If the Shoe Fits Obama ...

 

I planned on getting up at 7am so we could leave for the OSU graduation by 9am. That way I'd have a little time to relax and enjoy coffee, run, shower, and dress. Turns out, I slept until 710am, or ten minutes later than originally planned. Not bad.

I started coffee then played on the internet. Coffee was ready near 730am. I enjoyed coffee and internet until 8am. I took Mindy coffee then left for a run. It was partly cloudy and mild - about 56 degrees. I ran in shorts and a long sleeved wicking shirt. I was comfortable throughout the relatively easy 3 mile run.

Mindy was already out of the shower and blow drying her hair when I got back to the house. I took the pug on a walk then headed up for a shower. Mindy made us both egg sandwiches while I showered. We weren't sure when out next opportunity to eat would come. According to some, they were preparing graduation attendees for 2-3 hour waits in security lines. Ugh! We woofed down our sandwiches and were ready to leave at 9am sharp.

Decided to cut through Arlington to Waltham to Kenny. It was fast, easy drive. Arrived in the west campus parking lot by 920pm. We had to walk what amounted to about a quarter mile to the shuttle line. Actually, I was prepared to walk all the way to the stadium but Mindy wanted to ride the free shuttle. It was sunny but still a little cook for the shorts and t-shirt I was wearing. The last forecast I saw was calling for sun and highs in the low to mid 70s. The line for the shuttle buses was long, but moved swiftly. They have this thing down to a science. Three buses loaded at a time. We were at the stadium and in line for security by 935a.

The security line looked fairly long too, but it also moved fast as there were multiple screening stations. Everyone entering had to pass through a metal detector, much like you'd see at an airport. No problems getting through security. We were at our seats in section 34B of south stands by 952am. No it was hurry up and wait. Both Mindy and I were craving coffee, but the lines for the concessions were longer than the security lines. I passed. By 1030am the clouds thickened overhead defusing most of the morning sunshine. Add to that, a chilly breeze, and it was downright cold. But all was good as soon as the sun would reappear.

Around 1045am Mindy caved and went for coffee, She was gone for about 30 minutes. She returned with a diet Coke, hot pretzel, and a story. Said they had coffee but no cups. Duh! She laughed it off. The graduation wasn't expected to begin until 1130am with the entrance of the grads. And then President Obama was scheduled to speak around noon. Time dragged. There was nothing to do but people watch. Using my best judgment, I'd say there were 60K people in attendance counting the 9K graduates. I was so board at one point I counted the grad chairs, which I shared with Mindy that there were approximately 10K.

1130am came and went and still no graduated making their entrance. Instead, they started filing in around 1155am. And that whole ordeal took upwards of 30 minutes. A lot of people were laughing at how long the orchestra played the graduation song. OSU president Gordon Gee spoke briefly before introducing the commencement speaker, President Obama. Obama received a thunderous ovation and then delivered a somewhat light, but thoughtful message about citizenship. He challenged the graduates to participate and persevere. And of course he threw in a little politics too, sharing that the economy is improving and creating jobs. I enjoyed his message. He spoke for about 30 minutes.

Of course whenever the President is in town, you can rest peacefully knowing that the secret service is lurking nearby too. High atop the stadium, in the center and then at both ends of the horse shoe, the secret service watched over the crowd and surrounding area with enormous binoculars. Perched just below their feet were some very large machine guns on stands.

Obama left shortly after his finishing his speech and receiving an honorary degree - Doctor of Laws. There were a few more honorary degrees handed out, including one to Annie Leibovitz, famous photographer. Can’t readily recall the others. With 9000 graduates, very few actually were called and walked across the stage – PHD candidates only. But there were other doctors that weren’t given the opportunity. Not sure why. The 250+ that did walk, still took quite a while, at least 45 minutes. They did the rest of the graduates in bulk after calling their individual colleges to stand. The graduation ended near 245pm, but Mindy planned to meet Tyler, her former student, at the Buckeye Grove located just south of the stadium for photos afterwards. We waited at least 30 minutes for Tyler to show. Apparently, the grads had to stick around to get their actual degree.

Finally met with Tyler, his girlfriend, and his family near 330pm in the Buckeye Grove. He gave Mindy a lifting hug and told that she was partially responsible for his degree. Touching moment. We hung with the family for about 10 minutes but then headed for the shuttle and ultimately our car. We were both pretty hungry. Took another half hour to shuttle and get to the Accord. Was just after 4pm when we headed out of the parking lot.

We settled on the Big Fat for dinner. I asked Mindy if she still was interested in stopping at Lowes. She was, but only after eating first. I understood that. I was really hungry too. The Big Fat wasn’t busy at all but must have had several reservations coming in. The hostess wasn’t sure about seating us until Johnny, the owner, recognized us and took us immediately to a table. He introduced the hostess as his new wife. Can’t recall her first name. Michelle? She’s cute but nowhere near as charming as Rene.

We pretty much knew what we wanted to eat. Mindy ordered a glass of wine and I ordered lemonade. When Mindy ordered Nicky’s famous scallops, I switched gears and went with the blackened grouper. No sense ordering the same thing. We wofed down the free appetizers – pita and olive dip. Yum!

We both ordered Greek salads with our meals too. Their produce is always super crisp and fresh. Our entrees arrived shortly after we finished our salads. Perfect! Both plates looked good, though I expected my grouper to be thicker. I wondered if it was really tilapia. Still, it was really good. Mindy gave me one of her giant scallops. She was right, they were very good. By the time we were mid meal, the restaurant was full, no doubt mostly graduation dinner reservations. Mindy said dinner was on her. Cool!

We were in and out of there rather quickly. I’m thinking it was near 545pm when we headed across the river and just up the road to Lowes in Mill Run. There I wanted to other one of those giant red flower pots since I dropped and broke one last fall. Even though it’s made of plastic, it broke like ceramic when I accidentally dropped it off the deck while full of potting soil. Oops!

We looked at their deck pillows too but found none we really liked. I grabbed a flower pot then headed to checkout. There only 10-15 minutes. Mindy wanted to run to Target for bananas, which was only about a half mile up the road. I was getting sleepy and suggested that I would simply wait in the car. While waiting for Mindy, I tuned to inspect the large red planter in the back seat. Holy crap! It was already cracked! Dang it! I was frustrated more at myself for not inspecting it better before making the purchase. I was determined to take it back. And as soon as Mindy was back in the car that’s what we did. We headed right back to Lowes.

This time Mindy waited in the car. The return desk was super cool. Told me to leave the cracked pot there and then go after another. Told me not to even bother stopping by the desk. I went for another but this time made sure that it was perfect before leaving. I walked by the return desk even though it wasn’t necessary. Felt odd grabbing a giant planter and simply walking out the door.

It was after 6pm and we were expecting Jimaken and the kids home around 630pm. They called a little earlier and shared that Jacob’s team won the weekend soccer tournament. Arrived home near 625pm. And even though the day flew by, and I did little more than sit all day, I was exhausted. And so was Mindy. Spent the duration of the evening relaxing. As soon as the kids were home Bella predictably asked to go play with Makayla, who was at the soccer tournament too. Her team won as well. They must be really good. Her team has won the last three tournaments.

Around 8pm I changed into my PJs. Wow, somehow with more clouds than sun, I got one heck of a sunburn. My face and rams were beet red. IN the kitchen, I decided to make a Jack & Coke. Yum! Boy did it taste good. Mindy headed for bed shortly after 9pm while Bella and I remained up. I stayed up until 10pm.

We All Like Coffee

I somehow misread the read the bedroom clock thinking it was about 745am when in reality it was about an hour earlier. I didn't catch the faux pas until about 35 minutes later while I was enjoying coffee and was playing on the internet. I happened to notice the clock on my PC read 723am. I knew that could be right so I checked my phone. Yep, sure enough. It was still before 730am. Hmm? I felt like I gained a full hour. It was good feeling.

I played around online and then followed up on a work issue. At 8am I stretched then headed out on a run. It was partly sunny and seasonably warm - about 57 degrees. It was the earliest I've run on a Saturday in quite a while. I ran just three miles and was back at home close to 840am. Mindy was out front just heading out on a walk with the pug. I kidded her about timing it so she would happen upon me at the finish line.

After walking the pug we hung out on the deck and in the backyard enjoying coffee for at least 45 minutes. Eiknarf was outside with us and begged for coffee. Rather than pour a small puddle on the freshly stained deck, I went inside I fetched a paper bowl and mixed up a small batch just for her. She lapped it up in a hurry. Within five minutes she was crazy pug, running around barking at, and chasing everything insight, including a couple large sticks. It was quite comical.

With no clear agenda until much later in the day, I suggested we work in the yard together, readying the deck and planting flowers. We started by cleaning the deck table. After that I fetched all the deck cushions stowed in giant trash bags in the shed. It had to be about 1030-11am when we got started on the flowers. We spent about an hour preparing the beds, me raking, feathering the recent edgings into the beds and Mindy digging out the few tough weeds. We planted four new May salvia first, then planted the Wave petunias we bought the evening prior. We had a good system down, me digging the holes and Mindy sinking and back filling around the flowers.

