What a Weekend!

Wow… What a few-days-leading-up-to-and-including-this-passed-weekend! Here’s the details…

On Wednesday, June 4th, I worked and taught my COOKING 2 class that evening. After class (starting around 10:30pm), Sean and I cranked out 260 crepes — that took us about 2 hours (then we went for a drink at the now-shuttered BLUE WISP). Late night made for a sleepy Thursday.

On Friday after work, I accompanied Wendy to the RELAY FOR LIFE, where our team (go TEAM TRENDY!) walked, pushed Uncle Al‘s chair around, and Sean & I sold lots of crepes to hungry participants. It was important to Wendy to walk in the Survivor Lap that starts off the relay, and we were able to do that together. Sean & I sold a ton of crepes (apple & Nutella was a surprise hit), and made a bunch of money for RELAY FOR LIFE. We’ll certainly prepare crepes again next year! I got home around 2:30am and crashed out. Wendy stayed and walked the entire night. She’s a rock star.

Saturday morning, after sleeping in a while, I went to work at Jean-Robert’s Table, which is my normal Saturday gig. I didn’t go out for drinks after work, instead coming home and going right to bed.

On Sunday morning at 6:00am, Wendy & I got up to ride our bicycles in RIDE CINCINNATI FOR BREAST CANCER RESEARCH. Our team, called CHEFS AGAINST CANCER, raised over $4600 for this worthy cause. I was extremely proud of our fund-raising and participation. Thanks to my friend Joanne, we got some nice press, here and here along with a fair amount of chatter of Facebook.

We had 19 members on the 2014 team, and everyone that rode did an amazing job. Wendy was sporting a very-cool SURVIVOR t-shirt that my friend & colleague Melissa made for her (Melissa DID go to art school, after all). Some of our team members went 18 miles, some of us (including Wendy & me) rode 26, some rode 40+, and a few rode 60+ miles. After the ride, there were lots of well-earned congratulations and thoughts about how to improve our participation next year.

Afterward, we retired to Jean-Robert’s house for strong coffee and spicy Bloody Marys. That is, perhaps, the best restorative combination I know.

Below is a nice video that WLWT did. Spot Jean-Robert, Mirko, and Travis at around 0:27, and Wendy, Ted, Stephen, and me (in yellow t-shirt) at 1:00.

Today is Monday June 9, and I’m feeling very good. Legs are a little tired, but my heart is full to bursting with gratitude for a wonderful weekend. Thanks to everyone involved!