"You know," I said to The Mr. this morning as I sat on the bed putting on makeup and getting ready for work, "it's really hard to get out of bed in the morning when we're snuggling."

He smiled and I leaned over to kiss him.

"It is nice, isn't it?" he said. "But you got up and left anyway."

"Well, I wanted to make sure I got to walk this morning because I'm not sure I'll be able to go tomorrow," I said. The Mr. looked at me confusedly. "They're calling for rain. And the high is only 63. It's going to be cold and wet," I argued.

We've been together so long that we're usually on the same wave length; you know, the kind of people who finish each other's sentences. So I should have known that we'd both be thinking that tomorrow morning's "chance" of rain and overnight lows shouldn't deter me from my morning walk considering I used to walk outside in the Midwest in the winter.

And then I remembered this morning.

That was a time when I only allowed myself to skip one day a week of walking. And even then when I skipped a day I felt guilty for skipping. It didn't really matter how cold or hot or rainy it was I was out there.

And that's what I'm striving to get back to lately. My drill sergeant still hasn't returned and it's so easy to stay in bed, but I continue chanting I will get up in the morning I will get up in the morning I will get up in the morning. And as long as I don't make up my mind the night before I'm usually OK. I chant the most when I feel myself trying to back out.

It's still super hard to get out of bed at 5:20 a.m., especially now that it's dark at that time, but the cooler temperatures and the way I feel after a good walk are such great motivation.

I will get up in the morning I will get up in the morning I will get up in the morning ...