In-choir

The kids riding their bikes while Mindy sings I woke in a hurry. Eyes open – feet on the floor. But honestly, that’s pretty common. It was 5:40am by the time I made my way down stairs after brushing my teeth. I felt pretty good too. And by the time I finished my exercise routine I felt like a million dollars. As Ykraps and I ventured outdoors, I could see that we were shrouded once again by cloud cover and the streets were wet from even more over night rain. I was happy for the rain. Number one, I fertilized the grass, and number two, we really need the extra rain after the extended August dry spell. The lawn’s just now beginning to heal in all the typical dead/dry spots. The west facing slopes take a beating in my yard. We could use two good rains per week to keep the soil moist through the remainder of the growing season. Last year the grass stayed vibrant and green up through Xmas. It sprinkled even as Ykraps and I finished our walk. When I returned to the house I gave Ykraps his treat, made Mindy and I each a cup of coffee, then took hers to her bedside. She’s so spoiled! I asked her not to fall back asleep then returned down stairs for some meditation & morning prep. Pretty much a repeat of every other work morning. I had my usual 20 minutes of peace while I showered and dressed. I’m going to have to use this time more wisely; perhaps throwing on some extra loud music from time to time. But today I spent the extra time tidying up the kitchen. Don’t tell anyone! I left for work at 7:40am. I stayed really busy at work, and had a day chalked full of meetings (four in total). I begged out of the fourth which took place after my run so that I could eat my lunch. I left for a run at 1pm. It was tweener weather. I ran with my long sleeve running shirt and shorts. I began to sweat more than I wanted too. But with about a mile to go it began to rain rather moderately. That cooled me down but soaked all my running clothes. That’s two days in a row I returned soaked. I worked hard all day. But I still managed to leave right at 5pm since I wanted to fetch a hair cut on the way home. I meticulously selected the Saturday’s at Tuttle Mall, assuming it to stand the best chance of being sparsely populated upon my arrival. I guessed that because I’ve never had to wait there regardless of the time of day. I took the new roundabout to get there. There were two people sitting getting haircuts when I arrived. She told me it would be 10 minutes so I went next door to the Verizon Wireless store to browse around. When I retuned after five minutes she was ready for me. Wendy cut my hair today. She was fast and efficient. She cut it longer than usual. When I mentioned it, she offered to take off more but I declined thinking that I’d give a longer cut a try, while at the same time reducing the length of time I’ll need to apply gel. I was out of there by 5:40pm and on my way home. Traffic was noticeably light for a Wednesday rush hour. I made it home before 6PM. Mindy was walking Ykraps as I pulled in and had been grocery shopping too. In addition, she had roasted rotisserie chicken ready for dinner. We had some leftover green beans and boiled potatoes too. I had temporarily forgotten that Mindy had choir practice again tonight. Ignore the fear! After we cleaned up the bulk of the dinner mess, I left Mindy go finish getting ready. I finished the clean-up job. I asked her to once again review the rules with the kids before leaving to prevent any problems like last week. After Mindy left and I finished in the kitchen we took to the backyard to play some kiddie games. We played some kindergarten shark game and regular ol’ tag. In between games I topped off the hot tub. It was a couple inches low. Next, I convinced the kids that riding their bikes would be a good thing. They bought it. We went out front where they could ride and I could relax. I pulled a folding camp chair from the Trooper, grabbed my camera, and clicked some pictures while the kids played. We had fun. We stayed out there until 7:38pm – later than Mindy had loosely outlined. But since I was in charge and the kids were being good and having fun, it was no big deal. We eventually found our way to the house. As luck would have it, Bella had a bit of a melt down after being asked to retrieve her bike and put it in the garage. She wanted to leave it out and simply go in. She threw a fit. I threatened the time out thing, but mistakenly gave her the choice. She then told me she couldn’t decide. Decide what? Whether she wanted to accept a timeout or walk 20 feet back to get her bike. Duh! I then used psychology on her. I told her that I knew what she wanted to do. She asked what that was. I told her that she wanted to get her bike and avoid time out. She said, “OK”! Trouble averted! Inside Jacob was already upstairs readying himself for bed. Bella joined in the fun too, but as always, she wanted to make a game out if it. The good news was that they didn’t need a bath. However, I still had to get their jammies on and get them to brush their teeth. That went pretty well after chasing Bella down to get her dressed for bed. She asked me to brush her teeth. I willing did. I put them to bed without their mother home. That's not the easiest thing for them to endure. Don't know that it happens much except when thery're with their dad. While the kids slept, I began blogging. Mindy arrived home shortly after i began. We spent the rest of the evening sharing stories of our day and the coming weekend. Mindy went to bed around 9:30. I followed fifteen or so minutes later after doing som light reading.

A Rainy Tuesday

Kaileigh enjoying a green drink Kaileigh's first day of school! Wahoo! It’s time to return to work after yet another three day weekend. I woke for just such an event at 5:35am and felt pretty good despite staying up until almost midnight the night before watching my beloved Vikings. Granted, the game was over by 10:10pm, but I was so pumped I couldn’t sleep. The sky, while still dark, looked rather perilous - a far cry from where we were just yesterday. It was raining lightly but steadily. That didn’t bother since I was fortunate enough to have beautiful weather for the entirety of my birthday weekend despite a forecast that predicted otherwise. Too, I had just laid down some fertilizer, so the rain would help get it to the roots sooner than later. The universe was once again smiling on me! I went about my exercise routine then leashed up Ykraps for a walk by 5:45am. We enjoyed our eye opening walk even with the light rain. When I returned, I made a cup of coffee for myself and Mindy. I took hers upstairs as I often do then woke her from her deep slumber. I returned downstairs to meditate and carry-on with my usual morning preparations. By 6:20am I was ready to work on food prep. A look at the weather radar revealed what appeared to be at least a days worth of steady rain. After turning up the volume I heard mention of up to 2 inches by the time it clears sometime Wednesday evening. That’s a lot of rain. I inventoried my running gear to make sure I had a long sleeved running shirt just in case the rain ended up colder than anticipated. Mindy and I ate breakfast together as we often do. Jacob was up and seemingly excited about his return to kindergarten after a long weekend. They all left the house at about 7:15am. I finished getting ready to an empty house. When I left or work the rain continued to increase in intensity. It was coming come moderately hard as I walked from my Trooper to the building. It continued raining that hard and even harder up until run time. I left my office to run sometime close to 12:30pm in part to avoid an even heavier cloud burst moving our way from the Dayton area. It was raining hard enough already that I was soaked even before I crossed the street. That cloud burst I was trying to beat caught up with me at about the half way point. It came down in buckets at least for a spell. Thankfully it was a warm rain, although the temperature was hovering around 67. There’s something about running in the rain. It helps me. After the run I returned to my office for more work related fun and food. I stayed on task for the remainder of the afternoon and left for the day somewhere close to 5:10pm. I had given some thought to stopping for a haircut but in the end opted not. It rained most of the way home but stopped just as I entered the sub-division. By the time I arrived home, Mindy was already preparing dinner and had done most of the household chores along with squeezing in a workout on her elliptical machine. We were having the remnant wings form my birthday/clubhouse party. I requested that we bake them to help firm them up after setting for two days in the fridge. Otherwise, the skin gets kind of gelatinous and gooey. I prefer them slightly dry if not crunchy on the outside. Along with the wings, she made a delicious garden salad. After our wings we opened one of the two key lime pies I bought on Saturday. It was yummy! We cleaned up the dishes – me mostly out of respect for having a prepared dinner. In the meantime, Mindy convinced the kids to get an early bath. While they bathed, I updated my blog. I had four days written and plenty of pictures to add. I was most excited about the sunrise picture I took on my b-day. It was the best I can ever remember – anywhere. Mindy read the kids a bedtime story then requested I head up and tuck them in. I did. They were in bed and asleep before 8pm. When the two of us went back downstairs, mindy took to reading my blog. I took to reading my book. I fell asleep and slept for about 20-30 minutes. When I woke, Mindy rubbed the kink out of my neck that almost always accompanies a nap in the sitting up position. After about 15 minutes we decided to get in the hot tub. It felt superb tonight. We stayed in for I’d guess twenty minutes or so. At 9:20pm we headed upstairs for bed even though I wasn’t that tired (see recent nap story above). We watched a little Glenn Beck & some other crockery. Eventually, we simply turned off the television for lack of substance and instead spent some quality time snuggling. That made sense.

