Why I Still Wear Yellow

About four weeks ago my Livestrong bracelet broke.  "No problem," I thought to myself, "I'll just go and get another one out of my drawer."  You see, every since my sister Angela was diagnosed with cancer in 2005 I've worn one of these bracelets to support her in her fight against cancer.  When my mother and two other sisters also contracted other cancers within the next two years I vowed I would never stop wearing one until this horrible disease was beaten. 

That was the year Connor's Army was born and I vowed that I would do something to help not only my family but others in their own fights against cancer to show my gratitude for my own family's successful struggles with the disease.  I would always manage to buy a few at a time thinking if one broke I could then instantly replace it.   The disease has not yet been eradicated (like it's predecessor polio) so I'm still wearing my bracelet.  As a matter of fact, when we decided to begin our very first Connor's Army fundraiser I chose yellow as the color of our jerseys because it would match the bracelet!

I know, sounds stupid right?  I mean, I have always liked yellow, even though it's not the artsiest of colors and can make you look jaundiced if you don't have just the right skin tone.  Nevertheless, I have always liked it even though as a theatre person my wardrobe tends to runs to various shades of black.   To me yellos is a happy color, a color of rebirth and sunlight, a color of hope. If you go to Color Wheel Pro and look up their interpretations of color, they state that yellow is;

Yellow is the color of sunshine. It's associated with joy, happiness, intellect, and energy. Yellow produces a warming effect, arouses cheerfulness, stimulates mental activity, and generates muscle energy.

"What," you may be asking yourself, "is your point and what has precipitated this color rant/meandering mental migration?"  Well, you see it all started about two weeks ago when I realized that the replacement bracelet I had put on to replace the Livestrong bracelet that had broken two weeks previously was not an adult-sized bracelt.  It was a child's, one that I had bought for the kids to wear if they decided they wanted to wear one like daddy.  Unfortunately, my children tend to run on the small size (genetics, go figure) so the youth bracelets don't fit them.  Soooo, I put them in the drawer with the other bracelets for safe keeping thinking they would be there if the kids ever wanted them.   Of course, completely forgetting that fact, when I broke my latest one I just reached in and put it on.  I figured that since I was a "slightly" built individual it would be fine.   Well, after two weeks of struggling with it tangling up in everything and cutting off my circulation I decided I needed an adult, the youth was cutting it (hmmm, is that philosophical or what - but more on that in another post).

Now I tend to go through one of these bracelets every eight to twelve months due to the fact that I never take them off - I sweat in them, stretch them over my jerseys when I ride,  When I first made my decision to wear one always I bought eight of them from a local bike shop - five adult and three youth.  So naturally, when I realized I was completely out of adult Livestrong bracelets I went to the LBS (local bike shop) where I originally purchased them only to be told, "Sorry dude, we don't carry those anymore."  Undeterred, I went to another bike shop and got the same response.  So I went to a third, another negative response.  It wasn't until I went to the fourth bike shop and was told not only did they plan on not stocking them but I was asked, "Why would you want to wear that piece of crap anyway?  Armstrong's just a big cheater who got caught!"

Well, instead of getting into a big philosophical argument with this idiot (becasue even idiots are entitled to their wrong beliefs), I thanked him and left.  What spurred me to lots of introspective brain meanderings was the fact that this counter jockey's point of view is not a solitary one.  There are many editorials out there decrying Lance Armstrong's cheating ways and how it denigrates every cancer survivor by even coming near one, much less wearing one.  There are thousands of blog entries out there that speak of the evil intent behind Nike's continuing to sell the bands and support the Livestrong Foundation, as if it is some corporate conspiracy to use the proceeds from the continued sale of these bracelets to somehow buy respectability.  Indeed, an article on the Wristbands.com website gives a few ideas of how they can be altered to "more honestly" represent the idea behind the bands.

