Happy Birthday, Tyler

My darling husband was born on Halloween, 45 years ago.  It was impossible not to spend time thinking about him today and yet I am not sure what to say.  I miss him.  He was such a great husband to me and friend to all that knew him.  I miss having him at home at the end of the day.  I miss him helping me keep my busy-ness in check.  I miss being able to cook dinner for him.  Fantasy football isn't the same without his addiction to statistics and his constant need to share the latest stat with me...  That barely scratches the surface, but I'm sad that we have to go on without him in our midst.

One of the things that bothers me is just how young he was when he died.  I guess they tell the truth when they say that cancer is equal opportunity.  I truly hope that we see a change in that during my lifetime.

Volunteers Needed with a Luau as a reward

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is hosting the Pineapple Classic on Saturday, November 12th.  They are in need of volunteers if anyone wants to see a fun event and finish the day off with an authentic Hawaiian Luau!  I hope to see you there!

This year’s event is on Saturday, November 12^th at the Mountain Meadows Farm in North Bend.  As you know, the Winter Pineapple Classic is a fun and festive 5k team adventure race where participants must navigate a series of obstacles and physical challenges.  The event concludes with an authentic Hawaiian Luau!

(Special note:  Volunteers will receive a free pass to the Luau and beer garden (21 and over) after completing their volunteer shift).

Here are Volunteer Opportunities for The Winter Pineapple Classic

November 11^th – At Road Runner Sports in Seattle

·         Pre-race Check-in – check in participants and give them packets.

November 12^th – Mountain Meadows Farm, North Bend

·         Information Booth & Media Escort – Help assist LLS staff in answering questions and escorting media when they arrive

·         Registration and Check-in Booth – hand out packets to participants and register new participants.

·         Wave Starter – gather participants according to start time using large placards. Walk teams to start line.

·         Finish Line – will remove timing chips from participants and hand out water.

·         Luau Ticket Sales – Sell Luau tickets and check wristbands for admission

·         Bouncy House – Need adults to monitor number of kids in bouncy house

·         Parking and Traffic Attendants – Need adults to assist venue attendants with parking control

·         The Green Team -  Make sure trash & recycling is placed in proper receptacles and help pick up trash

·         Course Monitors – Adults needed to make sure participants stay on course – we don’t want anyone to end up in Canada

·         Obstacle Monitors – Adults needed to ensure participants are completely obstacles safely

·         Food Tent – serve food (food handlers permit is required)

·         Beer Garden Bartenders – Help our Brewery serve beer (Must be 21 over and have bartending license)

·         Clean-up Crew – Help LLS staff clean up luau venue; we always need extra help  =)

·         Obstacle Course Tear Down Crew – this will be a physical task for you, but we will make it fun!

Please let Lauren Last ( (206) 957-4566 ) know what opportunities appeal to you and she would be happy to give you more details.

8GB iPod push

I'm ALMOST at my personal goal for the 2011 Light the Night walk, so I decided to see if I can get there with a little mini auction.  I was going to put an 8GB iPod Touch up for auction on eBay, but figured I should toss it out to my friends first.  Is anyone looking to purchase an iPod before the upcoming holidays?  This one is brand new and still in the unopened plastic case.  The SKU at Best Buy is 9225377 if you want to look it up.  It retails for $199.99 right now, but I will be donating the money from this sale to the LLS to try to hit my goal of $10,000 by the end of the month.

If you are interested, contact me.  I will consider all offers received between now and October 29th.

Also, purchases made at Amazon.com using the link to the left help us to raise money for the Bledsoe Battle as well.

Thanks for your continued support!



iPod details:
-----------------------------------
The most popular Apple iPod is now even better. Along with the revolutionary Multi-Touch interface and Wi-Fi Web browsing, the 8GB iPod touch now includes HD video recording, FaceTime camera and the highest resolution iPod screen ever. Plus, the new 8GB iPod touch Game Center enhances your game play. The 8GB iPod touch has a lithium-ion battery that lasts up to 40 hours with up to 7 hours of video playback. Store over 1,750 songs with your 8GB iPod touch and up to 10,000 digital photos or ten hours of video. The 8GB iPod touch also allows you to watch your favorite movies over and over again. Take your 8GB iPod touch to the gym or to the park. You'll never leave home without it.

Current 3rd- and 4th-generation iPod touch owners can receive a free software update to iOS 5 available through iTunes beginning October 12, 2011.

Product Features

• 8GB* internal flash memory stores up to 1,750 songs, up to 10,000 digital photos (iPod viewable photos transferred from iTunes), or up to 10 hours of video
• Multi-Touch interface, 3.5" widescreen display
• Built-in Wi-Fi lets you surf the Web, send e-mail, update your Facebook status, chat using AIM, and so much more (internet connection required)
• HD video recording
• Retina display - 4x pixels, 326 ppi, 24-bit color, LED

• Apple, the Apple logo and iTunes are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. iPod is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.
• *Formatted capacity may vary. Results will vary based on file size and format, settings, features, software and other factors.

Taking the Next Step - Ole!

Yesterday morning, I agreed to do something that I never wanted to do. 

I've always liked running in races, but since I am not particularly good at training I like to keep my races to 5 miles or less (preferably less).  However, since the time that Tyler was diagnosed with Leukemia, I have been keeping my eye on the Team in Training (TNT) program offered by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  This is their most visible fundraising program and their most successful after 22 years of helping people of all ages and abilities to compete in amazing events.