911 - My Real Birthday - My Vikings

This might be my favorite sunrise picture ever - and on my B-day!! Brad Johnson on a check down. SKOL! I woke somewhat solemn for my birthday – probably due in part to the predicted poor weather. It was almost 7am. Mindy had asked that I wake her at 6am. Somehow my body knows when I do and don’t’ have to go to work. When I woke her, she bounced out of bed in less than five seconds. That’s a new world record for her. I was impressed. While she showered, I went about packing her a snack and made a pot of coffee. I went though my usual paces of exercise and walking Ykraps. It was important in my mind to treat this almost like a work day so that my morning wouldn’t be wasted. I wanted to be ran & showered by 9:00am. Mindy and the kids departed while I prepped for my run. Today was Bella’s first day of pre-school, although Mindy wouldn’t be taking her. Instead, Grandma Sharon will take her and pick her up. I kept my run inside Scioto Woods since it was a Monday. I didn’t want to flirt with commute traffic on Trabue or Hague Ave. I reviewed my day’s events while running. I was guilty of having so much I’d like to accomplish that I was forgetting to relax and enjoy the celebration of my birth. I had another cup of coffee when I returned and eventually found my way to the shower. I dressed in my kaki shorts and red Tortuga Diver’s shirt. I planned to go by my dad’s to see if he wanted to go out to Delta Marine with me. I buttoned up the house and headed out the door somewhere close to 9:25am. I made a quick stop at Dad’s, but it was obvious that he wasn’t home. His mini-van was gone. I proceeded to head to east on my own. I made it out east by 10am – the time Delta Marine opens. I couldn’t find it. I knew it had moved from its old digs and I also knew it was still very close but just couldn’t locate it. I called Tommy at home. He answered and guided me in. It was literally right around the corner in a big new building. I was hoping to find a couple small rubber-like bushings – two for my ladder to bump against the swim platform, and the missing rubber bumper for my windshield. They usually carry the windshield bumper but were out. They knew what I meant with the ladder bumpers but didn’t carry them or know where to get them beyond recommending I check Lowe’s – perhaps in the special/miscellaneous hardware section. I paid $4 for the windshield bumper with the promise it would be in in a couple of days. I thought then that I’d ask Tommy to pick it up for me. I mean, hey, it is a 15 mile drive across town, and Tommy’s around the corner. After I left Delta I stopped in at the Lowes – ¼ mile down the road. I found solid rubber bumpers that look to be about the right size, but I didn’t have the originals. They were cheap – a $1 each. I will have to pre-drill my own screw holes and drill a small counter sink too. The rubber bumpers for the ladder have become extremely gooey after spraying Clorox cleaner with bleach on the fiberglass swim platform. Apparently the rubber composite didn’t like the chemical reaction. Now, every time some bumps the bumper with their hand or foot, it smears it about the boat. By now it was after 11am. I headed back west and towards Hilliard. I was very hungry. My first stop was The Big Fat Greek Cuisine for a birthday Gyro. I love those things. They make the best gyros in town for my money, and I have tried them in at least ten other locations. After picking up my gyro I drove through Mill Run onto Advanced Auto Parts to get the transmission fluid for Ashley’s car. And by the way, the weather was surprisingly superb. Cloudless again despite hearing a forecast for rain all day just 24 hrs ago. I picked up some transmission fluid then headed home. It was noon by the time I returned. I was frustrated that my morning was already gone and I had accomplished so little. I quickly changed and headed to garage to begin taking care of the yard. After a two week drought and then a week of rain, our grass grew and greened like spring. It was almost eight inches tall even though I had cut it last Sunday morning. I got all the way through edging, wacking, and pushing when Ashley showed up. She was there to have me look at her car again. I checked the fluid while on the driveway on a slope. It suddenly read full. Hmmm? I remembered that you’re supposed to check it warm and running and on level ground, of course. I had her pull onto the street. Checking again, it was once gain pretty clear that she was low on fluid. I couldn’t see any on the stick. I got the funnel and the fluid I had just bought and began to put it in when I decided to read the wording on the dipstick. It warned against using any other type of transmission other than Mercon. Closer inspection of the bottle of fluid had a warning not to use on Ford products. What? Damn it! Even though this is a mercury Cougar, it’s really a Ford. I didn’t bother checking the wording not realizing that there would be any meaningful difference in fluid types. Crap! Better not! I went in the house and told Ashley that I would have to go get the right type. I changed back into presentable attire and left for Wal-Mart. There I grabbed the proper type along with a few other miscellaneous items totaling $6. I was back home in less than 30 minutes. It was now after 1:30pm. By the time I finished placing the transmission fluid in the car and filling her tires with 30 lbs of air. It was after 2pm. I was frustrated with the condition of her car after only about 1.5 years. It’s hard to believe her mother paid $9K for it. My kids!!!! After Ashley left I got out the tractor and finished the lawn. I noticed while riding that I had forgotten to do the back slope with the push mower so after I finished with the John Deere I had to get the push mower back out and tend to the back slope. After blowing off the drive and flower beds, I decided to go ahead and fertilize the lawn. I really need to treat for weeds to but rain being in the forecast would make that a futile effort. The hot and steamy drought saw to it that lots of weeds sprang up. By the time I had put all the yard tools away and was in the shower it was after 4:30pm. Where had my free day gone, I asked myself. Not long after I sat down on the deck to play some guitar the family arrived home. They had brought with them more birthday surprises. I had two cards and two gifts. I am so spoiled! I got from the kids, some chewing gum and some new guitar picks. From Mindy I got the shop-vac that I had been wanting for many months. What’s even more surprising is that she got the exact one I had my eye on and the choices are many. She’s wonderful! With the Viking game beginning at 7pm, we didn’t have lots of time. It was already after 5pm. Mindy went ahead and ordered the pizzas just as we had planned yesterday. After about fifteen minutes, Jacob and I took the BM’er to pick them up. When we returned we enjoyed the incredibly good taste of Minnelli’s pizza. Yum-yum! I wanted to relax for a few before kick-off. While the kids watched the Disney channel, I read some of my Wayne Dyer book. I’m only on page 200 and I’ve been reading this book for over two months. That’s slow reading! Soon I dosed off just as I desired. I slept for about 20 minutes. When I woke, Mindy whisked the kids off to get their jammies on before game time. Everybody was down stairs ready to enjoy Monday Night Football featuring the Minnesota Vikings against the Redskins live from Fed Ex field in DC. Needless to say, I was stoked!!! As the game began I was nervous like days of old. My expectations have risen due to all the free agent acquisitions, the coaching changes, and the new get tough-play tough attitude. The Vikings scored on their opening possession but missed the extra point. It’s funny how the TV commentators respond to such misses. It’s almost like missing a field goal is overlooked but missing an extra point always garners the same response. I hope this doesn’t turn out to be the difference in the ball game. Well, long story short, after a near cardiac arrest the Viking s won! They gave me, a life long fan, a very big birthday present. WAHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SKOL VIKINGS SKOL Tommy left right after the game ended. Through the game, Mindy talked with Tommy about his marital issues. I chimed in a few times too. I was perhaps a little harsh with my criticism about his latest self-inflicted problem, but it’s only because I care and want him to be happy long term. This, however, only serves to complicate matters severely. I do wish him well and love him much. After Tommy left I stayed up relishing the victory for another hour all the while watching the second game of the Monday Night double header, which pitted the Raiders against the Chargers. When I finally went to bed, Moss & Co had more than their hands full with the upstart Chargers. They were losing and looking very bad in the process. As I crawled into bed, Mindy let me know that my birthday was over after 4 days of celebrating. I responded, “not quite. It’s only 11:45pm”. J

Four Little Ones and more Birthday

Jacob, Bella, Kaileigh, and Rocky (2 times). Rocky in Ykraps' bed Ashley acting pregnant Kelly cutting her lawn Once again, I was worried that I wouldn’t feel too well come morning but that wasn’t the case at all. Lindsey had spent the night since she baby sat the kids the night before. She got up early with all the kids and went to Bob Evan’s to buy pancakes for everyone. That kept the kids busy while Mindy and Snuck in a late snooze. We didn’t get up until 9am. More importantly, I woke feeling no worse for the wear. I made my way downstairs and made some coffee then took to exercising. The kids were insistent on treating me like a jungle gym. They were climbing all over me while I cranked out my sit-ups and push-ups. To my surprise, of them all, Bella was the only one that could do real push-ups. Good form, Bella! Sometime after coffee I went for a run. I’d guess it was close to 10:30am. We were expecting Kaileigh sometime after church, or close to noon. I had made arrangements with Shelly and Joey the day before to spend the afternoon with her. For that reason alone, I was excited. Shortly after my run, Mindy and I loaded up the kids and drove to Bob’s to pick-up the Trooper. The kids rode back with me. Soon after we got back Lindsey returned with Lil’ Rocky, and a few minutes later Kaileigh arrived while I was doing some organizing in the garage. But I can’t recall who arrived first. Soon after everyone was present, Mindy warmed some wings and then had the kids sing me happy birthday. Mindy was planning to go shopping while I stayed home with the kids. I was looking forward to spending some alone time with my grandchildren along with Bella and Jacob. I was happy that Lindsey opted to go with Mindy. I wanted to see how Rocky behaved in her absence. They were gone for about two hours. During that time we watched a movie, played, tumbled, and eventually went to the park. They were all four pretty well behaved. Nothing I didn’t expect. Mindy and Lindsey were already back after we returned from the park. By then I was ready for a nap. Those darn kids wore me out. I went to my bedroom and closed the door to lessen the noise and fell asleep until about 3:35pm when I woke for a shower. By 4pm I was ready to head to Gloria’s. Lindsey had already headed back to her mother’s. The rest of us loaded in the Trooper and headed to Gloria’s for Sunday dinner. It was a smaller than normal gathering. And come to think of it, it was the first time in a long while that we had Sunday dinner at Gloria’s, and probably only the second or third time since June. We had pork chops and stuffing- one of my faves. And for my birthday, we had chocolate pie. It was to die for! It was nice to have all that special treatment, and equally nice to have my grand daughter Kaileigh there too. She is so well behaved and very sweet. She plays well with Bella and Jacob. We left just after 7pm since we needed to take Kaileigh home and drop Lindsey’s bedroom fan by Kelly’s house. While there I would also look at Ashley’s car since she reported having problems with her transmission. First stop was Kelly’s. Lindsey came out to get her fan. I had her get her sister, Ashley. Ashley came out, gave us a hug, and demonstrated the trouble with her car. Her and I together took it on a ride. But not before I snapped a couple pictures of Kelly cutting the grass ( for this she wasn’t too pleased – Kelly that is). Yup! Ashley’s diagnosis was correct. Her transmission is in fact slipping badly. When we returned, we checked the transmission fluid. It was almost empty as best I could tell, but we weren’t checking it entirely properly either. That’s when she pointed out hat something’s been leaking for awhile. I told her that I would pick-up some transmission fluid and come by again tomorrow to look at it further. Before leaving, I went back and talked with Kelly to share thoughts regarding Lindsey’s living arrangements. It went OK. We headed home and were there by 7:45pm. This was a work/school night for Mindy and Bella, so she was eager to get the kids bathed and in bed. I have tomorrow off so I was still in weekend mode. I listened from afar while Mindy battled with Bella over bathing and tooth brushing. She was not a happy camper. After things calmed I went upstairs to tuck the kids in bed. It was time for Sunday night football, the Manning Bowl, when I returned downstairs. I poured myself a glass of Barley’s IPA and kicked back in my reading chair to enjoy the game. While watching football, I rubbed Mindy’s back and talked. She ended up going to bed rather early – about 9:15pm. I stayed up for another beer and more football. After my second beer my eyes got really heavy. I dosed off a few times before heading upstairs for bed myself.

