this whole shoe-thing isn't going well.

I'm going to need to take out stock in a bandage company. I'm using enough.

This whole shoe thing isn't going well.  Wednesday I threw out all my shoes that were "worn out" or curved because I've broken the supports.

That day I wore real shoes to school. I didn't have hose or socks on. It's September. Socks in September. Ick. So I payed for at the end of the day. Huge blister.

The next day I wore clogs to work. I thought it had time to heal. Friday and Saturday I wore my sneakers, with socks, and bandages. They didn't stick. I ripped my heals to shreds. They are like raw meat.

Today, I have covered my heals with wide bandages. And then mole skin. Mole skin never moves. Ever. You need to pull that crap off by force a week later when it's skanky and dirty.

We'll see if the raw meat heals.

Then I have to get at least one pair of slip on shoes. Sure I wish they were Birks, but that is not in the budget.  But I find myself walking less because I have to stop, put on socks and shoes. By then the motivation is gone.

For example I am working a lot at home. Multiple freelance jobs plus my classwork at two schools. I am busy 15 hours a day. And earning half as much money. But more importantly I was taking a "break" between tasks by walking around the big block. 10-15 minutes outside to get the blood moving and the fat burning. I've stopped. The whole break would be used by getting ready. I can't be spontaneous.

Now, I hear you. Just wear the sneakers all day. I'd rather shoot myself. Everyone knows how much I hate sneakers. They were designed by the devil. They are hot and they are heavy. No. i refused.

a color run

 My tween friend is in 6th grade. Her PTA was raising money by having a color run. I went with her today. Maybe 100 people looped around the intermediate school campus and athletic fields. Some ran, some walked, some did both. I think we finished in the middle of the pack. It was about two miles.

We started out clean. The first color—blue, was right out of the gate. They were throwing out, not up, so you got whammed with color in one spot. The blue hit my back. The child got hit pretty hard.

The next color was purple. They were out when we got there. I said we could wait, or go back, but no we moved forward.

Surprisingly there was  a hill. Wasn't expecting that.

I think yellow was next.  And then maybe pink.

The child wasn't getting enough color so I was telling the throwers to hit her hard. I also told her to make herself big by stretching out her arms.

After everyone came back there was the color throw. This is where you get the dirtiest.

We were colorful when we reached the car. The child took off her shirt, she had a top underneath. I couldn't do that.

I thought it was odd that the school only had Gatorade out to drink. We weren't that active. One kid even did the whole thing with her leg in a boot! (Covered by a plastic bag.)

When I arrive home I took off my dirty clothes including my socks. I was surprised to see my foot. I had sneakers and socks on. (Yes I have ugly toes. I guess I should tape them when I wack them on the couch and break them.)

shadow selfie

Took this walking back to my car last night. Look how tall and skinny I am! I'm an Amazon woman.

happy autumn!

Wearing sensible (hot, confining, uncomfortable) shoes, and not my Birks, I walked around campus today and took photos of fall. Well, they were for class, but you get to enjoy them too. Enjoy!

first, throw out those birkenstocks

Today I went to the foot doctor. That pain in my foot has lasted 6 weeks, maybe longer. Well, probably longer. In my quest to turn 60 healthy, I decided to go to the podiatrist before I couldn't walk any more. Really, if I couldn't walk I have to shoot myself. I'd be a round fat blob.

So the pain goes from my arch to my heel. And then my foot falls asleep. It lasts a few seconds to a minute. There appears to be no pattern.

So my foot is healthy and everything works. It's not a heel spur, but he went in the basement to get my old x-rays to see what my foot looked like then.

First he said "you wear your Birks all the time, right?"

"Yep, until the snow falls."

"Well throw those out" pointing to the ones next to me. My heart sunk. "And get a new pair."

He was across the room. He comes over and picks up my shoe, takes out a sharpie and marks the center. "You don't mind, right, you're tossing these the minute you get home" and then puts it on the counter. He balances it on the heel and the line is in the center. Then he pushes it forward. The back is two inches off the counter and leaning inside.

