Black Mountain in the Raw

 

I woke two or three times after 5am but wasn’t up for good until 7am or so. I wisely had my running clothes laid out from the night before so all I had to do was grab them and head to the bathroom without disturbing Mindy or the kids. A few minutes later I headed to the lobby where they serve a free breakfast. There I enjoyed coffee and the newspaper before heading out for a run. Must’ve been near 730am when I headed out the door, first for a stretch of the hammies against the stone pillars, then about a 30 minute run.

It was cool, humid and cloudy, but happily not raining as I headed off still unsure which direction or where my run might take me. Anyone who’s been to Ashville knows that the terrain is extremely hilly, and our hotel was no exception. It was situated on fairly steep hill. I opted to run uphill first, thinking it better to get it out of the way - a test of sorts.  In addition, running uphill took me away from busy traffic and into a remote older residential area that I was certain would offer little if any car traffic to contend with. But I was wrong.  Car after car blew past me even when I turned on to an even more remote residential street further up in the hills.

About two miles into the run (best guess) it started to rain again. It came down at a good clip, too. I toughed it out. and actually it cooled me off. Back to the hotel lobby near 8am, I poured two cups of coffee, one for me and one for Mindy, then headed back to our room. Much to my surprise, Mindy was already up and out of the shower. After another half hour or so she and I headed down to the lobby for breakfast. The kids wanted to sleep in.

Breakfast was good, scrambled eggs, sausage, bagels, fruits, juice, etc. There until 9am or so. Raining fairly hard and non-stop. Very gloomy! Back in the room I did a little reading and then watched some TV for a couple hours – the NatGeo Channel, I think.

With the forecast calling for steady rain and highs only in the low 60s we figured our best touristy option was Black Mountain. Tubing and hiking were definitely out! Thinking we left for Black Mountain near noon. Despite the rain the drive east into the mountains (about 15 miles) was lovely. Like many folks shared, Black Mountain is similar to our Yellow Springs. Parking was again a bit of a challenge but we eventually found a spot. In shorts and a t-shirt, I wasn’t dressed for the conditions. At the time it was 61 degrees with light rain. Ugh! We made our way to the Black Mountain Ale house which is located down a long flight of stairs.

We were originally seated near a rear door which was opened to the chilly wet air. Nice view but I was too cold. We ended up moving to a table more centrally located and more importantly away from the chilly breeze. They had a decent beer selection but they’re not a brewpub. I ordered a local IPA. Can’t recall from what brewery. It was just OK. We ordered lunch there too, and just like the night before I went with wings. Can’t recall what Mindy and the kids ordered. The wings were good enough that we ordered a second batch. And I am pretty sure I went with a 2nd beer. We were there for about an hour. Lots of cool art work on the walls. I took a few pics and sent them to my peeps.

Despite the gloomy wet weather, we left Black Mountain Ale House heading out to the streets to take in several of the shops and galleries. Lots of cool shops to peruse. After stopping in 3 or 4 shops I suggested a stop in the ice cream parlor and fudgery. All agreed, but Bella also insisted on stopping in the cupcake shop. I ordered a butter pecan in a waffle cone right there on prem. It was to-die-for delicious. Meanwhile, Bella became enamored with the fudge making process asking the candy man all sorts of questions. By the time we walked out I’ll be we spent $50.

All totaled, we probably spent 2-3 hours in Black Mountain. Before heading back to our hotel we stopped a couple miles down the mountain at Pisgah brewing company. Not a pretty venue but one well-suited for live entertainment. The have an in-house stage for local acts and then a large outdoor venue, which the Turtles were set to play later that evening. The kids weren’t too pleased with the additional stop but it’s not like we hadn’t planned it. It was in the cards the entire trip.

Mindy and I enjoyed one beer each, she a porter and me their IPA. Neither made much of an impact on our taste buds. We sought out Stephanie, a bartender that Bob & MaryAnn befriended their last stop in. She smiled big when we mentioned their names. I snapped a picture then texted it off to Bob and M.A.

I noticed some large hops growing just outside the overhead doors. Again, a cool, roomy venue but not too pleasing to the eye. We headed back to our hotel arriving near 6pm. And yes, still raining. I toyed with getting in the covered hot tub but never did. Instead, we holed up in our room watching TV, Mindy and I the main bedroom and the kids in the front bedroom.

We watched episode after episode of Deadliest Catch and then a couple episodes about drug wars. My belly was still full from lunch but the kids were already asking about dinner. I elected to stick back in the room while Mindy ran out with the kids. Around 7 or 8pm I cracked open a White Rajah and then another. She and the kids were gone for no more than 45 minutes. She got Jacob tacos from a food truck at the gas station. Bella, however, wanted no part of that and instead got Subway.

I read from my Kindle until 10pm or until I could no longer keep my eyes opened. We’d be leaving for Lake Wateree come morning – about 170 mile drive. I wanted to wake rested.

Believe it's Time for me to Fly

 

 

 

Our plan was to be on the road for Ashville by 8am. To that end, I was up and out of bed by 6am. I felt good and even had a bit of vacation butterflies in my belly, which is a good thing. Skipped calisthenics but still meditated and stretched ahead of a run. Spent 30 minutes enjoying coffee and internet before any of that. Out the door for a run near 630am but not before waking Mindy with a cup of coffee at her bedside.

It was cool and clear, a lovely start to my summer vacation. After a successful 3 mile run, I organized/packed a few more personal electronics that I charged overnight. I headed up for a shower around 7am. By then Mindy was out of the shower and dressed.

Most of our gear was already downstairs by the front door. We still needed to pack two coolers, one with long-term vacation food and then a smaller car cooler for the trip to Ashville. It was soon clear that we wouldn’t be getting out of the house by our stated goal of 8am. Looked more like 830am at best. However, aside from simply missing a stated goal, which I abhor, it wasn’t a big deal. Just hoped to arrive in Ashville late afternoon/early evening.

Mindy and the kids were slow to get motivated, especially Jacob. Hungry, I took the time to make a sandwich before we left. Jacob’s the only one that didn’t eat anything. He was grumpy and tired. We hit the road near 845am.

Mindy and I were both excited to be taking a different route to the Carolina’s – I-71/75. In fact, we toyed with a stop in Cincy/Newport to tour the Aquarium but nixed it as late as Thursday for another time. Made good time down I-71 thru Cincy and well into Ky. The sunny skies we left behind in Columbus slowly but surely turned to gray, and by the time we made into Tennessee for lunch it started to rain.

Jellico is the first town in Tenn. via I-75, which is in the mountains. We stopped at Wendy’s I’m thinking near 1pm. Decided to dine inside. I had the pretzel bacon burger, which was good but smaller than they make it look in TV. There was a fireworks store right next store. After lunch, Jacob and I meandered over there while Bella and Mindy filled the Pilot with gas.

Mindy wasn’t too pleased with herself after carelessly spilling her Wendy’s soda pop into the snack bag. It did little good, but I insisted she not be so hard on herself.  Back on the rainy road. I’d had a good bead on the 5 day forecast for the last few days, so it was no surprise to me that it was raining. However, it was far cooler than I remembered seeing – only in the mid 60’s through the mountains of Tenn. and western N.C. Little did I know that it would rain from that point through midafternoon Sunday.

Our I-75 travels took us to Knoxville where we picked up 40W. And if memory serves, that left another 90 miles or so to Ashville, which was pretty much through the Smokies and along the Appalachian Trail. We passed the exits for Gatlinburg & Dollywood soon after clearing Knoxville. The traffic was backed up for those exits both directions. Ugh!

The rain continued, and often times really hard, all the way into Ashville. That coupled with the mountainous and curvy terrain left me very focused. My GPS guided right to Country Inn & suites but unfortunately the wrong one. We had to back track about 8 or 9 miles to the one on the west side of town in Ashville’s rainy rush hour traffic.

Of note was how tight the freeway running through town is compared with that of Columbus. Not only are the lanes narrower but the on and exit ramps are smaller too. Quaint but also dangerous. I was very careful. Finally arrived at our two night digs near 530pm. Check-in went smoothly. I carried in all 3 of my bags (clothes duffle, camera pack, and miscellaneous electronics pack). Mindy wisely packed one small suitcase for her and the kids specifically for our brief stay in Ashville. The majority of our haul remained in the Pilot.

I wisely booked us a suite in lieu of a normal hotel room. That way the kids would have their own room. I think it’s fair to say that the rain and chilly temps left all of us a little disappointed and gloomy. We lounged around the hotel until 7pm or so. During that time Mindy and I checked out lots of tourist opportunities, including a tubing trip down the French Broad River through town, a day at Black Mountain, as well as some hiking opportunities. However, with the inclement weather forecast, hiking and/or tubing wasn’t in the cards.

