Final Week of the Year

I can't believe I have only one week remaining before I have done at least one new thing every week of the year! This week will be a bit of a challenge. There are actually two things which I'll include in my book; previously if there was more than one thing, I chose between the two because I don't want to overwrite this book. However, this week, both new experiences pretty much belong, so there will be two this week.

For Christmas, my brother Mike visited from medical school a bordering state away. In my family of five children, the siblings draw names for gift giving. Mike got my name, which he kept secret until Christmas day. When I opened my gift, I found a porcelain doll that belonged to me about ten years ago wrapped in a cardboard box. Mike said, "Don't worry, that's just a decoy." Then there was a sheet of paper beneath with guns randomly printed in a cheap font. This was a message about his Christmas gift to come . . . taking me to a firing range. He had suggested this once as a new thing for me, and while he's still visiting, we will do this together.

My second thing will be to end the book exactly where I started: with the Beat the New Year 5k. Now of course, this is not new because by now I've ran 5Ks and even a full marathon, so this in itself does not fit with the book. So to modify the race to make it a new experience, I will be running it in a bikini. That's right, even in the winter at 11:30 at night. I have made preparations to help myself avoid frostbite and hypothermia. It will be an experience, no matter what happens. People tell me, "You're crazy!" I just tell them, "That's what I'm thinking." But I'm doing it anyway. What a way to end 2009--to finish it with a race just like I started it, only this time I'm sure I'll be a little bit colder. And then my goal has been completed! Joyfully on to the next step!