is she naked?

 Today was a three small walk day. First, I did the neighborhood loop with Pat at 7 am.

Then my niece has been in the hospital since last Sunday. She walked the four blocks to Arts Quest to see Top Gun reboot, and walking home was short of breath. Ultimately her husband called 911. She was in ICU for 4 days. Now that she's in a regular room, I walked up to St. Luke's to see her. Another short walk, but quicker without Pat.

I headed down Bishopthorpe street. I crossed the alley and was headed toward Itaska. On the next block a tall woman was standing on the sidewalk. She looked naked. I crossed Itaska and could clearly see she was wearing either a bra and panties or a swimsuit the exact color of her skin. I didn't think that was possible. As I got closer I realized there was a very tiny pattern. The man next to her was wearing a robe. I said hello and kept moving. I'm kind of judgemental. My mother raised me wrong. If your not at the water, put on a coverup. I don't leave the house in PJs yet alone my undies. NOBODY wants to see that.

That was pretty much the highlight of this walk.

Then I was looking at Instagram because FB is filled with the horrible news. Pennsylvania might be the next state to fall because the governors race has extremes. There moderates like me are gone.  The far right Republican candidate scare the bejesus out of me. Of all the Republicans running they picked him. Glad I'm not 18.

Anyway, they hold a farmer's market on the Greenway on Friday afternoons. I saw a post that LU arts was giving out art kits and the ingredients for a black bean and corn salsa. I parked at the Greenway and started walking till I found it.

EVERYTHING was in there, including a little deli container of spices. Plus a LU Arts tote, brochures in English and Spanish, a pencil, glue stick, colored tissue paper and a frame. You're supposed to shoot the QR code to get the instructions. It just took me to the event. Maybe tomorrow. What was interesting is that the date ran thru the end of July. Will they be there next week? I'll have to walk the Greenway and check. I love free food and free art supplies!

This week Pat and I did her half mile-ish loop in various formations. Yesterday since it was raining we walked in a store instead. Monday we did Milly. Wednesday I went to chair yoga and the senior citizens chair exercise class.

Miles/Steps:  I have no idea. Maybe 2+
Weather:       89, sunny, slightly humid
$ Found:       2 pennies
Surface:        concrete and macadam
SLF Killed:    They're back. Saw and attempted a kill on my first black nymph.

what's with the giant numbers?

 

The houses in my neighborhood are right on the sidewalk, with long skinny yards in the back. There is one odd-ball house that has a large side yard. One day Pat and I headed down Hellener Street and the fence now had foot tall numbers. The kind they use on medical complexes where every building is exactly the same, so you look toward the roof for the numbers. They are big because they need to be. These are certainly not residential numbers.(The graphic design geek in me needs to point out that these are modern sans serif numbers. My guess being Britannica.)

I thought the people were just weird. But now I'm not so sure. Today I walked up Bishopthorpe to Delaware. They renovated the old Democratic Club into apartments a couple years ago. And now there are giant numbers on it as well. (Geometric sans serif, probably Futura Condensed) I could see them a half block away! Plus they are out of center, unevenly spaced, and drives me nuts. I could never live there unless I fixed them. 

So what is with this trend? I'm guessing people weren't getting their Uber Eats and Amazon packages. It's honestly the only explanation. I wonder what the neighbors think? Pat said there is no way I was putting *ucking big numbers on our house. No worries there.

I was taking the scenic route to CVS. I swear I'm picking up drugs for somebody twice a week. Maybe more.

Near corner of Wyandotte and Third. The 57 refers to the Sayre Mansions on the two corners. Robert H Sayre's home is now a B&B, and his brother William's home is now a Chabad. At one time it was a funeral home.

 

I headed east on Delaware, down Third, and down Brodhead. Then I turned onto Broadway to go to CVS. Coming down Third it started to drizzle. I thought shit. It never fails. I'm at the half-way point and it starts to rain. Instead of going home I decided to wait out the rain at CVS. It never materialized.

To return home, I came out Broadway and did the alleys starting with Aunt Dorothy's alley (Jischke Street).

This morning at 6:30 am Pat and I did a round the block. Up Bishopthorpe, out Sioux, down Hellener, and back Itaska.

