From the Inside Out

There seems to be a plague sweeping the country, and I am one of the unfortunate who got caught in it’s grasp. I came down with it on Tuesday, and five days later, I’m still sick. It’s miserable — fever, chills, congestion, sore throat, and fatigue. I’m not having fun. And it doesn’t seem to be getting much better. That’s the scary part.

I cancelled all of my plans today so I could get some rest before Tech Week begins. I bailed out of singing at church, bailed from the set load, and bailed out of rehearsal tonight. It’s a desperate attempt to give my body the energy it needs to kick the butt of this virus once and for all! I hope it works.

Besides wallowing in misery all weekend, I did manage to drag myself out of bed to see Jerry Seinfeld live on Friday night. We purchased tickets a few weeks ago, and since it’s an extremely rare event for the comedian to perform in Dallas, I was not going to cancel. I just hope I didn’t infect everyone sitting near me.

Winspear/ATT PAC — Waiting for the show to begin

The show was amazing. Tom Papa, the host for the Marriage Ref TV show, opened for Jerry, and he did a fantastic job of warming up the crowd. He also proved that you can be funny without cursing or delving into potty humor. I was impressed. After Tom’s set, Jerry jogged onto the stage, and he was immediately welcomed with a standing ovation. He personalized his act for the crowd in the beginning by starting with a few jokes about the Winspear, the venue where he was performing here in Dallas. He then moved on to a more standard set of jokes, but in typically Jerry Seinfeld fashion, they were all hilarious.

I was exhausted at the end of the evening and all of the laughing made my throat hurt more, but I wouldn’t have missed it for anything. I was glad I went. Who knows when, or if, he’ll be back, and I needed a bright spot in the middle of my suffering. After all, they do say that laughter is the best medicine.

It started at 5 am on Saturday. We dragged ourselves out of bed, finished packing, and loaded our bikes in the Jeep. We were on our way to our first MS 150 ride, a cycling event benefiting the MS Society. We drove to the starting point in Frisco, dropped off our luggage which would be transported to our hotel for an overnight stay near the Texas Motor Speedway where we would end our first day of riding. My goal was to ride the Express route (50 miles on day one; 30 miles on day two), and Gary’s goal was to ride the full 150 miles in two days.

It was still dark when we reached the starting point and began to line up with our teams. The “night person” in my head was complaining about the early hour, but it didn’t matter, I was excited about the ride. I had been looking forward to it for many months.

By 7 am, the sun had risen, and members of the Cisco team were gathered at the starting line with us.

The ride started out on the Dallas North Toll road road, which had a lane closed to allow a safe route for all of the cyclists. The ride was also supported by local law enforcement who managed traffic control. With over 3,000 cyclists, it was an important job! Our course took us Northward to Decatur before taking us back South to reach the Texas Motor Speedway. Rest stops stocked with food, drinks, tech support, and bathrooms were staggered about every 10 miles along the route. The picture above is from Rest Stop #3.

Around mile 40, we reached Lake Ray Roberts and rode across the dam. It was extremely windy that day and the wind was whipping across the road, but the view of the lake was great. I will admit that when I looked over at that smooth water, I wanted to be wakeboarding in it instead of on my bike pedaling over it. It was a moment of weakness in my fatigued state…haha!

Ten miles later, I reached the end of my ride and attained my goal of 50 miles! My ride ended at the lunch stop, so while Gary continued onward, I joined with another Cisco rider and enjoyed the free lunch provided by Subway. It felt good to be done with the hardest part of my ride.

After lunch, I jumped on the shuttle which transported me to Texas Motor Speedway. Once there, I joined up with other Cisco riders and the volunteers in the Team Cisco tent. I also took advantage of the massage therapist in the tent. She was amazing, and the massage felt great after a long ride!

A few hours later, Gary finished his 86 mile ride and crossed the finish line. We were there to cheer for him as he rode across. It was a fantastic finish to a great day.

By the end of the day, rumors were already spreading that storms were brewing and the ride might have to be cancelled on Sunday. We went back to our hotel that evening hoping we would be able to continue the ride to Sundance Square in Fort Worth, but the forecast was discouraging. Storms were supposed to start in the late hours of the night and continue all day on Sunday.

We woke again at 5 am and received a text moments later informing us that the ride had been cancelled due to severe storms. By the time we left the hotel, the temperature was in the 40s and the weather was threatening. I was relieved that they cancelled the ride. I would not have wanted to ride in those conditions.

