This weekend, a small plane crashed near Kathmandu airport after a sightseeing flight in the Himalayas. There were no survivors. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2011/09/25/2011-09-25_plane_touring_mt_everest_crashes_in_nepal_killing_19_including_2_americans.html
I'm trying to figure out how to keep my Mom from reading that story in the newspaper or seeing it online. She'd probably have a stroke, as she was never keen on my goal to go to Everest to begin with...
Oh, and and I'm pretty sure she missed last week's story about the earthquake and landslides there, too: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/19/world/asia/earthquake-shakes-india-and-nepal.html
Yep, 40 years old and I'm still worried what my mom might think. Take for instance how I changed the name of this blog recently because the *real* name had a swear word in it. Gasp! I think Mom would have been mortified to have friends and relatives follow a blog in which her daughter refers to herself as a "Half-Assed Perfectionist".
What?! Your daughter swears?! Shit. If she only knew...
The description though, is quite accurate, Half-Assed Perfectionist: If something is worth doing, it's worth doing right. Well, when I feel like it. And that's truly my personality. Things have to be "just-so" ALL THE TIME, until I can't take it anymore and succumb to being a slacker for a little while.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Inadvertent Stupidity
I always manage to do at least one incredibly stupid thing before I leave on a trip. Once it was getting a speeding ticket the night before my flight. Goodbye necessary airport identification!
Once it was getting a bad pedicure just before I left on a trip to Italy. Nothing says walking the streets of Rome for a week like clipped-too-short toenails. This time my incredibly stupid thing was using a new ATM and forgetting to take back my card at the end of the transaction. In my defense, my usual ATM is the "swipe" kind and this one was the kind where you feed it in and then it expels it at the end after you take the receipt. Because I didn't take my card back at the end, the ATM "ate" it for security purposes. Oh, and this particular bank destroys any cash station cards that get eaten by the machine if the card was not issued by them. Getting a new one from my bank will take 10 days, cutting it really close to the day of departure. Withdrawing money from an ATM overseas is a necessity, that replacement card better get here fast.
Once it was getting a bad pedicure just before I left on a trip to Italy. Nothing says walking the streets of Rome for a week like clipped-too-short toenails. This time my incredibly stupid thing was using a new ATM and forgetting to take back my card at the end of the transaction. In my defense, my usual ATM is the "swipe" kind and this one was the kind where you feed it in and then it expels it at the end after you take the receipt. Because I didn't take my card back at the end, the ATM "ate" it for security purposes. Oh, and this particular bank destroys any cash station cards that get eaten by the machine if the card was not issued by them. Getting a new one from my bank will take 10 days, cutting it really close to the day of departure. Withdrawing money from an ATM overseas is a necessity, that replacement card better get here fast.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Thanks of the day
Thanks to my good friend Del for the kids' personalized Mad Scientist costumes from her Halloween party a while back... that's what the kids are going as this year so I don't have to leave the costume issue up in the air while I'm gone.... They look awesome!
One more thing off my to-do list!
One more thing off my to-do list!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Just in case...medications for the trip
Various antibiotics, pain medications, altitude sickness medication, etc. In total there are 19 medications that are being brought along for daily and/or emergency use.
In addition to the medications, the immunizations I got for the trip were: Hepatitis A and B, Polio Booster, Tetanus, and Typhoid (hurt like a bitch for days!) ***Cha-ching! Even at the county health department these were more pricey than I expected!
Friday, September 16, 2011
If you have to ask...
Many people are curious about the cost of this trip. Nosy, I know. But there is a thing called Google and you could probably easily find out by looking up the trip cost on the Mountain Madness website if you really wanted to...but does it matter?? Well, no. But you're going to snoop and look it up anyway, aren't you? Land only cost, plus airfare to Asia plus several thousand more for gear, insurance, shots, medications, tips for the guides, spending money...you do the math. I'm sure there are those who won't bat an eye at the final total, and there are those whose jaws need to be picked up off the floor. I have saved for over a decade to take this trip so I don't really care what you think or don't think about the cost.
If you've never heard of the company Mountain Madness, one of the premier guiding and adventure companies in the world, then you also don't recognize the name of the founder, Scott Fischer. Which means you probably never read Into Thin Air in the first place. Wikipedia is a handy source to read about Mountain Madness and Scott Fischer.
Since you're busy looking up all sorts of information about my adventure on the internet right about now, here are a few handy links on some of the specifics:
Information about the company can be found at http://www.mountainmadness.com/ and the specific trip details can be found at http://www.mountainmadness.com/adventures/trekking/asia/nepal/everest-base-camp-trek#trip-overview/description.
