I waddle now

Yes, it's true. I do, in fact, waddle instead of walk. I'm not sure when it started, really, but I noticed the waddle out in full force Saturday at the lake. I was walking accross a gravel area toward the car and Deborah was standing near the car watching me approach, an amused look on her face.

I realized at the moment that I wasn't really walking.

You see, when you walk, your legs swing forward using their built in hinges (aka hips) to move independently of your upper body. And your upper body is kind and accomodating enough to move in the right direction. When you waddle, however, your legs don't swing, they sort of take a small lunge forward and your back and upper body have no choice but to follow clumsily along. I have no idea why attaching a small (but heavy) beach ball to a woman's mid-section effects this change, I just know it's true.

Quack, quack.