We’ve enjoyed another fast week, here at the Scheu abode. The sound of cicadas have permeated our outdoors. In fact, they were so loud at times that even inside with the air conditioner running and the TV cranked up, I could still here them carrying on outside! The corn in the fields is starting to dry and I’m sure it won’t be long until we start seeing an increase in farm vehicles on the road during our daily commutes. The commute was an easier one this week, as they are again doing road construction but this time, it’s on highway 9. There is only a fraction of the traffic on it now, which I could personally get used to… Matt continued to work from home in Carmel for Cathy, as he resumes his studying for his licensing test. He and Taylor enjoyed the NHRA Nationals in Indy for the first time this weekend. I can’t wait to hear about their adventures! I thought it was really cool when Bryan and I went up there with Luke & Drew a few years ago. We’re looking forward to seeing him either tonight or tomorrow. Abby had a full week of college classes at FC. She had a health scare this week but we enjoyed seeing her this weekend, as she is feeling much better now. She kept busy with school but did not go to work most of the week due to being ill. Luke began his e-learning this week and their football game was cancelled (which is BS). He did get together with many of the varsity kids and play some pickup games, lift and run some drills on offense and defense – which I thought was very cool. It was completely unofficial and completely voluntary. Still, they had a good turnout which is encouraging for our season…once it picks back up. Now we’re just trying to understand what, if any, suspension there will be for Luke at this point. I need to contact the coach to see where they’re at in that process. He worked two jobs again this week and attended all his virtual “classes???. It was good to spend some down time with him this weekend. Ann enjoyed a change in attitude with a change in latitude, heading down to beach in PCB again this year with her girls from work. I had a busy week, picking up an extra shift at work and logging about twenty-one miles of exercise and managed to lose another two pounds – despite a challenging week of dieting…but my new meds are helping to bring my BGL down little by little each day as I approach the 100 milestone (my goal). I enjoyed another thirty-six holes of frisbee golf, enjoying varying conditions and enjoying the challenges it brought to the game for me. It’s been relaxing and I have to admit that I did get used to sleeping in the middle of the bed – LOL! Still, it was good to have her home on Sunday night again. She may not think so, I guess… Besides missing Ms. Ann, I really missed watching Luke play football this week. At least college football began this week and helped fill that void and this coming week the NFL regular season will start-up again. I can’t wait to see Red Zone… Hello and welcome back to the Scheu Family Blog.
It was back to work and school on Monday morning. I was still pretty sore that morning and my butt was dragging all day. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed that as sore as I may be the day after a big workout, I’m even more sore the second day. True to form, I was tired and yawning all day. I finished up my EOC rounds that day, meaning that I was on my feet all day, which helped my step total (I would finish the day at 15K) but only fueled my yearning for the couch or bed. Ann and I both had fast days. Hers was filled with buttoning up all the loose ends of the office before they close for the rest of the week for a staff retreat on the beach! Luke began his first day of e-learning from home. It was Abby’s first day of her senior year at college. It was bittersweet to say the least. Luke wound up meeting up with some of the other boys for an impromptu game of football out at the Y. It wasn’t a practice but I was proud of the boys for the drive to keep themselves sharp, playing some 7-on-7 and other stuff. He said the e-learning stuff was pretty easy for him. After work, I walked a 5K around the airport property and IUPUC campus. It was easy to tell that the kids were back at school out there too – as the parking lot was really full again. When we got back home, I dropped off Annie and she made dinner while I played a round of frisbee golf. It was really hot and my game started off a little shaky and I never quite recovered, throwing a 2-over, 29. My tee shots were not very good but thankfully, I hit a ton of long putts that really saved my score from being even higher. Luke grabbed food with Brayden earlier so he didn’t eat with us but still sat in the kitchen and enjoyed his workout shake while we enjoyed chicken alfredo. It was really good. Luke went to workout at the YMCA and before he could get back, I was asleep on the couch and went on to bed really early that night. Here are pictures from Luke’s football game at Triton Central last week.
