downtown allentown

I had a hair salon appointment today so that means a walk around downtown Allentown. This will be the last one. The salon is moving to Cedar Crest Boulevard and Tilghman streets.

Sharon has the appointment before me, so I take a quick walk around downtown. Today I walked to 7th and Linden to go to Rite Aid.Pollen must be off the charts. I'm violently sneezing. A lot.

Downtown Allentown is pretty unrecognizable. It feels like a big city. Everything is new. The old downtown is pretty much gone,sans the PPL. I felt like a stranger in a place I've been going to my whole life.

This mural is on Hamilton, facing East where they are constructing the new DaVinci Center.

This one is on ninth, facing the exit to the old Hess's parking deck (Now called the Spiral Deck.)

And this is on the alley side of the new parking deck on Walnut between 9th and 10th. The ugly side faces the neigborhood.

Miles/Steps:     1 mile
Weather:          high 60s, sunny

Driving Sharon home we went out Hamilton to the Hamilton Street Bridge. I saw two new murals at around 2nd and third streets. I guess it's time to walk a little further in Allentown. I want to see an exhibit at the art museum. Maybe I'll combine the two.

bethlehem-south walk nearly killed me

 

Alright. The headline is a bit of an exaggeration, but I am so out of shape. And my body was none to shy about telling me.

Yesterday was the Bethlehem South Volkssport walk. As I drove to the Comfort Suites I secretly hoped nobody would come so that I could just come home. Yes, I'm that lazy and disgusted with myself.I almost got what I wished for. But then a single person that I never met arrived.SO we had to go. Then three more arrived via carpool. There were now five. (Three others were cycling on the D&L.) And I only knew one—the treasurer.

Someone asked if she had coupons with her and she did. Now at one time you could buy the coupons for $2 and save a buck on the walk. But that's no longer the case. All it really saves is not having to have $3 with you. They are only good for the year and change colors the next year. I bought a pack of ten. I know have to do 9 more volkssport walks before the end of the year or I've thrown away money. I don't throw away money.

The walk started at 10:00. We probably didn't leave until 10:15. I warned them they'd be waiting for me at the top of the hill and they were. This group was mostly new so they haven't heard my boring stories yet. So I bored them.

When we got to the casino I discovered I need to change the directions. Emerill's Chop House is no longer there. The macadam path now Y's and people need to take the left fork.

They enjoyed the"drunkards sidewalk" by the factory. We discussed how much of a pain that must have been to install.

By this point I was dragging my ass. And I still had a few more blocks to go. The others did the 10K. I peeled off at 6K.

Miles/Steps:     6K.I actually hit my steps goal. First timein forever.

Weather:          low 60s, sunny

last aarp walk at bicentennial park

Today was the last AARP walk at Bicentennial park in East Allen Township. Althought they were mostly out and backs, and really didn't give me much mileage I'll miss them. Why? It forced me to get out and walk one day a week.

I think the group was the smallest this week. We basically walked thru the park and got on the NorBath trail. We went about a mile and came back. Before and after the walk we stretched. This time on the fence of the batting cage.

I was signed up to do two walks Saturday. I did neither. I didn't feel it was safe to drive to Media or Bertram's Garden in Philly with my wacky vision. Especially since reading is an issue. I really need to know where to go.

My appointment in June 5 with the new eye surgeon. Here's hoping she can fix it.

Miles/Steps:      2

Wildlife:            chipmunk, heard birds.

Weather:          low 70s, sunny

 

winter tail on the trail swag

 

The Winter Tail on the Trail Challenge always takes place in February. You only need to do 30 miles in the month. That's an easy challenge. One mile a day. Even my lazy ass can complete that. The funny part is the swag never arrives till May. Just when you want warm winter prizes. I will often misplace them before I can wear them because the winter stuff is all packed away.

This years swag is a neon yellow safety beanie with an LED flashlight built in. If I can find this in winter I might just wear it to school to safely cross the street. I'm sure they intended it for early morning/late afternoon walks/rides when the days are so short.

The flashlight is bright and has a bunch of levels. And it's rechargeable! You can pop the light out. Then there is a tab on the side that you pull out and a plug appears. You plug it into any USB plug.

 

Of course I pulled it apart.

historic bethlehem and disturbing medical update

 

Today was the second last AARP walk. This time it was in historic Bethlehem. We met at the parking lot at Union Blvd. and Old York Road. Milly and Ron were there. (She said hi to me in yesterday's workout Zoom) And Kelly, the AARP representative. And walk leader Michelle's mom. It boggles my mind that I know people in the AARP.

We headed down Old York Road, thru the industraialquarter, down Main and onto Sand Island. We only went as far as the bridgetocross to the D&L and turned around and came back. But with the warm-ups and cool downs it does take an hour.

Afterwards I wentto vote. I hate the new machines. They are touch screens. I don't deal well with touch screens. If I used my thumb it took my information. Bizarre.

