Will he really wear a green mohawk??

     Remember my brother, the motorcycle rider with the bald head??  Remember he said he would join my team??  He even agreed to wear my pink frog shirt... But he also said he would have to have a green mohawk to make a statement.  But he's bald!  How is that going to happen?  So now he's like a chia pet, growing the hair back to get ready for the ride.  Most men shave their head to hide the fact that they are actually hairless.  Not Doug, he shaves his just to keep you guessing:)

     Now we'll sit back watch it grow, only to see him shave eighty percent of it off and turn it green.  I have to say, the hair color will compliment the shirt nicely.

The lengths some people will go just to raise awareness!!  This Bike-To-The-Bay will sure be memorable!

Have a great day!!

Christine:) 

The simplest things make my day!

                           

     I'm not much of a gambler; things don't usually fall into my lap.  I've learned that I have to work for what I want in life.

     However, I do like going to the local casino every now and then just to drop a twenty into the penny slot machines. It gives me the feeling of being in Vegas without even jumping on a plane.  More times than not I end up making a donation to the economy, but once in a while I get lucky and make a buck or two!

     For the most part it's simply a fun night out, and it's one thing my son Matt and I can do together.  A while back I went with my 26 year old daughter Emily and though I didn't win big money, it was certainly a day to remember.

     As we were entering the casino I noticed the man checking people in was letting most of them slip right by, no questions asked.  As Emily and I approached the gate the man said "I need your IDs". I smiled and waited for Emily to pull hers out.  He then said to me "I need yours too".  I said "are you serious?!?!"  This is my daughter and I'm 50 years old!! He leaned in and looked at my eyes... then said "okay, you're good:)".  I guess the crows feet were a dead give away:)

     I could take offence to his snap judgement  but I would be a fool to think any 50 year old looked under age (except for Medicare,lol).  He told me I looked young and they're required to ask anyone under 35 for identification, so I was thrilled just to be lumped into that category.

     That day I certainly had an extra bounce to my step (of course maybe it was my "turbo leg" causing it...)  at any rate, my day was made and it's amazing how it's the simplest things in life that do it!


Have a great weekend!

Christine:)

     

Merry Christmas!!

          Not sure how many people will be reading my post on Christmas, but if you happen to be... Merry Christmas:)  I hope your holiday is great!  My journey sure is a lot easier with great friends along for the ride, and that's by far the best Christmas gift ever!  Thanks:)

Merry Christmas!!

Christine:)



     

My team list so far...

  

   Well I guess the pink team shirts haven't scared anyone off; I am so excited about all of the people I have committed so far!  Look up here at the "Team Leapfrog" page and click on it. You can see how many team members I have already.  

     The official Bike To The Bay registration is coming very soon and I'm very overwhelmed by all of the great people inspired to ride!  Please start thinking about it and help me grow this list:)

     With all of the amazing people in this world anxious to put an end to this disease, I know the list will be huge!  Just say the word and I'll add your name!  We can do this!!



Have a great weekend!!

Christine:)

Just keep asking

        When it comes to building my team, If I don't ask at every given opportunity then my job isn't done.  You just never know unless you ask.  So I was at an MS Lifelines meeting and I asked my new friends, Jim and Kelly Neville if they would join my team in the Bike-To-The-Bay, and I was pleasantly surprised when they were totally up for it.

     Next I kept my fingers crossed. I really hoped they wouldn't sleep on it only to tell me at the next meeting that they had changed their minds.

     However, at the next meeting, not only did they tell me they were serious about riding, but they were happy to pose for a photo as proof!  It absolutely made my day when they told me their 20 year old son Christoffer would also be on our team, and it doesn't stop there, because they weren't done asking!

                     
   
  The number of people I've come across that want to help support this cause is unbelievable, and I'm sure there are many more out there as well. But one thing I've learned is if we don't keep asking we'll never find them.

Thanks Nevilles!!

Have a great weekend!!

Christine:)

You're my inspiration

     I've had several people tell me in the past that I inspire them, and I have to say that as honored as I am to hear this, I feel like I should be the one saying this, because all it takes is one person to believe in me and that's what gives me strength. The encouragement I receive is very overwhelming.

