Roast Beast & Lasagna

I was up before 5:30am after several fake wakes. I was a little paranoid after staying up so late watching the game. I was so amped up after the Vikings game that I couldn’t fall asleep until closer to 1am. Couple that with feeling poorly and one has all the ingredients necessary to feel even worse. But I felt pretty good all things considered.

No sooner did I start exercising did I get another subtle hint of nausea. I pushed through it and completed my entire set of exercises. Soon Ykraps and I were walking the neighborhood. I toyed for a brief moment with calling off once again but ultimately decided against it. It’s just not my nature. I returned for coffee, PC, and meditation. If nothing else, I figured I’d ride the “Viking victory” high through the day.

I delivered Mindy’s coffee at 6:00am just as she requested. But I noticed while meditating that she didn’t actually get up until her usual 6:15am. Too funny! I dressed for a run in moderate temps. It was expected to warm towards 40 later and hovered at or near freezing. My run went well. Any ill feelings were at least temporarily detoured during my run.

When I returned Mindy had scrambled eggs in the making along with fruit. Mindy & Bella soon left for school. I finished eating my breakfast then rushed up for a shower. I walked Jacob to the bus stop at 7:55am and then returned home for a few moments to finalize my own preparations. I arrived at work at 8:22am.

As expected, a handful of folks asked if I felt better. I did but also shared that the ill feelings lingered. I tried to keep my mind off of being ill and focused instead on work.
I caved and went for coffee with a buddy. That probably wasn’t the smartest thing given my less than happy stomach. Throughout the day I battled both fatigue and marginal dizziness. I swallowed a Tums or two. I wondered if my ill feelings might somehow be tied to the burning in my stomach.

I left to run some Xmas errands around 1pm. I picked up some pictures at Cord and then headed to Kroger in Dublin to get supplies for lasagna. I also stopped at the bank to get some cash. I was gone right at an hour. The afternoon moved swiftly. I anguished over my Xmas to-do list, but Mindy is doing all she can to minimize my stress. She did or is planning to take care of several key items/tasks still remaining.

I left work feeling much better about things. Mindy reminded me that she had a roast in the Crockpot. She let me know that she had dinner all ready. I’m pretty sure that she had already walked Ykraps but can’t recall for certain.

Dinner was awesome - roast beef, au gratin potatoes, and brussel sprouts. After clean-up, Mindy and Jacob left to watch/pick-up Bella from dance class. I would’ve gone, too, but had to get crackin’ on the two trays of lasagna I was tasked with making for our work Xmas party tomorrow. I made a big mess but got two trays prepped – one with meat and another without. I baked the meatless tray but then opted to bake the second in the morning. The trick will be delivering both piping hot tomorrow afternoon.

I finished the lasagna prep around 8:30pm. After tucking the kids into bed Mindy & I both agreed to an early bedtime. As poorly as I have been feeling, that sounded awfully good.

Viking Monday Magic

I woke around 4am and felt surprisingly good. I felt as though I could’ve upped then and got started with my routine. I didn’t. Instead, I laid there trying hopelessly to fall back asleep worrying that the sleepies would attack just before my “real’ get up time.

Come 5:20am I decided to get up and get moving. I was wide awake but at the same time tired, if you can believe it. I completed my exercise and then headed out with Ykraps. It was very cold - only about 12 degrees. And although the sky was crystal clear on first glance, clouds were moving in from the west. By the time he & I returned from our walk the stars were history.

Already I was beginning to feel a bit out of sorts, and complained of as much when I delivered Mindy’s coffee. I told her that it was cold and that was tired. Back down stairs I carried on with my usual routine of meditation then dressing for my run. I was mindful of the brutal chill and wore a thick turtleneck over top my wicking shirt for extra warmth. I was quite comfy after the initial ½ mile. I didn’t realize it fully until I finished but my penis was frozen to the point of pain. Mindy laughed at my discomfort. Even beyond that I sat there at the island waiting on our eggs to finish feeling completely lethargic. I ate my eggs and fruit as Mindy & Bella prepared to depart.
They left at their usual time. Jacob played Game Boy while I dashed off to the shower a little earlier than normal – 7:22am. I was downstairs ready to go by 7:45am. I took my time organizing myself eventually walking Jacob to the bus stop at 7:55am. I started the Trooper before walking down. It was still very cold!

Pat & Alanna showed up about the same time as us. We didn’t chat long after the bus arrived. Pat wasn’t dressed for the bitter cold & wind chill. I felt Ok but still perhaps a little tired. I grabbed Glenn’s Xmas package and headed out towards the post office and then work. The post office was about as crowded as I figured it might be. The line was about ten deep. My doctor stood directly behind me – a familiar position J. I didn’t acknowledge him. The line moved fast. It cost $33.40 to ship the box first class. Ouch!

I arrived at work around 8:45am due to the postal stop. I wasn’t there long before fetching a cup of coffee to help shake the sleepies. The coffee didn’t help and I even felt as though I might throw up. I didn’t feel well at all. I saw no reason to swim in lethargy. I contacted my boss and made arrangements to go home. I left for home at 10:10am. I made a fast stop at Target driving by to pick-up tow picture frames I needed for gifts. Despite feeling ill, my Xmas to-do list was still too long to blow it off.

I couldn’t wait to get home. I was eager to be in my jammies and lying down. Ykraps seemed confused to see me home so early. I half expected to find him partying with his friends much like my daughters used to. It didn’t take long for me to strip out of my jeans and back into my flannels. I opted for the sofa in lieu of bed. Ever since we put the board under the sofa cushion it’s so much more comfortable lying on it. I was asleep quickly. Perhaps I was simply exhausted from too little sleep.

Sure, I woke a couple of times but pretty much slept through 4pm or right before Jacob arrived home from school. During my conscious moments I watched some South Park episodes that I had on the DVR. Funny! Jacob seemed pleased that I was home. Mindy did too. She was a little later than usual after another Monday afternoon staff meeting. She stopped at Kroger for coffee on her way home too. She spoke of making spaghetti for dinner. Aside from a bit here or there, I hadn’t eaten anything substantial since breakfast.

Mindy & Bella were home before 5pm. While Mindy cooked, I walked Ykraps. I was feeling significantly better. Dinner was good. I was surprised by how much I ate. I must’ve been hungry! After dinner and clean-up I went to the PC to create a photo montage for Lindsey. I worked on that for an hour or so leading up to the beginning of MNF – The Vikings and the Bears. I’d like to say that I wasn’t nervous but I was. Suddenly the Vikings have found themselves in control of their own playoff destiny – something I had completely written off only four weeks ago. But for whatever reason, they play poorly whenever I watch a game. This was their first prime time appearance all year.

The kids were in bed. Although, Jacob had his bedroom TV tuned to the game, too. Mindy played on the PC. The game started well, defensively, but our offense made tow critical mistakes in the first couple of minutes. Thankfully, the Bears were only able to convert those costly mistakes into 3 points. If it wasn’t for our stellar defense, we might’ve been blown out. Just before half we made another critical mistake giving the Bears the ball and eventually a TD with less than a minute remaining in the half. We, however, took the ball down for a quick FG just before the half making it 13 -6.

The second half started as bad as the first. But midway through the third quarter the Vikings got moving a bit and eventually took the lead for good in the 4th quarter. We scored 17 unanswered points to win. Come midnight – as the game concluded – my heart was racing. I was elated that we won and moved to an 8-6 record after a miserable 3-6 start to the season. Go Vikes!!! I knew there was no way that I was going to fall asleep. But given my druthers, I’d much rather lose sleep from being too pumped after a Viking victory instead of wallowing in self pity after a defeat.

Xmas practice

At 7:15am I woke to pee and couldn’t return to sleep. Seeing no benefit to laying awake in bed, I got up and moving after less than five hours of sleep. I felt pretty good, surprisingly. I made coffee and walked Ykraps. The weather outside had changed dramatically. The pond was flooded and so was our back yard. Yesterday’s snow changed to all rain overnight, at times coming down very hard. However, this morning, the temperature was already dropping and blizzard like conditions were predicted for later with an additional 3 inches of snow predicted. Geesh!

