Yeah, I know... Bad Blogger.
I broke the cardinal sin of blogging, "Don't take off two and a half months." Well, I will attempt to catch you up, but in the mean time I need to call your attention to my crazy friend Charlie
Wittmack. You have heard about him before here... well tomorrow AM he is going swimming... from England to France. He is swimming some 30 miles across the English Channel.
Once he hits France he will be the first American to swim the channel and climb Everest.
And Melissa and I have come to the white cliffs of Dover to root him on.
(Photo above of Charlie and I at the White Horse, a pub in Dover named after what the waves look like in high winds. It is the channel swimming pub in dover. Those who get across get to sign the wall.)
Charlie defines local celebrity in Des Moines, Iowa. He was the first Iowan to climb Mt Everest. For background on what is going on, I suggest the AP story that was out today. You can read about it in the International Tribune, the Canadian Press, The Houston Chronical, or my favorite, the rag from my current hometown, The Chicago Tribune.
[By the way, as I write I can typically hear the words I am typing in my head. Don't be scared, I think it somewhat common. Anyway, today's version the read-along has a British accent. Although if you ask my FIANCEE (yes, another new development), she would tell you it's a crappy one at best.]
Back to old Charlie, one may ask why exactly have I spent a week here in damp, cold, Dover with his parents and in laws, just to watch someone swim for 14 hours from a boat washing back and forth like a rubber ducky in a bath tub... well that is almost as dumb as asking why the bloody hell he is swimming in the first place. The answer is there is no answer. It's like restaurants where there are no prices on the menus. If you need to ask, you don't belong.
So we are off tomorrow. Chuck will hit the water at 9 AM London time (3 AM Chicago time). I will attempt to post updates here, but failing that, Chuck has a blog his wife Catie will be updating (click here).
-It has actually been a very cool trip, and as Charlie has been my best friend for years his family has been like my family for just as long. In no way do I want to leave the impression that I have had anything but the best of times with his parents and in laws. They are truly wonderful people.
-If you still haven't figured out the answer to my question, its because it is the only place in the world I would want to be. I can't swim for him, but I want to do everything I can to help him across (and I do have my wet suit and fins in case he needs a little in water motivation.) Plus, if someone were to remove half of my brain and all the sudden it sounded like a good idea to swim 30 miles in hypothermia water... well he would be there for me (although I would hope he would just talk me out of it).
Charlie and the next adventuring Wittmack, James.
