Range of Emotions

I was eager to begin the weekend. The weather gods promised very good things. I could see the sun trying to break the thin veil of clouds still lingerng above. By 8:30am I completed my exercises and had our coffee brewing. Ykraps and I hit the streets. It was getting lovlier by the minute. By our return the sun busted out making a warm spring morning even better. I enjoyed a hot cup of coffee & got caught up on the headlines. Eventually I made my way out to the deck for some guitar and coffee - more of a summer ritual.

I woke Mindy around 10:00am telling her how beautiful it was outside. She soon joined me. We spent some time together on the deck soaking up the early sunshine. We didn't have all day, however. I had to run and Mindy had to ready for her 'fun' day. She had a massage scheduled at 11:30am at Penzone's and then lunch with her friend Teri. While I ran, Mindy whipped up some bacon and scrambled eggs. I am always amazed at how she can calmly apporach a deadline. I returned from my run by 10:50am. Mindy ate pretty fast since she hadn't yet made herself presentable for her massage. She left at 11:10am.

I had the rest of the morning and pretty much the whole afternoon all to myself. I chose to take care of lots of small things. I reestablished several lawn ornaments that were leaning a bit after their winter slumber, tuned and cleaned my weed wacker, swept out the garage, tinkered with the Trooper - looking for a loose vacuum hose (never found one), swept the kitchen the floor, sprayed for ants, and shopped online for garage cabinets. Mindy called to let me know that she worked out details for dinner with Pat & Lisa. They'd be meeting us at our house around 7pm - after the Buckeye game.

Mindy returned home sometime around 4pm. She shared stories from her day of fun. She got a great massage, had fun with Teri, visited old neighbors, and shopped. After sharing her stories it was time for the Buckeye game. We watched the entire first half. I swore at the TV a couple of times. The Buckeyes are good but often hard to watch because they leave a lot of points on the floor. On the other hand, unless the opposition is hitting three-pointers from long range, their defense is consistently stellar. We were up at the half, but not by much.

During the second half I became frustrated after watching us build then squander a nine point lead. Soon we were trailing by 5 with just under 12 minutes to go. I could take no more. I figured it no longer good for my health or sanity. I decided to shower for our dinner out. I did everything I could to keep the noise level to a point where I could not hear the game. I didn't want to know. After I was showered and dressed I took Ykraps on his evening walk making sure once again to drown out any sound from the TV. By the time we returned from our evening walk Mindy was down stairs talking with the kids via her cell. I decided it was time to check the score. Just as I focused on the TV they flashed the score and game highlights. The Buckeyes won by 16 points! Holy Crap! They must have got hot. It was just after 7pm and the second game was about to begin.

We were all ready to go. Now we were just waiting on Pat & Lisa to show up. I decided to pick-up my phone and call my dad to check on Sheila. The news wasn't good. Shawn answered the phone in tears. My fears were confirmed, Sheila had passed away minutes prior to my call. There was obvious struggle in his voice through our short conversation. I told him that I loved him and that I would hang up so that he/they could carry on with whatever needed to be done, but to tell my dad to call when he could. I told Mindy but she already knew. We had a quiet moment and both said a short prayer just as Pat & Lisa arrived.

We had a quick drink before heading to Courtney and Jeremy's. On our way there my dad called. Mindy talked with him while I drove. Mindy expressed our sorrow and told him that we'd be over sometime early on Sunday. Bob & M.A. were already at C & J's. We were a few minutes behind. We chatted briefly and visited with everyone. Mindy shared the news about Sheila. Just then my cell rang. It was brother Glenn calling from Washington state. I shared the news with him too. I told him to look for flights but that I had no other details on the arrangements. Shortly after our call, we all departed for Mitchell's.

Because there were eight of us, we took two vehicles. Pat & Lisa rode with us. C & J rode with Bob & M.A. After one pass around Mitchell's we decided to valet park. It was a lot easier. Our reservation was ready. It was surprisingly crowded for 8:30pm. Because we had eight in our party we had to sit at two tables, although side to side. There was an isle in between the two tables so we were in effect cut off from one another. However, we made the best of it and had a fabulous time dining together. And just like always, the steaks were terrific.

It must have been after 11:00pm when we finally left Mitchell's. We tipped the valet dude after the Trooper was hand delivered and parted ways with half of our dinner guests (Bob, M.A. & Jeremy & Courtney). Pat & Lisa rode with us. We bidded the Schultz's a farewell in the dirveway. They were as tired as us, I am sure.

Before going to bed we contacted Glenn to see what his intentions were relative to Sheila's funeral. I told him that I would check airline rates too. I called Northwest & asked about the bereavement policy/rates. Sadly, the rates we were able to find online were cheaper than their stated bereavement rates. The young lady apologized stating that with it being spring break there just weren't many options.

I went to bed after asking Glenn to shop for flights on Priceline.com. We agreed that he wouldn't purchase the flight until we had firmed the funeral arrangements. I crawled in bed around 12:30am but couldn't sleep so I got back up for an hour. Finally, come 1:30am I was tired enough to sleep.

Slathering

Blessed with gorgeous weather since the first day of spring, Friday was no exception. It was warm enough during the predawn hours to walk Ykraps without a jacket, but I wore one anyhow.

I did the morning coffee thing before beginning food prep, and just like always, we ate our breakfast together. Mindy and the kids were out the door around 7:20am.

I left for work around 7:55am very excited that it was Friday. As I would've expected, the day was very busy. We're always busy on Friday's. I called my auto repair guy around 9:15am with every intention of telling him to bag the repair. In fact, I was prepared to ask him if he wanted to buy it for a $1000. I figured I was throwing good money at bad. But I had three things I wanted to ask/clarify first. I asked him to clarify exactly what he'd be fixing and what would be new versus old. I asked what he would do if it were his. He made a convincing argument for keeping the car figuring that any car we'd buy in that price range would be susceptible to similar troubles, but at least with this one we know we'll have a new transmission and a new upper engine (valves and cam). And besides, it's spend $1100 on this repair, or that plus more for another car. The fact that this is a Honda with just over 100,000 miles is another good reason to keep it. While talking it became clear to me that the best thing to do was to do the repair. I told him to get started. I felt a sense of relief for making a decision, and I also felt it a sound one given my other options.

I shared my decision with Mindy a short time later. She supported my decision. We also exchanged loving emails since today was our one month wedding anniversary. We decided that we'd book our trip to Riviera Maya today too. She reminded me to call Pat and Lisa to follow-up on Saturday evening dinner plans. I decided to call after lunch.

I left for my run around 11:45am since I was planning on lunching with my friend Jay P. who just started back with us on Wednesday. I was partly cloudy & warm when I left. Today I didn't wear a jacket, but I did wear long pants and a long sleeved shirt. And just like it did each day since Tuesday, the sun busted out during my run heating it a bit. I had to laugh at the coincidence. It was a great run!

I was showered and back by 1pm. Jay stopped by my office right on queue. We left for Chipotle's, his favorite restaurant in the world, right away. We went to the new Chipotle's at Mill Run. It was crowded and crazy loud. I hadn't had one of their burritos in over a year. We ate fairly quickly and left after about 40 minutes. We talked about all sorts of stuff, most notably his eagerness to return to work with us.

The afternoon went fast, too. While working a number of issues, I squeezed in a call to the Shultz's home. Lisa answered. She only works 'til noon on Friday's. Hey, that's a gig I want! She thought it best for me to nail down our plans with Pat. I called Pat on his cell a few minutes later. I told him that we already had added them to our reservations at Mitchell's. He promised to check with Lisa and call us back later.
I talked with Mindy again around 4pm where we discussed visiting Sheila tonight on our way out to Barley's.

I wrapped up the many things I was working on and left the office about ten minutes early since I needed to stop at Kroger and Advanced Auto Parts. Kroger was not as crowded as it generally is after work. It might have been the leaving ten minutes early thing. I bought Mindy a dozen pink roses mixed with a bunch of add-ins. Advanced Auto Parts is directly across the lot. I stopped there next. I asked the gentleman working their if it were a fact that they will run a free computer diagnostic check on cars. It was and he did. He printed out the report and told me it appeared that my oxygen sensor might be bad, but that I should have my mechanic check it further. Homeward.

