Steel Studs On the Soles of Her Shoes

Apologies to Paul Simon for that title, then again he has come under scrutiny (perhaps unjustified) for “borrowing” somewhat from the music he recorded in South Africa for Graceland. 

 

So Helen got her IceBugs and took them for a spin on Thursday for 6 km. Condition were varied enough for a good test: a fair bit of bare asphalt road and concrete sidewalk, and plenty of icy bits both exposed and snow covered. The verdict seems very positive as she felt much more secure and could feel the grip. She had some concerns that the hard surfaces would wear down the studs quickly, but after the walk, they still seemed sharp, albeit a bit less than brand new. It may be best to only wear them when conditions warrant. I will probably order a pait too as soon as they have stock of the style and price point I want.

Weekly Walks

As Saturday is Christmas, there will be a hiatus for gatherings (still okay at 25 for outdoors so far), and resumption on Tuesday for pods. As next week’s Saturday walk falls on New Year’s Day, please let others (and me) know your inclination for a walk so I can post the consensus in time.

Meanwhile, Merry Christmas to All considering the circumstances. May there be boosters in everyone’s stockings!

Welcome to our blog’s new home on WordPress!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton

Starting this week, the blog will be posted in parallel on Blogger AND WordPress, the latter as it seems to better handles email subscriptions. This will continue until I can feel confident the new host site can run smoothly. If you care to be a Beta tester, please subscribe using the “Follow” button in the right sidebar. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem possible to port all the Blogger subscriptions to WordPress automatically. I’ll continue to send Google Group and WhatsApp notifications in the interim as well.

Birthdays

Happy birthday and all the best to Eva on the 20th! Yippee!

More On Ice-Safe Shoes

Helen has a pair of the IceBug cleated shoes on order and expected to arrive next week, so we can report back on their effectiveness. This is not an endorsement (yet) as they will need the official HB I-won’t-slip-and-break-something seal of approval. As an FYI, this review by an Ottawa physical therapist was the one that convinced us they’re at least worth a try.

More About the PATH

For anyone who missed the post on WhatsApp, Helen and I checked out the PATH last Saturday. It opens when the subway runs, according to a security guard we spoke with. We found access to the southern bit that runs from Union Station over Lakeshore and to Waterpark Place on Queens Quay. Straight line (more or less) from City Hall to south end and back is about 4K. If you add side branches to CBC and CN Tower and there is plenty of PATH for a reasonable distance. Plus: all indoors, quiet on weekends. Minus: all indoors so masks, a few stairs, signage inconsistent.

Weekly Walks

As we near the Holidays, our schedules are likely to be a bit erratic due to Xmas commitments. Please do try to sign on to let everyone know whether you can or cannot make it out, or simply to reach out to others to organize impromptu walks. Saturday’s forecast calls for snow, so please dress appropriately, including good grippy shoes. Remember to bring your heath card and ID (for sitting in Tim’s, Loblaws or Starbucks after). Usual time and place, of course.