They are for more than just exercise. They are for clearing one's mind.
Case in point:
Yesterday I had much weighing on my mind. It made my stomach not feel happy. When I got home I said to Mike "Let's take Pete over to Brushy Creek trail tonight rather than do the gym and Zumba thing." Mike concurred so we went. Mike ran and I just walked along with Pete. I would've run but hello I've been doing Zumba and have you seen my calves?* I tend to get intense shin splints from a cardio workout (let's not even start on what Irish dancing does when combined with the bunion on my right foot. You now know more about me than you ever even wanted to. Isn't it great?).
So, Pete and I are walking along, Pete tugging hard on the leash because he doesn't seem to understand why dad is allowed to run ahead and we are not. And I'm all wrapped up in my thoughts that were troubling me when I suddenly realized how beautiful everything was that was around me. The sun was setting, so it cast a magnificent pink glow on everything, and the weather was perfect. I stopped thinking about me, and started thinking about my surroundings.
And oh my if it did not feel exhilarating! Even at the meandering pace we were walking, I felt the kind of energy I feel when I have a good run. And it was wonderful. My negative feelings floated away, and I felt happy.
Then the sun REALLY started setting and things got darker and I passed some weird under road pass thing, to get from one side of the trail to the other, and it looked more like the entrance to some creepy Egyptian tomb.
Here is another thing I think about walks:
They are for more than just exercise. They are for scaring the crap out of you.
At about the time it got really dark and I passed Egypt, Tx, I magically remembered that a woman had been attacked on this very trail about 4 1/2 years ago when I first moved here (I don't bring carnage with me wherever I go, do I???). When it's dark, and one is passing a creepy tomb trail, that's not the best time to remember such unpleasant things. So Pete and I turned around to meet back up with Mike, and then Stacey called me at just the right moment and we talked about New Beginnings decorations which would have scared off anyone who would've even thought of touching me.
In case you were wondering, no one was attacked or harmed on our nature outing. However, plans WERE made for Young Women activities, and calories were burned, so it ended up being productive after all. But not for any scary person waiting in the bushes.
For me though, productive.
So, then we went home, and I was finishing dinner, and I realized it was becoming an epic fail, and then I was in no condition to cook anything. Not even grilled cheese (and I love grilled cheese, you know?). I was THAT bummed from how dinner turned out.
Do you know what's worse than ruining dinner and spending $10 on food from Taco Cabana to make up for ruined dinner?
Getting home and realizing that none of the food you ordered is what it was supposed to be.
Last night was not a good night for food in the Roughton household.
Except for Pete.
I'm pretty sure he liked eating the same thing he eats twice a day, everyday.
Today started out better. I got my Zumba on and enjoyed what I ate for breakfast (food and I are back on speaking terms). And then I went on ANOTHER walk, this time with Maggie instead of Pete. I don't know which one I enjoy walking with more. On the one hand, Pete gets all jaunty and cute with his tail when he's walking, but Maggie doesn't pull on a leash (because she's not wearing one...) and likes to talk about trees and cars. I look forward to the day when she's talking more and we can carry on a real conversation.
You know one that doesn't consist of "Yeah! TREES! Yup there's a dog, woof woof! TRUCK!! BEEP BEEP!!"
*Can we talk about my calves?
They are ridiculous.
I was told once, after racing someone to get to the breakfast line first at EFY, that he had never seen someone who has calves that are so big that you can see their shape through jeans.
Nice.
One time, some friends and I were meeting up for dinner. I was running late, and when I showed up to the restaurant, the first thing I hear someone say to me is "Sandi! Stand on this chair! So everyone can see your calves!" I'm not one to disobey orders, so I stood on the chair. Everyone promptly began saying things like "Oh yeah... I see...You're right..." To which I probably said something like "What the devil??" And my friend said "I was just telling them that your calves are bigger than most people's."
Oh gee thank you.
And thank YOU Dad, not just for the calves but for the thighs too.
As I was telling my boss earlier, I can't win arm wrestling, but I can give someone a heck of a time with Indian leg wrestling. I'm really not sure how my boss and I got on this subject?
Oh yeah! We were talking about broken bones and bone spurs!
Really, you just had to be there.
