I don't want Tuesday to slip to far out of short term memory

Once again, I woke up mysteriously early – about 3am. And just like the morning before, I couldn’t fall back asleep. I felt completely rested and ready to get up. However, having been down this road before, I know that sleepiness ultimately returns before dawn. Instead of laying there, I got up and headed downstairs to read. I read for about 45 minutes before falling back to sleep slumped in my chair. I woke about twenty minutes later. Instead of heading back to bed like the day before, I found a way to lay crosswise in the chair promoting a more restful sleeping position. I drifted off again until 5:30am. I woke feeling pretty good and got busy with my morning ritual. After calisthenics and a vitamin I headed out with Ykraps. The rest of my morning went like almost all others – pack lunch, make breakfast, eat, shower, dress, play and go. At work I had a busy morning comprised of multiple interviews. That took me right up to lunch. At 12:45pm I left for my Tuesday run. The run went well. It was chilly – mid 40’s and gray. I could tell that something remained in my system from the weekend’s illness. But my legs feel much better, still. After returning to my office and eating my lunch, I got involved in several escalations that kept me from clock watching for the rest of the day. I left for the day close to 5:15pm. Instead of going straight home I stopped at Saturday’s in Mill Run for a shearing. I was quoted a fifteen minute wait, so I ventured Jack’s Aquarium and Pet’s next door. I returned after 15 minutes and was ushered back by Stacey. She had the honor this evening. Surprisingly, she remembered that I typically travel for TG and asked if that were so again this year. We talked about my upcoming trip and then about her local holiday. I had her cut my hair a tad shorter than usual. She was efficient with time and had me out of there after only about five minutes. I bought a new small tube of hair gel that will travel well. I was home before 6pm. Jacob got a haircut today too as it turned out. He wasn’t too happy, however, as he had gotten used to keeping it longer on my prompting. It looks good though. Mindy made the two of us chili dogs – no buns. It would’ve been an almost carb-free meal if it weren’t for the pumpkin pie for dessert. But that’s OK. It was yummy. The rest of the evening was spent getting the kids ready for bed, talking, and then some reading. We went to bed somewhere near 9:40pm.

Power, Freedon, & Grace

Gloomy Morning Got Milk? My boy posing for the holidays. There was no doubt the worst of my latest illness was behind me. Gone was the inevitable urge to vomit. Still, I didn’t sleep all that well after 2:30am. Finally, after laying there for an hour, I got up and out of bed at 3:30am. I ventured downstairs where I paid Lindsey’s late AT&T bill and then did some reading. I began by reading several pages of the Kama Sutra before deciding it was time to put the book aside and move on to something more stimulating. This marks one of the few times I have given up on a book and moved on. I started on yet another Deepak book, Power, Freedom, and Grace. And this book is much more up my alley. I read about 16 pages before me eyes could take no more. I allowed the book to flop to my belly and my neck to roll back and to the side. Almost in an instant, I was sound asleep, and some of the best sleep all night. I woke after only twenty minutes and turned off the reading light. It was now 5:00am. I had thirty more minutes available and took them. I woke like clock work right at 5:30am. And just like always happens, I finally felt tired after being wide awake earlier. Despite feeling tired I gleefully leaped to my feet and began my morning prep process. I cracked the seal on my new One-A-Days after taking Mindy's Target brand vitamins for almost 60 days. I'm convinced I could tell the difference - mostly when I ran. The Target brand left me feeling like I wasn't getting my needed dose. Maybe it's all in my head. We'll see how I feel after a few days. After my exercises and walk with Ykraps I did the coffee thing for both Mindy and I. Mindy woke when I delivered hers and asked where I was. " I am here, of course." :) I told her that I couldn't sleep and that I had gave up on sleep and decided to read. Back downstairs I did my morning meditation then quietly began food prep. I could feel the lingering effects of my illness along with some tiredness. My stomach felt a little uneasy. I chugged through my routine and soon was enjoying my eggs and fruit. Mindy and the kids were up and about the kitchen by now having some breakfast of their own. Jacob had Pop-Tarts and Bella ... can't recall. After Mindy left I showered and dressed rather handsomely in nice black dress slacks and a colorful button down shirt. As I dried my hair I was reminded just how good looking I am. Not really! I was reminded how badly I need a haircut. I made a mental note that perhaps I should get it done either after my run or after work. Onward. Before leaving for work I snapped a pic or two of the gloomy sky and played a few licks on the guitar. I left for the office by 7:42am. I arrived at work by 8:00am. The first half of my day went pretty smooth. I've definitely seen much worse! It was 12:45pm when I headed out for a run. My run was pleasant despite the chilly temps. I wore a wind shirt under my jacket which blocked the air's chill from piercing my armor. My legs felt about as good as they have in a month all the while the queasy never left. I was very surprised. Good run! I pondered many things during this run: the hapless Vikings, the upcoming Buckeye/Michigan game, Lindsey, as well as the coming weekend. I returned to my office close to 2pm. I ate my lunch even though I had only half an appetite. Once started I was able to easily eat all of my brought food. After lunch I put the finishing touches on tomorrow's interview extravaganza, and managed through a couple escalations. I checked the Timberline Lodge snow pack and was surprised to see it setting at 28 inches after being at zero as recent as Friday morning. Checking their webpage even further, Mt Hood's in the throws of a large snow storm with an additional accumulation of eleven inches expected. Suddenly, and somewhat unexpectedly, it looks like skiing is on TG week! Similar circumstances last year. Wahoo! As work wound down I readied for home. I was home by 5:30pm. It was all but dark when I arrived. Boy, the sunlight fades fast after fallback! This was a Mindy Monday, which meant no kids and a quiet home at least until 7pm-ish. Mindy and I walked Ykraps together. Mindy made herself a cheese burger. I declined the same for having a queasy tummy. I ate chicken broth and a couple pieces of French bread. I did managed to woof down a piece of my tasty pumpkin pie, however, and it was even better after a night and day in the fridge. After dinner and clean-up, Mindy and I sat in the living room chatting. We kicked around the notion of hosting the Wright family Xmas celebration since brother Bob's conceding this year. We also talked about the possibility of attending the Mannheim Steamroller show Friday ,December 22nd. We talked about taking Glenn and one of Mindy's teacher friends. Soon the kids were home. Jim M didn't stay too long stating the need to get to the library pretty quickly to work on his resume since his politically appointed boss lost the election last week - Betty Montgomery. Little time passed before Mindy lead the kids upstairs for jammies. I did what I always do. I blogged. After the read and tuck we returned downstairs for a short bit of time. I retired to my reading chair and began, well, reading. Mindy perused pictures on the PC. By 8:30pm I slipped off to sleep but only for about fifteen minutes. I woke, secured the home, and headed for bed. Mindy followed. I think I was asleep before she even made it into bed.

More pumpkin pie

Pumpkin Pie Jacob's imitation of the MB game , Mouse Trap! I woke a couple of times through the night never sleeping quite as well as I would’ve liked. I felt good enough to head down stairs at 7:30am. And it wasn’t too long before Mindy joined me. I still felt queasy and my stomach definitely didn’t want anything too heavy. I still made coffee and took my vitamin. I pushed through my exercise routine on nothing but dedication. I certainly didn’t have much stored energy. I walked Ykraps with a cool breeze in my face – one that I was thankful for. After an uneventful walk I returned for some coffee. With my coffee in hand I logged on to my work laptop and perused the pending issues. The coffee was a bit heavy so I drank it slow. Unlike usual, I didn’t even finish the first cup. I was eager to get my run underway before any new ill feelings came over me. I left for a run just after 9am. I wasn’t sure until the last minute if I would take my internal or external route. I so much more enjoy the external route but also know it’s more dangerous and being ill I thought that it wasn’t time to worry about dodging cars. At the very last minute, I took that route anyway. The run went well and I felt better than I thought that I might. Over the years I’ve learned that even the staunchest illness lets go when I run, especially when it’s cool. It must have everything to do with the endorphins. It’s only when I finish do the ill feelings return. Today was much the same. When I returned fro my run I had the house to myself again. My first order of business was to make some eggs. My stomach was empty. The only food I had eaten yesterday was two eggs, some sausage, and cheese-its and I threw them up. Needless to day, despite my queasy tummy, I was hungry. After my eggs and a little work, I got busy with the pie crust I wanted to make and then the chores Mindy asked me to do in her absence. She would be out until almost 2:30pm with church and groceries. I ended up doing some laundry, vacuuming the entire house top to bottom, spot cleaning the tile floor, putting away tools, and starting the nightstand knob replacement project. I was a busy beaver. I still felt a bit ill. The feeling never left, but I felt good enough to slack all day in my PJ’s. I finished when Mindy called close to 1pm. It was then that she warned that Jim would be bringing the kids home between 2-3pm – early by about 1.5 hours. I was fine with that except that I felt I needed a nap by now. I tried in a hurry to sneak in a nap. I never fully fell asleep but did some sliding in and out. At 2:15pm I rose and did some more work. Mindy arrived home just before the kids arrived and I helped her carry in the groceries. I called daughter Ashley and Lindsey to invite them over for dinner. Ashley called back and accepted. Her and Olivia would be over around 4:30pm. Lindsey promised a callback but never did. Mindy got home and started making dinner – homemade vegetable soup. At the same time, I started making a pumpkin pie. I pulled the pie out of the oven at 4pm. I watched NFL football while carrying on with other Sunday activities, including keeping an eye tuned to work. As promised, Ashley and Olivia arrived between 4:30 & 5:00pm – right when Jacoby and I were heading out with Ykraps. I was good to see them both. We hadn’t seen Olivia in two weeks. It’s hard to believe but she’ll be 4 weeks old on Tuesday. Yikes! After playing with Olivia Mindy began serving up dinner. And by the way, the Vikings blew yet another sure win. They lost to the punchless Packers. Olvia wanted a bottle while we ate. I happily got up to do the honor while allowing Mindy and Ash to eat. Ashley and Olivia stayed until about 7:30pm. Before Ashley left we confirmed plans for our trip and her house sitting. We also had her try out he carrier we bought her. Good thing it’s not for me. I am not flexible enough to reach around my back to fasten the damn thing. Before Ashley left we had dessert – my pumpkin pie. Ashley left and Mindy and I continued cleaning up after dinner. We had made quite the mess. I headed upstairs to help Mindy with tuck in process. I missed reading. Mindy and I relaxed on the family room floor for about an hour while American Dad and Family Guy played. They were both very funny tonight. We headed to bed where we uncharacteristically read the dispatch & watched a little more Sunday sitcom TV. TV was off at 10:15pm. I wasn’t as sleepy as I had hoped, but it’s no wonder. I got lots of sleep over the weekend.

