New Year

New Year's Day it was cold, like I am not even going to discuss how cold it was. The pinnacle of my achievement that day was to get my wool socks laundered, so I could go out to the New Year's Day party at Tom and JJ's before six (not at three, when I had been kind of expecting to make it an afternoon thing) and shlep around eating everything in sight for a couple hours. Jon drove. It was good to talk to people, and I didn't eat anything bad for me.

Saturday, the second of January, it was still bitterly cold. (As you know bob.) Eventually I got in the car and drove to Hilldale for a little mallwalking. It always comes to this some time in January. I was hoping not so soon. I wore my new chucks, and paid occasional attention despite distractions to the business of not landing on my heels but on the forefoot. They seem kind of tight, but no blisters yet. And posture, always posture.

I used to walk at the mall quite a lot, although I find it incredibly annoying during the Xmas season, which is fortunately over. The crowds, the smells, the general sensation of being in a small and poorly ventilated spaceship with muzak aimed directly at my demographic, the least unpleasant part. I often like the muzak at Hilldale. And then there are the window displays, which give one something to look at during the endless circuits. (That big thing in the atrium is The Biggest Gingerbread Man In The World, so they say, with icing piped over the cracks in sheetcakes of gingerbread.) Eventually of course one is enticed to buy something, which is the whole marketing purpose behind mallwalking.

I made six, no seven circuits of the mall, including the wing as far as the back door of Macy's. From using my pedometer years ago, I know each of those circuits is four-tenths of a mile. So I got my three miles in. I was moving along well in spite of obstacles -- that is happy shoppers -- and it took 55 minutes or so. On the last lap I stopped in a couple places for shopping, and looked at some movie previews. Turned off the stopwatch while I bought clothes. Then I went grocery shopping too. It ended up being at least three hours on my feet, at least that's what the clock said.

Once in years past I walked around Hilldale fourteen times. It is hard to keep track. For a while I inked tally marks on my hand. Now I transfer pocket change from my right to left pocket, when I pass the entry point or very soon after, and seldom wonder if I have already done that. I had quite a number of good ideas and notes this time. Maybe today we will make it to a movie.