Ups and Downs; Mostly Ups

It's been a busy weekend, more good than not, although it didn't start well. On Friday night, I decided to take a walk around the block, barefoot, to try to get my feet a little toughened up; I've always been a tenderfoot, but as a kid I could go from wincing barefoot at the start of the summer to toughened up by the end, so I figured I can make it work.

Apparently, though, I went too far for the first stage. Just a two-block walk*, barely over a mile, on sidewalks that felt warm but not painful, and by the end of it I was hobbling. In the morning, I looked at the large blisters on the soles of my feet in disbelief. How could that simple walk cook my feet like that?
*Clearly, I should have stopped after one block.

Well, it did. My mother looked it up online, then helped me with petroleum jelly and bandages, and I'm happy to say that though still tender, they are much better today.

Although today, my calves hurt from the funny way I was walking yesterday (and still am today, actually)...I really am a delicate flower.

It was a nice walk for three-quarters of the way, at least. There was the sunset:

A tree root laughing at a chain-link fence.

"I send my roots where I want to."

Pretty flowers.

And fabulous-smelling flowers. Possibly gardenia? Smelled wonderful, anyway.

Despite my hobbles, we had a good day yesterday, going into town to take the little boat ride with a friend of my mother's, and then going to lunch at a wonderful French restaurant that's in a strip mall, you would never believe it was so high-end, but there it was. On the way back, we did some errands, and then when we got home I sat with my feet up, reading. As one does. In fact, if you like mysteries, I can recommend Spencer Kope's books, Collecting the Dead and Whispers of the Dead. I hope he writes more.

Today included some not-fun, like balancing the checkbook; some slightly more fun, getting a few things at the grocery store; and some fun, namely with kittens. As I mentioned last week, I'm volunteering at the local cat shelter, if by "volunteering" you understand that I mean playing with kitties and calling it socializing them.

It's a tough job, but someone has to do it.