Ailing

A zoom-in down my throat and into my tummy. OK, this isn't really a pic of my sick stomach but it does capture quite nicely how it felt. I woke feeling somewhat sluggish on Saturday morning, but that’s all that unusual after a few beers the night before. What was odd, Mindy got up at the same time as me – 8:30am. After working through my exercises, which I struggled through, Mindy and I walked Ykraps together. Our walk was non-eventful save for the sudden urge to vomit about half way through the walk. That nauseous feeling came and went in a hurry, though. Upon our return we both enjoyed a hot cup of coffee. Mindy had an aggressive goal to be out of the house by 9:30am in route to her mother’s for some early Xmas shopping. I planned nothing but a leisurely morning before taking off on my daily run, and some follow-up on a few work related issues. Mindy made a call to her mother to let her know she was running a few minutes behind schedule but would be there by 10am. She pretty much met her adjusted departure time. Soon after she left I dawned my running gear and took off into the cool, gray autumn air. I chose to stay within the confines of the subdivision instead of taking my weekend route down Trabue. For whatever reason, I was low on energy and ran tired and a little stiff legged. When I arrived back home I was so relieved my run was in the bag. There are always a few days like that. Inside, I filled the CD carousel with some of my favorite Xmas music and turned the stereo up a bit louder than usual. Included in the mix were two Mannheim Steamroller CD’s. While the music played, I cooked myself some sausage and eggs all the while doing a little work. After finishing my breakfast, I thought that I’d make some pie dough, but just as I was pulling up my stored recipes on line, that sick feeling came over me again, but this time I felt a little dizzy too. I decided to lay down for a spell. It was now 12 noon and time for college football. I got horizontal on the couch as I began feeling progressively worse. Minute by minute the symptoms heightened. I felt terrible and almost certain to vomit. I slumbered on the couch four a couple of hours going in and out of sleep, but never close to blissfully. With each passing minute the feeling only worsened. Finally, I managed my way upstairs to dawn a t-shirt since I was shirtless after my run. I was getting cold. The trip up the stairs proved too much for my sick stomach and eventually I threw up. I hadn’t done that in an awfully long time. It was horrid! Often throwing up feels like a blessing – finally releasing the poison within. This time, however, I felt as though I was dying. My head was spinning out of control, I was in a cold sweat, and found myself pleading for God’s help. After heaving my guts for a couple of minutes the symptoms subsided. I thought perhaps I had simply passed the poison and could move on. I brushed my teeth, gargled, and laid down for a few more minutes. Minutes later I jumped to my feet feeling much better. I decided to take a shower and did it ever feel good. I opted to return to my flannel pajamas and then to the couch downstairs. I remember thinking that I should photo’d the vomit for journal purposes, but didn’t. I laid watching football feeling very weary & tired. The sick feeling slowly began to mount once again. I moaned through it all the way up to the Buckeye game kick-off. I felt so bad that I laid with my eyes closed and just listened to the broadcast. I was sick! Mindy arrived home from shopping some time around 4:30pm. I was feeling slightly better than I did earlier, I even asked Mindy to get me a bowl of Cheeze-Its to help stave off hunger and at the same time hopefully absorb any of the nasties left in my tummy. I watched her organize and wrap some Xmas presents while the Buckeye game carried on. Sometime during the third quarter I began moaning again and the sickness once again came upon me like an avalanche. I literally crawled to the guest bathroom sure that I was going to vomit in seconds. I laid there on the floor of the smallish bathroom with my head on the cold tile. It was terribly uncomfortable but seemingly a far better option than staying upright. The symptoms lingered but no joy. I was in misery. I could take no more of the hard, cold floor. Somehow I mustered the energy to crawl upstairs where I grabbed a pillow and dropped to the carpeted floor. I felt rough! Minutes passed and the any little noise that Mindy generated caused me great angst. Finally, feeling it was inevitable once again, I slithered to the master john, raised the lid, and all but begged for the poison to flow. The most god awful rush came over me. I really thought that I might die right there. I remember feeling helpless and hopeless. Out with the Cheeze-Its and whatever else remained in my tummy. Instantly, I found myself soaked in a cold sweat. But more importantly, the awful feeling had abated. Still ill, I climbed into bed and there I covered up in the dark room with only the TV playing in the background – The Buckeye game. Soon Mindy came upstairs to ready for the Bachelorette party she planned to attend. She asked if I wanted her to stay home and care for me, but I declined. Soon she was gone. I slept for about two hours best guess. I woke around 8:30pm I felt good enough to get up and mosey down the stairs to the couch once again. There I plopped and enjoyed the Texas/KSU game. Mindy called soon after to let me know she was almost home. I asked that she fix me some Orange Live-Wire Mt Dew when she got home. I was craving the sugar I guess. I even for two cans poured over ice. When she finally arrived home I could think of nothing I wanted more than my coveted cold drink. She made it for me expeditiously. It was so good. I took my time drinking it since my stomach was remained tender. We watched the game until halftime as I went in and out of sleep. We headed for bed still during halftime. I continued watching the game from bed. I slept through much of the late 3rd quarter and early 4th. The game was a wild one. I was sure Texas would pull it out, although I didn’t want them to. I woke again around 11pm feeling noticeably better and sweaty which was a good sign. From bed I enjoyed the final minutes of game and smiled as KSU ran away with the major upset. Now wide awake, I tuned into Saturday Night Live and Mad TV to get a few laughs before finally drifting off to sleep again before 12:30am.

Precursor

A Friday sunrise to remember While shooting sunrise pics I spotted this hawk in my Ash tree (taken with flash into a dark but lightening sky). Notice the flash against his eye. Jacob and Bella in Friday sorta moods. I was up on time and in a positive frame of mind. It was Friday, and part two in a series of spring-like days. I busted out my exercises then hit the streets with my little buddy, Ykraps. Mindy had a field trip planned so she didn’t need a packed lunch. In turn, I only packed a light lunch for myself. I was eager for the weekend ahead even though I would be serving as the on-call manager again. I held out hope that role wouldn’t completely destroy an otherwise relaxing weekend. Too, Mindy and I would be kidless for the first time since the weekend of October 20th. The temperature promised to hover near 70 degrees again today with plenty of sunshine. I already knew that I’d be driving the BM’er. There won’t be too many more days like this until next year. I dressed rather ragged even for a Friday. I wore some worn out jeans and a Hedonism t-shirt that I recently dug out of my t-shirt archives. The theme blended well with driving the BM’er to work on a sunny Friday morning. My drive into work was truly invigorating – sunny, cool wind in my hair. Work went good. The early day never managed to get too out of control. I left for my run early – somewhere near 12:15pm. I ran in shorts and a long sleeved shirt and was very comfortable. After my run & shower I left the campus to run an errand. I drove to Baby’s-R-Us to pick-up the baby carrier I had promised Ashley. I discovered immediately that the price for these soft carriers varies wildly any where from $30 to $120. I opted for a less expensive model after comparing safety features and also considering its minimal use. I was back at work by 2:25pm more than ready to eat my light lunch. The Friday afternoon pace picked up considerably and time flew by. I had an uneasy feeling that a couple of pending issues would haunt me all weekend long. I was nearly dark when I left the office – sometime near 5:15pm. I wouldn’t get to enjoy the Friday sunset on my drive home. When I arrived home, Mindy had my access to the garage completely sealed off. I had to move the Trooper before I could pull in. We walked Ykraps together then Mindy left for her Southern Living party at Joy’s. Along our walk, we ran into our neighbor and friend, Pat Schultz on his way to pick-up the every Friday Sporano’s pizza (you can almost set your watch). We chatted for a few and then invited he and Lisa to join us later at Barleys. He asked that we call Lisa and ask her. When we got back home we did. They agreed to meet us there later. Mindy soon left for her party. She hoped to be back by 8pm. In the meantime I updated Thursday’s blog and took care of a few other miscellaneous tasks. As luck would have it, I got involved in a couple of work related matters that I mentioned earlier. That some what soured an otherwise wonderfully relaxing early evening. Mindy was home before I knew it. I was still working when she returned. We left for Barleys by 8:30pm and arrived shortly thereafter. We had to stand as there were no stools available at the bar. We knew, however, that most likely we’d have a couple of seats after about 15 minutes or so. I ordered a firkin – a House hops, Pale Ale. And in what’s completely out of character, Mindy ordered a beer. She ordered a St Joan’s Revenge – an Imperial Stout. To my surprise, she eventually drank the entire pint. While we drank our first beers, Pat & Lisa showed up. Pat’s gone to Barleys with me before but I don’t think that Lisa has. Soon after they arrived, Bob showed up alone dressed head to toe in his Blue jackets attire. He was at the game while his wife, Mary Ann worked. He left the game a bit early after it was clear that the B.J.’s were going to lose yet again. Over the course of the evening we joked, ate, and drank some more. We had a really nice time. Mindy and I bought two OSU/Michigan squares for $5 a piece. Bob inferred that he will, in fact, be having a “clubhouse” for the Michigan game. We’ll most likely go. We left Barley’s and were home by 11:30pm. Through the night I had my usual three beers. Mindy drove home since she had only one. At home we snuggled in bed before falling asleep.

Absolutely Curtains

Sunrise Sunset Once again I was able to harness the magic of the fallback and wake with ease and right at 5:30am. This fallback thing is exactly what my psyche needed! I woke a couple of times through the night to sounds of puking. It was Jacob. He was ill and did his first deed in our bathroom for some reason, but at least he had the wherewithal to make it to the toilet. I heard him a couple more times,too, although in his own bathroom. He woke his mommy the first time. The other times she heard him and leaped to his side without any prompting. I was excited about the day ahead when I peered out of doors to see the moon and several stars peeking back at me. The anticipated high was supposed to approach 70 degrees and stay that nice through Friday evening. Unless something unforeseen occurred, I knew right then that it was gonna be a BM'er day. I whipped through my exercises and my walk with Ykraps with a bit of a skip in my gait. We were back even before 6:00am to begin enjoying coffee. As always, I took Mindy hers. I returned downstairs to meditate and carry-on with my usual food prep routine. I made tunafish today so I packed Mindy some too. When she woke Jacob, he was concerned about school and was insistent on going to school. He didn't want to miss. She offered hi man out and a day at Grandma Sharon's but he was still adamant about school. And since he seemed to feel better she allowed him to do just that. She left for school about normal time with both the kids. I showered, dressed, and paid bills before leaving for work. I felt much better after paying the early monthly bills. To the BM'er Batman! By the time I was ready to pull out of the garage the sunny skies had turned to thick fog, but I didn't allow that to deter my positive energy. I proceeded as planned. It was a bit chilly but also invigorating. I arrived to work just before 8am and felt super good. The work day was pleasant and went by quickly. Before I knew it, it was time to run. I left for my run near 1pm. I wanted to depart a little earlier but got wrapped up in a work related escalation. That's how it often goes. The weather was super. The skies were now almost completely clear and the temperature was in the mid 60's. I wore shorts and a long sleeved running shirt. For whatever reason, my legs were weary today. I chugged through it, and once I hit the halfway point I was over the hump. I thought through a number of issues while running today. I doubt I really solved anything, but pondered the world just the same. After my run I showered then returned to enjoy my packed lunch. I was hungry. I had momentarily forgotten about the tuna so I was excited to see it in my lunch bag. Hey, sometimes it's the little things! The afternoon went quickly too. Before I knew it, it was time to go home. I pondered the night's activities and could think of nothing out of the ordinary. Good! It would be Mindy, Jimmy, and the kids enjoying each others company. About the only thing on our agenda would be watching the big Thursday Night Football game between Rutgers and Louisville, who were both undefeated. When I got home I did my usual chores and walked Ykraps. Mindy was making dinner. She hasn't done that in a while. We were having baked skinless chicken breast and green beans. Bella didn't want any chicken so she had Rice Krispies. Before dinner was served I used the time to surf the net. Soon Mindy called me to dinner. We ate a healthy low-carb dinner. We ruined the low-carb thing somewhat by eating the last of the keylime pie that's been in the freezer. Though, they were small pieces. After dinner Mindy predictably rushed the kids upstairs for the bath event. While they did that I updated my blog and downloaded Mindy's Veteran's Day pics from her Nikon, which we hadn't used in months. I found pics we'd taken all the way back into July that we hadn't downloaded or viewed. What struck me most was how much the kids have changed in four months. Man, they grow fast. Soon, Bella yelled for me to come read and tuck. We enjoyed Jacob's early reader attempt, but the book he picked was simply too hard. I predicted he'd be able to read books like that by Xmas at the rate he's going. While Mindy read a bedtime story I headed down to finish downloading pics. After that job was through, I went to family room to tune into the football game. It had just started and Louisville was already ahead 7-0. Very quickly Rutgers fell behind 22-7, although, just like last week, it was an exciting game. At the half we headed upstairs like always to watch the rest from bed. We took our blood pressure. Mindy's was 134/82 pulse 84, and mine was 125/61 pulse 46. It was 25-14 when I fell asleep. I remember Mindy sliding the remote from my hands. but I couldn't muster the energy to combat her.

Trash Day

The line-up. Can you identify the perpetrator? It was bound to happen sooner or later. Today marks the first time that I woke later than 5:30am. I woke a couple of times before, but gave myself a hall pass for an additional few minutes of precious sleep. The last time turned into about 35 minutes and I woke at 5:45am. I moved with a little more urgency, but certainly not as if I were late because I wasn’t. I was back on track after walking Ykraps. I was back at home by 6:05am – my desired coffee cut-off. In act, I still beat the trash truck back, although I put it out the night before just in case. When I pulled my running clothes from the dryer, I also removed the lint and rolled it into the shape of a mouse for Bella’s enjoyment. After food prep and breakfast she finally made her presence known. We pointed out the mouse, but she didn’t fall for it. She immediately picked it up and threw it in the trash. Good thing it wasn’t real. Hmmm? Maybe that’s my next prank! Me and the kids went back and forth like we often do. I enjoy it quite a bit, and so does Jacob. For whatever reason, Mindy isn’t so keen to it. Usually when I rowel up the kids it carries over after I excuse myself. Today was a good example. Jacob kept teasing Bella after I headed upstairs. Bella wined and Mindy snapped! I’d never heard Mindy yell before. I guess I always knew it was in there. It was both scary and funny. I brought me to the top of the stairs to check out the carnage. Looking down the stairs and into her eyes I knew not to say anything. Oops! The kids both snapped to attention. I proceeded with my daily grooming and before I knew it I was on my way to work. I was hopeful that the weather Gods would deliver on the promise of a warm sunny day, although the forecast had diminished somewhat. Originally it was supposed to be sunny and 65. That was morphed into PC and 58. Still Thursday and Friday are expected to be banner late fall days with crisp sunshine and temps close to 70. Wahoo! Boating anyone? Work went well. I had a few meetings on tap so I knew I had to be attentive to my schedule If I were to remain on task. The first meeting ran right up until run time making for an ultra fast morning. The afternoon meeting had already started by the time I returned form my run since I stopped and visited with my buddy Carmen. Her son Jacob Michael is 16.5lbs and he’s only 3 months old. He’s big, and he looks just like her, too. The afternoon meetings went until after 3:30pm. Needless to say, the afternoon flew by. Work attempted once again to hold a tight grip on my presence after 5pm. I was able to get things headed in the proper direction and into safe hands by 5:20pm. Finally, I left for home. This was a Mindy Wednesday, which also meant choir practice, or child care practice for me. I forgot about that until Mindy reminded on my drive home. We talked until I was in the driveway. After dumping my gear and addressing some chores, Mindy and I walked Ykraps together. He took a double dump tonight. That’s rare. Also, we acknowledged that he needs a new retractable leash. For whatever reason the recoil is almost shot all of the sudden. That can be hazardous when a pedestrian or another dog nears. Back at home Mindy and I sat in the living room and chatted up until she needed to depart for choir practice. We talked mostly about Lindsey, and how to approach her action plan. It’s a very difficult problem. Mindy’s point about not bailing on Lil’ Rocky is a good one, regardless of what happens with the rest of it. She expressed concern that a great bit of our free time and conversation of late has centered on Lindsey, and how she hopes it doesn’t come between our relationship. She sees what it does to me and how I tend to withdraw a little. That troubles her. Mindy left for choir practice by 6:50pm. That left very little time before Jacob and Bella would be home, so I spent it at the PC playing around with pictures. They pulled into the driveway close to 7:05pm. They hung outside for an inordinate amount of time prompting me to go check things out. I went to look and could hear a faint cry coming form the car. It was Jacob. Bella was half way to the house with a scared, tentative look on her face. She eventually came in but just as soon turned back towards her daddy and Jacob as the crying continued. Long story short, Jacob got Bella going for a spell but she eventually stopped. Jacob did not. He cried keeping his daddy here and at bay for at least ten minutes. It was a bit taxing, and left me feeling a little guilty but also sorry for him. After all, he is six and he never asked to be thrust into what must at times seem very confusing. Jim eventually left but Jacob continued pouting, crying and being defiant. I proceeded to get Bella prepared for bed and kept her energy high. Jacob was in a sour mood and nothing I could say or do would snap him out of it. As time passed I gave Jacob and ultimatum, either come now or risk losing privileges such as movies, TV, and games. That did it. As he dressed for bed he slowly came out of his cranky skin and became Jacoby again. Each kid read an early reader book then I read two bedtime stores. After the stories both kids went to sleep very, very easily. I was pleasantly surprised. I got in my jammies and brushed my teeth before heading back downstairs. I began journaling until Mindy came home. I had almost 30 minutes. When she returned she already knew of the mini crisis. Jim M had apparently called her on his way to the house to forewarn her of Jacob's mood. He also called from my driveway at Jacob's insistence. I filled her in on the details then we talked more about us and the Lindsey dilemma. I made some microwave popcorn, which served as my dinner. We headed to bed around 9:40pm.

