Route 66 - Dr Kate Condon's Progress
Pictures

First Installment - 7th May 2008
This is Jess, Kate's youngest (and best...) daughter. I have been delegated the job to fill you all in on mums progress cos unsurprisingly I doubt she has much time to sit about and write emails.
I spoke to mum on the phone just now and thought I'd let you all know a few details of her first few days.
Chicago was apparently an absolutely stunning city with incredible skyscrapers and some beautiful buildings.
Some of you may know (and for those who dont..) mum does not exactly have the most fantastic sense of direction. Therefore i was not overly surprised to find out she did manage to get herself lost in chicago for a few hours!
The RV that they are using for the next 10 weeks is a Lap of Luxury!! Double beds for all, shower, fridge, freezer, tv..... I thought she said this was going to be hard work?? But it is very reassuring for us at home to know that at the end of a long, hard and painful day she can relax a bit (until the next day begins....)
I have been told that Route 66 (which incedentally is known as "the mother road", as you can imagine my siblings and I find this very very appropriate!) is filled with truckers and bikers, as are the diners that mum frequents.
One diner has provided us with a fabulous anecdote!! Mum went in just to quickly use the loo, she then went to buy a diet coke, due to their kindness at letting her use their bathroom. After chatting they gave her the drink for free! It seemed the waitress and diners were aware of the disease Psoriasis (in case anyone does not know, this is the disease which my mum has chosen to run in aid of). After a fun, lengthy chat with her, mum became a bit of a legend (unsurprising to any of us who know her!) and they refused to let her leave the diner without her signing their book...

Second Installment - 13th May 2008
Mum has been doing extremely well and has done 8 days so far, keeping up with her daily mileage plan so we're very proud of her.
The following is part of an email from mum:
At last a few mins with Wi-fi and some time whilst Kev serves up another Cordon Bleu meal!I am really well looked after. Dom is as ever head down with the GPS machine working out miles ,directions and alerts as to where I might get lost!
Chicago was crazy and desperate and hilarious and totally knackering with Dom driving and negotiating the streets while Kev rode his bike alongside me ..We eventually looked back to a great sunrise and before we knew it we were way out of city and into suberbs.They saw but I missed the prison at Joliet AKA The Blues Brothers one!
We slept (p.s. omitted to tell you getting lost 3 times in Chicago, par for the course!) at Mr. 'B'sbar and grill car park or rather I didn't much, same old sleeping problem at beginning of runs, never mind.
Oh dear! It's a big mush between then and recently as I haven't kept notes. Suffice it to say that
I love The Union Pacific Railroad as it has travelled alongside me for the past few days as a constant companion with deer bounding across it soon after dawn, large deer with long tails which fold upwards and a white underside. Then the train drivers honk their 'doppler effect' American film horns and wave to me !!
We stopped at lovely Lake Springfield with great sunset and a racoon. Not a Simpson in sight just ole Abe Lincoln and the boyz were very priviledged to be taken round the State Capitol building by the security guards as it had closed when they arrived . They even saw a secret room.
3 x chats with the police and all v. friendly. The 3rd was interesting as I was almost arrested! It happened that my early run came to a short bit of Interstate (motorway) and no way round it and the boys asleep so I climbed over a fence and made my way across a bog then the edge carefully avoiding the brother of the 4 foot snake, dead, that I had seen earlier (you see loads of little 30cm dead ones along the way, NO live ones yet! ). I then ran as fast as I could which was about 3 1/2 miles per hour! I was saying 'good no cops yet' and then just about 200m from the exit one pulled up with his lights flashing etc . He asked what I was doing and said I'm not allowed to go on interstates as a pedestrian and then drove me off and round the corner to the R66 proper and told his 'control' about the L.A. on foot who said ''she's doing what!!''
Got lost last night AGAIN and it was tough at the end of 6 hard days with quite a lot of miles and today was going to be easier with only 31 but a major storm and winds and rain made it all rather hard work with very slow progress . Any way only about 10 miles to go but lunch and little rest calls .

