Simultaneity

Added to the plan:

• Prep Kevin’s Garden
• Clean Stove
• Cut the grass
• Clean Outside of Refrigerator

Day 1 – Wednesday

They left this afternoon shortly after lunch. My schedule was the typical Wednesday – youth ministry meeting tonight. I planned to leave the office a bit early and get some housework done. I wound up leaving at the normal time, went to Home Depot and bought some laminate flooring for the two rooms then when to shoppers to pick up dinner. After that I returned to church, ate, had youth group, and went home.
Teri had left in a whirlwind, basically washing most everything, but hadn’t taken everything. I started picking up the living room and folded all the laundry. I also took all the left over dirty laundry downstairs and stuck in a load to wash. Put the dishes in the dishwasher and set it to wash them while I was sleeping – what a nifty feature so you can wake up to clean dishes.
Heroes: No
Wii: Test & Tennis
Television: The Departed
Meals: Salad with 2 chicken wings

Day 2 – Thursday

Planned to leave a little early again today, but wound up staying later than usual. Ran an errand (groceries), picked up dinner and then back to church for council meeting. When I got home I ate dinner, stuck the load in dryer and loaded another load in the washer, and started ripping up the carpet and continued ripping up the kitchen floor.
Heroes: No
Wii: Test & Tennis
Television: 24
Meals: Oatmeal, Chicken Chili & ½ Turkey Sandwich on 9 grain bread (once for lunch, once for dinner)

Day 3 – Friday

Started the day with a bike ride. The Baptist Student Ministry Conference started this evening. Between work and returning for the conference I removed the carpet and about ½ of the kitchen floor. While doing that I had a chicken breast soaking in barbeque that I later grilled. As the chicken finished I put together a salad (snap peas, jalapeno, celery green peppers, and green onions – all fresh, yum!) to be topped off with the chicken.
Heroes: Minimal
Wii: Test
Television: Numb3rs, Rocky Balboa
Meals: Oatmeal, Ham sandwich, BBQ Chicken salad

Day 4 – Saturday

The conference and the AWANA grand Prix were this morning. After that, I headed to Lowes to check their prices on circular saws (got a cordless circular saw package). Back home I finished removing all the staples and nails from the carpeted floor and finished the majority of removal in the kitchen. In the evening I returned to the conference and made a quick stop at Home Depot between sessions. Lunch and dinner were courtesy of the conference. Took Buster for a short walk.
Heroes: None
Wii: Test & Tennis
Television: Catch a Fire
Meals: Oatmeal, Chick-Fil-A Cool Wrap, Ham, Green Beans, Salad, Cucumber salad

Day 5 – Sunday

Church this morning. It was a really nice day out so I had breakfast on the back step this morning. While I was eating I remembered that I wanted to clean the pantry and prep Kevin’s garden – and the grass needs cut. The list seems to be getting longer, not shorter.
After church I cleaned the sides of the stove and fridge and began laying the floor. It’s gonna look pretty nice. After evening service I called an old friend, chatted for a while, then picked up dinner. I got home in time for a phone call that I was expecting, then sat down to enjoy my burrito and some 24.
Moved the refrigerator and found the outside in need of a cleaning (add that to the list). Cleaned most of the stove, almost finished kitchen floor, cleaned outside of fridge.
Heroes: Yes
Wii: Test & Tennis & Monday’s Test
Television: 24 (x2), Letterman, Super Size Me
Meals: Oatmeal, ham sandwich, Chipotle’s Chicken Fajita Burrito (light on rice, extra green pepper and onion)