Boating, Buckeyes & Birthday

Pics of dinner at The Fish Market & Bob's Clubhouse I woke early and often enough through the wee hours Saturday AM. I was worried about waking feeling like shit. Sometime around 6am I pee’d and took the last Advil in the bathroom bottle and quickly laid back down. For whatever reason, I thought the sky looked gray and cloudy when I woke again around 7:00am. Later I would realize that vision was flawed. The kids attempted to wake us multiple times, and Mindy did her best to incent them to go play in the playroom or return to bed. They didn’t seem to like either option, but then again, she didn’t ask if they liked the choices. At about 8:00am we finally rolled out of bed. I was no worse for the wear. I happily felt pretty darn good. Too, a more thorough glance out the window revealed a beautiful morning in the making. If we could pull it off, we were hoping to be boating today. But we had three major events talking place today, so timing would be important. If we were to pull off the boating thing, we would have to be on the lake early to make it worth the effort. We had 6pm dinner reservations and a Buckeye game party to join by 8PM. This meant we’d have to leave the lake by 3:30pm, which to me means that we’d have to be there by 11am. We managed to coordinate our morning so that we could meet that goal. Mindy was more than willing to pack and gather while I ran. When I retuned from my morning run it was 9:15am. The boating stuff was all but ready. I had already placed the tools in the Trooper. I took a quick shower, and by the time I was out and ready, Mindy had everything else all loaded up, including the all important cooler! We arrived at boat storage just after 10am – record time. We had trouble getting the boat out due to more boats than usual and the owner’s Kubota tractor being in my way. After fetching him for help, we were on our way. We gased the boat at Thornton’s on Robert’s and I-270 and were once again on our way. We arrived at the lake just after 11am and were on the water in short order. As expected, there weren’t many boats there despite the lovely weather. More often than not, the lake traffic drops off considerably after Labor Day. The boat started right up and ran much better after tweaking the idle. In fact, if anything, it might even be tweaked a little high now. The true test would be all the stopping and starting associated with tubbing. Once we crossed under Cheshire Rd, we found our way over to the camp dock area where Mindy and Bella tubbed together. Bella cried after an abrupt start and asked to re-enter the boat. Jacob chose not to tube, so Mindy decided to enjoy it alone. We pulled her around and then all the way north to the boat swim cove. There were a few other boats in the cove when we arrived – far fewer than most weekends but one or two more than during the week. Still, it was sparsely populated leaving plenty of room for some semi-private family entertainment. I napped for spell while Mindy floated on one of our comfy rafts. The kids played loudly on the tube. After my nap I blew up the second of our two comfy rafts and jumped in the water. The water was noticeably colder than it was only three weeks ago. It was almost uncomfortable. Sadly, the boating season is seemingly coming to an end almost as soon as it began. And once again, they’ll be no boating pics since my spare camera batteries are dead again. There must be something amiss with them. We hung out in the cove until about 2:30pm. We pulled anchor and cruised back towards the marina. Just as we were about to cross under Cheshire Rd bridge, we happened upon brother Bobby out boating with his family. We briefly circled around to chat for moment but then proceeded on our way not wanting to fall behind with our aggressive Saturday plans. By the time we pulled the boat from the lake and had it prepped for travel, it was 3:30pm. That hour of time goes so fast it’s not funny. It’s a mistake not to allow for at least an hour to de-lake and prep for transport. We drove directly to the boat storage facility before heading home. We did a real thorough job of wiping down the boat after pulling out so it looks really clean for the next time. Plus, there would be no time for any boat work at home this weekend anyhow. After we arrived home we unloaded the boating gear and quickly transitioned our cooler for Bob’s clubhouse Buckeye game party. Mindy went to take a shower, and the kids I took Ykraps on his evening walk. While on our walk, Lindsey drove by arriving at our house to spend the night and watch the kids. As soon as I returned from the walk I headed up to the shower. It was after 5pm. I took a quick shower and then dressed appropriately for dinner at the Fish Market. I packed some comfy casual Buckeye attire to change into later at Bob’s. Mindy did the same thing. We arrived at the Fish Market at 6:05pm. They were unshaken by our five minutes of tardiness. We were seated and greeted by Heather, our server. We ordered drinks first. Mindy ordered a glass of Cabernet, and I pint of the Columbus Brewing Company’s new IPA. For those that don’t realize it, Cameron Mitchell owns CBC so they naturally serve his beers at his restaurants. Since it’s one of our faves, we ordered calamari as an appetizer along with a bowl of lobster bisque. The calamari had an Asian kick and was pretty darn good. For our entrée’s Mindy ordered Chilean Sea Bass, and I ordered Filet Mignon and a live Maine Lobster – my favorite dish! When they brought our food they brought me a lobster tail in lieu of a “live Mine Lobster”. I notified our server and she promptly promised to correct it in a hurry. No worries! I went ahead and ate my filet and Mindy enjoyed here bass. Just before finishing off the filet, my lobster arrived. Honestly, I probably should’ve stuck with the lobster tail. The live Maine Lobster was over cooked and subsequently tough. It was still tasty, but hardly worth the extra work of de-shelling and such. We didn’t make a big deal of it. After we finished our meal they offered a free dessert for it being my birthday. But since we were stopping at Giant Eagle to pick-up a Key Lime pie I passed on the free dessert offer. Heather kindly brought the check and informed me that she compensated us the lobster since it was their mistake. That was awesome but certainly not necessary. Hyde Park could stand to take some lessons from Cameron Mitchell. We left the Fish Market and made a quick dash to Giant Eagle on Grandview avenue. As luck would have it, they had key lime pies on sale. I bought two. In addition, I bought two bags of ice for our cooler. Next stop Bob’s. Bob’s place is less than a mile from Giant Eagle. We were there right at 8:00pm. Perfect timing! Together Mindy and I did a masterful job of planning our busy day and had remained on schedule while having fun all day long. As we made our way back to Bob’s clubhouse (the second of two garages) the excitement was building. I was looking forward to kicking down a few brews and watching the game. When I entered the already populated clubhouse I noticed my friends and neighbors, Pat and Lisa Shultz. For a minute I was confused. Did Pat and Lisa know Bob & M.A.? Did I not realize the connection? Duh! When I asked, Pat quipped, “we do now!” I was now obvious that mindy had invited them to help celebrate my birthday. On the table of food was a Buckeye birthday cake with my name on it. To boot, all my rambunctious Barley friends were there too. Mindy, bless her heart, had made all these plans without my knowledge. She had organized and arranged for a keg of my favorite Barley’s beer- IPA, one hundred or so of my favorite wings, a cake, and many of my friends. I was a little overwhelmed at all she had done for me over the past couple of days – completely catering to my every whim. I felt blessed, grateful, and perhaps even a little embarrassed for being so selfish. Wow! Present at tonight’s event were, of course, our hosts, Bob & M.A, Pat & Lisa Shultz, Jeremy and Courtney, Rick, Lee, Bob’s neighbor Jeff & co., Bill Gray, Bob’s other neighbors, and a host of others. A great deal of thanks goes to the Imber’s for allowing Mindy to crash their Buckeye clubhouse party with a Jimmy B-day celebration. Some unique gifts: Pat & Lisa got me a sixer of some Leinenkugel’s Berry Weiss, Bill Gray miraculously found a stash of Spanish Peaks Honey Raspberry Ale at the Wine Vault. He bought me a sixer. He also got me a sixer of CBC’s Apricot Ale. Lee bought me some scratch- off lottery tickets. Rick, bless his heart, got me a Victoria Secret’s gift certificate. J Court & Jeremy got me a jug of IPA. We partied through the game and beyond. And by the end of the night, I had one heck of a buzz. Mindy did too. In fact, I later learned later that she threw up in Bob’s back yard. Neither of us were in any shape to drive. Thankfully, both of my pals, Pat & Bill were dry tonight, and both offered us a ride. Once I knew we had a ride, I let it all hang out. I continued partying till I could no longer stand it. At some point, Pat & Lisa left after learning that Bill would see us home. We sang, yelled, and drank all evening celebrating the Buckeye’s convincing 24-7 victory over Colt McCoy and the Texas Longhorns. Once Bill dropped us at home, we got the hot tub ready for action. We thought Bill was goon stay but he didn’t. Instead, he headed home. Not sure what time we finally went to bed, but I do know that it was late.

