Climb for Hospice

How the simple act of living in my home is preparing me for the many different facets of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro:

The Cold
As a way to save money, I have basically had my heat off for the entire winter season. The reason for this is because I only have costly baseboard heaters, which some fantastically intelligent designer placed right under the biggest windows in my condo. Heat gloriously comes up, heat evilly gets sucked out into the great unknown.

The Heat
I have decided that in order to get myself used to the heat that I will be facing when I go to Tanzania, I am going to use my oven more often. If this means that I have to bake more cookies, then by god, I’ll just have to suffer through it. Cake in the name of adventure!

The Scree Slope
My dog Jenn is a tennis ball addict. At any given time, there can be upwards of 17 tennis balls scattered around my home (I’m not kidding). Often, as I stumble through the dark of night or the bleary morning, I am jolted awake by stepping on one of these fuzzy landmines and having my foot slip out from under me.

The Rain forest
I have a highly effective black thumb, and so no plant life has had the fortune to thrive in my home. Therefore I have had to resort to other means in order to try and understand the rain forest environment. I now take extended, hot showers with the bathroom fan off.

The Wild Animals
It is a common occurrence to be woken in the morning by the glorious feeling of a cold nose being shoved in my eye. Yes, my eye. If this does not work, my way-too-intelligent dog will slap her paw across my nostrils, causing me to splutter awake and be forced into the happy, waggy morning.

The Ascent
To best prepare myself for climbing more than 19,000 ft, I have made the decision to not use the elevator in my building. I use the stairs to go up to, and down from, my condo. Even if I have groceries, have just gotten back from having Cara kick my butt at the gym, or if I’ve had a long day, I still make the effort to climb those stairs. Sure I live on the first floor, but still!

The Altitude
I believe I can accurately understand the effects of Altitude Sickness due to my fondness for, and happy consumption of, champagne. This can lead to dizziness, giddiness, hallucinations, headaches and nausea. But usually it doesn’t. Usually.

By the time August comes around, I believe I’ll be fully prepared.