Too Mulch Work

I was up early, especially for a weekend. I was downstairs by 645a. I was careful not to wake the grand kids. Once they’re up, it can get a little chaotic. It was Sunday so I didn’t plan to do sit-ups or push-ups. It was partly sunny & warm – already 65 degrees.

After starting some coffee I played on the PC, and might’ve enjoyed about 45 minutes of leisure time before Landon and Olivia joined me downstairs. Of course they wanted to play Wii. I declined their request asking that they wait until everyone else was up. They both had a donut then asked to watch a movie. Of course Olivia wanted to watch HS Musical 3 & Landon something different – Shreck, I think. He eventually agreed to let Olivia have her way. He’s very sweet.

Their attention span is about a minute long. That’s it. Around 8am the three of us headed out with Eiknarf, all of us in our barefeet. We had fun. Olivia was intimidated by the geese, but Landon exhibited next to no fear and actually went after them. They quickly retreated to the pond.

After our walk with Eiknarf, we headed back to the house. The kids watched a little more of the movie then asked me to push them on the tree swing. Why not? We headed out back to the tree house where we played for about 30 minutes. I did my best to keep the kids quietly entertained so Mindy could get the sleep she craved. I’m thinking she finally got up around 930a.

She wasn’t up long before I prepared for a run. I was out the door by 10a. I ran three miles without incident. Easy run. All the kids were up by the time I was back. The house was rocking. Mindy planned to attend an Eagle scout graduation at Holton Park near 2p. And I planned on car shopping. To help us out, Jimaken agreed to take Jacob to this season’s last soccer game. Mindy planned to drop the grandkids at home on her way. Bella planned to stay home with me after Mindy told her she’d have to wear a sun dress to the scout graduation.

Before Mindy left I made another quick trip to Ohio Mulch for a 3^rd cubic yard. That way I could do some more yard work after car shopping. I took the gkids down to jump on the trampoline just before Mindy made them all lunch. We readied all three to leave for home near 1230-1p.

Suddenly the house was quiet again. Jacob was off to his room for a nap before soccer, and Bella was off to Makayla’s. I took a quick shower while waiting on Jimaken to come get Jacob. He arrived around 1-130p. I asked Jim about the 24 hour race he ran in Illinois Saturday. Said he made it for 18 hours and ran about 62 miles best guesstimate. Hard to fathom such a feat.  Last second, Bella decided she wanted to go to the soccer game with Jacob and her daddy after all. Never was super keen on car shopping.

I pulled all my numbers together (trade-in, car costs, discounts, financing) in a spreadsheet then readied for a trip to Hugh White Honda. Honestly, I was feeling a little unprepared to be negotiating for a car. Too, I was a tad nervous driving the Trooper for the first time since filling her full of transmission fluid. Still not sure if the leak was gradual or sudden.

It must’ve been near 2pm when I headed off for Hugh White. The only thing I did to the Trooper was top off the oil. It was down about a quart, but I hadn’t added any for at least 6-8 weeks. I decided not to go overboard and make it too clean and pretty.

Trooper drove fine. Honda dealership looked closed despite all the other surrounding dealerships bustling with activity. Hmm? Closed on Sunday’s? Go figure! I took the opportunity to peruse the lot without the bother of a salesperson. Although I must admit, Honda is pretty good about not harassing the casual patron. They only had three or four of the new 2012 Civics, and none fully loaded like I wanted to see. Before leaving, I looked over several Accords, too. Still not sure what direction I’ll be going.

I headed for home feeling good that at least I had tried. As I headed north on I-270, I started hearing a loud and constant clinking sound. My heart dropped into my stomach. Could it be my transmission? Oh no! At some point I gazed up and out the large sunroof only to see one of the roof rack rails clanking against the roof top. Came up and out of its mount. I thought it might fly away as I continued down the road. I drove more carefully but decided not to pullover.

Thankfully, I made it home with the rail flapping in the wind the entire way. Once home, I opened the sun roof and straddled the two front seats to see if I could fix the issue. What I didn’t realize was that the rack wasn’t installed perfectly square. It was about an inch wider at the front. I only moved the rail there a month or two ago when I helped one of my guys with his roof repairs and needed to haul my extension ladder. When I moved the rail back to its original position, it fit perfectly. Ah-hah!

I went inside where I changed back into my yard work grubbies preparing to move more mulch. I talked with Mindy at some point letting her know that I was home and that the dealership was closed. She figured to be home shortly. Kids still weren’t back from soccer either.

I retrieved the tractor and trailer then started placing mulch in the west side flower bed. I was about ¾’s done with that side when Mindy arrived home. After a brief chat, she headed in to change into her yard work grubbies so she could help out again. The kids arrived home minutes later. Jacob was noticeably upset. Didn’t speak a word as he headed inside. He didn’t look mad. Instead, he looked sad. Bella confirmed. Said not only did they lose, but one of the opposing kids said some mean swear words directed at Jacob. She said he blamed himself for their losing effort. Oh boy!

Mindy came outside about ten minutes later and we finished placing the 3^rd cubic yard of mulch in the front flower beds. Looked like we’d need another cubic yard to finish, which is what I figured all along. I wasn’t really planning on taking care of it then, but after giving it a little thought and confirming that Ohio Mulch was still open, I figured why not. We were already dirty and had everything out to finish the job. I rushed off to Ohio Mulch with 20 minutes before closing.

I made all the lights and was there and back in no more than 15 minutes. That’s got to be a record. It was still before 5p by the time I got home. Mindy, I could see, was down at Chrissy & Kenny’s with Eiknarf in tow. Kenny was busy spreading mulch, too. Mindy meandered home once she saw I was back. I pointed out that the sky was dark to the SW. Looked like a storm moving in. We got busy moving the final cubic yard of mulch.

End up being just the right amount. Finished the front flower beds and then the two curb trees. With what little remained we put a light coat of fresh mulch under the two blue spruce trees at the west side of the house. Mindy headed in for a shower while I cleaned and stowed the lawn tools and tractor. It must’ve been about 6pm when I headed inside and took my second shower in less than a 5 hour span. Felt good. After moving 4 cubic yards of black mulch, my finger tips were dark as coal. Couldn’t get the dye out from underneath my nails this time, either.

Mindy declared it leftover night. I was cool with that. We had a lot, including steak, spaghetti, chicken and rice, hot dogs and brats. I asked for the week old t-bone. She had cream of chicken and rice. The steak was still good, but not as tasty as it was last Sunday. I shared a little with Eiknarf. She loved it.

As expected, it started to pour rain around 7 or 8p. I didn’t mind. I got the mulching 100% done, and that was more than I expected I might.

While the kids readied for bed, I spent another 30-40 minutes dressing up the new car spreadsheet I built earlier that afternoon. I had lots of scenarios, including various discounts off the list price, trade-in values, and monthly payments. Obviously, I want to get the biggest discount possible along with the highest trade-in value for my Trooper.

Mindy headed to bed very early. I’m thinking it was 910p. I stayed up a little while longer, but not later than 930p.

Blessed with Grandkids

I woke a couple different times after sunrise but not for good until 715a. I was very excited seeing nothing but blue out the bathroom window. Couldn’t wait to get downstairs.

I started some coffee then completed my calisthenics. Eiknarf and I headed out around 740a. It was absolutely gorgeous – sunny and 60 degrees. I took my camera along too, and got a number of good shots. We took our time drinking in the first really nice, sunny & warm Saturday morning in quite a while.