Ready for a long weekend

Moon setting Friday AM Su nsettng Friday evening Baley's sign take nwith low flash Mindy sporting a Viking jersey The firkin two kids leaping for joy, or are they laying down? Nothing was gonna dampen my Friday! The day began much like the previous few – early, warm, and clear. I was up at my usual 5:30am feeling well rested and ready to embark on a long birthday weekend. My drawn out illness was fading further – thankfully. Like any work day, I went through the usual paces. I exercised, walked Ykraps, made lunch, and prepared breakfast. The day’s weather promised to be “Septembery” – warm, sunny, and not too humid. Perfect weather for driving the BM’er. Mindy and kids left on schedule leaving me about 25 minutes of alone time before I had to head off to work. I did what I often do. I played guitar and put the finishing touches on the kitchen before departing. I arrived to work just before 8:00am and immediately got down to business. I was very busy - just like I like to be. I managed to sneak away for my Friday afternoon run by 12:45pm, and I took the Home Depot route to keep things exciting. My legs weren’t as lively as I had hoped but I made it through the run just fine. I was in a very happy mood when I returned knowing that I had I a three weekend in front of me. I worked hard to keep the time passing and things got even livelier as the day wound down. I had a deadline to meet and a couple major unforeseen issues arise. I handled everything though just as any good leader would. I managed to escape the confines of the office by 5:30pm feeling good about what I had accomplished through the week and during the day. It felt really good to walk out the door to my BM’er with the sun at my back and three days of fun ahead. I was home before 6PM. Mindy and the kids were already there. I was tired after a busy day and longed for a short nap, but the kids wanted to ride their bikes and I felt like saying “yes” instead of no all the time. I went out front and watched kids as they rode their bikes and played by the pond. Mindy came after a little while and stayed out there with me until it was time to go pick-up Amy, who was baby sitting for us tonight. While Mindy was away fetching Amy, the kids and I remained outdoors. Bella made a new friend, Paige and fed and chased the ducks. Meanwhile, Jacob continued riding his bike. Mindy returned with Amy just after 7:00pm or so. I went in the house to freshen up and change into some comfy clothes before heading off to Barleys. Once again, we drove the Trooper just in case I needed Mindy to drive us home. The sun was just setting on the golf course as we exited the sub-division making for another fabulous sun set picture. We arrived at Barleys before 8pm for the second week in a row. It was pretty crowded so we had to stand until a few seats opened at the bar. Lee served me up a firkin, which was a Pale Ale. It was very good. I was happy to see that the bar was chalked full of the regulars, and most were in rear form. We learned too that Mindy had won the football pool from the week before. This week’s pool (the Texas game) somehow already had five squares with my name on them. I later learned that Bob had been in on Wednesday and bought them for me! What a guy –huh? We ordered our usual pub food. I had a Cuban and Mindy had pulled pork. I was extra good! Although I typically have three pints, tonight I had a fourth. I had a good buzz from it too. We left Barleys just after 11pm. Amy’s ride had just arrived so the timing was perfect. I noticed while pulling up to our house, two young kids ( a boy and a girl) lying on sidewalk face to face on the bridge. And since I already had my camera at my side, I immediately went to take their picture seeing this as an extremely unusual event that certainly seemed blog worthy. I asked first for not wanting to startle them. They were happy to pose and asked for my webpage url. I obliged. Before going to bed Mindy and I hot tubbed. I still had a pretty good buzz. I think she took advantage of me too but can’t be sure. I do remember asking for some Advil before going to bed.

Happily, another lovely day

I popped out of bed within seconds of becoming conscious. It was a little late. It was 5:38am. And yes, I continued feeling a little under the weather despite the “real’ weather being superb! I probably could have benefited from taking some antibiotics but I’m improving everyday now. I’ve just allowed my natural pharmacy to do me right. I had a surprise guest in the kitchen while I worked out. Mindy was up stirring about. There wasn’t much dialogue, however. I finished my workout and then proceeded to take Ykraps on his walk. The moon was the first thing to catch my eye out the door. It was magnificent setting there in the western sky at about 45 degrees above the horizon in a crystal clear sky. When I returned I made coffee and then went to the deck to spend some quality time with … me! After coffee I went about my usual morning routine of making breakfast and packing lunch. I made Mindy breakfast too even though the temperature between us was cool. Our disagreement from the night before was obviously carrying energy into the new day. I was finished with my morning meal by 7:00am sharp and headed upstairs to begin my body prep. When I returned downstairs everyone was gone. Mindy had stopped up to wish me a good day before leaving. I drove the Trooper knowing that I’d be stopping at Lowe’s on my way home. It was spectacular day – one I had wished I had taken off. I stopped at Thornton’s Gas station on Roberts and Wilson. I got gas for $2.24 per gallon. That’s a full $.85 cheaper than a month ago. Now is the time to start sweating the weather. Our premium weather days are numbered to be sure. Soon, we’ll be considering upper 60’s and low 70’s top notch, which are far from good floatin’ and boatin’ days. That’s sad. Work was very busy. I worked hard (of course). I left for my run around 1pm. It was another sunny, bright afternoon and the temperature was plenty warm. I ran without a shirt. After my run I returned to my office and enjoyed my packed lunch in peace. I was extra tired (see reference to illness above) after my lunch. Somehow, however, I made it through. I stayed real busy. At 5:05pm I left for the day. I headed directly to Lowe’s. At Lowe’s I went straight to the paint department and ordered five gallon drum of Olympic Deck Stain. I paid extra for the “Maximum”, which is said to contain more pigment and has a 5 year guarantee. I stayed with the same color as before even though I had seriously kicked around the idea of going with a solid color closer to the house trim. In the end, however, I decided to stay the course for uniformity sake. While there I grabbed some fertilizer, a GE Azul spot light to replace the verde Sylvania I bought a month ago a Home Depot that is already busted. Very poor quality! I left Lowe’s having spent $168, but I shouldn’t have to stain again for another four or five years. At home by 6PM, the first thing I noticed was that our street had been repaved during the day. It really needed it too. Looked great! Mindy was on the deck relaxing. I took care of my usual chores and then when I went to walk Ykraps, Mindy came out to inform me that she had already done so. After she alerted me to her doings, we spent some quality time together on the deck. We talked through our little spat the night prior and walked away friends. Come 7:30pm the kids arrived back home after spending a Thursday evening with their dad. He’s leaving for Cape Hatterus Saturday am so he won’t have them for his usual weekend. After he departed, Mindy hurried the kids upstairs for a bath and jammies. She had her won difficulty with Bella tonight over tooth paste. She is a very stubborn girl to be sure. Mindy won! After Bella settled down she requested that I tuck her in. I snuck into her room and between her wall and bed. I scared her good. For a four year old, she appreciates a startling scare and responds so dramatically. She does it to me too. I retuned downstairs where I quickly tuned into the initial NFL game on NBC. The game pitted the Steelers against the Dolphins. Daunte’ as a Dolphin? I wished a few interceptions on him. The game was close through the first half. Just before half time I went to bed for heavy eyes. Mindy was already in bed asleep. I must have fallen asleep even before 10pm.

