WE DID IT!

1.5 miles to go!

Walking along the water is Southie. Feeling good. Nilda and her husband Sean are walking with us and the love is all good! More later.

Cambridge

Thank God for the flatness of Cambridge. It rained a little bit but it's looking good now - just overcast which is better than direct sun. We are at a pit stop on Mem Drive by MIT and the breeze coming off the Charles is super nice. I am drinking a ton and peeing every 5 blocks it seems. I don't care if that's TMI, I'm not getting dehydrated today.

The cheering station at Cambridge City Hall had a lot of folks at it which was great. The Youth Corp is so pumped at this pit stop so the spirit is good. We are grabbing snacks, water, gatorade and Sherri changed her socks. We are moving right along!

That's HIVES not gives

Hard to type when your hand looks like that.

Good morning Day 3!

Starting the day out excited, ready, and ABSOLUTELY COVERED IN GIVES! Seriously? Wish me luck. Sherri and I are just laughing at this point!

Pics

More pics

This message has been sent using the picture and Video service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, Quicktime@ 6.5 or higher is required.

Pictures from day one

This message has been sent using the picture and Video service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, Quicktime@ 6.5 or higher is required.

Spectators!

Now that I have my credentials back and Sherri and I are back together again and pumped for tomorrow, I want to remind you to check out the Spectator Site. Since I am blogging mobilely (is that a word?) I can't put the link in but if you look on the side bar ------>
you should see old blogs listed. The link is in "Calling All Spectators" and "Here's the Mail". Closing Ceremonies are so powerful and tomorrow's route is a great way to get into the city on a beautiful day. Email me your number if you want me to update you on our location.

Thanks!

MAIL!!!

I am sitting here at camp while Sherri showers. Last night while I was making a grand spectacle of myself, she picked up my camp mail. So I am sitting on the turf field in the late afternoon sun, drinking my water and reading all your amazing cards and letters. It is so quiet and peaceful here now and the breeze is making the tents take long, deep breaths in and out like they can feel the life and hope and spirit here. To have this moment alone with your letters is making last night's ordeal a thing of the past. The letters and cards are a perfect mix of love and laughter. Each one so clearly carries your voice. There are hugs, reminders, chants, and cheers...hysterical clip art and pictures...and smiles!

Thanks everyone! I hope folks can make it out to the route tomorrow to cheer for the amazing people who will be one Day 3! The route will go from camp (Gann Academy in Waltham) into Cambridge, through Harvard and MIT, and through Boston into Southie for closing ceremonies at UMass. The theme this weekend for Teachers for Ta-Ta's has been "How do ya like them apples?". Maybe someone can forward this link to Matt Damon and he could meet us at Harvard?

Thanks again.

Hey, did I mention how impressed - am with Sherri? She looks awesome!!

Cruel joke

We drove the last leg of the route. It starts with a mile or so up hill. It's a huge hill. Just passed Sherri. She has made it up the hard part. Now she has to go down hill which at mile 22 on day 2 is NO good on the knees. I am heading into camp now to get my medical clearance. More later...

Go Mom Go!

Sherri looks great!

The cheering stations are so awesome! Everyone is so friendly and enthusiastic. Someone shared hula hoops with the kids. My husband was even shakin' it at one point. Those of you who know him can probably guess that he is not a very good hula-hooper but he is entertaining!

We met up with Sherri's family. My daughter and her girls handed out stickers to the walkers to put on their lanyards (something that happens throughout the route). Her husband also brought freeze pops that her son and daughters handed out. Sherri's family has been so good to me and encouraging through this all. It was great to also see her brother in law and his beautiful bride. Thanks for all the support, you guys! My kids and husband loved hanging out with you today.

Are we there yet?

My kids are AWFUL in the car! They wine, fight, and "are we there yet" until I become the sitcom parent threatening to pull over. "I WILL TURN THIS CAR AROUND AND THEN YOU'LL REALLY BE IN TROUBLE!"

Usually we play various dreadful car ride games but today on the way to the cheering stations I resorted to telling the kids to watch and see if they could find Sherri along the way. My oldest "found" Sherri a number of times. Unfortunately, the first time we were in the Pike and thesecond we were on 128. "Maybe she got lost.". That would be all she needed. We did get a good laugh which is what I need today.

Off to cheer!

Are we there yet?

My kids are AWFUL in the car! They wine, fight, and "are we there yet" until I become the sitcom parent threatening to pull over. "I WILL TURN THIS CAR AROUND AND THEN YOU'LL REALLY BE IN TROUBLE!"

Usually we play various dreadful car ride games but today on the way to the cheering stations I resorted to telling the kids to watch and see if they could find Sherri along the way. My oldest "found" Sherri a number of times. Unfortunately, the first time we were in the Pike and thesecond we were on 128. "Maybe she got lost.". That would be all she needed. We did get a good laugh which is what I need today.

Off to cheer!

Belmont Hill

Sherri called from pitstop 1 a little over 5 miles into Day 2. They started out with a bear of a walk up Belmont Hill. She hooked up with a friend of hers so is not walking alone - my big fear. I am resting up so I can cross that finish line with her tomorrow.

So maybe 'fine' was the wrong word.

So despite doing everything that my 6 months of training taught me, and despite following the "eat, drink, pee" rule at all the stops. Despite ending up in the medical tent to lie down for a few and drink some more at lunch. I ended the day on Friday with a trip to the ER. "Severe Dehydration". I honestly cannot figure this out b/c I was keeping track of how many times I refilled my water pack and thought I was drinking what is recommended (around 32 oz) per hour. I think the hard part is that it was a damn monsoon and pretty chilly at times so you don't feel thirsty. Based on the amount of water and Gatorade that I had, the doctors had no real explanation except that I am run down b/c of the gallbladder, etc.

I ended up making it all the way to camp (19.7 miles) before I near passed out, which was good, I guess, that I was not on the side of the road somewhere. But that also meant that the whole scene, including the puking, was done pretty publicly. They took me away on a golf cart to the medical tent for IV fluids. It was quite a sight. Sherri was amazing. She got all the gear, set up and decorated the tent herself to try and make it nice for me when I returned. She sat with me, missing a spot in line for the showers. And she did everything to put me at ease when they decided to send me to the ER. I felt so awful leaving her there alone. She just kept reminding me that obviuosly the whole point of the event is to keep people healthy. She assured me that with her personality, she would meet people to walk with. She later had an opportunity to meet folks when she stood in the shower line for
over an hour. : (

The rockin' all volunteer medical staff were so great. They said if 2 liters of fluids did not do the trick I would need to be treated at the hospital. By the time I left the hospital after 9pm Friday night, they had given me 3.5 liters of IV fluids, some glucose, and some anti-nausea medication. Even when leaving, my blood pressure was still only 94/50. I still can't explain it. I think my body is just used to being fat and sedentary?

So when you get sent to the hospital, the 3-day staff "red cards" you. They remove your credentials from your lanyard and replace them with a red card. Despite this being consistent with my personality, it sucked! In order to get back into the event, you must be cleared by medical staff. The ER doctor and I agree that I will take Saturday off and head back to camp Saturday night with the intent of walking on Sunday.

I will take it easy today, drink up, and head to the cheering stations. I spoke with Sherri this morning. She slept well and is feeling good. She is ready to hit the road at around 6:30. I will be cheering my socks off for her today! I will also be thinking of the rest of the mylar blanketed, hobbling folks who joined me at the hospital last night. Tomorrow will be another chance.

