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It's Saturday morning, late, and the coffee has just begun brewing in the kitchen. Sophie and Jake are watching "Hannah Montana" or Scooby Doo" or some other mindless kids entertainment show and Julie has been at work for a couple hours. I slept late today which is unusual for me. Generally, I'm the first one up when that damn cat begins "meowing" at 6:30 in the morning. ***

I'm back after starting Jake on his breather, feeding the other cat (we really have to bring her food in at night, I'm sick of feeding those damn raccoons), and brushing Sophie's hair. The coffee’s done and I still have to eat breakfast. I am now considering the option of skipping my shower so I can get to the lawns before the temperatures get too hot this afternoon.

Last night I went to the Dodgers game with a couple co-workers. It was a last minute invite and I enjoyed the game and all, but I felt lonely, believe it or not, sitting among the 51,000 (supposedly) in attendance last night. I missed Julie and the kids. Isn’t that nuts? I'm having a rare night out and I'm wishing they were there with me. Is this the start of another one of those waves I go through? I would hate to head into the school year as down and depressed as I was at the tail end of the spring.

Tonight, Julie and I are going on a date. I told her that we should celebrate the anniversary of our first date every year. Why? Well, December is always a difficult month for us. End of the year, holiday worries are on the top of our minds, and that other anniversary that brings the cloud over our Christmas spirit sort of stops us from truly enjoying the celebration of our marriage and how much we love each other. So, why not go on a date five months earlier? We'll probably end up at one of our favorite restaurants. I can't tell you the last time the two of us went to a movie together. It may be as many as six years.

That's all I have for now. Writing in the morning certainly has its advantages. Without that jolt of caffeine, I sort of write off the top of my head. Maybe I'll try that for a while.

Aloha

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