Sunday, May 21, 2023

My Seven Mile Walk Through Short Pump

I have been discouraged from running for the time being. Until I am able to get this heart business resolved it has been suggested that I limit my cardio to walking. So, that’s exactly what I have done for the past couple of months. However, me being me, I have turned it into an internal competition whereby I come up with made up challenges which I have to overcome, including but not limited to—ridiculously long walks and attempts to break personal best times per mile with each event. This is the sort of thing that drives Pam nuts, especially when I forget to bring my phone along and she has no idea where I am are when I’m coming back. Take yesterday for example.

It started off as a peaceful family stroll, Pam, Lucy and me walking along uncompetitively, waiting for Lucy’s morning bowel movement, which was a doozy that involved a PBM (poop bag malfunction), never a good thing. But we recovered nicely and continued on until Pam made the decision to head back to the house while I continued on. This was a baffling and exceedingly unpopular choice with Miss Lucy, who always looses her mind when anyone breaks up the pack. Pam was able to eventually wrangle her home while my real competitive walk finally was able to begin. Thanks to Lucy’s shenanigans my time for that first mile was an abysmal 18 minutes and 26 seconds! This simply would not do so I had to pick up the pace.

Previously in my walking adventures the longest walk I had managed was a 6 miler about a week ago. Naturally, I decided that today I would go for a personal best…seven miles. If I had run this idea by the beautiful and talented Mrs. Dunnevant she might have said something along the lines of, “Um, aren’t you working at Thrift this afternoon? Do you think it wise to walk seven miles on a day where you will walk at least four more miles in the store?” This would have been an excellent point—which I would have breezily dismissed. The truth is, it never entered my mind until she said that very thing when I finally arrived back home almost two hours later. A dramatic eye roll might have been included. I can’t remember since I was delirious.

So, I thought I would share with you all some of the many sites I saw on my walk. Lots of you don’t live in Short Pump so you might be wondering what kind of scenery I enjoyed. First of all, here was my route, totally unplanned, spontaneous and uninspired:


I should point out that I resisted both Italian temptations, although Ray’s Italian Ice was touch and go for a moment.


Over in the Shoppes at Wellesley I happened upon a new Thai place that I had never noticed before. The name alone demands that I give this place a try very soon.


Speaking of Wellesley, although I would never choose to live there, I must admit its a pleasant and beautiful place to walk.



Eventually my route took me past this monstrosity. Its on a new road that I seldom use so the place surprised me. Where did this place come from?? Its one of those Over 55 Luxury Communities, exactly the kind of place I wouldn’t move to if they gave me a million bucks. This one had the perfect pretentious name…Everleigh. How about Neverleigh??


When I finally got back home some of my favorite members of the Under 55 crowd had turned the street in front of my house into a horse barn where they had parked their horses, “Pickles”, “Buckles” and “Firefly”.

So, I finished the seven mile walk in a respectable time of one hour, fifty minutes and sixteen seconds. My heart behaved beautifully throughout. 

I suppose some of you are wondering how I did at my afternoon shift at the Thrift Store. I did quite well, working circles around Tom Allen, I might add, which is admittedly a low bar. However, if truth be told, this morning my body has registered several complaints about yesterday’s agenda in the form of sore muscles, creaky joints and uncooperative fine motor skills. But I intend on remedying the situation with 500 MG of Naproxen and this breakfast of champions:











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