Bring it on NOW!

Today two weeks I’ll be on Day One of my Kilimanjaro climb! I’m nervous and impatient now; really I just want to get started. Going into the office every day and trying to work is really bothersome. My gear is lying in a little mountain of its own at the end of my bed, my rucksack is on standby, my local chemist has been cleared out of its malaria and altitude sickness tabs and I JUST WANT TO GO NOW!
It’s too late for anything but action. One way or the other (and I reckon it’s going to be the other) I’m going to climb this thing. I have a feeling it’ll be stubbornness that’ll get me to the top, but whatever gets me there I just want to start it now and waiting around is not something that’s sitting easily with me.
Before that though there’s all the stress of wrapping up everything in work and making sure everything is prepared for my absence (even though I’ve close to zero interest right now). There’s also the stress of squeezing every last cent I can from friends and acquaintances for my charities. (Speaking of which, if you’re up to nothing this evening jump in your car and come up to Shebeen Chic on George’s Street in Dublin for my final fundraising gig. Or throw me a few quid on mycharity.ie)
And of course there’s one other thing I can’t forget about – being chief bridesmaid on August 6th.
Anyone who remembers the start of this column will remember Emma Jane, who first suggested climbing Mount Kilimanjaro but then pulled out after getting engaged, choosing to direct all of her money on a nice day and lovely honeymoon instead of climbing about three vertical miles. It’s none other than this Emma who’s getting married next week!
To be fair to her she’s been very good throughout the engagement, with no bridezilla moments. And I know she’s very jealous of me heading off to Tanzania a couple of days after her wedding. She’s been nothing but supportive, but it’s her latest suggestion that’s been her greatest and reminded me again why we’re friends.
Her wedding ceremony is in Kilkenny and is at the slightly later than usual time of 4pm. So what has she suggested we do to fill the day before the main event? Hair and make-up? Nope, that shouldn’t take long. Nails and lounging about in our fluffly white personalised bride and bridesmaid robes? Nope. She’s suggested…climbing a mountain! Everyone else thinks we’re a bit mad, but we’re planning to assault Mount Brandon on the day before putting on the gúnas and heading off to get her married. At a mere 951 metres it falls short of Kilimanjaro’s 4,600 metres, and I’m sure the champagne we’re planning on bringing up Brandon won’t feature on Kilimanjaro. But it’s a great idea, will surely be a great memory and fingers crossed will kick off a month of successful mountain climbing for me!


Lollipop

Sponsor me
http://www.mycharity.ie/event/lollipop_kili_headstrong
http://www.mycharity.ie/event/lollipop_kili_simoncommunity

Follow me on Facebook
http://facebook.com/lollipopversuskilimanjaro