It was cooler on our commute back into work but that humidity was still with us. But it was overcast all day as the remnants of hurricane Ida came up our way. It would bring with it some much-needed rain to the area. I had another fast day at work with my monthly generator test and two contracted vendors in-house that day, along with a special visitor. Luke got up and went to a doctor appointment in Columbus and then came to visit me in my office for about an hour before going to Best Buy to return his Bose headphones like I did, as they too were beginning to fail. He wound up upgrading to a pair of Apple Air Pod Pros. I urged him to get the Geek Squad coverage, but he didn’t listen…hope it doesn’t come back to bite him in the ass… Ann and the girls had a short workday then headed to Florida a little after noon. Luke returned home to do his schoolwork then worked-out at the YMCA before meeting up with the boys and running through some defensive stuff. Later he did some stuff to his car before it started raining. He was in his room, playing video games when I got home and I guess he probably fell asleep because I didn’t see much of him that night. I walked another 5K after work on a cooler but still muggy afternoon. It was cool to watch what was left of that huge Ida storm roll into the area. I finished my workout just as it began to rain. It stormed pretty good on my ride home but was beginning to lighten when I got into town. So, I waited a few minutes at the park to see if the shower would pass, which it did…for about 30 seconds then started up again. I thought for sure the weather would be moving out, so I went ahead and played. It began raining harder and harder the longer I played. By the time I got to the back half, I was drenched! Still, despite the elements, I threw a 1-over 28 – which I was good with. It was a challenge, but I won’t be able to wear my shoes tomorrow. They’ll take a day or so to dry-out for sure! I talked to Abs, Ann & Maryann briefly that night but otherwise spent a relaxing evening with the dogs. It was nice – I turned the TV up really loud and no one was there to tell me to turn it down! ???? Ann said they drove through some pretty heavy rain in KY & TN as Ida passed through the area. I worked on editing pictures and videos for this week’s blog and watched American Ninja finals before falling asleep on the couch.
Wednesday was a world of difference. Gone was that nasty humidity – blown away by Ida. In its wake, she left us with temps in the low sixties and lovely blue skies. I took the van into work with the windows down…and it was awesome! I heard from Abby that morning and she was not feeling good. In fact, she was singing the blues. She was sick as a dog. She took COVID, flu and strep tests…and it was strep. So, it was good news / bad news…no COVID, but still needs to isolate for a day or two until she’s no longer contagious then it’ll be all good. Hopefully she feels better for the weekend and she can make it home. Luke had school then worked for Coach Harris. I didn’t hear from Ann after she got into the resort at about 3 am this morning. I’m sure she spent much of the day sleeping in the room and napping by the pool! I try to leave her alone and let her enjoy the time away with her gals. ???? I had a good day. It was still busy but more steady than frantic, thankfully. I picked up an extra shift with Justin to help out the nursing staff fill some holes. If you know of anyone who wants a job; we are hiring. It’s a great time to work out there right now. Wages are increasing, there’s sign-on bonuses, shift-differentials, shift bonuses for those that want to pickup extra shifts and as much OT as you want! The guys and I went to Mancino’s for a grinder at lunch. I ate a little too much, so it was good that I walked nearly three and a half miles after work that afternoon. It was warm, but there was a great breeze that made it feel awesome out there. I played a round of frisbee golf when I got back to town. With the heavy breeze, it was no wonder that I struggled to even get par, ending with another 1-over round. I ran into Luke a couple times – at the park, by the gas station and at the grocery store. I brought home a fan from work for the night to help him dry out his car, which had developed a leak (he fixed it last night). We ran to Burger King for dinner. It was a deal we struck, so I had no choice Ann… He’s gonna mow Gma & Gigi’s house for me tomorrow or Friday. When we got home, Luke repaired Barney’s seat for me (thanks kiddo!). That night, the dogs & I watched the next episode of Hard Knocks on HBO then put on a movie called Fire in the Sky and then binge-watched several episodes of South Park on Comedy Central while Luke went to the Y to lift with his buddies until late. Here are random pictures from our recent adventures.
