Level Metal

For the first time in a long while, I woke somewhat sleepy. Nevertheless, I was up a few minutes early – 5:27am. I completed my exercise regimen then headed out with Ykraps. The air was mild and the sky cloudy. Any leftover grogginess quickly evaporated during our walk.. Soon I was operating at full throttle. Coffee time passed quickly, but then again it always does. At 610am I delivered Mindy’s coffee. I returned to the PC for a few more minutes before starting meditation and stretching. I took extra care in meditation to fully relax my mind and focus on the gaps. It was quite refreshing. Stretching was equally beneficial. Many of my mini-stretches are focused on my shoulders, upper back and neck. They’re making a big difference in the frequency of my body aches and overall flexibility. I dressed for a run at 630am. My running clothes reeked of stale perspiration and I was on my last pair of clean running socks. I knew that I needed to launder my running clothes before leaving for work. My run went well, and I ran the full four miles. My knee was in no pain but I could feel some tenderness. I should probably be icing it more regularly. Mindy had scrambled eggs ready and waiting. Along with pouring juice, I warmed some leftover ham for both her and I to share. Breakfast hit the spot. Soon Mindy left for school and I headed for a shower. Like most mornings, I did some tidying up just before heading up. I was ready for work a few minutes early. I noticed Mindy left a check for Rachel, the girl that cleans our house. Today would be a cleaning day. After seeing the kids onto the school bus I returned home to take care of a few last minute items. I meant to grab the XM radio bill hoping to call their customer service one more time in an attempt to resolve our billing dispute but forgot it. I arrived at work near 830am. The morning moved swiftly given the back to back meetings (team and then staff). In addition to the meetings, there were numerous issues requiring my attention and focus. That made the day go really fast but I also allowed it to increase my personal stress level. And then, by not taking a lunch, it only exacerbated the issue. As 5pm neared, I mentioned to my boss that I wanted to head out. He understood. His day was tough too. I called Mindy during my drive home. Jimaken was already there to pick-up the kids. We agreed that a trip to Barley’s was in order, which is exactly what I needed after my busy day. The kids were gone by the time I arrived home. I had to walk Ykraps. Mindy didn’t do it because it started raining. During our walk the rain came down even harder. I took the umbrella. This was our first rain in a while. November has been fairly dry so far. Before heading out, I quickly perused two dental predetermination statements that arrived in the mail pertaining to my crown. Complicated stuff. I decided to review them more thoroughly later. After brushing my teeth we headed out. It continued raining steadily. I dropped Mindy near the door before parking the Honda. There wasn’t quite the crowd there was last Wednesday. Inside, there were bar seats too. Yippee! Janet offered me a Pale Ale remembering my choice the week prior, but I was more a Bitter Dan guy tonight. Mindy ordered a Pint-of-Joe. I shared how my growler of Pale Ale morphed into more of a stout by Saturday. While sipping our beers, I shared with Mindy my tinkering with a possible trip out west to ski either before Xmas or even next week’s TG holiday. Mindy offered that she could likely pull off such a trip next week, too since this TG is Jimaken’s to have the kids. I agreed to research air rates again on Thursday, but warned that my previous poking around revealed ridiculous prices in the $600-700 r/t range. I also shared the price quotes for lodging at the new Tamarack Club at Holiday Valley. They started taking reservations on Tuesday. It’s expensive but the amenities are about as good as it gets, especially if we’re taking the kids, which we will. It’s at the heart of the resort right next door to the ski shop – ski school. A simple studio w/kitchen and a full bath is $399 a night on weekends. Plus, MLK weekend requires a 3-night stay. Add to that a 16% bed/sales tax and it gets pricey quick. Mindy wants to do it. I promised to try and book it on Thursday. Hey, you only live once! We ordered food as our beers bottomed out. I ordered ten Gates-of-Hell wings. Mindy ordered potato skins topped with chicken, beef, and pork. I ordered a second beer. Mindy only water. Calvin was in and we chatted some. In fact, I switched seats with Mindy so that they could chat more easily. I kept largely to myself. Our tab was only $28 before tip. I got the check. We headed for home around 720pm. At home the first thing I did was address the crooked metal sculpture hanging on the newly repaired wall. I used a level earlier that morning to learn that it was off by nearly half and inch across its 30” span (that’s a lot). The screw holes were level so I figured the one on the left had to be loose and moving. It was. To help compensate, I placed a piece of duct tape around one of the screw slots on the metal piece to prevent it from sliding down as far as the other. That worked perfectly. I confirmed my work with a level. Mindy agreed, looking on from afar. The kids arrived home before 8pm, and Mindy quickly rushed them upstairs to get bathed and ready for bed. Sometime near 845pm I went to the family room, turned the TV to a rare Wednesday night college football game, and stretched out comfortably on the floor. I was out in minutes. I believe I heard Mindy request I come up and tuck in the kids, but I didn’t wake again until midnight. I shut down the electronics and headed for bed.