Untethered Dog

28 Sunday

• Paul Giamatti.
• Making someone blush.
• Park benches.
• Space Age Love Song.
• When you want to walk even more than your dog.
• Connection.
• Melting.
• Olive oil.
• Uncomfortable feelings.

27 Saturday

• Four years.
• Heavy sleep.
• Short hair.
• Morning stretch time.
• Morning tension.
• Morning meditation.
• Billions.
• The return of two-walk days.

26 Friday

• Frustration: an opportunity to focus on what is most important.
• Moving on.
• The chance to earn money.
• Sound of ice forming.
• Time.
• Scrambled eggs with brown rice.

24 Wednesday

• The need to write for someone.
• When 64 feels warm.
• Being a day ahead.
• Two-walks + ballgame = same day.
• Dental care.
• When you dream during meditation.
• The promise of an over-needed haircut.
• Perfectly baked tater tots.

22 Monday

• The day we were asked whether we believed in miracles and we all had to say “yes.”
• Abreva.
• When your mind wakes you up very early in the morning — telling you not to wait any longer do something you have put off.
• The affecting power of art well done. Two days later you are still thinking about the series finale of The Americans.
• Getting to bed on time.
• Protein waffles.

20 Saturday

• Rest.
• Warmth.
• Finding your way back.

19 Friday

• Paying bills early.
• Your garage.
• Not second-guessing that which is not worth second-guessing.
• Doing good things.
• Hearing geese honking over your head.
• Body + mind + spirit: flowing through them all.
• Words unsaid.
• Mistakes unfixed.
• Moving ahead.
• Taking a break.
• The promise of coffee.

18 Thursday

• Variance.
• The freedom of limitations.
• Reps during breaks.
• Just a little snow.
• Shoulder work.
• Morning movement.
• Thursdays.

17 Wednesday

• Your fridge.
• Fast Februarys.
• An early start.
• Shoulder stretches.
• Signs of growth. The physical kind.
• Knowing your business.
• Crockpot meatballs and spaghetti.
• Ice on the windows.

16 Tuesday

• Getting to communicate in writing all day.
• A break in the coldest cold. You can feel it.
• Push-ups all day.
• Writing process conversations.
• Beef and rice. An unstoppable combo.

15 Monday

• Your brother.
• George Washington.
• Cuddle time on the couch.
• Seeing temps above freezing in the forecast (albeit the extended one).
• Sundays.
• Four shirts.
• Grocery delivery drivers.
• Oatmeal with honey and cinnamon and flax. At night. Yum.

14 Sunday

• Learning about the past.
• Martin Luther King, Jr.
• 1987.
• Matthew Rhys.
• A good salad with a little creamy dressing.
• The heater in your car.
• Love.
• Planning for the future.

13 Saturday

• Sunshine.
• Car still starts!
• Bubbles.
• Baked potato with olive oil.
• Calm dog.
• Jamie Raskin.
• English cucumbers.
• The time when the Constitution mattered to both political parties.

11 Thursday

• Extra sleep.
• Coleman Hughes.
• Sweet potato fries.
• The drive home from doggy daycare.
• Self-education.
• The squirrel in your front yard on a zero-degree day.
• When you take the pressure off.
• Steak in the oven.

10 Wednesday

• A fast week.
• A well-written textbook. Really.
• Learning about Native peoples.
• Learning about American history.
• A gift book.
• When you’d rather learn than be entertained.
• Olive oil and warm pita bread.

9 Tuesday

• Better news than you were told you could hope for.
• The power of one thing at a time.
• When you fall asleep for a few minutes during meditation.
• An orderly basement.
• Proof that you aren’t screwing it all up.
• Fruit for dessert.

8 Monday

• The chance to learn about Musonius Rufus.
• Mirrors.
• Passion.
• Complex issues: they give you the chance at near continual learning.
• John McWhorter.
• Crispy bread just out of the oven with butter that melts into the soft inside.
• Losing yourself in a live sporting event.
• One decent gin and tonic.

7 Sunday

• Your furnace.
• Extra blankets on a frigid night.
• Your car starting right up.
• That birds still fly when it’s negative degrees out.
• Super Bowl Sunday.
• Meatball subs.

6 Saturday

• Your home.
• Possibilities.
• Paying bills early.
• Your car.
• Your car starting even when the temperature outside is, if not in official meteorological parlance, “beyond bitter.”
• Car rides.
• Season 8, Episode 8: “The Chicken Roaster.”
• The Minneapolis skyline.
• Chocolate-covered ginger balls. Yeah, that’s right.

5 Friday

• A free meal.
• The effect of stretching before bed.
• The weekend. In this case a long weekend.
• Being prepared for an appointment.
• The chance to care for your dog.
• Being comfortable with your money choices.
• Eating just enough for dinner.

4 Thursday

• Wet snow.
• The people who work at Poison Control.
• Read + Move = Write.
• Finishing a show and it’s not even late yet.
• Your shovel.
• Sub lamps.
• Seaweed.

3 Wednesday

• Morning reading.
• Perfectly cooked salmon.
• A little extra work that goes a long way.
• 100-plus push-ups.
• When your dog cranes his neck so he can put his head on your leg.
• Longer days.
• Making someone smile.
• People who care for disabled dogs, like the nice lady you encountered in the neighborhood last night.

2 Tuesday

• Sleeping heavy.
• Humidity.
• The calming influence of reading.
• Yoga pants.
• Working out throughout the day.
• Writing throughout the day.
• Clams.

1 Monday

• A reason to bathe early in the morning.
• Answers that come to you while you are still in bed.
• One Night in Miami.
• Getting meal prep done early.
• A great Home section in the newspaper. Never ever before said that.
• Letting go of something that makes you feel icky.
• Your washing machine: cleaning things so you don’t feel grimy.
• Spaghetti.