Raising my Lonely Dental Floss

By design, allowed myself to sleep in until almost 615am. Like the morning before, I stepped out onto the deck to drink in the cool, clear September air. Simply gorgeous! Quickly completed calisthenics then delivered Mindy's coffee. She was still in bed at 630am. At Bella's request, I didn't plan to run until after she was on the bus. Instead, I played around online and enjoyed coffee for the better part of an hour ahead of bus time. Before Mindy left, she asked what time I wanted to leave for the concert later than evening. I suggested around 630pm.

Bella and I headed to the bus stop with me in my running clothes. As soon as she was boarded, I planned to take off for my daily run. Bus showed pretty much on time. I walked Eiknarf then after parking her back at home, I headed off on my run. I ran the full 4.1 miles. The later run meant a warmer temp, but it was still no more than 60 degrees. Very Septemberish.

Back home by 850am, I was quickly off to the shower. Was then showered and dressed by 910am. Took a few minutes to pay a couple bills then headed off to work. Toyed with driving the BM'er but didn't. I wanted to stop at ASBCO at lunch and pick-up Jacob's new snow board. I couldn't do that in the BM'er. Arrived near 930am.
Felt good to be back in my regular office for the first time since the Thursday prior. Stopped by to see & chat with a couple pals before digging into some serious work.

Made significant progress on my year-to-date presentation as well as progress on my monthly report. Left for ASBCO near 1240pm. Took about 20 minutes to get there. The parking lot was packed, though all the cars not at ASBCO. Instead, they were at the Asian market in the same strip mall. According to the ASBCO sales guy, they were holding a big sale. Didn't take long for them to get Jacob's gear from the back. Helped me carry it out to the Accord. Commented on my new vanity plates.

Stopped by brother Craig's practice which is right around the corner from ASBCO to pick-up a prescription for Bella. He wasn't in, nor was Jodie but was aided by the nurse at the desk. Headed back to the office. Back at my desk by 130pm. Ate my veggies and cheese while finishing out my day. Felt awfully good with everything I accomplished. Left for home around 430pm, stopping at CVS along the way to drop off Bella's prescription for filling. Decided to fill-up my gas tank, too. Stopped at the Mill Run Shell station.
Arrived home around 505pm. I was psyched about the Zappa concert, though we didn't plan to leave for another hour or so. Shortly after my arrival home I fired up my laptop if for no other reason to be ready to work first thing Friday AM. Jiamken soon showed to pick-up Jacob for soccer. Near the same time, Bella left with Makayla to go to Lillian's soccer game. My dad was coming by at 730pm to watch the kids while Mindy and I attended the Zappa concert.

We readied and left the house near 6pm. Wondered if I should grab a jacket, but it was presently 83 and sunny. We didn't need a blanket this time since we weren't in the lawn area. Instead, Mindy paid for assigned seats up close. Parked in the same lot as the week before and very near the same spot. The parking lot wasn't nearly as crowded. There wasn't a home Clipper game this time.

We headed to the Music bar again, just as we did the week before at the ESMZ show. This time we were more efficient, and Mindy much more alert. I ordered a 20 oz. Goose Island IPA while Mindy went with a Capt'n & Coke. All the tables on the outdoor patio were taken. An older gentleman offered that we share his. Thanks!! He was sitting by himself and in the shade. Perfect! Much older crowd than the week before. And lots of Zappa t-shirts, some vintage, but most from recent Zappa on Zappa tours. While we sipped our drinks, Zappa was warming up. It was pretty loud too. There was a younger guy, who at the time I assumed just an over the top fan singing along to the rehearsal and with almost over the top zeal. Was a little surprised that he knew all the words. Later we would learn that he was the lead singer. How funny is that?

We had plenty of time before the show. We sat at the Music Bar patio for at least 30 minutes enjoying the rest of our drinks as well as a slice of pizza. And just before we walked down the steps and into the venue, I asked Mindy if she would fetch me another IPA. She did so willingly. Headed into the venue with a giant IPA (32 oz).

We checked out the t-shirts on our way to our seats. Mindy agreed to buy me a Zappa t-shirt much like she did at the ESMZ show until she realized they were only accepting cash. Hmm? Wasn't the case the week prior. No worries. None really grabbed my eye anyway. We headed to our seats, which to my surprise were much closer than I imagined - 3rd row right flank. Cool!

The show wouldn't start until almost 830pm. We had a good 90 minutes to kill. We ended up chatting up a storm with the father/son combo sitting next to us. I spotted a girl I work with. I hollered out her name and said hello. As the sun dipped behind the high fence a slight chill filled the air. In an instant I wished I had brought that jacket I briefly considered. Mindy echoed that same thought, though she had a thin black shaw thing. Before the show began I hit the restroom. Checked out the shirts again while up. When I got back to our seats Mindy shared that she now had to go pee. Before she walked off, I gave her $40 and asked that she fetch me one of those Zappa t-shirts after all. In detail, I described which one.

While she was away, another couple claimed the two seats next to us. Turns out it was noted local attorney, Sam Shamansky. Mindy knows him fairly well and reintroduced herself and then me. We chatted briefly before the show started. Heard from many in the crowd that it was Dwezil's birthday. Dwezil shared early on that this was also the 40 year anniversary of one of his father's most highly acclaimed albums, Live at the Roxy& Elsewhere. Said they'd be playing most if not all of that particular album.

Honestly, it's Zappa music I am not that familiar with but it was played well. Not only that, we quickly realized that the guy we saw at the Music Bar singing to the band's rehearsal was in fact the lead singer. He did a remarkable job imitating Frank's vocals. And Dwezil did a phenomenal job on lead guitar.

I had already warmed Mindy that she might not enjoy the music as much as me, and certainly not as much as she did the ESMZ show, but she was a trooper despite not feeling any attachment. One thing's for certain, all the members of the band are very talented musicians. They played for about an hour before taking a 15 minute intermission. The intermission was brutal thanks to the ever present  chill in the air. It only worsened and was often accompanied by a chilly breeze. I was reminded of that chilly Sunday in May at the OSU graduation. Yikes!

They finished the Live at the Roxy stuff and then played a few familiar old favorites, including Dental Floss & Muffin Man. I enjoyed the show but would've liked to hear some other tunes I was more familiar with. But on the same token, I understand that this is the 3rd time this show has been in CMH and it wouldn't work to play the same stuff over and over. I guess the last time they were in town (August 2011) they played all of Apostrophe. Of course I had tickets to that show but had to miss it due to being shipped off to NYC for strike duty.

The show went until 11pm. Dwezil announced that he'd be at the t-shirt stand signing autographs after the show. I toyed with the idea of having my new Zappa t-shirt signed but didn't. Mindy was tired and cold and ready to go. We headed for the parking lot and then home. Arrived there by 1120pm. Dad was outside at the time walking the pug. While I rolled the trash can to the curb, dad & Mindy chatted. I thought I heard dad say something about his sister Ruth coming to visit over the weekend. Once inside I clarified. Yep.

Dad didn't stay long at all. I was hungry and stayed up long enough to woof down a slice of the Poppa John's pizza they ordered for dinner. Like the week before, Bella was still awake. Before heading off to bed, I tuned into the tail end of the opening night NFL game between the Broncos and Ravens. Bronco were ahead by plenty. I might've watched about 10 or 15 minutes of the action before calling it a night. Was in bed near midnight.

Cut Here

Wasn't up until almost 6am. Downstairs, I stepped out onto the deck to get a glimpse of the clear September sky. Gorgeous. Took a minute or two to check out all the stars. Back inside, I quickly whipped out calisthenics, which included sit-ups, windmills, and push-ups. Delivered Mindy's coffee next. It was already near 615am. Spent the next 20 minutes online enjoying coffee. Completed meditation and stretching before heading off on a run near 705am. Said goodbye to Mindy since she'd be gone before my return. Once again, it was cool morning, somewhere in the 50s. Expecting a high in the 70s - gorgeous September weather.

I ran 4.1 miles without issue. Was back at the house near 745am. My breakfast was in the microwave and Mindy long gone. Bella confirmed that she walked the pug. We enjoyed our breakfast time together. We headed to the bus stop at our usual 755am. The bus was there and gone by 8am.

I planned on sticking around the house until 10am to meet a tree guy supposedly stopping by to give us an estimate on removing the 6 dead ash trees in our backyard. He was originally supposed to come by Tuesday evening but called and said he couldn't make it. Of course leaving that late for work meant that I'd have to join our 930am call from home. I called my customer contact to let him know not to expect me in the office until 1030am.

I joined the 930am call from home. Went the full 30 minutes. The tree guy never did show. I was more than a little frustrated but also motivated to call a couple other tree companies for estimates. Left VMs for two others. Before leaving the house, I headed out back with a can of orange marking paint and spayed an "X" on all six dead ash trees. That was something the tree guy suggested I do that just in case I wasn't around when he showed. I wore work gloves to prevent getting any on me.

