SHOULD ROUTINES BE STRICT OR FLEXIBLE?

Should routines be strict or flexible?

Well, after what happened to me last Thursday, I really don't know.

Let me walk you through it.

My pen name is Dany the Perky Busy Bee, but actually Sidetracked Dany would have suited me better.

You see, I'm a die-hard fan of to-do lists, but the only snag is that by the end of the day , most of the time, I  realize that the journey through doing to done has taken the scenic road, messed up my schedule, and left no track of my early morning plans!

That's why, if I want to keep consistent in blogging, I really need to stick to a kind of routine.

So, every morning, as soon as my feet hit the floor, I go on automatic pilot.

A quick shower, a hearty breakfast (Greedy Dany is always on time), and then off for my daily air bath with Ulysse, my four-legged coach.

On our way, we never fail to pay a short visit to an old neighbour of mine, just to check everything is ok with her.

Then, once back home, I can start mapping out my next posts quietly.

A foolproof routine to avoid wearing out my jammies, sinking into my cup of tchaï tea and remembering " A Passage to India ", or simply getting lost in wishful thinking crammed with " I'm going to ".

But, last Thursday when I woke up, there was a thin layer of ice-patch in the garden alley, and as I am hopeless at figure skating, I decided to delay my morning walk by one our, time for the sun to turn up (when it comes to the weather, Breton people are always optimistic).

After all, Ulysse could frolic a little bit more than usual in the garden, a good way to warm up before our daily exercise.

So, there I was, sitting at my desk, jotting down some ideas for my blog, when I received a phone-call from my old neighbour.

She sounded fit, but urged me in a muffled voice to come to her place, cause she had let somebody in, and now the guy didn't want to get out, and she didn't know what to do!

OMG, how many times had I warned her not to open her door to a stranger?

If only she had listened to me!

Too late!  If if and buts were candy and nuts, wouldn't it be a merry Christmas?

I slipped into my coat and ran to my neighbour's.

Ten minutes later I broke into her place, panting but ready to  let rip at the intruder!

He was standing close to her, and in his bright dark eyes I could see determination and self-satisfaction!

That guy really had a nerve, and it was high time to show him who ruled the roost!

Chin up!

But before I had a chance to say one word, he rushed to me and...pawed my leg, as if saying " I'm sorry, but you know, our daily visit to that sweet lady is always scheduled at 10. I didn't want her to worry, so I walked all the way to her place by myself, cause punctuality is the politeness of kings, and ...of dogs, as well! ".

Jeez, because of my damned morning routine, Ulysse could have been knocked down by a car, or even worse, dognapped!!

That's why now I really wonder if too strict routines can be bad.

What do you think?