We had the pug tied up out front with us, but had to keep an eye out for passersby, as she would bark and go after all of them. We took her inside after it got a bit annoying. About halfway through the sinking of petunias, a suspicious looking character walked by and stopped on the bridge. He had a few unmistakable tattoos that matched the description of the guy that broke in our neighbors home in early December. Namely, he had a tear drop tattoo by his right eye and three snakes on his neck. There were several others too, but those are the ones I recall. I watched him carefully until he finally walked away. He's been known to do his burglaries during broad daylight and while on foot.

He eventually walked on and we watched him until he left the subdivision. About 20 minutes passed and then Mindy shared that he was coming by again from the other direction. We watched him walk by and down a couple blocks. Mindy was certain she saw him get in a black Suburban. I saw the Suburban but wasn't convinced it was him getting in it. Mindy walked down and talked with the neighbors whose house was broken into to compare descriptions. Yep, it had to be him. Mindy called the nonemergency police number sharing the situation. They promised to send a patrol car by.

We finished planting flowers out front and then headed inside for a 15-20 minute break where Mindy made sandwiches. The cops called to ask if we wanted them to stop by. We said yes, and they stopped by 2 minutes later. We shared the facts described above. They shared that they didn't see him, but offered that we call in immediately if he showed up again.

After our break we headed to the eastside flower bed where we keep firewood. There we planned to plant a flat of colorful Zinnias. I started simply by raking the edgings from the bed but then decided to unstack all the firewood to free and clear the loose impediments that have built up over the past two seasons. When doing so we could see where mice had once nested behind the wood and against the foundation. Before restacking the wood we dumped 3 or 4 5 gallon buckets full of edgings over the are to level it off. I then pulled up the rotting 2X4s we had the firewood stacked on and replaced them with treated 2X2's. Spent a good 90 minutes working on the bed before planting the first flower. By the time we finished planting the flat of Zinnias both of us were beat and sore.
It was 330pm and time to ready for dinner at Minelli's and then dessert at maw-maws.

Mindy suggested we leave a little early and stop at Targhetto to pick-up a few things, including looking at their selection of outdoor pillows for our deck. We left the house near 435pm. Inside Targhetto, I noticed I had two missed calls, one from Ashley and another from neighbor Pat S. Listened to a VM left by Olivia. She wanted to have a sleep over, she and the boys. Called Ashley. We talked for a few with me sharing that we didn't have the kids and that we were getting up early and heading to the OSU graduation. Agreed to another weekend soon. Called Pat back next. He invited over for some neighborly fun. Had others coming over. Prior, we had thoughts of heading to the gallery hop after Minelli's and maw-maws. We left open the possibility of stopping by later.

Arrived at Minelli's around 535pm. Because there were close to 16, they gave us the banquet room all to ourselves. I was incredibly thirsty, apparently a little dehydrated after working in the yard all day. I couldn't suck down enough iced tea. I'll bet I drank four glasses. It was a good 30 minutes before the young lady took our food orders. Originally, I didn't plan to eat, thinking that I would eat later once in the short north, but Mindy said she was going to eat, so I went ahead and ordered a side salad and an italian sub. Mindy ordered spaghetti & meatballs.

My sub was pretty tasty. In fact, everybody's food looked good. Mindy's family used to dine at Minelli's fairly regularly when they were kids, much like we used to eat at the Biltmore. Something about the venue and the food that keeps one coming back. Memories I suppose. Our checks were split up by micro family. The plan was to head to maw-maws for dessert (I.E. fudge). I'm thinking it was 645-7pm when we left for there.

As soon as we arrived at maw-maws, I gave two bags of cannas bulbs to Missy. I know she'll use them. Not a lot of sitting room so I took up refuge on the floor against a wall. Shortly thereafter maw-maw served dessert (bad fudge, chocolate chip cookie cake, and something else. I had one piece of the chocolate chip cookie thing. It was good. Mindy and I had plans to hang with the neighbors or possibly Ben & Ryan. We didn't hear back from Ben & Ryan so by we figured to be heading home and hanging with neighbor Pat. Mindy was more inclined to do that anyhow given that we needed to be up early the next morning to make the OSU graduation.

We left for home near 810pm. At home we took care of a few things, including me stuffing a cooler with four beers, and then walked over to Pat & Lisa's. I could see that they were sitting out on the deck and had a fire going too. Lisa was on the deck with daughter Jamie and her husband Paul along with baby Oscar. Also there were Peggy & Joe, long time friends of Pat & Lisa. Max, Pat's son, was there too. The only person missing was Pat. Lisa shared that he was inside getting a much needed shower.

Pat joined us on the deck about 10-15 minutes later. We had fun hanging out with the neighbors telling stories, laughing, and drinking a few beers. Peggy & Joe left probably 45 minutes after we showed up. Peggy said Joe rarely makes it past 10pm. The rest of us hung out until 1115pm or so, but Mindy shared that she was tired and ready to leave around 1045pm. I finished my third beer then we walked home. Mindy agreed to watch SNL from bed. We caught the monologue and then the first skit before sleep came over me.

Dis-Stain

 

Me in my staining shorts (Jams -circa 1982)

Planned to work from home barring anything unforeseen that might require my presence in the office. To that end, I wasn’t out of bed until 550am. It was another gorgeous morning under clear skies and reasonably warm temps – 59 degrees. I had to prep coffee having failed to do so the night before. Once coffee was brewing it was time for calisthenics. I did sit-ups, windmills, and push-ups.

By the time exercise was complete and coffee ready, it was time to wake Mindy. I took her coffee before enjoying any of my own. Nothing in work email that would keep me from working at home, though it was going to be a busy day no matter what. A couple emails got me going bright and early, but I did my best to put it all aside and relax a little, at least through the rest of the early morning pre-work hours.

I didn’t plan to run until Bella was on the bus. Enjoyed coffee, internet, and a little easy work stuff before 8am. Mindy left for school at her usual time. Bella and I headed out at 810am. We met Chrissy, Makayla, and the new kids at the bus stop. Wow, what a lovely morning. Made that Eiknarf’s walk, too, since she hadn’t been out prior.

Once Bella was on the bus I took Eiknarf on longer walk. And once back home I immediately prepared and left on a run. I ran the usual 4.1 miles. It was awesome! Back at home I quickly reengaged in work picking up where I left off just prior to setting out. Once everything was in order, I fried a few eggs, two for me, one for the pug.

Stayed super busy until 1130am/noon, including joining a touchy and impromptu call. Shortly thereafter, I gathered all my deck staining stuff and readied myself for a little staining. I spent about an hour staining the upper level deck surface. The deck surface goes pretty fast with the paint/stain pad. It was an absolutely gorgeous afternoon – sunny and 74.

Spent the mid afternoon following up on a couple escalations and finishing a weekly report. Stayed busy until 3pm or so. I headed back out to start on the lower tier deck surface. With my back to the yard I heard some commotion coming from the pond. Sounded like the baby ducks were scared and peeping. Turned around just in time to see a very large hawk swooping in and away with one of the babies in his clutches. Too bad. I wished it were one of the adult geese. 

Didn’t take long to finish the lower tier – about 50 minutes. Headed inside and back to work. Had two issues needing my attention, and one I would follow into the dark hours of the evening. Ugh! The kids were home from school by then and organizing their things for a weekend trip to Indianapolis with Jimaken for a soccer tournament. Makayla & Chrissy were headed to the same tournament and staying at the same hotel. Bella asked if she could ride with Makayla. I said I didn’t care of her dad didn’t mind.

Didn’t hear from Mindy, and she wasn’t home from work until about 530pm. Jimaken beat her to the house. Word had it that traffic was an absolute mess everywhere. Once Mindy got home she explained that she was at the casino with her teacher pals. She also shared that she called and talked with Jacob who failed to inform me that she was going to be late getting home.

Jimaken and the kids didn’t leave until almost 6pm. Traffic was a disaster in every direction, including just outside of our subdivision. Understandably, he wasn’t in a hurry to hit the road. After the kids left, Mindy and I hung out for a while. I hadn’t yet showered but sorely needed one. I think it was near 645pm when I finally got one. When I was done, Mindy took one, too.

Our evening plans included a trip to Strader’s and then afterwards to CBC. We took the Pilot to Strader’s where I bought two flats of Wave petunias – red and dark purple. We picked out a flat of colorful Zinnias too. Instead of going directly to CBC, we stopped home where we unloaded the flowers then switched cars. We opted to take the BM’er to CBC. I urged Mindy to grab a jacket but she refused. Big mistake. With cloud cover increasing coupled with the fact that the sun was sinking, it was chilly. I was wearing shorts and a long sleeved t-shirt but also my winter fleece. I was comfortable. We lucked out and got the primary parking spot in the CBC lot, but only after struggling to get their due to the Short St detour. There’s only one way to get there, and that’s taking Mound St west of the 70W entrance ramp and then turning under the overpass onto Short St.

