Crater Lake was wonderful! (vol. 2)

Lee and I and a bunch of friends rode the Crater Lake Century this past weekend. Unlike the godawful heat last year, the weather this year was fabulous.

I only rode from the start in Fort Klamath up to the Rim Village and back, which worked out to about 48 miles and roughly 3,000 feet of climbing. So you can call my ride the Crater Lake Half Century.

To put it mildly, I'm thrilled to bits with what I accomplished!

This was an absolutely fabulous weekend.

More later -- I have to unpack and do some laundry. :^)

Earning one's keep in the world

Fatty wrote this in his blog:

"Susan’s part in the battle is over, but she didn’t lose. She led the charge. She showed the rest of us how to fight: with determination, focus, creativity, and outrageous endurance.

Now it’s up to the rest of us to Fight Like Susan."

I like to think of it as earning one's keep in the world. Doing things -- little things, big things -- to help carry on Susan's legacy.

What things?

Well, there are the obvious things (obvious because I can think of them off the top of my head, that is):

Donating money to a cause

Donating time to a cause (there are lots of creative ways to do this but I'm still mulling).

Give blood

I gave blood yesterday. It had nothing to do with Susan, it just happened to be yesterday. It was my first blood donation in many months. I'm occasionally turned down on account of low iron levels, and then I let it slide. I'm not the easiest one to draw from either, I like to joke that I have no veins. I gave this time around because I got a couple of phone calls from the blood center. Okay, okay, I'll go, said I.

I made sure to take my vitamins for a few days beforehand and consequently my drop of blood sunk in the copper solution - they didn't even have to do the centrifugation test, yay! And the nurse found the vein after only a minimum of poking -- it sure helped that I drank lots of water for a couple of days beforehand. I had to squeeze the rubber ball constantly, but they got my pint. And I felt very good afterward. And as an added bonus they had Oreo cookies :D

So, for starters, I'm going to be more conscientious about giving blood, in honor of Susan and to help earn my own keep in the world.

So Sad

Susan Nelson, the wife of Elden "Fat Cyclist" Nelson, died yesterday after a long battle with cancer. She put up a good fight.

I'm glad that her ordeal is over, for her at least. I'm sad for Elden and their kids and their family and friends who must go on without her. Wishing them strength to cope and to carry on.

Win Susan.