My Bags are Packed I'm Ready to Go (not really)...

THE RIDE 

Sunday's ride was fabulous!  Maybe because it was my last training ride and all the work to get to this coming weekend was coming to an end, or that now my bike is perfect and that makes it an easier ride, or after next weekend I will actually be able to have a day that doesn't have a swim, bike ride or run in it.  I think though it's just the anticipation of seeing my Squeeze when I'm not grabbing one set of gear and heading off to the next workout.  The support he has given me leaves me speechless (still able to type though!).  We’re going to spend a couple of days in Seattle after this weekend just being tourists.

It had rained on and off a bit throughout the ride and at one point I thought it had started to spit again but no, I was swallowing those stupid no-see-um bugs.

There were signs out for local strawberries. 

Strawberry season has great memories for me.  Before Caro moved to Calgary she and I went every season to pick berries but really, they should have been weighing us and not the bowls because we ate far more than we ever paid for.  But, I digress.  By the time I got to Steveston the sun was shining and Bob, Judy, Michelle, Samuel and THE PICKLE were there to meet me for my break.

DRINK 

I have never actually held any weight with opinions about the qualities attributed to wine.  Whether it tastes like blackcurrent or peach or whatever really depends on what you taste and since no two people taste anything the same – well, you get where this is going.  Guy and I bought 12 bottles of the Team Finn wine and it’s absolutey delish!

My dinner parties are all wrong!  On Sunday Team Finn had dinner together - what a hoot.  Patrick was telling me the story of Sunday dinner for their family and right now that includes 16 adults and 18 children.  Friends and family gather together for a potluck almost every Sunday.  What a great memory for their kids.  Did I mention 18 kids!  I have absolutely no idea how many were there on Sunday but it was (to quote someone) "dinner on steroids".  An entire future Team Finn was there!

I’m not permitted to talk about the details of my job but there are weekends I come home and just cry.  The stuff I have to see and read every day is humanity at its absolute worst.  Dinner on Sunday was humanity at its best.  Then it got better.  (Are we there yet?) Sarah told us that she and a friend had recently gone door to door in their neighborhood selling chocolate bars to raise money for a Team Finn member (not any specific member) that may need just a little bit more to be able to reach their minimum and do the Ride.  I hope this little girl is in my life for a very, very long time and you all get to meet her.  She and I lay on the floor for a bit and just chatted about what she was going to be doing in school this coming week and about this coming weekend.  I am confident there will be no one at camp or the finn-ish line cheering as loud as Sarah.

So, by now we've all received the name plates for our bikes , our tent mate (if you're young and tenting after riding 130k is your thing), our riding jerseys and lots of emails reminding us we need to have our passports. 

I’ve listed below the details for camp and the finn-ish.  Guy will have his cell phone with him (604) 788-8158 if anyone needs to call him.

Leaving from:

Guildford Town Centre Mall.  Opening ceremonies begin at 7:00 a.m. and I expect we will be leaving quite shortly after that.

Camp (June 19):

Edgewater Park

600 Behrens Millet Road

Mount Vernon

Finn-ish (June 20)

Marymoor Park /McNair field

6046 West Lake Sammamish Pkwy NE

Redmond, WA

Some of you have asked about last-minute donations - HERE is the link.

Power of Pink:  I think this says it all:  

Throughout this training I've been sending you these emails just to let you know how essential your support to me has been - trust me, it's not because I think I've got anything important to say.  I can't believe that I haven't received one email saying please take me off your list so thank you for that and thank you for not letting me know you delete them without reading them!  I will have more to write after the ride and I am sure some really great pics.

Please include Team Finn in your prayers - and all the riders this weekend - that everyone finish safely and without injury.