Putting away the very last of Xmas

I was up & out of bed by 7:30am. Mindy told me to make sure she was up by 8am. I agreed, of course. Downstairs I prepped the morning’s coffee and started my exercises. I felt incredibly good after a full day of painting. Chalk that up to science (anti-inflammatories). I checked in with work, too. Things were going well.

Before heading out with Ykraps I noticed that the temperature had dipped to 0 degrees. I bundled accordingly. I was surprised at how peaceful and tranquil it was. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. It was really quite beautiful! Rocky and Bella came down seeking some juice upon my return. I obliged both. I got Mindy up with coffee at her requested rise (maybe a little after). Mindy got the kids breakfast while I worked and then helped them get dressed for church. My job was to keep an eye on them while she showered. Easier said that done! They were a handful.

10am came fast and Mindy and the kids left for church soon after. She planned to drop Rocky at home after church. We said our goodbyes then. No sooner did they leave did I dress for a run. For the first time, I wore the extra-thick Nike running shirt Mindy bought me for Xmas. This particular one is designed for extreme cold. With the temperature at zero I figured it extreme enough! To test its effectiveness, I would wear only it along with my new running jacket as upper cover. Of course I wore running pants with thick cotton running shorts underneath. I opted to skip the full-facemask and instead wore the usual ball-cap and ear muffs. And because it was so sunny, a pair of sun glasses.

There was a swift breeze blowing out of the west making running in that direction seem even colder. But believe it or not, I was very comfortable in my hi-tech gear. There was no part of me suffering whatsoever. I was quite pleased. In fact, it might as well have been 40 degrees running into the crisp sun. It was a glorious run, which I finished in a full stride just before 11am. All of my muscles felt incredibly good!

After my run I snacked on the roast beef still simmering in the crock pot from last evening. We consciously decided to allow it to continue cooking since it was still a little tough at dinner time. Now it was incredible! Blackened on the outside yet still pink in the center, and the juice was thick, dark, and full of flavor. Yummy!

I wasted little time preparing to paint. I was eager to put it behind me. The second coat went really fast. Sure, I made a few small mistakes allowing the roller to make contact with the ceiling, but all in all it went without incident. Besides, I had a remedy for such accidents. I simply restippled and knocked down the areas in question leaving the ceiling looking like new. I was proud of my work. As I finished with the painting, Jimaken arrived to fetch the kids. They were doing family time. Meanwhile, Mindy was invited to a former students Eagle Scout ceremony and left for that soon after the kids. I was once again home alone. Yippee!

I used the time to detail the familyroom cleaning the window frames thoroughly before reinstalling the blinds. I also replaced all of the wall plates and removed the masking. Mindy got home before the kids. Just as she pulled up I was taking the extension ladder outdoors to take the Xmas wreath down from the apex of the garage roof. Another task checked off the list.

Mindy’s family was slated to meet at Bob Evans for Sunday dinner. I was conflicted wanting to finish the task at hand. Mindy, surprisingly, offered me a hall pass from dinner. I accepted. I was now able to relax while I cleaned up & organized after the painting project. By the way, we plan to continue painting into the kitchen next weekend.

While putting my stereo system back in service I broke one of my Bose speaker stands. The stability of the entire stand is dependent on this small little nylon/plastic tip. It cracked as I attempted to tighten it. It would fall no matter what I did. I monkeyed with it for an hour or so eventually finding my product details (good to keep that shit!). I called Bose customer service, who in turn directed me to their technical support team. But because it was after 5pm EST, I would have to call tomorrow. He was fairly certain that they could get me the part. Cool. I went for a much deserved shower and then walked Ykraps.

The NFL whirled while I toiled. Despite a less than stellar performance by Tom Brady, the Patriots stamped their ticket to Super Bowl IVII by beating the Chargers 21-12. Next up was NY Giants versus the Packers. They were making much to do about the extreme cold temps. It was -1 degree at kick-off. Just before Mindy & the kid returned I took down the last piece of Xmas - the small tree in the living room ( the Charlie Brown tree).

Mindy & Bella didn’t get home until after 7pm. By then I had the kitchen cleaned up, the game on, and a fire roaring. It felt terrific to have our family room back. Jacob was with his cousin Joe-Joe. He brought him home on his way out for the evening. Joe stayed for a glass of wine. He must’ve left at or near 9pm. I kept the fire going the entire evening. I was very comfy on floor by the warm, roaring fire. Mindy put the kids to bed then returned to watch the final quarter of the game. It was an exciting finish. It went to overtime after the giants missed two field goals in the final minutes that would’ve clinched it, the last as time expired. In overtime Brett Favre threw an overly aggressive interception. The Giant capitalized and kicked a 47 yard field goal in the -4 degree temps to win it! I was pulling for the Giants all along.

Not long after the game Mindy & I headed for bed. I toyed with the idea of watching Sunday night comedy but didn’t. Right to sleep.