Mexican Siesta

I heard the irrigation system kick on around 430am. I woke a couple times during its 66 minute cycle but both times falling back asleep. I woke for good around 5:40am and headed downstairs to begin my day. I completed calisthenics by 5:50am and then headed outside with Ykraps. There was another gorgeous morning in the offing – clear skies and temps in the mid 60s. September has been nothing short of spectacular thus far. And looking ahead there doesn’t appear to be an end to it in sight. It was after 6am by the time we made our way back home. Ykraps was taking his dear old time. As he ages, it’s taking him longer and longer to do his business. Because of the time, I prepared Mindy’s cup of coffee right along with my own. However, I left it sit for five minutes while I did some brief PC time. I delivered her coffee at 610am. Despite a good night’s sleep I was still tired, and really could’ve used another hour or so. Come 6:20am I transitioned to meditation and then stretching. I was dressed for a run by 6:35am. I wore a fresh, long-sleeved wicking shirt and shorts. After stretching the large leg muscles again from the stoop, I was off and running. Another glorious sunrise looked to be in store. At the outset the eastern sky was varying shades of orangish-pink. My run went well. I ran incredibly strong and felt like a million dollars during and after. I finished my run and was back at home for breakfast at 7:17am. Mindy had scrambled eggs doused in sharp cheddar cheese awaiting my return. They were delicious. Mindy did Bella’s hair then left for school. I headed off for a shower. The kids and I headed out to meet the bus at 7:55am. She’s been pulling up around 8am of late. I like that. I was off to work by 8:10am. I drove the BM’er. It was a gorgeous drive in. The work day was like many others, busy, but nothing special. I stuck around the office all day long, never leaving for a lunch break despite knowing that I should. I was at the office until just after 5:30pm. Mindy advised that Jimaken was taking Jacob to soccer practice leaving us off the hook. Mindy joined me walking Ykraps. We walked to the east by the Gardner’s and O’Connell’s. We ran into Kapel on our way back. We chatted briefly about my b-day gathering and the Buckeye game. He’s from California but found himself rooting for the Bucks. Mindy wasn’t into making dinner. She expressed more than once how tired she was. That was OK by me. I wasn’t that hungry after snacking on some nuts as soon as I got home. Bella ran off to play with the neighbors, and Mindy started doing some school related work. I was tired and plopped down on the over-sized chair in the family room where I purposefully dosed off. I was so comfortable and slept for a good long time. I woke when Jimaken brought Jacob back home after soccer, but still didn’t budge. At that moment, I felt as though I could’ve slept all night. But after lying their awake for a few, I rose to my feet. I slept for more than 90 minutes. I went to the PC where I proof read several blog entries prior to publishing. Next, I went to the kitchen and made a taco/burrito with leftovers. It was almost 8pm. Mindy and I must’ve heard Bella crying off in the distance at about the same time. At first it was a faint cry and neither of us was for certain that it was her, but within seconds our suspicions were confirmed. It was an injured Bella crying and limping, hopping really. We soon learned that her toes got stepped on while jumping on the trampoline at the neighbors. Probably the most sobering thing to come out of her mouth was a request to go see Doctor Craig. We knew it must’ve hurt badly. She was borderline hysterical. I did my best to convince her that broken toes are healed by simply tapping it to its neighbor. But she wouldn’t let Mindy or I hardly even look at them. For the next 30 minutes our world was turned upside down. Mindy eventually calmed her and carried her upstairs for a bath/shower. But later, when I went up to tuck her in, she was still in pain but able to fall asleep. Because of my lengthy nap, I was wide awake. I spent the next hour updating my blog. Afterwards I went in to watch the TV show, Universe, on the History Channel. Mindy headed off to bed, but it was only 9:15pm. Tonight’s show explained planetary rings and the probability that all planets had rings at one time. Earth’s rings eventually coalesced into our moon. However, we have a new ring in the geosynchronous orbit (35K miles above Earth) that consists of hundreds of man-made/launched satellites. Most of these satellites are for communication, thus maintain a stationary relationship to Earth, but in reality move through space at roughly 2 miles per second, or 7200mph. :o I got sleepy around 1030pm and headed up for bed.

More lovely weather & MNF

Just as I hoped, I slept really well and woke feeling completely rested. It was 5:25am and I was rearing to go. I guess I was still pulling some energy from the Vikings’ big season opening victory. I did my sit-ups and push-ups before heading out with Ykraps. I checked the temperature. It was 64 degrees. I wore my fleece, but honestly it was a little too warm for a jacket. After our walk I settled down at the PC with a fresh cup of coffee. I was eager to see who won the Packer/Bears game. Packers pulled it out. I delivered Mindy’s coffee at 6:10am. I spent a little more time at the PC before moving on to meditation and stretching. I had a kink in my neck so I took extra time stretching. Just before leaving on my run I did a set of curls, although I am afraid that that very act exacerbates my stiff neck. I wore a thin, long-sleeved running shirt and shorts. I was comfortable. The run went exceptionally well. I was back at home by 7:15am. And by then everyone was up and breakfast was on the table. Today’s menu included an assortment of fruit and fried eggs. I woofed mine down in a hurry. And just as she usually does, Mindy fixed Bella’s hair then departed for school. I was downstairs after a shower by 7:50am. The kids soon followed and were eagerly out the door well ahead of me. Chrissy was already at the bus stop waiting with Makayla. The bus pulled up just after 8:00am. We chatted only briefly as the bus pulled away. After loading up the Trooper, I was on the road for work by 8:10am. Work was well under control. No weekend fallout. Fantastic! I spent a solid hour interacting with my team and then another hour with my boss and peer before heading back to my office to work through the day’s allotment of unforeseen events. As usual, there were many. I planned to leave for lunch but didn’t have a specific destination or agenda in mind. I ended up scraping the idea and stuck around the office for the entire day. Come 2pm my boss asked if I would sit in a meeting that would pretty much carry on through the end of my day. I agreed. It was 5:40pm when I finally freed myself from the office and headed for home. I didn’t bother calling ahead like I often do. I drove straight home uninterrupted listening to Sports Talk radio. As I exited the Trooper neighbor Carl advised that I should send the kids over. Had something to show them. I agreed. Inside, the house smelt of tacos. The kids were nowhere to be found. After greeting Mindy, we leashed up Ykraps and took him on his evening walk. I suggested that we stop over to see Carl first. He showed us a baby snapping turtle that wasn’t any bigger than a quarter. He wanted to show the kids. We promised to send them over later. Ykraps took his dear old time doing his business. The older he gets the longer it takes. During our walk, Mindy shared a little about her day. In kind, I shared some of mine too. At 6:30pm Mindy fetched the kids so that we could eat some dinner. I snacked on chunk cheese while waiting on everyone to get settled around the table. I was hungry. We had our choice of burrito skins and taco shells. I chose a burrito skin first. Unfortunately, air had gotten to package rendering them something less than pliable causing the burritos to crack when rolling them up, and that was even after adding a dab or two of water. I simply grabbed a fork and knife. It was still mighty tasty. I ended up having one burrito and one large taco. While I finished clean-up, Mindy took the kids across the street to see the baby snapping turtle that Carl captured. The kids stayed out playing when Mindy returned. I begged her to rub my aching neck and shoulder. She obliged my request with a deep tissue rub. And boy did it feel terrific! I went upstairs to change into my PJs before tuning the TV to MNF. Because this was opening week, there wee two games on the slate – one at 700pm and the other starting around 1030pm. The early game featured the Patriots and Bills. By the time that I tuned in they were already five minutes into the first quarter. Meanwhile, Mindy was patiently awaiting her niece Lindey’s arrival. She was coming over to give Jacob and Bella haircuts. She arrived just after 7:15pm. Mindy hollered for the kids to come home once Lindey showed up. They all went to the deck to the do the deed while I watched football. Maddie, the neighbor girl that likes Jacob, came a knockin’. I sent her and her tow little brothers around back to see the kids. But when I announced that they were coming around Jacob rushed inside the house to hide. Good grief! He had no choice but to head back out once his mother beckoned him. Lindey was ready to cut his hair. It didn’t take but ten minutes. I heard Mindy giving Jacob the dickens. He apparently wasn’t pleased with his haircut and was running his jibs about the entire time. He romped through the house in disgust moaning and groaning his way into the bathroom. Mindy threatened bodily harm if his attitude didn’t improve. I kept largely out of it. Lindey stayed and visited for a while. She didn’t leave until her daddy, brother-in-law Larry, phoned looking for her. She must’ve left just before 9pm. By then, Mindy already had both kids out of the shower. Meanwhile, Jacob continued airing discontent with his haircut. I really thought Mindy might beat him. Bella brought home a new I Spy book form the school library. We did a page from the sofa while watching football. We tucked the kids into bed just after 9pm. We stayed up watching the rest of the early MNF game. The Bills were winning 24-13 with five minutes left. They looked strong. Unfortunately, they found away to lose the game 25-24 after two really quick new England touchdowns. We watched the beginning of the 2nd MNF game form bed. Mindy wasn’t too pleased with the idea but conceded. I suppose she knew I wouldn’t last long. She was right. I’ll bet I didn’t see five minutes before falling asleep.

