9:20 AM | Posted by
Plochman
Friday, April 15, 2011
I Met Keri Exactly 1 Year Ago...........
By: Jim Martin (submitted on 3/25/2011)
She (on the first phone call) invited me to come to The Tampa Crits to see how it all worked. She & Bill, took me in that weekend & my suspicions from our first phone call were confirmed, she (and Bill) are that special. The weekend was fine for the racing & the information I learned about chip timing. (we're behind the 8 ball in NC) but it was even better from meeting friends that will last a lifetime.
I met Keri exactly 1 year ago today! It's our anniversary. A mutual friend had told me of this unique person who could help me with chip timing for a couple of events I was planing on in NC. Boy, was right!
After talking with Keri regarding my needs for the events, I could tell that I was not only was she the one I wanted to do our events, (she "gets it") but I could tell I was dealing with one of those people that you just want to have in your life. I mean, you're just drawn in & you're a better person for just being around her.
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| Keri is a Wonder Woman |
When she finally showed up in NC, I had the opportunity for Keri to meet my wife Lisa. The two were instantly bonded & to this day the warmth & caring that is shown by Keri to her is unprecedented.
Keri & BIll after spending a couple of race weekends with them are now like family. They've opened their home to us, which has touched both of us deeply.
Just wanted to share this.
JM
Monday, April 11, 2011
You know what else Keri and I have in common?
By: Robyn Weinbaum
Dear Keri
We’re both talented, tall, beautiful, rich, hanging with the Kardashians and the Hiltons, Paris and Perez, frequenting hot spots from South Beach to the South Bank. Yes, that’s us, Keri and Robyn, living the life others read about waiting in line at the supermarket, checking out the Onion or trolling the Daily Buzz.
Not ! Oh, Keri and I have lots in common, to the point that I wonder if we are twins separated at birth. We love purple, We never sleep, We think any variant of red hair is the ONLY kind of hair to have, to the point that we get bulk rate discounts from L’Oreal and Clairol. Except when we go with purple, because purple hair is kinda cool, too.
And we are not cyclists.
Nope, no way, no how, are we cyclists. Not by any definition you will find in Meriam-Webster, at Bicycling Magazine, on Hal Downing’s newsletter, at RoadBikeRider.com or at Floridaracingmagazine.com or Floridaracing.com or imbikemag.com or bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com. Okay, maybe by BikeSnob’s definition we are cyclists, but not by any other. We play with them, hang with them, adore them, yell at them, even sleep with them, but we are not cyclists.
We ride bikes because we like it. We think nothing of ‘dropping and giving us 150 plus miles’ for an MS150, but we are not cyclists. We don’t like to get sweaty. We don’t like working that hard or looking icky or, god forbid, maybe breaking one of our perfectly manicured fingernails or running our mascara. Smudging lipstick is okay, we do that lots because we really like kissing cyclists, from the Pro 1/2s down to the itty-bitty pre-juniors and the babies in the burleys.
We ride bikes because we like it. We think nothing of ‘dropping and giving us 150 plus miles’ for an MS150, but we are not cyclists. We don’t like to get sweaty. We don’t like working that hard or looking icky or, god forbid, maybe breaking one of our perfectly manicured fingernails or running our mascara. Smudging lipstick is okay, we do that lots because we really like kissing cyclists, from the Pro 1/2s down to the itty-bitty pre-juniors and the babies in the burleys.
You know what else Keri and I have in common? Cancer.
Keri lives it and I live in fear of it. Keri reminds me every day that I am multiple high and one report away from the release handle on the guillotine, that the ‘benign finding’ report I received in yesterday’s mail might be superceded by the uterine biopsy report I will get at 9 am Monday. And the frisson on the edge of that blade?
Neither of us have medical insurance. Did you know that a routine breast MRI costs $1200 if you pay cash but they charge the insurance companies $1800 for the same service? That most doctors will discount the standard cost of a visit’ from $150 to $80 if you pay cash/credit card? That even pharmaceuticals can be purchased at a discount if you sign up for an uninsured plan at Walgreen’s or get them shipped from Canada? I guess that’s kind of a bargain except if you have insurance, if you are in a pool, that cost gets spread over all the members, it does not come directly from the money you’ve set aside to pay the rent or the car loan or even the electric bill. Gee whiz, I love a bargain.
I know the numbers, the stress and distraction of juggling finances and schedules and treatments. I look at Keri, who lives every moment in joy, who loves her son, her Bill, who would not change a thing except to make this cancer go away and stay away, like a head rolling out of the zinc lined straw basket, off the platform and onto the ground for the waiting hordes to use it as a soccer ball.
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| Team-Keri with "Keri" at the Tampa Crit. |
If you are reading this, you are here, with us, in this moment, living this with Keri.
We love you, Keri. I love you, Keri. Anything you need, I’m here. I’ll even wear that mustard colored shirt.
Who picked that background color, anyway?
Robyn
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