Playing Cat & Mouse

I got caught playing a bit of cat & mouse with the bedroom clock during the final hour or two of sleep. In the end, I woke a little later than I wanted. It was 5:42am. The 12 minute delay didn’t sway me much, however, other than to simply put me behind my usual schedule. I checked to make sure the coffee brewed and started my exercise regimen. Yes. Outside, it looked like another sunny & warm start. It was already in the upper 60’s. Ykraps and I headed out the door at 5:55am. Nice walk. It was 6:15 or so when he and I got back for coffee. Actually, Ykraps didn’t want any. Instead, he wanted water. I spent just a few minutes at the PC before moving onto meditation and stretching. Both went well. The stretching felt incredibly good. I just can’t express how beneficial it’s been for the minor aches and pains that ale me, most likely associated with my ongoing running and exercise plan. I didn’t leave for my run until 6:50am – much later than usual. In fact, I passed a walker I see almost every morning straight up. He quipped that I was late! He was right. Yet despite being later than usual, I took my time and didn’t worry about the clock. It was a thoroughly enjoyable run. It was darn near 7:30am by the time I was back at home starting my breakfast. I toweled the sweat off my body from the deck. I made an omelet with Italian cheese. It was quite tasty. Around 7:50am I headed up for a shower with a cup of coffee in hand for Mindy. I was showered and dressed in less than fifteen minutes. I asked Mindy if she cared to join me on the deck for another cup of coffee. She did. It was humid and warm, almost 70 degrees. The anticipated high for the day was 86 degrees. We sat on the deck until 8:20am when I finally had to depart. Mindy complained of feeling incredibly tired. Work was busy. I didn’t take much of a break all day long, and I never got outside to appreciate the summery weather. Those at work that had, returned talking about how hot and humid it was out there. Those, no doubt, are the same folks that complain about how cold it is in the winter. Me, I am simply happy that it’s summer. Mindy reported taking the kids to the pool again during the afternoon. She also said she wasn’t up for cooking dinner and suggested we do dinner at Barley’s instead. Both kids backed her proposal. I was more than agreeable, too. After all, she went through a lot of trouble for me on Sunday. Mindy agreed to walk Ykraps before I got home. As tired as she felt this AM, I felt equally as tired when I got home. I pleaded for the opportunity to take a quick nap before leaving for Barley’s, but did little more than lay there with my eyes closed. It was 6:40pm when we finally arrived at Barley’s. We opted for a table on the patio, something we rarely, if ever, do. Our first choice left us exposed to too much late evening sun. We moved to another, but still had the sun in our eyes, at least to some degree. It was quite warm but bearable. I ordered a Centennial IPA. Mindy ordered a rum & Coke. The kids ordered lemonade. Mindy asked for an order of sauerkraut balls as an appetizer. We placed our food order when the drinks arrived, in part, to cash in on the happy hour prices. Mindy ordered a burger; me, a Cuban. The kids ordered wings; Jacob, Gates of Hell, and Bella, K.C. Our food arrived ten minutes later. All very good. As expected, Bella grazed on her wings like turtle. She ate only two of ten. On the other hand, Jacob woofed down seven of ten rather quickly. He said the Gates sauce was extra hot. I had a side of Gates to dip my fries. I agreed. It was hot! While Mindy and Bella were away at the bathroom, Jacob was busy sucking on ice cubes. Suddenly, he got this look that I’ve seen before. I knew he was about to toss his cookies. Sitting to close for comfort, I asked him to turn his head the opposite direction. He didn’t comply. Instead, he threw up on his plate and in his lap. It wasn’t a lot but still enough. I wasn’t happy. He said he couldn’t help it after an ice cube slipped halfway down his throat. When Mindy returned I shared our dilemma. One thing was certain, we wouldn’t be taking his three leftover wings home in the boxes Diedra brought us. I nursed a second beer before leaving, a Hoptopus. Mindy picked up the check. We arrived home around 8pm. I really needed to water the backyard flower baskets and pots but was overwhelmed with a case of the sleepies. So, instead of tending to my chores, I plopped down on the sofa and took about a 30 minute nap. I was out like a light. After slowly waking, I put on my dog walking shoes and headed outside to water. I was happy to find the previously saturated parts of the lawn now dry after deactivating the irrigation system for three nights in a row. Most of my concern was at or near the new sod. It’s been soggy since it was laid and never once has it had much of a chance to dry out. It was still lush and green. I planned to re-enable all 6 zones starting tonight. I watered all the flowers and even topped off the hot tub, which was down about three inches. I couldn’t help but notice how much my tomato plants have grown in the last week or so. Hot steamy nights do the trick every time. While Mindy got the kids ready for bed I played on the PC. We headed to bed at 10pm. Both of us were over tired.