Celebrating Me @ 52 - Wahoo!

I woke near 6am with just a slight headache. I slept a couple more hours but struggled to get more deep, restful sleep. It was just before 8am when I rolled out of bed, brushed my teeth, grabbed my running clothes and headed downstairs. Mindy wished me happy birthday but quickly rolled over to get more sleep.

It was mostly sunny again, and something that brought me great joy. I started coffee and then took a couple Advil. I had just a slight hint of a headache. Because it was Sunday I didn’t plan on doing calisthenics. Of course I did plan to run. While sipping coffee and playing around on the internet I remembered that the 9-11 memorial programming was slated to begin at 8am. I went to the family room and tuned the TV to NBC. It was 830am.

Both Obama and Bush gave brief speeches before the WTC memorial gates were opened to the surviving families. It was a touching moment at the memorial but with probably too much coverage, honestly. The memorial waterfalls are beautiful and the park-like setting nicer than I expected. Can’t wait to see it in person.

Mindy had been talking all week about how much she was looking forward to seeing the WTC memorial ceremonies. So against my better judgment I took her coffee around 9am and turned on the bedroom TV so she could catch some of it. Wasn’t sure if she was feeling OK or not. She wasn’t 100% but still appreciative of the both the coffee and the reminder of the WTC ceremonies.

I headed back downstairs with Eiknarf and then out the door for a walk. After our walk, I watched the ceremonies for perhaps another 15-20 minutes before deciding it time to do my run. It was plenty warm – mid 60’s. I decided to run in shorts.

It was a lovely run and the sky only brightened more as the run went along. I took a moment or two to cast a gaze skyward when I heard the roar of jet engines passing by. Brought back memories of my birthday ten years prior and where I was and what I was doing. 

Unlike Saturday, Mindy was up when I got back home. Asked how my run went. Fine dear. She wished me happy birthday again and then asked if I had a good time the night before. Yep! Lindsey phoned a couple of times to make sure that I would be picking her and the boys up sometime after church. Yes. In lieu of going out to dinner, we made plans to have the kids and g-kids over to celebrate my 52^nd b-day.  The sacrifices we make! J

Mindy planned on grocery shopping while I went after the kids. Before any of that, however, I planned to give the Accord a much needed bath. And why not? It was supposed to be nice for the next few days, or so I assumed. Just before heading out I made a roast beef, cheese, and salsa wrap. Oh my gosh, was it ever good!

It was just a little after 11am when I headed out to get busy on the Accord.  I moved the Pilot to the curb to make room. While I started on the Accord, Mindy headed for the shower. Probably spent a good 45 minutes washing/polishing the Accord. She was looking good when I was done. I helped Mindy carry the recycling to the Pilot before she left for the grocery. Now about noon, I was feeling like I needed a nap. After talking with Lindsey earlier, I knew that they were walking over to Kelly’s after church, which ended around noon. I figured to have at least 30 minutes. I snuggled up on the sofa and tuned the TV to NFL pregame programming. It felt terrific!

Lindsey must have phoned around 1235pm to let me know that they had just arrived at Kelly’s. I told her I would be there around 1pm after taking a brief nap. She was good with that.  I lounged lazily as long as I could. I left to fetch Lindsey and the boys around 1250pm. I tuned my XM radio to NFL pregame. Just as I neared Kelly’s, the lone dark could in the entire sky (blue everywhere else) dumped a load of rain on my freshly scrubbed Accord.  I wasn’t pleased, but also laughed at my predicament. And it was raining hard, too. But again, sunny all around us, just like the last time I washed it.

The g-kids seemed good and were eager to get back to the house. They asked about playing Wii and airsoft, but unfortunately for them, there wouldn’t much if any Wii since this was opening Sunday for the NFL. Of course the rain ended (hadn’t rained at all north of

Broad St

). Arrived home and immediately got out my shami and repolished the Accord. I didn’t work for an hour for nothing.

The kids, including Lindsey, went immediately for our chocolate stash. Landon wanted to swing and Rocky wanted to play airsoft or ride bikes. I told Landon that his mommy could take him out to swing. As for Rocky, I nixed the airsoft thing until Jacob got home later. Both decided they wanted to ride bikes. Lindsey?

I insisted that Lindsey walk the bikes down the driveway to the sidewalk, one, as a safety measure, and two, to avoid any mishap with my car. I watched from the garage while Lindsey wheeled the first bike, Bella’s, down the drive for Landon. She handed it off halfway and then let him get on it and ride down the hill. I gave her the dickens insisting that she follow my advice. Our driveway is just too steep and our street too busy to allow unalert children to roll down the drive towards the street.

While Lindsey tended to Landon, I helped Rocky with Jacob’s old bike. I started walking it down the drive myself, but then Rocky took over saying he’d do it. No sooner had I handed it over did her jump right on and start to ride down the hill, too. I was furious. Nope! I pulled him off the bike and sent him inside for a timeout. Lindsey immediately questioned my response. Fact is, these boys simply don’t listen and don’t follow direction. As I see it, all of this is on Lindsey.

Lindsey hung out front with Landon while he road Bella’s bike. Who knew? This was the first I knew he could ride a two wheeler. He does it well, too. I headed inside to have a quiet chat with Rocky. It took a while to find him. In fact, for a minute I thought he might’ve defied me and simply headed right back out the front door when I came in through the garage. Instead, he was hiding under the dining room table.

We talked briefly about being a good listener. He then apologized. I asked if he was ready to try it again. Nope, changed his mind. Mindy got home a couple minutes later. I headed out to help carry in the groceries. I shared that while Lindsey and the boys had been there only10 minutes, I was already stressed. J

It was closing in on 2pm. Mindy shared that Jacob & Bella weren’t expected home until sometime between 230 & 3pm. Not sure what the boys did in the interim, but I got cozy on the sofa watching the Browns and Bengals game. The Bengals took an early 13-0 lead and looked like they might just dominate the Browns on their own field. But the tide quickly turned. Just like that the Browns were ahead 14-13.

The kids were home around 245pm. And much to Rocky’s liking, Jacob and he headed off to find Evan and then to have an airsoft battle out back in the woods. Landon wanted to go along too, but Mindy & I insisted that he stay in the house with us. Too little; too young. However, I did ask Jacob to teach him how to shoot the airsoft from the deck. Jacob was patient and kind, showing him the ropes.

We were expecting Ashley and Olivia too, but not until 430pm. They had a couple other birthday parties to attend that day. Mindy mentioned that our friend Stella, a server at CBC, and her young daughter, Olivia might be coming over, too.

Stella showed up sometime after 5pm, or when Mindy was about to go after the Minelli’s pizzas she ordered. I suggested that she stay back and hang with Stella while I ran after the pizzas. Mindy gave me her card to use. After all, it was my birthday dinner. I enjoyed the quiet of Minelli’s. Chatted with Cathy while waiting on our pies. Labor Day was her 52^nd birthday. Happy b-day, Cathy!

While waiting on the three pizzas, I kept a loose eye on the in-store TVs watching for NFL scores, and more pointedly, the Vikings score. They were holding on to a 17-7 lead over the Chargers in San Diego just before halftime. The Vikings ran the opening kick-off back for a 103 yard TD.

I was back at home with the pizzas in short order. While Mindy got the kids squared away, I watched halftime highlights. Not only did the Vikings run the opening kick-off back for a TD (a positive), the Chargers intercepted Donavon McNabb’s first pass as a Viking and returned it for a TD (negative). Bang, bang!

The pizza was good. The house was a bit chaotic. Chrissy came down and joined us for pizza while Kenny stayed home. Their kids were down too, as were Evan and Emily. We had a house full of kids to be sure. Add to that, the two pugs were going at it like they always do.

