Tag Archives: walking

I Feel Beastly

The beauty part about getting up way early is that even when you oversleep, you still have time to do a few things.  The beast part is choosing which things to give up (see what I did there?).  So, no walk this morning, but I hope some semblance of a blog post.  Some would argue that the walk is more essential, but while there is a vague chance I will take a walk after work, if I blog after work (which indeed I hope to do), it will be Friday’s post, not a late Thursday post.

So much for an introduction to a Non-Sequitur Thursday Post.  I am sitting at my laptop (dining-room-table-top, as regular readers may recall), ten-finger typing, sipping greatly appreciated coffee

And that was when I said, “Oh crap, I didn’t plug in my phone,” followed by “Oh crap, where did I put my phone?”  I retraced my steps (how many steps could I have taken; I just got up!).  Luckily my phone, unlike my Tablet, retains its original charging chord so will easily reach 100 percent by the time I go to work.  I only hope I remember to put it in my backpack, which, as anybodywho knows me will readily believe, is not a given.

As you may have guessed by now, I got nuthin’.  What a surprise.  I think I will throw in a picture to pep things up, slap on a catchy title, hit Publish, and drive on.  I hope to see you all later on Lame Post Friday (thank God I made it to Friday!).

I admit I have had catchier titles.

May be an image of one or more people and text that says 'Smile it's...FRIDAY FRIDAY'

Oops, I put a Friday meme on a Thursday post.

Not Monsters, Mosey!

Despite all the adventures alluded to yesterday, I content myself today with a mere Pedestrian Post.  For one reason, I took a few pictures when I walked on Sunday.  For another reason, I thought of that alliterative title as an answer to any readers expecting my usual Monstrous Monday Post.  In fact, I set a fairly brisk pace, since I was walking for exercise. But you know how I love alliteration.

I did not avail myself of the seat.

The first thing that caught my eye as I left the house was this comfy-looking couch, sadly abandoned.  Why can’t people donate these things?  Perhaps there was something wrong with it that I could not perceive.

Lots of bunnies around here.

This bunny hopped away while I was fumbling with my phone, but I managed to get a shot when he paused.  I like bunnies.

It feels steeper when you are on it.

This hill is short but fairly steep.  I do like to go up hills, although you can get too much of a good thing.  When I got to the end of the street, I impulsively turned right and went up to Herkimer College the back way. I felt pretty proud of myself for doing it.  It was not so easy to get a picture, since there are curves, but I tried.

I think this was more than halfway up.

Going down Lou Ambers Drive was a snap.  Ah, when gravity is my friend!  When I paused at the spring to refill my water bottle, I took a closer shot than the other one I shared.

I thought you might like to see the stones.

I did not take a walk this morning, due to a thunder storm.  Quite frankly, I enjoyed sleeping in.  Tomorrow, however, I hope to be back out on the sidewalks again.  Will I write another Pedestrian Post or cover one of last weekend’s adventures?   A little uncertainty adds interest to my day.  In either case, I hope you will tune in.

 

Use this later

Alas, I am back to my bad habit of making a late blog post.  In fact, I am skeptical of my ability to make a post now.  We are having a heat wave, and I do not like it!  I went for my walk, which I missed yesterday, and it is quite muggy out.  The birds were not singing.  They weren’t singing Tuesday either, and I do not remember Monday.  Oh dear, I am getting all bogged down in my petty complaints and whining when I set out to plug a local business and musician.  Get your act together, Cindy!

That is what I typed in this morning.  Then I got my act together at least enough to make a post about Phil Arcuri at Fratello’s.  However, mindful of the phrase Waste Not Want Not, I saved the whiny paragraph, labeling it “Use this later.”  I think I will keep that as my heading and bill this as a Non-Sequitur Thursday post.

It is a fairly silly post, too, because the first thing I say is I am posting late, and here I am, fanatically pecking at the Tablet with my stylus hoping to make my Thursday post on Thursday.  But when have I ever worried about making a silly post?

