“COVID is closing in all around us.??? That’s what Ann said earlier this week. Both my office and hers had co-workers out with the illness. Luke and Abby had friends come down with the virus. Even my roommate at work tested positive this week, so it was no wonder that I started feeling like dogmeat over the weekend. I’m not 100% sure it is the ‘Rona as I’ve had a sinus infection going for a couple weeks now; so who knows. Matt had a full week of work from home in Carmel as well as coached wrestling in Zionsville. Abby stayed with us most of the week but commuted to work, fulltime, in Greenwood at her internship. She enjoyed seeing some friends this week as well. Luke returned to school this week, after being off for Christmas Break. It was a long week for him. He also lifted and/or played basketball every day, staying in-shape for the upcoming track season. He spent the rest of his time with buddies or working. Ann stayed home this week again, continuing to heal from her surgery. She overdid it a little one day and had some unexpected bleeding. Hopefully she learned her lesson…oh who are we kidding? LOL! She enjoyed spending a little time with friends this week, which was good for her soul. I returned to work as well and stayed busy the whole time. January is normally my busiest month of the entire year (well that and September) at work with all of the monthly, quarterly and annual reports due. Plus, I have to wrap up all the previous year’s paperwork and setup all the current year’s programs for the year. After nearly two weeks of inactivity, I finally made time to exercise, logging about two miles this week. I know, that’s a pitiful number, isn’t it? I was pleased to see that I started the year off 15 pounds lighter than I did 2021 though! We cancelled card night this week so I didn’t get to see any friends this week. It was just as well because of how crappy I’ve felt all weekend. In fact, I already informed my boss Jim that I will likely stay home to begin next week – no matter how I feel; just to make sure I don’t get anyone else ill. It has been a real crappy start to the 2022 year…hopefully things will start looking up soon! Hello again and welcome back to the Scheu Family Blog.
It was back to work for Abby & I on Monday morning. It was a nice break, but reality smacked us in the face that morning. We were greeted with cold, frosty temperatures and the opportunity to let the cars defrost before heading out. Abby had a long day of work in Greenwood, working on payroll past her scheduled time. She got home just in time for dinner. She re-upped her Good Student Discount with the insurance company by making the A/B Honor Roll and just missing the Dean’s List by five one-hundredths of a point! Way to go, Bu! Meanwhile I spent most of my day in the office, catching up with all the paperwork and emails. I worked hard to stay focused and by the time I got finished, it was too late to walk as the sun was going down and I didn’t feel like going to the mall and driving home in the pitch black. So, I came on home and called it a day. I checked out the crawlspace and found it was completely dry, so I shut down the air mover and It was good to get back in the office and see everyone and catch up with them. Luke enjoyed sleeping in then went to the Y to lift. Afterward, he worked at Hibbett’s until close that night. I pulled Luke’s grades off the computer and he also made the A/B Honor Roll with a 3.7! He just missed straight A’s with one B+! Way to go, bud!! Ann enjoyed the day off, though she was awakened early by Lola, who was barking incessantly in the kitchen. That evening, she decided to get her toys out and made dinner. She made a couple homemade pizzas that were really good. We rounded it out with the leftover coleslaw and veggies with dip. We watched a couple shows on the DVR and I was out, worn out from my day at work. I gave it up and went on to bed. Here are pictures from Christmas Day a couple weeks ago.
