Strolling along

Took Dani strolling the other day. We went to Walmart (down hill). Did great all the way there. Browsed and shopped a bit and headed home. This is when the term strolling took on a whole new meaning. Lets see, Dani weighs around 20 pounds. I have no idea how much the stroller weighs but lets say its a tad more than Dani. A big tad. And if you've been paying attention you'll deduce that we were now traveling UPhill. Yes. Uphill pushing more than 40 lbs of baby and simple machinery. Nothing like a leisurely afternoon stroll to knock one on her fluffy butt.

Still Hoofin'

I've been able to walk every weekday morning the last few weeks. Sally is doing great and is even coming up with longer and tougher routes for us to hit. I dragged Katie along yesterday. That baby weight is tough to shake, but if she walks with me every day, she could drop quite a bit by the time David comes back. My walk is averaging 5 miles a day and I'm home by 8:30am and ready to hit the day. I'm feeling some results in the pants. That's the best part. School starts on Tues and that will shake up this nice routine, but I can still hit the hill every morning before coming home to get ready for work. Gotta keep it up.

Continuing on the path

I've hooked up with friend Sally and we've been walking every (M-F) morning for the past couple weeks. It's good to have a walking buddy again. We head out early, 7 am, to beat the summer heat and I'm back home by 8:15 am for iced coffee and the newspaper. I'm not all that thrilled to be waking up so early when I dont' "have" to, but I'll get over it. Early morning is the key because with work and above 100 temps and then all the crazy afternoon storms, that's the only time you'll catch this chick outside. The fire season is in full swing and the air is becoming hazy with smoke. Makes for incredible sun rises and sets, but crap to breathe. Anyway, I'm off to trot around on Shanks Ponies. See ya.

Good For What Ails You

A trip to the cabin is always a cure for what ails me. I couldn't wait to get there and couldn't stand the thought of leaving. We hiked to the waterfall through a narrow canyon of shear granite. It was cool and refreshing on a hot summer's day. Then on up to the top where there is a smaller waterfall that feeds the larger one below. We didn't attempt the decent from hell. We turned around and came back the way we went up. Feel so good to be in nature; smelling the smells (even the pine sol of the outhouse as the top of the trail head), hearing the sounds and just being. I also climbed up to robber's roost (see photo) which sits on the mountaintop overlooking the cabin. All the childhood tales of how it got its name came rushing back. As if robber's would really hang out up there and spy on the cabin, plotting their next big heist. What would they steal? The old enamelware basins? The hike felt great and then relaxing on the porch swing with a good book and a slightly cool beverage topped it off. Slightly cool because it was so dang hot that even the creek was only barely cool. Since that's where we chill our beverages, slightly cool was as good as it got. But it was over all too soon and it'll probably be another year before I get back. If only we lived closer.

To Do List

8:00 am.....Hike the "M"

9:15am......Take Chloe to the Bark Park

10:00am...Weed

11:00am....visit with Molly and Gracie

1:30pm......Weed

3:30pm......Blog

after that.....cold beer

Ah, life is good.

Get Moving

Walking gets the feet moving,

the blood moving,

the mind moving.

And movement is life.

~Carrie Latet

Gorgeous day today. Walked with Allison and Chloe. We went a new route, up and around some windy streets and cul de sacs and then down a very quiet road, passed some cows and too many dogs. It was 50 minutes. Just right. I feel full of energy, happy, and ready for the day. We talked about our walking options after school gets out next week. We made some plans for new routes for our walk and a few hikes. Should be a fun summer

Bring on the Rain

Boy did they ever!! Days of rain. Gallons of rain. So much rain we almost floated away. But today was good and tomorrow is supposed to be even better. So, after a few days of the stairs, I"m back to walking. I want to do the "M" again and there is a nice trail up Waterworks hill with fabulous wildflower sightings and the view is beautiful.

The true charm of pedestrianism does not lie in the walking, or in the scenery, but in the talking. The walking is good to time the movement of the tongue by, and to keep the blood and the brain stirred up and active; the scenery and the woodsy smells are good to bear in upon a man an unconscious and unobtrusive charm and solace to eye and soul and sense; but the supreme pleasure comes from the talk. ~Mark Twain

Walking Buddies

Allison has been getting up to walk with me in the mornings and the other day I got an email from Sally (a worse walking buddy than me) to see if I wanted to walk in the early mornings when school gets out on the 13. Yes, and yes. I love having a buddy to walk with. I'll walk farther this way. It's working out great with Allison. She brings Chloe, of course and we all just trot around. A new direction every day. We go for about 45 minutes right now, but that might bump up when school's out and we can leave earlier. Anyway, I'm still hoofing it on shanks ponies and I have company for now. Good and good.

