Recently in Health Category

A recent article on Medical News Today reports that there's a certain class of young gay men who are particularly susceptible to HIV infection right now:

Gay young men in serious relationships are six times more likely to have unprotected sex than those who hook up with casual partners, according to new Northwestern Medicine research.

The article goes on to explain how this tendency, combined with the fact that young men often don't get tested frequently enough, makes those in serious relationships vulnerable to HIV infection.

I've seen this in action.  To some degree*, I've even been guilty of it.  It's far too easy to fall into the belief that HIV is a problem that mostly -- or even only -- affects those gay men who visit bath houses or goes cruising in parks.  It's easy to tell ourselves that as long as we tend towards serious relationships and only have a few partners -- all serially, of course -- and only get involved with men who do the same, we'll be safe.  And to be honest, given the way some of us -- even those of who know better and are careful even when we're in a monogamous relationship -- reinforce this idea, it's not surprising.

How do we reinforce this idea?  By the way we talk about and treat those men who do visit bath houses or go cruising.  I've seen so many gay men call these "promiscuous" men irresponsible** and automatically accuse them of getting and spreading STD's.  And I've seen many gay men assume that if a guy happens to be HIV+ or have any other STD, he must have been "promiscuous."

And that's how you get young men who assume that HIV and STD's are a problem for men who cruise or hook up.  Because the rest of us send them that message by our words and actions, even if it's unintentional.  Those young men don't hear -- at least not as loudly -- that they don't have to have hundreds of sex partners to get HIV or any other STD.  People who only have two or three partners*** can become infected, especially if one of those partners hasn't been tested because he figures he's HIV- and STD-free simply because he has only had one or two partners who seemed to be STD-free at the time.

Let's quite pretending that being HIV+ or having an STD is a sign of "promiscuity."  It's unfair to everyone and especially harmful to young men who assume they must be safe if they can still count the number of partners they've had on one hand.

h/t Edge on the Net

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* Though as a rule, I still used protection.

** Some of them may well be irresponsible, but it's still an assumption made without evedence.

*** Let's face it, the likelihood of any of us meeting our perfect life-partner the first time and never having sex again is low.

For the past few weeks, I've been regularly hearing a new advertisement for Lipitor when I'm driving in my car.  This ad encouraging people to keep taking Lipitor rather than switching to a generic medication for their high cholesterol.  The ad makes a point of arguing that Lipitor is one of the most effective cholesterol medications out there and that there is no generic form of it.  They close the ad by asking in a concerned voice, "If you're taking Lipitor for high cholesterol and it's working, why switch?"

Every time I hear that question, I want to pull a Barney Frank and ask the narrator in the ad, "Just how stupid are you?  Or do you just think we're stupid?"  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the number one reason someone might choose to switch from Lipitor to a generic medication:  Generic medications cost significantly less money and not all of us are made of money.

I took Lipitor for a year or so when my blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol were all in trouble.  Even with my insurance, a one month supply cost me $25.  According to one New York Times article,  The cost of a one month supply without insurance would range from $75 to $90.  That's a lot of money for a person to be paying out each month for a single health maintenance medication.  And bear in mind that most people on Lipitor are probably also on other medications for other long term conditions like high blood pressure.  That adds up.  So it's little wonder that people are looking at their shrinking wallets -- especially in our current economy -- and asking their doctor to give them a generic option that they can get for as little as $3 a month.

Now, if Pfizer was really concerned about people switching to less effective medicine, I would expect them to do something to make their more effective Lipitor a more viable option for most people.  The most obvious way to do that would be to lower the price.  And from a business standpoint (though I really have no tolerance for anyone who thinks of maintaining and improving human health as a business, to be quite frank), it also makes sense.  It's how the principle of supply and demand is supposed to work.

But no, instead of doing that, Pfizer instead decides to launch a propaganda -- I'm sorry, advertising -- campain.  Rather than making their product more affordable for those who really need it -- those they claim to be concerned about -- they instead decide to spend millions on advertisements telling how much better better Lipitor is than the inferior generics.  They pay people to do "research" showing how generic options are not as effective or safe as Lipitor.  In effect, rather than trying to help out the people they express concern over by lowering their prices, they try to scare those people into paying money they probably don't have in the first place.

