Good afternoon. I’m restless but I’m avoiding working out. If I succeed this will be the first time I’ve skipped two days in a row since, man, I can’t remember. When was I sick this spring? March? Early April? Something like that. I ran into a couple nonstandard days on the SD trip but I still ran, hiked, etc. I’m skipping the workout because of yesterday’s illness and the creeping sense that I’m pushing too hard. Perhaps tomorrow morning, when I get on my bike, I’ll feel a renewed sense of energy and carry it through the next two weeks of teaching.

So last night I didn’t feel pain as much as exhaustion. I went on a massive Hidden Camera tear, finishing the last ninety pages between noon and seven. The book was ok but I read with a desire to finish more than an attraction to the novel. I ended the book in the boys’ room. My God, N’s bed is comfortable. I had no idea. Anyway, once I was done I moved downstairs, turned off the lights, and settled onto the couch for television and exhaustion. About ten minutes later some friends rang the doorbell. Apparently M had invited them over for the fireworks. Oh well. I stayed on the couch and chatted until they went into the backyard with M to supervise the sparkler distribution. A more socially aware man would have put in the effort to follow but my socially disabled ass stayed on the couch and watched a “Wipeout” rerun. Later I fell asleep on the couch and didn’t wake until 6:00AM. Yay sleep. N woke a bit later. He and I went on our traditional Sunday morning donut run before anyone else woke. By 8:00AM the kids were bored so I hauled them north to Harrington Beach State Park. The forest was cool and dark and we saw two deer within five minutes of our arrival. T and S practiced stone skipping on the beach while N and I explored the path. We didn’t stay long, maybe an hour, before returning home. I spent most of the afternoon perfecting a South Dakota photo book on Kodak gallery, downloading music onto the mp3 player, and otherwise getting my head ready before two weeks of teaching. I feel like a slug for avoiding working out, but I look ok and I feel better for the rest. Hope I sleep tonight. Have a lovely Sunday evening. Keep your head clear.