Like I have several other mornings this year, I woke well ahead of 530a and then had trouble getting back to sleep. By 523a it was apparent that a return to sleep wasn't in the cards. I decided to get up for good. I certainly didn’t want to risk falling asleep at that hour, and then end up oversleeping. Besides, I felt plenty well rested after more than 10 hours of good, sound sleep.
Downstairs a few minutes ahead of 530a, I stared out the back door all the while slipping into my exercise tennies. It was spitting a little snow but wasn’t accumulating. After sit-ups I checked the forecast. It was 30 degrees, but not expected to stray too far from that all day long.
I spent comparatively little time online, exhibiting the discipline I promised myself earlier this year. At 540a I headed into the kitchen to do my push-ups and then get some coffee. Psychologically, I felt much better than I did on Tuesday. I’m guessing the extra sleep helped as much as anything else.
It was 545a when Frankie and I headed outside. She took her time relieving herself, taking a tour of the entire backyard. We headed back inside after she had only peed. I gave her a treat and then started morning meditation, which I was determined to dedicate more time towards. As a result, and for the first time in a while I was able to quiet my mind almost completely. Anytime a stray thought entered my mind I was able to dispose of it and return to the ‘gap’ in a hurry. Very nice!
I finished meditation around 615a and moved immediately into my stretch routine. That went well, too. Felt terrific, and almost like medicine. It was 620a when I leaped to my feet, made Mindy’s coffee, and then delivered both that and the pug to Mindy, who had just cleared the bed on her way to a shower. I gave her a hug then headed downstairs to dress for a run.
I was out the door before I saw the clock hit 630a, although I am sure it was a little after by the time I took the first step of the actual run. There were a few scattered icy spots but smooth sailing for the most part. I saw the same group of high schoolers that I see almost every morning making their way to the bus stop. The bus picks them up around 640a. I noticed one of the boys was wearing only a t-shirt. What an ass! I suppose he thinks it makes him cool (perhaps cold, but not cool).
I ran the full 4.1 miles and felt really good doing it. I passed the trash truck towards the very back of the subdivision after noticing that he was about 6 houses down from ours when I first set out on my run. He’s pretty fast and efficient.
I was a little surprised that I had to ask Mindy for her Honda keys. Generally, she has them waiting by the door. Inside, she was running around like a chicken with her head cut off, trying to prep breakfast, start dinner, and organize herself for work all at the same time. I did my best to help by finishing cooking the scrambled eggs while she prepped two roasts for the crock-pot. She asked me to remove the last bit of frozen plastic still attached to the roasts before I left for work. By then the plastic pieces whould come off much easier.
Mindy, still noticeably stressed, woofed down her eggs then headed out the door a bit after 730a.
I gave Frankie her own small plate of scrambled eggs just before heading upstairs. Boy was she happy! I flew through my shower and other associated activities. I was back downstairs by 753a packing my lunch. It was time to head out for the bus in no time at all. Yikes! I stopped what I was doing and headed out with the kids. I started the Trooper on my way to the stop. Kenny was out with the girls. Kenny asked if Mindy & I were still planning a trip to HV over the weekend. Apparently Mindy made mention of it. As much as I’d like to, I couldn’t say either way. We hadn’t yet firmed plans. Said they’d keep Frankie if we wanted. Cool!
After the bus picked up the kids I walked Frankie again out front. A lot of sniffing but nothing else. We headed back inside where I picked up right where I left off earlier. I finished packing my lunch and then decided to unload the dishwasher knowing that would help make Mindy’s return home later that afternoon a lot smoother. She planned to pick-up Lindsey & the boys on her way home from school.
By the time I finished unloading the dishwasher and prepping a to-go cup of coffee it was already 825a. I’d be a few minutes late but everything was in perfect order. The drive in went well - uneventful. I parked out front.
I was in my office before 845a. Once again, I spent a lot of time working on 2011 performance plans. The work day went incredibly fast. I didn’t take a formal lunch break all day long. I thought about sneaking off for a haircut, but since Jacob needs one too it made little sense to have mine cut at lunch while still needing to take him. Hopefully, he and I can get out yet this week after work. I missed a call from Mindy around 3p. I called her back around 430p. She was at home with Lindsey and all the kids. Said things were going smoothly. Expected my dad for dinner, too. She asked if I could leave a little early. Said I would try.
