I go walkin'...

Last night while Ryan was at band practice, I went out for a walk. I just set out on a mindless stroll. You know, after 2 years of living in the same place, it was amazing all of the thing that I have missed or overlooked by driving everywhere... on foot is my new favorite way to go.

I saw neighbors that I have never seen... smelled the fresh paint of apartments ready for new tenants... heard teenagers rapping along to Dr. Dre... said hello to new parents, pushing a stroller with a tiny infant tucked inside... pet the head of a happy dog, out to go potty... passed nervous women smoking cigarettes at the park... immersed myself in the smell of jasmine and gardenia, blooming in the warm night air... listened to the squeak of my left shoe when I was the only one on the sidewalk... inspected the architecture of the adjacent condos... watched as people struggled with the changing of the wash, moving wet clothes from washer to dryer in a stackable machine... fabric softener and detergent wafting through the air... I spied angry girlfriends, arms crossed, pursed lips and furrowed brows watching the roller hockey game... 30 people competing at a game of half-court basketball... children pried from the jungle gym, kicking and screaming, bed time be damned... the pirate ship climbing structure... the warm breeze and the clear sky... the water whooshing forward in the bottle I was carrying... then slooshing back... whoosh... sloosh... the quiet streets... the calm houses... the sounds of a Disney video... a telephone conversation... the sprinklers turning on and off, in stages around the cul-de-sac...

I can't wait to see what I learn tonight.