El Presidente'

1) The 1st George W.

2) Our Halloween pumpkin finally bit the dust

I didn’t sleep well at all. Shortly after arriving home from Gloria’s I began to feel early cold symptoms. I felt a twinge in my nose and a dry throat. In fact, I had a mild sore throat coming on. I was hopeful that they might let up overnight, but they didn’t. My worst fears were substantiated. I was battling the tell-tale signs of a head cold.

I proceeded through my routine feeling warm, slow, and tired. The tiredness was from a lack of sleep. I got up twice through the night to gargle with salt water, which helped abate the sore throat, but it never lasts. My thoughts quickly turned towards our trip and how determined I would be to beat this thing prior to Thursday. The last I thing I wanted was to be battling a cold during our ski trip.

Mindy didn’t have school today so I could go about my routine at a much more leisurely pace. Believe me, I did. The warm temperatures from Sunday were already history. We were back in the freezer and the temperature was only going to sink further. I didn’t leave for a run until 6:45am. My run went pretty well despite my less than stellar disposition. My nose ran like a leaky facet, which I used my running glove to brush away.

I toyed with the idea of calling in sick but the thought of staying home and trying to rest with a house full didn’t sound too appealing. Work sounded much better. I decided to tough it out as I most often do. I made a big turkey & cheese omelet for breakfast. I could only eat half. I covered the other half and left it for Mindy. I knew that she’d appreciate it later. I showered and left the house at 8:15am. By then, Mindy & Bella were up. Mindy would be taking Jacob & Bella to their follow-up dental appointment where they’d both be having a cavity filled.

Work was dreadfully busy, and I felt like crap. I used some nasal spray so my sinuses were in check, but I still had those other undeniable cold symptoms to contend with. I was sleepy and slightly feverish. I wondered how I might make it through the entire day. Some how I did. My peer, as it turned out, was ill too. She was exhibiting similar symptoms. Misery likes company and I think knowing that helped, although just marginally.

The work day’s end finally came and I was no worse for the wear. I put off a couple of touchy issues I had to deal with, but other than that I was very productive. I was happy to finally be heading home. The temperature continued dropping through the day. Mindy touted the dental appointment as a success. Both kids received their treatment well. We were having burgers for dinner, but not until I completed Ykraps’ evening walk. As much as I dreaded it, it’s was a very good transition exercise for my psyche. I returned in a good mood despite my feeling ill.

I didn’t think that I was hungry but I was able to eat just fine. After dinner I did about an hours worth of packing/organizing for our trip. I didn’t really feel like it, but knew that I should to avoid the rushed feeling later in the week. The kids wanted to play family Wii. We all were in. However, just as we were beginning Bella begged out. Truth is, she had been a pill all evening. She went to her room to pout while Mindy, Jacob and I played on. She was over tired.

We played for about 45 minutes or longer. Around 7:30pm Mindy got the kids into the tub for a bath. I played some individual Wii golf. Some one, it appears, erased the history. My Wii professional status is GONE! Oh no! All th while we played, it snowed like the 'Dickens'!

After tucking in the kids I returned downstairs to update my blog and view some pictures. I also took some Theraflu (pill form) and made a Beam & Coke. Come 8:30pm I was feeling sleepy and my cold conditions in check. I was more than ready for bed. Mindy was tired, too, so we called it a night. I joked that she should never tell my friends that I was in bed so early. I had no trouble whatsoever falling asleep.

Chocolate Pie

Happy 22nd Birthday, Ashley!! I got up at 7:50am. I had originally planned to get up around 7:30am but the thought of extra sleep sounded so good. I would’ve slept longer but I didn’t want there to be any unnecessary pressure added to my morning, especially when the sleepies wears off in just a few short minutes. It was raining ever so lightly while I pounded through my exercise routine. But by the time I headed out the door with Ykraps it had all but stopped. It was quite warm too. It felt like spring. The forecast called for the 50’s but with on & off rain. I spent a solid 30 minutes working and before setting out on my run. I didn’t need to leave the house for Dad’s until 10:25am. It was 9:00am when I left for my run & woke Mindy. I was back from my run by 9:40am. The house was unusually quiet. I wondered whether Mindy and the kids had left early for church. They hadn’t. Turns out they were simply in a lull of activity. I got in the shower after checking in and handling some work related matters. Mindy & the kids left for church sometime after 10am. As they backed out of the drive I went out to unfasten Bella’s car seat from the Trooper to make room for 4 passengers. I left for Dad’s at 10:25am as planned. I knocked on the door but no one answered. Before I could even close the screen door he and Uncle Kenny pulled up in the minivan. I placed Kenny’s stuff in the Trooper right away. Dad’s was yet to come. All things considered, they were packed lightly. Also, Kenny Jr and his daughter were not being dropped by me after all. I guess cousin David was taking them. After a short stay at dad’s we hit the road. The airport is a very short drive from Dad’s. It’s freeway the entire go – I-670. We were there in a jiffy. I dropped the two curbside and was ready to head out when Kenny called to a car pulling up along side us. It was David and Tracy, who I assume had just dropped Kenny Jr and Allison. I talked with them for just a second and then went on my way toward Hilliard. On my cruise home I decided to head towards the Hilliard Rome Rd Target shopping area where I hoped to stop at Bath & Body to buy a couple more of those good smelling plug-in air fresheners of theirs. I couldn’t remember what time they opened. It was about 11:15am. Turns out they were opened. I bought to refill kits and another plug-in. We’ll have plenty to tie us over. Next, I walked to Old Navy to check out their new selections. I knew that they’d have their spring stuff out. I just browsed. After leaving Old Navy I thought that I’d frequent Kirkland’s but they didn’t open until noon. It was only 11:40am. I decided to walk a few store fronts further to Michael’s where I bought an 18X24” frame for one of brother Glenn’s figure drawings. Still not sure where we’ll hang it. I really want more color in the family room. I was done shopping and ready to head home. I was also very hungry and toyed with the idea of picking up some early lunch. I hadn’t eaten a thing thus far today. But I skipped the fast food stop and opted instead for home. By the time I got home the temperature had risen significantly. We were well into the 50’s. I enjoyed two big bowls of Cap’n Crunch all the while checking in with work. After I had work where it needed to be I found my way to the PC where I began downloading and editing pictures from the wedding. Mindy & Bella were home around 12:30pm. Jacob chose to go home with his Grandmother. Bella and I played some Wii before Mindy got ready to leave for the grocery. Bella was originally going to stay home with me but last minute changed her mind. I was home alone, once again! This time, after several rounds of Wii golf, I headed upstairs for a lazy afternoon nap. I must’ve slept for about 30 minutes – not too long. Afterwards I edited more pictures and then returned downstairs for more Wii. Mindy & Bella returned after being gone about 2 hours. Funny thing was, I was in the exact same spot that I was when they left. What they didn’t know was that I didn’t waste my entire afternoon playing Wii. I helped carry in the groceries and then framed the figure drawing of choice. I also unloaded the dishwasher which was stuffed to the gill. Mindy complained of feeling under the weather. I asked if she wanted to skip her mothers. She didn’t. We left for Gloria’s just after 4pm. Everyone was expected for dinner this evening save for one who was working. My guess was lasagna and chocolate pie. I simply figured it time. Turns out, I was right! Lucky guess. We had a nice dinner and the mood was light. Julie & Katy announced their engagement. The before and after dinner conversation was livelier than usual. I don’t think that I’ve laughed that hard in an awfully long time. You needed to be there to fully understand as the topics ranged from current politics to the well-intending special needs folks that help you with your groceries at Kroger. We left for home at 7:20pm. Mindy wanted to be home early for her usual reasons. In addition, Jacob was spending the night with his dad since there was no school tomorrow and Jimaken was headed our way. Jim arrived soon after my evening walk with Ykraps concluded. They left around 8pm. Bella and I stayed up playing more Wii. But Mindy eventually called it a night and got Bella ready for bed. I was summoned up to dismantle the air bed. I tucked her in before heading back down in part to save another trip. Mindy & I sat together in the living room chatting about a plethora of things. We agreed to head up for bed just before 10pm. I took care of a couple work matters just prior to that. Typically, my on-call ends at 10pm when the night shift manager arrives. We no sooner got nestled into bed when my blackberry rang. I begrudgingly upped to try and reach it downstairs. By the time that I made it down it had stopped ringing. Turns out, I would be on-call through the night. The issues I had raised, however, we already being dealt with by the team of engineers on duty. I headed back to bed.