SKOL Vikings SKOL

I planned to be up at 630am in order to be on the road by 830am. Turns out, I woke at 6:22am and headed downstairs to begin my day. I started some coffee then completed sit-ups and push-ups. The coffee was still brewing when I headed out with Ykraps. And like it has many times the over the past week or so, the sky turned a brilliant glow of orange in the east just before the sun rose over the horizon. Lovely! Back home I sipped coffee and read a couple brief snippets covering the Buckeyes defeat. But like many others, I wasn’t quite ready to reopen the fresh wound. I took Mindy coffee before heading out for my run. Before closing the bedroom door I asked if she would be up and in the shower before I was back. Yes. Like I do on many Sunday’s, I ran just three miles. That got me back home even earlier than I expected. It was 7:40am. Not only was Mindy already out of the shower, but she was just about ready. I wasn’t far behind. It never takes me long. I was showered and dressed even before 8am. Mindy had eggs ready downstairs, and they really hit the spot. We spent the next 20 minutes making sure we had everything ready for the big game. We packed a small cooler with water, Gatorade, soda and ice. We also took plenty of hand-to-mouth snacks, and had both digital cameras and my mini binoculars packed. Lastly, we grabbed the ever-important game tickets and a couple light jackets just in case. We left the house right on schedule – 8:30am. It was an easy drive straight up I-71 and the weather was once again ideal. We stopped at the second rest stop from Columbus – about 90-100 miles north of CMH. The rest stop was loaded with Browns fans making a similar trek northward. We were greeted with a few sneers. The pace was fast. I hovered near 70mph most of the way while the greater majority moved along somewhat faster. We were making good time. I saw no value in hurrying. We pulled into downtown Cleveland near 11am. We knew roughly where to go but weren’t sure where we would park. We drove around the congested west downtown area until we spotted a garage for $20. Most others in the area were asking $25. We parked at Tower City. We wisely noted our parking spot number as well as our intersection. We walked due north towards Lake Erie basically following the throngs of fans already making their way toward the game. I was very happy to see hundreds of fellow Viking fans sporting their colors and jerseys. Turns out, I wore my old Warren Moon #1 Viking jersey while Mindy wore a bejeweled Viking t-shirt. We passed a large gathering of Viking tailgaters and even considered stopping in, but in the end decided to keep moving towards the stadium. It was a lovely sunny day with the temperature right about 70 degrees – perfect day to watch a football game. We walked around the stadium and glanced out over Lake Erie before finally deciding to head in. It was 11:45am when we made our way into the stadium. Before finding our seats we got something to eat and drink (hot dog, hamburger, popcorn and lemonade). Our seats were as good as advertised – section 111 row 25 seats 1 & 2 behind the Viking bench and facing north under a slight overhang, which kept the brilliant sun off of our heads and out of our eyes. The ushers kindly let us go down to the railing to get an even closer look at the Vikings, who were out practicing/warming up. I took numerous photos using my better camera. I spotted Zygi Wilf, the Vikings majority owner, and shouted out a hello. He acknowledged me with a wave and a smile! We made friends with the couple sitting next to us, Tom & Catherine. They were up from Oklahoma City, OK. for a business meeting. They were huge Adrian Peterson fans. And even though he was sporting a browns shirt, said he was rooting for the Vikings. We exchanged email addresses so that I could send him some photos I captured of Adrian Peterson & Brett Favre. I got some good ones using the my new Canon at the full 20X optical zoom - 200 ISO with forced flash. Mindy used the binoculars plenty, hell bent on getting an up-close and personal view of Brett Favre. Just before kick-off I headed down to pee. The restroom wasn’t far at all. The men’s room was full of Browns fans and one started giving me crap for wearing a Warren Moon jersey. He asked about the wife beating allegations and DUI charges. I played dumb without completely ignoring him doing my best not to say anything that might’ve ignited a drunken tirade. He eventually moved on. . This was my ninth Viking game, but this one felt extra-special. It was time for kick-off. It felt almost dream-like to be there with my team I was stoked! The game started slow and was anybody’s game for the taking. The Browns were ahead at halftime 13-10. I was on pins and needles. The Vikings got the ball to start the second half and marched down and scored touchdowns on the next two drives to take a 24-13 lead. The Vikings ended up scoring 24 unanswered points, the last seven being an absolutely amazing run by Adrian Peterson – one I won’t soon forget. The Browns scored a meaningless touchdown as the clock went below one minute. The final score was 34-20 Vikings. I was elated! We stayed until the end and even made our way back down to the edge of the playing field in hopes of more Viking encounters. I had an angry Browns fan giving me some crap as he exited the stadium. I didn’t retort, which served to diffuse his anger. And lastly, as we walked back to the Tower City parking garage another angry Browns fan scoffed at us for being Viking fans from Columbus, and went as far as to label us ‘fair-weathered’ fans. Not sure I understood the correlation, but then again, he was an upset (presumably drunk) Browns fan. J I don’t want to give the wrong impression. By far, most of the fans we encountered were very gracious even in defeat. Several folks commented how much they enjoyed seeing Adrian Peterson’s special gifts. Traffic was very slow leaving the downtown area all the way to the I-71s onramp. But once we got on the freeway it was smooth sailing. We called Jimaken shortly after 7pm to let him know that we were passing the Polaris exit and nearing his place. We picked the kids up at Jimaken’s and were home by 7:30pm making our trip a fun-filled 11 hour excursion. I walked Ykraps immediately after getting in the door. Without missing a beat, Mindy started prepping for Monday’s return to work and school. It was a whirlwind weekend to be sure. The night cap to our evening was watching the SNF game on NBC featuring the Packers & Bears. Both of us were super tired. We headed to bed at 9:00pm.

Feeling like a Used Trojan

I woke early morning feeling somewhat sick and overtly thirsty. Around 7am I mustered enough energy to pee and then take 3 Advil. I laid down for another hour or so before getting up and heading downstairs. I still didn’t feel that well but at least the headache was gone. Once downstairs I carefully considered my options. Should I do calisthenics or not? I bagged the exercises, put on some coffee, then leashed up Ykraps. It was a gorgeous morning, but I couldn’t appreciate it. I was feeling way too rough. I needed more sleep. And as soon as I got back home I went horizontal on the sofa with my ballcap pulled down over my face to help keep the bright light out. I slept another 2 hours, or until 11am when I heard Mindy up readying for yoga. I heard here talking with Mary Ann about going along, too. I felt vastly better but still a tad queasy. But you’ll have that. I knew I needed to get up and move around. And that helped a bunch. I sipped some coffee and slowly prepared for my run. Mindy headed out around 11:20am figuring not to be home until 1:15pm or so. I left for my run soon after. The sunny skies and mild temperatures lifted my spirits plenty. I felt pretty good all things considered. I ran the full four miles. I was back home right around noon. And by then I was really hungry. I warmed some leftover Bravo pizza – three slices. It was good but a little heavy on my sensitive tummy. I eventually made my way back to the sofa where I took another snooze. I woke when Mindy returned from yoga. She wondered if I had been there since she left. I clarified that I hadn’t. I felt better after my nap and laid there watching a couple early football games. Mindy prepared/finalized her grocery list and headed off for Wal-Mart. Thirty minutes after she left I upped and headed outside to mow the lawn knowing that if I didn’t get to it then, it might not get done for a few more days. Once I got moving and sweating I felt even better, but I was sucking down ice water like nobody’s business. Mindy returned with the groceries while I was busy cutting. She got them all carried in by herself. The lawn looked awesome when I finished. I was able to cut it half an inch shorter than I have all summer. If I had waited even one more day it wouldn’t have been feasible. Like I often do, I watered the pots and baskets out back before heading in for a shower. I kept a watchful eye on the Michigan score. They were beating Notre Dame. But I also kept a close eye on the golf tournament. Tiger was on a tear shooting a course record 62. Meanwhile, the Buckeye game wouldn’t kick-off for another few hours yet (8pm). I asked Mindy what time the neighbors were expecting us. She said anytime really. I leisurely took my shower and then walked Ykraps. Mindy went along, too. While on our walk, we ran into Susan and her two kids, Cassie and Ricky. We chatted briefly with the three of them. At home we readied our goodies for Kenny & Chrissy’s. We were taking Cheesecake and cookies. I didn’t plan on drinking too much given Sunday’s early morning drive up to Cleveland. Plus, beer wasn’t sounding too good anyhow. I mixed rum, grapefruit juice, and Fresca in a Gatorade bottled to take along. It must’ve been about 6:45pm. We watched the end of the Michigan game. They won in dramatic fashion and in the waning seconds. I was thrilled for them. I typically root for Michigan all season long until we play them. Bob Imber called shortly before the game began to invite us over for an impromptu clubhouse gathering. I appreciated the invite but was fixed on staying near home. The Buckeye game kicked off sometime just after 8pm. We played tough and went into halftime tied at 10. Most Buckeye fans will tell you that we should’ve went in up 10-7. The Buckeyes played outstanding defense coming out of halftime and thanks to a field goal and safety went up 15-10. The Buckeye nation was happy but nervous. The score stayed that way until the final five minutes when it looked like the Buckeyes just might put the proverbial nail in the coffin. Driving towards a potential game ending touchdown or field goal from the USC 33 yd line we were faced with a third and 8. We ended up taking an ill advised sack placing the ball back at the 36 yd line and facing a tough decision – field goal attempt or punt. Tressel called for a punt. Not a bad strategy. After all, they hadn’t been able to move the ball on us all day. We punted pinning them back at their 13 yd line. Then, after a penalty and a sack they were faced with a 2nd and 16 from their own 4 yard line. Wahoo! They got half the yardage they needed bringing up a 3rd and 8. Stop them and we win. It was that simple. Turned out, they converted the third down and eventually marched all the way down the field to score the go ahead touchdown leaving the Buckeyes one last chance with a little over 1 minute to go. Sadly, we were unequipped to move the ball the distance necessary for the tying field goal or the go-ahead touchdown. We lost – 18-15. Mindy had quietly bailed for home at the half. I stayed just a few more minutes before joining her at home in bed. I was bummed and reeling inside after so much drama. But I was also looking hugely forward to Sunday’s trip to Cleveland to see my beloved Vikings. I laid in bed unable to sleep for a good 30 minutes. I eventually got up and headed downstairs where I tossed and turned on the sofa for another hour. I fell asleep but never that soundly. I woke around 1:30am and headed to bed again. I eventually fell asleep but again, never too soundly.