The trip leader is Deanna Zabaldo and here is her bio: http://www.parahamsa.com/about/about-deana-zabaldo/
The Introduction to Mountaineering course I took 12 years ago can be found here: http://www.mountainmadness.com/adventures/schools/north-america/introduction-to-mountaineering-course#trip-overview/description
If you've never heard of the company Mountain Madness, one of the premier guiding and adventure companies in the world, then you also don't recognize the name of the founder, Scott Fischer. Which means you probably never read Into Thin Air in the first place. Wikipedia is a handy source to read about Mountain Madness and Scott Fischer.
Since you're busy looking up all sorts of information about my adventure on the internet right about now, here are a few handy links on some of the specifics:
Information about the company can be found at http://www.mountainmadness.com/ and the specific trip details can be found at http://www.mountainmadness.com/adventures/trekking/asia/nepal/everest-base-camp-trek#trip-overview/description.
The trip leader is Deanna Zabaldo and here is her bio: http://www.parahamsa.com/about/about-deana-zabaldo/
The Introduction to Mountaineering course I took 12 years ago can be found here: http://www.mountainmadness.com/adventures/schools/north-america/introduction-to-mountaineering-course#trip-overview/description
Monday, September 12, 2011
Which column do you fall into?
Everyone who knows about My Big Plan falls into 1 of 2 categories-Those who have readily embraced the idea and said, "Really?? That is fantastic!!!" and those who have said, "Why would you want to do that?"
The people who think it is a great idea usually then ask how I came up with the idea in the first place. Truth be told, an old co-worker is to blame. Kim is an avid reader and everyday at the hospital, the social workers would sit in the cafeteria at lunch and discuss which books each of us was reading. Or should I say they were reading. At that time, I was more interested in reading research articles than novels. When I said that I didn't really like fiction, Kim asked if I'd ever heard of the non-fiction book Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. I hadn't. In fact, a book about mountaineering sounded kind of dull and boring. She said I'd "love it" (everyone says that) and then loaned me the book. I finished it in a few days and then proceeded to push the book on everyone I knew, telling them, "No, you HAVE to read it!! You'll LOVE it!!" And thus began my obsession with Everest.
Its my guess that 50% of people who decide to do the Everest Base Camp Trek were spurred by the book Into Thin Air, so I know I'm not alone in my obsession and I know I'm not unique. A few months after reading the book, I decided to do something utterly ridiculous and book an Introduction to Mountaineering course with Mountain Madness, one of the guiding companies from the book. The course may not be out of the ordinary if you live in a place where there are mountains. Or even hills. Suburban Chicago, though? Yeah, not so much.
Hey, Ed Viesturs hails from Rockford, Illinois so I guess it's not that absurd of an idea, right? Yes, go ahead, I'll wait while you look up Ed Viesturs on Wikipedia.
The people who think it is a great idea usually then ask how I came up with the idea in the first place. Truth be told, an old co-worker is to blame. Kim is an avid reader and everyday at the hospital, the social workers would sit in the cafeteria at lunch and discuss which books each of us was reading. Or should I say they were reading. At that time, I was more interested in reading research articles than novels. When I said that I didn't really like fiction, Kim asked if I'd ever heard of the non-fiction book Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. I hadn't. In fact, a book about mountaineering sounded kind of dull and boring. She said I'd "love it" (everyone says that) and then loaned me the book. I finished it in a few days and then proceeded to push the book on everyone I knew, telling them, "No, you HAVE to read it!! You'll LOVE it!!" And thus began my obsession with Everest.
Its my guess that 50% of people who decide to do the Everest Base Camp Trek were spurred by the book Into Thin Air, so I know I'm not alone in my obsession and I know I'm not unique. A few months after reading the book, I decided to do something utterly ridiculous and book an Introduction to Mountaineering course with Mountain Madness, one of the guiding companies from the book. The course may not be out of the ordinary if you live in a place where there are mountains. Or even hills. Suburban Chicago, though? Yeah, not so much.
Hey, Ed Viesturs hails from Rockford, Illinois so I guess it's not that absurd of an idea, right? Yes, go ahead, I'll wait while you look up Ed Viesturs on Wikipedia.
