Mortgage Monday: Yard Work

As the rain continued to fall off and on and the grass kept growing longer and longer, I finally found the time on Saturday to head over to the local Tractor Supply and pick out a tractor. There are a couple of other places closer to the house where I could have bought something but I decided to give a different retailer a try based on the recommendations of family members. Being that this was my first time at the store, it was an interesting experience seeing all that they have available on the shelves… the retailer is much more like a traditional hardware store than the giants that you commonly see from the highway like Lowe's or Home Depot. I prefer going here from now on. While I was there for a tractor this time around, it is nice to know that I can stop by the store (about 15 minutes away from the house) if I were to need other items.

It didn’t take long before I found the Cub Cadet that was recommended to me via text message last week and within a few minutes I was working with someone to figure out warranties and a means to have it delivered to the house…. I can fit a lot of stuff in the Jeep but a tractor is not one of them. It was during this conversation when I asked if they knew of any local landscapers who would be able to give me a head start. Thankfully, the woman with whom I was speaking had a name on hand, her landscaper, and, better yet, he would be able to pick up and deliver the tractor for me too (for free!).

On my way home, I left a message with the landscaper and by the end of the afternoon we had coordinated a time for the following afternoon to evaluate what needed to be done. And, yes, I checked with my wife to make sure it was okay for him to stop by on Mother’s Day. After walking around the property, we both agreed to a very reasonable price with work to start the following day. While the rain today has prevented us from making any progress, the work will be done this week.

While it is going to cost us a bit more, having a four man crew come in for two days and take care of everything is well worth the investment. I have no problem maintaining but I simply don’t have the time to catch up on the yard work. And, hopefully, we will have someone we can call moving forward should we need any additional landscaping or handyman work done in the future. For now, we are really looking forward to seeing the property cleaned up and seeing our son enjoying some more time outside.  

Shots In The Middle Of The Work Day

It is always an odd feeling for me getting up in the morning on a week day and not rushing to get out of the house and on the road. Sometimes it is a holiday and the office is closed while other times it is because of weather. However, Friday was one of those days when it just made more sense for me to work from home due to an appointment right in the middle of the afternoon. Believe it or not, it was time for our son’s one year wellness check and I wasn’t going to miss this one.

As the day progressed and a surprising amount of work was accomplished, the minutes and hours seemed to evaporate. Before I had a chance to stop and assess where I was in the day, I looked up and found that I only had about 15 minutes before heading out the door. With a little bit of time left and about twice that amount of time in work remaining, somehow I managed to power through and get out the door with a couple minutes to spare. Well, that is what I thought.

On my way to the daycare to pick up our son, I couldn’t have encountered more delays if I tried. Between the slow cars (clearly not knowing where they needed to go) and hitting every red light possible, I barely made it into the classroom with enough time to grab all of his stuff from the week, turn around, and try and make up some time on our way to the doctor. Thankfully, our son was quietly watching the scenery the whole was and we did make it to the doctor on time about a minute before my wife pulled into the parking space beside us.

As we checked in and handed the woman at the front desk the forms to transfer our son’s medical record to a new doctor, our name was called. This may have been the first time that we didn’t have to wait since we first started bringing our son to this office right after he was born. While there were a few things that we specifically asked the doctor to check (and yes we actually saw the doctor this time), the great news of the appointment was that our little baby isn’t so little anymore falling within the 75^th percentile in nearly all of the usual measurements. And that is when the calmness came to an end and the needles entered the room.

While the tears began almost as soon as we laid him on the examining table, he surprisingly wanted his daddy when everything was done. By the time we left with a multitude of papers and forms in hand, our big boy had calmed down and was clearly ready to go home. With my wife taking our son home, I was able to get a few local errands done before joining them back at the house and taking the time to play with our son before his abnormally early bed time. It was a long day and an appointment we weren’t really looking forward to but it went about as well as we could have expected. Sometimes, that is the best day especially when the result is that our son is pretty darn healthy!

Progress And Questions

Don't let this be your last question!

With the notice having gone out at the beginning of the week, I felt much better heading down to the main line to take care of a few things before the stated meeting this Thursday. I got to the lodge a little later than usual last night having had to run a few errands after work. By the time I arrived, the lights were on, the doors unlocked, and the brethren were already hard at work moving a few of the heavier items out of the kitchen. As soon as I walked into the small space I knew the best thing that I could do is stay out of the way and sort through the freshly collected mail.

The kitchen has been the primary lodge improvement project while we have been away during the summer and things seem to be progressing nicely. Actually, the space is looking completely different having been gutted, painted, and upgraded thanks to many of the brothers who have campaigned tirelessly to get the work done. It is the first of many on a long list of improvements that need to be made and, thankfully, the trustees have a schedule already formed as to when all the items will be checked off the list.