Mindy was home and the kids were already gone with Jim when I arrived. I presented her with the roses and a card. I think we walked Ykraps together but I can't be sure. We called my dad around 6:30pm to let him know that we were coming by around 7pm. He was OK with that but cautioned that she was not doing so well. We tidied up and left for dad's around 7:05pm.

Dad greeted us as we entered the house as he always does. He lead us to Sheila's room where we went in to see her by ourselves. Nothing could have prepared me for how bad she looked. I thought she looked bad Monday but today she looked really bad. It was gut wrenching. I would be surprised if she weighed 80 lbs, and she looked gone. We spent a good twenty minutes with her holding her, talking with her, and telling her that we loved her. A few different times she opened her otherwise rolled back eyes to acknowledge our presence. She could only hold that focus for a few seconds and then she'd drift off again. I felt the end was near. As she was, there seemed to be no hope of turning the proverbial corner any longer. Now, I just wanted her to be pain free and at peace. She deserves it.

We said our goodbyes one more time as we left the room. We both kissed her on her head before leaving. We went to talk with dad before heading out. He shared some of his most recent conversations he had with her along with a few others. We left around 8:00pm. We didn't need to say much to one another. We both knew as we drove away that we'd likely seen her alive for the last time. I felt a sense of peace, but I had many things to ponder.

We arrived at Barley's just after 8pm. Bob & Mary Ann were already there sitting with Courtney and Jeremy. The six of us hadn't been at Barley's together since before Xmas 2006. We had a really nice time catching up - laughing and sharing. We ordered food. I had Gates of Hell Wings and sauerkraut balls. Mindy had pulled pork and veggies. Over the course of the evening I had three beers. Josh stopped in and reminded all of us that he was playing at Mickey's Old Time on 5th avenue. We agreed to stop there before going home to check out his new band, Slather. We left Barley's around 11pm.

We arrived at Mickey's five minutes later. Josh's band was well underway. We probably stayed long enough to hear six or seven songs with a break nestled in-between. We left Mickey's around midnight. Everyone was tired, plus we had a big night planned for Saturday. Bob & M.A. headed towards home and so did we. We traveled the back streets of Grandview twisting and turning down the winding streets making our way towards Grandview Ave. Just as Mindy mentioned that I was going a little fast, and I guess I was, one of Grandview's finest pulled us over. He asked for license and registration. I was ready save for handing him last year's registration (I keep them all in a zip-loc baggie). He asked if I knew how fast I was going. I told him that I did not. He asked if I realized I was doing 38mph. I told that I didn't. He retreated to his car for a brief moment then quickly returned. He handed me my license, told me to watch my speed, and to drive safely.

We headed home with the Trooper running about as poorly as it has all week. It was stalling or wanting to stall at each light. Once home, we stayed up long enough to secure the home but pretty much went right to bed. It was long exhausting day.

Megacyllene

I slept until 5:45am and woke with a stuffy nose. My hope was that it was more fallout from sleeping with the window open and the fan on rather than the beginning of a cold. I wasted little time fooling around and got down to my morning business. I exercised, walked Ykraps, coffee’d, and got the food chain moving all before 6:45am.

Mindy asked me to leave the nuts and pineapple out of her lunch since she’s trying to further reduce her carb intake. I obliged. I made tuna salad for lunch, and made a bacon and Monterey cheese omelet for breakfast.

Mindy and the kids left around 7:20am. I went up to the shower. I left for work around 7:55am. The Trooper ran very poorly and stalled a number of times in transit. The symptoms are similar to those of two years ago when I had to have the intake manifold gasket replaced. Crap! I limped it into work. I was not in the best of moods given the status of Lindsey’s car and now mine.

I wasn’t in my office long before Dave, my auto repair guy called about the Honda. He said that given my frustration level he tried a couple things to save me big bucks last evening but netted poor results. And upon digging into it further could see that timing belt & water pump had previously been replaced and chalked that workmanship as the likely cause of the failure. He discovered that one of the valves was bent causing a loss of compression. If I wanted it fixed, this would have to be replaced. The estimate is now $1100. He understood when I told him I would have to think about it.

I talked with a buddy of mine at work that had lots of knowledge relative to auto repairs. He cautioned me against throwing good money at bad. I agreed – mostly. The trouble, of course, is what to do about Lindsey having a car. That somehow is still my problem! L

I grieved over that and my car issue all afternoon. Sure, it’s the money but more than that it’s the idea of what I’d rather do with that money. Lindsey’s still got her hands deep in the family pocket.

Run time came quickly. It was 1pm when I left. Again today it was partly cloudy & about 58 degrees when I left for my run, so I wore a jacket not wanting to be the slightest bit chilly. And once gain, the sun busted out during my run causing the temperature to soar ever higher making me sweat more than I’m comfortable with. I was hot!

After my run I enjoyed my packed tuna. Meanwhile, I continued to stew over the car dilemma. What to do-What to do? Today – nothing! I decided to sleep on the Lindsey car thing and talk to my dear wife about it once at home. The rest of the work day went as expected. I left around 5:15pm. My Trooper ran better than it did on the way in. I stopped at Advanced Auto Parts to buy some fuel treatment. I bought the best. Reading the directions carefully it says to allow tank to be close to empty before putting it in – then refuel. I have a full tank of gas. Damn! I’ll have to wait.

I arrived home around 5:45pm. Mindy and the kids weren’t home yet. Mindy stopped after school and kid puck-up to get a hair cut. I was able to get most of my chores done before they arrived home minutes later.

I forgot to mention these two bugs I saw in the house both yesterday and this morning. In addition to the cars, this was “bugging” me, too. Seeing one of anything is never a big deal but when you see two, you suspect a possible infestation. The bugs are about ¾” long. Look like a cross between a beetle and roach, but they are colored and stripped like a bee. Where in the hell did these things come from? They looked frightening! I love the internet. I simply Googled on “yellow striped beetle” and was returned a description & link to a picture. That’s it! It’s a Megacyllene, or more commonly called a locust borer or a wood beetle. They’re disguised as a bee to help ward off birds. They’re often hiding in dead wood piles, which would explain why it came from by the fireplace. Good bet they were in my load of firewood. The link went on to say that there’s little need to worry of an infestation.

Mindy warmed lasagna for me and made a couple hot dogs for herself. After that she went down to do her elliptical machine. When I finished eating I went down to play a little basketball with Jacoby. We had fun but had limited space with Bella playing on the floor and Mindy exercising. I didn't play for too long. When Mindy finished exercising she headed the kids upstairs to get a bath and ready for bed. I updated my blog. I joined in for the read & tuck. Still feeling a tad sniffly, stressed, and tired, I pulled up a few pillows and blankets in the middle of the family room floor and took a nap. I woke up around 8:30pm. After hanging out taking about our options with the Lindsey's car for an hour, it was 9:30pm. Mindy was ready for bed. I stayed up because I was now wide awake after my little nap. Besides, I wanted to catch the Buckeye basketball game which began at 10:19pm EDT. However, truth is, I had forgotten about it until Mindy reminded me. I tuned in to the early game after she went off to bed. The Buckeyes came on at 10:19pm. Right out of the shoot the Buckeyes fell behind by eleven, and pretty much by not fault of their own. Tennessee was shooting lights out three-pointers. After ten minutes of that I decided to go to bed. I was in bed by 10:45pm.

Deer Me

Today was the first full day of spring and the weather fabulous.

I woke around 5:45am and just like any other day, I brushed my teeth, peed, checked the coffee, choked down a One-A-Day, and began my exercises.

Ykraps and I were out the door just after 6am.We walked by Duke’s house instead of to the west like normal. I usually let Ykraps dictate which way we go. Duke’s rarely out this early anyhow. The weather was nice & warm - just as expected. There were stars visible, too. And just as one might expect, the birds were going crazy yet still in darkness.