At 7pm we readied and headed out for dinner, our destination being The Ashville Brewing Company, which as best we could there were 3 locations. We picked the one in the arts district downtown. Despite the crappy weather, parking was still a challenge. Within the few block area there must’ve been 4 or 5 brewpubs. Nice!

There was a quoted 245 minutes wait for an indoor table. The outdoor seating was covered but I wasn’t dressed for such, having brought only shorts and t-shirts. Our wait was no more than 5 minutes. I went with their black IPA. Mindy went with a flight, trying five different beers. As for dinner, I ordered dry rubbed chicken wings, which in the end weren’t nearly as good as those at Ohio’s Brew Kettle. Mindy ordered their hummus plate, which was decent. Jacob ordered a large pizza all to himself, and Bella a cheese burger. Mindy picked up the dinner check and even bought she and I t-shirts.

Back to our hotel just after 9pm where I enjoyed a beer and TV from bed before dosing off around 10pm. Yes, it was still raining.

ZIPA

I was up and out of bed near 6am. The sky was clear and the morning air cool. I knew this because we slept with the window opened. In fact, it was chillier in the house than it was outside. Felt good though. Downstairs, I promptly engaged in calisthenics whipping out sit-ups, windmills then 40 curls. Good to be alive and healthy!

Spent the next 40 minutes at my PC with coffee enjoying headlines, email, and the Daily OM. Must've been near 7am when I changed course and moved on to meditation, stretching and then ultimately my run. I planned on working from the office and being there late into the afternoon since my boss scheduled a 4pm meeting to review my mid-year performance. To that end. I wanted to be at the office as close to 9am as possible.

Off on my run near 720am. I wore the same bright yellow wicking shirt that I've worn the past two chilly mornings and was quite comfortable, though still prefer going shirtless. Meh! Good run and back at home by 8am.Not wanting to waste time, I moved immediately to breakfast and lunch prep. Record time. Had my lunch packed, breakfast (fried eggs, grits, toast) prepared and consumed by 815am. I am efficient - good looking too! :)

Off to the shower with Mindy's first cup of coffee in hand. Predictably, she asked if I had time to snuggle - something she's asked the past couple mornings when I did not. I didn't really have a lot of time on this occasion either but didn't want to leave her hanging. I had 15 minutes I could spare. I leaped back into bed and into action. :)

Two minutes later I was back on my feet and in the shower. OK, just kidding. It was more like 20 minutes later. Dressed and ready to go by 910am. It was going to be a banner day weatherwise so I planned to drive the BM'er. Mindy agreed to move the Accord to the curb so I could back out and depart. Vrrrrrroom! Arrived at the office near 930am. The lot was as full as I've seen it in the last 15 years. Moving more and more folks to our facility with each passing week.

Easy day. Spent most of the morning taking yet another online training class. I've now completed 10 of 14. Once the last four are completed I'll need to study/cram then prep for the exam. Yuck! My boss wasn't in. Apparently working remote or visiting an customer. I checked our calendared meeting. He now had it set for me to call him at 4pm. Wanting to manage my time efficiently, I decided to head for home, that way I could mow the lawn at lunch.

More to come ...

Mow

Work

Pack

Fertilize front flowers

Water

Mindy takes pug to mawmaws

Barleys- two beers (ZIPA) and a Texas pile it on burger - yum!

Visting Ken

I was up near 605am after a decent night of sleep. No more burglary attempts. And this time I remembered to disable the in-home security mode before doing anything else. Slowly but surely I completed Wednesday calisthenics which included push-ups. At my PC with coffee by 620am. There I played for the next 30 minutes.

At the time it was 53 and clear, and the day's first sun splashed the backyard's greenery. It looked really nice. Was only expected to reach the low 70s again. Completed a thorough meditation and stretch and still got out the door for my run before 715am.

Ran the full 4.1 miles. Very, very nice. I wore a short sleeved running shirt which seemed ideal with the relatively cool temps. Back home near 755am. Before making my breakfast, I checked work and personal email. I also checked my phone. Mindy sent me a text from our bedroom asking if I had time to snuggle. I didn't. I needed to be across town no later than 930am, earlier if at all possible.

I made my breakfast and packed a lunch in record time. Woofed it down in a hurry too. Headed upstairs for a shower while also taking Mindy some coffee. Out of the shower and dressed by 845am. Mindy asked if I had a few minutes to spend with her enjoying coffee before leaving. I had 10 minutes to spare. We sat and talked from the deck. What a gorgeous morning. She and the kids were supposed to head to Tara's and Lake Choctaw, but with the cool temps, she wasn't so sure boating would be in the plans.

I left the house near 900am and made excellent time heading east on 670 then north on 270. Arrived at the office well ahead of 930am as planned. Handled a few things before preparing for my monthly presentation. I sought out a projector. I was expecting a good turn-up from the customer as well as from my org. My boss, a peer and her boss was supposed to be in town to participate too.

Took a few to the get the projector up and operational. The power cord was missing and then once I procured one, it wouldn't reach the closet power outlet. Oh boy! Needed an extension cord. Finally got all the technical issues resolved and soon eight of us reviewed the presentation. Went really well.

Rather than take a lunch break. I opted to plow straight through my work day. There were no errands needing run and I had food in the fridge. I stayed busy through the early afternoon which quickly melded into mid-afternoon. Texted with Mindy mid afternoon. She and Bella went to Tara's but Jacob remained home sleeping after a couple late nights with friends. They didn't go boating. Just visited and did lunch. We made tentative plans to visit Ken See. Mindy made all the arrangements with his wife, Lori. Sounded like it was on and Mindy confirmed that he was home from the hospital.

I left work for home around 415p. It was a lovely afternoon, about 72 and sunny. I made excellent time barreling around 270 with little to no traffic snarls in Dublin or Hilliard. God's gift. :) I called David on my drive home. Among other things, we discussed the logistics of our trip and perhaps more importantly our expected ETA. Earlier Mindy shared that despite it being a Wednesday, Jimaken wouldn't be taking the kids. He was out of town investigating a crime. As I understood it, he'd be taking them for dinner Thursday evening instead. No problem. We'd let the kids stay home by themselves while we visited with Ken and Lori.

I got home around 445pm. Mindy and Bella weren't yet home from Tara's I didn't know it at the time but Jacob and Evan were in the guest room playing video games. Mindy & Bella were home near 5pm. It was more than an hour later that she and left to visit Ken. We took a few minutes to walk the pug together before leaving the house.

On our drive to Grove City, Mindy called Joseppi's Pizza in G.C. to order an extra-large Topper. We planned to pick it up in route to Ken's. It's pretty much on the way. At Joeseppi's in no time flat. Our pizza was just coming out of the oven. I observed one of the original Joseppi guy drawings, which I was certain was Glenn's work. Mindy snapped a photo and texted it to Glenn.

We had a $4-off coupon for a $20+ order. The pizza was $18.99. We picked up a 2 liter bottle of Sprite which put us over the top. We essentially got $2 off for buying the pop. On to Ken's. We weren't 100% sure how to get to Ken's place but winged it and outside of one incorrect turn in his subdivision, we made it there without needing to reference GPS. Mindy had better recollection than I. Lori asked that we come to the main level entrance, not the lower level like the last time. Thinking it was near 7pm when we showed up. Ken's looking good and for my money even better than the last time despite his recent set back with seizures. Definitely hasn't lost his sense of humor. But one can quickly notice how the ordeal has aged both Ken and Lori. Speaking of Lori, she's a saint - a very strong, strong willed woman. Tiny but mighty! She and Mindy hit it off well, and seem comfortable around one another, which makes me happy. Ken and I joked around for a while before we dug into the pizza.

Ken's youngest son, Logan was there. He's being heavily recruited by several division 1 colleges to play center or long snapper. He apparently has something going on with his feet to which Mindy promptly offered diaper cream. He tried some and liked it. Mindy gave him the travel jar she carries in her purse.

We all had our fill of pizza and there was plenty left. We visited for about an hour and a half. Looking forward to seeing Ken again soon. Had Mindy snap a photo of Ken and I together. Before leaving for home both kids called requesting we bring home food - Canes chicken. We stopped at the Canes on Stringtown Rd. Not out of our way much if any. Took I-71N to 70W home. Arrived home around 850pm. While the kids enjoyed their Canes chicken, I went to the living room to read from my Kindle.

I read until it started putting me to sleep. Around 10pm I declared it my bedtime. Earlier, I'd already put down the blinds and made sure all the windows and door were locked. Turned on the rear spots too. I headed to bed a few minutes ahead of Mindy and the kids, who were watching Big Bang from the family room. Even though it was just a few minutes later, I was darn near out by the time Mindy came to bed. If I recall correctly, there wasn't any TV watching from bed, and I know there was none for me. Sound asleep before 1015pm.

