Not so fast.....

Panic over.  At least for now.  The package that was delivered (to my old address, hence the delay in reporting back as I had to schlep over and go pick it up) was nothing more terrifying than Mumsie's electronic cigarette cartridge refills.  Obviously the bear swimsuit is still being hand-stitched and tie-dyed by organic artisan hippies out in the Pacific Northwest somewhere.   It did say to allow 3-4 weeks for it to be produced (I know, it IS hard to believe they didn't just have them in stock in a massive bearhouse somewhere) and then another couple of weeks for delivery, so I'm still living in hope it won't actually make it here to my new Chicago address.  We shall see.

In the meantime, its nice to see some of you have FINALLY got your creative juices flowing to come up with a suitable forfeit in case I (ever) hit my $3500 target.  As of writing today, I am still just over $200 short, so who knows?  Maybe I won't actually get there and these suggestions will all remain delightfully academic.  Though, somehow, I don't think Mumsie will allow me to get away with that....

Anyway, here are the current forfeit options for you, dearest blogwatcher, to choose from - assuming I hit my target.  You still have time to add your thoughts to this list below - as soon as I hit my target, then no more suggestions will be accepted and it'll be time to choose from the final list.  So, the current suggestions (all of which fill me with horror, though some more than others) are:

• Learn how to waltz - and then post a film of myself dancing as proof I did it
• Do a tandem skydive (obviously this one fills Mumsie with horror too)
• Record a CD, filled with requests from my donors.  If you've donated, you get to pick a song for me to sing.  I then try and have to figure out how/where to sing and record it and you, dear blogwatcher, will then get a copy of said CD.  I'm sure its going to turn into a complete shitshow of a CD so I would probably advise against actually ever listening to it and using it as a coaster instead.  Early suggestions from Mumsie and Daniel are "New York, New York" and "Daniel".  No prizes for guessing whose suggestion is whose.
• Do the Korean girls cockroach challenge - but replace the cockroach with a Malteser.  For those of you who haven't seen the video, go check it out on YouTube.  Its pretty grim.
• Learn how to trampoline (thanks, Dad) - not entirely sure how I'd go about this one and I'm sincerely hoping I won't have to find out! (not sure I'd be able to restrain myself from chopping up the trampoline a la childhood memories!)

So those are your options at the moment.  Additional suggestions welcome!  I will, of course, keep you posted as to how the fundraising continues to go - and when I finally hit/surpass my target.   As a side note (not that I'm competitive or anything, but...) because of everyone's generosity and/or sick minds in wanting to see me in a beary scary swimsuit, I'm actually the leading fundraiser in my company for the CCFA!!!  I'm about $800 ahead of the next person in terms of monies raised, so even more incentive to keep going!!

In other news, I'm now fully unpacked and almost settled in to my new place.  I've just got the last few pictures to hang (Kate - they are the ones you painted for me - always takes longer as I have to be a bit more careful to hang them up straight, rather than just bung them up like i do everything else!).  Tomorrow, I'm off to DC and Boston for the week for work but not before I've run SEVEN miles tomorrow morning followed by a decadent afternoon at Dessert Fest 2015, where I plan to stuff my face full of as many profiteroles and pies I can get my hands on.  All washed down with two large glasses of champagne - the perfect post-run recovery diet! 

And with that, time to toddle off to bed to get some rest before tomorrow's slog along the lakefront.  Wish me luck!!