stepping out with my android

My friend Lou Moody sent this cartoon to me yesterday. It fits me to a "t" -- or any other letter that inexplicably needs fitting.

Ever since I started my walking regime, I have become a bit obsessive. The obvious price was a series of blisters. Fortunately, that particular affliction has stopped.

But, as economists tell us, everything has hidden costs. One has been social. I have now heard through several sources that I have mildly offended people by not stopping and talking with them while out on my daily walks. Someone said I have become "aloof." I suspect that was the Canadian way of calling me something far more blunt.

I will raise my hand to that one. When I am doing something, I do not welcome interruptions. And it is not true just during my walks.

If I am working on something at the house, I will often not answer the telephone or the door. And, because I am almost always doing something, telephone calls and door knocks do not get much response from me.

I was a bit concerned that I would not get my daily 10,000 steps in today. In truth, the number is just a random choice. Quite artificial. But it is a goal. 20,000 is closer to reality.

I thought flying and staying in an airport hotel would not be an ideal combination for walking. It turns out I was wrong.

My home for the night was the Hilton in Terminal 1 of the Mexico City Airport. It turns out the terminal was perfectly designed for my style of walking. It has two levels that stretch longer than any shopping mall I know.

It is a bit like walking in Manhattan. Lots of shops. Even more people.

The people make walking difficult. There is a lot of "red rover" meandering combined with contests of how many family members can stand slack-jawed in the middle of the terminal looking at the arrival and departure screens. There have been several finalists.

And I do not blame them. Mexico City is one of those airports where fliers are told to arrive 2 or 3 hours before their flight -- only to discover that they cannot check in until an hour before their departure time. So, they kill time by wandering aimlessly like the Israelites in the wilderness. Not unlike me.

But walking in the terminal is far better than walking in Manhattan because there are no traffic signals. I can walk and walk and walk and walk without anything to stop me other than the odd lost tourist.

I am writing this at 8 PM. My telephone tells me I have walked over 21,00 steps today -- most of them in terminal 1. That is just over 12 miles. And 80% counted as "healthy."

Best of all, I have burned over 1500 calories. But I have managed to replace those calories with some unwise lunch and dinner choices.

I am going to watch the last of the three new episodes of Sherlock (a series that has augured into the ground from stratospheric heights) and then I will be off to bed after a nice soak. The glorious Hilton has a bathtub. But it will not make up for that 5:30 am cast call.

My walking time is done. I need to charge the telephone. Or I will not be able to get out of bed in the morning.