Over the river and through the woods

...to grandmother's house we go. Or, more precisely, to my mom's - but picking up our sons along the way thus their grandmother's. My brother and our dog will be accompanying us from Boulder so, by the time we get to Petoskey, there will be five humans and one fuzzy beast descending on what is typically a very calm and quiet homestead. Nothing like adding a little excitement to an 88-year-old's life! It is the first time we'll all be together since I finished The Run (August 2007). A long overdue gathering, I'd say!

Since we'll be driving across the Great Plains, we've been keeping a close eye on the weather. It has certainly been topsy-turvy here in Boulder. Last week was quite mild. However, Saturday's long run started in 18 degree weather...the coldest so far this fall. I couldn't quite remember what-all to wear when the temperatures dip so low so I pretty much just threw on every layer I could get my hands on. The cold air was very short-lived; by Tuesday, it was shorts and singlet weather...not just warm, but hot! Yesterday, another shorts & t-shirt day but today I was dancing over ice-encrusted wooden bridges as I ran along the creek paths amidst freezing drizzle. Because we're heading to Great Lakes/North Woods country, I figure we're looking at a week of wintry weather done right...but have packed a pair of running shorts just in case ;-)

Satisfaction

Two extremely satisfying events have occurred since I retired. One was my run from Boulder, Colorado to Petoskey, Michigan. A decades-long dream fulfilled. But a very self-centered dream. So many people pitched in to make it happen even though it was just one woman's frivolity.

The second, was the fulfillment of the promise I made to myself when I retired: to become involved with the 2008 election, specifically with the Democratic Party. My first opportunity came with an early summer e-mail saying I had been selected to volunteer at the DNC Host Committee call center. What a great job! I met dozens of folks from around the country who came to work the call center in the weeks leading up to the actual convention - and talked to thousands more who were eager to volunteer during the convention.
Just the walk through an exceptionally vibrant downtown Denver on my way to the call center each day during convention week was a thrill. And to be able to be at the final night's event...I'm still in awe...
Eager to keep the energy flowing, I put my name it at Boulder's Democratic Headquarters and at Obama's Boulder Headquarters and have spent the last several weeks doing mailing stuffings, data entry, list checking, ...whatever behind-the-scenes work was needed. And yesterday I was a poll monitor for Just Vote Colorado to help ensure that everyone who was eligible to vote was able to vote. Last night, it all paid off.

Of the many revelations I gleaned from my run, that which stands out the most is that we live in an astounding country brimming full with good, kind, wonderful people. I look forward to working with a leader who both recognizes and echoes that goodness.