the end

No not the end of walking. Or even the blog. Just Aqua Zumba.

Last night I went to Aqua Zumba at the Lopat pool with Bethy and her friends. There classes run until Thursday and then they close for the season. It was the place I started this Aqua Zumba adventure this summer, so it was fitting that it would end there. It was nice to be with people I knew, but the reality is it's just too far of a drive.

Everything about this class was different. First of all there was maybe 25 people there. The last couple times in Hellertown there's been two or three. All the music was in English. I only recognized "Proud Mary" and the one by Pitbull. But I at least could understand what they were saying. That is not the case at the Hellertown pool where all the music is Latin.

For one song they even threw beach balls in the pool and we had to keep it off our side of the line. Kind-of like tug-of-war, with water and balls. I think our side won. We were pretty aggressive. That's probably why my arms hurt today.

We finished as it was getting dark. This class runs from 7-8. Only one lifeguard. We were the only people in the pool. It closed for regular customers at 6. The flag was even down.

On a positive note, the Hellertown instructor is looking for a "non-member" place to hold inside classes. Perhaps the high school pool. (At Liberty we threw someone in to break the scum. Ick.) Maybe, if it happens, I'll check it out. If not, there is always next summer.

Bathrooms:             didn't use

Weather:                 90 at 6:30 when I left, sunny, humid as hell

Extra:                      The lifeguard didn't dance. He needs lessons from the people in Hellertown. Actually, he looked bored to tears.

little walker

Yesterday Bonnie called and said her grandson wanted to go for a walk with me today. I said okay. She suggested walking up to the Fountain Hill playground.

Megan dropped them off about 9:30 and away we went. The child thought we were just going for a walk. The plan was out Broadway and back Delaware, but the 4-year-old had different ideas. First he'd run to the corner and then wait for us to get there. Then he'd run again. He didn't "walk" with us. So we wove our way to the playground. He made all the decisions. He had to hold Gigi's hand crossing Broadway and Delaware.

He ran ahead on Bergen street and stopped dead before the stop sign, turned around and pointed. "Gigi, can we stop THERE for a couple of minutes." Bonnie said, of course. It was all part of the plan.

He tried EVERYTHING. I even held his feet so he could do the monkey bars. He had run over to the swings when I noticed that the Zombie Rapid Response car was parked there. I've been trying to get a picture of it for weeks. It's a beat up old Dodge. I'm guessing early 60s cop car because of the wings.

The alarm on my phone had gone off. We had been there a half hour. The child loves cars. I asked him if he wanted to see a really cool car. He did. We were out of the playground.

We came back Delaware Avenue. Twice people stopped cars for us to cross. He thought that was cool. Coming down Bishopthorpe we saw the house above. Last time I walked past it the side wall was bowed. Now it's totally gone.

When we returned to my house, he left the dog out on the porch without his leash. "He wanted to go out". Thankfully I was able to get him hooked up before any other animal walked past. While we waited for Mommy to come back, the child asked for the cars. We went to get them and he used the dog as a freeway. The dog didn't mind.

Miles/Steps:            2+ I'm guessing because I lost my fit bit.
Bathrooms:              closed

Weather:                  high 70s, sunny

Wildlife:                   Squirrels and a nest. It was his nature highlight

golv: bike and boat and splash

I signed up for the Get Out Lehigh Valley event today. Usually they are free. This one was $5 or $6. It was a bike and boat. They provide bikes, helmets, and 2-people canoes.

As I was packing my lunch, my sister asked where I was walking that I needed lunch. I explained today's events. She said "Why the hell would you want to do that. You can't canoe." The bad karma had been left loose. There was no putting the genie back in the bottle.

I arrived at Sand Island to a road block for a 5K and had to park on Lehigh Street and walk in. I hiked in, then registered and then remembered I left the hat, sunscreen and sunglasses in the car. I asked how soon we'd be leaving and I hiked back to the car. By this time the 5K was over, so I was able to drive back and park in the lot on the west side of Fritch Fuel. That's where the boat dock is.

