The Terry Fox Run.

First time for me,  but for some of the volunteers and participants, they’ve been doing this for years and years.  You find this out when asking the runners how many years they’ve been participating.  It was on the form.  Some bit of information that needed to be gleaned.  I suppose it’s an interesting tidbit to know,  but I didn’t exactly ask why we needed to know.

 

I was at first a little puzzled as to why the registration tables were kind of stuck down at the end of things, but when faced with having to count several hundred dollars, or even making sure I didn’t bugger things up too badly, I was quite happy we weren’t sitting any closer to the DJ.  Not that the music was overly loud or anything,  but any port in a storm.

And speaking along those lines,  it was sure a good thing that the wind didn’t pick up, since it wasn’t exactly a blistering hot day.  You can see the folks there on the right have wisely gone with the “papoose program”.  I managed to keep from getting hypothermic, but I did notice that my fingertips were beginning to be a little less cooperative as the morning wore on.

This year for the first time,  bikes were not allowed to ride along,  which came as a bit of disappointment for a couple families.  But that bit of information was fairly common knowledge, so I think maybe they hadn’t really checked?  It was “on the website”. 

Whatever.  Isn’t it a “Terry Fox Run”? 

Too bad really,  but apparently there was a bit of tom foolery in years past with kids showing up on bikes and basically being idiots.  I’m not sure what the answer to that one is,  except to maybe stipulate that biking would be OK, as long as it’s “Families only”?   I suppose that would work, but it’s not my call.

My pictures kind of suck.  I don’t have any of the actual start of the run,  since the start line was way over at the other end.  Again, no complaints about that.  There were several hundred participants, but I have no clue how many.  Maybe over a thousand?  I’m sure I’ll find out soon enough.

 

Of course, there were groups, entire families, and individuals.  There were a couple groups that had gone around among their co-workers and collected some serious coin (like in the thousands) with their respective companies willing to match whatever they came up with.  This was when I was quite happy to have very few distractions,  since on each occasion a large chunk of it was cash. 

On the other end of the spectrum,  we told all the folks who donated “on line”,  just how much we loved them!

 

I mean,  I don’t mind counting cash.  I’ve counted mountains of it over the years (restaurant work etc.) but usually in a locked room, when it’s really, really quiet.  Just saying.

Oh, and where I don’t have to worry about having a slight breeze blow a couple fifties across the parking lot.  Didn’t happen, thankfully.

 

Hopefully my registration partner and I didn’t make too many goofs,  although we were informed of any misdeeds fairly early in the proceedings.  Hey, if I don’t get asked next year,  I’ll know why.  I don’t think that leaving one little box empty on a couple registration forms will get me punted out of the program though.  The word is that a couple run locations had to be cancelled due to the lack of volunteers.  Kind of sad really, but it happens.

I’m sure Terry Fox would be just blown away by how many places world wide raise money and get out and run.  It’s kind of awesome!

 

Anyhoodle,  it’s just another Monday here at the Ponderosa.

I figured I’d get back to my light removal/whatever project.  That chandelier isn’t going to put itself up.

But first I have to locate the wiring, all the while ripping out the two old lamps.  Well, there’s not really that “old”.  I think I did that installation in something like 2001?  Didn’t know at the time that we’d be buying a Swarovski Crystal Chandelier in Vienna….that needs to go in the middle of the room….where there’s no box.  *whimper*

 

I’d just like to point out that,  cutting drywall/plaster/what have you over head,  really really SUCKS.   I still have drywall dust on me.  Didn’t suck any into my lungs at least.

Please also note the “light fixture removal tool” there on the ladder,  also known as bolt cutters.  I got tired of wrestling with those suckers.

 

And there we go!

 

No wait.  That’s just the template. 

There’s still no wire right there, although at least I found the box where the old lamps had been connected.  Yippee. (note enthusiasm)

I was never overly keen when it came to math or arithmetic back in school,  but thankfully I did get a kick out of geometry.   Came in handy figuring out that template.   It’s best if it’s simple geometry though like, right angle triangles and such.  Don’t gimme no cosines!

Now, if I’m really lucky,  two of the support holes just might line up with a floor joist.  Oh ya baby!  

That’s the extent of the excitement in my life today. 

Cripes.

 

Keep those sticks….oh never mind.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by.

 

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