Me lying on the ground at camp waiting for Medical Staff:

Red Carded...I cannot believe I let pictures be taken.

I am fine

Dancing with a man in a kilt at mile 16.2.

Ended up in the damn medical tent with dehydration (read: a case of stupidity) at lunch (mile 12 +). More on this later. Just wanted Emma to know I am okay.

LUNCH!

12.3 miles done, some food in our bellies and we're listening to "Men with Heart" an all male team sing Pretty Woman. We are drying our feet, changing our socks, hitting the portable johns and we'll be off.

Last pit stop before lunch

10.5 miles. More than half way there. We are 2 miles from lunch and should hit the Newton cheering station b/t 1 and 1:30. My feet are shrivled and uncomfortable but no blisters yet. Hopefully the rain is done now. The first cheering station had only a few diehard (read: crazy) people. More at lunch...

Pit stop 2

7.7 miles in and the rain is picking up again. WTF? Sherri managed to score a flag to carry! Less than a mile to the first cheering station.

2 miles from first cheering station

It's been slow so far today but we're in Wellesley. Just passed Wellesley College and are 2 miles from Hunnewell Playground. Yey!

Pit stop 1

We are at the VFW post in Natick at 8:40 am. So far we are in good spirits but we are SOAKED! My first post didn't send this morning at opening ceremonies so I resent it now. We are moving slow because of the crowds and the rain. No good ETA for cheering stations yet. I will keep you posted. Here's the line for the throne.

Soaked freezing but ready

I cannot even describe this. We volunteered for this? Paid to participate even? We are just trying to keep our feet as dry as possible before starting. Wish you were here to see this madness. Remember when I said that nothing is even simple with Sherri and me? A Nor'easter? Seriously?

There's a little black spot on the sun..

...Todaaaayyyy....it's the same old thing as yesterdaaaayyy...

4:15 am and it is f'n pouring!

(Just a reminder that there will be spelling and thumb typing issues over the next 3 days).

Keep visiting! We know you are thinking of us!

Ready to Roll!

No time to blog tonight. Gotta get to sleep. I will just quickly say that today I had lunch with my dear friend, Nilda. She, Sherri, and my mom are the survivors closest to me for whom I walk this weekend. I also walk for Bridget Slotemaker, who passed away last August. Being with Nilda always fills my heart, but today was an especially nice visit. She is the kind of friend who believes in you so honestly and genuinely that you cannot help but believe in yourself. Thank you, Nilda, and thanks to all of you who have called, texted, emailed, and Facebooked me today to wish me luck. I said earlier that I am hoping to bottle all the love and use it on my blisters later this weekend.

Tonight I leave you with the results of my evening in the kitchen, making, packing, and labeling 2 breakfasts, 3 lunches, and the ingredients for 2 dinners. Due to my food allergies and gallbladder issues, I cannot eat the catered food and I have to premake my meals. P-I-T-A! My mom is taking the dinner ingredients and prepping them to bring to me at camp so that I can enjoy a fresh cooked dinner each night. THANK YOU, MOM!

Okay...I am off!
Talk to you from the road!

Pack Up Your Duffle...

OMG! The 3-Day is in 2 more wake ups. This week has been insane. Between work, stuff with the kids, and getting ready for the walk, blogging has been back burner these last couple of days - Sorry. Tonight, I had to pack because tomorrow night I have to prep my food. More on that tomorrow.

Packing...The 3-Day folks recommend that you pack using a duffle bag. Sherri followed directions (as usual) last year and hated it. You have to lug your crap all over the place at check in, camp, and closing ceremonies and she wished she had something with wheels. This works for me b/c I have the perfect sized suitcase with a strap on the outside for a garment bag. This is perfect for securing my sleeping bag to the outside of the suitcase (no bungee cords allowed).

We do have our own suitcases, but we sure don't travel much. In fact, if my mother had not purchased a luggage set for us as a wedding gift, we would be using my mother-in-laws vintage baby blue pleather set with the big ass press buckles. In fact the last time I was on a plane was my honeymoon eight years ago. So this is what the suitcase looked like when I pulled it out of the basement.


Embarrassing, I know. To make matters worse, while I was cleaning it off, my 3 year old says, "What's that?"
Hoping she meant the cobwebs, but knowing she meant the suitcase, I said, "It's a suitcase."
"Oh. What do you use it for?" she responded. Wow. I told you we don't travel much.

My daughter has been so excited about this 3-Day. She has expressed on many an occassion that she intends to be a cheerleader when she grows up and she has her own pink pom-poms for the cheering stations so she cannot wait. Every morning for over a week, she has woken up asking, "Is today the 3-Day Walk?" So tonight when she saw the suitcase, she realized something she had not really thought about. The tears welled up and the lip started to tremble...and then it happened. Like an air raid siren working up from a low whine to a full wail: "i don't want yOU TO GO AWAY FOR 3 DAYS!"

Oh brother. I quickly put the suitcase away, changed the subject and decided to pack after the kids were in bed. I cannot factor in the mom-guilt thing right now. I will cross that bridge of despair on Friday. Good luck, Honey!

So after the kids were asleep, I got to it. I got all of this:


Into this:


Everything is in zipper bags and then all the zipper bags are in giant zipper bags. This is because all of our gear is transported to camp and left outside. If it rains, you gotta hope you packed well. Luggage cannot weigh more than 35 lbs. I am well under and have saved room for the air mattress pump since Sherri already has the air mattress and 2 tarps (one for under and one for over the tent). I will spare you the details of what I have packed but I managed to get all my clothes, extra sneakers, flip flops, shampoo and crap, tent decorating materials, and a pillow into one small suitcase. Pretty impressive for someone who doesn't travel much!

I will also have this with me:


That little gadget on the right is a battery operated phone charger (Yes, my phone is pink...get over it). This will allow me to blog along the way. I will update folks on where we are and when so that if you are heading to a Cheering Station, you will have a better idea of when we are expected. I also have a list of people who would like text updates. If you would like to be added to this list, you can email me your mobile number.
harmontr@gmail.com

Please remember to visit the Spectator Site. We would love to see you. And you can also read more on Sherri's blog.

More later...

Psst...over here (Gallbladder Update #3)

Psssst...can you keep a secret? You can't tell Sherri. I had another Gallbladder attack tonight. This one only lasted about 2 hours but it was NOT fun. I took about as much pain as I could take and then headed to the ER again. I was not going to let them take it out since I have the surgery scheduled and the walk is in 5 days. I was just going to drug seek! You know. Get a little something to take the edge off. Tylenol was NOT cutting it. But for the second time, I pulled into the ER lot. This time I got out of the car and headed inside as a wave of relief washed over me. I turned around and got back in the car.

I decided that I would go home and soldier up and if it flairs back up tonight, I will just drive around town until I find someone willing to sell me someone else's pain meds. I am sure the street value is lower than the ER copay. If that doesn't work, maybe I will just finish making t-shirts or blog some more.

You have to remember not to tell Sherri. She will worry. But she will also say, "It was those black beans. I told you not to eat the black beans!" You see, Sherri came down yesterday and we had an awesome day walking and getting pumped up for the 3-Day. You can read all about it in her blog. We designed and decorated team t-shirts for her and me and some for family members. We also got together our ideas and supplies for the tent decorating contest. We laughed so hard. I can't wait to post pictures. No peeking yet as you never know if the competition is reading.



