Next, Everest!

You know how when you watch the Olympics and the figure skaters are all, like, thirteen? On one hand, I find this kind of appalling, since it implies that anything older than sixteen is way over the hill. On the other hand, I find it kind of liberating - since I'm not an adolescent, there's no possible way I can be expected to do that, so no need to even feel guilty about not trying.

Well, I'd now like to share with you the story of some friends of ours. They had a baby in April 2007. Then, eight weeks later (eight weeks later!!) they set out on a three-week long bike tour of Europe. Not, you know, the Flanders lowlands, but the Swiss and Italian Alps. That's right: they biked through the Alps while towing an eight-week old baby in a car seat in a bike trailer behind them. They also camped most nights.

I find this to be a herculean endeavor - on par with having the baby, but, you know, lasting for three weeks and involving bikes. And mountain passes in Switzerland. (And something, I suppose, that someone my age could *theoretically* do).

I'm amazed - go on, go read the whole thing!
(And their baby is pretty cute, too!)