All this fun for only $1

Back in the fall, I came across a group page on Meetup.com for weekly walks and hikes around my general vicinity. Some of the longer ones that included canoeing as well didn't interest me but I signed up to just get updates on the other ones. Over the course of late fall and into 2010, it was interesting to read the new walks that were scheduled (but I never joined in). Most were just around older neighborhoods in the area and the first formal one of the year was a 6 mile walk around Lillie Park.

Big A, Hooch and I have been to a section of it that was originally a gravel pit but never to the surrounding paths in the wooded area. I didn't formally RSVP until after talking to a coworker who was interested in this group too so together, we decided to give it a try which was about a month ago.

Fast forward one month and 2 snowstorms later and the week of the walk arrives. I'm still thinking what kind of walk this would be. Are the trails maintained or are we walking through 2 feet of snow? Someone leaves a comment on the group's page about what to wear and Melissa, the organizer, said that she went last week and only had on workout shoes and clothing. This should have been my first clue that she was crazy.

The morning of the walk arrives (e.g., yesterday) and I layer up as much as possible - t-shirt, turtleneck, tights, 2 pairs of socks, fleece pants, zip up sweatshirt with a hood (the group was going to lunch afterwords so I couldn't risk hat hair), boots, gloves, and winter coat.

We arrive at the right spot at the right time and loiter outside as everyone arrives. There was a pretty good turn out. I would guess about 15 people (which included one lone man) and 2 dogs. There was one woman that looked like a pro - she had brought walking sticks. I don't know why but there is a $1 fee for some of these events so after everyone arrived, we handed Melissa our $1 and headed out. Melissa had gone a little ways into the park when she arrived and said that this walk would be 'extreme' because there is about 2 feet of snow and that it would be about 12,000 steps. As is my nature, I didn't believe it. Anyone in a wool fedora, Skechers, works from home, and has a 9 month old Golden Retriever that bucks like a horse on his leash is automatically suspect.

As we begin to head out, it's not too bad. We have to sludge through snow but being in the middle of the pack, most of the sludging is done from the poor sap who started first. A few moments later, Melissa stops us all and asks who has a good sense of direction in order to lead the group. I have to admit that scared me more than a little bit. A woman in spandex pants, boots and a fleece headwrap took over then.

We continue on a bit but the walk gets harder even with being in the middle of the pack. At a fork, the group goes right as I longingly look at the path some previous suckers...I mean, walkers had made to the left. I guess this was suppose to be part scenic tour too but it was hard not to watch the feet of the person in front of you to look around. We crossed a boardwalk and when looking around for a minute before returning to the person's feet in front of me, I gathered that in any other season, this was probably a marsh. On the other side, we stop so some can give their dogs water. It is at this point that my coworker and I turn to each other and give the "WTH?" look. We decided then and there that we were going to turn around and take the shorter route. We informed Melissa of this and she then blurted out "We've lost 2 already and it's only .75 miles." Another couple, Bill and Melissa, decide that they too will turn around since they aren't sure if their dog Sam could make it all the way in these conditions.

After exchanging phone numbers in order to meet up for the planned lunch afterwards, the new (and smarter) group heads out as the others continue on. I lead them back to the fork in the snow and take the trail that someone had already carved out for us. A little ways in, I notice that the footprints are heading in the opposite direction. I tried not to think of why that might be and removed any horror movie plots that had popped into my head.

Along the way, we stop and take a break and read the instructional signs that pop up along the way and chat and take pictures. We get to another fork in the snow and I know that the path to the right is leading us away from the road so I take the one on the left. This "path" isn't nearly as clear as it was previously and before we know it, we end up in a strip of clearing where the electrical towers are. Straight ahead: the section of Lillie Park that I was familiar with but there was no way down to it so we ended up blazing a new trail down the clearing. In the distance, I can see cars so I know salvation is near but this trek isn't easy. Bill and Sam go ahead of us to make a trail as us girls walk, getting increasingly sweaty, and continue to chat.

About a third of the way down, we take a break and Melissa remembers the cinnamon schnapps (Hot Damn, to be exact) that is in her coat pocket. In nearly knee high drifts of snow and with the electrical towers humming overhead, we stand in the clearing passing the bottle around. I'm not a big drinker and I haven't had Hot Damn in a coon's age but boy, did that ever hit the spot.

We continue to walk through the snow with the wooden fence and the cars going by getting ever so much closer (and stopping one more time to finish off the Hot Damn). Finally, we made it to the asphalt sidewalk in which I nearly pulled a Pope and got down and kissed it.

From here, the walk back to the parking lot was a piece of cake and the four of us decided not to wait for the group and just head to lunch ourselves. With Sam tuckered out and fast asleep in their vehicle, we enjoyed a very fun and festive lunch of gyros, hummus and as a treat from Melissa, baklava.

I don't know whatever happened to the rest of the group but I know that I loved the group that I ended up walking with even if this did make my plantar fasciitis a lot worse that it was at the start of the day. Just meeting Bill and Melissa was well worth the $1.


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A pictorial overview of the walk:

Update to Yesterday's Entry

I get home today and I notice that the mail is here (and about 1.5 hour early). In the mailbox is just the newest Consumers Report magazine and a blank envelope. No writing, no stamp, nothing. This piques my curiosity even though I have a feeling it's just some wacky religious material we sometimes get that I enjoy "accidentally" leave laying around just to irk Big A.

I go in and set everything down and open the completely blank envelope. Inside was a $50 gift certificate to Aubree's. There was no note but after the talk he and I had last week, I'm pretty sure it's from Jim. Between our enjoyment of their happy hour food items (an $8 calzone with 2 items for a mere $4?! You can't beat that!) and my college alumni card that gets me a percentage off of our bill when there aren't specials, this is going to last quite awhile.

