The Fight of Your Life!

With every new day comes a new struggle. Aluta continua... The struggle continues! If there is struggle, there is a will to survive! Adam Yauch struggled with cancer, like many people do or have done. Unfortunately Adam (MCA) Yauch succumb to the dreaded disease today. He seemed aged, but remained cheerful from what recent photos revealed.

The MCA that I will remember was part of a rebellious young group of New York rappers that pioneered the mixing of two worlds. The Beastie Boys combined a steady flow of hip-hop tunes with some dirty rock guitar, and made the collaboration work like no one had ever dreamed. I can still hear the heavy distorted guitar riff and MCA following up on AdRocks line (Ya pop caught you smoking' & he says no way!) and boldly calling out the hypocritical father in Fight For Your Right with, "That hypocrite smokes two packs a day!"

MCA will be missed, the Beastie Boys have been missed. Should the Beastie Boys find someone to honor the third mic for MCA I am certain that the Beastie following will give that fella a warm New York critique. So to whomever you may be, you had better come correct! Contrary to what Prince once said in a song, all the critics do not love you in New York. To the family and fans of Mr. Yauch, my heart is saddened, and my thoughts and prayers go out for you tonight... God rest the soul of Adam "MCA" Yauch.

Our First & Last Day

To someone (most likely mama) it will be hard to forget the day you were born. I pray that the dash between the dates on your stone is the biggest number on the stone. I pray that all represented in that dash tells the greatest story about your life, and leaves a legacy, that not many could ever forget. I pray that we all live that kind of life. Especially for our loved ones. May the last day be used to cover all of that which I just said above.

So here is a tribute to those celebrating their first day today:

First off, the man who holds the spot light, and that I will not soon forget, my cousin MJ! Mike I love you, and I am proud of you!!! I hope I can show you a glimpse of the good times that your father, my uncle shared with me.

Next up the man who brought you, "The People's Eyebrow," and asked if you could smell what he was cooking! Happy Birthday to Dewayne Johnson, "The Rock."

The last birthday trib is to the man who had his name mentioned in the same sentence on a positive note mind you with the phrase, "Bend it like..."
I chose the first pic for the numbers sake, and the second goes without saying. Happy Birthday Davey B.

Lastly, to a big hitter, and a So. Cal kid that will be missed. He was one of the last Californian's to have a major impact on me, before I made the transition from CA to NC. Three of these guys are around the same age, and sadly the last has left us. A pastor once told me that we manifest our true identity when we are alone. When we sit and examine our hearts, and our minds with no one else around, that is when we see what and who we truly are, and are capable of being. I have had a lot of time to examine the true me here lately, and I wish that someone could have been there for Junior when he was going through this trial. I wish that someone would have been there to remind him, that even when we feel alone, that we don't have to be alone. Physically we may not have another body present, but there is a Spirit to lead your lonely soul. A Spirit that can gently remind, and sooth the weary soul. I've felt Him (The Holy Spirit) a lot here lately, and the conviction is great, but I pray that no matter how great the trial may be, that I see Him that is greater in me than a devil that wants us all to be or think that we are only of this world, and possibly so arrogant that we feel that we are the only soul that matters in this world. When we get to that point, the loneliness can strike full force, and get the best of us. Remember you are not alone. My heart goes out to #55 and his family. A So Cal tribute, and a tribute pic for the good friend and leader that made me aware of Juniors last day... 

Ride 2 Mt. Mitchell

Today was a beautiful day! Got a later start than anticipated, and it was a tad chilly, but still a gorgeous day for riding! I felt pretty good starting out, I'm usually a bit nervous with the longer, farther away from home rides, but still felt compelled to give it a go.

My first encounter was when I caught up with two ladies riding. One was a Trek rider, therefore I felt obligated to compliment her for riding such a fine machine. Couldn't tell what her partner (a more mature lady) was riding, but she didn't seem as thrilled to receive my greeting (hi how are you?), and my not giving her machine props, like I did her younger Trek riding friend,  hahaha! But she wasn't rude by any means.

Listing pics in reverse order, the second pic is from the Three Knobs Overlook. This overlook is not quite the halfway point to Mt. Mitchell, but a pretty view nonetheless. The big arch cloud was the eyebrow of the "Eye in the Sky" that watched over me today. I couldn't resist stopping just long enough to take this picture.

