A Fridge with a TV - What's next??

I woke just before 5:30am feeling nicely rested and ready for whatever the day offered. By the time I brushed my teeth, grabbed my running clothes, and made it downstairs it was 5:32am. I turned off my Blackberry alarm, took my anti-inflammatory & Prilosec, then began my exercise regiment. I leashed up Ykraps and headed out for a morning walk, next.

It was significantly warmer than Monday – somewhere near 20 degrees. The high was expected to flirt with freezing later in the day. I could tell instantly that it was much warmer than the day prior. We were back from our short walk by 5:55am. By the time that I removed my wraps and got to fixin’ coffee it was 6:00am.

I spent a good 5 minutes on the PC reading the Daily Om and headlines. I took Mindy her coffee before 6:10am.She was already up and making the bed. Back downstairs I meditated for a solid ten minutes before dressing for a run. I would’ve meditated longer but Mindy’s phone rang loudly jolting me from my trance-like state. It was 6:22am. I decided to move forward with my agenda.

Because it was warmer, I wore a regular wicking shirt and my running jacket. I felt pretty comfy heading out the door. It was a nice run. Meanwhile, it had just begun to snow prior to my departure, and it was coming down pretty heavily. The ½” or so of accumulation was just enough to soften the track giving my feet a much appreciated break. If nothing else, it was awfully pretty!

It snowed for the duration of my run. I really love running in snow. There wasn’t much more than 3/4” when I got back but still figured that I better shovel to prevent Mindy from sliding out of the garage. That didn’t take long at all. Mindy was loading up her van just as I finished. My eggs were all but ready as I re-entered the house. The kids were both up, and Mindy reported them waking on their own. And for the most part, they were in a good mood.

After Mindy left Jacob, laid on the sofa while I dashed off to the shower. I left the Trooper warming as he and I walked off to the bus stop. I left a few things back inside, too. By then the snow had all but stopped. I grabbed the rest of my belongings and scraped my windows before heading on down the road.

I arrived to work at 8:30am on the nose. Traffic was at a rare crawl. I guess because of the weather. But given that I’m just one exit north, it caused little delay. Work was as busy as expected. I planned a trip to Best Buy at lunch to check out their selection of TV stands/entertainment centers. Mindy & I saw one advertised on their webpage similar to the one at World Market. I left for Best Buy at 1pm. It’s less than a mile away.

I found the entertainment center in question straight up. I wasn’t bad but there was no denying that it wasn’t a piece of quality furniture – rather cheaply constructed. But honestly, based on what we’re willing to spend, most competing pieces will likely be similar. I looked it over good before decideding to use my amazing internet prowess to search for other options. Besides, we’re in no particular hurry.
While there, I decided to check out PCs, all-in-one printers, and appliances. There’s no denying that we’re gonna need a new PC, and possibly even two very soon. I was encouraged by the features, speed, and storage for the price. They carry Dell, HP, and Gateway. I was also impressed with the HP all-in-one printers. For less than I spent on my color photo printer I can get one that prints, copies, and scans, and it attaches via ethernet to a switch/router, which will enable network printing. Cool!

Before leaving I decided to check out kitchen appliances since we’ve been toying with the idea of going all stainless. I am always amazed at what’s new there, too. There were several refrigerator models with built in PCs and one with a plasma TV. That particular one was $3600. Ouch! I also saw front load state-of-the-art washer/dryer sets for $2500 - each piece. Geesh! And add another $1000 for the stainless stand available. Are you kidding me! They sure are pretty, but who can justify such an expense?

I guesstimated that if I bought the appliances that I liked without financial concern, I could dump $11,000 in the blink of an eye. And that didn’t include built-ins. Are you kidding me? Not today, anyhow. :)

I drove back to work and to my team gave a whistle and away they all flew like the down of a thistle. Oops! Wrong story. Anyway, back at work I grabbed my lunch and returned to my office. I enjoyed a salad topped with lean turkey and fruit – healthy food.
I worked until almost 5:30pm. I didn’t talk with Mindy until time to go home. She shared that Jacob already had eaten, having stopped on her way home to get him a Chipotle. He’d been craving one for a couple of days. We, on the other hand, were having beef & noodles, using leftover roast beef. She also made smashed red skin potatoes and peas. She also invited dad over for dinner. He was walking Ykraps with Jacoby when I called.

I was home around 5:40ish. I took the back way after getting a tip that a tractor trailer was over turned on I-270 south towards Grove City. It had traffic backed up both directions, mostly due to rubber neckers. Thanks Dee!

Dad was watchin’ the kids play Wii when I got home. It wasn’t long before dinner was served. Dad mentioned that he & Uncle Kenny might need a ride to the airport the Sunday after Brian’s wedding. I volunteered to do the deed. We enjoyed dinner and then enjoyed some conversation. Mindy left to pick–up Bella from dance around 7:00pm. At the time he wasn’t certain if he’d be there when she returned, but he was. Ultimately, dad divulged some negative news he had intimated earlier. Apparently, brother Shawn’s gotten himself into more trouble. As I understood it, he broke in his girlfriend’s house ransacking the place. For now he was in jail facing burglary charges. Sheila would be so disappointed, as are the rest of us.

The kids hung all over dad just before leaving. They’ve really taken a liking to him. He plays with them a lot.

After he left Mindy rounded the children up and rushed them up for bed. Meanwhile, I spent an hour or so updating my blog. After the kids were safely tucked into bed, I reemerged in the familyroom to play some Wii. Before hand, I rubbed Mindy’s feet at her request. Mindy watched my first game. She went to bed just after. I played two more games and watched part of the show, Office before heading to bed myself at 10:50pm.