It's getting easier to get myself out of bed at 5:23 a.m. to get ready to walk. There was a time when I started this that if I slept just a few minutes late that I'd use it as an excuse to go back to sleep for 20 minutes.

But The Mr. and I have a good routine going now. And if I don't get up when I'm supposed to then the whole morning gets thrown off.

It's becoming a habit. It's easier to get up. My muscles don't ache so much. I don't feel desperate to slow down sooner in my walk. I feel myself hitting a stride sooner. And the drill sergeant mostly just sits back and admires my progress instead of barking orders at me.

It's becoming a habit. In fact, this week I was really looking forward to walking five days in a row. I was especially proud that even after being awake from roughly 3 a.m. to roughly 4 a.m. this morning because No. 2 developed a fever, I still got up at 5:23 a.m. and prepared to go for a walk. It's been cloudy here nearly all week and there's been rain all around *my* house all week but none actually fell here. When I looked out the bathroom window this morning to see if I'd be walking in the sunshine or clouds, I saw rain on the street. I know! Rain! In the desert! And finally at my house!

I let go of the shutters, sort of bewildered. I looked outside again to see if it was actually raining or if the streets were just wet. I couldn't tell. But then saw droplets from the roof. It's raining! I was psyched and still planned to walk. It's not like I haven't walked in the rain before. And then something came over me and the screw-it attitude came back and I crawled back into bed with my burning-hot daughter and continued snuggling. There are certain things that are worth giving up a five-days-in-a-row walking streak, after all.