walk 1 mile a day

Our apartment is within walking distance to our local library and on today’s walk we made a trip to pick up one of the books I had reserved.

We left right before lunch. I hadn’t slept very well last night. It was a bad combination of the baby waking up, the husband snoring, and too much caffeine in my chai after dinner. I felt sluggish and a little nauseated, but we continued just the same.

Our dog was especially grateful because he had to really empty his bladder. I made the mistake of giving him a huge bone to chew on yesterday afternoon and he was now reaping the consequences.

Even the baby has picked up something because his nose is just constantly dripping with clear snot. And he hates when we try to wipe his nose with a tissue, so he frequently ends up using our t-shirts as substitutes for Kleenex.

We were quite the little party. Still, I was grateful it was cool and overcast. It was the middle of the day and I had the luxury of spending all this time with my family on a walk, instead of hastily grabbing a lunch and then getting back to work at a regular 9-to-5 job.

Yesterday I walked 4 miles. Doesnt make up for not walking enough the week before. I had a walking opportunity after class on Wednesday and didnt take it.

Today I walked at least a mile through downtown Bainbridge, though I’m not sure what the actual mileage is. Here is to a better week!

Hubby had another late night so it was just me, baby and the dog. We walked over to the park across the street and I sat on a bench by the pond and tried to meditate.

I could see the cars zooming past, and I imagined all the people who were on their way to work. In the Buddhism class last week, one of the teachers explained that when you meditate, you would be able to see your mind’s thought pass by you, just like the cars on the road. You can observe the cars, without having an emotional attachment to the cars.

This allows you to fully appreciate and understand your thoughts and choose how you wish to respond to the thoughts, instead of reacting to them.

I wasn’t very successful sitting there by the pond, but that just means I’ll have to try again tomorrow.

Another beautiful morning. We finally cleaned out the garage this weekend, so we’re now able to park the car inside instead of leaving it in the driveway.

This also means that we have to adjust how we get out the door everything morning. Our foyer is a tiny space and it’s impossible to juggle the baby, the dog, the stroller and two still sleepy parents into an area that isn’t more than 2 feet by 6 feet. I usually get the leash on the dog and head out the front door so Hubby can take out the stroller and put the baby in it. Just another example of the things you learn about parenting that they never tell you in all those parenting books.

This past week, I’ve walked a mile 3 of the 7 days. It was a coincidence that I ended up walking not planned. I need to work on it for next week.

It rained lightly this morning when we walked to the grocery store for breakfast. I picked up a little something for everybody: apricots and mixed fruits for the baby, lamb casserole for the dog and chocolate croissants and mango-orange juices for me and the hubby. Perhaps not the best breakfast, but it was nice to be able to sit outside and have a cool morning walk for once.

When we got back, hubby and I worked on cleaning out the garage. I wanted to clear enough space so that we could actually park the car in there. Took us only a couple of hours, and I made one big trip to the dumpster, the recycling center and Goodwill. Mission accomplished!

I woke up throughout the night because my shoulder was aching. At 4:45, Baby wanted to nurse so I fed him and then just started catching up on my email.

The rest of the family got up by 6:30 and we stepped out into the fresh air. I met one of our neighbors – she had just finished taking a walk with her little pug, Winston. I joked about how in the dog world, sniffing another dog’s butt was the same as showing your credentials.

The air is still wet, and I was damp after we finished our walk today. The cooler air provided much-needed relief.

Another short walk this morning, but this time with the entire clan of boys. The weather has changed for the better and it was actually pleasant to take a brief walk around our neighborhood in the cool air.

We’re trying to train the dog to walk beside us, instead of in front of us, to help establish ourselves as leaders of the pack. However, the dog has other ideas and enjoys scouting ahead. Walking with him is more like walking with a friend, each of us stopping to let the other rest or sniff the trees, as the case may be.

As for the baby, he’s content to watch the world go by. We were stopped this morning by another woman who was out walking her little Scottish terrier. She said her dog was jealous of her grandson, and her dog growls whenever her grandson gets picked up.

I think we’ve done a good job getting the dog and baby to like each other. The baby just loves watching the dog, I think he considers the dog to be his big brother. And the dog has learned to be careful and gentle with the baby, although he still can’t resist giving the baby loves of licks.

I’ve noticed that the dog prefers to spend time with me rather hubby. I guess that’s because I’m the one with all the food :)

Hubby was up late last night so he slept in while I took baby and dog out for a shortened version of our morning walk. A woman jogging by stopped and recommended that I pick up a used jogging stroller at a local children’s consignment store. It would allow to jog with the baby and I could tie the dog to stroller while we jogged. And both the dog and I could use the exercise.

I’m intrigued. An initial search on Google for jogging stroller displayed strollers between $250-$500 brand new. I wonder how much a used stroller might be. Definitely worth some research.

I’ve discovered that you can use Google maps to trace a route and make custom map for yourself. I want to make a map of my popular walking routes and keep track of how many miles I’ve completed.

Unfortunately, I’m getting the spinning beachball when I try to access the My Maps link on Google. Perhaps I have a bad internet connection?