So there you have it, mum is progressing very well with tough days and great days. She also was on the Chain of Rocks bridge over mississippi which she said was incredible.
The american mothers day was on sunday, and she said she felt very priveleged to be running on "the mother road" on that day.

I will write again soon
Thankyou for all your support

Third Installment - 28th May 2008
Hi Y’all,
Sorry for infrequent communication but its difficult getting internet access in the middle of nowhere parked on the side of a road and too hot and tired to stop in the middle of the day in a city. Anyway made it to Oklahoma City today despite it being 93 degrees ! I’m going to have to get used to it and put on suncream at least 5-7 x a day . I look like a sweaty ghost!!
Animals. The birds are amazing and I don’t know what any of them are. Beautiful BRIGHT little blue ones and yellow ones and red ones, so pretty. There are medium scruffy birds of prey ? buzzards all over the place and elegant pure white herons. Even the brown birds are interesting. I love armadillos but haven’t seen a live one yet! Them and turtles and terrapins are hedgehog equivalents and are squished on the road all over the place. The armadillos look like sweet fatty reptiles who need to be motorised to survive! Still no live snakes seen and I’m happy about that, loads of roadkill. I’m not going to mention the ‘tick’ episodes, thankfully not on me. I mustn’t forget Sally a really friendly dog who just wouldn’t leave me and kept running in the road. We had to ring her vet’s number to sort out where she came from and return her ..
Places. So many and they are a bit muddled. The Chain of Rocks Bridge over The Great Mississippi is probably my best moment tho I loved little down at heel Galena in Kansas and kept expecting to see Dorothy and pals come around the corner. I tried clicking my trainers heels together and saying ‘there’s no place like home’ but I’m still here…There are loads of little Route 66 specials like the Largest Rocking chair in the world. Bulls coming out of roves etc. The Union Pacific railroad accompanying me in the early hours of the morning is so comforting with the drivers waving at me and blowing their horns. There’s loads more and I’ll try to clarify it in my brain for another day.
People Ryan a graduating welder and a drummer. The beer drinking Montana cowboy with his (beer drinking) horse tied up at the launderette. The son of ‘Blue Whale’ man. Larry Goodman a very kind guy. The police have been fine. The Route 66 drugs policeman was a bit severe to start with checking our I.D. and searching the van but when he saw loads of pairs of smelly trainers and not much else he was ok..Lots of kindly people in garages buying a coke and letting me use their restroom..
Dom and Kev have been very patient in looking after me and the route and fed me really well. They have to do my smelly washing ! and do lots of maintenance of the van (called Gladys) changing water etc.I think was all a lot more than they bargained for but they have got to see capitol building in Springfield Illinois by the security guards! And also Jesse James Hideout and many more things including guns and knives and shooting a bow which resulted in Dom getting an ‘ arm whipping ‘ yet another of his many injuries, skateboarding ones mostly..
It’s been a rollercoaster for me saved by my family who have been brilliant from thousands of miles away keeping up my spirits and helping each other…
It’s actually Memorial Day in the U.S.and though I’ve thought of people who’ve given their lives for their country I think I’ve mostly just been remembering things, lots of people and things, the people who I’m here to represent who put up with such a lot and don’t complain …….they know who they are and I say their names out loud. I’ve thought of the poor people in the earthquake a lot and stop feeling sorry for myself.
Mostly I think of my family and love them more than they will ever know.

