Old Dog Learned a New Lesson
2006-11-18, 10:59 p.m.

Day 818 Old Dog Learned a New Lesson

NaBloPoMo #16

Well, date night went pretty well. Had a super dinner, even managed to have an intelligent conversation the whole time. Got over to the hockey game without having to rush. Good game, home boys won after almost letting it get away. Allowed the tying goal with less than a minute left in regulation. Scores the game winner 13 seconds into overtime. Kinda bummed, thought maybe we�d see a shoot out. Still, glad for the win.

It�s funny coming home from being out and finding your kids on the couch, right where you�d be sitting if it was them just coming in. Weird juxtaposition, having them ask you about your night out.

Skipped my normal Saturday morning workout. Skipped going out for opening day of gun season for deer too. Guilted into it actually. Got an early jump on yard work instead. De-leafed all the beds, cleaned out the perennials, hacked down the coreopsis, peonies, bee balm & yarrows. Cleaned up all the lilies, rudbeckia, coneflowers & sedum. Gathered up the last of the leaves in the yard, hauled them all up to the curb. Cleaned off the front walk & driveway, even cleaned the garage a bit. (At least got all the damn leaves out) Did break for lunch in there someplace. Finally came in for the day around 3:30.

Tried to decide what to do for the evening. Maybe catch a matinee and then a quick bite to eat? Find a new dish to try and get a couple DVD�s? Cindy is opting for the stay at home versions. I get to take a shower and head to the store for last minute ingredients. By the time I get back form the store she�s pretty well trashed. I cook dinner because she can�t, really. Well, I let her brown the ground turkey. I did the rest because she has trouble following directions. Mostly because she can�t see well enough to read them. This was a new dish we were trying, so she couldn�t do it from memory. I cooked because I could read.

Dish came out fine. Some Mexican pasta casserole thing. Next time I�d use a picante sauce instead of a salsa, but still, not a bad dish. After dinner, asked Cindy if she was ready to watch one of the movies. She was rather ambivalent about it. A funny reaction after she asked me to go get movies after getting what we needed to cook dinner. Watched M:I:III anyhow. Pretty cool movie. Phillip Seymore Hoffman (hometown boy there) was excellent as the villain. Well, right up to the point where he lost his head. Poor guy. Oh, yeah. Cindy? Asleep (passed out) less than 15 minutes into the movie. Guess it�s hard to be interested in a movie when you�re shitfaced.

So what did I learn today? I learned not to skip my Saturday morning workout. I learned that while I�m outdoors working all day, she�s inside drinking (actually I knew that one already). I learned those trips to the store are just openings for her to pound more booze. I learned that sacrificing a little of what I want, giving up a little time to be productive around the house, will not be appreciated. At least not in any tangible way I�ll recognize. I learned that her sickness will get her to create openings that it uses to feed itself. Her sickness gets her to manipulate me so it can satisfy itself.

It�s a good thing I get some satisfaction out of the condition of the yard heading into this winter. Cindy did mention something about �gee, this is the best the yard has looked before winter ever� but she was already plastered. I�m not sure she actually saw the yard, she just had her face in the window, pointing in the right direction.

I don�t even know what it was she had to drink today. I�ve tried to not even look so far. It�s pointless anyhow.

Next Saturday it�s back to our regularly scheduled workout. I will not be guilted into skipping it again. Unless there are concrete plans announced ahead of time, my plans are to be at the gym every Saturday morning from now till doomsday. You heard it here first.

Updated stats:
Weight start: 206.5 on 1/1/06 (265.0 on 1/15/05)
Current weight: 188 on 11/4/06 (Out of the rut, but in the wrong direction)
Next weigh in: 1/18/06 (if I dare)
New target � Aim is 180, by Christmas. Better get it in gear..

The Keep on Truckin goal: (miles piled up on elliptical trainers and/or running)
Miles at speed 11/16/06: 922.57
Miles with cool down: 1014.91
Target for 2006: 1000 miles at speed (cool down miles don�t really count)

If you use a pop-up blocker, hit "Ctrl" when you click to leave a comment