Amoxicillin - Wet Phone

I woke before 5:30am, and after tending to my teeth and tummy I was downstairs working out in no time flat. The day’s weather promised to be considerably warmer than the last few and the early temperature was already near the freezing mark making my walk with Ykraps largely unmemorable.

I was back at the house drinking coffee in front of the PC before 6am. I took Mindy her coffee around 6:10am and made sure she was awake. She was heading back to work after missing two days dealing with a sick child. Before my run I meditated for almost fifteen minutes.

The run went well. The elements weren’t a factor in the least. I was back home by 7:10am and helped Mindy finish preparing our breakfast and then made both of us tuna fish salad. I added mayo for Mindy. I actually prefer it without these days – just a phase.
Mindy left with Bella around 7:25am, which was considerably later than she would’ve preferred. Jacob was already up and asked for a Toaster Strudel. I accommodated his request. Soon, after eating, I was in the shower readying for work.

We left the house with plenty of time to spare. We drove to the bus stop. Jacob was his usual energetic self, once again stepping into the space of others with reckless abandon. I reminded him of the no touch rule. Thankfully, the bus showed up seconds later to whisk him away to school. I, in turn, headed off to work.

I arrived well before 8:30am. It was like a usual Thursday. We were busy. I didn’t leave for a lunch break until 1:15pm. I drove once again to World Market so I could measure the depth of the cabinet in the black buffet that I saw there yesterday. Holy smoke, it had already been moved elsewhere. I found it with the help of an employee. I measured the depth – only 15” inside, not deep enough to hold stereo equipment. I was there just a short time before heading back to the office. In total, I was gone only 25 minutes.

The afternoon was a blur. I left for home around 5:20pm. Mindy emailed/called asked that I stop at CVS to pick-up a prescription of antibiotics for Bella. Doing so meant that I’d have to alter my drive home. Instead of I-270 or the back way (Old Dublin Rd), I took Leap Rd from Davidson to Walcutt Rd. and eventually Roberts Rd., where the pharmacy sets.

The process was troubling. I had to call Mindy to get her member ID. Seems they didn’t have Bella in the system – another indicator of her healthy DNA. After a few minutes of back and forth they got her added and prepped the Amoxicillin script. I found a knee brace for Mindy, too. She wants one to take along on our ski trip.

On the drive home I was tuned to NPR. They were interviewing various presidential candidates – both democratic and republican. McCain was especially transparent as he played up his ties to South Carolina. It was ridiculous. Obama wasn’t much better. I just can’t see him in the White House. From my perspective, his strength is in his speech writing and orating, and that’s about it. Finally home I scurried to get the trash to the curb with all my gear in hand. It was raining moderately too. Inside, as I unloaded my gear, I realized that I didn’t have my cell phone. %^&*! I let out a very unpleasant expletive. I grabbed the flashlight and went back out to retrace my path from the Trooper to the trash can and then the curb. I found my phone about half way between the house and curb laying in the wet grass. My phone is most often in the vibrate mode making it impossible to track via a ring – something I might want to rethink.

Meanwhile, back inside, Mindy was serving up tacos. We haven’t had them in a really long time. I was craving them. As usual, the phone thing put in a bad place and I had a hard time recovering. Eventually I did, however. The rest of the evening was low key. I played some football & golf with Jacob on the PS2. We played up until time for bed. It was fun. It marked the first time that we played Tiger Woods golf.

Mindy & I sat on the sofa and chatted for a while before heading for an early bedtime. Must’ve been 9:30pm. We were both tired, and I had potentially tough weekend ahead.

Wii R having Tacos!

Same old story, I was up at 5:30am ready to begin my Wednesday. Mindy was staying home yet again as Jacob was considered contagious so regardless of how he felt, he wasn’t going to school. My morning agenda would be altered ever so slightly.

I took my fifth dose of Prilosec OTC, brushed my teeth, then headed downstairs to choke down my One-A-Day. I slowly worked through my exercise routine eventually finishing up at 5:50am. I bundled warmly for my walk with Ykraps. It was really cold. The clear sky, in this case, didn’t help. After pouring coffee I worked my way to the PC where I saw that the temperature was a paltry 14 degrees! That was my trigger for wearing an extra running layer. However, while upstairs, I forgot to grab my thick shorts to wear under my running pants. Not wanting to make another trip up, I decided to skip them. Even though it was quite cold, there was no wind, which often promotes a freezing member.

I stretched from the front porch before taking off. I was really quite comfortable despite the brutal chill. And from the sounds of it, I better get used to it. Even though it’s going to warm up later today through Friday, bitter cold returns Saturday with lows around zero. But it’s not like I wasn’t expecting it. Anymore, our winters are very polarized – one week it’s well above average and the next below. Bring it on!

My run went well. I went deep within, which made the run go by much faster than usual. Back at home I preheated my breakfast skillet and poured a new cup of coffee. My lunch was already packed and in the fridge. Mindy stayed in bed since Bella was at her mother’s and Jacob was still sleeping. I had the usual scrambled eggs and fruit, and then headed up for my shower.

I kissed Mindy goodbye before leaving. She was still in bed. I warmed the Trooper and let it run a good solid ten minutes prior to leaving. I motioned Jacob’s school bus on as she drove by. I spent those extra minutes playing on the PC. I left for work around 8:15am.

I arrived at work before 8:30am. It was still rather cold but warming fast. The high was expected to reach above freezing for the first time in a handful of days. Work was busy – always is! I left for my lunch around 1pm. I drove to The World Market just up the road intending to look at their buffets/entertainment centers. They knew that they always have some nice looking wood furniture in black that’s reasonably priced. Sure enough, I found a buffet that looked like what I had in mind. The idea I am kicking around is mounting Mindy’s 50” HDTV LCD in the family room after we’re done painting. If we were to do it, we’d need a low profile buffet/entertainment center to hold all of our current electronic equipment.

The only one they had was already promised to another. However, the sales associate called around and found that Polaris and Easton both had plenty. I might make the drive after considering the idea further, but not sure. I was on my way back when it occurred to me that I should’ve measured the depth to make sure that it would hold the receiver, DVD, & CD player. After all, it was a buffet and not really an entertainment center. But I chose to head back to work and possibly return tomorrow.

The afternoon went quickly. Soon the day was over, although I didn’t leave for home until 5:30pm. This would’ve typically been a Jimaken Wednesday, but because Jacob was ill that wasn’t the case. Instead, he picked Bella up from Mindy’s mom’s and brought her home, and then stayed to play with the kids for a while.

He was playing Wii with the kids when I got home. He stayed all the while Mindy put the finishing touches on our dinner. He stayed longer than both of us expected .We waited for him to leave before we sat down for our dinner, which consisted of tacos. We hadn’t had them in an awfully long time. They were very good. I wished Mindy would’ve prepared more meat, but she didn’t. For one reason or another, I was ravenously hungry.

After dinner I got busy with more wall prep. I dismantled the stereo from the armoire to give myself plenty of room to lay out the canvas painter’s tarp and freely maneuver the ladders. Nothing worse than trying to work with too little space. I mixed up some drywall mud to fill a couple small holes and level some imperfections that have been around since the house was built. I took my time not wanting to rush. When I rush I get frustrated quite easily. Mindy tuned into American Idol in the even more cramped familyroom. I decided to put some of the new paint on the wall just so we could see how it contrasted with the purple (or blackberry). We both concluded that we’ll need a wall or two painted before we can see the full effect. For certain it’ll be a far cry darker than the existing bright white.

Idol was funny. Lots of crazy contestants once again. We headed to bed immediately after. I was aggressively seeking a good night’s sleep.

Restrained & Injected

Mindy was jostled awake by Jacob who entered our room in the middle of the night to declare that he had just barfed all over his bed. As any mother would do, she leaped to her feet to address the unsightly mess. I went back to sleep. A little while later she returned to bed after throwing his soiled bedding in the washer and remaking it. I really don’t know how she does it. I can’t seem to muster the inner strength to get out of bed. Only a mother! As I said yesterday/last night, Mindy already knew that he didn’t feel good and knew he had a 101.5 degree fever. She had even called her brother for medical advice. But neither one of us expected him to throw up.

Jacob came back in our room a couple of times complaining of feeling worse. Mindy, each time, coaxed back to his bed. We didn’t want to risk having our bed covered in puke. That would not have been good. Personally, I would’ve simply sought out the guest room.

All in all, I slept quite well. I was up and out of bed by 5:30am. I could see that it had snowed over night, but not too much. We had something close to an inch on the ground. In addition, it was cold. It was only 18 degrees. After my inside workout Ykraps and I walked in the chill & snow. I wore my snow boots for the first time since pre Xmas. After unleashing Ykraps but before going in, I shoveled the drive and walks since I knew Mindy would be heading out to the doctor’s later. I didn’t get inside for coffee until 6:15am. The morning routine would be a bit different since I didn’t have to deal with getting Jacob on the bus. Essentially, that meant I wouldn’t be behind. Mindy, for the most part, already had my lunch put together the night before. I had to add salad dressing and pack some nuts.

