Meanderings of a Mermaid

So today's a big day in more ways than one. First of all, my lovely neighbours gave birth to their first today, a fabulous baby boy. Amazing. Congrats and I wish them all the very best. I saw the new Grandma already and gave her a big old hug. Second, I've decided that 1001.9 kilometers is a good place to stop, in the Olympic Health challenge. (see previous post). That's it. No more keeping track and submitting the amount hiked. Third, it's not raining. And this is a major milestone, let me tell you. Lake Superior is filling up so much it is sloshing over the top and spilling out onto the floor. Oh wait, that's me in the whirlpool! And fourth, but not least, today I received my new expresso machine. What a day, I tell you. Here's the picture of it, on the right. To the left is a milk frother. You put cold milk into it and in about 30 seconds you have a pot ful of frothy hot milk. Too wild. Now the true blessing is this coffee maker. Incredible is the only way I...

Time to celebrate! the dogs and I have almost hiked 1000 kilometres since August 8, 2007. Today's total is 995.8 km. At work an "Olympic challenge" was made for employees to hike, swim, canoe, ski,... all the way to Beijing. Piece of cake. I think a small group of us had that total done in under a month! Then some Einstein decided we'd keep hiking and go to Vancouver. I'm not sure via which continent, because some ludricrous total of 12, 700 and something kilometres was posted. Well, never mind. We smashed through that one too, maybe two months ago. So now we are wandering aimlessly around the planet. A few of us are getting tired, but will press on to the 1000 kilometre goal. Wonder what we will find at the end. Maybe some epsom salts for achy feet?

This delicate bouquet goes out to all my friends who are afflicted with breast cancer right now. One woman has fought this disease now for years and is doing well now on new drugs. Two other friends have the same kind of cancer (pancreatic) , and found out about it at about the same time, less than a year ago. They have not met and in fact live at opposite sides of the continent. But they are corresponding and sharing their ups and downs. How can it be that I have zoomed up to the age where we are all developing these problems? A heart attack took my husband. Other friends and acquaintances stuggle with MS (two), and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (amongst other ailments). The list goes on from there. Soon I too will inherit some disease and will adjust to live with it. It's natural selection. Some will learn to live with it, others will not. How come? Some will conquer it, some will not. It is not fair. Some still have so many reasons to live.