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Happy 75th Mom!

Slept in again until 550am. This time, however, I popped out of bed right before Mindy’s alarm sounded. I quickly brushed my teeth and gathered my running clothes before heading downstairs. For the first time in a while, there were tons of stars visible in the predawn sky. Looked really cold too. Thick frost coating everything.

I breezed through calisthenics, sit-ups, windmills, and push-ups. It was already 605am. I took Mindy coffee next. Once she was awake, I headed back downstairs for some of my own. Ahhh! It was a cold 28 degrees. I quick look at MRMs webcam revealed that they were indeed making snow despite a forecast that promises yet another weekend warm-up into the low 50s. There was a blurb on their snow report explaining the snow making process with details not familiar to most. And even though they were busy making snow, they weren’t planning to open this weekend. Saying they need a week’s worth of cold overnights’ to build a base worthy of opening. I’m sure that many misdirect their anger towards them, much like some of us hold the local weathermen in contempt when the forecast doesn’t cooperate.

Walked away from coffee and internet near 625am. I still took the time to do a thorough meditation and stretch. Just figured to get out for my run about 10 minutes later than usual. By the time I was dressed for my run Jacob was already heading out the door for school. I headed up to say goodbye to Mindy right then. It was 652am before I got out the door. I ran past Jacob and his school peeps waiting at the bus stop in the frigid cold. I was dressed for it, complete with long socks, hand and ear covers.

It was trash day, too. Our can was already at the curb, having placed it there the night before. I warmed up quickly. I was happy for the cold temps. As I passed the older gentleman I see walking almost every morning, I shared my liking of the cold. He just laughed. I ran the full 4.1 miles. As expected, Mindy was already gone. Bella was most helpful inside, organizing the pug for departure. Said she needed to call her momma and let her know that I made it back safely.

Eiknarf and I were out for about 10 minutes. Back inside I was eager to eat breakfast. Bella was interested in checking MRMs website for snow making. I showed her the live feed. She excitedly took a pic of the process with her iPhone. Mad me smile! Time was slipping away. I rushed off to the shower at 750am. I didn’t need to see Bella onto the bus since she & Makayla had a Beacon Ambassadors meeting. Instead, she headed down to Chrissy’s place shortly after I headed to the shower. She was taking them both to school early.

I was showered and back downstairs by 812am. I had a little time so I used it to edit more photos for Gloria’s album. Took care of about 20 before needing to leave for work. Our usual 10am Wednesday call was moved up to 9am. The customer wasn’t expecting me to join, knowing that my making it there and getting settled prior is next to impossible. I didn’t leave the house until 845am.

I made decent time, running into no traffic snarls whatsoever. I believe that I was there and at my desk by 910am. Tried calling my Mom to wish her a happy 75th b-day. Got her VM. My monthly presentation was moved to 2pm to accommodate their busy agenda. That left me more than four hours to take care of other pressing matters. And in the time I accomplished quite a bit. Mindy sent a text midmorning asking if we could talk. She was stressing over Xmas. I couldn’t. Just too busy. I did, however, take a few minutes to call Honda finance to figure out when Lindsey’s monthly payment info will be mailed. I was surprised to learn that they mailed it to my house. Said they mailed it on November 26th. Hmmm? I didn’t debate it. Instead, I explained that I would’ve assumed it my monthly statement which I typically ignore since my payment is set to come out automatically. Her first payment still isn’t due for another week, but didn’t want to wait until the last minute, either.

Didn’t take a lunch break of any sort, and I wasn’t hungry, either. Dealt with several issues across my entire customer base, including some for my peer, whose vacation I was covering. It was a very active day to be sure.

I prepared to depart for home at 450pm. I was on the road by 455pm and gave Mindy a call once I was on 270. We didn’t talk too long as Jimaken had just showed up to get the kids. She promised to call back once the kids were gone. I made great time around 270 not hitting the typical slow down at Hilliard-Cemetery exit. Traffic was heavy but not stifling. Mindy called back at some point. I suggested we go Xmas shopping in lieu of dinner and beers out. As tempting as dinner and beer sounded, we needed to may a dent in our remaining Xmas shopping more. I joked that the stress would otherwise remain. Mindy agreed.

Got home by 520pm. We chatted only briefly before heading off to shop. I felt really tired. Could’ve used a nap. We called Lindsey on our way to talk about the boys’ Xmas list. She indicated that her mom had their list and wasn’t sure what was already taken care of. I called Kelly next. Of course she didn’t answer so I left a VM. Instead of calling me, she apparently called Lindsey to have her relay the information back to us. Mindy & I both got a kick out of that whole thing. :)

Shopped Target for close to 2 hours. Most of the stuff on Rocky’s list wasn't happening from us.. For example, he wants a Kindle, an iTouch, a 4-wheeler, etc. We actually considered the Kindle but the fact that a credit card must be placed on the account, no thanks. Also, they don’t have an internet connection to access content. Not sure what Lindsey is thinking. We fussed over a handful of outfits for new G.D. Averie even though there really isn’t a relationship with Courtney.

Landon was the easiest. Most of the items on his list are what you might expect from a 5 year old boy. We picked up some things for the girls too. We left Target with plenty of holes still to fill even though we dumped nearly 4 bills. It was around 730pm. Both of us were hungry and tired. We briefly toyed with the idea of stopping at a restaurant for food but in the end opted for chicken & noodles at home.

Once our haul was carried our haul to the basement, I warmed chicken & noodles for both of us. While I did that, Mindy worked on sub plans since she'd be out of the classroom for a seminar all day Thursday. The kids were home around 8pm. The rest of the evening was an uneventful blur. I can't even recall what time I went to bed.

Some of that Holy Music

I wasn’t up until 550am, or right after Mindy’s alarm sounded. I had some disturbing dreams that had me tossing and turning most of the night. I didn’t feel as though I got the deep sleep my body seemed to be craving. At first I thought that I failed to prep coffee and became a little frustrated with myself for not doing so, but while brushing my teeth I remembered that I actually had.

Another cloudy start to the day, number 6 in a row. I pushed through morning calisthenics, completing sit-ups, windmills, and curls. I took Mindy her coffee before enjoying any of my own. I asked if Jacob planned on going to school. She said not. He asked that she wake him up just before she left for school. Still foggy, I headed back downstairs for some coffee of my own.

It felt heavenly to sit at my PC with coffee. I hung there until 630am when I felt motivated enough to trudge forward with the rest of my morning routine. I did meditation and stretching, not finishing up until almost 645am. And by the time I was dressed for a run it was after 650am. I decided to head upstairs to say goodbye to Mindy since she’d almost certainly be gone by my return.

It was below freezing for the first time in a while. I think it was 29 degrees. I ran the full 4.1 miles without incident. Felt really good. Sure enough, Mindy was gone by the time I was home. It was close to 735am. I took the pug on a brief walk. She seemed as eager as me to get back inside for breakfast.

There were scrambled eggs on the stove. During breakfast I made the decision that I was working from home. After eating I fired up my laptop and sent my boss an email sharing as much. I took care of a couple simple issues before getting too involved in my work day. And I headed to the bus stop with Bella at 810am.

Chrissy volunteered to take the girls to Beacon Ambassador day on Wednesday morning. I thanked her for the kind act. According to Bella, they’d need to leave around 8am. Back at the house I decided to postpone a shower until much later and instead poured another cup of coffee and got busy with work.

Ended up busier than I planned, with a few new unplanned escalations landing on my desk. Had to invoke my boss’ help on one particular issue. I don’t like to the do that but was left with little choice. I took a break mid-morning and called the Alarm Force guy leaving a message for him to call me back. He called back within 10 minutes. We talked for about 20 minutes, our call culminating with me ordering their service. A lot of little details they don’t tell you upfront, and for good reason. Might scare potential customers away. For one, you’ve got to register your system with the local police department, which also requires a fee. I felt much better getting that taken care of.

Worked for another couple hours before taking what amounted to a lunch break. I woofed down a burrito and then spent about an hour or so putting together photo packages for my daughters and Gloria. Over the past few days I built a distinct album from the past year’s photo collection for each of them trying to find a few quality photos from each month. Today’s goal was to edit each photo for a 4”X6” print. And going from experience, I altered the lighting in each and every photo, too. For some reason they always process/print darker than they appear on the computer screen. It’s a tedious process, and one that isn’t finished in one sitting.

Very busy afternoon. At some point Jacob was up and in the kitchen, however only briefly. Said he felt a whole lot better. Just as quickly, he headed back to his room. I was very busy through the afternoon working on escalated issues, not having even a minute to spend on my to-do list. However, at 4pm I prioritized my own stuff avoiding any and all outside distractions in order to finalize Wednesday’s customer facing presentation. Felt really good to get that taken care of.

Bella and Mindy were home between 4-430pm. At one point Bella had Mindy on the phone and tried handing it to me. I wouldn’t take the call so not to be distracted from the task at hand. Shortly after 5pm, I was pretty good about putting work aside. I spent a few minutes interacting with the family but then dug back into my holiday photo task all the while Mindy toiled with dinner – chicken and noodles. I was able to get albums edited for Ashley & Lindsey. Still have Gloria’s to do.

I still hadn’t taken the time to shower. Just before dinner (around 525pm) I dashed off to take one. When I made it back downstairs for dinner, Mindy had a change of heart. Decided to run Bella to gymnastics before we sat down for dinner. Not a problem. While she ran Bella to the gym, I wrote a blog posting. I also reviewed the day’s headlines. The markets were up. That was welcome news!

Mindy was back home around 610pm. She quickly dished up the homemade chicken & noodles and mashed potatoes. And man, were they ever delicious! I had two helping of chicken & noodles. We were done with dinner and clean-up by 640pm. Not long after that Mindy & Jacob headed out shopping. I asked if she planned on picking up Bella after gymnastics. She didn’t. I still needed to do the deed.
I spent the next 20 minutes editing more photos for the Xmas albums. I had to be careful of the time. It flew by as often happens when one immerses into a given project.