To hell with all of you!  Sorry, my blog, I can say what I want.  I don't wear the wristband because I support Nike or because I am convinced of Lance Armstrong's innocence.  It is beyond refute that he did use banned substance to win at cycling;



Now people are still arguing about whether or not this was a true confession.   In my own faith confession (or reconciliation) is one of the holy sacraments (baptism, communion, reconciliation, confirmation, marriage, holy orders, annointing of the sick).  In an article on AmericanCatholic.org it makes very clear that three things are required of a penitent in order to receive the sacrament of reconciliation (or confession) worthily:

1. He must be contrite—or, in other words, sorry for his sins.
2. He must confess those sins fully, in kind and in number.
3. He must be willing to do penance and make amends for his sins.

There are those who will say that he didn't fulfill the first part and no one is very sure if he is going to do the third.

I'm not going to defend what he did as an athlete.  Did I think he was incredibly awesome on the bike?  Yes.  Did I somehow secretly get motivated by watching videos of him race?  Yes.  Were there moments in my deluded state where I secretly thought, "Hey, he came back from cancer and raced, maybe I could start racing too!"  Yes.  Did I like to cheer for a fellow Texan?  HELL Yes!  Did I refuse to believe he could have used drugs to cheat after all the drugs that were pumped through him during chemo?  You better believe it.  Was I incredibly dissappointed and let down when I watched the above interview and heard him finally "come clean"?  Absolutely.

But I don't wear the yellow bracelet for him.  Say what you want about his cheating, doing anything to win mentality.  But he has done an incredible amount of good for the cancer community.  So many have been helped becuase of the foundation he began and his advocacy.  As a cancer suvivor he brought the spotlight on this disease and got corporate America to begin to invest in eradicating this disease.  So for that alone I am grateful to Lance Armstrong for what he has done to help the fight against cancer.  The Livestrong Foundation is still advocating for those battling this disease and Lance Armstrong is no longer involved in the operation of the organization. 

No, I wear the bracelet for my sisters, my mother, the children of Sunrise, my friends and all those I met along the Ride Across America who have battled or are battling this disease. I wear the band in support for them. I ride in yellow in support for the people who don't even know they have the disease and will soon be fighting their own battle. Current estimates are that 35,000 a day will be diagnosed with cancer. I wear yellow to lend them my strength in their fight. 

And I look forward to a day when I don't have to buy another yellow bracelet.  Ever.

Stay well my friends and I'll see you on the road.

Through The Dunes to Ft. Garland

Miles Ridden Today - 63.35  Average Miles Per Hour - 17.92

Today was one of those mornings when you are alone on the road and you are just grateful to be alive. By the time I rolled out (6 AM) I knew that the Sunrise campers were on their buses on the way to camp and were solidifying the bonds that have been developing over the last few weeks. Normally, I too would be getting my kids loaded up and ready to travel with me in the car to the Sunrise camp so they could take the train up the hill to the Friedberg camp.

Now, however, I get up at 5:00 and try to get out the door by 6:00. Usually my entire family is still fast asleep in their warm beds and its always so difficult to head out the door with them so peacefully asleep. They look so contented and beautiful. I usually spend a few moments lingering over the sight of my wife lying there looking so gorgeous. She really doesn’t know how hard it is to leave her at these times in the morning. Because of the fact that Sarah is now at the age where she can’t sleep with her brothers she is usually sharing a bed with Amy. Last night however, she slept on a cot by herself, the boys slept on a futon and Amy and I got to share a bed in a room to ourselves. We both got a good night’s sleep without small feet pummeling us in various manners!

Last night we also got to have a home cooked meal around a kitchen table for only the third time during this trip (the first time was in Salome, the second time with Matthew). Amy made steak and corn on the cob and we sat around the table feeling like we were all at home enjoying one of our favorite summertime meals.

But this morning it was back to work, riding the next stage of our cross country journey and I had to leave my beautiful family peacefully sleeping while I mounted up and rode off. I stopped for some coffee at the local convenience store and after getting myself properly caffeinated I headed off into the sunrise (since I’m heading East).

