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hi all, i know i haven't posted since the 1st of October, but i have been busy preparing and planning our san francisco chapter PKD walk for the cure event, which took place on Sunday, Oct 9, 2011. I was up until 1:00 AM on the night before the walk, creating my personal t-shirts for my team. I got up around 7:30 AM, to complete the finishing touches on my t-shirts, it was a family affair, my husband and daughter, helped tremendously with the computer aspect of the project - scanning and making transfer sets, and then fusible webing and ironing on the image - thanks to my husband, he saw an image of a converse gym shoe in one of his Sunday papers, but there was a map on the bottom of the shoe, that we had to remove - so that we can put an image of the Golden Gate Bridge and part of San Francisco in the background, and after three attempts and wasting three transfer sets, the image was a success, now to fuse all those t-shirts, like i said, was a family effort. I couldn't have done all this by myself, though my efforts, were the lettering on the front and back of the t-shirts. Now, on to cooking my samples for the walk - i decided this year, to make seafood pastries (which consist of trinity (chopped finely - bell pepper, red pepper, celery & onions), and also minced ginger and garlic, the seafood - lump lobster (chopped) and crawfish (finely chopped). I also decided to bake some macroons as well). The samples were quite a hit at the walk, but getting back to when my family and I finally were ready to caravan to the walk. We had planned to leave around 10:00 AM, but we didn't leave until 11:00 AM, and when we got to Berkely, the traffic suddenly became bumper to bumper, so now we would be late, as we didn't anticipate this traffic jam. All due to it being fleet week in the city, as well as a 49er game was taking place. Finally, we are at the toll booth, and we could see the blue angels performing in the sky, so we had a little treat, waiting in line to enter the toll booth. It was very exciting to see the blue angels perform and make that really huge heart in the sky, so you could say we were being entertained in the process, courtesy of my dear friend, Veronica Swift who was talking to me on my cell, and she mentioned if we could see the blue angels in the sky performing (I had forgotten about fleet week, worrying about the walk and all)- veronica arrived at the walk, an hour before we did. Finally, we arrived at the walk entrance, and my husband parked in front, to unload my gear for my table. As soon as we got inside of the park, there was a table, ready for me, to setup. I began to setup with my daughter and my friend, Veronica's assistance. I introduced myself to my neighbors, who were there representing their company (Kiehls in Berkeley), they had free samples of lotions, sunscreen, facial cream, keychains, buttons, samples of natural food products (such as granola bars, and a variety of their own named juices). I began to setup my books, for my booksigning, as well as setup the free samples of appetizers, representing the cookbook section of my book - My Renal Life (i know it, i live it) and my 2nd book - My Twenty Year Journey with PKD in the Dialysis World. They did announce that we were suppose to warm up to the electric slide, and in which they ask me to lead, but of course, i got there way too late, to have this segment of the show. A little disappointing, but there is always next year"s walk, right! I will strategize much earlier than i did this year for the planning of the walk. Anyway, it turned out to be a very beautiful and warm day in the city, unlike the last three walks, being cold and also raining. I didn't even need a jacket this time, so i showed off my t-shirt creation with pride, and guess what! i got so many compliments on my t-shirt, so you know i was so proud of myself. It gave me such pleasure, to observe people coming up to my table, inquiring about my books, and me reading excerpts of chapters, that many of the people there could relate to, and also learn from. However, i didn't sell as many copies of my books, as i wanted to, but it was all good anyway, sharing samples from the appetizer section of my cookbook section of both my books. I was so tickled pink, when a teenage girl, picked up one of my hard copies of my 2nd book, and gave it to her mother, something i didn't even see, i was told by my daughter, that this girl gave the copy to her mother. I think she thought the books were free and then my daughter went over to the girl's mother, and ask her if she wanted to purchase my book, but that was not the case, so my daughter took the book back, and everyone at my table, as well as my neighbor's table, began to laugh, uncontrollably. I was laughing so hard, i almost couldn't stop, many were saying let me stop laughing, before i pee on myself, well we know that was not the case with me, i could laugh until i turned blue in the face, and still want get the urge to pee, but i sure wish i could (lol). the walk was suppose to start at 1:00 PM sharp, but because of my late arrival, that were sweet enough to start the walk at 1:30 PM. My husband and daughter went on the walk, but i had to stay at my table, because there were many that didn't walk, and were coming up to my table to inquire about the books and to sample my free treats. There was also a table setup with sandwiches (you know those tortillo round wrap sandwiches, which were very delicious (there were three types of sandwiches - turkey, ham & veggie sandwiches). There was also a large assortment of gatorade, flavored water and arrowhead water - in which they kept chilled in a large ice chest. There was also an assortment of fruits and vegetable platters. And because my appetizers were still hot, they kept flocking to my table, for something hot, and i was amazed that my container, kept those seafood pastries very warm. A girl, named Gabrielle, whom i was communicating by email for several weeks, prior to the walk, actually, her mother came up to my table, and we were chatting about my many years of dialysis history, and as i was continuing to chat with her, Gabrielle (a girl that i had been communicating for several weeks, prior to the walk event, who had mentioned that her mother had a recent kidney transplant), came up to the table, and said this is my mother, and we all just laugh, because i had no idea, that this lady, that came to my table, was her mother, so it was an enormous pleasure meeting them both, but we met in a strange way, i must say. Her mom, purchased a copy of my second book. The trip thing was, i gave her a copy, and continued to chat with her, not knowing that i didn't collect the money from her, she had to interrupt me, and say, you forgot to take the money. Boy! am i a basket case, but i guess i was so excited to meet her mother, and of course, to meet them both. Gabrielle's mother and I chatted for quite awhile, and i plum forgot her name, just that quick. I will always refer to her as Gabrielle's mom (lol). Well, all the teams are returning to the park site, and now it is time to rock and roll. Jesse Brewster was there with his band, entertaining the crowd, and also selling his first CD release to the crowd. I purchase a copy. We even had a DJ that was playing a great deal of oldies (60's, 70's, 80's, 90's and a little bit of today's sounds). All in all, it was a very enjoyable, exciting and productive day. Though we didn't reach our goal for the fundraising, the walk event maybe over, but it is not too late, to continue fundraising, if you are interested in submitting a donation - go online to www.pkdcure.org/sanfranciscowalk and search my team - Glomoore team, to help us with the funding for the continued research to find a cure for PKD, as well as CKD (which is the resulting affect from PKD). Well, that is it for my blogging today, until next time, take care and all the best to you guys. Oh, my birthday is in a couple of days, (Oct 11), and my husband has planned something special for me, i am so excited and i can't wait, especially since all that i have endured since my recent return to hemo, temporary, and if you have been following my blogs since then, you know exactly what i have been going through, so yes, i deserve to enjoy my birthday, especially this year, right! God has truly blessed me, to triumph through all that i have been enduring these past several months.