Vikings Win - Burgers For Everyone

I didn’t sleep as soundly as perhaps I would’ve liked but did sleep well enough to wake at 730a feeling rested and ready for another day. Sun was just coming up over the horizon. Looked like another gorgeous day in the offing. I started some coffee then headed to my PC where I checked late night college football scores. Oregon won handily. With Alabama losing, they’ll likely be #1 for whatever that’s worth. Of course the Buckeyes didn’t play.

Enjoyed coffee and downloaded the pics I’d taken over the last week, including about a 100 from the wedding reception. I heard Mindy up and stirring even before 9am. I was certain that it wouldn’t be for long. Given her condition at bed time, I was really surprised when she came downstairs seemingly fine. Said she felt OK. Hmm? I guess getting sick was a good thing.

It wasn't too much longer before I dressed and left for a run. I’m guessing that it was just after 9am. And like most weekend days, I ran only three miles. Back from my run I thought I might make a big Sunday breakfast but never did. I guess I just wasn’t that hungry. I took another cup of coffee to my PC and spent about an hour updating my blog. For the heck of it, I checked the WTTE Fox program listings to see if the Viking game might be televised. Other than listing NFL coverage, there were no other details. I doubted it would be on, especially given that the Bengals were playing the Giants on Fox at the same time.

Mindy exchanged texts with Lindsey to figure out when she was coming over to do laundry but didn’t have an exact time. I made & enjoyed half a ham & cheese sandwich then opened the box that Mindy brought home from school that contained an audio learning aid – basically a cassette/CD player and 6 wireless headphones. She wanted me to figure out how it worked, and more specifically, how to charge all six sets of wireless headphones. Of course, the instructions were horribly unspecific. We eventually figured it out. Found the 6 outlet charger cord buried under the other sets of headphones.

After that I took a brief nap on the sofa while Mindy headed off to the shower. I woke when Lindsey and the boys came in. I forced myself up after they had been there for 20 minutes. Rocky was bored .I picked up on that quickly by listening to his constant questions directed at his momma. I planned on painting those basement windows. I changed into painting attire then invited Rocky to come help me. I asked Mindy to go over the car insurance pay plan with Lindsey. Mindy’s much better at communicating with her than I’ll ever be.

I let Rocky watch me scrape and paint the edges of the exterior window frame. I turned the paint and brush over to him to do the areas not directly abutting the house. He did a decent job, especially given that the oil based paint isn’t the easiest medium to work with. Rocky lost interest before we finished and headed back inside. After seeing the exterior to completion, I headed to the basement to do the inside that I primed on Friday. Probably spent about 40 minutes painting both primed window frames. Mindy left for the grocery while I was in the basement.

I checked the Vikings score around 230pm. It was halftime and they lead the Lions 13-3. I headed for a shower. Mindy was back from the grocery even before I was showed and dressed. She was carrying in the last of her load as I walked down the stairs. Perfect timing! Once Lindsey put her last load in the washer she took Landon to the neighborhood park. Now about 330pm, I finally tuned into the day’s NFL action on the TV. Couldn’t believe my eyes. The Bengals were beating the snot out of the Giants – 31-6. And if that wasn't enough, I later saw that the Vikings had a 34-17 lead over the Lions with 6 minutes to go.

Mindy shared that we were having grilled burgers and dogs for dinner. Wanted me to make the burgers and do the grilling. She grilled squash and asparagus and then sautéed mushrooms about an hour before our actual dinner. My mood was elevated by a Vikings victory. Skol! They have a bye week next Sunday. After that they play Chicago, Green Bay, and Chicago. Yikes!

Around 5pm I pattied up six burgers. There was enough for two or three more but Mindy opted to stow what remained in the freezer. I started grilling a few minutes later. Unbeknownst to me, Lindsey had headed home to put away the laundry but was planning to come back later for the boys. The boys stayed for dinner. Finished grilling around 530pm. Called in all the kids to wash-up and eat. I helped Mindy prep the kids plates. My burger was delicious. I seasoned all of them heavily with garlic, pepper, and salt. The grilled squash &asparagus was good, too.

Lindsey showed up at the tail end of dinner. She wasn’t interested in dinner, apparently already communicated that to Mindy. She and the boys left after 15 minutes. Rocky was somewhat pouty. Not sure why. I cleaned up the kitchen while Mindy helped Bella with some school stuff. Jacob headed off to his room to read and do homework, including practicing his saxophone. Mindy, Bella and I snuggled on the sofa watching the end of 60 Minutes and then tuned to SNF pregame. Mindy lasted just barely into the 1st quarter of the game before heading off to bed around 840pm. She asked that Bella be in bed by 930pm. I reminded Bella of her impending bedtime at 928pm. She went along willingly but judging by the noise that continued from her room, she wasn’t sleeping. The SNF game pitted the Chicago Bears against the Texans in a driving rain storm from Chicago. There were 5 turnovers in the first half alone. I think it was 10-3, Texans when I finally headed for bed.

Putting Away Summer

 

I woke around 730am feeling no worse for the wear. I slipped out of bed, brushed my teeth, then headed downstairs where I started some coffee. It looked awesome outside. I logged on my PC and learned that it was already 52 degrees. Nice! The day’s forecasted high was expected to reach 70 degrees.

I enjoyed coffee and played around online until 9am. Dressed and left for a run shortly thereafter. It was so nice that I didn’t bother with a jacket. I ran three miles in lovely, spring-like weather. Mindy was finally up and downstairs by the time I made it back to the house. I took the pug on a short walk out back and then out front. It wasn’t long before I turned off the furnace and threw up several windows letting the lovely weather inside.

Eventually headed out on the deck leaving the back door open to the warm air. Eiknarf headed out and next door to play with her friends while I transplanted some herbs into pots that we can keep indoors over the winter. Seemed a shame to let them wither in the winter cold. That small task got me started with the much larger yard winterization task. The first order of business was to dig up the canna bulbs. I dug up one or two then hollered for Mindy to come see. Holy moly! Last year a dozen or so turned into about 40 bulbs, but this year the 20 or so we planted turned into well more than 100, and they were enormous. One small bulb turned into a cluster 1’ in diameter. I dug them up, first by the wood pile and then by the AC unit. I wasn’t sure how I was going to manage them for the winter. For the time being, I left them drying out in the sun to make removing the soil easier.

I spent about an hour or so raking all the debris and leaves that gathered in the last week onto a tarp. I then emptied all the pots and hanging baskets onto the tarp. One of our new giant red pots cracked and shattered. :(. In some of the pots, the roots were so prolific that it made harvesting the expensive potting soil a joke. I didn’t realize before, but the sweet potato vines make a huge sweet potato-like bulb too. One in particular was more than a foot long and 3” in diameter. Wow! Took a while to empty all the pots. I salvaged much of the potting soil having spent about $100 on it alone last spring. Took some time to separate the roots and bulbs. I drug a tarp full of withered summer blooms to the compost pile.

I gathered all the hose accessories (splitters, nozzles) and stowed them in the garage. I plan to leave the two main hose caddies out over the winter. Next, I loaded all the canna bulbs onto the tarp then left them sit in the sun a while longer. I took a couple pictures to remember the mother load. I packed the deck furniture pads in giant trash bags, sealed them closed, then stowed them in the shed along with the fountain. I used the rogue wagon that just showed up by our tree house to cart all the larger, heavy flower pots to the shed for winter storage. I was running out of steam quick. I asked Mindy for help bagging up the canna bulbs.

We’ve had more than a few people ask for some. We bagged ten per grocery bag, and filled as many as twelve then temporarily stowed them in the garage. It was already nearing 230-3pm. In what felt like somewhat of break, I used my blower to clear the debris that remained on the deck then blew the leaf clutter from the rear beds to the center of the yard. I then mowed them over with my tractor. That mulched them to nothing. By the time I was through it was almost 330pm. I felt whipped, but was happy to have such a big chore behind me. Now the deck looks barren.

Inside, Mindy was already in the shower getting ready for a wedding reception the two of us were invited to. It started at 5pm. I took a brief rest and checked email, both personal and work. I quickly took care of one work related issue. I was feeling a little stiff so I took some Advil then headed up for a shower around 4pm. Meanwhile, Mindy was all but ready. We were both showered and ready near 430pm. We walked the pug before we left the house. Darwin called Mindy just before we headed out the door. We both talked with him. We talked for a while. He said he was going through a difficult stretch.

The wedding reception was in honor of Pat & Lisa’s daughter Jamie and her new husband, Paul who actually tied the knot back around Labor Day in Vegas. The reception was held at a VFW post in Hilliard off Walcutt – not too far from our home – 2/3 miles tops. Arrived around 530pm. A large contingent was already present. Mindy found some folks we knew fairly well and asked if we could join them at their table.

Not too long after our arrival we hooked up with Pat & Lisa, Jamie’s proud parents. Pat sent us to the open bar for drinks. I spotted a bottle of Jack Daniels from afar. That’s what I wanted. Mindy went for our drinks. She came back with rum and Coke for herself. We shared a table with Joe & Peggy, friends we’ve met through Pat & Lisa. Pat & Lisa’s youngest daughter, Alana. Also there was Lori, Lisa’s former sister-in-law, Lori’s mother, and Lori’s three kids.