Yesterday at 6:15 am we went down the hill, out Itaska, up Fiot and back the alleys.

Miles/Steps:  2.7 including walk with Pat
Weather:       low 60s, overcast, windy and drizzle
PPE Found:   6 masks, 2 condoms, 1 glove
Surface:        concrete and macadam

the wednesday dash

 

Pat and I hit the streets at 6:30 am, again. This time we went down the hill, across Broadway, and up to Cherokee. I think she forgot it was an uphill after crossing Broadway, so she was beat when we arrived at Cherokee. We rested a minute and turned the corner and she realized how far away Clewell really was. I suggested cutting thru the parking lot, crossing the alley, and then crossing the Art Establishment's lot to Hellner Street.  We walked up Hellerner--another hill-- to Itaska. Then she decided not to go up to Sioux, we turned out Itaska to home. We were probably short of the half mile we did yesterday. Maybe .4 miles.

After breakfast I logged my Tail on the Trail miles. They include any kind of exercise so there's a chart that includes the activity and time done to count as a mile. I've used ellipitcal (for Sharon's Cubii), yoga, low impact fitness for chair exercise with Milly, hiking, snowshoeing, and rowing. 

At 10:30 I packed up and headed to Pam's for chair yoga. There's still a lot of construction on Broadway —and now Delaware—that their walkie talkies made me remember I forgot my phone. I generally text Pam when I arrive. Back home I went. But I still made it to Pam's on time.

I think we actually got to class early. She was still setting up. Only three of us today. Lot's of talking and we ended up starting ten minutes late. Actually, there was a lot of new stuff in class and there was overall a lot of talking. I should have taken a picture of the chairs. She strapped a block to the back of them so you couldn't sit back in the seat. With my sore torso, it freakin' hurt. We ended up going 10 minutes over, so we had the full hour class. But I don't think we did as much.

When I dropped Pam off it was 12:50. I was pretty sure I wouldn't make it to the senior high rise for the aerobic class. Pat expressed interest in coming along, but there was no time to pick her up. Maybe on a non-yoga day. Rte. 22 was fairly clear and I made it by 1:06. But I still had to deal with the meters and walk to the building from Union and Old York Road. I did not hustle. I hurt.

The door was open and the class had begun. It was 1:12. I waved at Sharon hiding in the corner and pulled up a chair. The therapist that runs the class is a beast. She has you do 30 of everything. In a row. One, two, ... thirty. No three sets of 10 or two sets of 15. Thirty. There were maybe eight old ladies there, including one in a wheelchair. A gentlemen came in after me. The therapist knew him because she teased him about always being late.  My workout there was about 20 minutes and then I had to hoof it back to the car. 

I guess that's enough exercise for the day.

twins are making mega progress

"This is beautiful. We should get some" says the plant grinch who hates lilies. I walked back down to take a picture of it after the sun came out.

My days as a caretaker are numbered. The twins are making mega progress. My days of being their Uber driver will never end.

Pat's walks are getting longer and longer. But we're running out of real estate in the neighborhood. The lack of good sidewalks and flat areas are hindering more progress. And she won't go somewhere to walk other than a store. Today we walked down to Canning Street (The alley above Broadway), thru the shopping center parking lot and back up Clewell. Which is a hill, but not steep until after Sioux. Then it was home via Sioux. I plotted a route and it was just over .4 miles. If we would have walked down Broadways she would have done a half-mile. She also started doing one-block and back walks alone.

Yesterday we were at Target at 9 am. I needed to pick up my RX. I went to the pharmacy and she took a tour of the new construction. Then I joined her and we went again. This time stopping in the sporting goods to look at weights. Sharon needs ankle weights for her rehab. Her rehab is going well. I'm sure they will release her from PT soon. One person in her building that she knows for 30 years told her yesterday that he's NEVER seen her walk so well. He apparently told the therapists this as well, they told her this morning.

Sunday, and then today, I stood with Sharon as she walked up the stair in front of her building like an adult. One foot per step. No two footing like a toddler. Her self confidence is going thru the roof. Now the big thing is to get her to trust just the cane. That Rollator is a crutch that has to go.