Ashley & Olivia hung out long enough for me to open all my birthday cards, which I let accumulate since last Thursday. Mindy’s family is very good about remembering birthday’s and sending cards. I appreciate that. Only recently have my girls brought me cards: made, bought, recycled, or stolen. J Lindsey commented on the obvious theme amongst almost all my cards – beer! Asked if I was an alcoholic. I could only laugh at her black & white outlook.

Jacob & Bella gifted me an assortment of IPA’s. Very cute! Thanks kids. How did you know?

Ashley and Olivia were the first to beg out. Said they still had weekend chores to complete: (I.E. grocery store and laundry). Olivia didn’t want to leave. I thought about offering that we would see her home later, but decided against it for not wanting to place an undue burden on myself or Mindy. After all, we already knew we’d be taking Lindsey and the boys back home.

I kept an eye out for the Vikings’ final score as all the 2^nd games concluded. Damn it! The Vikings squandered their lead and lost 24-17 – not scoring even a field goal in the 2^nd half. What’s worse, I’d later learn that they gained only 26 total yards in the entire 2^nd half, and McNabb threw for just 39 yards for the entire game. What? Hell, I could do that!

Around 715pm Lindsey and the boys readied to leave. It started to rain again, too. So much for all the work I’d done earlier to get my car clean (twice). Lindsey and the boys marveled at the rainbow hovering in the eastern sky as we headed that way. It was awfully pretty with dark clouds and rain overhead and to our east, but brilliant sunshine in the west. Rocky was sure that he’d find a pot of gold at the rainbow’s base. Wanted to know where exactly the base was located. Good logic!

Landon fell asleep on our quick drive out east. Again, it’s all freeway and goes quite fast. We were there shortly after 730pm. Rocky woke Landon abruptly. And with the car still moving, Landon started to open the door and undue his seatbelt. Made my heart drop. I had to ask that he never, ever do that. Always wait until your mommy gets out and opens your door. Oh boy!

It was a quick drive back home. I listened to ESPN on XM for the duration. After just one game they were saying that McNabb was through. I’ll give him more than one game. Mindy had the house back in ship-shape by the time I got home. She marveled at how quickly I was back. Bella was down at the neighbors helping clean their rooms since she helped mess them up.

Jacob was upstairs doing some homework. We all planned to watch the Sunday night NFL match-up, the Cowboys vs. Jets. While awaiting its start, I got online to review the Vikings box score. Not pretty.

It was a work night, which typically means no beer. However, it was my birthday. I decided to pour myself a Southern Tier XXIPA. It was good, too.

I enjoyed my beer while watching the start of the SNF game. Mindy and the kids peeled off to bed fairly soon, and near 9pm. I figured to stay up until halftime, or possibly even longer. With the full moon rising in the sky on my birthday, I didn’t want to let the moment go undocumented. I went for my camera and headed out onto the deck to get a couple photos. Not one turned out too well, however. I’ve got to practice such shots. 

I wasn’t settled again inside too long before sleep befell me. I woke right at halftime and headed up for bed. Can’t recall the exact score but know the Cowboys were ahead. The Jets looked inept. Good night full moon!

Beyond the Shadowbox of a Doubt

I woke a couple times chilly and blindly seeking covers. That satiated, I returned to sleep until approximately 8am. And honestly, I was still a little tired but really wanted to get moving. Mindy didn’t budge as I slipped out of the room.

After starting some coffee I took 3 Advil, which was just before starting/doing calisthenics. By the time sit-ups and push-ups were done I was feeling much more eager and awake. But what really had me excited was that the sun was shining, something we hadn’t had much of lately. So instead of readying for a run, I decided to take a little time to walk the yard with my camera in tow.

Took 20-25 photos, and a handful of those were macros of monarchs playing on our purple butterfly bush. Headed inside around 930am where I promptly prepared and left for my run. I was eager to run in full sunshine. I wore long running pants with a short sleeved wicking shirt. That proved just about right. I was comfortable through out the three mile run.

Mindy was still sleeping when I got back home, which is pretty much what I expected. There’s no denying that my wife likes to sleep in on the weekends. Meanwhile, the entire subdivision was hosting a neighborhood garage sale, something that happens twice annually, and usually once around Memorial Day and then again right around my birthday. What I found most surprising was how many homeowners were selling framed art work, but only unfortunately stuff you might expect to find at Kmart. J

Mindy finally was up and about shortly after I got back from my run. She planned to be at Bella’s gymnastics show around 1130am and then at Jacob’s soccer game right after that. She then planned to meet her bff Teri for lunch immediately after soccer. Didn’t anticipate being home until 4-430pm, or just before we needed to leave for the Shadowbox Theatre.

Me, I planned to take care of the lawn having not mowed for 13 days on account of all the rain. Lucky for me it hadn’t grown all that fast over that time span, although I still planned to set the mower blade about as high as it would go. Before heading out to mow I moved the Accord to the curb then put the Pilot in the middle of the drive leaving myself plenty of room to maneuver the mower, whack, and edge.

Kenny, I noticed, was already out mowing his lawn. Unlike most other mowing days this summer, at least this one wasn’t scorchingly hot.  I chose to remain in my running attire through the entire mowing. I did the front first. Once I got around back I stopped long enough to go after my camera after spotting two or three monarchs on the butterfly bush again. This time I got a couple really good macros.

I finished up the lawn work by about 1145am and then headed inside to catch the start of the Buckeye game. But not wanting to sit idly by, I decided to repaint the inside of both the deck and garage entrance doors while also watching football. They hadn’t received a fresh coat of paint since 2001.

The Buckeyes looked sharp on their opening drive, picking up right where they left off the week before. However, Toledo made sure that it wasn’t just another ho-hum game. They made a game of it and actually had the lead for most of the first half and then again in the 3^rd quarter. I’m glad I had a project and house chores to keep me occupied during the game. In fact, I tinkered with the thought of trotting down to Kenny’s to watch with him but given that it was nip and tuck, I thought better of it.

In the end, the Buckeyes narrowly escaped an embarrassing loss as Toledo’s 4th & goal from our 15 yard line came up short, thus the game ended in our favor. We won 27-22. Lots of stuff to fix/work on.

After the game I headed up for a shower. By then it was almost 330pm. And by the time I got a shower and vacuumed the family room it was after 4pm. I was expecting Mindy home anytime.

I’m thinking it was just after 430 when she finally got home. She showered earlier so she only needed to change and apply make-up before we left for the CBC and the Shadowbox. Kenny recommended we take a cab that way we could get as crazy as we liked. Mindy took his advice and booked a cab to pick us up at 515pm. Tommy planned to meet us at CBC around 530pm. Tom Clark was going to join us too, but canceled Saturday afternoon. I thought he might do that.

Mindy and I walked Eiknarf around 5pm, and the neighbors were down a few minutes later. The cab pulled up right on time. I don’t know that I’ve taken a Yellow cab ever here in Ohio. There were four of us. Chrissy opted to sit up front while Kenny, Mindy and I piled in the back. Our driver was from West Africa, and I believe his name was something like Bama Cabbah. Chrissy engaged him in conversation through the entire trip.

Tommy was standing, waiting out front of CBC when we pulled up. We got out of the cab while Mindy settled the tab, trying to use her credit card. Tried at least three times but to no avail. Reminded me of my NYC cabbie experience. She ended up paying with cash. On his way out of CBC was none other than Ron Pizutti. Kenny joked about us standing in front of his Mercedes. Ron joked that we could either move or buy it. His wife Anne wasn’t with him. I found it a bit ironic that we met her there last week, and now he’s was there this week.