I have to admit, as far as the ride was concerned, there really wasn’t much to it. The slope was mostly 1%, 0% or -1% so I flew along the roads. For the second day in a row I beat my family by a considerable amount. Today I was there an hour earlier than them and so I rode by the place where we were booked for the evening, The Lodge! It looked a little sketchy so I rode a little further into town (it was only about two miles long) and found The Fort Garland Motor Inn which looked much more inviting. So, since I had some time to kill I rode to the local gas station and bought some Gatorade and corn nuts, rode to the end of town and settled in to wait for the family, in the hopes that I could catch them before Amy checked into the Maison de Sketchy.

It should probably be mentioned here that I’ve been in contact with my friend Carolyn for the last day and she has invited us to stay with her in Cuchara instead of in Walsenburg. Apparently, it too is an incredibly sketchy place. She suggested that if we get the chance we should check out the Great Sand Dunes National Park. After determining that we would not be staying at The Lodge (but not before checking out the Fort Garland Motor Inn, which seemed very nice but the proprietor was a bit odd) that’s where we headed. We drove West on Highway 160 and took the turnoff for the park. The sign said 16 miles to the park but we couldn’t see anything. As we drove north we saw nothing. As we drove further we could begin to determine a mound of sand in the distance. As we got closer we could see them mounting higher and higher - it was amazing. Here in the midst of all this high desert scrub were these towering mountains of sand (we later found out that the highest is 750 feet tall) and there was a hotel? We were excited to think that we might have the chance to stay in our second National Park!

Alas, it was not to be. We found no room at the inn and the proprietor of the national park hotel suggested - the Fort Garland Motor Inn! I guess it was fate. However, as we paid our admission to the park we got into a conversation with a very friendly park ranger named Kelsey who asked us about our journeys and to whom we gave a brochure about the ride. She was most encouraging and it was nice to be able to share with someone else about our journey.

After a few informative programs at the information center, we headed off to the dunes where we found out they have been here for at least 11,000 years and were formed by a curious phenomenon in which the winds blow the sand from the San Luis Valley in a northeasterly direction where they hit the mountains and can’t get over. They are then washed back to the southwest by the floods and melting snows where they deposit in the dunes. This cycle has been going on for thousands of years piling them slowly higher and higher. We also found out that the creek (when it is running, which it isn’t now due to the drought) is one of the few places on earth that experiences a phenomenon known as surge tides. It’s really too bad we couldn’t see it in action.

But we did get to climb on the dunes! It was hot, it was difficult and we certainly did not climb the highest dune but we did manage to get out to the first dunes and the kids enjoyed running up and down the dunes and getting sand in crevices they didn’t even know they had.

(Trudging Our Way to the Dunes)

(William Working on His Junior Park Ranger Book - Surrounded by Dunes!)

(Still Trudging)

We then headed back so the kids could get their third junior park ranger badges of the journey and we headed back to town for an early dinner at the local diner. While on our way out of the park we met Kelsey again who had shared our brochure with another ranger there. This second ranger (whose name I can’t remember, I apologize) recently found out her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer so they are both supportive of our cause. We truly hope that she recovers and tomorrow I will be riding for her (even though I don’t know her name, my energy will be heading towards her as I climb La Venta pass).

We finally got back to the Motor Inn and checked in. Turns out the proprietor is from Poland (which explains the persnickety cleanliness, she reminded me of many of the hotel owners when I was on tour in Europe - everything in its place and spotless) and through talking with her we found out that many riders from the Race Across America had stayed here. Lance Armstrong and company actually stayed here once during the Tour of Colorado! I would have asked for pictures but she was quite talkative and I was afraid that it would take all night.

So we settled in for the night and watched tv, caught up with e-mails and tried to communicate with Carolyn, so we can meet up tomorrow. I also have a follow up picture with the Walsenburg paper, not to mention I have to climb my last mountain pass for a while, better get some shut eye!

