Snow Coming

Happy 50th Kelly - can I have my name back? I began my day just a few minutes ahead of 530am. By the time I had my sit-ups underway the coffee maker kicked on initiating its ever popular brewing cycle. Even though I was up a tad early, I felt more tired than usual. I pushed through my exercises anyway. But given my druthers, I would’ve slipped back to bed for a couple more hours of sleep. I didn’t dare follow through. I sipped coffee in front of the PC until it was time to wake Mindy. She sounded even worse than yesterday, her voice nearly gone. I asked if she was going to work. Yes. I headed back downstairs to finish my pre-run routine - meditation and stretching. Both went rather well. It was only 19 degrees so I bundled warmly for my run – back to my three upper layers. It was cold but also dry. The run went really well. Mindy’s Honda was covered in thick frost. She left her keys lying on the stand by the front door for ease of access. I started the Honda then headed back inside for breakfast. Mindy was very hoarse, in fact, so much so, I half expected her to whinny!  She woofed down her own breakfast then headed off to school. Bella asked me to pour more fruit loops in her bowl. Bella watched me prep the dishwasher for a wash cycle asking lots of questions. I was off to the shower at 737am. Bella stuck around long enough to watch me shave. I guess that’s a fascinating experience to a 7 year olds eye. The kids and I regrouped downstairs near 755am. Time to head out. Chrissy & I chatted briefly about kid related matters after the kids boarded the bus. Because the Trooper needed time to defrost, I headed back inside for another cup of coffee and more internet. I started the dishwasher then left the house at 821am. Gas, I noticed, was back up to $2.58 after dropping into the $2.30+ range for the last week or so. I arrived at the office around 835am. I spent an inordinate amount of time in meetings. In fact, meetings practically consumed the entire day. It’s the nature of my job sometimes, but it’s still very draining nonetheless. Reflecting back, the day whizzed by. It was hard to believe it was early evening already. Mindy called once she was home. She sounded bad, and shared that she felt the same way – very tired. We’d be having leftovers for dinner. I was good with that. We had a bunch of them – rotisserie chicken, ham, beef & noodles, etc. I left the office around 540pm making it home near 6pm. I was very happy to be home feeling somewhat exhausted myself. Mindy was busy preparing leftovers for herself and the kids. Because I was non-committal on my preference, she made me nothing. I eventually opted for rotisserie chicken, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. Bella asked me to heat her some ‘skin’ while warming my plate. OK! We practiced spelling words during dinner. Bella also shared that she and Lillian sorted out their differences on the school bus agreeing to bury the hatchet. It dawned on me how nicely the two of them worked out their problem. That’s something boys don’t typically do. Mindy excused herself right after dinner clean-up and headed up to get into her PJs. I knew she was tired. I granted her permission to head directly to bed. I’d make sure the kids were taken care of. Jacob played video games in his room while Bella played on the computer. I spent my time ripping my CD collection onto my hard drive. I must’ve completed about 30 or 40 – far more than I originally intended. I asked the kids to get into their PJ’s and brush their teeth at 830pm. They followed my direction with minimal resistance. I allowed both to watch TV from their beds until 9pm, eventually extending Jacob’s viewing time by 15 minutes. Bella questioned my thinking, but didn’t push back. I think she was tired. It was 9pm and I had the house all to myself. I briefly considered making a stiff drink, but how much fun could being a stiff drink be?  I settled for ice water and Southpark instead. I hadn’t seen a Southpark episode in a year or more. I laughed. I stayed tuned into Comedy Central for two other half hour shows, the last being Sarah Silverman. She’s cute and funny. Next thing I knew it was 11pm. I secured the house and headed for bed.