Left the house for New Albany near 1010am. One of the benefits of leaving so late was next to no cross town traffic. Arrived near 1035am. Quiet day working at the customer's campus but also very productive. Worked straight through opting not to take a formal lunch break. Not only did I make significant progress on that year-to-date presentation but also got started on my monthly report. Left for home a little later than perhaps I wanted. Told Mindy I'd be leaving no later than 445pm. Didn't get out of there until 5pm. Compounding that, traffic was backed up turning immediately out of their parking lot.

It was supposed to be date night, but I wasn't committed to going anywhere after a very busy past week. I think we were out every evening going back to the previous Wednesday. Plus, we'd be back at it again this Thursday evening at the Zappa on Zappa show. Traffic slowed to a crawl near Hilliard on 270. Didn't get home until 550pm. Mindy asked about going somewhere. I suggested we simply stay home. She wasn't disappointed, or at least she didn't act as such.

We ended up enjoying leftovers. She ate Benihanna leftovers while I enjoyed the leftover steak and sea bass we grilled Sunday night. It was good. I took a brief nap on the living room floor after dinner and then did some extensive reading in the recliner. All that made for a very relaxing evening. Quite nice. The kids didn't get home from an evening with Jimaken until almost 830pm. Bella was excited, sharing that his girlfriend, Molly gave her a bag full of salt water taffy.

Mindy headed to bed early - near 9pm. I stayed up about an hour longer eventually enjoying a bowl of cereal and some internet time. I had to shoo Bella off to bed just after 930pm.

Usherence of Autumn

 

Up at 530am, it was the first time since Friday that I was the first one up in the house. I quickly completed calisthenics then enjoyed coffee and internet before a stretch and a run. Jacob, David & Anita were up but not yet downstairs when I headed out the door.

It was lovely- clear and cool - a welcome change from the hot steamy weather we've enjoyed for the past week or so. I ran the full 4.1 miles. Back at the house, everyone was up and in the kitchen. Ten minutes a later we said our goodbyes to David and Anita. They left for home minutes after Mindy pulled away for school. At the time I didn't realize that they were already packed and loaded to leave. I snapped a photo just as they were pulling away.

Just like that, I was thrust back into quiet. Bella and I headed out for the bus stop ten minutes later. There we met all the others. The bus showed up on time - a couple minutes ahead of 8am. I moseyed back home, but not before walking the pug on the stroll back home.

It was Tuesday so I planned to work across town. I wasted little time making preparations for my departure. Left the house near 815am. Traffic was heavy but thankfully didn't experience any significant slowdowns. Arrived as early as I have in weeks. Think it was 840am. Parked in the third parking lot, leaving what seems like a quarter mile walk to the entrance. I didn't mind, though. It was a stunningly beautiful morning.

Spent the entire morning working on a year-to-date presentation. The time flew by. David sent a number of texts giving me some idea of their whereabouts: WV, VA, NC, etc. I responded with OH. We had our recurring Tuesday 1pm meeting. It lasted the entire hour though was more relaxed than usual. Most of the customer's attendees were taking PTO.

Worked until 5pm or so before heading for home. Took 270. Called Mindy, and I am pretty sure that she was on her way home after stopping at the grocery store after school. Got home around 540pm. No sooner had I logged onto my PC I received and email from David sharing that they had just arrived home without incident. We were having rotisserie chicken for dinner. Jacob was at soccer practice. I confirmed that Bella didn't have gymnastics. That apparently won't start until next week. Dinner was good. I was really tired. Couldn't wait to finish kitchen clean-up so I could slip off to bed early. Headed to bed near 8pm. I was much looking forward to a long night of sleep.

David's Laborious Day

Happy 54th David!

 wasn't out of bed Monday until almost 8am, and even then I was still tired and yawny. David and Anita were already up, and I believe that Anita was already back from her morning walk. I wished David a happy birthday, enjoyed some coffee, then headed out on a run.

It was a little cooler that morning, certainly a welcome change. However, the afternoon forecast was calling for mid 80s. Headed out for a run near 9am. Ran just three miles, which is somewhat normal for a week day holiday. It must've been around 1030am when David suggested we golf at Raymond. Our thinking was to play just nine holes. I was anxious to get back on the course in an attempt to cure what ailed my swing on Saturday. We wasted little time getting ready, foregoing a shower since we'd almost certainly work up a sweaty lather on the course. The girls wished us well as we left for Raymond near 11am.

The lot was only half full. With Raymond one never knows. It's the most played course in all of Columbus. Not one group on the tee box as we arrived. Inside we joked with the girl working the desk and register. Offered her my banana in lieu of green fees. David quickly tossed in his card to cover our green fees and cart. Only option was $40 per person. No 9 hole rates.

Even though no one was right in front of us, there were plenty of groups out ahead of us. And in typical Raymond fashion, it quickly backed up. But I'm getting a little ahead of myself. David pointed out , and proved it with a photo, that my grip was promoting a serious hook. Something I would have otherwise pooh-poohed. Sometimes you just can't see it yourself. As a result, I made a subtle change to my grip, and even though it felt a bit awkward, it produced far better results. Should mention that David birdied hole #1, a fairly easy par 5.

As mentioned earlier, we hit a serious back-up on hole #6, the 2nd par 5 on front. Two groups in front of us still on the hole and then a single at the tee box behind us. He asked if he could join us. We offered instead that he play through. I know it sounded rude but we wanted to play at our leisure, drop extra balls should we desire. After our drives, we let him go through. I hit a perfect Jimmy drive, by the way. Hit my 2nd shot, a 3-wood push left. It landed on the #7 teebox. :) But just as I did all day Saturday, I hit a nice plop shot over the tree and onto the green leaving myself about a 20' putt.

Swing was seemingly back on track. Even hitting my longer irons fairly well, which has been a struggle the last few years. The only drawback being the slow play. After we finished hole #9, we took a gander towards the #10 tee box. Still backed up, plus the single walker in front of us picked up a cart to finish the back nine. We opted to head home, in no mood to follow three slow groups around the back nine.

Home near 1pm. Ate snacks and drank lemonade. David cracked a Corona. I didn't plan to drink any alcohol since it was effectively my Sunday. Our dinner plans were already set. David made reservations for 7pm at Benihanna's even before leaving SC. It's one of his favorite places. Lazed around all afternoon. David & Anita left the house near 5pm, planning first a stop by his son's house. The original plan had David Lee and his girlfriend joining us at Benihanna's. Kendra, David's half-sister, her husband and daughter were expected to be there too.

Mindy the kids and I left the house around 630pm. Arrived at Benihanna's near 655pm where we met David and Anita in the bar. David quickly explained that his son and girlfriend weren't going to make it after all. Too bad. We were gonna order drinks and sushi appetizers in the bar but they were busy and never got to us. Soon Kendra, Paul, and Dora showed up and we quickly headed to our table. Like Bella, Kendra & Paul's daughter Reina (aka Dora) was adopted from Guatemala.

Adrian was our assigned sever. He proved to be quite effective: friendly, helpful and speedy. In all, there were nine of us sitting around the teppanyaki table. Can't remember who, but someone suggested Bella and Reina sit next to one another. They were both a little shy at first but quickly warmed to one another. Reina is 3 years younger than Bella. David shared a heartfelt toast of sorts before dinner, obviously something he'd contemplated ahead of time, the jist being how nice it was to share his birthday with others after having spent many special days alone over the years.

I think our chef's name was Kevin. He was good at his craft and put on quite a show while preparing our meal. That's their shtick. We shared appetizers, salad and soup ahead of our entrees. Jacob and I both ordered scallops and filet. David steak and lobster. Can't recall what the others ordered., but there was plenty of food. I ended up crating about half my steak for home. A few others did the same.

It had to be nearing 9pm when we finished our meal and headed for home. We opted to take 270 around. And even though David & Anita left after us, they beat us home. Everybody was tired and ready to hit the sack. Heck, I needed to be up at 530am for the start of another work week. David & Anita would be heading home to SC about the same time all of us were heading off to work and school. Good night moon.

Enhancements Galore

Up Sunday near 715am. As expected, David and Anita were already up and at it, David enjoying coffee and sitting at the breakfast table playing on his tablet while Anita was off on her morning walk. I poured a cup of coffee then talked with David for a while. Anita was back just before I headed out for my run. Said there was a car fire in he subdivision and it sounded as though it was near Darwin's place.
Still warm and steamy, I ran shirtless. Had just completed my warm-up lap when a flat bed tow truck passed by with a burnt out min-van onboard. An unmarked cop cruiser was tailing close behind leading me to believe it was being treated as arson.

As I near Darwin's house at about the 2.25 mile marker, I could easily see where the car fire took place, the pavement dark black and the nearby grass scorched. The heavy smell of burnt rubber and oil hung heavy in the air. Nasty! There was a young man out there doing his best to clean-up the debris.

Back at home our plan was to get cleaned up and head to CBC for brunch. Mindy called and made an 1130am reservation. It was still early. We spent the morning enjoying coffee and hanging out on the deck. I was the last to shower and ready. Had to hustle. Was ready to head out by 1115am. Arrived at CBC near 1135am.

Not too many brunchers on hand. We were some of the first. Pretty much had our choice of tables. We picked one inside. Tara Paige was our server. I asked if she remembered David, the one who nick named her Paige a bit more than a year ago. The nick name due to her likeness to Paige Davis.