And the report for today;

FFL - 2 Rabbits, 1 Deer, 1 Sparrow, 1 Snake, 3 UFO’s, 6 birds of indeterminate species
RRL - 1 Washing Machine Lid, 1 Dryer Vent Hose

Stay well and I'll update more from the road!

For another perspective on our journey check out Amy's blog at http://www.crosscountrymama.blogspot.com//
To help us get the kids to Sunrise go to https://www.wizevents.com/register/register_add.php?sessid=1809&id=1056
Check out our website at http://www.connorsarmy.org/

2003 In Review

In 2003 I received the inspiration for naming the black steel bicycle that I will be riding from San Diego, CA to Wheatley Heights, NY in the summer of 2012 - "The Black Pearl" and she was unnamed until I saw this beauty flash up on the big screen;

I then made the comparison that like this gorgeous ship under sale, my Pearl wasn't the prettiest bike on the road but she was fast and she could take a beating!

So this brings us back to what else happened in the year 2003;

One of the most important events in the Connor Family history occured in February of 2003 - William and

   James were born (at 28 weeks) in the middle of a blizzard!  And so began the crazy journey of raising

   twins!  Our family would never be the same again but I wouldn't change it for the world!

The fall of 2003 saw me begin my sixth year of teaching at Syosset High School.

The summer of 2003 was (unebeknownst to me at the time) my last year of directing at Usdan Center

   for the Creative and Performing Arts.  (Boy do I miss that place and all my friends there - yes, I'm talking

   about you Eric Baum!)

The spring of 2003 saw us bring to the SHS stage an amazing production of Macbeth with Alex Numeroff (a

   young lady) as Macbeth and Jackie Silvestri as Lady Macbeth.

But what was happening in the world around us back then?  Here is a potpourri of US and World Events to remind you;



(Elevated home in Belhaven, NC - 2003)

For starters, here's how much things cost;

How Much things cost in 2003



Average Cost of new house $246,300.00

Average Median Income $45,016.00

Cost of a gallon of Gas $1.83 (to quote Adolfo from The Drowsy Chaperone - WHAAAAAATTTT?)

(Making Muppets Adult Friendly for All!)

Because I teach Theatre, here are the shows that opened on Broadway in 2003 (click here for a link that will provide links to all these shows);

Anna in the Tropics
Avenue Q
Big River
The Boy from Oz
The Caretaker
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Golda's Balcony
Henry IV
I Am my Own Wife
Laughing Room Only
Little Shop of Horrors
Master Harold and the Boys
Never Gonna Dance
Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells it All
Retreat from Moscow
Sexaholix...(A Love Story)
Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks
Taboo
The Violet Hour
Wicked
Wonderful Town

And as a teacher of Theatre, I'm ashamed to say that I saw less than a quarter of those shows.  Of course, with the boys being quarantined in the house until June, its no wonder that we didn't get out much.  Of these (and yes, I know I'm about to commit a sacriligeous act here) my favorite of that season was Avenue Q - sorry all of your fans of Wicked.  I guess you'll just have to sing this little ditty;



And what else happened in the world around us in 2003?  I'm glad you asked.  You can click here for an in-depth, almost daily rendering of what went on in that great year.  However, for the time-crunched amongst us, here are some of the highlights in no particular order;



(NOTE: this video really doesn't have anything in PARTICULAR to do with the events of 2003, it just is a whimsical look at how consumerism is driven by politics)

