Class of '77

HAPPY 6th Birthday Kaileigh!

I woke at my preferred weekend rise time – 7:30am. I felt pretty darn good and got crackin’ on my exercises immediately after prepping the coffee maker. It was 8:07am when I sat down at the PC with my first cup of coffee. By then I had finished exercises and walking Ykraps. I didn’t sit there long, however. It was much too nice outside. I soon took to the deck with coffee and guitar in hand. I must have sat out there for 30 minutes or so. It was very lovely. Just before 9am I grabbed some clean running clothes from the dryer and took off on a run. I took my MP3 player at first in my hands but eventually placed it on my mid-arm area being careful not to place it too high where it would irritate my skin by rubbing. I ran inside the subdivision. I finished my run around 9:30am. Mindy was out on the deck when I returned enjoying coffee.

We decided to skip a heavy breakfast and instead opted for a plate of fruit. Around 10am I started fooling around with my new sprinkler pump again. It didn’t take long to get it working after finding a suitable spot to suck water from the pond. The only glitch in the process was that the oscillating sprinkler screen was clogged with pond silt from my Thursday experimentation. After removing the clog the watering worked very well. Well, that is, until Mindy blew the GFI breaker while blow drying her hair.

I was over visiting neighbor’s Pat & Lisa checking out their new shed and sharing vacation stories when Mindy began hollering for me. She was leaving for Target. I ran home when she told me she reset the breaker and the sprinkler was no longer running. I was afraid that my pump would burn up after running dry for several minutes. It didn’t.
She left while I was re-priming the pump. I just knew she was already regretting buying me this thing!

After getting the watering back underway I took to deweeding the flower beds. I did that for almost an hour. The most tedious part was removing lots of dead English Ivy still in the Westside beds. Mindy retuned home with Kaileigh’s b-day gift about that time. I finished up working in the yard while Mindy wrapped the gifts. I went in to shower for the graduation party at 1:30pm. We needed to leave at 2pm.

I was fully ready by 1:50pm. I suggested taking the BM’er until Mindy reminded me that we supposed to pick-up her mother and take her along. I changed my plans and drive the Trooper. We left the house at 2:05pm. We arrived at the party in Oakhurst just after 2:30pm. Amy just graduated from OSU and her parents were sponsoring a large gathering of friends and family. The house and yard were lovely with an abundance of shade out back making the soaring temps bearable. We hung at the party until 4:10pm. We needed to leave early, however, to leave ourselves plenty of time to get ready for the reunion which started at 6pm.

I got the sprinkler pump restarted as soon as we got home and watered for another hour or so, soaking the front lawn as much as possible. I pulled the plug just before changing clothes. Mindy wore her little black wedding dress. She looked awesome! I wore shorts and a nice summery shirt. We drove the BM’er just a short quarter mile to the Raymond Memorial Party House. I guess we could’ve easily walked.

We arrived just after 6pm. I was a little nervous walking in. I began spotting familiar yet strange faces immediately. What a throw back! It wasn’t long before I saw that David Waters and Sean Meehan were there – two of my closest childhood friends. I hadn’t seen David in probably 18 years and have only seen Sean once or twice in the same amount of time. There were many equally cool encounters through the evening too. I talked with all sorts of old school mates, including Rita Bell whom I went all through elementary school and high school with. I gave out lots of hugs! Dinner was pretty good, too. It was catered by Schmidt’s. As for drinks, they served only your run of mill beers like Miller & Budweiser. I detest them all. I drank only half of my first beer. I drank water the rest of the evening. It’s interesting to note that we invited the classes of 75 & 76, too. They each had far fewer attendees, however. But by far the most interesting twist was that Mindy’s older sister, Jodi was there too. I’ll bet they never dreamed they’d be attending the same reunion given that they’re eleven years between them.

After group photos and a couple good byes, Mindy and I snuck away for home. I often leave like that. I don’t like to make such a fuss. We were home by 10pm. After changing into comfy sleepwear, we sat on the deck for a few where I drank a Honey Raspberry Ale. It tasted great! We went to bed by 1030pm needing to be up awfully early Sunday morning for Father’s Day ceremonies.

Damn Glad it's Friday

I slept till 5:45am. I was very pleased that Friday was finally upon us. It’s been a tough work week. It was difficult to distinguish the day from all the others. It was already warm and expected to be sunny & hot. I quietly went about preparing for my day trying hard not to wake the others.

I finished all of my prep as well as flower watering by 7:30am. I left for work somewhere near 8am. I took my pump receipt along with me believing that I’d stop at Home Depot on my way home, but I decided to stop on my way in instead since I drive right past it.
I went to the service counter and explained my dilemma and that Wendy had promised to refund the $33 difference in pricing form the internet. They questioned it for only seconds but eventually carried out her promise. With tax I got a $36 credit. Cool! Before leaving the store I picked up a female to female adapter for a garden hose to help facilitate my new watering project. I arrived to work around 8:45am.

Work required my extreme focus. We were hitting on all cylinders. I managed to stay afloat all day long. I left for my run a little early (about ten minutes) wanting to be the heat as much as possible. My run went well.

The afternoon went quickly. It wasn’t long before the day was done. I was happy to have the work week behind me, and I was very much looking forward to a very summery weekend. I stopped at Ohio Mulch to pick-up three bags of Absolute Black for one of the front flower beds where I had to remove lots of dead English Ivy. I was home by 6pm. Mindy wasn’t home. She was still out for dental appointments. After walking Ykraps I took a nap on the upper deck chaise lounger. Mindy must have arrived home near 6:30pm. I woke just as she returned.

We chatted for a few and briefly discussed our weekend plans. This was a kidless weekend, but we had lots going on still. The weekend plans included Barley’s tonight, a college graduation party tomorrow afternoon, my class reunion tomorrow evening, a Father’s Day event with Dad on Sunday, and hopefully some boating. We readied and left for Barley’s at 7:30pm.

Barley’s, as expected, was sparsely populated. We already knew the Imber’s wouldn’t be there. Jeremy & Courtney were there, however, as was Steve, Jersey, and Lee. I enjoyed a few beers while Mindy sipped a couple glasses of wine. Through the evening Bill Gray made a rare appearence as did Thad & Monica, Rick, and Renee. We hung out until midnight.

Once home I enjoyed a couple slices of Minelli’s pizza leftover from last Monday then went to bed.

