Strolling

It's a beautiful morning in Houston. It's 65 degrees and partly sunny. Normally on a day off I'd be sleeping right through this, but this morning I've decided to do something positive for the community. I'm walking in the Houston AIDS Walk. It's the first time I've done so.

A friend of mine, Rex Oates, the news director of 94.5 the Buzz is captain of the team for the radio station and he invites listeners to come walk as well. Rex and I go back to the days when I was a theater major in college, and we often worked the ticket booth together. There are several different teams, both organizations and corporations. I know that BP and JP Morgan Chase have large groups.

The walk is about 3 and a half miles up and down Allen Parkway, next to Buffalo Bayou. It's a little longer than my normal walks, but I should be able to take it with no problems. Two of my fellow management staff coworkers are also going to be walking with other groups, so we'll see if I spot them during the course of the walk.

The walk raises awareness and money for the AIDS Foundation Houston. I'll admit, this is my first real community effort, besides attending a couple of Pride Parades and a good one to be involved in. AIDS has only touched my life a little, personally, but as a society, we've payed dearly from this disease. (I know, we know that, but it bears repeating.)

Time to get out to the starting line.

A good strong walk

It has been a great day so far. The walk was good. Temperatures were rising into the 70s and the sky was clear. There was a lot of ceremony and such, my friend Rex played MC for the other speakers. He's a good guy. Kelly Rowland from Destiny's Child was there to kick off the whole thing. I started walking with Rex and his son, and he told me that he and his wife had another son on the way in September!

Since Rex needed to go back to greet the walkers who would be at the finish line, he had to turn back. That left me and the iPod. Yes, you're thinking, geez, get out and meet some people. actually, i was looking for my co-workers and not finding them. I had passed Jerome earlier, since they were being slow. I also wanted to go at a faster pace than most of the other walkers. Sure, it is an excuse to chat and have fun. I just didn't know many people there and many of them seemed to have groups. I was content to do my own thing.

I got about 3/4 of the way through, and my quick pace was starting to slow. I started near the back of the pack (I'd hear there was some 7 thousand people, I hope it was more) and moved up to a solid middle. As my energy was staring to sag, the iPod started playing Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves, which got me going again. After the 3 minute song, then it chose Can't Get You Out of My Mind by Kyle Minogue. the iPod is Psychic, people.

I was impressed by our congressional representative, Sheila Jackson Lee. I dislike her politics, and usually think she's a flake, but She started the walk up front, and finished a couple of steps behind me. I told her that despite political differences, I was glad she walked the entire way. Most politicians are just there for the photo op.

After the walk, I got together with Jerome and some of his (think, trying to be buff) friends over at Barnaby's Cafe for lunch. As they were getting sandwiches with asparagus instead of fries and water, I happily ordered a burger with cheese, fries and a Coke. I guess I could have had a milkshake too, but I didn't want to rub it in too much.

Some random thoughts:

Should you flirt on an AIDS walk?

I seriously need to go see more Rugby. The guys from the Houston Roughnecks...woof!

Why do I never remember to bring sunblock to these things?

Why, as I walked by a sign announcing that there's no cure for AIDS, did the iPod start playing a song by The Cure? Robert Smith's not really going to do it.

There needs to be more Bears/Cubs here.

Could there be more dogs here? (actual dogs folks, I'm not that mean)

I'm so taking a nap after this.

(Now I'm going for that nap, right after I get some aspirin for my tired calves)

UPDATE: I wake up and damn it, I'm sunburned. Oh well.