what day is this?!

Was hot today, California gets that way sometime a few hours after noon – unlike Florida where it’s blazing as soon as the sun’s up (or at least that’s how it seems). I’m sitting here in shorts and no shirt listening to the new Coldplay album. Just did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen, took a time out to kill some ants that had marched their way into the house in search of food and cooler temperatures – time to spray the perimeter with that Home Depot jug again I suppose. It’s not surprising that ants arrive inside, I’m convinced that the entire slope of our retaining wall is one giant anthill (and I’m barely exaggerating). Now I have to turn off my music so Sharaun can watch another one of those Hell-spawned dancing shows… and that means it’s time to write.

When my alarm sounded this morning at 6:40am, I grabbed my phone and silenced it. For some reason, my brain was telling me it was the weekend – maybe having just returned from traveling the evening before. Funny thing was, I thought it was odd, and a tad annoying if I’m being honest, that Sharaun kept asking me what time it was every few minutes. My weekend-blinded brain didn’t even consider she was gently trying to tell me I seemed to be sleeping late. Finally, she asked me, “Do you have to go to work today?” I sat bolt up and asked: “What day is this?!” “It’s Thursday,” she answered, as if I were stupid. Laughing at my mental mixup, I jumped from bed into a quick shower and dress before heading out the door. Funny, I could’ve sworn it was the weekend… I can even remember contemplating whether it was Saturday or Sunday, and what I was going to do.

Keaton and Sharaun came up to the sawmill today to eat lunch with me in the cafeteria. We have a pretty decent cafe downstairs, I guess on-par with most modern-day computery conglomerates… all sushi and free drinks and designed for blog exposés that make engineering grads drool. Keaton loves coming up to my work, she gets to wear a little temporary badge just like the one I wear to the office each day. Last time, the security guard who signs in visitors dug out a little lanyard and hung her paper badge off it before giving it to her, the picture of daddy and his lanyard-hung badge. She adored it, and wears it around the house sometimes too. She brought it back up today and they stamped the new date on it so she could continue wearing it.

Sharaun and I get her a plate of cold cuts, cooked vegetables, a little egg salad and a slice of cheese. If she eats well, she can share a cookie (OK, she’ll get to share it if she eats or not). The ladies working the cafe (I don’t say that to be sexist, they actually all are ladies) giver her a balloon as we walk around, clipping it to her sleeve – she’s come to expect it. After we eat, people look down and smile as she meanders her way through the halls back to the front desk – her little steps are still just so inherently cute. And, somehow, even though there are some eight-thousand people where I work, we always manage to run into friends from outside work – who she greets with loud hellos and sometimes hugs. It’s great to have her there, I imagine it’s what classic car people feel when their ride is all buffed and tricked out on the line at the carshow. Pure gloating.

As we were leaving, I walked the girls outside where Keaton gave me a hug and a kiss and began to walk back towards the car with Sharaun. As I turned to walk back into the building, she hollered to me, “Goodbye daddy I love you daddy goodbye!” I returned the I love you and goodbye just in time to see her blow me a quick triple of kisses. I smiled, and a total stranger next to me beamed at me saying, “Man, I wish I had a camera… that was the best thing I’ve seen all week.”

Now, that’ll make a dad feel good.

‘Night folks.  Don’t work too hard today, the weekend’s here… after all.

Also written on this day...

• attending - 2019
• tomorrow's yesterday - 2006