When Black Friday Falls, You Know it’s Got to Be…

Wow. What a month. Looking back on it now, it seems like it was about 7 weeks in length! We did a little of everything during November. Maddy & Taylor came to see us for a bit but otherwise, stayed up in Carmel with their kitties, breaking in their new apartment. Abby & Seth were busy with work and school stuff – on top of training a new puppy…oh; and Seth bought a house. So, yeah; they were busy! Luke & Samantha had a lot going on as well. As she worked and went to school, Luke continued going through the process for the fire department. He and Alex continued working odd jobs for their new business, S&D. He also did a few things for us around the house too. We enjoyed spending a lot of time with friends and family this month. Ann & I vacationed out of the country for the first time. What a lovely time we had…mostly… We were back for a couple days then had family in town for the Thanksgiving weekend – including having Rob & Sharon down for a few days. Keith, Rosie & Megan also made it home for the holiday. We had weather all over the place – seeing our first snow and getting our first good, solid frost. But we’ve also had days up in the 70s. We’ve had a lot of rain on top of everything. The landscape during our daily commutes to and from work has broadened as the farmers now have all their crops out of the fields. Ann spent time with her girlfriends a couple times – including braving Black Friday with Ms. Amy again this year. I got out and played disc golf as often as I could…although during the off-season, my production is definitely less due to the outdoor conditions and all the other stuff that goes on at the end of the year. We got the Christmas tree up over the Thanksgiving weekend and Abby had the honor this year of putting on the first bulb. Although the elder kids couldn’t make it down from Carmel, we did have extra help from Sam & Seth, which helped. I have enjoyed spending time with the dogs out back, sitting around the fire with a cocktail and a stogie. I hope it isn’t too cold this winter, so I can continue the trend at least through the end of the year… Hello there. Welcome to the latest installment of the Scheu Family Blog.

After a frigid Halloween, temps skyrocketed and we enjoyed an Indian Summer. Luke went on his ride along with the GFD and had a ball. He finished up his Mesco job and did so well that S&D were offered a 2nd job. They completed a flooring job as well and now have several jobs lined up for the winter months. Abby & Seth continue to burn the candle at both ends and look to us to help with the puppy. The bad thing is that we’re getting a little too close and when she leaves, it may be hard…esp. for DJ, who really likes running around outside with her. Maddy was a little more talkative on the group chat, which was nice because of the wit! Mom O broke a couple ribs when she fell in her backyard. We asked Luke to make a handrail for her. Dad & Lynn are back down in FLA for a bit. I’m sure they are gearing up for their next adventure! We had a long week at work but thankfully I didn’t have to work a 3rd shift again that week! It was still very busy and enjoyed the weekend with a couple fires, stogies & several bourbons and ryes.
We had a fast start to the week and worked 3 days before starting our next vacation. We picked up a few things from the store each night and then Shawn & Stacy picked us up at 315am and we headed up to Indy to catch our flight to Mexico! We were rerouted on I74 due to a fatal accident. Then when we were riding from the parking lot to the terminal, we were very nearly hit head on by someone who pulled out and went the wrong way! We surprised Angie and boarded the plane. We had a connecting flight in Ft Worth. We barely made it on but we had to really hustle. The drivers in Puerta Vallarta are scary. There are no stop signs so everyone has to merge and people swerve in and out of traffic. There are people everywhere! We stopped at a grocery store then went on to our 1st resort in El Nogalito, called Costa Sur. After getting settled in, we made our way down to the bar with Shawn, Scoob, Pat & Shawna. After some snacks and 6 rounds, we stumbled out to the taxi to meet up with Bryan & Angie and Bob & Pam at a great little cantina grill called Los Pomeros – which was located right on the side of the mountain, just above the water. They were great and very accommodating to our large, loud, inebriated group – esp. Oscar, who seemed to be in charge. Also joining us were Angie’s college roommates, Sheri & Aretha. They were a hoot and fit in well with our group. I ended up walking down to the ocean and putting my feet in the water. We enjoyed an amazing seafood spread. Even with the 12 of us, we still couldn’t finish it. The staff went all-out and after more rounds than I can remember, we somehow piled into one taxi and laughed all the way back to the resort. We were so tired that we went to bed at 815. We’ve become our parents!!
