No alerts. And a date.

For the first time in a week, we are not under some kind of dire weather emergency. No advisories, no warnings, no watches. It's still cold, but the wind chill is finally above zero. So yay for that.

Remember yesterday when I wondered where the deer were? Well this warm (cough, cough) weather has brought them out of the woods. I just chased half a dozen of them out of my front landscape bed. I think one of them was snacking on the bark of the redbud tree.

I don't care if deer go hungry. Really. I don't.

The birds are back, as well. I do care if the birds go hungry, and am now filling the feeder just about every day. Wonder how long 40 pounds of black oil sunflower seeds will last?

Apologies to you if you follow me on Facebook, as I shared this Daily Mile Year End Report graphic there yesterday:

This makes me think my 1500-mile goal for 2014 is absolutely within the realm of possibility. I only need to up the weekly distance by three or four miles, and while I haven't done well this first week of the year, my cold is pretty much over and I have a walking date with Lynne this afternoon. At 3:00 p.m. When it is supposed to be THIRTY-FIVE DEGREES!

And finally this morning, since Wednesday is my new official weigh-in day, I can report that I've gained a pound this year. But really I've lost a pound in the last couple of days. I feel like I'm on track and heading in the right direction. I'm not worried or anxious about regaining the weight I lost in 2013. The holidays affected my progress, to be sure, but honestly? You know what I'm going to say, right?

What you eat between New Year's and Christmas is more important than what you eat between Christmas and New Year's.

True.