The Ocho gives in...

Well ladies, it's happened...the Ocho has broken under the weight of everything going on in her life. It's just too much! Between the wedding and immigration and the campaign and the new condo...it's just all too much. Something had to give and about 20 minutes ago, HP08 decided what it was going to be...Little Pepper. Now as some of you know better than other, HP08 HATES bailers and one of the things that she prides herself on is not being a fair-weather friend and trying her hardest to follow through on all of her commitments. Even as she writes this, the Ocho is getting a creepy, icy, icky feeling in her stomach that screams "You're just being a wuss! Suck it up!" And maybe she could do it, but she'd be so stressed out about it over the next two weeks that other things would suffer. So, HP08 will still go camping and hang out with the ladies and maybe she'll even participate in a leg or two, but she won't be doing the whole thing and she won't be doing the biking. To be honest, HP08 is currently terrified of her bike. It might have something to do with her giant spill last week and almost getting run over by a car, but it's going to be baby steps getting into the swing of things. Really ladies, she's trying. She's just...overwhelmed...and tired. So, HP08's birthday gift to herself is to let herself rest and save the immigrants before conquering the bike and her fears. Sometimes you just have to give in to the bigger world and karma. I hope the HPs understand and will forgive her weakness.