While Mindy & David ordered bloody Mary's, Anita went with a champagne concoction. I went the other direction ordering a Bodhi. Yum! David's BM was green and tasty, though he didn't care that much for it. When we ordered 2nds, he and Mindy reversed orders. She went with the green and David with the garden variety. I ordered a 2nd Bodhi.

Mindy & Anita ordered what I would deem lunch type entrees, the orange glazed salmon, while David and I went the breakfast route, ordering the brewhouse breakfast, which comes with everything: eggs, meat, taters, sausage gravy and biscuits. Needless to say, my hunger was easily satiated and then some.

We left CBC then headed for Whole Foods & then Sam's Club. At Whole Foods we wanted to pick-up some Chilean sea bass. They only had one piece of the coveted sea bass. We snatched it up. We walked $70 poorer after picking a few additional items, including a six pack of White Rajah and a hunk of sharp white cheddar. That's Whole Foods! David picked up a few things too, including a $32 rocket of beer - Viking Blood, which is 19% abv.

After Whole Foods, we dropped the woman at home and only David and I headed on to Sam's. There we picked up steaks and King crab legs. All the open lines were 7-10 deep. It was packed. Guessing because it was the 1st of the month. A conscientious employee working at the jewelry counter must've spotted David and I there in line with only one item each and beckoned us her jewelry counter for a quick checkout. However, while there, David opted to buy Anita some jewelry. Took the woman a few minutes to gift package the item. David paid for everything.

Already somewhere between 130-2pm, we headed for home. Bloated and tired, everybody headed up for a nap. Mindy was already in bed but playing on her phone, something she does fairly regularly. I tried sleeping and actually might've even slept for a wink or two, but certainly not long. Instead, I popped out of bed and headed downstairs to play around online. While the others napped, I did some writing in my blog.

The others napped for an hour or so. We all reconvened on the deck around 3pm. And David and I soon cracked open beers. I went with a Uinta Duhbe black IPA. We sat on the deck again enjoying the lovely after sunshine.
Mindy shared that the kids would be home around 6pm. We planned to have a late dinner, say around 8pm since we ate such a heavy brunch.

The afternoon soon gave way to evening. We began preparing for dinner around 7pm. The menu was steak, crab legs, Chilean sea bass and baked potatoes. Didn't actually grill the steaks until dark. By then, of course, the kids were home from their weekend with dad. Spent most of it in Dayton at Jacob's soccer tournament.

Even before grilling I was already feeling the effects of two beering sessions and over eating. And while David and I had talked about lighting off fireworks later, I knew I wasn't going to last. The steaks turned out perfectly. The grilling tips I picked up on Yahoo are working well. The crab legs were good too, though I detected an unpleasant previously frozen flavor after taste. Everybody enjoyed some. All in all, an excellent meal. The late meal, however, did most of us in. Mindy & Anita headed up to bed even before 10pm. David and I stayed up a while longer but not by much. Guess we're getting old. :)

My Golf Game - anything but Japanese poetry - Haiku/Hack-ewh

I was up near 715am and as I expected, David & Anita were already up. David was at the kitchen table playing around on his iPad and Anita was off on her morning walk. David had already brewed fresh coffee, too. I enjoyed a cup of coffee, chatted a bit with David then headed off on my own run. I ran shirtless since it was so warm and sticky. Logged three miles. Happened upon Anita doing her loops too.

By the time I was back from my run it was 830am. David & I had an 1120 tee time, and I know that doesn't sound early but we planned on leaving somewhere close to 10am. The plan was for Tom C. to meet at my house and ride with us. Tom Wright planned to meet us there. Tom C. sent a text near 930am sharing that he would have to meet us there since he was on-call for the weekend. Made sense. Enjoyed an egg sandwich and then went for a shower.

David offered that we take the Lexus SUV leaving the girls with the Pilot. They discussed lots of options for their day but committed to none. Left the house near 10am and arrived around 1030am. David wanted to hit a bucket of balls, which is something I rarely do before a round of golf. I covered our fees, a birthday gift of sorts.

Probably a good thing we hit balls. My swing was a disaster initially, but after about a dozen shots it seemed to come back. I was careful not to hit too many. After 20 minutes on the range, we headed to the putting green. Tommy & Tom arrived within 5 minutes of one another. Started informed us that no one had gone off hole #1 Player's Club since 1030am. Cool! But right about 1105am a individual walker launched in front of us. Didn't bother me. Figured he'd quickly separate from us - a foursome.

The starter let us tee off early. Somewhat out of character, I topped my first tee shot. David offered that I hit another but I declined. Declared a rule, if topping off the tee, we were free to hit another ball - no stroke play. After all, none of us had been out beyond nine holes all year. Was on in three and two putted.

Played the first seven holes well, paring 3,4. 6, & 7. I was sitting at 29 after seven holes. Not bad at all. After that, however, I am afraid I completely lost any game I might've had in me. I had a 10 on #8 and then 8 on #9. It went from bad to worse. I still didn't let it get to me much. Chalked it up to no action for the better part of two years with the exception of two rounds last year and nine holes in SC this summer. It got so bad that I simply picked up on hole #16. Screw it. As bad as I was playing, Tommy was even worse, though in his defense, this might've maybe his tenth time golfing ever. I stopped recording scores on the back nine. David was striking the ball well, his old self coming back. Used the rest of the round to practice.

We finished up 18 holes 5 hours later. We kept track of the Buckeye score throughout most of the afternoon. They apparently started on fire but cooled after that. 23-0 after 1 quarter. Won 40-20 over a much less opponent. Bidded farewell to the Tom's from the parking lot. I drove us home. And while I had low expectations from a scoring perspective, I was more than a little disappointed in my swing. Lost my ability to drive well. Didn't hit one solid drive all day.

Mindy & Anita were home kicking back. Said they spent the afternoon in German Village, including a stop at the ever popular Book Loft. Not long after we arrived home, David & Anita headed off to see his half sister, Kendra, who lives in Hilliard near Davidson HS. We had loosely discussed the possibility of us going along, but I felt like we might be out of place. Besides, David hasn't seen Kendra but one other time and that was 20 years prior.

While they were away, I relaxed and even tried to nap. The plan was to hook-up again about an hour later and then head to dinner - Sushi to be exact. They were actually gone for closer to 90 minutes. We didn't mind. We were off walking Eiknarf when they returned. The Sushi venue changed more than once. Originally David suggest one way up off Sawmill and 161. We opted instead for Haikou in the short north. Figured that way we'd be near other things to do too.

Our sunny, hot steamy day quietly turned a bit stormy. Thunderstorms were suddenly forming all around us. But even after arriving at Haikou not a drop of rain had fallen. It wasn't long, however, before all that changed and the sky broke loose. And unfortunately for us, we opted for patio seating. Good thing they had a canopy across the top. During appetizers, David complained of getting wet, as his seat was on the patios edge and far more prone to any residual rain fall. We tried moving inward a but that still didn't stop him from getting wet. We ended up moving out table about 4 or 5' inward. That did the trick.

As for the sushi, I went with fried rice with beef. The thought of eating raw fish does nothing for me. The others seemed to enjoy their gooey treats. Hey, they looked pretty - like a piece of art. For me, that's where it ended.
David insisted on getting the tab since sushi was his idea. And since being a gracious receiver is just as important as being a good giver we simply thanked him for the kind gesture.

When we left Haikou, I had designs on walking the strip and possibly stopping in one of the many pubs for a really good beer. The others, however, especially Mindy and Anita, weren't too keen on the idea. They were tired from their German Village tour earlier in the day. I was a little tired and didn't push my own agenda. We simply returned to our car and headed back home. It was near 830pm when we got home.

I poured a Jack & Cokes to cut through the day's food. Watched a little college football, too. David and I talked a big game. We were gonna party like rock stars. But after another hour or so we gave up on that idea and instead headed to bed.

Wateree Stool

It was Friday and because I'd be working from home I didn't bother getting up and out of bed until almost 630am. I felt nice sleeping that extra hour. By the time I finished calisthenics it was 715am. Bella asked why I made grunting sounds while doing push-ups. I logged onto work shortly thereafter all the while enjoying coffee.

Bus time came around quickly. Headed out at 755am. Surprisingly, the bus showed up pretty much on schedule, or real close to 757am. All the parents parted ways soon after. Not long after the bus was gone, i headed out on my Friday run. It was sunny and 70 something. It was definitely going to be a hot one. Ran only three miles.

Back at the house I checked in with work then headed out on the deck to water flowers. Back inside near 915am, I took care of a weekly report as well as a couple other work matters. I didn't plan to work much if at all past noon. Been given clear orders not to log any OT.

David & Anita were on their way. Got a text from David around 810am revealing that they were on the road. He sent updates through the morning and afternoon, or whenever they crossed into a new state (NC, VA, WVA, OH). Had a pretty easy work day. Unlike lots of other Friday's, I made sure to take care of my administrative tasks early on so not to extend my day any longer than necessary.

