Don't Waste a Vacation Day

It was close enough to 530am to be considered "up as normal". Despite it being a Monday I didn't have the same blue feelings typically associated with the beginning of a work week. Probably not a fair comparison, however, given that this would be the first and last day of my work week. What's more, I actually had the day scheduled off, but decided to keep it in my back pocket for later. After all, our flight doesn't leave for another day. I started my exercise routine and completed it by 550am. Per the usual, I enjoyed a steaming hot cup of coffee while perusing the internet. Even though it was a few minutes earlier than normal, come 605am I decided to wake Mindy. Downstairs I skipped more internet time in favor of a longer, more fulfilling meditation and stretching period. Both were successful. While laying on the floor stretching, I could hear moderate rainfall beating against the skylights above. That's a sound I haven't heard for weeks on end, another benefit of a cold winter. I was ready for my run even before 635am. It was still raining, but not as heavily as it was while I was stretching. I shrugged it off and darted off into the dark moist air. I ran four miles without any trouble. It was warm enough that starting the Honda proved unnecessary. Mindy had fried eggs ready and waiting. Jacob had already eaten and was back up in his bedroom. Bella, Mindy & I enjoyed some quality time together before Mindy bolted off to school. She had a beef roast in crock-pot and asked that I remove the plastic-cardboard liner still frozen and stuck to the bottom before leaving for work. Of course, dear. She was gone. I put away the fruit and cleaned up a little before heading up for my shower. Bella followed closely behind. The kids and I met downstairs at 753am. It was still raining. Bella and I both grabbed umbrellas. Jacob didn't want anything to do with one. I snuck and made a snow ball for Jacob. We had a little battle before the bus showed up. It was fun. Although I didn't really want to, I'd be driving the BM'er again today. I was hopeful that my Trooper would be ready sometime mid-day. Both my boss and peer acted surprised to see my mug show up in the office. I alluded to the possibility but never confirmed my attendance 100%. My boss wondered if I planned to extend my vacation by any length. Nope. I explained that because we weren't leaving until Tuesday and the fact that we were essentially packed and ready I saw no need to waste a vacation day. The call about my Trooper never came. Aarrow is getting really bad about calling proactively. I resisted the urge to bother them all morning long. I tied up several loose ends through the day, some work related, others personal. I called Aarrow around 130pm. Trooper wouldn't be ready today and possibly not even Tuesday. Dave shared that the intake manifold gasket was leaking and that they were gonna put a factory gasket on this time in lieu of the after-market variety. However, he said the fuel injector o-rings were leaky too and wanted to replace them as well. Said he wouldn't have those parts until sometime Tuesday. Moreover, he was hesitant to quote me a price, instead citing his desire to consider the repair history. Feeling a bit over the barrel, I chose to be gracious and kind. We agreed that the Trooper would likely sit there until next week and that he would call me with the final cost. As for the proactive call, I wasn't gonna hold my breath. :( My boss suggested we make a Chipotle run around 230pm. Tempting, yes, but I knew if I did, I'd ruin my dinner appetite, and we were having roast beef. I graciously backed out. I even offered up some of my nuts to help tie him over. I emailed Glenn mid-afternoon to see if he had multiple pocket flasks for the mountain. He responded after a few short minutes that he did. Great. That would save me a trip to Meijers in search of one. I worked until 515pm, set my out-of-office and then left for home. Mindy called while in transit. Talking on the cell phone isn't easy driving anything, but it's especially challenging while driving the BM'er. I kept our conversation brief and to the point. Safety was paramount. Mindy had a lengthy staff meeting after school. I beat her and the kids home. My dad showed up before she and the kids. Mindy invited him for dinner. I was expecting him. I asked Dad to hurry in and not let Sparky out. We both got a little chuckle. It's all part of the healing process. Among other things, we chatted about our trip while waiting on Mindy to arrive home. She and the kids pulled up a few minutes later. Dad agreed to shuttle us to the airport, mind the house and mail, and feed and walk the dog. Oh, no, wait, no dog. Dad helped Bella with her homework (spelling words) while Mindy got dinner going. This, the phase I rarely see. Jacob asked me to check his homework - multiplication/math. Looked good. Jimaken stopped over just before we sat to eat to pick-up some of the kids gear and to review the logistics of their stay. Dinner was served by 6pm - roast beef, salad, peas, and mashed potatoes and gravy. I snacked on some Hot & Spicy Cheezits while waiting on dinner. I shouldn't have. I ate too many. As a result, I couldn't eat everything on my plate before my stomach felt full. It made me sleepy, too. I started clean-up with my head in a sleepy fog. Mindy started baking chocolate chip cookies for dessert at roughly the same time. Jacob and Bella were feuding/arguing back & forth for what seemed like an hour. Jacob insisted we play Apple to Apples. Dad agreed to play, and so did Mindy. I wanted a nap but forced myself to partake in some family fun. Bella played in her room while we played Apples to Apples. Meanwhile, Jacob was wound up, loud, and borderline obnoxious throughout the entire game. I hate to say it, but much like I would've acted at a similar age. Come to think of it, I should've been beaten more frequently. :) We enjoyed warm, out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies during the game. They were yummy! I let Mindy win the game. Dad headed for home around 730pm. I sent him home with our flight itinerary. Mindy sent him home with some veggies. Mindy insisted the kids shower before bed. Jacob's hair smelt to high heaven. I suggested she start buying him heavily perfumed shampoo. I did some last minute packing, updated my blog from the weekend, and changed into my PJ's. We joined the Olympics around 830pm watching snow skiing and ice dancing. I tucked the children into bed around 845pm. I fell asleep on the sofa. Mindy headed to bed at 10pm. I was officially on vacation. I didn't immediately follow. I stayed up for another half hour before joining her.