random thoughts – Day 1,810 – (Saturday) – hoofing it

Even though I often spend Saturdays at home doing not a lot (by choice) the doctor’s prohibition on driving made staying home today feel like a bit of a punishment. It’s amazing what a difference having options can make. There could be no spontaneous trip to Market Basket, St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Shop,  Western Ave Open Studios, or downtown. Instead, there were several Netflix movies, a load of dishes, and a load of laundry.

Around 2:00, there was the need to do something outside the house, coupled with the thought that I wanted potato chips, leading to the idea to walk to Family Dollar. There was a time when I walked everywhere, but that was when I was young and had no car and if I wanted to be somewhere, I had to hoof it. When I was in college, I once walked from home to Slattery’s Back Room (1.2 miles) during a snowfall, because I was not going to miss a night out. Of course, I hadn’t really considered the getting home part of the night when I set out, but someone with a car gave me a ride. Now I tend to think through things a little better to avoid potentially foolhardy (dangerous) situations. It also helps that FOMO no longer rules my nights.

A list was drafted, and some of it was doubtful as to availablility. The list was chips, flip top canned diced tomatoes with chilies, queso, and Arnicare or comfrey salve to help with the really gross looking bruises on my forearm. Waze put the distance between home and the target destination at less than a half-mile, which is closer than I than I thought and confirmed my inability to gauge distance.

At 4:00, I slipped on a coat with a sleeve large enough to go over the wrist brace. It's an old coat I nearly donated multiple times and at least as many timed have been glad I didn't. I grabbed a cloth shopping bag with a handle so I didn’t have to deal with a brown paper Family Dollar bag, and set forth. Two houses away, I realized the list was still on the couch, but often, the act of having written it is enough. My hamstrings, spared intentional fitness walking since my gym membership ran out last July, felt the walk up the tiny slope of my street.  

Blanket of clouds.

I thought it had been sunny, but by the time I went out, the sky was various shades of gray cloud cover pressing down on the tree tops. Route 113 was blessedly quiet, and except for a clump of icy snow in one spot, the sidewalks were clear. I noticed the garage that specialized in foreign cars is surrounded by chain link fencing and has a sign declaring the propery is for sale. There is a Mexican restaurant and a Caribbean one in a tiny strip mall along the way.

Inside Family Dollar, I grabbed a cart, violating the usual shopping philosophy of buying only what I can carry in my hands. I also walked the entire store during my big entertainment outing. The first thing I saw was Easter jelly beans. Yes, please. As suspected, there was no Arnicare. But there were tissues. Chips. Milk Duds. Wallaby black licorice. Chocolate chip cookies. Cupcake papers. I decided against queso because the jars were really dusty. The only canned goods with flip tops were soups. I got a package of microwavable rice with cheddar and broccoli for the day I want rice in under the usual 20-minute cook time.

Early evening settling in.

The total cost at Family Dollar was $15 for a bunch of not healthy stuff, but that is mostly what is sold there. The entire walk and leisurely shopping excursion took 48 minutes. Now I can only wonder why it took me 8.5 years to make that walk. Every time I drove to the gym in the same plaza to walk basically the round-trip distance on the treadmill, I justified it with “I might need to go to Family Dollar to buy something bulky on the way home.” Kind of embarrassing.

A half hour after arriving home, the gray sky had been exchanged for a pretty pinkish purple palette. I love when I notice the early evening colors.