Feelin' Fit at Fifty

Happy 50th Birthday Jimmy! I woke a few times near my usual wake time of 530am but chose to stay in bed. Mindy got up around 615am to ready for work. I got up just after her and headed downstairs to begin my day. Like any other day, I did my sit-ups and push-ups, and then took Ykraps out for his morning walk. Another gorgeous day was just unfolding. The sky was clear and star-filled with the temperature near 60. Back at home I still wasn’t sure if I would try to run before or after seeing the kids onto the bus. It was 6:40am when Mindy came down for her coffee and asked about my intentions. After thinking it through for a few minutes, I decided to go ahead and run early, all the while knowing that Mindy would most likely be gone upon my return home. I hit the streets at 7:00am feeling absolutely fantastic. What a great feeling it is to be 50 and in good enough shape/heath to run comfortably everyday. The blessing certainly isn’t lost on me. I am blessed! The sky was lit up beautifully in the east as the sun made its initial ascent. I thought only briefly about shortening my run to three miles since I’d be golfing 18 holes but decided against the reduction. Not on my birthday. It was the full four miles. Mindy was already gone when I got back. Bella was sitting Indian style in front of the glass door apparently awaiting my return. It was 7:38am. Bella was happy I was home. My eggs were prepared and waiting in the microwave. By the time I finished my breakfast it was darn near time to get the kids onto the bus. The kids headed out promptly at 7:55am. I followed behind with a cup of coffee in one hand and Ykraps on his leash in the other. Kenny & Makayla wished me a happy birthday. The bus pulled up almost immediately. Kenny and I firmed up our golf departure plans, which we agreed would be 9:30am. It was 8:05am. I had some time to relax before leaving. Back at home I poured more coffee and played on the computer. During the next 30 minutes I received calls from all three of my girls and a VM from my mom all wishing me a happy 50th birthday. I also received a web card from brother Glenn that contained birthday music, music, I might add, from the Happy Birthday album I received for my ninth birthday all the way back in 1968. I was all but ready to head out by 9:10am. I carried my clubs to the front porch last minute to give them a quick cleaning with hot water and Fantastic. That had to save me at least one stroke, I figured. J I secured the home and drove down to Kenny’s at exactly 930am. He was ready to go. We left for Tom’s place a minute later. We picked up Tom around 9:40am. He recommended we take I-270 around to the north to intercept Rt 161 E. We arrived at Royal American around 10:25am – just about perfect timing. Tom & Kenny agreed to collectively cover my green fees as a birthday gift. Thanks guys! We putted at the practice green for a short while. Fast and slippery! And judging from the clubhouse view, the course looked to be in great shape. The ponds within eye shot were full and the grounds, fairways and greens were all very lush. There’s no doubt, this is a tough, top notch course. We tee’d off without the benefit of a starter playing the black tees. There were two groups on the fairway in front of us so the play started slowly. I didn’t care, it was my birthday! Kenny started out very strong ( 2 birdies, a par, and 2 bogeys) on the first five holes. I was playing bogey golf. On the other hand, Tom struggled mightily on the first three holes taking an 8 and two 9s. He wasn’t pleased. In fact, had he driven, I’ll bet he would’ve packed his bags and left. But he hung in their and got his act together. There are hazards everywhere including lots of water, trees and heather. And once you’re on the green you’re still not home free. Lots of undulations in those greens. I shot a 48 on the front, and Kenny shot a 45 after taking a 7 & an 8 respectively on holes seven and nine. Tom shot a 56, but not too bad after that horrendous start. We took a brief break at the turn. I woofed down a delicious brat and chased it with water. Somewhere along the line, Kenny and Tom bought some beers. I, of course, rarely if ever drink while golfing. If nothing else, the back was tougher and longer than the front. Save for two really bad swings, I was striking the ball really well. I was on the long 580 yard par 5 in three but missed my birdie putt. But at least I got the par. Unfortunately, I finished with three straight sixes, and one of those was a par three that I was on in two. Poor putting. All totaled, I shot a 51 on the back to finish at 99. Kenny had low round with a 95. Tom struggled even more. But golf is as much about expectations as anything else. I was expecting a little better having shot a 91 here last summer but I wasn’t too concerned. It was my birthday, the weather was excellent, I was with good friends and doing something I love. All good stuff! We finished after 4.5 hours. And given that we had to wait on several holes, that wasn’t bad at all. I checked in with Mindy on my drive home. I expected we’d be home by 4pm, but somehow we missed a crucial turn and as a consequence ending up taking Rt 62 all the way into the city. We got stuck behind a school bus, not to mention rush hour traffic, & didn’t arrive home until 4:30pm. I had to drop Tom off at his place along the way, too. The kids were already off with Jimaken for the weekend by the time I arrived home. A couple more b-day cards arrived via mail. Thanks Glenn, Thanks Jill! Mindy was especially impressed with Glenn’s card and promptly decided it was going with us to Barley’s. We walked Ykraps together. Before heading off to Barley’s, I needed a shower after a long day on the golf course. Chrissy offered to be the D.D. so that Mindy & I could raise a little hell. I offered that we simply take a cab so all four of us could. After briefly discussing our options Chrissy insisted on driving since she didn’t plan on drinking. Cool! We walked down to the neighbors around 6:45pm. We also talked with neighbors Peobena and Kapel before heading off. Believe it or not, I am not one to like forced attention, and I was worried all day that Mindy might have something crazy organized upon our arrival beyond just having some old friends invited. I was nervous. But happily she didn’t. Many of my old peeps were already there, including Jeff Garren and Art Vranken. Gifting me right away was Steve Won. Cool card and a four pack of “Old” beers, a cute and intentional theme! Tom Clark was already there too. He brought a work peep. Through the evening many others showed up as well including: John & Sheila Vereb, Pat & Lisa Shultz, Lori Landle (sp), Rick, Bob & Mary Ann, Bill Gray and Jen Defue, Deanna & Kevin Sweeney, Jodie, Larry, and Lindey. The Jumps were there too, and left me a nice card and gift but had to leave just before we arrived. Mindy pressed me to eat something more than a couple of times. I eventually heeded her advice and ordered a Cuban, but ate only half. I gave the other half to Bob Imber, who, by the way, wasn’t feeling any pain himself. As a matter of fact, don’t know that I’ve seen him that buzzed before. Anyway, I was having too much fun. And in kind, we hung at Barley’s until closing time. Chrissy was our DD and safely drove us home. But we still weren’t done partying. Nope. Mindy changed into her PJs and we walked back to Kenny & Chrissy’s. I took a Southern Tier IPA to sip. Not really sure how long we stayed there. I was admittedly buzzed. However, I do remember them handing me a b-day card that also contained a Barley’s gift certificate. They’re the best! Good night birthday moon!

Bravo! ... Let the celebration begin

I was eager to get Thursday underway. This would be the final workday of the week after scheduling Friday off to celebrate my 50th b-day. Meanwhile, it was another gorgeous day with clear blue skies and an expected high of 80 degrees. My morning routine was like most others. I exercised, walked Ykraps, delivered Mindy’s coffee, played, stretched, meditated and ran – all before 715am. Mindy had a plate full of scrambled eggs awaiting me after my run. We confirmed our dinner plans, Bravo 6:30pm, before she left for school. Mindy said my dad would be meeting us their too. I saw the kids onto the bus at 8:03am, and headed into work immediately after. I drove the Trooper since I planned to pick-up our snow skis at lunch time. Work went well. I left for lunch around 1245pm and headed directly to Aspen Ski & Board. Skis were ready. I inspected the bottoms carefully and was impressed with their work – edges sharp and bottoms smooth and waxed - probably better than new. It was well worth the $20. I almost caved for some fast food on my return to the office but ultimately decided against it. I was back at work by 1:30pm. I called Indian Springs Golf club to cancel the Friday tee-time having settled instead on Royal American. As the afternoon waned I grew increasingly excited about the long weekend ahead. But since I wasn’t meeting Mindy, my dad & the kids at Bravo until 630pm, I stayed at work late – 6:15pm. After all, it’s only a mile or two up the road. I thought I was the first to arrive at Bravo, but my dad walked up after seeing me perched on their patio. He was lurking somewhere in the parking lot waiting. Mindy wasn’t far behind. Prior to Bravo, she was at a pediatric dental appointment for Rocky & Bella. We had a reservation and were seated right away. After a cursory review of the drink menu, I selected something different – a raspberry martini. Everyone else went with soft drinks. Meanwhile, Bella wasn’t in the best of spirits. She had a baby tooth pulled just an hour earlier and was sporting a mouth full of gauze. I wondered how she might be able to eat. I ordered chicken parmesan. Mindy: lasagna, Dad: spaghetti and meatballs, Bella: oven-fired pizza, and Rocky & Jacob each ordered chicken fingers. As a side, I ordered a bowl of their tomato bisque. Lastly, we shared an order of calamari. Since we last visited Bravo, about 11 months ago, it was painfully obvious that their recipes have changed. And honestly, if you ask me, for the worse, and most likely to cut costs. My chicken parmesan was little more than a frozen breaded chicken breast with a small dab of melted cheese resting atop. I could tell that the lasagna was different, too, but it was still tasty. We were there for little more than an hour. Our server, whose name escapes me, was very attentive, and offered a free dessert for my birthday. I respectfully declined knowing that Mindy had a cheesecake awaiting me at home. However, the kids were all over the idea of free ice cream. As a compromise, the waiter brought some to-go. Mindy picked up the tab. Rocky asked to ride with me, and Jacob rode with dad. Bella rode with Mindy. Mindy warned that she had already walked Ykraps but only long enough to greet the kids at the bus stop around 4pm. Not wanting to chance it, I walked him again as soon as we arrived home. And while he and I walked, she prepped the cheesecake for my 50th birthday celebration. Suddenly, it felt like my birthday! After blowing out the candles, Mindy & the kids gifted me. But, of course, I already knew that Mindy had gotten me Vikings/Browns tickets and the Vikings cornhole boards. Jacob & Bella gifted me a Vikings travel mug. Rocky gifted me a tooth brush, toothpaste, and a hockey stick eraser. Mindy had another package for me too – a bottle of Asti, some bakery fresh cookies, and a large bag of dark chocolate M&Ms. And Dad handed me $20 to use for popcorn at the Vikings game. We all enjoyed some of that cheesecake, too. Dad soon left for home, and Mindy left to take Rocky home. I was ready to relax a little. I tuned the TV to the NFL opening night programming just before kick-off. The opening night’s game featured the Steelers going against the Titans. I poured myself a Jack & Coke but sipped it slowly. After all, I was quite full from dinner and cheesecake. Mindy was back home in short order, and the kids were pretty much ready for bed upon her return. We tucked the children in near 8:40pm. The Steelers and Titans went back and forth, but neither was able to score at least early on. Very fun game to watch. Mindy headed to bed near 9:30pm. I, of course, planned to stay up for a while longer. After all, I wasn’t working on Friday. I stayed up well into the third quarter but was already dosing off. I headed to bed for good around 1030pm.