BM'er day... finally

Creekside flowers I coulda used some Jack Daniels I woke right on time Wednesday morning, but I still felt groggy and slightly ill. And it wasn’t until I was able to purge the morning’s first batch of snot form my head that I began to feel significantly better. For that to happen I had to exercise and walk Ykraps. Then it began to flow. I was so on top of the game this morning that I had breakfast cooking and lunch prepared by 6:45am. It helps a great deal having most of the pieces and parts I use for my lunch already cut up and stored in containers – thanks Mindy. Unlike the past several days, the sky was almost completely clear and the prognosis was good weather ahead for many days. COOL! I had already decided, after having been denied for so many, that today would be a BM’er day. After Mindy and the kids departed I took my time showering and dressing. I love an empty house. I played the guitar before leaving as I almost always do. I loaded the BM’er and left for work around 7:40am. Work went well and went fast. I worked diligently right up until 1pm when I escaped for a run. I took the Home Depot route to mix it up a little. It’s funny how sometimes my body needs the diversion that a less familiar route offers. It was nice to soak up some sun too. I ran without a shirt for the first time in a long while. My afternoon was just as busy as the morning. I had several meetings planned with my staff and kept them going until quitting time. I left the office at 4:59pm and went right for the BM’er. I took Old Dublin Rd home and the gambled paid off. I was home by 5:15pm. That hasn’t happened in a long, long time. I think that I surprised Mindy, who was in the basement on her elliptical machine. After a few minor chores I asked to take a quick nap. Mindy was planning to make us burgers. I slept for about 30 minutes she reported and our burgers were all but ready when I got up. We didn’t have long to eat. She had her first choir practice this evening and needed to leave by 6:45pm. She let me know that the kids would be coming home sometime around 7:30pm via Jim Manken. After she left I made quick work of the kitchen cleaned up and took to blogging. The kids showed up just before 7:25pm. Bella had pooped her pants and was being a little bashful about it. Jim was surprised and perhaps even a little frustrated with her for it, and Jacob was razzing her about it. I lifted her spirits and told her we’d take care of it. After Jim left I hurried the kids upstairs for their quick bath. Jacob just had his extremities washed. Bella wanted in the tub – understandably so. She seems to love the tub and always gets out a million toys. Tonight was no exception. I made a mental note to speak with Mindy about all the tub toys scattered around the periphery of the tub. I hope we can reduce the number somewhat. After the bat hI got both kids in their jammies and had them brush their teeth. To my surprise, it was only 7:33pm. Bella asked if they could play a while. I agreed. They were both happy for that. Down stairs we went. Jacob played with his new toys and Bella sat with me at the PC looking at several pics. We eventually found our way to living room – 8:05pm- where we snuggled in the reading chair. Bella jumped up and asked when her momma would be home and went to the door to look for her. She was being to quiet in there so I soon followed. So did Jacoby. By now it was 8:15pm – the time Mindy said she’d be home. I figured she’d be pulling up any minute. Jacob teased Bella a couple of times that mommy was home. That got Bella going a little. She began to pout a little. Pout a little that is until she saw her momma with her own eyes. Then, she put on an unbelievable fit of crying like she was hurt or something. I remember my kids doing it when they were babies/toddlers. As Mindy approached the house she could see Bella flinging her arms and cryin’ profusely. I knew how this would play out. Mindy opened the door and somewhat curtly asked what was the matter. I could only smile inside for knowing how this game works & that nothing was really the matter. This was the Bella show. Let’s just say that I wasn’t pleased with the act or the response. Mindy bought it hook, line, and sinker. I didn’t want to discuss it after she finally got them both in their beds. I would’ve attempted to put them to bed myself but have been down that troublesome road before. They do not got to bed well at all without their mother. I was aggravated with the situation for the remainder of the evening and even asked not to be put in such a position ever again. I watched some television until 10:20pm when I finally went to bed.

Holes B' Gone

Still feelin' like shit! I woke up Tuesday morning feeling even better than I did Monday morning. That’s the good, but I’d be kidding you if I said I was feeling 100%. I still had a slight bit of nausea lingering in my belly, and my head was tired. Having not gone to the doctor, I’d guess that I had a real sinus infection, given the amount of thick gelatinous green snot that continues even now to be blown from my proboscis. I’m not worried since I’m feeling better with each passing day and each passing blow. I was up and down stairs by 5:45am leaving myself plenty of time to complete my morning routine. I didn’t need to pack my lunch but did plan on running again this morning so that I could meet my friend, Jill for lunch without worrying about when I’d run. I was finished walking Ykraps and home pouring coffee by 6:10am. I took Mindy her coffee and woke her for the day by 6:15am. I returned downstairs to finish my coffee and to ready for a run. I was out the door by 6:21am. Today was trash day so I ran into the trash guy a few times. By the time I was back - 6:54am – the sky had brightened considerably, but it was still cloudy by any one’s measure, and the rest of the day promised nothing but a mixed bag. We’re officially five days into September and we’ve yet to have an early September type day yet. I am getting anxious! I quickly made our eggs once I returned even though Mindy had started them. We ate and hugged and kissed goodbye by 7:10am. I had to get in the shower if I were to come close to being on time. I left the house at 7:45am and made it to the office by 8:05am. Traffic was a little heavy. Work wasn’t nearly as hectic ad I had thought it might be given the three day holiday that most enjoyed. I still kept busy right up until 11:20am when I left for lunch. When I arrived at PF Chang’s there was hardly anyone there, although two groups arrived the same time I did. I didn’t expect Jill to be there yet, but she was. She had apparently been in the ladies room. We hugged hello and rather quickly were seated at our table. I already knew what I wanted, so shortly after we exchanged some pleasantries we ordered an appetizer (calamari) and then our entrée’s. Jill ordered Szechwan Scallops, and I ordered Mongolian Beef. We talked about our lives mostly and caught up on the folks we know in common. We had a nice visit. We agreed that we should get together some weekend – her, Donnie, and Isabella, along with Mindy and kids. I left PF Chang’s and was back in the office by pm. I worked fairly hard all afternoon – right up until about 5:10pm. I called Mindy shortly before 5pm to discuss our evening plans which were loosely defined already. We had talked about meeting on Echo Park where I would finish the drywall repair and then we together would load some additional stuff destined for our home. We got disconnected. I called Mindy back as I left the office. We talked all the way to Echo Park. For whatever reason, I decided to chance taking Scioto Darby Rd West towards Alton Darby, hoping it would be reopened. The signs were somewhat misleading, but it was. It was closed just west of Alton Darby, however. That cut at least 20 minutes off the trip. For that reason alone, I was happy. I made quick work of the patch job. After some light sanding it was evident that it needed nothing more. This was perhaps the best patch job I’ve ever done. It simply looks flawless. The kids ate their Wendy’s while Mindy and I toiled. We walked the house looking for anything we might want on Newell that isn’t already promised to Jamaican. There wasn’t much – Mindy’s bench, a shovel, some kiddie folding chairs, and Jacob’s original training wheels. We loaded the mini-van and made our way home. Jacob rode with me. Once at home and after unloading the van and walking Ykraps, I went ahead and put the training wheels on Jacob’s bike. While our dinner sautéed, I took the kids out front for some bike riding. Jacob was excited to ride with his training wheels. I’d really like to have him riding two wheels before Xmas – he’s six! Mindy soon beckoned us for dinner. We were having fajitas with the leftover steak from Sunday’s cookout. They were very tasty. Mindy and I each had a piece of key lime pie for dessert. After dinner and clean-up, I took to blogging. I had four days to post. Mindy bathed the children. I was called up stairs to tuck them in. As we often do, we spent the next hour talking together, and we reviewed pictures from Labor Day weekend. While Mindy read my blog, I played guitar. At 9:20pm we both decided to head to bed in hopes of ensuring eight hours of uninterrupted sleep.

Real "Labor Day"

Here we go a shopping! Shopping at Kohl's with Mindy. :( Dinner at Joe's Crab Shack! Do you think she's excited to have her new shoes? I was happy it was a holiday, but unlike most others I would be heading into work today. No complaints. Because of the company holiday, I would carry managerial on-call responsibility through Monday evening at 10pm EDT. Because of this, it made sense to work from the office and get another day off where I could truly relax and feel the benefit of a ‘holiday’. Besides, the weather, while a major improvement over the prior two days, was still predicted to be less than summer-like. So, since it was a work day, I was up at 6:30am. I know, I know, I would generally get up at 5:30am for work, but I had already decided to back everything up an hour, and even planned to run before going to work. I followed through just as planned. After exercise, walking Ykraps, and a cup of coffee, I took off on an early morning run. Again, it was cloudy and milder than the past two mornings but still noticeably cooler than normal. I ran in shorts and a long sleeve running shirt. It was darn near 8am when I made it back from my run. Mindy and the kids were up while I showered and dressed even though they were staying home, but it was after their usual rise time. I packed myself a light lunch of cheese and nuts. I figured that I’d spend my lunch taking a ride out to Delta Marine to look for some miscellaneous boat parts. I left for work around 8:45am. Mindy was stressed when I departed, sitting very tired looking in our newly created sitting room trying to regroup from a tortuous night dealing with the kids. Jacob pee’d the bed yet again. That makes two nights in a row. He can go 6 weeks without an accident and then the next thing you know he’s in a tail spin. Mindy without fail, always gets up and changes his bed to make the rest of his sleep comfortable, ultimately cutting her own sleep short. To make matters worse, they were both being a bit curt this morning too. Lucky for me, I had to work! I arrived right at 9am. We were operating with a skeleton crew, and for that reason it was very tranquil. I might just volunteer for more of these holidays. I was able to catch up on email and organize several tasks before lunch. I checked Delta Marine’s Labor Day hours and I was a little surprised to find them closed. Crap! Well, at least I didn’t drive all that way for nothing. I changed my lunch plans and drove over to World Market and Wal-Mart taking the new round-about that just opened north of Hayden Run Rd on Britton Rd. We now have a direct route to all those stores off of Tuttle Rd. At World Market I picked up a 6-pack of Pumpkin Ale. At Wal-Mart I picked up a kick-stand and new training wheels for Jacob’s bike. Afterwards, I was getting hungry but because it was 2pm and I was planning on leaving work sometime after 4pm, I didn’t bother stopping for any food. I spent the afternoon working through several tickets and 4 o’clock came quick. I left the office by about 4:10pm and headed for home. Mindy was walking Ykraps when I pulled into the sub-division. The kids insisted on jumping aboard the Trooper when I stopped to smile and wave in lieu of finishing up the walk with their mom. When Mindy got back home we discussed our evening plans which I already knew included taking Bella for some new shoes. While talking, I mounted Jacobs new kick stand and eyeballed the training wheels. We decided to venture up Sawmill for the shoes – Kohl’s - and to get some dinner while out, too. We decided we’d eat at Joe’s Crab Shack once we hit Sawmill Rd. but not until after the shoe hunt. We got Bella two pair of tennis shoes, and Mindy picked up a couple of infant outfits for baby “Emma’. Next stop, Joe’s Crab Shack. I like the place better than Red Lobster and hadn’t been there for some time. Jacob really liked that idea too. Even though the restaurant was sparsely populated, they made us wait. It appeared to be more a function of available servers than anything else. We didn’t mind the wait and it wasn’t that long – ten minutes tops. We were eventually seated in a booth and Bella would take up camp in a high chair anyhow. She threw a mini-fit when Mindy lifted her into the chair. We’re still not entirely sure why. But what I am sure of was the shrill she let out. She captured the attention of everyone at the restaurant. Of course I tensed right up, not being used to such attention. That happily was the worst of it. The rest of our pre-meal time was riddled with normal 4 & 6 year old antics. Bella did make a short fuss over the huge fake shark hanging just over her head, but Mindy convinced her she that was safe. As an appetizer, we ordered some Lobster fondue and calamari. For dinner, Mindy ordered a seafood platter; I had crab & shrimp; Jacob had shrimp and fries; and Bella had pasta – go figure! Nothing was bad, but nothing was that great either. We ate our meal in about 45 minutes. The total bill plus tip was nearly $70. We were saved by three of us drinking water & no alcohol. The kids played in the attached playground for a just a few minutes while Mindy settled the tab. We took Riverside Drive home rather than I-270. We figured it much more scenic. We arrived home right at 8 o’clock. As we turned into Scioto Woods the sun was just setting in the west and the sky was brilliant orange. It was very picturesque! We had the camera in tow but didn’t stop to photograph it. Maybe next time. Once home we made quick work of getting the kids to bed. After all, it was a school night. Once they were settled in bed, Mindy and I retreated downstairs and tuned into the Monday Night Football game – Miami Hurricanes versus Florida State. I played guitar while we talked for nearly half an hour. Next, I rubbed Mindy’s chronic shoulder for about ten minutes finishing off by cracking her back. While doing so, I enjoyed one of my new pumpkin ales, too. Just before 10pm we headed up to bed. We’re both fans of bed by 10pm.