With the Edward Sharpe convert still fresh in my head, I downloaded all three of their CDs including their new, self-titled CD. Headed out to cut the lawn shortly after 12noon. It was hot & sunny. Did the tractor first and was able to cut more of the lawn than ever thanks in no small part to the recent dry weather. Finished all the mowing in record time - less than an hour - though I didn't stop there. No sir! Without the benefit of a break, I went ahead and pushed through trimming, edging and blowing.

Now about 130pm, I checked in with work finding nothing pressing. I didn't plan to do any more work unless absolutely necessary. I soon found my way to the shower and then off to Targehetto & Kroghetto to pick-up a few things for our weekend. At Targhetto, I picked up birthday cards for David and Anita (Sept 2 & August 29 respectively), rechargeable AA batteries, and chewing gum for work. At Kroghetto I picked up some Corona, CBC IPA, orange juice, and ice. Back at home by 230pm. Jacob was home from school a few minutes after my return.

Let my new ES&MZs music whirl in the background. All of it sounds good. Loaded up our deck cooler with Corona & CBC. Threw in a few Budweiser strawberryarita things too. Took care of all the chores Mindy asked that I try and accomplish before she got home. And speaking of Mindy, she was home near 3pm. She asked to leave a little early to help get the house ready for our guests. Because I took care of most of the prep chores already, Mindy spent her time preparing a plate of crackers and cheese.

Mindy kept saying she was heading up to get a shower, but with each passing minute she found something else needing/wanting done. Finally, around 4pm she said she would just wait until after David & Anita arrived. David called Mindy's cell around 350 to let us know that they were about 20 minutes out. They actually arrived near 420pm. After some hugs and greetings we spent the next couple hours catching up on the last 6 weeks or so. Jimaken picked the kids up around 5pm.

Our plan all along was to pay a visit to Barley's - David & Anita's maiden voyage. Mindy got a shower squeezed in there somewhere. And I think we left for Barley's somewhere close to 630pm. We drove the Lexus SUV. David suggested that Anita could be our DD. later since she doesn't drink but only minuscule. Made since to everyone, including Anita, bless her heart! :)

Mindy requested we sit at a community table and we did. Right away said hello to a few regulars sitting at the bar, including long time regulars Steve W., Banker Dan, and Paul. I opted for a firkin to start, which was a special hopped Centennial. It was good. Ordered David a Red Molly. He shared his displeasure with their not having any Corona. Despite going through a home brew phase, he doesn't care for anything other than a Corona. He tried the firkin but hated it. Grapefruity! After my finishing my firkin, I talked David into getting two flights of Barley's beer and trying them all. Of his taste buds were already tainted by two different IPAs so to use his words, it all tasted like grapefruit. In my world that's never a bad thing. However, in David's, that's not so good.

Brother Tommy showed up an hour or so into our visit. Mike and Colleen, John and Carolyn showed up too. As the evening would down we were blessed with the presence of Grandpa Tom and Steve. They're always fun. John & Carolynn were celebrating their 40th anniversary. Said they were leaving bright and early for a northern destination, though they weren't really sure just where. Turned David and Anita on to their first sauerkraut balls ever. They were a big hit. We also shared a bowl of muscles. David & Anita shared a turkey club too. I opted for hops!!!

Invited Tommy to join us at Fox Fire for 18 holes the following day. He accepting completed our foursome (me, David, Tom C, and Tommy). We hung at Barley's until 10pm or so. Without question, I had one heck of a buzz. The four of us walked the pug as soon as we got home. Then, during our walk, David and I planned on lighting off one measly little firework once back at home. But when we went to get it, they were gone - hidden from our access. Mindy & Anita headed off to bed without sharing their whereabouts. Probably not a bad thing. They're definitely noisy. By 11pm David and I declared it bedtime, too.

ESMZ

By design, I slept in until 6am. I'd be working out of the Hilliard office all day and didn't have any meetings or calls scheduled until 10am. AS such, I was very much looking forward to a quiet, unhurried work day. Completed exercises then delivered Mindy's coffee before enjoying any of my own. Didn't head out on a run until almost 705am. Said goodbye to Mindy before the run. I knew she wouldn't be there when I returned. Mindy wanted to confirm the time we'd be leaving for the Edward Sharpe concert. Tickets say doors open at 7pm. I hoped to be there before that. We'd pretty much be heading out shortly after arriving home. It was sunny and warm and run time - already in the low 70's. Supposed to reach the upper 80s by late afternoon. I ran 4.1 miles.

As expected, Mindy was long gone by my return. It pleased me much to learn that Bella had already walked the pug. Good girl! It was already 745am. I didn't plan to shower until after Bella was on the school bus. We headed out at 755am. The whole gang was there. Ms. Vanorder showed up pretty much on time. Headed home for a shower.

Dressed in khakis and one of my two new polos - the purple one. I look good in it. I tied up a few loose ends then left for the office. I briefly toyed with driving the BM'er but in the end opted for the Accord. Got to the office near 840am. It was very quiet in our wing. It was almost noon before I realized that my boss wasn't on campus. He was working remote. Definitely not too many folks working on campus.

I stayed focused/busy all morning through early afternoon. Decided to completely skip a lunch, planning instead to leave for home around 3pm, make a stop at Kroger to pick-up a few things for David & Anta's visit and then head home in time to join our 415pm weekly staff call. As luck would have it, I got a little busy from 2pm until about 320pm. Now almost 330pm, I wasn't sure if I had enough time to stop at Kroger, get home, and then get online for our 415pm meeting/call. With little hesitation decided to go for it. Packed up and headed out at 335pm. Made quick work of my stop at Kroger, grabbing some limes, a 12-pack of Corona, and then a dozen roses. The flowers were for Mindy. The beer and limes for David.

Arrived home near 4pm getting home about the same time as Mindy and Bella. Told them both I had to hurry to get logged on to work and then join my weekly staff call. No problem. Mindy said she felt crappy and quickly headed up to our bedroom for a nap.

Time for our staff call. It lasted no more than 15 minutes. Over by 430pm. I tied up a few loose ends then called it a day. I woke Mindy around 5pm so she could get in the shower. She said she still wasn't feeling too well. Said she felt like she was over heated. Mindy and I didn't leave for our concert until 610pm, or shortly after dad arrived. Truth be told, I was still in work mode. As usual, I had a hard time letting go. Mindy left $20 for dad and the kids to order pizza. Jacob was at soccer practice and wouldn't be home until about 730pm. Bella wasn't happy about having to wait that long to order dinner. I think she had a snack to tie her over.

We made good time heading to the arena district and the LC. We opted to park in the brand new NW parking garages where the bland lot once stood. Now a plethora of mixed-use brick structures: parking, business, and residential all within eyeshot of NW arena, Hunnington Park, and the Promo West. Only $5 to park. Good deal.
There was a Clipper game going on at the same time. We laughed at the glaring difference between the crowds heading to the baseball and then those headed to the concert.

Only 630pm, the gates to the outdoor amphitheatre weren't yet open. We opted for the Music bar, a beer and food venue right next door. Not many people there. I ordered a 20oz Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and fetched Mindy a bottle of water. She wasn't feeling too swift. Looked tired. Mindy ordered some food: chicken strips and tater tots. We sat on their outdoor patio which overlooks the grassy amphitheatre from the south. We didn't realize it at the time, but the Music Bar has its own special access to the concert venue once the gates open. A couple we invited to share our table let us in on the secret. Cool!

We headed into the concert venue shortly after the gates officially opened just after 7pm. We stopped by the t-shirt/souvenir booth where Mindy bought me an Edward Sharpe t-shirt. We had our pick of anywhere in the lawn seating area. We picked a spot about 50' up the grassy slope center. Ideal! We spread out the green bed sheet we brought to sit on. Good thing, too. Could tell they've been watering the grass. I'm sure they need to keep it from becoming a dirt/mud hill.

Ran into our Barley's friend, Al along with his daughter. We offered that they could sit with us but they declined the invite. Al didn't seem too enthused to be there. Two couples close to our age range took the spots left and right of us. By and large, the crowd was very young - mostly young 20s. We learned from the woman sitting next to me that there would be a warm-up act- Willy Mason. Said she's known him his entire life. Said we were in for a real treat. She and her husband drove 8 hours home from their northern Michigan vacation just to see him. Had only enough time to head in the house, change clothes, then head out to the LC.

Will Mason didn't come on until 8pm. He was decent. I'd liken his sound to a mix of Johnny Cash, Dwight Yokam, and M.Ward. Willy played for just 30 minutes. Then there was a 30 minute break before Edward Shape & the Magnetic Zeros came on. By then the weed was free flowing. Could smell it, see clouds of its smoke floating all around us. Contact buzz for certain. Dude, where's my car?

From the first song, ES&MZs dazzled and entertained us. I was impressed, blown away by their deep sound, incredible vocals and unreal talent. Mindy was loving too, and the mostly young crowd was way into it. Almost all of their tunes were familiar thanks to my Pandora ES&MZs channel. And while I've come to really like these guys through Pandora, they're easily ten times better live! Can't say that about a lot of bands. I was moved, and even changed by the experience - no kidding!