Back at home no one else was up. I spent a little time enjoying coffee but then readied for a run. I wore shorts and a short sleeved wicking shirt. I’m thinking that it was near 830a when I headed out the door. It was a good run on an absolutely gorgeous morning. I ran 3 miles in the blink of an eye.

Back at home the house remained completely still. I poured a second cup of coffee. I went upstairs to let Mindy know my intentions. She asked that I bring her coffee. I obliged her request. I took the Honda and headed over to Dad’s to pick-up his trailer and then fetch mulch. Dad assumed I was there to work on my Trooper just as we had loosely discussed last Monday, but I shared that I had already taken care of that on Tuesday.

We chatted for a while before I headed off to Ohio Mulch to pick-up the first of four cubic yards of Absolute Black fine mulch. They were very busy, just as I expected they might be. Before heading home, I stopped at Tim Horton’s for a dozen donuts. I knew that would make Bella & Jacob happy.

Mindy had talked about going to yoga and had a baby shower to attend around 2p. Once back at home she shared that she wasn’t going to yoga after all. Something about her favorite instructor not being there. The kids, meanwhile, were already up and out the door playing with friends. I woofed down one of the donuts then headed out to the yard. Mindy asked if I wanted help. Said she had a few things to take care of inside first. Mindy also asked me to make the arrangements to have the grandkids. I called Ashley & Lindsey to work out the details. Ashley would bring all three around 530p. They’d be spending the night.

Before spreading mulch, I wanted to shear the shrubs, saving me the headache of picking the clippings from the mulch and flowers later. I used my new 22” electric hedge trimmer. I trimmed the shrubs around the entire house, and then some of the honeysuckle growing along the pond. I fetched my leaf rake and collapsible can to gather up all the clippings.

Mindy came out to assist just I was starting to gather up the clippings. I’d been at it for at least an hour. She was inside vacuuming and cleaning. It helped quite a bit having a second pair of hands. We gathered up all the clippings in no time.

Time to spread mulch. We agreed to start around back at the SW corner bed, and probably the most difficult area to get to due to the slope and newly planted grass seed. Before we started spreading the new mulch, I tore open the one bag leftover from last year. I had it stashed behind the shrubs in that same area. Mindy & I got a chuckle when I cracked open the bag only find it full of top soil – completely decomposed. We used it to fill some low spots in that same bed area then proceed with the new mulch. I had the Deere trailer full with about ¼ cubic yard. We used 5 gallon pails to scoop up the mulch and dump it into the bed. I did the scooping and dumping while Mindy did the spreading. We unloaded three trailer loads before she had to call it quits and get a shower.

I did the final trailer load by myself.

I went inside and asked if I had time to go fetch another yard before she needed to leave. Yes. Cool. I hurried off to Ohio Mulch. And because it’s no more than two miles away from our home, I made it there and back in less than 20 minutes. I even detached the trailer so Mindy could simply drive away as needed. She planned on grocery shopping after the baby shower. Expected to be home around 430-5p. The grandkids (Rocky, Landon, and Olivia) were expected around 530p.

After Mindy departed, I got busy spreading the 2^nd cubic yard of mulch. It went a lot slower having to do the loading, dumping, and spreading by my lonesome. I worked up one hell of a thirst. I went for a Gatorade, and man, did it ever hit the spot!  I was able to work the entire 2^nd load all the way around to the NE corner of the house. It must’ve been around 3-330p. After a brief break, I decided to mow the lawn. And since I had the tractor out, I did that part first. That helped lengthen my break from the manual labor some too.

In a total reversal from normal, I mowed with the self-propelled push mower next. I didn’t whack and edge until last. Mindy got home just as I was finishing up the blowing. It was near 5p. I looked a muddy mess, but in reality, most of it was mulch mixed with sweat. Back in the day I would’ve done the work barebacked in hopes of getting some rays. And more often than not, I would end up getting too much sun, and would finish the day sunburned. Not so concerned with tanning these days. I worked all day in my running attire.

I spotted Ashley barreling down our street as 530p neared. I still needed a shower, and really would’ve liked a nap. That wasn’t to be. After greeting all the grandkids and Ashley, I headed up for a much needed shower. I was a sweaty dirty mess, and even took a picture to prove it. J

Ashley was gone by the time I was out of the shower. Mindy made arrangements to grill out with all the neighbors. Figured to be eating near 7p. Kenny was grillin’ chicken. We were grillin’ brats, burgers, and dogs.

I started grilling around 615p, or once we got a call from Kenny that he was starting. Didn’t take long for the burgers, brats and dogs. Our neighbors Teri and Mike & kids were joining us too. They were bringing a salad. Kapil and Isha were coming too. Kapil is moving to California next month. Won’t be seeing too much of them in the future, although they’ve already invited us out for a visit.

Wasn’t long before we had a house full. Heck, we accounted for 8 with the grand kids on board. All totaled, there were 19 mouths to feed. Kenny came in from the deck with a platter full of grilled chicken legs. Not sure what happened but he tripped dropping half the barbequed legs on the tile floor. Had to hold Eiknarf back as well as Rocky. The boy has ants in his pants! It was a tense couple minutes while we got the mess cleaned up. It wasn’t so much the chicken as it was the barbeque sauce that was flung all over the floor.

Apparently Teri backed over something in their driveway causing Mike to get extremely upset with her. They never did share exactly what it was, but Mike wasn’t talking to Teri, making for a couple awkward moments throughout dinner. Kind of funny from afar. I’m sure, however, it wasn’t so pleasant being one of the two parties. Mike did share that it wasn’t his and that they would have to replace it. They were at each other all evening.

As darkness set in we agreed to take the party down to Kenny & Chrissy’s deck, where they could light their table top fireplace and make smores for the kids.  I’ve never been a smores fan, but the kids go wild for them. I made a Jack & Cooke after dinner, but it just didn’t taste as good as I had hoped. I had two but couldn't muster a buzz. I took more Jack in my old ski flask down to the neighbors but opted instead for ice water. I was dehydrated from a day’s worth of yard work.

I’m guessing it was near 10p when Mindy and I corralled the kids and headed for home even while the party was still underway. Mindy said all the kids would need baths/showers. She wasn’t kidding either. She dispatched Jacob and Bella to use shower while we gave the three grandkids baths. We had them all tucked into bed by 11pm. All three gkids were sleeping in the guest room. We left the TV whirl as their binky/night light.

Mindy agreed that I could watch Saturday Night Live from bed, although she predicted I’d fall asleep ahead of it. She was right. While waiting on 1130p to roll around, we watched some program on PBS about Guam. I was asleep after about 10 minutes.

Maharaja Moon

I was up on time, and maybe even a couple minutes early. I could see a few stars over head but there was a ton of moisture in the air, too. It looked like fog was settling in.

 I whizzed through calisthenics then headed out with Eiknarf. Yep, fog was creeping in just as the sun began its ascent. It was in the mid 50s. I planned to wear long running pants and a long sleeved shirt later during my run.

Back at home I enjoyed coffee while playing at my PC. By all accounts, it seemed that this day would mark the true beginning of summer, May 20^th. The cool spring weather we endured all week long was gone, nothing but 70’s & 80’s looking ahead all the way into June.

Done with meditation and stretching by 625a, I delivered Mindy’s coffee and the pug. The sun was shining when I initially set out on my run but fog soon over took the entire sky. It was crazy humid. It smelt and felt so much like summer. I worked up a good lather.