Back to my point about the beans. I told you already that the surgeon gave me a DO NOT EAT list. Well beans are on it. I made a slammin' salad yesterday when Sherri was here but it had black beans in it and Sherri warned me. I told her that I have been so good about everything, I would be fine with the black beans. Well, I was right. The black beans were fine. It's the f'n Target popcorn I ate today that did it.

My daughter loves the stuff but I inevitably end up picking at it and today I "picked" at it by the fist full. The stuff is jaundiced with powdery "butter" flavor with I am sure is a milk product. Bad. I am paying for being bad, bad, bad.

So don't tell and I promise I will be careful about the DO NOT EAT list. I'm off to bed now because I have to work tomorrow and coffee is also on the list.

Wah!

Intense, in tents

So a man goes to his doctor and says, "Doc, I keep having a terrible reoccurring nightmare. First I'm a teepee; then I'm a wigwam; then I'm a teepee; then I'm a wigwam. It's driving me crazy. What's wrong with me?" The doctor replies, "You gotta relax. You're two tents."

Holy Crap! 1 week. Tonight, a little bit of panic has begun to seep in and is, so far, mixing nicely with the excitement. Enough that I am just outside the "I think I'm gonna puke" zone but within the "Holy Crap!" zone. Sherri keeps telling me that I am more than ready for the 60 miles and I believe her (I think). I am not sure I am ready for the rest of it. Make no mistake. This isn't just a couple of days of walking...this is an emotional, heavy-duty, 3 days. You've seen the commercials. Maybe you've tuned them out - but think about why people are walking. Think about all the love, grief, sadness, hope, and power of it all. It's intense. So you take all of that head on, walk A LONG way, and then sleep in a tent. (Told you, it's in tents.)

Okay. There it is. I will admit it. I am a bit hung up on the sleeping in tent part. The physical and emotional toll is actually a blessing, because I will need the exhaustion. I don't sleep well when I am not in my own bed. We have an air mattress, and I like my roomie - but honestly, after walking that far, I am afraid I am just going to want my own bed. This is not like a fear of camping or a diva thing. It's just a "homebody" thing. I don't sleep well in hotels even. I am sure I will be fine but it has been a source of tent-sion.

I do like camping, or at least the idea of camping. But we heard rumor at the expo that we are sleeping on turf, so it's not going to be truly like camping. Maybe that's the problem. If we were building a fire and toasting up some s'mores, maybe I would be more at ease. If we were doing keg stands on the beach with a 5 foot bonfire, I would be in even better shape to sleep, but alas...

Maybe Sherri will spark up a flashlight and sing John Denver songs to me and I can pretend I am back by the campfire on a Camp Chickami overnight (circa 1984 - REPRESENT!)??

We are walking together tomorrow! Woohoo. Sherri is coming down to my neck of the woods and we will do 10 miles in the morning. Then, we will get our shirts ready and plan our tent decorating. There is a contest at camp for the best decorated tent. We have some ideas that Sherri talks about in her blog (congrats on hitting the $5000 mark, girlfriend!). What Sherri did not mention is the Rock Star competition. We may have to start prepping for that too. I will let you know if we will be singing at camp.

I love Pearl Jam. Maybe we'll sing a Pearl Jam song. Present Tense?

Gallbladder Update #2

Saw the surgeon today. I LOVE him! He is funny, animated, and here's my favorite part, he's super sarcastic! I know this might be a turn off for some - sarcasm and scalpel - but it is so up my alley! So we scheduled the surgery for later this summer and he gave me a DO NOT EAT list to keep me healthy for the walk! It's not too bad actually, considering all that I cannot eat already.

Here is what I learned today...

A. There are 3 things that have most probably led to the sick gallbladder
1. having kids
2. significant weight loss
3. significant decrease in cholesterol levels

Seriously? These are my 3 biggest accomplishments! Figures.

B. There is a possibility that some of what has been considered by my other doctors to be food allergies/intolerances (can't have gluten, soy, or milk) may have been related to the sick gallbladder and there is a chance that having it removed may help this!!!!!!! THIS would be amazing! Pack up your stones, Mr. Gallbladder! You're getting evicted and Mama's having
an ice cream...
in a cone...
with jimmies!

Did you know that jimmies have soy in them - weird huh?

Yeah, I called them jimmies. That's what they are called! I don't care if you are family. You live in New York and therefore you just don't know what you are talking about!

THESE are sprinkles...

...and they are gross.

The surgeon also removed all exercise restrictions and just told me to "listen to my body". I told him that if I had listened to my body, I would not be in this mess because I would be fat, with high cholesterol and NO kids! : )

Thanks for checking up on me and the gallbladder situation. More later...

What time is it, Mr. Fox?

We have just begun week two of my summer job. I am working at 2 different camps. As you know, I work at a high school during the school year so I very intentionally work with younger kids during the summer (this year - mostly 6-9 year olds). It is something different and new. It doesn't feel like work most days and the rewards are huge (eww- cliché). I wanted to share some of the things I have loved about week one.

(1) One early morning, the door of a minivan opened and "Jared", with a larger than life smile and true enthusiasm, yelled, "GOOD MORNING, FRIENDS!" Everyone should start their work day with a greeting like this. Today I entered the lunch room and "Jared", with mischief in his eyes, announced that "Tracy" rhymes with "Crazy" and then got the most delightful case of the giggles.

(2) "Tiffany" refused to let an adult clean off a dry-erase board before she had a chance to show me her masterpiece. All I needed to give was a little high-five and she beamed like she had gold.

(3) "Jonathan", when confronted with the prospect of having to be sunblocked before going out to the sprinkler, politely stated that he "would rather not have to go through that routine again because Dad already did that this morning!"

(4) Today - the first really, really beautiful day in recent history (what is up with all the rain?) a coworker and I watched as "Lena" skittered, flit, and rambled across an open field after a little white butterfly. We continued to watch as four or five other children left the line that was getting ready to head in for lunch, to follow "Lena" in her dance.

(5) "Kimberly" drew a very special picture of Princess Tracy and her magical pet for me to hang in my office. Since I am traveling between 2 camps, I taped it to the dashboard of my "mobile office". Later, she too beamed as she got to be "Mr. Fox"...What time is it, Mr. Fox?...2 o'clock...What time is it, Mr. Fox?...DINNERTIME! Her excitement was palpable.

Now consider for a moment that the children I work with at camp are children with moderate to intensive disabilities. They have Down Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Developmental Delays, and so on. This can mean that (1) remembering to greet someone takes daily practice and is often done systematically and with little meaning. It can mean that making personal connections can be tremendously difficult...joking, playful teasing, and sarcasm can be far too abstract and confusing. It can mean that (2) learning to hold a marker to trace the numbers 1..2..3..4...is a milestone met in 2nd grade, not pre-K. It can mean that (3) touch is overstimulating and can lead to fight or flight reactions rather than calm words. It can mean that (4) the times when other children want to follow you into your own little world are rare. And it can mean that (5) instances of just being a kid and playing like everyone else are moments to treasure, soak in, and strive for.

I am so grateful for these moments and for all the incredible work done by the assistants and therapist who work one-to-one with these amazing kids each and every day. I am the Inclusion Facilitator but it is those individuals who give everything to make sure these kids are successful. I am grateful for the camps which work so closely with the school department to make inclusion work.