Confluence of Families

I woke a few times through the wee hours of the morning. I easily could’ve upped around 6:30am but forced myself back to sleep for another 45 minutes or so. By then, the kids were already awake and making way too much noise. Mindy admonished them for being too loud. I got up and headed down stairs at 7:10am. I felt terrific.

The kids remained in Bella’s room but continued making an inordinate amount of noise given the early hour. It sounded as though they were jumping off of the bed and onto the air-mattress, which we had already deemed a no-no. I made coffee, fired up my laptop, exercised, and then walked Ykraps. By then the kids had bounced between the basement and Bella’s room a couple of times. I had enough time to relax before taking off on my run. Mindy was up by then, and beginning to prepare our breakfast. I left at 9am.

It was a most relaxing run against a partly sunny sky and more chilly temps. Yet despite the late winter chill, song birds sang away, validating that spring is just around the corner. I listened to NPR while running. I was most pleased with the variety of information I heard this morning. I listened to a piece on President Washington, a true story about one man’s dive into homelessness and his pursuit of the American Dream, and finally a look into Bhangra music.

The smell of maple sausage filed the air as I re-entered the home. Mindy made pancakes too. I was looking forward to some filling grub. I grabbed a piece of sausage directly from the pan. It was so hot it burned my fingers as I bit off a piece. I promptly dropped it. We all enjoyed our pancakes and/or sausage. After breakfast the kids played all over the house. It was difficult for me relax as they went from room to room and then back to the kitchen for more food. They ate all morning long, never allowing the kitchen to be spotless for even just a minute.

Mindy readied Jacob for his party as noon approached. The party would be at Skate of America in Grove-City. Mindy would take Lil’ Rocky home on her way to drop Jacob. And because she’d be in Grove-City, Mindy decided to stop in work to prepare her sub plans for our coming trip. That meant that I’d be home with Bella and Kaileigh all afternoon.

Home with just Bella & Kaileigh went smoothly. They played so well together, and rather quietly too. I was able to work, blog, play Wii, and even steal a short nap. The two girls ate/snacked all afternoon long. Mindy & Jacob returned home between 230-300pm.

Shelly & Joey came to pick-up Kaileigh around 4pm. Where had the day gone? I couldn’t believe that it was 4pm already. We’d be leaving for the wedding in an hour. Yikes! I was still in my running clothes. I headed up for a shower just as they were leaving. We were expecting Rene between 430-445pm. She was coming to watch the kids.

Rene was on time and reviewing the do’s and don’ts with Mindy when I returned from walking Ykraps. It was 5pm on the nose. I really needed to get gas, especially for the airport run in the morning. The Trooper was on “E”. I figured we had enough to make it to Confluence Park. Besides, I didn’t want to show up smelling like gas. We arrived at Confluence around 5:20pm. The place was filling up fast.

I took a couple pictures of Mindy before entering against their picturesque entry way. Immediately inside extended family was hanging out in the corridor leading to the make-shift chapel. We were two of the last to find seats, which at least for a minute proved uncomfortable. We weren’t sure if the empty first, second, and third rows were reserved. Eventually, we seated ourselves in the third row along the aisle. I was in prime position for taking my own wedding photos. While waiting the start of the official ceremony I snapped a few pictures of various family members, including one of Uncle Kenny and his boys. I haven’t seen them all together since Grandma’s 90th birthday party.

Soon the ceremony was underway. Tastefully swift is a good description for the ceremony itself. Just as a side, the bridesmaid dresses were beautiful. That’s rare! The color scheme was black & white. The ceremony lasted no more than 20 minutes beginning to end. We soon found ourselves in the banquet room finely appointed for the reception. Each guest was preassigned to a given table. We were assigned to table #2. We didn’t know it at the time but we were seated along with cousin David and his lovely wife Tracy, brother Bobby, as well as Aunt Char’s old friend Barb and hubby, Mike. There was one open seat. Our table offered a breath taking view of the downtown skyline right on the river. We were located right by the wedding cake. I was most pleased with our seating. You did good Brian!

We had an exceptionally good time chatting with those at our table. I drank only one Heineken, and Mindy one glass of wine. Dinner was served after an hour or so. Mindy and I both specified beef. It was very good. The reception followed a similar script – a speech from the bride’s father and then another from the best man. We learned from Brian and Kim that they would be spending their honeymoon at the same resort Mindy and I spent ours – The Grand Palladium in Riviera Maya, Mexico. They won’t be disappointed.

Soon, the speeches gave way to dancing, and before long the entire floor was full of partiers. Mindy and I gathered our stuff just after 9pm and made our way towards the door. We stopped by dad’s table to discuss once more tomorrow morning’s airport plans. We also hugged all the cousins goodbye. Before leaving, Mindy couldn’t resist asking dad to dance. They cut it up for about five minutes all the while I waited patiently by the door. Brian & Kim planned a very nice wedding to be sure.

My first order of business was to get gas. We took Spring St west, which is route 33. We stopped at the BP station at the corner of Grandview Avenue. The Trooper took 19.5 gallons. And since we were essentially right next door, we opted to stop in at Barley’s for one beer –an IPA. While there we ordered some sauerkraut balls too. We left a VM for Bob Imber whom we assumed would be arriving home from skiing. He called back while we sat at the bar. He was watching a movie with Mary Ann – On Golden Pond, I think.
Anyway, they weren’t about to come out. We agreed to touch base mid-week to nail down any final details for our exciting, and surely fun-filled trip.

We arrived home around 10:30pm. Rene was napping on the sofa watching a movie. I cracked open a Snow Cap Ale. We chatted for about 45 minutes before Rene left for home and we headed up to bed.

Talking Points

I was up on time after another pretty good night’s sleep. This was Friday, but my enthusiasm was somewhat tempered by the fact that this would be an on-call weekend. However, on the up side, I was looking forward to a visit from my grandchildren tonight. I exercised and walked Ykraps before the clock struck 6am. There still remained remnants of Monday’s snow storm mostly in the form of stubborn hard packed icy patches. The temperature is struggling to rise above the freezing mark. I delivered Mindy’s coffee then returned down stairs to enjoy a little bit of peace and quiet. After my quiet time I dressed and left for a chilly run. However, it was a bit warmer than the past few mornings. At our current pace, February will go down as colder than average. My run was enjoyable. Jacob didn’t have school today so my after-run morning routine would be slightly altered. He would be leaving with Mindy & Bella. They departed around 7:25am. Taking advantage of the extra time, I played a couple rounds of Wii golf before heading up to the shower. I left for work at 8:15am and arrived at about the time in generally do – 8:30am. I was determined to have a good day, and have a good day I did. Mindy asked that I pick-up Rataouille, the DVD movie, as a b-day gift for one of Jacob’s friends while at lunch. I didn’t mind since I had to pick up a gift card for my cousin Brian’s wedding anyway. I left to run errands around 1pm. I stopped at Target where I picked up the movie and the gift and wedding card. I was back at the office even before an hour had passed. The afternoon moved along briskly and before I knew it the day was drawing to an end. Mindy made plans to pick-up Lil’ Rocky, and Kaileigh was being delivered by Shelly. As much as I looked forward to their visit, I had to mentally prepare myself for my arrival home. It would almost certainly be more chaotic than usual. I called my dad as I drove towards home in part to confirm plans for taking him to the airport Sunday morning. I knew that I’d see him tomorrow at Brian’s wedding but wanted to begin my weekend knowing what my schedule would be like. As anticipated, the house was bubbling with youthful energy when I arrived. The kids were having a jolly good time. Mindy mentioned more than once not feeling that great. I walked Ykraps and then relaxed as best I could in the family room. Mindy soon ordered two Minelli’s pizzas – enough to feed everyone. She left to fetch ‘em soon after. We invited Ashley & Olivia over for a visit too. Ashley was heading out to pick-up a photo shoot package and promised to stop by before or after. She stopped after. After visiting for a while, Ashley left to go do some alone-time shopping. We gladly kept Olivia. Olivia amazed us with her advanced speaking prowess, at least for a 16 month old child. She plainly says momma, papaw, meme, roof-roof, and hi. And she’s still into dog food, too! Ashley was gone for only an hour. She returned to get Olivia around 8:30pm. Mindy and I got the kids ready for bed soon after Olivia left. I retrieved and filled one of our queen-sized air mattresses placing it in Bella’s room. All the kids said they wanted to sleep on it. And why wouldn’t they? It’s a bit of a novelty. It always starts OK but ends with one or two moving on to sleep elsewhere. Mindy was tired and ready for bed even before 10pm. I stayed up just a little while longer. Just before heading up to bed I had to pay a visit to the kids who were making way too much noise. They each complained of strange ailments prompting them to stay awake. Kaileigh said she sprained her leg and Bella’s tummy ached. Later, Kaileigh changed hers to a tummy ache, too. I laid with the three of them (Jacob had already gave-up and went to his own bedroom). We told stories until they were sleepy. The plan worked well. Soon they were all falling asleep and I upped and headed for bed. It wasn’t even 10:30pm.

