The Saga of the Cleats

As I sit here drinking a nice cup of lactose-free hot chocolate, I'll catch you up on the day-to-day happenings around here.

The weekend was fun. On Saturday, I ran 20 miles and then took a nap in the front yard...these two combined took up a surprisingly large chunk of the day. While I rested up, Mark helped our friend Jeff (aka El Jefe) build a goliath of a swingset. We went up to Silver Lake on Sunday to hang out with Mark's family and eat a lot of good food. It was nice just to relax and visit with everyone. On Monday we trekked down to Portland Running Company to pick up some shoes and a new water belt for me. I have been using Mark's for the past month or so. Have you seen Mark? Have you seen me? We are not the same size. Actually, his works alright (it stretches) but has no storage room for energy gels, keys, etc. These are things you don't think about on a short run, but that you have to think about on long runs. Later on, we came home and did some work around the house and yard.

Tonight we went to a pizza fundraiser for my honored teammate, Jodie, and had a great time. We rounded up some friends to go along with us, and I think we were officially known as that rowdy table up at the front drinking $1 pints of beer. Okay, so that only included Matt, Mark, and Katrina. El Jefe drank good beer, Laura is pregnant, and I just don't like beer much.

On the way home from the pizza shindig, Mark and I stopped at G.I. Joe's to continue the neverending quest for the perfect pair of cleats. Mark has worn Adidas size 8.5 cleats for about 7 years. They always fit, and it has been a magical time. Mark has very wide feet, and finding cleats that are comfortable has always been a challenge. In New Mexico we used to go on these horrible cleat-shopping trips wherein Mark would try on every pair of cleats in a given store and still not find that perfect glass slipper. We'd find a pair of cleats and snap up at least two pairs of them.

Sometime toward the end of our time in New Mexico, we found that Adidas size 8.5 cleats almost always fit his feet. Since then, cleat shopping has been remarkably easy. So easy, in fact, that I could go to the Adidas store, find some nice cleats, find a Men's size 8.5, and buy them and bring them home so he could wear them right out onto the field. After an interesting exchange on the frisbee field last year in which Mark didn't know where any of the clothes he had on came from, some members of his team jokingly asked if I could be their personal shopper too.

Sadly, it seems those days have passed. The Adidas cleats seem to be getting narrower. Mark's feet are not. Tonight, he tried on Nike, Reebok, Puma, and New Balance cleats. Tomorrow, we are going to drive into Portland to check out a specialty soccer shop that has a bundle of brands of cleats he hasn't yet tried. Please send good thoughts that something there will work. He has cute feet, we don't want them to be mashed into horribly tight, blister-producing, toenail-endangering cleats. The cleats don't even have to be pretty. They can be any color under the rainbow (although I'd prefer orange), so long as they fit.

Something you should know: as a last resort, he is currently wearing mismatched cleats. Frequently, one shoe in his pair of cleats dies early. The leather will blow out the side, a cleat will snap clean off, or the sole begins to detach. Luckily, he was able to match a good left and right shoe to make a pair. Yes, they look totally different. Poor guy...he really needs some cleats.

20 Miles on Saturday!

I am now officially in taper! Woohoo! The Saturday long run was more difficult than anticipated. The 18.5-mile run two weeks previous really felt okay, so I guess we went into this one thinking it couldn't be that much more difficult. As with every other part of life, you can just have a not-so-great day now and then, and our 20-mile run seemed to fall on that day. We went out a bit too fast, I am still trying to settle on what will make my stomach happy, and I just plain ran out of gas toward the end. We finished, but it wasn't pretty. Of course in hindsight, I can see all the things that contributed to the difficulty. Needing a couple more hours of sleep, eating a bit more the day before, the sun glaring down at us with no breeze for about 9 miles. Friday was 95 degrees here, and my appetite seems to fade in the heat, so looking back I can see why I didn't have a ton of energy on Saturday.

Oh well. We finished. We ran the whole way outside of water stops. My run today was quite a bit better, so I am feeling confident again. My knees have stopped aching, so it looks like my gym time is paying off. I'd best keep at it though. I want those knees to stay happy, as they need to carry me a long way.

Thanks, Dr. Parent

Dr. Parent, thanks so much for your great donation to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. And thanks also for the being the best dentist ever.