Inside, there were only two single stools. Mindy took one. I kidded her about using me for transportation there only. She quickly shared that the two guys beside her were soon leaving. On closer inspection, they were in the process of settling their tab. Kate & Vince were tending bar, and quickly we had Bodhi’s in hand. Also there was Zach, Kate’s boyfriend and former Barley’s manager. He’s now a server at 229 and preparing to start his own business. He was there to have a beer. He sat next to me and we chatted for almost an hour.

Vince brought us bread. It was good, as always. Jennifer stopped by to say hi. Mindy shared that we wanted to make Mother’s Day brunch reservations. Jen said we could come anytime and she would ensure us a table. Sweet!

Since we drove the BM’er, I planned to have just two beers. Mindy ordered the salmon dinner. I ordered their artichoke dip. Haven’t had it for a really long time. Yum! Enjoyed a 2nd Bodhi. We didn’t stay too late. Both of us were really tired. I’m thinking we left for home around 930pm.

Mindy was quick to bed. I stayed up a little while longer playing on the computer but passing on any more alcohol. I joined Mindy in bed near 11pm. She was out cold.

Feelin' a bit on Edge

Was up just after 540am and quickly downstairs for calisthenics. Actually, I had to prep coffee before exercise. Failed to do so the night before. It was another lovely morning with clear skies, warm temps, and lots of birds chirping. I knocked out sit-ups, windmills, and curls in all of about 10 minutes. Headed to my desk around 555am with a hot cup of coffee. I played around on my home PC for about 15 minutes before heading upstairs to wake Mindy. Once she was up I headed back to my desk and checked my work email.

Should've waited. Darn! Instantly, my morning was transformed from calm and peaceful to one loaded with stress. I started working right away dealing with a mini crisis of sorts. Ugh! I managed to reel myself in and walk away for a stretch and a run near 7am. I felt a heavy weight on my shoulders as I bolted out the door but also knew the run would bring some much needed relief.

As much as I hated to, I rolled my run back to just three miles, the first time doing so in almost a month. It was the right thing to do. I wanted to get back to the work issue as soon as i could without selling myself short. It was a gorgeous run, by the way, about 60 degrees under perfectly clear skies. Smelt awesome with all sorts of sweet flowering tree buds filling the air.

Was home again at 730am. Mindy wondered if I already had the work issue under control. She left for work in the Accord, leaving the Pilot just in case I was able to get away and go after the edger as originally planned. By 8am I felt like I had already put in a half day's work. :) I noticed Kenny out in his back yard. I walked out to share my dilemma since we planned on sharing the edger. Let him know that work demanded my time for near term but still hoped to find 30 minutes to go after the edger.

Nephew Joe showed up to clean around 8am. I let him know that I would be working from home but would do my best to stay out of his way. Joe opted to clean the upstairs and our master bathroom first. Mindy left him a note asking him to focus some extra time on our master bath tile floor. The grout really needed some attention.

I Walked Bella to the bus stop at 810a. The bus came along a couple minutes early. I headed home and reengaged in work. Called Sunbelt rentals to check the status of my online reservation. They said they had the edger ready to go anytime. I think it was near 835am when I there came a lull in the work flow so I took full advantage and headed off to Sunbelt in Hilliard.

No problems other than confirming what they loaded on my trailer was in fact a bed edger. Looked a bit more like a trencher or tiller, but after the gentleman explained how it would work it made perfect sense. I left for home. At home with the edger in the back of the trailer, I really couldn't afford to spend anytime unloading, let alone actually edging. Instead, I had to work. Stayed solidly busy for the next 90 minutes. Poked my head out front around 11am only to find the rear gate off the trailer and the machine gone! My heart sunk!

I immediately went to the back deck door where I noticed Kenny out edging his rear flower beds. That was relief. I went to check on him. He stopped briefly and shared how he decided to get busy without bothering me while I worked. The machine leaves a nice edge but will throw rocks and roots and also tear up anything in its path. While Kenny manned the edger, I did the back raking. We had a pretty good system down. All totaled, we edged three yards, his, mine, and the O'Connell's.

Like last year, Kenny mangled one of my sprinkler heads, but this time it was all my fault after steering him wrong when he asked me to point out where my at risk sprinkler heads were. The grass has grown so thick over the last week, I could easily see the sunken heads like I could just a week prior. We spent about an hour edging and raking. That's it. Granted, I still need to smooth the dirt it throws into the flower beds, but what we accomplished with the machine edger would take me a three, maybe four weekend days to complete.

More than once I startled Joe while he was cleaning with headphones on. Got to be a running joke. And several times I'd be talking to him completely oblivious that he was buried in headphone sound. He asked ot shower at our place before headng into school to do his final presentation before graduating with his Associates Degree from Columbus State. Congrats Joe!

I was hungry and thirsty. Chugged a cold cherry Power-Aid. Did some more work then left to return the edger near 130pm. Wanted to put that completely behind me. Was back home and working again just before 2pm. Stayed very busy all afternoon, but did manage a couple key breaks. It took me no more than 10 minutes to repair the mangled sprinkler head. I have three just like it that I replaced last season with alternative heads. I simply dub around and down to the rugged tubbing and removed the mangled body and screwed on a replacement. It's that simple, though I will have to fine tune its spray pattern another time.

Worked slowed down around 3pm ,and it was a good thing, I was tired after starting right out of bed near 6am. I headed out to get a start on the lawn, which really needed cut on Wednesday. In the back of my mind was whether or not the Toro would start, though as you may recall I thought I fixed the issue last week. I am happy to report that it started on the first pull. Wahoo!

I cut the front then checked in with work. Still quiet, I headed out again this time to do the slopes in the backyard. That didn't take long. Went for my tractor next. Between each remaining phase I checked in with work. Took care of a couple issues but was able to pull away and finish the lawn completely. I took my time trimming and edging. Looks sweet! And by the time that Mindy was home from school the lawn was completely finished. I accomplished much during the day, both at home and also for work.

Mindy reminded me that it was a Bella gymnastics day. Around 445pm I headed out to wash the BM'er, something that's on my list of things I need to do. It never takes long. small and easy. Took longer to get the front hose ready for use. It's been idle and detached all winter. I quickly lubed all the connections before attaching everything.

Had the BM'er clean and dried by 520pm. instead of putting everything away, I decided to was h the Accord next. Mindy drive it to school and it looked as if it took the brunt of somebody's gas powered trimmer. Grass clippings stuck all along the driver's side. But it was grimy dirty too. Hasn't been washed in more than a month. I washed the sides twice with super soapy water. Mindy popped her head out to let me know that she and Bella needed to leave in a few minutes. I acknowledged the need and was already mindful of that. By then I only need to dry it. They were standing at its doors ready to depart just as I wrapped up. The only things I didn't get to was the wheels, tires, and then the inside, but it's never that dirty inside.

While Mindy was away, I put away the hose and bucket then headed in for a shower. I was grimier than the cars. :) Felt awesome! Apparently i missed the dinner memo, which was self-serve. Mindy later told me she ate Monday's leftover cheese burger. I opted to make a sandwich with the leftover inferno chicken nuggets she made Tuesday. It was delicious. Mindy and I enjoyed a White Rajah from the deck. Man, what a gorgeous evening. I love the long shadows, both in the morning then again in the evening. That's when our backyard is the prettiest. Mindy shared that she needs more touches. I listened.

It was time to go after Bella in a hurry. Mindy asked if I planned to take the BM'er. Why not? It was gorgeous evening and the BM'er was sparkling clean. Grabbed my light-weight running jacket then rolled out the drive at 711pm. Took 270S jamming to the Blitz the entire way. Arrived a few minutes ahead of 730pm. Watched Bella do a few passes on the double-mini then a few back handsprings into back flips. Practice ended at 735pm and Bella and I met just outside the entry door.

She was elated to discover that I'd driven the BM'er - Big points! The cruise home was fun. She let her tied back hair fly. Told I need to pack an extra ballcap for such occasions. We weren't home long before Mindy suggested we get to work on Bella's homework assignment - a life timeline complete with pictures. She worked with Bella on the written piece while I sorted through my photo collection for photos that commemorated each of the major life events she spoke of in writing. I poured a 2nd White Rajah too.

After identifying 15 pictures charting Bella from soup to nuts I printed them off as 4X6" snap shots, which she would use at school on a poster board. Mindy & Bella watched Idol elimination night. I refrained and instead played a little guitar and then spent some time on the internet. I'm pretty sure that Idol was over at 9pm and that's when Mindy headed up to bed. I stayed up until 10pm on the nose watching How It's Made. Joined Mindy in bed, though she was already out cold.

Perfect May Day

Was up just after 530am and soon downstairs engaged in calisthenics. I felt as loose as I had in several days thanks in no small part to the Advil I took just before bed. After exercise I headed to my desk with coffee. There I bounced between work and pleasure for the next 15-20 minutes. Delivered Mindy's coffee near 615a.