My second encounter came when I passed a couple of Harley riders at an overlook just below Rough Ridge that waved at me, and said, "Aren't you ready for one of these?" pointing at their Harley Davidson motorcycles, and I said in reply, "I had to go with the Wisconsin (Waterloo) carbon, but yeah that Milwaukee steel would be nice on the uphill right about now!" They laughed and gave me a thumbs up and waved as I rode past the overlook. They passed me a few miles later, and waved again as they rode passed me on the way up the mountain.

My third encounter was from another group of riders. One of my favorite people from one of my least favorite place. A place that I have some of my worst memories from! The bright spot in that place was the man in the group that I know as a spiritual brother! Lord let it be far from me to ever have to work in another factory, but if I do, let me work with another man like the one I passed today. He is a great cyclist, husband, and Christian man that I learned a lot about compassion, and Gods' grace and mercy from while I was going through a very difficult time. Love ya Joe!

The fourth encounter was a humbling one! Just because a guy appears to have a little more white hair than the average Joe, and seems a bit more mature, doesn't mean that he can't kick your butt at something! My cousin will appreciate this. The big red S-Works machine and it's tall, slim, very fit rider eased passed me as he greeted me, and we very briefly talked about the weather. Then an oncoming car drove up to us, and I told him that he was clear of my wheel, and he took the line and lead, and steadily climbed the mountain. I stayed with him for a few hundred yards, and then understood, that he was wearing that polka dotted King of the Mountain Jersey for a reason! He was boogying!

The first picture is from my stop at the entrance of the State Park. I paused long enough to think about the four mile climb to the top, get a word in with my family, and have my grandmother (affectionately known as "Grandmama") see me ride to the big mountain, and not see me suffer as badly as I did the last time I made the attempt to ride up. My legs didn't cramp today like my last trip, instead this time I was a bit sick at my stomach, but I made the climb! All in all, a great day for a great ride, and hopefully this mountain will be a stepping stone, albeit a large one, for my training for the Trek 100. Tomorrow I will look to do Grandfather Mountain, or the three county loop to Point Lookout and back home. Until the next time... happy cycling!

Trek 100

The time draws nigh, that Kert and Sivart will journey North, and ride 100 miles for a very worthy cause, "The Trek 100." It is a ride that raises monies for the MACC Fund. The MACC Fund has generated over $42 million dollars for childhood cancer, and related blood disorder research. The Trek 100 site is:

http://www.trek100.org/

You can get answers to FAQ's there, and learn more about the 200+ researchers and physicians that are working hard to combat cancer and related blood disorders for children.

Kert and I will be signing up to register for the Trek 100 at some point this week, or this month, to do our part. I will post a link for donations if anyone is willing and able to help. We are praying for 100 or more friends to donate $10 or more, so that we can raise $1000 for research that will bless these little ones. Any donation size is welcomed, and appreciated, but our goal is at least $1000. 100% of what I take in for the MACC Fund goes to the research for pediatric cancer, and blood related disorders. I receive nothing but the joy and satisfaction of pushing myself to ride 100 miles in the beautiful township of Waterloo, Wisconsin, to help children not only in the great state of Wisconsin, but our great nation, and hopefully one day the world. My reason for riding 100 miles and raising money for such a great cause... I could be that father that is trying to figure out a way to comfort his child while dealing with such a dreaded disease. I don't want that for any child, parent, or family. Thank you for taking time to read the blog, and for any contribution that anyone is able to give. God bless you all.

UNC's Marshall in Shoot Around - Right Hand Man or "A-Team!"

Kendall is testing the hand, more so than resting the hand. Give him an "A" for toughness, but will that prolong his healing, and keep him out of future games, should they get past Kansas today? This is where you (as a team not just a few individuals) have to play error free "A" game basketball. When you can persevere through an injury plagued season and play deep into tournaments you can say you're "a" good team. If you win the tournament you can say you're "a" great team. Therefore, Mr. Barnes, Mr. Zeller, Mr. Henson, Mr. Bullock, and Mr. Underclassman (all of you) had better bring your "'A'-Game" today because when you're "a" great team playing "a" good team it's just "a" game!

