Feeling a Draft and an Itch!

 

 

 

Woke having to pee around 5am. No longer willing to hold it for the love of sleep, I got up and took care of business. I jumped back in bed and under the covers but sound sleep wasn't in the cards. I got up for keeps near 525a.

Downstairs, I quickly noticed the clear skies and scattered frost about the ground. Looked cold. After exercise I learned that it was a chilly 33 degrees. The day's forecast called for sunny skies and a high near 54 - not too warm. Supposed to get progressively warmer over the next several days, however. During PC playtime, it dawned on me that this was NFL draft day, a day I always look forward to with much anticipation.

I woke Mindy near 615am with a cup of coffee. Temporarily forgot that it was late start day for the kids. Popped in Jacob's room and woke him up. As soon as we began a dialogue, I realized my mistake. Sorry, Jacob! Did a thorough meditation and a good stretch. It was just after 635am when I dressed for a run. Headed out the door near 650am. I wore winter attire and for the first time in many weeks, hand and ear covers. While running, I thought about the presentation I'd be delivering later that morning. I also laughed at myself a little thinking that I just completed a deal to buy my house for the 3rd time. Man, I must really like it! :)

I ran the full 4.1 miles. My timing was perfect. Mindy was just walking out the front door as I made my way up the steps. She had her back turned at that instant thus was startled as she turned and found my face nearly pressed against hers. She kissed my sweaty wet face then headed off to school in her Pilot. She uttered something just before backing out the drive.

Before moving on to breakfast and lunch duties, I thought through my routine making a mental note of the time each kid needed to be up. Jacob would need to be up near 8am and Bella near 815-830a. I packed my lunch and fried a few eggs then headed upstairs to wake Jacob. Turned out, he was already in the shower. I popped in on Bella, who was already awake and watching TV in her room.

Checked work email from my home PC. Headed for a shower near 815am. All three of us planned to head out near 9am - Jacob to catch the bus. Bella heading to the neighbors, and me off to work. Executed the plan flawlessly. Bella walked down to Kayla's at 855a and I headed out a couple minutes later. Meanwhile, Jacob volunteered to set the security system and lock up once he saw his bus coming. While clearing the dew from the Accord windows, Jacob's bus came barreling down the street. He followed through with his duties and I headed off to work.

It was quarterly service review day for my customer in New Albany. I headed that way for the like the 8th time this month. Checked for an up close parking spot but there were none to be had. Has to park far removed from the entrance. I didn't mind. It was a lovely morning, albeit still a tad chilly. Was about 30 minutes early to the conference room. One of my peers was already there getting set-up. We chatted for a few. Soon my boss showed up.

The customer and the formal quarterly review didn't start until 1005a. My section was 2nd on the agenda. Got lots of questions which generate healthy debate. With each slide there were more questions. At least I know they care and pay attention. Lasted longer than most past. Finished near 1130am. I hung out for a few minutes talking with a couple peers but soon headed to my car. Was on the road by 1145am.

While near, decided to stop at the Easton Target. And there I bought two large picture frames that I plan to place on the two walls over my new desk. After Target I ventured across the street to Wal-Mart where I bought a new Crossman air rifle. I think one of the kids might have sat on the one I have now. I have it for about ten years. The design and price hasn't much at all. Felt complete. Headed for the main office via 270N.

Arrived back at the office near 1pm. I spent most of the afternoon creating an adhoc report that our customer requested in the quarterly service review earlier that same day. We had our regularly scheduled staff call, too. That lasted about 20-25 minutes. I stuck around until 515pm making edits to the new report I created based on some feedback from a couple peers. I headed for home feeling that I accomplished quite a bit.

Called Mindy in route to home. She was in the process of warming dinner and dealing with the kids. We didn't talk long. I tried calling brother Tommy on my drive home too. No answer. Went to VM. Arrived home near 535p. It took two trips to carry in my work backpack, new air rifle and picture frames. Mindy was busy warming leftover pork chops and Barley's food. I was good with all that. After arriving home, we ate dinner pretty quickly.

During dinner, Mindy encouraged Bella to confront Makayla about the things she does that hurt her feelings.
Bella bought in and said she planned to talk with her about it. In addition, Mindy had Jacob share how he got in trouble in class supposedly for asking his teacher to move him to a new work group. If his story was in fact true, it sure sounded like the teacher was the one out of line. But then again, we only had Jacob's side of the story. Mindy insisted that she was gonna contact the teacher Friday and get to the bottom of the deal.

I chased the geese out of the backyard. And in so doing, I came upon a mallard out at the very back of our property lying on a flush of baby ducks. She didn't move despite my being extremely close. I let her know that I wasn't to be feared. I told Bella about it when I headed iside. She headed out to check them out on her own. She soon returned sharing that she couldn't find them. Later, she and I walked out to look. Humm? She was right. The flush of ducks were gone. Bella insisted on heading into woods and around the pond's edge to see if she could see them. She was gone for a while. I was a tad concerned, and certainly more so than Mindy. But just about the time I was asking Mindy if we should go looking for her. Bella came out of the woods with a large walking stick. She found them. Said there were as many as 10 babies.

A few minutes later she headed to Makayla's. And it was just a couple minutes later when the two of them headed into the woods. I guessed Bella was taking to see the baby ducks. While Bella was off with Makayla, I think Jacob headed out to hook up with Evan. Meanwhile, I tuned into the ESPN pre-draft festivities. Once the actual draft started, I went for a Southern Tier XXIPA. Yum! The Vikings wouldn't be up for a couple hours with the 23 & 25th picks in the first round. Those players picked in the first round are essentially instant millionaires.

Mindy watched the draft with me for about an hour but then headed up to read and work a puzzle from bed around 9pm. I popped two bags of popcorn to go along with my beer. Bella came down and marveled at the full moon rising in the east. She headed out on the deck to get a better look. Makes me happy to see her exhibit such interest.

I might've dosed off for 5-10 minutes shortly before the Vikings were up. I think it was 1030 or so when the Vikings were on the clock. They took a defensive tackle from Florida who many assumed would go in the top five. Then, two picks later they got a top notch corner back, which was the pick they got from Seattle for Percy Harvin.

I cracked a 2nd beer a bit earlier, a Hop Slam. Yum! I skept watching, determined to see the entire first round of the draft. The Patriots were on the clock for the 29th pick when ESPN announced that the Vikings had given their 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 7th round pick to for their 1st round pick. The Vikings then took a top notch wide receiver from Tennessee who many say is a can't miss. Exciting night to be a Viking fan. It was after 11pm and there was only one more pick remaining when I headed to bed. Good night full moon!

Oh My Darling Closing Time

I was up, out of bed, and downstairs by 540am. I glanced out back seeing a cloudy skies and a wet deck. It wasn't raining at the time. After exercise, I played on the PC for a solid 20 minutes. It was 60 degrees with rain forecasted for most of the day. And while it was warm early on, the temperature was forecasted to drop significantly throughout the day culminating with temps near freeing during the next overnight - typical spring weather for these parts.

Weighing on my mind was the refi closing. I was expecting a closing agent to show up at the house near 9am to finalize the deal. Woke Mindy at the usual time of 615am. She asked me to shut down the ceiling fan before heading back downstairs. Meditation and stretching went well. Headed out for a run near 650am wearing a thin long-sleeved wicking shirt - no jacket. I was quite comfortable. Ran the full 4.1 miles without any problems, though I didn't anticipate any either.

Mindy was home upon my return but heading out the door. She fetched me the pug while I waited by the front door. Bella was heading back to school despite an ugly cold with a pronounced stuffy nose. Mindy dosed her up with cold meds before heading out. I fried two eggs and packed a lunch while Bella readied for school. I didn't plan to shower until after bus stop time. We headed out at 810am.

The bus showed up on time and soon I was back at home and in the shower. Dressed and downstairs again by 840am. Checked work email from home while waiting on the refi closing guy. Charlie showed up at 9am sharp. Most of the forms were the same forms I signed and faxed back to the bank earlier in the week, but this time with the exact figures which came in somewhat lower than projected. That's always nice.

I was surprised by nothing and as a result, had few questions. I must've signed my name 25 times. That, I admit, was a little scary. Charlie wasn't there long, gone before 920am. I took care of a few last minute tasks then headed out. By then it was raining. I would be working across town at a customer's location but planned to stop at the Shred-it facility in Gahanna on my way. I Googled the address and then emailed it to my smart phone.

Made good time heading across town. Instead of heading north on 270 from 670, I headed south to the Broad St exit. One light to the east is Taylor Station Rd where I needed to turn. The Shred-It facility was north about a 1/2 mile on Research Rd. I signed some paperwork, paid, and gave my three boxes to a gentleman who greeted me with a two wheeled cart. Said I'd get a certificate of destruction in the mail within a few days. Good enough.