The Reward

Last Thursday Allison and I took a hike up to the "M". The hillside was full of wildflowers. When you go later into the summer you don't see much, but this time of year the reward is stunning. I hadn't hiked the "M" since last summer. I didn't know how I'd do. The trail zig zags up the side of Mounta Sentinal and there are 13 switchbacks. The first leg is always the one that kicks ass. It's the longest and steepest. I told Al that I was going to go painfully slow so that I wasn't a quivering puddle before switchback #2. It worked. Slow and steady really does win the race. It was perfect weather, not too hot and not too cool or windy. The only downside was we had to go straight to work and I was all loose and wobbly the rest of the day. Its almost like that feeling after you've had a massage. Not as enjoyable during, but the loose feeling is very much the same. Anyway, first hike is firmly under my belt and I'm ready to go again later this week. Hopefully we'll be able to do it weekly. That would be a huge benefit to my hind end.

Is it a dumb idea?

Laura asked, "The bad thing is that I've been eating like crap, craving fatty salty sweet things. I'm thinking of doing a fast of sorts doing only bland, boring nasty foods for a few days and really clearing off my palate. Is that a dumb idea? "

A: Its not a bad idea to go on a bland diet for a few days to cut those cravings. Its like smoking. The more you smoke the more you want to smoke. Those salty sweet things do the same thing. They trigger something in us that makes us want more. I'm that way with sugar. Give me one chocolate chip cookie and I want 5 or 6 more. But if I cut out all refined sugar for a few days, I don't want it as bad. And the weirdest part is, I don't like it as much. A trick, if you like fruit, buy a bunch. A large assortment of different fruits and have them at the ready. When you get a sugar craving grab a piece of fruit instead. Drink lots of water too, and I can't remember if you like pickles or not, but a big old dill will cut your sugar craving right at the quick. After a few days you'll notice that you really don't want that stuff as much. Then the trick is to keep on that path. So if you find yourself looking at a piece of cake or brownie or whatever, take a tiny tiny bite. Then ask yourself, 'is this the best thing I've ever tasted in my life?" It usually isn't. It's usually just a poor substitute for something else. If it doesn't rock your world, don't take another bite. It's not worth it. Not worth it meaning, that sorry little piece of brownie is not worth an hour of your blood sweat and tears to work it off again. Now, if it is the best thing you've ever tasted in your life, like Belgian chocolate hand delivered by Jean Claude Van Damme himself, then eat the whole thing and savor every bite and really enjoy it like you've never eaten before and will never eat again. Then go for a walk and take a cold shower. Cuz that's worth it.

A Different Kind of Workout

When struck with inspiration, one must act swiftly, lest that moment pass. I was struck. I acted. And have spent the better part of this week (that 1.5 hours daily between the school bus stop and work) working on my scrap ROOM. I've moved furniture, cleared out the "under-the-stairs-closet", moved more furniture, built utility cart, cleared out the furnace room, hauled big black bags o'shit upstairs, vacuumed, cleaned and worked up a general sweat. So, not a lot of walking, but I dare say, I've put in my bit. I have half a room to go. Today is trash day. I have to leave the boys a little something for their efforts. Then, when round one of crap is gone, I'll work on round two. Isn't it weird how getting rid of junk has this freeing feeling? Its not even junk that you could see. You would never know it was there unless I showed you. But for me, it was this heavy weight around my neck. I still have junk. More than I care to think about...cover mouth, cough (garage). But this junk is outta here. So, I'll walk, but today I'm hauling and cleaning more. And feeling the burn and loving every minute of it. Shout out to Laura. You go girl. When you get here, maybe we'll give the hill a whirl. Or what about the "M"? No pressure. Oh, and we can do part of it. But you should see the view from up there.

Five Days, Baby!!

Wow, for the first time in a long time, I did the walk 5 days in a row. No big deal you say, au contraire. It is a very big deal. I'm really having a hard time and I know what its all about. I need a buddy. I didn't realize how pathetic I was about this until not long ago. I was driving home and saw a woman walking my route. Who is that, I asked myself. Do I know her? I was so tempted to stop and introduce myself and see if she was looking for a walking buddy too. Can you spell PATHETIC? I can. In caps. So last night I was talking to DeeDee and I told her that we really needed to walk together. Now DeeDee is no bigger than a minute. A stiff breeze would blow her away, but she could use the cardio. She just needs to get up earlier in the morning. Like more than 10 minutes before leaving to take the kids to school. I'll work on that. Anyway, Yeah me for making 5 days in a row. And yeah, Chloe for going with me. But she's not much in the conversation department.