I got busy with my eggs. Mindy got up and came down just as I was cooking my breakfast. And soon we were joined by Bella. Mindy spoke of being exhausted after being up so many times during the night. A few minutes later Jacob came down feeling considerably better after taking Children’s Tylenol. He still looked flushed and had rosey-red cheeks. I could tell that he didn’t feel so good. I headed off to the shower.
Mindy worked out some school coverage issues with one of her teacher pals, not sure which one.

I was all but ready to go by 8:00am. I went to the Trooper to get it warmed. I must’ve left just after 8:10am arriving just before 8:30am. The day was much busier than Monday. The morning went by in a snap! I planned a trip to Sherwin-Williams to get the rest of our kitchen/family room paint as well as Lowe’s hoping to find the right sized chair clips. I left at 1pm. Sherwin-Williams is close to the office and within eye shot of Kroger. It didn’t take long to get my paint. I bought three gallons of “Sands of Time” and a quart of Tricorn Black exterior Satin Latex for our front door. From there I drove to Lowe’s. I bought a new trim brush of high quality since I would need a sharp edge to cut in lots of trim. A good brush goes a long way towards good results! I also bought a new roller pan combo kit,and found the clips I thought I needed for the chair. I headed back to work knowing that this dragon had been slayed!

The afternoon was busy just like the morning. I enjoyed my packed lunch while beginning my afternoon. Mindy called to let me know that Jacob had a confirmed case of strep. He got a shot to help facilitate a speedy recovery. She said he had to be restrained (wrestled) to get the shot. That’s never pretty! Mindy wasn’t her usual chipper self. It seems Mindy Bueller’s Day off wasn’t so much fun.

Come 5:30pm I left for home. Mindy sounded like she was in a better frame of mind by then. She had dinner on and seven loads of laundry done. She said that Bella was gonna spend the night with her mom, which would help with tomorrow. Mindy planned to drop her off after dance class tonight.

I walked Ykraps as soon as I got home. Jacob was feeling noticeably better, but still had that feverish look about him. He ate dinner with us. We had baked chicken and leftover mashed potatoes. Good! Soon after clean-up Mindy departed with Bella. She figured on being gone for about 1.5 hours. I decided to work on a few tasks.

My first task was to update my blog. Next, I boiled the deck chair strap and prepped the frame for the reinstallation. And while in the basement, I grabbed the model number off of Mindy’s flat panel TV so I could do some research relative to its features. I had to boil the chair strap twice because the new clip were too small and fell out as I tried to stretch the hot & malleable strap across the frame. It cooled and subsequently shrunk quickly. This time I got the bigger clips and redrilled the holes and made sure the clips would fit. Then, before removing the strap from the hot boiling water, I placed the clips in each end and took the entire pot of water down the basement with me. From past experience, you get about 45 seconds of maximum malleability.

That did it! I stretched, wrapped, and secured the strap to the frame. It was stressful but I did it. Check-off another nuisance repair job. Happy to have that behind me, I returned upstairs to do more family room masking. This time I remembered to clean the wood work first. The tape adheres better after any dust is removed – go figure! I got the entire family room masked off. Although, it wasn’t a lot.

Mindy got home just before 8pm after dropping Bella at her mother’s. She and Jacob cuddled in front of the TV to watch the season premier of American Idol. She called to me, but I was busy downloading old music onto my hard drive. Around 9pm I finished what I was doing and watched the second half of the two- hour show. Jacob, by then, was already in bed. I popped some corn and opened a Diet Coke w/Splenda. I reluctantly shared my popcorn with Mindy. :)

Like last year, the qualification rounds are just too funny. There are some real goof balls out there. I enjoyed the show but the concept is getting too familiar. After Idol Mindy and I headed to bed.

Cold Air Returns

I was up on time and went about my calisthenics as usual. But for one reason or another, I was moving rather slow. It was already after 6am by the time Ykraps and I returned from our morning walk. There was quite a bit of thin patchy ice and the streets, and it was only 20 some degrees. Burr - the cold air has returned! The driveway had a light coating of snow on top of ice, too.

I sipped coffee, read the headlines, and meditated like any other morning. I delivered Mindy’s coffee then readied for my run. I ran cautiously, as there were tricky icy spots everywhere. But because it was dark the street lights did an ample job of alerting me to the ice just ahead. Also, as mentioned in the past, I tend to run with a little wider stance in such conditions. My run was soon history.

Mindy asked me to cook our eggs. I did. Meanwhile, she went about finishing her own preparations. She & Bella soon departed. Jacob and I left for the bus stop at our usual 7:55am. He rode with me. He asked that I help him bundle up once standing at the bus stop. Not only was it cold (somewhere near 22 degrees) but there was a brisk breeze blowing in from the northwest, too. No Pat & Alanna. The regular bus was back in service again today.

I arrived at work by 8:40am. I was late because I sat on the Davidson Rd overpass for ten solid minutes waiting for the Norwich Fire Dept. to clear a rear end collision just ahead of me. The back roads were very icy.

It was a Monday like most. Lots of weekend carry over and such. The morning moved by swiftly. Before I knew it, it was early afternoon, and still only 28 degrees. I left for another Home Depot/Lowes visit. I needed to look again for nylon push rivets for our broken deck chair strap. The two I bought last week were a tad too large. However, the repair process that I gleaned from Google seemed to work, which entailed placing the existing strap in boiling water resulting in it becoming malleable enough to stretch across and wrap twice around the chair rails.

I found some that appeared slightly smaller but wasn’t sure. I forgot to bring the two others from home. Also, I didn’t have any cash, and they were only $.60. I didn’t want to use a credit card. I left thinking that I could come back tomorrow.

The afternoon went by peacefully. I left for home around 5:25pm. Mindy let me know that we’d be having leftovers. I had the option of meatloaf or pork roast. I chose meatloaf. The kids both had cereal, neither being interested in what we were having.
Dinner clean-up went quickly. Afterwards I really wanted to do some paint masking but instead took the time to play PS2 NFL with Jacob. I was the New Orleans Saints. He was the Cowboys. He seemed much more passive than I anticipated he’d be. He’s generally very competitive. I was ahead 7-6 at halftime, yet he wanted to stop. Hmmm?

I went on with my evening. Mindy got the kids settled for bed with little trouble. Mindy determined that Jacob was feeling ill with a high fever. She made arrangements to miss school the following day to take Jacob to the doctor. We watched a little South Park before the two of us headed to bed somewhere near 9:45pm.

Thin Spots

I slept incredibly late and enjoyed every second of it. It’s sure nice to sleep as long as the body desires instead of falling in the conformity line. Mindy was out of bed first and quickly down stairs making coffee. I must’ve joined up with her around 9:10am. My body was incredibly stiff after yesterday’s painting. Mindy shared again her satisfaction with the paint color, but she also pointed out the flaws now much more visible. I was already aware of several thin spots and planned on addressing after my run. But Mindy pointed out a couple more. Today wasn’t nearly as bright and cheery as Saturday. In fact, it was a cool, gray, damp and dreary day. I squeezed in my exercises in the temporarily cramped space of the family room, and eventually found my way outdoors with Ykraps. It was already after 9:30am when we returned from our walk. It wasn’t long before Mindy headed off to the shower in preparation for church. I spent the next 45 minutes or so casually surfing the net. I didn’t begin prepping for my run until Mindy had left for church. I left for a run no earlier than 10:30am. The run was fine but not nearly as pleasurable as Saturday’s. But they all can’t be as delightful, and besides, I wouldn’t appreciate gorgeous days if they were all like that. It was after 11:15am as I changed out of my running clothes and back into my PJs. I ate the plate of fruit that Mindy left for me in the fridge. I was eager to get on with the painting. On even closer inspection, I could see twice as many thin spots as I could last evening. It was painfully obvious that the best thing was to give the entire areas a third coat. Suddenly, I faced the real possibility of running out of paint only having somewhere near a quart leftover. Turns out, I had enough leftover for a third coat and then some. I planned to save what little remained for minor touch ups after removing the masking tape. The wall looked even better after the third coat. Surprisingly, it took almost an entire gallon for one vaulted wall! Mindy returned from church just as I was finishing up. It must’ve been close to 12:30pm. We discussed the afternoon’s plans which we already knew included retrieving the kids from Jim’s house. Bella asked us to make the drive up last night. We still had two plus hours prior to leaving. I used that time to reattach the insulation I took loose to complete the basement shelving project last weekend. While doing so, I took a much closer look at the under side of the fireplace and the directly attached wood that corresponds to the rotted wood work in the family room above. Just looking at it pisses me off! It was almost 2pm.Time to shower and leave. Mindy and I organized ourselves and left to retrieve the kids. We drove up Riverside to Bethel then east to Godown Rd. It’s a long drive but goes fast. We arrived right about 3pm as planned. We had the kids loaded up and head back towards home by 3:20pm. Mindy made Jacob brush his teeth and also washed around his mouth. He had an orange milk mustache as well as orange teeth, which he said he got from eating Doritos and drinking orange soda. We listened to the Colts game on our drive back home. They had numerous chances to win but failed to pull it out in the end. Crap! We were home for just long enough to scrub Jacob and grab the pot of green beans cooking in the crock pot. We soon left for Gloria’s house. We arrived just before 4pm. Gloria had a bit of an oven fire to contend with soon after we arrived. Almost had to dispatch the family firemen! It got put out pretty quickly however, and dinner went on as if nothing ever happened. We were light a handful of family members but those that were present had a deliciously nice time. Served was meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, & cole slaw. For dessert we had chocolate cake with a scrumptiously good center filling. Not sure what it was, but it was good nonetheless! We helped tidy up the kitchen, and I took out the weekly trash given that Monday was trash day. We visited for a short time then headed for home close to 7:15pm. Again, Mindy’s hell bent on getting the kids home, bathed, and in bed before 8pm. I walked Ykraps while Mindy got the routine started. I realized just how stuffed I was upon my return. My stomach felt as though it might burst. I ate way too much fun food! I was largely unproductive for the duration of the evening. And as luck would have it, one of the first times I can ever remember pulling for the Cowboys they went and lost. I tuned into Family Guy and American Dad come 9pm. At 10pm, after both shows were over, I headed to bed.

Let the Purple Rein

I got out of bed at a little after 8am. I had a mild headache but one I figured would subside once I got to exercising. Mindy said she’d be down later and hinted that she wasn’t going back to sleep. I’m quite sure that she did, however. It didn’t take me long to crank through my routine. I made coffee and exercised by 8:20am. I was out the door with Ykraps come 8:25am.

It was a lovely January morning. The sun was shining and the birds were singing. It certainly didn’t feel like mid-January. Instead, it felt like spring! I was amazed at the beauty of the sun shining in the bay window through Mindy’s vase of fresh tulips. I fetched my camera to capture the sun drenched moment.

I spent the next hour on the PC updating my blog, downloading pictures, and surfing the net eventually landing on Glenn’s 2007 highlights page. Honestly, it’s a bit depressing to read. It brings to mind the story of the chicken or the egg. Which came first? But in the end, does it really matter which came first? Probably not. The important thing is that we foster change – make sure that we’re not what’s in the way.

Mindy moseyed down about the time that I was planning to dress for my run. It was nearly 9:30am. I sipped a little more coffee before fully committing myself towards the run. I probably didn’t get out the door until almost 9:50am. The weather was glorious – not too warm, though. I still wanted my heavier jacket. But the sunshine was brilliant. The temperature hovered just above freezing. I was quite cozy throughout. I ran along Trabue and Hague for the first time in a very long time. Probably only the second time since TG.

Mindy began making breakfast in my absence. She made maple bacon and scrambled eggs. It was all but ready upon my return. I took the time to sweep the annoying bird droppings from the front porch before removing my sweaty running clothes. As best I could tell, there are no nests, yet those pesky sparrows still like to rest in the English ivy just above the front door.

Our breakfast was amazingly tasty. During our quiet breakfast we discussed the day’s plans. My number one goal was to paint the fireplace wall blackberry (purple). Mindy had a haircut and a jewelry party to attend. I gave her shit since the painting was really her idea, but in the end we both knew that I’d be better off painting alone. After cleaning up breakfast, Mindy did help me move stuff out of the way of the wall in question. That meant moving the stuffed-full entertainment center. Those small “Moving Man” discs worked like charm, basically allowing us to easily slide it out of the way.

The move revealed thick dust and scourge that had accumulated since the last time it was moved some seven or eight years ago. It was a harrowing experience. We addressed the mess underneath and then cleaned the endless number of cables resting behind as we prepared for painting. After the mess was dealt with Mindy went to shower to ready for her appointments. I got busy masking-off the wood trim and ceiling. The last thing I wanted to do was get purple paint on the ceiling or wood trim.

Lurking in the back of my mind, also, was the leaking skylight. I really wanted to inspect that today as well. While masking off the wood trim I was reminded of another wet spot I had to deal with some ten years ago on the wall directly to the north of the fireplace. The drywall and trim was damp eventually leading me to caulking the gap/transition between the stucco and the brick chimney. M/I was out and caulked chimney cap (morons).

I decided to pull the carpet back a little to see how much water deterioration there was. I was taken back by how far the water damage traveled – about ten inches in. The sub-floor was flaking up. I kept working and eventually finished all the masking. Mindy left for her two appointments. I seriously debated attempting to fix the rotted trim before moving forward with the painting. Mindy was OK either way. I decided against the more drastic measures for now.

Ready for paint, I retrieved my ladders – one from the garage and the other from behind the shed (actually the extension ladder belongs to Pat). J Before heading on inside I decided to inspect the skylight since I had to walk right by the access point with the ladder anyhow. And what stuck out like a sore thumb was the trim around the suspect skylight. It was pulled completely up and away from the main structure, and right about where the water seemed to be trickling. That was good news, especially since there was no visible water damage inside or out thus far. I easily snapped the flashing back into place. It fit snuggly, too. What puzzled me most was that I inspected the entire roof and even Windexed the exterior of the skylights after the roof was replaced in October. The roofers would’ve replaced all that flashing, but somehow I missed the fact that it wasn’t on correctly. It looked pretty obvious today. Regardless, I am grateful that I found the apparent trouble and resolved it. Now I can use my worry cards for other things. J

I did the cut in first, and since I was working with a very dark color I took extra care. I even masked the wall to ceiling line. The two coats of cut in took about two hours. I even had to do a little touch up with a brush. The rolling went quick, but it was apparent that I’d have to roll on at least two coats and even more likely three. After rolling coat one I took a much deserved break. About that time an “art dealer” knocked on the door telling me that he was with an art gallery located in Powell and had several fine pieces for sale on the cheap. He asked if I might be interested. Couldn’t hurt. Sure! However, after he pulled his car up it was quite obvious that he had nothing more than your standard decorating shop prints mounted in cheap frames. I toyed with him a little for misleading me, but was mostly pleasant. Not today bub!

Just as I returned inside, I found Ykraps having a rare #1 & 2 accident right in front of the door on the tile. What? My gasp scared him and he darted off into the living room all the while still pissing. I really think that he was dreaming because he was limping away like he does as he exits his dog bed other times. So, my break was spent looking at cheap art and cleaning up dog piss & shit. Great! I wasn’t too pleased. The bright side is that I got it as fresh as it gets. It was easy to clean up, plus most was on the ceramic tile. I went to the kitchen for some lunch. The painting had me sweating, believe it or not. I made a pork, sauerkraut, cheese, and ranch sandwich on marble rye. It was good but I could eat only half. I got back to my painting.

The second rolled coat went on very quickly and easily. Mindy returned home just as I was finishing up. Meanwhile, I knew the likelihood of thin spots was high but couldn’t easily detect them while the walls were wet. I resigned myself to a third coat tomorrow. We stowed the paint tray and roller in a trash bag. Mindy said it would keep the roller wet. I tried it. I cleaned up what I could and what ever else made sense. In the meantime, Mindy marveled at her purple wall. She loved it. As it dried we spotted a handful of thin spots. I just noted them for tomorrow’s daylight. Finally chilling for a few, I saw that the Packers roared back against the Seahawks who once had a 14-0 lead. It wasn’t close. The Packers kicked their asses.

Finally, around 5:30pm I headed up for a much deserved and needed shower. Mindy offered to take me to dinner but I didn’t really feel like going out. And I was still at least somewhat full from the half Reuben earlier. What I wanted most was to be held and kissed. J No. What I really wanted was a cold beer! I poured myself a Goose Island Xmas Ale, and then another. Mindy and I eventually settled for a game of Euchre. She won a close game 10-8. After cards we decided to hot tub. Mindy hadn’t been in for a couple months. I, on the other hand, was in one day over Xmas break during the daylight hours while she napped.

The hot tub felt terrific. I turned the temperature up just one degree. It made a big difference. After hot tubbing we watched the rest of the Patriots game. They won. And this just in. They are GOOD! I enjoyed a total of three beers. I headed to bed around 11pm.

Perhaps Chipotle

I was up on time and ready to get my Friday underway. With little fuss I carried out my usual early morning activities before setting out on the day’s run. Though incrementally cooler, it was still fairly nice, especially given that it’s mid-January. It was near 32 degrees.

Mindy had scrambled eggs cooking when I returned. Save for nuts, there was no lunch packed for me today, but by design. Hey, it was Friday and I was looking forward to something not so good for me. Perhaps Chipotle?

Mindy had a come to Jesus talk with Jacob last night just prior to bed. Consequently, his focus on good behavior carried over to the morning prep. Before I dashed off to the shower, we whizzed through his spelling words. He demonstrated mastery of them all. We left for the bus stop at our usual 7:55am.

Jacob must’ve left his good manners at home. He was more than a little over bearing at the bus stop acting like a child in need of Ritalin. He wasn’t mean. Instead, he was touching, grabbing all of us, and even playfully kicking at me. I reminded him of his conversation with his momma. That seemed to help a little.

We waited and waited for the bus to make its way from the visible corner. However, instead of pulling up at the usual 8:05am she continued sitting at the subdivision’s entrance. We gathered something was amiss. Eventually, she announced over loud speaker that her bus was broken down and that another one was on its way. She let us know that she’d pull up in front of our homes once the new bus was delivered. Jacob & I walked home to wait.