Once the heavy lifting was completed, I was finally able to catch up with a few of the brethren whom I haven’t seen all summer. We have all been at the lodge at various times but never at the same time until last night. There was a long list of things that we needed to talk about and it was nice to finally have the time to discuss many of the situations that we dealt with throughout the summer. This was also a time that afforded me the opportunity to discuss some potential projects with brothers who know what the heck they are doing rather than someone (me) who doesn’t have the background to go beyond the idea stage. This is only the latest of such situations/conversations.

And this is something that we sometimes lose sight of during the course of the year. The brothers with whom we spend time with every month (or every week) are not just family, they are professionals from all different lines of work. While certainly far from the focus of our fraternity, it is important to remember that there are always brothers with different experiences, occupations, backgrounds, and training who are willing to help no matter if it is personal, work, or lodge related. All you have to do is ask. Sound familiar?

Pulling Things Together

The last fellowship night at the lodge before a stated meeting is always an interesting one as I try to figure out the last few things that need to be done. This is also the night when I double check to make sure that I have all the supplied needed for the meeting and that everything is in place. While I am doing this the steward and some of the officers are going through the same process and making sure that they are prepared for the meeting.

As I was running through the list and sifting through the mail that I had just pulled from the post office, there were a couple of items that remained on my list that I was certain I wouldn’t be able to get done in the next couple of days… at least, I wouldn’t be able to get them done myself. Time and distance were both deterrents in these instances but there were brothers at the lodge that had a little more flexibility. So I was finally able to coordinate with a couple of the brothers in attendance last night to finish off a couple last minute errands for the lodge. It is a rarity that I ever ask and I am always grateful that the assistance is there when I need it.

Hopefully everything will continue progressing as planned and all the pieces will be in place when I arrive at the lodge tomorrow night. I would have liked to have seen more people at the lodge last night, a couple that I was expecting to see didn’t walk through the door, but we always seem to have enough brothers together to make sure that things get done. Lately I have been the one missing these meetings and when I am occasionally there I miss the weekly fellowship all over again.

One more day to go and things are coming together. It should be a busy meeting this month and there has been a lot of work that has been put in to make sure that things got done. Thankfully, there have been many people both at Grand Lodge and brothers from my lodge that have been willing to put in the effort to cover a few of the things that I simply haven’t had time to do. Every meeting is a collective effort by every brother… this is a fact that is too often overlooked. Without each of the brothers in attendance last night (as well as other not in attendance), these meetings would be difficult, if not impossible, to pull together.

NOT A Relaxing Weekend

As I alluded to yesterday, the weekend did not get off to a good start. Unfortunately, it also proceeded to get much worse following the frustrating Friday. In fact, I am still dealing with the fallout today. It was one of those weekends that you just want to forget ever happened and move on to the next work day.

It all started with what should have been a simple drive into the city on Friday afternoon. I left the office at about 4:30 expecting to sit in a bit of traffic but with enough time set aside to make it to old city by 5:30. About a tenth of a mile away from the route 63 entrance, those plans completely fell apart as soon as my front right tire slammed into the crater.

Now with a donut on the car, I wasn’t about to drive on the highway or in the city so I slowly made my way down the remainder of route 1 and parked the car at the Wynnewood train station. My timing was still pretty good at this point as I made the right train which got me to the event on time. This was just the beginning of the weekend.

Following the event, I walked down the street to catch the next train at Suburban Station. With the event ending at 10 I thought I had plenty of time to make the 10:26 train. Well, by the time I found one of the few entrances to the train station still open at that hour, the train had departed and I was left waiting for the 11:26 train. In the end, I didn’t get home until 1:00am but that was not the worst part of the weekend.

After dropping the tire off at the dealer early on Saturday morning, running some errands, and grabbing a quick breakfast at Wawa we settled back down at the house to try and relax a little for the day and get some things done. By the time the sun began to set I was not feeling well and found myself heading off to bed much earlier than usual. Throughout the night I found myself sicker than I had been in a long time. Turns out that Wawa was offering an extra helping of food poisoning at no extra charge.

While I felt a little better toward the end of the day yesterday, and despite my gulping efforts, the dehydration caught up with me this morning and forced me to call out of work for the day. With a screaming headache I finally gave in and went to the local urgent care where they confirmed our suspicions and hooked me up to an IV. Finally feeling somewhat normal I all want now is for this weekend to finally come to an end.

Frequent Errands

One thing that has definitely increased both since we found out about our son’s arrival and since his birth is the number of errands that we have to run. This is pretty much on a daily basis as there is always one thing or another that we have to pick up, drop off, exchange, or just get more information as well as a plethora of appointments. And it really doesn’t matter how well prepared you think you are, there is always that one essential item that is missing from your stockpile of baby stuff.