Water

I have yet to wake at or before 5:30am this week. This morning I crawled out of bed at 5:50am after a very good night’s sleep. Yet despite my later than usual waking, I have easily recaptured the time due mostly to Mindy having all of my lunch foods pre-cut and in handy containers. That saves me oodles of time. I pushed through my morning calisthenics with much greater ease than the days prior. I am slowly but surely debloating! My stomach is almost flat again after a weeks worth of complete over indulgence. I finished my breakfast by 6:50am and headed out for the morning watering. It was another beautiful morning in central Ohio. There is talk of mild drought conditions already for southwestern parts of the state, but our wetter than usual late winter has kept us in decent shape water table-wise. Our unwatered lawns are a different story. They’re turning brown. I soaked the flower beds good. It was 7:25am by the time that I returned inside for a shower. The kids and Mindy got up just as I was heading down stairs for the final prep. I decided to drive the BM’er since it was such a lovely morning. My neighbor informed me that his garage was broken into overnight via an unlocked SUV with a garage door opener. They stole his new power washer. Needless to say, he was not a happy camper, and neither was I. But for the grace of God there goes I. I left for work around 7:55am and arrived shortly after 8am. What a lovely drive. Due mostly to a positive outlook, my day went so much smoother than the day before. Sometimes I forget just how powerful the mind is. I left for my run at the usual 12:45pm. It was very warm, probably 86 degrees and sunny. The run went very well. My body responded positively to the good night’s sleep. I was back at the grind by 1:50pm. We were very busy but I managed though all of it. I left work at 5:10pm. I stopped at Home Depot to pick-up some miscellaneous pieces to make watering out of the pond more convenient. At home Mindy was there alone. I had forgotten that we didn’t have kids for the evening. They were with their father. We walked Ykraps and then Mindy called and invited my dad over for dinner. He accepted the invite. While waiting on his arrival I thought that I’d give the watering thing a go. I got all my stuff ready and headed out back by the shed & pond (that’s the deepest point). Time past, I was struggling to get my ‘back woods’ watering system working properly. Dad arrived and joined in on the fun. Soon I had Dad and Mindy on the job too. Good grief! With this kind of difficulty, I just wanted to throw the pump in the pond and order an irrigation system, because what I had here was an irritation system. I monkeyed around with the pump, hoses, and check valve for over an hour. It was time to fire up the grill. Dad & Mindy I could tell were growing impatient with my pissy mood. I lit the grill I tried ot shrug off the early misfortune with my new Father’s Day toy. Soon we were enjoying a steak dinner on the deck. The kids arrived home shortly before we began eating. Jacob began his taekwondo classes tonight. After helping rid the dinner dishes I excused myself to more attempts with my watering project, but still no joy. Dad entertained the kids and removed a splinter that Jacob got playing with a stick. He wouldn’t trust his mother or I. Dad left just as I threw in the proverbial towel and was making my way across the street to the neighbors for some helpful tips on pump watering. He’s been doing it since we moved in. Carl gave me a handful of useful tips, mostly about priming the pump and keeping the suction hose short and straight. He advised against a check valve. Mindy came across the street to visit for just a second. She said hello to Carl’s wife and daughter, who were relaxing on their shady deck. With the helpful tips I will try watering via my pump again Saturday. With that behind me I headed in for the night. I updated my blog and enjoyed a bowl of popcorn for the first time in probably two weeks. That’s a long time for me to go without popcorn.

Pump Me Up

Feeling a bit more in sync, I was awake and on my feet at 5:40am, and it wasn’t too long before I had my toes tucked firmly under the lip of the sofa to begin pounding out my sit-ups. I realized during my exercise regiment that my pulled groin seemed to be gone. Funny thing is, I can't recall when exactly the pain subsided, but I suspect that it was just before leaving on vacation. For that I am thankful. Once again it was a lovely morning. It was only about 60 degrees but with oodles of sunshine. The day’s anticipated high is expected to peak near 86 degrees. After food prep and breakfast I took to watering my gorgeous flowers. These you must see. I’ve gotten several compliments. I drove the Trooper since I was expecting to hear from Bob, and in turn expecting to join him for golf later in the afternoon. Otherwise, I would’ve driven the BM’er. I arrived at work around 8:15am. The day was something short of hellish. I was busy beyond busy. I didn’t get out for my run until 2pm. According to the weather bug, it was over 90 degrees with about 40% humidity. My run was tough, the toughest by far of this young summer season. Since my return from vacation I have been dragging a little. I’m not for certain why, but if I were to guess I’d chalk it up to overloading on carbs, basking in the sun, & drinking daily. The thing is, I didn’t feel like this while running in Mexico at all. But if I have learned anything about my body over the years it is that there are good days and better days. I was eager for the work day to end. Lord knows I gave it everything I had today. I left for home around 5:15pm feeling somewhat beaten down. I stopped at Home Depot on my way determined to buy the sprinkler pump that I eyeballed last night. Mindy indicated that she’d gladly get that for me for Father’s Day. After checking it over once again I bought it. For some reason, though, it was $33 more than their internet add advertised. I had to stop at Lowe’s, too, to get the ‘foot stand’ for the suction hose. This little device is like a filter that prevents reverse water flow and blocks larger debris from entering the pump. It’s a must. They had just what I needed. I was home by 6pm and immediately walked Ykraps in the hot steamy early evening sunshine. I heard on the way home that we had a strong chance of evening storms coming at us from the Pittsburg area – the east. The sky darkened. I checked the radar and it looked scary. Sadly, though, all the storms missed us. They went just to our south. I fired up the grill around 7:00pm and grilled salmon filets. We ate on the deck under breezy, stormy looking skies. After finishing up with dinner I went out and took care of a few chores. I finally repaired the underground hose that feeds my rear water supply. After a few more chores I went in and updated my blog. In between, I tucked the kids in. They were waiting on me. Mindy and I went to bed at 10pm sharp.

Yard Fleck

I woke even later than I did on Monday. I didn’t get my butt out of bed until 6:10am. But that was after 9 hours of sleep so I felt very well rested. Just as I was exiting the master bedroom for downstairs Mindy, in a quiet voice, shared that she had some bad dreams through the night. I acknowledged the fact by asking about what. She told me that Jacob was missing and she couldn’t find him. I asked for clarification. Was this a bad dream or a fantasy? J Just kidding, of course. I headed downstairs after telling her that at least she knew it wasn’t true. I did my exercises then left with Ykraps on our routine morning stroll. It was beautiful. Once again, it was hovering somewhere in the low 60’s under brilliantly clear blue skies. I was looking forward to our return and ultimately some ‘Jimmy’ coffee. After a short stint on the PC editing more vacation pictures I got busy packing my lunch and making breakfast. It’s so hard to peel myself away from photo editing. I routinely think to myself just a couple more and then end up doing another twenty or so. I enjoyed my breakfast on the deck in the lovely weather. I took to watering immediately after finishing up. I took my time watering making sure to soak everything really, really well. I was surprised that it was already 7:50am when I finished. I delivered Mindy’s coffee before I showered. I tried to be somewhat quiet but that’s next to impossible. Jacob, I saw, had already taken up my position in bed. I readied for work and left by 8:15am – much later than I had hoped. I arrived at work just before 8:30am. My work day was beyond busy. At times I felt inundated. Yet despite the frantic pace, I was still able to escape for my run on time. It was lovely – about 84 degrees and sunny. My legs were a little tight but other than that I was fine. My afternoon was hectic, too. That had a lot to do with my boss and two of my peers being out. I left for home around 5:15pm. I stopped at Home Depot and Lowe’s to eyeball sprinkler pumps. Now that the pond has returned to its proper level I am giving serious consideration to using it as a watering source. Decent pumps range anywhere from $150-200 it seems. I looked at both home improvement stores. At home Mindy had dinner already on the table. We had broiled boneless chicken breast, green beans, and salad. As soon as I finished I headed out to cut the lawn. I managed to get it all done in just about 1.5 hours. After I finished I watered the flower beds again. They seem to have gotten a bit crusty while I was gone, but I expected that even though my dad watered daily. However, I don’t think he soaked them like I do. He kept everything alive and well, though. I spent a few minutes adjusting my tomato plants, too. They are almost three feet tall, bushy, and budding. They look great! I already have one jalapeño pepper ready for picking, too. I headed in the house just after 8:30pm. I took a quick shower to rinse away the yard fleck and then tucked in the kids. Mindy headed up to bed and I updated my blog minus pictures. I’ll add those another day. I headed upstairs between 10-10:30pm.

