the easton volkksport walk.

Today Angel, Darrell and the tween and I walked the 5K route of the Easton Volkssport walk. It was 4.25 miles. Just a little over. Okay, a lot.

We begin at the Forks of the Delaware State Park and headed into town. The Larry Holmes statue has been placed in Scott Park. Clearly the sculpture was not using reference photos. It looks nothing like Larry!

Then it was over the free bridge, thru Phillipsburg, and back the toll bridge. Out Spring Garden to Third, and to the Lafayette Arch. Out Bushkill Drive. It's a one-way street. The way we were walking. And some nim-nut in a blue Mini was coming toward us. The guy walking the dog was none to pleased. Some lady came out of her house and took pixs!

At the corner, we headed left and crossed the bridge and went out Pearl Street. Which is Rt. 248. Then up Locust to Northampton. Left on Northampton, around the circle, down 2nd and back Ferry.  Then down 4th and back to the park.

I saw this Scooter Parking sign on Northampton. First one I've ever seen. Yes, I get easily distracted. And the tween is almost as good at distracting me as Lydia.

It was a good walk. But too long for the volkssport event.

So we drove to P'burg for gas —$1.49— and back out Bushkill Drive and down Fourth. It didn't look too skanky, so I think I'll be changing the directions and have the people go that way. Since we are advertising a 5K.

this week was a bit better

Bonnie and I walked on Monday in Fountain Hill and Bethlehem. We left my house and headed up to St. Lukes, then headed out Brighton, down the bridge ramp and out 2nd. Then it was up Adams, back the Greenway and home.

Friday we walked  by her house, taking the Lehigh Street route that goes past the park. A few house were built during the winter.

We did the same walk on Saturday, but this time had her grandson. He was loving it the first half. Puppies and yards and people all to look and point at. He cried ALL the way back. We think he was cold, but he refused to put the blanket on. He wanted Gigi to carry him. Not happening. He kept trying to crawl out of the stroller. Gigi was being too nice. I stopped, turned him around and sat him down, and I said in my sternest voice that he could not climb. He listened. It helps when a stranger does the scolding.

 It was a busy day Saturday. First the walk. Then to take Sharon to Quakertown to get her shoes.When I returned home the mail had arrived and the water bill and one other letter from the city. Since the water bill had gone up, I assumed it was related. Wrong. The city has changed my street address. After 40 years I no longer live on south Bishopthorpe Street. Just plain old Bishopthorpe. They even changed the street signs!

It encouraged me to change it everywhere. I'm not sure where everywhere is, but I'm guessing it will take at least another four decades to do it. And at least that long not to say it.

Then it was time to cook for the shelter ladies. I had no control over the meal. A ziti casserole and a chicken casserole were donated. I just needed to bring something to go with. They suggested veggies. Someone else was bringing a salad and bread. 

Now I'm assuming they meant frozen veggies. Instead I spent an hour cleaning and cutting veggies, then roasting them for another hourish. I had three trays of broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, celery, carrots, portobella mushrooms, and peppers. There was barely a quart zipper bag leftover.

Then someone else made jello for dessert. Red. With fruit cocktail. And Reddi Whip. The 60-year-old me was shouting no-no-no. It's not food. The 10-year-old inside was shouting yes-yes-yes. The 10 year old won. Really, Jello every forty years ain't gonna kill you. It was sooo good. Icy cold. Did I mention canned fruit cocktail?

When I returned home, a message popped into my email that I earned the Great Wall of China badge. Kind of cool.

a walk to a different grocery store.

A year, maybe two, ago they demolished an old Latino supermarket and put in a brand new C-town. The old one was kind-of creepy, at least for me. The other market choice is Ahart's and it's closer to my house. It's kind-of creepy too. They haven't painted or replaced anything in 20 years. I have witnessed them clean the floors and they still look dirty. They are way overdue for a remodel.

Anyway, it's still nice out and I am determined to start walking every day again. So I decided to walk to C-town. I was in there once just to buy water, but I knew that they had a nice produce section. Plus Ahart's is barely a mile and half round trip.

I head out and decided to walk out Pawnee street, past mom's old house. I was actively looking at the houses still decorated for Christmas and I was going to take a pix and add a caption like "It's over. Take them down." when I saw this house.