Monday Pat and I also did the Milly workout. It was all about arms and mine were aching when we were done. Sharon's building has a chair exercise class on Wednesday and I asked Sharon if she was going. She said yes. Then Pat gave me puppy dog eyes and said "me too?". I'd love for her to go. But unless she goes to yoga with me, I cannot take her. Yoga in west Allentown is over at 12:30 and exercise class is at 1 in downtown Bethlehem. There just isn't enough time to pick her up. Weeks I don't go to yoga I'll be more than happy to take her.

As for me, today was dermatologist. Thankfully she never asks about sunscreen because I spend a lot of time in the sun and always forget to apply. And if I do remember, I forget to reapply. 

Do you know that ugly mole on my chin —it's fine, just ugly—in two weeks it will be gone! She asked me if it bothered me because it's at such an odd spot. I said I generally scratch at it because I think it's dirt. Then she asked if I wanted it frozen and gone. I said yes. Dang did that hurt. Well hurt might be the wrong word. But I could feel it. Now it will scab and fall off in about two weeks. If it blisters, swells, or pusses I have to call. I need to go to Dollar Tree for Vaseline to put on it 3x a day I should have done that on my way home. Maybe tomorrow going to yoga I can stop.

Monday:
Miles/Steps:  2x around Target
Weather:       does it matter? It was air conditioned
PPE Found:   none
Surface:        vinyl flooring

Tuesday:
Miles/Steps:  .4+ miles
Weather:       overcast, mid 70s, humid
PPE Found:   1 glove, 3 masks, 1 sneaker
Surface:        concrete, macadam
$ found:        1 penny 

third day on the south side

 6:30 am and I'm out walking with Pat. This time we walked around two blocks. We went down the hill, west on Itaska, up Hellner and back Sioux.

It was lawn mowing day and I wasn't doing it. The woman next door volunteered her teens. I wasn't 100% sure it was going to happen. But it did. I have a new lawn person. Well I think I do. Let's see if they return in two weeks. I thought I'd head out for a quick walk before the kid came. I wasn't sure what time, but I figured there was no way a teenager would be up at 10 am in the morning. Boy was I wrong. I was headed out the door when they knocked.

After I got back yesterday I found out there was a new mural on the south side. Two blocks from where I stopped. So I decided to go back down to Fourth Street and the Greenway. There was a second image I was also looking to find. I couldn't remember where it was but I remember seeing it on Instagram early in Spring. It had something to do with veterans and old Puerto Rican vets.

 I took the car down to Webster and parked in front of the library. In the back seat I had a pile of books to put in a little free library. I grabbed them and headed down to the Greenway. When I reached the Greenway the new playground was on the left behind the old Holy Infancy School building (The school moved to Sts. Cyril and Methodius building. Bigger, more modern.). When I turned right I saw a small square table. Bazinga. I remembered. The article I saw with the old vets. It was a domino's table. I set my books down and took a picture.

 

They've also changed the art exhibit on the Greenway. It runs from New Street to the skateboard park, and there are images on both sides of the board.  It's organized by Lehigh's Art Galleries. I think this is the third show? Maybe the fourth. The first was black and white photos on democracy and that began during the Pandemic. These usually are up for several months. This one will be up thru December.

I headed east on the Greenway toward the LFL.  One reason I picked this LFL is that it gets used hard. Victory House shelter is in it's front yard. I opened the door and it looked empty. Well not quite. It had about five children's thin paperbacks and one well-read novel. The books removed from there are always well-read. (This detective novel was written in 1990 and featured far right extremist wanting to take down the government because it was too liberal. If it weren't that they had to go to phone booths to make calls I would have sworn it was written last week. I kept checking the copyright as I read it.) I took the novel, put the children's books on a neat pile and added my pile of books. I closed the door and headed down the Greenway still carrying a book.

 

When I reached Pierce I saw new construction. It was a Brewery—Country Club Brewing. The last time I walked this stretch of the Greenway with Lydia they were building it and we couldn't figure it out what it would be. There was no sign. I had totally forgotten about it until I saw the brand new building. I peaked in the window and really didn't see anything but tanks. There really doesn't look like there's room for much more than tastings. Certainly no room for retail. I continued on.