Mindy & the kids were up and starting breakfast. Everybody was in good spirits, the weekend and the improving weather the biggest reason. Mindy prepared to leave for school and reminded the kids to bus home as normal. She commented about how good it would feel to get away from school on time after last night’s late program. She left near 730a.

I headed to the shower around 735a. I wore the Southern Tier Brewery t-shirt gifted me by Bob & Mary Ann. Outside, the sky bounced between fog and sunshine. I planned to drive the BM’er again only this time with the top down, the first time all week.

I packed a quick lunch consisting of tuna, cheese, fruit, and the last banana. The kids, Eiknarf, and I headed out at 757a. Chrissy was out with the girls. She asked if Eiknarf slept well. Yeah, didn’t want to get up, and she could hardly mustered enough energy to come after my leftover eggs, which is highly unusual. Chrissy said Woody was the same. Played hard all day Thursday.

After the bus was gone Eiknarf and I headed back home but not before she took another dump. Before leaving the house I checked the new grass growing in the over seeded areas. Coming up fast. We need a few days of sunshine to help it get established. I left the house around 815a. It felt good to put the top down, although the fog had thickened by then. But at least there was next to no chance of rain.

As is often the case on Friday’s, the lot was sparsely attended. I made a point of not parking in one of the special recognition spaces. Lean staffing made work even busier than usual for a Friday. The sky continued to brighten as the morning progressed. It was shaping up to be a lovely day and a nice segue into the weekend. Mindy phoned around 1130a. We talked for a while. She asked about having the grandkids over this weekend.

Like the rest of the work week, I skipped taking a formal lunch break and instead used the time to write. I ate my packed lunch while working. The afternoon moved along quickly. To help prepare me for a weekend, I listened to my iTouch through most of the afternoon.  I was very much looking forward to the weekend and hoped to get caught up in the yard and quite possibly even resolve my car issue.  I spent the last hour of my day catching up on a handful of administrative concerns. The weekend couldn’t start soon enough. I left for home at 515p.

It was a lovely drive home – sunny and 74 degrees. Gas prices, I noticed, were coming down too. Hooray! The kids were off playing. Mindy and I chatted briefly. She asked about doing Barley’s for dinner with the kids. At the time I was undecided and offered only that I needed a nap. Mindy walked down to visit with Chrissy.

I closed my eyes in the recliner, but never fell asleep. Instead, after laying there for about ten minutes, I got up and played around on my PC. Mindy was back at home around 620p. I agreed to dine at Barley’s. She said that Bella didn’t want to go. Instead, she wanted to stay and play with Makayla and watch a Justin Bieber movie. Big Jake would be joining us at Barley’s.

We planned to leave around 7p. I was ready first. Mindy freshened up while I worked on my blog. We left for Barley’s near 7p just as we had planned. We parked close to the door. The lot was pretty full, but another car had recently departed. As she often does, Mindy stopped on the patio to chat with friends. I headed inside with the two boys and quickly ordered a beer (a Hoptopus) from Katie. We grabbed the two – two-person tables by the bar. Jake and Jacob took one, Mindy & I the other.

Before ordering food we chatted with Sarah, asking about Tina then about Diedra.  I guess Tina quit. Shoot! We may try to see her play at the Diversity Club. Time to order food. Mindy & I agreed to share a brisket quesadilla. In turn, the two Jakes shared 20 Gates of Hell wings and fries. The both ordered Dr Pepper’s too.

I ordered a Sublimely Self-Righteous Black Ale for my second and final beer. I enjoyed it with my dinner. We didn’t stay too late. Left before 9p. I picked up the check. Rick Coffing was walking in when we were walking out. Stopped to chat briefly. The boys and I headed to the Honda while Mindy continued talking. Jacob offered me $20 to leave his mother behind. Mindy wasn’t amused with our antics.

We weren’t home long before we walked down to the neighbors. Eiknarf went with us. I took the rocket of Avery Maharaja Mindy gifted me the week prior. Chrissy had her iTouch hooked up through their surround sound and TV. Let me drive. Meanwhile, she had been on her feet most of the day. While we were there her knee swelled to the point of severe pain. Over did it. Mindy insisted that she sit with it elevated and made her take some Acetametaphin (can’t take Ibuprofen).

I finished my rocket of Maharaja about the time that Mindy was ready to head for home. Couldn’t have been later than 1030p. We gathered the kids and headed that way. We took notice of the star filled sky on the short walk home. Good night moon!

O Sole Mio ... Clouds, you go now!

I woke just ahead of 530am and for a brief moment considered dosing off again. In the end I got up and out of bed. I was hoping that the clouds might’ve cleared overnight, but that wasn’t to be. Instead, our 5^th day in a row of solid cloud cover. The only consolation was that the day’s high temp was expected to reach 70 degrees, the beginning of a much desired warming streak.

After exercise I checked the weather forecast in detail. It was 57 degrees. And while it was expected to remain cloudy with a chance of showers throughout the day, looks like sunshine Friday through Sunday. Wahoo! For the time being, the radar showed the cloudy weather still circling around us.

I headed out with Eiknarf at 550a. It felt much nicer temperature wise. We took our time, not finding our way back home until 605a. Before heading in, and taking my queue from neighbors, I wheeled the trashcan to the curb. Inside, I poured a cup of coffee then returned briefly to my PC where I read the Daily OM. At 615a I pulled away for meditation and stretching. Both went well.

I delivered Mindy’s coffee next. I find it interesting observing Eiknarf’s behaviors as I prepare Mindy’s coffee each morning, which for her is a signal that it's time to head upstairs. Gets excited and runs to the base of the steps. Interestingly enough, It's more than stimulus/response. She exhibits spatial cognition as well. She doesn’t flinch when I’m pouring coffee for myself about 20 minutes earlier in the daily routine. How about that?

I readied for a run deciding to go ahead and wear light winter attire. I felt it still a tad too chilly to loose the fleece. I was tad warm but not overtly so. I did, however, run up one heck of a sweat during the 4.1 miles.

I was home somewhere near 715a. While Mindy put the finishing touches on my fried eggs, I packed my lunch. Mindy shared disdain for the long school day ahead. Said I shouldn't expect her home until near 8p. Can’t recall the after school event. She also reminded the kids that Jimaken would be there to get them off the bus after school. It was a daddy dinner night. I joked that I’d be going to Barley’s alone.  In reality, though, I doubted that to be the case.

Seconds after Mindy hit the door, I headed up for a shower. It was a shaving day. I used my new electric clipper/trimmer. After finding myself ready early (745a), I headed back upstairs with two AA batteries for the cordless beard trimmer that accompanied my new clipper/ trimmer. I used it to trim my ever-growing nostril hair and a couple other tight spots.

The kids and I headed out a couple minutes early - 755a. Chrissy hobbled out with the girls. Asked if she could keep Eiknarf all day so Woody would have a play mate. She had no plans, just relaxing at home. I agreed, but offered that I wanted to walk Eiknarf again giving her another chance to relieve herself. Good plan. She took her second dump of the day. I walked her back to Chrissy and then headed home to make last minute work preparations.

Despite the dreary weather, I was again driving the BM’er. I didn’t have a choice. I left the house near 815a.