Valentino's, All of Us

It was quite possibly the most rested I had felt all week. Going to bed around 9pm paid dividends. On schedule, I was able to complete my calisthenics and walk Ykraps at the more leisurely pace I’m accustom to. This was Valentine’s Day – a day Hallmark and other greeting card makers, as well as rose growers, cherish. As such, it was out of love that I carried out the rest of my routine duties.

After a walk with Ykraps, delivering coffee, and meditation, I prepped for my morning run. I dressed in cold weather attire as the temperature hovered just under 20 degrees. I’ve heard many describe this winter season as mild. But from my perspective, this has been a much colder than average winter season. We’ve had several nights/mornings in the single digits and near zero, and several days with high’s only in the 20’s. Comparatively, we’ve had just a scant few days where temperatures rose significantly above average. Snow fall, on the other hand, has been minimal with our largest storm still one of the season’s first, back in early December. For that I am most grateful.

No sooner had I hit the door for my run did I notice the stark change in the 6:35am morning sky. Because it was clear, I could see the change readily. We are indeed at the cusp of spring. Daybreak was already apparent. And halfway into my run it was fully daylight. This is a welcome change.

Mindy had cheesy scrambled eggs ready for consumption upon my return. As it turns out, this was Jacob’s Friday. In fact, he has a four day weekend. I was jealous. After Mindy left, Jacob played Wii. I ran along to the shower. Just before Mindy left we made loose plans for a family Valentine’s dinner out. It sounded like we’d convene at Red Lobster but we purposefully didn’t nail down the venue. We’d discuss it more later in the day.

I warmed the Trooper while Jacob and I walked to the bus stop. We met Pat & Alanna there. The bus arrived on time – about 8:03am. It was cold. We chatted only briefly. I was on my way to work by 8:10am.

The work day was a most pleasant one despite the feverish pace. I left for lunch just before 1pm determined to create some separation in my day. I drove to Kittle’s which is bunched in with Best Buy and Wal-Mart just a mile up the road. I wanted to browse their furniture selection looking more than anything for entertainment center pieces. The very one that we planned to order online all of sudden is no longer available by the two or three suppliers that once carried it. I could’ve chosen to feel snake bitten but instead chalked it up to destiny – something meant to be.

As expected, I found several choices at Kittle’s, but all were more expensive than what I had in mind. There were, however, a couple worth consideration. Either way, we won’t have to decide now until some into early March. I left Kittle’s and moved a few store fronts north to Best Buy for some browsing. I was back at work after an hour away.

The remainder of the day went by quickly. It was difficult to imagine that tomorrow was already Friday. The week has flown by. Before leaving work, Mindy phoned to confirm our dinner plans. We agreed to meet at the Georgesville Square Red Lobster between 530-600pm. I arrived first to a capacity crowd. The wait, I learned, was 45-60 minutes. Yuck! I procured a pager but wasn’t too keen on waiting, especially with the kids, their patience being thinner than mine. Once they arrived, Mindy left it up to the kids. They wanted to wait. Wait we did, along with about a hundred others in the cramped foyer area. Jacob asked how long we had been waiting after only three minutes, and then again after 5. I sensed then that he might change his mind. He did. He was now in favor of a venue change – Barley’s. Bella, however, vetoed his request, so we continued the wait. The time went by reasonably fast, and we banked on being called a bit earlier than stated. We were. After about 35 minutes were seated at a large table for six right next to a large aquarium holding medium sized tropical fish.

The menu at Red Lobster no longer appeals to my palette, but this was more about the family than about my individual tastes. I ordered a bowl of chowder and a Sam Adams to start and then the captain’s feast – a variety of deep fried seafood. Mindy ordered probably their best selection – the crab, lobster and shrimp. Jacob had a double portion of scampi. And lastly, not being a seafood fan, Bella ordered only French fries. Honestly, my entrée was terrible. I might as well of ordered Mrs Paul’s fish sticks. J It all tasted the same.

The hour was getting late. It was almost 7:30pm when we departed for home. I drove alone. The kids chose to ride with Mindy. At home Mindy made quick work of readying the kids for bed. I played Wii, updated my blog, and enjoyed a stiff drink. I stayed up after Mindy went to bed. She headed up around 9:30pm. I joined her around 11pm.

Celebrating V-Day early

I was up at 5:30am even after a very poor night’s sleep. I never did reach the much coveted deep sleep, but instead tossed and turned all night long. I knew that I’d be OK, though. I brushed my teeth, grabbed my running clothes and headed downstairs.

The house was chilly, especially lying on the family room floor doing sit-ups. But I survived it! After finishing my exercises I was headed out the door with Ykraps. It was still only 5:50am. It was plenty cold. The snow turned to sleet and freezing rain through the evening hours but changed back to pure snow in the wee hours of the morning. The icy stuff was topped with about one half inch of fresh snow.

As he often does, Ykraps struggled to poop in the wintry conditions. I knew he had to but he couldn’t/didn’t. He relies so heavily on his sense of smell, much more than any dog I’ve known (and boy have I known some real dogs :)). So, when the ice and snow completely isolate the earth, he’s in trouble. And as it turns out, we’re often in trouble too.

Mindy & the kids were hopeful that school would be canceled a second day in a row. But the temperature was already 20 degrees and the wind almost nonexistent. However, Columbus Public did cancel. I was really surprised. I guess it had more to do with the ice under the snow than it did anything else. Hilliard and SWCS were open.

Meanwhile, I was still seething over yesterday’s work event, but felt significantly better after my run. Mindy had my eggs ready like usual. I opted to skip shoveling the snow off the drive figuring it far better for Mindy to drive on snow than on the slick sheet of ice just underneath. Wise move! Mindy & Bella departed at their usual time. Jacob played Wii. I was ready to go by 7:45am.

My Trooper had about an eight of an inch of tightly bonded ice top to bottom. I knew it would take a good ten fifteen minutes for it to thaw. I planned accordingly and warmed it well before I would’ve otherwise. Jacob and I walked to the bus stop at 7:55am. There we greeted the Schultz’s like most other days. The bus arrived around 8:03am and after a short conversation with Pat, I was on my way to work.

I had a 9:30 interview scheduled like most other days. I had about an hour to prepare and catch-up on other responsibilities ahead of it. I also chatted with a pier/friend for a while. I felt much better after our chat. The morning moved at a wickedly fast pace. We were in our staff meeting at 11 and out around 12:30pm. That only served to accelerate the rest of the day. As the day wore on I felt better and better. Nothing keeps me down for too long.

I left for home a tad earlier than usual, but after all, I did skip my lunch. I left at 5:10pm. The company still won. I stopped to get Mindy some roses to complement her other Valentine’s Day gift. I figured she and I would celebrate tonight since it was a Mindy Wednesday. While picking up her flowers I got the kids a card and candy too. Lindsey called earlier so I returned her call. She wanted me to pay her car insurance until she gets a new job. I refused citing numerous reasons. She wasn’t happy about it, but I feel strongly that it’s time for extra tough love. She’s got to learn to take charge of her own life. She’s 24 and has never paid for her own car insurance.

Once at home I let Mindy know that I was bringing in her gifts. I went back to the Trooper to retrieve the red roses & the Godiva chocolates. While I walked Ykraps she found me a gift to complement the Cheryl’s Cookies she already had delivered to me at work. She got me an 8X10” digital picture frame. Cool toy!

Mindy warmed our dinner – leftover roast beef. It was again very good. She had to leave even before I was done cleaning up. She had choir practice. The kids, she said, would be home around 7:15pm. I had about 40 minutes after she left. During that time I logged onto my work PC to attempt to complete some work that I couldn’t get to from the office. During that same time i gave my mothe call. I hadn't talked with her for several weeks. She caught me up on all of her doings as well as brother Charles'. After that I played some Wii until the kids got home around 7:20pm.

Once the kids were home we all three played Wii golf. Bella’s pretty good. I convinced the kids that it was pajama time around 8:10pm. We were all done just as Mindy returned home at 8:25pm. The kids were able to stay up just a few minutes longer before Mindy and I tucked them in. Because I had such a poor night’s sleep Tuesday, I was eager for an early bed time. We headed up just after 9pm.

