47 Heart Attacks

When I was 14 I babysat for a family that lived around the corner. Lovely Mom, Dad, and two little daughters--the oldest was about two and a half and the youngest was an infant. They lived in a two-story yellow house with a big front porch--you could put them on the cover of "The American Dream" magazine.

One day they asked me to babysit so Mom could go to a church group meeting while Dad re-roofed the house with his friend.

The Dad fell off the roof, catching his foot in the gutter. His head hit the ground first.

I had to call 9-1-1. I dealt with the situation the very best that a 14 year-old could... which is to say, not well. Thank God for those fridge magnets listing the address and important info for babysitters.

I will spare you--and myself--from the details.

The Dad died after arriving at the hospital. I never saw Mom or the girls again.

This past weekend Jason said we had to clean out the gutters (which became very obvious during our recent rain storm). My parents got us a super-cool ladder as a housewarming present so, aside from my panic attacks, we were set.

This is one of only photos I got, because once he moved to the upper gutters I was too busy holding the ladder and having 47 heart attacks.

Here he is discovering that apparently at some point before we bought this house, a tree fell onto the roof:

The plywood underneath is rotted and will have to be replaced. Can I tell you how much I don't even care about the roof damage? How thankful I am that this is a problem easily fixed by time, effort, and money? [Not to mention how happy I am that it is on the first floor part of the house.]

Sometimes it's all about perspective.

Thanks for letting me get that out of my head.

Just Gimme the Good Stuff, Baby

Is that a song? It is a song, in my head at least. But is it a song in, you know, real life?

I'm still super sick. But I'm focusing on the good stuff, baby!

Ordered this. Can't wait to check it out! I made a super-cool star book in a class once (2004?) and was really good at it (artsy and precise? I'm there, baby!). And I had big plans in my head to make eighteen more, even ordering extra-large cardstock for big pages. And then I promptly never made another one. But now I'm doing the Handmade Book of the Month Club with Tena over at BPS and it's rekindled my interest. I love the BPS classes but since I am such a rule-follower (which is so annoying to me lately) I always end up ordering everything on the supply list rather than deviating and using my own stash. Which gets expensive, especially when it seems I can never find all the supplies at one online store and have a good excuse to shop all around and order a bunch of stuff I want but don't need at three different stores and if I just order a little more I get free shipping so I might as well, right? to place several orders. :) So with this book I can use all my own stuff to make any ol' book I want and it will be SUPER. Yay!

Also signed up for this class (Remember the Journey). I'm excited because the instructor, Carol Wingert, is also going to be an instructor at Inspired next year! And I will be there. So it will be fun to get to know an instructor now so we'll be old friends by next year. :) (Did I mention that Tena and Carol are friends and have written books together? It's a small world after all!)

Finished some awesome projects that are surprises because they are presents. Smarty Jason reminded me to take photos before I ship them off. Whoa, that was a close one (dang cold medicine)! Thanks, Love. :) Have I mentioned how awesome my husband is? I don't want to show off my surprises yet but I’m liking the whole paragraph, photo, paragraph, photo thing we have going on, so here is a favorite photo of my darling husband. :)

I had about two good hours of energy on Saturday and needed something from Michael's for the aforementioned projects, so I scooted out of the house and across town. Next door is Ross and I always pop in to see what I can find in the housewares section. I've gotten some good deals there... but you all know about Ross, yes? A Bialetti pan, Bohemia crystal, and a cast-iron grill pan and press all for 50%+ off retail; these are some of my favorite finds. And now I have a new addition to the short list:

Can't wait to do something like this to them (hopefully this afternoon). Of course I couldn't resist buying every one they had because I am obsessive-compulsive like to help my friends. So I am offering some up to the WASSIMA girls (you know who you are). And to Shannon (thanks for the link!). And to Katie (just 'cause I think you're awesome). Let me know if you want some and e-mail me your snail-mail address and I'll pop some of the wood beads in the mail to you. 'Cause that's how we roll. :)

This little dude (and a few others) stopped by my deck (photo taken through my sliding glass door). Love these guys!

Other good things rolling around here (for which I have no photos): seeing the mamma feed the baby robin in our tree out front; making friends with an amazing woman that I only spent about an hour with in person and now adore; getting my inbox back to below 20 messages; finding out that our sump pump works (four inches of rain in the last 24 hours and still going!); still being grateful for having a dishwasher; the neighbor cats I'm kitty-sitting that have the cutest treat routine--I tell Buddy to sit (and he does) and then he has to stay sitting while I give treats to Abigail and say, "Ladies first!" and then give him treats. Get serious!

I'm trying out a new routine this week and it's now housework time (which is followed by artsy time) so let's roll on through, shall we?

