I'm trying to keep up the momentum, so today I do my favorite route forward: 1.25 miles up a long, gradual, but intense hill. Once I get to the top of the hill, I have a multitude of ways to come back down the hill, but it's okay because I must descend since the entire first half of the walk has been climbing. Regardless of my return route, I'm moving in the right direction: NOT uphill.
The best part of this route is that I go past a lot of residential older homes before hitting civilization. Today the blossoms are out on bushes, and the tree leaves have nearly unfurled. This is great news for the coming of summer. This is horrible news for my nose.
Halfway through today's walk, my nose starts running, which is depressing because this is not the body part that should be doing the running; it should be my stumpy legs running my lard-ass back to base camp at my house at the bottom of the hill.
Oh, I almost make it. Yup, I keep away from the worst of the pollen until I pass the lilacs. Then I pass more lilacs. Then more. And even more. By the time I pass the fourth stone wall covered in semi-blooming lilacs, my nose is running faster than an escaped convict.
Thank goodness I thought to bring a tissue with me. Unfortunately, it's only one tissue, so I have to cut my walk short. I jog the last 3/10ths of a mile to my house, sitting on the front step and blowing my nose into the nearly threadbare tissue. I only make it two miles today, which is better than I planned (my plan was to sit on my fat butt when I got home). That counts as "more walking," right?
