Until Next Week

On our way out of Rochester heading home to the the Twin Cities for the weekend, we stopped at my favorite dog park to give Lucy a chance to run before our mini-roadtrip. At 11:30 AM, the place was deserted, but another car pulled in right behind us, and a chocolate poodle puppy named Tillie and her person joined. Tillie was energetic and respectful-- overjoyed to run at top speed with Lucy and just as happy to follow Lucy's idiosyncratic canine edicts.

All told? Those gals must have run a couple of miles, and it was with a long tongue and some heavy panting that we bid Tillie and the park good-bye.

Senior Tour

Today, when I stepped onto a court for the first time in 36 years, I finally got a chance to use the racquetball racket my nephews thoughtfully gave me for Christmas. I first played back when I was in college, and I loved the game because it was so easy to be a beginner-- I felt like I could play pretty well from the first time I dropped a blue ball onto the wood floor and ricocheted it off a few walls before slamming it again.

My roommate and I used to play 2 or 3 times a week, and my entire PE requirement was fulfilled with a combination of racquetball, bowling, and golf. When I graduated, perhaps the rudest awakening of the "real" world was that I could no longer wave my student ID and do all those things for free anytime I wanted to.

But today, at last, I found myself again smashing blue balls against the walls in an echo-y bright white room with a scuffed up wooden floor. It was a lot of fun! But... not quite as easy as I remember... maybe since I'm not in my late teens anymore, my worries about twisting this or straining that detracted a bit from the game.

Even so, I'm looking forward to reacquainting myself with this fair sport, and I know if it doesn't work out? Pickle ball is always an option!

The Runs

Target Run
Grocery Run
Dollar Store Run
Costco Run
TJ Maxx Run
Drugstore Run

Air B&B?

All set!

But, boy, are my legs tired!

It's Fun to Go to the YMCA

We thought it would be a good idea to join the Y here in Rochester so that we would have a go to place to exercise while we here. It was super easy to sign up online, so today we went down to pick up our ID cards, see the facility, and get in a quick workout.

It was gigantic, and we knew there were locker rooms, 2 gyms, several studios, 4 racquetball courts, a weight and machine room, massage, personal training, 2 pools, and a hot tub. It also turned out to be a place run by children, and at this time of year-- summer camp season-- its focus was also children.

Being teachers came in handy, though: being surrounded by kids felt normal, and we prompted the young employees to give us an overview, if not a tour, of the building. All in all? The place had everything we need, and the price was right. 

To the Dogs

What! Yet another acres-wide, field-of-dreams dog park surrounded by woods and cornfields and community gardens and then? A shopping spree at the pet supply store! Later on, it was a walk on Silver Lake and then along the Cascade Creek.

I'd say Lucy is having a pretty fine vacation here in Rochester, MN.

Outpost Established

Our station wagon was stuffed full when we headed south from the Twin Cities on the last leg of our journey to Rochester, MN. Here, we have rented a comfortable two bedroom loft-style condo which will be our home base for the next three and a half weeks. Like every other vacation rental I have ever stayed in, the place easily absorbed what seemed like way too much when it was jammed into a car, and we already have a list of essentials to buy tomorrow.

After a rainy day of organizing, packing, traveling, unloading,  and unpacking, almost any dinner might have been good enough, but even so, I was able to use some of the provisions we packed and the barebones equipment that was provided to cook a pretty satisfying meal for me, Heidi, and my mom.

We're off to a good start!

Perfect Pit Stop

The hotel we stayed in last night may not have been the best, but we agreed that it was sufficient (although barely) for the 8 hours of our lives we spent there, especially since we slept through most of them.

The dog park we found about 10 minutes away was a whole nother story: situated on the site of a historic homestead and farm, the huge, grassy fenced enclosure was surrounded on three sides by reestablished prairie. At the far end there were a couple of sandy paths that led into a stand of dark hardwoods. Upon further exploration, we found that the park was actually triple the size it seemed-- these woods were also fenced and the several little trails through them designed for dogs and their people to ramble.

The morning was warm and breezy and there were a few friendly dogs for Lucy to run with. After a pleasant thirty minute, the three of us piled back into the Subaru, ready for the next leg of our most epic road trip yet.