For the past week or so I thought I was developing double vision. It reached the "something is seriously the duck wrong" stage Friday driving to Warren Community College. Saturday,driving to the history walk in Nazareth was just as bad. But at least I wasn't driving into the sun.  (I never made the walk. I left a half hour to get there and spent 45 minutes on 22. I had planned on going thru town but the art show was on Main Street. I figured, might as well just use the highway. Really bad decision.)

Believe it or not I called the eye doctor. I only had symptoms for a week. That's got to be a new record for me. I got in at 11:30. There was a cancellation. So I can't have double vision because I don't have two working eyes. What I have is ghosting. Usually it's one ghost. But for lights it's as many as 5. Basically, my second cataract that would not normally be ready for surgery has moved. So it is reflecting light different and causing the shadows. I have to have it removed. (I really should take Bonnie with me. She'd understand and more importantly remember all the medical gobbly goop.) My doctor is no longer doing surgery, so I have to go elsewhere. My doctor said they'd remove the cataract and probably put a shunt in to release some of the pressure in my eye. Maybe I can reduce the number of eye drops I use. Maybe I won't need glasses. Mybe this new, younger doctor with all kinds of fancy new technology can fix my blind eye. Or maybe I'll just be blind.

I'm terrified.

Miles/Steps:      2+

Wildlife:            white duck, two geese, hereon.To far away I'm guessing blue.

Weather:          low 70s, sunny

monocacy way

 

Tuesday Pam texted that she'd be in Bethlehem, near the golf course, Friday at 12:15. Did I want to walk? Of course I said yes. I couldn't button my summer pants yesterday.

I gave her a couple optionin the area. We decided to start at the pool, and walk thru the mowed fields behind the dog park. From there we picked up Monocacy Way trail. We headed toward Burnside Plantation. I think we may have walked here during the pandemic, but the last recorded walk I see is 2019. So in the past five years they've paved the trail, added security fencing near the railroad tracks, sineage and benches.  Plus they regraded the intersection by Paint Mill Road so that sudden downhill is gone.

Now that I'm thinking about it, I remember hearing the trail washed out during Hurricane Ida. That coupled with COVID monies may have repaired the trail.

We turned around at Paint Mill and continued toward Illicks Mill Road. We past many turnoff to where we came down. Pam had seen a trail in front of the pool and wanted to find it. Monocacy Way swept the east side of the pool and circled around to the front. It followed Illicks Mill for a bit until it joined the main road into the pool building.

 

Afterward I went to Weiss for fish at the old BonTon. As I was waiting to turn into the parking lot I heard classical music. I thought it was coming from a car. Then all the cars left and the music continued. It was a man busking for money. Busking instead of begging since you were getting a free concert for your money. Honestly, I would have pulled up a chair. As I listened from my parking space I realized it wasn't classical. It was pop, but on a violin. Making it sound classical. 

His sign read "Please help me with a little money for rent  and food. God Bless. with venmo and cash app links. Which is very high tech for someone working the streets. It ends with the ever popular "I have kids."

I have no idea what his story is, and why he's busking, but every place in town -- including the Weiss -- is hiring. 

Miles/Steps:      3

Wildlife:            blue jay, heard woodpeckers

Weather:          high 70s, sunny

 

 

 

karl stirner arts trail

 

Today's Tuesday walk with AARP was at the Karl Stirner Arts Trail in Easton. Me met at the 13th street parking lot. There's more signage. More tree planting's. There are even "rules" since the last time I was here. The building in the parking lot is now remodeled into housing. Lots of changes. But nothing changes.

We warmed up on the pedestrian bridge. A few people parked at the silk mill so we had to backtrack to go get them. We walked to the Blue Bridge, turned around and came back.

In the process I saw my first goslings of the season.

Then we cooled down on the pedestrian bridge and headed home. 

THis is a really lame post. I'm sorry. Nothing much happened. With this group you walk with purpose and I was doing everything I could just to keep up. I failed. I'm so out of shape.

But school is out and I have a doctor's appoint in August so I need to get back on track. This adventure, if nothing else, shows me that if I sign up for something I go. If I just write it on my calendar as a possibility I don't. So I need to sign up for stuff. The first thing I'm doing is a history walk of Nazareth. It will not really be exercise , but it will be moving. That's half the battle.

I also applied to a summer job at the south side library. If I get it —it highly unlikely that I will— I'll bee walking a generous mile to and from work all summer. That should kick my fat rear into gear.

Meanwhile I'm still doing Milly and yoga. The senior class has ended. The therapist that was running it has been transfered to another facility. Boo.

Miles/Steps:   less than 3 miles.
Weather:         upper 60s, overcast to sunny
Wildlife:          8 geese, 4 gosling, 1 male mallard. Now this is going to sound strange. I can't quite believe it myself. But I swear on my mother's grave that I saw a micro mini duck swimmin under the pedestrian bridge. It distracted me so much that I really didn't warm up. It was only 2-3 inches big, black with a yellow beak. And it was swimming. It was not a leaf or a frog. It was bazaar.