Friday

 

My new workout shorts came yesterday. The pockets are good for walking with a cellphone, and one pocket has a zipper to keep your cellphone from falling out at the gym. I love not having to shop in stores. No driving. No people. No lines. Just open the front door and pick up your package.

I feel guilty about the weather today. Just amazing. We drove to Publix this morning and walked the entire causeway and then shopped afterwards. It was in the mid 60s and sunny.

It was 79 degrees, just beautiful, at the gym after lunch. A differently abled man stopped me to help him remove a stuck cotter pin on his bike rack. I was able to get it unstuck so that he could lower his bike electronically to the ground. He was interested in how I did it, for future reference, I’m sure. I told him the pin was stuck at first when I tried to pull it straight out. So I jiggled it from side to side and that loosened it up and it pulled right out. The weight of the bike and platform had wedged the pin in. It was his first time biking the Pinellas Trail. He had questions about which way was the best route. I answered him as best I could. As I rode off, he transferred himself from his wheelchair to his modified bicycle. As I’ve said before, there’s a bike for everyone,  regardless of abilities.

After the gym, I rode my bike to Stevenson Creek. As I arrived, I noticed an old black man on a beater bike wearing tattered clothes and sporting a grizzled beard. I stopped to look at the water. I said hello and asked him how he was doing? He said, “I’m doing real good, sir. Thank you for asking.” I felt a social awkwardness in the interaction that could not quite transcend race and class. I could only surmise that he, too, stopped to admire the beauty of the water and didn’t want any trouble. In that moment, I would have liked to slough off my white skin to put us both at ease as we took in the scene before us, just two old men on bikes.

On the way home, I came upon a man on a bike with his poodle in a bike trailer. He followed me all the way to my Palm Boulevard turn off. He had an electric bike and liked my pace. He was heading to Palm Harbor he said. I leaned over to inspect the trailer’s set up. I was surprised to learn that his dog wasn’t even tethered to the open trailer. The dog was calm and seemed to understand not to get out as we waited for the light to change. I was impressed. Toby would bolt at the first opportunity if he saw a squirrel or if we came to a stop or just if he felt like it.

John’s on a smoothie kick, so I am, too. His reasoning is that it’s a good way to lose weight and feel full. Today’s smoothie (his dinner): frozen cauliflower, squash, cherries, blueberries, banana, grapes, cottage cheese, yogurt. I followed mine with a PB&J. (We had Juan’s burritos for lunch.)

Last walk of the day 

Miles walked: 12.3

Miles biked: 10.99