Walkinathong ... boy was I embarrassed

Pretty much a repeat of most other mornings this week, I was up a few minutes ahead of 530am. And just like those days, I was quickly downstairs and ready to begin my calisthenics. However, after failing to do so the night before, I had to stop and prep the coffee maker before getting started. I checked the weather forecast soon after sit-ups. Supposed to be sunny and seasonably warm (about 70). Next was push-ups, they went easier than usual, no doubt a result of taking two Advil the night before. That’s some great stuff. Coffee finally done brewing, I prepped a cup just ahead of taking Frankie out for her morning romp. I took her out on a leash. Thankfully, she was prompt tending to her business. We were back inside at 603a. After a quick treat for Frankie, I moved to meditation and stretching. At mediation’s completion, the funk I was steeped in most of the day Wednesday was a thing of the past. I felt great. Stretching went well, too. Meanwhile, I was on track for an early run. I delivered Frankie and coffee to Mindy at 625a. It wasn’t another five minutes before heading off on my run. It was 53 degrees, so I wore long pants and a winter wicking shirt without a jacket. I was quite comfortable for the duration. I ran the full 4.1 mile track. Despite a clear forecast, we were under a thin veil of clouds, which prevented daybreak from becoming apparent until the very end of my run. Before heading inside, I inspected the freshly laid sod out front. Looking really good. The two days of gentle rain Monday and Tuesday were just what the doctor ordered. Inside, the kids were already up and at the breakfast table. Bella reminded me of the day’s walkathon at school. I’ll be there, I confidently replied! That made Bella happy. She said I needed to be there near 10a, but added that I could be a little late. Just before she left for school, Mindy reminder Bella to take a bottle of water. I headed off to the shower at 730a. Like the rest of the week’s mornings, I was still ahead of schedule by a few minutes. Downstairs again before 745a, I used the extra time to tinker with the Windows Live attachment the irrigation company sent me. I was able to successfully view it at home. Think it has something to do with Flash. I copied the letter into a word doc then sent it to myself at work so I could edit and then send it back for the changes. Nothing major, just a bit more detail. The kids, Frankie and I headed out at 755a. Chrissy was out with the girls this AM. Kenny left early for work. We chatted briefly, Chrissy sharing her frustration with a co-worker who is always on Facebook and never seemingly working. I just listened, didn’t interject, but thought to myself that those types of people usually get their due in the end. I allowed Frankie time to relieve herself after the kids were on the bus, but she was more interested in sniffing around the bridge. Never went. I toyed with driving the BM’er but opted out last minute. It was still cloudy directly overhead, but could see nothing but blue skies directly to our immediate west. Those thin clouds, however, weren’t moving very fast at all. I arrived at work just after 830a. I walked down to my boss’s office after getting situated. We talked for a while. I shared my need to take an early lunch to meet Bella for her school’s walkathon. He was fine with it. I left for the walkinathong at 945a arriving just ahead of 10am. Bella’s group wasn’t yet outside, Looked like kindergartner’s and perhaps 1st graders only. OK, was I ever embarrassed. There I was in my thong waiting for everyone else, only to realize that I must have misunderstood. :)

Bella and her fellow 2nd graders weren’t long. I waited no more than 3 or 4 minutes. Bella was very excited to have me there. She asked if we could wait for Makayla, who came out another minute later. She was happy to see me too. We walked around the ¼ mile track with a group of their friends 12 times. They had a sound system blaring youthful tunes, a fog machine, and the Texas Roadhouse armadillo on hand to help make it a fun, exciting event for the kids. In total, there may have been another 4 or five parents, but not too many. I consider myself lucky having the freedom to do such things with the kids. I took a couple photos during our walk and immediately texted them to Mindy. I begged out just before I figured they’d be calling Bella and the other 2nd graders to line-up to head back inside. Each grade had an hour with about 15-20 minutes between each grade. I arrived back at the office at 1110a. I let my boss know that I was back. It got really busy for the duration of the day. Seemed like mid-summer workload-wise. I talked with Mindy around 4pm. She was on her way home from school. Thanked me for the pix and text. Asked about dinner. I suggested we take Bella out for her birthday dinner. Mindy nixed the idea at first only because Jacob would be at soccer and would miss out. I deferred to her, but didn’t necessarily agree. After all, Jacob does all sorts of activities without Bella. Mindy called me back minutes later with a change of heart. Bella wanted to do dinner at Bravo. We haven’t been there as a family since my birthday two years ago, although I was there a few months ago with my boss and peers. I suggested we simply meet there since it’s just a mile or so from my office. Mindy agreed. I stayed at work until 540p to give Mindy enough time to get ready and head that way. It’s a good 6 or 7 miles from our home, not to mention the almost certain rush hour traffic on Riverside Drive she would encounter. Geesh! Bravo was even more crowded than I guessed it might be. Packed! I found one of just a few spots remaining. Mindy pulled in seconds after me and might’ve gotten the very last spot, which just happened to be right next to me. I was surprised to see that it wasn’t that crowded inside, although the patio was packed. We were taken directly to a table. Mindy & I ordered water with lemon while Bella went with lemonade. We ordered some cheese stuffed ravioli’s as an appetizer. They brought bread & oil gratis as well. The appetizer was really good. I ordered a bowl of their tomato bisque after remembering how good it used to be. For my entrée, I ordered chicken parmesan. Mindy & Bella ordered lasagna Bolognese. Mindy ordered a side salad too. Our server left a couple crayons at our table for Bella. The table was topped with a large sheet of white paper over a white linen table cloth. Bella used the paper as her personal canvas, just as I suppose it’s intended. Dinner was good. By the time we were ready for our bill, we had nearly every square inch of the white paper tablecloth covered in crayon, between our artistic drawings and math questions for Bella. I agreed to get the check. We headed home separately. Mindy & Bella planned a stop at Wendy’s to pick-up dinner for Jacob, who was at soccer practice. I beat those two home by about 10 minutes. During that time I freed Frankie, prepped Friday’s coffee, and checked email. Jacob arrived home minutes after Mindy & Bella. I updated my blog while the kids ate. Yes, that’s right. Bella got some Wendy’s too, even though she didn’t finish her Bravo lasagna. I didn’t spend anymore than about 30 minutes on the PC. I joined everyone in the family room around 8-830p to watch Thursday night college football, Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma State. Mindy took Frankie out a couple times after she scratched at the back door. Mindy & the kids headed off to bed relatively early. I stayed up to watch more of the game. Behind early, Oklahoma State came back and took the lead. When I went to bed they were up 28-21. It was near 1030p.