Buckeye Mike

The Thurman Cafe is home to some of the world's most famous hamburgers. Located just south of downtown Columbus in German Village, this iconic little cafe had been featured on Man VS Food, College Football Gameday, and other national programs. The long wait to get in was a deterrent for me most days, as the wait for lunch is usually a few hours. So I had only been there once, and had yet to check out the "Thurman's to go", a carryout version next door to the original. I heard those lines were also too much for an hour lunch break. But then, one of my co-workers said what may have been the greatest thing I have ever heard, when he mentioned that they had opened another Thurman's to go. Down the street. From my office. I was so happy I almost cried. I decided to order John-Michael a Thurmanator  for lunch. He had wanted to take on this challenge ever since I told him about this legendary meal on a bun that was enough to feed four. And works very hard in my warehou...

I spent Saturday afternoon with my best friend in this world. This is nothing new, as we have done this literally a thousand times over the 18 or so years I have known him. From 100 bonfires at his place, to a few dozen visits to the Pizza Cottage, we get together as we can. Heck we even worked together and were friends before either of us had any kids (there are now 6ish between us). But this is the first time we ever got together to have a Thurman Burger.  And while that in and of itself is pretty spectacular, , the day presented us a chance to catch up, reflect, and get back to where we need to be. As we drove the 20 minutes or so to the restaurant, Ralph and I talked about recent trials that we have been experiencing. He went through a rough couple of months and had to deal with a lot of issues that I had no idea he was facing. And while his struggles ran deep, he was able to change the things he needed to in order to start anew. Likewise, he did not know about the issues I...

This has been a rough December. In fact, this is probably the roughest time in my life since those dark days 5 years ago when I was watching my mother battle and hoping beyond all hope for a miracle. As you know, that miracle never came and my life was sent into a downward spiral that nearly cost me my life. Once I hit the bottom and bounced, I found a life where everything made sense. Now, as I once again have been stung by December, I pray that God will lead me through this tumultuous time and show me his will, as he did then. Three years, I was remembering my mother and reliving the last memories I have of her. It was a very emotional and cathartic time for me, and using this blog to recount that terrible time was very therapeutic. I would recommend going back and looking at those posts. I do so often, especially when I find myself in a place like I am today. They are my refuge, and help me find my center when nothing else makes sense. During that time, I wrote a blog entitled ...

"No one has called me Moonlight Graham in 50 years" - Burt Lancaster, Field of Dreams I love that movie. One of my all time favorites, the best part is when Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones are talking to the lady at the local paper. She is telling them about the old baseball player they were looking for who had come back home and become a doctor. And everyone had known him in this small town. I have seen that movie 1000 times and could probably watch it 1000 more. It never gets old. We are in a very busy spell at work. As winter arrived, house fires became the prevalent claim type called into the Mammoth Ohio World Headquarters. And since I am that fire guy, I have been running from Dayton to Portsmouth, Bucyrus to Athens, and everywhere in between. My boss and I joked that we need to put a laptop stand where my passenger seat is so I can write a few estimates as I drive. Or I hope he was joking! One of the fires I did this week was in my neighborhood. This has becom...

Earlier in the week I asked for prayers, as I found myself in a very unfamiliar, uncomfortable, and devastating position. A situation presented itself to me that knocked me back down a mountain I thought I had already conquered. Out of fear of going into a complete tailspin, I sought counsel where I needed to and tried to find something to grab on to so that I would not fall any further. And while I am a long way from okay, I am better than I was yesterday, and that was miles ahead of where I was when the moment of truth arrived. And I believe the path ahead, while long, will find us back on top again. I thank you all for your prayers and ask that you keep us in them. I am so grateful for the shoulder and advice that helped me helped me step out of the rubble and find the first steps towards rebuilding. And I love you all for being there when I needed you. Day # 293. Have a great night everyone.

If you look at the three of us, you might never know. An extremely successful hospital administrator who has held conversation with the likes of Nelson Mandela, Hillary Clinton, and other world leaders during her career. A medical chair technician who is covered in tattoos and rides with the 1%er's. And a project manager, who found his happy spot with a little red headed girl after nearly losing everything during a mid life crisis. The three of us are very different people, and those who do not know might never guess that we are siblings, all raised by the same college administrator and his medical assistant turned professor wife. As we have gotten older and the family has grown in numbers, individual birthday and holiday celebrations have become almost impossible to pull off. So we have decided to combine several events at once into quarterly get togethers. We get together about every three months to visit and celebrate birthdays and any other special events that have occurred....

This has been one heck of a week at work. Each day, I had at least one new fire to go inspect. My entire team was in the field and we were pulling from other departments just to show a presence at each job site. The affected homes were hours apart instead of a few miles, and I spent my week on the road as I personally respond to each new claim. As a result, heading into this morning, I had a lot of catching up to do just to keep things from falling completely apart. I was in early and started my Friday by knocking out about half of my to do list and was looking forward to a productive afternoon that might give me a whole weekend away from my desk Then the phone rang. Another smoke damaged home. In Dayton. 90 minutes away. I sighed, set an afternoon appointment, and looked helplessly at the tasks I would have to leave for another day. Before my journey out 70 west, I had to make a stop at a local Mall. The Polaris Fashion place is your typical city mall, but I had not been there in ...