Tuesday 13 March 2012

March 13, 2012 - The Iditarod So Far - Bet

Once again everybodies, oodles of news!

When we last left the team, they were in Kaltag and expected to leave soon for the Pizza Checkpoint!

I want to say that there has been a tremendous outpouring of generosity to make sure the Musher gets her cherished pizza at Peace on Earth Pizza in Unalakleet!  I'm overwhelmed with such generosity, and want to assure you that the Musher will get her pizza, plenty of latte guzzling, and with today's gas prices... about a teaspoon of gas... ok, just joking (sorta), we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all of your wonderfulness!

As we expected, at 18:53 (6:53 pm) the Team of 14 Pretty Curly Tails and Musher left Kaltag on the way to Unalakleet (Pizza Checkpoint).  Here is the route!

Just before she left, she called Richard, and here is what Richard says that she told him:

"blah, blah, blah.....everything's good, see you in Nome."

I taught Richard well how to take notes from the Musher!

I know a lot of you are going through Pretty Curly Tail and Musher picture withdrawal, so here's a video from Richard on a training run with the "Estrogen Express" right before the big race


 I just love the snow squishing noises!

This is also the Musher's view from the "office"


 So, the Team took most of the day and night to get into Pizza Checkpoint because its pretty far!  They stopped mid-way and took a breather.  Probably snacked on goodies and stuffs and relaxed in the nice cold snow.

We've been hearing the its nice and cold for the Pretty Curly Tails!

We're also happy to report that as of right this very second, we are only 44 peoples away from having 3,000 fans to help greet the team into Nome soon!  We'd like you to join us in a HUGEY HUGE Facebooks celebration when the Pretty Curly Tails come strutting into Nome, so please go like our page!  Please!!!!!  Go here, click like... I promise you that you will like all of the "as it happens" update, behind the scenes stuffs... and things.

If you were on Facebook, you would already know that at 1:30 pm the team pulled into Unalakleet!!!! WHOOT!

That means they are now here


The Musher will tend to the PCTs first, making sure they get their snuggy straw, get massaged, fed, massaged again, checked out by the vet if needed, put into stylish matching warm ensembles, kissed and thanked for a good run, and only when the Musher is sure they have everything they need... she'll go in search of the elusive PIZZA!!!!!

We've called ahead and paid for it already, so let's hope she gets it... just in case we've actually bombarded the Peace on Earth pizza's Facebook page with North Wapiti fans, thanking them for feeding all of the Mushers, how much we love the Musher and the PCTs and to make sure she gets her pizza!

As a matter of fact, we've declared tonight Pizza night!  Have a pizza with the Musher and the team tonight!  If you want to pretend that you are on the Iditarod trail, then eat it in your freezer!  You can also fill a bathtub of cold water and eat your pizza in the tub fully clothed!  We're all about the interactive fun!

We hope something like this doesn't happen:

ok, we would still laugh, but...
 Ok, peoples, the Team will rest a bit here and then move on to Shaktoolik... where the weather... gee, how do I put this nicely... totally sucks.

Thanks to the Horde and their Humans here is the weather:

Unalakleet   
-8°F
Mostly Cloudy
Feels Like: -8°F
Wind: CALM calm
Visibility: 10.0 miles

Shaktoolik
2°F
Mostly Cloudy and Windy
Feels Like: -23°F
Wind: N 30 mph
Visibility: 3.0 miles

The Iditarod peoples are even saying that everyone in Shaktoolik are just sitting there, huddling and waiting for the weather to get better.  There's a traffic jam there.  I can't imagine the the mass exit when the weather clears.

We don't know (yet) if the Musher knows this or not, and whether she'll stay a little while longer in Pizza Checkpoint Wonderland in hopes that it will clear up by the time she makes it there.

Regardless, we know that she will do what's best for the PCTs and herself and keep all of your fingers crossed that the weather behaves itself for her!!!

Here's the trail from Pizza Checkpoint to Shaktoolik!

We also know that there is a lot of excitement right now because the race is about to be won by someone.  We're all very superstitious and refuse to congratulate anyone until the race has been won by someone... and honestly, everyone that started is a winner in our books, regardless of whether or not they finish.  Although we'll cheer for the eventual winner, we'll cheer just as loudly as each and every Musher and Team passes under that burled arch (whatever that is), and celebrate with all of them.

I won't be posting a "Meanwhile" post after this because I had a very rough day.  It was impossible for me to find a comfortable napping position and my neck hurts for some reason.


But I did want to tell you that starting tomorrow morning, bright and early, I will be doing a lot more blog posting, Facebook posting, and Newsgroup posting every day until the Pretty Curly Tails and Musher finish!

As an added bonus, Richard will be flying out tomorrow afternoon to Nome, so we'll have ON THE SCENE coverage of the race, with pictures and stuffs and things LIVE... or relatively live... sorta not really live, but we'll get it out to you in a timely manner.

We also have a chock full of "Meanwhile" with the return of Charge, and other videos and fun stuffs, so stay tuned, its about to get exciting!

- Bet

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Go rest your toes, Bet--and see if Musher Mark will massage your neck for you. Thanks for all the updates.
Tammy

Nannette Morgan said...

Dear Bet - Thank you for the entertaining and informational post. I loved the Cartoonist's picture. I think Peace on Earth should frame it and hang it in their cafe! I know my curly tails would do just what they are doing. Have a good rest. Your and the minion's information has made this the best Iditarod for me ever!

Anonymous said...

It was a pizza nite at this Edmonton household!

Barbara said...

Love your blogs, Bet. Almost as much as I'm going to love Karen's post-finish blogs. Maybe if there was enough left over, the other Siberian team's musher should get some pizza?