Gearing Up

Life's problems wouldn't be called "hurdles" if there wasn't a way to get over them. ~Author Unknown

Well, things are getting busy around the Williams' households... yes, all three! Here on Preserve Drive, the cats and I have been starting to try to decide what will be making the move to Auburn, and when. Most everything will be going, but a few select things will be going this weekend, including the little bed from upstairs, some type of night stand, a tupperware full of work shoes, and at least a week's worth of work clothes. Also making the first cut will be a few pots and pans, our old microwave (so glad now that we took it out of our blue house!), towels, a shower curtain, the mini-fridge, and the little TV. Basically, the stuff that I will need for the first few days of living there before the movers bring the rest. When we get back from China, it's gonna be crazy!!

Turning now to the action at the blue house (our old house that kept as a rental)... Despite our attention to at least three sickly trees on the property over the past five years, Hurricane Faye brought down part of another one! This one seemed fine, so we're upset about it! The renters called/emailed Ron, and the info relayed to me was that the back porch of the house was smooshed. Ron asked me to go up there and take some pictures for the insurance claim, so I did... but interestingly enough, the porch is fine! There is half a tree (it split somehow) down in the back yard, but the porch looks like it always has. There had been a power line or phone line or something that came down, but that was fixed by the time I got there the next day. Hmmm. Well, that was all good news, except that it might have been nice to have a new porch paid for by the homeowners insurance. Now we ourselves have to pay to have the rest of that tree taken down. Oh well... it could have been so much worse... the tree could've fallen on the roof of the house, or worse yet, someone could have been hurt. So I'm glad for that, but man, there are not very many trees left on this property! My favorite tree (oh, I don't know what kind it is, but it has beautiful pink blossoms on it in the spring....and it's not a crepe myrtle....), the one that was influential in our buying the house initially, almost got taken out by the garbage truck that first summer. I was so sad. Anyway, that's all for the blue house.

Now for the little house (in Auburn)... not much to report, other than that I've been on the phone all morning trying to get the utilities converted over to my name. It wasn't too bad, but not much fun. Ron usually does all that stuff! For that, I am so grateful!

Speaking of Ron, I've been missing him lately... I had wanted to go visit him in Colorado, but had planned to try to go this week. Yeah, tickets to Denver are pretty expensive this week, with all the Democrats there and all. I should've researched that a little better. Next week, the tickets are cheap, but Ron will be in his final few days of training and trying to get out of there (leaving next Wednesday--oh gosh, that's one week from today!), so it just didn't work out. The upside is that with all that he's been doing on his website, I still get to see him everyday! And of course, I talk to him multiple times a day on the phone. Our phone conversations go a little like this:

Me: Hey! Whatcha doin'?
Ron: Just got off my bike. Going to eat lunch/dinner. What you doing?
Me: Studying.
Ron: What are my Buddies doing?
Me: Sleeping in my lap. Here, talk to them! (Hold phone in cats' ears)
Ron: Hey Buddies... I miss my Buddies! Tell your momma to feed you your wet food!
Cats: Purrrrrrrrrrrr
Ron: Well, gotta go.
Me: Ok, bye. Love you!
Ron: Love you too...Bye.

Yeah, fascinating, right? We have nearly this exact conversation several times a day! The only variable is what meal he's about to eat, or at night, that he's about to go to bed. Gotta love those one minute phone calls!

I've said it before (and I'll probably say it till I'm old and gray), but I am really proud of Ron. He has sacrificed a lot to be able to do this again, and will give it his all in the races. He will be representing himself on September 12th and 13th, as well as me and the rest of our families, his friends, coworkers, our country, and most importantly (yes, I do believe this is more important than representing his country...are you shocked?), he will be representing every person out there with a disability. Ron's disability is so minor in the grand scheme of things, but it goes to show that all challenges can be faced, and that many can be overcome. Whether you have dylexia, mental retardation, autism, blindness, deafness, cerebral palsy, quadriplegia, or just one leg... whether you were born with your challenge, were somehow injured, or developed it as a result of an illness- including cancer- you are not defined by it. The Paralympians figured that out a long time ago, but not everyone has. Not everyone sees a person and not a prosthesis, a wheelchair, or a red-tipped cane, but they should. The Paralympics are a way to continue teaching these truths, especially to our children. I wish wish wish that the Paralympics got more TV coverage here in the US, not because I want Ron to be famous or get the Visa commercial or be on the McDonald's cup (though that would be cool!), but to be an example to all of how to accept what may seem to be unsurmountable challenges and work hard to overcome them. Every single one of these Paralympians (not just mine), deserve to be on that Wheaties box....

Ok, long emotional post done for now... I'll get back to my goal of trying to make sure I'll be board certified come October 27th!

If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves. ~Thomas Alva Edison