A Busy Week & Crowded Weekend

Last week was crazy-busy. I started the week watching a Cleveland Indians game from a corporate loge, courtesy of one of our suppliers. Ah... That's how the other half lives. Very cool. The Tribe lost against Boston, but the loge experience was worth the spent evening, even if it meant getting home close to midnight, knowing I had an early start the next day.

Wednesday started Hell Week. Well, not so much "hell" as heck. At work, we hosted a dozen visitors from Russia, Bulgaria, Turkey and Romania for a training program/dog-and-pony show. Each day I awoke before dawn, put on my nice, corporate suit and went in early to make sure everything was arranged. Then, I drove the van to fetch the visitors. Then I delivered training, which was maddening with translation lags. (Talk three minutes, wait for translation, participants discuss/argue in Russian for 20 minutes, then tell me to continue. Where the hell was I? Repeat.) Then I took the entire crew out for dinner, got home around 11:00, hit the sack for a few hours and started all over again. Sheesh. I put Jake in the kennel all week in anticipation of not having much "free" time. It was the right thing to do.

On Thursday, my best friend Jim called to let me know his grandmother died. Calling hours were Friday afternoon/evening and the funeral was Saturday. I went to calling hours and paid my respects. Seeing Jim so touched by his grandmother's passing endeared him to me more than ever.

I couldn't make it to the funeral Saturday as I was already committed to being a judge for the HWBTA International Amateur Wine Competition, held at the Grape and Granary here in Akron. I judged last year's competition and had a blast. This year I judged both the morning and afternoon flights -- both dry red vinciferous wines. By the time my friends Lisandro and Lubo arrived to judge the afternoon flight, my teeth were stained purple!

(If interested, you can read the results of the competition here.)

I went straight from the competition to my nephew Patrick's birthday party. My brother and nephews have a "thing" for this restaurant called The Barn in Smithville, almost an hour's drive. The thing is, the food isn't all that much different from anything found within 5 minutes drive. Whatever. My oldest nephew, Josh, used the occasion to announce his intention to join the Jehovah's Witnesses. *Sigh.* I guess that's one less Christmas gift to buy.

My friend Nick's band was playing that night, and I fully intended to catch the show. But after getting home from the restaurant with a full belly and a head still woozy from wine, I crashed and didn't arise until the next morning.

Then, Sunday I met Jim and his wife, Marlo for lunch. I felt bad for not making it to Jim's grandmother's funeral, so this was my way of making sure all was well. It was. Jim invited me and the mutt to his cabin in Southern Ohio this weekend. Since I'm back to my "usual" routine, that sounds like a good plan. I always enjoy time with Jim. Always.

I've been thinking a lot lately about my perpetual bachelorhood; my inability to establish and maintain a lasting relationship. I'll write those musings later. Enough for tonight.

Peace.