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livingdebI have a philosophy about stairs: When I have a choice between an elevator and stairs (both of which I can find), I choose stairs. (I will take the elevator socially, however.)
I have two main reasons. The first is that taking the elevator uses energy in bad ways: they deplete our stores of fossil fuels, the electricity was probably generated in a polluting way, and it costs money.
The second reason is that taking the stairs uses energy in good ways: it helps me deplete my stores of extra calories I don't need. (Yes, I know, growing and shipping that food is polluting, but I am eating just as many goodies when I take an elevator as when I take stairs, so that part of the equation is constant. I probably do produce a bit more carbon dioxide using stairs, and one could argue that if other people are on the elevator anyway, the extra energy it takes to carry me is quite small, but anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.)
So Monday, I went to the library to get my new favorite JavaScript book. The ground floor is on the second floor, and the book was on the sixth floor, and each flight has 24 steps, so that's 92 steps total, or almost the size of one small mountain.
By small mountain I mean Mount Bonnell. Mount Bonnell is the highest point in Austin, and you can climb to the top via a stair case of 102 steps (pictured in the link above). "Mount" is short for "Mountain," and it's a short mountain alright!
That many steps makes my legs a little bit rubbery, which is good.
However, this week I'm also doing "grade runs," which means taking lists of outstanding grade sheets to a several department offices located near each other on campus. These offices are on various floors of their respective buildings. My legs were feeling very rubbery after that.
My legs were aching by the time of my grade run on Tuesday, so I decided to count the steps I use when I make my run. I use a different number of steps going up than going down (less, I think--with more inclined slopes), so I just counted the steps going up. Of course now I don't remember how many that was, but I do remember it was just less than three small mountains, approximately 300 steps. After work I had ballroom dance class. Aren't I so macho?
Today's grade run was much easier, though still more tiring than usual.
I have two main reasons. The first is that taking the elevator uses energy in bad ways: they deplete our stores of fossil fuels, the electricity was probably generated in a polluting way, and it costs money.
The second reason is that taking the stairs uses energy in good ways: it helps me deplete my stores of extra calories I don't need. (Yes, I know, growing and shipping that food is polluting, but I am eating just as many goodies when I take an elevator as when I take stairs, so that part of the equation is constant. I probably do produce a bit more carbon dioxide using stairs, and one could argue that if other people are on the elevator anyway, the extra energy it takes to carry me is quite small, but anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.)
So Monday, I went to the library to get my new favorite JavaScript book. The ground floor is on the second floor, and the book was on the sixth floor, and each flight has 24 steps, so that's 92 steps total, or almost the size of one small mountain.
By small mountain I mean Mount Bonnell. Mount Bonnell is the highest point in Austin, and you can climb to the top via a stair case of 102 steps (pictured in the link above). "Mount" is short for "Mountain," and it's a short mountain alright!
That many steps makes my legs a little bit rubbery, which is good.
However, this week I'm also doing "grade runs," which means taking lists of outstanding grade sheets to a several department offices located near each other on campus. These offices are on various floors of their respective buildings. My legs were feeling very rubbery after that.
My legs were aching by the time of my grade run on Tuesday, so I decided to count the steps I use when I make my run. I use a different number of steps going up than going down (less, I think--with more inclined slopes), so I just counted the steps going up. Of course now I don't remember how many that was, but I do remember it was just less than three small mountains, approximately 300 steps. After work I had ballroom dance class. Aren't I so macho?
Today's grade run was much easier, though still more tiring than usual.
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Stairs
on 2005-12-21 09:53 pm (UTC)I think that modern conveniences have affected our health in a negative way, so I rejoice when I have to park far away (moreso in Texas than in frigid New England, which I love anyway and perhaps because of the cold - more hot tea-drinking!).