10.9.2008 | 12:33 pm
In my entire life, I believe I have won exactly zero raffle-style drawings. Random numbers seem to avoid me, for some reason.
So I can’t help but get excited when I get to tell someone else that they’ve won something big — I know it’s as close to winning a drawing as I’m ever going to get.
This morning I got to send out email to the three winners in the Ciclismo Classico Cycling Trip in Italy or France raffle. The thing is, one of the winners — the second place winner, in fact — hasn’t yet responded. So, if you entered the contest, you might want to check your email. You may be a winner and not even know it yet.
Meanwhile, let’s meet the winners who have responded.
Third-Prize Winner: Steve Campbell
Steve, of Seattle, WA, wins the Minehaha Canvas Grocery Bag Pannier, a case of Usinger Brats, and a 2009 Fat Cyclist jersey. Here’s what Steve has to say about himself:
First off thanks, it already felt good to give money to a worthy cause.
The last thing I won was a trip at a minor league baseball game about thirty years ago, and that includes all of the criteriums I entered in college.
My wife Katherine and I have been married 3 years. We decided to tempt fate this year and buy a tandem (aka the divorcycle). This has been great because now Katherine wants to go for rides, and I might be able to fulfill my lifelong dream of getting a speeding ticket on a bike.
I also own two other road bikes. I’m hoping space in the garage will open up for a third bike someday. It’s the one sport I’m where I feel like I’m actually above average, and unlike golf and tennis I get better at it the more I do it.
Congrats, Steve!
Grand Prize Winner: David Hartley
David, of Cape Town, South Africa, gets to make the very difficult decision of racing in the Dolomites or riding the routes and seeing the stages of the Tour de France. I don’t envy him having to make that choice.
No, that’s stupid. I totally envy him.
Here’s some of what David has to say about winning:
I will have to do some more reading up and decide which trip to take, though right now I’m leaning towards Italy. I’ve got to admit that I just donated because it was a worthy cause. The possibility of winning something was just a bonus!
I’ve been riding for about 10 years, and have amassed a good collection of bikes: 1 road and 2 mtb. I’m afraid that you have not convinced me about a single speed bike yet!
I just returned from a mtb holiday in France, Les Get, playing around in bike parks. Probably one of my best holidays. I’m currently being
counting the pennies to try get back next year and also do some road riding, so now I’m super stoked! I may have to sneak in some mtb afterwards.
As an electrical engineer I, of course have just been seen doing the engineer’s victory dance. Work colleagues are looking at me strangely.
All I ask, David, is that you send some pictures of your trip to post.
Chest Thumping, Etc.
The coolest thing of all about this raffle, as far as I’m concerned, is that in one week, you all raised around $20,000 for the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
That’s remarkable.
Huge thanks again go to Ciclismo Classico, for being extremely generous in donating a cycling tour this way. This probably goes without saying, but I will anyway: I’m a big fan of supporting companies that do the right things for the right reasons like this. At some point in my life I’m going to go on a cycling tour, and you can bet it will be with these guys.
And finally, a giant thanks out to Brad Stratton, who had the idea for this raffle and did all the heavy lifting in pulling it off, all as a very meaningful tribute to his mom and her fight against cancer.
Comments (21)
10.8.2008 | 11:55 am
A Note from Fatty: I misunderstood when Brad is going to do the drawing for the winners of the Italy / France Cycling Trip with Ciclismo Classico. That is, I thought he was going to do the drawing this morning, but he actually won’t have time to download all the names and choose the winners until tonight. Which means you have a few more hours to donate and possibly win the cycling tour of your dreams.
A “Come Ride With Me This Saturday” Note from Fatty: I think it’s very cool that Trek is doing a Breast Cancer Awareness Ride this Saturday. There will be rides starting at Trek stores all across the US and Canada. All proceeds will go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Click here to learn more, to find out where you can join a ride, and to register. For what it’s worth, I’ll be at the ride starting at the SLC Bicycle Co, wearing my awesome new 2009 Fat Cyclist jersey. I plan to bring a few more of these jerseys to give away. If you’re inthe SLC area, why don’t you register and come ride with me? And if you’re not in the SLC area, why don’t you register and go ride starting from the Trek dealership near you?
I am always so happy when Autumn arrives. I love the cool mornings. I love the way the air feels. I love that every ride I do is strictly for fun. No training allowed.
Above all, though, I love eating with wild abandon, telling myself that I’ll get back on track “after the holidays.”
Yeah, I’m already starting my holiday eating. I like to start early.
And so it was that last night I looked forward to a delightful evening of watching the Presidential debate, while eating my favorite TV-watching snack.
