I Got Another One!!!

I was blessed to have one more Thanksgiving with Captain Jack and my Grandma. The kids have taken to calling them Grampa and Grandma Santa Claus due to my grandma's resemblance to Mrs. Claus.

In addition to some amazing vegan thanksgiving food, I got to listen to another story of the sea. This time it was of a month-long journey from the Panama Canal home to Redondo Beach, CA. There were no hurricane's to content with and no abandoning ship on this trip. Just a month at sea, enjoying the sun and the water as they got paid to sail someone else's boat home. I think I just found my new career path once the kids are out of the house. I can't imagine abetter job than being paid to sail someone's 50-foot yacht home from a foreign port.

All I would need is Tony by my side, a fridge full of Diet Dr. Pepper (and some Stone for Tony) and a month to be away from it all at sea. I also was reminded by Captain Jack that if I ever find the money to buy a boat, I should buy a Coronado 25. My grandparents owned one when their children were young and he swears it is the absolute best family cruiser around. I am inclined to believe him. Thinking if I ever do dig up some buried treasure the first thing I will do is find that boat and give it a name that is worthy of my grandpa. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the Pilgrims and Indians (sorry, the Native Americans) for coming together so I could have another excuse to listen to sea stories of Captain Jack and Grandma Santa Claus in the warmth of my parents' house.

Letter to a Diabetic Mommy

I read a blog post recently about the affect Diabetes has on our children. it was something I haven't given too much thought to. When I think about the Type 3 in my life, I think Tony. Shea is now getting to an age where she can clearly express the affect diabetes has had on her life. Since she is such a good writer, even at nine, I thought she might feel more open to express her thoughts if I let her write a guest blog post. So below is her blog post, spelling errors and all (the spelling handicap is hereditary).

Having a diabetic mom has its ups and downs. Sometimes my mom can not play with me as much. My mom can only palay outside for 15 to 20 minutes [mostly due to years of battling thyroid disease not diabetes].

When my mom can play we normally play cards, playing school, or playing American Girl dolls. My mom is super fun when she is playing softball outside with y family and I love when my mom is playing outside with me.

My mom is super fun when she is not to low or to high. Having a Diabetic mom is 75% awesome and 25% not so awesome. My mom is to low or to high alote which affects playing with my mom.

My mom does great things for having diabetes. My mom runs triathlons. My mom is a super fast runner, [If only she knew how slow I am], biker and swimmer. My mom is a great person and I love her to death even though it is hard sometimes I try to make the best out of the ups and downs there are that come with having a diabetic mom. I love my mommy.

Has It Really Been Six Months?

My husband, Tony, has been doing triathlons for three years now. He has come from a couch potato to placing very high in his age group. Yesterday he went to pick up his race packet for yet another race, his fifth this year. As he reached the front of the line he gave the lady behind the counter his name and the greatest thing happened. "Spineto? Is your wife that diabetic sailor girl?" she asked.

"Yeah?" he questioned not knowing where she was going.

"That's so cool. I follow her blog. I'm a diabetic, too." she said.

(By the way, if you happen to be this lady, leave me a comment, I'd love to hear form you.)

When he came home and told me this story, my first thought was of how guilty I felt for not writing in six months. well, that's not exactly accurate. I have written, I just haven't written a blog post in that long. Who knows the real reason why I haven't, maybe I am avoiding being so public with all of this, or I was rebelling against having to write on a deadline after doing it for a while.

I would like to think that maybe it was just because I was out living my life, storing up stories to write about at a later time. But which ever reason it was, I thought it was time to break the streak.

I returned from my trip in February and took a week or so to get back in the rhythm of everyday life. In March, I started construction on Come Monday, my twelve foot plywood and epoxy sailboat. Building a boat was one of those things on my "Someday I Will" list, but was never the right time mostly due to lack of space and lack of funds.

Since we moved a year ago, I now had a little space in the garage next to the cardio training room, my writing studio, Tony's painting studio, the surfboard quiver and the laundry room to build a smallish boat.

My requirements were simple. The van could handle a boat up to 12 feet on the rack and I would need at least that much to float the whole family (with a little leeway if my kids ever decide to grow). So it would be a 12 foot boat.

The epoxy could fix all the poor craftsmanship due to twenty year old tools and the fact that my only training was twelve weeks of seventh grade wood shop. Any pathetic cut I made just got filled in with epoxy. After two months and around sixty hours of labor Come Monday took her first voyage, across the Carlsbad Lagoon with Tony, Shea and Eli aboard. And she actually floated.