Back at home I threw Ykraps his morning treat before making our coffee. Mindy didn’t want to get up but did as I placed her coffee on the night stand. I headed back downstairs to begin making our lunch and breakfast. Mindy requested no nuts and no pineapple in her fruit. I pretty much packed her the same type of salad I always pack for myself (celery, cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower, tomato). Time was moving by fast. I made fried eggs for breakfast, in part to save time.

As the sun rose it looked more and more like it was going to be another beautiful day. The day before (Tuesday) ended up about ten degrees warmer than planned. I hoped the same for today. I gave some thought to driving the BM’er but the slight threat of rain detoured such thinking.

The Trooper ran great on the way to work. I was hopeful that the new full tank of gas cleared whatever was choking the engine and causing the 'check engine' light to come on two days earlier. I arrived at the office by 8:15am. We were very busy. I didn’t hear from my car guy all morning. I told myself that I’d call after my run if he didn’t call me first.

I got very bust around run time, but managed to leave around 1pm. It was very nice, but still only about 60 degrees and partly cloudy. Half way into my run the skies cleared completely driving the temperature up even more. Suddenly, I wasburning up running in a long sleeve shirt, jacket, and with ear covers. It was 71 degrees by the time I got back to my office.

I had a voice mail from Dave my auto repair guy on both my cell and desk phone. The message was simple. Jim, please give Dave a call about the ’93 Honda. Uh-oh! I called him back right away. Turns out it wasn’t the timing belt. Instead, he said the cam shaft was broke at the pulley and missing this key thing, and the trouble was that it had worn a square hole round making it wobble. He said it could get even worse if one or more of the cylinders are bent, which often happens when the timing belt slips. He said he might be able to do it for around a $1000 dollars, but also wanted to know who had worked on this car recently replacing the water pump. He had it confused with Lindsey’s other ‘93 Honda that looked almost identical. Crap! Here we go!

I went about the rest of my afternoon like any other day. Mindy was picking Lindsey up at Grandma Sharon’s since her car’s in the shop and taking her to the bank to create her checking account. We both agreed not to share the news of the car’s prognosis until later. After all, we still wanted her to get this monumental task done.

I left work shortly after 5pm for home. Mindy and I talked as she was dropping Lindsey off at Kelly’s. Kaileigh was there, too, with her daddy so I asked Mindy to see if we can have her over next weekend to color Easter eggs. Mindy said she’d call me back once everyone was dropped off. I arrived home before Mindy. We made plans to visit El Vaquero for dinner, but only after walking Ykraps. It was a beautiful spring evening with the temperature now around 73 degrees. We left for the Vaq at 5:55pm.

We asked to be seated in the enclosed patio. I ordered something different – some pork dish. Mindy had a margarita and her usual seafood thing. We both enjoyed our meal and the atmosphere. It was a quick dinner. We left for home around 6:40pm.

We arrived home just before 6:50pm and the kids pulled up with their daddy just as we were walking in. By 7:05pm Jim was gone and the kids were enjoying a treat. It wasn’t long before Mindy urged the kids upstairs for bed. While they readied for bed I worked on my blog some more. I stopped and joined in for the tuck around 7:30pm. For the next hour I did more blog related stuff. I correlated all posted pix from my blog onto Picasso, a web based photo album, and updated my blog profile, which until today still reflected my singleness and was 1-1/2 years outdated. Mindy headed to bed between 8-8:30pm. She was even too tired to stay up and watch Idol.

I played online a while before watching Idol. I read a story on the Star Tribune's webpage about a Wisconsin guy that was placed on probation for having "sexual contact" with a dead deer. And reading on, I learned that this wasn't his first offense. His first was two years ago when he shot and killed a horse with the intention of havng sex with it. You have to wonder what this fella was thinking. Could he really have a penchant for these four legged beasts? Do you suppose he's thinking, "hey, looky there. I think she likes me. She's looking at me, too. I kinda like the way she holds her mouth. Daggone, I just can't get over her. I guess I'll shoot her first,though, so she doesn't put up a fight."
http://www.startribune.com/462/story/1070525.html

Idol results are in: Stephanie, I think, was the young lady who was eliminated tonight. After Idol I sat on the sofa and watched the follow-up comedy show, 'Til Death. It was surprisingly funny. I got sleepy come 10pm but had a hard time mustering the energy to go to bed. At about 10:40pm I did it!

Spring 2007

Tuesday was the first day of spring and the weather responded accordingly. Sunny skies and warming temps – right on queue. I was out of bed late by design but not enough to rock my routine.

I did what I usually do each morning, nothing out of the ordinary. Mindy & the kids departed at 7:20am like always and I hit the shower. I left for work around 7:45am. My Trooper was running much better today. The Engine light went out on its own.

Work was fine. I left for my run a little later than usual. It was 1pm by the time I hit the gym. It was about 50 degrees when I left for my run. And while spring didn’t officially arrive until 7pm, I celebrated with the sun Tuesday afternoon. I took notice of its position well overhead and the ever increasing warmth from its more direct rays.

I anticipated a call from my auto mechanic regarding Lindsey’s Honda but never did hear from him. He did, however say that it might take until Wednesday. And from my perspective, no call meant no new unforeseen troubles. I decided not to chase him down.

I left for home late. I was at work until about 5:30pm. Mindy made hot wings for dinner. This seemed like an unusual evening in that we had no extra curricular duties planned. Instead, for the first time in a long while, we had a normal family dinner night.

After dinner I updated my blog and spent a good hour or two messing with the new customization tools available for Blogger. I also took notice of a couple recent comments from a reader. I typically don’t pay attention to comments since they’re more often than not spam. After fooling with my blog we watched pieces and parts of American Idol. As usual, it was entertaining. Went to bed at 10pm.

Pinch Me

Wahoo! The final full day of winter has arrived. And like many days over the past couple of weeks, I slept past 6am. I didn’t wake until 6:10am. Even still, I chose not to rush for loathing the very idea of it. Besides, I recognize ‘time’ for what it is – an approximation – a gauge of sorts to keep us inbetween the lines, and as far as I could tell, I was in line! So, instead of rushing and worrying I just got busy with my routine.

Soon Ykraps and I were walking the streets contemplating the coming of spring. Today, unfortunately, promised to be a raw, rainy day with afternoon temperatures struggling to clear the mid 30’s, although the forecast calls for a slight warming late afternoon/evening. Mindy was already up and in the shower when we returned from our walk. It was after 6:30am. I delivered her coffee and placed it on her lingerie dresser. I checked email and read the Daily OM before getting started with breakfast and lunch.

Mindy asked that I only pack her fruit and nuts. I honored her wish. It was after 7:10am by the time I had breakfast ready for our consumption. We ate quickly before Mindy whisked the kids off to school & the sitter’s. I headed for the shower.

I was all ready to leave for work by 8:00am. It began to rain during the last half hour making an already gray day even uglier. I arrived to work by 8:20am. It was raw and windy walking in from the Trooper. I guess my Trooper would enjoy only one day of shinola. Oh well!

Work wasn’t too bad, especially for a Monday. I monitored the weather. It began raining heavily mid-morning and the temperature was stuck around 33 degrees. Lucky for me, the rain let up just a little as I readied for a run, but it never fully stopped. I ran in the rain. I was well prepared for the elements and was quite comfortable.

The afternoon brought with it brightening skies and slightly warmer temps. I was busy all afternoon. Where’d the time go? I got a VM from my auto repair guy stating that they picked up the Honda from Kelly’s and that the trouble appeared to be the timing belt. To do the timing belt required several other tasks too and the estimate was $950 with tax. OUCH! I told him to get started and that I was certain Lindsey would come up with the money. :)

Also, my boss approved my vacation request and I successfully traded an on-call, so it now seems that our trip to Riviera Maya is a go! Should be nice - nice!

