Y'know...

...some friends would know it was enough that I would be doing some mundane and soul-strangling thing this coming Saturday, probably in the cold, definitely in southeast Michigan, likely involving either (take your pick, though both will be right at different times of the day) soiled diapers or cleaning out a garage, while they spend their day doing an off-road-triathlon-adventure-race-thing in, um..., South Africa. These friends would let it go with a brief, 'yeah, looking forward to it' so as to not let on just how incredibly cool it's gonna be.




However, other "friends" would send a link which illustrates the course, and describes in breathless prose the swim in "the pure mountain waters of the Magaliesberg," mountain biking with "spectacular views of Tonquani Gorge," a river crossing, uphill portage, bone-jarring downhills, something called a Mountain Sanctuary gate, undulating jeep track through citrus orchards, and a run through "indigenous riverine bushveld" with possible "sightings of resident Wildebeest, Kudu, Blesbok and Impala." I don't even know what indigenous riverine bushveld is, but I really want to run through it while sighting a Kudu, whatever the hell that is.

Yes, that's what some "friends" would do, rifle off a quick little missive like this:

"...so I thought I'd read up again on the race I'm doing on Saturday. I figured you'd appreciate it as much or more than the next guy. Did I already send that to you?"

:\

Did you notice the little "Did I already send that to you?" all innocent and concerned. Nice. Don't let the exceedingly friendly exterior and the humanitarian job delude you: Peter Keller-Transburg is a calculating and evil bastard.

That's gonna be you, Pete! Running all alone without any friends! Is that a nine-year-old girl way up there in front of you?

UPDATE: How convenient. It seems a little rain was enough to give Mr. KT an excuse to skip the race. Sure, some will call it a "humanitarian crisis," but one man's crisis is another's opportunity to not have to commune with the wild Kudus on their home turf.

In all seriousness, if you'd like to help out, every little bit helps: World Food Programme ($ can go to WFP ops in southern Africa, if you so designate), or Mozambique directly through World Vision.