We enjoyed a few healthy snacks before dinner was served. Mindy & I had talked about hanging around for a couple of hours but then bolting for CBC. That never happened. We stayed well into the evening, and actually past the stated end time of 10pm. I ate vegetables and cheese. Mindy had some chicken and mashed potatoes. Good thing, too. She was putting the rum and Cokes away like candy!
At some point Lisa stopped over and asked if I was taking any pictures, and if so, would I send them to her. Said I would, but also asked if she had her camera. She did. I volunteered to take pictures with it all night. I took maybe 200 photos best guess, until the battery went. I think I got some pretty good shots.

The reception proved to be a big success. Everybody, young and old seemed to be having fun. And just like another recent wedding reception, they had a photo booth there taking/providing a strip of photos much like they used to have at all the ‘dime stores’, only this one took color pictures.

Mindy and I left for home around 1030-11pm. She was feeling no pain whatsoever. And by the time we got home she couldn’t even manage her way into the house. I had to help her. More accurately stated, I had to do her walking for her. :) She sat on the stoop convinced she was going to barf. I carried everything inside then went back out for her. She wasn’t inside long before she chucked her dinner, drinks, and everything else. I helped her up to bed. It was much like dealing with a baby. Had to get her undressed, into PJs, then into bed. She did have the wherewithal to ask for her blood pressure medicine. Frankly, I was surprised.

Once she was safely in bed I headed downstairs to watch some football and SNL I didn’t make it much past 1145pm. I woke on the sofa around 1am and headed for bed.

Choppin' Cannas

Finally Friday! I was up and downstairs around 535am. A completely clear sky and 32 degrees to start the day. Expecting warm weather for the weekend – our Indian summer. I hadn’t yet decided if I was going to work at home or the office. I figured I wouldn’t decide until the last minute. I completed Friday calisthenics, which included sit-ups, windmills, and push-ups. Enjoyed coffee at the PC while compiling my morning hurricane Sandy report.

Woke Mindy with coffee near 610am. She coughed all through the night. Sounded terrible. Still going to work, though. Back downstairs I spent a few more minutes on the PC, including sending a note to Lindsey’s insurance agent informing him of our decision to switch carriers solely based on price. Did a stretch and meditation ahead of my run. Back and neck still feeling super.

Decided that I was going to have a relaxing morning and wasn’t going to run until after Bella was on the bus. Still wasn’t certain about working from home. Wouldn’t decide for sure until during/after my run. Let Mindy know as soon as she was downstairs that she didn’t need to make me breakfast. Time went fast. Mindy left around 730am. I spent most of the early morning hours working. I dressed in my running clothes just before Bella and I headed out to the bus stop.

Chrissy asked if I was taking the day off. Nope, but considering working from home. As soon as the girls were on the bus I took the pug back home and then headed out for a run. It was chilly, but awfully pretty. During my run I decided that I was going to work from home. I was back from my run just ahead of 9am.

I had a fairly long list of to-dos scrawled out, and after topping off my coffee I started plugging away. I needed to join a call at 11am, but aside from that my calendar was pretty clear. Around 1030am I sent my boss a note letting him know that I’d be working from home. I spent the time ahead of my 11am, and then a couple hours after, working on a new piece of my monthly report. I was worried that it might take days to do the new addition, but the more I dug in that didn’t seem to be the case. However, it required lots of research. My 11am call was brief, lasted no more than 10 minutes.

I took a break around 1130am and headed out side in the yard. It was lovely – mid 50s and sunny. I ended up chopping down the cannas in front of our firewood pile. I carried the dying stalks back to the compost pile. If the weather delivers as promised, I hoped to winterize the entire yard over the weekend, which at a minimum, is an all-day endeavor.

Back at my home desk, I continued work on my monthly report while also multitasking. It was 1pm in a hurry. I headed outside for another break and cut down the cannas planted around the air conditioning condenser. After carrying the stalks back to the compost pile, I emptied the deck fountain and laid all the shell and pump/light kit out on a bench to dry in the sunshine. I wouldn’t have time to clean them for winter storage that afternoon, but planned to take care of that piece over the weekend. All that took no more than 15-20 minutes.

I forced myself to take a full hour break. With the remaining time, I headed to the basement with a scraper and my new cordless drill with a wire brush wheel attachment to scrape rust from the basement window frames in preparation for paint. I wore my mask and safety glasses. The plan worked well. I cleaned the scraped metal with mineral spirits when done.

My afternoon was a busy one. Tied up several loose ends. Jacob was home around 310-315pm, which is later than usual. Said the bus showed up at school late. He was off to play with friends in a jiffy. Got a text from Mindy midafternoon letting me know that she was heading to the doctor’s office, presumably about her cold/cough.

Stayed plenty busy through the late afternoon. Was informed somewhat late that I wouldn’t need to send Hurricane Sandy reports through the weekend like originally thought. That was a relief. All but three of my customers sites were restored.

Got another text from Mindy sharing that she was rear ended, OK, but waiting on police. Called her at 3pm to see if everything was OK. She was fine, and said the damage to the Pilot minimal. It was a kid. Thankfully he has insurance. Apparently his dad showed up at the scene too. Mindy was home even before Bella. At a break, I headed out to check out the damage to the Pilot. As Mindy shared, it was minimal. However, they’ll almost certainly have to replace the entire rear bumper.

I kept busy until 5pm. Mindy’s doctor prescribed cough syrup with codeine. She went to fetch her prescription as soon as the kids were gone with their dad. Oh, by the way, it was a Jimaken weekend. While Mindy was off getting her prescription filled, I headed back to the basement to prime the basement window frames with Rustoleum rusty metal primer. That took about 30 minutes. Mindy was back when I reemerged from the basement. I headed upstairs for a much needed shower. And despite being ill, Mindy wanted to go out. We agreed on Barleys. She only asked that we not stay out too late. I was showered and ready in short order. Mindy freshened up after I was ready. Not sure what time we left the house.

Two nights in a row at Barley’s. The twins were there again too. The place was well attended and near capacity. Often is this time of year. A couple vacated their bar stools offering them up to the two of us. Mindy sat, but I opted to stand, at least for a while. Started with a Fortune Teller. Mindy opted for a guest stout, but only one.

Mindy ordered pita & hummus. I ate some of that. I went from the Fortune Teller to a Centennial. Eventually bellied up to a bar stool around the corner from Mindy. Talked with Tom and Wuffus. We were planning to watch the Buckeye basketball game from a war ship, but the game was inexplicably canceled last minute. Eventually ordered a plate of KC wings along with a 3rd beer - another Centennial. Yum! After finishing my wings I opted for yet another Centennial, this one my last. Mindy shared her displeasure that I ordered another. I drank it quickly. Mindy picked up the check and we headed for home around 1030pm.

Mindy took more of her prescription cough syrup then was quickly off to bed. I poured a CBC IPA but didn’t drink it. I covered my pint glass with a baggie and taped it tightly then put it in the fridge and headed to bed.

Drive-thru Car Wash

I was up Thursday morning somewhere close to 535am. I was once again well slept but for the first 5 minutes I felt kind of groggy. But that quickly abated as soon as 50 sit-ups were completed. The sky was clear and the temperature a season low 29 degrees. There was a thick coating of frost on pretty much everything.

I headed to my PC with coffee near 555am. Spent the next 10-15 minutes reading headlines and checking in with work. I started my daily Sandy report too. It didn't need sent until 10am but I had to be across town in an important holiday readiness meeting by 9am. I planned to send my report before I left the house. I woke Mindy at 610am. She sounded even worse than she did the morning before. She hacked and coughed most of the night despite taking cough syrup.

Meditation and stretching were next and went well. Dressed for a run around 635am and hit the door about 5 minutes later. Because I needed to be across town in a meeting at 9am, I figured I ought to be there by 845am so I wouldn't feel rushed. To that end I cut my run to just three miles buying myself about 9 minutes. The run was great. The cold was actually refreshing. Mindy headed out to warm her Pilot just as I headed in to leash up the pug. We took care of our walk in about 5 minutes. I was very deliberate with every move, planning to pull out of the drive as soon as I saw Bella onto the bus. After woofing down my eggs I sent that Sandy report then packed up my laptop and headed for a shower.

Done with a shower and back downstairs by 752am. With the extra time I threw together a lunch and then unloaded the dishwasher. All that was done by 802am. I headed out to warm the Accord. Bella and I headed to the bus stop at our usual time. I didn't take the pug and had everything in my car ready to leave for work. I planned to go from the bus stop directly to my warmed car. I must be living right. The bus was about 8 minutes early, there by 812am. Once Bella was on and gone, I headed off to work. Chrissy warned that traffic was announced to be nasty heading into town. Great! I noticed that Bella's former gymnastics teacher, Emily, was right behind me on Wilson heading towards the freeway.