Still raining. Headed back to 270 then north to New Albany. Arrived near 1010am. Was a quiet day with my customer. They had a lot going on thus had little time to interact with me. That's actually a good thing. And as it turned out, I spent most of my day working on issues for another customer. Googled JD Equipment near Easton. Turned out there was one a couple miles down the road. I called to see if they had tractor batteries in stock. They did. I thought I would head there at lunch.

I worked steadily until almost 1pm when I decided to break for lunch and head to JD Equipment. However, when I got to the door I could see that it was pouring rain. I didn't have my umbrella with me, so I opted to head back to my desk and work for another hour or so. I checked the radar and it looked like the rain would be ending soon. I also noticed that the temperature dropped to 48 degrees. I tried again around 215pm. Same thing, pouring rain. After a heavy sigh and a deep breath, I gave up the notion of taking lunch and going after a new battery.

I ended up skipping a formal lunch break. Talked with Mindy near 3-330pm. She shared that Jacob's soccer practice was canceled. Practice has been canceled more often than not this spring. At a good place with my to-dos, I decided to wrap up early and head for home just after 4pm. By then the rain had stopped but the temperature a very chilly 43 degrees. I had a jacket but left it in my car. After all, it was in the low 60s then.

I decided to make the relatively short drive to JD Equipment where I bought a new tractor battery, hopefully putting that drama behind me. Was on the road for home by 420pm. I took 270S and 670W. Had to contend with a dangerous driver both on Morse Rd and then the same guy on the 270 t o670 entrance ramp. He came to an abrupt halt on the ramp and seemed to disappear from view. I wondered if he dropped a cigarette or something. What a fool. He nearly caused a collision multiple times. Lucky for me I was extra careful after his earlier antics. Made excellent time until I reached the 670/70 merge on the westside of town. Traffic was slow the rest of the way home. I exited on Hague to avoid the 270 back-up.

Mindy and Jacob campaigned for dinner at Barley's, and the idea resonated well with me too. Took care of a few miscellaneous chores then headed off to Barley's near 540pm. Mindy shared that Lindsey texted asking if we could keep the boys and deliver them to school the following morning so she could work mandatory OT. We talked it through and wanted to say no for the lack of energy. However, before we had to deliver the news, Lindsey texted back that she made arrangements to work her required OT by staying late the next two nights, which worked best for all interested parties.

Arrived at Barley's near 6pm. I dropped Mindy and the kids at the door. The lot wasn't quite full. I got a parking spot in the last row of the main lot. It was sprinkling just a little as I walked to the door. We were quickly seated in a booth off the main bar area in Justin's section. Soon, Mindy and I both ordered a Hoptopus, which I believe is a wheat IPA - light but real hoppy. Perfect for summer. They haven't had it on tap for quite a while. It was really good.

Mindy ordered a quesadilla, Jacob the usual - chicken tenders, Bella mini-corndogs, and me the new Reuben burger. essentially their traditional Barley burger topped beef brisket, sauerkraut and thousand island dressing. Of course we got it started with a basket of fries. I wasn't feeling that great. Wondered if I might be coming down with Bella's cold. However, at that point I didn't have any of the other telltale signs. Jacob, however, started sneezing just before we left the house. We wondered if he might be getting it too.

Because I wasn't feeling 100%, my food was just OK, and I already knew that I wouldn't be ordering a 2nd beer. Mindy & I both stuck to just the one. Jacob and I stayed glued to the pre NFL draft programming on all the TVs. I am always excited for the NFL draft. For one, I love NFL football, and two, the draft means it's mid-spring.

I'm thinking that we bailed on Barley's near 7pm. Mindy paid the check. Sky was a mixed bag of sun and clouds, but more importantly, directly to the west the sky looked dark and threatening. Bella was looking forward to getting home and the possibility of spending the night at Chrissy's along with her friend Alena. With Thursday being the last late start of the school year, Chrissy volunteered to keep all the girls. We were on board as recent as last weekend, but with Bella sick with a cold and then having make-up OAA testing on Thursday, Mindy & I weren't too sure that it was a good idea. After all, we know the girls all too well. They'd almost certainly be up way late. And even though Mindy prepped Bella for a definitive no, she didn't tell her for certain until we were home from dinner. Mindy has a knack for delivering a bitter pill with tact and calm, something I've never been good at, at least not with spontaneity. Even still, Bella threw a mini fit and stomped away saying something like she hated her life.

She was soon over it and took Mindy up on the opportunity to at least head down and play for 45 minutes. Bella put on her shoes and headed off. She wasn't gone but 2 or 3 minutes when she came bursting back into the house in tears. According to Bella, all the girls hid when she knocked on the door. She was devastated and briefly inconsolable.

Mindy eventually slipped off to the master suite to take a bath in the soaking tub, something we/she does very seldom. In fact, I can't recall the last time the tub was filled and used. An hour passed and a later learned that Bella got in after Mindy got out. I'm sure it did both of them some good. All the while the girls soaked in the tub, I watched How the Universe Works. Mindy headed to bed near 920pm. I stayed up until 10pm then secured the home then headed to bed where I joined Mindy.

Weedin' with Bella

I woke near 4am with a headache. Not wanting to start my day off like that, I opted to get up and choke down two Advil. Glad I did. When I was finally up & out of bed near 545am, the headache was gone. I headed downstairs to exercise. In short order, I completed sit-ups, windmills and curls. Before enjoying coffee, I rolled the trashcan to the curb. Back inside, I poured coffee then headed to my PC. It was close to 6am. The weather was nicer than I expected, a balmy 63 degrees under mostly clear skies. Expected it to remain that way at least through noon with a high reaching somewhere close to 72. Rain was forecasted to move in that evening and remain through most of the day Wednesday.

Read more Boston bombing headlines. The story lines and angles are seemingly endless. Mindy had a doctor’s appointment and asked that I deliver coffee just before my run. That left me plenty of time to play on my PC. Near 630am I changed gears and moved on to meditation and stretching. That took until 640am, at which point I dressed for a run then delivered Mindy’s coffee. And since it was quite a bit warmer than the past few mornings, I opted for a thin long-sleeved wicking shirt.

I headed out the door shortly after Jacob went out to catch his school bus. It was almost 655am. The trash truck hadn’t been by yet, but I could hear that it was nearby. It’s not a quiet process, though not nearly as loud as it was when I was a kid.

I ran the full 4.1 miles without any issues. Was home near 740am. Mindy greeted me near the door and helped me get the pug ready for a walk. She shared that Bella had a fever to go along with her stuffy nose and sneezing. I was right. She was dealing with something more than spring allergies. Has a full blown cold. I waited a few minutes but then told Mindy that I could arrange my day to where I could work from home. That way she could head to her doctor’s appointment without worry. At the time I wasn’t sure if she was planning to head into school afterwards or not. That made Mindy happy.

Bella, meanwhile, was lying on the sofa with a box of tissues. I took the pug on her walk and was out for no more than 8 minutes. As soon as I was back I poured a 2nd cup of coffee then checked in with work. I got involved with a couple issues right away. Mindy’s doctor’s appointment wasn’t until 11am. At some point she asked if I wanted to join her on the deck for coffee. Sounded fun and relaxing but I was working. I had to decline.

Near 945am I opened a couple windows to let the fresh air inside. It was warming nicely, and looked gorgeous outside. Near 10am I took a break before a planned 1030am call. Bella and I headed out back in the sunshine where we pulled wild grass and weeds from the backyard flower beds. Bella’s very methodical when it comes to gardening. I much enjoy her company. She saved a lot of worms during the 20+ minutes we spent in the sunshine. 

Headed in for my 1030a call. A few minutes into it, Mindy left for her appointment. The call lasted about 20 minutes. I had to join another call at 1130am and then another at 1pm. It was another very busy day. Mindy called the house phone I’m guessing around noon. Bella answered, and soon came to ask if I wanted anything from Wendy’s. No thank you. Apparently Mindy was stopping on her way back home.

I took another break after my 1pm call. Mindy was home and she and Bella enjoyed Wendy’s at the kitchen table. I ended up eating what remained of Bella’s cheese burger, which amounted to roughly a third. Around 230pm I headed outside for another break. This time I cleaned the plant debris from the small flowerbed between the walk and garage. For such a small bed, it always collects lots of plant debris over the winter. I finished about the same time Jacob was getting off the school bus. Man his school days go fast.

I spent the rest of my afternoon working on quarterly reports. I got a call from my refi loan processor to review the numbers one last time before Wednesday’s scheduled closing. They found a couple hundred dollar mistake in my favor. Planned to cut me a check for the difference. Appeared that we are set to close.

Mindy declared that Bella wouldn’t be going to gymnastics due to her fever and cold. She started on dinner around 4-430pm. She planned to grill pork chops that were defrosting on the counter most of the afternoon. I took a shower sometime between 330-430pm. Felt great. And afterwards, since we weren’t going anywhere, I dressed in PJs.