I am also grateful for the amazing families I am working with this summer. At the end of the day, I get to come home and turn off the teacher mode a bit. I can let my guard down; relax the structure. Families of children with exceptionalities are always "on". I often wonder if I would have the strength. I encourage you to visit a blog called Diary of a Mom so you can get a glimpse of the hope, the perseverance, the pain and struggles, and the love of one family who have been touched by Autism. It's powerful. Jess's writing is truthful, passionate, and is so full of voice that you will feel like plopping down on the couch with her and a cup of coffee (or a glass of wine) to chat about life. Visit...you'll be glad you did.






I went to the gym today for cardio. I did some running on the treadmill but won't tell you how much because I'm not sure what "taking it easy" looks like with running. If you ask me, there is nothing about running that is ever "easy". I feel good though...knock on wood. My knees are little sore, but no shin splints! I'll keep plugging along! Thanks for the continued support and thank you, Jess and Matt, for your donation, your trust, your willingness to sit on the same side of the table, and for your graceful tenacity. You rock!

Thanks for reading. More later...

Finding New Motivation

I know I have not been to the surgeon yet but I am feeling really optimistic on the health front. I took the "take it easy" advice this weekend as planned. The doctor decided I shouldn't do more than 10 miles at a time until the walk or until the surgeon tells me otherwise. My plan was to do 7 or 8 miles each day this weekend depending how I felt. I felt great! It doesn't even hurt when I laugh anymore. So I was able to do almost 10 miles both nights.

Saturday was definitely an enjoyable walk . The weather was so perfect, I was feeling good to be back on track after more than a week off. It didn't feel as boring as some of the long ones I've done. I also walked in the evening, which I rarely do and as it started getting dark it was just so peaceful. I usually walk in the morning before the day gets away from me or the couch gets the best of me, but I managed to dig deep and found some surprising new, end of day motivation to keep me walking. Sunday, I did the same route at around the same time. Again, I was feeling good and the weather was beautiful but this was after a long day out with the family and being up late the night before so I was dragging a bit. I may stick to mornings unless I can find that afternoon motivation again.

I can't believe that after so many months of training and blogging, we are less than 2 weeks away from the real thing. I was starting to get really sick of walking but I think I can find enough new tricks to keep things interesting for the next 2 weeks. Maybe I will try changing the route I walk. That may be too much effort though as I finally have a route I like that has sidewalks the whole way. Some of you may recall I had a couple of poorly planned routes that left me perilously hanging to the shoulder as speeding motorist forced me knee deep into prickers, PI and people's rhododendron.

Maybe I will start singing on my walks or reciting Shakespeare. Then the people of Metrowest will really think I am the nutty walking lady. I could always play the alphabet game - you know, like you do on long car trips...finding the letters of the alphabet on license plates. I also have about 3 hours left of the audiobook I am listening to and maybe I will download some news songs onto the iPod. (I only use one earphone so that I can still be alert to traffic...no headphones is another 3-day rule like the no phones rule. Always pushing the boundaries of right and wrong...that's me!)

Anyone have other suggestions to get me through these last couple long walks? Feel free to join me. We can meet at my house. I'll even feed you! Hell, I can send you a map and some times and you can just pull up along side me and hop out of your car if you want! I'll take the company any way I can get it.

Maybe bragging will be a good motivator. Below are some pictures of the evil hill at mile 7 of this weekend's walks. I rock the hills!

from the bottom:


from the top:


Don't forget that you are a big part of my motivation during the real thing! Send those letters, make a poster, and head to a cheering station. Knowing that you are in this with me is what makes this all so exciting. I am never really sure who is out there reading...send me a sign!

Thanks for being out there! More later...

Here's the mail, it never fails. It makes me want to wag my tail...

From 3-day site:

Write a letter expressing your love and support to your walker, which we’ll deliver to them on the event at the 3-Day Camp Post Office. Send letters to:
Breast Cancer 3-Day Camp Post Office
ATTN: INSERT NAME OF PARTICIPANT
P.O. Box 8534
Warwick, RI 02888
Envelopes only, please. No boxes or large packages (if you want to dress in a gorilla suit or jump out of a cake you should do that at the cheering stations). Mail must be postmarked no later than July 14th (that's THIS TUESDAY) in order to ensure delivery at the Breast Cancer 3-Day Camp Post Office.


I am not above begging for mail...PLEASE! Don't let me be the geeky kid at sleep away camp.

Don't forget to visit the SPECTATOR site.

CALLING ALL SPECTATORS!

Grab your pom-poms, air horns, and posters! The Cheering Stations have been announced.

I am getting more and more excited as the big days approach. I was pumped to find out opening ceremonies are in Framingham and now that the cheering stations have been announced, it is my guess that we will be following one of my training routes on the first day - the Boston Marathon route from Framingham to Newton! Wahoooo! The specific route is not announced but based on the cheering station locations, my guess is we will be taking Rte. 135 to Rte. 16 through Natick, Needham, and Wellesley. Even though we will hit Newton in the middle of the day on Friday, I am hoping to recruit students, Sherri and my colleagues, friends and family to head to the cheering station in my hometown!

Please visit the SPECTATOR INFORMATION page for more information.

VISIT NOW to find out how you can send mail to me and Sherri at camp. BUT HURRY because it has to be postmarked by Tuesday (7/14)!!

I will post more information soon on how you can get on an email list so that I can notify you when Sherri and I are nearing a cheering station. I will be following the strict "No Phones Allowed" rule on the route but will email from my phone at pit stops along the way to keep folks posted. This should be fun.

Gallbladder Update #1

I went in to have follow up liver function testing done on Monday. I got in touch with the gastroenterologist's office and they did not even see me but instead referred me to the surgeon. The nice lady behind the desk said this surgeon removed her gallbladder in January and she thought he was great. I have an appointment on Wednesday so I am confident that I will be able to wait until after the walk to have it removed.

I have thankfully not experienced any major pain since the incident in my last post. Most days I feel bloated and a general ickyness. I just don't feel myself and I am tired. Every once in a while I need to sit and if I laugh too hard it hurts. I am being really careful not to eat fatty or spicy food (I love spicy food - so this makes me sad). I actually felt great yesterday and went to the gym for the first time since the gallstone night. I was able to do an hour on the elliptical and was feeling really great. Today I wasn't so hot again but I am hoping to walk tomorrow. My doctor told me to "take it easy" until the walk, so I will not be doing the scheduled 18 miles tomorrow. Maybe I will try 7 or 8. Can you imagine that I am calling a 7 or 8 mile walk "taking it easy". Who woulda thunk it?

My doctor's office called tonight with the results of my liver function tests. One is back to normal and the other is still elevated but nearly 4 times lower than the day after I passed the stone. Phew! So it looks like my liver was just reacting to his neighbor, Mr. Gallbladder's, turmoil. What an empathetic liver I have. He is still a little sad but he is going to be okay. Maybe he knows that Mr. Gallbladder will be leaving the neighborhood soon.

I will keep you posted after I see the surgeon. Thanks for all the well-wishes.

One Helluva Week

Grab a refreshment, this is a long one...

It turns out I should have never mentioned putting an end to my Happy News series. That quickly turned this week into a real sh*! storm (my new favorite phrase - thank you, Julie S).