Due to how early we turned in, we were up early on Friday morning for breakfast at the bar downstairs and enjoyed Happy Hour as well! We stayed at the pool that day. Pat helped with water aerobics then we played water volleyball for a free drink but lost 2 straight. Pat & I competed in the horseracing event. Although I won, they gave it to the old lady next to me, which was cool. We were asked to stop bringing our own snacks and cocktails so we had to buy the ones they were serving instead. Later, we went to dinner at a family restaurant – they literally created an outdoor smokehouse in their front yard! It was really good. I got the brisket and Brazilian sausage while Ann had the Picaña that was unlike we ever tasted before! We stopped for ice cream (well, gelato) at a small shop in the middle of a residential block, called Gelato MX7. We crashed as soon as we got home but it was a little later – 10 pm! Woo!!
We met the others for breakfast cocktails on Sat during Happy Hour before heading to downtown Puerta Vallarta for Angie’s bday at one of her faves called Fredy’s Tucán. The eggs benedict with salmon was perfect. I had a couple Bloody Ceasars while Annie had a Mexican coffee with her breakfast. We then headed to Boca de Tomatlán. We took a boat out to an island to go snorkeling/swimming/floating in the Pacific for several hours. On the way back, we stopped at a little beach cantina called Mariscos Tino’s. They had roosters and dogs running around as well as a dude with an iguana. We had some amazing grilled shrimp tacos and sipped some local anejo tequila. We bought silver jewelry and Cuban cigars from street venders before heading back. We got a lot of sun that day! After cleaning up, we headed back out to downtown PV (referred to as Old Town) for dinner at Angie’s fav restaurant called OK Jose for her bday dinner. It was a little speakeasy with a high-end menu. Jose greeted us with a heartfelt, “Welcome home!” I enjoyed several rounds of Jose’s Best margaritas, which were spicy and had an added flavor I couldn’t quite ID. We had a huge, 5 course meal. Ann& I had the surf and turf. The owner sang several songs to us. Good thing he had a good 3-pc backing band who mostly played a mix of bossa nova and salsa. We had 3 of the gals get sick within the next 8 hours and had a bug that lasted about 12 hrs. That included Ms. Ann. She was down for a while, including during our move to the other resort, which united our group. I was up early again and Pat, Shawn and their ladies for breakfast buffet before moving over to another bar (they have 4 in the same area, around the 2 pools). We watched the Colts, which came on at 8. They beat the Pats, so it was a great start to the day! We were able to pay for a few extra hours of room time so Annie could sleep in the a/c until we moved. The rest of us watched RedZone and drank & ate until the Villa opened up at Los Pameros. We got moved in and then ate a quick dinner, which the cook made for us. It was almond mahi – yum! Then we were off to Ixtapa for a local cock fight! We lost our money but made new friends and learned a lot about the culture. It was pretty brutal but equally exciting as well. We weren’t really sure what to think when we first drove into a rundown site that looked like a Walking Dead set. It was under a makeshift tent with a little arena. There were 9 teams there. We enjoyed a little local cuisine and cervezas before coming back. The roads down there are REALLY bumpy. Driving is something that is a true artform – especially in old town PV with the cobblestone roads and speed bumps. Pepe is an expert driver. Thank God for him!