Avon Walk Slideshow

Oops, forgot to post this after I finished it yesterday! Here it is:

And if you're like Jason and couldn't decode Emma Stedronsky's message, it says, "Good job girls and some boys, too." :)

Blahg Blahg Blahg [Cough]

I spoke too soon. The cold has come back with a vengeance and slapped my happy ass into submission. I had to get out of bed way earlier than I'd have liked on a rainy Saturday, because I was coughing too much and wanted to let poor Jason sleep. (Have you ever heard a Harp Seal barking?) I've been thinking that it was a little bit of a cold and a lot bit of allergies but now I think things have reversed. If stuff is coming up from my lungs when I cough does that mean I should go see a doctor?

I am brewing a pot of espresso right now. This time it's actually brewing, unlike the first time I set the timer for eight minutes and walked away without, you know, turning on the burner. Oh, wait, it's done already. [shuffle, shuffle, fridge opens, milk pours, micro goes on, fridge closes, micro dings, mini-whipper hums warm milk into lovely froth, a cappuccino is born, shuffle shuffle] Okay, I'm back. Yummmmm. (And yes, Mom, I know that I shouldn't drink milk when I have a cold.) Yummmmmmm. I added a little bit of the vanilla caramel creamer that my sister-in-law bought while she was here. Mmmm. I brewed the big pot today, because 3 shots of espresso just didn't seem like enough on this rainy day. :)

Jason was on a roll last night. He was watching television while I was in the kitchen and he flipped to a show that appeared to be about airplanes. Then suddenly the host says, "I love this airplane so much that I want to steal it! What does the Bible say about lust?" and the show launches into a section about the Bible. [Never mind that this makes no sense at all.] Obviously Jason was like, "What the ... ?" So he slides into a super rednecky voice and says, "Don't be Jesusin' on me all surreptitiously like!" Maybe you had to be there, but I rolled. So funny, that man of mine. [Edited: Jason likes watching those History channel shows about the Bible, it was just funny that this one was sort of, well, tricky about it. Just FYI.]

I've been working on a few really cool projects lately, but they are surprises so I can't post photos yet. :) Don't you love when you're working on something and you keep saying to yourself, "Oh, this is good, this is so good, she's going to LOVE it!"? I do. I love that! And you know what else I love? When you're working on something and you say, "Oh, if only I had X I could blah blah blah..." and then it comes to you that you DO own X and you go down (or up or over) to your mountain of a stash and pull out just what you need. I really love it when that happens! Because it justifies me buying more for my stash. Because then I am making use of the gajillion things I already own. It's like shopping in my own house!

Enough blahging. The coffee's kicking in so I am off to go finish those projects I'm loving!

Jambalaya

Well, hello world! I almost feel like part of you again. My brain is still in a little bit of a cold-medicine fog, but I actually got out of my pajamas and went out into the world--willingly, even!--so that is definite progress. I'll take it!

Maybe it's the cold medicine making me loopy, but I have been wondering a few things the past couple of days. Like, for instance, do people actually listen to the "Sounds of the Holidays" music channel in the first week of May? And is there a law I don’t know about that states that if you want to buy a tiny dog you must buy them in multiples? And should I be ashamed that I'm a 32 year old woman but every time Taylor Swift comes on the radio I turn it up and sing along? And where exactly are the shelves that go in my CD/DVD bookcase so I can, you know, put away all my CDs and DVDs? Did the movers not pack them, and if not, were they trying to make me crazy? And do people who still have Christmas lights up on their porches turn them on at night? And what in the world should I get my mom, who doesn't wear much jewelry and never wants anything, for Mother's Day? And is it really true that people who are allergic to chicken can eat Chicken McNuggets?

Obviously, the cold medicine is making me loopy. Still, I do wonder about those tiny dogs I only see in twos and threes.

Lots to share today!

First: Our Friend the Olympian!

Daniele Molmenti is a friend for sure… but he is more like a brother to me (and Jason, too). Jason met him at a motorcycle club when we lived in Italy and we all became fast friends. Jason was on a motorcycle ride with him last April when Dani had an accident and was launched into a ravine (right in front of Jason). He landed in a creek bed, surrounded by boulders on every side. (He later told us that he felt water rush into his helmet and he got a thought of Sylvester Stallone climbing so he climbed onto one of the boulders to not drown. It’s so Daniele to be on the brink of death and thinking of Rambo. :)) Jason called me to come to the scene of the accident to pick up Dani’s motorcycle gear and I was a WRECK when I saw where it happened—I didn’t think there was any way he could live through it. (To be honest I was a wreck the second Jason told me—so much so that I had to ask my Italian neighbors to drive me there.) When we got to the hospital we found out that he was going to be transferred to a larger hospital so we waited for him to be brought out—I just had to see him with my own eyes. They rolled him out with one of those silver blankets over him and as soon as he saw me he said, “I’m sorry Cameron!” I laughed out loud and breathed a huge sigh of relief, because I knew that if he could worry about being in trouble with me then he was going to be okay! Somehow, he miraculously suffered only a fractured vertebra; he was in the hospital for weeks. We brought him Jason’s media player stocked with movies and music and episodes of Family Guy, and got to know his parents really well. :) But he has fully recovered.

