Saturday, April 11, 2015

Beautiful weekend

We are in the middle of a beautiful weekend here in Middle Tennessee. Today was one of those oh-so-perfect days that to stay inside would have been woefully inappropriate.

Wife has traveled to Little Rock this weekend, so I am on my own. Every once in a while, that is a good thing. I am somewhat of an introvert -- I love people but they make me tired. I can cope very well with a couple of days of semi-isolation. It recharges my batteries.

Wife, on the other hand, is an extrovert and is energized by people. We compliment each other in that way. She keeps me busy and forces me, in a good way, to get out and do things when I might choose to do otherwise. And, at appropriate times, I bring her down to earth and force her to rest when she needs to.

It was pretty cool when I got up this morning -- about 45 degrees. I had thought of a morning run outside but opted, instead, for an indoor spin class at 7:15 a.m. It was a good way to start the day

Last night I had gone to Home Depot and purchased 15 bags of mulch. They are having a great sale -- two bucks a bag. We have a berm out in the front yard that could use some attention, so that is how I planned to spend a good part of the morning after spin class.

I got started about 9:45, after eating breakfast. My next-door-neighbor was also out in the yard so I talked with him for a while. We don't see much of each other during the winter months, so we always catch up once the weather is warmer and we're outside more.

By 11 a.m. I learned that 15 bags was about half as much as I needed. So it was back to Home Depot, where I learned why I had gone last night. It was crazy busy. The line to load mulch was out of control.

I left and decided to take my chances on another store a few miles south. Bingo. It was busy too, but their mulch bags were in a much less congested space, so it was much easier to load them and be on my way. Going to the other store was a good choice.

With 15 more bags loaded in my truck (and what would I ever do without that truck and what will I do when Older Son says he wants it back???), I was back in business. By mid-afternoon I was done.

I watched a little bit of the Masters golf tournament (I am not a golfer but I love the beauty of the golf course at Augusta, GA and appreciate the importance of the tournament), then visited a nearby craft brewery for some late-afternoon refreshment.

I am now trying to finish Edge of Eternity, an 1100-page book that is the third in the Century trilogy by Ken Follett. I will confess that I have not enjoyed it as much as the previous two and I am tired of it, but I must, of course, finish it. I'm down to the last 150 pages.

Wife will be home mid-day tomorrow and I will be glad to see her. I am rested and refreshed and reminded that I am much better with my better half.