July 2010

July was a relatively calm month in comparison to how busy June was and how August is going to be! I arrived back from Amsterdam on July 2nd and we went out to dinner at the Brew Pub with some friends and then and got ice cream at BRICS (Broad Ripple Ice Cream Station). On Saturday, we went to Tom and Tracy’s for dinner. On July 4th (Sunday), we went to Lawton’s parent’s house for their annual party. On July 5th, we went over to Wahl’s place for a cookout. It took some time adjusting that weekend back to U.S. time, but with plans each evening, it forced me to stay up and adjust.

Back to work on Tuesday was a little tough as I had only spent 3 days in the office the prior 2 and a half weeks! I don’t talk about work much on this blog, but it has been a very busy July. Once I got back to work on the 6th, we had to work on getting the month of June closed, along with giving the support to Amsterdam for their new software. Since I had been there twice, most of the accounting and operation issues came my way and I’ve been spending each morning emailing and calling the Netherlands to coordinate some solutions. Hopefully by mid-August, things will slow down a little.

Lawton, Deb and I drove to a campground that Beth and the Vandervaarts were camping at the 2nd weekend in July (along with some of Laura’s friends). It was a hot day so the kids were in the pool, and we enjoyed hanging out, playing cornhole, bocce and just hanging out with everyone.

The following weekend, Deb flew home to spend her annual week at home in WV. I drove out the following Thursday to spend a long weekend in Charleston. Deb arrived the same day her mom got out of the hospital. Anna went back into the hospital and had to have 2 surgeries to clear out the infection and still has a vacuum over the wound to help it heal. Unfortunately she will have to go back to surgery again in August for a skin graft. Deb and Randy helped get Anna situated in the house and by the time I arrived, she seemed to be doing pretty well. Deb and I went down to Bluefield on Friday where I went to a butcher shop with Chuck, Deb and I went to an Orioles game (Rookie ball), and I got to take a ride in Chuck and Heather’s corvette. The next day, we celebrated Deb’s birthday with the Walkers. Deb got some nice gifts from her parents (digital frame along with items from Cornucopia- earrings and a bracelet), a bike helmet from me, some more items from Cornucopia from the Walkers, a nice purse from her sister, some gift certificates from Beth, Laura, Mom and Dad, and a yoga mat from Tom and Tracy. She also got an ice cream cake from B&R which made her more excited than most of her gifts!

For a belated birthday present for Dad, I took him around to visit with his physical therapist at RHI and visit his favorite nurse at Seton Specialty Hospital. Dad and I had a good evening and enjoyed a nice snack at Denny’s between our visits!

A few more items from this month:

• I hung out with Dad on the last Friday in July as Mom had gone up to Dewart Lake with some family members. Dad and I enjoyed watching National Lampoons Vacation and enjoyed a pork-chop dinner with Deb.
• The Anderson’s came for a visit to Indy the last weekend in July. We had a cookout at Ben and Julia’s and Lawton, Foulke, Anderson and I ended up out in Broad Ripple until 1am before getting a burrito on our way home!