Feb. 11, 2008 at 1:24pm

a change of pace

(Taking the Izenmania walking challenge)

My muscles were like puppies left too long in their crates, whimpering restlessly, whining, and clamoring for my attention.

Being that I woke up with some mobility in my neck and much restlessness, I decided to plan on a walk after taking the car in to the shop.

Our '98 Blazer has the issues most old but not ancient cars have, the minor pecadillo things like sticking doors, wobbly rear-view mirrors, flapping oil-pan covers, and an empty wiper fluid reservoir.  On going to fill said 'voir last week, the Man noted that the cable to open the hood was broken.  Kind of an important detail, that.  He asked if I could take the car in, prior to our trip up the mountains tomorrow.

So I took the car to Pro Automotive, who've generally been good and honest in terms of repairs, and decided to walk home, but then the mother in law called and suggested I go to her house, instead. As it was closer, and her plumbers (A+ --seemed to do a good job, and don't have an annoying "Stop Freakin' advertising slogan) would be done by the time I'd get there, and I had to give her news that I didn't want to give on the phone, I decided her house, it would be.  I took a detour at Artco for some fabric love, and then began the walk.

Parking lots are icky, I've decided.  Despite the fact that that's, like, the only place people *unuversally* walk (everone has to get from car to business, after all) -- they're totally not set up for walking.  6th Ave is well set-up for walking, with crosswalks and sidewalks that are actually, *gasp* open.  I took a left on Mason where I chose to walk through Jefferson Park,  rather than taking the neat little middle-of-the-road trail, where I saw a runner and my heart pined.  The anxious little puppy in me wanted to bound after her, but I had to use the sensible mom voice on her, and say, "there, there, you'll be able to run soon enough...  no point in making yourself sicker to where you won't be able to run on Saturday, poppet."

So I trudged quickly on (can you use those two words together?) and met up with a guy who I surmised might have some developmental delays.  He looked at me, I avoided eye contact, he said HI!!! I walked on, he said, I SAID HI! AREN'T YOU GOING TO TALK TO ME?  I said, I heard you, I'm just walking and not feeling chatty.  He started following me and asking me what? why? --and I felt uncomfortable.

To use the dog analogy again, he was kind of like that dog that barks, but stays in its own yard.  Once I cleared the park, he left me alone.  I arrived at my mother in law's shortly after that.

I noticed, as I walked, that I was able to observe things, walking, that I don't usually  notice, running.  LIke bulbs shooting up their green pre-stalks.  Like bumper stickers on cars. Like which houses still had Halloween and Christmas decorations up.  It was a nice change of pace, and I had a good long moment of reflection in motion, as I considered routes differently than I would have, in a car, and as I had a more heightened awareness of neighborhood minutiae than I would have, running.

I felt better, until I had to tell her the news of her son's upcoming trip.  Then I felt like poop.  But, well, ya know.  Sometimes good things are followed by not-so good things.