Be My Valentine at the Big Fat

I slept fairly well, especially for having a bum shoulder. And believe me, over the years, I have lost a wink or two due to bum shoulders. I consider myself an expert on the matter, whether it from water skiing, snow skiing, or even lifting weights. I was up a few minutes before 530a. My shoulder was still a little stiff, but it seemed to be loosening up even as I stood their in front of the mirror brushing my choppers. I remembered that my running clothes were freshly laundered and not hanging in the closet. I headed downstairs to get exercise underway. I glanced out back. Beautifully clear skies. I choked down a couple more Advil before exercise. I completed sit-ups, no problem, but wisely I decided to skip push-ups for a couple of days allowing my bum right shoulder more time to heal. After sit-ups I checked the weather more thoroughly online. It was a whopping 44 degrees. Now given where we’ve been, that’s warm! Next up, coffee. I enjoyed a quick cup of coffee ahead of taking Frankie out for a walk. The compressed snow just off the deck was slipperier than it's been all month. It was essentially ice with a layer of water lying on top. I damn near lost it my first step off the deck. Frankie had a difficult time too. There were lots of bare spots due to the heavy melt off. From that point forward, I did my level best to find one of them with each ensuing step. Happily, Frankie pooped and peed. I think having all that exposed grass helped considerably. Back inside, time was moving fast. After a little more coffee, it was already after 6a and time to meditate and stretch. Both went well. At 620a I prepared Mindy's first cup of coffee then headed upstairs with Frankie excitingly leading the way. Mindy was just out of bed. Said she had trouble sleeping. I helped make the bed. We exchanged Valentine's Day pleasantries before I headed downstairs to prepare for my run. I dressed in my "B" running attire, my "A" stuff already packed. I got out the door just a couple minutes after 630a. Even though it was in the 40s I still wore three upper layers, hand and ear covers, and a loose fitting pair of running pants. I might've felt a tad warm with the gloves but not enough to stop and remove them. I ran the full 4.1 miles. I was most impressed with the abundance of daylight. Won't be long before its daylight throughout. Of course I'll lose an hour come the switch to Daylight Saving Time, which arrives just four weeks from yesterday, or March 13th. Then I'll be right back where we were end of January. Geesh, it's almost like a cycle. I arrived home needing to start the Honda, a sure sign that I wasn't running behind. Mindy made scrambled eggs topped with cheddar cheese. She plated up a bunch for the both of us, and there were still plenty left in the pan for Frankie. I knew that would make her happy. Both kids were dragging at breakfast. Mindy insisted on a much earlier bedtime Monday night. Before Mindy left for school, we firmed our plans to meet at the Big Fat near 6p. My dad planned to join us but we didn't yet know if he would ride with Mindy or meet us there. She said she'd call him later to confirm. I headed up for a shower after pulling together some fruit for my lunch. I didn't need a shave having already done so the afternoon prior. The hot shower felt extra good on my aching right shoulder. I was downstairs around 745a, plenty of time to finish preparing my lunch before the bus. The kids were making lots of noise from Jacob's room. I assumed they were playing Nerf basketball. 755a came fast. The kids came a running on their own. We headed out at 758a. Kenny was out with the girls. Said he was heading out of town Tuesday, spending all of Monday getting equipment ready. Asked how I was feeling. I walked Frankie out front. Again, with all the melt off, lots of grass was exposed. She pooped a second time. I couldn't help but notice several other strange piles apparently frozen previously beneath the snow. Inside, I readied my gear for departure and then put Mindy's Valentine's Day gift in a gift bag and left it on the island. It was the MRM shirt I picked up on Saturday. I left for work at 815a with a to-go cup of coffee in tow. I didn't bother warming the Trooper. It was still over 40 degrees. And while it was warm, the temperature had actually dropped a few degrees since 530a. It was 40 degrees on the nose. I parked out front arriving at 830a. I holed up in my office for the first half of the day speaking with almost no one. Once I get immersed in work, it's hard to pull away and go visit my team. I know that sounds