What a Ham!

I was up a few minutes early, and because it was so close to 530am I didn’t dare try going back to sleep. It was 525am by the time I made it downstairs to start my exercise routine. After push-ups I checked the weather. It was 32 degrees, as warm as it’s been at that hour in quite a while. The coffee kicked on while I was at the PC. After 5 or 10 minutes I moved on to push-ups then my first cup of coffee. While enjoying my coffee I read headlines, email, and then the Daily OM. Truth be told, I was kind of bored. That doesn’t happen often. Come 610am I delivered Mindy’s coffee. She didn’t sound very good. She’s been battling a cough and losing her voice all week. I returned downstairs but went straight to meditation and stretching. I completed both just after 6:30am. Again, because it was so warm, I dropped back to just two upper layers – a winter wicking shirt and pullover fleece. I also skipped the fleece headband I typically wear against my gripper ear covers. I was plenty comfortable & cozy. The run went well. I had Mindy fetch me her car keys as I reentered the house so I could start/warm her car. My breakfast was ready and waiting. Soon Mindy was gone and Bella and I headed upstairs. The three of us reconvened at 756am downstairs. Jacob was uncharacteristically running behind. We were out at the bus stop a couple minutes later than usual, but still a few minutes ahead of the pick-up. The Trooper was started and warming the entire time we waited at the bus stop. I headed back inside and hung out for a few before heading off to work. The work day was busy, but more related to meetings than anything else. I called Aspen Ski & Board around noon asking if they could/would try adjusting my ski boots if I brought them in. I remembered them telling us that they come with lifetime adjustments. I love my boots but the left one is rubbing the inside knob of my ankle enough to cause a raspberry. It hurts – feels like a bone bruise. I know they can heat and mold the plastic structure. They replied as I expected they might. “Sure, bring ‘em in. We have excellent boot fitters at both stores.” Great! I thought I might do that on Thursday. I stayed at the office all day eating my packed lunch at my desk. I ended up working until 545pm after talking with Mindy sometime around 4-430pm. We were having ham for dinner. It cooked on low in the crock-pot all day long. I would’ve set it on warm if it weren’t frozen initially. Mindy said it looked good. I arrived home pretty much at the top of the hour. Mindy was already dishing out dinner. Bella was pouting and Jacob was tormenting, although the latter not the cause of the prior. Instead, sounded like Bella had a falling out with Lilly, Kenny’s daughter. She was distraught, but when prompted for details, she couldn’t/wouldn’t elaborate. Jacob’s badgering only exacerbated the problem. Mindy had to ask him more than once to back-off. In an attempt to divert their focus to something more positive, I asked Bella about her school day, and then her weekly spelling list. That worked. She fetched her list and we started practicing the ten words. Included this week were the words: moth, mother, other, thief, and too. I often ask her to say it, and then use it in a sentence before spelling it. She’s a much better speller than I expected she might be. Very coachable. Jacob practiced some of his words, too. It was suggested that we watch a movie after dinner clean-up. I was OK with that as long as the movie was something tolerable, although I felt the need to return to my reading ways. I’ve really let it slip over the last year. Before any of that, Mindy made the kids take showers. As usual, Jacob tried getting out of it. But after a simple sniff test, his pleading words fell on deaf ears.  While the kids showered, I updated my blog. I didn’t spend too much time on the PC, however. I eventually joined the kids and Mindy for the Home Alone 4 movie, already about halfway in. For some reason, every stinking DVD we watch starts skipping about an hour into the movie. Mindy & I both suspect it’s getting too hot resting above our almost always on stereo receiver. Tonight was no exception. I can not stand to watch a skipping DVD. I removed it and rinsed it off after seeing smudges on it. Mindy advised that she washed it ahead of time using soap and water. Soap and water? Are you kidding? Not good! I cleaned it with water only and the skipping stopped. I restarted the DVD from a point in front of the skipping. We got through it this go-round without a single skip. Problem, is that happens with almost every DVD. Maybe it the player? We tucked the kids in after the movie, which ended around 840pm. Immediately after, I checked the Science, History, and Discovery Channels for something fun and educational. Nothing. Not one good program. Even those networks have sold out to a lot of foolish programming, sad to say. We ended up watching American Idol from start to finish for the first time this season. It was good for a laugh, but neither Mindy or I were that into it. Next week is Hollywood week. We headed to bed a couple minutes after Idol, or just as the news was coming on. We caught a glimpse of the weather teaser, forecasting a “big winter storm” coming our way. Who knew? I checked the Yahoo forecast on my way up to bed. 1-3” inches possible on Friday.