I should have taken Bonnie with me. She'd remember the anatomy. Bottom line is I have arthritis in my toes. My toes, especially my big one don't bend when I walk therefore tuning my foot inward to compensate. Now those who knew me as a kid knew I had a real problem with walking turned inward when I was a kid. The past has returned. The stress of walking inward is putting pressure on my arch, and probably pinching a nerve. I thought my knee and hip pain was a result of gaining wight. Probably. But since my feet aren't doing their job it knocks my whole skeleton off. Swell.

Now I have to keep track and see when it happens and what I'm doing when it happens to see if there is a pattern.

I have to test all my shoes and toss the ones that go in the air. If they don't sit flat and centered, they get tossed. Sounds expensive. (Three pair of Birks have already met the trash bag. Boo Hoo.)

No more walking to work in Birks (boo...hiss).

We'll see if it goes away. If not I have to go back. Expensive x-rays may be in order. I might have to revisit my orthodics. Last I wore them it was the 80s. Hated them. Hope it goes away.

Today I wore real shoes to class. Ended up taking them off. They really rubbed the back of my foot. And after walking back to the car my foot hurt all the way home. Those are repetitively new. I do not like this Sam I am.

It's not even October. Tomorrow I'm wearing my clogs. We'll see how that goes.

$4 parking

All summer I walked to my job at the arts center, in my birkenstocks.  We aren't at the center, but down the street, closer to campus. But once school started I had to drive. Meters at the university are 25 cents for 15 minutes. Yep. A buck an hour. $7.50 a day. I took a huge paycut for this job, and all that parking was cutting it further.

I was looking online for something and discovered that there was daily parking at the arts center itself. It's only $4! Why isn't that place packed? Oh yeah. They have to walk an extra two blocks.

Me, I'm delighted to walk the extra distance after sitting on my fat butt all day. Plus for $4 I get shade and no snow. No rain either. Thinking this is a huge win-win.

I heart saving money.

the box

The mail room at NCC is in the College Center...the original campus on that side of the street. I'm in communications hall. At Green Pond Road. Normally, it's a five minute walk. Yesterday it was forever.

One of the huge paper companies, Mohawk, was offering paper samples for the classroom. So I signed up. It was paper sample, booklets to understand paper weights, envelope sizes, ect. I went to check the mail and a huge box was waiting for me. I had no cart. No strong co-ed volunteer. Nada. Just my weak flabby arms.

So I carried it. All 29 pounds. Across campus. I took the elevator for the first time. And used the electronic doors. I reached CH and collapsed on the first table. After  a 5 minute rest, I carried to my classroom and opened it. Then I carried it to the adjunct office.

My weight training for Tuesday. Done.

It was time for a nap.

Rats. I still had to teach.

oktoberfest

Today was the Annual Volkssport March at Bear Creek Mountians Oktoberfest. It's not a walk. it's a hike.

About a week ago I called Bonnie to see if she'd watch the toddler. Then I called Megan to see if she wanted to go. For awhile it was me and her. Then Lyd said she was coming. Angel thought she might send the tween.

Lyd canceled this morning. The tween arrived at 9 ish.

We headed out and went to get Megan. The toddler was not happy mommy was leaving. And set out for Bear Creek. Of course we missed the turn and had to backtrack. But we righted ourselves, and got there fairly quickly.

We signed in and headed to the mountain. It's rocky. It's rooty. There are 6 little wooden bridges. But eventually you come out at the top of the ski slope. This picture was taken at about 3/4 of the way up.

The 10K trail went back into the woods. That's normally the way I go. We were doing the 5K so we went up the access road. This year there was beer, but no tables, and no port-o-potty. The resort really downsized the even at the top of the hill. I guess they didn't sell enough beer.

I think this was the tween first experience with a live check point. At this event you are given a number at the start, when you reach the top, the card is punched and your number crossed off the list. Then it's punched again at the bottom and returned. Everyone who heads into the woods must come out.  There are maps, but no instructions. The trail is well marked. And branch trails are blocked off with caution tape.