I was given a bike and a helmet and as I sat on it I wondered how long it had been since I was on a bike. Angel, the teen and I used to go on occasion but bike riding is no longer cool in the teens universe. She figured out it was exercise.

I was wobbly at first and riding like I had a bunch of mimosas for breakfast.  Eventually I straightened out. I never really rode in a straight line. I can do this. It's only 4.5 miles. And I did. I was dead last but I finished. Actually not true. The "sweep" was behind me.

I had a death grip on the handle bars the whole time. My fingers actually hurt.

We arrived at the boat house in Canal Park and parked our bikes (top). My vagina hurt and my legs were jello. We gathered into a group and the boat group leader -- Spirit -- gave us the news that  "because of the river condition after all this rain, we will not be paddling in the Lehigh River. Instead, this Saturday, we will paddle in canoes in the canal." and bike back. WTF? That's another 4.5 miles. And really, does anyone really want to go IN the canal?

We get out life vest, and safety talk. Then some basic strokes and instructions on how to get in the canoe. Since I was "single" I was pared with another novice single. I was really hoping for someone with experience. She wanted to wait till last. We decided I was the back of the canoe so I was to get in first. But as we all know my legs don't work right. Balance is a serious issue. I get one foot in the boat and I flipped it over and end up in the gross and stinky canal with my water bottle and my phone in a zipper bag. Spirit grabbed my stuff and I pulled myself out.

I was pissed. Not because I was wet because my sister's bad karma jinxed me. Instead of entering the water from the boat house, we loaded on the canal bank.

We paddled on the canal for about an hour. We hit the right bank once. And the left bank when we were turning around. We missed lots of hazards in the water. And we successfully pulled into the boat house. Last, of course.

Spirit returned my phone, but not my bottle of water. I wasn't going to drink it after it was in the canal. I went and got another. I didn't even bother going to the picnic area to eat. I just stayed at the boat house.

Then rode the 4.5 miles back to Sand Island. I was able to get off the back. My knees are still screaming. As are my hips. (Is that where your legs join your toros?)

I thought I always looked nice in this athletic dress. Pictures don't lie. I look like shit in it.



52-hike challenge:   40/52
Miles/Steps:            9 bike, 2 canoe

Weather:                 mid-80s, sunny

Wildlife:                   tiger swallowtail butterfly, blue heron, turtles. I found our that most of the turtles in the canal are an invasive species called a red eared slider turtles. Apparently people buy them as pets and when they don't want them, release them into the canal. They multiply like bunnies. There are also regular turtles and snappers.

Extra:                      I came home and took a shower. The 4:00 pj party was moved to 2:45! I still smelled like the creek and had to clean the tub.

last night in hellertown

Last night was the last Aqua Zumba in Hellertown. Best part? It was free. She just yelled out to everyone in the pool to come on over. Why? Because only two of us showed up. If she was going to sweat, she was going to have a group.

And it was a big one. Give something to people free and they will come. We even had about a dozen pre-teens and tweens. We had to move down in the pool so the water was chest high on them. So we were certainly more spread out then usual. And we also had two guys!

I'll miss this wet exercise. I doubt if I lost any weight or even inches, but it was physically a cool exercise in all the heat we were having. It would cool down my body temperature significantly each time.

Now if it would have just stopped raining ...

another lonely fitcamp

When I arrived at Fitcamp I was the only one there. Even the coaches hadn't gotten there yet. And it looked like it was going to pour any second. Coach Suki arrived next and said "where is everyone?"

In the course of the next few minutes Coach Tiffany arrived and a couple more Herbalife dealers. It had started to drizzle, but I went out to do the "loop" anyway. They were deciding if they should hold camp or not. By the time I returned, it was raining. But not hard. (Apparently in south Bethlehem it was a downpour ... again. Our rain totals for August are at +11 over normal. That a lot of water!.)

They all decided they were there and they were going to do this thing. It was a tough workout. Lots of ab work. At 6:30 (it begins at 6) another participant arrived. She does this pretty regularly. It's over about 6:45 if you don't count the final "loop". Why come for 15 minutes?

