Installing Peace of Mind

I wasn't up and out of bed until almost 6am. I was tired and must've needed the extra sleep. I felt good, however , as I headed downstairs for exercise and coffee. Before any of that I stepped out back for a minute taking in the clear, cool morning air. I know it's still summer, but certainly doesn't feel like. Autumn is definitely in the air.
Sit-ups, windmills, and curls were a breeze. Soon I was parked at my PC enjoying the internet and coffee. After checking the weather and the Reds score, I checked on a work issue I received numerous emails about during the overnight. As much as I hated to, I dug into that before carrying on with my usual routine. By the way, it was clear and 45 degrees. Expecting sunshine for most of the day with a high in the 70s. Temperatures are supposed to decline heading into the weekend and some rain is forecasted for Friday. The Reds won again, too. Wahoo!

Took Mindy coffee near 615am. Made sure Jacob was awake as well. His light was on. I didn't bother barging in. Back downstairs I spent another 15-20 minutes or so online with work before heading to the family room for meditation and stretching. Both went well. I was slightly behind schedule and knew that Mindy almost certainly wouldn't be home when I returned from my run. I headed upstairs to say goodbye.

I dressed warmly and even zipped my new jacket up to the neck. I felt the need to draw my hands up into my jacket again, too. They came back out a mile or so into the run, or once my body heat overtook the air temps.

I ran the full 4.1 miles with my hamstrings stiffer than they've been in several days. Not that the pain was sharp, just extra stiff. Thankfully, they loosened up after a mile or two. I've done my research on hamstring stiffness and pulls. Given my determination to exercise (run) everyday, they'll take a while to fully heal. Some sources say rest is the quickest way to cure the pain, while others say moderate activity is OK. I'll go with running carefully. :) This isn't my first rodeo!

I was home by 730am or so. Mindy was already gone, but she called the house cell phone to make sure I made it back safely. Bella fielded the call. I leashed up the pug and took her for a walk once Bella pointed out the location of her leash, which she lovingly placed on the shoe tray by the front door. My eggs were waiting in the microwave. Bella took care of feeding the pug hers. After woofing down my breakfast I headed back to my PC to deal with work. A shower would have to wait. I sent my boss an IM letting him know that I'd been dealing with work since 6am and would be into the office a couple hours late .No worries!

I was back downstairs and again following up on a work matter as bus stop time neared. I asked Bella if she was OK heading out on her own. She nodded yes, but in a way that left me feeling that she really wanted me to join her. Without hesitation I left work alone and headed out to be with Bella. I was still in my running clothes, which prompted Chrissy to ask if I was working from home .Nope, just heading in the office late.

Back at the house I continued efforts to get that same work issue at least to a point where I could walk away and take care of business. I ended up working on it until almost 945am. Finally, I was off to the shower. I had a call scheduled for 11am and another at 1130am. I wanted/needed to be in the office no later than 1045am. To that end, I was back downstairs and ready to go by 1015am. Made a few last minute preparations then headed out the door around 1020am.

It was a lovely drive into the office. In fact, it would've been an ideal day to play hooky. One of the first things I did was try to install my new external hard drive. The install stopped because I no longer had admin rights to my laptop ever since being upgraded to Windows 7. Oh boy! It was a painful process to get that addressed. Wasn't approved and taken care of until almost 4pm. Despite not getting to work until 1045am, the day seemed to move slowly. I remember glancing at the clock at one point and seeing that it was only 2pm even though I felt like it should've been closer to 4pm. I was busy for the entire afternoon tackling a number of different issues. Once I had the admin rights I got back to setting up my new external hard drive. It was a snap, really. It took about 25 minutes for all of my files to back-up. I was pleased with the efficiency. I took care of handful of small tasks before heading for home. I left for home around 6pm fairly certain that I'd be working from home on Friday.

David W. called my cell just as I was walking off the elevator and heading to the exit doors. He wanted to know what, if any, number I had for Sean M. Few times have I tried to multitask, or use other features on my phone while talking, but I went ahead and searched my contacts while still talking. Yep, I had a number, but it was the same one David had. He wanted to get in touch with Sean to confirm his Friday arrival in South Carolina. As I understood it, he was stopping for a short visit on his way home from visiting his mother in Florida. David sounded excited about the anticipated visit. We talked for a few more minutes.

My car was somehow coated in dust/dirt. And of all days to leave my sun roof open. Crap! I could only guess it was from the parking lot fixes I've seen going on around the campus. However, there were no visible signs near where I parked. My car has never been so dirty. It looked ridiculous! As soon as I arrived home I went for the hose and squirted/rinsed off my car. I was smart enough to know that it would get it clean but at least it would rinse the lion's share of it off.

It was after 630pm by the time I was inside the house. Mindy had pork chops ready for dinner. It was just Mindy, Jacob and I. Bella was already at gymnastics. The pork chops were extra good and extra tender. I asked Mindy if she beat them. She did. That meat hammer is a wonderful tool! I was still unwinding from work mode as time to retrieve Bella neared. I asked Mindy if she intended on going after her. At the time I felt like I hadn't yet had any time to relax. She willing agreed to do the deed. That made me happy!

While Mindy left, I finished cleaning up the kitchen. At the same time Jacob headed off to hang out with friends. Mindy told him to be back by 745pm. She left a sheet of unbaked chocolate chip cookies out to bake once she returned. Jacob was back by 715pm, must not have been able to hook up with any of hi neighborhood peeps. I went ahead and preheated the oven for those cookies. Mindy and Bella were back a couple minutes after I slid them in.

My plan all along was to do some reading, so as soon as those cookies were in the oven I settled into the recliner with my newest book. I read for the next 30 minutes or so, until I dosed off. I slept for maybe 5-10 minutes then woke and read some more. I read a few more pages before dosing off yet again. I woke with no idea what time it was, but could hear the TV going in the family room. I figured I'd sneak off to bed before Mindy and the kids and get a long night of sleep. Quietly I slipped up the stairs and then into our bedroom. What? Mindy was already lying in bed reading. Apparently it was only Bella still up watching TV. I was still half asleep as pressed my face into my bed pillows. Mindy got up to advise Bella of her bedtime and what she needed to do about the TV and lights. I was out!