Crusty

Waking up well before I need to is slowly becoming the norm. If I keep this practice up, I'll have loads of free time to use constructively in the mornings. I might even sneak in an early run now and then. Those are the best! You've got to admit, if one can exercise, meditate, & run before 7am they will have accomplished more than many will across an entire day. I was up by 5:15am. The skies were cloudy and still a bit rainy, but the temperature was moderating. It was already in the mid 40's. Exercise, morning walk, and meditation went well, and just like many days since the fallback, I was able to relax, read the Daily OM, and peruse a few WebPages before getting busy with food prep. I had left my running shoes on the heating vent in the dinette area because they were soaked and smelly from running in the rain the day before. I grabbed and sprayed them with Lysol before stuffing them into my gym bag. I did it right then to avoid forgetting about them and later regretting not having my shoes at run time. I packed our lunches and cooked breakfast. I made scrambled eggs topped with Mexican shredded cheese today. They were tasty. The kids rose earlier than usual too. They had sit down breakfast's as well. By 7:10am we were all done eating and cleaning up. Mindy eventually left for the day while I headed up for a shower. Because of my structured approach, I had plenty of guitar playing time before needing to depart for work. I left around 7:40am - about normal. Work went fast for being so busy. I left for my run somewhere close to 1pm. If memory serves me, it was 57 degrees but still a bit drizzly, but I was dressed appropriately. Before I knew it I was back at my desk ready to tear into an awaiting lunch. It was tastier than ever. The afternoon was busier than the morning. And for whatever reason, I got involved in multiple issues after 3:30pm that eventually kept me busy until almost 6pm. Mindy had called me around 4pm asking how I felt about going to dinner at Red Lobster with her and the kids. I warmed to the idea but wasn't too sure I'd get away in time. I checked in periodically to let her know what was up. At 5:40 I called and left her VM telling her to go ahead without me. She called back almost immediately and requested I just meet them there, especially if I were leaving work in the next ten minutes, which I was almost certain by then would happen. I left work at 5:55pm and headed towards Red Lobster. Foolishly, I had passed on fueling the almost empty Trooper on my way into work thinking I'd do it later. Now I had no choice but to stop for gas in route to Red Lobster. Crap! My second biggest fear. Gas prices were up over $.21 during the day. My procrastination cost me an additional $4. I made it to Red Lobster by 6:25pm. Mindy, the kids, and a surprise guest, Keri were already eating appetizers. Mindy informed me that her and Keri ordered the Ultimate Feast (lobster tail, shrimp scampi, crab legs & two sides) That sounded good and plentiful, so I ordered that too. To my surprise, our meals arrived pretty much together. Mine took only an extra minute or so. We ate together. The kids were very well behaved until after they'd eaten and were getting tired and bored. We knew it was time to leave when Bella began fussing. I carried her out stopping briefly at the lobster tank to take a look at all of the lively crustations. I put my hand in and so did Bella. The only difference was that she drank the water off of her hand! Ewh! Bella chose to ride home with me. Little did I know that she'd change her mind but only after we were on I-270. She cried for her mother the rest of the way home. Lovely!!! Once we were home and inside Mindy got the kids a bath while I updated my blog. And just like always, I joined them for the read and tuck. Mindy and I headed to bed ourselves even before 9pm. I fell asleep quickly.

Tommy Boy

Tic-Tac-Toe Interacial relationships amongst gords. Are they OK? After nearly two years, I decided on Sunday to end the insanity and set my bedroom clock to at least the correct hour. Since the “fallback” I have been operating with the clock about 3.33 hours fast. In the middle of the night it takes some doing to calculate the actual time. When I finally made the needed adjustment I thought I set it to be about 18 minutes fast. But when I got up Monday morning and found my way downstairs, I realized that it was about 28 minutes fast. Subsequently, I was up at exercising by 5:15am. At least now a mid-sleep glance will assure me of the nearest hour. I went to bed on Sunday night still not knowing the fate of the Vikings game. Last I knew they were trailing 6-3 with about 9 minutes remaining. I was hopeful that they’d score a late TD to seal the win. After completing my exercises and a walk with Ykraps I sat at the PC with coffee in hand to check on the outcome. They lost 9-3. Slackers! Well, if nothing else, the weather’s looking up. The sky’s clear and the sun’s expected to shine at least a little throughout the day. Plus, we’re expecting a warming trend over the next three or four days into the weekend. I had plenty of time to meditate and read the Daily OM before preparing lunch and breakfast. I took my time with food prep, too. We sat to eat before 7am rolled around. Time-wise, I was sitting pretty! Soon Mindy and the kids were out the door on their way to the sitter’s and school. I was in the shower. I left for work at 7:40am sharp after a little guitar picking. I almost forgot my laptop, which would have dampened an otherwise pleasant morning. I arrived at work just before 8am. Work was pleasant. No one was too quick to blast me for the Vikings blow up in large part because most of their teams lost as well. I stayed busy up until I left for a run. My run went extremely well. The weather was nice and my body loose and limber. When I returned to the office I made quick work of my packed lunch. I was awfully hungry. Mindy had alerted me earlier in the day that she would be going shopping and to dinner with her mother after school. At first I forgot about this being a kidless evening and instead assumed they’d be going along. I wondered why she’d sign up for such punishment. I later learned that Jim had the kids and that Mindy and her mom would be shopping in peace and quiet. Good for her. She deserves the time out. She asked if I wanted to meet then for dinner. I declined. Instead, I told Mindy that I would most likely stop by my dad’s for a visit and to check on Sheila. I headed straight to my dad’s after work. When I pulled up I saw that Tommy was there as was another mystery visitor. Once inside I saw that was Melissa, Charles wife. We all visited for about an hour catching up on all the babies and all the kids. What goes into the strange category is Charles’ new part-time gig. He’s caring for a 99 year old man, who Melissa reports is the richest man in Newark. Apparently Charles dresses him and gets him to appointments. So, I guess you could say that Charles is servicing a 99 year old man. J Melissa said the guy still drives himself about town. That’s scary! I left when Melissa did. I needed to get home and walk Ykraps. I called Mindy to check in. She was just about to leave Minelli’s after eating dinner there. She asked if I wanted her to bring me a pizza home. How could I refuse? I accepted. She also asked if Tommy was coming over. I called his cell, and as it turned out, he was just leaving dad’s. He accepted an invite over for conversation and pizza. Tommy arrived while I was out walking Ykraps. Jim M. showed up with the kids just after 7pm. He didn’t stay long - just long enough to drop the kids and say hello. Mindy arrived minutes later with the pizza in tow. For the most part, Tommy and I shared the pizza. The kids and Mindy had already eaten. Mindy got the kids ready for bed while Tommy and I ate pizza. She called me up for the read and tuck around 7:40pm. The kids fell asleep quickly. We spent the next hour or more talking with Tommy about his pending divorce, the kids, his relationship with Heather, and the soon to arrive baby. One can easily see that Tommy’s stressed. But then again who wouldn’t be given his circumstances. There are very few quick fixes for his dilemma. If he’s not careful he’ll find himself working on his second and third divorce at the same time. Yikes!!! I wish him well and am here for him regardless. Tommy left sometime around 9pm. Mindy and I stayed up only for a short time after his departure. I think we were in bed by 9:30pm.

