Drive-thru Car Wash

I was up Thursday morning somewhere close to 535am. I was once again well slept but for the first 5 minutes I felt kind of groggy. But that quickly abated as soon as 50 sit-ups were completed. The sky was clear and the temperature a season low 29 degrees. There was a thick coating of frost on pretty much everything.

I headed to my PC with coffee near 555am. Spent the next 10-15 minutes reading headlines and checking in with work. I started my daily Sandy report too. It didn't need sent until 10am but I had to be across town in an important holiday readiness meeting by 9am. I planned to send my report before I left the house. I woke Mindy at 610am. She sounded even worse than she did the morning before. She hacked and coughed most of the night despite taking cough syrup.

Meditation and stretching were next and went well. Dressed for a run around 635am and hit the door about 5 minutes later. Because I needed to be across town in a meeting at 9am, I figured I ought to be there by 845am so I wouldn't feel rushed. To that end I cut my run to just three miles buying myself about 9 minutes. The run was great. The cold was actually refreshing. Mindy headed out to warm her Pilot just as I headed in to leash up the pug. We took care of our walk in about 5 minutes. I was very deliberate with every move, planning to pull out of the drive as soon as I saw Bella onto the bus. After woofing down my eggs I sent that Sandy report then packed up my laptop and headed for a shower.

Done with a shower and back downstairs by 752am. With the extra time I threw together a lunch and then unloaded the dishwasher. All that was done by 802am. I headed out to warm the Accord. Bella and I headed to the bus stop at our usual time. I didn't take the pug and had everything in my car ready to leave for work. I planned to go from the bus stop directly to my warmed car. I must be living right. The bus was about 8 minutes early, there by 812am. Once Bella was on and gone, I headed off to work. Chrissy warned that traffic was announced to be nasty heading into town. Great! I noticed that Bella's former gymnastics teacher, Emily, was right behind me on Wilson heading towards the freeway.

Chrissy was correct. Traffic was extremely heavy and moving slow on 70E. I took it anyway. It was moving but slow pretty much from the entrance ramp until I cleared downtown. Good thing I was able to leave early. In what typically takes about 19 minutes in good traffic, took me 41 minutes. I parked the Accord in the deep lot at 854am. I hustled inside, having to walk several hundred yards to the building. I found the conference room in question rather easily. I had only a minute to spare. Others were still trickling in so they didn't actually start the meeting until 910am. I was relaxed and comfortable. The company CIO did his spiel and then handed the meeting to one of his underlings. It was interesting and informative. Lasted no more than 25 minutes. Spent very little time socializing as I had a busy day back at my regular office awaiting. I headed back to my car.

It had warmed up considerably. Felt close to 50 degrees already. I headed back to work taking 270 all the way around. Decided to exit at Cemetery Rd and give the Kleen a' Car carwash a try. The Accord was filthy and I've been wanting to try one of these all cloth drive-thru car washed with associates there to prep and dry. I've driven by the car wash hundreds of times but have never tried it. I wasn't even sure how to turn in and then where to enter. I figured it out pretty quickly. The entrance was in the rear. At the sharp left turn was a sign with the prices and their varied offerings. I went with the deluxe wash - $9. A guy guided me onto the moving rail then motioned for me to window down. Asked what type of wash. Deluxe! $9. I gave him a $10. I wasn't sure about tipping. Before I could think he gave me $1 back. He told me to proceed. OK. Apparently he assumed I knew to put the car in neutral but I didn't. In fact, during our transaction, the car remained in drive with my foot on the brake. Once he motioned me forward I simply removed my foot from the brake. It's funny how idle speed can seem so crazy fast in such situations. He hollered at me - PUT IT IN NEUTRAL! I quickly abided. He gave me a disapproving look then muttered something to his partner, who was on the other side of my car spraying it with some prep solution. Sorry!

The carwash was cool and took about - mmm - 90 seconds, I'd say. As luck would have it, my blackberry rang as I passed through. It was a customer. I opted to take the call. It was hard to hear him with the carwash slapping, spraying, and blowing against the outside of the car. Turns out, they needed my help with an outage escalation. I shared that I was still in route to the office after leaving their campus within the last hour, but promised to take look once I was settled in at the office. I assured him that I would close the loop by calling or emailing a status back.

After exiting the carwash I pulled over to use their free vacuum. There was a lot of leaf debris underfoot. I vacuumed the car thoroughly but it only took about three minutes. The car looked really nice, not as nice as it does when I detail it at home, but more than a decent compromise. I headed to the office, just another mile or two down the road.

