Rollin' on the Red In-line Marathon

     Well, Jules Had another adventure planned for me on Saturday, I got to hand out medals at the 2nd annual Rollin' on the Red In-line Marathon.  I was excited about this adventure, Jules talks about skating a lot so I wanted to see what this was like compared to the Roller derby.  The actual adventure started On Friday night.  We went to a place called the Canadinns for a skate and fitness expo.

again with the hanging me

   The Expo was great.  We got free water bottles from Altru, and wrote out cards saying what we would work on in to be healthier in the next year.  Then we made melt a bead projects, I think they were for kids but the nice ladies told us that they were for kids of all ages and let us do one.  We got our shirts for Saturday.  We also say these inline skates.  Wow, they are amazing.  Jules was awestruck by them.  She really wished she could try them.  You could see she was a little sad by this.  I know you all see her as happy go lucky, but she does get sad a lot about the things she isn't able to do anymore.  Finally, because we were volunteering we were treated to a delicious pasta buffet.  My belly was full, and to top it off they had slushies 

for dessert, Jules and my favorite.

I got to meet some of the race big wigs while I was at the expo

     On the way home from the race Jules and I talked about her skating days.  She talked about how she loved to skate.  She started skating basically as soon as she could walk.  She grew up in Minnesota so there was lots of pond hockey in the winter and rollerblading in the summer.   She not only loved to do it but used it as a method of transportation.  She loved to go on the half pipe and skate.  She worked at a roller rink for 3 years in college and said it was the best job ever.  She talks with such passion about it.  I ask her how it makes her feel to not skate.  She says the fact that she will never skate again is heart breaking.  Worse than the fact that she will never pee again.  that makes me feel sad so I change the subject, and tell her how great it is that she is walking better.  She says people do that to her all the time, they don't want to hear the negative.  I begin to think of her as a skater and I chuckle.  She is such an airhead ADD I don't imagine her ever being able to complete a marathon.  I tell her that and we laugh and she agrees.

     It is race day!!! It is 6:30 and the alarm is going off.  I am starting to think that my old assignment at grandma and grandpas house was a lot better gig.  We get in the car and off to the marathon we go. It is freezing cold out too.  When we arrived I couldn't believe  how many people were there.  Skaters and volunteers.   The skaters were lined up at the starting line and waiting for some lightning to pass.  and they had some crazy looking skates on.  There were men, women, and even kids with hockey helmets.  Jules didn't seemed fazed at all by this.  She said this is hockey town those kids will beat half the adults here.  There were over 250 skaters there.  They came from all over Minnesota, Canada, and even Kansas.  How awesome is that!!!  Then I looked up and who should I see???  Bettie and Hellga!!!  I was so excited to see them there.  Way to represent the forx roller derby!  ps. They did an awesome job!

how awesome are they???

Look at all those skaters

     After the we watched all the skaters take off and made sure to cheer on Bettie and Hellga, we had work to to do...but wait...who is that I see.  I see a man in a suit so I figure it is someone important.  Jules tells me it is mayor Mike Brown and Lt. governor Drew Wrigley.  Well of course I had to take a picture with them.  They were so nice to take a picture with us and so friendly, asking me all about my blog.  Mayor Brown even gave me a Grand Forks pin.  Unfortunately I can't vote, but if I could I would vote for them!!!

     Now back to work.  We had to get all the finisher medals and lay them out on the table so the would be ready for the racers when they came in.  This is the best volunteer job there is.  You get to congratulate every racer for the huge accomplishment that they just achieved.  

Here I am with all the medals

     The skaters started coming in ( I couldn't believe how fast they were) and I got to start handing out medals.  Well Jules handed out medals and I just watched and listened.  It was so cool to watch.  Everyone was smiling, even through exhaustion and pain.  Jules was smiling and seemed to have a glow about her as well, i was confused I thought she would be sad.  All the skaters were so grateful.  It seemed like every third one talked about how great the race was set up and how grateful they were to all the volunteers who were cheering them on.  They were saying it was so organized and they can't wait til next year. (me either...I hope I am still here).  I did such a good job I got a medal too.   266 medals later we were done.  

I did so good they let me have a medal too!!!

        We were done by 10:30am, enough time to go back to bed, before we went to visit with Al.  On the way home I asked Jules about that glow she had, and why she wasn't sad.  She told me that doing stuff like this helps her grieve what she can't do, but also shows her how she can still participate and have fun.  She said to see the look in the eyes of those skaters and still be able to relate helps her.  As much as she desires to skate again she must adjust to a life of not skating and what better way to do that than to help celebrate victory of other skaters...

     It was a great morning!!!  Thanks to Laura and her team for allowing me to participate.

I hope you enjoyed this blog...

Until the next adventure...stay safe, stay sane, and stay beautiful America!!!

Stripes 

Roller derby and a visit with Al

     I was so excited this morning.  Jules told me last night that I was going to my first every Roller derby bout.  So I got up early and stretched, ate a carb filled breakfast, and got my derby gear on was ready to go.  Much to my disappointment Jules said we weren't playing the roller derby game we were watching it.   So we packed up the car and off to Crookston we went!!!

Seriously hanging me from a sign is pretty scary and I did not find it necessary, but I am not the boss!!!

