Staying Home with Jacob & Working in the Yard

I had a dream that involved interaction with terrorists. Beyond that I don’t remember any other details. I woke with my heart racing with fear. Not a good way to begin the day. It was time to get up, so I leaped from bed and brushed my teeth then headed downstairs. Perhaps from the dream, I can’t really be sure, but my head was still in a thick fog. Pushing forward, I completed my sit-ups and push-ups despite no real desire to do them. I checked the temperature. It was 46 degrees under clear skies. I leashed up Ykraps and headed out for a walk. Typically, any leftover sleepiness would be cured by the time I returned from the walk. Today, however, was different. As soon as I got back, 5:49am, I wanted nothing but more sleep. To satisfy this insatiable urge, I plopped down on the sofa and knocked off another 15 minutes of snoozing. I woke briefly to deliver Mindy’s coffee. I returned to the kitchen/familyroom at a crossroad. Should I get on with my day or sneak even more sleep. I chose sleep once again. I figured I’d trade all of my PC/meditation/stretching time for the extra winks. I didn’t wake again until Mindy & Bella were heading out the door just before 7:25am. I emailed my boss and peers to let them know that I’d be late. It was just Jacob and I. I enjoyed some coffee then headed out for my run at 8:05am. It was sunny and cool – about 50 degrees. I was stiffer than usual despite taking two Advil the night before but managed through it anyway. I finished my run around 8:40am. It was quite lovely. After the doctor’s appointment I phoned my boss at 9:20 to let him know that I would have to miss work on Jacob’s account. I left a VM and also sent an email. For breakfast, I fried some sliced roast beef and farm fresh extra-large grade ‘A’ chicken eggs and made some toast. I was really hungry. With all this nice weather in front of me and nothing planned, I decided to work in the flower beds. Sounds easy but it’s not. But before raking the beds, I pulled the flat tire off of my wheel barrow to get an idea whether or not the Home Depot replacement would work. I learned that it has a one inch axle and is just over seven inches across including the bushings, all important stuff relative to finding the right replacement. I spent the next two hours or so raking old leaves and spent mulch from the flower beds out back. I filled two tarps full of debris and drug them off to the compost pile. It was near noon. It was getting more gorgeous by the minute. I checked on Jacob. He was fine. After a snack, I returned to the yard to rake out the east side beds chalked full of English Ivy. That was some tough sledding. I filled another tarp over there. Next, I moved around front to get the two large beds. That took well over an hour. I used the heavier soil/debris to fill-in a small eroded areas along the pond where some kids removed my large retaining rocks. I found one of the three big rocks in the pond. The others were gone. I had to remove my shoes and socks to fetch it from about a foot of water. I gathered two more large slabs of rock from underneath the honeysuckle bushes lining the pond to build a new bank to hold back the newest installment of earth. That worked out pretty well. Next, I did the walk from the drive to the front door. That’s always a messy job with all the spent English Ivy. After another brief break I returned to complete the west side bed. That went much faster than the others. My neighbor, Carl came over to chat for about 30 minutes as I was finishing up. I was extremely stiff, and that was after choking down another three Advil. By the time I put all of my stuff away it was 3:30pm. I was toast. Instead of a nap I took a much needed shower. I was back downstairs by 3:55pm. For the first time all day, the sun began competing with thickening clouds. It had already exceeded the predicted high of 68 degrees. It was 73. Mindy was working a little late and stopping at Kroger on her way home. I walked Ykraps around 4:30pm. Afterwards, I went horizontal in the recliner and slept for maybe 5-10 minutes, or until I got a neck ache. Around 4:50pm I got up and walked around the house until my neck loosened up. Mindy and Bella got home a short time later. They found me sitting at the PC typing away. Mindy had a roast cooking in the crock pot all day. By then, it smelt terrific and was definitely ready. She made some sides: mashed potatoes and green beans. Dinner was ready by 5:30pm. Dinner was delicious. Clean-up was quick. We were done in the kitchen even before 6:30pm. That was nice. I used the time to write my Wednesday blog entry. The kids were able to skip baths/showers. We tucked them into bed at 8pm sharp. There wasn’t anything too exciting on the Science Channel. I watched a program about the world’s best beaches and then another about dangers at the beach. Those dangers included: sharks, jellyfish, tsunamis, bacteria, waves, and lightning. It was enough to scare anyone away. Mindy was tired and wanted to head to bed at 9:15pm. I caved and followed behind at 9:20pm.