New Year, Old Dog Mom

I'm going into 2024 with excitement. There are some big things in the works for me right now, and I can't wait to see them blossom. It's been a long time since I've felt this way. To be honest, I'm a bit apprehensive because of that. Still, I'm choosing to move forward with cautious optimism. 

One of my objectives this year is to take the dogs out for walks. I've been a dog-mom for more than six years, but I wouldn't say I "walk" the dogs. They go outside to handle their business and, occasionally, I let them run around with the neighbor's dogs, but I don't exercise them. In 2023, though, Loki was diagnosed with Addison's disease. It took forever to get him a proper diagnosis, so I'll save that for another post. What this means, for me and my fur-family, is that I have to help Loki manage his stress levels. One of the ways to do that is to take him on walks.

So, I woke up this morning, took a few minutes to adjust to being alive, and then dragged myself out of bed. I was nauseous, as I often am, so I thought I'd kick off the day with some gentle yoga. It didn't help, but I persisted. I pulled on some comfy clothes, popped in my ear buds and hit play on Martha Stewart's Masterclass, then roused the dogs. By "dogs" I mean Pepper, because Loki already picked up on my leaving-the-house routine and diligently followed me room to room, breathing hard and getting on my nerves. 

I felt nauseated. I was tired. It was cold. We had to circle back to change socks because there was some uncomfortable friction happening in my shoe. But we got in about two miles. It doesn't seem like much, I know. Pepper and I are thick-juicy-dumper queens, though, so it was a hike for us. She was more ready to head inside than even me!

I did a load of laundry, hopped in the shower, and got dressed for the day, thinking I actually felt more energized. The nausea passed sometime during the walk. So, I grabbed my laptops and headed out to a local restaurant to grab some breakfast and work on my writing. As I'm posting this, though, the exhaustion is catching up with me. I think it's time for a nap. If there is anything I'm determined to normalize in 2024, it's napping.