Meditation and stretching were next. Both went well. Time to run. It was warm so I dressed in a thin wicking shirt and long, loose running pants. It was 57 degrees under completely clear skies. As for the forecast, we were expecting an absolutely gorgeous day with temps in the low 80s and sunshine. A perfect beginning to May.

I ran the full 4.1 miles with no trouble at all, but then again, I wasn't expecting any either. Home near 720am, I leashed up the pug while Mindy made last minute preparations to depart for school. Eiknarf and I were out for our usual 8 minutes walk - quick and efficient.

Mindy left shortly after our return. I headed in and started breakfast and packed my lunch. It was already 750am when I finished eating. Decided to shower after seeing Bella on the bus. Spent the next 20 minutes working, though there was nothing too pressing.

Just before Bella and i headed out, she asked me what size t-shirt she wore and then for $3. She went on to explain that she needed the money for a special t-shirt from school. I gave her $3 and guessed medium. Usually can't go wrong there. Met the others at the bus stop on a spectacular morning. I snapped a couple photos of the sun drenched morning. As soon as the bus picked up the kids Eiknarf and I headed back home and me off to the shower.

And since it was Wednesday, I would be working across town in New Albany. I left the house near 845am. It was a lovely drive across town. Happily, there weren't any traffic issues. Arrived around 910a. Another quiet day with my customer, but that doesn't mean I wasn't busy. I had a flurry of activity from my other customers as well as some action items to complete for peers.

I took lunch around 1240p and headed to Lowes where I picked up a 3rd gallon of deck stain. I bought only two on Sunday, and already have somewhere close to a full gallon from 2 seasons ago, but the more i thought about staining and then the possibility of running short, I figured it far better to have a little extra than it was to come up short and then have to make an unplanned run to Lowes. Because it was so lovely, I entered through the garden center and took in some of the flora. That generally puts me in a positive frame of mind. Wasn't at Lowes for too long, though. Headed back to the office near 120pm.

My afternoon was busy but also moved fast. Took care of numerous issues/tasks. Was hoping that I might be able to peel away a little early and possibly even cut the lawn at home. However, I didn't leave the office until 515pm. Mindy sent a text shortly before I left asking if we could do dinner at Barley's. Yes.

I made good time barreling around 270. Traffic got a little heavy in the usual spots but never at a standstill. Arrived home around 545pm. After taking care of a few quick tasks, including checking he mail (received that $250 check due me after the refi closing). We left for Barley's around 6pm.

Parked in the back 40. Nobody minded the walk. It was a lovely evening. Mindy asked for a table in Justin's section. And even though the parking lot was full, the restaurant area just off the bar was barren. Justin joked that we were his only table. Mindy and I both ordered a pint of Hoptopus. Both kids ordered Dr. Pepper shots. Ordered a basket of healthy french fries to hold us over before ordering dinner.

Jacob & Bella went with chicken tenders while I ordered K.C. wings. Mindy ordered their Boy, Oh Boy (three mini sandwiches - chicken, pork, and brisket). Had just the one beer, and ate just 6 or 7 of the wings. I was full. We tucked out leftovers into two styrofoam containers and headed for home but not before Mindy paid our bill and left Justin a handsome tip.

Arrived home around 715pm. I decided to enjoy a 2nd beer, a White Rajah. Yum! The kids rushed out to play with their friends for a limited amount of time. Mindy and I sat on the sofa watching TV. Come 8pm or so, I caved and watched American Idol with her. The evening's mentor was Harry Connick Jr., who I've always appreciated. We headed to bed at 10pm sharp, and actually, I was in bed ahead of Mindy as she attended to Bella's last minute needs

Not Your Steppin' Stones

Woke a few times through the night but managed to get back to sleep rather easily. Was up for good at 530am. Once downstairs, I glanced out back and was happy to see the moon but through what I guessed was fog. Quickly did my morning calisthenics then headed to the PC with coffee. Checked the weather. It was warm – 58 degrees – but with fog in the area. Expecting sunshine and low 70s later in the day. Wahoo! Played around online until it was time to wake Mindy. Woke her near 615am.

Back downstairs, I moved on to meditation. It was 631am when I finished. And aside from standing and doing an extended floor touch, I failed to complete my usual stretch routine. What’s worse, I didn’t even realize it until I was out on my run – about a mile in - and wondered why I was so stiff, especially my legs. Duh! How bad is that? I was a bit more careful than usual for the duration of my 4.1 mile run, not wanting to risk a strain or a pull. By the way, it was extremely foggy, especially at the outset. But by the run’s end the rising sun managed to burn most of it off.

Got home near 720am where Mindy already had the Accord warming in the drive. Not sure why she felt the need to warm it, though the windows were completely covered in dew. I took a few minutes to squeegee the windows clear. I planned on taking the trailer back to dad on my way to work later, but hoped to pick it up again possibly Thursday so I can get that power edger.

Mindy left for school while I was out walking the pug. While on the walk, it occurred to me that Mindy might’ve taken my keys instead of the spare. And I would need my keychain to access my office. As soon as the pug and I were back at home I checked the cupboard. Yep, sure enough. Mindy had my key chain. I quickly went for my phone and gave her a call. She wasn’t happy but agreed to turn around and bring me the keys. I set the spares out for us to exchange then when about breakfast and lunch prep.

As she generally does, Bella headed upstairs after feeding the pug. Mindy showed up around 745am and didn’t look at all happy. I gave her the spare Accord key as well as her main key chain. I, in turn, had the spare Pilot key. She was out the door again in less than a minute.

Given the time, I didn’t plan to shower until after the bus. Tinkered around the house until bus stop time. We headed out a couple minutes early. It was lovely. Why not? As expected, the bus showed up around 815am, and as soon as the kids were safely on the bus, the pug and I headed back home. A few minutes later I was off to the shower.

I was showered and ready to go by 840am. I thought I might stop at Ohio Mulch for some stepping stones at lunch, so before heading off to work, I grabbed a pair of work gloves from the garage, just in case. Dropped the trailer at dad’s. He &Archie were awake. Dad gave him the dickens from the door after acknowledging my presence. Let him know that I needed to run off to work and that I might want to use it again as soon as Thursday. He nodded in agreement. Off to work.

It was an extremely busy day at the office. Had a quick impromptu meeting with a couple peers right out of the shoot. I had two major calls to join, one at 1130a and the other at 1p. I hardly had a spare moment until the 1pm call ended near 145pm. I decided then that I was going to take lunch and run to Ohio Mulch and Lowes. And then, instead of finishing my day in the office, I planned to work the last couple of my day from home. I left near 2pm.

Ohio Mulch is just a mile or two from the office at Riverside and Bethel. It’s a challenge buying stepping stones. I only needed 7 or 8, and had their shapes already in mind. I carefully selected the 7 I wanted then went inside to ask for assistance. Of course they’d have to weigh them since they charge by the pound. I was a little taken back that they made me go find a yard worker to get a forklift and pallet, but I did so anyhow. Toy finally came to assist. I stacked the 7 stepping stones onto the pallet he brought via forklift. I estimated my haul about 880-90lbs. From years past, I know their scales are suspect, but when Tony retuned with my stones and said they were 149lbs I second guessed him. He once again shared that they were 149lbs. Somewhat hesitantly, I headed inside again and reported the weight he dictated. They’re $.19 per lb., so my total was $31 with tax. Tony waited by the Pilot with my stones. I loaded them in two lifts – easily. I still doubted the weight but moved on. I headed to the Mill Run Lowes next.

At Lowes I picked up five new May Night Salvia to replace those that mysteriously perished over winter. I paid more than I really wanted - $12.98 each for a two gallon size, but that’s all they had. Typically I buy the 1 gallon size since they grow so fast, which are usually half that price. It was 240pm. I headed for home on what was an absolutely gorgeous afternoon. According to the Pilot, it was 75 degrees – ideal.

At home I opted to leave the afternoon’s haul in the back of the Pilot then headed inside where I quickly booted up my work laptop. During the boot-up process I made a quick snack of cheese and nuts and topped off my water glass. I spent the rest of the afternoon working away. Around 4pm Mindy arrived home, still a little sore about the key thing from earlier. And I think the fact that I was working from home only made it worse since at first glance it might appear that I worked from home all day and really didn’t need my office keys. Of course that wasn’t the case.

While Mindy started dinner I carried on with the rest of my work day. Had to make another call or two before my day wrapped up just after 5pm. Jimaken brought Jacob around 5pm too. Said he was feeling a lot better. Looked like he’d be returning to school on Wednesday.

I asked Mindy if she wanted me to drop-off or pick-up Bella at gymnastics. As I thought she might, she said both. I wasn’t averse to the idea. After all, I felt bad that she had to make the return trip home earlier. I agreed. With 20 minutes still before we’d need to leave, I headed out to the pilot and emptied out the salvia and stones, carrying each of them to their respective spots in the landscape.