Bedtime now………

Fourth Installment - 2nd June 2008
Hi again,
Must grab the wi-fi when we can get it!
The night I last wrote we had the most amazing storm in OK City as we were parked up at a 24 hour Wallmart . The van was blowing around and felt as if it was about to take off! We listened to the weather station at 2 a.m. waiting to see if it was recommended that every one goes to their storm shelters but it calmed a bit and all was well except the power was out for our area.
5a.m. I was off in the pre dawn light and after a mile tripped over a twig and fell sideways. It would have looked very funny. I carried on out in to the countryside seeing loads of red squirrels and now spotting many horses and the occasional prickly cactus with yellow flowers so we must be getting wild westish!
Also we're on the road to Amarillo 'cos it says so on the road signs about 160miles .
My arm became swollen and bruised even by my standards and moving it around a little sore.Next morning arriving in Weatherford I happened to pass their beautiful brand new hospital and called in. They were all so friendly and helpful from the receptionist who met me and all the nurses and the lovely radiographer, who is on Enbrel for her bad psoriasis ( ''at $500 a shot ''). The doc was delightful whizzing round on a wheely chair as he was in a non weightbearing plaster for a fractured tibial plateau after his 8 year old son ran in to him! Anyway I have 2 undisplaced fractures of my left radial head (i.e. piddly small). They kindly offered me a bulky fibreglass and foam sling but that would have hurt my neck etc and been awkward so they said I could tuck it in my tee shirt as long as I don't twist my wrist/arm or press on it. They were lovely. The whole thing reminded me of good ol'Bognor (apart from the brand new bit !)
The boys have been very kind to me continuing to feed and water me and try to point me in the right direction but I still manage to get a bit lost and it's always my fault. Tho' I take a map with me every day and I am improving a tiny bit.
Last night we stopped in a REAL campsite not just on the side of the road or in a church car park and we had a swim which was FAB. However this morning I am cream crackered and having a major lie-in and will just do fairly rubbish mileage today but I am ahead so hopefully all will be well.

Speak again soon

Fifth Installment - 8th June 2008
Oh Dear! No phone signal, no internet, just hot amazing New Mexico vista!
Back to Texas though, arrived in the Texas Panhandle which is where Curly (from City Slickers ) fell in love for the 1st and only time to a redhead in the fields. We parked up at a small roadside alongside the interstate I40 which accompanies us through many States.
Dom took the broom and spent 50 minutes sweeping the drain (a bit like a quarter pipe) between us and the I40. The looks he got from the drivers were a sight to see! He and Kev then proceeded to skateboard down the drain at increasingly high speeds until Dom’s concentration lapsed for a moment and he took a (his 2nd ) nasty tumble with blood and grazes on shoulder, hand, knee, and ankle! He was brave and eventually agreed that pads may be a good idea for the next time.
We settled for the night and were woken at 1a.m. by a retired policeman smiling broadly saying that it was perfectly ok to park there but people may keep waking us in the night (yeh! Well he did). He carried on repeating all this and smiling sweetly but you very much got the feeling that it wouldn’t have ended happily if we had stayed. He then sat in his car for 20 mins shining his headlights on us so we tootled off.
Next day was to be the 1st of the 100degrees+ and we were going through ‘Groom’ in the early afternoon. It boasts the largest Cross in the Western Hemisphere. More than this though it has in a circle around it’s base the 14 Stations of the Cross. Though quite graphic they were extremely moving and reminded me of people suffering in many ways so badly that surely I could stop feeling sorry for myself and do a few hours walking in the heat of the day. It helped me decide to make the heat my friend and so now 80+ is fine 90+ is ok too, 100 + is hot but manageable with my keep cool kit which I’ll tell you about sometime. ( Mind you wait till we get to 118+ degrees in Arizona and I’ll be whimpering like a baby.. )
Oh Yes! Saw my 1st live snake in the dawnlight which alarmed me though I didn’t tread on it and backed off as it idled its way across the road not paying any attention to me thank goodness, and had my trusty snake stick with me as we were warned there a lot of rattlesnakes in Texas. They go on the road at night to cool down and head off in the early morning near dawn.
Saw the largest wind farm ever and heard on the radio that some geezer is suggesting spending $4 billion on wind farms in Texas. I happen to love them..Unfortunately this one was next to the biggest cow poo smell of all time on a texas farm..We parked a way away ( upwind ) and went to sleep with the windmills all flashing on and off like a giant Christmas tree decoration.
New Mexico started badly with the windiest afternoon walking directly against gusting 55 mph winds so I was taking 3 steps forward and 2 steps back. It was disappointing as I was looking forward to this bit.
Then this morning I set off to Tucumcari at 4 am (in a different time zone now!)and saw the most beautiful sunrise over the grey green grasses, dark green bushes and red stone and brown formations, fab! I then saw yet another flock of about 300 swallows (?) flying around the place with their nests in the underpass of the Interstate looking like hundreds of ancient Egyptian vases stuck on at different angles…amazing. I think I’m spending too much time on my own ‘cos I must be hallucinating. Every time I see a sign saying ‘don’t pass’ (overtake) all I can picture is the Black Knight saying ‘’ NONE SHALL PASS’’ . Him of ‘’It’s only a flesh wound’’ and ‘’Come back here ……. And I’ll bite your legs off’’ . If it’s not that, I keep imagining Steve McQueen + the other 6 riding up over the hills to save a damsel ( ol’ bag ) in not too much distress.
It came to me that I was thinking again (and again) about why I do very long distance stuff and at least part of it is to work out if I would be brave in a war because of course I’ve never been tested in my lifetime. After many years of never knowing the answer it suddenly became clear to me this morning that NO I wouldn’t be brave ‘cos I need lots of encouragement, kind words and hugs to survive. (I’ve had them constantly and frequently from the family and such patience from Kev and Dom and it’s helped so much). I would do anything to protect my family and hopefully do the job I’m meant to do but not without some tears and wimpishness.. Within a few minutes of coming to this conclusion the radio told me what the date is today and it is June 6th D-Day 64th anniversary and it has for many years fascinated me about the facts and the characters and the motivations. I know that if my husband, Hugh chose to do this event he would not wimp or whine but stoically just get on with it . You would want him on your side in a war..he’s very brave.
Anyway the wind is back so let’s see what tomorrow brings

