I used to belong to a fitness center. Between my daughter and I, and paying the fees for the center and for a personal trainer, I was spending a few hundred dollars a month. The combination of the training and divorce stress enabled me to lose 30 pounds. I was thrilled! If I could only figure a way to stay slim (without divorce)! When we moved north that all ended.
So...now I walk over 4 miles, 6 days a week. I've gained some weight but not much (and I had quit smoking when we moved). My daughter started delivering newspapers and I walked with her. Gee, she was making the money, losing weight, and having me help deliver. Huh? I decided to take on some of the route myself. I love it. Okay, not so much in the cold and rain. But, now, you see, I get paid to exercise! Beats paying a gym. Over the last two years I've gone through 4 pairs of walking shoes. Not bad. The fun part is the people.
First we started waving to people we knew who were driving by us while we walked. Then we made a few mistakes and waved to the wrong cars. They waved anyway. Now they wave all the time! I wave to the police (always good to be nice to them), the DPW workers (they pretend to aim for me sometimes), friends (of course), my electrician, my plumber and another one (his wife and kids, too), the guy who delivers Meals On Wheels, Todd Oil trucks, customers, neighbors, and on and on! Some people toot as they pass, just to say hi out loud! People probably think I'm a bit strange.
A few weeks ago, my mom and I were looking through my high school yearbook. My French teacher, Mr. Durand, had written, "to the girl who always waves to a green VW bus" (his car, of course). Guess I've been at it for awhile!
My mom's yearbook got looked at too. Under "ambition" one girl had written, "To live life so that everyone will be glad they knew me." I like that.
Today I got thinking about the strange perks of walking - finding stuff. Today I found a bungee cord, a 3/8" socket, and a dime. The best thing I found was a ten dollar bill! I do find lots of bungee cords. And also, a large spool of string, a screw driver, a cell phone (which got turned in to the police station), and a checkbook (police got that, too). For awhile I was finding large quantities of pennies on one particular street corner.
4 comments:
I have yet to find a bungee cord on my walks. Wouldn't mind the $10 bill, A quarter was thrown at me one day. Maybe I'll do a "strip" walk and see how much money I can get that way!
A friend on a job-related list frequently signs with "All I want is a chance to prove that money can't make me happy".
This is off subject but clicked on JAH and Dover, NH is my home town of yesteryear. If this were TV, I would now do my rendition of DHS' song back in the 50's: "Dover, Fair Dover, we'll cheer for thee, fairest of High Schools . . . " etc.
I also know all the words and tune to "Let's remember Pearl Harbor as we go to meet the . . ." and I'm a pacifist. Oh well! if only I could remember where I left my keys this noon.
Back on subject- how can you be seeing things on the ground as you are waving to everyone. I know, multi tasker!
You'd be surprised at the songs that I know. Lots of stuff from WWI and WWII, and then there's the turn of the century (1900) songs, and coon songs (not derogatory, that's just what they're called). One of my favorites, by Joplin, is "I'm Thinking of My Pickaninny Days". Joplin wrote lots besides ragtime. Songs, waltzes, and an opera called "Treemonisha".
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