The Final Cut Has Come

The Final Cut & 4000th photo Canon PS-S2IS I woke by 8:00am after a solid nine hours of sleep. I felt rested but still a little groggy. And for whatever reason, I wasn’t in the best of moods either. I proceeded to complete my exercise routine with kids hanging off my body. Bella whipped out a series of push-ups right along side me. I walked Ykraps under a cloudy sky and milder temperatures. I returned home for some much anticipated coffee and relaxation. Mindy was already started on her report cards, Bella was in our bed watching a movie, and Jacob was on my PC. I was a little miffed to find Jacob on my PC since I planned and was looking forward to spending an hour or so catching up on football scores, stories, and email. What’s worse, he was attempting to download games which I don’t have any desire to have on my PC in the first place. In fact, I don’t like anything to be downloaded on my PC by anyone else. In hindsight I probably should have asked him to find something else to do. Instead, I stewed over it. I wasn’t happy about it at all. With nothing to do and nowhere to go, I chose to ready for my run a bit early. I left for my run around 9:30am. I enjoyed my alone time. I was still a little angry, however, even after I returned. After all, my routine was spoiled. My plan for the day included nothing more than yard work. I hoped to cut the grass for what might be the final cut. We had a moderate cover of leaves too, which I figured would mulch up nicely provided they were dry enough. Mindy chose to go shopping and take Bella. Jacob asked to stay behind with me to work in the yard. Once they were gone I think he was a little sorry that he elected to stay back. He seemed surprised and hurt that I was going to cut the grass. He really wanted to ride his bike without training wheels. I told him he could ride but with training wheels while I cut the lawn. He didn’t care for that. In the end, he chose to go inside and watch TV while I cut the lawn. I chose not to trim or edge since the grass hasn’t grown that much after several recent freezes. However, it’s still very thick and green. I cut the entire lawn in a little more than an hour. Just as I had hoped, the leaves mulched up nicely, although to make that happen I had to make multiple passes in the back. As I finished up, the kids came out hoping to get a tractor ride. I obliged. We linked up the trailer and took a ride down the street and back through the yard. They really seemed to enjoy it. After a long ride we returned to play a little t-ball since Jacob had been asking to do so for a couple of days. Soon, Bella bored with the t-ball and disappeared into the house. Jacob and I played ball for about an hour. He hits off the tee and via the pitch equally well. We used a tennis ball so I let a few pitches rip. He got a hold of a few and sent the ball two yards over. He’s a natural, but he does need to work on his catching and throwing. By the time we went inside it was almost 3pm. I took a small nap all the while the Bengals game played out on the TV. Come 3:30pm I got up to take a shower and ready for Gloria’s. Mindy commented that Gloria had some things she wanted us to do for her today, however she didn’t know what. We left for her house just before 4pm. When we arrived most everyone else was already there. We noticed right away that there was a large pile of tree mulch left where a large maple once stood. I have a hard time understanding why one would chop down a perfectly healthy mature tree. After saying hello to everyone Mindy and I headed outside to place the ground-up tree stump in lawn bags. This marks the first time I have ever used one of these. I have always had the luxury of a compost pile at my homes. Gloria only had four bags and we filled them quickly. Once full, they were very heavy, too. Mindy borrowed one additional from the neighbor but there remained quite a pile even still. I wanted to move some of the mulched debris to the backyard to fill several large holes in the lawn that I feel pose safety hazards for running kids or even adults. In the end we didn’t. Back inside I headed to the basement family room to catch-up on NFL football scores. The Bengals lost and the Vikings and Browns were losing. The call to dinner came soon after. I was ready to eat. We had pot roast with carrots and potatoes – one of my all-time favorites. As sides we had stuffing and cucumber salad. Later, for dessert, we had pecan pie and brownies. I had one of each. We left for home just after 7pm. Mindy was in a hurry to get home in an effort to get the kids a much needed bath. And once we arrived she did just that. I walked Ykraps. After the kids were fast asleep, we tuned into the Colts-Patriots game. I was hopeful that the Colts would kick the Patriots behinds if for no other reason than vengeance. It was 14-14 when I headed to bed. Mindy had headed up about an hour earlier.

Hear the Buckeyes Roar & Joe Pa's leg snap

A Nightmare to be sure! Jacob in "The Scream" Some of Dad's friends. I was up by 8:15am eager to begin my day. Despite drinking only three beers the night before, I felt a tad on the groggy side. I did my usual sit-ups, push-ups, and weights before 8:30am. I headed out into the sun soaked morning air with Ykraps before 8:45am. It was a very enjoyable walk. Before my run I lazed around the house sipping a couple of cups of coffee. I left for my run close to 9:45am. I saw that several roofing jobs were underway in the subdivision – the remnants of the early October hail storm. After I returned from running, Mindy spent the next couple of hours preparing for the wedding shower that she coordinated for her friend Shelly and would be attending this afternoon. And while she did that, I spent an hour or so painting with the kids. We completed about eight water colors. Mindy helped get the kids dressed and ready for an afternoon of fun before she headed out. We’d be on our own for about four hours. We planned to visit Tuttle Mall, have lunch, and who knows what else. We each went our separate ways come 1pm. We could see that the mall was packed as we exited the freeway. We found parking on the west side of the mall a ways out from Macy’s. I forgot to review the game plan with the kids prior to exiting the car, a tactic Mindy employs to help the kids understand what’s expected of them. Truth be told, I was just a little nervous about how our mall adventure might turn out. Bella was pretty good about hanging close and holding my hand. I chose to allow Jacob a little more freedom. They were convinced we were going the wrong way to the play area, but I knew different. Oh-oh. As we approached the play are we discovered that it was under construction. Santa’s elves were busy putting Xmas land together. The kids were not too thrilled. I convinced them to make lemonade, however. We watched some of the construction and even took a few smiling pics against the already standing Xmas trees. Soon we moved on perusing the mall. Our first stop was the Discovery Store. The kids and I both gave that stop a thumbs up. No sooner did we get in the door did Bella need to potty. Of course! We left promptly promising to return and headed directly to the bathroom. We ended up in the men’s room in lieu of the family bathroom. Emergency averted! Before exiting the bathroom, the kids played against the three-way mirror. The thought of three Bella’s sent shivers down my spine! J We returned to the Discovery Store where the kids entertained themselves for almost an hour playing with some cool toys. Bella was most enamored with the musical instruments (no real surprise). Jacob liked the small gadgets. After and hour I convinced them to move on. I wanted to stop in the Bath & Body right next door to see if they had their pine tree candles out yet. Their pine candles smell very christmassey. They had them out. Last year they were in high demand and subsequently ran out early. The kids were not happy to be there and complained. In reality, were there only a minute. They wanted to move on. We continued our stroll through the mall stopping only at the department store rides down by Sears. I let them crawl about the equipment but never put any coins in. After ten minutes and some pictures, we decided to leave the mall and head for Wendy’s. We arrived at Wendy’s by 2:20pm. The kids ordered chicken nugget kids meals. I ordered a double combo. I hadn’t eaten inside a Wendy’s in years. Not much has changed. The kids were well behaved. For that I was pleased. I had to pee and was unsure how to mange such a situation. I chose to leave them unattended for a minute while I addressed the pressing matter. I considered alerting the help, but decided against announcing solo children. Mindy later informed me that she would have taken them in with her. And I suppose I could’ve disrupted their meal and did that, but I never gave it any thought. We left Wendy’s at 2:45pm to head for home. We had 45 minutes until kick-off. The kids, so far, had performed above expectations. Once back home we settled down in front of the television to catch opening kick-off. Jacob went outside to play. The Buckeyes looked strong and methodical in the first half but never truly dominated like many thought they would. Come 4:40pm, Mindy arrived home from the shower just about he beginning of halftime. Nervously I sat and watched the second half of the game. Illinois quietly began shutting down the Buckeyes offense and then snuck in a field goal to keep things somewhat close. As the 3rd quarter came and went, the Buckeyes had failed to add to their lead. The Buckeyes never trailed but did provide an opportunity for Illinois to make it close. The game ended after the Buckeyes covered an onside kick. Mindy offered to make dinner, but I was still pretty full from Wendy’s. The kids and I had a sword fight after the game that lasted up until their bedtime. After putting the kids to bed Mindy and I spent the remaining hours watching more football by a roaring fire. I had a few beers – a honey raspberry ale, a Columbus pale ale, and Mojo IPA. We went to bed just after 10:30pm.