Tuesday morning was even colder, starting out at 20 degrees. It was another morning of heavy frost as I headed back in to work. Abby did the same and actually beat me out of the house that morning. She had another long day at work in Greenwood. Luke got up with us that morning for his first day of school. It was a special day though, as it was the first day of the last semester of school for Lukey. I had another busy day at work. That day, I did a quick inventory and worked on ordering goods all afternoon. Again, I worked until sundown and got out too late to walk that evening. So again, I headed on home with the sunsetting behind me. As I got home, Ann was getting ready to leave with Abby, who pulled in just minutes after me. They went over to Mom & Sandy’s house to see their new puppy! Yes, they got another dog… This time they opted for a mini goldendoodle named Olive. Ms. Olive is teeny-tiny and only three months old. Ann said she was about as big as a piece of fried chicken! ???? Luke worked out after school and got home just as the girls were leaving the house. He hung out at the house that night, doing a few chores and rearranging his room again. I watched the Purdue / Wisconsin game that I taped last night. Man, they #3 Boilers came out flat that game. By the time they got things rolling, the Badgers were had both the lead and momentum. Purdue fought till the end but wound up losing – thanks in part to their sophomore sensation, Johnny Davis who had a double-double with 37 points. Abby worked on filing a claim for her busted Switch paddles but found out how frustrating it can be when trying to make good on a warranty! Speaking of warranties, Luke put on my replacement screen protector (my fourth!). I hope this one actually works for while!! We watched a couple DVR’d shows until I fell asleep on the couch, so I got up and went to bed…
It was even colder on Wednesday. The wind was furious on the commute into work and when I got off work, I noticed that it hadn’t died down much at all. They had brined the roads overnight, in preparation of what must be coming precipitation…so, I guess we’ll see if we get any of that white stuff this week. Lola finally let Ann sleep in a little that morning. She was excited that she ordered pastries from bakery in St. Paul for this weekend as a treat to ourselves for taking down the Christmas tree and decorations. She did too much that day, cleaning the house and doing laundry. She definitely overdid it and her body let her know it that night. Abby headed into work again that morning, driving back up to Greenwood to her internship. I followed her out the door and drove over to Columbus. I had another busy day but finally got completely caught up and can now focus the rest of my week on doing my monthly, quarterly and annual reports. I got out of work late again, but this time I forced myself to exercise. It has been nearly two weeks since I got any walking. However, it was much too cold and super windy, so I went to the mall and walked two miles. The entrance I always use (the one Ann & I always used when she ran the Lerner NY store there back in the 90s) was closed. I didn’t realize it until I was right up on top of it. I went around to the other end of the mall and began my routine. When I got back to the west side, I noticed they had erected a new wall that separated about half of the mall into what will become offices for CRH. There were about six stores still open but I noticed that two stores had new windows and doors that made it very private, so it makes me think that they have future plans for this eastern half of the mall this year as well. There were quite a few walkers (not so many customers in stores). When I got home, I ran Annie out to Chili’s, where she enjoyed a girls’ night out with Shawna and the gang. Abby was just getting home from work when we were leaving the neighborhood. She was in her room by the time I got home and I don’t think she came out of there all evening. Luke made it through another day at school then worked out at the high school, played basketball at the junior high school and then lifted at the YMCA. When he got home, he showered and went to bed. I took it easy, watching some DVR’d shows and napped on the couch until Annie goth home. That evening, we caught each other up on our days as we watched several of our DVR’d shows until late. Here are random pictures from our recent adventures.
