Smoking Man, Smoking Tires, and a Free Mocha

Getting to yesterday today. Boy, that’s a non-promise I wish I could take back, but I bet I can take care of yesterday pretty quickly.

1.      Wake up.

2.      Change Liam and get him some milk and zucchini muffin.

3.      Eat some zucchini muffin myself, because that shit’s good.

4.      Liam and I to the garden. Water. Inspect. Lament.

5.      Work.

6.      Instant oatmeal with flax, almonds (unsalted), mocha.

7.      Work.

8.      Banana.

9.      Change cars with Angie.

9.5.Apple (I ate it while changing cars.)

10.  Pick up Liam, Liam falls asleep, transfer Liam to crib.

11.  Work.

12.  Turkey sandwich, double fiber bread, lettuce, swiss, mustard.

13.  Work.

14.  Work.

15.  Work.

16.  Liam awake.

17.  Work while listening to Bruno Mars Lazy Song.

18.  Dance to Bruno Mars Lazy Song.

19.  Zucchini muffin.

20.  Work.

21.  Fold Laundry.

22.  Angie home.

23.  Swim 35 minutes, mostly with pull buoy.

24.  Make pepperoni pizza with pesto sauce, salads with carrot and cheese and croutons and Italian dressing.

25.  Drink wine; carmenere; honor 120 chileans.

26.  False blog start.

27.  Read in bed.

28.  Sleep in bed.

Today, though, I knew I had no oatmeal at the office. Hence, I went to Bella Bru for my lemon poppy seed muffin and mocha.

—Shit. Start over.—

I got up at 6:25, as did Liam. Diaper change, milk and zucchini muffin (we both ate some muffin [I LOVE eating muffin]), out to the backyard. I watered corn and Liam stepped in fresh dog poop. This was a first. Sure, he has picked up fresh dog poop, but this was all over his sandals and his toes. So I watered Liam. Sprayed him off. Cleaned both him and his sandal. With the hose.

Liam picked a tomato. It was ripe. I thanked him.

Inside, routine things, off to work. Now, back to before: I knew I had no oatmeal at the office. Hence, I went to Bella Bru for my lemon poppy seed muffin and mocha.

“Stan, right?”

-Yup.

“Do you have a coffee card?”

-OH! I DO! And I think I get a free one!

I did. And I did. So I only paid for my muffin, got a free mocha, and tipped her for reminding me. That’s worthwhile. I was also reviewing resumes while driving to the coffee shop, waiting in line at the coffee shop, and then once I got to the office ‘cause I can’t eat, drink coffee, drive, AND review resumes all at once, and eating is way better than reviewing resumes.

I was a bit stressed about an upcoming interview that I wasn’t really prepared for (interviewing a prospective employee, not interviewing for another job) and all the work I had to do otherwise. The interview happened and was not as organized as I would have liked, and that was my fault.

~~I’m tired and making tired typos, which hopefully you won’t see, but it’s slowing this process, and all I really want to do is go to bed. This is how dedicated I am to the two of you reading this. Hi Angie!~~

The interview also took longer than I planned. It ended. I got a few things done. I finished my unsalted almonds. I ate a banana on the way to the car switch. I ate an apple on the way to Liam. Liam fell asleep on the way home and I transferred him to his crib and considered just eating pretzels but instead made a PBs&strawberryJ on double fiber bread to go along with them. I drank water. I took the day off exercise, except for some yoga and pushups with Liam on my back because that’s what happens when I lay on my stomach these days: Liam crawls on my back…then I do pushups because he’s there.

But before that yoga and pushups, I worked. I accomplished things. I moved mountains. I made things that weren’t going to happen happen, because that’s what it takes sometimes. It’s funny how you can turn a two-week delay into prompt action when you do it right. I was commended. (I hoped this would be remembered at raise time, which is right around the corner. Hope hope hope.)

I folded more laundry today. Uncharacteristically, I met a friend out for dinner and a few beers. This isn’t something I do…ever…and I still feel a bit guilty for missing time with my family. Does that make me weird? Unbalanced? Whatever.

A good time was had though, as were a good burger (hand-pressed good beef with cheddar cheese, but I’m pretty sure those steak fries had been frozen and deep-fried) and beer. There was a small salad, too, off of which I pushed the cucumber and tomatoes and onto which I put some sort of vinaigrette. The beer, though: that was the point of the place. I had a pint of Green Flash’s West Coast IPA. I had a pint of Lagunitas’ Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’. I had a 12-ounce of the Old Rasputin. These things are worth a night out. You don’t get these beers on tap everywhere. AND the conversation was good.

It was nice to have a night out and bullshit with a buddy. Maybe I don’t do it enough. I don’t have a lot of friends—I’m quick to admit that. And those I do have that I really cherish don’t live near me. I’m bad at staying in touch. I hate talking on the phone. Email is impersonal. I have one guy here locally that I hang out with, usually it’s a family affair, and that’s who I hung out with tonight, just me and him.

Drives home are usually uneventful, as most driving is, but I had a good laugh tonight. I stopped at a red light and heard tires screech beside me. I looked over and saw a cloud of smoke—the rubber from the tires due to the friction of the quick stop—and I saw the driver, a guy…maybe my age but I’d guess younger—look quizzically over his shoulder. I looked away. I smelled the stink of rubber. I looked over again. He looked at me.

“Was that me?”

I laughed loudly.

-Yeah.

“Man, I didn’t even smoke that much.”

I laughed again. I’m pretty sure that’s what he said. Then the light turned green and we moved on and we were coming up on a light and it turned red and he was in front of me but still in the other lane and there was plenty of time before we got to that red light and I knew it would be green well before we got there but he was on his brakes, slowing down way too early, and then I was more confident he’d said, “Man, I didn’t even smoke that much,” ‘cause apparently he did. I laughed the rest of the way home.

I came home to the porch light on, around 9:30, and it was kinda cool because it was the first time I’d come home to the porch light on since I installed the new porch light months ago. Angie was just putting Liam down to sleep. I got to sneak a kiss in on him, which made me feel better. Angie and I got to chat and catch up on our days and the evening. I poured the remnants of my bottle of wine from last night, which I’m about to finish now before I head to bed. I’m real sleepy.

So goodnight, guy who smoked more than he thought and couldn’t quite handle it. Way to over-correct. I hope you made it home safely, and any potential roadkill in your way did as well.

Wine glass empty, I’m going to sleep.