Ran this morning. I'm not a great runner. Probably never will be but enjoyed the day (despite the humidity) and cherished the ability to train and be alive. I took some walk breaks and took a break because I was getting choked up and its hard to run and cry and have a heart rate in the 160s. No Beuno. Was thinking about the good times esp when Christine came up to IMFL in 2006 and she stayed with us and traveled with us. THat was when I really learned to understand her speech. All the St. Anthonys. Good times.

Some things about Christine for those of you who never met her IRL. She was VERY active in chat and BT provided her with a really unique way of communicating because she was deaf. She lost her hearing as a child and had a cochlear implant which allowed her to 'hear' somewhat but her spech was very difficult to understand. THe more you were around her the better you could understand her but there was nothing like a playful evening in chat with Lucy. She really found her voice there. I've never shared with Tom (her husband) some of the details she let slip in there teeheehee.

One of the funniest things I never shared with anyone is when she was getting sick her MIL had dropped off a bunch of nighties for her which she HATED. She went on and on about it in chat that how could anyone possibly think she would wear such hideous things? At this point we knew what was going on and Janice (foolproof) and I had plans to take her out to dinner and to victorias secret to buy pretty things because she knew she was going to probably need to have surgery and be in the hospital. The dinner never happened but while she was in the hospital I met her MIL and I was constantly stiffling a giggle because her MIL was going on and on about all the lovely things she had brought Christine and I secretly knew that she had hated all of it.

I spoke with Tom today. He took the boys camping in the mountains of Georgia for the week. He wrecked his bike badly earlier in the week sustaining a concussion that left him unconscious for 8 hours but is fine now. I told him he was NOT to run this week so I was a little afraid to tell him about the 5K. Today when I got a hold of him he was on the top of a mountain on his own remembering Christine and I told him about the run. He is touched beyond words and says thank you to everyone. Soldier on people and if you are so inclined tip a cold one back tonight and celebrate Christines life. She loved a good beer

Hold your loved ones tight and tell them you love them. Live life to the fullest and don't sweat the small stuff. Life is random. Try not to have any regrets