Where to begin? Well, last weekend was THE big training weekend. Saturday was an 18 mile walk and Sunday was 15 miles. Despite the crappy weather, I completed both and was pretty frickin' proud of myself! Saturday, I left the house at 5:30am and walked 7 miles, ending where else but at my hair dressers. I got my hair cut, changed into a prickle-free shirt, stopped at Whole Foods for a water, banana, and dairy, soy, and gluten-free energy bar (thank you, LARABAR) and walked another 11 miles. The last 2 miles of this were brutal. My legs cramped up pretty badly and when I walked in the front door my husband said, "You look rough." Thanks, honey.

After some pain reliever and a good lunch, I felt a thousand times better. I was still really sore and my right leg was super-crampy but I was moving at least. Taking off my sneakers and socks, I noticed some swelling on my right shin. I kept my feet up and assumed it was one of my infamous hives. By the morning it was much better so I didn't worry too much.

Sunday morning at 6:00am, we got the kids up and the whole family headed into Newton. They dropped me off, in the rain, near Boston College and I walked home via the Boston Marathon route to Framingham. Saturday's 18 miles was done in two loops. One all within Framingham and the second to Sudbury and back. This makes 18 miles seem less far. Walking to Framingham from BC makes 15 miles seem really freakin' far. The rain, although it cleared up at one point, did not help. Sherri and I had originally planned to try to get together for these long ones because they are so boring by yourself, but the craptastic weather left us both unsure if we would walk at all. Plus, these long training walks really irritate her plantar faciitis. She has to save herself for the real thing.

Anyhoooo...when I got home on Sunday, I felt much better than I did the day before, but the swelling in my shin was back. The swelling was an odd shape, red, and warm to the touch and then I also had some pain and tightness in my calf. My husband scared the hell out of my twice before with blood clots in his legs. Since this thing with my leg had gone away with rest and then came back, I started to wonder. Sunday night, more rest and elevation. Monday morning, fine. Monday, errands and running around on feet all day. Monday night, pain and swelling back.

Tuesday, I went to the doctor. After an ultrasound, they determined it was not a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and felt it could be a small clot in a surface vein or some sort of infection. They sent me home with a prescription for antibiotics and orders to "take it easy" for at least the rest of the week.

Wednesday, I felt much better after 2 days off from walking. There was very little redness and swelling and the pain was gone. I filled the prescription anyway and was going to start it on Thursday morning. Did you know that at Stop & Shop antibiotics are free? Where have I been?

3 am on Thursday, I woke from a dead sleep with stomach pains like none I have EVER experienced before. First thought: gas. I took some gas reliever that did nothing of the sort. Second thought: heart burn. A handful of Tums helped a tiny bit for about 30 minutes. Then the pain doubled and started to radiate to my chest, back, and shoulders. Third thought: the ultrasound missed the DVT, I've thrown the clot, and now I am dying from a pulmonary embolism. This is when I woke my husband. Fourth thought: Get a grip, it's heart burn. The rest of the night is a blur but I know I spoke with my doctor who said to take some Prilosec and head to the ER if that did not work. I know my husband was at 24 hour Walgreen's at one point. I took more heart burn stuff and did actually drive to the ER but turned around in the parking lot when I thought I was feeling some relief. Damned if I was going to be the ass who payed the emergency room copay for a case of heartburn. The pain ended around 10:30 am and I was back to the doctor's office that afternoon.

After some blood work and another ultrasound, I found out I had gallstones but the Nurse Practitioner was concerned because my blood work showed trouble with my liver function. It's too late to make a long story short but I will give you the Cliffs Notes version of the rest. I was then tested for hepatitis A, B, and C because of the liver function issues. Can you imagine? I was thinking I would have to confess to shooting up and having unprotected sex while getting pierced and tattooed with my many boyfriends, which I swear, I quit shortly after college (just kidding, mom). Either that or my husband would have to confess to the same. Both were almost better alternatives to thinking about how I would have gotten hepatitis A, which you contract by eating food that has come in contact with the feces of an infected person. Yum. Well, it turns out that I do not have hepatitis from any part of the alphabet, thank God, but that I passed a gallstone which causes temporary problems with liver function. So I have to have another liver function test on Monday and need to see the gastroenterologist this week who thinks I should have my gallbladder removed.

So this is my plan. I will have the blood work done and will see the gastrenterologist but unless there is another major stone-passing incident in the next 3 weeks, I am not having surgery until after the 3-Day. I will be damned if I am going to get sidelined now. Seriously? Seriously.

Sherri keeps telling me that it's okay and I should take care of myself and not worry about the walk. She is being a good friend but I ain't goin' no where but the finish line, baby! Not after the hundreds of miles in training and the thousands of dollars raised. I know what she is really thinking is, "Seriously? It's just one sh*! storm after another with us!" This has been a long standing phenomenon with Sherri and me. Whenever something crazy is happening with her or her family (like the fact that she AND her husband have plantar faciitis right now), something crazy comes up with me (gallstones) or vice verse. When I was pregnant with my son, Sherri was pregnant with twins. One of her kids would get sick, mine were sick within the week. She'd have car trouble, I'd get a flat. You see? So when Sherri got cancer, I just assumed it was a matter of time for me. I have been so lucky that the pattern did not show itself there. I HAVE to do this walk! It's my repayment to my lucky stars.

The bottom line is things could always be worse but this was one helluva week. I will keep you posted but you can count on me making every effort to finish what I started here. Everyone do a little gallbladder dance for me. Be creative and interpretive. By the way, my leg is fine. NO idea what that was about since I never took the antibiotics. What the hell, they were free.

Onto a new week. I start my summer position as Inclusion Facilitator at 2 rockin' camps in Newton. Can't wait to see what is in store there.

Thanks for reading. More later...

Happy News #3

This marks the 3rd and final installment of my "Happy News" series. This is not because I want any more bad news but because my sarcastic nature and my delightfully witty cynicism isn't really well-suited to this unrelenting happiness. If I'm being honest, it's choking me a bit. :)

So the first bit of Happy News I can report is that ~

SCHOOOOOL'S! OUT! FOR! SUMMER!

I do love my job but I was extra ready this year for a break. I am serving as a summer inclusion facilitator for students with disabilities at 2 area day camps beginning July 6th, but this mini-vacation is doing me gooood. My husband is on vacation too next week so it will be super nice. As I have mentioned before, we never see each other since we work opposite hours. Once we get used to being under each others feet, it's always nice to just sit on the couch at the end of the day and argue about what to watch on tv like normal couples. I like network television with a little Burn Notice or Entourage thrown in. My husband is all about the cable reality dramas...Man vs. Wild, Deadliest Catch, Ice Road Truckers, and a new favorite, Whale Wars. The Happy News is that we can usually come up with a compromise. We both enjoy the hot mess fest that is Intervention.

In other Happy News, the location of opening and closing ceremonies for the 3-day have been announced. Sherri kept saying that she wanted closing ceremonies to be at the same place as last year, and it is! UMass Boston! Sherri said walking along the water into UMass was so beautiful. I am pumped to experience this. What was even better Happy News was that the opening ceremonies are in FRAMINGHAM! They are literally down the road from me across the street from my favorite walking spot! I will post more information as it becomes available. I encourage you all to come hang out with my and Sherri's families at the cheering stations. It should be great fun!

My last bit of Happy News is that Sherri and I have raised over $8000! Thank you all so much. Keep those donations coming. Keep sending folks to this blog. Keep sending your support!

You are such a huge part of this journey.

THANKS. More later...

