Race for the Cure -- Busy Week! (Marilyn is THE BOSS)
My sister Marilyn mistressmarilyn (whom I live with), my friend and neighbor June and I are participating in our local Komen 'Race for the Cure' this coming Sunday. We'll be taking part in the women's 5k walk.
I've never done anything 'organized' like this before. But Marilyn's done several walks/runs. I'm personally very excited!
Marilyn's been very busy at work this week. Her first week assuming the role of 'boss' for her organization -- her former boss has 'moved on.'
Today she managed to work a nine hour day. But the rest of the week was all ten hour days without a break. (sigh)
But she's hanging in really well -- and I'm very proud of her. Still, it's a tough thing and I'm glad the weekend is here and she can have a few days away from the office.
I went in and helped out on Thursday, working on the upcoming auction. I'm pretty pleased with the way I helped organize the items. It went well. By the end of the day both Marilyn and Jenny were helping me out -- the three of us worked until around 7 p.m. A long and tiring day, but very satisfying.
Today June and I headed over to the Convention Center to pick up our bibs, t-shirts and commenorative pins for the event on Sunday. They were having a Health Expo in connection with the event. Originally this morning June sounded totally disinterested in attending the expo. She was all for just picking up our stuff and leaving. (This via a phone call.) I decided not to argue, seeing as she would be driving us there. But I've been to other such pre-race events with Marilyn and was feeling rather disappointed we were going to miss out on all the free goodies and interactions with others!
I had the feeling that June didn't want to go at all. I told her she could certainly pick up her things on the event day at the race, but that I was going over today regardless. (With an estimated 10,000 participants, I wasn't about to try and get our packets on Sunday!) She wasn't too thrilled with that idea, so over we went.
And naturally when we got there and she saw all the fun and freebies, she was all over it! (smile) Yes, June loves freebies! So we were there for hours and it was me finally encouraging her to leave. (Irony, thy name is June...)
Marilyn and I are walking so we can wear Patsy's name. She's our sister Sue's best friend who is currently in treatment for breast cancer. Sue went with Patsy to her chemo treatment yesterday. It didn't go well. They had to give her some kind of medication to 'boost' her blood, I guess. A few years back they'd have had to put her in isolation in the hospital to avoid infection, so I guess it's not as bad as it sounds -- even though the shot cost a couple grand. (I think Sue said it was covered, but Patsy has no insurance so every single treatment is an issue.)
Sue's been amazing with Patsy. An incredible support. I'm really proud of her.
Especially considering Sue has quite a few issues of her own right now...
( Collapse )
Anyway, got tons of wonderful goodies at the Expo. It was a terrific experience being in that room full almost entirely of women! (Yes, there were some men, too. But it was probably 90% women.) There was this feeling of... affirmation, I guess.
And I'm so outgoing (almost outrageously so) that I always have a good time when I can mingle and interact with others, of either gender.
I love talking to people. I can get close to total strangers within minutes of meeting them.
It's an interesting thing, in light of how shy I was as a child/youth. No one can ever believe that if I (or someone else) tells them that these days. It would be like telling them the sun revolves around the earth, or something. (smile)
Thursday I went over to the Honeybaked Ham restaurant in John's Landing near Marilyn's office to get a salad. I've only been there perhaps four times, total, but the woman who works in the kitchen area making the sandwiches always remembers me and makes a point to try and talk to me, in her broken English. Thursday she was working on another order, so she made the fellow who was making my salad go back and add more cheese to my Caesar salad. (smile) It's so sweet and touching. Imagine being able to have that kind of impact on someone, just by being friendly and talking warmly to them? Sometimes I'm amazed by it.
But for the most part I just love other people. (In spite of the 'stinkers' who are out there.) I love that moment of interaction. It's difficult to put into words how I feel, I guess...
This is now too long for words! Sorry! I'm stopping.
More about the Race later. I can't wait! (And I didn't even share the things I bought yet!)
(grin)