Mindy and I talked late afternoon. We made arrangements to visit my step mom after work. Jim would bring the kids home at 6:45pm-ish.
Mindy walked Ykraps so that we could leave as soon as I pulled up. I tooted the horn and she came a runnin’! We were at my dad’s in minutes. Sheila and my dad were both sleeping. We visited first with Aunt Margie, Dodie, Shawn, and Kelly, who were all gathered in the living room. After a few minutes we went on in to see Sheila. Her breathing was noticeably shallow 7 she remained sound asleep. My dad, reportedly, has pretty much stayed with her every second of the day wanting to be there for her regardless.

On a lighter note, Dodie put in a VHS tape of her son Travis doing an Elvis impression at a school talent show. It was very entertaining and brought joy to all. We didn’t stay too long. We left for home by 6:25pm.

As soon as we arrived home Mindy got out the leftover lasagna and warmed two pieces. It was again very delicious. Jim dropped the kids between 645 & 700pm. We were just finishing dinner clean-up. After chatting a bit with the kids Mindy urged them upstairs to ready for bed. I updated my blog or at least got started. I went up & joined the kids and Mindy for the read and tuck. Jacob read us an entire story only getting stuck on one or two “big boy’ words. It’s truly amazing how well he’s reading after such a short amount of time (September to March).

After the tuck we returned downstairs where I finished updating my blog and posting pictures from the weekend. Mindy was in the living room talking with me at the same time. We discussed the logistics of our call to Lindsey and how we might use repairing her car as leverage to finally get her to use online banking and bill pay. Mindy made the call. She’s much more patient than I. After that call we called my mom to discuss her doctor’s appointment from this afternoon. She met with a surgeon to discuss options in dealing with a bulging and herniated disc. I sent about eight questions with brother Tommy in hopes of getting some meaningful answers since my mom never seems to have any ‘real’ information after her appointments. The plan is to do therapy for 3-4 weeks and then schedule the surgery unless it miraculously resolves her pain. Mom and Tommy visited Sheila after her appointment. I was happy to learn that she did so.

Mindy went to bed around 9pm. I stayed up reading until 1030pm. I finished my book, The Intention Experiment.

Wash the Car & Chocolate Chip Cookies

Nudged by a ring from my Blackberry, I was up a little after 7am dealing with work related issues. And even though I laid back down for a spell, I used that as my queue to get up and get moving. As I left the room, Mindy asked that I wake her by 9am. I was happy to see a dapple of sunshine out the window as I made my way downstairs. Sunshine always makes my morning brighter! :)

I felt pretty darn good as I got cracking on making coffee & exercising. Bella, uncharacteristically, joined me downstairs through my exercises and decided to walk Ykraps with me. Despite it being sunny, there was a brisk chill in the morning air, but we were bundled well.

After our return I made a cup of coffee, checked email and began dealing with work. I stayed at it until everything was under control. Mindy was up a little after 9am and decided to forego church for the kids sake. Instead, we’d use the day for their recuperation.

In preparing for my run, I decided to wear an older running shirt that doesn’t hold so tightly around my neckline to avoid irritating my rash. Too, I wondered if I had somehow gotten fiberglass insulation particles in my clothes when doing the shelf project last week, which would explain the rash around my neckline. Thinking back, that’s when it started.

I ran along Trabue again today and took special note of the vehicles at my dad’s as I passed by. As I turned back into the subdivision brother Shawn drove by and abruptly stopped when he realized it was me running along the road. We chatted briefly. He gave me the latest update on Sheila’s condition. She apparently had a rough night but was dramatically better this AM. We both went our own way after our brief encounter.

Back home Mindy was heating up the breakfast burrito makings and asked if I wanted her to prep one for me. I opted out. I’d do my own. After we finished breakfast I spent another hour or so addressing work related issues. Some time around 11am Lindsey phoned telling me about the perils of her Honda. Apparently it is broken down at a friend’s and needs towed. Her mother recommended that she call me. J I told her to call me back with the address so that I could go and look at it. A friend told her it seemed to be the alternator but that didn’t sound right to me. As the day closed in on noon I showered and readied myself for a trip to Lowes. Lindsey never did call me back. On the way I decided to wash the Trooper at the do-it-yourself carwash. I hadn’t given her a bath all winter. The wheels were really dirty, so I took the time to use the foamy scrub brush. Ten minutes & $3 later I had her squeaky clean.

I returned home before heading on to Lowes because I forgot to take the empty propane cylinder. I didn’t bother going in the house. I simply grabbed the empty propane tank form the deck and departed.

I exchanged my propane tank first then took my time walking most of the aisles at Lowes. I enjoy strolling along tinkering with various project ideas. I looked at retractable screen doors but for now decided that the kids would tear one of those up in short order. I checked out attic ladders (stairs), too. That’s a good option for additional storage space in our garage. I’d have to put down plywood, install the ladder and a light. It looks like about a $200 project. Hmmm? A place to put the rest of Mindy’s Xmas decorations!

I closed out my tour of Lowes by checking out new patio furniture. Between gas grills and patio sets, it’s getting a little out of control. One can easily spend more on a gas grill and patio set than one spends on a kitchen table and stove. They have $600 grills & $1200 patio sets. That’s ridiculous! I left Lowes for home.

Home around 1pm I installed the propane tank before even going in the house. Mindy and the kids were upstairs and didn’t seem to realize that I was home. I tested the grill. It lit and burned fine. Mindy finally came down all showered and dressed. We discussed the plan for getting the lasagna to my dad’s. We agreed that Mindy would take it, and I would stay home with the kids. Mindy left sometime before 2pm.

While Mindy was away the kids and I played around the house. Jacob was markedly better than he’s been for the last week. He’s back to his irritating ways! We chased and shot the geese in our back yard a number of times. Bella’s trained to alert us anytime she sees the filthy critters milling about in our yard. Also, Bella and I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies together. I allowed her to take a very active role in the process. That's not always an easy thing for me. It went well and Bella was a good listener and an excellent co-baker.

Mindy returned after about an hour. She said there was a full house at my dad’s, and that Sheila was doing much better today. She reportedly even tried our lasagna!

Mindy was once again on the move. She chose to visit her mother and deliver the soda she’d bought for her the day before. She decided to take our wedding photos too. Last minute the kids asked to go along. She asked if I wanted to go too, but I declined thinking instead that I would catch a nap and stay on top of a couple work related issues I was roped into.

They were gone about an hour and returned just before 5pm. It turns out, I worked the entire time. To Mindy’s surprise, they were having Sunday dinner after all, although according to Mindy, it was an abbreviated event with many family members absent. Meanwhile, Mindy got dinner started at our home. We were having leftover lasagna, which I was more than happy to have. It always tastes better on day two. After dinner I mustered the courage to call Lindsey back. She told me that her mother had the car towed to her house and that it was now diagnosed with a bad timing belt. Great! I decided to drive over to Kelly’s to take a look and see for myself since I’d most likely be the one arranging and possibly even paying for the repair.


There I tried starting the car. Instead of engaging the engine like normal, the starter just wined like an airplane engine. To be sure, I tried jumper cables but that netted similar results. There was no engine compression whatsoever. The timing belt was likely the cause. Ashley came out with Olivia only briefly. I gave both a hug and kiss before leaving for home.

I found myself involved with work related matters until 9:30pm. However, it wasn’t like I was glued to my laptop 100% of the time. Mindy and I enjoyed some quiet time after the kids were asleep, too. We went to bed together but I eventually got up to do some reading after finding it difficult to fall asleep when I wasn’t really tired.

Lepper - icon

st patty's day

Both Mindy and I took a couple Advil around 8:30am. I stayed in bed until almost 9:00am. Mindy chose to sleep even longer. I was careful not to wake Ash & Olivia, who I heard up a couple of times through the night. I did my exercises in the living room. When I went for my weights I saw that Ashley was already awake. Before checking in with work I finished all of my morning routine stuff – exercise, vitamin, coffee making, walking Ykraps, and running. I did check my Blackberry, however. Things seemed quiet.

Mindy got up around 10am. Just before I left for a run she decided to make breakfast burritos with Chirizo sausage. I took the Trabue Rd route and initially battled a stiff cold breeze out of the north. Traffic was light – as expected – and posed little trouble. I returned home feeling fantastic after what was an invigorating run.

