20140430 - Compliment, Yes I am

20140430 + Up an into work. During a meeting today I got a text from a coworker, he called me a dork. I took it as a compliment (see picture).  Home, dinner with Gma&paW.  Home all exhausted.  Boys cleaned up and to bed.  John over about baseball.  Bed early...

20140429 - Tulips

20140429 - Up in the am and in for another day at the office.  Tim is back today, can't imagine his feelings...  Worked a full day then some.  Home late, ate a sausage and then D&I headed out for a merit badge review with a fellow in Pickerington.  We got there and I did stuff for work while they reviewed the 3 merit badges D is working on.  They talked for 2.5 hours and got a ton done through the rolling thunderstorms covering the area.  Mom is making more progress today; went out and about the town :-)

20140428 - Slap Happy

20140428 - Work, home, boys slap happy. To scouts meeting was good. Home and to Bible Bangers with doc. Home early and up late updating scout logs.

20140427 + Cold Start

20140427 + Up to a clear COLD morning. Had bfast and packed up and helped get the Pack stuff loaded up.  JG&I took a nice hike and then caught a geocache on the way out. Home and everything cleaned up and put away. L&D home from church and D cooked lunch. After lunch we got to some yard work; helped the neighbor lady remove some brush, cut the dead out if the crab-apple tree, spread 40 bags of mulch. D&I split off and he did his bi-weekly fitness merit badge stuff and we brought pizza and wings home for dinner. All yard and homework done and we watched 'Master of Disguise'.  All boys to bed and L&I exhausted followed.

20140426 - Lake Camping

20140426 - Up rainy morning, ran errands, got hair cut.  L back to banks, left boys at home.  Home for lunch, D's game cancelled, going to play with 7th grade team.  JG&I packed up and went camping with the Cub Scouts in Delaware.  Set up, Fishing, Nice dinner, program and flag retirement. Bed in good time, we were warm and slept well.

20140425 - Ballgame & Bat Boy


20140425 - UP in to work chained to the desk.  Home and had Mexican food.  Home everyone doing their own thing.

20140424 - Hillbilly Ramp

20140424 - UP and in to work.  John and Mary over to help GpaW build 'handrails' for GmaW to get in and out of the house.  GmaW doing better, moving leg little more today.  Left work early and drove to a field in Lancaster for a baseball game, John and Betty came to watch.  The boys found some pep and did great for 3 innings, up 10-1.  We ran out of pitchers and lost by 1 :-(   D&I headed further South to get some Ben's Mustard for the Website in Kingston OH.  We stopped at a White Castle on the way home for dinner.  Home and D had some home work to do.  Talked to L about the day.

20140423 + No Good News

20140423 + Tim's mom died.  GmaW's leg no better...  D's team got their picture before the game but, lost another game

20140422 - Bad Surgery

20140422 - in early to work.  Mom went in for her surgery at 7am.  on the floor almost all day.  had a good lunch with Jared.  But dad called and surgery didn't go so good, it was more complex then they thought when they got in there and the planned 2 hour surgery took 3 hours and 40 minutes...  They had to stretch and move a lot of nerves.  When she woke up she had lost all use of her right leg :-o  I sent some texts and made some calls to start the prayer chain...
Finished my day super stressed out from the work escalation and mom's leg :-s  finished up and ran to D's baseball game.  They played a REALLY good team, but hung in there...  still lost 18 to 3, but it is fun watching these boys play, they are so good.  Home and checking in with mom, she is home and getting movement in her leg, hopefully it will continue to get better and better as the swelling goes down.  Did some work in the office and then ran to the gas station.  watched some TV with the boys and then helped D with a homework assignment.  Finishing up, another long day tomorrow...

20140421 - Storm

20140421 - Holy shit storm at work on the floor most of the day.  home ate and exhausted.  took D to scouts, got some more work done there...  Home saw little boys for a few minutes and then to Bible Bangers with Doc.   We stopped and picked up some trash on the way home for L, a little wooden wagon and some roller blades.

20140420 - Easter

20140420 - UP and to church for some pancakes and sausage then some serious exercise up and down and singing and baptisms and communion for Easter service, wore me out.  Back to Gma&paB's for a nice lunch and hanging out on the back porch.  Kids did an Easter egg hunt and played in the backyard, baseball fields and neighbors basketball hoop.  Drove home and got everyone ready for another busy week.