After a short break, we headed down. The 10K went down the ski slope thru the grass. The 5K went back into the woods to yet another access road.

I think it was harder to go down the 5K trail than up. The wooded trail was narrow, rocky and steep. The access road was not gravel. It was very small rocks. Or really, really large pebbles. Megan and I ended up walking in the tall grass. Everyone had a tick check on the way home.

We signed in, stamped our books and headed home.

Today was not going to be as eventful as yesterday, or so I hopped. Though it's nearly 6 and I still haven't started working. Another long night ahead.

crazy mixed up day

I really wanted to title this "Fat ass on a hot asphalt roof", but I didn't think anyone would get the theatrical reference.

Another thought was "learning to make roses". But that didn't work.

Pretty much Saturday was a crazy mixed up day. I knew I wasn't going to get much work done.

I didn't sleep well the night before. I got up early and started working. And threw some wash in. I had planned on picking up the teen at 8:30 and deliver her to Girl Scouts. There, I'd meet Angel and we'd go to Trexler park to walk. It's fairly flat, and paved. Great for a person in a boot.

At 8:18 I discovered the time and started running around like a crazy person. Got the first batch of wash out, and another one in, got my sneakers, and ran out. The roomie called the teen to let her know I'd be late. We arrived at Girl Scouts with 30 seconds to spare.

Angel and I then headed for the park. First we made a stop at Wegmans. When We arrived at the park, I went to get my camera from the car and my purse wasn't there. Left it at Wegmans.  Okay, we'll get in the car and drive back. It's only three blocks. Angel say, let's walk. Okay, so we start our walk, walking to Wegmans. BTW, a round trip is 1.5 miles.

Then we head into the park and did the lower loop. Even with the boot we accomplished everything —3 miles—in just over an hour. Not bad. (Boot comes off tomorrow.)

Then we headed back to my house to hang that last load out and back to Whitehall to pick up the girls. This was not a save gas kind of day. We got the girls and headed to Emmaus. My brother Dave was in a craft show, and I was covering his booth while he took a well-deserved break.

The girls were allowed to walk around the fair,  un-escorted. The highlight of their week.

When Dave cam back we went searching for food and found a Thai place. We can never do pizza like normal people.

On the table were these napkin roses. Nobody wanted to open them. I figured out how to make them, really easy. I went to show the girls and the waitress came over and taught them. Very nice.

Then it was back to Dave's to buy the girls indoor boomerangs. Then we hiked back to the car.

We stopped at my house for 5 minutes. Well, actually closer to an hour. The phone rang and it was my sister Barb in Kentucky.

Now I should have said call you back later, and I didn't. Bored, the girls were playing with their booms in the house and then went outside. First stop, the yard next door. Second stop. The back porch roof.

I go up to my room and climbed out the window to get the boom. First I tried to push it with a hiking stick. But it didn't work. I had to scooch down to the edge of the roof. I was still talking to Barb and had it on speaker. She was getting the color commentary.  I left the phone on the window sill. But something happened and it slid down the roof and on to the patio. The teen picks it up and says "Aunt Barbara, are you still there?" She was. This incident is know know as Aunt Barbara Fell Off Aunt Gayle's Roof.

Getting out was one thing. Getting back in was another. The peanut gallery on the patio was not helpful.

Thankfully I survived to tell the tale.

I hung up the phone and we pinned the patches on to the tweens GS vest and we finally headed out. But the craziness wasn't done.

Angel and the tween went to Grandmas.  The teen went home and I traded her in for her twin—the yard boy.

My yard looked like a jungle. The kid and I worked our butts off. Finally I took him home and started my paid work. It was 6:30. I finished about 10.

And slept like shit. Second day in a row.

in your brain you know it. eyes hurt to see it.

Last January I went to the family doctor for my blood pressure and he gave me the required blood work slip for when I go back. In January (or June).

They handed it to me, I threw it in my bag and didn't look at it. The last one was a checklist. Now they are spelling it out. I had no idea until I pulled it out yesterday and noticed the "O" word on it. It's one thing to look in a mirror and know you are fat. Doesn't take a rocket scientist. It's totally another to see OBESITY as my diagnosis.

