March Newsletter: Spring is here, and we are blooming with ideas!

If you didn't hear, I was declared "NED" - No Evidence of Disease. That means that there are no current signs that there is any cancer in my body. There are still things happening as far as treatment and recovery are concerned, and you can follow more about that on my blog, but the good news is that I'm NED. Thanks so much for your support as I fight my own cancer battle.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

•  3/14 in Darien, CT - Fondue-Raiser for LIVESTRONG - http://meltingpot.com/darien/specials/livestrong-fondue-raiser
  Dine with us and you will enjoy a special four-course fondue feast for just $44.95 per person. A portion of the proceeds from each meal purchased ($10.00) will go to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Please phone in your reservation today: 203-656-4774
  
• 4/29 in Pound Ridge, NY - The 3rd Annual ROCK the RIDE & RUN benefiting LIVESTRONG - http://www.active.com/5k-race/pound-ridge-ny/3rd-annual-rock-the-ride-and-run-benefiting-livestrong-2012
  Choose to walk, run or ride to benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation and show support for the 28 million living with cancer today! There will be activities for runners and cyclists of all levels before and after the event! Friends and family are invited to join in the fun at the LIVESTRONG Village at the Trinity Corners Shopping Center, featuring booths and tables from local organizations and businesses, and you'll be provided a directory of participating shops within walking distance so you can enjoy the day!
• 5/1 in Stamford, CT - Shop Smart/Do Good at Lord & Taylor in Stamford - http://www.lordandtaylor.com/dogoodstamford
  Donate $5 for every ticket that you want for the event, and you'll get access to Lord & Taylor's best offers of the year with very limited exclusions! Be sure to select "Lance Armstrong Foundation" in the drop down menu when you purchase tickets online. Everyone who gets their tickets to benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation will be entered to win a $25 Lord & Taylor Gift Card from me! You can also, email me and I can send you your tickets in advance. Tickets will also be available at the Fondue-Raiser and the ROCK the RIDE & RUN.
• 5/6 in New York City, NY - Team LIVESTRONG joins the TD Bank 5 Boro TourJoin Team LIVESTRONG as we ride the TD Bank 5 Boro Tour! Let me know if you want to join us - rmendes.livestrong@gmail.com! And let me refer you to the team - For every new VIP registration that I refer, another $100 will be donated to LIVESTRONG! Email me if you would like one of the remaining VIP slots left!
• June - date TBD - Camping Trip for Cancer SurvivorsSupported and sponsored by EMS with additional supplies by REI - please let me know if you'd be interested in participating in a weekend of hiking, camping and outdoor activities at a local nature reserve!

I'd like to thank the following businesses for providing their support:

• The Melting Pot for so generously hosting our 2nd Annual Fondue-Raiser
• The 3rd Annual ROCK the RIDE & RUN would like to thank the growing number of businesses & organizations who have committed to joining us: The Pound Ridge Business Association, The Traveling Bike Shop, REI, EMS, Mark Boyland of Keller Williams Real Estate, Keystone Development, Team Danbury Audi - a local amateur team with some of the top competitive cyclists in their class!
• Lord & Taylor for allowing us to participate in the Shop Smart/Do Good event

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• We are still actively seeking volunteers & sponsors for the 3rd Annual ROCK the RIDE & RUN! We need people to help at registration, to receive riders, runners & walkers upon their return, items for raffle, swag bags, sponsors for our t-shirts, businesses willing to donate food & drinks, etc.
•  Do you own, or are associated with, a local gallery and would be willing to allow a 2-4 week long exhibit and art sale benefiting LIVESTRONG? Please let us know - we have a number of artists from across the country donating pieces for this project - now, we only need a home!
• The Wilton YMCA is currently seeking votes to receive a grant and the LIVESTRONG at the YMCA program! Vote to bring LIVESTRONG funding to Wilton, CT for a program proven to support families fighting cancer. Add your vote before the deadline. http://vote.livestrong.org//vote2012/applicants/215-wilton-family-ymca-inc/
• If you are a cancer survivor, or know one, and would like to join a small group of us for a camping trip, please let me know. I'm working on solidifying a date and location, but EMS & REI have agreed to provide us with some equipment for free and at reduced rates, as well as some guides. It should be a lot of fun and a nice treat!

More events and happenings are in the works. There are so many ways that you can be involved in the fight against cancer. And if you need help, please reach out to me and let me help or go to livestrong.org.

As always, I look forward to seeing all of you at our events! Be sure to introduce yourself and keep in touch! Thanks again!

If you cannot attend one of our events, but you would still like to contribute to the cause, please go to http://laf.convio.net/goto/RicaRocksAustin2012 and make a donation. Let us know if you would like to make the donation in honor or in memory of someone, and we'll bring a racing bib with your dedication on it to Austin in October of 2012. 

-- 
Rica Mendes, LIVESTRONG Leader

Why do I do this to myself?

I had a friend that resurfaced after several years and visited me and the kids a couple of years ago. I've always been the queen of self-deprecating and sarcastic humor, so calling me, or a loved one "stupid" isn't an insult, it's a term of affection. He, however, took great offense when I called my son stupid. Said friend, it should be noted, has never been one to pick up on social cues or tone very well, so I had to explain that my son knew I wasn't actually calling him stupid, or that he knew I didn't think he was actually a dummy, but that the affectionate tone I used, etc, was inclusive and a term of endearment.

That said, I can honestly tell you that I am stupid. Or stubborn. Or delusional. Here's why.

It's been just under 1 month since my last chemotherapy treatment. It's only been about a week or so that I've been able to touch my toes. I've only just begun pilates and some form of organized movement, outside of rolling in and out of bed, toddling in and out of the car, etc.

And yet, I've committed to not only raising $1,000 by May 1 for Team LIVESTRONG, but to ride the 43-mile TD Bank 5 Boro Tour as a V.I.P. with my son. No, I haven't learned, I'm still banging my head against that wall.

If you've been following my blog for some time, you'll know I rode it last year. I had a rather unfortunate mishap involving the tip of my saddle, my "delicate parts," and gravity which made the final stretch of the ride most exciting. And I went on, at length (ad nauseum) about how out of shape I was last year.

Well, never one to underperform, I'm entering into this venture even less in shape than I was last year. (Huzzah for me!) I have to tell you, despite that unfortunate collision, this was a tough ride. The ramp leading up to the Queensboro bridge is my NYC Kryptonite, as it nearly broke me before I'd even made it onto the bridge. And the approach to and the ride over the Verrazano is nothing to sneeze at.

But, I'm committed. (Or perhaps I should be?) Why?

Because cancer can't stop me. Chemotherapy isn't going to stop me. It may slow me down, it may force me to struggle harder to regain whatever "normal" feels like. But it's not the end of me. I've got fight in me, still, and now I've got one more weapon in my arsenal when attacking a Challenge like this one: REVENGE.

I'm taking revenge out on cancer. I'm taking revenge for losing my breasts. For losing my hair. For losing my eyelashes. (Though, I was thankful about losing leg hair, etc, allowing me to retire the razor and body wax for a while.)

Back this Cancer Vigilante, would ya? $1,000 by May 1 sounds like a lot, but let me tell you, a little bit every day helps tremendously. Please make a donation today - any amount is appreciated.