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| candids at Zola's Pub! |
Tuesday. I did my morning Bible study at The Anchor and spent the morning and early afternoon hanging out with Ashley and the girls. Ashley made coffee and I fixed a bagel sandwich, and we hung out with her brother outside. His name's Nathan, and he's really cool. "He likes you a lot!" Ashley exclaimed. I helped her get the girls in the car ("Zoey let you put her in her car-seat?! That's incredible."), and before I left, Chloe asked, "Are you coming over tomorrow?" I told her I planned on it. "Are you coming over every day?" I told her we would see. She said, "I hope you do!" and grinned wide. I worked 2-10:15 and went by Winton Ridge to see Blake & Amos, John & Brandy, and Hot Sauce Waugh before rendezvousing with Ashley at The Anchor for coffee. We told stories and laughed so hard we cried. We rounded out the evening watching The Walking Dead in the Hobbit Hole. She fell asleep curled up against me, missing out on the cannibalism.
Wednesday. I went to The Anchor for coffee and scripture before spending the afternoon with Ashley and the girls. The girls and I played house with Chloe's kitchen set, and when the girls took their naps, Ashley and I made lunch and watched a couple episodes of Arrested Development. Ashley told me, "I'm honestly shocked at how much the girls like you. They are very intuition-driven, and they can sense you're a good guy. I think that's why they're so comfortable with you. And I know you were worried about them liking you, since you don't have much experience with kids, but trust me: you're a natural." I worked 3-7:00 taking Jason to ballroom dancing; it was a costume party, and all the downers dressed up as prison inmates, nurses, ghosts, angels, aliens, and Elsa from Frozen (of course). I picked up Subway on my way home and ate it while watching Batman: The Dark Knight Rises. I took a hot, relaxing bath in the glow of oil lamps and candles before going to bed early (around 11 PM).
Thursday. I worked 8:30-4:00, taking the guys to the Farm and making our usual rounds to the library and U.D.F. I spent some time at The Anchor drinking coffee and reading scripture before heading up to West Chester to hang out with Ashley and the girls. "Zoey really likes you," Chloe said; "She isn't like that with anyone except Papaw." These girls know how to melt my heart. We hung out with her brother for a while. He plays LaCrosse, and I went on and on about how LaCrosse was invented by the Iroquoia (the Six Nations) and how it spread to most native American tribes, and I made a point to show how during Pontiac's Rebellion, native Americans would stage LaCrosse tournaments outside the gates of forts, "accidentally" toss the ball into the fort, and then right when they rushed into the fort to retrieve the ball, the "game" would be over and they'd slaughter the non-French occupants. "You guys are filled with so much useless knowledge," she said. We ordered gyros for dinner and chowed down at her house while watching episodes of Arrested Development.
Friday. I went to Anchor Grill for coffee and scripture, and after watching Django Unchained, I headed up to Centerville for a home-cooked meal with Mom, Dad, Ams, and Grandma. Skyler lost her marbles when I walked through the door, leaping up onto me and almost toppling to the ground in excitement. Dinner was great: crock-pot chicken, rice, homemade mashed potatoes, green beans, macaroni & cheese, and dinner rolls. I left there and headed to see Tyler & Julia. Tyler and I went to a Craft Beer Shoppe that just opened down the road; he purchased a variety of pumpkin ales, and I tried a pear cider. I've been on a cider kick this autumn (I blame the season), and the pear cider was a good break from the generic apple ciders everyone's raging about. On my drive home a car pulled in front of me, and I had to swerve up into the grass outside an apartment complex and almost hit a tree. It was exhilarating, and the adrenaline and shock made me lose my sense of direction.
Saturday. I went to The Anchor for coffee and scripture, and who was there? None other than Hot Sauce Waugh! I knew I'd run into him there one of these days. Ashley came down to the Hobbit Hole for a couple hours, and we went to Zola's Pub on Main Street and devoured burgers and drinks. It was in the upper sixties today, so we walked around Mainstrausse for a while, scoping out the sights. We ran into John G. from C.C.U., and he recognized her from her time there. I bid her farewell and took a short nap before heading up to Blue Ash for an evening with the guys. Ams joined us for our walk to and from U.D.F. I treated myself to a pumpkin pie milkshake. Can I say phenomenal? Yes, I think I can. Ben's been on this kick of stealing my cell phone and calling Ashley. She enjoys talking to him, so I think that's why he does it. I spent the night in Blue Ash, reading scripture and talking with Ashley before bed. "I think it's so wonderful that you actually pray and read the Bible. That's so rare these days, it really is. I can't tell you how many guys say they are Christian but show absolutely no desire or discipline to actually live as if they believed what they say they believe." I must say I'm pretty happy to be with someone who shares that with me.
Sunday. I left Blue Ash and went to the Anchor for coffee and scripture before meeting up with Ashley and the girls in West Chester. We went to church at Mason Church of Christ. Chloe loved her 2nd grade class, and Zoey refused to go to hers, so she came in with us. She kept throwing fits so Ashley had to excuse herself from the sanctuary through half the sermon. "She is definitely going to class next time," she said. The sermon was really good, on biblical principles for financial "success" (in the biblical sense of the term). Next week's sermon sounds like it'll be interesting; since I'll be preaching, I'll miss it, but I can find it online. After church we went to the Chinese buffet for lunch (a rare treat for the girls), and then we went to Loveland to go to a Fall Carnival. The girls had an absolute blast: pumpkin paintball, egg-tossing, a petting zoo, a children's maze and a hayride were all highlights. We got back to Ashley's around 6:30, and I bid them farewell and headed to Mason to hang out with Blake, Traci, and Ams; we watched the third episode of Walking Dead: Season 5. Here are some pics of the girls at the farm that Ashley took and sent me:
Thursday. I worked 8:30-4:00, taking the guys to the Farm and making our usual rounds to the library and U.D.F. I spent some time at The Anchor drinking coffee and reading scripture before heading up to West Chester to hang out with Ashley and the girls. "Zoey really likes you," Chloe said; "She isn't like that with anyone except Papaw." These girls know how to melt my heart. We hung out with her brother for a while. He plays LaCrosse, and I went on and on about how LaCrosse was invented by the Iroquoia (the Six Nations) and how it spread to most native American tribes, and I made a point to show how during Pontiac's Rebellion, native Americans would stage LaCrosse tournaments outside the gates of forts, "accidentally" toss the ball into the fort, and then right when they rushed into the fort to retrieve the ball, the "game" would be over and they'd slaughter the non-French occupants. "You guys are filled with so much useless knowledge," she said. We ordered gyros for dinner and chowed down at her house while watching episodes of Arrested Development.
Friday. I went to Anchor Grill for coffee and scripture, and after watching Django Unchained, I headed up to Centerville for a home-cooked meal with Mom, Dad, Ams, and Grandma. Skyler lost her marbles when I walked through the door, leaping up onto me and almost toppling to the ground in excitement. Dinner was great: crock-pot chicken, rice, homemade mashed potatoes, green beans, macaroni & cheese, and dinner rolls. I left there and headed to see Tyler & Julia. Tyler and I went to a Craft Beer Shoppe that just opened down the road; he purchased a variety of pumpkin ales, and I tried a pear cider. I've been on a cider kick this autumn (I blame the season), and the pear cider was a good break from the generic apple ciders everyone's raging about. On my drive home a car pulled in front of me, and I had to swerve up into the grass outside an apartment complex and almost hit a tree. It was exhilarating, and the adrenaline and shock made me lose my sense of direction.
Saturday. I went to The Anchor for coffee and scripture, and who was there? None other than Hot Sauce Waugh! I knew I'd run into him there one of these days. Ashley came down to the Hobbit Hole for a couple hours, and we went to Zola's Pub on Main Street and devoured burgers and drinks. It was in the upper sixties today, so we walked around Mainstrausse for a while, scoping out the sights. We ran into John G. from C.C.U., and he recognized her from her time there. I bid her farewell and took a short nap before heading up to Blue Ash for an evening with the guys. Ams joined us for our walk to and from U.D.F. I treated myself to a pumpkin pie milkshake. Can I say phenomenal? Yes, I think I can. Ben's been on this kick of stealing my cell phone and calling Ashley. She enjoys talking to him, so I think that's why he does it. I spent the night in Blue Ash, reading scripture and talking with Ashley before bed. "I think it's so wonderful that you actually pray and read the Bible. That's so rare these days, it really is. I can't tell you how many guys say they are Christian but show absolutely no desire or discipline to actually live as if they believed what they say they believe." I must say I'm pretty happy to be with someone who shares that with me.
Sunday. I left Blue Ash and went to the Anchor for coffee and scripture before meeting up with Ashley and the girls in West Chester. We went to church at Mason Church of Christ. Chloe loved her 2nd grade class, and Zoey refused to go to hers, so she came in with us. She kept throwing fits so Ashley had to excuse herself from the sanctuary through half the sermon. "She is definitely going to class next time," she said. The sermon was really good, on biblical principles for financial "success" (in the biblical sense of the term). Next week's sermon sounds like it'll be interesting; since I'll be preaching, I'll miss it, but I can find it online. After church we went to the Chinese buffet for lunch (a rare treat for the girls), and then we went to Loveland to go to a Fall Carnival. The girls had an absolute blast: pumpkin paintball, egg-tossing, a petting zoo, a children's maze and a hayride were all highlights. We got back to Ashley's around 6:30, and I bid them farewell and headed to Mason to hang out with Blake, Traci, and Ams; we watched the third episode of Walking Dead: Season 5. Here are some pics of the girls at the farm that Ashley took and sent me:
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