Barley's w/o Bella

I was up and out of bed near 540am and quickly downstairs engaged in calisthenics. At the time my motivation was coffee. Just the idea of relaxing at my PC with a hot cup of coffee pushed me forward through the often grueling sit-ups, windmills, and push-ups.
The sky was clear and the air warm. It was expected to reach into the 90s again. Those lofty temps weren't expected to last, however. A front was expected to move through Friday evening giving way to much cooler temps for the weekend. Saturday wasn't expected to get much warmer than 70 degrees.

I spent at least 20 minutes playing online before stopping to make Mindy some coffee then deliver it bedside. And just like every other day since school started, I made sure that Jacob was awake too. After that and a little more PC time I completed meditation and stretching. I dressed and left for a run around 635am. I wore a short sleeved wicking shirt and shorts. That proved just about right.

I ran the full 4.1 miles with both hamstrings showing marked improvement, so much so that I didn't evne give them any consideration until I was a half mile or so into my run. What's remarkable about that it that when they hurt it's always most prevalent at the outset.

I finished my run eager to head inside and eat breakfast. Before any of that, however, I needed to walk the pug, who was waiting anxiously by the front door. Our walk was uneventful but productive. We were back at the with just enough time to bid Mindy a good day at school. I emptied the dehumidifier then woofed down my eggs,fruit, and toast.

A shower was next and felt terrific. I was back downstairs near 755a to finish throwing together my lunch and then to see Bella off to school. We headed out around 810am and bus wasn't that far behind. I'm thinking she was there by 815am. I couldn't help but notice how thick and tall our grass was. It really could've used a cutting that day. I tossed around the idea of coming home at lunch, or possibly leaving work early, to mow. But in the end I was noncommittal.

I hung around the house until 840am before rushing off to the office. I was settled at work shortly after 9am. The hallways, while almost always quiet, were that and beyond Friday. Myself and another guy laughed about it. I had a lot I wanted to get accomplished and dug into my to-do list right away. I made excellent progress, pretty much wrapping up the most tedious piece of an extensive monthly report. Having that behind me felt great!

I made such good progress on my to-do list that I was even able to complete 2 hours of a 10 hour online training course I signed up for. Of course I had the usual Friday administrative tasks to complete too. I dug into those around 430pm and wrapped up and readied to head home by 5pm. I was very much looking forward to the weekend.
Not long after I arrived home Mindy left to take Jacob to soccer practice. We made tentative plans to go out for dinner after soccer practice was over. Bella stayed home with me, and not five minutes passed before she came in asking if she could go with the neighbors to the Hilliard Davidson HS football game. It was just the girls going: Chrissy, Teri, Emily, Lillian, Makayla and Bella. Yes. I let Mindy know once she was home from dropping Jacob at practice.

With a couple hours of leisure time on my hands, I used it to catch up on my blog postings. Mindy was home with Jacob around 740. She asked where I wanted to go. I eventually suggested Barley’s. She dispatched Jacob to the shower. I asked that he be quick, although he’s the last person you need to ask to be fast in the shower. He’s often showered, dressed, and ready in 5 minutes. This evening was no different.
Jacob was bummed when he learned that Bella was at the Davidson game. Said he would like to have gone. Oh well. The three of us left for Barley’s around 750pm. We parked in a near-door spot in an otherwise full lot. As usual, I headed on in to the bar while Mindy lagged behind talking with folks on the patio. I ordered a Centennial. It was delicious! Mindy soon came inside and requested the booth just off the bar area.
I chatted briefly with a couple folks at the bar then joined Jacob and Mindy in the booth. Sarah was our server and promptly fetched Jacob a Dr. Pepper and Mindy a Russian Imperial Stout. She hasn’t had one of those in a while. We ordered some fries to enjoy as an appetizer or to hold us over until I finished my initial beer. We ordered dinner around 830pm. Jacob ordered his usual chicken tenders with Gates of Hell and Buffalo sauce. Mindy went with a carnivore platter, but with all brisket. I ordered 20 wings: 10 Gates of Hell and 10 K.C. well done.

I ended up having a 2nd Centennial while Mindy stuck with just the one Stout. Jacob had at least 2 Dr. Peppers. He wasn't driving so what the heck! The Centennials went down easy. We didn’t stay all that long. I’m guessing we were on our way out the door by 930pm. Oh, and I picked up the check. Mindy drove home.

We arrived home and quickly changed into comfy lounge/sleeping clothes. Mindy headed up to bed, still tired from her sinus infection. I poured a CBC IPA and got comfy on the sofa. I planned to stay up at least until Bella got home from the game, which I actually expected to be home about the same time as us. Both the neighbor’s homes looked dark.

I drank about half my beer before feeling overcome with the sleepies. I woke around 11pm and still no Bella. I texted Chrissy asking that she send her home. Bella was at the door two minutes later. Said she was at Teri’s house having tacos – starving!
I secured the house then headed up to bed. I’d need to be up to receive the grandkids at 8am.