The Historian wrote:
The Historian wrote:
wrote:
The Historian wrote:
I still have a lot to learn about hiking. I didn't bring enough water,
for one. Also, I was far too heavily dressed for the unseasonably warm
weather. Halfway up the side of Misery I stopped and removed my jacket
and shirt. Fortunately, underneath I was wearing a T-shirt. So in
addition to the beauties of nature, other hikers got to see the
spectacle of a fat middle aged man with the phrase "I am the kid your
parents warned you about" printed on his chest.

LoL! At least it's a fun learning process. :-)

The learning has continued this week. I did 2.5 miles, I estimate,
hiking along horse trails near French Creek yesterday. I learned never
to hike along horse trails - damn messy! Today, I'm going back to Mt.
Misery. There's a covered bridge at the end of one of the trails. I
didn't get to it last time, but I will today!

Famous last words....

I intended to go hiking today, but I took a "road less traveled":

(Gold's Gym, Royersford. A fat chess historian is lifting. He sees a
gym member exit and hop on his bike.)

Neil: Hey, where'd you get the bike?

Gym member: A place called Bikesport in Trappe. See ya! (He pedals
off.)

Neil: Hmm. Trappe isn't that far from here. I could stop on the way to
Valley Forge Park, spend a few minutes, and then go hiking.

(The scene shifts uneasily to Bikesport in Trappe. All the employees
are young enough to be The Historian's children. He approaches one of
the kids.)

Neil: Could you help me, please? I haven't ridden a bicycle since I was
ten, and that was a 15 dollar Huffy. I understand bikes may have
improved over the past three decades. I'd just like to spend a couple
of minutes looking, and I'm not ready to buy yet.

Employee: OK.

Neil: Do these things still come with baskets in the front?

(She shows The Historian a few bikes. Two and a half hours go by.)

Neil: I really like this Trek Navigator 3.0. It seems stable, and the
seat is nearly as wide as my own. I'm not ready to buy yet, but I'll be
back in a few months.

Employee: We have a sale ending today, and financing is available.

Neil: Financing? A sale? (A smile crosses his face.) Let's ride!

Neil, the Hik, err, Biking Historian
385/275/220

Mate, you'll never look back, I rate buying my bike a real turning
point in the whole weight loss journey. It will take a while to build
confidence & fitness but once you do you'll wonder how you ever lived
without one.
As they say in the classics, its just like riding a bike!