Darwin swung by while I was out front and stopped briefly to chat. I suggested that we would happily take Lane to gymnastics saving he or Connie the trip. Said they most likely not taking a beach vacation this summer despite Connie inquiring about our willingness or thoughts. Inside, Mindy said she didn’t plan on us eating dinner until I was back from dropping Bella at gymnastics. And Bella tried to get me to commit to hanging out for the entire practice, but only so Makayla could go along. Nope. But to bring up her spirits, I suggested we take the BM’er. She loved that.

To prepare for taking the BM’er I headed out to move the Accord out to the curb and then to make sure that the BM’er would start. Started easily. I also topped off the coolant as it was maybe 8 ounces low – not much. Five minutes later Bella and I headed to the garage to depart. I heard a strange swooshing noise as we backed out the drive. And when I stopped the noise stopped. Momentarily puzzled, it dawned on me that I hadn’t move the bag of fertilizer I had resting on the garage floor directly behind the BM’er despite reminding myself several times over the past few weeks. Still not sure how, but lucky enough, it didn’t split the bag open. I pulled forward a few feet then got out and moved the bag to an out of the way place in the garage. Off to gymnastics.

The BM’er purred like a kitten, and we took the back way, avoiding 270 altogether. I noticed a hint of coolant in the air but thought nothing of it. Dropped Bella at the gym near 550pm, or 10 minutes early. Noticed the smell of coolant again on and off, but this time enough to pique my curiosity. I popped the hood as soon as I pulled into the garage at home and realized that I didn’t put the cap back on the radiator after topping off the coolant. No wonder I could smell coolant and why it was dripping from the front wheels and frame. What a dunder head!

Inside, dinner was ready. I washed my hands and Mindy and I sat down to eat. It was especially quiet with Jacob in his room – not hungry – and Bella off to dance. Shame, because it was a delicious dinner, inferno chicken, salad, and Bob Evans baked macaroni. And as Mindy pointed out, a very orange dinner.

I was happy to go after Lane and then pick-up Bella after clean-up, but mentioned that I wouldn’t be able to stain the two pergola boards I hoped to instead. Mindy quickly chimed in that she would do the pick-up so I could do the staining. That made me happy. After dinner clean-up I gathered all the stuff I needed then headed out to the deck.

Before staining those 2X6’s, I decided to sand them with my palm sander, in part to make the service more accepting of stain but also to get a few spots of mold or mildew off. It also afforded me the opportunity to smooth all the edges a bit giving it a slightly more finished look. I spent a good 30 minutes sanding both boards. I wisely wore a breathing mask. Took about 30 minutes to stain both sides and edges.

Before putting my palm sander away, I spent a few minutes sanding a few rough surfaces both on the benches I built summer 2011 and then a few spots along the railings where they take on excessive water from hanging basket run-off. Part of me wanted to dig into staining the entire deck surface, but I also knew I wouldn’t be able to finish and would prefer to do the entire job in one fell swoop.

I put all the staining stuff away then headed up for a shower since getting coated in sawdust from sanding. Mindy & Bella were home from gymnastics just as I was heading up the stairs. Mindy heated a dinner plate we prepared for Bella. After a shower I spent a little time online and then playing guitar. Around 845pm I went to the family room and turned on the TV hoping to find something worthwhile to watch. At the same time, Mindy went to our room to read and watch TV.

I landed on the History of the World in Two Hours. Cool show. Sorry I missed the entire first half. I want to try and catch it on a replay beginning to end. As it was, I joined just as man mounted horses for battle which by all accounts was around 600 B.C. I started getting sleepy 20 minutes into it. I woke at 10pm and headed for bed.

HeebeeGeebees

Sunday night, Mindy and I both headed to bed around 930p, and I fell asleep easily. However, it must’ve been around 11pm when some noisy neighbors were hooting and hollering so much that it woke us both. Mindy got up and closed the window. We were awaken again around 4am, but this time to the sound of Jacob repeatedly calling out for mom. I knew that couldn’t be good. Like any good mother, Mindy was quickly out of bed and in his room. He went to bed ill, so I guessed that he threw up in his room. Why else would he be calling out to Mindy at 4am?

Mindy was out of bed for an hour or more. I think she came back to bed around 510am and confirmed that he threw up all over himself. She stripped his bed, started washing his bedding, and made plans to leave school at lunch time. Bottom line, neither one of us slept too well. I didn’t get up for keeps until 6am.

By then the coffee was brewed and waiting. I whipped out a full round of calisthenics then poured coffee for both Mindy & I around 620am. When I delivered Mindy’s coffee she added clarity to how her overnight unfolded. Pretty much as I detailed above. She also shared that she planned on heading in to school but planned to come home around noon to finish washing Jacob’s bedding. I told her that I was going to work from home.

I spent some time playing around online but then powered up my laptop for work. Nothing pressing was awaiting me. That was a good feeling. Since I was working from home I didn’t plan to run until after seeing Bella onto the school bus. That meant I had plenty of time to play and work. The weather wasn’t what I had hoped for. Instead of clear skies it was cloudy and sprinkling despite a radar that appeared clear. Not sure how to explain that. The forecast called for temps near 70 with clouds giving way to partly cloudy conditions later. The next three days, however, look awesome, near 80 and partly to mostly sunny. Nice!

Mindy left for school at 730am. She took the Accord since I still had dad’s trailer attached to the Pilot. If it had been drier/nicer, and I worked from the office, I thought that I might pick-up a power edger from Sunbelt rentals. That wasn’t going to happen now. Not only was it still raining but the ground’s simply to saturated for effective edging.

I dressed for a run and stretched around 8am. I grabbed an umbrella from the hall closet and Bella and I headed out to the bus stop at 810am. The bus was on time, there at 815am. I headed home with the pug and turned around right away took off on my run. It was sprinkling and about 53 degrees. I wore a thin wicking shirt and a light jacket. I was a tad warm but not unbearable. I unzipped the jacket to cool off a little. I ran the full 4.1 miles and was back at the house by 9am. I didn’t even bother heading inside before raising the garage door and addressing a quick yard chore. Actually, a yard chore for neighbor Trena.

Last fall when she had a natural gas contractor out to upgrade her home’s gas supply line, they dug two holes in her yard and after filling them in they left them blemished and without grass. Both are about 30” in diameter. I took a few minutes to scuff up the topsoil and then spread grass seed. I took care of a couple spots in our yard too, but both much smaller. Done and inside by 910am. Love it when a plan comes together.

Got busy with work. Took about 10 minutes to fry some eggs for the pug and I around 1045am, or just before my standing 11am call/meeting. Didn’t hear a peep from Jacob until about noon when he came downstairs to get water. Mindy must’ve called about then too, because he was still downstairs. I think she asked him what he wanted to eat. It sounded like she was stopping at DQ on her way home.

I was full on busy with work when Mindy got home. She offered me some fast food which I promptly declined. After lunch, Mindy got busy washing the rest of Jacob’s barfed on bedding. I stayed busy with through the afternoon. I joined another conference call at 330pm. I ended up working steadily until 515pm when I finally walked away to interact with Mindy & Bella. Bella had Makayla and Emily over. They were wound up playing with Bella’s furbie.

Mindy made cheeseburgers, corn-on-the-cob, and reheated red skin potatoes for dinner. Jacob didn’t want to eat. Bella asked if Makayla could eat with us. Offered to share her cheeseburger. Shouldn’t we invite Emily too? Mindy asked Emily if she wanted to eat dinner with us, but she declined, though she did sit at the dinner table with us. That was a little weird. Bella has always loved corn-on-the-cob. She had 1.5 ears, the second she split with Makayla. Dinner clean-up was next. Took about 15-20 minutes.

I checked my work email shortly after dinner and noticed that I had an email from an executive for one of my customers. I ended up work for on and off for the next couple hours in an attempt to address the concern. Mindy wasn’t please when she found me working again, but understood a bit more once I explained why. Sometimes you have to take one for the team.

Jimaken showed up around 7pm to pick-up Jacob. The plan was for him to spend the night with his dad and stay home from school again on Tuesday. Jimaken wasn’t there too long.

I kept waiting for the sky to clear and the sun to come out. There were a few brief peaks of sun, but for the most part, the sky remained cloudy.  Around 710pm I headed out to the deck with my circular saw, speed square, and clamps to prepare the two new pergola stringers by cutting the ends at the desired angle. All that took no more than 10 minutes to complete. Had it been sunny and dry, I would’ve taken the time to stain the stringers too. I plan to stain them before mounting.

I must’ve chased geese from the yard 3 or 4 times over the next hour or so. They start running as soon as they hear the deck door open these days, but often wait by the water’s edge until they see me coming their way. In my mind they’re rats with wings. They seem to be getting more brazen by the day, now coming up close to the deck to eat grass and crap.