Sixth Installment - 17th June 2008
Just thought I’d tell you a bit about the Mother Road partly really to explain our trip (thanks to Jerry McClanahan).
It was pieced together from an existing network of trails and unnamed roads and was officially born on 11th November 1926 ( 4 days after my dad was born! ) In the 1960’s the inexorable invasion of the Interstates has altered much of it . In other words it does not exist as a single long road but there may be 2 o3 wiggly bits or some which is just Interstate ( motorway). I am taking pretty much the shortest route and of course cannot run on the motorway bits apart from when I did 3 miles running in Illinois early in the morning so as not to wake the boys . I of course was picked up by a nice policeman but not arrested . So I’m not doing anymore motorway on foot!
I was making up missed ‘Interstate miles’ by running to and fro between mile markers that Dom set me , but it’s pretty tedious so to save my brain and body I am not going to make up these miles but will forge on on all walkable Route 66. This will mean that I only complete about 2100 miles rather than the original 2400 miles that I had calculated so I hope no one feels too cheated….

THE TEAM
The Team in the U.S so far has been Dom and Kev who are brilliant friends of my family and they have had a most extraordinary and exhausting time to get us to Albuquerque , which had the most fantastic entry via the Sandia Mountains and it’s a great city but with I suspect a few drug problems .
Anyway Dom’s role gradually took shape with being in charge of navigating Route 66 with maps and GPS . He has to spend much time poring over both because of course R66 is not just a single road as I mentioned . Kev is the purveyor of great food starting with my tuna surprise sandwiches he makes me for my predawn start . At about 10am we have maybe scrambled eggs and cereal and tea. Lunch is a most beautiful humungus salad with so many goodies on it delicately prepared. Supper may be pasta or fish and vegetables and often brownies for pud. I take a pot of nuts and grapes and chocolate along on my travels so as not to get hungry between times . I have a camel-pack with a litre of water and carry extra for the hot times.
They both have to get fresh water and empty the grey and black ( poo!) water every day which is tricky sometimes finding places where you can do this.They then need to do their Wallmart shopping and Kev in particular is in love with same shop as everything is always in the same place in every branch! After all this they need R and R with visiting the interesting R66 sights along the way , going to skateboarding shops and talking to everyone they meet and being generally great ambassadors for the Psoriasis cause and England in general .People often come up to the van and read our psoriasis posters and ask about the trip etc. It is very heartening the good feelings people give and a nice ol’ lady gave $10 towards the cause!
p.s. the chocolate is e.g.mini Twix’s and I squeeze them out like those Frubes yoghurt drinks….because they’ve melted in the heat.

