Last week as I was getting ready for my post-work ride down in the garage, one of my co-workers saw me as she was heading to her car to go home. She said it was a luxury to be able to go for a bike ride after work. To me the luxury would be having someone waiting at home to have dinner with me.

I don't cook. Dinner most nights is pasta topped with butter and cheese or a baked potato topped with cheddar. Sometimes I'll have cereal or an omelette or frozen pizza.

I run the dishwasher once a week and only do 2-3 loads of laundry per week, usually at night after I go to the gym or whatever the night's exercise is. I clean when I feel like it because I'm the only one there to create or notice the mess. I stop at the grocery store on my way home from work on the one night of the week that I'm not riding my bike or going to the gym. I run as many errands as possible at lunch (there's a mall within walking distance of my office) and if there's anything I can't do at lunch, I pick one weekend day to do them in one big trip. The other weekend day is available for a bike ride or taking a long walk or whatever.

I decided years ago that exercise had to be a priority on most days in order to manage my health. And it makes me happy.