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The 5:50 AM Anniversary Surprise: 11 Years and Counting

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 The 5:50 AM Anniversary Surprise: 11 Years and Counting Anniversaries have a way of sneaking up on you, but this year, the anticipation was on a whole different level. If you know anything about my schedule and Kim’s schedule, you know our weeks are a bit of a ship-passing-in-the-night situation. I work the evening shift all week, and I didn't sleep a single minute all night. Meanwhile, Kim works the morning shift. Between our opposing work hours, we barely get time to see each other during the week. Except for Dixie, our dog, who is currently living her absolute best life. Because of our schedules overlapping just right, Dixie gets to spend practically the entire day with both of us. Speaking of Dixie, she usually has a strict routine, but today she got to go outside a little earlier than her usual 7:30 AM slot. She was thrilled. Of course, that early morning cuddle session resulted in Kim getting a few minor scratches from all the enthusiasm, but hey—hugs are worth it. Since I w...
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The Second, the Moon, and a Good Good Good Winter

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  There’s something wonderfully half-awake about this morning: frost, the moon still hanging around, a dog delighted to be outside, and dreams bleeding just enough into reality that you’re texting about tires that aren’t needed until tomorrow. I kept that slightly chaotic, winter-morning feeling rather than polishing all the personality out of it. The Second, the Moon, and a Good Good Good Winter It was a crisp, frosty morning walking the dog. The moon was still high in the sky at 8:15, although it somehow felt like 7:15. Maybe that’s what happens when you go to bed early. Your internal clock starts arguing with the actual clock. I was exhausted last night, and I slept deeply. Nine hours altogether, with a trip or two through dreamland along the way. One of those dreams involved Kim getting onto some kind of strange train contraption, complete with a leverage pulley platform, and riding away without my baggage. Apparently my sleeping brain had transportation logistics to sort out. ...
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Crisp November a first

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  There’s a lovely little November story in this, Nigel. What makes it work is that nothing huge happened: Dixie got her morning adventure, you noticed the moon and stars, came home to perfectly cooled tea, and meanwhile you’ve got this excitement quietly building about Kim’s gift. A Crisp November Morning and Something to Look Forward To Just before seven this morning, Dixie and I headed out. It wasn’t going to be one of the big walks. This was more of a get-up, put-on-the-jacket, grab-the-dog-and-go kind of walk. Except Dixie apparently didn’t get the memo about the “small” part. The moment she saw me putting on my jacket, she got excited. She does this thing where she lifts one paw and looks at me as if to say: **Take me. Now. I am ready for the big walk.** She is just one happy dog. We headed through Great Bear and over to the bin so I could dispose of Dixie’s morning business. It was chilly and a little foggy, with that particular crispness November mornings have. At one point...
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Whatever the Day Brings, I Walk the Dog

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  There’s a lot moving through this morning: pain, your thoughts coming out loud instead of staying inside, frustration when a thought disappears, and underneath all of it the ordinary anchor of getting Dixie outside. I’d keep the blog raw and rhythmic rather than cleaning it up so much that it stops sounding like you. Whatever the Day Brings, I Walk the Dog I woke up with my hand numb and throbbing. Dixie noticed before I was really awake. She licked my hand, bumped into me, and there was the message. Okay. I get it. I’ve got to walk the dog. My mind was somewhere strange this morning. I wasn’t really in my head. I was talking out loud. Mumbling. Lots and lots of mumbling. I used to think that was bad. Today I just noticed it. There are thoughts clicking together faster than I can catch them. Sometimes I finally get into my head and find a thought worth writing down, and then, just like that, it’s gone. Gone, gone. That drives me nuts. One of my pet peeves is losing a thought bef...
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Walking is a Gift

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  Walking Is a Gift It has been a hard week. Not necessarily one of those weeks where one big thing goes wrong. More like the kind where everything starts weighing a little heavier than usual. Tonight, though, I looked at the calendar and realized something: tomorrow is Thursday. Friday is almost here. I made it through the week. Tonight I took Dixie out for a late walk through Lethbridge. We started just before 10:00 p.m., when most people were probably settling in for the night. Instead, Dixie and I headed out underneath the street lamps. By the time we were finished, my Garmin showed **2.51 miles, about 4 kilometres, in 50:46**. My average heart rate was **117 bpm**, with most of the walk sitting in the easy heart-rate zones. It was a good walk. But it wasn't only about the numbers. The Thoughts That Come Along for the Walk I've been thinking about my weight lately. I've been thinking about my snoring and sleep apnea. Sometimes those thoughts aren't particularly kind...
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The Burger Was Bigger Than I Expected

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  That meal really stuck with you, not just because you were physically full, but because it quickly turned into judging yourself and feeling like you needed to “walk it off.” I’d keep that honesty in the post, while being a little kinder to yourself. One unexpectedly huge burger doesn’t define you or undo the walking and running you’ve been doing. The Burger Was Bigger Than I Expected Today had quite a bit packed into it. This afternoon, Kim and I celebrated her getting a keyworker position, which was definitely worth celebrating. I also had a doctor’s appointment, and afterward I was on a bit of a high coming home. I probably overshared a little, but sometimes that happens when I’m feeling good and have a lot going through my head. For our celebration meal, we went to Smitty’s. I ordered a double-patty jam bacon burger. Now, I knew I was ordering a burger. What I didn't quite appreciate was just how much burger was about to arrive at the table. This thing was loaded. I ate almos...
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Step by Step, Even When Life Gets Weird

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  Step by Step, Even When Life Gets Weird The last few days have been crazy. A couple of days ago I ended up in the ER because of my throat. Now I'm on antibiotics for tonsillitis, and next on my list is going to the doctor about the numbness I've had in my hand for the last two weeks. It's tough because, of course, my mind starts wondering what it could be. I've talked to AI about some of it, and strangely, there's something about doing that that makes me feel like I'm figuring out life for the first time. Something new comes up, I have questions, I talk it through, and then I figure out what I'm actually going to do about it. Right now, that's seeing my doctor and getting their opinion instead of trying to diagnose myself. I've wondered about everything from stroke symptoms to multiple sclerosis, and it's honestly scary territory to let your imagination wander into. Part of me doesn't even want to know what some of the possibilities are. Bu...
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