Save for a few party plates/dishes, the house looked pretty good for having hosted a big party the night before. After returning from my walk with Ykraps I sat down to blog Friday. While blogging it started snowing and blowing. It was awesome! After an hour or so on the PC I decided to get my run on. While preparing, Mindy asked that I bring her coffee. I did, just before I left for my run.

Once again, It was awesome running in the winter storm. I was covered with snow by the time I finished. I was surprised to learn that Mindy was still in bed when I got back home.
She didn’t get up until 11am! I don’t know how she can do that. We had nothing significant planned until dinner at her mom’s. We lounged around the house eventually cleaning up what was left of the party mess. Mindy and I organized and wrapped a few gifts too.

I thought that I might go Xmas shopping but didn’t feel like battling the snow and wind. Wise choice! I built a fire and watched the NFL. Jimaken called earlier to ask if we wanted to pick-up the kids at his place that way we could see his new digs. We agreed to make the drive. He lives off Godown Rd north of Case. We left around 2:45pm with intentions of picking up the kids and then heading directly to Gloria’s. We were planning an abbreviated Xmas celebration at Gloria’s since Mindy’s brother won’t be in town for the actual holiday. Subsequently, we had a bag of gifts to take along too.

Jimaken’s house is nice. Looks to be about 30 years old. The kids were anxious to show us their rooms. We left Jimaken’s around 3:30pm taking the scenic route towards Gloria’s driving south along Riverside Drive. It was a nice cruise. We arrived at Gloria’s just after 4pm. And just like all Xmas’, the family was gathered in the lower level, which best I can tell, is the only time it happens. Family tradition, I guess.

Many of the holiday traditions that Mindy’s family honors are similar to many of those we once honored in years gone by. But with divorce and isolation much of that has ended.

We gathered with the family in the lower level for about an hour before dinner was ready. Unlike the traditional Xmas gathering, we didn’t do the gift exchange before eating. With the exception of Craig & Jeff, we’ll be back here doing that Xmas day. Gloria made boneless chicken breast, chicken pot pie casserole, mashed potatoes, and rolls. All very delicious. I had more than my fill.

After dinner we retreated to the lower level where everyone exchanged gifts with Craig & Jeff. Sometime after 6pm we headed back upstairs for dessert – gingerbread & cheesecake. I thought that we might have “icebox cookies” but no.

Mindy was beat and ready to get the kids home and ready for bed. It was very chilly outdoors with the cold wind still whistling away. We arrived home near 7pm. Jacob joined me in walking Ykraps. The bitter west wind was bitingly cold as we headed back home. Mindy had the kids bathed and in bed by 8pm. Earlier in the evening I set up the DVR to record Family Guy and American Dad so that I could watch SNF.

Mindy and I headed to bed between 9:30-10:00pm. I hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep since Thursday.

Gedat Parda' Started

I felt really bad, but getting up & out of bed was a priority. Best I could recall, I drank a total of four or five beers. For whatever reason, I felt awful! I tried moving forward with my routine but found myself instead aiming for the sofa and then the floor. I fell back asleep in the middle of the family room floor. On a positive note, I didn’t have a headache and my stomach was only mildly upset after taking Advil & Tagament in the middle of the night. However, I still felt bad.

I woke an hour or so later and walked Ykraps and completed my sit-ups. I skipped push-ups and curls, not because my shoulder ached but because I didn’t have the stomach for it. I was due to take a break regardless. Every time I tried getting up and vertical that same putrid feeling returned. It was hard to fathom a run but I knew I had to get moving.

In the meantime, Mindy was now up and moving forward with her day’s plans. She expressed disappointment with my slackiness, but I couldn’t help it now. She was leaving soon for a planned hair appointment. While she showered I dressed and left for my run. During the two hours I spent procrastinating about my run the sky opened up and began dumping snow. The wind was blowing pretty good too. The icy cold air felt great against my skin almost totally eclipsing those ill feelings.

I felt so much better after my run. Mindy was gone when I returned. I could see that she shoveled the drive to free herself from the garage. But it was coming down hard and needed shoveled again. Carl offered up the use of his new snow blower but I declined. At the time the snow was still light and airy. I was surprised to find it snowing so heavily as the largest snow fall wasn’t slated to arrive until Sunday. Today was to be a mixed bag of wintry precipitation. But just snow to this point.

Mindy asked that I help ready the house for the party. She wanted me to vacuum the entire house and mop the tile floor. I addressed both of those tasks as well as a few others. I made the buffalo chicken dip and chocolate chip cookie too. I was a model of efficiency. Somewhere during the afternoon the precipitation changed to sleet. With guests arriving later and Mindy soon home, I knew that I needed to shovel again. I headed back out for more snow shoveling. This time the snow pack was crunchy and wet.

Afterwards, that ugly hung over feeling made a return. I battled through it most of the afternoon. Eating some of the cookie batter and buffalo chicken dip didn’t help. However, a can of 7-UP did. I couldn’t afford to relax too much. We still had lots to do before 7pm. I salted the drive and walk around 4pm as the snow turned even more towards rain with falling temps expected overnight.

We had the house party ready by 5:30-6:00pm. Mindy did a masterful job laying out the party spread. After showers, we were both ready to entertain by 6:45pm. The Jumps were the first to arrive. Not long after our neighbors, Carl and Carol arrived. Soon many other guests showed up too. We took a handful of calls from folks that were scrapping the party due to the wintry weather. Still, an hour or two into the evening we had a house full of some of our favorite people – a good mix of friends.

Come 10pm, our neighbors, Crissy & Kenny, hadn’t yet showed up,. Mindy gave them a call and 30 minutes later they were over. Most of our guests left just before or after midnight – some earlier. Crissy & Kenny stayed latest – chatting and drinking more beer all the while Mindy cleaned up.

Mindy and I were up until 2:30am playing with KY jelly.

Feeling Festive

I was up plenty early. It was 5:15am. I felt good so I figured I would get up and started on my day. By the time I finished exercising and walking Ykraps it was 5:44am. Being up a little early afforded me the opportunity to relax a little and take my time PCing and meditating. That was nice!

I delivered Mindy’s coffee around 6:05am. Come 6:20am I prepared and left for my run. I skipped music, opting instead for some inner peace and tranquility. That was a nice change. I was back from my run by 7:05am. Mindy had breakfast casserole warm and waiting. She and Bella departed before 7:20am. Jacob spent his time playing Game Boy while I showered up for work (actually, I shower for myself. Work is just a benefactor).

Jacob and I walked to the bus stop at 7:55am. Pat & Alanna were already there. Jacob and I tossed the football while waiting for the bus. After the kids boarded the bus Pat & I joked about the “big snow storm” supposedly coming our way. They’re talking up to eight inches yet the storm hadn’t even fully developed. And the forecasts differed wildly. Some forecasters were predicting 4-8 inches while others spoke of less than an inch.

I headed back home where I made quick work of my final prep and then left work. The work day would be a busy one. My peer was off and our staffing borderline. I resigned myself to the fact that it would likely be a bumpy day. All things considered, it didn’t go as bad as it could’ve. I uploaded our family Xmas photo to my online Cord account and then ordered three 5X7” prints. I thought that I clicked the Tuttle Pkwy Cord store for pick-up but inadvertently picked Sawmill Rd. Oops! Come lunch I had to drive a little further than I had hoped. Even still, it wasn’t that far since I-270 access is so close. I left for Cord Camera at 1230pm. They have two stores on Sawmill Rd., one at the corner of Bethel Rd and another, the one I was headed to, just north of Post, or the I-270 interchange.

