Tuesday I play a late night ice hockey - my second one back from the 14 month rehabilitation hiatus. I play better than the fist game back and score a goal with a pinpoint, laser-accurate shot over the goalies' shoulder. But I make other mistakes as the team skates to a 5-5 tie.
Wednesday is a productive day at work - it has to be. Changes to models are made without subsequent changes to deadlines. But some fun scripting of tasks allows Wednesday to be very productive and allows us to think about making the deadline.
On Wednesday night I take the truck in for a tuneup. (Seeing that the motorcycle has just been tuned up, I might as well get the truck running better also.) For the truck tuneups a simple truck/bicycle shuttle works. Tonight, as I've put on my cycling shoes, gloves, and helmet for the ride home, the service manager gives me the written estimate of about $300. I look at her and ask, "For $300 do I get four tickets to the Toyota CART race in Fontana on November 2nd and 3rd?"
The service manager looks back at me for a few seconds and says, "Sure. I'll go get them right now." And she's running off to get the tickets. Five minutes later she returns with four tickets and says, "These are only good for Saturday qualifying."
"I only wanted Saturday anyway", I say as we smile at each other. But then I continue staring at her with a solemn face. She continues looking back at me. We both do the "stare down" and she flinches first.
"Can you take a weekday off work? I have four Universal Studio tickets for you also but you have to use them Monday through Thursday. I'll just put these along with your race tickets in the truck so that you don't have to carry them home right now on your bicycle."
"Thank you very much. I'll see you tomorrow." I have an extended ride home to get in a mid-week workout and arrive just before nightfall.
Thursday and Friday at work pass quickly as I put my head down and make good progress on models, scripts, and simulations. And now it is time for a restfull weekend because I have not recovered from the trip to Denver yet.
Saturday is a long day - I mix pleasure activities with work activities. I go for a good bicycle ride, oil the furniture ("Help preserve the genuine beauty of the furniture you love" is what it says on the lemon oil container. I never thought about being in love with furniture.), wax the truck, wash/wax the road bicycle, rollerblade for about an hour, mow the lawn, and, finally, work on filing and straightening up the mountain of paperwork at home. It has been a long day and I am tired. By 7pm I am ready for bed. But then the telephone starts ringing. I finally decide to meet with Person J_VKPI and go to a club in West Hollywood to listen to music and mingle with my fans.
It is an uneventfull evening. The place eventually gets crowded. Person J_VKPI and I hear, through the grapevine, that another club that we go to is closing down because they were losing money. (With what that club charged for entrance I can't see how they could lose money.) As Person J_VKPI dances I mingle with the crowd. I run into John, an ice hockey goalie that I play against. We have a brief conversation because he and his friend have had way too many beers. Trivial conversations with various people that threaten to get too intimate or deep are responded to by yours trully with distance and silence. We leave just after last call and I am laying down for sleep as the clock chimes 3am on Sunday morning.
Sunday is a recovery day. I walk the dog (and myself), watch two motorcyce races, go rollerblading for an hour (solo since Dao has called in sick), watch a few minutes of a few football games, trim roses, lift weights, and go for another walk. Today by 6:30 pm I am starting to doze off. I take some Kava root extract to help the process along as I feel that I am in need of deep sleep. I eventually make it to sleep just before 8pm.