Cake Walk

Best intentions with even "good" planning sometimes isn't enough to make a long celebratory bike ride happen as planned. The 100 year flood in Atlanta last week put the final "lets take a deep breath" regarding our trip. We had, as many of you know, other reasons for "deep breaths" over the last several weeks. But as friends and family continue to say, we have almost 12 months- during this 10 year anniversary year- to figure out the "live life look forward" expression of positive optimism and health and wellness...

Over the coming months, we will figure this out with our charity partners. My sincerest gratitude to everyone for their love and support. Two days ago on September 26th...10 years to the day, Josana, Samantha and me did what we have for the previous 9 years...thanked the hospitals, the ER miracle makers who do the impossible day in and day out. The other years we brought bagels, this year we brought something else...true GRATITUDE! Sam showed everyone what a now 17 year old daughter looks like next to her father, as well as, what 10 years of thanks looks and feels like! We also brought some cake!
Thank you all and all my love,
Cliff.

Road Trip!

Abby, unlike the above Clifford (the BRD)is all about getting in a car and hanging with her "mom and me". So while i am biking South, she and Josana will be riding a few miles up or hanging a few behind...talk about a keeper wife and watch dog who's got my butt covered and who i love with all my heart...!!!

BTW: check out this site www.jdrf.org/nyc and go to my story below...
Athlete with Type 1 Takes the "Ride of a Lifetime" to Benefit JDRF.
Your financial support is helping a great cause-the cure for diabetes!!!

Nice Tee...but Cliff really thinks he's a doll?

Debatable for sure! But what isn't is unexpected stuff is bound to happen when it involves planning a two week, 1,600 mile bike ride! Like, Matt having life get in the way of a great "father/son" adventure. It's true, Matt can't do the trip- given he has accepted a great job working in the fitness business and responsibilties are what they are! Plus, a bit of a "health hic-cup" jumped in my way...

So over the past few weeks- we weighed everything and decided...dog gone it (yeah, Big Red Dog gone it!), to go for it! Not put it off til the Spring, not delay until everything lined up perfectly, but to give it a real shot! So, while Matt is making a start in his chosen profession, Josana and another big dog, Abby the Airdale will be my partners across about 10 states. We will leave Sept. 26, 2009- 10 years to the day of surviving my heart attack!

One other thing to report. We are supporting and closely involved with JDRF- the wonderful diabetes charity dedicated to finding the CURE for insulin dependent Type 1diabetes! More to come in the following days on how you can help me support this so needed effort!

Local Spin!

You can quote me on it...

The easy way out, is always a way out!

Sometimes things come together. Somethings come together in time. Sometimes, somethings have a way of coming together!

Many don't know why or don't know how. But they are often the one's that don't know...no!

If i'm positive about one thing, it's about being an optimist!

F. Yendem
Biking Philosopher...
Cliff

Eminem Knew What he Was Saying!

Matt and i saw 8 Mile together when it originally came out. Matt was a young teen and really into his "street cred", i was into his words. My favorite rap was and is Lose Yourself. Marshall Mathers, aka Eminem, totally understood the "moment he had" as he portrayed it in the movie that was supposedly from his real life. He knew he had to make it work. But clearly beyond the moment he was personally rapping about, were the "make it happen moments" we are all given. He made the "don't screw this opportunity moment" very personal and it's why the song became such a anthem.

The ride for both Matt and me is one of these moments. To see it not as a special opportunity, is to be blind, let alone miss out on the potential to have it make a real difference in our lives and hopefully others.

Lose yourself in the Moment...it is so LLLF to the fullest- because, as i know personally, most every moment has the potential to be very special, as well as, unexpectedly meaningful-both positively and not so much!
Cliff

"Mad dogs" A father-son connected by more then DNA

So there's about 7 weeks left and I've been training like a mad dog. These are the "dog" days of summer, and through the medney DNA we have come to love this weather to work out in. By the Medney "DNA" I refer to the name mad dog. In college cliff was called the mad dog, he was a much better football player then he gives himself credit for, but nevertheless; he was the mad dog. Then in High School with out any mention of it I was doubed the mad dog, funny... Father like son. So these "dog days" really are dog days for us. We love the heat and the extra grind from the work out. Medneys also love oatmeal but that's for another day. So going back to my point I was playing basketball yesterday and got a really bad charlie horse in my right thigh, and it kills but other then that the training is awsome I've down everything from running in the heat to running in the pool (much harder then T.O. makes it look on his show) and I'm also a coach now for the 2009 JCC Maccabi games which I participaed in 6 years ago for soccer. But let the dog days continue and GO B U L L D A W G S!
Matt