Chrissy was correct. Traffic was extremely heavy and moving slow on 70E. I took it anyway. It was moving but slow pretty much from the entrance ramp until I cleared downtown. Good thing I was able to leave early. In what typically takes about 19 minutes in good traffic, took me 41 minutes. I parked the Accord in the deep lot at 854am. I hustled inside, having to walk several hundred yards to the building. I found the conference room in question rather easily. I had only a minute to spare. Others were still trickling in so they didn't actually start the meeting until 910am. I was relaxed and comfortable. The company CIO did his spiel and then handed the meeting to one of his underlings. It was interesting and informative. Lasted no more than 25 minutes. Spent very little time socializing as I had a busy day back at my regular office awaiting. I headed back to my car.

It had warmed up considerably. Felt close to 50 degrees already. I headed back to work taking 270 all the way around. Decided to exit at Cemetery Rd and give the Kleen a' Car carwash a try. The Accord was filthy and I've been wanting to try one of these all cloth drive-thru car washed with associates there to prep and dry. I've driven by the car wash hundreds of times but have never tried it. I wasn't even sure how to turn in and then where to enter. I figured it out pretty quickly. The entrance was in the rear. At the sharp left turn was a sign with the prices and their varied offerings. I went with the deluxe wash - $9. A guy guided me onto the moving rail then motioned for me to window down. Asked what type of wash. Deluxe! $9. I gave him a $10. I wasn't sure about tipping. Before I could think he gave me $1 back. He told me to proceed. OK. Apparently he assumed I knew to put the car in neutral but I didn't. In fact, during our transaction, the car remained in drive with my foot on the brake. Once he motioned me forward I simply removed my foot from the brake. It's funny how idle speed can seem so crazy fast in such situations. He hollered at me - PUT IT IN NEUTRAL! I quickly abided. He gave me a disapproving look then muttered something to his partner, who was on the other side of my car spraying it with some prep solution. Sorry!

The carwash was cool and took about - mmm - 90 seconds, I'd say. As luck would have it, my blackberry rang as I passed through. It was a customer. I opted to take the call. It was hard to hear him with the carwash slapping, spraying, and blowing against the outside of the car. Turns out, they needed my help with an outage escalation. I shared that I was still in route to the office after leaving their campus within the last hour, but promised to take look once I was settled in at the office. I assured him that I would close the loop by calling or emailing a status back.

After exiting the carwash I pulled over to use their free vacuum. There was a lot of leaf debris underfoot. I vacuumed the car thoroughly but it only took about three minutes. The car looked really nice, not as nice as it does when I detail it at home, but more than a decent compromise. I headed to the office, just another mile or two down the road.

I'm thinking that it was close to 1030am when I got to my office. As promised, as soon as I was situated I inserted myself into my customer's concern. It quickly ballooned into an even bigger issue when he respectfully requested I get senior leadership involved. No problem. I did as requested. For a while, it caused quite a stir. I had several other important tasks I needed to accomplish Thursday, too. To that end, I became the consummate multitasker.

I accomplished much through the day, including helping get that ugly escalated issue resolved. I had a quarterly review meeting to join at 230pm. It was for the same customer that I flew to Chicago to participate in their last quarterly review live. This time I was joining remotely. I accomplished ton before that started. Felt really good about that. I didn't bother taking a lunch and really wasn't that hungry. I ate only my nuts. banana, and cheese all day.

The quarterly review meeting went pretty well. I ended up with two takeaways, one of which I took care of immediately after the meeting. I don't like to let to-dos linger. If I do, I can become overwhelmed in a hurry. The rest of the afternoon I focused on another monthly report. I figured the more I got done Thursday, the easier my Friday would be. That in itself served as motivation.

Mindy called my blackberry two times in all of about 3 minutes. For some reason she hadn't tried my personal cell. I called her back when I had a moment to breath, worried that something might be the matter. Bella answered her phone but quickly got me to her momma. Mindy said she tried calling me once but that's it. Her phone is on its last leg, for sure. Turns out, she didn't really need anything urgently, although wanted to ask about doing sinner at Barley's, Jacob's request. I didn't rule it out, and the thought crossed my mind earlier too. Figured we'd decided once I was home. Either way, she needed to run Bella to gymnastics. Said if we did go, we could take separate cars.

I'd been at it since early in the AM. I was eager to get home so I left work at 505pm.. I didn't call anyone. Drove home listening to a little music and then ESPN sports. Got home just before 530pm. Mindy & Bella were preparing to depart for gymnastics. Mindy asked again about dinner at Barleys. Why not? She suggested we take separate cars, Jacob riding with me. She would then meet us there after dropping Bella.

Mindy & Bella left around 545pm. I had to wait for Jacob to freshen up after being outside playing with friends. He and I let for Barley's ten minutes later. Jacob asked that we get a table in lieu of sitting at the bar, but I didn't really want a table, at least not until Mindy showed up. We did neither. Instead, we simply stood, me sipping a Centennial and Jacob enjoying a Dr Pepper. Janet & Katy were working the bar. Hadn't seen Janet for a long time. Eventually, a barside table freed and I suggested we nab it. Mindy showed up 5 minutes later.

I gave Mindy my chair, opting to stand after sitting all day. Mindy ordered a Barley's Xmas ale. Soon after her arrival Mindy shared that Bella had a very traumatic day at school, apparently in tears after Makayla and other female school peeps were caught passing notes back and forth about her. Always drama. We don't get that with Jacob. I guess it's a girl thing.

The twins, Kurt & Kevin stopped by to chat and say hello. Shared some sad news. They lost their 57 year old brother during the week. Dropped dead from a heart attack. He worked at their downtown vacuum shop. They were still noticeably shaken by it all.

Our food arrived. Mindy ordered the carnivore platter - all brisket. Jacob ordered chicken tenders with gates of hell sauce on the side. And I ordered the Thursday special - a reuben. Haven't been in for one for a couple months. It was as good as I remembered. Ordered a 2nd beer, too, a Fortune Teller (Imperial Porter). We weren't at Barley's too long. Mindy needed to fetch Bella by 730pm. We placed a to-go order of chicken tenders and fries for Bella. Jacob opted to ride home with Mindy, and the two of them left a few minutes in front of me. I wasn't even finished with my beer. They stiffed me with the check too.

I had a much shorter, more direct route home. I beat them there by several minutes. In fact, I was already in my PJs and napping on the sofa when they finally got home. Bella was just starting to dig into her chicken tenders and fries when I woke to her calling me out, saying that I lied to her. She was referring to my promise on Tuesday that I would take her for fast food after gymnastics on Thursday. She said it with such venom that I couldn't take it. I immediately cut her off, advising her against continuing in a sharp, disapproving tone. After all, she was eating the chicken tenders and fries I just bought her at Barley's. The nerve! :)

Mindy reminded me that Bella had a dramatic day, insisted I go easy on her. I walked over to give her a hug but she wasn't in an accepting mood. Mindy was soon off to bed, citing her wicked cold, cough. I stayed up watching Thursday night NFL football for a short while. It was Indianapolis and Jacksonville. Certainly not a game I was very excited to watch. Mindy told Bella to be in bed by 9pm. She followed her orders and headed upstairs with the pug even before her deadline. I eventually fell asleep on the sofa waking near 1030pm and heading for bed.

Antibiotic Drip

I slept good. In fact, so much so that come 530am I didn’t want to get up. I let myself sleep until 540am. I guess the time change party’s officially over. It was Wednesday, which meant it was a push-up morning. I glanced outback before any calisthenics. It was cloudy. Over the next 10-12 minutes I completed sit-ups, windmills, and push-ups. I stretched my neck and back before sit-ups. I’m using a new technique that so far has produced stellar results. It simply involves grabbing my wrists behind my back then raising my arms as high as possible all while arching my back. I then follow that by reaching behind my shoulders from the top and pushing down on my elbow with my opposite hand. It works. Relieves the kinks, stiffness, and any pain almost instantly. I’ve been doing those same stretches from my office during the day, too.

Spent only 10 minutes online before taking Mindy coffee. I learned that Obama was reelected and had 303 electoral votes to Mittens’ 208 or so. Florida was still unassigned, apparently too close to call. I took Mindy coffee around 610am. She sounded bad – coughed often through the night. She still planned on going to school.

I spent another 10 minutes online before moving on to meditation and regular stretching. Both went well. I dressed and left for a run by 640am. It was somewhere in the low 30s but not quite as chilly as the morning before. Not a lot of frost either. I think the air was much drier, too. I ran the full 4.1 miles comfortably – no leg issues.

Mindy was still at the house when I got back from my run. I quickly leashed up the pug and headed out. The endorphins were strong. Felt like a champ! Mindy was preparing to back out the driveway just as Eiknarf and I headed up the drive towards the front door. Gave her a hug and kiss before she left. Again, she sounded bad.

Bella was at the breakfast table. We briefly discussed the election results. She was thrilled that Obama won. I She reminded me that she would be leaving for Chrissy’s place at 8am. That’s right. She’s part of the school’s wellness team and this is their first meeting day. Chirssy agreed to take she and Makayla who were handpicked to be part of the team by teachers.

I was out of the shower and back downstairs before Bella needed to leave. I had another hurricane Sandy report I needed to send. As soon as she headed down to the neighbors I got busy sending that report. I heard the bus outside. She was apparently waiting on Bella and Makayla. After a minute or two I walked out to let her know that neither was bussing to school this day.