My prints were ready and waiting. This online process is fast & easy. I like it much! I was hungry and since Burger King was right next door I caved and bought myself a Whooper combo. I noticed, too, the new Kroger Marketplace across the street. I drove over there to pick-up a case of beer for our party Saturday night. The store was very nice, but also bustling with activity. I was surprised that it was so busy mid-day Friday. I was delighted to see that Black Dog brewery had a winter ale available. I bought a sixer of that along with three others – two sixers of Columbus Pale Ale and a sixer of Goose Island IPA. I would have Mindy pick-up a case of “regular guy beer” while doing her party shopping later.

I headed back to work. I was gone just over an hour – a very efficient use of time. Thankfully, the afternoon wasn’t as bad as I expected it might be. I wrapped up work activities around 5:20pm and made my way towards home. I stopped at the Hilliard Kroger to pick-up some flowers for Mindy. I should’ve got them earlier but didn’t. I decided on a seasonal arrangement. This Kroger, too, was very crowded. I dealt with it.

Mindy wasn’t home when I arrived. She was grocery shopping. I took care of my usual mundane tasks before taking it easy. Mindy got home around 6:15pm. I helped her carry in the goods. We talked for about an hour before leaving for Barley’s. Mindy was really looking forward to a night out. We readied and left at 7:30pm. There was only a moderate crowd. The Imber’s were already there sitting at the bar. I noticed right away that Bob was without his glasses – a look I hadn’t ever witnessed. Turns out he had successful Lasik eye surgery earlier this week. He also mentioned that he and Mary Ann would be taking their brand new skis to Oregon. Apparently they bought new ski gear this week as well. A big week, to be sure!

Tommy showed up a little later as did Mindy’s friend Rene. Also present were Tim, Rick, Mark, Thad & Monica. Working the bar, of course, were Lee and Carisa (Jimmie). They didn’t have any IPA on the tower. For this I was bummed. After trying an Oak barreled Xmas Ale off the firkin, I switched to Stone’s Ruination IPA – a guest beer. It was an ample replacement for my Barley IPA. Mindy & Rene ordered food. I had two or three sauerkraut balls but nothing else. I must’ve drank 4 or 5 beers all totaled. I was feeling no pain. Mindy was driving tonight.

Not sure the time when we left for home, but my best guess is 11:00pm.

You Know Urine Trouble When...

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1374947735 I was woken by the sound of urine splashing against carpet. Mindy woke about the same time. We quickly realized that it was Jacob sleep walking standing in the middle of our room peeing on the floor. I wasn’t a happy camper. Mindy jostled him awake and whisked him off to the bathroom where he finished his business. Meanwhile, I leaped from bed to grab a fresh towel to sop up the urine in hopes of avoiding a stain. Mindy came in and asked me if I wanted her to clean it up. Of course, I said as I rolled over in disgust. Mindy went to the basement for a handful of ‘real’ diapers. Those have come in real handy between Jacob and Ykraps. All of this occurred around 2am if memory serves. I woke again for work at 5:25am. I headed downstairs determined to move swiftly through my routine. I did a full regiment of exercises before turning my attention to Ykraps. It was tough sledding. It was raining cats and dogs! I opted for Mindy’s large umbrella in lieu of my purple compact dog walking model. I keeps the walker much drier. I remember thinking how fun it was going to be to run in this stuff a little later. Not! Back inside, I poured myself a much deserved cup of coffee and went to the PC where I read the Daily OM and a few morning headlines. I delivered Mindy’s coffee before meditation. I struggled to clear my mind in a big way. Each time I caught myself drifting off worrying about some other aspect of my day. But that happens sometimes. The best thing to do is realize that everyday can’t be picture perfect. I gave up around 6:25am and dressed for my run. I covered up well before dashing off into the rain. I was really quite comfy. I was caught up in my thoughts despite having music blaring in my ears that I found myself 3/4s through my run without realizing it. Like clock work, Mindy had my breakfast sitting warmly in front of me. Still troubled with “tinny” sound from my MP3 player, I fooled around with it while eating. Mindy tried talking to me a couple of times while I tinkered, but my hearing was limited due to the music in my ears. She left for work slightly less than euphoric, I sensed. But that’s alright. I’ll let her make it up to me! She & Bella departed around 7:25am. I finished my breakfast then headed towards the shower. I reemerged clean, shaven, & ready to go. We drove to the bus stop for the rain. The bus arrived around 8:03am. I drove back home to put the finishing touches on my morning. I was back out the door for work by 8:10am. I arrived at work by 8:30am. It was still raining but ever so lightly. The day was incredibly busy once again. I worked hard until 12:30pm or so when I left to get an overdue haircut. I was fortunate. I got right in without a wait. That went quick. She had me in an out in no time at all. We talked about Xmas shopping. After Saturday’s, I ventured next door for some crickets. I was hungry! J Uh, I mean the lizards are hungry. Back at work the afternoon went by quickly. I committed to making two pans of lasagna for our team next week. I generally take everyone to Barley’s for beer and food, but as my peer pointed out, we don’t have that many folks that would take advantage of that sorta thing anymore. For a moment there I felt like a freak! I left for home at 5:15pm. Mindy was home wrapping presents as reported. She asked if I would be a dear and stop at the Big Fat Greek Cuissina on my way home. I agreed. I picked up three gyros, two Greek salads, and one baklava. I was finally home by 5:50pm. I assumed because I fetched dinner that Mindy walked Ykraps. That wasn’t the case. I had to walk him as soon as I got home. It was getting chilly, too. Word on the street is that a major snow storm is headed directly for us. It’s expected to strike on Saturday and sump up to 8 inches of fresh snow. As you might guess, the TV & radio folks are sensationalizing the event. I was hungry and woofed down my Greek salad first. It was very good! I ate the entire gyro as well. Anymore, it’s rare that I can eat the whole thing in one setting. Jacob barely made a dent in his. Mindy – about half. After dinner I went to the PC to create elf morphs of the family – both my new family and then of all my brothers. I used an old Olan Mills photo (circa 1965). After playing with that I brought my blog current with text and pictures. I enjoyed my publishing time. But Mindy had the fun job. She got the kids bathed and in their jammies. Once I finished the blogging I searched addresses for those missing on my Xmas card list. I found them all! I have the prefect source – at least for those within Franklin County. I finished Xmas cards up around 9:15pm. I spent the rest of my evening – about 45 minutes – watching DVR’d Southpark episodes. Mindy said she’s worried about me and the new DVR. I joined her in bed - already in progress. I contemplated tying a trip line across our bedroom doorway to stop the urinator!

Mother Dearest

Happy 70th B-Day Momma!

I woke at 5:25am somewhat abruptly. It’s rare that I sleep straight thru the night without waking even once, but it finally happened. I am so used to waking two or three times in the final two hours of sleep that I felt a little cheated when I saw that it was time to rise. I expected it to be 3 or 4am. The benefit of sleeping so soundly was feeling so well rested.

I began my exercises completing a full workout by 5:45am. My left wrist had a strange twinge of pain felt during push-ups. That happens on occasion. Ykraps and I headed out the door on another mild morning, but not nearly as warm as the afternoon before. Coffee hit the spot after returning from my run. I was surprised to read that the Atlanta Falcons head coach resigned and then accepted the head coaching job with Arkansas. That’ll turn some heads! I guess the Michael Vick debacle pushed him over the edge. Can’t say I blame him.

I took Mindy her coffee sometime just after 6am. I headed back downstairs for more coffee and meditation. I realized this morning that I am beginning to eat up the extra time I created by being up before 5:30am. In fact, as I write, I’ve decided to set 6:05am as my drop dead time for finishing coffee & PC. That’ll give me a solid 15 minutes of meditation time. Fifteen minutes well worth spending.

I dressed for my run wearing only a single upper layer. I was plenty comfy. I noticed that my new ear buds sounded a bit tinny, so I took a little time to adjust the built in equalizer of my MP3 player. My run went well, although the music still sounded tinny. I’ll have to tinker more later. Mindy had my breakfast completely ready at my usual place setting. Slowly but surely she’s becoming trained! :) She & Bella headed out at 7:25am. She reminded me of their late night tonight and that no one would be home until Jim brought the kids around 7:30pm. She had a teacher’s union meeting to attend. They’re close to striking. Yikes!!!