I'm thinking that it was close to 1030am when I got to my office. As promised, as soon as I was situated I inserted myself into my customer's concern. It quickly ballooned into an even bigger issue when he respectfully requested I get senior leadership involved. No problem. I did as requested. For a while, it caused quite a stir. I had several other important tasks I needed to accomplish Thursday, too. To that end, I became the consummate multitasker.

I accomplished much through the day, including helping get that ugly escalated issue resolved. I had a quarterly review meeting to join at 230pm. It was for the same customer that I flew to Chicago to participate in their last quarterly review live. This time I was joining remotely. I accomplished ton before that started. Felt really good about that. I didn't bother taking a lunch and really wasn't that hungry. I ate only my nuts. banana, and cheese all day.

The quarterly review meeting went pretty well. I ended up with two takeaways, one of which I took care of immediately after the meeting. I don't like to let to-dos linger. If I do, I can become overwhelmed in a hurry. The rest of the afternoon I focused on another monthly report. I figured the more I got done Thursday, the easier my Friday would be. That in itself served as motivation.

Mindy called my blackberry two times in all of about 3 minutes. For some reason she hadn't tried my personal cell. I called her back when I had a moment to breath, worried that something might be the matter. Bella answered her phone but quickly got me to her momma. Mindy said she tried calling me once but that's it. Her phone is on its last leg, for sure. Turns out, she didn't really need anything urgently, although wanted to ask about doing sinner at Barley's, Jacob's request. I didn't rule it out, and the thought crossed my mind earlier too. Figured we'd decided once I was home. Either way, she needed to run Bella to gymnastics. Said if we did go, we could take separate cars.

I'd been at it since early in the AM. I was eager to get home so I left work at 505pm.. I didn't call anyone. Drove home listening to a little music and then ESPN sports. Got home just before 530pm. Mindy & Bella were preparing to depart for gymnastics. Mindy asked again about dinner at Barleys. Why not? She suggested we take separate cars, Jacob riding with me. She would then meet us there after dropping Bella.

Mindy & Bella left around 545pm. I had to wait for Jacob to freshen up after being outside playing with friends. He and I let for Barley's ten minutes later. Jacob asked that we get a table in lieu of sitting at the bar, but I didn't really want a table, at least not until Mindy showed up. We did neither. Instead, we simply stood, me sipping a Centennial and Jacob enjoying a Dr Pepper. Janet & Katy were working the bar. Hadn't seen Janet for a long time. Eventually, a barside table freed and I suggested we nab it. Mindy showed up 5 minutes later.

I gave Mindy my chair, opting to stand after sitting all day. Mindy ordered a Barley's Xmas ale. Soon after her arrival Mindy shared that Bella had a very traumatic day at school, apparently in tears after Makayla and other female school peeps were caught passing notes back and forth about her. Always drama. We don't get that with Jacob. I guess it's a girl thing.

The twins, Kurt & Kevin stopped by to chat and say hello. Shared some sad news. They lost their 57 year old brother during the week. Dropped dead from a heart attack. He worked at their downtown vacuum shop. They were still noticeably shaken by it all.

Our food arrived. Mindy ordered the carnivore platter - all brisket. Jacob ordered chicken tenders with gates of hell sauce on the side. And I ordered the Thursday special - a reuben. Haven't been in for one for a couple months. It was as good as I remembered. Ordered a 2nd beer, too, a Fortune Teller (Imperial Porter). We weren't at Barley's too long. Mindy needed to fetch Bella by 730pm. We placed a to-go order of chicken tenders and fries for Bella. Jacob opted to ride home with Mindy, and the two of them left a few minutes in front of me. I wasn't even finished with my beer. They stiffed me with the check too.

I had a much shorter, more direct route home. I beat them there by several minutes. In fact, I was already in my PJs and napping on the sofa when they finally got home. Bella was just starting to dig into her chicken tenders and fries when I woke to her calling me out, saying that I lied to her. She was referring to my promise on Tuesday that I would take her for fast food after gymnastics on Thursday. She said it with such venom that I couldn't take it. I immediately cut her off, advising her against continuing in a sharp, disapproving tone. After all, she was eating the chicken tenders and fries I just bought her at Barley's. The nerve! :)

Mindy reminded me that Bella had a dramatic day, insisted I go easy on her. I walked over to give her a hug but she wasn't in an accepting mood. Mindy was soon off to bed, citing her wicked cold, cough. I stayed up watching Thursday night NFL football for a short while. It was Indianapolis and Jacksonville. Certainly not a game I was very excited to watch. Mindy told Bella to be in bed by 9pm. She followed her orders and headed upstairs with the pug even before her deadline. I eventually fell asleep on the sofa waking near 1030pm and heading for bed.