Leaving It at the Door ... I Tried

I woke feeling incredibly good after more than enough sleep. That marks the first time in a couple of months that I woke feeling like I had more than enough sleep on a work day. I already knew that it had snowed after glancing out the window in the middle of the night. It had all but stopped by the time 5:30am rolled around. Judging from inside, the depth looked to be no more than two inches. I seriously doubted that schools would be closed. I joyfully began my work out regiment.

I had the TV on watching the school closings stream in. I was surprised to see that Hilliard canceled early, but there still was no word on SWCS. Just after my walk with Ykraps they called it, however. And by then the snow had started back up in earnest. They close schools a lot faster than I remember!

Mindy asked why I hadn’t yet informed her. It was just after 6am. I was waiting ‘til coffee time to deliver the news. She promptly went back to bed. I could hear the kids stirring upstairs, though. That happens too frequently. No school – they’re up way early.

I still held out hope for my 30 minutes of peace before my run. I got it. Come 6:30am I left out the door for my run bundled warmly. The snow was blowing from the east and was on the heavy side. It was cold snow so it didn’t easily stick to my attire. It was a very nice run in the snow which served as a soft pad for my feet. Once I was back at home it was daylight – a sure sign of hope.

I shoveled the drive for the next ten minutes. Back in the house everyone was still in their beds. I was able to prep lunch and breakfast in complete silence. I delivered coffee for Mindy when I went to shower. Bella was in bed with Mindy. The kids were stoked that they didn’t have school and/or sitter. That made my morning incrementally easier too.

I left for work around 8:10am and arrived just after 8:30am. The snow was coming down good making the go slow. We had an abundance of call-offs due to weather and school cancelations. We made do, however. I was more than busy but still insisted on taking a short lunch break around 2pm. I had to get away for a few. I went to Tuttle Mall.

The afternoon kept me hopping as I met with several of my direct reports. Sometime mid-afternoon I walked down to the loading dock to pick-up/sign for a perishable package. It was a Cheryl’s Cookies bouquet from Mindy. I didn’t open it. I left for home around 5:50pm. I worked a bit later than I had hoped. I was not in a good frame of mind for reasons which I won’t immediately discuss here. I called Mindy and chatted briefly but eventually we hung up as my mind wandered other matters. She’d been home all day with the kids, and the neighbors kids visited too. Sounds like they had a fun day. Jacob finally got to snow board some in the back yard on the hill.

Mindy made a beef roast in the crock pot. Dinner was all but ready as I headed out the door with Ykraps. My stomach was a bit upset rendering my appetite nonexistent. I somehow managed to eat some of her delicious roast beef just the same. And once I began to eat I got hungrier! J I didn’t want to talk about my issue but instead chose to stew over it through all of dinner. All that aside, dinner was nice and even the kids enjoyed it, which is a switch. They often request something other than what Mindy & I are having.

After dinner and clean-up I snuck off to the PC where I blogged and downloaded several days worth of photos. That helped relieve the stress and burden I still carried. Mindy got the kids ready for bed during that same time period. She requested I tuck in the kids around 8pm. I did. When we both were back downstairs she made me a stiff Beam & Coke and herself some wine. The drink helped take the edge off of my matter. I was then able to discuss it in some detail with Mindy – work related! I felt somewhat better but not healed. We moved to the family room to catch American Idol around 9:10pm. We weren’t sure at the time if it would be a one or two-hour show. It ended up being a two-hour version.

It was decent. They’re almost down to the final 24 Hollywood contestants. One more show to get there, I think. We headed to bed at 10pm. Tired when we headed up, suddenly I found myself again fretting over this work related matter. I just couldn’t sleep. No matter what I tried, my mind wouldn’t release. I gave up on sleep and went downstairs to watch some mind numbing TV. I watched an episode of Office and then Ten Items or less. I soon fell asleep. After waking I went back to bed.

Sheiken Leidel

Uh-oh - overslept again. I knew I was in trouble when Mindy’s alarm went off. Even while sleeping I knew something about that just wasn’t right. I was on my feet in five seconds gathering my bearings and heading down the stairs to begin my day. It was 5:45am.

I was determined to follow-through with my normal routine instead of cutting out a specific exercise. I would simply try to shave a few minutes here and there to get back on track. That was a successful endeavor. I was back sipping coffee and moving onto meditation by 6:15am. I delivered Mindy’s coffee but she was already up. I left for a run by 6:35am.

It was pretty darn cold still. The temperature 5 degrees - below zero with the wind chill. But thanks to a somewhat light wind, it couldn’t pierce my running armor. Back home for eggs by 7:15am, I drug our emptied trash bin back to the side of the garage. Inside, my breakfast was ready. I enjoyed the eggs and fruit. Mindy & Bella departed around 7:25am.

Jacob and I walked to the bus stop at 7:55am and I was warm and at work by 8:20am. The day proceeded as expected. I left for lunch just after 1pm. I drove up to Sawmill Rd to visit Dick’s and Sports Authority. I wanted to give one last look for a ski helmet. Dick’s at Sawmill’s selection was even leaner than it was at the new Hilliard store. But just down the road at S.A. they had a healthy selection and better pricing. I bought a decent one. While there I picked up a ‘gator’ too. I looked for a knee brace with side support for Mindy but they didn’t have one in a small.

I was back at work an hour later. The work day progressed as normal. Mindy made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. After walking Ykraps I sat down for some tasty food. The kids were eager to make this movie night. After our meal and clean-up we watched Chicken Little. It was the first I had seen the movie. It was cute! We had a fire, too.

The kids were in bed just after 8pm. Mindy & I stayed up no later than 9:00pm. We were both tired. Mindy & the kids were hopeful that school would be closed Tuesday due to an approaching winter storm. It has just begun to snow as we headed off to bed.

Stiff

I’m quite sure that we were asleep before 10:30pm Saturday night. Even still, we both slept a good long time. I got up some time after 8am. Mindy stayed in bed much longer. I exercised cautiously as almost every part of my body ached from skiing. What concerned me most was my groin. It was incredibly stiff. I had taken an anti-inflammatory before bed and took another before exercising. I was hopeful that it would kick in fast.

Heading out the door with Ykraps I bundled warmly already aware that the air was much colder than Saturday. As I said, I knew it was colder, but this was ridiculous. It was bitter cold. And the wind was gusting over 40mph. Once back home I checked the temperature. It was 13 degrees but with the wind chill it was minus 10. Add to all of that the recent loss of my ‘cold calluses’ and I was one cold dude!

I took my time puttering around the house all the while Mindy slept. She finally woke just after 10am and was moving at a snails pace. She said her knee was causing much discomfort. While she reclined and used her magic massage pillow, I readied for a run. As anticipated, it was one cold run. The wind was down right brutal. Despite my best efforts to avoid it, my penis froze darn near solid. It hurt! I was very happy to return home after my run. Even in spite of the chill, I worked up one heck of a sweat.

We lazed around the house through the late morning and early afternoon. We both took showers and planned a trip to Dick’s. Mindy wanted to look for a knee brace and I wanted to look at ski helmets. Mindy thinks I need one given my balls-to-the-wall skimanship. The kids were expected home at 1pm. We figured we should await their return before heading out in an all-out rush. Good call!

The kids returned home just after 1pm. Minutes after Jimaken dropped them off we loaded into the Trooper & headed off towards Dick’s. Once at Dick’s Mindy and the kids went one way and me another. I looked over their ski helmet selection for a long while. They had several models but few that fit me. I didn’t realize that my head was so big! Geesh! But then again, you know what they say. Big hands, big feet, big head, big …

I ended up not picking one. The only one that fit was $120. Now, of course, I believe my head is worth far more than that, but also knew that I could find one cheaper elsewhere and of the same quality. Given that knowledge I passed. Meanwhile, Mindy found a knee brace and ‘gator’ for her neck. After minimal browsing we opted for the check-out line. We headed back home arriving around 2:30pm. We had 1.5 hrs before we’d be heading to Gloria’s Sunday dinner.

We played some Wii golf, and daughter Ashley stopped over around 3:30pm to get her birthday gift. Her birthday’s not until Friday next (Feb 17) but she found a TV she wants to get so we promised her a contribution towards that end. She’s very excited about moving into her own apartment. It’s coming up fast!