And I mean, fully recovered. He’s been a competitive kayaker since he was a kid, really, and we were all afraid what his accident would mean for his career (while of course knowing that his life was more important). After lots of physical therapy and many months of intense competition, this past weekend he was chosen as the (as in, the one and only) Italian kayaker for THE OLYMPICS! A year ago he was in traction—now he is going to the Olympics! I am over-the-moon thrilled for him. I got the text message during the Avon Walk and screamed and jumped up and down, and said randomly about a dozen times throughout the weekend, “Dani’s going to the Olympics!!!!” Tanti baci, Dani, carissimmo mio!!! I’m so excited for you!

(Notice the Family Guy tank that then-girlfriend Zora made for him.)

What a stud!

Second: End of an Era

If you are lucky enough to have ever been to Venice, Italy (and maybe even if you haven’t), then you know about the famous pigeons in Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square). Some people love them, some people hate them, but everyone must agree that for decades the pigeons—and the feed sellers—have been an institution in Venice. One of my favorite memories of Piazza San Marco is of watching a woman with a tiny dog on a leash throw pigeon feed (corn) out to attract them and then the dog running around in a circle chasing them away. It was hilarious; the pigeons would fly off until the dog was past, swoop back in to grab some food, and fly away again before the dog could get them. The dog constantly ran in a circle so it was a constantly moving arc of pigeons, too.

Those days are over. As of last week, selling food and feeding pigeons is illegal in Venice. The story is here. I had a lot of fun with the pigeons when we were there so I am kind of bummed to hear this news… but like everything in Italy the rules could change any time. ;)

Third: Avon Walk

I know I said that I was going to write more about the Avon Walk, but, well… I’m not. I like the way the moments came together, and I’m going to let them stand together as my story.

The only things I will add are these: I am going to lose two toenails and one of them really hurts (but it also will not need chemo); if anyone wants to take this thing (or a similar thing) on, let me know and I can help you out with some hints and tips; I am really, really, really glad I did it. Just in case you didn’t get that the first time. :) And also, I will post photos tomorrow.

For now, I leave you the task of decoding what dear Emma Stedronsky wrote on the Avon Walk pillar. I think she said it pretty well. :)

Overwhelming Moments

I did the Avon Walk this weekend. I finished. All 39.3+ miles. It was amazing. I have sooooo much to write about but I am a semi-zombie right now and can't think in any kind of order. Since I've been doing the 25th Day challenge I've been thinking about capturing those little moments that may seem insignificant on their own, but which together build a picture of a day. So for now, here are a few moments (in the order in which they come to me):

(At registration on Friday) Selling all six necklaces I made and having people tell me they were beautiful. Women buying them as gifts for friends they were walking for. Women coming to ask if I had any more because they'd seen other people wearing them and loved them.

The Fancy Pink Ladies with their pink feather hats in a convertible Lexus driving back and forth along the route and cheering us on. And seeing them later on the route sitting at an Irish Bar drinking beers (out of bottles!), still cheering us on. (Andrea and I decided we want to be them when we get old. Or next year.)

(At breakfast both Walk Days) The worst coffee I have ever tasted in my life, which could not be fixed with any amount of half-and-half and sugar.

Seeing (and buying) a button that says, "Blisters Don't Need Chemo." Being thankful for that dose of perspective before I even started the walk. Wearing the button for all 40 miles.

Little girls with free lemonade stands in front of their houses, handing out free lemonade to the walkers.

Men holding their babies, sitting in their front yards and thanking us for walking.

The "Walker Stalkers" who spent all day driving from place to place along the route and cheering us on and thanking us for walking.

And the candy. Oh, the candy they handed out. It was a constant, guilt-free sugar rush.

Food and Friends chocolate chip cookies.

Banana Laffy Taffy.

A fabulous and very gentle chiropractor (on Saturday night after 26.2 miles).

A kind and beautiful osteopath who understood my needle phobia and told me when to close my eyes and when I could open them again (when she drained my blisters on Saturday night).

The little girl generously doling out Jelly Bellies using a paper Dixie Cup as a scoop.

Saving the peach ones for last.

