Houshmandzadeh ... not a Viking

Happy 46th B-Day Craig! What is up? Once again, I tossed and turned from about 1 to 2am. Finally having enough, I got up and headed back downstairs. My mind was racing, but more importantly, my throat was uncomfortably dry and buggy. I laid on the sofa and turned on the TV. I watched the Science Channel for almost two hours. I finally fell back asleep, and then woke tired at 5:30am. Of course! Despite not wanting to, I got crackin’ on my exercise routine right away. I really just wanted to go back to bed. But after my sit-ups I felt a little better, and even better after 50 push-ups. Still, finding my usual energy was difficult. I leashed up Ykraps for what I already knew was gonna be a cold walk. It was only 7 degrees and a stiff wind was blowing out of the NE. Burr! As he often does, Ykraps took his dear old time sniffing here and sniffing there, and he was the one without adequate winter cover. I had to tug on his leash a time or two. For whatever the reason, the cold was cutting right through me. I was chilled to the bone. Finally, just before 6am I was pouring the day’s first cup of coffee. That was just what I needed. Ahh! Come 6:05am I delivered Mindy’s coffee. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she was a bit cold. She barely acknowledged my presence. Perhaps it had something to do with kidding around I did with her last night just before bed. I don’t know. Back downstairs I did some of my usual pre-run prep. I stretched but never got around to meditation. I left for my run no later than 6:35am. It was cold, but I was ready. I wore my full winter gear – thick running gloves and all. As usual, once I got going it was no biggie. My biggest hurdle was the lack of energy, but I managed through that too. I was back before 7:15am – Mindy’s requested return time. My eggs were ready at the island. I secretly wondered if they might be poisoned. :) In an effort to help the wife, I went to fetch Landon from bed before sitting to eat. Soon, Mindy and the wee ones were gone. After my shower, I had five minutes or so to fool around before Jacob and I left for the bus stop. I used the time to tidy up the kitchen. I had the dishwasher all ready for the go. I planned to hit the button after seeing Jacob onto the bus. It was a cold wait at the bus stop. Finally, the bus arrived. It was a male sub. I hurried back home to take care of a couple last minute tasks before heading off to work. I arrived at the office around 8:21am. Work was fairly busy, with a handful of issues still looming since Friday. They kept me at it all day long. In kind, I didn’t take a lunch, although I did eat my packed lunch from my desk. In the background, I continued following the Houshmandzadeh signing. By day’s end it was looking more and more like the Seahawks. :( I heard from Mindy around 4:30pm. She sounded better. She asked that I phone her when heading home. We were still having beef & noodles for dinner. I left the office just after 5:30pm. It was still cold and windy outside – 22 degrees according to my Trooper’s thermometer. I called Mindy during my drive home. She reported the kids behaving. My dad, as it turned out, wasn’t going to join us for beef & noodles after all. He apparently forgot and already was eating his dinner. Just as well. I wasn’t up for company anyhow. Tired still. Like usual, I leashed up Ykraps almost as soon as I walked in the door. It felt incredibly cold during our walk. And just like the morning, he took his dear old time. I tried to be extra patient. I had the chills by the time I made it back home and my hands, despite wearing running gloves, were like icicles. I warmed them under warm, running water. That helped. Mindy said I had ten minutes before dinner. After hugging the kids, who were off playing in the basement, I took to the PC and worked on my weekend blog entries until she alerted all of us that dinner was ready. The beef & noodles were awesome, and everyone else liked them, too, even Landon. He had three helpings believe it or not. Both he and Rocky haven’t been eating as well as they did during their first month with us. In Landon’s case, I attribute it to his discovery of chocolate milk. We were seated at the dinner table as a family later than usual – until almost 7:00pm. We began the clean-up process immediately after. The kids had their desserts at the same time. Grandma Sharon sent some yummy peanut butter cookies with a chocolate kiss resting atop. Mindy had leftover Butterscotch pie. I had a few bites of hers and then some of Jacob’s. I feared a massive sugar buzz coming on after. Because everyone bathed Sunday, this was a no-bath night. While Mindy quickly readied the kids, I continued work on my blog. I posted Friday through Sunday but didn’t get to adding photos. By then, the kids were already calling for me to fly them to bed. Geesh – a glance at the clock revealed that it was 8:10pm. Where does the time go? The kids were slow to get settled into their beds. Landon was only mildly dramatic. Soon we had a quiet house. Yahoo! I went to the sofa with a big glass of ice water and then tuned into the Science Channel. I didn’t last long. In fact, I can’t even remember what we were watching. It was good, though. I was just so tired. I drifted in an out of sleep. Mindy woke me at some point – not sure what time and then we headed to bed. I don’t think it took more than one minute to fall back asleep. I was hopeful for a long, restful night’s sleep.