It was another busy day that breezed by. And like most days this week, I didn’t bother leaving for lunch, but did find time to eat while working. For some reason I kept thinking that my dad was getting the kids off the bus therefore I made it a point to leave right at 530p, not wanting to keep him waiting since Mindy had her school thing going on. It wasn’t until I was almost home that I remembered that it was a Jimaken night. Duh!

Not only were the kids and Mindy gone, but Eiknarf was too. She was still down at the neighbors. Before heading down to get her, I did a few simple chores and even took a brief nap in the living room recliner. I don’t think I slept for more than 10 minutes tops. Eiknarf was leashed up with Woody out back when I walked down. Chirrsy came out. We chatted only briefly before I headed back home with Eiknarf.

It started to rain at a pretty good clip once we got back home. I was surprised because I half expected the sky to be clearing to usher in Friday’s predicted sunshine. The forecast still held fast that it was coming. The kids were home just before 8p. We were chillin’ on the sofa waiting for Idol elimination night when Mindy got home. I’m guessing she walked in at 805a, or just after Idol began.

Sadly, my fave, Haley was sent home. Her performance was by far the best in my eyes. But then again, I’m damn near 52, and the record industry, I realize isn’t catering to me. Still, Haley was awesome. The others lack originality. L

After the hour long Idol show, we watched the season finale of Bones. Surprising end. Neither Mindy nor I saw that coming. We headed to bed just after. I spent about five minutes with Bella before hitting the sack. She came in our room five minutes later pleading with Mindy to let her sleep in our room due to fear. Mindy didn’t cave. Instead, she offered only that she would tuck her in again.

More Cold More Rain

I slept a couple minutes late, but that was hardly enough time to rock my routine. I was still downstairs by 538a. Like it has been every day since last Saturday, the sky was completely cloud covered. The only difference was that the temperature was about 8 degrees warmer than the past two mornings. It was 54 degrees.

I did my sit-ups and push-ups then leashed up Eiknarf for a walk. Choosing to find a silver lining, at least the nip in the morning air was gone. Eiknarf took care of business in short order and we were back home by 608a.

I enjoyed some coffee and read the Daily OM before segueing into meditation and stretching. It was 630a in a hurry. Mindy was already in the shower when I dropped off coffee and delivered the pug. In turn, it was 640a by the time I got out the door for my run. My favorite running clothes were again freshly laundered after getting doused in transmission fluid the morning before.

I ran the full 4.1 mile path. My mind was in a far better place than the previous two mornings. I worked up a good sweat. I finished my run around 715-720p. I entered the house through the deck door. It was locked, so I had to knock. Jacob was noticeably upset, for what I quickly learned was not being permitted to wear shorts. Mindy asked my opinion. I shared that it was nearing 60 degrees and why not. But I did argue that he’d still need a jacket at the bus stop. Mindy was fine with that and Jacob, well, he was ecstatic. Thanks for letting me be the hero, Mindy!

Fried eggs were on the menu. I ate all of mine knowing that there were leftover scrambled eggs in the fridge from the day before. I warmed those for Eiknarf who was whining like a baby for some. I’m pretty sure that Mindy asked the kids to bus home with Noah. She also asked if I planned on going to soccer practice after work. It was a special practice, parents versus the kids in a soccer game. I expected to be there.

Mindy left for school and I headed off to the shower. I was fast getting ready. Back downstairs by 747a. I packed my lunch, which included a spinach, lettuce, carrot, and tomato salad, fruit medley, cheese, and banana. Called for the kids near 753a. Jacob was out the door even before 755a. As usual, Bella was lagging a bit behind. I had Eiknarf in tow.

Chrissy was out with Makayla. Makayla had her sister’s retainer in a plastic leftover container. Chrissy shared that they boiled it and soaked it in Scope. The kids were soon on the bus, and Eiknarf and I on our way back home. She pooped out front of our house. I didn’t bother going for the scoop. Maybe later.

Inside, I gathered my gear after double checking to make sure I had my badge and office keys.  I left in the BM’er at 815a. It rained lightly on my commute in.

First email I noticed was that our staff meeting was canceled. My boss arrived late. We had a lot going on. Without giving it much thought I worked straight through the day. I ate my lunch while working around 1p. The day went by in a hurry. Mindy called around 520p to check on my status. Turned out, I was in the middle of a difficult issue. Shared that it was unlikely that I would make it to soccer practice for the parent vs. kid soccer game.  Mindy still planned to attend. Said Bella would be at the neighbors and that dinner would be on the stove – cream of chicken over rice. That sounded good! She asked that I call when I was leaving work.

I didn’t get out of the office until 625p. My energy reserves were all but depleted. I called Mindy as I walked to the BM’er. She and Jacob had just arrived at soccer practice. I was home by 645p. I rinsed my lunch dishes and read a note from Mindy, which basically confirmed what we already discussed earlier. After setting up Thursday’s coffee I made a bowl of cream of chicken over rice. I really like the brown rice – different (better) texture. I went back for a second bowl while sitting in front of my PC updating my blog.

Mindy and Jacob were home just after 730p. I was still in front of the PC.  Mindy was overtly jubilant. She couldn’t wait to share that the parents beat the kids 4-2 and that she scored two of those goals. Said Jacob wasn’t being very pleasant – a sore loser. Even tried tripping her on the field. Wow!

The three of us settled in front of the TV for Idol come 8p. Bella was still at the neighbors. Mindy is surprisingly liberal when it comes to the kids coming home at the agreed time. She told Bella to be home at 815p. It was 820p and still no Bella. Mindy went to the back door and hollered for her. Apparently they were outside. She still didn’t come. Around 8:30 she finally came in. This time, however, Mindy lit in to her a little. Bella tried rationalizing why she was late. Said they were having a competition and she couldn’t just come home despite hearing her mother beckoning. Interesting exchange between the two. Mindy sent her to the shower.

Meanwhile, Idol rolled on. Haley was awesome, and for money the hands down winner. She did a Led Zepplin, Stevie Nicks, and Alanis Morrissette song. The other two appeal to many, I’m sure, but not to anyone in our house. I think the other girl, Lauren is going home. We’ll see. It was a two hour episode. Not over until 10p. Mindy and the kids were in bed immediately after. I stayed up long enough to see the lead story on FOX news about the woman that shot and killed somebody just around the corner last Friday then killed herself.

Fluid to the Face

I was up a couple minutes early, and once again I didn’t sleep that well. However, aside from feeling a little short slept, I was fine. It was another cloudy, chilly start to the day. After sit-ups I learned that it was 47 degrees. Not expected to get beyond 50 again. We’re in that weird loop thing I’ve talked about before whee our weather comes from the east and keeps wrapping around us. It happens almost every May, and sometimes carries through Memorial Day. This time, though, they’re predicting a quick end. Friday’s supposed to be back in the mid 70s and sunny. Until then, we’ll just need to endure the cold and rain.

Eiknarf and I headed out for our walk. Reminded me of early December. There was a chilly breeze blowing against us from the north/northeast. We were back at home by 556a. I poured coffee and relaxed in front of my PC where I read some of brother Glenn’s blog as well as the Daily OM. I’m sure he knows, but his blog is difficult to read. The font’s not too many shades apart from the background.

I got lost in time in a hurry. It was 615a like that. Geesh! It was beyond my time to meditate and stretch. I still managed to give both their due. The meditation was admittedly brief but still effective. Stretching went well too. I finished at 626a and delivered coffee and the pug to Mindy, who was already mid-shower.