Stayed busy with work until just before 530pm. That’s when Mindy called all three of us for dinner. Jacob wasn’t having anything to do with the chops. Says he doesn’t like them. Loves pulled pork, though. He ate risotto and cereal. Odd! Bella, despite being sick, ate plenty. She even asked to devour the bone leftover from my chop. 

We ate dinner on paper plates. That kept the number of washables down, but it still took a while. I asked Jacob to walk the pug since Bella was ill. He fussed a little but I didn’t have to ask a 2nd time. I appreciated that. Meanwhile, Mindy took Bella’s temperature. It was coming down. In fact, almost normal. Mindy left for a Targhetto run around 7pm, her plan was to pick up some Triaminic strips that Bella could take to school the following day if necessary. That, incidentally, is against school policy. Missing school Tuesday meant Bella would have to make up the English OAA testing she missed on Friday. The math OAA testing takes place on Wednesday. It was looking good for her returning to school.

While Mindy was off to Target, I headed to the living room and a recliner. I played guitar for a few minutes then did some reading and eventually fell asleep. It felt so good. I slept there until almost 9pm. Holy smoke! I didn’t realize how tired I was. I got up at 9pm, topped off my water cup and headed up to bed. Mindy heard me sneaking up the stairs and asked my intentions. Shared that I was going to bed. She joined me some five minutes later. I was awake for maybe 10 more minutes but then right back asleep.

Shredding Solution Planned

Was up and out of bed by 535am. Brushed my teeth then headed downstairs for exercise. Glanced out back at a completely clear sky. Nice to see. Completed sit-ups, windmills, and push-ups. My legs were still stiff and tired after Sunday afternoon's backyard baseball game. I am still a little surprised at how worn out I felt afterwards.

I enjoyed coffee and internet until 615am when I headed upstairs to wake Mindy with a cup of coffee in hand. Back downstairs I double checked the temperature. It was a chilly 39 degrees, but expecting a high near 70 later that afternoon under clear skies. Moved on to meditation and stretching. Finished both by 635am then readied for a run. While getting dressed for a run, I heard the recycling truck dumping our can out front. I wore winter attire minus gloves and ear covers. I headed out the door near 640am.

Despite weary legs and tired feet, I ran the full 4.1 miles without issue. Back home around 720am, I beckoned the pug and leash then turned right around and headed out for our morning walk. Eiknarf took care of her business in a hurry. We hustled back home where Mindy was just heading out. I started packing my lunch and frying a few eggs immediately. It was after 750am by the time I finished packing lunch and eating breakfast. That meant I wouldn't get a shower until after bus stop time.

I checked and responded to some work email and then read a few more headlines before it was time for Bella and I to head to the bus stop. Bella complained of clogged sinuses before heading out. I let her use some nasal spray. She's been suffering from allergy issues for the past few weeks, but clogged sinuses were a first. With the brilliant spring sunhine it was warming fast, though still cool and in the low 40s. The bus arrived a couple minutes early. Makayla was inside getting her jacket when it showed. The new kids had to hustle too. They pulled up just as the bus did,

Eiknarf and I headed back home where I quickly showered. Before heading off to work I headed out to the shed to fetch the near dead tractor battery. I hoped to get a new one at lunch. While grabbing some wrenches from the garage, decided to see if the BM'er would start after trickle charging the battery eight days prior. Yep, fired right up. Hmmm? Maybe I'll get another year out of the existing battery after all. Wish I could say the same for the tractor but that isn't the case. I tried starting it before removing it. Just a few cranks before it was dead. I toted the dead battery to the trunk of the Accord and packed it in there along with the shred-it boxes. Incidentally, I planned to call them sometime during the day to learn where I might be able to drop them off and then how much it might cost. I left for the office near 945am.

I had no idea that the entrance ramps to 270N were closed for temporary construction. Hmm? Ended up taking the western back route into the office - Trabue to Leap. Thought about stopping at JD Equipment since it was just a block out of my way into work but didn't. When I called on Friday they didn't have new tractor batteries n stock. I planned to call first, and then make a run to fetch one at lunch, that, of course, provided they got some in.

Arrived at the office near 10am. Was busy from jump following up on the issues I was dealing with from home earlier. Joined a weekly team call at 11am. That went smoothly. Shortly thereafter, got a call from my mortgage processor sharing that my loan was officially approved and that they wanted to close as soon as Wednesday provided that would work for me. I was almost shocked that it was approved and done so quickly. I confirmed that Wednesday morning would work. Get this, the title company was willing to come to me, wherever I suggested, be it home, work or elsewhere. That's service! She promised to call with the actual final numbers sometime Tuesday. You gotta love these low interest rates. In the end, we'll reduce the term of the loan by five years yet the payment will still go down some. Perfect!

I didn't leave for lunch. I called JD Equipment and learned that they were still waiting for their shipment of new tractor batteries to arrive. Said they hope to have them Wednesday. I can wait. Also called Shred-It. I learned that there's a place in Gahanna where the public can take their shredible boxess. It's $20 for up to 4 boxes. I have three. Given the long wait at the 'free' WCMH TV4 Shred-It events and the fact that I typically give a$10 donation anyhow, $20 and no line sounded like a good deal. Thought I might make that stop on my way to New Albany on Wednesday. If not on my way, then perhaps at lunch. Either way, I am very eager to finally rid myself of these boxes I've had ready for shredding since spring 2012. Yikes!

The afternoon involved three more conference calls: one at 2pm, 4pm, and then 5pm. All that added up to a very busy afternoon. A couple of times I took a brief walk to the end of the hallway and glanced out the window. Man, was it ever gorgeous. Checking the temp from my phone, it was in the upper 60s and sunny.

Sandwiched somewhere in between my calls, I talked with Mindy mid/ late afternoon. Shared that I had a couple back to back calls I still needed to join. She wanted to know my thoughts regarding dinner. Even though it was a Jimaken night, Bella was staying home with us since Jacob had a soccer game. I opted to have my leftover prime rib from Saturday at Dakota’s. Bella, of course, would be having manicotti. She loves that stuff.

My last conference call ended near 545pm and I quickly packed my gear for home. At home, Bella shared that she wasn’t feeling too well and battling a stuffy nose all day. Said the nose drops I gave her earlier didn’t really help much. She kept placing used tissues on the kitchen table. Mindy and I both admonished her for it. Yuck! Not only that, but the kid must’ve used 5 napkins to hold various portions of her dinner. Nobody makes a bigger, faster mess better than Bella!

Clean-up didn’t take too long at all. And since it was so nice outside, Mindy and I planned to take a walk and take the pug. More than once we prodded Bella to join us. But each time she declined citing her preference to ride bikes. But with our bikes still hanging from the ceiling, that wasn’t an immediate option. Instead, Bella lounged from the sofa.

We didn’t get half a block down the sidewalk when I noticed Bella peddling our way. We were happy she changed her mind and joined us on her bike. Eiknarf, meanwhile, was digging the fresh new grass. She must’ve peed three separate times and was sniffing everywhere. We walked for maybe 25 minutes. Bella eventually peeled off and headed home. We could see her trying the back door, which Mindy locked while we were parallel to the O’Connell’s house. We both chuckled knowing that Bella would be annoyed. Sure enough, she gave us some attitude once we got home.

Nearing 745pm, Jacob was soon home from the soccer game. Jimaken shared that they lost. I think the score was 4-3. Jacob scored two goals in the loss. He takes the losses in stride these days. I think being part of a winning team this past winter helped tale the edge off losing so often.

Mindy peeled off for bed while I was playing on my PC. I’m pretty sure that it was near 915pm. I promised to join her soon. A few minutes later I poured myself a bowl of Life cereal. Actually ate two bowls worth. It was good. Mindy poked her head over the banister asking if I was coming up soon. It was still before 10pm. I shut down the house near 10pm and joined Mindy already in bed.

Donut Run & Backyard Baseball Season Begins

I slept a little later than I planned, not waking for good until 745am. I had nothing in particular on my plate so it wasn’t a big deal. I noticed scattered frost but more importantly, it was sunny. I started a pot of coffee then played on the internet. Went back for coffee about 15 minutes later. In between, I got caught up on the Boston bomber story.

Bella was knocking at the back door near 9am. Said Kayla was off to church. She was going to go with her but didn’t have the proper attire. She headed upstairs for a while. I played on the compute some more until Bella came down sharing Mindy’s request for coffee. I took a few minutes to deliver a fresh cup.

As I prepared for my Sunday run, Bella asked for Tim Horton’s donuts. I wasn’t opposed to the idea, but wanted/needed to complete my run first. She insisted otherwise, but lost. I stretched and then headed out for my run near 940am. It was still chilly – about 40 degrees. The brilliant sunshine made all the difference, though. As long as I stayed out of the shade, I was plenty warm. Ran three miles and was home by 1010am. I wasted little time gearing up for a donut run. However, I did take a minute to chase the geese from our backyard for like the third time that morning.