It was a cool evening, so I was not drenched ... thank goodness. But it did feel good to get in the car with the AC on high!

finally ...

The heat wave broke. It's drizzling and misting. I didn't care. I was going out walking. After all the heat and humidity it would feel great. And it did.

I chose the Karl Stiner Art Trail in Easton. They just installed new art, including 1.5 miles of colored textile panels from by Rachel Hayes of Oklahoma. It will hang for about a year before it's repurposed into bags for homeless people to carry their stuff.

Also new on the trail is a piece by Quakertown artist, Steve Tobin.

And a bit of yarn bombing. Which is kind of funny because I was thinking someone should yarn bomb some of these fences.

Speaking of fences, there are little tabs of silver foil and bits of plastic and glass on one fence. At first I thought they did that silly locks of love thing that is all the rage. Then, upon further inspection, I discovered they were not locks at all. Just bits of tin. They are part of "The World Awareness Project: Fences" with Lafayette College.  High School students in Easton and P'burg were asked "What is the one thing the world needs now" (Dionne Warwick would have said "love, sweet love.) The answer is on these 3K little tin tabs. They are hung in a quasi scalloped pattern on the fence. Which goes on for quite a while.

I guess I never really noticed that there was a nature trail. I only found it because there was a triangle of colored fabric in that direction. I followed it and found more of the textile art.

This is an out and back trail, so coming back the textile art looked a lot different. But then, I guess that's the point. Some of the items on the nature trail could be seen from the main trail.

I think everyone is stir crazy being in the house. The trail was busy.

Miles/Steps:   3. I just realized that I lost my FitBit.

Weather:        73, overcast and drizzle

Wildlife:         1 cardinal. It was drizzling. i was almost back when I started to hear wildlife

Bathroom:      P-3.5

$ Found:        2 pennies

Extra:             There is now a port-o-potty in the parking lot. Maybe it is for the construction next door. But it's tipping. Put my bulk in there and suddenly I'd be falling and laying in shit. Wawa is a better choice.

4 o'clock pajama parties

Back when I was in my twenties I worked with a girl named Karen. We became fast friends. As part of our jobs at a theatrical publishing company we went to a lot of shows, dinners, parties, films, ect. off-hours. Frequently free. The kind of stuff that really didn't really seem like work.

One day it was her turn to drive.  She arrived at my house late afternoon, maybe 4:00. My sisters were home from work and wearing those cotton snap-up housecoats. Mrs. Gallagher next door would be out on her porch wearing one.  And someone across the street too. Karen said to me "Everyone in the neighborhood is wearing pajamas. Why?" I told her yep, every night, and I didn't know why. It's like they come home from work, remove their work clothes and put on their pjs.

"Do you do that?"

No. Hell will have to freeze over first.

Sadly I can't call her tell her it Hell has frozen over.

I live in a pajama loving house. Lydia wears hers a lot. She pretty much doesn't dress unless she's leaving the house. She waits till an hour before she leaves to dress in the morning, and comes home from work and puts the pjs back on. She walks the dog in them. She cleans in them. She does everything in them. One day she wore them to Ahart's.

My sister still puts hers on at 3. Sometimes earlier. And I swear my other sister's "sundress" is one. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck. It's a duck.

The tug to follow suite is great. It looks so comfy. Especially this summer with the heat and sweat and humidity.

I haven't worked all summer, except online. The temptation is great. I believe I have one foot in the pj party. I didn't mean to. It just kind of happened. Like when I ripped up my legs in Jim Thorpe. I came home, showered, cleaned up my wounds and it was 3 o'clock. Is it too early for pjs? I wasn't going anywhere. It was hot. Pjs are cooler. Pjs won.

When I come home from a walking road trip at 3 in the afternoon and head up to shower. Is it to early for pjs? Or after a long day of yard work, an early shower and pjs often win.

But I really noticed it last week when we were walking to Musikfest in the heat of the afternoon. I'd walk home, take a shower, and put on my pjs. What makes it even worse is I really, really want to.

