Stan is Not Dead

Kimberly reminded me today that I have not written about Stan the Traveling Stent Graft for quite some time. Maybe it was Virginia's dislike of Stan, actually she thinks he is just blatant product placement with sadly no revenue stream, or the fact that I often forget that he sits at the bottom of my purse most of the day as to why he hasn't been mentioned lately. He is still alive and well and I often show him off to fellow travelers along the way as part of my own small crusade to get people to stop smoking. I haven't made any headway, but people like to meet him and hold him. He has seen quite a bit on his travels and as a result, he never wants to be cooped up inside a body. Although, I doubt the FDA will let him after my handling of him and all the germs he has surely met.


Stan joined me in China and although I left him out of all the Olympic parties, I did take him to see the Great Wall. He loved hiking up and along the Wall while reflecting on the history and what life must have been like back then. He particularly liked hanging out with our small Chinese guide who just smiled a lot as we followed him for hours.


In Nicaragua, he toured the Isla de Ometepe and kayaked with me to see the crocks and turtles. He is not a good swimmer or kayaker. Not having arms makes both activities difficult and so he just hung out on the kayak while I did all the hard work for the both of us.



In Colombia, Stan appreciated all the stunning views of the city and countryside. He is not afraid of heights and often hangs over ledges to get a better view. When I'm not careful, he sometimes blows away and I have to run down hills chasing after him. I thought about tying a piece of string around him so I wouldn't lose him, but he didn't like having a leash. I told him that he could pick the color, but that didn't sway him.

I also brought him to Burning Man, but the dust didn't go over well with his asthma. Plus, dust isn't great for his polyester suit and so he had to stay in the tent for most of the time. He did not sleep well because of all the party noise from the playa and unfortunately, I could not find his ears for his ear plugs to help him sleep.

Yes, he is eating and staying strong. He will accompany me on the rest of my travels and I will try to do a better job of updating his status.