Happy News #2

My son turned seven last Friday, which was a big deal. He is one of the youngest in his class and his closest buddies have all been seven for a while. He was beginning to feel like he would never turn seven. A few weeks ago, he proclaimed that "being six is for losers!" Poor guy. Well, loser no more. He is indeed seven! And to celebrate? Miniature golf!

Sunday morning, I opened one eye and cringed as the sound of rain registered in my sleep fogged brain. All morning my husband and I pretended everything was fine as we prayed for a simple 2 hour reprieve, preferably from 1-3 pm. The buckets turned to light rain and eventually to a misting. At about noon, there was even something that resembled the sun hanging overhead. There were a number of times I can remember as a child that snow threatened to postpone my December birthday parties. That level of disappointment is not something a child should get as a birthday gift. So I decided to seize the moment to address what I had been ignoring all morning.

"Hey buddy. Look! It stopped raining!" I said with a wide eyed smile.
Running to the window, crinkling his brow, he said, "Aaawww."

What? Disappointment? Wait a minute.

Duh! He's a seven year old boy. Of course he wants to play in the rain. A chance to stomp in puddles while swinging a club and spraying anyone in the line of fire? Of course that's what he wants.

Happy News - It ended up being the best of both worlds. The real rain held off until about the 18th hole but it was still wet enough out to make it messy. A baseball hat was the remedy for my incredibly bad hair day and we only had one slip and fall - skinned elbow cured by band aid.


Thankfully, I have some great friends who are also parents of my son's friends and enough of them stayed to help out. I had not thought this part through and am eternally grateful. There was some serious cheating going on and having each group with an adult at least made it so everyone cheated equally. In case you were confused about how math works these days, anything equal to or greater than 4 is the same as 4 except when it's 3. Also, sometimes mini golf is more like hockey than golf and dragging the ball is fair as long as your groupmates are on the other side of the obstacle and cannot see you. The golf themed cupcakes were a big hit and green frosting is best when used to make a goatee while eating.


My favorite part was the t-shirts. The amazing career and tech ed teacher and staff in the graphic design department at NNHS, Tom and Jonpaul, invited my son in to make the t-shirts himself. He designed the graphic with me at home and then they took him through the process of making a silk screen (this involved a power washer - sooo cool), setting up the shirts, and applying the ink. His little sister even got to help with her shirt and one for her friend who came to the party. This opportunity to learn how shirts are made might have even made up for the shaky math used at the party.

So the party was a big success and my big guy is really growing up. Speaking of growing up, another bit of Happy News is that my son's photo is being used in Father's Day advertisements at the portrait studio we use. He looks very grown up in the picture. It's really hard to believe he was only six then. My husband and I are very proud. Both kids have had a great couple of weeks!

More Happy News to come...

Happy News #1

Thank you to everyone for your kind words, prayers, and all the support you've given the NNHS community. The outpouring has truly been amazing.

Okay...this begins my series on Happy News!

I want to follow up on my May 18th post, I'm so Sick of Cancer. I am HAPPY to report that my friend Tom had very successful surgery and is cancer free. The healing process will be a bit easier, I'm sure, knowing that what lies ahead are happy days. I am sure glad you made my Happy News list, Tom.


More Happy News comes in the form of my daughter's first dance recital. As you can see, she is quite a character and the recital did not disappoint. As a rule, this child walks no where...rather, she twirls, sashays (chasses?), and boogies from place to place. Many of you have seen her YouTube numbers (#1, #2, #3) that exhibit her love of song and dance (the talent will come...she's only 3). She also does not have a shy bone in her body. Her confidence is brilliant, if not a bit frightening.

The night of the show, she came out waving like she was in a parade and then did the whole dance wearing a very serious, game day face. She was thoroughly entertaining. It was great to have all the grandparents and Auntie Kerry there. Her brother even sat still for most of the show. Like any good dance recital, we topped the night off with a trip to the ice cream parlor. Nothing can warm the heart like a chocolate covered "Rockin' Little Angel."

Another piece of Happy News is that training is going well. Sherri was sidelined a bit with plantar faciitis but the Happy News is that she found a pair of non-hideous Birkenstocks and is healing well. I told her I would carry her across the finish line if need be. Whatever it takes!

Weekend walks are getting longer and longer and I fear that there are people driving all across Framingham saying, "There is that lady again. Where the hell is she walking to?" I finally found a route I like that has sidewalks the whole way. There have been a few days where I got myself into some sidewalk trouble. When I map a route online, I try to use the "street level" function on Google Maps to see if there are sidewalks but not all streets can go to street level. My daughter has taken a couple of rides with me to see what the sidewalk situation is. My latest route has a few options, which is good. I can make it a 10, 12, 15, or 17 miler depending how far out I loop. The training has really been worthwhile because the 10 and 12 milers were starting to feel really easy. Fifteen was tough the first time - sore quads - but I did 17 today and feel great! I'm tired but not sore. Besides, I've been tired for a little over 7 years now.

Off to finish cupcakes for my son's birthday. Did I mention he's 7.

More Happy News to come...

Too much to take

I apologize that it has been so long since my last post. Things have been pretty terrible lately.

Those of you who have been following my/Sherri's blog know that on 5/27, we loss a beloved colleague, Bob Mitchell, to cancer. This was, unfortunately, not our first loss this year. In November, we lost a colleague, also to cancer. Donna Mandatori was the secretary in the Career and Technical Education Department and a spunky, passionate member of the NNHS community. On May 6th, we learned of the death of a recent retiree, Tom DePeter, an English teacher for 35 years. So when Bob passed, the pain was palpable. We had just begun to learn of the arrangements for a memorial celebration on June 20th and were sharing stories and memories to try to help each other cope. Then the unthinkable happened.

On Saturday, May 30, Ucal McKenzie died after collapsing on the soccer field. He was our 32 year old guidance counselor, soccer coach, peer mentor advisor, break dance club advisor, esteemed colleague and smiling friend (he smiled from the inside out and it was infectious). This tragedy has consumed us. It will not break us. We will become stronger. But the healing will take time. The NNHS community is grieving in the midst of a typically celebratory time. Tonight is prom, Wednesday is graduation, and summer vacation begins in 2 weeks. It is hard to balance the emotions. I wish I could share with you how amazing it is to be a member of the Newton North community. The outpouring of support and the way we have all come together is so entirely uplifting. Students, faculty, staff, parents, family, friends... supporting each other with raw emotion. It is impossible to put words to how that feels and more impossible to explain how you can go from embracing a friend, a student, a parent and wiping away the tears you thought couldn't possibly still come, to reviewing for final exams all in the same morning. How does that make sense? But still we keep moving and keep doing what we do best. But we are tired and spent and ready for summer.

There are many happy things that have happened that I would love to post about - and I will. Thanks for your patience.

Bloggin' from baseball

(Reminder: mobile blogs subject to typos and blatant poor spelling - deal with it)

So after a week off for Memorial Day, my son has decided that his baseball team is the best thing ever. He was literally bouncing off the walls this afternoon in anticipation of tonight's practice and game. The trick is getting all parts of the uniform on the boy (why is your hat in the recycle bin?), gathering the bat, glove, water bottle, etc., packing snacks and crap to keep the little sister occupied, and feeding everyone dinner in time to be at the field by 5. We were doing well and were going to make it until I realized that, on the way to the field, we had to get past an office park at quittin' time. Rrrrr.

