I was energized and ready to go. Perhaps it was the extra-early bedtime, or maybe just a fluke. Either way, I was up and milling about just before 5:30am Monday morning. It was pitch dark, too, which wasn’t the case just a handful of weeks ago. The days are without a doubt growing shorter. I choked down my One-A-Day then hit the “go” button on the coffee maker.
I began my exercises in earnest and finished even before 5:45am. Under a star lit pre-dawn sky, Ykraps and I walked the neighborhood shaking off any remnants of a good night’s sleep. I noted the time of our return. It wasn’t yet 6am. I spent the next 15 minutes reading the Daily OM and checking out the headlines. But I was careful with my time and abruptly walked away from the PC at 6:15am wanting instead to spend the next 15 minutes in meditation.
The meditation went well. It was awfully nice to enjoy that peaceful part of the morning just before the sky lights up in contemplative silence. Come 6:30am I switched gears and got crackin’ on food prep. I didn’t have a lot to do. I remembered not eating my Friday lunch which consisted of a salad topped with turkey along with a fruit medley. All I had to pack was some tuna fish salad, which was already made, and some nuts. I finished eating my breakfast just before 7am. I headed outdoors to water flowers. Needless to say, the beds were dry not having been watered since early Saturday morning, and that after two hot and sunny days. I watered everything front and back. I was a little discouraged to see what appeared to be lots of rabbit damage in my petunias. But I wasn’t surprised. They do it each and every year, especially when it gets dry. I try not to disturb their nest. Rather, I try to co-exist with them, realizing that it’s next to impossible for them to eat them all.
I noticed too that the lawn is once again showing signs of stress in all the usual places. I’ll need to unleash the sprinkler again. But for now that would have to wait. I needed to get back inside, grab a shower, and head to work.
I left for work at 8am and arrived a few minutes later. It was a gorgeous summer morning with temperatures hovering in the mid 60’s with plenty of brilliant sunshine. The morning went by quickly. We were very busy. I planned to run at my usual time – as close to 1245pm as possible. This would be my first afternoon run since last Tuesday. When I left for a run it was only 84 degrees with 40% humidity – far cooler than the tropical afternoons of last week. The sun still felt very warm but I barely broke into a sweat. It felt really good.
I returned to my desk around 150pm where I ate my packed lunch. The salad from Friday was still very good. The afternoon went quickly. Before I knew it, it was time to go home. I left the office at 5:20pm and made it home by 5:40pm.Mindy shared that she had taken the kids to visit her friend Teri and Massimo instead of going to the pool. The kids were playing upstairs when I arrived home. We walked Ykraps together as a family. When we returned, Mindy made a simple dinner – hot dogs, green beans, and salad. She heated some chili sauce and diced an onion to top off the dogs. It was very yummy & hit the spot.
While waiting on dinner, I updated my blog. After enjoying some dinner I decided to spend some time weeding the flower beds and once again watering. Often when the beds get dry, two good soakings are necessary to help soften the soil so that water doesn’t simply run off. I also replaced the three spot lights that burnt out over the last week and a half. It’s funny how that works. I hadn’t had one burn out in almost six months, but three of the four went in that short time span. While outdoors I plucked a few more tomatoes, too. We have more than I know what to do with.
It must’ve been close to 745pm when I went back inside. The Monday Night football game was about to begin. Mindy called the kids in from outside to get baths. She had them in bed by 8:20pm, although neither went to sleep right off. As the game began, I snuggled up in my reading chair with my book. I had the volume muted with soft music in the background while I read. Jacob came to the balcony complaining of a tummy ache. I really think that he just wanted some one on one attention. I asked if lying on the couch would help. He said yes. I let him come down with me for a spell. That, miraculously, made his tummy ache go away. :) Mindy jettisoned him back to bed about 30 minutes later.
