It's a GO 1:30 am GMT Keep Watching

When I woke up this morning all I thought I had to do was write up the minutes from last night's OMPA meeting and pack. As I sat at my computer trying desperately to finish up the notes, I got a call from Jackie Cobell in England. Her first words were, "I've had a call from your pilot and he's offering you the chance to go tomorrow night." I said yes before she could explain why he was offering me a chance three days before my window officially opens. As my pilot Stuart Gleeson explained it, the channel looks like a mill pond at the moment, and the wind is coming and might blow out my chance for a swim. So it's not exactly "Now or never", but it's, "Now would be a good time." I love it. It seems fitting for this pushy Californian to jump from plane to boat to Channel without passing go or practicing on the beach in Dover. It feels like fate stepping in to help make my dreams come true. Except, I never did actually dream of this, I just sort of fell into deciding that I wanted to give it a go, and well here I am. I hope I worked hard enough, we'll all soon know when and if it all comes together. I packed my carry on as if I were getting on the boat, everything for the swim is in there (and nothing else). My cap, goggles, suit, earplugs, food, grease, and glow sticks, what else could I need? A friend said that her heart skipped a beat when she read my quick email that my swim has been scheduled. Well, boy, howdy, so did mine. I found myself holding my breath at odd moments for the next few hours of mad scramble packing. Big sighs and forgetting to breathe. It's funny, but I couldn't relax until I got to the airport. And now here I sit, at the gate telling you all about my hopes and fears. There is something to be said for this powerful Internet tool. How else could I tell you all how much I love you, and how much it means to me to know that you are out there following my progress. You are, right? There's a link on the right of this page, click it! This is a big test of strength, but a bigger test of faith, mine in me, yours in me, mine in yours and around and around. Another friend said that she felt like she was getting on the plane to go too, and in so many ways you all are going to cross the channel with me. When the going gets tough, I may curse you all a bit, but if I do it friend by friend, and swim a hundred strokes for each of you, I'll probably be done and on the beach in France before I finish the list. And you will all be on the beach in France because I will surely be hallucinating by then (just kidding, mom). So thank you all for your love and support, I can feel it now, and I will feel it when I jump into the black water at 1:30 am off of Shakespeare Beach... Know this, if nothing else, I am very happy I started this, I am reaching the starting line healthy (a big achievement for endurance athletes), I have put in a lot of hours of training, and what ever happens, it's been an adventure of a life time...... already....... No regrets!