    

     The bout started and let me tell you I am very very very VERY glad that Jules did not let me play.  Those ladies are hard core.  The are fast and they are furious.  Did you get that little reference that I used there.  They taught us that in training in New York.  Anyhow they hit each other so hard knocking each other to the ground with such force you could hear the sound of impact like a gun shot.  I don't know how they continued to get up and skate. Yeah they wore fishnet and stockings but these ladies were no less athletes than any other athlete I have ever seen.  They all had super cool and clever names too.  

     I think the thing that impressed me the most about these women was the sisterhood that they shared.  If you don't know Jules' story she suffered a traumatic brain injury playing this very sport.  The team we went to play was evidently the team she played on.  It has been almost bee two years since she played on that team.  All those girls came over and talked to her, at separate times.  I thought that was really cool.  She said they always make her feel like she is still a part of the team.  She calls them her sisters.  I  guess that this sisterhood is throughout the whole derby community, not just in one town but everywhere.  She said that if your in derby you are instantly part of a community, world wide.  She said she has many friends in North Dakota from Williston, Fargo and Bismark that she stays in touch with through something like ummm facebook that are her sisters only from derby, but hold a special place in her heart.  I think that is really cool.

here we are before the game

     This was awesome...Betty from Willeston took me for a spin around the rink.  I had no idea how fast they went.  I thought I was going to throw up.  It was like a carnival ride, but they didn't have a sign up that said you have to be this tall to ride.  I thought it was fun but I was super scared.  Thank goodness no one gave us a hip check.  I heard Bettty is moving to Fargo so she might be here more often so that would be super cool.  

can you believe they all just just done beating the s#%t out of each other????

     After the bout we were off to Fargo to see Jules' friend Al in the hospital.  I was a little nervous because you never know how it is going to be when you visit someone in the hospital.  I never really know how I am suppose to act or what I am suppose to say.  After 10 minutes with Al I knew everything was going to be ok.  He even took a picture with Jules' and I and told me I could tell his story.

     I guess you may have heard of Al because Jules may have asked you to pray for him, some times over the last few months.  Al has been in the hospital since February 19th, two of those month in the ICU.  The chance that he will get out of the hospital are pretty much slim to none.  The last time that he has been out of his bed was July 4th and that was for about half an hour to watch the fireworks!  It would be too complicated to go into his whole health history, and everything that is going on with him, I don't understand it  all and also that is pretty personal.  Here is what you mainly need to know, before going in...he was a mostly healthy man (he did have copd) and now the doctors  have told him that he will not likely see Christmas.

     I was amazed at our visit.  This man was probably the strongest man that I have ever met.  He did actually remind me a lot of Dave on my old assignment.  We were there for about 4 hours and never complained to us.  He did get a bit grumpy with having to do cares and things but who wouldn't.  He laughed and laughed.  He did have some comments and real insightful thoughts of his imminent death, but didn't dwell on it.  He believes part of his purpose is to help nurses and doctors learn how to deal with long term patients.    he does have the option that he could take steps that would end his life sooner, but he says he enjoys living too much.   I couldn't believe it.  He is suffering so much and here he was laughing and joking and saying he enjoys living.  Then he buys dinner for everyone saying it feels nice to give back to people. Jules visits every Saturday, I hope I get to go with her every week.  He truly is an amazing man.  I hope you all continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers!!!

After such a long day I couldn't even sit on the hospital entrance sign!!!

I hope you enjoyed this blog....

Until the next adventure...stay safe, stay sane, and stay beautiful America!!!

Stripes

   

     

Stripes

     Hi my name is Stripes and this is Jules.  Well I think you all know Jules, but not me.  I am going to be taking over Jules blog for a little while.  We are going to go on adventures I am going to take pictures and write about what we did on our adventures.  Some of them will be things that are normal everyday living things and others will be big adventures that we take together.  I am really excited to be here on this assignment!
     So, let me tell you a little bit about myself.  I was born in China, but was quickly sent to New York.  I spent about 1 year in training in New York.  They talked about the different kind of assignments that we might asked to go on.  My favorite was parkour training.  I do hope one of my assignments is american ninja warrior, but i doubt it.  So my first assignment was to keep these five little kids happy and content in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.  I lived with Mary and Dave, the grandparents  it was a pretty good gig.  The kids were a little rough on me but I loved them.  They would hold me and cuddle me and carry me around.  Dave died last year, and we were all very sad.  He loved all those kids.  Turns out my mission there was complete, and the weird thing is, Jules is Mary's daughter.  When I got here I was very happy to see lots of pictures of the people I fell in love with in THE EP.  (we were not suppose to do that) so I already feel at home and hope that I might get to see them again.

     I sure like all of the animals here.  There were no animals on my last assignment.  Ralphie is a big dog that doesn't seem very smart, but is super friendly.  Lucy is little.  She didn't seem to care to much about me, but when I arrived she sniffed me A LOT and wagged her tail.  It must be my new cologne.  Then there is a baby tiger Charlie.  He is really nice for a tiger.  I don't know how long they can keep them until they have to release them into the wild.  There also is this like one year old cat Schmlyee that comes and goes with a friend of Jules.  She is really nice too but kind of an airhead as well.  We all took a really fun picture together.  I enjoyed it, but they didn't seem to thrilled about it.

    Well, I think that is it for now.  I hear tomorrow we are going to something called roller derby and to see Jules friend Al....Jules set me up. She got me a Sioux hat saying I will have to be a Sioux hockey  fan to live in her house.  She also let me wear her brand new Suzy Hotrod T-shirt, cause derby is again a must!!!  I am not so sure about all this?!?!?!
Until the next adventure..stay safe, stay sane, and stay beautiful America...
Stripes