About a month or so ago, a young lady came knocking at my door. She had her clipboard in her arms and smiled nicely as she explained about the environmental cause that she was collecting money for.

I patiently listened to her speech for a little while, until my ears got bored. Then I explained to her that I have been cutting my grass for the last few years with a hand reel mower and I’ve been shoveling my snow from my driveway and walks each winter instead of using the snow blower. I even informed her that more often than not, I ride my bicycle back and forth to work.

Her eyes were open wide in amazement (or maybe it was fear). I closed by telling her that I’m doing about all I can afford to do for the betterment of our environment right now and encouraged her to continue her good work and hopefully our individual efforts will help to make a difference. I bid her farewell and watched as she proceeded on to my neighbor’s house.

I don’t imagine that she had many other encounters quite like ours, much to her relief no doubt.

You are a good boy- If I get people calling at my door- they get about 3 words out before they get the door closed on them. That is just so I do not swear at them as apparantly it offends some people.

But went to the docs a few years ago and I was told I was overweight. (5'6" and 150 lbs) and I ought to get more exercise. So I asked her if twice a week at the gym doing cardio- vascular for and hour- Couple of evening bike rides of 20 miles and a weekend ride of 50 to 60 miles with the odd 100 miler thrown in would be good enough.

She agreed but at the same time realised she had been preaching to the wrong person. She had been trying to encourage some of her older patients with heart problems to get out and exercise. I told her I did not have a heart problem-- Due to the amount of exercise I was doing.