ReScreening

After Monday night’s thwarted burglary attempt, I didn’t get a very much quality sleep. Instead, I woke several times through the night and probably didn’t fall initially to sleep until somewhere near 1am. Daylight came around too soon. As a result, I gave myself permission to sleep in a few extra minutes which resulted in me not rolling out of bed until 625am.

With the daylight, I was curious what if any clues or damage I might find from the burglary attempt. To that end I promptly stepped out onto the deck to take a look around. Dammit! I forgot that we set the security system for night time mode, so as soon as I opened the door the alarm blared. I hurried to the keypad to disable but to no avail. Once it goes off it’s got to be handled as an intrusion. At that point I had little recourse other than to wait for the security company to reach out for verification. Seconds later when they did just that I identified myself as required then they disabled the false alarm. I then was able to disarm the system. That got my blood flowing!

Back to the deck. I noticed right away that one of the screens in the bay window had been cut open on three of the four sides much like a door, if you will. More proof that the would-be burglar planned to come through the window. I really wish I would’ve caught him in such a precarious position because I would’ve smashed his skull!

I surveyed the area moreover looking for any clues like dropped tools, a phone, etc. But the only other clue was a deeply embedded foot print in the general vicinity of his landing spot when he leaped off the deck. I planned to check the rest of the yard more thoroughly after my run.

As for the weather, it was partly to mostly cloudy but most of the rain had already moved out of our area. It was warmer than I expected, too – still in the mid 60s. The day’s high wasn’t expected to surpass 73 with plenty of sunshine. And then the night’s low was expected to drop to 53 degrees. Forecast sounded more like September.

I headed back inside where over the next 10 minutes I whipped out calisthenics and then poured and enjoyed coffee. It was more than an hour later that I completed meditation and a stretch then left for a run. I think I got out of the house just ahead of 8am.

I ran 4.1 miles without much fanfare. A police cruiser drove the neighborhood which isn’t unusual any time of day, but I guessed that he was following up on the night before’s criminal intent. The run was pretty easy and again shirtless. The cool morning air felt good against my skin. After my run I went directly out back to further survey the crime scene. I looked behind and under the shed, the tree house and then along the stream. No other clues. I noticed Mindy stepping out on the deck with coffee. I pointed her gaze towards the cut screen, which I could tell surprised her. Makes you feel vulnerable. That removed any doubt of the burglar’s intent.

I couldn’t hang out too long for needing/wanting to leave for work no later than 930am. Inside I got cracking on some eggs, whipping up fried eggs, grits, fruit and toast. I fried the grits in the olive oil originally intended for my eggs. Yum! Off to the shower around 9am and downstairs again by 920am.Enjoyed a little more coffee before heading off to work. Mindy’s plans included taking the kids to their dental appointments with Dr Scott. Not sure what else.

Arrived across town near 10am, and after the ¼ mile walk in from the far lot I was settled in my cubical a few minutes later. Seemed like a ghost town all around. Geesh! My focus was finalizing the June monthly report and spent the better part of the day doing just that. Come 1pm, I headed to our regularly scheduled conference room. There I sat alone for 10 minutes – arriving five minutes early and staying until 5 after the hour. I then sent a text to a peer asking if I missed a cancel notice. Well, not exactly. The meeting wasn’t happening but they failed to tell me. Uh, thanks?

I thought about leaving and working the remainder of my day from home but didn’t. One thing lead to another and before I knew it was 415pm and time for our staff call. I ended up at the office until almost 5pm. I called neighbor Pat Shultz on my drive home sharing the details of the thwarted burglary. He knew about it, just didn’t know it was at our house. He learned about it from the neighborhood association email updates that go out to members. We talked for a while or until I was near Tuttle.

Shortly thereafter Orkin called to confirm their late arrival. Before confirming we were accepting of the late appointment I inquired about our service commitment since from my perspective, we’ve already met our obligation. I want them to come only every other month in the March to October time frame. That’s it. Makes no sense at all having them there over the winter. Who’s fooling who? Tom shared that they don’t have an as needed plan, but could do a seasonal plan which if I understood correctly is the same number of visits but spread over the warmer months. I agreed to at least one more treatment before deciding what we will do moving forward. I never intended to make them a never ending, recurring service. A bug or spider here and there is a nonissue in my world.

Called Mindy to let her know that the Orkin Man was on his way and might be there ahead of me. No worries. While talking, she provided an update on the kids dental appointments as well as the rest of their day. I was home a minute or two later. Neighbor Carl was out and caught me on my way into the house to talk about last night’s events. Insists that both Mindy and I get conceal carry permits. Offered to train her how to shoot. We talked until the Orkin man arrived. Young kid, Tom. Must be new. Very friendly and chatty. Mindy claims that she and or Bella have seen one or two piss ants over the summer which is why I agreed to this additional treatment. Oh boy! Saw a silverfish on our ceiling as well

Orkin guy was there for 15 minutes or so. While he did his thing, Mindy laid out a selection of leftovers for dinner that included chicken, pork chop, grouper, pasta, cucumber salad and Chipotle. I opted for the grouper reheated on the stone along with cucumber salad. That’s it. Mindy & Bella had leftover tortellini.

After broiling the grouper on the stone, it was even better than it was fresh. After dinner and clean-up I was going to take a brief nap and then fix the screen the would-be burglar cut the night before while Mindy agreed to water all the flowers. However, I thought I might pull and clean the screen frame before my nap. Well, I ended up doing the whole process without the benefit of a nap first.

I took my time first pulling out the old cut screen and spline and then thoroughly cleaning the frame before rolling out new screen. Soon after I started rolling in the new spline, Bob I. stopped by for a rare visit in his mustang convertible on his way home from work. Fresh back from their Northern Michigan vacation, we wanted to hear all about it. In fact, Mindy had shown me several pics he posted to FB just an hour earlier.

Sounds like an incredibly awesome trip. Briefly visited friends (former neighbors) whose family has an amazing lake house up there. The pics of the lake validated just how amazingly clear the water is. Holy moly!
We talked for 20-25 minutes before Bob headed on his way. We talked about our coming trip to David & Anita’s as well as our stop in Ashville. He shared a bit more about some of their favorite places to visit in Black Mountain which he likens to Yellow Springs here at home..

After Bob left I finished the screen repair. Before putting it back into service we cleaned the window frame and lubed the metal spring and track for the first time ever. Boy, did that ever make a difference! Window slides much easier now. Mindy joked that we made it easier for the next burglar to slide the windows opened. We repeated the lubage exercise for the two other bay window sashes too.

I soon tuned into MLB baseball’s All-Star game while also monkeying around with the TV audio config again. Still no joy. Bottom line, I still need to prove out the TV’s audio to be sure where the problem resides TV or cable box. Watched an inning of the All Star game but lost interest fast. My Kindle book was calling me. Before heading in to read, however, I tried helping Mindy with a problematic website used for her teacher relicensure. We determined the problem was the website – not operator error.

While I read from my recliner, Mindy played on her laptop from hers. We did that until almost 9pm when Bella finally came home. She was told to be home by 845pm but Mindy is generally pretty lax about curfews. I read for 30 minutes or so, dosing off for a few minutes in there as well. At 930pm I declared it time for bed. After a very poor night of sleep Monday, I was very much looking forward to some quality sleep. Before heading up, I made sure that the blinds were drawn, doors locked and outdoor lighting on. Mindy planned on activating the security system for home mode.

I was joined in bed by both Mindy and Bella maybe 10 minutes later. After say five minutes, Mindy dispatched Bella to her own bed. Next thing I know, Bella runs into our room once again insisting that she’s hearing noises downstairs. I was as close to sound asleep as possible, and was none too thrilled to be woken yet again. In a gruff I decided to go check but only after once again arming myself with my ball bat and insisting that Mindy and Bella go into their clearly defined roles as well, roles that we discussed over dinner, which included them being near the balcony with phone in hand ready to call the cops/911.

This time, as I suspected, the house and yard were clear. It must’ve been her imagination. And while I half expected it and understand the heightened fear, I wasn’t too happy since I felt so under slept. I headed right back to bed where it took more than a few minutes to dose back off.

Thwarted Burglary ... added content

I was awake and out of bed by 6am on what otherwise was a rather gloomy start to the day. Complete cloud cover but warm – a sultry 73 degrees. After calisthenics I checked the radar. Big rain wasn’t too far off to our west – perhaps an hour or less, I figured. Meditation, stretch and run were next. I was out the door by 715am.

Ran the usual 4.1 miles, and by the run’s end there were several rumbles of thunder moving ever closer. However, aside from a spit or two, still no rain. I warmed Sunday’s breakfast leftovers: a spinach & cheese omelet and home fries. Off to the shower by 815am. I took Mindy coffee but she didn’t wake or budge. But that changed while I was in the shower. It must’ve been the sound of pounding water. By the time I was out and dressed, she was awake.