Have I mentioned that I think pharmaceutical companies are evil?

After nearly a month long silence, I decided it's finally time to write here again. I apologize for being gone so long. However, life made it necessary. To be honest, between the fact that I've been too busy at work to do much writing and the fact that what I had to write about were things I'm not comfortable sharing publicly, the lengthy silence was necessary.

Of course, I'm still somewhat busy, and not just because of work. My activities with Park Avenue Dance Company are taking up a great deal of my time. I believe that I mentioned that starting this Fall, I'd be taking three classes a week there. True to form, I am now in the Tuesday evening Beginner's Contemporary class, the Wedensday evening Floor-Barre Plus class, and the Saturday morning Beginner's Jazz class. That means that I'm spending between three and a half and four hours dancing every week. Who needs a gym membership with that kind of exercise?

The jazz class is going quite well, though I have a lot to learn. Marina has been quite patient with me, homing in on my need to learn to shift my weight and regain my balance quickly. Fortunately, it's a very small class, so I'm getting a lot of personal attention (and harassment). It's worth every moment, believe me.

However, my involvement with the dance company has moved beyond taking classes and attending performances. After the September performance at ArtisanWorks, Christine took me aside and asked me if I'd be willing to join the board of directors for the company. I agreed, and I attended my first board meeting last Wednesday.

This means that in addition to learning to dance (and getting in better shape), I'm now beginning to spend time trying to sell tickets (are any of my readers interested in buying?) to and otherwise promote ROTO 3, which is coming up in just under three weeks.

So far, I just sold one ticket. However, I'm hoping to sell one or two more at the end of the week. And I have another possible sale, but the person needs to wait until the event is closer to verify she has the money for it. Hopefully, as I work through my friends, I'll sell more. Char has also been kind enough to let me put up a poster at the shop to generate interest. Hopefully, a few ticket sales will result in the process.

I'm also working with another board member to coordinate our attempts to get ROTO on various community calendars in the area. I'm also hoping to get a mention -- if not a brief talk -- on either radio or television. (If not, I'm hoping to at least make the necessary contacts to make such a possibility a reality for next year.) I'm hoping that helping with getting the word out there will make up for the fact that I don't have a lot of friends in the area to whom I can directly sell tickets. ;)

Life is great, but crazy and busy. And to think, I still have to squeeze my day job into the picture.

One of the interesting things about Freyja acting as my patroness and primary guide is that she often puts in her two cents on my health and any matter related to it. And while she certainly reaffirms my right to make my own decisions about what I should do, she both makes her opinion about the best course of action known and is brutally honest about the consequences of a bad decision I'm considering.

Consider, for example, a brief exchange we had tonight at dinner. After working at the shop all afternoon, Belinda, Amy, and I decided to go to dinner at Red Lobster tonight. The three of us sat in a comfortable booth enjoying our meals. After I finished my chicken linguini alfredo (one of the great ironies of my life is that I eat at Red Lobster at least once a month despite the fact that I don't like seafood or fish), I pondered the possibility of dessert. After all, I absolutely love their ice cream sundae with the big chocolate chip cookie on the bottom. I considered it when Miss Thing decided to make her thoughts known. The exchange went something like the following.

Her: I don't think that's a good idea.

Me: But it's so good!

Her: Yes, but you've already had enough to eat.

Me: I can manage it!

Her: You also had the pina colada with dinner.

Me: I know, but I probably won't come back for a few more weeks, and I really want the sundae.

Her: Okay, let me lay it out for you. Then you can choose whatever you want.

Me: Lay it out for me?

Her: Your digestive system is already a bit out of whack due to your recent changes in exercise and eating habits. You've eaten a large meal and had a drink. Before you order the ice cream, you might just want to stop and ask yourself how much time you really want to spend in the bathroom this evening.

Me: You mean....?

Her: Well, let's just say that if you have the ice cream, you might want to move the television in there as soon as you get home so you don't miss your shows.