There were plenty of stools, so we opted to take up refuge at the bar. In fact, we sat in the same stools as the week before, only this time taking up a total of five. I sampled their new October Fest offering. Typical Octoberfest styling. I ended up ordering one. Kenny & Chrissy ordered Corona’s. Tommy ordered their flagship Pale Ale, and Mindy went with a glass of wine.

Our server, Aaron brought us a basket of bread too. We didn’t have a ton of time, so we ordered food fairly quickly. I ordered wings, and Mindy ordered their salmon. Kenny ordered a shaved roast beef sandwich while Chrissy only a salad but topped with chicken. Tommy went with the turkey pastrami.

Everybody’s food looked good.  I eventually ordered a 2^nd beer, only this time a Hogscraper, their September Hop Odyssey entrant, a hopped up amber ale. It was good. It was 635pm when Mindy said we needed to scoot. Needed to be at the Shadowbox to secure our reservations. They won’t hold ‘em if you’re not there to by 715pm. We wanted to get there with plenty of time spare, and did just that. It’s just up the street on the corner of Liberty and Front St, an ideal location from my perspective. What’s more, there’s a new bar going in right next door to the new Shadowbox on Front St called the World of Beers. They’ll be serving over 500 different beers with 55 taps running at any given time. Set to open in October. Now we’re talking!

The Shadowbox was fun and interesting from the outset. The performers are also the same folks taking tickets, making reservations, and then showing you to your seats. Not only that, but they’re also the ones who take and bring your food and drink orders. Our server/performer was Edelyn. She reminded me of the late Gilda Radnor. They, of course, are very animated about everything they say and do, I am sure by design, in their attempt to make it fun, enjoyable experience. Edelyn quickly announced to the already gathered crowd that she had a table full of virgins and a birthday boy - me. The other performers were taking care of the many other tables and did pretty much the same thing. That’s perhaps the only part I found corny. I mean after about 5 or 6 times, the whole table full of virgins thing got old.

But we were determined to have a blast. We had fun with the performers who interacted with us. To get started, we order 2 buckets of beer: 7 Amstel’s for Kenny, 4 Sam Adams for me, and 3 Corona’s for Chrissy. Tommy and Mindy planned to share a bottle of wine, a cabernet. We ordered a big bucket of buttered popcorn, too. Tommy & Kenny each donated $20 to help bring the youth in next year for theatre exposure – a notable and worthy cause. 

The show started just after 730pm. Just as they explained, there was a mix of music and sketch comedy. And once again, the Shadowbox performers did it all, both the music and comedic acting. And perhaps more importantly, they excelled at both. The musicians were better than good. However, the vocals might’ve been a tad lacking. I’ll tell you this much, they did a rendition of Frankenstein that was outta the park good. Awesome!

The comedy didn’t disappoint either. They left us in stitches leading up to intermission, where I ordered a couple more beers. The second half the show was at least as good as the first, and perhaps even better – funnier. The skit they did of elementary kids doing the Wizard of Oz was spot on funny. The show ended around 10pm. And while a second show started at 1030pm, we didn’t feel pushed out. We checked out the gift shop and Bistro. Mindy bought herself, Chrissy, and me t-shirts.

I think we were all buzzed, especially Chrissy. Mindy walked far ahead back to CBC just as we had planned to do all along. Tommy, Kenny, Chrissy and I followed somewhat far behind.

Mindy was already sitting at the bar sipping wine when we got back. Aaron immediately made good on his earlier promise of a free dessert in honor of my birthday – keylime pie. He brought it with a candle in it too. I ordered a regular IPA. I met an IT guy who was sitting across the bar. He ended up coming over and joining us. He might’ve been the only other patron at the bar. It was after 11pm, there stated closing time. They encouraged us not to rush, however. By then, Kenny & Chrissy were gone. They begged out soon after we got back and settled. Chrissy was done. Kenny called a cab to come get them. Meanwhile, Tommy offered to cab us home, having stopped drinking much earlier.

I’m thinking it was 1145pm when we finally called it a night and headed for home. Mindy and I walked Eiknarf as soon as Tommy dropped us at the house. Thanks Tommy, and Thanks Shadowbox. A good time was had by all! Coming soon – Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Celebrating 52 @ Barley's

I woke at 5am after nearly 7 hours of rock solid sleep. With another 30 minutes before I needed to be up, I decided to take advantage and get more sleep. I ended up sleeping another 25 minutes before getting up for good at 525am.

I was both excited and happy to see stars over head for the first time since the week before. There were still plenty of scattered clouds, too, though. Feeling good about the weather I went about completing calisthenics before getting online and checking weather and the final score of the Thursday night NFL opener. It was chilly, only 57 degrees.  The Packer won the NFL opener 42-34 with a goal line stop as time expired. I figured it would be nip and tuck by game's end.

After push-ups I enjoyed coffee at the PC until 600am. That's when I headed to the family room for meditation. Spent about 10 minutes doing that, and had to constantly stop my mind from wandering, heading down what-if wormholes. It was a challenge but still fruitful.

Delivered Mindy's coffee next. Must've been about 615am when I got back downstairs. I stretched really well, and for the second day in a row my back, neck and shoulders felt really good and loose. I took three Advil before bed. I am sure that played a large role in the pain free morning.

Headed out for my run around just before 630am. I wore a winter weight wicking shirt and long running pants. Warmth-wise, the choice was ideal.  I could've done without the mock, though. I ran the full 4.1 miles and felt good and finished strong. Mindy would be taking the Accord since the Pilot was in the shop. I squeegeed the moisture off all the windows before heading in for breakfast. I'd be driving the BM'er.

Mindy was busy frying my eggs and packing her own lunch. Jacob was slow t motivate. Seemed to be grunting, mumbling instead of talking. That irritated Mindy. She asked him to walk Eiknarf, something neither kids did Wednesday or Thursday. He eventually did as he was asked, but only after she insisted. Mindy shared that she had to establish specific roles while I was in NYC. Jacob walks her every morning  and Bella as soon as she gets home from school. Jacob does it again before bedtime.

My eggs were good. I woofed them down in a hurry. Eiknarf was watching carefully, hoping for my leftovers. Unfortunately, there were none. But not to worry. I fried one specifically for her just  before heading up for a shower.

I was very efficient with my time, back downstairs by 750am. I played some iTunes music while doing a little surfing. Before heading out to the bus stop, I pulled the battery from my camera and placed it in the charger. The kids and I headed out at 810am. The sky was mostly cloudy, but the clouds were thin and scattered. Could see the sun shining behind them. There was a bit of blue visible as well.  I was encouraged.

The bus pulled up at 815am on the nose. Chrissy and I chatted only briefly before heading our separate ways. I walked Eiknarf out front of the house for a minute or two but she didn't go. We headed inside where I started the dishwasher then headed to the garage and to the BM'er. It was 824am as I backed out of the driveway.

It was a enjoyable drive in. My mood was much improved, no doubt a byproduct of the weather. Parked in the visitor lot up front. And with the threat of scattered showers still a possibility, I put the top up before heading inside.

While stowing my lunch and then heading to fill my water pitcher, I came across my boss and a peer having a hallway meeting. They pulled me into the discussion. I stopped and chatted with the two of them for about ten minutes. Headed to fill my water pitcher then made my way back to my office.

Spent at least 1/2 my day learning how to use a new reporting tool, reading the associated doco, and then actually running some adhoc reports. I also got a reply from some folks in the UK I reached out to way back in early July about yet another homespun reporting tool that my boss asked me to take the lead on learning. The owner of the tool and I agreed to meet via conference call next Monday to review its use. Cool!

Got an email that my third and last NYC expense report was fully approved. I say last, but I also saw that a late receipt just came in for the laundry service I used. I'll either need to complete yet another expense report or simply eat the cost and pay it myself. It's about $19. I should complete yet another expense report. $19 is, well, $19.