She asked if I had a few minutes to enjoy coffee. It was near 830am. I figured I could stick around another 5-10 minutes. Downstairs I poured another cup of coffee while chatting with Mindy. She and Bella planned to visit a school friend who recently had a baby and then afterwards head over to niece Lindey’s condo and possibly even a swim at her condo pool, though the forecast wasn’t conducive to swimming. In fact, by the time I left the house it had already started to rain.

I wisely took my umbrella from the trunk for my walk into the office. It wasn’t raining that hard at the time, but just in case in rained all day and harder when I came out later. Was settled at my desk by 910am. There’s weren’t too many folks in the office early on, but I soon learned that was because most were off to a facilities meeting. By 930am most were back at their desks, including my boss. He and I chatted for a few.

Also chatted remotely with the peer I covered for the last 10 days. And while I had his ear, I asked if he would cover me this coming Friday in addition to the following week that we had already agreed to. Sure thing! Sweet. I walked over to chat with another local peer who spent the last week in NYC with his wife and daughter. Said they had a great time.

I had two big rocks needing addressed during the work day. One, updating my mid-year performance plan, and two, finishing up my June monthly report for Wednesday/s presentation. Around 1130am a few peers were headed off for lunch and invited me to join them for pizza. Thanked them for the invite but declined. Not only had I packed a healthy lunch, but I didn’t want to disrupt the day’s momentum.

As a result, I worked straight through the lunch hour, and before I knew it, it was time for our 3pm team call. It was supposed to be an abbreviated call but lasted nearly the full hour. I didn’t mind. I multitasked the entire time. Throughout the day, there were a couple strong storms that swept through the area but by the end of the work day the skies were brightening.

I left for home near 435pm and called Mindy soon out of the lot. She had just arrived home after picking up the boys from base as a favor to Lindsey who was required to work overtime. She shared how the visit with her friend went, and then the visit with niece Lindey. Given the poor weather, they didn’t swim. They did, however, go to lunch at Phillips Coney Island. I asked if she’d heard from Jacob, who was still at Cedar Point with friends. She did. Said he was having a good time.

Arrived home just before 5pm. Out of habit, I stuffed my face with a couple handfuls of nuts soon after making my way into the kitchen. I greeted the grandkids who were quickly out the back door to fish while waiting on Mindy to put the finishing touches on our dinner – chicken tortellini tossed in Italian dressing.
Mindy said she invited dad but hadn’t heard back from him. I helped Rocky free his fishing line from a tree not even five minutes after he began fishing. And by the time I got out to help him out he said he was done fishing. His brutally short attention span drives me batty.

Inside again, I asked Mindy how long until dinner. She offered that I had plenty of time to slip in a nap. Great! I took my Kindle to my recliner where I read and snoozed. I might’ve been there for about 20 minutes but of that, I slept for no more than 5 minutes. Even still, I felt refreshed once I was back on my feet. Minutes later Mindy called all of us to dinner.

It’s safe to say that neither of the boys cared much for the tortellini, though Rocky ate most of his minus the tomatoes. Landon only ate a few bites after dousing his entire plate in parmesan cheese. Both ate the rotisserie chicken that Mindy shredded and mixed with it. I liked it but after a few handfuls of nuts I wasn’t too hungry.

Free for the first time in a week after a grounding, Bella was quickly off to play with Makayla after dinner. They boys soon dashed off to play, too. Rocky soon returned sharing that Evan invited him to spend the night. Those two seem to get along just fine. We knew that Landon might feel left out, but not much we could do about that.

During dinner clean-up dad popped in. Mindy seemed to be expecting him, but I had no idea. Dad apparently got back with Mindy via text sharing that he’d already eaten dinner but accepted an invite for an after dinner visit. Hung out at the kitchen table for an hour or so. Somehow or another our conversation drifted to the lack of a healthy relationship with Sheila’s family after her death. Dad expressed a lot of anguish and pain from the apparent falling out. Still not sure what it was/is grounded in.

Before dad left for home we asked if he would take care of our home during our coming absence. Seemed agreeable to the plan. Cool! Lindsey came by to pick-up Landon after work. She agreed to let Rocky stay the night with Evan, but by doing so left Landon predictably upset. But unlike the last time, this time he didn’t cry or pitch a fit. Guessing it was near 730-8pm when dad left for home.

While Mindy ventured out back, I headed to the livingroom to snuggle up with my Kindle reading my newest book – The Honeymoon Effect – Bruce Lipton. I might’ve read 5 pages when Mindy came back inside and joined me in the livingroom. I stopped to check the radar as yet another rain storm was quickly moving our direction. Looked like the most likely path home from Cedar Point was already getting pounded. Mindy was much looking forward to Jacob’s return. She’d been sending texts repeatedly.

Bella was told to be home by 845pm. Mindy went to the back door to holler for her. She was apparently already on her way home. Once inside, she was promptly dispatched to the shower. I’m thinking it was close to 930pm when Jacob arrived home. Said he had a great time at Cedar Point and the friends lake house. Rode several roller coasters and didn’t get sick. His favorites were the Dragster and Millennium Force.

To a fault, Jacob badgered Mindy about our vacation agenda. Said he was in no way interested in visiting The Newport Aquarium. I chose not to chime in, though wasn’t too pleased with his seemingly ungrateful tone, especially after we just handed him $120 cash to play at Cedar Point for two days. As 10pm neared, I declared it bedtime. I took a few minutes to put my phones on charge and top off my water glass. While I was ready to head up to bed, Bella was sitting at my PC reading a Yahoo story about the cancelation of one of her favorite kiddie shows. I gave her a couple minutes before I locked down my PC. No way I was leaving her on it and heading to bed. Sorry!

Once I locked my PC I was off to bed. Against my better judgment I left Bella downstairs getting a last minute snack. I asked Mindy if that was messaging we wanted to send after her recent discipline. Before we vetted out the issue, Bella was already upstairs. She came in our room for a few while we watched the tail end of a 10pm Big Bang episode. Once it over, Mindy told Bella to turn off all screen by midnight and sent her off to her room.

The TV couldn’t have been off for 5 minutes and I was just starting to fall asleep when Bella came rushing into our bedroom freaking out that someone was downstairs. Mindy insisted that it must be Jacob, but after Bella checked and found him sleeping in his room she returned only this time hysterical and insisting that someone was breaking into our house. Her fear rustled me from bed in a jiffy. I couldn’t hear a darn thing, but then again, Mindy always has a fan or two running in our room, which effectively drowns out any stray sounds. To put her fears to rest, I headed downstairs to check, but no before grabbing the ball bat I keep under our bed. We keep a large, sharp butcher knife handy too, but I opted to leave it lie.

I heard nothing and the livingroom looked fine. Moving next into the kitchen all seemed clear there too. The windows and door locked and normal. But just as I was moving closer to peer out the deck door I spotted a guy creeping up onto our deck and reaching for the door. I startled him and he startled me. I raised the ball bat into position and at the same time he bolted like lightning, leaping off the deck and running off into the dark. I slammed my hand against the door glass and shouted for Mindy to call the cops. It all happened so fast.

The cops were there in less than two minutes. Frankly I was surprised. I still had the ball bat in my hands when they came to the door. These two cops weren’t messing around, guns were drawn. I could tell they meant business. After confirming that we were OK they immediately asked that we remain in the house while they scoured the property. I sensed that this might be bigger than just us, or just our house.

We watched from the windows as they scoured the yard leaving no stone unturned. They were looking in the brush along the pond, under the shed and deck, and even in the tree house. I knew the fool wasn’t still around. One of the cops came to the back door and shared that they found nothing amiss or obvious and that we weren’t the only ones to call with a similar situation that night. He asked for details of my encounter with the would-be burglar and then a detailed description. But sadly, it all happened so fast that even with the deck light on I couldn’t detect or recall much detail other than a button up shirt and cap on his head. Think he had blonde hair. Leaped like a horse off the deck to run away. That’s it!

Before the cop left he said we handled it perfectly and made sure to share that we should do what we have to do to protect our house should he be brazen enough to return. Mindy and the kids hugged and thanked me for protecting them. But honestly, I did everything on instinct alone. Nothing heroic about it. Bella was most shaken as she’s the one that actually heard the commotion which must’ve been him trying to open the locked windows and/or door. And based on how I came upon him, him creeping back up on the deck, he had to have been up there minutes earlier but must’ve gotten spooked, and maybe by Bella turning on a light upstairs.

Needless to say, no one was falling asleep anytime soon. Bella wasn’t leaving Mindy’s side. And given the circumstances, we let her sleep with us. Extended the offer to Jacob too but he declined. While I tried falling asleep, Mindy and Bella sent texts and FB updates sharing our ordeal. Maybe an hour later I heard the CPD helicopter out flying around but didn’t see a spotlight. I got up and checked the house again. Needless to say, sleep was loose and light that point forward.