     Sure, I have a few obstacles that I have to overcome, but every single one of us has something challenging in our life, and when we believe in ourselves then nothing is impossible.  

     If I can convince one person that their life has meaning then that person could make a difference in this world and it just goes on and on.  Faith is an amazing tool!

     If you have a time in your life that someone inspires you pass it on, because I must admit, you're my inspiration:)  Thanks!


Have a great day!

Christine:)

Lets ask Santa!!

     This time of year the last thing most people are thinking about is riding a bike; it's way too cold! Capital "C" old! Remember the Bike trail I loved to ride on just a couple of months ago??  Here it is now; YIKES!!  

Thanks for the snow:)

This looks like a bad hair day, but the 100 mile an hour wind and 20 degrees is the culprit, BRRR!!

I think I'll start a new trend!

     Yes it's cold now, but it won't be long before I begin begging for kind people to join my team for the Bike-To-The-Bay, and maybe Santa could help us out:)  

     If you're like me, you may (or may not) have a functioning bike, but none of the much needed gadgets to make the ride safer.  By now you've seen I have my helmet and over anything else that is the most important thing to have.  I take that back... you first need a functional bike, and then comes the helmet... (the chicken or the egg?!)  

     Of course, I'm asking Santa for lots of team members too, and I sure hope he comes through:)  So if you've been considering riding in the BTTB come spring this might be the nudge you need to take that "leap" with me. Just ask Santa!

     My official begging is a short ways off but it can't hurt to get you thinking, and in the mean time, I'll cross my fingers:)


Have a great day!

Christine:) 
     

Christmas shopping keeps me going!

isn't she too cute?!

      When it comes to shopping I'm really more of a "window shopper" than anything else.  When ever something catches my eye it isn't long before I talk myself out of it or remember I have one just like it at home.

     I really enjoy walking around the mall with my mom on any given Saturday, and even more-so  around the holidays.  I just love to see all of the interesting people, along with all of the decorations and lights.

     It's even more enjoyable when my Christmas shopping is done and I watch all of the others scrambling around like crazy people. 

      I usually spend the remainder of the time until Christmas checking to see if I got the best deal or not.  The better option would be to put my blinders on and step away from the racks; there's no turning back.

My sweet grandbaby William loves the excitement too!

     We'll enjoy it while we can, because it won't be long before we're saying once again "when's it gonna be spring?"


Have a great weekend!

Christine:)

     

My gift of gab is priceless

     
     Maybe I do tend to run off at the mouth; at times and you might even call it a gift of gab, but here's proof that it is in fact a gift, because it just keeps landing me rider after rider for my team!

     When I was at the DMC Christmas party I started my recruiting again and by the end of the night I had several more of my co-workers anxious to ride on my team!

     Greg and Katelyn Gomach were very serious about this quest.  Katelyn rode in the past and was confident that she could get some of her friends to ride this year as well! It didn't take long before Greg was also on board. Now it looks like Santa may have to bring someone a new bike for Christmas:)

     They must have been serious because they allowed me to have our picture taken as proof, so I know they won't be backing out now:)  I'm very fortunate to have them on my team!  Thanks guys!


Have a great day!!

Christine:)



     
     

     

A rebel with a cause

          Most of you already know by now that I'm a girl on a mission, and I won't quit for anything.  So my next challenge was to see how long it would take to get my friends from Hanger Clinic, where I got my "turbo leg" to join my team. Okay, okay, I know it's the Walkaide (some day I'll convince them to change the name!!) 

     My Orthotist, Mike Bursztynski was on board from the get go, but now I needed to convince some of the others to commit.  I told them I planned to have a huge team and my goal was to see my team raise 25,000.00 in honor of the 25th anniversary Of The Bike-To-The-Bay.

     One of the guys said " Sure, it's easy for you, no one's gonna turn down a sweet girl!"  But on the contrary, I think it has more to do with the fact that I'm a rebel with a cause.  I make it very clear that I am very passionate about this cause, not only for myself, but all of my friends who want to make a difference with me.

     If I have to use the "sweet girl"  approach then I guess that's what I'll do!!  What ever it takes to get the job done:)

Tom, Me, Jeff and Mike

          Incidentally, it must be working because as you can see, Jeff Kuehn and Tom Sandy  joined Mike, and now they're all on board!

