Day 1. Well, maybe Day .5

I remember a line from Jim Bouton's book "Ball Four" (a book that, fwiw, changed the way I looked at baseball) that goes as follows

"It's Opening Day!" 

"or opening day, depending on your perspective."

In my case, It's Opening Day! The tour started today!

It actually started several weeks ago, but made it's way to my little corner of the planet yesterday.  It went pretty well, I'd say.

We did a home visit, as hinted earlier and it.  was.  awesome.  We pulled up in front of the home, 3 pink fire engines and a big pink tour bus, John from OK and Dave from Indiana got out, dressed in pink from head to toe, and delivered a dozen roses and hugs to our survivor.  Then the rest of us lined up, gave her a hug, told her we loved her, and told her to keep fighting.  At one point she mentioned what an incredible lift our visit had given her.  

I had to walk away.

I didn't get a release form or anything like that, so I'm going to try and display images without giving any identity.  This first one shows our visitee talking with John from Oklahoma.

Our visitee with friends and family talking to John from OK, Danny from North Carolina and Bobby from Illinois.  The drivers, as I may have mentioned, come from all over the country.

After the home visit we had two events, one at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital (and this  will take you to Patch's site with some more photos) and one at Cheeseburger in Paradise.  Both went well, good turnouts,  with many people finding us kind of serendipitously.  And to me, that's the best way.  

 A quick word of sincere Thanks to Tom Fremarek and his staff at the Cheeseburger in Paradise for the way they took care of us last night, for their willingness to do whatever hare-brained thing we wanted to try, but mostly for their help in providing support to women battling cancer.

This is what we were doing yesterday, and it's why we, in Downers Grove, IL do this .  It's our town and these are our citizens.  We're caregivers.  It's what we do and it's who we are.  Thanks also to my guy, Dave Graybill and the fellas on this part of the tour; Jamie, John, Dave, Danny and Bobby.  You guys are my heroes and I can't wait to get out there with you.

I'm spending today at home getting my sh... I mean, my things, together (literally as well as figuratively) and I officially join the tour tomorrow morning (hence the .5 above) in beautiful Aurora, IL.  

I. Can't. Wait. 

Pink Heals!

Peace.