Week #24 (and a half) Roundup

So much has happened this past week. I've been putting off the recap because we haven't received the pictures of the event from the photographer, and all of the money hasn't been donated online yet. Altogether, we raised around $1200 from our fundraiser! While the day of was ridiculously stressful for all those involved in the planning, I think everyone ended up having a good day, and we raised a lot of money in the process! I will post pics when they become available.

We also received $440 in donations as a birthday present to dad. I would have much rather had dad with us on his birthday, but I'm so touched that people honoured him in this way. We also had a lovely dinner with some of his friends and family. I think somewhere in our little party room, dad was poking around the prime rib and going back for seconds. And guess what, dad? I did drink a coke for you! For those not in on the joke, dad loved coke. His parents used to stock pop around the house so he wouldn't get into drinking, which worked out very well. Dad was never a drinker, but he did love to have a coke now and then. Now each time I think of him and his pop-drinking habits, I am reminded of the Frank O'Hara poem, "Having a Coke with You."

That morning, I had my McMaster interview. It was a lot more of a pleasant experience than I was expecting, and I definitely felt that everything our family went through helped me address some of the scenarios in the interview. Now all I can do is wait.

Now, just because:

Having a Coke with You

is even more fun than going to San Sebastian, Irún, Hendaye, Biarritz, Bayonne
or being sick to my stomach on the Travesera de Gracia in Barcelona
partly because in your orange shirt you look like a better happier St. Sebastian
partly because of my love for you, partly because of your love for yoghurt
partly because of the fluorescent orange tulips around the birches
partly because of the secrecy our smiles take on before people and statuary
it is hard to believe when I’m with you that there can be anything as still
as solemn as unpleasantly definitive as statuary when right in front of it
in the warm New York 4 o’clock light we are drifting back and forth
between each other like a tree breathing through its spectacles

and the portrait show seems to have no faces in it at all, just paint
you suddenly wonder why in the world anyone ever did them
I look
at you and I would rather look at you than all the portraits in the world
except possibly for the Polish Rider occasionally and anyway it’s in the Frick
which thank heavens you haven’t gone to yet so we can go together the first time
and the fact that you move so beautifully more or less takes care of Futurism
just as at home I never think of the Nude Descending a Staircase or
at a rehearsal a single drawing of Leonardo or Michelangelo that used to wow me
and what good does all the research of the Impressionists do them
when they never got the right person to stand near the tree when the sun sank
or for that matter Marino Marini when he didn’t pick the rider as carefully as the horse
it seems they were all cheated of some marvellous experience
which is not going to go wasted on me which is why I’m telling you about it

-Frank O'Hara

Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy 55th birthday Dad! I would add "wherever you are" to the end of that phrase, but I'm sure that you were here with us today for your birthday celebration, enjoying the presence and the collective gathering of some of your good friends.

I know that today, you were probably looking at us and remarking, "Lookin' good Ladies!", just like old times, and adding in a "You too Wallace".

I have to think back four months to remember when you were physically with us, six months since you were at home pacing around the condo, and four years since you were just your regular, healthy self. But you know what? Though cancer has denied us the opportunity to share more moments with you, it can't take away the many happy memories that we have of you in our hearts. I believe that you were here for a reason and that you were taken from us at this time for a reason (though presently, we may not understand why).

You are alive through each one of us, and have taught us all well. We look forward to celebrating your greatness and honouring your memory with friends and family again and again and again...

Lots of love,

The skater.

Dad's 35th birthday

This is dad on his birthday twenty (!) years ago. It's his birthday and yet I'm the one opening the presents and blowing out the candle. Figures.

Happy Birthday, Dad

Daddy, today you would have been 55. I hope wherever you are, there is delicious birthday cake and good company. Down here, we will be celebrating you with your friends and eating your favourite things (prime rib and mashed potatoes, among other foods). I'll even drink a coke just for you.

Love,

Your little buddy

Tonight's the Night

But not the Dexter kind of night, for anyone who picked up on that reference.

In case you haven't noticed, Stace and I have been hyping up our fundraiser concert at the El Mocambo, and it's finally here! If you don't have any plans tonight, I hope you seriously consider coming out and having a great time. Doors open at 8pm, and the first artist starts around 9pm.

As for me, it's not even nine and I've had two breakfasts, one Americano, one coffee, and one spin class. I am gearing up for a long and hectic day...

Hope to see you out there!

Week #23 Roundup

Happy $11, 195 Team Hendy!

Progress has been slow, but we are hoping to make up for that with this Thursday's fundraiser!

Again, here are the details on some of our lovely posters:

I've been off school for one week now, most of which has been spent sleeping and recovering from a nasty respiratory tract infection and sinusitis. I hadn't been feeling great for three weeks when Mom finally forced me to a doctor after several episodes including faceplants, excessive napping, final exam meltdowns, sneeze city, hacking coughs and lots of mucous (TMI, I know).

Now that I'm better, I can 1) engage in physical activity (and be able to breathe), 2) plaster the city with our lovely posters, and 3) go shopping!

Let's face it though, I am never too ill for shopping...

Specifically, with regards to number 3, I would really like to buy a ramp for Wallace. I am looking at something like this:

You see, W is too small to get "uppy" to some of his fave spots. These include:

Chair - for people and dog watching out the window

Couch - for cuddling and napping near family

I am hoping that ramp would give W some agency as the little guy still whimpers when he wants to "go uppy" or "wants down".

Oh boy!

Week #22 Roundup

The team has cracked the eleven thousand mark! Specifically, we have raised $11 070! Woo!!

In other fundraising news, our concert to conquer cancer is quickly approaching on April 22nd, and we finally have a lineup finalized and details (relatively) ironed out. Many many MANY thanks to Alyssa for all her hard work, especially when she already has a million other things on her plate.

