Noon just passed. The boys are upstairs, at least S and N are upstairs, T might be out front playing with his Heroscape guys. M might be out there with him. She just returned from a local bead shop, where a “going out of business” sale features everything 60% off. Who in goddamn hell would open a bead shop in Port Washington, Wisconsin? God bless you, American small business owners.

So yesterday was a long but not horrible day. The conference was a joke. I’m estimating the state paid anywhere from 20 to 25 grand to throw the conference, and goddamn, it was motherfucking useless. During the intro the lead organizer, a friendly woman, from what I can tell, actually displayed every single item in the swag bag, e.g. “Look! You got headphones!” Holy crap. Then I attended the first panel which, in the name of informality, was a complete mess. No one, panelist or audience, knew their role. I gave up and left around noon. My knee was tight after thirty minutes on the treadmill and thirty on the elliptical (all before 5:30AM) so I was worried about the ride home but the knee held. I left the interstate at 33 near Portage and rode the two lane highway, straight like an architect’s, to its eastern terminus. I passed through Horicon, Fox Lake, Beaver Dam, all the small Wisconsin towns enduring the gray, bristling, sunless November Friday. When I neared the lake I detoured to Blockbuster (“Get Smart”) and Target (check for Wii games) before stumbling into the house. Fatigue was taking its toll by now so, after some quick Indian food/rice I settled on the couch with the movie. Anne Hathaway is gorgeous…the rest of the movie ok. M and the boys returned, so we hung out for a while until they turned “Nim’s Island” on. I read upstairs then fell asleep until seven, when M and I watched “The Office” and “30 Rock” before falling asleep for the second time.

After sleeping like the dead I woke near six. I lifted and worked out while watching “Gray’s Anatomy” (M was on the elliptical while I lifted, so she had the remote) and “The Amazing Race”. Afterwards T and I hit the library, Best Buy (he saved enough money for a Wii basketball game), and Costco. I’ve decided that I don’t want to pour diet coke chemicals in my gullet every day so I’m switching to coffee. I bought Dunkin Donuts coffee at Costco and made a few cups once we arrived home. Dunkin Donuts coffee tastes like punk rock. At least the caffeine edge is off. For now. And I haven’t had a diet coke since yesterday. Yay me.

Tonight M and I are listening to the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra play Beethoven and Mahler. Tomorrow is a necessary rest day. Stay warm. The wind is blowing hard today.