Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Readers Make Better Drivers



Ski to Sea! Woo! Better Lovers! Yeah!

It was a day to remember: On Sunday, May 25, 2008, eight of the Better Lovers took on Ski to Sea. As a fellow Lover and supporter of the team, I volunteered for the driving portion of the race --dropping off the Biker (J. Swob), the runner (Flanhoodles), and the mountaineers (Kris-cross country ski and Lindsay - downhill snowboard). There were some interesting adventures throughout the day--the canoe leg canceled, getting sunburned at the mountain top, running to the finish line to see KJW ring the bell, etc. Perhaps the most unexpected portion of my Ski to Sea experience, however, was my own surprise competition, the Downhill Driving Leg.

As Kris and I began our trek down the mountain in J. Swob's car, Nessie, we realized there were only about 30 miles left to go before we were out of gas. After an hour and a half of slowly, slowly going down the mountain because of all the crazy traffic, we still had roughly thirty miles to go before the next gas station and only 15 miles left of gas. It was time to use my driving skills to conserve. So, on I drove down the mountain, shifting into neutral whenever possible and catching speed at curves to get enough gumption for the straightaways. All seemed lost when we finally reached the town of Glacier and there was not a gas pump to be found. We nearly lost hope, but having faith in Nessie and hope in my skills, I careened further down the mountain until the terrain began to flatten out and become more hilly.

As Lindsay shouted from the back, "I think we're almost to Maple Falls," I saw a HUGE hill come into view. Nessie and I were going to have to take it on if we ever hoped to reach a gas station, but time (and fuel) was running out. I sat low in my seat and shifted into drive as the great hill approached. I placed my hands carefully at ten and two and began to accelerate. After a few minor sputterings, we began to fly up the hill, maintaining enough speed to manage the climb without wavering or puttering out. Yes! We determinedly made it to the crest of the hill, just in time to shift into neutral and ride the next part out. Maple Falls soon came into view and with shouts of joy and wails of victory, we pulled into the cleverly named "Maple Fuels" gas station.

Some have said I am a hero for managing this imperative ski to sea leg, but I'd just call myself a true Lover, a true reader, and a true Ghetto Pig.

Friday, May 9, 2008

Vitamin D

So, I've been feeling really lethargic, tired, unhappy, blah, for the past few months and now that I have fancy new health insurance, I decided to see the doctor about it. She suggested a blood test among other things and it turns out my vitamin D levels are really low. Hmm, well given that we live in Gloomtown USA for the winter, I wasn't surprised. My doctor said that they've been giving patients vitamin D for similar symptoms and they're feeling better. So, they gave me a MEGADOSE that I only take once a week, and you know what? I'm starting to feel a little sunshiny & peppy again. Hey, vitamin D: you-make-a-me-feel-so-good! Also, in my research to find out more about the magic little vitamin, I found that there's actually a vitamin D society: www.vitamindsociety.org/


That's amazing. I'm thinking of joining.


If you care to know more about vitamin D, read on. If not stop and look at the glorious picture and leave me a comment.


We get vitamin D from sunlight--naturally, living in a climate where sun exposure is limited, it makes sense that one would be deficient. Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium, helping you to have strong bones. Lack of vitamin D is linked with bone thinning and osteoporosis, but it's also been linked to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and depression. If you think you're vitamin D deficient, you can take a supplement (D3 is most easily absorbed by the body) and load up on vitamin D rich foods, like fortified dairy products and fatty fish. There aren't a lot of Vitamin D rich foods, so a supplement is probably best, but there's always the option of rolling up those sleeves and going outside. Oh, or you can get one of those sunlamps and bask in the light of it. Go vitamin D!