Those of you out there who doubt that last statement know not the amazing, pain-free dentistry powers of Dr. Parent. I had a root canal a few years ago...with no pain. None. We heard about Dr. Parent from Katrina, and we recommend her to everyone we know, so it may not be easy to get in to see her. Nearly all of our friends see Dr. Parent. And I think all of them would attest to what a great dentist she is. In fact, everyone in the office is fabulous.

Running and Fundraising Update

The running this week has been going well. I ran about 5 miles on Monday, and then about 6.5 on Tuesday. I also do about 30-45 minutes of other weights/exercises at the gym to help ward off injury. This seems to have helped strengthen my knees and my back a bit, so I'll probably continue that. I'm hoping to work outside in the garden a bit this afternoon. The weather is just too nice today to be inside at all.

I am hoping to make a few beaded bracelets for a couple of my teammates to sell at a garage sale they are having on Monday. They are still working fast and furiously to fundraise. Since I have met my goal, if any of you out there still want to donate, perhaps you could help a couple of my teammates toward reaching their goal:

Gayle & Marsha deJesus, a great mother and daughter duo who are participating in honor of their cousin/niece Tiffany, are hoping to reach their goal by the time Gayle runs the full marathon and Marsha walks the half marathon. These two have been tireless in their fundraising efforts.

Lactose-Free Milk

I have been trying to drink more milk lately as I don't think I get nearly enough calcium out of my diet. This is a stretch for me since I've never really liked milk. Sure, I require a bit of milk in my coffee, and I suppose I get milk from the few lattes I drink here and there, but other than that, not much milk is consumed. So, out of milk over the weekend, we stopped at the grocery for a few things. I usually buy organic milk, since I think it tastes better and doesn't have all the hormones and antibiotics regular milk has. At this particular store, the organic milk was a little pricey, so I decided regular milk would just have to do. I was in a hurry and grabbed the first 2% milk I saw, happy that it was also on sale.

Later, back at home, I poured myself a glass of milk. It tasted kind of different, but I didn't really give it much thought. The next day, I again thought it tasted odd, so I opened the top and smelled...nope, smelled just fine. I looked at the label to make sure I had indeed bought regular 2% milk. Yep...I had bought regular 2% lactose-free milk.

So, I am currently enjoying a cup of lactose-free coffee. Want to join me?

Thank You!

Two new donations came in between yesterday and today! Woohoo! I am so thrilled you guys are still rallying around this cause.

Thanks so much for your completely unexpected donation, Kevin & Stacey. Your donation was a great boost as I headed out the door on my run yesterday morning. We hope Stacey runs Boston again, as we had a great time tracking her progress. I'll live vicariously through her, as I don't imagine I'll ever run a marathon that fast.

And many thanks to Michelle, Brian, Ethan, and Elly. Your donation made my morning. You guys are great and it is really wonderful to have you so nearby. It really means a lot to have your support. Perhaps we can come over to help out with the pond/fountain project.

Please Keep Bill in Your Thoughts

A close friend of mine has an uncle, Bill, who has been battling lymphoma for a number of years now. He had a stem cell transplant last winter, and it looked like everything was moving in the right direction until very recently, when he noticed some symptoms returning and started feeling poorly. After a number of appointments, it sounds like his lymphoma has returned and is in his bone marrow.

His particular type of lymphoma has been very difficult to diagnose and treat. His doctors previously thought he had Hodgkin's disease, but now believe that he has another type of lymphoma, peripheral t-cell lymphoma, which has cells that look very similar to Hodgkin's disease. This type of lymphoma is rare and odd-behaving, and it is also very aggressive. This is the third time he has been diagnosed with a different lymphoma, and he has undergone a number of different chemotherapies, so his options are limited. Bill started a new chemo treatment yesterday, one that is being used with peripheral t-cell patients. Please keep Bill and his family in your thoughts as he undergoes this new treatment.

Bill's story is definitely one of knowing your own body and listening to it. I am so glad he and his family have continued to seek out answers, and so sad they have had to go through this to begin with. There is so much left for us to learn in the area of blood cancers, and all cancers.

I've never met him, but I will be running in honor of Bill next month. Again, please keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers.

Okay, So Maybe I Felt a Little Tired

After all that talk of how wonderful I felt after the 10-mile run yesterday, I did actually get a bit tired about an hour into Star Wars. I'd had a nice snack, the theater was dark, and the seats were comfy (we went to the new theater with the high-back, cushy seats). I think if I'd closed my eyes for a second I could have easily fallen asleep. The movie was great though...worth all the hype and definitely better than the previous two.