Hopefully all this nonsense will be over now that the long summer break is over. Working till 9 pm cuts that whole early pj thing to rest.

lost week

The summer is flying by. I started out so well and it has just fizzled. All the heat, humidity, rain and flooding have zapped the energy out of me. But there's always Fit Camp and Aqua Zumba to fall back on. Well, not this week.

Fit Camp this week was canceled for a carnival at the park. I couldn't have gone anyway. I had a faculty meeting that lasted three hours.

Yesterday it was hot, humid and sunny. Aqua Zumba was on. I changed at 5:15, left at 5:30 and arrived in Hellertown to a chorus of ... you guessed it ... thunder. It always rains on a Friday night. Pool closed. No Aqua Zumba. I think there is only one week left since school begins in a week. {confirmed}

I was there and not ready to go home. It was really humid. The sky was going to open any second. But I headed into the park next to the pool to check out the fountain (top) and too see how high the creek was. It was pretty high. By 6:15 when I returned to the car the sky ripped open and the rain came down. The storm fizzled. It never happened till at least 8.

I've gotten a few small walks in around the block and to the store. And I mowed the lawn on Thursday, the only day it did not rain. I did it a maybe nine am and I cam into the house looking and feeling like I did laps in a pool. My tolerance for humidity this year is very low.

This morning I had to go to the north side to create a possible rework of the Bethlehem North volkssport walk for a new "special program" on Little Free Library boxes. It was only 79 degrees, but the humidity is 75%. You can cut the air with a knife.

Tomorrow I'm headed out early for the Karl Stirner Arts trail. New art has been installed -- including textiles -- and the silk mill project is nearly done. Hopefully I can get some decent miles in before humidity turns to rain.

Miles/Steps:       1 today

Weather:            79, humid

Extra:                 On Fridays a boy's football team practices on one of the fields across the street from the pool. When that clap of thunder hit, they were all scooted to the picnic pavilion. It was crammed with players, parents, coaches, and siblings. I think the gear was under there as well.

no walks today ...

Okay, maybe I'll do a Leslie tape. But I doubt it.

It has been crazy raining today. Everything is flooded, again,  including the King of Prussa Mall.  Flash flood warnings until midnight.

Today there was a lull in the rain at lunchtime, and I released water from my rain barrel. And then there was more downpours. So now it's overflowing again. I'd love to use the water -- that is the point isn't it -- but with all the rain we've had in August, I don't need to use it.

I need to add an overflow valve.

And build an ark.

more mosquitos than south carolina

This evening Angels family and I went to Louise Moore Park to walk and play on the equipment.

My roommate had Musikfest polkas on television and I was falling asleep. I almost forgot to leave.

We met at 6:00 and headed toward the fitness trail. There is two sets of equipment. The old stuff which is pressure treated wood, and the new stuff that is metal. We all seem to like the old stuff better. Expect as I was crossing over the wooden wall I thought about the splinters I could get at unpleasant places.

As everyone was looking toward the next obstacle I headed toward the Nature Path. Angel followed me.  I decided against it because of mosquitos. You could see them swarming. We've had so much rain lately and everything is so wet. There were flash floods twice this week.

Once we got further into the park avoiding mosquitos was impossible. I felt like I was back in South Carolina. Especially when Darrell and the teen had a sit-up-off  competition (Darrell won.) I think every gnat and mosquito in the park was there. We stopped doing the exercise stations and headed back to the car.

Earlier today I walked down to Aharts so I got the extra walking in.

Miles/Steps:       1.5 + 1.5 + 3

Weather:            high 70s, but humid

Bathrooms:        3.5+ Angel said they were very clean especially considering it was early evening on a Sunday.

Bite count:    Me-5, so far. Angel 3. And a mysterious bite on my arm that bled a lot. Once I cleaned the blood away, I can't see it. I'll watch for a bullseye. There's nothing in there.

