Do The Stroll

When I got in my car after work today, I saw my gym bag on the floor of the passenger seat. I put it there this morning to remind me to go to the gym on my way home. But this afternoon I didn't want to go.

I thought of all kinds of reasons for not going. I told myself I was tired, that my muscles ached from using higher weights on the machines earlier in the week, and that I'd had enough physical exercise wrangling preschoolers today. I knew that once I got there I'd find the energy (with the help of the music on my ipod) to use the treadmill, and I'd have a real feeling of accomplishment when I was done. However, in the end, the justifications for laziness won. I turned to the right out of the parking lot instead of to the left and headed towards home.

I felt guilty, though. I tried to figure out if there was a way to incorporate some exercise into my day instead of using the gym. It was cold outside, and I didn't have a hat and proper gloves, so going to the park was out. The closest mall was in the other direction, so mallwalking wasn't an option either. Then I realized there was a big-box hardware store right on the way home. I wondered if I could do my walking there?

I pulled into the store's lot and parked close to the door. I left my coat in the car, but I did bring my purse, so to a casual observer it would look like I was shopping.

When you walk into this store, the aisles to the left are perpendicular to the door, and the ones to the right run parallel to the door towards the back of the building. I turned to the left and started meandering up and down each aisle.

My pace wasn't aerobic, but it was steady. One department segued into another...the seasonal merchandise turned into the lawn equipment, then the outdoor and indoor storage. When I reached the end of the aisles on the left, I started traipsing through the ones on the right. There were appliances, plumbing, flooring, windows, and doors. The lumber aisles were double-wide, so I sauntered up one side and down the other. I ambled through heating and cooling, hardware, home decor, lighting, and paint. At this store, the tool department is segregated at the front of the store; that was the only section I didn't go through.

During my perambulation I passed a couple of store associates. When they asked if they could help me find something, I didn't stop, but smiled and said "No, thank you". I think I may have passed one gentleman more than once. I wonder what he thought I was up to?

I'm not sure what the distance of my jaunt was, but it took me 25 minutes to complete. When I left the building I got a bit of bonus exercise-it was so cold I jogged to my car!