Bella wanted to take the BM’er but I insisted that it was too cold. She reluctantly agreed to take the Accord. I thought it was cute that she took Mindy’s donut order just before we left and wrote it out on a piece of paper. Like most other Tim Horton runs, we got a dozen donuts and 20 Timbits. I let Bella pick almost everything. She did well. We headed home with our goodies.

I enjoyed one double chocolate donut then headed briefly out into the yard. Mindy and I hung out on the deck enjoying more coffee. I shared mine with the pug. She loves the stuff. Bella soon headed off to play with neighbor Emily and Jacob off to play with Jake. I was considering going after my dad’s trailer and eventually the framing lumber for the basement project. Earlier, I had talked about taking Jacob with me. I suggested that Mindy go along instead. She would be much more positive about it than Jacob. She agreed to go, but not a minute later we received a phone call from Lindsey asking if we would watch the boys while she worked some OT. We reluctantly agreed, prioritizing family over preferences. She brought the boys by near noon or 1230p.

The boys headed out once they learned that Jacob was next door at Jake’s. A few minutes later Mindy left for grocery store. Within fifteen minutes the neighbor kids organized a backyard baseball game in Trena’s yard. They asked me to be all-time pitcher. I agreed. We played baseball for more than an hour and everybody seemed to be having a good time until Rocky not paying attention tossed his ball glove right at Bella’s face striking her in the nose. She cried and ran inside. Despite Jacob’s constant belittling of Bella, he came immediately to her defense and returned the favor to Rocky. I let it play out until Jacob did it two or three more times. Suddenly our baseball game was done!

All the girls headed in our house to console Bella. While there, they dug into the rest of Bella’s Timbits. It was like a brief tornado went through the house. They were all there and gone in a matter of minutes leaving behind an undeniable trail of food, drink, and dirty floors.

Mindy was home from the grocery near 230pm. I helped her carry in the haul. Told her I was saddened that she didn’t haul away the many cardboard boxes still in the garage from our recent furniture purchases. She reminded me that the recycling center once located at the Arlington/Grandview Kroger was no more. She offered to run them all to the firehouse at Mill Run though. I helped her load them up. I think she was heading to the Target or teacher store there too.

She asked that I brown the beef and onions so she could make manicotti for dinner (Bella’s request). I agreed to take care of that. In addition to the manicotti stuffing, I whipped up a batch or risotto, too. I didn’t think I’d have time but ended up cooking/boiling the manicotti noodles, too. I was very efficient in the kitchen. Not only did I have all three things cooked by the time that Mindy got home, but I had my mess cleaned up too. More often than not, I clean while I cook. Can’t stand to make and leave a big mess for later.

Mindy took over the whipping up of the actual stuffing for the manicotti. While she did that, I took a brief but heavenly nap in the recliner. My body ached from the backyard baseball game. I slept for no more than 15 minutes. That was plenty of rest. I woke feeling refreshed and ready for dinner. By then the manicotti was out of the oven and setting to cool. Along with manicotti and risotto, Mindy whipped up a fresh garden salad and fresh italian bread.

Mindy had to call Chrissy’s house to get Bella home for dinner. She came running. She loves manicotti. Dinner was delicious. Bella finished her geometry homework immediately after dinner. I was a little surprised with the complexity, but she seemed to get it with a little guidance/help.

After clean-up Mindy and I walked the pug. It was a lovely evening despite a slight chill hanging in the air. We walked for about 15 minutes. It was near 730pm when we got back home. Didn't do much for the remainder of the evening. Played guitar, did some reading and napping from the living room recliner. Mindy and I were both in bed by 935pm.

Dreading the Shredding, Rio Grande - Mom & Dakota's

Even though we didn’t plan to leave for Rio Grande and the gymnastics meet until 11am, I wanted to be up no later than 7am to allow myself enough time to relax, have coffee, and then run to the semi-annual Shred-It event at the Schottenstein Center. In reality, I wasn’t out of bed until 715am. Still not bad. I had plenty of time, or so I thought.

I enjoyed coffee an internet for about 35 minutes before readying myself for a run. Was out the door near 8am. It was sunny but also quite chilly, only 36 degrees. Like most Saturday’s, I ran 3 miles. Was home near 830am. Before Mindy was up, I carried the three boxes up from the basement that I planned to have shredded. Mindy was soon up and gave me change for a $20 so I could donate money at the Shred-It event. You may recall, I headed there last April only to find that it was canceled last minute due to Obama being in town at the Schott. I’ve had these boxes ready at the bottom of the stairs for a year now.

Two years ago I successfully dropped off like 5 banker boxes full. They were very busy but did a great job of traffic control. Had me in and out of there in 15 minutes. This year’s event was on the Schottenstein Center lot but at the far back lot pretty much off Ackerman Rd. Poor signage too. Yikes! Took me a few minutes to find the event. Once I did, I joined the long line of cars just south of the OSY baseball stadium. I still had no idea just how long this line was and how slow it was moving.

An hour passed and I had moved maybe 1000’. I called Mindy to let her know that I was still in line. I still couldn’t see where it ended. It was now approaching 10am, and knowing that we were planning to leave for Bella’s event at 11am I felt a great deal of pressure. At the same time I could finally see where we were headed. Good lord! At the current pace it would be at least another hour. I was furious. In a haste, I cut out of the line and emptied onto Ackerman Rd and headed for home still with my shredding documents on board. I was pissed.
Got home around 1015pm. It didn’t take long. I let Mindy know what a debacle the vent was. Dropped a couple not so nice words, too. After venting I felt a bit better. I woofed down a few sections of old sub that were in the fridge - I was starving – then headed off to the shower.

Mindy was fussing with Jacob who was whining about having to go to Bella’s gym meet. He apparently texted his dad asking him to come get him. Mindy had already nixed that notion the night before. In a perfect world, we would’ve left the house at 1045am so we could ensure that Bella was on site a few minutes early. But as it was, we didn’t leave until 11am. We needed to stop for gas too. Filled up the Pilot at the Circle K. On the road at 1105am. Mindy suggested we bypass as much of I-270 as possible given all the construction. Probably wide advice. We took 70E to 71S to 270E to Rt 23S.

All that went smoothly until a funeral procession joined in the 270 fray coming up from 71N. A funeral cop on a motorcycle popped over in our lane and stopped suddenly nearly causing a collision. Of course it exited 270 at Rt 23 obviously destined for St Joseph’s cemetery. He kept our lane slowed for the entire length of Rt 23S until they turned in.

After that it was smooth sailing again – a lovely drive down Rt 23 and an even prettier drive east on Rt 35 through the rolling hills all the way into Rio Grande. And even though we didn’t leave the house until 11am, we still made it there before 1pm. I’m thinking that it was 1252pm when we parked. Earlier in the drive, Mindy exchanged texts with Connie, lane’s mom. They spent the night locally and were already done and on their way home. His events were extra early. Bella’s were fairly late, with her first not officially beginning until 130pm.

We got settled in bleacher after forking over $16 for the three of us to watch. It wasn’t too long before Bella was in line for her first event – the double-mini - and pretty much right on schedule. Turns out, that was her best event of the day netting a 2nd place finish. Yeah, Bella! We sat in the bleachers with coach Kelly’s husband Marshall, and their daughter Laurel. Laurel somehow lost/misplaced her iTouch. Kelly wasn’t pleased. We helped them look for it, but to no avail.

Bella’s 2nd event was ‘floor’. She’s still struggling with her consecutive back handsprings thus didn’t score very well. Jacob insisted it a last place finish. He wasn’t very kind. It was a while before her third and final event. It wasn’t scheduled until 330pm. As it was, it was about 230pm. Overcome with a bad case of the sleepies, at 250pm I headed out to the Pilot for a brief nap. On the way out, I sent mom an email letting her know our status. Promised to call once we were done and on our way.

I woke from my nap at 325pm. Thinking my timing perfect, I headed in to catch Bella’s trampoline event. According to Jacob, they started it early. I just missed it. Said she changed her routine at the coach’s suggestion and did too many of one thing and not enough of another. Despite beautiful flips, a ridiculously low score. Too bad!

Like most of these gymnastics meets, the time between the actual event and when they have the scores posted for awards is staggeringly long. An hour passed and they still didn’t have the trampoline scores posted. In fact, Bella had just received her floor trophy. Jacob was adamant about leaving. I was game for whatever Mindy decided. With no end in sight, she eventually asked coach Kelly if she would bring Bella’s trophy to practice on Tuesday. We left the Rio Grande gym at 430pm. Mindy called mom from the lot just as we were exiting.

