There are a pair of lakes to the north in the next valley, and come to think of it at the foot of the next major "mountain", to which I take a transit bus the last 15 miles. Last Sunday was my second jaunt of the summer. In addition to packing swimming gear I decided to take a glasses case and a pair of sneakers; as usual I was wearing a pair of hiking boots I've had for a while. A more local stop for the transit company was inexplicably removed two summers ago; there was always a good crowd to and from the transit center. The same company used to go right by work with three axle buses and always there were only one or two people aboard. That route is gone.

But for this posting, I boarded my bus after parking by the stop at a commuter train station (now why would I do that?) and decided to raid my wallet. Oh, dear, where's the Magic Card. You know the Magic Card: it's a member of the "debit" club, so handy---and I've lost two over the last few years. Well, the last one was not so long ago! Darn; I commenced making a laundry list of my gym bag and various in my collection of reusable shopping bags to check afterward but as a champion of obsessing this would be on my mind while swimming and trying to enjoy the crowd.

I set out from my stop; it's a hot walk but I have my cold water and sun screen and once over the next two hills I get to the swimming area with its teeming picnicking. A fellow with a pair of cute little dogs on leashes crosses the walk way behind me and I feel something around my right foot. Hey, maybe a pup wants to play! I turn around and they are gone, but beneath me I see an odd-looking---flip flop? Did some family values person throw something at the lone fifty-something Caucasian guy? Darn, let's move on after pushing it onto the grass. But moving is odd, like my legs don't match. Oh oh, rest in pieces hiking shoes; that was my right sole. And I am so happy I brought the tennis shoes.

Change takes place, and I pick a spot by one of the two swimming areas to peel down, smear more screen, hope I don't burn out anyone's retinas, and hit the water. One last thought: be a good boy and pack the glasses in the case. I didn't once at a swimming pool and they slipped out in the check-in area and took a pair of scratches, not to mention being lost until an illegally driving Dan almost got home and was called by the staff. Back to the present, here are my sun glasses and---The Magic Card.

The day just turned benevolent.

I keep forgetting to replace my current shredded wallet (I believe you call the material "patent landfill"), to which my anguished mind had been attributing some blame. Inanimate objects don't set you straight! So, I left the card in the case, which was a fine place for it. I know, I would have donned the sun glasses for the hazy (and cooling down weather after a rough Saturday) drive home and found the card, but now I could enjoy the swim. Though the probably doomed to donation bin hiking shoes made the back pack ponderous, the day turned out out well.