I am in Cleveland Heights for a week of vacation with Tricia. Eric is here; Sean will be in town for a few days as well.
My walking has involved the streets of Cleveland Heights. Often this takes me places where I used to walk with Charley.
I walk. I remember. And I smile.
See you along the Trail.
Filed under Cleveland Heights, Exercise, Family
Support Interfaith Worker Justice.
Interfaith Worker Justice (IWJ) has played a significant role in the fight for economic and worker justice in the United States since 1996. IWJ advances the rights of workers by engaging diverse faith communities into action, from grassroots organizing to shaping policy at the local, state and national levels.
Team Worker Justice Runners is a diverse and dynamic group of runners of all levels brought together by a shared commitment to protecting and advancing workers’ rights. They will run in the upcoming Chicago Half-Marathon on September 8 to raise funds for the work of Interfaith Worker Justice.
My friend, Sung Yeon Choi-Morrow, works for IWJ and will run.
I have made a donation to support IWJ in Sung Yeon’s name. You can do the same – or you can support any of the other Team Worker Justice Runners members.
Today I decided to make a larger commitment. I won’t run. But I will walk. In solidarity with Sung Yeon and the Team Worker Justice Runners, I will walk 13,110 steps on September 8. A half-marathon being 13.109 miles, that equates to 1,000 steps per mile.
If my modest effort inspires you to donate, please support the Team Worker Justice Runners.
If my modest effort inspires you to act in solidarity, let me know and I will pass it along.
Together we can make a difference in the lives of workers.
See you along the Trail.
Filed under Current Events, Friends
On the ride back to the hotel from the Henna Night Party for Joel and Roja last year in Dublin, the cab driver pointed out the window and said, “There’s the Five Lamps.”
We looked and sure enough, there stood a lamp-post with five lanterns. One of us asked about why the lamp-post had significance.
The cab driver said, “Because it has five lamps.” A true answer, but somewhat obvious.
We asked again and he replied, “It is the only one in Dublin.” Not so obvious, but hardly a significant increase in information.
We tried once more and learned no more. I for one gave up. It was dark so I did not get a photo. I guess that is a reason to return.
Tonight, because the 1 Train was crowded, I opted to walk part way home. On Broadway, where I have been before, I noticed the Five Lamps Tavern.
I figure there is a connection. Some Internet searching has proven about as helpful as our Dublin cabbie.
However, from the Dublin City Libraries, I have learned about the lamp-post in Dublin:
The Five Lamps were put up around 1880 as a memorial to General Henry Hall from Galway who had served with the British Army in India. They were originally a water fountain with four basins at their base. Water gushed from the spouts in the shape of lions’ heads. Cups hung from chains over the basins, so that the locals could have a drink. At that time people were poor and had no running water in their homes. The fountain was probably also used as a watering trough for horses to have a drink as well.
Some mystery remains:
Some people think that the name “five lamps” comes from the five streets which meet at this point; others believe that they commemorate five major battles fought in India during the days of the British Empire.
But I know more than I did before. And someday I can learn about the Five Lamps Tavern and possible connections.
See you along the Trail.
Today the Trail led to Louisville. Again. At least that was the plan. It may still happen.
I arrived at LaGuardia – perhaps my least favorite place in New York – at around 4:30 for a 6:00 flight to Washington. There I would connect with a flight to Louisville.
Shortly after I arrived in Terminal C, the attendants announced that the 5:00 flight would be delayed. About 5:15, they announced that the 6:00 flight, my flight, would be delayed. I jumped into the line to check connections because I did not have much time in Washington.
Shortly after I got in line, they announced that my flight would be further delayed. Then came the news that they had cancelled the 5:00 flight. Oddly enough no one cheered this announcement.
When I reached the counter, Ricardo had bad news and good news and bad news for me. I would miss my connection. He could book me on another flight – a direct flight on another airline. It would not leave until 8:45. I took the flight.
Ricardo sent me around the corner to the other airline’s help desk. There I learned that the plane would depart from a gate in Terminal D.
Having almost three hours I asked if I could walk to the new gate. Told that I could, I did.
And I discovered the bridge between the terminals. And I realized that it made, if not a perfect, at least a very good place to walk and an opportunity to keep up my efforts at self-care.
