Not a Skirt... A Kilt

Only 11 months 'til XMAS

It was Friday morning. And one the best things about it was the fact that I wouldn’t be on-call. I was looking forward to a “Jimmy” weekend, indeed. I love all Friday’s but the one following an on-call is probably the best.

It was up just after 5:30am ready to start my day. After cruising through my exercise regiment I headed outdoors with Ykraps. It was frightfully cold! The temperature was below zero. It was -1! The good news was that it’s predicted to get warmer through at least the middle of next week. But for now, I’d just have to suck it up.

Foremost on my mind was readying myself for a run. After delivering Mindy’s coffee I got myself well prepared for a very chilly run. I wore my proven cold running attire, which once again served me well. I was perfectly cozy a few blocks into the cold morning run.

Eggs were ready for consumption a few minutes after my return. Jacob shared in our egg experience this morning. Odd! He commented about the fluffiness of his mother’s eggs as compared with my not so fluffy scrambled eggs. We determined that she uses more half & half than I. After Mindy & Bella departed Jacob asked to play Wii while I showered.

We left for the bus stop at 7:55am. It was a cold wait. Meanwhile, my Trooper warmed in the driveway at home. After the bus picked up the kids I walked back home and drove into work.

Work was very busy. I didn’t take a formal lunch break. However, one of my engineers left to pick-up Chipotle for everyone. It hit the spot quite nicely! Working straight through, the afternoon seemed to drag a little. Finally, 5:30pm arrived and I headed for home.

Mindy was at the grocery when I called during my travels home. I expressed how tired I was and how I would be attempting to steal a quick nap after walking Ykraps. She asked if I would complete a couple of chores, too. I was looking forward to the quiet time at home. After walking Ykraps I reclined with the massage pillow and eventually drifted off to sleep. I woke hearing Mindy pull into the garage.

This being a kidless weekend, our plans included a trip to Barley’s. I helped Mindy unload groceries and then played on the PC. Later, she took time to freshen-up and change clothes. I brushed up at the tail end of her gig. We left the house at 7:35pm.

Arriving at Barley’s, we got a prime parking spot. A glance around the lot didn’t bare either of the Imber’s vehicles. Inside we found Josh seated at the bar and one stool idle beside him. Few other regulars were within eyeshot. This was the night of the semi-annual Robert Burns dinner, so we figured others were attending that event in the back. We weren’t there long before Grandma Sharon & Dick arrived (they care for our kids out of school) and Mindy’s known her since she was a child. They usually frequent Applebee’s but decided to try Barley’s for a change. They hung with us for a good long time. I think that they liked it. Tommy showed up a bit later, too.

One gentleman came from the back to have a jug filled prior to leaving. He was dressed in a kilt to celebrate the occasion, as are many of the attending men. He wasn’t very happy when I complimented him on his skirt. He let out a quick sigh and a gasp, and was quick to point out my error. “It’s not a skirt”, he remarked! “Sure looks like one”, I quipped. I meant no harm. Others in my party defended my retort. Later, Mark, a buddy of ours, emerged from the back in his skirt (a.k.a. kilt). He took the ribbing much better than the other dude. What I don’t get is why one would be so offended. You’d certainly expect such banter, wouldn’t you?

We stayed at Barley’s quite late - 11pm or so. I had four Hopslam double IPA’s. Before we left we found ourselves discussing Lee’s abrupt departure with one of the assistant managers. We were dumfounded at his disparaging remarks towards Lee. It took a lot of resolve not to let him know how I really felt about it.

At home we were quick to bed. I had the wherewithal to take three Advil before hitting the sack.