Clearly they didn't want visitors. There were more signs. I was afraid if I stepped on the sidewalk I might get shot or something. Poor mailman.

 I arrived at 4th and went down the hill, then cut thru the CVS parking lot and went out Graham street. They are apparently demolishing a full city block.

I walked down the Greenway and down Fillmore to the store. I anticipated something like PriceRite. Nice produce and then aisles of things in cardboard boxes. I was wrong.

First thing I noticed was the "restaurant" like area with fresh to-go Latino food. It smelled good. They have a little counter in the window. Then the boxes of brightly colored fruit that I usually only see dried.  I am sure that my brother Dave will know and have tasted everyone of them. His son lives in Texas and I bet he's purchased his fair share of Latino veggies.

I encountered these pear shaped veggies in the first group. I've come to know them as chayote, but I didn't know then. Only 2/$1. Maybe. I could google it.

The next thing to catch my eye was this purple globe. I was trying to figure out what it was and a man asked if I knew. I didn't. He didn't. But we agreed at $6.99 it was not an impulse item. Then I asked him if he knew what the green pears were. He did. And he told me how to cook them. And how to pick them. And how to store them.

(Turns out these are pitaya, or pink dragon fruit.)

 I have no idea what this ugly beast is. Or the massive, size of my thigh, brown thing in the potato section. All the veggies I knew—like yucca—were labeled. Everything I didn't know, was not.

I ended up buying the chayote and broccoli. Then off to the meat department. If you are into unique cuts of meat they had it. Waste not, want not. As the saying goes. I saw a wide variety of organs, necks, feet, tails for pigs, fowl, and cows.   Did you know turkeys had a tail? I didn't. Yet alone that it was eatable. I can't tell you the last time I saw an oxtail in a store. Or a skirt steak. They even had goat.

Next was the dairy wall. I didn't really look, but the tortillas forced me to. The colors were vibrant. What kind of maize are they using? They did have that white yummy Mexican cheese. Tempted, but I didn't buy it.

I didn't even look at the grocery aisles.

I checked out, and headed down Third, then Broadway for home thinking it's been a long time since I had that much fun in a grocery store.

I made chicken with the chayote for dinner. It was really good. And the roomie ate it. And there was none left. Score one for me.

owl-less hike

Tonight was the owl hike as part of Get Out Lehigh Valley. It was held in Emmaus at the Poole Wildlife Sanctuary. This is the second of their events I've attended. Both had about 50 participants.

The last time we all went together. This time they split us into four groups and we did what Girl Scouts calls a round robin. I'm sure there is a different name, but that's the one I know.

I was in group B. Two groups started with hiking. B was one of them. It was still light. Now there is good news and bad news. Bad News: It was too light to see owls. It was late into dusk when we returned to the building. Good News: Having the advantage of daylight, or at least dusk, we could avoid massive puddles and soupy mud. We also found a tepee, the bee hives, and watched the sun disappear over the horizon

The full moon was out, and the frog pond still frozen. And when we returned to the building, there were banana boats waiting on the fire. What's a banana boat? Banana and chocolate grilled on an open fire in the skin and tinfoil. Now in Girl Scouts we added mini-marshmallows. I probably haven't had one in about 15 years. Megan was still in Rangers. We also had spiced hot cider.

Then we went inside and had a talk about the center and owls. Did you know the Poole family still lives on the property? I didn't. Or that Pennsylvania is down to 30 pairs of barn owls because of habitat loss? We also learned about seven other Pennsylvania owls, and met the barred owl pictured above. She was found as a baby by a family, and instead of calling a rescue facility or the game commission, they kept her as a pet. In a parrot cage. She grew. The cage didn't. Ultimately she was injured, and took her to the vet who turned them in. They were fined, and the owl had a wing amputated. She can't even live outside in the aviary. With only one wing she can't fly, hunt, warm or cool herself. She looks lonely. In the same way that Adonis always looks sad.

The hike was about 2 miles. Maybe a little bit more.

So far these hikes are 2 for 2. And free. I think I'll do more.

a walk on the hill

Today it's beautiful out. The weather people say it will be 60 by the end of the day.