Seventh Installment - 23rd June 2008
Hi to everyone with psoriasis, to all those I know well and to anyone else I don’t know who is having problems with it at the moment . I’d like to say hello to all my good buddies who come and chat to me about it and between us we work out the best plan of action for the next wee while. I don’t think I should name names so as not to worry or offend but you know who you are and I send you my love.
I was daydreaming (as I do when I’m on the road ) yesterday and imagining travelling along the stunning scenery between Gallup , New Mexico in to Arizona . I was walking with Aisling and it was the best time but I imagined Hordes of psoriasis sufferers walking or riding Harleys or in Cadillacs making a big trek along the route to make a point to the world and also to soak up the great UV which would ease things at least for a while ……

June 7th
Arrived today in Flagstaff Arizona and as we’re a bit ahead on miles we’re off on a 24 hour jolly ( i.e. no running/walking for me for a day, Hooray!) to the Grand Canyon tomorrow after I’ve done 8 more miles early morning in to Williams, Arizona.
Since I last wrote, the team has expanded to include Aisling, my 2nd daughter and Andy, her boyfriend . It has made it really interesting, fun, and extremely cosy in the van! It means that Kev and Dom have relief from some of the tedious jobs (e.g. poo water and food shopping) to give them a bit more time for lethal skateboarding!
The van is cosy because of more bodies and you have to sidle past people to get around but it looks great in here because of the treasures we have collected along the way, such as numerous licence plates from all states except Kansas and a few others. I’ve found numerous tools such as spanners and a great workers tape measure and some looking brand new just lying in the middle of nowhere with no person or house for miles around . Also flags and golf balls and bouncy balls, odd signs, toys. It probably sounds rather sad but it’s the highlight of my morning if I come back with great treasure !

Eight Installment - 24th June 2008
I thought I’d tell you about TJ, Joey, Faith and their great parents Rich and Annette, who we met in Gallup, New Mexico. They were fabulous children and gave all their pocket money to help our cause for awareness of psoriasis. This is all the more generous because none of them has the condition. However after playing fun games with us in the campsite pool I learned that they all (except dad) suffer with a lifelong stomach problem which they deal with happily and quietly. I learned that recently TJ has been diagnosed with Von Willebrand’s disease which gives him a lot of bleeding from his stomach so that he is sometimes anaemic and poorly. He was wondering if someone was doing a sponsored event to help find a cure for ‘Von Willy’s’ like we are trying to raise awareness of psoriasis. I said I was sure that there are probably many people making loads of effort to help his problem. I said I would ‘google’ Von Willy’s and find out. So far I have had limited luck with Wifi and not successfully registered with the Association. I will do so on my return to England or when I get to L.A.
The point I am making is such generosity from a 10 year old (and his brother and sister) for something which does not affect him so maybe we can all help each other out as everyone has some problem and needs help.
Now...

Valentine , Arizona .
This is a tiddly place where we have parked up on our way to Hackberry (an equally tiddly place!). Tomorrow we should make Kingman and a day or so after that into California (hopefully) HOORAY!!!!!!!!!