Anderson's & Scrabble Champ

Mindy was up extra early to see Jacob off to Cedar Point with a friend and his parents. I think she was up around 7am. And as I understood it, he’d be gone until Monday night. Between the two of us, we forked over about $120 to cover his admission and food.

I slept till 8am. Woke rested. It was a very gloomy start to the day – cloudy, soupy, muggy, warm, and 78 degrees. Coffee and internet until my run which wasn’t until almost 10am. Ran 3 miles. Somewhat surprising, Mindy was still in bed upon my return.

Near 11am I decided to whip up a big breakfast that included an omelet, home fries using leftover baked potatoes, cheesy grits, and bloody Mary’s. Mindy was up near 1130am or shortly before everything was ready. I wasn’t really sure if she’d want any of it but made plenty. Turns out, she did. There was enough for the two of us and then some. I left some aside for Bella just in case she wanted some once she was up, which was somewhere near noon.

During breakfast, Mindy and I talked about our trip and what we wanted to take food-wise. We agreed to take some steaks and fish. To that end, we planned to make an Anderson’s run that afternoon. The Bloody Mary’s were good. We each had just one. Bella wanted only home fries but didn’t finish them. She ended up going with Cheerios.

I headed up for a shower near 1230pm. Mindy planned to shower later that afternoon. The three of us left for the Anderson’s around 1pm. As we barreled around 270 we could a couple scattered storms, one in west Hilliard, and one in Dublin. Skies looked scary. Poured rain once we hit Dublin with several lightning strikes too. But by the time we exited 270 at Sawmill the rains had moved beyond. However, that didn’t last. Sky still looked threatening so I offered to let Mindy and Bella out at the entrance. As soon as I stopped near the door it started to rain once again.

While I parked, it really came down. I waited a few minutes before heading inside. Like the showers we drove through on the ride up, it stopped less than five minutes after its start. We were in the Anderson’s for what I’m guessing was 45 minutes. We bought steaks, fish, beer, wine, as well as a few other items. By the time we checked out and headed to the car the skies were again sunny. Really humid, too, by the way. Headed straight for home.

Once the meat was in the freezer, and then following Mindy’s lead, I headed out on the deck. With the earlier rain, it was really humid and warm, by then about 90 degrees. I couldn’t decide what to do with my afternoon, if I wanted to sweat it out outside or stay indoors in the AC. I was torn.

I headed back inside and then outside again multiple times. That’s the problem with me not having an agenda. I’m lost! At one point I bought a new Kindle book only to realize that my Kindle was all but dead. I plugged it in to charge then headed back outside for a while longer.

Now what? I spent some time online refining our Ashville/Black Mountain to-do list. Earlier, I emailed Bob I. asking for some ideas/options. He and Mary Ann have been there twice I think in the last couple years and share similar interests. He responded quickly with a host of ideas/options. Also learned that they’re in Northern Michigan on one of their many planned summer trips.

Still unsettled on what to do with my time, I waffled over getting my bike down and going for a ride. The biggest problem I saw with that was where to put my bike in the garage since the kayaks are taking up that room right now. I ended up skipping the bike ride and headed back inside to check on my Kindle, which was already charged to about 60%. Good enough. I did some reading, and by then it was about 330pm. I read and napped until almost 530pm. I woke to the sound of Mindy’s camera shutter capturing me in my slumber.

Shortly thereafter Mindy headed upstairs for a shower. Bella asked what we were doing for dinner after I declined a pasta and red sauce recommendation from Mindy. Bella reminded me that we talked Friday about making homemade pizzas. That wasn’t top on my list, but the fact of the matter is that I had no list. My day was largely undecided. I eventually agreed to make the pizzas and we got started around 6-630pm.

Bella and I have done the homemade pizza thing two other times. We’ve got this thing down pretty well. Not really that hungry. We decided to make just one pizza. Took about 30 minutes from the outset to getting it in the oven. Not bad. By the time it was ready to go it, Mindy was back downstairs after a shower. She seemed to be in a really good mood after the shower.

From experience, I decided to leave the pizza in for a couple minutes longer than called for on the box since we all tend to like a crispier crust. We enjoyed a couple slices of pizza as well as some cucumber salad. It was good.

Through dinner, we discussed Bella’s grounding which comes to end with the dawn of a new day (Monday). We also talked a little about the essay we’ve requested she write, which is the second half of her discipline plan. We agreed on a due date of Thursday. And to that end I strongly urged her to get some ideas on paper sooner rather than later.

After dinner, Mindy suggested we play Scrabble again. Bella was game and so was I. I was far more into to it this go round. I set the tone early, laying several decent words and jumping out to a rather sizeable lead that was never relinquished. Bella, we could tell, lost interest about halfway through when the letters she drew were leaving her with little in the way of options. And when Bella gets bored, she can be borderline evil. She darn near talked herself into more trouble, but we let it slide. And yes, I won again!

Near 8pm there was a huge gathering of kids in our backyard. All the island kids were home from their weekend trip to Cleveland for a sand volleyball tournament as well as Lane, AJ, and Jack done fishing for the day. Some other neighborhoodies out there too. Mindy and I walked out when we noticed that Lane and friends appeared to have taken Josie’s phone. They were just playing but we insisted they give it back. They did. I asked the boys where they stash the flat bottom boat they use. It’s nearby in the woods.

Inside I fooled around with the TV trying to figure out why and how our TV volume recently stopped working. We can still listen through the stereo but the TV’s audio is gone. I fooled around with the TV’s extensive menu looking for a misconfig but came up empty. I then rebooted the Time Warner Cisco box, which is a huge disappointment – always something amiss with it. In the end, no joy. I plan to experiment by bypassing the Cable box entirely, perhaps using my camera and a HDMI feed to see if it’s the TV or the cable box. My money’s on the cable box. 

A little hungry, I popped some popcorn while watching some bad TV. Near 10pm all three of us headed for bed.

Bellasofa

I woke initially around 530am and felt well rested, but after realizing that it was a Saturday I happily rolled over for another bout of sleep. I woke again – this time for keeps – at 715am. And for the first time in more than a week I woke feeling completely refreshed and full of energy. Oh nice it was to feel so good!

I quickly started some coffee then stepped briefly onto the deck to drink in the lovely summery weather. It was mostly sunny and 72, expected to approach 90 later in the day. I enjoyed coffee and internet for the next 90 minutes or more. Didn’t head out for a run until almost 930am. By then it was nice and steamy, and needless to say, I worked up quite a sweat. Felt good, though.

Mindy was up shortly after my return. Bella not until 1130am or so. Jacob was up around 11am. He was going to the lake with neighbor Evan and was expected to be gone until 8pm or so. Mindy, Bella and I were going to Ben & Ryan’s cookout but not until 6pm. Ahead of that, I wanted to make a Macy’s run to buy a new shirt to go along with my cool new shorts that I bought earlier in the week at Old Navy.

I was more than surprised that Bella wanted to go with me. It was a lock when I agreed to stopping at one of the Tuttle furniture store to browse. Funny kid. She loves furniture stores as well as Home Depot and Lowes. I took a quick shower and she and I were out the door near 1210pm. We stopped at Macy’s first.

I knew exactly what I wanted, and it was on sale – 40% off Saturday only, which is why I wanted to go when we did. After buying the shirt, we popped in Finish Line. I would’ve bought the running shoes I wanted too, but they didn’t have my size. I can order online and have shipped to store for the same price.

I offered to walk the mall, any store Bella wanted to visit but she declined, eventually sharing that she was too embarrassed to be seen at a mall. She went on to share that all of her friends frequently shop Tuttle without their parents. I got the message loud and clear. Don’t know that we’re ready to unleash Bella like that. We just started letting Jacob do those things in the last year.

We left the main mall and headed across 270 to Front Room Furnishings, Macy’s Furniture and Kittles. Bella was like a kid in a candy store. We both got a kick out of Joe, the furniture salesman that stalked us throughout our relatively short visit at Front Room Furnishings. He would seemingly appear from nowhere ready to answer questions about any seating group we tried out. Bella insisted on using my phone to snap photos of one or two she really liked.
We made similar stops at Macy’s and Kittles. Each have their good and bad, but we agreed that we liked the offerings at Front Room best.

Called Mindy on the drive home. She shared that she was cleaning and still in her PJs. Waiting on Bella to make cookies and cucumber salad for Ben & Ryan’s cookout. Thinking we got back to the house near 2pm.

