Memorial Day: Part 2

We woke up early Sunday morning...but not really by choice. Sometimes, the little fella's internal clock says, "Lights are on outside...there's playing to be done!" So at 0604 in the a.m., we heard Bode, babbling away in his crib, his music playing, and the occasional Whump! Whump!, which is Bode (not so) gently hitting his crib, telling us that it's time to get up. But being up early has its advantages, as we were able to be on the road by 0745 for the 80 mile trip to the Columbus Zoo, home of Jack Hannah, from Late Night with David Letterman fame oh so many years ago.

The zoo was great--as I said before, "Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my (but not exactly in that order)." The Columbus Zoo actually lets you pet its tigers despite what happened to Sigfried (or was it Roy?). Here's Bode and Ashley riding the ferocious (albeit somewhat stationary) Bengal tiger.There were actual tigers at the zoo, but the pictures I took were rather basic, and you could probably get better images on the Google. We did get to take a picture of Bode with a real life male lion, but with plenty of steel cage between them. Here's the shot--can you see the lion there just above Bode's head? It was no more than ten feet away, just sitting there. Had I wanted to, I could have snuck down by the lion and given him a quick pet...but then I realized there was no need for me to make the newscasts that day...Here's another shot of the lion, as we must have disturbed him and he got up and walked around. Evidently they don't neuter the male lions...
Next, we saw some bears. And I'm not talking about the local black bears, I'm talking about the big Grizzlies, mind you (I'm sure you realized these little phrases are similar to the words Han Solo used when talking with Obi Wan Kenobi for the first time in Star Wars). Good heavens Grizzlies have big claws--I've seen them on Discovery Channel, but you really don't get a sense of scale until you see them in person (much like the Death Star...ok, enough SW references).They had a little area where kids could pet some animals. Bode loved it. Of course, every animal he petted (and saw for that matter) was "Aubun." He thinks every other dog in the neighbor as well as pictures of dogs are Aubun. Sort of cute.The zoo had a pretty good ape exhibit. It's amazing how their mannerisms resemble those of people (sorry to all you Creationists out there). Here's Bode in front of a Mama ape with her little boy. It kind of looks like the baby is checking Bode out.At this point, Bode got fed up. He says, "Look, you put me in this shirt with horizontal stripes, and you know how tubby I look. Is there any way we can get a shot where I look thin?" "Of course," I told him. "It's all about scale." So here's a shot of our little pachyderm with some other weight-challenged beings.
We spent about four hours at the zoo. Bode started to get a little cranky/sleepy, so we headed home and cooked some sausages on the grill. Afterwards, Bode again insisted we go out for ice cream (well, maybe I wanted some too), and then we stopped by and visited some friends (Clay, Sue, and Calli, and their six month old dog, Bailey).

Monday morning, we went to the mall. Macy's opened at nine, and we were one of the only ones in the store. We found some great deals on the "must-go" rack, and got Bode six shirts, three pair of shorts, and three sets of socks for $75. After we did some shopping, we went to the mall play area. And here is where we learned a lesson about spotting Bode. There was this slide structure--stairs on one side with an enclosed walkway to the the slide on the other. It's only about three feet off the ground (but when you're two feet tall, that's high). We watched Bode go through the circuit about five times, laughing the whole time. We got a little complacent because the next thing we know, Bode is going head first, tumbling down the slide and onto the floor. Yes, we must have looked like the worst parents. He screamed and cried...for 30 seconds, and then it was back to the slide. Could have been worse...good thing kids come with a warranty :-)

Today, it was back to work. Weather was beautiful--starting to get a bit hot for my lunch-time runs, but I guess I'll just have to take the advice I've given to many and "toughen up." Pleasant week to all.

Memorial Day: Part 1

What a great three-day weekend. We packed so much into it, you would think we had five days off. Being that we did so much, I'm going to do two separate posts. Originally, I had planned to do this all at once, but (much like the original Star Wars trilogy), the vast amount of material necessitates the need for mulitple entries. Of course, I won't wait three years between posts...more like 24 hours.

Friday, we snuck out of work early at 3:30 pm. I think a lot of people had a similar idea, so I don't feel too bad about playing partial-hooky. We took Auburn and Bode for a nice walk around the block. It was a beautiful evening, so we decided to go to the Greene, an outdoor shopping mall with a large commons area. The commons area has one of those fountains where the water comes intermittently out of various spots. Bode had one previous fountain experience, which he loved. As we pushed his stroller closer to the fountain, Bode squeeled with delight and started to lift himself out of his chair. We stripped him down to his shorts and let him have at it. Due to the intermittency of the streams, Bode was a little confused, as there would be water shooting into the air, and then it would stop to his dissatisfaction. He also took a couple shots in the face because he would spend too much time looking down into holes, which I found amusing. Unfortunately, we failed to bring the camera, so no pictures, but I will tell you Bode laughed and giggled for twenty minutes non-stop. We ate dinner at Noodles and Company and stopped for Italian ice cream on the way home (Bode made us). Bode went to sleep at 8 pm, and, sadly, I followed him shortly thereafter. Ashley came back to the bedroom at 9:15 and said (rather loudly), "Oh you're not sleeping, faker." I will have my revenge in the near future.