I enjoyed a second cup of coffee before leaving for work and made sure I had all the necessary gear to work remote. I left for new Albany near 835am. Traffic was cooperative. Only one small snarl and that was in the construction zone where they made a change to the traffic pattern. Caught me off guard when my lane suddenly disappeared. I had speed up considerably to pass a big truck that otherwise would’ve let me run off the road. Arrived on site near 9am and was inside. Logged on and settled by 915am.

Had our usual 10am call where we discussed a handful of open issues. The call lasted for the entire 30 minutes. Spent the rest of my day working on monthly reporting. I opted to skip a formal lunch break and instead ate at my desk. Kept working the entire time, too.

Left the office for home around 450pm. The sun was already in its descent. Got a call from my boss just as soon as I was on 270. Said we needed to send another hurricane Sandy update report before 700pm. I didn’t complain but shared that I would have to log on from home and send it. I tried calling my mom in her hospital room by clicking on the phone number I texted myself. Somehow or another it dialed Mindy instead. I didn’t recognize her voice at first. After all, I was expecting my mom. Mindy and I chatted only briefly. During our chat she shared that Lindsey was bringing the boys by the house so she could attend a parent teacher conference regarding their school performance.

Tried my mom’s room again. This time it worked. She sounded good but tired. Said that her knee is still swollen and red but perhaps a little better. Still on the antibiotic drip. Should find out Thursday whether or not they will need to go back in. Yikes! We talked for about 5 minutes. Agreed to call back tomorrow to learn more.

Arrived home near 530pm. Lindsey was still there in her new car. I took a casual peak before heading inside. Still looks new. :) She was just on her way out to Magdalene to meet with boys’ teachers. Mindy was putting the finishing touches on dinner – chicken & noodles. Yum!

The boys, especially Landon, were wound up. Somewhat unusual for him to be so wired, but it was in a good way. He was being goofy but also helpful. We sat for dinner near 600pm. The chicken & noodles were scrumptious. I had 1.5 helpings. The dinner table was anything but quiet. The kids were all fired up and loud. Aside from Rocky asking 25 times if he could call his mom, they were simply having fun. Rocky’s very insecure away from his mom. Asks about her, and then if he can call her constantly. Sometimes I want to shoot him, but realize that it’s not his fault.

He continued to pester both Mindy and I about it through clean-up. We expected Lindsey back by about 645pm. He kept asking right until her return. I gave Rocky $5 for the book fair at school. I gave Landon ad shiny quarter for being so helpful before and after dinner. Once the kids were gone I headed up to change out of my work clothes. Boy did that ever feel good!

I spent some time online, finishing up my Tuesday blog entry. Bella & Mindy suggested we watch a movie – Elf. I was game. Bella put in the DVD around 730-8pm. Laughed again. Funny movie and a family favorite. Mindy didn’t make it to the end. She begged off for bed around 840pm. She asked that I make sure Bella was in bed right after the movie. I let her stay up a little while longer. I made myself a bowl of Frosted Flakes., and then I eventually fell asleep on the sofa. Bella must’ve gotten up and headed to bed on her own. Woke incredibly sleepy with barely enough energy to make to bed. It was 1005pm. Good night half moon!

Rough Day for Mittens

 

 

where the magic happens.

 

I slept well again and woke for good just ahead of 530am. Fully rested, I headed downstairs moments after brushing my teeth and gathering up my running attire. The sky was completely clear. A waning half- moon hung almost directly overhead. I slipped into my exercise shoes then began calisthenics. I noticed right away that the nagging muscle ache in my neck and shoulders was all but gone, and certainly not bothersome. That made me happy.

After sit-ups I completed windmills, curls, and neck/back stretches. It was close to 545am when I headed to my computer with coffee. It was election day, and as such, many of the headlines had something to do with the election. Apparently both candidates, Obama & Mittens had already cast their votes, sometime in the wee hours of the morning. I checked the MNF final. The Eagles were soundly defeated by the Saints. Things aren’t going too well for the Eagles.

For some reason, all too often, our election day her in CMH is rainy. That wouldn’t be the case this go round. Expecting sunshine and a high near 50 degrees. At the time, however, it was cold – only 30 degrees. As the week progresses, it’s expected to get a little warmer each day with sunshine every day save for tomorrow (Wednesday). It should be in the mid 60s by the weekend. As we progress through November, everybody in our house is hoping for cold and snow.

I didn’t bother waking Mindy. Her school district declared election day a no-school day this year. I could hear Jacob up and stirring just after 6am. For he and Bella, no such luck. They both had school as usual. I played around online until 615am when I headed to the livingroom for meditation and stretching. Both went really well.

I dressed for a run beginning at 628am and got out the door around 635am. It was cold, only 30 degrees. Frost covered darn near everything. I quickly drug the regular trash can to the curb, this being our pick-up day. I warmed quickly and was very comfortable a mile or so into the run. I ran the full 4.1 miles, the majority of it in daylight.

I wasn’t entirely sure of Mindy’s plans. Did she plan to get up with Bella or stay in bed? That question was answered once back from my run. She was up and had already made my eggs. I walked the dog before digging into my breakfast. Bella reminded me that it was election day. Said she was worried that Romney might win. Too cute!

I was off to the shower by 740am. Mindy was tooling around in the kitchen and already on her laptop. She headed for a shower just as soon as I was back downstairs. She planned to vote. I’m not too sure what else she had planned for her day off. Before heading to the bus stop, I finished packing my lunch. Mindy didn’t prep a salad, so I packed tuna, which I haven’t had in a long time, some cheese, nuts, and fruit.
I headed out with Bella at 810am. Chrissy asked why Mindy’s car was home. Asked if she was sick. Nope, off. Schools are closed. She thought I was joking. She also shared that she was up early and had already voted. Said the line wasn’t too long, only 40 minutes. Yikes! I have voted after work for the last 5 or 6 years and I never have to wait in line even for a minute. Rather, I walk right up, give them my name and ID, sign, vote. Bang!

The bus was on time. Eiknarf and I headed back to the house. Mindy was upstairs blow drying her hair. I played around online while also enjoying a 2nd cup of coffee. Mindy was downstairs before I left for work. Said she didn’t feel that good. For whatever the reason, Mindy, more often than not, turns up ill on her scheduled no school days. I headed out to start and defrost my car before leaving. I let it warm for about 10 minutes. By then, the windows were fully defrosted and the inside nice and toasty. It was a pleasurable drive into the office.

Arrived at the office around 845am and was settled and busy at work by 9am. Spent the morning working on monthly/quarterly reporting. Walked down to chat with my boss around 10am. A new account executive stopped by and introduced himself mid-morning – nice enough guy. Kept at it until about 1230pm at which point I left for a Home Depot run.

There, I picked up some long overdue filter masks and clear safety glasses. I also restocked our mouse bait trays. It’s that time of the year when they come in our garage for warmth and shelter. Only last week we found one all but dead at the foot of the stairs by the dog food storage container. I set out a bait tray and the following day it was empty, which leads me to believe that there are others lurking.
Browsed several other aisles too but picked up nothing else. Was gone about 40 minutes. Headed back to the office hungry. Off the elevator, I went immediately to the fridge, grabbed my lunch, and washed my hands. Got busy again with reporting all the while enjoying my lunch. Joined a call to learn about a new automated reporting tool. This one seems promising. The call lasted 30-40 minutes.

It was election day, and I was eager to vote. To that end I planned to leave a little earlier than normal to ensure that I had plenty of time to vote, despite there typically being next to no lines. I left work just after 430pm. Traffic was unusually light heading south on 270 towards home. Our polling center is in the Raymond golf course club house. Often times it’s hard to determine if the crowd is there to golf or vote. Either way, this time the lot wasn’t even half full.

Inside, I was able to walk right up and vote after proving that I am who I say I am. I voted on less than half of the races. Didn’t know many of the candidates. I voted for president, US senate, and then both issue #1 & 2 as well as the Franklin County tax issue. Was there and gone after something less than 10 minutes. Very efficient.

Mindy & Bella were in the kitchen. Bella once again expressed her hope that Obama would win reelection. The house smelt good. Mindy made stuffed peppers for dinner. Shared a little about her day. She voted, shopped, and picked up a couple Powerball tickets. Wednesday’s drawing is for more than $140 million! I can feel it! We used our winnings to buy the tickets. In fact, we’re still swimming with winnings ($10) from the scratch-offs Shelly bought me for my birthday.

We wouldn’t be eating our dinner until Mindy was back from dropping Bella at gymnastics. That figured to be around 615pm. Mindy made Bella a plate of stuffed pepper meat just before she left. She spit it back out. Said she didn’t like it. Neither of us were happy that she spit it back onto her plate. She ended up eating cereal. Mindy and Bella left around 550pm.

While Mindy was gone, I did some writing in my blog and also read some headlines. Not a lot of new news regarding the election.