I didn’t do much with the rest of my afternoon, though I did water the deck flowers. I took a late afternoon nap, too. It was brief but felt terrific. Near 530pm I freshened up for Ben & Ryan’s cookout. I packed a cooler with 6 beers, water and Gatorade for Bella, and a bottle of wine for Mindy. Actually, the wine wasn’t in the cooler. We left the house near 6pm arriving maybe 20 minutes later.

Mostly family members already there. We parked in the driveway. Within the next half hour many others arrived, most of whom we’ve met at their previous gatherings. The food was to-die-for delicious. Ben made pulled pork and smoked chicken quarters both of which rivaled some of the best places around. Most others, us included, brought sides. We brought cucumber salad and keylime cookies.

Talked with Lisa who shared lots about her weight loss, exercise and running initiatives. Definitely gung-ho. Good food, good people, fun. We stayed until 930pm. Mindy felt it necessary to head home to intercept Jacob after neighbor Teri sent a text letting her know that they were home. I had to pee really bad. Hindsight, should’ve gone before we left.

Home near 10pm. Cracked open a beer and took my jambox and phone to the deck to enjoy a little music. Ate most of the take-home plate Mindy made for Jacob. Headed for bed near 11pm. Bella crawled in bed with us.

Fire Smores & Bodhi

Once again I woke incredibly sleepy, this time sleeping in until almost 7am. Had I not needed to be up for work I could easily have slept for another couple hours. I was so tired that I decided to skip calisthenics at least for the time being. Instead, I poured coffee and logged onto my work laptop. Slowly but surely I managed to ditch the sleepies and decided to squeeze in some windmills and push-ups ahead of a run.

By then Mindy was up and sitting on the deck. It was a gorgeous morning, sunny and 70 degrees. She must’ve heard me grunting through the 50 push-ups and rushed into the kitchen to make sure that I was OK. I appreciate the concern for my wellbeing. She and Bella would be taking Eiknarf to the vet for her annual check-up.

Around 830am and just before my run I walked the pug. Before tossing her bag of crap into the trash can, I asked Mindy if she wanted to take it along. She must’ve thought I was joking until she thought it through. I left it on the front porch. I left for my run around 840am, and like most Friday’s, I ran 3 miles.

It was too long after my return that Mindy and Bella left with the pug. I’m thinking that they were gone for about an hour. Meanwhile, Jacob and one of his buddies that spent the night were just waking up. Didn’t hear too much from either of them.

Had to be near 1115am when Mindy & Bella returned. Said Eiknarf got a couple shots and a clean bill of health. She weighed in at 29.7 lbs. They weren’t home too long before leaving for a Kohl’s run. I stayed busy with work through the noon hour. Sometime around noon Jacob came downstairs to share that LeBron James had just announced that he was returning to Cleveland. Near 1245pm, I took a lunch break to mow the lawn. Just before getting started, I sent a text to Mindy asking that she park out front along the curb when returning.

The lawn was sufficiently dry that I was able cut 90% of it with the tractor, leaving only the heavily sloped areas for the push mower. Skipped trimming and edging too. I can’t recall if it was before they left or if perhaps Jacob asked, but Mindy was stopping for Chipotle on their way home and asked if I wanted some. No. I don’t like to eat like that during the day. Jacob, his buddy, Mindy & Bella enjoyed Chipotle while finished up outside. I had a few Chipotle chips, that’s it, and then got back to work.

Mindy and Jacob left to run his buddy home around 2pm. And then it wasn’t too much later when Mindy left for her annual mammogram. I think that appointment was set for 4pm. A little while later Jacob asked if we were going to Barley’s for dinner. Really? You just had Chipotle and Mindy and I were there on Wednesday. I wasn’t in the mood for Barley’s, or going anywhere for that matter.

In between her appointments, Mindy and I talked in more detail about our fast approaching family vacation plans. We’ve decided to take the opportunity to spend a couple days in Ashville, NC on our way to David and Anita’s. It’s on our bucket list and we kicked ourselves for not stopping on our way down back in June. During a free minute here and there, I started poking around for hotels, brewpubs, and hiking trails.

For the most part, I wrapped up my work day near 430pm and then headed up for a shower. I needed one badly. Afterwards, I took a few minutes to install the new weather shield on the fountain electrical receptacle. Just a couple swear words dropped!  Afterwards, I finally got around to spraying the weeds on Mindy’s stone patio and then spread the three bags of gravel I bought over a month ago. I used the two bags of larger gravel to pour between the small boulders we have flowing into the stream. I then used the single bag of pea gravel to backfill around the flagstones. Mindy helped sweep it in once she was back from her mammogram appointment.

Mindy asked if I wanted to go anywhere for dinner. No. Staying home sounded perfect to me. And just like I had every evening that week, I got really sleepy around 6pm and took a nap on the deck. Felt great. Drank ice water all afternoon and evening. Bella, Mindy & I hung out on the deck for most of the evening. We even played a game of Scrabble. I won.  After Scrabble, Bella asked if we could have a fire. I wasn’t noncommittal until it was nearing dark. Finally caved.

We got a small but comfy fire going in no time at all. Most of the wood I had ready to burn has been there dating back to the end of last summer. All it took was a little charcoal lighter fluid to get it started. I played tunes through my phone and jambox while Mindy & Bella made smores. I enjoyed a couple pints of Bodhi too.

It had to be near 1030pm when Bella doused the coals with water and we headed in for the night. From bed we watched a little TV, Modern Family, I think. I was asleep in a hurry.

BM'er Day

Happy 52nd Chuck!

Slept late, and once again not getting out of bed until 630am. I was still really sleepy too. Nevertheless, once I completed calisthenics most of the cobwebs were gone. Enjoyed coffee and internet until 730am or so. And then after a quick meditation and a stretch, I headed out the door for a 4.1 mile run.

Fairly chilly for mid July, only 60 degrees under mostly sunny skies. Nice. I ran without a shirt, which is something I've done for most days the last couple weeks. Getting spoiled. Feels awesome. Back from a run near 830am, I leashed up the pug and took her on a walk.

Back at home, I fried a few eggs then headed off to the shower. Left for the work near 920am driving the BM'er for the first time in perhaps a month. Arrived about 15 minutes later.

Settled in and working a few minutes later. Mindy sent a text reminding me that it was Charles' birthday, and then sharing that she made a Friday vet appointment for the pug and a mammogram appointment for herself. I sent a happy birthday text off to Charles.

Stayed busy through early afternoon. Left for a Home Depot run near 115pm. At Home Depot I bought a 3-pack of work gloves for $9.99 - good deal! In addition, I bought weatherproof outlet box cover for the AC receptacle on the deck where our fountain plugs in. There were a couple other small items, too. Right now can't recall what they were.

Back to the office by 2pm. Spent the rest of my day working on monthly reporting. Mindy had a 2pm appointment at Hugh White Honda where she was getting her oil changed and a tire plugged. She sent a text near 330pm sharing that she was still there.

I ended up at the office until 515pm or so. By then our entire floor was a ghost town. Nice drive home in the BM'er. By the time I arrived, Mindy was home from Honda dealership . Got her oil changed and tired plugged. Can’t recall what we did for dinner. Jacob was having another overnight guest, though his mom wasn’t dropping him off until 8pm or so. I was napping in my recliner when I was woken by the sound of air trapped in the outdoor water spigot. Sounds like a pipe’s about to burst. Unaware of any activity out there I rushed around the side of the house only to find Jacob, his buddy and Evan rinsing their feet in the hose. Doing nothing wrong, mind you, just startled me.

Once I was awake, which was now after 8pm, I headed to the deck with my phone and jambox along with a pint of Bodhi. Mindy and I sat outside enjoying the lovely weather while watching all the island kids playing soccer in Trena’s backyard.

Hung out on the deck until 930pm enjoying two pints of Bodhi before heading for bed around 10pm.

Eating Catherine Clark

Slept relatively late, not getting out of bed until almost 630am. Even then I was still really sleepy. Something isn't right. Mindy thinks we all have a touch of the virus plaguing Bella.

Exercise, internet, coffee, meditation, and a stretch

4.1 mile run

2 eggs, Catherine Clark whole wheat toast, fruit for breakfast.

Working across town. Left near 920am.

In and settled by 950am. Somewhat quiet. Got a message from Ken's wife sharing that he suffered a few seizures the night before as well as some painful muscle spasms in his left arm. Was back at Riverside for some testing.

15 minutes later Mindy sent me a text sharing the same news. I sent Lindsey a text asking about the boys baseball games. Last we talked I was certain she shared that their next game was tonight (Wednesday). I wanted to go watch Landon and Olivia play.

It was date night too so I knew Mindy wouldn't be as eager as I to watch the G kids play ball but she agreed to go just the same. At lunch, around 1pm, I made a run to Lowes where I bought some boat grease and concentrated hummingbird food.