20140419 - Dis-assembly & Dinner

20140419 - Up in the am and DJG&I headed out.  We first stopped at the Grossl's to get our extension ladder, a quick stop at the bank to meet L dealing with more fraud stuff...  then on to the location where we were to meet Scouts to remove a batting cage a guy had in his backyard.  About 8 Scouts showed up and we took down the net and then removed 6 huge 6x6 posts.  Everything down and cleaned up we delivered the posts to Mr. Emmons house and then cleaned up our tools at home.  I had to do some accounting on the fraud stuff and then we loaded up and headed to Gma&paB's.

We got there and checked in and then headed to New Philadelphia for a nice dinner at an Italian place.   Back to Gma&paB's and settled in for the night.

20140418 - Wild Winger

20140418 - UP and in to work for a wild day.  Home and D had a ballgame.

20140417 + Published

20140417 + D at Dr for wrist.  On the back porch eating dinner and G said What does seal taste like?  We went to scouts and then G&I got ice cream and stopped at the Library to see the work he did that was on display there.

20140416 + Proud Mama

20140416 + Up in the am and in to work.  At the desk all day again trying to get caught up on email and prepare for more visitors.  I got a text today from a proud L.  She got a letter from the school 'To the Parents of Dylan Winger' :-o  but when she opened it and read it she had to cry a little...  Dylan had gotten a Citizenship award that will be presented to him May 2nd at a breakfast at the school.  COOL!!!  Finished my day and home to see LJ&G for only a minute before they ran out to see Sam's soccer game.  D&I headed to the ballfield for batting practice and for D to meet his Spring ball team, the Phillies.  The coaches were glad to see him and gave him a big hug and brought the team in to introduce him.  Then D&I went to Buffalo Wild Wings for his favorite meal, honey barbeque boneless wings, as a reward for his Citizenship letter and for me to get a hat.  Home and getting caught up on things.

20140415 - Flakes

20140415 - Work like crazy.  It snowed a bit this morning :-(   Home ate on the run, fam loaded up and went to see the new Capt America.  It was a great movie  After the movie L&boys went home, I stayed and saw 'God's Not Dead' with a buddy from the Bible Bangers.  .It was a great movie too!  Home and to bed late.

20140414 - Engineering

20140414 - In to work, stuck most of day catching up on email.  Home ate with the fam, D got a hold of a merit badge counselor.  To Scouts with D&J.  Fred an engineer from work came in and talked to my Scouts and then went up and talked to the Boy Scouts.  Home, got Doc and to Bible Bangers.

20140413 + Clean-up

20140413 + Up in the am and down to the Scout Sunday morning service that D was leading.  The boys went around the circle and told the bad and then the good things about the weekend.  It was interesting to hear their perspectives and the tiny little things, like building a hay fort for one of the boys was the best part of the entire weekend.  The Scouts had a flag lowering ceremony and then helped clean the last things up and hit the road.  We all made one last sweep before we said goodbye to Gma&paW and thanked them for another fabulous weekend.  Home and tired boys playing and fighting and laughing and crying.  A good evening and getting a lot of things done and put away in prep for another busy and hopefully baseball week.

20140412 - Maple Syrup Day @ the Farm

20140412 - Up in the am, little boys already out of the house. I can see the smoke rising and the Boy Scout moving around down in the South yard. I have my cup of coffee and head down to help get the last things in place for the day. Uncle Roger and Dale are there, already hard at work boiling down the sap in the ancient cast iron kettle.  The morning is perfect, a bit windy but no chill, the sound of the fire and the running spring fill my ears with memories.  Soon family and friends start showing up and conversations, history lessons and new friendships are formed.  Kids are in the barn swinging from the rope, building hay forts, feeding the ponies treats and exploring in the woods.  The Scouts are cooking over open fires and the pot-luck food is overflowing on the table inside.  Tours of the house and building, friends all around and the sun blessing us with a perfect afternoon.  Lunch was served and everyone had plenty to eat; the Boy Scouts had their potato dish competition and everything was excellent.  Back out to the fire and the sap is almost syrup.  The samples demonstrate the pure goodness in the real syrup.  We pull the kettle from the fire at just the right time and pour the syrup through the filters, then take it into the springhouse to bottle.  Every family got a small sample to take home with smiles all around.  After the syrup event we headed up to Camp Mowana for a trip to Flemming Falls and a meandering walk past Hoppy's grave, the Indian fire ring and through the pines.  The kids stopped for a game of basketball and then back to the farm. Things wound down and friends headed home with memories they will have forever.  The Scouts helped us clean up and we relaxed by the fire as the sun went down.  The Scouts then headed out on a night hike and G came back a bit early scared by the coyote sounds.  The Scouts settled back in their tents and the barn for another night of camping out.  Up to the house and everyone exhausted. What a perfect day!