As expected, Mindy was home near 615pm and quickly served up our dinner. The stuffed peppers were very good. I kicked mine up a notch, topping it off with Texas Pete’s hot sauce. Yum! I had only one serving but picked at what Bella didn’t eat, hopefully avoiding what she spit out. Jacob wasn’t too keen on them either, but ate about half. He also had cereal.

Clean-up wasn’t too bad at all. Mindy sounded bad – like she has a cold in her chest. Said she was tired too. I planned to go after Bella but teased her about doing it. I changed into lounging pants and a long sleeved t-shirt after finishing up in the kitchen. Still with about 15 minutes before I needed to go after Bella, I all but completed Monday’s blog entry.

Arrived at the gym near 730pm. Got to see Bella’s work on the double-mini trampoline. She seemed distracted. Said hello to Kelly F., Bella’s coach. We didn’t stick around for long. Bella asked if we could stop at Wendy’s on our way home. I quickly nixed that notion. She wasn’t too pleased. I did, however, agree to tune the stereo to WNCI. That pleased her only marginally. Arrived home around 745pm. Bella was in a mood. Told her mom that she had a bad evening at the gym. I poked a little fun her way, but quickly stopped at Mindy’s prompting. Bella can be a moody one.

I went to my compute to check on election results. There were results trickling in, but relatively few. Romney had a lead – 13 – 3. I finished my Monday blog then headed to the family room and tuned the TV to election coverage. Bella asked what we would do if Mitten won the presidency. I joked that we would have to move. 
We watched election results, flipping between all three major networks and PBS. Interesting spin. Mittens held an electoral lead late into the evening but based on the electorate science, they were already predicting an Obama win. And when Pennsylvania turned blue they were even more staunch in their prediction all the while emphasizing that it was only conjecture. Mindy and the kids headed for bed by 9pm. I stayed up, thoroughly enjoying the election results and all the what ifs. Very interesting how they can predict an outcome that appears to fly in the face of the current count. For example, in Virginia, Mittens held a sizable lead (54% to 45%). However, they speculated that most of the votes already tallied were from the Romney portion of the state. They boldly predicted an Obama win.

Florida, meanwhile, was once again almost a dead heat. With about million votes in, there was less than 10,000 separating the two. I fell asleep on the sofa before 10pm. Most pundits were calling it an Obama win despite several key states not in, including our state, Ohio, which was getting lots of airtime.
It must’ve been around 1030pm when I woke and turned off the TV and headed for bed. I was so sleepy that I didn’t even bother checking the election results further. Figured it would be a great way to start my Wednesday after exercise and with coffee.

My New Do

Slept quite soundly, not waking even once until about 430am when I had to get up and pee. I headed back to bed and slept for another 70 minutes, waking for good around 540am. I felt completely rested, much like one might expect this first work day after our return to EST.

The coffee was already brewing. I glanced skyward then started calisthenics. Whipped out 50 sit-ups, windmills, and 50 push-ups. Felt good. Stretched my back, neck and shoulders too, something I’ve added to my daily repertoire. Seems to be making a significant difference. By the time my exercises were done and I had coffee in hand, it was darn near 6am. I spent a few minutes online before taking coffee upstairs to Mindy.

Sometime Sunday afternoon, I reprogrammed our thermostat to kick up to 68 at 515am. It's much more comfortable that when it was set at 70. During the heating season, our bedroom is the warmest room in the house. I'll bet it's 4 degrees warmer that the thermostat setting, which is located in the dining room. Come to think of it, I probably ought to alter the duct deflectors feeding the master bedroom, especially before I drywall the basement ceiling.

Back downstairs I completed another Hurricane Sandy status report but didn't send it. Planned to do that when I got back from my run. I was online until almost 620am. Did meditation and stretching next, and both went well. It was well after 640am when I headed out for my run. In fact, Jacob was already out at his bus stop before stepped out of the house. That's rare. I greeted him and all his bus peeps as I passed.
I ran the full 4.1 miles and felt good doing so. Legs are feeling strong, something I am very happy to report. I wasn't surprised to find Mindy long gone when I returned home. It was already around 730am. Our recycling can was emptied. I drug it to the top of the driveway next to the overhead door. Inside, I quickly leashed up Eiknarf and started towards the door when Bella hollered down that Mindy had already walked her. Hmm? She was just short of whining at the door and seemed extremely eager to go out. I took her on another walk anyway. And sure enough, just the other side of the bridge she took a big dump. Good thing I was paying attention to her signals.

Enjoyed my eggs, but only after micorwaving them for 12 seconds. They were cold as they sat. Enjoyed some fresh fruit along with the eggs. Bella was already off to her room doing who knows what. Mindy left a check for nephew Joe, who was coming by to clean the house later that morning/early afternoon.
It was already 755am by the time I finished breakfast. I went ahead and sent out that report. I didn't plan on showering until after Bella was on the bus. Instead, with the ten or so minutes I had, I did a little work, including gathering data for my almost never ending monthly reports. Bus time came quickly. Bella and I headed out with the pug at 809am. It was lovely outside. We met Chrissy and Makayla at the bus stop. Chrissy guessed that I wasn't going to work, as evidenced by me still in running clothes. Nope, just had some work stuff I needed to take care of early.

I noticed that their recycling was still at the curb and full. I shared that they were already by. But Chrissy insisted that theirs was out the night before. Hmm? They must've forgot to stop at their place. The bus arrived on time. Eiknarf and I headed back home. After a few minutes inside, I remembered that I needed to thaw my car. There was a healthy coating of frost covering it.

I left for the office somewhere close to 9am. I felt good, unrushed, and ready to tackle a Monday. Arrived and was settled before 930am. Walked down to chat with my boss, who was very apologetic for putting me through that fire drill the night before. While I don't like to be bothered over the weekends, I assured him that I am always willing to help him out.

I spent most of my day on quarterly reports. I got a call from Chris from Germain Honda around 11am sharing that he couldn't find Lindsey's old car - Accent. I asked if he was at the AAA shop across the street from his dealership. Nope, said they were looking along Sawmill Rd. I reminded him of our conversation and its whereabouts. He apologized, shared that he wasn't listening carefully. Considering that they gave us $300 for it, that was pretty amusing. I know that's not a ton of money, but it's something.
Took lunch around 110pm and headed to Saturday's at Mill Run bent on getting a haircut. There were two employees on the floor, one I recognized the other I did not. Connie came from the back, apparently after finishing her lunch and did my haircut. She's the manager and the one who's been there for something like 23 years. She was fast. Washed, cut, and greased up in less than 10 minutes.

Afterwards, I headed across the street to Lowes where I picked up paint, primer, and two cheap paint brushes for refinishing the two basement window frames. Of course I bought Rustoleum paint. I headed back to the office after only being gone for about 45 minutes. I stopped by the fridge and grabbed my lunch on the way back to my office. Of course I washed my hands first.

I ate my packed food all the while working on quarterly/monthly reports. Jacob phoned me around 4-430pm asking me to settle a pug walking disagreement. I didn't m,ind the call, but refused to dictate who needed to walk the dog. I only asked that the two of them work it out and have her walked before leaving with their dad.

I stayed busy until 515pm when I packed up for home. Of course given the time change, the sun was already setting in the west. I remembered Mindy wouldn't be at home, and nor would the kids. Mindy had parent conferences and the kids were having dinner at their dad's. I called my mom on my drive home. She sounded drugged, and as it turned out, probably for good reason. Said her knee was swollen, red, and painful. Went in last week and the quack, I mean doctor, advised that it might be infection and to come back in a week. Said it went from being almost pain free to its current condition suddenly. She called me Tommy at one point. On a more positive note, she said her second cataract procedure went well.
Told her to call me after her appointment on Tuesday to let me know what she learns. I really felt like she should go to the emergency room. Swelling and infection after surgery is nothing to play around with.
At home I quickly addressed my routine chores. The house was cleaned by nephew Joe earlier that afternoon and still looked in order even after the kids were there for an hour or more before their dad came after them. I played around online and tuned the cable box to the holiday music channel. I eventually made myself a rotisserie chicken burrito. It was really good. Everything needing done was completed before 630pm. I headed upstairs and changed into my PJs then sunk into the family room chair with my book and glass of ice water. I finished the last 10-12 pages of my book and even squeezed a nap in before the kids got home. I'm thinking that was near 810pm.

Bella and I snuggled on the sofa. I had been on my PC while she was watching her trash Disney Channel TV shows. She hollered in wanting me to come join her. I did so willingly. I love to snuggle with Bella, but I can't stand those stupid kiddie sitcoms. I just reminded myself to endure.

Mindy didn't get home until around 840pm. By then it was time for MNF. Again, I wasn't that keen on watching any football but changed the channel to the game anyway. It was the Eagles/Saints. From what I saw, the Eagles looked pretty bad. I watched only passively. Bella and I shared some popcorn before bed. Like the night before, Mindy and the kids headed off to bed well ahead of me. Mindy said she had a sore throat. She didn't have school on Tuesday, Her entire district shut down for election day. I guess all in the name of safety for the kids.

Danish Seaman Disappoint Again

I slept great and was up around 715am. Of course, just the day before that would’ve been 815am, but thanks to the end of daylight savings time, we regained an hour. I headed downstairs and started some coffee. It was pretty nice. The sun was already busting up above the horizon.