Day 6 – Monday

Buster had a rough night and wasn’t getting up this morning – I called Teri and we talked about taking him in to the vet, but I decided to go hour by hour and if he wasn’t suffering maybe tomorrow would be a better day. I left him be while I had breakfast, then took him outside to enjoy some of the nice day. I didn’t get as much done as I had hoped for today, this morning took some time to deal with everything. I was able to trim the hedges (not on list, pick up some garbage in the yard and cut the grass. The kitchen floor is finished save the molding and calking. I may have been able to finish the dining room as well, but the battery didn’t hold up in the saw. After cleaning up and making yet another Home Depot run I went to the Nicholson’s for dinner and a few rounds of Apples to Apples. When I got home I found Buster had taken the opportunity of the peace and quiet of the home to slip away.
Heroes: none
Wii: None
Television: Smallville, Numbers
Meals: Oatmeal, Banana, Chicken Mashed Potatoes corn broccoli and apple sauce

Day 7 – Tuesday

This morning was tough. I took Buster to the vet’s office, saying good bye was hard and maybe I’ll write about it sometime, but for now it’s too much.
After work I went to the grocery store and picked up enough that I won’t have to return for the rest of the time Teri is away. When I got home I was able to finish the floor in the dining room and start on the time. All that is left of the flooring is the one transition piece; I could have finished but the batteries went dead. The trim is going to be a pain, I wish this project would just be finished so I can do some other things; I really want to just kick back for a couple of days and want to have the carpet cleaned.
I cooked dinner – oddly, I didn’t know how to cook broccoli. I blanched them, then nuked them for 15 seconds – they turned out okay, nothing special. I spiced up sloppy joes by adding spring onions, green peppers and jalapeños and put it on a multigrain bun. I also changed up the nighttime snack – I baked some banana bread (with chocolate chips and walnuts) and topped it with sliced strawberries quite good with a glass of low fat milk. And yes, another trip to Lowes.
Heroes: none
Wii: test & tennis
Television: Mission - Impossible III
Meals: Oatmeal, Spicy Joes and Broccoli (no lunch)

Day 8 – Wednesday

Started the day with a 17 minute bike ride. I’m trying to ride in a route that gives me a couple of uphills and doesn’t double back on any of the roads but I’m running out of ways to stay in the neighborhood. Today’s ride took me all the way to Greenbelt road so I’m out of length and width, but it was a good ride I’ll probably do that a few more times and see if there is a way to add about 3-5 more minutes.
Today included not one, but two trips to Home Depot. I’m almost finished the floors. I still need to nail down the molding in the kitchen and complete the carpet to hard floor transition in the dining room. Today was one of the quarterly business meetings so I was at work late. I also seem to have misplaced the jalapeño that I got yesterday so I’ll have to go to the store again.
I also moved the furniture back into the dining room.
Heroes: none
Wii: test
Television: The Glass House (which I’ve seen)
Meals: Oatmeal, Spicy Joes and Strawberries, BBQ Chicken Salad

Day 9 – Thursday

Today’s ride was over 18 minutes and I didn’t go as far, in a manner of speaking. When I left the house, I was set to find a route that didn’t include many hills, the youth wore me out last night. I wound up waving in and out of neighborhood roads, did not have to double back on any roads and actually did double the usual hills; a nice ride.
I was right about the molding – it’s a pain. Not so much the molding as nailing it in; I think I got nails that were to small, they keep bending. Anyhow, despite that, the kitchen floor is done for now. I need to move the refrigerator and calk by the sink, but that will wait until I have nothing else to accomplish; In other words, after Teri gets home.
Stopped by IKEA on the way home to look at organization ideas, but didn’t find any. Shampooed the living room carpet and finished up the trim and cleaning in the kitchen. After some down time I cleaned out the pantry.
They’ll be home in a few days so I’m going to have to prioritize what I need to do. I was planning on fixing the chandelier in the entry way, but I’ll reassemble the switch and put that off. I doubt that I’ll get anything done in either of the boys room as well. Top of the list will be the transition pieces for the floor and outside door and clearing up the left over clutter that was moved into the living room.
Heroes: A little, then it crashed – came back for a failed Hami raid
Wii: Tennis and test
Television: Numb3rs, 24, Heist
Meals: Oatmeal, Ham & Cheese on Multigrain Bun, Chicken Chili and Half Turkey sandwich

