Hot n' Ready ... But No McLovin'

I woke multiple times through the night, first with the chills, and then with a slight fever. Not only could I not comfortably sleep but my body ached all over, too, especially my lower back. Mindy woke due to my moaning and groaning. At one point she fetched me two Tylenol. I never did fall soundly asleep, but did begin feeling better once the Tylenol kicked in.

At 6:40am I gave up and got up even though I was still quite sleepy. Moving rather slowly, I pushed through my exercise routine, and then took to the streets with Ykraps. Nothing ‘hurt’ per se’, but my lower back and legs felt tired, stiff, and slow. My mood was much the same.

Back at home I made some coffee and then sat down in front of my work laptop. Satisfied that everything was going smoothly, I moved to my PC. I could’ve done a number of things with my alone time but in the end I chose to catch up on some writing. So, between 7:30 – 9:00am I wrote two days worth of blog entries.

I delivered Mindy’s coffee just after 9:00am. She seemed surprised that I declared myself feeling so much better after the show I put on through the night. My concern was that it took the two Tylenol to make me feel better, much like taking Ibuprofen did the afternoon before. The day was forecasted to be cloudy but with clearing skies as the day progressed. And even better news, there was next to no chance of rain. Wahoo!

I prepped and left for a run at 9:30am. I definitely didn’t have my running legs, and I had a stomach ache just below my right rib. That never happens! I was very uncomfortable running. I decided it best to cut my run down to three miles. After all, I had run four miles for each of the last nine days. I was happy with my decision.

Mindy readied for her own run not long after I returned. I was very happy to see her sticking with it. While she ran, Bella and I whipped up the topping for the chocolate chip cookie cheesecake that I baked earlier in the AM. Mindy was gone about 25-30 minutes. She came back in a little overheated but still well exercised. Her run didn’t go as easy as her prior runs. The temperature was a bit warmer and the sun higher in the sky.

We were slated to be at brother Bobby’s for a summer celebration around 2pm. Before leaving, I was determined to make further progress with the two indoor projects I had going. I needed to get another coat of joint compound on the speaker holes, and then another coat of black paint on the front door. This time I used the tiny, plastic 4” roller that Mindy bought for the bathroom project but never used. I thought that it might work perfectly on the door. And boy did it ever! Not only did I use a comparatively smaller amount of paint, but it went on more uniformly, too. I needed only touch-up up the ornate recesses with a brush. I was finished by 11am. Still with plenty of time before we needed to depart for Bob’s, I got crackin’ on my lawn-care chores. I figured if I managed to get the lawn cut today, I could reserve Sunday for relaxation or some of the more obscure, back-burner type chores always on my list. Smart move!

It took about 1 ¾ hours to cut and groom the lawn. The only task I didn’t complete was the blow. Ugh - maybe tomorrow. By the time I was back indoors it was 1pm and time to shower up for Bob’s shindig. By the time we were showered and loaded into the Trooper, and we had lots of gear, it was just after 2pm. We probably should’ve taken Ykraps on a short skip but didn’t. He wouldn’t be pleased if we got home late, which was highly likely.

I still didn’t feel well, and the Tylenol I took earlier was wearing off. However, I was adamant that I wouldn’t be taking anymore. Once at Bob’s I took to the deck to get fresh air in a chair. I felt achy and minimally feverish, just enough to knock the party out of me. We were some of the first folks to arrive, but others soon followed. I stayed out on the deck by the pool. Soon, all of my brothers were there, full, half, and step. That doesn’t happen often. But the truth of it is, I never gave it any thought until Mindy mentioned something the following day. Oh well! Because of my slight illness, I was picture happy either. Missed the Kodak moment.

Two of my grandchildren were there as well, Kaileigh and Olivia. Around 4pm I went inside to Bob’s finished basement to follow-up on an escalation I received while chillin’ on the deck. I had to log onto the network, too. Good thing I brought my laptop! It took a few to get connected to Bob’s network but eventually did. I had the situation under control in quick order. Afterwards, I couldn’t resist the comfort of couch nearby. I snuck a quick nap in the cool, dark finished basement. I must’ve slept for about 30 minutes, tops. I woke feeling considerably better, although when I went up I was told by many that I looked pale, and ill.

Courtney was over by then. Too bad she missed Kaileigh, who had been there since 2:30pm. Some things are just meant to be. It was nice to see Courtney. She seems OK and spoke of staying the course. We can only pray and offer encouragement. Lindsey never did show. We guessed that she might not. My family, we’re so dysfunctional. But Mindy still loves me, and we work hard to spread that around the family. That’s what matters most. Right, Princess? J

Many nephews and nieces were there that we hadn’t seen in a long while, and boy were there a lot of babies/toddlers. Eventually, sometime after 7pm, many folks departed including Courtney, Ashley and Olivia. Still remaining was my immediate family, brother Glenn, Dad, and, of course, Bob’s family. We stayed long enough for darkness to fall and Bob to go fetch four Hot N’Ready’s from a very nearby Little Caesar’s. They were only $5 each. By then I was feeling much better. I even cracked open my Barley growler of Centennial IPA. It didn’t taste that good though. But it was me, not the beer. I had two.

We left around 10-10:30pm for home. It had been a long day, and all of us had a good time, especially the kids. They played, swam, and socialized. Once we were home we weren’t long for the conscious world. The kids were tucked-in in no time at all. We were in bed pronto. And after being rejected the night before, there was no way that I was asking for some Mclovin’!