Ain't No Mountain High Enough

Well, after the seriousness of the last blog, I thought I'd add some levity to the proceedings. I'll try and not be sesquepedalian while I'm writing, though I do like to, after becoming a huge fan of 'Word of the Day' emails from YourDictionary.com. But I digress.

Now that I haven't tergiversated (damn! I'm not usually given to sesquepedality but I've done it AGAIN!) I've started training again with the guys and gals of Hillary, Tenzing and the Trektators, though finding the time to get there is often frustrating as many nights are taken up with finishing (and starting) commissions. Neil and Tom ('The Sharlands' as they are known on email messages) continue to push us (me) to our (my) limit. I was meant to be going to Chris 'Kiwi' Palmer's run around Battersea Park this evening but work kept me late and it would've been silly to try and catch up with them. (Silly for me that is, not so silly for the people who attempted Mudman this weekend. Check out Glen Lowis' blog for a good (tough) read).

It has recently turned cold so I am enjoying my assassins gloves that were a Christmas present last year. Not only do they look really cool and like I'm about to commit some sort of 'Murder She Wrote' crime passionel, but they also provide me with entertainment while traveling: -

Yes, part of my recent pleasure with the sudden cold weather is secreting my Oystercard in the palm of my assassins gloves so when I pass through the barriers I just seemingly touch the yellow circle with my hand and the barriers magically open, thus making me cyborg, like Seven of 9. Or a Padwan Jedi.

The fundraising continues, should anyone want to donate to my justgiving page for this crazy trip, you've just gone past the link. It was back there. Stop, don't read any further, it was back there. About 2 and a half lines above this....

People have donated to my Everest MoVember page on the ubiquitous (stop it Zooby) facebook and just this month alone, I've raised 12% of my Everest target just for growing a moustache and raising awareness for Prostate Cancer.

While it's the run up to Christmas, the lists of equipment that we may need up that mountain has been sent to our parents and we're sitting under the Christmas tree like expectant Ewoks waiting for a windfall. I'm borrowing friends' items as they have been before. (I declined the insulated pants, thanks Monkeyboy, I'll get my own from Millets, thanks, no, I insist, I'm sure I'll be fine. No, really... )

Meanwhile, I realise that home news is conspicuously missing but it's fine, Mum is up and about, back at work (I'm a little concerned that the hospital discharged her without her indicators being checked properly - so really there could be things going on that we don't know about) and is the backbone of the retirement home where she works. Dad has been given his date for his op at the end of Jan so by the middle of March, he should be up and about again. Insh'Allah. As they say.
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The Mo - Day 1 thru to 17

Meanwhile tempus fugit. April is under 5 months away. We're going up to Base Camp on Mt. Everest. Let's get Christmas out of the way first, shall we? One day at a time.