I'm watching the snow blow horizontally across the beach....

Over the holidays, I was up in Ontario visiting family.

I flew out of Halifax, during the January 1st winter storm. We were experiencing an extreme blizzard, and the flight I was scheduled on was cancelled........and re-cancelled......cancelled again......and again......and then after multiple stand-by flights, I did made it to Ontario.

No surprise, but during this process, my luggage was lost.

Thankfully, I had my life packed in my carry on .... with the exception of clothes for the week. Easy enough.

I spent the week in Ontario with no luggage. No winter clothes, no gifts for the people I was going to visit (I am going to rewrap them in Easter wrapping paper!!), but still had a WONDERFUL time.

I received my bag back, a week later, on the day I was returning to Halifax.

When I arrived at the check-in terminal at the airport, with my bag, I was asked "Has this bag been in your possession the entire time?".

I looked at the agent who was waiting to take my bag, and I said "Well actually no. It has not been".

She stopped, and looked at me, waiting further explanation.

"Well??", she said, "where has it been that it was out of your possession? We need to know for security purposes"

"Funny that", I said, "the bag has been with Air Canada for the past seven days. I just received it back. For once, I can not answer yes to this question"

I asked if she wanted to take a look in the bag. She seemed unimpressed, said no, and the bag was checked through.

Funny that..............

Almost to the new year.....so close.....

2009 is almost days away, which means I need to compile my "to do" list for the year......

Places I want to go, people I want to see, things I want to do.....stay tuned :)

The list-making queen is at work!

Brrrr that was fast....

I have no doubt that Purolator is FAST, in terms of their $hipping. I also have no doubt that Medtronic is fast with their order processing. Combine these two and you result in top notch customer service. I have never been let down by either.

Something changed recently, with the shipping process for the Medtronic glucose sensors. I was not aware .... hence this posting.

I enjoy ordering online, rather then speaking in person to someone in a call centre. No offense to the actual human interactions, but I enjoy the simplicity of the "click and ship" process. No dialing, no voice prompted menus, no waiting!

I booted up the Medtronic website the other night to order my glucose sensors. I have been without sensors for awhile now, but made the realization these little gems are the key to my diabetes control. I dusted off the credit card, and ... click click click, they were on their way.

I went on to the Medtronic website the next day to track my order. Another technological advance we have all grown to love, the ability to track every move our parcels make along the way. "oh look, the truck just hit a bump outside of Montreal. Oh look, the driver has stopped for a pee". Play by play, 24 hours a day.

When I checked the status of the order 24 hours after it was placed, I saw no update. "Ok, no problem, likely a Christmas delay. I am sure Glucose Sensors are a hot item on everyone's Christmas Wish list......what, no?". The next day, I was off to work. I started my work day at noon, and worked through until midnight. I was very tired when I pulled in to the driveway ..... put out the garbage, and then crawled in to bed.

Before closing my eyes, I pulled out the laptop to check the status of my Northern Vagabond. I saw my web browser still open to the Medtronic tracking page, so I clicked refresh to see the play by play updates! I was taken back when I read the following line "Item delivered to residence at 13:25".

"WHAT?". No one was here.....I saw not box on the kitchen table....no sticky on the door....what does this mean?

I jumped out of bed, ran down the stairs an opened the front door.

There is front of me, on the front steps, was a very chilly box from Medtronic. Sitting on the front door step like a dog waiting to come in the house.

I looked at the clock, 02:15. I looked at the thermometer, -10 degrees.

My box of 4 glucose sensors, that cost $220.00, sat on the front steps of my house, for over 13 hours at sub zero temperatures. I had to literally scrape the ice off the box to open and inspect the contents.

I called to Medtronic in the morning, to see why this happened. Typically I have to sign for the parcel, to keep it safe. It seems enough people complained about missing their deliveries that Medtronic took away the need for a signature on arrival. Wow, the internet site did not mention this during the ordering process!

Medtronic states they have tested and can confirm the sensors are good to -20. I am not comfortable that my sensors spent over 13 hours in the subzero temperatures. I asked the rep at Medtronic if I could store them in the freezer from now on (yes, I was a LITTLE sarcastic). I was advised the sensors do not even need to be refrigerated anymore. I had heard this rumor, but I have also heard the fragility of the chemical compounds on the sensor itself. I have heard the sensors are sensitive to "movement", and now I wonder how extreme temperature fluctuations would affect these sensor chemicals.

The sensors are sitting in my closet now, at a toasty 20 degree temperature.

We will see how these sensors will pan out. I will start one up in the morning and get back online. I know for next time to expect Purolator to drop the parcel anywhere and anytime. I do have the ability to request a signature on the parcel when ordering, to avoid this from happening. If I had not checked that webpage in the wee hours, I can guarantee those sensors would still be on my front door step. I only check those steps on Saturday and Sunday.....when the weekend newspapers arrive! By tonight, they would have been under a foot of freshly fallen snow.

Well, truth be told, I am very happy to have my little friends back. Merry Christmas to me!

Still Running.....bundle up!

Winter came to Nova Scotia, for a short period. We had 2+ feet of snow. We shoveled driveways, slid in our cars on the road, waited in line up to get snow tires and sat by roaring wood fires.

Less then a week later, we were back to 10 degree temperatures, wading through the slush and now back to seeing the grass on the lawns and the leaves waiting to be raked. What a climate we have....

This year I am determined to keep running outside during the winter. Typically I transition to the treadmill, and start up again in the spring. Running inside is not even close to "the real thing" for myself.....so I have enlisted the help of my running buddy Wyatt to keep me on the roads. We headed out in -7 degree temperature for a 9km run around the city, and that went well. I slid a few times, but nothing major. Last weekend, I participated in a 10km road race around the city, and that went well.....so far, I should be ok.

I am learning I tend to overdress, as I watch other runners in shorts and t'shirts, while I am wearing lined leggings, two shirts, mittens and a hat....and wondering why I am so HOT at the end of the run! This will come with time and more sub zero experience.

On the good side - the cold temperatures will keep me running, that is for sure. I would not want my pump to freeze, so I keep it close to my skin....so as long as I am warm, it is warm. I stop running and cool down, it could freeze....so keep those feet moving girl! Not a problem today, as we sit at 4.2 degrees and rain. The cold temperatures have gone away for awhile....but I know they will return!

Snow Help Needed...

Anyone willing to get the newspaper for me?

.....never far.......

When you have diabetes, you get used to the "quirks" that are part of your daily life. It is not until someone from the "outside" world looks in, and questions, that you notice things just may not be normal.

Little things I do not notice anymore. The test strips on the floor of the car, in every backpack I own. Stashes of sugar in jacket pockets, parcels of infusion sets and AAA batteries in my house, my car, my workplace, my garage, my friends' houses....where people would have nail-polish and makeup in their bathroom cupboards, I have lancets and alcohol swabs. This is my normal.

I realized the humor when my parents were over the weekend. I was talking to my mother in my bedroom, and she looked under the head of me bed. She was confused, and could not figure out what she was looking at. To me, it was easy.....a jar of jelly beans. She said "why do you have a jar of jelly beans under your bed???". I was amazed at the question. Why does this seem strange? The pure simplicity of treating a low without having to get out of bed! No stumbling down the stairs.....no fumbling for food....and best of all, it keeps me from eating the entire box of cereal at 3am :)

Those jelly beans are rarely visited, and often end up stale and hard as little stones, but they are my normal. It is interesting to see my world through someone elses eyes.....

Scott - the leaves of Nova Scotia.......but not for long!!