Once again, I did a working lunch. A couple times I went to a window to glance out at the weather. Each time, it was mostly cloudy. No rain, however. Mindy and I exchanged texts around noon. Honda called. The problem is the left front wheel bearing. They need to order the part and it won't be in until Monday at the earliest. The plan was for me to leave work a little early and then take Mindy to get it. We'd then take it back once the part's in. Said it won't hurt it to be driven. I suggested they replace both.

Mindy called about the time I was leaving work to share that her friend Kerianne was at Tuttle Mall and was going to stop by and take her to get the Pilot. It would pretty much be on her way home, anyway. Cool. And as it turned out, I was home before Keri arrived, but not for long. Mindy soon left with Keri.

Jacob already gone with his dad, but Bella was still at home and was going to Emily's roller skating birthday party. Jimaken planned to pick her up there after. Bella headed down to Makayla's. I worked on my blog. Mindy was home after a short while. She immediately changed for a night out at Barleys.

I didn't plan to change clothes, opting to wear what I had on. Mindy invited many to join us celebrating my birthday, but didn't know for sure who would or wouldn't make it. However, many responded that they had other plans. We also had reservations for Saturday evening at the new Shadowbox Theatre in the Brewery District.

Mindy and I left for Barley’s around 700pm and arrived a short time later. We got the first parking spot in the lot. We backed in for a fast and easy exit later. Immediately in the door folks wished me a happy 40^th birthday. Thank you!

I ordered an Indie Pale Ale, which isn’t quite as good as their Centennial but still pretty flavorful and perhaps a tad more bitter. It wasn’t long before Steve Wonn showed up, and as he often does, he brought me a beer gift, a Southern Tier Pumpkin Ale, which is one of the better one’s out there.

As the evening moved along more of our peeps showed up to help celebrate my birthday. Doug H. showed up even though Mindy didn’t think he could make it. And then, I hadn’t seen Jeff Garren since last winter at MRM. He showed up around 8pm. Later, Jennifer Criquie, one of Mindy’s teacher pals, arrived as did Bob & Mary Ann, Tom Clark, nephew Joe and Chris, and brother Tommy. A bit later Grandpa Tom and Steve made an appearance. Hadn’t seen those two for a long while. Also making late appearances was Thad and Monica, Josh Tulley, without a beard J, and Rick C.

By the way, Katy sang me the happy birthday song, a rendition much like Marylyn Monroe sang it to Jack Kennedy. Very cute! I had a super good time. Little Rick left early but bought me a shot of Jamieson Irish whisky just before he left. I appreciated the gesture but didn’t plan to drink it or any shots for that matter. Didn’t want to screw up my Saturday. That wouldn’t be pretty. I gave it to another to enjoy, but can’t recall who.

As usual, we had a super good time hanging with all of our friends. And to all my friends out there, thanks for making the evening fun and special.

All totaled, I drank 5 beers that night. And I think it's fair to say that I would’ve been smarter to stop after # 4, but, hey, I was having fun. Mindy drove us home and I’m thinking we got there around 1145pm. We took Eiknarf out for a quick walk. It was nice evening. Mindy and I were soon off to bed. Good night moon!

Rain Ends

I woke surprisingly early feeling fully rested and ready to get up. Perhaps a flashback to my days in NYC where rising at 430am was commonplace. Mindy heard me stirring and brushing my teeth. She asked if I realized the time just before I slipped out the door and headed down the stairs. Yes dear. I told her that I just couldn’t sleep any longer.

Glanced outside just before putting on my exercise shoes. And once again, it was raining, now for the 5^th day in a row. Oh boy! After 55 sit-ups I remembered that I ought to start the coffee maker manually otherwise I wouldn’t have coffee until something like 540am.

I checked the weather as well as a few other online activities. It was just like it had been for most of the week, rainy and 62 degrees. Expecting it to let up sometime during the day, however. A look ahead shows a chance of rain through my birthday but was with a much smaller chance and warming temps. At the time, forecasting 80 degrees for Sunday.

It was still early when I finished push-ups – 450am. I spent quite a while playing around online, including adding pictures to my most recent blog posts. I walked away from the PC at 550am to meditate. I took Mindy her coffee a tad early – 605am. I shared that it was still raining.

Back downstairs for a stretch, I was through by 615am. In fact, I was ready for my run early too. I set out around 620am, or about as early as I’ve hit the running trail from home in quite a while. Like most other runs this week, it was raining, but only very fine rain drops. That was still enough to wet me from head to toe by run's end. I ran the usual trail – 4.1 miles. It went by quickly with my mind racing over work related matters.

Leave early, home early. Mindy wasn’t even downstairs yet. It was just before 7am – 659am to be exact. I poured some juice and gathered the extras for my lunch. Once Mindy came down she went to work making breakfast and lunch right away. She seemed to be in a crusty mood from jump. I did my best to help out, feeding Eiknarf and then washing the egg pan.

Neither of the children were too enthused about getting up and ready for school, although Bella had a little bounce in her step once she got downstairs. However, it didn't last. It was gone once we started practicing her spelling words. She’s usually all over hem, but on this occasion she struggled and even refused to practice until she was in tears. Still not in the best of moods, Mindy advised both kids that their bedtimes would be moved back to 830pm since they’ve both been dragging lately. I’m afraid that did little to improve Bella’s immediate disposition.

Mindy soon left for school after confirming that I would be meeting her at the Honda dealership right after work so we can have that airplane engine noise coming from the Pilot looked at. I headed up for a shower at 733am.

Meanwhile, I was determined to have a better day than I had on Wednesday. For whatever the reason, it was hard to feel motivated Wednesday. Haven’t had a day like that in a while. Mindy guessed it the gloomy weather taking its toll.

I was downstairs and ready to go by 755am. I put the finishing touches on my lunch. Earlier, I had asked Bella to make sure that her room was in ship shape and to be downstairs by 805am. She was down even sooner, and shared that her room was taken care of, It was a mess earlier. I reminded her that her mom would not be pleased if she found it a wreck.

We don’t leave the kids much wiggle room at all relative to their bedrooms. Beds must be made and all clutter picked up and in its place, including dirty clothes. Staying on them is sometimes tough, but it’s far better to pay the price when their young so they develop good home hygiene habits for later. Both do a decent job, although Jacob much better than Bella when it comes to doing it without be constantly reminded.

We headed for the bus stop at 810am. For the time being the rain had subsided. The bus was along a few minutes later. It was only Makayla. Lillian was still out with a cold.

Eiknarf and I walked out front. I was certain neither of the children walked her before or after breakfast. She went both in short order. By the time I left the house it was 824am.

After filling up the Honda the day before, I had already put 75 more miles on it after my trip all the way around I-270. I arrived at work around 840am and was quickly situated.

I stayed busy all day long deciding not to leave the office for a formal lunch break. As usual, I did take some time for myself and ate my packed lunch around 1pm. Attended a web based live training class put on by one of my new peers. It was informative.

Before I knew it the work day was about over. I talked with brother Bob around 430pm. Turns out, he was just picking up dad from the hospital and taking him to the nursing facility in Arlington. Good timing. Said he was behind me the entire time the night before on I-270. He got home a couple minutes after me. Shared more details than I had about the crash that caused it all. Apparently a semi jack knifed, caught fire, and busted through the concrete barricade.

Talked with Mindy a few minutes later firming up our plans to meet at the Honda dealership around 530pm. To accommodate our agreed upon meet time, I planned to leave the office near 5pm. Mindy also shared that Jacob was eating my leftover Chipotle. I wasn’t pleased as I was looking forward to enjoying what remained. Told her I’d have to resort to hiding my food. For whatever the reason, Jacob seems to want whatever I have, whether it’s leftovers or personal requests from the grocery.

