Hey there, 

How was the beginning of the year for you? I don't mind if you want to share. I share with you, after all. 

Here, the first day of the year smelt of spring. It also sounded like spring and felt like spring. The feeling was eerie. 


However, it was only a one-day miracle. Today, the temperature dipped almost to zero, and it smelt of snow, which put a spring in Rex's step. 


On the one hand, I appreciated it. A brisk walk, even a jog, is good for health, but on the other, I never liked losing my breath, and running with a mask over your face and nose might have that effect on you. 


Please, think that I also have to climb two flights of stairs with the dog in my arms. Rex weighs about 22 pounds, but it feels even heavier than that. Unfortunately, he can't climb stairs if there are more than five steps. So I am stuck with that chore. 


Still, sometimes I lie to myself that carrying him up the stairs actually compensates for my aerobic routine, and I merely skip it. It feels smart at the moment but not so good in the long run. And my capacity to convince myself of various things is endless. Probably, that's why I expended a bit too much during the quarantine period. 


The good news is that I managed to do my aerobics today. God knows about tomorrow. We'll have to wait and see. I might be too lazy and skip it altogether because I don't have to work tomorrow. I might convince myself that a free day is meant to be free of any kind of extortion. I have told you that I am good at this sort of thing. 


However, another piece of good news is that Rex became a little hero. We met with one of his friends, a bichon. Rex hates this breed, but this little fellow managed to get under his defenses. 


Apparently, the little dog didn't want to walk because he was afraid of skyrockets, and his master was very upset. Rex convinced him to come with him, and they walked for about half an hour. The bichon's mamma called him a hero, and his little heart grew and grew. You should have seen him strutting, his chest thrown forward. He made me proud, and he got a treat when we got home.


But in the evening, his stalker appeared once more. The cat came out from under some bushes, and when Rex saw her, he lost his mind. He decided that he could outrun her, so he started running as if the entire Red Army was in pursuit. Yep, the second bout of exercising for the day. Hmm, I think I'd be okay skipping my routine tomorrow. What do you think?