Projecting

Back to my old antics, I was up at 5:20am chomping at the bit to get the day moving. I got my day started by choking down a multi-vitamin. Soon I was engaged in a full complement of exercises. I’m still experiencing some discomfort in my right shoulder, but then again, it’s not that unusual to have an ache or two. The end product - my handsome physique – is well worth the inconvenience. :) It was a mere 19 degrees outside. I bundled accordingly for my walk with Ykraps. In my long-term memory I can recall a couple instances where temps dipped well below freezing in November, but never can I remember a sustained cold streak such as this one. While walking, I wondered if any of our landscaping might suffer (die) due to an insufficient hardening process, which is critical to the survival of many perennial plants, especially those already teetering on our planting zone boundaries. Nothing I could do about it aside from worry, but I’ve got better things to do. I chose instead to hope for the best. Back at home I poured a relaxing cup of coffee then took to the computer. I am still digging my new coffee creamer – the chocolate caramel. It’s made by International Delight, if you're interested in trying it. If you do, try topping it off with whipped cream, caramel syrup, and then a light sprinkle of cinnamon. It’s sure to please! I skimmed the financial headlines, which pointed to yet another down day ahead on Wall Street. Yesterday the DOW sunk well below 8000. I can already feel myself numbing to it all. But believe it or not, this could, in fact, prove to be a blessing. If one can remain gainfully employed through this tumultuous time and keep contributing big bucks into a retirement portfolio the other side will be more profitable than if the markets hadn’t taken a dive. This, of course, assumes a lot. One, being that the market will recover, and two, that I’ll remain gainfully employed. I’m focusing only on the upside! Today’s OM struck a chord. It was about projecting. We all know someone who projects their misery and circumstances onto others. In fact, we’ve all done it at one time or another. How many times in the last few years have you heard that the world is a mirror? Read it for yourself: http://discuss.dailyom.com/cgi-bin/discuss/displaydiscussion.cgi?did=11870 Time moved quickly. It was 6:05am in the bat of an eye. I delivered Mindy’s coffee then quickly returned downstairs to meditate and prep for a run. Once again, I dressed warmly for a run. I knew how cold it felt outside. I tried something a little different this AM. I wore my ear muffs under my fleece toboggan. When it’s that cold (19 degrees) every leak in my attire is obvious. I can feel the cold air sweeping across those body parts. For me, it’s always the gap between my running pants and low-rise ankle socks. The cold snappy air bites a little but thankfully that’s not an area that causes overall body discomfort. In fact, 100 yards or so into a run it’s forgotten. For me, it’s all about the ears, hands, & chest. If they’re warm… I was surprised at the brightening sky. It somehow seemed lighter this AM. That’s most likely because of the recent cloud cover this time of day. Cloud cover masks dawn more than I realized. The run was very nice. I wasn’t too cold or too warm. Mindy made scrambled eggs this morning. They were delicious and satisfied my almost insatiable hunger. The house was unusually quiet without Jacob around to cause and receive torment. It wasn’t long before Mindy and Bella headed off for school. Having the house all to myself was really quite nice. I was ready for work by 7:50am. Because I didn’t have bus duty, I was able to spend some time playing on the PC. I left for work at 8:10am. I really needed gas but didn’t stop. It was still $1.62 per gallon. Work was a challenge. Two of my peers were off leaving most of the day’s escalated toil under my watch. I made a conscientious effort to keep my cool and operate effectively. That strategy served me well. I could’ve easily dismissed taking a lunch break for the work load but didn’t give in. I planned a lunchtime shopping trip and ended up keeping that promise to myself. I left the office just after 1pm. I was frustrated with myself for not getting gas this AM. I knew that I needed some and now I would have to get it nearer work, which often times means a higher price. Not only that, but I was cutting into my lunch period, too. I found gas for $1.67 on Tuttle Crossing. Not bad. I was gone just over an hour. By the time I returned to the office my third peer was in. That helped tremendously. The action slowed by mid-afternoon. I even toyed with the notion of leaving early – like 4-4:30pm. I would be on-call over the weekend, so I would remain plugged in regardless. But as luck would have it, I stuck around too long. A couple situations arose around 4:30pm that kept me at the office until after 5:30pm. Shoot! Honestly, though, leaving early would have served little purpose other than getting home early. We had no special plans. Mindy and I talked through most of my drive home. She asked how I felt about having leftover pizza. I was OK with that as long as it was reheated on the pizza stone. That sometimes leaves it tasting even better than it did right out of the box. I arrived home around 6pm. Jacob was back home after spending a sick day with his father. He was feeling much better but not 100%. I walked Ykraps minutes after walking in the door. I don’t like that false sense of relaxation. It was extra cold again tonight. Mindy already had a fire going. The plan, according to Mindy, was to eat and then watch a movie. I suggested a pay-per-view in lieu of an existing DVD. Jacob especially liked that idea. He and I searched the menu for an acceptable alternative. We all agreed on the Veggie Tales, Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything. I wasn’t that interested but it’s not always about me. I know that’s a shocking revelation. While Mindy and the kids watched intently, I sat on the sofa with Mindy’s laptop writing my Thursday blog entry. I don’t do that too often. While playing, I sipped on a stiff Jack & Coke. That was both nice and relaxing. After the kids were down I had another. I checked in with work a couple of times. Things were going swell. Mindy & I headed to bed at 10:15pm after watching an episode of Family Guy that I DVR’d nearly two weeks ago.