This is the same band that visited the kid of a friend of ours in the hospital when they learned he had leukemia. We also recently heard the story of them inviting the same kid, after recovery up on stage at their Bonnaroo performance this past spring. As the show was wrapping up as the clock neared 11pm, they called for Hayden to come up on stage yet again. Invited he and his roommate up. It was then that we learned his mom was sitting right next to us.
Hayden remained with them on stage for the rest of the show - 3 or 4 songs. How cool is that? Left completely fulfilled and very impressed. Couldn't ask for a better show.

Mindy suggested rather than turn right out of the parking garage heading towards the 670 on ramp, we instead turn left and take Spring St. That's what we did. Bottom line, we avoided all traffic delays. Made it home in a matter of minutes - 12 tops. Good call, dear! Dad was there awake in the big over stuffed family room chair. Jacob was already in bed, and we assumed the same of Bella, However, a few seconds later she came out of the dark dining room to greet us.

Dad didn't hang out long at all. I'm sure he was tired. Then, shortly after dad bolted for home, Mindy and I headed up to bed. I was tired and Friday was a work day, not to mention also the beginning of Labor Day weekend with friends.

2nd ZIPA

Up and downstairs again close to 540am. It was a push-up day, and soon had them and the others in the completed bag. Spent a solid 20 minutes at my PC enjoying coffee and internet before meditation, stretching, and finally a run. Woke Mindy with coffee somewhere between mediation and my run. Headed out the door just ahead of 640am. It was mostly cloudy and very sultry. In fact it was downright hot for 630am - 77 and sticky. Ran 4.1 miles.

Mindy wasn't home long after my return. Reminded me that it was a date night, kids would be going to dinner with Jimaken. She had cheesy scrambled eggs waiting for me on the stove. I dished up some for the pug and I. Save for the blueberries, the fruit tray was spent. I tossed what remained down the sink.

Hustled off to the shower after woofing down some eggs leaving myself just enough time to get back downstairs and out the door with Bella for the bus stop. Headed out at 755am. Bus showed up near 8am. Like most Wednesday's, I planned on working at a customer's location, but not until afternoon. Instead, we had an internal strategy session planned at our Hilliard office that I was supposed to be part of.

I left the house for the Hilliard office near 820am. Didn't take long to get there either. Showed up near 835am. Dropped my stuff by my office then headed off to the conference room. Immediately felt undressed. All the mucky-mucks in town were in shirt & tie. Not me. I wore khakis and a polo. That would have to do. Everybody else brought their laptops or tablets, too. Again, not me. Geesh. I made light of myself to all the others. Interesting session. Went all the way until noon. Order lunch from Panera Bread. I chose to skip food and instead headed to my office where I took care of a couple quick to-dos then left for New Albany. However, instead of going directly to the office, I made a pit-stop at the Easton Macy's where I bought a couple golf polos. Arrived at the office just after 1pm.

Quiet but busy afternoon. I looked for the leadership team but they weren't anywhere to be found all afternoon. Somewhat of a waste driving all the way across town. Oh well. I made the most of it anyway. Got caught up on all sorts of dangling projects and tasks. Left for home around 440pm. Called Mindy once on 270. We chatted only briefly while she was trying to take care of several things before the kids left with Jimaken. Called Tommy next. Among other things, invited him to join us Friday night at Barley's with David & Antia. Sounded eager to do it. Also caught me up on the Scotty situation.

Arrived home around 515pm. I'm pretty sure that Mindy insisted on a shower before we headed to Barleys after spending the entire day in a hot, non-air conditioned classroom. Before heading to Barley's, I made a tee time at Player's Club for Saturday morning. Sent David an email letting him know.

It's likely that we arrived at Barley's somewhere near 615pm, though I wasn't paying close enough attention to the time. Inside we bellied up to the bar where Janet was working. I soon ordered a sample of a guest IPA, which I can't recall the name. I didn't think too highly of it and subsequently went with one more familiar, Barley's ZIPA.I think Mindy had one too.

Like most visits, we waited a while before ordering food. When we finally did, I went with the Wednesday special - a brisket three-way chili, and Mindy went with a quesadilla. I then ordered a 2nd ZIPA about halfway through my chili. Talked briefly with Josh T., a Barley's regular, friend, and musician. We left for home just ahead of 8pm. We were a little surprised that the kids were already home when we pulled up. Jacob woofed down Mindy's leftovers.

For the remainder of the evening, I did little more than puttering around the house. Mindy brought to light that we wouldn't have much more time to prep for our busy weekend since we were going to a concert Thursday night immediately after work. Prior, I hadn't given too much thought to the fast approaching weekend, but she was right.

Early Bus

Woke near my desired rise time of 530am. Brushed my teeth and gathered running clothes then headed downstairs. By then it was 542am. Glanced out back, slipped into my exercise shoes then completed Tuesday calisthenics. Soon it was coffee and internet, perhaps my favorite time of the day. Supposed to be hot & sunny - around 90 degrees. Haven't had much if any rain for two weeks. The green things are really drying out and the early autumn trees are already turning.

Pretty stuck to my plan. Was out the door for a run before 640am. Ran without a shirt and did 4.1 miles. Finished and was home around 720am. Walked the pug. Mindy departed for work near 730am. My eggs were waiting in the microwave. Poured some OJ and picked over the over ripe fruit tray. Reminded Bella that we needed to be at the bus stop at 752am.

It was 735am when I finished breakfast and was faced with a decision. Did I have enough time to shower and dress before bus time? Decided to give it a go. I hustle through a shave and a shower. Had to hustle blow drying my hair but was downstairs with a minute to go. We headed out where the others were already gathered. We joked about taking bets on Ms Vanorder's on time arrival. Turns out, she was late but there by 802am (said 757am).

The earlier bus time should help push me out the door a bit earlier, too, so definitely not a bad thing. I returned home where I wrapped up a few things then made sure I was ready for a work day across town. Left the house at 820am. Made decent time after running into no major traffic snarls. Arrived near 845am. Still had to park near the back of the third lot. Long walk into the building. My cube as available. Logged in and at it just after 9am.

Stayed busy until an 1130am conference call with another customer of mine which went well. Didn't bother with a formal lunch break. Had to make a standing 1pm Tuesday meeting on site. The meeting went a full hour. The afternoon went really fast. Time to head for home before I knew it. Packed up for home around 505pm. There was supposed to be an executive level meeting with our company and theirs. I wasn't invited. A couple of my folks stopped by just before the end of my work day to say hey.

After a long walk to my car I headed for home. Called Mindy. She was on her way to drop Jacob at soccer practice since Jimaken was out of town on a pleasure trip and wouldn't be in until later that night. I figured she'd be asking me to do the pick-up duty near 7pm. Mindy asked that I turn the stove burners back to medium one I arrived home where Bella was waiting with Makayla. Actually, they weren't waiting. They were watching TV and playing on their Kindles.

As requested, I turned the stove burners up to medium. Looked like inferno chicken, macaroni, and peas. Mindy was home about 10 minutes after me and quickly took over dinner prep while I played on my PC. Dinner was ready faster than I expected. Had to be close to 615pm. Makayla stayed through dinner though didn't want to eat with us since it was taco night at their place. By the time clean-up was finished it was 655pm. I thought I might take a little rest on the sofa, but Mindy asked if I shouldn't be leaving to fetch Jacob. Huh? What time am I supposed to be there? 715pm! I popped up , grabbed my keys and phone and headed off.

Same crap with the traffic light at Trabue and Hilliard-Rome. Lucky for me, I only had to wait only two cycles of the traffic light. Arrived to what appeared to be a practice that had already ended. The kids were just sitting around shootin' the bull. Jacob took his dear old time walking to the car. I don't really like his lack of care when he tosses his filthy soccer bag in my car scraping it against my lovely clean dash and door. Once we arrived home I asked that he exercise caution when exiting the car with his gear. I still heard it clunk around between the cars. Ugh!

Spent the rest of my evening reading, blogging, playing a little guitar. I was determined not to watch any TV. Mindy was already in bed when Jacob arrived home. I joined her in bed near 10pm.

Kirk, Crunch & Kanagaroo

As planned, I woke for work at 1145am Sunday night just before Mindy's alarm sounded. As expected, I wanted nothing more than to roll back over and return to sleep but couldn't. Instead, I drug myself from bed, brushed my teeth, then headed downstairs. This time I decided to skip coffee for wanting to sleep once back home.

Bella got up after hearing her downstairs. She packed me a to-go snack - Cap'n Crunch. :) I sent her back to bed and offered that she snuggle up with her momma. She liked that idea. I left the house at 1210am. Aside from being incredibly sleepy, it was an easy drive across town with next to no traffic on 670E and 270N. Arrived at 1230am on the nose.

One of the customer's engineers was there in the parking spot next to me. We headed in together. This time we had a conference room where we could log into a bridge and actually hear all the participating parties talk. The actual work was to be carried out remotely this time.

Took a while not only to get logged on, but to also get all parties on the bridge. I actually had to call one of the groups responsible for the work and it was a good thing I did. Apparently they didn't have it on their calendar. Hmmm? Work was ready to begin shortly after 1am. Must've had a dozen folks on the bridge. Unfortunately, the failover couldn't go off as planned due in part to a lack of preparedness. Won't go into the details. Had to bag it for another date/time. As much as I hated to have to reschedule, it was definitely the right and only thing to do. Wrapped up and left for home near 215am.