I didn’t sleep real well again that night and was up before dawn on Monday. I made a Bloody Ceasar and sat in our little private infinity pool, watching the sun come up over the mountain, the birds fishing for food and listening to the rhythm of the ocean. It was very peaceful… After another drink or two, I jumped in the ocean and played in the high tide waves. I got a little too close to some hidden rocks and skinned up my big toe pretty good. I don’t remember much from that day. In fact, I think we pretty much lost Monday! I remember playing football in the water with everyone. I remember Pat giving me a weird rock he found in the water that was sort of like that totem Peter got during the Hawaiian episode of the Brady Bunch. It’s a little freaky, I won’t lie! It has a screaming face of a tortured soul and everything! 😊 I also remember hanging out in the pool and having several cocktails. I talked to a dude that had a great stogie and it turned out, he actually worked at a store that sells them. What a great retirement job! He wound up giving me one and it was outstanding. I can’t wait to look them up online and order some more… And that’s about all I remember. I think I fell asleep on the Villa’s back porch for a while then tried to eat but wound up going on to bed. My biggest issue was that I did not drink any water all day until dinner. That lead me to going to bed about 5 or so and sleeping all night – well, except when we had a visitor… but that is one of the many stories that won’t be shared on here because sometimes what happens in Mexico, stays in Mexico…
I was up early on Tuesday. Although it was our last full day, it was arguably one of my favorites as well. We started off with another wonderful breakfast by Elba. She is such an amazing chef and really spoiled us with her brand of authentic Mexican cuisine. The ladies enjoyed massages while the guys headed out for an excursion. We headed up the mountain, stopping first at a local tequila distillery called Rancho Verano. We got to meet the Master Distiller (Julio) and he took us on a tour of the facility. It is a fourth-generation farm that currently creates seven different flavors: silver, reposado, anejo, extra anejo, almond and coffee with caramel & chocolate. They were all really smooth, I have to say. We even were treated to the moonshine version – straight off the line. We hung out for a while and had a few complimentary bottles and enjoyed the lovely day, up in the mountains. The four of us wound up buying 16 bottles. We headed back down afterward and stopped at a small village with a roadside café, where we ate lunch. Next, we stopped at a bakery in the “swing” – a family business nestled in the hills. When we finally got back, we grabbed a snack, showered and changed for the next adventure. We returned to Oldtown PV to do some shopping down on the Malecon (boardwalk full of shops, downtown) to do some shopping, watch the sunset over the water from a rooftop bar and eat our last dinner together. Although the margaritas were really good, it was also very, very hot in the open-air restaurant (I think all the places we ate were open-air – in design. But that night was especially humid and had no air flow to it. When we got back, we all jumped in the pool and enjoyed some tequila. I smoked one of my new stogies and stayed up late, enjoying the last night with the ocean…
I slept the best I had the entire time in Mexico the last night there. We enjoyed sleeping in a little on Wednesday morning before getting up. I had to go play in Banderas Bay one last time. It was high tide, of course, and the waves were really strong. It kicked my ass a few times, giving me a good sinus rinse and throwing me into the rocks, scraping up my leg once. It was great! I eventually had to get out to eat, shower and pack up. Bryan surprised Angie one more time by having replacement friend couples swap us out. The Bewleys, Lowes & Wolters came down that day and we all had a shot of tequila together before we headed to the airport to begin our trek home. We said our goodbyes and crossed our fingers, hoping the tequila would make it safely in our suitcases. We left PV at 1 pm and by 2 am, we made home. We rode home with Shawn & Stacey (Trap & Scoob). We did the park & ride service, where you park at a garage a few miles from the airport and ride a bus. It was cheaper and quicker, I believe…and I think we’ll do it the next time we have to travel… We got everything set aside and waited until morning to unpack. Instead, we just got changed and relaxed for a bit before calling it a night.
