Skip The Repetitive Exercises And Go For A Walk To The Grocery Store

Exercise DVDs and videos are a good way to stay in shape if you do not have time to go to the gym or for walks during the week, but do you really want to do repetitive exercises on your day off?  I found exercise tapes helpful in the past, but I got bored quickly because I like a change of scenery, and I like my workouts to have a purpose.  As a pedestrian I get both of these things, but even drivers can experience this by walking to the store on your day off.

If you live two blocks from the store you could walk there for a change of pace, and a change of scenery.  Believe me: you will notice birds in the trees, the man walking that fluffy dog, and a myriad or things you would never notice if you were zooming by in your car.

Once you get to the store keep your shopping trip small because you are walking back, and pack exercise into it by taking one of those carry around baskets.  I limit amount I buy according to what fits in the carry basket, which really helps you assess whether you need the stuff you are putting in or not.  With all the exercise you are doing you really will rethink purchasing that frozen meal, or that ice cream as well.  I know if I go shopping with a shopping cart I can push around that I will mindless throw lots of stuff in, but with a carry basket I just will not do that!

In repetitive exercise videos you always see those moves with weights, but I always found these boring!  I just do not feel like concentrating on lifting the weight to the side, and contorting my my arms behind my back.  As I said if I am moving about I want a purpose, and carrying the bags home from the grocery store I am lifting weights in a natural way, and my journey home gives me a purpose. 

They always say to take reusable bags with you, but I say it is okay to get the plastic bags at the store.  Do you know why I say that?  A lot of people think they are helping the environment because they use reusable bags at the grocery store, but then they have to buy plastic bags for their trash.  What I do is limit my trash to the small plastic bags from the grocery store, which are made of recycled plastic.  Now if they start charging for these bags I might start rethinking this approach, but right now I just cannot see the point of paying for a large plastic trash bag, which would take me weeks to fill, especially when I can cut down on my waste and throw it all in a small plastic bag from the store.

June Gloom In May

I know they call it June Gloom, but we often have overcast days in April and May as well. Actually, the last few days have been overcast with a bit of sprinkly rain here and there, but I am always expecting a larger rainstorm when the sky is gray and blustery like this. In other news I noticed they have finished cutting down a large portion of the orange field, so I am glad I photographed and documented it before those beautiful trees were destroyed.

There are still more trees that can be seen in he distance since this is quite a large field, but I just do not see the point of destroying perfectly good trees that are still bearing fruit. If they are planning to build a business in the cut down orange field this seems redundant as there are several empty buildings already, and one is a store that never opened. I am just way too much of a conversationalist/environmentalist, but I hate to see trees cut down when there are empty buildings that could have been used for whatever they plan on building. Oh well, I really do not have much of a say about this.

How Did Jaywalking Come About Anyway?

As a pedestrian I never jaywalk because I find this way too dangerous. There are some people who jaywalk across larger streets where there are no cross walks for about half a block, and I always find this practice way too reckless. I would rather walk two blocks to cross at a cross walk rather than putting my life in jeopardy to run across several lanes of traffic. Here is an article in the Atlantic that talks about how the concept of jaywalking has evolved over time, and it is very interesting to read. Honestly, I see people jaywalking on a daily basis, and these pedestrians seem to think nothing of the potential danger of being hit. Maybe I am overly cautious, but this walker is too afraid to jaywalk.

Walking To The Recycling Center

As I was walking my empty cans and bottles to the recycling center, it made me think about how I really want to stop drinking soda again. I have not drank soda for a couple of days, but over the last few months I have been drinking more of it than than I had for awhile. Even drinking juice creates bottles that need to be recycled, and even though I am recycling, each of these bottles still create a bit of waste. However, I often feel drinking tea is best because at least I am not creating lots of waste with this beverage, and it still takes energy to recycle bottles and cans. I sort of wish we could have milk delivery even, which comes with reusable milk bottles. I am not a big milk drinker, but it is good in coffee and baking.

"Silhouettes of Trees In The San Bernardino Mountains" T-Shirts & Hoodies by selfportraitme | RedBubble

"Silhouettes of Trees In The San Bernardino Mountains" T-Shirts & Hoodies by selfportraitme | RedBubble:





People who enjoy walking will like this stylish shirt on their daily jaunts.

Pedestrians Have Leading Roles In Novels, Too

It was not my intention to write a novel about pedestrians when I started working on the rough draft over two years ago, but from the start I decided to make my main characters pedestrians because I wanted to write about people I could identify with on a daily basis. There are many books about cross country road trips and high-speed car chases, but there are not many novels about a single woman who happens to be a pedestrian. In my novel the leading man is also a pedestrian because I always felt that when I met someone I am compatible with, he will most likely have certain major things in common with me, like a penchant for not driving. Sure I met a lot of men on the bus over the years who asked me for my phone number, but to be honest none of them were really what I would consider relationship material. At this point of my life I am not looking for a relationship anyway, but I have enjoyed writing about characters who do not care about what kind of car they drive. My hero and heroine are more concerned with buying comfortable walking shoes, which is a refreshing change in the world of fiction.

Snow On The San Gorgonio Mountains by Bearie23

Only a pedestrian could capture a picture like the snow capped Mountains of San Gorgonio picture above.  one of the perks of walking over driving.

Pedestrians Can Look Good Without Resorting To Shape Wear

One of the reasons I have never been overly enthusiastic about shape wear is because it cinches you in, and is incredibly constrictive and uncomfortable. I am the type of woman who loves to wear skirts, but these will always be flowy with enough room to allow me to move around. Actually, shape wear usually only makes a person look like they lost a few pounds, and you can do the same thing by walking more often. Thus, pedestrians most certainly do not need shape wear since everyone can look fit and amazing through exercise, and by wearing clothes that are not so ridiculously tight. Actually, I totally advocate wearing a cute shirt rather than a constructive outfit, such as the one I have designed below.

Acorns Shirt by Bearie23

The shirt above was designed with a photograph I took of acorns in the San Bernardino Mountains, which just goes to show all the amazing things you can see in the world when you are being active.