I thought I looked pretty.

I looked in my Media Library for a silly picture and found this.  I believe I was dressed for a murder mystery.  I must play with the curling iron again sometime.

 

Pedestrian Pictures Part 3

On this morning’s walk, I purposely walked by places I took pictures last Saturday, so I could use the last three in today’s post.  Of course it was dark when I walked today, but pictures don’t turn out so well in the dark.

Sometimes there are flowers.

Walking or running (Oh, WILL I ever run again?), I usually try to see the temperature on the sign in front of Trinity Lutheran Church.  That is how I know I can rock a run down to 10 degrees Fahrenheit.  This morning was warmer than 59 degrees.  It was muggy too. I anxiously await a break in humidity.

It feels steeper when you are on it.

This is the infamous Hill By Valley Health.  I capitalize it, because I often refer to it when logging my runs and now walks. It is by no means as formidable as the hill up to Herkimer College (previously known as HCCC), but I found it took some effort to get up it this morning.

I LOVE the spring!

Every morning, I carry a small bottle of water, drink it while I walk, and refill it at the spring.  It is what I used to do one my longer runs, when I was getting up to 50 minutes, or mornings I felt particularly dehydrated.  I feel particularly dehydrated most of the time these days. I don’t know what that’s all about.

It was not a bad walk. Few of my walks are.  Of course, walking is much easier than running, and you don’t always need to shower afterwards.  I will have to start making some more interesting observations, though, if I want to continue making a lot of Pedestrian Posts.  For today, however, I’ll just bill this as a Tired Tuesday and drive on.  Once again, thank you for tuning in.

 

More Weekend Walking

Here is Day Two of Pictures Taken On My Walk.  I took another walk this morning but did not take any further pictures.  So under the heading Waste Not Want Not, I share a few more taken yesterday.

Is it the first or the last?

The lone Black-eyed Susan appealed to me.  I saw some other patches with more blooms, so I don’t know if this one is just getting started or just ending.  My own Black-eyed Susans have not done much this year, but my whole yard is kind of a lost cause.  Let us not dwell on such depressing topics.

Pretty!

I am try to be circumspect when taking pictures of other people’s yards.  You know, not include identifying things such as numbers or names. Therefore, I was happy to get this shot of just flowers.  Of course, Google Maps shows no such compunction, but I am no Google (cue jokes about my googly eyes).  But I love these colorful blooms.

Lots of flowers!

On the uncultivated side, we have these.  I first tried to get a shot of a lone Morning Glory but could not get a good angle so went for the profusion of… whatever these are.

I do enjoy my weekend walks, when the sun is up and I can admire flowers.  Additionally, sometimes people are walking their dogs.  I like to pet a dog.  Tomorrow I am back to walking in the dark.  However, I still have a few more unused pictures from Saturday.  As always, I hope you’ll tune in.

 

Garage Sales on My Mind

When I took my walk this morning,  I brought my phone and took pictures, thinking to do an illustrated Pedestrian Post.  In the course of a 40 minute walk, I took nine pictures.  That is too many for one post, so I will split things up.

A creative sign.

Today was Herkimer’s Village-Wide Garage Sales.  I have been seeing signs like this all over for the past few days.

Intriguing, yes?

I took my walk around six, well before garage sale time, even for early birds (and most of the garage sale ads I’ve ever seen say, “No early birds!” anyways).  But I did see a couple of yards already prepared.  I was certainly curious as to what the tarps were hiding.

As I walked, a runner who often exchanges greetings with me came up behind me.

“Good morning!” I said.

“It looks like everybody is getting ready for garage sales!” she said.

“I know, I’m making notes of where to go later!”  Full disclosure: I did not go to any garage sales.  I have too much stuff in my house as it is.  I ought to have a garage sale myself, only I am far too unorganized.

I did not try to buy it.