I looked up and realized that it was already 716pm. Yikes! I needed to bolt for Bella. However, there was a small problem. I needed gas. Crap! I stopped at the Circle K for a fill-up, and in my haste I put my card in upside down which then locked me out of the pump with a see attendant message. Great! I wasn’t going inside. I pushed several buttons until it finally reset and allowed me to try again. Finally. The Accord took 15.9 gallons. Paid $3.19 per.

Made it to the gym right at 730pm. It’s not like it would’ve been a catastrophe if I were late. Bella is perfectly capable of walking home in the cold if necessary. OK, kidding. The gym is opened until 9 or 10pm. Even in my rush, I remembered to grab Kelly’s plate, the one she brought the bourbon soaked brownies to our Xmas party on. She was in the office on my arrival. We chatted for a while after I handed her plate back. She’s more fun than I originally assumed.

Bella and I headed for home. She asked that I crank the Xmas music playing on the XM radio. It’s called Holly, but Bella calls it “Holy”. Too funny. Within the last few weeks they’ve changed the traffic pattern on 270 N for the ongoing construction. As a result, we missed the early exit to the 70 entrance ramp side. We ended up having to exit on Roberts Rd and then back track a little. Not a huge time difference.

Mindy & Jacob weren’t yet home when Bella and I arrived. Bella asked that I top off her chicken & Noodles with some fresh and then reheat the entire plate. I did some more photo editing while she ate. Mindy & Jacob were home a few minutes later. Around 845pm I tried tuning into the History Channel only to discover that it was inexplicably missing from the line-up along with a few others not normally tiered together. Tried everything. Learned that ESPN was missing again too. Dang it! I called Time Warner service. Being after hours, I’m guessing it was an off-shore group - barely spoke English. Still Evring was most helpful, and tried completely resetting out main box. Nope, didn’t work. He then tried ‘boosting’ our signal, but that didn’t work either. Said we’d need a service call. Great! Offered Thursday morning, but we both would be at work. He then offered Saturday to which I barked is disagreement. I suggested Thursday evening. He agreed to 4-5pm, Thursday.

While I toiled with Time Warner, Mindy headed off to bed. I watched TV of some sort until 10pm while also enjoying a little popcorn. I was still agitated over the Time Warner thing. Headed to bed minutes later. Mindy was still awake. I shared the details of the Time Warner service call. She figured to be home but would have to double check the times of her Thursday seminar.

Lack-a-Moon

I was awake and out of bed shortly after 530am. And while my bedroom clock is still set 4 hours fast, the new cable box resting just below it on the armoire has the 'real' time. Takes some of the fun out the game. Took a gander out the back door right after I slipped into my exercise shoes. The sky was still cloudy. If memory serves, that's five days in a row. It wouldn't be too bad at all if it were cold enough to snow, but unfortunately that hasn't been the case. Though had it been, we'd be buried in snow after getting more than 3" of rain in the past week. Despite the warmth, it's not like the entire midwest is basking under warm air. Hardly, Michigan, Minnesota, & Wisconsin are getting cold and snow. We simply need the jet stream to slip a couple hundred miles to the south.

Did calisthenics, whipping out sit-ups, windmills, and push-ups. Did some back stretches too. I was more than ready for coffee. Enjoyed my first cup while playing on the internet. I checked the current weather conditions as well as the SNF results. It was a balmy 51 degrees, but the temperature was supposed to drop through the day nearing freezing during the overnight. The Packers held on to beat the Lion's. The Vikings really needed the Packers to lose.

Vacated the PC around 605am and headed upstairs with coffee for Mindy. I took a glance under Jacob's bedroom door and noticed that his light was on. That was all I needed to see. Back downstairs I spent a couple more minutes online before segueing into meditation and stretching. Both went well.

I'm finally gaining some flexibility in my shoulders. What once was a very painful stretch (lying on my back with my arms crossed beneath me) is almost comfortable. Ultimately, I'd like to be able to join hands behind my back, one over my shoulders and the other up from behind. Still have a long way to go before that's a reality. In the end, however, what I am really after is simply pain-free flexibility.

Got out for my run by 640am. I wore a thin wicking shirt and jacket. I didn't bother with ear covers or gloves. Despite the reasonably warm temps, the air was a little chilly, especially with a 8 mph breeze. I turtled my hands up into my sleeve for the first mile or so. That took care of that issue. The run was a good one. Psychologically, very therapeutic. Bella brought me the leash as soon as I was in the door. I didn't want to walk across the tile floor due to damp and dirty running shoe soles. Eiknarf was still in bed. I jingled her leash, and then after a few minutes of sitting with my back to the steps she came down for her walk.

We walked the old route, which is to the west. She took care of business without issue. It felt much cooler than it did just 40 minutes prior. Mindy left for school a couple minutes after I was back inside. Can't recall if we discussed dinner plans. We had plans to meet the Imber's at BJ's Brewhouse. Bella and I enjoyed some breakfast time together. Actually, she played on the iPhone while I ate.

It was 745am before I ran off to the shower. I briefly contemplated taking a shower after the bus pick-up but opted not. I had no good reason. I wasn't downstairs until 806am. Bella was already preparing to walk out the door. I must say, she's far better at being ready without being cajoled. I started prepping the complements to the salad Mindy made for me, but had to leave it half done and head out to the bus stop. Eiknarf was slacking on the recliner. I left her inside and headed out right behind Bella.

Met Chrissy & Makayla at the bus stop. Makayla looked like she'd just woken up. I teased her about it. Bus arrived around 815am. Chrissy and I chatted about a couple things, but nothing worthy of mention. Back at the house I picked up where I left off with my packed lunch, cutting up cheese and tossing some nuts in a baggie. I played on the internet for about five minutes all the while enjoying another cup of coffee. I ordered a couple more Xmas gifts via Amazon and then mailed off my mom's b-day card. Time's slipping away. Not that many shopping opportunities remain.

I reminded myself not to rush for the sake of rushing. Sometimes that's exactly what I catch myself doing even though, more often than that not, I'm the only person that knows I'm running behind is me. I left for the office near 850am. My gas gauge showed less than a quarter tank. I figured to wait and fuel up on Tuesday. Arrived at the office around 910am. Arriving after 9am avoids the flashing school lights at the corner. And by the time I was settled and logged on, it was darn near 930am.

I had a team call to join at 11am. Before then I chatted with my boss, him sharing how well his weekend went. I was happy to hear about it. He had a horrible work week prior. We might've talked for about 15 minutes. That's the only time I saw him for the entire day, though that's not at all unusual.

I had plenty to keep me busy, including the fact that I was covering for a vacationing peer again this week. I don't mind covering. He'll be covering me in a couple weeks. Didn't bother taking a real lunch break. I simply ate while I worked, completing some of the last pieces of Wednesday's monthly presentation. The only piece remaining by day's end was throwing into Power Point. I figured to address that on Tuesday. Mindy sent a text mid-day sharing that she left school and headed home with a tummy ache.

Took call from our home cell phone a little after 4pm. It was Bella sharing that she poked her mom but she wouldn't/didn't move. It was kind of cute, but also a little worrisome. We were supposed to have dinner with the Imber's who we haven't hung with even once since last ski season. I thought we might need to cancel. I told Bella to call me if she couldn't wake her momma. She never called back.

I left for home around 5pm and called the new home landline. Bella answered. We talked for a few before Bella handed the call off to Mindy, who was finally up amongst the living. Said she slept for three solid hours and didn't even hear Bella come in the room earlier. Also said she felt better and wanted to keep our dinner date with Bob & Mary Ann. OK. I arrived home around 515pm. Mindy asked what time we'd need to leave to make it to BJ's by 630pm. I suggested 610pm. During the next 50 minutes I prepped Tuesday's coffee and brushed up a bit. Mindy && the kids did the same. Mindy had to stay on top of them the entire time, making sure that were moving and then dressed appropriately. By then the temperature had dropped to 35 degrees. It was even spitting snow flurries on my way home from work.

Mindy was arguing with Jacob about what jacket he would wear. He wanted to wear his thin soccer jacket, and then shared that he doesn't have anything warmer that fits. After listening to them go back and forth for a while I offered up my Free Country soft shell ski jacket. Jacob begrudgingly agreed. Actually fit him nice. Bella's now at an age where she follows Jacob's lead good or bad. She tried pulling similar antics, but was quickly shut down. Funny, really.

Arrived at Tuttle mall and BJ's Brewhouse just ahead of our 630pm meet time. As usual, the lot was packed in pretty tight. We took a spot far removed from the entrance. Believe I spotted Bob & Mary Ann pulling in just as we crossed the lot to enter. We asked for a table for six and were quickly taken to a table far in the back. I alerted the hostess that we were waiting on two others and asked that they guide Bob & Mary Ann back. They happily agreed. We weren't even seated when we saw them walk in. Mindy flailed her arms to get their attention. Both kids were doing the grumpy thing, feeling sorry for themselves for having to be there. Poor souls, having to go out to dinner with their parents on a Monday night.

Once the Imber's joined the kids softened. They like Bob and Mary Ann a bunch. After hugs for all, we perused the beer menu for a spell. Bob ordered some special Belgium they were selling for a limited engagement. Mindy and I ordered Great Lakes Xmas ale, but were disappointment when Kyle, our server returned to inform us that they were out of it again. Mary Ann went with a soft drink. Mindy & I hemmed and hawed over the beer menu eventually settling on a CBC IPA. I knew when Kyle brought our beers that it wasn't CBC IPA. Too dark. I know my CBC's even better than my ABCs. :) I sipped to confirm. Nope, not even close. This had light cinnamon flavor, a Xmas ale, I guessed it Sam Adams for the lightness of it. You know, brewed for the masses. We opted not to say anything.