My timing was perfect. The breakfast burritos were all but ready. I stripped out of my running clothes and once again my running shirt seemed to aggravate the rash on my neck. It now appeared like a giant welt and itched like crazy. I looked like a lepper. We ate burritos & enjoyed more coffee.

After breakfast I called my dads at Mindy’s prompting to arrange our visit. Ashley wanted to visit too. Aunt Margie answered the phone and told me that my dad would have to call back since he was busy talking with the nurse. An hour passed and we hadn’t heard back. Ashley wanted to go home if we weren’t going to visit Sheila. I called back. My dad said I was interrupting but explained the goings on and welcomed us over. He explained that a minister was coming over to baptize Sheila at her request and they welcomed the entire family. We hurried to get ready and Mindy and I headed over. Ashley stayed back with the kids. She’d go back later with Mindy.

We arrived before the minister and quickly went in to visit with Sheila. We were alone with her for about five minutes. It was very difficult, especially at first seeing her in such condition. I tried to be strong. The nurse came in and explained some things to us. She said that she was “going through the initial processes of dying”. I wasn’t so sure. Still, she looked pretty bad. Mindy, the minister and I prayed with Sheila.

After our visit we chatted with brother Bobby and dad. Marie and Brenda spent time with Sheila. We were all a little disappointed with the sisters when they came out of the room and asked the nurse if they could allow Sheila cigarette. The nurse, I could tell, was appalled at even the thought. She explained that it would literally kill her. I was embarrassed that they even asked. They said Sheila requested as much.

We hung until the minister arrived and for some reason, they chose the ceremony to be a private one. Mindy and I left after about an hour to go home. Soon, Ashley and Mindy would return to visit with Olivia. I’d be staying home with the kids.

In fear of scaring Ashley away, we didn’t give her much information about Sheila’s condition. I wanted her to visit. Word has it that she was a bit taken back, but stoic in her presence. Sheila acknowledged her being there and even mustered a smile for Olivia. The kids and I played. Jacob was showing major signs of recuperating form his week long illness. Hat figures, just after contacting brother Craig for an antibiotic. He’s shown signs of getting better a couple of times this week, however. So, probably still a good idea to pump him full of the meds.

The Buckeye game was on the tube. Jacob and I watched the second half together in disgust. They looked pathetic at times and were down by 9 with under three minutes remaining. A couple lucky breaks later the Buckeyes had the ball with 4 seconds left while launching a long three pointer to tie. Goal! The game went to overtime where the Buckeyes dominated play and won by seven. Unbelievable!

Mindy dropped Ashley & Olivia at home and returned to pick-up the peanut to go grocery shopping. They were gone two hours running other errands, too. Jacob and I stayed home and watched basketball and stuff. We were planning to make lasagna for dinner, although our dinner guest, Rene, called earlier and cancelled her plans to join us. It would be just Mindy and I. Mindy & Bella were home by 5:15pm. Mindy reported that Bella was a “pill” in the store throwing a little fit over not getting certain treats. Can you say beating!!!

I had just started the lasagna when they arrived. Mindy put all the groceries away while I did the initial prep. Some time around 6 pm we called Tommy after remembering him saying that he’d either meet us at Sheila’s or stop over after. It turns out that he was at dad’s when we called. Apparently Shawn, Charles, and others were there, too. He said that Sheila wasn’t doing well and in extreme pain. Enough pain that they had to page a nurse to come in and assist. Tommy, Heather and baby Matthew (aka Wally) would be over later for dinner.

We decided to make two trays of lasagna – one for us and another for dad and company. We figured they could use some good food. Mindy bought double the makings. We had one in the oven by 6:30 and the other right after that one came out. Tommy and Heather arrived around 7:00pm.We hadn’t seen Wally since the day he was born. He’s cute. I guess I can see a little of Tommy in him. And he’s definitely got the “Tommy” eye thing going on (see pic). Tommy and Mindy enjoyed a glass of wine. I enjoyed a few Honey Raspberry Ales. We did a shot of Goldschlager, too. Heather, of course, didn’t drink. She’s nursing. Tommy & Heather stayed until almost 10:30pm.

Once T & H were gone I chemicaled the hot tub. A good soaking, I surmised, would feel awesome and help heal the rash on my neck. We weren't in the hot tub but about two minutes when we both heard a very loud Bella scream for her momma. It was an awful scream! Mindy leaped naked from the tub in pursuit of her youngest. While Mindy tended to the crying children, I continued tubbing. Eventually, Mindy came to the door and told me she was staying in. Apparently Jacob, thinking we had left him, called his daddy and was crying profusely. They were both terrified! After the kids were calm, Mindy and I went to bed. We were both tired and fell asleep somewhat quickly.

Could be worse

This is Joel, a Barley's regular. Joel is a masseuse, and many believe him to be a close relative of F. Castro















This is Janet & Lee. Here Janet pours a firkin
while Lee prays for it to be of high quality.
















Pictured here are Dan, Mindy, Mary Ann (back to you)
along with Bob & Carol from Bob, Ted, Carol, and Alice fame.

As joyous as Friday's generally are, I couldn't hold back the less than joyous outlook I held for the coming weekend. I was in the the unenviable position of serving as the on-call manager through the weekend. I love giving an “A” performance all week long at work, but also love my weekends & laying my work role aside. I look forward to expressing myself as husband, father, homeowner, friend, etc. When on-call weekends roll around I am forced to hold onto that edge and never truly let go.

I woke today around 5:45am. I woke realizing that today would be the most ‘normal” work day of the week. Both Mindy and I would be heading off to work, which hasn’t happened once this week. I went through my usual morning paces. To give the day a little lift, I made tuna salad for lunch.

Mindy left for work around 7:15am, and I was off to the shower at about the same time. A rash I developed after completing the basement shelf project has been driving me crazy all week. It’s around my neckline and right shoulder and itches like crazy. It feels like poison ivy. I’m guessing I got some of the fiberglass insulation I ripped down on my hands, clothes, and body.

Work was a little crazy, but it was Friday. And since I was on-call for the weekend, I wasn’t able to take solace in the clock moving fast. I was so busy that I couldn’t peel away for my run any earlier than 1:15pm. I was happy to get out for my run even though the weather was something less than stellar. It was cold, gray damp and dreary (CGDD). I was happy to realize that spring was only a handful of days away, and that this would be the final weekend of winter! Wahoo!!!

I returned from my run hungry as ever. I enjoyed my tuna salad. It was a late lunch – 2:30pm. I stayed extremely busy all afternoon and didn’t get away from the office until almost 5:20pm. Mindy called around 3:30pm to tell me that she was picking up Ashley so that she could watch the kids while we go to Barley’s for a couple of hours.

I stopped at Kroger on my way home to pick-up some libations. In route to home I called my dad to see how Sheila was doing. Mindy and I had already made tentative plans to stop by for a Saturday afternoon visit. According to dad, they had just arrived home form a four day stay at First Community Village in Grandview/Arlington. That stay was not a pleasant one. He gave no more details. He also indicated that the end might be near. The news was sobering and caused a lump in my throat.

I arrived home to find Mindy, the kids, Ashley and Olivia all in good spirits. After settling in I share the news of Sheila with Mindy and Ashley. Before heading out for the night I sent Glenn an email informing him of the latest news on Sheila. We stayed home long enough to tuck the kids into bed making Ashley’s job easy. Before we left, Courtney called to let Mindy know that her and Jeremy would very likely not be at Barley’s. We haven’t seen them for about a month.

Barley’s was quite full – the parking lot as full as ever. Business must be good! Bob & Mary Ann were there as were Steve, who had been ill with Pneumonia, Mark, and later Rick, Josh, and most other regulars. Mindy took our wedding photo album and showed anyone who was willing to look. :) Unlike last week, we ordered food early on. Mindy ordered wings and sauerkraut balls, and I ordered six of their new mini-burgers & fries with a side of Gates of Hell sauce for dipping. All totaled Mindy had two beers and I had four. We left for home around 10:45pm. Mindy drove.