This morning’s walk was stunning through the Hualapai Indian Reservation and beyond with beautiful Arizona Rockies all around. Magnificent and a bit hilly..always accompanied by the railroad and it is a big thing for me if I can get the drivers to toot their horns. The Union Pacific Railroad drivers seem much more generous than the BNSF (whatever that stands for) drivers. Actually this is rather smallfry when you consider our jolly to the Grand Canyon which was indescribably amazing particularly at sunset and sunrise. Only a little less amazing for me was meeting the coolest bikers you ever saw and sitting on their shiny Harley Davidson bikes. Photos will follow shortly..
For Aish and Andy their early morning walk with a detour brought them pretty close to a mountain lion which stared back at them. Aish wanted to make a quiet and slow but hasty retreat. Andy however thought he would get even closer and slowly fiddle about with the focussing on his camera and take not 1 but 4 or 5 shots before the pussycat stood up and then only did he think it was time to leave …………nuts!
Oh well! Another 6 miles to do today and Aisling is coming with me despite the fact it is 104 degrees outside ..nuts! and we’ve dressed as twins !

Ninth Installment - 8th July 2008
Mostly Mojave Desert…
No internet for a while ‘cos in Mojave Desert and a town usually consists of one garage and nothing else or 2 small houses and a trailer. So it’s quite exciting to be in Barstow, California. Some places were really cool and I’ll tell you about them.
Peach Springs promised loads but there was little to see but it is in a Hualapai Indian Resevation and when the team went out skateboarding they attracted some local kids and swapped boards. The littluns were riding on these odd boards called ripsticks which were only one wheel thick and how they balanced on them is a miracle. We have good hilarious video footage of the big boys and girl (Aisling not me) having a go !

Next was Kingman where my Psoriasis poster was put up for eternity (or at least a few days) and my photo taken for posterity and they let us park up and kip the night in the grounds of the museum, not usually allowed.
The next day has got to be pretty much one of my favourites of the trip. It started with a long scenic walk through desert, canyons and mountains up and up to Cool Springs where I met a lovely man who developed lots of skin cancer and came to Arizona to die, but he seemed to be getting better and better and thinks he needs to change his plans! Walking up and up eventually to Sitgreaves Pass, WOW! And then down into Oatman which is a quaint crazy place with gorgeous wild mules, burro, walking up the street through the town, I think Jess sent photos. They have a cross like marking on their back and appear to be wearing eye liner and makeup, they are beautiful. A humungus (quite nice looking) cowboy advised us that we could park up safely and then we went to the Oatman hotel and bar. (Apparently Clark Gable and whoever she was stayed there on their honeymoon). I think Jess has already e mailed the photos of the bar and restaurant area which is lined with over 50,000 1 dollar bills all signed by various passers thro’. We added our own and Dom nearly did himself a mischief climbing up the wall to place it near the huge Coke sign. They, the Oatman residents, host the start of a lethal sounding motorbike race in the summer when every year there are fatalities!! Don’t think England’s health and safety would allow it!
Topock was the Arizona/California border with The great Colorado River dividing them and we swam in it. AMAZING and so cool with 113 the temp that day. After that, desert and more desert which is a fab sight and hot in the day and not really less than 80 overnight so I’ve taken to leaving at before 4a.m. to get as many miles in before the full heat of the day. Yes it’s pitch black but I take a torch, my snake stick and my pepper spray, as well as tuna surprise sandwiches, nuts, grapes, twix, 2 phones (often with no signal)and litres of water to drink and pour on my head. I’m only mildly anxious until the spectacular dawn and then fine till I meet up with the guys at about 10 a.m.
Then we passed through Goffs, Needles, Essex and on to meet Roy from Amboy who kindly gave us a big bag of ice and water bottles.
Newberry Springs has The Barn and Vonnie and Kevin have wild dances and generally crazy pool and drinking evenings. We had a brilliant time but I left sober at 6pm and in bed by 7pm !!!!!