It doesn't help that I've gained a good portion of weight since that visit in January. And that I don't walk nearly as much any more. I don't stand to work. I think I've been in surrender mode.

Reality check: I am turning 60 in two short months. parts of me can't believe I am that old. Other parts, not so much. 1969 only feels like a few years ago.

I hate medicine. I hate doctors and science and all the stupid tests. To me, hospitals are at least the 7th ring of Dante's Hell. But the reality of aging requires doctors. You have to know where you are, before you know which direction you are headed. I am planning on outliving the roomie. That is no easy fate. She is pickled. She'll be one of those old ladies in a wheel chair that they drag out for a birthday party in the nursing home at 110. Except she'll be yelling "I don't want no f-ing party". "Get those f-ing cameras out of my face." While drooling.

I've been thinking about these things since I bought my useless healthcare. Because that's why you buy insurance. Right? Wrong. I bought it because it's the law. It $400 a month and has huge deductibles to get it that cheap. So basically I pay twice. AND I lose the cash price discounts.

But I digress.

I've started to think more about it this summer because the aches and pains are arriving. Nothing to write home about, but noticeable, when it's quiet.

Then the other day my friend Angel sent me a snippit of her manuscript. The solider had lymphoma. I asked a question and it started a discussion. Mostly about my fears as related to healthcare and diseases. (Yes I have a top 10 list. It isn't pretty. I'm a pessimist, if you haven't noticed.)  And why I don't get my ample ass to the doctor. There are just things in life that require routine maintenance. Your body is one of them.

I pretty much hate birthdays. I'd like to crawl into a corner and hide till they are over. But this year as a gift to myself I am going to get my fat ass to the doctor. Many doctors. BEFORE I turn 60

I've already made the appointment with the podiatrist.

I've googled dermatologists. There's a huge practice near Elin's old house. I could walk. I guess hoping for South Bethlehem was too much.

Get obese girl blood work.

And the most difficult one—mammogram. For a person who works tireless for the cause, I avoid this one. It's not the couple hundred for the test that scares me. Or the test itself. It's the results.

I'm sure I forgot something. Bonnie and Angel will tell me what.

I will also get back in the habit of walking every day. And get my diet back under control.

Like this weed in the storm sewer this morning, I'm a fighter.

signs of fall

Near St. Luke's there are still a few chestnut trees. They survived the blight decades ago. They are massive.

When my mom was alive, and the chestnuts fell, I'd bring her the biggest, shiniest one to show her fall was on the way.

During today's walk. I found my first chestnut. Had to break it out of it's shell. Even the animals hadn't gotten to them yet.

This little guy Too small to be an adult. Only 3 inches or so.) has moved into my yard. He's been helping me week. Or more than likely taking advantage of the all-you-can-eat-buffet after I weed.

for the first time in ages, i walked to the movies

When we were kids, we walked everywhere. Movies included. But then the Steel died, and things closed and we all learned to drive. Life went on.

There have been a ton of changes in the south side over the last decade. Mostly re-development of the Steel property and the Greenway. Stores are starting to open. Maybe the town will come back. Maybe not.

Bonnie called Friday to see if I was busy. She wanted to go to ArtsQuest (part of the redevelopment) to see A Walk in the Woods. I also wanted to see the film—the book was hysterical—but I had another commitment.

Friday night I came up with an idea. Let's walk to the movies on Sunday. So I called, she thought it was a great idea and we did.

Round trip it's about 3.5 miles. The film is about 90 minutes. We were gone about three hours. Including a long search for my vintage iPod that fell out of my pocket in the theatre.

The premise. A seasoned writer is basically having a mid-life crisis and decides to walk the Appalachian Trail. His wife won't let him go alone, so he finds an old buddy to go with him. Two old men on the AT. It's going to be tragic or funny. Thankfully is was amusing.