In the spirit of making Irish whiskey when life gives one barley, I have spent an hour walking on the bridge. And since my flight is now delayed until 10:00, I may walk some more.
See you along the Trail.
Ghost Ranch
Abiquiu, New Mexico
26 October 2009
Filed under Friends, Ghost Ranch People, Ghost Ranch Views, Lent, Photo
By the Gregorian/Western calendar a new year began today. Other calendars, such as lunar calendars or the Christian year, have other starting dates.
Still today provides an opportunity to review and resolve and start anew. Always one to go along with the crowd, I took this moment to refocus my efforts at self-care.
First, a look back. In some ways December 2012 proved a bust. I regularly ate too much – way too much on many occasions. Because of travel and some minor foot issues (already being addressed), I failed to make my step goal most days. I failed to walk 30 minutes at a time most days.
But I did work through it all and made it to my three-month goal of 1,000,000 steps! Between October 1, 2012 and December 31, 2012, I logged 1,000,370 steps.
That feels good. Very, very good.
Rather than dwell on the failures, I plan to build on the success of 1,000,000 in 2013.
The big three goals will remain: eat well, walk 10,000 steps, walk 30 minutes at a stretch. For at least the first 100 days, in support of a friend who is training for a half-marathon, I will eat no desserts or sweets. At least I will try not to do that. Assuming things go well, I have some other goals in mind to add.
I plan to post more regularly – on my other blog – mostly as a motivational tool. If you want to check it out and give me a hard time, that would be fine.
See you along the Trail.
On October 1, I set a goal of walking 10,000 steps each day. After several days, I realized that by increasing the number of steps, it would be possible to walk 1,000,000 total steps between October 1 and today – December 31.
Moments ago, I logged that 1,000,000th step. Goal met. And it feels good.
Now to set some goals for 2013 – goals for healthier living. I have some ideas and my friend Irene has put one out there for me as well. I look forward to what is to come.
See you along the Trail.
The effort at self care continued. November proved – well maybe better, maybe not. The effort continued to focus on walking and eating. I failed to do much in the way of recording my results on another blog. I have continued to annoy family and friends by posting on Facebook. Here’s a summary for the month and you can where there were successes and where there were challenges and where there was a change. And something strange happened. At least it seems strange to me.
GOAL ONE – EAT WELL
Ate well: 1 day
Overate: 29 days (maybe not overate badly on all of those days – just most of them; certainly all of them involved eating more than would have contributed to losing any weight)
GOAL TWO – WALK 30 MINUTES AT A TIME
Walked 30 minutes at a time: 29 days (took one day off)
Note: sometimes this involves using the treadmill, other times it involves walking outside.
GOAL THREE – WALK 11,000 STEPS A DAY
Walked 11,000 steps: 22 days
Note: this is a new goal that was initiated on November 1. When October ended, I realized that it would be possible to reach 1,000,ooo steps from October 1 to December 31. For some reason, that seems cool. To become a 1,000,000 stepper would take about 11,000 steps. Since November 1, that has been the goal.
STEPS FOR THE MONTH
351,745
STEPS 1 OCTOBER THROUGH 30 NOVEMBER
709,142
Despite all the overeating, despite single-handedly eating enough Ben and Jerry’s ice cream to increase their profit margin significantly, I actually lost 4 pounds in November.
That gives me much to ponder for December and beyond.
See you along the Trail.
Some know that I initiated a new effort at self-care on 1 October 2012. I record my results on another blog – mainly to keep myself accountable. To date, the effort involves walking and addressing eating. All in all, the first month proved successful with significant backsliding over the past week. Here’s a summary for the month:
Ate well: 22 days – overate 9 days
Walked 30 minutes at a time: 31 days
Walked 10,000 steps a day: 29 days – missed 2 days when Hurricane Sandy restricted movement
Total steps 357,396
November will be better.
See you along the Trail.
It called to me. The chapel called to me. Again my evening walk in Hyde Park, Chicago led me to Rockefeller Chapel. My camera remained behind but the BlackBerry was along. I wandered to a different side of the chapel than last night and came up with another interesting view.
See you along the Trail.
Along the Graybeard Trail 