Return to Work Blues

As Hoped, I slept really well. I woke near 5am but didn’t get out of bed until 525am. I’m giving early credit to our new memory foam mattress topper for the restful sleep. I was downstairs still just ahead of 530am. After slipping into my exercise shoes, I hit the go button on the coffee maker as I made my way to the livingroom where I always do sit-ups. %0 sit-ups later I headed to the family room where I completed windmills and push-ups. I did a few back stretches with a rolled towel too. For some reason it almost instantly relieves the tension and knot in my left shoulder and neck.
Coming down the stairs, I noticed that Carl had his recycling can at the curb. As soon as calisthenics were behind me, I went to the garage and wheeled ours out, too. Unlike the city trash collection, I guess the recycling program is bent on keeping the same day even after a holiday.

Head to my PC with coffee at ahead of 550am. Among other things, I checked the SNF score as well as the weather forecast. The Steelers beat the Bengals. Bummer! The weather forecast called for sunny skies and temps in the 70’s. In fact, it’s supposed to be in the mid/upper 70s all week and with plenty of sunshine too. Of course the bottom’s expected to drop out on Saturday when we’ll struggle to hit 50. We still haven’t hit or dipped below freezing.

I took Mindy coffee around 605am. She apparently didn’t sleep as well as I. Said she couldn’t quiet her mind. As rested as I was, I had a fairly bad case of the return to work blues. But then again, it’s rare that I don’t after several days off. I played around online a few more minutes but had a hard stop at 615am for a stretch and meditation. Both went really well, and it was just what I needed to get my mind in a positive place.
It was somewhere close to 50 degrees when I dressed and left on my run. I wore a thin long sleeved wicking shirt and my light jacket. I was perfectly comfortable. It appeared that only half of the residents realized that it was our recycling day. Like me, I’m guessing that many figured it moved after Columbus Day holiday.
I ran the full 4.1 mile trail for the first time since Friday, the 12th. Thankfully, my legs felt about as good as they have for a couple weeks. I was back home near 705am. I went for the dogs leash then sat at the bottom of the stairs shaking it so Eiknarf would hear it. She came calling seconds later. Our walk was brief but efficient. She took care of her business in a hurry.

Sat for my eggs that were fresh out of the frying pan. Before she left, Mindy shared that she would stopping at the grocery store on her way home from school. She left for school just ahead of 730am. I was off to the shower right behind her.
I was shaved, showered, and ready before 750am. I had plenty of time to throw together my lunch and tidy up the kitchen ahead of the bus stop. Bella and I headed a minute or two early. Met Chrissy and Makayla at the bus stop. We chatted briefly about the weekend’s doings before the bus showed up. The bus was there a couple minutes ahead of schedule. Eiknarf and I headed back home, me letting her walk out front of the house for another minute or two.

Left for work just after 830am. I was fairly low on fuel and the price lower than it’s been in several weeks. I stopped at Thornton’s on my way to work, not wanting to risk the price going up during the day. I paid $3.27 and the Accord took about 14 gallons. I got about 30 mpg last tank. 300 miles of the last tank was our Cleveland trip.
Arrived at work around 850am and was quickly in my office and online. My boss stopped in to chat briefly around 915am. I saw him only one other time in passing for the rest of the day. As is usually the case, I spent the first hour rolling through hundreds of email that came in during my week off. I didn’t peak at email via my Blackberry even once while out. I responded to a couple of the most critical emails within the first hour. I still felt incredibly blue and maybe even a tad overwhelmed with everything I needed to accomplish during the work week. In truth, it’s no more than any other work week, but after being out for nine days it always feels/seems like a shock.

I plowed straight through the work day taking a couple forced breaks to stretch my back and then go after my packed food. I got a lot accomplished. I left for home around 515pm. By then the sunny skies that I observed out the window all day had faded to gray. Figures! It was warm, though. Felt like mid70s.

Called Mindy. She was only recently home from the grocery and was preparing a fruit tray when I got home. She put a beef roast in the crock pot before leaving for school that morning. The kitchen smelt like pot roast. Yum! To help out a little, I microwaved the Bob Evan’s mashed potatoes. Jacob was at soccer practice. I think Jimaken took him. Before dinner, I headed to the basement to carry up the carpet remnants that I pulled up, rolled and duct tapped last week. Bulk pick-up was scheduled to pick them up Tuesday morning.

Dinner was served around 550pm – salad, mashed potatoes, and roast. It was just the three of us. The roast was good but tougher than we expected. I’m guessing the cut was inaccurately marked. Sometime after dinner Jimaken texted or called sharing that he was at his parents’ house in Hilliard and was willing to bring Jacob home from soccer practice just around the corner. Mindy was very appreciative. While I managed clean-up, she got started on quarter one grade cards. Ambitiously, she hoped to get about 3/4s of them completed.

After finishing up in the kitchen I headed upstairs and changed into my comfy lounging clothes and brushed my teeth. Downstairs, I gathered my book and headed to the family room chair where I read and napped ahead of the MNF game and 3rd presidential debate. I remember laying the book on my stomach after reading 5 or 6 pages then drifted off to sleep. I woke to Jacob making all sorts of noises at the dinner table. It was almost time for MNF. I must’ve slept for about an hour. Hmm?

The game started at 830pm – Lions and Bears – oh my! We watched football until 9pm, when the debate began. In fact, I used the PIP feature minimizing the MNF game in the lower left corner of the TV through the entire debate. The 3rd debate was supposed to focus on foreign policy, but anyone who’s seen a debate knows that the candidates always find a way to stray off topic and hit on their strengths and their opponents perceived weaknesses.

I liked the way Obama carried himself. He doesn’t have the same, fast sharp delivery that Mittens has. I think that sometimes works against him. Not as much verbal sparring as last debate, but there were a few funny moments. In particular, I enjoyed Obama’s retort to Mitten’s smaller navy assessment. One can’t help but see right through both agenda’s. Both made it a point to highlight concerns and fears about the other while championing their own cause/agenda. Nothing said in the debate swayed my thinking. The debated ended on time – 1030pm. Mindy headed to bed immediately after. I switched back to a full screen view of the MNF game. I watched until about 11pm and then headed up to bed.