CHECKS TO:

GAIL PURTAN FUND

KARMANOS CANCER INSTITUTE

4100 JOHN R

DETROIT, MI  ostalCode w:st="on">48201ostalCode>

1-800-527-6266

“IN MEMORY OF MARY LOGSDON” – IN NOTE SECTION OF CHECK

JUNE 28, 2006 –  MICHIGAN’S THIRD PENINSULA

Greetings, this evening, from Daytona Beach Florida. Ah, yes, Florida, where the drivers – many of them older than some of the Spaniards who founded St. Augustine, shouldn’t be. I had a couple driving a UHAUL truck and pulling their car on a trailer pass me today on the road, and then, when the truck was only half way past me, pulled into my lane. MY lane, not theirs. The car next to me, moved over so I could “share”. How nice. We both looked at each other and shrugged. I went on ahead to see what the hell was going on in that damn truck.

I blew my horn, and the passenger – obviously aware of what had happened – made the “I’m sorry” shoulder shrug and hands with palms up expression. I got a bit ahead to see the driver, and wished I hadn’t. She was, I am sure, thinking she was driving the tiny car they were towing and not this big ol truck. BECAUSE SHE WAS GESTURING WITH BOTH HANDS AND TALKING ON HER DAMN CELL PHONE WHILE DRIVING THE DAMN TRUCK.

They followed me for quite some time. I thought it interesting that when I slowed down, so did they. They weren’t about to try that passing thing again. Grrrrrr. I stopped for a bit in Georgia at a rest stop, which was sorely needed – no pun intended. I took care of some emails, because they had WIFI access. Just as I was getting on the bike, another cyclist came up and said that he had just watched the Weather Channel and noted that there were some heavy thundershowers south of our position.

Back into the rain gear I went. Everything was packed up and off I went. About five miles down the road, it was fairly obvious that this was going to be another one of THOSE kind of rain storms.

I was wrong. It was actually bigger than one of THOSE kind of rain storms. There was plenty of entertainment, though, like real loud thunder and very bright lightening. WHOOO HHOOOOO.

Before I got to Florida, I had stopped for gas. A gentleman – probably younger than me – started asking me about where I was from and where I was going and stuff. I gave him the Readers Digest version of my story – thus far – and why it was important for me to keep at it.

He handed me a card and a brochure about his Christian motorcycle riders group. I have him one of my cards, and he allowed that perhaps they will be able to make a donation in the not too distant future. It seems that doing that sort of thing is exactly why the group was formed. That was very interesting. His accent was very enjoyable.

I continued on, and made it through Georgia and into Florida, despite the rain. I pulled up in St. Augustine to have dinner. While there I talked to some people at home and after I hung up from the last one, I decided to push on. I thought St. Augustine a very interesting tourist trap, although the fort is really interesting. I will make a point to return here.

Daytona Beach is expecting an onslaught of humanity because of one of ‘em dere STOCK CAR races commin up. Ho, ya, lemme tell ya, it’s a big bash ahappenin on Saturday night.

Thank the Lord, I will be gone. By the way, South Carolina and Georgia have the most churches I have ever seen. It also seems as though each one tries to be more “creative” than the next one. There also is one abiding rule that is held to so steadfastly that it defies logic or reason. The rule is this:

WHEREAS ANY CHURCH MAY CALL ITSELF ANYTHING IN A CHRISTIAN MANNER

AND

WHEREAS ANY CHURCH MAY CALL ANY PERMANENT OR laceName w:st="on">TEMPORARYlaceName> laceType w:st="on">BUILDINGlaceType> laceName w:st="on">“laceName>laceType w:st="on">HOMElaceType>laceName w:st="on">”laceName>

IT IS, THEREFORE, TO BE SO STATED THAT THE BUILDING TO WHICH THE CHURCH NAME IS AFIXED, SHALL BE IN INVERSE PROPORTION TO THE LENGTH OF THE NAME AFIXED TO THE PERMANENT OR laceName w:st="on">TEMPORARYlaceName> laceType w:st="on">BUILDINGlaceType>.

For instance, The “laceName w:st="on">OldlaceName> laceName w:st="on">FashionedlaceName> laceName w:st="on">BaptistlaceName> laceType w:st="on">ChurchlaceType>” was fairly large in size. Down the road, the “Powerful Healing Temple of Christ the Lord Jesus in Nazareth” sign was plastered up on a mere shack. Hurricane bait, is what it was. Perhaps the good paster of that church was more hopeful of the same success as his Baptist neighbor had. There were lots of these kind of “store front” churches along the route 17 that I took along the coast.

Boy, if I start a church, it will be called “CHURCH” so I can put that sign up on a giant thing of a church. It will be a veritable CATHEDRAL, a home for the  GOSPEL OF OUR SAVIOR THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IN HEAVAN AND EARTH FOR EVER AND EVER AMEN.  Praise Gawaduh. See, I can even write like those guys talk. Go ahead, see how many syllables you can find in the word GOD.

Poop, I think I just wished up an Ice fishing shanty to put the sign on.

I am getting responses from the web postings from areas of the country and from people that just surprise the hell out of me. I am going to quote one of them.

Comment:

I just found ur blog thru the ovca acor list. You are amazing!!!!!! Thanks for doing this! What is your planned route? Can u summarize your story?
Thanks!
Linda

This got my interest, because I didn’t recognize who this person was. So, I wrote to her asking how she found my website. Her response was the following:

Hi Mark,

    I found ur website from a link on a posting to the ovca ACOR list.  It is comprised of 1200 women with ovca. I am so sorry to learn that Mary passed away.  I am sure she is watching over you and would be so proud of you doing this ride.  I hope you are enjoying this adventure that you are doing for a most worthy and needed cause.

    My best to you...  safely.

G-d Bless!

Linda

dx. 10/93 stage IIIB

4 surgeries

lots of chemo

radiation

stem cell transplant

another relapse after 6 1/2 yr. remission

currently enjoying another remission and feeling blessed

This last part is what blew me away. Linda was diagnosed in October of 1993, with Stage III Ovarian Cancer. Look at what follows.

She thinks I am amazing. If anyone is amazing it is Linda, and those like her, who put everything on the line. “Amazing” is not a word I use regularly, nor do I use the word “Incredible”. Both are reserved for very special purposes.

This is to you Linda, and the other women who have to deal with this disease every day. You, my dear, are both Incredible and Amazing. All I do is sit by behinder in a seat and do something I love to do. I ride my motorcycle.  Today, I rode from Charleston to Daytona Beach. I didn’t have to put up with meds, the aftermath of treatment, shots, fatigue, sleeplessness, sleepfulnes, chills, sweats, nausea, depression, fear or any of the other aspects of Ovarian Carcinoma. I don’t know where you live, Linda, but if you read this, tell your “sisters” that my friends and I are doing what we can to make sure – damned sure – that progress in the detection and the treatment of this disease will happen.