I eventually saw reason and went without dessert tonight. Hey, it was my choice. But all the same, it sure feels like she play dirty some days. ;)

Today, I ran to Dick's to buy a new pair of walking shoes. Now that the weather seems to be generally warm, I've decided it's time to start taking my monthly seven mile walk along the canal again. As I started wearing my "dedicated walking shoes" from last summer all the time during the winter, I figured I best get a new pair.

Once I had my new shoes in hand, I immediately put them on and decided to take the first step in breaking them in. So I drove downtown (well, a bit east of downtown, really), parked my car outside of Psychic's Thyme, and set out for my first real walk of the year.

I decided that being a new year, it was time to increase my "short" walk. So rather than walking the circuit of Park Avenue, Alexander Street, East Avenue, and Culver Road, I decided to walk the circuit formed by Monroe Avenue, Union Street, East Avenue, and Culver Road. Estimating my brief bathroom break and tea purchase at five minutes, I would say that my walking time was an hour and fifteen minutes. That's up fifteen minutes from last autumn. Further more, now my "short walk" takes more than half the time of my seven mile walk!

I fared the trek quite well, really. My feet were aching by the time I got back to my car, but I think that was mainly due to the fact that I was wearing the new shoes. Overall, I'd say the dance class has kept me in the same shape I was in when I quit walking for the winter.

I've also come up with my tentative weekly exercise regime (or I should say "plans to have fun while getting some exercise without really thinking about it" regime):

• Tuesday night: Beginner's Contemporary Dance Class
• Tuesday Night:: Floor Barre Plus Class
• Sunday Mid-Day:Walking the Circuit Downtown. (Alternative: Seven mile canal walk one weekend each month)

I'm also thinking about adding another walk on Thursday night, but I figure and wait to see how everything goes.

Originally posted to Multiply on 3 February 2008.

Two weeks ago, I started taking dance classes. Half my friends are laughing over the whole thing, but all of them are being relatively supportive.

This is not the first time that I've taken a dance class, mind you. My junior year in college, I took two semester's of dance class. I took the first semester because it counted against my phys ed requirement to graduate. I figured it was a nice alternative to trying to play a sport (I have yet to find one I'm not awful at) or go fly fishing (which I despise). So when my housemate suggested Joan's dance class, I decided it was worth a shot. I ended up taking the class for the second semester simply because I enjoyed it.

A few weeks ago, I noticed some cookbooks on a table at work for sale. After reading the material next to the cookbooks, I learned that they were to raise money for the Park Avenue Dance Company. I also found out which coworker brought them in and inquired as to his involvement with the organization. As it turns out, he's one of their dancers.

As we briefly discussed the matter, he suggested I give one of their dance classes a try. As I had already been thinking about it (I had already checked out their website), it didn't take him much time to convince me. The following Tuesday, I took my bag of with workout clothes over to the dance studio and had my first class.

I've had three more classes since that night and have loved every minute of it. In fact, I'm reaching the point where I feel like the class is the highlight of my week. I enjoy dance that much. In fact, I forgot just how much I enjoyed it.

It's been close to thirteen years since Joan's class. And while Joan's class primarily focused on ballet, Christine's class is more contemporary, which means that I've had to relearn a few things anyway. However, I have noticed that a lot of the work at the bar is the same, which is why I seem to be picking that up pretty fast. Now if I can get just as good at the rest of it all. But I'm making slow progress.

One nice thing about the class is that it's an answer to my concern about exercise during the cold months. Now I have at least one hour a week of good exercise planned -- exercise which is far more intense than the walking I normally do, anyway. I'm also considering picking up the Wednesday night class, which is 99% floor and bar exercises. Add to that the fact that I hope to eventually start practicing the routines at home (I'm still trying to learn them right now and don't wish to practice them "wrong"), and I should have no problems maintaining my physical activity year round.

And of course, I want to try the jazz class someday. But I think I need to get more comfortable with the contemporary dance stuff before I confuse myself with a second style and instructor.

After watching other people do likewise, I decided to take some time this month to set out my goals for this coming year. I realize I'm a bit late, considering we're already three days into the new year, but I figure it's better to be late than to never do it at all. Besides, I did some of my goal setting at Yule, so in some respects, I was ahead of the game.

