A Long Walk Home

Last week I had a small mishap on my bike. Not an actual accident, but a silly thing where I started pedaling, my foot slipped, I lost my balance, and fell over. (Sort of like Artie Johnson on his tricycle in that 60s show, “Laugh In”.) Anyway, I ended up with quite a few bruises and decided to take a couple of days off from biking.

I took a day to run errands around the island on foot instead. When you’re a pedestrian, it’s important to plan a route because it’s time consuming to back track if you forget to stop somewhere. I started my day by walking about a mile to meet some friends for lunch (their treat!) and then headed down the street to the post office and pharmacy. Then I turned around and walked through a plaza where I did a little window shopping, and then crossed a main street and out to a different part of town where I visited two clients, stopped at the bank, and then went to a grocery store.

Groceries are heavy and this is where I miscalculated my endurance level. I took along a backpack and a canvas grocery bag, filling them both with heavy items like bananas, squash, celery, oranges, a bottle of apple juice, and other items. By the time I returned home I was completely exhausted! So even though I consider myself to be in pretty good shape, this five mile day of doing errands on foot was not the best option for me. And when I get back on my bike this week, I think I should peddle to the bike shop and buy a basket for my bike, or maybe even some saddlebags.

In closing, did you see on the news this week about a female  black lab who takes public transportation on her own? She and her owner take a bus to the dog park every day, but sometimes the dog gets on the bus by herself and gets off at the park, her owner meeting her there later. Smart dog! Here is a link to the story:

http://www.abc57.com/story/27840283/dog-takes-public-bus-to-dog-park

Pedestrian Pleasures Fact: According to the AAA, the average person spends $9,641 per year for the privilege of driving.