It was still cold when Bonnie and I headed out this morning. But the sun was out. I've missed the sun. We headed up Bishopthorpe to the hospital. I am way out of shape. That little hill did me in. I said to Bonnie, let's go out Jeter, not as much hill. Wrong. The hills are shorter than Graham, but steeper.

We went out Jeter to Public, then up to Graham, and down Dotson. Then up Lechauweki to Church, then instead of going up at the school we decided to go down to Wiley. Haven't walked on that street in eons. Then Wiley ends. We have a choice to go down to Sioux or up to Moravia. Bonnie picks up. It was steep. We were puzzled. It was Fredrick's lower half. Shit.

Then down Moravia to Findlay and out Sioux and home.

All in all it was about 3.5 miles, and blew the dust off my laziness. Or maybe it was the sun that invigorated me. But I do not want to be inside working. I want to be outside.

I will be tonight for the Get Outside Lehigh Valley Owl Hike. Angel might even send me the tween over so I don't have to go alone. But can she be quiet for 2 hours. Now that will be interesting.

random act

The Country Run race is one I did last year. It was hokey but fun. Lots of stuff. Blue ribbons. Overall a great time.

About 10 days ago the registrations opened. I was thinking about it. It's only $10. Last year it was free.  I was busy. Lots of work to do. Put it on the to-do list.

Last Saturday, maybe, an email arrived from them. I was registered for the race. Lydia was the emergency contact. I text Lydia to thank her. She said it wasn't me. Then I asked Angel. Kids under 12 are free for this race. I thought she registered us and the tween. (Angel, register the tween. I'll take her with me. She'll like men on stilts.) Nope wasn't her either. So the next logical guess was Bonnie. Nope.

I was still puzzled, but swamped with work. I had one other possibility, but didn't follow thru.

Today, in the mail came this letter. Notice my addy is at both places. The handwriting is unfamiliar. The postmark generic. It is the receipt that was emailed to me.

The "other possibility" lives in Walnuport. That would have been a clue. Another possibility lives in west Allentown.

I am grateful. I am puzzled. Part of me really wants to know. The other part of me, thinks it's cool not knowing.

health care

Back in November, Bonnie helped me sign up for health care through one of my zillion employers. I was excited. It appeared inexpensive.

Well there is good news and bad news.

The bad news. It's not as inexpensive as we thought. We thought the deduction was per pay. It's actually per week. So 40% of that paycheck goes to healthcare. Yikes. Usually, I have two classes, so it's not so bad. This term, I only have one class. My pay check will be close to nothing. Oops.

The good news. It's so much better than the crap I had before. My co-pay at the doctor was only $25. My one RX is $135 I only had to pay $10. And my shingles shot was $59 instead of $255. Then in the mail I received a key fob for CVS. I get 20% off all CVS brand OTC meds and medical supplies. I always buy generics, so that works. I just need to go to CVS.

Plus I've picked up another class elsewhere. So I've made up the income.

The life of an adjunct. It will be okay. It always is.

another bad week of walking.

Did not walk much at all this week. It's disappointing. But tomorrow is another day.

the week began great. Bonnie and I did the South Bethlehem Volkssport walk. From the house to the casino and home is nearly a 5 mile walk. The week went downhill from there.

Monday I had a job interview at LCCC and I got the job. Just one class. But it's a start. Tuesday and Wednesday were art center / NCC days, and yesterday I walked to the dentist. Yeah, that exciting. I won't even get to walk Saturday since I'll be at NCC for an all day training. By Sunday and all these crazy deadlines should be over by Sunday. And I am walking. Come Hell or high water.

tail on the trail, south bethlehem

Today is the winter Tail on the Trail event in south Bethlehem. The location is listed as the Fowler Hispanic Youth Center at 4th and Filmore. (The old Windish club.) But that's just where registration, Zumba and hot chocolate is. The real event was on the Greenway. 

It was hard to know that from the FB posts. It read like everything was at the Center. Which might have contributed to the low turnout. The smallest I've ever seen. And it's a nice day. There might have been 20 people. And I'm being generous.

I walked down the Greenway to get there, and they were assembling at the corner. The walk leader was telling them it was 2 miles to the end of the trail. The trail, from end to end is just over 1.5 miles. They were headed toward the casnio, and even if they went all the way to the Lynn Street Bridge where it ends, they might get just over a mile.