We ordered two plates of appetizers, calamari, and a appetizer platter. Honestly, there was enough food on the appetizer plates to serve as my dinner, though I still ordered a roast beef sandwich as my entree. Mindy went with a complete steak dinner. So much for being sick with a stomach ache. First a beer and now a steak dinner. The kids went with pizza. Bob with large fried shrimp, and Mary Ann with some sort of salad. She was eating healthy for the good of us all. :)

We got caught up on what all's been going on over the last year through appetizers and dinner. We also commiserated over the lack of snow and cold, comparing this year's early season to last. We talked a little shop too, but not much. We touched on possible winter trips, too. Doesn't sound like we'll be able to hook-up much over Xmas. They're heading up to Wadsworth Friday, the 21st and won't be back until Xmas night. Of course the following morning we bolt for HV. It's highly likely that we won't see them again until next year. A few of us had leftovers and requested to-go boxes from our server, Kyle. During a bathroom break, I sought him out again to hand him my card to cover dinner.

We vacated out table and parted ways shortly after 8pm. We still wanted to make out way to the Sawmill Rd Dick's to find Jacob a new ski dome. Passed out hugs once again, promising to not be strangers. But with ski season here, we should see plenty of Bob. That is provided it gets cold enough for snow. Speaking of cold, it was below freezing as we made our way to the Pilot. Burrrrr! Felt colder than it was simply because it's been so warm of late.

We made our way further north around 270 to the Sawmill Rd exit and south about a mile to Dick's. Not many people there on a Monday night at 830pm. It was eerily quiet. We rode the escalator up to the winter sports section. Jacob and I perused the helmets while Mindy & Bella swooned over their colorful selection of women's fleeces. Jacob found a ski dome the same color as his pants and jacket, which was fine, but I cautioned that he may not want a sky blue helmet when it comes time to retire the jacket and pants. He agreed and opted for the dull black. Mindy wanted to get him a new pair of ski gloves too. He needs them. I had to laugh when I looked at his pair from last year. They look like Bella gloves. In fact, by the end of last ski season, he was wearing my old back-up pair.

For the money, it's hard to beat Hotfingers. I get a full season out of a pair and they're warm, comfy, and only $29. I try to always have two pair in my kit. I also keep a pair of thick running gloves in the kit too, for the warmer, blue bird days.

As we perused a few aisles on the lower floor, we ran into a co-worker of mine, Sven. He's a wireless acct executive. He was there shopping with his young son, Simon. We chatted for a while, me introducing Mindy and the kids. Turns out, his wife is a former Hilliard school teacher, as was his mother, who has long since retired. It was near 9pm when we checked out and headed for home. Everybody claimed they were tired. And by the time we arrived home Jacob was complaining of a tummy ache, just like Mindy earlier. uh-oh! We weren't home long before all of us got into our PJs. When I came out from our room I found Jacob sprawled out on the hallway floor asleep. Not good! Mindy eventually got him up and to bed. Didn't look good for school on Tuesday. I know Mindy took his temperature but not sure the reading. I don't think he had a fever.

I headed to the family room and tuned the TV to MNF featuring New England and Houston, a highly promoted match-up. The Patriots were already kicking their ass 21-0 and only minutes into the 2nd quarter. Mindy soon begged off to bed. About the same time ESPN inexplicably kept fading in and out like something was wrong with the digital signal. I rushed up to our bedroom TV to compare. Looked fine there. Must've been the box itself. When I got back downstairs it was fine, at least for about 5-10 minutes. It wasn't long before it started flaking out again. Eventually gave up and headed up to bed where Mindy was reading. I asked if I could watch some of the game from bed. She signed but agreed. I'm certain she was banking on my knack for falling asleep within the first five minutes.

It took a little longer than five minutes, but I eventually began to dose. She tried to turn it off once a tad too soon and I pulled the remote away. She hit it again but I was too tired to wrestle it back on. Good night lack-a-moon.

Good as Pie

I woke initially around 5am and then about every half hour thereafter until 810am when I rolled out of bed for good. I could’ve slept even longer but quickly grew tired of the wake/sleep pattern.

Weather looked pretty much the same as it did for last three plus mornings – cloudy with light rain. I started a pot of Starbucks then headed to my PC. Once again, it was cloudy and threatening rain. Expected to stay like that for most of the day again, too. I decided not to rush to have my run done before any particular time. I used the quiet morning to add more photos to my blog and then write Friday’s posting.

I played around for a couple hours, not leaving for a run until close to 1030am. Mindy was still in bed when I headed out. It was 41 degrees, but felt colder than that with a cold breeze blowing from the SE. I ran three miles without any discomfort. Mindy was up when I got back from my run, which was just before 11am. Said she’d just gotten up.

We were expecting Lindsey and the boys around noon to do laundry. I bellyached to Mindy about the less than favorable weather forecast for both home & Holiday Valley, even going as far as talking about canceling our after Xmas ski trip. As she often does, Mindy reminded me that I do this every year, and every year it works out. She’s right, but this year seems even worse than last year’s poor skiing conditions.

I suggested we have bloody Mary’s. Mindy didn’t want one at first but changed her mind soon after I started mixing them up. I made hers a little weaker than my own.

Around 1145am I baked a full package of bacon, knowing that the boys would dig up on the bacon. I planned to make an omelet too, but figured I’d wait until they actually arrived before heating the pan. At the same time, I whipped up a double batch of pie dough, thinking I would make another chocolate pie for dessert. This time I added an extra ½ cup of flour to the mixture. That seemed to do the trick. I had the pie dough whipped up in no time at all. I placed one ball in the freezer and the other in the fridge.

The bacon was done around 1210pm, but still no Lindsey & the boys. They showed up about 10 minutes later. As soon as they were in the door they smelt the bacon and asked for some. I offered up eggs too. Only Rocky wanted a plain omelet. Landon wanted only bacon. I used the last six eggs for our omelets. I asked Mindy if she would get more so I could make the chocolate pie. Said she would ask Chrissy if we could borrow three. Added cheese, onion, and tomato to our omelets, but left Rocky’s plain.
The omelet turned out well. Soon after cleaning that mess I got started on the chocolate pie. At the same time, Mindy headed upstairs to ready for a trip to the grocery store. It was around 115pm. I turned the family room TV to NFL action. Right away they showed a Viking highlight. Surprisingly, they were up 14-0 over the Bears just 5 minutes into the game. I didn’t check scores again until halftime.

Instead of watching football, I prepped and cooked the chocolate pie filling then rolled out and baked the pie crust. Same problem as every other time. The baked pie dough shrunk more than desired, slightly below the lip of the pie pan even though I follow the directions to a “T”. Not sure why that always happens. Before Mindy left for the grocery, she took Chrissy the card and gift we got her, and then returned with four eggs.

Mindy left for the grocery while I finished up the pie filling, which is quite the process. My arm got tired stirring the chocolate concoction. For the next hour or more, the boys were doing what they usually do, which is bickering with one another, and Lindsey was giving them almost constant crap. Once the pie was in the fridge chillin’, I headed up to my room for a nap and a shower. I watched some of the Bengals/Cowboys game before falling asleep. The Bengals were ahead for the entire game, but were leaving lots of additional scoring opportunities on the table, which is never good.

I finally fell asleep but it couldn’t have been for more than 10 minutes. That didn’t matter. The rest felt good and the quiet was heavenly. Now 3pm, I finally got into the shower. After my shower, rather than head back downstairs I laid back down on my bed and watched a little more football. The Vikings were ahead 21-7 with 5 minutes left in the game. That energized me. I headed downstairs again around 320pm. Still no Jacob & Bella. That’s odd. Jim’s pretty good about having them home right at 3pm most Sunday’s.

I’m guessing that they were home at 330pm. It wasn’t too long after I headed back downstairs. Jacob, Landon and Rocky quickly headed out to play. Bella stayed inside. Asked if she could go to Makayla’s. I made her come give me a hug and sit with me for a few. Asked that she stay home until Mindy got back from the grocery. She did so, and without any push-back.

The Vikings won. For that I was happy. On the other hand, the Bengals blew their game against the Cowboys, allowing them to drive the field and score a winning field as time expired. Tisk-tisk! Mindy was home from the grocery around 415pm. Me, Bella and Lindsey helped her carry in the haul. I went to my PC to read about the Vikings unlikely victory while Mindy put the groceries away. She called out, asking me to prep the two rotisserie chickens for the oven. I did so but only after giving her a little crap.

Bella soon begged off for Makayla’s. Mindy asked her to be home for dinner at 530pm. With the house relatively quiet, I decided to mute the TV volume and do some reading. I read until dinner was ready. Mindy had to call Chrissy’s house looking for Bella. It was 545pm and no Bella. All the other kids were in. Lindsey was back from taking her finished laundry home. They planned to have dinner with us. Just as Mindy was about to send Jacob looking for Bella, she came in the door. Frankly, I was surprised that Mindy didn’t give her any grief.

As usual, the rotisserie chicken and Bob Evans mashed potatoes were delicious. We ate on paper plates so clean-up was a snap. Mindy got out the chocolate pie as soon as clean-up was finished. We stowed the leftover chicken in a Tupperware container. Mindy confirmed that she’ll be making chicken and noodles for dinner one evening next week. Yum!

Everybody loves chocolate pie. But Rocky & Landon ate only the filling, leaving only the crust behind. Bella ate some of their crust. As soon as dessert was history, Lindsey and the boys headed for home. It wasn’t even 7pm. Bella asked if she could go back to Makayla’s. Mindy agreed. Jacob headed off to his room for Sunday night homework. He’s pretty good about staying on top of his school work without being hounded by us. I appreciate his school work ethic. Like earlier, I muted the television volume and did some more reading. While I read, Mindy did some school work from her laptop. I kept a loose eye on the end of the Saints/Giants game. The Giants won easily. I took a break from reading at 8pm and actually watched an episode of the Simpson’s, a program I haven’t watched in several years. Funny.