Me being me, I forgot the oar locks so we paddled her with oars far too long to do it comfortably. I am still working on her sailing rig, cutting down an old sail my friend, Craig, so kindly donated, and working on the mast and spars and rudder and leeboard.

Come Monday showed she was seaworthy just as I was finishing up my thirteenth year teaching, which means I have been a teacher just as long as I have sat in those little desks before high school graduation. I also reached the point where I have spent as many years since high school graduation as it took me to get there.

Summer came with the promise of finishing all of those projects I put off during the school year, but as soon as the days got long and hot and the kids were off playing for hours on end in the cul-de-sac, all I wanted to do was laze around by the pool and thumb my nose at my to-do list. I even dared to watch a T.V. show in the middle of the day, a true indulgence.

My thyroid has cooperated with the meds and is getting back in line, no longer doing whatever the hell it wanted. It is listening to the rules of my body more and more which is great for my overall well being.

I have recovered enough to get back the desire to compete in triathlons again. So in June I chose one in October and began training. I had no idea though not only how badly out of shape I had become after being sick for 3 years, but of how slowly my recovery would be. My body just doesn't bounce back like it used to. Maybe its still recovering from the thyroid or maybe I'm just getting old, or maybe a little of both.

Lucky for me I am good at dragging my feet at paying entrance fees, October is far too soon for a race. Instead I will shoot for the Carlsbad Half-marathon in January. Insulindependence has a team that does the race and they do it right with a whole weekend of events and parties and a great support tent out on the course. Even if I have to walk it, which I'm pretty sure my pride won't let me, (I finished the last one with a stress fracture in my foot from the obstinate thyroid) I want to be a part of it.

And since there are so many great people doing the race, that same pride will drag my lazy butt out to the treadmill day after day to train so I won't have to walk it. And my good buddy Michelle has been dragging my ass out to meet her to bike every week which has been doing wonders for my recovery. (Thanks, Michelle!)

Although I haven't been writing for the blog, I have spent a good chunk of the last six months working on the book and it's really starting to take shape. I figure I'm about two-thirds of the way finished with the first draft. and just as I am about to celebrate, I realize I haven't accounted for the time needed to complete my second draft and my third.

I have lined up an editor, which, I am sure, is obvious I desperately need. I forgot to pay attention to these things in high school, instead choosing to spend most of the hours of my class asleep on my desk. Some days I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Other days I see that light receding into the abyss.

I have had my fill of crappy diabetic days. Those days when a 300 that you cursed over at noon becomes your best blood sugar of the day. When the thought of spending some time praying to the porcelain god flits through your head and the only thing that takes away that thought is curling up in bed with your softest blanket and watching hours of a new TV show on Netflix. I have brought down my A1c's from an unacceptable range due to the thyroid and lack of exercise to a less shitty level. Still not what I want it to be or what I would be proud of, thus, why I have not mentioned any numbers.

I did manage to hook up with Nick again (my Dexcom, not a sordid affair, I promise) after learning how to work my insurance plan. I have yet to get new A1C's done to prove his worth, but, I know it everyday he tells me I've exceeded my limit for sugar or when he gently nudges me in the middle of the night, telling me to storm the kitchen for some chocolate sludge.

As for the future I have my plans, and on top of that list is to finish the first draft of the book, the second and third and get it into the hands of an agent or publisher any way I can, which of course means learning a whole new business and doing that work that goes against my own nature, self-promotion. But it will be well worth it to hear just one person say they found some thought they could use in life.

Come Monday still needs her rig. I will celebrate my 35th birthday in a month and my 13th wedding anniversary in a few weeks to a man I am still completely in love with. I am determined to learn to run again.

And I have started the thought processes on my next big adventure. One involves the Keys, a journey, a group of friends, kayaks, some running and swimming. One involves the family, a boat and the Intercoastal Waterway. Maybe a group of girls and a multi-part running journey bringing only the clothes on our backs, lots of sugars, and a credit card for a place to stay. Then there's the Grand Canyon Part II, this time with running shoes and both walls of the canyon.

Or maybe flying a sixty foot hovercraft? Then there's enjoying some football, hanging out with friends and doing a better job keeping up with this blog. All in all it was a spring and summer well spent.