Once again, here are the concert details:

• doors open @ 8 pm
• $10 at the door + canned food item, or $12 without
• all proceeds from the door go to Team Hendy's ride, while all the money raised from the bar will go toward the ElMo's Serving Charity

LINEUP:

• 9 pm : Alyson McNamara
• 9:30 pm : Gay
• 10:30 pm : BF Soul
• 11:30 pm : Foxfire

The bands have been nothing but wonderful in donating their time and efforts to help out our cause. So please, come out and check them out!

As I mentioned before, the concert falls two day before what would have been dad's 55th birthday. And in a strange turn of events, dad's birthday is the same day as my interview for McMaster, the university where dad completed his undergrad and MBA. I think dad is working some magic upstairs, and I'm definitely taking this as a good sign. I'd like to believe that he's still looking out for me and Stace, and this is just one message he's sending to me.

Week #21 Roundup: Dust yourself off and try again

There's this Aaliyah song that some of you 80s babies may remember called "Try Again." Dad used to call this the skating song because of its lyrics: If at first you don't succeed, you can dust it off and try again. This made a lot of sense for Stace, as the song was a big hit when she was first getting into skating, and dad would always sing it annoyingly in the car, repeating the same line over and over and over again. Now, it's the song that I have to repeat to myself, as I went on my first real training ride yesterday.

I drove out to Mississauga so that I could get riding on less busy roads with my cycling-enthusiast-friends, Craig and Claudia. Claudia had the difficult job of teaching me how to clip in and out of my bike. One of the reasons why I never liked skating was because I had this ridiculous fear of falling. In retrospect, I would prefer falling on the ice to crashing off my bike any day. So there I was, standing on Florence, left foot clipped in and ready to go, with Claudia hovering over me repeating, "Okay, go." I did not go. "Okayyyyyyyyy, gooooooo." No go. "You really have to go." I'M GOING TO FALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL. "You're not going to fall." OKAY. HERE I GO.

NO GO.

After about ten minutes of standing there, I finally pushed off and clipped in. I even clipped out and came to a nice stop. I repeated said process multiple times, not once meeting the ground. Hey ground! Nice to see you all the way down there! Wish I could hang out but I'm too busy clipping in and out like a pro! Needless to say, I was feeling prettyyyyyy pleased with myself.

Craig met up with us and we decided to set out on a nice 50K up to Milton and back. We were biking along and came to our first major intersection and first red light. I could feel myself getting nervous. There I was: one foot out. Slowing down. Trying to stop. I'm stopping I'm stopping! WAIT NO I'M NOT I'M FALLING OMG I'M FALLING. Luckily for me, I landed on a car and not the ground. I don't think the owner was too happy about that...

I'm told that everyone falls at some point. My problem was that I didn't get my butt off my saddle and started tipping. Claudia and Craig then let me pull over and practice starting and stopping in a school parking lot until I felt confident.

The rest of the ride moved along fairly well. My legs didn't tire at all, and it was nice to see all the quaint, quiet GTA roads that I've missed due to a.) having no need to drive that north and b.) being too immersed in city life. We even passed horses! Moreover, being such a beautiful day, there were lots of cyclists out on the road, and they are all so nice. Everyone waves or says hello. It reminded me of when I used to go on runs in Mississauga and everyone greeted you as you passed. This simply just doesn't happen in Toronto.

Reaching the tail-end of our ride, we approached the very same intersection of my first fall, and what do you know, I fell AGAIN. I must have started and stopped a dozen or so times on the ride and yet I reach this godforsaken intersection and it brings me down HARD. My poor handlebars got crushed in a bit, I lost an end cap, my seat shifted, and my back brake and tire got a little stuck. Due to the latter complications, I fell again when I tried to get back up, not realizing that everything was off-kilter. Luckily, Craig carries tools along with him and he was able to make some immediate adjustments to get poor Florence up and working again. With a scratched calf dripping blood into my new road shoes (SAD), a sore bum, and a very bruised ego, I walked my way up to a side road where the three of us stood for a good ten minutes while I contemplated what to do next. Do I walk the rest of the way, or do I try to clip back in and beat this beast? I knew that if I didn't get back on the bike, I would be too scared to try it the next time out, so I clipped in and pedaled onward.

All in all, the ride itself went extremely well, minus the falls. My legs felt strong, and I definitely think that all my spinning helped build a solid base of leg muscle. I want to get my bike checked out before I take her out again, but I am looking forward to my next ride. 60K, here I come! Moreover, now I have the battle scars (AND THE WORST SUNBURN) to prove that I'm a real athlete. I just wish I was a more graceful and coordinated one.

Study Study Study

So I had this dream a couple of days ago that involved a man telling me that he was writing his masters thesis solely upon my blog entries. NO JOKE! Evidently, the overwhelming nature of exam time has begun to infiltrate my dreams. Lovely, no? However, what is kind of pathetic is that even in my own dream, my first thought was not, "That is ridiculous!", but instead, "Oh no! But you have such limited material!"

It's true, I have not been a very good blogger...but just give me nine days! Nine days and this nightmare of a school year will all be over! If there is anything that I've learned in school this year, it is that school really has no mercy for people who are in desperate need of a mental break! At best, maybe you get a few extensions. Fast forward a few weeks though and (1) no, you still aren't ready to write any tests, (2) now everything in the universe is on your plate at once, and (3) you are officially behind in life.

That said, I now have an unbelievable amount of information to cram into my brain, and no time to do it. Also, mother nature hates me and wants to rub sun in my face when I need to study. What's a girl to do...

...walk Wallace.