All along the way we were spreading the Psoriasis message and of course it turned out that the people we saw or their mother, aunty, cousin has psoriasis and so are interested. Kev often wears his Psoriasis Association tee shirt (which he has customised by cutting off the sleeves, sorry Gladys) but it often starts up conversations so he’s a great ambassador..
I do wear mine regularly but get so hot and sweaty after many miles (ugh! niiice) that I have to change shirts at least twice a day..
So it could be San Bernadino in a few days and L.A. by July 8th if all goes according to plan. Let’s just wait and see how it goes…….
Next episode may include all the treasures we’ve collected along the way…. And more

10th Installment - 14th July 2008
Hi!What a delay to get these words out and I apologise. It is for a number of reasons.
Firstly the arrival at Santa Monica Pier (after visiting Olympic Boulevard , the true end of Route 66) was spectacular when Aish and the boys gathered a fine group of random passers by to clap and cheer for me as I passed the ‘Congratulations Kate’ banner that Kev designed and they made earlier in the morning . It was most jolly . We then went down to the seaside and paddled and I guess they will have attached the embarrassing photo of me asleep on the beach with a champagne bottle strategically placed next to me to make me appear like a drunken slob when in fact I have only just had a sip !
After a brief nap we went for a hilarious lunch at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. We were well looked after and had delicious food and our brilliant waiter took us to the centre of the restaurant and instead of singing a Happy Birthday song did a spontaneously composed ‘Running song ‘ with the other waiters and in front of a full house. It was very funny.
That night we went out and met 4 really friendly and interested British lads,Colin, Mark, Darren and Steve who all gave some money for the cause and were so entertaining and good company having just driven from Chicago to L.A.
Since then we had a few problems when I was jostled and robbed not far from where we are staying. All money and cards etc. gone which made for a trying couple of days in police station ( with extremely kind and generous policemen) and then hours in banks trying to sort out some emergency funds. Anyway all is sort of fine now so we can have a wild time on Venice and Muscle beaches with all the crazy people and apparently there are loads of acrobats and performers tomorrow so we should be well entertained. Youngest daughter Jess and son Tom arrived yesterday which was wonderful having not seen them for 10 weeks so much excitement at L.A.X.
I’m back to the U.K. on Wednesday and due to meet up with everyone on Thursday at work which will be fun and apparently it has been fairly quiet without me..I’m looking forward to getting home though it has been a fantastic opportunity to be here and for all the Americans to have been so kind along our journey (except perhaps one stinky pickpocket!)
I do thank all you lovelies at Bognor Hospital who have been working towards the psoriasis cause with raffles and maps all over the place and generally making things easy and fun for me before I left and since I’ve been gone.
I also thank everyone who has kindly donated to the cause from patients passing by and being nabbed by Eileen, Jane, Shelby, Karen, Madeleine, Sue and all of you. Some kindly reps and also the nice biker on the train to Cornwall, and the lovely people along the Mother Road including TJ , Joey and Faith .
The Psoriasis Association will let you know how much we have raised but I do hope it has made just a little difference to the awareness of Psoriasis around the place in the U.K. and maybe also in the U.S.A.
Lots of love to my fab patients and even more to my family
Kate
p.s (some of) my treasures found almost (all in the middle of nowhere) along the Mother Road , Route 66 :-
9 golf balls, Licence plates for Illinois x2, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California x5 .
spanners x5, chisel, spike, tape measure, ratchet thingy, pliers, hole puncher .
Toy dragonfly (Jemima), American flags x7, Tigger, pretty silk flowers.
Mirrors x2, bracelet, reflectors, surf (body) board, some bits of tarmac off Route 66 (already broken off)! pencil sharpener, bungy cord, a nice size 12 new ladies shirt.
Loads of cents and dimes, few forks, knives and spoons all rather flattened by trucks.
There were others….
It was my best past time whilst on the Road, finding these treasures, particularly the licence plates…
Thanks!