Resurrecting Friday...It's all coming back

Didn't have these even at West High School Donut remenants some appealing kiddie art (Picasso-like) Tis that season... Friday is almost a blur by now, but I do recall “the big rocks”. It was sunny and chilly. I felt good about the weekend ahead, especially after feeling a bit like a sacrificial lamb the weekend before. This weekend would be work-free and house guest free. Before going to work I attended Donuts with Dad with Jacoby (see school pics). I dropped Jacob at Grandma Sharon's on my way to work. Little Rocky, who was already there, was surprisingly happy to see me and gave me a big ol' hug, so did Bella. I made it to work by 9:00am. The work day was moderate. I completed an unusually early run just because I could. I didn’t hear from any family members by phone or by email. I left work just after 5pm and headed directly home. Mindy was still a little under the weather but wanted to go to Barleys. She had made arrangements for Christopher, the 15 yr old son of a close friend, to come over and watch the kids. Our plan was to head out about an hour earlier than usual and return around 9:30pm. That is what we did. We arrived at Barleys just after 7:30pm. Most of the Friday regulars were present. We ordered some food shortly after I began sipping my first beer. I ordered my usual Gates of Hell wings with a side basket of onion straws. Mindy ordered a salad. And because of her cold, she didn’t drink any alcohol save for a few sips of my second beer. We tried encouraging Bob to have a Michigan game clubhouse event, but Bob was still largely non-committal. We’ll just have to see. Mindy reminded me come 9:15pm that she wanted to leave soon. I obliged by finishing off my third beer. Throughout the evening, I had two IPA’s with a St Joan’s Revenge sandwiched between. We left and were home by 9:40pm. Mindy gave Chris a ride home while I surfed the web. She was back by 10:10pm. We talked for a spell but then headed to bed. As I recall, Mindy fell asleep before me.

A defensive struggle :)

slick as a whistle! Still standing tall Up yet again at 5:30am, I felt plenty rested and ready to begin my Thursday. Once downstairs I choked down a vitamin, filled my water glass, peeked out the back door, and began my calisthenics. It was a mere 5:45am when I finished up. I was well ahead of schedule. Ykraps and I dawned our jackets (he keeps his on all the time) and headed out the door for our usual morning walk. The air was extremely nippy and the ground crunchy, a clear indication that it was below freezing. My light jacket and t-shirt proved inadequate for the chill in the air. The sky was clear though. Something I always appreciate in the mornings – the ability to stare deep into the heavens. Once we returned I was eager to check the actual temperature. And just as I suspected, this was our coldest morning of the season. It was only 27 degrees. The day’s high was only expected to top out at 43 degrees. I took Mindy her coffee and she once again promptly got up and got moving making certain that the entire household would be once again ahead of schedule. Just as I always do, I began making our two meals – breakfast and lunch. The kids were up extra early and joined me downstairs. Jacob was down very early enjoying pop-tarts. He had 2.5. Bella came down later. She woke earlier crying for her momma, but Mindy was blow drying her hair and didn’t hear her. Recognizing this, I went up to try and tend to her every need. She ran at first sight of me. She squeezed herself between her bed and the wall. I tried for just a second to convince her to allow me to comfort her then gave up and returned downstairs. Jacob and I continued our morning banter while Bella continued crying for her mother. Soon, Mindy heard her cries and went to her side. When she brought her down she asked for pop-tarts too. And just as I often do, I toyed with the children all morning. Today, however, this did nothing but provoke Bella. She’s moody like that. Come 7:10am I headed up for my shower and Mindy and the kids left for school. I left for work at 7:40am and arrived before 8:00am. The work day was moderate - fairly typical of a Thursday. I accomplished much. I managed to leave for my run around 12:45pm. The temperature was only in the mid 30’s but the sun was shining. I knew too that there was a fairly stiff breeze blowing from the NW. with that in mind, I wore a wind shirt over my running shirt and under my jacket. That helped prevent the chill from piercing my armor. The run was good. It was one of those zone runs. Psychologically, I was elsewhere during the run and couldn’t believe it when I was done! The afternoon was busy but certainly not over the top. I did send an email to brother Glenn addressing what I interpreted as a bleeding heart over Rina. I encouraged him to let go and move on, rather than allow the relationship to persist in a lesser from thus extended the heartache. I doubt he’ll heed my warning but at least I stated my piece. I left the office on time tonight. It was seemingly getting colder b the minute. As the sun dipped out of site the chill in the air increased dramatically. Mindy and I planned to have a quiet evening at home with the kids. She dropped some diapers off for Olivia on her way home. She said Ashley asked if we wanted to watch Olivia Friday so she could go out with Brittany. Mindy and I had already decided that we were going to have a quiet weekend with the kids – no over night guests for the first time in a while. Mindy left the Olivia thing open ended for me to decide. I told her that I still planned to honor our earlier agreement despite any desire I had to have Olivia over. When I got home Jacob asked me if I would care to attend “Donuts with Dad” tomorrow in his father’s absence. I told him I would. That seemed to make him very happy. He, in turn, asked if he could walk Ykraps with me. It was a bitter cold walk and it was spitting snow. The sun was completely down and darkness was fast approaching. Not only was it cold but the wind was stiff out of the NW. Once we got back home we quickly built a roaring fire. Mindy made the two of us chili dogs – no buns at my request. I did muster some carbs, though by eating the final piece of pumpkin pie. I told her that I may very well make another this weekend except this time I will do a little more experimentation with the recipe. After dinner I watched a little of the “Prince of Egypt” with the kids while Mindy worked on report cards. It’s odd seeing the grade card process from this end. I always thought of it as more of a systematic, meaningful process. But Mindy allows all of us to fill in some of the blanks sort of willy-nilly. Even Jacob and Bella get in on the fun by grading papers! OK – I’m only kidding! While watching the movie I doubled as a jungle gym for the kids, but I didn’t mind. The evening was going well. After about an hour or so of report cards, Mindy finally chased the kids upstairs for baths. I retreated to the PC to update my blog. Soon I was asked to help Jacob with his shower. I obliged. He’s getting better at it though, so he really only needs help getting the right amount of shampoo in his hair and rinsing thoroughly. He was done in no time flat. After his shower we moved right into reading. He read his early reader book. “This is a door, said the pencil. This is the roof, said the pencil.” Mindy & Jacob wrapped up the reading session with a quick story about a Scarecrow. Bella read her very early reader book, too. After the kids were placed in their beds and fast asleep Mindy and I took refuge in the family room where we tuned into ESPN to catch the West Virginia/Louisville game. This game has national championship implications ( I love saying that). We watched the first half downstairs, and proved to be very exciting with lots of twists and turns. At the half we headed to bed but with the TV on. Mindy fell asleep first despite wanting some lovin’. I fell asleep with about 5 minutes remaining.

Burr...isk

Sometimes you can see right into the soul of a child. The bounty! This guy won't leave! I woke Wednesday even before 5:30am. But somewhat out of character, I laid there still for a few minutes pondering life. I got out of bed and headed downstairs at 5:30am. I looked out the window before I began my exercise routine. The sky was clear to the west but slightly cloudy to the east. The last forecast I had seen promised a return to sunny skies but measurably cooler than Monday and Tuesday. I was OK with that. Hell, summer’s long gone. Ykraps and I returned from our walk wanting some coffee. I made a cup and took it to Mindy's bedside. Instead of sleep in, she rose promptly and began readying herself. I packed our lunches and made our breakfasts. I even shared my tuna fish with Mindy today. Everyone was up and well ahead of schedule. We ate a leisurely breakfast, and then Mindy and the kids prepared to depart. After they left I showered and dressed for work. As I left for work the sky was now sunny to the east but thick clouds were hovering just to our west. I didn’t think that was supposed to happen(?). I left for work at close to 7:45am and arrived just before 8:00am. I had a couple of morning meetings that carried through until after 1pm making for a very speedy first half. I left for my run at 1:05pm. As I dressed for my run I realized that my running shoes were still soaked from the rainy run the day before. Also, one of my socks was still completely soaked. Apparently I failed to get it in the dryer. It was cold and squishy initially, but like anything, it was a non-factor out the door. During my run the drizzle struck. That wasn't supposed to happen. I sucked it up and took it in stride. I returned from my run after 2pm and once I was back in my office I made a couple of personal calls. One was to Lindsey’s rental office to better understand the terms of her new lease. I had to leave a VM. I figured when they saw my caller ID they might not answer thinking it was a sales call. I called again later via my cell and got through. She filled me in on the details and the dangling issues that Lindsey still must address. I also talked to Ashley who filled me in on the latest with Stephen. What a dick! Ashley should close the door on this guy and move on and never look back. If not for herself then for Olivia. I told her she could call Mindy for another opinion. This was a Mindy Wednesday. The kids would be with their daddy until 7pm. But as it turned out, I was in my office talking to a peer until almost 5:30pm. When Mindy called I could tell that she wasn’t too thrilled, but that’s the nature of my job. It used to be worse. I called her back once I was in route to home. We decided we’d still go to dinner, and our choice was Barleys, which is very rare on a school night. But we had ulterior motives. We had to pick-up our football pool winnings. Mindy called Jim and asked that he keep the kids until 7:30pm allowing us enough time to relax and enjoy our dinner out. He kindly obliged. He’s leaving out of town tomorrow and won’t see the kids until Monday. To help us stay on course, Mindy took Ykraps on his walk during my travel home. Once home, I was able to complete most of my quick chores before Mindy & Ykraps returned. After a quick brush of my teeth we were ready to head out to Barleys. We arrived at Barleys by 6:15pm. Mindy collected her winnings ($116). She also ran into a handful of old High School friends who were beering it up prior to a Blue Jackets game. We ordered our meals and water – no alcoholic drinks tonight. I ordered a Cuban and cheesy fries and Mindy pulled pork – no bun, and veggies. It was very good, but not the best ever. We made quick work of our visit. We headed out a little after 7pm. We ran into Rick while we were there. We were home by 7:15pm. Before the kids arrived, I built us a fire so that we could enjoy it later. The kids arrived right at 7:30pm. As they approached the door, I grabbed the T-or-T bowl which was still on the table by the door and acted as if they were T-or-T’ers. They believed for a minute that I was confused. :) They came in as rambunctious as ever. Before getting settled for the night, they wanted to attack their Halloween candy, of course. We allowed it as long as I got my nightly cut. They headed upstairs by 7:45pm to dress for bed. They each read their early reader books, then Mindy read that Big Mouse, Lil' Mouse book again tonight. They went down fast after the tuck in process. Jacob, I think, was asleep in less than one minute after laying his big head on the pillow. I am always amazed how quickly and easily he does that. Downstairs, Mindy and I snuggled by the fire where we chatted for a good 45 minutes prior to falling asleep. Just before laying down I cranked up the heat a notch or two due to the dropping temp. The entire house was chilly. Mindy expressed her need for more intimate time which we haven’t had too much of lately. Instead, we’ve had a heavy dose of extend family visits and their issues. Eventually, it takes its toll. Bottom line, we’ve simply got to make sure we make/take/spend quality time together. We woke around 9:40pm and stumbled up to bed.

