December (dates are set)

It's odd how something can bubble along for ages in the misty land of conjecture and ideas, and then overnight be catapulted into reality. After almost six months of mainly talking (and a very little bit of training!), that's exactly what's just happened with Kokoda 2009 (formerly known as Kokoda 2010). Last night we met with Sue, a very pleasant lady from a local trekking company, and now we suddenly have official dates, and paperwork, and even a training schedule (I'm going to need training to get through the training!). To demonstrate the depths of our collective commitment, we even held off the champagne while the meeting was in progress.

But it's all a little bit scary, especially when a glance at the calendar reveals only nine months to get into shape (any shape, I'm not fussy, as long as my present ratio between height and width becomes more differentiated). But having dates has also brought with it another surge of motivation (I'm having so many of these that last week I thought I might be menopausal). So Leanne is off to put together travel arrangements, Lorraine is off to do more research, Cathri, as a diabetic, is off to get the all-clear from her doctor, and I have finally made an appointment with a specialist to have a look at my damn knee. We're really going to do this.

I am also motivated enough to start looking at how to run a blog. I've decided to call it 'The Kokoda Diet', not just because of the weight loss/fitness implications, but in the context of nourishment and nurture. Like, without getting too spiritual (because I'm not), sustenance for the soul. Then there's also the more seldom used context of 'diet' as an assemblage, convention etc. Lastly, and most importantly, I just like the sound of it!