Climb for Hospice

All it took was a small moment in time. One short minute-burst of thought, sent my way over the waves of the digital sky.  From the keyboard straight to my heart.

Here are just a few of the emails that I have received from kind strangers, who took the time to send their wishes my way…

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Last night I went to the Delta Chamber of Commerce to have a brief interview with the panel who will be choosing the Volunteer of the Year for the Hats Off to Excellence Awards. It was a nice little sit-down, we had a chat about various things, and it was all very comfortable.

We spoke about my being on the Delta Hospice Vigil Team, and what it’s like to sit with someone as their body prepares itself to leave this current world.

We talked about my Kilimanjaro climb, and why I’m doing it.

We talked about some of the risks involved in my doing this climb.

We talked about how much I really, really enjoy camping.

All in all it was a nice interview, and I hope I got across to them what my real goals and intentions are around this most amazing of adventures. They interviewed a whole boatload of people, and will now narrow the field down to three nominees.  Those three nominees will then be invited to attend a gala dinner in November – what an EXCELLENT excuse to buy new shoes!

However, they will be contacting those nominees in three weeks’ time. Right when I’ll be standing atop the World’s Highest Free-Standing, Snow-Covered, Equatorial Mountain.

And I’ll be singing.

Good luck to all the nominees! I’m thrilled to be in such fine, fine company.  xo

I leave in two weeks.

That can’t be right…

*looks at calendar*

*counts on fingers*

…

*counts again*

Yep. It’s right.

*faints*

Yesterday’s Kili-related adventure was all about packing. Well, actually it was about stuffing, cramming, opting, and hoping. I broke a nail, accidentally punched myself in the face, cut my finger opening a headlamp, and dropped a hiking boot on my toe.

All in all, I’d say it went about as well as I had planned.

SO…

I had to get all of this:

Into one big blue backpack, and one small yellow carry-on.

The first thing I did was find myself a toy, and then spent the next 20 minutes playing with it…

One Hat

Two Hat

Not a Hat

Pensive Hat

This thing is so cool! I can make like a bazgillion* different types of head coverings. I think I’m going to be wearing this thing a lot. Chris figures that even though it’s white right now, it’s going to come back looking a little worse for wear, and possibly have it’s own fungi penal colony going on. Whatever. I think it’s cool!

Aaaaaaaaaaaanyway… I did my best to sort through my piles of STUFF, and Chris was very helpful when it came to my deciding what to bring and what to leave at home. Without him, I would have packed far too many clothes, way too many unnecessary supplies,  and one too many of my dogs. Thanks Chris!

So, after an hour or so, this is what was happening:

Leading me to finally complete the packing of my big blue backpack:

And my small yellow carry-on:

Now, most of that stuff is all in compression sacks that haven’t been compressed yet, so I actually have a decent amount of room. That means that I can bring back souvenirs for the people I love!  For my mom, for my dad, for my brothers, for my man… and of course something for me!  This is going to be great!

I sure hope I don’t forget anything.

Actually, that’s not true. With any luck, I’ll totally forget to pack my Therma Rest. That thing freakin’ SUCKS.

And so… that’s one less pre-adventure adventure. Today I venture to… THE BANK. (Insert ominous music here). Yes, I need to get some US traveler’s cheques for the trip, and a few Euros to tide me over for my extendo-stay at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam (6-hour layover on the way there, 10-hour layover on the way back – I’m going to need to buy a lot of booze for that).

Until tomorrow, my happy readers!   xo

*Bazgillion may or may not be a real number

The house is in shambles, there are always dishes to be done, the laundry is piling up, the floors need to be swept, I have no bathroom ceiling, it smells like dog in here, my office looks like a literary crime scene, the recycling is threatening to create it’s own nation, there are boxes to take to the Thrift Store, and I desperately need to wash the car.

I have to get a money order for the climb, traveler’s cheques for the trip, book my post-trip excursion, photocopy my travel documents, arrange transport through the various places in Tanzania that I need to get to, learn to sing ‘Climb Every Mountain’ at high altitude, and fund raise a little over $4300.

I’m on-edge, grumpy, feeling overwhelmed, overtaxed, underemployed, and underfunded. I’m frustrated, snarky, impatient, bitchy, exhausted and disappointed.

I have just enough time to want more time.

I’m not having fun anymore.

Tomorrow, I practice packing my bags and, just for you, I will record it here for posterity.