1. Lead more rituals.

This is actually a goal that was set for me. The Yule ritual last month was just the beginning. I have agreed (not quite at knifepoint) to plan the rituals for the two equinoxes and two solstices in 2008. To be honest, I need the experience, and it's just time for me to continue.

2. Share what I know and what I've learned.

This goal is a bit vague because I'm not sure how it's going to play out right yet. All I know is that I need to start sharing with others what I've learned over the past few years, even as my own learning process continues. This may mean some classes and/or workshops in the local community. Or it may mean signing up to lead a workshop at the Naturist Festival this August (as I'm pretty sure I'll be going again). But at any rate, it's time for me to start contributing in this arena.

3. Continue to become more social.

This one isn't so much a new goal as a continuation of a theme from last year. I've gotten out to meet more people, and I've even learned to do a better job of stepping out socially rather than hoping people will seek me out or otherwise find me. I simply need to continue this trend and improve on the progress I've already made.

4. Continue the exercise trend.

Last summer saw me walking regularly. When the weather warms back up, I'm going to be right back out there. In the meantime, I'm also going to try to keep some level of exercise going on, though probably not to the same degree. But I figure if I can make it over to the fitness center for an hour or two every week, that should hold me over until the summer returns.

I'm simply decided that my real form of exercise is and will remain walking. Nothing works as well for me. New Year's Day, I walked down to the 7-11 and back, which is about a mile in each direction. Despite the snow and cold air, I loved it. Riding a stationary bike is exercise and work. Going for a nice walk is pure joy.

On the bright side, the time I'm spending at the fitness center appears to be enough to maintain the reduced waist size I reached towards the end of last year.

Thanksgiving Day, I had a bit of a personal experience. After I had gotten to my parents' home and was seated in the dining room chatting with them, I began to look around the room. On the one stand next to the interior wall, I spotted an old picture of me. If my mother is right (I mentioned it to her later), it was the casual picture I had taken when I had my senior pictures taken in high school.

When I first saw the picture, I did a double take. "That was me?! Damn, I was cute back then!" In fact, I was so taken by the picture that I almost had trouble believing it really was me. I looked rather different back then. It was before my hairline had really started to recede and before I put on an extra 70+ pounds. This realization was somewhat depressing, and for a moment, I even mourned the fact that I was no longer that young man in the picture.

What's more, I mourned that I never realized how good looking I really was back then. I never considered myself ugly (and never have), but I did consider myself pretty plain. Part of that was because the school nurse kept harping on the fact that I was "slightly overweight" every year. Add that to the fact that none of the girls in school really seemed all that interested in me (nor the boys, but I wouldn't have been ready to pursue that possibility anyway), and it just never occurred to me how great I looked. Of course, that made the realization rather sweet now, even if I did wish I would've taken better advantage of my looks back then.

But then Miss Thing (Have I mentioned that I love having a patron goddess who let's me get away with calling her names like "Miss Thing"?) began pointing out to me that I'm still very good looking. Despite the decrease in hair and the increase in weight. And besides, I'm slowly, very slowly, doing something about that latter part. It is entirely likely that in three or four years, I could be that "slightly overweight" (in which case I will party) guy in the picture again, just at twice the age. But it's going to take time, patience, and a lot of self love. After all, if I try to rush things, I'll only get frustrated and sabotage my own efforts. And besides, I need to accept I already look great so that it becomes a matter of improving on an already great thing rather than some struggle against myself.

So I will continue to do my exercising (which I admit I've been bad about for the past couple weeks). I'll get back to eating healthier. And I'll continue to do so because I enjoy it (I'm already pining for longer days and warmer weather again so I can return to my walking). But at least now, I do it with a glimmer of hope that despite not being my primary goal, there's proof that I could really enjoy the fringe benefits in the long run, too.

One of the major highlights of my day today was taking a nice long walk through parts of Rochester. My trip started on University Avenue just east of Culver, took me to Monroe Ave just west of Union, and back to my starting point. It took me right around an hour and a half. Considering I stopped at Magnolia's for a sandwich on the westward portion of my trip, I think I made pretty good time.

