My Morning

I have said many times that I really enjoy mornings. I think I need to amend that statement a bit: I enjoy mornings when it's too early for anyone else to be awake. That's mostly true for where we're living right now. Most mornings I get all of the dogs out before the work goers and school crowds are out, but this morning I managed to get out right in the thick of it. It totally stressed me out.
Someone had left an entire spare tire lying on the sidewalk in the middle of the night and I tripped over it. Otis and Hermione want to greet everyone and most people at that time of the morning don't even want to smile at the people passing them. Someone else left a giant garbage bag  full of what I can only assume was clothes or blankets in front of our flat building door. I tripped over that too. Then, there was some idiot riding their bike down the sidewalk who had the nerve to ding her bell at me and then say irritatedly "excuse me." That last one really got me because the sidewalk is the one place where I should be safe from cyclists. I've been hit by one crossing the street in front of our flat and so many have nearly run me over or been rude when down on the multi-purpose use path (which the cyclists think belongs to them), but there should not be cyclists on the sidewalk. I nearly flung the freshly picked up poop I was tying off at her.
However, despite all of that, I got inside and something clicked. It was all my perception this morning. I could let those things ruin my entire day or I could move on. The thought struck me as I folded a freshly washed sheet, still smelling of laundry soap and the coffee brewing fragrantly in the kitchen. Once the sheets were folded, I popped a cinnamon raisin bagel into the toaster and the aromas of that mixed with the coffee and clean laundry made me calm down and realise that there are more important things to worry about in life; things I can control. There were things that needed to get done and stewing on why some moron was driving on the sidewalk wasn't going to help.
Not every day can a person pull themselves out of a slump, but it's pretty amazing how powerful your own positive thoughts are.
Since my olfactory "Ahah" moment, I've managed to throw a load of laundry in the dryer, get my dissertation work done for the day, work on some travel arrangements and just calm down. I think the latter is the most important right now. I've been running on "Jess whirlwind" speed for a few days now and if I want to continue to be productive, and sane, I need to breathe in the coffee and cinnamon raisin bagel fumes and calm down.
Do you ever have those times in your life when you put yourself on over drive without realising it?