Back

I slept in until 6am. I had trouble sleeping the night before. I’d guess that it was the mega chocolate birthday cake I ate around 8pm. I had quite the sugar buzz. It was time to return to my usual morning routine. I whipped out my sit-ups, push-ups and curls in about fifteen minutes. Despite an awesome gym at the resort, I hadn’t touched a weight since last Sunday. I was slow packing my lunch and whipping up my breakfast. Except for the soft music, I had complete silence as Mindy & the kids continued sleeping. After eating my eggs I took to the yard to reinstate my daily watering regiment. It took a while to soak all of the flower beds, pots, and baskets. I noticed the pond being as full as it’s been in probably three years despite the ongoing lack of rain. It seems whatever work they’ve been doing on Wilson Rd has helped raise the water level of the pond. Finally, no more mucky mud islands. For this I was pleased. I showered and readied for work around 7:40am. I left the house with everyone still in bed just before 8am. It was a beautiful morning with temperatures in the low 60’s and brilliant sunshine. The forecasted high was 84 degrees. I arrived at the office just after 810am. Soon I was back in the groove. I had over 1500 emails in my inbox – ouch! Many stopped by to ask about my vacation, and I shared and handful of vacation stories. The morning went very quickly. It wasn’t too long before 12:45pm rolled around and I left for a run. The weather was ideal. It was 82, sunny, and next to no humidity. The run was tougher than I expected, but I finished in my usual 42 minutes. The afternoon brought more excitement. I was furiously busy. I couldn’t believe that the day was over so quickly. I left for home at 5:15pm. I headed straight home since we had dinner plans with Mindy’s mother, today being her 73rd birthday. Mindy had everything taken care of at home. All I had to do was change into some comfy clothes and brush my teeth. We picked Gloria up just after 6pm. We went to the original Minelli’s on Sullivant Ave. Dinner was good. Gloria and Bella both had spaghetti. Mindy had perch, Jacob chicken strips, and I had pizza. We were there just over an hour. We dropped Gloria at home around 7:30pm and then headed home ourselves. At home Mindy bathed the kids while I toiled in the flower beds. We spent some time on the deck talking after the kids were tucked in. The kids found their way back downstairs and out onto the deck, however, after complaining about having difficulty falling asleep. That didn’t last too long, though. We retucked them into bed near 9pm and then headed to bed ourselves. I was eager to get a good night’s sleep.

Flora & Fauna 6/3 - 6/10

Sunday (continued)

We left for the airport with little fuss & right at 1:30pm. Fifty minutes later we were at our gate, which was temporarily quarantined off from the rest of the terminal while returnees were being processed through customs. To kill time, we found a pub upstairs overlooking the runway where we enjoyed a beer & margarita.

We departed Port Columbus at 4pm. It was a smooth 3 hour flight into Cancun. We landed at 6:05pm CDT. Unlike other times, we were quickly processed through Mexican customs, reunited with our luggage, and on the bus destined for our resort in 40 short minutes. The bus ride to the resort took an hour and ten minutes. It was 8pm when we walked up to the resort lobby.

Our room was nice, just a few buildings over from the lobby. We dropped our gear and took off on a self-guided tour of the resort eventually finding our way to the pool & the beach. After the beach we found an open buffet restaurant where we enjoyed some food. We didn’t realize it at the time but the A/C was broken. We didn’t stay out too late. I think we might’ve grabbed another drink at the lobby bar before retiring to our room and bed for the night.


































Monday

Morning came and when I threw open the drapes we were greeted with fairly thick cloud cover, not the bright Mexican sunshine I was expecting. I was only a little disappointed thinking that they’d surely burn off. I left for my run after a fast round of push-ups out on the balcony. I was a tad nervous about taking off into the unknown, but quite often that is how I discover the hidden treasures within a resort. This day was no exception. I couldn’t believe the beauty. I found crocodiles, beautifully flowered lagoons leading up to waterside bungalows, and thatched pathways winding through the twisting jungle. I was in awe. And just like most of the reviews I read, there was no sense of over crowding by any means. In fact, it seemed a little deserted.

After my run and a shower, Mindy and I set out to find breakfast. We ended up at the same restaurant where we had our buffet dinner the night before. Again, it was a bit stuffy in there even though it wasn’t yet that hot. The food was good, however. I always look forward to the breakfast buffets probably more than any other meal.

After food we stopped by the lobby to check-in with the Apple Vacations rep. We booked our three dinner reservations, too, and received an invite to the complimentary honeymooners dinner. We also accepted an invite to a beach party. Next, we asked Eduardo, the gentleman working the lobby desk, why we didn’t get the room upgrade advertised on the Apple webpage. He said in broken but understandable English, that it was only IF available, NOT complimentary. Fruit basket complimentary, room upgrade ONLY IF available. Keeping my cool, I told Eduardo that the resort certainly didn’t look full to me. Now a little perturbed, he responded by saying that they were not empty. Mindy then asked the next obvious question. When will an upgraded room be available? Eduardo said tomorrow you come back here with bags and we’ll move you to bldg nine – jr suite by beach. Cool!

We returned to our room where we readied for a day on the beach. Clouds hung over head most of the day but the sun broke through numerous times. And even though there were clouds, we could feel the hot Mexican sun warming our relatively pale Ohio skin. We hung at the beach most of the day.

Later, we did dinner at the Bamboo, the resort’s Chinese offering. The service was exceptional. And for quite a while we were their only customer. The highlight of the meal was dessert. Our waiter insisted we try the strawberry flambé. And what a spectacle that was. After dinner we moseyed back to our room under a star lit sky.










Tuesday

We were greeted with sunshine shining in through the draperies Tuesday morning – a very welcome sight. I chose to run the beach in lieu of the resort trails – beautiful. Just as planned, we moved to a bigger/nicer room much closer to the beach. Snorkeled the local reef. Sunny skies all day. Honeymooners dinner hosted by the resort. It was very nice but very warm and humid. Couldn’t wait to get back to our room and remove our clothes and sleep in A/C.

Wednesday

I ran along the beach. Morning clouds gave way to sunshine by 9:30am. Ate breakfast at the White Sands buffet. Visited the crocodile pond along the way. Drank three Mimosa’s with breakfast – very tasty! Beach sunny but breezy. Red flags – no snorkeling. We hung out at the Rocas salt water pool all day – very lovely! Clouded over around 4pm. Beach Barbeque at 7pm. There we met Dave & Rela from Chicago. They were friendly and interesting folks. We shared a table. Drinks at the lobby bar. Met a couple whose names escape me from Germany on their honeymoon. She was a lawyer and he worked for Citigroup. Back to our room by 10pm, again hot & sleepy.

Thursday

Wake to sunshine! Ran the beach. Mimosa’s at the breakfast buffet. Rocas salt water pool all day. Mindy drank margaritas and I drank mimosa’s most of the day. Walked along the coral beach – very, very beautiful. Couldn’t snorkel due to red flags – high surf. Canceled dinner reservations at El Dorado steak house. Ate instead at the buffet. Very good! Back to the room and in bed early – before 10pm.

Friday

Wake to sunshine & cloud mix, but eventually gave way to full sunshine. Ran the beach and meditated to the rolling surf all the while the warm sunshine beat against my sweaty body. Breakfast at the buffet. I drank mimosa’s with breakfast. Wanted to snorkel again today but again red flags. No resort sponsored water sports. Assured us there would be no red flags tomorrow. Hung at the Rocas pool drinking mimosa’s all afternoon. On our way back to our room we made an unplanned stop at the main pool for the first time all week. Met Al & Gale from Tucson, Arizona. We drank at the swim-up pool bar for about 2 hours. We were both way buzzed! We also met two nineteen year old boys from Pennsylvania that were partying very hard and flirting with all the girls. Mindy thought that they were cute. We took an hour nap before heading to dinner. Still buzzed, we dined at the buffet. Back to our room before 9pm and in bed.