We were transported back to the TMS where we caught a shuttle that would take us back to Frisco where our car was parked. Our bicycles would be transported back later in the day. Even though the second day had a disappointing end, the entire experience was still lots of fun. I’m hoping to ride the full route next year — and praying for good weather!

Next up…riding in Salzburg and Prague! The adventure continues soon…

We went downtown tonight to catch a concert with one of my favorite alternative Christian bands, Switchfoot. They were playing at the House of Blues in Dallas, and it was an awesome show!

We arrived early with tickets in hand, but there was already a long line of concert goers waiting to get into the venue. At first, I thought they were in line to get tickets, so we went to the box office area to evaluate the situation. When we got there, we realized it was in fact a line of people waiting to get inside. Before leaving, we confirmed it with one of the event staff, but instead of directing us to the back of the line, he started talking about their VIP Lounge, the Foundation Room. And then he did the unexpected…he walked us to the VIP entrance and gave us entrance into their special lounge to wait for the show!! It was SO cool!

The Foundation Room is a lounge with a number of small gathering areas uniquely decorated with art and artifacts from around the world. You can hang out there and grab some food before the show. I’ve been in the Foundation Room at the HoB Chicago and Las Vegas for corporate events, but usually the space is dedicated for “members” only. Needless to say, we were thrilled to be there. Gary and I arrived about 90 minutes before the show was scheduled to begin so we lounged in one of the private rooms (pic below), grabbed some food, and enjoyed our evening.

The concert began at 9 pm. Switchfoot recently released a new album (in early November), so they decided to do something different during this concert. They performed the entire album — start to finish. Afterwards, they came back for a 2nd set and performed some of the “fan favorites.” It was really funny when they left the stage for a quick break, they said whatever song the audience was singing when they came back would be the song they would play next. Soon, the audience began to sing, “Oh Gravity,” and the band kept their promise. They strolled on stage and began to play the song.

It was a fantastic show! Not only did the band play some amazing songs, but they let us have fun too. Their stage presence was entertaining — natural, not overdone, just right. They also had fun with the audience, interacting with us and drawing us into the performance. I will definitely go see them again the next time they are in town, and hopefully they’ll be playing at the House of Blues again. It’s a great venue!

Below are some grainy cell phone pics from tonight’s show:

Hanging out in the Foundation Room before the show

Gary and the Buddha

Ah, so much better than waiting outside in the cold in a long line!

Audience waiting for the show

Switchfoot!!!!

Gary’s cell phone camera is much better than mine — here’s another, less grainy, shot of the band.

This one is for you, Mom. The guy on the right was playing an accordion! Never heard that before in a rock band, but it was great. The lead singer was also playing a harmonica…pretty cool!

It’s hard to believe that Christmas is only seven weeks away! Those wanting an early start on their Christmas shopping should visit Dallas Market Hall this weekend. Shoes, clothes, jewelry, and home decor are up for grabs at amazingly low prices during the annual sample sale.

According to the public relations manager at the Dallas Market Hall, “some retailers are slighting below wholesale and many at wholesale prices.” For example skirts that would normally retail for $100 in boutiques are going for just $40 during the sample sale.

Sunday is the last day of the sale. Doors are open from 11 a.m to 5 pm, and admission is free. For more info, go to DallasMarketCenter.com.

For one week only, you can dine at some of Dallas’ finest restaurants for the low price of $35 and support a good cause at the same time. KRLD’s Restaurant Week will be held August 17-23. During this week, you can get a three-course meal at over 100 restaurants in DFW for only $35. In addition, for each dinner purchased, participating restaurants will donate $7 to the North Texas Food Bank and the Lena Pope Home. Last year KRLD Restaurant Week raised more than $430,000 for the two charities.

The list of participating restaurants includes the new Five Sixty restaurant by Wolfgang Puck, III Forks, Texas de Brazil, The Mansion, Jaspers, Nana’s, and more! It’s one of the best deals you’ll find all year. If you want to participate, pick up the phone and make your reservations now. Reservations are required, seating is limited, and the spots fill up quickly. When you call, be sure to ask for KRLD Restaurant Week Reservations.

For those who want a fourth course, you can get a free certificate from Central Market with any purchase of $25 or more.

For the complete list of participating restaurants, click here.

Bon Appetit!