I had heard that Robert Redford option the book about a decade ago and it was going to be a buddy movie with him and Paul Newman. But than Newman died and it took awhile to find the perfect buddy.

I was a little sad that they ended the film where they did. In the book, they went further. They got to Pennsylvania. The stories about our rocks were funny.

All in all a good day.

I think I'll go to the movies there more often. I can walk.

a chocolate walking tour.

After another lackluster week of walking today I did a walking tour. But this time it wasn't history. Or ghosts. Or nature. It was chocolate.

It was a non-credit offering from Northampton. it was full before I got a chance to even tell anyone. Angel was able to sign herself up but not Darrell. With her broken ankle, Darrell became Angel for the day. Angel became "my wife". Neither of us wanted to mess it up. The tween also became "the child".

The walk leader was fascinated that she had an Angel in her group. She introduced D to nearly everyone.

We started right near the south side campus at 3rd and Polk. We headed out 3rd and over the Fahy Bridge and up to Main Street.

Tallerico's on 3rd was supposed to be the first stop, but he changed it to the last stop.

I guess the best way to do this is with pictures.

 First stop was the chocolate lab. She told us how she got started and how long she' been in business.

The second stop was the Moravian Book Store. I knew they had a chocolate counter but I never really paid attention to it.

Though I think I was a little distracted by the meadery. I've never had mead, but I'd like to at least try it. But I guess that would be the booze walking ... or stumbling ... tour. Maybe the walking group needs to get a couple baby sitters and have an adult night.

There is also the Social Still on the southside that I'd like to go to.

Both offer tours. At a price. The Still charges for samples. Sounds odd to me. I guess I'm used to drinking my way free through Kentucky. And I've drunk some good bourbon.

 Next stop was the Franklin Hills Winery shoppe in the Commons. We had Red-head with vodka in a chocolate rimmed glass. It wasn't bad.

 Then it was up Broad to the Brick Oven for a chocolate bomb. This stop replaced a cupcake shoppe.

The original final stop was the Hotel Bethlehem for chocolate cherry martinis. It was okay. Not a fan of cream drinks.

Then it was back over the bridge to Tallerico's.

They were still closed. Oops. One by one the tour broke up and we all left.

It had started to rain while we were eating the bomb.

I like the tour. I like that I paid upfront and everything was free when we got there. Not constantly paying a tab was great.

I liked the places that we went. Though I had been in most of them before. It takes someone to connect the dots.

However, there was a lot of waiting. People walk at different speeds. People look at different speeds. Some shopped. I don't know why. It was 80 degrees. I would think it would be a puddle by the time we got back. But different strokes. The guide was ditzy.

I didn't take a handbag because I wouldn't need it. But I should have taken a bag. We collected samples and other items as we went. It would have been helpful.

Do you know how I often walk in Birks? Today I had on my sneakers. More than half the group was wearing plan-old flip flops. Blows my mind.

Tomorrow Bonnie and I are walking to ArtsQuest to see A Walk In The Woods. And then walk home. I heard that isn't isn't nearly as good as the book. But the movie never is. The book was pee-in-your-pants funny.
First stop

two bridges, two states, two towns

Today I did the Morrisville volkssport walk. Alone. I went back and forth about it and just decided that I didn't want to sit home all day and work. So I went.

I downloaded the instructions for Rt. 611 from Google maps. It was 412-212-611. Pretty simple. The normal way one goes down to the river. And then about half way down 611 I see 412. Why-o-why did I not stay on 412? As it turns out, I ultimately ended up on 32. I could have just went down the river road. But then I would have hit New Hope and Washington's Crossing. At 9 am, that would have not be an issue. Coming home would be a different story.

I arrived in about an hour and a half. Google said 1:20, but you always go slower when looking for things. And I did miss the entrance to the hotel. If anyone goes the driveway is right next to the highway ramp. You're better off turning into the Italian Restaurant, and crossing parking lots.

Bonnie would love this walk. She could stamp every book she has and then some. It must qualify for at least a dozen special programs. The whole reason I picked it was because it qualified for Border Crossings, and don't you know, I forgot to stamp the book.  I went back when I was done. Thank goodness I didn't totally forget it.