Saturday

Beautiful sunshine. Up at 6:30am. Ran the beach & meditated immediately after from the same secluded coral rock as the morning before. Breakfast at the White Sands buffet. Stopped by the Colonial lobby to arrange for airport shuttle tomorrow AM. Requested we be at the lobby by 6:20am for departure! What??? Beach by 9:30am. Mindy secured snorkel gear for the entire day for $5. Stopped to have her hair braided and beaded on the beach while I took a long walk. Snorkeled the same coral formation that we did on Tuesday. Thousands of beautiful fish. After snorkeling we hung at the Rocas salt water pool for a couple hours. After burgers at the beach bar we visited the main pool for our last blast of Mexican sunshine. Around 4pm a thunderhead exploded from nowhere, but we were ready to bag the day anyhow. We retreated to the room to grab some cash for souvenir shopping. We shopped at two shops- one open air vendor on the beach and then the Kantenah lobby gift shop. Returned to our room to pack for early Sunday departure. We dined at the Brazilian Restaurant – lots of skewered meats – rabbit, lamb, pork, chicken, sausage, beef. No dessert – too bloated and too full. Returned to our room for early bedtime – 8:30pm.













Sunday – Departure day

Up at 4:45am. Moon & stars still prevalent. I ran in complete darkness, although the sky began to show signs of day break as I ran. I ran the resort trails in lieu of beach. Kind of scary running the jungled trails. The sky was showing signs of day break just as I finished. I took one last run out to the beach. Mindy was all but ready. I showered and finished packing. We walked our luggage to the lobby as the bell boy phone rang busy after numerous attempts to call for a shuttle. No biggie! We departed for the airport at 6:50am. An hour and twenty minutes later we were through security and shopping the duty free store at the airport. We wanted a burger but they were only serving breakfast foods. We passed. We boarded and left 30 minutes early. Cool! Three fast hours later at 2:15pm we landed in Columbus.

Unfortunately, we were selected for a full search by US Customs agents. There was one other couple singled out as well. They had numerous bags and several illegal items, so we had to wait for several minutes. Both of us were anxious to get beyond the last check point and on our way home. Finally, after waiting about thirty minutes they searched all of our bags. Of course they found nothing. We were on our way to the Blue Lot by 3:30pm. We stopped at the Lennox Target before heading home. We picked up a card & gift certificate for Gloria and some much needed milk. We received a call from Jimaken indicating that their flight schedule had been altered and that they were stuck in DC. We arrived home around 4pm. Ashley and Olivia were there waiting for us. We visited with them until 5:30pm.

We arrived at Jody & Larry’s at 6:55pm – just in time to celebrate Gloria’s birthday. We visited until 8:30pm. Just after we arrived home Jim and kids arrived did too. We were happy to be reunited. They spent the entire week in the Outer Banks. After visiting for a few Mindy got the kids ready for bed. They went out right away. We went to bed around 10:30pm after I downloaded and edited many of our vacation pictures. I took about 350 shots.

It's Time to Go!

And We're Off!!














I woke at 7am to hug my pillow and roll over. But even before I could fall back into my slumber I heard the welcome rumble of thunder nearby. Later the thunder was accompanied by the pitter- patter of rain! Wahoo! I laid there enjoying the blissful sound and eventually turned on the TV to check out the radar. There was a front moving up from the Southeast - most unusual for these parts.

I hugged Mindy and told her that I was getting up. It was 7:30am - my natural rise time. I made coffee and exercised. I was eager to walk Ykraps in the rain and survey the amount. It smelt terrific - the summer rain and all. You could smell summer flowers in the air. Despite the rain, the pond was still very low.

After my walk I returned for some coffee and writing. It continued to rain lightly, but I could see that the sky was already brightening. I went to let Mindy know that I was leaving for a run at 9am. She said she had no particular rise time in mind. I kept my run within the confines of the subdivision. It went very well. I noticed as I ran by the stream feeding our pond that it was roaring with water. Iwas surprised upon my return to see the pond as swollen as it's been in weeks - perhaps even months. That made me smile.

Inside, Mindy was up having some coffee. She asked if I wanted breakfast. She warmed me two leftover pancakes. I made myself a bowl of Fruit Loops using half & half, too. Both hit the spot. After breakfast we had a quickie and then I headed outside to knock out some chores. I hung the new sun ornament on the north side of the shed, watered all the flowers front and back, and started to repair the hose. I decided to forego the repir until I get back. The worst that happens is that my pepper plants get a nice misty watering while dad waters the rest of the backyard beds.

I couldn't overlook the obvious difference in grass length around the flower beds, and especially after the early morning rains. I decided last minute to get out the mower and cut around the beds. It took about twenty minuntes to manually cut all the areas needing attention. I'm glad I did it because if we get the weather forecasted while we're gone, the grass will be knee deep upon our return. After lawn chores I returned inside for more last minute packing and blogging.

The time has come; the time is now. Marvin K Mooney you must go now!

Cause For Celebration

A celebration was indeed in order. I rolled out of bed around 7:30am to begin my Saturday. I had just nailed down a full nine hours sleep for the first time since last Friday night. And that much coveted sleep left me refreshed and ready for a big day. Mindy said she’d join me in just a few minutes when she heard the coffee alarm go off. I had only to hit the ‘go’ button on the maker. She had it already prepped.

I exercised quickly and then leashed up Ykraps for our neighborhood walk. It was yet another gorgeous summer morning in Columbus. The birds were singing, it was sunny, and the temperature already around 70. Ahh, the summer!

Back home the coffee maker alarm had already sounded but still no sign of Mindy. The kids were up and already out playing on the deck. It wasn’t long before Mindy joined us. She made herself coffee and headed out onto the deck with the kids. I checked email, the weather forecast, and headlines. I readied for a run before 9am. While I’d be running, Mindy agreed to make pancakes and spicy sausage for our Saturday breakfast.

It was a very nice run. I ran down Trabue to Hague and back into Scioto Woods through Western Run. It was very, very steamy. As I reentered the house, the sweet smell of sausage permeated the air. It wasn’t quite ready so I spent the next five or so minutes trimming the Spirea bushes along the front entrance to the house. They’re all in flower but also growing like crazy into the flow of foot traffic. We were expecting my dad to stop by for a watering walk through, but we weren’t exactly sure what time. We had plenty of food in case he wanted breakfast.

We ate breakfast as a family. Both the pancakes and the sausage were mighty tasty. Jacob loved the extra spicy sausage- a boy after my own heart. We dipped it in our syrup. After breakfast we briefly discussed the day’s agenda. It would be a busy one. I wanted to complete the staining of the shed, repair the buried garden hose, pack, & run a couple last minute errands. Furthermore, the kids were leaving for their vacation with dad around 5pm, but even before that we had a 50th year wedding anniversary to attend in mid to late afternoon. And somewhere amongst all of that my dad was coming over. I didn’t waste any time. I changed into my painting shorts (a 23 year old pair of Jams) and gathered my tools and headed to the shed. It was already very warm and muggy. I started on the north side, the final side, although I still had to finish the pond facing side too. I did the trim and the grooves in the T-111 first. That takes the most time. Slapping on the rest is a snap. My dad arrived just after 11am, and by then I had no more than 20-25 minutes left of staining still to do.

