Walk - Day 32

My hips are aching themselves into oblivion right now. I can't say today was a bad day per se.... but ouch!
 It really started yesterday when, after getting up early pearly to go into London with Jon's school, they tell us that the particular bus we are riding in is different than all of the other ones we've taken and that Nathaniel needs a car seat for it... and that even if we had a seat for him, there weren't any extra places to put it in so he couldn't come which equals none of us going. Hopes for fun day shot. But with Joelle (Auntie Money Bags) to the rescue, we got some bus tickets and just went ourselves. It turned out wonderfully.
 
Why are my hips hurting then you might ask? Well, after arriving in London we walked all over the place. Since we weren't with the school, we spent the (sleep frequently interrupted by child and phone) night with the Holiday's (some CA friends) so we could have church with them this morning. Before church Joelle and I had about 45 minutes of free time and chose to spend it walking around Hampstead Heath. Gorgeous! But mix together a bit of unfamiliarity, in depth conversation, and lack of preparation and our walk turned into a two hour trek around the proverbial Hundred Acre Woods (with me carrying Nathaniel the whole time). We finally get back to the house, have church, then walk (with slightly misinterpreted directions) to and around the underground, then walk/jog to the bus depot that we're late to. Once we got on the bus all four of us almost instantly fell asleep and arrive back in Oxford better rested. This is where it starts to break down. Its an hour till the next bus home so we walk to the grocery store for a snack... closed. Walk to the other store... closed. Walk to a coffee shop... closed. We finally found a sandwich store open (as did everyone else looking for food). It took ages so then Joelle and I leave Jon to his studies and run the half mile to the bus stop - still missing our bus - and carrying our bags + the boyo. The next bus is in 58 minutes so we opt for the bus that only goes half way home. We got out on the top of the hill with aching joints and muscles, drizzling rain, a cold breeze and two more miles to walk home. That my friends, is why my hips hurt.