Hi Everyone,

  Today’s Rally event is an all day tour of Johor.  The past  3 days have been dinners with traditional dancers representing Malay, Chinese, and Indian cultures.  There was a dance performed by tiny tots who looked just adorable and I did take a few photos: but you have seen it if you have ever seen preschool kids perform.  That was during the first day of events.  The next two days I spent on the boat trying to find a comfortable way to sit or lay down.  Years ago I hurt my back shoveling snow because even in Virginia we get snow.  I was in good shape from biking so shoveled for several hours.  The driveway which was huge, the front path, the back deck and a path out into the yard for Trapper, my lab.  It was that long ago because after Trapper came Pepper and then Belle.  It was pre-Randal but he hates to shovel so I would have been the one doing it anyway.  I actually used to like it.  Anyway, by the end of the path into the yard for Trapper I couldn’t stand up straight and the diagnosis is that I have a disc pressing on a nerve.  Every now and then it acts up: even bike riding the other morning didn’t help.  Biking usually cures everything.  So the past 2 days I’ve stayed on the boat with a heating pad and it’s not so much better.  But I’m going off on this tour and will last as long as I can.  Wish our friend Julia were here: she’d fix me up.  She’s a physical therapist and massage therapist and one time gave me a deep tissue massage that felt great when I could breathe again.  She used her hands.  But that was ages ago too and now they have those machines with electrodes.  And yes Julia, I will restart my exercises so maybe this won’t happen again.  (Famous last words.)

  The tour starts at 8 am and goes all day.  I’ll take my Advil with me and hope for the best.

Ru