No Sugar Tonight Hercules

I miscalculated slightly thinking I was up right on time. Even after brushing my teeth and grabbing my running clothes I was down in the kitchen by 5:28am. Hmmm? As usual, I choked down my meds then promptly began my 55-50-40. Unfortunately, I could hear rain beating against the skylights. It sounded as if it were raining at a pretty good clip.

I grabbed the old purple umbrella that sets on the front porch just as Ykraps and I stepped down off the stoop. I didn’t feel like getting drenched so early in the morning. The small umbrella proved adequate against the steady, light rain.
We were home for coffee just as the clock struck 5:50am. I was well ahead of schedule. The two small suit cases by the front door served as a reminder that Jimaken would be coming to pick up the kids at 7:30am this morning. He has the next two days off of work & wants some extra kid time. They’d be spending the night Thursday night with him.

I spent the next 10 minutes playing on the PC and then another fifteen meditating before dressing for a run. Happily, the rain all but stopped by the time I headed out the door, and it stayed that way through my run’s entirety. I wasn’t back long at all before Jimaken pulled up in the drive. He came in and played a quick game of Wii with the kids before departing.

After the kids were gone Mindy & I discussed the pros and cons of her potential weekend trip to DC. A good friend of hers has terminal cancer and her family & friends are planning a FUNeral with family and friends while she’s still alive. But as luck would have it, the typically cheap last minute airfares often available to DC were non existent this week. I was against her going if she were to pay the $800 I saw yesterday. She contemplated driving if some one was willing to go along. Rene was a possibility, but even then, gas I estimated would be about $300. Mindy said she was sure she could get a flight for about $300. I did see a flight out of Cincy for $171, but she didn’t seem interested in driving to fly. She left for work still undecided about the trip.

I cleaned up the kitchen after Mindy left but before my shower. I was ready for work by 7:50am. That’s the earliest I’ve been ready in quite a while. I spent several relaxing minutes downloading my most recent pictures from both cameras before leaving. I found that both fun and relaxing. I left for work in the proper frame of mind.

It rained during my commute but I didn’t allow that to drag me down. Work, I figured, would totally consume me anyway.

The work day went fast. I didn’t bother taking much of break at all. I ate lunch at my desk all the while staying tuned into work. I sent Mindy a flight I saw online for $401. Minutes later she emailed back that she bought it. It was settled. She’d be traveling over the weekend and I’d be staying home with the kids. That ought to be interesting. I left for home at 5:15pm.

Because we were kidless, we had already made loose plans to go out for dinner. Our options many, we still chose Barley’s. Before hand, we walked Ykraps together at my urging. During our walk Mindy expressed concern over what she sensed as my displeasure with her trip. I assured her that it wasn’t the trip per se. Instead, I was concerned with the trips potentially exorbitant costs. But in the end, I support her going.

We left for Barley’s after dumping Ykraps back at home. The drive, as always, was quick. Mindy got a call from a church friend announcing the birth of a grand child, Elise Veronica G. – 9lbs 13 ounces. Let’s say it together – OUCH!!!! As soon as she terminated that call she called to share the news with her mother.

Barley’s was surprisingly packed. There were no available seats at the bar. We opted for a barside table. Little Katy was quick to address our arrival and bring us beers. I had a guest brew- Great Divide Hercules Double IPA. Mindy predictably ordered a stout. At the same time we ordered food. I ordered ten Gates-of-Hell wings. Mindy ordered a Southwestern salad. We also ordered a brisket quesadilla that we planned to share. The food was fantastic, as usual. I had three beers all totaled. After my DIPA I had a house Droughtfire IPA and then a classic Pale Ale. In hindsight, I probably should have ordered them in reverse – the DIPA has by far the strongest flavor.

The Jumps came in just as Katy was filling the two jugs I brought in. I figured since I’d be nesting with the kids all weekend that I might as well have my favorites on stand-by. We sat and chatted with the three of them before heading back home.

We arrived back home around 8:00pm. I thought that we might have some wild sex but it never materialized. Instead, Mindy took to packing. I played on the PC for a little while but then got really sleepy. I found Mindy in on her expensive solitaire machine as I fetched a glass of ice water. I quietly crept upstairs where I crawled into bed with the TV remote in hand. Blissful!

The next thing I knew the remote was being pried from my sleepy fingers. Crap! I had fallen asleep watching South Park. The TV was already off. I fell right back asleep, but only for a handful of minutes. Suddenly, I woke once more and couldn’t return to sleep. After lying there aimlessly for a few minutes I decided to get up and go downstairs to tune back into South Park. I knew that there was a double episode scheduled, and then a half-hour of Lil’ Bush.

I decided to pop some corn too. I ate popcorn all while enjoying the mindless humor. It was just what the doctor ordered. Come 11pm – at the conclusion of Lil’ Bush, the effects of the three beers had all but worn off, and I was once again ready for sleep. I made my way back to bed being careful not to wake Mindy.