I enjoyed coffee and internet for about an hour before I heard Mindy begin to stir. She was up and downstairs around 820am – early for her. She fixed herself some coffee then joined me in the living room. I was in the middle of updating my blog. I took a brief break. It wasn’t too much longer before Bella and Makayla were up. Bella asked if we could go after some Tim Horton’s donuts. I agreed, but only after my run. Mindy started making breakfast burritos, a favorite of Jacob’s.

I headed out just after 9am. Of course it seemed a lot later, oh, by about an hour or so.  It was sunny and cold and somewhere in the 30s. Nice running weather. I ran the usual Sat/Sunday route of 3 miles. I wasn’t in the door for more than a minute when Bella and Makayla came calling about the donut run. We headed out in the Accord around 945am.

The girls and I headed inside Tim Horton’s, the two of them looking as though they had just crawled out of bed. There was a line about 4 customers deep. And anyone who’s been to Tim Horton’s knows that their focus is first and foremost on their drive-thru customers. Can anyone say slow?

We ordered a dozen donuts and 20 Timbits. Cost me something like $12. We headed home. I headed back to my PC while Mindy put the finishing touches on the breakfast burritos. She one ready for me, but still needing dressed resting by the stove. I joined the others at the kitchen table. I ate my burrito and one Timbit then went back to my PC to finish adding pictures to my blog. Played around online until almost 11am.

Mindy prepared to go to the grocery. The kids all headed outside to play. I ended up reading and taking a nap. I remember hearing Mindy leave. I must’ve slept for about 30 minutes but then got up and threw on my yard shoes, grabbed my leaf blower and headed to the deck where I blew all the leaves off and into the yard. I didn’t really plan on it, but ended up clearing the leaves from all the flower beds then blew some into piles while blowing the rest along the bank of the pond. I tarpped the piles and drug it back to the compost pile.

Felt good to have leaf management under control again. Now motivated, I decided to mow, even though the lawn didn’t look that bad after two weeks. I tractored first, getting about 90% of the yard with it. My push mower was bear to start. That’s odd. It generally starts on the 2nd or 3rd pull. I’ll bet it took 20 or more pulls. Oh boy! Always something. Finished the push mowing in all of about 10 minutes. Didn’t take long at all.

Decided to give the yard one last deluxe cut. Edging, whacking and blowing were next. It looked really nice when done, especially since I cut it extra short too. It may very well be the last cut of the season. Worst case, I might have to cut once more the weekend before TG. We’ll see. I put all my yard toys away and headed inside where I woofed down a quick snack then headed up for a shower. Felt really good. I smelt a lot better after too. 

Downstairs, I tossed a load of darks in the dryer and put my running clothes in the washer. I did some more reading while watching NFL football with the volume down. I decided to check the Time Warner program listings and was surprised to see that FOX was showing the Vikings/Seahawks game at 4pm. Cool! I planned to watch. Mindy got home from the grocery around 415pm. She actually made two trips, stopping home after an earlier run to Target. She was there for about 90 minutes.

I helped carry in the groceries after the Vikings scored a really fast touchdown. It didn’t hurt that Adrian Peterson ran the 2nd play from scrimmage almost 80 yard to the 1 yard line. The first half was back and forth, but for my money Seattle looked like the better team. If it wasn’t for AP, we would’ve had no offense. We trailed at the half, 20-17. I did my fair share of swearing at the ineptitude of our offense. Frankly, we were lucky to be in the game.


Mindy had dinner on the table at halftime – rotisserie chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans. Yum-yum! During the 2nd half it only got worse. The Vikings looked absolutely pathetic. Mindy said I had anger issues. I was giving Ponder and earful. I’m still not sure how we didn’t get completely blown out. I stopped watching at some point, but later saw that we lost 30-20 (I think). I can’t remember the last time I saw the Vikings win a game – really!

After dinner but before SNF, we lounged around house, me getting a fire going in the fireplace. We tuned into the Dallas/Atlanta but watched only passively at best. I didn’t really have the stomach for more football. Instead, I did more reading, almost finishing my latest Mlodinow book.

It’s nothing new, but Mindy headed to bed much earlier than I. Just no fooling her circadian clock. The cable box may have read 830pm but deep inside she knew it was really 930pm.  My boss called my blackberry around 840pm. I missed the call. He called back 5 minutes later. This time I answered. Needed a Hurricane Sandy status report with far more details than we had been providing. I wanted to growl, but knew it wasn’t his doing. Instead, I just took it in stride, logged on, and got to work. If my eyes were getting heavy earlier, they were really getting heavy staring at all this data. Ugh! I plugged away knocking out the report he needed by about 1020pm. As soon as I sent if away I headed up for bed.

My Civic Duty

I woke Saturday around 530am just like it was a work day. Happy to discover that it wasn't, I quickly was able to drift back asleep. By 715am I'd woken maybe three or four more times. I didn't plan to leave for boat winterization until 1030am, but considering I needed to relax, enjoy coffee, and run, I figured I should get up at 730am so not to feel rushed.

At 730am I headed downstairs and started some coffee. The sky was partly cloudy and temperature 41 degrees. I fooled around online for about an hour in total. At her request, I took Mindy some coffee around 800am. I told her that I was dreading the thought of taking Lindsey with me to have the boat winterized. I offered that for my own sanity, I thought it might make more sense for me to head up to Paul's Marine and back alone, even if it meant heading right back up and around 270 later on with Lindsey. Mindy supported my thinking. That's what I would do. I felt a whole lot better about my morning.

I dressed and left for a run around 815am. By then it was mostly sunny but still chilly. I was just happy to see the sunshine. I ran my weekend route of just 3 miles. It was an easy run. As soon as I was back at home I pulled the cover off the drivers' side of the boat and then pulled the garden hose to the motor and placed the water muffs around the intake. I pumped the gas several times, since it hadn't been started since the 2nd week of July. The battery turned over fairly strong, but the engine didn't fire. I worried that I might drain the battery trying. Paul's marine warns that you must bring the boat with a charged battery or else risk additional costs to get it running.
Lucky for me, it started on the 5th or 6th crank. I let it run for a solid ten minutes. I checked the fuel gauge which read just under half a tank. That was plenty. While the boat ran I let the air out of our new 3-man tube so I can easily stow it in the boat without it interfering with the cover.

It felt good to have the boat running. I'd been worrying that it might not start for the last few days. Satisfied, I folded up the tube and stowed in the bow area then reattached the boat cover. Next, before heading inside, I put air in all ten tires - 4 Accord, 4 Pilot, and two boat trailer using my Craftsman air compressor. The low tire indicator was on in both of our cars. Seems to happen when we transition from warm to cold.

Inside, Mindy made me a cheese, tomato, and bacon omelet. It was very tasty. Said she texted or called Lindsey to let her know that I was going to take care of the boat by myself and would get her once I had the boat back in storage. Predicted sometime around 1pm. At first, I thought I would skip a shower until later, but after a few minutes I reconsidered and hustled upstairs around 955am to get in the shower.

I was showered and ready to roll by 1015am. I made sure that I had storage and boat keys then left. It was a smooth drive up 270 then north on route 23. Paul's marine is located at Lewis Center Rd & St route 23. Been through this drill many times. Leave the keys in the car and park just outside the overhead doors. I was early. There was another boat being winterized when I arrived. hey gave me a pager and invited me to head into the showroom to shop, or enjoy coffee. This year I opted for a 'standard' winterization which included an oil and filter change. Expected it to take about an hour. I walked around the showroom checking out a few new Sea Rays. Sticker shock! The boat that caught my eye was a 22' black & white open bow Sea Ray. It came with everything. It was gorgeous. The price, on sale for $54,000. No thanks! We took our boat out only 5 or 6 times in total over the last three summers. I think our 'paid-for' boat is just fine!

They now have a gun shop at the rear of the facility. I briefly looked at the pistols in the display case while a couple customers talked guns with the sales guy. They were talking guns like I might talk about golf clubs or snow skis. So not me! I eventually ventured back to the front where they have a comfy sitting area and free coffee. I took up refuge there with my book and a cup of coffee. Mindy called around 1215pm to see how it was going. Moments later the pager went off. My boat was ready. I headed to the office to pay my tab. No surprises. Said everything looks good. See ya next year!

Traffic was a little slow heading south on rt. 23 all the way to 270. However, made decent time getting back to Hilliard. I dropped the boat at storage near 105pm. Ed saw me out there and popped his head out and said I could leave it right where I stopped. He would put it away for the winter that afternoon. Cool!

I headed for home. Lindsey and the boys were already at the house awaiting my return. Mindy went after them. It must've been when Lindsey stepped out for a cigarette that Mindy shared that she let Lindsey borrow a pair of jeans. Said she was originally in a pair of sawed off sweat pants. Funny, the thought crossed my mind earlier to make sure Lindsey dressed somewhat professionally. After all, we were doing a business transaction.