Again there was little to no other traffic to contend with on my drive home. I was still tired but my mind whirling with work. I think that's called being/feeling wired. Got home around 240am. And there wasn't any way I was going to go right to sleep. Instead, I made a bowl of Cap'n Crunch and played on the internet until about 315am.

Slid into bed beside Bella & Mindy, neither of whom budged. Still a little wired, I couldn't fall gracefully to sleep. I laid there thinking about our failed maintenance window. Dang it! Next thing I knew it was something like 630am and Mindy was rolling out of bed. I guess I fell asleep but never that deeply. I woke again when she was ready to leave the house. By then Bella was up and getting ready too. Jacob, of course, was already gone.

The last thing I wanted to do was exercises but did so anyway. Couldn't justify skipping. After all, that would be a sign of weakness and nothing more than an excuse. Felt a bit better after exercise, especially push-ups. Given the hour - then about 745am - I didn't' plan to run until after Bella was on the school bus. Between then and bus stop time, I check in on work. We headed out at 805am.Bus didn't show up until 812am. Confirmed that she'd be by as close to 757am as possible starting Tuesday. OK. Believe it when I see it. :)

With Bella safely off to school, I dug right back into work. Felt worn out and drained, much Like I did the prior two Monday's after similar maintenance window events. Ugh! My body just isn't designed for a shaken/disrupted schedule. Headed out for a run around 945am. Ran the full 4.1 miles almost exclusively on pure determination because I had no energy. Joined a weekly conference call at 11am. Went the full hour, or possibly even a couple minutes over. No biggie.

After the call ended I made Eiknarf and I some eggs. Woofed 'em down in a hurry too. Meanwhile, was a real nice day outside, but I just didn't have the energy to do anything in it. I had another call scheduled for 330pm. Around 145pm I slipped away from my laptop and up to our bed where I grabbed a little more than a hour of solid sleep. It was ridiculously hard, but somehow managed to pull myself away from blissful sleep just ahead of 3pm. I spent the next 30 minutes prepping for my important 330 call/meeting.

I was the only one on my call for a while so I pinged my boss, who planned to join. He asked me if I was planning to join. OK, what? Turns out, I called into the wrong bridge. Sleepy, I guess. Oops! Call went surprisingly well. Internally we talked about rescheduling of our MW gone bad. By then it was 4pm. Both kids were home from school. Mindy was soon home, too. She made tacos for dinner and they really hit the spot.

Still feeling mightily under slept, I declared it my bedtime at 7pm and headed up to our room. I watched a little football from bed but it wasn't long at all before I was out cold. Remember waking briefly when Mindy joined me but didn't wake again until about 1am. That time I felt wide awake, so I got up , headed downstairs where I peaked in on work and played on the internet for nearly an hour. By then I was tired enough to try getting back to sleep.

Prunning

I was up Sunday somewhere close to 7am. I tried slipping out of the room quietly and without waking Mindy but she woke just as I was opening the door. I returned to her side for a quick hug then headed downstairs where I started some coffee then played around on my PC. I checked in with work too. Nothing going on worthy of my attention.

At my PC I remained for 90 minutes or so before heading out for a run around 830am. It was sunny, warm, and much stickier than it 's been in quite some time. I ran in my newest bright yellow running shirt. Predictably, it felt almost like an extra layer of skin. Ugh! I ran just three miles, just as I do almost any other Sunday. Felt good, but couldn't wait to remove my shirt once at home.

Mindy wasn't up when I got back, but it too wasn't long before she was. Had to be around 930am when she blessed me with her presence. While hanging out, I offered that we could/should do more pond clean-up but she quickly nixed any such notion. Her wrist was still bothering her from last week's yard work. Plus, she said she had school work that she needed to get done.

I headed out to install my new vanity plates on the Accord and the new sticker on the BM'er. Checked and topped the air in all of our cars tires too. My front passenger tire was low again, and that's after Germain Honda installed a new valve stem.

Just as well. It was expected to be sunny, hot and humid. Just the thought of donning those hip waders made me feel nauseous. I spent the rest of my morning watering flowers and trimming back the dead. Tied up the volunteer cherry tomato plant as well as one of our purple dahlias. Took the pug on a decent walk somewhere in there too.

I spent the next hour or more shaping/trimming the two red maples that provide shade for our deck. Left to themselves, they have a propensity to grow wider than taller. I've been eyeballing just where to prune for weeks now. In other words, I had a plan! Not only did they look 10 times better afterwards, but they allow a bit more sunshine onto the hibiscus on the lower tier. The one on the left facing out could use a bit more trimming. Better not enough than too much.

Mindy asked if I would volunteer to pick-up Jacob from soccer practice. His buddies mom was dropping he and the others off there after the sleepover. I thought I might stop at Dick's either before hand or afterwards to look and possibly buy a volleyball set. I left to fetch Jacob around 1240pm. As usual, there was the typical traffic snarl at Trabue and Hilliard-Rome. Lucky to get three cars through each light heading west at that intersection. It flat out sucks!

Still arrived a few minutes early. Appeared only about half the team was there. Jacob acted as if he didn't recognize my car. I didn't think much of it at the time, but when he finally did come, he said he didn't recognize the license plate. He also shared that his soccer coach was a no show. The kids that showed had a mini scrimmage with some of the parents.

I opted not to stop at Dick's. Didn't even mention it to Jacob. Headed straight home. As nice a day as it was, my mood was somewhat tempered by the fact that I needed to do another DR test with a customer come 1am at their site. That meant I needed to be up by 1145pm and then out of the house by 1210am. Double Ugh!!! The thought puts a damper on my Sunday's.

Mindy soon headed off to a jewelry-type party that her friend Kerianne was hosting. While she was gone I did a number of small chores including washing my running clothes and then loosening the compacted soil around the three new rose of sharon I planted this past spring. After all that I got a shower and then did some reading and relaxing from the deck. Ahh!

Watched some of the Barclay's golf championship, too. Great shots of downtown Manhattan from just across the Hudson in Jersey. Mindy was home just after 4pm. Said she talked with my dad and he would be joining us for steak dinner. He also agreed to keep an eye on the kids this coming Thursday while Mindy and I see Edward Sharpe. Cool!

I'm thinking it was near 530pm when we fired up the grill. That's about the same time that dad arrived. Threw the steaks on the grill 5 minutes later then stayed out there watching over the process. Closely imitated a steak grilling technique I watched on Yahoo last weekend. Worked well. Grilled to perfection.

Along with the filets, Mindy baked potatoes, prepared a garden salad, and boiled corn on the cob. Dinner was delicious. After dinner, Mindy ran Jacob back to the soccer field for what he called a 'technical practice'. She was back 15 minutes later. While she was away, I pretty much shared the Lindsey drama with dad.

Dad stuck around until about 715pm. By then I was already clock watching since I needed to be up at 1145pm. Before any of that, however, I planned to watch he Vikings Sunday night preseason match-up against the 49ers. I figured to watch until halftime and then get some shut eye.

The game kicked off at 8pm. 49ers looked far superior. Took an early 3-0 lead and never really looked back. Per the usual, the Vikings made a number of silly mistakes that only widened the chasm. I was a little irritated at their level of play. The saving grace being that it's still preseason. Hopefully they'll fix some of the problems before September 8th.

Watched most of the game from bed. Mindy joined me near 9pm. Turned the TV off about 1/2 way through the 3rd quarter. But just as I feared, I couldn't readily fall asleep. Great! Finally fell asleep around 1015pm, or just 90 minutes before I needed to be up again.

No Pollard's Opus

I woke rather easily around 730am rearing to go. Having consumed just two beers the evening before there were no ill effects. It was sunny and warm and by all accounts, supposed to be a lovely summer day with highs in the mid 80s. Bring it on!

I started coffee then stepped out onto the deck for a few minutes just so I could get a sniff of the gorgeous morning sunshine. Ahhh! Back inside for coffee and internet. Spent about 75 minutes online before finally heading out for a run. I ran 3 miles like most Saturdays. A neighbor about a 1/4 mile down the road was having some serious tree removal work done still before 9am. I'm guessing their immediate neighbors were none to happy with the noise from the chainsaws and the giant chipper running out front. I took note of the company name and number. Will likely give then a call to get estimates on having our ash trees removed. Sweaty run. Felt good, though.

Back at the house, Mindy still wasn't up. At some point she let Eiknarf who soon joined me downstairs. I took her on a walk out back and then out front on a more formal walk. I don't think that Mindy was up until almost 10am. She needed to go after Jacob at 11am. Made herself presentable before heading off.

My plan was to take Jacob to the Arlington ASBCO annual summer sale that afternoon to get new snow board boots. He's far grown out of his others that are two years old. I didn't bother showering. Instead, I just cleaned up a little. Had to be about 1145am when he and I left. I took our ski folder complete with all of our receipts thinking we may be able to trade in since we bought his last stuff on the junior trade-in plan. We also took his board just in case they had a good deal on the easy entry bindings he wants.