We spent Thursday & Friday with the dogs, getting everything put away, washing all our clothes and just enjoyed a few days of downtime with zero responsibilities. We tried to take Mom O out to lunch for her birthday, but Deanna had already beaten us to the punch; so, we just visited and made plans to have her over for dinner on Sunday. However, she asked if we could host it at her house so she didn’t have to go out and we were happy to oblige. It rained all day on Friday, which allowed for DVR’d shows and naps. It finally stopped, just before dusk, so I ran out to the park and got in 9 holes of disc golf before it got dark. I didn’t realize it, but it was the first time at the Greensburg course in almost a month. Ann went out with Amy to a fundraiser dinner that evening. She wound up winning a prize that evening! On top of that, it was Samantha’s birthday. So, Luke had a big evening planned for them – heading up to Indy for a nice dinner and an evening of romance. We had a quiet, fast weekend that sped by us. But it gave us a chance to have a little down time before heading back to work. We did have to break down and buy a new home computer. After 20+ years, the computer I repurposed from work finally died. So, I spent a lot of time researching and comparing then trying to find the best deal for the build I wanted. The old PC was originally a WinXP computer if you’re old enough to remember that OS… It was phased out when we moved to Win7. Instead of recycling it, I rebuilt it, bought a Win10 license, added a bunch of RAM, a DVD burner and it served us well for over ten years. I found a great deal on a new HP through a program at work and then had a Black Friday deal as well as an online coupon. All told, I saved like $1800! Now I need to find a replacement laptop…

It was nice to return to work on Monday morning. It sure was busy, but it was great to see everyone and share a few stories here and there. Even though it was only a three-day work week (two for Ms. Ann), it was a long, busy week that was jam packed. I wound up working three days due to having an orientation class on Wednesday morning. Ann only worked two, but her Tuesday was loaded with drama – one that had potential to be a big issue. We’ll have to wait and see how it goes when we go back to work after the holiday. Rob & Sharon came to see us for Thanksgiving. When I got home from work on Wednesday, they had already beat me home. Rob & I went out to the park and played the front 9 on a chilly day. When we got home, we changed and then we all went down to the Beach Tiki Bar to eat some of Lou’s fish tacos, have a couple cocktails and watch Brothers McGhee with several of our friend group that went to Mexico last week. Sharon’s brother drove down from Lafayette to join us for dinner as well. We came back afterward and played some euchre before retreating to the back porch for a big fire, a couple cigars and a few drinks. We were up early on Thanksgiving to watch the Macy’s Parade on TV. We had a Bloody Mary as a path back from short sleep with a little hair of the dog. That was the perfect thing. Luke & I ran to the store for Ann and she made her green bean casserole, brussels sprouts casserole and wheat rolls. We cleaned up and headed over to Mom & Sandy’s house to meet up with Keith, Rosie & Megan, Dee, Jamie & Grace, Abby & Seth, Luke, Maddy & T-Bug, Ms. Amy, Donna, Julie & Danny and of course Jamie’s mom, Cindy. The Lions lost and then we came home to nap and watch the Cowboys. The Cowboys game was awesome – a complete blowout of their headed rival, the Redskins. There was an NFL record-setting Pick-6 and my fantasy defense and QB went off to set me up nicely against a tough matchup with Jamie. We sent the kids back over to get leftovers for us and they brought everything – turkey, ham, noodles, mashed potatoes, gravy, mac & cheese, dressing, deviled eggs, corn casserole, pecan pie and other desserts…even some baked beans and corn casserole. Rob & I had another fire and another Cuban cigar from Mexico. We tried to watch the new Rick & Morty but fell asleep. Not sure why we thought Ren & Stimpy would be any different, but we fell asleep watching it too and decided we should just go on to bed, LOL. Ann & Amy went out for Black Friday, early the next morning. Luke & Sam joined them and eventually Abby & Seth did as well. Rob, Sharon & I slept in a little then went to an early lunch at BWR before they headed back to Terre Haute, where Rob is currently doing an electrical union job. That left me with the dogs – including Ms. Tilly, who came over to hang out for the day. We got most of the Xmas stuff out of the garage and began setting everything up. We got the tree up, fluffed and lighted – which is honestly the hardest part. The rest of it is just fun. We set up outside stuff as well, but it’s pretty subdued. I took it easy that evening and napped here & there. On Saturday, we had Luke & Sam and Abby & Seth help us decorate the Xmas tree. Abby had the “honor” of putting on the first ornament, which has become tradition for it to be the ugly orange bulb. It came together nicely and turned out beautifully again this year. The kids all went their separate ways – Bu & Seth to go spend time with his family and Duke & Sam to her family’s dinner. That allowed Ann & I to catch a fat nap then got cleaned-up and went to the high school to watch Abby’s Pirateers dance at halftime of a boys’ basketball game vs. Yorktown. Bu choreographed the routine, which was done to a hip-hop mashup of tunes. It was very active and the girls were out of breath afterward but looked really good. We came home afterward and Abby & Tilly joined us a little later. We had pizza delivered and had another big fire out back on a chilly night. It was really blazing again that night as we enjoyed a couple cocktails and a couple more cigars as well. We came in and I whopped Bu’s butt in some Rummy before Seth got off work and came to pick up my girls and take them back to his new place. We slept in on Sunday before getting up to do our weekly household chores, finished putting everything away and settled in to watch some Red Zone football and nap on a cold, damp, overcast day. The final week of the month was a fast but stressful work week. And it wasn’t just at my work. Ann contemplated some changes again due to more drama with her employer. Our biggest issue is that we simply can’t get people to work. We have such high standards that we have to meet and this is honestly a young person’s job (MHTs)…and this generation of workers simply doesn’t want to work… Despite being so busy, I still managed to get out and play golf three times. I set a new personal best at the Columbus AirPark with a 4 under! The guys and I went out to eat a few times that week. On Wednesday night, Ann made taco salad for us and 4 of the 6 kids joined us for a big meal. We took the week off from Card Night on Thursday and instead went over and picked up Tilly and brought her over to hang out with us that night. We had a fire out back and enjoyed hanging out for a few hours, despite it being cool and damp. The fire in the Solo Stove was plenty warm. On Friday, we worked from home in the morning then took the afternoon off. Luke & I met up with Brent in Columbus at the US Defense store and picked up a new firearm. Later, we went to Batesville to get some goodies at our favorite liquor store. I dropped Luke off at Sam’s house and they went to the Cincy Zoo to see the Christmas lights. After going to watch Abby’s dance team perform at the home basketball game last weekend, we stayed home that week and then I went over to Seth’s house. Luke & Sam met me over there and gave me a lift home after we had a few cocktails and played some games. I like that little house! Luke & I went out back and had another fire once we got home. We were out there for several hours and wound up at Taco Bell sometime after 3am. After sleeping in on Saturday, Ann & Abby went out for a bit while I watched in horror as the #1 Boilers (3rd straight year – a first for any Big Ten school!) wound up getting beat at Northwestern. It is so hard to win on the road in conference play. Although there were several questionable officiating moments, Purdue had their chances to put the Wildcats away and left points on the table. With a big thanks to Angie, we were able to move some money around and I spent the afternoon paying off some bills, which was both a little scary and yet exhilarating at the same time. We celebrated that evening with a cookout (cheeseburgers) and another fire on the back porch. Luke joined me again and we had Tilly over as well while Abs & Seth were at her work’s Christmas party. After three nights of fires, I was pretty tuckered out and wound up falling asleep before they came to pickup Tilly Joe. We were up fairly early on Sunday but it wasn’t good for anything outside as it was dark, gloomy, damp and cool again. It was a good day to watch football (the Colts & Cowboys both won this week!) and take a nap. It was a good way to put the kibosh on the month of November. What a big month it was for our family. Let’s hope things slow down a bit for us in December…

Next up is our Waybac section. This week, we have a hodge podge of pictures from Sandy that I put through the scanner a couple weeks ago. There are honestly so many different years and families involved that I’m not even going to try and explain them all. Instead, I’ll just let the pictures speak for themselves. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll follow it up with the story behind the snapshot or newspaper article.

Next up is our video segment which features one new home movie as well as a ton of videos from channels to which I subscribe.

And that does it for this month’s episode of 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 miss ya, Mom.
Later, Scheu