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Poise amid the Hoopla

I've got a lot of hoopla.  It's like I'm living in a circus.  With all that is going on, I will keep my head up, and maintain my poise.  Even my little ids have managed to tame the wild beast and maintain balance.

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Alcatraz

Well, I can't say that I did "it," but I did something.  Our escape from Alcatraz was canceled due to San Francisco fog.  We did an alternate swim, which took us plenty into the ocean.  It was exciting and wonderful to swim with the water tossing me about.  I came a long way for this race.  I learned how to swim for one thing.  And, I conquered a colossal fear of the open water.  There was a lot of time spent thinking about how I could get out of this, but I am so glad I stuck with it.  Now, I have to do it again next year!  After talking about it for a whole year, it is pretty unsatisfying not to be able to say I did the real thing.  So, I have one year to get fast enough to out swim the sharks.

P.S. Thanks brother and sister for being so great!  Sari stuck with me the whole swim, even though she is way so much faster than me.  After the race, we biked across the Golden Gate and then some, and ended the long day with a short run so we could call it a tri.  We had a lot of fun.

Lions Roar

"Have I not in my time heard lions roar?"

She said in her best Shakespearian. 

She was staring into the lion’s mouth,

Stale meat breath and sharp yellow teeth. 

She was afraid, but in her heart she knew:

There is safety in valor.

She held on tight and moved in closer.

 Open eyed, the vapor hit her face.

She was staring into the lion's mouth.

After, she will say in her best, 

"Have I not in my time heard lions roar?"

Here is What I've Done.

I've painted a few new paintings and reworked some older ones.  I put a couple boxes in the mail today. Destinations:  Atlanta, Georgia and Park City, Utah.

Constantine reworked

I've swam long and hard, even done three open water practice races.  I think I am ready to escape from Alcatraz.  I'm off to San Francisco in a couple days.

Lake Pleasant 2k

Me and Kristin, my race-buddy

I've made 25 fleece hats, wood-burned the handles of 17 marshmallow roasters, made a dozen corn-filled sleeping bag warmers, and done every needful thing (I hope) that a young women camp director does to be prepared to camp and make sweet memories with lots of fun girls.

Up to Long Valley I go as soon as I get back from frolicking with the sharks.

Plus, I made 26 paper flowers to make our campsite beautiful.  

I can't believe June actually came and is here already.  A day or two after I get back from camp we make our annual pilgrimage up to Utah.  Once there, we will run Ragnar Wasatch Back, then relax by the pool, cook up some crazy Cul-de-sac of Fire extravaganzi, and ride our bikes off into the sunset.  I have somehow managed to keep my head on straight, and crossed everything off my list up to this point.  Even granola and trail mix for my travels.  So, here we go.