Around 850pm we tuned into SNF, Detroit/Green Bay. Detroit was already ahead and remained ahead through halftime. It didn’t last. Green Bay took the lead in the 3rd quarter. Mindy headed to bed around 930pm. I stayed up watching football and enjoying a bowl of Cookie Crisp until 1020pm. Heading to bed when I did, I wasn’t that tired. I laid there awake for maybe 10 minutes before Mindy asked if I wanted to catch more of the SNF game. Yes. I watched until there were 5 or 6 minutes left. The Packers were ahead by 10 points.

Laying Down on the Job

I was out of bed & downstairs around 745am. Despite a weather forecast that on Friday promised that the rain would move out, it was still sprinkling. Ho-hum. I started a pot of coffee then headed to my PC. It was a little depressing looking at the long range (10 day) forecast for both Columbus and Holiday Valley. Not a day below freezing or any snow in the forecast. The coffee was ready around 815am. Poured a cup then returned to my PC.

I spent a little time updating my blog before heading out for a run. I needed to be back home by 10am for our Time Warner upgrade of service appointment. Mindy was up around 845am. After some coffee, she headed upstairs for a shower. Near the same time, I headed out for my run. It was close to 935am.
It was drizzly and 52 degrees, actually pretty nice weather for a run. I ran three miles without issue. The Time Warner contractor was at the house when I got back from my run. Frankly, I was surprised that he was already there given that it was a 10-11am appointment. It was only 1005am. Mindy was showered and dressed but hadn’t yet finished her hair and make-up. She said she couldn’t answer most of his initial questions, but assured him I’d be back in a few short minutes.

Russell, the tech was replacing our cable modem when I walked in. Said he eliminated my quality Cisco dual band n-router too. I didn’t request a new router, so I asked him to hook it back up. Said that wouldn’t be a problem, but it was a combo modem/router, so the device would actually remain, but only as the cable modem. Whatever it takes.

Next, we headed to the family room where Russell swapped out the HD DVR box with a new Cisco whole-house DVR. Initially the swap went fine until he discovered that there isn’t a digital audio output on the new Cisco, which is how we get the audio to my Yamaha receiver for surround sound. He made a quick call to his office to try and determine how to proceed. His solution wasn’t acceptable, which basically eliminated an audio feed to my receiver. With that solution I was ready to cancel the whole upgrade.

It dawned on me that the Cisco box did have a fiber optic output, and that’s how I moved audio from our Blu-Ray player to the receiver. I suggested we swap the cables between devices. Problem solved. Mindy was downstairs and ready to head out for a run to Target. She left shortly after Russell joked with her about doing some of his Xmas shopping.

After Mindy left, Russell and I headed upstairs to put the box on the master bedroom TV. That went fairly smooth. While Russell set up the cable modem and the telephone service, I tinkered with the new DVR in the family room. He had to come in and configure the box to our 1080i TV. Before that, most HD channels weren’t viewable. I was a little nervous but he figured it out in a hurry.

The phone service install was far & away the simplest, essentially plug n’ play. I fumbled to find the assigned number to place a test call. Worked perfectly. Russell took a few minutes to gather all the trash and then the old box and cable modem. I’m thinking he was there until almost noon, or about 2 hours.
As soon as Russell was gone, I took another hour to get everything set up the way I wanted it, including getting the new home phone set-up attractively on the kitchen side desk. I also pulled out my Yamaha receiver and swapped the inputs on the back so the cable box audio matched the setting. As it was, I had to have the receiver on DVD player for the cable audio after swapping the cables. I took a few minutes to clean the dust bunnies behind the cabinet, too. It took me quite a while to figure out how to program the new remote to control my Yamaha receiver. None of the codes listed worked. I had to use the auto discover feature, which literally meant I had to hold the find button down for almost 4 minutes before it discovered the code. But once I did it actually controlled more features than our old remote. Cool!
I did an internet speed test next. As advertised, I am now getting download speeds of 20mbps, effectively doubling my old speed.

Once the cable services were squared away, I headed to the basement to inventory all of my ski gear, including gloves, helmet liner, gator, goggles, etc. I even tried on my ski pants to make sure they still fit comfortably. They did. Satisfied that all my gear is ready to roll, I carried my ski boots upstairs where I planned to give them a tune-up. The first thing I did was give them a bath. They were covered in a white powder, chemical residue from Mad River Mtn. snow preservative, I am sure. After a thorough cleaning, I coated the adjustable boot buckles with 3-1 oil, and then worked them in and out several times. A couple of them were beginning to seize up prior. Lastly, I installed my new Dr. Scholl’s Gel insoles. What a difference!

Mindy was home just as I finished tuning up my boots. I suggested that I would do hers next. Took about 30 minutes to do mine. Mindy’s went a little faster after working out a system. Plus, she didn’t have new insoles needing installed. From my perspective, we’re ski ready. Now all we need is some dang snow! Mindy quickly prepared to leave for Fallon’s baby shower. Fallon is a girl that we met at MRM towards the tail end of the 2010 ski season. Later that spring she headed off somewhere in Asia to teach English. While gone she got married, and two years later is expecting their first child. The theme of the party was “a tea”. According to Mindy, she was really supposed to wear a formal dress and gloves, but she didn’t have any in white. Mindy left the house around 130pm expecting to be home near 4pm, or just in time for us to get ready for Ben & Ryan’s Xmas party.

While Mindy was away I planned to tinker and nap. I was starving, though, so the first thing I did was make a burrito with leftover taco meat. Umm! The next 90 minutes went pretty fast. I headed up for a shower around 330pm. After a shower I decided to try out our new bedroom cable box. I was disappointed to discover that the box was disabled and displayed a message to call Time Warner service. Dang it! I called the number on the screen was quickly routed to Justin, who later shared that he was in Zanesville. Not that it really mattered. He was able to take care of the problem. Said Russell forgot to have them remove our old HD box and add the 2nd new one. He asked three times if we still had the old box in the house. Each time I told him the same thing. No, Russell took it with him.

Had to reprogram the new remote for the cable box, too. In home technology has certainly gotten complicated over the years. Mindy got home just as I was finishing up on the phone with Time Warner. She laughed when I told her what happened. It was about 420pm. Mindy took care of a few things downstairs but then headed to our room to steal a nap ahead of Ben & Ryan’s party, which officially began at 5pm. We figured to get thee around 630pm.

While Mindy napped, I spent a little more time online updating my blog from the past week. Mindy’s nap was relatively short, 30 minutes tops. I have expected to sleep for a couple hours. She readied for Ben & Ryan’s party while I walked the pug. We left the house between 6-630pm.

We didn’t have the address or street name but have been there a couple other times. We figured we could fairly easy find the house by familiarity. I took 70W to Hilliard-Rome Rd then headed south. We got stopped for a train at just north of the old 84 lumber. There was something like 130 train cars, though I stopped counting accurately at 100.

We sniffed out their house easy enough. I recognized the street name – Pasadena right away. We then drive until we ran into a number of cars. Yep, that was it. Probably a little more than half their guests were already there on hand. There were a few guests, including Josh, hanging out in the detached garage. We stopped in there briefly first. I followed Mindy inside to greet Ben & Ryan.

We arrived bearing gifts and also brought a growler of CBC Bodhi. There were lots of eats. Ben’s one heck of a chef. In fact, all will tell you that he missed his true calling. Everything we ate was prepared by Ben. He made wings, smoked brisket, Puerto Rican pork roast, a stuffing with rice concoction, as well as a few others. Everything was to die for. Most folks ate the meat with fingers and napkins. No need for utensils or plates.

Our friend Josh (Ben’s brother-in-law) had us all in stitches with several impersonations: Ben, Kenny, Steve – Ben’s father, etc. Too funny! Ben insisted we head to his bar in the basement to do a shot. Showed me his scotch collection. We ended up doing a shot of locally distilled OYO vodka. It’s pretty good.

We hung out at Ben & Ryan’s party until almost 11pm. Mindy had only one glass of wine and agreed to drive. Aside from Ben’s parents, we were the first to depart. We’re old fuddie duddies, I guess. 

Mindy was quickly off to bed as soon as we arrived home. I went to the computer but quickly abandoned thoughts of staying up and hanging out after Mindy pleaded her case for me to join her in bed. She agreed to let me watch SNL from bed. I don’t think I saw much at all.

Phone Home

I purposefully slept in a few extra minutes, waking for good around 540a. Felt good and ready to tackle the day. Downstairs I glanced outback seeing rain and perhaps a little fog. Soon engaged in exercise, I whipped out sit-ups, windmills, and push-ups. Day two using a paper coffee filter. No overflow or spillage. It was already 6am. I headed upstairs with coffee and to wake Mindy.

Downstairs I played around online until 630am not particularly worried/concerned with the quickly advancing time. Headed in to meditate and stretch about the same time that Jacob was downstairs having breakfast. I noticed he was wearing long pants. It was 47 degrees, but I didn't bother sharing that with Jacob. He headed out for the bus a few minutes before I headed out for a run. I headed upstairs to say goodbye to Mindy since it was highly likely she'd be gone by the time I returned from my run. On my way out she asked if I was working from home. I didn't think so, but still wasn't 100% certain.
It sprinkled throughout most of my run. Not to worry. I didn't think too much about it. Ran only three miles making home just as Mindy was readying to head off to work. Quickly leashed up the pug and headed out for a walk. Back home, Bella was just finishing up her breakfast - a blueberry Toaster Strudel. It was after 745am by the time I'd finished eating and fooling around in the kitchen. As a consequence, Bella was ready to head out for the bus stop when I was downstairs again after my shower. I quickly called to the pug, but she was lounging comfortably on one of the livingroom chairs and didn't appear motivated for another outdoor adventure.