The bus pulled up in front of the house at 8:32am. Jacob quickly dashed out after wishing me well. I wished him a good day and good weekend since I wouldn’t see him again until Sunday. I was on my way to work just a couple minutes later.

Work was busy, but it always is on Friday’s. I planned and left for a lunch break around 12:30pm. I was headed to Lowes and then Chipotle. I agreed to pick up some food for two others as well. At Lowes, I was looking for the special plastic clips that hold plastic/vinyl chair straps to a deck chair frame. But I couldn’t find anything better than what I had already found at Home Depot earlier in the week. I now had the benefit of seeing exactly how to make the repair via Google.

The Mill Run Chipotle is directly across the street from Lowe’s. I was in and out of there quickly. They are very efficient. After delivering the food to my buddies I found my way back to my office where I thoroughly enjoyed my own Chipotle burrito. It really hit the spot!

The rest of the day was extra busy, but the fact that it was Friday made it seem more tolerable. I left for home around 5:30pm. I phoned Mindy while in route. She was in Wal-Mart grocery shopping. Jimaken had already picked up the kids. She reminded me that she hadn’t yet walked Ykraps. I was looking forward to a quiet nap. I walked Ykraps as soon as I arrived home. It was still before 6pm. About that same time Lindsey phoned reminding me that her birthday was next Friday. She asked for cash today so that she could go out with a friend. I agreed. After ending the call I retreated to the recliner and massage pillow where I gracefully drifted off to never, neverland. I woke when Mindy arrived home and minutes later Lindsey pulled up. She came for the cash I promised her. Mindy came and woke me for the cash. I handed it over and closed my eyes again, not yet wanting to get up from my slumber.

Lindsey left, and after another minute or two I got up. Mindy had already carried in all of the groceries. We talked all the while she put away groceries. We were headed to Barley’s a little later. While Mindy toiled I played Wii golf. I scored a -1 (one under par). I have been exalted to pro level! Mindy wanted to bowl before readying to go. We played one game. I got hot and bowled a personal best 256. Mindy rolled a 168. At one point I had six strikes in a row. That game exalted me to pro level in bowling too. From a Wii perspective, this was indeed a banner day!

While Mindy dashed off to primp, I decided to do the Wii fitness test. Wow! Hard work. Tennis, bowling, and baseball. I did really well with the drills in each save for the baseball. It’s not so easy. My score was 54 – whatever that means.

We left for Barley’s just after 7:30pm. Mindy dashed back inside to retrieve the Imber’s Xmas gift still in our family room. We weren’t sure if they’d be there and we’ve totted it around three or four times now. The bar was quite crowded for the first Friday in a while now that the holidays have wound down. I was looking forward to tonight’s firkin – Whitman Pale Ale. I asked for one right away. Sadly, though, I wasn’t impressed. It was flavorless and watery. Others who had gone before me concurred. Shux!

This was the first Friday without Lee. As we understood it, he got fed up and quit last Monday. And if that wasn’t a big enough kicker, this was Carisa’s last night too. She’s taken an internship at Children’s Hospital assisting with autopsies. We met the new bartender, Beth. She was more than efficient but would take some getting used to. The Imber’s were there and we bestowed them with our gift – a framed picture of the two of them toasting pre-Xmas.

I talked with Mark somewhat at length about photo software. He uses Photo Shop CS3. I asked what the benefits of such an expensive program are as compared to Corel’s Paint Shop Pro. He gave me the long answer I sought. In the end, I am probably well served by the Corel Paint Shop Pro X2. Good chance that I’d never use most of the Photo Shop CS3 advantages.

Mindy’s peep Rene arrived a little later as did little brother, Tommy. We had a very enjoyable evening at the bar with friends. I talked extensively with Rene about her automobile dilemma. I won’t go into the whole story for the sake of staying brief. We left Barley’s around 11pm. Mindy drove home.

Mindy wanted to hot tub when we got home. I agreed and went to add chemicals only to discover that the temperature sat at a chilly 84 degrees – certainly not warm/hot enough. Wednesday night/Thursday morning’s power outage being the cause. Crap! No hot tubbing tonight!

Drip, Drip, Drip goes the Water

I was up on time after a really good night’s sleep. Sadly, my morning routine was uneventful thus difficult to differentiate from any other. I exercised, walked Ykraps, and returned for some coffee, which truly hit the spot. I took Mindy coffee at 6:10am after hearing her stir. By the time I delivered it, she was up and prepping to get in the shower. That’s a switch!

It was quite a bit cooler than the day before, yet still over freezing. It was 35 degrees. I wore a thick wicking shirt and jacket during my run. I was very cozy. The sky was partly clear, exposing a few bright stars through the thing layer of scattered cloud cover.

Once again my legs felt as fresh as they have in many, many months. For this I couldn’t be happier. My run, in turn, went very well. I had plenty of gas even at the finish. Meanwhile, back inside, Mindy was just finishing up our eggs. I topped them off with cheese while she retrieved the children. They both came down in a very pleasant mood for the second day in a row. Ahh, the miracle of sleep!

Mindy & Bella soon departed. I catered to Jacob’s every need, which today included a Toaster Strudel. After Mindy pulled out of the garage I carried the miter saw up from the basement and re-stowed it on my garage shelf (her van prevents such activity while there). I also stowed a cooler. It was 7:35am by the time I hit the shower. Consequently, was a little late coming back down all ready, at least as compared to most other days. It was already 7:56am. Jacob dashed out the door. I chose to walk to the bus stop since I wasn’t quite ready to jump in the Trooper, and besides, there was frost on my windows needing scrapped or thawed.

The bus retrieved the kids promptly. I chatted with Pat briefly before heading back home. After loading my stuff into the Trooper and scraping the mleting frost from the windows I left for work. I arrived around 8:20am. It was another busy day at the office. I didn’t leave for lunch. I simply ate at my desk around 2pm. I had tuna.

I spoke to Mindy after her chiro appointment and on her way to retrieve Bella at her mom’s. She said that it was pouring in Grove City. It wasn’t yet raining here. She reminded me that dad was picking up Jacob at the bus stop and would be at our home for dinner. We were having pork roast. By the time I left the office, which wasn’t until 5:20pm, the rain was coming down rather steadily. Mindy called just as I pulled into the drive.

Dad and the kids were playing Wii. I unloaded my gym bag and prepared to walk Ykraps. It was pouring rain. Ykraps and I took Mindy’s large umbrella. I got most of the protection. Ykraps didn’t seem all that interested in staying dry. I was happy to be back home after he did his business. I could now relax. I prepped tomorrow’s coffee while dad and Mindy prepped their dinner plates. Mindy made sauerkraut and mashed potatoes to complement the pork roast.

It was very, very good! I think the kids liked it too. Meanwhile, Jacob was not role modeling good behavior. In fact, I was very disappointed with his behavior once again. Not only was he talking back to me, but to his mother as well. Plus he was doing his best not to listen. Even still, Mindy allowed he and Bella to play Wii after dinner as long as they played nicely without fighting or arguing. Sound familiar? Well, that didn’t last three minutes before arguing broke out. Wii over!

I did most of the clean-up while we chatted with dad. Afterwards, I showed dad the shelves I’d just finished and our faux paint samples. Dad left some time after 7pm. I took the trash can to the curb as he left. Tomorrow was trash day. It was still raining hard.

Inside, Mindy had already corralled the kids for a bath. I soon discovered that a wet spot on the carpet that Mindy absorbed earlier during dinner was back. I found that awfully peculiar. But logic soon over took as I gazed upward. Yep, one of our two skylights was leaking! Damn! To further isolate the drip, I retrieved a flashlight from the laundry room and placed it beam up right on the wet spot. It pointed directly at the corner of the skylight glass, leading me to believe that the leak was due to a seal around the glass and not necessarily a flashing issue. But we’ll have to see. Always, always something!

Next, I went to the PC to update my blog where I had a handful of technical difficulties while trying to upload photos. Not sure why, just that it would crash Explore each time I tried. Geesh! Finally getting through it all, I retreated to the family room for some Wii golf and an IPA. Ahhh! Mindy headed to bed around 9:35pm. Just before she headed to bed I tuned into a previously recorded episode of South Park. It was funny! I headed up to bed after its conclusion.

Bump In The Night

The power went out in the middle of the night after some strong thunders storms rolled through the area. That’s right. We had thunder storms in January! That might be a first. I slept well and woke at what I assumed had to be about 5:30am. However, my bedroom clock was flashing hinting of the power failure. I got up, brushed my teeth, grabbed my running attire and headed down stairs. After peeing I decided that I’d be well served checking the cable box clock, which I remembered would have the correct time. I was surprised to find that it was only 3:00am. So, without any fuss I headed back upstairs and leaped back into bed. I made a mental note of the numbers now flashing on the clock – 1:15. If my bleary eyed math was correct, I’d need to be up by the time the clock flashed 3:45. And for what it’s worth, given that the clock sat at 1:15 and that it was actually 3am, I was able to deduce that the power must’ve went off at 1:45am.