silly but it's true. Work was awfully busy, and certainly more than I ever bargained for. Come 115p I left to run errands. For the first time in several months, I needed some cash. I went to the ATM machine at my bank. I can't remember the last time I needed cash. Before heading back to the office, I stopped at Target where I picked up a couple essentials for our trip. I took my time walking around the store just so I could burn some time. I didn't really want to hurry back to the office prematurely. I eventually headed back after being gone a little under an hour. The afternoon went rather fast. I spent some time in my center chatting with team members and then later with my boss. I talked with Mindy around 445p who confirmed our dinner plans and also that my dad would simply meet us there. Not a 'green day' for the Wright's - three cars at the Big Fat! We planned on meeting there at 6p. Since the Big Fat is so close, I hung around the office until 545p. All three of us arrived at nearly the same time. Jacob went running to grandpa. He really likes my dad. Inside the restaurant, we were greeted by the manager, whose name I always forget. Not even sure that he's Greek. Noticeably absent were both Maria and Johnny, who we later learned were working at their new place in Polaris. Katarina was there - our favorite server - but she wasn't assigned to our table. Instead, it was Chris, a server we were both unfamiliar with. We were quickly served their gratis appetizer, pita bread and olive dip. We love it. Mindy had to remind Jacob not to make a pig of himself. I reminded dad that he couldn't put his spoon back in the olive dip bowl after seeing him lick his spoon. He said he hadn't plan on it. Mindy chuckled. She's the only one who ordered an alcoholic beverage - a glass of wine. Dad ordered coffee, Jacob water, and Bella and I soda. Mindy ordered the calamari appetizer for everyone to share, too. I showed up wanting scallops, but after seeing one of their daily specials in the display case - feta crusted prime rib - I changed my mind. However, I successfully convinced Mindy to order the scallops instead of the salmon that way we could share netting us the best of both worlds. Dad ordered veal. Jacob ordered salmon, and Bella ordered spaghetti. I spotted the kids principal walk in with a date, perhaps her husband. Anyway, she kindly acknowledged our presence and then came over to visit. She sat in Bella's seat where she remained until Bella returned from the bathroom. Bella gave her a hug. Jacob hardly even acknowledged her. He's the shy one, at least in that type of setting. Our dinner was good, not perfect, but again good. Our server, Chris was a tad clumsy but attentive. He tried really hard. After everyone finished dinner Mindy ordered two desserts to share. I wasn't interested in any after eating two pieces of Gloria's chocolate pie the night before. I mean, how can you top that? Jacob, Bella, Dad, and Mindy shared the cake. I picked up the dinner tab and also tipped Chris fairly well. Bella went to give Mrs. Leach a hug before we left, and Mindy stopped to chat with Katarina. Dad, Jacob and I waited by the door. After a minute or two, Mindy aggressively waved me over. When I got there she shared that Katarina and Chris had just gotten married earlier in the day. Mindy didn't believe her at first, but other employees confirmed it. Holy smoke! We congratulated them both. Said they're planning a reception of sorts for local family and friends sometime soon. We bid dad ado from the parking lot. All three of us streamed down Riverside Dr for home. As Mindy pulled into the drive I noticed what looked like a small dent on the driver's side of the Pilot's hatch door. I checked it closer after we parked. Yep, geesh! I brought it to her attention. She came back from the porch to check it out. Said it must've came from the trashcan. What? Said she backed into the trashcan a week or two ago. Great! Obviously, it bothered me tons more than it bothered her. In fact, she shrugged it off like nothing. Inside, we all readied for bed. And after getting into my PJs I settled into the recliner to do some reading while covered head to toe with our Viking snuggly. Boy was that cozy! I drifted off to sleep a time or two, not waking until almost 930p. When I did I headed to bed. Bella was still awake and asked me to come tuck her in. Said she doesn't like for me to head to bed before she's asleep. Said it scares her. I was plenty tired. Mindy had her night stand light on and was reading from bed. But I didn't care, quickly burying my head in the pillows. Good night moon!