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My mom is an expert at packing for the 3 Day. After nine walks, she's pretty much got it down to a science. I had her make a list of all the gear she's purchased over the years and what she packs for the weekend. I thought other newbies would like to see what a veteran has found to be most useful.

6-8 pairs of socks** (2 pair for each day, plus extra in case of rain)
2 pairs of tennis shoes
Shower sandals
3 changes of clothing
Hoodie or jacket for the evening
Knit cap for the evening
Gloves for the morning and evening
Personal toiletries
Fold up rain cape
Vaseline, Aquaphor or Body Glide*
Foot powder (to keep your feet dry and help prevent blisters)
Epsom salt in baggies large enough to soak your feet (or a blow up foot spa like this one from Sally Hansen)
Moleskin*
Padded Bandages*
Fold-up scissors (to cut the moleskin)*
Sunscreen
Lip balm with sunscreen
Hand sanitizer
Sun visor or cap
Fanny pack that holds 2 water bottles
Water bottles (not too small, you should be refilling at every pit stop)
Cell Phone (but no talking and walking, move to the side if you have to take a call)
Small amount of cash and/or debit card
Any prescription medicine
2 tarps: one for underneath the tent one for the top
Clothes pins or clamps to hold plastic in place on top of the tent
Eddie Bauer air mattress (self inflatable, twin – purchased at Target and extra batteries)
Camping pillow
Sleeping bag
Blanket to go on top of sleeping bag (ours is cashmere)
Camping light (banded for the head) This frees your hands for night trips to the porta potty
Large plastic bag to put everything you need to carry to the portable showers (2 gallon zipper bag with a handle)
Large plastic bag to hold your suitcase in during the night to keep from getting wet (30 gallon lawn and leaf trash bag) 
 
*These items go in your fanny pack as a blister care kit
**I wear one pair of toe socks as my first layer, then a pair or walking socks as my second layer

Pictures from my mom's 2008 San Diego walk are here: Day 1, Day 2, Day3.

**CLOSED**Please help me meet my fund raising goal. I've got a long way to go and not a lot of time before my walk. Click the banner above or follow this link. Thank you!

I Frickin' Love Twitter!

One of the stations I listen to has been playing a song that I really like. It's catchy and upbeat. I sing and dance to it in the car. Of course, since it's a song I like, I hardly ever hear it. When do hear it, I always miss the name of the artist. Since I have an iPod Touch and not an iPhone, I can't use the Shazaam app.

I've Googled and gone to the station website hoping it will be on their playlist. I've gone to lyric sites and browsed iTunes, hoping I'd come across it. I listened to the station almost all day on Labor Day. Nothing. It was driving me crazy and I was about to give up. Then I saw this Tweet from@DowntownRob:


And I immediately downloaded the song and watched the video on You Tube. To the people who don't "get" Twitter, give it a chance before you label it as stupid or useless. I felt the same way at first. I stuck it out, got the hang of it and now I'm totally addicted!

Are you on the Twandwagon? If we're not Twitter pals yet leave your @ name in the comments.

Wordless Wednesday: Eeeewww!

(And I thought my cat was bad! Blech!)

Breast Cancer 3Day: Training Update

The San Diego walk is nine weeks away and I'm starting to freak out. I won't say I'm behind per se, but I'm definitely not on pace with the virtual training schedule I get in my email. I think that's why I pushed myself too hard today. That and the craving for a smoothie.

I decided to get an early start since our heat wave is supposed to be coming back. I was hoping for an overcast day at the beach but no such luck. I started walking about 10 minutes to 9:00. I set my Nike+ for an 8 mile walk thinking I'd go slightly past where I normally turn around.

About halfway to that point, I started getting hungry and naturally I'd left my granola bar in the car. I remembered that there's a 7-11 not too far past my turnaround spot so I thought, "I'll get a banana and ice for my water. Excellent idea."

Then, I remembered there's a Jamba Juice only a little bit farther than the 7-11. "Ooh, even better, I can get a smoothie for lunch. Excellent idea." After that I couldn't get Jamba Juice out of my head and I passed by my usual turnaround spot not really thinking how much distance it would add to my walk. I got my smoothie, they put ice in my water bottle, all is good and I'm heading back to the car.

About 20 minutes later my knees and my hips started to protest a little. Then they started hurling obscenities at me. When they began to curse the day I was born I knew I was in trouble. Fortunately, they didn't go on strike and leave me in a crumpled heap on the side of the road.

I called my mom for some motivation but she must have been screening her calls working or at lunch. I think around mile 9 I wondered if I actually had the guts to hitchhike back to my car. I was hurtin' y'all. Then I remembered the Tweet Ilina sent out last week about her good friend just being diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer.

Which got me thinking about my godmother, Margie, who passed away 2 weeks before my mom's fifth walk in 2003. And Deb's mom. And all the other moms, wives, sisters, aunts and cousins who have been or know someone who has been diagnosed. I quit bitching and kept walking. For a total of 12.57 miles. That's the farthest I've walked at one time so far*.

