God Bless America & Edelweiss

Personal rambling about to occur, so consider yourself warned. My sister hosted a Cousin Sing-A-Long today up at her home in Lansdale, PA. My parents, sisters, their families, some aunts, uncles, and cousins, and extended cousins (my Dad's cousins, so second cousins for me) all got together and sang around the piano. I was so homesick and wished I was there. But I am here, studying and writing for my final.

Well, instead of studying I'm thinking about the sing-a-long and my Flyers so I called my sister before everyone got there and put in a request. When the Flyers won the Cup in 1974 & in 1975 they had a secret weapon - Kate Smith. Truly. Hey, if you want to feel the love, check out this from her appearance before the 1974 Stanley Cup win. The Flyers would fly Miss Smith in to the Spectrum to sing before big games. Their original announcer, Gene Hart (deceased), has a daughter, Lauren Hart, who now sings on the Jumbotron with Kate. They even have her record somewhere about how many wins when she sings God Bless America. So of course, that was my request.

My sister called when the whole gang was there, and between Georgia and Pennsylvania we all sang. It was wonderful. Then I yelled, "PLAY HOCKEY!" and we all had a good laugh. I'm not sure who it was, but it sounded like a cousin named after my Gram who asked me to start them on Edelweiss. This song is a beloved one for our family. We are American of German/Austrian/Hungarian descent and we love to sing. So it is a natural fit. It was so lovely to be there with all of them, even if for five minutes. Thanks, Family!

Back to Woolf and Yeats and the Gang...

WE BEAT THE CAPS IN OT!!!!

Here we come MONTREAL!!!!


Marty Biron had an assist tonight - now he's a true Flyer - a goalie with some points! Marty! Marty!

Beautiful OT goal by Lupul!

3Day2006 ~ Day Two Memories

I hear voices from the other tents but it still seems really early to me, so I don't get up. I figure Penny (my tentmate) isn't up yet, then I think, well, maybe I better check the cell phone and see what time it is. Well, there's no Penny, I turn on the cell, it's 7 am, and there's a message from Penny saying they're all eating breakfast! I slept 11 hours! The rest of my team was upset because it got down to 30 degrees overnight (I learned later); they were cold. I'm a true northerner!

Today we start walking from our home base(camp). I forgot to tell you that each day you are scanned out to start walking and scanned back into home base. The credential you wear around your neck is your ID, etc. The ladies sing you out and dance you in that volunteer at check in. The music is incredible.

Our lunch stop today has all the crew dressed like Pirates of the Caribbean: we have Jack Sparrow welcoming us into the stop, and we eat our lunches of chicken wrap, pasta salad, fruit cup, and cookies. They were peanut butter so I turned down the cookies! And the route markers have written Johnny Depp Loves 3Day Walkers in chalk over by the potties. They are so good to us.

The first day the lunch crew was dressed as the 4077th MASH complete with a Colonel Klinger! The same crew dresses up each day of the walk in different costumes. It's incredible.

By lunch, my left foot is pretty bad, so I go get some self-med stuff and tape up my left heel with moleskin. It feels good for the first few miles after lunch, but because of where the spur is, the moleskin starts moving, and after awhile I'm in agony. I stop, tell my team to go ahead, and pull off the moleskin, wind up reversing it (the moleskin), walk slowly, and my team is waiting for me at the next pit stop. I'm afraid to stop walking at the pit stop so I just keep putting one foot in front of the other - I just keep on walking. And I made it. Not easily, but I made it. We walk back into camp, and I manage to smile and even to dance my way home - but only with my arms!

Off to the medical tent, the triage nurse looks at it, but says the blister may reabsorb, wait until morning. Then we hear about the weather - 60% chance of rain. A group of walkers start heading to their homes in the area, and will head back in the morning.

We head off to a dinner of chicken marsala, wild rice, salad, broccoli, and cheesecake. Yum. Inspiring stories of people among us, and then a disco band of four guys and lots of walkers are up dancing. Not me, but I'm happy to be there, and know that I've walked. The guys in the band wear huge 70's afro wigs. It's a riot. We stay up late tonight. We didn't go to bed until 8:35!

The rain starts around 2 a.m. Karyn has her alarm set in the next tent, and she's going to wake me at 6 so I can get right to the medical tent as it opens. Penny and I hear her alarm go off before she even says anything. Penny says she'll pack her duffel, then as soon as I get back from medical, I can pack mine, and she'll take down the tent so we can both get breakfast. I hobble over to medical after changing to my clothes for the day and putting my jammies back on over top for warmth from the drizzly rain. The medical tent is dark. Hmmmm...head back to our tent, Penny is waiting for me, I tell her something's wrong - medical isn't open. She says no, nothing's wrong, after I packed I turned on my cell, it's only 5:20 a.m.! Ay Yi Yi! I say let's lay down anyhow. She doesn't want to unpack so she goes to breakfast. But we all know how much I love to sleep, so I lay back down.