It’s no more than a 25-30 minute drive to Dakota’s from Rio Grande and almost all highway. We arrived at Dakota’s near 5pm. Didn’t see mom’s car anywhere in the lot. We headed in and got a table just as we did the year prior. Took a few minutes for a table and server. No worries. We ordered drinks and ate complementary peanuts. I went to check the lot for mom. Sure enough, she was sitting waiting in her car.
Our server’s name was Nicole. She was very pleasant and attentive. After greeting mom, we ordered a bloomin’ onion and eventually our entrées. Jacob ordered a ½ rack of ribs. Bella ordered steak bites. I ordered prime rib, Mom and Mindy ordered the Ribeyes, I think. My prime rib was delicious. I could eat only about a 1/3. Everybody seemed to enjoy their food. We weren’t there but an hour, a relatively short visit with mom.

Talked for a few minutes then headed our separate ways from the parking lot. It had to be about 620pm. It was a lovely evening for a drive – about 54 degrees and sunny. Looked warmer than it was. Arrived home at 755pm.

Lindsey and the boys were gone by the time we got home, but unfortunately their earlier presence visibly apparently by mud on the carpet, toys left in the yard and deck, along with a few other telltale signs. Mindy and I were both a little frustrated with the way she left the house. One of the kids walked the pug. Not sure which one.

Bella soon headed down to play with Makayla. She wasn’t there for half an hour when she called home to ask if she could spend the night. Yes! We knew that would make her happy. Come about 830pm I poured a Jack & Coke. I perused the cable line-up to see what was on Palladia. Bruce Springsteen live. I wasn’t interested. Jacob was off playing basketball, so I watched Tosh.0. Very funny , but also very inappropriate. When Bella came home to get PJs Mindy asked that I change the channel.

Bella and friends were soon gone. I tuned back to Tosh. Jacob came in and Mindy once again asked that I turn it off. Thing is, Jacob has seem Tosh numerous times. I changed the channel but to Family Guy. Mindy turned the TV off.  We agreed to watch Red Neck Vacation on CMT. That’s pretty funny, too.

Mindy headed to bed around 930pm. Jacob asked for the channel and headed to his room. I poured a 2nd Jack & Coke and stayed up for another 30 minutes. Fell asleep on the sofa and woke near 11pm. Headed to bed where I joined Mindy already sound asleep.

Hawaiian Luau

I let myself sleep a little later than usual Friday morning and wasn’t downstairs until somewhere close to 550am. The left side of my neck and shoulder were extra stiff. I decided to skip sit-ups but still completed windmills and push-ups. I laid down on the sofa and got another 10-15 minutes of sleep. That proved to be very beneficial.

Delivered Mindy’s coffee a little later than usual but still before she was in the shower. I checked work and personal email next. Had a work issue begging my intervention. I started working around 645am. Oh boy! By 730am I decided that I was simply going to work from home and do a run after seeing Bella on the school bus. Jacob and Mindy headed out about 30 minutes apart. About that same time a storm front rolled through complete with torrential rains. In fact, it was darn near 70 degrees when I first got up, but only in the upper 50s by the time I headed to the bus stop with Bella. And by the time that I left for a run in was even cooler. Only in the 40s by the time I got back from a 4.1 mile run.

Was back at the house near 915am and quick back to work. I took care of a couple urgent issues then took a few minutes to make and enjoy breakfast. Otherwise, I stayed busy with work all day long. Received an email from my re-fi loan agent confirming she received all the necessary paperwork to complete the deal. She phoned me later that afternoon to tell me that we might even be able to close as early as next week. Wow! That’s fast.

I headed for a shower the next time I came up for air, which I had to be near 2pm. I was very busy and the entire work day flew by. I could hardly believe it when Jacob got home from school near 3pm. What, 3pm already? Bella was home from school near 4pm and Mindy a short time later. I stayed busy with work until 5pm. Unlike a lot of work from home days, I did a good job of peeling myself away.

The evening plans were sketchy, but quickly came into focus. Jacob had a school dance, and we worked out transportation for he and neighbor Lilly with Kenny & Chrissy. We offered to take or pick-up. They asked if we would do the pick-up so that they could enjoy an anniversary dinner date. That worked for us too. Me, Mindy & Bella planned to have dinner at Barley’s. The school dance went from 7-9pm, though they had parents drop the boys and girls 15 minutes apart and at different doors. All that apparently in the name of traffic flow. Getting in and out of the 6th grade school lot can be a nightmare.

Despite it being only 43 degrees, Jacob insisted on wearing shorts (actually a swim suit) and a t-shirt. The theme was a Hawaiian Luau. Mindy offered to let him borrow a lai but he declined. He headed to the neighbors around 620pm, about the same time the three of us headed off to Barley’s. We actually passed each other as we left the subdivision.

As usual, the Barley’s lot was chalked full. I dropped Mindy and Bella at the door and went to park in the back 40. Felt more like February than late April. With Bella in tow, we opted for a table instead of sitting at the bar. There was a wait. I sat at a barside table with Calvin while waiting. Mindy and Bella, on the other hand, talked with Jamie, the pregnant woman, we met there the week prior. Talked with twin Kurt for a few too.

Mindy and I both opted for the firkin, a Left Coast IPA. It was really good. By design, we were seated in Justin’s section, in the corner booth. Mindy ordered a basket of fries as a quick appetizer. I was happy with beer and fries. When time came to order entrees I hadn’t even considered more food. Bella ordered boneless wings and Mindy a Barley burger. When time came to order my 2nd beer, a Left Coast IPA off the tower, I ordered some sauerkraut balls. I ate only two. I just wasn’t that hungry.

I had just the two beers as did Mindy. We were there for about 90 minutes. I was fine to drive. We left to pick-up the kids from the dance at 820pm. Took a little longer to get to the school than we planned, but we arrived at 846pm or just one minute passed the designated pick-up time for girls. Lilly was already texting Mindy asking are whereabouts. The biggest problem was the traffic which was going nowhere fast. I suggested that we skip the front of the school where we were asked to pick-up the girls and instead turn in the boys only lane and then have Mindy and Bella go after Lilly on foot. According to Lilly. They weren’t letting the girls walk around the building without parents. That’s what we did. I had hardly moved when Mindy, Bella, & Lilly returned to the car. Lilly was without a jacket just like Jacob. Brrrr!

We saw them let the boys out the back door at 9pm sharp. We found a little detour that proved a wise turn. We had Jacob in tow in short order and were turned around and headed for home. There’s got to be a better way to manage the traffic flow.

Got home around 920-930pm. Jacob was starving. He immediately took control of our leftovers – sauerkraut balls and boneless wings. After a couple minutes, Mindy, Bella and I walked down to the neighbors. I was actually a few minutes behind Mindy and Bella.

Aside from their kids, Kenny & Chrissy were home alone. We hung with the two of them for an hour or so before heading home. I didn’t hear it, but apparently Chrissy let Mindy in on a few things that Bella shared about our neighborly relationships. Mindy wasn’t pleased and gave Bella an earful on our walk home. My thing is to never say anything you don’t want repeated in front of the kids. I felt bad for Bella. I went to console her before heading to bed. She was crying profusely from her bed. Turns out, she was more upset about not being allowed to spend the night with Makayla and one of their common friends. Bella had a gymnastics meet in Rio Grande we needed to leave for mid-morning. Mindy and I both agreed that Bella needed a good night’s rest.

By the time I got in bed Mindy was already all but asleep.

Whiff of Summer

I slept in until 545am and was happy to find clear skies overhead. Furthermore, we slept with the window slightly cracked so I could hear birds chirping up a storm. Downstairs, I breezed through calisthenics then enjoyed coffee at my PC for about 15 minutes before heading upstairs to wake Mindy. Reds won again. That's four in a row.

Woke Mindy near 615am. Headed back downstairs where I spent a few more minutes online before moving onto meditation and stretching. Double-checked the weather. It was 60 degrees and expected to reach the low 80s later that afternoon, though a chance of thunderstorms pretty much all day. Got out the door for a run around 645am. I ran the full 4.1 miles. It was warm but also breezy. I didn't mind. Over the years I've learned t tune it out.

Mindy was still at home but just about to leave when I headed inside to leash up the pug. Gave her a quick hug and kiss and then she was off to work while the pug and I did our walk. Fried a couple eggs when I got back. Bella asked if I planned to shower before or after the bus. She hoped before. I took that as meaning that she's embarrassed to be out there with me in my running clothes. It was only 745am after finishing breakfast. I planned to shower before. I was pretty fast with my ready, and back downstairs by 803am. I quickly threw together a lunch consisting of the salad Mindy had waiting for me in the fridge, some cheese, nuts, fruit medley and a banana - a full on lunch. Mindy called shortly after she left for school. Shared that traffic was backed up northbound on ?Wilson all the way to I-70. Figured I might want to know and plan an alternative route to the office. Noted! Thanks dear.