Mindy & and the kids made arrangements to visit & swim with her friends Doug & Tara in the Glen. I spent the next 45 minutes with dad doing my watering routine. It’s nothing out of the ordinary but I wanted him to see my routine. Plus, some of the potted flowers & hanging baskets could easily die if they miss one key watering.

I left the hoses strategically placed in the yard so that he wouldn’t have to drag the hoses around. One benefit of the recent dry streak is that I wouldn’t have to mow the lawn before leaving. It hasn’t grown much at all in ten days save for the areas surrounding the flower beds that benefit from the daily waterings.

After dad left I quickly returned to the staining. I was eager to put the project behind me. I finished in about thirty minutes. By then it was very hot & humid. After putting everything away and taking a shower, I took to updating my blog. I was expecting the kids and Mindy anytime. They arrived home between 2:30 and 3pm. I still hadn’t packed anything but did have most things organized to where I could pack it in a matter of about thirty minutes. We left for Ray & Carol Wright’s 50th anniversary party at 3:10pm. It was being held at Crossroads United Methodist Church. The sky threatened rain just before we left. Along our way to the party it finally rained.

There were probably 100-150 people, most of whom I’ve a time or two, at the anniversary party held in the reception hall. Most of Mindy’s immediate family was there, too. It was good to see everyone since we would be out of pocket for Sunday dinner. We couldn’t stay too long. We had to be home before 5pm as Jimaken was scheduled to pick-up the children then for their trip. We arrived home by 4:50pm. Mindy asked that I organize our travel information to give to Jim in case of emergency. And while I took care of that, Jimaken showed up. Mindy was emotional as we hugged and kissed the kids goodbye. She did a good job of masking her heart break until after they left. They were excited about their trip, too.

After the kids were gone Mindy and I left to run our errands. I needed more multi-vitamins and wanted to get the decorative sun ornament for the side of the shed. We headed to the Georgesville Rd Lowe’s. I knew they didn’t have any left at the Mill Run store. Oh my gosh! What a difference 8 miles makes. The folks at this Lowes were quite the site. You could actually detect a change in accent and demeanor without even trying. It turned out that they didn’t have any left at Georgesville store either. Crap! I knew that I should’ve bought one last week when I got the stain. Oh well. Wasn’t meant to be.

Instead of driving to Target to get vitamins, we decided to hit the nearby Wal-Mart. And while we thought the crowd at Lowe’s was a bit different, we couldn’t believe what we ran into at the ‘Mart. The odd were out in full force, and these se folks looked scary. We perused the outdoor area looking for anything close to what we wanted from Lowe’s. And because of our clean living we found a sun ornament that we looked even better, and it cost less, too. I went to the health isle to grab my vitamins. There they had my usual One-A-Days for Men but also had the Wal-Mart equivalent right next to them for almost half the price. And if you’re familiar with the marketing, they even have a label that compares it to the targeted brand of competition. After studying the labels (identical) I opted for the savings – call me stupid! In each isle were shopped were both entertained by the shoppers. They were certainly different. As we exited the store with our purchases we realized to that this was the first of the month and that this was shopping day for most government recipients. I’m not passing judgment but instead merely pointing out the obvious.
After Wal-Mart we headed home both of us a little surprised at the time. It was already after 6pm. We both wanted to do something but we weren’t sure what. We thought about going to the short north and later seeing the Deanna Sweeny Band at the Short North Tavern. We haven’t seen Deanna in a long time (circa my birthday).

Once home we hung out just long enough to decide that we wanted to visit Barley’s for dinner. We called Bob & Mary Ann to see if they were up for joining us. They were home but cooking out on the patio. They invited us over. On our way to Barley’s we decided that we would take them up on the invite. We stopped at Barley’s bought a jug and wings to-go. We each had a beer while waiting on our order. We showed up at Bob & Mary Ann’s around 8:30pm if I were to guess. Bob & M.A. had some sweet corn & walleye fresh off the grill. We sat down to eat shortly after our arrival. We got to hear about the spur of the moment trip to Ocracoke last weekend. Sounds like fun a nice place.

After dinner and a few beers we retired to the front porch to relax. Their front porch reminds me much of my Grandma Lantz’s. They have a couple rockers and a dangling swing. We sat chatting until Bayla, their dog, escaped down the street. Bob, M.A. and I all took off looking for her in different directions. I was gone for a while following barking dogs. When I gave up and returned they had already recovered her. We hung out for another 45 minutes or so. Mindy was falling asleep. She asked if we could go home. We said our goodbyes and thanked Bob & M.A. for hosting a nice evening.

We went right to bed once we arrived home. It was about 11:45pm.

June Bugs

I woke Friday around 6:15am feeling incrementally better than the morning prior despite another short night’s sleep. I had a lot of extra motivation today. First, it was Friday, my favorite day of week. But even more significant was the fact that after today I’d be on vacation for an entire week. I haven’t taken a full week off of work since Xmas. That couldn’t hurt my mood.

Mindy got up long enough to make a cup of coffee even though she had no purpose to be up so early. I guess she couldn’t sleep. I made very quick work of my routine and prep. I was able to recover my time fully. I was out watering the plants by 7:10am.

I readied and left for work around 7:55am and arrived around 8:10am. I was determined that this was gonna be great day. Out of the shoot we had a few call-offs that hampered our effectiveness some but I didn’t let that get me down. I made arrangements to buy pizzas for the team to help elevate the mood. I was knee deep in alligators all day. It didn’t help that my peer was off on vacation. In the end, we managed successfully.

I left for my run while everyone enjoyed the pizza. I wisely stashed a few pieces in my office for after run consumption. Too often I return only to find it all gone, and today I purposefully didn’t pack a lunch. It was another hot & steamy day – perhaps the steamiest yet. There was a very warm breeze out of the west. But just like the past several days, I paced myself and completed the run without any complications.

I was very hungry after my run. After shower I hurried back to my office to the awaiting cold pizza. It went down easy. I took care of several key issues and managed to prepare for vacation. I was hitting on all cylinders. I left the office at 5:30pm feeling like I had a very successful day and a well deserved break in front of me.

I stopped at Lowe’s to return the three new paint brushes I bought to stain the deck after finding that I had adequate used brushes already at home. While there, I bought a new 100’ garden hose to replace the back yard feeder hose that sprung a leak just this morning.

After Lowe’s I drove to my dad’s to firm plans for the care of Ykraps and flower watering detail. I found him napping under his carport with a box fan aimed directly on him. He woke when Archie (his dog) gave me the dickens! We visited for about an hour, and discussed his most recent flare-up of arthritis. He was feeling exceptionally well today and felt confident signing up for Ykraps’ care and flower watering in my absence. I left around 6:30 knowing that Mindy had dinner on the table. When I arrived home I found that Mindy had already walked Ykraps and my dinner was on the table. Everyone else had already eaten. I sat down to eat boneless chicken breast and pasta smothered in pesto. It was good.

Mindy and I sat on the deck enjoying another beautiful evening and sunset. There would be no Barley’s tonight. Instead, we opted to stay home with the kids and enjoy each others company. I also hoped & looked forward to a good night’s sleep. After the kids had their bath and were in their jimmies, we lit off some bottle rockets and sparklers. They went to bed soon after. Soon the kids were tucked away in bed and we retreated to the deck for another half hour. I enjoyed one Hop Devil. Mindy had a glass of wine. We headed to bed just before 10pm. I was worried that I might not be able to sleep again but after lying there for about 20 minutes I drifted off to never-neverland.

