Eventually, Everybody Quits Smokng

In a display of good discipline, I rolled out of bed on time despite a strong desire for more sleep. Like most days, by the time I was up and brushing my teeth I was wide awake. I grabbed my running clothes from the closet and headed down stairs to exercise and enjoy coffee. It looked cold outside, a light coat of snow and a continuous breeze. After sit-ups, I checked the temperature. It was a chilly 14 degrees and with the wind chill, only zero. After push-ups I poured some coffee and freed Frankie. She was more than eager to get out and play. I sat with her for a few minutes before heading out into the cold. She was once again slow to take care of business. I was beginning to get frustrated with her seeming inability to go. She pooped but didn't pee. As a last resort, I walked her out front and down the walk towards the bridge. The finally peed. Thank goodness! It was already 610a by the time we were back in the warmth. I meditated for about ten minutes then another five stretching. It was 630a by the time Frankie and I headed up to wake Mindy with coffee in hand. She was already in the shower. Downstairs, I bundled warmly, this time wearing my tight running pants to prevent cold air from rushing up my pant legs. They made a significant difference. It was cold but I was dressed accordingly and stayed fairly comfortable throughout the 4.1 mile run. Mindy's keys were resting just inside the front door. I started the Honda then headed inside for breakfast. Mindy & Bella asked how my run went. Good, but cold. Like most days, eggs and fruit were the main feature. My eggs were satisfying. I washed them down with a glass of OJ. Frankie got our egg remnants, mine and Mindy's. Mindy asked me to tend to the roast in the crock-pot before leaving. I know the drill well. Remove the styrofoam bottom, season liberally, turn to low. Mindy was soon off to work. She forgot something and made a very brief return. Not sure what it was. I was soon off to the shower, and Bella off to tidy her room and brush her teeth. I asked Jacob if he knew who won the hockey game. Like a lot of Blue Jacket fans, he's jaded and guessed Dallas. Nope, the Blue Jackets won in a shoot out, 3-2. I also shared that the Patriots crushed the Jets 45-3. I called for the kids at 755a. Jacob was downstairs and out the door in a hurry like always. Bella, on the other hand, was slow to get moving. It was already 8a and she still was piddling around with her school gear. I gave her a ration of shit to which she began to cry. I felt bad but we needed to get out the door. We got out to the bus stop at 802a. Kenny, the girls, and Woody were already out. Woody had a lamp shade around his neck. Too much beer the night before, eh? :) He seemed no worse for the wear, and was eager to play with Frankie despite the removal of his balls. I made sure that Frankie stayed away from his precious, tender parts. The bus arrived on time. I walked Frankie out front for a minute or two longer. She peed before we headed back inside. Because I failed to start the Trooper on our way to the bus stop, I took care of that first, then quickly organized my gear for work, including packing myself a light lunch. I was out the door at 818a. I arrived at the office maybe a minute or two late. I was in my office by 835a.The morning was busy. It included a couple impromptu meetings. Come 1p, I decided to take lunch and head to Target where I planned to pick-up a few Xmas gifts. I thought I might stop at Home Depot and possibly even Kroger too. I picked up two new sleds for the kids, something both asked for in early November, some wrapping paper and bows, perfume for Lindsey, birthday cards for mom and dad, and a new snow shovel for me. I also picked up some gum for work and home and then a bottle of STP fuel line cleaner for the Trooper. By the time I walked out the door I'd be gone about an hour. I decided to head back to the office. I was back at 210p. The afternoon was busy. My email inbox was exploding with escalations. There are times when I could just scream! Around 4p, I talked with my boss about taking Wednesday as a comp day. He agreed that Wednesday worked best. I thought I might leave the office a little early, but that never materialized. It was 530p by the time I got away. It was quite cold, only 20 degrees. The drive home went well. Quiet and peaceful! I hadn't talked with Mindy all day, and she and the kids were gone when I arrived home, presumably taking Bella to gymnastics. I hurried through my usual chores; rinse lunch dishes and prep Wednesday coffee. The roast in the crock-pot smelt terrific. Mindy & Jacob were soon home. Mindy served up dinner in a hurry, roast beef, broccoli, leftover baked potato. The roast was terrific. We had just finished dinner when Mindy & Jacob needed to head back out. Not only were they going after Bella, but also after a prescription and then a stop at Target. Among other things, Mindy wanted to get a b-day card for Chrissy, her 32nd. While they were away, I finished cleaning up the kitchen then went to my PC to update my blog. My dad called around 7p. The news wasn't good, but not unexpected. Aunt Linda passed away a couple hours earlier. never did make it out of the hospital and to Regency Manor. Dad shared that mom would almost certainly need a place to stay during the funeral planning and service. Wasn't sure of much beyond that. Mindy and the kids were gone until almost 8p. I didn't share the news of Linda's passing for several minutes after their return. I waited until the kids were off doing something else. I planned to call my mom in the next hour to determine what the plans were. I must've made the call around 830-845p. I was surprised and disappointed to learn that mom was making no effort to help with the planning, most notably not expressing Linda's final wishes to Steve, her husband, who according to mom planned to have her funeral and interment in Vinton county. Nice! I chastised mom for her negligence. Honestly, I couldn't really believe what I was hearing. I didn't let up. I eventually requested Steve's phone number sharing that I would at least make an attempt to communicate Linda's wishes, whether they/he chose to listen or not. Mom was willing to defer to Scotty, Linda's son who's never really displayed any sense of accountability/responsibility. Par for the course. Mindy heard me raising my voice on the phone and came to ask what all the commotion was about. I shared the dysfunction. She agreed with me 100%. Mom called back about 10 minutes later sharing that she called Steve after all. Sounded like he planned to have her wishes carried out after all. Good. I was glad that mom finally stepped up and did the right thing. After all of that, I needed a beer! I poured a Xmas ale, still left from our TG feast. I was surprised that it was still good. I ended up having two of those and then a Centennial. Hey, I wasn't working on Wednesday. I stayed up late watching mindless TV (King of the Hill & Family Guy) and eating popcorn. I didn't make my way to bed until almost 1a.