 

At Buchanan Street I turned south and headed to Fourth. I crossed Fourth and headed back toward the car. The mural was at the Hispanic Center.  They have been doing a lot of work there. I was surprised how much. There is now a beautiful patio. The mural was on the house next door.

I headed back to the car.

One thing I haven't mentioned is that it is mulberry season on the southside. We have a lot of mulberry trees. I slogged thru them Thursday, Friday, and again today. I'm sure the skunks are delighted. They eat the mulberries that have fermented in the sun all day and pretty much get drunk. That's where drunk as a skunk comes from. A week earlier I would have picked and eaten them.

Miles/Steps:  1 miles
Weather:       low 70s, overcast, breezy
PPE Found:   half dozen masks
Surface:        concrete, macadam

south side stroll

 

 It's a gorgeous day here in the Lehigh Valley. 

At 6:30 I was out taking a stroll with my sister. She can now walk around a complete block without stopping. She did hold on to me the last three or four houses. Not bad considering when she left rehab she stopped four times getting to the corner.

I needed to stop today at my nieces house. She lives down near Donegan on Fourth so I decided to walk on the Greenway. But in addition to picking stuff up, I needed to drop stuff off. Hmm. No parking areas for the Greenway near her house. I ended up parking near Fourth and Hayes an front of the old Catholic Church (now Life Church) and left the stuff in the car.  I proceeded east on Fourth.

I passed the old Hungarian church (above) next to St. Michael's cemetery.  They've ripped off all the extensions and are replacing it with brand new apartments. What I wonder is where people will park. There is already a parking shortage and adding new apartments ill not help.  I didn't see a parking area under the new structure.

I continued to Williams Street. The sidewalks on Fourth are just as bad as the ones by my house. I'm sure they would have been better on north side of the street, but there were no trees there. I wanted shade. I did trip once.

I turned north on Williams and then took Steel to the Skateboard Park and ultimately the Greenway. I walked back the Greenway to Hayes, then up Hayes. While I was waiting to cross the street I sent her my location and told her I was on foot. As I arrive she and the dogs came out. Perfect timing. Then I turned around and walked back down the hill to the car.

Miles/Steps:  1.5+ miles
Weather:       mid 70s, sunny, breezy
PPE Found:  half dozen masks
Surface:       concrete, macadam

 

I forgot to mention yesterday that my brother sent me a Facebook message about a walking group that is trying to form at his church. "... interested in getting a group of people together from our congregation and from other area Moravian churches to go out walking or hiking maybe two or three times this summer".  Suggesting parks, trails, and safe neighborhoods. And mall walking for when it's hot or pouring out.  I told him to pass my info along. He did. Y'all know I walk more and better when I have someone to walk with.

 

 

 

 

the crossing guards were gone

 

I make a lot of trips -- by foot or car -- to CVS picking up drugs for my two sisters. Auto refill is a real pain in the butt. Back in the day when you walked in you handed the person a bunch of empty bottles and they refilled them. They labels were an archeological dig if you started peeling them off. If one had a couple pills in you dumped it out until you got home. Those days are long gone. Between the two of them I think we get three calls a week! Sharon got another one yesterday so that determined my walk today. And don't even get me started on all those plastic bottles.

Before leaving the house I grabbed Sharon's Oxy to put in the return box. She just had knee replacement surgery and apparently the physician office had a mental block against the word no. (Actually I'm guessing there's no override on the computer.) We explained to them that she's in recovery (okay, it's 30 years, but still) and shouldn't have that shit in her house. I thought we were home-free when she was at the hospital she wore a "no opioid" bracelet. Of course when I picked up her post-surgery meds, the Oxy was in the bag. I should have checked before I left the store and refused it. It's been at my house since.

Anyway, I headed out and went down the hill and out Itaska. Midway thru the block the sidewalks get back and I walk in the street. I went to move out into the street and heard fast cars. I turned toward Fiot and looked and there was two cars barrelling down Itaska and the blew thru the stop sign. Before I knew it they were blowing thru the stop sign at Alaska. I stood there frozen, watching. As they approached Ontario there was someone stopped at the stop sign. They laid on the horns and tried to go around. I think I heard crunching metal but nobody stopped.

When I reached the five-points there was no crossing guard. Oh no. School is over. And worse, the construction has reached the five-points so the traffic patterns were messed up. I crossed and crossed again hoping to avoid the mess the rest of the way. And it was all fine until I had to return home.  

