I am happy to report that things are looking up today. I slept really well last night and didn’t wake up at 6:15, and then stayed in bed until 7:00.
I’m rooming with Carly who is one of the Team Challenge coaches. She and I made a trip to Starbucks which is right across the street (already a good start to the day!) then met up with the group for a morning run.
We just ran a quick mile to get our muscles warmed up then had a good stretch. I learned some new ways to stretch out my hip, which I think have helped. And I didn’t have as much of a problem with it from the start, so I’m feeling more optimistic.
After the run, we had pretty much the rest of the day open to do whatever we wanted, so I enjoyed taking my time. I took a long shower and had time to get ready. It was wonderful. Then for brunch we went to Serendipity 3 at Caesar’s Palace and I got the crab cakes benedict. Oh. My. God. I can’t even explain how amazing it was. And they serve their coffee with nutmeg and cinnamon. Yum.
Following that, a quick trip to the Bellagio to check out Hermes and the fabulous Christmas wonderland set up in the Conservatory. My hip was bothering me a little at this point, so we decided to head back to The Venetian for a little gambling. We played the slots for a while and I ended up $5 ahead of where I started. Score! We went back to check out the expo and pick up a few souvenirs, then back to the room to relax for a bit before the evening’s pasta party.
The whole group met to walk over to the dinner. Once we got up the escalator, there were dozens of cheerleaders, our group leaders and coaches lined up to cheer us on and welcome us. It was pretty cool. Then we sat down to eat before the program began. The Team Challenge and CCFA directors spoke and presented some awards for the top fundraisers. (And I’m a little excited that Sean Lowe from The Bachelorette was there to help!) Also, actress Amy Brenneman is partnering with the CCFA to help bring more awareness. It’s great to have someone with that sort of platform advocating for us.
The whole thing was really encouraging and inspiring. We were sitting there with 1700 other people fighting for the same thing. And some of the most exciting news was to hear that we raised nearly 4-million dollars!! (If you want to help us pass that incredible milestone, you can still donate to help find a cure! Just stop by my FUNDRAISING SITE) it was an amazing time of unity with a great group of people. I’m even more excited for tomorrow now!
So now, it’s time for some sleep in order to get ready for the big day! If I can sleep, that is.