Saying Goodbye To A Wonderful Man

When I first visited here in Arizona, I met Chef Patty's best friend Pat.  She's a whirlwind of good heart, always doing things for people, like embroidering Bags of Courage for kids with cancer.  She makes hundreds of them that she delivers to local hospitals.

Eventually I met her husband Jim.  He was rather quiet ... the perfect match for Pat ... and loved music.  He played several instruments and took lessons from many of the local music heroes from Tucson.  He even drove us three girls about 65 miles to a very tiny event center to listen to his buddies play ... which was amazing!!

Sadly, Jim hadn't been feeling well and received a terrible diagnosis of cancer just after I arrived here and he passed on to the Heavens above.  It was fast ... very fast.  Did I ever tell you Chef Patty is also Nurse Patty?  She was at his side every day doing everything possible for both Jim and Pat.  This entire neighborhood gathered around and did everything we could for such a loving, giving family.

Obviously these are not the greatest of images, but I wanted you to see the love these musicians have for their own.  Not only did they play for him at his house, but they all came to the Celebration of Life held at the local restaurant where Jim spent his Thursday nights, listening to them play.

We talked, we cried and we ate, all the while listening to Jim's favorite songs.  There couldn't have been a better sendoff than the jam session these guys held for three hours without a break.

So why in the world is there a treadmill here??  This amazing machine was first discovered in the Chance Cabin up near Show Low Arizona.  They gave it to Jim a couple years back to help get him in shape.  Wife Pat said she can't use it and offered it to me.  It's right up my alley.  For years when I was running marathons, I spent many an hour on the treadmills at the local gym.  

Yesterday, poor Mr. Chance and son Mark hooked up their little trailer and AGAIN, moved this monstrous beast, only this time to my house.  They had to take my front door off to get it inside.  I was SO excited to have a treadmill ... a NordicTrack no less ... in my living room.  I jumped right on.

Okay, how do I make this thing go?  Luckily they had all the paperwork, including the instruction manual.  There's a magic button to push before latching up the key and there you have it ... it turned on.  

I hit the button and started walking ... FAST!  Yikes!!  I was up to running at 6 mph before I figured out how to slow it down.  I definitely do NOT run that fast!  In less than three minutes I was huffing and puffing.  I know I'm out of shape but GOOD GRIEF!!   I thought Jim was probably laughing at me.

Can you tell what the problem was?  It finally dawned on me!!  I've been climbing a mountain for the last fifteen minutes.  Incline only goes up to 12 and I've been at 6, thus the RED lights.  I lowered it down to zero and what a difference!!  I started laughing, thinking Jim would get a big kick out of that!!

I finished my workout with a big smile on my face.  Every time I step on this machine, I'll be thinking of my new Arizona friends and how much I appreciate the Chance household.  

BIG thanks to Dan and Mark for moving this monster for me.  I wasn't kidding about that steak dinner!!