Trick-Or-Treat: guising

Peter Pan! G.D. Kaileigh in costume - pink pixie! Our pumpkin in costume Our pumpkin after too much coffee Just as I am supposed to, I leaped from my bed at 5:30am a sharp. Again, it’s so easy to get up during the early “fallback” phase. I completed my usual host of morning activities. Nothing out of the ordinary. The day began remarkably cooler than it was on Monday, and those lovely sunny skies wouldn’t be repeated either. Instead, it was expected to be a crappy rainy day. And as Trick-or-Treat befalls, the temps are supposed to drop into the upper 30’s. I wore my blonde wig, shorts, an old OSU sweatshirt, and water shoes to work for Halloween. Many asked who I was supposed to be, but I was no one in particular. As it turned out, I was the only one in the building dressed up. Hmmm? As the work day progressed the weather did nothing but worsen. By run time it was raining and raining pretty good. By the time I finished I was soaked to the bone. I left work on time and hell bent on being home to play Trick-or-Treat. Before the events began, I took Ykraps on his nightly walk. I was still in costume. Mindy’s ex, Jim M. showed up just before 6pm to take the kids out begging. It seemed a little strange for him to be at our house making himself at home and such but I was happy to accommodate and know it’s what’s best for the kids. Jim and the kids headed out the door shortly after 6pm. It was raw and rainy. I was almost certain that our numbers would be down due to the weather. But as it turned out, we had plenty of visitors. Jim and the kids returned a little after 7pm with their bounty. Jim stayed while they sorted their haul on the family room floor. We all took our cut. J He left for home about 15 minutes later. Mindy coaxed the kids upstairs to ready them for bed. I blogged. And just like always, I joined them upstairs for the tuck in process. We skipped reading since it was late. Mindy and I retreated to the family room. Mindy laid down in the middle of the room and fell asleep within minutes. I leaned against the big reading chair and did the same. I woke about an hour later, secured the home, filled my water glass and took an anti-inflammatory. When I returned to wake Mindy, she was already awake and heading upstairs. We were asleep before 10pm.

Carving pumpkins and the Vikings defense

Jacob and I did the one on the left, and Mindy n' Bella the one on the right. The autumn sunshine. A fella could get real used to this “fall back” thing. I woke Monday morning with extreme ease. Of course Mindy and I went to bed a little after 8:30pm ET, too. That equates to almost 9 hours of sleep. I was cheery and ready for a Monday. It didn’t hurt either that the weather was expected to be superb – sunny, warm, and almost 70 degrees. I was determined to drive the BM’er. And if that wasn’t enough to energize my Monday, knowing too that the Vikings were playing on MNF was icing on the cake. I went through my usual routine well before 6am. That’s the first time I can say that in a long while. In turn, I had lunch packed and breakfast prepared even before 6:45am. It was nice too that it was daylight by 6:30am again. And the sunrise was spectacular. And just as you might expect, I was ready to depart for work even before 7:30am for the first time in a long while. After the weekend I had I was 10 times better off than I expected. Work was a bit chaotic but controlled, if that makes any sense. I responded to a few emails from family related to step-mother Sheila’s illness. I talked to my dad who was with her in the hospital today, and the days’ news was far better than earlier. Number one, the cancer is now thought not to be pancreatic, but instead of the lung. Neither is good but given a choice, lung cancer is far more survivable. She’s slated for some radiation today and chemo tomorrow. If that wasn’t enough to weigh on my mind, I had to deal with Lindsey too. She was being very difficult even as Mindy and I are trying to help her through her problems. God knows I can handle all of this, however. My run was timely and good. It was nice to run in shorts in the sunshine all the while sorting through life’s challenges. The afternoon brought some plenty more activity at work. The good news is that the day just blew by. I was carefully watching the clock and sky since I had what I would deem a “daylight only” task ahead at home, and the sunlight was already waning by 5pm. I had to stack my firewood. I left for home at 5:05pm. I had originally thought about stopping at Kroger for some back-up Halloween (Trick-or-Treat candy) since what Mindy bought would likely earn an egging in my subdivision. J When I arrived home Lindsey was there. I was a little surprised given her attitude in email all day. She’s upset with something Mindy said to her. Some times the truth hurts! Anyway, I couldn’t help but notice a nasty scrape along the entire back half of her Honda’s passenger side. This didn’t please me at all. Once inside I greeted everyone then promptly asked for some explanation. And in typical Lindsey fashion, she got very defensive as well as rude & obnoxious. She claims she hit a parked car at the Doodle Bug concert and phoned her mother who told her to drive away since she didn’t have any paper & pen to leave her contact info. Brilliant! Of course she claimed no ownership. Before we knew it, she was swearing like a truck driver and gathering her things to leave. Honestly, I was OK with her departing. Probably best, but I didn’t like her ripping Lil’ Rocky away from the fun we had planned. We were going to carve pumpkins and he was so looking forward to it. Not to mention the increased chance of her getting in an accident being so irritated and in a huff. In the end, there was little Mindy or I could do to convince her to leave Rocky with us. She and he left in whirlwind. After she left, I got the tractor out and pulled the wood trailer to the foot of the driveway making for easy loading into the John Deere trailer for transport to the woodpile. We made it into a family event. Mindy got out her portable spot light and I used the tractor head lights to provide – well, light! The kids helped load and stack and were paid with tractor rides back to the mother load pile in between. It was fun and we did the job quickly. We wasted little time. Back inside we got right to carving our pumpkins. I remember thinking, as busy as we seem to be, it's just a warm up act for the fast approaching holiday season. Two more weekends at home, which are already jam packed, and then off to Oregon for TG. After that, back home for Xmas. The kids tested my patience. Mindy was fine. Bella loves playing in the pumpkin muck. We survived it. We ended up with two pretty cool jack-o-laterns. After wrapping up the carving Mindy did the bath thing while I cleaned up the mess. I was more tha nready for the MNF game. I was stoked that the Vikings were playing on MNF and playing the New England Patriots. The game went the patriots way fro mthe outset. We never were really in the game. They kicked our ass! I was a bit ashamed. I watched the whole thing even still. I stumbled to bed just after 11:30pm.