As agreed, I was able to get out of the office just after 5pm. Traffic came to a complete halt as soon as I entered I-270. On no! Not again. Lucky for me, it started moving again right away. I stayed in the fast lane until I neared the

Georgesville Rd

exit. At that point I had to get into the berm lane for a right turn, just like folks have been doing for years.

Mindy was already waiting at the dealership. When I pulled in she brought some groceries to the Accord. Bella was right behind. Jacob was at soccer practice with his daddy.

The Pilot was already pulled into the service bay and she had already discussed the issue and given them the keys. I headed on in anyway wanting badly for one of the service writers to go for a ride with me. Can’t remember the kids name, but I suggested that I didn’t want to have to keep bringing the Pilot back if they didn’t hear the noise. I wanted to point it out to them. He agreed, so once he freed up he jumped in the passenger seat of the Pilot while I drove. Mindy and Bella hung back at the dealership in the Accord.

I could hear the airplane engine-type noise starting even as we crept out of the lot, but knowing that it gets louder at higher speeds, I chose not to say anything until it was totally obvious. The Honda guy, however, indicated that he could hear something up front right away too. I happily concurred but promised that it would get much more prominent. I worried only that it might not do it for some reason. After all, there are times when it decides to stop.

As we increased speed it didn’t disappoint. The Honda guy was all but certain it was a bearing on one side or the other. He liked the logic I used, putting it in neutral and revving the engine, which had no impact on the noise intensity. We both agreed that pretty much eliminated the engine and the transmission. As expected, he suggested the tire thing, saying it a possibility, but the further we went he became even more certain that it was a wheel bearing. He sounded as hopeful as I that that was it, so we could get it fixed and move on. He assured me that it would be under warranty since everything is covered for 3 years or 36K miles. Honestly, I hadn’t given much thought to the mileage, but it’s already at 33.5K. We’ll very likely hit 36K before Xmas. Good thing we’re getting it taken care of now.

We weren’t gone but about 10 minutes. He thought they might even get a chance to work on it that night given that they’re open until 12 midnight. Asked if he could call that late if necessary. Yes, of course. Mindy, Bella and I headed for home around 6pm.

Mindy had a roast in the crock-pot that had been cooking all day. I seasoned it and set it to low before leaving for work. It smelt terrific. Roast beef and mashed potatoes sounded great. I raved about it being NFL opening night – Saints versus Packers. In addition, Obama was giving his jobs speech at 7pm. I was looking forward to hearing that too. There’s no doubt, our economy won’t improve much more until we put the unemployed back to work, though that’s likely not going to happen without intervention.

Dinner was fabulous. I had 1.25 helpings of beef. Bella asked more than once if she could play Wii after dinner. The answer was no since we planned to watch the president’s address and then football. She did her nightly reading while I did kitchen clean-up duty. Mindy confirmed our plans to go to Shadowbox Theatre for my birthday Saturday night. She bought six tickets. We talked about going down a couple hours early and paying a visit to CBC. However, I noted that they serve beer at Shadowbox before the show starts.

It wasn’t long before it was time for Mr Obama to address congress. I’m always entertained by the grandeur of it all. “Ladies and Gentleman, the President of the United States”

All in all, I thought it a good speech and a good plan. For me, the question is twofold. Is it truly doable, and then can he get it through congress without too much change? Time will tell.

The speech lasted about 34 minutes, or till 742pm. After the typical ‘tell me what he told me’ rhetoric, it was time for football.

I really like that the NFL has isolated one game to kick-off the season with the previous season’s super bowl champ often times playing another top contender. Several musical artists performed leading up to kick-off, the last being Kid Rock, that is if you don’t count the national anthem, which was sung by Jordan Sparks, a former Idol winner (at least I think she won). She looked and sounded good.

Kick-off was close to 830pm. The Packers quickly marched down the field scoring a TD. They weren’t done either. They followed that with another and then another. It was 21-7 after 1 quarter. The Saints weren’t dead, however. They got hot too, and made it 21-17 with time still remaining in the half. The Packers added yet another TD making it 28-17 at the half. I called it a night. It was 1008pm. Mindy and the kids were already in bed, though Bella was still awake. I could hear her up there thumping around in her bed.

I peeked in on her before retiring. She said she just couldn’t sleep. Reminded her to try the relaxation technique I showed her the evening prior. “OK daddy”. Good night baseball, and hello NFL!

Who Kneeds me?

           Generally costing an arm and a leg, dad got this salmon dinner for only a knee.

By day's end, I had made a complete loop around I-270.

I woke just ahead of 530am, and without hesitation rolled out of bed and headed to the master bath where I brushed my teeth then snatched my running clothes off the back of our closet door.

Downstairs, I glanced outside. It was raining yet again, albeit only lightly. After letting out a sigh in disgust, I gathered my exercise shoes then headed to the livingroom where I whipped out 55 sit-ups. Back to my old ways, I got online before doing my push-ups. I checked the weather forecast first thing. It was presently 57 degrees with light rain coming at us from the NE. Wasn’t expected to get out of the 60’s with rain all day. Hoping this gloomy pattern ends soon.

Did meditation next since it was still too early to wake Mindy. I took her some coffee at 610am. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, I headed back to the family room for a stretch. That felt terrific. Dressed in long running gear, I headed out the door just after 630am. It was raining steadily, but still very lightly. Any other time I might appreciate this type of rain, but now sitting at four days in a row, I am so done with it. Seems we went right from the dead of summer to the core of autumn just like that. I want my lovely September weather!

I ran the full 4.1 miles without incident. Because it was Wednesday, I’d be working remote from my customer’s location. I wrapped my head around those logistics during my run. I was back at home by 710am. Mindy had scrambled eggs cooking on the stove. While waiting, I fed Eiknarf and got myself some orange juice. I also made double sure that I had everything I needed for a day of offsite day of work.

Soon my cheesy scrambled eggs were ready. I topped them with green hot sauce. I checked the pan on the stove and saw that there were next to none leftover for Eiknarf. I planned to save some of my own for her. She waited impatiently while I feasted.

Mindy asked Bella to address her own hair for the lack of time. Asked Jacob to do his homework while at Noah’s. She then left for school. I headed up for a shower around 735am, and it didn’t take me too long. I was back downstairs all but ready to go by 755am.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that Bella did an excellent job with her hair. And both kids were much more on top of things than they were the morning before. We headed out the door at 810am. For the time being, it had stopped raining. Hooray! The bus was just rolling up to the curb when Chrissy & Makayla came dashing out of their house. Said they lost track of time watching TV – some morning show. Chrissy expressed excitement over finishing her summer quarter class later that evening. Only one more quarter to go. Also shared that her bff Julie is P.O’d after learning that they found her Myrtle Beach arrest photo online. Have no idea why Chrissy told her. We were gonna make posters with it.

Walked Eiknarf out front before heading back inside.  I wasn’t sure if anybody walked her otherwise. She took a dump and peed. Back inside, I checked my gear then headed off to the work. Sitting at about a ¼ tank of gas, I stopped at Thornton’s for a fill-up. Gas was something like $3.56 per gallon. The Accord took just over 13 gallons. Unless I’m mistaken, this was only the 2^nd time I’ve put gas in it. Germain Honda filled it initially, and Mindy filled it once while I was gone.

Took I-270 around without any traffic snarls. Though, as expected, things got a little tight near the I-71 interchange. I arrived just before 9am and quickly made my way to the building and my once-per-week cubial. I greeted my hosts straight up while I got organized and settled. I easily found the fridge this time after making a concerted effort to mark the trail last week.

We had our normal Wednesday 10am meeting/call. Went without a hitch. However, the topic of a subsequent meeting kind of caught me off guard. I took a to-do to gather more information and get back with them with an answer.