To be honest, though, I'm a bit surprised at how tired my legs got on the journey. Considering the fact that I spent the summer taking a monthly seven mile walk along the canal, I figured I'd be fine on this trip. Sure, I haven't taken that walk since September, and my walking in general has declined since then due to the cold weather. However, I've been finding other forms of exercise (such as using the stationary bike in the fitness center) that let me stay warm, and the amount of time I spend exercising each week has been more or less the same. So I was surprised by how much my legs started bothering me. Especially considering think the stationary bike is a more intense workout overall.

The only thing that I can figure is that the walking, while less intense, involves more impact. While cycling involves the same muscles, the motion is more fluid. There's not the jarring effect of actually setting your foot on the hard concrete and shifting your weight as you push yourself forward to take your next step. To me, this makes the most sense, as most of the trouble I had was with my knees and calves.

Fortunately, they're already starting to feel better. However, I think it may be time for new shoes again, as I notice the balls of my feet are also someone tender. But at least I got outside for a while. And I even got some sunlight with my exercise. I miss that from this summer.

Last night, I met the guys at The Distillery (their new Winton Road location) for our usual Monday night dinner. None of us had been there before, so it was a new experience. I found it a delightful place and look forward to going back again sometime. Perhaps I'll take my father there the next time he spends the night with me.

As is our tendency during the summer, we ate outdoors, enjoying the warm weather and beautiful sky. As we were getting ready to leave, I sat there looking at the sunset and decided I wanted to go for a walk.

It's not unusual for me to go for a walk after having dinner with the guys. In fact, it's become something of a tradition in my mind over the last month. As we usually eat somewhere on Park Avenue, I usually leave directly from the restaurant and walk the circuit made by Park, Alexander, East, and Berkeley. It makes for a nice forty-five minute walk.

However, I had originally planned on skipping that part of my Monday night routine last night. I figured that with my seven mile canal walk Sunday morning, there was no need to get more exercise the next night, so I planned on giving my legs a break. But as I sat watching that sunset and enjoying the moderate temperatures of the evening, I realized that I didn't want to give my legs the break. I wanted to complete my Monday night routine like I normally would.

This exemplifies a radical difference between my walking habits recently and past attempts to exercise more. This excites me because it's a difference that I think may help me actually stick with the practice this time around, as opposed to other times when I tapered off.

Over the past seven years, every other time I've tried to get more exercise (usually through walking, though I did try making use of my apartment complex's exercise room for a few weeks last year, as well), I've done it out of a sense of obligation. I've told myself that I need to exercise, and often found myself practically forcing myself to do it. My heart just wasn't in it.

This time around, I've found that I'm walking because I want to. In fact, for the first few weeks I started walking after dinner on Monday night, I refused to allow myself to think of it as another attempt to start exercising. I made the conscious choice to undergo the walk for the simple fact that I enjoy it. And the result is that even now that I'm starting to think in terms of exercise, it's still a matter of desire rather than a sense of necessity or obligation. So I suppose it's perfectly reasonable that even though I didn't need to take my usual Monday night walk last night, that part of me that enjoys the routine would still want to do it anyway.

I've noticed a similar mentality with the canal walk. I found myself getting quite frustrated when trying to plan that trip for the last two months. However, my frustration was centered around finding a day that (1) I had free and could do it and (2) there was someone who could pick me up at the other end. My frustration wasn't in trying to meet an obligation I was ambivalent about, but in trying to make the arrangements necessary to do something I love doing with all the restrictions created by everyone's hectic summer schedules.

And as a further result, I'm looking for another day during the week that I can schedule regular walks. I've decided that a walk on the weekend and another one on Monday nights just isn't enough for me. So I'm looking at working another walk into my routine on Thursday evenings.

I'm not sure how well that will work. I'm a bit nervous that I'm pushing my luck. But I figure that I'll give it a shost. Besides, if I find it's not working or (worse) that it's actually affecting how I generally feel about my walking negatively, I'll drop the idea for a while. But I think an honest and careful attempt at stretching my enjoyment is worthwhile.