401k day in Lansdale

Today I had multiple places I could walk/exercise. There was a Get Out Lehigh Valley walk in Slatington. Zumba at Musikfest. And the 401K Day volkssport walk in Lansdale. I chose Lansdale. I haven't done a group walk in volkssport group walk in awhile.

It rained all night. Sometimes hard. I was worried that Musikfest was going to get flooded again. I'm still worried. They had the crappiest weather this year. Both weekends were stormy and rainy. But I went anyway.

I decided to use 309 instead of the Turnpike. After vacation I received several love letters from states telling me I didn't pay my tolls. I called the EZPass center and they sent me a new box. But I'm scared to use it. Especially in Pennsylvania where they no longer say "Thank You" or give you the green light. Clearing up the love letters was expensive. The toll + fines up to $50.

Driving down 309 there is a small portion, a couple of miles, that is highway. The whole time I was driving it was drizzle or light rain. I hit that section and it came down in sheets. I couldn't see the front of my car yet alone the car in front of me, and people were merging in. It felt like three hours. It was probably five minutes. I couldn't look behind, or at my speedometer. I had a death grip on the wheel. And then it was over and the sun came out and the humidity came back.

When I arrived in Lansdale at the Y nobody else was there. I was ten minutes early. I waited till 12 after. Nobody came. They probably all turned around in the downpour and went home.

I drove 45 minutes to walk alone. I was going to get back in the car and do the same thing. But then I told myself I was a butt-head. You drove 45 minutes. Walk, dammit. So I did. I even walked around the farmer's market.

The walk is nice. A little town, a little woods. Got to love a park who's sign doubles as a trail map.

Some boardwalks over the marshes.

A pond and some sculpture.

An abandoned train station.

Lots of railroad tracks. There must be four lines that cross thru this town.

And cannons. Because no volkssport walk in Pennsylvania is complete without a cannon.

And memorials. Always memorials.

Guess I should have went to Slatington. Oh well.

52-hike challenge:   39/52

Miles/Steps:   4

Weather:       low 80s, bright and sunny while walking, 75% humidity

Wildlife:         4 doe (3 then 1), heard a frog in the pond, and a meadow with lots of butterflies. There were several large orange ones, maybe monarchs, and a few smaller--maybe half the size--brown ones with white spots. I was about to take a picture of them feeding at this all-you-can-eat-buffet and a dumb-ass with a loud radio tramped past and they all flew away.

Extra:             This week, including today, I have not put on my sneakers. Today I actually wore flip flops and threw my sneaks back in the car. The Musikfest Days, the morning walks, I wore my Birks.

morning walk

It was cooler this morning at 7 am. Maybe 66 degrees or so. And the sun wasn't totally up so it was mostly shady. I took a quick walk around the block. I went up to Sioux, out to Wyandotte, down Wyandotte, and back home Broadway.

Not much, but I put another two miles in doing Aqua Zumba. I actually checked the steps before we started and when we ended.  Then I walked over to the slide. I was going to go down before the whistle blew. I chickened out. It was 11 feet of water and I've always been a non-swimmer that could float and maybe doggie paddle. All those years of swim lessons at Ft. Hill pool didn't stick. I'm even worse now than I was then. Maybe it's time to give swim lessons another shot.

Storms rolled in during the night to break the heatwave. The next one arrives Monday. Can't wait.

Miles/Steps:   1+ walk, 2 water
Weather:        66s, sunny, not humid ... yet

musikfest, day 4: children at play

Thursday we tried Musikfest again. The heat had subsided a little and there was a breeze. We parked at a meter and headed toward the festival down Market Street. It was pretty shady but I made a decision there and then not to go back the same way. I was not doing the Market Street hill in this weather.

We walked down the path behind the blacksmith and entered Handwerkplatz. This is the area where all the crafters are, lots of artsy stuff, and some rides for little people.  Our first stop was the Kaleidoscope Mediation Chair made by the glass artisans. I was shocked I could get in and out of it. Those are all individual pieces and will be distributed after the festival.

Then we poked our noses into the kids craft area. There is where we found this Mona Lisa cut out. The flying bananas amuse me.