It was bitterly could on Thursday morning, starting out in the teens and never getting above freezing all day. Abs & I headed out at the same time that morning. It was another busy day for me at work as I did a little of everything – maintenance, telecom, IT, dietary, safety, security, purchasing…as well as getting things ready for me to work from home tomorrow. We are starting a new IT project next month, which is going to take up a lot of my time. I was pleased to finally get my phone system upgraded that day and get the phone out on the 100 unit finally working. It has been a 3-month process to drill down and find out that we had a piece go out in our PBX. But we got all that squared away and then found out a little later that morning that Justin was sick. He stopped by in the parking lot and I gave him his laptop to work from home and he took a COVID test, which was positive. Thankfully, we have not been very close to each other. Sure, we share an office, but I’ve been so focused on my work at my desk that I haven’t been around anyone to be honest. I guess that turned out to be a good thing, eh?! I tried to wrap up early to get out and walk and still have time to get home to pay the mortgage, but one thing after another came up in the afternoon and I wound up running out of there about an hour and 15 minutes later than I wanted. I had no time to exercise at the mall and I barely made it to the bank before they closed (made it by 6 minutes!). I just hope Vic doesn’t get sick. He & Justin were pretty close when they were building Jim’s new office furniture. Hopefully they had their masks on appropriately! Luke had a fast day at school then worked out before going to work at Hibbett’s. I had just finished at the bank and pulled out when I saw him drive past me. So, I pulled around and talked to him for a couple minutes before he went inside. I ran another couple errands before coming home to unload the van. Abby made it home safely and actually beat me home. We talked about getting Koch’s but it seems they are closed right now because they are moving. The Corner Store has been closed since COVID began and never did reopen, unfortunately. Koch’s is moving into that building apparently and will reopen there next month. So, we just had a find-your-own dinner. Abs made jalapeno popper dip then disappeared into her room and fell asleep early. I did the same but somehow I managed to rally and actually stayed up later than I had all week. Luke picked up Taco Bell for he & I. By that time, I was wide awake so Ann & I watched several DVR’d shows and I had to force myself to go to bed around midnight.
I actually slept in a little past my alarm on Friday morning. …And Abby let me hear all about it, as I made her a little late. I got dressed and went to the family room to start working from home before 7 am. Abs got off to work after I started her car on a frosty morning in the single digits. Luke slept in a little as their Fridays start later all year. I stayed busy all day with my reports as well as working through emails and even handling a little business at the facility with thanks to Vic & Roy as my boots on the ground. I kept the dogs quiet so Annie could sleep in. I only stopped working a few times that day to pickup the house for Roomba to run, load the dishwasher and make myself breakfast and lunch. Otherwise, it was about a 10-hour day. Afterward, I paid the bills and filed everything. By the time I finished and got up from the desk, it had been about twelve hours and the sun had gone down hours before. Ann made quiche for dinner with bacon and cheddar – yum! She made some hashblacks (not hashbrowns – these were much more done than browns! – very crispy; LOL!) and some biscuits. I love breakfast for dinner. ???? We watched a couple shows on TV and I fell asleep on the couch – big surprise there, eh? After school, Luke worked out then went to Columbus with his buddies to find clothes for the Winter Formal next week. Abby “watched a movie??? with Will. I’m not exactly sure how they did it with him half a world away – literally. Afterward, she woke me up and we played a few games of Sorry and enjoyed a 7 & 7 cocktail. Bu won the best of three games. We decided to have another 7 & 7 and play a couple games of Yahtzee. I think I won both games, but to be honest I was so tired at that point that I don’t remember. Well, that and the two stiff cocktails helped me relax. I fell asleep pretty easily, but my damn c-pap acted up and I was up a few hours later and never really got back to sleep… We have a ton of social media pictures to share this week.
