Boyle McCauley News

Since 1979 • April-May 2024 • Circulation 5000

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Having Fun in McCauley

With winter slipping away, I have been looking forward to summer fun in McCauley. One way I have fun and get my exercise is walking. When I get an errand I need to run, even in winter, I love to walk as much as I can, whether it be downtown or sometimes even on the south side. Often I will walk from my house near Caboto Park up to the Cromdale Shoppers Drug Mart and back, and if it is one of my days off, it is kind of nice to cap off a long walk like that with a short nap. I always wake up feeling so healthy and refreshed when I do that.

Although it is something that can be done all year round, due to dry skin I have to curtail my swimming activities slightly in the winter. I feel so lucky to have the Commonwealth Stadium Recreation Centre nearby, and I try to take full advantage of it. There are many things to do there besides swimming of course: they have indoor soccer, clubs of many kinds, a full gymnasium, and raquetball courts, but mostly when I go there and don’t swim, I like to ride the exercise bikes and after do a cool down on the walking track. I often lift weights there as well, and I find that when I exert myself either by walking or swimming or even playing basketball or badminton I end up feeling great for at least a few days.

Now that the snow is starting to melt from the ground though, I am looking forward to replacing my snorkelling gear with new equipment and going to the pool again with it on a regular basis. What I love about snorkelling is that it reduces stress through the exercise of doing laps in the pool. I also find that it is such a great opportunity to do a type of meditation, because when you use a snorkel in water you can see perfectly all around you but there is no sound at all. In 2014, I travelled to Hawaii and did some snorkelling after practising for a few weeks at Commonwealth’s pool and it has literally opened up a whole new world to me.

The other seasonal activity that I am going to participate in this spring is cycling. I know that you can ride a bike all year round, but I have never made that transition. What I really enjoy about cycling is just getting into a rhythm on a hot day and going for miles and miles. I have a sports watch that tells me how much activity I am engaging in, and being on a bike really seems to be the best way to burn off calories and get that necessary cardio time that our bodies need.

The last, and what I think is the greatest way to have fun in McCauley, is simply interacting with all the friends I have around the neighbourhood in some of the great little restaurants and coffee shops we have here. I really like that now that I have lived here for 15 years, I have gotten to know so many people. I am looking forward to warm summer mornings and going to Spinelli’s to get a free newspaper and order their delicious ham and cheese croissants with an Orangina and sit down to enjoy the company of friends and neighbours. I can also see myself going into beautiful Zocalo and enjoying all the plants and flowers and ordering an Americano and getting a little piece of dark chocolate with it. Sometimes I wish it could be summer forever!

Leif lives in McCauley.

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