Feels kind of weird being back to work. I both did and did not feel like coming here today. I usually do crave the solitude of work though after activity and there was a lot of that!

Anyway, I did indeed meet most of my family at Decent pizza and it was good, though the service has gone way down since the last time I went, only three months ago. The garlic knots came our after the pizza! I guess that’s the industry in general now: hiring people who don’t care so it’s an overall unpleasant experience. But the food was good so no complaints. I don’t really remember the afternoon. I know I picked up Dakota and took Elliot to the gym but I cannot remember what else we did.

Saturday was Ash’s golf day so we got him packed up and he left with his friends around 9:30. I took the kids to Target, Shoe Station, and Publix. We got deli chicken and I had sushi and then we just sort of knocked around the house. Tried to be productive. He didn’t get home until a little after 5 and then we had to leave so we could make it to Monticello for food and fireworks. It was a LONG day and he was exhausted. In fact, the next day he was still sort of wrecked from the activity and sun all day. I got right up and started on making the big Thanksgiving meal. Ash’s birthday is today but I chose Sunday to cook his meal: turkey, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, cornbread, and green beans. It was a very intensive activity, punctuated by laundry. Ash was still really tired so once he ate, he was out. But that’s ok because I went outside with the kids and all three actually went in the pool. AND for a brief moment, pretended to like each other! Sometimes it happens. That was a pretty nice day.

The next morning – Monday, right? – I got right up and did my two mile run. Came home and began mowing some overgrowth before turning that task over to the boys. We’d planned to brew a red ale and Ash was already getting things started, so that was a nice early start. It doesn’t take all that long to brew start to finish but best to begin early. I cannot really remember what all we did after that. Oh! I made leftovers for the kids and Ash and I really didn’t eat much; just didn’t feel hungry at all. We watched a movie and the kids played in the pool later. Then I messaged my neighbor, Mary, to see what they were up to and though they had old friends coming into town, they invited us over. Went next door around 7:30 and didn’t get back until 11:30! Late night.

The neighbors’ friends were their old neighbors from down South and like Mary said, we are like their doppelgangers, insomuch as we are of like minds and have three kids. But it was cool chatting with them while the kids swam.

Tuesday was weird because I didn’t really have any plans. We have been re-logging all the beer cans in the collection so I work on it a lot throughout the day. I didn’t even know what else to work on yesterday; it wasn’t a running day. So I ended up at the store and made tacos, though I wasn’t really hungry, still. Ash and I worked on getting the beers in the fridge logged too (It’s part of this same program) then we honestly just sort of sat around. My younger two got invited to a 4th party around 2 and didn’t get back until 8ish. In that time, I tried to nap but found I couldn’t. We watched The End of the Tour, a movie from 2015, then I cooked for Elliot. Around 8:15 we decided to take a walk and that was the most 4th fireworks we saw. We did, after all, do a bunch on Saturday as it was.

Originally, I was thinking I’d go up to the parking lot fireworks tent and get some of the hobo ones, just so we’d have something to do. But when the only two kids who really cared had plans with friends, eh, that dream was dead. I guess I must start to truly accept that the days of them being little and entertained by all the same stuff are long gone. But the walk was nice and I felt a lot better, emotionally and physically, after.

This morning was roofer day, but Ash had his doubts, since they’ve scheduled and rescheduled us a few times now. He debated going to work because you know how it works: you stay home and they don’t come but if you go, they’ll be there. And indeed, 7:30 we saw them on the camera. So he had to go home, on his birthday. Poor guy. And on top of that, we have two different fencing companies coming out for quotes.

We made plans to meet for lunch though so at least he’ll sort of get a birthday celebration. Anyway, hope everyone had a great fourth of July weekend!