After they departed I pulled Jacob’s new spelling list from the letter stand and began quizzing him. He’s pretty sharp and spelled all ten words with relative ease. It’s truly amazing to witness his learning over the last one year and four months. They’re teaching them so much more at this level than they did in my day. I’m pretty sure the focus was on finding the proper place in line and playing well with others when I was in first grade. We certainly weren’t reading, writing, and doing math.

I headed up to the shower just after 7:30am. We walked to the bus stop at 7:55am like always. Pat and I talked only briefly before heading back to our homes. I had a few things still to complete before I could dash off to work.

Work went well. We had our usual Wednesday staff meeting, which went pretty well. It helped speed the day along. I had no pressing errands to run, but contemplated going after a haircut. I didn’t. Instead, I worked straight through leaving for home around 5:10pm. I noticed traffic at a complete stand still on I-270 from the parking lot. I noted the aberration and took the back way home.

I was home right at 5:30pm. I prepped tomorrow’s coffee even before walking Ykraps. I returned from our walk by 5:50pm. I spent the next 45 minutes wrapping Xmas gifts all the while snacking on nuts, cheese, and summer sausage. My next priority was catching up on my blog. I hadn’t updated my webpage for five days, although I had 2.5 days of that already written. I caught up through Sunday before the kids arrived home.

The kids were home at 7:33pm. Jacob wasn’t in the house five minutes before he asked to play hockey. I negotiated pajamas first. Both kids headed up and took care of the necessary business first. They probably needed a bath but I didn’t give them one. However, I did wash their faces and made sure that they brushed their teeth. Bella tinkered in her room while Jacob and I headed for the basement. Before we could begin I listened to a couple saved phone messages. I also repaired my “hockey stick” – a plastic lacrosse wicket.

Agreeing to play only one, we ended up playing three games. Jacob is not a pleasant loser. He tossed his wicket at me after game three. It was 8:15pm. I allowed the kids to sit with me in the family room and wait for their momma to get home. Jacob was insistent in watching the Blue Jackets game. I caved. I was content listening to seasonal music.

Mindy arrived home just after 8:30pm just as I was dialing up her cell phone. The kids were only moderately excited that she was home – a sign that they’re getting used to me, I guess.

Mindy wasted little time sending the kids off to bed. While she tucked them in, I fell asleep in the big chair. I woke & popped popcorn at 9:05pm. The kids were still awake and came down for five additional minutes of family time and popcorn. After Mindy retucked them into bed I tuned to the Comedy channel to watch Southpark. Mindy eventually headed to bed. I watched the end of the current episode but then headed to bed myself. I DVR’d the other two episodes. It was 10pm on the nose.

Kissing Santa Claus

It would be an unusually warm winter day. I was out of bed with little trouble, awake before my self imposed deadline of 5:30am. Without a lot of fuss I exercised and then took Ykraps out for his morning walk. We were back before 6am, which has become commonplace. Soon I was making a cup of coffee and sitting in front of the PC reading/relaxing.

I delivered Mindy’s wake-up coffee before spending about ten minutes in meditation. It wasn’t long before I was dressed in my running clothes heading out the door. I was excited to try out my new ear buds on what was a warm start to the day. It was already 40 degrees and the forecast called for mid 50’s.

My run went well. I was back home by 7:05am ready to eat some breakfast. Mindy had my breakfast casserole already hot at my usual place setting. Bella had her mother prep a to-go bowl just for her. It wasn’t long before she and Bella were out the door. Jacob and I walked to the bus stop at 7:55am. I walked back home afterwards to finalize my morning prep.

I arrived at work around 8:25am. I had an early interview scheduled and had to make preparations. In addition to that, I worked to finalize performance reviews. Around 1pm I left for lunch – a trip to the mall to finish Ashley’s shopping. I made rather quick work of it and was on my way back to the office after less than an hour.

I had a 230pm meeting to attend that lasted just past 3pm. That helped make the afternoon fly by. I stayed at work until 5:30pm taking care of a handful of issues. Mindy & the kids wouldn’t be home. Mindy had her school play and Jacob asked to attend. Bella was at dance. I was slated to pick her up around 7:15pm.

I hurried home and rushed through my chores despite my disdain for rushing. By the time Ykraps was walked, coffee prepped, and lunch dishes cleaned, it was already 6:15pm. My free time was whittled to 45 minutes just like that! I wrapped a few gifts and the next time I glanced at the clock it was 7pm. I had to leave to fetch Bella, especially since I wasn’t super clear where I was going. I arrived at Dance Centre West by 7:10pm – plenty early. I had no trouble finding it. Grandma Sharon, who watches Jacob and Bella, also works there. She mentioned how excited Bella was that I was picking her up. She hinted that Bella would be asking me to take her somewhere special for dinner.

The scuttle in the dance studio was about the Hannah Montana concert at Nationwide Arena this evening. Apparently she’s all the rage. Better make her money quick! It wasn’t long before Bella was finished dancing and we were leaving. As expected, Bella asked to go to dinner. Her selection was Wendy’s. Gotta love a kids pick!

Bella and I each got a combo meal at the Wendy’s drive-thru then headed home. I was disappointed to discover that my passenger side window broke away from the track again. I can’t for the life of me figure out why. Hopeless!

Bella and I were back home by 7:45pm. We ate our dinner and then she got ready for bed. Mindy & Jacob got home around 8:30pm. Mindy got the kids ready for bed while I got comfy on the family room floor.

The weather forecast called for temps in the mid 50s, just as I mentioned earlier. They were wrong. Our high temp topped out at 67 tying an all time record for this date.
We headed to bed around 9:30pm.

Wright on Target

Dabbling in a single accent color with black&white

Monday morning came too soon. I was still a tired but awake on time. I did a full set of exercises before heading out with Ykraps. It wasn’t until I went for coffee after our return that I realized my mistake. I failed to prep coffee the night before placing the extra burden on my already busy morning agenda. While the coffee brewed, I went to the PC. There I read the Daily OM along with several of the morning headlines. I guess I could’ve meditated then but didn’t. And by the time coffee was ready, it was practically time to dress and head out for my run. Before doing that I delivered Mindy’s coffee.

It was still a bit drizzly and chilly, yet above freezing. I wore two upper layers during my run. I fumbled with my ear buds under my ear covers a couple of times during my run. I was back from my run just after 7:00am. Mindy had my breakfast casserole already served up along with a medley of fruit. She mentioned the joy of not having to cook. She baked the casserole last night before bedtime. It was good. Bella enjoyed some too.

Both kids were dragging not wanting to go to sleep at their prescribed time the night before. Mindy left and I headed off to the shower. Jacob and I walked to the bus stop at the usual 7:55am. Pat & Alanna were already there waiting. We chatted briefly before the bus pulled up and picked up the kids. I dashed home to finish my prep process and left for work.

I arrived Monday at 8:30am. Not 100% motivated to be there. I had a number of other things weighing on my mind – mostly Xmas prep stuff. At lunch time I left for a drive ending up at Home Depot & Target where I checked out gas grills for the sole purpose of selecting one that I might want for Xmas. I ended up opting out thinking it a bad choice. I don’t really need anything. What I need I buy when I need it. Case and point, I went right next door to the Mill run Target and bought some new ear buds the kind that sink deep into your ear and are gummy thinking that they’ll stay in place better than my others. Too, I bought a second controller for the PS2 I bought Jacob & Bella.

Back at work by 2:15pm I finished out my day around 5:15pm. I decided that I should do more Xmas shopping before heading home and informed Mindy of my intentions. She asked if I would check Kirkland’s for a specific item. You guessed it, I headed to Target on Rome-Hilliard. My goal was to shop for Ashley and then my mom. I pretty much got what I sought feeling good leaving. And despite telling Mindy that I doubted I would stop at Kirkland’s, I did. They were out of the angels she asked that I look for.

