner.

We had pork roast and Bob Evans mashed potatoes and gravy along with leftover cooked carrots and macaroni salad. Mindy said the roast didn’t get fall apart tender like it usually does. Probably because the crock-pot lid never closed all the way even after the roast fell in. however, it was still delicious. Both kids asked to be excused from the table. Jacob teased Bella to the point of frustration. He does that a lot. Somehow he avoided punishment.

Mindy agreed to manage dinner clean-up thus affording me the opportunity to cut the lawn. It was near 630p when the sun peaked out a time or two. I headed upstairs where I quickly changed into the running clothes I wore working in the yard on Sunday. No sense dirtying more.

I whacked and edged first. Glad I fixed the weedwacker head Sunday. Worked like a champ. Edging went about as well as could be expected. Really need the ground to dry out a bit more, though. Jacob & Evan were out back playing with their airsoft guns when neighbor Jake and 4 or 5 of his friends dashed out back to the tree house in close proximity to where Jacob and Evan were playing. I overheard one of Jake’s friends saying something about shooting out our windows with a BB gun. I stopped what I was doing and called the kid out. Point blank told the kid that I’d kick his behind. He got polite in a hurry.

Jake quickly assured me that he’d keep his friends in check. I wasn’t pleased that Jacob and Evan had to move their play to appease those boys. Jacob needs to learn to defend himself and resolve conflict with kids his own size.

I headed around front to mow. I set the mower blade extra high to start off, but quickly lowered it a notch after realizing that I’d be cutting again in 2 or 3 days at that high of a setting. Still had it set higher than normal. The lawn was thicker than it was last week, although there are still a few areas that haven’t taken off like the rest of the front lawn. I took my time out front. Glad I got it when I did.

I headed around back to hit some of the high spots. The growth in the back is still very spotty. And there was no way that I was gonna get the tractor out. The middle back yard is a giant mud puddle. I push mowed the entire upper half of the back yard. I noticed that Makayla and Bella were out in the tree house with all those boys. At one point I stopped the mower and asked them if they were OK. Said they were fine. After the boys left, the girls shared that they were ‘good’ boys.

Approaching 8p, I headed inside to get a much needed shower. I heard Bella bawling her head off to Mindy about something. She was coming up to shower immediately after me. I asked what was wrong. Said all her friends were still out riding their bikes. But because her own bike was still stowed on the garage ceiling, she felt left out. I promised to get it down on Tuesday. That did little to make her feel better at the time. Thing is, she still doesn’t know how to ride it as a two-wheeler. Still has training wheels on it. I might ask dad to work with her just like he did Jacob. That proved to be a game changing experience for him.

I headed downstairs to the family room and tuned to the knowledge channels looking for something interesting to watch. I happened upon a program about the texts not chosen to be part of  the Bible. I’ve seen most of it before, but still found it captivating. Mindy liked it too. Around 845p my eyes felt so heavy I could no longer keep sleep at bay. I dosed off for about 15 minutes. I woke just after the kids headed up for bed. Mindy did an early bedtime too. No later than 915p. I headed up to tuck the kids in to bed then headed back to the sofa where I watched more History Channel. I headed up to bed at 1010p. As I slipped into bed I noticed that the sky was clear. Hmmm? A fluke? Strong storms were forecasted for the overnight and again Tuesday and Wednesday.