Every time I take a look at my Ride Cincinnati fundraising page, I start welling up with tears.
I get teary-eyed because I’m so very grateful to the folks who have supported me. I started out with a goal of $2,000. Which I billed as “lofty” because it was. But it turns out that great friends will rally around a good cause. And I’m blessed with a lot of great friends. My Xavier homies, of course. Co-workers. Former co-workers. People I’ve met along my life’s journey who have become close enough that I feel comfortable hitting them up for a donation. (Not my strong suit.)
Actually, one of my Xavier friends, Jackie B., shared my fundraising efforts with more of the XU crew (her besties, the “PYTs” – Pretty Young Things), and they’ve contributed too! She turned my bike wheels into a flywheel.
I’ve revised my goal a couple of times. Onward and upward. Because the funds raised will support cancer research, education, and care in the Cincinnati area.
Which brings us to the other reason I start to get misty-eyed. My friend LJ. One of my Xavier homies. I met him freshman year… 43 years ago. That’s a long time to share the road. But I can’t think of a better travel companion.
LJ has benefitted from the cancer resources available in our area. One of which is Cancer Care Advisors, which offers second opinions on cancer treatment plans, and can help with care coordination, referrals, clinical trials, financial support, etc.
In LJ’s case, they told him and his family that he was doing everything right to attack his brain cancer. That reassurance helps immensely.
But his cancer isn’t usually the kind you can out-pedal.
We don’t know what’s around the bend. And that’s scary.
But the connection — knowing that there are other spokes on the wheel — provides both comfort and strength. To him. To me. To us.
Just keep pedaling. One foot, then the other. Moving forward. Living life. Which is so much richer when you have a caring crew to support you.
If you’d like to donate, and have the means (and haven’t already!), you can do so here. Thanks for keeping the big wheel rolling!
Here’s why I like to describe Cincinnati as the world’s biggest small town.
Yesterday afternoon, I posted about the Cincinnati Magazine Freekbass story, and mentioned the great photos from Devyn Glista. Yesterday evening, in a pickleball league that has 400+ participants, I was assigned to a court with four other players, one of whom was… you guessed it… Devyn Glista.
The editor of Cincinnati Magazine is John Fox, whom I know from my 97X radio days, when he was the editor of the alt-weekly Everybody’s News, and we’d feature him and other staffers on-air each week, highlighting things to do around town.
Each month’s issue of Cincinnati Magazine has a column called “Dr. Know,” penned by Jay Gilbert – I interned for his radio production company when I was at Xavier.
The cover story about great sandwiches features an ode to Izzy’s, written by J. Kevin Wolfe. Who went by “Doc Wolfe” when we worked together on Gary Burbank’s show on WLW-AM.
The other story called out on the cover is by Cedric Rose, a librarian and collector at the Mercantile Library. I met Cedric when I started hanging out at the Merc during my lunch hours (it’s such a magical place). Oh, and he lives about three blocks away from us in Mt. Washington.
The food stylist for the sandwich (photo) spreads? That’s Allison Hamilton, ex-wife of a photographer that I worked with during my Landor agency days.
I could go on, but I’ll stop right there. I didn’t grow up in Cincinnati, and the town has a rep for being rather provincial. (“Where did you go to school?” is a popular question, and it’s about high school, not college.) Yet I’ve made so many connections in my time here. You just have to be open to possibilities.
Of course, I’m no beefcake like Derek Zoolander. But my name is right next to a Chicken Parm and a Tuna Melt… that’s practically the same thing.
I’ve written a few things for Cincinnati Magazine over the past few years. But this was the first time I pitched a story idea to editor John Fox. I ran into bassist extraordinaire Chris “Freekbass” Sherman at my local Kroger, and he mentioned that he was now doing a livestream six nights a week on TikTok. I’ve known Chris since my 97X radio days, and our kids went to grade school and high school together. But I had no idea he was a bona fide TikTok superstar. I thought it’d make for a pretty cool story. John agreed.
Chris is a very sweet dude and easy to interview. And of course, I’ve been known to chat a bit about music, so it was a fun story to write.
I couldn’t make it to the photo shoot, but the shots by Devyn Glista are amazing, and really capture Chris’ sense of style and his on-stage persona.
The layout, the typography… *chef’s kiss*.
I’m thrilled with the way it all turned out.
Getting a byline on the cover and being featured in the contributors section were just icing on the cake.
Freekbass was pumped about the piece too.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/kbw98WAY7WY
It’s not “my smilin’ face on the cover of the Rolling Stone“… but I can guarantee you that my face will be smiling all month long!
The big tree in the field at the end of our street didn’t exactly fall – it was cut down.
