A not-very-intelligent bird has made her nest in the light over our front door. This is adorable but means that we don't dare use the door in case she is spooked and abandons the eggs. Thus, the door is taped shut (so we don't forget) and all visitors have to come in through the garage.

Does anyone know how long it takes baby birds to hatch, grow up, and fly away?

Tony's trip calendar for the next two months is outrageous. Los Angeles. Vancouver. Montreal. Austin. Romania.

The cat (Gabe) is crazy about him. Also just crazy. The last time Tony went on a trip, Gabe got so insecure he had to be next to me every second -- even in the bathroom -- or he would howl. This sounds cute except he wouldn't even eat unless I stood right next to the bowl. If I walked away, Gabe would follow at my heels and then cry because he was hungry. This time, either the cat gets Valium or I do.

(I'd say meaner things about him except that just last night he rescued our home from an enormous silverfish. One of those creepy flat bugs with the pincers! Judging by the amount of lip-licking afterward, I'd guess it was pretty tasty.)

Made my minimum! It feels GREAT to have one of our accounts finished. Thanks, sweetie!

(Tony is still behind if anyone else is willing to help... :)

We did a 24-mile walk yesterday. It was the farthest we've ever walked, even on last year's 3-Day. Hyponatremia (salt depletion) remains a problem, and the new elastic laces recommended by the running shoe store were a bust. But we made it. Just kept reminding ourselves that real accomplishment isn't reaching your limits... it's in passing them. Which we did. A lot. Just ask my feet.

I am only $25 short for my $1750 minimum for the breast cancer walk!

Will any of you be the kind person to put me over the top?? Pleaseplease? Just go to www.avonwalk.com, click Make A Donation (I think it's on the left), click San Francisco, and put in my name: Rhonda Van.

(If you'd rather, you can put in Tony Van instead, since he is farther from his minimum at the moment. But it sure would be exciting to make mine!)

Had lunch yesterday with my sister Jessica, who entertained me with cop stories and shopped with me at Z-Gallarie. (She got a Zorro print and a kitchen clock; I got two pineapple-shaped pillows for the couch. Tony is ambivalent about the pillows, but they really are cool. Honest.)

Now trying to figure out how to fit six days of activity into our three day weekend -- especially since this is our last 'rest' period for the next five weeks at least. We have more dentist appointments, more training, Tony is going to Montreal, Tony is going to San Diego, Tony is going to Romania, the refinance needs to be signed, and we have more checks to submit and thank-yous to send before the 2-Day. And, of course, I have many illustrations to finish and new pages to write by August first, which I can do but not without some hair-pulling. And Honeycombs.

I'd better go wake up Tony.

Debating whether to climb (we want to) or do a training walk (we ought to) tonight. There is no option for lying around or playing games or even seeing Matrix II instead, though we are the last people in the universe to see it and will probably try to sneak into the late show after workout is done.

Hard to believe that we have less than 40 days before the 2-Day. Not enough time to prepare our minds or feet for a 26.6 mile hiking day. Our farthest day last year was 21 miles, and that nearly did us in. Those last few miles really drag! This time, though, when we hit the 21-mile mark we'll still have 5 miles to go, which is incomprehensible at this point.

Growing rather annoyed with the people who assume that 20+ miles is no big deal. One or two even claim that they "walk that much just doing their normal thing". Reality Check: at an average pace of 3mph, 20 miles takes almost 7 hours. Solid. (Then add food breaks and sportsdrink breaks and portapotty breaks!) So, yes, I'd love to hear about your 10 or 20 or 30 mile strolls... after you've verified them with an odometer. Fair enough?

Bad, bad dentist. Tony went for a cleaning yesterday and they found a huge piece of dental concrete in his gum, left there by a different dentist who gave him a crown last year. Bone loss. Massive infection. Total destruction of the adjacent tooth.

Just great.

Meanwhile, they did the buildup work for my new crown, which was supposed to take an hour fifteen and instead took two and a half. Ow ow ow owowow.

Tony got home on Friday night, hoarse and tired but ready for the Bay to Breakers on Sunday.

Last year, a storm hit out of the blue (literally) when we were only about halfway done with the 12K route, which was exciting at first but ultimately made Tony sick, gave me hypothermia and drowned my digital camera. So this year we were very wary of sudden changes in the weather, but it turned out sunny and bright. We crossed the finish line considerably faster than last year, also! Among the other 50,000 participants we saw the usual mix of serious runners, serious hikers, costumed groups, Wonder Women, Incredible Hulks, elaborate floats, and nudes. LOTS of nudes. Even on the bus back to the starting line.

Tony is at E3 all week, mostly in meeting after meeting after meeting. He's going to 3-hour dinners and schmoozing in hotel lobbies and yelling to be heard on the cellphone.

My life is quieter. I'm drawing, doodling, eating Apple Jacks and doing online crosswords. Feeling like an author.

Still thrilled.

** Sold the book! **

Amazing. Awesome. Prepare yourself for endless bragging on this subject. I'm hopping up and down the stairs. I kissed the cat. I called Tony nineteen times at least.

Celebration tonight. Sushi, bookstore, hot chocolate, who knows. Certainly more bragging. Then it's workworkwork, because I have more text and gobs of illustrations to finish and deliver!

Feels great.

Shin splint. Shin spint. We did all our miles, but somewhere along the way someone drove a nail through my left shin. Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow.

Big things still in the works, but still moving forward at slug-like speed. As the hours tick by on the east coast, it has become obvious that we won't be hearing anything until tomorrow. Or so.

That's okay. In the meantime I am sick (sorethroatshiveringsleepingalot) but still hoping to do a short training walk tonight with Tony. We have just eight weeks to build up to 27 miles in a day, and we're not close. YIKES. Planning to hike to Palo Alto this Saturday and again Sunday... if we go the long way both times that will be a weekend total of 30 miles, which sounds great but is still less than we ought to be at by now. YIKES again.

Climbed for over two hours last night. We're on harder and harder routes these days, learning new techniques and working on stamina. I'm focusing on jumping. Literal, alarming jumps when I just don't have the height to reach the next hold without jumping. It sounds like no big deal, but when you're already forty feet over the floor and you're already scraped up from your last three attempts... it takes nerve.

Many big things happening tomorrow. Please send happy, lucky vibes this way.

Getting ready for the memorial tomorrow. Suit for Tony, grownup clothes for me, video camera, batteries, tripod, programs, umbrellas, directions. It's easy, for now, to get lost in the details and forget what this is all really for.

Spent day with friend irene and her nine year old little sister. Train station, climbing gym, walk, goslings, walk, lunch, walk, swimming pool, hot tub, swimming pool, train station. It was a blast but now I'm ready for a serious nap...

...which would be more likely if our second car hadn't died just this morning, meaning that this evening will be just full of picking up, dropping off, and difficult 3mph trips to leave the car overnight at the repair shop parking lot, just so we can go back first thing in the morning and beg them to work on it. Great. Just great.