After I quit feeling so tired, I began to realize that my muscles were tightening up a bit. I first noticed this when I really wanted to take my shoes off. My feet just did not want to be in shoes any longer. Then I was crossing one leg, then the other. Suddenly I just couldn't get comfortable again...even in the comfy seats. It was almost as if they were too cushy...is this possible? After the movie I stood up and realized why. It felt like my body was stuck in the sitting position. I guess that is what happens when you run and then go sit in a theater for about 2.5 hours.

We had fun visiting with John and Lisa after the movies, and then trekked over to Matt & Laura's house for her birthday party. We had a great time visiting with all the usual suspects, and then left a bit early to get home and just relax for a bit. I didn't even turn on the computer last night (odd for me), I just enjoyed hanging out on the couch watching taped coverage of the Pac-10 conference track meet. It was wonderful to relax for a couple of hours after such a brimmingly full day.

My Sunday is going well. The sky is mostly blue and clear, and I think I might go for a walk or a bike ride later.

Need Shoes Or Gear? Check Out Portland Running Company!

When we first moved here and I started asking around about running shoe stores, the name I heard over and over again was the Portland Running Company. After buying my first pair of shoes there, I have been a dedicated customer. Their salesperson had me try a few pairs of shoes on, making sure I had enough room at the toe and that they were snug enough around the ankle. I then ran around the parking lot in each pair while they watched my gait, trying to figure out which shoe would work best for me. After a few tries, we found a shoe that felt great and would be as much support as I'd need. Mark and I both recommend this store whenever anyone we know starts running or walking and needs a good pair of shoes...or anything else running related, be it shoes, clothing, hydration systems, and even energy bars and Gu. The staff is always knowledgeable and friendly, and they are great at helping to guide you through the numerous shoes and products they carry.

The store owners do a lot to support the local running community. They have been a home base for our Team in Training runs, providing a nice warm building to come back to after some of those chilly, rainy mornings. They have a table dedicated to posting flyers and information about numerous events around the state. And Paula organizes a bunch of fantastic events around the Portland area.

I was happy to receive a donation from Portland Running Company last week. This is definitely a company that supports their local community, and it is wonderful to know that we have those around.

Many thanks to Paula, Dave, and everyone else at PRC for the great donation. And thanks for all the help with the shoes too. I'll probably be there in the next few days to pick up my official marathon shoes. I've got to get them worn in on a few long runs before the big day.

10 Miles Today

After the 18.5 mile-run last weekend, today's 10 miler felt like no problem. No aches and pains, it didn't take too long, and I even have enough energy leftover to go see Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith today.

Who would have ever guessed that 10 miles would feel just fine? Not me.

Thanks, Joe & Patricia

Many thanks for your wonderful donation. And thanks for your kind note as well. We are so glad we get to see you now and then at the birthday parties and barbecues in Vancouver. Congratulations on the new grandbaby!

Joe, it seems like it wasn't all that long ago that you and Michelle picked me (and all my stuff) up in a moving van bound for Seattle and college. Thanks for your many kindnesses over the years.

Thanks, Chase!

My good friend Chase, who I met in Mr. Dempsey's 10th grade English class, sent a great donation my way today. I have met so many great friends through the miracle of alphabetical seating charts. Thanks, Mr. Dempsey, wherever you are.

And thanks for the super donation and support, Chase. You find a run up there in your neck of the woods, and we'll drag ourselves up there to run it with you.

We Are Still Rolling Along

A handful of new donations have come in during the past few days, and I want to be sure to thank all of these wonderful folks.

Many thanks to Al and Gerry for the wonderful and unexpected donation. I am so glad you saw my e-mail. Thank you also for your kind words of support and encouragement. I will be thinking of you as I run this marathon.

An out-of-the-blue surprise donation arrived from Brenda yesterday. Thanks so much for your great donation. I am glad Ellen has found such a great friend in you. I'm also happy you enjoyed checking out my rambling on this website. ;-)

Thanks to Ron and all the folks at German Service, both for your wonderful donation and for always putting my little car back together again. What will I do when I finally trade my car in and my new car isn't German? Do you think I could talk you guys into repairing a Mazda? I keep threatening to trade in the Golf, but now that it is washed and spiffy looking again, somehow is seems alright to hang onto it for a while longer.

And thanks to Betty and Rod for your donation and wishes of good luck. We have really enjoyed getting to know you both better this past year. I am continually amazed (as I was again yesterday) at Betty's creativity. Have a wonderful time in SD.

