When the Bowel Breaks

I was up a few minutes late again. It was nearly 545 when I finally made my way to the kitchen. I glanced out back - cloudy. I stepped into my exercise shoes then headed to living room where I quickly whipped out 55 sit-ups. I checked headlines and the weather next. It was 39 degrees. Worried about the stock market's latest slide, I checked the financials. I was surprised to see that Japan's Nikkei exchange was up overnight. In kind, I hoped the DOW would also rebound. I found a pile of dog crap on the carpet, only this time by our leaning shelves. I wasn't at all amused. Time to rewind and refocus Frankie's evening habits. I did 55 push-ups next. They came easy after taking 4 Advil the night before. I poured a cup of coffee and returned to the computer to read the Daily OM and a little bit of brother Glenn's blog. Frankie still resting quietly in her pen, I proceeded to meditate until about 615a. Afterwards, I leashed up Frankie and headed out front. We walked one block west then back. Along the way she took care of business. By the time we were back at home it was time to deliver Mindy's coffee. I didn't want to, but ended up skipping a stretch in favor of staying on track time-wise. I don't know that I've missed a day of stretching on a work day since I started the program. After dropping off the pug and coffee I dressed and left for my run. It was 640a as I headed out the door. I couldn't locate my beater OSU ball cap so I went with a toboggan only. I didn't wear my springy ear muffs either. Other than that, it was business as usual. I ran the full 4.1 miles without incident. Not sure why, but it seemed like it took forever to complete the run, my mind bouncing all over the place. Back at home, Mindy already had the Honda warming in the drive. She must've known that I was running behind schedule. She had breakfast ready and waiting. Reminded the kids that it was a daddy night. Asked me if it was a Barley's night for us. Perhaps. It was 'hat day' at the kids' school. Bella was wearing a purple fedora. Cute! At the breakfast table I reviewed Frankie's carpet antics and what we might do in an effort to prevent future accidents, including not allowing her to eat after 5 or 6p, and also requiring one of the kids to walk her for at least two blocks in the evening. Too often they do two or three micro walks where she doesn't do anything but sniff. Mindy soon departed, and I headed off to the shower. As Mindy was leaving, Bella shared that she'd see her around 11a. That's right. Bella had a dental appointment with Dr Scott around noon time. I was ready and downstairs at 750a. I packed a lunch consisting of a banana, fruit medley, tuna covered in sweet relish, and cheese chunks. We walked out the door at 758a. Chrissy came out ahead of her girls. We joked that only she was going to school that day. Chrissy had an appointment to get invisiline braces installed on her teeth later in the day. Sounded eager. Aside from straightening her teeth, she thinks it'll help her lose weight since she can't eat sweet snacks with them on. After the kids bussed off I walked Frankie out front. No joy. Inside I enjoyed another quick cup of coffee before gathering my gear and heading off to work. I stopped for a fill-up at Thornton's. Nineteen gallons at $3.45 per. Work was ferociously busy. I needed and took a lunch break. I spent it at Golf Galaxy where I bought a new pair of golf shoes and some golf gloves designed for play in the rain. I am hoping the new golf shoes shave about ten strokes off my game.  Not really. My old shoes hurt my feet. Looking for some relief. I tried on a couple expensive pairs but ended up opting for the lower priced Foot Joys - $59. They were by far the most comfortable. I was gone from the office for about 45 minutes. Back at the office, I enjoyed my packed lunch. The tuna covered in sweet relish was quite tasty. The afternoon was busy, but aren’t they all? I talked with brother Tommy mid-afternoon. I asked about the ski trip money he owes me. Said he’d bring it to Barley’s Friday evening. I left work maybe 10-15 minutes early. Mindy was walking Frankie out front when I pulled up. Said she was surprised that I was home so early. Fair assessment given the last couple of weeks. Mindy and I hung out at home long enough for me to check some email and regular mail. We left for Barleys a little after 6p. It felt good knowing that I was scheduled off work Thursday. Felt almost like a Friday. Parking wasn’t a problem. Got a fairly close spot. Seating at the bar, however, was full. We stood for a while until a couple stools in a narrow spot opened. I gave Mindy the spot at the bar and then pulled the other stool back and away. A couple minutes later more stools cleared with a lot more elbow room. We moved for comfort. I ordered a Victory’s Wallop Imperial IPA. Mindy ordered a St Joan’s Revenge. Mindy ordered some food pretty quickly, too. Initially, I thought I might pass on ordering anything, but eventually ordered a plate of K.C. wings. We chatted with the twins, Kurt & Kevin. We also filled out an NCAA tournament bracket for $5. I ended up drinking three Wallop IIPA’s. It was 750p in a hurry. I paid the tab and Mindy drove home. The kids called just as we were heading out. Mindy gave Jimaken the OK to head in through the garage. He knows the code. As soon as we all got settled we tuned into American Idol. Can’t recall if Mindy let the kids watch in its entirety. Wasn’t over until 10p. I stayed up after everyone else headed to bed. I didn’t have to work Thursday, so I sipped a Jack & Coke. I stayed up for another 30 minutes.