Everyday Systems: urbanranger: message 22 of 46

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--- In , Reinhard Engels 
<beautiful_idiot@y...> wrote:
Thank you, Alex, for breaking the ice. I'm sure people
will be much more inclined to join now :-). 

--- Alex Lewin <lewin@A...> wrote:
r0x0r

Hi Reinhard. I joined because of Alex's inspirational message :)
When I first started to use the internet, around 4 years ago, I have 
to admit, I didn't have a clue about "e-lingo" like BTW or LOL...The 

above "code" has me completely stumped and I can only imagine that 

Alex is either trying to communicate with androids or possibly 
create a newfangled version of the sometimes used hug and kiss 
symbol,,,xo...

When I read it I screwed up my face and thought "what the r0x0r is 

going on here?" and then, as usual, your response had me laughing 

all the way through preparing dinner, eating dinner, and cleaning up 
after dinner, and now...I am wondering if anyone is reading this 
other than RE...Probably not from the looks of the activity on the 
group history...Well after that post from Alex, what more needs be 
said?

I actually was "forced" to become an Urban/Suburban Ranger (why does 

the word ranger remind me of Yogi Bear?) during the 16 months of 
commuting into NYC from good ol' Great Neck every day, and not being 
able to afford to keep my car insured while I was in my massage 
therapy program at Swedish Institute...I made a rough estimate of 
the miles I walked one day, without a pedometer or counting stairs 
etc...It turned out to be around 3 miles or so...Once I stopped this 
walking routine I immediately started to gain weight, and rapidly I 
must say...

Like I said in some No S group post, I don't care what any "steroid 

popping, creatine guzzling, personal trainer" says, walking, does so 

impact your health and weight...I used to go out with a guy who is a 
mailman and he did an average of 10 miles of walking and stair 
climbing a day, since it was the commercial route and he didn't use 
a mailtruck...He was in no need of going to Ballys to keep fit...He 
shared a story with me about the one time that he was out on 
disability for a hand injury. He gained 30 lbs! in one month due to 
the fact that he ate alot and drank alot of beer (gee I wonder if it 
had anything to do with his Irish/German background, lol :)
Apparently beer was introduced to the dinner table somewhere around 
13 years old, hmmm) He didn't change his food habits and as you can 
see, the walking was the *only* thing which was keeping the pounds 
off...

So, even if the idea of walking is wimpy to most "macho" jocks (And 

Oy! Reinhard, that comment about being for "pussies" makes me cringe 

everytime I see it, I'm sorry I have to say I feel it detracts from 
your, otherwise, wonderful site...I do believe strongly in freedom 
of speech, but that word! Might it be possible to consider another, 
or would it cramp your style? Probably the only thing you ever 
wrote which I would like to see altered...Would you 
consider "Wusses"? or "Wimps"...That "P" word is so 
demeaning, and 
to use your own words from one of the SG messages "crass sexist", 

and just a tad bit on the "low" end of the educated, literary 

spectrum of descriptive colorful adjectives...OK that's enough about 
that...) walking is great, *and* very worthwhile! Especially if I 
can get myself to make it a habit, which is , as you would put 
it, "inviolate".. 

I think walking, although it does not have the "busy" quality of 

some workouts is quite interesting too...It gets you out and makes 
you feel alive and connected to nature, even in an urban 
setting...Plus, health alert, for those who wish to avoid bone loss, 
this is a great prescription for getting vitamin d (even on a cloudy 
day) and low impact, bone building help...The production of bone 
requires calcium, which most people know, but what most *don't* know 
is that vitamin D makes the absorption of calcium possible...This is 
why they put it into milk...You can get sufficient vitamin d if you 
get at least 20 minutes out in sunlight a day, just long enough for 
a trip to the park...

Hey as usual, I wrote a long letter, but today I did one even 
better, I actually got out both yesterday and today and took a very 
nice long, meandering stroll through a woodland park...Got to do 
some bird watching, step in some mud, and get the blood flowing...By 
the end of the walk, my Chi was on a spree. So consider me a Ranger 
now.
I hope that I can convince myself to leave the cell phone at home, 
shut off the "excuse machine" and go out at least 4 to 5 times a 

week. I definitely have to stop using my car as much as I do, but 
unfortunately it is a trap of suburban rangers :)

Oh yeah, Richard, came with me too and it was much more fun than 
walking alone through this 2 mile around park..We also had fun 
making "urban ranger" walking sticks, from felled branches. He was 

pretending it was some kind of machete and clearing the path as we 
went..He thought I was "cool" because I found such a good staff (his 

middle name, Moses, makes the proper staff a requirement!) I told 
him it was the staff of Gandalf, again appealing to his adventurous 
side :)

So, if being a Ranger is good enough for Aragorn, it's good enough 
for me! 
Hope the fam is doing well.
r0x0r :)
Debbie