Before I realized it, it was time to go to family dinner. After a little brushing up we were heading out the door. We were there by 4:20pm. If memory serves me, this was the first Sunday that everyone was present, save for Lindey, since Xmas. It was nice. We had Sloppy Joe’s, Bell pepper casserole (new entrée), and fried potatoes. As always, everything was delicious. The family time was nice too. The family was all a buzz over the news of Camilla’s home coming. She’s from the Netherlands, I believe, and practically the adopted daughter of Jody & Larry. Actually, she was an exchange student that lived with ‘em for several months. And as luck would have it, they became quite fond of one another. All the children were given Valentine’s gifts. The actual holiday is just a few days away – yikes!

We bundled and left for home around 7:10pm. It was very cold but the wind had died considerably. Bella had our evening already planned out and shared it with us on the drive home. It was really quite cute. Mindy saw the kids into their PJ’s while I walked Ykraps. My job was to build a fire. Afterwards, we all played Wii. Bella didn’t last. She was getting real sleepy. Mindy herded them both upstairs at 8:20pm. At 9pm I tuned into Family Guy. It was an hour-long double episode – a rerun. Even still, it was very funny! Immediately afterwards we headed for bed.

Ski Day

I woke just before 7:30am feeling completely rested and ready to go, and that was after no more than 6.5 hours of sleep. Gone was that under slept feeling that hampered me all week long. I asked Mindy what time she wanted up as I was heading down the stairs. She said something like, whenever I deemed it time. OK.

I exercised and made coffee before setting out with Ykraps. Meanwhile, I couldn’t help but notice the spring-like sunrise. The sky would transition from sun to clouds multiple times through the morning hours. A check of the weather revealed an expected high of 47 degrees with gusty winds and sunshine. I wondered what the skiing conditions might be like but certainly didn’t fret over it.

I quietly dressed and departed for my run darn close to 830am. It was a good run. The birds were singing and I had my first citing of spring flowers bursting up through the mulch. Spring is in the air to be sure. However, not all too surprising, winter’s supposed to make a dramatic return later tonight through about Tuesday. They’re even predicting sub-zero wind chills again!

Mindy was still sleeping peacefully when I returned home. I went about preparing a nice breakfast so that we’d have plenty of energy for our day of skiing. Besides, I haven’t made breakfast for the two of us in a long while. I made a delicious turkey & cheese omelet, and served it with rye/pumpernickel toast and fruit. I had to notify Mindy that her breakfast was ready. It was almost 10am.

It was an odd morning. Again, when the sun busted out it seemed like spring but when the clouds returned and winds gusted, it felt cold and blustery. We wasted little time preparing for the day’s activities. We were ready to go by 11am. If nothing else it was good to go through the fire drill. This was great prep for our coming trip. Just before we left Tommy called to let us know that he was just outside of Marysville and would see us there.

We left just after 11am and called Bob & Mary Ann once we were on I-270. They were already there. It didn’t take long for us either. It’s about a 50 minute drive. By the time we arrived we were under completely blue skies. The temperature was about 42 degrees. However, the wind was blowing briskly, and against the snowy hillside it felt a bit cooler. A couple different times I reminded Mindy to bring our cold weather gear just in case. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

It didn’t take long to get our lift passes and rental gear. Some how we remembered the somewhat quirky system from two years ago when we were last here (Mindy’s first time skiing - ever). We found Tommy in the ski boot aisle. As we were getting our boots on Bob called. He & Mary Ann were nearing the rental building. Their news wasn’t good. They reported less than desirable conditions and even used ‘dangerous’ as an adjective. According to Mary Ann the slush was deep and rutted making for rough going. She was kind enough to confirm the park policy on refunds which guaranteed conditions for the first hour. If we weren’t satisfied we could get a pass good for any other day this season. We were willing to give it a go.

We headed up the lift. The slopes didn’t look that bad to me, although I could see that they were carved up pretty good. First run we did a green for Mindy. It was a bit soft and sloppy but not too ridiculous. We had fun. As expected, Mindy struggled to get her groove. It takes a few years to get it like riding a bike. She fell on average about once each run down. She seemed to remember her technique, but getting the body to respond was altogether something else! J

Mindy eventually joined the rest of us on the black slopes taking her time winding & slogging her way through the wet, granular snow. Actually, I kind of enjoyed it, although I would’ve liked to hit some groomed areas too. The tricky part was when a ski would get caught in a well worn rut. It was more than difficult to manage out of it.

We stopped for a beer break around 330pm. There we enjoyed some beer, pizza, and water in the comfy lodge. We must’ve spent about an hour relaxing before setting out for more winter fun. I was stoked – energized more than ever for thrills on the slopes. We skied another 1.5 hours or so before Mindy grew tired and Tommy got caught up in a few work related matters. Mindy made her way back to the lodge after her most recent spill claiming her skiing day over. After a few more runs, Mary Ann volunteered to go check on Mindy in the lodge. Bob, Tommy, and I did a few more runs before Tommy opted out.

We went back in for another beer break just before dusk. Of all people, we ran into our neighbors, Kenny and Crissy, who were there tubing with their Florida friends. I see them everywhere I go. Only Bob and I remerged for more skiing after the sun set and the moon rose. Now that it was dark, the upper most layers of snow began to freeze making the slush crunchy. The slopes were now much faster. The sky was spectacular with a waning crescent moon and numerous stars. It was really beautiful. We must’ve skied another four or five runs. Finally, just after 7pm we declared just one last run. As luck would have it, I busted my keester on that last run. But thankfully not too bad. Not wanting to push our luck, we called it a night.

We met up with Mindy & Mary Ann back in the lodge and gathered our things to go. We agreed to meet back in town at Barley’s for some food. Until then, we went our separate ways. The return process went smoothly and by 7:50pm we were on the road to home. I was tired from the busy day and so the road nearly hypnotized me. By the time we arrived at Barley’s – 45 minutes later the muscles were stiffening. The place was more crowded than we expected .Jersey was tending bar. We had to share seats along side the bar.

We all ordered food and brew with the exception of Mindy who drank water. Her knee was really bothering her. After our meal we were all done! We left for our respective homes minutes later.

Mindy & I weren’t home long before we found our way to bed. I had to walk Ykraps first, however. He’d been waiting patiently since his last walk at roughly 8am this morning. He’s a good dog!

Settling on Granite

It was Friday morning, my favorite day of the week. I was up late sleeping well past my usual 5:30am. It was 5:50am by the time I was down the stairs beginning my routine. I completed a round of sit-ups but skipped the others. I figured my muscles could use the break, & besides, I needed to find a few minutes wherever I could.

Ykraps and I hit the door at 6:00am. Milder than many others, the walk was a pleasant one. We were back for coffee by 6:15am. Already awake & out of bed, I sat Mindy’s coffee on the dresser in the shower room. I spent very little time on the PC, choosing instead to get as much meditation time as possible without crimping my running schedule. I dressed and departed for my run at 6:35am.

The run went fine, although, I continued to battle a chronic case of the sleepies. The kids were most cooperative as we enjoyed our breakfasts. Both kids seemed excited about their weekend with Jimaken. Mindy & I had little planned.

As is often the case, Jacob played Wii while I showered for work. Jacob walked to the bus stop with me not far behind in the Trooper. After the bus left with the children, Pat and I talked for a few minutes –mostly about his twin boys, who celebrated their 18th birthdays today. It’s hard to believe that they’re 18! Pat talked half jokingly about the prospect of one of them getting into some trouble today, but at the same time I sensed that he might be serious, too. I can relate!

Off to work. The day went by quickly. I didn’t stop for a planned lunch and really never got too hungry. Somebody did an Arby’s run but I wasn’t at all interested. I worked straight through until 5pm, when I packed up and headed for home.

Mindy made plans to meet me at Rock Tops Granite on my way home. We met there around 5:20pm. My sales guy wasn’t in, but another guy I spoke with earlier in the week was. He helped us after finishing with another couple. After checking out their entire stock, there was none we liked more than the Uba Tuba. We decided jointly on that one and asked him to write-up the deal. The only changes we made were from a 50/50 under mount sink to a 60/40 and a 4.5” backsplash from 4.0”. It’ll be about 3 weeks before templating and another three for install after that.

Mindy headed to the grocery from there. I headed home. I walked Ykraps and then grabbed a quick nap. I needed the sleep. I helped Mindy carry in the groceries around 6:45pm. We were home for another hour before heading to Barley’s. Courtney Jump phoned before we left to let us know that she, Jeremy, and Porter would be in for dinner tonight. We haven’t seen them for several weeks.

We arrived at Barley’s just before 8pm. I emailed with Bob I. earlier so I expected to see him there. In addition, my old buddy Tom Clark was supposed to meet us there. We had hoped to hook him up with a friend of Mindy’s but later learned that she wasn’t going to make it. Her father was ill and she needed to leave town. At least that’s the story.