Thankfully I got the McDonald's light and I high tailed it across the street. 

Miles/Steps:  1.5 miles
Weather:       low 80s, partly cloudy, breezy
PPE Found:   a lot less now. Only 2 blue gloves and three masks. A pair of men's red tidy whities.
Surface:       concrete sidewalks

We didn't do Milly this week. I had a gig in Easton. I didn't do yoga either. Pam's father-in-law died.

athletic adventure--row, row, row your boat

 It's been at least two years since I've done an athletic adventure. Pandemics cut your opportunities.

I got the flyer about todays event thru my LCCC email. I think and signed right up. I invited Angel and her daughter to join me. Angel had to work, but the teen joined me. It was sponsored by Lehigh U rowing and the YWCA of Allentown and held at Bucky Boyle Park in Allentown. Where is that? The riverfront behind the ruins of the Neuweiler Brewery. It all used to be industry but that pretty much is all gone. Lot's of empty lots.

This was a way to try rowing as a sport, and maybe sign up for this summers camps. I was so certain I'd fall in the river I took a plastic bag to sit on.

The teen drove to my place and then we took my car to the event. We got there right as it opened. There was probably 30 people there already and they had us all in one group at the first station.  Meanwhile the second and third stations were bored to tears. I left the group and when back to the sign in table. Overstepping my bounds, I said to them my many years of Girl Scout events needs to tell you to break this group into two or three. Nothing happened ... then.

We stayed in one group and examined the racing shell. We learned the anatomy, how to attach the oars, and how to pick it up. We were about halfway thru and they took half the group to the ERG machines.

These are rowing machines that are used for training during the off-season. We stayed with the first group. Then we moved to the machines. We learned the sequence to row, and had a couple races. I was always the last one done. The teen fell in the middle. She would have done better if she wasn't sore from powerlifting yesterday.

The boathouse.

Then we moved to the water, sort of. We got into the boats. The teen was in the front of the 8-person boat. I was near the back. I quickly discovered that my lack of agility was going to be a hindrance. You held the oar with one hand and reached over to the far side and grabbed the edge. Then you put one foot in, on the tape. If you put it anywhere else you could break out the bottom of the boat. Then put the other foot in. 

 

But I got in. We then went thru the same movements we did on the machines. But we were teetered to the dock, so we reallh didn't go anywhere. In fact we had the blades of the oars flat so we didn't move. Disappointing.

 

But it was fun. If I had my 2010 knees and agility I might have signed up for the summer program.  

When we got back to my place, I picked up Pat and we headed to Sharons. Pat and Sharon were going to walk together. I would have loved to have seen that, but I was helping her client with her curtains. I planned it so that we could join the parade of residents getting in line for the ice cream truck. I shouldn't have had any. I really didn't burn off the calories. But I did anyway.

ouchie and a hidden jem

On April 20, I went to the doctor. I had sky high BP and the doctor prescribed Alompine. I resisted, but by the end of the month I began taking it. Two, maybe three weeks in my torso began to hurt. Especially my right side. It wasn't often. Kind of sporadic. I thought nothing of it.

Then, when Sharon came home from the hospital, I really strained to get her out of the wheelchair. My back hurt. I continued life as normal. Then I did two hikes that involved roots and rocks and one with serious uphills. I came home from the second one in pain. I thought I pulled a muscle. A couple days in I took two Aleve and the pain mostly went away. And every day it seemed to get better.

Last weekend when I walked in Quakertown I felt it afterwards. I didn't take anything and by yesterday I thought it was gone. I could go upstairs without pain and lay on both sides. Finally, I thought, it was going to be over.

At 3:30 am I woke up to use the bathroom. I rolled over and thought what the hell. My torso was screaming in pain. I got up, walked and stretched a bit and was tender but feeling better. I went back to bed. There was not a single comfortable position. I ended up walking downstairs and getting two Aleve. It worked. I fell asleep. But it was a repeat when I woke up. I could barely walk or dress without sitting pain. I decided it's time to think about calling the doctor.  I think it's that stupid drug I didn't want to take. I think it's fucking with my body and I have an unsinkable feeling that I'm going to end up in the hospital. Yuck. Visions of horrible illnesses are dancing in my head. Therefore I'll procrastinate more. I took two more Aleve and my blood pressure. It was low.