FLYERS WIN IN DOUBLE OVERTIME!

We are up three games to one against the Caps! YAY!

Double overtime never looked so good as when Biron made the saves and Knuble scored a workingman's goal 6 minutes into the second overtime! Here we come, Washington!

Tink is ecstatic - she is not sure how fast she will be able to get her snout between her paws to dream about squirrels and flying pucks!

Flyers Up 2-1 in the Series & Walking !

<--Tink is wondering how many hours until the Flyers take to the ice again!

Last night's win, 6-3, over the Caps was so exciting to watch! The team has coalesced - you can watch it in their discipline, and even when they have a few shenanigans going on! : ) Mike Richards' penalty shot was flawless and fun. Instead of going for the flamboyant trick shot he made Huet feel foolish with the flick that trickled through the five hole - brilliant!

Today was a perfect day weather-wise here in northern Georgia. Sunny and seventy-two. Tink and I did our three mile stretch. We go through a part of our local streets and Tink was so excited she was running and dragging me along in a demented looking jog - and I'm being kind to myself calling it demented! Tink was exasperated at my lame attempts to keep up with her bunny-hopping, ears-flopping trot. Anyone who has ever had a doxie knows what I am talking about - they have the cutest way of running. It's a cross between a dog and a rabbit. I can not explain it better than that.

Maureen (one of my 3Day teammates) asked me when we were going to start training. I sadly told her they have already started without us! We have to get moving! The April walks are usually three miles. We then move into the road alongside Kennesaw Mountain which is a three mile round trip that just happens to include a mountain. Hopefully that will not start until May. I am planning on getting my second set of sneaks the beginning of May. I am also planning on training (and possibly doing some of the 3Day) in my Chaco's. They are fabulous.

Ok, y'all. Did you meditate today??? You didn't??? Open up your heart by opening up your mind to meditation.

3Day 2008 & YAY FLYERS!!!

My boys made the playoffs! They went from ninth and almost missing the playoffs to sixth - yay! Here we come, Washington! Go FLYERS!

Okay, I got that off my chest. And speaking of chests ; ) I finally came up with my tagline for my fundraising letters. I'll be sharing that with you all in a minute.

It has been crazy lately for me. The weather has not made it easy to walk, but I am thankful for the rain. I did my new yoga cd from Katie and I have been in more wonderful weariness than I remember in a long time. Gotta get that cd to be a part of my training for the 3Day. And I have been crazy working on making a website for my Computer Writing and English class. Ok, that is it for housekeeping and where I have been.

Try this on for size: If you've got some boobies that you love, or you know someone who has - please pass this email (letter, link) along and make a difference in many boobies lives! I love it! Do you? I have my letter just about ready to go, knew what I wanted to say; I could not get the tagline just right. I think I've got it.


Here's the important part of the press release for 2008 from www.3day.org :

Taking place in 14 cities nationwide, the Breast Cancer 3-Day is a three-day, 60-mile walk that provides an opportunity to educate tens of thousands of people about breast health, including the importance of early detection. Breast Cancer 3-Day participants commit to raising a minimum of $2,200 and walking an average of 20 miles a day during each three-day event. Proceeds from the Breast Cancer 3-Day are used for breast cancer research, education, and community outreach programs. As the primary beneficiary of the Breast Cancer 3-Day, Susan G. Komen for the Cure receives 85 percent of net proceeds and the remaining 15 percent goes to the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund. Please visit www.The3Day.org, or call 800.996.3DAY for more information.

My thoughts on the 3Day:
The 3Day will be here in Atlanta October 24 - 26, 2008. Two of my Simply Blessed team members are walking with me. One is a survivor - they are both joyful people. Actually, the entire three days is a joyful time. You laugh, you cry, you nurse blisters. Doctors and nurses give their time to patch you up. There are literally hundreds of volunteers who do everything from helping to set up your tent, move your luggage, feed you, clean the bathrooms, etc., etc., etc.


There are a few fantastic groups I have to mention. The motorcycle guys! And the trolling van people! They dress up, they keep the route clear, they dance across intersections with you. They give you lollipops, they make you smile, they make you feel like a queen. There's nothing like a motorcycle guy revving past you in his pink plaid kilt! : )

There are volunteers along the way at the pit stops and lunch stops who leave chalk messages on the sidewalk, dress up like the characters from MASH while serving you a sandwich, or beckon you to a rest dressed like Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow (and that was a woman!). I could go on and on. You become part of a family. Everyone is in it to assist each walker walk those 60 miles.

My link is along the sidebar. Make a donation. And then pass the link along. You know some boobies that you love...give them a long time to live. Make a difference.