The little boys (toddlers, really) giving us their animal crackers.

The woman who came out to her porch and shouted, "Tomorrow is my last day of chemotherapy!"

All the walkers cheering for that woman and then tearing up.

Being so glad I was there when she said it.

Laughing with strangers.

The funny and sometimes dumb pink signs posted by Team California.

The man with his guitar serenading us with, "Pretty women, walking down the streets..."

Seeing the mile 23 signpost--further than I'd ever walked (training just got up to 22 miles).

The motorcycle crew who served as crossing guards/comedians. The man who dressed as a princess and handed out princess stickers and wore falsies and had a pink bra across his motorcycle headlights and a pink mohawk on his helmet. The guy who blasted out up-beat music from his motorcycle. The woman who invited us to come over to her little "island" (aka the median). They must have done this eight hundred times but they kept it up to keep us laughing.

Meeting Larry and thanking him for posting his "What If" message.

Getting texts of encouragement from my mom and my sister while I was walking.

At mile 25.5, waiting at a stoplight and being told, "I can't believe you're all still smiling!" All of us then looking around at one another and thinking/saying, "Oh, we are still smiling!"

The college kids in pink feathers and crazy outfits who cheered us like crazy (especially when I said, "Keep it comin'!") and passed out bumper stickers. The lift it gave me.

The longest mile ever (milepost 20) and then the glory of the shortest mile ever (milepost 21) about two minutes later.

The hot SHOWER at the end of Saturday.

The funny team names and t-shirts. "Po Po for Ta-Ta's." "Breast Men." The baseball jerseys saying "Save Second Base." The hilarious "Feel your Boobies" shirts that you just had to see to understand. "Four Abreast." "The Boobsie Twins."

People laughing out loud at our team shirts. "Saving the world one headlight at a time."

(On Friday night) Going out to dinner with our team at, of course, Hooters.

Finding out that all the walkers raised more than $8.1 million, a new record!

Reese Witherspoon's address at the closing ceremony. So casual and down-to-earth and funny and excited.

Finishing. Walking through the channel of people cheering us on and high-fiving us as we walked under the finish line arch.

Finding a Mohawk Man pink-ribbon penny.

The 17 year-old boy with his arm in a cast, walking with the sign on his back saying, "I'm walking for my Mom. I ROCK!" Wearing skater shoes. :)

Jason taking pictures of me at the closing ceremony.

Spending two days and walking 40 miles with Andrea. Lots of talking. Easy silences. Easy laughter.

Developing allergies and sneezing 408 times.

Overheating in the sun at closing ceremonies and escaping to the shade. Jason melting ice cubes in his hands so the cold drips fell over my forehead when I said the ice was too cold.

The elderly woman in a wheelchair sitting along the route thanking us for walking.

The woman standing in her yard with bare feet drinking coffee and watching us all walk by.

Walkers wearing feathered hats, tiaras, and all kinds of crazy, funny things I wouldn't want to walk in.

Finally getting a picture of all six teammates on Friday night.

Walkers so newly out of chemo that they are still bald.

Hearing the woman explaining to her very young son why we were all walking.

Men holding flowers at the finish line, waiting for their wives.

(On the way home out of D.C.) Yelling out the car window, "Good job, ladies!" to some women on the sidewalk.

Hearing them yell back, "You too!"

Falling asleep in the car on the way home.

Arriving home and putting on soft, fuzzy socks and pajamas.

Finding even more blisters on my feet.

Hearing Jason talk to the people who called to check on me as I dozed on the couch.

Twittering throughout the walk.

Finding out people had followed me on Twitter.

Waking up today and being able to walk. :) Mostly. :)

Checking on my friends' blogs this morning and seeing their blogs about my walk here and here and here and here. These are ladies I met less than a month ago at Inspired. Wow. Wow. Wow. I am so blessed.

Crying as I wrote this message and remembered these moments. Laughing that I am still writing when I intended this to be a quick message. So, so, so thankful. Full of thanks for each and every moment.

Twitterpated

I'm getting ready to leave for Avon Walk check-in right now and am a WRECK totally prepared. I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off all week, and I can't wait to just START WALKING at the crack of dawn tomorrow morning!

I'll be sending messages to Twitter about how I'm doing throughout the walk whenever I'm at rest stops, lunch, and at the end of each day. Check in on how I'm doing at http://twitter.com/cameronyates or by clicking here. You may also notice that I have my three latest Twitter updates in the left sidebar on this page. :)

Think happy sunny no-blister thoughts for me all weekend, okay?

If you have my cell number feel free to text me this weekend but I won't be allowed to talk on the phone except at rest stops, etc. No talking and walking! :)

Twitter twitter twitter goes my heart. Bye!!