Bella, the pug and I headed out at 810am. Nephew Joe pulled up at the same time. He walked down to the bus stop just say hello. Dominic's mom and Chrissy struck up a conversation. I didn't partake. As soon as the bus was there and gone I headed back home with the pug. I took a few minutes to scope out the Blue May salvia in both our front flower beds. For one reason or another, those in the western-most bed are up and thriving. Those in the east bed are looking dead. May not come back. I planted them a year apart and always believed them to be two different strains with those in the western bed always looking healthier, fuller. It won't hurt my feelings if I have to replace those in the eastern-most bed this year.

I told Joe that I would be out of there in a hurry. About then I noticed the geese congregating in the backyard again. I was going to go after them but the grass was wet and I didn't want to change shoes. Screw it. I gave them a rare reprieve. I left for work earlier than most days. Was out the door by 825am.

It was a lovely drive into the office and already in the mid 60s. In my office and settled by 845am. I felt a little rushed given that I needed to join a 9am call. Having an issue booting my new laptop when going from home to docking station. I have to start it before docking otherwise it seems to lock up. I didn't have time to fool around with a HD ticket. Instead, I dealt with it and used my self-discovered work around. Joined the 9am call. We took care of the primary purpose in short order. Spent a few more minutes talking about miscellaneous topics.

My re-fi mortgage agent called near 930am to confirm a few things. Told her that I planned to sign all the required documents that day and would then send them overnight. But shortly after our call I decided to sign and fax from the office. That would be way easier. I spent about 20 minutes reviewing/signing the necessary paperwork. I didn't fax them until just before I left for a lunch break.

It was sunny and 80 degrees. Looked like a fabulous day. Outside and heading to my car, I was surprised with how breezy it was. Still gorgeous, though. Just as I do every spring on a warm day in April, I headed to Straders just to do a walkabout. That always does the heart some good and serves as a passage from ski season to working in my yard - both passions of mine. While at Straders, I planned to look for and possibly buy some different cannas bulbs. Was hoping to find orange with bronze foliage and smaller in stature.

Inside their enormous greenhouse I was greeted not only by a splash of spring/summer color, but also the sweet, sweet smell of fresh flora. There I instantly feel alive and happy. I walked several aisles just looking, smelling, and getting ideas. I asked a watering attendant where I might find cannas bulbs. She happily pointed me to the far end of the building just south of the cashier. I took my time strolling that way.

They had about 6 varieties, but only 3 that interested me. I bought 4 orange with bronze foliage, 2 orange with green foliage, and 2 red with bronze foliage. In two years I'll have enough to supply the subdivision. :) I left Straders then headed up and around the corner to the Giant Eagle at Sawmill and Bethel thinking I would check and see if they had any White Rajah in stock. It's been super hard to find, but I was feeling lucky (think fortuitous). Sure enough, they had some. I wasn't a hog. I bought only two six-packs. I left at least two for another fan - my good deed for the day. :) Feeling whole, I headed back to the office.

Back at work near 2pm, I ate my packed lunch and knocked a few more to-dos off my list. Felt good about all I accomplished. Wrapped up at the office near 430pm hoping to enjoy some of the lovely summer-like weather at home. In fact, I thought there might be a chance that I would mow the lawn when I got home.

Called Mindy on my drive home. She asked how long it took for me to get to work. 15-20 minutes. She said it took her more than an hour. Apparently had 270 closed temporarily both directions due to a semi fire on 270 & Gerorgesville. She was prepping dinner. She wasn't any more specific. The only thing going on at home that evening was getting Bella to and from gymnastics.

Mindy was busy pounding chicken when I got home. Said we wouldn't be eating for some time. I quickly changed into a pair of shorts and old beater tennis shoes then headed out to mow the lawn for the first official shearing of the season. I was concerned about whether the Toro would start after having so much trouble with it dating back to the end of last season. But that was all for not. Started on the first pull. Hasn't done that for two/three seasons. All my hard work paid off.

It should also be noted that not only was this the first cut, but also the earliest that the entire lawn has needed cut. More often than not, the first cut is nothing more than one to even out the spotty growing lawn. This time it was thick, lush, and long. Of course some areas were more so than others but it's like that all the time. I cut the entire front lawn with the Toro. It wasn't Toro I needed to worry about. When I went to start the John Deere the battery was dead. Dang it! Well, that does it. The battery needs replaced. For the time being, I went to the garage and fetched my 12v jumper, which had turned out being a very wise purchase.

While I continued with the lawn chores, Mindy ran Bella to gymnastics. Even though it was mid April, I had sweat rolling off my face and into my eyes. I was almost out of breath too. The push mowing takes its toll, though I know it's another good way to get a workout. I really needed a towel and some water but instead I kept going until done. Next, I trimmed with the whacker. The only thing I didn't do was edge and blow. Was happy to finish and head inside where dinner was almost ready.

It was 615pm. I hurried upstairs for a quick shower. And let me tell ya, a shower never felt better. By the time that I was downstairs again it was time to eat. Mindy grilled chicken breast and pan seared perogies. She heated peas too. Dinner was delicious. I had just one helping of everything.

During dinner, Mindy shared that Connie agreed to bring Bella home when dropping Lane. That was awesome news! After dinner clean-up, I poured a White Rajah. Man, that stuff is delicious!

It wasn't too long after dinner that it began to cool off a little. There was a storm front to our west and south that stretched all the way from Canada all the way down to Texas. It looked to be only about 100 miles wide. Behind it, temperatures were expected to drop significantly. As it was, it was tracking northeast but west of us by about 50 miles. Friday's high's are expected to top out in the low 60s. That's April.

Played around online and on Pandora. Kept a close eye on work email too. Had to take care of a couple work issues, but was careful not to allow it to dominate my evening. Mindy and Bella watched part of American Idol. Down to four contestants - all four women. I haven't watched at all this season.

Mindy bagged it and headed for bed at 905pm, about the same time that Bella popped a bag of popcorn. She and I shared it. Mindy asked that I come to bed at a reasonable time. I tuned the TV to How It's Made. I didn't see but a few minutes of it before I dosed off after finishing my 2nd White Rajah. I woke at 10pm only to find Bella in the fridge snacking on strawberries. I only asked that she not leave them out all night and that she turn off the kitchen light before heading back to bed. Good night moon!

Rainy Wednesday

Once again, I was up and downstairs by 540am. It wasn’t raining but the deck was saturated with rain meaning that it must’ve rained more during the overnight. The sky was still clouded over too. I completed calisthenics then played on the PC all the while enjoying a hot cup of coffee. Even though we're just two weeks into the new baseball season, I was already prepared to write off the Reds, but they've put together back to back wins.

Woke Mindy around 615am with a hot cup of coffee. That has to hurt, but she seems to like it. :) Back downstairs, I checked the temperature - it was 55 degrees - then moved on to meditation then stretching. It was 645am before I was ready to head out for my run. Ran the full 4.1 miles. No troubles.

Wasn't sure if Mindy would still be at the house but she was. However, she was on her way out. She handed me a tissue presumably to wipe the slobber and sweat that drips from my face after a run. After a peck of a kiss she was off to work. The pug and I headed out seconds later. Our walk was brief but productive. Back home by 738a. Just before Mindy headed out, she shared that she made scrambled eggs. Said they still needed cheese. I took care of topping them with cheese then let it melt for a few. The eggs were good. Eiknarf & I both enjoyed them. I saved the extras for another day. Packed my lunch too. Decided to shower after the bus stop.

Fooled around on my PC until it was time to head to the bus stop. It was raining steadily. The girls used the stubby brick overhang of Trena's garage as protection. I had on a ballcap. I absorbed the brunt of the rain. The bus arrived on time - 815am. As soon as the girls were safely on the bus the pug and I headed home where I immediately headed up for a shower. Ready to leave the house for New Albany by 845am. Took the ref-fi package with me again, just in case they called me sometime during the day and I needed to refer to a specific document. Made excellent time crossing town avoiding any traffic tie ups. Was chilly enough for a jacket. I wore my heavy fleece thinking that I might be heading to Jacob's soccer game after work.

Even though I worked at the customer's location, most of the leadership team was out of pocket for the entire day. In kind, I was able to catch-up on several things. I didn't bother taking a lunch though did eat my packed food around 130pm.

Left for home near 5pm. I was surprised with how warm it was - somewhere close to 70 degrees under partly cloudy skies. It was too warm for the jacket, but I wore it anyway. Figured it was easier to wear than carry. Called Mindy once i was safely on the road for home. She was already in route to Jacob's Delaware soccer game. Said they were relying on GPS and Mapquest directions. Apparently the venue was on the far west end of Delaware out in the boonies.

