I didn't go for a walk yesterday (day 2 of the CBWC): after work, Mom and I caravanned to the Kia dealership to leave it for them to work on today, then grabbed a sub for dinner on the way home to watch the Bruins game. It's not that I couldn't have squeezed in a 15-minute walk anywhere, but I chose not to try. Instead, I counted doing condo checks as my movement for the day.
Have I mentioned condo checks before? Not recently, at least, I don't think. We live in a small condo building where almost all the owners are snowbirds, meaning they go to various places northwards during the summers. Years ago, my mother started checking condos for a few people during the off-season*: go in twice a week and look around, making sure that the air conditioning is working (that's the most likely problem), that there isn't water anywhere, and that nothing funny is going on.
*Season down here, without a modifier like "rainy season" or "hurricane season," means tourist season, and is at its height in January and February, though it starts getting busy in November and goes well into April before you start to see a difference.
Once I moved here, I was Mom's backup for this, and the last few years, I've done it alone during the times when Mom was in hospitals/rehab or recovering. This year, I'm taking primary responsibility, with Mom backing me up. At the height of it, there have been 8 or 9 condos, though right now we're at 7, and I go in twice a week. It takes about half an hour, it's slightly outside as I go in and out, and it is movement, at least. I may walk on condo-check days that are less busy, but it counts if I want it to count.
It does mean no pretty pictures, though. The times I have to take pictures doing the checks, it means something is wrong, not photogenic!
For today, day 3, I went for another after-dark walk. The weather was quite pleasant:
And now: the weekend.
I think any movement (and not sitting) is good! I mowed the lawn and went for a walk, well over 11,000 steps. But if I have to, I'll walk around in my house for 10 minutes.
ReplyDeleteI may have to do that if the rain doesn't stop today! The humidity is a bit much right now.
DeleteNo judging, but I hope they compensate you for this, even if it's just baking or maybe gift cards? You're sort of the building super, imo.
ReplyDeleteThey do! And I do small "super" tasks like unlock doors for service people, etc. But we have property managers for the big stuff, and I'm very appreciative of them.
DeleteI'm sure the snowbirds are grateful for this. I know I'm very appreciative of my lakehouse neighbours who keep an eye on things for us when we're not there. Thankfully, we're less than an hour away should anything be amiss, and they know they have full use of our big circular driveway whenever they have company.
ReplyDeleteWe have been known to borrow fridge space from absent neighbors! It was very handy last Thanksgiving.
DeleteI very much want to know what "anything funny going on" might entail and if you've ever encountered it.
ReplyDeleteLove your moon-through-the-palm-trees photo!
There hasn't been a lot of "funny business" but this might make a good blog topic!
DeleteI love imagining what "anything funny" would be, which is probably more interesting than what it actually would be. It sounds like kind of a nice, satisfying little gig, and definitely counts as movement.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have a life of secret drama here, but I like that about it!
DeleteSnowbirding is my dream in retirement (though maybe to Portugal, not the US)...and this sounds like the perfect setup to have someone nearby keeping watch over the place!
ReplyDeleteAnd that definitely counts for movement!
Everyone is so grateful for this service, and I get why!
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