WEAR YOUR GLASS SLIPPERS AND ENJOY THE JOURNEY...

WE'RE ALL NERVOUS, RIGHT? I MEAN, I KNOW I'M THE ONLY ONE OF US SPEAKING TO 700 PEOPLE ON FRIDAY NIGHT (GULP) BUT, WE'RE ALL CLOSELY WATCHING WEATHER.COM AND TRYING TO GAGE THE WIND AND THE TIMING OF THE THUNDER STORMS THEY'RE PREDICTING. I HAVE TO ADMIT: I'M MORE NERVOUS TO SPEAK THAN I AM TO RUN. THERE I SAID IT. AND, THIS WEEK'S BEEN MORE BUSY THAN MOST: HUSTLING KIDS AROUND, FIGHTING A TERRIBLE COLD, SHUFFLING SCHEDULES TO DO PRESS INTERVIEWS (AGAIN,HELLO, OUT OF MY BOX!).

SO...I'VE BECOME RATHER SHORT-TEMPERED (AT TIMES) AND IMPATIENT WITH MY KIDDOS. THE TWO OLDER ARE ROLLING WITH IT, AND REALIZE THIS STRESS WILL ALL BE OVER SOON, AND VICTORY AWAITS US ALL.

BUT, FOR A TWO YEAR OLD, IT'S TOUGHER TO UNDERSTAND ALL THE HUB-BUB.

I HAD A CRAZY BUSY MORNING PLANNED. AND, DREW'S OUT OF TOWN AGAIN. BUT, BEFORE I COULD GET TO ANYTHING ON THE LIST, AND AFTER DROPPING KIDS OFF AT SCHOOL, HARPER AND I NEEDED TO STOP BY THE GROCERY STORE.

HARPER IS TWO. SHE LOVES ANYTHING "PINCESS" (PRINCESS, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T TALK 2 YR OLD). AND, WELL, SHE'S HER DADDY'S GIRL: SHE'S STUBBORN AND LOUD. :) SHE INSISTED ON WEARING THOSE GLASS SLIPPERS INTO THE STORE. AND, WALKING ALONE ACROSS THE PARKING LOT AND THROUGH THE STORE TO SHOW THEM OFF! AGAIN, DADDY! :) HELLO: MOM'S ON A STRICT, CALCULATED SCHEDULE HERE, HONEY!!!!

AT FIRST, I STARTED TO PICK HER UP. THIS WAS GOING TO TAKE FOR-EVER!! THERE'S NO TIME FOR PRINCESS SHOES THIS MORNING. THEN, I REALIZED: THIS IS SO DANG CUTE. SHE IS VOICING HER INDEPENDENCE. SHE'S PROUD OF THOSE SUCKERS. LET HER CLICK CLACK HER WAY THROUGH THAT STORE AND HOLD HER TINY HAND, MOM!! DO IT! THIS MOMENT WILL PASS TOO SOON.

AS WE MADE OUR WAY THROUGH THE STORE, SHE STOPPED TO CHIT CHAT WITH ALL HER ADMIRERS. AND, THOSE WHO DIDN'T STOP WERE WAVED TO, JUST LIKE A PRINCESS. I COULDN'T HELP BUT TO COMPARE OUR JOURNEY IN THE GLASS SLIPPERS TO THE JOURNEY OF OUR TRAINING AND THE TAPERING WEEK BEFORE THE MARATHON.

WE NEED TO SAVOR THIS WEEK. EMBRACE THE FACT THAT I, AND OTHERS WHO ARE DOING SO, GET TO HONOR SO MANY WHO CAN'T EVER OR WON'T RUN A MARATHON (IN MY CASE BC THEY'VE SUFFERED FROM A BRAIN ANEURYSM). I GET TO TELL THEIR STORIES. PEOPLE ARE ASKING TO HEAR. AND, THEY'RE LISTENING.

SO, WHATEVER YOUR WEEK LOOKS LIKE, HOWEVER BUSY YOU ARE--AND WE ALL ARE--SAVOR THIS WEEK. YOU'VE SPENT FOUR MONTHS TRAINING FOR THIS WEEKEND; YOU'RE SO READY.

THIS IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT...

SO, WEAR THE DANG PRINCESS SHOES AND FLAUNT THEM AND DRINK IN EVERY OUNCE OF THIS WEEK. IT'LL BE OVER SOON, AND WE'LL BE SITTING PRETTY FROM HEAD TO TOE...WITH OUR PRINCESS SHOES AND OUR FINISHERS MEDAL DANGLING AROUND OUR NECKS.

ENJOY THE JOURNEY...