World Events 2003

•The new United States Department of Homeland Security officially begins operation
•United States plans for an invasion of Iraq due to an imminent threat from weapons of mass destruction
•The United States and the United Kingdom start with their shock and awe campaign with a massive air strikes on military targets in Baghdad before the invasion of Iraq by Land Forces.
•Saddam Hussein, former President of Iraq, is captured in Tikrit by the U.S. 4th Infantry Division.
•A major severe weather outbreak spawned more tornadoes than any week in U.S. history. 393 tornadoes were reported in 19 states
•Earthquake in Boumerdès region of northern Algeria - 2,200 killed
•Lance Armstrong wins his fifth Tour De France
•Do Not Call List starts providing consumers with an opportunity to limit telemarketing calls.
•Armed undercover "sky marshals" are used on Aircraft to prevent terrorist attacks following 9/11
•Americans rename "French Fries" to "Freedom Fries" in protest to France's stand on Iraq
•Toyota overtakes Chrysler to get the number three slot in US Car Sales
•Ex-soldier John Muhammad is found guilty of the Washington sniper shootings
•10's of thousands of Harley Owners gather in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to celebrate 100 years of Harley-Davidson Motor Cycles.
•The last old-style Volkswagen Beetle rolls off its production line in Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
•Italy suffers a near countrywide blackout when electricity supplies fail
•The highest temperature ever recorded in the UK - 38.5°C (101.3°F) at Brogdale near Faversham in Kent
•A car bomb attack in the holy city of Najaf, Iraq has left nearly 100 dead including a leading Shia Muslim politician Ayatollah Hakim.
•Voters recall Governor Gray Davis from office and elect Arnold Schwarzenegger to succeed him.
•The wanted terrorist Abul Abbas is captured in Baghdad
•Army Pfc. Jessica Lynch is amongst those captured US Troops free her 9 days later
•A massive earthquake devastates southeastern Iran. Over 40,000 killed
•In France a 104 degree heat wave kills approximately 5,000
•Dafur Rebels begin attacking Sudanese government targets, bringing a swift military and police campaign to Darfur causing millions to flee their homes.
•President George W. Bush on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln announces major combat in Iraq is over
•US Interest Rates at 45 year record low of 1% and core inflation rate of 37 year record low 1.3%
•Justice Roy Moore, is suspended when he refused to take down the Ten Commandments from an Alabama state justice building.
•Hurricane Isabel claims 40 lives and leaves six million people without power
•Kyoto Protocol in danger of failing following International Climate Conference in Moscow
•Terrorists bomb the United Nations Baghdad Headquarters
•Terrorists from Al-Qaeda drive two trucks packed with explosives and bombs into the Bet Israel and Neve Shalom synagogues in Istanbul, Turkey killing 27
•Suicide bomb attacks on British interests in the Turkish city of Istanbul kill 27 and injure 400

(to keep this in the bicycle theme, I was actually riding home from Usdan to Smithtwon as this was happening.  I was riding on Jericho Turnpike and I couls see the traffic lights slowly going out down the road in front of me - one by one.)

Technology 2003

•The Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates over Texas upon reentry, killing all seven astronauts onboard.
•The highly infectious disease SARS ( Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ) spreads from China, Singapore and Vietnam, Worldwide nearly 9,000 People are effected in 15 countries and over 800 die from the effects.
•Human Genome Project successfully completed with 99% of the human genome sequenced to 99.99% accuracy.
•Secretary of State Colin Powell urges the U.N. Security Council to move against Iraq due to possession of weapons of mass destruction
•In the biggest blackout in the history of the north America some 50 million people in the northeastern states of US and southern Canada lose power.
•The birth of Prometea, the first cloned horse by Italian scientists.
•The space probe Galileo makes a fiery dive into Jupitors atmosphere it was launched in 1989 and is one of the most successful NASA Projects.
•Concorde makes its last commercial flight, bringing the era of airliner supersonic travel to a close, at least for the time being
•Libya agrees to give Up Chemical Weapons
•Concerns continue to grow over possible Asian bird flu outbreak also known as avian influenza




(One of the original commercials used by Apple in 2003 to launch iTunes)

Popular Culture 2003

•The ABC's 20/20 airs the controversial Granada Television documentary Living with Michael Jackson
•Keiko the Orca made famous by the "Free Willy" movies, dies
•The Recording Industry Association of America (or RIAA) files copyright lawsuits against Internet users for trading songs online
•Apple launches Itunes which becomes a major success selling 10 million songs within 4 months of launch
•A white tiger attacks Roy Horn of the duo "Siegfried & Roy" leaving him partially paralyzed
•Michael Jackson is booked on suspicion of multiple counts of child molestation ( later acquitted )
•JK Rowling's fifth Harry Potter book Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is released



(There were so many incredible movies this year but my kids love this scene and so do I!!!)

