Slider's Log / Thursday March 18th

I'm leaving for Lake Placid in four days.  Back to my former home an there are so many emotions welling up for me.  Excited to see Lake Placid, a place that was home for many years.  Its natural beauty is hard to explain.  Apprehension, what on earth do I think I am doing?  It's been ten years since I was on a luge sled and I have NEVER been on this track before.  But, I have probably had somewhere in the region of 10,000 runs on a sled of some kind (either a luge or bobsled or skeleton) in my life time and I'm sure I will be absolutely safe.  I just need to get the first run out of the way and I will be fine.  I wish I could get there earlier in the day to walk the track once, check out the sled I'll be using and cut my new face shield before the first runs.  I promised my mother that I would go with her to her very important doctor's appointment and so I'll leave for Lake Placid right after that.  I'll probably get in around 6pm.  The Marriott kindly found me a room.  Thanks very much to them. 

Thanks very much to folks that are donating to the fund.  I know that VANOC's insurance company will payout a death benefit to the Kumaritashvili family. A spokesperson said it was a "Respectful and appropriate sum." What could that mean? I still feel very strongly that we have no idea when the payment will be made and how much it would be. I don't care if it's one million dollars - I'm still Sliding for Nodar!