Things That Go Bump In The Night

Happy 47th Birthday brother Tommy! Things got a little bumpy overnight. In turn, we had the kids in bed with us on at least two separate occasions. We had it all: vivid lightning, thunder, wind, and driving rain. This came as a total surprise to me. I don’t remember seeing or reading anything about it on the weather bug. Lying in bed, my thoughts turned to my poor little pump out there in the elements. Lucky for me, I had enough foresight to cover it with the clothes basket. That, along with the natural shield provided by thick honeysuckle bushes usually keeps it pretty dry. 5:30am came too fast. I was still sleepy. I didn’t manage myself out of bed until about 5:35am. Even then I was dragging. On a positive note, sleeping with my legs elevated for a second night in row seems to have paid off. At least I wasn’t stiff from my groin downward. I worked through my exercise routine and then walked Ykraps. Lucky for he & I, the heavy rain had all but stopped, although it was still sprinkling. However, the rain seemed to pick-up again just as we were closing in on home. I hurried Ykraps through his last few sniffs. I didn’t want to get too wet. It was 6:04am by the time I toweled off Ykraps and began prepping my first cup of coffee. I played on the PC and then turned my attention to morning meditation. That, as it turned out, made me extra sleepy. I gave into the sleepiness and took a brief nap right there on the floor. I slept for about ten minutes, which made a huge difference. At 6:40am I upped and readied for my run. After a quick stretch I set out on my run. Despite not being in any real pain, I cut the run to 3 miles. It was 7:10am by the time I made it back home. I still had to pack my lunch and make my breakfast. I made the same thing as Monday except, I packed half of a leftover pork chop too. By the time I’d packed my lunch, eaten my breakfast, and poured Mindy’s coffee it was 7:40am. She didn’t budge as I placed her coffee bedside. I headed off to the shower without disturbing her sleep. The kids had her up a few times through the night with the storms. After my shower I tapped softly on the bed to see if it would wake Mindy. It did. Despite being tired, she acknowledged my presence. However, she remained in bed as I headed downstairs and ultimately out the door for work. I drove the BM’er. By then, the skies had cleared and the sun was shining. I checked the forecast, too. It was going to be sunny for the rest of the day. I was almost certain that my BM’er was on empty, remembering the fuel light coming on as I made my way home from golf the Wednesday evening before vacation. However, I was happy to find the tank full. Reflecting back, I vaguely remembered filling the tank the following morning on my way to work. Cool! I arrived at work just before 8:30am. By then I was feeling pretty good and wide awake. The work day moved swiftly as is often the case. I didn’t take a lunch until nearly 1:30pm. I drove to Best Buy for no other reason than to simply get away for a while. There I checked out all sorts of stuff. I thought about buying the new Cold Play CD but didn’t. I browsed the aisles for a good 45 minutes. I could see that the remodeled Wal-Mart next door was nearly complete. It’ll be a Super Wal-Mart when done, complete with groceries. Once back at the office I enjoyed my packed lunch while working away. I talked with Mindy around 2:30pm, who informed me that we were having brats on the grill for dinner. She and the kids had just arrived at the pool. I didn’t leave work until 5:40pm. Things were still quite busy. This time I remembered the Roberts Rd/Wilson Rd lane closure and took the Mill Run cut-through instead. I was home by 6:05pm. As I pulled up at home I noticed my Dad’s Blazer curbside. I figured that Mindy must’ve invited him over for dinner. Turns out, she did just that. We hadn’t talked with him since we’ve been home from vacation. Inside, I greeted Dad and then Mindy & the kids. Dad walked Ykraps making my transition that much easier. After washing up dinner was ready. Just like that we were making our plates: brats, green beans, and potato salad. Most of our dinner conversation centered around our Florida trip and Dad’s dog watching. He pulled double duty over the weekend keeping an eye on Bob and April’s dogs too. Later, for dessert Mindy served ice cream. I had some leftover Jeni’s- black coffee and chocolate mixed together. Very yummy! After dinner I phoned Tommy. He was home. Collectively, (me, the kids, Mindy & Dad) we sang him Happy B-Day over the phone. Dad left around 8pm. Soon after, Mindy & Bella left for a Kohl’s shopping spree. Jacob and I planned a bike ride. Bella really wanted to join us, but eventually agreed to join her mother. Jacob and I rode to the park and back. The ride went fast. In fact, about three times faster than our first endeavor. Back at home, I took to watering the rear flower beds. Jacob sat in the neighbor’s yard staring off towards space bored to tears. Mindy & Bella were home a short while later but without the bedding she hoped to find. They were out of the style she wanted. However, the shopping event wasn’t a lost cause. She still managed to pick-up a few b-day gifts for Lil’ Rocky – clothes. She spoke of getting him toys tomorrow. The kids went for baths and soon were tucked in. Mindy and I were in bed again at 10pm. Like before. I slept with my legs elevated on a double stack of pillows.