Given that news., I decided that I would skip the route 23 traffic jam and instead head home. I made excellent time barreling around 270 arriving home near 535pm. I took care of basic chores like rinsing my lunch containers and prepping Thursday's coffee. I snacked on nuts then chased geese out of the backyard. Appears a hawk must've gotten another one of the babies. Good news in my world.

Inside, I enjoyed the quiet time reading, napping and playing on my PC. Listened to Pandora, and added a few other artists to add some variety to my station. I added Lyle Lovett and M.Ward. That generated some interesting tunes, and almost all I enjoyed. Didn't hear from Mindy until 815p or so. They were on their way home from Delaware. She said they got lost on the way home and ended up going far out of their way to get on rt 23 south. They planned on stopping at Cane's Chicken on the way home. Wanted to know if I wanted some. No. I was a little hungry but wasn't up for fast food.

They didn't get home until almost 845pm. All three enjoyed Cane's chicken strips and fries. I caved and had at least three strips after Jacob and Mindy shared theirs. Jacob lost his soccer game. His outdoor team is not fairing too well so far.

I did a little more reading from the living room while Mindy soon headed off to bed. I stayed up until 10pm or so then joined Mindy who was already asleep.

Lobster Loose ... Run for your lives!

Happy 13th Jacob

Gone is the innocence, along with the ninja costumes, plastic men, & matchbox cars. In their place are strange patches of hair, the need for a mirror, a cell phone and pentchant for girls. Enjoy. Be wise. Be careful.

Was up and out of bed near 540am. Seems I’m settling into a wake pattern closer to my old rise time of 530am. Was up and out of bed near 540am. I suppose that’s good news. Woke to partly cloudy skies and 55 degrees. Forecast was calling for low to mid 70s with a decent chance of storms, but the two previous days were supposed to end up in the low 70s too, but never made it.

I completed calisthenics then headed to the PC with coffee. It was Jacob’s 13th b-day. Mindy said she planned on getting up early so she could celebrate his birthday with candle topped waffles before she needed to leave for school. We planned to give him his gift then too. Turned out, she wasn’t up any earlier than usual. In fact, I woke her near 610am with coffee just like any other day. 

Fooled around online until 620am. Meditation and stretching were next. Finished both of those daily tasks near 630am. By then, Mindy was downstairs to prep Jacob’s birthday breakfast. She hollered for Bella, too. Soon we were gathered around the table where Jacob had a pile of waffles that Mindy made fresh the night before. She placed a candle or two atop the pile. We sang happy b-day and snapped a few pics. We then gave him his gifts. He opened the one from Bella first, an iTunes gift card and a pair of soccer shorts.

Ours was next, a pair of soccer shorts and an iPhone – the former house phone. Mindy &I reformatted the phone the night before. Bella growled at Jacob’s good fortune since she was the primary user of the phone prior. Once she realized that it was his she started to pout. We quickly picked her up by offering that she might get one when she turns 13, too. Jacob made her feel better by offering to give her his iPod, which would suit her needs just fine.

Dressed for a run next and headed out the door around 650am. Didn’t bother with a jacket given the warm temps. The trash truck was already by as witness by our emptied can. The old queen Anne chair we sat out the evening before was already gone too. Works like magic!

Ran the full 4.1 miles pretty much under full daylight. It’ll remain that way from now until mid-autumn. Got home around 7300am and promptly leashed up the pug. I was surprised that Mindy was still home but she was on her way out. Back from the walk near 740am, I fried up some eggs. I knew then that I wouldn’t have time to shower ahead of bus stop time. I planned on working from home for the first couple hours anyhow. I needed to be across town at a customer’s location by about 11am.

I left a VM for my B_of _A re-fi agent asking her to call me. I had at least four questions to ask about the package I received in Monday’s mail. I planned to take the entire packet to work with me. Bella and I headed out to the bus stop at 810am. By then it was clouding over. Once Bella was safely loaded onto the bus I headed home and upstairs for a shower.

Worked from home for the first couple hours of the day. Left the house near 10am. Made good time heading across town. Arrived near 1025am. Turns out a peer was walking in at the same time. She spent her morning at her 5 year olds kindergarten enrollment/testing. She works out of the customer’s office almost every day. Said I could likely set-up in a cube near her. Perfect.

I needed to join another customer call at 1130am. Only had an hour to take care of my other work before then. I was a few minutes late for the call. The call went quite a bit longer than usual. We had a lot to talk about. I wasn’t off that call for two minutes when my personal cell rang. It was my B_of_A agent calling me back. We talked for a few minutes with her agreeing to send me a more concise list of forms I need to sign and send back, either via fax, scan/email, or mail. And then to address some of my numbers based questions, she promised to have the actual loan officer call me. Anyone that’s refinanced must know what I am referring to. Lots of different numbers to chew on. Was very happy to get over that small hurdle.
Had another hour or so before the next meeting, which was the main reason I was on site that day. Used that time to start a quarterly report which is due by next Tuesday. Time went fast. I headed to the arranged conference room 15 minutes early. The 1pm meeting went rather well. Lasted about an hour. As expected, I took a couple long term to-dos.

A few of my peers hung out after the customer meeting for an impromptu strategy meeting. It was 230pm by the time we finished and I headed back to my make-shift desk. I spent another half hour or so on site choosing to head home to finish the rest of my work day. Called Mindy along the drive home. She was just leaving school. I reminded her that I would need to work once at home.

Arrived home around 340pm. The front door was wide opened. I was a tad worried at first but then realized that Jacob should be home. Yep, he was home and up in his room. Said he just opened the door so Bell wouldn’t have to knock when she got home around 4pm. I wished him happy b-day again then asked about his day. Said it was a good one. Got my laptop fired up in a jiffy. Wasn’t long before Bella and Mindy were home. Once again, I reminded Mindy that I was working until at least 5pm. Sometimes she forgets and seeks my undivided attention when I am in no position to give it.

Our evening plans sounded exhausting. First, Jacob needed to be at soccer practice and Bella at gymnastics. And since it was Jacob’s birthday, we planned to dinner at Red Lobster after his soccer practice, which wouldn’t end until 730pm. Jacob, meanwhile, insisted on stopping home and taking a shower after practice and before dinner. Somewhere in there we’d need to pick-up Bella and then finally head to Red Lobster. By my calculations, we wouldn’t be eating until almost 830pm.

But the universe must’ve been smiling down on us. A front was about to move through west Franklin country with strong winds and heavy rain. Even before there was official word, Mindy went out on a limb and declared soccer practice canceled. Jacob wanted to practice because one has to practice to play in the Wednesday game.

With Jacob’s soccer practice canceled, that made our evening so much simpler. I worked until 530pm and was sending an email while Mindy, Jacob, and Bella waited in the Pilot. We left the house at 535pm to first drop Bella at gymnastics, which is right around the corner from Red Lobster. And by the way, Bella hates seafood so she her feelings weren’t hurt in the least. We dropped Bella at the gym at 555pm – 5 minutes early. By then it was raining pretty hard and lots of super cool lightning striking all around. These were the lightning bolt’s that seems to leave a trail of particles after the strike.

We lucked out in the Red Lobster parking lot. Got a spot right outside the door. We ran for the door in a heavy downpour. Despite a fairly crowded lot, it wasn’t as busy inside as I expected. We were seated immediately. Jacob made Mindy promise that she wouldn’t tell the server it was his birthday. He’s very much like that. Doesn’t want to be the center of attention.

We all ordered waters and they brought us cheddar bay biscuits to snack on. We didn’t order appetizers. We all ordered lobster/shrimp combos – Mindy & Jacob the exact same thing. None of our seafood would come deep fried. Frankly, I was surprised with how tasty my entrée was. Everything was delicious!

We finished up in Red Lobster by 645pm still too early to pick-up Bella. Mindy honored Jacob’s request and didn’t mention his birthday to our server. She suggested we head to the Kroger around the corner so she could pick-up some fruit and allergy meds for Bella. That would kill some time, too. While Mindy ran in Kroger, Jacob and I drove across the street to the Wendy’s where I ordered some chicken nuggets and fries for Bella.

Jacob and I had to circle the Kroger lot three times before Mindy was out. We arrived at the gym to pick-up Bella around 720pm. Not bad. For some reason, Kelly, her instructor wasn’t there. Had a younger sub instructor. Seemed a bit more chaotic. I went to the small lobby and called my mom since I haven’t talked to her in a few weeks, though I did try a week or so ago.

She seemed to be doing well, but lit me up for ignoring her recent calls and emails. She sent me an email asking to borrow some money for some flooring work she wants to have done. A couple things bother me. One, pick up the phone and call. Don’t send me emails for such things. Two, spending money she doesn’t have on frivolity. I clarified that the project is totally a want and in no way a need. Geesh! I haven’t replaced any of my floor coverings in almost 20 years, and we have kids. But that’s mom. I didn’t commit either way.