Took Riverside to Henderson then across. Not nearly as crowded as the Polaris ASBCO summer sale two weeks prior. Immediately were assisted by a couple cute ski bunnies, which is standard fare at ASBCO. Nina worked with Jacob. Told her we wanted to get him in some new board boots, and told her that we were interested in getting some that were part of the summer sale (last year's gear). No prob! While she worked with Jacob, I looked over their entire ski inventory old and brand new ('14 models). Was still hoping I might find a pair of '13 Pollard's Opus. Nope. All out!

Nina fitted Jacob with two pair of boots, both a size 9 or 27.5cm. The 1st pair were K2s that have a knob rather than laces for tightening. They were marked down about half off. the regular price, but still pricey - $115. The other were much like the old ones and on sale for $69. Jacob loved the 1st pair. Felt really good. Fine! I then asked about the trade-in program. Nina wasn't so sure given that we had to upgrade his package to men's two years prior when he was 11. She needed to ask Eric, the store manager. Eric talked with me, sharing that the equipment we bought two years ago didn't fall into the trade-in program since it was men's equipment. I wondered, but shared that they didn't really make that very clear at the time. Said he would give us $10 for the old boots given how worn they were.
OK.

Asked about the easy on bindings next. Nina showed us two models. Far more pricier than the others and only in brand new '14 stuff. No '13 stuff. Offered us 25% off if we bought then. Well, that lead to determining that his board, while a men's board, was too small for the new bindings. He really needed a new, wider board. Long story short, we ended up buying him a complete new package: board, boots, bindings. Spent far more than I originally intended. He is a good kid, though, and we want him to have nice equipment. Said they'd have it ready by the 3rd.

Oh, almost forgot. I found someone's camera in the parking lot. I turned it in at the front desk. We stopped at the Big Fat Greek on the way home where we picked up a couple gyros. Didn't eat them until we got home. I shared my gyro with Mindy, who was darn near in shock when she learned what we spent at ASBCO.

I didn't have anything planned for the remainder of the afternoon. lounged and napped on the sofa until about 5pm. When I got up from the sofa I decided to call ASBCO to make sure they realized that we didn't bring the new board boots home with us. Typically you can bring the boots home while leaving them the board and bindings to set-up and tune. They agreed that they still had the boots. No prob!

Earlier in the day we laid out filets to defrost. But come dinner time I shared that I just wasn't hungry enough to have a full fledged dinner. Mindy agreed, and decided to fridge them bad boys until Sunday. We headed to the deck where I drank a few beers and Mindy drank wine.

Neihgbors Chrissy & Kenny were having a shindig with her work peeps. We were invited down but didn't ever make it down. Instead, we enjoyed the quiet of our own deck and Pandora. Awesome evening. We hung out on the deck long enough to enjoy the summer sounds (insects and critters) as well as the ambiance of the tiki torches. Mosquitoes got hungry around 9-930pm. We headed inside as soon as they became unbearable. Forgot to mention, Jacob had another overnight with soccer friends. Mindy agreed to that shortly after she told Bella to plan on staying at home for once. :) Bella didn't bring it up as we thought she might. She did, however, come storming home from playing with friends around 8pm crying and saying that they were being mean. She was over tired from Friday's sleepover.

Mindy was off to bed before me. I stayed up watching NFL preseason football, but not too late. I joined Mindy in bed by 1030pm.

Edward Sharpe & Zappa tickets

Since I was working from home, purposefully slept in until 620am. Mindy got up about the same time as me.
Completed calisthenics: sit-ups, windmills, push-ups.
Enjoyed coffee while getting busy with work near 7am.
Took care of a weekly report first thing.
Mindy left for school near 730am
Bella and I headed to the bus stop at 802am.
Ms Vanorder sent a notice home with Bella on Thursday sharing that her arrival time will be moved up by 10 minutes. My question was 10 minutes earlier than her written arrival of 807am, or 10 minutes earlier than her 'real' arrival which has been more like 812am.
Other parents had the same question. I let Chrissy ask. She said starting next Tuesday, she'll be there at 757am. Uh-huh. We'll see.
Walked the pug after the bus picked up the kids.
Back home where I poured more coffee, checked in again with work, then prepared and left for a run.
Ran just 3 miles. Lovely morning. Partly/mostly cloudy and 70 degrees. Actually rained a little over night. Expecting it to clear later.
Back home made some eggs for the pug and I. Got busy with work.
Stayed focused on work until 1230pm when I headed out to take care of the lawn.
Did the tractor first. Because it was so warm and dry, I was able to tractor cut more than any other time in recent memory.
Took just over an hour to complete all the mowing. Really wasn't necessary to trim and edge. Next week. Didn't blow of the drive and walks until later that afternoon.
Headed back inside to finish off my work day. Worked steadily until 3pm or so. However, stayed engaged until well past 5pm.
Even though it was a kid weekend, Jacob was off to sleepover with a school pal where they planned to attend the H.D. HS football scrimmage. At the same time, Bella planned to spend the night with Lillian and was attending the St Cecilia festival.
By default, we had an unscheduled date night.
Mindy wanted another shower after a hot day in the class room. I showered, too.
Our plan was to run down to the arena district and buy Edward Sharpe & Zappa tickets and then find our way over to CBC.
I dropped Mindy off out front of the LC Pavilion then circled twice. Traffic was tight due in part to a home Clipper game right next door. But we managed to pull off our plan without parking unnecessarily.
Arrived at CBC near 630pm. Once again, parked across the street where I could keep an eye on our car from the bar windows.
Grabbed two available stools with a view outside. Kate & Vince tending bar. Haven't seen Vince for a few weeks.
Kevin, who is also a bartender, was on the patron side of the bar after being cut early ended up snuggling up next to Mindy and I. We chatted for an hour or so. In addition to working at CBC, he's also a school teacher and plays in a local band.
Talked about the Troy festival & Edward Sharpe. Kevin's from Troy and plans to enjoy the festival with family. Sounds like a lot of fun. Only five venues in all of North America. Expecting upwards of 60K people.
Enjoyed some risotto balls and bread before sharing a dinner special - steak and lump crab. Yum!
After texting back and forth, Darwin soon joined us. He drove Jordan's Camaro but Jordan was expected to have a family member drop him off their later so he could drive his dad home.
Darwin talked with a biker dude who was in town from Wisconsin. Loves CBC. He was an odd bird.
I stopped drinking after two beers - a Grasshopper and a Bodhi so Mindy could enjoy. I drank water for the last hour or so.
I'm thinking it was around 10pm when we bolted for home. As expected. Jordan showed up to drive Darwin. Darwin asked if we planned to stay up longer at home. Didn't think so. Both of us were tired. Headed to bed soon after getting home.

Visiting the BMV Every Fourth Spin around the Sun

Slept in until almost 6am. My plan was to head in and work from my Hilliard office for the first time since the Thursday before. But happily, I didn't have a meeting scheduled until 10am and I planned on joining that via conference call.
I quickly pushed through calisthenics and shortened my internet time in order to recapture some of that time.
Bottom line, headed out on my run around 650am.
Ran 4.1 miles. Partly cloudy 66 degrees. Nice.
Mindy gone by the time I got back home.
Eggs ready and in the microwave.
Walked the pug.
Already 745am, decided I better not try and shower before bus stop time.
Prepped lunch while Bella readied.
Headed to the bus stop at 802am still in my running clothes.
Chrissy asked if I was working from home. Nope.
Bus arrived near 812am. Bella shared that the bell rings as soon as they show up at school each day.
Headed home and to the shower.
Ready to go by 845am.
Rather than waiting until lunch, decided to stop at the Hilliard BMV and renew my driver's license on my way in.
Arrived there shortly after 9am. About 5 people in front of me in line. Anyone who's been to the BMV knows that that can be a really long wait. No sense of urgency.
A little surprised to read that it's $25.75 for license renewal these days. Only accept cash or check too. Felt like we were back in the 80s.
Finally, after waiting patiently for about 20 minutes, one of the bearded ladies shouted "Next"!
After a quick eye exam , signing some docs, and forking over $25.75 in cash, I was on my way to work with my new driver's license which is good for another 4 years.
Spent the first hour or two of my day organizing my new temporary office. May recall, I moved all my crap in last Thursday but didn't have time to organize anything.
Sandwiched in amongst the office chaos, I joined a fairly brief 10am conference call.
Another very busy day where I did not take a formal lunch break.
Did take time to call Promo West - LC Pavilion asking about ticket window hours.
Could stop in Friday anytime after 530pm and before 9pm to buy concert tickets without using T.M. saving all sorts of money.
The plan was to meet Mindy at curriculum night at Bella's school at 6pm. To that end, I left the office near 545pm figuring that I wouldn't see my new office again until the following Thursday.
Mindy was already at the school and in the gym. Took about an hour for all the 5th grade teachers to review the year's curriculum.
Mindy said she had a rotisserie chicken in the oven at home awaiting our arrival. Good. I was starving.
Didn't get home until after 7pm.
Dinner was good. Clean-up fairly quick.
Watched preseason NFL football at 8pm. Headed for bed around 1030pm.

