After returning from my amazing and activity-packed vacation in Germany, I was more than ready for a low-key Fall back in Ohio. And for the most part, I succeeded for a couple of weeks. The so-called low key portions of the month consisted of some DVD watching of the TV series Get a Life and some Halloween horror movies in preparation for some upcoming celebrity shows. I also tuned into music from Sunset Rubdown, Jarvis Cocker, Corner Laughers, El-P, Japandroids, Some by Sea, Surf School Dropouts, and Jack White.
It also seems that Ashleigh and Silas were now back at my house for the first couple weeks of the month, so that was a good thing to have plenty of Silas time. I saw them the day after my return on Columbus Day, October 8. Silas was adorable as ever, and I presented him with his new lederhosen t-shirt. The results can be found below. I also gave Ash her Oktoberfest shirt.
Silas is thrilled with his leder-duds
Baby is less thrilled with Silas
Tuedsay the 9th saw the grand opening of our new store in Bellevue, which I obviously had to scramble to get ready, having just returned from work the day before. I saw Ashleigh and Silas again that night as well.
Since I had been out of the country for my birthday, Heidi hadn’t gotten to take me out, so I give her props for jumping on it quickly after I returned. We enjoyed a nice dinner at Red Lobster and I had some terrific crab alfredo and coconut shrimp. Afterward, we went over to Fox and Hound for a beer and to play some trivia with her friends Tony and Chris. It was a fun evening, and it was nice to get out and do something with Heidi, whom I seldom see anymore.
Out for some birthday Red Lobster with Heidi
It was starting to seem like I was doing a poor job at staying low-key when I bought some last-minute tickets to the Funny Bone to see Kevin Pollak on Thursday, October 11. It was a wonderful show that yielded yet another celebrity encounter, the details of which can be seen here.
Randomly speaking, Tiny would have been jealous if only Baby got her picture in the posting
Okay, okay. I realize that I’m not too good at ‘low key’. I took off after work on Friday, October 12, to go visit Jamie in Findlay, our first post-Germany visit. I gave her the souvenir Oktoberfest t-shirt and mini-stuffed dog thing to put on her desk at school. We went out to eat at a new Italian restaurant in Findlay called La Scola Tuscan Grill. The food was quite good, even if Jamie had a feud with the waitress over an un-delivered straw. Afterward, we went back to her place and watched Friends. Jamie’s place, that is… not the waitress’.
On Saturday morning, I had some of my leftover pizza for breakfast and then we headed out to the George House where I picked up a Monte Cristo sandwich. Jamie had some grading to do, so we went to her office. I read the book Crazy Love that she had given to me for my birthday while she worked. Afterward we went to the University’s Fitness and Recreation Center to play some ping-pong. Her friend Sean met up with us to play a few games. She and Jamie ended up playing, while a local Lebanese guy challenged and beat me at a few games. His spins were ridiculously incredible. Afterward, Sean, Jamie, and I went out to eat at Joey Fratello’s for my favorite Findlay pizza. We had a good time chatting and attempting to tell jokes.
On Sunday morning, we went to church at Unity Christian. We stopped at Kroger afterward to pick up some things including Jarlsberg cheese, and then went back to the apartment to eat even more leftover pizza with the pretzels and cheese, watch some Friends and new sitcom Animal Practice. I headed out around 5pm and got home a couple of hours later.
The low-key effort continued the next week as I spent the bulk of the week at home. However on Wednesday, October 17, I met up with Mom, Ashleigh, and Silas at Panera by the Dayton Mall. We had a nice 4-GEN dinner and Ash and Silas left after about an hour. Mom and I hung out chatting for another hour after that.
On Thursday, Mom and I met up for lunch at Chick-fil-a, to have one of those sorely-missed chicken sandwiches that were unavailable in Germany. She brought along a couple of shirts that Denise had given her to pass on to me for my birthday. I had missed Chick-fil-a so much that I met Dean there again the next night for dinner. We then went back to my house and watched Happy Birthday to Me (don’t ask) and the new documentary film from Germany Laurel & Hardy: Their Lives and Magic.
On Saturday, October 20, my notions of having a low-key weekend at home were shattered thanks to my cousin Chris. He and Sarah (who had just flown back into town for a few days) held Livi’s third birthday party (one day after the actual birthday) at Sarah’s parents’ house in Fairborn at 1pm. Ashleigh couldn’t attend, so I opted to bring Silas there on my own. It was a fun party, and I really enjoyed being with Silas for the afternoon. Ashleigh had picked out a cute pink winter coat for Livi, so Silas proudly lugged it into the house in a Victoria’s Secret bag. I had considered swinging by the comic book store in Fairborn afterward, as Lou Ferrigno was doing a personal appearance. However, the fact that Silas had fallen asleep in the car, and the line was long, and above all, Ferrigno is generally an ass in my book, we skipped it. It would have only to get a picture of the Hulk with Silas anyway. I already have one. Silas and I left around 4pm, and I kept him until 5:30 when Stephen picked him up.
Livi blows out her candle, while Silas observs the proceedings
After tossing aside the pink coat, Livi checks to see if there is truly any lingerie in the bag
Silas in the kitchen with belly. It would make a good folk song.
Allie gets back on that horse in the family room
Livi takes a momentary break from her technology
The next day saw a traditional family gathering at Marion’s. Actually the Murphy clan had often gotten together in October to celebrate the many family birthdays in October. But this one was actually a surprise party for Bev to celebrate her 60th birthday (which was actually the next day). In the neighboring room was some sort of baby shower full of a bevy of strangely endowed women, but that’s neither here nor there.
The family turnout was good, and included Diana & Tom, Cathy, Debby & Mike and Tyler, Mom & Bob, me, Bev & Ed, Ed’s sister Virginia, Susan & Charles and Charley and Sam, Chris & Sarah and Livi, Sarah’s parents Bonnie & Steve, Karen & Joe and Andy, Abby, and Allie, Jim & Jan and Nikki and her boyfriend Julius, and Bob & Darlene. Joe and Bob had just completed in the Tough Mudder and Bob was sporting his new tattoo on his calf. I ate pizza and Susan’s gluten-free dessert, kept an eye on the room next to ours, and chatted with Chris and Sarah, the latter of whom would be flying back to Colorado later that day.
Bev the birthday girl and Ed with the smile that could launch a thousand ships
The Gelm factory
Sarah and Chris and Livi with what will come to be known as the ‘pizza smile’
Meanwhile, back at the Claude’s…
Total Touch-Up Bob meets Tough Mudder Bob
Murph mirth
Brad and Chris under a foggy lightpole in downtown London
I did manage a final few low-key days before some seriously tiring and action-packed events would take place. It would have even been more eventful had the Morrissey concert scheduled for October 24 actually taken place. Unfortunately, Morrissey’s mum took ill back in England and he had to postpone. I just went ahead and cancelled the tickets.
On Thursday, October 25, I had lunch at Chick-fil-a with Mom. It would be the last of the low key events of October 2012. Things would get a little wild starting that night.
2012 will continue…
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