Of course, I think there are other factors that are contributing to my success this time around. Another big factor is my choice of venues. I have a number of different routes I can take, all of which I enjoy for various reasons. This helps keep the overall experience a positive and interesting one. Then there's the fact that I've found a way to work the walks into my schedule in natural and positive ways. The best example of that is the Monday evening walks after dinner. On those nights, I've already enjoyed a good meal and pleasant conversation. In some ways, going for a pleasant stroll is a way to keep the evening going. After all, it beats just going home and watching television or playing on the computer by myself.

Today was the day for my monthly seven mile walk along the Erie Canal. This time, I didn't let the rain scare me out of taking my camera, so I managed to get pictures. This was just as well, since it didn't rain anyway. I seem to always luck out in that regards. The picture in this entry is of the path shortly after I started my walk. The rest of the pictures can be found in the album I created just for this walk.

The weather was a bit cool, as the temperature stayed in the high sixties and low seventies. In reality, this was perfect considering all the heat I was generating by walking. I didn't get overworked as much, nor did I sweat quite as much. I did note, however, that I made the trip in fifteen to twenty minutes less time than I made it in June and July. On the one hand, this is good, as it indicates that I'm getting more used to making the trip and have even stepped up my pace a bit. On the other hand, I find it distressing because it means I'm not exercising for as long. It may be unfortunate if I eventually have to find a way to walk further, as that would mean coming up with a new starting point and/or destination.

Of course, the fact that I didn't take any breaks this time around contributed to the decrease in walking time, as well. However, I would estimate that only counts for about five minutes. Again, I took this as a sign that I'm getting more used to the exercise. And the fact that my knees and calves didn't seem to be in any pain (especially when compared to the walk in July) was a pleasant change.

I'm hoping to make this trip again in September and possibly in October, even. However, it occurs to me that with the approach of winter, I will eventually have to take a break from my monthly treks. I'm a bit saddened by that and am currently trying to figure out an alternative activity for the winter months. After all, I don't want to give up all this good exercise I've been getting.

Yesterday, I repeated the seven mile walk along the Erie Canal Trail that I made back in June. And as the title of this post suggests, the second trip was even better than the first. For starters, I made a point of wearing sunscreen this time. I almost decided against it, since it was supposed to be cloudy and rainy. But at the last minute, I grabbed the bottle and started slathering. I was quite glad of it, too. As soon as I started walking, the clouds parted and I found myself making the trek on a glorious and sunny day.

The other factor that improved this walk over the previous one is that I made a point of buying new shoes. It's hard to believe what a difference such a detail would make. However, I was a true believer last night when I realized that while my feet were somewhat sore, they felt about the same as they had felt after several days of healing the last time.

This isn't to say this trip wasn't frought with it's own difficulties, mind you. The whole plan was nearly upset when I arrived at my planned starting point, only to discover that the park was completely closed off due to some sort of tournament. This meant that I had to find a new place to leave my car that would be near an access point to the trail.

Fortunately, after several minutes of driving around while muttering and cussing under my breath (not to mention considering calling the whole thing off ever twenty seconds or so), I decided to settle on one of the parking lots at the University of Rochester. I was a little nervous as all of the UofR lots are clearly marked "permit only" (and I managed to find and choose the faculty lot no less). However, as I considered the facts that (1) it's the summer, (2) it was a Saturday, and (3) the lot was practically empty anyway, it would be safe. (And if push comes to shove, I'd simply have to pay towing expenses and whatnot anyway.) Fortunately, my reasoning proved fine and my car was still there -- without so much as a fine on it -- when Belinda dropped me off to pick it up around 2:30pm.

I'm disappointed that I yet again chose not to take my camera with me. In June, I made the decision based on the fact that I wanted to just enjoy the walk and not worry about picture taking. This time, the weather report had disuaded me. I reasoned that if it really was going to rain, I'd rather leave the camera someplace dry. I don't mind if I get wet (after all, Fran Baum made that whole business about witches melting out of whole cloth), but I was a bit concerned what a hypothetical downpour could do to a camera, even if it was protected by its case and my backpack.

I'm currently a bit distraught because I've realized that making this journey next month might prove to be a bit of a challenge. The first two weekends are already booked with preparing for and attending the 2007 Northeast Naturist Festival. The Saturday after that, I have a party to attend. The final Saturday, there's a chance I may have to help out at the shop. So unless I schedule the walk for the third or fourth Sunday rather than on a Saturday, I may just be out of luck. Hopefully, I'll figure something out, though.