Keri & Kevin

Up at 540am, coffee already to go.
Exercise: sit-ups, windmills, push-ups.
Like clockwork, Jacob up and in the shower minutes later.
coffee, internet, meditation and stretching.
Delivered Mindy's coffee near 620am. By then she was already mid-shower.
Readied and left for a run at 637am.Clear and 65 degrees - full moon in the NW sky.
Ran 4.1 miles.
This time encountered Bella walking Eiknarf out front of the neighbors. Stopped and walked back with she and the pug. Thanked for doing the deed.
Mindy had my eggs in the microwave.
She soon left for school.
Bella headed upstairs shortly thereafter, me reminding her to take care of teeth and hair. Also reminded her that we needed to head out at 802am.
I was showered and downstairs by 8am. Not a lot of wiggle room. Bella was already downstairs and ready. We headed out the door.
Met the same group at the bus stop.
Bus was even later than the day before - about 815am. Said traffic was a bear.
Walked Eiknarf out front for a few minutes then headed in to quickly wrap up a few things then headed off to work.
Heading across town again. This time, however, traffic was an absolute nightmare. It was backed up from Grandview all the way there. On a positive note, we never came to a complete stop. We simply crawled across town. It took more than 40 minutes.
Had to hustle to get inside and settled in time for our 930am weekly Wednesday call. A lot of hurry for nothing. Call got canceled by the customer.
Customer requested an impromptu meeting around 11am, but I was booked for the next 4 hours. Agreed to meet at 330pm instead.
Joined a 10am call t hen headed over to another campus building near 11am for a 3 hour meeting. Ended up there until 230pm. Headed back to my regular Wednesday office by 3pm. The day was literally flying by.
Met with the customer leaders at 330pm, went until 4pm or so. Good stuff.
Stuck around until just after 430pm when I begged off for home.
Called Mindy along drive home. Said her day went well. Also reminded me that it was a Jimaken night and shared her preference was to visit CBC. My choice was Barley's. She caved and agreed with me.
Got home just after 5pm. Kids were already off with Jimaken.
Mindy & I freshened up a bit before we left for Barley's.
Mindy chatted with her friend Kerianne on our drive there. Invited her to join us but she declined.
Grabbed two stools at the corner of the bar. Janet bartending. No sooner had we ordered beers when Kerianne called back and shared that she, Kevin and the boys were coming to join us for dinner, after all.
Mindy quickly alerted Justin that we'd need a table. He took care of us. We got a booth.
Mindy and I darn near polished off a basket of fries and hot sauce before Kevin & Keri showed up.
Kevin ordered another basket as soon as they got settled. He ordered a Red Molly, too.
Their two boys, Garrett and Sawyer were very well behaved.
We ordered dinners soon after. I ordered 20 wings, fully anticipating taking half or more home for Jacob.
I had two beers: a Galaxy 500 & a ZIPA.
Had a nice time. Again, the boys were well-behaved start to finish.
We left for home around 8pm.
We beat the kids home, but not by too much, maybe 5-10 minutes.
Jacob immediately began to devour the wings.
Bella headed off to play with Makayla. She didn't have much time, though.
Started to dose around 9pm. Headed to be around 930pm.

First Day of School Jacobella 2013 / Mom @ Adena

First day of school for Jacob & Bella. That meant everyone was up early, me at 530am, Jacob at 545am, Mindy just after 6am, and Bella near 7am.
Exercise: sit-ups, windmills, and curls
Coffee, internet, meditation and stretching. All completed by 630am.
Dressed and left for a run at 638am. Jacob was sitting on the steps waiting to see his bus whiz by before heading out.
Ran 4.1 miles on a gorgeous morning. 64 and clear at departure.
Back home at 720am. Nice to return to a completely alive home, breakfast ready, and Eiknarf ready to be walked.
Sat down for breakfast at 727am. Bella was just finishing up her own.
Mindy was granted an hour bye so she could see both kids off to school. She shared that she snapped a few photos of Jacob before he left.
With the bus coming about 10 minutes earlier this year - 807am, I rushed off to the shower already forgetting that Mindy was there to see Bella off too.
Out of the shower and back downstairs by 758am.
Headed out at 802am. Bella was stoked. We took 1st day of school pics on the deck with flowers in the background. Of course I took my camera to the stop as well where I got plenty more. I also measured Bella and Jacob.
Jacob 70" tall.
Bella 54" tall - 56lbs (grew 1.5" over the summer!)
Planned to weigh both later.
Quite the crowd at the bus stop, but only four actually waiting on the bus. But the other mom's had their entire broods in tow.
Bus didn't show until 812am. I made note for future reference.
Mindy was quickly out and off to school herself. And I wasn't far behind either. I needed to be across town.
Rough drive across town. Traffic slow all the way through downtown. Would've been better off taking 270.
Happy that no one else at my desk.
Stayed busy all morning long until our 1pm meeting. My plan was to head down to see my mom in the hospital as soon as the Tuesday meeting was in the books.
Meeting went until 205pm. Lots of stuff to cover.
Had a few things to wrap up before I could depart. Left the office at 220pm.
As planned, made a quick stop at the New Albany/Gahanna Kohl's to see if they had twin sized memory foam mattress pads in stock. Hard to find item.
Not only were they out of the model we wanted to get for Jacob, but they were no longer 50% off. I left disappointed.
Called Tommy, just as I agreed the day before. We talked about riding down together. No answer. Left a VM.
Took 270S all the way around to route 23 south. Nice drive - lovely late afternoon.
Arrived at Adena in Chillicothe near 4pm. Parked in the NE lot. Easily found my way to mom's room - 2NE - 30.
By herself. Swollen due to pumping her full of liquids. Voice still very raspy.
We talked for a while, her once again bringing up the Lindsey thing.
Without too much detail I shared the basic facts.
Also joked about her penchants for exhibiting same symptoms as dad only two months behind. As expected, she denied any such doings. But the facts are facts. Eerie how it's unfolding - back, knee, stones, heart attack. She summed up by saying their sole mates. I think dad might take exception to that. :)
I wasn't there long before being joined by mom's bff Denise and adopted daughter April, who is 3 months pregnant.
In my opinion, another good example of someone who should not be having a baby. No education, no job, etc....
While the three of them bantered about I listened only passively and kept any opinion I might have regarding their conversation to myself. Believe me, that was best.
More than once both April and Denise felt it their duty, apparently, to remind me that I'll be sorry when mom's gone.
If memory serves, most of that centered around my reluctance to volunteer my home as a residence for mom to convalesce in her latter years. Yikes!
Instead. I recommended Tommy's ranch. :)
A male nurse came in to install a blood pressure patch on mom's arm. At the time her BP was about 177/102.
He joined in their conversation for a good while. And while he was pleasant and cordial, he was badly misinformed on a number of topics they were discussing. Again, though, I didn't say a word. But Inside I was rolling my eyes!
I left for home around 605pm. Gave everybody hugs goodbye. Wished April good luck with that baby.
Was difficult to figure out how to leave the parking lot and regain 23 N.
Once on the road, I was determined to stop at the first Wendy's I passed for some dinner. I was really hungry.
Stopped in Circleville at the local Wendy's out front of the Wal-Mart. Ordered a #1 combo: single w/cheese, fries, Coke.
Ate while driving. Might've been the freshest, juiciest, plumpest Wendy burger in decades, though I frequent there so seldom.
Arrived home near 7pm. Mindy and the kids weren't yet home. Wasn't expecting them to be either. Mindy had meet the teacher night at her school and Jacob had soccer practice.
Jacob got home around 730pm. Mindy & Bella about 30 minutes later.
Tired. Headed to bed near 9pm.

Successful MW

Up at 1219am on my own accord. Mindy's set her alarm for 1215am but it didn't go off.
Spent the next 40 minutes preparing for the maintenance window, including reaching out to peer teams that would be involved remotely.
Customer joined at 1am sharp. MW went flawlessly. Finished up by 205am. Stayed up until 230am tying up loose ends. Back to bed.
Slept soundly until Mindy got up for school near 630am. This was her first official day of school, though without students. Apparently an all day staff meeting.
She planned to leave early to attend a meet the teacher gathering at Bella's school around 3pm.
I got up before she left and sluggishly proceeded to exercise completing sit-ups, windmills and push-ups.
Headed off on a run near 830am. Lovely morning, partly cloudy and warm - 70 degrees at run time.
Ran 4.1 miles.
Kids were happy Ii was working from home. Saved them from having to spend the day at Mindy's school or at maw-
maws.
Made bacon & eggs for Bella and I around 10am. Yum! Jacob was already off playing with friends, this their last day of summer break.
Joined weekly account team call at 11am. Took the entire hour covering several topics.
Despite getting plenty of sleep before and after the 1am MW work, still took a nap mid day. Funny how my body responds to getting up that early. Makes me tired all day long.
Mindy was home around 4-415pm. Wrapped up work around 5pm.
Jacob wanted to go to Barley's for dinner. Not me. I was too tired. Didn't feel like going anywhere.
Instead, as a family we agreed on Chipotle. Mindy and Jacob flew after it.
Watched preseason MNF. Can't recall the teams.
Headed to bed around 10pm.