The LIVESTRONG Assembly

3/28/2011:

I woke up to another lovely morning in Cedar Park, with just enough time to pack up and watch an episode of "Shahs of Sunset" on my Blackberry (dear BravoTV, why even bother having Full Episodes on your website when you only offer the current full episodes on mobile... um, hello? People still use laptops and such and would rather watch a full episode on a larger screen than my cat's forehead.) before my friend, Dave, came back from his early start at work to rid his home of me take me to the Renaissance Austin Hotel. In all fairness, he has a newborn, and was going back to work, and hosting in-laws that don't speak English, so much of the previous days I would stay out of the house to stay out of the way, let his wife sleep, and then try and come back in before everyone went to sleep.

Either way, I made it to the BEAUTIFUL Renaissance Austin Hotel with plenty of time to check-in, unpack in my ridiculously large room, layout all my wigs, take a nap, schmooze with several LIVESTRONG Leaders as they came into the lobby before meeting my college friend, Emily, for lunch. One of the nice things about going to Austin with plenty of time around the planned events is that I had been able to meet up with a number of folks I rarely get the chance to see.

How good does that look. I mean, SERIOUSLY!

Em and her NOM lunch!

Now, THAT'S a spread!

Em and I went to Manuel's for lunch - NOM! - and I was given a lesson on the evils on infant circumcision. (Of course, as a Jew, I'm not averse to the practice for religious purposes, but I get and appreciate the issue for which Em is lobbying.) We got to catch up on the pros and cons of different cities' theatre scenes.

After lunch it was back to the hotel for some lounging, meeting and greeting with my Senior LIVESTRONG Leader, Patrick and a number of others that had been coming in throughout the day. Dinner was at Bandera's, and, yeah, I went for the rib eye. Shoot me. After that, I took a pass on bar revelry and hit the sack. I needed some shut eye.

3/29/2011:

The morning buffet at the Assembly was a sight to be seen. Two lines of tables covered in eggs, fruit, tortillas, salsas, beans, pastries... you name it, it was there. Except for the coffee. That was served individually. In teeny cups. (Dude... yeah, I know, they were standard catering cups, but this is not your typical crew.) No complaints, though - all in fun. Off we were to the Oak Glass Room (Glass Oak Room?) which was a lovely room relatively removed from the rest of the hotel, so we got to take a nice little stroll. There, we were privy to some great information about the Leader program. There are 3 main areas where we function, and many of us pick one and focus on that. The sessions were great with helping us see how to branch out a bit more, what programs were taking place and how we could help locally, nationally and legislatively.

Lunch was a delightful meal, and we were treated by a State of the Foundation update by Doug Ulman.

We were then treated with a surprise visit from none other but "The Boss," Lance Armstrong.

Finally! I got a photo of him smiling! Photo Credit: Rica Mendes

After lunch, our meetings continued, where we were introduced to Elden Nelson, aka "Fat Cyclist," and we had the opportunity to learn more and more about how we can bring LIVESTRONG back to our communities. A few sessions more and then we were dismissed so we could get ready for the "Texas Casual Dinner."

Now, a few words of caution. When inviting people from outside of Texas to a "Texas Casual" dinner, you need to explain what this means. As previous posts describe, I spent nearly a full day searching for a pair of cowboy boots, and ended up driving in circles for almost 45 minutes to find a cowboy hat. I also figured I'd look to "GCB" for an idea of what "Texas Casual" might look like. The result was this:

Of course, I learned, after realizing I was the only idiot outside of the University of Texas marching band to be wearing a cowboy hat and boots to the dinner. (A few folks wore their boots, but weren't stupid enough to match them with the hat.) I, however, felt I was committed to the look, so I stuck with it. This cowgirl knows to leave her hat on. And, after a few dozen margaritas (cleverly served in mason jars), I didn't really care that I looked like a reject from "The Real Housewives of Texas."

Hanging out at the hotel bar for a while, making plans to go out the next night and some fun stories and photos with ghostly orbs and Pat Chetfield and some of the LIVESTRONG staffers ended the night before I hit the hay.

3/30/2011:

After breakfast was the Collaborative Mission Meeting, where we got to meet some of our partners including the Patient Advocacy Foundation, which provides case managers who give financial, emotional and other practical support and advice to cancer fighters, the Navigate Cancer Foundation, which assigns a nurse navigator to a cancer fighter to help them through the medical process, clarify the diagnosis and terms, and help the cancer fighter sort out their treatment plans, etc, Camp Kesem, which provides children of cancer fighters a free camp getaway all over the country, run and funded by college students and their own fundraising efforts, and our international partners. To kick things off, Camp Kesem led us in a round of "I'm a Little Teapot" Kesem style.

