Woke at 6:40.

Full seven hours of uninterrupted sleep.  That’s a rare event for me.  No CPAP but I did take the ambien.  When I awoke I slipped on my jeans and shoes and walked outside.  It was about 70 degrees and 88% humidity.   So I knew it would be a muggy day.  I walked to the backside of the property and looked over the rolling hills toward San Marcos.  A view that will be completely violated by TX130 in a year or two.  The humidity is so high its like being inside a cloud but the visibility was still pretty good.  These little showers we’ve been getting of late are not enough to satisfy the aquifer watchers but they are starting to really get things green.  I mean a deep verdant green.  Its such a contrast to just a month ago when everything was brown and dry as toast.  I realized on my way in that I had forgotten to eat breakfast.  I mean that literally.  It happens to me all the time.  I start each day in this semi-conscious state and gradually move into consciousness.  Usually by the time I’m into 80% consciousness I’m half way to work.  Does that scare you other commuters?  Anyway, I reached a state of consciousness where I recognized my tummy saying WTF?  Are we gonna get something besides coffee in here or not?  So - even though I was running a little late I stopped into Starbucks for more coffee and an apricot energy cookie.  I have no idea what’s really in the cookie and I can’t say as they make me feel any more energetic.

Mondays and Tuesdays I have been helping the guys at work in the warehouse for a few months now.  It’s not really under my job description (Lord of all things done sedentary) but they have needed the help and now they have come to expect it.  I don’t mind doing it - in fact I kinda look forward to it.  It’s usually anywhere from 3500 to 7500 steps all done in about an hour.  It’s by far the most cardio I get. Oh yeah.. besides breakfast I forgot my belt.  Jeans are hanging at waxing crescent level.

Lunch - Meatloaf special at Cracker Barrel - a restaurant that feels as fake as Disneyland - a Disneyland for retirees if you will.  But hey … I like meatloaf.  I’m trying to read David Fine’s “Farewell My Subaru”. Reading is something that I love but that requires great effort from my HDD and Dyslexic brain (self diagnosted).  A few tables down from me is three people.  And older white-haired man in suspenders sits with his back to me.  Across from him is a comprably aged white-haired woman who looks like Wilford Brimley in drag with less moustache.  And next to her is a middle aged guy.  He’s wearing knee length jeans shorts, a snap-buttoned short sleeve shirt stretched across a beer gut, and a gimme cap of somekind.  He has a truck driver fu manchu and chin beard on top of a couple days stubble.  One of his forearms has a tatoo.  He is sitting turned slightly away from what I am now taking to be his parents.  And he is pissed.  The brimley woman has her head in her hands.  The old man is saying things which I cannot make out.  Middle aged guy is saying things like “I’m not gonna listen to that crap…. I pay all your bills… I don’t care, I don’t care… I’m not gonna listen to this anymore…”  In a clearly reflex action he pulls a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and lights one up.  He immediately realizes he can’t do that in this establishment and mutters mild profanities while putting the cigarette out on a plate.  But not before old people patrons have complained with a waitress and she has started telling middle aged guy he can’t smoke.  “I put it out.. what’s the problem ..” he glares at the other old people and the waitress.Now the book I was reading is quite good.  I’m really enjoying it.  But it’s taking all of the concentration powers I have (next to none) to not want to find out what the drama is at the other table.  I was genuinely fearful for these old people.  I imagine that he’s been cashing their social security checks for them for years now and skimming them.  They’ve found some other ‘arrangement’ and he’s about to be looking for his first real job in a while.  I wrest my concentration back to the book.