I'm in a lot of pain right now. A lot. But it's not chemo. It's not radiation. It's not a mastectomy. I'll be fine in a few days. Those with breast cancer are effected for life. Thank you to Margie and all the other angels for giving me strength today. Here's to putting one foot in front of the other.

*The last time I walked I did 7 miles. I DO NOT recommend adding that much distance at one time. By the time I'm recovered enough to go walking again I'll be even further behind. Totally not worth it. Please consider helping me meet my fundraising goal. I've got a long way to go and not a lot of time. Click the banner above or follow this link. Thank you!

Guess Who's A Green Belt?!

And he got his second Respect award!

Vacation's All He Ever Wanted

I took Tyler to get his haircut for picture day. They stylist took him back to the shampoo bowl to get all grass and leaves out of his hair (do people with girls have to deal with that?). She asked him about his summer and what types of things he did.

The little stinker said we didn't do anything fun over the summer! WTH? We went to the beach EVERY day for week when the relatives were in town. We went to Sea World. We spent a ton of time at our neighborhood pool and had Deb and her family over twice. I'm sure there's more, I've just blocked it out already. I was a bit miffed.

Then, she asked if we'd gone on vacation and all the anger fell away and I reached for my Worst Mommy Ever hat. This is something Phil and I feel really badly about. We've never been on a family vacation. Phil has gone to visit friends. I took Tyler to visit my grandparents. I've gone on trips.

But, we've never gone anywhere as a family. We have the best intentions every year. We think about where we can go and come up with a budget. We were supposed to drive to Utah and go camping with friends but we would have been driving back three days before BlogHer and I just couldn't do it. Tyler's face when we told him we weren't going after all made me feel like shit.

I know it's not about WHERE you go, but what you do together. I get all that feel good stuff, and it's true. But. I can't help feeling like we're not making any memories. And to be perfectly candid, I want him to have an answer to this question. I want him to be able to tell his friends about the places we've gone. I want him to see other cities and states.

I shouldn't care about Keeping up with Jones' but I'm big enough to admit that I do, at least a little (who the hell are the Jones' and exactly how did they become a standard to look up to?).

Living in southern California is like being on vacation and I do feel lucky and appreciative when I get glimpses of the ocean as I run errands. But there's nothing like the anticipation of going somewhere new, eating different foods and sleeping in a hotel. Hopefully we'll be able to give that feeling to Tyler someday.

(National Lampoon poster from Google Images)

Happy New School Year: Nestle Family Prize Package {Giveaway}

***Contest closed. Thank you all for entering!***

We're so happy with the way Tyler has adjusted to being back at school. He was worried he wouldn't like his teacher and that the work would be too hard. But, he loves his teacher and so far he's doing fine. I told myself that this year I will be more involved with with his class. I volunteered when he was in kindergarten but didn't end up helping much last year.

There was an issue with one of the moms who helped test the kids on their spelling words and I wasn't aware of it until mid way through the school year. I don't want something like that to happen again so I want to make my presence known. Plus, it can't hurt to make friends with his teacher (squeaky wheel and all that).


I've told Tyler many times that when it comes to school and his education, he'll get out of it what he puts into it. I think that's true for us parents too, at least while our kids are "new" students. I can see a difference in the kids who seem to have support and involvement at home and those who don't.

This year seems to have a lot riding on it. The kids have to learn twice as much as they did last year. Phil and I are Tyler's best advocates. It's up to us to create an environment where he can not only thrive, but excel and hopefully develop a lifelong love of learning. And for that, we need to be right there with him, every step of the way.

Win It!

What about you? Have you resolved to do anything new or different this school year? Have your kids? Leave the answer in the comments.

One winner will receive a Nestle Happy New School Year prize package with coupons and recipes for Nestle products*. Nestle Family is supporting parents and Kids' resolutions to make this school year great with a sweepstakes that could win you $5,000 and your school a $2,000 literacy grant.



To enter (please read all the rules):

1. Leave a comment on this post answering the question above. This is required.

2. I MUST have a way to get in touch with you! I will have to delete comments with no contact info.

3. This contest will be open until Friday, September 25th. Comments will close on at 11:59pm CA time.

4. I will use random.org to draw the winner and post the results/notify winner via email. (US only, I'm sorry!)

5. For two extra entries: (not required) Tweet, and/or blog about this contest and leave each of your links in a separate comment (three contest entry opportunities total). You will need a free Twitter account.

6. You do not have to follow me on Twitter, follow this blog or subscribe to this blog as a method of entry. Tweet as often as you like, but only one Tweet will count as an extra entry. Leave one comment for each entry method. Here is the URL to this post: http://bit.ly/NestleFam

7. *Nestle is sponsoring this giveaway. The prize package is awarded in the form of free product coupons that the PR company will mail to the winner. To enter the $5,000 Ready, Set, School giveaway, go to the Nestle Family site. My contest is not affiliated with their sweepstakes.