Excursion Imagination

I started going for early morning/nightly walks/runs in my neighborhood over a year ago, in a successful attempt to lose my post-pregnancy weight.  I quickly found that I found it quite enjoyable to walk my dog or push my baby in her stroller, listen to my iPod and let my mind wander.  My excursions started as small walks, as I was extremely out of shape (6 months of bedrest will do that to a person), but I eventually made it to the point where I could run instead of walk (very proud of myself).  It was a long trek but I made it, blah, blah, blah.  No one wants to hear another weight loss story, and I don't like to remember how miserable I was.

I live in a "modular home park" and I say "modular home" because the people in my neighborhood do not live in your average double-wide trailers.  They live in these huge and elaborate double-wide trailers with basements and balconies and attics and double-car garages, etc (you get my point, they are mansion trailers).  I think ours is the smallest house on the block, but it's a nice neighborhood to live in and we actually know each and every one of our 30 neighbors.  The walk around my block is actually quite a work out if you want it to be.  It's short enough that you can run it and it's got enough hill to make a walk a little more than a stroll.

Anyway...

Recently, I've found a new marvelous source of enjoyment on my daily excursions: I make up stories about my neighbors.  Strange elaborate stories.  Remember I said I know all of them.  I know what they look like, I know where lots of them work, I know who belong to which house and I know which ones are Canuck fans, but it ends there.  The rest of the details that I like to make up as I walk past their houses and I don't care if it makes me sound crazy.  I like to pretend.  There are lots of days where I'll thow in an extra lap around the block because I wasn't quite finished with the imaginary story going on with number 12.

Most of my neighbors are "old" people, though there are a few younger people mixed in as well.  The neighbors that I talk to on a regular basis have quite interesting stories and I wonder what else they may have done and the ones that I don't talk to regularly are the ones that my brain picks on the most.  I'm pretty sure of several crazies and I know there's a few recreational drug users and I know one of the widows is getting married this summer, but the made up stuff is so much more interesting.  Like the man who only eats cabbage and that's why he smells the way he does.  Or the couple that attends every church function but sacrifices a lamb to the Devil every full moon.  Or the girl that I am pretty sure is some sort of non-human entity with supernatural powers. 

So, now that I've said this, I'm starting to wonder what my neighbors think of me...