Starting to Recover

I am feeling much better today after a good night's rest, although my guess is I'll still need a nap sometime later today. I am hoping to get to the gym to do some quad-strengthening exercises, since that seems to be helping with my knee achiness. I am finally learning that ice is my friend.

I still can't believe we ran over 18 miles yesterday. Our run was only supposed to be 18, but we misunderstood our directions, got a little lost, and probably tacked on a half mile as a result (good thing we asked directions from those nice folks in the blue car over on whichever road it was that we ended up on).

In any case, 18+ miles seems like a long way, and it almost seems sort of close to 26.2 until you realize, "Wow, we'd have another 8 or so miles to go at this point." In any case, I am pretty confident we'll be ready for the marathon. I think we could finish a marathon at this point, but it certainly wouldn't be pretty. I'm glad we have another solid 20-miler in our future to help us prepare...although I am still not sure it will be pretty. I hope they take any race photographs early on, before we are hobbling along at mile 24.

I ran in junior high and high school, and then off and on during college and while we lived in New Mexico. Most of my late 20s were spent away from exercise and in a cubicle. In any case, I have run off and on for about half of my life now, so I am generally familiar with how my body reacts to 3- to 7-mile runs, as this was my normal range before this marathon effort. I am not, however, familiar with how my body reacts to 15+ mile runs. This is completely and entirely new, and I can see why people say you should run one marathon just to figure out how to train for one, then maybe later try to whittle down your finish time. I need to eat and drink while I run, which is new. Eating is odd and surprisingly difficult for me. Those Gu packets provide a lot of energy, and I try to drink enough water with them, but I am just not used to them. Yesterday, at about mile 15 I got a wicked little stomach cramp. For me, this almost never happens past the first few miles of a run. Generally, If I am going to get a stomach cramp, I get it early on. Anyhow, that went away and then my running partner commented that I suddenly sounded congested. Who knows where that came from.

Aside from the tired knees and sore feet, it just felt like my body underwent some changes between mile 1 and mile 18, but I couldn't pinpoint exactly what they were. I think I still need to drink more water early on, as I seemed to be drinking more water toward the end, which I'm guessing would signal I hadn't hydrated quite as well as I thought I had throughout the run. I probably need to eat a bit more too. It is a good thing I have more time to work out the kinks.

18+ Miles Today

The run this morning went well, and I'd love to tell you all about it, but after a fairly busy afternoon, I'm about as tired as I get. My legs are tired, my arms are tired, my feet are tired...heck, my noggin is even tired. I'm afraid if I don't get to sleep right this minute I'll fall asleep on the keyboard. And I guess I don't think the keyboard pattern would look too pretty embossed on my cheek, so I bid you goodnight.

We Made It!

Today I received a great donation that pushed me officially over my goal. Thanks so much, Sean and Beth, for the donation and the fun note you included with it. We had a super time visiting with you all last year and hope to get up there again sometime soon. Maybe one of these years we can organize a Hood to Coast team and talk you into running with us.

Thanks to everyone out there who has helped me get this far. I'll keep updating this site with training news and definitely let you know how the marathon goes!

Even though I have officially met my goal, I will, of course, continue to accept donations and keep the fundraising site active. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is a very deserving cause, and if you were planning on donating, please don't hesitate to do so.

Just a Hamilton To Go

Outside of buying Mark new cleats that were too small, today was an absolutely fantastic day.

The morning started with a good half cup of coffee before I met my running partner at the gym. We planned on running just the 5.5-mile loop, but felt so great we tacked on another small loop to make our run an even 7 miles. Lisa gave me her great donation after the run, and I left the gym feeling ever closer to reaching my fundraising goal. Lisa, you have been a great running partner and motivator this past year. Many thanks to you and Mike for the super donation. We'll have to find a fun run to train for sometime in July!

My mom and I drove down to the Adidas store in the afternoon, where I purchased the too-small cleats. Anyone out there need some cleats? As we walked back to the car, we passed a store that used to carry Mark's favorite snack, grapefruit gummi slices. Sadly, they quit making them a few years ago, and I've quit asking them if they'll ever make them again. We still stopped in the store though, since they have a bundle of other goodies. My mom called me from across the store, "Michelle, do you think these pink grapefruit slices are the same as the other ones?" After the salesperson opened a bag for us so we could taste them, I will say that yes, they are pretty much the same...just pink (Mark ran around the house doing a happy dance when he saw those waiting for him on the counter this evening).

Back at home, I checked my e-mail to find that my dear friend Lori from New Mexico donated today as well. Thanks for the great support and the awesome donation, Lori (and Bryant, too!). We had such a fun time visiting with you last summer. We hope to see you guys again soon.

So, with those two fantastic donations, I am now within a Hamilton of my goal. Ten bucks...kind of hard to believe. This deserves yet another...yep, you guessed it...Woohoo!

Woohoo!

As of this evening, with a couple of new donations today, I am at 97 percent of my goal! I didn't anticipate this today, so I am absolutely thrilled. It feels great to get so close to the goal, and it feels even better to know I have such a great support system.

Thanks, Eric, for your awesome donation. I was doing a happy dance around the house for much of the day. Tell Seether, Leadbelly, and the other kitties thanks for me as well! And I loved that you asked that I run on behalf of "all of us." I will certainly do that!

And thanks, Halle, for your great donation. I am glad you were finally able to get back into town today. Good luck with the triathlon, I'm sure you'll do great out there.

Weekend Update

So on Saturday, I ran 8 miles...slightly shorter than the 10 miles I'd planned on, since I was going to be running in the Hippie Chick race on Sunday and didn't want to be too sore or tired. I woke up Sunday to a steady rain on the rooftop, and weighed my options. I was still very fatigued and sore from the PE class on Friday combined with the 8 mile-run on Saturday, and I'd just gotten over a yucky case of the flu the week before (I am still working on getting my lungs completely back to normal). I decided that running out in the rain probably wouldn't do me any favors, and in the big picture, this TNT marathon is my ultimate goal. I figured a day off to let my body rest a bit was in order, so I took it. I spent a nice day relaxing with my mom and Mark, and I am amazed at how much better and stronger I feel today!

Over the weekend a couple more donations came in. One came from another ski bus buddy, Dee, who was a huge help on the bus this year. Not only that, she is a great ski partner and a lot of fun. Thanks for the great donation, Dee. I look forward to skiing with you again next year and hope you have a wonderufl summer of cycling.

Another great donation came in from our good friend Clark. We have known Clark since we lived in New Mexico and he is a lot of fun. Mark's family calls Clark the other brother, since he occasionally drives up with us to visit them. We don't see Clark enough. Thanks for the donation, Clark...we'll need to get out to play pool or shuffleboard again soon.

Adult PE

Not sure I always consider myself an adult, but I love this class at our gym. Today we ran around the gym wearing belts and dragging our partners along, scooted across the gym on coasters, and then played soccer. After class, I raced our instructor down the gym and back. We had these little mini parachutes attached to a belt around our waist. The idea is that the parachute would slow you down, but I didn't notice it overly much. I don't think either of us could claim a true victory.

Even though I am pretty inept when it comes to playing soccer, or any team sport for that matter, we always have a fun time in class. The people are what make the class great. Everyone is so friendly. It is very unlike the standard gym class where you have your own little space and don't really interact with the other folks around you. I think because we have partners and play a different sport each week, we really get to know each other better. I've met some good friends through this class.

One of these great people, Paula, wasn't there today, so I couldn't thank her in person for her wonderful donation. Her kind gift was a nice surprise yesterday. Thanks, Paula! We missed your smiling face today.

Ultimate Community

So Mark is an avid ultimate frisbee player. He has played frisbee off an on for more than a decade, and while it can be a time sink sometimes (like marathon training isn't), I don't think there is another sport he loves nearly as much. The biggest reason for this is the people that make up the ultimate frisbee community. I know our friend Matt says this all the time, so I'll give him the credit, but we really have met many of our good friends through frisbee. Generally, the people that have made up the teams Mark has played on have been kind, fun, generous, and welcoming.

So Mark sent out an e-mail about my fundraising to his frisbee buddies last night and within 20 minutes I had my first donation. Wow! Three donations in the last day...and all three from 3 Hour Tour members.

Thanks, Sue. As I said in my e-mail, you are lightning fast. And thanks also for always being so friendly and welcoming. I have enjoyed chatting with you at various tournaments over the years.

And thanks to Nathan as well. I am glad you guys were both able to be part of Skin & Bones...that was a fun team. I'm also glad you were able to go to Hawaii again this year. I still can't believe that was your first complete beer. Way to go with the boat racing B squad.

Bartlett and Leilani...thanks for your great donation, thanks for showing us Hawaii, thanks for organizing that awesome all-team dinner at Aloha Tower, and good luck in July! We have had such a fun time seeing you both every year, and we are so glad you decided to pick up on the Skin & Bones Alaska team those years ago.

This Hawaii frisbee trip was the most fun of our trips over there, and I think 3 Hour Tour was a big part of that. Thanks to all of you.

Thank You!

Thanks to all of you that have rallied around my effort to raise money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. It really means a lot to have your support!

I've had a few more surprise donations in the past few days. Yesterday I got an unexpected donation from Don right after I finished my 15-mile run...what a great reward on a Monday afternoon. Thank you!

A couple more donations came from workout buddies at the gym. The first was from Butch, who is great at heckling us when we play basketball, volleyball, soccer...you name it. With the basketball heckling in particular, I always start laughing and get distracted, so it is then easy to steal the ball from me...good strategy on Butch's part (I told you I wasn't good at basketball). The second donation came from Karla, who I've just gotten to know better and who has been a lot of fun during our Friday classes. Many thanks to both of you for supporting me and encouraging me whenever I see you.

Another donation yesterday afternoon came from my wonderful and hard-working neighbor, Corrine. If the sun is out, Corrine is out in her beautiful yard. I was glad to stop by Corrine's yesterday after the long run, as it was a perfect excuse to just sit and visit for a while. Thanks for all of your support Corrine.

Back on Track

After missing nearly a solid week of running because of a pretty nasty bout with a cold, including one critical long run, I was a little nervous going into today's 15-mile run. The one good thing about running on an out and back course is there is no cheating. We ran 7.5 miles out, which meant we then had to run the other 7.5 miles to get back to our cars. I suppose we could have ridden the bus, but we didn't have any money. Darn.

Results of today's 15-mile run:
Sore knees: a
Tired body: a
Gu consumed: a
Happy to see my car again: a
Nap: To occur in near future

The Cat With Way More Than 9 Lives

Yesterday a donation came in from our friendly neighborhood vet, Dr. Gordon. Many thanks to you and all of the wonderful staff at the Walnut Street office....both for the donation and for your awesome care of our beloved, and at times hissy, cat.

Over the years, we've gotten to know the folks at the office pretty well, as our little kitty has been to the vet more times than any cat should have to go in one lifetime. Sure, one or two of the visits resulted from a scrap or two she could have avoided, but most of the visits are sadly nothing she can control. She was hit by a car before we got her as a kitten. I don't know much about that except that she broke her hip, had half her tail amputated, and then lived at an animal clinic for about 2 months. Later, after we'd moved here, she was temporarily diabetic for a few months, and had a range of complications from that since we didn't really notice any of the warning signs. Who knew cats could become diabetic? Not me.

Then there was the abscess incident which I won't go into. Let's just say I passed out cold at the vet office. Not a good scene.

She was happily diabetes free until about a month ago. So, now Dr. Gordon is helping us get her insulin requirements figured out. I know most people think we are a bit nuts for treating this disease, but it is manageable, and I can't imagine not helping her. She has been in our lives for about 9 years, and she is a little extension of our hearts.

So, in short, if any of you need an awesome vet office recommendation, we've got one for you.

Finally...I Can Run Again!

After my five-day hiatus due to that pesky cold, I was finally able to get out for a run this afternoon. The coughing has mostly stopped, my lungs are feeling quite a bit clearer, and outside of still feeling a little wiped out, the run went well. I came home and made myself a good dinner to fuel up a bit for the long run I hope to complete in the next day or two.

In the last couple of days a handful of donations have come in, so I have folks to thank! I am slowly but steadily moving closer toward my goal. I hope to keep up the progress. Thanks to everyone that has helped me get this far!

Thanks, Mary Kay, for the super donation. MK is one of my workout buddies at the gym...she is the other tall one. Everyone thinks we should be good at basketball...we are not. I appreciate you taking the time to donate, MK. I hope Kate's team won this weekend!

My neighbor Margaret drove down with a great donation on Friday afternoon. Margaret is such a warm and kind person, I am lucky to have her as a neighbor. Thanks, Margaret!

Many thanks to Sue and Glen as well for the great donation (and the great company on the ski bus). Remember what I said about those ski bus folks? They really are some pretty wonderful people. I bought some new ski pants yesterday, Sue...I am already looking forward to that incredible snowfall next year!

Another Margaret, this one a dear friend of my mom's, sent in a very kind donation. I always enjoy having coffee and dessert while chatting with Margaret when I visit my mom. She is a fun and wonderful lady. If you are out there reading...thanks, Margaret.