Gorgeous, Sister, simply Gorgeous

Weather. At what age do we start to really care about the weather. I used to think it was an old farmer thing. But unless I'm channeling the spirit of Grandpa Marxer, I'd say, we really do reach an age where the weather matters. Today is gorgeous. Doors and windows open, breeze blowing through. I had to take my coat off halfway up the hill. Just gorgeous. Spring has sprung in all her glory. Love this time of year.

The Weaterman and I are finally on the same page

Love this springtime weather. Cool/cold in the mornings and then just perfect in the afternoon. Oh for 76 degrees year round. A little rain between 2am and 4am and then gorgeous 76 all the time. Time for me to shake things up a bit. Not sure what that entails yet, but I feel the need to branch out and try something new. I definately need the exercise now. If not for the benefits to the bod, then for the benefit to the brain. The endorphin is your friend. Seek the mood elevators.

A Good Friend Will Kick You In The Butt

Thanks, Laura, for the kick in the rear. Spring Break ended today. I can get back to my regular routine. Isn't it so easy to sleep in a little bit and take a little extra time to get ready? Then before you know it, its time to head out the door to go to work. The other thing is, because I didn't have a kid to pick up at school, it was really easy for me to stay at work a little longer than normal. Add to that, major teen stress issues and you've got a recipe for "oh poor, poor pitiful me". OK, enough kevetching. I'm back on track. Eating sensibly, walking regularly, drinking lots of water and going to bed and rising at my regular times. Let's hitch up those ponies and hit it.

Success

People say that losing weight is no walk in the park.

When I hear that I think, yeah, that's the problem.

~Chris Adams

In order to succeed one must be prepared. Today, a plastic bag was the key to my success.

Apparently, a small dog must poop on average, 6 times per day. At least that's Miss Chloes'

assumption. We walked today. Down, around and back up again. She is currently comatose

at my feet. She'll be asleep most of the day, until Allison gets back home. Oh to be a dog.

I'm feeling stronger every day. Less winded and less tired in the legs. It feels good. It feels like progress. I'm not sure I'll be ready for a full scale "M" hike on Monday, but I'll take it slow, stop and rest and catch my breath. I'll make it. It'll just take longer. Do you suppose that I'll ever reach an age where I finally realize that I should just keep going and not start over anymore?

Made An Attempt

This post title really is a double edged sword.

I attempted to walk
Chloe attempted to poop on the sidewalk
I didn't have a bag
We ran home with her in semi crouch position
The running counts.

We'll try again tomorrow and we'll be sure to bring a bag.

Up, and Down and Back Again

When you have worn out your shoes,

the strength of the shoe leather has passed into the fiber of your body.

I measure your health by the number of shoes and hats and clothes you have worn out.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Another day, another walk. Longer this time. Its cool out and a bit drizzly and quite nice for walking. We went down the hill, a couple blocks more and then back again. I had the thought yesterday that a few more days of this and I'll be ready to join Allison on the "M" hike next week. It'll be spring break. Easy morning routines and more time to do such things. Its a good plan. As I came back up the hill I saw a tree with pussy willows. I must remember to take my camera and capture spring, since it looks like its finally sprung.

Fell Off The Wagon

The wagon drove away and kept on going. I said in my blog description that I wanted to use this blog to keep me honest. Nothing gets more honest than the last post date; Jan. 19. What's today? March 19. Hummm, two months. What have I been doing for two months. I've been NOT walking outside. The old too cold, too icy, too windy crap again. But truely, I got lazy. I got too into my inside hobbies and not interested enough in my outside hobby which I really do love. I love the feeling of walking and being out and moving. I'll tell you what I don't like. I don't like the feeling of starting over. I don't like that it takes months to get to a certain level of fitness and moments to undo it all. I don't like that at all. So, here I am; hopping back on Shanks Ponies. Ready to give it another go. I'm gonna go round up some support. Cuz I need it really bad.

March 19, 2007
walked with Chloe this morning. Down the hill and back up again. Less than a half mile, but the second half is 8 blocks of straight up. Tired, winded, but refreshed. Nice weather. Feels good.

In the Event of an Emergency, Please Take the Stairs

Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around the lake.

~Wallace Stevens

Still taking the stairs. Ice, cold, cold, ice. Actually the past two days (and again today) I've been hiking around the university campus with Allison. Its orientation and w'eve had places to go and people to see. Yesterday we parked at the top of the parking structure and walked down five flights and then of course, back up again. We probably logged a good mile in between. Continuing the stairs here at home too. Really being good in my food choices. Proud of that. Feeling a little less in the pants. That's nice too. Over all, doing ok and sticking to the plan.