The little paper says, “For Sale.”  I took the picture, because the camper brought back memories of the pop-up camper we used to have when I was a kid.  We had some good trips, and my sisters and I had some fun nights in our back yard in that camper.

Thoughts of garage sales and camping added a little interest to my walk.  I hope to take another walk tomorrow.

 

Walk, Check. Blog Post, Check.

OK, it may be late blog posts all week, because here I am Wednesday morning making my Tired Tuesday post.  For anybody who read Monday’s post (made on Tuesday morning, of course) and was wondering: I did feel better as the day went on.  I went to rehearsal for Love’s Labour’s Lost (just to plug my upcoming play again) and did not do too badly (or perhaps I flatter myself).

I thought this morning instead of making another post lamenting my inability to make good posts on time (just ignore the preceding paragraph), I would attempt a Pedestrian Post.   This was one motivation to get me out the door and walking when the devil on one shoulder said, “Don’t walk today. You have to make a blog post and fix your lunch.”  I still don’t know what I’m going to bring for my lunch, but I will worry about that later.

I thought of using Map My Run on my phone to track my walk, because I was worried my Garmin would not have enough charge, but Garmin at least had a couple of bars.  That was good, since I intended to do a short-ish trek that I have mapped before.  It looks like Popeye’s arm.  I know this, because I usually share Map My Run on Facebook, for the entertainment of my friends.  Some of them like to say what the shape looks like.  Sometimes I tell them what it means about them psychologically or predicts for their future, adding the caveat that it is for entertainment purposes only.  Not that anybody takes anything I say seriously, but you never know.

The Garmin always says Wait when I hit Walk, but I don’t always do it.  Today I did not.  It seems to track the walk or run the same either way.  I headed towards German Street and turned left.  I had a bottle of water.  My intention was to drink it as I walked and refill it at the spring on Lou Ambers Drive.  This is what I have been doing on most of my walks, although it cuts down on the variety of my paths.  However, since I seem to be in a dehydrated state most of the time these days, I continue to do it.

The birds were singing loudly.  I do like to hear that. I noted with gratitude every light in someone’s window.  I especially like the ones that look like flickering candles.  I also like to see the ones where it seems somebody is up and about, not just leaving a light on for security or other reasons (I don’t purport to know people’s reasons for doing things).  It is nice to think I am not the only one out of bed prior to 5 a.m.  Obviously I am not, as the occasional car drives by.

I turned up Maple Grove, so I could go up a little hill then across I think it’s Johnson and come down Lou Ambers to the spring.  As I turned down Lou Ambers, I saw a couple on the opposite side of the street walking a dog.  I thought to myself, “Left side, facing traffic!”  That is what I was taught in kindergarten, but it seems others were not or perhaps did not internalize the lesson.  Or maybe they are being rebels.  Again, I do not purport to know others’ reasons.  I did not catch up to them so could not ask to pet the dog.  That is all I would have asked them.  I think people might get defensive if I asked them why they were not walking the way I was taught to in kindergarten.

I ended up walking a mile and a third in about 27 minutes.  I thought vaguely as I turned up my driveway about continuing for another three minutes to make a half hour but was disinclined to do so.  For one reason, I had a blog post to make.  And I see I have made it to the tune of over 650 words.  Wow!  I haven’t blathered on that much for a long time!  If you have read till the end, I thank you.

 

Is It Magic? Or Just Lame?

Three late posts in a row. I wonder what my record is. It would be far too much trouble to check. I can’t be bothered about these things. I am lounged on the couch, pecking in one letter at a time with the stylus on my Tablet, just to give you a picture. I just took a 2-mile walk, and I am contemplating my upcoming day. So much I need to do, so much I want to do, but first, my Lame Post Friday post.

I have very little in the way of brain power this morning (cue jokes about how that is always the case) (but, really, aren’t those jokes a little too easy and obvious and just a trifle beneath you?) (you know who you are). But I have been doing pretty well at posting every day (or do I mean pretty good? How mortifying not to know!) and wish to continue.