Lindsey and I left the house around 125pm and headed towards Germain Honda. I asked if she had the keys to her Accent and if she cleaned it out just as we discussed. He acted surprised, which set me off. Nope, she hadn’t. Great! Without the keys we couldn’t do the trade-in. We both guessed the AAA auto repair center to be closed. Surprisingly it wasn’t. She went inside to get her key confirming that she owed them nothing.

She unlocked the Accent to grab her personal belongings. I got out to help. She would’ve been much better served to take care of this on Friday. I was beside myself, not only with the filth, but also with the cigarette tobacco scattered all about the dash. Lindsey gave me some BS about not having time to clean out the car over the last week. It looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in several months. I ripped her one. Not exactly what I wanted to see right before handing her the keys to a brand new car. I am pretty sure that I told her that I would kill her if she trashed the new Civic. She was taken back. I was pissed! I briefly considered driving straight home.

Germain Honda, as it turned out, was directly across Sawmill Rd. To get there, however, we had to head north of 270 and turn around then head south again thanks to a concrete barrier dividing the traffic. Chris was outside when we walked over to find him. I introduced Lindsey then he took us to the Civic he already had prepped and ready for us to pick-up. Said he was in the middle of completing another deal, so he handed us off to another really nice guy that would go over the car’s operation with Lindsey. Chris said he’d come get us when he was done and we could finalize the deal.

Can’t recall the kids name but he was really nice and very patient, going over the new Civic’s operation with Lindsey. It really is a super little car. He said he has a new Civic too. Said he gets about 42 mpg on the highway, which is a couple mpg more than the sticker indicates. I found the same to be true with my Accord. I headed over to look at the new Accords while waiting for Chris. We finally synched up around 240pm. The first thing we did was go over all the numbers. I found a $400 mistake in my favor. He assured me that it would’ve been caught by finance, too. I trust him.

When I shared our title/financing plans he let me know that Lindsey would also have to be on the loan. Ran a credit report on both of us. Of course mine was stellar. Lindsey’s … not so much. He told Lindsey that seeing this loan through to completion without issue will advance her rating significantly. We eventually walked over to the finance office to complete the formal deal. We had to wait for about 15 minutes for Jack L., one of the finance guys. By then it was 330pm and time for the Buckeye game kick-off. They had a 32” flat panel tuned to the game.

Went through the deal. I knew it was coming, the dreaded upsell tactics. Among other things, trying to get us to buy extended service plans that would increase the monthly payment anywhere from $33- $69 a month. I politely insisted that we wanted nothing extra. The payment was actually a couple dollars less than I calculated. I opted to write a check to cover the sales tax right then, though could have financed that too. Money is cheap, .9% for 60 months. They knocked $2000 off the sticker price and gave us $300 for Lindsey’s broken down Accent. To my eyes, this was a super deal! Oh, they filled the gas tank too.

Jack informed us that we couldn’t leave the dealership with the car until he had proof of full coverage. Generally that isn’t an issue since most trade-ins have full coverage, but Lindsey carried only liability on the Accent. I had to email and call her agent two or three times before we worked it all out. That cost us about another hour of time. We didn’t get out of the dealership until almost 5pm. Lindsey suggested she would follow me home. My preference would have been to take 270, but we exited to Sawmill which traffic can only head south. I watched Lindsey via my rearview and more than once she made erratic moves with her brand new car that scared me. We took Sawmill to Bethel to Riverside Dr. Arrived home around 530pm.

As soon as we arrived home Mindy and Lindsey went for a ride in the new car. Lindsey insisted that Mindy drive. I used the few minutes to decompress and make copies of important documents for the new Civic. Once Mindy & Lindsey were back, Mindy helped Lindsey load the laundry into the Civic at my prompting. Didn’t want her to scratch the new car.
Mindy was going to ask Lindsey to stay and watch our kids while she and I went to dinner, but after learning that Bella was going to a weenie roast with Makayla and her grandpa, Mindy saw no reason to have Lindsey watch Jacob. Jacob was heading over to AJ’s anyhow.

Mindy and I left for CBC around 630pm. We dropped Jacob at AJ’s on our way. The Buckeye game was still underway, but for all intents and purposes over. They were ahead by something like 30 points. We saw the end from the CBC bar. Hadn’t been in CBC for a couple of weeks. Vince and Emily were tending bar. I asked for a Bodhi. Mindy asked for wine. Without any prompting, Vince brought us risotto balls. Yum! Mindy asked for some bread too.

I was still thinking about the car deal, and still even a bit bewildered by some of the things Lindsey said and did. I worry that she still doesn’t get the whole ‘own your power’ thing. The Bodhi helped take the edge off. I ordered a 2nd. Mindy talked about ordering dinner, but after a couple hours she decided that she wasn’t ready for a dinner after all. She suggested we simply order some wings for takeout. We already had plans to take some home to Jacob. She asked Vince to put in two orders of to-go wings. I stuck with just two beers since I’d be driving. I let Mindy enjoy herself. I think she had two glasses of wine, maybe three.

We left for home around 9pm. Mindy called Jacob, who was still at AJ’s house, and told him we would swing by and pick him up. She called again from out front. He met us out front and we headed home. The CBC wings were again sub-par. Not only were they somewhat undercooked, but they were lacking sauce too. Used to be some of the most consistent Buffalo style wings anywhere. I ate four or five, and so did Mindy. Jacob ate only half his too. He wasn’t too thrilled with then either.

We watched some of the Alabama/LSU game. Forgot to mention, we watched the end of the Notre Dame/Pitt game at CBC. Notre Dame should’ve lost in OT, but Pitt missed a chip shot field goal (20 yards). Mindy headed to bed around 10pm, but not before Bella called asking if Makayla could spend the night. The two of them came running to the house just after Mindy headed to bed. I stayed up playing around online and watching football until about 1045pm. I poured a 2nd beer but couldn’t drink more than a sip or two. I covered it with a baggie for Sunday consumption. Good night moon!
.

It's Terminal

Finally Friday, after what had already seemed like a long work week. I was up and out of bed around 535am and quickly downstairs engaged in calisthenics. I did sit-ups, windmills, and push-ups. It was mostly cloudy and somewhere close to 38 degrees. Mindy wanted up a little early since she needed to leave the house early to take the boys to school. Said she wanted to leave around 715am.

While at my PC, I sent my Honda guy an email letting him know that the deal he offered on the new Civic sounded good and that we should plan on it. I was a little apprehensive, but could always back out if it didn’t feel right come time to sign. It was around 640am when I finished my routine and dressed for a run. I remember lying on the familyroom floor stretching thinking that this would be my last run in total darkness for some time. We set the clocks back Sunday AM, so starting Monday I’ll be running in daylight for most of my run.

I ran the full 4.1 miles with any pain or discomfort. I think I can safely say that my hamstrings are fully healed. It only took 3+ months! As anticipated, Mindy was long gone when I returned. It took me a second to remember that Mindy was taking the Accord. She left the Pilot so I could pick-up our boat on my way home from work and have it ready for a Saturday morning winterization appointment.
There was a note on the island counter sharing that since Bella was up and awake, she went ahead and took her to her mom’s. The original plan called for Gloria to come to our house to watch Bella until she woke. That made me happy, took a layer of stress from my morning.

I took Eiknarf on a walk. By then, it was partly to mostly sunny, nice even. Back at the house I made an omelet for myself and a regular fried egg for the pug. Not long after I finished my breakfast, Lindsey showed up at the door. I’d almost forgotten about her walking over for a ride to work. I excused myself and headed up for a shower.

I was ready in relatively short order, but had several small tasks I needed to knock out before I was ready to leave the house. For one, I had to power down and pack-up my laptop and then organize my lunch. We left for Lindsey’s office around 830am. I took the opportunity to talk with Lindsey about taking charge of one’s own destiny. I used her religion, Catholicism, as a spring board. Basically, I shared that it was good to have faith in a higher power and affiliation with social groups, just like at church. But I cautioned her about giving her own power away. I emphasized that all too often members of a religious flock give all their power to their deity, and strip themselves of any power of their own. I reminded her that she’s just as important, strong and powerful as any other being that has walked this earth, and that the power to change anything, accomplish anything is within herself. Be careful not to wait, and ask that of others. Don’t give your power away to anyone or anything!

Furthermore, I emphasized that change and accomplishment rarely comes without hard work and struggle, so just expect it. But never say I can’t, or it’s so hard, etc. Those thoughts will doom you from jump. Expect great things of yourself. In closing, I shared that while she has come miles from where she was a year or so ago, she still has much, much farther to go. I asked that she make her Accent, still parked at the AAA repair shop just down the street from her office, trade-in ready. Told her I wasn’t going to shoulder any of that burden.

I dropped Lindsey then headed to my office, where I hadn’t worked since Monday (Tuesday & Wednesday I worked remote and Thursday I worked from home). Arrived around 915am. The hallways were barren. Just me and a couple others on the entire 6th floor. My boss, it appeared, was working from home.