There’s a good chance that my brain will finally explode and leak out through my ear canals.

It could get messy.

It’s a good thing I’ll have a camera at the ready.

I just took my first dose of Dukoral.

It’s a liquid oral vaccine that ‘tastes like raspberries’.

This does not taste like raspberries.

What does it taste like?

Hmmm… let me think…

Ahhhhh, yep, I’ve got it.

It tastes like Cholera.

Ali stumbled across this great video series that gives a day-by-day account of the Lemosho Route – the exact route that we’ll be taking up Mt. Kilimanjaro. Now you can REALLY follow along!

Up, up, and away!

You’d think I would have learned by now…

*rolls eyes*

Brand: ProBar

Flavour: Kettle Corn -and- Cherry Pretzel (yes, I tasted two different ones)

Tag Line: The Whole Food Bar

First Ingredient: Organic Peanut Butter

It’s not my fault. I’m a sucker for packaging. And these bars have GREAT packaging. I mean, these bars looked AWESOME while I was pondering them in the aisle at London Drugs. But, much like those jeans that fit perfectly in The Gap changing room, once I got them home, I was sorely disappointed with my purchase.

After tearing open the delicious, delicious wrapper, I was a little shocked by the appearance of these bars. Where I was expecting some chocolate-coated almond/popcorn confection, I was exposed to what can best be described as a hand-mashed, bird-barf, suet bar that has been left out on the sun. And then left out in the cold. And then left in the sun again. Aaaaaand once more in the cold.

I tried, people, I really did. I had a small taste of both bars, and that small taste was more than enough. Maybe I’m weak, I don’t know, and maybe I gave up too quickly, but I just couldn’t do it.

So I made Chris try them, too.

I left him alone in the kitchen to try these  barf bars delightful treats while I went to check my email. I didn’t hear any gagging or cursing from him, so I assumed that all was well and that I was just too damn sensitive.

For shame me, for shame.   *shakes head*

And then, as I was emailing Michael (from Open Space Yoga, of course) about the Old Spice Guy, Chris walked up behind me and said, “I’d rather resort to cannibalizing Ali than eat those bars”, and then walked away.

Nice.

Perhaps I should have just eaten the wrappers.

On Saturday, August 14th, I will be touching down in Dar es Salaam to start my adventure as I endeavor to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise funds and awareness for the Delta Hospice Society.

On Saturday, August 14th, the Heart of Ladner Night Market will be jumping from 4pm to 9pm on Delta St. in Ladner, with all proceeds benefiting the Delta Hospice Society. The Heart of Ladner Night Market ‘is a place where local crafters, artisans, and businesses can come together to raise money for a great cause’, and was started up by none other than my sponsor Michael Rudd at Open Space Yoga, and (Kili Gala Donor) Ali Roddam at Buttercups Children’s Boutique.

What a great idea! Get local people together to support local artists and raise money for a local organization. I mean really, what could be better than this? “Heart of Ladner”, indeed! Everyone is on-board and supportive! That’s some small town love, right there, and… wait…

What’s that?

REALLY?!

Seriously?

Nooooooooo… you’re kidding right?

Nope.

So silly. So very, very silly. You’d think the wise thing would be for the Ladner Village Market to work WITH The Heart of Ladner Night Market. But apparently not. That would just be too easy. It would give the Heart of Ladner Night Market some good press, and it would give the Ladner Village Market some good Qi.

Sadly, I am going to have to miss the Heart of Ladner Night Market, given that I, you know, won’t be on the continent.

Willingly, I am going to choose to skip the Ladner Village Market, given that I, you know, won’t be wanting to support the organization.

See that there? ^  Yeah, up there.  It says 22 days.

22 days.

I leave in 22 days.

I am finding that as the time comes closer to my leaving, I am often left without much to say. I guess I’m overwhelmed, but as I sit here each morning and think about what I’d like to say, I draw a blank.

There is still so much to do, and I feel as though I’ll never get it all done in time. There is still so much to worry about, and I fear that I’ll never get it all done in time.

So today, I am going to busy myself with a non-Africa project, and just let myself (and my poor, haggard brain) take it easy.

Tomorrow I’ll go back to driving myself crazy and recording it for your entertainment posterity.

Check out this email I received the other day!!

Dear Robyn,

Sincerely,
Robert Bracken
Delta Chamber of Commerce

I am humbled.