9-9-9

Up and downstairs by 5:32am, the coffee had just started to brew. I slipped into my exercise shoes and quickly whipped out 55 sit-ups and 50 push-ups. I was happy to detect a few scattered stars even amongst a the mostly cloudy veil overhead. It’s probably worth mentioning that I turned the irrigation system off Monday night. With all the recent rain showers, there was little need to keep watering. After reading the Daily OM I made and delivered Mindy’s morning coffee. I spent a little more time on the PC before moving on to meditation and stretching. Same as it ever was… I hit the streets for my run after a really good stretch. It was almost 6:40am when I headed out the door in my brand new running shoes. Being new and with virgin padding, they felt almost like medicine for the feet. I purposely tie my new running shoes loose for the first couple of days to help avoid any potential pain from breaking them in. The new soles clapped loudly against the pavement. Thankfully, they softened by the run’s end. Mindy had fried eggs ready at my spot. I was hungry. I woofed them down in no time at all. Mindy was off to school by 7:30am, and I was soon off to the shower. I returned downstairs ready to go by 7:50am. I spent the next five minutes loading my golf clubs into the Trooper and also checking for Friday tee times. I was disappointed to learn Thursday that Player’s Club has an all-day outing booked, and consequently, no open tee times. My second choice was Darby Creek, but they had nothing after 8:09am until early evening. That wouldn’t work either. However, all wasn’t lost, I had a few others in mind, which I planned to investigate later in the day. It was time to see the kids onto the bus. At the bus stop I shared the misfortune of not getting a tee time at Player’s Club with Kenny. We still hadn’t heard from Bob Imber about the possibility of Worthington Hills, although I wasn’t counting on it. The bus picked up the kids at 8:02am. I was back at home grabbing my stuff to leave for work by 8:03am. Work went pretty well. Ken shared his recent experience at the emergency room with his heart issue. Thought he was having a heat attack. However, turns out, they said it was due to his blood pressure meds slowing his heart rate into the low 30s. He works out a lot and his resting pulse is already low (50 bpm). They removed him from his meds, but also want to do a stress test to be certain. Scary! We had our usual Wednesday staff meeting, but then left for a birthday lunch for Ryan and I. We thought we’d do PF Changs but ended up changing our minds last minute and chose the new Mexican place across from Tuttle mall called Casa Patron instead. The menu appears to be almost identical to El Vaquero. I’m guessing the two related. In any case, we enjoyed our casual lunch there. We were back to work by 1pm. The first thing I did was book two Friday tee times – one at Indian Springs and one at Royal American. That way we would have a choice. Of course I planned to cancel one or the other once we agreed on a venue. The afternoon got busier and busier. My Wednesday golf routine looked to be in peril, and that wasn’t even taking into account the pop-up showers hitting all over town. But like the day before, they were very scattered and brief. Bob Imber already emailed that he was out, as was Bob Bolyard. And Tom Clark was having a bad day and didn’t think he’d be able to swing it either. I was OK with that, after all, I’d be golfing Friday too. But Tom called just after 4pm to let me know that he was in. Planning ahead, I had already called Phoenix and learned that we could get off the back nine around 515pm – perfect! I advised Tom. He was pleased that we didn’t have to drive all the way to Split Rock. Golf was on after all. The skies were almost entirely sunny when I left work. Any weather was uncharacteristically coming at us from the northeast. There were a few scattered pockets of clouds around the city. I arrived at Phoenix at 5pm on the nose. Tom was already there. The gentleman working behind the counter was very disorganized and slow. We remained patient while he worked with a half dozen of us. He slotted Tom & I to tee off the back. That worked well for us. The back is definitely the harder of the two. I powered my first drive down the middle and long – about 260-270. I slightly mis-hit my second shot – a 3-wood leaving myself another 100 yards in. I put my third on and escaped with a par. As we went along, I had some misfortune, like just missing the green and falling into a couple deep bunkers, but only two really poor shots. But just like usual, my scoring was less than good. I missed a bunch of putts. Meanwhile, off to our west (moving away from us) was a small isolated storm. It was sunny all around, including directly overhead. But there was a lot of lightning. Soon and predictably, the course sounded their horn calling everyone off the course. Phoenix doesn’t mess around after a player was struck and killed by lightning on their course a few short years ago. The course has no trees except for number 18, and it sits up really high. I was more than happy to head in, not willing to chance my life for golf. The starter quickly advised that the radar had it moving away from us but they didn’t want to risk it. He figured we could get back out after ten minutes. Amongst the players coming off the course were two high school teams competing – Bishop Ready & Grandview. I spotted Steve Heseldon, a neighbor, there amongst the crowd. We talked at length, mostly about Lloyd (aka Goldgrill), the guy convicted of attempted murder living in our subdivision. The latest is that he was arrested for OMVI and lost his car. He’s still living with the older woman he’s rumored to have stolen $20K in jewelry from. All the neighbors are talking about him. As promised, we were permitted back out on the course after a ten minute weather delay. Tom & I headed back to hole #15 – a 141 yard par 3. It took us awhile to get our bearings and find the hole. It’s not everyday you go from the clubhouse to hole #15. J I par’d the hole prior and was primed to par or birdie this one too. I hit my tee shot onto the green about 12 feet out. I par’d it. I took a six on the rather simple #16 even after a good drive – 3 on – 3 putt. Dang it! I took a six on #17 par 3, too. You’ve gotta see it to believe it. It’s not easy. Number 18 is the lone hole with trees/woods. It’s also the one that requires a 200+ yard shot just to clear the pond in front of the tee box. It can be intimidating. I hit a long drive that cleared the water and rolled to the far edge of the fairway. Almost perfect, really. I was afraid that I might’ve hit it too long. That wasn’t the case. My second shot was from 140+ yards out. I hit a 7-iron on the green but about 22’ from the hole. I was pleased. I three putted for a bogey after leaving my birdie putt well short. Another missed opportunity. I ended up shooting a 49. Not good, but it could’ve been worse. Honestly, though, I feel like my game is right on the cusp of breaking through. … But maybe it’s just gas! J Tom & I parted ways and left for home. I phoned Mindy, who was home and just then receiving Jacob and Bella from Jimaken. I let her go. I was home in 15 minutes. It was already after 8pm and Mindy was shewing the kids upstairs for their showers. They were ready for bed even before 8:30pm. I went up even before being beckoned to do an ‘I Spy’ with Bella. It was a tough one. Mindy eventually joined in the fun to help us find the last few items. After the kids were tucked away for the night Mindy and I went back downstairs where I opened two birthday cards – one from Gloria and the other from Craig & Jeff. Thanks for remembering guys! I lied down on the familyroom floor and eventually begged Mindy for a shoulder rub. My left shoulder was stiff and achy. She massaged by back and shoulder for almost 15 minutes. Felt terrific! At her request, I stepped on her back next in an attempt to crack it. Not sure how successful it was. We headed to bed at 9:30pm – early by any measure. I quickly dosed off, but when Mindy woke me to tell me good night I couldn’t fall asleep again. After lying there for another five minutes I got up to head back downstairs to watch and use TV as a sleep aid. It worked. After about 45 minutes I headed back to bed.

Karma Camilla ... you come and go

I was up for good just before 5:30am after waking two times prior. I felt really good and was eager to get downstairs and get my exercise routine underway. I wasn’t overly excited about going back to work, but at the same time much appreciate being gainfully employed. After finishing my pre run routine I was out the door for my run at 6:35am under mostly cloudy skies. Lucky for me, there wasn’t any rain in the immediate area. My run went as planned, and I was back at home by 7:15am. Mindy had the kids up, my lunch packed, and my breakfast on the table. She left after fixing Bella’s hair. I didn’t fool around, knowing that we needed to be walking out the door no later than 8:00am, or perhaps even sooner given the 8:03am pick-up time. I was back downstairs by 7:47am. I had a few minutes to prep my stuff for work before walking out the door with the kids. I got a kick out of the three girls, Bella, Makayla, and Lillian, debating on who should get on the bus first. You, no you, no you! They all three sit in the same seat, too. Jacob sits well off from the girls in a seat by himself. I left for work after some final prep. I was on the road by 8:10am. I stopped for gas at Thornton’s. Gas was $2.21 per gallon. The Trooper took 17.5 gallons. I arrived to work on time and was surprised to learn that my peer was out with potentially dangerous heart issues. Beyond that, there wasn’t much more information. The work day started smoothly. I left for lunch around 12:45pm. I was going to buy new golf balls but at the last minute decided to pooh-pooh that idea. Instead, I headed to Tuttle Mall to buy new running shoes. My current pair would soon hit the 5-month and 600 mile mark on 9/10. I parked behind Macy’s and entered through their lower level. I picked up a new white wicking golf shirt priced at 50%-off – really good deal. I made my way out to the mall and onto Finish Line. The same young lady that’s helped the past two times helped me again today. I selected a pair of Nike Trailwinds on sale for $49.99. I’ve learned that the most comfortable running shoes are rarely the expensive/trendy ones. I cut through Macy’s on my way back to the Trooper, but before heading out I shopped frying pans since our 10” skillet is starting to peel Teflon, which I just know can’t be good. They had none that I liked on sale, which I know they often are, so I decided to wait. Back to work. Mindy and I talked around 4pm during her drive home. The kids were at Noah’s. She asked about a dinner preference. I sided with Bella – spaghetti and meatballs. I left work at 5:50pm after a busy late afternoon. Mindy said that dinner was already on the table. I arrived home around 6:15pm. We had more of those scattered afternoon showers hit today. In fact, it was pouring as I left Hilliard but sunny over home. That went on all day, and was predicted to continue through Wednesday AM. The spaghetti was good. During dinner, nephew Joe phoned to let us know that Camilla was ‘home’ from Denmark. He invited us over to hang out and visit. We accepted, and after dinner clean-up we all headed over to Jodi & Larry’s. Camilla was last home for Xmas. She came home this time for Julie & Katie’s wedding next week. We hung out with family for the next couple of hours. Jacob & I played cornhole with Larry & Joe. Larry & I were partners. Joe served me a Hefeweizen with a twist of orange. It was good. By the looks of his backyard preparations, it looked like he planned to host quite a few friends that evening. We left for home after the kids roasted a couple marshmallows. It was about 8:15pm when we headed out. And by the time that Mindy got the kids showered and into their PJs, it was darn near 9pm. It was a quick tuck-in due to the time. Bella understood why we weren’t doing an ‘I Spy’ page. Mindy & I stayed up until after 10pm watching Universe, a show on the National Geographic channel about the formation of the earth from a molten sphere to its present-day state. Very cool. We headed for bed sometime just after 10pm.

Celebrating Labor

After exercise and walking Ykraps I enjoyed a cup of coffee in front of my PC. Among other things, I read a brief yet sobering synopsis on the origins of the Labor Day holiday. Quite sad. I won’t go into the details, but instead encourage everyone to research it for themselves. Bella was the first to join me downstairs. She was excited to share that she reined in another $5 from the tooth fairy. That’s right, she lost another tooth yesterday – her third in a week. I was bummed to find the morning cloudy and with rain eminent. With all the lovely September weather recently, we’ve gotten a little spoiled. But even a more immediate concern was the inability to mow the lawn which was in dire need of a cutting. It rained in brief spurts all morning long. In fact, I postponed my run until 10am to avoid/dodge heavy rains. I had nothing else planned, no golf, no projects, only yard work. But that now looked to be in jeopardy. After the rains ended I headed out for a run. The sky brightened significantly but not enough to allow the sun to bust through. With nothing else planned, I decided to work on the Trooper door/window for like the twentieth time. I’ve gotten to be quite adept at removing the door panel/trim to access the power window mechanism. I spotted the problem right away. The track was completely broken. At the time, my only interest was to get the window in a position to remain up at all times. It took some doing but I was able to rig it up. Admittedly, I am getting tired of fooling with this window. This most recent ordeal only helped to strengthen my taste for a new vehicle. I do, however, very much enjoy not having car payments. There are three current concerns with the Trooper: the window, the ABS light, and the fact that it burns oil. Realistically, and barring any other major problems, I can & should make it last another couple of years. While working on the door I had the need to pass through the garage and into our laundry room. Turned out, Mindy was just on the other side placing a load of laundry in the washer. I guess I clunked her square in the head as I threw open the door. Sorry princess! After getting the Trooper door squared away, I took to mowing the lawn. I pretty much went in reverse order. I ran the tractor first, cutting as much of the yard at first pass as I could. Unfortunately, that did little more than make a huge mess of the thick, wet lawn. I had to go over all the extra territory covered by the tractor with the push mower to give it that neat & tiddy look, and to better mulch all the clippings. I finished up by whacking, edging, and finally blowing. After finishing the mowing I overseeded some needy areas. I then trimmed the White pine out front. After carrying the clippings to my brush pile out back I was itchy all over. White Pine has that affect on me. I asked Mindy to scratch my back before I rushed in for a sorely needed shower. Our dinner plans included heading over to Kenny & Chrissy’s for a small cookout. But after my shower I badly wanted a nap. Mindy understood and allowed me to get the rest my body craved. She did her own thing. I must’ve slept on & off for about 45 minutes. I eventually joined Mindy and the kids down at the neighbors for some food and fun. Kenny had the FedEx cup golf tournament playing on the TV. I got cozy on their sofa and watched the end of it. Exciting finish. Kenny & I played a little football with Jake & Jacob. And like always, it was riddled with complaints about the quarterbacking. It started to rain as we played. We eventually headed for home. Must’ve been like 7:30pm. Mindy started the weekend wind-down process. All of us needed to prepare for the return of the business week. While the kids showered and prepped for bed, I tuned into the MNF game. This week featured a college game – Miami, Fla, vs. Florida St. given that the NFL regular season doesn’t start for another week. Mindy & I watched the first half from the sofa and most of the second half from bed. It was an exciting game – back and forth. We both fell asleep midway through the fourth quarter.