We live on a dead-end street, with a walkway at the end leading to baseball fields, the Mt. Washington Pool, Rec Center and Elementary School. “Big tree” was a massive oak by the entrance to the pool.
I am world-famous for not seeing texts in a timely manner. It’s not the worst thing in the world to not be attached to my phone, so I’m good with it. But I really wish I’d see this text from my friend Phil earlier this month:
I had no idea the City of Cincinnati was cutting down Big Tree. If I’d known, I definitely would’ve walked down the street that evening to pay a final tribute to a fallen friend.
I’m glad Phil was able to give it a hug. It deserved millions, for the decades of shade and natural cooling it offered, for the tons of CO2 it removed from the air. For the natural beauty it showcased. For the inspiration it provided.
Big Tree lived a long and fulfilling life of service… to Mother Earth, and to all of us. As you can see from the void in the middle of the trunk in the photo below, it was time for Big Tree to say goodbye.
Now there’s a void. Not just in the field, but in our hearts.
(Dog’s butt added to show scale.)
Time to fill that void by planting another. We need more trees, not fewer.
This past weekend, my friend Jay opened up Jukebox, a “beverage studio.”
Jukebox is America’s first custom sparkling beverage studio, where creativity meets refreshment. We mix premium ingredients, fresh flavors, and endless customization options to craft beverages that are as unique as you.
Jay and I worked together for many years. He left his VP gig in corporate America to start this business. He calls it a “quirky cocktail bar without the cocktails.” Think “dirty sodas” and flavored seltzers and slushies. (You can read more about Jukebox in Cincinnati Magazine and and CityBeat.)
I stick to water (“nature’s champagne”) for my beverage intake. (OK, sometimes it’s water with malted barley, hops, and yeast.) So I don’t fit the target customer profile. But Jay did the research on where to open his store. He also spent countless hours sourcing ingredients, testing flavor combinations, doing consumer research, refining the concept, the marketing plan, the social media strategy… all the million things that go into starting a business.
The odds are stacked against him, and against any small business. “If you build it, they will come” doesn’t always work outside of the movies. But I know Jay’s smarts, enthusiasm, and passion for getting it right will serve him — and his customers — well.
I also know he’s happier being his own boss. The safe route would’ve been to remain a cog in the corporate machine. But that’s not the route that brings him true happiness. And I’m happy that he’s able to pursue his dream, and add more flavor to his life. And yours!
If you live in the ‘nati, check out Jukebox. It’s at 5859 Deerfield Blvd in Mason, in the Deerfield Towne Center. (You may hear a familiar voice doing some promo breaks between songs on the in-house sound system… Morgan Freeman, watch your back!)
I’ve been known to enjoy a beer or two from time to time.
Back in my college days, I was known to enjoy a beer or two… or six… or seven…
It was stupid. I’m gonna blame my lack of maturity, lack of self-control, and not-yet-fully-developed brain. But after college, I learned about the miracle of moderation. I even went alcohol-free for seven years, mainly to prove to myself that I could walk away from it.
One of my college pals, Tim, wound up at the other end of the spectrum. Alcohol took control.
Hi, I’m Tim. I have seen the destruction and pain alcohol can cause. My addiction destroyed my family, the most loved and treasured people to me on this earth. All were innocent victims, especially my children, who were trying to grow up and find their way in life. I could see this happening, and no matter how hard or what I tried (I tried every option in traditional recovery), I could not stop drinking. My family and friends were there for me, but the only options they and I knew were traditional recovery methods. I was miserable and hopeless.
Tim tried the 12 steps. It didn’t work for him. But he found a path that did. And now he’s helping others along their journey.
Tim and I talked about his business (more of a mission, really) quite a bit at the last monthly “hoppy hour” that we typically attend with a group of our college buddies. (More on that in this post from three years ago.)
Yes, Tim still goes to bars. Here’s his FB post about our recent gathering:
What Homer Simpson said about booze is funny.
But we all know someone who has struggled — or is struggling — with alcohol issues. That’s no fun at all. Please pass along Tim’s info: https://onwardafcoaching.com/.
It can’t hurt… and it could save a life.
I’m hosting this month’s “hoppy hour” with the old college crew (accent on the “old”). I’m also going alcohol-free the entire month of June. Because Tim has shown me that I won’t be missing out on anything.
Kevin Sullivan on Life advice from a man who lived it: “A good one Damian. Bring our lens into focus after the long weekend or our long life journey.” Jul 7, 09:38
Thomas Kuhl on We’re alive, because nothing happened.: “That is why we should celebrate every day when our feet hit the floor. Another to enjoy and share with…” Jun 25, 04:33
Thomas Kuhl on We’re alive, because nothing happened.: “This simply explains why we should celebrate every day our feet hit the floor. Another day to enjoy and share…” Jun 25, 04:31
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