Cooking Out

An autumn looking sky. Really a green maple with its top adorned in rare sunshine. Cicada on the bridge Cold symptoms continued. I didn’t get up until almost 8:30am. I could have slept even longer but I knew that I’d slip into a funk if I allowed the morning to slip away like that. My mornings are too important and too special to sleep them away. Uncharacteristically, Mindy was already up and downstairs with the kids. Too, she was up several times through the night. Jacob pee’d his bed and subsequently cried for his momma after he woke to discover his damp surroundings. And just as she always does, out of a dead sleep, Mindy jumped to his rescue. I went downstairs to an active home, Mindy poured me a cup of coffee, but I don’t drink coffee until I have exercised and walked Ykraps. I thanked her and began exercising even though my body didn’t want to. I continued with my exercise routine until I was through. And, yes, it was another cool, gray, damp, and dreary morning. After my return from a morning walk, I enjoyed that cup of coffee. Mindy had already began making breakfast, which I wouldn’t partake in until after a run. Mindy had to get cracking so that she could make it to church. I left for my run sometime between 9:30 & 10:00am – can’t recall for certain. I do know that when I returned, the house was quiet and there was bacon and pancakes in the oven still warm. And unlike yesterday, the pancakes and the bacon were the real stuff. I enjoyed them with another hot cup of coffee. After finishing my breakfast I cleaned up the mess then got myself dressed for a quick trip to Gander Mountain and Wal-Mart. I hoped to find a spare floating key ring for the boat keys at Gander along with a few other items I’m interested in looking at. At Wal-Mart, I wanted to get a brownie mix. I was back by 11:45am. Almost immediately, I grabbed the Quest keys and took the mini-van to the car wash for a vacuuming. It needs it more than any car I have ever been this closely associated with (kids don’t’ count). I sucked more jelly beans, old pop-tart pieces, broken toys than you could ever imagine! I was back home just after 12 noon. As much as I needed a nap, the lawn needed me more. I changed into my grass cutting attire and went to garage to dawn my WMD (Weedwacking, Mowing, and D) tools. It wasn’t long before Mindy returned. In fact, she pulled up just as I was raising the garage door to begin working – almost like we planned it that way. By the time I finished weed-wacking Jim arrived to pick-up the kids. I cut the grass and had the yard looking rather tidy in about 1.5 hours. After I finished I went in and took a shower. When I went down stairs I found Mindy back with Gloria. They had been doing a little shopping ahead of our planned cookout this afternoon. Probably for a number of reasons, I was rally tired now. First and foremost, my head was in a fog and full of thick green snot. And I did my best to continue expelling it as it came to fruition. I didn’t want to be a party pooper for the afternoon’s activities so I did my best to keep my head held high. I talked with Gloria for a while before the kids came home and before Teri and Scott (Teri is one of Mindy’s best buddies) showed up. The kids were back home by 3pm and around 3:30-3:45pm Teri, Scott, and Masimo arrived. We talked for about an hour and enjoyed some snacks Mindy put out. At about 5:00, I lit the grill and soon I was grilling five T-Bone steaks and four hot dogs. And as you might have guessed, we made fresh green beans, a veggie/.fruit platter, and a garden salad as sides. The steaks turned out great. And according to the kids, the hot dogs did too. We finished up at the dinner table after about 6:30pm. By the time we cleaned up the kitchen it was nearly 7pm. Mindy had bought a keylime pie – my new favorite - for dessert. And to complement the pie, we made a pot of Starbucks Decaf, too. It was yummy! After dessert we all headed onto the deck to enjoy the last of the evening. The kids had been out playing various chase/tag games with Scott all evening and continued to do so after we all ventured out. They kept at it until after 8pm, when Teri & Scott decided to head home. As they departed, Mindy readied to give Gloria a ride home. I stayed back to walk Ykraps and give the kids a much needed half-bath. It was almost fully dark when we returned form walking Ykraps – about 8:30pm. And by the time we got the half bat hand pajamas on it was nearly 9pm. The kids went right to sleep. Mindy and I got in the hot tub after being denied the night before. I could’ve slept in there tonight. My back/shoulder ached, the likely culprit being the power washing Saturday afternoon. After the hot tubbing it was nearly 9:45pm. We headed upstairs for bed. I turned on the television looking for football. The only game was some no-name college teams. I fell asleep remote in hand.

My Miserable Mucus Membrane

It appears that Bella's learned a few potty tricks from Ykraps while on her evening walk. A post-Buckeye game walk. I woke at about 5am long enough to realize I had a throbbing head and a strong urge to pee. To counter these feelings I rose to my feet and fought off the desire to continue sleeping long enough to pee and take a couple of Advil. My head cold suddenly seemed as strong as ever, and I wondered if the four beers the night before did help reignite the symptoms. I fell back asleep until almost 8am, when I practically had to force myself to get up. A glance out the window confirmed what I feared. We had yet another CCGD facing us. This is getting old really quick. I want some bright sunshine and I need it now! After completing my exercises and walking Ykraps, I returned for some much needed coffee and several tissues in an attempt to clear my head of thickening snot. As long as it was left in place, my head felt all a buzz. I spent about a half hour enjoying some coffee and the internet before finding my running clothes and heading out the door. It was another chilly morning with clouds, dampness, and temps in the mid 50’s. By the time I returned from my run, Mindy and the kids were serving up breakfast. Mindy made some low-carb pancakes and microwave bacon. I had my share too. It was not very fulfilling even though I appreciated Mindy taking the time to prepare it. I was eager to get going with my weekend project, which was power washing the garage. I checked my Blackberry to make sure that nothing of an urgent matter was brewing at work that might require my immediate involvement. There wasn’t anything. I didn’t bother checking the weather forecast, and instead relied on memory form my drive to work Friday morning when the predicted early morning rain giving way to partly cloudy skies leading up to game time. I wanted to be finished by kick-off which was at 3:30pm. Just before hading to the garage, Lindsey called and asked if she and lil’ Rocky could come over. I left it up to Mindy since I would be removed form the house most of the afternoon. Mindy, of course, said yes. My first task was to move the Trooper from the driveway to the street and then the same for the BM’er. Next, I began the painstaking process of moving all of the garage contents to the driveway. Just about the time I got everything out onto the drive it began to rain. It didn’t rain hard – just steady. Still, I found myself extremely annoyed because the weather wasn’t turning out like I remembered them forecasting. Just my luck! More than half of what I had moved outdoors was in some sort of cardboard container meaning that it would be ruined by even the lightest amount of rain. Also, it meant that my BM’er would need washed again and all of the metal yard tools would need dried before restowing. I couldn’t allow the rain to detour me, however. I fought through the anger and proceeded with my project. Before power washing I loaded up the pump sprayer with a concoction of bleach and water. I sprayed it on all of the heavy, greasy floor stains and on the steps leading to the laundry room. After allowing it to set for about fifteen minutes I began to power wash. I hadn’t used my new power washer since late July, and had been looking forward to doing this ever since. The job was easy from here out, and it worked pretty damn well. I even indirectly washed the walls and block ledge which had accumulated lots of spider webs and lawn debris over the years, especially in the corners by the overhead door. They were no more. I opened the side entry door when done in an effort to get air moving through the garage to help expedite the drying process. The light rain continued coming down outside. Because it was so moist, the drying process took a bit longer. As soon as the floor was dry, I began moving everything back in. Everything, that is, that I wanted back in. There were several things I was either moving to shed or basement, or even throwing away. After getting everything back in the garage, I finished power washing the driveway. Because my house faces north, the upper half of my driveway fails to get enough sun to prevent moss and mildew from growing. Power washing makes one heck of a difference. I finished at about 3pm – just enough time to grab a shower before kick-off. After my shower I made it back down in front of the television for the kick-off to Ohio States 2006 football season. The game began very exciting for the Buckeyes but admittedly drug on after the second quarter. The Buckeyes won rather easily 35-12. Next week’s game versus Texas will be a very big game. Lindsey soon left, and Mindy and I got the kids ready for bed shortly after. I made myself a Jack and Coke, the first of those I have had in probably about a year. I had enough left for two drinks. It felt good and took the edge off of my cold relapse. As the evening cranked up, we tuned into the Notre Dame game hoping for an upset. It wouldn’t happen. Georgia Tech couldn’t hold the lead. We planned to hot tub but when I went to add chemicals I found the hot tub not hot at all. It seems after the power outage earlier in the week the tub slipped into economy mode where it doesn’t recover to the set temperature. When it does, it requires manual intervention to put it back in standard mode. I didn’t think of it at the time. This happens about twice a year. So much for hot tubbing tonight! I went back in and made myself a rum and Fresca and Mindy a glass of wine. We went up to bed at about 11:30pm and fell asleep about 30 minutes later watching Saturday Night Live.