After getting settled I called boat storage to let them know that I planned to come by and pick-up the boat around 5pm and then return it on Saturday afternoon. Ed answered and said he’d have it outside and ready to pick-up. Felt good to have that arranged. After a couple hours of work I called Chris at the Honda dealership to discuss our deal in more detail. Said he could have the car ready for pick-up in an hour. I asked if they would take Lindsey’s Accent in trade. I only added that we weren’t expecting much, and was brutally honest, sharing that it was broken down across the street. He asked that I send him the VIN number and mileage and then he’d call me back with an offer. Thought that they would take it.

At this point, I was happy just to rid ourselves of the heap of junk. From the exterior it looks nice, but under that darn hood lies the problem. Chris called me back around noon sharing that they’d give us $300 for the Accent. Sounded good to me. He asked what color Civic we wanted – silver. Said he could do the deal that afternoon or Saturday. We went back and forth via email until about 330pm. By then I realized that I wasn’t going to be able to do a deal that afternoon. I emailed back again telling him what time to expect us on Saturday. I suggested 130pm. That, I figured, would give me enough time to take the boat in for a winterization appointment first. If all went as planned, Lindsey would have a brand new car Saturday afternoon.

I wrapped up everything I wanted/needed to get done at the office. My boss and I chatted via IM later afternoon, him confirming that I would need to supply Hurricane Sandy updates periodically over the weekend. I more than expected it, so I wasn’t that disappointed. I left for home shortly after 5pm. I took the back way towards home and boat storage. Wasn’t much traffic at all.

Just as Ed had promised, our boat was outside the storage building waiting for me to pick it up. Was there no more than 5 minutes. Took Old Dublin Rd all the way to Trabue then home. Parked out front and placed two traffic cones alongside the boat to help alert oncoming traffic of the boat’s presence at night.

Inside, Mindy was working on school, presumably report cards. The kids were off playing. She asked about the car deal, and I shared the details. She or I hadn’t heard a peep from Lindsey. We loosely discussed evening plans and dinner but there was no decision. We talked about going to dinner or possibly staying home and ordering in. While Mindy worked on grade cards, I wrote for my blog. After about 15-20 minutes I went to the recliner for some reading and a brief nap.

It must’ve been about 7pm when Mindy decided that we were staying home. She suggested we order Sparano’s subs. Bella was OK with it, but asked for spaghetti & meatballs. Mindy placed the order, getting three subs and Bella’s spaghetti.

An hour passed and still no Sparano’s delivery. Mindy called back to inquire. Said it would be there any minute. The driver arrived five minutes later. Mindy picked up the tab. Bella was mopie all evening since her island peeps went bowling. Mindy wouldn’t let her go since she missed school.
I phoned Lindsey just as we sat to eat our dinner. She was in a meeting. I asked that she call me back when she was done. She called back 15 minutes later. I told her that we were going after the car on Saturday and to ready around 1030am. I guess I wasn’t too clear because she thought I meant the Accent. No, the new Civic. She said she’d be ready. Mindy asked that she bring her laundry so she could work on that while we were doing the car deal. Mindy agreed to keep the boys too.

The Sparano’s sub was really good. Always are. During dinner, Jacob teased Bella incessantly, and easily brought her to tears. She tried to run off to her room a number of times but Mindy wouldn’t allow it. She did, however, threaten Jacob to within an inch of his life.  Eventually, after eating most of her spaghetti, Mindy let Bella go up to her room.

Just as I’ve done for the past few years, I tuned the cable box to the Sounds of the Season channel. And even though it was only the 2nd of November, they already have Xmas music whirling. They typically start playing Xmas music Nov 1 every year. The kids both profess to not like listening to Xmas music. Why, when I was a kid, couldn’t wait to put the Xmas records on.

Mindy, Jacob and I scoured the Movies on Demand menu for a good movie to watch. We couldn’t agree on one. We eventually settled on a DVD, Terminal, starring Tom Hanks -2004. And while I knew I’d watched it when I bought it, I soon realized that I must’ve fallen asleep halfway through it. Jacob lost interest as Hanks developed a love interest with Katherine Zeta-Jones. He went to his room around 930pm. As it turned out, t hat’s about the time that Bella rejoined us downstairs. She seemed to be out of her funk. The movie went longer than expected, 2+ hours. Mindy headed for bed right after the movie. I stayed up a little while longer finishing my 2nd beer.

Mophia, Masons, and the Vatican

 

Mindy woke Bella middle of the night and sent her back to her own bed. She went with little prompting. Eiknarf stayed with us. I slept OK, but not great. I was up and downstairs by 540am. I was hoping for clear skies but that wasn’t to be, at least not immediately. Instead, the sky was still mostly cloudy and the temperature 39 again. That seems to be our number of late.

I completed sit-ups, windmills and curls in all of about 10 minutes. Soon I was fixed in front of my PC enjoying coffee. I played around online until almost 620am. The forecast was calling for the clouds to begin moving out by mid-afternoon but with the temperature holding steady in the low 40s.

I woke Mindy near in the middle of my PC time, somewhere close to 610am. I logged onto my laptop so I could send out a Sandy report before 8am. I had some laptop issues but nothing rebooting two times didn’t cure.  Before walking away to ready for a run, I finished the report so all I would have to do is send it after my run. I got out of the house a little late – about 750am.

Because of my later start I decided to trim my run to only three miles. On the home stretch Mindy passed by in the Pilot. I found that odd, given that she always takes Wilson to 270. Maybe she had an errand to run before work (?). I got home a couple minutes later to find Bella still there, staying home from school sick. She quickly shared that he momma was heading into school to create sub plans but then heading right back home.

It dawned on me then that there was a semi overturned at the 270&70 interchange. I figured Mindy must’ve headed towards the Hague ave. I-70 entrance ramp to avoid it. There were still a couple helicopters hovering overhead. I got busy with work while also enjoying my eggs. And as soon as I went live on my laptop I was getting pinged by coworkers right away. I didn’t come up for air until almost 10am. At that point I pinged my boss letting him know that I was simply going to work from home. Made little sense to shower, log off, and head in the office to do what I was already doing from home. Had I known that earlier, I could’ve saved Mindy a lot of trouble, but that’s how it goes sometimes. As expected, my boss had no issues with it.

I talked with Mindy once she was in route to home. She echoed what I already knew, she could’ve stayed at school. Not sure the time when she got home. I’m guessing not long after about 1030am. I remained very busy all morning and afternoon. While Bella slept on the sofa, Mindy cleaned the house. I ate a bowl of beef & noodles for lunch, something I wouldn’t dream of packing and eating for lunch otherwise.

When I wasn’t engrossed in hurricane issues, I was working on a quarterly report/presentation. Between the two, I spent the lion’s share of my day. Soon Jacob was home from school. The weather was looking up. The sun was out even before noon and the temperature had to be close to 50 degrees. Really nice, and good to see the sunshine, something we haven’t seen since last Thursday, or an entire week of rain and clouds.

During a late afternoon break, I called Lindsey’s auto insurance agent to discuss rates for a new car and coverage options. He was real helpful and promised to send me quotes from multiple carriers in an effort to find her the best price without sacrificing quality.

I stayed busy with work well past my usual quitting time, yet another problem I have when working from home. I don’t know how to walk away. I suppose I could easily power down and solve the problem but that hardly seems rationale.
Mindy kept after me to call Lindsey all late afternoon and evening but up until that point I hadn’t. Come 6pm or so I gave her a call at home. Suggested she come over so we could talk cars. She shared that her mom was bringing the boys home and would ask her to bring them all to our house. Yikes!

I asked Mindy if she would lead the discussion as I know all too well how it would go if I did the leading (not well!). Said she would, but asked that I try to remain positive and focus on how far she’s come in the last year. She asked Jacob to be prepared to entertain the boys. Bella, meanwhile, was still lounging on the sofa but feeling a whole lot better. We took her temp and it was something like 99.5.
Lindsey and the boys showed up I’m guessing around 630pm. We finished our tortilla soup, and Lindsey helped Rocky with his homework. All that took a good half hour, after which both boys headed out to play with Jacob, Evan, and company. Mindy took the lead as requested, sharing what we were considering doing and then what our expectations were from Lindsey.

Comparing what we were offering to what we were asking of her in return should have seemed inconsequential. I was a little surprised, and even angry at Lindsey’s response. She certainly wasn’t giving a full commitment, which was what I wanted/needed to hear. At times Mindy took the role of peace negotiator. We muddled through our discussion and drafted a solution, one that will certainly improve Lindsey's current situation. I still wasn't pleased with her take on things, but then again, she is her mother's daughter.

Lindsey soon rounded up the boys and Mindy gave the three of them a ride home. While they were gone. I changed into my PJs then tuned the TV to the Thursday night NFL game between the Chargers and Chiefs. I wasn't too thrilled with the match-up but it was football.

Mindy was back home about the time of kick-off and promptly declared that she was heading to bed even though it was only around 830pm. She asked that I make sure Bella was in bed, lights out by 930pm. Mindy made arrangements to take Bella to her mom's on Friday, not wanting to risk sending her back to school too soon after her illness.
I stayed up until roughly 10pm. I became bored with football and instead turned the TV to the history channel watching a program about the story, Angels & Demons, and the corruption in Vatican City. Interesting. I enjoyed a bowl of Cookie Crisp from the sofa shortly before heading up to bed.