Yesterday morning, I signed up to run my very first marathon next spring... in MADRID, Spain!  I will be training with the coaches from LLS and going to practices with the rest of the participants, but would love to have some of my friends and family join me.  If you have ever wanted to run a marathon, I'd like to invite you to join me in Madrid next April.  I figured that if I wanted to make a statement in Tyler's honor, I should go big and make it in Europe!

Tyler loved running and was a cross country athlete in his school days, so I figured that a marathon was the best TNT event for me to choose.  I never wanted to run that far (and still think that people that do might be crazy), but I am excited for my newest adventure!  If anyone wants to head out for a run over the next 6 months, feel free to invite me along.  I think I'm going to need all of the help that I can get with my training!

Light the Night 2011

This year's Light the Night walk was amazing!  We had approximately 100 team members there to honor Tyler and all of our honored heroes.

The Roddy kids made a sign that said Team Firefly and "We miss you Tyler"

Ceci, Erin (days before giving birth), and Mandy

Our Top Team tent

Team Check In with Becky, Debbie, and Charlotte

The Team Firefly tent with many of our team members waiting for the walk to start.

Hans, Alex, and Yanni  (There are 2 survivors in this picture!!!)

Hans, Yanni, and John

Bill, Charlotte, Debbie, and Loraine

Loraine and Bill

The walk start -- with my Tyler Tshirt

The walk start -- see those balloons already lighting things up?

Kate and Colleen

Our walk starting line and an abundance of balloons

One of the best parts of the walk is seeing the balloons parade around the block

My inspiration

Chris, Emily, Kate, and Sam

2 Weeks to the Light the Night walk!

It is hard to believe that we are less than 2 weeks away from this year's Light the Night walk.  As of this morning we had 71 team members on Team Firefly, which is SO exciting!  If you haven't gotten signed up yet, you can join the team at http://pages.lightthenight.org/wa/SeattleL11/mbledsoe_LTN and click on "Walk with Us" at the top of the screen.

Our team has already raised over $12,000 which is fast approaching our total for last year ($16,602).  If we can stay in the top position, we will be the first team to earn the Tyler Bledsoe award for the top fundraising team.  I wonder if we can break last year's barrier before walk night...?

To meet my own fundraising goals, I am hosting another clothing swap on October 2nd at 2:00pm.  This one will feature women's clothing and accessories.  If you would like to join us at the swap, just let me know.  I'll make sure you get all of the details!  Other ways to participate (if you can't join us for the fun):
- Donate your own clothing and accessories
- Make a Yummy Dessert to share
- Invite your Friends to join us
- Donate to our team at http://pages.lightthenight.org/wa/SeattleL11/mbledsoe_LTN

I am looking forward to seeing many of you at the Light the Night walk on Saturday, September 24th.  The remembrance ceremony will start at 5pm, so I plan to be there by then to honor Tyler's memory.  Will you join me?

Light the Night T-Shirt

This year at the Light the Night walk, we will be encouraging all team members to wear their bright green memorial t-shirts.  More details about how to contact Scott to order the t-shirts is available at the original post: http://bledsoebattle.blogspot.com/2011/03/finishing-strong.html

Thanks for your support of this project!

Another Fundraising Swap - Next Sunday!

Next Sunday (August 28th) I am hosting another one of my fundraising swaps!  Anyone who wants to join in is welcome to attend, just contact me for complete details.  This one is swapping out kid's clothing and toys, with the hopes of helping each of you finish out your back to school shopping.

If you can't attend, but want to donate outgrown clothes or toys, I would be happy to connect with you during this next week to take any boxes or bags of stuff.

If you can't attend, but want to support the cause by making a monetary donation, please go to http://pages.lightthenight.org/wa/SeattleL11/mbledsoe_LTN to contribute.  I am almost halfway to my goal of raising $10,000 this year to fight cancer and appreciate the generosity of friends and family (and a few strangers) who are helping me to meet the goal.

Be the Match

In July, I got an e-mail acknowledging my anniversary from joining the National Bone Marrow registry.  In 2008, as Tyler was just beginning his path towards a bone marrow transplant, I went to my local blood bank and swabbed a Qtip from their registration kit around my mouth.  With a small donation ($47) and that Qtip, I promised to honor my commitment to donate my bone marrow to a person in need.

I have not been asked to donate, but hundreds of e-mails/letters are sent out every day to potential matches.  Even with all of that, there aren't quite enough of us on the list.  There is an especially great need for people with varied ethnic backgrounds, as the closer your heritage matches the person in need, the more likely you are to match their HLA combination.

With a few friends expecting little babies this year, I also want to mention that you can donate cord blood from your baby's birth.  Storing cord blood specifically for your own child's needs can be expensive, but donating it to the public bank increases the likelihood that you will be able help someone in need!

If you haven't joined the bone marrow registry, please think about doing so this month in memory of Tyler.  It is easy and you could give the gift of life to someone battling cancer!  Go to the Be the Match for complete details!

Golf Memories

Just a quick heads up...  Scott (Tyler's father) is organizing a golf tournament in Tyler's memory.  He has the complete details, but the date is Thursday, August 11th for those of you that want to participate.  Call Scott to reserve your spot.  If you need Scott's phone number, feel free to e-mail me or comment on the blog.

I hope that some of you can go swing a club in the tournament.