After Bella was off to school, I spent a little time online looking at new running shoes and drafting an email to Alarm Force with a host of new questions. Left for the office around 845am. It was drizzling the entire commute into the office. Picked up in intensity as I walked into the office.

After getting settled, I walked down to talk with my boss. He looked tired Said he worked until almost 1am the night before. I wouldn't want his job for any amount of money. We talked for probably 20 minutes before I headed back to my office to dig into my day's agenda. I planned to spend most of my day on reporting and did just that. Worked until about noon, at which time I headed home to check on the house and to pick-up my checkbook so I could cover my share of the bosses Xmas gift as well as my share for the Xmas gifts our team bought for an adopt-a-family program.

Spent maybe 15 minutes at home, long enough to check the house, grab my check book, and read a couple emails. Instead of going straight back to the office, I headed to Tuttle Mall for a little Xmas shopping. Picked up a couple gifts in Macy's then walked around the mall making brief stops at Finishline & Bath & Body Works. Bought nothing at either place. I had originally planned to stop at Best Buy to pick-up a new house phone for Saturday's Time Warner install, but forgot and headed straight back to the office. Remembered just as I turned into the lot. Oh well, figured I could stop on my way home. It was still raining by the way.

The blue screen of death was present on my laptop when I got back to my office. Yikes! I rebooted and everything worked fine. I really need a new laptop. I spent most of my afternoon working on reporting, at least until 4pm, when I stopped to take care of some administrative tasks. The last 30 minutes in the office went smoothly. I left for Best Buy and home at 435pm.

Best Buy just up the road., I was there a few minutes later. A Best Buy sales associate helped me find landline phones. I couldn't find the VTech phone I found on their website for $29. All the phones in aisle I was in were near $100. I decided to walk around the corner where I found another aisle of phones and the one I saw online. But like often happens at Best Buy, the in-store price was $10 higher than the website. I was sure it was the same phone. I pulled up their website on my smart phone and confirmed the model number and price. Sure enough. I still wanted the phone and brought the miscue to the attention of a sales guy. Told me to show the cashier and she would take care of it. OK, sure. Nice phone for $29. Latest security features and comes with two handsets - one to place remotely without the need of an attached line. More than we need.

My Blackberry rang as I was heading to checkout. It was a very large customer needing some easy help. Took care of his concern quickly. The cahier took care of the $10 price differential without any problem. Soon I was on my way home. Called Mindy around 505pm just as I passed by my office in route to the freeway. Said that she was in the Hallmark store, already out shopping after Jimaken picked the kids up early. Apparently they had dinner plans with Jim's family celebrating his mother's birthday. We didn't talk long. Mindy needed to continue with her shopping. However, we did decide on our Friday night destination, CBC. It rained for most of the drive home. I had the house all to myself for maybe 30 minutes before Mindy got home.

Readied for an evening at CBC. Didn't take much, brush my teeth and hair. No change of clothes. Mindy shared that Tom Clark planned to join us there. We left the house around 630pm. Freeway wasn't a problem, even at the Front St exit. I was surprised.

CBC lot was full. I dropped Mindy at the door then went to find a parking spot. She took in the gift she bought for Jamie, the CBC manager's, new puppy. After circling the full lot, I headed across the street to a meter along Liberty St. I struggled with the meter in the dark and rain. Hard to see to put in my card properly and push the correct buttons. Somehow I managed.

Finally inside, Mindy waved to get my attention. The bar was as crowded as I've ever seen it, people packed in like sardines. On most nights, their bar traffic turns over quickly. That seemed to be the case this night, too, but our timing was off relative to garnering stools. No worries, I was happy to stand for a while anyway after sitting all day at the office. Despite no seats, Vince had a Bodhi waiting for me. Yum! Been a while. I think since the TG eve, or 2.5 weeks. As usual, the crowd eventually thinned freeing up a number of stools. Mindy and I nabbed a few, saving one for Tom C. Mindy texted then called. He was five minutes out. Before she reached him, I told Mindy that the heavy crowd might've soured him enough that he turned around and went home. It's not too unlike Tom. However, a couple minutes there he was. He had his niece, Olivia give him a ride. While waiting on Tom, Vince served us some risotto balls, our favorite appetizer.

We haven't hung out with Tom since his birthday dinner in late September. It's been 10 weeks. Wow, time flies! About the same time that Tom ordered a Pale ale, Mindy & I ordered second beers, but only after she confirmed that I would drive us home. We placed food orders, too. I ordered the Cuban burrito. Mindy ordered created her own dinner, ala carte.

For the last couple years, Tom hasn't been one to go out and party much at all. Certainly not like we used to back in the MCI days. But he was determined to do so on this occasion. He tried talking me into heading elsewhere for more beer and fun. Mindy seemed up for it too, In fact, after two Bodhi's she was half tanked. I caved at first and said I would go along, be the DD. But the more i thought of it I didn't want to. I was already getting sleepy. The thought of heading to another crowded venue wasn't at all appealing .

Tom didn't want to call it a night so early. It was somewhere between 9-930pm. I asked if we would drop him off at the Park St Tavern on our way home if we weren't up for hanging out. Sure. While Mindy chatted with Julia, another CBC employee, Tom asked if we could please stop at another bar before heading home. Shared that he and Mindy had a bet. She told him there wasn't any way I would change my mind. Knows me too well. He pleaded for me to prove her wrong. We conspired to stop at Barley's on the drive home, with me bringing it up. I agreed. I drank water for the last hour at CBC. After just two beers, I was really surprised with the buzz Mindy had. She was walking with a stumble and a slur in her speech.

We arrived at Barley's before 10pm. It was really dead. Just a handful of folks sitting around the bar, and half those were employees recently off the clock. We grabbed three stools. Mindy ordered only water. Tom and I ordered beers. April was tending bar and told us all about her fast approaching t rip to Australia to meet her boyfriend's parents. She's expecting him to propose, and said if he doesn't she might even sump him. He's a caddie on the PGA tour. Sounds to me like she's setting herself up for disappointment. Yikes! Tom being one whose traveled around the globe numerous times, did his best to prepare her for the long 14 hour flight, sharing tips and tricks for maintaining her sanity. Interesting.

We hung at Barley's for about an hour and a half. Mindy spent most of that time talking with Jim Bosch. I wisely kept to just the one beer and then turned to water. we left for home around 11pm, dropping Tom at his place off Old Dublin Rd along the way. Once home, Mindy & I were quick to bed.

Seeking Security

I was up and out of bed fairly close to 530am. I could’ve used more, but slept soundly all through the night. Downstairs, I glanced out back seeing a clear sky a frost, a sure sign that the cold made its triumphant return just as promised. It would be short lived, however. The temps are supposed to increase steadily through next Tuesday.

I checked the coffee maker which was still in the middle of the brew process. So far no spillage, this our first time using paper filters with Starbucks. I headed to the living room where I whipped out 50 sit-ups. After sit-ups I headed to the family room for windmills, back stretches and curls. Time for coffee! Happy to report the brewing process completed without incident. The paper filter did the trick.

Enjoyed coffee at my PC for about 10 minutes before heading upstairs to wake Mindy. I wasn’t feeling particularly motivated, thus wasn’t in a rush to be out the door for my run by 630am. Instead, I returned for a bit more PC time before giving way to meditation and stretching. Finished both of those near 630am and then took my time getting dressed. It was only 27 degrees. I made sure to put on a pair of shorts under my running pants. Makes a big difference.

Jacob was downstairs for breakfast dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. I informed him that it was really cold. Without any further dialogue, he headed back upstairs and changed into long pants. He was still upstairs when I headed out for my run. It was close to 740am as I dashed off.

I ran the full 4.1 miles, once again, my legs feeling almost like new. I rarely check my exact times anymore, mainly because it really has no bearing on why I run these days. However, I know I ran at a faster pace again. Having fresh legs makes a big difference, especially on the final stretch. Way back in the mid 80s when I first started running, I would literally run as fast as I possibly could for the last stretch to home. These days, however, I am much more careful, not wanting to risk injury or a bad pull.

Inside the house, I went for Eiknarf’s leash but had no luck finding it on its usual hook. At the same time, Mindy asked if I would start her car. At her prompting, I went back to the laundry room row of hooks and found the leash one hook over half covered by one of Bella’s many jackets. I started the Hyundai before heading back inside to leash up the lazy pug. By then she was on her way down the stairs.

We walked east, down by the O’Connell’s and the Russians, the neighbor’s whose house was broken into Wednesday afternoon. Word has it that Mike had a face to face encounter with the robber just prior. Has a tattoo of tear drops on his left eye, weighs about 150 lbs, 5’ 8”, and guesstimated to be 25-30 years of age. Cops apparently got some real good finger prints and figure they’ll catch him, which is good news for all of us. Apparently he was on foot and carried a backpack to stash his loot. Obviously going for cash, fine jewelry, and small electronics.

Mindy was about to leave for school. I advised that we need to be even more diligent about securing our home. I was very worried about leaving the house all day. If I could’ve, I would’ve worked from home. But I committed to working at my customer’s location every Wednesday & Thursday through Xmas. I didn’t want to beg out. Bella and I ate breakfast together. She asked me to pick-up Toaster Strudels after work again. “Maybe”.

Was off to the shower by 745am. It didn’t take me long. Was back downstairs by 8am. I pulled all the blinds in the eating area & family room. Packed some cheese, nuts and a banana to go along with the vegetable medley that Mindy prepped for me. Bella and I headed out at 810am. It was sunny but still pretty cold. Kenny was at the bus stop with Makayla. He’s the one that filled me in on the robbery details shared above.