I do my best to take care of most of these things, so long as they can wait until the end of the work day when I am on my way home, but, for the most part, my wife is the one that has to run back and forth trying to get everything done during the day. This would be hectic enough if it was just her but adding the preparation and logistics needed to get the baby ready and out the door adds to both the length of the commitment and the energy it takes to get some of these seemingly simple things done. I don’t know where she finds the energy but, somehow, she is managing to get all of the constant errands done.

All of these small time and energy consuming trips during the day are something that we tried to prepare for but, in the end, we weren’t expecting. While no one thing in particular is consuming the hours in our days, all of these small trips have added up. Some days more than others and overall having a huge impact on our schedules. Hopefully things will calm down a bit in the coming months but we are definitely not holding our breaths for that.

This is why I have been trying to stick to a more consistent schedule at work. In the past, my departure from the office has been fairly open ended. There were some nights when I would get back home well past eight and sometimes long after 10. Now I am doing my best to get home by 7 while trying to walk through the door around 6:30. This allows me to both get some of those other things done but also allows me to spend more time with our son while giving my wife a much needed break at the end of her day.

It is not a perfect system by any means but it is working fairly well thus far. It may be time to take a day off here and there to better prepare above and beyond our anticipated needs. Until then we will have to keep trying to become more and more efficient with these small trips.

Busy Seems To Be An Understatement

Yep. The clock pretty much looks like that right now.

Every day I try to take a few minutes either at the office or at home to just breathe. This is especially true during the weekend when I really don’t want to think about all that needs to be done both around the house and at the office. Of course, the housework can’t be pushed back especially with so little time left. However, lately the same has been true with work as more and more projects and tasks have piled on top of the regular schedule.

Those few moments during my week have been absent as of late with every moment accounted for during the waking hours (and some while I am trying to sleep). Just as one thing begins to fade into the background two or three more come raging to the forefront leaving both my wife and I trying to scramble to just get through the day. This is one of the big reasons why I hate it when people change their schedules or let us know of commitments at the last minute. With all that we are dealing with right now, we need all the support that we can get and sometimes it is lacking.

While we see many of our friends and family taking time to travel, eat out, and sometimes simply relax our days, especially weekends, have been filled with places that we have to be and last minute dinner decisions. On Saturday we finally found the time to sit down and have a dinner out… while Five Guys is not the fanciest place, it was quick and allowed us to get back home and take care of a few more things. There is no time left in the day for anything nicer or travelling much further.

It seems like each night we discover something else that we need to add to our list. Sometimes it is a simple phone call while other times we have to get in the car and either run a few errands, drop things off, or quickly pick up something that we had previously overlooked. Other trips are more regular lately and cannot be put off as we need to visit with family and keep our regular doctor appointments both of which are becoming much more frequent.   

Time being the commodity that it is, this is the poorest that we have ever been. But we have gotten through these things before. While not nearly as difficult as the current situation, we have the strength both in ourselves and our marriage to make it through the days, weeks, and months. While there is no question that we will not be the same after these trials, we will be stronger, healthier, and have a greater appreciation for the life we have and all the memories that can never be taken away.

Errands, Sales, And Gift Cards Result In A Retail Hangover

With only one day this past weekend free from commitments, my wife and I spent the entirety of Sunday running errands. Some were overdue and now on a ticking clock, others were the result of the baby shower the day before, and some were just errands of opportunity. By the time we got home in the early evening we were tired and ready for another weekend.

The first trip was to the old apartment to pick up the cable boxes that I had forgotten to put in the car numerous times. I had gotten a call from Comcast last week and I really didn’t want to see another bill from them in the coming weeks. Now that this is done, it shouldn’t take much longer before our previous residence is finally a thing of the past.

From there we drove to Staples where I spent the next hour of my life scanning, formatting, and confirming the order for new lodge dues cards and address stamps. This is why I have been putting off this trip for so long. Of course, while we were there, it took the opportunity to restock on a few essentials (i.e. ink, envelopes, etc.). Between rewards dollars and coupons we did pretty well.

After swinging by my parent’s house and picking up a few baby shower gifts that got lost in the shuffle, we drove back west. On our way to drop off the aforementioned Comcast boxes (they don’t really have many convenient locations), and because I took a slightly longer route, we drove by the local Office Max which, turns out, is closing and was in the midst of clearing out the store. So, with the drop off taken care of, we circled back and slowly walked through the store. Got to love saving nearly 70% on items that you had been looking to pick up when the price was right.