Nonetheless, here we are. Thank you to my wonderful husband for grilling up a steak for me to reheat for dinner. I don't get to watch as much of my son's baseball as I would like because I end up at the playground with the little one but it is all very cute. All 15 kids play the field at the same time and all 15 kids get up each inning (only 3, thank God). No strike outs. After 4(ish) good pitches from the coach the tee comes out. No score is kept. And fun is had by all. The kids are all so excited. The enthusiasm is so fabulous to watch and I am trying to soak it all in before they get too old and too serious about it all.

My favorite part is the bubblegum. The Raptors' have a fabulous coach (and a fabulous coach's wife - which we all know is equally as important) who has a pail o' Double Bubble. Before the start of the game, each player loads up because looking the part is just as important as any emerging athleticism. Now before anyone gets their panties in a bunch, the choking hazard at the average little league game is greater for the cheering fans than it is for the grassing pulling, pant fidgeting, nose picking players. For example, my son batted last today (15th for those not following along) so he got an automatic homerun (run those bases to end the inning - AWESOME!). By the time he reached third he was in a slow jog which quickly deteriorated to a skip and then the need to be reminded to touch home plate. There was more urgency in the regular 2nd inning sprint to the woods after a half inning pee-pee dance.

Those of you who know me, know how much I hate baseball. Living in Boston, you can lose friends by saying that but it is true. It is like watching paint dry. But when it is your own child and they are having such fun and being so nice to each other, it is a whole other story. His teammates are adorable and all the parents are great, especially those helping with the coaching, raffle, and sibling entertainment. Maybe somehow I will begin to appreciate the sport?

That might be pushing it.

14 miles tomorrow, another baseball game and then the DMB concert and Fenway. Maybe I will catch the bug there.

Thanks for reading. More later...

Sad News

This morning, one of Sherri and my colleagues, Bob Mitchell, passed away from an aggressive form of melanoma. I talked about Bob in my 5/3 post "A Lot to Think About".

There was so much sadness in the building today but there was even more love and laughter as his friends, students, and coworkers celebrated his life. We really have an amazing community at NNHS. Bob had decided early that he would fight this battle quietly and privately. As it progressed, he opened up to the idea of not taking it on alone. The NNHS community was there immediately. A schedule was created where faculty and staff signed up for 2 hour shifts to be by his side in the hospital. Another group signed up to create audio recordings of his friends and colleagues reading from his favorite literature. Cards and emails poured in, letting Bob know his impact and importance. Former students sent notes to let Bob know how he had and continued to be important in their lives; in their futures. Bob's legacy is in the knowledge he has given his students. Nothing can take that away.

The Frenetic Pace of Spring

I don't know about you, but this time of year is enough to put me over the edge.

As a parent, it is nearly impossible to coordinate all the places your kids need to be and the things they need to do...simultaneously, mind you... the practices, games, dress rehearsals, recitals, trophy days, birthday parties, play dates, school activity nights, homework, projects, etc.

My son is also in some sort of superhuman growth spurt where he has literally grown 1.5 inches in just over a month (according to the doorjamb). Should the average 6 year old be able to eat nearly a 1/2 pound of pasta in one sitting? The end of the school year is also hard for him as transitions are not his forte - and he has an AMAZING teacher this year and is in class with his best buddies for the 2nd year in a row. The boys know that they will be in separate classes next year, and leaving this teacher is going to be tough for all of us.

My poor boy also did not make the age cut off to play on the "peanut " baseball league with said buddies. He is in the younger league and no self-respecting 1st grader wants to get stuck on the "baby team" with all the kindergartners. "Why couldn't you have just had me a little bit earlier?!!?" he sobbed. Are you kidding? You were 8 days late and ten pounds - I'd have given an eye tooth to have had you earlier! Needless to say, my house has been meltdown central as of late.

Then there are all the end of year expenses. Teacher gifts, coaches' gifts, $15 ea. recital tickets (rediculous), $50 dance costume (worth every penny - hysterical!), $25 dance photo package & $40 recital DVD (you are only allowed to take pictures and video on your own at the dress rehearsal - it's forbidden on the night of the show), Little League raffle tickets (b/c I have already hit up everyone I know for the 3-day and blogged about kidstuff fundraisers - so now I feel like I cannot ask folks about the raffle...$5 ea - want one?), gifts for my teaching assistants, birthday gifts, a 7th birthday party...minigolf, summer clothes for the kids - and me (5 sizes smaller than last year - yeehah!), graduation gifts, wedding gifts, and cases of Advil and Claritin.

At work, the madness never ends as my sophomores deal with MCAS anxiety, my seniors demonstrate "regression in the face of transition" (a colleague said that today - doesn't he sound smart?), my juniors think about college and freak out about the SATs/ACTs, and my freshmen...well, they're freshman! I am eyeball deep in progress reports, paperwork, phonecalls, emails, and student teacher assessments.

So today, afterschool, as I was emptying my son's backpack, making a To Do list, cleaning up from snack, and watching the kids in the backyard from the kitchen window, I caught sight of my daughter. She was heading across the yard toward her favorite tree. I kept watching because sometimes she steals our things and squirrels them away behind the tree. She marched right over, picked a comfy spot, and lay down with her arms behind her head to watch the helicopters fall from the branches. I dropped everything and went out onto the back deck. When she saw me she said, "Come in the nice shade, Mom." And that was exactly what I did. My son joined us, and we just lay there enjoying the day. Want to know what happened next? I fell asleep. It wasn't long, maybe 2 minutes or 10, I don't know, but it was all I needed to remind me to slow down. I am grateful that there is a carefree 3 year old in my life to remind me to take a little time to lay in the grass.

Off to find the Calamine lotion...

I'm so sick of cancer!

Found out today that another friend (under age 40) has cancer. Melanoma this time. WTF? It makes me so angry! The good news is that his surgery went very well today and there was no lymph node involvement. They will know more in a few days when the pathology reports are back but they are feeling good about how things went today.

Please pray for Tom and his family. I will keep you posted.

Luv ya, Tom!

CHALLENGE

Fundraising is never easy. Asking people for money can be awkward - especially in this economy. What is most ridiculous is that it is always easier asking people to support the 7 thousand crappy things my kids have to sell for Little League, preschool, PTO, soccer, etc., than it is asking people to support me on this walk. It is obviously easier to ask people to support your kids than to ask them to support you. I need to reframe the way I think about this. This is about helping families, improving and saving lives, and curing cancer. This is only indirectly about me. That makes it a little bit easier to ask for help!

Some of you received a follow up email from me recently. I issued a challenge.

IF YOU HAVE NOT DONATED YET...there is still time. Please follow the fundraising link on the right. No donation is too small. Your support means so much to so many - especially me.

IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO DONATE AT THIS TIME...you can support me in many other ways. I will keep everyone posted on how you can show your moral support by coming to a cheering station. For now, the greatest moral support comes in the form of comments on my blog. Visit often and comment to let me know you're reading.


For those of you who are still a little technophobic, TO LEAVE A COMMENT just click on # COMMENTS beneath the day's post and type your message. You do not have to sign in to leave a comment. You can use "anonymous" from the drop down menu and just include your name in the messages (or don't). You can also use "Name/URL" from the drop down menu to enter your name (you can leave URL blank).

Here is the big challenge which I am extending to every single one of you:

PASS IT ON!!!
TELL SOMEONE WHO HAS TOUCHED BY CANCER.
TELL SOMEONE WHO WILL SOMEDAY BE TOUCHED BY CANCER.
I challenge each of you to send out an email today to at least one person. You can copy and paste the message below. Help me raise money and awareness. It is your turn to take a stand.