It wasn’t too long before Mindy announced her own bedtime. I was still wide awake and enjoying my book, so I stayed up for another 1.5 hours reading. Come 10:40pm I finally caved and closed the book even though I wanted to keep reading. I knew that if I didn’t get to bed soon that I’d pay for it in the early hours of the morning.
I began my exercises in earnest and finished even before 5:45am. Under a star lit pre-dawn sky, Ykraps and I walked the neighborhood shaking off any remnants of a good night’s sleep. I noted the time of our return. It wasn’t yet 6am. I spent the next 15 minutes reading the Daily OM and checking out the headlines. But I was careful with my time and abruptly walked away from the PC at 6:15am wanting instead to spend the next 15 minutes in meditation.
The meditation went well. It was awfully nice to enjoy that peaceful part of the morning just before the sky lights up in contemplative silence. Come 6:30am I switched gears and got crackin’ on food prep. I didn’t have a lot to do. I remembered not eating my Friday lunch which consisted of a salad topped with turkey along with a fruit medley. All I had to pack was some tuna fish salad, which was already made, and some nuts. I finished eating my breakfast just before 7am. I headed outdoors to water flowers. Needless to say, the beds were dry not having been watered since early Saturday morning, and that after two hot and sunny days. I watered everything front and back. I was a little discouraged to see what appeared to be lots of rabbit damage in my petunias. But I wasn’t surprised. They do it each and every year, especially when it gets dry. I try not to disturb their nest. Rather, I try to co-exist with them, realizing that it’s next to impossible for them to eat them all.
I noticed too that the lawn is once again showing signs of stress in all the usual places. I’ll need to unleash the sprinkler again. But for now that would have to wait. I needed to get back inside, grab a shower, and head to work.
I left for work at 8am and arrived a few minutes later. It was a gorgeous summer morning with temperatures hovering in the mid 60’s with plenty of brilliant sunshine. The morning went by quickly. We were very busy. I planned to run at my usual time – as close to 1245pm as possible. This would be my first afternoon run since last Tuesday. When I left for a run it was only 84 degrees with 40% humidity – far cooler than the tropical afternoons of last week. The sun still felt very warm but I barely broke into a sweat. It felt really good.
I returned to my desk around 150pm where I ate my packed lunch. The salad from Friday was still very good. The afternoon went quickly. Before I knew it, it was time to go home. I left the office at 5:20pm and made it home by 5:40pm.Mindy shared that she had taken the kids to visit her friend Teri and Massimo instead of going to the pool. The kids were playing upstairs when I arrived home. We walked Ykraps together as a family. When we returned, Mindy made a simple dinner – hot dogs, green beans, and salad. She heated some chili sauce and diced an onion to top off the dogs. It was very yummy & hit the spot.
While waiting on dinner, I updated my blog. After enjoying some dinner I decided to spend some time weeding the flower beds and once again watering. Often when the beds get dry, two good soakings are necessary to help soften the soil so that water doesn’t simply run off. I also replaced the three spot lights that burnt out over the last week and a half. It’s funny how that works. I hadn’t had one burn out in almost six months, but three of the four went in that short time span. While outdoors I plucked a few more tomatoes, too. We have more than I know what to do with.
It must’ve been close to 745pm when I went back inside. The Monday Night football game was about to begin. Mindy called the kids in from outside to get baths. She had them in bed by 8:20pm, although neither went to sleep right off. As the game began, I snuggled up in my reading chair with my book. I had the volume muted with soft music in the background while I read. Jacob came to the balcony complaining of a tummy ache. I really think that he just wanted some one on one attention. I asked if lying on the couch would help. He said yes. I let him come down with me for a spell. That, miraculously, made his tummy ache go away. :) Mindy jettisoned him back to bed about 30 minutes later.
It wasn’t too long before Mindy announced her own bedtime. I was still wide awake and enjoying my book, so I stayed up for another 1.5 hours reading. Come 10:40pm I finally caved and closed the book even though I wanted to keep reading. I knew that if I didn’t get to bed soon that I’d pay for it in the early hours of the morning.
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