When a Sunday isn't Sunday

I rolled out of bed just a little after 7am. I quickly brushed my teeth before heading downstairs to start some coffee. Out of habit, I went for my exercise shoes before remembering that this was supposed to be my day of rest. No sit-ups and push-ups on Sundays. Instead, I leashed up Ykraps and headed out for our walk. It was a gorgeous morning. The sun was just rising over the roof tops. For the first time this season, I took special notice of how far south the sun’s initial ascent is compared to just a month ago. Depressing – really. I spent a short amount of time relaxing, sipping coffee in front of the PC before setting out for my run. I planned to run three miles, just as I often do on Sunday’s. I left for my run sometime just after 8am. It was an easy one. I finished strong around 8:40am. I headed up for shower almost immediately. I took Mindy coffee as well. I was ready to go by 9:00am. Mindy was still in bed. I asked if she was joining me downstairs before I departed for golf. She was. I made myself an egg, cheese, and turkey sandwich on rye. It was scrumptious. I offered to make Mindy one, too, but she declined. I was expecting Tom & Kenny at 9:30am. I set my clubs out front waiting on Tom. We hadn’t yet determined for certain who was driving. Kenny was punctual. Tom was a few minutes late. Tom drove his beater Honda Civic. It looked like I was driving. We loaded our clubs into the Trooper and soon left for Canal Winchester. Damn! The first thing Tom did was put down the passenger window in the Trooper. Somehow I left the lock “unlocked”. The window didn’t immediately go down, which was good news, but I feared it later would. We arrived at Westchester around 10:00am. Our tee times were 1015 & 1024am. There were six of us. We split into two threesomes using four carts. I played with Kenny & Tom. Bob played with Bob & Curt. Keeping it short, I played OK shooting a 43 on the front but a 50 on the back. I had my usual blow-up holes (a couple 7s and an 8). It took a long time to play 18 holes – 5 hours and 30 minutes. Bob Imber shot a respectable 80 – his all-time low round. Not too big of a surprise, my Trooper passenger window had slid down inside the door panel about half way. Can’t say I didn’t expect that. I ragged on Tom a little but also took the blame for not keeping it locked. We didn’t arrive back at my place until almost 4:30pm. While unloading our clubs, Diane stopped by with her kids. Haven’t seen or talked with her in a long while. I introduced Tom & Kenny. Before Tom took off for home I invited him to stop back later for some brews. Mindy was surprised at my late return. I thought for five seconds about cutting the lawn but quickly nixed the idea in favor of a day away from any chores. It was much warmer than originally forecasted. It was in the mid-80s. The kids returned home around 5pm from a weekend with Jimaken. Mindy made arrangements to grill burgers at our place and invited the neighbors, Kenny & Chrissy. She also called to invite Tom Clark after I mentioned that he might stop by for beers later. Well before starting the grill I napped and showered. I started drinking Barley’s IPA around 6pm. It was gooooood! I grilled eight burgers & four hot dogs while Mindy prepped a garden salad and all the other fixins. The neighbors came over around 645pm. After our meal, we all walked down to Mike & Teri’s to help them celebrate their daughter, Emily’s birthday. They had a house full of family & friends. I stayed through one beer, or until Bella informed us that Tom was waiting back at our place. Mindy & I headed home to greet him. We hung out drinking beer and listening to good music until midnight – kids included. We had a really fun time. After everyone left, Mindy and I cleaned up to make Monday’s wake up that much easier. Off to bed shortly thereafter.

Averting Disaster

I was up before 8am. I was still a tiny bit sleepy but felt terrific otherwise. I did my normal thing. I started coffee then completed my exercise regimen. Soon, I was out walking Ykraps. Mindy remained sleeping, and honestly, I didn’t expect her up for sometime. I was just getting ready to leave for my run when Bella rang the door bell. I’d almost forgot she was coming home for a few hours. It must’ve been about 9:30am. I soon left for my run. I wasn’t too surprised, but almost every vehicle that passed was occupied by folks in Buckeye attire. Many, I assumed, were heading to the game, or at a minimum, to a tailgate party. Bella was a little bummed that Makayla wasn’t home. She was bored, and wasn’t too interested in watching the Buckeye game. I asked Mindy & Bella to make a “free” sign to tape to our old brass firescreen. That kept Bella busy for a little while. While they toiled with the sign, I propped the firescreen against our big green trash can out front hoping that someone would nab it. Daughter Courtney and GD Olivia came over for a brief visit sometime between 1115 & 1130am. Olivia was excited to be over, and Mindy & I were equally excited to see her. Mindy left for yoga class around 11am. I expected her home until near 1pm. I took Olivia out to swing before they needed to leave. And at some point, while playing up in Bella’s room, Olivia cracked Bella over the head with something. Bella came running and crying. Said she bit her, too. Courtney corrected Olivia, and soon she was crying as well. Holy smoke. Courtney & Olivia departed just before the game began. Maddie, a young girl from down the street, soon came knocking on the front door looking for Jacob, and for the second time in as many days. I offered that he was off to the Buckeye game, but that Bella was home. They invited her out to play. That made Bella happy. It was finally time. The 2009 OSU Buckeye football season was officially underway. The Bucks looked decent, but not extremely sharp. Even still, coming out of halftime it looked like they just might put the game out of reach. And even though the Buckeyes had a couple promising drives stall, they pinned Navy back on their own 1 yard line. Mindy arrived home around the end of the 3rd quarter. We watched the rest of the game together. I could see it coming like freight train. The Buckeyes stopped playing with any intensity and before we knew it, Navy was back in the game. In fact, they had a chance to tie it up with a couple minutes left on a 2-point conversion try. Lucky for us, we intercepted the pass and ran it back for 2 points for our side. After recovering the onside kick, we ran the clock out narrowly escaping what many would deem as a complete disaster. After the Buckeye game, and after Jimaken stopped by to pick-up Bella, Mindy ran to Tuttle to look for a suit for Jacob. I stayed home and tinkered. I thought about cutting the grass but didn’t. Instead, I watched more football and napped. I eventually took a shower just before Mindy got back home. She never did find a suit, but did find herself a dress. We discussed dinner plans, and loosely decided to pay yet another visit to Barley’s. And why not? Good food, good people, and great beer! We walked Ykraps around 6pm, and left for Barley’s around 7pm. I took an empty growler. Haven’t had one of those filled with my favorite brew for some time. Saturday’s at Barley’s are generally laid back at least after the Buckeye game crowd departs, and this time was no exception. There was plenty of bar-side seating, and our dear friend Beth was working. She poured me a Centennial. Mindy ordered water and then food – their brisket special. I figured to order food but a bit later. I was happy to sip on my IPA. Cliff stopped in and bellied up next to Mindy. We also chatted with a couple who was at the game, and like many, said they left with the Buckeyes up 29-14 with 6 minutes remaining. Had to hear the near collapse from outside the horseshoe as they walked to their car. Yikes! I’ve done that before. I never did order my own entrée. Instead, I nibbled on Mindy’s brisket and ate a good portion of her fries. We didn’t stay too late either. I probably had three beers over the 2 hours. However, I did get my growler filled with liquid gold – IPA. Mindy called the neighbors after arriving home to see if they were up for company. They were watching a movie all snuggly on the sofa. I took my growler and a pint glass. We had a good time talking about the game and Sunday’s upcoming round of golf. All of the sudden, and seemingly out of the blue, Mindy was ready to go home. I opted to stay a while longer. She wasn’t gone long before Chrissy’s phone rang. It was Mindy requesting I come home very soon. I agreed, but also wanted to finish my beer. The phone ran again. It was Mindy … again, only this time she was a bit more adamant. I headed home five minutes later. And just as I thought she might, Mindy wanted to chat about it when I got home. We talked for nearly an hour.

