Cops and Balance

Started a gorgeous, mid-30s January morning with yoga class. It was far smaller than last Thursday's morning class, only seven people counting the teacher Karin. We worked on core focusing - standing poses and back-bends. I'm still having a hard time with balance. I can do certain poses, but not for very long, and I can't get my leg all the way out when I lift it for Tree Pose.

I did, however, meet a newcomer to the class and had a nice chat with her. I think she said her name was Maria or Moira. She lives in Haddon Township and is a massage therapist...and is the only person I've met in the entire South Jersey area who is close to my own age and lives alone. She seemed very friendly, and I hope to encounter her again sometime soon.

Headed to the Collingswood Library after leaving class. For once, they had plenty for me to do. Their CD racks are very old and badly flaking paint. Not to mention, the way they're set up makes it impossible to actually get CDs out of the rack. I removed CDs, loaded them onto a cart, and brought them to the shelves in one of the offices where they're being kept until the shelves arrive.

I stopped briefly at the thrift shop first. Bought four records, all featuring the old-time radio shows Fibber McGee and Molly or Texaco Star Theatre With Fred Allen. Went to WaWa next for milk, then headed home. I took the long way down Collings Avenue and past Knight Park, since it was such a nice day.

Volunteering took me longer than I thought it would today. I had just enough time when I got home to have chili for lunch, change into my work clothes, and head back out. Good thing the weather continued to cooperate, making for an easy commute both ways.

Wish work was that easy. It wasn't really that busy, steady more than anything, but some of the customers I did have today were real pains. One lady had what were obviously starter checks, blank checks without addresses, though she kept claiming they weren't. We can't accept checks without addreses; it's the rules of the company that cashes our checks. She had to leave behind her whole order because she hadn't brought any other means of payment.

(And let me add a tip here - whenever you're out shopping anywhere, always bring two methods of payment. You don't always have the right amount of cash on you, checks can bounce or not be accepted, and cards don't always go through.)

I thought I was fine riding home. I don't know what happened, but about 20 minutes after I got in, a cop showed up at my door. He asked me about my bike and said someone had seen me riding near Woodland Terrace and thought I looked suspicious! Apparently, someone had stolen a bike around there. I gave the police officer the information he asked for, but I wasn't happy about it. I've had my bikes for years. I ride around this neighborhood all the time, and my neighbors know it. Many of my customers at the Acme often comment on seeing me on the bikes. It's more likely one of the kids in the neighborhood decided to be cute and took the bike. The person who thought I looked suspicious must be a newcomer. At least the cop seemed to know who Uncle Ken was; he asked me if I knew Ken Redmer after I told him my last name.