So there I sat on Friday afternoon, just waiting until the weekend would start so I could just hang around the house and relax. Then the first text message came in: "I'm brewing beer on Sunday and you're welcome to come help and drink some beers in the process". Who am I to pass up drinking beer? 8 hours later and Lisa, the kids and Lisa's mom and dad were sitting in Chicago land drinking several of Brad's fresh home brews. By the way, the home brew was delicious; much better than my feeble attempt at brewing beer several years ago with a Mr. Beer kit. I'm convinced my issues were purely in poor sanitation methods and really bad measuring. One day in the not too distant future, I may give it another try since I'm now much better educated in the process.

On Saturday, I watched Brad brew and it really seems rather simple. I can't believe I botched it up so bad when I tried it. Once the brewing was done, we headed over to Two Brother's Brewing Company for lunch. Since I have been watching my rapidly expanding girlie figure I had the grilled veggie sandwich and it was really good. Lisa and Shawn split a pizza that I managed to sneak a piece of and it was good as well. Once we finished lunch we took the brewery tour which was really interesting and the beer samples weren't bad either.

Sunday we headed out to breakfast and then to an ethnic grocery store. We headed back about 1pm. I did make the trip in record time. On the way over my total moving time according to my GPS was 3 hours, 45 minutes. My return drive time was a mere 3:30! Of course actual time was longer due to gas and rest room stop but not by much. With such a short commute to Brad's maybe I will do it more often.

Tonight we're taking Shawn to a cross country practice to see if he likes it. Cross country practices 3 times a week and they have 5 meets this fall. Shawn's grade is classified as junior and their races are 3/4 mile long. I'm not sure how he's going to like running but I guess I will see very shortly. If he likes it, he's going to have to get a quick physical in order to get a doctor's release to participate. Next week, Shawn starts piano lessons. He's pretty excited about piano so hopefully the piano that has been collecting dust in the living room for the past 12 years will finally get some use. Unfortunately, it also means we will have to invest some cash in getting it tuned.

Lisa and I are taking Friday off this week so we have a short work week this week and next week and an extended long weekend coming up. I can't believe we are moving into September soon and the leaves are beginning to change a lighter shade of green. Before you know it, the leaves will be gone, the weather will be crappy and work will become hectic once again. I can't wait until spring already!

Not too much new going on in my neck of the woods lately. Shawn starts school Monday and he isn't too happy about it. I can't believe that summer is starting to wind down, it's beginning to get dark earlier in the evening and winter is just around the corner. I absolutely hate winter!

Last weekend we had Katelyn's 18 month pictures taken. We actually got one decent picture out of the 50 or so they took. Speaking of Katelyn, her attitude is getting worse as the days go on. She's just cranky and irritable all the time now. I'm not sure if it's because she moved into the toddler room from the infant room at daycare and she's now lacking attention or if it's just because she's a girl. I apologize if that last comment sounded a bit chauvinistic but I've heard that girls are just drawn that way and I've heard it from women (I had to qualify the comment so I don't get bashed).

We don't have any big plans this weekend that I know of yet. Lisa has a jewelry party to go to on Saturday and she doesn't even wear jewelry. I will more than likely take Shawn to see "The Clone Wars" on Friday after work and we are going to dinner on Sunday with Bev and Ted as a thank you for watching Shawn all summer long which was a chore at times I'm sure. Between asking Papa what a "slut" was, letting people know that his burp "taste like butt" and letting Bev and Ted's young neighbor that "he likes naked girls" we was probably a perfect little angel....NOT!

I think we're all ready for school to begin. I have a funny feeling that Shawn is going to get in a lot of trouble this year.

This past weekend was pretty busy. Lisa had, or participated, in her second garage sale beginning on Thursday and did pretty well. The sale pulled in over $900 but only about $400 of it was ours. We did manage to sell some larger items that we have been wanting to part with for awhile. We sold an old patio table and chairs, the flowered couch that sat in our living room that we rarely ever sat in if ever, the Thomas the Tank Engine train table, coffee table and end tables as well as other items that were collecting dust. Now that the living room is pretty much cleared out for the exception of a diaper changing table, a piano and a make shift desk we are going to transform it into a home office. So now the task begins to look for a couple of leather chairs and a desk.

Brad also came into town this past weekend. He arrived on Friday and we ended up taking a trip to the adult candy store (liquor/beer store) and picked up a bottle of Red Breast and a six of Mad Anthony's pale ale. The Red Breast is remarkably smooth and other than the fact it is twice as expensive as Jameson's, it is my new favorite Irish Whiskey. Brad, Bev, Ted and I sampled Brad's home brew, the Mad Anthony and some mead that Brad has brewing in his basement. The mead was very good, not that his home brew is not good but the mead was different. I would describe it closer in taste to wine than beer. The mead will probably only get better with time.

Saturday, we all headed to the Woodville Army Surplus store to browse a bit, Titgemeiers for home brewing supplies and then we ended up at The Maumee Brewing Company for dinner and beer.

Sunday went out to breakfast at Rumors and pretty much just hung out the rest of the day.

This week we have a house guest. Jill and Todd's dog is staying with us while they are on vacation. It's strange having a dog around the house all the time again. It's nice but also inconvenient at the same time.

I also booked Lisa and my annual trip to Columbus to act like 21 year old college kids (at least I do). Can't wait for the sweet sound of Heineygate and the cold beer that goes with it. This year we are going to see some singer that Lisa go out to hear in college. I'm sure he won't be anywhere as good as she remembers since she was in a drunken fog every time she heard him sing! Not sure what else is planned for that weekend but I'm sure it will be fun.