Over the weekend Dan and I hosted Jess Abu and her husband Dre. Here are some of the highlights...
Clearly we don't take ourselves that seriously, which I think is why we have so much fun! From Susie's Mopeds, with the protective rainwear jumpsuits, to all the ridiculous sunglasses we found for $2.99, to the electric boats on Lake Union, and everything in between. Jess is still here for a few more days - I wonder what other trouble we can get into?!
Every day is a gift. Every laugh, every memory is just icing on the cake.
I had the honor of being interviewed for the podcast, "Living With..." recently. Here is what this iTunes channel is all about (in Tom's own words):
Description
Living With… is about those living with cancer and other diseases or challenges. It's a community of inspirational people who got some bad news, were dealt a terrible hand, a horrible diagnosis, which changed their lives forever. I have Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), a progressive bone marrow disease which robs the body of its ability to produce blood cells and fight infection. For some reason the body stops making proper blood cells, leaving the body weak and vulnerable. Treatments include blood transfusions, drugs to boost blood cell production, and ultimately bone marrow transplant. My levels have declined considerably. I take drugs to keep my levels from declining even more, but no one knows how long they will work. I get routine blood tests to monitor my levels. I used to be an avid runner and have run several 5k, 10k, half & full marathons. I suffer from lack of energy and fatigue, but I’m able to work and do most things if I pace myself. Now, I am a walker, but I haven’t given up. I miss running, but I’m alive! The Living With Podcast is my way of bringing you interviews with inspirational people who are living with cancer, illness, and other challenges. I feel we can learn a lot from them, be inspired by them and ultimately live more meaningful and fulfilling lives. I hope you will listen to the podcast and will be entertained and inspired!
It's a little bit long because, hey, it's me - I was born talking - but you could listen to some, go take care of some stuff, then come back, etc. I had a blast talking with Tom, and it was really fun to listen to his other podcasts and hear other people's stories. It is a privilege to share my story with others. It is a privilege that I am here on this earth. I am humbled that Tom found my story to be one that would be a benefit to the community.
Dan and I had so much fun at Chelan Man yesterday, it was AMAZING. I had always been intimidated by multi-sport races, the transitioning made me nervous. Not to mention I've never had a decent bicycle, or swim goggles, etc. We didn't have the trendy triathlon gear, and we didn't know what we were doing. We went into this race with two goals: to complete it, and have a blast along the way. But by going into this experience not worried if we'd look dumb with the wrong outfits, and nubby mountain bikes (borrowed at the last minute), by going just for fun, just to live and try something new, it removed all the pressure. Because it's not about what other people think. It's not about proving stuff, or worrying about trivial things. That race was for pure fun. To challenge myself and get out of my box, to try something new.
As for the race itself, we fell to the back of our "wave" of swimmers to have some space, but just a few hundred yards from the shore Dan was kicked in the head and took on a bunch of water. It took us a bit to get his lungs cleared, and for him to get a good pace again. One of the volunteer lifeguards even tossed a frog floaty for us to share back and forth as we swam. We kept that for the duration of the swim leg. Yep, we were THAT bad at the race. But it was so funny! Dan and I were just laughing and swimming and enjoying every second.
From the swim we transitioned to the bike. It took a bit for me to get my rash guard, helmet, socks and shoes on, but once we both rehydrated we took off up the hill. The bike felt really weird though, and right as I pumped up to the top, my tire popped off. No joke! I called to the spectators and said, "Help, I think my chain or something fell off!" A guy came running and then another guy and all of a sudden it felt like I was in a Nascar pitstop, power tools whizzing, within (I swear) two minutes I was back on the saddle headed away. Rolling away I was low fiving spectators and hollering thank yous. I could hear Dan behind me chuckling.
The bike ride was probably the most fun; Dan pulled up the rear and let me set the pace. There were water stations along the way and I would roll up slow and tease to tell them I was coming through the car wash, then they would spray me with a hose, or bottled water. It felt so good! There's nothing better to wake you up than being doused with icy water on a hundred degree day. Quite shocking, but it'll certainly cool you off.
When we transitioned from biking to running, we racked our bikes, drank some more water and started running, but almost immediately people started hollering because we were running the wrong direction. Ha! We are the worst triathletes! We might as well have been Abbott and Costello. The run was a little tough because the heat had really climbed. The route was out along the highway, the heat swirling up from the asphalt. There were a few times when I worried I might be in seizure danger zone, but Dan helped me take my rash guard off, doused it with cold water, then draped it over my shoulders. My icy cool cape really did save the day.
You'll see below that my mom took lots of pictures. My parents are so wonderful. They came with us to the race, and cheered us on during every leg. It was just shy of a hundred degrees very quickly and to have my parents there cheering, and laughing with us, was a lot of fun. The day was one of my favorites, one that will go down in the record books.
I can't believe we did it. I can't believe how hard we laughed (mostly at ourselves). It just goes to show that everything in life is really fun, even when you don't know what you're doing. Even if there are literal obstacles. Dan was legitimately kicked in the head. My tire popped off. We ran off in the wrong direction, and yet it was one of the most fun days of my life.