By this point we were starting to slow down but we were only 5 minutes away from Babies R Us and we had both coupons and gift cards in hand (both from the gifts we brought home the night before and some that were in envelopes in the trunk that we had just retrieved). Needless to say, we decided to check a few more items off the registry and cherry pick the clearance racks and shelves. Even with a cart load of baby items, we actually still have some funds left to round things out a little later. Of course, there is still a lot of stuff on the registry too.

After a quick dinner (Bob Evans doesn’t mix well with pregnancy) we finally headed home for the day. While tiring we did manage to get a lot done that won’t muck up a future weekend. With that said, the retail hangover this morning was something that I don’t look forward to experiencing again.

Last And First Meeting

Having had to run a few errands prior (i.e. checking the old apartment and grabbing the mail), and leaving the office a little later than expected due to a delayed but very positive meeting (our year in review), I arrived at the lodge about an hour later than I usually do and with little time to space for the evening. Actually, as I pulled into a parking spot and made a final few calls, I greeted two other brothers as they walked across the parking lot. Maybe attendance would be more than I expected?

Well, I walked in a few minutes later having finally completed the calls that had occupied my commute, and saw a small round table of brothers conversing and getting a few last minute items done before the New Year began. The evening, absent of candidates, was a much more relaxed time of fellowship and an opportunity to catch up on everything that is going on not just at the lodge but in our lives. It was also a perfect time to make sure I thanked the brother who assisted me over the weekend by transporting the new couch.

As the new masonic year had started a few days prior, there was a slight change at the lodge last night. While the Worshipful Master will be serving another year in the east and I will continue sitting to his right, the Treasurer, having served in that role for the past seven years, decided to step down and have another brother assume the responsibilities of the office. Last night, it was nice to see the previous Treasurer relax a little while he offered support to his successor. While the new officer is more than qualified for the job and his commitment to the fraternity is unquestionable, I understand the process of getting comfortable in a new position in the lodge as an officer. After all, I had to do the same thing last year.

There is a lot of promise in the coming year as our calendar is filling quickly, new brothers are actively participating in the fraternity, and new candidates are brought in every month with petitions in hand. We conclude the year with more masons than what we started with, greater engagement by the brethren, and an energy that is continuously building with every passing week. It is a great time to be a brother and I am enjoying the front row seat that I have as we turn the fraternal corner and begin to grow again.

Changes We Can’t Control

Every once in a while my wife and I will be driving down the street and think about some of the stores that used to be part of the towns across the main line. All the places that we remember going to as kids and even some of the stores that we would shop at when we were in high school. Those places are becoming harder and harder to find the more we drive up and down the local roads.

We were reminded of this fact when we made our way to the King of Prussia mall this past weekend. We had, no surprise, a few errands to run and a baby registry to complete (finally). It was during this trip that we decided to stop by the newly opened Dick’s Sporting Goods (their prices are still too high). Afterward, we couldn’t help but walk next door and head down the escalator to see what we could find during the final days of the Sears store being open.

I can’t recall how many times that I have been to Sears (this location in particular) over the years but it basically has been a place that I would occasionally find myself walking around throughout my life. This trip was completely different and, unfortunately, all too familiar. With the liquidation of stock in full swing, the department store had been consolidated to a small fraction of a single floor. This was, most likely, the last time that I would be walking up and down those aisles.

While I can’t really complain about getting 60+% off on items, it is still a little sad to be in the midst of forced change. The shelves were nearly barren and racks of clothes sprawled across the middle of the floor in haphazard organization. They even had prices on the shelves themselves along with the carts and displays. The world is changing around us and there is no better example of this than the retail shift that we see every day.

It always seems as though it is the places that had the best selection and prices that are closing up and moving out. From Strawbridge’s, Wannamaker’s, and Sears to Borders, Sam Goody, and Blockbuster, all the places that we remember going to on the weekends are nothing more than a memory. And now we can’t help but think of how the same kinds of changes will continue… what are the places that our son will remember from his childhood that won’t be around when he is an adult?

It is going to be interesting to see how things evolve over the next couple of decades and I wonder if it will be faster or slower than what we have already seen. While it would be nice to have these things remain a stable part of everyday life that simply is not the reality of life. Things change and all we can do is enjoy the memories and hope to make even better ones for our son. We may not be able to control the word around him but we can control how much we love him. Everything else doesn’t really matter.

The Non-Baby Errands

Trip to the DMV behind the old boarders. 

What a difference a weekend can make when it comes to getting some errands done. We went from the fun and overall enjoyment of working on our baby registry to the doldrums of having to get the car inspected and license renewed. I know, I would much rather be walking around Babies R Us than hanging out at the DMV.

However, with these essentials now out of the way it seems as though we are finally recovering from the upper cut and no longer stumbling around the ring. Our feet, while it may not seem like it at times, are finally under us and we are able to take care of the things that have been hanging over us for months. Of course, this doesn’t mean that we can relax in the coming weeks. We still have a long list of tasks to accomplish and projects to complete but at least now there seems to be some good progress being made.