I slept soundly for another 2.5 hours and woke precisely at 5:30am or 3:45am by the flashing bedroom clock. I just hoped my sleepy math was correct. It was! The rain, best I could readily tell, had stopped. After exercise Ykraps and I headed out for our morning walk. Honestly, it didn’t appear to have rained too much at all. I do know that we had strong gusty winds, several flashes of lightning and booming thunder. I even recall hearing heavy rain at one point. I guess it must’ve stopped soon after it began. Either way, it was over, and the sky was actually showing signs of clearing. For this I was thankful. I didn’t particularly want to run in a lightning storm.

I took Mindy coffee and shared with her the weather report. She also knew that the power had gone off because it brought Bella to our room in a panic. And when she finally took her back to her own bed she reset her bedside clock. That’s right, we have separate clocks! I recall her telling me that she slept soundly despite the storms and Bella’s visit.

I meditated then dressed and left for a run. It was significantly cooler than the past two mornings. It was only 41 degrees, but still warm for January 9. The only change to my attire was that I wore my new running jacket, which provides greater protection from the wind & cold. My run went very well. Again my hamstrings felt incredibly good for the second day in a row. I am very encouraged, and boy what a difference!

Mindy had already packed my lunch the night before. I was having salad with meat along with nuts & fruit. She prepared scrambled eggs too. Both kids woke in pleasant moods. Jacob was cheery and bright, and Bella was smiling ear to ear. Amazing what a good night’s sleep will do. Bella & Mindy got a late push out the door. Jacob played with his Game Boy while I dashed down the basement to apply a second coat to my second drywall board. I finished that quickly and headed for the shower.

We left for the bus stop at 7:56am. We were running a bit behind schedule. Where’d the time go? Pat was in a much better mood this morning, but still smarting over the Buckeye defeat. You must know that it’s the topic on every talk radio station in the Columbus area. It’s awfully hard to escape it. I arrived at work by 8:25am.

Work was fun. We were busy, but still it was fun. This was staff meeting day so I ended up working straight through not taking a real lunch break of any sort.

I found myself at work until after 5:30pm. Things got dicey there towards the end of the day. I called Mindy. This was a Mindy Wednesday – the kids were with their daddy. She informed me that we were having burgers for dinner and that she had choir practice tonight. I forgot about choir practice Wednesdays. To help me out, she walked Ykraps. I rinsed my spent lunch containers and prepped coffee before customizing my burger, which was all ready for fixins. It was delicious – right up there with Barley burgers.

After a quick clean-up, Mindy readied herself for choir practice. I went to the PC. After she left I headed to the basement to carryout my faux practice. I decided to try five different effects. I cut the second board in half giving me three, but chose to attempt two different techniques on each piece, essentially cutting them in half once more (1’X1’ squares).

1) sea sponging black on top of blackberry
2) coarse brush removal of black off of blackberry
3) coarse brush removal of a thinner black (more faux juice) off of blackberry (allowed more blackberry to show through)
4) translucent silver metallic sponging on top of blackberry
5) translucent silver combing over blackberry

None of the five wowed me, but I favored the black sponging and the coarse brush removal samples. I allowed them to dry & would later get Mindy’s opinion. About then the kids returned home. Because I was already in the basement, Jacob insisted that we play a game of hockey. I agreed to the challenge. Unfortunately, Bella tried using some of our space to play with her dolls. That, I knew, couldn’t end good. I tried to nonchalantly encourage her gear over a bit to protect her from a flying hockey ball. We play pretty rough. But she crept back over and eventually took one or two body shots. Ouch! The one to the ear really set her off. She cried for her momma profusely. And I guess I just made it worse when I told her that I would pretend to be mommy. That seemed to piss her off more! Yikes! Have you ever received the wrath of Bella? It’s not good! But eventually she calmed. Jacob and I agreed to call the game a tie at 2-2 ( I really won but he refused to acknowledge my third goal).

Upstairs the kids wanted to play Wii. And just like Mindy and I joked around Xmas, I used it as leverage to get them to do what I wanted. They willing hurried up to get their PJ’s on and brush their teeth. They were very cooperative, although Bella insisted on me actually brushing her teeth. I did.it.

Back downstairs it was 7:50pm. The kids played Wii and snacked on Cheez-its until Mindy arrived home around 8:25pm. Mindy finished processing the kids – Jacob reading and taking his allergy meds. I went up for the final tuck. Both kids were in fantastic moods. Afterwards Mindy and I went to the basement to view the faux painting samples. She didn’t care for any and even threw out a real zinger – something about looking 70’s-ish – my era! What??? But truthfully, I agreed. None of them wowed me either. Mindy really want the purple (blackberry) to show. In each case, save for the sponging, the black was more prevalent. I offered up a couple more ideas. I mean that’s why we do these trial boards – right?

Up stairs Mindy read my blog while I played Wii golf, taking over where the kids left off prior to bed. I ended up playing four 9-hole rounds. I am getting much better but still have yet to shoot par or better. I am averaging about +4 or +5. Mindy headed to bed early – must’ve been about 9:30pm. I joined her at 10pm, but quickly realized that I wasn’t going to fall asleep. My body felt tired but my mind was wired. I wasn’t sure why but it felt like a caffeine buzz. Hmmm?

I excused myself from bed and headed back downstairs. I decided to use the time constructively and drank myself into oblivion – kidding! I chose to reload my MP3 collection to my new hard drive. Thankfully I had the wherewithal to back my collection up almost 3 years ago when my PC was still relatively new. That took about 45 minutes all totaled. Afterwards, I upgraded my Windows Media Player to version 11.** and also downloaded Quicktime Player.

By then it was just after 11pm. My eyes felt like sand and my mind much tireder, but still wasn’t sure that I could go right to sleep. I did.

Putting it Behind Me

I woke at 5:20am feeling pretty good after a rather short night’s sleep. Gone were the tired legs and tight shoulders. That surprised me after being so stiff just one day earlier. Not sure if it was the anti-inflammatory’s or the stretching. I certainly wouldn’t think it the rest. After all, I was short slept. Moreover, still lingering in the back of my mind all the while I completed my exercise regiment was our ugly defeat at the hands of the LSU Tigers. I walked Ykraps on what was another exceptionally warm winter morning. The temperature hovered just under 60 degrees. Wow! While enjoying my morning coffee at the PC I learned that we hit a new record high of 68 degrees yesterday. We’re expecting more of the same Tuesday. I took Mindy her coffee at 6:00am. I returned downstairs to meditate leaving myself with lots of time. I was most pleased with that. I left for a run about 5 minutes early and was very comfy. There’s just no denying it. I was still anxious and disturbed about the Buckeye loss. Once I realized it and allowed my mind to ponder all the what if’s along with the games freaky twists and turns, I felt much better. One might say that my run served as a therapy session, of sorts. I felt much better after my run both physically and psychologically. When I returned, Mindy turned the egg duty over to me. I fried eggs for the two of us. She packed my lunch, which for the first time in a long while included a lettuceless salad, and a side of sliced lunch meat. Mindy was dreading the trip upstairs to wake the kids, especially Jacob. They were both up until after 10pm with us watching the game. And sure enough, Jacob was a pill. He whined as Mindy and Bella departed. I chose to let Jacob be. If I’ve learned anything, he does much better if left alone for a while. And really, I can’t blame him. I’m the same way. After I showered and dressed he seemed ready to interact and ready for school. He then asked me who won the game. I didn’t even think that he went to sleep shortly after the beginning of the third quarter. I spilled the bad news. He handled it well- certainly better than last year’s debacle. We left for the bus stop at our usual 7:55am. He walked. I drove. Pat & Alanna were there too. Pat was not a happy camper expressing his disdain over the Buckeyes poor showing. For me, I need to talk about it. Talking about it with others has a healing affect. I felt so much better already. Life does, in fact, go on! Work was more upbeat than I expected. The morning went smoothly. Some of us joked about the game while others kept to themselves. I planned a Home Depot run at lunch time. I wanted to look over faux paint tools. I left for Home Depot at 12:45pm. I was gone for about 45 minutes. I bought nothing. The afternoon moved swiftly. Mindy called around 3:30pm to confirm dinner plans. We agreed to have the leftover chicken and dumplings that her mother sent home Sunday. I called home just after I left the office. I took the back way. I-270 was at a complete stand still. I arrived home by 5:40pm. I leashed up Ykraps and took him on a short walk before dinner. My plate was ready even before I finished rinsing my spent lunch containers. I prepped the next day’s coffee, too. I really like having that done before doing anything else. Finally, I sat down to eat my dinner. The chicken & dumplings were even better than they were Sunday. We had side salads too. After a speedy clean-up, I went to the basement to give my 2nd piece of practice drywall another coat of blackberry paint. Jacob talked me in to playing a game of hockey while down there. We hadn’t played in a couple of weeks. And believe me, he let me know it too! Hah-hah – I won! After hockey I went up to spend a little time tending to my blog. Meanwhile, Mindy & Jacoby left to retrieve the Bella from dance class. They were gone about thirty minutes. I got a lot done. When they returned Mindy hurried them upstairs to get a bath. I spent that time researching more faux techniques to experiment with. After tucking in the kids I returned downstairs where I poured myself a pint of Hop Envy. I enjoyed that in the living recliner all the while the massage pillow vibrated away against my neck and shoulders. It put me to sleep as usual. Mindy and I headed to bed early – around 9:30pm. We both needed a long night’s sleep.

