walk every day

I’m back in the city now for the winter. I’v e been pretty good about going out every day. I’m doing the coffee shop thing daily. I have no coffee at all at home. Right now it’s lovely weather, just right and my favorite time of year.

It has been raining, raining, raining here all the time. I just end up feeling disinclined to go out walking in the cold rain. Not good.

I have been walking nearly every morning to go to one coffee shop or another. I also walked a lot to get to the various theaters to see the Sundance films or to work. One night I walked to and from the theater in a grand fog. It was pretty spooky, but I was, no doubt, quite safe, because I was the only person who seemed to be out and about that night.

It snowed a lot yesterday (so what else is new?), and walking was hard this morning because most of the sidewalks were uncleared. I resorted to the street sometimes. I was going to the closest local coffee shop, but they turned out to be on a bit of a holiday vacation (don’t blame them) so I went to the next closest place which was a Starbucks. I like Starbucks just fine and don’t mind spending money there at all. I was pleased to find that this store, where I seldom go, has those little vanilla scones (2 for not quite $2) which I became addicted to back home but so far have been unable to find anyplace here in SLC. I will be going back to this store more often now for sure. So I had a big cup of coffee, read in one of my Buddhist magazines for while and then decided to go out for some shopping because I was where the stores are. First I got a magazine at Whole Foods. Then I found the paper programs at the Sundance box office (By the way, I’m all signed up to volunteer again. I’ll write about it once I actually begin.) I stopped to chat with a homeless guy doing some work holding up a sign for a pizza place. Then I went to Smiths and talked with a second homeless guy who was just panhandling. He said he ws out walking last night when the weather was so bad, but he was in good cheer today. I looked around at Smiths a bit and ended up buying a new pair of wool socks to replace one that I finally wore too many holes in (I need commercial socks for boot wearing…. boots cause too much friction for my handmade socks.) Smiths always has these deals on socks, but one get one free kind of thing, so I got a second pair of mens socks…real good heavy outdoors one….and gave them to the friendly homeless fellow outside the store. He seemed happy to get them. Then I mailed a Sundance program to my brother who will be out in PC skiing during the festival time. I said I’d get him a ticket or two, but he would need to pick them out. I went back to Starbucks and decided to buy a few Christmas items on sale to keep to give to people next year. I was quite tired by now. I was overtaken by two beautiful young LDS missionary women and I spoke with them I walked. Not about the church at all except indirectly (how long had they been in SLC? How much longer would they be here? Did they like it here? Etc.) They didn’t give me a CD (I already have one anyway) and we parted in good company. Came home to find out lovely mail carrier lady here so I chatted with her awhile. Then came home and collapsed!

We’ve had lots of snow lately. Nothing as bad as other places in the country where they have lost electricity or had airports shut down. (I AM so sorry if that has happened to you.) It’s just been snowing a lot. I really dislike driving in bad weather, and so, I’ve been walking a LOT lately. I’m working at home now, and have to get out some every day, so I’ve been walking and using public transport to get around do do things. I’ve been going out to coffee shops, or taking runs to the grocery store for just a few things. One day I went all over town using a combination of walking, TRAX and buses because I just kept thinking about one more thing I wanted to do. I’ve got a great warm coat from Land’s End that has zillions of pockets (no purse needed)and the good boots I got in January. I’m loving it.

I have been getting out some every day lately. Now that I’m working at home, I have been making myself go out for walks. A friend from the Zen center suggested she would like a walking buddy. We may very well decide to start meeting regularly for walks. That would be good.

I had to stop doing this for awhile because my health was so bad, I just couldn’t walk very much. I had no stamina and got exausted quite easily. But I’m better now and plan to take up walking again as therapy, really. I’m looking forward to getting out more now that cold weather is beginning.

I’m running out of coffee at home, and I think I will put off buying more for awhile at least. Today I took a morning walk to one of the many coffee shops in the neighborhood for breakfast. It cost me a bit more money that I would have spent if I had had my coffee at home, but I got out, had a lovely walk and feel good now.

And back home there was flooding along the river walk where I like to go. Last night we had a wicked bad storm. The boom sent my kitty quickly into the far reaches of the closet.

This is the time of year for severe thunderstorms. Sometimes it’s hard to find a window where I feel safe out walking. I try for short outings if nothing else.