It was after 630a as I prepared for my run, and 638a as I headed out the door. I dressed warmly in freshly laundered running clothes. I ran the full 4.1 miles. Went by quickly. During my run I considered when/how I might get to tinkering with the Trooper’s transmission issue. I wanted to do it really soon, so I'll know how to proceed in new car negotiations.  Tuesday would be ideal, either at lunch or immediately after work.

I wasn’t back home until 718am. My run seems to be taking longer these days. I guess I’m slowing down. Mindy was making scrambled eggs. With the few minutes I had before they were ready, I prepped part of my lunch.

Jacob had a donut and Bella had cereal. There were plenty scrambled eggs left in the pan for Eiknarf. I gave her only half of what was there and put the rest in a storage container.

Mindy reminded the kids to bus home as normal then left for school.  I was preparing to head upstairs to shower when it occurred to me that right then might be the best time to mess with the Trooper. I figured it would take me an hour tops. All of the sudden, that was my plan. I was dressed in my running clothes and already sweaty. What the heck.

To accommodate, I backed the BM’er out of the garage and parked in front of the house along the curb. Of course, it started to rain as soon as I pulled it out. No biggie. I then moved the large sheet of cardboard I leave on one side of the garage floor to catch winter drippings over where  the BM’er was. I then pulled the Trooper in. I aligned my metal ramps up with the front tires and tried driving up. I tried three times, each unsuccessful. The tires pushed the ramps forward. I quickly abandoned that idea, and decided to belly crawl under without raising it.

I gathered my socket set and trouble light. Before crawling under, however, I went to the bus stop with the kids. It was 756a. I waited there with the kids and Chrissy in the rain. As soon as the bus was there and gone I headed back to the house to get busy.

The first thing I did was inspect the transmission lines leaving the main transmission body towards the radiator looking for an obvious leak source. Appeared there were two, and both were functional and dry. OK. I then checked to see how easy the fill plug would loosen. I picked the right socket size by eye balling it. It came off fairly easily. Great!

As expected, no fluid came out.

Next, I compared the hole size with the adapter hose I bought with the fluid. Bottom line, the hose was too big for the fill hole. What to do? Hmmm? I remembered having a hand pump (looks similar to a hand held air pump used to inflate balls) with a hose at each end used for changing oil in my boat. I went to the basement to see if I could find it. I found it immediately. Wahoo!

Basically, it’s used to suck the oil up through the dipstick and empty into a nearby pan. In this case I needed it to operate in reverse. I was able to reverse the hoses to fit my application (I must be living right). I placed the 5/8” hose down into the fluid quart bottle and the small 3/8” hose into the small fill hole that points straight down. I started the pump action without giving much, if any, consideration to the mechanics of the process. The pumping action was difficult, almost as if the hose was partially clogged. I kept at it, but couldn’t readily tell if it was actually transferring fluid into the transmission reservoir or not. As I was pumping there was a loud pop. The small fill hose popped off the pump and blew several ounces of transmission fluid directly into my face, eyes, nose, mouth, hair and ears. I couldn’t react abruptly because of the tightly confined space under the vehicle.

I was angry. I eventually slid out from underneath and wiped it first away from my eyes then the rest of my face. I headed in to flush my eyes just to be safe, although somehow it didn’t seem to get directly in my eyes. Quick reflexes, I guess. After cleaning myself up I checked the quart bottle. It was all but empty. Turns out, plenty of the fluid transferred. I’m guessing I took about 4 ounces to the face. After considering the physics, it made sense. I was pumping from the bottle via a 5/8” hose yet dispersing it via the much smaller 3/8” hose. OK. Note to self.

The second quart went much smoother. I didn’t have any accidents, and placed about half a quart in the transmission before it started to drip out. I was encouraged. I cleaned up my mess and then took the Trooper for a test ride. Performed well. Ran and shifted smoothly from gear to gear. Very encouraging. Although, I can’t lose sight of the fact that there’s a leak. Just not sure if it’s a slow leak over a long period of time, or a big leak that happens quickly.

Either way, my thought is to trade it in. No more messing around. The Blue Book trade-in value for a Trooper Limited in fair condition is $5600. That’s what I’ll be shooting for. Shortly after taking the fluid to the face, I called my boss and let him know that I’d be about an hour late. I explained my dilemma. He was fine with it.

It was about 9a. I parked the Trooper at the curb then put away my mess and headed in for a shower. My freshly laundered running clothes needed washed again, too. I smelt like transmission fluid. Go figure!

I was ready to leave the house by 920a. I felt good heading in to work knowing that I had at least temporarily solved my Trooper dilemma. I had legitimate trade-in bait. I could now focus my attention on picking a new vehicle.

I arrived at work just after 930a and quickly became immersed in the daily fray. I stayed busy all day. Didn’t bother taking a lunch, essentially regarding the hour late as a lunch period. Of course, I still ate my packed lunch around 1p.  Talked with Mindy at some point and shared the details of my dilemma. It gave her a good laugh. Made me laugh at myself too.

I left for home just after 530p. Mindy let me know earlier that she wouldn’t be home until after Bella’s gymnastics - stopping at Target for a baby shower gift.  I arrived home to an empty house. A note on the island confirmed her plans and pointed out that Jacob went with. Also shared that Eiknarf had already been walked. I did my usual chores then decided to use the quiet time to update my blog, something I’ve been neglecting until the weekends of late. I got my blog current through Monday and even added photos. I finished around 720p, or the same time that Mindy and the kids got home.

Mindy bought the kids Canes chicken. I'm not on board with all the rage over Canes. I don’t find it appealing whatsoever. Mindy and I heated leftover steak, my ½ filet and a T-bone for her. I had to broil mine for 10 minutes. You may recall, half mine was next to raw Sunday afternoon. It was very good. We reheated some fresh green beans too. They might’ve been better this go round.

After dinner I walked down to the neighbors to give Chrissy a check for our share of the Myrtle Beach vacation home. Bella was there watching a Justin Bieber show with Makayla. It was 820p, or ten minutes before Bella was told to be home. I decided to wait.  We walked home together.

At home, we gathered on the sofa to watch a program about the Earth. I started to fall asleep quickly. At some point I gave in to the urge but not before throwing a pillow on the familyroom floor and diving on it belly up. I didn’t wake again until 930p. Mindy and the kids were already in bed. I caught a second wind and stayed up for another hour.  I headed to bed at 1030p.

BM'er, Rain, mid 40's - Wahoo!

I was up a couple minutes early after a less than fulfilling night of sleep. I tossed and turned all night long and must’ve woken up ten different times. Never felt as though I got the deep sleep my body craves. I didn’t feel bad after waking but knew that I’d almost certainly pay later in the day. Come to think of it, perhaps it had something to do with the 8 Butterfinger eggs I devoured just before dinner Sunday evening.

Once downstairs I went to the deck door to check the sky while slipping into my exercise tennies at the same time. Cloudy, or course. I went to the living room where I whipped out 55 sit-ups. After sit-ups, I jumped into my PC chair and checked the weather forecast ahead of anything else. It was only 47 degrees with a strong chance of rain and the temperature going nowhere throughout the day. Hello March!

After doing 55 push-ups I grabbed my jacket and headed out with Eiknarf. It was a chilly walk, especially given that I was still in pajama shorts. Good thing I was smart enough to wear my fleece. She took care of business in all of about 10 minutes. Back at home I poured some coffee and returned briefly to my PC. I read the Daily OM as well as a few headlines. Time to meditate and stretch. Both went well.

