I amazed myself

Okay, so you know that I have been exercising and trying to regain the vitality of my youth or at least be within shouting distance of same.

But yesterday, I discovered something pretty amazing.

I had to run a couple of errands and my van was on life support. Truly. It was hooked up to the power grid and sucking down the amps like there was no tomorrow. But my errands had to be done TODAY.

I decided, friend in tow, to walk to town and back to accomplish my errands. They weren't great but they needed to be done.

In the process I discovered two things: first, I hate purses. I have always known this, but the walk yesterday served to cement that understanding in my mind. Never content to stay on my shoulders, which apparently lack that female ability to keep a shoulderstrap in place, the purse slides off and begins to dangle like bait for the would-be muggers of the world.

Second, a purse is doggone heavy. Even if you don't carry a ten pound makup bag with you, a purse is a heavy and cumbersome item to wag around all day. And if your family is anything like mine, your purse becomes their catch-all for items they no longer possess the strength to manage.

The day was sunny and breezy and we walked.

I have a pet peeve about my town. Sidewalks seem to be tossed into the verdant greens of lawns and businesses at random. Our sleepy little town seems to feel that sidewalks are a luxury for only some places and only for certain sides of the street. While I understand that putting in sidewalks does cost money, I figure if we can afford to spend millions (literally) on a sports complex that caters to the rich, then we ought to be able to conjur up the cash to put more sidewalks in our town!

Since I DO like to walk now that I am more physically able to do so, it would be nice to do so in a safe place that was not a thoroughfare for autos and their psycho drivers who seem to believe a pedestrian in the road at any time is an invitation to play their own private version of "Death Race 2000".

The walk to town from my house as measured by the kindly people at Mapquest registers as 1.3 miles ONE WAY. Far from suffering through, I actually enjoyed it and am now considering getting a little pull cart and a cold foods bag so I can walk to the grocery store instead of wasting fossil fuels to get what we need. Plus, the walking will definately do my body some good.

I was proud of myself for completing the walk without it requiring a 'come rescue me' phone call to get me back home.

When I was a kid, we walked and rode our bikes everywhere in town we wanted to go or we simply stayed home. My parents considered driving all over town to take us to see our friends a total waste of time, money and gasoline. Especially when one tossed in the understanding that each one of us had a working, reliable bicycle and two good legs from which to choose as our method of transportation.

My bike has had a tune-up and a basket is on the front. I'd like to add another one or two on the back and then I really could bring home a few grocery items each day in that most European fashion of just getting what you need a bit at a time.

Of course, in the process of making the lifestyle switch to accomodate this newfound desire, I will have to decide which days require the use of the van and its delightfully low miles per gallon that makes Mujibar at the local filling station smile warmly any time I fill 'er up. It's not so much the requirement of the fill up that is bad. It is the kindly smile through the golden teeth that seem to indicate my money has purchased not only gasoline, but more dentistry than I have ever been inclined to endure.

Oh well.

In due time, perhaps I will have lost weight, regained my vigor and restored at least a passing glance at my youth.

If all else fails, I can honestly say I am reducing my carbon footprint both literally and figuratively. And I didn't require offset credits to do it.