To that end, I made plans to try and leave by 510p. Turns out, my plan was a success. I pulled up in front of the house at roughly 530p. As expected, Mindy was busy with dinner, and Lindsey close by chatting. I kidded Lindsey about not knowing she would be there. I hugged her and wished her a happy birthday. I greeted the g-kids too. Dad pulled up in front of the house just as I was entering. Wasn’t sure why it was taking so long for him to come in. Bella said that she could see him talking on the phone.
I did all of my routine chores ahead of dinner. It would drive me insane to wait. There were eight of us in total. To accommodate that number, I fetched one of our new folding chairs from the basement. We were able to get everyone around the kitchen table. Mindy served up the roast beef dinner plates. Landon is hilarious. You should hear him request roast. The boy loves his food! He sat by me at the table’s corner. During dinner we got on the topic of careers. The kids shared what they wanted to be when they grew up. Rocky first said he wanted to be a billionaire but then later joked that he wanted to be homeless. Nice!
Landon said he planned to be a police officer, and went on to share that he already has the uniform. Too cute! I quipped that he could then put Rocky in jail.
Dinner was delicious. As usual, the kids were done ahead of us and asked if they could play the Wii while we finished. No. Mindy insisted they remain at the table for more family dialogue.
After everyone was finished with dinner we let the kids play the Wii while I managed dinner clean-up. At the same time, Mindy prepped Lindsey’s b-day cake with candles. No sooner had I finished the dinner dishes it was time to dirty more. The cake was double chocolate. I joked that it was no coincidence that we bought a devil’s food cake for Lindsey. Lindsey, however, didn’t seem to find my joke humorous.
All four kids played Wii for the duration of the evening while Mindy, Dad, and I sat around the table talking. Dad shared a story about a suspected bad heating element in his clothes dryer. The dilemma that turned into a whole house power problem. Sounds to me like he lost one phase of the 220v feed. He didn’t quite follow my logic at first, but seemed to comprehend it after explaining some A/C basics.
We encouraged him to feel welcome to use our dryer anytime until he gets the trouble resolved. I also offered to stop by and look at the issue myself, or simply let him borrow my volt meter. He declined both offers.
Somewhat surprisingly, Dad seemed interested in watching the Buckeye basketball game. I told him I avoid watching most games anymore so to avoid the unnecessary stress. I did, however, agree to check the score online. Dad followed me into the living room where I pulled it up on my PC. The Buckeyes were up 40-24.
While we were checking the score, an email came in from my mom sharing news that her upcoming surgery was canceled until she sees a pulmonologist. As she explained in the email, the surgeon believes she may have coronary artery disease, which would place her at high risk for the anesthesia. I am not too keen on her having the procedure anyhow, especially given her previously diagnosed osteoporosis, and the poor results after her previous back surgery.
We chatted with Dad until about 730p when he readied to depart. We asked the boys to get ready to go, too. I agreed to drive them home. We left maybe 10 minutes later.
Thankfully, the drive was uneventful. You never know driving through Valleyview and then the narrows of Hague Ave. Lindsey thanked us for celebrating her birthday and then headed in Kelly’s place with the boys. My eyes were already beginning to itch, presumably do to cat dander.
I listened to the tail end of the Buckeye basketball game during my drive home. It was safe. They were up by 20+ points for pretty much the entire game. The house was deceptively quiet upon my return. Mindy shared that both kids headed down to Kenny & Chrissy’s to play for a while, but she expected them home within minutes. It was currently 810p.
Before the kids got home, I asked Mindy her thoughts regarding a potential weekend at HV. If we were gonna go, we needed to have the logistics fully in place by the next afternoon. Mindy sounded as if she was on the fence. Granted, it’s a long way to go for such a brief stay, but if she seemed eager, I was more than game. She also made some reference to being just as happy staying home and skiing MRM with neighbors and friends. I like MRM too, but also have an insatiable need to ski longer, more challenging runs. I guess Oregon will be that much sweeter.
The kids were home and readying for showers a short while later. I settled onto the sofa and tuned the TV to the Science Channel. Finding nothing of interest on, I eventually stumbled upon American Idol already in progress. I was most curious to see Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler as judges. The show didn’t disappoint. All four of us watched & laughed. Mindy let the kids stay up for the show’s entirety, or until 10p. We even caught the beginning of the local Fox news cast that followed immediately after. That’s something we never do. Mindy & I headed to bed by 1020p.