Fire Screen

Once again it was Friday, by far, my favorite day of the week. I was up and out of bed around 5:30am. I breezed through my exercise routine before turning my attention to Ykraps and his morning walk. It was another lovely morning with the temperature hovering in the mid 50s. I sipped coffee in front of the PC before making and delivering Mindy’s coffee. I woke her up around 6:10am then returned for a little more PC time. By 6:35am meditation and stretching were in the bag. It was time for a run. I was out the door a few minutes later than I really wanted to be. The run went well. There was another one of those fabulous sunrises that turned the entire eastern sky almost totally orange. Due to the early autumn chill, I wore a thin, long-sleeved wicking shirt. I couldn’t wait to peel it off after my run. I was soaked in sweat. Just as I’ve come to expect, Mindy had my breakfast ready & waiting. I had to move a little quicker – more deliberate through my after breakfast routine - since the bus pick-up time was changing that morning. I was downstairs showered and dressed by 7:50am. The kids were heading out the door just before 8:00am. I found myself scrambling to get everything I wanted/needed done, including cleaning up the kitchen just prior to heading out. I also retrieved our snow skis from Jacob’s bedroom closet so that I could take them in for their annual tuning on my way to an eye exam during my lunch. The bus came even before 8:03am, but we weren’t complaining, just struggling to adjust. I loaded the snow skis in the back of the Trooper then left for work. I arrived before 8:30am for the first time in a while (since school started). The work day was busy but under control. I left for my 1:15pm eye exam at 12:15pm. I left early enough to allow myself time to drop our skis at Aspen Ski & Boards for their annual tune-up. You’d be surprised how nicked up the edges and bottoms got after only one abbreviated season. Before October 4th, ASBCO is doing winter tune-ups for $10 – a service that is usually $25. What a deal! I dropped the skis around 1240pm. I quickly browsed the store while I was there. Offered me 20% off anything in the store. However, I bought nothing additional. They promised a September 9th ready date. Cool! I took Kenny Rd south to North Broadway then east to Olentangy River Rd. I arrived for my eye exam early – 1pm. They got me in early too. Dr Julie greeted me a few minutes later. We chatted about our personal lives a little before she started the exam. She said she overheard me telling the new optician, JP, that I haven’t been using my newest pair of glasses much. I clarified why - because they weren’t fitted properly to my head and looked crooked. She assured me that she’d have JP fix that in a snap. It took about 45 minutes for the exam. I shared that I didn’t bring my contacts because I wear them so sparingly and didn’t plan to get more, that is unless there has been some new, exciting breakthrough that would make them more comfortable. She shared that there wasn’t. I did ask about the possibility of Lasik surgery to correct my vision problems. She promised to give me literature before departing, but also warned that she wouldn’t be recommending any of the ‘bargain’ Lasik centers out there. In fact, she said to expect to pay about $2000 per eye. Julie increased my prescription but only minimally. And furthermore, she said that given that my near and distant vision are both degraded, they’d most likely recommend doing one eye for reading and the other for distance. She left me with a couple packets on Lasik from two prominent Columbus Lasik surgeons, and then handed me off to JP. JP quickly fixed my newer glasses with the light-weight transitional lenses. I must admit, they’re far more comfortable than my older pair – much lighter. I saw no need to get new lenses, especially while I am considering Lasik. He offered sunglasses as an option too, and shared that my insurance would cover almost the entire cost. I stewed over it but couldn’t pull the trigger. No rush – no pressure. I left there at 2:10pm and headed back to work. The afternoon was unusually calm. At 4:00pm I asked my boss if I could get out of the office early to start my long weekend. Absolutely! Cool – I left the office just after 4pm. I decided to stop at Home Depot on my way home and buy that new black fire screen I have been looking at for two years now. I’d grown tired of the old brass screen we have in place currently. It doesn’t match anything and therefore has become an eyesore. If I were living right, the medium-sized screen would fit perfectly under the lip of our firebox opening (31”). I was in and out of Home Depot in less than ten minutes. From there, I proceeded directly to Great Clips for a shearing. I was greeted and seated instantly. The young lady cutting my hair went on an on about the ‘step-mom’ syndrome. She asked how me and my step-children get along. The conversation eventually morphed into how poorly she gets along with her ex and her significant others ex. Judging from her words, but certainly without expressing it (she did have scissors in her hand), I gathered that she’s the problem. I was out of there before 4:40pm. Jimaken arrived to pick-up the kids just seconds after I arrived home. Soon Mindy and I were all alone. Jim made arrangements to drop Bella off tomorrow morning before he and Jacob headed off to the Buckeye opener. We keep her for a few hours while they enjoyed the Buckeye game. Mindy was determined to get the grocery shopping done that evening before our Barley’ outing. To that end, she departed. After Mindy left for the grocery store I carried in the new firescreen. And after removing the old one (placed it temporarily on the deck) I started the assembly process. As usual, the enclosed directions left a lot to the imagination. I had to fumble with it for a good bit before I figured out how the mounting hardware was intended to be attached. And yes, I did my share of swearing. J It turned out that the new firescreen was just a smidge too tall to fit easily up under the firebox opening – probably less than a 1/16”. But I also knew a snugger fit was better than a loose one. I carefully used a little elbow grease to slide it against and under the lip. It went flush against the brick with little trouble really. I was pleased. It took about 45 minutes to complete the install – seemed like longer. I was sweating like crazy despite having the AC on – a sure sign of stress. The new black firescreen looks even better than I imagined. And because it’s black, the eye doesn’t gravitate towards it. It simply blends with the rest of our family room décor. Mindy got home after I had enough time to clean-up the small mess and take Ykraps on his evening walk. I helped carry in the groceries. Mindy caught a glimpse of the new firescreen without me mentioning it. She did nothing but rave about how handsome it was. While she put groceries away, I took a shower in part to rinse away any residual haircut clippings. Mindy talked with the neighbors (Chrissy & Kenny & David & Becky), who also made plans to join us at Barley’s. We left for there at 7:30pm. Barley’s wasn’t crowded at all. We bellied up to two open stools at the bar. I ordered a Centennial, and Mindy a glass of wine. Mindy ordered food quickly. I did not. She ordered a burger. Soon, Kenny & Chrissy showed up. And not long after, nephew Joe and his friend Jerry arrived. Meanwhile, David & Becky were already seated outside on the patio just like they usually are. Rene showed up, too. It’s been a while. She was sporting a sexy new haircut and shared that she’s dropped 14lbs, too. I could tell. I eventually ordered a Cuban, and just like the last time, it was delicious! I stuck with the Centennial all evening long. Apparently Mindy had more than one glass of wine and once the neighbors offered to drive us home she had a couple more. Mindy picked up the tab. We left the Honda at Barley’s and rode with Kenny & Chrissy. We left around 11pm. After arriving home, Mindy changed into comfy clothes and we walked down to the neighbors. I took two beers. It didn’t seem like we stayed that long, but Mindy said it was almost 1am. Geesh!

Vikings Cornhole

I was out of bed, downstairs and engaged in exercise even before 530am. The irrigation system ran its course through my sit-ups, but ended somewhere near 5:35am after I shortened the zone run times the evening before. The entire program is just over an hour long. I checked the temperature. It was 56 degrees. And I already knew after glancing out back that the sky was crystal clear. I put on my fleece jacket before heading out with Ykraps. I had that familiar kink in the left side of my neck but much less intense than last winter. I was back home enjoying coffee before 5:55am. The time went fast. It was time to wake Mindy in a snap. I returned to the PC after delivering her morning coffee, but just long enough to read the Daily OM. Time to stretch and meditate. I dressed and left for a run at 6:35am. And just all week long, I wore long running pants and a thick wicking shirt. I was very comfortable. It was daylight but the sun had yet to break on the horizon. It didn’t show itself until I was nearing the 3 mile marker. But what a gorgeous sunrise it was. The entire week has held spectacular sunrises and breathtaking sunsets. You gotta love September. I was back at home by 7:15am. Mindy had a plate of cheesy scrambled eggs resting at my usual place setting. Bella shared that the tooth fairy left her two dollars. I joked about it not being $5 like the one last weekend. Talking under my breath, but so she could still discern what I was saying, I tossed around various ways/ideas how we might catch or detour the tooth fairy from getting in the next time, including placing no-fairy signs on our windows. Bella wasn’t pleased and became somewhat vocal about it. Mindy did Bella’s hair then bolted for work. Meanwhile, there remained some confusion regarding the time we could expect the school bus this morning. The printed copy that the driver handed us said the change would go into affect on Friday, but she told Mindy it would be Thursday. The way I saw it, I needed to prepare as if it were Thursday (today). I ran off for a shower while the kids played up in their rooms. I was ready to go by 7:50am. Before heading off to work I searched my PC for mom’s address. I thought for certain that I had it but I guess not. We walked to the bus stop at 8:03am. Glancing down the street, I could see that the bus was already at the corner waiting to begin her daily assualt. Wait for it. Wait for it. We waited until 8:20am. While waiting, neighbor Becky came out to talk with the girls before she herself left for school (she’s a music teacher in Hilliard). Kenny asked about any weekend golf. I was bummed that we already had a foursome for Sunday. I shared that Sunday wouldn’t work but that I was game for Saturday or possibly even Monday. He understood, and we left the option open for Monday given that the 1st Buckeye game is Saturday. Not many are willing to miss it. I thought to myself that I would contact Westchester when I got to work to investigate another tee-time contiguous to our existing 1015am. If so, I would book it so that Tom and Kenny can golf with us. I didn’t mention the possibility to Kenny. I left for work shortly after the bus swept up the kids. I drove the Trooper. Don’t ask me why I didn’t drive the BM’er. Not sure. I arrived at work at 8:38am. It was my boss’ 34th birthday. To that end, he planned to work from home. Cool! The day was largely uneventful. It’s good to have a few of those sprinkled in every once in a while. Even though the day was tame, I didn’t take a formal lunch. One of my guys builds cornhole boards for hire. Through me, Mindy tasked him with building me Viking boards as a birthday present. He let me know that they were done and in his truck. I covered the $80 cost. Mindy would have to pay me. I walked out with Myron to get ‘em around 4pm when he was leaving for home. Looking good. I placed them in my Trooper with a bath towel between the two to hopefully prevent any scratches. I went back inside and finished my day, leaving for home at 5:30pm. Mindy was at the pediatric dentist with Rocky & Bella. She said not to expect her home until after 6pm. Cool! I arrived home around 5:45pm. I breezed through a few routine chores – rinsing lunch containers and making the following morning’s coffee before leashing up Ykraps. I headed out walking to the west and by Kenny’s house. Just as we approached his place he and the girls pulled up. I asked Kenny if he wanted to golf Sunday at Westchester. He was in. I failed to mention that Tom jumped on the opportunity, too. I was happy to have pulled that off. Meanwhile, the two girls, Makayla and Lillian, asked Kenny if they could walk Ykraps with me. We were only going three or four houses down the way. Another neighbor, Kapel, was over talking with Kenny when we got back. The three of us chatted for a while. Kenny invited Kapel and his wife, Pabena to the USC game party next Saturday. I asked what they were up to this coming Saturday. Kapel being a doctor, shared that he would be heading into the hospital to continue an experiment he’s running on some mice. It has something to do with pre-diabetics. Eventually Pabena arrived home and joined the three of us. And just a few minutes later Mindy and kids arrived home and walked down, too. Rocky was staying for dinner. We talked for a while, and were eventually approached by a kid representing some charity for kids. I asked him to share a little about his organization and what sort of services they provide. He did a good job. I gave him the only cash I had - $5. Kenny & Kapel followed suite by giving him $20 each. We finally headed towards home, all of us eager for dinner. We were having pork roast after it cooked all day in the crock pot. It smelt terrific and tasted even better. Bella complained that she didn’t like the pork and asked if she could have a bowl of cereal. I obliged her request. Rocky loves pork roast and ate two helpings. After a quick clean-up, Jacob & Rocky talked me into playing football. We played for about 15 minutes until both tuckered out. Afterwards, we tried out my new cornhole boards. I left to run Rocky home around 7:30pm. We arrived around 745pm and met up with Lindsey & Landon, who were just down the street a couple houses playing at a neighbors. After some idle chit-chat and hug I bolted for home. It was nearing dark about the time I got back. Mindy & Jacob were playing cornhole when I left. I saw that they carried the boards up onto the deck. Inside, Mindy had the kids showering up and readying for bed. I tucked them in after a very brief nap. Despite me not wanting to, I did one of those “I Spy” pages with Bella. It makes her happy and provides time for just her & I. Back downstairs I tuned into the NFL preseason games on TV. Both the Browns and Bengals were playing. However, the fourth and final preseason game is never much to watch or get too excited about. Most teams hold out all their starters. I don’t figure the current format of four preseason games to last too much longer. In fact, there’s already talk of reducing it to two and then adding two more regular season games. I fell asleep on the sofa watching football. Mindy was already up in bed. I woke feeling ridiculously tired. It took all the energy I could muster just to get up the stairs, brush my teeth and get in bed. Good night full moon!