I finally was able to put the work issue aside by 8pm. I spent the next hour playing guitar and then writing in my blog. Finding time to play the guitar was especially relaxing/rewarding. Bella asked if I would show her how to play some chords after her shower. That had to be around 845pm. Mindy headed up to bed shortly after 9pm. By then I was on the sofa tuned into How the Universe Works. I was getting sleepy in a hurry. Bella came down for her second snack just about the time I was ready to head upstairs for bed. I’m pretty sure that it was 945pm. She even tried to stop me and push me back to the TV.  She doesn’t like staying up by herself. She was pouring herself a bowl of cereal when I headed to bed. I only asked that she clean up her mess and remember to turn off the lights.

Power Wash in the Rain

Despite drinking only two beers the night before and in bed before 11pm, I slept in until 745am. Must've needed the catch-up rest. Felt good. I soon found my way to the kitchen where I started a pot of coffee. The weather wasn't a motivator to say the least. It was 53 degrees but raining. The forecast, meanwhile, called for rain on and off all day long. Expected to reach the mid 60s.

I enjoyed coffee and played on the internet until 915am when Mindy and the pug got up. After a couple minutes, I took the pug out for a walk. As soon as I was back I dressed and left for a run. I ran the usual weekend trail, a whopping three miles. While running, I thought of all the spring tasks I wanted to complete and how the day's weather was going to put a crimp in most of them. The one thing I could still do even in a light rain was power wash the deck. The rain stopped almost entirely during my run thus wasn't much of factor at all. Once back home, I checked the radar. Looked like the heaviest rain was past us. I spent an hour or so writing for my blog and then fixing a printing issue Mindy was having with her laptop.

Mindy said Lindsey and the boys were coming over around noon to do laundry. Around 1130am I checked the skies. Again the rain had all but stopped and the sky even brightened a bit, though threatening cloud cover was still the prevalent feature. I was eager to power wash on Sunday so I could entertain the possibility of staining the walking surface of the deck one day during the coming week when we're expected to enjoy 3 or 4 warm, dry days in a row. Best to get it done before getting out the deck furniture and flower pots.

I hadn't used the hose since last fall It took a few minutes to get it all hooked up. I lugged the power washer around to the deck then filled it with gas. And once I had the water flowing, the power washer started with relative ease. I've learned that I have to relieve the water pressure from the compressor to make starting easier. Not sure why that is but it works.

Having stained the entire deck just 18 months prior, the pergola and railings still look great. It's only the walking surface that needs a fresh coat of stain. So over the next couple hours I power washed the entire walking surface, the benches, gas grill, and then stucco that abuts the deck. I even did the four resin deck chairs.

Lindsey and the boys showed up shortly after I started. Landon came out and asked to help. Cute, but the power washer is no toy. I suggested he join me afterwards. Once I was done I had him come out where we played a little kickball and then made some bubbles. He enjoyed that. Rocky stayed in the house apparently content playing Wii. Mindy, meanwhile, was off to the grocery in the Accord since dad's trailer was still hooked up to the pilot.

Mindy was home from the grocery by the time I was finished and had the power washer put away. Good timing. I then headed for a shower. Like often happens, my little toes were itching like crazy after working in sopping wet tennis shoes. Not sure why that is but it happens with regularity. My feet get wet and then the skin between my last two toes splits and itches.

A shower was heavenly. When I shared that I was ready to make another Lowes run Mindy suggested that she might join me. This time going after 2 gallons of deck stain as well as the two 2X6" X10' treated boards to repair the pergola. One of the upper stringers split in two while another is significantly warped. I also planned to look for a trailer wiring harness extension so I can hook-up the lights on dad's trailer. According to the Lowe's webpage, they had them in stock at the Mill Run store.

Once at Lowes, Mindy wanted to run in an unusual store front right next to Lowes. Can't recall the name. She went one way while I went the other. Then, while making my way into Lowes, I happened to see someone in an older red Honda CRV waving at me. It was former neighbor David Curran and his mother. Haven't seen David in about two years, best guess. We've been wondering how they're doing and then why we haven't seen them at Barley's.. I greeted them both but then had to be reminded of his mother's name - Celeste. We chatted for a few minutes then agreed to hook-up for a Barley's night possibly even next Friday.

Inside Lowes I went after the two treated 2X6X10' first. Next, I went to the paint counter and gave them the specifics - 6 yr Olympic deck stain in Dessert Sand. They agreed to mix it up while I continued shopping. I went and found the wiring harness extension I wanted. They only had a 60" length which was far longer than I needed but figured I could always use a tie-wrap to shorten it up. I also picked up some special brackets to use for mounting the new pergola stringers along with two lengths of deck screws. Mindy soon found me, and after picking up our stain we headed to checkout.

We headed home taking the short cut through The Glen. That part was fine, but the bumpy ride down Old Dublin Rd was mind jarring. The trailer and the two 10' boards were bouncing like crazy despite me using rope to tie them in tightly. I had to pull over at one point to push one of the 2X6's back to the front of the trailer. Otherwise, I thought it might bounce out. The kids called shortly before we arrived home. Bella wasn't sure what to make of arriving home only to find Lindsey and the boys there. she was disappointed to learn that we went to Lowes without her. Made it home in one piece.

Carried the two boards around to the deck then gathered the necessary tools to try on the wiring harness extension. Before giving it a try, I wrapped the full 5' length in electrical tape. I didn't bother shortening it to a more desirable length. Hooked it up to the trailer and the Pilot but the lights didn't work. Crap! On closer inspection, I noticed that the ground wire protruding from the trailer bundle wasn't connected (grounded) to anything. I could, however, see where it once was connected to the frame near the tongue, but the wire was broken. I repaired the broken ground wire then retried. Success. I wrapped up outside then headed in.

Lindsey was putting the finishing touches on her laundry and preparing to depart. At the same time, Mindy was preparing the fish she bought Saturday afternoon for broiling. She picked up Chilean sea bass and haddock from the little known seafood shop on Trabue near Wal-Mart. According to Mindy, a quaint little shop and bargain prices as compared to the Market District and Whole Foods.

Dinner was served around 530pm. Jacob came to the table but quickly exited sharing that he wasn't hungry and wasn't feeling well. And with an ashen face, he went to the sofa to lie down. I suggested we take his temperature. Bella was quick to his aid with the digital rectal thermometer. 98.0. Bella, Mindy and I dug into dinner. Bella doesn't like seafood, so she ate leftover Papa John's pizza. Mindy and I had Chilean sea bass. After just one little bite I could tell instantly that what we were eating wasn't on par with the Chilean sea bass we get from the aforementioned establishments. And I certainly didn't mean to insult Mindy's cooking. But after a bite of her own she concurred. In fact, she had a piece of the haddock too. She couldn't even finish it. Lesson learned.

Dinner clean-up was next. Lots of pans, casserole dishes and baking sheets to wash. Took a while. Mindy helped by drying and putting away. Bella suggested we go on a bike ride/walk. Mindy wasn't up for it, but I was. As soon as the kitchen was cleaned up Bella, the pug and I headed out. It was raining again albeit very lightly, but not enough to deter us from our mini adventure. We went a few blocks then turned around to head back. We were out maybe 10-15 minutes.

By then Jacob had headed to his room. Mindy took his temperature again and said it was up a little. Apparently one needs to add a degree when using the digital underarm thermometer. She left the decision of going to school on Monday up to him. I spent a little time writing in my blog and playing guitar. Mindy, Bella and I hung out in the living room until 830pm or so when I poured myself a Jack on the rocks - no Coke. I sipped that over the next 45 minutes. Mindy was ready for bed around 930pm. I joined her a few minutes later despite Bella pleading with me to stay up and watch Science Channel for a little while. The sad truth of it is, she wasn't interested in watching it with me. Instead, she simply wanted me to stay up so she could snack and tinker. Good night rain!

A Postle Paul Pays a Visit

 

I slept until almost 8am and was convinced that I would wake with a headache. I was on the edge, no doubt, but once I was up and downstairs I felt fine. I opted to pass on taking Advil. Instead, I started some coffee then took to the internet. Looked like a nice start to the day, sunny and about 50 degrees with an expected high around 70.

I played around online until sometime after 9am when I finally readied myself for a run. It had to be about 915am when I headed out the door. Like most Saturday's, I ran three miles. It was an easy run, too. Back at home, Mindy was finally up. We spent some time out back on the deck with the pug. I shared some coffee with Eiknarf then filled the bird feeder with what was left of last year's bird seed.

Mindy had designs on making a run to Sam's Club as well as a few other stops to get snacks and drinks for Jacob's friends-only birthday party later that afternoon. We talked about making the run together and also discussed the possibility of stopping for basement lumber while out. While she headed to the shower, I thought I might run to dad's to pick-up the trailer, but there was a catch. We were expecting the Orkin man between 11a & noon, and it was already 1040am. So instead of going to dad's, I spent the time waiting for Orkin raking the flower beds out front in preparation for flowers and mulch. Unlike year's past, last year's mulch has almost completely decomposed making bed prep that much easier. However, I also took extra care and time late fall cleaning the beds in preparation for winter.