KATHLEEN
PRINCESS HARPER'S MOMMY

6 DAYS TO GO...

OK, SO TWO OUT OF THREE OF MY KIDS ARE SICK. PATRICK IS HEALTHY, BUT SORE AFTER HE NEARLY CUT HIS FINGER OFF WITH HIS NEW BOY SCOUT KNIFE HIS DADDY GIFTED HIM YESTERDAY. HE HAD IT, APPROXIMATELY, 2 HOURS BEFORE HE TEARFULLY CAME RUNNING IN THE HOUSE TO TELL ME HE "MADE A BAD CHOICE." HE WAS GOOFING AROUND WITH IT, AND SLICED HIS POINTER. I WAS FINE, UNTIL I NOTICED THE TRAIL OF BLOOD HE LEFT ALL OVER THE HOUSE, AND THE ARM-LOAD OF BLOOD-SOAKED PAPER TOWELS HE TOSSED IN THE GARBAGE CAN! I REMAINED CALM, AND WAS PRETTY IMPRESSED WITH THE TURNOKIT HE MADE FOR HIMSELF WHILE SEARCHING THE HOUSE FOR ME (I WAS IN THE BASEMENT CHANGING THE SPARE BEDROOM SHEETS FOR OUT MARATHON GUESTS...MY FOLKS FROM PHILLY...YAHOO!).

SO, I WASHED HIS OWIE AND TRIED NOT TO LET ON HOW SHOCKED I WAS BY ITS LENGTH AND DEPTH. NOT LONG AFTER, WE TREKKED TO THE E.R. BUT THE SWEETEST MOMENT WAS WHEN HE SADLY SAID, "I'M SO MAD AT MYSELF, MOMMY. I'M AFRAID YOU AND DAD ARE GONNA THINK I'M"...ARE YOU READY..."IN-RESPONSIBLE!!!" IN-REPSONISBLE. I LOVE WHEN THEY TRY TO USE BIG WORDS AND THEY COME OUT ALL JUMBLED. WELL, I TRIED TO HIDE MY PRIDE AND STOPPED MYSELF FROM EATING THIS CHILD UP RIGHT THEN AND THERE, AND EXPLAINED THAT HIS KNIFE IS A TOOL NOT A TOY, AND THAT HE SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAD IT OUTSIDE AND THAT I DON'T THINK HE'S IN-RESPONISLBLE (WHAT? I LOVE THAT WORD. I DON'T WANT TO GIVE HIM A COMPLEX AND CORRECT HIM. PRIORITIES, PEOPLE!). ANYWAY, HE SAID, HE THOUGHT HE WAS "IN-RESPONSIBLE AND WAS SORRY." LITTLE BUGGER.

HE'S FINE AND HAS BEEN GARNERING MUCH ATTENTION SINCE HIS E.R. VISIT. BIG SISTER HAS BEEN COLLECTING THE NEIGHBORHOOD KIDS AND TAKING THEM ON A TOUR OF THE BLOOD SPLATTERS, TRYING TO PIECE THE SCENE TOGETHER. AT LEAST SHE'S NOT SELLING TICKETS. I WOULDN'T PUT IT PAST HER.

SO, THAT'S HOW OUR TAPERING WEEKEND WENT AT THE WRIGLEY HOUSEHOLD. THE GIRLS ARE COUGHING AND SNEEZING ALL OVER MOMMY. DADDY'S STEERING CLEAR OF THEM. AND, MOM'S STARTING WITH HER OWN STUFFY NOSE AND ACHES. PERFECT TIMING...

DID YOU KNOW...

*AN ESTIMATED 6 MILLION PEOPLE ARE LIVING WITH AND WALKING AROUND WITH AN UNRUPTURED BRAIN ANEURYSM...TO PUT THAT INTO PERSPECTIVE----THAT'S 1 IN 50!!!!!

*AN ESTIMATED 25,000 RUPTURES WILL HAPPEN THIS YEAR, PUTTING THOSE PATIENTS IN SERIOUS LIFE OR DEATH SITUATION

*40% OF THOSE PATIENTS WILL DIE!!!

*OF THOSE WHO SURVIVE 4 OUT OF 7 WILL LIVE WITH SOME TYPE OF DISABILITY!!!

*BRAIN ANEURYSMS ARE MOST PREVALENT IN PEOPLE BETWEEN THE AGES 35-60!!! TAKE NOTE: THAT'S VERY SIMILAR TO THE DEMOGRAPHIC OF PEOPLE WHO RUN MARATHONS.

*ANEURYSMS ARE USUALLY DETECTED IN THE 3RD OR 4TH DECADE OF LIFE: I WAS 34, WHEN I HAD MY FIRST VASCULAR (COILING) SURGERY IN MARCH 2004...MY BABIES WERE JUST 3 AND 1 1/2 YEARS OLD.

*AND, WOMEN ARE MORE LIKELY THAN MEN TO HAVE AN ANEURYSM, AT A RATIO OF 3:2!!!

*FINALLY, RUPTURED, OR BURST ANEURYSMS, ACCOUNT FOR 3-5% OF ALL NEW STROKES!!!

HELP!

GO TO THIS LINK (OR CLICKING ON THE LINK BELOW WILL BRING YOU RIGHT TO THE SITE:

www.healtheast.org/foundation/foundation-donation.html

CLICK ON: NATIONAL BRAIN ANEURYSM CENTER & ST. JOSEPHS'S NEUROSCIENCES FUND to donate. Please specify "In honor of Kathleen Wrigley," so I can keep track of proper thank yous.