Perfect Day

Happy 50th Birthday David Waters! I woke two or three times before 5:30am only to fall successfully back asleep. I didn’t wake for good until 5:45am – a minor oops! I didn’t fret. Instead, I just pushed through my early routine being a bit more aware of the time. I was back from walking Ykraps and waking and delivering Mindy’s morning coffee by 6:10am. For all intents and purposes, I was back on track. I did my usual meditation and stretching in the family room. I had that familiar knot in the left side of my neck and upper back causing some minor discomfort, but all the extra stretching that Mindy & I did last evening seemed to take the edge off. For that I was grateful. That’s the same spot/area that plagued me all winter long. For the second day in a row I wore long running pants and a long sleeved winter wicking shirt during my run. It was only about 52 degrees. I was quite comfortable throughout. Back at the house, I was happy to see Bella at the kitchen table dressed for school and eating her breakfast. Mindy & I briefly discussed our after work intentions. I hoped/planned to golf. Mindy reminded me that Rachel was coming to clean the house at 8:15am. She left for school after doing Bella’s hair. I was off to the shower. I was ready to go by 7:50am. I used the next 5 minutes to load my work gear and golf clubs into the BM’er. I rustled up a house key for Rachel, too. Soon, me and the kids headed out to the bus stop. Neighbor Becky was just readying to leave for school. Bella and Makayla paid her a visit. They absolutely love Becky. They conned her out of part of her breakfast – a bagel. All of us were hanging out in front of her house waiting on the bus. The bus pulled up around 8:15am. Mrs. Vanorder, the bus driver, had the notices she promised indicating the time change effective Friday, September 4th. We cheered! Starting Friday, the bus will pick the kids up at 8:03am. While we celebrated, Rachel walked up. Didn’t even see her pull up. She and I walked back to the house where I gave her a check and a house key. I had to ask her to move her car so I could back out of the drive. Off I went. I arrived at work at 8:37am. It was another lovely late summer – early autumn morning. The kind of weather I expect around my birthday – crystal clear deep blue skies, mild temps, but with warm sunshine. The workday was a busy one. I held a team meeting at 10am, attended a staff meeting at 11am, and then bolted off to the BMV to get my car tags renewed and a new driver’s license at 12:45pm. I tried the Hilliard-Cemetery Rd branch first, but there was a line about 10-12 people deep and only two workers. That looked and smelled like at least an hours wait. Nope – not me! I headed to the Bethel Rd branch instead. Much better. There were only five people in line and four workers. I was served in less than ten minutes. And unlike most other BMV visits, my clerk had a personality. She asked numerous repetitive questions about any conditions, handicaps, etc that might prohibit be from successfully operating a motor vehicle. Yes, a wife! She laughed and laughed. Shared she and her husband just celebrated their 43rd anniversary. I congratulated her. It cost me $176 for 3 tag renewels and a new driver’s license. Ouch! My new photo looks so much more like me than the other. In that photo I had a mustache and contacts in. I looked like a porn star. J I headed back to the office arriving around 2pm. This was team potluck day. I walked directly to the patio area where the grill was set up and where we had some team activities taking place: cornhole, euchre, Texas hold ‘em, and a scavenger hunt. Everyone looked to be having a grand time. I was extra hungry so I made myself a burger and grabbed a bunch of sides. I was asked to sit in on the Texas hold ‘em game for one of my team members. Prior to that, I hadn’t played it before. And while that was painfully obvious to the others, I managed to win three out of four hands. J I did my guy proud by growing his pile of chips. However, just before her returned, I lost a bunch on a bluff. The other guy was bluffing too but had a one card higher than me. That was fun! I headed back to my office just after 3pm while everyone else continued to enjoy themselves at the potluck outing. I took care of a number of work related matters leading up to my early departure for golf - 4:30pm. From an earlier email, I knew that Bob might be late, but it sounded like he’d still make it out. Also, I called Tom. He was in for sure. I was on my way at 4:35pm. I chatted briefly with Mindy just as I set out. I arrived at Split Rock around 5:10pm. Come 5:30pm no Tom, and no Bob. Tom arrived a couple minutes later while I stood outside the clubhouse talking with Courtney. Bob phoned a few minutes earlier – was just leaving work. There were two twosomes in front of us. I phoned Bob again while were on the tenth fairway to let him know that we had just tee’d off. By then, he was already on Thrailkill Rd. We planned to try and link up as we played along. I started really well – nice, straight drive about 240 yards and followed that with a nice 3-wood leaving me out about 40 yards on the par 5. I hit my 3rd shot within ten feet. I ended up parring the hole. I wasn’t so fortunate on #11. I hit my drive long, straight but slightly left and too far. It went into a small stretch of woods jutting out and protecting the green. Then, in a foolish maneuver, I hit my second shot (3rd with a penalty stroke) – a nine iron - over the trees without ever checking where I needed it to land. I misjudged it terribly hitting way too much club and consequently back into more trees. Now, I was hitting shot 5 from behind the green. I ended up with an eight. Number 12 is a 165 yard downhill/uphill par 3. It always plays a club longer than one might expect. I hit a 5-iron.pin high and only 9 feet out. The green is undulating and difficult. I three putted. Dammit! Hole #13 is a relatively short par 4 but with a creek and woods left and right from the tee box. Tom went right and I went left. But my drive hit a tree and took a fortuitous bounce back out into play, albeit a challenging lie on the right side of the fairway rough close to Tom’s drive. I used my Rescue wood from about 160 yards and needing to bend it slightly around a lone tree. With 2/3’s of a swing I managed to leave it just off the left edge of the green. Nice shot! I par’d it. We could now see Bob playing number 11. After finishing number 13 we crossed over to the #11 fairway and hit 150 yard shots in – closest to the pin buys a beer Friday night. We joined up with Bob on the par 3 #12 tee box. I hit my 5-iron again only this time on the right side of the green and about a 25’ putt with a whole lot of break in it. I three putted again. No change to my score. Tom fared much better. I changed his score. I ended up with a 7 on #14 - one of the easiest holes - after being in the green side sand in two. No excuses, but the sand was like mud. Consequently, I had to hit a second sand shot to get out. Suddenly, I was putting for bogey from 12’. Bad lead to worse, I three putted. Those are the things about my game I need to work on. I give up way too may strokes due to poor putting and slight mis-hits. A couple of those each nine and a respectable 42 ends up being a 46 just like that, which is exactly what I shot. I’m motivated to share our #18 story. This is a long, undulating, dog leg par 5. All three of us hit drives down the middle – Bob the longest. Both Tom and I hit incredible 3-woods in. Mine left me about 70 yards out – Tom only 20 yards. Bob second shot wasn’t too good but hit his third shot within 8 feet of the hole in what was a tremendous golf shot. I hit my pitching wedge within 12 feet. Tom placed his third shot on the back about 30 feet out. All three of us were putting for birdie. That NEVER happens! Tom went first and left himself some work – about 6 feet out. Me next. I hit a gorgeous putt that stopped just half an inch from rolling in. Ugh! Bob missed his birdie, too. He & I par’d it, Tom bogeyed. Still, and exciting finish. It was just after 8pm when we finished. Along my drive home, I got to witness an absolutely gorgeous sunset. I felt blessed to see it. I arrived home at 8:37pm. I wasn’t in the door ten seconds when Bella came running. She lost yet another tooth – this time on the bottom right. She was stoked. Knocked it out herself. Immediately, I could see the results from Rachel’s house cleaning. Mindy said she did another awesome job. I needed/wanted something fast to eat. I started snacking on Triscuits and cheese and chased them down with a Diet Coke. Mindy and I shared/compared stories from our day. Given the hour, it was already time to tuck in the kids. Bella was very chatty, still excited about losing another tooth. Among other things, she asked me if I thought that she was weird. Asking why, she said because she’s losing her teeth at such an alarming rate. No, not at all. I wanted popcorn, but knowing Bella, I figured I’d give her 15 minutes to fall asleep. Thinking the coast clear, I popped it at 9:15pm. And while the popcorn cooled, I took Ykraps out back for one last opportunity to pee. He went a few times. Back inside I was surprised to find Bella at the railing asking Mindy for some popcorn. Her sniffer apparently detected it even as she was falling asleep. Mindy gave in and took her a little. I enjoyed mine with a Jack & Coke all the while watching the new Fox hit, Glee. However, we actually saw the same episode in a sneak preview late in the spring. Good tactic Fox! Mindy headed to bed at 1005pm – just as the news was coming on. I didn’t bother turning the channel and watched the first 10-15 minutes or so. After not watching the news for about five years, I was almost offended by the obvious theatrics, sensationalism, and teaser techniques employed. I found it excessive and too rehearsed, almost like a drama series. I lost interest and fell asleep. I woke around 1040pm and headed up to bed.

Holy Guacamole! - 102 degree Fever

Mindy and I had talked the night before. Even if Bella’s fever broke, Mindy wanted her to stay home to rest. She claimed the 24 hour rule (kids must stay home for 24 hours after a fever). I agreed but said we’d let Bella decide. If she woke for school and was eager to go, we’d let her. Mindy reluctantly agreed. In kind, I got up at 5;30am just as I would on any other work day. I completed my exercises and walked Ykraps. While sipping the morning’s coffee I fired off an email to my boss indicating that in all likelihood I would be working from home, although I promised to call after 8am to let him know for sure. I proceeded with my routine as normal. When I delivered Mindy’s coffee she said regardless of how Bella felt, she really wanted to keep her home. I agreed. I left for my run at 6:40am. Unlike Monday morning, I dressed warmly wearing long running pants and a thick, long sleeved wicking shirt for the first time this season. I completed my run by 7:20am. Bella was no where to be seen. Mindy said she was still in bed and once again sporting a 102 temperature. She dosed her with more Tylenol before leaving for school. Meanwhile, I had already logged into work before setting out on my run. I checked in while eating my breakfast. And after seeing Jacob onto the school bus I called my boss. He was more than gracious about me working from home. I stayed busy all morning long. In fact, I never even bothered to shower. Honestly, shower and attire aside, it wasn’t any different than if I were in the office save for the lack of any face time with my team and/or peers. I worked all morning and early afternoon without much of a break. Bella was up around 10-11am and feeling considerably better. I could hear her making all sorts of raucous from her room. I later learned that she was dancing! She asked for a bowl of Honey Nut Cherrios. I obliged her request. I ate some, too. I also ate the leftover Sporano’s sub in the fridge. So far, I’d eaten way more than I would’ve had I been at the office. Around 2:20pm I took my lunch break. I headed outside to start on cutting the lawn. This was day 5. The grass needed cut badly, especially after last week’s fertilizer and rain. I didn’t plan to do it all, however. I intended on whacking, edging and doing some or most of the push mowing. I knew that would eat almost 90 minutes. I worked on the lawn until 3:45pm. That time went really fast. I headed back inside to get back to work. Jacob got off the bus around 4:00pm. He ran off to play a few minutes later. I forgot to ask about home work. Out of practice, I guess. This was soccer night, and thinking ahead, Mindy made arrangements for Jimaken to take Jacob so that we could stay home with Bella. I worked until 5:15pm. Afterwards I headed back outside to finish the lawn. I did all the tractor mowing, watered the back flower pots and baskets, and topped off the fountain. Once again, we were having leftovers for dinner. This time I elected to have the rest of my Rib Eye steak leftover from Sunday evening. While Mindy ate, I was busy making chocolate pudding, and secondly, a 3 avocado batch of guacamole. Bella helped with the guacamole. She chopped all the peppers and onion using the Pampered Chef hand chopper. We were quick to caution her about touching any of the peppers then her skin/face. She did a good job. After the pudding set, all three of us enjoyed some. Surprisingly, Bella didn’t like it. What? What 6 year old kid doesn’t like chocolate pudding? Good grief. Jacob arrived home after soccer practice around 7:50pm. I asked Jimaken how his recent trip to Key West went. Said it was awesome, but also very hot – 109 degree heat index. Jacob was very excited to try the guacamole. He ate quite a bit. He loves the stuff, and the hotter the better. This new batch contains one habanera & two jalapenos. Mindy dosed Bella with more Tylenol before bed. But all indications were that she’d be returning to school. Not sure what she had, but obviously it wasn’t the flu. It looked like I’d be returning to work on Wednesday. After the kids were in bed and tucked in, I went to the sofa where I tuned into the National Geographic channel watching a program about tracing the DNA of several hundred folks attending a street fair in Queens, New York. They were able to track everyone back to one of two families in Africa, and then created a path of migration dating back as long as 100,000 years ago. I watched intently, finding myself totally immersed in the ideas. Mindy wasn’t as impressed as me, and eventually begged off to bed. I watched while at the same time considering the implications of the facts presented. As interesting as the program was, I fell asleep at some point. I woke and then joined Mindy in bed around 10:30pm.