Before finding my way home I stopped at the Hilliard Wal-Mart to pick-up some wrapping paper. They have tons at Target, and their selection is always pretty good. This year, however, I wasn’t thrilled with it save for one or two styles, which Mindy already sucked up. I found a couple at Wal-Mart that I liked.

I couldn’t help but notice a distinct difference in the clientele at Wal-Mart as compared to that at the new Target just a minute up the road and essentially in the same shopping zone. But it was undeniable. I’ve come to expect that at Wal-Mart. I used their self-checkout for the first time ever. It went OK, although the female attendant had to visit my station before it would release my receipt.

At home I carried in the haul, the greatest portion being Ashley’s. I showed Mindy the selections. Later, after the kids were in bed we finalized our Xmas cards except for the ten or so that we still need addresses for. I tuned into MNF where the Saints were playing the Falcons. Today’s sentencing of Michael Vick dominated the discussions. The Falcons looked pathetic. His loss has had a severe impact on the team, without question.

We headed up to bed together turning the game on from bed. It wasn’t long before Mindy made it go bye-bye. I was too tired to wrestle her for the remote, however.

A Paddling of Ducks

It was well after 8am by the time that we got up & out of bed. Just like the day before I took care of making the morning’s coffee and exercising before walking Ykraps. After yesterday, much of the snow from last Wednesday and Friday had melted. The only snow that remained was the shoveled piles along the driveway and a few small scattered spots. But, honestly, I like that. I get tired of the snow after a few days. And if the weather forecast holds out, we’ll be back to even milder temps sooner than later.

Mindy was up readying for church shortly after Ykrap and I returned from our walk. The kids were up too. I decided right then that I wasn’t going to try and squeeze in my run before she departed. I knew she’d need/want my help prepping the kids. In fact, given her druthers, I would’ve been going along. I had other ideas.

She and the kids left for church around 10am. I was right behind setting out on my run. It was raining lightly during my run. I was back by 10:40am. I contemplated making a real breakfast – eggs & bacon. I didn’t. Instead, I ate some cold pizza. I worked on my Xmas list and a gift for Ashley. That ate the rest of my free time. Mindy had plans to pick-up Lil’ Rocky on her way home. He was eager for a visit.

They arrived home around 12:20pm. The kids played nicely most of the afternoon. Rocky is full of energy but a really sweet boy. He really likes Mindy. Mindy left to take Rocky back home and Jacob and Bella to a party just before 3pm. I had some time alone once again. I took a brief nap. When I woke I headed up for a shower. I remembered to grab the items I needed to repair Gloria’s broken shelf in the kitchen. I put those in the Trooper. It dawned on me that Mindy took the fruit destined for her mother’s along with her to the b-day party. I figured I better call to see if she intended on coming home first. She didn’t. Good thing I called. Ten minutes later I left for Gloria’s. It was 4:20pm.

Just before departing, I saw that the Vikings were up 7-0 over the 49ers less than a minute into the game. That’s all the only exposure I had to the game. I find it best if I just allow the game to carry-on without my interference. :)

I beat Mindy to Gloria’s. Walking in with drill in hand, Gloria was quick to shut down any notion I might have had to complete the shelf repair work prior to dinner. She seemed to be in a less than pleasant mood. But that happens – even to me. Perhaps her team was losing - I don’t know. I shrugged it off, but admit feeling a bit awkward, especially since Mindy wasn’t yet there.


Mindy and the kids weren’t far behind, thankfully. In the meantime I made small talk with sister in-law Jodi and nephew Joe. When the kids arrived Bella was quick to greet me. Her hair was streaked in pink & blue and admittedly messy. But she had been at a kids b-day party having fun.

Soon the other family members arrived. We were about four short of a full flock. Speaking of which, sometime just before or after dinner we contemplated the proper term for a grouping of ducks. I don’t think anyone was accurate. I’ve since confirmed it proper to refer to them as follows: Ducks - A paddling of ducks, a raft of ducks, a team of ducks, a dopping of ducks.

Tonight’s dinner feature was hodge-podge – a collection of Gloria leftovers, or as Merriam-Webster proclaims, a heterogeneous mixture. We had roast beef, turkey roast and stuffing, au gratin potatoes, and green beans. Later, for dessert, we had peanut blossoms and chocolate chip cookies along with pecan pie. I had some of each. I fixed Gloria’s ornamental shelf just before departing.

We left for home sometime after 7pm. Jacob chose to ride with me. I was nervous tuning into ESPN radio where I hoped to learn the outcome of the Viking’s game. Almost home I finally got word that they won their fourth in a row, or fifth in six tries putting us in the driver’s seat for the final playoff spot in the NFC. I was elated but cautious given that there are three games to go. And three weeks ago, no one was talking about my team being in the playoffs. I realize as well as anyone that the wheels could fall off any week. But at the same time, I felt blessed just to learn that they’ve made such strides.

As you might expect, my mood was significantly enhanced for the remainder of the evening. At home, after walking Ykraps, I tuned to SNF and DVR’d the Fox line-up of adult cartoons. We headed to bed around 9:30pm.

Target gets the Cash!

Happy 30th B-Day Crissy!




His father would be so proud!

I wisely took two Advil before going to bed Friday night. I was up when the kids came in our room around 7:30am. The first thing I did was make a pot of coffee. I chose today to rest my shoulder skipping push-ups and curls. Ykraps and I were walking out of doors in a jiffy.

Coffee was ready by the time we returned. By then Mindy was out of bed making the kids their breakfast. I poured some coffee then went to the PC, although I didn’t hang out long. I wanted to get my run behind me. It was a lovely run, and in daylight too – something that doesn’t occur so much these days.

After my run I drank more coffee. The kids were scheduled to spend a few hours with their daddy so that Mindy and I could complete more Xmas shopping together. Jimaken planned to be at our house by noon. I don’t recall what I did with the hour/s in between my run and then. Must’ve been largely insignificant.

The kids were gone by noon. Mindy and I left a few minutes later. Once again we visited the brand new Target. They’re getting lots of our money this Xmas shopping season! Both Mindy and I were a bit crabby and didn’t talk much along our drive. Once in Target, she disappeared in the blink of an eye. We met up several minutes later in the toys section to agree on Olivia’s Xmas toys.

While there we ran into several familiar faces. First, we ran into Shelly & Bill, and then Bob & April, Nathan, Tammy, and Hannah. Later we ran into Sheila Vereb and kids. John was at work. We got out of Target having spent only $120. From there we walked over to Kirklands and then Bed, Bath, and Beyond. We bought a few small items there, but nothing significant. From there we both agreed that we were hungry and needed some food. We chose the Vaq! There we could get a fast quality meal. It was already 2pm and the kids would be home by 3pm.

We enjoyed our Mexican lunch. While there my good buddy, Tom Clark called. I haven’t spoken with Tom since January. He’s back in the states after an assignment in Bahrain. We talked for about ten minutes agreeing to hook up soon. We headed home after our lunch and carried in our goods. I took a nap in the big chair for the next 20 minutes or so.

Rene was coming over this evening to watch the kids while Mindy and I attended a neighbor’s surprise birthday party. Crissy was going to be 30 years old. Rene must’ve arrived somewhere near 7pm. I was already enjoying a couple of beers. She & Mindy had wine. I got a fire going. Mindy and I left for the party at 7:45pm after Mindy got the kids settled for Rene.

The party was a good time. All of Crissy’s family/friends were a delight. She and her fiancé were not there initially as part of the plan. They were at dinner and would be surprised by the group of us upon their return. They must’ve arrived home near 8:30pm. Surprise, we hollered!

The grim reaper made an appearance around 9pm. He was silly, and the butt of many jokes. I had quite a buzz going by the time we left. Counting the beers consumed at home, I drank seven. Good thing they’re only two houses down!
Mindy and I walked home around 10:30pm. Rene was relaxing by a fire having retrieved more firewood on her own. She was ready to split, go home, get a shower and head out for her own fun & games. She’s only 26 and a late-night kinda gal. Cute too!

