Good Habit in the Making

Good or Bad, it's your choice!

I was up once again well before I needed to be. And it wasn’t because I was restless. Instead, I was well slept just like most other mornings since the time change. I was downstairs carrying on with my routine even before the coffee began to brew, which kicks on at 5:25am. I was able to comfortably do my entire exercise routine without even a hint of pain in my right shoulder. It hadn’t felt that good for a couple of months. This was wonderful news!

Before long, Ykraps and I were out enjoying another warm mid-autumn morning. It was 54 degrees with quite a bit of moisture in the air. It felt warm. We walked east – his choosing. Hey, I don’t always have to be the boss! We were back by 5:45am. I tossed around my options and decided to enjoy a casual cup of coffee before taking Mindy hers. Besides, she didn’t need to be up so early anyhow. I read the Daily OM and checked the headlines. During my perusing, I read a very negative headline that sensationalized the heinous slaying of a registered sex offender in Michigan. It freaked me out. I generally avoid negative news all together. Allegedly, two 17 yr old boys cut this guy’s head off and tossed it in the river. In addition, they torched his hands and feet in an attempt to mask any prints. For a number of reasons, they were able to determine that it was premeditated. It was very depressing.. What’s more, the article indicated that this guy was considered sex offender because he had sex with a 14 year old girl when he was 17. Geesh, I’m surprised because I’d guess that plenty of guys & gals had similar sexual experiences when in high school. There were few other details.

I went about the rest of my morning routine, including a good 15 minute meditation after which I dressed for my run. Once again, I didn’t need to bundle up, but I still wore a jacket leaving it mid-zipped. It felt terrific out there. But truth be told, I got a little warm towards the very end. The fleece jacket I wore is my heavier one. I survived.

Back at home at 7:07am, I rolled the trash can back to its resting place and then went inside. Mindy had a skillet coated with olive oil and preheated to the perfect temperature for fried eggs. She asked if I would do the honors while she finished readying herself and Bella. I gladly did. After woofing down our breakfast, she and Bella left as always. I continued eating and even enjoyed another cup of coffee.

Before heading off to the shower I checked the turkey resting neatly in the fridge. It felt thoroughly thawed. I was comfortable that it would be ready for the oven by tomorrow AM. After a shower Jacob and I headed to the bus stop. Jacob asked if we could take the football. I agreed and followed him there in the Trooper. We tossed the football until the bus pulled up. After which, I placed the ball in the Trooper and then dashed off to work.

The work day was very busy. I chose to work straight through. And for the first time in a long while, I left at 5:00pm on the nose. It felt like I was leaving early! I made good time driving home, too. I beat a lot of the I-270 rush. It was still daylight when I got home for once. We leashed up Ykraps, Mindy, Jacob, and I and headed out the door. Jacob, of course, had the football in hand.

Mindy offered to guide Ykraps while Jacob and I tossed the ball. It was a fun walk. One of our neighbors, Joyce, was at the bridge feeding the carp who were milling about just underneath. They’ve gotten very large. They’re upwards of 18”, or more, long. Mindy had burgers on the stove serving as our dinner. They were mighty tasty. We had the leftover green beans from Sunday dinner too. And for dessert, well, we split the chocolate pie that Gloria sent home. After a quick clean-up, Mindy left to pick-up Bella from dance. She was gone for about 30 minutes. In her absence, I worked on my basement design. I decided to use Excel for its ability to act like graph paper. After taking some rough measurements I transferred the information onto a spreadsheet. I worked on it for the remainder of the evening or until House came on at 9pm. By then Mindy was home and the kids tucked into bed. House was better than average. We headed to bed immediately after. I then I tuned into the second round of the Preseason NIT basketball tournament featuring the Buckeyes hosting the Columbia Tigers. The Buckeyes won.