Good Bye Veronica

My own reflection … The 2006 Buckeyes had no sooner returned from the desert when their top 3 returning junior offensive threats announced that they were bolting for the NFL. Add that to the number of seniors already leaving and the 2007 version of Buckeyes suddenly looked hopelessly green. A chance at another big ten title, let alone a nation title, seemed utterly ridiculous. But here we were on January 7th playing once again for the national title. Sure, I wish we had won. And like a lot of fans, I woke this morning still smarting from the loss. Still, I am proud of our Buckeye football program -three shots at a national title within six years.

Go Bucks!

I was up at 5:30am ready to get my groove on. Granted, it was Monday, but this was no ordinary Monday. This was national championship Monday. Despite falling asleep last night with an extremely achy body, I felt pretty good after a full night’s rest. Coffee was already on, that I confirmed. I completed a full round of exercises after choking down a vitamin and another anti-inflammatory.

By 5:50am Ykraps and I headed out the door. It was plenty warm – probably mid 50’s. I wore a light fleece jacket over my pajamas. It was 6:03am by the time we returned home for coffee. I read a few headlines before delivering Mindy’s coffee bedside. She was slow to wake and reported being tired after a poor night’s sleep. This was to be her first day back to school after a long Xmas break.

I did a ten minute meditation before dressing and setting out on a run. I purposefully sat in such a way as to stretch my thick inner thigh muscles that so often ache. I found that if I sit with my arches touching one another that it stretches those muscles better than any other perch I have found. I discovered this over Xmas break and for the first time in almost a year they are beginning to loosen. Let’s hope the trend continues.

I left for my run about five minutes early. I encountered the usual cast of characters while running. Even the students were waiting at their respective bus stops once again. Life has returned to normal after a 2.5 week sabbatical. My run went well. I worked up quite a sweat.

Mindy finished our scrambled eggs upon my return and gave me the option of cheese. I accepted. No sooner had I sat to eat did Mindy & Bella depart for school. Jacob was wearing his Donald Washington Buckeye jersey. Jokingly, I tried talking him into wearing his full uniform. He didn’t bite. Before heading up to the shower I hurried to the basement where I put another coat of deepberry paint on a small piece (about 12”x12”)of drywall. We were doing this to not only see the color on a larger scale but so we can try out some different faux finishes. It didn’t take long to paint and clean-up. I was headed to the shower by 7:35am.

I turned on my new shower radio, a stocking stuffer from Mindy, tuning into NPR. I was surprised that they were talking about the BCS championship game slated for later tonight. That got me a bit fired up! I dressed nicely for work since we would be attending a funeral directly after work and leading up to the big game.

Jacob and I revisited our old routine. He walked to the bus stop at 7:55am, and I drove and met him there. Pat & Alanna arrived about the same time. We talked only briefly about the big game and soon parted ways after the bus picked up the kids.

Work went well, although we were very busy. I planned a lunch run to Lowes to look specifically for a special plastic screw that holds those plastic straps to a deck chair. I noticed that one of ours snapped after the cover blew off last week. Having it in disrepair drives me bonkers. I also stopped at Target to see if they had Wii remotes. Mindy’s niece, Julie needs another for her box. I told her that I’d look for one. They were all out!
However, I did find a plastic trim screw at Lowe’s that looks like it might do the trick.

I was gone just under and hour. I was back by 1:45pm. Like many other days, I grabbed my packed lunch before heading back to my office. I spent the second half of my day working through a number of issues. I took a few minutes to pay the balance on our Mt Hood condo, too. Glad to have that out of the way. Come 5:15pm I left for home. I feared the coming rush after arriving home.

Mindy was busy packing lunches and feeding the kids when I arrived home. I walked Ykraps alone even though Mindy intended to go along with me. Soon after my return I primped for the funeral service. Mindy did the same after readying the kids. Jacob & I grabbed our Buckeye gear to change into later. We left the house at 6:15 headed to Crossroads United Methodist Church where the funeral was being held. We arrived just before 6:30pm.

The funeral service didn’t begin until 7pm, but there were calling hours prior to that. We talked with the family & paid our respects to Veronica Gadomski before finding a seat. The funeral was sweet. Several family members and friends spoke of Veronica’s life. Some were sad, while some were funny. Her grand daughter even sang her a song. It was nice! Veronica, as I understood it, was born in Yugoslavia. At the tender age of 20 she & her 2 year old brother were separated from their mother and father as their homeland was raided and bombed. She made it her life’s work to protect her younger brother. In her long two year journey she avoided several raids and bombing attacks often times draping her own small frame over her younger brother to ensure his safety. At some point she knitted a sweater for him literally out of rags she managed to disassemble. The family had the sweater in a glass frame for observance. Nothing short of amazing. As told by family members, her entire life was dedicated to helping others never once complaining about her own condition or circumstances. I couldn’t help but think of my own grandmother who passed 3+ years ago. She led a similar selfless life.

As nice as the funeral was, I was getting anxious for the football game. It was approaching 8pm. Yikes! Finally, we loaded back into the Trooper at 7:55pm. I handed my cell to Mindy to return Bob I.s call. We had talked of meeting at Barley’s. I was convinced, however, that the place would be packed wall-to-wall with rabid fans. Taking the kids and being tired didn’t seem like a smart thing. But the kids were very disappointed to say the least. They both expressed great sadness with my position. In the meantime, Bob was still at home having not committed to going anywhere since he’d heard from no one. Not wanting to disappoint everyone, I figured we’d at least check it out. If it were packed we all agreed that we’d simply go home. Bob phoned just as we pulled into the lot to let us know that there were several tables available. The lot echoed that. Parking was not an issue at all. We got a booth just to the west of the giant screen – pretty darn good seats. Kick-off was literally two minutes after we arrived. I never did change out of my dress clothes.

Aside from Bob Imber, there were a few other familiar faces there, too. Rick, Thad and Monica, and Bob’s neighbor Jeff & son. There were several other Buckeye fans too. And just like last year’s game, the Bucks lit things up in a hurry scoring twice inside the first five minutes to be up 10-0. If it weren’t for a penalty, they could’ve easily went up 14-0.
In fact, minutes later, after a muffed punt by LSU, we almost had a opportunity to score again. The theme here is that we let opportunity slip by and before we knew it, LSU stormed back. Down only by 14 through most of the second half we never really got close. It was painful.

We left Barley’s at halftime and hurried home to tuck the kids into bed and then find our own. I was in bed before the second half kick-off. It was hard to watch what seemed obvious. We were going to lose two national championship games in a row. Yuck!
I admittedly felt quite a bit of anxiety and couldn’t fall asleep after the game ended. But it’s human nature to care and feel the disappointment. An attempt to deny those feelings would only serve me worse, I figured. I must’ve finally drifted off to sleep around 12:30am.

Blackberry & Black

This being the first Sunday of the month, we planned to be at the Wright family breakfast at 9am. We confirmed plans with Dad and Tommy the night before. I woke a handful of times through the night worried about the time. I woke for the last time at 7:05am. I somewhat hurriedly leaped to my feet to begin my day. I would have to execute with laser-like focus if I were to stay on schedule.

I prepared a pot of coffee and turned in a round of exercise. Less than fifteen minutes later, I was back from walking Ykraps. It was 7:30am. I knew that if I left for a run by 8:05am I would be in good shape provided that Mindy got everyone else moving. I took her coffee and woke her up around 7:45am. After only a few minutes on the PC I dressed and left for a run. It was plenty warm outside – already in the mid 50’s. Once again, I skipped gloves and ear cover, and wore a light wicking shirt and jacket. I was really quite comfortable.

I returned home from my run by 8:40am. Mindy was just about ready, and the kids were already up and getting dressed. I went right for the shower knowing that I could be ready in ten minutes. By 8:50am I was all but completely ready to go. The kids, namely Jacob, were dragging their feet a little. We didn’t leave the house until 9:00am on the nose. We tried phoning Dad but he didn’t answer. We were there, Hilliard Bob Evans, by 9:08am.
I spotted Tommy’s pick-up right away. We parked next to him. They both appeared to be already inside.

Mindy spotted their table so that way we walked. They had a table for six. After the initial meet & greet we placed our orders. Mindy got an omelet and I got a three egg combo. Bella ordered pancakes. I don’t recall what Jacob ordered. Dad had crepes smothered in blueberries. The conversation was lively and the mood fun. We spent an hour and one half visiting. It was nice. Afterwards, I got a picture of all the attendees minus me.

We left for home at 10:30am and were there minutes later. I made provisions to head to Home Depot to get my plywood shelving. I asked Jacob to go along but he declined. I arranged the seating before leaving to accommodate the 2’X8’ foot sheets of plywood. While at Home Depot I looked at a few other items after my plywood was cut to size. After buying one 4X8’ piece and having it cut to the required dimensions, I would be about twelve inches short. Not wanting to buy an entire piece, I thought that I’d simply get one of their 2X4’ remnants. I checked the bin and they had the exact thickness and type 15/32” BC. However, each of the 20 or so pieces they had in there were NOT really 15/32” thick. They were something smaller. But I didn’t want close. Rather, I wanted dead on!