Talked with Mindy mid morning asking for dad’s hospital room number. She sent it via text along with the phone number. She already talked with him and said he was doing really good. I planned to stop by the hospital after work on my way home. At lunch time I decided to get a haircut. Just before heading off, I Googled Saturday’s to find the closest one. Found one a couple miles up the road. Everything up that way is fairly new, and certainly new to me. I found it with little trouble. I was happy to find no customers in queue. They were waiting for me. I joked that I’d come back when they weren’t so busy. Neither of the two girls working found that too funny.

Sonny, I think, was the girl’s name cutting my hair. She had a couple facial piercings as well as a couple visible arm tattoos. She was quick and efficient doing an exceptional job. She didn’t wash my hair, which I appreciated. She simply sprayed it down. I’ll bet I was done in less than ten minutes. Cool! I tipped her $5.

Once in the Accord, I pulled the Tea Tree gel from my backpack and lubed back my new do. I noticed a Home Depot right across the street. Before heading back to the office, I made an unscheduled stop there, more than anything to kill what was left of about an hour break. I wasn’t there too long. Walked the length of the store taking in only a few aisles. After about ten minutes I headed back to my car and back to the office.

Back by 115pm, and just enough time to go after my packed lunch before a scheduled 130pm conference call meeting. I did the hour long meeting with a phone receiver in my ear. I didn’t feel comfortable using speaker phone since there were others just over the cube walls. My ear was on fire by the meeting’s end. If that wasn’t enough, I had to join our staff meeting call that same way. By 400pm my ear was on fire. J

The day went fast and it was 5pm in heart beat. I packed up for home just before then. I planned to stop at the hospital on my way home to see my dad. I called Mindy to remind her. The drive to Mt Caramel went even faster than I assumed. All I-270. I was there in about 15 minutes. I had to call brother Bob to determine which building he was in. All Mindy sent was the room and phone number. Bob answered and shared that dad was in the south tower around back. I drove around the entire campus to the back. It was starting to rain again just as I got parked near the helipad.

Found dad’s room easily. He was just starting dinner; salmon, mixed veggies, mashed potatoes, and carrot cake. Daggone! He looked great. Had all his color and was smiling. Shared a few stories about the surgery and his progress. Said the nurses/doctor referred to him as a super star for his ability to get around so well after just one day. He was noticeably proud of himself.

We talked about this and that all the while he enjoyed his yummy looking dinner. He offered me some but I declined. After about an hour, brother Bob showed up. Apparently his office is relatively close to the hospital. We hung out there with dad for another hour or so. I made it a point to ask the nurse to clarify his release info after dad seemed willing to base it only on what he assumed from a brief conversation with a social worker earlier that morning. Expected to be released Thursday AM and then go to a nursing home in Arlington for 2-3 days. I simply wanted to make sure that the arrangements were nailed down. The nurse agreed and went looking for Susan, the social worker that coordinates that stuff.

Susan came to dad’s room a couple minutes later and clarified the details. Dad’s  assumption was correct. Provided his vitals remained good and he was able to get around as well as he was earlier, he would be released on Thursday. Furthermore, the Arlington nursing home was waiting on him. Bobby agreed to see that he got there. Susan also shared that we should plan on caring for him 24X7 from his home or ours for three additional days after he’s fully released. Said he’d need a sponge bath and his meals prepared. As much as Bob loves giving sponge baths, far be it from me to deny him the privilege.? J

 Dad pretty much pooh-poohed the idea of after home care. Went on about how’s he made a food tray to rest on top of his walker. Went on about it for quite a while, in fact, yet Susan didn’t budge with her request.

Bob & I left at the same time laughing all the way out to our vehicles talking about old camping stories. Bob was behind me when we exited the parking lot. It took a while to wind around the labyrinth of buildings and get to a traffic light that allowed a left hand turn onto

E. Broad St

The hospital is right at I-270, so the entrance ramps were right there.  Quickly, I had to decide whether to go north to I-670 or south to I-70. I chose I-70. Big MISTAKE! We didn’t get but about 200 yards before the traffic stood still. And it stood still or crept along for the next 90 minutes traveling not even a full mile. Making it worse was all the rain. I couldn’t even discern the lane markers because it was literally bumper to bumper and side to side. And at several junctures along the way, two lanes merged into one. As you might guess, lots of frustrated drivers aggressively cutting each other off. I did my best to remain calm, but worried that someone might hit my new car.

I talked with Mindy at least twice. She couldn’t believe that I had gone only a ¼ mile in the first hour or so. To make matters worse, they had the only two exits for about ten miles closed due to a tractor trailer accident – the actual cause of the delay. I had no choice but to take I-270 all the way around from the south. Finally opened up just south of the I-70 interchange. That was at 905pm. Finally made it home by 925pm. By then I was starving, but very happy to be home.

Meanwhile, that knot in my back was crazy stiff and had pretty much been that way since late afternoon. I begged for Mindy to rub it out. She graciously did. At the same time, I woofed down numerous Chipotle chips and later half of a burrito. Again, I was ravenously hungry. Bella gave me a big hug. Said she was happy that I was home safe.

Mindy sent the kids off to bed a little while later. But Bella soon was down the stairs saying she couldn’t sleep. At the time, I was lying flat on my back on the living room floor relaxing, resting my back. I encouraged Bella to come join me. Thought it might help usher in sleep. She found it humorous at first, but did as I suggested. A few minutes later she declared that it was working. Mindy sent her back up to bed.

Now after 10pm, Mindy and I headed to bed too. As she often does, Mindy insisted on lying on my chest. I fell asleep in quick fashion. Good night and goodbye rain!

Take a Knee

It was Tuesday morning and time to return to work. I was up on time, in fact a couple minutes early. I headed downstairs and slipped into my running shoes. The coffee maker kicked on while I was glancing out back at the weather. The skies were cloudy but the deck mostly dry. Didn’t appear to have rained more over night.

I completed calisthenics then checked the weather from my PC. It was 57 degrees with a chance for rain all day long, though a stronger chance in the early AM. Looking at the radar, the weather was coming from the NE, which is very odd. That typically only happens in late May, just before our summer weather arrives. Furthermore, the week ahead isn’t looking too good at all. Clouds and rain everyday leading up to my birthday. Somebody didn’t get the memo. That’s simply not allowed.  J

It was trash day, but our can hadn’t yet been moved to the curb. Not wanting to risk being missed, I took it out before doing anything else. Still just ahead of 6am, I decided to do meditation before taking Mindy some coffee. It was ten minutes later when I finished and delivered her coffee. I headed back downstairs for a stretch and then out the door for my run. It was still ahead of 630am as I exited the house.

I dressed in a long running layer and was comfortable throughout. I ran the full 4.1 miles track. It remained dark through the first half of my run. The cloudy skies weren’t helping. the daylight’s cause. I moved our empty trash can back to its resting spot after returning from my run. I continued around back hoping to get in through the back deck door. Mindy was in the garage grabbing lunch drinks for the kids. Took her a minute to recognize me standing, waiting at the door.

Mindy was busy multitasking, frying eggs and prepping lunches. I did my best to keep out of her way while gathering the extras for my breakfast and lunch. During breakfast we discussed the day’s logistics. Jacob had a 6pm soccer game in Hilliard, so I decided it best to simply meet them there.

After fixing Bella’s hair, Mindy left for school around 730am. Bella expressed not feeling so well: clogged sinuses and a cough. Uh-oh! I headed off to the shower after feeding Eiknarf some leftover scrambled eggs.

After a shave and a shower I was ready to go by 755am. Downstairs I put the finishing touches on my lunch and then spent a few more minutes playing on my PC. I had to call for the kids at 810am. That’s unusual. Normally they come down on their own.

