I'M NOT AMY VANDERBILT, BUT....

There are certain rules of etiquette that concern walkers and others who use the sidewalks, trails, and streets of our world. We'll all be a lot safer and happier if we can agree on a few Rules of the Walker's Road.

1. If you're riding a bike, skating, or otherwise going faster than the prevailing foot traffic, it would be especially nice of you to let the walker in front of you know that you're coming up from behind. A simple 'on your left' will warn the walker that you're in the neighborhood. I spend a lot of time teaching this simple nicety to the children who bike around the track I walk on. It's always more pleasant to avoid a collision than suffer one.

2. If you're walking across a street, PAY ATTENTION to the cars. As a walker, you may legally have the right of way, but would you rather be right or dead? Walkers slow down traffic when we fail to remain alert to what's going on around us. This makes drivers cranky.

3. Walkers (and joggers) have neither a Constitutional nor God-Given right to listen to their Ipods in stereo. Unplug one ear whenever you're walking around others. Not only will you still be able to hear what's on your Ipod, you'll also be able to hear the nice biker coming up from behind you when s/he politely states, 'on your left'.

4. DO NOT ASSUME that because you can see a car the driver can see you. Wear light colored clothing when walking at dusk or later, use reflectors and flashlights, be aware that, if you're walking into the setting sun, you may well be approaching a 'blinded' driver. Refer to #2 above.

5. Don't 'hog' the walking/biking/skating surface. Make room for others to pass you safely.

6. Dogs walked properly will be on the walker's LEFT. Dogs walked improperly will wander into the paths of others, trip their owners or others, and generally cause confusion. If you are walking your dog, be sure that your dog follows rules #1-5 above.

7. Do yourself a favor and don't walk where there are Sweet Gum Balls. If you have no personal experience in this area, consider yourself forewarned. It's impolite, not to mention painful, to break an ankle. To that end, if you own property that allows Sweet Gum Balls to fall on the sidewalk, it is your civic duty to remove each and every one within 5 minutes after it hits ground.


***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.

LAKE HELL - ER, HILL

I recently attended a state conference at the Grand Glaize Inn at Lake Ozark, Missouri. I hadn't been to that area in years. The Inn is ok - no great shakes. The conference was informative and time consuming. I knew that to be able to sleep in a hotel room (I have sleep issues most nights), I'd definitely have to get in a walk. The conference schedule allowed little free time, running from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM or later with one hour for lunch and two hours for supper. Had to finagle a walk somehow.

To that end, I laced up my walking shoes and went for a 30 minute walk at lunch. I walked down the road 15 minutes, looking for fast food or a convenience store with no luck, and 15 minutes back to the Inn. Grabbed a protein bar and a soda and headed back to the conference.

For supper, I drove to Hyvee (which if you're not familiar with and have access to, get yourself there!), loaded up some goodies from the salad bar and some juice, and got back to the Inn. I'm a late eater, so their supper time didn't suit me. I stashed the food in my room and headed out to the trails behind the Inn.

The Inn is directly on the Grand Glaize River part of Lake Osage. It's very pretty. Virtually every property has its own marina. The hotels and condos all perch on bluffs above the river. So, the trails are pretty much straight up and down. I took stairs down to the lakefront and began following the trails. Passed a boat aptly named 'Cirrhosis of the River'. Made me laugh.
Called my husband to tell him about the boat's name. While I was speaking with him, I started hiking up a hill. A really steep hill. I'm walking and talking and the next thing I know, I'm completely winded. This doesn't happen to me.

The afternoon was still sunny and warm. The cold breeze of the previous day had vanished and I was psyched to be outside, enjoying the scenery on my walk. Trudged up that hill. Out of breath. Finally told my husband that I had to get off the phone. By then, I had topped the hill and walked around the parking lot at the Inn. To get in my 30 minutes of walk, I had to circle the parking lot a couple times. No way was I going back down that hill!

By the time the conference meetings were over for the evening and I retired to my room for a shower and some food, I was beat. Slept well that night. Maybe that hill wasn't so bad after all.....




***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.

DANCING WITH JOHNNY DEPP

Well, not exactly. I find Johnny Depp to be an accomplished actor and a handsome, if boyish, lad, but way too young for me. And, I've seen very few of his movies. However, I'm completely in love with the Wonderland Waltz from Depp's "Alice in Wonderland" movie. Let me explain.

A couple weeks ago, there was a linedance workshop in Chicago - Windy City Dance Expo. My favorite dance teacher attended and came back with this great new waltz to teach us. Larry, my teacher, told us that every time he heard this song played, he HAD to dance. Unlike most dances, I learned this one very quickly and it has quickly has become my favorite! The second week we practiced it, I came into the class telling Larry that I wanted to dance this waltz SIX TIMES. I think we got to it four times - which is at least twice more than usual for a new dance we're learning.

If you're not familiar with the music, check it out. The Wonderland Waltz is performed by a newish band, The Plain White Tees. It's a waltz in a minor key - another oddity. But, that was perfect for the pre-Halloween weeks we were learning it.

Another thing about this dance is that it's looooong. It's a workout in itself! Try doing the waltz on your own, taking long strides which are required with this dance, and see how many times you can do it. At dance class this evening, we danced it twice in addition to the two new dances we learned and several others we did by request - ones we've already mastered.

So, today, instead of walking, I danced! It's so much fun. I highly recommend linedancing or couples dancing for anyone who likes to move. Great aerobic workout and fun, to boot!



***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.

TWIST AND SHHHH, DON'T SHOUT, PLEASE!