Ashley was still awake when we arrived home. Jacob must have heard us enter and called for his momma. Mindy went to comfort him. When she came back down she said he had a fever again. We went to bed shortly and fell asleep within minutes. Ashley & Olivia spent the night.

Passport

I was up at 6:05am – late by any measure on a work day. The first thing I noticed was the amount of standing water in the backyard. I don’t know that I’ve seen so much. I checked the weather bug to get the scoop on the amount of rain we’d received over night. We’d already received 1.76 inches since midnight and it was raining before and still.

After knocking out my exercises I dawned my winter jacket for a wet walk with Ykraps. These are the ones I least look forward to. The pond was extremely high and the flow of water reminded of a term coined by my old neighbor in Valleyview – “a gully washer”! The large stump that had washed up and looked so unsightly was suddenly nowhere to be seen. Thankfully! I was soaked in less than a minute due to the driving rain. I just tried my best to feel the moment knowing that in a few minutes I’d be warm and dry. Not only was it raining hard but it was about thirty degrees cooler than Wednesday. Our spring warmth was gone!

When we finally returned home I stripped out of my jacket and pajama pants since they were soaked. I carried on with the remainder of my morning prep in my boxers. I spent the next hour making my lunch & breakfast and showering for work. Mindy had already made plans to stay home again today. Jacob was still very ill and Bella was a little sick, but nothing close to Jacob. She kicked it in one day. Jacob’s been ill for almost a week. The kids were clinging to Mindy. I didn’t envy her stay at home day.

I left for work around 7:50am destined first for the U.A. post office to complete the passport application process. This time I had the photos, my birth certificate and the application. There was no line and the same guy was working today that was working yesterday. He was very patient and explained everything he was doing. He must have filled out 6 forms which he claimed were mostly for the expedite process. It took about ten full minutes. $187 later I had a small receipt and that was about it. He said I should receive the passport via mail in no more than 4 weeks. He also mentioned that I could track the overnight package to its destination via their online tracking system. He said it would likely be there by Friday AM. I left for the office. I arrived at work by 8:25am – not bad after making the postal pit stop.

Work was moderately busy and the remainder of the morning went by quickly. I prepare and left for my run at 12:45pm. Lucky for me the rain had all but stopped, but it was still very chilly. It was barely above freezing. It was 34 degrees but with a 12 mph wind directly from true north. Let’s see – yesterday sunny and 72, today, cloudy, windy, and 34! I wasn’t foolish enough to remove the winter gear form my running bag, oh-no! I was plenty warm with my cold weather gear.

I was surprised how much of a sweat I worked up. It was a good one. For lunch I enjoyed the salad that Mindy packed me Tuesday. It contained lettuce, sprouts, turkey, tomatoes, cucumbers, and bacon bits. It was very good. Mindy called mid-afternoon to give me an update from the infirmary. Jacob was still feeling poorly. Bella, on the other hand, was showing further signs of coming around. Mindy was down the basement loading up the new shelves.

I left work around 5:10pm and pretty much headed straight home. Mindy was still in the cellar when I arrived and called me down to show off her works. She had the shelves full already and all the containers were marked & labeled just as we discussed. I was surprised to see how much stuff remained on the floor. I had hoped to have more cleared space. Mindy could tell that I wasn't thrilled, but it wasn't her fault. We simply need even more shelves!

Mindy wanted promoted leftovers for dinner, and my choices were pork chops or tilapia. I chose neither. I opted instead for nuts and popcorn a little later. Mindy got the kids in bed a little earlier than usual. It was just after 7pm. I tuned into the Buckeye game. Mindy wasn't interested in basketball and went to bed early herself. After the Buckeyes won their initial tournament game rather handedly, I turned the volume down while other teams played and spent my time reading. I read up until 10:15pm.

Another nice day

A little insight into the coming vernal equinox ...

The first day of spring arrives on Tuesday, March 20 at 8:07 p.m. EDT. And just as we're welcoming spring, the southern hemisphere will welcome fall. At this time the Earth is tilting so that for the next six months, the majority of the sun's light will give its longest and most direct rays to the northern half of Earth. The word equinox is derived from French and means "equal night".

And while we're at it, let's not forget about Easter, which is Sunday, April 8th. Remember, Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring. Read more about Easter here ... http://members.aol.com/MMichon/Easter2.html

I slept until 5:45am when I casually rose from bed and made my way down the stairs. My waking was timed closely to the sounding of Mindy’s alarm but not attributed to it.

Before I began my workout, I glanced out the deck door to witness sporadic cloud cover, but still a visible moon. Feeling the comfort of another warm day, I began my workout. It wasn’t long before my morning calisthenics were behind me & Ykraps and I were out the door. I wore a light jacket but even that felt a little too thick. Out the door I wasn’t sure of the temperature. It was unseasonably but delightfully warm.

Mindy was readying herself for school when I returned and delivered her coffee. She reported Bella now having a fever and complaining of feeling cold, and having a headache – similar symptoms to what Jacob reported days earlier. She asked if there was anyway I could work from home again today. I had to decline. Later, as I was doing food prep, she reported Bella having a 104 degree temperature. She called Jane, her principal, and begged out of school for yet another day. Jacob, as it turns out, was feeling a little rough again this morning, too. Holy Rota!

I carried on with my day while Mindy tried hopelessly to comfort Bella. She was doing what sounded like a winy chant. After eating our breakfast and heading up the stairs for a shower, Mindy asked that I try to comfort her. I tried but to no avail. I felt her head but didn’t think she felt all that warm. She continued her chanting.

I showered and dressed in short order. Mindy checked Bella again and thought that she still felt hot, but did conceded that the Motrin may have already kicked in. I gathered my gear & loaded the Trooper for the go. I had lots of extra stuff to take along today. First, I had to take the crock pot full of taco meat for the Mexican potluck, my passport folder, and our wedding photo CD. I had a lot of extra curricular activities planned.

As luck would have it, it began to rain, but not too heavy. I made it to the Upper Arlington Post Office by 8:05am. They are listed as a full-service passport agency. There was only one other gentleman in line. As it turned out, he was getting a passport too. When I heard them ask him for his birth certificate I knew that I wouldn’t be getting mine done today since I didn’t bring mine. I had forgotten about that part. But since I was there I asked for clarification on everything I would need and the total cost. I already have the completed application form. What I still needed were: passport photos, which they would do for $15. Yikes! Also, I would need to handover my birth certificate & another official form of ID (driver’s license), and $187.50 if I wanted it expedited (returned in 4 weeks). The alternative to the expedite was up to a ten week wait which pinches right up against our proposed travel dates. The recent passport rule changes have pushed the timelines out by about three weeks for each alternative due simply to volume. So, I didn’t get done what I intended but left knowing what I had to do.

I arrived at work by 8:15am. The sky was already showing signs of brightening and it smelt like rain and worms – a sure sign of spring. The morning went delightfully fast as runtime was upon in very short order. This was helped along by our regularly scheduled staff meeting. It lasted until 12:25pm. When I left for my run it was 62 degrees. I decided to wear my wind shirt in addition to my running short and long running pants. I didn’t get a mile into my run before the sun broke out and the temperature and humidity rose quickly. Suddenly it was very nice, and I was a bit over dressed. I managed, however.

I returned from my run to the smell of a Mexican potluck. But to my dismay, all 6 lbs of the taco meat my peer and I brought was already gone. Not to fret, however. I resorted to Matt’s chicken concoction. After woofing down a quick burrito I grabbed my keys and left for the Tuttle mall Cord Camera. It’s literally minutes away.

At Cord I asked about passport photos. They do them for $10. I conceded. Next, I gave them my wedding photo CD and asked for prints. I mentioned that I wanted all 4x6 prints unless the file was names 5x7. Simple enough, right? For the first time, the young lady told me that I am supposed to use their in-store PC to order them. We debated that back and for the to a point where she finally caved and said she’d do it. We walked over to the wall where the passport photo shots take place. She used a prehistoric Polaroid. I paid her the $10 and she boxed my passport photos in a cute little Cord folder for safe keeping. She said my wedding photos would be ready by 6pm, but would’ve been done earlier had I simply followed her original instructions & entered them myself at the photo kiosk.

