Killer Sidewalks

Bucknell University blue and orange

In my quest to gradually return to the world of working out and being a gym rat (and feeling good again), I've been walking four or five days a week.  In almost any group of people discussing fitness, you will inevitably hear one person say, "Well if nothing else, you can always walk."  Au contraire mon frere.  We must agree to disagree agreeably on that comment.  Please.

For me, walking comes with many difficulties.  One, my heels still hurt - both of them.  The one I had surgified, and the other one too.  Two, there's the weather that can be contrary.  Although some people do like to walk in the rain, and in fact, I always told my three daughters that rain makes them beautiful, in actuality it makes my hair flat and makes me feel grosser than I already feel from sweating.  And three, there's those killer sidewalks, which we will get to momentarily.

I've been hiking on various trails and routes in the area until today.  Today I decided to change it up a bit and simply walk from my house the several blocks down to the downtown area, walk the length of the main street to the end and back, and return home.

It's a miracle I survived.

Anyway I no sooner got to the downtown area, and I discovered the welcome mats have certainly been laid out for all the returning Bucknell University students.

Every parking meter had blue and orange balloons affixed, sidewalk tables and chairs were arranged, and WELCOME BUCKNELLIANS signs were in nearly every shop's front windows.  Sandwich boards offered special deals to the students.  (As a Bucknell grad, I kept looking for lunch deals directed to alumni, but I guess we aren't special any more.)

And welcoming the CLASS OF 2018 brings it right smack dab into my face how long ago it was that MY class was being welcomed - the CLASS OF 1978!
That's 40 years ago!  How did that happen?

I walked by a little cafe.  Years ago a friend and I frequented this shop, then a donut and coffee shop, and every Monday morning we met and did our part to solve the problems of the world.

Now it's a little breakfast/lunch cafe.  I thought I'd take a look at the menu in the window, and oh, would you look at that?  Bug for lunch, I guess.

I walked on.  Perhaps the people I passed by thought I was deep into my own thoughts.  Perhaps some thought I was rude.  In reality, I was carefully watching my step.

My town is full of killer sidewalks.  I may have looked like I was marching, not walking.

I could break my neck:

I could fall and break a wrist:

I could smash my nose:

I could twist my ankle:

Or I could slip a disk:

Yeppers.  Those are killer sidewalks.  Just about when I thought I'd seen it all, then I passed by this gorgeous section of sidewalk, maintained by the local garden club.  

I smiled and headed (carefully) for home.  

No matter where I walk, there's always been something, somewhere, that catches my eye.

My plan is to lose a little weight, walk myself into the beginnings of feeling fit, and then return to the gym again.

After all - winter is coming.