Paul Monaco .com

With such a cute name George Curious, how could I resest hunting this cache down!

Well, after watching this video you’ll agree that maybe I should have done this one on a different day.  I actually picked this cache because it had pretty much guaranteed me a nice 3 mile hike and excercise is certainly something I can use!

It started off very well on  our Rail to Trails network and was only about a thenth of a mile off the main trail, it should have been reasonably easy.

Not even half way up though I realized I didn’t have my cell phone with me anymore.  I know I left a twitter message when I started but couldn’t remember if that was from the car or en route.  The more I walked the more I belived it fell out of my pocket and that pretty much occupied my mind.

When I got to the location it was very uncomfortable.  The nice spring I was looking for had apparantly turned into a tick infested pool of stagnent water.  I looked but honestly between being bummed about my phone and being eaten alive by who knows what, my heart just wasn’t into it.  So I wrapped up and headed back to the car hoping to find my phone along the way.. which I didn’t

When I got home my house phone was ringing.. caller ID said it was me!!!  “Hello?  You found my phone!!!!?”  Turns out a homeless man was on the trail with his bicycle travelling back to the homeless shelter when he found my phone.  I was saavy enough to look at the address book and call the entry labeled “home” and ta da!!!!  So I drove to the shelter to retrieve my phone and give him a nice little reward which I think he really appreciated.

Looks like a little buddhism at work here, turning the poison of an uncomfortable treck through the woods into medicine by exchange goodwill with someone less fortunate.  NMRK

Well, after reading Dan’s post about his list ( http://www.danswatik.net/index.php/2007/10/11/a-random-giant-todo-list ) and pointing out the 43things.com site to him in a reply, I figured I should at least make an attempt at practicing what I preach so here I am… working my 43 things.. well.. only 2 things so far.. well.. already did 1 so it’s my 1 thing.

Anyway.. just getting re-motivated and linking it to my personal blog for added embarassment.

See more progress on: lose weight

What a wonderful weekend this turned out be with yet another example of how the Mystic Law really works for me. Let me back track a bit a bit, as I haven’t been keeping up with my blog as well as I should. I have been diagnosed with type-2 diabetes for a few years now. It was well under control with oral medication and diet. But a year ago, when I quit smoking I started to gain weight which is partially to blame on my lower pulse rate from quitting but also very much because I’ve started eating like the pig that I am!

So, after about a year of perfect lab results I get a call from my doctor telling me my A1C level is out of whack.

Of course I quickly add a note to my daimoku chart where I keep a list of all the things I wish to chant for as well as keep track of how much chanting I do. I’ve been really neglegent in actually logging my daimoku but I do often look at it prior to my sessions and it does act as an excellent reminder.

So as I chant for the ambition to get out more, exercise and eat properly I find out about the exhibit coexistence that will be in Hartford, Connecticut. What better way to get out into the fresh air, do a little walking and reflect upon cultural diversity, tolerance and world peace? So today I venture out to the city (now you real city folks, stop laughing.. I know Hartford is far from a big city!)… And I find the exhibit.. everywhere… and I mean everywhere. It sprawled around a very large block with a lot of nothing in between pieces. I drove around several times, trying to find a spot that I was comfortable leaving my car at but was unsuccessful. I quickly realized that this was the type of exhibit that would most be enjoyed by those who are actually a part of the city.. eating.. working and playing on a daily basis. Perhaps if I didn’t go alone I would have been more bold but not today.

As you can probably read into that last paragraph I can be easily intimidated by the unknown and walking into unfamiliar environments. During today’s morning gongyo I did take advantage of daimoku to build up the gumption to go and I was really close to simply forgetting the whole idea. But I knew that I needed to just dive into this little challenge and see where it takes me. So… ready to leave the city I key into my GPS for directions to one of my favorite little diners that I haven’t been to in a long time, Mickey’s Oceanic Grill. As luck would have it, they weren’t open. So…..

It’s still early enough where I don’t really need to eat lunch yet, and still in need of some exercise I wander around the corner to the Great River Park where I very pleasantly suprised! It’s been years since I’ve been here and really didn’t expect much more then a little public boat launch area. I ended up walking for about 2-hours up and down the Connecticut river shooting pictures and just enjoying the mild pre-summer day!

So, a quick summary…

1) I overcame my mild fear of venturing alone into the city.

2) I saved myself the calories of a roadside diner meal since they were closed and was redirected to a park where…

3) I ended up walking much farther then I had originally intended and

4) re-inspired myself creatively by giving me a new photographic subject which…

5) I will return to continuing to satisfy my creative need and refueling my motivation to exercise in a fresh new environment to explore.

and… hidden benefit

6) There is a pedestrian bridge that links East Hartford and Hartford. As I increase my walk I’ll also be venturing into the city a bit without the worry of where to park my car.

Perhaps even more experiences lay ahead!

Since I’ve quit smoking over 6-months ago, I’ve taken up walking to help get rid of the weight I gained from quitting. I have a hunch that after today my power-walk schedule will be greatly reduced as there predicted some snow on Friday then again on Monday. I think winter is finally in New England.

It’s actually amazing that the weather has been so mild this late in the season. I haven’t put snow-studs on my car yet and am still disputing if I should?