Back the office by 2pm. Worked just another 45 minutes before checking my calendar and realizing I needed to be at another campus building for a 3pm meeting. Zipped over there arriving by 250pm. Meeting lasted until 345pm. Wrapped up and headed for home at 4pm all the while knowing I'd need to log back into work once home and tie up a few loose ends.

Arrived home near 430pm. The kids were leaving for dinner with Jimaken despite Bella not feeling so well. She still had a fever but only slight - 99 degrees. I logged into work taking care of the two things needing my immediate attention.

Landon and Oliva's ball game started at 6pm. We left the house near 530pm. Made it 10 minutes early and parked in the exact same spot we did the week prior. Their game was at the diamond closest to the confederate cemetery. Lindsey & Ashley were already there, as was Rocky enjoying a freezer pop from the stands. He had a game the evening prior. Mrs. Dent was there watching her son, too.

Olivia was excited to see Mindy and I in the stands. Landon expressed little if any emotion, but I still know he was happy that we were there. Too cute, both of them. Fun to watch coach pitch baseball. More than once an unsuspecting fielder just let the ball fly nearby without noticing.

Meanwhile, Rocky incessantly begged me to toss the baseball with him. I offered that I would but only after seeing both grand kids bat at least once. Despite not having my own glove, I made good on my promise. The ball Rocky brought was one of those soft baseballs. After throwing for about ten minutes I took him to the concession stand and bought him some nachos. That made him happy.

When the home team came back from the field to bat again, Olivia came out to site on my lap despite Ashley advising that she needed to go back to the bench to sit with her team. Again, too cute! We watched the grand kids bat one more time before heading out. I gave Lindsey some cash to buy Landon the treat of his choice. Ashley said she had money to buy Olivia something.

A week or so prior, I let Ashley borrow our camping dining canopy for the coming weekend's camping trip. I warmed her then and again Wednesday evening that she should do a practice set-up in her backyard. It's not that easy to assemble. I doubted she'd listen. I also asked why she didn't take my advice and plan the camp weekend at Alum Creek in lieu of Deer Creek. Among other amenities, there's a beach right there on site as opposed to the 5 mile drive at Deer Creek.

Left St Mary Mag. near 7pm, and Mindy offered that we make a stop at Barley's. OK, though I was feeling tired again. Not too many cars or folks at Barley's - dog days of summer I suppose. We bellied up to a sparsely populated bar. Just a couple others, Katy, who works there but was in this time as a patron, along with her husband, Rich. Daniel was tending bar. Janet was in also. Pretty sure she was serving. I ordered their flagship pale ale, which for my money is top notch. Mindy, I think, went with the Brew Kettle's chocolate stout. After savoring our beers we ordered food. I went with the Cuban while Mindy ordered a quesadilla.

We both stuck with just the one beer. And I ate only half my sandwich before leaving for home, which by then was already after 8pm. Mindy had one quarter of her quesadilla remaining too. She was certain Jacob would devour it at home. Sure enough, the kids were already home, but Jacob off playing with Evan. But he was home soon enough, and just as Mindy suggested, he promptly devoured what remained of her quesadilla. As for the other half of my sandwich, I ended up eating it myself.

Not much else going on. Off to bed before 10pm.

Dreaded Enterovirus Strikes!

After a lot of sleep, I was up near 620am to cloudy skies and 70 degree temps.

Exercise, internet, coffee, meditation, and a stretch

4.1 mile run

2 eggs, Catherine Clark whole wheat toast, fruit for breakfast.

Worked a little from home then headed across town near 10am.

Stayed busy all day. Didn't take a formal lunch break.

Mindy let me know that Bella was sick. Fever of 101. Sofa surfed all day. Suspecting Enterovirus.

Left for home just after 5pm.

Grilled grouper for dinner. Nice change of pace.

Overwhelmingly sleepy after dinner. Been extra tired last few days.

Woke after 40 minutes. Headed out to replace Mindy's air filters. Both extremely dirty - nasty even. Mindy shared that she likely told Honda her husband would replace but failed to tell me.

She had me check her tires too, after getting low tire warming. Unlike my Accord, her Pilot actually shows which one is in trouble. Checked, and it was low by about 10 lbs psi. On further inspection I could see a nail in the tread.

Checked and filled all four Pilot tires then the same with the Accord. Also realized I hadn't put updated insurance cards in the vehicles. Took care of that too. While I finished up the cars. Mindy spruced up the front flower beds. Before heading in, I helped her collect some of the salvia clippings.

Too bed near 930pm.

Suppose that's Glenn?

Slept well. Mindy tried waking me sometime around 545am presumably to see Glenn off for home. I remember only grunting and rolling over and going right back to sleep. I was up for good at 605am. By then Glenn was already gone.

I exercised then enjoyed coffee at my PC for the next hour or more before meditation, a stretch, and a 4.1 mile run. The weather was gorgeous – sunny and 65 degrees. Headed out the door near 720am. Near the 2.5 mile mark of my run I saw a SW airliner soaring westward across the sky. I figured it had to be Glenn, though I couldn’t be 100% sure. I knew his plane was slated to take-off near 740am.

After my run I made breakfast and packed a lunch. Must’ve been around 830am when I finally headed up for a shower. I took Mindy a cup of coffee too. While brushing my teeth I noticed that the $5 bill I’ve kept in my hair brush basket on my side of sink was inexplicably missing. I bothered me so much that I woke Mindy, sharing that we have a thief in our midst, harsh words, I know.

I showered and dressed over the next 10-15 minutes. Downstairs together, Mindy and I talked about the missing money. With little doubt, we both suspected Bella. After all, I’ve noticed my hair brush out of the basket a few times of late, something I rarely do. I guessed it after one of the many times she’s used our shower. We planned to confront Bella about it at another time. After all, we hadn’t yet decided on the punishment for taking the smoke bombs. Brother!

Not 100% sure what Mindy and the kids had planned, but I think a whole lot of nothing.  I left for the office near 925am. I would’ve driven the BM’er but as nice as it was early on, there was a strong chance of thunderstorms developing during the day.

From the main office, I took a 3 hour online training course then worked on my June monthly report. At lunch time I headed to Wal-Mart and Home Depot. At Wal-Mart, I bought new air filters for the Pilot, just like I got for the Accord two weeks prior. I checked her cabin filter on Sunday. It was chalked full of filthy gunk! While there, I also bought a roll of black duct tape, some spray on turtle wax, and a pack of micro fiber towels, too.

Can’t immediately recall what I bought at Home Depot, nothing big. The afternoon breezed by. Left for home near 5pm. Mindy shared that we had house guests – kids friends. Said we were having chicken wraps for dinner. Save for Joey, one of Jacob’s school friends, the others left shortly after my arrival home. By then we were having scattered downpours.

After dinner, Jacob and Joey headed out to play basketball at Evans. Mindy and I took the opportunity to further discuss not only the smoke bomb deal, but also the missing $5 bill. Bella shared that she knowingly took the smoke bombs because she was certain I would say no. She also agreed that it was near stealing, even though I bought them with the intent to enjoy them with the kids. She also quickly admitted taking the $5 bill from our bathroom. Oh boy! As the conversation continued she went to tears, sharing that she knows better but that her mind tells her to do it anyway. Said she can’t control herself. Wow!

Preferring not to doll out punishment when angry, we agreed to think it through a bit more. In the end, we’re after a change in behavior. Jacob & Joey had basketball drills starting at 7pm. Mindy ran them there while Bella stayed home with me. While they were away I finished my latest Kindle book and then took a hard nap. By the time I woke, Mindy was back. From the recliner I ventured to the sofa and the TV where I watched a little TV but fell quickly back asleep.

Mindy went after the boys around 9pm. Still exhausted, I woke and headed straight to bed. Again, I turned on the bedroom TV but only for a sleep aid. I don’t sleep well with the TV on but it helps me fall asleep.

Ivy on me and in my beds

I was up and out of bed around 8am again. Didn’t really want to get up but sleeping past 8am makes me nuts! Once again, dad was over early, or shortly after my waking. He was there to fetch Glenn. Those two made plans to have breakfast with uncle Kenny and possibly even aunt Char. I thought about getting up earlier, running and joining them but didn’t. A leisurely approach to my morning sounded so much better.

It was a cool, overcast morning with even a few scattered sprinkles. After a 3 miles run, I decided to get busy trimming more dead ivy vines from our flower beds. Mindy was still in bed, by the way. Not to be mistaken for May’s effort of raking all the dead ivy leaves from the beds, this exercise was to remove the dead vines that didn’t sprout new growth. To date, we’ve removed most of the dead out front. I started on the east side of the house where I spent maybe an hour. Decided to keep moving. Despite the overcast and cool breeze, I worked up a decent sweat from the high humidity.

