Adam & Eve, Cain & Abel, ... Rocky & Landon

I pulled myself from bed at 7:30am. No longer did the comfort of our mattress, the softness of my pillow, and the warmth of the blankets sound better than the prospect of exercise, hot coffee, and sunshine. As I exited bed, I asked Mindy if she wanted up at any particular time. She did not but asked that I keep the bedroom door opened. Downstairs, I went about the usual business of making coffee and exercise. Meanwhile, it was gloriously sunny outside, albeit quite chilly. It was hovering just above freezing. Ykraps and I headed out for our walk just before 8am. I wondered if we might happen upon the Easter bunny still busy with his duty, but that never came to pass. He must’ve completed it all under the shroud of darkness. Mindy was up and holding the kids at bay on the stairs by the time Ykraps and I made it back home. She asked that I fetch my camera to capture the annual hunting of the eggs. The kids like it almost as much as Xmas. Looking back, I did too. Camera in hand, the kids were unleashed. They went first to their respective baskets full of goodies, but then within the same minute they prepared to hunt eggs. The eggs were hidden inside. It took them no more than 3 or 4 minutes to find them all. As with most kids at Easter, they started eating candy, their chocolate bunnies included, before their first bite of wholesome food. Again, looking back, I did the same thing. Mindy & I discussed getting one another nothing – a reprieve of sorts. Still, she had a card waiting for me. I did not have one for her. I did forward an Easter greeting via email along with some funny pics. That apparently didn’t count. Because we were going to Easter services, I had little time to tinker. I had to get moving with my run. I wore my old running shoes and ran along Trabue and Hague. It was a nice run. Like I often do on Sunday’s, I trimmed the trail to three miles. I was back in under 30 minutes. Chilly air aside, it was lovely. Mindy had freshly baked cinnamon rolls resting on top of the stove. They were warm and delicious. I ate two. While Mindy dashed off to the shower, I fooled around on the PC. I decided to buy/download Todd’s new CD, Arena (9/2008). I’m digging buying music this way. I save money & time, and the benefits are instantaneous. I headed up for my own shower soon after hearing Mindy’s end. I was dressed and ready before anyone else. We left the house around 10:15am destined for church. We took Rocky, Landon, and Olivia’s Easter baskets along figuring to stop by ex-Kelly’s after church to drop them off. We arrived at Crossroads with five minutes to spare. The two kids sat with their grandma, aunt, and uncle. Mindy and I sat alone. The service bored me to tears. I just can’t get into the whole thing. To make better use of my time, I read the first eight books of Genesis while Pastor Karen sermoned about the rock placed in front of Jesus’ tomb. No disrespect intended, but I don’t like the sit-stand-repeat after me-sit-stand-sing thing. The service ended as quickly as it started. The book of Genesis consumed my thoughts. At its core, a very simple explanation of how we got here. Pastor Karen hugged me before I could sneak out unnoticed. I often feel as though I’ve stolen one of their flock when Mindy doesn’t attend as regularly as she once did. Looking at Sunday services at Crossroads from Mindy’s perspective, I can see where she might get some intrinsic reward, but mostly beyond raw spiritualism. She grew up there and most of the people have been attending there for decades. It’s a close knit group. It must’ve been just before noon when we left church for Kelly’s. Boy, talk about going from heaven to hell! J Kelly’s place is literally just around the corner. Since Kelly’s pretty much made it known that we’re not welcome, we simply pulled up in front and then phoned Lindsey. We’re never invited in, and not that we want to be. Rocky ran out first. Like always, he wanted to be sure and share that he was staying there forever. Kind of funny, but sad at the same time. Landon and Lindsey soon followed. Rocky hugged all of us after some early reservation, almost like he was betraying his mother by hugging Mindy. Landon was much more loving, but also exhibited some confusion as he neared our vehicle. Wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. Mindy & I both picked up on his apprehension right away. We said & did things to ease his concerns. I took a handful of pictures to capture the fun. We didn’t stay long. Soon we loaded back into the Honda and headed home. That’s the first I’ve seen the boys in 17 days. As soon as we arrived home I woofed down some Fritos then warmed a hunk of lasagna. I was tired in church and sleepier than never now. I went for a quick nap in the recliner. That felt terrific. Not sure how long I slept but long enough to feel rested but with an aching shoulder. Mindy was baking au gratin potatoes to take to Gloria’s for Easter dinner. We planned to leave the house at 2:30pm. That was just 20 minutes after waking from my nap. Where had the day gone? We left at 2:30pm. I took both cameras. I have used my new Canon relatively little since Xmas. It takes a much better picture but the greater convenience of my pocket-sized Olympus is undeniable. The whole family was celebrating Easter at Gloria’s. No one was missing in action. Included in the celebration were Pat & Mel, longtime family friends who more often than not spend their TG and Easter with us. They’re very nice folks. A great deal of conversation centered around the quirks and lives of people from Easter service at Crossroads: This persons hideous clothes or hair, or that persons body odor, or even that persons ridiculously loud singing voice. It goes on and on. At one point I poked the crowd by saying, you don’t suppose Jesus would approve of such banter, would you? I was only joking, but like many jokes, there’s always that element of truth. I recognize that it’s our human nature to act like this. Most of us do it at some level. The table was set for nineteen. That’s a lot of body heat! Served was an Easter ham. I’m still not sure why we don’t celebrate the holiday by feasting on the Easter bunny. But the ham was exceptional. Along with the ham were a number of delicious sides: au gratin potatoes, corn pudding, green beans, pasta salad, and more. For dessert we enjoyed lemon cheesecake and icebox cookies. I went with the lemon cheesecake. It was fantastic! We managed the clock well, in part because we arrived so much earlier than usual. We left for home at 7pm. Jacob went with Ykraps and me on our walk. He happened upon some auto parts that apparently fell off of a car. He insisted on bringing them back to the house as toys. What? I refused to allow it, but do understand how a nine year old would find them fascinating. Mindy got the kids ready for bed while I got the trash out to the curb. I picked up the kitchen a little too. Lots of Easter stuff still scattered about. Thinking that there might be something good on the Science Channel, I turned the TV on. I ended up watching something on the Discovery Channel, but can’t remember what it was all about. It happens.