Relay for Life...

Peter & Toni and John & I were recruited to help drive golf carts for Relay for Life this weekend. We all shared equal amounts of excitement and preoccupation. Although Toni and Peter had the most to be preoccupied by as they moved into their first home last weekend and had plenty of unpacking and housework to do.

Despite all of the things that we COULD have been doing. We managed to work hard and enjoy ourselves while we were there. Our official job title was "people movers". We were responsible for helping survivors make it from their cars to their camp site as well as helping handicapped people get to their various destinations. We also helped people unload their various "necessities" for their campsites as well as distribute the luminarias around the track (a 5-hour undertaking).

However, all four of us agreed that our most favorite part of the weekend was driving the survivors around the track during the opening ceremonies "survivor lap". It was so much fun to be a part of it. We all enjoyed our respective survivors and had fun stories to share about each of them. I drove the sweetest little old lady. "P" was 90 years old and was telling me all about how this was her first time at the event and how she was so impressed by everything. She also told me that her 93 year old husband would be waiting for her at the finish line, so we needed to make sure and look for him when we were done. She told me about how her children have taken to worrying about her, and she just didn't understand why. As we drove around the track it quickly became clear that she was quite the socialite. She seemed to know almost everyone surrounding the track and we drove around to choruses of "Hi, P" at every turn. To each person we met she would introduce me as "her driver, Katie" and wanted to make sure that I shook hands with all of her friends and family. She reminded me a lot of G. Sue, so I felt right at home.

Toni's survivor, "D", was quite the character. He had this fantastic flowing white hair and was full of stories. He told Toni the story of a mishap involving his "bag". Once, while walking down the street, he told her, it came open and "poo" spewed out everywhere. We all agreed that this story was full of hilarity and all got a great kick out of it on our drive home.

It is a great event to be sure and we were happy that we got to be a part of it. It will take me awhile to get over all of the allergy problems that it created for me, but I guess the sacrifice was well worth it. (Dust + Golf cart exhaust + Driving down rows and rows of cars parking = a plethora of respiratory problems for Katie)

John and I

Peter and Toni

Me in my Disneyland people mover tram

(I never knew that I had dreams of driving a people mover at Disneyland, but as soon as I got behind the wheel of this thing I felt as though a long term dream had been realized)

Toni on her cart

My lovely survivor ladies

My sweet little 90-year old passenger