Day of the Heart's Blood, 33rd of the Dog Days, 526 M.E. (Helios): The forecast today was for rain and I almost didn't get my steps in today.

When I awoke this morning, the sky was overcast and it was still rather dark outside. When I saw on the weather app that storms were forecast at 12:00 noon, 2:00, and 4:00 pm, I resigned myself to another stepless day (I missed two days ago, too), and I took my time with the morning coffee and crossword puzzle (even though it was an easy Monday puzzle). 

I updated the sports blog (go, Red Sox!) and went grocery shopping, but while out and about, I noticed that although still overcast, it didn't actually look like rain. So after I got home, although it was already midafternoon, I went out and got in a 4.9-mile Madison. Better to keep a consistent routine of alternating-day walks, even if they're less than my goal of eight-mile Van Burens, than to fall into the habit of missing days if I see even the shadow of a cloud.

Also, weather forecasters don't know what the weather will be. I don't know why I listen to them.

My days are all about routines, daily routines, monthly routines, and annual routines. Since no one else in the world other than me is on the New Revised Universal Solar Calendar, I'm forced to abide with the standard Gregorian calendar on many things. Mondays are the easy, 10-minutes-or-less, New York Times crossword puzzle, rolling the trash dumpsters down the hill for Tuesday morning pickups, and at night, watching Rachel Maddow on MSNOW and Jon Stewart on The Daily Show. 

In addition, there's my daily routine activities: checking my vitals (weight and blood pressure) first thing in the morning, the Times' Spelling Bee and Wordle puzzles over coffee, music exploration on NTS radio, meals (morning English muffin, afternoon smoothie, and evening salad), and of course, time spent posting to this blog and its sisters. I also set some time aside each day for video games, and before bed each night, I try to read a chapter or two of some book (currently, I'm finally reading Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon) or a current New Yorker article.

It may not be exciting, but it's a life, and I find the routine and predictability enormously reassuring and satisfying.