In my unending quest to find interesting ways to keep myself active, I recalled a device that I had seen years ago but never used. Naturally, I began surfing the 'net to find one. Didn't even know what to call it. It's a device that one stood on and twisted. The idea is to take off some weight around the middle OR strengthen the abs. Might do both.

It took me some time to find such a device. I found a site that purported to sell these devices that are manufactured in China. Isn't everything? So, I placed an order for one - about $25 with free shipping. I waited, and waited, and waited. I emailed and was reassured that my order would be filled but they were back-ordered. Finally, after 4 months, I cancelled my order and was refunded my full purchase price. Good so far, but still no 'Twister'. It's not a Twister. That's the name of a game from the 1970's, I think, that results in a lot of compromising and embarrassing contortions of the body. Not for me.

Finally, I found one of the 'original' devices for sale on ebay. I ordered it (and paid about half what the 'new' one cost) and received it a few days ago. It's pretty much fun. No idea if it'll result in producing any of the benefits originally claimed. Probably not or it'd still be marketed, right? But, it's easy to do and is another small, inexpensive device to add to my slowly increasing array of gadgets to keep me moving.



***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.

SPRING INTO FALL

Call it Global Warming, call it El Nino or La Nina, or just call it crazy. We're having Spring weather in Fall in St. Louis. I know this to be true because I typically have Fall allergies and my husband always has Spring allergies and we've switched seasons. This is conclusive proof that we're Springing into Fall this year, 2010.

What does this have to do with walking? Let's be clear. I'll walk in most any kind of weather, so long as there's no ice underfoot. But, wind slices right through me and, just like that, triggers my Fall allergies, making me sound like a cheese grater looks. No fun either. There have been years when I was hoarse for as long as three months straight.

So, in the Fall, when the winds and rain start in this part of the world, I take care to keep my throat out of the path of said wind. This means, I can walk, but I can't walk and talk. My voice is muffled under layers of fleece to prevent the wind from reaching my vocal cords.

Actually, it's fairly well documented by medical research that exercise such as walking aids greatly in preventing allergies. I have found this to be true in my own life. The more I walk, the less likely I am to get sick - whether it's from an allergy or a virus or a bacterium. Walking supports a healthy immune system.

Obviously, there are times when one shouldn't exert. The doctor's rubric is that if you're sick from the head up, you can exercise. If you're sick from the neck down, it's time to take rest, take fluids, and baby yourself. I pretty much agree with this. So, let's all go walking and build up our immune systems to fend off the flu and such that assault us each winter.



***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.

PUZZLING NEW PLANT

I spend a lot of time admiring the well manicured lawns of the houses I walk by on the streets near my house. So many people invest lots of time and money to make their lawns attractive. Me? I typically take the path of least resistance. I appreciate the beauty of these lawns but refuse to invest either the time or money into creating such an oasis in my own yard.

I also 'collect' interesting plants I see along the way. I don't steal them. I just find ones that attract me and try to learn more about them, usually by calling my green-thumbed mom. Yesterday, I found a real beauty! And, cannot identify it. Maybe a reader can help.

It's a bush on the southeast side of a southeast facing house. It's low to the ground with slim limbs that bow, arcing from the center out. The leaves are the shape of a human eye with the pointed end facing farthest from the limb. The leaves are bright, almost chartreuse. BUT, the coolest thing is the fruit/nut/whatever on the limbs at the leaf intersections. They are the size of a sweetgum ball, are a deep orchid color (I'm very color impaired, so I can tell you that they're not red, not pink, not maroon, not mahogany, not purple - but a sort of reddish purple that I call orchid). The neatest thing about the fruit/nut is that each one is round but consists of smooth, little bumps, making it look somewhat like the inside of a pomegranate.

Not a very good explanation. I have no idea what to google. I've never seen any signs of life at this house, but I plan to knock on the front door next time and ask. In the meantime, if anyone has any ideas of names of plants that I can google to find the right one, please let me know.




***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY

Today was unseasonably warm and sunny, so I skipped out of work a bit early (as it gets dark by 5 PM since the loss of DST) so my pup and I could walk a bit. I got home, changed into my walking shoes, watched Jeopardy with my daughter, then put the leash on Lizzie (my 4 legged child) and headed for the park.

I was amazed at how few people were at the park. There were two or three kids at the playground but only 2 joggers on the track! So, Lizzie and I were unhampered in our walk. One child on her teeny bike was on a collision course with us, but, at the last minute she changed course so we all survived unscathed.

Later this year, I'll be able to walk at the park closer to dusk. There's one corner of the track where the trees are especially dense. The track is sort of a plateau, the high point in the neighborhood, surrounded on three sides by schools and homes but on the third, there's a nice stand of dense woods. At dusk, if we're quiet, we can see the deer sticking their noses out of the leaves to see if the coast is clear for their turn on the track.

However, as soon as the deer see the dog, they hide back in the woods. Apparently dogs and deer don't go well together. We've actually had deer in our backyard. Our house is in a subdivision where most of the houses are on about half-acre lots. Most yards have a nice line of trees at the back of the lot. My back yard, due to years of benign neglect, has a nice patch of trees with dense undergrowth at the back property line. Fences keep the deer from meandering through the neighborhood, but they do find their way to our yard and to those of our neighbors.

It's really exciting to see a group of deer when I'm on a walk. There are several patches of dense woods in the neighborhood where they can hang out without fear of being bothered. They're a real pain for drivers - a true road hazard. But, I enjoy seeing them on my walks. One more thing to add to the list of things that one can enjoy better on a walk than any other way.



***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.