Training Walk With Lesley

Here's my tentmate folks.

Lesley took the LIRR from the city to Port so we could walk Sands Point.

I walked to the train to meet her (2.1 miles) then we started our walk.

We walked past the town dock so she could see it ... then we were on our way through Port North, Manorhaven, and, finally, Sands Point.

Total miles today:  14!

Exhausted (because it was really humid today) we grabbed some water and went off to have some lunch.  Just missed Lesley's train so we went to the dock and fed ...

an old friend!

Great day!

Less than a month to Atlanta.

Training Walk ... Penn Station to Bay Ridge, Brooklyn--19 miles

I think this is in Gowanus in Brooklyn.  The picture is out of order ... but I like it.  Posing with these two was fun!

Burt's Babes met in Penn Station.  I didn't know any of these people last year.  This year we're such good friends.  I guess that's what happens when you walk and walk together for hours.  Here we are at "Eyes" (yeah ... sure)  We had decided that we will walk together in Dallas next year ... to honor Burt.

I thought you might like this one, Sarge.
What are those two doing?
Disturbing?  

This is one of the gazillion pictures I took of the Freedom Tower.  Actually, it's just before the sculpture.

Here I am with my tentmate, Lesley.  

We walked over the Brooklyn Bridge, one of my favorite things to do.  Mickey Mouse was actually on the Bridge ... I gave him a dollar and posed with him ... but I'm not posting it here!  That's just too touristy!

After we walked through Prospect Park ... we met these two lovely boys on Ocean Parkway.  

I asked "Who's Buck and who's Wayne?"  They answered "They're made up names!"

They sold the BEST candy!
I love Reese's!

We walked through so many neighborhoods in Brooklyn.  It's an amazing borough and I love it.  We ended up in Bay Ridge.  You might remember Bay Ridge from Saturday Night Fever.  We stopped at a fabulous restaurant for a well deserved lunch.  We were hungry after 19 miles!

We took the R train out of Bay Ridge and the 3 train to the Village to visit TY and her brood.

It was a great day.  

I'm tired but feeling great. 

I can do this folks!

New Member ...

Pink Slips ... my Atlanta 3-day team ... has a new member.

Although ALL the members inspire me ... Jenn's story was very inspirational.

I asked Jenn if I could copy some of what she shared with us and she said yes.  She also shared a picture with me.

I hope you're reading this Sarge and Bee ...

Jenn and her mom

I lost my Mom 2 years ago to breast cancer after a 10 year on again, off again battle.  I saw her through to the end. It was an amazing journey and I am forever changed.  The best thing that came from it is that my family (Dad and 4 very stubborn brothers) became much, much closer.

The first year after Mom died, I wasn't strong enough to get out there and do what I am now doing.  I was actually a bit mad and selfish and didn't want anything to do with Komen.  And then, as a little time went on, I realized that my Mom was here for 10 years more than expected because of experimental treatments.  That's a good thing.  Everyone should have a chance. And no one else should lose a Mother or a Wife.  So, I sucked it up, threw on a smile and said, "I can do this!"  Something in me changed and I turned my anger into a fight.   And here I am.  :)

I am a military spouse.  ( Or should I say, he is a Civilian spouse, lol)  I am married to Michael. We've been married almost 17 years.  He is a pilot in the Army.  He flies Blackhawk helicopters.  He is currently in Afghanistan until Feb. This is his 2nd time to Afghanistan.  He has also been deployed to Iraq and twice to Bosnia.  Oh, and to the Bahamas. (How do you get deployed to the Bahamas?  All I know is that he came back with the best tan!)

I work on the military post hand in hand with the soldiers.  I work with everyone from able bodied young bucks to Wounded Warriors to 80 year old retirees.  I love what I do. 

...

The rest of Jenn's introduction was about how happy she is to be on our team, etc.

Both Beth and I are incredibly moved and can't wait to meet this amazing woman.

I wanted to share this with you, loyal readers.

Just because ...

No Black Cat Got In My Way Today!

I was very careful, kept my eyes on the road and stayed focused on not falling today!

I'm a little sore from yesterday ... and I still have that fat lip ... but you don't really need a lip to walk!

I decided that it has been a long time since I walked my Sands Point route ... and I really have to add some miles to my walk so I went down the hill instead of up ... and walked into Sands Point.

It was a brilliant idea.  It was a beautiful day.  The sun was out and there was a nice breeze.  Perfect walking weather.  Sands Point is spectacular so I had a great walk.

Pictured above is the tip of Sands Point.

You can see the City in the distance.

10 years ago people drove to this spot to see what remained of the towers.  

Smoke.  Nothing else.  

So many people drove here that the police finally shut Middle Neck Road.

It is still hard to truly believe what happened that day.

I won't forget.

...

I did a few deeds today.

There is a Medieval Festival at the Sands Point Preserve and two cars stopped me for directions.

