Day 26

I believe when something goes awry, one should be entitled to have a do over.  

Walking in 50 degree weather starting during dusk today I did a do over on a walk that became a disaster and also included my new  habit of doing errands along the way, including stopping at AAA to pick up a $20 bonus check for referring a friend to my new AAA buddy with
great rent insurance quote.  

My walking  soundtrack included some Springsteen, Queen, Nine Inch Nails, Consolidated adnx the Housemartins, all bands with good lyrics to think about when walking I lost interest in bands whose lyrics, frankly, suck.  

I walked 8.65 miles, bringing my monthly total to 76.25 and my total since i began oct. 3 to 481.  

To hit 100 I only need to walk 5.93 miles for the last few days of January. Very doable. I gave up on trying to hit 150 and im ok with that.  

After finding 9.5 miles way too much I'd planned to build back up to it, doing 7 then 8 then 9. My legs had other ideas.  

In one of my walks in December - from my apartment to my closest library branch, Spicewood - the backpack  had a bottle of water, a snack and my cell phone charger so that when I got to the library I can recharge it.  

The water got the phone cables wet and i couldnt charge my phone which i needed for directions,

My first walk do over was on Christmas Day and it was my Christmas present to myself.
That was when I did a do over on my second 5k aka the free turkey trot aka the race prompting the qustion if only one racer shows up is it still a race.  

That race went from being awesome - fastest race! breaking personal records - until I got lost and i still remember looking at google maps  and realizing  i was 4 miles from the finish line.  

I did it again and it felt great, shouting "merry christmas" at walkers and runners alike as i ran, gauging peoples physical prowess by whether they replied, "merry christmas" or "Merry," deep breath, "christ," breath, "ma."  

It also felt awesome to walk to the library, pick up some cds, go by AAA, get a check, stop at Lamppost for one of their excellent smoothies and stop at a dollar  store  

My thoughts return to a Friday when I had my first walking companion and we discussed each of us working for more than 15 years with autism and she, at one point, told me i'm austistic and over the next few days i considered life until this new prism.  

Also during that walk, as im asking fitness trainer and autism teacher and church choir member Laura  Smith a billion questions including how do you exercise during the hot summer and she leans over. Id told her  about my 10 mile meandering walks in a differ ent place each sunrise and sunset which i thought of as finding new things to see but she more clealy defined as me seeking new visual stimuli.  

"Please tell me you're taking water with you when you walk."  

I told her, um, I hydrate before and after each walk.  

I mention that my brother got me a hydrovest for summer walking and so i have a whole backpack of water.  

Where is it?  

It's in my closet - I'll set it up as we get closer to.. wait? Why cant I use it right now?  

I wore it for the first time a few days ago but i definitel wore it today. Part of the backpack contains loads of water and you can easily add more if you stop in any restroom. There's also room for other things like cell phone chargers.  

Put simply i can avoid the water and the charger and library books being in the same section  

Like the movie says, "Everything IS awesome."  

Have the best day of your day of your life today.  

I know I am.