He gave me a pearl necklace!

Yep, you read it correctly. I received a major league sized pearl necklace last night. I had to beg for it. Initially the guy was only willing to toss me a little one. I wasn't going to settle. I'm a girl with a huge personality. I wanted a necklace that suits me. Then, with my little eye I spied the UBER sized purple one you see pictured.

It was in the wee hours of the morning of Relay for Life and I was exhausted! However, running on nothing but adrenaline and caffeine, I pushed myself to keep on rawkin'!

I wasn't alone. Dozens of other people were trying to keep the levity and spirit of the occasion exciting. Lap after lap. I'd been dancing and jumping around while the band Take Over played. The po-po, the 5-0 had come in to tell them to take it from 11 to 3. Apparently there is a city ordinance or something nutty that won't let that much sound permeate the air after midnight. I didn't get it because this was just one night. A special occasion! A gathering of fund-raising, rejoicing, memorialising folks! Let the boys play the rest of their Stone Temple Pilots tune ... but rules is rules.

My nephews, a friend and I were making our way around the track when we came upon the stage. By then a dj was cranking out 80s tunes! WOO! That gave me the boost of 4 cans of Monster energy drink. That's when a band member pulled out the Mardi Gras beads. I was on it! He started tossing them out to the weary walkers. I had to get in on it. The first I grabbed was the little wimpy silver strand. I had a blue disco ball one the size of the pink strand, but I traded my nephew for the pink. He just didn't feel right wearing pink. Who could blame him? We'd set out to make another lap. I turned to see the ginormous set of beads wrapped in the clump. I had to have them. I went to the stage and pleaded, "I want the bigguns! I need proper adornment." He replied, "Huh?" Pointing to my basooms I declared, "THESE need proper adornment!" And he gave them up. Not easily mind you. He tossed them in the air gently. Clearly he wanted to make me jump for my prize.

[breasticular units were not exposed for the sake of the beads]

For the rest of the time we were at the Relay I proudly sported those gems. I felt I had been justly rewarded for over-extending myself. I had walked intermittently since 2:30 p.m. At one point I stuck the earbuds in and power walked. It was hot; yet breezy. My SPF 35 proved to be enough. No burn!

After the gruelling, sorrowful week my family had shared, our participation in Relay for Life -- Team: Hunger for a Cure was just what we needed. We laughed while not forgetting our recent loss of father, husband, brother-in-law. We remembered those we've lost to cancer. We celebrated my sister's continued triumph over cancer.