It was good to be at Barley’s on a Friday night. We hadn’t been there with all the peeps in a few weeks. It’s still a little unusual being there and not seeing Lee. Coincidentally, he called me earlier in the afternoon asking if we wanted to meet up at the Grandview Old Bag O’ Nails. I would like to have but already had commitments made with others ot be at Barley’s.

Bob, Mark, and Steve were already there when we arrived. A while later Tom C. arrived as did brother Tommy. Even later, Rick showed up. Rene soon followed with a clan of her own. We kept the girls behind the bar hopping. We had lots of good food and beer. We stayed fairly late, too. In fact, the stools were going up as we departed. Earlier in the evening we collectively decided to ski Mad River Mountain on Saturday. We invited many others but just a few of us were locked in - Bob & Mary Ann, Tommy, Mindy and I. Tom C. might’ve but he was starting a new job at Chase Saturday night. We left for home just after midnight.

By the time we were home and ready for bed it was 12:48am. I remember taking notice of the incredibly late hour. I worried that I might not wake feeling as good as I hoped in preparation for skiing.

Home Alone

Even after a couple Beam & Cokes before bed the night before I was able to wake gently at 5:30am. In fact, I felt pretty darn good. I exercised and then leashed up Ykraps for the promised walk. He seemed most grateful. As best I could tell, the temperature was in the 30’s. That would later be confirmed as I sat in front of the PC sipping coffee while surfing.

I delivered Mindy’s coffee then spent the next 15 minutes meditating. I dressed for a run at 6:25 eventually making my way out the door around 6:35am. I thought that I might’ve overdressed but didn’t want to be too cold either. Turns out, I was sweating good with two light upper layers, a jacket, and a polar fleece dickey around my neck. I could’ve done without the dickey.

I finished my run around 7:10am. By the time I stripped off my outer layer and cooled down, it was 7:15am. Mindy had fried eggs ready in my spot. However, before sitting down to enjoy them I whipped up some tuna salad for lunch just as Mindy had asked. She had all the ingredients setting out awaiting my return. Soon her & Bella were out the door for school. She reminded me that she wouldn’t be home until after 8:30pm. I think she had a date planned.

Jacob and I enjoyed a few precious moments before I dashed off for the shower. He played Wii. I was back down and ready to go before 7:45am. I am getting much better at this. I had to stall him walking out the door lest we would be waiting at the bus stop for far too long. I drove – he walked.

There we met Pat & Alanna. We chuckled a little about the Buckeyes recruiting class and the lack of Pryor, the way too highly touted quarterback from PA. Soon I was on my way to work. My drive was short circuited by the need for gas. I stopped at Thronton’s for a fill-up. That took all of four minutes. Soon I was back on the road. I arrived around 8:25am.

The day went smoothly, yet there were a couple tense moments that I won’t discuss here. I didn’t bother taking a lunch although I know that I should’ve. The day was over in short order. I planned and left for home at 5:30pm. I would be arriving home to an empty house. The kids were with Jimaken and Mindy had parent conferences to discuss recent grade cards.

I walked Ykraps, rinsed my lunch containers, prepped tomorrow’s coffee then settled down into the recliner for a much deserved nap. I slept for a good 25 minutes, and boy did it feel good. Afterwards, I spent 15 minutes working on my blog. Now, with only 30 minutes before the kids were expected home, I chose to play some Wii golf. I played two 9-hole rounds just prior to their return. They arrived around 7:20pm.

The kids were unusually well-behaved. Bravo!! Jacob & I played a round of Wii golf He managed to keep his behavior in check through it all. I was proud of him. Bella, meanwhile, played with her ’flubber’. She was the first to get into her jammies. Jacob soon followed after a round of Wii bowling.

It was after 8pm. I allowed the kids ten minutes to play before sending them to bed. Bella was none to happy about going to bed without her momma home. I had just got them tucked in when I heard the garage door going up. Bella heard it too and went looking for her momma. They were both happy that she was home.

Mindy tucked the kids once again. We sat in the kitchen around the island talking. I had a Beam & Coke. We talked until 9:15pm when Mindy requested an early bed time. I finished my drink and headed up. I convinced Mindy that we should watch South Park from bed. I didn’t make it through the entire episode. She had all the power. She held the remote.

Bump In the Night

I was up just before 5:30am. It was yet another stormy night. The kids leaped into our bed somewhere near 2am after lightning and thunder woke them. It rained pretty hard and the wind howled. To their young souls, it had to be horrifying. We’ve had two severe thunderstorms over the last week – very rare this time of year.

The good news was that the storms were past us. The storm clouds were breaking up quickly. It was still warm – but not as warm as Tuesday. It was in the 40’s. After all, it is early February. I delivered Mindy’s coffee and went about the rest of my usual morning routine. I was out the door enjoying my run by 6:35am. The warmer weather was again quite comforting in that I didn’t need to be all bundled up.

My eggs were ready upon my return. I took a minute to add salad dressing to my packed lunch salad. Soon Mindy & Bella headed out. Jacob and I carried on as we generally do. He played Wii while I showered. I was ready in record time. Having a few minutes to kill, I gathered my tax information in hopes of running rough numbers while at work. We left at 7:55am.

I met Jacob at the bus stop after he elected to walk. I drove the Trooper. Pat & Alanna wee there too. We chatted about granite counter tops after the bus left with the kids. Pat has a lot of insight into such matters being a custom home builder and all. He confirmed what I thought I already knew. We got what seems to be a great price. That was reassuring to hear.

I headed into work arriving at 8:20am. I was very happy to see my peer in her office. The day would go much smoother I figured. We had our regular Wednesday staff meeting at 11am which was right after my morning interview. The day was flying by. I left for lunch at 1:15PM. I went to Home Depot. There I bought two new flood lights bulbs for the landscape. I took my time and browsed other home improvements just to kill time. It was good to be away from the office for a spell. I could feel the difference it made as the afternoon wound down. I didn’t have that tired feeling I’ve carried with me for the last week or so.

I left for home at 5:30pm. I talked with Mindy on the drive home. She told me that her friend, Carol was interested in meeting Tom Clark. She asked if it was OK for her to call him. Of course, I replied. We hung up as Jimaken was ringing in. Apparently his calls take precedence over mine. :) I arrived home around 5:45pm. The weather was turning noticeably cooler. The neighbor kids, Emily & Evan were down playing. I walked them home while also walking Ykraps.

Back home we dug into dinner- leftover chicken breast from the night before. They were still good. Bella, however, didn’t join us. She was up in her room pouting about something. Mindy went up after dinner to talk her down off the ledge. According to Mindy, she’d been like that all afternoon – a pill!

Meanwhile, Jacob pestered me about playing basement hockey all through dinner. I agreed to play. We went directly to the cellar. We played 4 games. He actually won one. Still, he got angry during our last game and stomped away swinging at me as he left. He is not a good looser. I went upstairs to change into my pajamas. The kids readied for bed too. After changing into my comfy clothes and brushing my teeth, I agreed to play some NFL PS2 in Jacob’s room. He was the Colts. I was the Vikings. A mismatch in terms of PS2. Yet despite the mismatch, I took the lead after intercepting Manning twice. Jacob, as he often does, demonstrated poor sportsmanship and quit the game by shutting it down. I wasn’t real excited about what he had done but almost expected it.

Now generally speaking, Jacob is a good boy, and smart, too. I guess one could say that there are lots of little things that I can help him with along his path to becoming a well rounded Youngman.

After the kids were tucked firmly into bed, Mindy and I found ourselves relaxing in the living room. We chatted about some different things, and I even spent a few minutes roughing out our combined tax return. We were both pleased with the numbers. We stayed up until 10:40pm chatting until giving way to the urge for bed. I didn’t fall asleep until 11:15pm.

Rock Tops

Up right on time, I was eager to begin my day. By 5:35am I was already down the stairs whipping out my sit-ups, push-ups, and curls. I knew that it was supposed to be warmer today, but had no idea it was gonna be this warm. It was downright late spring warm.

When Ykraps and I stepped out the door I realized that I probably didn’t need even the light jacket that I wore. I later learned that it was 60 degrees. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again. There will be days in late May and even early June where it’ll be cooler at 5:45am. While checking the temperature, I checked the radar too. A band of strong red storms were moving towards us from the NW. I knew then that my run would be a bumpy one.