I opted to forego the small piece and figured I’d check another Home Depot or use the pieces I have left from phase I, although I really didn’t want the pieced-in look. At home Mindy helped me get the three pieces carried to the basement. I made quick work of the mounting until I got to the piece-in part. I decided early on that it looked unacceptable having three pieces making up the final 3 feet. I chose to shop another H.D. for the proper thickness remnant. While doing the mounting, Jimaken arrived to pick-up the kids. He planned on keeping them for a couple hours before we head to Sunday dinner. In kind, Mindy & I planned to go get paint for our familyroom/kitchen revival.

I was nervous about going after paint for a couple of reasons. First, we had changed our minds so much over the past few months why would we be happy with the colors chosen now – not to mention that we had temporarily taken the samples down and now I wasn’t certain we had the right chip in hand for the main color. Secondly, we hadn’t fully decided on a finish (satin or flat). I am not used to flying by the seat of my pants. Add to all of that, we planned a faux finish of some sort on the fireplace/accent wall but had made no further plans as to what actual finish that meant. We did, however, agree that it would be black over blackberry.

Mindy was noticeably frustrated, but so was I. We ended up going after the paint anyhow. I figured we could at least get the blackberry, black, and faux glaze to experiment with. We could also look at other colors. Truth is, I was very concerned with the main color vein. We have been toying all along with muted golds, oranges, and yellows, but that was no longer resting well with me, especially after looking at new countertops and wall tile. I was now in favor of a neutral beige that would ultimately give us much greater flexibility with our accent décor.

We ordered the blackberry & black after checking out the finish options. We went with satin, which is what I’ve used everywhere else. While the paint mixed, we looked at other color options. My eye trained in on a tan/beige right away. Mindy was an easy sell. After a short discussion, I think that she agreed with my logic – the tan looked good and would allow for greater accent flexibility. Meanwhile, we had our hands full with the accent wall paint so we didn’t need to decide right that moment anyhow. We snatched up a few sample chips to take home with us.

We headed home with a gallon of the blackberry, a quart of triton black, and a quart of faux liquid. Mindy, I think, was just happy to have her “purple”.

Back at home, I was eager to steal a quick nap. I snacked on some Triscuits and cheese while tuning into the NY Giants/Tampa NFL playoff game. I must have dosed off for about five or ten minutes – not too long but long enough to wake feeling refreshed. The kids were home around 3:20pm. Mindy mentioned the desire to arrive at her mother’s early to have some visit time. Her mom rarely gets much time to interact with everyone because she’s so busy cooking. Mindy & I understood and agreed to go early. I suggested that we leave now since I wanted to stop at the West Broad Home Depot on the way to get that piece of plywood I still needed. So, we loaded the Trooper and departed. Jacob was being a bit of a pill on our way out the door. What’s new?

We arrived at Home Depot minutes later. Mindy & the kids chose to wait in the Trooper. Just as well, I knew right where to go. I found the piece I needed. Their 15/32” – 2X4’pieces were actually that! In all the excitement I forgot to have it cut to fit (3’). I just bought it as it was. I figured I could easily do the rip cut. We were on our way to Gloria’s in short order.

We were the first to arrive and it was just before 4pm. After an initial greeting, I went to the basement where I tuned into the late NFL playoff game, and then helped Bella launch her Wallace adn GromimtDVD on the other downstairs TV. Others soon arrived and just after 4:30pm we were called to dinner. Today’s feast included Chicken and dumplings, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. Very hearty and all very good! After dinner we chatted for a while then returned to the dining table for dessert. Gloria made apple pie and Boston cream pie. I’d never had her apple pie before now. I had some of each, of course.

We stayed until 7:10pm. Mindy is bent on being home before 7:30pm to get the kids ready for the next morning. Jacob & I walked Ykraps as soon as we arrived home. Soon as the walk was over Jacob was called for a bath. I went straight to the basement where I completed the shelving phase II project. Incidentally, congratulations to the Seahawks, Jaguars, Giants, and Chargers, who all won NFL playoff games this weekend.

Mindy and I finished our respective chores at about the same time. She went to the PC, and I went for the massage pillow and recliner. Like before, the thing put me right out, but that was by design. I love that thing! We opted for an early bedtime, both of us eager for a long, healthy night’s sleep.

Shelving Phase II

I didn’t get up until well past 8am. I could’ve slept even longer but didn’t want to sleep my weekend away. I retrieved another tub of coffee from the basement as the current tub didn’t have enough for the day’s Joe. Once the coffee maker was set, I quickly pushed through my exercises before heading out of doors with Ykraps.
I had an hour or so to myself while Mindy slept in and the kids played in their rooms. I used the time to update Windows with Service Pack 2 – further tweaking my PC’s performance. Mindy came down around 9:30am and began making the kids breakfast. The Service Pack 2 upgrade took well over an hour to complete. I was hopeful that there wouldn’t be lingering issues. I didn’t want to leave for my run until that was firmly under control.

About the same time that Mindy headed for the shower, I headed out for a run. It was drizzling steadily albeit very light. The run went well. When I returned, I ate a plate of fruit that Mindy prepared and left in the fridge. I helped her load the van with all sorts of stuff she planned to drop at the “Free Store”. I reminded her to get an itemized receipt for tax purposes. Bella left with her. Jacob stayed home with me.

I planned to begin phase II of the basement shelf project today. I got out of my sweaty running attire and into some comfy flannels, and then slowly gathered the necessary tools from the garage and moved to the basement. The area in question, all the way to the back quarter, was already packed high and tight with storage tubs. I had already cleared an area a few nights ago that would allow just enough room to work.

I had the most strategic pieces – the mounting of the header boards – completed in no time. I already knew what had to be done after completing phase one last March and the similar garage shelves last September. Mindy was back in less than an hour. She came down to check on me and let me know that the kids were having guests over for a play date. I only asked that she keep them out of my way so that I could remain on task. She did! I could hear the kids up playing Wii for a couple of hours all the while I worked on the shelving. Sounded like they were having fun. When neighbor Mike stopped over to drop off his kids he came to the basement to see what I was doing. He complimented my crafty work.

In less than three hours I was done framing the shelving. I planned to fetch the plywood for the actual shelves tomorrow. I spent the next hour cleaning up my mess. At 4pm I headed to the shower to ready for our visit to Teri, Scott, and Massimo’s house in northern Westerville. Mindy made plans for us to be there near 530pm. She said that we’d be ordering pizza. Good thing because I was incredibly hungry having eaten only fruit and a few pieces of cheese throughout the day. We packed a small cooler with a few beers, a bottle of wine, and drink boxes for the kids. We headed out just after 5:00pm. It rained most of the way up.

We arrived at 5:30pm. Teri was the only one home at the time. Scott was at a kiddie birthday party with Masimo. Lucky for me, Teri hand some snack foods out of which I partook. I enjoyed a beer too. This was the first relaxation I got all day long. Soon, Scott and Masimo were home. Teri ordered pizzas. The kids went to the basement where they played Wii and a wide assortment of other games. We stayed upstairs talking and eating once the pizza arrived.

Teri, being pregnant, is battling through the sickness phase. She had to avoid close proximity to certain foods that otherwise would make her ill with just a wiff.
After pizza we all headed to the finished basement to see Massimo’s new toys. Scott got him a fullsize skee ball game. We watched the kids play for about thirty minutes. Afterwards the adults headed upstairs to play the board game, What Came First? Mindy loved it. I thought it was just OK. It was fun/interesting to learn the history of the many topics where you had to guess which came first. Topics ranged from NHL or NFL , the electric washer or electric dryer, Miracle Whip or Cool Whip?

Teri eventually caved and headed straight for the sofa. She was battling her “morning sickness”. We stayed only about thirty minutes longer. The kids now joined the fun making it very noisy. We helped clean-up the house around 10pm and then left for home. We arrived by 10:22pm. It was a much faster drive home than it was up. Mindy got the kids in bed stat. She headed to bed herself immediately after. I stayed up for the finish of the Steelers game and then through a DVR’d episode of American Dad. I sipped a Jack & Coke too. I was in bed by midnight.

Quadrantid

I wasn’t up for work until 5:45am again taking advantage of Mindy’s extended holiday. I mean, hey, I might as well make it work for me too! I decided that today would be the prefect day to give my shoulders a much deserved rest after going almost two weeks without one. I skipped push-ups and curls. After sit-ups I found Ykraps and headed out the door.

The early morning sky was crystal clear offering an incredibly perfect back drop for the Quadrantid Meteor shower that occurs the first week of January each year. If my limited research was correct, the meteors would be visible about 30 degrees above the north/ north-east horizon. I trained my eyes in that general direction as Ykraps and I walked to the east. I spotted my first meteor only a couple minutes into my gaze skyward. What can I say, it gave me goose bumps. I kept my eyes peeled more intently since I now knew I was looking in the right place. Sure enough, I spotted another as we walked back towards home. I saw two for certain and possibly even a third. I was very pleased.