Delivered Mindy’s coffee ahead of 630a. I was a few minutes behind last week’s early pace. It was 636a when I walked out the door for my run. I wore long running pants and my fleece pullover. Might’ve been a little drizzly rain but that’s it. And actually, those conditions aren’t at all bad for running. Kept me cool. I ran the full 4.1 miles spending most of my time contemplating my Trooper issue and then the overall problem with leaks currently running amuck in my life.

In the last couple months I’ve had to endure a leaky kitchen faucet, a leaky hot tub, and now a leaky transmission. Everywhere I turn something seems to be leaking. Drip, drip, drip! I'm still not at peace with my Trooper dilemma. Not sure what I’m gonna do with it, or about replacing it. The last thing I want to do is make a hasty, uninformed, and possibly poor decision. … Such is life.

I finished my run strong. Mindy had breakfast all but ready. Fried eggs. She mentioned there being an extra fried egg on the stove for me or possibly Frankie. I think she made the extra because the two others she fried for me were much smaller than usual.  I was fine with the two. Both kids were dragging behind enough for Mindy to invoke the early bedtime threat.

Mindy was working a half day so she could take Lindsey to an appointment designed to address some issues relative to little Rocky. She planned on leaving school at 1130a. She left for school near 730a. I sliced up the extra fried egg and fed it to Eiknarf who was whining incessantly for my scraps. Mindy’s created quite the monster!

I was showered, dressed and downstairs by 750a. I am such a creature of habit, I know. I packed my lunch including a salad, banana, cheese, and fruit medley. All the fruit was cut fresh on Sunday. I was thankful for that. The kids and I headed out at 757a. It was spitting a little rain but not enough to warrant an umbrella. Toughed it out.

Kenny was out with the girls. The pugs wrestled fiercely while waiting. Kenny hustled back home to get Chrissy ready for a therapy appointment. Eiknarf took a dump during our brief walk back home.

I wasn’t looking forward to driving the BM’er in the less than desirable weather conditions, but didn't really have a choice. It is what it is. I gathered my gear and secured the home. I headed out through the garage and to the waiting BM’er. It was raining heavier than it was earlier, but still light. It continued throughout the entire commute in. Of course I drove in with the top up.

I arrived at the office a couple minute late. I realized right away that I didn’t have my access badge. Dang it! I stopped at the reception desk to get a temp badge. That was quick. Trouble averted.

The morning plodded along as usual. Fairly busy, but then again, it’s often that way on a Monday when we’re catching up from the weekend. I talked with my peer about my Trooper dilemma. He gave me all sorts of pointers and advice, including how to discern what the cause of the leaking transmission fluid might be. And based on the symptoms, he shared that it may not be damaged, just low on fluid. Of course it’s a sealed system so a leak is not good. I took his advice and planned a trip to Advance Auto at lunch to get some transmission fluid. What I wasn’t yet sure of was how I would get the fluid into the transmission given that the fill hole points down, just like the drain plug. Odd configuration. Owner's manual recommends having a dealership do it.

It was raining when I left the building for lunch. I noticed how nicely the water still beads up on the BM’er. At Advance Auto, I perused their transmission fluid offerings, including some fluids designed specifically to stop leaks. I decided to bypass the fix-leak stuff and get the recommended fluid type. I bought two quarts of fluid and this small flexible hose adapter that screws onto the bottle. In theory, it could be used to squeeze the fluid into the downward facing fill hole. I picked up some windshield fluid too. We’ll need that for our family vacation next month. I headed back to the office. It wasn’t a pleasant day for a trip to the nursery.

Back at the office I enjoyed my packed lunch and a little personal time. The afternoon moved along nicely. I was busy but not overtly so. I talked with Mindy around 5p. I’d forgotten about the Lindsey appointment thing. She filled me in on the details. I had to go so I could wrap up my day. Hoped to leave work on time.

I left work around 540p. Had to pull myself away as there’s always more to do. Traffic on I-270 south was slowed to a snails pace.  I used the time to think. I arrived home around 6p. It wasn’t raining at the time but the streets were wet. It was cool, too. Never made it out of the upper 40s.  I was surprised to see dad’s minivan out front of the house. Mindy never made mention earlier.

Inside, Mindy and dad were conversing, about what I am not sure. The kids were scattered. Bella, I learned, was pouting in her room after throwing a fit doing home work with Mindy. At the same time, Mindy was put the finishing touches on our dinner, spaghetti and meatballs. Dad shared that Uncle Kenny made it home as planned from Florida. I believe it was last Thursday. I joked that it was him to blame for the sudden weather dive. Dad asked about my Trooper troubles.  I shared a little about it and then my tentative plan, which is to attempt at getting it functional enough to use as trade-in bait.

Dinner was good. I didn’t think I’d do it but I cleaned my plate. I like it, but I’ve never been able to eat a lot of spaghetti. Makayla stopped over just as we were finishing dinner to ask if we’d seen Lillian’s retainer. Nope. Said she left it in a napkin on our counter Sunday at dinner. Uh-oh! If she did, we most likely threw it away. That garbage bag was in the big can outside now. During clean-up, Mindy went out to get the bag and dig through the trash for it. It didn’t take long at all for her to produce it. Close to the top as expected. Mindy walked it down.

Bella was in her room again after throwing a fit over a comment Mindy made about selling her and Jacob if they didn’t behave. Bella’s always been sensitive to comments like that. Reminds me of my own childhood when our maternal grandmother would act like she was calling the police to come take us away for misbehaving. I remember being totally panicked. Of course we’d challenge her to the point of making the call. J

Bella assured us in no uncertain terms that she was not coming down to finish her homework. I offered that she would, either the easy way or hard way. She eventually chose the easy way (on her own accord). But once again Mindy drove her right back upstairs after making more commentary about her home work assignment. Thing was, I knew I could get her to understand without additional commentary, but I guess the teacher in Mindy wouldn’t allow her to keep quiet and let me handle it.

After more convincing, Bella finally came down and worked exclusively with me. The assignment was all about units of measure and where each might be most applicable. All she needed to do was identify certain items and how one might measure their length, size, weight, or volume. My initial example clicked just as I hoped it might. We cruised through the exercise.

Dad departed near 730p. Both kids headed to the neighbors to play. I headed to the sofa and went horizontal. The poor sleep from the night before had finally caught up with me. It didn’t help that I had a full belly. I’m thinking that I was asleep by 8p, and didn’t wake until just before 930p when Mindy asked me to tuck in the kids. I let Mindy know that I was going to bed. She said she’d come along too.

While tucking Bella into bed she thanked me for helping with her homework. She commented that I was far better at coaching her than her mommy. I just laughed, knowing all too well that it will be the exact opposite the next time. I shared as much with Mindy when I rolled into bed.

Turns out, I couldn’t fall asleep as easily as I hoped. I tossed and turned for at least an hour. I was tempted to get up and head downstairs to try and start over but fought off the urge and eventually fell asleep.

Oort Cloud

I woke Sunday around 730a feeling 100 times better than I did Saturday. It was nice to have energy. I started a pot of coffee then walked Eiknarf. The weather, meanwhile, didn’t look good. It was cloudy and breezy. I checked the temp when we got back. It was 58 degrees.

I enjoyed coffee at the PC and published an entire week’s worth of blog posts. I planned to add pictures later. Mindy woke around 10a – about the same time I was preparing to head out for a run. It was sprinkling when I finally headed out the door. Like most Sunday’s, I ran just three miles.