I tried to hurry a little but still didn’t alter my routine much. After all, I do what I do because it’s important enough to me. I delivered Mindy’s coffee, meditated, then prepped for a run. I hit the door at 6:30am sharp. A couple hundred yards into my run I witnessed a few distant lightning flashes. I stayed dry for the first 2.5 miles, but the bottom dropped out soon after. It began to rain quite heavily. However, the rain was the least of my worries. The lightning intensified and became more frequent. And wouldn’t you know it, I was about as far away from the house as my run takes me. I kept an eye out for an open garage to dash into should a lightning bolt strike nearby. Without consciously trying, my pace picked up considerably. I made it safely back home as witness by my writing this entry.

Mindy had a beach towel at the door waiting my arrival. That was thoughtful. I was never more happy to be home. I was quite winded, too. That was due in part to my final dash. Mindy had our scrambled eggs cooking on the stove. It was only 7:05am. We had a little more time than usual. I tried to help by getting the kids breakfasts ready. Bella was very worried about the lightning. She asked her momma not to open the garage door until she was already in the van. She was afraid that the lightning would get her.

Soon those two were gone and Jacob and I were left at home to ourselves. Jacob asked to play Wii while I showered. I was ready to go by 7:47am. We had plenty of time to leisurely prepare for our departure. Because it was still raining, Jacob wisely chose to accept a ride to the bus stop. We waited at the corner for the bus to pull up. I drove off towards work at 8:03am. Because of no corner time, I arrived to work about ten minutes earlier than usual.

The day was just as busy as Monday. Again, my peer was off making for a much more interesting day. Today, however, I was determined to squeeze in a lunch break. There’s no denying that I need that hour break. I left around 1pm. It was raining to beat all get out. I drove to Rock Tops Granite off of Roberts and Walcutt to get a counter top estimate. I took my drawings. It took a few extra minutes to find the exact location having never been there before.

I was there just over 40 minutes when they finally freed a sales guy to help me. I was most impressed with the giant slabs of granite on display. They were huge and there were like 70 of them. They had some of the same stuff that Home Depot had as well as many more. I am really glad I stopped here. Funny thing is, we arbitrarily received their flyer in the mail just one day after getting the Home Depot estimate. God loves me! Their estimate was significantly less than Home Depot – more than a $1500 less for the same stuff. At the prices quoted, we can likely justify the expense. I looked forward to sharing the numbers with Mindy. I was there about 20 minutes longer than I originally anticipated. No harm, though. I sent my boss and email indicating that I’d be delayed a few.

The rest of the day went a bit easier. I left for home just before 5:30pm. I failed to call Mindy on the drive home. Instead, I phoned brother Tom to give him shit about not making the family breakfast. As expected, his excuse was that no one called to remind him. But I was ready for that excuse. I told him that no one reminded Bob or I either! We laughed it off. He shared more depressing news about the direction of his business. It seems the corporate sales team at Domino’s is clueless on how to compete these days. Tom pays quite a chunk as a franchisee for their marketing adds. They want to pitch speed over product. That’s never been what’s driven successful sales. For the first time in many years, I advised Tom that perhaps it was indeed time for him to move on.

I was home in no time flat. And yes, it was still raining. Mindy was making dinner, baked chicken breast. I greeted Mindy & Jacob then headed out with Ykraps. It was a soggy walk. Soon, however, the drudgery was over and we were back on dry ground. I was eager for some dinner. Bella was at dance class so Jacob got our undivided attention.

After dinner and clean-up, Mindy & Jacob played Wii. I snuck quietly into the living room to steal a nap with the massage pillow. It was total bliss. I was out like a light. Jacob left with Mindy to fetch Bella. After I woke, I updated my blog in their absence. They were back before 8pm. Mindy asked for help getting them ready for bed. I helped a little. I helped with the after bath care (teeth brushing and reading with Jacoby).

I was called back up for the tuck-in process. Bella was supposedly spooked by my entry. She screamed wildly, and Mindy came to her aid. The truth of it is, I did spook her, but I often do and she generally laughs. Tonight, for whatever reason, she screamed and cried. Later, she wanted me to return for another tuck. Not a chance!

After the kids were stowed away we watched American Idol. After that we watched a new episode of House. It was good. Come 10pm we headed for bed.

Mulling Over Monday

Happy 58th B-Day, Kelly!

woke a couple times well before I needed to and to counter such action I simply rolled back over and went to sleep. I guess I got too comfy. I didn’t wake for good until 5:37am. Just those few precious minutes sometimes is enough to make my morning frantic if I allow it. Today, however, I chose to move along as usual.

The sky was dark and overcast. No view of Venus and Jupiter today. No sir! The temperature, however, was very moderate compared to the days prior. It was already above freezing. It was almost 40 degrees. I wore just a fleece jacket as I stepped out with Ykraps. I didn’t wear hand or ear covers either. It was nice.

After our walk I was back making my coffee by 6:04am – a few minutes behind but again, nothing worth stressing over. Besides, what would that change? After a few quick minutes on the PC I made and delivered Mindy’s coffee. Time to meditate!

I spent a handful of quality minutes in meditation. It was nice and peaceful. I dressed for a run at 6:31am and left out the door just a few minutes later. I felt pretty good and got in a good run. My mind wandered many places, making the run go that much faster. I was back for eggs by 7:17am. Both kids were up and having their breakfast. Bella really wanted a toaster strudel but Mindy denied her request. Jacob played Wii while I took off for a shower.

I returned downstairs ready to go by 7:50am. Jacob walked to the bus stop with plenty of time to spare. He was sporting his new do and new tennis shoes! I met him there with the Trooper. I Chatted with Pat only briefly before heading on into work. I shared the Mindy story.

I listened to ESPN’s Mike & Mike on my drive in. They discussed the Super Bowl. Like I figured, the catch that Tyree made off of his helmet was all the talk, that and Eli’s scrambling. I arrived at work by 8:25am.

The work day was busy like most Monday’s but it felt even busier since my peer was off. I didn’t take a lunch break for the 5th day in a row. I’ve really gottta stop doing that. My head’s fried come the end of the day. Today was no exception. I was mentally beat come 5:30pm. I had temporarily forgotten that this was a Mindy Monday. Jimaken picked up the kids since Mindy had choir and a staff meeting after school. Mindy and I agreed to meet for dinner after work. We originally agreed on Ding Ho but Mindy ultimately changed her mind to Barley’s. Go figure!

She arrived five minutes before me. She found us a cozy place at the bar. She already had a Cherry Porter in hand when I walked in. I ordered a Droughtfire IPA. We placed a food order rather quickly, too. Mindy ordered her favorite salad. I ordered Gates of Hell wings.

Deidra was our bartender. She was most attentive – always is. Wings were exceptionally good tonight. Cooked extra-well just like I prefer them. Hate to eat and run but Mindy had to be at choir, and I don’t like hanging out too late on a school night. We left at the same time – 6:40pm. Mindy had to be at choir by 6:45pm. I had to be home to intercept the kids by 7:15pm.

I was home well before that. I did my usual chores. I didn’t have to walk Ykraps. Mindy had already done so. I used the time to catch up on my blog. I had four days to add, but was even more behind with adding photos. I didn’t get finished before the kids got home. I cast the blog aside to tend to the children. Jacob needed help with homework and they both needed to get ready for bed. Jacob’s homework wasn’t as easy as Mindy let on. It was confusing to me, and Jacob was more interested in playing hockey or Wii. I put the kabosh on that, however. Homework first! We went as far as we could with the homework. Mindy would have to help him finish when she arrived home. Next, I got them both into their PJs and saw to it that their teeth were brushed. We waited for Mindy to arrive home. She wasn’t too far behind. She arrived near 8:30pm. While she toiled with the rest of Jacob’s homework, I returned to my blog. I worked on it until 9pm. By then I was beat and ready for bed. I did take another short break to tuck in the kids. Just after 9pm we headed to bed.

Super Sunday

I slept really well and got up for keeps at 6:50am. I needed to be up by 7am anyway to remain comfortably on task. This, being the first Sunday of the month, it was our family breakfast day. I prepped coffee and then exercised. Meanwhile, I was taken back by the incredible view of Venus and Jupiter out the family room window with a sliver of a crescent moon just to their immediate right. Awesome!

By the time I finished exercise and headed out the door with Ykraps the sky had brightened to the degree that the stars were no longer visible. I readied and left for a run by 7:50am but not before delivering coffee to Mindy’s bedside. And just as you might guess, she reported feeling 100 times better than yesterday morning. :)

I wore a medium-weight running shirt and listened to NPR for the duration of my run. I listened to an interesting piece that contrasted the religious upbringing of Obama and Clinton. And during the final mile, I listened to three intelligent youths (19-21 years old) share their thoughts about what was important to them in the coming presidential election. I was home by 8:25am and moved quickly towards a shower. Mindy was all but completely ready. We were collectively ready to hit the door by 8:45am.

