The South Downs Way Virtual Challenge takes you through a 161 kilometre (100 mile) undulating route from Winchester to Eastbourne. The trail follows the old paths and droveways along the chalk escarpment and ridges of the South Downs in England.
How am I earning these kilometres? Exploring my new town (London). Unpacking boxes after the move. Doing endless flights of stairs as we wash the sheets and towels we used as packing materials. Going out on countless short trips to pick up the things you forgot you needed. First few walks around the series of ponds we back onto. More trips to get stuff.
Today’s London lesson: even the Canada geese are well-mannered. I was driving past Western University, belting out a power ballad at the top of my lungs when I came to a red light. I stopped and waited while a group of university students crossed the road, accompanied by one Canada goose. It walked placidly next to the pack, and when it got to the other side, turned to face north and, as best I can tell, was waiting for the next green “Walk” sign to light before resuming his journey. While this might have been an unusual sight for me, not one person in the area seemed to be the least bit ruffled by the pedestrian goose. Maybe this kind of thing is normal in London.
At this point, I now have a functional home office set up with a desk, chair, bookshelf, floor mat, and 3-drawer lateral filing cabinet. I am no longer parked at the end of the dining room table on the main floor, where poor Michael has to listen to me taking conference call after conference call. We’re down to only 6 boxes that haven’t been unpacked. Every room in the house works (even if I hate the decor). Well, except for the towel bar in the second bathroom. It has come off the wall twice, smashing the exact same toe both time. The toe is a mix of unhappy plum and groaning green. Michael tells me it is fixed right now, but I really think this is an extended intelligence test, to see if I can learn from negative re-enforcement.