Again and again

And again… Despite being incredibly tired and ready to sleep I didn’t fall asleep for good until 1am or after. I slept in as long as I could without screwing up my morning routine. I headed downstairs just before 6am. Coffee was already brewed, I could smell it. I was able to complete my exercise routine and finish my walk with Ykraps before 6:20am. Again today, Mindy was down getting her own coffee. I wasn’t certain what time she was planning to head into school to clean-up her classroom, but apparently that would be near her usual time. She clarified that she didn’t need a lunch. I packed mine in just over five minutes and had eggs frying on the stove. I was ready to water by 7:00am. The kids and Mindy left the house around 7:30am – just a little later than usual. I retreated to the shower soon after they departed. Once again, it was expected to be a hot one with high’s around 90 and just a slim chance of pop-up showers. I thought about driving the BM’er but didn’t. I arrived at work just after 8am. It was as busy as ever. I had to pay particular attention to the clock having interviews set-up immediately after my run. It would’ve been shameful to make them wait. I left for a run around 12:40 – five minutes sooner than usual. It was another hot steamy run that did nothing but further prepare my skin for the Mexican sunshine. I finished in a nice glaze. By the time I made it back to my office I had just five minutes before the interviews. I used the time to preview resumes and ensure I had my questions ready. We spent the next two hours interviewing four candidates. As usual, after a few of those my mind turns to jelly. I did my best. The work concluded an hour or so after we finished. I stuck around and talked with a peer and my boss until 5:30pm. I was home 15 minutes later feeling completely washed up after along day with an unequal amount of rest & energy depletion. I spent about an hour and a half staining the southern side of the shed finishing it off completely. As dusk approached, I had 2 ¾ sides of the beast completed. The end was in site. I cleaned up and retired to the house where I took a much needed shower and a grabbed a bite to eat. I tucked the kids into bed and then spent a few minutes with Mindy on the deck. She expressed her disdain over my funky mood. She went to bed after a short discussion. I stayed up reading determined to fall asleep around 10pm in an effort to get a full night’s sleep. But it never happened. I dosed for about five minutes while reading but once again found myself unable to drift off like the previous four nights. I tried the floor, the couch, and ultimately bed, where I finally drifted off in a light sleep around 1am.

Sleep Deprivation

Not me but it captures the feeling nicely















Being the bookworm that he is, this is where
Bob & M.A. stayed while in Ocracoke

Same story, different day. I struggled falling asleep again Tuesday night. I probably fell asleep close to 1am but my sleep was shallow and broken. Surprisingly though, I didn’t feel nearly as tired Wednesday AM as I thought I might. I was able to get through my exercise routine with little if any trouble. I’ve been down this road a couple times past and the sleepies usually catch up to me sometime into the day.

Mindy didn’t need a packed lunch for what would be her last official day of school with kids. I was happy that I only had to pack for myself. I made both our breakfasts like normal. I watered both front and back flowers before readying for work. We haven’t had a solid amount of rain in a couple of weeks. Because of this, our lawns are showing significant stress, and it’s so early in the season. In fact, my lawn still hads’t had a chance to show its full spring beauty prior to this dry spell. For whatever reason, my lawn is always slow to thicken despite better than usual care. I’ve been told it’s the strain of blue grass. We’ve had scattered storms almost daily but none have hit here at home all the while the temperature hovers at or near 90. We’ve had 15 of the 29 days so far in May at or above 80 degrees. I am not certain if that’s a record but they’re making a big deal of it on the news. I hope for overnight showers. Those are the absolute best. On a positive note, my tomato plants are growing seemingly overnight due to the steamy conditions.

Work was eventful, just as it always is. I was waiting to hear from Mr. Imber to confirm Wednesday evening golf. However, come run time, I still hadn’t heard a thing. My run went well – shirtless of course. And just like I figured, the sleepies set in just before hand. I was yawning big time in our staff meeting. But, for whatever reason, being over tired was not impacting my run. In fact, I’m surprised at how easy my runs have been in this early heat and humidity. Usually the first few days with temps near 90 and humidity levels above 50% I am dragging.

Upon my return to the office I saw that Bob emailed about tonight’s golf. He and Mary Ann just got back from Ocracoke yesterday and golf would be a stretch for him, although he indicated that he would if I wanted. I couldn’t do that to a friend. I responded in kind. I figured I’d spend the time staining the shed instead. I left work shortly after 5pm still very tired. I took the back way home, down Old Dublin Rd. That was a wise move given the traffic jam on I-270. The kids were out to dinner with their daddy. After walking Ykraps I got ready to stain another side of the shed. I decided to do the back side facing the pond under the guise of the massive honeysuckle bushes. It went slow and I was not very energetic. Knowing that it wouldn’t get done on its own, I pushed through the chore. I didn’t finish the entire side, but did keep going until the original gallon was gone. That seemed like a good cut-off point.

After clean-up & a quick shower, I sprinkled the front lawn and flowers. It’s such a shame to see the lawns browning up so early in the season. Mindy went off to bed. I was determined to read and fall asleep as close to 10pm as possible. I read until I caught myself drifting. I quickly launched myself to the floor grabbing two giant pillows on the way down. Just as I was drifting off Mindy came to the railing and asked if I was coming to bed. That startled me out of my sleep and once again I found myself unable to fall back asleep. I tried reading some more but never got that heavy sleepy feeling again. Eventually I dosed off but never deep enough. Around 3:30am I got up off the floor and headed to bed.

Feelin' Fuzzy

I got up and did some reading around 11pm after lying wide awake in bed for almost an hour. Funny thing, I was so tired when I went to bed, but after laying there in the dark for a while the sleepies vanished leaving me to stare at shadows on the walls. I knew that I’d pay come morning. And sure enough, when 5:45am rolled around I really didn’t want to get up. I felt incredibly sleepy even as I pushed through my morning exercise routine. The feeling never subsided. You know the feeling; the fuzzy head, the heavy eye lids, the slow response to pretty much any stimulus. On my walk with Ykraps is most often where I completely shake any sleepy remnants. Today they didn’t clear. I pushed it aside the best I could and got on with my morning. One thing’s for certain, if I continued to dwell upon it, it would never clear. Mindy came down to fetch her own coffee since I was running behind. She confirmed her desire for a packed lunch - perhaps the last of the year. Wahoo! I packed tuna fish and made fluffy scrambled eggs for breakfast. I hurried through my food so that I could get on to watering flowers. I watered for the next 20 minutes, but that took me up to 7:45am since I was up a little late and dragging behind at that. Work seemed slow and my fuzzy headedness only got worse. I already felt like I needed a long nap and it was still morning. I had a hard time getting in gear. I pushed through my morning best I could. I left for a run at 12:45pm. It was already hot & steamy. Despite feeling tired to the core I pushed through my run at a slower pace. The heat never became a factor. The afternoon went about like the morning – slow. I left work just after 5pm still feeling a bit out of sorts. I stopped at Target on my way home to get new batteries for my digital camera. I bought Ykraps a new box of dog treats, too. I wouldn’t want to risk him running out while on vacation. I called Mindy once I was out of Target and on my way home. She, as it turned out, had just gotten home herself, which is unusual. She asked me to pick-up a Minelli’s pizza on my way home. I let her go and made the call – extra large pep, extra cheese, and hot pepper rings. It was ready five minutes after I got there – perfect! I ate one tiny piece on the trip home. I walked Ykraps before eating anymore despite feeling extra hungry. By the time I returned from the walk, more than half the pizza was gone. I guess Mindy was hungry! I ate about four pieces while sitting at the island counter. The kids vanished outdoors to play. I told Mindy that I was heading upstairs for a nap. I was ridiculously tired. I turned on the TV to help push me over the edge. It worked, although the sleep was lighter than usual, which has been part of the problem the last few nights. I just haven’t been getting a deep sleep. I woke just as Mindy was crawling into bed. It was close to 8:30pm. Like a repeatable pattern, I couldn’t fall back asleep. I was hungry and restless. Just before 9pm I gave in to the urges and got up and went downstairs. The first thing I did was eat another piece of the pizza. There wasn’t much left – maybe four pieces. Next, I ate the big piece of chocolate cake Gloria sent home on Sunday. But that still didn’t fill me up so I popped some corn. While eating I took care of a number of pre-trip tasks. I recharged my MP3 player and downloaded several new pieces of music. Additionally, I updated my blog, and recharged the camera batteries. Lastly, before heading back to bed, I relaxed in my reading chair and read for a little while. That did the trick. It helped quiet my chattery mind.