Pat and I went for a walk at 6:15. I made it back alive. The stairs out front were hard.

I had three walks to pick from today. Regardless of which walk I choose I was going to Pennsburg to the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center, They have a large collection of Pennsylvania German textiles, and were having a Dry Good Market. Antique dealers would be selling vintage textiles. My choices were a volkssport walk in Southampton, a Get Out for Wellness Walk in Green Lane, and the Montco Challenge kick-off walk in Norristown. They are all far away. Did I want to drive an hour plus, start to walk and not be able to move? No thanks. I decided to just go to the library.

Then I sat on the couch and fired up my laptop. Let's look at a map of Pennsburg and see what kind of parks they had. One option would have been the Perky, starting in Upper Perkiomen Park. But if I did that, then I might as well drive the extra 20 minutes to Green Lane.

I zoomed in on the map and there were a half dozen parks. Many no bigger than Fountain Hill park. But then I spotted the Pennsburg Nature Preserve. It said there were trails and parking. It was a mile from the library. A mile in the other direction was the East Greenville Nature Meadow. A plan was hatched. I'd explore the nature preserve in Pennsburg first, then go to the meadow, and end at the library.

I arrive at the Nature Preserve and there was no sign. Four parking spaces and a dog poop cleanup station. That's it. The trails were mowed into the area. It is an area between "town" and a housing development. It looks like they just left it grow and mow paths. They are fairly wide and were just done. But very wet and slippery. I was walking on low grass. There were also some wooded areas, and in fact, a entire tree line. I went thru one of the cuts in the tree line to a large lawn. After it was a big parking lot. I thought maybe I came in the "back" door. But no, there were no signs there either.

 

I did see a macadam path so I followed it over a bridge, which crossed a creek. It ended a a t. There were houses in front of me. I turned right and followed the path.

Then I saw a retention pond. Now I discovered last weekend in this area the developers know how to gussy up a retention pond. They look semi real with milk weed and other marsh plant. I knew I was in the development. I saw someone coming toward me and asked if this was the preserve or the development and he confirmed I was in the development. I turned around and retraced my steps to the treeline. Once I was back in the park, I took different paths to get to the car.

My second stop was the East Greenville Meadow. I ended up not walking here. I couldn't find where to park. Everywhere within a reasonable distance was "no parking". There was a small faded metal sign. It looked nothing like the pictures I saw online. I think there must have been another entrance, I just don't know where.

My final stop was at the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center. I walked around the heritage center first, but I didn't go to the barn. Another time. Then I went upstairs to the Dry Goods Market. Wow, there was some nice quilts, and samplers. Some vendors were selling bolts of fabric from different periods. Something they probably picked up at yard sales. I know my mom used to have a ton of polyester in the basement. There's cotton up in the attic. Nothing I'd call "vintage". Many of the samplers were stored improperly and the vegetable dyes faded. That was disappointing.

Pat's already planning on walking tomorrow afternoon at Sharon's house. The ice cream truck comes at 3. She has her priorities as well.

Now I just have to decide what to do about this pain.  It's 3:20 in the afternoon and I'm sitting on the couch, kind-of leaning into the back cushion,  typing on my laptop. The pain right now is in my lower back in the center. If I turn sit up straight it turns into a pulling sensation on my side, from my hip up. If I turn left or right from that position, it moves up to the center of my side. If I get up to walk, right now, it is still in the center of my side. 

Now that I'm feeling better I'm leaning on the side of waiting till Monday. I'll go before work for my blood work, and then after work call. I'll only be there an hour. Or, if it's worse case --  my kidneys or my liver -- the doctor will begin to get the results pretty quickly and contact me for an appointment. It's amazing how quickly the lab results come back. Pat and I will boss miss Milly because my job is from 11-12. I haven't told her that part yet. She'll be disappointed.

We did do Milly this week. I also went back to yoga with Pam and her blind cousin. It was interesting. The instructor said she always thought she used words to demo but it became clear pretty quickly that she was incorrect. Her style of teaching is very visual. Many lessons learned.