After the bus arrived, I headed back home where I enjoyed another cup of coffee and warmed the Accord. I reached out to a security system company online looking for detailed information on their monitored system. They promised a return call soon. I left for work around 855am.

Traffic wasn’t an issue. Arrived near 915am. Had to take a spot further away than I’m used to. But no biggie. It was a pleasant, though chilly, walk into the building. Just as I was getting situated my personal cell rang. It was Jay from the security company. He asked if it was a good time to talk. Sure, why not. We talked all the while I got logged onto the network. He gave me the details (costs, equipment, and process) that I requested. Admittedly, I am a little naïve as to how the security technology works these days. For example, most companies have gone wireless. As expected, there are many options that can drive the cost higher and higher.

One consideration is the lack of a landline. We went completely cellular many years ago. You might say that I was an early adopter having done away with my landline Xmas 2003. Not an obstacle, as monitoring can easily be done over a cellular connection. The best solution, however, uses both a landline and cellular. We ended out conversation with me asking for a detailed email outlining all that we discussed, including all the pricing options.

Once I was settled into my work day, I called Time Warner to inquire about adding digital phone service to our current package. I spoke with an impressive young woman, Twanda, in inbound sales. She’s based out of Akron, Ohio. She insisted that she could get me one heck of a deal and asked that I allow her to proposed a completely new Time Warner package. She only added that I would almost certainly be very happy. We talked for a while, with her assessing our family TV viewing & internet habits.

Her offer was upgrading us to whole house DVR, adding a 2nd converter box in our bedroom, doubling our RR speed, and adding phone service for only $10 more per month. Let’s do it! She gave me our new phone number and promised a Saturday install between 10-11am. We recently donated all of our old landline phones to charity. We’ll need to buy a new one, I guess. I felt good about the set-up. From their website, I can see that Time Warner is reentering the home security business as well, but it’s currently only available in New York. It’s looks very high tech (video, smart phone, remote heat & light control, etc).

Spent pretty much my entire work day compiling a customer facing monthly report. I took lunch at 1pm and headed to the Easton Target. The primary purpose to pick-up birthday cards for my mom, dad, and Chrissy. Picked up three funny cards. Looked at a few other things, too, but bought nothing else.

Headed back to the office after being out for about 45 minutes. It was a lovely sunny afternoon with temps in the low 40s. Spent my afternoon on the monthly report. Mindy texted around 4pm asking how pizza sounded for dinner. Said she would pick one up on her way home from dropping Bella at gymnastics. Sounded good to me.

I stuck around the office until 510pm. It was just about dark as I made my way to my car. Placed a call to Mindy once I was safely merged onto 270NW. I sent her the security info as well as the Time Warner info in an email earlier. She had a couple security system questions that I hadn’t considered. Talked until I was halfway home. Mindy also shared that she got her Pilot back from the body shop. They had to replace our hitch, too, which is something we hadn’t expected. Apparently it was bent.

Traffic slowed considerably once I got south of Tuttle mall. Arrived home around 550pm. Jacob was home but up in his room. I asked if he’d like to go to Dick’s Sporting Goods and look for a new ski helmet after dinner and before picking up Bella. He found the idea agreeable but wanted to make sure we’d have time to eat pizza first. Yes. Was on my PC doing a comparative analysis on security systems when Mindy got home with the pizza. I shared that Jacob and I planned to leave for Dick’s soon after dinner. In turn, we ate quickly. Jacob and I headed out the door for Dick’s at 640pm.

Arrived at Dick’s before 7pm. We walked around looking for their ski gear. Having visited the Easton Dick’s on Wednesday, I knew they carried quite an inventory. Unable to locate anything but jackets, gloves, and socks, I decided to ask. Nope, don’t carry that stuff at the Hilliard store any longer. Wasted trip.

It wasn’t quite 7pm as we headed back to the Pilot. Jacob asked if I would take him home, sparing him the pain of going to pick-up Bella, which was our original plan. I suggested that he was being selfish, but in a friendly way. We hopped on 70 east to 270 south and made our way towards the gym. It was only 710pm when we exited Georgesville Rd – 20 minutes early. I suggested we stop at the nearby Kroger and pick-up the Toaster Strudel’s Bella’s been itching for. It was either that or sitting at the gym for 20 minutes waiting. Jacob reluctantly agreed to stop at Kroger.

We made a fast stop in Kroger. Took no more than 5 minutes. We picked up two boxes of Toaster Strudel – blueberry & cinnamon. Arrived at the gym at 720pm. Jacob opted to wait in the Pilot while I headed inside. I stood and watched a painfully disorganized practice. Kelly wasn’t in. She had other commitments, so there was a young sub coaching in her stead. Bella seemed to be running amuck. I waited patiently as they went over by five minutes. Bella was surprised to walk out and find the Pilot. She was even more surprised to walk out and find Jacob waiting inside.

Jacob tossed Bella the bag of Toaster Strudels as we jumped on 270 for home. You would think we bought her, her own cell phone. She was giddy with joy. Too cute! Arrived home just before 8pm. I headed upstairs to change into my PJs while Bella ate some pizza. I was surprised to hear Bella bellyaching about the pizza. She went as far as to refuse to eat it because Mindy had it topped with hot pepper rings, double pepperoni, and double cheese. Mindy insisted she simply pick-off the peppers. That’s what she did, but not before lots of moaning and groaning.

It wasn’t too long before both Jacob and Bella dug into the Toaster Strudel. With kids, food is a novelty. They’ll eat it two, three times a day until the novelty wears off. Got an email from my mom detailing her latest ailment, which its lymphedema. Apparently it’s not her knee replacement causing all the pain, but I’m fairly certain it was the catalyst. I Googled lymphedema to learn about its causes and cures. Hopefully she’ll learn to heal herself quickly.

Tuned into Thursday night NFL action, Denver & Oakland around 850pm. Denver was already ahead 10-0 after less than 10 minutes into the first quarter. I thoroughly enjoy watching Peyton Manning play football. I’ve said it before, he might be the best quarterback ever. As it turned out, it wasn’t his best performance of the season but still a really good one. Seemed they were inside Oakland’s 5 yard line every time I looked. However, they had to settle for field goals several times, which didn’t sit well with Manning.
Mindy headed to bed around 925pm. She asked me not to be long. I stayed up another 15 minutes, heading up to bed before falling asleep on the sofa. Mindy was happy to lie on my chest and fall asleep. Just as I was starting to dose, Bella came in our room advising that Eiknarf was scratching at her bedroom door. Mindy was aggravated, having had to walk the pug while we were away earlier at Dick’s. I agreed to get up and take Eiknarf out. As much as I hated to, I appreciate that she tells us when she needs to go.

She was very excited to have me up and out of bed and heading downstairs. However, instead of running to the front door and her leash, she ran to the pantry as if I was going to give her a snack. Bella may not realize it, but she often will come back downstairs and get the pug a rawhide and take it back to her room. The pug is a creature of habit more so than any dog I have ever seen. I still took her out, not willing to risk and accident indoors. Sure enough, she pooped and peed. Of course, she pooped in the Russians’ yard up by their garage door. After just being burglarized, I was concerned that Alex might come out bearing arms.

Back at the house, I was now wide awake after being outside in the chilly night air. Mindy wasn’t at all happy when I told he that I would have to head back downstairs to read and play. She only asked that I lay there with her for a few more minutes first. I did as she asked, lying there with her for another 5-10 minutes. Around 1010pm, I got up and headed back downstairs to catch more the football game. The score was still 26-13 with less than five minutes to go when I headed back to bed. It was just after 1030pm.

Oooooooooooooh-Aaaaaaaahh

It was yet another late start for the kids, the third so far this school year. We never heard back from Chrissy the night before, so I simply planned to work from home until 1030am or so. Of course that afforded me a lot of flexibility with my personal schedule. I opted to sleep in an extra 25 minutes, not rolling out of bed until 555am. And even then I was 100% ready. For some reason I was still game for more sleep.

The sleepies quickly faded after Wednesday calisthenics, which included sit-ups, push-ups and windmills. I did some deep back stretches, too, in an effort to relieve a mild kink. Took Mindy coffee next. By the way, she ran vinegar through the coffee maker Sunday night in an effort to resolve our Starbucks issue. It still leaked but far, far less. My guess is that the permanent filter needs replaced.

Mindy asked if I planned to run before she left for school. I wasn’t 100% sure but thought I might. Back downstairs, I logged onto my work laptop then sent an email to my customer to let them know about my late start, so they wouldn’t be wondering where I was come 9am. By then it was pushing 7am. I figured to wait before heading out on a run. Neither kid was up. Jacob didn’t need to be at the bus stop until 9am, and Bella didn’t need to be there until 1010am.

I hung out and played around online until almost 810am. After a stretch and meditation I dressed for a run. I scrawled out a note letting the kids know I was out on a run so they wouldn’t wake and wonder where I was. Just as I was walking towards the front door to exit, I could hear Jacob up and stirring. I let him know I was heading off on my run.

It was only 36 degrees, much chillier than it had been in a few days. It was sunny though, so that helped warm things considerably. For no good reason, I ran only three miles. Once again, my legs felt great. Jacob was already gone by the time I was back at home. It was close to 9am. He couldn’t have been gone for long.

I poured another cup of coffee then got busy with work. I woke Bella around 915am. She was slow to motivate. Seemed out of it. Slowly but surely she was up and about. I took a shower around 945am, just about two hours later than usual. In other words, we were right on track for the 2 hour late start.

I planned to head to the bus stop at 1010am, but Bella came to the bathroom soon after I was showered asking if she could head down to Makayla’s and hang there until bus time. I agreed. Makayla called earlier, and well before Bella was even awake to ask if she could come down. I ended taking care of work issues from home until 1025am when I logged off and headed for New Albany. Because of the hour, I definitely didn’t’ expect there to be a problem with traffic and there wasn’t. I made excellent time, arriving close to 1045am. It was still a little chilly, but a gorgeous late autumn morning just the same.

