One of my best excuses is about to disappear. I always said that if I could get across Sebastopol Road without having to dodge the maniacs, I'd make a habit of walking four blocks on past the post office, crossing the street, and walking back on the other side. That would add, um, eight blocks to my daily walking routine. It couldn't hurt.

I know that in theory I could have walked up and back without crossing the street. That would have gained me the same, um, eight blocks, but I thought I'd look silly turning around for no apparent reason. I mean, you have to walk purposefully, or there's no benefit to it. So if you march up the road and just spin around, you might frighten the children and small animals.

So anyway, now they've gone and put in a crosswalk, with a light and everything. To be true to my word (granted, it was a word I gave only to myself), I have to use it. More exercise, another eight blocks, that's good. But not yet.

Today was the first day I've seen the new traffic signals at that intersection in action, and they have a few kinks to work out before I'm willing to take the chance of crossing there. In fact, I'm not sure I even want to drive past that spot until everything's working right. Today the light was green in the direction from which no traffic was coming, leaving a long line of cars waiting impatiently in the other direction. I don't have to tell you which way I was going at the time.

Of course, on the way home I did go the other direction, and I sailed right through the intersection, but I took no satisfaction from it. I'm not petty that way.

The control box on the corner was open, and two men appeared to be working the signal by hand. If so, they were either incompetent or sadistic. I assume they were trying to do the right thing. Otherwise, I assume that after they were finished manipulating traffic, they went home and pulled the wings off flies. (Not that there's necessarily anything wrong with that.)

Nobody was trying to walk across the street in the new crosswalk today. As I said, I don't intend to chance it myself until I'm sure everything is working as it's supposed to. I definitely wasn't going to try it today, and give those guys fodder for their antics. I kind of wished somebody would have, though. I was certainly sitting at their red light long enough that I could have used some entertainment.

Whatever advantage I get from more walking won't count for much unless I stick to my eating regimen. I've been pretty good about it, but with all the special events lately, I haven't dared weigh myself for a couple of weeks. I don't go looking for bad news, because it'll find me sooner or later anyway.

The current system is pretty simple. I start the day with a bowl of Raisin Bran Crunch, as late in the morning as possible. Then I don't eat until I'm hungry. Then I eat until I'm not hungry. Then I don't eat until I'm hungry again. If I can stay away from snacks, and not eat when I can't feel the pangs of hunger, I'm usually all right.

I don't know much about nutrition. My strength is scheduling and planning.