Believe it or not, getting up at 5:00 AM was not that hard.  The last two weeks I have found myself in this huge draining time warp of exhaustion seemingly barely getting all done just in the nick of time – and even so, somehow amazingly it keeps getting done….:)

Thanks to the ASF Bear Boosters we have been able to capitalize on the last three weekends, yeah, they are weekends but also, been able to do concessions at ASF to generate funds to offset costs of printing and add some insurance for when and if prices might increase.  Thanks to the the Sports Faculty at ASF and PA Boosters, despite giving up our Saturday’s they have been a success.  Here’s a typical morning…

5:00 AM, wake up – stumble to the kitchen, grab dog food, make my way to where the already whining canines are aware of me waking up, drop food in their bowl, head to the shower (the time allows their food to digest!) – get dressed, get the dogs, to the walk thing through Parque Rio – come back, get items together for today’s concession (today?  One dozen Krispy Kreme, one microwave, one long cord power strip, 6 bagels (more at school) 12 muffins, on case of Valle juice boxes, a backpack full of other supplies – and believe it or not, I made it to the corner for a taxi.

Whew – 6:40 AM – ASF – early – good, enough time to start 48 cups of coffee brewing, head immediately to Oxxo two blocks away, three large bags of ice coming back kind of totally uncomfortable back to ASF (yes, close enough to walk and not far enough away to feel deserving of a taxi) – make it into ASF with arms aching, get all Gatorade, water,juice, soda on ice – load up the dolly with items, grab two large tables from across campus and bring to the lower part of school.   Set up all items back and forth like 8 times from the library where supplies are kept put on tablecloths, tables and items, set up electric, we are in business at EXACTLY 8:00 AM!

Three different stages of gymnastic groups are performing and by 10:00 Krispy Kremes had been gone in that first 2o minutes to follow at 8:20 – Muffins started disappearing next but WHO WOULD HAVE KNOWN we would have to make FOUR complete 48 cup urns of coffee today?  Y^#(!#&$(&@#*^&R$%^#O!  WOW!  Bagels, muffins donuts are a wisp of a dream my 11:30 and POOF! – Pizza arrives after awesome amazing staffer Ye Eun makes the call – bam!  four pizzas and they are delved on – 1 hour and they were a dream.  after the break for the judges, we order more and immediately they are back for as much pizzas as we ordered a second set of four.

As this utter chaos of way more people than we expected swirling around us, the calmness, expertise and reactions from staffers Alexa and YeEun made 10000% the difference today and the reason they did so well?  Because of those two and keeping a level-head. After 3:00 hit, and I spent an hour more cleaning and ordering things away and in the library, with my feet absolutely POUNDING – I headed back in a Citio as I had no energy to make it to the metro, at all.

I get home and find, the turkey I was going to buy off the group is GONE.  Nada.  Of course I realize this when I get home.  I walk the dogs as they had been in since 5:30 AM – we do the walk and take care of business routine, and I jet back to the metro, yes, that is right, headed back to ASF sure I can the meat I left out on the desk of the Lower School kitchen.  I could not fathom so much food/packets going bad so I am figuring I will jet back grab it and come back home FINALLY.

I get to ASF AGAIN, and can not find the turkey packages ANYWHERE.  I am too tired to realize I came back and am no better than when I started, and yet I did seem to just do that.  I get back home with my legs and feet feeling like small volcano eruption.  Open the fridge and YEAH. Stuffed inside a food container with the muffin is the piece I obviously had no clue about, the Pavo.  At this point, I decided my legs were going to give out soon from this day being so close, but not quite over. =

Also remember, this gymnastics concession was one of the longest, craziest and busiest day I have ever put in, and that counts Art Fair. I never, EVER saw that coming and yet I am still processing the event right now.  Literally it felt like I did the transcontinental passage back to where we started.  Through the absolute and sheer numbers that took us on one long ride all day and the talented anchoring of Alexa and Ye Eun, this day happened and much more financially than anyone could have imagined.

There are so many things you can say about people that have hearts larger than the community that surrounds them but yet, the subtle things done now only lead to greatness with the transition to a new experience after Upper School.

Looking back to my last day in New York, March 21st, this perhaps was one of the best days ever.  My high school friend and I spent just most of the day talking, venting, and at the Heartland Brewery  – at the base of the Empire State Building.  This place of course ia traditional meeting spot in the heart in New York City, has been for us alot but it is DELICIOUS and inviting, just a GREAT St. Elmo’s only larger kind of feel.  It is so incredibly large it is easy to forget that this is part of a huger whole!   Stepping into just sitting and chatting, reflecting, and remembering, and contemplating, it was a pretty great afternoon!

We all have friends that are priceless, and with my friend Umar, we step back in where we left off and time never seems to stop where we pick up.  He is absolutely the best friend you’d ever want in anyone – we both have war stories of what has happened to use when the good nice always finishes last yet, we never have to share any of them, it is a given that we have endured and persevered in this crazy life, and have come out victors because we have made such valuable friendships.  Not only did Umar purchase a shirt from The Heartland Brewery for me, but he got me this amazing jersey      and this point I was dumbfounded.   I now have a Steeler jersey, Penguins, and have to see about getting my Pirates Kendall jersey that “disappeared” at the dry cleaners and the set will be back intact…

All the times we had Pittsburgh and witnessed Mario Lemieux on the ice for the Penguins, the moments of reflecting back and just being friends? – With the amazing things that happened on this trip in New York this year and the accolades we worked so hard for – the friendships like these – are worth a thousand masterpieces in any gallery.

The day, before heading to the airport was a different take on New York seeing it in different eyes, with a friend that witnessed the same craziness in high school, here we are worlds apart and yet, here we are!

Which, that Saturday and this Saturday – have these amazing parallels of amazing people with a heart that is larger than what anyone can imagine;  greatness pours out because yes, their compassion, their optimism, and commitment,  be it friendships, helping when help is needed, and just being a GREAT person – life is good and there are no words to show how deep these individuals and friendships run where ever you go.

Yes, today with the trips I actually made back and forth countlessly today, as a result of the extreme fatigue that creates forgetfulness and much general chaos, that Saturday with a best friend from so many years before and JUST seeing New York in a different light – all magical moments thanks to the people that bring what they have inside of them to our doorstep everywhere.  Amid the feet throbbing, the muscles screaming for the night to provide some comfort – when you are surrounded like friends like Umar, Alexa and Ye Eun, everything fits right into place.

Coming back on the plane in Business Class, wow, That was a different world in itself yet seeing the lights of Mexico into view – an amazing feeling that so much that happened had become so much a part of me.  That in itself made it hard to differentiate what the best part of this whole New York experience truly was – hard to leave such a trip behoind yet knowing this was a result of so many talented people that made it happen? – it was amazing to be back to them and realize this is my life now yet friends I have made always are with me in some fashion, that seems pretty amazing   🙂  Lucky?  Beyond with these amazing people in my life 🙂