Tomorrow we are suppose to get up to 4 inches. Not enough to snow blow but after receiving this sizable gift, I just might have to personally shovel his sidewalks.

Helping Out The Neighbors

On Monday we had our second snowstorm in the last week and a half. Instead of driving in it on a workday that wasn't really important, I took the day off and went out and had fun in it. By fun, I mean shoveling. Again Big A fueled up the snowblower (just your basic Toro, not the big industrial kind) and did the 3 neighbors nearest to us while I did our porch and sidewalk and headed out to where he was to do the finesse work - their porches and helping him find the edges of the sidewalks. We did our 70+ year old neighbor Terry's driveway and sidewalks, then crossed back across the street and did the sidewalk down to Jim who is probably in his mid-60's but after a life of heavy smoking, can't really handle snow removal. After that, we came back and did the driveway and sidewalk of Dan and Melissa who just had a baby 2 weeks ago. As luck would have it, we did their driveway just in time for her to take the baby to her doctor's appointment.

After a discussion that included nothing more than eye contact, a few hand signals and facial gestures, Big A then turned around and crossed the street again and ended up doing the sidewalk and part of the driveway of Terry's neighbor Randy who moved in about a year ago but we hadn't officially met. Unfortunately, Randy offered Big A $5 for helping it out. I say unfortunately because we don't do this for money. We do it because we have the snowblower and don't see the need to use it only for our own property like the Lawn Nazi and his industrial sized one. Randy wouldn't take no for an answer so Big A begrudgingly accepted it. When we were done and before we started on Round 2 later in the afternoon, we headed half a mile to Aubrees for a late lunch. We decided to use Randy's money and 'pay it forward' by using it as the very generous tip for our server.

In between snowstorms last week while walking the dog, Jim had stopped me and thanked me for doing his driveway and sidewalk and saving him from what would probably have been 5 heart attacks. He then added that he would like to buy us dinner and where did we like to eat. Much like Big A did with Randy, I said that he didn't have to and we were glad to help but after he wouldn't let it drop, I told him that we did enjoy Aubree's which I figured was easy enough for Jim to get to for a gift certificate.


After the talk with Jim, I realized, and was reminded of this with Randy and his $5, that as much as you might not want it because you aren't doing the good deed with any ulterior motives (although truth be told, I warned Big A to do an extra good job on Jim's driveway to ensure this gift certificate to dinner after Monday's snowstorm), sometimes people are so grateful for what you've done that you run the risk of offending them if you don't take whatever they are offering. Sure, Jim may not ever get the gift certificate but we will still do his driveway and sidewalks knowing that he's inside appreciating it. Terry always graces us with a knock on the window and a wave when she sees us but I know that it sets her mind to ease (and in the summer, we all congregate under her carport to watch the world go by and to chat) and Dan doesn't mind heights so he's our Spring and Fall gutter guy as well as someone we can ask for help when needed (he once painted around our back door/basement step area for nothing but a few Double Stuf Oreos and a couple bottle of beer).

The interesting end to this story: While at Aubree's for the late lunch, the snowplow had gone by. When we got home, instead of a wall of wet snow, we found that someone had shoveled the end of our driveway. Now I know how Jim, Terry, Dan, and Melissa feel.

Watching the Olympics Murf-style

Opening ceremonies: *yawn* I'm a huge fan of Canada and I enjoyed the native aspect of it but after an hour and assuming the Canadian God Wayne Gretzky would be the lighting the official flame (which he was...one of 4..or 3 if you count the figure skater that got stuck with the bum column not rising). I did get a little choked up when Georgia (the country, not the country in the form of a United State) came marching in.

Luge: While unfortunately it seems to suffer from the "bigger/faster/higher/better" philosophy until someone had to die to which the starting point for men was moved to the, to quote another luger, the old lady line, I love it. I think that's the coolest sport of them all. Sure, part of it does have to do with the tight outfits but I'm just impressed that they can point their feet and hold their head up through all that.

Speed skating (mens): Much like the luge, love the outfits. I find when 6 or 7 are skating together that it is kind of mesmerizing which leads to me forgetting to check out Shani Davis in his unitard. Apolo has awfully pretty skin and teeth though.

Figure skating (mens/pairs/ice dancing): I watch it in hopes of getting the answer to the one question I've always had: What heterosexual man would choose to be an ice skater? I have yet to get an answer.

Moguls (women): My breasts and knees hurt just watching that. I'm assuming men must cringe when watching the men moguls.

Downhill skiing: My second favorite winter Olympic sport to watch. Partly because, much like NASCAR, I'm always looking out for the accident but eventually I get into it once there are scores to beat.

Biathlon: This sport deserves the WTF? award. So you cross-country ski and then you stop and shoot at targets and then you cross-country ski some more. How about shooting at something real WHILE cross-country skiing like deer or squirrel...or the person in the lead? Maybe that will be when the winter Olympics are held in the south.

Cross-country skiing: Borr-ring!

Hockey (men): I'm excited to watch this but how sad is it that most of the players that are popular in the NHL are playing for Canada or Sweden. Who is on the US team? Did they have to bring back Pat LaFontaine? (Did I just show my age right there?)

Hockey (women): I'm a big fan of women hitting other women but unfortunately, NBC doesn't seem to think it's that big of an event as of yet. Maybe once they get down to the medal rounds....nah, probably not even then.

Coverage of the Olympics: Boooooo! I love the Beijing Summer ones because I could watch it on CBC (Canadian channel) and get real coverage without all the blathering. Now I have to sit through all the blathering because CBC was outbid by another Canadian channel and it's one I don't get. I do like the "Coming up..." in the lower righthand corners though.