Stride right

I have a habit of walking around my neighborhood at night both for excercise and just to breathe the fresh air and noodle over my concerns at the moment.

I tend to head out sometime after 9 and make a circle around the neighborhood that takes about 45 minutes. I turn on the iPod and make time.

I'm always surpised by how many people are sitting out on their decks at night. I guess, like me, they are enjoying the fleeting summer air before the inevitable descent into fall and winter.

As a side note, sometimes you can't see them sitting on the porch, so if you're bumping along, singing "Can You Read My Mind?" or "Who Let You Go?" by the Killers, you might -- just might -- get some comments. Just an FYI.

What surprises me is how often people yell (or sometimes, throw) things from their car. I've heard everything from "try running" and "watch for cars!" to "go home" and "come to my house."

Last night, for the first time, I was offered a "nice ass!"

Now for the record, I do not have a nice ass. I've never had a nice ass. I was amused. I smiled and waved.... and they pulled into the next street.

What the...?

I stopped, dead in my tracks.

Luckily they kept driving, but for about two seconds, I no longer felt so safe in my bedroom community.

I beat a hasty retreat back to my street, where the neighbors know me and would come to my aid. But for one second -- just one second -- I was a tad freaked out.

It's amazing how quickly a "nice ass" buzz can fade into a "run your ass home."