How Far Would You Walk For a Beer?

Along with Daylights Savings, we in California were noticing the arrival of Spring on Saturday. The sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky, and it was definitely a day to dust off the shorts and sandals and head to the park. Before we left I enjoyed a Celebration Ale I had snagged from the in-laws house, one of many left from a case they bought me back in November, and keep at their house. Stomach full of ale, we pack up the necessary items to take the baby and dog to the park. Holding Kaleigh, I walk outside thinking. “This is going to be a great day.” That’s when I hear the door close.

“Do you have your keys?”

I did not. Immediately I go to the window I always keep cracked open for a time like this. Apparently my father-in-law, Mr. Home Security, had done his own rounds and closed every single window and ensured they were shut. My wife and I stare at each other not knowing what to do. The in-laws are out of town for the weekend and they have the spare keys. Both cars are unlocked, so the wife collects the diaper bag and assorted baby items we can find while I grab the only thing of value from my car, the garage door opener to the in-laws house. We live on the south end of Santa Rosa, about as far south as Santa Rosa goes. Of course, they live on the northern city limits.

Accepting our fate, we head out on the road. Thankfully, we had access to the cars, so we have diapers, water and money. I knew the in-laws had the fridge full of Celebration Ales and a pizza parlor with Death and Taxes located across the street, so there was motivation. We have no idea how far this walk will be, but we have signed up for the Susan G. Komen 60-mile, 3-day walk in September, and this should be a great way to begin our training. The walks starts off great, as I said, it’s a beautiful day, we have a route planned that should keep us on sidewalks and away from traffic. We even have a sushi restaurant we like to go to roughly at the halfway point, perfect for a lunch break.

Did I mention we were both wearing sandals in preparation of a quick walk to the park? About a mile away from home, newly forming blisters reminded us. Not only that, I remembered I had left my basketball shoes and a pair of socks in my car just the day before. IDIOT! Why didn’t I put them on? We continue on. By the time we see our sushi oasis, the dog sounds like she is ready to die. The baby is cranky and already needed a new diaper. We can definitely use a break, as can our increasingly sore feet.

We sit down at an outdoor table, excited about our meal. I consider ordering a large Sapporo, but decide against it. No beer until we get to the end of this. Little did we know, our usually sleepy, very friendly sushi bar, is the home to a lunch party of at least a dozen people. We expected a delay when seeing this, but did not plan on a 90 minute plus lunch. But it’s Saturday, what rush are we in? We eat our lunch, organize the troops, and head back on our way.

After lunch, were making good time. It’s maybe 30 minutes later before the dog is showing signs of fatigue. While Pugs may be great when it comes to personality, they are not long distance walkers, that is sure. I pick her up (she’s no more than 15-16 pounds) and carry her for a a quarter mile or so, until she stops gasping for air. Apparently this wasn’t far enough. We cross the street, and Fenway finds a bush and collapses under it’s shade. Lazy dog. We still have a ways to go! We can see the street light that marks the in-laws neighborhood, this is no time for a break. Please, don’t think I’m driving this dog to exhaustion. I know my dog, and she’s lazy. Looks like I need to carry her the rest of the way if we’re going to ever finish this trek.

By now, our feet are killing us. My sandals have cut into the tops of my toes, driving me to take them off and walk barefoot along the landscaped lawns along the street. The wife is also battling the effects of harsh sandals, but she’s a trooper. Four hours after we initially left our house, we turn the corner and see the house we will call home for the next 24 hours. The garage door pulls open and I go straight for the fridge within. There they are, roughly 6-7 Celebration Ales and a couple Brown Shuggas. Was there ever a more appropriately named beer for this occasion than Celebration?

The dog gets put in the backyard where she’s now full of energy and ready to rock. Kaleigh finds toys on the living room floor and is also full of energy after he just completed nap. The wife and I attend to our poor feet, and I make some time to enjoy my beer. Over dinner I have that Death and Taxes and make grab a Smithwick’s for dessert. All in all, we walked 5 miles today. Easily, the farthest I’ve ever walked to get to a beer (or three).