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Tuesday, August 23, 2011

OBSERVATIONS OF A MALL WALKER

FIRST OF ALL HAPPY 3RD B-DAY TO MY GOOD PAL THE HANDSOME LABRA-DUDE

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This morning I felt like I needed to sleep so
I gave Mom 100% blogging privileges today.
Disclaimer:
I'm not responsible for anything written today!!
Scroll down at your own risk.



Yes, it is true, my name is Madi's Mom, and I'm a mall walker. 

Monday August 1, 2011, I began my fifth month as a MALL WALKER.  Up until my retirement on April 1, 2011, my plan was to continue my love of walkng each day out of doors, after all I had been trapped in an office for 25 years.  I was not dragged to the mall kicking and screaming. I  got up each morning ate my Cheerios, dressed and voluntarily joined my husband on his one hour treks around our local mega Mall.

Over the last five months, not only have I become an avid mall walker, I have also become an avid observer of mall walkers. We are a motely bunch folks from all walks of life brought together each day between 7 am and 10am striving for fitness. There is a mall walker's meeting once a month (as of this writing we NEVER plan to attend). 


Today I'd like to tell you about my observations.

Mall Traffic:
All mall walkers have their own distinct style of walking and predetermined route.   On any given day, there could be 20 or 30 folks traipsing around both levels of the mall. For this reason, we feel that mall walkers should observe laws of the road.. always walk to the right. However, we have found there are rebel rouser mall walkers who joy in walking the wrong way.  *They walk the width of an asile often they stop smack dab in the middle of the asile to talk about a window display.  This behavior messes up the ebb and flow of foot traffic. Over the months we have learned to avoid these groups. 

Takers:
Several days a week we see one particular non mall walker, come into the mall with either a used Panera ice tea cup or coffee cup.  Panera's policy is free refills while in the Cafe only. It is not a free for life refill policy.  She sneaks in the back door of Panera with her cups gets her refill then leaves.  That is just naughty!! 

Nicknames:
We have tagged many of the walkers with 'nicknames' due to their style of walk or habits.

1. Hoodie lady, she has more tops with hoods than I've ever seen in my life and in all colors.  She must own stock at Old Navy.
2. Cabbie Hat lady, she has cabbie hats to match all of her outfits
3. Wild arm man, as he walks he swings his right arm so hard it goes up to his head as if to salute all the while his left arm behaves.
4. Mad hatter always carries his hat in his hand.  We wonder why he doesn't leave it in the car.
5. Preppie lady, she always has a sweater tied around her shoulders...never wears it
6. Newspaper man, he and his wife walk together but he reads the newspaper while walking. She is about 2 steps behind him.  When he finishes with a section of the paper, he briskly tosses it back to her. Often she walks pushing a Sears cart and she'll put the paper in the cart.  The news is heavy but REALLY is a cart necessary? LOL
7. First Sargent he always walks down the middle of the mall, very tall and straight as if in formation.
8. Geisha lady, she walks very fast but takes very tiny steps.
9. Odd Couple, she has ankle weights and carries hand weights in each hand.  She walks ahead of him. They usually coordinate the color of their tops.
10. *Moving Road block, their group consists of 3 to 5 and sometimes 6 females.  They insist on walking together, they walk abreast slowly, stop on a whim to talk or look at a window and generally cause road blocks.
11. Celebrity Gal:  She walks inside the mall with sunglasses on and a ball cap.  A young man walks with her but they don't talk.  We suppose he is her body guard.  We hope to get a peep at her one day.
12. The Biker Dudes: None are younger that 65, they ride their bikes to the mall everyday, park their bikes inside under the stairs while having a bagel.  We're just plain envious of them to be riding bikes some distances at their ages.   Way to Go Biker Dudes
13. Same clothes Sally:  She walks 3 or 4 days a week.  She has worn the same clothes every day since I started walking in April.
Surely they need to be washed by now.
14.  Flip Flip Flo:  She doesn't walk every day but the days she walks she has rubber flip flops that always match her dress. Yes she wears a very nice and fashionable dress to walk in. 
15. Stairmister:  Walks several fast laps around the upper mall ending his walk with 10 or 15 minutes going up and down the same staircase every day IN THE WAY.

Respectfully submitted
Madi's Mom
Thank you for your attention, Madi will be back tomorrow.

26 comments:

  1. Way to go Madi's mom, I would be a Stairminster, now I didn't see one I could put down as mom, so I made one up!! I better be quick don't want her seeing this comment!!!
    Tootle lady- traveling along in a leisurely way, wondering why she is there in the first place lol!!!
    Got to go, help shes coming
    BYE!!

