One of my goals while being off this summer was to work on losing 10 pounds. I’ve been walking on the treadmill pretty regularly but it just hasn’t been having the effect I’d expected. Last week I really counted carbs and doing that helped me shed a pound. I’m now down to 184. I’d like to be between 170 and 175. In time I’m sure.

Today I decided to walk outside instead of inside on the treadmill. Next to my high rise condo there is an apartment complex. There are sidewalks around the entire complex. On one side they go up a steep hill. I used to walk this route last summer and got a decent work out doing it. So today I got back to walking that route. I clipped on my iPod mini, selected Shania Twain’s UP, and began to walk. Before I even got to the apartment complex by way of the sidewalk, I was already hot and sweaty.

I decided to take my mind off the heat and the sweat and to be more aware of my surroundings. On the second trip around I began to notice different sights, and sounds. I noticed those little birds that seem to be everywhere eating some berries off a bush. I was almost able to walk on by without them getting scared and flying off. As I continued to walk I heard the digital music sounds blasting from the Good Humor ice cream truck. I saw several little kids running ahead of their parents to get to the truck. I wonder why they play Christmas carols in the summer time. I then saw all the pastel orange of an creamsicle in the hand of one child one minute and melting quickly on the asphalt in another.

Making the slight right turn through the parking lot, I saw a little red Honda Civic CRX. The memory of Shawn popped into my head. He used to drive a car just like that. I can remember the sound it made when he put it in gear and the way it jerked forward when he let out the clutch. As I began the climb up the steep part of the sidewalk, I saw a crab apple tree. Many of the crab apples had fallen to the ground and some had be stepped on on the sidewalk. You could smell a slight hint of apple. But it wasn’t quite apple. Under the tree I could see two squirrels nibbling on the fallen crab apples. They hesitated as I walked by but then continued nibbling. At the top of the hill I could look across the complex and see my high rise. I quickly counted the floors to find my balcony. I could see the white plastic chairs and the pots of marigolds on my balcony. The condo below mine has nothing on it’s balcony. I wonder if anyone lives there. As I descended the hill I could feel the muscles in my thighs working overtime. A maintenance vehicle drove by as I went down the hill. I could smell the exhaust from it’s tail pipe. At the bottom of the hill I checked both ways and crossed the street.

I was back to the beginning. I checked my pedometer and I had only walked 6/10 of a mile. I would need to walk another 4 or 5 laps to make it worth it. I continued on. During the second lap most of the things I had seen, heard, and smelled before were gone. No little birds, children, ice cream truck, the little red Honda Civic CRX, the squirrels, and the maintenance vehicle. However, the completely melted creamsicle was there. Now just a mixture of orange and white covering the stick. I didn’t see, hear, or smell anything new on the second or third time around. I had worked my way through almost all of Shania’s songs. The sky was grey at this point and there was a light breeze. Surely I can make it around a fourth time before it rains. But half way through the fourth lap the rain began to fall. This of course introduced new things to see, smell, and hear. It wasn’t a hard downpour so I decided to finish the fourth lap and enjoy feeling the cold rain hit my hot skin. As more rain fell, the asphalt began to steam. The little white clouds rose off the black surface. The air was very heavy at this point. I could smell the combination of the wet rain hitting the hot pavement. You know the smell. It’s hard to describe. It’s that wet asphalt smell. I saw other people running to get indoors. I heard children laughing and screaming as they ran inside as well. I made it back to my building before becoming completely drenched. My hair was wet from both sweat and rain. It felt good. Entering my air conditioned building I felt the cool air begin to dry my skin. It’s amazing what you can see, hear, and smell if you just take the time to notice it. I’ll try to complete five laps tomorrow. I wonder what I’ll notice.