The walk started in Morrisville, Pa, and 10 minutes later you were walking over the bridge to Trenton. Pennsylvania is all about welcoming people to our fair commonwealth. Look at this vintage sign. It's beautiful. Jersey, not so much. But there was a sign pointing you to the state house

There was a sign on the outside of the first bridge that said "Trenton Makes. The World Takes". I wasn't on a facing bridge to really see, but my guess is Futura. The instructions said there was a faint state-line marker, but I didn't see it.

This quilt was on the side of the Finance building. It is part of the Barn Quilt exhibit throughout Jersey. The one above is the Harvest Star.

The monument in front of the Labor building celebrating labor. The other side is even better but the sun was in the way. An appropriate photo for Labor Day!

This mural (Winds of Change, Illia Barger,, 2006) depicts the announcement that the Declaration of Independence was signed. All the colonial people are white. On the sides of the arch are two, modern, black men looking in. It's kind of cool.

Thomas Edison State College. Best ironwork of any college I've seen. This is the clock and one of the rails.

 This is the clock etched in the window.

This is a doorway. Tile and iron and the most beautiful wood. Okay, I spent way too much time on this campus.

Then it came time for the government building and the state-run museums and planetariums. The architecture her is either very old and beautiful, Or mid-century ugly. It didn't age well. The Planetarium looks like a spaceship from a bad 50s B-movie.

Then it was back over the bridge to be welcomed to Pennsylvania. Here you picked up the canal path and toured Morrisville for the second 5K.

I love the fishies on the water tank, but for some reason it's not standing up. Don't think I can rotate it here. Maybe later I'll try.

This is someones yard on the canal path.  Yes, it is stained glass. Plastic doesn't reflect like this.

The canal has little water. And the water it does have is mostly algae. I don't think the ball is floating.

A nice day. Took way too many pictures. It's probably good I was alone. I would have taken a third as many if I was with a group. Maybe as low as a quarter.

I didn't get hopelessly lost, though another person in the car is nice. I went the same way home, and took 412 and shaved a good 10 minutes off the trip. I will do this walk again.

volkssport group walk—bethlehem south

Yesterday I received an email from Angel "You have busy ... no walking blog."

Sadly that was not the case. No walking. Monday I squeezed in a walk around the block. Up to Wyandotte, down and up to Jeter Avenue, then down and up home. It felt good. Aerobic, but short. The plan was to at least do that each day. But it didn't happen.

Even yesterday when I had much more time I ended up doing errands with the roomie. With me, if I don't do it first thing, or I don't have firm plans with someone, I don't do it. Time gets away from me.

Today was the Bethlehem-South volkssport walk. We started with 12 walkers and ended with 15. Not a bad turnout for a holiday weekend. I led the walk because I wrote it.

It begins at the Comfort Suites, goes thru Lehigh and down the Greenway. Then around the casino, and to Artsquest. This time it included a trip to the trestle. That was a great addition.

We all walked up the back stairs, so we really were not off course.

Darrell dropped the tween off with me at the hotel, and left Angel on a bench at ArtsQuest. When we reached the casino, we called her and she met us on the trestle. She did the half mile out and back. Then we deposited her back on the bench and picked her up when we were done.

I had forgotten how much work it takes to keep a big group together.  I put the tween in charge of watching for stragglers.

It was nice walking with a group. Which makes sense because that's why I joined the club.

Haven't figured out plans for tomorrow. Monday, I might do the Morrisville walk. Bonnie and I talked about it since we wouldn't be doing the ugly sock race.  But she's been sick. I doubt if she will still want to go. It's a border crossing event and goes into Trenton and back. It also uses a section of the D&L that I've never been on. I'm guessing it takes and hour and half to get there. 611 is a straight shot—with lights—which would be nice if Angel's family could go, but she has to work. So I guess I'll go down the turnpike. The only question is if I want to go alone. We'll see

(Angel took the HMT pixs. The tween took the others.)