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  2. rofl...........LOVE the walker's nicknames you've come up with. Ya, we walk the mall too, but because of the temps outdoors, not because we like the scenery. I'd have to say, my nicknames around here would have obnoxious names for fun and giggles.

    You tell Madi she was missed...just to make her feel good!!!


    Gulf Waters

    Hope your week is off to a grand beginning!!

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  3. Oh dis was jus' so funny. {true but funny} excuse me for a minute while me scraps Mom off da floor!!!

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  4. lol...I wonder what ya'll would nick name me?

    slow walking old gal

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  5. I love your "people watching" skills and nicknames for the other mall walkers! LOL
    That is such a smart way to get walking exercise done in a very hot & humid climate!
    Constant climate control.
    I would need to put a "faux" service dog cape on Raider so that he could get exercise, too. :)

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  6. When I lost Joker I walked the mall everyday. I lost him in May and it was a hot summer and I was glad to have a place that was cool to walk in. I got Amanda in Sept the 24 th, the first day of a cool down!!
    I have suffered so with this heat walking Tinker 5 to 7 times a day in 100 degree!!! It has been very hard on me.
    xx, Tinker & Fern

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  7. That seems like a great way for some fitness and even a little shopping here and there...Miss you and hope all's been well~!!!

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  8. I just love your observations, Mom! You've got quite the cast of characters at your mall.

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  9. Your people-watching skills are quite good, as are your names for them. Sometimes I'm in our mall early, usually passing through to the public transit transfer point. I see quite a few older folks doing their mall walking, some quite serious about it, others seemingly less so. But I've not stayed long enough to really observe them!

    -The human

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  10. I considered Mall walking but am afraid to spend tooooomuch time at the mall in fear of waiting in front of Yankee Candle until it opens everyday.

    I do walk at the YMCA if it is over 80 in the morning, or take Dory and Jake out if it is under 80.

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  11. Thank you so much for remembering my birthday!! We're going up to the mountains so I can run away and see if the Tall Guy can find me! :)

    (I won't really run away - it's just a game I like to play!)

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  12. Oh Madi, you mom does such a great job of writing on your blog!! She made me laugh and I could actually picture all these characters as they do their daily walking. What a fun walk. Why don't you go on walks like that Madi?? We walk with our M.O.M. all the time. I think cats should do the same thing. Then they would have a real reason to take so many naps in the same day!!!
    Hugs and wags,Mistaya and Maggie

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  13. We could totally picture your varied cast of characters, too! People watching makes everything more fun!! And good work on your consistent walking!

    -Gizmo, Bart and Ruby

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  14. BOL!!!!!! This is soooo funny!!! Thanks for sharing! BOL!!!!! You must tell us more!! This is so BOL!!

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  15. Wow, we think your mall observations are great!!!

    We have something to say about #13. I like to wear black when I'm at yoga or working out in the gym, it makes me feel strong and a little fierce too - LOL So, I have 8-10 pairs of yoga pants, all of them black and about 15 old navy ribbed tank tops, also all black. It occurred to me after reading what you said about "Same Clothes Sally" that people might think that about me too even though I wear fresh clothes every time - LOL!!!

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  16. That sounds like awesome fun! Mome and me love to people watch too! Puppy Kisses, Miss Mindy

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  17. Why that is fabulous!
    A mall walker that is so interesting.

    purrs
    >^,,^<
    ♥Abby♥Boo♥Ping♥Jinx♥Grace♥

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  18. This post has my Mommy laffin so hard her eyes are leakin. So is her nose. (cod luf her) Purrs to pretty Madi.

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  19. Madi's Mom,

    Maybe you could write a book 'bouts all da funny mall walkers you see! :)

    Woofs and Licks,
    Maggie Mae

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  20. Bawhahahahaha! This is hysterical! If I were allowed in malls, I would surely be a mall walker, too. Who needs to walk in the sun when you can take a stroll in air conditioning - not to mention Panera has mighty yummy breakfast treats. See you around the mall - I hereby promise to observe the rules of the road, I mean mall!

    Your pal, Pip

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  21. Mall walking is quite the adverture with all of those little communities. Madi's Mom were you a private eye before retiring as you have such a keen eye for observation?

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  22. Madi's mom, our mom says she wishes she could go mall walking with you! It sure sounds like a lot of fun!!

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  23. Such characters and descriptions! At least it makes the workout more interesting!

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  24. That was so funny!! So many people and yet so different!!

    wags
    Jazzi and Addy

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  25. Happy Birthday Jack!

    I got a real kick out of you nickname list. Flip Flop Flo could have been me at one time. When I worked sometime on my lunch hour I would go to a mall or park to walk. I always kept a pair of flip flops in the trunk of my car for summer walks. In the winter I was Tennis Shoe Tilly! MOL!

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