September Mornings

A few pics from Bob & Mary Ann's timely, up close & personal communion with the sun in Okracoke, S.C. Friday morning I was up and attem at 5:30am on the nose. Honestly, though, I expected to feel better than I did since I had experienced a renewed sense of energy on Thursday. I figured that all of my cold symptoms would be history as of this morning but that wasn’t the case. Still, I was far from feeling sick. I went about my usual routine and took Mindy some coffee after Ykraps and I returned from our walk. According to the weather forecast, we could expect another day of clouds and even some more rain. The high temperature wasn’t expected to get above 68 depressing degrees. What’s worse, the weekend outlook calls for much the same. There won’t be any boating happening this weekend. In fact, the weather forecasted seems more conducive to Halloween activities. That doesn’t bother as much as it might if I weren’t on-call. I decided earlier in the week that I was going to sacrifice my three-day, Labor Day weekend by going into work on Monday. My logic was that because I was on-call, I would most likely end up working as hard as a normal work day anyhow. So, by working Labor Day Monday, I will bank a day that I can and will use the following Monday – my birthday. And if the boating Gods are smiling, I may even go boating all day that day. Mindy and the kids left the house at their usual 7:15am destined for Grandma Sharon’s and eventually school. I left he house at 7:35am destined for work. I had wished it would’ve been BM’er weather but it wasn’t. Traditionally, September is one of the most convertible friendly months of the year. Maybe it’ll end that way. Work was very busy as soon as I arrived. We had a few hot issues that I was even more concerned about since I’d be taking them into the weekend if they didn’t get fixed. I left for my run just before 1pm. Today marked the first day all season that I wore a long sleeved running shirt. Summer’s over- at lest for now. I took the Home Depot route this afternoon for wanting a change of scenery. When I returned, I was hungry and ready to attack my tuna. After making short work of my food I jumped back in the saddled and rose hard to the finishline as we wrapped up several key issues. I didn’t leave work until almost 6pm once again tonight. That’s two night’s in a row. The good news was that we had fixed all three of the looming issues that I suspected would haunt me all weekend long. But even though I was happy for that, I certainly wasn’t foolish enough to believe that something else wouldn’t rear its ugly head over the next two days. I was tired and really could have used a nap, but once I got home and settled it was practically time to head to Barleys. Mindy left to pick-up Amy (the baby-sitter) at about 10 till 7pm. She returned around 7:15pm. Mindy and I left he house around 7:30pm – an early start to be sure. We arrived to a sparsely populated Barley’s. No Bob & M.A. No Courtney & Jeremy. But Steve, Mark, and Dan were there. Lee served me up a firkin without even asking. Today’s special was Kiss My Bitter Ass IPA. Mindy had a shiraz. Soon, Bob came in although without Mary Ann, who we learned had to work till nine. We hadn’t seen Bob for three weeks (he missed the last two in the Outer Banks). We also learned that Courtney & Jeremy were in Cleveland at a Steely Dan concert (showing their age). Back at Barleys things were almost normal again. Janet was back from vacation serving up our food and beverages along with Lee. The Bengals last preseason game was on the television, and I had an IPA and a plate of Gates of Hell chicken wings in front of me. Life is good! Mindy’s friend Aaron, who is the Monterey Elementary Speech therapist joined us for some drinks after we had been there for about an hour. She was husbandless tonight. She drank white wine on our tab. She’s a very sweet girl, and surprisingly funny. We hung out at Barleys late for us. We left after 11pm, and not until I had consumed four firkins. Because of that, I had Mindy drive us home. Amy’s ride was waiting patiently outside the house. Mindy and I stayed up talking about a bunch of stuff – most of which I can’t remember with much clarity. I do remember telling her that I needed to sleep. It must have been well after midnight when we finally went to bed.

Run in the rain

I was out of bed just before 5:30am feeling 90% better than I did the night prior. It’s funny how even though the night before was by far the worst of it, I knew I’d feel better come morning. Lucky for me I whizzed though all the phases/symptoms quickly. I even had enough energy to do my exercise routine with a smile and some left over for my walk with Ykraps. When I returned to the house I made some coffee for Mindy, took it upstairs, and paid her wake-up visit. Next, I found my way to the deck to meditate under a dark, cloudy, cool sky. It was nice. After ten minutes outside in total peace, I went back inside to begin food prep. First I made my lunch then began making our breakfast. It took all the spare time I had to complete lunch and breakfast. I am always thankful for it later though. Thankful for eating a healthy, nutritious breakfast, and thankful for taking the time to pack a healthy fulfilling lunch. I went through the rest of my usual steps in preparation for a day at work. At work my progressed at a typical pace. I left for a run later than usual. It was almost 1:30pm. The weather was cloudy and about 70 degrees - definitely not summery and more like spring. At about the halfway point the sky opened up and began to dump buckets of rain. It rained so hard that one couldn't see ten feet in front of their face. But I was already warm from 2.5 miles of running so the rain did little to -pardon the pun - dampen my run. I got drenched. About the only ill affects of a rainy run like this are wet running shoes, but like anything else, they eventually dry. My afternoon whizzed by. I had thought about stopping at Echo Park to finish the drywall patch job, but because I wasn't leaving until almost 6pm, I didn't. Instead I headed straight home. At home, Mindy had already walked Ykraps and had dinner all but ready. We were having- you guessed it - wings. They were good. It took until almost 7:40pm to get the house back in order. About that same time Mindy got the kids ready for bed. I watched Glenn Beck until the Browns final preseason game came on. After watching about 15 minutes of the Browns game I logged onto ESPN.com to check on the Vikings game against the Cowboys via gamecast. They were ahead 7-3 and driving to score again. I ended up spending the next two hours observing the game via the gamecast. And just like kissing your sister, the game ended in a 10-10 tie after one overtime period. I headed to bed after that.

August is Waning

A large heap of Silly Putty - no kidding! I didn’t sleep very soundly but didn’t really expect to given the bug. And even though I was under the weather, I found my way downstairs to begin my daily prep by 5:40am. Mindy told me just before I headed down that she wanted to be up at 6:00am. My head was in a fog and I still had my cough. My outlook on life was a little gloomy but it often is when I am ill, which doesn’t happen all that often. Any little problem or trouble seems almost insurmountable when I’m feeling less than whole. I proceeded with my usual routine after walking Ykraps. I went with my coffee onto the deck where I began meditating. Something clicked inside my head that I had better wake Mindy. And if I were going to wake Mindy, I should take her some coffee. I did. That took about three minutes. Soon I was back outdoors with a clear mind and ready to meditate. After coffee I went to the PC briefly to read the Daily OM. Coincidentally, today’s OM was about illness and how it is trying to tell us something about ourselves that’s generally amiss. After a short stint on the PC I went to the kitchen to begin preparing my lunch and breakfast. I made tuna fish since it was Wednesday – my usual fish day. It took all of my allotted time and a little more to fix my lunch, Mindy’s snack, and both of our breakfasts. I had to hurry just a little. I bidded Mindy and the kids a good day before heading off to the shower since they’d be gone by the time I’d be out. I dressed casually but nicely for a Wednesday. In fact, I looked pretty damn good for feeling like shit! J I medicated myself again this morning before leaving the house and I took my nasal spray and antihistamine along in my gym bag. My nose started to run just before leaving the house. I knew I had a fresh box of tissues in my office for just such events. I arrived to work a bit early. It took everything I had to stay focused. My head felt like it was pickled in snot. I felt warm and sleepy too. If I could’ve, I would’ve closed my door and napped. I was feeling horrible. Nonetheless, I kept after it all day. I did my best to keep my chin up and to be a productive role model. I left for my run around 1pm knowing that a run would clear my head and mask the symptoms associated with a cold. The temperature was ideal for a run – about 72 degrees under mostly cloudy skies. I loved it and completed it with out any trouble. But then again, I didn’t expect any. Like I said, a half mile into a run – once I begin sweating – you forget all about being under the weather. You just can’t tell. I was looking forward to eating my lunch. But I knew that I would crash soon after returning to my office and sitting in my chair. I’ve down this road many times. I worked through the afternoon at times feeling like I couldn’t possibly make it. Somehow I did. I drove home feeling miserable! I wanted nothing but to snuggle up in my bed and go to sleep. This was Wednesday so that meant an evening alone with Mindy. She was a saint too. She knew that I didn’t feel well and had already walked Ykraps by the time I got home. She insisted on taking care of my lunch containers and running clothes too. That allowed me to rest. She asked if I were hungry for some El Vaquero. Even though I was sick, I was up for some chips and salsa. She ordered by phone and left in the Trooper to fetch our food. She was gone about twenty minutes. During that time I updated my blog. When Mindy returned with the goods we gathered in the kitchen to consume the eats. She had an entire entree'. I had only chips and salsa but ate plenty of them despite feeling much less than stellar. By now I was in full head cold mode. My nose was running, my body ached, I had a slight fever, and still had mild cough. If nothing else over the last ten years I have had only a handful of colds (two in the last 8-10 months). Each one, however, has been short lived. I guess that tomorrow I will rise feeling better now that I am passing through all of the phases so quickly. After we ate and cleaned up the small mess, Jim Manken returned the children. They were happy to be home. What I noticed most were Jacob's jet black feet he said he got from playing barefoot on blacktop. I don't know that I've ever seen such dirty feet. It wasn't long before Mindy coaxed them upstairs for a bath. No one argued whether one was needed tonight. After their bath I read them a bedtime story, Do Pirates Take Baths? I wasn't going to be too far behind the kids. I was feeling really bad. I medicated myself with the same stuff from the night before and then headed off to bed before 8:30pm struck. Mindy came too.