Every dollar helps! As I mentioned in previous posts, I'm not comfortable pounding the pavement for donations, but this is important to me.

Thank you for reading this blog over the four month course of our training. Thank you for sharing in my journey. Thank you...
Kathleen

FOR THEM...

THE FOLLOWING LIST OF PEOPLE HAVE EITHER DIED OR SUFFERED FROM A BRAIN ANEURYSM. THEIR STORIES MATTER, AND I WILL HONOR THEM AND THEIR JOURNEYS ON MAY 22ND. TOGETHER, WE HAVE A VOICE. AND, TOGETHER WE'LL RUN 26.2 MILES

Shirley Bakke
Becky Pfau
Joe O’Connell
Joan Samuels Briggs
Chris Sutton
Linda Wanttie
Kari Okerlund-Wolf
Shirley Kuhn
Clark Coleman
Terry Shanley
Barbara Ladd McNamara
Loren E. Smith
Peggy Wolf
Megan Grady
Bill Kelliher
Diane Arthurs
Gwen Sannes
Mark Milligan
Mary Lou Cote
Scott Toenies
John Mastel
Mark Johnson
Sam Dubois
Sharon Steinbach
Terry Lalonde
Shirley Kuhn
Yvonne Torvik
Mary Ann Bonniwell
Cindy Kirkorsky
Chris T
Margaret Ann Shotwell
Jean Schnell-Vickie
My Aunt, Kathleen Riley
Bernice Malone
Tena Shultz
Barbara Bertel
Terri Lalonde
Linda Wanttie
Mary Kelliher
Danny Grady
John Grady
Terri Reick
Marie Kellett
Flo Harty
Brad Bergum
Mary Beth Schuchard
Bernie Gordon
Lynette Oswald
Bernard Sattler
Gene Sieben
Sharon Stone
Bret Michaels
Stess Sletten
Elaine Schwandt
Delia Williams
Howard Clemens
Leroy Clemens
Florri McMillan
Kathryn Wilhelm
Sharon Knutson
Amber Bonander
Casey Leitch

Betsy Rodiles – 2007 Fargo Marathon Finisher

EIGHT DAYS...

OK. SO I GOT AHEAD OF MYSELF...

I HAD THIS SPUR-OF-THE-MOMENT IDEA THAT I'D DO A CUTE LITTLE DIDDY OF THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS, WHILE COUNTING DOWN OUR DAYS LEFT BEFORE THE FARGO MARATHON. I ONLY DID TWO BLOGS, AND THEY WEREN'T CUTE...OR FUNNY. I HAVE NO CREATIVE JUICES LEFT, AND WASN'T BLESSED WITH A HEARTLY LOAD TO BEGIN WITH...

CLEARLY, I'M NO SONG-WRITER. AND, ONCE THE MARATHON'S OVER AND THE BLOGGING STOPS AND ALL THE COMMITMENTS CEASE, I'LL GO BACK TO MY FULL-TIME DAY JOB: MOM AND WRITER FOR MY COLUMN IN "ON THE MINDS OF MOMS!" UH HUH, YOU LIKE HOW I WORK A PLUG IN THERE, SHERI AND DANI?! TO THE THREE PEOPLE WHO READ THIS BLOG, CHECK IT OUT: WWW.ONTHEMINDSOFMOMS.COM!! I'VE GOT YOUR BACK, GIRLFRIENDS.

ANNNYWAY, IN CASE YOU'RE UNAWARE: THERE ARE EIGHT DAYS LEFT...EIGHT DAYS...

BY THIS TIME NEXT WEEK, MY SPEECH WILL BE SAID. TEARS WILL BE SHED. AND, I'LL NEED TO SHAKE OUT SOME SERIOUS LEAD...FOR 26.2 MILES OF SMILES. WHAT? IT'S THE BEST I CAN COME UP WITH.

I ASSURE YOU I WON'T TRY TO RHYME OR SING ON FRIDAY NIGHT, DURING MY SPEECH. I MIGHT HYPERVENTILATE FROM NERVES, BUT YOU HAVE MY WORD...NO POEMS, SONGS OR DIDDYS.

NOW IS THE TIME I GO. DREW'S NEARLY HOME FROM THE AIRPORT, AFTER BEING GONE ALL WEEK. HIP HIP HOORAY! WE'RE SET TO WATCH 20/20, AND READY TO SETTLE INTO A NICE GLASS OF WINE. NO, WE'RE NOT 80. WE JUST FEEL LIKE IT.

ENJOY THE SUN!
KATHLEEN

ON THE NINTH DAY BEFORE THE FARGO MARATHON...

MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME...NOTHIN. HE'S IN NEW ORLEANS FOR WORK ALL WEEK. BLAH.

I'VE GOT TWO SICK KIDS COUGHING ALL OVER ME. WAHHHHHHHH...I'M PRACTICALLY BATHING ALL OF US IN HAND SANITIZER! I DON'T WANT THE SNIFFLES OR THE COUGHS. YUCK.

NINE MORE DAYS.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!