The Chinese president is here around Redmond today and the Pope is visiting Obama. I think Obama’s visitor is far more exciting than ours. Europe is overflowing with immigrants and it feels like our feed is overflowing with Trump. The European issue is so sad and difficult to solve. The Trump story is interesting, and hopefully very short. When it is election here I just want people to think and look around. And take a look around the rest of the world. EOM.

It’s been a while since last and I even got a few emails asking if I am ok since I haven’t posted anything for a few weeks. I’ve been out and about, turned 40 something, been to a few games, played a few rounds, biked and got a bit lost, hiked Si with broken toes, laughed and even cried a little. Caroline and I hiked Si on Ross’ Day and sat up there until we got really cold. Then we let go of two balloons that stayed together as long as we could see. Fall showed up over one night and turned the trees into beautiful colors. Mornings are cold and evenings sunny and warm. Life moves fast. School started and with that more work. High school volleyball season is in full swing and that makes us all a bit occupied. Our house is like the Bermuda triangle, if you bring something in it disappears. I feel like I’m bringing in 10 grocery bags full of food every day but it never seems to be enough. Bags, shoes, snacks, lunch bags, laundry, piles of clothes… School started with a bang. Three kids in high school. Three cars backing out every morning and three different teams practicing every night.

I’m not really up to speed after Alaska. I know it’s been a while and I should be fully recovered. I feel tired and worn out, I sleep more than I ever do but it never seems to be enough. And you think I would put two and two together. But no. I kind of regrouped and started to plan for the next race. New Zeeland in April. Started to mentally prepare for rapids and kayaks. The water would be warmer this time. Counted backwards, gave myself a few months to rest up and planned on getting back on track in October, that gave me three months to rest/rehab my shoulder. My plan didn’t even work for a month. I could run 12 miles feeling great one day but not even move 2 miles without walking the next. I really hurt my shoulder and have been trying to rest, rehab and train myself. I have been working on getting my strength and mobility back but it’s a dead end. I can’t lift a book over my head without getting my shoulder dislocated. I have seen a few different doctors with more or less the same result, and I really didn’t want to hear or understand. But it’s really not much to say when you have it black on white, an MRI showing a gorgeous skeleton, a bit beat up and not very functioning. Even I can see the broken parts. My shoulder needs to be stitched up, anchored in, screwed back together. I set a date and will try to prepare for a few months with my arm in a sling and about 6-8 months with a non-working shoulder. I am not looking forward to it but the other option is probably worse. Pain doesn’t do you any good. It eats you up after a while and makes you miserable. Add on a few broken toes on one foot and an infection in a wisdom tooth and life really slaps you in the face. It’s been a heck of a few weeks. And yes, I still have my wisdom teeth…I am really trying to hold on to my good body parts.