Fall Back

1) Olivia at rest 2) The early morning sunshining brightly 3) Jacob loving Bella 4) Lemon poppyseed muffins with the drizzle! Because we were given the gift of "falling back”, we got up earlier than unusual. It was 7:15am ET when we rose. To, we were greeted by a beautiful sunny morning. Both of us had gotten up through the night to feed and change Olivia. I got up at 2:30am EDT (1:30am ET). But Mindy got up too to help me get her settled back into her outfit and chair. Mindy got up by herself for the next event sometime near 4 or 5am. Neither time did Olivia cry. We instinctively responded to her stirring before it lead to an emotional cry. As we greeted the new day we were both more than pleased at how well she slept. We left Olivia sleep while we began our morning. Mindy began taking care of Jacob and Bella’s early morning demands, and I began exercising. Soon I was outdoors with Ykraps. On our walk we ran into a strange new dog who befriended us. We could tell he was a “kept” dog. He had all the tell tale signs. He had a license and a bandana. After some sniffing and liking, we parted ways. I was more than anxious to suck down some coffee, so once I returned home I did just that. It was more than good! I had a plan for the day but not nearly as aggressive as Saturday’s plan. Today I hoped to run, stack new firewood, visit Sheila in the hospital, have Kaileigh over for a visit, and dinner at Gloria’s. I left for my run by 8:30am – doing all I could to remain on task. It was nice to run in the sunshine. I was home before 9:20 – just in time to enjoy some maple bacon and lemon poppyseed muffins covered in a tasty lemon glaze. They were delicious! After breakfast I helped ready Jacob and Bella for church. That was no small task and netted Bella a timeout for being unruly. But after some coaching from Mindy, I got Bella to be a cooperator! Just before they left for church, Ashley showed up to get Olivia. I was hoping that she’d forget about her. Darn! After they left I began cleaning up around the house. That took a while. As soon as I finished I took a shower and did a load of running clothes. As I stated earlier, it was beautiful and sunny, but the temperature was still very cool. Despite the chill, I grabbed the BM’er keys and left for Giant Eagle. My plan was to pick-up some flowers and a card for Sheila, as well as flowers for Mindy. Once in the BM’er I realized that I needed gas in it too. I filled up for $2.16 per gallon - most likely the last tank of gas in the BM’er till next spring. I found some lovely live mums for Sheila that I knew she’d love. I found some white roses for Mindy – her favorite! I headed home. On my way home I was once again pulled into a big problem at work. I spent the next hour back at home helping to coordinate that. Some time close to 1:00pm Mindy arrived home from church. She had dropped the kids at hr mothers so that we could visit Sheila in the hospital. We arrived at Mt Caramel West around 1:30pm. Margie and Brenda (Sheila’s sisters) were there at her side. They left the room while we visited. Sheila looked surprisingly well for being so sick. I was happy. She even had on make-up and pretty purple pajamas. We visited for about an hour. I was most impressed with her positive take charge attitude. There are two ways you can go. You can take the high energy approach and demonstrate a determination to fight, or you can take a more low energy, woe is me approach. We talked about her faith and beliefs and the possibility of a misdiagnosis. She also shared her treatment plan, which included volunteering for any experimental drugs or procedures. I was so proud of her. We told her that we loved her, gave her hug, and then we left. While we were in her room, Kaileigh called to confirm our plans to pick her up. We told her we would be there around 3pm. Judging by the clock, we were right on schedule. It was 2:40pm when we got into the Trooper. We arrived at Kaileigh's right about 3pm, just as planned. She seemed excited to spend time with us, and I know I was excited to see her. We went directly to Mindy's mother's from there even though we had earlier discussed going back home and stacking wood. But how much fun would that have been for Kaileigh especially given that Jacob and Bella were at Mindy's mom's. We arrived at Gloria's just after 3pm - an hour earlier than usual. We took advantage of the alone time with just the kids and her mom. We watched a little of the Bengals game while the kids played. Not long after, others began arriving. Todd and Larry were both on duty today, but their wives showed with their kids just the same. Craig and Jeff came too. If I didn't mention, Todd was in a horrible fire Friday that took four lives. He and his peers were lucky to escape the inferno themselves. In fact, two of the firemen went to the hospital with severe burns. We had ham, macaroni salad, and tater tots. The ham was a Kroger ham juiced up via Gloria's own special recipe of fruit juice, cloves, and brown sugar. It was as good as any Honey Baked ham. Dinner was delicious, and just as usual I ate too much. Dessert was spice cake with topped with cinnamon flavored Cool Whip. Again, delicious! We hung out until just after 7pm, but don't forget, it was really 8pm EDT. The kids were cranky and tired. Gloria, bless her heart, gave each of the kids a Halloween goodie bag. Kaileigh fits in well with everyone is such a pleasant little girl. We dropped Kaileigh off first. I'll miss her. Homeward. We arrived home and just like always, I walked Ykraps while Mindy began the bathing/jammie process. When I returned I headed up and did the read and tuck thing. After all of that we chilled by the television and watched a smidgeon of the SNF game. Not too much downstairs. Mindy convinced me to go to bed just after 8:30pm. We were both tired so we headed to bed where we could watch football and snore.

Tight Schedule

Ring-ring. Ring-ring. My Blackberry was ringing at my bedside. A quick glance at the clock revealed that it was just after 4am. By the time I answered, the caller had hung up. I checked for a VM and they had left one. It was work. After acknowledging the message I went back to sleep for what I planned to be another couple hours. That didn’t happen. Not 30 minutes later my Blackberry rang once again. Suddenly I was up and working before 5am. That’s earlier than any normal day. I worked for a couple of hours before going back to sleep for another couple of hours. It now seemed clear that my weekend was going to be a doosey! I woke again around 8am and leaped to my feet. I didn’t feel that good but had to get up and get moving nonetheless. The house was already rockin’ with little ones – Jacob, Bella, and Lil’ Rocky. I found some space to do my exercises and logged back into my work PC too. We were dealing with a big issue at work that required some of my undivided attention. In addition, I had a very aggressive personal agenda that included the following: running, retrieving my dad’s trailer, going after a half cord of firewood, picking up the boat and taking it to be winterized, going to Lindsey’s apartment to clean, and then coming home to spend time with baby Olivia. All of that had me just a little stressed since successfully executing the agenda required close attention to the clock. I stayed on tasks even after waking an hour after I desired and adding in the work stuff. I left for my run by 9am and was back before 10am. I left to get the trailer and wood by 10:20am. I was back with the wood by 11:20 – a full 40 minutes earlier than I had budgeted. I was on track. I failed to mention that Lindsey left our house this morning sometime after my run in a huff after we tried advising her about certain meds and the way she’s been interacting with Lil’ Rocky. She never has accepted criticism well. We said what needed to be said for everyone’s well-being. I was very pleased and a little surprised to be on track. I contacted my team at work to check on our progress with the issue at hand. They were doing as good as expected. I tried to get Jacob to go along with me to address the boat winterization. He normally likes going to the storage unit and what not. Today he didn’t want to go. I picked up the boat and headed north to Paul’s Marine. I had a 1:20pm appt but arrived at 1pm sharp. Almost on queue, it began to spit snow just as I pulled up. I couldn’t help but find humor in that! J They gladly took my boat right in and began the process. Meanwhile, I went into the lounge area to try and catch some college football on their big screen, but sadly, I couldn’t get it working. After looking at a couple new boats, they called my name either to alert me that my boat was ready or to tell me there was a problem. Good day! My boat was finished. I paid my fees and headed back towards home. I dropped the boat at storage, stopped for gas, and was back home by 2:30pm. I was 30 minutes ahead of plan. We took our time preparing to leave for Lindsey’s. We gathered the kids and our tubs of cleaning supplies and tools and left the house just after 3pm – still on schedule. Once at Lindsey’s Mindy headed into the kitchen and I headed upstairs to deal with the hallway and bedroom. They were both really dirty. The most difficult piece was dealing with Jacob and Bella who were a bit high maintenance. They were constantly hungry and playing a little rough. Somehow though we muddled through. By 6pm we finished the major cleaning. All it needs now are some finishing touches and lots of ongoing TLC. Lindsey should be proud of it. We took several pictures to show off our work. I wish we had taken some before hand, but didn’t. As we departed, Ashley contacted Mindy to change our plans slightly. She requested that we pick Olivia up instead of her bringing her over. We were more than happy to oblige. The sky was very pretty as we headed east. I asked Mindy to snap some pictures. We arrived at Kelly’s around 6:30pm and retrieved our little bundle of joy. Jacob was surprisingly good at helping feed Olivia on our trip home. As usual, once we were home I ordered pizzas from Minelli’s and then walked Ykraps while Mindy and the kids dotted over Olivia. While at Minelli’s picking up our pizzas, I ran into my old friend, John Raugh, my best man. He and I go back to my wild days hanging at the Al Rosa Villa, Agora (Newport, and Sugar Shack). John was my roommate and played in several big hair rock n’ roll bands. He’s changed a lot. We discussed hooking up and sometime soon. What a throw back. I took the pizzas home and ate dinner with the family. Olivia slept while we ate. Afterwards, Mindy gave Bella a bath and I helped Jacob with a shower. Olivia hung out in her chair. Around 8:30pm we put the kids to bed. They went right to sleep. I poured myself a beer and Mindy a glass of wine. Olivia had other ideas. Despite eating around 7pm, she cried and cried. We decided to try feeding her again. And surprisingly, she ate like she was starving! Come 9:30 she began fussing again, which was just a half hour after eating. This time we knew she wasn’t hungry. Mindy gave her some gas medicine and put some quality lotion on her sore looking bottom. That seemed to help but not fully. Whatever we did, she didn’t seem to want to sleep. Both of us were completely exhausted from our long day. I could see the worry in Mindy’s and her in mine. We hoped beyond hope that she would finally fall asleep. As she started to dose we put her in the guest room in her bed (pack-n’-play). We turned the baby monitor on and wound the mobile. It worked for only about 15 minutes. Incidentally, those baby monitors are unbelievable. It sounded like she was in our room! That being said, we decided to put her in her more than comfy carrier chair and bring her in our room. Almost miraculously she stopped crying and fell asleep, and so did we.