Later, while delivering coffee, I shared my meteor viewing with Mindy. She seemed happy for me, but also gave me the impression that she thought I was half crazy. I’m not half crazy. I’m 100% crazy! J I carried on with the rest of my pre-run routine. After meditation I left for a run. I was plenty warm with a single layer and jacket. The temperature’s expected to reach and exceed freezing later in the day. For now, it was hovering near 26 degrees – balmy as compared to Wednesday & Thursday mornings.

Just like yesterday, Mindy took Jacob to the bus stop while I showered. I left for work around 8:20am. Mindy planned to take Bella to preschool then head north to meet her friend Teri for lunch. Later in the day I think she had another chiro appointment. I worked straight through not taking a “real” break of any sort. I just didn’t have any particular plans so didn’t bother with it. I spoke with Mindy around 1pm. She agreed to fetch me a jug of Hop Envy from Barley’s Ale House #1 in the Arena District (there’s no IPA on tap at the Smokehouse right now). I stayed busy up until 5:30pm when I finally bagged the work day and headed for home. Just before leaving for home, Mindy emailed asking me to pick-up Greek. I phoned to confirm. I headed to the Big Fat Greek Cuisina.

I arrived home with three gyros and a Greek salad just after 6pm. Mindy reported already having walked Ykraps. Bella ate toast while the rest of us enjoyed gyros. After dinner the kids were bent on watching some animated DVD, Quinton and Wilot. I chose, instead, to work with my new software and update my blog.

The kids were in bed by 9pm. Mindy and I built a fire and sat comfortably in the familyroom for another hour. We headed to bed just before 10pm.

On a normal day

I slept way late. I wasn’t up until 5:50am. I leaped to my feet in an awfully big hurry, brushed my teeth, and grabbed my running clothes. I was downstairs whipping out my exercises in no time flat. Everyone already knows how much I hate to feel rushed, so you can probably imagine how I felt. However, I managed to get control and paced myself against the allotted time I had available. Soon I was pretty much back on schedule, especially since I didn’t have to get Jacob on the bus for his first day back to school. Mindy would be taking care of that. She just didn’t yet know it. I took her coffee as requested at 6:30am. I assumed that she would up for the morning routine. From there I went about dressing and stretching for my run and left out the door. Once again, the streets were covered in snow, although just an inch or so. Because of the recent deep freeze, very little had melted since yesterday and we did get another half-inch or so overnight. I was bundled nicely thus had a very enjoyable run. I returned home at 7:20am. On a normal day that would be too late, but once again, because Mindy was home, and I assumed up & readying Jacob, I didn’t worry about it. Come 7:30am while preparing my lunch and breakfast I noticed no noise whatsoever coming from upstairs. Hmmm, I wondered! Soon, Bella came down asking for her mommy. I let her know that mommy was probably still in bed and that she might want to wake her up. Seconds later I heard Mindy stirring, and another couple minutes passed and I could hear Jacob up. Mindy came downstairs obviously still half asleep. I let her know that I’d need her to get Jacob to the bus stop. We were all running a little behind. I went ahead with my breakfast like usual being careful not to skip taking care of myself in lieu of a shorter term goal like being in the shower by a given time. Mindy got Jacob to the bus stop while I showered. I forgot to mention that I had to shovel the driveway once again to ensure Mindy had a cleared path to the street for a later departure. I left for work after warming the Trooper at 8:20am. Work was moderately busy. I was bent on heading to the ophthalmologist at lunch to get my new glasses repaired. I did just that. I left at 12:55pm. I risked driving all the way to Riverside hospital without confirming their hours and without a scheduled appointment. I assumed they’d want to serve, me being a loyal customer and all. I guessed correctly. They took my glasses right in and attempted the fix. They were broken at the screw/hinge just like my old pair. I must be doing something too rough, like when I take them off. Who knows for certain? I do recall Olivia ripping them from my head over Xmas, however. Bottom line, they needed fixed now. In the end, they had to give me new frames. I was out the door after just fifteen minutes. Nancy let me know that my frames were under warranty for one full year. Cool! I was back in the office in under 55 minutes. And once back at my desk I grabbed my packed lunch and ate. I had tuna fish again today. The remainder of the day went quick. I left for home at 5:30pm sharp. Mindy reported that she was preparing dinner as I approached home. I didn’t know what, though, and didn’t bother asking. When I arrived I assumed that I’d be walking Ykraps. However, in the door I was told by Bella that mommy walked him. Wahoo! Mindy reported that spaghetti & meatballs was on the menu along with garlic bread and salad. Yummy! I love the stuff but my stomach doesn’t like all the spicy sauces we’ve been having of late, hence why I am taking Tagament twice a day. The meal was delicious and appreciated. After a quick clean-up, I went to the PC to update my blog. I took the time to update pictures for the past five days, too. By the time I finished it was time to put the kids to bed. Mindy asked if I was interested in playing Wii after the kids were down. I was not. Instead, I wanted to watch the Buckeyes basketball game and perhaps the Orange Bowl. I watched the first half of both games (gotta love pic in pic) and even popped some corn. Bored watching both games, I decided instead to watch one DVR’d episode of Family Guy. But during the show I fell asleep on the couch. I upped and head for bed at 10:00pm. Mindy came along too. I laid in bed for another 30 minutes or so before falling soundly asleep.

My Wii-turn to Work

I was up by 5:30am after a relatively lengthy night’s sleep, especially if you count the intermittent dosings between Family Guy episodes. Despite a mild case of the return to work blues, I felt pretty darn good. I failed to prep coffee the night before, so that was the first order of business. A glance out the back door revealed an inch or so of snow and it was still coming down. I could still hear the wind whipping around, too. The house was quiet having gone to bed without switching the CATV box to music. I began my exercise routine in complete silence. It wasn’t long before my calisthenics were behind me and I was bundling up for a walk with Ykraps. I expected it to be very cold. I wore snow boots, gloves and ear cover. We walked east with the winter wind at our backs. It was definitely cold! In fact, with the wind in our face upon our return, it felt as though the air was being sucked out of my lungs – a common phenomenon in brutally cold temps. I didn’t want to, but knew that I had to. I went to the garage for a snow shovel. There was a good inch and one half on the ground. The shoveling went quick. The snow was very light & powdery due to the extreme cold. Finally back inside I checked the temperature. It was 12 degrees, but -3 after factoring in the windchill. I enjoyed my coffee and meditation before readying for my run. Mindy wanted up before I left to run as apparent by the note she left attached to the computer mouse. After delivering her coffee I went to the closet to fetch my sweat shorts to wear under my running tights. I wasn’t looking forward to a freezing member. I wore one of two new winter wicking shirts along with a cotton mock t-shirt, new jacket, ear covers and running gloves. Just before heading out the door I grabbed my fleece earband and pushed it down around my neckline. Despite the bitter cold, I found myself quite cozy. Not too warm, not too cold. The human activity level was noticeably higher than it’s been for a week or so. I returned from my run by 7:20am. The first thing I did after stripping out of my outer layer was preheat my egg pan and begin fixin’ my lunch. I hadn’t packed my own lunch in quite some time. I made tuna salad with some of the yummy creamy horseradish sauce recently bought. I fried two eggs to help satisfy my immediate hunger. I ate those along with a plate full of fruit. By 7:45am I was in the shower, and found myself back downstairs preparing to leave by 8:00am. I still had to warm the Trooper, however. I let it heat up for a good ten minutes or so. I didn’t leave until 8:20am. I arrived to my first work day of 2008 at 8:30am. It wasn’t long before I was firmly replanted in the daily grind. We had a number of difficult issues to work through, but all in all the workload was still less than usual. I didn’t take a break for lunch all day. I worked straight through. The hours from 2-4pm went much slower than usual. The last 1.5hrs flew by, however. I left for home around 5:30pm. Mindy reported a quiet house – the kids gone with their father per routine. She asked about dinner options. I was in favor of something simple at home. We agreed on reheated chili. The house was indeed peaceful upon my arrival home. Mindy had a fire going and even more of the subtle holiday remnants put away. It’s amazing how some of those things linger. In fact, I still need to address the out of doors stuff. She had already walked Ykraps making my transition that much easier. We sat down to hot chili minutes after I arrived home. After dinner we still had over an hour before the kids were expected to return. Not only did I update my blog but we played some Wii, too. First, we bowled. I won two games in a row scoring 189 each game. Next, we played golf. I had a nice round going – even par after eight holes – heading into the treacherous number 9. I got a triple bogey and ended up 3 over for the round. Mindy shot a 17 over. The kids got home just as we were playing out that final hole. They were eager to play with us. Mindy, however, had other ideas. She wanted them ready for bed. She agreed to allow Jacob to play Wii after pajamas and before 8pm. We bowled two games. I won both of those, too. :) Jacob wanted to play more but Mindy insisted not. He was returning to school Thursday morning, and Mindy didn’t want him to be underslept. He understood and headed up to bed. I followed for the formal tuck-in. The Fiesta Bowl pitting West Virginia against Oklahoma game was about to begin. I tuned in from the family room. Mindy did some computer time. I promised myself that I’d head to bed at 9:30pm and then watch more from there until I fell asleep. I also DVR’d two more South Park episodes while watching football. As promised, I headed up to bed at 9:30pm. Mindy followed suit. We both watched the rest of the first half and part of the second before falling asleep. We turned it off after WV went up 34-15.