“At first an ordeal and then an accomplishment, the daily run becomes a staple, like bread, or wine, a fine marriage, or air. It is also a free pass to friendship.”
~ Benjamin Cheever, Strides

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Suck, Not Suck

Climb recap is coming.  It will probably be in two parts.  Pre-climb activities with mountaineering school, and then the climb itself.  I have had no time for the computer this week.  Why?  Because sometimes life is just a little rough.

Things that suck....

...I've had GI issues since the climb.  At first, I assumed it was due to the extreme dehydration and nutrition issues you face when you're on a mountain.  Then...

...My two year old got the stomach flu.  She puked for three days this week.  Now, no more puking, but bring on the diarrhea.  At least she is more mobile and more herself though!
Mommy's lap makes everything better.
...Remember how my kitty Ginger got very sick just before the climb?  When I got home she looked a lot better.  And then, in less than 24 hours, she hit rock bottom.  Once again she was hypothermic, refusing food and I'm sure her kidney values, had we checked them, would have been back through the roof.  She weighed less than 4 lbs, and my husband and I made the decision that it was time to let her go.  We felt that continuing to cycle her through the ICU week after week only to return wasn't a good life for a kitty.  It was extremely hard to say good-bye to our sweet kitty after 14 years together.  I haven't had time to properly grieve about it, because Avery started throwing up while we were at the vet.
One of Ginger's favorite things - sleeping under the blankets.
When life throws you some yucky things, it's good to remind yourself of the good things.  My husband and I are professionals when it comes to causing each other to burst out into really inappropriate laughter.  So, let's list a few things in my life that DO NOT suck as well.

- I climbed Mt. Rainier.  The monkey is off my back.  Not only did I climb it, but I climbed it when the route was the toughest it has been in years (according to my Dad and the guides).
Me.  In the "Chutes and Ladders" section of the ascent.  In the dark.
- I'm going to run the Boulder Half Marathon on the 22nd of this month.  I will get to visit the Rocky Mountain National park with my parents on my Dad's birthday.  I will also get to meet a gal whose blog was one of my favorites when she was still writing.  I am definitely looking forward to this weekend trip!

- I have some amazing friends.  My running wife is organizing a celebration dinner for me (for the climb), and two other fantastic friends assembled a care package for me when my kiddo was so sick.  I could give many other examples as to how I am lucky in this regard, but that would take a long time.

I'm looking forward to catching up on all of your blogs and reliving the climb through my write-up!  Hope everyone has had an absolutely fantastic weekend!

4 comments:

  1. I cant wait to hear about the climb!!! Sorry for the stomach flu hitting!! BUT, at least for you, it was after the climb!! Heres to a better week! Take care and recover!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I cant wait to hear about the climb!!! Sorry for the stomach flu hitting!! BUT, at least for you, it was after the climb!! Heres to a better week! Take care and recover!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. So sorry about your kitty and you and Avery's stomach issues. Hope you girls feel better soon!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm so sorry you had to come back to a week like that. But I'm so excited to meet you later this month, and it sounds like it's shaping up to be a great weekend for you. RMNP will seem like a cakewalk after Ranier (and it'll make the air in Boulder feel positively oxygen-rich).

    ReplyDelete

Comments pretty much make my day - so thank you for yours!