Reinstating the Daily Waddle

 Once around the two streets of my little estate is almost exactly half a mile. The last time I did physio, at the pain management class in 2014, my physio was insistent I get out and walk a little each day, so I started doing that circuit of the estate, which takes me about 15 minutes. But I fell out of the habit last year, when the infected toe meant I was bleeding every time I walked more than a few yards. I've been meaning to start again, and had a few false starts, but now the weather's warmed up I've managed it every day for a week, which is a good sign.

The route's sort of an inverted question mark, marginally downhill as you head away from the house, uphill as you head back, and all on footpaths. I've been doing it around 2-3pm and there tend not to be too many people about - usually mostly dog-walkers, who've been fairly good about keeping dogs to heel - I got nervous about the rottweiler that was headed towards me yesterday, but his owner reeled him in before he got to me. Car owners parking on the pavement are more of an issue.

My performance has been mixed. Real problems with foot drop making my toe drag the first couple of times, but that hasn't been an issue since. Which is surprising, I remembered it as being more of an issue. Hips, however, have been making themselves known, and they have a nasty habit of kicking in right at the furthest point from the house, when I can't cut the route short. But that's uncomfortable rather than a killer.

Now the trick will be to see if I can keep it up when the weather isn't quite as warm as it's been.

 

 

Hello, neighbour!

I've finally talked to my new neighbour, they only moved-in in October....

But as he says, they work in London and they're never around during the week, at least in daylight. He was putting their rubbish out at the same time as me, so I took the chance to say hello. I initially thought Italian from the accent, and he physically looks like a couple of Italian guys I used to work with, but Polish apparently. It's the usual story of lived in London and moved out to find somewhere they could afford. He was asking about the neighbourhood, so it sounds like they really haven't talked to anyone else in depth.

Maybe I'll get to talk to his wife before winter sets in ;)