While there, we also had hair wraps put in our hair. We just reverted to being 12.

If you remember, the other day we couldn't get into Architects of Air, it was too hot in there. They actually didn't open Monday until nearly five.

Thursday it was open, but they warned up front it was warm in there. The four air conditioners just couldn't keep up with the mid-day heat. Because of it they were charging buy one get one free. Yeah, I love a bargain, but that left me with MF tickets to spend, since we had bought them in advance the other day. 

You have to leave your shoes outside.

It was warm in there and my headache intensified. I kept seeking out the a/c vents for breaks. I know where everyone was. 

It's spectacular in there. It basically is a giant balloon, zipped together in pieces. The rubber is pliable enough that you can walk, sit and lay on it. You can even bump into it. You just can't bounce. All the light is created by the sun. There is no electricity. The yellow down right hurt my eyes. It was like looking at the sun.

Maybe because of how light is reflected in there, the pictures I was taking looked weird. The colors were wrong. The density was off. I finally stopped taking them. But when I arrived home they were perfect.

At some point I lost Lydia. The heat was really getting to me. I really don't know why. I've been in the heat all summer. I left. When I arrived outside I sent her a text that I was outside, and if she didn't see me check the port-o-potties. I was barely done typing when she came out. She said she would have spent another hour if it weren't so hot. They actually said we could cool off and go back in, but we declined.

We walked back to the car through the Central Moravian Church grounds. Lots of steps, lots of shade, but no real hill. When we ran out of shade, we moved into God's Acre Hill Cemetery. And walked those paths in the shade. Ultimately arriving back at the car. Leaving a few minutes on the meter for the next person.

Miles/Steps:   2.5 miles. I say this because that's been our average MF walk. I never checked my FB

Weather:        90, humid, bright and sunny
Bathrooms:    L-4.5. It was very early in the day. They were just cleaned
Extras:           There were non-MF singers on the Lehigh Street hill near the stairs. There was a quartet with strings in the "pee" tunnel.

fit camp

I didn't walk on Tuesday or Wednesday. It was too hot and humid, especially to go to Musikfest in the afternoon. I didn't even put my FitBit on Tuesday. It was that hot.

I've had a heat related headache for days. (I think it's heat related because when I go somewhere — like the car — with AC, it vanishes.)

By Wednesday afternoon there was a breeze. I think the wave was supposed to break so I went to Fit Camp. At least I'd get a little exercise and a mile walk in. I arrived right at six and I was the only one. I said to coach Suki that I'd leave. She said no. She hadn't worked out either because of the heat, so it was the two of us.

I headed out for my mile loop. When I returned more people had arrive. In all, there might have been eight. Coach Suki's girls stayed with us in the pavilion and played with toys. You know it's hot when it's too hot to use the playground.

The pavilion was buggy so we moved outside into the sun. We did lunge walks for about 25 feet, five squats, and then lunge walked back.

I was drenched at the end. It was all leg work and walking back to my car I felt like jello legs. (My knees hated me in the morning.) But I wasn't nearly as wet as Coach Suki. She looked like she came out of the pool.

Miles/Steps:   1.
Weather:        low 90s, very humid, bright and sunny
Wildlife:         4 lantern flies which I killed. Ooops the article said I was supposed to report them. 1 doe.

aqua zumba, monday night edition

It's hotter than Hell outside, and probably hotter in my house. My sister even took her blankie off. Because Musikfest walks have to be mid-day, we were drenched when we came home. I suggested Aqua Zumba to get cooled off.

I made dinner early and we headed to Hellertown pool. This class was much different than other classes I've attended. Lots of small movements, lots of hips. The instructor was of Indian descent and she swapped out the Latin music at one point and swapped in Bollywood. Even smaller movements and fast.

I don't think I liked the class. But honestly, it was an hour in cold water and I'm sure I burned a couple of calories. We stayed in the pool until they blew the whistle to get out.

Would I go again? Maybe. If it was hot enough.