Mindy and I stayed awake for a little while longer going to bed by 11pm. Sex?

Let It Snow ... again

I woke Friday morning to a repeat of Wednesday only this time the snow was barely coming dow,n and a mere fresh inch laid quietly on the ground. Any hope of a snow day seemed a stretch. I let Mindy know as I headed downstairs to ready for my day.

I breezed through my exercises and then headed out for a walk with Ykraps. The snow fall picked up significantly while on our walk. It was nice! After returning home for coffee, I settled down in front of the PC like any other morning. For kicks I decided to check school closings. I was surprised to find SWCS on the list – the only major school district closed. There were some 2 hr delays in rural districts, but no other closings. I delivered the news to Mindy who hadn’t yet received an official call from her “snow chain”. Needless to say, she was elated! I was jealous.

I went about the rest of my morning prep leaving for a snowy run around 6:30am. Word had it that we could get up to 4 inches and then another round later tonight. Let it snow!

After my fun run I shoveled the drive. By then it had all but stopped. Turns out, we didn’t even get 2 inches. Oh well! I agreed to take Jacob to the bus leaving Mindy at home in her jammies. I left to work minutes later. Mindy explained that she’d be taking Bella Xmas shopping pretty much all day.

Work was busy, but when isn’t it. The temperature hovered near freezing all day long. The streets were completely clear by departure time. I spoke with Mindy earlier asking her to take an empty jug to Barley’s to pick me up some fresh IPA. To our dismay, they weren’t able to refill the IPA into jugs because of too much carbonation. What? I was disappointed having a serious craving for some. I quipped that I’d simply have to go to Barley’s later without her.

I was tired and a little aggravated by the time I got home. Not sure exactly why. I took a nap while Mindy and the kids fetched a pizza. I felt tons better afterwards. I primped and left for Barley’s at 7:25pm. I hadn’t headed to Barley’s by my lonesome in quite a while. I called Tommy along my drive. He was just preparing to head that way himself. Cool!

Barley’s had a comparably light Friday crowd. For this I was pleased. I drank IPA- go figure! Later, once Tommy arrived, I ordered some dinner as did Bob Imber. Interestingly enough, Bob I. was flying solo too, and so was (Bob & Carol) Bob. A rare occurrence, indeed. We stayed until 10pm or so. My tab was significantly lower than it might have been had Mindy been there.

Mindy was still up just finishing wrapping Xmas presents. She was ready for bed, but I talked her into staying up while I drank another beer.

Sun between Snow

I was up just before 5:30am once again. I slept peacefully – those pesky cold symptoms undeniably behind me. But for some reason, I was still really tired. In fact, I felt as if I were still half asleep as I pressed through my exercise routine. By 5:45am I was walking Ykraps in what was a beautiful wintry morning. The sky was crystal clear with several visible stars and a crescent moon dangling low in the southeastern sky. The blanket of snow left behind by yesterday’s storm was glistening in the predawn light. All that said, it was very cold.

I was concerned about Ykraps who now hadn’t pooped on a walk for two days. I even walked extra distance to help facilitate. Still no joy. I promised myself that I would walk him once more before leaving for work just to give him an extra chance. Back home I poured some coffee and then took a few minutes to read the Daily OM and check headlines. The temperatures in central Ohio varied wildly. It was -6 in Lancaster but +12 just to our north. I delivered Mindy’s coffee then prepped for a run. I dressed warmly, throwing on an extra upper layer, gloves, and ear covers. I chose to skip the MP3 player.

I was comfy but could feel the cold air penetrating in a number of places. It definitely felt like the single digits! I didn’t get the usual running warmth going until about the half way point. But I must tell you, what beautiful running conditions!

Mindy had fried eggs already served up and on a plate. That might be a first. They looked perfect! She and Bella departed minutes later. Jacob and I did what we always do. I was ready to leave just before bus time. Again, I warmed the Trooper but walked Jacob to the bus stop. I planned to go back home to walk Ykraps for a second time. Things went as planned. I walked Ykraps a second time but still no joy. Holy smoke! I fed the lizards some meal worms before leaving.

I was out the door at 8:20am. Work was very busy. I didn’t take much of a break all day long. I never developed much of an appetite either eating only some packed nuts during the middle part of my day. All the talk was of yet another winter storm heading our way.

I left for home around 5:30pm. I took the back way avoiding what appeared to be crawling traffic on I-270 S. Mindy made spaghetti & meatballs for dinner (actually linguini). It was a refreshing change from the seemingly endless turkey leftovers. After dinner Jacob and I played three games of basement hockey. This was a “no agenda night”. Nobody had plans of any sort. Mindy addressed Xmas card envelopes while I played on the PC.

I agreed to go to bed early with Mindy after she promised that I wouldn’t be disappointed. I wasn’t. She allowed me to go right to sleep!

The First Snowfell ... the angels did say

Snow was predicted to move in some time after midnight. And when I woke to pee around 3am I glanced out the window and witnessed our first significant snow fall of the winter season. I couldn’t tell for certain, being bleary eyed and all, but it looked like a couple of inches with more steadily coming down. I leaped back into bed.

I got up just after 5:30am not in any hurry to get up and moving. There wasn’t a need to hurry this AM because I was slated to work from home until 10am. Jacob’s school was having a “late arrival” – a 2 hour delay to the day’s start time. I went about my morning like any other work day completing my exercises and then walking Ykraps. I bundled up well given the wintry conditions. I didn’t think to fetch my snow boots, however, which I regretted immediately out the door. The snow was above shoe level and piling up fast. I knew I’d have to shovel as soon as I got back from our walk so that Mindy wouldn’t slide out of the garage & into the Trooper. Meanwhile, Ykraps struggled in the snow, as he relies almost exclusively on scent to trigger his bows. I worried about that.

Back at home I went inside to retrieve my snow boots from the basement before shoveling. There was about 2.5 inches of accumulation - best guess. By the time I had cleared the entire drive I had to do a repeat passing over Mindy’s side. That’s how hard it was coming down. Back inside it was now 6:20am. I delivered Mindy’s coffee and then turned my focus towards my run. I was looking forward to my first snow run of the season. Plus, the amount & texture of the lying snow was almost perfect for running. It provides a much appreciated cushion. I didn’t bother with eye cover because of the darkness. That was the only draw back of running in the moderately heavy snow fall. Everything else was great! I enjoyed my run immensely. By the time I was back, I needed to shovel the drive once again. There must’ve been another inch or two piled up. Just then Mindy came out asking if I would mind running Bella to her mother’s. I declined reminding her that I was expected to be working from home. There’s certainly no harm in asking, but honestly, I felt a little unappreciated. I reshoveled the drive clearing her path for departure. It wasn’t long before Mindy & Bella were on their way.

I already had my PC fired up and logged on fully before sitting down to eat my already prepared breakfast. Jacob didn’t get up until about 7:45am. He was slow to warm up to the day but eventually did. He was eager to get out in the snow, too. What seven year old wouldn’t? He asked if I would play hockey. I reminded him that I had to work. He understood and instead played with his Gameboy.

I prepped turkey & dumplings in the crock pot and set it to high. Come about 9:25am I headed up for a shower and to ready for work. I decided to warm the Trooper but walk Jacob to the bus stop, still needing to take care of some unfinished business at the house. Meanwhile, the snow was still coming down. The bus arrived around 10:10am. After Jacob was off to school I returned to the house to make last minute preparations for departure. The last thing I did was move the crock pot to low and then left for work.

The drive went fairly well considering the treacherous road conditions and the numerous accident reports. I couldn’t help but wonder why the even held school today. Many folks were complaining of that very thing on the radio. I arrived at work at 1030am. It wasn’t but a blink of an eye later that our staff meeting was slated to begin. Our meeting went until 12:30pm or so. By then pizzas had been delivered into our center like they often are under such hazardous conditions. I couldn’t resist. I decided to enjoy some pizza and save my packed lunch for tomorrow.