I returned to work where I was 15 minutes late for a meeting. No panic, however. I got up to speed quickly. The rest of the afternoon went fast, too.
It was 5pm before I knew it. I left just after 5:10pm. My first stop was Wal-Mart to pick-up another bottle of Motrin for the kids – per Mindy’s request.
And since I was over three, I stopped in Best Buy to buy Mindy her MP3 player sports case. I found one that appeared more conducive to running and it was $7 cheaper than mine. I figured I’d negotiate a trade once home.
After Best Buy and Wal-Mart it was 5:40pm. I was at Cord five minutes later. It’s just down the road. My pictures were ready. The total cost was $70 some dollars – about $20 more than I anticipated. However, I didn’t dare complain after what I put that poor girl through. I paid and took my 160 photos to the Trooper.

Once in the Trooper I took a few minutes to check out a handful of the photos. First, I checked the 5x7’s. There were 14 of them. I found that strange since I was certain there were less than ten. In the envelope I found several were doubled for no apparent reason. Again, I didn’t dare go back in and complain since I refused to use the self-service kiosk. The photos I checked were nicely done. I took the back way home form Tuttle Blvd. after hearing of a fatal crash at I-70 & I-270 west. Traffic was said to be backed up all over the area. That choice was an effective one. I was at Trabue and Old Dublin Rd in just over 7 minutes. Unfortunately, Trabue was backed up all the way from that intersection to the light at Wilson Rd. It took another ten minutes to go the last mile.

Mindy had already eaten by the time I arrived home. Despite her preparing a nice meal, I just wasn’t hungry after eating a late lunch via the potluck. I had two large chicken & rice burritos. My tummy was still heavy from lunch. Mindy had already walked Ykraps. They were attacked by the neighbor’s dog, Duke. In his attempt to pull away, Ykraps escaped his collar.

I had several things to organize when I got home. I had to get my running clothes in the dryer, organize my passport folder for tomorrow, give Mindy her new MP3 case, and review the wedding photos. Wasting little time, I got moving on my to-do’s immediately. While I began reviewing the wedding photos, Jimaken showed up to visit the kids. Since they were ill, he opted to simply visit at our home for a short while in lieu of his usual Wednesday night dinner with them. That went well. I like to see the positive interaction between all of us. It’s very healthy for the kids.

After reviewing all the photos, I finally let Mindy have a peek. :) While she reviewed them more thoroughly, I went to the basement to finish tacking up the new electrical circuit I installed just the night before. That took all of about ten minutes. Soon I was back upstairs. Jim was already gone and Mindy was ready to bathe the kids. While they bathed I blogged. After the read 7 tuck Mindy and I reviewed several of the wedding photos together. We placed them in an extra photo album we got at Xmas time. In addition, we placed some of the doubles in the wedding album that her mother got for us.

At 9pm we tuned into American Idol to see who was getting dumped. The show was a quick half hour and featured Diana Ross. She’s 63 years old now. We watched a little of the lame comedy that immediately followed Idol. We headed to bed at 10pm. Mindy had to wake me after closing the windows and securing the home. But once we were in bed I was wide awake. I went down to read at 10:20pm. I read for almost an hour, or until I began falling asleep. Reading always works!

Sunny & 75

I was up at 5:35am even though I really didn’t need to be. Mindy had already planned to stay home with Jacob to allow him one more day to fully recoup from his illness. That translated into a time savings for me. But I was all about getting my morning going. A glance out the back deck door revealed a clear sky, a beautiful quarter moon, and lots of stars. The expected high was supposed to hit 75 degrees! You might say it’s late spring in early March.

Today, I expect, will be the end of the lingering snow still on the ground from all the way back to January 21st when we got the seasons first appreciable snow fall. And while we had a clean break between that and other snow falls, it never fully melted before another heap fell.

I went about my morning routine like most others. I was ready to depart for work by 7:35am. I left for work around 7:45am. The sun was blood red as it rose above the horizon. It was absolutely beautiful. And by the time I arrived at work and the first hour rolled by, the first 70 degree day of the year was officially underway.

Mindy was home with the kids and called on five different occasions for various reasons - all before 1pm. I don’t think she realizes how involved my work is, and I am definitely not used to having so much interruption in the flow of my work day. I encouraged her not to call so much and to get the kids outside since the day was so beautiful. At some point she did.

I left for my run at 12:45pm sharp! It was already over 70 degrees under sunny skies. I ran in shorts for the first time all year. The air even smelt warm, and there wasn’t a hint of a chill in the air. It was incredible! I found the huge mounds of snow in the Hilliard high school parking lot rather amusing given the supremely warm weather. But by the looks of those piles, they’ll be there for some time to come.

The afternoon went quickly. Mindy called a couple more times. Geesh! I left work right at 5pm. I stopped at Home Depot with plans to get a ceramic lighting fixture and junction box to extend the basement lighting over to the new shelf area. Currently the existing lighting is blocked by the I-beam (poor design). I found what I needed in short order. The materials cost only $5.

At home Mindy was busy cooking our dinner. She made pork chops. She would’ve preferred to cook out on the grill but we were, and remain, out of propane. I’ll have to take care of that another day, although today would've been a great grill out day. I walked Ykraps soon after my bags hit the floor. The kids seemed well this evening, although Jacob looked a little flush in the face again. Some kids, just like cock roaches, were in our backyard fishing in the pond. They tossed Mindy's gazing ball into the pond by accident - sorta. I let out a big ol' westside yell. They quickly scrambled to fetch it out of the murky water then scadaddled! Maybe they'll stay away for good! In addition to kids fishing, the geese were back. Ah, spring!

Mindy and the kids went for a little walk after dinner while I finished cleaning up the kitchen and started making the taco meat for tomorrow's potluck. I also enjoyed a piece of my cheesecake, and burned our wedding photos for print to CD. Of course, they were back well before I finished those tasks. After we got the kids tucked into bed I went to the basement to install the new porcelain light fixture over the new shelving. That took about 40 minutes, but I didn't fastened the electrical wire to the floor joists so to avoid making more racket that could wake the kids. The light was operative, however. I figured I'd fasten it down Wednesday evening.

I returned to the PC where I finished my work there including updating my blog. We watched American Idol until 10pm when we went to bed. And unlike the last few nights, I fell asleep in short order.

Mary Tyler Moore & the Rotavirus

I was up somewhere around 2am after hearing a faint wining coming from down the hall. I asked Mindy if she could hear it but she was unresponsive. After another minute or two I heard it again, only this time I followed up. I found Jacob huddled at the foot of his toilet moaning & groaning and readying to spew any moment. I attempted to comfort him and told him I’d get whatever he needed. He asked for fresh water. I got him some. I laid on the hallway floor until he told me that I might as well go back to bed. I did.

A while past before he was at it again. This time Mindy got up to comfort him. I think she gave him medicine, but I can’t be sure. Sometime between then and my get up time she asked if I would stay home from work with him, something I haven’t done – ever – for anyone! I went back to sleep. I slept till 6:15am when both Mindy and I rose to our feet at the same time. That was too funny.

I went downstairs to prepare for the morning like always. I exercised and walked Ykraps. After returning home I booted up my laptop and sent a message to my boss letting him know that I would be working from home while tending to Jacob. I also notified my team.

Mindy had already stated that there was no need to pack her lunch or make breakfast. I did pack her some nuts, however. She and Bella departed at their usual time – about 7:20am. For the time being, Jacob remained asleep in his bed. Mindy wrote him a note before leaving saying that she was sure he’d wake and want her. She knows him all too well.

I made good use of the time gathering all of my 2006 tax paperwork. Come 8am I began interacting with my team albeit remotely. Aside from the personal interaction, I can do my job rather well from home. On and off I pulled up my tax software of choice and began plugging in my numbers. The process went quickly.
About that time Jacoby woke crying for his momma! Uh-oh! No mommy here! I gave him the note and tried comforting him. He insisted on calling his momma. She instructed me to give him medicine – Oh no, not codeine!