Stain - a lasting impression

I didn’t sleep that good at all, but after yesterday I was excited just to be out of bed at a reasonable hour. It was 7:30am. I was up in the middle of the night craving food – something I rarely if ever do. That ill feeling that was so prevalent the day prior was almost completely gone. I was happy to exercise and make my coffee. The sky was clouded over – sort of what we’ve come to expect on Memorial Day in Ohio. As I walked Ykraps a large female deer came meandering out from our back yard and into the street. I was surprised at how nonchalantly she pranced around. Eventually she darted off between the neighbors’ houses and we lost sight of her. I hoped that the kids caught a glimpse of her. However, turns out that they didn’t. They were playing in the basement. The sky began to brighten as I sipped my coffee. It was looking more and more like a 'staining' day. I found my running shorts and hit the streets before 930am. I ran along Trabue thinking that it being a holiday and all traffic would be light. It was. I returned from my run hungry. Mindy warmed some French toast leftover from the morning prior. It was mighty yummy. After I ate I moved into staining mode. I rounded up the necessary tools and made my way to neighbor Pat’s to hopefully borrow his aluminum extension ladder. He and Lisa were up and sitting on their deck. After a brief conversation he fetched me the ladder and I headed home ready to get busy. I decided to stain the front side first. I wanted to ensure the color was to my liking and the front would take the most time with the double doors and all the trim. I figured, too, that after completing one whole side, Mindy and I would do something fun after the kids leave for the pool with their daddy. The staining took a little longer than I expected, but it was relaxing. The wood sucked that stuff up. Still, I bought quality stain that covered nicely in one good coat. It took a while to do all the grooves in the T-111 as well as all the 1X4” trim boards around the door and roof line. Brother Tommy stopped by for about an hour while I stained, He spent most of his time visiting and talking with Mindy. I was focused. I finished up around 2:00pm. Mindy and I talked. I offered up a couple of ideas. I thought we could hike Darby Park or possibly even Hayden Falls. Mindy was certain that Darby would be a zoo having spent a prior Memorial Day there, so she opted for Hayden Falls. After a quick shower we took the BM’er and and a few provisions and headed out the door for Hayden Falls. We exited Scioto Woods at the rear and ventured by my dad’s. We could see that Tommy and Uncle Kenny were visiting. Mindy asked if I wanted to stop in. I opted not for wanting to get on with our venture. We cruised up Old Dublin Rd toward Hayden. It was a fun drive. Once at Hayden we quickly realized how crowded it was, at least judging by the jammed parking lot. We nixed the idea of stopping. Instead of hiking we did the next best thing. We drove to the Mill Run Target to shop! I wasn’t sure what Mindy had in mind but we went. Once inside she began looking at girly stuff right away. I ventured off on my own offering that we’d meet up later. That worked for her. I found my way to the flip-flops after remembering that I needed a new pair. I found a pair I liked quickly. They’re a substantial upgrade from the $5 pair I bought some 7 or 8 years ago. I looked next at running shorts and tops. I ended up selecting one sleeveless sweat sucking shirt, as well a Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon t-shirt. Before looking for Mindy I found a new back pack that will better suit my travel needs over the one I already have. It will protect my laptop and leave plenty of extra room for books, camera, and other miscellaneous items. I found Mindy close to the check out area. She wanted to show me a few things. We ended up buying a new 4-tier shoe rack for the laundry room – one shelf per person – a very good idea! Sometimes our laundry room looks like a Pick-way shoe mart. We picked up a couple more ‘bubba cups’ for our trip too. Lastly, I bought a raspberry lemonade Icee on our way to the car. We headed towards home. There were scattered showers all around the area. We missed them all but drove through the remnants. We decided to stop in and visit my dad and Uncle Kenny as we passed. They were still sitting under the car port sipping tea. Tommy had already left for home. We visited for just under an hour. It occurred to me during our visit just how old these two are getting – both of them nursing various injuries and telling their stories. Note to self. It was a nice visit. UK is quite the conversationalist. We left just after 5:30pm. And just as we were leaving, Jamaken called indicating that he was already back at the house with the kids. I walked Ykraps as soon as we got home. Jacob joined me along the walk having his dad drop him at the corner to catch me. I lit the grill when I returned. We cooked burgers on the grill while the kids played with their new friends next door. After dinner I took to watering the flowers in the front yard giving them a good thorough soaking. I thought about sprinkling but was convinced we had a big storm coming after checking weather radar. Never did rain. Mindy spelled me for a few while I tucked in the kids. After watering and talking it was almost 9:30pm. Still feeling the effects of a wild Saturday night, I opted for an early bedtime.

Rough Day

I must’ve woke around 7:00am for a very brief moment and just long enough to choke down three Advil. The one thing I knew was that I needed way more sleep. I felt terrible and had a horrible taste still in my mouth. Yuck! I slept until after 10am when I finally struggled my way out of bed. Down stairs I couldn’t stay on my feet. I felt so bad. Back to sleep only this time on the couch. Eventually I rolled to the floor where I slept until after noon. Convinced that I absolutely had to get my run done, I managed to slip into my running shorts and shoes and stumble out the door and into the Sunday sauna. Let’s just say that I ran my four miles on pure will – nothing else! My head was fried and my thinking dull. I felt marginally better as I worked my way around the subdivision. But there were a couple of times when I thought that I might pass out. As I spotted home in the distance nothing sounded better than my pillow. I felt so bad that I couldn’t talk. I rushed to the master suite where I took a much needed shower. It felt good but still not enough to snap me out of my funk. I was hungover like never before. After my shower I leaped back into bed and slept until nearly 3pm. Finally, I began to get a reprieve. I felt incrementally better, but by no means cured. I managed to dress and eat a half a sandwich feeling like I needed some substantial in my tummy. We left for Sunday dinner at Gloria’s around 3:30pm. I think that Mindy was surprised I went along, but I am a man of my word. She was even more surprised when I donned the trimmers and rake and began the yard work we’d been planning for about a week. The physical exertion actually helped my cause. I just needed to keep some water flowing in. We did yard work for about an hour leading up to dinner. By then everyone else was there, too, although it was a small crowd. I was eager to get some protein in my body. I ate baked steak, pork chops, boiled potatoes and green beans, and cottage cheese. The food seemed to heal what ailed me. I felt so much better after eating a large meal. I even ate some chocolate cake for dessert. We left Gloria’s around 7pm. I was crashing fast. At home I walked Ykraps who had been waiting patiently for our return. After the walk I felt good enough to water my flowers which I failed to complete earlier for obvious reasons. At 8:30 Mindy and I agreed to head up to bed and watch the movie RV on DVD. She was certain that I would fall asleep minutes into it. The movie was just funny enough to keep my interest. I managed to stay up for the entire thing. I think that I was so tired I couldn’t sleep.