Sometimes that is really all that you need to experience to start getting caught up… knowing that there is progress being made can push you to get things done, move to the next item, and the next, until you are actually ahead of things rather than fluttering your feet trying to keep from going under. Unfortunately, this is part of a cycle that we have found ourselves in over the past few years. We never really get ahead on anything it is more about catching up and falling back… bobbing up and down in the swells.

The difference now is that there are events on the horizon that are adding to both the urgency and the difficult of pushing through things. There is a storm of dichotomy just on the horizon and while there are moments when the sun peers through the clouds and turns the choppy waters into diamonds, it never lasts long and shortly after those respites of reflection we find ourselves in the pitch black looking for any glimmer of light we can find across the black blanket.

Such is the spectrum of life and the ebb and flow that we all must embrace. There are moments when you can fight to break free and there are other times when you just need to relax and let the current take you to solace. Right now there is a mix as we are insistent on trying to find a positive place and are constantly struggling to do so but also moments when we need to conserve all the energy we have so that when those times of joy do occur we can embrace them with all the love that we have.

In both instances, there is hope and we know that life has a way of working out and that G-d has a reason for everything happening around us. We may not know why, understand, or like what is going on but it all works out in one way or another. If we accept it, this can be a time when peace overcomes stress and joy dominates the darkness. We will always fight for hope but understand that we have our limits and there are boundaries to everything that we do. I for one chose to be hopeful and happy focusing on the joy that is just on the horizon.

Baby Errands

On Sunday my wife and I had to get out of the apartment. With everything that has been going on lately we haven’t had much time to run a few errands… they just kept getting pushed back week after week. Finally we made it to the mall and started hopping from store to store picking up the items we need. Nothing fancy just a few items of clothing, a very important pillow, and some additional footwear.

The largest part of our outing was our trip to Babies “R” Us which ate up about two hours of our afternoon. While we did find a few items that we could purchase (clearance combined with coupon was a deal we couldn’t pass up) the primary purpose of our store visit was to fill out our baby registry (which is not fun if you try and do it online). That’s right, for the first time since our wedding, we walked up and down the aisles, scanner in hand, doing our best to spend other people’s money (no, we didn’t run into Danny DeVito).

With memories of our wedding excursions resurfacing in our minds, we were not looking forward to the process. However, once we started scanning, we couldn’t help but enjoy the idea that we were picking things out not for ourselves but for our son. That was the turning point in the whole process as we kept on finding item after item that we wanted to buy for our baby.

Of course, there were a few things that weren’t as simple as point and scan and there were a couple of items that we will have to research further before adding to the list. Strollers and car seats took some time while monitors were put off for another day. And while we chose some outfits, there is still a lot of clothes that need to be added before that could even come close to being a complete list. Toys were another item (except for a couple stuffed animals) that we are holding off on.

By the end of the registry marathon, we had made a pretty big dent. All the furniture has been selected, travel items were put on the list, and every other category in the store supplied checklist had at least a few items selected (including a crap load of diapers - pun intended). Also added were the handful of items that we purchased that day… always remember to do this as you enjoy the registry benefits on things that you are purchasing namely cash back.

So my son should have a pretty good start and this should prevent us from having to bring back piles of merchandise to return and/or exchange. That is the theory. And now my wife and I no longer have the aversion to registries that we previously had as things are different now that we are no longer picking out items for ourselves (okay some of them we kind of are). While we aren’t quite ready for our son to be born we are at least making progress and feel like we have made one more preparation for his arrival.

Sometimes I Have To Work To Relax…

I have a huge problem… don’t all chime in at once… in that I can’t seem to turn off my mind during my days off. For the first time in a long time, I took a day off today with nothing on the calendar. I didn’t have a specific place that I had to be or event that I had to attend. It was a bit of an odd feeling.

Without something to keep me occupied, I found myself getting up early, a little later than usual due to my not wanting to get out of bed, and almost immediately getting on the computer and sending emails. While there are a few things that had to be taken care of that carried over from the work week, there wasn’t too much that was pressing. However, while there is no doubt that I was working, it didn’t feel like work. I was in a completely different headspace while my fingers scurried across the keyboard.

Thankfully, I did have a general idea of a few things that I wanted to do so by the early afternoon I was out the door and on my way to the range. I can’t just sit back and dwell in the apartment, I need to be social and one of my social hobbies was calling me. Heck, it is a great way for me to relax as well.

By the time my wife called me after work, I was feeling much more relaxed. Usually by the end of the day, especially at the end of the week, I am wiped out but with the laid back but productive kind of day that I had, I still had plenty of energy to drive over to the mall and get a few errands taken care of before we sat down for a fancy food court dinner. Now, we have one less trip that we have to make this weekend which frees up a few hours to get some other things done in the apartment. After all, we still have three days left in the weekend.