We left at 8:50am. We took I-70W and got off at Hilliard-Rome Rd S. Brother Bob and family were just pulling in. Dad was already there. We didn’t see Tommy’s vehicle anywhere. We didn’t remind him, but then again, no one reminds us. :) It’s been a small group the prior two times with Bob’s family missing them both. But today there were eleven of us.

Breakfast was extra tasty. Bob Evans just knows how to do it. Our waitress, Ying, a young Asian woman, was most delightful. Among other things, she shared some of her guitar hero antics with us. We were there for just over an hour. Our after plans included some Sunday shopping and taking Jacob for a hair cut. We headed towards Wal-Mart first, where Mindy returned her 2nd knee brace in as many weeks. They’re all too big. Next, we drove to Target to get Jacob’s new shoes.

I helped Jacob select some tennis shoes and then some casual slip-ons much like my own. We looked at a few other things as well, but bought nothing else. Mindy stood in the checkout line while Jacob and I made a beeline for Sports Clips right next door. The wait was 20 minutes or more. I figured we might stand a better chance of getting in at Great Clips just down the way. We waited for Mindy then drove down there. They quoted us a 20 minute wait as well. We accepted but left to browse the Bed, Bath & Beyond next door for a few.

Fifteen minutes later, Jacob and I headed back to Great Clips. They called after only another minute. We briefly discussed the cut and off Laura went sheering Jacob’s tender scalp.

I read an article in a rack magazine about healthy marriages written by Dr. Phil. Interesting spin. Mindy & Bella joined us just as they were finishing up. In the 2.5 years I have known Mindy, this is the first decent haircut Jacob’s had. He actually looked great (short back & sides, - #2 guard – a little longer on top). We left Great Clips and finally headed for home.

At home, the kids played Wii while I went to the basement to work on some organization. What a mess. I had no idea where to begin. It’s a very daunting task. I decided to let go of any grandiose expectations and simply begin sifting through the many boxes full of stuff trying to weed out the trash. I was able to successfully weed out two large boxes. But there’s so much more to be gone through. Next phase will be weeding out old bill boxes for shredding.

After about 1.5 hours in the basement I returned upstairs to work on the water valve in the kids shower. It drips continuously unless you give the handle a good pop after each use. I’ve had a spare valve on hand for almost a year that was originally intended for Gloria’s. I’ve replaced this valve twice past. The process is really quite simple but there are a few small nuances that can not be overlooked lest you’ll have big troubles on your hands. The first time I did the job, I dropped the ever important cotter pin down the wall cavity! I had no choice but to return to Lowes to steal another. :) I wasn’t about to pay another $25 for a $.05 part. That was about ten years ago.

Today it was going fairly well save for the lack of total recall, but I managed. I had it all but ready to test in less than ten minutes. Once I was convinced I had done it correctly I turned the water supply back on in the basement. It worked well save for the hot & cold being reversed. Crap. That meant I had the valve in upside down. Not a huge ordeal, but that meant I had to repeat the process all over again. So, I took it apart in a matter of minutes only to forget which end was up when I pulled the valve. Sure enough, after redoing it and then testing, it was still reversed. I reviewed the direction looking for a clue. No such markings. Hmm? I took it apart once again only this time I paid careful attention to the valve markings. Success. What made it troubling was the numerous trips up & down the stairs back and forth from the basement to turn the water on & off. I made the job much tougher than it really needed to be. However, the good news was that the water valve works as good as new!

After putting my tools away I retreated upstairs for a much desired nap. There I snuggled with my pillow all the while tuning into the Super Bowl pregame on Fox, and then the FBR golf tournament on CBS all from the same city – Phoenix. Mindy asked if I was up for Barley’s. We had loosely discussed dining there in lieu of cooking dinner. There we could watch the Super Bowl. She came up mid-nap. I was interested in going but not until 6pm or just before kick-off. In fact, I planned the rest of my nap around that concept.

About 5:45pm I got up and quickly groomed. I was thinking all along that we’d be leaving for Barley’s in a matter of minutes. Imagine my surprise when Mindy opened the bedroom door once more to tell me that dinner was ready. Hmmm? She said she couldn’t wait and really didn’t have an interest in watching the Super Bowl at Barley’s. Just as well. I was happy to stay home in my comfy clothes.

We had Bubba burgers smothered in cheese and onions. They’re always tasty! After dinner and clean-up we prepared ourselves for Super Bowl viewing. I got a fire going and the kids got out the floor comforter. By 6:25pm we were all set for the game.

The game was a close, low-scoring affair. The Patriots lead at half but by the slimmest of margins – 7-3. The halftime show featured Tom Petty. I thought the performance was weak. The second half was very exciting with the Giants sacking and harassing Tom Brady like he hasn’t been all year long. The Patriots took the lead with just about three minutes to go all but sealing the fate of the Giants. I, like most others, figured the Giants done. But that wasn’t the case. They put together what might be on of the most memorable Super Bowl drives of all time. The drive included 3rd down heroics, spectacular scrambling, fantastic catches, and near misses. Bottom line, the Giants scored the go ahead touchdown leaving the Patriots 35 seconds to perform a miracle of their own and from their 11 yard line. Giants won 17-14. Great game.

Mindy and I were both rooting for the Giants. After the post game we watched a special episode of House from bed. I was asleep before it was half over.

Didn't See Her Shadow But Did See Her Puke

I woke at 8:00am and quickly got my morning underway. Mindy lunged over for a hug just as I snuck out of bed. She smelt like booze. Holy smoke. The reality of it is, she really didn’t drink all that much. She had two glasses of wine and three Goldshclagers over the entire evening (three hours).

I went about my morning routine like any other Saturday. I didn’t figure the day to be a productive one for Mindy by any measure. Later, after I walked Ykraps and enjoyed my first cup of coffee, I was surprised to hear her coming down stairs with the kids. But after a short stint it hit her again. Next thing I knew Mindy had her head down on her arms at the island counter. That couldn’t be a good sign, I figured. It wasn’t. I encouraged her to go back to bed. I’d deal with the kids.

The kids played in their rooms – Jacob with his PS2 and Bella watched cartoons from her bed. They were well-behaved. I left for a run around 10:15am. I had a very enjoyable run. The weather was partly sunny and the temperature struggled into the mid 30’s. Mindy remained sleeping even after I returned. I think that she joined us again around noon. By then she reported feeling considerably better.

We had tinkered with the idea of going skiing at MRM, and Mindy even asked if I wanted to head up around noon. I did not. Truth is, I was feeling rather lazy. I planned no major project work, and instead spent the afternoon playing Wii and then on the PC. Mindy took yet another short nap mid-day. I spent some time researching my trouble with Paint Shop Pro X2. I learned via Google that they install a version of Spyware that upon install is almost impossible to remove. For that very reason, I decided not to buy the full program. I’d simply use something else. I already have two other programs that will fill the bill anyhow. I spent another two hours dealing with that. I felt great once I decided once and for all that I wouldn’t be buying their software.

Mindy & I made arrangements to have Olivia over this evening while Ashley went out with her mom. Later, Lindsey called to ask if Lil’ Rocky could come too. We agreed. We were gonna run out and get Jacob some badly needed new tennis shoes and a hair cut but decided to wait until tomorrow. About that time – 3pm – the neighbor’s kids, Jake & Makayla, came over to play. They stayed and played for a good 3 hours. I finally took a much deserved shower around 5:00pm. After, while walking Ykraps – around 5:40pm – Ashley arrived with the grandkids.

She visited for about 30 minutes before heading back home leaving Lil’ Rocky & Olivia with us for the evening. Suddenly, we had a house full of kids – six to be exact! The kids played well together. Olivia hung out with us. Jake & Makayla went home around 6:30pm. I made macaroni & cheese for the kids – Rocky’s request. He asks for it every time he comes over without fail. As much as Rocky loves mac & cheese, Olivia loves raisins. She’ll literally shove hands full into her mouth all at one time. She just can’t get enough. The kids ate well. Afterwards, Mindy arranged for baths. First, she gave Olivia one. She loved it!

Mindy laid her down in the spare room afterwards. She played by herself peacefully while the others bathed. Later, however, she pitched one. Mindy ultimately found her needing a change and afterwards brought her down to entertain us. She was so much fun! Cute as a button! Soon all the kids were in bed, including Olivia. We relaxed by a roaring fire until Ashley came around 945pm to pick ‘em up.

We watched the DVD, Talladega Night’s. It was a hoot!