No matter where you travel from.
When you get to the Farm, 
you know you're home.

Thanks to all who helped prepare, those who came to share, those that came to play.  
Because of all of you, it was a wonderful day.  
See you next year!

20140411 - Preperations

20140411 - Up in am and everything ready to go.  We all loaded up and headed to the Farm.  We got there in good time and then headed out for a quick lunch that took 2 hours :-o  Not to worry though, we got back to the Farm and got into the preparations.  we moved things set things up moved more things, staged and put final touches on everything.  Aunt Mary & Martha stopped by to help and the Township workers dropped off the "Watch For Children" signs.  The first Scout leader showed up and joined us for a huge dinner.  Soon other Scouts showed up, pitched their tents, swung on the rope and got a fire started.  GmaW & I went down to check on the boys and D stayed in the barn with the other Scouts.

20140410 - No Game :-(

20140410 - Up and in to work. I sent a text to team game on!  Bob W then cancelled the game for no reason; went to field with Bob B and Umps there not happy...  We worked on the field for 20 min and if we had a couple bags of diamond dry it would have been game on.... :-(  Plenty mad had parents calling me all night.  To bed mad.

20140409 + L&J

20140409 + Up to work straight to floor.  Spirits high.  At the desk the rest of the day till late.  Phone calls all the way home.  Picked up G&D to go to baseball practice.  It was good.  Home and got some things done with L on the stolen purse ongoing problems.  To bed in good time.

20140408 - Customer Day

20140408 - Up and in to work early to host the MSFT in big wigs...  Visit went well... Drinks/meeting after work.  Home about 10:30 WIPED OUT

20140407 - Scout Dunk

20140407 - Up worked late, raining, practice cancelled.  Took Jack to Scouts, home watched NCAA Championship basketball game.

20140406 + Practice

20140406 + Up to church, home for lunch, D doing homework & Scout stuff, JG&I playing in backyard.  LJ&G to movie at church, D&I to baseball practice.  Left practice for scout adult leader meeting.  Home gathered troops and headed to olive garden for dinner.  Home to bed in good time.

20140405 - Brainiac

20140405 - Up L to get new license and bank accounts.  Had to go back to bank with L to connect accounts.  DJ&I to bank for D to cash check, couple sport stores for cleats and stuff, Best Buy for a speaker.  Took G to a bday party.  L out shopping replacing her stolen stuff.  DJ&I Home for a bit and then rode our bikes to the AT&T store to get L a new phone.  Home had dinner, set up the new phone and watched basketball like a zombie, to bed.  Woken up late by a uy that got pulled over in front of the house...

20140404 - STOLEN!

20140404 - Up and into work, J had piano today.  home had subs from work, L&G Meijer, D&I working on merit badges / buying stock in MSFT.  L home very upset, someone stole her purse.  We made calls to cancel her cards, $300 already gone...  She filed a Police report...  What a mess...  D&I to meijer and gas station dig through trash talk to mangers

20140403 - Dealin

20140403 - Up in the am and in to work, It was a full day and then home for more.  Had dinner with the fam and played cards with J&G, Bob W over about baseball, uniforms and $, Eric over to chat about work. up late.

20140402 - Security

20140402 - Up in the am and into work.  First thing was a meeting on the floor with the teams reviewing upcoming events.  Up to the front office to greet the security auditor I would spend the rest of the day with.  Tours and meetings for the rest of the day.  It went well and I headed towards home.  I stopped at City Hall for a Landscape Board meeting and then on to meet LDJ&G with Gma&paW at Max & Erma's.  We then stopped at the doughnut shop for ice cream.  Home and Gma&pa stayed for a minute and then headed home.   I helped D with some homework and then got the little boys to bed.  L asleep on the couch and I caught up on paperwork.

20140401 + 43 and 1st Practice

20140401 + Up in the am, said happy bday to L and off to work. Extremely busy day at work, finished up last call on way home. In the house for a quick change and sandwich L baked herself a cake and we sang happy bday to her. Then G&I went to his first practice of the season. The little guys looked good and with so many returning players we have a pretty good team. L took D to batting practice. All home and a snack and boys off to bed. L&I stayed up and watched Gravity.