I gave them the correct directions, too!

I would have turned in to take a look ... but I wanted to get home.

I got a message while I was walking that I received another donation!

Thank you Marsha!

I'm on my way to $3000!

...

I saw this in the road and want to send it to someone special ...

Doesn't that look like a heart Sarge?

I'm sending it to you ...

(and you may share it with Bee!)

I'm Not Superstitious ... but ...

I was walking on Haven Avenue ... my regular route ... when out ran a lovely pure black cat.  He rubbbed up against me and let me pet him.  I sat down and talked to him and he even let me take a picture of him:

 what a great looking cat, 'eh?

Well ... less than five minutes later, I turned onto Mackey ... a street I have walked almost every day.  I know that the sidewalk is uneven ... so I usually keep my eyes on it!  Today there is a block party on Mackey and I was watching the kids in the castle bounce when ...

SLAM ... I fell on my face!

Thank God I didn't break a front tooth!  They hurt, though.  My knees are both scraped and, as you can see, I have a fat lip.  I'm not sore ... but I think I'm going to take a little nap now.

I did walk to my nail appointment.

We girls do have priorities!

GOAL!

I love this picture.  My Sollie took it.  92 years old ... with Alzheimer's ... it's one GREAT PHOTO!

 ...

I reached my fundraising goal yesterday ... thanks to my friend and tentmate, Lesley.  She's moving in on $5,000 and saw that I needed another $200 so she asked her friend Judith to make her donation in support of me!  Thank you Lesley ... and thank you Judith.

...

I have been a lazy walker this week.  I took a break last weekend ... and then, with the start of school, I haven't been able to get out in the morning.  This weekend I will get back on my feet!

...

SAN FRANCISCO WALKERS ARE ON THE ROAD!  I'm so proud of my friends who have made the commitment again this year.  Karen will be walking a total of 120 miles ... as she is also joining me in Atlanta.  Now THAT'S a commitment!  Michelle will be crewing in what, 3 walks this year?  Amazing!  I want to believe that I encouraged them to take the first steps in their journeys.

Last Day of Summer Vacation!

Today is the last day of summer vacation.  It goes fast, doesn't it?  I am anxious to get back to work.  I had a great summer and now it's time to continue to do the thing I love ... teach!  I could have tutored this summer ... but I didn't!  I think my tutoring days might be over!

My walking days aren't over, though.  I did my regular route today.

The wind was ruffling this guys feathers ... not I! I really love these gulls.  I especially loved when they were yackin' away that day. (Remember the 3 amigulls?)

Can you see the egret hanging out with the gulls?  I love it! I just drove past this afternoon.  The tide is high and this guy was standing tall and proud ... all by himself!

...

Yesterday Beth, Faye, Lesley, and I made our plane reservations to Atlanta.  Now we have to find out the host hotel and make our room reservations!  Then we'll start getting really excited.  Beth and I are working on the t-shirts.  It's a little complicated but we'll get them done!

...

I saved another cricket today.  Boy howdy I'm a hero!

Back On Track!

Irene (hurricane or tropical storm) is gone and the clean-up around town is pretty much done, so I finally got back to my walk today.  All that's left is some debris (branches and leaves) that I had to maneuver around.

This street was blocked off ... I don't know why.

I had to walk around this mess.  No problem.

There was erosion on Shore Road.  I saw a picture in a Long Island newspaper of a guy kayaking on Shore Road after the storm.  By the time Debra and I drove down to see it, the water had receded.  I have to look at my "waterfowl pictures" to see if some trees came down, too.  It looked different to me.

Some windows are still taped ... and these windows are still boarded up.

We were lucky.  No damage to our house ... although we did get some water in the basement.  Cambell's Carpet came Tuesday to wash and deodorize the carpet and I have been listening to their fan drying it for 3 days! The gardener came today and all the leaves and twigs are gone ... so we are looking good here! I brought all the lawn furniture IN the house ... but that went back out Monday.  I even found the cricket I brought in with the ficus ... caught him ... and returned him to the great outdoors!  Is that a deed or what?!  There are still people on Long Island without electricity.  I think I would be going crazy!  Hopefully they will get it back today.  Irene might not have been the ferocious hurricane that was anticipated ... but she certainly did a lot of damage.  Who expected upstate New York and Vermont to get walloped the way they did?!

Speaking of the unexpected ... I asked my friend who works in the convenience store about the earthquake.  I guess I really missed something!  He said it lasted about a second ... but he felt it and a customer in the store felt it.  We didn't feel it on the beach in Provincetown! I do remember an earthquake around 29 years ago when Mike was an infant.  It was a very eerie feeling!

So ... my summer of walking is almost finished! It's back to school for me Tuesday ... (kids come back Wednesday.)  I'm almost at goal and I put in some good miles.  I'm ready to go back to my work routine.  I love teaching and can't wait to see the kids.