In the Neighborhood

Today was a rare treat. Upon dropping my daughter off at my mom's before going to a 9:30 am dentist appointment, my mother instructed me NOT to come get my daughter any time soon. My niece was also at my mom's today, and the 2 of them agreed that they wanted lots of time to play with E. You don't have to tell me twice. I had a list of things to do with my free time a mile long before I even got out of the driveway.

After completing my dental appointment and making a quick run to the grocery, I was home trying to figure out which one of the 42 errands I would run first. Suddenly it hit me that I was approaching this day all the wrong way. The errands would still be there tomorrow, but a morning/afternoon all to myself would not be. So I strapped on my tennis shoes and set out on foot to enjoy a day that only required a sweatshirt.

My loose plan was just to walk up to the drugstore. But after leaving the drugstore, the park just seemed too close to resist. So I walked the next block to the park. Once inside the park, I headed straight for the wooded trails. Once on the trails, I felt that great feeling you get when you're in a big place more or less alone.

I quickly got lost in thought...

...is ice cream a suitable lunch?

...how could he miss that kick?

...how's Thriller Miller doing?

...Oh, there's a path I've never taken. Its not paved. I should take it.

...should I be bra shopping right now? Three is enough, right?

...will I really read the Bible in 90 Days?

...is this a suitable celebration for Martin Luther King Day?

...should I go left or right? Who cares! Keep walking!

...I don't want football season to be over.

...Pat and Brad are reading a book together. Is this the Brokeback Book Club?

...How could he miss that kick?

...Oh look, the railroad tracks. I love railroad tracks. I'm going to check them out.

...I can't believe I got that Batman mask for a quarter.

...I mean, really, how could he miss that kick?

...I never knew this neighborhood was back here. Look at these houses. What's down
this road?

...Crap! I forgot to get Ella's milk.

...WHERE THE HELL AM I?

I pretty much just wandered until I was totally lost, as indicated by the highlighted portions of my random thoughts above. I had absolutely no idea where I was, although I knew that I could not be more than a few miles from my home. The worst part was that I really could not even retrace my steps because I had paid little attention to the various turns I had taken to get to this point. How embarassing to be lost in your own small suburban town.

Needless to say, I found my way home eventually, but not without putting several miles under my feet in order to do so.