Saturday morning we went to the park, and this time, we remembered the camera. It's a small park--quaint is probably a better word to describe it. Here are Mommy and Bode just as we arrived. You can't tell, but Bode was making a beeline for the swing.Oh how the little dude loves to swing. Sometimes he'll want out after only a few pushes but then immediately want back in. This day, however, he was quite content to swing for five full minutes. Next, it was time for some serious sliding. And unlike a previous trip to the park, Bode didn't fall on the stairs. In fact, he can make it all the way up without our assistance, and for the most part, he takes the stairs like a big boy (we do spot him, something we should always do, as we learned later in the weekend).
First, we tried the little slide just to make sure we remembered how to do it.
Next, the tunnel slide. Scary.Finally, the big-boy slide.After the park, we went home and took a nice nap (I napped too, because I didn't get to bed early enough the previous night due to my wife's waking me from a sound sleep--did I mention this already?) Saturday afternoon, we went to the Kettering water park and bought a season-long pass. Sadly, we again forgot the camera (you'd think we could come up with a check list or something). The little man was again in his element; he must have some fish DNA in his genes. He went splashing into the water, and even (accidentally) stuck his face in it (which he didn't like). We spent a good hour in the water (yes, we used sun-screen), soaking in the sun and watching Bode laugh and giggle at just about everything. Needless to say, Saturday night, he was out like a light (some would say he was in "perfect hibernation," as Lando Calrissian did when describing Han Solo's sleep when encased in carbonite...well, maybe not some...a small number of losers more adequately describes the number).

That about does it for part 1. Yes, I know, not much of a cliff-hanger ending, but I will tease you with this about part 2: Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! Pleasant day to all.

May Day

Happy Mid-May to everyone. I can't believe it's almost summer time, especially since I was bundled up in jeans and a jacket this morning when Bode and I went to the park. High is forecast to be 60 today. Brrr...but at least it's sunny, and it should be in the 70's the rest of the week, with 80+ degree temps right around the corner. The approach of the warm weather has Ashley and me thinking we ought to buy a summer pass for the Kettering water park (reference Summer Time Fun post, August, 2008). Bode-man really loves his baths, water fountains, sprinklers, and (annoyingly) puddles of water in the street. We anticipate many hours of fun this summer at the water park (followed by intense screaming when we try to leave)...

There aren't many good pictures, as we've been remiss with the camera duties. Plus, Ashley is gone this week--she left yesterday for a trip to Washington D.C. She left on Saturday because she's going to visit her brother (Jason) and her friends Brantley and Dave. She took the camera with her, so the only picture taking device I have is my phone, and I certainly don't know how to use that contraption. Thus, you'll have to be satisfied with the picture below, taken shortly before bedtime. Bode and I have had a busy weekend...well, not really. It just seems busier when there's only one parent around. (Note: Here begins the part of the blog where Jeff brags about some personal accomplishment...skip ahead if you don't want to help swell his ego).

Yesterday morning, I ran in the Oakwood 10K (6.2 miles for you non-runners). I was hoping to finish in 42:24 (6:50 per mile pace), but had to settle for 42:41. Of course, my time was a little longer because my Garmin had the race distance at 6.23 miles. Had I run my intended pace, those extra three hundreths equate to 10.3 seconds. Thus, I missed my goal pace by seven measley seconds. I blame the hills (yes, it was a hilly course for Ohio). Amazingly, I finished seventh out of 96 runners, and got first in the 35-39 age-group (http://www.speedy-feet.com). The guy that won the race was 53 years old, so that is certainly a bitter pill to swallow... ;-) (End of Jeff's ego trip).

Due to the race, I was rather tired all day Saturday. When Bode napped, I napped. When Bode woke up, I wished Ashley were home. Today, I feel more rested, but am still quite fatigued. Hopefully Bode sleeps all afternoon...

Recommended reading: I'm just about done with The Gold Coast by Nelson Demile. Very good story, although a bit odd in some places. I then plan on reading Merle's Door, a dog-book recommended by my aunt. I'm hesitant to read it because I assume, like most non-fiction dog books, that at some point the dog is going to die, and given that we recently had to say goodbye to Dudley, I don't know if I'm ready for such a story. However, my aunt says it's one of the best she's ever read, and since she too is a dog lover, I'll trust her recommendation.

Health tip: I read in the paper that if you drink one soda (non-diet) a day and don't change any of your other habits, you will gain 10+ pounds a year due to the sugar. Thus, I'm quiting soda cold turkey. So if I seem cranky this week, especially in the afternoon, please cut me some slack (or nudge me if I've fallen asleep).

Ashley returns Thursday. Maybe we'll play hookie and have a nice four-day holiday weekend.

Pleasant week to you all.