Today I went for a walk. I prepared as I usually do, no shower yet, walking shoes, one cup of coffee and a full chug of a mason jar’s worth of water. I made sure I had my keys and my phone. I’d prefer not to bring my phone with me on the off-chance that I decide to go for a run or a light jog and maybe it falls from my pocket, but the upside is that it has a thing that will record my physical activity. It works like a video game and I like logging the miles, just in case one day I decide to really go for it. The other upside is that if anything unexpected happens in that time, I have multiple options for recording the incident and logging my location, not limited to contacting authorities. I brushed and flossed my teeth and I double-checked my belongings. Perfect. Good to go. I grab the leash hanging on the beam in the middle of the room and I head down the stairs and out the door.

I called out “Windy!” several times. This is actually a pretty frustrating part of my morning, so irritably, I did it again.

“WINDY! LET’S GO!”

Out she came from her cubby, and she danced a little around the yard, ripping up the daisies and pulling up huge chunks of mud. I don’t have time for this. We need to GO. I attached the leash and we went for it. We have to travel miles from here in every direction at this point, before we end up in a reasonable clearing, and I can finally get a moment to myself. I like to let my mind wander, and it allows her some time to burn off some energy and just relax. Personally, I can’t keep going weeks upon weeks keeping myself locked away, and frankly neither can Windy. Every once in a while, I feel compelled to wreak havoc and quickly retreat, where I spend my time pondering my choices. Did I remember to smile? I truly hope so. I really only see my neighbors once or twice an occasion.

I’m the only one in town that has a pet tornado. I don’t have many friends but I’m still pretty popular. I live alone but I actually prefer it.

There were occasions when I had to call the authorities, but they stopped responding a long time ago. People really aren’t as friendly as you’d hope.