Weather-wise, Thursday was a carbon-copy of Humpday. The day started off by dipping its toes in the 50s but warmed nicely to lovely, sunny 80° afternoon. It was the 9th anniversary of Mom’s passing. Honestly, it feels a lot longer than just nine years. It was another fast day for me at work, focusing mostly on inventory and purchasing for the facility. The boys and I went to China Buffet for lunch. To be honest, it was not the best and all of us agreed that we probably won’t return anytime soon. After work, I walked a 5K then drove home and played a round of frisbee golf. I actually played pretty well. It could’ve been better; except I threw it in the pond of hole 6. That and a piss-poor second shot on hole 5 kept me from getting back to where I was a few months back (before it got so stinking hot!). Still, I had a respectful 26 – which ties the lowest I’ve had in a couple weeks. Meanwhile, Luke had school, practice (well, the boys played basketball – but they still got together and stayed active), worked on his car and lifted at the Y. It was another full day for him. He’s trying to stay positive, but you can tell he’s really missing football right now. Annie enjoyed another perfect day in paradise, spending the day with her co-workers at the beach house. Abby said she was feeling much better. That night, Luke went to lift weights with his buddies at the Y while I took it easy with the dogs. I watched an old movie that I didn’t even know existed until a few weeks ago. One of my favorite books from my childhood was Island of the Blue Dolphins from 1964. It really captured my imagination when I was young and we were moving around a lot. It wasn’t as good as the book, but it was still neat to finally see it. Other movies I picked up that evening included another adaptation of a book from my youth, called Jonathan Livingston Seagull from 1973 and a film I saw a couple times in elementary school in the 70s called The Red Balloon from 1956. I can’t wait to watch those as well… I was pretty tired and I knew that the next day was gonna a be long one, so I turned-in early and called it a night…
I slept really well and struggled to drag my butt out of bed on Friday morning. I slowly got up, got ready and then did a few things around the house, including paying the bills. I had a busy day at work that went really fast. Luke came over to delivery some grass seed to Justin and go to lunch with us at Chicago’s pizza. Justin & I stayed late that day and worked second shift on the DBT unit. I know remember why I don’t tech any longer. It is truly a young person’s job! It was a tough evening, but we managed to survive it. I was really tired by the time I got home. Luke had school that day then lifted at the Y. For Brayden’s birthday, Luke and their group went to Cincy to watch a really high-level high school football game. The one team they wanted to see was a travel team that actually flies on a private jet to their games all across the country! Although I didn’t talk to her, Abby must’ve been feeling better because she sent me a picture of a cocktail that she made that evening. Ann sent me a picture where she got waaay too much sunshine yesterday and now she’s as red as a crab – Mrs. Crabs! LOL ???? Seriously, though, I felt bad for her because there’s no way she could sleep and not be uncomfortable… The boys were at the house when I got home that night. They were all geared up after watching the game and were running around town to see their friends. They said they were going to come back and stay the night at our house. I tried to wait up for them, but I was worn out from my long day and just wound up going on to bed… We have lots of social media pictures to share this week.
After going to bed late (early that morning?), the dogs were awake and barking before the sunrise on Saturday morning. I tried to roll over and go back to sleep, but they were insistent – especially Ms. Lola. So, I put them outside and by the time they came back in, I was awake so I decided to start my day. Oak & Ethan had stayed the night, so I grabbed my laptop and the box of new Hot Wheels (from a couple weekends ago) and went to the family room to check a few new treasures. Once the sun came up and the boys started moving, I got cleaned-up and took the truck and yard tools over to Mom & Sandy’s house to work in their yard for the first time in a couple weeks. I stopped by Dunkin to give myself a little treat after last night’s adventure and before that day’s excursions. After getting breakfast, I wasn’t in the mood to mow quite yet and was hoping to play a quick round of frisbee golf, but it started raining so I went about my business. Their grass was really long – the longest I’ve ever seen it all the years that I’ve known them. I felt bad for letting get to this condition. It looked a lot better when I finished and went in to visit with Mom O before heading back home. After it stopped raining, the humidity returned. Thankfully, the sun stayed hidden for most of the day which helped. It took me a couple hours to get through the grass at home. I couldn’t even mulch it – I had to do the side-discharge thing so it wouldn’t bog down. After about four and a half hours after I loaded up Betty White, I was heading indoors to shower – a sweaty, stinky mess. After showering, Luke & I went to lunch at Jordan’s where I tried their huge gyro. It was really good…probably not as good as the fish I had last time – but something I would definitely do again. After we finished lunch, Luke went to work at Hibbett’s and I went shopping at Walmart for our weekly supply run. By the time I finally got back to the house, Abby had made it home from Bloomington (where she had gone to spend the night on the IU campus with Mary & Julia. She already had a load of clothes in the washer and getting ready to hop in the shower. It was Ann’s final full day at the beach in Panama City with her girls from work. She was looking forward to their big night out for dinner that evening. Once Abby finally got done getting ready, we went out for dinner & drinks at El Reparo. Brittney picked up Abs from the restaurant and they drove out to Mallory’s gender-reveal party. It’s a girl!! As if that wasn’t enough to celebrate…Payton also proposed to Megan!! She said…YES! Congrats to the Dance girls!! I checked in some new Hot Wheels and took a couple naps while watching the Purdue game. They won their season and home opener, which was an exciting night game under the lights! It was a close game but the Boilers defeated Oregon State. Luke got off work then he & Brayden went to the YMCA to workout, late that evening. Abby & I had a couple amaretto sours and when the boys got back, they joined us to play a game of euchre. Abs & Brayden went up big – like 7-2 but Luke & I came from behind and won 10-9! We tried to enjoy some porch time and a stogie but the rain chased us inside. We watched Harry Potter for a couple hours before the kids went to bed and I picked up the house. I caught a 2nd wind and then wasn’t tired, so I watched more Harry Potter until pretty late into the morning. Here are pictures of recent additions to my Hot Wheels collection.