Not feeling so hot

Feelin' Pukey! The days continue to get shorter. It’s depressing. I woke a little late this morning but nothing too ridiculous. I was up and downstairs by 5:45am. Once again, I had a dry throat and cough that was dragging me down, but the body aches were thankfully gone. We had numerous waves of strong storms roll through over night, so I couldn’t see spending time on the deck in meditation. I chose instead to try and find peace at my old comfortable spot in front of my reading chair. And since my head was in a fog, I nearly fell back asleep in doing so. I failed to mention that the kids joined us in bed a couple different times due to the thunder and lightning. I made Mindy a cup of coffee and took it to her around 6:10am. I went back downstairs and made my lunch and the two of us some breakfast. Mindy and the kids left for school at 7:15am – right on schedule. I finished showering and dressing. Before leaving for work myself, I took some of the cough syrup Mindy had located for me. She said the stuff was very effective and would last nearly 12 hours. I took it. It was supposed to taste good like oranges, but instead it tasted like ear wax. It was nasty. More importantly however, it did the trick on my nagging cough. Work was a challenge and perhaps even more so due to feeling under the weather. Despite my condition I pressed onward and left for a lunchtime run somewhere close to 1pm. I took the Trueman Rd/Home Depot route just to mix it up a little. It felt really good. When I returned to my office I was pretty much glued there until just after 515pm when I decided to call it a day. Instead of going straight home, I once again headed to Echo Park to work further on the drywall patch job. The holes were patched but now I had to feather it out to make it transparent to the untrained eye. I arrived around 5:45pm. I wasn’t there long. I was on my way home by 6:05pm. Traffic through the Hilliard Rome/Renner Rd intersection was at a crawl – as usual. I arrived home somewhere close to 6:20pm. Mindy had already walked Ykraps and has dinner just about on the table. We were having roasted chicken, Green beans, and salad. I wasn’t feeling that great but I still ate everything on my plate. After dinner I did the dishes. It took all the energy I could muster. I felt as though I was being punished. That was the first sit down dinner just Mindy, the kids and I had had alone in a long while. After dinner Mindy proposed bathing the kids and reading their story sinceI felt so crappy. I appreciated that. I did go up and tuck them in just the same. I like it as much as they seem to. After returning to the downstairs, I snuggled up in my reading chair with my book that I am admittedly reading very slowly. Iread about 20 pages. Mindy headed up to be bed just before 9pm. I stayed downstairs and read even longer. At about 9:30pm i headed up are medicating myslef like an old man. I took some cough syrup, an anti-infalmmatory, a decongestant/anti-histemine, and sprayed some Nasonex up my nose. Geesh! I wanted ot do all I could to ensure a restful night's sleep. Just as I bedded down, Bella came calling. She insisted on snuggling her momma for a few minutes. Mindy let her get in our bed for just about two minutes. She was surprisingly fine with that and went back to her own bed with little or no fanfare. I was out!

First Day of School!

And so it begins... A journey through the American educational system. They'll likely be few of these moments while at school in front of the student body. He'll never live it down. I tossed and turned a few times through the night but still managed a rather restful night’s sleep. I woke again with a scratchy throat - a clear indication that I had either late summer allergies or what’s more likely – a minor cold. In conjunction with my scratchy throat, all of my limbs ached as if I had been doing strenuous yard work, which I hadn’t. It was 5:35am by the time I made my way to the kitchen. I found my walking shoes and quickly laid myself against the sofa to begin my sit-ups and push-ups. I willed myself to complete my workout and then found Ykraps to begin our day by taking our morning walk. The sky was dark but socked in with clouds. This was obvious by the absence of stars. It was humid and about 70 degrees. Even though the weather was somewhat summery, there was a tinge of autumn in the air. Maybe it was my imagination. But either way, I know that day is coming soon. It usually comes the first week or two of September. Two years ago it reared its ugly head the day before my grandmother died, and last year I think it was a week or two later. Last year we were blessed with an extended summer to be sure. I was comfortably boating well into October. The first cold snap hit the day of the Steve Weiss Charity golf outing. After our walk, Ykraps and I returned home where I made a hot cup of coffee. I enjoyed that coffee on the deck in silence alone with the crickets and cicadas. Today was Jacob’s first day of school. Soon his life as he knows it will be forever altered. His will be a little different in that he’ll have the benefit or curse (depending on how he looks at it) of riding to scho0ol with his mom and seeing her periodically through the day. It’s probably a good thing that this will carry only through his kindergarten year, because come the fourth, fifth, and sixth grade, a guy can get beat up for being the teacher’s kid. Soon I could hear both Mindy and Jacob upstairs stirring about. And soon they were both downstairs getting ready for that very special day where a little boy becomes more of a man. I could tell that Mindy was equally as excited about this day. He had his camouflage lunch box crammed full of goodies. His mother was doting all over him. Damn! After making breakfast for Mindy and I, she readied to leave by 7:15am. But not before I managed to snap a couple of pictures that could very likely live on in infamy. I would have called in late to attend the school but Jacob’s father was doing so and I didn’t want to dampen anyone’s experience. Mindy took her digital camera along too. Mindy waited until the final minute to wake Bella for the trip to Grandma Sharon’s (not their grandmother – just her nick name). When Bella looked up at her mommy form the potty Mindy shrilled at the swollen eye Bella was sporting. I went to get a look myself. All the fuss got Bella going. She burst into tears and Mindy fell all over herself about it. I gestured to Mindy to instead down play it. She quickly got the hint and tempered her surprise. Bella calmed quickly. As I hoped into the shower, they all left. I had a peaceful house for the next twenty minutes. I dressed nicely for work and pulled out the drive myself around 7:35am. In turn, I arrived to work early by about ten minutes. I needed all of those minutes to reacquaint myself with my own office since I had spent the last two weeks working out on the floor with my team members. Work went rather well but we were busy, of course. The morning just flew by. Sometime mid-morning the rain began to come down and it continued up and through my run. I had to run in the rain. The temperature barely topped 70 degrees against a steady down pour. The rain was fairly warm, however. It felt good to have the rain against my skin through the entire run. By the time I had finished I was soaked. And at least temporarily, the cold/allergy symptoms had subsided. Back at my desk I ate while I worked. I spent the remainder of the afternoon working at a frantic pace. It always seems to get that way come quitting time. I found my way out of the office sometime near 5:10pm and made my way home without any stops. At home it would be a quiet evening with just Mindy and I. She was already walking Ykraps when I gave her a call. And when I got home she was finishing up some laundry and cleaning up what little mess was left around the house. We wasted little time deciding on dinner. We ate the leftover burgers from the night before. In fact, we were completely done with dinner by 6:15pm. After dinner, I played a little guitar while Mindy tended to some school papers. I think that she was doing some grading, although I am not certain of that. What I was certain of was my desire for a nap. So, I threw two pillows on the floor and took a nooner. It felt wonderful. After about 20 minutes or so I rose as I heard the front door open. It was only 6:40pm but the kids were already back from an evening with their dad. That was about one hour or so early. The kids were in a good mood and shared stories about their day. Mindy bribed them upstairs for an early bath and pajama party. I spent the time updating my blog. After their pajamas wee on, I joined them upstairs for story time. We finished the Disney counting book. After the reading I helped tuck them in and headed back downstairs. Again, I grabbed my guitar and played softly for about thirty minutes or so. Mindy joined me on the sofa for the eventual beginning of Monday Night Football. Tonight’s game featured the Bengals and Packers. The Bengals after only about three bad plays destroyed the packers in every phase of the game. Carson Palmer and company looked terrific. At one point with 2 minutes remaining until halftime, the Bengals lead 31-0. At about 9:30pm Mindy and I headed to bed with the promise of watching part of the second half from bed. And as she often does, Mindy wrestled the remote from my hands at the first snore. Tonight I didn’t fight it.