That's a Crock ... Oink-Oink my good man

Wednesday marked the beginning of my work week for the second week in a row. I was up at my usual 5:20am feeling rather well rested and ready to return to work. However, before heading into work I had a workout to complete. The house stayed quiet through my workout. For this I was most thankful. I completed my push-ups, sit-ups and curl before heading out with Ykraps. Save for some slightly clogged sinuses, I felt really good. After my walk and shortly after pouring my coffee I prepped the holiday ham for the crockpot. Not much to it. Spray crockpot with Pam, place ham in crock bowl, add a cup of water, put crock pot on high. Presto! I went about my usual business of internet play before delivering Mindy her morning coffee. After a healthy bout of meditation, I dressed for my run. It was drizzling and chilly, but still above freezing. By the time that I returned from my run the house was rockin’. Different, however, was the wonderful smell permeating the home. It was the holiday ham. Yummy! Mindy and the little ones soon left, and Jacob and me did our usual thing. Twenty minutes later we were heading out the door with the football. We tossed the ball while waiting on the bus. Jake’s mom dropped him there with us too. Back at home I took my time prepping to leave. I packed the crockpot in an empty clothes basket surrounded by a clean bath towel to absorb shock and any potential juices from sloshing around. I couldn’t use the lid because the ½ ham was too tall. Somehow or another, I left the glazing packet on the island counter. I realized this as soon as I arrived at work. Oh well! Thinking fast, I used plain old sugar. It wasn’t long before the same smell that permeated our home crept through our work center. Everyone was impressed with just how good that darn ham smelt. We delayed the start of our staff meeting until noon to allow a peer of mine time to fully prepare a turkey at home. But noon came fast. During our staff meeting I was reminded about the $10 White Elephant gift exchange. I knew I forgot something. I left the meeting early and headed to Target to pick something up. I wimped out and bought a $10 gift card. I picked up a couple personal items as well. Back at the office the holiday potluck had already begun. To my surprise, most of the 10lb ham was history. Not to fret, however. There was plenty of other eats available. There was roast turkey and five roasted hens along with a broad assortment of sides and desserts. I ate my fill. After eating we did the white elephant. There were only eight participants. I ended up with a remote control car – cool! Regift! Mindy has been ill now for about a week. That, coupled with the addition of two other small children is putting her over the edge. She even indicated as much, verbally. But since this was a Jimaken Wednesday, we’d have only Rocky & Landon this evening. Late afternoon, Mindy asked how I felt about her going out to dinner with a friend, Rene. I understood and agreed that it might be a good idea. She kindly allowed me time to get settled before she left. Must’ve been about 6:25pm when she finally departed. I got out of work a little late too – about 5:45pm. Rocky & Landon had already eaten. I gave them a bath around 7pm and then popped some corn and put in a Xmas movie – Frosty the Snowman, I think. I heard someone coming in the door. I thought it was the kids returning from an evening with their daddy. Instead it was Mindy already. She was gone only 1.5 hours. She had a big smile on her face and seemed much happier. She even mentioned as much. Said something like she just needed to break the string of repetition. Minutes later Jacob & Bella returned home. Soon, we got all four kids put away for the night. I made a Jack & Coke and sipped it while enjoying the peace that comes after the kids are tucked safely into bed. It was quite nice.