It was 11am before I was settled. I dug into monthly report data again, and that’s how I spent most of my day save for the hour or so taking care of a single escalated issue. I took lunch at 130pm and headed to Dick’s Sporting Goods at Easton. I didn’t have anything I wanted to look at specifically, but thought that the visit might give me some ideas for Mindy’s Xmas gifts. No such luck, but it did give me the opportunity to check out their snow ski seasonal offerings. Aside from Jacob needing a new helmet, I think everybody’s set.

Was there for a while. Headed back to the office at 220pm. Had to park far removed from my usual parking spot. I spent the rest of the afternoon working on the piece of my monthly report that I despise the most. Through my diligence, I was able to get completely through it, so not to prolong my agony into Thursday. 

It was a date night Wednesday a Jimaken night for the kids). Finally, Jimaken is no longer teaching on Wednesday evenings, so we’re back to having our Wednesday evening’s free. Mindy & I are both happy about that. We didn’t have firm plans, however. I left work at 450pm in an effort to make it home somewhere close to 530pm, and I phoned Mindy once safely merged onto 270. As expected, she asked where we might go. I suggested, Bru, the new brew pub in the short north that some folks we met at BJ’s told us all about. Mindy had a difficult time hearing me. Took her a while to decipher what I said. Once it was clear, she asked if I knew if they were opened. I only assumed so. Mindy also shared that somebody broke into our Russian neighbors’ home that day. That put me in a bad frame of mind, worrying about our own home’s vulnerability.

Got home very near 530pm, actually a few minutes before. Jimaken had just pulled up too. He was walking up the drive chatting on his cell phone. Soon, Jimaken and the kids were off. I thought I heard Jim say that he’d have them home by 8pm. Mindy was still fooling around on her laptop and advised that Bru wasn’t yet open after checking out their Facebook page. I suggested Barley’s. She was OK with that. I headed up to brush my teeth and hair. Was ready five minutes later. Mindy took a few minutes to freshen up too.

Mindy filled me in on more of the break-in details. In fact, the cops were still at their home. Apparently the break-in happened sometime between 1-4pm, and neighbor Mike saw the guy in t heir yard but apparently didn’t put two and two together until it was too late. I find the whole thing very upsetting.

We arrived at Barley’s near 610pm. First time in on a Wednesday for a while. Fairly strong crowd, only one stool available at the bar. Mindy took that while I opted to stand. I ordered a Pale ale while Mindy sampled a few different beers before settling on a Fortune Teller, an East India Imperial Porter.
Not too much time went by before the stool next to Mindy freed. I took full advantage. After 45 minutes or so we ordered some food. We opted to share a half roasted chicken dinner. I wasn’t ridiculously hungry.

We were soon joined at the bar by the twins, Kent & Kurt. Last we spoke, Kurt’s 14 year old niece had just moved in with he and his wife. I was eager to hear how it’s been going. We talked about it for a while. Sounds like it’s going pretty well. She’s apparently not used to having parents all up in her business. Trust me, a 14 year old girl needs someone up in her business every minute.

Mindy disappeared for a solid 10 minutes to do a walkabout. The food arrived shortly after she vacated her stool. And while it was for both of us, I didn’t want to dig in until she was back since it was her idea. She was off chatting with Zach, the manager. I let her know that her dinner was ready. It must’ve been about 720pm when we dug into our dinner. I let Mindy eat as much of the chicken as she wanted before taking my first bite, though I did snack on the fries and a few of the green beans.

I ordered a 2nd beer, too, a Centennial. Mindy stopped at one. Said she really liked the Fortune Teller. Christa joined us at the bar after the twins left. They typically don’t stay too long. They're often in for one beer and then gone. Christa is a masseuse by profession. Mindy asked for her help with a kink in her neck, and Christa went right to work. You would think Mindy was having an orgasm judging by the oohs and ahhs. Apparently she found the tension release spot dead on. Mindy appreciated it so much so that she bought Christa's first two beers.

It was 755pm. I suggested we needed to be heading home. Mindy informed me that they wouldn’t’ be home until 815pm but still asked for the check. She clarified that what Jimaken said was that he was leaving his house at 8pm. We arrived home around 805pm. Sure enough, no kids. We had just enough time to change into our PJs and get comfy in the family room before they arrived home. I tuned the TV to How the Universe Works watching an episode about volcanism elsewhere in our solar system.

I fell asleep watching TV well before 9pm. I woke again around 1015pm to find everyone else already in bed. I turned off the house then jumped into bed. Ahh!

Tacos & Secret Angels

I was up on time and soon downstairs. It was Tuesday so that meant no push-ups. I was happy about that since whipping out 50 of them takes a whole lot of strength, especially right out of bed. Instead, I did sit-ups, windmills, and curls.

It was cloudy but also incredibly warm, 57 degrees. Another run without a jacket in the offing. I spent a few minutes online enjoying coffee then headed up to wake Mindy. Downstairs I went straight to the family room for meditation & stretching. Both went really well.

Dressed and left for a run just after 630am. Figured this to be the last jacketless run for the foreseeable future. And while it’s expected to remain above normal, it’s not supposed to be in the mid 60’s again anytime soon. I ran the full 4.1 miles with my legs feeling exceptional. That’s something I was expecting. As a result, I know I ran the tried and true trail faster than I have in many months. I am most thankful for my good health.

Bella was up and helping Mindy in the kitchen, even working on my eggs. That was a little frightening. I leashed up the pug and headed out. I knew she’d appreciate the mild weather after just leaving Bella’s bed. We weren’t out too long, 10 minutes tops.

Mindy left for school shortly after my return. Mindy talked about making tacos for dinner. Sounded really good to me. I ate my eggs and fruit then headed off to the shower. Back downstairs around 755am, I spent the next 10-15 minutes working on my lunch and preparing my gear for departure. Bella and I headed out at the usual 810am where we met Chrissy and Makayla. I was surprised that Kayla was wearing a pair of daisy dukes.

Chrissy and I chatted for a few after the bus left. She expressed concern over the way Kenny handled an altercation with big Jake. Did more listening than talking, but did offer a smidge of advice when it seemed she was seeking it.

Eiknarf were soon back at home after another brief but fruitful walk out front. I enjoyed a little more coffee before setting out for the office. It was comparably late by the time I left the house, somewhere close to 845am.

Arrived at the office around 9am. It was then another 10-15 minutes before I was fully settled. Spent the lion’s share of my day sifting through monthly report data. Takes a while to compile and comprehend. I didn’t bother leaving for a formal lunch break. Instead, I worked straight through though taking some time to eat from my desk. I left for home around 510pm. Bella answered Mindy’s phone when I called. She wanted to know if I would head directly to the gym instead of heading home. Her end goal being to have me there so Makayla could go and watch her practice with parental supervision. Soor, Bella. Not tonight. After telling her no, she immediately asked about Thursday. Wanted a promise, which I refused to give.

She finally handed the phone to Mindy, who was busy cooking dinner. Mindy shared her somewhat complicated plan, which involved dropping Bella at gymnastics, coming home for dinner with me, then heading back out to the Flower Factory, then to pick-up Bella, then to her mom’s for a brief stop, and then finally home. I had to have her repeat it twice. As I neared home, she called me back asking if I minded if she ate with Bella and then stayed out running her errands after dropping Bella. Not at all. That made way more sense than hurrying home just to have dinner with me.

The two were already gone by the time I arrived home. The taco meat smelt terrific. I gobbled a bunch with nachos while going through my usual chores, which entailed rinsing lunch containers and prepping the following morning’s coffee. I was half full before I made my first taco.
I ended up having just one taco after eating lots of chips and salsa. The taco was delicious. The tacos and rice left quite a mess on the stove and the island was covered with all the fixins. It was no easy clean-up to be sure. I’m thinking it was close to 630pm by the time I had the kitchen in ship shape again.

I changed into my pajamas then spent time online. I ordered two phone cases from Amazon, one for the kids’ new iPhone and then one for Lindsey’s LG Viper. Now about 7pm, I headed to the family room and snuggled up in the chair with my latest book, Super Brain. I probably read about 10 pages before dosing off. Felt incredible to let go of consciousness for a while. I didn’t wake until Mindy and the kids came in. I’m thinking that it was somewhere close to 8pm.

I ended up doing some more reading while Mindy and the kids readied for bed. I watched some Science Channel programming until Mindy headed to bed around 945pm. My plan all along was to watch at least some of the Victoria Secret fashion show on CBS. Heard good things about it. I DVR’d it too.

I managed to catch the first 30-40 minutes of the program before heading to bed. I got to see Justin Bieber perform with some of the angels. I actually hollered quietly for Bella just in case she was still awake. She didn’t respond. I knew she’d want to see Justin B. if she were awake. But again, because I was DVR’ng the show, she could watch it another time soon. I headed for bed around 1045pm where Mindy was already sound asleep.

Mayan Cenote

I didn’t get back to bed Sunday night until after midnight. That meant I got little more than 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Despite getting less than the desired quantity, I still woke around 530am feeling fairly decent. Downstairs, I quickly started calisthenics. Push-ups were tough. No pain, just seemed to take all the
energy I could muster. Believe me, I was grateful to have them out of the way. Faced with a dilemma, I briefly hemmed and hawed over how I should proceed with my routine. Should I do meditation and stretching next or revert to the old coffee/internet first format? I opted to revert back to the old format.

I was good about staying on top of the time. I delivered Mindy’s coffee at 6am sharp. The temperature was warm – 54 degrees but with light rain. I poked my head out the back door, Felt humid too. I checked the radar. Looked like most of the rain was beyond us. The ten day forecast isn’t looking good. Another warm front coming our way after a very brief cold front moves through Tuesday night and Wednesday. Expecting 60 again by the weekend. So much for early season snow skiing. 