With an easy day leading into the night, I find myself with a little extra energy and focus to check a few other items off my weekend list a little early. While I can’t say, by most people’s definition, that this is going to be a relaxing weekend, it is just what I need to get back on track with just enough down time so that I can go into the three day week reenergized. I know, sometimes I am pretty good at scheduling.

Errands, A Dead Fridge, And Meeting The Police!

Our plans for the 4^th of July consisted of approximately nothing. We had a few errands that we had been putting off but other than that we were going to sleep in, relax, and enjoy the rare weekday together without the worries of work and school constantly splitting our attention. Well, we definitely slept in (at least I did), we had a few relaxing moments, and then we headed out the door to pick up a few things. Nothing exciting, just some clothes and groceries and the day was actually going pretty well as we found  just about everything we needed in one stop rather than two giving us some more time to not run errands.

About four hours passed and we were starting to figure out what we wanted for a late dinner when the day took a turn in an unfavorable direction. As my wife was sitting down with a bowl of cereal and I was rummaging around on the top shelf, I noticed an inordinate amount of heat radiating from the sides of the refrigerator. Just as I noticed the lack of cold air, my wife got my attention saying that the new milk tasted sour. Well, crap, I guess the holiday isn’t going to end as smoothly as it began.

So, it was time to repack the groceries and take them to my parents’ house so everything wouldn’t be wasted. With my parents in Pittsburgh for the weekend, it was going to be a very quick trip to unload, put away, and get back to the apartment. However, what would have been an uneventful stop just a few months ago was a bit more complicated this time around. With the roads clear and the fireworks lighting up the newly dark sky in the distance, I was calling and texting trying to figure out the new security code needed to get into the house. Additionally, when we arrived, the key in my pocket that was supposed to work didn’t and I had to scramble to find the spare (which also didn’t work in the right lock).

With all the searching and fumbling around with the locks the alarm was blaring by the time I got in the house and I knew that we would soon be having a couple of visitors. The alarm had long since been turned off and I just finished putting the food away when I saw the bright beams of two flashlights making their way to the back door. It was time to have a brief conversation with the Radnor Police Department. After explaining the situation, showing them my driver’s license, and chatting for a bit we all left the house and drove up the street.

And now we are left with trying to get the fridge repaired (always an interesting conversation with the management and maintenance) and finding the time to be there when the service needs to be done. That is a whole different conversation, issue, and blog post altogether. But, for now, we got everything done and we managed to get back to the apartment before the throngs of people flooded onto the streets. I was just glad that we still had two more days left in the weekend!

The Workaholic’s Dilemma

What happens if I turn one of the other two directions?

I decided some time ago that I was going to take today off. The problem that I am running into is that I really don’t know what to do with myself with this extra day away from the office. All of the other days that I have been out of the office had another reason behind them beyond just needing to take time off. I have taken a days off here and there because of holidays, illness, and other commitments during the day. I had something to do. Today I am not sure how I am going to fill the day.

There are a few options. I could go to the range. I could run some overdue errands. I could spend the time in the apartment cleaning or organizing. I could sit at my computer, get ahead on work, catch up on a few lodge tasks, and write a few blogs for future use. There is also a research article that I have to get done for the fall. Nothing seems to be jumping out at me at the moment. I know that my wife will be productive today but I have no motivation to get that much done. Maybe I should just let the day play out and not set an agenda for this rare time away from the office.

On the other hand, I might want to get things together now as this is the first of four consecutive weeks when I will have short weeks. That’s right from this week until the week of the 4^th of July, I will be working four days a week. Sounds like a great way to start the summer but if things continue as they are starting off today it may not be as nice as it sounds. I have to find a way to fill my days and be productive but also have the time off be relaxing as well.

The other issue I have with taking time off is that I have a check list constantly running through my mind of things that need to get done as soon as I get back to the office. I am also thinking of the possibilities of things that may come up that someone else will have to handle since I am not at my desk and, potentially, not at my computer today. And, no surprise, I am constantly trying to think about things that I may have possibly forgotten about yesterday that I should have gotten done before the long weekend began.

So, I guess I am going to have to work today as it is going to take some significant effort to calm my mind and focus on the day in from of me. I am going to just let the day play out and pretty much do what I want to do. All of this while staying out of my wife’s way so that she can get everything done that she needs to focus on. Will it be a successful day, I don’t know but I am going to try and see how things go. This might help though...

