Exercise, Toots!

In those boxes are a recumbent bike E that my mother says I can reassemble myself. She really should know me better.... But I am so thankful to have a bike... even if its in a box.

I'm not much of an exerciser. Years ago, I'd go jogging at dawn. It really was nice to watch the sun come up while jogging.... but. My back does not like jogging anymore and I haven't seen a dawn for some time. So the way I have stayed a little bit in shape is to ride my bike on errands around town. However, last spring I developed a neck problem and that ended that. (An aside: The U.S. health "system" is twice as expensive as the health care system in any other country. All other countries have some form of universal health care. People claim that universal health care is too expensive. How does half as much equal more? I missed that math lesson. I understand the cost of upfront money... I face that every time I consider buying 1 or 4 rolls of toilet tissue. But really... you gotta take care of sh*t.)

There are 2 main reasons I want to stay in shape. One is, I don't like buying new pants. 2 is, I tend to take public transport and also tend to "run" late. The funniest transport link was the over 1 and a 1/2 yrs I dragged my sagging rear up to Boston. I rode a folding bike the 8-10 minutes to the train station in Providence RI and 5 minutes to the long day at the other end. The folding bike has small wheels... I'd have one coffee cup in hand and one in the bag as I frantically pedaled my middle aged self though the dark streets ZOOMING by the convention center and up the hill grabbing my bike and racing down the steps to jump on the train. You can see why I need to stay in shape.

I went to visit my parents this past Thanksgiving.... and had to run to catch the airport bus. Of course. When I told my mother about my desperate race downtown... she related how her and a buddy were catching a plane at DFW (Dallas). The security check delayed them so much my 70 something mother didn't even put her shoes back on but ran though DFW in her stocking feet clutching her shoes.... and missed the plane anyway. I'm looking at her like geeze. Its never gonna stop is it. Only thing is, I'm going to start missing the planes trains buses. Its freakin' genetic.

Run?

One of the reasons I keyed into this story, was the amount of change George Martin had found so far on the side of the road. The blurb I read said 48 dollars, with about a third of the distance walked. George Martin is a retired NFL player who spent 14 years with the New York Giants and was co-captain to the 1986 Super Bowl team. He is walking from the George Washington bridge to the Golden Gate Bridge to raise money for the medical needs of the first responders of 9/11. The first responders entered an environmental cesspool on 9/11 in their desire to do the right thing.

George Martin started his walk on September 16, 2007. He's hoping to raise 10 million dollars. I figure, that also means about $150 from the side of the road. But I wonder, is he picking up pennies. I pick up pennies. If you run into the guy (figuratively speaking), lemme know. I don't think he is.

But. Is it just me... but. Like, vote. Yell at your representatives, and vote. The first responders entered that cesspool to do the right thing for their country and their country isn't doing right by them. They should have hesitated. Asked, whose going to pay if we get sick. (Since, of course, this is the one country without some form of universal healthcare.) Who's going to help us out. Who is going to walk the mile....

And as a not-so-side note I wonder if he watched the Giants Pats game. Good game. (Might not have felt so if the Pats lost, but, can now lean back a bit in appreciation...)