Why is it that the cure for everything is ... exercise?

Of course, I waited until it was getting hot to go to the doctor about my defective leg and hip. Contrary to my plans, he did not just give me a big shot and make me well. He gave me a shot and then explained that I needed to move around a little… a lot… to strengthen that leg and my gluteus medias. That is a muscle/tendon/ connection between pelvic bone and my bursitis-ridden outer hip. When it gets strong, I will not hurt. According to the doctor, when I get some exercise, that will correct itself and I will be young again. That’s not what he said. But where there is hope there will be sleep on my left side.

I have enlisted Dixie and Brandy to aid me in this endeavor. We have two dogs. Looking back over the thirty years I’ve been writing this column; it seems I’ve had either two dogs or maybe only one really big dog. Anytime that I have had to exercise, I’ve fallen back on the dogs to help me. I’m not sure if I like the company, or I like the world to concentrate on the dogs and not my clumsy walking.

For the past week, I’ve been walking the dogs twice a day. Although it has been over a year since I walked them, they recognized the rattle of the leash even before I said the magic word… “walk.” You would have thought Santa Clause was on the porch. These are not young dogs, but they jumped around waiting for the door to open like two puppies. I was a little afraid they would head for the city limits once the door was opened… dragging me with them. But once the leashes were attached, they calmed down and with very little pulling walked out to the driveway and moved into our “old” routine.

On the very first day of this current exercise regime, Brandy… the big dog… was attached to an inferior leash. Finding herself loose, she immediately headed for our usual route… only ten yards ahead of us. We stopped. I rattled her defective leash. I cajoled and yelled and begged, but she wandered along leading us.

When it was time to turn the corner, she looked back at us and motioned that we should follow her… “this way.” We did. Dixie and I made it around the block with her. She led us to the back gate and waited until I opened it. She was delighted, and so was I.

On a regular day, if the door is opened by a novice… read that my sweetie who doesn’t seem to remember that they are behind him, they team-up and head for the great outdoors. As I tell everyone, they will come back. They will come back clean and tired or muddy and happy or thirsty and hot. But they come back. Sometimes I must get the car and offer them a trip to Sonic to get them home. But they come back.

I’m sure the neighbors have noticed… the old lady wandering around the neighborhood with her blue bags of reclaimed poop and her well behaved dogs. Maybe they won’t notice my limp, but I’m pretty sure they are glad “she’s finally got those two dogs under control.”