Lola got me up early on Saturday morning, which was actually fine with me because I slept like crap. I flopped on the couch and watched a couple shows until the girls got up. They drove over to St. Paul to get pastries from the Wild Flour bakery. Meanwhile, Luke slept in until just before he had to get ready and go into work at Hibbett’s. While they were gone, I brought in all our storage bins and began taking down the Christmas tree and decorations. It was another cold morning, below freezing. It would eventually rain all afternoon and evening, actually getting warmer through the night. Of course, that meant the dogs we muddy every time they went outside. I paused for a moment for breakfast when the girls got back. Her pastries did not disappoint. The lady that runs the store obviously missed Ann, as she gave her a tote with the Wild Flour logo on it! ???? It took us until after noon to finish it all up and get it moved back out to the garage. It looks so bare in here now… We watched a couple DVR’d shows, grabbed lunch and afterward watched the #3 Boilers play the Nittany Lions of Penn St. It was actually a lot closer than I thought it would be but eventually pulled out the W. We all took a quick nap and then the girls got all gussied and went out to eat with Amy & Baili in Columbus. They saw a local band at the Garage Pub for a couple hours that I am very aware of (and have their first album) called 650north. Afterward, Abs went on to Franklin for the night and Annie came home with Amy. Luke came home after work but didn’t stay long. He went out with his buddies. I’m not sure if they ever made it to the girls’ basketball game, but I know he worked out at the YMCA for a couple hours. That left me alone for a quiet evening with the dogs. I watched the two South Park COVID shows on Paramount +. While I was in that app, I flipped over and watched a couple episodes of Star Trek: Discovery. I felt like crap that afternoon and evening. Matt invited me to go to a Pacers game with him, but not only did I sleep through the text but didn’t even realize he had tried to contact me until two hours later – after the game had started. ? I felt bad that morning when I woke up. I chocked it up to the lack of quality sleep, but it just got worse as the day went on. I edited pictures and videos and later began writing out this week’s html code for this entry while watching the Cowboys play that night. They looked good; but to be honest, they were playing the Eagle’s 2nd team. Granted, we had a ton of guys on the defense out due to COVID. But we blew out Philly to really get some good momentum going into the playoffs with a 51-26 shellacking! Luke had Brayden over to spend the night. They invited over their dates for the big Winter Formal next weekend. I believe the girls are from Batesville. They hung out in Luke’s room and I went on to bed while Ann stayed out in her chair until about 5 am. Her schedule is all messed up… Here are some pictures of recent additions to my Hot Wheels collection.
I had trouble sleeping again overnight with all the sinus congestion, making it difficult to use my c-pap. I wound up getting up at like 5 or 6. I turned on the SVU marathon on USA and napped on and off on the couch. It had finally stopped raining and was warmer than it had been all week. I felt like doo-doo all day. I went through two boxes of Kleenexes and coughed all day. My adenoids were swollen and my throat was sore. I had a fever as well, so it very well may be Covid. ? I got caught up on my DVR’d shows for a few hours until football came on. I flipped between the Colts game and RedZone. …Until the 4th quarter…which by that time the game was out of reach for Indy. They looked horrible on both sides of the ball with the defensive backfield and especially on the offensive line. There was still a scenario for them to make the playoffs, but they needed help from three teams to get in. Once the Steelers won in OT, that ended their season once and for all. Luke ran out and got me some medicine and Diet 7-up (thanks buddy) before going to the YMCA to lift weights. Even with the meds (acetaminophen), I still had a low-grade fever at 99.7 fever. Abby came back from Franklin about noon and went straight to bed where she napped for a few hours. I managed my fever that afternoon with Dayquil and Tylenol. That and my trusty fan blowing on me to keep me cool. Later that evening, Ann made spicy, cheesy Fireworks popcorn for dinner while Abby went out for dinner with Molie at Chili’s. We continued watching RedZone for the last time this season as the playoffs start next week. That night we turned on Paramount + and watched new episodes of 1883 and SEAL Team. Afterward, I gave Ann the remote and went to bed to watch the 2nd half of the SNF game that determined the final playoff spot of the NFL postseason. It was a great way wind down the weekend and a relaxing way to bring yet another week to an end.
Next up is our Waybac segment which continues to feature pictures from Deanna’s digital camera in 2006. We lead off with the girls enjoying a daytrip to Chicago in March; our annual Memorial Day party in May; in July we see fun at the DC Fair, Grace’s birthday party and the Tree City Car Show; Keith’s 40th birthday party in NY during September; Thanxmas in November and then in December we have pix from Christmas Eve, a spa day for the girls and Santa visiting the elementary school.
We wrap up with our video segment which features one new home movie this week as well as several from around the internet.
And that does it for this week’s entry of the Scheu Family Blog. Thanks for keeping up with us this time out and we’ll catch up with you next time. Until then, have a good one and stay safe out there. We miss ya, Momma…
Later, Scheu