Dear ,

Did you know that a woman's chance of developing invasive breast cancer at some point in her life is about 1 in 8? I know someone who is participating in the Breast Cancer 3-Day walk in July and she needs our help. She has issued me a challenge to recruit others to help in her fundraising. This is an important cause and I encourage you to visit her blog and if you can, make a tax deductible donation. You can read her story and join her in taking a stand.

Just go to:
http://tracys3day.blogspot.com

Thank you for your help.

I am hoping that because you are not asking for yourself, but for someone else, this will be an easy thing to do. Maybe I should throw in some gift wrap or Girl Scout cookies for you if someone you recruit makes a donation. I can arrange something. Make it happen and we'll chat.

Thanks for helping! More later.

Quick (and smug) Update

Just a note to let you know that I did indeed make my miles for the week...in fact, I was actually over by about a mile and a half because I got lost on a new route today. I managed to make it home thanks to the mapping app. on my Blackberry. What was it they were saying about no phones allowed?

No Crappy Excuses

Here, it is our job to make progress, not excuses.

My students have heard these words countless times from me; a sort of mantra, I guess. So I am going to live by my own words and despite a crappy week, I am going to meet my total miles for the week as determined by the 3-day's "Suggested 16-Week Training Schedule". However, that does not mean I am not going to kvetch about the crappiness that has kept me from a good training week.

Monday, I got stuck at work and only had time for a crappy 2 mile walk. This happens sometimes and I love my students so it is most often not a problem - but on Monday, I got held up because of crappy paperwork. Paperwork makes me cranky.
Tuesday, I managed 3 miles. Not great, but not bad.
Wednesday's training was replaced by a visit from what seemed like the entire Framingham fire and police departments (see my last post). This was the crappiest day of the week.
Thursday, continued the stomach bug which also started on Wednesday - I decided to spare you that crappiness in Wednesday's blog.
Today, I barely squeezed in another crappy 3 miles.

So, if I am going to make progress, even though I think I have plenty of legitimate excuses, I will need to get in the suggested 10 miles tomorrow and 6 on Sunday. Crap.

Tomorrow is a pretty full day. My son has baseball practice, a baseball game, and baseball team pictures. I am also chaperoning the Jr. Prom tomorrow night (what the crap was I thinking?). Therefore, I may need to switch up the days and do 6 tomorrow and 10 on Sunday. Crap.

If nothing else, this blog has helped keep me honest and accountable and I am hoping that now that I have posted this crap, I will actually follow through. If so, by the end of the weekend, I will have completed the 5th week of official training and will have walked 95.5 miles. Holy Crap!

I'll be back on Sunday with either news of my progress or some really crappy excuses.

Thanks for reading. More later...

The Irony of a First Aid Kit

So I was going to try to keep this post light and cheery since I am still waiting for Kierkegaard and Nietzsche to comment on that last one. Tonight, I was going to tell you about how funny my daughter is. I was going to share stories about a recent trip with her to the mall and tell you how a three year old can really put you in your place. Here is a little of what I was going to post…We were walking through the mall and she was telling me about all the things you can do and see there, like Julie your cruise director.
The conversation went like this:
A: [passing Sephora - with a flourish] “…and this is where you can go to get your make up done.”
Me: “Oh yeah?”
A: “Yes. You can come here to get a new look.” [pause] “You should go there.”
Me: “To get a new look? I thought I already had a new look.” [posing, showing off my new figure.]
A: “Yes. But you don’t have a stylish look.”
Me: “Reeeally?”
A: “Yes. Really.”
Then she gave me the head shake and shrug that says, “sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but…” Do you believe this kid? Conversations like this happen all the time when she is around. She is quite a character. She is also a very good girl. She has always been our “easy” one.

This goodness and easiness may have led to today’s 911 call. Let me first say that everyone is fine but we did have a bit of a scare. Today after school, my son had a friend over. They were playing ball in the backyard. I had been pushing my daughter on the swings and chatting on the phone with my son’s friend’s mom. My daughter and I headed into the house. Like I said, she’s the easy one. She’s always been able to entertain herself and I never worry about her getting into things she shouldn’t. I do get flashes of nervousness when she gets too quiet and I also hide scissors because of the fear that she will one day give herself a “stylish new look” – but for the most part, she goes off and plays and I do my thing.

So I am straightening up in my room, still on the phone, and I hear her start to cry a real cry. Moms know what I mean – not a fussy cry, but a something’s really wrong cry. So it turns out that she has gotten into a first aid kit that my mother-in-law brought over for me to put in my car. In it was an ammonia inhalant capsule – you know the kind you snap to activate for revival purposes? Well, she activated it all right – with her teeth!

Here is what I want you to ask yourself right now. Do you know your local poison control number? As a new parent, we had all those important numbers posted in perfect penmanship on the side of the refrigerator. Now, even if it had still been posted on the fridge, I would have had to find it under layers of alphabet and Leap Frog magnets, baseball schedules, birthday invitations, and artistic masterpieces. 911…9-1-1…9 - stay calm - 1- should I make her puke? – 1… “911. This call is being recorded. What’s your emergency?”

Here are a few more questions to ask yourself. Do you live in a town where they send an ambulance, a police cruiser (or two), a fire truck, AND the fire chief (you know, the guy in the red SUV?) when you call 911? Do you have a lot of caring neighbors who are home at 4 pm? Have you ever had to call a parent to say, “Sorry to end the play date early, but I just poisoned my daughter. Do you mind coming to pick up your child?” Awesome.

So what is most important is my daughter is perfectly healthy. She did have some irritation on her lips and in her mouth and her top lip was also a bit swollen from the pop of the capsule. Mostly she was scared and embarrassed. She kept saying, “Don’t tell them what I did.” So I told her that Mommy made a big mistake leaving that there where children could get to it. She thought this was funny and asked if I thought Daddy would be mad at me. I do need to reflect on why this type of stuff happens on my watch and not his.

Needless to say, I really had to think today about all the other dangers around my house. Because we have never really had to worry about the little one, we have become a bit complacent. Not good. After the dust settled and I apologized to all the neighbors (“Thank you!” wave. smile. “Nothing to see here!”) and promised my son’s friend’s mother that I would only try to poison my own children and it was safe to come back another day, I began re-childproofing the house. Luckily the other mom is a friend of mine who has 3 boys – she totally gets it – and my neighbors did not ask the police to further investigate my shaky parenting. We have had 911 calls in the past but it has been almost 5 years since our last one – another stellar parenting moment – when I locked my keys in my car on a 90+ degree day, with my then 2 year old son strapped into his car seat (the keys were on the seat, not in the ignition with the AC going). I actually drove to the hospital on the day that I shut my daughter’s finger in the public bathroom door at the craft store – so no 911 that day. We didn’t have to call later that afternoon either when she removed the cast herself. “Here, Mama. I don’t like this.”

So as I file away my Mother of the Year Award, I hope that you will take a look around your house and just make sure you are keeping your kids safe. And if your kids are friends with my kids, don’t worry. I am better with other people’s children. They even let me be a teacher.

Again, my daughter is just fine. My son and his friend continued playing ball in the back yard and were unfazed by the whole fiasco, and with some counseling, I will be just fine too.

In case you were wondering, I DID NOT train today.