 Please Join us!!


Have a great day!!

Christine:)

The slug bank: my strategy for survival

     Anyone who has MS will tell you that most of the time we're working with an energy deficit.  I personally can tell you that most days my body feels like lead and I feel like I weigh 300 pounds.  If I were to add fifty pounds of actual weight I would probably feel like a sumo wrestler.

     I'm not complaining, my condition just makes me stronger.  We only live once so it's up to me to have a strategy to keep my body as healthy and strong as possible, so I developed "the slug bank".  If I get up early when my energy level is at it's best and get my workout in, I will have made a deposit into my slug bank for later.

     The great thing about this bank is, later in the day when the rest of the world is scrambling to get  that workout in, guess what I'm doing... yep, being a slug, a guilt free slug!

     You've heard the old cliché "nothing tastes as good as being thin feels", well I have my own cliché, "nothing tastes as good as an hour in slugville feels".  When I look at a doughnut my slug calculator kicks in.  The average person would say "I'll just work it off later".   After my one to one and a half hour work out at 4:15 in the morning I'm not in the mood to make a deposit into my slug bank later.

     Of course I have to play mind games with my self to get through my workouts.  They tell you if you find a workout you enjoy you will stay with it.  Well, I have to say at 300 "mental" pounds there isn't a workout I love.  So I have to trick myself to get through it.  It's my daily ritual to talk myself out of quitting half way through.  What else am I going to do at 4:30 in the morning, sit and stare at four walls?? Then I pray to God for strength, thank him for the great friends in my life and just keep chasing that carrot knowing I'm making a deposit into my slug bank.  As long as I have a strategy my life is good!


Have a great weekend!

Christine:)

   

I just keep moving

   

     One thing I've discovered That Cinderella and I have in common is, at a certain point we both morph into a whole different creature.  Hers is at the stroke of midnight and mine is anytime that isn't 70 degrees and climate controlled.

     With having MS I've become a human weather gauge predicting how my body will react for that day.  Winter time its like cement and the summer its total mush.  In a perfect world it would be 70 and sunny, no humidity, with a slight cool breeze year round.  Of course, snow on Christmas Eve and gone the day after... oh yeah, can't forget about the flowers... and rain from one to four a.m.  Is that too much to ask??

     This past summer I discovered my bike was a great tool for getting me outside when the weather wasn't optimal.  But as the seasons change and the snow sets in I need to find another way to force myself outdoors.

     Snow skiing and ice-skating are out,  but last year I found another creative way to improvise.  My brother Doug has snow mobiles and asked me to go riding with him.

     We had a blast and I had totally forgotten I wasn't wonder woman!  That was until I got off of my snow mobile, stepped in a snow bank and lost my balance.  As I was laying there flat on my back, watching the snow hit my face I asked myself what any six year old child would do in my shoes... Yep, I made a snow angel:) 

From lemons to lemonade!!


Have a great day!

Christine :)

Back to the days of "normal"

     Back in the day, I scrambled around like a chicken with my head cut off and I heard time and time again "SLOW DOWN!"  There wasn't a person I wouldn't leave in my dust and I loved every single minute of it. The thing is, I've always been a "hurry up and wait" kind of  girl. The faster I would go, the sooner I would get there. 

    However, now with footdrop there have been many times that my brain says run but the message is sent by pony express.  The end result is my brain getting there about one second before my body and that can end in disaster.  I'm considering wearing my bike helmet 24/7:)

     My reasons for riding in the Bike-To-The-Bay are several.  One reason of course is to take that leap of faith that I can do it and encourage others to do the same.  Secondly, I want to raise awareness about this devastating disease that impacts the lives of so many.  But most importantly, the money raised from this event is used not only to aid those people right in our community who need financial assistance to control this disease, but to fund research to end it all together.

     Thanks to all of the generous donations, we now have eleven drugs available to slow down the progression, and though there is still no cure they are so close to a breakthrough for myelin repair which could potentially take people like me back to the days of "normal". I won't give up because I know it will happen!  I have total confidence that one day I will hear those words again "SLOW DOWN!"  Until then I'll just keep moving:)  Who's with me?!?!

Have a great day!

Christine:)