Like I have several other mornings this year, I woke well ahead of 530a and then had trouble getting back to sleep. By 523a it was apparent that a return to sleep wasn't in the cards. I decided to get up for good. I certainly didn’t want to risk falling asleep at that hour, and then end up oversleeping. Besides, I felt plenty well rested after more than 10 hours of good, sound sleep.
Downstairs a few minutes ahead of 530a, I stared out the back door all the while slipping into my exercise tennies. It was spitting a little snow but wasn’t accumulating. After sit-ups I checked the forecast. It was 30 degrees, but not expected to stray too far from that all day long.
I spent comparatively little time online, exhibiting the discipline I promised myself earlier this year. At 540a I headed into the kitchen to do my push-ups and then get some coffee. Psychologically, I felt much better than I did on Tuesday. I’m guessing the extra sleep helped as much as anything else.
It was 545a when Frankie and I headed outside. She took her time relieving herself, taking a tour of the entire backyard. We headed back inside after she had only peed. I gave her a treat and then started morning meditation, which I was determined to dedicate more time towards. As a result, and for the first time in a while I was able to quiet my mind almost completely. Anytime a stray thought entered my mind I was able to dispose of it and return to the ‘gap’ in a hurry. Very nice!
I finished meditation around 615a and moved immediately into my stretch routine. That went well, too. Felt terrific, and almost like medicine. It was 620a when I leaped to my feet, made Mindy’s coffee, and then delivered both that and the pug to Mindy, who had just cleared the bed on her way to a shower. I gave her a hug then headed downstairs to dress for a run.
I was out the door before I saw the clock hit 630a, although I am sure it was a little after by the time I took the first step of the actual run. There were a few scattered icy spots but smooth sailing for the most part. I saw the same group of high schoolers that I see almost every morning making their way to the bus stop. The bus picks them up around 640a. I noticed one of the boys was wearing only a t-shirt. What an ass! I suppose he thinks it makes him cool (perhaps cold, but not cool).
I ran the full 4.1 miles and felt really good doing it. I passed the trash truck towards the very back of the subdivision after noticing that he was about 6 houses down from ours when I first set out on my run. He’s pretty fast and efficient.
I was a little surprised that I had to ask Mindy for her Honda keys. Generally, she has them waiting by the door. Inside, she was running around like a chicken with her head cut off, trying to prep breakfast, start dinner, and organize herself for work all at the same time. I did my best to help by finishing cooking the scrambled eggs while she prepped two roasts for the crock-pot. She asked me to remove the last bit of frozen plastic still attached to the roasts before I left for work. By then the plastic pieces whould come off much easier.
Mindy, still noticeably stressed, woofed down her eggs then headed out the door a bit after 730a.
I gave Frankie her own small plate of scrambled eggs just before heading upstairs. Boy was she happy! I flew through my shower and other associated activities. I was back downstairs by 753a packing my lunch. It was time to head out for the bus in no time at all. Yikes! I stopped what I was doing and headed out with the kids. I started the Trooper on my way to the stop. Kenny was out with the girls. Kenny asked if Mindy & I were still planning a trip to HV over the weekend. Apparently Mindy made mention of it. As much as I’d like to, I couldn’t say either way. We hadn’t yet firmed plans. Said they’d keep Frankie if we wanted. Cool!
After the bus picked up the kids I walked Frankie again out front. A lot of sniffing but nothing else. We headed back inside where I picked up right where I left off earlier. I finished packing my lunch and then decided to unload the dishwasher knowing that would help make Mindy’s return home later that afternoon a lot smoother. She planned to pick-up Lindsey & the boys on her way home from school.
By the time I finished unloading the dishwasher and prepping a to-go cup of coffee it was already 825a. I’d be a few minutes late but everything was in perfect order. The drive in went well - uneventful. I parked out front.
I was in my office before 845a. Once again, I spent a lot of time working on 2011 performance plans. The work day went incredibly fast. I didn’t take a formal lunch break all day long. I thought about sneaking off for a haircut, but since Jacob needs one too it made little sense to have mine cut at lunch while still needing to take him. Hopefully, he and I can get out yet this week after work. I missed a call from Mindy around 3p. I called her back around 430p. She was at home with Lindsey and all the kids. Said things were going smoothly. Expected my dad for dinner, too. She asked if I could leave a little early. Said I would try.