Miles/Steps:   2.8 miles. I thought it would be under 2.
Weather:        99s, very humid, bright and sunny
Wildlife:         Coming home 1 doe and 2 fawns at one spot. And 2 doe at another

musikfest, day 3: multiple disappointments

 Today Lydia and I planned to walk to Musikfest to see Architects of Air. It opened at one. She carried her SLR camera and her photo ball. We used the camera a bit, but not really the ball.

We entered Musikfest on Main Street by the Brew Works (Orr's) and headed down Main. Main street had about 50% less vendors. It's not surprising. It was a Monday. We turned at the Hotel and walked the path to Volksplatz. We could see how high the creek still is, and the Kaleidoscope Meditation Chair (detail above) sitting on the lawn. We followed the ramp down to Volksplatz and walked around. In the tent was a dance school dancing. The music was the Can-Can. The kids were tweens. Hopefully they didn't understand what they were dancing.

Then we walked thru Handwerkplatz. Some crafters weren't open. When we arrived at the chair it was caution taped off. It was still very muddy and I'm guessing they didn't want people falling. First disappointment.

After exploring Fest Platz, and Plaza Tropical we headed to the Architects of air. It was 1:35. They weren't open. Apparently it was "too hot" inside to let people in. They had four A/C running and it wasn't cooling down. They were checking every 5 minutes. Come back in a half hour. We found a tree to sit under and waited about twenty minutes, and headed back over. The volunteer was in the process of telling that person an hour. Another person said five o'clock. This was not only disappointing, but stupid. I'm guessing someone turned it off last night, instead of turning it up. We're in the middle of a heat wave. In my opinion, "Off" was a really, really dumb idea. If they are trying to save energy I think it won't work because the A/C needs to work overtime to cool it off. 

We decided to work our way back to the car. Lydia has off Thursday. Maybe they'll figure it out by then.

Miles/Steps:   2.5 miles.
Weather:        low 90s, very humid, bright and sunny
Bathrooms:    L-4.5. It was very early in the day. They were just cleaned
Extras:           Couldn't find the "poetry man", but we did watch a busker with hula hoops.

musikfest, day 2: the humidity

The heat and humidity has returned. Musikfest and the rest of the valley is drying out. No more rain till Monday, or so they say.

I ended up not walking over the bridge. I needed to take Sharon home mid-afternoon, so I parked on New Street near Union Blvd., and walked from the north side. It changed up the Musikfest walk a little. Not knowing if it was still flooded, I headed down to Main Street and under the bridge. The road behind the blacksmith was closed, but you could see that the water had subsided. At the "pee" tunnel, you could again see how the water subsided, but also how high the creek still was. And it was moving fast.

Going down the hill to Festplatz they were handing out ice cream samples. I had salted caramel. It was a tablespoon of ice cream in a 3 oz. Dixie cup. It was cold and wet. Perfect for the heat. And I was hungry.

We didn't eat lunch because three grown women couldn't decided what they wanted. Okay, one couldn't. The other two got vetoed by the third. I left in frustration. If I eat at Musikfest, I eat at Volkssplatz where they have the ethnic foods. It wasn't open. (Rumor has it 5 pm. We'll see.) The only person I trust in Festplatz is Karl Ehmer, the sausage guy. He's been at the same spot for 35 years. Expensive but quality stuff.

I ended up with sauerkraut pirogies, krainerwurst (smoked sausage) a Yunegling's lager and polka music. If that doesn't say Festplatz, nothing does. I even sat in the polka tent to eat. I'm way to old to walk and eat. That whole balance thing.

When I headed back up to Main Street things were cooking. There was a decent band at the Hotel Bethlehem and at the Sun Inn. There were official and unofficial buskers. There was even a guy playing a bass in the "pee" tunnel.

I ate so much that even after walking thru the festival and back to the car, I'm stuffed.

I didn't think I walked enough but I was hot and sweaty. And shocked when I looked at my Fitbit.