I suggested we have lunch this coming Saturday since we’ll be down her way again in Rio Grande at Bella’s state gymnastics meet. We literally pass within a mile of mom’s favorite Jackson restaurant, Dakota’s. Told her it would be around 330pm since Bella’s last competition is at 230pm. Said I would call on our way to the competition. By the time I was off the phone with mom, Bella was out and ready to go. I headed out to the Pilot while Mindy chatted with the gym owner about gym meet dues.
Jacob was lying down, hiding in the very back of the Pilot. When Mindy & Bella finally came out no one was surprised or scared. 

I handed Bella her dinner. She was semi-grateful. By then the storm had all but passed. At home Bella pleaded with Mindy to let her go out and play with her friends for a little while. Mindy agreed, but gave her a drop dead be home time of 830pm. Jacob spent his time formatting his new iPhone.

I checked my work email then played on my personal PC all the while listening to Pandora. Did a little reading from one of our new recliners, too. That didn’t’ last long. Started to dose off almost instantly. Mindy came and sat next to me a few minutes later so we could talk. We all headed to bed around 935pm.

Taxing Day

I was up at 535am. I gazed out the back door looking into the clear sky. Looked like a gorgeous day in the offing. I quickly moved on to calisthenics whipping out sit-ups, windmills, and push-ups. Headed to my PC with coffee near 550am. My work laptop was still fired up. I checked work email too.

610am came around fast. Headed upstairs to wake Mindy and deliver coffee. Downstairs again, I moved onto to meditation and stretching. Checked the temperature again. It was 50 some degrees. I dressed accordingly for my run. Headed out the door by 640am. Ran the full 4.1 miles. That table was still setting at the curb. I was hopeful that I would be gone before we get returned from work later that evening.

Back home by 720am. Quickly leashed up the pug and headed out for a walk. On my way out, Mindy made some mention of me deprogramming the home iPhone in preparation for gifting it to Jacob. I quickly cut her off for fear Bella would easily decipher the topic.

It was sunny and getting warmer seemingly by the minute. Would have been nice to have the day off. Mindy left for work while the pug and I were still on our walk. She stopped briefly to chat as she passed. I told her that I would take care of the phone and then explained that Bella was too wise and would’ve known what we were talking about. We knew she’d pitch a fit!

Back at the house I fried a few eggs. I checked the fruit but it was bad – almost rotten. Called for Bella to come down and feed the pug. Already pushing 8am, I decided to shower after seeing her onto the bus. Let the Pandora whirl on my PC while waiting for bus time. We headed out at 810am. At the time we were under clear blue skies with temps in the low 50s. Still a slight chill in the air. Didn’t matter. Bella was still wearing shorts.

Chrissy struck up a conversation with Dominic & Camden’s mom. They were still talking even as Eiknarf and I headed back to the house. This was Chrissy’s last day working from home after knee surgery. She’s sounds excited about returning to work.

Headed for a shower right away and was ready to go by 840am. It didn’t take me too long. I noticed geese in our back yard. I headed out to shoo them away. Before leaving the house, I contacted Turbo Tax online chat to ask why my state tax hadn’t been paid on the 12th as directed. According to them, even though I put April 12th as the pay date, it’s incumbent upon the state to request it from my bank. Sounds odd but took them for their word. I set the alarm then left the house near 850am. It was a lovely drive into the office. Lots of mowing and mulching going on all around. It really feels like spring now.

Still feeling a bit behind after last week’s laptop crash. I scrawled out a to-do list both for the day and for the week. My boss popped in for a quick visit to tell me about his weekend. Spent it at his cabin in the woods, but had to deal with an escalation too. Yuck!

Stayed busy all morning long. I noticed that the sky clouded over around noon. Too bad! I left for a lunch break near 1pm and headed to CVS to pick-up a prescription for Mindy and then later to Lowes. When getting out of my car at Lowes I noticed a ding near the rear driver’s side wheel well. Dammit! It’s not that bad but it bothers me nonetheless.

My only goal at Lowes was to do a propane exchange. I put the empty tank in a cart and browsed several aisles before doing the exchange. Headed back to the office by 145pm. Grabbed my packed food which wasn’t anything more than some cheese and tuna. Stayed busy through the remainder of the afternoon. Didn’t leave for home until just after 530pm. Talked with Mindy on my drive home. Our conversation was rather brief. She reminded me that the kids were gone with Jimaken then asked what I wanted to do. Earlier she had shared that she simply wanted to stay in. I reminded her of that and shared that as my preference too.

Arrived home by 550pm. Noticed the re-fi package arrived in the mail. Also noticed a gaggle of geese in our backyard. I headed out to shoo them away. One can never let them get too comfortable. I knew from earlier that there were four babies, but I could only see three swimming away with the parents. I looked down and saw one lying dead on the bank of the pond. I headed back inside where Mindy was preparing our dinner – leftover subs on the pizza stone.

Celebrating Jacob @ 13

 

After a really good night of sleep I was up around 7am. I didn’t notice until I was downstairs but the sunny skies forecasted were being blocked by thick cloud cover. That was a bit depressing. I started a pot of coffee then played on the internet. What was even more depressing, the temperature was only 35 degrees. Had a long way to go if we were going to hit the forecasted high of 72 degrees. Enjoyed coffee and internet together for about 90 minutes before setting out on my Sunday run. Mindy talked about being up early preparing for Jacob’s b-day party, but she never defined early. She was still sleeping when I left for my run.

There were still thick clouds overhead initially out the door but I could see brighter, clearer skies to the immediately south and west. I ran three miles. By the time I got back to the house the sun was out and the temperature much warmer. Was still only in the 40s. The low 70s seemed like quite the stretch. After a little more coffee and internet, I decided to get crackin on some party prep chores while Mindy remained upstairs in bed. For starters, I watered all the house plants and then vacuumed behind all of them picking up the dead plant debris. I also scrubbed the six kitchen chair pads along with the bar stool covers.

Mindy wasn’t up until 1045am. Friends, that’s called sleeping in! She pug was finally up too. I quickly leashed her up and headed out on a walk. The clouds were back but not nearly as thick. Around 1130am I headed out to do just a little yard work. For starters, I transplanted a couple volunteer blue May Salvia while also trimming any remaining dead stems from last growing season down to ground level. While I toiled in the yard, Connie McVey came by with her two younger boys, Collin & Breck. They hung at the bridge for just a few minutes then were gone again. The lawn greened up in a hurry last week thanks to putting down fertilizer, getting some much needed rain, and then a few days of warm sunshine. It didn’t need cut yet but will by next weekend.


I spent the next half hour in the garage pulling the BM’er battery and hooking it up to my trickle charger for last attempt before simply replacing it. I wasn’t too hopeful for its recovery but at least had to try. Found a dead mouse and a nest under the kiddie booster seat that sets atop of our mini-fridge.
I headed inside to get a shower. Mindy shared that Lindsey’s laundry was done and asked if I would take it to her after my shower. Yes.

While Mindy hit the shower I headed over to Lindsey’s with her clean laundry. Sent her a text just before I pulled away from the house. She and boys met me outside the apartment. I didn’t go inside or stay long. Back at the house I parked the Pilot along the curb so Mindy and I could more easily carry the old desk to the curb. Hoping someone will haul it away.

Mindy ordered a few pizzas and ten subs from Sporano’s to serve at Jacob’s party. She asked for it be delivered at 5pm. Mindy did snack prep through midafternoon. Around 3pm we were pretty much party-ready. And since there wasn’t any need to drive, we both agreed to have a drink – me a beer, her a glass of wine – and then do a walkabout the yard. We sat on the bench by the pond for a while, but not too long. We were expecting the kids and Jimaken around 330p. Everybody else was expected around 430pm.

As expected, the kids and Jimaken showed up around 330pm. We hung outside on the deck for a while. Nephew Joe showed up sometime in there too. Mindy’s mom usually shows up early, but not this time. She arrived about the same time as everybody else. Mindy invited my dad but he didn’t show. Rarely does show for these type events. It must be the crowd.

Most of the family guests showed up around 430pm as planned. Mindy was eager to show off our new livingroom décor. Sporano’s delivery guy arrived at 5pm as scheduled. I initially thought 10 subs were too many, but we ended up eating 7.5 along with 2+ pizzas. Not bad. We definitely didn’t want to run out.

Mindy renewed our Sam’s Club membership on Saturday afternoon and subsequently picked up two trays of those yummy Pillsbury brownies. She served those next and then let Jacob open his gifts, which for the most part consisted of cards/gift cards. Of course, he was way OK with that. We had house guests until about 730pm. Joe stuck around for another hour or so after all the others departed. I think he and Mindy had some more wine.

I finished washing all the party dishes then poured myself a Jack & ice. I poured one for Joe too but don’t think he drank it. I’m thinking Joe was there until almost 9pm. Mindy and the kids were off to bed by 930pm. I stayed up a while longer, but was still in bed before 10pm.