Someone asked how far it went in the other direction. She said about 3/4 of a mile. It's five blocks. Clearly she didn't walk the trail before the event. She was afraid they wouldn't be back by 11 for Zumba. I'm thinking, no problem.

 

Next to the backside of Touchstone Theatre is the Lodge Café. It's like a luncheonette. The parking is in the lot of the other side of the Greenway, and you enter thru the garden. Clearly they don't do winter maintenance because this is the sign that was up. I never noticed there was paintings on the building walls back there. In spring I will need to investigate closely.

he didn't flip out.

Today was the big day. the dreaded doctor's appointment. I haven't been sleeping well. None of my plumbing was working right. I was a mess.

I got there and the lobby wasn't full of people. Hurrah.

My new insurance card worked and the co-pay was only $25. Super hurrah.

I took my blood pressure at home and it was normal. I got there and it was still normal. Touchdown!

And he barely mentioned my weight. He knows better.

After being with the intake nurse forever, he finally comes in. For a doctor he's nice. This is only the second time I've seen him. We had a talk about my BP meds. How, when I was first diagnosed with high BP they just kept throwing meds at it. And now it's okay. Is the disease gone? Hell no. I am my mother's daughter. But instead of the back hoe, can we use a trowel?

He agreed. Maybe I should start liking this guy.

Basically he cut the amount in half to 10 mg. But he wrote the script for 2, 5's a day. I take the 10 for three months and track my BP. If nothing changes—I have bench marks I have to stay under—I can go down to 5. Then we'll re-evaluate next year. And maybe reduce the second one too. And I so want to dump the useless water pill. One battle at a time Gayle.

I didn't have health insurance for 16 years. I got away without doing a lot of medical stuff. He called me on it. The Affordable Care Act pretty much took away my excuses. I left there with a referral for a gynecologist, mammogram, colonoscopy, blood work ... and shingles shot. (I asked for that. $250 if you are curious. But the only disease I remember form child hood is chicken pox. It ain't a pretty memory. And those commercials about shingles arn't pretty either.) Now, even after only meeting him twice he knows I will not do ALL that. I promised that I would do at least one before I go back. Bonnie says I should live on the wild side and do two.

Who knows. Maybe I'll do them all the same day and shock him. But I doubt it.

Whatever happens, it won't happen until summer break.

Image from Freepik

so far this week.

Sunday I took Lydia and Adonis home. Things, I'm hoping will get back to normal. Though any walking I did was minimal....again. So much to catch up on.

Monday Bonnie and I walked in her neighborhood before I had to leave for work. We took the easy route out Lehigh Street to the Daisy Hill and back.  Navigating black ice was pretty easy, it didn't get real cold over night. But at one point, near the park, I hit some, and did a spectacular split. Thankfully I could grab Bonnie's good arm.

The snow plow came. Finally. Why? I have no idea. The neighbors dug out the street, mostly. Mother Nature was doing her part.

I received an email from LCCC. They have a course open. Was I interested. They'd send info. I was.

Tuesday, Bonnie I walked in her neighborhood again. this time we did the hills. A lot of black ice because the temps dropped so much after dark. It was too early for the thaw. Some corners were tricky, but for the most part, it was not an issue.

Upon opening my email, there was a packet of about 10 forms to fill out for employment at LCCC? I didn't have an interview yet. I needed to have a background check. This included listing everyone who has lived in my house since 1975. And there current ages. Dead was not an option. I left them blank. (FYI-Mom, Dad, Henry, Rae, Sharon, Pat and Glenn.) I need to get fingerprinted too!

Today's email brought the interview request.

I didn't walk. It was pouring before work. I don't move at the art center. It's going to be a bad exercise day.

Tomorrow I have to see the doctor. Dreading it. I hate doctors. I hate the smell of doctors offices. I hate the cold, impersonal staff and decor. I'd rather clean a toilet with bare hands than go to the doctor. It is my personal hell on earth. In preparation I weighed myself. I have gained back ALL the weight I've lost over the last 5-7 years in about 18 months. That will go over like a lead balloon. The odd thing is my new smaller clothes still fit. Tightly, but they fit. I can wear them comfortably. I also never had the blood work done. He'll be pissed about that too. Probably give me another RX that I'll leave expire.

Wait till he hears I want to cut my BP medicine. He'll flip.