Last night, I ate with the Cheap Dinner Group again. To be honest, I think I've gone every week for about a month now. I think it'll be difficult to drop down to only attending every other Monday night once my father starts staying at my place on Monday nights regularly again. It's just nice to get out and chat with people that night.

At the end of dinner, just before we left, I got a massive cramp in my left thigh. I wasn't ready to go yet, so I had fun trying to manage to get the muscles to relax while still sitting there. At one point, I had to stand up briefly. I'm not sure what brought the whole incident on, but I managed to survive it without too much difficulty.

After the dinner, I went for my walk. I walked West on Park Avenue until I reached Alexandar, which I then took to East. From there, I headed back to Berkeley, crossed back to Park from there, and continued back along Park until I got back to my car. The whole trip took me just under 45 minutes, which made it a pretty good walk. It was actually quite pleasant, though I was somewhat disappointed that I didn't get hit on this time. Oh sure, last week was just a fluke and I shouldn't realistically expect it to happen all the time anyway. But it still would've been nice to get another little ego boost out of the whole thing.

During my walk, I came to my conclusion about iPods. One of the things I noticed is that the vast majority of the other people walking, running, or riding bike along my route had an iPod in them. So as a result, they were lost in their own world of music and endorphins. And while I can certainly see how that might make the process of exercising more enjoyable in some ways (and certainly helps with focus), it also has a negative impact on my other reason for walking.

At the risk of showing just how old fashioned I am, I tend to still see going for a walk through town as a social act. The whole idea brings up rustic images of Main Street in a small town right around sunset. People are all walking along, greeting each other as they pass.

"Hello there, Joe!"

"Hey Sam! How are the kids?"

"Pretty good. Eugene called the other night. Susan had the baby two nights ago. A little girl."

I'll be the first to admit that a small city like Rochester probably isn't going to support that kind of neighborly intimacy. Like I said, I'll be the first to admit I'm old fashioned (and something of a country bumpkin in some ways). However, you'd think there'd still be room for simple pleasantries.

Wearing an iPod enables a person to isolate themselves from that kind of interaction. "Being off in their own world" becomes pretty literal after a while. And I find that a shame.

Of course, it wouldn't be so bad if this isolation was just limited to wearing an iPod while exercising. We seem to be pretty insular on many levels and in many areas of our lives. So to me, the problem wasn't so much that everyone wears iPods while out getting their exercise as that this fact is representative of what seems to me to be a greater problem.

Char decided to have a sidewalk sale¹ outside of Psychic's Thyme today. I ended up spending the first half of my time there sitting outside and helping keep an eye on the merchandise. I would've helped with customers, but all but two or three of them ended up paying inside the store because they wanted to see what was for sale there, too. It was a fun time, however. And I got lots of sun and fresh air.

I also realized something about myself. I like being outdoors. I like the idea of getting a tan. This is totally bizarre, because it's something I completely disliked while growing up. My sister would often go outdoors in the afternoon during summer vacation and spend a couple of hours lying in the old lounge chair my parents owned. I thought she was nuts and found the idea of just lying out in the sun insane.

Of course, it was probably the act of lying around that struck me as inside as the fact that such immobility was being enacted out doors. I was a rather hyper kid, even through my teenage years. Unless I was reading (and even that required frequent breaks unless it was a book I absolutely loved) or on the computer, I had to be on the move. No grass could grow under my feet and no moss would ever get the chance to grow on me.

Yet, as I get older I'm finding myself more inclined to be less active. This is especially true if I'm doing it someplace where I get sunlight and fresh air. So I suspect I'll be looking at my weekly schedule to figure out when and where I can pencil in some more outdoor tanning time. And I figure it'll be napping time, too. But that's okay.

¹ No actual sidewalks were sold at this sale. Isn't that strange? I mean, you sell books at a book sale, right?

Yesterday came and went, and I'm proud to announce that at least half of the activities I had planned took place. A couple got dropped for various reasons, but I'm willing to consider my birthday celebration a stunning success. Blistered feet and all.

