That Just Happened!

So MPW (My Partner Will)  is into biking…and giving.  Yep, giving and biking, that’s MPW.  He’s on a biking team (consisting of him and 2 others) called Team Quest Cycle.  I would promote their web page here, but it still isn’t done  *ahem*. 

What I will  do is talk a bit about this weekend coming up and how it is contributing to two good causes.  This weekend Team Quest Cycle is participating in the RONA MS Bike Tour.  The Bike Tour is a 2 day  event that involves biking (rain or shine) a total of 150 km  or 93.2 miles, camping out overnight and raising money to support a good cause. 

Multiple sclerosis is a complex disease. While it is most often diagnosed in young adults, aged 15 to 40, we know that it affects children, some as young as two years old. The impact is felt by family, friends and by the community. MS is unpredictable, affecting vision, hearing, memory, balance and mobility. Its effects are physical, emotional, financial, and last a lifetime. There is no cure.

MS Society of Canada

Unfortunately, Multiple Sclerosis is a disease that we are all to familiar with.  In fact, a member of Team Quest Cycle is directly impacted.  His mother-in-law is greatly affected by this disease.  Some days are good and some are just painful.  Needless to say we would like for them all to be good (especially with her new grand-baby in the family). 

Here is a picture of the little one whose grandmother is affected by this disease.  I would really appreciate it if you could click on the picture to donate some money to this ride. (The page opens directly to RONA’s secure donation site).

Yes, you read me right, there are two good causes here.  The first is raising money for MS Research and the second is my sanity (no donations are necessary, of course).  If MPW is riding a bike for 2 days that means I have Jenn-time for two days.  So, in an effort to get some karma-credits for the “me time” I am going to enjoy I am going to make a donation myself.

For every new follower between now and Friday I will donate $1*!   Yes, that’s right…you can donate someone else’s money, so there is no reason not to help out.  If you subscribed via email leave me a comment saying so (honesty policy reigns).

So, tell your friends, follow the link, follow me…every bit helps!

Yeah, That Just Happened!

*Up to a total of $100.

For MPW’s birthday we went to the theater.  Of all the activities we have done together, this has never been one of them.  As someone who has seen 70+ theater productions in her lifetime (and still has the playbills) this is somewhat shocking.  MPW has been bugging me for some time to see this production that was done by a guy he used to go to high school with.  Finally, as a birthday surprise, I got MPW and myself 2 tickets to see…

CANCER CAN’T DANCE LIKE THIS!

Done by a very  talented Daniel Stolfi; it is funny, horrifying, inappropriate and awesome, and set to music with attitude.  It takes a true comedic genius to take two years of aggressive chemotherapy and radiation to fight Acute Non-Hodgkin’s T-Lymphoblastic Lymphoma (a mass the size of a grapefruit over their heart) and turn it into something funny.  There are definitely moments when you just want to leap on the stage and give him a hug, but mostly you get the fact that this is something horrible and he beat it.  He’s not looking for sympathy, he never was, he’s looking for understanding and awareness.  And, let’s face it, a chance to shake what his mama gave him in front of hot chicks.  His energetic performance is even more impressive when you learn that this two year battle wtih cancer ended only a few short months ago.  The determination of Stolfi to get back up on the stage and perform is admirable.  So is raising money for cancer research, which this show does. 

Stolfi and his team joined up with the Sunneybrook foundation to raise money for the 6th largest cancer treatment center in North America (when looking at sheer numbers).  In the early-1980′s this center was created to treat 5000 patients a year.  It now treats 23,000 patients a year.  Yet, everyone is getting a good standard of care and no one has given up. 

If you are in the Toronto/GTA, you must check out this show when it comes out next!  You can join the FB page here for more news and updates on the show. 

And now we are home for the evening and MPW sleeps on the couch while the soundtrack to a praying mantis-inflicted murder plays in the background.  Thank you Discovery Channel.

Yeah, That Just Happened!

They have finally posted the pictures from the Running of the Pugs.  There are quite a few pug-a-liscious shots here.  I encourage you to check them out and perhaps read more about Pugalug and the great work they do as a rescue.