The snow finally let up around 1pm. Meanwhile, workwise, we were busier than ever. I stayed focused on the task at hand until 5:20pm when I finally called it a day. For the first time all season, I felt as if I were thrust into the middle of winter as I descended on my car. It was brutally cold, windy, and snow covered. I warmed the Trooper all the while assisting a female engineer with her ended up with broken wipers. Another buddy, Bill G., volunteered to follow her to Wal-Mart to help her get new ones. I headed on home.

Earlier, I had asked Mindy to avoid pulling into the garage until I had a chance shovel the drive once more. She did one better. She shoveled the drive and walks. I was pleased to learn that when I arrived home. In addition, she had walked Ykraps too. I later learned that neighbor Kenny brought his snow blower by to help out. He’s a wonderful neighbor.

Inside our turkey & dumplings were done and simmering in the crock pot. In the end, I probably should’ve moved the temperature setting to warm before I left as the consistency was much thicker than desired. When I left the house earlier it was perfect. Oh well! Mindy whipped up some instant potatoes, too. Together with the turkey and dumplings, they made for a great meal. We both had two helpings. Jacob, I forgot to mention, was with his dad. Bella, not feeling especially well, decided to forego “daddy night”. She’s exhibited some of the same cold symptoms as me. Neither one of us gets sick that often.

This was a choir night. Soon Mindy was off to choir practice leaving Bella and I alone until Jacob returned. During that time, we looked at pictures and lounged around. She told me that I could take a nap. But just the thought of Bella roaming the house unattended was more than enough stimulation to keep me awake! Jacob returned home just after 7:30pm. Jim’s drop was brief as he cited the need to hurry off to a hair appointment.

I coaxed the children upstairs for PJ time with the reward being extra playtime. For Jacob that meant hockey time! Hey, whatever works! They were in their PJ’s and had their teeth brushed quickly. It wasn’t long before we were in the basement playing hockey. I won all three games, but Jacob is getting much better. The game and competition is fun!

Mindy returned home around 8:30pm. By then the kids and I were back upstairs addressing some laundry chores. Bella folded the two white loads. I moved my running clothes to the dryer. I had to refold most of the whites but I was impressed that she even attempted to help. Must be in her genes!

By the time the kids got to bed it was 9pm, and even then they didn’t go directly to sleep. This is a growing trend. Ready to relax, I pulled an ice-cold pumpkin ale from the fridge and sat down on the family room floor. I was gonna build a fire but didn’t. Instead, I turned on the TV and flipped through the guide looking for some comedy. I saw that back to back episodes of South Park were slated to begin come 9:30pm. I decided to DVR them both, and then tuned to Larry the Cable Guy’s Xmas special. It was only marginally funny. While I sat numb watching TV, Mindy was off playing on the PC, or so I assumed. I didn’t see her until she came in to say good night. I stayed up only a while longer. I was in bed by 1030pm.

Puddles

My day started at 5:20am. I was up early and felt surprisingly good given that I slept less than usual and had yet to fully eradicate those pesky and lingering cold symptoms. I went about my exercise routine at a feverish pace. I was outdoors walking Ykraps before I knew it. It was cold & cloudy. The temperature was somewhere near 25 degrees.

Back inside I followed my usual routine of coffee, PC, meditation, and running prep. Sandwiched in between I delivered Mindy’s coffee. I dressed for a run and then headed out to get in a quick stretch by 6:30am. I still have that dull ache in my right hammie. I listened to Sunny 95 Xmas music via my MP3 player while I ran. It was an enjoyable, but uneventful run.

Mindy had our eggs all but ready by the time that I returned. I sat to eat while Mindy hurried around readying herself and Bella for departure. The morning was going smoothly until I was just about ready to head off to the shower. For some reason, I went through the dining room instead of the usual hallway. To my dismay, I happened upon several puddles of dog puke on the off-white carpet and Ykraps sitting there looking ill. I was instantly angry, but also concerned for his well-being. I wasn’t sure but guessed he’d gotten into something that he shouldn’t have. I had no choice but to clean it up right then and put the rest of my morning routine on hold. I could tell that it had just happened making clean-up about as easy as it could possibly be. My lone frustration with Ykraps was why he always moves around throwing up in so many places. This is a pattern he’s repeated numerous times over the years.

Well into the clean-up, it became apparent that I wouldn’t have time to shower before taking Jacob to the bus stop. I resigned myself to the fact that I would be late for work and kept busy until it was time to head towards the bus stop. In the process, I caged Ykraps to keep any further bodily projectiles contained. When I walked back into the kitchen I was greeted with a horrendous odor coming form his pen. You guessed it. It was full of doggie diarrhea. I couldn’t leave him to woller in it, so I had to clean that up right away, too. Geesh! Will it end?

It was 7:55am in the blink of an eye. I had cleaned up all the piles and spot cleaned the carpet. I also cleaned his pen the best I could. Jacob and I both were practically gagging as we headed out towards the bus stop. We greeted the Shultz’s and chatted only briefly before the bus arrived. I headed back home to finish readying myself for work.

I left the house for work at 8:30am. I called one of my lead engineers to let him know that I was on my way. I shared my mishap too. The morning went fast aided along by my late arrival. 1pm came quickly. I left for lunch and a trip to Tuttle mall for some Xmas shopping. Ashley had given me some gift ideas and I wanted to pursue them. I spent an hour perusing five or six stores at the mall. I left empty handed once again not satisfied with the prices on some of gifts she’d mentioned. Still, it was nice to get out of the office for an hour.

I had intended on giving Mindy a heads up about Ykraps’ ordeal but never did. I guess I was most concerned that she would unknowingly let him out of his pen, which I left him in, and would have even more accidents on the carpet. When I finally left the office for home and gave her a call, I could tell by her tone that she had had an eventful front end to her evening. She gave me the full report on what she encountered after arriving home. Apparently, he wasn’t done evacuating his system, and leaving him in his pen turned out to be a very wise option. He shit all over once again. She said he sprayed it out and around the vicinity too. Yuck! Mindy, being the good wife that she is, cleaned it all up before I got home. Jacob had already briefed her on the mishaps from this AM.

When I arrived home there were few if any signs of the day’s mishap. The mess and odor were gone, thankfully. More importantly, Ykraps seemed better, which all but confirmed my suspicion that he’d most likely eaten something he shouldn’t have. But just what, we weren’t sure.

Mindy made Texas cheeseburgers & broccoli for dinner. It was good. Jacob passed and instead had clam chowder – one of his unusual faves. After dinner clean-up Mindy headed to pick-up Bella from dance. In the meantime, Jacob and I took to the cellar for hockey. Mindy was back in what seemed like only minutes. She wasted little time moving the kids from play to bath time while I played on the PC.

After the kids were tucked into bed, I made a Jack & Coke and then poured Mindy a glass of wine. She tuned into Bones, but quickly realized that it was a rerun – a result of the writers strike we guessed. I took that as my cue to watch the Family Guy episode that we DVR’d Sunday night. Worked perfectly! Our night ended with both of us heading to bed just after 10pm.

Zonked!

I proudly sprung out of bed just a couple of minutes before 5:30am. I felt rough, however, waking with clogged sinuses and a dry gelatinous film in my mouth (a likely byproduct of a cold and snoring). Nonetheless, I was up and ready to begin another week.

I moved gracefully through my exercise routine taking care not to rush. Ykraps and I headed out for a walk taking the western rim. It was ridiculously windy with gusts approaching 35 mph, and it was chilly, too. We were back by 5:55am where I quickly turned my attention towards coffee. I enjoyed coffee and internet time until 6:10am when I delivered Mindy’s first cup of coffee bedside. I started a meditation but realized that my schedule simply wouldn’t allow much time. I cut it short because I had to get moving with my run. I dressed warmly adding an extra upper layer to minimize the chill. I was comfy!