Home and already after 11a, Mindy reminded me that soccer was at 1p. I used the time until then to add photos to my blog. I added some back as far as Easter. I’ve been really bad about getting my photos uploaded. I headed for a shower around 1230p. Just before leaving for soccer I replaced the black ink cartridge in our printer. I bought two this time. The printer takes two different black cartridges – one is for general printing and the other for photos. Being in a hurry, I somehow thought the one was the other. I was furious believing HP shipped me the wrong ink. I checked my order online. I ordered the right stuff. After dealing with my Trooper issue, I was in no mood for more problems.

The drive to soccer was quiet. At some point Mindy lit into me for being in a bad mood over printer ink. I didn’t respond, but she was right. Inside I was beside myself – angry!

And don’t you know, as we neared the soccer park it started to rain again. We got a parking spot with a decent view of the field and game. I shared that I was watching from the comfort of the Honda. Mindy, meanwhile, went to retrieve Bella, already knowing she wouldn’t be dressed for the miserable weather. They both made a dash back to the Honda seconds later.

I fell asleep watching Jacob's soccer game. Looked like Jacob’s team was behind for most of the game. It started raining so hard that it was difficult to discern whether the ball went in the net or not. They won’t call the game for rain unless there’s lightning. There was none. They toughed it out. Jacob’s team made a strong push at the end but came up short. Lost 5-4. I think we were all glad when the game was finally over.

We retrieved the kids weekend luggage from Jimaken then headed towards the Sam’s Club in Hilliard where Mindy planned to pick-up steaks. Jacob and I waited in the car. He was soaking wet. They weren’t in the store too long. Probably no more than ten minutes tops.

At home I spent some time on my PC passively checking on the Reds game. They were ahead 3-2 while we were at Sam’s Club. Took a 9-2 late. Tried letting the Cardinals back in the 9^th, but held on to win 9-7. At some point I was getting bored and walked out into the damp back yard. I was surprised to find that the grass seed I planted last Monday was germinating after just 6 days (bag said 6-10 days). Cool!

Mindy walked the steaks down to Kenny & Chrissy’s after he agreed to be the griller. I laid on the sofa watching the golf tournament live from Florida. Mindy was making baked potatoes and fresh green beans too. Kenny called Mindy to confirm that we would host the meal at our place. Of course we would. After all, Chrissy was still convalescing from surgery.

Thye came down around 6p. Meanwhile, the golf tournament went to a sudden death playoff. Exciting finish. Mindy fixed the kids plates and then one for Chrissy.  Kenny and I made our own.  I chose a filet, as did Mindy & Chrissy. Kenny chose a T-Bone.

The steaks were seasoned perfectly and certainly not over done. I didn’t say anything, but half of mine was a tad too raw (purplish red) for eating. The other half was just fine. The red skin baked potato and green beans were good too.

After dinner clean-up I decided to pour myself a Jack & Coke. And why not?  It didn’t go down as easy as I hoped, however, so I had only one. Kenny headed home around 715p to intercept their son Jake. He spent the weekend with his aunt. Chrissy soon followed while their girls stayed down at our place. I ended up getting comfy on the sofa and tuned to the Science Channel where we watched a program about the sun, which was very interesting.

Next up we watched a program about fractal science, a rather new theory that postulates that everything happens in a certain sequence of numbers, similar to the ‘golden mean’ 1.618. Interesting stuff. Mindy headed up to bed soon after dispatching the kids there. Had to be about 930p. I watched more Science Channel, prepped Monday’s coffee, and tucked in the kids. I stayed up until 10p exactly.

Fell asleep soon after my head hit the pillow. Unfortunately, I woke and was unable to find that sweet spot again. I headed back downstairs to my PC at 11p and there I stayed for roughly 30 more minutes. I headed back to bed around 1135p, but struggled even then to get back to sleep.

Holy Hangover Batman

I slept soundly, waking just a few minutes after 8am. I popped up and out of bed in a hurry. I knew right away that I was hangover. Ugh! I somewhat hurriedly brushed my teeth and headed downstairs. I took three Advil then dove onto the sofa. I might’ve slept for another 30 minutes before getting up and taking Frankie out, which took all the energy I could muster.

It was nice out – about 66 and partly sunny. Unfortunately, I felt so bad that I couldn’t enjoy it. All I could think about was getting back home and on the sofa. Once there, I started some coffee first. I then took refuge on the sofa where I fell asleep until 10-1030a. I heard Mindy come down at some point and pour some coffee. Said she expected to find me working in the yard and finished with my run. Nope.

She brought me a Tagament to help calm my stomach. The Advil had already relieved my headache. It must’ve been around 11am when I mustered the energy to slip into my running clothes and head out the door. I knew once I got going I’d be OK.

Like most Saturday’s, I ran three miles. And just as expected, I felt pretty good once my blood got pumping and I broke into a sweat. Mindy was ready to leave for yoga soon after I returned home. Said she’d be heading to the grocery store afterwards. Asked how I felt. Felt decent right then, but shared that it was 20 minutes later that I was worried about.

I ate a few slices of rotisserie chicken, but not enough to weight my stomach down. Mindy now gone, I headed out to mow the lawn.  I whacked and edged first. Before getting out my mower I walked over to chat with Kenny, who was busy with his own yard work. Thanked him for the edging. Chrissy came out to chat too. It looked like she had just wakened. She’s still on the Vicodin.  We talked for about 15 minutes before I headed back home to get busy on the grass.

I started out front first, but got only about a 1/3 of the way through it before it poured rain. I mean it came down hard, too.  I headed inside briefly where I had a couple cheese sticks and a Gatorade. Lucky for me the rain didn’t last. Soon, the sky cleared up again and I headed back out to finish. With the grass now wet, it made it that much tougher to mow the already long and thick front lawn. I had to stop the mower a couple of times to clear the clumped clippings from under the mower deck.

I did the upper half of the back with the pushmower but then got out the tractor to finish the rest. The lawn looked about as good as it could with all the recent rain and warmth. Perfect for grass growing.  

The middle afternoon got really nice. Sun came out making for a lovely afternoon. I was feeling a whole lot better after sweating out my hangover. I wasted very little time moving on to my next chore, which was clearing all the edgings from the flower beds. The toughest part was around the two read maples near the deck. A network of fine hairlike roots held the edgings firmly to the bed’s base. It took square shovel power to get it completely loose. I worked up quite the sweat again.

I eventually worked my around the entire house gathering up all the edgings. Filled my Deere trailer full. I used the edgings to fill a low spot back along the pond and close to the tree swing. I also used a little to fill a couple smaller low spots out front that were created two years ago with the installation of our irrigation system.  Yards really starting to look good.

Next, I did a little more over seeding in the same area I did last Monday. I also over seeded a thin area out front by our white pine. Soon, Mindy was home from the grocery. I asked her to make me a sandwich when she had a minute. It went down easy. I commented that I could eat two. She offered to make a second but I declined. Again, afraid it would be too heavy on my touchy tummy.

Mindy headed off to Whole Foods mid-afternoon. I asked that she pick me up some beer to take to Joe’s party later, and also a case of Labatt Blue for Kenny - a gift for the edging work.

While Mindy was away, I blew the grass clippings off the drive and walks. I walked the front yard to blow away the clumps of wet grass lying there too. It was 4-430p when I finally called it day and headed in for a shower. I felt OK, but really wanted/needed a nap. That wasn’t to be, however.