Popular Films

•The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
•Finding Nemo
•The Matrix Reloaded
•Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
•Bruce Almighty
•The Last Samurai
•Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
•The Matrix Revolutions
•X2: X-Men United
•Bad Boys II
•Lost in Translation

Popular Musicians

•Amanda Perez
•Elton John
•Beyoncé
•Christina Aguilera
•Travis
•David Gray
•Limp Bizkit
•Evanescence
•Coldplay
•Sheryl Crow
•Hilary Duff
•Norah Jones
•blink-182
•Pink
•Shania Twain
•Madonna
•Avril Lavigne
•50 Cent
•Clay Aiken
•Kylie Minogue
•Stereophonics
•Kelly Clarkson
•Blur
•Ashanti
•Fleetwood Mac
•Eminem
•Nelly
•P. Diddy

Of course this is only a small sampling of what happened, there were still so much more that went on in the world in 2003.  But isn't it fun to go back and walk down memory lane and remember?  To say to oneself, "oh, right, I remember that!" 

But why this walk down the memory lane of 2003?

TODAY I HIT 2003 MILES ON MY ODOMETER!!!!!!!

Yes, Connor's Army fans, I have already ridden over 2000 miles on my bicycle and its only the middle of October!!!!  I have ten more weeks of riding to do.  If by some miracle of modern time-crunchedness I am able to ride an average of 160 miles a week (I really don't think that's possible) I will be able to ride 3600 miles this year - the same amount that I will be riding across the country this year.  Basically the route we will take will look something like this;

This is the actual route that I created on Google Maps.  It looks like it would be doable since I programmed it in using the bicycle directions feature.
I am feeling much more optimistic about the ride now.  I know that I'm committed to finishing what I started (and some people think I should be committed for doing what I'm doing).  But I do still feel frustrated because I can't seem to get the support.  I see people everywhere starting wonderful foundations for their family members and entire communities getting on board to support them.  Yet, I can't even get my school community on board with it.

Now granted, I haven't tried to get my ACTers really into fundraising for this because of the entire political aspect of it.  I don't want to have any kid put into the position of things being said behind their back that the only reason they got a role was becuase they (or their parents) gave a lot to Connor's Army and to the cross country trip.  I would NEVER allow anything like that to enter into my casting of a role.  Accusations like that were made in the past which is why I'm really not leaning on those kids for help.

However, I am going to start appealing to the other clubs at school for their help in fundraising for this.  They fundraise for a variety of other charities.  I'll let Breast Cancer month wind down and then I'll ask for their help.  Its the only way I can think of doing this.

In the meantime, I've sold about $250 in bicycles through what I'm calling RECycle for Sunrise.  I take used bikes that have been donated or that I find in the trash and I refurbish them.  I then place them out in my yard and/or list them on Craigslist.  So far I've sold two kids bike, a ten-speed racer, and three mountain bikes with more on the way.  If I have to do that to get the money I need to pay for the cross country then I'll do that.

But there are some former ACT alumni who have really been so incredibly supportive in these endeavors.  Mel Mednick helped organize a comedy improv night to help raise money for Connor's Army last spring.  This fall Jamie Blanch and her fellow warriors at UNO Fights Cancer have held bake sales and are selling ribbons to help raise money for Connor's Army and ACS.  I am so incredibly grateful to them because it does remind me that people out there do care about what I'm trying to do for these kids and believe that I can make the 3600 miles to bring some attention (and hopefully donations) to Sunrise Day Camp.

If anyone else out there wants to help organize a fundraising event either here or where you are at school (ALUMNI PLEEEEEAAAASSSSSSEEEEEEE???????) let me know and I'll do all I can to help you.  Remember - its for the kids of Sunrise!!!!!

Stay well and I will continue to see you on the road!!!!!!