Am I REALLY Doing This??

Yup.  I am participating in the 14th annual Maryland State Police Polar Bear Plunge to support the Maryland Special Olympics.  I've done it the last few years, and this year is no different.

I know, you think I'm crazy.  Well I am, but really Mr. Blondie is the crazy one.  He thinks jumping into the ocean in the freezing weather is fun.  He doesn't need a reason to do it.  But to get me to do it, he had to find a really good reason.  'It'll be fun!' just wasn't, and won't ever be, enough.  So he finds this.  Knowing that I have a soft spot in my heart for Special Olympics, he talked me into it.

We've done it a few years now, so we are getting better at being prepared for what to expect.  The first year we did it, they ended up with almost twice as many participants as they had planned for.  Each year it's gotten bigger and bigger.  This year is no exception.

However, the weather this year is a little different.  The past few years the temps have been in the upper 30's, low 40's and lots of sunshine.  Last year there was a bit of a breeze to deal with, but we all survived.  Tomorrow they're expecting the high to be 25 degrees, 10 mph winds, and a 50% chance of snow.  Yippee...

I know I don't sound very enthusiastic, but this is nothing compared to what those kids and their parents deal with every day.  When you come out of that water, and see a bunch of kids standing on the hill cheering and screaming and having a blast, you remember why you're doing this.

Ginormous thanks to all of you who donated on my behalf.  Every penny goes to support the Special Olympics, and when you see what the kids get out of it, you'll know it was worth it.  Go here to get an idea.