Furlough Days

Every morning I get up and make three cups of tea. One normal tea with milk, one weak tea with soya-light milk, one biscuit tea with milk and half a sugar.

I sit in the quiet and whilst I'm drinking my tea I read. Two stories from The Moth. Whilst reading, the whippet asks to come sit next to me on the sofa. I let him.

I then go for a run. Monday to Saturday I go with Lawrie. We run and walk whilst I keep my heart rate at the MAF 180 level. Aerobic for the win. On the run, we'll often meet Angela with her Beagle and Peter with Quinn, the Irish Wolf hound with who is in love with the whippet. The whippet is ambivalent to Quinn's advances and genitalia sniffs.

After the run, breakfast and coffee. Then shower and start the rest of the day.

This morning routine helps on a number of levels. I don't watch the news first thing for mental health. I don't read social media first thing for mental health and to avoid other people's problems / opinions / boasting. I run for both physical and mental health.

So by the middle of the day, if nothing else goes according to plan, because under furlough it's really easy NOT to have any plans, at least I have achieved some good. And that makes me happy.