Left my PC behind at 605am and headed to the family room for meditation and a stretch. Both went fairly well, though meditation could’ve been better. I was dressing for my run by 630am. I was out the door by 635am. Like the day before, I didn’t bother with a jacket. It was plenty warm enough to run without one. I remembered to place our recycling at the curb just before dashing off.

A very light rain began to fall just before the halfway mark of my run. It actually felt good, though. It didn’t bother me in the least, and it never came down any harder. Ran the full 4.1 miles, my legs feeling as good as they have in months. Perhaps all the carbs I ate Sunday while hungover? I ran the final leg really fast and strong.

At the house, both Mindy & Bella were busy in the kitchen making breakfast. Bella informed me that the pug was still in bed. I waited at the bottom of the stairs for a couple minutes before she finally came to my hands to get leashed up. We headed west for the first time in quite a while. Eiknarf seems to prefer walking across the street for some reason.

Bella served me my eggs. Too cute! Mindy headed out around 730am. She planned to drop the Pilot at the body shop to have the damage from the accident a couple weeks back repaired. Enterprise rental was supposed to meet her there with a rental vehicle. Of course, the cost charged to the kid’s insurance company that hit us. Mindy also reminded me that she had a haircut scheduled for that evening at 730pm in Grove City.

Finished breakfast then headed up for a shower by 735am. As usual, it didn’t take me long at all to shower, dress, and find my way back downstairs before 8am, I spent the next 10 minutes packing my lunch and prepping the dishwasher for a running. Bella and I headed out at 810am. Like most school days, we met Chrissy & Makayla at the bus stop. The bus showed up around 815am. We stood around chatting for a while. Chrissy asked what time the partying ended Saturday. Not sure! 

Eiknarf and I headed straight home. No extra walking. I enjoyed a little more coffee, started the dishwasher, then headed off to work around 835am. Just as I was leaving the house a customer called my blackberry needing my help. I asked that he send me the details in email so I could better help once at the office.

Arrived near 850am. Given that it was a Monday, it took a bit longer to get settled. Logged on, stowed my lunch, went for a pitcher of ice water. Once I was settled, I took care of that escalation that I received on my way out the door. I then walked over to chat with my boss but his door was closed. I could hear him in there so I knew he was in the office.

My day was borderline hectic. Not only was it time to pull November data for monthly reports, but I was also being pulled in several different directions for urgent escalated issues. One bright spot was that the peer I covered for last week was back in the office. Wahoo!

Stayed busy all day, taking relatively few breaks. I had a 310pm dental appointment scheduled with Dr March so he could better fix my smile. I ate a banana and almonds before leaving for my dental appointment at 245pm. I keep a dental kit in my car and backpack so I can clean my teeth pretty much anywhere. I brushed my teeth in the bathroom just outside of Dr. March’s office. They were busy. All chairs were occupied according to Colleen. However, she said it wouldn’t be long and it wasn’t. I waited maybe 10 minutes. But come to think of it, I was about 10 minutes early too.

Colleen handed me off to Lora, who is Dr. March’s assistant. I like her. She’s been there for quite a while. Said she wasn’t sure why I was back so soon. Said the appointment only indicated that they needed to recheck the crow they fixed last Tuesday. I showed her via a smile how Dr. March altered the crown shape enough to distort and symmetry that existed prior. She agreed instantly. Figured it to be an easy fix.

We chatted about Xmas and kids for a solid five minutes, also comparing horror stories regarding ex’s. Dr March soon greeted, too not knowing for certain why I was back so soon. I showed him the same way I showed Lora. He agreed, and went on to explain why he felt the need to grind it down as he did. Rather than complain, I only asked that he fix it. He asked how I wanted him to proceed – round it off a little or grind its mate next to it. A little of both, but I insisted I have a mirror in hand to help guide.

He went on to share that from his perspective – sitting on a stool behind the dental chair he couldn’t see the lack of symmetry. But he quickly agreed that when looking straight on that there was an issue. It took him no more than two minutes to fix me up, being extra cautious not to take too much at a time. Lora gave her opinion showing where to round and grind a little more. I agreed. Afterwards, he polished both front teeth smooth again. Looks good. Can’t really tell anything was done. I left satisfied and headed back to the office. Mindy called just as I crossed the river towards Mill Run. We talked for few minutes. She was on her way to drop off the Pilot.

The rest of the work day went incredibly fast. Only had another hour to work once I was back. Left for home around 520pm. The sun had already set but the western horizon was still on fire from sunlight. Gorgeous sky. I snapped a picture with my new phone.

Called Mindy as I exited the lot and talked for most of the drive home. She was reheating dinner (leftovers). As planned, she dropped the Pilot at Westway body shop where she also met the rental car dude. Said they gave her a Hyundai Santa Fe. Wayne expects to have the car no more than 2 or 3 days. Confirmed we had nowhere to be with the kids, although Mindy had to leave for a haircut appointment around 7pm.

I got home near 540pm. Makayla was over and planned to have dinner with us. We had subs and pasta coated in pesto. The kids love it! Clean-up was easy. We used paper plates. By the way, Joe cleaned our house earlier that day. Looked good.

Bella headed down to play with Makayla after dinner. Jacob headed to his room to take care of homework. Mindy soon left for her hair appointment and I headed to my PC. I played around online for a while but then headed to the family room to read. I read until 720pm or when Bella came home from Kayla’s. Actually, she was home earlier than expected. We told her 745pm. I grounded her for being early.  She immediately gave me a hug and then turned on the TV to the Disney Channel pretty much ending my peace & quiet. I put my book aside and watched TV passively with Bella.

Bella walked away from TV at 8pm. I deadened the volume and started reading again. Not sure what she was doing. I eventually fell asleep and was pretty much down for the count. I remember waking briefly when Mindy got home but was just as quickly back asleep. I woke again around 10pm and stumbled up to bed. But like often happens, once I was awake I got a second wind. After laying there with Mindy for 15 minutes, there wasn’t any way that I was going to fall asleep anytime soon. I got up around 1`030pm to head back downstairs. Mindy grumbled as I headed out. She said she hates it when I do that. Sorry, dear!

I played around online for about 10 minutes then headed to the family room and watched TV, a program about the Mayan end of the world myth, but much deeper than just that. They were exploring Mayan cenotes in Mexico where they used to offer human sacrifices. During these dives they discovered thousands of skeletal remains, which they left untouched. I ended up having two bowls of Cookie Crisp, too. Yum-yum! I started getting sleepy again around 1130pm and headed back to bed. Good night half moon!

Hangover 3 - Vikings Disappoint ... again

I woke initially around 8am and got up and took 3 Advil. I didn’t feel very good and could wait to jump back into bed. I woke briefly a few more times but each time convinced myself to stay in bed longer in an effort to relieve hangover symptoms. I didn’t get up for good until somewhere between 1130am and noon. Felt tons better than I did at 8am but still a bit squeamish.

I felt good enough that I was craving coffee and food. I drank coffee and ate a bunch of leftover snack food in all of about five minutes. Meanwhile, Mindy was still busy putting our house back together. Admittedly, my recollection of how the night ended was a bit sketchy. It wasn’t too long before I dressed and headed out on a run. It was in the mid 50’s. I didn’t bother wearing a jacket. As anticipated, the run felt good and at least temporarily dulled any hangover symptoms.

However, I know from experience that within about an hour of returning I’d be feeling ill again. And sure enough, that’s what happened. I finished the run fine, but began feeling tired and weak within about a half an hour. I checked the NFL TV listings. Sure enough, the Viking Packer game was televised by Fox. I snuggled up on the sofa to watch, albeit with low expectations.

My craving for salty food and soda carried on through most of the day. I ate pretty much all afternoon. The Vikings started slow, getting behind 10-0. But just when I thought it was time to put a fork in them, Adrian Peterson saved the day. He was running like a man possessed. He had 170 yards in the first half alone and the Vikings had a 14-10 lead at halftime.

Mindy left me at home with the kids, Lindsey and the boys while she went Xmas shopping. But I didn’t really mind. I didn’t plan to move to far from the sofa all day. The Vikings got the ball to start the 2nd half and Adrian P. picked up right where he left off running for 52 yards on one carry. Down on the packers ten yardline and preparing to score, our foolish quarterback threw an ill-advised pass that was intercepted in the endzone. Idiot! Not sure what he thought he saw!

Still, the Vikings managed to hold the Packers to just a field goal and still lead 14-13 for most of the 3rd quarter. The Vikings drove into the redzone once again but with the same results, an interception after another ill-advised pass. I was frustrated. Wasn’t even close. The Packers then put together an 11 minute
drive, the longest of the entire NFL season – any team. That pretty much sealed the deal. We lost. Playoffs? Playoffs? Who said anything about playoffs?

Lindsey finished up her laundry around 515pm and headed for home with the boys. Bella and the island girls were busy playing cards on the livingroom most of the afternoon. Once home from shopping, Mindy warmed subs and leftovers for dinner. I ate half a big sub and washed it all down with Orange soda. No matter how much I ate I just couldn’t seem to get full. However, after dinner my stomach finally felt full,actually too full.

It was a quick day. After dinner I resorted to watching a few science programs I DVR’d the week prior. I had no desire to watch SNF. I kept thinking that I’d be in bed by 8-830pm. But as the evening waned I seemed to get a second wind. I joined Mindy already in bed around 925pm but laid there with my eyes wide open and my mind racing. I was a little frustrated because I was physically tired. Mindy wasn’t too happy that I got up and out of bed and headed back downstairs.

I played on the PC for a while but then headed to the family and did some reading. That helped make me sleepy. I read about 8 pages of Super Brain before returning to bed, only this time for good.