Exhausted, but really, really happy

Walt Waldron photo (It's in the gallery)

Too nice a day for this dip
For hardy veterans of prior Polar Plunges, this year's was just too easy to take

By Kristi Gustafson

LAKE GEORGE -- Bill Toscano is ready to take a dip in Lake George. He stands on the shore among hundreds of bikini- and swim trunk-clad beach-goers sporting his red-and-white Hawaiian-print bathing suit and leather sandals. A beach towel hangs around his neck. Toscano has only one complaint: the air temperature.

It's November, and he's waiting to plunge into the 42 degrees water at Shepard Park Beach as part of the third annual Lake George Polar Plunge to Benefit Special Olympics New York wishing it wasn't so warm out. That's right; he said it's too warm.

"When you do this, you want people to think you're crazy," says the 50-year-old from Glens Falls who's participated in this plunge all three years, as well as three plunges over in Massachusetts. "Anyone can go in the water when it's 50 degrees out. That's like swimming in the spring."

Not everyone can handle a true winter swim, he says, adding it would need to be a good 20 degrees colder for him to earn the "crazy" label.

The day's temperatures are perhaps more suited for black bears than polar bears.

Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=868958#ixzz0Xb4wxqF8

We have a cunning plan . . . It involves cookies . . .

I am forwarding this for Her Highness:

Dear Friends;
            As Edward and I prepare to become your king and queen, we plan to represent the kingdom at Estrella and Gulf Wars. Knowing that Their Majesties will be traveling as well, we want to do our share to raise funds for the Royal Travel Fund.
            Master Liam St. Liam, who has been the chief fund raiser for a number of reigns has agreed to work with us, but the idea for our first fund-raiser comes from Countess Ekaterina, via our cousins in Northshield.
            Let me introduce you to “The Princess’ Cookie Caper.”
            The kind folks running the event  have generously allowed us to debut this fund-raiser at Bergental/Barony Beyond the Mountain Baronial Yule, Dec. 5 in West Springfield, Mass.
            Baroness Leonete has kindly consented to be our Cookie Coordinator (because she will not let Liam call her the Cookie Fairy), and she could use two or three sets of hands to help her that day.
            We also need to ask for many sets of hands in advance.
            Here’s the deal: Please make cookies. Any kind you like, especially if you enjoy making them. Package them as you wish, and either bring them or have someone else bring them to Bergental Yule.
            Baroness Leonete and her helpers will display them.
            Want to help the Travel Fund? Hand Baroness Leonete a $10 bill or a check made out to “SCA, East Kingdom.”
            Go to town. Point out the cookies you want – any combination – and the crack cookie staff will bag them for you. You get to keep picking cookies until you crack the one-pound mark. A pound of cookies is a lot of cookies. If it’s not enough, buy another pound.
            We’d really like to get the fund off to a good start, so please bake and buy as you can.
In service to the East,
Princess Marguerite

PS: Additional information from Baroness Leonete

As the cookie wrangler, let me be a little more specific, especially based on the few questions that have come my way.

-You may choose whatever type of cookie you would like to bake, but please give me an idea in advance, so we don't end up with 20 lbs of chocolate chip cookies and nothing else.
 
-Please make a card with the ingredients for us to display for those concerned about allergies

-Period cookies are great, but don't feel like you have to.

-You can box up your cookies in one big container per flavor or however makes sense to you, as we will be packaging cookies as people buy.

Please contact me at nktoscano@gmail.com if you can make cookies for Bergental/BBM  Yule.

If you have any other question, please feel free to ask me.