Granted, I could've done without the blisters, but it's my own fault. And I figure they'll heal eventually. They're from my successful trek along the canal path from Genesee Valley Park to Schoen Place. The walk took me right about two and a half hours along and was well worth the trip.

I got up at seven yesterday morning, showered, grabbed my water bottles out of the freezer, and left the house for the day. By the time I bought a backpack (necessary for the water and snacks I was taking on the trip), had a quick breakfast on the go, and make it to the park, it was just after nine. And I was off and walking.

The weather was absolutely perfect for this walk, as it was still in the sixties when I started and ony got up to the seventies or eighties by the time I was done at half past eleven. The view was absolutely gorgeous along the way. Sometimes I was walking through areas with dense vegetation, while the trail took me through broad fields in other places. The canal was visible 90% of the time, and I even managed to see a couple boats making their way through the water. I think the best sight, however, was near the end when I managed to spot a mother mallard with several tiny ducklings. I think any of her children would have fit easily in the palms of my hand. I might've even been able to close my fingers around their tiny bodies. I wish I would've taken my camera, and plan on taking it when I repeat the walk in July.

I've already decided to take this trek once every month while the weather stays warm enough for me. However, I do need to be sure to plan a bit better in the future. For example, I need to get a good pair of walking shoes or hiking boots. Of course, I didn't realize that my current walking shoes (the ones I wear every day) had some major holes in the insoles. That didn't help the blisters that formed on my feet at all. So I will be getting new shoes, and probably a pair just for this trip. (Michele is also recommending I get the gel inserts for this walk, and I'm inclined to see wisdom in that suggestion, too.)

The other mistake I made was not getting sunscreen. My face, forehead, and forearms are nice and red. In fact, my forehead is still itching a bit from the burn. Fortunately, the backpack protected the back of my neck. I figure I may even have to consider a hat next time, as I think parts of my scalp under my hair got a bit burned too.

But despite these lessons learned, I enjoyed the trek. It was great to be in the great outdoors. And besides the sunburn and sore feet (and the fact I've been napping half the day today), I don't feel any worse for the wear.

After that, I called Belinda to come get me. She didn't realize how far out Schoen Place is from Psychic's Thyme up on University Avenue, so she eventually was afraid she got lost and went back to the shop to get Michele. They eventually found me, though I note with some humor that my wait for my ride was over half as long as the seven mile hike I took. Of course, since Michele was working, I had her take me directly to the shop rather than having her take me to the car. Char immediately started harassing me for taking such a walk, pointing out I should've only gone half the distance and then walked back to my car. I pointed out to her that the whole point of the walk -- and what makes it fun -- is that you're walking from a certain point to another point. I'm not sure she appreciated the concept, but that's okay.

After the store closed, a group of us went to Red Robin. Michele and Belinda were nice enough to cover my dinner, even with the strawberry dacquiri I ordered. We had a good time and I spent my usual time ogling the various waiters that passed by. Unfortunately, our own server was a woman. That's actually pretty good, considering I was feeling impish enough that I might've teasingly hit on any guy unlucky enough to get our table. I was bad enough that Jim even called me a slut. I just looked at him and asked him if it had really taken him that long to figure it out. (Of course, any of my friends know better, when it comes right down to it.)

After that, we ran to Equal Grounds to listen to the live music there. This guy was a good musician, but he doesn't have quite the stage presence of the Monastery Dropouts. As such, we stayed in the other room where we could enjoy the music but still talk amongst ourselves without disturbing anyone else.

After an hour or so a the coffee shop, I decided I needed to get home. My feet were really starting to bother me and I was developing a headache. (Earlier today, I finally decided the headache was due to a lack of calcium. The quart of peanut butter cup ice cream seems to have solved the problem.) So we took Jim back out to Chili and Michele and Belinda dropped me off at my house so I could get to bed.

As a final note, I discovered at the end of my journey that they were having a regata in Pittsford yesterday. Had I realized that, I would've taken a chair with me and spent the day there after my walk. I love that sort of thing. And there were certain enough shirtless guys wandering around to keep me in eye candy.