1935 - 78 Years Removed

last of early December snow pack

Happy 78th Dad!

I was up near 530am again after finding it impossible to get back to sleep after waking originally around 5am. I felt good, though, so I was more than happy to get my day moving. Downstairs I checked out the weather and sky. It was mostly clear and the temperature right around the freezing mark. I completed calisthenics the poured some coffee. To my desk by 550am. I planned to work from home but was still noncommittal as to when I might run.

I woke Jacob shortly after taking Mindy coffee at 610am. Not sure if his alarm failed or what. He's usually really good about getting up on his own. Played and worked for the next 90 minutes or so. Decided that I wasn't going to run until after bus stop time, a luxury I haven't been able to enjoy for a couple weeks now.

Mindy was out the door near 730am. I didn't walk the pug until after the school bus came. And speaking of the school bus, I realized as Bella was boarding that she failed to bring all the teacher bus driver gifts Mindy had ready for her to take and deliver. Oh well, she'll just have to take them, Friday, the last day before Xmas break. The pug and I did our walk next. Didn't take her too long. Glad for that. Doesn't appear that the foot's bothering her any longer.

I did a little work then stretched and readied for a run. Out the door around 830am. Ran the full 4.1 miles. By then it was slightly above freezing. Footing was still tricky in the usual places. Going to take a couple days of this warmer weather to melt all the hard ice off the roads. Icy spots aside, it was an easy run. I planned to make a run to post office to ship a couple Xmas packages that I am still hoping will arrive before Xmas. I checked FedEx rates earlier. Yikes! Cost prohibitive. Got back to the house near 915am. Checked my work email real quick. Uh-oh, had an issue come in that required my immediate attention. I might've spent 10-15 minutes on it before gather my two packages, wallet and phone and heading off to the Riverside Dr post office.

Years past, there's been a unenviable line waiting to ship packages. Lucky for me, that wasn't the case this time. Only three folks in line and three employees working the counter. My wait was less than a minute. Cool! Very helpful. Both boxes shipped and both are expected to arrive on Monday, opposite ends of the country. The rates were high, but far cheaper than FedEx. Guaranteed and insured, too. I felt good heading back home. It was Dad's 78th birthday. Reminded myself that I needed to give him a call sometime during the day. Had I not needed to follow-up on that same work issue, I would've called to see about breakfast.

Back at home, it wasn't five minutes before my boss phoned. He was copied in the issue from earlier. We both agreed that I needed to do some additional digging. Spent the next 2 or 3 hours dealing with that. During what I'll call my lunch hour, I wrapped all of Mindy's Xmas presents. Always feel a sense of relief once that's done each year. Took about an hour. Made a pork roast sandwich for lunch. Having not eaten any breakfast, I was starving really hungry.

Actually enjoyed a pretty low-key afternoon. Spent at least two hours using/evaluating a new reporting tool. The kids were home from school at their usual times - 2:45 & 3:45pm. got a text from Lindsey sometime during the afternoon asking if we could keep the boys Monday & Tuesday. I responded that I'd be working both days. I also asked the same question I've asked every year since she's been working. Haven't you made arrangements ahead of time? After all, she knows the kids won't have school for two weeks. She also said her sisters, mother and grandmother refused - as always. Can you feel the love?

Once Mindy got home I shared the Lindsey thing. We agreed that we could do Tuesday - Christmas Eve. I sent Lindsey another text sharing as much. I'll be heading out for a certification test sometime Monday. It was gymnastics night for Bella, but with an altered schedule. It was their annual Xmas party which wasn't starting until 6pm and then not over until 8pm. Mindy asked if I planned to do the pick-up if she did the drop. I said I would but that I really wanted to study. She quickly agreed to do both in order to allow me uninterrupted quiet time to study. She and Jacob were going to do yet more Xmas shopping after dropping Bella. Said she might just stay out the whole time. That was fine with me - quieter, easier to study.

Before they left, Mindy, Bella & Makayla made and baked cut-out sugar cookies. They were resting on the cooling rack when the left around 540pm. It was my job to put them in a cookie container once they were cooled. Mindy said they'd decorate them Friday after school. It must've been around 6pm when I had the kitchen again in order and headed to the family room to study. There I spent the next 2.5 hours studying the ICND course material. So much I need to memorize and be able to recall in a simulation which is a significant part of the test. Scares me. I guess the weekend's warm temps and expected rain is a blessing, in that I'll spend most of it studying/preparing for the exam and not be missing out on skiing with the peeps.

Mindy & the kids got home around 830pm. I spent another five minutes wrapping up the current chapter I was on then sat my books aside. They brought home Wendy's for Bella, Actually, had Jacob call me earlier asking if I wanted some. No. Don't really like Wendy's. Tuned the TV to CBS Thursday night sitcoms. Missed Big Bang but caught the next three: The Miller's, Crazy One's, & 2.5 Men. All were very funny. Poured a Jack & Coke around 9pm. Yum!

Noticed Mindy's coughing with that all too familiar dry hack. Swear you'd think her a smoker. Said she was making herself a hot tea with Jack, in her words to help ward off the sickies. She cracked open the new bottle of Jack that I bought a few weeks ago. Wrapped up TV watching near 10pm then headed for bed.