Saturday, December 18th, 2010

Namaste,

Just for the newbies.... Namaste (Nam-A-Stay) means bless the spirit within. It is a greeting used all over Asia, and it is non-denominational, and not specific to any one religion of belief. I wrote in my last book, that I don't care who you pray to... What is important to me is that you believe in something larger than us.... We need something to believe in or we fall for everything!

I got up at 5:00 and ran on the treadmill.... My upper body is in bad shape. Neck, shoulders, elbows, occipital orbit... After getting our team ready for NAGA this weekend, I am really sore. I still have a pretty good black eye, and recurrent headaches.

I finished the book I was reading... Anyone want to guess what it was called? Yep!!!!! Everest. It is actually a fiction book, about an energy drink company putting together an expedition, and all of the training. Obviously the writer has a pretty good knowledge about the physical requirements of a 90 day expedition in the most inhospitable place on earth.

I met one of my scholarship candidates/friends at Weight Wise at 9:30. We talked to Dr. Walton Friday afternoon about getting her surgery done very quickly, and he really wanted to see her yesterday morning. Not only did it show me how committed she is, it showed Dr. Walton how committed she is. She has an appointment a week from Tuesday, and we should have her ready by early January.

I met Sherrie at mom's and we went to take the food we collected for the family we are sponsoring to their house. We visited with them for 1/2 an hour then went to get some lunch... Headed to Hobby Lobby, where all I wanted to do was to have four pictures matted, and backed. I am going to let the recipients frame them because I have no idea what kind of frame they will want. I was very disappointed in the efforts of the Hobby Lobby staff. I made them cut one of the mats four times. They had staples and stuff all over the table and scratched two of the prints. I should have made them replace the prints but time is short! We left Hobby Lobby and went to Wal Mart... Holy Cow it was busy. We were there for quite a long time. We came home cleaned up and headed to Brooke and Laynes house for a Christmas party. They are so gracious to host all of their friends. They have a beautiful home and an awesome English Bulldog. His name is Brody and he loves me. He reminds me of Boomer.... He lays down and rolls over on his back just like Boomer. When we left we had to stop at Khol's and I bought Sherrie a new sweater to wear to church today. She has lost so much weight that all of her dress clothes just hang off of her. We came home, and I would have liked to snuggle, but Sherrie was out like a light! She was snoring like Boomer after a long night!

The picture is Keldon Brown. He is the little boy we are sponsoring for Christmas. His smile is infectious!

All my love!

Mat