Up early

You know who is not a morning girl? That’s right -- Izzy!

I had to cajole her awake at 5 a.m. When I let her outside, she flopped down onto the deck as soon as her last paw cleared the doorway. She was still there when I checked on her after my shower. I continued to check on her as I got ready. Between makeup and getting dressed she had moved off the deck. After dressing, she was sitting in front of the patio doors staring at the glass as if she believed her gaze could melt it. I let her in and she trotted over to the food and water bowls, pleasantly surprised to discover I’d already filled both. There’s hope for me yet.

Getting up at that insanely early hour — even earlier than I normally get up — was so Blaine and I could be at the university campus by 6:30 to connect with Kim and John and their daughter, Dani, who was running the half marathon. We were going to offer moral support. Or, rather, Blaine was there to offer moral support and I, a stranger to her until this morning, was there to be an unrecognized face in the crowd shouting her name and a few encouraging words as she ran past.

Blaine called when he arrived. I asked him to let himself in. I was ready but needed wipe up some water that Izzy splashe out of her bowl, and I do mean splashed. She gets in moods where she finds it fun to stomp in her water bowl. She also likes to run up to you and press her wet rough against your legs. Blaine experienced that when she greeted him in the hallway.

The advantage of her greeting him first is I get to have a leisurely look before he’s able to notice. Yesterday he wore shorts for the first time, and today was the first time I’ve seen him in a t-shirt with nothing else over it. The look isn’t as natural on him but he pulls it off.

While he erroneously told Izzy she was a good girl, I finished cleaning up her mess, washed my hands, grabbed by phone and some money, and was stopped by his body blocking the hallway. “Good morning,” he said. I mean. I know he’s no longer new but dang I still get butterflies.

We were nearly 15 minutes behind schedule when we pulled out of the driveway. Blaine knew which backstreets to take to avoid the worst of the traffic, and he knew a “secret” place to park that may not have been entirely legal. “I hope you know a good lawyer,” I teased as we walked away.

We met up with Kim, John and a few others near the starting line. After quick introductions, Dani went off to find her group and the rest of us walked until we found a spot near where the runners leave campus and start the route through the city.

After Dani passed, the rest of us split up. Blaine and I went to one spot on the route to wait for her while Kim and John went to another, etc. Most years Eve and Paul and some others attend to cheer her on, but this year the marathon coincided with graduations and other things so Blaine was the only non-family member who could go. He and I continued to hopscotch with Kim and John until we met up again at the finish line, also at the university but this time inside the football stadium.

We stayed until we could congratulate Dani. They invited us back to Kim and John’s but I had to get back to Izzy. I encouraged Blaine to drop me off and go on, but he declined. I invited him to spend the day with me, and he didn’t decline.

We added the leftover salmon to a salad for lunch. For a couple of hours we sat outside and read. Blaine hadn’t brought his book so he borrowed one of Paul’s, one of the Longmire novels (I got Paul hooked on them last year), which he liked well enough to swipe so he can finish it. I had my iPad and finished a romance I started last week.

I knew Blaine would ask what I was reading. Cagily I told him the title. He was onto me instantly and asked for the genre. “Really?” He commented, surprised. “That doesn’t align with what is on your bookshelves.”

“I’ve only been reading them for year and a half so they’re all ebooks.”

“I see. Are they the steamy variety?”

“All the best romances have steamy parts” I answered.

“Agreed.” We looked at each other but neither said anything more. It’s more fun that way.

Blaine checked out the rust on the base of the grill and didn’t think Paul had been serious. There were small spots near the wheels, but nothing worth doing anything about. Blaine decided he could mow the lawn for him.

When he came in, sweaty and disheveled by the wind, with grass clippings created by the weedeater sticking to his legs, he stated it was one chore he did not miss.

He went home to shower but will be back any time now. A Cubs game is actually being televised on a regular network. I cannot wait to finally see them play in HD one a 60-inch screen. Blaine wants to be here to see if I really do scare dogs with my enthusiasm.

In the interest of getting this posted, I don’t have time to take fix the bloated HTML that results when I post from the iPad. If it’s unreadable after, I’ll fix it tomorrow.