Seeing Favre in Purple

I was up on time – right at 5:30am - and there was little variation to a routine that’s become pretty much set in stone. I exercised, walked Ykraps, played on the PC, meditated, stretched and ran. It was quite cool during my run. I wore shorts and a thin, long sleeved running shirt, but I wished I had worn something warmer. It couldn’t have been even 50 degrees. Yikes! Back at the house, the kids and Mindy were busy in the kitchen. Bella complained about not feeling well but we made nothing of it. Soon Mindy was off to school leaving me to get Jacob and Bella on the bus. We hoped this would be the last week of the late bus schedule. After my breakfast I showered and dressed for work. Me and the kids headed out to the bus stop at 8:05am. The bus was parked at the end of our street but sat there until 8:18am keeping with the prior schedule. She mentioned that the change was coming, and hopefully this week. I headed off to work immediately after the kids were on the bus. I drove the BM’er. Work was fairly quiet. Busy, but well managed. I left for lunch around 1pm. I just needed to getaway but had no real agenda. I ended up visiting both Macy’s furniture & World Market just to browse. I was back at the office in something less than an hour. I left work for the day around 5:30pm. Mindy said we’d be having leftovers. And when I got home there were leftovers spread out across the entire island countertop. There was steak, chicken & noodles, pizza, mashed potatoes, cucumber salad, and baked beans. I opted for the chicken & noodles. Bella told me that she wasn’t feeling well. I touched her head and was surprised to find her on fire. Meanwhile, Mindy was on the phone with her brother Craig talking about our friend and neighbor, Amy Morgan, who passed away last Friday after a five year battle with bone cancer. Very sad. She was 38 years old. After Mindy was off the phone I suggested that she take Bella’s temperature. She did and found it to be 102.5. That’s warm. She called her brother back and shared the data. He suggested that she dose her up with Tylenol and Advil, and shared that he’s diagnosed a handful of Swine flu cases in the past week or so, but also mentioned that it could be a number of other things as well. He suggested that we monitor her for the next day or so to see what gives. We gave her some Tylenol and she went to lie down. Bella’s fever began to break within the hour but she continued moping around. Mindy was worried about the prospect of staying home the following day given that Monday was her first day with her full class after last week’s staggered start. I offered up that I might be able to stay home. After all, I brought my laptop home, which isn’t something I do that regularly. This was Monday, and the Minnesota Vikings were playing on MNF. I was psyched. Even though this was preseason, I was very eager to see Brett Favre in action. He was scheduled to play the entire first half. I hurried through kitchen duty and by 7pm I was on the sofa with the TV tuned to the ESPN pregame. Kick-off was at 8pm. The Vikings took the opening kick-off out to the 26 yard line. On the first play, Favre handed off to Adrian Peterson, who immediately ran for a 74 yard touchdown. Boom! Just like that it was 7-0. The game never regained that same level of excitement after the quick start, but I was quite pleased with the Vikings offense. Favre looked good to me, and a far better field general than anyone else they’ve had in that role for several years. Save for a rash of penalties, they looked ready to start the season. Mindy headed to bed just after halftime. I stayed up until it was over. They won 17-10.

Hayden Falls & Dairy Queen

I flirted with getting out of bed around 6am and then again around 7, but somehow I fell back asleep and didn’t wake again until I heard Mindy slipping quietly out the door around 9am. This was one of those rare mornings when she was out of bed before me. I laid there for a few more minutes but couldn’t sleep any longer. I got up and headed downstairs. I glanced out back into the sunny abyss then started to get my calisthenics underway. However, this was Sunday, the day I planned to rest my gut and arms. No calisthenics. Instead, I went directly for Ykraps’ leash then headed out the door. It was cool – only about 60 degrees. The walk was nice. I couldn’t help but admire how nice our lawn looked on the second to last day of August. By now, with out the irrigation system, it would be stressed to the max. Mindy said that Bella asked if we could go out for breakfast. I suggested that by the time I finished my run, showered and dressed it would be 11am. And, by the time we’d arrive at any restaurant it would be 1130am – well past the breakfast hours. Mindy said we didn’t have to necessarily do breakfast. I offered up El Vaquero, and Mindy liked the sound of that. I readied and left for my run at roughly 10am. My run went well. I was back at home by 1045am and headed immediately for a shower. In addition to lunch at El Vaquero, we planned to visit Hayden Falls and then stop at Play It Again Sports in Hilliard to get Jacob’s new soccer cleats. It was a tad chilly but I still wore shorts and a tee shirt. All of us took a light jacket just in case. By the time we pulled away from the house – 11:30am, the sky was clouded over pretty good. The forecast called for sunny skies so we assumed it a short lived fluke. We visited the Riverside Dr El Vaq. At first we thought we might sit inside, but in the end, both Mindy & I prefered their covered patio. We sat out there. Bella squawked a little but followed our lead. She didn’t really have a choice. It sucks being 6! The restaurant was uncharacteristically barren. It’s usually packed, and more often than not there is a wait for a table. We guessed ourselves to be just in front of the after church crowd. Our hunch was correct. They started arriving fifteen minutes later. Given the hour none of us ordered alcoholic beverages, not even Bella. :) We did eat three baskets of chips and salsa, though. Everybody loves them. For whatever the reason, the kids weren’t in the best of spirits, especially Bella. She was hard to please. But Mindy put her foot down and she eventually complied. We ate our lunch and left for Hayden Falls by 1230pm. Hayden Falls is a quick drive from the Vaq. Mindy had never seen the falls, and I hadn’t been there for a number of years, and never from the drive-in park entrance. Instead, all of my past visits were via the river/boat. On the other hand, our kids have been there numerous times with their daddy. Much like Old Man’s cave, there’s a boardwalk leading from the parking lot to the base of the falls. Then, there’s a relatively long break before the boardwalk picks up again and takes you back by the falls. I have mixed feelings about the boardwalk. Seems like too much human intervention, but I also realize it provides access to those that otherwise might never be able to see such a beautiful site. It’s also worth mentioning that there’s new lumber on-site to presumably complete the boardwalk all the way from the parking lot back to the falls. Mindy was blown away by the hidden gem. And I forgot just how gorgeous it is back there. It’s hard to imagine that little slice of heaven is resting there just off the busy road and just a few miles from our home. It looks and feels a lot like Cedar Falls (Hocking Hills). We stayed at the falls for about an hour, and I must’ve taken about 50 photos. Before departing the park, we ventured to the two new overlooks placed by the city. But it was difficult to see due to all the foliage. From there, we headed to Play It Again Sports on Hilliard-Cemetery Rd. Jacob ended up getting used cleats since they didn’t have new ones in his size – 5.5. The used were only $10 as opposed to $25 for the new. He grew out of his others in a year. Buying used is a good bargain. And aside from being a little dirty, they’re in great shape. From there we started towards home, but on the way we all decided to stop for ice cream even though the weather seemed more like chili or hot chocolate. We drove to the Dairy Queen in the Georgesville/I-270 shopping complex. As we passed Hugh White Honda I suggested we look at the new Accord’s. Mindy agreed, despite the kids’ insisting we not. :) I showed Mindy the fully loaded two-door version that I like – black/black. She deemed it a bit impractical but… We headed over to the Dairy Queen. We went inside to enjoy our tasty treats. And by the way, it was still completely clouded over – depressing given the overly rosie forecast for sunny skies. I had a chocolate cone dipped in chocolate. Bella had plain vanilla. Mindy & Jacob had blizzards – not sure what flavors. Finally, our family adventure was complete. We headed home arriving there around 3pm. My belly was full and I badly wanted a nap. I eventually stretched out on the family room floor to satisfy that need. In the meantime, Mindy had three big steaks thawing on the island. My dad was coming over around 6pm for dinner. At the time I wondered how I might muster the appetite. I napped only briefly – no more than 20 minutes. I spent the next couple of hours downloading the day’s pictures and watching the Barclay’s golf tournament. I watched golf until my dad arrived. I started the grill around 6pm and then took Ykraps on an evening walk. Dad was using a cane but seemed to be getting around much better. In typical dad fashion, he described in full detail what was going on with his back, nerves, and arthritis. It dawned on me right then that the days of dad running around playing volleyball, or crawling under his truck are most likely gone forever. I threw the steaks on the grill after my return. In addition, I put a couple hot dogs on for Bella and some Tilapia for Jacob. It’s hard to believe, but Jacob doesn’t care for steak. The key to the perfect grilled steak is the temperature. I cooked them on medium-high assuring that they’d be brown and crisp on the outside, yet remain pink and juicy on the inside. They were done in a hurry. However, after a quick slice, both Dad and Mindy asked that there steaks be put back on the grill for a little extra cooking. Dad serrated his all over to ensure that it would get cooked even more. I’ll admit, they all needed a couple more minutes. I put mine back on for another couple minutes too. It didn’t take long, however. And this time they were perfect! Along with steak, Mindy prepared baked beans and cucumber salad. Pretty simple dinner, really. After dinner, Jacob and Jake asked me to play football. I didn’t really want to but decided to do it anyways. After all, I don’t want Jacob to remember me as a ‘missing parent’. I played quarterback for both kids. It was difficult listening to their incessant complaining, especially Jake. In other words, if I don’t throw a perfect pass, one that lands softly and squarely in their hands, they complain. In fact, even when it hits their hands but then they drop it, they complain. The play ended with a mini-fight. Jake pushed Jacob hard from behind out of frustration. Jacob ran in the house crying. Jake soon came to apologize, but our Jacob was not feeling receptive to it. Knowing that our Jacob is more often than not the one delivering the aggression, I took a more understanding approach with Jake and offered him some cheesecake. He graciously accepted and sat with Mindy, dad, and I and while he ate his pie. Jake’s mom called for him to come home. He soon left. Dad left too. I was there for assistance as he walked to his car. However, he made it entirely on his own. After everyone was gone, Mindy started getting the kids ready for bed. I tuned into the preseason SNF game – Chicago and Denver. Chicago looked like the better team. Mindy headed to bed around halftime. I joined her a half hour later.