That brings up something I have been wondering about myself. I think it was about a week before Memorial Day when I re-started daily blog posts. I am pretty sure it was the Tuesday after Memorial Day weekend that I started my daily walks. I remember this, because I had been thinking about walking before work for a while but not done it. The Saturday of that weekend was when I did whatever I did and had to stop running for a while. So I started walking.

OK, that whole paragraph is not what I’ve been wondering. I have been wondering: What do I think is going to happen? Something magic? Is this going to make my life better? Is it going to make me better? Is it even going to help?

I put it under the heading, Couldn’t Hurt, Might Help. Sometimes that is the best we can hope for.

Still, I would like it if something magic would happen. I suppose it needs more than a daily walk and a daily blog. Any suggestions?

Wayback Walk after Wuss-Out?

So yesterday was a true Wuss-out Wednesday as I neglected to post at all. In my defense, shut up, explanations are tiresome. I am sitting at the dining-room-tabletop prior to five Thursday morning, and my main feeling is gratitude for coffee. I went for a half-hour walk so am torn between making a Pedestrian Post and a Way-back Wednesday Post. Since I would like to retain the option of making a Throwback Thursday Post later, I shall attempt the former.

I do love flowers.

Full disclosure: I still have not upgraded my WordPress account so cannot add new pictures. Here is one from a walk I took in July 2017, making this a Way-Back Wednesday as well as a Pedestrian Post. This is the extent of my ability to multi-task (unless cleaning my oven while I sleep is still a thing) (older readers get that). Fuller disclosure: I did not see this on this morning’s walk, although I did walk by this building. For one reason, it was still dark. However, if I had troubled to look, I could probably report on whether the purple flowers are there once again. I did not. Judge me if you are so inclined.

Teehee!

Here is a funny from a walk in July 2018. It was actually a cool-down walk after a run, just to make me feel a little sad to remember I have not been running since May. I found it on the sidewalk and took it home, taking this picture, because it amused me so much. I told my husband Steve it was probably for him, and his girlfriend had left it there for me to deliver.

I see I have not yet said anything about today’s walk. Oh well, it wasn’t such a much anyways, and I am almost at 300 words (that sentence put it over). I feel oddly pleased with this post, but perhaps I flatter myself. No matter. It’s time to get myself a little more coffee.

PS. Now it is 5 a.m.

Walking into a Blog Post

What did I say yesterday about posting at night so I could walk in the morning? Well, I didn’t do it on Monday. However, I took a walk this morning and am now sitting on my couch, icing my elbow and wielding the stylus with my left hand, attempting a long-promised Pedestrian Post.

I have been walking almost daily since Memorial Day weekend, when something bad happened to my hip. My hip doesn’t feel so bad these days, so a run may be in my future. Still, walking is way easier: no wrestling into sports bras before or shower necessary after. It is certainly more conveniently fitted into my morning routine.

I try to get up around four. I go for my walk right away, while the coffee perks. Today I was on my way at 4:15. I used my Garmin to track the walk and carried my cell phone for security proposes. I sometimes use Map My Run on the phone. I like to post the map on Facebook and let my friends interpret the shape.

I like to carry a bottle of water and hydrate as I go. Then I like to walk by the spring and refill the bottle. I do that on my longer runs (if I ever work my way back up to longer runs). I find it works well walks, too. It ensures that my walk lasts a little over twenty-minutes.

My favorite thing about early morning walks is hearing the birds sing. I also enjoy watching the sky brighten as the sun rises. For some reason I feel a little more nervous walking in the dark than I do running. Maybe it is the thought that I can just run away from anything untoward. Or perhaps it is because it takes less time to get from streetlight to streetlight. However, I do not allow any feelings of trepidation to stop me. I’m sure there is nothing to worry about in any case.

Today I only walked straight to the spring and back, just over a mile in 23 minutes. I am now stylus-typing with my right hand (must faster for me) and I see I am over 350 words. Time to get on with my Tuesday.