In Lieu of Golf ...

It was Thursday. But more importantly, the sky was crystal clear and the promise of warm weather was in the air. It was still pretty chilly at 5:30am (42 degrees), but that I could tolerate, especially knowing that the mercury was expected to rise to near 70 by mid afternoon. Effortlessly, I pushed through my exercise routine then headed out with Ykraps. Stars dominated the dark morning sky, but daylight was easily visible on the eastern horizon. Coffee was the perfect complement to the beautiful morning. I played on my PC for the next few minutes before delivering coffee and waking Mindy. I did my usual meditation and stretching before dressing for a run. I left the house at 6:40am. The sky was already a lovely pale blue at the outset, but that quickly changed to a deeper blue as the sun came up not even a mile into my run. My legs, again, felt a wee bit weary reminded that it’s always something. You simply have to make the decision to run through it. Otherwise there will always be an ache here or there that could easily serve as an excuse to skip. Not I. My run ended in a furry. I got after it down the home stretch, but slowed two or three houses from our drive. That’s the difference I notice from 23 years ago when I started doing any sort of distance running. I used to run from Valleyview Dr down Hague to Broad St. Out Broad St to Wilson rd. then back to Valleyview Dr. and then home. It seemed long but was only three miles. I would kick it into high gear around Sylvan Ave all the way home – about a half mile. I would barely break a sweat. Today, I don’t have that same top end; it’s not even close. Today it’s more about consistency. Inside, Mindy had my eggs ready. Bella had eggs too. That’s rare. There was no Jacob. He spent the night with his daddy. So after Mindy and Bella departed, I had the house to myself. I took my time getting ready and planned to drive the BM’er. It was still in the 40s but warming by the minute. My drive in was spirited. I jammed to the Muffs all the way in. I often observe the faces of those driving past me in the opposite direction. And rarely do I see anyone that appears even remotely happy. Tired? Hate their jobs? Too much debit? Can’t be sure, but it serves as a reminder how blessed I am. I, more often than not, sing and smile during my drive in, especially when it’s sunny and warm The day moved by at a good clip. At lunch I went to Saturday’s and got a hair cut. I let them cut it shorter than I have in a while. Afterwards I stopped in Jack’s to pick-up some crickets and meal worms for Bella. No, I mean the lizards. J I was gonna head back to work to eat my lunch but decided last minute to treat myself to a Quiznno’s sub – a $4 Torpedo. I’ve wanted to try one of their oven baked beauties for a few years but never have. It’s right next door to Saturday’s and just two store fronts form Jack’s. Each place I wanted to visit during lunch was right next to one another. How convenient! The afternoon was busy. I was still dealing with an issue I carried into my on-call weekend. Crazy, I tell you. Also, at some point during the day I ordered 14 yards of topsoil for a Saturday morning delivery. I also scheduled our water meter inspection with the city now that our backflow meter’s been inspected and passed. They’re coming out next Friday morning before I head into work. I was relieved to have those two issues dealt with. I worked hard and still accomplished a handful of personal matters. It was a very productive day, indeed. I left for home around 5:45pm. I followed my big work issue through the evening via my Blackberry. Mindy was having dinner with Bella at the Big Fat Greek. She made those plans since there was a chance I might be golfing, but I never heard from Bob. I wasn’t disappointed, however. Instead, I planned to use the time constructively to cut the grass, saving myself the hassle over the weekend when I’d prefer to be moving the 14 yards of dirt. I walked Ykraps as soon as I got home. I thought for a minute about napping first but ultimately decided against it. Instead, I got moving on the lawn chores. I took my time trimming and edging before mowing. I used the push mower on most of the front. Where the grass is extra thick, my Toro bogged down with all the grass clippings caught up under the deck. I had to move to the sidewalk a number of times and clap the mower against the concrete just to break the clogs free. Mindy got home just before I moved around back. She brought me a gyro and fries. I wasn’t all that hungry at the moment, especially after eating that sub earlier, but as time went on it sounded better and better. I finished my yard chores around 7:40pm. It looked nice. More importantly, I saved myself from having to do it this coming weekend. Mindy was just getting Bella ready for bed when I went inside for the night. She had my gyro and fries in the oven in a stone baking dish. That kept the fires crunchy and the gyro hot. It was delicious! I ate the entire thing, too. I took a shower a few minutes later. I had lots of lawn debris clinging to my legs and clothes. By the way, the high temperature reached 69 degrees. It’s supposed to be in the 80s Friday through Tuesday. That sounded terrific! Bella went to bed around 8:40pm. She began to fuss about missing Jacob. She whined for several minutes while Mindy & I did some reading. I eventually dosed off. I woke when Jacob got home from the hockey game. I heard Mindy tucking him in. He sounded very excited about the game. I still didn’t know who won, however. I got up for a few and tuned the TV to Office & 30 Rock. Mindy hates both shows. Mindy came down and told me that the Jackets lost, and then she went to bed. They’re done, but at least they made it to the playoffs. I fell asleep on the couch. I got up around 11pm and headed for bed.