To that end, I made plans to try and leave by 510p. Turns out, my plan was a success. I pulled up in front of the house at roughly 530p. As expected, Mindy was busy with dinner, and Lindsey close by chatting. I kidded Lindsey about not knowing she would be there. I hugged her and wished her a happy birthday. I greeted the g-kids too. Dad pulled up in front of the house just as I was entering. Wasn’t sure why it was taking so long for him to come in. Bella said that she could see him talking on the phone.
I did all of my routine chores ahead of dinner. It would drive me insane to wait. There were eight of us in total. To accommodate that number, I fetched one of our new folding chairs from the basement. We were able to get everyone around the kitchen table. Mindy served up the roast beef dinner plates. Landon is hilarious. You should hear him request roast. The boy loves his food! He sat by me at the table’s corner. During dinner we got on the topic of careers. The kids shared what they wanted to be when they grew up. Rocky first said he wanted to be a billionaire but then later joked that he wanted to be homeless. Nice!
Landon said he planned to be a police officer, and went on to share that he already has the uniform. Too cute! I quipped that he could then put Rocky in jail.
Dinner was delicious. As usual, the kids were done ahead of us and asked if they could play the Wii while we finished. No. Mindy insisted they remain at the table for more family dialogue.
After everyone was finished with dinner we let the kids play the Wii while I managed dinner clean-up. At the same time, Mindy prepped Lindsey’s b-day cake with candles. No sooner had I finished the dinner dishes it was time to dirty more. The cake was double chocolate. I joked that it was no coincidence that we bought a devil’s food cake for Lindsey. Lindsey, however, didn’t seem to find my joke humorous.
All four kids played Wii for the duration of the evening while Mindy, Dad, and I sat around the table talking. Dad shared a story about a suspected bad heating element in his clothes dryer. The dilemma that turned into a whole house power problem. Sounds to me like he lost one phase of the 220v feed. He didn’t quite follow my logic at first, but seemed to comprehend it after explaining some A/C basics.
We encouraged him to feel welcome to use our dryer anytime until he gets the trouble resolved. I also offered to stop by and look at the issue myself, or simply let him borrow my volt meter. He declined both offers.
Somewhat surprisingly, Dad seemed interested in watching the Buckeye basketball game. I told him I avoid watching most games anymore so to avoid the unnecessary stress. I did, however, agree to check the score online. Dad followed me into the living room where I pulled it up on my PC. The Buckeyes were up 40-24.
While we were checking the score, an email came in from my mom sharing news that her upcoming surgery was canceled until she sees a pulmonologist. As she explained in the email, the surgeon believes she may have coronary artery disease, which would place her at high risk for the anesthesia. I am not too keen on her having the procedure anyhow, especially given her previously diagnosed osteoporosis, and the poor results after her previous back surgery.
We chatted with Dad until about 730p when he readied to depart. We asked the boys to get ready to go, too. I agreed to drive them home. We left maybe 10 minutes later.
Thankfully, the drive was uneventful. You never know driving through Valleyview and then the narrows of Hague Ave. Lindsey thanked us for celebrating her birthday and then headed in Kelly’s place with the boys. My eyes were already beginning to itch, presumably do to cat dander.
I listened to the tail end of the Buckeye basketball game during my drive home. It was safe. They were up by 20+ points for pretty much the entire game. The house was deceptively quiet upon my return. Mindy shared that both kids headed down to Kenny & Chrissy’s to play for a while, but she expected them home within minutes. It was currently 810p.
Before the kids got home, I asked Mindy her thoughts regarding a potential weekend at HV. If we were gonna go, we needed to have the logistics fully in place by the next afternoon. Mindy sounded as if she was on the fence. Granted, it’s a long way to go for such a brief stay, but if she seemed eager, I was more than game. She also made some reference to being just as happy staying home and skiing MRM with neighbors and friends. I like MRM too, but also have an insatiable need to ski longer, more challenging runs. I guess Oregon will be that much sweeter.
The kids were home and readying for showers a short while later. I settled onto the sofa and tuned the TV to the Science Channel. Finding nothing of interest on, I eventually stumbled upon American Idol already in progress. I was most curious to see Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler as judges. The show didn’t disappoint. All four of us watched & laughed. Mindy let the kids stay up for the show’s entirety, or until 10p. We even caught the beginning of the local Fox news cast that followed immediately after. That’s something we never do. Mindy & I headed to bed by 1020p.
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