Miles/Steps:   2.8 miles. I thought it would be under 2.
Weather:        low 90s, very humid, bright and sunny
Extras:           There was a guy writing poetry on Main Street. He had a line or I would have done it. Another day during the week I might stop. if he's there. He might have a day job and only busk on weekends.

musikfest, day 1: the great flood

It rained and stormed Friday night. And Saturday very early in the morning. I'm on a hill and thought my house might float away. It rained five inches in two hours at one point. The Lehigh Valley was flooded — roads, parks, amusement parks, pools — pretty much everything near water, including parts of Musikfest.

I was signed up for a 'make and take' workshop to create a glass wind chime. My walk was originally going to be downtown, around the festival, do my class and walk home. However, that was in an area that was flooded. (Historic area, craft area, and volksplatz if you are local.) I kept checking FB and my email. I have to tell you that with the devastation at the festival, the social media person should have been working their ass off posting pics and updates. Sure it's negative, but you can spin it positive by championing the volunteers and the vendors and everybody who was working. It's marking 101: Spin Control. But it wasn't meant to be. It was actually just one line under the announcement for that night's headline.

About 11 I received a call saying the class was moved to the Banana Factory. (They also sent an email.)  My walk wouldn't be quite as long.  I took a bag to carry it home, and they had tissue to wrap it in. It made it home safely.

Today I'm headed to the north side to check out what's happening. I'm not a fan of the south side Musikfest. Tomorrow, we are headed across the bridge again to go thru Architects of Air and maybe get to sit on the glass chair aka "Kaleidoscope Meditation Chamber" made by the hot glass shop.

Miles/Steps:   Maybe 1.5. No more than 2
Weather:        low 80s, very humid, it looked like it was going to pour
Extras:           They removed the checkerboards from the outside tables and replaced them with mosaics. The checkerboards had been long since picked clean.

three

The old-school trash can lids at Hellertown pool.

Friday night the skies looked menacing and I was sure Zumba would be cancelled. But it wasn't. I was the only one when I arrived at 5::50. I went to play in the sprinklers. By the time class started we had three people, and her daughter, but she still held class. Clearly she made no money.

This pool has six lifeguard platforms. All the female lifeguards were Zumba-ing on their platforms. I wished I had a video recorder. One male lifeguard also was grooving on his platform, at least for a little while. But her didn't stand.

I always feel like I'm not doing anything and then I wake up the next morning sore.

During the cool down it started to rain. We were almost near the end when a whistle blew to get out now. There was lightning somewhere.

It was a precursor for what would follow late at night and into the morning.

one is a lonely number

I'm quite a bit late posting this. I actually thought I've already done it. But alas, I didn't. I'm a bit of a scatterbrain lately. The heat and humidity are getting to me. My sister came from Kentucky for a visit. I'm preparing for the fall term.

And I launched a graphic design software tutoring website.

It's super basic, but I want it simple and vague. In December I received a call from M, my walking buddy on the 1-Day hike, and he was in distress. Someone dumped a Quark document on him that had to be updated with new scientific stats and turned in before January 1. I'm not sure what his job is. A biologic engineer or something. He's not a graphic designer. And I could help him. All it took was a 2-hour internet chat, and a followup with last minute details. He suggested I start advertising tutoring services. He found nothing like what he was looking for online.  So I repurposed a site from my classroom. Seemed appropriate.

Anyway, because of the heat and humidity I've been sticking to smaller walks only 1.5-2 miles in the hood. I come home looking like I went swimming I'm so wet.

Wednesday I went to Fit Camp. When I arrived one coach and her kids were there. Period. It was me and her. I took off to do my loop on the walking path and returned . Still just me. I thought she'd cancel. Nope it was me. One-on-one. Then another person came. Then another coach. And finally, at 6:30 the last person came. See, one is not a lonely number after all.

Today at 4 was yoga at Musikfest. I had planned on going, but had a training session online for my online job. Even so, I decided not to go at around noon, when the rain was coming down so hard you couldn't see. It's going to be muddy at MF.

Tonight is Aqua Zumba if the rain and the storms hold off. I'm not getting dressed till 5:30.