Looping Around

Today was the first day in a long time when nothing was planned. We tried to schedule a few things for the day but, in the end, nothing came to fruition and we were left with some free time. While most days I prefer having something to do and/or somewhere to go, it was a nice change to not have to be anywhere and my wife and I could simply take the day as it came and enjoy just being together. So that is what we did… nothing in particular.

 

Actually, that is not completely true. With the weather clear and the temperature in the 80’s we couldn’t just stay inside and slowly simmer in our apartment with the sun beating through the windows and without the cool comfort of air conditioning. We are in one of those odd and uncomfortable in-between times when the weather fluctuates and the utilities aren’t quite in line with the daily swings. So rather than allow the discomfort test our patience, we got in the car, put the windows down, and drove in a large loop.

 

The highway was relatively clear with only the occasional insane person speeding by on a motorcycle and before we knew it we were getting off the interstate and heading north on route 611. While 611 is not the most pleasant road to drive, it is familiar and an easy way to loop around by heading north to the Route 202 intersection. Route 202, like 611, is for the most part not a pleasant weekend drive type road but between 611 and 309 it is actually a very nice mosey trip with plenty of open space and we are not the only ones who think so as there was a steady stream of cars on the road at this point and a plethora of pedestrians walking and biking on the parallel path.

 

Back on 309, our over traveled route, we stopped and took a break heading to the local Target to run a few errands. In the clean confines of the retail store we found all the items on our list and then some as the clearance racks were filled with other items that we had been putting off purchasing for some time. Nothing exciting, just some sweat pants, shirts, and coffee. The basic items that can add up quickly when paying full price but when on clearance can be a great way to stretch your money. Needless to say, I am good for another year for workout clothes and should be good for at least a month regarding coffee.

 

With bags in the back seat (my trunk is a mess that never seems to go away) and the windows flapping the plastic, we set the cruse control and headed back to the apartment. Even during the days when nothing is planned, we still tend to get things done. The constant activity can be tiring at times but today was just a relaxing day when we could go out and spend some time together without having to stick to a specific schedule. We need more of these kinds of days.  

Gluttonous Appliance Adds To Errand List

My wife and I headed out today to take care of a few errands which we had been putting off for the past couple of weekends. Obviously, nothing that was urgent but it needed to be taken care of at some point and today was the day. Our first stop was somewhere that used to not bother me much but, over the years, it has started to get a bit rundown. It is not the same place, and I am not the same person, that it used to be so I no longer look forward to entering the mall. The fact that there are aspects of the building that are starting to deteriorate doesn’t do anything for the overall appeal either.

Not surprisingly, this stop was so my wife could stop at a few places that are only found in various malls throughout the area. One thing that I did notice about one of the stores was that if you really want to increase your sales you might want to think about coordinating the prices you have in your store location with the one listed on the website. These people refused to honor the online price despite it being their own website. And we’re not talking about a few dollars, this was more like twice the price in person. Nice salesperson but the company needs a little work. Oh well, I guess you really didn’t want my sale. Fortunately, there were no such issues at the second store.

From there we drove down the street to take care of one of my least favorite activities… clothes shopping. It wasn’t for any big purchase, it was Wal-Mart after all, but it is still a less than desirable activity made worse by the fact that these crazy people had almost exclusively shorts out in the workout gear. I had to dig to find a freaking pair of workout pants. Thankfully, socks are much easier to find.

Of course, this trip wouldn’t be necessary if our dryer didn’t have an eating disorder. Like many of its elk, it consumes socks on a regular basis. Only one from the pair as I assume it doesn’t want to be seen as gluttonous. However, our particular dryer has a hankering for draw strings. Because it only eats half a pair, it has plenty of room for the countless draw strings that help to keep our pants up and our sweatshirts closed. Well, my workout pants were the victim of the latest nibbling and so I had to swim among the shorts to find something that would go past my knees at the store.

So, it didn’t take long before all the small tasks were taken care of and we were on our way to dinner. It wasn’t the best place to stop with the goals that we each have but we were actually pretty good and stuck with the healthier options on the menu. And so concluded our day. From there we made our way home in the Sunday traffic on the Schuylkill Expressway. No accidents, just highway congestion that seems to be ever-present on that particular stretch of highway.

And what was my thought when we finally got home. Was it that I was looking forward to relaxing on the couch and not watching the Olympics closing ceremony? No, it was a night of trying to get things done on the computer and the sense of dread when I looked into the direction of the dishes piled in the sink. Oh well, it has to get done at some point and tonight was the time to do it. At least the dishwasher doesn’t eat my socks.

Quick Trips Are Rarely Quick

 

Have you ever noticed that a quick trip on a weekend never ends up being a quick trip? That was the case today as my car was due for its 10,000 mile oil change. In the past I have gotten lucky and it would only take about 30 minutes so I wound up waiting for it and killing time by either making a call or reading a bit. However, as soon as I called the Armen service department I knew that wasn’t going to be the case. So, what I was hoping would originally be about 30 minutes was now at least going to be 90 minutes (this is not a criticism just a reality).