Upon my return, Mindy had scrambled eggs cooking on the stove and my lunch setting waiting to be stowed. After stripping off my upper layer I dished our eggs and sat down to eat. Mindy and Bella departed later than usual. I made Jacob his favorite toaster strudel before dashing off to the shower. Jacob and I walked to the bus stop. I didn’t have time to warm the Trooper and finish all my miscellaneous prep tasks. We met the Shultz’s there. Pat and I celebrated the Buckeyes making the BCS championship game. I headed back home to grab my personal electronics and to warm the Trooper. I left for work at 8:15am.

The drive went much smoother than Friday. I was at work by 8:30am. The work day was relentless. We had a lot of work to do. I wanted to do some speculative Xmas shopping during lunch, so come 1pm I left the office. I drove to the Mill Run Target but bought nothing. Next, I drove next door to Home Depot thinking that I’d make a specific ‘Jimmy‘ list complete with model numbers and product names. Sadly, they no longer had the one item I really wanted, so rather than fret, I moved on. I left there empty handed, too. Before heading back to work, I drove to Kroger to buy some frozen noodles for turkey soup. I didn’t leave there empty handed. I bought two bags. I used the auto check-out – something I rarely do. It went surprisingly well.

I was back at work by 2:10pm. I washed my hands and grabbed my lunch from the fridge before heading back to my office. There I enjoyed my salad and fruit all the while reengaging myself in the day’s work. I left for home at 5:18pm. I hadn’t heard from Mindy all day. I tried to call her on my drive home but got her VM message. I arrived home by 5:36pm. Like a lot of times, the drive home left me sluggish, tired, and feeling a little blue. Not sure why exactly, but figured it to be the on and off again cold symptoms. I’ve bee running out of steam mid-afternoon the last few days.

Mindy was making hot wings. They smelt great. But before sitting down I had to walk Ykraps, so I sought him out and quickly headed out the door. It felt really cold. It must’ve been about 30 degrees but there was a strong chilly wind blowing. I was happy to be back inside our warm home. I checked my mail before sitting down to eat. I was puzzled after receiving a past due bill from Able Roof for the amount I deducted for the 2% off coupon I had and sent in with my payment. That alone put me in a bad mood. I’d have to deal with that now!

We sat to eat just after 6pm. The wings were fantastic. As always, Bella only wanted our bones – not whole wings. We obliged her. But I think that I’ve finally figured out her deal. She likes the diluted zing/taste of the hot sauce but doesn’t like it directly. Thus, she prefers the residual that collects in the cracks and crevices. I’ll bet if we hold some out of the hot sauce bowl she’ll like them whole. We’ll have to try that next time.

All through dinner Jacob asked me to play hockey/basketball. After clean-up and donning my PJ’s we went to the basement to play. We played three games of hockey and then a game or two of basketball. Mindy allowed the kids to watch Rudolph before bedtime. I sat in the chair but fell asleep. I was zonked! I woke just as she was tucking them in. I tuned the TV to MNF on ESPN. I was looking forward to watching the Patriots, the leagues only unbeaten. I stayed up watching the game until the beginning of the 4th quarter. Mindy headed for bed around 9:30pm. The Patriots were behind when I headed to bed around 10:45pm. But I never once figured the score would last.

Perkins with Pappa

I wanted more sleep but we had plans to be at Perkins for the family breakfast at 9am sharp. To see that through, I had to be up no later than 7am. I rolled out of bed at that time exactly. I was groggy to say the least. I made a pot of coffee and then did my 55 sit-ups. I skipped push-ups and curls in favor of giving my shoulders a break. Meanwhile, outside it was raining ever so lightly.

I walked Ykraps in the direction he chose to roll. We walked west. It was warmer than expected. I spent about 30 minutes enjoying coffee and some internet surfing before heading upstairs to wake Mindy. She wanted up at 8am and I needed to hit the road. I cut a couple of the smaller loops off my run to ensure our timely arrival to breakfast. I was back and in the shower by 8:35am. We planned to go Xmas shopping right after breakfast leaving the house at 8:55am. It was a quick drive. We pulled up in the Perkins lot at 9:01am. Dad was sitting in his van just across the way. We greeted & walked in together. It was just us three today. Bob & Co. were preparing for Evans B-day party.

I’d never been to Perkins before. It was a welcome change. We poured over the menu for several minutes before deciding on our entrées. I had eggs, pancakes, sausage and home fries. Dad had corn beef hash. Mindy had eggs, bacon, and home fries. I shared my pancakes with Mindy. We were there for a good hour. We enjoyed our time talking about the usual stuff – family situations and all. Dad asked about the basement project. We parted ways just after 10am.

Mindy & I made the short drive to Kohl’s & Dick’s. Next we shopped Target, Bath & Body, Kirkland’s and Old Navy. We spent the most time and money by far at Target once more. Today our focus was on the grandkids & a couple cool things for Jacob & Bella. Mindy picked up most of this tab.

It was already 12:30pm when we decided to head home. We had plenty of time before the kids would be home (3:00pm). After carrying in all the gifts Mindy got to wrapping while I took a nap. I tuned the TV to the Sunday NFL action. I opened my eyes periodically to check the Viking score scrolling in the corner. They weren’t on TV. Just as well, though. For whatever reason, when they’re on the tube they don’t’ play well. Who knows why?
At 2pm I decided to get up and accomplish something. The step-ladder was already in the family room waiting for me to put the tinsel on the tree. I finally completed it making our tree decorating complete!

The Viking score continued to be updated. Amazingly, they were up 35-7 by halftime. Wow - I was ecstatic! The kids returned home at 3pm as planned. Jacob insisted that we play a game of hockey before leaving for his Maw-maws house. I humored him. We played three. He won the third game. We left the house after watching the final minutes of the Eagles/Seahawks game. The Vikings won 42-10.

We arrived at Gloria’s just before 4:30pm. Joe & Jody were already there. All totaled, there were only ten of us for dinner. We had lasagna, which is what I had hoped we’d have. It was scrumptious. I had three helpings! After dinner I went to the lower level to play cards with Jacob. We played Old Maid. While playing, we watched part of the Browns game. Mindy hollered “dessert” after about 20 minutes. We headed up to enjoy nut bread & brownies. I sampled both!

We didn’t stay long after dessert. Mindy was tired and wanted to get the kids bathed and in bed early. We left around 6:45pm. I walked Ykraps immediately after arriving home. Mindy fetched me her big green & white umbrella. It was pouring rain. Mindy was packing lunches when I returned. With little hesitation I coaxed the kids upstairs and gave them a bath choosing to give Mindy a little help. We were done with baths by 7:30pm. Afterwards, we headed down stairs to watch the BCS bowl selection program. The drama was intense. Leading up to the 8:00pm airing, we watched NFL highlights. My team got lots of positive accolades. Finally, the moment we’d all waited for, the Buckeyes were officially invited to play LSU in the BCS championship game in New Orleans on Monday, January 7th. Let the controversy begin!

It was 8:30pm by the time all the interviews ended. Jim Tressel gave a very Jim Tressel-like interview. He praised the upcoming opponent (LSU) giving them no bulletin board material.
Jacob was put out when Mindy announced that it was bed time. She’d already allowed him to stay up for an extra 30 minutes. He eventually conceded and headed up. I followed to do the tuck thing. When I returned downstairs I tuned into Sunday Night Football on NBC. And for the very first time, I used the DVR feature on our new CATV box. I recorded Family Guy for viewing another time. The Bengals were playing the Steelers on SNF. I wanted to catch it. Mindy disappeared, but where I didn’t know. It was quiet so I assumed she went off to bed. Around 10:30pm I happened upon her at the PC still working feverishly at the number puzzle I introduced her to Friday. She was close to solving it and reported being at it for a couple of hours. :) We headed up to bed around 10:30pm where we rejoined the game. The Steelers did all they could to keep the Bengals in the game. However, the Bungles could not capitalize on their numerous mistakes. I turned off the game after witnessing three missed scoring opportunities in a row.