I had the two main beds raked smooth and clean by the time the Orkin man showed up. His name is Greg. Been with Orkin for 17 years. Mindy was out of the shower by then and immediately recognized Greg from her Orkin days in Worthington when she was married to Jimaken. Greg was very animated and asked a lot of questions. One of his first observations and strategies was to pick-up and throw out all the ant bait traps Mindy had placed around the entry doors and favorite hangout spots. Greg said he was afraid that we were actually attracting them with those traps. Said there must be a reason they're coming back.

We agreed to follow his direction. After all, he's the expert. He sprayed inside and out again, only this time using another chemical. He left more confident than I that we won't see anymore and promised to follow-up on Monday to get our feedback. However, he said if we did see more that that is a good indication that they're nesting somewhere in our walls. He checked out the house from the inside and out to see if there was anything obvious. He said the firewood pile just outside the east wall wasn't a factor, at least not for piss ants. If they do return he claims they'll need to deploy a baiting strategy as opposed to the spray and eradicate. Greg was finished by noon.

I spent another 30 minutes or so in the front flower beds loading a few small piles of plant debris into a 5 gallon Home Depot pail and then dumping it in one of my compost piles. Mindy asked if I still wanted to run errands. I changed my mind, sharing that it made more sense for me to stay home and focus on the demolition of the hand rail wall leading down the basement steps. That wall isn't there in the finished basement plans and taking it out now would make it far easier to carry all the lumber, drywall, doors, etc down the stairs. Mindy agreed and left wishing me happy demolition. She also told me not to swear too much. :)

I got started right away. I didn't expect it to take too long. After all, it was just four or five 2X4's and one piece of drywall fully exposed on the back side. I used a hammer, utility knife, and mini crowbar. Took no more than 10 minutes to have the wall down. Took a bit more time to cut the drywall up into bite-sized pieces that would fit into the trash can. But I also took time to remove the nails from the 2X4's, which I'll reuse in the project. Having the wall removed opens up the basement considerably.

After finishing the demolition, I went for a snack and a nap. I snacked on Triscuits topped with good cheese and hot pepper rings. Yum! A short nap was next. I don't think I slept for more than 10 minutes but remained horizontal on the sofa for at least 45 minutes. Felt good. I was up shortly before Mindy got home. She showed me all the goofy stuff she bought for Jacob's friends-only b-day party. I thought she was joking. She bought butterfly nets, bubble makers, bad mitten wickets, and plastic yard balls, all stuff one might expect to find at a 7 year olds party. Said she got it all in part as a joke, but she also was convinced that a lot of the kids would think it was cool, especially the girls. Oh boy! Honey, he's 13!

Paul Postle arrived just as Mindy was unloading her haul. Paul was by to inspect our backflow meter, just as he does each year in late April. It's a bit of a racket that the city requires it to be inspected and repaired if necessary each year. Paul is responsible for sending in the form, too. He's a super guy, and reasonably priced. He wasn't there but maybe 10 minutes tops. I opted to pay him right then rather than have him leave an invoice. I'm sure he appreciates that, not having to worry about hounding customer's for payment. I was especially pleased this year, in that he called me proactively saving me the trouble, though it was on my list of calls to make.

Shortly after Paul left, Mindy asked if I still intended on going after basement lumber. Yes. We quickly got ready to go. I was still in my running clothes and looked like a dirt ball after working in the yard and basement all afternoon. Yuck! No sense showering and changing before getting lumber, though.

We headed to dad's, but not before me giving him a quick call to see if the trailer was there and available. It was. Said he was outside fooling around with his tractor. Mindy got out and greeted dad and Archie while I maneuvered the Pilot in order to attach the trailer. I exited the Pilot with a dog treat in hand. Archie has never been kind to me. but a dog treat in hand seemed to do the trick. We talked with dad for about 10 minutes, him sharing how he got his big tractor stuck in the mud deep in his back yard. He used the Blazer to pull it out. Did it all by himself. Told him he should've called me for help. But that's dad. He never asks for help.

We didn't stick around too long. We needed to get the lumber, get it home and unloaded, and then ready for Jacob's party. We took the back way to Lowe's, up Old Dublin Rd and through The Glen, completely ignorant of the Robert Rd/270 ramp being closed. At Lowes, the framing studs, both regular and treated, are arranged conveniently near the overhead door. When we told the sales associate that we needed 141 I could see the pain in his eyes. He agreed to fetch a forklift and bring it out the overhead door for easy loading into the trailer, though we'd still have to load them into the trailer by hand.

I paid for 141 regular studs and then 8 treated. Not sure what I was thinking, but the plans call for 15 treated studs to serve as the sill plate. I'd have to get the others later. I paid for the entire load without knowing for sure that we could get all of them into the trailer. But by eyeball alone, I knew it was going to be close.

Mindy and I guided the studs into the trailer while Frank held them on the forklift at the rear of the trailer. Didn't take too long. We could only get 110 or so on board without risk of them sliding out. Mindy suggested we try getting the others in the back of the Pilot, but I already knew they wouldn't all fit. I suggested that I would return for what remained, which was somewhere between 30-40. We opted to take Old Dublin Rd home, more because the trailer lights weren't working. The short wire harness won't reach the Pilot's trailer light socket.

As soon as we rounded the bend at Old Dublin Rd and Scioto Darby traffic was at a complete standstill. It was then that I remembered that the Roberts Rd entrance and exit ramps were to be closed all weekend. Took 15 minutes to go the next 1/2 mile. Ugh! At home I asked Mindy to back the Accord onto the street and along the curb so I could back the trailer and Pilot into the driveway. We then propped open the glass storm door and carried the 100+ studs to the basement. I had a spot already ready for them.

Mindy carried two at a time; I carried three. Monotonous work to say the least, and tiring too. I worked up a good sweat and so did Mindy. I was very pleased to have her help. It would've been several more trips by myself. After emptying the trailer, I wasted no time heading back to Lowes to get the rest of our lumber. Mindy opted to stay home and prepare for Jacob's party. It was about 4pm.

This time I took Wilson to Roberts to Old Dublin avoiding the bumpiest part of Old Dublin between Roberts and Trabue. Dad's trailer bounces all over that part of the road, which is that way from all the concrete trucks that traverse that portion of the road on a daily basis. While at Lowes, I purchased the 7 additional treated studs we'd need along with the Tap-Con screws needed to secure the sill plate to the concrete floor. While in the checkout line I ran into my pal Tom Clark there buying some heating & cooling supplies.

Frank helped me load the rest of my studs and then I chatted with Tom just outside the overhead doors. Tom and I talked for about 20 minutes. Invited him to meet Mindy and I at Barley's later, after Jacob's friends-only birthday party. I called Mindy in route to home sharing that I ran into Tom. She said I needed to hurry home if I wanted her help carrying in the remaining studs. Time was fleeting. This time I took Fishinger to Riverside avoiding the 270 bypass on Old Dublin Rd all together. Smart move! Made excellent time, though I was a little worried about driving down Riverside Dr and not having trailer lights.

Jimaken was already at the house with the kids. He helped Mindy and I carry about 40 2X4's to the basement. Thanks Jim! After pulling the empty trailer alongside the curb, I headed for a shower. I had to be smelling more than ripe. Shower felt terrific. By then it was near 545p. Jacob's friends were set to arrive at 6pm. And actually, a couple kids arrived early. Several boys showed up over the next 20 minutes. Jacob's girlfriend, Lauren showed up around 615p. She quickly shared that her mom wanted to come in. Mindy headed out to talk with her. I waved from the door.

All the kids headed out back to the treehouse and swings. It wasn't too long before Papa John's showed up with 9 pizzas. Jimaken suggested that we would likely be stuck with lots of leftover pizza because kids tend not to eat much when hanging at a party with a mixed crowd of girls and boys. His hunch was correct. Mindy let the kids know that pizza was available but few seemed to care or take any interest.

About halfway through the 2 hour long party, Mindy took some of the party favors she bought earlier out to the deck. Jacob was beside himself and tried to collect them all and toss 'em aside. But as Mindy suggested, the girls seemed to enjoy the bubble makers. In fact, later, some of the bigger kids used the butterfly nets to try and catch frogs from the pond. Aside from Jacob, the party favors seemed to be a success.

Mindy walked pizza out to the treehouse. The kids seemed more apt to eat it up when hand delivered. A few minutes later Mindy called all the kids inside to sing happy birthday and have brownies. Jacob was understandably a little embarrassed. By then it was 725pm. Jacob opened his cards and gifts next. During all the excitement I slipped off to our bedroom for a quick nap. Felt good. I watched a few minutes of the Yogi Bear movie from bed. Funny!

By the time I was back downstairs all the kids were gone save for A.J., who is one of Jacob's neighborhood friends and the son of a guy i went to high school with (Pat McMasters). It was 820pm. Mindy somewhat hurried Jimaken and the kids along. They were heading back to Jimaken's place. We in turn were heading to Barley's to meet Tom Clark for a beer or two. Jimaken and the kids left at 830pm. Mindy sent A.J. home with an entire pizza. Even then, we had two more left for home.