Too Tipsy

I was up at 7:30am. Mindy, as she often does, chose to stay in bed and catch up on her sleep. The kids, of course, were already up so I took care of their immediate needs along with my own. Soon I had coffee brewing, my vitamin down and my exercises completed. I asked the kids to quiet down a little a couple of times. They’re four and seven. They know only one volume level. While I enjoyed coffee and surfed the internet, the kids played in the basement. I left for a run just after 9am. I ran down Trabue and Hague for the first time in a couple of weeks. It was refreshing. After all, it was a beautiful morning. Mindy was still sleeping even after I returned. The kids continued to entertain themselves. Before getting started on the shed project, I decided to trim the dead English Ivy vines from the eastern-most front flower bed. That’s never as easy as it appears as each individual vine tends to take root multiple times making it difficult to cut it back cleanly. But having done this a couple of times past, I knew the drill well. An hour later I had it cleared, raked, and ready for the new purple sage. While I was busy working in the ivy beds, Mindy finally emerged from bed and made us a big breakfast. She made maple bacon and scrambled eggs laced with tomato & cheese. It was all very good. Mindy knew that I wanted to get cracking on the shed so she agreed to clean-up the dishes. I got ready to get down and dirty. The first thing I did was mix 1 part bleach to 4 parts water in my pump sprayer. I mixed just shy of two gallons. I sprayed it on the southern side of the shed first. Almost instantly it turned the dark trim boards white again validating that it was mildew, just as the internet tip explained. Eventually I work my way all around the shed. After letting it set for about thirty minutes I readied the power washer. It hadn’t been run since last fall’s garage cleaning project. I began power washing in the same sequence that I applied the bleach solution. The shed cleaned up like new. In fact, it was better than new. The power washing opened up the pores of the wood to better receive stain. I finished the power washing in just over an hour. Now it would need to dry for at least a day before applying stain. My next project was planting the purple sage out front. That took another hour. Mindy & Bella returned from grocery shopping phase one while I was at it. After getting all seven planted I watered all the beds, front and back. I spent the rest of the late afternoon doing a handful of miscellaneous tasks. Most notably, I washed the BM’er and the minivan. The BM’er hadn’t been washed since last fall. It looked really good when it was done – better than ever. The van cleaned up nicely too. I was about done! I had all the fun I could take for one day. I retreated to the house for a shower. I walked Ykraps shortly after my shower. I opened a Hop Devil & took to the deck. It was after 7:30pm. I grabbed some sparklers and bottle rockets and entertained the kids for a few. Just as we were enjoying our pyrotechnics, Renee showed up for dinner. We were planning to grill filets & shrimp again tonight. The kids ate earlier and went to bed shortly after 8pm. We got busy grilling sometime around 8:30pm and sat to eat on the deck at dusk. It was an incredibly beautiful evening. Renee’ made me one of her gin drinks at the meal’s conclusion. It was tasty and also very strong. Sometime after that we invited our neighbors, Crissy & Kenny over. As the evening passed Renee’s new friend Tandy showed up, too. Somewhere along the line Renee’ and I thought it a good idea to do shots of Jack while Mindy did Goldschlager. After a few beers, some gin, & shot or two of Jack, I was toast. Next thing I knew I woke up in the back yard out by the shed and very cold. I felt miserable. I could hear everyone still carrying on up on the deck. And for whatever reason I wanted to avoid them. To that end, I stumbled my way along the side of house nearly falling a couple of times. Eventually I let myself in through the garage as the front door was locked. How I managed to press the right combo I’ll never know. All I could think of was getting to my bed. Good Night Moon!

Five months 'til Xmas

While I can’t recall exactly what time it was when I rolled out of bed, I know that it was before 5:40am. After all, this was Friday, my favorite day of the week. Add to that the fact that it was a holiday weekend and I was in great spirits. I exercised and walked Ykraps just before enjoying morning coffee. I checked with Mindy to be sure that she wanted lunch. Sometimes a friend brings her food on Friday’s. She wanted a packed lunch. For the next half hour I packed our lunches and made our breakfast. Mindy cut up cantaloupe the night before making prep that much easier. Like most mornings of late, I headed out to water the flowers before heading off to the shower. Despite the lack of appreciable rainfall, my flowers are looking sweet. I have been watering them religiously each & every morning. The Sweet Gum tree in the front landscape that I worried might have died ha bounced back nicely, although a few arterial branches and many of the branch tips didn’t make it. But just like the arborist stated, lots of new growth is shooting out from the main branches. It definitely looks healthy enough to save. For that I am pleased. After my watering I hurried through a shower and readied for departure. I arrived at work just after 8am. The work day was busy – just like every other Friday. I escaped for a run at my usual 12:45pm. It was another sunny & warm day, and the humidity has been inching ever higher with each passing day. More and more it’s feeling like summer. Just a pair of shorts today – well, & tennis shoes too! I returned to my desk and ate my packed lunch. I spent the rest of the afternoon clearing out lots of administrative tasks. I was able to leave the office before 5:15pm. I headed straight for Lowe’s determined to pick-up stain for the shed. I bought three gallons of Olympic’s best stuff along with three new brushes. While there, I also picked up seven one-gallon purple sage plants (a perennial that flowers all summer long) to add to my front landscape in a bed once thick with English Ivy. Mindy was already home. Her mother was there and so was daughter Ashley and GD Olivia. Mindy & Gloria were headed to the hospital to see Todd’s new baby. I was originally going to go but decided to stay home with the kids. Mindy and Gloria left just after 6pm. I was especially tired after a long day. I tired napping but the kids just wouldn’t’ allow it. Jacob was full of energy. Unfortunately, he would be serving his two day sentence for striking his mother beginning today and going through Sunday. That meant he couldn’t go out and play. The scope of the punishment didn’t really sink in until the neighbor boy came over to ask if Jacob could come out and play. Jacob couldn’t but Bella could. Jacob pouted as he watched the kids playing from the bay window. Honestly, I was happy to see him so remorseful. He muttered a few word of it not being fair but ultimately knew that it was. I took this opportunity to talk with him privately about the actions that got him in this mess in the first place. Mindy didn’t get back from the hospital visit until after 8:30pm. I had just finished readying the kids for bed prior to her arrival. They were in their jammies and ready to be tucked in. But I think they got a quick snack before heading up to bed. After they were in bed, I changed into attire more suitable for Barley’s and the summery conditions (shorts & a t-shirt). Tommy called just as we were leaving the house to let us know that he was already at Barley’s. It was almost 9pm by the time we arrived. The place was sparely populated, especially inside at the bar. It was pretty much just Mark, Steve and Tommy. That’s it! However, there was a large contingent outdoors on the patio too. Pale was on the firkin. I had one of those. Mindy had a Dragon’s Milk. We ordered food too. I had Gates of hell wings and I think that Mindy had one of those salads she likes so well. We hung at Barley’s until 11pm or so. Tommy left just before us. Ashley was awake when we returned. She packed up Olivia & left for home minutes later. As we always do, we offered up the guest room but she declined wanting instead to go home. After Ashley left I’ll bet that we weren’t up but ten minutes longer. I wanted to be up early to get a jump on the shed project.