I hurried them out the door with the bus now arriving closer to 815am for the last week or so. The neighbors came out with only a minute to spare. The bus pulled up right at 815am. Woody somehow escaped his collar causing Chrissy to briefly panic. Disaster averted. She regained control quickly. No doubt in my mind that he’d run off in a heart beat given half a chance.

The kids now gone, Eiknarf and I headed back home. Chrissy shared that Makayla had a soccer game at the same fields as Jacob but 30 minutes later. I started the dishwasher then left for the office. It was 822am.

The sky looked like it was trying to clear, but with the weather coming out of the NE, I wasn’t holding my breath. I arrived at the office around 840am and quickly got myself situated. Ran into my boss in the hallway. We chatted briefly about the weekend now behind us.

I spent the greater portion of my day dealing with urgent reactive issues. I sent brother Bob a text asking for an update on dad’s status. He never did respond. Mindy, however, sent me a couple updates that she gleaned from Facebook. Apparently, he was using it to send updates instead of texts. That’s certainly more efficient. Dad wasn’t taken into surgery until sometime just after 12noon. I believe that was the plan all along.

The day moved fast. I didn’t bother leaving for lunch. I glanced outside at some point and was happy to see a little sunshine. But when 530pm rolled around it was cloudy again. Mindy called me around 4pm to let me know that Jacob’s soccer game was at 630pm, not 600pm like she thought earlier. That made a difference. I planned to head home and ride with the others. Jimaken, meanwhile, was stopping by to pick Jacob up because the players and coach did need to be there by 6pm. Mindy also shared that we’d be having leftovers for dinner. Mindy also shared that my dad was out of surgery and supposedly did really well. Said he’d be out of it for the better part of the day. They didn’t recommend visitors.

It was downright chilly when I left the office. The sky was gray and the wind was blowing at a pretty good clip. The clouds were still rolling in from the NE, too. Arrived home around 550pm. I changed out of my work clothes and into long running pants and a t-shirt. I rinsed lunch dishes and prepped Wednesday’s coffee before we left for soccer. I grabbed my fleece jacket, too. Good thing I did. If we’ve learned anything about the Hilliard soccer fields, it’s that it’s always 10 degrees cooler than elsewhere and the wind’s always blowing much harder.

Arrived near 615pm and after a little driving around we found the correct field (there are many). We toted our camp chairs to the sideline and set up our spot. Bella chose to bring her Winnie the Pooh blanket too.  We could only laugh at the weather, given that it was almost 100 degrees only three days prior. It was actually cold sitting on the sidelines. Soon it started to drizzle and the already stiff breeze picked up even more. In fact, it got so chilly that Mindy & Bella bagged it for the Pilot. I remained steadfast toughing out the big chill. Good thing I had my fleece jacket. I used Bella’s Winnie the Pooh blanket, too.

Jacob’s team lost 3-1. He scored their only goal. They played good, if not great, defense, though. Just couldn’t get anything going offensively, and I mean nothing. One other note, Jacob’s the biggest, tallest kid on his team. I’ll bet he’s on average, 8 inches taller than the others. Wow! He’s really sprouted up over the last year. According to Mindy., he’s grown 4 inches over the last year.

Jacob didn’t take the loss very well at all. He was a pill during the entire drive home. Wasn’t pleasant, including blaming other kids for their failures. We did our best to turn his thinking around, but he was still bummed. Mindy, Bella and I were just happy to be home and warm. J Mindy started dinner immediately in the door. She and Bella were having grilled cheese. Jacob wanted only cereal, and cited feeling ill. I made a grilled meatloaf sandwich. It ended up being about 4 or 5 inches thick. It looked yummy. I ate only half after snacking on peanuts and cashews beforehand.

I wasn’t feeling 100% either. I held out hope that I wasn’t coming down with a cold. Can’t happen. No time!

After clean-up, Mindy sent Jacob upstairs to get a shower. She gave Bella a hall pass. I plopped down on the sofa and tuned to one of the knowledge channels. The program we watched escapes me. More than anything, I used it as a sleep aid. I was out in a hurry and just before 9pm.

I didn’t wake again until 1005pm. By then, I was the only one downstairs. I got up, glanced outside, secured the home and headed to bed. It was raining again. L

It's Fun to Stay at the YWCA

I woke for good at 745am but was sure that I had slept past 9am. Once I saw that it was still before 8am my spirits were lifted. Before I could slip out of the room, Mindy asked that I bring her coffee.

I treated it much like a work morning starting some coffee then jumping headlong into calisthenics. It was another cool gray start to the day, but this time only 57 degrees and a bit breezy.  About 45 minutes later, after exercise and coffee, I took Mindy a cup and sat it on her night stand. She thanked me but then went right back to sleep.

Like I often do on weekends, I didn’t prepare and leave for a run until almost 930am. I wore long running and a long sleeved wicking shirt, the first such time in long running pants since probably early May. That worked out well. Remained comfortable throughout. For some reason, though, my calves were stiff, something that rarely happens. Hadn’t consumed enough water over the 3 day weekend, I guess. Not wanting to risk injury, I cut my run to just 3 miles like most other weekend days. About the 2.5 miles mark the stiffness abated. I really should’ve done 4 miles but didn’t worry about it either

Mindy was up when I got back this time. She asked how my chilly run went. Fine, dear. Bella was up too. We were both surprised with that. Figured she’d sleep till noon. Instead, it was Jacob who slept in. By then, Lindsey had left a couple messages, one early on around 830am letting me know that she and the boys planned on taking the COTA bus from the Y to our neck of the woods and expected to be there at noon. Called back later to see if I got the message. Yes.

I would need to pick her and the boys up at noon near Ashley’s place in Westgate. I took a shower and left around 1140am in the Pilot. Arrived about ten minutes early. Experimented around with my small camera using the both the aperture and shutter speed priority settings. Just as Lindsey shared, the bus pulled up right at noon. Must have these bus schedules down to a science. Observing from across the street, I was surprised that Lindsey got off first leaving both boys behind to fend for themselves. In fact, Landon was so far behind, I assumed she left him elsewhere. I worry that one or the other might get hit by a car.

I made my way over to the NE corner of the intersection to the KFC lot where they loaded into the Pilot. Before they were even buckled in Landon asked if he could play Wii once at my house. I had to laugh. Rocky then said he had to pee really, really bad. I took him across the street to Ashley’s so he could pee. Olivia answered the door and started jumping up and down right away. I waited in the car but could see from the driveway. She came out asking if she could come along. Of course! Soon we were destined for home.

The kids asked about playing on the tree swing before we even got to the subdivision. I was quickly reminded that I need to have my energy cap on. These kids go a mile a minute, but also have a very short attention span. At home, Bella and her peeps were already playing Wii, but she was nice enough to include Olivia and Landon. Thanks Bella.

I eventually headed out back with Olivia and Landon, both wanting to swing. We played outside for about 20-30 minutes. Back in the house Mindy asked if I still planned to take Jacob after soccer socks & soccer shorts. I agreed to do so only after offering Mindy the opportunity to go and me stay home with the others. She wanted me to go. OK.

Jacob and I asked Rocky if he wanted to go along. He did. Had to discourage Olivia. She wanted to come along too.  We headed to Dick’s on Hilliard Rome Rd. Found soccer socks right away. Finding black soccer shorts proved a bit more challenging, especially given that Jacob will only wear shorts than practically cover his knee cap. I found three different pair for him to try on. While he tried those on Rocky and I browsed elsewhere.

Rocky was suddenly on stimulus overload, dragging me all over the store wanting me to look at this and that and asking me t obuy him things he’d never even use. He would lead to an aisle without knowing what was down it, but acting as if he knew what was there and where he was heading. I felt bad for him, but I wasn’t going to spend sympathy money, either.