Day 10 – Friday

Today’s a rainy day and a bad heart day. I miss Teri, but that’s not the bad heart thing, I’m talking about my physical heart. I started the day with an early trip to Lowes so I didn’t ride. We were out of Orange Juice so I had breakfast at Chick-Fil-A (on the way back from Lowes) and since I ate there, I had a Sausage, Egg, & Cheese biscuit instead of oatmeal. Add to that, I’ll be grilling a hamburger for dinner. Bad; I’ll get back on the bandwagon tomorrow.
Teri called to say that they were on their way (yeah!)
I picked up the kid’s photos today, they turned out nice. I didn’t realize how much I missed them until I saw the pictures, they made me tear up. I also swung by the mall and bought Teri something. After work I was able to install the transition piece to the living room which marks the completion of the flooring. Once that was done I put dinner on the grill and begun steaming the broccoli. We don’t have a steamer so I used a cooling rack over a boiling pan of water and a lit over it. As they neared completion I sprinkled them with garlic salt; they tasted great. For the main dish I made a garden burger. About ¼ pound of ground beef, green peppers, a little onion soup mix, spring onion, and some chopped jalapeño, then placed on a grilled multi-grain bun. While dinner was cooking I brought the sand around to the sandbox.
Now that the major projects are done, and I any other major projects wouldn’t be done before Teri gets home, I kinda feel lost.
Heroes: Logged on but didn’t run any missions
Wii: Tennis and test
Television: The Good Shepherd
Meals: Sausage Egg & Cheese biscuit, no lunch, Spicy garden burger and broccoli

Day 11 – Saturday

This is the last full day as a bachelor. Talked to Teri this morning, they expect to be home tomorrow afternoon.
After the Bible study at church this morning, I borrowed the Camfield’s tiller, returned some things to Lowes and picked up some tape and chalk from Michael’s. When I got home I dug up Kevin’s garden and the flower bed, then came inside and finished watching the movie from last night – very long movie and not that good.
Vacuumed the stairs and straightened up Kevin’s room. I don’t think I’ll make it to Alex’s room, I’m wiped.
Dinner was quite good, but very hot. Evidently jalapenos make things hotter when you cook them for a long time – all the sauce was spicy. Also added were celery and green peppers.
Heroes: Played 3 missions on a team
Wii: Tennis and test
Television: End Game, Without a Trace
Meals: Pancake & Muffin half, Ham & Cheese on Multigrain bun, whole wheat spaghetti

Day 12 – Sunday

The last day! Teri, Kevin and Alex will be home today. I’m getting ready to head off to church so I’ll post this now – but I may edit it after lunch if there is any movement on the lists before they get home. I expect all I will do after church is watch some TV and fold some laundry.
This afternoon I was able to strighten Alex's room. It's not as organized or clean as I would have like it, but it's a start. His room is likely my next big target.
It's been an enjoyable time going it alone, but I'm glad that they are coming back. I know I could do this if I had to, but I wasn't designed to live alone.
Television: 24
Meals: Oatmeal, Ham & cheese on whole wheat english muffin

Score sheet:

Meals:

• Fast Food: 3
• Take Out: 4 (1 salad from shoppers)
• Made At Home: 11
• Other: 3

* I didn’t count breakfast meals since they were all oatmeal at home. Counted Chipotle as fast food, but counted Atlanta Bread Chili as take out. Did not count the lunch of a banana as anything, like wise didn’t count the skipped lunch.

Television:

• Movies: 9
• 24: 5
• Numbers: 3
• Smallville: 1
• Letterman: 1
• Without a Trace

Tasks completed, but not on list:

• Cleaned kitchen counters & cupboard doors
• Cleaned off hutch
• Cleaned off shelf between kitchen & dinning room
• Trimmed hedges
• Cleaned microwave
• Put sand in sandbox
• Tilled flower bed
• Strighten Alex's room