Tampa, Florida United States Sunny

Total Time = 1h 00m 44s Overall Rank = / Age Group = Age Group Rank = 0/

Got to Sue's Friday about 3pm (I have a key!!!) My odometer read 832, and that was since Wednesday morning.

I'd gone to Publix, so I unloaded my stash and started making 'race nutrition': RICE KRISPY TREATS! Hell, they worked for the Princess Half M, so, why not? Mom and Dad O came in half way through cooking. Mom is obsesed with cleaning. My spatula dissappeared during the process.

Nice dinner with Sue's 'rents for M'Day. Home. They all went to bed and I had an allergy attack. Travelled from Delray to Orlando to Delay to Clearwater to Tarpon Springs to Plant City in the past three days and the barrage of mold/pollen took hold. (talked to Robit/Adam at Terri's service ... his Mom used to work at the place I stayed Friday ... not a good place.) Finally fell asleep at about 1am. Up at 5 ... so wanted to GO BACK TO SLEEEEEEPPPP!

But, today was not about me.

Sucked up as much caffeen (sp) as possible.

Sue had kindly piced up packets the day before. I'm getting better at navigating DT Tampa. But, too many client meetings.

Sue drove, we got there, and there was a placard for Terri. I knew Terri peripherally. She stayed with me one weekend when she came down with Q for MiamiMan. She and I brushed up at other events, and honestly? She was a hoot. What allows you to remember some one person? What about them is so special that they can make that mark? I saw the picture and I sorta lost it; that's why I wear sunglasses. BIG sunglasses. Some of the Moffit volunteers asked us about her. Luckily, Sue had a voice.

We got chips and waited for other folks. I sat on an ant hill. BOO YA!!! That had to have provided a few chuckles.

Sue que'd up with the fast folk, and I went to stand at the back. I did my stetches ... cat/cobra. Suck it, peolple. It's how I roll. Walked around.

The gun went off, and I started to cry. For Terri, my Dad, my Uncle (still with us), for Bill (my friend Laurie's passed husband), for Megan's Dad, for Meg's and my friend Melony, hell, for me ... I had cryosurgury cervical cancer in 1990, 8 months after I was married. It just seems like it was so long ago and it was a non-issue in the long run, but yeah, I had a brush with cancer. So I cried.

But hell, I actually made it to a race start: enough reason to cry. :)