A Fond Farewell

It may have been 10:45 p.m. by the time I made it to bed last evening, so I set my cellphone alarm for 3 a.m. to get me up for my required five-mile+ walk.

When I rose, I was feeling unusually depleted, and my vision was so blurred that I had trouble reading the bathroom scales once I was fully dressed for my outing.

My wife had not yet come home following her latter Friday working at the Thai restaurant where she is employed part-time.

At most it was 3:18 a.m. once I was outside and on my way, wanting more to be back in bed than anything else. Something was definitely amiss with me.

Having any exercise at the elementary school playground three or four blocks into my walk was incomprehensible ─ I could scarce deal with just the walk.

Was all of this solely the result of a mere two cans of Cariboo Malt (8% alcohol) and a shot of Kraken Black Spiced Rum (47% alcohol) during the early evening before my bedtime? Or was there something contributory from what I had eaten for supper at the same time?

It was not that I was 'ill to my stomach' or anything like that, although I was just slightly indigestive ─ not enough to be experiencing any acid burning, though. I felt 'wasted'.

But I maintained the walk, and was back home by ... was it 5:14 a.m.? All I recall is that considering that I never stopped to exercise, I was not many minutes at all under two hours ─ very poor showing for time.

At some point my wife had come home and was shut up into her bedroom, the house in darkness.

I didn't get back to bed until past 6 a.m. ─ maybe as much as 6:15 a.m. An aspirin (325-mg) had accompanied the 5-mg tablet of melatonin that I drank down with some water.

It was just nearing 10 a.m. when I later checked the time (if I am remembering correctly). So I rose, opening my bedroom door to hear if my brother was watching T.V. downstairs ─ he was.

When I got around to joining him for some T.V. via our Android TV Box, we were to only watch some of a recorded video that we partly watched two mornings ago, but we had to suspend it yet again for a paucity of time. I will not identify it until it has been entirely watched.

Our viewing time was largely consumed when my eldest stepson ventured conversation concerning the belt replacement our old Maytag dryer requires ─ the machine was defective yesterday morning when my brother was laundering.

After my brother and I had watched four or five YouTube repair videos, he was set on just acquiring a functioning second hand machine and not being involved with the unpleasant chore of replacing the belt (he is 71 years old).

However, my eldest stepson (29 years old, and a brawny 'gym rat' of maybe 10 years) had been also checking out repair videos and had priced a belt on Amazon for the model of our Maytag dryer, figuring that it would cost about $20 and be here by Monday.

The enthusiastic lad even opened up the dryer to expose the inner mechanism ─ heck, he even removed the drum in which clothes tumble dry.

So this appears to be the track we are on ─ he will take over the repair job, and I am sure my brother is beyond fine with this.

Now, concerning his younger (25 years old) brother ─ the younger lad has been busy doing some copious packing. He and his girlfriend have a 2 a.m. flight tonight, for they are taking a month-long or so holiday over in Thailand where the lad lived until he came here to Canada at the age of 10.

I expect that the older brother will be driving the pair of holidayers to the airport, probably leaving here around 9 p.m., for the airport is a bit of a drive.

I have been considering an evening walk that would find me buying more beer, but I am nearing the conclusion of my Sabbath fast that I began before dark yesterday. I do not much enjoy making such a walk at this end of the day while it is still light outside, but the intended liquor store closes at 10 p.m.

In other words, it is not even completely dark yet anymore at 8 p.m., but even if I left then, it would mean doing so on an empty stomach, and I would be gone for maybe 2½ hours (it is quite a walk). That is drastically extending my fast ─ and undertaking a rather arduous walk while lacking anything to eat in well over 24 hours nor even a strong boost of caffeine, for I also abstain from black coffee.

Anyway, my mind is now made up with 8 p.m. under a half hour away. I am remaining home.

By the way, my wife had to work again today beginning in the latter afternoon, so she and I did not have much communication. She never began her day until into the noon hour; and then maybe 1½ hours at most after she was up, I sought a needed early afternoon nap while she was busy in the bathroom. She was gone when I rallied well past 3:30 p.m.

It is her way to remain gone for the weekend, so it is quite possible that she will not be back until after she finishes working a full day on Tuesday ─ that has been her routine now for many weeks.

I am going to take a short break ─ maybe watch some T.V. and see how the evening evolves before I say any final words and publish this post.

oooooooooooooo

I tuned in an episode of Prodigal Son ─ episode 18 ("Scheherazade") of the first season. I had my 'break fast' with the episode, managing to refrain from opening a beer.

My eldest stepson did not get home until 9:45 p.m. to take his younger brother to the airport, so I hope everything works out perfectly well for the lad. I have no idea about the girlfriend ─ will she be getting picked up along the way?

I know nothing.

I got a wonderful long hug with him in parting ─ I pray God somehow takes care of him.

'Tis 10 p.m. ─ I have nothing else I care to speak of in this post.