Whenever you call a place to have any kid of service done if they hesitate before telling you that there is time today, it is almost definitely going to be a longer wait. Having been told that it would take about an hour and a half, my wife and I decided to go out for a lazy lunch to pass the time. And if we are going to head out for lunch we might as well have some company so I gave my mom a call to invite my parents to lunch. Just like many of my weekends, my dad was working so it was just the three of us who would meet up at Dujour after we dropped the car off at the dealer.

After an excellent time with my mom chatting over lunch we started walking back to the car when the phone rang to let me know that the car was ready. At least our timing was pretty good. However, going straight to the dealer would just make too much sense and since we were out we thought that we should take care of another errand by looking for some boots for my wife across the street from the dealer at DSW. I wasn’t going to stand around while my wife was looking at shoes so I headed to the clearance section to find a replacement pair for the shoes coming apart on my feet.

I found a nearly identical pair of brown shoes the only different really being that they were a different brand. When checking the price I was a little thrown off because the price tag was in yellow and not in one of the usual colors (i.e. red, purple, green, and blue). In another example of great timing, the shoes that I picked out (the only pair out which happened to be the perfect size) were on sale for 80% off the discount price. Perfect replacements for just under $12.

Of course, my wife also found a pair to pick up so after checking out we parted ways as my wife headed home and I walked across the street to pick up the car. An oil change, tire rotation, and a few dollars later I pulled out of the parking lot and, instead of heading home, drove over to the post office and lodge to check the mailbox and the office. Quick trip but one that is going to be a new part of my weekend routine. As I pulled into the parking lot back at my apartment building it was obvious that the quick trip today was anything but quick having taken nearly three hours to get back to where I started.

Date Night

About halfway through the day I had enough and needed to take a break from the work, the cleaning, and sitting around the apartment in general. While I was being productive and getting plenty of things done, some long overdue, I was feeling a little bit of Jack Nicholson rattling around in there. Once I found a good place to stop I knew it was time for us to get up and out. There were a few things we had to get done, a few last minute gifts to pick up, and a few items to return so there was a productive motive to our trip but that was by no means the major motivator.

First stop… Wal-Mart. I know, such an exciting and exotic place to visit. After returning a few purchases from our Black Friday trip (we picked up/out too many DVD’s) we walked around store and picked up a few essentials (windshield wiper blades) and a gift. We were going to pick up a second gift at the ammo counter but there are two major problems in trying to do that. First, ammo is still in limited supply and, second, no one is ever at the ammo counter to help and employees seem to get lost on their way there when you request assistance (a third common problem is the fact that no one at Wal-Mart knows what you’re talking about beyond pointing at specific boxes).

Second Stop… Staples. I know, calm down, don’t be jealous of our exciting life. While we found an extra gift in the clearance section, along with a few other items, the main objective was to pick up ink for our photo printer (we’re only about two months behind in picking this up). The nice thing with Staples which I have mentioned before, I can utilize coupons and other discounts. After handing in all the coupons and taking off a little bit with some rewards dollars, the total cost was the equivalent of us simply coming in and buying the ink cartridge as full price. Not a bad trip.

With the handful of errands now completed, it was time to just be together and have a little bit of a date night so we headed off to do something that we haven’t done in a long time (probably about a year and a half), we went to watch a movie at the AMC in Plymouth Meeting. It was an optimal time to head to the movies as many factors were working in our favor: we had a Fandango gift card to cover the tickets, we both needed to take a break, there was a movie out we could agree on, and we have been long overdue for a date night. Sodas and popcorn in hand, we climbed the stairs and got settled in for the next two plus hours.
 

While “The Book Thief” is an excellent movie and I highly recommend watching, be prepared to be a little depressed. There is a deep sadness throughout the film (no surprise for a story that takes place in Nazi Germany) which can catch you off guard at times. Wonderful performances all around and a pace that is perfect for the subject matter and the mood of the film. It is a movie that you should allow yourself to get lost in and a story that should be wrapped around you like a new and slightly uncomfortable and unfamiliar blanket. It is for these reasons that I will not go into the details of the film and let you explore it for yourself.

 

After the afternoon movie, we stopped by the mall for a quick sit down dinner (a lighter meal after all the popcorn and soda) and soon after headed back to the apartment and back to work. Now that I have gotten a few more things taken care of I am now sitting down, talking to you, and drinking some fresh tea in an infuser cup I gave to my wife at the beginning of the day. Nothing like fresh, loose tea to end the day and calm you down from a work filled weekend. Time to head off to bed to rest up for a short work week but hectic week overall.