KISS- Keep It Simple Stupid!
Saturday morning, 3:40 AM, and my alarm goes off, I hit the snooze bar for an additional 10 minutes, I get up. Dressed, I go downstairs for an apple with peanut butter and a cup of strong coffee. I noodle on the computer for a bit and glace at the clock. Time to put on my coat and start the drive to Tommy’s.
I arrive at his house it is 5 AM. I know that it is OK to come in without knocking, and I do so. Tommy is in his study, behind his huge desk. I pull out my computer, he is already on his. And so another Saturday morning starts.
We chat, do a little work, examine some changes that he is making on his revised website, chat some more. Tommy says, “Do you want to go to breakfast?’ “Where?” I ask. “Where else,” he responds. I know that he is talking about the Palace, a breakfast joint in Chicago, over 30 miles away. “Sure.”
As we drive into the city Tommy comments on how clear the sky is, and we decide to make a detour to the lake to see the sunrise. Tommy is a little boy in a middle-aged man’s body. I completely get him, a little boy is hiding in me too. Time for an adventure!
It is freezing, but the adventure is great fun. Then fantastic omelets at the Palace; then home.
My daughter Grace left me a sticky note stuck on my phone. “Dad, if you see Tom today can you borrow a C-clamp from him.” Grace is trying to make her own oboe reeds and needs to use a C-clamp to properly secure the reed’s thread. Tom is happy to lend me a C-clamp, but I forget about it due to our breakfast adventure. Grace and I go to the Ace hardware in search of one. Along the way, we chat and laugh. Grace is astounded that the Ace has free sandwich cookies and popcorn for its patrons on Saturday. She grabs both, I take a cone of popcorn. “Are you sure we can just take them?” she asks. “Sure,” I tell her.
Julie returns home after seeing a couple of patients and asks me if I want to go for a walk. Dear reader, by now you know I love to walk. “Yes,” I say. We walk to our little downtown and then past it as we meander along the river. We talk about our kids, noting how proud we are of them. They are getting older and we celebrate their increasing independence and grieve over it at the same time. We are now at the backside of the strip mall where my Starbucks resides. The little boy in me returns, and I’m determined to find a secret way to get into the Starbucks without having to go all of the way around to the front entrance. I try opening many backdoors, most are locked. Finally, I get into the back of the Penzey’s spice shop and feel victorious. I saved at least 3 steps!
A quiet evening follows, supping on a grilled cheese sandwich and Amy’s Curried Lentil Dahl Soup. I then meander into my study with a 40-quart black garbage bag. I glance over at my oak rolltop desk and roll my chair up to it. My goal is to go through two of the seven drawers. My desk is jam-packed full of junk, I have always been too busy to clean it out. Old cell phones, calculators that don’t work, outdated prescription pads. Ninety percent of the contents are tossed. I find some treasures; rewards for my efforts. A family reunion photo from 1995, some photobooth pictures of me from an unknown year. A recipe for French Silk pie from Julie, before we were married and before she became Dr. Julie.
Then a little TV, but I bore quickly. I open a book on WordPress and I start to thumb through it, my concentration betrays me and I close it. The remainder of the night ends pleasantly.
Dear reader, for me this was a perfect day. I spent time with people that I love. I did silly things. I ate good food. I organized a couple of drawers and found a few forgotten treasures. Is there any way that I could have had a better day? I really don’t think so. So many of the pleasures of life are free, or nearly free. I am grateful for Saturday, I am counting my blessings.