Abby woke me up when she left on Sunday morning to go to Bloomington with Hilary to go boating on Lake Monroe all day. It wasn’t long after Bu left that Lola was up, barking and wanting to go out. So, again, after just a few hours’ worth of sleep – I was up and doing chores around the house. I did my weekly household chores and then woke up the boys and we went to Big Boy for their breakfast buffet. They were really short-staffed and only had the buffet open – no kitchen orders were being taken that morning. After breakfast, Brayden went home and Luke & I took a quick nap. That afternoon, Luke borrowed the truck and yard tools to go mow for Coach Harris while I watched the Busch and truck race from Darlington (well, I napped with it on…does that count?) and worked on the blog – uploading pictures and videos as well as writing out the HTML code for this week’s entry. Later, Luke went out and worked on his car for hours. As I continued to work on the blog, I put on those old movies I spoke of earlier – Jonathan Livingston Seagull and The Red Balloon. Meanwhile, Ann and the girls began making their way back to Columbus. They left early that morning and Annie kept me updated through her travels. Jamie, Matt and I made plans for our big fantasy football draft tomorrow! I watched the Southern 500 that evening and only paused it long enough to run over and pickup Annie from her work. We enjoyed catching up on the ride home. She had lots of good stories and sounded like they had another great trip. Luke ran around with his buddies that evening and also went to Columbus that night…except he went over to have dinner with a buddy and didn’t get back until curfew. He joked that he bought a new shotgun and asked how mad we would be if he brought one home. However, in the end he decided to save his money and move on…for now! The NASCAR race lasted over four hours but was a really entertaining race to watch. Ann got all her stuff put away and made Fireworks popcorn for dinner and chilled in her recliner for a couple hours before heading on to bed. I napped for a few laps before catching my second wind, finishing up the blog and then watched a couple short shows on Disney + before calling it a week myself…
Next up is our Waybac section, which continues to feature pictures from Deanna’s first digital camera in 2005. But we lead off this time with three bonus pictures from this month. These come to us via Ann’s cousin – who apparently has a whole batch of classic photos she is willing to loan us and allow me to scan them in properly, which his exciting. I only have two weeks’ worth of photos left from that big batch that Dee gave us. The first is a 1970s Owens Christmas picture with all the grandkids – including Keith, Ann & Dee; the 2nd one is a 1980s Halloween picture of the same crew and the third is a couple years later – also circa 1980s – of Ann’s cousin, her BFF Amy and of course Ms. Ann. We then fast-forward to the 2005 batch, beginning in December of 2004 for Deanna’s birthday; then March of ’05 for Matt’s birthday; Abby at the Dixon Dance revue in May; Luke’s birthday in June; in July we see Memaw & Gracie then some great pix from the 3rd & 4th of July, followed by Grace’s birthday and then another cute shot of the grandkids for Sandy’s birthday; we celebrated Thanxmas in November and then a couple pix of me on Christmas Eve & Day.
Next up is our video segment, which closes out this week’s blog post. It features one new home movie this week as well as several from around the internet.
Well, that does it for this week’s entry into the Scheu Family Blog. Thanks for keeping up with us this time out and we’ll catch up with you again next time. Until then, have a good one and stay safe out there. We really missed ya this week, Momma…
Later, Scheu