The dog (Scottie) woke me way too early. 40 min. Earlier than is the routine and, as I see it, the unspoken expectation. The mandate. A line they are forbidden to cross. I rolled with it. At first. Assuming it was, as has been the case in the past, a need for a bathroom break. I gave them both such and then, uncharacteristically, returned to bed. I Scottie's mind, food was an unspoken expectation: A mandate. So there was a standoff. I let them wait while I got some morning light and reflected on how that power struggle played out. I was actually frustrateld, which I know Is unreasonable, if not insane, to expect to have in the first place; I dove deep into this and tried to follow a thread of introspective inquisition. What specifically did I expect and not receive? Was it rational? Why would I find it frustrating when it made perfect sense that it was not? Where did this originate? What made me take it personally? It was an interesting exercise to take a step back in relative real-time to be more aware of impulse, ego, and insight. And, of course, I fed the dogs at the usual time and no sooner. In the spirit of continuing to hold space for non-tech-related tasks, I roasted coffee, cleaned and put away dishes and listened to an audiobook Lauren recommended. At first, I assumed the book was so I could understand some of her "soul-searching" endeavors, but I learned later that it is about something she recignizes a lot of in me! Ok, I'm open to being advised and informed. I'll roll with it. I'm listening. I had a minor surgery if you can even call it that, to dig out the small basil-cell cancer that was on my face. It was tiny. I was in 'n out in under an hour.