Well, I’m not afraid to say that I was mightily disappointed in the debate itself.
I mean, where was Ross Perot? You can’t have a debate without Ross Perot! Stupid two-party system and its exclusionary ways.
We’ll get ‘em in 2012, Ross. Just you wait and see.
New Favorite
While I was justifiably angry that my candidate had been shut out of the debate (thus virtually guaranteeing there would be no flipcharts or colorful metaphors), I did have some comfort: I had a big bowl of my new favorite snack all ready to go.
Edamame.
You know, it’s even fun to say. Try it: “Edamame” (Ed-uh-MAH-may).
Now, say it again, over and over, in a singsong voice: “Edamame, edamame, edamame, edamame, edamame, edamame, edamame, edamame, edamame, edamame!”
Hoo, that’s living. I tell you.
To tell the truth, I don’t know whether I’m the first or last person in the world to fall in love with edamame, so I’m going to be cautious and guess that at least a few of you haven’t tried it yet.
In other words, I’m going to spend the rest of this post talking about edamame, and the wonderfulness thereof.
What it Is
Edamame is — very simply — not-yet-ripe soybeans, still in their pods (they look like peas in the pod), boiled in saltwater.
This description, of course, completely fails to make the sale.
What Edamame really is, of course, is popcorn, but better.
Why I Love Edamame
I have a love-hate relationship with popcorn. I love that it’s a fun finger food. I love how easy it is to prepare. I love to grab it by the handful, then eat it in big mouthfuls, or one kernel at a time. I love that it’s salty. And buttery.
Mmmmm. Buhhhhtter.
I hate, though, what those little kernel slivers do. At best they’re going to wedge between your teeth, forcing you to get out innumerable sharp implements to clear away the debris. At worst, those little slivers wedge up between your teeth and gums, which — by an admittedly casual reading — means that movie theaters are in violation of the Geneva Convention.
And then, after eating popcorn through the duration of a film, you feel ill and slightly ashamed.
Edamame has all the benefits (with one notable exception), and none of the problems of popcorn.
- It’s easy to prepare: Just boil some water, throw in some salt, and then throw the edamame in for about five minutes. Then, take out the edamame and shake a bunch of sea salt (my sister Jodi got me some Maldon Flaked Sea Salt for this purpose, and it’s about the best thing ever) on it, making it salt-tastic.
- It’s fun to eat: The pods crack when you boil them, so getting the edamame out is easy. Just pinch one of the beans, and out it squeezes. I find that if you squeeze them just right, they shoot hilariously across the room, possibly blinding lookers-on. That’s their problem. People should know to wear protective eyewear when I’m eating.
- It’s salty. I think this may have something to do with the fact that I both boil the edamame in saltwater and then salt the pods afterward.
- It’s delicious: Actually, I don’t think the edamame itself has much of a taste at all. But it’s a good salt-delivery vehicle. Which is a lot like being delicious. Maybe it’s time I admit I have a problem.
- You can pretend it’s good for you: When you’re eating edamame, you’re eating protein, and hardly any fat at all. Of course, you’re also getting 10^7 times your recommended daily dose of salt, but if there wasn’t something bad for you about it, it wouldn’t be a snack, would it?
You see, the only way edamame falls short is in its lamentable lack of buttery flavor.
Hey, waitasec. I just realized: I could add butter. Just because nobody else does doesn’t mean it can’t be done.
I am a genius!
Comments (75)
10.7.2008 | 8:32 am
On September 25, I attended the Lance Armstrong press conference. I had a few questions written down about how Lance hoped to use his return to the sport to fight cancer, so kept my hand in the air for pretty much the whole conference.
Toward the end, I bounced up and down and waved that arm around vigorously, thinking that maybe if I looked like I really needed to use the bathroom, Lance would call on me.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to ask my questions — it turns out that Greg Lemond figured that he needed some extra quality time with Lance, and the rest of us could just wait.
Of course, I still got a photo of me with Eddy Merckx, so I have no regrets, but I still had my questions.
So I emailed them to Doug Ulman, President of the Lance Armstrong Foundation (I have his email address because he sent me a really nice “thanks” email after the Ibis Silk SL raffle).
And you know what? He answered them. Pretty cool, if you ask me. And I didn’t even have to frantically wave my arm around in the air.
Here we go:
How will Lance riding as a pro help achieve the 3 goals stated in the Global Cancer Initiative?
He will be riding in countries all over the world and while there, engage with world leaders to talk about cancer in their country and how they might make a commitment to address the cancer burden.
