Wear Yellow
My life as an M&M:
Pizza what?
After a brutal, wreck-littered, stuck-behind-aimless-wanderers commute home from work, I stopped at a Pizza Hut a block up from our house. The traffic held me up long enough that I didn't get to see Turtle before she had to leave for her meeting, so she told me to fend for myself.That's okay. I like pizza.
I walked in, and the gal at the counter promptly told me to wait. So I did. And I did for five minutes, while she was back in the back visiting with someone. When she finally got around to waiting on me, I asked for a supreme personal pan and laid my cash on the counter.
"Your phone number?"
"You don't need my phone number," I suggested, adding the Jedi Master wave of the hand to reinforce the point. "I have cash."
"I have to have your phone number, or I can't enter the order," she said.
I thought about that briefly. There I was, standing right in front of her with cash in my hand, and I had to give up a phone number too? I could have given her the number for time and temperature, but I didn't.
"I see," I said, pulling my legal tender back across the counter and stuffing it back in my wallet. "Well, you have a nice day. Bless your heart."
Twenty feet away, the neighboring Subway shop was perfectly happy to take my order without a background check. The young woman just smiled, welcomed me, and efficiently made me a tasty sandwich. The only questions I was required to answer were "What kind of bread would you like?", "Would you like it toasted?", and "What kind of cheese?" Those seemed relevant, so I happily answered them.
A Subway club was probably better for me than a supreme personal pan pizza anyway.
It's official
Back before the holidays, I made the decision to join a friend's small MS 150 team and ride in honor of his wife (also a friend), as well as several others in the same circle of friends, who also live with multiple sclerosis. We're the Wheeler Dealers, a reference to poker and The Gang's love of gambling. The jerseys are snazzy, with the faces of the folks we're riding for emblazoned on playing cards over a green background.As of this evening, I'm officially signed up. It's time to start getting back in shape (I haven't been on the bike, on the road, since November) and start figuring out how I'm going to meet my minimum fund raising requirement without having to reach too deeply into my pocket. Any of you MS 150 veterans with an interest in sharing your tips? I'm all ears.
7 comments:
As for the fundraising, you could actually, you know, solicit pledges right here on your blog, from your readers. It's a good cause. I'm sure a few of us would stand behind you.
My M&M self would have wings... and would be eating its own arm. Mmmm, chocolate.
Good for you for not taking that crap at the pizza place. I used to have this phone number memorized that went to a recording of someone yelling "loser" in a bunch of different languages. I used it when pestered at the bar too.
I don't like giving out my number either - they don't need it.
By the way, I would love to see a picture of that apparent military hair cut you recently received. :) Let's see some scalp!
Being a veteran of about 8 MS150s in the years B.C. (Before Children), here is how I did most of my fundraising: I sent out a letter to my friends and relatives explaining about the MS150 and requesting a donation. In return, I promised them a full ride report after the ride. This worked well enough to get me into the top 150 money-raisers for several years in a row.
What's that line? "I want a pizza, not a relationship?"
Me, I just give my old work number.
From Arthur Andersen. (grin)
I'll echo Leadfoot's advice, with Gwynne's twist: send a letter -- and I do it via email -- asking friends to contribute. People are happy to do so -- and I'll contribute to yours if you do likewise to mine... :-)
Are you doing the Dallas MS150, or the Houston/Austin route?
Gwynne: Good idea. I figured I'd probably go ahead and post a link here. I just have to come up with the right words to go with it. Part of my problem with fundraising is that I never like anyone to feel obligated. That's a sure way to get people to stop returning your phone calls, if you know what I mean.
Susie: The thought that occurred to me as I was leaving the pizza place was that I wished I'd had their phone number handy. After all, if the only thing keeping them from doing business with me is the fact that their cash register won't accept money without a phone number, it shouldn't matter what the phone number goes to. In fact, they should have thought to just do that and not bother me with it.
Tink: Sadly, wings aren't one of the available body modifications, much less autocannibalistic M&M. And when I first read your comment, I thought it said "for not taking a crap at the pizza place." Good thing, indeed.
Anne: If Hubbadood got his buzz cut, my 'do wouldn't impress you. You've seen shorter.
Leadfoot: I like the ride report idea--though I suspect that most of the people who might contribute on my behalf have already heard more of my biking anecdotes than they'd like. <g>
Bret: I don't recognize that quote. What movie's that from?
We're doing the Dallas MS 150. Until last year, it was kind of a grand adventure that took the riders up into Oklahoma. Kind of exciting, but logistically challenging--especially for the team leader whose wife has MS and can't be left alone for long. She's a real pistol, though, so it was worth the effort to have her along at the finish line.
Anyway, the Dallas ride now ends the first day at the Texas Motor Speedway (near Forth Worth), which makes it easier for our support teams.
The donation exchange idea would be fine, except that my plan was to contribute in my own name what I gave in previous years so that it puts me that much closer to reaching my own fundraising goal. Ultimately, it all goes to the same worthy cause.
Eric: I finally logged my first outdoor miles Friday after work, and then a few more yesterday afternoon. Yesterday was a bit of a cheat, though. The weather was a little questionable yesterday morning, and I'm not sure about going out for my usual rides until I get some fitness back, so I decided to ride the trainer. After half an hour at 80 rpm and an average 170 bpm, I was overheated and bored, and I'd only "traveled" 6 miles. I decided to go out and finish out an hour just riding around the neighborhood. I found myself averaging closer to 90 rpm, 160 bpm, and 16 mph.
Apparently, I've got the trainer resistance set for "extended climb".
Anyway, I logged the whole thing as outdoor miles. I was working harder on the trainer, and I did have the garage door open, after all.
Eric: Not that it matters, but when I said "trainer" I didn't mean a dedicated stationary bike. I use the Cycleops mag trainer I bought for Turtle and me a couple years ago. I just set up my recumbent in that (with an overturned milk crate on each side so I can get on the thing without making a soprano of myself) and crank away.
And yes... trying to ride a recumbent on rollers seems like a Really Bad Idea.
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