For those of you who have been reading these blogs you’ll notice that I’ve been far too long silent. In my own defense, all I can say is that I have at various times in my life tried to keep a journal or a diary and I have always failed dismally. The actual process of sitting down and regularly jotting down my thoughts has always eluded me. I’ve always found that there were always other things that distracted me from my goal. Last year’s blogging was for me a very difficult task trying to keep up with at least two a month. Once we reached our goal for the Connor’s Army Commute I lost the impetus to write. I felt as if no one wanted to hear about the day to day. However, the other day I actually ran into someone who asked what was going on since none of my blogs was current. That let me know that at least one person out there was periodically checking up on our website, so I decided that I needed to get back into the habit of keeping you all updated. My goal now is to try to post an update each Sunday just to let you all know what is going on with Connor’s Army, the fight against cancer, and life in general.
First of all THERE WILL BE A SECOND ANNUAL VICTORY RIDE! We are planning to do the same basic route (with a few “safer” modifications) and add a 15-mile loop through Syosset to make the distance a little more challenging for the truly intrepid among us. The Farmer’s Almanac (remember how well it served us last year?) is forecasting “fair and cold” weather for that week – whatever that means. I’m hoping to find sponsors who will once again donate (or sell at a discount) refreshments and supplies for the ride. Once again we’ll ride from St. Phillip’s to Syosset High School where hot drinks and food will be waiting. For those doing the original 25 mile course they will turn around and head on back. For the rest of us, we’ll loop around back to Syosset High School, refuel and then head back to Northport where more hot beverages and food will be waiting for us. We won’t be throwing the same big party that we did last year, we’ll just have some fun music playing and people will come in at their own pace. We may ask people just to check in so we know everyone made it back safely. Our original goal last year was for a hundred riders. Now that we know the realities, we’re hoping just to double our number of riders from last year – so if we can get 20 riders to actually start and finish we’re ahead of the game. Whatever the turnout, this is a ride we’re hoping will grow and continue year after year to be a way we “normal” riders can help put back the money for cancer research that the government is slowly taking away.
On the personal front, my family is doing well, both immediate and extended. My mom has recovered well from the melanoma and she’s showing no signs of it coming back. Tamara is pregnant with her second baby and Angela just celebrated two years of being cancer free. Sarah is thriving in fourth grade and had a great fall as the only girl out of twenty 3rd to 5th graders who attended a baseball skills clinic. It was really cool to see her out there mixing it up with her pink bat, pink batting helmet (with the pony tail cutout) and pink glove – girls rule! The dynamic duo of William and James are in kindergarten (eeks) and they are having a blast – although we do occasionally deal with the “I don’t want to go to school” – just wait until they’re teenagers!
Amy has continued to be involved in local theater productions, becoming a fairly regular swing at the John Engeman Theater at Northport. She is currently starring as Adelaide in Plaza Theatricals production of Guys and Dolls and I will just have to say here she is the best thing in the show (what else would you expect?)! I actually had a turn on stage this summer playing a character named “Teech” in an original play entitled Theatre Games playing – are you ready for this – a high school theater teacher. It was a real stretch I tell you. It was good to get back on stage and “practice what I preach”. It reminded me that I am teaching usable skills to all my young, budding thespians. Of course, one of my most nerve wracking performances was the one when I had twelve of my students in the audience – my only hope was that I wouldn’t black out onstage. It was a lot of work and very stress inducing for my first foray back but I really had a great time when it was all said and done.
On another personal note, I completed my first century! This summer I rode the Huntington Bicycle Club’s Gold Coast Century and I made it all the way through in five hours and forty-five minutes! I tried to hook up with various people but it didn’t work out this year so I just decided to go solo and left out of the parking lot at 7:00 in the morning. I ended hooking up with a triathelete who was a bit older than me but we rode together. We had a few people join us and drop off periodically but it was basically the two of us all the way through. I had actually left my inhaler (for my asthma) at home and at the big rest stop in Roslyn park I was told to wait because someone was bringing it to me. I didn’t realize it had dropped out of my pocket at home, I thought I dropped at the start and someone recognized my name on it and was bringing it from the start. It turned out that it was Amy who was trying to get it to me and she had been “shadowing” me the entire route trying to catch up with me. I actually saw her on the road and the irony is, I didn’t need it the entire ride! I didn’t latch onto the Kreb’s Cycling peloton but I did finish and I averaged 17+ mph! I was a happy man.
On a more somber note, my beloved Cowboys faltered after going 13-3 and I had to live through the ignominy of seeing the Giants win the Super Bowl! And this season looks dire as well. Ah well, there’s always next year.
Stay well and I'll see you on the road!
