CBC w/ McVey's - Chocoholique

I slept in until 550am and was downstairs shortly thereafter. It was cloudy and 31 degrees. I whipped out sit-ups, windmills, and push-ups. All went well. Headed to my PC with coffee near 605am. Looked like a mild spring-like weekend in the offing – the 50s on Saturday and the 60s on Sunday. Still thinking that we’ll try and make it to MRM after Bella gym meet on Saturday afternoon.

Took Mindy some coffee near 615am. Still sleeping. A little more PC time then moved on to meditation and stretching. Both went well. Before leaving for my run, I headed upstairs to say goodbye to Mindy just in case she was gone at my return. She was mid-make-up. By the time I headed out for my run the sky was clear. Lovely morning for a run, and my last one in the full daylight for a while (time change).
I ran the full 4.1 miles, and while it was a tad chilly, with the sunshine and birds it felt a lot like spring. As I passed regular walkers/runners I reminded them that spring was indeed on its way.

Mindy was still at the house when I got back, but just getting the Pilot to depart. She handed me a tissue to wipe the sweat and snot away from my face. A quick hug and a peck then she was gone. I headed inside to get the pug. Bella brought the leash. Eiknarf was waiting for me at the door. It was nice to have an abundance of grass for the pug to sniff.

My eggs were in the microwave. I hit them for 10 seconds. Just right. Enjoyed eggs and fruit. Bella let me know that she added some more fabric paint to her sweat pants still stretched out across the kitchen table. Takes 4 hours to dry. Figured they’d be ready to wear by the time she got home from school.

Was off to the shower around 750am. I felt as though I was racing the clock in order to be downstairs and ready for the bus by 810am. I was very deliberate with my ready. Made it downstairs by 805am. Still with a few minutes, I worked on my lunch. Mindy prepped a hand-to-mouth veggie medley. I just needed to add fruit, nuts and cheese.

Just before we headed out, Bella asked for some cash for the dance raffle at school. She said the tickets were $.25 each. She gave a disapproving look when I handed her a buck. What’s the matter? She went on to explain that there are two raffles lo and hi. The low is $.25 per ticket and the high, $1. I handed her another single, but she still gave me that disapproving look. When I threatened to take my cash back she changed her tune in a hurry. We headed out to the bus.

Met Kenny and Makayla. I asked Kenny if he had a few minutes to look at the basement with me after the bus picked up the kids. Said he did. Cool! After the bus left, Kenny and I walked to the house and immediately to the basement to discuss some of the framing problems I was concerned about. To his eye, not a big deal. H3e’s seen it all and therefore sees it as a rather simple job. Explained how we would overcome all the obstacles I showed him. Sweet! He offered to help knock it out soon. He also shared that one can get a 15% coupon from Lowes or Home Depot simply by stopping by the local post office and requesting a change of address packet.

We were in the basement for no more than 6 or 7 minutes. I rewarmed my coffee then made last minute preparations for work. I left for New Albany at 835am. I wasn’t but a mile or so east on I-70/670 when I remembered that I didn’t pack my mouse or power pack. A sick feeling came over my already somewhat queasy stomach until I remembered that I had that spare power pack in my backpack fulltime now. I made decent time getting across town, arriving at the customer’s campus by 900am. It was a lovely walk from the parking lot, over the foot bridge to the main building.

Made it a point to stop by both manager’s offices to say hello. One had no idea that I was coming in on a Friday. I explained that after being on vacation for a week and then unable to make it in on Wednesday due to the snow storm, I felt the need to make it in for a visit.
From a work crisis standpoint, it was a fairly easy day. Happily, there weren’t any gotchas lurking out there to spoil the calm. I had plenty to do, including getting caught up on my monthly reporting. As it was, I was about a day behind where I like to be. I had a brief face to face meeting with one of the manager that went well. Spent the rest of my day on reporting.

Didn’t bother leaving for a lunch break. Instead, I ate packed food at my desk. I ended up busy at the office until 530pm determined to knockout a late request for assistance. Mission accomplished. Headed for the Accord at 535pm. Felt good to see daylight and sunshine. Hadn’t seen the sky since my drive in earlier. No windows.

Called Mindy once on the road for home. We didn’t talk too long. She was busy with getting Bella ready for her school dance. The mother of one of her school peeps was there to pick Bella up. And because it was a Jimaken weekend. He planned to pick her up after the school dance. By the time I got home, both Bella and Jacob were gone. Mindy had the house completely picked up and shiny. That was nice/comforting!

We had dinner plans with the McVey’s at CBC to once again celebrate Mindy’s b-day. Mindy made a reservation with Jamie, the manager as soon as I got home. Darwin sent a text earlier sharing that they were willing to drive. Made since, especially since Connie doesn’t drink alcohol. We responded favorable to their offer. Said they’d be over at 715pm.

It was near 6pm, and I felt like I needed a nap. I tried resting in the recliner but that just didn’t do the trick. Mindy was upstairs getting ready. I soon followed her upstairs and plopped down on our bed. I might’ve laid there for 10 minutes before getting up. Never did fall asleep. That drowsy feeling that plagued me for much of the week had at least temporarily abated.

I wore what I wore to work, adding only a black cashmere sweater. The McVey’s showed up right on time. Mindy and Connie sat in the rear. I rode upfront with Darwin. Darwin shared stories about his new job at Home Depot. Already received a Homer award for outstanding customer service. That’s Darwin. I would expect nothing less.

As anticipated, CBC was packed. Darwin got one of the few remaining parking spots. Mindy got a pager from Jamie then we stood at the bar. Kevin comp’d Mindy’s first glass of wine, a birthday gift. Darwin and I order Bodhi’s. Connie, I think, with only water. No sooner than we took our first sips our pager went off. We were soon ushered to a booth near the back of the restaurant. Kevin offered that the beers could simply be added to our meal tab. Cool!

Robin was our server. We ordered appetizers, fried asparagus and risotto balls. We enjoyed some conversation as we nibbled on the appetizers and sipped out drinks. As I alluded to earlier, I’d been feeling queasy and tired on and off for most of the week. Not sure what’s up, but I felt like I could fall asleep right there. Even the Bodhi wasn’t tasting all that good, which was a sure sign that I wasn’t feeling well.

I arrived thinking that I might go with their steak, but once Robin was there to take our food orders I deferred to wings. I just wasn’t that hungry. Mindy & Darwin went with the salmon. Connie a salad topped with chicken breast. Darwin and I both ordered a 2nd Bodhi.

My wings were just OK. But quite frankly, nothing sounded that great given the way I was feeling. Heck, I felt bloated after eating just half my side salad. Connie & Darwin presented Mindy a gift of chocolates for a new place in the short north, Chocoholique. Sweet!
CBC comp’d Mindy a dessert, banana upside down cake. I didn’t have a single bite. Just couldn’t . I was carving only my pillow and bed. The clock was nearing 10pm when we finished dinner. The McVey’s graciously picked up the check, a birthday present. Thanks Darwin & Connie! Connie drove home as designed.

Mindy offered that they come inside for a little while but they declined. They didn’t have the kids at home so who knows, perhaps some alone time was in their plans. I wasted little time getting into bed. I’ll bet I was asleep before 1030pm.