Hotfooting it

Most nights I go for a four mile or so walk. I'm not going to identify my route; the last thing I want is for Harold to be waiting for the long haired middle aged commy pinko bastard so he can descend with a right wing tract :-) Just kidding Harold.

I have it timed almost to the second by now and I carry my mobile phone so I can be sure I'm on schedule. 3 minutes to walk from the apartment to point A. 12 minutes from there to point B. And so on. It takes exactly 46 minutes.

I also have it timed to light up a smoke at defined points. I seem to have made a habit of this[^] over the years!

Yesterday (Friday) we broke the record for the highest temperature for June 2, a record set in 1977. Yep, we hit 110 F. Today was pretty much the same though, given it's a Saturday and I was at home where I can smoke indoors, I noticed it rather less. The anti-smoking Nazis can try all they want but the truly dedicated smoker will endure even direct sunlight at an ambient temperature of 110 F rather than give in!

Truth be told, even if it's 110 F I quite enjoy strolling back and forth as I smoke; always have and probably always will.

It's still early summer (indeed the yanks don't yet consider it to be summer; for some reason midsummer day is the *start* of summer here) so it cools down a little after sunset. Last night I checked the midnight temperature; it was only 92 F!

So off I set for tonights walk. Nice balmy weather, a little breeze. Almost the perfect conditions to sit outside with a glass of red wine to hand and shoot the breeze.

I didn't allow for the concrete footpaths! A quarter of the walk done and whilst the rest of me was doing fine my feet felt more than somewhat warm! That concrete really wanted to share the energy it'd stored during the day!

I can be a stubborn bastard when I choose and tonight I chose. Half way through the walk it felt like I was walking over hot coals. Of course, by that point there was no point in turning back.

I'll finish with the observation that I've seen socks in the washing machine that were drier than mine when I got home and took off my shoes. I fear I'm going to have to eschew long walks during the summer months!