Nick's Back

I am back at work and thus I am back from vacation. It was nice being away from the rat race for a couple of weeks. To catch up I will review the last two weeks of my life.

On Monday the 4^th I started a Novell class at work. It was a weeklong session. Most of the classes I take from work are a waste, but this class was actually really good. I am taking the 4^th of the four tests I need to take at work. After I become a C.N.A. (Certified Novell Administrator,) I can move on to other groups at work as opposed to being stuck in desktops. I am studying now and hope to have it passed in the next couple of weeks.

So, my real vacation started on Saturday the 9^th. I had a whole list of things I wanted to get done. So here in a nutshell is what I did.

Saturday April 9^th – I went to Menard's and picked up some stain, a brush and a roller for my deck. I needed to stain it and wanted to have the materials available so that I could do so when the weather permitted. Joyce and I also decided since it was such a nice day out to take a bike ride. There is an antique store by our house and we stopped in. Joyce found a couple of items she really liked so, we purchased them and since we were on bikes I arranged with the owner to pick them up on Sunday. We then went to Bowling Alley near our house had a beer and headed home.

Sunday April 10^th – Since the weather permitted I decided to stain the deck. I put the Cubs game on the radio and got on all fours and knocked it out. It took a couple of hours but once it was done I had a sense of accomplishment. I also headed to the antique store to pick up our purchases. My friend Ronnie than called me and told me he was BBQ’ing for the Sox game that night. So, I went to the liquor store bought some PBR and headed over. I ate and drank like a lemur and headed home, satisfied

Monday April 11^th – It was a bright beautiful day out so, I figured to get some more outdoor work done. My deck needed three spindles replaced so again I was off to Menard’s. After some doing there I was able to get the spindles. I then headed home to screw them into my deck. Once installed I then stained them to match and was off to Jewel where I had some chicken for lunch. I put on the Cubs game and bitched myself out for not going since it was a beautiful day. However, I knew I was going on Tuesday so I was content.

Tuesday April 12^th – I got up and it was pouring outside. I checked the weather report and it said showers off and on throughout the day. It was also 40 degrees out but I still decided to head down to Wrigley to try and catch the game. So, I get my ass to Midway, hop on the Orange line, than transfer to the Red and get off on Addison. It is still early so, I head into Bernie’s to get out of the rain. There I drink five dollar and fifty cent Rolling Rock’s. I also grab a quick burger as I wait for Don and Rob, two friends who were going with me, to get there. The rain just kept coming and never stopped. Right around the time my friends got to the bar, the game was called. So, we hoped and the red line to go home. It was about 2:30 when I walked in the door and I had just wasted one of my days off.

Wednesday April 13^th – I woke up and again it sucked outside. It was no longer raining but it was damn cold. I could have headed down to Wrigley again as the Cubs were playing a doubleheader. However I was in no mood to sit through eighteen innings of baseball, the whole time freezing my ass off. So, I instead decided to run a bunch of errands. I went to Best Buy, Ace Hardware, Cub Foods, and the dollar store and I grabbed some lunch at Wendy’s. Since it was cold out I figured I would get some indoor things done. I vacuumed, started the laundry, and did the dishes. I than sat down to watch the Cubs split a doubleheader. The phone than rang and it was the Oak Lawn Park District telling me that my softball team was going to be accepted and that they needed the entrance fee as soon as possible. So, I had to run to their offices and drop off a check. The wife and I went to eat at Joe’s Italian Villa and I settled down to watch Finder’s Fee, which I got from Nexflix.

Thursday April 14^th – My day began with a call from Joe, the pitcher on our softball team telling me that he had a sponsor for the team. So, I hop in my car and meet Joe and this really nice lady named Lori, who owned the bar. The bar was located in Crestwood, which is a little bit of a ride, but, she was offering to not only sponsor us but to get us jerseys as well. I figured after calling around and not hearing much that this was a good deal so I jumped at it and took a check from her. I then head home and since the weather was now much improved I figured I’d finish my outdoor activities. I got the gas grill ready, by cleaning and hooking it up. I put out al of my patio furniture and my outdoor fire pit. I also put together this plastic container I bought at Ace. So, my deck was now officially completed. I grabbed some lunch at Peppo’s (A great deli by my house) and took my wife’s car to get an oil change. That night the wife and I dined at Chuck’s BBQ. I then get home to have a message on my voice mail from my friend Chris telling me that the Castle, a bar in Burbank had agreed to sponsor us. So, I knew I was going to have to deal with that on Friday.

Friday April 15^th – I got up and called Chris and after talking with him I got the feeling that most of the team was not going to drive out to Crestwood to go to the bar after the games. So, I returned the check that Lori had given me and I agreed to meet the owner of the Castle. I headed there and he agreed to sponsor us and my friend Ronnie hooked us up with jerseys. All of this reminded me why I had avoided running the team all these years. It is a pain in the ass and offers very little rewards. At the Castle, I was well on my way to getting loaded when I realized it was 3:30 in the afternoon and maybe I should slow down. So, I drank some water ate some food and went home to meet Joyce. We then grabbed a bite to eat at Ruby Tuesday’s (A corporate food place but, sometimes you have to compromise) and we went home to watch The Grudge.

Saturday April 16^th – Joyce and I slept in and when we did get up grabbed lunch at Potbelly’s. I than ran to Menard’s to buy some pegboard which I need to get hung in the garage, while Joyce did some house work. We then both headed to Sournorsis, which is a garden center near our house. We bought some bushes for the front of the house and Joyce bought some other plants. After eating a pizza at home, I had to pick up my friend Don, and head back the Castle once again as it was another friend, Keith’s birthday party. I had a couple of Miller High Life drafts and headed home for the evening.

Sunday April 17^th – Sadness set in knowing it was my last day of bliss. I planted the bushes, which took forever as I had to dig the hole, put the bush in, add top soil, water, and then add more soil and re-water. I caught the end of the Cub’s game and headed over to Jack and Pat’s to pick up some meat to grill. Jack and Pat’s is one of the last genuine butcher shops I know of. They without any doubt have the burgers in the world. I grabbed some and some buns and headed home. Joyce ran to the fruit market near our house and brought home some mushrooms, eggplant and zucchini for me to grill as well. I grilled everything up and had a hearty dinner. I then settled in to watch the Simpson’s and Arrested Development knowing full well that my vacation was over. Don’t cry for me as I have another vacation coming up in June.