These feet were made for walkin' (and stompin' and slippin' and trippin')

I finally got out of the house for a walk yesterday. Exercising inside (in my basement) got really boring and I have been DYING to get out and walk for an hour.

The temperature was probably in the mid 20s and it was sunny--a good day to walk (a good day for winter, anyway). I probably looked like a maroon Michelin tire man (my parka is maroon) but I wanted to get outside so much that I didn't care that I looked extra pudgy or that my hair hates being confined in a headband so it goes gonzo on me and makes me look like I'd styled my hair with a handheld mixer.

Windburn is a problem for me, especially in cold weather, so I applied a liberal layer of Blistex to my cheeks (it works! Except then my hair sticks to my face). I grabbed Flossie the iPod, who has also been dying to get out of the house, and we went for a lovely hour-long walk.

I aired out my brain with fresh (but brisk) air; my brain had been getting cobwebby and a bit musty. Sunshine is a known fixer of unsolvable problems, or at least it diminishes the perceived importance.

I also indulged in a little regression to my childhood. I love stepping on sheets of ice (of which there were plenty on my walk) that border sidewalks. The sheets crack and break when you stand on them. It's such a satisfying crunch and sudden shift in verticality that I do it whenever I can. I engaged in this pastime for a few minutes in the park and enjoyed it immensely, until another walker passed me by and giggled at my childishness. Sometimes I hate being a grownup. I fumed all the way home. The sunshine tried to cheer me up, but alas, the clouds gathered to block the sun.

Two other embarrassing things I did on the walk that were seen by people:
  • Nearly fell over on a patch of ice--I'm sure the driver of the car 6 feet away saw that. I hope the driver was someone I don't know. I did the spastic arm flail and jerky tap-dance and I'm sure I looked like a complete idiot.
  • Peered through a window--I wanted to see inside the new environmental learning center building in the park across the street and just as I pressed my nose to the window glass, a woman in a business suit and a man in a business suit walked right in front of the window. They surprised me and I surprised them. I felt like such a stalker/peeping Thomasina/weirdo/dork.
I think I'll stick to exercising indoors for a little while.

Comments

Karie said…
But sometimes you just want to see inside!

It sounds like a lovely walk.
Jen said…
Good for you to get outside and enjoy the brisk air. I'm sure nobody that you know caught you being silly. There's nothing wrong with checking out a new building. After all, some of your tax dollars probably paid for it.
True dat (both comments). [/me trying to be hip and failing]
Jenni said…
Sounds like a nice walk. I like the bit about you peeking in a window and surprising the people inside. heh! We have one puddle at our school here in FL that has frozen over a few times and the kids get it all stomped on pretty quickly!