Kendall is in the shoot around again, but can he play through the pain, and be productive? I'm praying he doesn't push himself too early, and we have a Carolina victory. Expect a Willis Reed type performance from a gutsy sophomore if the game is close coming down the stretch! My money says he plays limited minutes especially down the stretch if the Heels are close to finishing the Jayhawks or close enough to catch them and finish on top. Either way I just hope Kendall doesn't over do it. Go Heels!

Ugly Is To The Bone!

Was it an intentional (flagrant) foul, and should Creighton's coach, and players get the Sean Payton treatment? You make the call.

If you are Coach Williams, do you play Kendall Marshall on Friday if Kendall says he's ready to go, or do you keep him on the bench? You make the call.

Here's my call...
The cast came off earlier this week according to Kendall Marshall's Twitter update, and he's pretty up tempo about things. On that note, Kobe Bryant played days after having repairs made to his shooting hand, so who's to say that Kendall will not play at least against Kansas/NC State on Sunday barring they continue the path and defeat Ohio? I can say this... if I am Coach Williams (and I am not, and Roy's been winning for years without me!) I bring to the attention of Fridays ref's the UNC - Creighton game and the Syracuse - UNCA game.

A good (clean) hard foul on a drive to the basket means the defensive player does not allow the offensive player (shooter) to extend his arms, and make an attempt at a possible made shot. Anyone that's ever had the ability to dunk a basketball, and has been undercut, knows that a push is not acceptable. Being hacked, or held is one thing, but you don't dump a player on his head with a cheap foul, and push him. The refs can't catch everything, but this year has shown that the striped shirts are very human, and very flawed! Get a grip, bite your lip, and let'em rip! Eject a few dirty players please, and send a message! Henson got his technical, and he deserved it, but it should go both ways. The shove from double nothing on Zeller, and the extending of the right arm that sent Marshall to the floor were deserving of flagrant foul calls, if not ejections! 

Regardless of the then's and that's, this is now, and I, Coach Williams and UNC faithful am a BELIEVER! Two down and four to go! GO HEELS!!!

Marshall's X-Ray Misread, Not Broken!?

OK let's get the ugly out of the way first. Creighton was a very physical team, and were allowed a few too many cheap shots. One could say that's all on the players because at that level they know better, or one could say it's mostly on the refs for missing the calls (especially to double thrust up near the neck and throat area of Carolina's Tyler Zeller delivered by Creighton's big man who with that play characterized his thought processing and age to match his number: double zero), or one could say it's on the coach for encouraging dirty pool, which went above and beyond playing physical, and tough. You can be physical, and even mentally tough, without being dirty. It was a dirty played game at times! OK that's the ugly.

Now onto the bad... the bad is that an injury is an injury. There is no pretty side to that. Not being able to play at 100% is horrible for a competitor, period! Bad is having a crack so tiny, that you can't see it with the naked eye, but it shows up on an enlarged x-ray.

The good... Kendall Marshall doesn't have to score like Kobe Bryant, he only has to be as tough as Kobe! Kobe broke his shooting wrist earlier this season and is still playing, He missed a little time after surgery, but still played. They have Marshall's wrist in a cast, but no ligament damage, so Kendall could still be cleared to play! Football players play in cast all the time. Kendall's presence would be enough to bother a lot of opponents. Plus Kendall only needs to distribute the ball and avoid turnovers, so the wrist may not completely keep him out.

Also on a good note, some hater was just rushed to the hospital psych ward after reading the title to this blog. That same hater that rushed to read the title, then rushed to share with all of his/her hater pals on Google+, and Facebook, and a few more went with him/her. I am not totally morbid! The good in that is that the haters missed their self-diagnosis thinking they were having a coronary, and it was just a panic attack, so they will be fine by the time someone with sense reads the blog through it's entirety, and tells them that the title was a hoax.

To conclude:
The good, Kendall could still play in a few weeks, this is a long tournament. The bad, we have to survive without him, and for even a few minutes without Kendall could prove fatal to the title shot we had hoped for this season. The ugly, got put out in the first round by a school from Bethlehem, PA. Gone now is Lehigh, but thank you for your first round devil removing services, and congrats on a brilliant first tourney win. Go Heels!