He will also be a visible sign that cancer is not a death sentence and challenge the myths and misperceptions often associated with the disease. Through his appearances and media interviews, Lance will speak about the importance of cancer survivors sharing their stories and advocating for their rights to their leaders.
Say it’s Autumn 2010. What needs to have happened for you and Lance to call his return to pro cycling a success? What needs to have happened for you to call the Global Cancer Initiative a success?
For the Global cancer Initiative to have been a success, leaders and advocates from around the world will have participated in a world cancer summit in Paris at the conclusion of the Tour de France and have made significant commitments to address the cancer burden in their countries. Also, advocates from around the world will have been trained to ensure their governments are held accountable for the commitments made.
What new ways will people who are already fans of Lance and the LAF be able to leverage Lance’s return to pro cycling to further their efforts toward fighting cancer?
We will be asking people to visit www.livestrong.org to learn how they can take action and stay informed as to how they can make an impact in their community and country.
What ways do you hope to garner attention from those who aren’t interested in pro cycling or Lance’s return to it?
We hope to build momentum and global awareness that cancer should be on the agenda of all world leaders and that everyone has a role to play in reducing the burden of the disease – from individual health behavior to advocating for change to their leaders.
Follow-Up
I’ve asked Doug — and Katherine McLane, Communications Director at LAF — to check in on this site a few times today. If you’ve got questions about LAF or the Global Cancer Initiative, post a comment and they might answer.
And Mr. Lemond, please don’t even think about hijacking my comments section.
Last Day for the Ciclismo Classico Raffle
As you have no doubt noticed, I’m not even remotely close to being an impartial journalistic type when it comes to LAF. I’m a fan. And I’m a fan because I’ve seen firsthand what good work they’re doing.
And that’s why I do these raffles.
Sure, there’s an outside chance you’ll win an awesome cycling trip in Italy or France, but probably not. No matter what, though, you’re helping fight cancer. And I can’t think of a fight that matters more. So click here to enter the raffle. You’ll find out who the winner is tomorrow — and hey, maybe it’ll be you!
Regardless, thanks for reading this past week while I focus on more serious topics, and thanks for joining in the fight.
Comments (45)
10.6.2008 | 11:08 am
In comments and email, I’ve been getting a lot of requests lately for an update on how Susan’s doing. I’ve been mostly ignoring those requests, though. And I have a good reason.
Superstition.
Basically, things have been going pretty well for the last several weeks, and I’ve been loathe to jinx our good luck by saying, “Things have been going pretty well.”
However, it’s well known (within the part of my head that sets the rules for jinxes) that by explicitly acknowledging the potential jinx, you defuse it, so I think we’re OK, and I can give you a little bit of an update about how she’s doing…and about how I’m doing, too. Because I like to talk about me.
Mildly Good News Is Really Great News
Susan’s recent MRI shows no new cancer growth in any of her soft tissue trouble spots: nothing in her lungs, nothing on her liver. The MRI also shows that the blood clot that went into Susan’s lung is dissipating.
MRIs don’t show what’s going on in the bones and it’s been a while since Susan’s had a bone scan, so we don’t really know for sure how she’s doing there — and her bones are where the cancer has really taken root and given her trouble. However, a pretty simple way to tell whether you’ve got tumors growing in your bones is by the intense pain they cause — and Susan isn’t experiencing any new pain.
Susan’s tolerating her chemo very well. We seem to have the dosage right, because by being careful about what she eats, Susan isn’t feeling a lot of side effects from the Xeloda. Meanwhile, we’re slowly reducing the steroid (Decadron) dose, which Susan is really excited about, because she hates the way it puffs out her face. Who wouldn’t?
Susan has a physical therapist coming over to our house three times a week, helping Susan get some strength back into her legs. And it seems to be helping. I notice that Susan’s able to get around much more quickly and confidently with her walker, and is able to do tasks that she hadn’t been able to do just a month ago.
There are some little signs that Susan’s getting some feeling back in her lower legs. That’s of course good news, but the bad news is that feeling is in the form of pain. Susan’s being very tough about that, though, and only complains about the pain when I tell her that she’s required to complain at least a little bit or I won’t feel good about myself when I complain nonstop about this nasty hangnail.
As far as her brain goes, Susan’s still totally mentally clear, which is the best news of all.
How I’m Doing
If it’s OK, I’d like to take a moment to boast, because I feel like it. Namely, I feel like boasting that I’m pretty proud of the fact that I’m able to take care of Susan and the kids. Right now, every day I am:
- Getting the kids up
- Getting the kids dressed and to school on time
- Fixing all the meals for everyone
- Taking care of the dishes
- Doing the laundry
- Straightening the house
- Making sure homework gets done
Until this year, I’ve pretty much left these tasks to Susan. Sure, I could handle these jobs when Susan was sick or unavailable, but that was always in emergency mode. Now I do them every day, and I’m getting darn close to having them down to a system.