Especially meaningful for me was when the panelist for the Navigate Cancer Foundation announced her name. I immediately teared up. Sharon, whose voice was unmistakable to me, was not only representing this amazing partner organization, but she was my nurse navigator. I had the privilege of standing before the Assembly to declare without wavering that Sharon and her staff were largely responsible for why I was standing before them, confident in my decisions, etc. After that heartfelt reunion and Q&A session with the program leaders, we continued on with a role-playing exercise so that we all had an understanding of the complexities of just a basic diagnosis and the impact on an individual, as well as the many networks involved.

As quickly as one could say "LIVESTRONG," we were off to get our pictures taken by the amazing Liz Kreutz in a group photo that could have been a disaster had it not been for a little invention known as "deodorant."

Can you find me? 5th row, 4th from the left, framed in armpit land.

Day 1 (and a 1/2) in Austin...

This week is the LIVESTRONG Leader Assembly, where LIVESTRONG Leaders from all over the world will converge on the city of Austin for a 2-day summit meeting. I decided to come a couple of days in advance so that I can enjoy the city, without the kids, without having any obligations, the pressure of having to be anywhere by a certain time and with the freedom to do what I want on a whim.

I arrived yesterday at around 11am and was picked up by my friend, and host for the first half of my trip, Dave. Dave and I were on Young Judaea Year Course and has been a gracious host to me for the past couple of LIVESTRONG Challenges. Since the hotel reservation doesn't start until Wednesday, I decided to accept Dave's offer for free lodging (I did help show another technique for burping his newborn baby). Since I had to get up at 3:30 to make sure that I got the airport shuttle at 5:30am, by the time I arrived, I was still pretty tired.

Dave and his wife, Tish, had redone their backyard, complete with some beautiful stone patios and sitting areas, so after I settled in, met the in-laws and the baby, I retired to the backyard for one of the most serene hours I've had in a long time. The weather was idyllic. I sat down between two oak trees, gave myself a quick mani-pedi, finished my book, Secrets of a Jewish Mother by Jill Zarin, and took a nap. A little bit of lounging and catching up followed.

Because I don't eat pork or shellfish, and that was on the menu, I took a quick jaunt over to Tacqueria Guadelajara, per Dave's suggestion, where I had a hearty meal for less than $7. (Talk about a great deal!)

I got back, chatted for a short time, and then crashed - I was in bed by 9, long before the kids were asleep at home, for sure.

Today I awoke to this:

I KNOW! Can you think of anything better? Seriously! It was beautiful. Dave's going to have a hard time getting rid of me!

A bit of work and I headed out to LIVESTRONG Headquarters because I had an 11:30am appointment with Brandon, over at the Navigation Center (talk about a great resource!). The only problem was that, once I arrived, I learned my appointment is actually tomorrow. D'oh! I took the time to donate the painting I made for LIVESTRONG's walls, as they are bedecked with artwork from Lance's private collection. I do hope The Boss, and the others, enjoy it, and that it fits the decor!


From there, I went on what was looking like a wild goose chase to find a pair of affordable cowboy boots for Thursday's Texas Fun Party. I am on a shoestring budget, to say the least. I first went to a thrift shop 2 blocks from LIVESTRONG HQ, but no dice. However, I was starving, and I realized I hadn't really eaten breakfast. A nice lady int he parking lot who was dropping off stuff for the thrift shop offered some advice as to where I could find some second-hand boots as well as a someplace for lunch. Per Gina's suggestion, I ate at Las Cazuelas and headed on my adventure in boots.

Can you believe! $5 for all THIS! (Oh, minus 1 taco. I ate before I shot.

First, I went to St Vincent de Paul Thrift Store. Then, I went onto Heritage Boots, which didn't have anything under $300, so I had to rule that out. (But, MAN, what beautiful boots!) I hit New Bohemia, per the recommendation of a street vendor selling lovely bracelets recycled from old boots and belts. I spent almost an hour trying on boot after boot, but my feet and legs are still so swollen from chemotherapy, that none of them fit. The girls there suggested that I head to New Brohemia - their men's shop. There, I found 3 pairs of boots that fit, but none of them had that "X" factor. I found a pair for $20 that I was going to settle on, but there was a repair that would have to be made. The gentleman there suggested that I go to the shoe repair shop, the Golden Sandals Shoe Repair to find out how much it would cost.

I love the J.P.!

Well, that suggestion was beshert. Apparently, they refurbish and resell boots from customers that they abandon or decide they no longer want! There, I found a pair, with the thanks of Abel, of ostrich boots that fit me to a TEE - it was as though they were custom made for me (though, they were custom made for someone else). He gave me a great deal on them, and I'm picking them up tomorrow.

No day in Austin is complete without libation from Juan Pelota's Cafe, so, victorious, I swung by my favorite watering/cycling hole to recharge myself, my phone and my iPod.

Once I was done with that, I was off to meet my old friend, Bill, at Rudy's BBQ. While this was a repeat stop, it had to be done. Rudy's BBQ is ridiculously good. So, I met Bill with his 2 daughters and we caught up, laughed and enjoyed the evening over turkey, brisket, and, an Austin staple...

Thus ends my first full day in Austin. Here's to many more!