This weekend I’ll make the final decision about the Nepal trip by subjecting myself to a barrage of experiments.
TEST # 1
The Hypothesis: My right heel won’t hurt too much during the usual hike up Marin Avenue.
The Experiment: Looking toward the SF Bay from my bedroom window, my keen nature-girl eye could see that the light rain would soon dissipate. Waterproofing myself, I set off. I vowed that I wouldn’t cheat this time: no duck-walking or tip-toeing with my right foot but rather operating it the way it was designed, in equal partnership with my workhorse of a left foot.
The Findings:
- I don’t know as much about weather forecasting as I thought.
- It’s possible to find pleasure in hiking through steady rain.
- My face lotion tastes bad.
- Marin Avenue during a storm smells good, like a newly cleaned rat cage.
- Cities are prettier in the rain, with torrents in the gutters and leaves falling.
- You can walk pretty far before you realize you’re wearing a maple leaf on your head.
- Oh, and my foot: uncomfortable but only momentarily painful.
The Conclusion: In-depth analysis scheduled for the dawn of a new day (tomorrow); preliminary results equivocal.
Threat level:
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
TEST #2
The Task: Complete a brief but fairly strenuous workout at the gym: 20:00 on the elliptical trainer at a high-ish resistance, do all those weight machines, and then stretch the hell out of myself.
The Result: Foot is doing great — feeling better than it has in weeks. Go figure. The rest of me is tired.
Threat level:
