Something on my mind.

I know this is one of my pet peeves and everytime it happens I say I'm gonna work on my mood, but dang, do I have to. I'm at work. I do that. I go to work. I work and then I go home. I spend a lot of time on the phone communcating with people and setting up care for patients. Why is it, when some people call and leave messages, they talk as if they are speedy gonzalous and ramble through their name and number. Today I received a very important phone call from some one I'd been trying to reach but didn't have the correct number. The woman finally calls me. She leaves her name and number on my voice mail. However, she talked so fast I barely got her name and forget about the number to call her back. that was wasted. I only got the first two numbers. Oddly enough, she was so fast, I couldn't even get it on rewind. Again, dang. Is it me. Why not talk a little slower and hey, try repeating your name and number for a change. It sure would make my day go better. Maybe that's it. My day isn't supposed to go smooth.

Buy a book, stop a crook

Spent the day in Waynesboro, VA at the Bookem Book Festival. Mark Kearney has done a great job orginazing the festival. I don't even want to think about the amount of work that goes into it. I think this was my fifth time attending. The festival benefits literacy, hence the line, buy a book, stop a crook. If we can teach the children to read, just maybe we can help them stay out of the jail system. Each author attending donates part of our proceeds to literacy. To keep a child out of jail, I'd donate it all. Its a great day. A lot of author networking, workshops, panel discussions, author talks and an abundance of students from the area who volunteer. I can think of a million things a teenage could be doing on Saturday but they spent it with us.

I went to a Bookem in Charleston, SC a couple of years ago. They haven't had another one there since. I hope they do. I had a blast. This year in Waynesboro, there wasn't a lot of foot traffic. I don't know why. The weather was great, but it happens. I only sold three books. but hey, it goes like that sometimes. Once there were a lot of public in and I sold a lot of books, another time, none, another time, medium sales. But no matter how it rolls, I'll still be there. after all, buy a book, stop a crook.

3 Days 60 Miles 1 Goal

And they came out in massess. There were young people. Older people. People my age. Some could have been my siblings or my parents or even my grand parents. There were men and woman. One man walked the miles on a prosthetic leg. A woman was 36 weeks pregnant. But they came and we walked.

And boy, was it a walk! I did it. I finally did it! I participated in the Susan G. Komen 3 Day Walk for Breast Cancer this past weekend. It was awespiring, it was painful, it was humbling, it was exhausting, it was WOW. And did I say painful.

We set out from the National Stadium in Washington D.C. and walked through D.C., through Georgetown, through Chevy Chase Maryland to Bethesda Maryland. When did D.C. and the outlying towns get so hilly. For the life of me I don't remember them and I've spent a many day and night in D.C and Bethesda. Hey, I used to work at Bethesday Naval. Now granted, I always arrived by car but I would have remembered the mountains of Georgetown and Bethesda.

Friday's walk was tiring but we survived all 20.4 miles of it. I met some really great people immediately upon arriving in D.C. Linda from NY who is a 10 year breast cancer survivor and Heather from Miami. Both had done this walk before. Lavell showed up later and for the life of me I can't remember where she was from. I'd like to say Maryland by way of New England, US by way of England, UK but I could be wrong. Being this was my first 3 day walk they took me under their wings and we suffered, um I meant walked together.

At the end of the route on Friday we were bused to Germantown, MD. Upon arrival to camp I immediately set out to find my place in tent city. For some reason, I decided to partake in the entire 3 day experience and camp with the rest of the nuts, um I meant walkers. I told myself it was an adventure. Now for those who know me, know, I DON'T CAMP. My idea of camping is going to a hotel that doesn't have cable. LOL. But I'm gonna do it for the cause. I grabbed my duffle and sleeping bag and tent. Yes, I said tent. I now had the task of putting up my own tent. This was going to be fun. NOT. Again, I DO NOT CAMP. I dropped my stuff in the empty spot that belonged to me and starred down at it. Now what. How does a non camper put up a pink pup tent. I decided to make an announcement to the people I saw near by. I sorta yelled, "How does one put up a tent if one has never put one up!" What great people. Immediately four people stopped what they were doing and came to my rescue. They helped me get my tent up. No, that's not correct. They put my tent up for me. I stood there like a deer caught in the head lights and held a pole and flash light.

Okay, it was looking up. My tent was up and secure. I unrolled the airmattress and connected the pump and got it inflated and in place in the small two person tent. My tent mate had yet to arrive. I sat my things up for the am since we had to get up before the sun to hit the route for day two. I went to the dinner tent and had dinner, which I might say was wonderful. Steak, tender enough to cut with a plastic knife, potatoes, green beans and apple pie. Yum. After dinner I hit the showers. They had 18 wheelers out fitted with shower stalls. Nice and hot too. I headed to my tent via flash light because now it was 10pm and the lights went out at 9pm. Did I say I didn't camp. It's dark, I'm scared. But hey, I chanted, 'adventure, adventure, adventrue.' but it didn't stop there. I zippered myself into the tent. that way the monsters wouldn't get me. Yeah, right. As soon as I went to lay down on the sleeping bag which was on top of the air mattress my body went straight to the ground. Where the hell did my air go?

I found out the next day, when its cold the air dissepates in the mattresses. I will never understand this. It was locked in tight. There were no holes. Go where. Out of space. Is it magic? what? This is why I never did well in physics. It just doesn't make sense. What am I going to do? It's too late to turn on the pump for the air mattress, so I decide to sleep in the sleeping bag on the ground. Thank God the tent had a vinyl flooring or I would have been in the meal tent on top of a table.

As soon as I doze off I am awakened by a horrific growl. It grumbled, mumbled and spat. I just knew the monsters had come out of the forest to get me. My eyes sprang open and I yelled in my mind, "What's that?" My eyes scanned the darkness and only when it happened again, that I realized someone was snoring. Okay, I can deal with snoring. But then it happened again and again I am jolted from sleep. I had to put my earphones in and turn on the IPod for some music. that's what I needed. Nora Jones lulled me to sleep only to be yanked out of it again with a thigh cramp. Thigh cramps are bad enough when I'm at home and I have to jump out of bed, pound on my thigh muscle, jump around and ice it. How is a girl to do that when you are zippered into a sleeping bag and even if you could get out, you can't stand up. Pup tent means exactly how it sounds. There's enough room for a puppy. Geez, Saturday morning couldn't come fast enough.

Saturday we treked 23 miles through Germantown and Gaithersburg, Maryland. More hills. What happened to the flat lands. Are there any walks in Kansas or Missouri. I've spent a lot of time in Maryland in the past but had never been to Germantown or Gaithersburg. What wonderful scenerie. Before I left camp that am I met another new friend, Desi. she's a one year breast cancer survivor and she has spunk. When her family opposed her doing this walk she stood her ground. My hat goes off to every survivor that took a step this past weekend. They gave me strength.

I had a plan as I stood at the foot of yet another hill. I was gonna make it. And I did. I crawled back into camp at 6:30 that evening. I'm gonna conquer this camping thing. I ate another great dinner. Grabbed my shower. Rubbed down in the analgestic cream I grabbed from the medical tent. Re-inflated the air mattress and made calls to home and friends to check in and check out. I took my medication to include my dear friend Mr. Vicodin and put the earphones in the ears and turned on the music. I was off to lala land in no time. No nightmarish sounds, grunts, growls. No muscle cramps and my body was suspended above the ground. Yeah!

Even though the night temps dropped to 45 degrees each night I can thank my friend Helen for the sleeping bag. I would have been in trouble with the blanket I was taking. Thank God some of my friends know what they are doing when it comes to this camping out gig. I certainly didn't. When I told my friend Yvette the next morning that I slept good Saturday night she commented that happens when you are exhausted. I told her that's what happens when you take vicodin. hehehe.

Sunday was a breeze compared to the other two days. We only needed to walk the remander of the miles on Sunday. A piece of cake. I crossed the finish line Sunday afternoon to see my husband, sister and grand nephew standing there cheering me on. I was told I didn't look like someone who'd just walked 60 miles. Maybe it was because of the broad grin spliting my face or the bounce in my step. I'm not sure but I certainly felt like some one who'd walked 60 miles. My feet hurt, my toes and ankles are swollen. Luckily I didn't get a blister until around mile 40ish. Some people got them early. My hips were very angry at me. I was suprised my knees didn't bother me... yet and my back didn't hurt.

I was humbled by the amount of people who came out to cheer up on. People stood on corners, in their drive ways and leaned out of windows to say thanks for walking. Restaurants posted signs of thanks and telling us there was water inside and clean bathrooms. What a dream. I really missed my bathroom. After spending three days with nothing but port a potties I so much wanted to feel my cushie toilet set against my cushie ass. One should not have to hover to pee. It's just not right. But it was for a good cause. It was all for a good cause. The blisters. The sore and aching muscles. The grinding bones. It was for a wonderful cause and I feel like I walked in a 60 mile walk a thon. Oh yeah, I did and will do it again. I think, next year I'll work in the medical tent. LOL. No hills.

Susan G. Komen 3 Day walk for the cure

And let the walking begin. I'm in DC. The 3 day 60 mile walk is under way. Waiting for the shuttle to talk us from the hotel to the starting point. I'm pumped, well rested and thoroughly greased. I learned a new trick from a marathon runner. Slather vasoline on the feet heavily and you won't get blisters. It works and afterwards your feet are baby soft. Now that's a great trick. I've already met some really great people. Linda from Coopersville and Heather from Miami. Immediately they greeted me and a friendship developed. There is so much comoradarie and smiles here it warms the soul. Its wonderful to see so many people come together to save the ta-tas. Sometimes I can't believe I'm doing this, 60 miles, three days and I'm sleeping in a tent. But I AM! this is for Pindi. My bestest girl who was taken from us in 2008 at 39 years young. Breast cancer was her murderer. So, lets FIGHT LIKE A GIRL AND SAVE THE TA-TAS.

Girls weekend the beginning

I'm in our nation's capital this weekend with the girl friends for our annual girlfriend's weekend. NO hubbies, no children. no work. But my question to you is, why is it that people see people with suitcases and immediately think we are tourist who just fell off the turnup truck. My girlfriends and I decided to catch the train up to D.C. Got a wonderful room at the Residence Inn on E street. Fantastic!

Well, we leave Union Station to grab a cab. No biggie. The hotel is 2 miles away. This is not going to be a problem. Well, maybe not to some people. The cab driver didn't even get out of the cab. He popped the trunk and we tossed out bags in. On arrival to the hotel the meter said, $5.75 and there was an extra fee of $1.50/extra person. So where I went to school that comes to $8.75. There were two extras.

The cab driver says $11.75. Okay, on what planet. Again, where I went to school that just didn't compute. So just to make sure I'm not mistaken I re-read the notice in the window that pretained to extra fees. We did have extra people, check. Waiting-- no. Bad weather--no. National emergency--no. I had to ask how he came up with the numbers and he tells me for the luggage.

What luggage I ask. He says the over sized luggage. Again, what over sized luggage? We each had a carry on. You know the type. The carry on size that fits into the over head compartment of the plane. Oh! that over sized luggage. Well, I think not.

Now my two girl friends are counting out money and trying to figure out a tip. Again, NOT!!!
I nicely (hehehe) redirected him to the sign hanging in his own cab and reminded him that he didn't even see our luggage so he had not idea what it looked like. Upon remembering this he jumps out, lifts it out of the trunk and says, "umm, humm, okay, that'll be 8.75." Oh, yeah, damn skippy okay. I was about to bring out the East Orange NJ that's imbedded way deep in me. And she really isn't as nice as the Virginia Denise.

My girl friend still asked, what should we tip. My only tip to him was to remember not everyone carrying a suitcase is a tourist. Oh, I forgot, he didn't know I used to live in the beltway and even when I didn't, D.C. was my old stomping ground. But even if it wasn't, why you gonna try to rob a tourist. Shame on him.