If you’re tired of reading about my walking score, you’re welcome to skip reading this blog altogether.  I’m writing this on Sunday afternoon.  I just finished getting today’s steps, and I’m waiting to see if the Seahawks are actually going to show up for their game.  It’s well into the second quarter, and so far there’s no sign of them.

 This screen shot was taken on October 1.  I meant to take it when I hit 20,000 miles, but I overshot by six-tenths of a mile.  When I set out to write Until Proven Guilty in March of 1983, I set out to write one book.  I never expected to be working on book number 68.  When I set out to walk 10,000 steps a day on April 6, 2015, I did so in hopes of reaching that mark for that day.  I never in this world expected that someday I would have walked more than 42,000,000 steps, much less 20,000 miles, and have a 1,414-day walking streak  Those are big numbers.

When I started walking, I did so in hopes of encouraging Bill to walk in order to maintain his ability to continue doing so, and that worked.  He’s still walking, not very much but some.  He’s not confined to a cart and at this point, I count that as a victory.  

By the way, the second quarter just ended, and the Seahawks did indeed show up.  Now you know part of my secret.  I write while the TV does whatever the TV is currently doing.

I used to walk outside, enjoying the yard and the changing of the seasons. Now I walk inside.  For one thing, if I happen to stumble, there are a lot more things to grab onto inside than out.  Not only that, I have it on good authority that falling on a hardwood floor can be less damaging than falling on pavement or a concrete pool deck.  In addition, walking inside makes it easier for Bill to summon me if he needs my assistance.  And that’s the real reason I continue to walk—I need to maintain my own health in order to take care of his.

When I walked outside, I used to count steps as I marched along.  Now I count laps.  One lap means walking from one end of the house to the other and back, including two trips around the kitchen island and four around the elephant table in the entryway.  That’s a 222-step lap.  Getting Bill tucked into bed at night is worth 500.  Preparing meals, serving them, and cleaning up afterwards is usually good for a thousand or so.

My watch and phone don’t specify which steps are purposeful walking steps and which ones are incidental living steps, but the truth is, at almost 81, I regard each one as a step in the right direction. My favorite Bible verse is Deuteronomy 3:16.  I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life.

At this point I feel I’ve chosen life more than 42,000,000 times!

P.S. And, just in case you’re interested in keeping score on something besides steps, here’s the score on THE GIRL FROM DEVIL’S LAKE.  A heartfelt thank you to all the loyal readers who made that possible.  I guess the old girl’s still got it!