After chilling on the couch he asked for water and movie, and eventually even some toast. I obliged. He mentioned having an awful headache. He went in and out of sleep. Around 12:30 I readied for my daily run. He was not happy about me running but eventually agreed but insisted I try to make it back in twenty minutes. I knew all along it would be thirty but didn’t want to upset him more. I told him I’d try.

When I returned he was upset stating that I was gone too long. He asked if he could call his momma. Sure. He called Mindy. She asked me to give him another dose of medicine in about 30 minutes. Thirty minutes passed and I gave him the second dose. Not too long after that he woke asking for more food – pop-tarts. I knew then that he must be feeling better. He was.

Around 2:30pm I took a break from work. I put up a mini-backboard up for our basement basketball hoop. While shooting hoops, Jacob came down. He wanted to play. Now I was certain that he was feeling better.

Not too long after we returned upstairs, Mindy came home from school with Bella in tow. Although feeling better, Jacob was thrilled to see his momma. I continued working until just before 5pm. At 5pm I took to my reading chair to read and nap. When I woke some time around 5:45pm I took a shower then walked Ykraps.

Mindy made herself a bunless burger and warmed my leftover Mitchell’s filet mignon & scalloped taters. It was still very scrumptious! For dessert I had a big piece of my cheesecake. It was much better today after spending the last 20+ hours in the fridge.

After dinner we played with the kids for over an hour. Later, while Mindy readied them for bed, I got started with editing the wedding shots to 4x6”. That took about two hours. Mindy picked about 110 pictures, and I created another 30 within those. At night’s end, I had only to burn to CD. I’ll do that tomorrow or Wednesday.

After exchanging back crackings via our feet, we headed off to bed. But after struggling to fall asleep, I got up and went back downstairs to read. That always helps me sleep. I ate a bowl of popcorn while reading, too.

Winter Goals ... all but done

The bedroom clock said 8:05am, but since it was thirty minutes fast I knew that it was really 8:35am. It was really 8:35am because of daylight savings time’s return. As much as I prefer the longer evening light, I often dread the return for the difficulty in waking. Plus, this year having it three weeks early seems so strange. Talk about being thrust from the grips of winter right into spring!

I had placed fresh water in the coffee maker but had purposely left the coffee out – not wanting it to set needlessly overnight. The only trouble with that was I didn’t suspend the auto brew feature so we had a pot of steaming hot water for the ready. Not fully convinced it was hot (don’t’ know what I was thinking) I poured some over my hand as I dumped it into the sink. Ouch! Yes, I burnt my fingers! Soon, a new batch of coffee was on the horizon.

I whipped out my sit-ups, push-ups, and curls. I was out the door with Ykraps.before 9am. The morning was beautiful. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. But there was a thin layer of frost about the lawn and covering the windows of my Trooper. It was chilly. Mindy expressed an interest in me attending church along with her but I declined, wanting instead to fetch the plywood and finish the shelving project mid-afternoon. She understood and dropped it.

Because of daylight savings time, it felt as though the morning was flying by. It was 9:45am before we knew it. Mindy begged off to the shower and I readied for a run. I asked if we could swap vehicle to make picking up the ply wood easier. She was more than willing. I would simply hope to avoid anyone I knew for her van being so incredibly filthy! I left for my run by 9:50am. I kept today’s run inside the subdivision for no other reason than change. It was a lovely run with music filling my ears. As I rounded third and was heading for home, I happened upon Mindy darting off to church. She stopped the Trooper and waved me over. She asked if I had been in the Trooper rummaging for anything. I had not. Then someone broke in, she stated, because she found the glove box open and all the storage cubbies contents strew about the vehicle. Nothing was missing, however. We both surmised that something must have spooked them away and that we must have inadvertently left it unlocked. I felt blessed to have nothing missing.

She went on and I ran the rest of the way home. Before going in the house I surveyed the drive looking for any clues of forced entry, but found nothing. I made quick work of breakfast and began sorting through my day. I had to make a cheesecake for later at Gloria’s and had to run to Home Depot to get plywood. In the end I decided it best to get the cheesecake in the oven before setting out on my journey. My decision was based mostly on the length of time the cheesecake needs to cool after baking.

It took almost an hour to get the cheesecake oven ready. Before placing it in I made sure I was well prepared for my trip to Home Depot. I needed to ensure that I’d be home before the one hour timer expired. I left for Home Depot and was there in a hurry (about ten minutes). And because I am blessed, I found the plywood I wanted for a more than reasonable price, found an attentive employee to make the necessary cuts, and was on my way after spending only 15 minutes, tops, in the store. I had them cut one 4x8 sheet in half making two 2x8 sheets. The other I had them rip like the first but then make cuts at 55” and another at 32”. If my calculations were correct, the pieces would fit on the shelf framing like a puzzle, and would require nothing but fastening with screws. I loaded the plywood pieces in the minivan and left for home. I was back sometime near 12:40pm. A quick check of the timer revealed 19 more minutes of bake time. Mindy pulled up the same time I did and offered to help carry the plywood. I did it myself. I made three trips, carrying each piece to its actual place on the framing. After I got it all unloaded, I turned my attention towards the cheesecake until it was out of the oven. I let it cool in the rack for a short while then placed it up on the stove where it needed to set for 30 minutes before refrigerating. I went to the basement to finish the shelves.

I fastened the plywood shelving in about fifteen minutes. I spent the next 45 minutes making the braces/legs for added support/strength. An hour or so later I had finished the project to design. Perfecto! I felt a sense of accomplishment as I wrapped up. My goal was to have the project done before the nice weather hit & I was successful. The only remaining major “winter” goal is to complete my tax return!

The kids arrived home from their weekend with dad around the usual 3pm. Jacob, as we already knew, was very sick. Apparently he’d been throwing up and had a fever. He didn’t look too good. Bella, on the other hand, was fine. The afternoon sunshine was strong and warmed things considerably, although it was only about 55 degrees. We hung out and played on the deck.

Around 3:30pm I topped the somewhat chilled cheesecake and placed it back in the fridge. It looked awesome! Everyone’s bringing a dish to Gloria’s. We were in charge of dessert. I took a shower and was ready for dinner at Gloria’s by 3:50pm. We left just after 4pm.

We arrived around 4:15pm. Craig & Jeff were already there. We hadn’t seen them in nearly three weeks, or since the “Family Feud” incident. They just returned from an eight day trip to St Barts, where they rubbed elbows with the likes of Ashley Judd, Jimmy Buffett, and Nicole Kidman. They told of a fabulous time. Jody, Larry, Lynn, and Joe soon arrived. They waited until halftime of the Big Ten championship game to come over. But we already figured as much. I hadn’t seen them for three weeks either, although Mindy had. Finally, everyone planning to attend was present.

Many of the dishes needed to be heated so we didn’t eat until almost 5pm. As a main course, we were finally having that baked chicken Gloria once cooked all day in a non-working oven (that’s the day we fetched pizzas last minute). Jody made corn pudding, Jeff made potato casserole, and someone else made scalloped potatoes. Everything was very delicious! After dinner Jacob convinced me to go out back and play a little basketball. We didn’t play too long because after he took a pass in the gut he returned to the house in tears. Oops! After all, He was still under the weather.

Back inside Mindy got dessert ready for everyone. It was good too, although the cheesecake wasn’t completely set and cooled. It really requires setting/chilling overnight. After dessert everyone retired to the living room until Bella had a bit of a meltdown. After a few minutes Mindy was convinced we needed to go. I tried to calm Bella but she was beyond repair for the time being. We opted to depart.

Even though it was already 7pm it was still very bright. The minute we got home I took Ykraps on his evening walk. He was more than eager to go. When we returned, Mindy was already getting the children into bed. After a family tuck, Mindy and I settled in the living room wing chairs where we talked a long while. We made calls to my dad, Lindsey, Ashley, Pat & Lisa, and then Tommy. Most notably, my dad reported Sheila still being in the hospital trying to gain enough strength to be moved to rehab.

Mindy headed to bed around 9:30pm. I read for short while before heading up myself.