In addition to all this, I of course still have my job, this blog, and my cycling. And other stuff.
So yeah, I feel pretty pleased with myself. Kind of like I’ve moved into the Expert class or something.
Win a Cycling Trip in Italy or France — More Prizes!
As you no doubt know by now, Ciclismo Classico is donating a cycling trip — either the Maratona of the Dolomites in Italy or the Tour de France, your choice — as part of a raffle to raise money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
Well, The Minnehaha Classic Canvas Bag Company is sweetening the pot. First, Second and Third prize winners will also get their choice of one of the following:
Canvas Shoulder Bag
Canvas Saddle Bag
Canvas Grocery Bag Pannier
You’ve only got today and tomorrow to enter the raffle, so you’d better get going on it now.
Comments (44)
10.3.2008 | 12:13 pm
A Note from Fatty: The Ciclismo Classico Cycling Trip raffle continues. Learn more about it here and here, and buy tickets here.
Yesterday I got the following email from Carla:
Blake L is fighting for his life. He has leukemia and has received a bone marrow transplant. Various things have happened along the way. He has had seizures, they placed him in a drug coma, various infections, now he is “storming.” They are slowly bringing him out of the coma and he is starting to make eye contact.
He had promise playing football for —- State, now walking again would be a blessing. His parents have not left his side at Children’s in ——- in 4 months. They are looking for things to motivate and give hope. They have an excellent circle of friends with a wonderful prayer chain.
I am an ovarian cancer survivor and I know how important it is to get motivation and prayers. What I would love is an email to forward to Blake for his dad and mom to read to him about staying strong. Can you help?
I told her that I’d do my best, and asked if she minded if I made my letter public and asked my readers to offer their support to Blake and his family in the comments section here. Carla said that would be fine.
Dear Blake (and Blake’s parents),
I probably don’t have anything to tell you that you don’t already know. Since my wife is fighting cancer, too, maybe it’s helpful to hear from someone else who’s fighting a battle a little bit like yours.
There’s nothing at all good about having cancer. Not a single thing. I hate it and what it’s done to my wife more than I would have believed it possible for me to hate anything. I expect you hate what it’s done to you, too. And you should.
On the other hand, there are some pretty great things I’ve learned about me, about my wife, and about people in general.
I’ve learned that people are really good. We’ve gotten to know a lot of doctors and nurses, and we’ve gotten to know our neighbors better than we used to. Everyone I meet shares in our anger at cancer, and everyone wants to help in any way they can.
I’ve learned that everyone takes turns being both strong and weak. Sometimes I feel like I can take care of everything. Sometimes my wife feels like fighting. And sometimes neither of us feels like we can make it to the end of the day — I mean that seriously; there have been days when my wife simply has not been able to imagine how she could make it to bedtime. When you’re feeling strong, that’s great. And when you’re feeling weak, be weak. That’s fine, too. You’re already coping with something most people can’t even imagine. You have permission to tell people that you need them to do everything right now, that right now staying alive is all you’ve got energy for. I promise you that people will be glad to help, and will in fact be grateful to you for giving them a chance to pitch in.
I’ve learned that I can make it through the day. Whether you’re suffering or watching someone suffer, sometimes focusing on one simple thing — enduring — helps. Tell yourself you’re going to make it, and you will.
I’ve learned to not be surprised by surprises. Cancer seems to be as devious as it is evil, and we’ve been caught off guard by it several times. But we’ve learned that we can adapt and we can fight, and we can lean on people who will help us with that fight.
I’ve learned that there are good days. Sometimes, things will level off or even get easier. When your fight is especially difficult that may be hard to believe, but it’s true. You’ll have good days.
I’ve learned to say “thanks.” This has been a hard lesson for me, and I think it’s a hard lesson for most people, but it’s worth learning. When people offer help, say “thanks,” and find a way to take them up on it. When they offer to pray or meditate or send healing vibes or whatever, say thanks and take them up on it.
Be strong when you can, and be glad for others’ help when you need others to be strong. Hate the cancer, but be proud of your own strength. The fact that you’re fighting shows you are strong, even on the days when you don’t feel strong.
Sincerely,
Elden
PS to FatCyclist.com readers: If you can, leave a comment offering your own thoughts and support. Thanks.
PPS: You can learn more about Blake, see photos, and read his parent’s journal by clicking here.
Comments (77)
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