I eventually made my way to the youth section and found a much bigger supply of boys black soccer shorts. Moreover, they were on sale for $11 a pair. I took a pair over to Jacob to try on. Said he liked them but wanted to skip trying them on. No way! I told him that he had to try ‘em on. I know Jacob, and if he got home and found them a centimeter too short he’d never wear them. He agreed to try them on and liked them.

Meanwhile, Rocky continued to lead me/us around the store begging me to buy him this and that with reckless abandon. To some extent, I understood. After all, I was buying Jacob a handful of items. But what Rocky probably didn’t realize was that we had a plan. We weren’t just going to the store and shopping impulsively.

We picked up everything on our list from Dick’s, including a giant jar of 6mm airsoft BB’s. Those alone were $20. We still planned a stop at Wal-Mart across the street to look for a new airsoft pistol clip/magazine. Jacob’s other one broke. Just because we left the store didn’t mean that Rocky’s requests stopped. Nope! He begged for fast food next.  Not wanting him to feel totally defeated and deprived, I agreed to take him to Burger King. And you’d have thought he won the lottery. Geesh!

We were in my new Accord, so I was adamant about going in to eat. Rocky ordered for himself, a hamburger kids meal with Coke. Jacob ordered a nine piece chicken fries combo with Dr Pepper. I wasn’t planning to get anything but caved and ordered a double cheese burger. This particular Burger King isn’t the cleanest, and never has been. We weren’t in there but about 15 minutes max.

The Burger King sits out front of the Wal-Mart. We cruised closer to the store where we parked by the home & garden department. That’s the entrance we used, too. Jacob seemed to remember where their airsoft stuff was. I let him lead. Just like in Dick’s, Rocky began asking for everything he laid his eyes on. Oh boy! We found the  replacement clip in a hurry. It had a price of $12.97 – kind of pricey. On the other hand, we could buy a whole new pistol for $20 and that came with more ammo. I thought that a wiser buy.

Rocky was excited because we would make that his airsoft pistol with the understanding that it would remain at our house. The only problem was, you’ve got to get a sales associate to release any of type of weapon purchase from the secured racks and there wasn’t anyone around. We walked around the larger department area where not a soul was to be found. Rocky was beside himself wanting to find one at almost any cost. I’ll bet we waited 10 minutes before I threw in the towel.

We were able to pull the spare clip from an unsecured rack. We took it to the checkout in the home and garden section. I assured Rocky that he would have an airsoft  pistol to use back at our place where he, Jacob and Evan planned to have an airsoft battle. Much to my liking, the replacement clip rang up for $6.97, or $6 cheaper than the price sticker.  That seemed more reasonable. We headed for home.

The first thing Jacob did was make sure the replacement clip we bought fit his pistol. It did. He let out a big sigh since I told him he’d have to pay me for it if it wasn’t the right one. After all, he assured me in the store that it was. I wasn’t so sure. The boys excitedly ran off with all of Jacob’s airsoft stuff. 

While I was away, Mindy did crafts with all the kids, including Bella and all her peeps, as well as Olivia and Landon. I wasn’t in the door for 20 seconds when Olivia asked me to push her on the swing again. I asked for a brief break from the madness.

Mindy made plans for all of us to cookout with the neighbors. We’d be supplying and grilling our own meat, and Mindy made a salad and scalloped potatoes too. Planned to be down there around 5pm. Meanwhile, Lindsey shared how she’s been looking for a job, a new home, and childcare. We know it’s not gonna be easy with two little kids, an eviction on her record, and no car, but hey. She didn’t have the nicest things to say about the Y either, but we kept reminding her that at least she had a roof for her the boys.

But if there’s a bright spot it’s this, both she and the boys look so much healthier than when they were living with Kelly. Could be coincidence, but I suspect that being away from all that nasty pet dander, especially that from the many cats, plays a large part in that.

We headed to the neighbors around 5pm and after I woke from a nap from the livingroom recliner. Felt good. I asked Mindy if I still needed to grill. Nope, Kenny agreed to do the grilling. It was getting chilly. In fact, so much so, that I wore my fleece jacket to the neighbors. Funny. It was almost 100 degrees on Saturday and now here I was wearing a jacket.

We chatted all the while Kenny grilled the meat. Mindy brought gourmet burgers, boneless chicken breasts, and hot dogs. Kenny had the golf tournament on the TV. Like many tournaments this summer, this one was heading for a playoff.

Dinner was ready by 530pm. Mike & Teri came down to join us too. We had a nice time – a little chaotic with all the kids but still fun. Most of the adults were drinking, but I was sticking with ice water only. Not only was it a work night, but I’d be running Lindsey and the boys home too. They just recently extended her weekend & holiday curfew to 10 or 11pm from 5pm.  I guess when you’re under their roof you live by their rules or else. Hmmm? Sound familiar?

We hung out with the neighbors until 630-645pm. We said goodbye to everyone then headed for home. Mindy asked Chrissy if she’d keep an eye on Jacob and Bella while we tag teamed taking the Gkids home. Mindy was taking Olivia in the Accord, and I’d be taking Lindsey and the boys in the Pilot.

Until we were just about ready to leave, I had wrongfully assumed that they were staying at the downtown Y. Nope! Good thing I clarified. Instead, they were at the YWCA out near

5^th Ave

& Leonard. I printed off Google Map directions before we left. Lindsey said she had no idea how to get there. Oh boy!

It turned out being a quick drive, and almost all freeway.  Along the way, Lindsey asked what that awful noise was coming from the Pilot. Reminds me of an airplane engine. We really need to get it in the shop to have it looked at. My internet research tells me that they’re going to tell us it’s the tires. We’ll see. Our warranty expires the last week of December. We really need to get it in before then.

We found the place with little trouble. Unlike some, the directions were spot on. The Y itself is a very nice newer building, almost home-like with a gated drive. The neighborhood isn’t very nice, however. Two hardened looking woman roamed the parking lot, I assumed them volunteers or employees. They gave me/us the once over. Lindsey and the boys exited the Pilot and made their way into the building. You’ve got to know how difficult it is for me to watch my two grandsons walking into a place like that. It just seems wrong. I really believe, however, at least for now and for Lindsey’s sake, that this is the best thing.

Snapped a quick picture then zoomed off back to the freeway and eventually home. The drive went so quick that I pulled into the subdivision right behind Mindy, who just dropped Olivia at home. If I recall correctly, I wasn’t even gone but about 35 minutes.

Even as darkness was setting in, the kids remained outside playing kickball with the neighbors. I tuned the TV to the History Channel watching a program about Yellowstone Park, and how it might be resting on the world’s largest, most dangerous volcano.

Like almost every other night that she’s been home this past week, Bella came running into the house crying after becoming injured while playing, only this time with a kickball injury. And one of those nights, she came in crying two different times for two different injuries. And when Bella cries, everyone knows it. It gets under my skin. Her friends always come running to her aid too. To no avail, I tried impressing upon her the crying wolf deal. She said she understood, but so far it hasn’t helped one iota.

Jacob soon followed saying that the ball barely nicked her and was moving crazy slow. However, I’m not so sure that Jacob’s a good judge in this case. Mindy requested both kids get showers. Over the next 20 minutes they both readied for bed. Near 930pm, Mindy and the kids headed off to bed. And while I was dosing off from the couch a little earlier, I was now awake and eager to finish watching the next show up, which was about asteroids colliding with Earth.

I watched until it was over at 10pm. I secured the home and headed up to bed. I peaked in on the kids first. Everyone looked to be asleep, including Bella. Eiknarf was lying lazily but still awake. Good night summer.