After a shower Mindy was pretty much ready to go. We left around 530p for Joe’s. Didn’t take long to get there. We found it easily (all the cars).  Had to park along the road. Mindy headed inside the house with our veggie tray while I walked around to the patio with our cooler. I immediately encountered Gloria and Jodi. I acted confused and asked if they’d seen Mindy yet. I thought it was funny! Not sure they did.

Mindy and I fixed ourselves plates of food. Lots of good eats (standard party fare). My favorite might have been the chocolate, caramel, pretzels topped with almonds and cashews. Ummm good! Cracked a beer a short time later. Joined others playing two games of volleyball. My team lost both even after being ahead late. L

Saw Daniel for the first time in a year or more. Looks good. Always fun. Also saw Joe’s friend Chris. We haven’t seen Chris for maybe two years. We had a really nice time. I drank three beers through the entire evening. Mindy had two. We stayed until 10p. Party was just getting going. Folks still arriving.

Mindy called Chrissy & Kenny along our drive home. Made plans to stop down for a visit. Early on, we thought we’d be leaving Joe’s around 8p. Arrived home just after 1015p. Grabbed Frankie and walked down to the neighbors. I took a beer. Can’t recall if Mindy took a beer with her or not.

We hung with the neighbors only briefly. Kenny was asleep when we arrived. I’ll bet we weren’t there but for 30 minutes. We soon headed for home. All of us were tired. Just before leaving, Mindy offered that she would pick-up meat for grillin’ Sunday.

Clear Transmission

I was up on time and ready to get after it. The fact that it was Friday, my favorite day of the week, only made it that much sweeter. The sky was mostly clear and the early temperature 64 degrees. Another summery day in the offing.  

I completed calisthenics then leashed up Eiknarf. We walked towards the west where she took care of business in a hurry. Back at home I sipped coffee in front of the PC. The forecast was calling for 80 degrees and partly sunny skies. Chance of late day showers, though.

Unfortunately, the weekend wasn’t forecasted to be so nice – upper 60’s with a chance of showers Saturday, then clouds, rain, and cool on Sunday. We are in that transition period. I guess that's to be expected. Even worse, the high temps Monday and Tuesday aren’t expected to get beyond the low 50s with still more rain. The lesson? Enjoy the warmth while we have it.

Meditation and stretching went well. My neck and shoulders are still holding up well. I delivered coffee and pug to Mindy at 625a. She was in the middle of a shower. I wore shorts and a short sleeved wicking shirt for my run once again. The sun was already above the eastern most roof tops. Just beautiful!

I ran the full 4.1 miles without issue and finished strong and sweaty. Mindy had fried eggs ready and waiting. They were extra delicious. I heated leftover scrambled eggs for Eiknarf. She was very excited about that. Mindy left for school at her usual time after reminding the kids to bus home as normal.

I was off to the shower before 735a and ready within fifteen minutes. With the few minutes we had before bus time, I packed my lunch. With the ongoing threat of storms, I decided early on that I'd be driving the Trooper. The kids and I headed for the bus stop at 757a. We met Kenny and the girls there. Kenny shared that he was gonna rent the power edger and would likely edge both of our yards sometime that afternoon. I felt bad that he’d be stuck doing all the labor.

After the kids were on the bus I packed all of my gear, including my lunch and iTouch. I scrambled around looking for my Trooper and office keys. They weren’t in there usual place. Thinking it through, I figured I left them in Mindy’s purse after our Barley’s date the evening before. I have extra keys for all our vehicles, so rather than call and bother Mindy, I grabbed the extra Trooper keys and left for work at 815a. Once at work, however, I’d have to get the master key to gain access to my office.

The Trooper’s transmission slipped or jerked a couple times on the way into work, a gentle reminder that this new problem wasn’t simply going to go away. I arrived at work just after 830a. I had to track down a peer that had access to the master key vault. That took about ten minutes. No worries. By 845a I was finally settled into my office and the work day.

Given our light staffing, it wasn’t as busy as I expected it to be. Thank goodness! I had a lot to do still, including plenty of administrative stuff. Just to get away for a while, I took lunch around 1p and drove to Lowes.  I looked at flowers and shrubs then perused a few inside aisles as well.  I was gone for something close to 45 minutes. My peer wanted to leave for the day soon after I got back. I encouraged him to. Like most Friday’s, the afternoon got a bit dicey, but I managed through it. I was very much looking forward to a weekend despite a less than favorable weather forecast. At least now, though, they were predicting Saturday to be partly cloudy and in the 70s. I left for home at 525p.

The Trooper gave me fits all the way home. In fact, there were times when I worried that it wouldn’t make it. The transmission was getting worse by the mile. Something wasn’t right.

Mindy was out with the pug when I pulled up at home. My first thought was to check the transmission fluid and then peak underneath. I was beyond being frustrated and aggravated. Mindy stood there observing me. But in my cantankerous state, I didn’t really want to be stood over and watched. I shared as much, and I know it came off a little rude.

What? I couldn’t find a dip stick for the transmission anywhere. I peaked underneath. I could see transmission fluid all over the front and rear axles. Must be spraying out, I surmised. I got out my owner’s manual to learn how/where to check the fluid. Turns out, it’s a sealed transmission without a dipstick. Says to have the dealership check and service the transmission. Great! I headed in the house still a little frustrated with the whole mess.

Inside, I took care of my routine chores then walked out to check out the edging Kenny did. Nice job. I’d have to pick the edgings out of the beds on Saturday. Wasn’t sure where Mindy was. Later, found her sitting on the deck relaxing.  We talked about the Trooper. I hate feeling like my hand is being forced despite thinking/planning for a new car for many months now.

We decided we’d leave for Barley’s around 7p. Meeting nephew Joe there. Between work and the Trooper, I wasn’t in the best frame of mind. As planned, we left for Barley’s around 7p. We parked close. Inside, we grabbed a couple stools at the corner of the bar. Mindy’s teacher pal, Phyllis was already there.

I had just received my first beer when Ben & Ryan came in. Mindy earlier said they might be joining us. They presented us with a gift from the Ohio historical museum. It was a furry 'dick mitten'. We laughed hysterically. Others nearby were immediately curious. It’s an inside joke. I explained its roots to the others who were listening. Too funny!

Nephew Joe showed about 30 minutes later. Mindy, Ben and Ryan ordered food. I didn’t, but should’ve. Mindy ordered a hummus plate. And while I had a couple slices of pita with hummus, I didn’t eat anything substantial. Instead, I survived on beer, bouncing between the Hoptopus, Avery Maharaja, and Stone’s Sublimely Self Righteous.

I had a healthy beer buzz going to be sure. Darwin stopped in somewhat late. We chatted for the short time before we left. We invited Ben & Ryan to follow us home. Told Darwin to stop by too. Ben & Ryan left when we did and followed us home. Mindy paid the tab and drove.

At home, we broke into my personal beer stash and turned on some music, listening to tunes from my iTouch and Ben’s iPhone.  Darwin showed up at our door with a jug of Barley beer a short while later. I have no idea what time that was. He soon introduced his iPhone music into the fray. At some point, we headed out to the tree house. I remember spotting Eiknarf out in the yard unleashed. I’m surprised she didn’t run off.

I got a little buzzed to say the least. Had no idea the time when our company left and Mindy and I headed to bed. Thankfully, I had the wherewithal to take a few Advil before heading upstairs.