Poorly Slept

After a less than fulfilling 4.5 hours of sleep I woke near 2150am frustrated and restless. My body was tired but my mind wide awake. After tossing and turning for 15-20 minutes I slipped out of bed and headed to the livingroom and my PC where I read a long, interesting article about retirement. At 330am I headed back to bed though still not sleepy enough to fall right asleep. Instead, I laid there again tossing and turning until just before 5am when I finally got some deep meaningful sleep. The only problem was that it was only 45 minutes.

I got up for good at 535am to kick-off another work week. Unmotivated and tired, I sluggishly went about my routine by engaging in calisthenics. After the sit-ups and push-ups were behind me I felt much better, and certainly more wake. I knew from following the forecast so closely for the past couple weeks that Monday was supposed to be much cooler than it's been for quite a while. I was surprised when I saw that it was still 53 degrees, though cloudy. The wind was blowing & gusting pretty hard when I got up but it slowed considerably as the early morning progressed.

I could go about my morning at more leisurely pace since it was spring break for the kids. There wouldn't be any school bus coming at 810am. Instead, the kids planned to spend the next two days at Maw-maw's all the while Mindy & I worked. I played around online until roughly 605am when I gave way to meditation time. I did that until 617am. At a crossroad, I had to quickly decided whether to move forward with my stretch or go ahead and wake Mindy. I opted to complete my stretch first.

I finished up at 622am and then delivered Mindy's coffee. Mindy shared that she would likely be gone by the time I returned citing the need to leave the house at 720am to leave enough time to drop the kids at her mom's on the way to school. Based on the temperature and wind I saw earlier, I dressed in winter running gear. Glad I did too. Not only had the skies cleared, but the temperature felt much colder than 53 degrees, not to mention a brutally cold wind blowing from the northeast. Initially, anyway, I felt I could've used my running gloves. I ran the full 4.1 miles arriving back at the house by 712am.

Mindy hadn't yet left but had the kids moving for the door quickly. I headed out the door with Eiknarf for our morning walk. Mindy met us out in front of Trena's place to say goodbye as she made her way to the Pilot. I opened the car door to bid the kids farewell. Neither seemed yet awake.
Inside, I took my time with breakfast and a shower. But even after taking my dear old time I was ready to leave more than ten minutes earlier than normal. I spent a couple more minutes online before leaving the house. I also checked the temperature. It was already down to 45 degrees. Worse, they were calling for a frost warning later that night - a low of 28 degrees.

Left for work at 815am but needed to stop for fuel at Thornton's where I paid $3.88 per gallon. Took 15.3 gallons too, or $60.00 to fill-up. Arrived at the office by 840am but took a good 15 minutes to get logged on and situated. It was 9am before I was truly productive. Most have been around 930-10am when my boss stopped by for a brief chat. Lots going on.

I was busy once again putting out fires as well as joining my regularly scheduled Monday calls. As the day wore on I managed to squeeze in three of the online wireless classes we need to complete before month's end. I also went back and corrected last week's time sheet. Before leaving for the day I sent my boss an email requesting time off this coming summer. Among those requests was a two week vacation and three personal days. In all likelihood, we're going to the Outer Banks with the McVey's. My boss approved the time off promptly via email.

During the afternoon the temperature dropped as low as 41 but then made it back to 50 degrees before quitting time. The sun was warm but the air cool when I left. I called Mindy upon leaving the lot. Said the kids had an OK day at her mom's but that Bella wasn't feeling so well and was lounging on the sofa. I asked about her going to gymnastics. Mindy said she wanted to go but only until 8pm. And given that she has a meet this coming Saturday, we both felt it important that she be there despite not feeling too well.
Mindy was making pasta and marinara sauce topped with leftover hot italian brats for dinner. Waited to hear from me before putting he pasta on. When I arrived home Jacob was outside playing with friends and Bella still lounging on the sofa. We are dinner around 6pm. Jacob opted for breakfast burrito in lieu of pasta. The rest of us enjoyed the pasta.

Mindy ran Bella to gymnastics around 645pm. While she did that I took a brief nap and did some reading. The hour or so that Bella was in gymnastics went by fast. Mindy reminded me that it was 8pm and time to get Bella. I arrived at DCW around 806pm. Bella was resting on the mat and quickly ready to go. Her instructor mentioned that Bella wasn't feeling well, which I acknowledged and then shared that we need to pay and sign up for the May meet in Rio Grande' by Wednesday. Why are all of the meets in southern Ohio?

Bella advised that she wasn't feeling well and was even moaning from the backseat. Kiddingly, I asked if she wanted Wendy's. No! She sounded so ill that I offered to roll down the windows so she could feel the cool air against her face. She liked it, but quickly rolled it back up. Once home she readied for bed but continued to share how poorly she was feeling. I suggested we put a trashcan by her bed just in case she got sick through the night. Mindy took that advice. Both kids put themselves to bed near 9pm. Mindy wasn't too far behind. She was off to bed by 910pm. While she slipped into bed, I made myself a bowl of cereal, Grape Nuts. It wasn't ten minutes later when I heard Bella heaving her guts out. She was so loud that Jacob went to her rescue. In her rather short life she's thrown-up few times. I can remember only one other time way back when she was three and lived on Echo Park. She asked immediately for her mother just as any kid would do. Mindy soon went to her side while I enjoyed the rest of my cereal.

After squaring Bella away, Mindy joined me downstairs to discuss Tuesday, and more pointedly, who would stay home with Bella. We determined it would be Mindy. She started the process of calling for a sub and then making sub plans. It was about 940pm. I felt bad for stranding Mindy, but now I was tired and ready for bed, especially after sleeping so poorly the night before. I was much looking forward to a long, restful night of sleep. I went out quick.