Worked my way around the front where I’d previously trimmed away dead but left still more behind. That went fast. Ended up on the west side of the house which had about the same amount needing attention as did the eastside. It must’ve been near noon when Mindy came out to check on me. I could tell that she’d just woken. Slept 13 hours!

I continued the exercise until I was satisfied that most of the dead was out. There are still scattered small branches in the beds but barely noticeable. I’ll get those when weeding. All totaled I managed to fill the 9x12’ tarp full. The dead vines are very light so draggin’ it to the compost pile was a breeze. It’s fair to say that my biggest concern was avoiding another case poison ivy. Once completed, I headed in, washed my arms and hands thoroughly, then gave myself an rubbing alcohol bath with cotton balls.

Just like that it was 3pm in the afternoon. Mindy asked about dinner, and misunderstood my request that we avoid using the 5 or 6 steaks we have in the freezer. She ended up needing to put them back. Instead, we agreed to grill chops and chicken. I read and napped, and then got a shower. By then the clouds had thinned. Glenn and the kids were back home at about the same time, somewhere near 4pm. I was out puttering around the yard when all three showed up.

Glenn had just eaten lunch at Steak N’ Shake. I doubted he would want dinner anytime soon, but then again, Mindy didn’t plan on grilling until 6pm. Glenn shared how his day unfolded. Did in fact meet Kenny and Char for breakfast but then just he and dad headed back to dad’s place where they spent the majority of their time.

Around 630pm, Mindy whipped up a nice dinner – thick pork chops, boneless chicken breast, rice, and salad. I’m thinking it was during dinner that we learned that Bella took the smoke bombs I bought at Kroger to her dad’s without asking. Jacob brought it up, but can’t remember exactly how. Sure enough, I went to the bag only find them missing. When asked, at least Bella came clean. What was most troubling is that she apparently overheard Mindy tell Jacob that he would have to ask me if it was OK to take them to which he opted not. It was after that when Bella simply decided to take matters into her own hands. Mindy and I were bothered by the notion that she would take without asking. At the same time, we found a pair of very ornate earrings in the laundry room, to which when asked, Bella shared that she found them in the creek. In the creek! Really? Hard to believe, especially when one can hardly count on any of her stories these days. For the time being, we left sleeping dogs lie.

Spent what remained of the evening enjoying some key lime pie for dessert then chatting a little with Glenn. Somewhat late that afternoon Glenn realized that his flight for home was leaving not at 1030am as he once shared but instead at 740am Monday morning. Dad was aware and planned to be at our place by 6am. Very sleepy, I begged off for bed around 930pm fully anticipating being up to see Glenn off in the morning despite a new rise time of about 610am these days.

It's a Miracle ... Prairie Dog

It was Saturday but didn’t necessarily feel like it. Of course that had everything to do with it being the long 4th of July weekend. No kids in the house, so it was pretty quiet. I was up at 815am, which is late by compared to historics. Shortly after my waking and heading downstairs, my mom was up and downstairs as well. I hooked her up with a cup of coffee – black with sugar then off to my PC for a while.

It was too long before dad was at the door, there to pick-up Glenn and mom for breakfast and then driving mom to Logan where she made arrangements to meet Ronald, who was picking her up in her own car. I’m pretty sure that I headed out on a run before they all departed. I know this for certain, I ran three miles in lovely conditions – a sunny, warm, but little humidity.

Helped carry mom’s gear to dad’s minivan. Before the three of them pulled away I clarified when they might return since Mindy and I planned to kayak somewhere later that afternoon. Glenn shared that they’d likely be gone for most of the afternoon. It was nice to have a quiet house again, just Mindy and I. Shortly after my return from a run I hopped in the Pilot and headed to Strader’s on Riverside Dr. figuring to pick-up some annuals to replace those damaged by Jacob & Rocky while they played from the deck Thursday evening. I wasn’t too thrilled with them but by this point the best thing I could do was replace and forget. Mindy already apologized for letting Jacob play soccer from the deck after I warned her that this might happen. And the only reason he was doing so is because she grounded him for poor behavior. From my perspective, I was the one punished.

Strader’s was surprisingly busy, but not so much that I could navigate the aisles. I surprised as I was with the crowd, I was even more surprised with the inventory. Lots of flowers on hand. I bought a few tuberous begonias (think giant flowers) to replace the damaged Reiger’s. I also bought a hanging basket of vinca (not the vines but rather the annual flowers). The flowers resemble impatiens, but they’re sun lovers. Was in and out and on my way home after 15 minutes.

Carried the flowers to the deck then headed inside where Mindy was busy cleaning. I fetched a few plating tools then headed to the deck to sink the new flowers. After replacing the damaged flowers I fed all the deck based annuals with Miracle Grow. Must’ve filled my watering pail a dozen times. It was either that or attach the sprayer attachment which wastes fertilizer. Mindy came out to check out my handy work. She really likes the large vinca pot.

After watering and fertilizing all the plants Mindy made sandwiches. It was good. We then discussed our options for kayaking. I went to my PC to check out some options. First, I scoped out how we might access the Scioto River downtown. Aside from docks at Griggs and then at the Whittier St peninsula, there wasn’t a whole lot of info where one might put in kayaks. In addition to a put-in, we were concerned about parking our Pilot safely too.

I then checked out Prairie Oaks Metro Park. That looked like the best option for the day. After all, we’re still kayaking rookies. Prairie Oaks three kayaking ponds, two of which are quarries – 80ft deep. I read an article about a 21 year old college kid that drowned there this past March while kayaking. For some reason he was out there without a live vest with water temps in the 30s and capsized after trying to get his dog back in the kayak. Sad.

I shared the venue with Mindy. She agreed to head there. We’ve been there before and liked the park a lot. It’s been five years or so since we were last there. I readied the kayaks and our safety gear then packed a small cooler with water and Gatorade. We left the house near 1pm with the kayaks in the back of the Pilot, just like the day we brought them home from Dick’s.

Headed out Roberts Rd to Walker Rd. to Carter Rd. Easy drive and lovely afternoon – about 78 and sunny. Once at Prairie Oaks we settled on the double pond and parked fairly close to the put-in. We had to carry the kayaks maybe 100’ from the lot to the water. No biggie.

The water was cool but clear. After kayaking in our pond, it was nice to be in clean, clear water. Put-in went without a hitch. We agreed to paddle around the rim. Very nice! We paddled around the rim of both connecting ponds which entailed going under a low foot bridge. We saw turtles, small fish, herons, and geese. Maybe 6 or 7 other kayaks/canoes out. My guess is that we were out on the water for about 90 minutes, which was a decent workout, especially for our first paddle away from home. By the way, we used our water bags, and I doubly secured my cell phone in a Ziploc baggie inside an old water proof fannie pack. I took a few pics carefully. With the kayaks, I’ll likely put my waterproof Olympus camera back in service.

Getting out and loading for home was straight forward and simple. Both of us were really tired. And I was especially thirsty. Home near 3-330pm, we made a snack then took a nap. I’m guessing that dad and Glenn were back near 5pm. While got in the shower, I ventured down to chat with them. Mindy and I had already roughed out plans to do dinner at CBC, her preference. We incited both dad & Glenn to join us but both declined. In fact, dad headed home around 545pm. Glenn said he was too tired and felt grossly under slept, just like the rest of us. It would be just Mindy and I.

Thinking it was near 630pm when we headed out. CBC wasn’t that crowded. We got one of the three up front parking spots in the main lot. Vince was working the bar, which made us very happy. He might be the most attentive bar tender ever. I know he’s Mindy’s favorite. Just after we arrived, Hilary and Ian showed up. We met the two of them last winter, I think. She’s a 1st grade school teacher, too. He’s a financial advisor.

They didn’t have any Bodhi, but I didn’t mind. Heck, we have a full, unopened growler in the fridge at home. I went with the Ohio Brew Kettle Kitka – a Chocolate, Coconut stout. Good, not over powering. We enjoyed some pretzel bread but no risotto balls. For my second beer I ordered a CBC IPA. As for dinner, we shared a side salad which is more than enough then ordered separate entrees. Mindy went with the NY strip special. I went with the Walleye over risotto. Yum! My dinner was delicious. Neither of us could finish. We took the rest home. Mindy got the check.

Yawned all the way home. Guessing it was near 930pm. Glenn was up and fooling around online and playing guitar. Mindy headed promptly to bed while Glenn and I enjoyed a couple more beers from the deck with our guitars. Like weeks past, I was really grooving after 3 or 4 beers. Kenny eventually walked down encouraging me to play more. Said we sounded great. Thing is, we were just winging it, no particular song.

Maybe 15 minutes passed before Teri stopped down too. Said she wanted to say goodbye to Glenn, whose company she always enjoys. We hung together for maybe another half hour or so before the two of them left. Thinking it was near midnight when I finally called it a night and headed for bed.