Mindy & I left for Barley's as soon as the others left. Somewhat surprising, the lot was sparsely attended. In fact, there are often more cars there on a Monday than there were on this occasion. We bellied up to the bar where we both ordered a Hoptopus. Mindy planned to have just one. She said wasn't hungry either. Tom Clark showed up about 15-20 minutes later. I moved down one stool to make room for Tom to sit between us. I ordered K.C.wings and a second beer, this time a Indie Pale Ale. Tom ordered food and beer, too, the Saturday brisket special and a Bud Light.

Tom woofed down the brisket and then ordered 10 wings just like me. Said he would eat just a couple and then take the rest home. However, he ended up eating all of them. Like Mindy, I was tired. Not only did we stay up late the night before, but we worked hard all day Saturday, too. We settled our tab and headed for home around 1015pm. Before pulling away, Tom offered help with the basement finishing project.

At home Mindy quickly headed to bed. I promised to be up shortly. I thought about having another beer but changed my mind. I watched the end of last week's Saturday Night Live episode which airs just before the late news and before the current week's episode. I got to see the last few minutes, that's it. I joined Mindy in bed around 11p.

Patio Season @ 229

I didn't get up until almost 6am, but I planned to work from home so there wasn't a need to be up any sooner. The sky was clear and once again scattered frost across the back lawn. I knew then that it was going to be yet another chilly start. I started some coffee then completed calisthenics. With the coffee still brewing, I headed to my PC around 615a. Checked the weather and NFL draft headlines. The Vikings grabbed most of the draft headlines after a record 3 first round picks. As for the weather, it was 33 degrees but expected to rise into the 60s by midafternoon. And Saturday was supposed to be even nicer - 71 and partly sunny.
Coffee was finally ready around 620am. I headed upstairs to wake Mindy. After a quick hug I headed back to the living room and my make shift office where I fired up my work laptop. There I spent the next hour or so until Mindy was downstairs preparing to leave for school. I planned to walk the pug when Bella and I headed to the bus stop. After Mindy left and before the bus stop, I spent a little time writing in my blog. Around 8am I stretched and got into my running clothes since I planned to run after walking the pug and seeing Bella off to school.

Bella and I headed out at 811am. Chrissy & Makayla were already there, as were the new folks. It was chilly but gorgeous. By then it was near 40 degrees. Decided then that I wouldn't need hand and ear covers for my run.
Eiknarf took care of her business while we waited for the bus. Bus showed up a couple minutes early.

I was home for no more than five minutes before heading off on my run. I just needed to make sure that work wasn't beckoning, and they weren't. I ran the full 4.1 miles in lovely conditions - sunny and warming nicely. Spent my mind's cycles thinking about all I hoped to accomplish over the weekend. Was back home near 910am where after pouring a 2nd cup of coffee I headed to my laptop.

I was busy with work for the next 3+ hours. Around 1230p I took a lunch break and headed out to cut the lawn. My plan, however, hit a snag when once again the Toro wouldn't start. After starting on the first pull last weekend, I was hopeful that I actually fixed the starting problem once and for all. Notice I said hopeful, not confident. I messed around with the mower longer than I should've, for at least 30 minutes trying everything under the sun. Finally gave up on the Toro and went for my tractor and cut as much as I could with it. But cutting the front with the tractor pains me, especially early in the mowing season. Given the terrain, it's almost impossible to leave behind clean lines and a well-manicured look.

I'd already spent way more time on the lawn than originally planned, stopping several times to check my blackberry for calls/emails. With nothing pressing, I trimmed, edged and blew. And since it was only the second mowing session of the season, all three extra touches took twice as long as normal. I didn't finish until almost 3pm, and even then there remained three large areas where I absolutely needed the Toro for mowing.

After brushing myself free of loose yard debris I headed inside for water and work. Jacob got home a couple minutes later. I stayed busy taking care of my weekly administrative duties and a few loose ends. Bella and Mindy were home at 4p and 430p respectively. I told Mindy about my mower horrors. I shared how defeated I felt after preparing my mowing equipment beginning back in early March, which is far earlier than most even consider the task. But now, here I was in the midst of mowing season still having equipment issues. Ugh!

As the work day wound down, I browsed Home Depot's website for new push mowers. It pains me to even have to consider buying a new one, but I also realize that I'm spending too many cycles fooling around with the problem. While Mindy prepared the kids stuff for a weekend with Jimaken, I wrapped up my work day. At 515p I headed out to the garage to try starting the push mower one more time. I happened to notice a slight bend in the throttle cable assembly that likely occurred last fall when mowing along the wooden guard rail that runs the length of the stream. Figured it was worth the effort to try and straighten it. I used my blue Klein pliers to put it back in place. And don't you know that it started on the next pull. Hmm? Without hesitation, I cut the three remaining areas and then ran over some of the uneven lines left behind by the tractor as well as any large piles of loose clippings. Looked nice by the time I finished.

Mindy & Bella were out relaxing on the deck. She asked how I fixed it. I shared what I did but was quick to point out that it might simply be coincidence. While Bella was out in the yard, I suggested she come try push mowing. Unlike Jacob, she jumped at the chance. I let her mow up and down the backyard for two or three passes. She couldn't keep a straight line to save herself. :) Mindy & I got a laugh out of her efforts. Her real joy, though, was when I let her drive the tractor. She digs it. I let her drive around the yard for 5-10 minutes before stowing both mowing machines for another week.

I headed in for a much needed shower. By the time I was once again downstairs Jimaken was there to pick-up the kids. Mindy asked about evening plans offering up a couple options. I had an idea too but wanted to hear hers first. As often happens, one of her ideas was on par with my own. She suggested 229 for drinks and appetizers where we could watch the sunset, and then head to CBC for dinner. I liked the sound of that idea, which was what I was thinking we could do, too. It was perhaps a little on the cool side for the patio but nothing a spring jacket wouldn't cure. So that's what we agreed to do. I think we left the house near 630pm.

Got the only open meter along the southern bank of fountain park. They had the fountains running, which was a bit of a surprise. The smell of chlorine hung heavy in the air, especially once in close proximity to the mist. I snapped a couple photos as we made our way into 229. The manager, Daniel, was in. She only recently gave birth to her 5th child, a boy, Joseph, and the only boy in the fold of five. Mindy chatted with Daniel for a few minutes before she ushered us to the patio and a table of our choice. We chose one at its very edge that peered out over the river. Perfect! And I chose to sit with a direct view of the sinking sun. It was in my eyes but I was prepared and wore my sunglasses. Before we left the house I suggested Mindy grab a jacket but she declined. I was wearing one, my heavy fleece and was comfortable. And while Mindy said she wasn't cold, I still believed otherwise.

Mindy drank two glasses of wine before we even left the house. She followed suit and ordered another at 229. I, on the other hand, ordered a beer, their Great Lakes seasonal, a Rye of the Tiger IPA. We ordered some pretzel bread too. Jade was our server. She asked a couple times if we wanted to order dinner. We didn't think so, and Mindy finally told her that we likely wouldn't. Mindy soon admitted to being chilly as the sun sunk further in the western sky. It was about 730p when we settled our tab and headed for CBC.

It's a short drive from 229 to CBC, not even a mile. We lucked out and got a primo parking spot in an otherwise nearly full lot. Inside, the bar wasn't as busy as most Friday evening's, but still a decent crowd. I grabbed the only two side by side stools while Mindy chatted with Jen, the manager. Kevin & Vince were tending bar. Without asking I was served a Bodhi. When Mindy finally joined me she ordered a glass of wine.

Sitting next to me were three other CBC regulars. We chatted with them while also enjoying some risotto balls. One of the three is a single 50 something, who shared some online dating horror stories. She also went on and on about her weight loss program which sounds like it has been an up & down work in progress for many years. Seemed obvious to me that she believes it the key to finding her ultimate mate.

I eventually ordered a 2nd Bodhi and Mindy had a 2nd glass of wine. But that was it for me. No more. I would be the one driving home. We hung at CBC until 930p, opting to skip ordering dinner. As a result, our tab was lighter than usual. Once at home Mindy texted Chrissy and learned that they were down at the O'Connell's, who invited us down as well. Mindy poured another glass of wine - I believe her 6th - and I grabbed three Southern Tier XXIPAs from the garage fridge and then we walked down to the neighbors.

We hadn't been to the O'Connell's house in a long time. We hung out inside for awhile but eventually ended up out on the patio, I think because Kenny & Mike were enjoying cigars. And as she often does, Mindy had a few tokes from Mike's. When Mindy's wine glass went empty, I volunteered to walk home and get her a refill. While hanging on the patio, we saw a familiar couple walking by with their dogs. We went out to talk with them. Their names Doug and Stephanie, I believe. He's an attorney and his wife/girlfriend a probation officer. We chatted for about ten minutes before they headed for home. I'm guessing they considered us a bunch of drunks because, well, we were. :)

As she often does, Mindy snuck off for home while I was in the kitchen talking with Teri and Chrissy. I stayed perhaps a half an hour longer than Mindy. And by the time I headed for home and joined Mindy in bed. she was out cold.