Pre-trip Planning, the prequel
Have I mentioned the moon and the stars have had to align for this trip to become reality? A major concern of this trip planning process has been, What employer would ever give me this much time off of work?? Special thanks goes out to my boss who didn't bat an eye when I mentioned last year that I needed time off "to go to Everest". I believe his response (that was, may I add, without a snicker or an eyeroll) was, "Just let me know what dates you need to be gone so I can arrange coverage for you." What a great boss.
Pre-trip Planning
The first draft of the pages that will go in the "Who-Goes-Where" Handbook, aka "How to Care for my Children for 30 Days". In it you will find information about: school, homework, orchestra, soccer, football, directions, times, maps, needed gear, consent forms, schedules, meals, bedtime, and important names, phone numbers and emails. I'm sure I'm missing something! Lucky for me, I have a great sister-in-law who knows my kids really well and has offered to fly in for one of the weeks I am gone. Yes, that's right, she took off of work to spend a week with my kids. She has watched our kids in the past when we have vacationed and probably figures this time will be a walk in the park. In the past it has involved diaper changing, nap times, battling the flu, car seats, and the occasional time-out. This time I'm sure it will revolve around Wii marathons and loading them with Orange Crush.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Thursday, September 8, 2011
This will definitely all fit!
Three stuff sacks and some miscellaneous gear inside the big red duffel... The stuff that is left will go in my carry-on, ie, my Osprey Talon 44 pack. Room to spare!
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
"B" words
The biggest concerns on my mind today while packing for my trip are the 3 B's: Blisters, Bedtime, and Bathrooms. My boots are as broken in as they're gonna get and one can only hope they treat my feet right. The backup plan of running shoes makes me happy just thinking about it. I love them.
Bedtime? If you know me, you know I need my sleep. I'm a light sleeper (that's a total understatement Honey, I know) but throw in 16 bunkmates in an unheated plywood structure hacking up a lung with the Khumbu cough, and I can tell you now, it ain't gonna be pretty. For God's sake, I can hear a pin drop in the basement of my well-insulated home and I sleep with a fan going for white noise. I'm just wired that way. It serves me well in other areas of my life to be so sensitive, but as things go, it's a difficult way to live. This is when the mental discipline will need to kick into overdrive on the trip. I'll say it again: In order to function, I need sleep. I don't care about waking up early, I just need to feel rested. It's really weighing on my mind because right off the bat I will be sleep deprived because of the time change and my inability to sleep on a plane. I'm hoping the sheer exhaustion from hiking every day will allow my body to rest at night. Just in case, I've got 3 different brands of earplugs.
Bathroom issues... As I line up the million medications I am required to take on the trip in the event I acquire any number of ailments along the way, I can't help but think specifically about all the potential intestinal problems that threaten trekkers in Nepal. I am famous for always touching my eyes, my mouth, etc.-a perfect host for various bacteria. I hope to be right smack in the middle of the bathroom spectrum, i.e., NO PROBLEMS. If I let my mind wander, I think about how awful it is when you have the flu and how you just want God to make the misery stop...and then I think, what must it be like to be sick in a place with no Western toilets and no running water? Ughhh. Ickkk. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best, I guess.
Bedtime? If you know me, you know I need my sleep. I'm a light sleeper (that's a total understatement Honey, I know) but throw in 16 bunkmates in an unheated plywood structure hacking up a lung with the Khumbu cough, and I can tell you now, it ain't gonna be pretty. For God's sake, I can hear a pin drop in the basement of my well-insulated home and I sleep with a fan going for white noise. I'm just wired that way. It serves me well in other areas of my life to be so sensitive, but as things go, it's a difficult way to live. This is when the mental discipline will need to kick into overdrive on the trip. I'll say it again: In order to function, I need sleep. I don't care about waking up early, I just need to feel rested. It's really weighing on my mind because right off the bat I will be sleep deprived because of the time change and my inability to sleep on a plane. I'm hoping the sheer exhaustion from hiking every day will allow my body to rest at night. Just in case, I've got 3 different brands of earplugs.
Bathroom issues... As I line up the million medications I am required to take on the trip in the event I acquire any number of ailments along the way, I can't help but think specifically about all the potential intestinal problems that threaten trekkers in Nepal. I am famous for always touching my eyes, my mouth, etc.-a perfect host for various bacteria. I hope to be right smack in the middle of the bathroom spectrum, i.e., NO PROBLEMS. If I let my mind wander, I think about how awful it is when you have the flu and how you just want God to make the misery stop...and then I think, what must it be like to be sick in a place with no Western toilets and no running water? Ughhh. Ickkk. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best, I guess.
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