Day + 154, Sweet Surprise

Well, this is the day that I've been talking about for months. Ever since I started feeling like myself, it has caused me so much anxiety, and I've given up counting all the sleepless nights a long time ago. What made it all the worse was that I knew it was bound to happen. So, now that it is done, I need to be strong and deal with it the best I can.

I'm talking about our first major snowstorm, of course.

We got about six-to-eight inches of wet, slushy snow. It's a testament to my recovery that I had the strength and energy to dig out my car without passing out or getting physically sick. I'm sure that just one month ago, it would have been a different story. Today, now five months after my stem-cell transplant, I'd say that my energy level is about 90-95% of what it was prior.

Orka

This morning, the mailman delivered a small yellow box. That's strange, I thought to myself... I certainly wasn't expecting anything.

It was a funny yellow box. Not that I minded it... it was certainly more refreshing than the plain brown boxes everyone uses these days. I gave the box the once over, and upon closer inspection, I noticed that the box had a red logo with the words "Pósturinn" on it. Somehow, it looked familar. Where have I seen this logo before?

Of course. The package was from Iceland. Pósturinnis the Icelandic post office. When I had lived in Iceland, you could always rely on the good 'ol Pósturinn. I had always admired their fast, efficient service. During the holidays, nearly everyone in the country would come to send gifts to friends and loved ones overseas. I remember that there would be a mountain of little yellow boxes behind the service desk each year, and it was undeniably a sign that the holiday season was not too far off.

I'm no longer in Iceland to see this spectacle anymore. But today, one of those little yellow boxes had come to me.

When I opened it, it was quite a surprise! My friend Magga Dora from Iceland had sent me two bottles of Orka.

Now, Orka is what you could call a "highly caffeinated power drink", similar to Red Bull, but with a taste closely resembling grape ginger-ale. It's really good, even though it is a little bit on the sweet side. It was my favorite drink when I lived there, and had gotten me through many long, dark winter nights. It is the first thing I buy when I visit Iceland, and the last thing I have before I leave. Trust me... this is good stuff.

It wasn't too long before those two bottles turned into only one. (Burp!) Needless to say, there was no need for a nap on this day. Now that I think about it, perhaps this was the source of the endless energy I had while shoveling out my car?