I was at the gym until 6:15 PM, when I finished my usual workout, and called my wife (we’re carpooling). She was stuck at her job for awhile, so I packed up py backpack, and out I went! It was a gorgeous night here–around 70 degrees when I began walking. I walked through a couple of denser, more crowded neighborhoods and then around mile five, it started to turn more . . . bucolic.
I could smell the pine trees in the cool air. Maybe a hint of smoke from a wood fire here and there. Aw man, it was awesome–took me back to the high Arizona plains in Prescott.
So yeah, on a lark I walked home today. What did you do?
Tripler
Why? Quoth John Blutarsky. . . ::buuuuurp:: “Why not?”
Well, aside from housework, errand-running, child-rearing, laundry, and 8 hours of my actual paid work, not much. I do need to get to the gym soon, though.
When my car died in mid October, I walked to and from work several times. (I wasn’t able to turn down every ride - nobody believed that I actually kinda liked walking. And when your mom uses your full name to demand you accept a ride to work, you listen even if you’re 26.)
In my case it was only about 3.5 miles, and no scent of pine. On the other hand, there was snow, cows, train tracks, and a cornfield, so I had some scenery. In the spring, I think I’ll walk to and from work at least occassionally.
Took the wife to the hospital for blood work. It is 25 miles. Carried her ‘piggy back’. Bought 6 X '2 liter bottle’s of pop, 2 X ‘12 packs’ of pop, bread and a few other things. Carried her and that stuff back home. Yep, 25 miles. *:: I can sorta feel it today. :: *
Well, I walk home every day, but it’s only about a mile and three quarters, and anything but bucolic. There are pine trees, but only in front of the housing project.
I’ve started going to a gym that is really within walking distance. Not that I’ve walked over there; I probably will when the weather is consistently nicer. But the lack of sidewalks is definitely an inducement to drive over to get my exercise. There’s something rather pathetic about that, isn’t there?
Not tonight, but about a week ago I biked twenty kilometers in the snow, had a big dinner and about a liter of beer, and then biked back in the snow and dark. I was going to dinner at an old schoolfriend’s house with another friend, and for some reason he brought up the idea of biking there. I waffled, and he said “When we were sixteen we would have…” and I cut him off with a “Sure, when are we starting?”. What can I say, he knows my weak spot.
I walked home from work yesterday too, but it’s only about 3km or so (about 45 minutes). At this time of the year I prefer to walk home rather than to work because I got quite hot and sweaty.
I highly recommend that people get out of their cars and buildings and go stand in a forest or field for a while. It’s amazingly soothing, at least for me.
