Incentives

Walking downstairs as soon as the boys are in bed and loading the dishwasher with the contents of the sink:
Ensuring that neither J or I have to come down to a dirty kitchen tomorrow morning, taking a piece of the domestic duties she was working on all day while I was gone. Also, making sure that there is no possible impediment to her making another batch of Christmas cookies. Also, reminding her that I am a great husband/human being and that she should be highly eager to sleep with me.

Going for a run as soon as the dishes are done:
Staying in shape and taking care of my heart as I get older. Also, not getting fat from all of the Christmas cookies that J keeps making.

Packing up the gig bag and walking in the cold down to practice for an hour and a half after getting in from the run:
The possibility of a great paying principal job down in Texas, satisfying the insatiable desire to prove myself and compete professionally, or at the very least staying in decent enough trumpet shape that the next time I pull the horn out of the case all my highs/lows/softs/louds/articulations can come out without too much coaxing. Also, a grudging but deep-seated love of the craft.

Turning down the thermostat to 63 degrees even though I'm really cold from practicing in an empty church and then walking back in the cold:
Saving money at the end of the month when the first winter RG&E bill comes.

Pulling out the laptop and trying to come up with some sort of blog idea while attempting to thaw upstairs in the unheated bedroom:
Keeping my dear and much-missed extended family in the loop about my little family and also the sort of things that I'm up to. Also, because I promised to blog every day this month and it would be really lame if I gave up six days in.

Going to bed promptly at 11 instead of staying up to watch the end of Sunday Night Football:
The knowledge that at any moment a certain 20 lb blonde baby in the next room is going to wake up screaming (probably because he's cold) and that someone is going to need to roll out of bed to go rock the little bugger back to sleep...